I guess I'll get the boring biographical info out of the way first, since that's the easiest stuff. I'm a 24 year old guy, living in the south west of the UK and I currently "work" in a pub, and by work I mean hang around and give people drinks in return for money or, occasionally, cook things. My experience with writing is mostly from an academic angle: I studied International Relations at a degree level, and so I'm pretty used to writing lengthy papers, building logical arguments, using evidence and so on and so forth. Creative writing I don't have so much experience at, aside from a couple of aborted attempts at NaNoWriMo with my friends. But I'm willing to give it a go. As my job isn't very demanding, I have a lot of spare time to read (trust me, not much else going on down here), and as a result I have a lot of ideas and similar buzzing around my head, which I think fiction may be a good outlet for. I also got addicted to a particular Wikipedia-like site I wont name (I don't want to appear like a spammer, at least on my first post) but that many of your members are probably aware of, since it is devoted to detailing various fictional styles and functions appearing in all kinds of media. That also helped, in that it added a level of analysis to how I approached fiction, and allowed me to conceptualize more clearly things I did and didn't like about certain books, as well as how to possibly mix together various ideas or styles in interesting and creative ways. While I can't name a favourite writer (you might notice that section of my profile is blank), I do have several writers I would highly rate. A few of these would be Terry Pratchett, (who I was introduced to at an early aged and permamently altered my sense of humour) George RR Martin (probably my favourite serious fantasy writer), Cormac McCarthy (whose books are always worth the effort), Neal Stephenson, Neil Gaiman, Joseph Conrad, Hunter S Thomspon and Thomas Pynchon. I also have a liking for many Greek and Roman classics. Well, I think that's about all, so I'm off to explore the forum a little more.
Hello Verso, 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!
