Hi all, I'm new here! You can call me Jury. I'm from the US and I write as a hobby, but I'm more of an artist. I've lost most of my creative drive so I'm hoping I can get back into it. Nice to meet ya'll!
Hi JuryDeva! I think you will find many people on this forum who are wanting to get their writing back on track, just like you. You're certainly not alone! Feel your way into the forum, read lots of threads, post responses when you feel inclined, and start to make friends. It's a lot of fun. What sorts of things would you like to write, or what kinds of things have you written in the past? If you write short stories, you might want to take a look at our short story contests, which anybody can enter. You get no prizes, but you will get practice and a bit of feedback if you ask for it. There are also Flash Fiction contests for shorter pieces. And a poetry contest for poets. Get in at least two constructive critiques on any of the Workshop forums, and then you can post your own work for similar feedback. The rule is two critiques for one Workshop entry of your own, and that ratio exists forever, not just for new members. If you haven't read the New Member guide, it's a good idea to do that. Open up the Information tab at the top of the Community page, and scroll down to New Member Guide. And you can explore other bits of information as well. Checking out the Rules section (also under Information) is a very good idea.
Thanks for the warm welcome. I typically write fantasy and short stories of all sorts. Also, I'll definitely check out the new member guide.
You will find a HUGE community here that loves to write fantasy. If you write short stories, you might want to try entering our short story contests at some point. Most of the contests have prompts, while a few are prompt-free. Your identity isn't revealed when you post your story, and it's only revealed afterwards if you win—unless you make yourself known for your non-winning story afterwards, during the post-mortem discussion. You get a digital medal if you win—and a lot of people digitally slapping you on the back and offering congratulations. One of the things you could do early on is read the short stories in the current contest and vote for one of them. Voting is much appreciated by the people who enter the stories. I don't write short stories myself, but I do try to vote every time.
@JuryDeva - I just discovered I gave you a bit of wrong information in my 'welcome' speech. Apparently the short story contest entries are anonymous while the contest is ongoing, but they are automatically de-anonymised after the contest is finished. Sorry about that. I got that wrong.