Hi i just joined today, I used to write loads in my teen years and till i got to uni mostly romance with a bit of adventure in short stories and i did try couple times on a novel but then i met my now ex and just stopped over time even doing my paintings. I used to be very creative and i still think i am just need to get my spark back. I struggle with spelling and punctuation and sometimes can get things bit muddled or disorganised or i repeat myself due to my dyslexia so i think it stops me from showing people my work so i really want to overcome this. At the moment i'm a stay at home mum to 3 young girls doing volunteer work with groups for parents with young children. I am also studying to get my level 3 in counselling so i can go back to uni. In the last couple years i've tried to regain my confidence and gotten back into writing here and there but i've always had the urge to write a novel and really get stuck in. I don't lack story ideas its just having the confidence to put it out there and so it brings me to here and now i want to work on my stories and bring it to life and gain more confidence in showing people my work. I look forward to getting to know people and seeking any advice i may need!
Hi CariF. I'm one of the forum moderators, and I want to welcome you to the forum. I reckon writing is one of the best avenues you could choose to express your creativity and 'ideas' for stories, even if you're not confident about spelling, grammar, etc. Being dyslexic does present a hurdle some others don't need to jump ...BUT here's the good news. These kinds of 'mistakes' are easily corrected later on, if you get somebody to help you with them. (And this can happen in our Workshop area, once you have fulfilled the requirements for posting there.) However, your stories themselves will be unique to you. AND ...this is important ...NOBODY has to see what you've written until you feel ready to show it to people. I'd say don't be too quick to do that. Just write without fear, and get your story done, tweaked to your satisfaction till it's the best you can make it on your own ...and THEN show it to some people you think will be helpful. If you start showing it around too soon—and start getting corrected right left and centre—it might be really easy to lose your self-confidence. So get the story done. All that's unique about you and your perspective and ideas will then be out there. The mechanics can easily be worked on after that. Keep your confidence high that your basic story is GOOD. Because it probably is. And nobody else could have written it. It's yours. Anyway... As you're finding your feet here on the forum, please do take the time to read these two links. They are very important, and will help get you get oriented and become aware of what we do and don't do, here on the forum. New Member Quick Start Forum Rules If you encounter any difficulties getting settled, don't hesitate to contact me via 'start a conversation' (just click my owl avatar and follow the signs) and I'll do my best to help. Meantime, just browse the forum, jump into threads that interest you, and feel free to make your mark. As doing critiques in the Workshop is a requirement for posting your own work there, you could get a head start on your two-for-one ratio by doing a few critiques for other people. All the writers on this forum appreciate that kind of feedback. Don't worry about being an 'expert.' All the writers need is your reaction to what they've written ...couched in a constructive manner. Here is a link to what we expect from critiques, in case you're not sure. A critique is more than just a vote. It contains an explanation of why you had the reaction you did—whatever that might have been. If you loved the piece, tell the writer why. If you didn't like it, also tell the writer why. If you thought it started well, then drifted off, identify that point and see if you can explain why you lost interest there, etc. A critique is not a review for selling purposes (like Amazon reviews) but to help the writer improve the piece. Think about the kinds of reactions you would want to get for your own work, then do that for others. https://www.writingforums.org/threads/constructive-critiques.20627/ Anyway, I hope to see you around the threads ...having fun! Cheers for now, Jan
First draft is often called a Vomit Draft or a Shitty First Draft (SFD) or.... Writing is rewriting. You need to write a lot of bad writing to get a pile of material which you can refine to good material. And it needs to bee bad. Start with a lot of bad writing. Do it a lot. Don't delete anything. It's your soil. You can't grow anything if you delete your soil. Soil must be dirty and muddy and unclear and... If it's too clean, it does not work as a soil. Good texts will grow from that soil if you let them grow.
