Welcome to WW, Martin.

To echo some recent posters: I started reading this thread after signing up for trial membership. I only needed to read a handful of the members' responses before my mind was made up and I was upgrading to community membership.

Having read the thread in full, I remain impressed. I'm still hesitant about jumping into such an established community (let alone posting any writing, that's just terrifying) - but that's just a case of newbie nerves, and what I've seen here is extremely reassuring. Just sayin'

Just popping in to say hello to the new members - absolutely nothing to be nervous about, everyone here is very helpful and welcoming

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone - I'll endeavour to contribute where I can when I get my bearings on the website.

I am also on trial membership and seem to keep getting lost while looking.

What do you write?

Hi Kate - totally agree - it seems like a fairly big 'site'. I guess over time I'll sift my way through what is and isn't relevant to me.

I write short stories and (like many other shorties) have a novel I keep churning over in the background.

The threads which have caught my attention so far are on Getting Published and the Newcomers section.

How about you?

Hello everyone new, and welcome. We are a bit quiet but we're friendly and if you post questions i'm sure people will respond (probably most action in lounge and private members still).

Hi everyone

There are so many warm, welcoming members on this site. I've found the support and advice invaluable. I hope you get as much from WriteWords as I have.

Sharley


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It is a fairly big site but take what you want from it - the groups are great for critiquing (or Fast First Draft is a fab support group), or the forums for specific queries. Much of the general comments go on in Private Members or the Lounge - which does involve signing up as members but at £20-odd for the whole year, it is a great value site.

Yes, welcome to everyone new.
G

And from me, too!

thanks for the welcome

will do as advised and head to the members' zone.

also, hi to fellow noobs MartinEx and Kate - nice to know i'm not alone! hope to see you again, around and about on the site.

I agree - by far the most helpful writing resource I've ever come across and a good source of information/moral support.

Welcome new folks! *waves*

Thanks again everybody for the 'top' welcome and greetings to my fellow newbies.

I know this is probably messing with the protocol and bucking all the rules (so apologies in advance), but on my travels around the WriteWords forums, I discovered this brilliant thread which includes a link to a fascinating blog conversation on why we enter writing competitions and so, so much more. There's a whole load of contributions from competition judges and writers that are really, genuinely, helpful and enlightening and so.... I thought it might be helpful to anybody else new, (who hasn't got as much free time as me!) and is interested in entering writing competitions, and the process of being 'judged' or assessed, - to repost the link again here:

http://www.writewords.org.uk/forum/49_319798.asp

Hope the link works - and that I haven't upset the 'system' too much.

I think the system will survive that!