Hey fellow writers, I'm new to this site. Weirdly enough, I thought I was already a member of this site, or at least a forum very similar to this one, but it seemed to have disappeared, so here I am! I am a new writer, working on my first full length novel right now, hopefully I can get some good reviews and critiques here and I'm willing to read and give critiques myself. Looking forward to interacting with all of you.
I bid you welcome young Starseed. I hope that you never struggle to find the right word for any... uh... thing...
Hola Starseed, Welcome to the Writing Forums. It's important to develop the ability to give critique well before seeking critique. Giving critique will help you improve your writing more rapidly than receiving critique ever will. Furthermore, the better you incorporate the critiquing mindset, the better you will be able to make use of critique you receive. But 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!
