Hi there. I thought seen as I'm the newbie on the block I would introduce myself. My name is John and I'm a 38 year old married guy who lives in the town of Kilmarnock in the county of East Ayrshire in Scotland (Burns and Wallace Country). I'm a budding author who is currently, after years of jotting down notes and ideas, working on producing my first novel (which I hope to post the first couple of chapters for critique in the near future). The story revolves around a British Security Service officer who is also the human embodiement of Angelic Powers on Earth. His task is to keep the Real World (Earth) and The Hidden World of Twilight (a buffer zone between Heaven, Hell, and Earth) as seperate as possible, and prevent 'The War' between The Eternal and The Fallen. Away from writing my other intersts are Okinawan Karate, in which I hold the grade of 4th Dan, and Judo, in which I hold the grade of 1st Dan. I also moderate on two Martial Art discussion boards, Martialartforum.net and Karatetalk.com. I started my studies of Karate as a shy 7 year old in Rutherglen near Glasgow. Now I'm a 6'1, 20 stone (240lbs) not so shy 38 year old power lifting Gym-junkie. I'm also a huge Theme-Park fan having done many of the classic parks in Europe, and The USA, such as Alton Towers, Phantasialand, Six Flags, Universal, Islands of Adventure, and of course the Florida Disney Parks. Anyhoo, that's me in a proverbial nutshell. John.
Hello John, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Be careful about posting something you intend to publish. A couple chapters may be ok, but I would suggest less. You don't want to throw away foirst publication rights, which nearly every publisher will demand as part of any book deal. If your work already appears (or has appeared - don't overlook archiiver engines!), you will no longer be able to sell first publication rights. Even if you only post a substantial excerpt, it may make publishers hesitant. Anyway, posting your own work should not be the very first thing you do here. It is really worthwhile 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!
Thanks for the welcome, and the advice. I'll be getting stuck right in, as there are a few threads and posts on various boards on this site which appeal to me.
Thanks for the welcome. The name Alcatraz comes form my Judo days, and I quote 'When John locks you up, you ain't getting out till he says so.' My Mother alsways says that I eat like a gannett,and the Portugese word for gannett is alcatraz. Despite my bulk and hobbies away from writing,I'm really just a big softy.
