Hey everyone. I'm new to the forums so naturally I feel obligated to introduce myself. My name is Kyle, I'm in grade 11 and have a passion for writing. I'll let you guess my favorite school subject. Ever since I was a young kid, I had taken a strong liking for literature, perhaps more so than my peers had. Many forms spark my interest, these include short stories, works of fiction, comic strips, magazines, biographies, novels, and of course poetry. Joining this forum is my way of sharing what literacy I have to offer, for better or worse. As a literate member of society, I can only hope that my works will recieve the stamp of approval by those who read them. You are the people who shall make this decision, and I will do my best to provide a revitalizing read. Thank you.
Hello Kyle, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Before you can get critique, you must first give critique. This is not just a quid pro quo, it is because improving your critiquing skills is the primary focus of the Review Room workshop. Improving your critiquing skills will improve your ability to find and fix weaknesses in your own writing. 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. 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!
Are you saying that as long as I don't critique the work of another, that I am prohibited from publishing my own? Nice to meet you by the way.
The Review Room is a critiquing workshop, not a publishing area. The site is intended for writers to improve their craft, and honing your critiquing skills will improve your writng much more rapidly than any critiques you receive.
Hello and welcome, this place so worthy, that it still lives in the realm of time and space. This is how cool this place is.
