1. Goldie

    Goldie New Member

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    Autumn and Inspiration

    Discussion in 'New Member Introductions' started by Goldie, Sep 30, 2009.

    It happens every fall. The wind gets cold, the skies are a watery blue and the trees bend in reverence to the season. In the midst of all of that majesty, I get inspired.

    And I was inspired to find a writing forum.

    Making up characters is no hard thing. Pasts and families, they all come so easily to me. It's putting them somewhere, making them do something rather than sit pretty on their pages. Or in their word files. Whichever works.

    I hope to learn new things here. The main thing? How to take constructive criticism. Raised solely on positive reinforcement, it's hard for me to listen to the things wrong with my works. But I know if I ever want to be published, they have the power to say a lot worse than anyone online. I should wet my feet before I freeze in the ocean!

    I'm married and have been for over seven years now. I was thirteen when I met him, nineteen when we married, turned twenty the next month. We have no children, but we feel that they'll come when they come.

    We're moving on the first, so that should be fun. New beginnings. A new job interview (at a bookstore!!) on the same day! My mother-in-law is moving in with us and bringing her dog to join our two cats. I love her to death.

    Something relevant to the forums? I like to write fantasy and YA fiction. Sometimes I'll pen a poem or two, but I haven't done so regularly since high school (I'm nine years graduated). I love reading many different kinds of books. Lately, I want to read general fiction about women. I used to stay away from those types of books because (though I'm a woman) I had jaded views toward "woman-empowered" books. I was so very wrong!!

    Believe it or not, RL Stine and Madeline L'Engle got me into writing. Then again with Anne Rice in junior high. Then I found Dragonlance and it was -gone-!

    I hope to learn things and make friends. I'm going to put myself out there as a loser, but I don't really have friends. I have my husband and am so blessed for that. I also want friends.

    Thank you for having me.

    Goldie
    (though it's not my real name, it was going to be, but my father said no)
     
  2. CDRW

    CDRW Contributor Contributor

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    Welcome to the forums! I also love autumn, and it's doing quite a bit to inspire me.

    BTW RL Steine is awesome. The only author I've seen so far who's done a werewolf right.
     
  3. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    Hello Goldie, Welcome to the Writing Forums.

    Learning to give and receive critique is the focus of the Review Room workshop. These are essential skills for a writer after the initial draft has been completed.

    Posting your own work 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!
     
  4. Goldie

    Goldie New Member

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    I'm sure it will be a good while before I post up anything, excerpt or more, of my own writing. I ... tend to hold back when giving critiques. I would like to learn to have confidence, since a critique at this level is mostly opinion. Mostly. Right?
     
  5. ChimmyBear

    ChimmyBear Writing for the love of it. Contributor

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    Hello Goldie,

    Welcome to the forums!

    You know, this time of year always has a tremendous pulling on my creative mind. :)
     
  6. von Pook

    von Pook Member

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    Hello and welcome Goldie :cool:
     
  7. Gigi_GNR

    Gigi_GNR Guys, come on. WAFFLE-O. Contributor

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    Welcome to the forums!
     

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