Hey there! I'm very excited to have found this community. I am an avid nanowrimo-er and I pretty much just write all the time for no reason at all. I don't particularly care if I'm good or not, I just love the feeling of writing down whatever comes into my head. This year I am focusing on a semi autobiographical novel for Nano that is based on some adventures I had while living abroad. Even though I say I don't care if I'm good or not, I am terrified whenever someone reads something that I've written. It will be a huge exercise for me to post exerpts here for review, which I, of course intend to do. I look forward to getting to know this community! Cheers Lexi
Welcome! Don't worry about being afraid - we're all friends here (or at least most of us are ). I'm looking forward to reading some of your work in the future, and I hope I can provide some valuable feedback! Enjoy your time here!
Hey Lexi, Don't be afraid, we're a kind bunch! I've already had the pleasure of receiving one of your reviews, and would be happy to do so in return, when time permits. The concept of your story sounds really interesting, and to be honest, I've often wondered if I could form a novel out of my own life. All the best in your writing endeavours, and I look forward to seeing more of you on the forum! DB
Hi Hi Lexi, Looks like we joined at the same time. I'm a little like you in that I often have ideas and start writing them down, but then I panic at the thought of any one else reading my words and telling me it's bad! Hopefully we'll have fun here on the forums. Blue
Hello Lexi, Welcome to the Creative Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Writing Workshop before you try to post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on should not be among the very first things you do here anyway. 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 Writing Workshop, 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 Writing Workshop, 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. We also impose a two-week waiting period before you may post writing for critique, to give you time to become familiar with what is expected and how the site operates. The Writing Workshop 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 Writing Workshop 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!
