Nathan Bransford - The Forums

Ink wrote:Lol, Holly. I think my brain just melted.

Ink, I'm hiding from you behind an armchair.

The monthly forum contest could be called "Ink's Choice(s)."

A contest would be fun.

You know, I was browsing some of the forums on the web. It seems like forums are about discussing things, but also about making friends and being a part of a community. That's why they have little reward systems for posting, avatars, prizes, etc. And lots of moderators. I'm not sure if any of that would work here, but its just a thought.....

I'm not being critical, though - I enjoy the forums just as they are. Just thinking out loud - please ignore if not relevant. :)

The forums are definitely fun, addictive, and a great way to procrastinate. :)

One thing I can't figure out is how to sort by the original post date for a topic. Instead, it seems to sort by the last post date by anyone who replied.

Also, sub-categories in the Feedback section to separate queries, first pages, etc would be great.

The private messages don't work for me. They sit in the Outbox for hours or days, except for test messages to myself, which go through right away.

PMs will sit in the outbox until the recipient opens them. Normally.

Quill wrote:PMs will sit in the outbox until the recipient opens them. Normally.

Quill, a hearty thank you. I thought I was doing something wrong and deleted them after so many hours.

Nathan,

How would you feel about a weekly or monthly topic for which people could really tear into the subject matter, offering and discussing all sides of it? Or a book discussion in which people aren't encouraged to just say, "OMG, I loved that book." or "OMG, I hated that book.", but are expected to analyze the book, take it apart and say what makes it a well-written or poorly written book, or expand the discussion by providing additional material, e.g. the historical setting of the book?

How about making it more private. Only allow people who sign in to view messages in the forum. Its rather annoying to post something and see 500 views and only 4 responses.

I like the idea of more detailed discussions, though I don't know if I could force that. I think it would need to evolve organically.

Would there be any interest in having a place where people could help each other out with setting or character details?

For example: I've got a main character who had a very rough upbringing, is basically self-educated and books became, for various reasons, very important to him. It seems clear a couple of the books that meant a lot to him growing up should be mentioned by name somewhere in the ms, but I've really got nothing in common with this character--not age, not gender, not geography, not type of upbringing; in short, I don't know what those books would have been. I'd love to throw out more details about him and see if anyone would be able to offer suggestions.

Does that make sense? What do people think?

I suggest dropping the Feedback box of sub-forums to the bottom so it doesn't break up the main section.

Possibly also lift the Town Hall Forum to the top, where intros and announcements can be found coming in.

Otherwise, great, guys. this fabulous messageboard just got even better!

Thanks, Quill! Moved Town Hall up. I know things look a little wonky when you view The Forums rather than Board Index, but not sure about dropping Feedback to the bottom because it seems like that's where procrastination should go. But if others are bothered by the way the subcategories are displayed let me know and I can adjust further.

Cool. I'll just get used to hopping to Index instead of Forums.

Glad I read this, I thought my eyes were playing tricks with me after being in front of my laptop all day. :)

Seamus wrote:I noticed on the "all things writing" forum, there have been lots of language grammar and style-guide discussions recently. Seems like you could have an "all things language and word usage" forum. Long riffs on the evil adverb or the much-to-be-avoided opening a story by commenting on the weather might be fun and interesting.

I love this idea. I know it might be reinventing the wheel (or, rewriting the books), but a 'Writing 101' section would be extremely helpful. It could cover everything from Seamus's suggestions, to the dangers of overuse and/or misuse of similes, passive voice, show-n-tell, how stage direction can drag a story to a halt, and the list goes on. Adding lots of examples would also enhance the education.

Thanks for the forums and blog, Nathan, they are a great source of information and entertainment.