Forum / My New Private Group

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    Adam Sifre
    Dec 07, 03:20pm

    Get your mind out of the gutter, please.

    This is a critique group. Well, so far it's just me yelling at me for using too many adverbs. But I hope to change that. The group part, not the adverbs. I happen to disagree with me and think my adverbs add to the story, although I agree with me in general that adverbs can usually be removed to strengthen a story.

    Anyway, if you're still reading this, you must be desperate for attention. So, if honest critiques are something you value, come give us a look. Become a founding member of one of the greatest communities I have ever invented this week.

    http://fictionaut.com/groups/check-your-sugarcoats-at-the-door

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    Mathew Paust
    Dec 07, 07:09pm

    I opened this after reading the thread about faves and wondering if you'd decided to start your own circle so's to make sure you could feel confident of being invited back to at least one circle after each...er, session.

    I'm reluctant to subject my hard-wrought scrivenings to critique by anyone who hasn't proven to me he or she isn't inclined merely to apply one or more of the predictable templates and with an impure motive. In less arcane language, while a pissing circle might be more useful to the writer in developing a thicker creative skin than the circle mentioned in the other thread, I'm not convinced skin is what it's all about in either instance. My objective in writing is to connect with the reader in a positive way that I hope bypasses the usual critical antennae at least until after the connection has been made and the smile or gasp extracted.

    In other words, I shall join and lurk awhile and then...

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    Adam Sifre
    Dec 07, 07:12pm

    Sounds good. Now i just have to figure out how to invite you. If this circle actually takes off, i will be doing my best to ensure the critiques are useful.

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    Mathew Paust
    Dec 07, 07:18pm

    I just realized it's an invitation only circle. Perhaps you could open it and then require comment moderation, if that's possible.

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    Adam Sifre
    Dec 07, 10:20pm

    Sounds good

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    Lynn Beighley
    Dec 07, 11:51pm

    May I join? Please?

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    Adam Sifre
    Dec 08, 12:24am

    Hmm. You promise not to be nice?

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    Lynn Beighley
    Dec 08, 12:25am

    No. Yes. Wait. Screw you.

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    Mathew Paust
    Dec 08, 01:14am

    That was harsh! I'm quitting!!

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    MichaelDickes
    Dec 08, 11:06am

    Great group idea with actual value to a writer.

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    Gloria Garfunkel
    Dec 09, 07:16pm

    I'd vote for it as an open rather than private group. You can always gang up on someone whose comments you don't like and that allows for more diversity. You also might want to think of a theme for the critiques, to focus them.

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    Mathew Paust
    Dec 09, 07:23pm

    Too much control, Gloria. I like Adam's informal air. As to ganging up, too easy for the place to devolve into a barroom brawl, a la Destry Rides Again. After all, scratch a Literatus and you find the blood of a troglodyte every time.

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    Adam Sifre
    Dec 09, 08:22pm

    Also, I can't figure out how to make it public.

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    Mathew Paust
    Dec 09, 09:05pm

    You're the administrator. Doesn't the platform give you "tools" to change things like that?

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    Gloria Garfunkel
    Dec 09, 09:14pm

    It's automatically public. Just announce it on the forum and send some invites to your contacts. I don't know how to make it private.

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    Joani Reese
    Dec 09, 09:35pm

    If you make a group public, members have to post their work on the big board before they send it to the group. If it is private, they can post only to the private group for private feedback, which is the main reason one creates a feedback group for work not yet ready for prime time. If you keep your group private, there is a button to invite your contacts, so people who you want to join must be on your contact list. Hope this helps.

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    Adam Sifre
    Dec 10, 02:39am

    I don't see any options to make a private group public.

    I don't mind keeping it private. I'll invite anyone who asks. If they end up not participating, or making trouble, or not buying my book, I can always boot 'em.

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    Joani Reese
    Dec 10, 01:00pm

    Adam-- The problem is, you must ask them to boot themselves. Once you invite someone, even though you're the admin., there is no function to eliminate members who no longer participate or who are troublesome. I have asked Carson to remedy that to no avail. Good luck.

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    Mathew Paust
    Dec 10, 01:12pm

    So in other words I can get cranky as hell and y'all'll hafta put up with me? Yeeha, how liberating!

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    Adam Sifre
    Dec 12, 12:59pm

    That sucks. What's the point of having a private club if I can't toss people out at will?

    Maybe Carson can compromise and at least give me the power to change people's profile pics?

  • Frankie Saxx
    Dec 12, 04:59pm

    I like that it's private.

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    Adam Sifre
    Dec 12, 06:15pm

    Frankie, since I'm new here, if there's anyone you want me to invite, let me know. Or I can promote you to administrator.

  • Frankie Saxx
    Dec 12, 06:40pm

    I will have to look see at my contacts.

    Lynn has a bunch of them also.

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    Dolemite
    Dec 12, 07:04pm

    You know, a "private group" doesn't show up on the front page, no one but invited members can access it, and (obviously) no one but invited members can read what's posted.

    And it shows up under "Your Groups" as having a pair of sunglasses (IIRC).

    If you really want this group private for the benefit of posting work you don't want uninvited members (and the public) to see, you might need to make a few phone calls or something (I don't know how to do it...)

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    Adam Sifre
    Dec 12, 07:07pm

    I can invite anyone I'm following (or "Contacts" as it's called here).

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    Sally Houtman
    Dec 12, 11:40pm

    "I like that it's private."

    Well...the fact that I (and everyone else) can click on your group and read your critiques of each others' work says, to me, that it's not actually private.

    If by 'private' you mean invite only, okay. But you may want to make this type of group truly 'private' in that your critiques are not visible to all. I imagine more honest feedback would be forthcoming if it were visible only to other group members.

    You may want to check with David Ackly if you need to know how to privatize the group's activity, as I believe he recently started a similar group.

    But I wouldn't know anything about that groups activity, because...well...it's private.

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