FAQ & Rules
What is writerverse?
Like many other land comms, writerverse is an interactive community with teams and challenges much like whedonland and stargateland. Our central theme is creative writing - original fic, fanfiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, screen-writing, and much, much more. Challenges will primarily be individual with a mixture of team challenges and games.
We are a reinvention of the defunct community fictionland.
What kinds of things go on?
The challenges are primarily individual writing activities. We have writing prompts, skills oriented challenges (word count, critiquing, genre, themes, etc), and games (author BINGO!). The goal is not only to get you writing, but also to help sharpen your skills as a writer.
My writing is kind of private...
While we certainly understand the hesitancy, for challenge purposes, works will be made public to the comm at large - the comm itself is a closed community. If it were to be discovered that someone were stealing works, it would be grounds for immediate expulsion from the team. Just like any other comm, creative works belong to the author.
I really like to write tentacle p0rn. Is that allowed?
Yes! However, there are rules for ratings and you need to make sure you follow them. Follow those and write about octupi and women until your heart is content. The only thing not allowed is RPF.
What about works I've already written? Or that I've written for another comm?
The goal of this comm is to get you to write, not merely win challenges. While it's perfectly acceptable to write pieces that are part of a larger whole (so long as they stand on their own for the challenge), we ask that you not use items written for another comm. If something is languishing on your hard drive and you think it fits perfectly, please by all means, rework it and polish it for submission. On occasion a moderator may be willing to allow previously posted pieces (i.e. for another comm), but that will be on a per challenge basis and will be stated in the rules (so don't ask, the default answer is no).
So I'd like to join...
Great! Be sure to finish reading all the rules... Membership is always open as there is always something going on. Phases run for three months with the first phase starting December 1, 2011 (ending Feb. 2012).
How often do I need to participate?
The expectation is one challenge every two weeks. Membership is struck through regularly, so stay active and if you get overwhelmed...
I need a break!
Sometimes life gets hectic. We get that. Please go to THIS POST and let us know if you need a hiatus. You may go on hiatus for up to TWO WEEKS. If it's going to be longer, depending on how far into the phase we are, you may consider sitting out the remainder of the phase and coming back at the start of the next. The important thing is to communicate!
What if I'm inactive?
Inactivity is assessed every two weeks. While we understand that things happen, if we hear nothing and have no idea, we will remove you from the comm, at which point you will need to reapply. Please be aware - you will be removed from your team and from writerverse. At the end of each phase, we will also remove you from the Bookclub. That means you will lose access to your entries. Posting in the Bookclub is usually optional, so long as the story is posted someplace public (that can be viewed by the members of writerverse). You may delete your entries from the Bookclub at any time, so if you are purged for inactivity and wish to do this, please do so before the close of the phase. Please note: On-going, phase-long challenges (like the Table of Doom and Read and Review) do NOT count towards being active. Members must participate in regular challenges throughout the phase to be considered active.
What are sig icons/sig tags?
Points have to go to teams and it's hard if people aren't indicating what team they're a part of (it can mean extra work for the mods!). This way everyone involved wins - you have the opportunity for an extra point and we know where to allocate points. Win win! Sig tags are usually 300 wide and 200 tall. Icons are 100x100 per LJ requirements.
What are the communities associated with writerverse?
writerverse is the comm proper where challenges are posted.
wv_bookclub is our social comm where you can chat about writing and so forth
wv_library is our comm where you are allowed to post your entries for the various challenges posted in writerverse.
The two teams are team_prose and team_poetry
Posting FAQs: It's highly encouraged for shorter works to be posted in a comment in direct response to your team thread for the challenge. However, you are welcome to post your works in the Library (wv_library) if you are looking to get feedback/critique. Posting at the Library is optional. You may also post on your personal journal so long as that entry is public. Please do not post stories to The Bookclub.
Who's in charge around here?
The co-ownes are nynaeve_sedai and jennickels.
Our mods are:
Team Prose: ami_ven & slashluv18
Team Poetry: duskblue & x_disturbed_x
The Bookclub & the Library: All of the above
GENERAL RULES
1. Respect - This is the first and most important rule. Writing is a deeply personal experience, that said, putting it out there means there will be responses to it. Not only should feedback be thoughtful (that doesn't mean praise only!), but it should be phrased politely. Likewise, authors should expect honest feedback and should demonstrate grace no matter the response.
2. Feedback - We're a community of writers. Not only should we be writing, but we should be reading and we should want to see all of us excel in our art! Feedback should be thoughtful with a proper mixture of what is good and what could use improvement (and hey, maybe nothing needs improvement, wouldn't that be grand?!).
Example:
Good: I loved the dialogue! Their voices flowed well and I could see the two interacting exactly like that. I did struggle with your descriptions though. You said the tree was "green" but most trees are. Perhaps you could research a more concrete location and help bring it alive for the reader!
Bad: Ugh. I hate these two characters. (or) I really can't see this happening. (<-- lacks anything concrete to help the author).
3. Rating/Language - We use the following and allow ratings: NC-17, R, PG-13, PG, G. Anything above PG-13 should be a cut to your journal (with appropriate warnings - see more on ratings and warnings and what requires cuts HERE). Please try not to be overly vulgar in your regular socializing, we want this to be a safe place!
4. Participation - Every two weeks you must have participated in one challenge. Period. We will be vigilant and delete. If you are removed you must reapply. It's not fair to anyone if you are part of this community and fail to participate. We currently do not have a waiting period for you to reapply.
5. Spam - This is purely for challenges. Don't Spam. Period.
6. Read the rules - we make no exceptions. When a challenge ends, it ends and we're not all in the same time zone. There will be word requirements. There will be other requirements. Know your challenge and follow the rules.
7. Graphics - please use your own Photobucket or other photohosting site for banners etc. Thank you!
Still interested? JOIN HERE (and be sure to give us your favorite book/poem/play and favorite author as your passcode! This way I know you read the rules!)
Many thanks to stargateland for their amazing FAQs on which I modeled ours :)
Like many other land comms, writerverse is an interactive community with teams and challenges much like whedonland and stargateland. Our central theme is creative writing - original fic, fanfiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, screen-writing, and much, much more. Challenges will primarily be individual with a mixture of team challenges and games.
We are a reinvention of the defunct community fictionland.
What kinds of things go on?
The challenges are primarily individual writing activities. We have writing prompts, skills oriented challenges (word count, critiquing, genre, themes, etc), and games (author BINGO!). The goal is not only to get you writing, but also to help sharpen your skills as a writer.
My writing is kind of private...
While we certainly understand the hesitancy, for challenge purposes, works will be made public to the comm at large - the comm itself is a closed community. If it were to be discovered that someone were stealing works, it would be grounds for immediate expulsion from the team. Just like any other comm, creative works belong to the author.
I really like to write tentacle p0rn. Is that allowed?
Yes! However, there are rules for ratings and you need to make sure you follow them. Follow those and write about octupi and women until your heart is content. The only thing not allowed is RPF.
What about works I've already written? Or that I've written for another comm?
The goal of this comm is to get you to write, not merely win challenges. While it's perfectly acceptable to write pieces that are part of a larger whole (so long as they stand on their own for the challenge), we ask that you not use items written for another comm. If something is languishing on your hard drive and you think it fits perfectly, please by all means, rework it and polish it for submission. On occasion a moderator may be willing to allow previously posted pieces (i.e. for another comm), but that will be on a per challenge basis and will be stated in the rules (so don't ask, the default answer is no).
So I'd like to join...
Great! Be sure to finish reading all the rules... Membership is always open as there is always something going on. Phases run for three months with the first phase starting December 1, 2011 (ending Feb. 2012).
How often do I need to participate?
The expectation is one challenge every two weeks. Membership is struck through regularly, so stay active and if you get overwhelmed...
I need a break!
Sometimes life gets hectic. We get that. Please go to THIS POST and let us know if you need a hiatus. You may go on hiatus for up to TWO WEEKS. If it's going to be longer, depending on how far into the phase we are, you may consider sitting out the remainder of the phase and coming back at the start of the next. The important thing is to communicate!
What if I'm inactive?
Inactivity is assessed every two weeks. While we understand that things happen, if we hear nothing and have no idea, we will remove you from the comm, at which point you will need to reapply. Please be aware - you will be removed from your team and from writerverse. At the end of each phase, we will also remove you from the Bookclub. That means you will lose access to your entries. Posting in the Bookclub is usually optional, so long as the story is posted someplace public (that can be viewed by the members of writerverse). You may delete your entries from the Bookclub at any time, so if you are purged for inactivity and wish to do this, please do so before the close of the phase. Please note: On-going, phase-long challenges (like the Table of Doom and Read and Review) do NOT count towards being active. Members must participate in regular challenges throughout the phase to be considered active.
What are sig icons/sig tags?
Points have to go to teams and it's hard if people aren't indicating what team they're a part of (it can mean extra work for the mods!). This way everyone involved wins - you have the opportunity for an extra point and we know where to allocate points. Win win! Sig tags are usually 300 wide and 200 tall. Icons are 100x100 per LJ requirements.
What are the communities associated with writerverse?
writerverse is the comm proper where challenges are posted.
wv_bookclub is our social comm where you can chat about writing and so forth
wv_library is our comm where you are allowed to post your entries for the various challenges posted in writerverse.
The two teams are team_prose and team_poetry
Posting FAQs: It's highly encouraged for shorter works to be posted in a comment in direct response to your team thread for the challenge. However, you are welcome to post your works in the Library (wv_library) if you are looking to get feedback/critique. Posting at the Library is optional. You may also post on your personal journal so long as that entry is public. Please do not post stories to The Bookclub.
Who's in charge around here?
The co-ownes are nynaeve_sedai and jennickels.
Our mods are:
Team Prose: ami_ven & slashluv18
Team Poetry: duskblue & x_disturbed_x
The Bookclub & the Library: All of the above
GENERAL RULES
1. Respect - This is the first and most important rule. Writing is a deeply personal experience, that said, putting it out there means there will be responses to it. Not only should feedback be thoughtful (that doesn't mean praise only!), but it should be phrased politely. Likewise, authors should expect honest feedback and should demonstrate grace no matter the response.
2. Feedback - We're a community of writers. Not only should we be writing, but we should be reading and we should want to see all of us excel in our art! Feedback should be thoughtful with a proper mixture of what is good and what could use improvement (and hey, maybe nothing needs improvement, wouldn't that be grand?!).
Example:
Good: I loved the dialogue! Their voices flowed well and I could see the two interacting exactly like that. I did struggle with your descriptions though. You said the tree was "green" but most trees are. Perhaps you could research a more concrete location and help bring it alive for the reader!
Bad: Ugh. I hate these two characters. (or) I really can't see this happening. (<-- lacks anything concrete to help the author).
3. Rating/Language - We use the following and allow ratings: NC-17, R, PG-13, PG, G. Anything above PG-13 should be a cut to your journal (with appropriate warnings - see more on ratings and warnings and what requires cuts HERE). Please try not to be overly vulgar in your regular socializing, we want this to be a safe place!
4. Participation - Every two weeks you must have participated in one challenge. Period. We will be vigilant and delete. If you are removed you must reapply. It's not fair to anyone if you are part of this community and fail to participate. We currently do not have a waiting period for you to reapply.
5. Spam - This is purely for challenges. Don't Spam. Period.
6. Read the rules - we make no exceptions. When a challenge ends, it ends and we're not all in the same time zone. There will be word requirements. There will be other requirements. Know your challenge and follow the rules.
7. Graphics - please use your own Photobucket or other photohosting site for banners etc. Thank you!
Still interested? JOIN HERE (and be sure to give us your favorite book/poem/play and favorite author as your passcode! This way I know you read the rules!)
Many thanks to stargateland for their amazing FAQs on which I modeled ours :)