I have only been a reader thus far. I do someday hope to write a COG, I have an idea for a story that’s been on my mind for a few years now. Right now I simply can’t take the plunge (real life, it sucks) but one day, I will.
I joined the forum only earlier this year even though I’ve been a fan of the games since around 2013. I knew this forum existed, but because of my general bad experiences with internet forums (pointless arguments, name-calling, trolls and general childish behaviour) I kept putting it off. I finally signed up one day in a mere whim, thinking ‘Hey, this seems to be a community of mostly authors and readers, I might even fit in’, and I’m thankful I did.
This forum taught me to never assume the worst of people, that it is indeed possible that a stranger who’s oceans apart from you really does care about your well-being, and how to provide encouragement, support and constructive criticism. This is now the only internet forum that I’m a part of, and I love spending time here. There’s rarely any hate, judgement, and discrimination (even if people sometimes don’t see eye to eye, most are mature enough to keep the discussions civilised). At the end of the day, it’s just a nice community of like-minded people with similar passions that support and really care about each other and their works.
Don’t be nervous or afraid to speak up. This is one of those places where you can truthfully express your own opinions and expect no one to jump at you with immature insults, rather, there will be a lot of people who’d respect what you have to say and your personal experiences and then come forth with their own opinions and perspectives in a civil way. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help, regarding everything from your own works to problems navigating the site, the mods and most of the members here are extremely respectful and do try to help in all the ways they can. Be respectful to the authors and their works, even if it’s a story you did not like, they very likely worked on it for a long time pouring their heart out into it. Learn to give criticism in a way that helps and motivate others, not in a way that belittles or humiliates them.