My name is Jeff and I am a Public Servant from Iqaluit, Nunavut. I previously worked as a journalist for two years despite no formal English training beyond the 12th grade (I have a degree in accounting). I'd love to get back into writing, but it feels very unnatural at the moment (I haven't written anything in roughly two years). (I think the fact that I relegated myself to using parenthesis in two consecutive paragraphs in lieu of a properly structured sentence is evidence of my current struggles) Looking forward to contributing to this forum. I often begin endeavors such as this with excellent intentions, but I'm habitually lazy. Hopefully my love of the written word will help me persevere.
Welcome to the forum. Wow. Nunavut. I'll be honest and admit I had to google that. Please have a look through the Forum Rules, and the FAQ as a start. Then take a leisurely stroll through the different areas of the forum to get your bearings. Once you have a good idea where everything is, come and say hello in the Lounge or have a look at the items already up for review in the Review section. Please remember that as a full participation workshop. You are required to give two (2) constructive reviews of posted items prior to posting your own work. Thereafter, two reviews for every post of your own work is the expected standard. Remember that two is only a minimum. Feel free to give as many reviews as you please. The more you give, the more you get. Unfortunately, we do not host Flame Wars nor Pie Fights. We at writingforums.org feel that there are enough places on the net already catering to those needs. Have fun!
Hello Jeff, 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 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!
welcome, jeff! you're our first member from the former NWT, as far as i know... congrats on becoming the first new territory since '49!... quite an accomplishment... what's life like on baffin island?... i've roamed much of canada, but the farthest north i got was the pas... hope you'll be writing about life in the no-longer-so-frozen north... are you Inuit? love and warm(ing) hugs, maia
