Hi everyone, I used to belong to an online writers group a few years ago but life got in the way and I stopped visiting. When I finally found my way back the group had fallen silent. I discovered this forum earlier today and spent a good chunk of time reading some really great advice, so I joined I hope to learn a lot from hanging out here and perhaps eventually I'll have something helpful to contribute. Blue
Hello Cobalt Blue, Welcome to the Creative Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Writing Workshop before you try to post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on 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. 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 Writing Workshop, 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 Writing Workshop, 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. We also impose a two-week waiting period before you may post writing for critique, to give you time to become familiar with what is expected and how the site operates. The Writing Workshop 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 Writing Workshop 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 the RPG forum for improvisational fiction. Also try 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!
Peas in a Pod Hey. I guess we're two peas in a pod, huh? I'm also new to forums, and unlike you i didn't take much time looking around. So kudos! Anywho, welcome to the site and maybe i'll see you('re avatar) around!
Welcome! I hope to see you around in the future, and, trust me, you will learn a lot! I've learned a lot from being here already, it's a really helpful place. See you around!
Hello, fellow scribblers. I'm not a 'newbie' but I have been gone for a while, so I thought it might be good to reintroduce myself I've always wanted to write stories, but didn't really realise that writing was what was I wanted to do. When I was younger I kept binders full of story ideas and character descriptions, but I never went that one step further, never tried to weave it all together into an actual story. Then I found myself with a small amount of time on my hands and a huge desire to do just that, write my stories. I found this forum because basically, I had no idea as to how to go about this business of writing. I found the best advice ever, just write. That's what I have been doing. Now I have a completed novel (~58,000 words YA) and I'm back trawling the forum, looking for advice on how to hone my skills, how to make my story the best that it can be. This place is great, so many educated people sharing their knowledge, advice and encouragement. I look forward to getting to know some of you better. Blue (my user name is my favourite colour)
