Hi there, I'm finally able to post after lurking for a couple of days while waiting for my activation email, so I thought I'd say hello and introduce myself. My name is Jason, and I'm just getting back to creative writing after a very long career-inspired hiatus in which I've done a great deal of technical writing, which by and large has tended to leave me a bit too busy and/or tired to venture onto the creative side. In pursuit of that, I've been scouring the net to see what other people are writing and what techniques they are using to pursue the improvement of their own writing skills. What I've found is that by and large there are two items that are essential to that end: peer review and practice, practice, practice. To that end I've setup a site on which I both blog and post my short stories at Damn Short Stories, though the focus is definitely on the stories. As filler I've been tossing up old poetry I wrote long ago, but by and large I am trying to stay as story focused as possible. I will do my best to actively contribute to critique and criticism in a constructive manner on these forums as well, and hope that I can expect the same. It's a pleasure to have found a whole community of creative minded folks with story ideas and a passion to improve their own skills! Regards, Jason
Hello Jason, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Once upon a time, there was a writer who bragged he could write a great story in six words or fewer. True to his word, he delivered: The writer's name was Ernest Hemingway. 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!
Welcome to the forum Jason, glad you were able to come out of lurkdome. Best of luck with your writing, short stories are the one of the hardest things to write.
Thanks for the welcome guys, I've already dipped my fingers into the warm water that is the Review section. I hope I'm offering some decent critical advice, though like any writing task this will only improve with time and practice.
