Heya! I'm Becca and just stumbled across this most excellent site last night and had no choice but to join up! I've been telling stories since I was a little kiddo who couldn't yet hold a pencil properly, and writing since then... I work all over the place, doing a little poetry when the mood strikes, working on several books I need to finish but keep putting down and walking away from for no real reason, and am currently fiddling at short stories to get my conflict/resolution stuff down. I fail at finishing things. I can write character sketches and beginnings to stories all day long. I need to make myself finish things. That's why I'm here! So! My goal, if I were to throw one out there, would have to be to get a little writing done every day, work on those never-ending projects, put the inner editor on a shelf and crank out the projects I love so much. And then I can edit for 10 more years. Stupid perfectionism. It gets in the way, no?
Hello and welcomes to the forums. Let me tell you, I can relate, I grind along at a stalagmite's pace because I have to get just the right wording; much successes.
Hello Becca, Welcome to the 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. 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!
