Hi guys/gals, I am purplecandle. I haven't been a writer for a long time, since middle and high school. I wrote poems and short stories for classmates for cash. Not to help them cheat, instead I would put their boyfriend's name in a love poem or write up a happy ending for a couple. My parents never gave me lunch money..so I did what I had to do. I never thought I had talent for creative writing. I did win a few awards, but I thought I won because the teacher liked me. For the past 4 years I have worked on my bachelor's in business and writing dry academic papers so as my electives I took a creative writing class and then an advanced writing class. I found that I rather liked writing creatively and I also enjoyed critiquing m class mates work. At he end of the advanced class my teacher kept screaming things at me like, "don't waste your talent" and "continue writing after class". So, I found this forum..and here I am. I hope to learn how to be a better writer...and I hope this forum can help motivate me to continue writing. Now that I am finishing up my degree, I would love to start writing more. So, Hello to you all!! Please Cogito,I have read through the rules and while there are many I will hold back until I get the gist of things...No need to post me the rules, I would much rather have a good hello from you!
Hello Candle, Welcome to the Writing Forums. But it wouldn't be a good hello if I didn't offer the tour. So bear with me, and give it a good read anyway. There's a lot about the site that isn't like every other site. 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 Cogito, I know you have to! I should probably re-read the rules again anyway. I already made a mistake that had to be forgiven!