Hello, I'm Rachel and I used to be a member of this forum about 3 years ago. Coming close to finishing my first novel and wanted to rejoin as I enjoyed getting to know others with similar interests.
welcome back! best wishes on your first novel. I don't say good luck to people, b/c of my understanding of the term. to me, wishing someone luck, implies that you don't believe in their ability to accomplish their task and that they need luck to do so. I don't know you, but I hope you have the confidence and self determination to reach your goals.
I have never heard that before but you have just opened my eyes to a whole lot, thankyou back on track, welcome back I hope to see some work flying this way and that before too long, ciao.
Hello Rachel, Welcome to the Writing Forums. 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 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!
I think that you read far too much into the sentiment behind "good luck". For better or worse, luck plays a huge part in our lives, and most successful people have been boosted by it somewhere along the way, in much the same way as all the talent in the world can be unfortunately neutralised by an unfair sprinkling of "bad luck" at crucial moments. So, "good luck" to me is perfectly acceptable.
I think good luck is acceptable. If somebody wishes me good luck I'm usually just happy they're not saying "Bog off Ginger" Welcome back to the forum!
Thanks. I'm not the kind of person who turns their nose up at any kind of well wishing - can use all the luck and best wishes I can get!! But I get your point about luck vs personal ability and like to think I've got a bit of both I love writing but the biggest issue I face, and I'm guessing I'm not alone in this, is finding the time. Do any of you "discipline" yourself by forcing allocated time to it or do you find it's better to write when you're in the mood? I'd be interested to see what other people think on that as I'm not sure what's better. Apparently Stephen King says you have to treat it as a job and write even when you're not in the mood but I find my writing is never great when I try to force it out. Any thoughts?
