To register, simply click Sign Up link which appears at the very top of your screen.
How do I Login?
To login, click the Login link which you see in the very top right corner of your screen. If it's not there it means you're already logged in.
I've lost / want to change my password, what do I do?
Go to our Lost Password page and you will be able to reset it.
I've lost / want to change my username, what do I do?
Go to our Lost Username page and you will be able to reset it.
I've already registered and I know my Username and Password, but I can't log back in.
First, make sure you're logging in with your username and not your display name. Your display name is the one which the rest of the public sees (the name which appears on your writing, profile, etc.) Your username is just used for signing in. It's a little confusing I know, but just make sure you're signing in with your username.
Second, in order to log in on WritersCafe.org, you must have cookies enabled in your browser. To this, click tools on the top menu of your browser and follow these instructions:
Internet Explorer
- Select 'Internet Options' from the drop down menu
- Click on the 'Privacy' tab
- Adjust the privacy level to Medium-High or lower
- Alternately, you can click 'Advanced' in the Privacy tab and adjust cookie levels there
Mozilla Firefox
- Selecte 'Options' from the drop down menu
- Click the 'Cookies' tab
- Tick the 'Allow sites to set Cookies' box
How do I post my writing?
At the top of your screen you see a navigation bar. Click the arrow next to the 'Writing' tab in the navigation bar and you'll see several links including Add Writing (it won't be there if you haven't registered or aren't signed in).
How do I edit or delete my writing?
At the top of your screen you see a navigation bar. Click the arrow next to the 'Writing' tab in the navigation bar and you'll see several links including Manage Writing (it won't be there if you haven't registered or aren't signed in). There you can edit, delete, feature, or share any and all of your writing.
I added my writing, but the text doesn't display properly.
Safari
Our text editor doesnt' work in some older versions of Safari (older than 1.3) so if you're a Mac user, you may have to use the Old Text Editor (you'll see a link to access this just above the text editor on the Add Writing page).
If you're pasting your writing from a Word document in Safari, you might also find that some characters (quotes, dashes, etc.) don't appear properly. To get around this click the Paste as Plain Text icon. Paste your Word text into the popup which appears and all the characters should display correctly,though you may lose some of the page formatting (indents, line spacing, etc.).
Other Problems
If your story is missing a line or two of text at the end, this is a different problem. The text edtior isn't closing the tags it applies to your text (all the crap you see in the 'Code' view). Our suggestion is press enter twice at the end of your text. Then click the 'Preview' button at the bottom of the Text Editor to make sure it appears right.
Also, as a last resort, you're always free to use the Old Text Editor by clicking the [old text editor] link which appears just above and to the right of the new text editor.
My Stage Play/Screenplay doesn't look right
If you're using a script writing software (such as Final Draft) and you've pasted the text into our Rich Text Editor, it may not look right. To fix this, first save your script as a text only file, then open and copy that version and paste it into the Rich Text Editor. It should work fine then.
Can anyone start a Writing Contest?
Yes. Any registered WritersCafe.org users can start a contest. Because of this, you should always be cautious about anyone who promises a large cash prize for a contest. If you visit their profile (by clicking the Moderator photos which appears at the top right part of the Contest) you can see how long they've been a member, how active they are, etc.
Note: as a rule, no one can charge an entry fee for a contest. You should never have to pay one on WritersCafe.org and if you see a contest charging an entry fee, let us konw and we can take the approriate action.
Not all of my writing appears on a contest's Submission page
Each contest has it's own rules as to the writing they'll accept as set by the contest moderator. Sometimes they only accept writign of a specific genre (Horror, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, etc.) or of specific type (Poetry, Stories, Books, etc.) As such we only allow you to submit writing which will comply with the contest's rules.
I entered a contest and it's long since completed, but no winners have been chosen.
This sometimes happens. We send the moderator messages about reading submissions and picking winners, but we obviously can't force them to do it. In such cases the contest drifts away to the island of forgotten contests.
How do I pick the winners for my contest?
When the submission deadline has been met, the contest will automatically close and you'll be sent a message with a link to where you can read through the submissions.
You must mark each and every submission as 'Good' or 'Bad' and have the proper number of finalists (equal to the number of awards you're giving) before you can move on to the next step. When you have categorized all submissions and have the proper number of finalists, a button will appear just under the finalists section which allows you to either assign awards or open voting (depending on the option you selected when you created the contest).
How do I add a friend?
In the top right corner of every writer's profile you'll see several links, including an 'Add to Friends' link. Once you click the link, the writer is sent a Friend Request, if he/she approves it, you're friends.
How do I change my Top 10 friends?
If you click the arrow next to your My Profile tab, then click the Friends link you'll be able to manage all your friends. To change your Top 10 friends, click the Top 10 tab and select how you'd like to display your Top 10.
Another writer is annoying/harassing me. What do I do?
You can block writers by clicking the Block Writer link which appears in the top right corner of each writer's profile.
By blocking a writer, you block them from sending you messages and from viewing your profile or writing. You are also prevented from seing the writer's profile/writing/etc.
If the harassement is serious and you fear it may affect more people in the WritersCafe.org community, you should report it to us by using our Contact page.
How do I edit my profile?
You can edit your profile by clicking the Account link found which appears when you click the arrow next to your My Profile tab.
How do I add a background to my profile?
We don't allow backgrounds on WritersCafe.org profiles because the code often disables the writer's other functions.
How do I add music to my profile?
You may have noticed that several WritersCafe.org users have music on their profiles. If you'd like to add music to your own profile you can visit a website which provides embeddable playlists (such as Playslist.com). Once you've created your playlist, these websites will provide you with a small amount of code. You then simply have to go to your 'Account' page and paste the code into the 'Biography' section of your profile.
My avatar isn't showing up properly.
Avatars must be in .jpg format. If they're not, they probably won't upload properly. Also, try pressing Ctrl + F5 while you're on your Photos page (this resets your cache and reloads all photos anew).
Note: We resize the photos to 100 x 75 pixels so some of your avatar may be trimmed off. This is normal.
I uploaded a new Avatar, but my profile still displays the old one.
This can usually be solved by simply going to your Photos page and pressing Ctrl + F5.
I receive all these e-mails about 'New Messages' and 'Friend Requests' and it's pissing me off.
You can turn each of these e-mail notices off or on by going to you Account page and clicking the Options tab.
I receive alot of 'Read Requests' and it's annoying me.
Read Requests can be turned off or on by on your Options page.
What are points?
Points are a away for us and the rest of the WritersCafe.org community to track how active each writer is. You receive points for several different actions such as reviewing other writer's work or sharing your writing with others [see a full list here]. The more points you have, the higher you appear on the Writers search and rank pages.
What are badges?
Badges are a way for us to reward writers who have had a special impact on WritersCafe.org. There are several different kinds of badges, each with their own requirements. For a full list see our Badges page.
How do I unblock someone?
If you blocked them after June 15th, 2007, you should see a 'Unblock' link when you try and visit the person's profile. Click the link to unblock them.
If you blocked them before June 15th, 2007, send me a note about it (along with the blocked person's username) using our Contact page and I can unblock them for you.
How do I close my account?
We never delete accounts, but if you like, you can close your account by going to the Account section of your profile and clicking the Close tab.
I closed my account, now how do I reopen it?
If you go to the same place where you closed your account, the Close tab on your Account page, you can reopen your account.
The website I've listed on my profile isn't working.
You may have included the http:// before your web address. You don't need to include this as we add it for you.
You can edit your profile in the Account section of your profile.
I've posted my writing, but I haven't gotten any reviews. What should I do?
Tips for getting reviews:
Review Other's Writing
The easiest and most reliable way to get reviews is by reviewing another writer's writing first. When you do this, they are sent a message urging them to return the favor by reviewing your work.
Share Your Writing
We offer several tools which allow you to share your writing [found in the box which appears next to your writing] including creating links, sharing on facebook, bookmarking, and sending to friends.
Add A Photo
Simply adding a photo to your writing can help to draw attention. [edit writing]
Keep it Short
Reading 20 pages takes along time and it can be hard to convince other's to go to the trouble [especially for new writers]. Try posting shorter works to start out with or, if you can, break the writing up into sections.
Include a Title/Description
It seems obvious, but many writers leave them out making it harder for would be readers to get an idea of what they'd be reading. [edit writing]
Write Well
In the end, good writing trumps all.
I see some writings have Ratings, but I don't see where I can rate a piece of writing.
We don't allow you to rate a story until you've given it a review. Once you give a review, you'll be taken to a new page where you can Rate the writing, edit your review, add notes to your review, share the writing with your friends, or find related writing.
What are Notes?
Once you've reviewed a piece of writing, you have to option to add Notes to it. Notes are most easily compared to the suggestions you would scribble into the margin's of a paper copy of the writing. They can suggest revisions, point out spelling and grammar errors, offer praise, give your general impression, or say pretty much anything else you think needs to be said. You also recieve 1 point for each note you post in a story.
How are the Top Writers/Writings Chosen?
The Top Writers/Writings (as they appear on the Writers/Writing home pages) are based upon user ratings (both the average and the number of ratings are taken into account).
Suffice it to say that by posting your work you allow us, WritersCafe.org/Aresta Enterprise, a perpetual, irrevocable, world-wide, royalty free and non-exclusive license to use, distribute, reproduce, modify and publicly display such Content.
That is to say, you allow us to post it. We don't get paid and we don't have exlusive rights to your work. Aresta Enterprise does not claim ownership of Content you submit or make available for inclusion on the Service.
Where'd My Writing Go?
Due to a major glitch (named Charlie) all our writing was lost on Feburary 4th, 2008, meaning all writing before that date is no longer on WritersCafe.org.
All future writing will (and is being) backed up to prevent a similar problem in the future. We apologize and hope you find it in your heart to continue sharing your writing with us.
