Hello! I.... am...NEW!

Creep · Apr 21, 2017

Hey guys,

I'm Mid 30s, I have two eyes, I lack the confidence to write stuff that isn't somehow f**ked up (if I'm not pulling the reader out of their comfort zone, I'm not sure what I should be doing? So my stuff tends to be a little dark, or disturbing, and outside any genre I've been able to narrow down). I like a good mix of banal and bizarre, and pretty much everything I write tries to work humour into heavy themes in a way that makes you feel a little guilty for laughing.

I have to figure this site out (right now it looks like an excell sheet), I'm curious how big it is, how active, and whether this post is appropriate? Hah.

But I'm a feedback junky, and love to critique work. I love the exchange of critiques to elevate stuff, and can't understate how rewarding it is to solve the puzzles in other people's work. It beats studying published work by a long shot.

That's about it.

Ehlionney · Apr 22, 2017

Hihihihi

I also write a very dark style, but mine is more gritty and not much humour. To be honest, humour in a serious piece tends to put me off, I usually just stop reading if it gets too much... but I'll try to help critique if you ever need it

The Urban Spaceman · Apr 22, 2017

Creep said:
I have to figure this site out (right now it looks like an excell sheet), I'm curious how big it is, how active, and whether this post is appropriate? Hah.

1) Welcome

2) Several years ago, an expedition of brave writers was sent to map out the forum and determine how large it actually is. They have yet to return.

3) Overall, very active, but some sub-forums are more active than others. If you're writing a lot of sci-fi/fantasy, you're in luck. Erotica? Not so much.

4) I'm not really in a position to say whether the post is appropriate, but activities like blatant advertising are gently (and then more forcefully, if required) discouraged. I'm sure regdog will be along shortly to give you the welcoming speech, and will let you know if you're not Promoting With Aplomb.

Hope you enjoy your stay!

regdog · Apr 22, 2017

Take some time and read the Newbie Guide and the Stickies found
at the top of Forum pages. They are your best guide to learning about
Absolute Write.

Stop by the Weekend Progress Report each week to brag about your weekly writing accomplishments.
Awesome smilies and awards are given each week.

Please read the FAQ about posting photos.

In fact we have lots of brilliant FAQs check them out.

Members who want to start a thread in Share Your Work to have work critiqued need
50 posts. Don’t make a mad dash to reach your 50 posts. That is frowned upon and can lead to your posts being deleted.
Take some time to greet fellow newbies, critique other members’ works, or join a discussion.

Announcements, Events and Self Promotion is for active members only. All obvious spam will be deleted on sight!
Here’s how to Promote With Aplomb.

Mary Mitchell · Apr 22, 2017

Welcome

And I can find humour in almost anything. (I sometimes have to remember that not everybody does. Oops.) Enjoy your stay.

Creep · Apr 22, 2017

The Urban Spaceman said:
1) advertising are gently (and then more forcefully, if required) discouraged.!

Oops! My bad. I was told to tell you guys about what I write, and the last "hot post" opened with somebody's new book on amazon. Haha.

I'll edit my post, thanks for the heads up.

Creep · Apr 22, 2017

Ehlionney said:
I usually just stop reading if it gets too much... but I'll try to help critique if you ever need it

I'd love that! Esp. since humour in serious/dark stuff puts you off. I'd love to know if you think I've gone too far with it. Are links to stories in comments allowed? Testing.

AW Admin · Apr 22, 2017

The Urban Spaceman said:
1) Welcome

2) Several years ago, an expedition of brave writers was sent to map out the forum and determine how large it actually is. They have yet to return.

We have deliberately created some nooks and crannies and semi-hidden areas.

The Urban Spaceman said:
Overall, very active, but some sub-forums are more active than others. If you're writing a lot of sci-fi/fantasy, you're in luck. Erotica? Not so much.

There's a dead easy way to increase activity in a subforum. Post. Engage. Create the conversation you want. Community building is a lot like gardening; you have to plant seeds, you have to make sure that there's adequate nourishment in the form of sun, water, and food, and you occasionally have to weed, or possibly, remove the occasional slug.

That said, there's a great deal of engagement "back channel," via PMs and private groups and real-world meetups.

The Urban Spaceman · Apr 22, 2017

AW Admin said:
There's a dead easy way to increase activity in a subforum. Post. Engage. Create the conversation you want. Community building is a lot like gardening; you have to plant seeds, you have to make sure that there's adequate nourishment in the form of sun, water, and food, and you occasionally have to weed, or possibly, remove the occasional slug.

A very apt analogy. I think it can also depend on what's "hot" at the time. I can remember a time when SFF were relegated to the back of my local book store, tucked away out of sight, and only nerds (like me

) watched Star Trek or read fantasy novels. But the genres are a lot more popular in the mainstream now thanks to some great books (and TV shows/movies, too). I'm surprised (pleasantly so) by how active the SFF forum and SYW are here.

Ehlionney · Apr 22, 2017

Creep said:
I'd love that! Esp. since humour in serious/dark stuff puts you off. I'd love to know if you think I've gone too far with it. Are links to stories in comments allowed? Testing.

I can see that either you've traveled Cambodia too or read plenty of backpacker's blogs lol. I heard people in my hostel talking about that kind of stuff going on, but I was only there for the sights. Did plenty of shooting in my army days, no interest in shooting cows -_- and even if I were interested in prostitutes, I doubt there are many lesbian prostitutes in Cambodia lol... and I'd probably murder someone if I caught them looking for kids. I even donated a few grand to a Buddhist sangha there that was associated with my own back home, that "buys" the kids to raise them in the monastery.

Here's an excerpt I'm especially proud of from my current project, as an example of my idea of "dark." And a flashback of the same character's past that comes later in the story.

Creep · Apr 22, 2017

No critiques?

I dug around for a thread of submitted work to critique, and to my horror the thread for sharing work was empty. Other threats have stuff from the 1840s still kicking around, but nobody has posted their work? This can't be so ellipses. Only through honest critiques do we grow stronger!

Lauram6123 · Apr 22, 2017

There's entire forum called Share Your Work.

The password is vista.

http://absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?26-Share-Your-Work

You need a minimum of fifty posts here to post your own work, but you can critique others until then.

AW Admin · Apr 22, 2017

Please read this:

http://absolutewrite.com/forums/sho...ed-Forums-what-to-do-if-password-doesn-t-work

You'll need to PM me for the Erotica password; see above link.

There's a lot of beta reading and critting for Erotica that's back channel rather than on site, because of delicate issues around writing erotica.

Creep · Apr 22, 2017

Thanks guys. I was in the right place but on my device, for some reason, it said it was empty. Then I swivelled something open and bingo. Rookie mistake!

TaylorSaville · Apr 23, 2017

Welcome, Creep! My new book is also dark, bizarre, and tends to make people really uncomfortable. So you're in good company! Welcome.

Lillian_Blaire · Apr 24, 2017

Hey, Creep. Good to have you here. The forum is huge, you'll find plenty of writers you can relate to, and plenty of places to go and learn/chat/critique. Good luck!

nicotine027 · Apr 25, 2017

How exciting! It seems like we're both new and both love darker themes. Looking forward to reading bits and pieces of your work.

Hello! I.... am...NEW!

Creep

Ehlionney

Vickichuuuuuuuuu

The Urban Spaceman

Existential quandary

regdog

The Scavengers

Mary Mitchell

Go down road, go pub.

Creep

Creep

AW Admin

The Urban Spaceman

Existential quandary

Ehlionney

Vickichuuuuuuuuu

Creep

Lauram6123

AW Admin

Creep

TaylorSaville

A Gritty, Delicate Elegy

Lillian_Blaire

Procrastinator Extraordinaire

nicotine027