Plaza Writers - The Beginning!

Original writings and artwork by Tolkien fans.
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Thain of The Mark
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Announcing... the Plaza Writers!
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the lovely banner is by @Fuin Elda

All our Plaza NaNoWriMo participants enjoyed the community we hobbled together for November so much that we've decided to make the group permanent.

So, this thread is for that!

First off, you're invited to participate in this thread as either a writer or a person who wishes to support all our writers! We all need cheerleaders at some point.

Second, we have a companion server on Discord. If you want to be able to participate in writing sprints, more extension craft discussions, etc., you'll need to head in that direction (by dropping your discord username below so that we can invite you to it). @Fuin Elda is my co-hort in running the server, so you'll get your Discord invite either from me (Rebekah Loper#4402) or her (Chinona#4803).

However, you do not have to join the Discord to be part of the Plaza Writers group. We'll try to keep this thread fairly active.

Third, I'd like this to be something that also actively contributes to the Plaza in some way. I'm thinking maybe some sort of seasonal/quarterly 'exhibition' of sorts. Maybe Plaza people offer up prompts and we'll write some short stories to share, or essays if we have any non-fiction writer types, etc. I'm thinking a mix of Tolkien-themed prompts and original ones might be good. But I welcome suggestions!

And... I think that's all for now, folks! If you want to be 'official' fill out one of the little forms below to post so we can get to know a little about you and your writing! (Or, if you're someone who wants to be on the 'support team' as a potential beta reader/critique partner.)

Rules:

1. Respect intellectual property. We don't condone stealing story ideas, at least not without permission. If someone shares their work here, whether in part or in whole, that doesn't mean you can take it and share it somewhere else without permission. (Writers, do keep in mind that anyone can view this forum and no log-in is necessary. In some circumstances, sharing an entire body of work here will make it considered a published work. So use discretion.)

2. All Plaza rules apply.

Writers

What do you like to write (genre, etc.)?
How long have you been writing?
Are you interested in beta reading and/or being a critique partner? If so, what genres do you like to read?
What sort of writing project are you working on right now?
What's your Discord username? (if you want into the server)
What do you want to see from this group, either on the Plaza or in the Discord server?


Writer Support Team

Are you interested in being a beta reader and/or critique partner?
What genres do you enjoy reading?
What's your Discord username? (if you want into the server)

High Lord of Imladris
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BECAUSE you should probably all know:

What do you like to write (genre, etc.)? Fantasy or Sci-fi. Generally with an adult lean rather than ya
How long have you been writing? Since Junior high... My english teacher wanted me to see a shrink because I creeped her out. I found the Old Plaza while looking up fanfic for LOTR while writing as Red Demon on Fanfiction.net and I was looking up elvish and lore stuff and stumbled upon the plaza.
Are you interested in beta reading and/or being a critique partner? If so, what genres do you like to read? Sure. I like reading fantasy and sci-fi primarily but can read most objectively in terms of beta and critiquing (went through creative writing in University)
What sort of writing project are you working on right now? A sci-fi novel (which is not cooperating) and a fantasy graphic novel/webcomic
What's your Discord username? (if you want into the server)It's in the OP
What do you want to see from this group, either on the Plaza or in the Discord server? would love people to test read my webcomic and to yell at me to actually start drawing and inking etc so I can actually get it ready to go online at some point as well as self publish. (cause webcomics tend to have to self publish)

Arien
Arien
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Writer Support Team

Are you interested in being a beta reader and/or critique partner?
Yes

What genres do you enjoy reading?
Fantasy, but I’ll read most things

What's your Discord username? (if you want into the server)
You both know it :wink:
cave anserem
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New Soul
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Yay! How amazing to see this little corner here! <3 Since my writing attempts are more oriented toward the academic side of things, mostly because I'm super lazy to do any creative writing outside od RPs I'm going to join you in the capacity of a one-woman Writer Support Team :lol:

Are you interested in being a beta reader and/or critique partner? A very enthusiastic yes!
What genres do you enjoy reading? I'm love historical fantasy, fantasy and SF in general, crime... If it's well written and makes sense I'll read it (even if they do mess up the historical part :lol: ).
What's your Discord username? NarratriceNessa#2933 but I have to warn you, I'm the stereotype of the scatterbrained historian who has no idea what she's doing with this technology so bear with until I learn this stuff.
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
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Thain of The Mark
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@Nessa Saelind Can you send a friend request to me (Rebekah Loper#4402) on Discord? I can't invite you to the server or message you the link because you seem to have your profile set to not allow most people to friend you (though that is reasonable, it's just a minor hiccup on this case!)

New Soul
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@Taethowen - See, I told you I have no idea how to Discord :lol: Friend request sent :-) hopefully successfully *fingers crossed*
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
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Thain of The Mark
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@Nessa Saelind Got it, and invite sent!

Elven Enchanter
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What do you like to write (genre, etc.)? I enjoy historical fiction and would love to get a bit more into fantasy. Most of the writing that I tend to do is fanfiction, but I'm looking to expand beyond that. I also enjoy doing academic research and writing, though it's been a few years since I've done that.
How long have you been writing? I've been dabbling in fanfiction (and of course text based RP) for about 12 years. Took a long break from story writing between my BA, MA, and teaching certificate, but if anything, the pandemic has certainly given me the time to write stories for fun again.
Are you interested in beta reading and/or being a critique partner? If so, what genres do you like to read? I think so. I'd be up for most anything, but historical fiction and fantasy would be my primary choices.
What sort of writing project are you working on right now? Trying to finish up a Downton Abbey AU fanfic that has been in the works for nearly eight years. It is not a fix-it story in that everything goes well, but it's simply a what would have happened if … after episode 2.5.
What's your Discord username? (if you want into the server) I'm already there :)
What do you want to see from this group, either on the Plaza or in the Discord server? Probably just a fun community where we can share our non-Plaza writing, complain about stubborn characters, and in general have a place of support.

Ent Ancient
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What do you like to write (genre, etc.)? fantasy
How long have you been writing? I started writing stories as a kid with pen and paper, then moved on to a typewriter and then got more into it via Plaza. I stopped for a long time though did non-fiction stuff and only just got back into creative writing the last few years.
Are you interested in beta reading and/or being a critique partner? If so, what genres do you like to read? Not right now but may in the future.
What sort of writing project are you working on right now? I have a few things going but I am mostly focused on trying to finish my first draft of a fantasy novel.
What's your Discord username? (if you want into the server) Lailerin#4241
What do you want to see from this group, either on the Plaza or in the Discord server? Just support and community with other writers.

Chef
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What do you like to write (genre, etc.)? Speculative fiction of many types. I've never tried high fantasy but I like real world stories with fantasy elements and post-apocalypse what-if type stories.
How long have you been writing? Did my first nanowrimo in 2008 but have been writing creative fiction of some variety since I was a kid.
Are you interested in beta reading and/or being a critique partner? If so, what genres do you like to read? Yes, if people want an inexperienced pair of eyes. I read a lot but all my higher education experience is in the sciences, so I don't have any formal training around creative writing. Speculative fiction is my favorite genre, but I read anything with stories that are more plot focused and move along at a good pace.
What sort of writing project are you working on right now? Still wandering through my apocalypse set in a zoo nanowrimo project this year.
What's your Discord username? (if you want into the server) Already there!
What do you want to see from this group, either on the Plaza or in the Discord server? I like that we hold each other accountable to keep writing outside the month of November. I would love to see some sort of workshop/discussion about the nuts and bolts of writing, because it's just something I do for fun, but I don't really know what I'm doing (if that makes sense).
they/them/actual hobbit in search of a merrier world

High Lord of Imladris
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Ohhh nice suggestion @Menolly I have some text books and notes still from my university creative writing that might be helpful for that suggestion perhaps as a starting point

Archer of Lothlorien
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What do you like to write (genre, etc.)? Adult fantasy and sci-fi.
How long have you been writing? I've been actively writing fiction with the goal of writing a novel for about five years, but I've written non-fiction forever.
Are you interested in beta reading and/or being a critique partner? If so, what genres do you like to read? Yes, I'm interested in beta reading. I've done a little before, including a Gothic novel, a sci-fi short story, and a YA contemporary novel. I'm open to a lot of different genres, but I'm most comfortable with fantasy and sci-fi. I'm also really interested in finding a critique partner and writing friend, although I'm not sure I'm ready for anyone to read what I'm working on yet. My first draft of this project is only about a third done.
What sort of writing project are you working on right now? I'm currently working on an adult sci-fi space opera that would appeal to fans of Ghost in the Shell and Mass Effect. It's loosely inspired by The Count of Monte Cristo and has a non-binary main character who has a synthetic body and a cast of secondary alien characters à la the characters in Mass Effect.
What's your Discord username? manwathiel#7643
What do you want to see from this group, either on the Plaza or in the Discord server? A welcoming place to talk to other writers about the writing life!
She/They. Aspirant elf. Actually a hobbit. "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

Thain of The Mark
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Important Announcement

I'm about to go on a Plaza sabbatical until (at least) February. (Reasons here if anyone wants to know.) When I return, I hope to have some ideas for ways to keep this thread hopping so that we're contributing to the Plaza overall in addition to keeping each other accountable with our writing progress.

I believe that we've got everyone who's posted so far here in the Discord server. For those of you coming in after today looking for access, @Fuin Elda will be the one sending out invites. If you get missed for some reason, either tag Fuin here, or feel free to friend me on Discord (Rebekah Loper#4402) and ask for an invite to the Plaza Writers server.

Warrior of Imladris
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What do you like to write? I ... um ... write stories which explore ideas, usually to 'correct' canon because something's annoyed me and I am a control freak. I have only ever written one mostly original story and it was a vampire tale. I enjoyed the process and the story a lot, but in my head it was set within Anne Rice's vampire 'verse, not that any of that was mentioned. So what do I like - magical realism, I suppose.
How long have you been writing? Er ... I think I started maybe in 2004-ish. I joined the plaza in late 2003, and that got me interested in playing in a world, but RP was hard for me, because I like to tell a story without interference.
Are you interested in beta reading and/or being a critique partner? No. I do not have the time.
What sort of writing project are you working on right now? I am not actually working on anything at all. I have a project here in CoLP which I will occasionally update - I cannot keep up a schedule! And I have a few RP things I would like to do - I am/was telling the tale of Daeron in a what happened next format, so that's a thing I might like to go further with. RL however has my focus, and writing is taking a back seat.
The Wood-elves lingered in the twilight of our Sun and Moon, but loved best the stars.

Istari Savant
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Well, I got through plotwise where I wanted to get through on the NaNo project. It was not, as it happens, another 10k words. It was another 24k words. But now we can move on to other things.

High Lord of Imladris
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Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2020 7:53 am
Excellent to get through where you want to get through even if it took more words than thought!

On that note we will be holding our First Goal Planning Session will be Friday, Jan 1 at 5 pm PST/7 pm CST/8 pm EST!

This is going to be held on the discord so please if you aren't already on there and would like to join in feel free to poke me on here or on Discord (you are also able to poke Taeth on discord) for an invite.

IF you don't want to join the discord I will be bringing along the main points of discussion from the planning discussion here so everyone can look at the discussions.

World Clock to give you an idea of when it is local time for you if you are interested in the discord! Questions and discussion will of course be welcome!

High Lord of Imladris
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Planning Goals for 2021


So a good starting point for planning write down what your normal habits are an what you have managed so far. This gives you a good idea of where you've been and how you got there.

Then the questions is why are you writing? Is it for the sake of writing, or do you want to make money off of your writing one day?

Money Stream:

Are you working towards seeing traditional publishing (through a literary agent or publishing house) or are you thinking indie/self publishing?

How much would you like to make of your works? Enough to live off of Supplimental?

Sake of Writing Stream:

Are you wanting to share your stories online or just for your own private enjoyment?

Are you wanting to improve aspects of your writing this year?

And for those of you who have writing craft/skill goals in mind, would having a monthly or quarterly flash fiction or short story challenge within this group be helpful?



Improve your Writing Info:

These are some recommended resources for improving your writing. As Taeth said in our discord discussion: ... utilize the internet, but do be picky about what advice you take. Every time I hear about MFAs for creative writing, I think of https://diymfa.com/

Some other Resource sites to look at:

https://onestopforwriters.com/ (by the authors of the Emotion Thesaurus)

https://susandennard.com/for-writers/

https://well-storied.com/

or are you in the 'Get the Darn Thing Finished' Camp for goals?



Goal Planning


Now this may cause some eye twitching but a good way to break down your goals further that are more attainable is to go through and figure out SMART goals. A SMART goal is:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time Bound

Specific Goals These should be clearer and more defined than something like Finish my story this year, which is very broad remember specific is key here.

For myself specific goals would be:
Finish character sheets for my Web comic/novel
Finish the scripting for the Prologue to Chapter 3 of my web comic/graphic novel
Build website for Graphic Novel/Web Comic


From here each of those specific goals will have the next four steps worked out for each of those, I'm going to work through one of these three goals so you can see exactly what's going on with each step if you haven't used this before.

Measurable these are even more detailed than your last set and are how you can figure out how to work through each goal you have.

The one I'm going to run through is the Character Sheets:
1. Work through Character descriptions by end of January
2. Primary references of characters for primary 4 characters by end of April (Front side back)
3. Colour palette work
4. Expression sheets for lead 4 characters by end of June
5. Primary references of minor characters for Prologue and Chapter 1 by end of August
6. Colour palettes and basic expressions by end of September


Attainable As you can see I've broken down a lot of this to when I want them done by. The big thing is that they need to fit your life and energy. In general you don't want to burn yourself out so it's good to give yourself more time than you think you need.

Relevant This one is simple. do the actions you're going through move you closer to the main goal? If yes keep it. If not then it's time to figure why you want to do it and if you are looking at it for the wrong goal.

Time Bound Setting deadlines makes it easier to work and reach your goals, if you find hard deadlines too stressful figure out more abstract ones or interesting ones like finding someone to 'race' against


Please feel free to comment here and talk and ask questions if I don't have an answer I'll drag the question to the discord so that you have info from more of us! Would love to see your plans and questions here!

Orc Chieftain
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What do you like to write (genre, etc.)? Anything but slash, incest or abuse of any kind (anything else I'll try at least once)
How long have you been writing? Probably since I joined the Old Plaza, since the main reason I joined was to learn how to roleplay. I never tried this type of writing before and thought that joining the Plaza would help me try it out and see if I liked it (before that, I did try writing a one shot from Captain Jack's point of view on a PotC message board I was on)
Are you interested in beta reading and/or being a critique partner? If so, what genres do you like to read? Not at the moment.
What sort of writing project are you working on right now? Nothing, since I've kind of been busy with online schooling, so it's been a while since I've updated any of my fan fiction stories.
What's your Discord username? (if you want into the server) Lady of Shadow#8721
What do you want to see from this group, either on the Plaza or in the Discord server? Maybe to share some sample writings, whether you're writing to get a story published, or (like yours truly) just do it for fun.

Now to move on with the Sake of Writing Stream (since I'm not looking to get any of my works published. All I write are fan fiction stories):

Sake of Writing Stream:

Are you wanting to share your stories online or just for your own private enjoyment?
A little bit of both, otherwise I wouldn't have signed up for the various fan fiction sites like FanFiction.net (though I rarely use this site anymore, so I should probably move the story I have on there either to Archive of Our Own or Wattpad), Archive of Our Own (Island_Queen) and Wattpad (Vesuvius_Girl).

Are you wanting to improve aspects of your writing this year? Not really, just getting back to it one of these days, since I got a poster made for one if it was ever turned into a movie (I can post a picture of it once I receive it). I've just been busy with some other things lately (the Plaza, online schooling, etc)

And for those of you who have writing craft/skill goals in mind, would having a monthly or quarterly flash fiction or short story challenge within this group be helpful? That might help me get back into writing (other than roleplaying on the Plaza, that is).
Last edited by Lady of Shadow on Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:50 am, edited 4 times in total.
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He who commands the Ruling Ring... commands all

New Soul
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Excellent job on summing up the Discord discussion @Fuin Elda :thumbs: it's great to have all the information in one post.
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
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High Lord of Imladris
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Thanks It looks like later today I'll be bringing over some more new stuff from the discord since I have internets again for the next few evenings thanks to finally having more work on the tattoo shop that can be done.... as it's been a while since I've done a thorough sweep of usefull discussions on the discord. @A Good Wife


@Lady Winchester Excellent work writing out your goals and the getting back into writing is a good plan I beleive we do have a challenge up for February so will be bringing that here for you, and any one else that would like to participate on NuPlaza.

Guardian of Imladris
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What do you like to write (genre, etc.)? I write lots of different things, mostly under the fantasy umbrella - YA, contemporary fantasy, fantasy adventure, high fantasy, magical realism, you name it!
How long have you been writing? Since before I can remember, honestly.
What sort of writing project are you working on right now? I'm currently revising a YA high fantasy and querying my YA contemporary fantasy.
What do you want to see from this group, either on the Plaza or in the Discord server? I'm really just here to make other writerly friends! No particular vision as of yet.
Are you interested in being a beta reader and/or critique partner? Yes!
What genres do you enjoy reading? Honestly everything except maybe crime fiction.
What's your Discord username? (if you want into the server) PrincessQuill#2886

High Lord of Imladris
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@Quill Welcome! I've sent you a discord friend request as I need to be your friend to invite you to the server in question! So if you see a Chinona something or other that is me!

I apologize for the slow rate of getting the next bit of info up from Discord, I've gotten internet but it comes at the cost of work which is 8 hours a day so only a few moments in between clients, but when I get back north I will have far more time (and internet on the hill) So I will start bringing in the challenges and disccussion from discord again starting Sunday when i get back home.

Guardian of Imladris
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Thank you Fuin! I have accepted :)

High Lord of Imladris
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Invite to the server is now sent! Once you are in make sure to go to the welcome channel and click which ever role you want to take on The writer one (pen) is probably the one you want)

High Lord of Imladris
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Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2020 7:53 am
MARCH SHORT STORY CHALLENGE!

For anyone wanting to take part here is our short story challenge that is happening on the Writers Group Discord


Word Limit: 1200 words
Theme: Reborn
Prompt Words: feast, weakness, omission

Due by March 31. If your story contains anything NSFW, please take it to the discord as NSFW doesn't work well here on the plaza!
Sereg a Dîn

Orc Chieftain
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With that theme, perhaps I'll write about how Lathana felt after being brought back to life (even if it was only to be tortured by her very own half-sister), since I can't think of anything else to go with it at the moment (in the Tolkien universe, anyway). :smile:
Last edited by Lady of Shadow on Thu Sep 02, 2021 1:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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He who commands the Ruling Ring... commands all

High Lord of Imladris
Points: 5 208 
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Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2020 7:53 am
Excellent idea! I'm hoping to submit something on this one myself though the word count with the prompt words will be a bit of a trick so I may need to deviate away from my original idea which was the rebirth of Fuins father in Aman itself (since Afarfins rebirth will definitely not fit those prompts aside from perhaps weakness and omission)

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