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The most over-used and abused punctuation mark there is, the exclamation mark, should be used seldom and with caution, because if you have more than one exclamation mark per ever three to five pages, you have over-used. Instead, use strong well worded dialogue to convey the emotion.

Yea, So I been watching this forum for several months and I don't see any posts. I can only arrive at several possible conclusions; The first is, my browser is broken and I'm not seeing all the posts, in which case I'm sure someone will help me fix it. The second conclusion is (and I see that people are viewing the forum mods monthly announcement) that the writers gallery died and nobody is posting. I suspect that is the case.

I would, however, venture a guess that there are many writers wanting to post, but it's scary breaking that ice. Well, whatever the case is, put your hands in the air and step away from the exclamation mark.

having a writer's forum like this is much like having just single render forum where there is no differentiation as to the software used or the genre presented... there are too many kinds of 3d software / rendering apps and even more types / styles / genres of writng & writers...

from what has passed though over the passed few years there has not been a 'group' of like minded writers... which means they seek other forums... generally the TOS and the forum set-up is not conducive to writing [Why should you have to post a thumbnail for a story?] or the prtesentation of writing.

as for exclaimation... I'm not an exclaimatory writer... but...

Adult oriented cyber-punk / SF / Fantasy / Mythology / Foklore is more my line . Because of the generally  G rated orientation of the Rendo forums, it seems to me an inappropriate location to post works so I use a different web forum which is better suited and allows posting PDFs or Text with images...

It seems that this forum is an after-thought.

Alas.

Quote - ... generally the TOS and the forum set-up is not conducive to writing [Why should you have to post a thumbnail for a story?]

A thumbnail or an image are optional in the Writers gallery. It's the only gallery in Renderosity where you can post just text with no image or thumbnail.

I noticed that the other day also, that you don't have to post an image to post  your text. Of course, I doubt many people will stop in to view without the image. After-all, watch people in a bookstore, the first thing they do is look at the cover.

But, I imagine there could be a place for that too.

I just got the thought to see if this apocolyptic forum could be raised from the dead. I see around 30 views a month reading the mods announcement. So, there must be some interest, or why would they be reading it?

To see if some one has figured out how to bring it to life? :)

with a forum topic as wide as [or as shallow as] one's own imagination it is no wonder that it's so quiet here--

Some have no imagination and others have too much. Some folks are strictly G-rated [Which is to say, all they can write is seen through  the eyes Mrs. Grundy's idea of morality and propriety] and yet others are all over looking in strange and sometimes dark places in the heart, mind, morals, etc.

What kind of story is gripping to a G-rated adult mind? Dunno, but I imagine it would be boring to me. Art [graphic or written] should be transformative and maybe even invasive in the sense that once experienced the art or the writing you are different [you see the world differently]  than you were before. It is rare that  G-rated arts are transformative or disruptive to the way people look at themselves or the world. The Matrix or Simulacron-3 can be disruptive. Watching Sponge Bob Squarepants is its own reward [a clinical study showed it makes kids unable to retain information].

I can imagine one might say "Well what about Disney's stories?" Go read the originals and their variants or the unexpurgated history... most of their stories are based on horrific folktales... which was the point of the stories to teach certain real lessons about the world.

Given that I like prose like China Mieville or William Gibson or Roger Zelazny mixed with a dash of Jaqueline Carey and Steven Brust, most of what I have seen here is [yawn!] kind of pedestrian. Some of Sixus1's promo stories for his products at RDNA [or in their story forum] are horribly well written [yes I know... use a pun go to jail].

Be that as it may... it does not seem that folks around here really want to tell stories or post them... or even discuss them.

as for the thumbnail... the last time I tried to post something here [a couple of years ago?] the thumbnail was required... so if that's changed well great...

I agree, you are right that it is difficult to write only G rated stories. This is a community of mainly matured adults. The TOS is very limiting. I was concerned just about posting my very simple stories about the obliteration of a world. I also agree that it doesn't seem like there is a lot of interest in the written arts. This, I'm guessing, has always been primarily a visual arts site.

But I think there is a weak heartbeat thumping somewhere down deep for the written arts here. And it is obvious there is a lot of knowledge floating around in here. The two posts here knock my socks off with all the knowledge hiding in them.

But I still think something can come to life. Only because of how many views these posts are getting. They wouldn't bother reading if there wasn't some passing curiousity.

There are things that could be discussed here, techniques and such. Heck, I have so many huh's about writing it's stupid.

And you know what got me fired up enough to give it a shot. I got AOM this month and I find it just a tad sad. I'm a fledgling writer at best, never done it before a couple of months ago. I got AOM mainly out of default and that's no way to get an award. I'm an accomplished storyteller, but that is a whole different ballgame.

The point is, there is talent here and I'm wondering if there isn't a way to pump some life back into our little corner of Rendo so that an amature writer isn't given what should go to an artist that has spent years honing their art.

I'm going to try anyway. If it fails, meh.. I tried.

But on another note... Rendo really needs to do it's part. There are a few things that need fixed in the writer's gallery if it's going to attract writers. I really like the way wattpad is set up. I can write a draft in parts, save it without publishing/posting, and come back to it again and again until I'm ready to hit the post button. I can post one story in multiple parts instead of being spread all over my gallery in piece-meal.

I'm sure you more experienced writers have even better ideas, and if we keep them simple and start small, maybe we can have a writer's gallery that's worth writing in.

Rendo.. you want customers, of course. There's a whole market being ignored. yea.

Shhh.. the wolf is barking... lol. Love you all.

What do you think will liven this place up?

Quote - What do you think will liven this place up?

Well, I figure people love to talk about what they know. They spent years learning something and want to share it, providing someone wants to listen.

My plan was to start a dialogue of posts about techniques that I personsonally have questions about. I read the FAQ for this forum and it said this is the place to discuss techniques about the genre of writing.

I guess that is a good place to start. Just start a dialogue and see what happens.

Can you give an example?

What do you think is wrong with your writing? Or what do you think you are missing?

Most folks who are on the "fan art" level of writing tend to write stories for themselves first and then maybe for other people. When you point this out they seem to be amazed that writing might be approached as a means to entertain an audience other than one's self or that if the writer is entertained surely everyone else will be too.

As an example... I recently was talking with someone who was working on a fan art story based on a popular game and they wondered what it would feel like to merge the minds of two beings together... after some discussion it became  clear to me that the person who had asked the question was not really interested in an answer... at that point I realized that they were not really writing a story but 'playing' with an idea publicly and was more interested in 'playing' in the game universe that writing.

The first point to be learned is that to write means you are writing for other people-- your readers -- especially if you want to be paid for the work.  Writing is "entertainment" and if you don't entertain then what is the point? 

Once you realize that you are writing to please other people then you get to face the real task... telling your story in a way that makes other people like the story as much as you did when you thought of it.

Then comes all of the craft stuff: plot, characters, setting, mood, style, the archetypes, the motifs, the tricks and tropes... the voice... the twist and so on...

The point of course is to tell a story only the way you can tell it... but in a way that entertains your readers / viewers. Anything else is a waste of your time and theirs.

I don't claim to be an expert but I have been writing one thing or another since the early '70s. Had some things published... I don't take it serious enough to make it a career but I do have a bit of a resource library.

Quote - Can you give an example?

I had to chew on that post over-night, there is such a wealth of information and enough subject material to discuss for a month. I think some excerpts of your work here and there to highlight examples of style and technique (when needed, if desired to be shared) would be pretty cool.

Some of the concepts you've mentioned are advanced (though, I don't do fan art). I'm not sure if we have any tweens that want to post fan writing, but if we do.. hey, do it. Don't violate copyright though.

I'm not going to spam the forum, but perhaps a thread every day or two might be appropriate to try to get people interested. I'm not a forum genious. I'm not anybody except a guy standing here saying, hey where did everyone go?

As for what's wrong with my work. Absolutely nothing. It's perfect...at my current skill level. That being said, there is a Universe of directions to go from there.

If you write: See spot run, Spot runs fast, and that is you current skill level. Then it's perfect.

If you write: and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee. That too is perfect, if it's your skill level.

I'm banging on the door. Write...Write...Write. If you're a writer (everyone is a writer) and you've been watching and waiting. Write. Write a review about your favorite book, or write about why you don't like Game of Thrones (I love that book, so twisted and evil. I roared in laughter at Red Wedding).  Write poems, write sonnets, (what the heck is a sonnet?) Write why you hate writing. Chit chat about what seriously sucked sour apples when Borders packed up and took my favorite bookstore away.

And the flip side. If you don't want to write, don't. But also, this forum has been dead for so long now that if this invitation for the writers to get active again doesn't work. I don't think it ever will.

Quote - And you know what got me fired up enough to give it a shot. I got AOM this month and I find it just a tad sad. I'm a fledgling writer at best, never done it before a couple of months ago. I got AOM mainly out of default and that's no way to get an award. I'm an accomplished storyteller, but that is a whole different ballgame.

I nominated you for AOM because I like your writing.

I nominated you for AOM because I like your writing.

And make no mistake about it, I was giddy for a week that I was recognized for my effort. You have no idea the amount of effort I put into my writing. I told every one of my real life friends that I got an award on the art site I post my writing at, but at the same time, I’m one of those guys that are insanely competitive. I love competition, I love to be challenged. Chip could blow me out of the water with his writing, and I like to be able to read a story, or see an image and know I just got slam dunked. I step back, I look at it, smile, and say, “okay, I see where I’m weak at. Wow, that artist is good, maybe if I do this or that, I can bring my art up a notch.”

 Healthy competition is what makes us grow. I want nothing more than to see all the writers come back and post their brilliant works. And right now, they are either mad, or discouraged, or shy, or whatever, but they are not posting. And who am I to try… nobody… that’s good enough for me.

 I know nothing about building a forum community, but I do know that if I close my eyes and run blindly forward, eventually I’ll run into something.

Shhhh… the wolf is running around in circles trying to bite his tail. Woof!