Editing for authors: because every writer needs a good editor.
Welcome to Absolute Write Water Cooler
Welcome, writers! Absolute Write is a moderated, free, online community of writers, agents, editors, and publishers. Absolute Write provides information about writing as well as editing, publishing, and agents. We welcome writers of all levels of experience and ambition. If you’re interested in freelance writing, screenwriting, playwriting, writing novels, nonfiction writing, comic book writing, or writing poetry and lyrics, you’re in the right place.
Please read The Newbie Guide to Absolute Write
Welcome, writers! Absolute Write is a moderated, free, online community of writers, agents, editors, and publishers. Absolute Write provides information about writing as well as editing, publishing, and agents. We welcome writers of all levels of experience and ambition. If you’re interested in freelance writing, screenwriting, playwriting, writing novels, nonfiction writing, comic book writing, or writing poetry and lyrics, you’re in the right place.
Please read The Newbie Guide to Absolute Write
New Members New
Here's the spot to introduce yourself. C'mon in and say hi!
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Absolute Write FAQs New
All that stuff you're wondering about how AW works? The answer is probably here. This is for FAQs about Absolute Write.
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Bulletin Board New
This is for official announcements from AW staff about the Water Cooler, including upgrades, changes and general bacchanalia. Please don’t start threads here.
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Be Excellent To One Another New
Times are rough for all us. Here are some ways to care for ourselves, share a laugh or three, help someone who needs, and distract ourselves while self-isolating.
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AW's IRC Chat
Guidelines, scheduled events, suggestions, and feedback regarding the AW IRC chat room
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AW Contests and Projects Room New
There's the AW Contests and Projects Room for genre-bending, board-wide, AW contests and projects, and Writing Contests, ElseWeb for external, unaffiliated posts and links to writing contests elsewhere.
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From Other Forums and Message Boards New
A place to check in, post an update about your other regular internet haunts, or set up a temporary refugee camp during outages elsewhere.
No talking smack about other message boards or moderators, though, 'kay?
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International District New
A gathering place for members from around the world.
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Office Party New
Writers goofing-off, making friends, and getting to know the community
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Goals and Accomplishments New
Discuss your writing goals and how you’re reaching them.
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Rejection and Dejection New
Tales of woe and methods for dealing with rejection.
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Basic Writing Questions New
Basic Writing Questions (BWQs) are perennial questions asked by writers just getting started, or when they reach a new stage. BWQs are usually general in nature rather than about a specific plot element. They include questions about how to write, what to write, or even why to write one way or another. This is not a crit forum.
Check the Introduction and the other Stickies.
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Blogs, Podcasts and Social Media New
Blogging, podcasting, social media, and paid content writing.
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Nonfiction New
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Novels New
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Outwitting Writer's Block New
Writer's block is a reality for many writers. This is a place to discuss methods of coping with writer's block. It's not a place to debate the existence of writer's block. Read the Guidelines before posting.
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Short Fiction New
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Writing For Kids New
Picture books, middle grade, chapter books this is the place to discuss reading and writing childrens' books.
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Write 1 | Sub 1 New
Just what it sounds like — for those committed W1/S1 writers: Here’s a place to spread your wings. Whether it’s a novel a year or a flash piece a day —write one, sub one.
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AW Roundtable New
Honing our craft and sharing what we've learned.
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Bewares, Recommendations & Background Check New
Here's where to check in and share about publishers, agents, and producers. Be sure to check the Index before starting a thread.
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Research New
Post here to find experts and research resources. Be sure to search for similar topics before posting.
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Publishing FAQs and Resources
What are royalties? What are standard contract terms? What does this line in my contract mean? How do I find an agent?
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Ask the Agent New
Our guest literary agents answer your questions.
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Ask the Editor New
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General Publishing Discussions New
Publishing trends, royalties, contracts, finding a publisher—the business side of writing.
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Self-Publishing: Print, Audio, Digital, Papyrus or New
Informed choices. Hard truths. No us-vs-them.
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Freelance Writing
Writing for magazines, e-zines, and newspapers
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- 900
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Paying Markets New
Editors, please post paying opportunities for writers here. Please include the pay rate inside [ ] in the thread title
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Nonpaying Markets New
Editors, nonpaying markets belong here.
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Animals and Nature New
Feathers, Fins, Fur and more....
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Contemporary Literature New
World War II changed the world's perceptions of life and culture. This is the literature—fiction, poetry, and drama—that continues to reflect and shape our own ever-changing world, while refining our understanding of the world beyond our own borders through the works of authors such as Gabriel García Márquez, Haruki Murakami, and Gillian Mears
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Erotica New
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Religious and Spiritual Writing
(See this board for sub-genres.)
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Romance | Women's Fiction New
Sweet love stories, historic romance, contemporary or category romance, women's fiction—what are you reading? What are you writing?
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Pop Culture
Movies, music, politics, art, and all that cool stuff we want to write, read, and just can't help talking about.
Movies, music, politics, art, and all that cool stuff we want to write, read, and just can't help talking about.
Activism, Current Events, And Hope New
Please see the room expectations stickie. What are you working towards, hoping for, and how do you hope to change the world? Go gently with each other.
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Analog Tools New
We love our digital tools (computers, smart phones, tablets and digital pens). But there’s a lot of utility and love for analog tools, whether fountain pens, ink pens (ball point, roller ball or gel), pencils, ink, typewriters (manual or electric), and paper. What analog tools do you use, and how do you use them? What do you love?
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AW Bookclub New
Talk about that book you just couldn't put down.
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Games New
Games, Gaming, Writing for Games
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Hands-On New
For crafters, artists, photographers, wood-workers, basket-weavers...and for writing about what we love to do.
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Music and Songwriting New
What are you listening to? What are you writing?
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Now We're Cookin'! New
Writing about recipes, restaurants, reviewing, and food in general.
Harriet Van Horne said, "Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all."
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QUILTBAG New
Writing about or writing from non-heteronormative perspectives, situations, and characters. Read the Sticky before posting.
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AW Writing Lab
Roll up your sleeves, put in your BIC time, and write! This area is for posting work for sharing and critting.
Roll up your sleeves, put in your BIC time, and write! This area is for posting work for sharing and critting.
Intro to Share Your Work | Posting and Critting
Forum guidelines and info you need to read before posting. Post material for critique in the genre sub-forums below.
Private
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NaNoWriMo and Beyond New
NaNo 2020! Are you game to write a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30? Are you motivated? Are you crazy? Go for it, and find lots of support and commiseration from similarly obsessed writers.
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Poetry Lab
This is a poetry critique forum.
Flash Fiction New
Interested in writing, critiquing and selling stories that are 1000 words or fewer? This is the forum for you!
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Writing Exercises, Prompts & Whimsical Pursuits New
Writerly games, including prompts to start your muse, Flash Fiction and other writing-related challenges. Come try your skill, or join a game in progress.
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If this site is helpful to you,
Please consider a voluntary subscription to defray ongoing expenses. Here are some other ways to help AW.
Please consider a voluntary subscription to defray ongoing expenses. Here are some other ways to help AW.