Greetings, everyone. I have been looking for somewhere for quite some time to share my somewhat random writings and musings, and have decided to give this forum a go. Honestly, I have to say that I am more than slightly apprehensive about sharing my work here, mostly because there are SO many people and I have really not shown anybody any of my writing before. I absolutely love to write. I have never been fortunate enough to have taken a creative writing class, or even any post-secondary writing class' at all, but I was brought up in a house where reading and writing were paramount. Being brought up in that mindset, I was given what I believe to be one of the greatest gifts a parent can give their child: A love for the written word. I mostly write fiction, in the form of short stories in both present and sci-fi themes, as well as a small amount of fantasy. I have always enjoyed writing poetry, although honestly I have read very very little poetry other than mainstream authors. (Poe and Frost are two of my favourites. Very different, yet both striking.) While growing up poetry was not exactly discouraged, but neither was it focused on. Like I said though, I have never had any sort of training or teaching of any kind... So we'll see if what I come up with is actually halfway decent.
Welcome. Don't worry about not having any sort of training or teaching, you have a love for the written word and that's the most important thing.
And you must be the local grammar Nazi. Actually, it is spelled exactly as I intended it to be. I know precisely where my soul is, and it does not wander. My soles, on the other hand, wander all over the place. At times it's rather difficult to keep up with them, I constantly have an urge to move on to new things. That is a downside where writing is concerned, as I sometimes have difficulty finishing my projects before I want to start a new one.
I was about to comment on the "sole" also. ;p I don't think a lot of us have "training". Personally, I write how I want to write and I don't think anyone can train me on that.
Hello C. Shaw, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Review Room before you post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on 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 the RPG forum for improvisational fiction. Also try 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!
Thanks for the warm welcome, everyone! And no worries, Cogito, I don't think I'm going to work up the nerve to be posting my own material for critique for quite some time. I like to get to know people before I discuss my personal life, and similarly I will be doing a lot of reading and minimal amount of posting here before I go posting my works for all to see. Anyhow, thanks again!
I am not a grammar nazi! Umm... Actually maybe I am. Drive Thru signs annoy me as well... So does lite beer... I guess I am a grammar nazi. Welcome to the forum!
