Hello everyone! The first half of my first name actually is "Jay," so you are most welcome to call me that, especially if repeatedly and consistently typing my full alias causes chronic wrist cramps - or pathological patience overload. ;-) It so chances that I happen to be a mathematician - well, a student of mathematics anyway - and I also happen to be Germean (i.e. half German, half Korean). I am currently studying in the land of my forefathers (Germany), although I grew up mostly in Korea, the Land of the Morning Calm (which is the only time of day when things are calm ... at least in Seoul). I enjoyed three years of American high school in the latter country, and there I discovered my literary tendencies - and my frivolous fascination for pestering puns ... and needless alliteration. (English is so much fun!) My favorite literary genre is fantasy, particularly comic fantasy, although I have a special place in my heart for Tolkien and C.S. Lewis as every good fantasy fan should. It may interest you though that Mr. Pratchett is not my favorite author. Oh, and contrary to popular opinion, math can be quite quirky and fun and awesomely creative, once you get the hang of it, which took me forever. I am looking forward to continuing to devour your creative output and hopefully sharing some helpful hints and maybe even posting some of my own outcroppings. By the way - is there a word limit for short stories in the review room? With best regards, -J-
Hello Jay, Welcome to the Writing Forums. There is no word limit for posting short stories, but if your story is long, you should plan on starting with a short excerpt. However, 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 assume you mean George R.R.? Nope. I'm afraid not. I've read some excerpts on Amazon.com, but it didn't quite seem like the kind of thing I'd like to read. He certainly seems to be a master of his craft, though.
