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Noticing Newbies

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Edited by: laurencia
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Noticing Newbies Newsletter is geared to help you, the new member, get acquainted with Writing.com -- there is so much do and all the features can be overwhelming! Our goal is to help you make your time here more fun and manageable.

Each week we select and showcase new items (poetry, short story, polls, etc.). Exposure for an item helps to bring you more rates and reviews; and by bringing more member interaction, that will give you the opportunity to build friendships. It is a two way street, so remember to reciprocate reviews.

"There's someone that you haven't already met, go introduce yourself to him or her. Walls and labels can't keep you from the people who are so similar to you in spirit. There's a friendly face behind every door if you pick the right moment to knock. Once you start your wave of creative outreach, it turns into a contagious force. People are waking up and smiling at each other, sharing their dreams without hesitation. This community is worth something."

-- Author Unknown

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Hi New Members!

Lately, I've been giving advice to several people on writer's block; I don't know if it's weather related, stress related or whatever the circumstances...it is a common theme with many. I will admit that I have had my own case of writer's block, but I do realize and have been writing long enough to know it is self-induced. Who said that writing is suppose to be easy all the time, especially if you want your writing to be marketable. Like Steven King quoted "Shut the door and glue your butt to the seat". And you definitely are not going to have the best writing on your 1st draft, just the very lucky. The 1st draft is not suppose to be good writing, it is getting all the information down on paper (free writing) with no editing/revision along the way. Getting the story out of your head is actually the easiest phase, it is the revision that is work. I find once I write a paragraph, I'm all set! I get a paragraph or two on paper, sometimes I go back to read what I have written, not to edit, but to help me think what else to add. Not all writers are alike, we each will find some niche that helps the process.

My nine year old daughter who is in 4th grade is learning the phases of writing: a list, 1st draft, revision, etc. So, last week she decided to write a story at home, she makes a list and says "Mommy, I don't know how to start the story." I say, "You have a big part done, your list has the character and plot, now you have to use your imagination to write the story. And your story doesn't have to start at the beginning, you can write the middle first, the end or parts of the story...it all comes together eventually. I can't write the story for you or it won't be your story." She gets mad, rips her list and stomps into her bedroom. She got over it. And she started her story.

Writing involves imagination, research, determination, perseverance and taking chances. So, do what works for you, and WRITE.

The following links offer some great advice and a few fun poems: