Writing Forums... a good thing?

I could hang out on forums like this all day. Love 'em, and this place especially, but are they really good for a writer?

DO you mean good for writing, or good for a writer?

For writing, I'd say absolutely not. Far better to be outside watching the world go by, or writing, or reading a good book or practically anything really.

For the writer...well, we all get a bit down about it sometimes, don't we? It's good to have a release, to chat to other people in the same situation, to break the monotony with a bit of humour. And it sure kills time and keeps writing in your mind during the day job, as well as giving you tips and knowledge about the industry.

So, if it's a few hours here and there, and it's not detracting from the writing but adding to it - good. If it's procrastinating, bad. Personally though, I know I can't have internet access at home, because it does become addictive. If it's on day job time, I don't have a problem

I think that, as with most other things in life, it depends on how you use them. I'm a forum addict, and I spend WAY too much time on these things. But that's my own fault, not the forums.

Looking at the posts I have read today, for example, very few (if any) have been of any real benefit to me and my writing. And still, I think forums have a great value to its users, mainly for 2 reasons: Writing can be lonely and writing is a craft.

Up until recently, I didn't know anyone else who wrote stories. There was this one guy 15 years ago, but, well, that was 15 years ago! The forums give me a chance to chat about these things that non-writers don't have a relationship with: POV, tenses, inspiration, the difficult middle part, words that don't behave as you want them too etc. And that's great! I love it, and that's the main reason I'm hooked.

And then there's the craft thing. You can learn a lot about POV, plot, dialogue and pacing from books alone, but what if you don't understand what the writer means when he goes on about showing vs telling? Or you have no idea what a third person omniscient is? Yu logg on to a writers' forum and you ask. And people are lovely and they explain it to you. And debate it with you. And sometimes they get nasty about it too, if you don't agree - but luckily this seems to be a stranger occurence on writers' forums than other forums.

As Stephen King says in the article, "But teach you to write? No. A writing class will not teach you to write. The only things that can teach writing are reading, writing and the semi-domestication of one's muse. These are all activities one must pursue alone." (Italics are my emphasis.)

I've always felt this. I've never belonged to a local writer's group, never taken creative writing classes. Yet I read. A lot. And when I first started seriously writing and submitting, I read every book I could on writing. As for belonging to writer's boards? As you can see, I do. I check in a few times a day, sometimes to post a comment as I'm doing now, or maybe learn something new. It doesn't take long and yet it helps me to continue writing each day. Maybe even puts that germ of an idea in my head for a short story or essay.

I can understand where you are coming from, that time spent in a forum is time not spent working on actual writing. the balance comes from discipline, I believe. Discipline to write. This place isn't an excuse not to write for me, its a community and a resource.
For me the forums have been incredibly valuable and definitely a good thing. Here's why: 1)I had finished a novel and had no idea what next steps were. I found out here. 2)I don't know any other writer-types in real life, the ability to burn stress with like-minded people is beneficial to me as a social person. 3)the motivation I get here, and encouragement have made me more disciplined at getting the work done. It is a lot easier to justify not writing when I don't feel that desire from so many others here. No one in real life is going to ask me if I got my writing done today. 4) my knowledge of the craft has increased since being here. 5) the banter and casual conversation here is inspiring. It spurs my creativity. It motivates me. My fingers are moving on the keyboard, I am challenged to be clever or insightful, I am challenged to use what I know, I have found that I know things I didn't realize because I'd never had to share it before now. It's mental exercise. and for someone with two small kids and a full-time job, I need the mental exercise. 6)I didn't start writing poetry again until I came here. Saw the forum, and got back into it. This place has improved me. And i write, maybe not as much as I "Could", but certainly better and with more direction than I did before. I'm more consistent now, always working on something.
I have people here who are "keeping score" and know that I have goals to achieve and a work in progress to make progress on. I am obligated now to a community. Not just what they give me and my own work, but obligated to help others do the same. I like to feel useful, and I am here. Writing doesn't seem so solitary a venture when you have a place to go, like AW.
I feel part of something here, and have met some unbelievably gifted and wonderful people. I wouldn't trade AW for 1000 more words a day. No way.
Just my 2 cents.

It's all about balance. Anything and everything can be a distraction.

I view the forums as a support system where you can ask questions like "Are forums good for you?" and you get answers that are helpful to you.

I think the writing areas of this forum are very useful tools. But then there are the distracting forums, the fun ones, and time posting there is time taken away from writing.

In the long run, it's up to you to decide if these forums are a value to you or a hindrance. Personally, despite how much time I do spend on here, I still manage to produce. And I don't allow myself to come on at night until after I've done some writing first.

I like the writing forums. It's a fun place to hang out with some very smart people, many of which are interested in the same things I am, and are all intelligent enough to express what they think.

It's not doing any wonders for my writing, but it doesn't hurt it either. When I get a little too involved in the forums and not in my stories (which can happen when the stories come hard) then I walk away from the forums for a little while. Or I get someone to ban me, like I did with my novel.

You don't need anything to write, something which I think frustrates a lot of young writers. There was no internet when I started writing, there were barely things you'd called computers. I remember showing my first completed story to the neighborhood kids so very proudly, only to have them throw the pages in a puddle.

I picked 'em up, I went on writing. By the time I discovered the writerly parts of the internet and writing communities like this, I'd already been writing for over ten years.

That said, some place like this might have been fun when I was just starting out. On the OTHER hand, I wouldn't have gotten nearly as much writing done, and it might have actually been detrimental.

So, is this good? No, no good for writing. Plenty good for writers. It's fun.

I've learned a ton here. I've read advice from writers and aspiring writers worldwide. I've corresponded with real, published writers. These are things I'd never be able to do sitting in my own space, just writing. I do find forums take up a lot of time, but most of it is worthwhile.

I think you must strive for balance. It's fine to write for two hours, and then surf a forum for 10 minutes, as a break/reward. We all need discipline to stave off the pull of other things, whether it's surfing the net, doing the laundry, or playing a video game. Everything in moderation, kids.

I actually find forums other than writing ones have been more useful in my writing so far. News and purely daft chat ones are the ones I spend most time on. They can help give you different outlooks on the world ocassionally and take your mind right off the writing, which is necessary sometimes.

You have to stike a balance. For me this is they only place I can talk to other writers and get information and reality checks. So not coming here at all would have meant I wrote less. Not to say there can't be too much of a good thing.

PeeDee said:

I like the writing forums. It's a fun place to hang out with some very smart people, many of which are interested in the same things I am, and are all intelligent enough to express what they think.

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And then there's me.

It's a fun place to hang out with some very smart people, many of which are interested in the same things I am, and are all intelligent enough to express what they think.

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Shouldn't that be many of whom by the way? I don't wish to be pedantic, but this is a writer's board, and none of us are inanimate objects

If it takes a villiage to raise an idiot, then what does a Writing Forum raise?

FergieC said:

Shouldn't that be many of whom by the way? I don't wish to be pedantic, but this is a writer's board, and none of us are inanimate objects

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None of you are inanimate, many of you are pendantic.

*ahem*

Another nice thing about about writerly boards is that if I make a mistake, I misspell something, I fail to capitalize something for whatever reason (I might be, for example, working) then I can gleefully get on with my day and not worry about it in the slightest bit.

wordmonkey said:

I just read this. Made me wonder about forums and all the other place we go and things we do where the net result is zero words produced.

I could hang out on forums like this all day. Love 'em, and this place especially, but are they really good for a writer? This is work for me, not a hobby. My job. And doing things that seem useful are ways to willingly delude oneself out of being productive.

But ultimately, for me at least, I have to conclude that the downside far outweighs the upside. What do you all think?

And yes, I am aware of the irony of me doing this. Perpetuating my own downfall.

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Hmmm. For me, it was a good thing and I'll tell you why. Back when I first went on the Internet and back when I realized I wanted to take writing seriously I spent time on a message board. The board was not writing related at all but I soon realized I was surrounded by very intelligent people who could express themselves very well. Also, I came in contact with a writer who I came to admire. Immediately I began to notice the differences in how they posted and how I posted. I studied what they did and picked up a few books to study what I was doing wrong. Little by little I started putting what I learned into practice. My exposure to the people on that board was time well spent in many different ways. I learned a lot about my writing and how to express myself a little better. Not that I'm fabulous or anything but I have seen improvement. That wasn't a waste of time. Now, though, I do consider spending too much time on message boards a waste but I can't stop myself. I like them. I'm an addict. Seriously though, moderation in all things. Some distraction is good for us.

FergieC said:

Shouldn't that be many of whom by the way? I don't wish to be pedantic, but this is a writer's board, and none of us are inanimate objects

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He's been here longer; trust me, he knows which of us are objects . . .

many of you are pendantic

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pen-dan-tic : hanging, millstone-like, about one's neck

Hello and welcome, Fergie!

Medievalist said:

He's been here longer; trust me, he knows which of us are objects . . .

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I still haven't forgiven him for that.

Come on, baby, it was just that one time.

I love this board. People here understand what I'm going through with the whole writing thing.

Yes friends and family are supportive and want me to do well but few understand how hard it can be to actually get the ideas down on paper.

I set a goal to write on new work for 2 hours a day and edit old work for 2 hours a day. I do one before work and one after work. I reward myself by going on the internet after I'm done.

rosemerry said:

I set a goal to write on new work for 2 hours a day and edit old work for 2 hours a day. I do one before work and one after work. I reward myself by going on the internet after I'm done.

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That's a pretty good system of writing, methinks.

I come here when I want a break from writing...not just to waste time not writing. There is a downtime that a writer needs to take. What better place to do it than a writing forum where you can have fun and learn things about your craft while being surrounded by like minded people? Waste of time? I think not.

When I want to actually waste time, I go play video games.

Says the man who made Jenna ban him.