Brand new to this site and I found it after some searching. I will be graduating college here in a month or so and I have always had a passion for writing as I will be getting my degree in Communications and Journalism. Writing is almost a lost talent it seem in today's world but I think of the world today and how webisized we are as a culture and I just think that everything we see started off as a draft on a piece of paper. I look forward to meeting and hopefully working with all of you here.
Not to start a big debate in your 'hello' thread, but I disagree with that completely. Reading and writing have never been so popular. From the insightful blogger to the angsty teen poet.. from the housewife who writes her own children's stories to the gas jockey who aims to dethrone Stephen King, it seems like half of the people I know enjoy writing something. And I live in a small hick town. Of course, with increased popularity comes more rough work, but also more diamonds in the rough. And I would rather see millions of aspiring writers than a mere few thousand who are already great. Now, some published material can be truly awful, but that's only because so many books get published. They can't all be great. In 2005, the UK alone published over 200,000 books! I would estimate that worldwide publications number around 750,000 to 1,000,000 per year. Perhaps more than that. Despite that one objection, I happily welcome you! lol
Hello JS, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Posting your own work 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. 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!
