Hi, my name is Ian. I'm a senior this year at my small Pennsylvanian school. I'm really ready to graduate, but anyway. I've been writing for several years, mostly short stories, and started my first novel in 7th grade. I've put the first on hold for another I've started and hope to post snippets of for everyone's reading pleasure. I like lots of different types of fiction, from several types of fantasies to reads more realistic. Music inspires me when I need help sorting things out while writing to help get me in the mood. I hope to become published one day, but finding a real job comes first. I'm not in any hurry. Oh and when I post stories, excerpts, poems, etc. just remember I'm only 17, haha, I'm sure there will be grammatical errors and such. I do enjoy light constructive criticism, so feel free! I hope my experiences on here will be helpful ones - Ian
Hello Ian, Welcome to the Writing Forums. When it is time for you to post your writing, just do your best to eliminate spelling and grammar errors yourself first. Many of our members are younger than seventeen, and we would not be doing you any favors by going soft on spelling and grammar mistakes. That's the easy part of writing. But 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. 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 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!
