Hello to all! I am new to the forum and have just recently decided to start my first novel. I have always wrote (well at least since I was old enough to pick up a pencil) and I have had a 'story' floating around in my mind since I was a child. Well, here I am, sneaking up on my 36th birthday and I have done nothing about it. That is when I decided to write it down and go with it. I am a mother of four so most of my time is devoted to them. I am also a college student. Yeah can you tell I have done all of this backwards . Anyway, I wanted a place to go so that I could have people give me constructive criticism. I do not want just the simple "oh that is a great story." I need guidance and I need people who will tell me when a passage sucks or if it does not need to be changed someone will let me know that too so I will quit messing with it. The wonderful thing about a forum like this is that (hopefully) honesty will reign supreme since we all just want to write. I love to read and can finish a novel in the span of a few days. No particular genre interests me the most. Just give me interesting characters and a great plot and I am happy. I look forward to meeting everyone.
Hey welcome to the writing forum. Don't worry, honesty does reign supreme here. That is one of the best things about this forum. Enjoy!
Hello Peekaboo, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Before you can get critique, you must first give critique. This is not just a quid pro quo, it is because improving your critiquing skills is the primary focus of the Review Room workshop. 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). 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 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!
Thank you for the welcome. I will be sure and head to the review board to read (and critique) some work. I sat here for a few hours last night reading entries but not critiquing. There is talent on these boards.
