Greetings everyone! My name is Josh, though I've used the screenname "Unsavory" for about seven years now and seem to be attached to it. I stumbled upon these forums about 20 minutes ago through an online search. I spent a bit of time in the novel section, and it honestly seems like a healthy, friendly community you have here. I'm excited to be a part of it, and I'm excited to read and share work with the rest of you. I myself am an aspiring novelist. I have only a few very part-time months of experience, so getting to learn the writing process and improving my work will be a challenging and hopefully fun adventure. I have a couple books on writing, and I have a heck of a lot of passion, but this is the very first writing group that I've ever been a part of. I hope to get to know some of you in the coming days, and before long I'd like to be a regular contributor.
Hello! Hey there, Josh. My name's Ashvini. I'm sorta new myself. I used to be in a writing forum of sorts, but that was years ago and I've recently decided to come back into it. It's nice to know I'm not the only new one around here. I hope to see some of your work pretty soon! ~Ashvini
Hello Josh, Welcome to the Writing Forums. I'm glad you did decide to start your own intro thread, so everyone has a chance to greet you as well. 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!
I've already tried my hand at a few reviews, but I honestly don't know how helpful they are. My best shot to be sure, but it might take me some time to develop that critical eye that a lot of the members here have. Right now I'm just kind of picking and choosing the things that stand out to me and reading what other people are saying.
