Well, hello everyone. I'm Sami, and I have an interest in most creative things, but mainly writing and cooking. Don't ask about the username, it's sort of an in-joke. I came looking for a writing forum where I can discuss aspects of work, and hopefully get feedback at the stages where i'm uncertain. I don't have published work, and although it'd be nice to have a published work at some point, I just write for the love of writing. I don't mind if I don't make a penny from it, so long as people enjoy what I enjoyed creating. My current work is based on a dream I had involving androids. The basic premise is going to be on dependance of technology, as well as moral implications of how we use technology, as well as for what. The main three characters are androids that look female, that were programmed for.. let's say, an immoral purpose with good intent. But the act causes a personality disorder in each one, which also allows me to reflect on three extreme aspects of people forced to work in such a position. I know exactly how the story should end, and I have my opening, and that as my general plot, though I have no idea what's going in the middle.
Hello PurpleCao, Welcome to the Writing Forums. A Gelett Burgess fan? 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. 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!
I'd never heard of Gelett Burgess until just now. The source of it was my partner, who, whilst slightly hyper and drinking a strawberry milkshake, declared "It comes from purple cows, you know.. wait, what?"
Ahh, ok. Gelett Burgess wroute a famous Purple Cow poem, (often misattributed to Ogden Nash)/ http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/120.html
While this is fresh, the Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? link doesn't work. Also, I can understand having to review work, but i can't find any criteria on when it's no longer frowned upon to post your own work. Is there a certain quality of review or number needed or something? Is it 'graded' in any way? Sorry if it seems stupid to ask. I've never been on a forum like this.
Reviews must be constructive to qualify. Constructive means specific enough for the writer to use as a starting point for making improvements, or to know what not to change. The Review Room workshop is the most advanced area of the site, and is not recommended as an entry level exercise. The broken link is a known recent problem, which will hopefully be corrected soon.
Yes this can be a bummer. Which is why I prefer to plan out the plotline before putting flesh on the bones so to speak. This gives me an overview of what I am doing and also the logical sequence of events some inspiration as to what might happen next.
