Hi all. Let me introduce myself. I'm 52 years old, my full time job is in upper management in the manufacturing arena, and my part time passion is writing. I wrote my first piece of fiction 34 years ago, for an assigment for my high school drama class. Our teacher, Mrs. Pennington, had broken our class down into groups of four and I was placed in a group with two guys and the most popular cheerleader at school, Vicki M. Mrs. Pennington gave each group an assignment to produce an audio show similar to the serials such as Dick Tracy and Little Orphan Annie during the golden years of radio. Since the show had to be an original idea it meant the group had to write their own scripts, which I quickly volunteered to do as a way to impress the cheerleader. The group decided to do something along the lines of Thriller Theater, so I wrote a story involving a family who purchased an old floor standing mirror and the strange things that happen when their small son with an active imagination starts playing with a mysterious friend he sees in the mirror. After our teams’ project was presented during class Mrs. Pennington called our group aside and demanded we tell her where we got the story we used, upset that we had not used original material as she had instructed. When we finally convinced Mrs. Pennington that I had written the story myelf, she was so impressed that she urged me to submit the story to several writing contests. But I never followed through with her suggestions, preferring to stay out of the spotlight and be content that the act of writing itself was rewarding enough for me, that and the admiration of Vicky M. I ended up writing for the school newspaper my senior year, but after high school my writing took a back seat to life. College, a career, a wife, three kids with all that entails, all ganged up on me and successfully suppressed my urge to write and create. Two years ago I stumbled into blogging and immedaitely I could feel the creative juices start to flow once more. Next I found myself writing a couple of short stories, which still sit on the shelf I deposited them on when I was finished, but that didn't matter because the process of writing gave me such joy. When I finished my last short story and let my wife read it (she has been my one and only reader since high school), she told me that I really needed to try and have it published, or better yet, turn it into a book. A book? Me write a book? I laughed at the notion at first. The idea seemed so daunting. But slowly the idea took hold of me, until it seemed like such a natural extension of how my writing had been expanding. What the hell, I decided to go for it. SLOW DANCER became a reality about a month ago. I'm in the process now of showing it around to people whose opinions I trust (and who will be brutally honest) to see if its worthy of publication. That brings me here to this site, now. I'm trying to find out more about how the publishing process works, if by some chance my story turns out to be one that people will enjoy reading. And not just publishing either, but I'm interested in the whole writing process and ways to tell a better story as well. So that's my story. I'm sure it's one thats very familiar here. I'm looking forward to making new acquaintences, maybe even a friend or two. Thanks for giving me the once over.
Hi, Imposter - that was a nice intro. Now I can't wait to read your work! But as Cogito will no doubt say in a moment... You'll have to give a meaningful critique to at least 2 other members before posting your own stuff. Best of luck, welcome to WF.
Hello Imposter, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Congratulations on completing your novel, and good luck with your submission efforts. Posting your own work should not be among the very first things you do here (and be particularly careful about posting anything you plan to publish). 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. 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!
Welcome; I too am new here and have only recently returned to writing, which I love but have neglected because of life. I cannot wait to help you out in your pursuits!
