I love to read anything I can get my hands on. And I LOVE to write! I've kept a journal (many, in fact) since I was nine years old. I'm 26 now, so that's quite a few journals piled up in my attic. Yes, I have kept them all. Right now I'm working on poetry, but eventually I would like to write a novel or two. I am new to the idea of letting others see my work, but I'm going to bite the bullet and see what happens. Please feel free to give me as much input as possible, no one has ever seen my work, and we are our own worst critics; so who knows, they may not be as bad as I've let myself believe. I'm most worried about critiquing other people's work, but I promise to be honest about what I think; even if it's not quite what other people think, or what grammarians might tell us is correct. Thanks! and I'll see you in the forums!
Hello Christie, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Critiquing, like writing, is intimidating at first, but you improve and build confidence with practice. 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! 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. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
