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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

New Members New

Here’s the spot to introduce yourself. C’mon in and say hi! Mods: regdog, Izz
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  • Izz

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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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. Mods: Maryn, regdog, zanzjan.
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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's Discord and IRC Chat Channels

Guidelines and feedback regarding our offsite writing chat rooms. Mods: dpaterso, zanzjan.
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AW Contests and Projects Room New

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 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? 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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  • Sage

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

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. Mods: zanzjan, Izz.
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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.

Mod: CaoPaux.
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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 New

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 New

Mod: CaoPaux.
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Book Promotion Ideas and Advice

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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Horror New

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Humor

Mod: regdog
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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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Sports and Fitness

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Western New

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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.

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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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Movies, TV, and Theater New

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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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  • Maryn

PoC

Writing perspectives, situations and characters by and about People of Color. Discussions focussing on race/cultural-concerns, topical news items, and other miscellany may also occur at random. Read the Stickies, especially this one.
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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.

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.
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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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