Hey People, I've been on here for a week now and so I thought it was about time I introduced myself. I've had a morbid fear of introductions from a young age, hence the reason mine is a week late. I left one post in the word games section, and honestly felt a bit guilty about leaving it without introducing myself. I would imagine I'd get the same feeling sitting down next to a table full of strangers at a pub quiz, giving an answer, then walking off again. Anways, I've had an obsession with the idea of writing stories for about a year now, but never seemed to get round to actually picking up a pen. I suppose that's fear of being crap. I've thankfully gotten over that fear this last week, and started to compile an entry for the weekly short story competition. It's probably crap, but at least I'm not scared of being crap now. Just wondering if I could stick this up for review as well as entering it in the competition. I wasn't sure if there were any rules against this. I have no intention of changing it based on any feedback, I only want to enter it in since the theme is 'A Dark Secret.' Cheers guys.
Hello Tweek, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Writing entered in a contest may not be posted elsewhere on the site until the competition, including the voting, is closed. However, after the contest is done, you may post the piece for review, once you have posted constructive reviews of two or more works by other members. Posting your own work, apart from contest entries, should not be the very first thing you do here. It is really worthwhile 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 reviewing as a critical 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!
