Hey everyone, Well, I'm new here and I thought I should say hello. "Hello." I should probably tell you a little about myself, because of course you'll be dying to know. My name is Sam, I'm 20; I live with my boyfriend and our cat and I enjoy writing. I've always written, pretty much since I could hold a pen and it's what I love doing. I'm working on my first novel. This thing has been a WIP since I was 13, maybe younger. It's taken on a lot of different forms in the past, and is currently undergoing a major re-write. Maybe one day I'll post some of it here and get a proper opinion of it. Until then, I've got a lot of lurking to do. I look forward to seeing how this forum works and getting used to it. I'm sure there are a million tips I can pick up too. Thanks for reading; I didn't mean this to turn into such a chat-fest! Sam.
Hello Sam, 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 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!
