Greetings! At 41, I've finally decided it's time to bite the bullet and pursue my passion to write. I've dabbled with fictional writing for the past 30 years but have never made the commitment get "serious" with it until recently. I'm here in these forums because I would like to find others that can understand what I mean when I say things like "my characters take on lives of their own and do things that completely surprise me" or "I have to write because I have to share this part of me, of my soul, with someone". I have a lovely supportive family but they aren't writers, ya know? Anywho... I look forward to getting to know y'all! Oh, and Cogito, don't sweat the disclaimer bit... I've already read the spiel in a couple other newbie threads so I figured I'd save you the hassle; unless it's one of those compulsory things you just have to do or risk losing sleep over, in which case, post away and rest well.
Hello Tigress, Welcome to the Writing Forums. (Well, FINE, but why should everyone else get all the cool toys and not you?) 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!
Welcome! I wish you the best of luck and I look forward to reading your stuff. what is your favorite piece of literary work?
Thank you all for the warm welcome. Cogito, in all seriousness, I appreciate the cautionary note you offer new users. It's good information and I am sure has helped many a well-meaning soul from posting something they would later regret. Neoaptt, thanks! And based on your sig, I like you already, too! Fadestar, the best I can do is narrow my likes down to one author, Robert Heinlein, but I've never been able to pinpoint which of his works is my favorite. And Heinlein's an odd choice for me since I'm not much into SciFi on the whole (Fantasy is more my thing). But, I'm a sucker for character development and Heinlein's the best I've ever read. I've often said his stories are about people who just happen to live on the moon, travel through time and space, etc.
