Hey everyone! I'm Noobie Deb I'm 26 and I live in Colorado. (Just moved in last night!) I look forward to meeting you all and to your helpful comments. Also, just to throw this out there, I'm not afraid of negative feedack. I would prefer honest replies over nice ones because I'm here to work on becoming a better writer. If something is good, say so. If it's missing something or just plain sucks, go ahead and tell me. That's just me though.... Anyway, <waves> nice to meetcha!
Hello Deb, Welcome to the Writing Forums. As you will discover, we encourage harsh critique, but not disrespectful critique. The goal is to help the writer improve, not to thicken his or her skin or to get that feeling of smug superiority. But 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!
I'm glad that constructive criticism is encouraged. That's why I'm here. I want to improve my skill. My husband is afraid if someone tells me something stinks I'll want to give up. He's wrong, cause I love to write and I will continue to do so no matter how awful it may be. I'm also aware that not every writer is proud of every piece they have ever done. I'm willing to accept that some pieces may be meant for the garbage instead of others' eyes. On the flip side, if something is good, I'd definately like to know that also. As for reviewing other people's work first, before posting my own. I have already been doing that. I later posted up one short story but I wouldn't post anything that I'm seriously working on as far as getting it published. I love reading what other people have come up with and seeing the different styles. This gives me ideas on what I think works and what I don't want to do myself. I have already been exploring the site. I've read the rules and checked into different forum categories. I did that before I registered. I wanted to make sure this was a site I wanted to be a part of. Just because I don't mind others being critical of my work, doesn't mean I'm going to be a jerk to everyone else either. I'm actually more critical of my own work than others anyway. I am definately excited about the weekly contests! It may be a little while before I enter any, but I'm already working on some ideas that may be worth submitting. Anyway, thanks for the welcome!!
