Hello there, My name is Simon and I am an 18-year-old guy from Montreal, Canada. I currently study languages in college, more precisely German and Italian. It's only been one semester but I love it so far. In addition to these two languages, I speak French, English and Spanish. I would love to learn a few more, later on. I am interested in translation and international relations. I am an avid fantasy reader and I have been trying to write my own novel for years now. Working on it is part of my resolutions for 2010. I can't decide whether I should write it in my mother tongue, French, or English. My vocabulary isn't as developed for the latter. On the other hand, French-Canadian fantasy writers usually have a hard time getting their work published, so I have to figure that out. I have to say I love this forum already. This is the first time I get to see a community where every single user writes properly, it's quite a shock. Hopefully, being surrounded by so many promising writers will get me motivated and carry me through the entire writing process of my very first novel. Last thing : it may sound like an odd request, but feel free to correct eventual spelling mistakes. See you in the forums !
Welcome to the forum. Interested in languages and translation work? Excellent! I work as an interpreter for Spanish/English and also for Russian/English. I began as a Russian/English interpreter in the USAF after graduating from the Defense Language Institute, Presidio of Monterey in Monterey, CA. If you have any questions about careers as an interpreter, I would be more than happy to chat. Please have a look through the Forum Rules, and the FAQ as a start. Then take a leisurely stroll through the different areas of the forum to get your bearings. Once you have a good idea where everything is, come and say hello in the Lounge or have a look at the items already up for review in the Review section. Please remember that as a full participation workshop, you are required to give two (2) constructive reviews of posted items prior to posting your own work. Thereafter, two reviews for every post of your own work is the expected standard. Remember that two is only a minimum. Feel free to give as many reviews as you please. The more you give, the more you get. We are also a Flame-Free Location and we do not host Pie Fights either. Have fun!
Hey there, Simon. Good to hear you're interested in all of those languages. I'm only fluent in American English. I'm a huge fantasy fan, along with every other genre, but if you want me to take a look at something, drop me the cue and I'll take a look! Oh, and welcome!
Hello Simon, Welcome to the Writing Forums. 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!
