Hello to all! I must say I only came across this site recently, as a result of random internet trawling whilst at work, but I was so impressed with the setup here that I thought I'd make myself known. I haven't actually written anything for some time, really not since I did a year of Creative Writing when I was at Uni (it was only as a minor and I had to drop it to focus on my major so, that was that...) but its something I've always wanted to try and get back into. I don't expect that I will be submitting anything for a while yet. I hope to use my time here as an opportunity to study a wide variety of writing styles and techniques and use that knowledge to try and 'get back into the swing of things' a little. We'll just have to see how it goes I guess! On the plus side, at least my year of study at Uni gave me something of an idea of how to critique pieces of work. So hopefully I won't come off as too useless in that regard! Anyway, enough waffle from me I think. I look forward to my future here at the Writing Forums.
Hello Fuzmz, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Posting your own work 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. 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). 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!
