While I appreciate this site is only in Beta, am I the only one who's frustrated that we can't create an author's profile or search properly or message each other? And there's no way to raise problems, questions or suggestions with Fictish, no 'Contact Us' and, in fact, no info about who/what Fictish really at all.

So, in the meanwhile, shall I start a thread?

I'm ShortAndSweet. I came upon Fictish by accident as it's not really promoted. I'm female, an early-retired Computer Specialist, an ex-carer and from England - which you may have noticed from my British spelling and my iffy American dialogue - specifically the North-East, Geordieland as we call it.

A decade ago I used to write a lot of fan fiction, so I've done my apprenticeship, but I'm strictly in this for fun only so I don't need any literary criticism just the occasional enthusiastic encouragement if you can manage it. Currently I find I have a lot of time on my hands so I thought I'd give the creative writing another try.

Please feel free to comment. Please also feel free to add your self-introduction to this thread. I don't know whether this sort of 'story' is allowed on this platform but, hey, I might get to hear from a monitor (if there are any).

Dear New Writing Friends,

I love the idea of introducing ourselves and of becoming a bonafide Writing Community!

I've had a strange year—well, strange decade... strange life? Yes, that's it. I've had a strange life, and I'm only beginning to awaken to how strange it has actually been. I've now landed myself in a bit of a conundrum, and I'm entirely unsure how to go about extracting myself from the situation.

My living arrangement has driven me to self-isolate, which causes tension at home, which begets further social isolation, and so on.

My love of words developed approximately at the time of my birth, or possibly slightly before. Writing remains my most enduring and faithful companion, sticking around as I have insulated myself from the rest of the world.

All of this is to say that a writing community would probably do me a lot of good, and I'm excited at the prospect.

Brevity has never been my strong point, but I'll try to hit the highlights before closing this out.

I'm Ivy Drip, and I live right in the center of the US. I write daily, but I write mostly poetry and non-fiction. I rarely write fiction in a traditional sense, but a lot of my poetry leans towards prose poetry and experimental forms. I also wrote a one-act play once, and it was performed at my high school! My writing lately tends to explore topics around the concept of self, its origins and malleability, and its impact on our behavior. I love to offer people new lenses through which to examine familiar subjects.

I look forward to the expansion and evolution of this platform, and I hope to get to know you all better!

Most sincerely,

Ivy Drip