Hello, all! I'm not good at introductions, so I'll just say that the Inspiration Fairy has recently invaded my life, smacked me with the plot wand, and said she's not leaving until I write it all down. Resistance is to be met with sleep deprivation and withholding of caffeine, so I've decided to comply for the sake of my sanity and those who live with me. Usually this only happens in November (thanks, Nanowrimo), but apparently the good fairy screwed up her calendar this year and arrived a few months early. When I'm not catering to the whims of my writing compulsion, I'm a clinical psychology student (previous degree in anthropology believe it or not. We anthros are like spilt change, we get everywhere when you shake us out of our cozy undergrad programs) and a nerd of epic proprotions. Most of my writing therefore, is science fiction or fantasy, though leaning more heavily towards high fantasy these days. I LOVE world-building, which is both a blessing and a curse, because my story worlds are very filled-out, but I can get stuck in the details and have to work extra hard to avoid inappropriate info-dumps. Right now, the biggest thing I'm working on is writing "breathing" characters, or characters that are heroic while still feeling like real, fallible people. So, that's me in a nutshell. I'm looking forward to hearing about all of your projects and advice and such and honking on about mine a bit (again, to save the sanity of those who live with me).
Hey, welcome! Just remember, before posting your own work, you have to constructively critique at least two other people's submissions. (This is for the Review Room/workshop)
Hello Amazon, 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!
