Welcome!
...to the Writers’ Block Welcome Post! Here you can find everything you need to know to navigate this fantastic evolution of the Fiction Workshop. That’s right, we’re not just fiction anymore!
Fiction-only is soooo last week
First things first, find your niche! Available rooms are listed below along with recommended etiquette (mainly pants-related). Please be aware that depending on the time of day it may be quiet or there may be a riot. Feel free to pop in and say “Hello.” We love noobs. We will welcome you so warmly you’ll be wondering if we maintain our youthful appearances by bathing in the blood of hapless visitors. We don’t. It’s all down to eliminating free-radicals. Or is it increasing them? I don’t know. And if no one is around, they may be off sacrificing a virgin, but only on paper. Or plastic. Paper would likely get soaked and the carpet…
Where was I? Oh yes, the rooms:
General:
Manners required, pants optional. This is generally (see what I did there?) the most active room. You have a very good chance of finding someone here day or night. You really should stop by and introduce yourself there before moving on to the more focused rooms. There may be a lot of chatting about anything from booby traps to party boobs to palindromes in general (see what I did there?). Do not fear to tread. Interrupt. Shout. Announce yourself. A newcomer who wants to become a part of our community is top priority. These wrinkles ain’t gonna smooth themselves out…
Fiction Workshop:
Manners req-- you know what? Just assume that manners are required in every room, pants are required in none. This is where you want to be to stretch your bullshit muscles, invent new worlds, and make sure you aren’t posting stuff that sounds like a Creepypasta or--worse--50 Shades of Grey. This is the place to hone your craft if you want to write marketable fiction that a mainstream publishing house would actually buy. We have a fantastic peer review system and a streamlined submissions process you can learn about here but do yourself and us a favor: READ ALL THE INFO THERE BEFORE SUBMITTING! Dude, we aren’t trying to be uptight, but if we’re going to read your submission and give you hours of free editing and feedback, the least you can do is read the guidelines we took the time to write. There aren’t many, but the few there are make for a better experience for you and us. Most importantly, come ready to work because we don’t fuck around. That’s for General.
Poetry Workshop:
Poets of all levels are welcome to request feedback and give feedback. BE NICE! No trolls allowed in any rooms, but in particular, since critique happens right in the chat here, be warned. Manners are not optional. There is no special submission procedure since poetry is generally shorter than other types of writing we deal with. That’s not a challenge to bring the next Troilus and Criseyde, hopefully, you can go ahead and post your original work directly into the room for folks to give you feedback. This means the text, not a link to your Steemit post. From time to time we might ask you to drop a link. If so, that's great, drop away! But otherwise, there is only one room for open, unfettered link-pasting and that’s the Community Miscellaneous room. Start dropping links uninvited anywhere else and you’ll be the next contribution to our Fountain of Youth. Or we might just ban you, depends on the moon cycle.
Playwright Workshop:
If your piece of fiction bosses actors around, this is the place for you. Stage, screen, audio plays, and more. If you’re working with any kind of script, bring your baby by. This place is brand new but growing faster than the pile of bodies in the alley behind our rejuvenation spa.
Non-Fiction Workshop:
Has the world not yet driven you into the arms of sweet, sweet fantasy? Are you still interested in reality and the sharing of real shit with others via the written word? God love you, brave soul, this is the place you need to be. Whether you’re writing on family, politics, philosophy, or the disturbing trend of disappearances linked to incredibly hot, young authors, the folks here will help you polish, trim, and basically deliver nonfiction posts almost as attractive as the folks running the workshop.
Technical Writing Workshop:
Not going to lie. This is new, I have no idea what it is, but I’ll bet if you need to be there, you do. So godspeed, friend!
And that’s all of our workshops. There are a bunch of other cool rooms, like be sure to check out Contests and all of the rooms where we post links to recommended reading. As mentioned before, the Community Miscellaneous room is open for anyone to post, but posting in any other link rooms is restricted to established members. This is a work environment and while we have a lot of fun, we aren’t here for spamming and self-promotion. We’re here for community and self-improvement.
Even if it sounds that way sometimes…
Finally, if you show up and no one is around, please feel free tag a couple of the folks you see listed as online in the righthand side of the screen with gold colored names. They are all longtime members who will be happy to help just as soon as they can. If you prefer to just wander the halls, check out the pinned messages in each room by clicking on the little thumbtack icon; a lot of good info can be found there. If you are completely befuddled and no one is around, don’t hesitate to send me a direct message @We Should be Writing (jrhughes) on Discord. I’ll get in touch just as soon as I can.
Jokes aside, we all hope you have a wonderful experience on the Writers’ Block. We truly are a fun and diverse collection of creative folks who are here to get better at what we do. We look forward to seeing you around!
