Where are the writing discussions

One thing I've noticed over time here is that the number of discussions that focus on writing and publishing have declined to the point when most of the time when I log on and check messages since my last log on, there's absolutely nothing here about the subjects the forum was created to address.

That's partly my fault, I know, because I've had so many projects in the air that thinking of new posts is often not high on my RADAR. I do notice that such posts, though, have less traction here now than they did a year ago. That is, there are fewer comments (if any) and that links to writing blogs seldom seem to take many forum members out to the blogs. Maybe we're all just sick and tired of advice.

Is this a chicken and egg thing? Have people left the forum because it no longer focuses on writing tips and publishing info they can use? Or are there fewer posts about writing and publishing because the people who started most of them all got busy at the same time with other projects and haven't been around?

I don't know what the answer is. What does everyone else think? Or does it matter one way or the other?

Malcolm

That's why I am not around. I came to this forum to share writing and publishing information. It seemed that it all became just a chatting group, which I am not into doing. I tried starting threads based on writing and publishing topics, only to have them hijacked with other things that had no relevance to the topic. I know others tried starting posts with the same results. I was told this is what makes the forum and puts it high in the ratings. I wasn't interested in that, so I don't post anymore. No offense, but I am not interested in where the group stands in ratings. I am interested in what people have to share on the topics of writing and publishing. So until this forum goes back to what I thought it was suppose to be in the beginning, you won't see me posting much here.

I am probably most at fault here, but to me writing is about life and this messageboard is a microcosm of lIfe: babies are born, older people die, people move on to new places, new adventures, new jobs.

I realize people write fantasy or about creatures or times outside what we are living. Then there are those who write about life I will never know or be interested in. I love history, but history where people have dreams, wishes, love and vision.

When we speak of Christmas, we spoke of Christmas in a war-torn country where a father quietly made a gift for his son. Then there were Chrstmases where children received no gifts, were taught Santa was a bad person.

I recently read a book written soon after World War II where a woman a man had brought from Germany was not treated with love or caring but with contempt at her first Christmas in this country.

I want to write from the depths of my heart. I want to write with humor, sadness, joy.

I find all thst here. I find what people feel about life.

Check out the description of what chatter box is supposed to be. Chat about anything and everything. That is what I expect to see when I click on the chatter box section.

Generally the site as you suggest has had fewer writing related posts recently I would agree but the last 6 or so months have been difficult for many for various reasons as folk have gotten sick or passed away. Some of us have been a little distracted of late.

I don't think anyone is to blame.

Sheesh! You all missed Malcolm's point and mine!

I answered his post here on Chatterbox, because he put it here. But...I was talking about the forum in general: starting posts in their appropriate places, not here on chatterbox, and keeping them to the subject. Your posts above just proved my point. I feel that I have wasted my time again. I just wanted to let Malcolm know I agreed with him.

I have no more comment on this topic. I am going back to work.

dmondeo wrote:

Generally the site as you suggest has had fewer writing related posts recently I would agree

Yes I did agree with Malcom sorry if I gave the wrong impression.
Please don't drop the subject on my account Sue your input is needed.

Hi Sue,

Good to see you here; you are always welcome. The threads for writing discussions are still around to be added to and new threads will draw comments. Malcolm has worked very hard since the forum was set up to generate interesting and helpful discussions. He's quite right to say that he alone and one or two others should not be relied upon to start new topics.

We have over 300 members but only a tenth of those post on a regular basis. However, we receive a great deal of attention and, at any one time, the number of guests visiting the forum is usually greater than the number of members on the forum.

I agree with Mel...look at the last date when someone posted their work.
We all understand the chat room is for chat...but, it has become the apex of the forum.

Domenic

I stopped posting on the writing forums because they always seemed to lead to unsolvable arguments. Open discussion over differences of opinion, I think, is a good thing. When we are open minded, we can learn a lot from each other, But when someone insists that there way is the only way to do something, and become insulting when a differing opinion is offered, things get polarized and no real communication can take place.

We all come at these topics from different perspectives, and our perceptions are all limited by our own experience, and everyone here has something valuable to contribute.

Good discussions nearly always go off into new directions; We are not always going to agree, but we can be accepting of each others differences, and realize that it takes a lot of different personalities to make a good group.

It seems that even broaching the subject brings up animosity.

I wish we could find a way to respect differing opinions, perceptions, and perspectives so that we could be a genuine help to each other as writers. But there's no point in empty bickering.

Just me.

Ann

I read most of Malcolm's posts and find them helpful.

Alice, who starts wonderful threads about life and questions about how people feel and think, just submitted queries for her children's book and we all gave her lots of encouragement. We have been telling her she is really a writer. Anyone who has read her book knows that.

We write in different genres about different subjects. I have apologized at times for not pursuing publication when those here have said that is all right.

My life is narrow. I've had to give up much in life. Family, writing, reading is what I have right now. Those are quite nice to have however.

Yesterday I completed the form I was sent regarding my citation as one of four distinguished alums from my college for this year. The other three distinguished alums this year include a man serving NATO, a superintendent of a large high school outside Chicago as well as a hospice center, a renowned attorney, and me. Nominations came from other graduates.

I did not receive the award just for writing but those credits are there and although I don't do well at bragging, and I do not have expect anyone to care, here they are:

1. Writer and content editor for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Programs, a Resource and Planning Guide published by the Department of Public Instruction in 1991.

2. With teens wrote the “The Magic Potion Play,” put on by teens for many schools as well as conventions throughout the state.

3. In 1988, began work with colleagues on Renewing Life, a group facilitation program for those affected by life-threatening illness. This program was facilitated and researched at the University of Wisconsin and showing improvement in quality of life of the participants. Trained over 40 facilitators. Although no longer involved, this program is still in existence through an organization in Minneapolis, Minnesota and has had well over 6000 participants.

4. Retired from being a therapist in 1999, and since have had three books published: Flow On Sweet Missouri, Iowa Born and Bred, and Now Is Once Upon a Time. I have studied the Cuban Missile Crisis in depth and written When My Husband Went to War in 1962. I also have a story in the Forever Friends anthology.

5. For over 20 years I wrote up reports about the lives of people I saw in therapy. I considered them stories of lives worth living.

I was compensated monetarily for all the above.

I love coming here. I refuse to go off to a corner to die. I choose to spend my time here reading about writing and friends and keeping up on what is happening in the writing world. If that is too depressing I'll step back.

There are various opinions here and we can choose to come or not. If you don't want to read what others have written, don't bother. Start a thread, Sue, and let those interested respond.

Malcolm, I read much of what you write here and on facebook. You know way more about these things than I do. Sue is working to have a successful publishing business and I respect that.

I just spent the most painfree two hours in months, curled up in our lounge chair. I woke up as my husband pointed out the deer in our yard, little ones, adult ones.

For a while I put up my Caringbridge entries here and perhaps will do some again. I think we greatly miss "Dick's said so blogs." We miss Dick. We miss anyone who leaves. I miss Marie's poetry.

We can come and read, or we can come and participate. I like to participate, but if reading what I've written gets people coming here depressed, I'll be glad to back off and stick to writing topics.

And Don, sometimes I think people question the quality of what they have written to put it on the correct section. You kind of have to have thick skin sometimes to be ready for the criticism, and we haven't quite gotten that part down yet.

Love, Carol

One other thing, just to address Malcolm's original comments a bit more - Sometimes I greedily read a thread, picking up all kinds of information I didn't know before, or devour links that someone has posted, without actually saying anything on that thread. If someone asks a question or makes a comment on something that I know something about, like when to use there or their (which I just noticed I did incorrectly in my last post ), or whether or not to use a comma or semi-colon, I'm your man - or woman). I will usually offer my comments and advice. Since I have never self-published, I can't offer any advice; I only read the advice given by those who know what they are talking about. I respect what others have to say in such fields. I made my living teaching young people how to write for a quarter of a century, and have personally come to believe that the best writing is a blend of art and craft that creates something new and unique, even when it follows accepted forms and structures, and I believe that forms and structures need to be bent and even broken once in a while, especially if you know enough about the rules to know why you chose to go your own way. If a discussion comes up on such a topic, I will voice an opinion, and support the validity of the opinion when challenged, but I won't keep going in an exercise in futility.

And when I don't know my stuff, just because I'm quiet doesn't mean I'm not listening.

Thanks, Malcolm, for bringing the question up. It's a good one.

Ann

Good response Ann.

I also think Malcolm's question was merely a question, not a criticism.

I think sometimes we're sensitive to being good enough, but in reality we're all good enough to be here. Perhaps "do I need to be good enough to be here" isn't even important.

I had some works published non-traditionally through the years, but really want to retire and just write and not worry about the publishing part, although I support all those who do so. We are all at different stages in our lives: some retired, some starting out as writers.

I don't want anyone to leave.

Okay, back to my comfy chair.

Love, Carol

I think maybe just watching where we put our threads would solve the problem. There are many different sections here. Those who want to chat, can chat. Those who have publishing hints can put them there.

No problem. Editors edit. I hesitate to put writing up because I often feel like Alice, too many comments just get confusing.

Don, I think that is exactly the question and we kind of got off on tangents here.

Maybe perhaps a thread about what writing everyone is working on, or what one would like to write.

Love, Carol

Thanks, everyone, for so many great responses. What an interesting group this is--when all is said and done.

Like Carol, I see writing tying in a lot with life and how I'm living it at the moment and how my friends are living it; how natural our concerns to appear here. Like Ann, I frequently see a link to an article and click on it. Maybe that leads me to another related article. Then I log off, forgetting actually, that the chain of events began here with the link.

I'm not sure why I asked the question, actually, but the responses in total have been worth their weight in gold.

Malcolm

The chat box is at the top. New writers seem to go there first. There is nothing in the chat box for writers. Mel was asking why there is now less members posting in the sections for writers?

I have often wondered why lip flappers want to flap their lips in a writers forum?

I'm not saying lip flapping should be stuffed into a shoe box. Flib-flapping lip flapping just might give members a reason to stay and have their ears bent by lip flappers...if the lip flapping spit out just a hint of writing.

Since I have been quoted...I shall reply to said quote.

Many NY writers have used writers forums to tone their art. Many still do. So filp flap your lips 24/7...If you ever have anything worth bending an ear for; print it in red, blue or green...and I will read it.

Thanks Malcolm, this is an interesting discussion. Many comments have expressed my own thoughts. The Chatterbox, as David pointed out, is for chatter. I think we skim and read things of interest to us and often ignore other posts. Giving some response to a post is important to the person making the post. If there is no response, the posting will stop. I determined not to make any further blog posts for that reason.
As for subjects about writing, I posted a review for Tarnished Halo and that too received no comments other than acknowledgment by Don. Either the subject was of no interest or perhaps there was a message being sent to the person making the post.

The reasons people don't make posts are varied. We're all busy writing or promoting our books. Time remaining for chatting becomes less frequent. We must pick and choose where we spend our time.

This forum was like family. Some members left of their own choosing. As in any family, there is strife. We've had it here and it will most likely continue. We know that Posts die with no response. We also know when it's time to move on.