Hi everyone. My name is Dennis. Introductions are always awkward, but it doesn't look like too many people read them anyway. That helps. I wrote a lot about 10 years ago, but once college got harder than I thought it would and I broke into the real world, I didn't have much time for it. Recently a friend recommended Stephen King's On Writing to me, and I really felt the itch again. The muse started banging around inside my head urging me to get some stuff down on paper (or screen... whatever). Before I do that, however, I thought it might be a good idea to mingle around other like-minded people. So here I am. The "review other stuff before posting your own stuff" policy is an interesting one. I like that it virtually guarantees that you'll get some kind of feedback when posting, but on the other hand I wonder if it seems pretentious for this new guy to just come in and start critiquing writing when no one has seen his writing ability or knows if he has any idea what he's talking about. I like reading amateur writing, though, and usually critique in my head. This won't be much of a jump. Anyway, I'm looking forward to this!
Hello Dennis, Welcome to the Writing Forums. The critique rule is not just a quid pro quo. It is because improving your critiquing skills is the primary focus of the Review Room workshop. By improving your critiquing skills, you will improve your writing far more than you would by receiving critiques. 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. 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!
