hello! Newbie here ^-^ I'm in my final year of high school and I'm one of those writers who claim not to do it for leisure, but because we're being compelled to by some intrinsic force... as such, I'm a erratic writer who gets most of her ideas by lingering in a state between sleeping and waking. Consequently, I look like this ---> @_@ most of the time. and I constantly feel like dabbling in art. I spent most of my life (so far) dabbling in poetry and have only within the last year really started to branch into longer things. I've started with short stories and have found it difficult to reach the 3000 word mark on anything... probably because I don't plan stories and just right them as they waltz into my head and probably because I'm one of those meticulous people who will spend an hour re-writing the same sentence. And so, I'm here to improve and to get over my ^above troubles. Most recently I've stumbled across Haruki Murakami and I'm in love with his work. I've so far only managed to read "South of the Border, West of the Sun" and I'm working through "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle"... -M P.s. Happy New Year
Hi West of the Sun, I like to think of writing as a craft and as with any craft – practice, practice, practice. In addition learn from those who have a proven track record. I’d recommend (and I’m in no way associated with this series of books) the “Write Great Fiction Series (Various Authors)” just do a search on amazon. The series covers everything from creating dialogue, developing plot and structure to techniques on using description and settings. It’s an excellent starting point for new authors.
Hello West, 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!
