Hello everyone. I'm Fred from Portland. I read some and barely write some. I'm looking for support, critiques, direction, and advice ,but, not having found any in the past 38 years, I'd thought I'd come here. I always fall back on Dumas, Lovecraft, and Doyle. I rate Byatt's Posession as my current #1. I write small things and usally throw them away after a time, so I think this forum will be good for me.
Welcome to the site, Fred. First of all, stop throwing away the small things you write!! You never know if they're any good if you're only allowing yourself to be the judge. In any case, I hope you enjoy it here and I'm looking forward to these 'small things' you write as well as to the critiques you will be sharing. ~Lynn
Hello Fred, 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 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!
