  Noticing Newbies
This week: Edited by: Puditat  
More Newsletters By This Editor 
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!
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A Learning Environment
Hi, readers. I hope you all had a blast celebrating Writing.com's sixth birthday. Didn't you just love the site decorations and plethora of activities?  A big Thank You and cheers to The StoryMaster  andThe StoryMistress  !
For you newbies, you are joining with the benefits of six years worth of improvements, advancements, information, and experience provided by the site and its members.
There are a couple of activities still happening, so there's time to participate if you haven't already.
A contest:
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Read heartwarming tributes and add your own here:
People join Writing.com for a number of reasons. To read, get exposure for their writing, to share their thoughts, fellowship with like-minded people, to have fun, and to learn.
This site is great for every one of those things, but it is the learning that makes this site an invaluable resource.
This brings me to the title for this issue: "A Learning Environment".
Now don't let the title put you off. This isn't a school where you have to sit at a desk, face forward and listen to a teacher discuss Romeo and Juliet in a monotone. As much as I love Shakespeare's play and English teachers, Writing.com provides a pain-free, actually an enjoyable place, in which to learn writing skills.
So where and how can you learn on Writing.com?
READ
Someone who wants to write should first read, and read voraciously. If you want to learn the techniques of science fiction, then read avidly in the sci-fi genre, but do not neglect other genres, as basic story-telling rules apply across all genres.
REVIEW
Reviewing what you read helps you to define what works and what doesn't. Without even realising it, you're beginning to feel the effect of paragraph spacing, sentence length, phrasing, repetition, plotting, character development, setting, etc.
SUBSCRIBE TO SITE NEWSLETTERS
There are a number of newsletters available. Each is jam-packed with tips and advice, complete with featured items.
PERUSE GROUPS
Their are a wide variety of groups within Writing.com. Some are interest/common experience groups, and others are groups dedicated to specific writing, such as romance, or poetry. Joining a group can give you specialist support and advice, or provide encouragement as you learn.
WRITE A MADLIB
Have you checked out a Madlib? They can be funny, but more commonly, extremely bizarre. Creating a Madlib that makes sense is a challenge indeed. This is a fun and effective way to learn how language works. The results can be nonsensical, but it is also an effective way to learn what does not work.
VISIT FORUMS
A multitude of forums are waiting out there for you to discover. Some are only open to group members, and if you find one of these, you may like to join the group so you can participate.
Groups can give advice, help out with: your writing 'sticking points'; provide reviews and support; discussion of writing elements, whether specific to genre or style, or general; publishing advice; etc.
We all have something to learn. We all have something we can teach, no matter our age or experience. Jump aboard and enjoy the ride to better writing.
Thanks for reading.
Puditat
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This is something i wrote for my husband, a soldier in the US army and was in Iraq.
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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!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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Questions from Readers:
 um, i was wondering if in your next newsletter it could be about poetry and the different kinds and then maybe you could choose one of my three poems as an editors' pick.
sparkle9000
I am not choosing to do an edition of the newsletter focussed on poetry, though another editor may do so. However, Writing.com does have a dedicated weekly Poetry newsletter you may want to subscribe to. Just head to your "My Account" and then click on "Manage Newsletter Subscriptions". Make sure a tick is beside any newsletter you want, save the changes and you'll get it in your email every week. The team of editors on the poetry are fantastic, presenting many styles, challenges, and information for all poets and poetry readers.
My question is this: I have more reviews than ratings in my profile. How can this be? Aren't you required to rate a piece before you review it? Thanks.
NegaScout
I got a little help to answer this question for you, so that the answer was guaranteed correct. This is what The StoryMaster had to say:
If one is in the habit of clearing ratings so that they can re-send their review (to correct an error or change their review), then they will end up with more ratings than reviews. You can "clear" a rating, but you can not clear a review.
So you can give each item only 1 rating, but many reviews... For this reason one can end up with more reviews than ratings.
Thanks SM! I suggest using the Review Tool to prepare and check reviews before sending should help eliminate some causes of this issue.
The lovely Texas Belle adds the note that there is no requirement to review an item when rating it, but doing so encourages better writing. I thought her advice particularly suited my topic for this issue.  I hope these comments help you.
Hi My name is Rob and I am very much interested in making a newsletter, I only have upgraded subscription, and at the moment I couldn't afford the premium subscription at the moment, maybe not until after christmas at least. contact with any advice Rob
I am not sure exactly what sort of newsletter you have in mind. I assume that you mean one within Writing.com. If you wish to start a newsletter, an Upgraded Membership is just fine.
It would be advisable to check out what other newsletters are available, to see how much scope there is for what you are planning. Start with the site newsletters (you can see the list under "My Account", "Manage Newsletter Subscriptions") and then the other informal newsletters members produce. I suggest trying "newsletter" in the Power Search function.
Once the market research is complete, and you deicde to go ahead, you will need to create a group into which you can add people who wish to receive your newsletters. Getting people to subscribe without spamming is an interesting problem. The best way is to create your first newsletter and then advertise it. Using the BidClick system, your BioBlock, a note at the bottom of your reviews, etc are good ways to start. Advertise the sign-up group on the "Activities" page, and anywhere else you can think of where it is polite and acceptable.
As for the newsletter itself, there are many things to consider. What wil the content be? How often will it come out? Will it be all your own work, or wil you invite contributors? For the actual newsletter you could create a static item for each issue, or use a book and make individual issues separate entries. Hope this helps you on the way. 
Feedback from my last issue:
 Excellent newsletter, Pudi, I found this one especially enlightening. I don't know if I could still be considered a "newbie," as I've been here since March, but reviewing is an ongoing learning process, and in that respect, I think I *am* still a newbie. That's why I stay signed up for this NL, because I still learn stuff from it. Glad you tackled such an important subject.
Also, I've lived in the U.S. all my life and I've never seen "surprise" spelled with a Z by any of my fellow Americans - or at all, for that matter. I think a better example would have been "realise" vs. "realize." I see that word spelled differently much more often.
Cheers!
dizzyduck
Hmmm, seems I picked a bad example.  How about colour/color? Thanks for the lovely feedback.
This really helped alot. Sometimes I get reviews that confuse me a little. I find myself going back to read what I've written and trying to incorporate each and every comment into my work. Which is crazy, and might mean I am a crowd pleaser, but its just because I think every comment counts. But now that i've read this, it helped clear the cloud. Thank you.
elly
I am so pleased to hear the newsletter helped you out.
Hello, I've been reading this Newsletter for as long as I'm in this site (only a month or so ) and I just keep enjoying it.
You give great ideas and it answers a lot of questions!
Thank you, hugs,
Black Willow
You're so very welcome! Glad you're enjoying the site and the newsletter.
Awesome newsletter sweets Thank you~
undocked22
My pleasure!
This is one newsletter I couldn't agree more with, for I always review "newbies", whom I feel need our assistance more than recognized writers. A very informative newsletter indeed!
SHERRI GIBSON 
Always great to hear a writer taking the time to help out our new members. Way to go!
Any queries, problems, praise, or advice?
Send it to one of the Editors via the feedback form on this newsletter,
or direct to their email by clicking the wee envelope after their handle.
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Noticing Newbies: September 13, 2006 Issue [#1260]
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