Hello, there! I'll go by 'destinationless' or 'D' around here, I suppose. It's a fitting title for me. I'm glad to have found an -active- forum in which it seems that everyone is cheerful and shares a common interest. I cant wait to begin speaking with everyone and hope that you all will accept me with open arms into your community; I feel I have sufficient information to share with everyone. As far as writing goes, I labeled myself as a published writer because I've had several articles published in my state's newspaper and a few radio pieces on NPR. However, what I'd really like to have published -my fiction, has not been just yet. I write just about everything -fiction of all genres, poems, essays, articles, radio scripts... my favorite is my fiction. When I write, I tend to have several projects on my place at once. Right now, I'm working on about 5 pieces. I hope that I can muster enough courage to share some of my work with you all here; in the 'real world,' I tend to keep my work to myself, partly because a lot of my best work comes from my most depressive phases. (We authors can surely suffer for our art as well, no?) ...So the writing comes out particularly macabre, focusing on the general plot of (Wo)man Vs Self, if we review the seven original plots. I find I get the most enjoyment out of that particular plot because it is in people that we find the unpredictable! Currently, I'm focusing on a Man VS Supernatural piece; perhaps you all can help me with it. One of my most difficult hurdles as a writer is that I write what I know. The supernatural, however, save one out of body experience, I have limited experience in. I hope to broaden my horizons with this project, and perhaps even uncover something about myself. (There is a specific motivation behind this piece that drives me to complete it.) Certainly we can all bond over the passions and joys writing can bring us, but of course we have other interests. I wonder if anyone shares similar interests? I am finishing up my high school career (junior), and I have dreams of pursuing a high degree in the field of biochemistry, so science is a subject I could talk endlessly on. The Large Hadron Collider was activated on my birthday 13 days ago. I was ecstatic. *supergeekynerdmoment* I also am an active person; I like to exercise by running, kickboxing / MMA, horseback riding, and strength training. When I turn 18, I want to learn how to handle weaponry more efficiently. I dont truly know what my fascination with strength and weapons is all about, but I have the ambition to be a human weapon, if you will. ...And of course, as a female teenager, I have those ultra-girly habits too; I love my clothing and accessories, and make plenty of garments and jewelry myself. An important part of my life is my faith; I am a Roman Catholic -however radical. Perhaps if you enjoy theological discussion, you'll speak with me and see what I mean. I love to ask questions. I dont like a fair bit about myself, but my naturally inquisitive nature is something I take pride in, so do not be surprised if I come to you every now and then with a long list of questions! *Reviews first post.* Wow, that's quite enough for a first post, ne? I'll stop here. As you can tell, I have a knack for making a short story long! An effective tool in the writing realm, but not always a good thing out in the 'real world.' To make that long story short: I spit incessant, incoherent babble! (Some say it's a sign of genius...others say it's a prerequisite to insanity! ) -D
Hello D, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Posting your own work should not be the very first thing you do here. It is really worthwhile 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. 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 reviewing as a critical 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). 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!
Thank you all for the warm welcome; I very much appreciate becoming accquainted with some of you and hope to get to know you all even better. And thank you very much, Cogito, for the valuable information that I probably would have missed otherwise. I am off to familiarize myself with the FAQ and forum rules, as well as the Review Room. I anticipate this section of the forum to be my favorite; although I no longer am pursuing it, I had a dream once upon a time to make my career as an editor. I am interested in the weekly contests, but I wonder... must the work be completed within one week (of course, how would anyone know anyways?), or is it simply a new contest each week? Well, only one way to find out, ne? I'm off! Again, thank you all for the warm wishes and greetings; each and every one has brought a much-needed smile to my face. -D
The "Weekly" contests are a bit of a misnomer. The actual cycle is usually significantly longer. But they are typically open for about a week for submission, and you often have some advance notice of what the theme will be also.
