Good morning to all, I'm a quarter-aged woman from many places, currently back in the country of my citizenship - the U.S.A. I haven't been writing long, as English was generally my worst subject, and I always assumed I would fail. Nanowrimo.org helped me get started last year, and I plan on 'winning' again this year. My technique needs work, but I absolutely love to write. I've got tons of ideas, though what I see in my head is always much better than what ends up on paper. My favorite authors include Jane Austen and Haruki Murakami, and you can usually tell when I've just read one or the other as my writing (and my speech) reflect them. Just like when you watch too much 'Battlestar Galactica' in one sitting and winds up unintentionally sayng "what the frack?!" for the rest of the week. o(^-^)o I'm decent at grammar, so you may see me correcting those little things. I'm also not bad at Japanese and know a bit about the culture. I've lived in Japan, and that makes me automatically cool. j/k Otherwise, you'll see me giving my wish-I-was-a-professional point of view. Yoroshiku Onegaishima~su!
G'day 'Roos, Welcome to the Writing Forums. So does that mean you won't be here much in November? Posting your own work should not be the very first thing you do here. It is really worthwhile 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!
Hey there! Welcome aboard! I totally understand where you're coming from! I can't watch any movie that involves someone speaking with a heavy accent without taking the accent on myself as soon as its done. Wow! Been to Japan, eh? I've recently become very interested in Japanese culture and history. I'd love to visit there sometime. But hey, if you're interested, come on down to the RPG section of the forums! We kind of work on stories collectively, and its a good way to work on characterization and description, and get to know some of us while you're at it. I look forward to seeing more of you!
