Writing Groups Info

Overview
 

The Groups aim to provide feedback on writing projects. You may post only snippets of your work to focus on where you're struggling, or you might want to upload entires chapters. Either way, please provide feedback on another writers post before submitting your own work for review. We should give before we take, right?

 

Your Project Page
 

If you join, I’ll need to create a project page for you. There you can create new posts and add content or links relating to your writing project. Other members of the Group will be able to comment and provide feedback. As this is a closed group, your project page won't be visible to the general public, and I’ll need to grant you access before you can see content in a Group. 

 

I'll need to know the name of your project and the genre to create your page. You can provide me with a cover photo if you want. Otherwise, I'll select one. Please to pick an image that won't obscure either black or white text when overlaid. Thanks.

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Creating new topics in your Project Page

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Please only create new threads within your project. Don't create new topic posts within another writes project. On their Project Page, simply provide feedback via replies to their posts.

You can, of course, post new topics to the General section too.

 

It might work best to label your 1st post within your project page with 1: Overview or 1: Story Outline.

In your first post, please start with the logline. Then an overview of your plot. Let us know what concerns you have with the project.

For example,  you're following the coursera screenplay writing schedule, you might like to make your second post related to Week Two in the course. You may copy and paste a scene into a post, attach a file, or just link to your writing elsewhere.

 

I already know I won't stick to a weekly schedule. I think I'll label my posts, Scene 1, Scene 2 and so on.

I might also include a Timeline post in my projects, then go back and edit it as required.

Any way you organize your posts is fine. But please try to keep it logical for better feedback.

 

Logline
 

Please include your Logline at the top of every new post you create about your work. That way, everyone will know what your story centres around even if they haven't read your earlier posts.

The Logline is a one-sentence (and one sentence only) summary of your story. It's how your story would be described in a TV guide if made into a movie. Your Logline may change as your story evolves, and that's fine!

Dramatic Question
 

The Dramatic Question is central to your story. It's the question you're trying to plant in your audience's mind to keep them engaged in your plot until the answer is revealed. It's likely implicit in the logline, but it may not be.

If you think it will be helpful to anyone providing feedback, you might like to include your Dramatic Question in each post, below your logline.

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Where do you need help?
 

Please try to let us know in each post where you're struggling. That will help you find your own solution, as much as it will enable others to provide valuable suggestions.

It's odd, but I find it helpful to write as if someone might read what I need assistance with, even if they don't read it! Simply trying to articulate my problem areas for others is beneficial to me, even if no one replies!

 

Feedback
 

Please try to write at least two feedback posts for every one you receive. Don't be vague when giving feedback. "I like it" isn't a helpful critique.

I don't mind feedback that includes alternative plot ideas, different scenarios and new characters, even if it's not entirely in line with the vision of the original work. Such feedback can help the writer see from another angle, even if ultimately dismissed.

We all have our style when giving feedback. I can be very harsh and blunt, but then I get upset when others are critical of my writing. How's that for hypocrisy!

Note to self: try to give constructive criticism without being nasty, and don't take a scathing critique personally.

When I comment on your project, I'm assisting you and improving my own writing. The better I can explain what I think works and does not work in your narrative, the better I'll become at analyzing my writing.

 

Archive
 

We don't want dormant projects in the Group, so I may move your Project Page to the Writers Archive if I notice no activity for several months. We all have to drop projects now and then for extended periods, and there is no shame in that. However I will limit access to the Groups to active members. I can always add you back in later - just send me a message when you are ready to jump in again. 
You can message me if you want your project moved back out of the Archive. If you want it deleted, I can do that. Finished projects will also be archived. But will anyone ever finish?


Members
 

Do you want to communicate directly with other group participants? You can message them in Chat. You can even create a Group Chat if you like. If you are logged-in to this site, you can find a list of all our website members here, but most won't be part of a Writing Group.
The Write a Novel and Write a Screenplay groups are separate, so please let me know if you would like to be in both. It would be awesome if you can help others with feedback across both groups.

 

Happy writing! 🙂