I've always been interested in writing a book revolving around a series of automotive exploits from my youth, but I am not a professional writer. I've received enough positive feedback on various automotive forums to start compiling a series of short stories. I have little formal training in the realm of writing (other than a couple of technical writing courses) so you will have to excuse my grammatical or typing errors. I will post a few of my stories when time permits. I thought this might prove to be an excellent resource for feedback and/or input. Perhaps I can improve my skills here. Feeling a little intimidated from seeing the quality of work some of the pros post on here, but what the hell. In addition to bein a car nut, I have a host of other hobbies and interests that I cannot even begin to list. If you want to know more about me, feel free to ask. I look forward to perusing this forum, and thanks for letting me join.
Hey there and welcome! My father's been in the automotive industry longer than I've been alive (35+ years). I'm looking forward to seeing some of your work. Good luck!
Hello Reason One, Welcome to the Creative Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Writing Workshop before you post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on 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. Also, be aware that posting a piece of writing on any public site, including this one, will greatly diminish your chances of selling it for publication. Removing the writing later does not alter that fact - once posted, it is irreversibly considered published. So do not post anything more than a small excerpt of any piece you are planning to submit for publication. 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 Writing Workshop, 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 Writing Workshop, 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. We also impose a two-week waiting period before you may post writing for critique, to give you time to become familiar with what is expected and how the site operates. The Writing Workshop 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 Writing Workshop 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 the RPG forum for improvisational fiction. Also try 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!
