Hello there, my name's Glen and I'm basically trying to get in to writing in a more serious way. I've always enjoyed writing and have previously written a few poems, but have never had to focus to complete even a short story. Hoping that posting here, reading and commenting on others' work and having a community to share my work with will help, basically
Hi Glen. Welcome to the forum! I'm one of the moderators here, so if you encounter any difficulties getting started, or have any questions, please feel free to contact me via a 'conversation' and I'll do my best to help. I'm on the forum every day (at least at the moment) so I should see your conversation quite quickly. I see you're also in the UK, so the time differential won't matter. Your intention to read and comment on other people's work will be VERY welcome. Many people put their work into the Workshop to get feedback on it, and you don't need to be an expert writer to give reactions. Just try to say what you like or don't like about the bits you comment on, and if you can see a way to perhaps improving the piece, let them know. It's important to be specific, if you can ...not just a statement like "I liked this, or I didn't like it" without giving any reasons. But you don't have to give fixes either. Just articulate the problem as you see it, and the writer will be grateful for the insight. Sometimes they need to figure out for themselves how to 'fix it.' Part of the learning gap, when it comes to writing (in my opinion anyway.) is getting what you wanted to say over to the reader. The Workshop is a great way to discover if that's actually what you've managed to do. As far as putting your own work in the Workshop, there are a few prior requirements you must meet. They are detailed here: New Member Quick Start May I suggest you also read the Forum Rules carefully. There aren't a lot of them, but they are important to keep in mind. And I find this link very helpful when navigating the forum. There is a lot under the bonnet that isn't immediately obvious when scanning the menu tabs at the top of any page. This is a more complete guide, with direct links. I use this all the time myself. https://www.writingforums.org/faq/ Anyway, I hope you enjoy getting to know us, and letting us get to know you. Have fun. The more you participate, the more you'll make friends, so don't hesitate to jump into any discussions that catch your eye. (And don't bypass our writing contests either. Voters for these is VERY much appreciated, and you can enter any of the ongoing ones, even as a brand-new member. Your entry will be anonymous until after that particular contest is over ...then the authors are revealed. So if you have a poem or story cooking in your head, or want to write one to the current prompt, please feel free to enter.) See you around the threads, then. Cheers, Jan
