Hello everyone. My name is Andrew. I'm currently studying a degree in creative writing and am close to finishing my third semester. One of the modules I've studied this semester involved heavy criticism and feedback of other people's work, which I found extremely useful, and I hope this experience will help myself and other here. From a young age I've always enjoyed reading as well as creating my own stories. Whilst I haven't written throghout my entire life, I've always been in the habit of creating something story-like, whether it be in my head, or in the form of artwork, music, and narratives. Currently I find writing a much easier method to express the images or stories I see in my mind than these other creative forms. When writing, I don't focus on a particular genre, enjoying most styles of writing. However, I believe I have a feel more for life writing, simply because the stories I create from my actual experiences seem to resonate much more, not only with myself, but with readers. At the end of last semester, I was one of the runners up in the Talus prize comeptition for my story Depopulo, which I may get around to posting up here for review, amongst other stories I'm not quite happy with. I've come here to get some feedback for stories I'm currently writing, especially one due as an assignment in two weeks which I've lost the feel for. I've also come to give feedback to other writers here who may be struggling with a story or who need constructive criticism. I have to admit that I can be notoriously harsh on people's work, which stems from a need to perfect my own writing. I'll try not to be too hard on any stories here, and by all means, please tell me if I'm being overly harsh. If I am being overly harsh, please don't take it personally (I know this is hard from previously feedback I've recieved for my writings) and realize I'm only trying to help you improve your work. I am interested in finding out about the copyright legality of stories posted here on the forums, simply because I don't want my work plagerized by someone else. Of course, I intend to extend that same courtesey to any other writers on the forum. I hope I can help budding writers and build creative relationships with people on the forums. All the best, Andrew
Hello Andrew, Welcome to the Writing Forums. First off, you own the copyright on yourt work from the moment you finish a complete draft. Plagiarism can occur anytime you show your writing to another person, but you do have legal remedies. If we detect plagiarism, the culprit is permanently banned from the site. We fully respect copyrights and intellectual property rights. Another point has to do with homework assignments - we can only hive very limited assistance. The depth of critique we demand in the Review Room is inappropriate assistance for a pending assignment. Your instructors need to see your own efforts to best assess where to focus their teaching efforts. Posting your own work should not be among the very first things you do here anyway. 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 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). 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!
