  Noticing Newbies
This week: Edited by: Cubby  
More Newsletters By This Editor 
1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
 Welcome to the Noticing Newbies Newsletter! Our goal is to showcase some of our newest Writing.Com Authors and their items. From poetry and stories to creative polls and interactives, we'll bring you a wide variety of items to enjoy. We will also feature "how to" advice and items that will help to jump start the creation process on Writing.com.
We hope all members of the site will take the time to read, rate, review and welcome our new authors. By introducing ourselves, reviewing items and reaching out, we will not only make them feel at home within our community, we just might make new friends!
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Quote
Recognition of function always precedes recognition of being.
~ Rita Mae Brown
Recognition:
Merit Badges and Awardicons
What is a merit badge? How do I get one? What does it mean when someone has a ribbon on an item? These are just a few of the questions new members wonder about, so this week I will try to cover merit badges and awardicons in some detail. 
First of all, if you receive a merit badge, this means you have been recognized for something. Recognitons may be given for good deeds such as auction donations, bid winnings, contest donations, judging a contest, support, and the list goes on. Other reasons for receiving merit badges may include top 100 reviewers on the Public Reviews page, a birthday, appreciation, friendship, etc. You might also receive a MB for recognition in a specific genre such as poetry, short stories, mystery, etc. If you wondered what the number beside a member's handle is, click on it and you will see listed all the community recognitions this person has been awarded. For a full menu of visual merit badges, visit http://www.Writing.Com/main/badges or click on the Gift Point Tools menu under Site Navigation to the left of your screen. There you will find Merit Badges: Shop. After a merit badge has been gifted to you, you will received a notification in your email giving you details of the recognition.
There is no limit to the amount of MBs that you may receive or hand out. You will not, however, receive more than one Community Recognition if the same member sends you more than one merit badge within a 14 day period. And if you send a member a MB for whatever reason, remember this rule works both ways. For more information on merit badges, visit "Merit Badge Info" .
An awardicon is often used as a reward for winning 1st Place in a contest. It might also be given when an item touches someone's heart. For whatever reason you receive or send out an awardicon, it is a special moment for the author. Awardicons do not have a time period rule; you may send out as many as you like to the same member at anytime. Awards are not included in community recognition numbers, as awardicons are an item recognition, not based on merits earned in the community. You may not award yourself or your item a merit badge or an awadicon.
Awardicon ribbons come in many different colors to choose from. If you receive a second ribbon for an item already awarded, the most recent ribbon will replace the older one, unless the first ribbon holds more value (ribbons begin at 10,000 gps and go up from there, along with trophies to choose from, also). To see the entire menu of awardicons, click on http://www.Writing.Com/main/awardicons.php. Whether you award an item with an awardicon, or one is displayed on your own item, this is a great way to gain exposure to items. And more exposure brings more attention to the author. For more information on awardicons, visit "Awardicons Info" .
Always, always, always thank the person who sends you a merit badge or awardicon. A simple thank you--or some sort of acknowledgement--is important. MBs and ribbons cost 10,000 gift points each (other ribbons and trophies cost more) so whoever might send you one, make sure to respond. Just because you receive a recognition award does not mean you have to return the favor. Don't feel bad if you can't afford to send awardicons and merit badges out to others. Your honest and encouraging feedback is also valuable and is a wonderful recognition in itself, spoke freely from the heart.
Have a wonderful week!!!
Keep on Writing!
Yours truly,
Cubby ") |
~ Got questions? Look for answers here... ~
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And Now For Our Featured Newbies!
Excerpt:
What do I smell?
Can’t tell,
Is that you?
Pewwwwww?
Pit stop, pull in here,
Open the hood,
Excerpt: "You can't have your cake and eat it too," my father said with his all-knowing grownup voice.
Excerpt:
For the fear of tranquility,
I embrace the hostility
Of a world without any remorse.
I find my vulnerability
Writing my life’s soliloquy,
Narrating as fate takes its course.
Excerpt:
I had a talk with my mom on the other side
She said, “sing me a song”, then I saw her eyes
In the sky and the clouds, and it was so wild
My mother’s eyes make my heart smile
Excerpt: Bongo was born with a slight touch of Downs Syndrome and when he was a very young age of four or five, his loving mother and father took him to the circus and left him behind. Being the time of the 1800's, Mongoloids, as they were called, were rendered as a dark secret and were locked in attics and basements by their own families and were very seldom seen by the general public. So, when the Ring Master and Proprietor of the circus found him and no one claimed the boy, he decided to keep him, named him Mongo the Mongoloid and put the poor child on display as a freak of nature for all to see.
Excerpt: The last time I’d worn anything this formal had been at my cousin’s wedding, and that had been a dress. Whose clothes were these, and where was I? I looked around and saw all kinds of stainless steel tools that would have looked at home in a torturer’s toolbox. Or a dentist’s office, come to think of it. There was a refrigerator in the corner, and there was a distinct smell of formaldehyde with undertones of dead people. Oh, God. Was I…
~ A Few More Places to Check Out... ~
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
Don't forget to support our sponsor!
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Amazon's Price: $ 4.99
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FEEDBACK
larryp
Good newsletter Cubby. When I first started writing, I read a book designed to help beginning writers. The author stated that one of the biggest challenges to new writers (and even some of us older ones) is to eliminate "wordiness." Since coming to Writing.com, I have had the opportunity to lead a few writing classes and I discovered this to be a common thread among newer writers - wordiness. It is something I strive to eliminate in my own writings. Thanks for giving examples.
Larry
~ Thank you and you are welcome! Yes, it certainly is a common thread, and once a writer realizes this, it's unbelievable how quickly one can improve on this.
Coolhand 
Excellent advice this week, with important examples. Your newsletters helped me when I first arived at WDC, and they continue to be a great source of information.
~  Thank you so much!
tscully
I never realized I had a problem with dialogue tags unitl I looked at this newsletter. Thank you for opening my eyes to this. I will remember this newsletter when I write now.
~ Thank you so much! Be sure to check out the other newsletters, too. You never know what you might learn here!
Crawling Dragon
This one's a keeper, I already spotted several flaws in my draft. Thank you so much for this advice.
~ You are welcome. Glad to be helpful!
Recommended Books
Please send me your favorites!
I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
I am so glad I read this book. Wow. This man is such a good author
(he also wrote The Book Thief).
The main character discovers an Ace of Diamonds in an envelope with three addresses on it. What do they mean? What is he suppose to do with them?
This book really gets you thinking about being kind to others.
It's got a great message.
Highly recommended!
 Cubby's Writer's Block Challenge of the Month
If you were to write a book, or perhaps already have, what message would you like to send to your readers, if any?
I'll see you again on March 18th, 2009!
Have a great week!
Cubby ")
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Amazon's Price: $ 19.95
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Noticing Newbies: February 18, 2009 Issue [#2893]
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