Hello! My name is San and I'm new to this forum. I'm working on the final draft of my first fiction novel. I have first drafts done of 3 more after that, extended notes for a couple more after that, and ideas for more after that, lol. I love to hear from other writers about pursuing the craft, and hope I can add some constructive information here with my own posts. I've written all my life, or wanted to, but I always let 'real' life put my writing on hold. I'm finally in a more settled phase of my life and I gave myself permission to pursue writing at last. Have never looked back. I look forward to reading the site and getting to know other people who love writing as much as I do. Thanks for letting me in!
Hello San, 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 information... I wasn't thinking about posting any of my writing on here at the present time. I'm new to this forum, but not to forums in general; I would of course review other members posted writing first; I'm here mostly to read about the craft of writing and what other people have experienced and learned, in the hopes of learning more about it myself. This looks like a great site; I look forward to reading all the wisdom here!
Well, welcome to the site man. Hope to see a lot more of you and blah blah. I'm new as well and actually just lurking around and decided to be a part of the welcome bandwagon. Enjoy
Thanks! I like what I see so far - it will take me awhile to get acquainted with everything. Looks like a great site.
Welcome San. Congrats on the final draft of your novel. Is it the first in a series, or are the following drafts unrelated?
One of the books I have in first draft can be a 'prequel' to the current work that is in final draft stage. One of the others with exensive outlines can be a sequel to the current work... it and the possible 'prequel' came about after I was well into the current work. Writing novels is one of the hardest things I've ever done, and I LOVE it! I will never let 'real life' stop me from writing again, even if I never become published.
