Hi y'all, I'm a member of another writing site with a very similar name. I've decided to sign up here after reading the thread about adding "Bring it on" to one's signature to show that all critiques, good and bad, are welcomed. There's only one thing that bothers me about this site, and that's the frequency with which I've noticed a Google ad at the top of the site, pointing to various flavours of the Literary Agency and Children's Literary Agency. These are scams. I know that for a surety because I parted with $40 before realising my mistake. I know it's just a Google ad, but it pains me to think that others may suffer the same fate, and maybe fare worse than I did in my naivety.
Hello Bring It, Welcome to the Writing Forums. The ad stream is provided by google, and the site admin has only very limited control over the individual ads displayed. In no way should the appearance of any particular ad be construed as endorsement of the product by the site or its staff. 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!
