Hello, As you can probably tell by the fact that I am writing a greeting here, I am new to the site. I am very much looking forward to speaking to you all, reading your work and of course, writing here also which is the main reason I searched, and stumbled upon, this fine forum. I am very glad to find such a vibrant community when I never thought one exists! I have been a freelance writer online for several years now and it is how I make my living, writing content, articles and such, but I also feel like I have betrayed my creativity for money because while I do get paid to write, it is never creative, more magazine style, professional content. I want to get back in touch with my creativity, which is my reason for joining here in the first place. Help me! I want to read your best works, and I want your creative criticism on my own. I am very interested in horror and apocalypse fiction. I adore reading bad writing about zombie and vampire scenarios. I have been working on a zombie novel for several years but keep getting side tracked by other projects. I have also been writing a children's novel based on the world of "Oz" by L. Frank Baum which has been very well received so far even though I am only part way through it. While I am here, I think I will dabble in short stories, as well as post novel excerpts from my work also. Whatever else happens, happens, I'm looking forward to it either way! Thank you and I hope to speak to you and read some of your work soon! For the record, as you may expect, this name is an online alias that I have never used anywhere else before. Just a way of making a fresh start and breaking away from my freelance online presence! ~*UR*~
Hello Undead, 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 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!
