Welcome to The Writers Bloc, the home base for theOtaku.com's beta-readers and a place for writers to come with questions and learn some new tricks and methods of storytelling, writing, or pretty much anything involving this mutt of a language we call Modern English.
Our Current Pool of Editors and Beta-Readers Includes:
If you have a story, essay, or any written work that you feel could use the assistance of a beta reader or editor, choose a beta-reader from the above list and PM them for availability.
As well, be sure to come visit every now and then to take part in writing workshops and discussions. And of course, if you have your own questions, don't be afraid to ask them here; we're neither teachers nor betters, but peers hoping to help.
The Weekly Schedule:
- Monday: SomeGuy's Workshop (SomeGuy)
- Tuesday: Rotating Guest Post (Various)
- Wednesday: The Wednesday Word (SomeGuy)
- Thursday: Beck's Workshop (NightBeck)
- Friday: Updates and Open Questions (All)
- Sunday: Becky's Writers' Block Busters (NightBeck)
So once again... welcome to The Bloc.
(Banner Design Courtesy of Red Tigress - thanks Red!)
Well! Things are certainly moving along quite well; we currently have over thirty submissions to the Halloween Writer's Jam!
I want to thank everyone who's gotten in on this event so far. It's exciting to see so many people taking an interest, and I hope this whole exercise doesn't ultimately lead to any overjustification effects in the long run. There are a lot of ways this could pan out, but I guess we shall have to wait and see.
In the meantime, although I'm seeing over thirty submissions thus far... I'm still waitin' on a whole lot of you to get your pieces in - you know who you are! And I promise, I'm chopping at my own as well (I mean, my own new one). Gotta lead by example, after all, right?
I know it's a busy time for everyone, but I hope you're all hanging in there alright.
That out of the way... as always, in case you need 'em:
- Do you have a written work you'd like a beta-reader to look over? Comment below!
- Do you have any specific writing questions you'd like to have answered? Comment below!
- Can you answer any of those questions? Comment below!
- You have a writing workshop idea and would like to do the upcoming week's Tuesday Guest Post? Comment below!
Don't be afraid of asking big questions, either. If a question would require more than just a comment answer, we can always use them as ideas for workshops over the next week.
Remember, none of us here are teachers, professors, or professionals (well... not just yet, anyway). We're all just members who love to write, hoping to help out other members and their own interests in writing.
Feature: 10/25/08 | Posted By: SomeGuy | | Personal | Tags: writers bloc, writers jam
Hey guys! I still suck at time management, but that's no reason why we can't get things done around here.
Have a submission in the works but think that it might have some issues? Not feeling confident in your characterization, plot, or grammar? Well, that's what the betas are here for. This is a post for anyone who wants another few pairs of eyes to look over their piece before the big day.
Here's how I think we can do it: if you have not yet submitted your piece as a Fan Words publication, describe it in a comment here, and if a beta feels they have expertise in that area, they can respond to your comment and volunteer. You can then work out the details via PM. That, or if you have a specific beta in mind, you can ask for them, though keep in mind that it's a busy time for everyone.
If your piece has already been published as Fan Words, that's even easier. Just post a link to the piece, and the betas can make their way over there to take a look at it.
(That said, I'm wondering if it's fair for the other judges and myself to give feedback before the competition, so I don't know if we should abstain from this exercise or not. SomeGuy? Any opinions?)
I hope that everyone is able to get some useful feedback!
Feature: 10/23/08 | Posted By: NightBeck | | Personal | Tags: halloween writer's jam, nightbeck
prescience. noun. Foreknowledge; foresight.
This is basically a fancy word to describe fortunetelling. Take the Latin for "before" and "to know" and you have prescience. Have an oracle or a 10 year old ...
Read the full post »
Feature: 10/23/08 | Posted By: SomeGuy | | Personal | Tags: wednesday word
We're getting a lot of submissions to the Halloween Writer's Jam right now! I'm really excited to see that... but, since I've been reading a lot of them, I figured this would be a good time to mention something I think could be helpful for pe...
Read the full post »
Feature: 10/20/08 | Posted By: SomeGuy | | Personal | Tags: writers bloc
Hey guys! Since there hasn't been much of a turnout for prompt responses lately (my own fault as well), I'm just going to offer a few prompt for the people who are having trouble getting started with their Halloween entries:
1. Write a horror story in which a fairy tale figures prominently.
2. Write a horror story using lore from a foreign country.
3. "And then she turned around..."
Good luck! Be sure to take part in the Writers' Bloc collaborative scary story!
Feature: 10/19/08 | Posted By: NightBeck | | Personal | Tags: nightbeck, prompts
