Writing Forums

This site needs to be banned! For all the toxic obstacles it has installed on its users by 6 male misogynist $#*!s! Moderators. Who pick to pieces your statements. What a bunch of bastards doing this control certificate coerced violences. Police should investigate them.

Regards billionaire JJ.

I've been using this website for just over a month but I won't anymore. It seems like a very critical place, and not in the constructive criticism way. I personally have only posted a few messages in forums and haven't been picked on, but reading around, you are likely to get shot down if you do anything they consider wrong.

I've read teenage writers posting for the first time and getting the Simon Cowell treatment from other users, including mods. And this isn't for their writing, but for questions they ask in forums. I know newbies are annoying when they make errors, but I think human beings should still treat each other with respect.

Because I decided I wouldn't be using the site anymore, I went to delete my account, only to find that you can't. I also can't delete the three posts I've posted in forums. I would not recommend this site, I wish I had never joined.

I thought I'd give a current dated review as at Feb'19.

With reviewing WF.org you need to put somethings into context or balance. The first and foremost thing to bear in mind it's a FREE community and discussion board. The Moderators are volunteers and suspect the administers also give their free time.

This opening statement is important to understand as this media area now in general attracts more professional organizations like Wattpad. WF dose not try to sell anything, not even an Amazon list. Just a small generic adds and the donations are its only sources of income.

General Overview...
The WF site is usually recommended in any top10 list of forums to visit. The Site is messy though, but plans are underway for a revamp. Newbies will find it difficult at first with NO tutorials or How to... sections. The New Members Guide is a sitemap only and not a guide.

The Forum Rules...
Unfortunately, this needs to be mentioned early on. A Newbie maybe crushed at the wall of words displayed. The RULES actually are a common structure with many of its peers. The fine print needs reading, for instance to get your work Critiqued in a workshop you need first to be a member for 14days... then have made 20 posts anywhere on the site. Finally, two constructive critiques to others work within the workshop...

This is fair, but confusing. There is a Support post area to ask questions which helps. However, using the Contact Us link fails to gain any replies in my experience.

Critique Responses...
The poor reviews here focus on RUDE critiques. Seriously, they're missing the point of critiquing. If you want someone to give you encouragement and empathy or be a friend, by a dog or join Wattpad. You need fresh eyes looking at your work. If you can't handle criticism don't post your work.

The Monthly contests are a brilliant proving and highly recommended. The Research section also for thought ideas as well.

The Community...
Like all forum community places, you get the $#*!. On the whole though they are very experienced and usually offer solid realistic advice. I find getting work critiqued properly in the Workshop is a hit and miss affair, but I've had some brilliant analysis feedback.

Most action revolves around the forum "Creative Writing" subsection threads answering questions to ideas rather than story critiquing.

In Closing...
I've run into some real problem issues with this site so be careful. The Site Support and Admin staff are very poor in communicating to questions. This even though they are clearly online posting and using the site. This goes back to my opening point regarding reviewing the site as a whole in context.

A Paid for, or sales centric site would have a different ethic and standard. At the same time, they lose that critique edge that WF carries...

My view, use it but don't be totally reliant on it. Its part of your tool kick...

Regards

Norfolk

This is a small core of self-published writers whose books aren't doing too well on Amazon and need an ego boost. Around half of their new members appear briefly to make a sock puppet-y remark, and in their vanity they think their writing skills let them hide it. The other half doesn't stick around long. It's the blind leading the blind.

The main admin, though, makes the rules up as he goes along and it's always in the old members' favour. It isn't a busy site, and he eventually turns up on every thread to stop the old members from having their feelings hurt, or from looking unhelpful/bullying/whatever. He openly piles in with them to hijack new members' threads or bully people. The site's rules apply to you not to them.

It's a community of authors in all genres. Ok, a word to the wise, if you're after someone to rave about your work, then you're in for a rude shock; most members are willing to share their experience and thoughts about other people's work but they don't pull their punches. The idea is to get you thinking critically about writing.

My first submission was met with a particularly brutally honest and comprehensive review. After leaving it for a couple of days so I could calm down, I went back and re-read the critique. It was actually brilliantly insightful and helped me grow rapidly as an author.

Reading other people's works also helps to hone in on the things that work and, often, those things that don't.

I see a few negative reviews here complaining that people were rude. If I put up a work for critique, I would rather get back an honest review than someone trying to mollycoddle me and tell me that my work is the best thing ever, when clearly it's not.

If you're willing to take part in reviews and the competitions and aren't afraid of getting brutally honest critiques, then this is the forum for you! You'll quickly grow as an author in both skills and experience.

Was posting to this site and found the community very cliquely. There was one poster (maybe an Admin) or certainly one that had been on the site since the Stone Age, commented on every SINGLE post negatively. Rest of them were too high and mighty. There are better sites out there. I closed my account.

Realistically, authors would be better taking their manuscripts to just about anywhere else. The mods are unprofessional childish and don't think twice about bullying people off the site.

This is a site run by children. Or at least adults doing their best impression of children. They are angry toddlers complaining if someone enters their sandpit.

A pretty decent writing community that seems to be growing. A lot of young writers seem to be there. The have a pretty active writing workshop section, which is great for people like me.

The first thing you need to know is that they don't really want you there. It takes a while to discover it but it is very cliquish. The old members really only want to talk to each other so one wonders why they even have a public forum. I suspect the moderators have multiple identities so they can stir up trouble anonymously in threads. Then when you report wrong doing you get blamed and the perpretators go free. But there shouldn't be this sort of hostile environment in the first place. I just wanted a place to meet fellow writers. It's full of novice writers that really don't know what they are talking about so the advice is really suspect. So if you are looking for a relaxed atmosphere to make friends this place is not for you.

Ah this forum is okay. If you want to learn nothing. I have been on for a long while but by the first month really haven't paid it any attention...

As another commenter said, a number of the people are RUDE. They seem to have no patience for newbies or inexperienced people which such forums are designed for, to help individuals that are less experienced. If not it should be a closed forum...

Another aspect is many of them really don't know what they are talking about. Or they bully you into conforming into their ideas of what is right and what is wrong. Essentially someone with a large amount of posts will comment negatively on your post and due to the bandwagon aspect they will all say the same thing. Not an individual thought among them. Shame is regarding these ringleaders / bullies obviously their mothers never taught them it is the QUALITY not the QUANTITY of one's responses that count... I mean it is quite amusing as a poet who has submitted and won at various poetry competitions, not just merely self-published as 95% of the people are on these forums, to be told by people who do okay [if one likes what is mostly disjointed ramblings] poetry that my poetry is "wrong"...

Don't get me started on the writing. I joined because I've been lagging on my writing for years, thinking maybe joining a forum would be a kick in the behind to start again. Well the writing. Some is good. Most of it though is the bandwagon aspect again. Those with large post count get reviewed, oftentimes favorably, while newbies & less seen members are either widely ignored or get more negative reviews...

Really when you get down to it, the forum is just talentless people trying to boost their confidence into believe they have talent.

The people running the website are very rude. They will not answer the messages you send them. I think they are more preoccupied with selling adspace then helping the writing community.

I'm a writer. I know, that's so hard to visualize. I go to two writing groups every week. I discuss my writing and other people's writing and we help each other improve.

Therefore I believed that joining forums that have mainly writers would be a great idea. I've written a review of another writer forum before and just like that one WritingForums.org is not a terrible place if you're looking for advice or help on writing. It is a terrible place if you're looking for personalities or acceptance for you different point of view.

Reminds me of this: Amis's Advice - Go ahead and be different--if you think you can stand the beating you'll get.

I can stand the beating. The problem is that other people cannot stand the beating, even if they're in the majority. This is why I rated the website low. Writers should have thick skin. They should be able to take beatings for what they believe, especially when the beatings are words. It's like someone who is in marital arts whining about being touched. If you can't formulate words to defend your ideas, then what kind of writer are you... really?

WritingForums.org is only good for writing advice. It is not good if you think any differently than them. The mods cannot handle it. The owner does not stand for it. They also will blame you for other people's reactions. Apparently writers are not in charge of their own emotions.

Pathetic.