Good morning everyone. My name is Nicole and I have been writing since I was around the age of 7. Twenty years of writing . . . man I feel old In any case, what caused me to join this forum is because have something important to publish and I need a bit of advice. I am in the process of editing and formatting a collection of poems (112) that are based around a terrible experience I had as well as my path of healing. I plan to also write a memoir at some point to help other survivors like me . . . but that is way down the road. I also writing fantasy stories, but have put those on hold until my current collection is complete.
Hello Nicole, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Posting your own work 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 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 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 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). 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 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 so much for the warm welcome Cogito. I did notice the rules about posting in the poetry forums and have yet to post any of my own work. Training my eye to critique my own work would be so helpful. I have tried working on my structure more. The problem is, I do not use any formal structures for my poems. They are mostly free verse and narratives. Think I may poke around some more
Hi Nickileigh and welcome to the writing forum. You have been writing for a long time and I am looking forward to hearing your poems as well as your critiques. Have fun ay.
