Hi all My name is Dan Djurdjevic and I'm from Perth, Western Australia. I've worked as a technical writer for the last 13 years, but what I'd really love to do is my own fiction - the problem is my work probably pays better than any fiction would be likely to (I think it requires a great deal of good luck as well as hard work to become a JK Rowling or John Grisham etc.) and I have a young family to feed! Still, I believe you're a writer if you write, so that's what I'm doing. Since most of my bread and butter work involves editing you can expect me to be rigorous, but please don't be offended - my work is dissected every day just as I dissect the work of my colleagues. In my experience no one "gets it right" the first time and I find most writing to be a collaborative experience, at least to some extent (eg. having an editor, proof reader etc.). Accordingly I think a forum like this is a fantastic opportunity for all writers to get constructive feedback on their work. I'm looking forward to reading (and writing) with you all!
Hello Dan, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Rigorous but respectful critique is what we value most here. And any piece of writing can be improved. So even if the SPaG is 100% spot on, there are always better ways to grab the reader or nail that dialogue. 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!
