Build-a-Character

It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious. ~Oscar Wilde
***

Okay, we’re off to a great start at f2k. The students have all met one another, they have been rolling through the halls like snowplows on a blizzardy day. They’ve sat at the cafe, posted some work, talked a little about themselves and just basically did everything the orientation week calls for and that is “Get to know your peers.”

We have a lively bunch too, with a sense of humor, intelligence that would make Gates sit in awe, friendliness that Mother Teresa would be proud of, and then there is the camaraderie. It can  possibly be found nowhere else on the web except through writers.

We have a tendency to be accepting and friendly and it rubs off on even the most scared of the bunch, that would be the newbs. Newbies means new folk to the forum for those of you, not in the know.

We’re learning already about each others likes and dislikes, style and originality, we’re getting to know one person at a time and this is always a highlight of my year when I can share with others a part of myself, while growing and learning at the same time. 

Which reminds me this week we learn about our characters. Nice segue by the way, right? From living breathing characters to our fictional characters?  Yeah, that’s what we’re doing this week. We’re getting to know our characters intimately. I mean all the way down to a well produced pimple! If a character has one, write about it, we need to know our characters right down to the hairs spurting out on their heads.

Building a character is as much fun as the ‘Build-a-bear’ workshop. But as adults, we get more out of it than the eager child. We are like the eager child as we build our characters to form a part of a story that we writer’s are writing. It builds and builds until we have a an outline, a story, then either a novel or a short story.

This is the week our characters sit at the keyboard and talk about US! Kinda like Stephen Kings The Dark Half. We’re letting our characters have full reign of the keyboard for a change!

A lot of folks will pay no mind to the rules and guidelines, their characters will stay on the paper while they themselves talk about their characters. Gee, there’s a spin, do what you want! lol I’ll learn a whole lot about everyone’s characters and their character as a person as a matter of fact.

Don’t post your links, and they post them, don’t be in a hurry, and they rush and post the lesson, editing twenty times before weeks end. Yup...its a dog eat dog kinda world. We just gotta live with it. Now...
 
Go be an eager beaver today and start building a Character!

Write Right friends!

Flutter of Keys

Can you hear it? The sound of keys tapping crazily, people writing, posting, scrambling, (no pushing and shoving) all trying to get into the Free Writing course that I’ve decided to mentor once again this session. I had put it off last session to take a break from the insanity, but with it now in full swing since last Tuesday, I realized, the insanity has begun again.

I only say insanity, because have you ever seen over 500 writers all trying to get into one hallway, looking around for rooms, names and lessons all that will carry them on the journey of writing that they’ve decided to embark on?

They’ll come in, demanding to be given a lesson, tired of looking around at all the links, they’ll want to begin like yesterday on this writing journey. Some will not like the fact that they need to adhere to rules, post links of their websites and be out the door. We have over six hundred registered and I’m always amazed how so many people begin the journey but few stay the course to see the journey through.

As volunteer mentors, we take quite a battering. As students get frustrated, sling harsh brutal words at you, slit your throat while you’re off helping someone else, these people need to realize that we are humans behind the screen, who have taken many hours out of our lives to guide you, the new writer on a path that just may lead you to the published world.

Even if you don’t get published; as one person has asked us NOT to  publish his/her writing in our EZine. Can you imagine that? Someone hails your work as good enough to be publishable and because you’re not getting MONEY, you say you will decline having your work published? And I’m telling you, they put up a good argument as to why they DON’T want their work published. I just hope that seven years down the line as they are still struggling to get something published, has forced them into giving up writing entirely, that they remember that the one score on their resume where it says PUBLISHED, is missing.

You still are being taught the basics in writing. Some really good lessons on Dialogue, Characterization, and  quite a few other tricks of the trade. All of which you will carry with you on the leg of your writing journey, where you feel as if you’re in the least, a competent writer.

As you sail off on this writing journey, respect the ones who are there giving of their time to see you through this leg of your writing career. We’re here to assist, it is your job to learn, not butt heads with one another because guess what, every market that you submit to, will have guidelines and rules.

Enjoy the path that you’ve chosen. You’ve chosen wisely. Stay the course my new friends.

Dialogue ~ To say or Not to say

Numbers 16:31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:

***

“Excuse me, can you help me?”

No! I’m busy.

“But I need your help in understanding something.”

Okay, but make it quick, I have a lot of work to do here.

“What is dialog? And why can’t I use tags?”

Well, missy, you need to listen up. Dialog is a conversation between two people in a story. Like what we’re doing?

“Are we in a story?”

No, but your on my blog and I’m talking to you!

“Oh.”

Did you see that play on words up there? This weeks lesson at f2k is dialog. The word dialog can be spelled with the UE or without, just for those of you grammar checkers out there. I’ve looked  up the word and either spelling is acceptable.

Anyway, our lesson is for dialog with no tags. Tags are the cozy words at the end of who is speaking.

“Excuse me, can you help me?” she says in a timid way.

“No! I’m busy.” The lady behind the counter grumbles.

Practicing not using tags, really helps you see into the window of the characters. We have no backdrop, no setting up of the scene, we have words. Words that need to be read by the reader, and they need to follow who is speaking. If you can’t do a 500 word piece of dialog with no tags, then you need to strengthen the personality of your characters.

Something always stands out with your character, whether it is a strong accent, a southern belle type character, a farmer Bob type guy. In practicing no tags, we’re fleshing out our character and giving them personality and making them come alive.

Yes, in books we use tags. Novels are written with the dialog using tags, but take a look at those novels, any one of them. The dialog does not have a tag EVERY SINGLE sentence of a conversation. It doesn’t because once you’ve established who is speaking, you can really carry a conversation along a few pages with a tag here and there.

This is a tough lesson also. I never said that F2k was this easy, fly by night course on easy writing. No, it teaches important skills that are going to carry you through your writing and hopefully have you writing better with just one course. Maybe through all my blog posts on the matter of the free course, you can tell if it is something that you’d like to try when we offer it again in April.

Even if your not a writer, maybe this course will give you something to try for. Believe me, it will help when you’re jotting down a blog too. You’ll soon see that this course will have you using these skills without you realizing that you’ve drank from the knowledge pool and are now serving it to others.

Embrace the New Beginning

No one is able to enjoy such feast than the one who throws a party in his own mind. ~Selma Lagerlöf
***

What are you suppose to do, when something new smacks you in the face and life is sent into a spiral of change? Embrace it? Or move on to the next big upheaval?

While beau is having a high on audibook heaven,  receiving books to review from publishers, he’s found a few other ‘associates’ blogs to romp and comment on. Nothing like the meeting of the minds where books are concerned. He’s having a blast! Got himself a domain and all! Woohoo!

I’m on the other end. While I’m an avid reader, my fun is in writing and helping others learn the craft. Did I tell you that f2k Free Writing Course is starting on January 5. Last day to sign up is Jan. 3rd, so if you want to experience your love of writing, sign up and see if you have what it takes to be a writer. Sign up here: Writer’s Village University


From WVU:
Our next session of F2K (7-week creative writing course) begins January 5th, 2011.  It's easy to register, and it's free, thanks to volunteer Mentors from Writers' Village University.

First, make sure you're registered with the F2K Social Site. You will not be able to see registration links until this simple process is completed.

Click on "Login" then the "Register" link.

Enter your real name then your username and password choice. Only your username will be displayed to others. Your real name is used for your F2K Certificate upon course completion.

Important! You will receive an activation email with a link. Follow the link from your email (or copy and paste link into your browser). This will complete the F2K Social site registration.

Once you've completed activation, login to F2K Social, new links will appear in the navigation tabs.

***

There you have it! This will be the beginning of my new year, running around the halls with my friends, Benning, Gran, Silby, Leona and a few other mentors. New friendships will be made, the pursuit of happiness will be within our grasp, and all will be right with the world, hopefully continuing to spin on its axis. And audiobook heaven will soar into the cosmos and be everything beau dreams it to be.

This is going to be the year of change, not upheaval. Ride the wave and hope you land smoothly on the sand, and not drown in the undertow. Here’s wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Embrace the change!

Write with Confidence

Job 4:6 Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?
***

By now you all know I am one of eight mentor’s in the f2k, (Fiction 2000) free writing course on the web. It is a seven week course and I happen to come into contact with a lot of writer’s who lack confidence.

Some are young, some are old, some have never taken on writing before and are in search, in search of that elusive passion that has evaded their grip for so many years. I ask them what made them come to f2k and they are quick to say, I’ve always wanted to write but got sidetracked on the road to life.

But there in lies the lack of confidence. They’ve taken the leap but are now fearing  putting any of their work out there. Oh the students are full of questions like, “Suppose I’m a lousy writer?” And my response, “You’ll never know unless you get a bunch of non-partial readers to look it over.”

Then come the copyright questions along with plagiarism questions. Yes you are protected and YES it is illegal to plagiarize. And YES you will win a lawsuit if this is caught. I always say, if someone steals your work, they must think very little of themselves, and thus, lack the confidence that they need not only in writing, but in life in general!

Now the question surfaces, “How do I build confidence?” This is a tough one because if you are already suffering with low self esteem, doubtful and full of obstructions that will keep you from fully participating, then maybe you need more than a writing course can give you.

To build your confidence in writing:
 
First you need to write! - This can be anything from a journal style of writing, if you are new to the field, or a non-fiction piece or jump into fiction and create. Or maybe start a blog to get those fingers tapping.

Second - You need to toss doubt and fear out the window. Or put them in a closet somewhere far away from the other writings that you’ve hidden and never shared with the world.

Third - You need to be willing to jump without a parachute into the writing world. Leap into the unknown, bite nails later!

Fourth -  Get feedback on your writing and wait for the reviews. Keep in mind that these people are growing too as writers and you need to be able to GIVE feedback also. By seeing what YOU like in someone else’s writing, you’ll be more than likely able to pick out what you like in your own.

Fifth and final confidence builder - Plan in a positive fashion! Start building that portfolio, grow each day as a new writer, learn new words, skills, and a network of writing friends!

With these five tips, you should be well on your way to growing as a writer. The confidence will come in and sweep you off your feet and you my friend will begin to seek publication for your work because of the bunches of confidence that you now have to move forward with.

Write Right!

F2K ~ FREE Writing Course

Writer’s Village University is offering once again the seven week, awe inspiring FREE writing course! Yes it is free! We have eight mentor’s on hand to assist you through the seven weeks. You can pay $25 for one-on-one mentor assistance if you want, but hundreds possibly thousands have sailed through this course without the one-on-one assistance.

There you will learn the basics of writing. Some people join to see if writing is for them. They’ve dabbled in writing all of their lives and just need something to jump start the writing bug once again. Some join to refresh their knowledge and to get their muses pumped in a way that no other course can offer.

We begin with orientation week where we all introduce ourselves and get acquainted with the boards. We click links, roam the halls, peek in on other rooms and get to know the folks you’ll be spending time with over the seven week period.

This isn’t the place to self-promote! We don’t allow the boards to become clogged with people posting their websites. We do have a profile page where we can list our website, our accomplishments and a word or two about you.

We start with character, move on to the senses, we’ll dapple in POV, then we plow ahead with plot/theme, then a finale short story!

We also have some new things for the writer this session. Every week, when you post your lesson before midnight Friday, your work will be read by a mentor and offered up for possible publication in the F2K Ezine! Mentors do not choose who or what work gets accepted, all rooms get an offering and the students will vote! So be sure to make friends and read others work!

Also we offer a Certificate of Completion! Upon completion and active participation, you will be able to download a Certificate for you to print out and frame and hang on your wall, this added bonus will encourage YOU, my writing friend, to keep on writing! You’ll see that yes, as a writer, YOU can accomplish great things.

Use the link if you’d like to join. Many who have visited my blog have joined and loved what they got out of the FREE course, so maybe this is the step you need too?

We begin October 6th. You’ll get an email with your password, so KEEP that in a safe place because you WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ENTER UNTIL OCT. 6TH!!!!

One lady who signed up was so mad she was ready to ‘join another course’ because it offered her more. The class doesn’t even begin until Oct. 6, so how would she know what this course offered? She was just upset because she couldn’t GET IN. There is nothing there. Nothing to miss. Nothing to make you mad!

Writer’s need patience! This woman obviously has a fuse as short as *KABOOM* upon the touching of a match to the fuse! ;)

Join us on OCTOBER 6TH, and judge for yourself what all the hoopla is about!

Hope to see you there!!!

F2K ~ FREE Writing Course

New and Improved F2K!

The art of writing is not a skill you just stumble upon. It takes awhile to master all the things that go into writing and sometimes we need a course to help move us into the next level of our journey.

Writer’s Village University offers a seven week FREE Writing Course, to refresh your muse, if you’re already a writer, or to dapple in the craft if you think it might be something you’re interested in; either way it is FREE and you have nothing to lose.

This session was the most exciting in all of my years mentoring. We have 8 classrooms, 8 volunteer mentors, and over 200 hundred students divided into those rooms. Now that may sound like a lot of people and a little intimidating, but believe me, after the first week, the students have either lost interest, life intervened, or find that this is just not for them. But this session, it was as if all the students stayed around to finish the course.

Our first week, the Master Administrator, Bob Hembree, switched the format of the board on us. The mentors were learning the boards as well as the students, but we adapt quickly. Why the switch? The old format was dated and Bob wanted to move us into the 21st century. Apparently these things take time to build and it wasn’t ready until we had all started in f2k. It went smoothly, like butter on bread.

New doorways were opened; we had a Social Scene, in a facebook like setting, where students came and introduced themselves, made friends, and uploaded avatars. Groups were formed, discussions were broached, music and photos were shared and we rode into the sunset of newness with a finesse that rattled the world of writing. The classrooms remain private and professional!

A bonus this session was that of a certificate of completion! If you posted your six lessons, gave ample feedback in these seven weeks, then you were rewarded with a Certificate of Completion. You could not just post the lessons and get a certificate. We are a peer to peer feedback course and if you don’t participate in giving feedback then you have not completed the requirements of the course.

We also produce people seeking publication and one woman had her lesson six accepted by an online magazine. Although we require your lesson six to be something NEW that you write FOR THIS COURSE, she had obviously written and submitted the story weeks prior to this course. Everyone was like, “I helped critique that!” But lo and behold, it had already been in the hands of the publisher before your crit.

That’s okay. We take pride in seeing one of our own publish ANY work! :) Congrats Kriti Bajaj on her work The Dream Catcher!  
 

We will have new doors opening again this session come October 6th. Possible publication in our new f2kzine? Bait bait bait... lol I don’t need to bait anyone, this course stands alone on its strength in producing writer’s. It sure doesn’t need me bragging about the course. 

Hope to see you then!

Important: Lessons and Classrooms will not be visible until course start date.

Another one bites the dust

Job 16:3 Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?
***

Well it has officially come to an end. Next Wednesday the boards will be swept clean like old cobwebs moved out of the attic. F2K ends another successful session, and October is when the next class will be available to anyone interested.

I’ll post more as we near the date, like the registration link to WVU’s (Writers Village University) F2K! It’s a free writing course and a successful FREE writing course for 15 years now and still going strong.

This session was a positive experience in that, at the close of the doors, we still had  well over fifty people active in their sixth lesson. Normally as we near the sixth week, the classrooms dwindle down to maybe four or five a room, and some rooms are left empty with one student and that student walks the halls looking for a person to critique his/her work.

Not this time, oh no. We’ve had a surge of students and they liked the new format so much, they stayed on so they didn’t miss anything exciting that was happening. Besides the drama of a bad apple who wanted to spoil everyone’s learning, we soared to new heights this session and I’m happy to report the bad apple went foul and was never seen/heard from again. So that’s why he waited until lesson six! Poor little man, had nothing better to do with his life so he attacked me. I pray for him and hope it made him feel like the BIG man on campus. (as little as he appeared)

I hold onto things in a big way. I’m always telling my son to ‘let things go’ and Steven is always telling me ‘just let it go’, but I have a tendency to hold onto things like gum on a shoe. It just sticks with me.

Words from my son:
Adam says, “I’m scarred, inside.”
Mom replies, “It’ll get better, you’ll heal.”
“No mom, scars don’t heal. They stay there, see?” he says pointing to a big scar on his leg. “They never go away, you just have to live with it.”

So this is why I hold onto things that have hurt me in the past? I’m scarred and the scar is never going away, I just have to deal with it? Hmm.. gives me something to think about.

But on a happier note, F2k and the new format (graciously bows to Bob Hembree), with all its groups, discussions along with the fun ability to post pictures, and the NEW certificate of completion, is a triumphant success.

“Writer’s write right, and leaders lead... creators create and artist succeed!” ~joni

F2K ~ FREE Writing Course

Can you believe it, another (that makes two this year) F2K is winding down and a new one will begin. The new one begins on July 7th, 2010, so register now as the halls fill up.

Wait. What is f2k you ask? I thought you’d never ask.

F2k is a free (yes I said FREE) writing course offered by R.J. Hembree and Writers Village University. In this shrinking economy, pockets are emptying at a rapid pace and rarely do we get something for nothing. I’m here to assure you, that f2k is free, totally free.

No text books needed, but we suggest you order the Magic and the Mundane by P. June Diehl, but it is not a requirement and many students have completed the course without ever looking at a textbook.

The classrooms are made up of Mentors, who volunteer from WVU, and students, that would be you. It is a peer to peer feedback system which has been a tried and true method of success and this is the very reason that it remains free.

We have writers from all stages in their writing. Some are published hoping to hone in on a few skills to help them further their revisions. Some are beginners who want to learn the secret of writing a story. Then there are the hobbyist who love writing and join to refresh their memories of why they love writing in the first place.

The course is seven weeks long and many bail out due to extenuating circumstances, life is happening to them, or they just lose interest because they realize that writing is work!

The first week is Introduction week, where everyone meets everyone else. You have a week to get familiar with the site, roam the halls, and read ALL the guidelines. Then the following six weeks is work! Writing, sharing, giving and getting feedback.

The next six weeks are laid out as such: Character introduction, Activating the senses, POV, Conflict, and Characterization.

There is no hurry for you to get a lesson done. If you miss one, you post it anyway and hopefully your new friends will read and critique it for you. You have an entire week to post an assignment, give feedback to others and move all writers in the right direction.

A lot of people feel they have nothing to offer another writer, but believe me, even an, “I think this sentence is awkward,” is a step in the right direction of helping your fellow writers.

Now allow me to tell you this. This course is NOT set up for you to boast and brag about your website. In fact it is highly frowned upon and many have been let out of their commitment and removed for trying to self-promote their site. I hear/read people say, “But I just wanted to show the people what I’ve been writing.” Well good for you, tell them in your intro that you’ve written before, don’t promote your website to get a message across.

If you’re serious about learning. If you want to move forward with new skills. If you truly love writing and are looking for a totally free writing course, then f2k is the one for you.

p.s.
DO NOT TRY TO GAIN ENTRY UNTIL JULY 7!!!!!

A New Day

Deut. 26: 16 This day the LORD thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.

***

I’d like to thank all my friends and followers for putting up with me last week. Many may have stayed away because Joni went off topic, but it is okay. I only get like that about twice a year, Easter and Christmas, so you’re safe to come back and read about writing now. :)

Now if I have a major upheaval in my life, for certain I will blog about it because writing is my life, whether I, or anyone else for that matter, likes it or not. You’re definitely stuck with me and my ramblings. ha ha

Today I’m going to tell you about WVU, and in my terms, that’s Writers Village University, not West Virginia University. With all this talk about basketball I’ll be glad when football begins. Until then, I’m writing!

WVU is the best place on the net for writing courses. Bob Hembree has come up with some really tough courses that you pay for individually but WVU in and of itself offers over 200 courses for a one year membership fee. I think $99 for a life altering experience is well worth its weight in gold. The site won’t let you down.

Then we have F2K, the 7 week FREE writing course, that begins on April seventh. Oh dear, that's this Wednesday! We’ve had registration for a month now, and maybe it’s not too late for you to sign up. But please note, that when you do, you can not enter until the seventh. I don’t know why people have been trying to get in there for well over a month, they think the sign up, they get access to WVU, which they don’t.

F2K is a FREE course, WVU is a paid for site. Maybe Bob needs to change some of the offerings to show that more clearly in the sign up because people are complaining like there is no tomorrow! They want access to WVU now!

Hold on people! F2k is FREE, WVU is not. Bob and his assistants handle the demanding folks in an extremely cordial manner when they say, “You gain access on the 7th”, but these people are ruthless in their pursuit of writing.

“You said free! Why is it asking me to pay?”

Because clearly WVU is a paid for site, F2K is the FREE writing course offered. I see many come in from different countries, so maybe there is a language barrier somewhere, but even the English speaking folks, want in now. Patience my precious, patience.

We’ll begin with a week long orientation to get you familiar with the site, but will these people have the patience and perseverance to stay for seven weeks? We’ll see. It is always a fun experience. A learning experience for me and for them, the wannabe writers, or  the ones getting a refresher in the craft. 

Enjoy F2K for all it is worth. You’ll walk away a changed person, in your writing and in life for the new friends that enter your life.

Day 2 of f2k

Words are an expression of your mind...paint wisely and all will sit in wonder. ~joni
***

As expected, it was a slow day in F2K. Either the returnees are back, mingling with old friends or the new kids on the block have come in and said their “Hi’s” and have found a quiet corner of the room to hide in.

Imagine tackling writing after many years of absence, how overwhelming it can be to walk into a new course and spread your wings in hopes you’ll fly. I see the timid faces even through a screen. They may be older than me or younger but they still have that fear of releasing their writing to the world.

I see so many people with questions like, “What if someone wants to steal my story.” My response is, “We’re writer’s and as such we would never ever put ourselves in a position of plagiarism. We’re trying to be professional and that certainly isn’t the way to start a career in writing.” And then I tell them, “There are so many writers in the world with ‘original’ ideas that someone is bound to come up with the same ‘original’ idea with a twist. In other words, it has been done before and you’re just a new writer putting a twist on it!”

I try to put them at ease and when it is your first time sharing, it can feel like you’re placing your heart on a guillotine, just waiting for it to plunge downward and slice it in two. I’ve been there/done that and I know all of my work is copyrighted the second I put it into the MW (microsoft word.) It is my valid proof that I, and only I, wrote it. And the blog is public proof! I hope these writers find all that they came to find in way of returning to the writing world once again without fear.

So as the f2k clan reminisces about older classes in f2k, the new kids find friends and chat with others, links are surfed, virtual food is cooked, atmosphere and ambiance overflows the place; we head into the week of Orientation with a smile on our faces and ready to write our hearts out!

I’m telling you, it is the place to learn and grow but most of all, to find people with the same love as you and that is being a writer! My new phrase in the place is this... “Don’t write to earn money, write because you love it. Passion comes before monetary measure. If you get paid for your passion, that’s a bonus."

Write Right people!

First day at f2k

“...you are yet a blossom on the vine of life about to bloom!" ~joni

Day 1 of f2k...

Well my friends, day 1 of f2k went off and as usual we had our glitches to fix, people wandering around lost and people picking them up and finding them. All in all it was a good day.

Our first week is Orientation week, where everyone gets to know one another, people click links and find their way around, bump into walls and either make new friends or find old nemesis, or just find old friends who went on their way since the last f2k.

It is all the things a good book are made up of. Maybe I should do a book, about an online course, where the people learn, grow and fulfill their destiny of becoming a writer, but on the dark side as the story builds... well I’m not going to tell you the story! It would be fiction based mind you so I could put a little evil spin on it. OR I could make it fact based and give some of the proceeds BACK to WVU, where it all began!

I myself have to get my feet back into writing regularly. Not just my blog but writing! I was loving the short story and I have a novel under my belt and one in the works. But lately my writing has been back burner while I take care of matters on the home front.

I mean, seriously, I just had my address changed on my license and I’ve lived here nine months already. Well funds had a lot to do with it as something always came up that was more important than my license, ya know?

But here I am back mentoring f2k and sinking my feet in all the way this time. Last time I got sidetracked and a little discouraged. My mind was clouded and surely didn’t perform my best as I like to give the students. So we’ll see what this year and this session has in store.

On to writing my friends...

F2K Free Writing Course is under way

Psalm 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
***

Yes you read it right, the f2k Free Writing course is getting under way and it is a little too late to sign up for it now. But don’t worry, I’ll keep you posted on what we’re learning and how the mentoring aspect of it goes along.

This will be about my fourth time mentoring and each and every time it gets more exciting. I meet some of the nicest people. I always keep my eye out for the newcomers as they seem like they get a little jilted by the fun camaraderie that the old timers have.

We become like a family of writer’s who meet up every f2k and the newbies don’t fully participate all the time because they feel overwhelmed by the writer’s. But allow me to tell you this, a new writer is just as much a writer as any of us are!

I also see a lot of the newbs who come in wanting to post their website even after I strictly state that that kind of amateurish behavior is frowned upon. We have a profile section where we all can post our websites or blogs, but to sit there and place a blog/site in every daggone post that a person responds to is not only annoying, it is frustrating and slightly childish.

Then I get on my childish kick by not responding to anything that that person has to say and I let them know why! So they’re not all professionals but they want to be and this writing course is a good place to learn and understand the craft and the professional quality of work that is expected from us as writer’s.

I, by no means, am an elite professional but I would only steer a new writer in the right direction! This is the whole reason that this blog got started to begin with was so I could guide some new writer’s. We all need to learn the craft and I thought, if I can do it under 500 words a post, then more power to me!

So allow me to be the first to tell you, the f2k course is a stand alone course all on its own! You’ll walk away with knowledge and a feel of ownership that you took the bull by the horn and hunkered down to learn a craft. You might even pat yourself on the back in seven weeks when you’ve written your first short story or novel!

Well I hope that some of you joined up when you saw my post offering the course, but if not, I’ll give you a sneak peek, birds-eye-view and you can judge for yourself, then maybe you WILL sign up, next time it is offered.