Hello, I'm 18 years old and a freshmen in one of the many Art Institutes. It's an intense school, and on top of school work (each assignment can take hours at a time), practicing so that I improve, practicing so that I can get into my major, looking for a job, and dealing with poor sleep that may be developing into insomnia, I'm having a hard time squeezing in writing along much less keeling over. I am trying to work on my NaNoWriMo project, despite my pathetic word count, along with my other stories and ideas, but after working on some homework most of the day (including free time in classes) all I want to do is sleep. Unfortunately, it's usually too early and I risk waking up and not being able to fall back asleep. So, I stay awake and try to be productive, and often fail miserably. Aside from that, I don't have any stories about how people think it's stupid to be writing, but I've never had a real opportunity to show my work so that way I can improve more. I hope that I can not only improve my writing but also (possibly) find a way to have writing be more of a part of my daily life.
Hello Crimson, Welcome to the Writing Forums. You won't find me criticizing anyone's "pathetic word count: in NaNoWriMo. Life intrudes. Posting your own work should not be the very first thing you do here. It is really worthwhile 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. 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 reviewing as a critical 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). 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 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!
