Writing.com

Writing.com is definitely a place for everything. You get a place to store your writings and the opportunity to receive reviews. There are various groups that you can join to help improve your writing as well. There are college-level courses offered to help you grow. I've taken many of these classes and am currently in one now.

There are all kinds of people who participate in Writing.com. There are teachers, and publishers, and other writers just like you. We're all here to learn and grow.

In addition to learning and improving your writing, you get to know people from all over the world. I've made some really good friends on WDC.

No matter what you write, fiction, non-fiction, short stories, long stories, novels, essays, or articles, you'll find help and support within this community. There are opportunities to participate in many different contests which help us to improve our writing. You'll find some unique contests that will help you grow.

Another thing that truly helps improve our craft is writing reviews. You wouldn't think that giving someone a review would help, but it does. It's also nice to get reviews from others because it helps us to know what works and what doesn't.

Writing.com is a safe place to keep our writings as well. They offer an email account that you can use to show your writing to others. I've only used this email a couple of times but it's nice to have when submitting works to publishers.

They also offer newsletters on various subjects. I get most of them and they have great articles to help us improve our writing.

Some of the fun contests include writing a story in a day, writing with only dialogue, writing with no dialogue, writing about controversial subjects, historical fiction, comedy, and scripts. The lists go on. There are so many opportunities with Writing.com.

I truly hope that you'll join, give it a chance, and don't be too judgmental until you've really dived in and gotten to know people. I'm sure you love it. We'll be happy to get to know you!

Can't fault anything about it. You have to be here to experience how fun and rewarding it is. The staff and moderators are responsive to any query.

Joining Writing.Com this past year has truly jump-started my writing! I now write daily, enter contests, get and give reviews, receive feedback, increase confidence due to contest successes, network, and much more! As the helpful and inspiring site celebrates its impressive eighteen birthday/anniversary, I created a list of 18 of the many ways it encourages writers and has benefited me:
18) So many writing resources provided
17) Great advice from reviews
16) Opportunities to grow as a writer by reading others' work more frequently
15) Opportunities to grow as a writer by giving detailed reviews of others' work
14) Practice in brevity, which I need desperately, in flash fiction contests
13) Practice in 'showing' more than 'telling' through newsletters and contests such as "The Taboo Words Contest"
12) Connecting with other retired teachers who are also using their additional available time to pursue their writing interests
11) Newsletters (and archives) related to Short Stories
10) Newsletters (and archives) related to Mystery writing
9) WdC makes an exerted effort to reach out to "Newbies"... this has made a big difference in my first year here
8) I have been motivated to try different genres (and even got a first place in one contest after this risk-taking!)
7) Builds confidence
6) Gets otherwise isolated writers out of their vacuum
5) SO many opportunities in so many contests!
4) Newsletters (and archives) related to Poetry
3) Encourages us all to thank others, show appreciation, award and highlight great works, and to pass on that encouragement
2) WDC provides links to other resources such as Writer's Digest, outside contests, publishing, tips, and much more!
1) Inspires me, finally, to write every day!

I've been a member of WDC for 8 years. I love the place. It is my virtual home, and over the years, I have bonded with so many wonderful writers, whom I consider friends. The site is what you choose to make of it. Any members who have been on WDC for years, think of our community as one big family. Sure we have our disagreements, but in the end, we are there for one another when needed. Others are not interested in the writing, or avid readers' aspect, but most likely are there to play interactives, and complain when their free membership comes with advertising. Guess what? Nothing is "free." If you don't want ads, buy an appropriate membership for your needs. WDC is a family business, nevertheless, it IS a business. Businesses have expenses -- every business! The Story Master and Story Mistress put a lot of work into making the site very functional, and fun. Oh, and as for contests and judging? I've been on both sides of it and have won some, and lost some, I've also judged many. I do my very best to be fair, and anyone who knows me there, knows that. I have way too many friends on the site to be able to choose one over the other, to be "the winner" and I care too much for my reputation as a judge, to do that, anyway. I've awarded Newbies or Black Cases over Preferreds and or Mods, if their entries were better. Yes, I'm one of those Moderators that some reviewers, here, are trying to bash. I am a Mod because I work hard--but it's not really work, because I love what I do on WDC and the people I do it for, and I get back from it much more than I've ever put into it, thus I am an enthusiastic volunteer. Which reminds, me. I want to get back there, and be with a community I really love, instead of trying to defend it from a few sour opinions, placed here. If you really know WDC, you have taken the time to become a part of the community, and know that there are answers for any problems or complaints you may have. There is a fine support system in place, both technical and non-technical. So, if you really want to know what WDC is all about... join, give it a try, and stay for a while. Chances are you'll be bumping into me there, because I love Newbies!:-D