I don't generally do the whole "introduction" thing when I join a forum but as my joining here is part of me trying to take proactive steps in my writing I thought I'd make an exception. So what is there to know about me? Well I started writing when I was very young, so young in fact that I cringe at the very idea of what some of that stuff must have been like. I've never been very good at this but crikey that must have been terrible! Anyway, I wrote off and on for quite some time just on my own without any formal guidance or training, when I went to university however I found they offered a Creative Writing course that I could take alongside my main degree during my first year so I signed up. It was a great year that taught me alot and I even had some positive feedback to my work which felt great. Unfortunately I seemed to reach a mindset where writing felt like work and that took away alot of the appeal so I decided to take a bit of a break. A few months later a computer mishap cost me all the electronic copies of my recent work, to say I was devastated might sound dramatic but I don't think it's far from the truth. That was ten years ago and for some reason I've not been able to get into a flowing writing mood since despite several well intentioned moments and a decent queue of ideas to work with. This morning at about silly-o'clock I decided enough was enough and it was time to get stuck in and see if I can still write. I bashed out 400 or so words last night and although they aren't very good it felt good to be writing again, scary, but good. So in the spirit of keeping this small amount of momentum going here I am, hopefully lurking around here will help me get my fairly unimpressive skills back and maybe even make me better.
Thanks I'm working on a fantasy novel, as a big fantasy reader it's a genre I'm pretty comfortable in (at least I always used to be) - the story in question isn't a new one. I did a wealth of work on it years ago (lost in the unfortunate mishap I mentioned in the OP) and alot of the characters and plot are still in my head so I've started a fresh opening. It sounds cheesy but I kind of feel I owe it to my fictional constructs to tell their story
Hey tiggertaebo, welcome to WF. This is a great place to start writing again. I used to feel like writing was a chore too, but since then I've moved on and learned to write again. I hope you will do the same as well. Good luck
Welcome. Good you've rediscovered writing, hopefully it won't feel so much as a chore now. I agree with the truth of devastation because of your computer mishap, I know how you felt. I lost most of my work when my laptop died a couple of years ago, and I really was devastated when it happened to me.
Hello Tigger, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Writing Workshop before you post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on 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 Writing Workshop, 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 Writing Workshop, 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 Writing Workshop 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 Writing Workshop 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 the RPG forum for improvisational fiction. Also try 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!
