Writing.com

I've been a happy member of WDC for years. The site has become a big part of my life. I enjoyed writing stories and I actually learned to write many forms of poetry. My writing has come a long way since I first joined, but this site offers so much more.
I found that WDC is a fun community. There's always someone around on one of the many forums, to answer any questions or simply to chat. Forget books and magazines -- There are so many amazing things to read here. In addition, there are fun 'game-like' things to have fun with... Crossword puzzles... word searches... mad libs, and more.

I've been a member of Writing Dot Com now for nearly a decade. My experience has been helpful, entertaining, and ultimately inspires me to keep reading and writing. I've entered contests, won a couple, been published in newsletters, offered many reviews to assist other writers, and had a blast all along. I strongly recommend this site to any aspiring writer, and even to people who are just looking for things to read and/or review!

Whether you simply read, or write for the site, there are plenty of hidden gems and activities to make a paid membership worth it. Not ALL stories are great... or even good, readers have to admit that, and it does take a while to find them, but it is very interesting to see some of these authors grow. Unfortunately, there is little external incentive for the authors to take the criticism and actually change their story. The connections and networking are a bonus- as it is quite difficult to find people who enjoy talking about writing outside in the real world.

All writing sites have good and not-so-good points. Any level of writer can benefit from the site by just using those things that are helpful like getting others to read and offer comments as you polish your work. There's places for all genres and collaboration, and you can have a blog (at a Upgraded membership level). For those not interested in a social scene, you can skip that part of it and still progress your writing. It may not be perfect for everyone, but any writer can find it useful.

The site itself is good. It's members that make a writing site uncomfortable. Problems on web sites such as this arise when people join for reasons other than being serious about their writing and improving it. If they cannot take criticism, perhaps they should avoid these sites. I notice that some writers join only to rant or vent, which I believe are inappropriate reasons to join a creative writing site. These types of 'writers' perhaps could join psychology self-help sites or face book. There must be many other sites for people who don't 'get' that writing sites are for creative writing. I find the managers of the site responsible and helpful.

At first they spread out the welcome mat so fast it makes your head spin. But you quickly learn that it is nothing but a cheap commercial scheme aimed at boosting the egos of some people with no lives and a superiority complex.

In a nut shell, if you don't pay, you forfeit your right to being considered a good writer by the oh-so-supportive community of this website.

They even lure you in and offer you an upgraded membership for a few months when you first join.

My advice, stay away from this website, unless you enjoy interacting with overly entitled, no-talent, snobs.

Also, the reason why there are so many positive reviews on here is that they actually offer rewards to the writing.com community for reviewing products, their own site included.

I've been a member for many years of this online community. I've found the flash fiction writing challenges and various clubs in the community to give me that creative spark to get my stories down. I particularly love the portfolio feature. It is designed to be read on a smartphone without having to fiddle with it. Much better font than reading from Dropbox! There has been more than one time at a convention or book signing where I'm asked to read something from my body of work on the fly. Having easy online access to my stories and poetry for live readings has been a lifesaver in these situations.

I have been a member of Writing.Com for four years. The reviews by members, of my writings, has helped me immensely. So much so, that I want to thank all persons at Writing.Com who reviewed my Bible stories. My book, "Bible Stories Told My Way," will be released by Tate Publishing in August 2014. Writing.com members made a huge difference in that accomplishment. I am working on another project which is being considered by a different publisher, which deals with controversial Biblical subjects. Writing.Com via its members has made the difference in how quickly I have learned to master this art of ours, and encourages me to continue enhancing it. Again Thank you Writing.Com authors.

I've been on this site for 10+ years. It has become my home away from home, where I can always find support and honest reviews for my writing. What I've found is that you get out of it what you put into it. Every genre has a place here. I've learned and grown as a writer and have expanded into genre's I thought would be impossible to tackle. There are plenty of contests to enter, challenging activities to take part in, and groups to help you hone your craft. Writing.com is definitely a great place for writers from every level.