Hi there!

I feel like it's my first day at comprehensive school all over again, having arrived a week later than all the other children because my parents had taken me to France on holiday!

I've got that "completely out of my depth" feeling about all this and I feel very vulnerable and pathetic! Just like that day, it's as if everybody is looking at me, and they all know I'm completely out of my league.

However, I think once I've had a little chat with myself, I may get to like it. The problem is where to begin?

Any advice, and does anybody else feel the same way?

SJ

Hi SJ,

Welcome to WW! I know the feeling, hard to believe you are part of a community of writers when I still can't call the "thing" that I am writing at the moment my book.

But the site is great, lots of advice, a good starting point is to join one of the groups e.g. fantasy, memoirs etc and take it from there, but more importantly do not be afraid to ask questions! (I mightn't be able to answer many because I am more of a self-confessed lurker myself and mainly because there are ppl here who have been doing this for ages and I still feel like a newbie! But believe me when I say there is a lot of help on the site, all you need to do is do a quick search or ask!

Cheers,

Steph

Thank you Steph, you're my first friend!

I've just read somebody's remark that it's a good idea to comment on somebody else's work, and then generate some feedback from that. So I've taken the old plunge, and had a go.

It's funny you saying about the inability to admit you've written a book. At the beginning, I was very full of myself and quite cocky about writing. Now it's 4 years on, and the 2 people who have read it have almost died with boredom, I'm afraid to admit that it can only be described as ramblings and not a book at all!

I even tried writing another one, then another, but all I seem to achieve is a lot of nonsense that I quite like to read myself, but then I think that's because it's my imagination and I understand what I mean!

You know that feeling when you have a conversation with somebody and you try to put your point across but they don't get it ... well, I think that’s my way of writing!


SJ

Hello and welcome.
Don't feel shy. If you've been writing for four years you're no newbie.
HB x

Hello, SJ, and welcome to WW

It’s worth bearing in mind that, for most writers, their ‘first’ published novel is often the third or fourth or fifth that they’ve written. Writing takes practice, and there’s no substitute for that.

Have a good nose around the site, and don’t be afraid to shout up if you need anything.

Dee

Hi SJ, and welcome to WW

Yes, don't feel daunted, or if you do, shout (yes, I know it doesn't come easily if you're daunted, but when did writers do things the easy way?) The Site Hosts Dee and Naomi are particularly good at guiding new people round and helping them find what they want from the site.

I think we've all gone through the phase of not telling anyone, then bravely 'coming out' as a writer, and finding that no one gets it, and that even if they do to the extent of reading your stuff, they really don't seem to get it much better. Which is when you need WW and its ilk - we know just what you mean!

If you're looking for feedback on your work, the best way to get it consistenly is to join a group. Even if you're not primarily here for that, you might consider posting something of yours in the general archive, just so that people looking at your profile can get an idea of what sort of thing you write.

Enjoy!

Emma

Thank you for your kind welcome. I really appreciate it.

It took about 6 months to write my first attempt at a book, I then took some advice from a "how to" and put it away in a drawer for a break and moved onto book #2.

I then went back and read it through, and found it was full of inconsistencies, spelling mistakes and quite a lot of nonsense! It's now taken me 3 more years to go through it, but I know it still isn't quite right.

So although I have kept writing, and I've completed another 2 pieces, I've lost confidence in my ability. There's a feeling that I've spent 4 years writing mindless tutt!

Thank you Dee.

I very much appreciate your welcome, and I'm honoured to be part of something that is encouraging people with such talent.

I think what it may just confirm is that I need to put in a lot more work, or even pack it in and keep my writing to myself! However, I'm happy to make a fool out of myself and have a go.

Hi, SJ and welcome to WriteWords.


- NaomiM

So although I have kept writing, and I've completed another 2 pieces, I've lost confidence in my ability. There's a feeling that I've spent 4 years writing mindless tutt!

Not a bit of it - nothing you write is ever pointless or a waste of time. That was stuff you needed to write to get to the point you've reached now. Think of it as process writing: we all do it, some by re-writing and re-thinking the shitty first draft, some by giving up, if temporarily, and moving on to other projects. It's a very rare writer who gets the first novel they ever wrote published.

Emma

Hi Sj,

I felt exactly the same re: daunted when I joined in 2005. Joining a couple of groups helped a lot. Good luck!

I sound like I'm welcoming you to a cult.

Emily

Thank you Emily.

You're part of the furniture then! I think I have to be a full member to join a group, but I'm looking forward to doing that soon as I'm sure it will be useful. I also need to have the courage to put my own work up for critique (SHAKING)!!

SJ

You can join one group while you're on the trial period, and you can post one piece of work. Bear in mind that, until you're a full member, you won't be able to edit it, but you can ask for and respond to feedback. It's always nervewracking to post work for the first time, but don't be scared - we're usually kind

Dee

I've done it ! I just posted some of my work.

I'm not sure if it's on here OK, but I think it's somewhere floating around the WriteWords community somewhere.

Thank you for your support. Here's to lots of hard work!

SJx

hello
it was reading your 'somewhat daunted' posting that promted me to join too. i have been skirting about the edges of ths site for ages too chicken to make the commitment so thanks for pushing me in :D