Hi everyone, I go be the moniker Writer's Coin and I've been writing for about 4-5 years now. I've sent out hundreds of submissions to different literary mags and still haven't gotten any stories published. I did win an "additional prize" at one contest but it didn't involve publication, so that was a bummer. But I did get paid $300, which was nice. Anyway, I really enjoy talking to other people in the same boat I'm been and I've been meaning to join a forum like this for a while so I'm excited to finally be here. Right now I'm reading the O. Henry Prize Stories from 2007 and so far I haven't been blown away. Some of my favorite books are Catch-22, Halfway House, Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and The Namesake. I'm also a huge David Foster Wallace fan but don't worry I'm not pretentious or snobby at all. Good to be here!
Hello Writer's Coin, Welcome to the Writing Forums. 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. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
