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 |  It's hard to put it into words how much I love WDC... but here's a try! (Friends-EDITED!) |
Honestly, I don't think words will ever be enough to express just how much I love WritingDotCom... But here I am giving it a try anyway, in celebration of WDC's last 'single digit' birthday! I am hoping there will be a time to celebrate WDC's last 'two digit' birthday as well. (Though I may no longer be alive by then.  )Here are some pieces of my heart that I am willing to share with everyone who loves WDC as much as I do!  Come read and find out how WDC and I met, my inspirations, the lessons I've learned, the things everyone taught me, the problems I've encountered, and get to know the 'angels' I've been given the chance to meet.     What is HITSUZEN??-necessity-  the fact that something MUST happen or be done.-inevitability- something that you cannot avoid or prevent from happening.-fatality- the belief or feeling that you have no control over whatever happens.  "Writing At WDC!!"  A poem for WDC! When I first came here, it wasn't because I heard about WDC from someone I know. I found it by 'accident' while I was looking for Manga Websites on the net. I curiously clicked on the link... and poof!-- it lead me to the Garden of E--, I mean, to WritingDotCom!! I read some stories and poems here and there, checked out the different 'wonders' of the site and then... I stumbled upon this page where people leave their opinions regarding WDC. After reading about ten to fifteen comments, I went back to the main page and decided to sign up as a member! Then, I went back to reading more testimonials.  What?!! It was fun getting to know what the 'long time' and 'short time' members thought about the website! You see, meeting WDC (perhaps? --at least I feel so...) wasn't really as simple as an 'accident'. It was an inevitability, a necessity that was needed to be done. So, Fate prepared her usual thread and needle; then stitched me somewhere on the bottom right of the 'Exclusive' WDC Cloth!! Even now, I believe it was a fatality... simply meant to be!!  --a bittersweet fragment from the 'storybook'... I am still an amateur when it comes to writing. I probably will be for a long time. My English isn't perfect, my grammar also sounds weird from time to time, and I tend to misspell or misuse a few words on some occasions. Still, compared to when I first began, I think I am slowly making progress and improving at my own pace. I have a long, long way to go but I am planning to enjoy this journey to the fullest.  I've learned a lot of things here from different people. I know quite a number of Poetry Forms now and have a few favorites as well. I am receiving lessons on meter too. It is quite hard because I get confused with the 'stressed' and 'unstressed' syllable thing. I am also trying my best... but still having difficulties with my short stories. I can't seem to get out of my 'tell-phase' when I need to 'show' more of what is happening in the story. Imagery is certainly a huge weakness for me. Now, let's talk about reading and reviewing. One of the great things here on WDC is how people love to read and review. They give their comments with respect. It is one of the few websites I know where others don't step on others' feelings. I mean, criticism is fine, it helps to improve a writer's work after all. But to give criticism without explaining why... feels insulting! That is something I've experienced from a different site which I already left a long time ago. Although, I think there are a few of these people lurking around here on WDC (as I've heard from friends). In general, I think everyone's nice.  Reviews don't only help the writers but also the reviewers. How? It's simple! When you read a good piece, review it. Then you will know the techniques on how to write a good piece. When you read a poorly made one, review it still. This way you will know what things to avoid and learn from mistakes. Whoever said that WDC is only for writing, reading and reviewing? It is also a website where one can feel at home. People form groups; helping and inspiring each other. Members run activities and contests to encourage others and share their knowledge on how to improve. Running auctions, raffles and shops teach everyone how to handle and raise funds. Managing these funds helps members to become honest and fair. Now you see these are the "realities" which make WDC an awesome, lovable home.  --the sweet & sour aftertaste from my 'imagination'... Now, there isn't always only good stuff everywhere. Of course, problems are a daily part of life and it follows even here in my second home. Let's start with my teensy-weensy problem-- the time difference. It is really hard to manage activities, contests and my newly formed group when there is a 13-hour time gap between WDC and me. When I'm sleeping, everyone's wide awake. And when I'm finally up and about, most of the people here have already logged out.  This is very frustrating...Moving on to my 'not-so-itty-bitty' problem-- my Membership. Whew! I asked help from upgrade-giving groups before, twice in the past. I was and still am very grateful for their help and support. But since I want to do something for my membership on my own, I started trying out my hand at running different activities (with the help of a very 'close' friend). At first, it was to help me with funding my upgrade. Until I began to enjoy doing the activities and so I am still continuing some of them.Now, here comes the "big one"! The main problem here is: WDC is becoming an 'addiction'... Sure it's not so bad. But my dad gets mad when I use the computer for hours. I remember last year that I would stay up late until three in the morning even though there's school (I read and read and read... Although I was too lazy to review most of the time). So, my dad came up with a solution which I hated... Our computer now automatically shuts down between five in the afternoon until seven in the evening. He did this to ensure that I watch the news. Then, it will also shut down at ten in the evening to make sure I'd sleep early. Uncertainties... You see, I am a very, very pessimistic person when it comes to myself. In fact, one of my best friends told me before how much she hated my self-deprecating attitude.  But I cannot help it, really. I don't know how to stop these uncertainties and worries plaguing my head. There are times (happens a lot) when I feel like I don't even have any talent nor potential anyway... so why continue doing this? No matter how much praise I get from family and friends, there is always this irritating voice inside me, telling me I'm not and never will be--good enough! But even with these dark thoughts camping inside my brain... I'm still hoping that I'll be able to stay afloat somehow and not totally sink into these uncertainties and fears.  What is SHINYUU??-親友- the Japanese word for close friend or best friend.-親- means something you like, a familiar thing, someone close to you...-友- means a comrade, ally, friend, someone you share common interests with...When I first came here, I obviously didn't know anyone and I'm not really good at making friends. I figured I should just post something right away and if anyone reviews, I'll try to strike up a decent conversation... Surprisingly, it worked!  My first friend here was a man named, Wesley. (I don't think he's here anymore.) He read and reviewed the first thing I ever posted, "A Thousand Years Of Snow". After a few days, he gifted me with a 3-month upgrade. He said he wanted to help newbies like me who strive to become better. He was also the one who introduced me to stacylynn71 and told me about kiyasama's group, the WDC Angel Army. If I hadn't met such a good person who encouraged and helped me a lot, I probably would have given up right away. I am really very grateful to have known him. The next person I became close friends with was Yami. (She isn't here anymore either.) We were quite close. We would e-mail each other every day. She shared her problems with me and I gave her some advice. I told her about some of my own experiences and the sadness in some of them. We were both quite 'dark', she and I. Whenever I would post something new, she'd always be the first to review and I did the same for her. If I hadn't met her, I would have kept bottling up those dark thoughts and worries at that time. She taught me a lot of things about feelings and the darkness in everyone. I am happy to have gotten to know her.  Meg  --She was sort of like a mom or an aunt for me. We used to talk a lot through mails. She'd tell me about her big and lively family and I would tell her how I would like to have a family like that someday. She was always caring and supportive too. simply_complex --She's like a big sister to me. She's kind and helpful and will listen when you want someone to talk to. She has a big heart, a heart where Jesus reigns! runningwolf04 --She's my Poetry Mentor. She's sweet, kind and patient. (Especially the latter!) Even though it takes me a long time to edit my works because I'm terrible at it, she's still there for me. Jewel Busy Busy Busy! --She's an Angel! I met her through her group, S.O.A.R. (I joined the contest for thinking about its name. My idea didn't win but I like how it turned out!) During that one time when I was desperate to save GPs but didn't want to ask for donations without giving something back to anyone... she supported me with my decision to run an auction. She taught me how to run raffles too and gave me tips on how to get more customers! sunshine014 --Sweet Ashy who always says the images/sigs I make are nice. (Even though I'm not confident about them.) She used to drop by a lot at my Signature Shop before I temporarily closed it. She also talks to me from time to time through e-mail and would tell me about new activities around WDC. francie --Cameron! She also bought a lot of images from my Sig Shop. She's kind and helpful and quite modest! (When I saw her picture in her port...)I told her, her smile resembled that of Cameron Diaz... she denied it! Well, it's true! It's as bright as Cameron's smiles in her movies. She would often help me out through giving GP donations to my activities and I am very thankful for that. Princess Megan Snow Rose  --The sweetie who always reviews the images I upload here. She's nice and her words are always kind and encouraging. We haven't really talked but I imagine her as someone who won't hurt even a fly! ~WhoMe???~  , Wyn - missing III , Stephanie Grace --The three beautiful-hearted "Leprechauns" who always share a bit of their 'pot of gold' with me. (give me GPs for my public reviews...)  kiyasama, SHERRI GIBSON  , stacylynn71--For me, they're like the Goddesses, Hera, Athena & Aphrodite! They strike me as ladies with power. I guess that's because they're the leaders of three of the biggest groups here in WDC! They've always encouraged me to help others even in simple, little ways... ~*~Damiana Returned~*~ , Kristi --The kind helpers who take the place of the main leaders when they're away. I think they're like the 'Shadow Queens' who usually work behind the scenes but are as powerful as the 'stars'! They encourage the members to... review, review, review! very thankful --I haven't seen her around as of late... She's also one of the persons who supported my earlier attempts at running auctions and raffles. She would often donate package donations and share some of her ideas about how to run activities. midnight.ink --Now, here's another person who has helped me a lot. She used to buy from my Sig Shop... She would bid on my auctions and also donate packages/GPs. She's one of those kind people who wouldn't hesitate to help when you asked for it.  Sara - will be back soon , ~A.J. Lyle~ --Two of the Review Queens of this site... for me! Their reviewing styles are quite different from each other~ But there's no mistake that they give amazing reviews-- honest and encouraging. Reviews filled not only with praise but also criticisms with reason. Sarah~goodbye writing.com , writersblock54--I met them when I was running the, "My Heartfelt Gratitude Raffle". They needed the GPs for their upgrade so I featured them as one of the beneficiaries of the raffle. After that, we got to talk through mails and became friends. 🌖 HuntersMoon  --Ken! I love his poetry! He's really, really good. He may deny it and be modest about it.But I think he's really good at writing poetry. (I haven't really checked out his stories that much yet.) I met him... I think when he reviewed one of my poems and offered nice suggestions for improvement! afineline --My new friend! I met him not so long ago because he gave me awesome reviews!He's really kind, always willing to help and smart too! (By the way, he's running a Raffle right now called, "Raffle Madness".) Mara ♣ McBain  , Adriana Noir --Now, here's a cool duo! They helped me a lot, been kind and supportive, and led the way for me to meet...my Angel Buddy and one of my best friends! saraiv --A wonderful person I got to know through her well-thought-out Group: CRUSADERS, which I am a part of! She's a great leader and very organized, too. The Sun SmilesOn Small Valley  --I first became 'sort of' close to her after signing up for New Horizon's Grammar Lesson! She's a reeeeaaaaally awesome teacher, with patience and great knowledge to share.  Top-Left: my sister, Mika. Top-Right: Jackie's sister, Sam. Bottom-Left: ME!! Bottom-Right: JACKIE!! At last, out of all the people I met and befriended here, there stood out the existence of one person... Jackie, also known as Neko! I remember joining the Angel Buddy Network months after becoming a WDC member and I was paired up with a guy. I tried so hard to be good friends with him because that was why I went looking for an Angel Buddy. But it seemed he wasn't really that interested and he rarely replied to my mails. After such a disaster, I hadn't dropped by the ABN Page that much... That was until I received an e-mail from the ABN leader, Mara. She sent a message to everyone who was a part of ABN and told us she's going to start anew. She also said that we could start posting again in the forum for the specifics about a partner if we were still interested. Of course, I was up and about right away! I made an introduction about myself and specified I would prefer a female buddy this time because I was afraid of getting a guy-partner who wouldn't be as enthusiastic as me in the friendship. Then, finally... I can still remember that day very clearly and the well thought-out mail I received from Jackie. It was on the 7th of January when I received the mail and I replied only a day after because of the time difference. It was fantastic and we got to talking right away. It had been both our love of cats and of anime/manga that brought us together for that first time. But gradually, I think it was her kindness that made her a very dear friend to me. There are times when I think she's done so much for me and that I probably haven't done enough for her...  But then, when I would voice out these thoughts to her she would always make me feel that it didn't matter... that friendship isn't just about what one can give the other. I found a big sister in her, a friend, an inspiration, a teacher and of course, an Angel. I would love to drag this on and on about our friendship, but I fear that I would only sound repetitive and annoying to you, reader. So, I'll cut it here... for now! *giggles* Here are some of our tributes to each other!  How does the WritingDotCom experience feel...?? Mystery?? --like being a detective searching for clues to solve a puzzling case. Supernatural... --like being a dream seer looking and watching the future surprises unfold right before your very eyes. Horror/Scary?! --imagine being inside a scary movie; the scene playing-- the predator chasing down his prey. The horror! It is almost the same as catching misspelled words, wrong grammar and unfinished works, making one's hair stand on end.  Educational/Inspirational. --like having your nightmares catch up to you, and you learn from your mistakes with the help of others and then strive to become better. Action! --like being a treasure hunter who fights the bad guys along the way!  Adventure!! --like riding on a fast train leading to a place you've never been to your whole life, much like venturing further into writing! Romance/Love... --like falling in love at first sight (getting ideas about a new piece), getting to know that person (working on every detail of your work), starting a relationship with that person (posting it on WDC), sweet moments... falling more and more for him/her (getting reviews filled with praise). But then, arguments start and the fights seemingly have no end (criticisms on your piece)... Still, in the end, after talking it out... you both will learn how to compromise! (Seeing your shortcomings and applying the suggestions given.) Children's/Fantasy... --like playing the part of a fairytale princess who grows out of being a damsel in distress (getting more involved not only with writing but also reviewing and other activities)... and becomes strong enough to fight her own demons (getting promoted?) Emotional/Drama... --like hoping for a 'Happily Ever After', but not quite getting it... (the hardship in writing-- real life getting busy, personal problems & the dreadful writer's block!) Friendship/Family!! --imagine gaining the perfect happiness-- NOT feeling/being ALONE! WDC is a big, big family composed of people not related by blood but connected nonetheless, by the red string of Fate. The beginning and ending for something is always so hard to write. Well, I'm not that confident with how I began this 'tale' about loving WDC. And now, it has come to the end and I'm still having problems with it. I was actually writing a 'sort of' dark fairytale, fantasy-type, fictional story of how WDC came to be. At first, I planned on adding a link of that here... But as I was typing and typing, it turned out longer than expected and I'm not even halfway done with it. Now, the other problem would be -- "I'm stuck" and don't know how I can continue writing that "tale" exactly the way I imagined it... And so, there goes the perfect ending I was thinking about for this piece. But still, thank you for reading through this and I hope you enjoyed the ride.Here's to the part of me, the part of everyone's hearts-- WDC!! |
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