I like reading a lot but writing doesn't come easily to me. Partly because of my crazy work schedule. When I'm finally off duty I'm fatigued and whenever I try to write I find it difficult to start filling that blank white page with words. Right now though I'm going to be off work for at least another week and a half because I broke my left arm. It's still weak but I'm up to typing now. I think the Word Games section might be helpful to me. I think I need to do very basic exercises as I work up to actual story writing. Most of my reading interests lean toward Horror or Sci-Fi. I'm also a film buff and like to see really far out surreal movies. Like David Lynch stuff. I'm really interested in seeing Inception.
Hello Videodrome, 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 the RPG forum for improvisational fiction. Also try 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. It's been about 2 and a half weeks since the accident. I'm a truck driver and a wind storm blew me right over west of Chicago. It was so severe I half expected to see a funnel cloud. Bones are knitting up and the doctor says I don't need a cast which is good in this summer heat. Mostly getting over terribly strained and weakened muscle. Maybe some typing might even be good for the arm.
The review rules actually seem quite fair to me. It doesn't seem to much to ask people to contribute in return for having work critiqued.
Well I actually cranked out something with a little assistance from Bacardi. When I feel I meet the review qualifications maybe I'll post it. It is at most just an exercise writing a scene. Not a solid plot and I think rather noobish by writing standards. But it's something that I think at least somewhat sets a mood and has some story and dialogue even if it's very short. But it's something and maybe I can build on this beginning. Just posting this to share with the other beginners struggling to put down something on that blank white page. It doesn't really come easy to me but I took an idea and just threw it down on the page and kind of rolled with it.
Just commenting to tell you I like your taste in films (both in the username and in the movies thread). Kudos. If you want to see James Woods in another really good film, watch Salvador. Oliver Stone directed it, but it's not overly preachy and polemic. It's good stuff, and Woods is definitely well cast as a twitchy jerkwad journalist.
Thanks. I picked this name because I used to work for a television station as a master control room operator and became fascinated with Videodrome and David Cronenberg films. I think first I saw The Ring which being in television was a fun movie for me to watch. Then later I learned of the older movie Videodrome.
Then you should see Network too, if you're in the TV business. It's just got that in common with Videodrome, but it is pretty good too.
Yeah I think I've seen parts of that. Another TV related movie I liked was Good Night and Good Luck which I put in that list.
Wish I made more progress but it's been a crazy year changing jobs. I'm glad 2010 is over that year really knocked me around. 2 weather related vehicle wrecks and 2 visits to the hospital. Unfortunately I'm still in trucking which is a crazy schedule and IMO a truck cab can be a crappy environment for writing but I want to add this forum to my favorites again on my Netbook I just got to review posts here for inspiration. I think I still have some dumb hangups and a tendancy to run to research materials instead of doing writing. As much as I love the SciFi genre it makes me lean on research like a crutch really bad. I may need to just let go with Fantasy or something and forget about rules.
