Diving into this already thriving forum seems really daunting. Reading is the most therapeutic activity in my life, but I've used writing as more of fun exercise or way to express an opinion on a particular subject. I've recently been attempting to use my writing to heal the wound of losing my dog. Can anyone direct me to something they think is relevant in this area? Does anyone recall seeing anything on traumatic loss? Has anyone used writing to cope with this? What if it's too hard? Have you found peace in this? How did you feel about sharing it?
Hello Mysh, Welcome to the Creative Writing Forums. You will find people who have gone through similar losses, but writing therapeutically is not much like writing creatively. Therapeutic writing is all about that initial purge, whereas creative writing is mostly about what you do with the writing after that initial burst. 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. 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!
Welcome, and I'm so sorry for your loss. I write to cope with my life, and I'm sure there are a lot of writers that do. My personal experience is that poetry is the most helpful outlet for my grief. I'm free to express myself in whatever means I choose. I can just let it flow. Just remember that if you post a personal piece on this forum, you're leaving it open to critique, so you have to prepare yourself for that. But I've found that letting my personal pieces be reviewed has actually made me a much stronger writer. I hope you have a great experience here. Writing is very therapeutic. And if you just want to talk to someone, my PM box is always open.
