I'm the girl that always thought it would be cool to be a writer, but never really thought about seriously pursuing it...until now. I may not be a total novice, and I have done quite a bit of research. But I know there is still a lot for me to learn. Currently I am working on my first novel, and it appears that this site seems to be the friendliest I've found yet. I hope to learn many new things, and maybe help a few along the way as well if I can. And of course I'm looking forward to meeting some new friends. I go by the name Rae, but I will pretty much respond to anything! My primary genre is supernatural fiction, though I dip my toes into sci-fi and fantasy as well. So...anybody want to be my friend?
Hello Rae, Welcome to the Writing Forums. All in all, we are a pretty friendly bunch of lunatics. Please read How to Use the Review Room before you post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on 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!
New to the forums myself, finding it rather nicely so far. A little on the more "serious" side of things but I don't mind too much. Currently I am working on my first novel, What's it about?
In a nutshell it is about a girl traveling through the afterlife, trying to make amends for her past lives before she can return to earth. I find that the seriousness is just what I need. Too many groups are fluffy and sickly sweet. They aren't really helpful unless you need a real good ego boost. Besides, I am horribly lazy, this gives me an oportunity to expand.
Excellent! By the way, I love the quote you have in your signature. Very few words are truer to life than these.
Past lives you say? Interesting. Suggestive of an infinite loop: How would she remember the sins of lives she had before the present one? Maybe that's the catch. I agree, the seriousness is useful, I scanned through plenty of writing forums and didn't enjoy the direction most of them took. Too big and inpersonal rather than helpful, and if they weren't too immense then the site would just be populated by romance and comedy writing for forever.
*Does a dance of joy* On my intro a while ago I asked if WF was a sane place or a mad place (hoping it was the latter but, no one answered). Hey Rae, welcome to WF. Make yourself at home here.
