Hello everyone, I haven't written anything other than technical documents in several years now so in a lot of ways coming here and reading about concepts that I had long since forgotten feels like a homecoming. When I was still a teenager I very much wanted to do two things, become an engineer and write professionally. In spite of my own protestation to the contrary, I'm glad that the first desire won out. I do desire to tell stories, however, and so I find myself at loose ends from time to time with a desire to create. I appreciate this isn't much of an introduction, but it does say a lot about why I find myself on these forums. I would like to thank everyone here for contributing. I've been reading for the last few weeks and it has spurred me to pursue an old passion I thought I'd long since forgotten about. Also, I'd like to say thank you to the site administrators. I appreciate that running a website or forum properly is not an easy job, rather akin to herding cats, and I appreciate your efforts and work.
Hello Wintersmith, Welcome to the Writing Forums. 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. Also, be aware that posting a piece of writing on any public site, including this one, will greatly diminish your chances of selling it for publication. Removing the writing later does not alter that fact - once posted, it is irreversibly considered published. So do not post anything more than a small excerpt of any piece you are planning to submit for publication. 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 constructive critique as a vital 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). Also, please use the same thread for all revisions and additional excerpts from the same piece of writing. 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!
