Hello fellow writers. My name is Hannah, I'm 21 years old and spend my time in Sheffield, UK and Zurich, CH. I'm studying International Business with Chinese at the moment and am currently finishing off my second year, eagerly awaiting my year abroad in Beijing. I've been writing since before I can remember. Right now I'm focusing on trying to get my first novel together, before now I've been writing more poetry, political essays, and short stories. The novel is proving a challenge, and I will take any advice you guys are willing to take. I'm actually looking for a beta reader at the moment, or a mentor willing to help me out. I like my novel idea, but I want to know if it actually works... Anyway, looking forward to meeting you all
Hello Hannah, 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. 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). 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, Hannah. I see you're looking for a mentor.. feel free to post in the mentoring thread Hope to see you around the site ~Lynn
