Hey guys, I was really excited upon stumbling over this forum. I'm not exactly the best writer out there, but it is certainly a hobby of mine. Writing is a beautiful way to express one's feelings and thoughts. I'm quite political and religious, and so I use writing both for blogging-purposes and journalism. More recently, I have began reading novels and hope to start practicing novel-writing. I am 19 years old, and about to enter College. I took a gap year to travel, and put my writing to the test throughout that time. I hope to major in Journalism. Is this a close-knit forum? I have been on forums where everyone knows each other, and then forums where hardly anyone knows one another. Could someone give me an idea of the feel of this forum? Thanks! P.S. my life basically sucks right now, so I expect that it will not take much time to become addicted to this forum. Any sense of relief will be nice. Also, I know my religion (you can probably guess based on my name) has come under the spotlight in recent years. I hope it will not cause discrimination against me, as has been the case on several other online forums. I am open to answering questions in private chat though, if you do have any honest concerns or wonders. I look forward to learning loads here, Musa
You won't be discriminated at all, don't worry. This place is really friendly. I'm nineteen too. Gap year travelling sounds great, where did you travel? Oh, and welcome.
Hello Musa, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Is it a close-knit forum? Only in the best way. Over time, people get to know one another pretty well. But we prohibit bigotry, and demand respect toward other members at all time. It is the first item in the site rules. 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!
I thank you all for the warm welcome. This definitely appears to be a friendly and welcoming forum. I spent my gap year travelling in the Middle East. I visited Israel, Palestine, and Jordan. A majority of my time was spent in Palestine. It was definitely beyond an amazing experience. Words cannot even begin to describe the sheer beauty of the land, the horrors of conflict, and the hospitality and beauty of the people and their culture. My journey is really what gave me the push to pursue my interest in writing. Travelling is such a beautiful thing. It is sad how many miss out on their opportunity to explore other cultures, different beliefs, and our world. And though words cannot describe my experiences, it is the closest way I have found to expressing my feelings regarding my journey. And that is my passion in writing- sharing my feelings. I hope to post some writings in the near future.
Wow, that sounds amazing. Lucky you! Glad the travelling pushed you to pursue your interest in writing.
Hi all, I've finally joined a writer's forum, and, after much deliberation; this one seemed to be the friendliest It will be great to chat to those who share the same interests as me. (Such as staying up way into the night to finish a scene, then getting up for work a few hours later completely shattered.) I'm currently attempting to write the first draft of my novel entitled Cafe d'Europe. So far it's 95000 words and I'm not even halfway through, but I'm just going to plough through and deal with it on the rewrite!
