Ruth R.

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!