Harrison wasn't quite sure what else to do, so he followed her last instruction. Mitchell was still asleep, curled up on the couch with a blanket draped over him. Harrison wondered if he had done that himself, or if Glimmer had somehow covered him as he slept.
While he waited for her to do whatever she needed to do just then, he paced and tried to reorganize his thoughts. In a little over an hour, he and Mitchell would be raspberry jam, and Glimmer would be inconsolably pissed.
Five minutes later, she came flitting back into the car. Is this is a change in location or just a transition to speaking. Should it be paragraphed? I chose to paragraph it...It's a time change so you did the right thing paragraphing it. I would take the dialogue below though and move it to the the end of the sentence. Since the first sentence discusses Glimmer and then she speaks, it's okay to keep it as one paragraph. Once Harrison speaks you need a new paragraph because the speaker has changed.
"Well," she said, "I was wrong about one thing. If we hit that door, I'm dead as a dishrag."
Harrison was not sure what the appropriate response to that might be. "Where were you?" he tried.
"Milwaukee," she said. "We have a problem."Harrison was stunned. "What? How fast can you fly?"
"Pretty fast," she said. "Listen, if we can't get this worm thingy stopped, we are seriously screwed."
Harrison felt a moment of head-rush vertigo. He raised his hands slightly to balance himself. "Wait," he said. "Are you telling me that you could have flown to Chicago any time.”
She snapped her fingers in his face. It sounded like a rifle shot. "FOCUS! The tunnel is magicked up! This is a major problem!"Harrison felt sweat building on his forehead. He imagined he was probably getting pale. "Magicked up? What the hell does that mean?"
"I mean there's a spell in the tunnel, right in front of the door. You can see it shimmering. I'm pretty sure it's some variation on a shield curse, which pretty much means that if we make contact with it, we're toast. The worst part is, we won't even have to hit it all that hard." She was talking quickly, though with relative calm. "So the bottom line is we either need to find a way off this beast or find a way to stop it."
551 2015-04-06 00:08:33
Re: Lesson 1 Posted (16 replies, posted in Intro to Creative Writing - Spring 2015)
552 2015-04-06 00:01:29
Re: Lesson 1 Posted (16 replies, posted in Intro to Creative Writing - Spring 2015)
Harrison wasn't quite sure what else to do, so he followed her last instruction. Mitchell was still asleep, curled up on the couch with a blanket draped over him. Harrison wondered if he had done that himself, or if Glimmer had somehow covered him as he slept.
While he waited for her to do whatever she needed to do just then, he paced and tried to reorganize his thoughts. In a little over an hour, he and Mitchell would be raspberry jam, and Glimmer would be inconsolably pissed.
Most of the class separated these two paragraphs. I think this is probably a good idea although in the actual book they are combined. It is an important lesson. There is no hard and fast rule for paragraphs and as long as the reader can follow along, that is the most important thing. This is true in general of writing. Many ways of doing things are simply instruction and you as the writer have discretion to try out your own way. The main goal is to write in a way that transports a reader into your story.
------------------------------------------
Five minutes later, she came flitting back into the car. "Well," she said, "I was wrong about one thing. If we hit that door, I'm dead as a dishrag."
Harrison was not sure what the appropriate response to that might be. "Where were you?" he tried."Milwaukee," she said. "We have a problem."
Harrison was stunned. "What? How fast can you fly?"
"Pretty fast," she said. "Listen, if we can't get this worm thingy stopped, we are seriously screwed."
Harrison felt a moment of head-rush vertigo. He raised his hands slightly to balance himself. "Wait," he said. "Are you telling me that you could have flown to Chicago any time—"
She snapped her fingers in his face. It sounded like a rifle shot. "FOCUS! The tunnel is magicked up! This is a major problem!"
Harrison felt sweat building on his forehead. He imagined he was probably getting pale. "Magicked up? What the hell does that mean?""I mean there's a spell in the tunnel, right in front of the door. You can see it shimmering. I'm pretty sure it's some variation on a shield curse, which pretty much means that if we make contact with it, we're toast. The worst part is, we won't even have to hit it all that hard." She was talking quickly, though with relative calm. "So the bottom line is we either need to find a way off this beast or find a way to stop it."
553 2015-04-05 02:54:49
Re: Site Bugs 2 (342 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I thought we weren't charged extra for posting in multiple groups anymore. Sol, where are you?
1. When we have our contest, we need the stories posted in Cop Shop so people can find them to review.
2. When people take the time to review our stories, they should receive points.
Therefore, we need to make sure that people reviewing Cop Shop stories receive points.
(I didn't do that well with logic in Geometry; you know what I mean.)
You should not be charged extra for posting to multiple points groups. Once you pay for points once, you can post to any points group.
If you want to change Cop Shop to a points group you can do that. It might make sense with the changes in the point system.
554 2015-04-05 02:53:26
Re: Site Bugs 2 (342 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Not sure if this is the right place to post, but here goes: I tried to read the work of a fellow Cop Shop group member, but got the notice that I needed to connect with the author. The piece was marked for group members and connections. Does that mean we have to be both group members AND connected? Also, since we're all members of Premium Group, doesn't that make us all members of the same group? Thanks for your help. JP
As long as you are members of the same group and they post to groups then you shouldn't need to also connect with them. If you are getting problems try logging out and then back in and see if that resolves it. Let me know.
Sol
555 2015-04-04 20:03:48
Topic: Your First Post (0 replies, posted in New Members)
Posting your writing can be a nerve-wracking process. But if you don't overcome these fears, then it's possible what you write might languish on your computer forever.
Publishing your work is really the best way to become an active member of the site. Once you post, you will start to receive feedback, meet other members, and become part of the community. If you are nervous about posting something, do it to the New Member group. Everyone is a new member and the group exists to provide only positive feedback.
To post just to this group, choose this group when you can select which groups you'd like to post to. If that sounds like Greek, watch the Posting Content video at the bottom of this page:
http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/member/video-help-guide
MY advice is to new members is to post their content to TheNextBigWriter Premium to start. This group uses the points system and it will help you attract reviews.
And if you have questions about the process, feel free to post them below. Good luck! We look forward to reading your writing.
556 2015-04-03 16:36:19
Re: Questions about the site? (2 replies, posted in New Members)
How do I download/upload my fb pic to my profile here?
If you have it on your computer, just press the upload button and then save it. The exact steps are:
1. Click your name in the right hand, upper corner of the screen.
2. Go to Profile
3. Click the Edit Profile button
4. Click Edit Image
5. Browser, find your image, and then click Upload.
Hope that helps.
Sol
557 2015-04-02 20:14:37
Re: What area of writing do you find most challenging? (22 replies, posted in Intro to Creative Writing - Spring 2015)
I would like to have included a discussion on - pacing. This site has a number of published and self-published authors. I've been fortunate enough to have a few of those in my reciprocal review circle, and one has pointed out I have too much pace overall within my first seven chapters. I feel he is onto something but I'd like a more specific format/suggestions on pacing the events and such. I have to balance against that the fact, we know if you don't have anything to "hook" the reader by the 3rd chapter or so, chances are very high they are done with the remainder of your story.
Hi Jube, pacing is a more advanced area of study and while we might touch on it, we aren't going to spend a lot of time on it. Anita Mumm's Strongest Start Class goes into this in detail and if it's an area you are interested in learning more about, you should think about taking her class when it is offered again.
Sol
558 2015-04-02 19:27:26
Re: What area of writing do you find most challenging? (22 replies, posted in Intro to Creative Writing - Spring 2015)
The computer and the program. How do I post a story for the group, which was our assignment. I have probably missed something. Britt
You did it perfectly. That was exactly the way it should have been done.
559 2015-04-02 16:53:44
Re: What area of writing do you find most challenging? (22 replies, posted in Intro to Creative Writing - Spring 2015)
"Head jumping". I don't write first person and I work on avoiding "head jumping", which I think I am managing well.
What is head jumping? That's a new term for me 
. Do you mean switching from one character's point of view to another's?
560 2015-04-02 14:06:02
Topic: Questions about the site? (2 replies, posted in New Members)
If you have any questions about the site, feel free to ask them here. I, or someone else will get back to you.
561 2015-04-02 14:05:13
Topic: What area of writing do you find most challenging? (22 replies, posted in Intro to Creative Writing - Spring 2015)
I have a draft syllabus I plan on following that includes paragraphs, dialogue, point of view, and active versus passive sentences. Is there anything else that you would like covered? If so, let me know.
Thanks,
Sol
562 2015-04-01 16:17:57
Topic: Lesson 1 Posted (16 replies, posted in Intro to Creative Writing - Spring 2015)
Lesson 1 on the use of paragraphs has been posted. It includes two assignments.
http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/posting … raph-20818
Let me know if you have any questions.
Sol
563 2015-04-01 16:05:05
Topic: Class is in session (0 replies, posted in Intro to Creative Writing - Spring 2015)
Hello all,
Welcome to the Introduction to Creative Writing Class!
I wanted to start out by introducing myself. I founded and run TheNextBigWriter as well as another online publishing site called Booksie.com. Together, the sites attract over 50,000 visitors per day and there are hundreds of thousands of short stories, novels, poems, etc. posted on the sites. I've seen a lot of content come through the virtual doors.
In addition, I am the founder and publisher of WorldMaker Media. WorldMaker has published ten books so far, several of which I have edited myself. The books have done pretty well, and one Screaming in the Silence reached the Amazon Top 100. Together, the books have sold tens of thousands of copies.
I'm also a writer and am finishing up my first book.
I read everything but some of my favorite authors are Stephen King, JK Rowling, George RR Martin. You can see more of my reading taste on my shelf:
http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/bookshe … 195/page-1
I've learned from writing, editing, and watching writers on the site that there are some common mistakes that many writers make and I'd like this course to focus on those. By the end of the course you will understand how to better paragraph your writing, use a consistent point of view, use dialogue, avoid the passive verb tense, and more.
Every week I will post a new less that will include an assignment. Please read it over and do the assignment. They will not take long. If you have questions, post them to this forum.
So, without further adieu, please read this week's lesson on paragraphs. And please also introduce yourself if you haven't already.
Best,
Sol
564 2015-04-01 12:00:26
Re: Deadline and chapter threes (9 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I can't in to the contest. They say I need to be in a group. I don't know how to get into a group. I posted two three chapter novels that are published but not available for the contest somehow. My group is the nextbig writer primium. That group doesn't count. I don't understand.
If you posted your content to the Premium Group then you could have entered. Watch the video at the bottom on How to Enter Contests.
565 2015-04-01 02:06:33
Re: Warning to others in the future. (8 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I messed up and posted my novel to the seven line poetry contest in addition to the best first three chapters contest. How do I undo that? Anybody know?
Click on that piece of content in your portfolio and then go to the Contests sub-tab. On that tab, you can remove something from a contest.
566 2015-03-31 18:34:25
Re: Warning to others in the future. (8 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I screwed up my entry into the 2015 writing contest. Instead of posting one book with three chapters, I posted the same book three times with one chapter each. Now that I've finally figured out what to do it's too late. I'm marked now as an unprofessional. Oh well. We live and learn. So to others, make sure that you use to Add Chapter tab when publishing in book form. It's too late for me in this contest. Good luck to all!
Formatting is not really a factor in the contest. As long as you get your chapters posted, they will be entered, even if you did one chapter per book. Good luck!
567 2015-03-31 15:32:21
Re: Book Marketing Tactics that Worked (11 replies, posted in Marketing Your Writing)
Amazon ads are a bit trickier. I have seen direct sales from the ads (there is a part of your campaign page that lets you know how much in sales you've made from the ad). Two things have made it tricky. The first is that if you are in the lending library or kindle unlimited you won't know if people are clicking your ad and then borrowing. The second is you need to be careful with your targeting. I have had the most success with very targeted placement by searching for similar books and pricing. I would recommend Amazon ads.
I've never used Amazon ads. How do they work? Can you select books that you want to be shown alongside?
568 2015-03-31 02:05:27
Topic: What is a writing workshop? (0 replies, posted in New Members)
What is an online writing workshop?
TheNextBigWriter is an online writing workshop but what does that mean? At its essence, a writing workshop is where writers get together to provide each other with constructive feedback on their draft work. The goal is help a writer understand what works in their creation and what can be improved.
An online writing workshop is an online version of this, where writers from all over the world, of all abilities interact in a virtual community, reading each other’s work and providing feedback on it.
An online writing workshop runs based on reciprocity - you provide feedback to me and I will provide feedback to you. Members benefit not only from receiving feedback on their work, but from reading, analyzing, and articulating feedback on the work of others.
In fact, members of TheNextBigWriter have told us that the act of reviewing other writers has significantly improved their own writing abilities.
Getting Started
The first step in participating in an online workshop is to either post your writing, or to read and review the work of another member.
Posting your writing
Some new members are nervous posting their writing to be read. They fear a negative reaction from other members or just don’t feel they are ready. This is normal. There is no pressure. If you are not ready, try reading and reviewing other members of the site and seeing how others do it. Over time, you will work up the confidence to post.
Reviewing the writing of others
New members are also often nervous about providing a review. “I don’t know how to review someone...I am not an expert or a professional...I don’t know what to say.” These are common statements we hear from new members.
Don’t worry.
As long as you can read and say what you like about the work, you are okay. Writers are happy to hear from you and any piece of feedback you can give as a reader is valuable. If you can provide in-depth editing suggestions, even better, but it is not necessary.
Books are written for readers not editors, so providing this perspective is the most valuable thing you can do. Below is a link to an article with some basic tips on reviewing:
http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/member/ … eview-tips
Posting and Reviewing
Posting and reviewing are the heart and soul of an online writing workshop. Give it a try and you will find that you will not only receive valuable feedback on your writing, but you will make friends and become part of a dynamic community of literary world builders.
Welcome!
569 2015-03-31 01:39:21
Re: Welcome to the Class (22 replies, posted in Intro to Creative Writing - Spring 2015)
Hi Jube, Rosie, and Gregg,
Welcome to the class! Thanks for posting your information. Come on everyone else, don't be shy.
Please also do not post content to the group yet. We will get there shortly. I don't want the posting section to be a free-for-all.
Thanks,
Sol
570 2015-03-30 18:29:17
Topic: Welcome (48 replies, posted in New Members)
One of the best ways to start getting comfortable on the site is to introduce yourself. Don't be shy. Say hello below.
571 2015-03-30 13:08:19
Re: Book Marketing Tactics that Worked (11 replies, posted in Marketing Your Writing)
Sol, in your FB ads did you link directly to the Amazon page for the book?
I may have to try FB ads again. I used them years ago when my first novel came out, but was never quite convinced they were working. One thing that's been hard for me is to connect any particular marketing effort directly to a spike in sales. I try to do some marketing all the time, and always an extra push leading up to and during the release.
I linked to a Facebook page that I set up just for that book. My main goal was to get people to share the page and have it spread a bit. Get people talking. It seemed to work. The page had over 2,500 likes.
572 2015-03-29 21:25:45
Topic: Please do not post general content to the Marketing Group. (0 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I've noticed that members of the Marketing Your Writing Group are posting their general content to it. Please do not do it. I will delete the content and if it continues, remove the person from the group. Please only post marketing-related content to the group. If you have case studies, articles, or anything else related to marketing your writing then it belongs in this group. Anything else please post elsewhere.
Thanks,
Sol
573 2015-03-29 17:49:47
Re: Alayton the troll is back (3 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Account closed.
574 2015-03-26 16:15:52
Topic: Welcome to the Class (22 replies, posted in Intro to Creative Writing - Spring 2015)
Hi,
Welcome to an Introduction to Creative Writing! I'm very excited to be teaching this class. As a warm-up, I'd like everyone to provide a quick introduction. If you're new to the class, go ahead and tell us a little bit about yourself. Don't be shy! Please include the following:
(1) What type of writing (romance, horror, science fiction, etc.) do you like to do?
(2) When did you start writing?
(3) Who are a couple of your favorite authors?
(4) What's a fun or quirky fact about you?
The goal of the class is to teach you some of the basics of creative writing while having a good time.
If you have joined after the class has started, no worries. You can go through the lessons at your own pace. If you post the assignments, I will take a look at them.
Below are links to each of the class lessons:
Lesson 4: Showing versus Telling
Lesson 5: Punctuating Dialogue
Lesson 6: Active Versus Passive
Thanks,
Sol
575 2015-03-25 21:49:20
Re: Wishlist Cont. (212 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
We have no plans to increase the limit beyond 10.
