Hi there! I am a thirty-six year old happily married mother of three. I graduated college last May having earned a Humanties degree with a concentration in English and history. I listed that I am a published writer, I just hope that my limited work counts. I had a column in the regional division of a major southern newspaper. Nothing fancy, just writing about the exciting events in a rural community. Seriously, if this doesn't count please tell me so I can correct it on my profile. No hard feelings, I really never considered it much to begin with, but it sure was fun to have my own by line. My dream is to publish a work of fiction, preferably a novel. I always have stories running through my head and really want to put them down on paper. The only problem is, when I start to write them down, I begin to second guess them and decide they aren't good enough. I have to get past this if I want to get anywhere. I am really looking forward to participating in some of the reviews, I really miss all of the fun from college. Thanks for your time! -Danijay
Welcome Danijay! I didn't realize you were our newest member when you joined in on the word games. Hope you have an enjoyable stay.
Hello Danijay, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Posting your own writing for comment 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!
