FAQ for new Members, Ask Questions Here

[Andy]

:welcome:

This thread exists to answer a lot of the questions new users have here. If you want to ask something else, you can post your question in this thread and one of our existing members will answer it for you.;)


WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS SITE?

Young Writers Online was created so that young writers would be able to receive constructive advice on their work, so that they may become better writers and artists. We strive to do this by creating an environment where people can post any sincere literature, questions, suggestions, or critiques, and receive answers in a friendly, constructive manner. We encourage all writing and discussions, as long as they are posted without malicious intent and do not invite unnecessary drama or stress into the boards. We will take whatever reasonable action is necessary to ensure that this purpose is maintained.


WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE?

Shaun Duke (Shaun) and Andrew Kay (Andy) pay for and maintain the site, while playing an administration role. If you have questions or comments, you can e-mail them at: (Andy) calamire@gmail.com (calamire@gmail.com) or (Shaun) arconna@yahoo.com (arconna@yahoo.com)


IS MY WORK PROTECTED?

All work posted here remains the property of the author. We will not reproduce any part of any work posted without the author's consent. If you are worried about work being stolen, just remember that all posts here have a date, which proves you are the original author. If you are worried about ruining your First Printing Rights by posting your work tot he public, we have several members-only forums which will maintain those rights.


HOW DO I SUBMIT MY WORK AND READ OTHER PEOPLE'S WORK?

All writing can be found in the Literature Section (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/forumdisplay.php?f=39). To submit work, find the appropriate subsection and click "New Thread." To comment on other people's writing, click the "Post Reply" button on the same page as at writing.

We use a Points System (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/pointsguide.html) to make everyone does their fair share of comments. If you hardly comment on other people's writing, it will not let you post your work. At the same time, it helps ensure that the comments other members give to your writing are as detailed and helpful as possible.


WHAT ARE THE LIGHT BULBS I SEE EVERYWHERE?

In each post, next to each member's name, you'll see a light bulb. If it's turned on, that member is currently online. If it's off, that member is offline.


HOW DO I THANK PEOPLE?

When you feel someone had posted something really good or nice, you can thank them. To do this, click the green check mark (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/images/Yasumi/buttons/reputation.gif) at the bottom-left corner of their post.

To see how many people have thanked you, look directly under your avatar. To see posts other people thanked you for, go to your User Control Panel (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/usercp.php), and you'll see them listed.


WHAT ARE THE RANKINGS?

Rankings are little titles under your username which indicate how many posts you've made. Here is a list of the rankings used at YWO, and the number of posts needed to see them:

0-9: Literary Newbie
10-24: Novice Writer
25-49: Abstract Thinker
50-99: Idea Scribe
100-249: Scholarly Apprentice
250-499: Literary Artist
500-749: Aspiring Author
750-999: Creative Fanatic
1000-1999: Freelance Writer
2000-2999: Wordsmith
3000-3999: Language Creator
4000-4999: Maker of Worlds
5000 and up: Master of English


WHAT ARE THE FORUM RULES?

You can find the rules in the Info Center >> Site Info >> Rules (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/rules.php)

[Surt]

hey i just joined and i was wondering about posting literature.

Does the quality matter? As i myself have no real idea if what i am posting is good or not and i know one of the reasons to post is to try and find that out but i feel that if i post then i will just be spamming the forum with something that perhaps shouldn't even be there in the first place.

Im not sure if i've communicated what im actually asking here but if u understand then please help :D

[Rafael Domination]

Well, if it's related to the topic, then you have nothing to worry about. Besides, some of the old members are chronic spammers *Nyx-cough-Shadow-cough*, so unless you're posting nothing but stuff that doesn't relate, insulting, or just plain nonsense, then you should start being afraid.

But, as for the 'quality' of your work...don't worry too much about that either. We exist to 'better' the 'quality' of any novels, poems, stuff you post, so while it would be nice for you to revise your posts before you put them on, don't worry about making them perfect either.

Yeah, welcome to the site :D

[Nyx]

Welcome Surt, why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself in the forum?:)

Anyhow,the quality does matter as Riff-Raff *cough-also a big spammer-cough* pointed out to the extent of revising abit and taking your time before posting, but it doesn't mean you can't post stuff if you're a beginner because we are all here to learn.

[Alex]

like Raf said, welcome, and if you're playfully competative start a "hi" thread and we'll see if we can get it to more pages than mine's at =]]]]

[Andy]

hey i just joined and i was wondering about posting literature.

Does the quality matter? As i myself have no real idea if what i am posting is good or not and i know one of the reasons to post is to try and find that out but i feel that if i post then i will just be spamming the forum with something that perhaps shouldn't even be there in the first place.

Im not sure if i've communicated what im actually asking here but if u understand then please help :D
Just post your best work. Granted, each person's best work is going to be different, but the main idea is that you post your best so your best can become better. There's little point in posting something which you know is full of errors. People would just point out errors which you already know about, and there's little to gain from that.

But if your work is fantastic to the best of your knowledge, then post it. If other people can find ways to improve it, then you get smarter as a writer. :approve:

And don't forget to comment on other people's work as well. ;)

[Surt]

Ok thanks all. I posted something :D and I shall now get to commenting on other peoples work. And i'll introduce myself in the forum although I have no idea what to say.

Thanks again :)

[angela]

hello, people.
im just wondering how to find documents to read.. im a little bored at this time.. if there's anyone there, just reply!

thanks.
-anjee

[jordanisonfire]

If you have any questions, don't post loads of threads, PM a member. If you want to read or post any literature, click the literature link below the site's logo.

[angela]

ahk. how do i PM?
sorry..
=]

[jordanisonfire]

Click on the person's name you want to PM and then click "Send a private message to *person*".

[Tncowgirl]

Welcome to the site, it is a little confussing at first, If you have any questions you can pm me. :P

[Ichigo]

Yes, welcome to YWO have fun!

[Nyx]

You can PM me as well if you ever need to ask a question. Jordan already said this but I'll Repeat it anyway(:P): You can reader others work by clicking on Literature unde the Logo.:D

[angela]

thanks all!

appreciate everything.

[angela]

how do you let your prof. pic show up when posting comment/thread?

[Nyx]

By making your profile picture your avator. And here's how:
First you go to the UserCP (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/usercp.php)-then on the side bar click Edit Avator (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/profile.php?do=editavatar) And there you can either use a link or browse through your photos to pick you avie.:D

[Andy]

What's points?
Here:

http://www.youngwritersonline.net/showthread.php?t=43

[angela]

is it possible to change your display name ? Oo

[Andy]

No. As you can imagine, it would be really confusing if people could change their names whenever they wanted. Perhaps once or twice a year, we can hold an event where people can change their names. But not all the time.

[Manon]

I read over the thread, it says there's a big link to the Literature forum, but I can't find it. XD

I mean, I've found it, but I think the only way I can access it is to have it bookmarked. I use the Approx skin, if that makes any difference.

[Rafael Domination]

Hmmm...yes, I don't think the approx skin has the same interface as the others - it lacks the link to the literature section on top. Maybe you should try a different skin?

[Manon]

It seems as if the only skins that do have the link are the defaults. I don't think there's an actual link from the forum index, like any other forum, is there?

[Rafael Domination]

Hmm...you might have to ask the almighty admis for that ^^

[Manon]

Heh, no worries, my question's been answered already. Thanks all.

[Daniel (Kal) Prelipp]

what is my signature about?

[Lykaios]

Your signature is whatever you want it to be, it can be a quote you like a picture or somethign random. You make them. :)

[angela]

Oh man. I still haven't worked it out! How do you put a certain sentence or word in color?
I really want to critique. Again, I'm sorry it's taken so long --> had to say that.

[Nyx]

Simple steps:
1.Write the text.
2.Highlight it.
3. Click the arrow by the colour thing on top, it's right beside "sizes"
4.Choose a colour.
And voila. You have coloured text.
Does that make sense?

[angela]

Yes, it makes sense. Thanks !

[electrilad]

hello there. obviously, im new. and hopelessly confused. will someone please explain EVERYTHING to me?

[Andy]

hello there. obviously, im new. and hopelessly confused. will someone please explain EVERYTHING to me?
Make a new thread in The Newbie Zone and introduce yourself. Click the new thread button:

http://www.youngwritersonline.net/forumdisplay.php?f=2

[phantoka_surgeon]

why is the diffrence of maker of worlds and master of english so big?

[jordanisonfire]

Yeah. Most people who have high rankings just spam a lot.

-points at Raf and Nyx-

I, of course, do not spam. No. I don't. I'd rather have a lot of thanks points rather than a big rank.

[Phantom]

I spam.... A LOT... I'm bad at crits so that happens...

[Beakzz]

Hmm, I started a thread in the Literature section recently so I could post up the prologue for one of my stories. I was still unsure of what the title would be, so I posted the title as something like 'Prologue for a story I don't know the title of yet'. But now I have a title idea, and I was just wondering if there was any way I could change the name of the thread to the title of the story, 'The Void'?

Help help help? :) I don't mind if I can't, it's not a major problem.

[jordanisonfire]

PM one of the forum leaders. They have the ability to change thread titles.

[phantoka_surgeon]

what do u do when u get 100000 posts?

[Andy]

Nothing. It would be years before anyone got that far, so there's not much point.

And please stop quoting the entire first post. It's a waste of space and site resources.

[Silverwolf]

I'm so confused.................. how do you get avatar??????????????????????

[Rouge]

You. . . have one?

[dj4ever]

I think they figured it out tsuki. :P

[Silverwolf]

I finally figured it out about 3 minutes ago lol

[Rouge]

Oh.


Crap. Okay, my bad.

*is stupid*

[dj4ever]

No, you're not stupid.

Just a little clueless. :P lol
jk!

[Silverwolf]

don't worry you are not stupid................. i can be very confusing

[dj4ever]

Me too. No one ever gets my writing. They're always like "what the heck! confusing!"

[Rouge]

Hey, let's keep the spammaging to the Chatbox, shall we? :)

[Ruaidhri]

Err, quick question, is there any way of looking at who has thanked you and why?

[Starry]

It's on the "User CP" (control panel) main page, below the notepad thing and the subscriptions one. There's a list of your most recent Thanks points, what thread they're from, and the comments whoever left them responded with. It doesn't actually show who gave you the Thanks, but people usually say it in the comments anyway.

[Ruaidhri]

:), cool, thanks!

(No pun intended)

[bandile]

hi everyone hope to work well with you while having fun

[Rouge]

hi everyone hope to work well with you while having fun
. . . Are you looking to introduce yourself?
http://www.youngwritersonline.net/forumdisplay.php?f=2
Go here and make a new thread.

[dianne mandal]

thanks Andy, such a great help!

wonderful site :)

[__Flickety__]

Hi I'm just wondering how do you get a picture up to go with your name? If that makes any sense.

[Rouge]

An avatar?

You go to your User CP and click "Change Avatar" and browse for one saved on your computer. ^^

[Watch]

Hi, I was wondering how to (if I can) move one of my posts from short stories to members only? If you can help me please reply :D

[Bowie20049]

Ask a mod

[Edy85807]

Hi, i've only just joined and i was wondering how you put art on a post?

[Rouge]

As in a picture?

[Edy85807]

Yh, do you know how to do it?

[Rouge]

You would go to a website like tinypic or photobucket, get the IMG url and copy it into the text box.

[Edy85807]

Ok, ill try that. Thanks

[courtney]

no question.i'm fine.=) thank you.

[Rouge]

no question.i'm fine.=) thank you.

Then don't post, love.

[hanzy911]

how can i critique without people saying i've copied and pasted and am cheating system?? :confused: :(

[Jack]

how can i critique without people saying i've copied and pasted and am cheating system?? :confused: :(

You must click the 'quote' button in the bottom right corner of the person's post. That way you will have their work doesn't count towards critique points when you post your critique.

[hanzy911]

How do I move a piece of work to another section??
Thanks,
~Hanzy

[Majyk]

You, personally, can't. You have to ask a moderator.

[angel]

Why doesn't the chatroom open?!
I do have Jave(TM), but it keeps on telling me to try again in a few minutes!! :S

[angel of paradise]

hey nice website, bt how can i pm??????????????????

[lango]

Um... using fewer question marks makes us all much more inclined to help ya.
Anyways, the easiest way would be to click on the users name and post them a message on their page
Or, since you asked about private messages, and not just a message, when you're on the user's page, Press 'send message', it's right under their avatar, and choose 'Send private message' from the drop-down menu.
Hope I helped :P

[savantagious]

:welcome:


You can find the rules in the Info Center >> Site Info >> Rules (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/rules.php)

OK I just quoted to understand how this thing works.

[J_Brown77]

awesome forum! it's nice to be here! cheers to meeting new friends along the way... :D

[bookworm101]

what if someone steals my work that i post on here and uses it for themselves?

[Majyk]

what if someone steals my work that i post on here and uses it for themselves?

http://www.youngwritersonline.net/rights.php

[bookworm101]

http://www.youngwritersonline.net/rights.php

thanks for that, that thing you quoted made me feel better about showing my creativity on this site:):D

[Afzaa.T]

hey! this was very helpful, but I want to ask how I actually submit my work? :confused: do I just go on 'new thread' and copy and paste my work? or do I have to go through some sort of link thing to post it? thanks!

[Optional Toaster]

Yes, you start a new thread and copy-paste your work. However, we have a points system here and you need to do a proper critique before you're able to post any of your own work. You'll know if you did a good critique or not because a crit sheriff or moderator will probably let you know. When you're looking at your profile, your number of points are displayed on the right side of the screen. I think you need about ten points to post something, unless things have changed recently.

[Kiba]

I recently noticed that there's something called a "referral" on my profile. I THINK it's because I got my sister onto this site as well, but I can't find anything about referrals in the FAQ and I just wanted to make sure I didn't do anything wrong.

Basically: Is a "referral" here the good kind (bringing more people to the site) or bad kind (I did something wrong)?

[Majyk]

I recently noticed that there's something called a "referral" on my profile. I THINK it's because I got my sister onto this site as well, but I can't find anything about referrals in the FAQ and I just wanted to make sure I didn't do anything wrong.

Basically: Is a "referral" here the good kind (bringing more people to the site) or bad kind (I did something wrong)?

Good kind. :P It means you brought people to the site.

[Kiba]

Yay! Thanks for answering!

[Rouge]

Lol, that actually might be a good thing to put in the rules or guidelines or whatever. Thanks points and the check mark/red flag, too.

[Adelina]

Hello I'm new,

Some one told me that I have to make a thread. I has wondering.... What is a thread? and what do I write on the thread?
I'm just confused.:confused:
Sincerely,
Adelina:blush:

[Majyk]

Well, a thread is what you just replied to. The way you create one is to click "new thread" at the top left of the Newbie Zone (or any other area). It'll look like this:

http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp12/Nitier/newthread.png

You write whatever you want in a thread. For your introduction thread, you should tell us a bit about yourself, what you like to write and read, and anything else you want us to know. In the Writing Forum (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/writing.php) threads, you would post your stories or poems. Each separate forum tells you what types of threads go there, so just read the description underneath to see if your thread fits.

Does that clear things up for you? If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. ^^

[Clawfire]

Hi! I was wondering about those ranks. Do those posts include critiques?

[Majyk]

Your post count increases when you post critiques, so yes. The only time posts don't count towards your overall post number are when you're posting in the Random Games forum.

[Adelina]

Thanks so much!

Well.... I did make a thread.... but It was a prologue to a story I was writing... Because I didn't see that you (Majyk) had replied to my question.... so....

So here is an other question.
How can I find the thread I posted?

I can't find it. I lost it?
LOL!

Thanks so much!
Write on!

[Majyk]

Thanks so much!

Well.... I did make a thread.... but It was a prologue to a story I was writing... Because I didn't see that you (Majyk) had replied to my question.... so....

So here is an other question.
How can I find the thread I posted?

I can't find it. I lost it?
LOL!

Thanks so much!
Write on!

It seems that your thread was deleted. Usually, the reason is that you haven't done a proper critique before you posted. Normally, you can find your thread by clicking on your portfolio. But since you most likely need to do a critique first, you can check out the Critique Guidelines (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/critiques.php) to find out what types of critiques we want at YWO. And if you want an example of a critique or want to talk about critiquing, you can ask me of course, or one of the Crit Sheriff's, as their job revolves around critiques. They can be found here (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/showgroups.php).

And if you have any more questions, feel free to send me a private or visitor message.

[Dregonis]

Hello, I'm new to this forum, and I was wondering If I could find people who could critique a story that I'm writing and hoping to publish some day. I just am not sure what to do. Could I have some help? Thanks

[Majyk]

Well, when you post your story, people will critique it. Before posting, you need to do your own critique. Check out the Critique Guidelines (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/critiques.php) and the FAQ and Rules (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/rules.php) for more information if you want. Also, you can start by posting an intro thread, which is always a good way to meet members.

[Dregonis]

How do I post an intro Thread?

[Majyk]

How do I post an intro Thread?


http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp12/Nitier/newthread.png

Click on that in The Newbie Zone (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/forumdisplay.php?f=2).

[Dregonis]

Thank you.

[shimigamiapple]

Well, when you post your story, people will critique it. Before posting, you need to do your own critique. Check out the Critique Guidelines (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/critiques.php) and the FAQ and Rules (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/rules.php) for more information if you want. Also, you can start by posting an intro thread, which is always a good way to meet members.

i understand this, but i'm just curious as to why.

[Majyk]

i understand this, but i'm just curious as to why.

Why you have to do your own critique first? It's because before this was required, a lot of times new members would join, post their writing, get critiques, and never contribute to the site at all. They'd just get their stories critiqued and then leave.

Was that your question?

[Champello]

I posted one of my stories but I wanted to move it to the members only. How do I do that

[Lykaios]

I can do that for you. :)

EDIT: All done.

You need to do some critiques though. ;)

[Champello]

If I posted work on this site can I take it off or iis it stuck there

[Majyk]

You, personally, can't delete your work. But you can ask any of the moderators (the ones with the green-colored usernames) to take it off the site for you.

[DaisyWild]

How do i put on a profile picture?

[Majyk]

Go into your User CP and click "Edit Avatar." You might have to upload your picture to a host website first.

[BubblesKiss26]

hey i just joined and i was wondering about posting literature.

Does the quality matter? As i myself have no real idea if what i am posting is good or not and i know one of the reasons to post is to try and find that out but i feel that if i post then i will just be spamming the forum with something that perhaps shouldn't even be there in the first place.

Im not sure if i've communicated what im actually asking here but if u understand then please help :D

I think you should go for it, I get my friends to read everything I do even if I know it is truely rubbish because then they can tell me thier opinions on it and what makes it bad and if they think something is good about it then that too. I think that that is the whole point of the site, to post your stuff and get comments back. If you want me to read ANYTHING i will, i don't mind I will tell you what makes it good and how I think you could improve it! bit the bullet and go for it! :D

[Bwandls]

Hey,

So, I'm new to YWO, and I have two questions...

I'm going to risk sounding newbish and ask this; I read the Great Newb Guide and everything, but was just wondering before I start critiquing, should I put the original piece in quote form and edit in there with a different coloured font or something, or quote and edit outside the quote box?

Also, how do I make an awesome sig?! :D Thanks!

- Bwandls :blush:

[Lykaios]

Both ways of critiquing are fine, it's up to you how you want to do it. Summaries are usually done outside the quote-area though.

[tanishq0205]

hey i am new here nd i am trying to write a story i have started and i dont know how to continue. if i post it then can ne1 help me?

[Rose]

I think it's better if you create a thread in the Writing Q & A. (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/forumdisplay.php?f=9)

Of course, you should include more details about your story and whatnot.

[Bwandls]

Back again ^-^

Another question: Is it soooooo terrible if I want to edit a piece that's, say, two months old? It's not like I'm going back and editing old pieces all the time, just this one I saw by accident that's gotsuch potential, and I really want to edit it? Will I get in BIG trouble?! :0 OMG.

May the force be with you.

- BwAnDlS </3

[Carraka]

Well, we can't punish you for it, but if you want to critique a two-month old piece, you might want to check whether the author has left the site. There's no point in spending an hour or so on a critique that they're never going to read. Or, you could shoot the author a visitor message on their profile, and ask them whether they're still interested in getting critiques on that piece. It could be that they're currently revising it to make it an even better draft, and they would rather you critique the better draft. Or they've given up on writing altogether, except the occasional emo love poem.

[hollisterfreak99]

Hi.
Im new here.
I dont get this at alll.
How do you post storys ?

[Majyk]

Hi.
Im new here.
I dont get this at alll.
How do you post storys ?

You can't post stories until you critique and get some points. You should check out the FAQ and Rules (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/rules.php) along with the Critique Guidelines (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/critiques.php); those links will probably clear some things up for you. One more thing: this is a writing site, so please use correct grammar and punctuation. Thank you.

[Bwandls]

So, I was just wondering...
Is there like, a level of appropriateness that cannot be surpassed? I.E., can I post some suggestive pieces? Or violent-ish pieces?

- Bwandls :3

[Majyk]

It should technically be all right. It might be a good idea to put a warning in the post, because there are younger members here. See numbers three and four:


Don't submit more than one thing per day. Submitting something that's 100 pages long will probably be ignored by members - it's too much! And submitting 5 poems in a single day won't give members a chance to read them all. Moderation is key.
Give at least two critiques for each piece you submit. The more critiques you write, the more people will critique your own work.
Use content warnings. If you think your story is not suitable for certain audiences, put a content warning at the top of your post saying so. Also, try to leave offensive material out of the thread's title.
No explicit sex or obscene violence Do not post anything that is explicitly sexual or obscenely violent without prior approval of a moderator or administrator. Explicit sex is a detailed description of sexual activity of any kind. Obscene violence is violence for the sake of violence, which does not enhance a story or move the plot forward. If in doubt, please contact a staff member to make sure your submission is okay.
Please follow our guidelines for giving critiques

[kayjay]

Hi! This is probably a silly question but...: how do I delete threads? Thanks in advance! :)

Oh! And how do you delete an account???

[jenna321]

hello my names jen ive just joined:) hoping to make new friends and to share the one thing im passionte about which is writing:)

[Shaun]

Kayjay: Accounts and threads can't be deleted except by Admin or Mod action. We generally do not delete accounts, though. Threads are easier, since we can soft delete those. PM a mod if you want one of those things done.

jenna321: This isn't really the place for saying hello. Start your own newbie thread to say "hi" to everyone.

[Jose]

Can you as a "Newbie" post a critique on others including higher leveled writers? And what is the number of points requested from you in order to be able to post a story or a novel or a peom? Thank you. :)

[Jack]

You can critique any one or any thing that you like, including older members that have been here a while. We don't like to think about the writers here as being in 'levels' as such; if you feel like you can offer constructive criticism to anyone here you can do regardless of how long you've been here.

Currently, you need 10 critique points in order to post a story of novel part, and 6 in order to post poetry or lyrics.

[OrionRising]

You can critique anyone you want. However, higher level writers will usually expect better critiques, not because they are better but because they know what is an acceptable and helpful critique and what is not.

Just remember, your critique should be full of information that the writer will be able to use to improve their writing, not just grammar mistakes (although it is fine to point these out). If I were you I would look around a bit see if you can find a critique written by a Crit Sherrif, they are really good.

--

Poems cost 6 points.

A novel (which you do no post all at once) costs 10 points per post (which should be only 1 or 2 chapters.)

However, it is usually expected that you do a couple good critiques before posting. You will see that many, if not most, members have 30 points. A good ratio, in my opinion is one of your works for ever two or three good critiques that you do.

Hope this helps.

[MarkusErzahler]

I joined a few days ago, and I've been exploring the site and trying to figure everything out on my own if I could. I do have one question though. I am currently working on a fantasy novel and I posted the prologue on the member only novel forum. I plan on posting my future chapters as well (I am a little over halfway done with chapter I). Should I keep posting on the same post as the prologue or create new threads with new titles?

Thanks,
Mark

[Alice Glitterhorn]

I think that if you keep posting in the same thread people tend to lose interest, or they think that since there are a higher number of posts in that thread that you've already been critiqued enough. I'd recommend making a new thread for each chapter. But try to space out the chapters over a few weeks, or at least until you have a good two/three critiques on previous chapters.

[Majyk]

I joined a few days ago, and I've been exploring the site and trying to figure everything out on my own if I could. I do have one question though. I am currently working on a fantasy novel and I posted the prologue on the member only novel forum. I plan on posting my future chapters as well (I am a little over halfway done with chapter I). Should I keep posting on the same post as the prologue or create new threads with new titles?

Thanks,
Mark

I think I'm qualified to answer this question, considering I've written seven novels and posted about four of them online. I've tried posting them all different ways. My first novel I posted it all in one thread. That got messy. Really messy. Keeping it all in one thread sounds nice and neat, but it makes finding different chapters a pain in the butt, unless you want to hiperlink them all in the first post, which is slightly better, but still leaves your thread messy. For another novel, I posted all the chapters in different threads. That seemed to me to be a bit much. It kept everything separate, which was easier because every critique for say chapter three was in the same place, except then you end up with tons of threads depending on how many chapters you have.

Something else you might want to consider is posting two or three or so chapters in one thread, that way you don't have twenty threads, but you also don't have one huge thread. As Alice said, when you post a novel all in one thread, people don't always want to look at it, thinking there are already people critiquing it. And sometimes the people you do have critiquing it don't realize that they've missed a chapter.

Either way you choose to post your novel, a good rule when dealing with longer literature is to not post the next chapter until you've gotten at least two critiques on the previous chapter. Waiting for three or more critiques is even better, though sometimes you might have to wait a long time, so I usually try to stick with two critiques before posting the next section.

[MarkusErzahler]

Thanks for the answers Majyk and Alice, they really helped.

[MarkusErzahler]

Another question: It's taking a while to get full a critique of my work. It's a pretty long passage, so I realize this is normal, but is there something I can do to speed up the process? I don't mind trading reviews with someone else writing a novel or something. So if you or someone you know wants to do something like that could you let me know, or is there a forum for this stuff that I don't know about?

Thanks,
Mark

[Shaun]

You might try talking with members on the site and forming some kind of relationship with them. That way you can always ask them for a crit and what not in exchange for a crit. Start poking around and getting to know people. Head into the chatroom or something. Check the social groups.

[pygmyvillage]

If I were writing a book, could I post its chapters as a series of short stories? And is fan fiction considered plaguerism?

[Majyk]

If I were writing a book, could I post its chapters as a series of short stories?

I suppose you could, though I don't see why you would. If you want to post each chapter in its own thread, no one's stopping you. (I've done that with one of my novels. I gave each chapter its own thread. That gets to be a bit much, if you have more than ten chapters, so I recommend having two or three chapters per thread. Unless you want the entire novel in one place, which can get crowded and messy.) But if you're going to post each chapter separately, post it in the novel section, not the short story forum.

And is fan fiction considered plaguerism?

We don't have members posting fan fiction here. I don't think it's plagiarism (so long as you state clearly that it's fan fic), but if you have some original work, you should post that. It's much more helpful to get critiques on your own work than something that's mostly someone else's.

[Masoyo]

Hi All!
I just joined today. I'd love to interact with as many writers as I can here and would love to read all your works. I do believe this is a brilliant site wherein we can improve our writing skills. I'm very fond of writing poems and write short stories at times.

I welcome any suggestion and reviews and critics on my work.

Masoyo

[Rose]

Welcome to the site.

However, this is a thread where you can ask questions, not introduce yourself. To make an intro thread, go to Community Forum >> The Newbie Zone >> New Thread.

[Lolkim13114]

how do you write or submit a book that yourself wrote?

[numberlessdreams]

Perhaps this is a dumb question and I missed it somewhere, but because I am curious: what, exactly, is a "crit sheriff?"

[Julian]

Someone who moderates the critiques in the writing section---deeming its quality. If graded as unsatisfactory, the user will receive a warning and stories posted with the points gained shall be temporarily closed until the user expands their critique or makes an entirely new one that must be better than the last one.

[Lykaios]

Crit Sheriffs are basically moderators with powers only over the writing section. They're brilliant critiquers themselves, so they're good people to ask if you're having any critique/writing related issues. They're also all very nice people, so you should chat with them anyway. :)

[Morbid Curiosity]

Hey, I write Christian-Fiction, horror, thrillers, and kinda darker stories. Some of my stories can be fairly dark, not exactly gruesome, but just dark. I was wondering what the rules are for that?

[Carraka]

Since this is a site for young writers, we do have policies against explicit sex and obscene violence, but when it comes to practice, the line between literary merit and unnecessarily graphic description is often blurred. If you are writing sex for the sake of sex or violence for the sake of violence, you may want to post your work elsewhere.

But it doesn't sound like you're writing anything remotely close to that. If you're worried about the content, you may add a disclaimer at the top of your work, warning readers about the nature of your stories.

[Julian]

Unless there is an excess of eroticism (sexploitazion) or unnecessary expletives (badwordploitazion), there is not any concrete rule regarding that kind of shtuff.

Fanfic is obviously not allowed too.

And unnecessary violence (like raping someone and explicitly describing the scene) isn't really allowed here.

1)Because of the users' age.

2) It's basically bad literature.

[lalodragon]

Fanfic is obviously not allowed too.


Actually I think you're wrong, Julian. I'm pretty sure that here, as long as you make clear that the characters are copyrighted, you can post fanfic. ;)

[avrillavinge2000]

one quick question how do i post stories that ive written

[OrionRising]

At the top of the page you will find a list of tabs that should say "Forum" "Writing" "Groups" and "Chat"

Click the "Writing" tab. Now, browse quickly through that forum and look at other peoples look because before you can post your own work you must do a few critiques of other peoples work. To get an idea of how to organize/write a critique check out other peoples critiques, especially long standing members or critiques by moderators and critique sheriffs. Also remember to check out the Critique Guidelines (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/critiques.php).

After completing two or three good critiques you will have enough points to post some of your work. To post your work click on the section it belongs in (realistic short stories, fantasy short stories, realistic novels, etc). Near the top of the page there should be a small box that says "NEW THREAD." Click on that and copy and paste your work into the box provided (makes sure it is proofread and legible. If it is multiple paragraphs be sure to hit enter twice between each paragraph). Then scroll down and hit "Submit" and your work will be posted.

Good luck!

[ScarlettEmerald]

Hello all! So, I finally got enough points to post my writing, and put in over 13,000 words, but when I clicked post, it told me I didn't have enough characters and the text box was blank. Luckily, I had copied it before clicking post, so I was able to just paste it back in and try again, but it just keeps happening!!! PLEASE HELP!!!

[FayGee]

Scarlett, if you put your text inside a spoiler, quote or something else, you need to write a bit outside of it for it to work. Good luck with getting it to work! :)
And if this post helped you, could I, if you would be so kind to give me one, have, with your gracious kindness, a nice, cute, little, sparkly, thank point? It's the green check under where my name is. ^^ Thanks in advance.

[ScarlettEmerald]

Scarlett, if you put your text inside a spoiler, quote or something else, you need to write a bit outside of it for it to work.

I had actually started a new thread in the realistic novel section, copied and pasted my work into it (no quotes or anything) AND typed in some text before the novel... I'll try again today, and hopefully it'll work...

[Lykaios]

Hello all! So, I finally got enough points to post my writing, and put in over 13,000 words, but when I clicked post, it told me I didn't have enough characters and the text box was blank. Luckily, I had copied it before clicking post, so I was able to just paste it back in and try again, but it just keeps happening!!! PLEASE HELP!!!

Do you mean you tried to put 13,000 words on the forum all together? Firstly, please do not try to post that much work on the site in one post. Nobody will read it because that is way too long, but also, the forum won't accept that much in one post as there's a character/word limit (the message you received is a bug - it should say too many characters, not that there's not enough).

Break your story up into 2000-3000 word pieces and post another bit after you've got some critiques on the previous one. You can link to the later posts in the first post so people can find the bits easily.

[ScarlettEmerald]

Do you mean you tried to put 13,000 words on the forum all together? Firstly, please do not try to post that much work on the site in one post. Nobody will read it because that is way too long, but also, the forum won't accept that much in one post as there's a character/word limit (the message you received is a bug - it should say too many characters, not that there's not enough).

Break your story up into 2000-3000 word pieces and post another bit after you've got some critiques on the previous one. You can link to the later posts in the first post so people can find the bits easily.

THAT makes sense! Thanks!

[DreamWrite]

Hi!
Are there any rules about what you can and cannot post when you are critiquing/posting literature?

[Jack]

Hi!
Are there any rules about what you can and cannot post when you are critiquing/posting literature?

Posting Literature: Nothing sexually explicit (at least, not for the sake of it) and nothing with excessive amounts of swearing with no real purpose. Swearing, sex references, drug references, violence etc. are all allowed as long as the mods/users don't deem it to be over the top for over the tops sake. It must serve some sort of literary goal.

Critiquing: Don't be rude. There's no need to swear or be overally sarcastic/biting when you are being a critic. Even if you think the work you are critiquing is the biggest piece of crap in the history of literature, try and be at least a little sensitive. No one likes to be told that their 'masterpiece' is toilet paper.

For general rules, there's a rules and FAQ section at the top of the page.

[FayGee]

Posting Literature: Nothing sexually explicit (at least, not for the sake of it) and nothing with excessive amounts of swearing with no real purpose. Swearing, sex references, drug references, violence etc. are all allowed...

However, you should post a warning at the start if it contains that kind of thing. ^^

[Jozsef1989]

Hey guys I'm having trouble accessing the chat and wondering if someone could help me. I need to download the software, but windows will not let me because it cannot detect the publisher. I am clueless with computers so I don't know what to do. Has anyone else had this problem?

[FayGee]

I don't really know how to help you, but one thing I know is that it's not the right place for this. Can a mod move it?

[OrionRising]

You should be able to download Java (which is what you need) even if you don't know the publisher. Your computer is probably asking you if you want to download even though the publisher is unknown. Just say yes. Most stuff that you download won't have a publisher...

[Jozsef1989]

Thanks!

[Lykaios]

Merged thread with the FAQ thread.