I am new at this forum. I am glad to have found this site. I am an electro-mechancial engineer by profession. I love English which is not my mother tongue, and I love to write. But I hated English when I came to the U.S. at 14. I had to learn it from the basics (that means from alphabets and grammar basics and a lot of ESL classes) . In the learning process, I found it very intriquing and began to spend a lot of time studying it. I am glad the stumbling is over. I now spend a lot of time on other sites to help learners with ESL backgrounds. I am also looking forward to making new friends and improving my writing skills.
Hello Coffee, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Posting your own writing for people to comment on 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!
Rules and such Hi Cogito, Thank you for your heads up. I don't think I have to worry much about copyrights as I have no intention to publish books. My inclination for writing is pretty much the journal and commentary variety which can not even make the back page of a newspaper. I will observe all the rules of this forum. In the other sites, I offer ESL helps. But I am sure I will be on the receiving end in WF as many regulars here are many steps ahead of me on the subject. Cheers,
Thank you all kindly for the welcoming message. It's a new year, and I hope 2010 will be a better one than the last. I have been on the side line for a while but I am ok as I have some reserve to keep me going. Many I know aren't so lucky. If all goes well, I hope I can secure a postion with a global company in a couple of weeks. For now, I am taking it easy and spend a good deal of time on English forums to keep my mind active. What else can I talk about....? Oh yeah, I watched Obama on TV talking about the Goof of the Home Land Security Depart. What a joke! I am worry about the future of this country. Before I get myself in trouble, I should leave it at that!
It's been a few days since my last post. I am getting a serious "butterfly" in my stomache. Who wouldn't if he has to go through a gauntlet of 7 interviwers! Yes, tomorrow is the day. I have not gone through an interview for the last 16 years. To be honest, I hope I will give the right, if not correct answers; or both. I know I have the knowledge and experience which are awaiting to be recognized. Will this global company be the one to finally notice my resume? I have been praying to the divine power to guide me through this nerve-wrecking process, and hopefully secure this job. A year off is too long , not to mention without income! Hope the next thread will be accompanied with good news...
