Hi everyone! Just a quick post to introduce myself. I'm from Australia but am traveling at the moment. Actually I've been traveling for the past year after what started out as a 3 months writing sabbatical turned into something a bit bigger. The few short stories I was hoping to write about growing up in Sri Lanka also turned into something bigger: the first draft of a novel. So now I am in the long process of finishing that first draft and re-writing, editing and fine tuning. Its going to take a while! I also have a great love for short stories. I write general fiction, children's fiction, memoir and sci-fi/fantasy. A bit of everything as I explore and find my niche. I am working on grammar at the moment because although I have a lot of ideas and the writing often flows out of me, those pesky (and of course incredibly useful) rules and conventions aren't so deeply ingrained... yet! I am currently in India and planning to stay here. Aside from the beauty of the country, it's cheap and that means longer until I need to go back to work,longer for me to focus on writing. I hope to spend some time on here giving and receiving feedback and making great use of all the links to grammar sites. Gitamo
Hello and welcome Gitamo. Been traveling myself for the past three years, 1st in New Zealand and then to Austria, Spain and now Germany. Been thinking about Aussie next. anyway welcome again
Welcome to the forum! That's so cool you are able to travel.... AND write! I'll definitely be looking for your posts. Cheers!
Hello Gitamo, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Posting your own work should not be among the very first things you do here anyway. 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!
Thanks everyone for the welcome I reviewed a couple of stories this morning but am still not sure which of my pieces to post. I am having an issue deciding whether to post my favourite piece as its then considered published and I am thinking of submitting it to a short story competition later this year. Its doubtful that it will get placed and the feedback would be good. I'll have a little ponder on that one. I'll have a look around in my writing tonight and see what I find.
