I'm sorry, I'm sure this isn't the right forum to ask this question, but I looked and couldn't find anything that seemed more suitable. I quite approve of the 50 post minimum limit before you can start in on the more serious and involved aspects of writing and I would like nothing more than to contribute good thoughts, ideas, opinions, or expertise to some of the threads here on my way to that goal. However, upon actually looking through the forums and reading some of the threads, I've realized that I have nothing to offer. I'm obviously not good at writing, so I can't offer advice on that, or any aspect of it like research or grammar. I don't know anything about the writing industry, either. As for real-world knowledge, all I know about history and the world (my only real subject of any knowledge at all) I learned through Youtube videos and a few scattered books of not much note. And my professional expertise is in clerical busywork and some fading memories of delivering mail and packages. So...what's left? What do you do when you realize that there are so many great places to speak up but you have nothing worth saying?
Nothing to Say (Or, Know-Nothing Know-It-All)
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Crit your heart out in SYW. Critters crit as readers, not writers. Say what works and what doesn't, what raises questions for you, and what really works in the piece.
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Are/were you a fellow mail-clerk?
Welcome, brother! And, if not, welcome anyhow!
You don't know what you have to contribute until someone asks the questions you have the answers to.
I'm not even a writer, I'm just fascinated by books and how they are made, and everyone's been polite to me, and my feeble attempts to contribute.
You've been reading since you were young, so you've got some idea of what you like, and what stories should look like. McCardey is right, informed readers are always useful.
You know about fantasy and science fiction, so you have a sense of what you're looking for.
And, history, video games and RPGs widen your background in lots of ways.
Remember, if you can't teach, you can always learn.
I knew nothing about publishing before I came here, and now I know that if I had a book, and if I got an offer from a publisher, I should make sure the contract has a rights-reversion clause.
And many other exciting things.This place is full of stuff, and there's no rule that says if you don't contribute, you're out.
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This - I cannot stress enough how much critting other people's writing has helped improve my own. When I was starting out it was difficult of course, so keep it simple and say what does work and does not work (and why if you can say) but keep it constructive. Read the crits from other people on the same piece and learn from those too.
Also, there are threads on what you are reading/watching etc and general chit chat you can join in on.
If you're a reader - and I'm guessing you must be - then you'll have plenty to say and offer, even if you don't realise it yet. One of my most valuable critters is someone who doesn't write at all (or have any desire to) but reads a lot and has thoughts on all kinds of genres and stories based on that. So don't worry - and feel free to ask questions, get involved, everyone here is always very happy to help.
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This is more off-topic to writing, but you can also welcome new members and respond to people here (pwd = serenity) if you're of a sympathetic bent. I don't recommend doing either as a race to 50, but something I did/do is hang out on the "New Posts" tab and jump in if someone posted to one of those forums and no one had responded yet. You'll get there, I promise.
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You write your opinion, and put a little disclaimer at the top saying "This isn't my area of expertise but...."
I often do that, so people know to take what I say with a grain of salt AND they get something that can be invaluable... feedback from a lay-person.
E.g. Let's say someone posts an excerpt about a medical procedure. A doctor may read the excerpt and think, "that's accurate, clear, and utterly perfect!" Someone with no medical training, on the other hand, may just think, "huh?" If the excerpt is meant for an audience with no medical training, knowing where someone went "huh?" is important.
Even if I totally misunderstand a piece, that's helpful to the author. They need to know that what they're trying to say isn't getting across to the reader so they can adjust accordingly.
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And don't forget goofing off over at Office Party. It can be a good way to break the ice and feel like you know a few folks. Also, play a few of the games. : )
This sounds like really great advice for the OP – and as a new person here myself, I should add that AW advice "isn't my area of expertise".
I'm still new to writing fiction – but I've already had loads of fun diving in with a few critiques.
You don't need to be a professional writer to know whether a piece of writing that you're reading is working for you. And you don't need decades of experience to be able to say "Here. This is the part that makes things weird. What if you tried it this way? ... "
If you critique anything here, you'll be just one of many voices and opinions. So if you're worried that you might make a suggestion that ruins someone else's writing, don't be. There'll always be other people pitching in to take an opposite view to the one you're proposing in your crit.
I agree with this! This is what I've tried to do while I've been hesitantly starting out on offering crits. That way, it's offering an opinion but if the writer strongly disagrees, they know there's a high chance I might be saying something totally misguided.
Are you a reader? If so, you can critique others. You can certainly tell them if you like what they have written so far and you can tell them if you didn't. You don't have to correct them, just be honest with your thoughts about what they wrote.