This seems a little unnecessary (sp), but I thought I might as well start off like this. As said, I'm new to this site, so I have to learn the ropes of this place. I am an avid science fiction reader, and I have several stories in my mind. I really want to get them on paper, and I hope this site will be able to help me do so. Thanks to any and all help coming my way! I will show off some of my story ideas soon, I hope. Silverman
Hello Silverman, 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. 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!
Thanks for the welcome, everyone. This site actually seemed more friendly to use than the others I looked at, especially the community. They also seemed very dry, with little to no variety (if that's the right word,) compared to this site. What I also liked about this site is that thier is a subforum devoted to each part of the writng process, such as character development, plotting, etc., and even to each type of writing, such as short stories, poetry, and even novels. None of the others sites I looked had that. That really drew me to the Writing Forum. I also like the idea of constructive criticsim. Writers really need second opinons of thier work, and it makes sense that you should review others before you ask for them yourself. One question: Do you have to post reviews before you make any posts, such as help with characters, or only when you want to post an excerpt? I just want to make sure. I hope I can be a productive member of the Writing Forum, and finally gain incentive here to start writing often! Silverman
No, the Review Room is a critiquing workshop, and the most demanding area of the site. The critiquing requirements apply only to the Review Room workshop, and constructive critiques in any part of the Review Room qualify you to take the next step of posting your work for dissection in any of the subforums of the Review Room. Therefore, if you would rather get your feet wet by critiquing short stories, you could still choose to post a poem for your first piece of writing to expose to critique. But the Review Room is an advanced workshop, and you don't have to participate in it at all in order to participate in the rest of the site. In fact, we don't really recommend that new members start out with the Review Room at all.
I hate to ask this, but I can't seem to find it anywhere.... My sig is not showing on the site, though the Edit Signature area recognizes it. Any help is greatly appriecated. Silverman EDIT: I get it now, it shows up only after I have edited, not on every post. Nevermind.
