Hey everyone, Now, I'm not one of the many who writes away, hoping to one day be discovered and published, though I wish them all the best of luck. So far, I've been writing because my English courses demand it of me. Through the junior years, I never really did anything of note. But now, reaching the end of my senior year, I've written a couple of pieces that not only marked well, but which received praise from people outside the marking sphere - something that I believe means a lot more. This is a point which leads to some details about me. That belief in pleasing not the people who I need to, but those who appreciate it the most. I'm something of a musician. In a recent competition (one that was quite prestigious - U25s regional championship), I placed well. Of course, thats not what this forum is about. The point is: after that performance, sure, I got my appraisal from the judges. But the most important accolade I received that day was as I was packing up, after the concert. A man from the audience, who I later learned wasn't a parent or a teacher, just someone who came to listen to music, he came up to me and told me how much my performance moved him. Basically, what I'm saying is that I strive to create pieces and performances that don't always please the important people, but just people. What about my writing? Well as I said, I'm just a high school student. I've written pieces that always have to tie back to a theme or image - stimulus, they call it. As ambiguous as that term is, I understand that it is often needed for kids who would spend an age before putting pen to paper. My style, I think, is an attempt at plain communication. As a debater (another part of who I am), I try to achieve communication, and empathy. I believe in that sort of linguistics, not overly florid and confusing description. Luckily for me, I grew up in a very English-oriented family. My father is a professor at the local university, who works on everything from folklore to first year arts. The help he gives me when editing my works is invaluable, but I like to think I don't merely reproduce him. I'm new to this forum, but I'll try and upload a few pieces once I figure out where to put them. The units of work that they have needed to fit into recently are 'Belonging' and 'Science Fiction'. If you've made it this far into my introduction, I hope you find it in your time to have a look at my pieces. But for now, I'm going to get back to my study for my English Extension One exam which is in... 3 hours! Thank you for reading, Matthew.
Hello Matthew and welcome. WOW! Congratulations! You are officially the winner of the longest introduction at WF! I shake you warmly by the hand. So, I think you're going to fit right in here. I look forward to critiquing your work. Count me along as a secret admirer lol. T2 P.S. I read it all.
Welcome to WF! I'm a student too (in college though...so much more fun than HS!) You can PM me if you want me to review anything!
Hello Matthew, 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!
