If
ever Harry S. Truman’s quote, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the
kitchen,” held true, it’s in a writers forum. So enter cautiously. Unlike
reading someone’s blog and responding, forums are far more interactive. And that means its participants may be subject to criticism that’s not constructive
or supportive. But don't let that stop you. There's a great deal of solid information out there!
With
a plethora of forums available to writers it’s a good idea to do your homework first.
Who’s running the forum? Are there just a handful of participants or does the
forum have a broad outreach?
I’ve
seen great advice for a number of relevant topics ranging from writing a query
letter to the sticky categorization of middle grade/YA novels. But I’ve also
witnessed snippy answers, rude remarks and general “put downs” that I thought
were best left in junior high. Trouble is, you never know how someone is going
to respond to your questions, ideas or samples of your writing. I can warn you
of one thing – whatever you do, DO NOT advertise your book. This is a no-no.
Strange as it may seem, book promotion on forums is about as welcome as dog
poop on the bottom of your shoes. And honestly, I don’t know why. But whenever someone even
mentions their books, responders jump on them like mosquitoes on hikers.
Enter
the waters slowly and carefully. Take some time to peruse the discussion forums
and threads before getting involved. And ask yourself the following questions:
“How
can this help me to improve my craft as a writer?’
“Can
I offer any sage advice to neophyte authors?”
“Are
the topics just getting re-hashed or are they remaining current?”
I’ve
found the following forums to be insightful and interesting. But that doesn’t
mean responses and advice are always going to be doled out courteously. So if
you’re really sensitive, take heed.
And
if forums are not for you, try getting support and feedback from local writers
groups and your library. And don’t let a few off-hand remarks keep you away
from your writing!
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