The Sob Story bar

This WRITERS forum has 1370 members. Every day these seem to be the only posters:
Abe F. March, Betty Fasig, dkchristi, Domenic Pappalardo, joefrank, slb, Victor D. Lopez

Not many threads related to writing. When a post is about writing, it seems Shelagh is the only one making comment. 1370 is a good number of people. I'm sure many have joined, then just left after reading a few days of the same old stuff.
The forum is like one of those dark little bars were a few go to tell their sob story, and will agree with yours in return.

There was a move about a bar like this. Several drunks had not left this bar in over twenty years. One of these was the owner. One day they almost talked the owner into going outside. The whole movie was about his working up his nerve. In the end, they all joked about how...he almost went out. they knew there was nothing outside but danger. The truth they did not know, that section of the city had been torn down many years ago...that little bar was alone in the back wash of a city.
People who live on their past hurts are like those in that little bar. Those who made them victims have long ago moved on, and forgot all about them...they keep their self victims, hiding from a danger that has long past.

All good writers.

Domenic Pappalardo wrote:

This WRITERS forum has 1370 members. Every day these seem to be the only posters:
Abe F. March, Betty Fasig, dkchristi, Domenic Pappalardo, joefrank, slb, Victor D. Lopez

Not many threads related to writing. When a post is about writing, it seems Shelagh is the only one making comment. 1370 is a good number of people. I'm sure many have joined, then just left after reading a few days of the same old stuff.
The forum is like one of those dark little bars were a few go to tell their sob story, and will agree with yours in return.

There was a move about a bar like this. Several drunks had not left this bar in over twenty years. One of these was the owner. One day they almost talked the owner into going outside. The whole movie was about his working up his nerve. In the end, they all joked about how...he almost went out. they knew there was nothing outside but danger. The truth they did not know, that section of the city had been torn down many years ago...that little bar was alone in the back wash of a city.
People who live on their past hurts are like those in that little bar. Those who made them victims have long ago moved on, and forgot all about them...they keep their self victims, hiding from a danger that has long past.

There was a time when many of those thousands asked questions, provided answers, asked for advice on their writing, all in good faith.  Then some troll came along and abused the privilege and it became unsafe, so many left.

More of those thousands were other trolls, who have come and mostly gone.  Others are multiple aliases for trolls who want to hide their true identities.

Once a place is labeled unsafe, people leave.  Sometimes a core of old friends remains, recognizing and accepting the limitations, because it is where they can communicate with those old friends.  Sometimes they became friends in other bars, and when those bars closed down, the friendships were more important, so they moved to the next one together.  New people came along and a few became new friends.  Trolls come and go.  They are not important.  Nobody takes them seriously.  They are just a temporary game.  Friends stay friends, mostly.

Many also left forums like this to spend their time on Facebook.  Some people here do both.  I find Facebook more "unsafe" than here since we at least have a moderator.

Shelagh was asked by a forum member why she didn't make changes to attract more members.  She said the forum worked well as it is and her goal wasn't large numbers.

When you have a core of quality, compassionate, intelligent and interesting people who care about each other and the world around them in addition to their writing, you have something special that many forums do not have.

We have lost through death some very special members who also posted to this forum.   I miss them.  I once wrote a long treatise on how the people here are not "friends" but just keystrokes from the computer - keystroke to keystroke.  I was wrong.

There is a rhythm to chatting with people over time that incorporates respect for ideas and the ability to disagree without labeling the soul of the other person.  Most times our little group makes that ideal.  Sometimes we don't.

As far as writing, I write about ten news articles a week from every aspect of life in addition to working on my novels.  It is challenging to my little brain.  Here, I can write about what moves me at the time or slip away and read Ann's joy blog to escape into her little world of family and events.

It's not a bar.  In a bar, people have addled brains from the alcohol.  Maybe some people are drinking while writing here and that would explain some of the addle brain posts occasionally.

I've been posting with most of this little clique since 2006.  That's a long time sharing "stuff."  I consider that writing and writing related because I must try to form cogent thoughts about things that  might matter to me.

However, in this public world, writing what others read is a risk.  Just as our topic about abusive men pointed out that they have mental disorders that twist their thinking in such a way as to give them leeway to be abusive.  Well many people with mental disorders have access to forums and occasionally post.

But for the most part, Published Author members post with respect.

I like the group on this forum, but I would like to read what others write, and would like comments on what I write. We can always get better than we are. For the past few year, or so, i have been working on, "How to write a query letter." Agents want a query to be a half page, or less. They figure if a writer can do that, they don't wast words...their book will be the same. I can now tell what a story is about in four lines. I sent one out yesterday, and one today. I'm still trying for a New York Publisher. I figure, what the hell. If my writing is good, and they like the query, my book will sell...if not, well I gave it my best shot. I think it's my best shot? maybe I could be a better writer? I know I could...it's not so much I want to sell...I just want to know; have i reached my goal of being a writer?

Domenic Pappalardo wrote:

I like the group on this forum, but I would like to read what others write, and would like comments on what I write. We can always get better than we are. For the past few year, or so, i have been working on, "How to write a query letter." Agents want a query to be a half page, or less. They figure if a writer can do that, they don't wast words...their book will be the same. I can now tell what a story is about in four lines. I sent one out yesterday, and one today. I'm still trying for a New York Publisher. I figure, what the hell. If my writing is good, and they like the query, my book will sell...if not, well I gave it my best shot. I think it's my best shot? maybe I could be a better writer? I know I could...it's not so much I want to sell...I just want to know; have i reached my goal of being a writer?

Try reading books from the library
Get an editor and follow his/her advice.  
Don't expect help from fellow writers--they are competitors.

Domenic, I have been running forums since 2005. The first forum I set up for PublishAmerica authors was invaded by AbsoluteWrite members who just wanted to disrupt and flame every discussion thread. I deleted the forum. Members contacted me and asked if I would set up another forum. I did so, but the same thing happened again, so I deleted that forum, too.

In 2007, I set up the Children's Fiction group that still exists on LibraryThing. I think it has 3,5000+ members.

In 2007, I set up the Published Authors Network on Ning. Dick joined and asked me to set up a forum because he didn't know how to use the network, so I set up this forum in January, 2008, and all the members from Jeff Miller's forum moved over to this forum (AbsoluteWrite members killed Jeff's forum).

A PublishAmerica author tried to destroy this forum, to the extent that I set up a new forum so that members could get away from all the conflict. Things settled down and we moved back to this forum. Then our dear friend, Chris Turkel, tried to destroy the forum. We were slammed on his blog, where he copied and pasted whole threads and comments from this forum.

I'm past fighting to keep the forum going. If members want to stay, then I'll continue to moderate the forum. Even when the forum is no longer active, I will leave it for all the visitors who google for help and read old threads that resolve their problems without requiring them to join the forum.

9/13/2014

                         Shelagh..

                                    Bravo.........

                                                          Joe

Maybe the lack of participation from new people has something to do with the current theme
on the threads for the last few weeks.

A new visitor comes to the forum and reads the current threads and sees where one of the members expresses an opinion and is immediately targeted and attacked by another individual who believes their opinion is the only one that has any validity.  

Who in their right mind wants to make themselves a target for a narcissistic, obnoxious, opinionated bully?

It’s one thing to offer an opinion, it’s totally another to attack and berate anyone who disagrees with that opinion.

However that’s just my opinion and that and five dollars might get you a Starbucks!

9/14

                     You all act like a bunch of children in a school yard....Grow up !
                     If you can't grow up then leave, it amazes me that when one 
                     states their opinion especially if it's a male right away he's an
                     idiot ! 

                                                     Cheers..........Joe..........

Who is this idiot?  I am very curious now.

Thanks Joe, it seems I was not the only one with that perception.

Dom, I recall some joke Winston Churchill is said to have made.  A woman says to a man, "If you were my husband, I'd poison your food."  The man replied, "If you were my wife, I'd eat it."

9/14

                   Abe..

                            That's a true story about Churchill It was a society lady
          who hated Churchill and he disliked her...

                                                       Cheers...Joe...

Abe,

That was an acerbic exchange between Lady Astor and Winston Churchill.

If the shoe fits, wear it.  It is possible to read into "keystrokes" intents not intended based on one's perceptions.  Ann covered that clearly in one of her resources that I will paraphrase by saying the world view a person holds, including what people around them say, may be entirely shaped by their own mind and not at all reality.

However, clear attacks that name a person and then proceed to describe them in clearly unflattering and vulgar ways - well, there is no mistaking that.

9/14

                            DK...

                                   Who are you talking to ? I Know it's not me ....

                                                          Joe....

Domenic Pappalardo wrote:

This WRITERS forum has 1370 members. Every day these seem to be the only posters:
Abe F. March, Betty Fasig, dkchristi, Domenic Pappalardo, joefrank, slb, Victor D. Lopez

Not many threads related to writing. When a post is about writing, it seems Shelagh is the only one making comment. 1370 is a good number of people. I'm sure many have joined, then just left after reading a few days of the same old stuff.
The forum is like one of those dark little bars were a few go to tell their sob story, and will agree with yours in return.

There was a move about a bar like this. Several drunks had not left this bar in over twenty years. One of these was the owner. One day they almost talked the owner into going outside. The whole movie was about his working up his nerve. In the end, they all joked about how...he almost went out. they knew there was nothing outside but danger. The truth they did not know, that section of the city had been torn down many years ago...that little bar was alone in the back wash of a city.
People who live on their past hurts are like those in that little bar. Those who made them victims have long ago moved on, and forgot all about them...they keep their self victims, hiding from a danger that has long past.

Excuse me, but where are Ann and myself?
I believe I am the highest poster.

Abe F. March wrote:

Thanks Joe, it seems I was not the only one with that perception.

Dom, I recall some joke Winston Churchill is said to have made.  A woman says to a man, "If you were my husband, I'd poison your food."  The man replied, "If you were my wife, I'd eat it."

I like Winston Churchill. I have always respected him as the greatest man of out time. He never talked around his elbow to get to his thumb. He was the man they called the voice. He alone was the heart of England, and it was his bull dog heart that beat Hitler, and saved the world. When i hear the word England...he comes to mind. He showed the world what stuff the English were made of.

alice wrote:

Domenic Pappalardo wrote:

This WRITERS forum has 1370 members. Every day these seem to be the only posters:
Abe F. March, Betty Fasig, dkchristi, Domenic Pappalardo, joefrank, slb, Victor D. Lopez

Not many threads related to writing. When a post is about writing, it seems Shelagh is the only one making comment. 1370 is a good number of people. I'm sure many have joined, then just left after reading a few days of the same old stuff.
The forum is like one of those dark little bars were a few go to tell their sob story, and will agree with yours in return.

There was a move about a bar like this. Several drunks had not left this bar in over twenty years. One of these was the owner. One day they almost talked the owner into going outside. The whole movie was about his working up his nerve. In the end, they all joked about how...he almost went out. they knew there was nothing outside but danger. The truth they did not know, that section of the city had been torn down many years ago...that little bar was alone in the back wash of a city.
People who live on their past hurts are like those in that little bar. Those who made them victims have long ago moved on, and forgot all about them...they keep their self victims, hiding from a danger that has long past.

Excuse me, but where are Ann and myself?
I believe I am the highest poster.

Well, Ann don't want suggestions on her writing. She just wants to hear it's good. Any i don't see much of your writing posted, nor comments on others.
So let me ask you...where are you?

9/14

                                  Oh God...The Children Are At It Again......
                                  I guess it's the women against the men
                                  again....Stubroness ? Knocking one's head
                                  against the wall .?????

                                                      Joe..

joefrank wrote:

9/14

                                  Oh God...The Children Are At It Again......
                                  I guess it's the women against the men
                                  again....Stubroness ? Knocking one's head
                                  against the wall .?????

                                                      Joe..

What are you talking about Joe? as you can see, there are three women to every man. The only women against men, are those who don't have one. Do you ever hear a married women talking bad about men? or even a single women who has a man?

9/14

                         Read between the lines.....

                                 Cheers....Joe:study:

joefrank wrote:

9/14

                         Read between the lines.....

                                 Cheers....Joe:study:

Read between the liken? Did I say something to you Joe that you give me the finger?
I see the other side of ou face for once...

9/14

                    Domenic...

                                  I didn't give you the finger ! I'm screwing with your head !

                                                           Cheers..Joe