Hey everyone, I've been a budding author for as long as I can remember now, and at the moment I am preparing for my second year exams reading Law and Criminology at the University of Kent Canterbury, UK. I've always been a massive reading and writing and film fan, but never really got around to finishing a novel in its entirety, only ever coming up with sketchy ideas and first drafts. I've got to say, my biggest inspiration was when I left primary school, and on my last ever school report my teacher wrote in the box labelled 'targets for improvement' "send me a copy of your first novel." Unfortunately life and other stuff got in the way after that, but I kept coming back to writing, and my biggest achievement so far was getting through to the second round of the British Short Screenplay Competition with my first ever screenplay. I need to credit my dad for suggesting writing a screenplay rather than a novel, because that way I can "cut out all the crap." Some time earlier this year my school teacher who had been such an inspiration passed away after a short fight with cancer, but rather than being disillusioned with writing it inspired to me to actually get off my seat and do something about it, and now I'm more determined than ever to do him proud. It's a real kick in the teeth for me that it took such an event to spur me on, and rather than dedicating my first novel to my teacher, I'll have to dedicate it to his memory instead. Long story short, I came looking for a forum like this where I can share ideas with like-minded people, and hopefully find plenty of motivation and inspiration to kick start the writing career I've always wanted! Thanks guys, Tomrock
Hey, and welcome. I'm from Kent! And congrats on getting through to the second round of the British Short Screenplay Competition.
wow that certainly is an achievement, well done! I'm new here too and had similar comments from my English Language teacher at 6th form, very good motivator! Welcome to the site
Hello Tomrock, Welcome to the Creative Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Writing Workshop before you post there. 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 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!
