I guess you could call me an aspiring author. I have a lot of good stories that I want to get out there and share with other people. I found this site because I was searching Google for resources that could be used to help me improve. A little about me. I'm Jack, a 22 year old Canadian. I've been interested in writing for as long as I can remember, and I've even tried it a few times, but I don't recall ever having made it past the very first page. I've been quite good at spelling since elementary school, but my actual knowledge of the English language is very poor. I don't know what adverbs are... or adjectives. I don't know any of that. I'm also guilty of excessive run-on sentences, but I'm trying to fix that. Sometimes, though, I end up putting periods where making the sentence longer might make more sense. I'm also a bit confused about my comma usage (just read this post and you'll understand what I mean). If I am asked by someone who doesn't have English as their native language to help them, I am able to look at their sentences and notice if they're wrong or right, and I can even correct them. What always stumps me, though, is when they ask "why". It's at that point when I can't explain why the sentence I gave them makes more sense than the one they came up with. The genres I'm interested in the most are fantasy and science fiction. I believe those two let my mind expand the most and they can give me the most material to write with. When I'm writing, I don't like being bound by reality. That's all about me in regards to my writing aspirations. If there's anything else you want to know, feel free to ask. I hope to meet many great people here. See you around!
Hello Jack, Welcome to the Writing Forums. 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 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!
