Hellos! My name's Ashikin Aidura (by the way, Aidura isn't my surname), a fifteen year old from Malaysia. Just to clear things up, Malaysia isn't in China and we don't live in trees. It's split into two: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo (which I'm sure a lot of people would know, one way or the other). I'm living near the capital of the country (Kuala Lumpur) which is located in Peninsular Malaysia which is north of Singapore, east of Sumatra, and south of Thailand. If in doubt, Google Earth! xD I'm an avid reader but it was only recently that I've started writing short stories. Reading storybooks (and playing games, and reading manga, and watching tv, etc.) somehow dislodges any imagination blocks I might experience and I started getting these visions where nonexistent characters slowly came to life. Having a penchant for oral story-telling, I told my elder sister the stories that played out in my head. She enjoyed them although sometimes I find the worst possible times to 'entertain' her. It started when I was 12. Like any 15 year-old, I had no idea what to do with my future and had decided to enter the science stream,like my sister, just to be safe. I did have dreams of becoming a writer and sharing my stories with others but I acknowledged the fact that my parents are slightly old-fashioned and that they might disapprove of my dream. Imagine how elated I was when I found out that my sister had convinced them that I had no interest in becoming a doctor and that I wanted to be a writer, and they agreed with her! However, they gave me a condition to fulfill if I wanted to pursue a writing career. I had to take up law so that I could always have a back-up plan in case I do not succeed. In my opinion, it was more than fair. Next year, I will be going into the arts stream where I will have plenty of time to polish my writing skills. I am now writing short stories for practice but there was a time where I felt lost and insecure because I had nothing except words of encouragement from the people I know to strive harder. So my mom suggested that I enter writing competitions and even send any short stories to the local newspapers. Although I did not get any feedback from some sources, I was surprised to find out that I had managed to garner a consolation prize for a competition I entered on a whim (only my sister knew I had entered it). It was my first time and I was chosen among hundreds! Yes, it was no grand prize but it gave me a much needed confidence boost. With a newfound confidence, I have realised that this is what I really want to do until the end of my days. So I hope that you guys would support me in my life goal, as I would do for anyone with a dream they would go all-out for. Pretty long for an introduction, eh? xD
Hello Aidura, 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!
Hi and welcome, its good to hae such supportie parents and who knows, there condition to get you to study law may actually help with your writing, after all its not done badly for john grisham
