Hi everyone! I actually discovered this website a week ago, and created my account the same day, but jumped straight into the Review Room and writing contest forums without ever introducing myself. So, the name's Rachel. Nice to meet you. I've always loved reading and writing. When I was little, I wanted to be a novelist, but then decided I wasn't cut out for that. Last summer, though, I stumbled across... okay, it was fanfiction.net. I never meant to start writing my own stories. It just kind of happened. To my surprise, people read them, liked them, and told me I should keep writing. Maybe they were just being nice. In any case, I've found that this whole creative writing thing is kind of addictive. I wanted to branch out from fanfiction, which is how I found this site. It looks excellent. I actually think the review-before-you-post policy is a great idea. I'm still new at this, so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Probably the biggest thing that keeps me from writing, other than being busy, is... well, there's this voice in my head that's always telling me I'm not good enough to make a living off of writing so I shouldn't be wasting my time with it. I agree with the first part; I'm probably never going to write a bestseller. But I'm not so sure I agree with the second part. I really like writing, and I want to get better. It's not a waste of time. At least, I keep telling myself that. I have to say, I probably won't show my face much. This week happens to be my spring break, but I'm ridiculously busy when school is in session. Hopefully, you'll hear more from me in the summer. -Rachel
Hello Rachel, 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!
Hey, nice to meet you, and welcome to the forums . DO NOT LISTEN TO THAT VOICE. My apologies for the cyber yelling, but seriously, you're not going to get anywhere with that kind of attitude. =p Who knows, you may even write a bestseller. If not... so what? You like writing, you said so yourself, so write! You seem like you have a bit of a history, i suppose, with writing, making it somewhat part of you... “Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.” - Cyril Connolly Haha, I hope you found that "inspirational quote" inspirational. ~Ben
Hey Ben, Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. Thanks for the encouraging message, and no worries about the cyber yelling. SOMETIMES I DO THAT TOO! ;-) I’ve heard that quote before (“Better to write for yourself and have no public than to write for the public and have no self.”) and I like it. Although, I do think you can find a happy medium between writing what you want to write and writing what people want to read. One way or another though, I’m sure I’ll keep writing, if not for others than at least for myself. I don’t think I could /not/ write, if you know what I mean. Thanks again! Rachel
