Hi everybody! I'm sure you've heard my story (or a similar version) many times before, but here goes anyways! I was one of those kids who stayed up late with a flashlight under my blanket so I could keep reading after lights out. I was also one of those kids who, when told to write a 3 paragraph story for school, submitted a 3 page story instead. From the time I learned to write, I loved it. It just felt... right, like that was exactly how I should have been spending my spare time- when it wasn't spent reading, of course. This feeling lasted through high school. I always earned an A on any writing assignment, and was told by teachers that I "have a real talent." After graduation, however, I just kind of left writing in the dust. Forgot about it, didn't have time for it, I don't remember now what the reason was. It doesn't matter. Fast forward ten years. I finally started college. I remembered that feeling I get when I write. I was told by a professor that I "have a real talent" and that I should be published. This experience has reignited the flame that I didn't know was still smoldering somewhere deep inside me. Now, here's the kicker: I have no idea where to start. It's been so long since I've written for pleasure, I don't know how to do it anymore. Should I start with writing exercises? Freewriting? Word games? Just jump feet first into a novel? I'm lost. And so, here I am, hoping to find myself. Please help, Melanie
Hello Melanie, Welcome to the Creative Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Writing Workshop before you try to post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on should not be among the very first things you do here anyway. 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 Writing Workshop, 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 Writing Workshop, 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. We also impose a two-week waiting period before you may post writing for critique, to give you time to become familiar with what is expected and how the site operates. The Writing Workshop 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 Writing Workshop 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 the RPG forum for improvisational fiction. Also try 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!
Hello and welcome Maybe looking around this place will give you some ideas? It doesn't matter where you start as long as you are inspired to start All the best.
Hi Melanie! The way to get back in touch with your writing is to just write. There's no way to become a better writer before writing - you can learn techniques, but if you don't write you won't progress anywhere. Don't worry about it being bad - no one is happy with their untweaked first versions. Just plunge in, finish to the end, and then go back and edit the parts that are bad. Welcome!!
Welcome Melanie! If you apply what you have said to swimming. Then the answer to your question about where to begin would have to be the obvious: 'dive right in.' And never let the flames go out.
