Gotcha! It's really not! My name is Sydney. Call me Syd, and yes, I'm a girl with a manly name. I like to write. I also like to criticise other people's work, not because I'm mean, but because i like it when other people tear the living daylights out of my own! As they say: we can only learn from our mistakes. There's really nothing else to say. I do very little else apart from write, read and play the odd blues riff on the keys. I tend to write stuff that vaguely resembles horror, but my work doesn't always make it past that 'fake imitation of a plot' stage. I tried comedy once, but my sense of humour's so bizarre nobody got it, so i gave up. Nice to meet you all. Happy days =] x
Hello Syd, Welcome to the Writing Forums. A man's name? Sydney Bristow was Jennifer Garner's character in Alias! As for critiquing, the idea is to be helpful to the writer. If the shingles are hanging loose, you're doing the writer no favors by telling him or her that it has a "lived-in atmosphere." Give it a good shake, and point out what falls off, but always with an element of "here's an idea that might make it stronger." 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!
