Project: Writer Forum New Working Group Idea

So as we wait for the next groups to be formed, here's an idea...

Maybe for the next round of groups, pick separate genres for groups. You can have the basic ones like,

Humor
Romance
Horror

And then split the groups up like that. Once the groups are assigned, give it about a week for everyone to write something BRAND NEW for that genre. This way we would all be reading something fresh, something that hasn't had time to have been reviewed by hundreds of previous writers. This will not only give us a fresh new look at work but also it allows us to see how the writer has evolved and become better since they first joined the site.

Just an idea is all...

but yes, we are becoming overly anxious for the next round of groups to start.

I think I'd rather keep the groups to existing works. I've got so many projects going that writing something new to have a small group review it just eats into my already limited time.

We could divide into groups by genre and then let each group decide if it wants to create an "assignment," but that seems cross-purposes to me. Also, I find that getting reviews from people that don't ordinarily read my genres valuable. I'm also cross-genre, too, which complicates things.

What we might have some groups be strictly over 18. I have a few stories that are for mature audiences only and would like to get some reviews on them. That wasn't possible in our previous groups.

I am liking these ideas so far. Congrats to you Atlanta for winning the contest!

I will start the next working group shortly I can assure you, but I might sit this one out and allow the rest of you to work, purely because I'm in an uninspired mood at the moment and cannot think of anything to write about. I can happily submit something of mine previously, depending upon the group project outline.

I would like to see the forums being used more (even though for one group before it was being used quite well, hence this idea) as you can use the forums to better communicate with your like-minded (or not) reviewers and discuss bits about each other' work.

Give me a few days and I will sort something out for us all. As before I'll send out an email requesting who wishes to take part.

Just had a thought, what about a joint venture, whereby two writers come together and write a short story in two parts. That way members can discuss ideas as well as write them together.

I'll let you decide...

If we split into genres, I think I'd probably prefer to be in a fiction group. I could try it, but I don't typically write anything like horror or science fiction. And I like Atlanta's comment about how reviews from people who don't read the genre can be valuable.

As far as any separation goes, I'd most appreciate being in a group of people that are most likely to participate. I don't know that participation in any group was low last time, but if we're working toward something, I'd like to be with people who are willing to work.

Are we working toward something? I know that reviews are valuable, especially quality ones that are willing to point out the "negative" as well as the "positive," but when I think of a working group, I think of more than just reading and reviewing. That's why I tried to suggest things that might be challenging in some way and inspire discussion.

And I didn't really like my ideas. Except for the most boring one: Everyone submits a piece for review, reviews are conducted, discussions take place, rewrites begin, second drafts are submitted for re-review. Everyone gets the opportunity to examine the process, discuss the how's and why's, what they kept, what they didn't, why. I think it would be beneficial to go beyond just giving and getting reviews, but to applying them as well.

What does everyone think?

I do have another suggestion...

In a writing group I was brieflyu a part of, we started a story together, each of us writing a sentence or two to add to it, by doing it on a blog such as this. I think that would be a good idea. Cut out reviewing for now as we all know it can sometimes be a chore, instead concentrate on fuelling the story that's being driven. We can have several groups so that there's not 69-odd people trying to add to one story, especially when someone might have a great idea for it but then they miss their chance by someone else coming in before they get a chance to add anything.

We could also have rules, such as a person must wait for someone else to leave a sentence before they can add one again, or maybe say two other group members must leave a sentence each before they go to it, to allow for more than just a couple of people to write the story.

I also think having the groups related to different genres, for instance, sci-fi. romance, perhaps even poetry (I would find that interesting, such as having one person at a time write a line instead of, say, a verse).

What you all think?

Keep the ideas flowing.

I don't think that single sentence tag team writing is really that fruitful. It becomes more of a game than anything else. I once started something in a forum that each person could contribute as much as they wanted, when they wanted to. It threw up some interesting forks into the story, but unfortunately with them came some really extreme POV shifts. Eventually, people dropped out and that left me to continue it alone. I was the only one with an idea of how I wanted it to go.

I had a jaded 40-something detective trying to figure out a grizzly murder while musing on how strong and confident a WPC's voice was as she called out to him through a thick fog. I just wanted to bang my head on a wall.

Saying that, I still think writing a scene a time is more useful.

Yeah that does sound a lot better, doing a scene rather than a sentence. That way you get more of a chance to show everyone else what you're capable of, so to speak. I really meant that rather than just a sentence as I agree a sentence is sometimes too short. It can also be too constricting, you might have an idea and it will get up to speed and then suddenly your turn is over with and you've used up your however many lines.

That is why I would like to see small groups doing this; it will allow a group of like-minded (hence splitting into genres) people collaborating an idea together and then writing it. Maybe there can be a planning stage prior to the writing, so minor details like direction and flow of the story can be worked out. I understand that plot is not always the priority in a story, rather the characters, but it can be in these planning stages where characters can be 'sketched' as it were and brought to life with other characters created by other group members.

Let me know what you all think.

Divide us up into groups like last time and let each group decide what kind of story they want to write. Once each group has completed their story, or once the deadline is reached run a contest for them and post the best one as the featured story here.

That's a good idea, I like the sound of putting it into a contest. It could be one that anyone on the website could vote for instead of just the group itself.

I think this idea is coming on a treat. Any other ideas to add?

The smaller the groups the better. Perhaps groups of three. That way the writing will progress faster and there will be fewer conflicts because there are fewer schedules to work around. This might also make it easier to weed out the people that aren't going to participate, since you won't have to wait as long for someone to answer a question or contribute a scene. More stories to pick through for the contest as well.