Hi, My name is Erasmus, and I'm a writer. I can't help it, it's addictive. I'm working on my first novel, and I'm a little over halfway through the first draft, and I'm starting to feel a little insecure about my abilities :redface:, so, I'm here for help, input from other people facing the same problems, friendly faces, and fellowship. No one else in my family reads much, I'm the oddball, so I'm very happy to have stumbled across this forum. I'll be posting the first chapter in the 'Novels' forum, and I'd be very grateful for any feedback I can get. (BTW, don't let the name fool you, I'm female. I've just always like the sound of Erasmus. The whole name is a pun... say it out loud )
Hello Erasmus, 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 Writing Prompts, 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 site 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!
Hi. I started with a rough draft that I knew wasn't well written. No need to be embarrassed. A year later I'd give myself a B+ and by the time I finish it'll at least be well written. Learn from advice but don't limit it to the forum, there are some good books out there and you might also find some local writers. The most important thing, in my opinion, is remember not all help is equal.
Hey - welcome here erasmus. Nice name (origin??) and I am new here too, maybe we could start exploring the site together. And if you have a rough draft of a novel , then you are already half accomplished.
So you feel like you'll get an E+? Don't worry about it! The first draft is a meat-shield! It takes a couple hits, the occasional Debby-downer and you rework it into.... wait for it..... ANOTHER DRAFT!! MUAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!!11!!!! *hmm, they don't have evil faces* Well anyway, I'm gonna friend you so I can critique on your work ASAP! (Given that you meet the pre-post requirements) And don't worry about being the oddball, as a writer, being an oddball will be the least of your worries in your (and every writer's) near future...
Welcome aboard..the...er....board. I'm afraid the name pun is lost on me...I must be misunderstanding something xD
