Howdy, all. Like the title says, I'm not a writer, but I do love to write. At 36 years old, I finally enrolled in a local community college pursuing an Associate Degree in IT - Network Security Specialist. I would like to become a computer forensics specialist in the next few years or so. I have essay writing in my English 101 class. I will be posting formal essays here before handing them to my teacher. I would like as much constructive criticism as possible from some pros. I would like proofing like an English teacher might do it. Proper punctuation, parallel structure, blah, blah, blah. Thanks for the foreseen welcome. I am glad to be here.
Hi and welcome to the often imitated, never quite duplicated, sometimes bizarre but never boring, asylum we call writing forums.org! (I refuse to believe you expected THAT exact welcome. lol)
Hello Jason, 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. 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!
You are correct. I was not expecting such a colorful welcome, Rump. And, thanks, Cog, for the great advice. While I am not looking to have anything published (ever), who knows? One day I might need to write a computer forensics manual. Have a great day, all.
Welcome. Hope you like it here. You never know what you may write and where it might lead you. Don't sell yourself short if you have the ideas and the abilities to do it. Writing can open up parts of yourself that you haven't discovered yet, and it can be a release from stress in your life. You may fall in love with writing and someday have someone publish your master piece. I make it sound so exciting don't I?
and after that welcome, all that is left to say is <drum roll please> Please collect your straight jackets and muzzles on the way through. Thank you, Management <bahahahahahar>
Yeah, but I have found that they never seem to work quite as well as the straight jackets do. Personal preference I suppose. But I have noticed they seem to keep most people on the boards insane, so they must be doing the job properly, right?!
OH NO! I didn't know we were supposed to be sane. I am gonna have to leave now. Do I have to have a note from a shrink? Saying I'm sane? Because I won't be able to get one. PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME LEAVE! IF YOU DO I WILL HAVE TO MAKE MY TEDDY BEAR STALK YOU! *takes deep breaths, and tries to calm down*
