Hi welcome to FW! This is an awesome site. There are so many things to explore. It can feel a bit overwhelming at times but don't hesitate to ask for help if need be. I see Shari has already answered some of your questions. She is a great wealth of knowledge.
Here at FW I have made close friends with people all over the world. I hang out in the Pacific Coast Rest Stop a lot so I have friends in those states and another oddball who lives in Maryland. I have also become close to people from Africa, Australia, England, Latvia and Thailand. I live in a super rural area in Western NY and would never had the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. I can't imagine my life without FW!
There are all ages from teens to grandparents who having writing experiences from journaling to published books. There are also all kinds of genres. My favorite is Children's stories. But you'll find sci.if, fantasy, devotions, nonfiction,romance, Biblical fiction and everything in between.
The weekly challenge is the most popular way to showcase your work. I have learned so much from feedback from people who want me to be the best writer I can be. I have also learned to write on topic while still being different from all the other entries. The deadline has really helped me write on a regular basis. You do need to be a paid member to join and if you can afford the few dollars a month it is so worth every penny. Starting this year Silver members ( nonpaying) are allowed to enter the challenge four times for free.
Another place for members who would like to have their work critiqued can go to the Critique Circle. They now offer two options. If you're a Gold or Platinum member you are given one credit to post your piece and ask for feedback. Then you have to leave feedback for others to receive more credits. If you're a nonpaying Silver member, however, you can pay a small fee to have your story critiqued in detail. This option is also available to members who don't feel comfortable or have time to critique others.
Also you can post your older stories in the general submission or free reprint page. The challenge submissions need to be new stories that fit the topic. Just remember if you post long items, it may overwhelm some and you may not get as much feedback. I've been to other writing sites that can be quite brutal but here people are super sweet. If you ask for specific feedback, you'll be more likely to get it. Some will just say something like please give me some red ink or others might say does this piece have any grammatical errors in it.
Have fun exploring the site and jump into any threads that sound interesting. I hope to see you out and about and read some of your work.
by sungal10 » Fri Feb 15, 2013 3:29 pm 
(I'd prefer blue, but I didn't get a vote 
lol)
