I am 32 year young female and have done several jobs since 18 but writing is my true passion both poetry and song lyrics; however, in my 15+ years of writing I have not been able to get them offically copyrighted (they are all labeled with my name and copyright symbol) in word document I had them in. I have created my own forum as a place to store them and share but don't have any members. I'm nervous about sharing but most contests need entry fees and be officially copyrighted, so for that reason I've been hesitant to post anywhere else. I do have a number of poems on poetry.com site (the former site, not sure what it is now). The last few years I've been getting more into song lyrics as music is my other passion, rock, country, and others I love it all. If anyone could reassure me about posting I'll be glad to share. I found this site looking for free contests, I've been trying to get my stuff out there for years and really want to make more of an effort. I apologize for the long introduction but that's one thing about me, I have a lot to say and love typing.
Hello Poet, Welcome to the Writing Forums. 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 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 all. I had a memeber nice enough to give me some answers that I needed and glad I asked before I posted. I have had some insight on some of my writings by reading others work already. And when I re-read them; though most of them I love, I can still find room to improve in most of them. I'm just glad that I'm at a point where I can start back up in my writing, as (especially in poetry/songs) it can be a very emotionally draining (both and ) talent. I often have stopped for months (even years) due to the fact of not wanting the tears to come out as I have allergies and that's all it takes for my nose to plug up. To think all the writing I missed out on that I probably could have done in the time, just cause I was afraid of that.
