Writers shouldn't really be lost for words, but here I am, unsure what I should say. I like to read. I like to write. That about sums it up.
Welcome to the forums, Astraea. You like to read and write? Methinks you're in the right place. Enjoy your creative journey.
Hello Astraea, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Perhaps with the stars in your eyes, it's hard to see the city lights. Posting your own work should not be among the very first things you do here. It is worth taking the time to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog. If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Review Room, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate. As for the Review Room, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize reviewing as a critical writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. The Review Room forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Review Room forum). See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information. And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
Thank you for the welcome, Cogito. I'll check out all your links so I can avoid doing the wrong thing. Wouldn't be a good way to start. The Review Room does sound very different to anything I've come across before. Am I not meant to comment on others' work until I have passed some reviewing course? Because I have left two comments on things I read, and now I hope I haven't made a mistake. :redface: I think I had better read through those links now for answers to my question! *** Sorry to be a bother, but that link for Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work is not working, and I'm not sure where to find it! So many places yet to explore, I'm afraid. Would you mind terribly posting it again? Many thanks!
basically if you post a minimum of two detailed reviews on how a member can improve their work as well as what they've done right then your free to post 1 piece of your own. for every additional piece you put up you need to do a minimum of two more reviews
Thank you, Aristocrazy. That makes it very simple. I haven't done any detailed reviews yet (a bit busy just now, I'm actually skiving!) but I will bear that in mind, although I'm not terribly keen to post my own work for a while anyway.
The Why post is currently a casualty of a site problem that was fixed last month. The article itself is not currently available, but I'm hoping the site owner can restore it. For that reason I'm hiolding off on trying to recreate it. The article points out the benefits of developing the critical eye. how it helps you more quickly improve your own writing. It also points out that members are more inclined to dig deeply into writing if the member has also been putting in an effort to do the same. No one wants to waste time and effort critiquing work for someone who only wants to be told how brilliant he is.
haha, cog probably gets asked once a day at least about that article. then again that's the least of his hassles. thats probably a good plan Astera, the more known you are and the more your out there reviewing peoples stuff the more likely people will be interested in taking the time out to review your stuff. *gets hit close to home with cogs ending statement* D:
Well then, it sounds as though this place is run much like the other sites I've joined. Give to get, keep it nice and helpful, all good stuff. Thanks for the pointers and welcomes.
