bothering to capitalize slows down my typing, so let's get that out of the way right away. i know it irks some crankypants, but that's okay, i hope we can get along anyway. i'm a communications specialist by day, internet girl by night. i love language, communication and writing. i've been a writer for more than half my life now, and i'm not quite sure why it took me so long to join a writing forum. i tend to lurk more than anything, but i'm happy to contribute my opinion when asked. in writing, i value depth and brevity most. i am fascinated by the effort to cram as much meaning into as few words as possible. perhaps this tendency is due to my incorrigible chatty ways when speaking. i can ramble on and on and on...regarding just about...anything. right. i have recently completed a book, which is due for publication in the spring. this effort has galvanized my character and renewed my passion as a writer, showing me that there is a lot to explore. my biggest struggle in writing is facing the truth. the spectre of reality that follows writing can be a spooky thing. thoughts, comments, observations or objections welcome. i'm looking forward to joining this community and becoming a contributing member. \m/ free thought \m/
Hello Internet Gurl, Welcome to the Writing Forums. 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!
that's great, thank you. i was poking around, and read a newbie pack thread. however, the link to the post titled something like 'basic critique guidelines' was broken. where could i find such information, so that i can start participating, and appropriately? thank you!
