Writing.com update

Well I've been on writing.com for about a week now. I started off reviewing other people's work, short stories, articles and even a couple of poems. Most of the people whose writing I have reviewed have responded to me and been really pleased with the review. More importantly, I have really enjoyed reading them all. I reviewed a couple of articles by one writer about her home town in Massachusets, USA, and exchanged a couple of emails. She's challenged me to write an article about my home town, which I am currently working on. It also transpires her ancestors originally emigrated to the US from Buxton, England. I know the area as my wife's parents live not that far away from Buxton and the Peak District, so I'm going to go there when I can to write an article on Buxton, and maybe take a couple of photos. It's really good to think I'll have at least one reader who is really interested in the article, it'll hopefully spur me on to write it.

I've added one of my short stories, Crime Pays, onto Writing.com, and so far received three reviews, and an average rating of 4 out of 5 which I'm rather pleased with. I may put some more of my stories up, but really I want to write some new pieces to put up. I'm keen to write both short stories and articles, and I may even try a poem at some point. Since starting on writing.com a few days ago, I've had lots of ideas for articles and stories. The fact that now I've got a potential audience to read what I write is going to be a big motivator for me.

A couple of days ago, some kind person (or group of people) paid to upgrade my account to an 'Upgraded account' which has loads of extra features that the free account doesn't have. Instead of being limited to 5 items in my portfolio, I can now have upto 250 items. I can also enter contests on writing.com, of which there are many. There is one in particular which I've decided to enter, and that's a contest to write an original new take on the Christmas story. I've got an idea for that, so now I've just to get down and write it.

For any budding writers out there, I'd really recommend writing.com. It looks a complicated site at first, but you'll soon get the hang of it and I'm sure it will be well worth it. I'm only wishing there was more time in which to write.