Hi I go by the name of vanhunks. I write short stories, poems, religious texts and stories and come from a fanfiction background. I'm moving away from fanfiction and entering the wonderful world of creative, original writing. I realise I should have done this long ago! I'm also currently doing a course in short story writing to hone my skills, so to speak. I haven't much yet, but I'll be spending some time just browsing these forums before making any new posts. Thanks, all. vanhunks
Welcome, fellow newcomer. I'm glad that you've decided to come out of the fan fiction and begin writing your own material. Fan fiction is fun, but it certainly isn't as rewarding as writing about things that you created.
Hi and welcome to the site Fan fiction is definitely fun to write and I think it can be rewarding in its own way.. it lets you build up confidence in your ability to write something others will enjoy, even if the characters don't belong to you. (Most fan fiction writers I know can easily replace character names and a few background things in the plot and turn it into something original). But it's always good to move away from fan fiction into original fiction as there's something about it being your own from the very beginning that is just indescribable. Anyway, I hope you enjoy your time here at the forums and I am looking forward to reading your works. ~Lynn
Thanks for the welcome. It is this that's made me move away from fanfiction for a while. It has given me loads of confidence, but creating original characters always did fascinate me and for what it's worth, the real world offers an abundance of material! vanhunks
Hello VanHunks, Welcome to the Writing Forums. I'm happy to hear that you are setting aside the training wheels. Fanfic gives a good starting point for your writing, but it is dreadfully limiting too. 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!
Browsing and reading others' posts is a great way to learn your way around. Welcome, and have a good time!
Welcome - hope you have fun. I've been a member for a long time, but I must admit I have more fun w. Raven's Tavern (chat room kind of thing) and some of the word games. And reviewing is fun thing as well. Entering the contests - also - give it a go. It's the dang WRITING that is sometimes so difficult to get started - isn't it? Good to have you aboard.
Hey there Vanhunks- the writing bug does catch up with most people . Welcoe to WF-hope you have a great time here.
Thanks so much for the warm welcome. I am browsing, reading really, really good posts on improving skills. I'll be poking around the short stories and poetry and reviewing soon, don't worry! Take care vanhunks
hi vanhunks! welcome to the board! congrats on the decision to start your own special brand of creativity! i hope you enjoy your stay here!
