Hello, I'm not much of an online kinda guy, but i do have an ever increasing desire to write. I think most people can agree that being a writer would be a fantastic job, but few of us ever take the initiative necessary to begin a career in writing. I would love to believe that by joining this forum and pushing myself to write more in my free time, i will one day be able to sustain myself through income earned by writing. Is it possible this will ever come to be, sure, but is it realistic (given who i am, etc etc, perhaps not..). Anyway, i'm just a normal guy who is looking to post up a few ideas here and there. Any comments you may have will be certainly welcomed. Though i like to think my writing is perfect, negative comments, or constructive criticism is what i am most looking for. What did i do wrong? where wasnt i clear? What could be done better, etc. Look forward to hearing from you. Cheers, me
Hey DVD, welcome to the WF. There will be plenty of people who tell you that becoming a professional writer is extremely hard. In fact, statistically you are more likely to become a succesful actor. 15% of working actors are actually succesful, compared with less than 7% of working writers. But that doesn't mean you should give up! Somebody has to make up that 7%. Just be prepared for a lot of heartbreak and disappointment, grow some thick skin and above all ENJOY WRITING - even if you're not getting paid.
Hello Dvd, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Review Room 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 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!
