Hi there. I have wanted to be a writer since I was able to write. I used to write plays for my dolls and teddies to act out, as I was a very lonely child.Nowadays I am working on my 'novel' and have written a few short stories, but I am always too scared to show them to people in case I am laughed at. You see, if I find I really can't write well then I'll lose the one thing I like doing. I never claimed to be good at it; it is just that I feel I have to write. I hope this site will give me some ideas and some help when I need it, and I hope I'll meet some interesting people on it. Tata.
Hi Dolly, and welcome! On these forums, you needn't be afraid of being laughed at; everyone is always very careful of one another, especially when it comes to critiquing works. And everyone knows that they all once started as bad writers, but they have gradually climbed up to being very good writers. Writers understand writers' problems, right? Have fun in your stay!
Hello, welcome aboard. Don't be afraid to show your work to others, constructive criticism is the only way to get better. (In most cases.) Folks here are nice, so laughing isn't something you have to worry about.
Welcome, Dolly. I am glad you are at least happy with what you are doing. Joining a creative, active forum like this is one step to achieving your heart's desire. So don't be afraid. Just write and get interactive as well. In the mean time, do have some cookies and chips.
You do all sound very nice. I will post something in sci-fi short stories ...er ...soon. LOL! Okay, I tried to post and it said I'm not allowed to. Why's that?
Hi Dolly, Welcome to the Creative Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Writing Workshop before you try to post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on should not be among the very first things you do here anyway. 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 Writing Workshop, 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 Writing Workshop, 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. We also impose a two-week waiting period before you may post writing for critique, to give you time to become familiar with what is expected and how the site operates. The Writing Workshop 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 Writing Workshop 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 the RPG forum for improvisational fiction. Also try 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!
Welcome Dolly! Don't call yourself an aspiring writer. Call yourself a writer - and then be one. Write. Don't worry about whether or not the writing isn't good. No one likes their untweaked, very first version of something, so the idea of it seeming bad shouldn't scare you. Also, writing and being bad and then correcting it is the ONLY way to improve your writing. Just go for it, it's the only way to get anywhere.
Dolly, I think it started just fine. Everybody disagrees with their own work at some point or another, it's typical. But the thing that matter are: 1.) You please yourself with your own writing, even if it doesn't please anyone else. 2.) You can see yourself improve over time, because that feeling is incredibly great, and who doesn't like to be great at what they do. Everyone starts out as a "Bad" writer (I'm in that stage. ). But hey, we're our own worst critics aren't we?
