Hello everyone! I am so grateful that I happened upon this community and also very upset that nobody had showed me long ago . Without launching an expose I will briefly introduce myself. I am a 25 year old male and I struggle with bipolar disorder. I've written poetry since I can remember, not an indicator of quality, mind you! And I have recently been attempting fiction. Learned over a year or so how starting out 'to write a book' is not the best idea for the uninitiated. So, essentially I am here to learn the fundamentals and mechanics of writing a quality short story! Any general direction or resources that I could get my feet wet in? Also, in order for me to post a poem do I have to contribute two critiques and be here over 2 weeks as you would with stories?
Hi there First of all: Welcome to this place! However long it took you to find us, we'll not go away ETA your question: Read through our Writing section, there is loads of information there to get you started. Regarding the posting of poems, yes the requirements are the same. The idea is, that everyone should get critiques when they post and not only be only a 'taker', sit back, and wait for others to do the work. I think it's a fine requirement. Anyway: have fun
Thank you very much. That premise is actually what drew me in, as many other forums are very much take and not a lot of giving. Which reduces the quality of any critique you may receive. I am going to dive in and read everything I can find now Also, is there a mechanism that keeps track of critiques given?
Hello! I'm new as well and I feel just as disappointed as you that it's taken me this long to find this site haha. It's great, honestly, I've only been on here a few hours, but it seems like an inspiring community to be a part of. I've wanted to join writing classes or clubs for a long time now, but it's been difficult to find any where I live that teach/read in English. As for your struggles with your disorder, I completely understand how exhausting mental illness can be. I hope that it gets easier to cope with and I wish you luck with that. I'm schizophrenic, and it's taken me years to reach the stability I have now. Just keep in mind that it is possible to get better with mental illness. As corny and cliché as this is: don't give up! I'm rooting for you
