Writing.com

In the interest of full disclosure: I am a moderator at WDC. As such, I do not get paid in any way for volunteering on the site. Nor do I expect any compensation for this review.

I joined this wonderful site in 2002, and things are constantly improving there. Is it perfect? No. What website is? But one of the best things about this site is that members have a lot of control over its content. Members are free to post writing on any topic at all in their portfolios without any censorship, so all readers can find something that might interest them, whether it be erotica or poetry. Site staff is available to answer any support questions that arise. When you speak to the Storymaster, you are speaking to the man who founded, runs, and maintains Writing.com. On what other writing site do you get one-on-one help from its founder?

Another strength of this site is that it is for everyone, in all phases of their writing careers. There are novice members writing alongside published authors and even publishers themselves. The community is one of sharing and growing.

Although the site may seem overwhelming for new members, I encourage everyone to give it a try for a few months before deciding whether or not the site is for you. There are always other members willing to show newbies the way around. Most of the extremely negative comments I have seen here are from members who clearly never took the time to experience what the site has to offer. As I said, a site such as this one can be strengthened or weakened by the attitude of its members.

I've been a member for almost 4 years, and my experience has been exceptional to say the least. But rather than extol how great it is (that's my opinion, you should look at the site and develop your own), I want to tell you about a negative experience I had once, and how it was handled. I entered a contest, and didn't win, simple as that. The winning entry did not conform to the format required for the poem, and I complained in a variety of ways. I let the judge know how I felt, I went into their chat and complained, and told a few friends about it. My account wasn't deleted for this action (as one earlier review of the site said happened to them), I never received any e-mails warning me not to be a malcontent, nothing ever happened to me. Oh wait, a couple of people (senior members of the site) chatted with me about it, and admitted that I was right in my assessment of the winning poem, but also admitted that mistakes do happen. This event happened after being on the site a mere two months, so it wasn't like I was senior and was 'treated better because of my status'. No, I was a newbie trying to learn, and trying to see what this site had to offer. So I entered other contests. I've won many, and I've not won some. What I have found, is you get what out of the site what you put into it. I've also improved my writing tremendously. I've joined other writing websites, but none give you the access, feedback, camaraderie that you get on Writing.com (or WDC as it's called by members). Like anything else in life, you get what you put into it.

I am a long time member of WDC, although I haven't always been as active there as I am now.

As a community, WDC has offered new friends and incredible support, both in my writing and in my personal life. People have been incredibly kind to me, and it has been nice to have other writers to talk to about writing.

As a writing website, reviews from other writers have helped me to hone my skills, and boost my confidence. Contests have helped me to get out of my comfort zone, and to practice skills I hadn't previously worked on. Reading and reviewing the work of others has allowed me to help other writers, and to look at my own work more critically. It is also nice to see such a variety of writing skill level, ranging from youngsters and beginners to highly educated folks and professionals.

In the past, I used their free account option, which I initially found met my needs. I didn't have any complaints. Once I upgraded to a paid account, I found that all of the extra features were worth my money, and I felt good about supporting a place that has been so good to me over the years.

I've been a member for almost 16.5 years... to say this site has been a big influence on my work and a part of my life is truly an understatement.

If you are willing to share your work with other and improve the quality of your writing, there simply is no other community of writers on the internet worth spending your time on. And if you're willing to be a part of our community, chances are you will be embraced and find a place for your creativity.

There are plenty of groups, forums, activities, and contests... all offering the opportunity to expand your readership, get your work "out there", and meet new friends along the way. Some of my best friends are people I've come to know throughout the years, and I wouldn't trade their help, guidance, or companionship for anything. By far, there is no other place on the internet... where the comments section of any given website is reduced to mouthbreathers and knuckledraggers hurling derogatory all-caps epitaphs at each other over nothing to do with the topic at hand, WDC's members are peaceful, supportive, and genuinely decent human beings who want nothing more than to see your success.

I'm glad I made the decision back in 2001 to Google something about "putting my poems on the internet", and becoming a member. I know this may sound hyperbolic, but I believe it really has changed my life... if you're reading this review and want to know more, come find me (my username is Fivesixer) at WDC and I'll help you with anything else you'd like to know.

I joined Writing.Com (WdC) in November of 2002 and haven't regretted my decision even once during these 18 years. I was like so many others who were born in the 1940's, I grew up during the time that TV was growing in popularity and was vigorously seeking writers for the weekly programs, while both radio and the book publishing industry were very profitable for those lucky enough to break into the business. Well, my dreams of being a popular novelist never really materialized, but I never lost the desire to become a writer. I largely taught myself to study the output of those who attained success and I pushed through the million words that I had to wrote before I could even begin to call myself a writer. I wasn't very successful then and wrote short stories and a novel... because I had to. After all those years, I found Writing.Com and joined their website. WdC is a friendly place where you can find a niche among writers of the same skill-level as yourself and meet others who have been working hard on their skills and are reaping some rewards for it. And that's what WdC is really all about; writers helping writers! Old writers helping New writers; after writing a poem or story or novel, you can get it read and critiqued, giving you the opinions of others as a guide for improvement. WdC had many groups to join, such as Superpower Reviewers Group, contests like Weird Tales Contest or SCREAMS, a daily contest in the Horror genre, or you can enroll in writing classes and learn (or re-learn) how to write! If you have, or ever had, that overpowering, restless drive to write, I strongly believe that yshoujoin Writing.Com, where you will find an atmosphere of encouragement. You can join with a Free Membership or choose from four paid memberships, Check out WdC and, though I'm not a betting man, I think it's in your Destiny to become the newest member in this unique website of friendly and creative people. When you join, make sure that you tell them that storyteller [retired] sent you!

A popular, diverse, well run site to consider if you are up for trying your hand at authoring as a new hobby. It's been going successfully for twenty years, and appeals to many people.
It has a friendly set of contributors, many of whom appear to want to help others, if they can. But, and it's a big but. Many who have been on the site over one or two decades appear not to have learnt the skills to help novice authors. The standard of grammar, punctuation and awareness of pacing is lacking in a lot of the contributors and reviewers. Sad to say, most works offered for reviews seem amateurish. You would expect this from the first efforts of new writers, but it also seems a common fault among the many established members.
The weekly/monthly competitions are fair and well conducted. The organizers run them voluntarily and seem to have other members' best interests at heart.
People who have been on the site many years judge the official contests. I have read accusations of judges fixing the competitions and giving the prizes to their friends. Of what I discovered in my time there, it couldn't be further from the truth. I think it more accurate to say, not all, but many of these adjudicators have written little of any note in a long time, which can lead to some strange results. They seem to have more of an interest in socializing than penning.
The standard of fellow authors' reviewing is often poor in its context. Most reviews are for short stories/poems of somewhere between 50 and 700 words. Larger pieces of work get little attention.
A great number of reviewers write short meaningless critiques as they hoover up gift points towards free membership. None of the staff seem to notice, or show an interest in stopping it.
During the time I surveyed the site, I saw people arrive, and throw themselves into what I presume was the original spirit of writing.com. Some must have spent a long time working on comprehensive reviews of others' works. But after seeing what others call a review, they eventually lose heart and decamp for fresh fields to pursue their aspirations.
In conclusion, I would say. If you are feeling your way into writing, or if you are interested in hobby writing within a sheltered environment, you couldn't find a more diverse and welcoming place from which to start.

When I first began writing, I admit to some anxiety about posting my work anywhere. I wanted some feedback, but didn't know where to go. I found Writing.com on the web, read their Get Started page, and began to explore. Basic Membership is Free, so I could look around without cost, and see what other writers were up to. I found a group of fellow Fantasy/Romance writers, and asked to join their section of the site. They welcomed me with much enthusiasm and provided me with a Writing Mentor until I felt more comfortable navigating my way around. To this day, I'm still friends with my Mentor, and am thankful for her friendship and patience. I learned many new things in the writing group over time. One member mentioned the overall change in my skill level surprised her, like night and day. I'm grateful to say I've been able to give back to other new writers by teaching them the writing and reviewing techniques I've learned as well.

That was twelve years ago, and I still consider Writing.com my Go-To place for all things writing-related. The Community consists of people with varied skill-sets, from beginner to published Authors. There are helpful articles in the Writing 101 section, interactive stories and reviewing clubs, Angels for encouraging people, and an email and greeting card system. There are so many good things about this site. If a person seeks out the different Help articles, Review sub-communities, and Interactive Stories, there are boundless ways to gain information and improve the quality of what they choose to write about. They can make a few friends along the journey as well. Im happy to say I did.

With the help of the Writing.com Community, Ive had one published short story, and am inspired to finish several other projects Im working on. Ive had some ups and downs with my work, as any writer can tell you, but Ive also had the support of a community of like-minded people who encourage me to keep going. Their motto is Keep On Writing, and Im forever grateful.

If youre looking for a good writing site to get some encouraging feedback on your work, I recommend Writing.com. Ive never felt this comfortable and inspired at any other writing site on the web. Theres something here for everyone.