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  Noticing Newbies  1. About this Newsletter 2. A Word from our Sponsor 3. Letter from the Editor 4. Editor's Picks 5. A Word from Writing.Com 6. Ask & Answer 7. Removal instructions   Welcome to the Noticing Newbies Newsletter! Our goal is to showcase some of our newest Writing.Com Authors and their items. From poetry and stories to creative polls and interactives, we'll bring you a wide variety of items to enjoy. We will also feature "how to" advice and items that will help to jump start the creation process on Writing.com. We hope all members of the site will take the time to read, rate, review and welcome our new authors. By introducing ourselves, reviewing items and reaching out, we will not only make them feel at home within our community, we just might make new friends!  Happy End of February! ***** ***** ***** *****  Passionate about writing? Take your passion to new heights - with an online Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, available only from top ranked National University. Choose workshops based on your interests. Work with experienced and published faculty. Prepare for a variety of career opportunities. Use a state-of-the art online system: Study where and when you want. Click here to get more information!   Portfolio Folders Once you have accumulated several items, you might want to consider putting them into folders. Creating a folder is easy, and it organizes a messy looking portfolio, such as mine.  (Actually, I started with good intentions, but I do need to get back into my port and so some port-cleaning.  ) I have over 250 items, so it's pretty obvious that folders would be helpful by dividing my items into groups such as Poetry, Short Stories, Contests, Polls, Images, etc. And the fun part is naming the folders. Look around in other member's ports... There are some real creative folder titles. Okay, so now that you what folders are for, you may be wondering how exactly to proceed in doing this, right? First of all, you begin in your portfolio. Look for the folder icon which can be found just above where your item titles begin. Create a Folder is located on the right-hand side just above Last Modified. Now click on the icon. Follow the steps just as you would when creating an item, only this is for your folder. Remember, in your Item Body, you will not add an item to the window, but a more indepth description of what your folder represents. Again, look in other member's ports. Click on a folder. Some are quite unique and others are short and sweet. Once you have created a folder, you can begin to move in. Any existing items can simply be moved by clicking the Edit option for the item you wish to file. Find Folder in Section 1 and click on My Portfolio. Choose the folder you would like your item moved to, then scroll down to Save Item and click. Don't forget to fill out the rest of the form before doing this. And by the way, be sure to rate the content with the highest rating item that is stored in your folder. If you have three items rated E, 13+, and 18+, your folder needs to be rated 18+.  That goes for your Content Rating only. Your Intro Rating may be rated by the folder title and introduction that briefly summarizes the folder before actually entering the folder itself.Another option, and the one I use most often, is using the Folder Management Utility (FMU) which is located beneath the item window under ***Portfolio Organization System***. You can quickly move items by simply checking the selected item's box (or boxes) in your Item ID window and then choosing the folder in the FMU that you wish to move your item(s) to. Once you have completed this step, click Move Items To Folders. That's all! Pretty easy, eh? Oh, and you can also move folders within other folders, too. While creating a new item, make sure you select a folder right within the form so it will go directly inside that folder. You may or may not want your new item inside a folder right away, that's up to you. I sometimes leave mine outside a folder for awhile (huh, that's obvious, if you peek in my port, lol!), but you can manage your items either way. You don't even have to use folders if you don't want to. It's not required. It does, however, make it easier and quicker for viewers to search for all poetry, all short stories, all polls, etc., if they prefer to read a specific collection of genres. Hmmm... perhaps I'd better go organize my port now... just in case I get company! Love, Cubby “)  Got some questions? You may find your answers here...
~~~And Now... For Our Featured Newbie Presentation!~~~ 
Excerpt: I sat on the bench next to the rink and tried not to think about last January. I wouldn’t be able to get back out on the ice again if I did. My skates felt too loose around my ankles, so I bent down and retied the laces, taking extra care to make sure they were as tight as I could pull them. I looked back at the ice, at the people skating together. A little girl in a red sweatshirt was trying to walk on the ice. She was walking heel-toe-heel-toe as if it was only grass she was on. Some rambunctious teenagers sped past her, one brushing against her shoulder. She flung her arms wildly about as if trying to swim for the first time, and her father quickly glided over and caught her mid-fall.
Excerpt: Scanning quickly for the last trap protecting the statue Lina’s gaze stopped on the runic inscriptions carved into the stone below where the dragon stood, She mentally deciphered the ancient language that she had learned by heart many years ago.
Excerpt: The leaves fall, The winds blow As we all sit here waiting for the snow.
Excerpt: Life after death. I never really thought about it a lot. I didn't even believe in ghosts. Until I woke up and found I was one. Now I sit here in what was once my room.
Excerpt: This back stabbin' just ain't right, the reason why there's gonna be a girl fight.
Excerpt: What’s her name? How come things die? How did I get here? Are we even close yet?
Excerpt: The line was starting to move when I noticed an older lady eyeing our line. I surprised myself by inviting the woman to go ahead of me. The man behind me didn't like this and berated me and the old woman over his phone. "Aw jeez, the doof in front of me is letting some old bag cut in line. She'll take forever", he spat acridly.
Excerpt: All the while, she kept on sewing knowing beforehand of their eager wonderment; who gets this one?
Excerpt: It is the worm that’s in my heart, that makes me feel this way It’s my own fault for loving you, and that’s the price I pay Great Places for Newbies to Check Out!
Winners of the Children’s Poetry Contest for Newbies ! First Place
Second Place
Third Place
Fourth Place
Fifth Place
Submit an item for consideration in this newsletter! http://www.Writing.Com/main/newsletters.php?action=nli_form  Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter! http://www.Writing.Com/main/newsletters.php?action=nli_form Don't forget to support our sponsor! %%NL_AD_BOT%%  ~ Yeah, Feedback! ~ schipperke Dear Cubby:I am not a newbie any more, but new to writing still! I enjoyed your newsletter and think it is a gold mine of information for members to get more from our wonderful site. Plus, I love the way you decorate! How many writing books? (I belong to the Writer's Digest book club  ) I own, at the present, fifteen books. More to come, I'm sure!Glad to hear it, Schip! I haven't counted my collection, but it's pretty scary, lol.  I love having a variety of writing books. And I'm one of those people who jot down notes and highlight text on the pages. It's great to flip through my books and read ideas, etc. that I had written. It's actually quite stimulating for writer's block, too. I used to belong to the Writer's Digest Book Club, also. Now that I order all the books for our library, I make sure the 800s section is stocked well with writing material! The only downfall is I can't scribble down my thoughts or anything else on the pages.  megsie2584I don't own any books on writing. I'm more interested in novels and biographies... books which stir up something to write about in me. I can worry about the style and quality of the writing later.The Writer's Market is a must for me. But it is a little costly, and if you're lucky, your library might have it. Everyone is different though. What gets one person going, might not get the next. I don't really worry about the style and quality when I'm writing either, but I find 'writing books' wealthy with information. And I love learning something new that perhaps I had never considered before. I, too, enjoy novels and biographies. There's nothing like reading a book that stimulates research! I've read plenty of biographies about authors themselves, which I find extremely interesting. PastVoices   Another great newsletter, Cubby! I kind of feel like an oddball, having been your only response. Guess everyone else was busy with the holiday. LOLAs for this month's question: How many books on writing do you own? What book(s), if any, would you recommend any writer to own? I am emailing you. [The email...] I do a great deal of research and tutoring/guiding through master's and doctorial work (with my lowly bachelor's). I also then type finished products. These papers call for a style manual. I have Turabian, MLA Style Manual (preferred by most if not all English/Literature departments) and the APA Publication Manual (preferred by almost everyone else). Unless one is doing this kind of work on the side or publishing findings of there on theoretics and research, they aren't necessary to be on your shelf. The writing style manual that sits on my desk, at ready reach, is The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual. Especially handy if you are a soapbox thumping, opinionated editorial/opinion columnsist like I am! It is crucial to me. And then there is my bible of all bibles before any other style manual (except for columns) Strunk & White's The Elements of Style. It is a must have, not just for my own writing but to review punctuation and the like with confidence. Having a minor in English and doing the kind of paying work I do, I know the rules. I just like to have Strunk's opinion before I tell someone else. I have a TON of books "on writing." Most of them are from Writer's Digest Books. I have some time second Tuesday next week, I could make you an inventory and send it to you. The only book of the on writing type I would highly recommend is available at any bookstore and that is Stephen King's On Writing. It is not his usual genre and a bit unconventional as writing books go, but it really helps you understand where his other stuff comes from. I don't read his regular genre, but I have a great deal of respect for him as an outstanding writer of our time. Have a good one, Cubby! I really do enjoy responding to your questions. You buddy, Past PastVoices Well, I'll have to order that Stephen King book for the library. Wow, you have quite a quality selection of books I see. Being a columnist, I'm sure you have to stay quite on top of your grammar, punctuation, and such. Yes, please send me a list of what books you own, and I'll email a list of mine back. Thank you so much for sharing your enthusiasm here! PastVoices I am so behind in my newsletters. My internal editor won't let me delete these until I have read, read newbies and reviewed. My son's Christmas Break from college was spent on this computer 12-16 hours a day. I relented and put the DSL in his room (since he was going out of his way to contribute to the housework and still is). I have my computer back, but I am behind on my columns and everything else.That aside, this was a terrific newbie edition. Keep them coming!! PastVoices I hate that feeling of being behind! The past few weeks I have been in a slump... no energy, no drive, tired all the time, a little depressed, irritable, etc. My daily routines went down the drain, lol! But everything seems to be coming back now, thank goodness! What a wonderful son you must have to contribute to your housework! And you are very devoted if you read each and every edition, reviewing everything featured! Bravo to you, PastVoices... you are a trooper! Spheric Hi Cubby,I noticed that you are editing the Noticing Newbies Newsletter next week. I look forward to reading it. I made a blunder and I wonder if it might not be worth mentioing something in the newsletter to alert other newbies to this potential mistake. The following is a post I just made to Laurencia's Newbie Forum: Hi all, I just wanted to give a small word of warning to other newbies to read the content ratings section ("Content Rating System (CRS)"  ) carefully before posting their pieces.It could save them the indignity and embarrassment of having the rating on their piece changed and locked. I have a short story that I rated as ‘E’, which contains references to two legal drugs – a carbonated beverage that comes in kegs and a plant that comes in small packs and is burned. This, of course, makes the correct content rating ‘13+’. I would have known this if I had paid closer attention when reading about content ratings when I first joined. Since I didn’t, I wish to apologize for my dereliction and to anyone who may have been effected or offended by my oversight. I would also like to take this opportunity to ask others on the site to try to remember to notice the content ratings on pieces and to help us with our ratings by commenting if you notice an error, especially the Preferred Authors (yellow case) and Moderators (blue case). The piece that now has the rating locked in my portfolio was reviewed by eighteen people before the rating was changed, four of them Preferred Authors and six of them Moderators. I would have really preferred to change the rating myself if it had been pointed out to me that I had made a mistake. Anyway, just a word to the wise. Peace and Love, Spheric NULLUM GRATUITUM PRANDIUM -so bring a sandwich. I think this is a very good letter and perhaps it's a subject matter that needs to be reviewed here in a future newsletter. I've also recently had a newbie write to me and ask why his Bio Block was deleted. He couldn't see anything wrong with it. I read it over a few times and then realized why it was deleted and explained it to him. I'm sure it's somewhat alarming and surprising when suddenly something is changed in your port or item. I had an experience, too, when I was a newbie. My rating suddenly was changed from an E to NC-17 because I used the word 'poop'. I was mortified, to say the least, because I hadn't understood what had happened. The poem had to do with my dear, diseased grandfather, who use to give me a nickle every time I... uh, you know. Anyway, being a newbie, I was devistated, because NC-17 was just below the erotica rating. Finally, I found someone to explain it to me, which helped very much. And though I believe 'poop' is now an E word, I do have a better understanding of ratings. Personally, when I see an item that needs to have its rating changed, I let the member know first through an email that he or she needs to change it ASAP. While some members abide, others just ignore the request. Okay, I'm almost writing another whole newsletter here! Anyway, thank you for helping other newbies become aware of this, and it's also good for all members to read concerns of newbies. Perhaps one of us here can touch on this in the near future. Thank you for sharing. Cubby ")  Quote: "You see things as they are and ask 'Why?' I dream of things as they never were and ask, 'Why not?'" ~George Bernard Shaw Cubby's Question of the WeekDo you have a favorite author or book? I have several, and you may have, as well, but could you share at least one author or book title to share in the March 23rd newsletter? See you again on March 23rd! Love, Cubby ")  Next week's editor will be... Puditat Have a question or comment for the Editor? http://www.Writing.Com/main/newsletters.php?action=nli_form  To stop receiving this newsletter, go into your account and remove the check from the box beside the specific topic. Be sure to click "Complete Edit" or it will not save your changes. |
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