What do YOU want from the forum

[AJ Konlucko]

It is really good to see that in the past few months we have gained a few new "active" members which are helping to bring the forum back to life

We have noticed a few of the newer members have asked questions in posts and on chat about the direction and purpose of the forum, this is your chance to have your say on what YOU want from the forum and how you would like to see the forum grow in to the future.

Please post any ideas or suggestions on ways you think that we can improve this forum and make it a place you want to visit and post to often.

All feedback will be taken on board by the admin team when considering the future direction of the forum and any possible changes.

[Rath Darkblade]

Hmm... to quote from the mods forum: I'd have thought the purpose of this forum was self-evident - to encourage and help new writers with writing, to peer review each other's work, to provide help with publishing etc.

However, some posts and comments on the chat brought up the following ideas:

- Maybe more of a focus on writing challenges

- Maybe weekly tasks on various subjects

- Maybe something "real world", away from the screen?

Here are my thoughts:

1. Writing challenges. These are usually fun and short works that don't require a lot of time (at least for me). On the other hand, obviously not everyone can commit to these, which is understandable.

Basically a theme is set - e.g. exploration, Christmas, what-have-you - and whoever decides to do this task has to write (say) between 500-2,000 words on the subject. Usually a generous timeline applies. Besides that, there are no rules - simply write whatever you like best, whether it be a poem, a short story, or whatever gets your creative juices flowing!

2. Weekly tasks on various subjects. I am not so sure what this means, and I don't think I could commit to writing something weekly as I have three other fairly major works "on the boil", so to speak. But I'd like to know more about this.

3. Something "real world", away from the screen. If this means meeting up with fellow writers (maybe for coffee etc.), I'm all for it. The main questions, obviously, are location and time.

What do everyone else think, hmm?

[Kanchan]

I am actually happy for the fact that I've found fellow writers. Having someone to just talk about writing and life, knowing someone else' problem areas or progress (wrt writing) and their life situation is inspiring to me.
I agree that challenge might be a good thing for me but I don't know if I can commit to it.
But mostly I'm looking for comradeship, help and support. They are usually in the form of chats and reviews.

[AJ Konlucko]

2. Weekly tasks on various subjects.
This idea I found on a photography forum I was active on, I am not sure if it would work here. Basically we design a short 6-8 week course with weekly tasks that anybody can join in on. The idea is to push people to try writing in different ways and about subjects and areas they might not have tried in the past. We could even have certificates for those who complete it.
If we are keen to set it up I can write the overall outline and get assistance with the weekly tasks.

[Rath Darkblade]

Hmm... oh yes? I remember a writing course that I tried out a few years ago. Basically it took place in a little community college, and you were given a theme or a photo and challenged to write a short (100-200 words, or whatever) scenario in 10-15 minutes. Then the exercise would repeat itself two or three times. Is that the kind of thing you mean by "weekly tasks", PGB?

[AJ Konlucko]

Yeah that is the sort of thing. I would see it being something like this:
Week 1) Write a 500 word story on your day.
Week 2) Write a poem on the most expensive thing in your house.
Week 3) Go to a park and describe the scene in 750 words.
Week 4) Write the outline of rewriting a well know story with a different ending.
Week 5) Write a non-fiction piece on a current news story.

These are just ideas, happy to get some feedback and suggestions.

[Rath Darkblade]

Hmmm... *thinks*

Week 1) I hardly remember anything about my days, particularly at work. Everything goes by so fast, and everyone wants something or other. Besides, I'm not even sure that I'm allowed to write about my experiences at work - wouldn't that violate some confidentiality thingamabob or other?

Week 2) I'm a bibliophile, so the most expensive thing in my house are my books. I have loads of books - fat ones and thin ones, hardbacks and paperbacks, fiction ones and non-fiction ones, Agatha Christies and reference books, TV books and Latin books and libretti and history books and Oscar Wildes and folios. I can't write a poem about them! There wouldn't be room to include them all.

Week 3) I don't go to the park for inspiration these days. Too many distractions - kids playing, people playing sport, people running stalls and farmer's markets on the weekend. It's too busy there.

Week 4) That's easy. I would follow the storyline of Cinderella, except that Prince Charming would be rude, crude and vile - with halitosis into the bargain. He fits the fur slipper (not glass - the original Cinderella went to the ball in fur slippers, believe it or not) around Cinderella's foot, then looks at her, belches, and makes an "Eww" face - whereupon he retires and asks his friends for a glass of brandy. Cinderella slaps him in the face, kicks him in the nuts, and basically makes him wish he'd never been born. While the Prince's friends stand around applauding the act, she then takes his money and runs off with the gypsies - there's bound to be some sizzling gypsies around, just for good measure. The wicked stepmother turns out to have deep psychological issues, and the wicked stepsisters turn out to have been victimised and bullied at school, so they take it out on anyone they can because that's all they know.

Oh wait, I thought you said "change the ending, ruin the book".

Alternately, I'd write a short story about the early British colonisation of India, and the changes they brought with them - e.g. their never-ending thirst for tea, their habit of taking umbrellas with them in case it rains, etc. I'd call it "Sindh Umbrella". Either that, or how about... the great white whale spends the entire book sulking and whining about how he's misunderstood, and nobody loves him, and the other whales won't let him play their whale games with them, etc. I'd call it "Mopy Dick".

(Two cases of "change a word, ruin the book"!)

Week 5) Hmm... any news piece? Even one that I can make up myself? *grin*

"And in news earlier today, an embarrassing scandal continues to rock the ruling Carrot Party. Apparently, several Carrots had discreetly approached members of the Opposition Chicken Party, and incredibly discreetly cutting off pieces of the Chickens' corsets with scissors before running away.

The Carrot Party Leader, Mr Orange Carrot, refused to comment. The Chicken Party's leader, Mrs Mother Hen, had this to say: "Bwaaaak! Bwak bwak bwak bwak b-kaaaaaak!! Peck peck peck peck. Bwak bwak bwak!! BWAAAAAK!!!"

Stirring words indeed from Mother Hen. And join us after the break for more news on this emerging Chicken Corset Cutting Carrot Scandal - only on National Nursery News, a subsidiary of FOX!"

(Sorry. Having been sick for too long seems to have ratcheted my Silly-O-Meter waaaaaay up, it seems)

[AJ Konlucko]

Love your feedback Rath

These were just very quick ideas I thought of this morning as examples. If we do this "for real" we would develop them more

[Rkcapps]

I think weekly challenges excellent to improve writing but I couldn't commit as I find I need to concentrate on my novel. Even visiting here, which I find essential, is a distraction. Then again, I'm slower than most because I only type one finger!

[AJ Konlucko]

Thanks for the feedback.