[FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Times New Roman]Forum Guidelines[/FONT][/FONT]
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[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman][FONT=Tahoma]To avoid unnecessary conflicts, these guidelines are susceptible to amendment from all participants. Users wanting to change the guidelines should create a poll, and by the end of the week a straight up or down tally will be collected.
This forum is devoted to writers of all stripes and colors. It is not meant to substitute the Literature Forum. We wish to discuss each other's work, talk about the writing process, improve on characterization, fine tune world building, waddle through the hurdles found in the publishing industry, and so on. We are not here to talk about the book you're currently reading. Obviously it's sometimes hard to discriminate between what can go here and what can go in the Literature Forum, but use sound judgment.
There are a few guidelines that should be followed:
- Please keep your excerpts at a reasonable length. If people are interested, they will request to see more. Also remember your prospects as a writer. Although publishing companies rarely put much thought into a few brief excepts, some do not look favorably upon the idea of half your work appearing online.
- Work should not be lifted from another person, unless they give you explicit permission.
- Remember that we're here to improve. Please do not take a hard critique personally. We are all here to help each other.
- Please be respectful with your critique suggestions. Make sure you provide constructive criticism and remain respectful towards the author.
- If you are going to submit your work for review, please be generous and return the favor. Think of this as a community.
- Keep your reader in mind. If there are spelling mistakes riddled throughout the work, chances are reviewers may skip the plot in favor of the red pen. You should also take into consideration font size and paragraphs.
That is all. That wasn't too much, was it? 
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[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman][FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Times New Roman]Here is some good advice from published authors: [/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
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[/FONT][/FONT] [FONT=Tahoma]Judy Blume: Don't let anybody discourage you!
[/FONT][FONT=Tahoma]Terry Brooks: Don't quit the day job! I gave a talk at Maui this year on ten things every writer should know: Read. Read. Read. Outline. Outline. Outline. Write. Write.Write. Repeat. That's it!
[/FONT][FONT=Tahoma]Christopher Buckley: Write. But seriously --- 1) get some reporting experience early on. There is no better training. 2) Read Orwell's Politics and the English Language. 3) As my writing professor, the great William Zinsser, used to tell us, "Be grateful for every word you can cut."
[/FONT] [FONT=Tahoma]Liza Dalby: Write about what obsesses you.[/FONT]
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[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman][FONT=Tahoma]At this moment I'm still trying to figure out how one stickies threads (apparently the function is missing).[/FONT][/FONT]
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