Hey everybody. First off, let me thank the site for allowing me to join this forum and the community for welcoming me. I post my stories on Facebook, but it is crazy hard to get my friends and family to actually read something. And the ones who do read my stuff will just say its good and not want to discuss it. Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate them reading it and they do seem to like it, but I want pointers. I want the opinion of someone who will be brutally honest because they don't know me. Have you seen the remake of Death at a Funeral? You know how Chris Rock's character didn't want anyone to read his book? That's not me. Story telling has been a passion of mine for a long time now. Whether being told or doing the telling, the realm of fiction has always fascinated me. High school was when I really started trying to write. Also when I realized that it was harder than it seemed. I wrote a few stories, but stopped after I graduated. Last year I finally buckled down and wrote a story. Over the past eight years, I started a lot of things, but they all tapered off. I still have the notebooks with all my thoughts, so I could, and want to, continue them, but I have a few goals with my writing. I have a story that I would ultimately like to put out. Honestly, I would rather it be a comic, but I will settle for a series of four novels instead (the estimated length in my mind). I'm slowly working towards that, as the story won't be confined to those four novels. Some of the short stories I'm writing (including one of the ones I'll be posting soon) are related to that story. And I have about three chapters of the first book as well as a dozen notebooks of note s and thoughts. My inspirations come from a variety of places. All the books, movies, video games, and cartoons I've experienced contribute to my imagination. Most importantly, of course, life inspires me. I always have ideas rattling around my head, and my day to day happenings contribute to that. I hope you guys enjoy what I have to show you, and I hope to give/receive good advise.
Hello Gahmstead, Welcome to the Creative Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Writing Workshop before you try to post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on 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 Writing Prompts, 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 site 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. We also impose a two-week waiting period before you may post writing for critique, to give you time to become familiar with what is expected and how the site operates. 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!
Hey there, I'm a newcomer myself. In the past couple of days, I've scanning the boards and it's been a revelation to see the spirit of co-operation that exists here. Make yourself comfy, put your feet up, and get ready for the wealth of inspiration you'll find on these boards.
