Comments and Questions

Question

This is not a challenge.  This is a forum for you to ask any questions to the group or comment on anything to do with this site, like "Why is Doug so darn critical at times?"

I think you get the idea.

 

Doug

Comments

Didn't want to put this as a response because I don't want to add to my points.  Hey giraffe!  Where the heck are you friend?  Hope everything is ok.  Check in and let us know.

Doug

Answer 1

Why are you so darn critical at times?

Comments

Good question!  I do apologize if I sometimes come accross as "critical', but I try to offer constructive criticism.  This isn't supposed to be a "love fest" as one of our members called it.  If we always offer positives, then it would be impossible to learn and grow.  I welcome anyone to give my stories a heavy dose of constructive criticism.  This is also one of the reasons I started this thread so that if anyone needed any help technically they could post a question and someone within the community could help them out.

Doug

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I know about constructive criticism. I think that's a great part of this site, but I mean why are you so critical of the so-called "kiddie-demons" as you call them? I think it's wonderful that some younger people are interested in writing and I'm wondering why you don't want to encourage them instead of pushing them down.

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I love for younger people to join our community.  When I refer to the "kiddie demons" I am referring to "kids" who just play on the site proposing non-sense.  I am usually the first to welcome new people and I love to read their stuff.  I'm not an old man myself.

Answer 2

Hey, Doug --  You are just fine like you are, in my opinion.  I always felt your occasional criticism was your attempt to have a constructive forum and not just a praise-fest.  I did not agree 100% of the time but that's natural as we all have different points of view --  for example I like brevity and you prefer a little more development --  but very often I thought your criticisms were Ok and I made changes accordingly.  This forum has been a little sleepy lately and I wish we had more participants, but that's not your fault.

Comments

Thanks annierosie.  I too enjoy a good joust once in a while.  I think ThinkWrite, even though it is 8 months plus old now, is still on the upswing.  I see potential.  New blood is always welcome and appreciated.

Answer 3

are you doug on td? I am ross on td.

Comments

Yes, Ross it is me.  Good to see you on ThinkWrite.  Now here is a budding writer.  Let us know how we can help.  Welcome!

Answer 4

 

Hey guys. I wanted to ask your opinion on something. There have been a few challenges lately that were not really challenges, but rather exhibitions of one author's work. Personally, I don't mind anyone sharing their story in such a way, but  I'm a little scared of this becoming a regular practice.

Thinking about it, there are countless places where one's works can be displayed for feedback. At the same time ThinkWrite is the only website I'm aware off (apart from the forum that emerged from it and that one's dead, I think) that is based on challenges like this. So if we start using its Q&A design for other (albeit related) purposes, I'm afraid its initial intention will be lost.

Meanwhile, I'm 100% for people (an especially existing TW users) asking for feedback from any of us. There is a way to do this, in my opinion, that doesn't go against the site's design. There are a few challenges that are open with general topics, like "short story" or "horror story" and posting as a response in them would have the same effect as posting a new challenge, since it would be moved to the top automatically for everyone to see.

Recently Steve ended up removing his story from TW altogether which I felt really bad about (but he did say it had nothing to do with my comment). Jamcal's post technically is a new challenge, although it's more of a "You all look at my story please and, yeah, you can write stuff too, I don't really care" and in my opinion should be treated equally.

Anyway, I want to know what you guys think because I think we should apply the same criteria for everyone. If it's okay with you then challenges like this stay. If it's not, then I'll ask Jamcal and anyone else in the future to move their story to an existing challenge.

I would once again like to repeat that I really do want these stories to stay, I'm only asking in what form do you think is best.

Jamcal, if / when you read this, please understand that this is not directed at you. I understand why you made the challenge and, like I said, I'm not entirely against it. Please don't rush to remove it and rest assured that your story is welcome here and you'll get your feedback, no matter what we conclude in this discussion. Also, feel free to state your opinion as well.

Thanks!

Spots

P.S. Initially I posted this as a new "challenge", but then I thought I should practice what I preach, so I found this old thread and copied it here. If any of you saw the challenge in the meantime, this is where it went. 

Comments

If it would be easier, I would be willing to create a website for users looking for critiques on their writing without the restrictions of challenges? Anyone would be welcome. That is, if the users would be okay with that?

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Maybe if there is already a challenge that fits, a piece of writing can be posted there. If there is no existing challenge, then someone can post a new challenge that will fit their writing and then post the story in it.

For example if I had a mystery story I was sitting on, I could open a new challenge, call it "Mystery Story Collection" and then explain in the description that this is an open challenge, that no winner will be announced, and that it is just a collection of user's mystery genre stories. Then anyone who has a mystery piece they want feedback on, they can put it there. The same would go for Sci-Fi, Horror, etc.

Sorry for the ramble. I hope I made my point!

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I am not in favour of this site being used to proof read high school projects, but see no problem in members asking for advice on short pieces or how to express specific themes or concepts. We all get stuck from time to time and all advice and feedback helps, even if you do not like it at first! The problem comes when an occasional request from one or two members (which are not unreasonable as a one off) turns into a flood of such “challenges” that swamps the forum. The greatest danger is when we get so many non challenges at one time that the real challenges (that are the life blood of this site) end up buried three pages back and as a result members drift away.

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That is a good point Saxon. We wouldn't want to get away from the purpose of this site: testing and improving ourselves by competing in writing challenges, not a repository of stories for others to edit.

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Yeah I think we're all pretty much on the same page. Conclusion - let it be for now and when it starts being a problem, then go fix it?

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agreed

Answer 5

Question about  responding to your own challenge.

I just posted a wordlist challenge and think the list has lots of possabilities.  I would like to participate in the creative part  but I do not what to be in the running to win the challenge. Is there a standard practice on how to participate in the creative part when you are the one who posted the challenge?

Thank you.

Comments

TW has been around for a long time.  It has always been the norm for the torchbearer (challenge setter) to participate with their own things.  Everyone is allowed to contribute, but you can not "pass the torch" to yourself or to the person who gave it to you.  :)  Hope that helps! :D

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Perfect.  Thank you.  I had no idea about the not passing it back to the one who passesd it to you but that makes lots of sense.  Thanks

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I didn't know that either. I'm sure I must have passed it passed it back a few times

Answer 6

Does Spots have spots?

:)