Unfortunately, I'm on a fixed income. I'll be on Windows 7/Office 2007 until I drop dead.
It's good to know, though, that there simply isn't capacity for the time being. Reigns in expectations big time.
Thanks for the update.
Dirk
3,626 2016-01-05 05:56:26
Re: forum search enhancement request (4 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
3,627 2016-01-05 04:52:39
Re: forum search enhancement request (4 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
In addition to the above potential forum enhancements, a useful addition would be a keyword field to go along with new threads. Since there are any number of possible keywords of interest to a large site, it should be a text field that accepts comma-separated keywords. I think most people would quickly adapt to a core group of most commonly used keywords on the site and use them as well. And if they are commonly used, in time, it would be possible to add a popup screen to quickly select them, while still allowing everyone to enter custom keywords of their choice. The originator of the thread should be able to edit the keywords at any time, since a thread that generates a lot of interest would probably benefit from adding more keywords for archival purposes. For example, I would use the keyword 4017 on all threads related to my books, regardless of what group I post them in. I could then find them with a quick keyword search.
The keyword feature and quick access to the forum search might help alleviate the pain many of us are still feeling about the lack of a single best place to put our threads and find others.
Thanks.
Dirk
3,628 2016-01-05 00:40:24
Re: Group access vs. display vs. visible? (48 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Vern, a key factor is that no publishing house will even consider us if all the plot spoilers are freely available on the net along with every comment ever made to anyone here in what is supposed to be a protected site. While anyone can join for a few bucks, it's a minimal level of protection to our intellectual property. They can't steal or expose something if they don't know it exists.
3,629 2016-01-04 21:24:50
Re: Group access vs. display vs. visible? (48 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
You have a valid point, Linda, and if some of it has to be public, so be it. Buyer beware.
However, we still don't know how to set group access, display, and visibility settings to create a group that is as open as possible to members while keeping the forum private. Sol said the forums can be made private, but the solution he offered didn't work. Several of us have tried. I also couldn't find a definition of access, display, and visibility in the site's help section.
I hope he'll weigh in with a clearer explanation about this.
3,630 2016-01-04 20:31:47
Re: Group access vs. display vs. visible? (48 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
You also have to consider posting in any thread where you don't really have much control as to what others say in the same thread. I've been in a number of threads that went off the rails into ranting arguments. Most of us just quietly exit the thread. However, if it's public, your name is tied to its content, including whatever rude or inappropriate comments are being made. Just imagine, everything we've ever said or asked in Premium is public for the whole Internet.
3,631 2016-01-04 18:45:08
Topic: Group access vs. display vs. visible? (48 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Sol, can you please summarize for everyone what the difference is between group access, display, and visible settings, and how to set each of them so that our forum posts are not accessible to everyone on the Internet.
Right now, the Medieval Fantasy Magic group (run by Amy) is preparing to go completely dark to keep our forum posts private within the TNBW site. Unfortunately, that will mean anyone who likes to read forum posts within the group before joining and posting their work or forum comments there will no longer be able to do so. They won't even know it exists. We'll become even more siloed than we already are.
This is a big deal! Everything we've ever said in any thread on this site is being laid bare for the whole Internet to see. Fat chance ever getting a book publishing deal if every uncensored moment about our writing and participation in these groups is visible to the whole world, including book spoilers and casual messgaes in any of the forums we've used to date.
Book publishers won't touch us because of the potential PR disaster of even one of our comments being taken out of context.
How come a book publishing site that goes to great length to protect the written books, stories, poems, etc., allows everything else we say to be read by non-members of the site. The forum posts are part of the writing process and should be treated just like the written work.
Please let us know how to handle this because, right now, there are quite a few power users of your site scrambling to figure out how to handle this situation and yet still allow for as much collaboration with others on the site to continue.
Thanks.
Dirk
3,632 2016-01-03 20:11:55
Topic: useful grammar site (0 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)
Accidentally put this in Premium. Probably belongs here.
The following site could be useful to anyone who thinks grammar rules is the same as grandma rules!
http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/
3,633 2015-12-28 18:34:39
Re: -ing vs -ed verb forms (26 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)
Based on the discussion, I need to reduce my use of -ing. As Janet Reid has said, I think there's a place for them. Variety, spice of life, etc.
*gets ready to duck*
Thanks to all.
Dirk
3,634 2015-12-27 22:37:59
Re: -ing vs -ed verb forms (26 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)
Janet, what makes the -ing verb preferable on this example?
3,635 2015-12-27 05:42:55
Re: -ing vs -ed verb forms (26 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)
Charles_F_Bell wrote:
Norm d'Plume wrote:Why?
The same reason an author will avoid passive verbs and useless, vague, or weak adverbs. It weighs down the narration.
The very same reason an author actively will surely clearly avoid using passive verbs that come to his imagination when writing, weighing down the ongoing narration, making for his reading audience a boring lot of superfluous information, crunching out facts, and sweeping tidbits of floating debris washing overboard a Titanic, sinking fast, and on and on, ad infinitum till one falls off into sleep under the hypnotic power of same-sounding -ing words.
LOL. I can't tell if you like them or hate them. However, I freely acknowledge that the preceding sentence doesn't need the first instance of "them."
I can just feel the royalty checks rolling in.
3,636 2015-12-27 00:40:25
Re: Listings of new stuff (13 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
At a minimum, it couldn't hurt to do what Sol suggested, which is to rename the label to New Book Chapters.
3,637 2015-12-26 21:32:30
Re: -ing vs -ed verb forms (26 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)
Why?
3,638 2015-12-26 19:41:04
Re: -ing vs -ed verb forms (26 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)
Anyone?
3,639 2015-12-25 21:48:58
Re: I saw SNOW!!!!! (48 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Imagine the size of the snowplow. 8-)
3,640 2015-12-25 15:18:37
Re: I saw SNOW!!!!! (48 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
io Saturnalia, pagans!
3,641 2015-12-25 15:00:32
Re: Merry Christmas (2 replies, posted in Spirituality & Religion)
Thank you, Janet. Have a happy holiday!
3,642 2015-12-24 23:40:14
Re: Listings of new stuff (13 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
While we're at it, can you change the number of displayed new works published by our connections from 7 to 10? Most of the other new listings are ten.
3,643 2015-12-24 22:40:04
Re: Listings of new stuff (13 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
SolN wrote:
How about New Book Chapters?
Good idea.
3,644 2015-12-24 05:33:12
Re: next series (1 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Then I better get back to reading it, otherwise I'll have to pay for a copy. :-)
I've been watching your posting rate, BTW. Mind-blowing. Very impressive.
3,645 2015-12-23 04:39:29
Re: Acts/ Dictates/ Mandates/ Mantle - Amy's Thread (1,905 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
During the Carter years, mortgage rates were so high, one couple was featured eating cat food just so they could make their payments. Of course, I don't remember those years personally. According to Amy, I'm much too young for that.
3,646 2015-12-23 01:56:18
Topic: -ing vs -ed verb forms (26 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)
One of my reviewers has recommended that I avoid verb forms that end with -ing and write the sentence using -ed verb endings.
Here is an example with -ing verbs:
As each remaining ship’s shields failed, it dove down at the palace at maximum thrust, plowing into the superstructure,
and setting off enormous fireballs that shook the bunker.
Here it is with -ed:
As each remaining ship’s shields failed, it dove down at the palace at maximum thrust, plowed into the superstructure,
and set off enormous fireballs that shook the bunker.
Verb police, please weigh in.
3,647 2015-12-22 15:38:11
Re: RM Matthew's thread (56 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
amy s wrote:
Maybe I'll just use the alphabet that K loves so dearly when naming characters.
I thought I was the only one who loves using the alphabet to name characters: Ensign Ecks (X), Dr. Ess (S), and Lady Kay (K).
3,648 2015-12-18 14:51:17
Re: I saw SNOW!!!!! (48 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
janet reid wrote:
Just had the first snow for the year. Well, what I call snow. I don't even think it was half an inch and it's already starting to melt, but it was AWESOME. I was a kid again today. I've touched snow twice in my 42 year existence before today. But I have never ever ever seen snow falling from the skies. It was AWESOME. At first, I thought, nah, it's slush. But then it became real snowflakes. And then it started to cover the roofs, lawns, streets, and everything. Everything is covered in white right now. Just in time for Christmas too!!! I'm super excited.
I also ate snow. It tastes like cold water!
We're still planning to go snow hunting a couple of times over the next 2 weeks over the school holidays. Proper snow, measured in feet, not inches. With sleds, we're going snow hunting and then we're going to have fun. With sleds. whooo-hoooo! And build a snowman. We have to, right?! *high 5*
Have I mentioned how AWESOME it was?!!!!!!! It was. I'm enjoying the feeling while it lasts.
Ha' ye been drinkin' a wee barrel o' mead, lass?
Enjoy.
3,649 2015-12-08 20:26:40
Re: The Sorcerer's Progress (1,528 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
How about not knowing if the end of the book is going to blow up in my face? :-)
3,650 2015-12-01 05:56:50
Re: New writer (8 replies, posted in Spirituality & Religion)
Join christianforums.com for research purposes. There many people there who ask/answer questions. It's beeb very helpful to me as I am writing a similar book. Also, post your questions in this group, and someone will probably help you. Also, the obvious source is the Bible. My story characters prefer the King James version, which is primarily due to my preference for that version. There are also good books for and against Christianity at Amazon that helped me a great deal in defining a conservative Christian world.
