Hello All, I'm new to this site, and it looks like a great place! A little about myself, I am an elementary teacher, and I am not and never have been a writer, up until about 3 months ago when I decided I wanted to write a novel. I had an amazing idea and felt that I needed to pursue it further, so I started on January 11, 2009, and worked every night after my children went to sleep, and ended on April 4th with 500 plus pages and over 130,000 words-I have a novel. It's been a whirlwind, and I can't believe that it took less than 3 months to finish! It's a bit lengthy for a YA book, but with lots of editing and rewriting, I am hoping I can shed some excess paragraphs. I just started the editing phase yesterday. I'm printing 2 chapters at a time, it's easier for me to edit on paper than on a computer screen, and already there seems to be more red ink than black! Oh well! I hope I can share my writing with you all, I would love some feedback before I start querying agents. Thanks!
Hi and welcome to the site. There's definitely a section for novel excerpts where you can get critiques. However, before you do that, make sure that you critique at least two other members' works (as in-depth as you possibly can) that way cog won't get you. (I'm sure his post will show up any time now ) ~Lynn
hey Rylo, I'm sure you'll get plenty of help for your novel. Welcome to WF, and hope to see you around..
Hello Rylotajo, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Posting material you plan to publish can jeopardize your chances of securing a publishing contract. It;s wiser to post practice pieces instead to develop your writing style and self-editing skills. In any case, posting your own work should not be among the very first things you do here anyway. 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!
My mom is an elementry school teacher, I am surprised you had anytime at all. Congrats on finishing so fast. I am working on one now and still yet to complete. My mom is the one helping me with some of the grammer, I suck with it. I wouldn't post excerts of your book, not if you plan on publishing it. Just in case. I want to say welcome and hope to see you around and read some type of work from you.
Thanks! You know, it just comes down to finding the time. Like I said, I did all my writing at night after my kids went to bed, and then on Fridays and Saturdays I would usually stay up until 3am, and then my husband would get up with the kids and let me sleep in. He wasn't exactly the most supportive at the beginning, but after he read my first chapter he was fully on board. So, you just have to write when you can I guess, everyone is different. Good luck with your book, I'm editing mine now and my first chapters suck so there is more red ink than black, but I'll get there eventually. I live for Friday and Saturday nights, so I'll be up late tonight!
