And then there are the ones who actually listen and take in all you have to offer, and it works. I read a lot of the newbies' work, too, and in some, I can see they've taken the advice given. It's been such a long time since I joined, so I don't remember, but is there a check-off list of things for new members to do to keep their reviewers coming back? If so, I hope 'at least say thank you for your time' is one of them. It at least lets us know they've read our reviews.
MJ
I opened Paula June's story around lunch time, got interrupted, so I left it open and tended to other things. I came back that evening, and it was still on my screen, so I read it and left an inline review. Then, when I hit enter, I got a message that the chapter had been deleted and account closed. I spent probably 30 minutes or more on that review, only to find out nothing I did mattered. I wondered the same thing, Randy. What the heck???
I think in the end it will be proven that Trump manufactured the memo himself. He's capable of that, and he will do what it takes to get himself out of the Russia investigation. If he fires Rosenstein and replaces him with one of his henchmen, that person will fire Mueller without it looking like Trump did it. Anything to discredit the FBI works for Trump. If I were Mueller, I would arrest Trump today to keep that from happening. I don't know what he's waiting for.
Congratulations, Jack! Job well done! Whoot! Whoot!
MJ
'Yippy ti yi yo, get along little doggies...'
Just finished a review for you. Hope you find it helpful! Welcome to the site!
Cheers,
MJ
Agh, sorry to hear this, Bill. Follow doctor's orders, though. We will survive here until you get back to us full time.
Positive thoughts headed your way!
MJ
The pay is peanuts, but here's a call for submissions if anyone is interested in adding to their published portfolio.
People leaving, people calling people names, people pissed off. Stop. Just STOP.
What the hell is wrong with everybody? Go to your rooms and you shall have no pie. We're all adults here, folks. Nobody would guess it, but nonetheless, we are.
Join Shred. Don't join Shred. Nobody.gives.a.rat's.ass.if.you.do.or.don't.
This might be a good time to close this thread. Turn off the TV like you have to do when it's bedtime for a child.
Good night, John Boy.
As for the Ann/Marilyn news, I’m thrilled to hear it!
Thanks, Gray! Me, too! 
MJ
BTW - I agree that Ann and Marilyn should have honorary free membership and am going to make that happen.
I am flattered beyond being flattered. Thank you, Sol. What a nice gesture.
MJ
That problem has also been resolved. If a reviewer simply isn't able to provide considerate criticism then Premium isn't the right group for them and they are removed from it. Once that's done, they cannot review new members, unless new members elect to join the Shred Group.
God help a new member if they accidentally join the Shred Group, not knowing what it is. Will you put up an explanation of what it means to be a member of that group?
So that still leaves the problem of reviewers leaving hurtful remarks in the other groups. That's the problem that needs to be addressed.
That problem has also been resolved. If a reviewer simply isn't able to provide considerate criticism then Premium isn't the right group for them and they are removed from it. Once that's done, they cannot review new members, unless new members elect to join the Shred Group.
Good deal!
Yeah, some reviews have gone over to the dark side. I'm going to fix the problem.
Not sure how your new shred group will fix that problem, Sol. A writer has to first be willing to post in that group, and I don't think most new writers have developed that thick a skin yet. So that still leaves the problem of reviewers leaving hurtful remarks in the other groups. That's the problem that needs to be addressed.
Like Clark said in an upper comment, she wanted to leave because of it. And she did for 3 months. I think it's a missed opportunity for us to grow as a writing community. Address the ones who are being so hurtful - and you know who they are - and ask them to tone it down a little. Else a new person won't stick around for long.
Marilyn Johnson wrote:Words
Why am I late this day? I am no slugabed, nor was I philogrobilized, but here’s the truth of it, without twattling.
A pleasant winter’s night of grufeling under a pile of warm blankets was interrupted foully last night as I envisaged living in a kakistocracy. Shamelessly, the top snollygoster came before the people to deny the accusations leveled against him, not the least of which was putting his unwelcome hands on whatever callypigian peg puff crossed his path. He harangued us with his self-deluded history of imagined good works and, just to be on the safe side, cast the blame on his associates. Alas! When I awoke, I found it was all true.
I have never been one of those grumbletonians, but the uhtceare of this realization hung over me like a fog. In shivviness, I stewed over the Lanspresado’s abligurition for some time. The man is a fudgel, unable to control his cacoethes. He has always been a political groke, desirous only of prestige and power.
Suffering from extreme dysania, I decided to perendinate the day’s work and went back to bed. Living in this country has left me frobly-mobly.
Do not think me an ultracrepidarian when I say he must go!
They're still good words--very cathartic! JP
ROFL! Good one, J P! Did your spell-check do junie-flips??
This morning, feeling frobly-mobly, I was overwhelmed with dysania, but I knew I must get moving. After my shower, I was overcome with shivviness, thanks to a gift to myself. Though I want to write more on my new novel, I most likely will perendinate because I’m caught up with news of our kakistocracy and can’t unglue my eyes from the TV this morning. So I presume I will be grufeling today since we have snow on the ground and I am reluctant to go outside. I feel philogrobilized, but that can’t be, so I will watch the news and sympathize with the grumbletonians as they jeer the snollygosters and ultracrepidarians. I hope my phone doesn’t ring because I am not into twattling today.
(OMG! My spell-check is working overtime!)
Fake News
And we're off!
"Dang fool has severe pianotoliosis. I told him to play by ear, not eye. Thanks for coming, doctor."
Well done! That just about says it all, doesn't it? I hate to see the end coming because it's been a place of higher education for me, a learning experience never to be forgotten. Old friends and acquaintances linger, but every day I wonder for how much longer. I hate to see the downhill slide, but I feel it in these old bones. We will survive for a few days longer, even with our leader no longer leading, our cheerleaders no longer cheering, our teachers teaching to empty classrooms.
It's been a fun ride for me since 2008. I wish something would come along to breathe new life into the mob! My red pen has run out of ink, though I need a gallon of it now.
Thanks Mark for sharing your experience! I was very nervous to post my first chapter fearing it would be torn apart and my fragile confidence as a writer shattered. Well, it did get critiqued. That was what I wanted, and my eyes got opened to see what I couldn't see. I should have done this much earlier in the process, but fear kept me away. I will sign up after my trial period runs out. Thank you all!
Christine, you did an excellent job on your first post! Nobody here means any harm, though some of us may come off that way occasionally...we were all new once, so don't let any review get you down. Take it with a grain of salt and always remember it's your story, not ours. If you changed everything to something somebody else wanted, you would lose your voice and it would sound like your reviewer's work and not yours. Keep your head up and you will meet your goal!
Cheers,
MJ
Mark, if you could have read some of my writing when I first joined in 2008, you would've laughed. I came onboard thinking I knew everything. That was back when this site was much larger and had ten times the reviewers it has now. My first chapter went over like a lead balloon, with over forty reviews the first day. I got slammed! I quickly discovered just how little I knew. All these years later, I'm still learning things on here. I wouldn't take anything for my journey here and for all the friends and acquaintances I've made. When I read some of the junk I posted back in '08, I cringe! LOL!
You'll get there. Determination is the key!
MJ
Hi, Christine, and welcome. We're a friendly bunch, so post away. You'll get lots of help here. If you haven't joined the Premium Group, let me invite you to do so - it's free. It pays points for reviews, which others use for posting their own work. Just check the Premium group when you go to your publishing page.
I look forward to reading your work.
MJ
56 degrees today in Georgia! I cut grass in short sleeves.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't think we have a whole lot of members anymore. In any of the groups. I can't seem to get a rise out of anybody lately. We have new members who join, get an earful of negatives, and then go by the wayside. They keep joining, which is great, but don't seem to stick around for long. I don't know if it's because of lack of reviews, or because the reviews they get don't live up to the expectations they've put on their work. But I doubt any new folks will get any reviews if they don't post in something that pays points. Sometimes I log on and get the feeling that I am the only person in the world on here. It's a strange feeling.
How about that, J P? I didn't bash the president (though he needs it!).
