Hello Everyone!! Finally a forum I can really dig into. My name is Matt. I'm an Officer in the army currently in Mosul. This is my second deployment. I wrote a novel on my last deployment in 06', and I'm nearly finished with my second. My first novel remains unpublished...it is a rather burlesque satire, and even the synopsis is frightening. My current work is less satirical in nature and, unlike my first novel, is about the war. Yes, I am refining my voice, trying to maintain my originality, but also have mainstream palpability....yes, some of you will loathe the idea, sometimes I do to, but overall the transformation has been rewarding. It is silly to write in a vacuum, so I am joining the forum to have my new novel critiqued. I look forward to reading many of you. Peace, Satireman
Hello Matt, Welcome to the Writing Forums. 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 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 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!
