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
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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. Mod: MacAllister.
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Bulletin Board
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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Tech Tools and Tech Help New
What hardware and software are you using? What do you love? What do you need help with?
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AW Contests and Projects Room
The AW Contests and Projects Room is exclusively for genre-bending, board-wide, AW contests and projects, and Writing Contests.
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From Other Forums and Message Boards
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? Mod: MacAllister.
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International District New
A gathering place for members from around the world. Mod: Sophia.
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Office Party New
Writers goofing-off, making friends, and getting to know the community. Mod: regdog.
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Goals and Accomplishments New
Discuss your writing goals and how you’re reaching them. Guidelines. Mod: RichardGarfinkle.
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Rejection and Dejection New
Tales of woe and methods for dealing with rejection. Mod: Calla Lily.
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Basic Writing Questions New
Basic Writing Questions (BWQs) are perennial questions asked by new writers or writers reaching a new stage. BWQs are general in nature and include questions about how to write, what to write, or even why to write one way or another. Read the Introduction and the other Stickies.
This is not a crit forum
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Blogs, Podcasts and Social Media New
Blogging, podcasting, social media posting.
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Comic Books Graphic Novels and Manga New
Like to read them? Like to write or illustrate them? This forum is for discussing creating or enjoying comic books, graphic novels and manga. Mod: dpaterso.
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Freelance Writing
Paid writing for magazines, e-zines, newspapers and digital media. Mod: regdog
Not a forum for ads.
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Nonfiction New
The non-fiction forum is open to discussing all forms of non-fiction writing regardless of subject, format or audience. Mod: bunny hugger
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Novels New
“A fictional prose narrative of considerable length, typically having a plot that is unfolded by the actions, speech, and thoughts of the characters.” Mods: Sage, Unimportant.
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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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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
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Young Adult New
This is the place to discuss reading and writing books for teens. Mod: Sage
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AW Roundtable New
Honing our craft and sharing what we’ve learned. Mod: Lakey
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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? Mod: CaoPaux.
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General Publishing Discussions New
Publishing trends, royalties, contracts, finding a publisher—the business side of writing. Mod: CaoPaux.
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Ask the Agent New
Our guest literary agents answer your questions. Mod: CaoPaux.
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Ask the Editor
Mod: CaoPaux.
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Book Promotion Ideas and Advice New
How can the author help with book promotion? How can you promote your books? What shouldn’t you do? Mod: CaoPaux.
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Self-Publishing: Print, Audio, Digital, Papyrus or New
Informed choices. Hard truths. No us-vs-them. Mod: CaoPaux.
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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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Historical Writing New
Resources and discussions for those writing about the past, whether fiction or nonfiction. Mod: Lakey.
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Religious and Spiritual Writing New
(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.
Politics & Current Events New
Please see the room expectations stickie.
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AW Bookclub New
Talk about that book you just couldn't put down.
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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
NaNo 2022! 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.
Mod: Sage
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Flash Fiction
Flash Fiction is no longer active. This forum is read-only.
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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.