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And we're off!

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.

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

56 degrees today in Georgia!  I cut grass in short sleeves.

It's been too long for me to remember what happens when you join.  But I see so many new members coming onboard, posting their hard work, and receiving no reviews.  That's discouraging.  The main culprit for no reviews is their post doesn't pay points.  Though I personally don't need points because I have more than I will ever use, some of us do need them.  No need wasting a half hour doing an in-line review if you don't get rewarded for doing so.

Is there anything a newbie receives that lets them know how the point system works and why it's important to post in a group that pays points?

I'd like to get away from the groups anyway.  Not sure how effective they are.

Just my opinion.

YEAR:  2017
SEASON:  Winter
MONTH:  OCTOBER
STATE:  Georgia
COUNTY:  Macon
LOCATION DETAILS:  To be kept confidential
NEAREST ROAD:  Hwy. 96
OBSERVATION REPORTED BY TWO MEN:  We were cooking a hog mid-day on a smoker, and across the road in a big field about 300 yards away, there was a huge hairy creature standing beside a white oak and looking at us.  I grabbed my phone and took a picture, and then it disappeared.  My father-in-law and I walked up to examine the area after it was gone.  There were tracks, and judging by a mark on the tree, the creature was estimated at 8 feet tall.  The owner of the property says he sees it all the time.  He has nicknamed the creature ‘Sol.’

Santa

I agree about the concrete rules, and common sense should prevail.  So many better words can take the place of WAS, and I try to mix it up so I don't use 'to be' words frequently.  If my sentence will sound unnatural without one of those buggars, I use it and go on about my business.  Ain't got time for sich nonsense when the creative brain sets out to work.  Write it while the writing's good.

And for the record, nah, let's don't let Alabama back in until after the 2020 election and see if all of them can turn true-blue.

Suin, I agree it has gotten very quiet around here lately.  What has happened??  Anyone???  Are we on automatic pilot? 

The strongest start contests have always been wonderful for building new members.  People join because they want to enter the contest, and many of them stick around.  I would love to see some new faces come in.  The few new ones we've gotten recently don't stick around for long for some reason.  Maybe a new contest with a deadline 4 or 5 months out would help. 

We need new blood.  In 2008 when I posted Dance in the Rain, on the first chapter I received 72 reviews.  72.  The book had 30 chapters, and I got a total of 964 reviews on it.  That's the kind of stuff that helps us build our writing skills because I received some excellent suggestions and ideas.  I learned from it.  Today, if a chapter I post gets 5 or 6 reviews, I feel fortunate.  It's discouraging to new writers when they post something and get 1 or 2 reviews.  I think the contests are the answer to building it back.

I also think a far-fetched contest won't really do it.  I vote for a simple one that anyone can enter.  Not a particular genre, but something like the strongest start. 

SOL ??? 

"To be" verbs sound weak and wordy.  Example:  The books at the library ARE excellent.  The librarian WAS knowledgeable. The room WAS clean. The card file IS the best I have ever used. (25 words)  ***  Now take away the 'to be' words and replace with something like:  The library boasts of excellent books, a knowledgeable librarian, cleanliness, and the best card file I've ever used. (18 words).

Our friend WAS the driver of the car:  Our friend drove the car. 

Here's another example I found online:  The restaurant’s parking lot IS narrow. THERE ARE not very many parking spaces and those that ARE available
ARE too cramped.  Change to:  The restaurant suffers from a narrow parking lot with only a few cramped spaces.***  The new sentence took away 'to be' verbs in addition to 'there are' which slows down the reading process and makes the writing clunky and wordy.

Was falls into the 'to be' category.  Though grammatically a word, it comes off as weak.  Way too many good, strong verbs available. 

I'm guilty!  I admit it.  I use 'to be' much more than I should.  I'm going through the 12 steps myself.

Sol, this was back in August.  Did I somehow miss the contest, or have you just not come up with a good one yet? 

I personally think it's a good way to draw in more writers to this site. 

Anybody else ready for a new contest????