Well, I’m Norwegian, but live in Miami. I make an indrecent (to say decent would be to exaggerate!) living selling my short stories to Norwegian weekly and monthly magazines. The genre is usually romance, some erotica (for men’s magazines, like Men’s Health type…) and a few to kid’s magazines. I submitted a novel to a writing competition, and I just got a letter back saying I’m in the final round! Whohooo! I sent it off some time in April, and will have the answer after September. As a writer you learn to be patient… I also just finished a little children’s book and sent it off to a publisher. (In Norway we don’t need to go through an agent; makes things easier!) Got a letter back saying they are all off on vacation and won’t be able to read anything before the end of August. Again, patience is a virtue… After writing pretty much full time for the last few years, I have realized one thing, though: I really don’t know how to write! When I go back and read my old stories, I’m baffled they ever got published! But the only way to improve is to keep writing, writing, writing. While I wait for all my magazine editors and hopefully future book publishers to come back from vacation, I’ll hang around here to get some inspiration! Amanda
Hello Amanda, Welcome to the Writing Forums. 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. 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!
