I can't Really be bothered to come up with some hilarious opening scene for my arrival, as this post will vanish to oblivion soon enough. However, there will be a short introduction and a hint at my motives for registering to this site. A/S/L = 26/M/EU. Oh yes, I did that. I haven't considered, and still don't, writing as a viable profession. Living in a small country with an obscure language and a very limited population, probably wouldn't get anyone overly excited about writing and publishing. So, why would someone like me consider writing of any kind? I've always had a knack for writing, be it prose or poetry, but never had the Need to do it. Sure, if there was some literature course I would attend, there would be no question that I'd get top marks. But why would someone go to the trouble of truly writing something? Being an avid fan of the Fantasy genre, I've become rather well acquainted with several authors. Some I've enjoyed more, thus read everything they've ever published, others not so much. I recently finished going through Tolkien's work once again, and decided to get a fix of nostalgia by reading the Belgariad. This was one of those catalytic moments, that made me think of writing for real. Imagine walking through a magnificently beautiful and well ordered park. Suddenly a bird relieves itself on your shoulder. Needless to say, only the nostalgia kept me going. After this incident I refused to accept my conclusion, that Eddings was a mediocre writer, and googled myself silly trying to find someone worse. I did. I won't name the author, but compared to Eddings' bird dropping the other one was a wheelbarrow full of dung. Though this may be seen as a terrible cliché, I thought to myself: "You can do it better." How hard can it be? I'm not after a multi-million dollar publishing deal, though it would be pretty darn sweet. Yet, I truly believe that the fantasy genre hasn't been utilized to its fullest. Will I do it? Hopefully not, but I intend to create a piece, which is good enough to be read to my grandchildren some day. That should be the sufficient amount of rambling for any forum introduction, no? Wish you all a pleasant day.
Hello and welcome! What a charming introduction. I also want to write for the purpose of reading to my family and not so much as a way of income. It would be nice, though. Good luck with your fantasy. I will be on the look out for it.
Hello Random, 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 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!
Hi Random. I feel the same way as you do. I think I can do better all the time. It's the thought that helps keep me going. Fantasy is awesome. I love it. And yeah - getting a deal would be sweet. But that's the afternote. Just writing something good is my goal. Have fun here
