The name's Anya and I'm twenty-years-old. I'm a full-time student at the University of Central Florida and I'm double majoring in English/Creative Writing and Anthropology (and I'm actually just about to start taking all the fun writing classes next semester!). I've been writing for years, though I don't have as much to show for it as I'd like. Hopefully I'll change that soon enough! I first got into writing through roleplaying about eight years ago. I still have one RPG that's been going for almost four years now with my best friend; it's just the two of us who write it together but it's around 3,500 pages now. It takes up a lot of my creative time, I suppose! I'm hoping to write some original short stories that stand alone and eventually I'd love to write a novel, but right now I'm just digging around for some good ideas. I don't really have anything ready to share as of right now so I'm looking forward to reading other people's work, getting in some constructive critiques, and really getting involved in the community! I love how active this forum seems. I'm a pretty shy person (more shy on the internet than in person, strangely enough!) so I'd have to say this is the first forum in a while that I've decided to get involved in. I usually talk myself out of it! But I'm looking forward to it and I hope to see you all around.
Hello Anya, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Posting your own work 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. 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). 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 anya! you must be looking forward to those classes! and woweee on the RPG! that's huge! look forward to seein you around!
