My name's Pete, I'm a 35 year old nurse from Scotland and I love to write. Unfortunately, I'm rubbish. I love the heroic fantasy genre, but find that no-one quite satisfies my craving like David Gemmell. I'm a martial artist, ex-biker, who dabbles in juggling and learning Spanish. I have cyclothymia (a mild form of Bipolar), and 3 kids (my kids have been the best treatment in the world for my mood disorder!). I'm in a bit of a funk just now re: my writing. I'm about seven thousand words into a fantasy tale and feel that it's a very bad rip-off of David Gemmell and Tolkien. I have been spending my time faffing about with fantasy cartography recently, which is fun, but ultimately time-wasting. I don't seriously expect to publish anything, my writing is just for me, but I'd like to hone my skills none the less, Pax vobiscum
Hello Pete, Welcome to the Writing Forums. 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!
Hey Pete, I'd be glad to read anything you wish to post, being that your love is apart of the fantasy genre. Welcome!
