  Noticing Newbies
This week: Edited by: CHRISTMAS cub-BELLS R RINGING!  
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6. Ask & Answer
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 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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Imagine sitting around a campfire with a group of people on a cool, autumn night. The leader, or creator of the campfire, begins a story and the person next to him or her continues it for a time. The story grows from each member of the campfire, making its rounds over and over. Up to 25 people may participate, though usually the number is lower than that. And what a great way to meet people!
When I first became a member of Writing.com, I joined a campfire or two. I enjoyed it so much, I created a few myself. What a great way to get your feet wet (or should I say warmed up  )! This week's newsletter will concentrate on how to create a campfire, tips on participation, and optional campfires you can explore. 
To create a campfire, click on Campfire Creative to the right of your screen under Writing Quick Links. You can also locate a link at the top of your page next to the Writing.com logo, in the second column, that will take you to the most recently written campfires, and again, under Item Jumps under Site Navigation which can be found to the left of your screen.
The instructions are pretty self-explanatory, but if you are a Newbie, they might seem a little confusing at first. Let's go through them:
Section 1: Basic Item Information
Item Title: Of course, this is the title of your campfire.
Folder: If you've already created folders in your portfolio, you may chose to keep this item in one of them, but you don't have to.
Item Type: You have several options here. If you click on the arrow, you will discover a variety of item types. Will your campfire be a short story? Or perhaps poetry? A play? Just choose the item type that fits best.
Brief Description: This description will be used when listing your campfire in your portfolio and other places on Writing.com. Be careful not to go over 90 characters or you will need to edit your description before the item can be created.
Intro Rating: E and Non-E are your only choices here. E means the title and brief description are suitable for Everybody. Non-E tells Writing.com that it is Not suitable for Everybody. More detailed information on Intro Rating may be found at "Content Rating System (CRS)" .
Section 2: Content and Access Control Settings
Content Rating: Here is where you pick the rating which suits your entire content. If you do not choose a rating, your item will not be displayed on public listings, so be sure to choose a rating. You have several more choices than Intro Rating, so be sure to read "Content Rating System (CRS)" before randomly picking a rating. The options include:
E: Everyone
ASR: Adult Supervision Recommended
13+: Recommended for Readers 13 Years and Older Only
18+: Recommended for Readers 18 Years and Older Only
GC: May Contain Graphic Content
XGC: May Contain Extreme Graphic Content
NPL: Not Publicly Listed
Incorrect ratings may be changed by site Moderators or Staff, so be sure to study the list carefully before selecting your item's content rating.
Access Restrictions: Your choices here include:
1. Keep Private, For My Eyes Only!
2. Make Public, Allow EVERYONE!
3. Registered Users And Higher Only.
4. Registered Authors And Higher Only.
5. Preferred Authors And Higher Only.
6. Writing.Com Moderators And Higher Only.
7. Writing.Com Senior Moderators And Higher Only.
7. Writing.Com Staff And Higher Only.
The default is set on Make Public, Allow EVERYONE! so if you want to make any restrictions, this is the place to do it.
PassKey: You may only use this option if you have an Upgraded Membership. If you do, then you may set a PassKey to allow specific members only. Your PassKey must contain at least 4 numbers, but no more than 8, and cannot begin with 0. For more detailed information, visit "Passkeys" . Otherwise, leave your PassKey option blank if you do not plan to use it.
Group Edit Access: You will probably not use this for your campfire, but for more information on it, go to "Group Edit for Items" . If you choose not to use this option, leave it at the default setting: No Group Edit Access.
Group Edit Level: Again, this may not be of interest to you at this point, but if you are curious about it, visit "Group Edit for Items" . If you choose not to use this option, leave it at the default setting: No Group Edit Access
Section 3: Genres and Keywords
Select Genres: This is where you select one to three catagories that best describe your style, form, or content. There are plenty to choose from, so be sure to pick at least one, and preferably three, if you can.  These can be edited in the future if you decide to change a catagory or add to it.
Relevant Keywords: This is the place to add words or phrases that relate to the content of your item. If your item takes place in a specific location, such as St. Elmo, Colorado, you should include the words St. Elmo and Colorado. Include as many keywords and/or phrases as possible, separating them by comas and not exceeding 150 characters. Other keywords that I might use dealing with the St. Elmo area would be ghost town, chipmunks, and hummingbirds. This, of course, is a simple example, but if another member was interested in reading about ghost towns, and typed the keywords into a search, this item would come up because it was a relevant word relating to my content. (By the way, I do not have an item about St. Elmo, but I did visit the place last summer and I loved it! Perhaps I will use it in a future creation!)
Section 4: Item Body
This is the part where you go into more detail about your campfire. Give any instructions here to those who will be part of your campfire. Information about main characters, location, or the general plot line, if you have one, should be included here.
Section 5: Item Type Specific Settings
This is where you can set minimum and maximum restrictions to any additions. You may set both of these settings or just one. Once set, an addition will return in error if it has not followed the restrictions made.
Minimum Addition Size: What is the least amount of characters accepted in any one addition? (By character, I mean any letter, number, punctuation mark, or blank space!)
Maximum Addition Size: What is the limit of characters accepted in any one addition?
CC On Turn Change: If you would like know each time an addition is made, you have the option here to change the default to CC Leader. This helps you keep track of your campfire's progress. If you are not interested in being CC'd, just leave it on the default Do NOT CC Leader.
Invitee Management: Once your campfire is created, go into your portfolio. Under your newly created campfire you will see a line of options: View (nw) | Edit (fs/Q) | Delete | Reviews | Stats | Manage | RCS If you click on 'Manage', it will take you to a page where you can manage your invitees, edit your additions, and/or extinquish the fire. And please remember that your campfire cannot begin until at least one invitee has accepted your invitation.
Section 6: Item Preferences: These are personal choices you can make on your own, which deal with space preference, rating and reviewing preferences, and auto-reward documentation . Your campfire itself is complete and ready to submit after you have finished with your item's preferences. Click Save Item. It's not a bad idea to proofread your Campfire Creative right away in case you want to edit something.
You might be thinking, "Wow, that looks like too much work!" But it's not. Once you've created a campfire, you'll be more comfortable with the process. In fact, don't be surprised if you're hooked! Campfires are a lot of fun. If you are a bit hesitant about creating one, ask to join one so you get the feel of it. Another great campfire resource written by KC under the midnight sun  is "Campfires FAQ" .
Campfires to Spark Your Interest!
"Writing.Com Learner's Party"
"Invalid Item"
"Uncovering Truth"
"A Winter for Burning"
"Invalid Item"
Have fun...
and
Happy Writing!
Love, Cubby ") |
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This item number is not valid.
#794007 by Not Available. |
** Image ID #1309174 Unavailable ** And Now...For Our Featured Newbie Presentation! ** Image ID #1309174 Unavailable **
Excerpt: Once again, he attempted to snake his way around the scattered toys on the stairs. A huge grin spread across his face as he reached the bottom with success. However, as quickly as the smile appeared, it faded. A painful streak of cold ran up his spine as he heard and felt his foot squish into the wet footprint on the carpet at the bottom. He felt the colour leave his face and his veins run cold as he looked up at the front door, which he forgot to close when he ran upstairs. The heavy feeling of nausea tightened his stomach.
Excerpt: The storm abated an hour later. Mike emerged from his hiding place and gathered Jason in his arms for a huge hug. I watched, amused, as Jason squealed in delight. He put Jason down and the little boy ran over to me. I sat cross-legged on the floor, so I was eye-to-eye with the preschooler. “Morgan, will you be our new mommy?”
Excerpt: The life-altering event I had been dreading finally happened. I went to bed one night able to say I was thirty something and woke up with the realization I now had to state I was forty something. Somehow, I had thought I would be able to escape the inevitable, that somehow the rules of nature would not apply to me.
Excerpt:
Do you remember at the beach
We raced down sand dunes, tall and steep?
We dug a hole so wide and deep
Then climbed inside and fell asleep.
Excerpt:
I don’t know if one day I’ll finally see
But, I won’t let this fear of failure consume me
I’ll be what I can be, I’ll do what I’ll do
I’ll rise above, and I’ll make it though
Make it though for you
Excerpt:
The night's light haze beckons
the cold air is blue
as branches hold their
withered parchments
Excerpt: Outside she stumbled across the yard towards the pony pen. The barbed wire caught her blouse and tore at her already bruised back as she climbed through. If she could just get to the hay shed and rest for a few minutes she would feel better. The smell of urine was strong in here. She didn’t know if it was from the pony or from herself; but she knew the blood she tasted was her own.
Excerpt:
She’s the future
And past,
Since the present’s
Unwrapped
And still she’s holding back.
She has cast her spell
Upon me.
She’s there, but I’m still
Lonely.
Excerpt: I sat back and listened to them. They were afraid... understandable rain hadn't fallen for close to a year now. The wells were drying up, the crops weren't yeilding profits,, there just wasn't enough water. A few families had moved on but most, inspite of the curse stayed. That is what it was, a curse. The old woman that lived up on the hill,, it had been funny at the time but no one laughed now.
Excerpt: The old rehearsed, sun-beat leathery face didn't fool anyone . There was no one for it to fool. Walking stupidly-- crookedly, clumsily-- a plump figure, the silhouette of a middle-aged, lonely alcoholic, appeared out of the ubiquitous darkness, slithering along in a drunken daze. The man waddled about; his thick gut, hanging free out of his desperately tight shirt, protruded over his pant line and rested comfortably in the cool breeze. In sobriety, he always had a heightened self conscious about that nuisance of fat-- it was a clear indication of his years of alcoholism
Items Submitted by Newbies
Submitted by alanscott
"Invalid Item"
Submitted by adamsdd1 
"The Swan and the Fishing Bobber"
Winners
of the
Children's Poem/Story Contest for Newbies!
First Place | | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1299585 by Not Available. |
Second Place | | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1259341 by Not Available. |
Third Place | | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1269233 by Not Available. |
Fourth Place
The next round is now open!
Please check out
"Invalid Item"
and be sure to read the rules!
Hope to see there!
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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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 ~ ~ ** Image ID #1205694 Unavailable ** ~ ~
 Last month's challenge:
Pick one or more of the three examples I gave in the beginning of this newsletter and show me how you can improve upon the telling descriptive lines.
1) Connie put her hair behind her ear. She noticed her earring was gone. She looked on the floor.
2) The wagon was red, but it was rusty. One of the wheels was missing. The handle was bent.
3) The piano was dusty and probably out-of-tune. I lifted the bench top and found tons of sheet music. I sat down on the bench, wondering which piece I would play first.
 Acme
How funny was jonbraun94
I think that most people who read this wonderfully useful newsletter are not the gray suitcase toting, bad spelling, foul mannered, silly-billies that feel the urge to take out their acne on editors. I giggled for hours after...
Most members who read this newsletter are very considerate. But I can't say that the ones who are not, are always gray cases. To be fair, I've come across silly-billies in other colored cases, too. But thank goodness, these braver souls are an extremely low percentage of the community. They do make life interesting though!
Stevie151
Cubby,
Here's my take on your basic description for scene #1.
Connie’s ears had always served as a permanent headband. Now, unsure of herself, she nervously swept her hair off her forehead. As her hand secured her auburn locks, it discovered a naked ear. Damn! Where was her earring? She frantically tugged on her left ear and found its partner still in place. A small wave of relief temporarily filled her stomach. Her eyes, already fixated on the floor from the awkward moment with Ryan, were now fixated for a purpose. She had to find it. She couldn’t go home without the other half of her Mother’s earrings.
Thanks for the challenge!
You are welcome! And thanks for sharing your much improved discription of scene #1.
Reyes Mendoza
I have to say, I am really new to this... but the rant I read about "the lowest form of writing"... was hilarious. You should post that in the comedy genre... the spelling was the icing on that cake!
It was supposed to be funny... right?
 Thank you for adding a little humor here! But I believe the rant was serious.
alecnuma
Depending the mood, you might want to try:
"The carpet was wet. Smelled funny, too. I rushed into the next room."
The other version you give really put me off. But maybe it's just the mood I'm in today - tomorrow never knows:
"The stench of urine explained the dampness under my bare feet as I quickly tip-toed across the old, orange shagged carpet and onto the dry, hardwood floor of the musty hallway."
Yours,
Alec Numa
Thanks so much for your honest opinion. I appreciate it! The different versions sent in are all unique from each other. It's fun reading them!
Haley Frances
Thank you for answering my question about how to keep our newsletters (I should have thought of that myself) But I wanted to thank you for including that negative comment. Fortunately, I haven't received one of those yet, but I'm sure I will eventually. You have taught us all how to deal with them when we get them. I thought your response was tactful, and tasteful. I will remember this. Dixie
You are very welcome! And thank you for a compliment I will not forget for some time.
Gen
Thank you for posting "The Literary Soldiers". That meant a great deal to me. I'm sure that it also touched many others. All of us, at one point or another, have experienced this type of "shell-shock". You're a good woman and an honest woman. I can't think of higher praise to bestow upon you.
Gee, Gen... You sure have a way with words! Thanks for the wonderful compliment! You're one of a kind. I know others who would certainly agree. Blessed with charm, that's for certain!
shelly88
1) Pushing back her hair, Connie noticed she was missing an earring, impulsively she looked to the floor.
Big improvement! Thanks for sharing.
Uday Kanth
Removing the hair on her ear, Connie felt her ear to find that her earring had vanished. Instinctively, she turned to the floor and started looking for it.
Another definite improvement! Thanks for taking the challenge.
Neil
1) Connie brushed her hair back to keep it out of her eyes, and as her fingers slid along the edge of her ear she found that her grandmother's earing was gone! Desperately, she searched the floor at her feet, but to no avail.
2) I tripped and fell over a small wagon. It had once been red, though after years in the elements most of the paint was gone. The bottom was rusted through, and the handle had been bent by my knee when I fell.
3) I ran my finger along the piano, and saw that under the dust it looked almost new. Years of abandonment had probably left it out of tune. As I lifted the bench top dozens of papers fell out; sheet music. I picked up the papers, some of them crumbling in my hands. I shuffled through those that remained, wondering which one I should play first.
There's my attempt to improve your examples.
Excellent! Thanks for taking the challenge!
Juⓟⓘⓣⓔⓡ ⓜⓞⓞN
Very informative newsletter. I can see volumes upon volumes of information all across this great site. So much to explore and this is very pivotal in helping me focus on some particular areas of interest for me. THank You!
Thanks for the positive feedback! I'm sure I speak for most editors in saying, "You are very welcome... It is our pleasure!"
Fallser
Hello,
Thanks for the nice newsletter. I appreciate the information on uploading images.
I'm wondering how the camp fires work. I've starting noodling around in that area of the site, but don't really get the feel for how to join one. Any advice would be welcome. Is there a good resource to check out to get basic questions answered (or a past Noticing Newbies newsletter!)?
Best,
Fallser
What luck! This week's newsletter will hopefully answer many of your questions.
andromeda
Hmmm. I didn't know about the help page. Thanks for the info.
Andromeda
Your welcome! Glad to be helpful.
tlc_is_awake
The wagon was red, but it was rusty. One of the wheels was missing. The handle was bent.
Nostalgically, she stroked the side of the wagon, her hand loosening flakes of old paint. The exposed rusted metal appeared stark against the cherry red coat. Stained water pooled in the corner tilted down due to the one lost wheel. Gripping the broken pole, that had once housed a handle, she up righted the wagon, causing filthy water to leak from the many holes and drip onto her expensive shoes. Although the wagon should long ago have found a home in the bin, she couldn't throw it out. She felt a strange affinity to it - old, tarnished, neglected. Perhaps the act of restoring the wagon could restore her. It was tempting to try.
But the reality was that the wagon would never again shine. The reality was, neither would she.
Oh, I LOVE that last line! Wow... Sounds like a story in the making! Great job.
ctrax
To me, vivid details are usually only necissary if it seems to somehow puntuate the mood of the scene, or somehow flows into the emotion of the characters. I've read books that have been very popular such as Memoirs of a Gesha and even Great Expectations and found it impossibly dull. Long discriptions that seem to just point out unimportant details of a scene pull me out of a story, rather than make me feel I was "right there".
A question that I try to ask myself when I feel I'm getting long-winded with discriptions is "Would my character(s) notice these things? Is it necessary for these to be known?"
Just like the eraser is at times the artists' best friend, so is the 'delete' key to the writer!
I'm very impressed with this feedback. Those are excellent questions to ask yourself as a writer. And I love that last line. I find it hard to read through long descriptions also. I'm not sure if I have a short attention span or not, but if a story doesn't pull me in, I cannot read it. Like you say, you want to feel that you are right there, in the story with the characters. I'll never forget years ago when I read Clan of the Cave Bear. I felt as if I was inside that book. I couldn't put it down. Unfortunately, Jean Aules last few books were filled with so much description, it was tough to get through certain parts. She's such a good writer though, I toughed it through.
PKG
I have worked all three and I am going to submit them separately:
Connie put her hair behind her ear. She noticed her earring was gone. She looked on the floor.
Connie tucked a wayward piece of long blond hair behind her right ear. She noticed her new pearl earring was missing out of that ear lobe. She dropped to her knees and began to frantically comb through the shag carpeting to find it.
An obvious impovement!
PKG
2)The wagon was red, but it was rusty. One of the wheels was missing. The handle was bent.
The wagon was a deep, rusty orange and only red in a few places from years of sitting in its long forgotten place under the swing-set. It rolled as long as we did not sit in the front, because a wheel was completely missing. It was almost impossible to pull in the direction we wanted it to go in because the handle was bent.
Very good visual!
PKG
The piano was dusty and probably out-of-tune. I lifted the bench top and found tons of sheet music. I sat down on the bench, wondering which piece I would play first.
I stumbled upon an old, beat up and dusty piano that had sat in the corner of the church basement for so long I thought for sure it was probably out of tune. I lifted the seat on the bench top and found tons of sheet music; old, handwritten music with a loopy name on the top. I became excited when I figured out the signature was Chopin and I had played the exact same music years before at a recital. I immediately sat down on the bench and wondered just which piece I would play first as I sorted through the sheets and my memories.
Nice work! Thanks for taking all three challenges!
PKG
Now, for my opinion of description. In a book I read by Stephen King called On Writing, he explains that detail needs to be very specific however, it only needs to be specific in certain integral places. There are only certain things the reader actually needs to know and it's up to us as the writer to be picky about these things.
Sounds like great advice to me! I think perhaps I'll get that book. You're not the first person who has referred me to it. Must be a sign for me to buy it for the library I work in. Thanks so much for the great feedback!
Puditat
Wonderful newsletter, Cubby. Fun and informative for new and longer-term members alike. Keep it up! 
Thanks and (((HUGS)))!!! It's always good to hear from you!
Recommended Books
Please send me your favorites!
I recently finished an enchanting Irish trilogy by Nora Roberts: Jewels of the Sun, Tears of the Moon, and Heart of the Sea . Now let me tell you, I'm not big romance reader, but mixed in with a little Irish lore and legend, these books make for a great read by the fire or while traveling (if someone else is driving, of course!) I found myself relating to many of the characters and laughing out loud in many places. The Irish charm is betrayed beautifully. And now I want to live in Ireland! 
 Tigger thinks of Prancer Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. (really, anything by Margaret Atwood!)
~ I must agree! I read this book a few years ago and it certainly left an impression on me. Thanks for the great recommendation!
Quote
"What I like in a good author is not what he says, but what he whispers."
~Logan Pearsall Smith, "All Trivia," Afterthoughts, 1931
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Noticing Newbies: September 19, 2007 Issue [#1957]
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