Hello everyone. My name is Cyrus, middle name Eli, hence the username. I recently moved from Seattle, WA to Oklahoma City, OK. A big part of my decision to move here was to have less distractions around so I'd be more inclined to spend time on my writing. I struggle with finding time to write but when I do I feel a great sense of fulfillment. I would love nothing more than to become a published author and make a living with it. I'm not sure if this is an achievable goal but it's my goal and I am working towards it. I have written several short stories, two of which I am very happy with and working on editing to a point at which I will feel comfortable submitting them to magazines for publication. I am also working on my first novel and things are going okay. I am writing out the chapter outlines one by one instead of trying to write the actual chapters, something I've never done before, and it is great to be able to see where things will go before even really setting pen to paper. I am having a little trouble figuring out an ending however, but I will post about that in the Plot subforum. Thanks for your time reading my little introduction, I look forward to meeting many of you and reading your works. I have been sort of a 'closet writer' for some time and am fully ready to take the leap to becoming a real, announced one. I hope you enjoy my stories as I am sure I will enjoy yours. All the best, -Cyrus Eli
Welcome to the forum. 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. Unfortunately, we do not host Flame Wars nor Pie Fights. We at writingforums.org feel that there are enough places on the net already catering to those needs. Have fun!
Hello Cyrus, 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!
Thanks for all the welcoming, although I fear my stay here may be short lived. The first story I posted was deemed too violent for this website. This disappoints me greatly as I do not believe in censorship, especially when the author takes the time to clearly label that what you are about to read is possibly offensive. I also figured that by posting my story in the horror section even though I do not feel that it is a horror story would give some lenience to the violence involved. I will have to do some serious thinking before posting here again as I do not feel like making sure everything I write is child safe, especially horror stories. I have already contacted an admin on the way I feel on this matter. It saddens me deeply to see these sorts of rules enforced on a creative grounds. I wish you more luck than I have had here so far Sezensteal.
Welcome Cyrus I'm a bit of a closet writer myself. Definitely achievable! Hold your head high and GO FOR IT!
What is up Cyrus! Welcome to the WF! I'm sorry you feel so disappointed with your experience so far here, but I urge you to reconsider leaving. Yes, there are some younger audiences present here (not I for one) and I agree that a short disclaimer attached to your story should be enough to avert untainted eyes from violent and malevolent subject matter. I'm sorry it's been like that. However, getting feedback on your writing is in fact a priceless commodity. I suggest you hang around here for a little while and maybe find out who would be willing to review some of your work and help you out with it. I know there are some out there who wouldn't be flustered by your highly violent stories. Good luck!
Thank you for the luck cyruseli. I have to say that most defiantly I agree with bahloo, especially the 'I agree that a short disclaimer attached to your story should be enough to avert untainted eyes from violent and malevolent subject matter. I'm sorry it's been like that.' Creative writing means just that: creative. Therefore, if you wish to express yourself through the use of violence then so be it. Especially when you have taken the time to label it. Also, referring to the 'I know there are some out there who wouldn't be flustered by your highly violent stories.', I am only fourteen – soon to be fifteen – but already I have written several murder scenes with a friend, which we plan to turn into a story. So, although I would probably be considered part of the 'younger audiences', I would be more than happy to take a look at your work and critique it if you so wish. If it's deemed to violent for this website then you can surly be allowed to PM it. Remember, never give up and good luck!
Like it or not, this site has content limits, and those limits are not optional. Create what you want, and more power to you. But this site's content limits do not unduly restruict creativity, but do make sure that the content remains appropriate for the age range represented by our members. Warnings in the title are still advisable for material close to our content limits, but we do enforce limits on the material this site will host. Welcome to the real world, people. Magazines and oter publication outlets have content restrictions as well, and this is a great opportunity to learn to work within such restrictions.
