Ideally, JP's style of list should be available at the click of one button (at most) located near the top of the home page, rather than the bottom. Scrolling for it is annoying. The button at the bottom that Cobber is referring to takes me to a listing of all books in my groups, not all writing. I'm not sure if that's specific to me. And the pictures on those pages are so large, it takes forever to scroll through them. The old site managed to get it down to one line per published work, which was great for scanning at a glance, like a spreadsheet. If the pictures are a must-have, use the small ones, like on the home page.
3,727 2015-08-23 19:15:29
Re: The Colorless Dragons - Elisheva Free (14 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Welcome back, Don.
3,728 2015-08-23 18:57:44
Re: Site Bugs 2 (342 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
vern wrote:
You can go to the latest post already by clicking on that instead of the topic.
Vern, how do you do that. I typically click on the link that shows up under Visit Your Groups on the home page. That takes me to the first page of the thread. I then have to click to get to the last page and then scroll down to get to the end. Is there a better way?
The email notifications/links telling me that there is something new to read on the site always go directly to the most recent unread post. I'm not sure why the links from the home page don't work that way. That might address Mike's needs.
Thanks
Dirk
3,729 2015-08-23 03:09:28
Re: The Colorless Dragons - Elisheva Free (14 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Although there are authors who can write without a roadmap, I can't. I wrote the book content summary and then a chapter-by-chapter outline to keep me on track. Nothing was written in stone, but it was a useful guide.
3,730 2015-08-23 02:36:15
Re: The Colorless Dragons - Elisheva Free (14 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Goodness you're quick. Nice dragon pic, BTW. My only feedback about the summary is that, as written, it seems like two separate stories (the girls and the dragons). I suggest adding something about what ties them all together.
3,731 2015-08-23 02:32:25
Re: The Colorless Dragons - Elisheva Free (14 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
It would help to evaluate the chapter if we know a bit more about the story. Book content summary. Hint. :-)
3,732 2015-08-23 02:25:34
Re: The Colorless Dragons - Elisheva Free (14 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
It couldn't hurt to get early feedback. It may give you some ideas for how to write a more complete draft without having to start from scratch. You can always use the system's version control to publish another version of the same chapter. Most people then make the older version inactive. Don't delete the inactive version until you're sure you're done with it, since I think the reviews are deleted along with it.
On a seperate note, be sure to join the Medieval/Fantasy Magic group and start a thread there for ongoing feedback and discussions about your book, unless you prefer to keep it here. I actually write sci-fi but most of my reviewers are into fantasy, so I spend most of my time in that group's forum.
3,733 2015-08-22 22:12:40
Re: Wishlist Cont. (212 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
The advanced search capability is a wonderful way to find old posts. Would it be possible to move it to a more obvious location, like the home page? Also, it would help if there was a checkbox to search "my groups" without having to scroll through that very long list of groups and check each one individually. Ideally, the list of groups should be in alphabetical order, otherwise it's like finding a needle in a haystack. Finally, groups hidden from me shouldn't show up in the list at all, although that's not as big a deal if the other enhancements above are implemented.
Thanks,
Dirk
3,734 2015-08-22 21:00:55
Re: Home Page Listings (11 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
A third option is to provide a button on the home page that takes you to All Works. Obviously, that still requires an extra click, so I'm not sure if it would make things easier.
3,735 2015-08-22 19:34:45
Re: Home Page Listings (11 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Although I'm open to this, I suspect other users have grown accustomed to grouping works by type. One possibility is to make the home page configurable so that a user can choose which way they want it displayed. Another option is for the system to remember which new work we last read and provide a count on the home page next to each"more" button showing how many new works we haven't read of each type.
One related request is to modify the "more" screens to use the small images rather than the big ones. That makes it easier to scan the list of works.
Regards,
Dirk
3,736 2015-08-19 18:04:44
Re: Male to Female Ratios (99 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Elisheva Free wrote:
I have changed both the oil and tires on my truck.
Impressive. Most impressive. Obi-Wan has taught you well.
3,737 2015-08-19 15:05:16
Re: Male to Female Ratios (99 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I have binders full of women to choose from.
3,738 2015-08-19 03:08:24
Topic: A.D. The Bible Continues (0 replies, posted in Spirituality & Religion)
I just watched the first two episodes of this TV series. So far, it's phenominal. The writing, casting, music, and production quality are astounding for a TV series. It's probably the best Bible adaptation I've seen since the Ten Commandments. It's the Roman era, so there is violence.
It's available for online streaming at Amazon. You can pay per $3 episode or get the whole season for $20. It's also available on DVDs. Unfortunately, NBC has decided to cancel the series after just one season.
3,739 2015-08-19 00:59:38
Re: Linear vs. Non-linear narrative (3 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
I read two of your three opening chapters. I agree with NJC. Unless you plan to trim a lot of that, it's too much material for flashbacks. It'll just cause confusion. Go with a linear progression.
3,740 2015-08-19 00:12:26
Re: Male to Female Ratios (99 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
One factor to consider is your target audience. I write sci-fi, which is largely a male audience. As a result, my two MCs are male, each partially based on me. However, I created a few very strong female characters to balance that out (e.g., a female monarch on a male-dominated world, a fearless fleet admiral, and an empress who can be very dangerous when her son is threatened). Admittedly, I also have a few female characters who are doormats, but I plan to address that in my next draft.
3,741 2015-08-18 01:51:00
Re: Northern Skies - Janet! (520 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
I'm averaging one book every five years. :-)
3,742 2015-08-16 23:41:14
Re: Northern Skies - Janet! (520 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Just post it. No worries. Amy's going to rewrite it anyway.
3,743 2015-08-16 13:39:09
Re: Site Bugs 2 (342 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I just accidentally re-reviewed someone's short story and got points for both reviews. The first was a regular review that I had forgotten about, and the second was an inline review. I got points for both, which isn't really correct system behavior. It should recognize that I've already done a previous review and notify me that that is the case.
I can't believe I'm complaining about receiving too many points. :-)
3,744 2015-08-15 13:49:51
Re: Acts/ Dictates/ Mandates/ Mantle - Amy's Thread (1,905 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Two grades better than PhD.
3,745 2015-08-14 12:41:39
Re: Acts/ Dictates/ Mandates/ Mantle - Amy's Thread (1,905 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
K is going to have to teach me how to spell all those ou words. Also, I'll need help with the pronounciation of z and about.
Safe for work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRI-A3vakVg
3,746 2015-08-13 19:24:42
Re: Site Bugs 2 (342 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Thank you, sir.
3,747 2015-08-13 05:29:18
Re: Acts/ Dictates/ Mandates/ Mantle - Amy's Thread (1,905 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
I'm a curse and I crossed the border just fine. They even gave me a little card that says I can stay for ten years. Of course now they want me to pay $450 to renew it. Screw 'em. I can collect disability just as well from Nunavut. Get the spare room ready for me, K. I'm coming home!
3,748 2015-08-13 03:43:52
Re: Werewarrior of the Moon Eye Silent Militia (6 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
I can attest to Amy's claim. She will rewrite your book, given the chance. But, as you can tell from the way she spells breathe, spelling and punctuation are not among her strengths. That's where we come in. I personally have taken on the duty of finding all of the places where she hit the space bar once too often in her chapters.
Welcome to the circus, Master Keyes.
3,749 2015-08-13 03:34:56
Re: Acts/ Dictates/ Mandates/ Mantle - Amy's Thread (1,905 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
KHippolite wrote:
Airen's Ring... now as you know, Airen is secretly Behira. I can tell you the story of her ring...Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in Aerie stone,
Nine for Mortal Mages, doomed to die,
One for the Dark Queen on her dark throne
In the Land of Tos Gwsa where the Shadows lie.One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to summon the creepers and in the darkness bind them.
You show great promise as a writer, K. Do the worms get their own book, BTW?
3,750 2015-08-12 10:24:25
Re: Acts/ Dictates/ Mandates/ Mantle - Amy's Thread (1,905 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
I'm on it as soon as my pupils can see straight.
