Finally fell victim to the curiosity plaguing my mind and activated my membership here at WritingForums.org. By no means am I new to the writing forum scene, but I am most certainly tired of the mix-n-match quality of my past experiences. I am tightly crossing my fingers and hoping that this time I have located a mature community of skilled authors and writers that can offer me constructive criticism that is helpful to me in the cultivation of my talent. To those kind 'old' members who deem it worthwhile to greet this humble new addition to the community, can you please offer me some tips on where to get started and how this place functions? Also, I'd like to mention to whom it may concern that I have 4+ years of experience as a forum administrator. The forum has a few thousand members but it is nothing immensely popular. I handled the "Story Mat" and other creatively inclined projects that the site owner wanted added to the community. I worked with IPB, but I'm sure that VBulletin is not much different. After a time (so that you can be sure of my maturity and sincerity) I'd be more than happy to offer help if and where needed. In closing, greetings to all my new fellow community members. I know that somewhere on this site there is adventure and stimulating conversation to be found and I look forward to meeting you all. ~Never
Hello Never, 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. 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!
Thank-you for that valuable information Cogito. The review room does seem like the 'perfect' place for me to start so I'll slide on in there and take a peek around. I appreciate the advice. See you around! ~Never
