Hi, i'm new, obviously. I've been looking for a site like this one for a while. I've lingered as a guest for a few days and decided to sign up so here I am! I write a bit at school, but want to improve, seeing as my english teacher loves cliches, and I don't, I thought I would find a community of fellow writers.
Hello Jsta, Welcome to the Writing Forums. You may find that cliche is an overused word. It has itself become somewhat of a cliche. There are almost no new ideas in writing. There are, however, unique ways of expressing an idea. Some ideas have so much range to explore, that they have become Great Themes. Posting your own work 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. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
