My name is Amnil and i'm a pseudo-writer. I've written hundreds of ideas down for my various WIPs, but have yet to complete anything larger than a 5000 word short. Lately I've been wondering how to sharpen my pen...so to speak. I took a few serious writing classes in my college career which really broadened my scope as to what kind of things I should be doing to improve. Joining a forum with the intention to look at other completed works and analyze, study, and hopefully give a few pointers. I don't consider myself a bad writer but at the same time don't expect to see me posting up my own stories. Maybe in a few weeks or months depending on if I'm still here. Regardless of all that, I like reading Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror and Mystery are also great reads. Not much of a romance fan, though I see the merit. Enough of this babble, i'll see you all around the forum.
Hello Amnil, 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 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!
Hope you do end up posting your stories, it really is a great way to improve. This community is extremely friendly! Welcome to the forums, Amnil. - Andy
Cogito, I'm thinking about getting my story published after I finish writing it, and I posted my prologue of that story on here. Will that greatly diminish my chances of getting it published?
Hi, Amnil. I know just what you mean about not wanting to post your own stuff here. I'm in the same boat.
You should not post more than a small portion of any piece of writing you intend to get published. The greater the proportion of the writing you post (total, across all of te Internet), the greater the likelihood of jeopardizing your chances.
Precisely my reasoning as to why I don't post much of my work online. Don't get me wrong; I've got quite a few random shorts that I wouldn't mind getting a critique for, but that's not my goal right now. Thanks to everyone for the warm reception, I'll be sure to post a few stories when the time is right. For now, i'll focus more on reading.
