Hi, I'm Janus. I don't know anything about poetry, but I think it will help with stress. I'm trying to find a way of channeling my depression into creativity. I lost my creative side a long time ago, but I hope to regain. Bear with me, I have a feeling this is going to be a bit of a rocky process.
Hello Janus, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Review Room 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 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!
Strong Word(s) WELCOME! IMHO- You have found the best site for your purpose Janus. I am new as wet paint here, but I did some research of this and other writing sites before I registered HERE, and on no other writing sites. Why? A lot had to do with how this site is set up to teach us newbies things by putting pressure on us to review others stories and there is a forum on almost anything related to writing of all kinds of things from poems to song lyrics, even screenplays! Also it seems this forum software is most popular online because it is open source (free I believe) and millions online already understand the functions of the board. Somebody please correct me if I am wrong about the forum software being free as I may of mistook it for another. Also, I am a very emotional man of 45. Given that I wanted to avoid the extremest writing sites that are loaded with experienced authors that really take a "no holds/tear them apart" mentality when reviewing newbies first posted samples of writing. I may be in the minority, but I honestly do not have to be told "THAT LINE SUCKED!" in order to catch their drift. Everyone is different, but I am a person that leans to the more subtle was of reviewing creative elements. I see nothing sugar coated here, writers are told what to work on and correct, AND at the same time I have found far fewer examples of what might appear to be almost a personal attack type review. It's helpful to have experts point out our mistakes. It is less helpful when reviewers have no mercy on newbie writers and do not even bother to try to say a single thing positive within a page of errors they point out to us. - Ah, I only speak for myself on this. All it takes for me is for an expert to show me the areas I need help with and I have my homework for the night. Nevertheless I have yet to post anything for review because of the need for more material to share. Once posted here any chance of a copyright can pretty much be kissed away (as I understand the law) Unfortunately some of us first found other writing sites that had members that were downright rude to most newbies, and that's not a lot of help in my opinion. Last thing: Maybe I am crazy, but in the few days I have been on this site I have seen A TON of new members sign up! At this rate I would not be surprised if this site becomes a Mega-Site within a year. I guess in a bad economy more people are considering taking up writing... just my 2 cents. Terry
I always feel better after I've written a poem... not that I do very often. But, I hope you have the same luck and more productiveness!
