What's up, folks? My name is Tim, I'm a 21 year old college student, majoring in American History/Education. I came here to hopefully get some valuable input on things that I'll be turning in for assignments, as well as some of my outside writing that I do just for fun. If you read my works, or see me posting around the site reviewing other people's submissions, you'll learn pretty quick that I'm a sarcastic prick, but for the most part I'm pretty personable. If I disagree with you on something, get ready for a debate and bring your A-game, but as long as you don't try to get personal, it'll all be in good fun. Thanks in advance for all of ypour reviews on my writing, and I definitely look forward to reading yours! -Timmy_O
Hello Tim, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Please do not post school assignments for critique on this site, or ask for detailed assistance on them. Assignments must reflect your own unaided work in order for your teachers to focus lessons and individual assistance where needed. Also, remain respectful in your communications on this site. Review writing harshly, but remarks that demean the writer will not be tolerated. Sarcasm is discouraged. 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!
