46 posts to go!

Welcome!

regdog's standard intro contains a lot of useful info but let me echo the advice not to rush too much to read 50 posts. You'll learn a huge amount by critting others and it gives you a bit of a profile in the community. That helps others get to know you and your approach as a writer, which can make crits more effective.

It's not about how many crits you get, it's about how well you can parse and apply the advice you're given.

Have fun! There are goodies hidden away in many of the rooms. Explore around a bit. I'll see you by the veggie table.

Welcome user!

This forums is a great community, and if they are anything like me, they sit around the SYW thread of their preferred genre, waiting for somebody to post something new. Its an unspoken rule that if you want crit, then you better at least be reading something from somebody else. Reading other peoples work, and preferably posting an opinion or crit, not only helps you get crits, and helps them get opinions, but also helps you become a better writer. So I recommend reading and responding to other peoples works, regardless of whether you have something be critted up, or not.

And if you ever feel like you just haven't got enough replies to your posts, you can always just cry in a thread or the IRC chat.

I look forward to seeing you around the forums!

positivePXL [+PXL]

you can blitz with crits....start posting, start counting....two for one.

Gringa

Welcome to AW!

Everyone is right -- you'll get much better crits if you do some thoughtful critting yourself. You might even want to wait longer than 50 posts (I promise, the 50 posts go by quickly). If people know you a bit, and think you're likely to stick around, they're more likely to be interested in reading and commenting on your work. Besides spending time in your genre forum, you might enjoy some of the social forums. I've gotten to know a lot of people through those.

Another idea, once you're ready to post work -- when I've posted something I'd like to be read and/or critiqued, I include a link to it in my signature. If I'm specifically looking for a crit, I say so. I've found that to be quite effective -- people who know me (or liked one of my posts) will often click on it, and some hang around to comment.

Agreeing with what others have said:
the best way to get people interested in critiquing your work is to become a part of the community here. Critique other people, join in conversations, make friends. Once your work is posted, you can also put a link to your piece in your sig line.

Once you do post work for critique, keep in mind that it's the critters' jobs to point out anything and everything that could possibly be a flaw. Awkward wording, grammar - anything. Pats on the back might feel good, but they do little to improve your work. On the other hand, knowing that something could be less than clear to your audience (for instance) gives you something to work with and room to improve.

In other words - critiques can feel harsh. It's good to get used to the culture of the SYW room before you post, and promise yourself beforehand that you won't respond negatively no matter what's said to you. I promise, the critiques given there are meant to help. If someone takes the time and puts out the effort to critique your work, they deserve thanks - even if you disagree with or don't actually feel very appreciative of what they said.

Once people see that you respond positively to critiques, that will help you get more hits, too. Oh, and try to keep your passage reasonably short. Shorter passages garner more critiques, in general.

Other than that - good luck! Drop me a PM if you like when your work is posted, and I'll crit you as soon as I get a chance.

Hi, Devon! It's neat your write short stories! I find that when I'm out to write a novel, I come up short in length. When I'm trying to write a short story, I end up writing too much.
Thus is the struggle of an amateur writer.