I've been putting some thought into expanding Writer's Corner.
Right now, the group bylaws/posting guidelines read:
A place for writers of fiction and creative non-fiction to assemble. Story contest information, constructive critiques of work-in-progress, support in those dark and lonely moments of the writer.
When I first created Writer's Corner, it was with the intent to create a place on Newsvine where members can seed or write articles relating to writing.
To that end, here is a list of topics I believe are appropriate for this group:
--Information about writing contests or upcoming submission deadlines
--Articles about writers and their processes
--Articles about writing: better ways to do it, ways to get past writer's block, recommendations of various writing books
Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list, and group members are welcome to email me with suggestions of topics to add.
All of that is well and good.
I'd like to refine, and expand, the definition of the content that is welcome in this group, as well as talk about what kinds of conversations I'd like to see take place in the group (soon to be Nation) threads.
Here's what I'm thinking right now, and this is subject to change based upon feedback from current group members and those who are interested in joining a group/Nation that is focused on writing. I'd love to create an active place for writers to talk about the craft, to share their work, to seek feedback and support, and more. But I do not want the group to become a dumping ground.
PROPOSAL for the Writer's Corner Nation
Members can post:
- Original fiction, be it final edit or work-in-progress. Authors can specify within a comment if they're looking for constructive feedback, or if they just want to share the work with others.
- Original essays about the writing process, ways to get past writer's block, etc.
- Seeds: writing contests, articles about the writing process, about writers, about anything writing-related
I'd like for members to be able to post original creative non-fiction: essays, travel pieces, etc. but I'm not quite sure how to do that without opening the group up to allowing everything written by a member. Then we might as well just be Newsvine. This is focused on the writing and the writer and the writing process.
Following the lead of Newsvine Photographers, I thought "What if we set aside specific days for specific types of original content?"
- Fiction Fridays: post original fiction, either to share or seeking feedback
- Weekend Writers Retreat: Perhaps someone (me, or we could maybe come up with a revolving schedule of volunteers) could put up a weekend writing prompt, and we could all tackle it over Saturdays and Sundays and post the results?
- Monday Motivation: I'll post a list of journal prompts for the week to motivate us to journal each day.
- Tuesday: Creative Non-Fiction Day--essays, travel journals, memoir, etc. I'm not quite sure which kinds of content to specify yet
- Wednesday: submission challenge day. I'll post a list of writing contests with upcoming deadlines or some magazines or journals and their submission guidelines, perhaps over the weekend, and on Wednesday, we all submit something somewhere and post a comment that we've done it. Once we've received our acceptance or rejection, we can update with the results and either celebrate with or console each other.
- Thursday: Process discussions?
Seeds can be posted any time and can cover any writing-related subject. See the current group front page for the kinds of things that are seeded now. That's pretty much what I'm thinking.
Writer's Corner? Or...
I don't recall the original impetus behind naming the group "Writer's Corner." It's fine, but I'd like to maybe rename it to fully encompass the range of work we'd like to accomplish with each other. Perhaps Writer's Workshop? Writer's Retreat? Writer's Conference? Writers in Residence? Ideas are definitely welcome.
Please share any thoughts you might have. What do you want in a writer's group on Newsvine? What would be most helpful to you?
