Hello there. I've been lurking this forum for quite a long period of time and suddenly decided to start posting on the site more frequently, given the tremendous amount of free time that I've recently come across. So what better way to begin then to post a fashionably late introduction? During my sophmore year of highschool, it was by chance that I stumbled across this site. I was finishing up a project for my web design class and kind of got sidetracked with random Google searches in the process. Anyways, I kind of took an immediate interest in the site and just got into the habit of reading random pieces of writing from its users. . . . And that's how my miraculous odyssey through the internet lead me here. With that being said, I'm a seventeen year old with a disturbing amount of free time on his hands, access to the internet, a desire to improve my prose, Adhd, and a quite a bit of imagination. I also like reading --- Neil Gaiman is my favorite author I'm really starting to get into H.P. Lovecraft. That's about it. Seeing that I've babbled on too long, you're probably hoping that my computer explodes in my face and I get cancer. So to spare your agony and my health, I'll stop here. Pleasure to meet you all and I look forward to posting with you soon.
Hello Tantalus, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Review Room before you post there. 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!
Ironically, they've linked personal computer use with cancer. So I say an explosion wouldn't be too much of a stretch. Thank you for the welcome, by the way.