I'm Megs and I'm 18. I'm a senior in high school with high hopes and dreams. I used to write a lot, and took a bit of a hiatus -- well, ever since I've been in high school I've really only written academic essays and the like. I'm just looking for somewhere I can share what few pieces of creative prose and poetry I am able to crank out and hopefully somewhere I can develop myself further as a writer. Hello!
Oh, how I wish I were in Japan!! I'm actually sitting at home right now in little ol' Ohio, trying to sleep but failing miserably. I'm sure to travel to that wonderful land of the rising sun in my dreams, though, should I ever close my eyes.
Hello Megs, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Before you can get critique, you must first give critique. This is not just a quid pro quo, it is because improving your critiquing skills is the primary focus of the Review Room workshop. Improving your critiquing skills will improve your ability to find and fix weaknesses in your own writing. 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!
Thanks for the welcome! I kind of surmised that posting a piece online would diminish publication chances, but the ones that I plan on posting here I'll probably also post on FictionPress and LiveJournal as well. My main purpose is to have people critique my work so I can get better SHOULD anyone decide to publish me later on. I've actually already written two constructive reviews, and I would write more but I really need to get to bed. Bahaha. I'd love to improve my critiquing skills as well, because that will help me critique my friends' work as well as my own (yes, I'm allowed to have selfish motives!).
Yes, I used to be big into Asian/Japanese stuff. I even tried to work it in my "Medieval Europe fantasy", but it seemed very awkwardly done.
