I am very pleased to have found this forum! I'm Shiraz, a 23 yeard old 'young lady' living in Melbourne, Australia. I have been writing for study and pleasure for many years. I have a degree in journalism, and a diploma in professional writing and editing. I am working on a couple of fantasy novels, and I enjoy writing short stories also. I have a silly dream of being a professional writer one day, but to do that I need to start taking my work more seriously. Look forward to chatting to you all.
Wow Australia! I want to go there one day! Welcome! It's pretty good that you are 23 and alread yhave a diploma in professional writing and editing ( im 21 and still going to Community college ha.) I hope you enjoy the site! If you ever want a friend or want to chat just drop a PM!
Welcome Shiraz, I too, enjoy the fantasy genre. Hope this site is beneficial to you. You have a great foundation already
Hello Shiraz, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Posting your own writing for comment 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!
