I've just joined up and spent the last while browsing and familiarizing myself with this site. My bookmarks folder is full of links to writer's forums as a result of googling for tips but this seems to be a particularly good one for beginners. Encouraging (forcing?... just joking) members to review another's work is one I don't recall seeing before now. I'm looking forward to giving it a go, but I'm sure I'll be pretty cr*p until I get the hang of it. It's a top idea. Apart from a few efforts that ran quickly out of steam, I haven't written much since school - a long time ago. I have two ideas that I'm working up at the moment. One is a YA fantasy that I've done a lot of research, outlining & character development on: 3,625 words. The other is the one that I am mainly focusing on but I'm not quite sure of the genre: 4,050 words. I won't be posting for a while though. I'm still trying to find my voice; it's starting to come through now, I think. So, introduction out of the way, I'll just say that I'm looking forward to getting to know the writers on this forum and your work. Aoibhneas
Hey, Aoibhneas! I'm new to WF too, but welcome anyways! Once you've posted two reviews, I'd love to read your work! See you around! -The Memory Arsonist
Failte romhait, Aoibhneas. You picked the right forum to help you find your voice. Enjoy your creative journey.
Hello Aoibhneas, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Posting your own work 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. 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!
Appreciate the welcome. Memory Arsonist, I posted in your welcome thread. Go raith maith agat, Cheeno. Just did a quick search for some of your work. Is the novel excerpt posted in January your latest crit request? Advise me of any newer one so I can be sure to read the latest. Aoibhneas
That's it, Aoibhneas. If you're going to post anything from a work you hope to have published, I wouldn't advise posting more than an excerpt you're having a problem with, using the feedback (if you receive anything worthy) to assist you with the rest of your work. It's up to you, of course. Feel free to pm me if you'd like any of your work critiqued. Good luck with your writing.
Welcome, how are you, what do you like to write and read, all that generic introduction stuff... Hi. The name's Hedge. I welcome you most sincerely to the site.
Hey hedgehog, thank you for the warm welcome. I spoke about my (sad little bit of) writing in my first post - I'm kind of getting back onto the writing saddle so to speak. At the moment I've got a few books on the go. I'm reading Fight Club again for fun, just cos I watched the movie again the other night. That novel was written in present tense looking at the past and I'd like to pay more attention to his technique this time. A massive amount of the narrative was used in the movie to kick-*ss effect. I'm also dipping into Maximum Ride, Sookie Stackhouse and The Name of the Rose. I'm reading the YA stuff because I've got an idea for a YA novel. I want to check out stuff like POV, sentence structure, plot complexity, and how they deal with issues like profanity/s*x/drugs (if at all). In other words, I want to see what young -> teen readers are interested in and how issues are dealt with in reading material aimed at them. I'm really enjoying Max Ride. The Name of the Rose is written in 1st POV, so I chose it for that reason as well as the fact I've only seen the movie to date. Since I took up a pen again, I find that I'm enjoying the books just as much as I always have, but I might go back and read a scene again to learn something from it. I really want to pay attention to each author's take on the craft, so I'm now reading from a different perspective. I do read a lot and I read everything and anything - I just re-read 'Where the Wild Things Are' for the umteenth time in anticipation of the movie. (That took exactly 5 minutes!). 'The Crystal World' by JG Ballard, (he died only recently, as you probably know) it's a magical story, another book that I've just finished. I love Neil Gaiman and I've read most of his books. Another author I dip into now and again is Etgar Keret. His short stories are usually only a couple of pages long, but they are always a shocker: bizarre, twisted things. I see a link to some of your work in your sig; I look forward to reading it soon. Cheeno: Thanks so much for the advice. I'm usually a lurker, not a poster so I think I'll get the feel of things before I put any of my own work up. There's a lot of talent on the board - I think I'd do well to have a read of that and learn how to crit properly. I appreciate the offer to PM you, I'll be taking you up on that soon.
That's cool. I'm glad to see you back up and writing again . I love writing in First Person. I write in it as often as possible. For some reason it always makes the main character a little more personal for me. Thanks for the information and make sure you let me know when you post some of your work. I have high standards.
Thanks for the welcome DaLouise and Fantasy girl. Look forward to corresponding with you through the forum. Best of luck to you both on your writing projects. May the force be with you!
