darn rabbit
451 2017-07-27 03:04:11
Re: Say the first word that comes to mind... (1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
452 2017-07-24 17:08:24
Re: Say the first word that comes to mind... (1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Chai-na
453 2017-07-24 13:17:07
Re: Say the first word that comes to mind... (1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
"Very, very, very biggly good."
454 2017-07-24 01:48:38
Re: Another Review for The Kurdish Connection (10 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Great news, Randall! So proud to know you! I know those 5-star reviews are well deserved!
MJ
455 2017-07-24 00:54:20
Re: Changing Profile Picture (9 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
And all this time I just thought I was an ass. (LOL)
456 2017-07-24 00:52:10
Re: Say the first word that comes to mind... (1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Amen. (Tweedle-dee-dee, tweedle-dee-dumb)
457 2017-07-23 04:56:40
Re: Say the first word that comes to mind... (1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I hope so.
458 2017-07-23 04:40:16
Re: New Member (4 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Basic)
Hi, Karen,
Welcome. You will learn a lot here and receive many thoughts, opinions, and suggestions. This site helped me more than any other. Lots of good advice to be had here. The one thing I would suggest is when you post your first chapter or story or poem, make sure to post it in a group that pays points to the reviewer, like the Premium group. If you're not a member of it yet, may I suggest you join that one before you post. You will get more reviewers if they get points for their review, which they will use to post their next piece.
Other than that, enjoy yourself, remember the suggestions you receive are just that--suggestions. Feel free to use them or toss them.
Looking forward to reading some of your work!
Peace to you,
MJ
459 2017-07-23 02:56:46
Re: Say the first word that comes to mind... (1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
horse poop
460 2017-07-22 19:21:08
Re: Your Muse (5 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Funny you should ask because I was just thinking about this today. For me, I write in my head all day long. Most of my "head" writing doesn't ever make it to paper, but I play out different scenes in my brain as I go about my daily activities.
For me to actually sit and type, I need to be alone with no one talking to me. I can have something playing in the background...TV usually, but not something I have to be following. The actual typing part is always done inside. My ideal situation for writing is inside, HGTV droning in the background, starting around 11PM, and writing for three or four hours, cat sleeping on top of my desk.
As strange as it sounds, I cannot write a story until I have a title. When I first started my western novel called Two Roads to Sunday, I built the story around the title. Sunday is the name of a fictitious 1870s town in New Mexico. Same thing with Patty Jean. There were simply thousands of titles for that particular one, but until I firmly decided on the simplicity of 'Patty Jean,' I couldn't write the first word. Most people write their story and then come up with the title. I'm just weird like that. LOL!
461 2017-07-21 01:22:14
Re: Say the first word that comes to mind... (1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
playing in the sprinkler
462 2017-07-20 12:05:42
Re: New Guy (7 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Hi, Louis, and welcome to the site! I read your story and made comments, but you will get more reviewers if you can post this in a group that pays points, like the Premium group. Most folks on here review for points so they can, in turn, post their own things.
Just a thought.
Happy trails to you,
MJ
463 2017-07-19 12:35:50
Re: Woes of a newbie (7 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Basic)
Yes, Dave, you have to push on. Not everyone is gonna like everything you write. I've been on this site for 9 years, and I have received reviews where the reviewer tried to change my entire work to how they would have written it if they'd come up with my idea, but I've had more accolades from reviewers than I deserved also. Sorry that one review affected your confidence in your writing abilities. When I do reviews, I try to remember this is not my work, and it's not my ideas, so I work with what the author has written, knowing he/she has a particular goal in mind that I will find out about in an upcoming chapter. I try to offer grammatical corrections, or thoughts on how your writing could flow better, but I will never tell you you're 100% wrong or that you need to go back to school to learn to write (as someone told me once).
I was off the site for while tending to a sick husband, and I came back in January of this year. My first week back I posted something I was working on, something I had spent months honing. The very first review came from someone who tore my words and my concept apart with no idea what I had planned for the next chapter. His parting words were hurtful and hateful, way beyond the call of duty. I took the chapter down because he made me doubt my writing abilities and made me say, "I don't need this shit." I did get over it and didn't let it cripple me, but it floored me that someone could be so rude. While I am always open to suggestions and ideas, I don't tolerate rudeness. There's a right way and a wrong way to critique someone's hard work. So I feel your pain, and it has nothing to do with how long you've been on the site and everything to do with being kind. If I don't like what you've written, I obviously don't have to read any more of it, but I believe in being kind in expressing my opinions and ideas because they are, after all, my opinions.
I'm happy to hear you've decided to incorporate writing into your daily schedule. You're definitely taking a leap of faith, and I admire the fact you didn't give up. I agree with your advice to the newbies about hanging in there.
Good luck to you in your endeavors!
MJ
464 2017-07-18 01:48:03
Re: Say the first word that comes to mind... (1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
R2D2
465 2017-07-16 03:26:43
Re: Say the first word that comes to mind... (1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Humpty Dumpty
466 2017-07-15 23:05:10
Re: Letters from Mars by Justin Robben (6 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
In another Forum thread, there's a discussion about ways writers could earn more reviewing points. The zero points your posting rewards a reviewer would tend to turn away potential readers of your story, M.J''s and M.D.'s kind words notwithstanding. You're obviously serious about the craft, and this site can help you hone it - if there's an inducement (points) that makes the valuable time spent by a reviewer worthwhile. Since you are a member of Premium, where most of the good reviewers reside, perhaps it's your settings that should be checked. Make sure that you allow anyone who is a member of ANY of your groups to review and receive points for doing so.
You're right, Jack. I sent Justin a message and explained to him how to relist it in the Premium group so it pays points. Hopefully he will do that because this story is really good and would be read by more if points are awarded.
467 2017-07-15 13:07:17
Topic: Letters from Mars by Justin Robben (6 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
If you haven't read this short story by our new author, Justin Robben, you have missed a treat. As I read it trying to determine if I wanted to do an in-line review or a regular one, I found myself so mesmerized by the content that all of my nits, suggestions, and opinions went out the window. It is an excellent story about a man on Mars trying to communicate with the love of his life on Earth. I recommend it.
Happy trails to you,
MJ
P.S. Even if you don't like or don't read Sci-Fi, this one is extremely light. I personally don't normally read that genre, but this one captured my imagination at the beginning and I couldn't put it down.
As a sidenote, Justin has been able to post this story so that it now pays points!
468 2017-07-15 01:41:15
Re: Say the first word that comes to mind... (1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
still tickin'
469 2017-07-11 20:51:54
Re: Rewarding extra points to the best reviewers? (19 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I tend to agree with Vern. I, too, have more points than I will ever use, but each one of those points represents a friendship, a comment, a helpful hint, or a suggestion. I joined this site in 2008, coming in thinking I knew everything! What a joke! I knew nothing compared to some of the more seasoned writers on here. Those writers guided me, taught me, put up with me, and helped me along the way. In return, I read their posts, how they worded things, how they plotted their stories. Well, you get what I mean.
There are so many good stories on here from writers who are currently not posting anything. They've left their stories for us to learn from. I personally think giving away points takes away from the learning process. That's my opinion, for what it's worth.
Have a peaceful day, everybody!
MJ
470 2017-07-10 23:12:32
Re: Say the first word that comes to mind... (1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Everybunny Loves Somebunny Sometimes
471 2017-07-10 18:51:40
Re: Say the first word that comes to mind... (1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
"Quip it up, it's cold out there!"
472 2017-07-10 15:20:35
Re: Loooong delays (19 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Funny you should mention Grammarly, Marilyn. I only had it installed for a day before I kicked it out of my browser. It was intrusive and appeared on EVERY site that had an edit box or some form of operator interaction. I slowed down things badly. So, now it's gone and I still ahve delays - but only on tNBW.
Bill
Did you uninstall it, or did you just disable it in your extensions? I am far from a computer guru, but if you uninstalled it, it may not have uninstalled everything connected to it. I used to have a program downloaded (can't remember the name of it now because I am OLD!) that would do a complete uninstall for anything I wanted to delete completely. But that was probably 5 or 6 computers ago. You might google 'complete uninstall software' and see if you can find it. You might also want to make sure it's not still hanging around in your extensions. If so, you can disable it. I don't know what operating system you're running, but it's under my tools on Chrome.
Your problem sounds exactly like the one I have with Grammarly.
473 2017-07-10 03:40:16
Re: Loooong delays (19 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Do you have Grammarly downloaded and working in the background as you type? If so, that could be your problem. For some reason, it slows me down like you describe. I have to go to my extensions and disable it when I come on this site. It works fine anywhere else for me, just not here. Just a thought.
474 2017-07-10 03:36:43
Re: Say the first word that comes to mind... (1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
If you're determined to shoot off your mouth, you will put your foot in it.
475 2017-07-09 14:59:38
Re: Say the first word that comes to mind... (1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
heel and toe