  Noticing Newbies
This week: Hey You! Just Be You! Edited by: Crys-not really here  
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| Welcome to the Noticing Newbies Newsletter! It's my goal to provide newbies and "oldbies" alike with advice and guidance that will help them navigate the wonderful site Writing.com! |
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Hey, you! Just be you!
Being a newbie on a website as large and comprehensive as Writing.com can be overwhelming. With literally thousands of members writing and posting poetry, short stories, and essays, how does a newbie get noticed?
It's simple: just be you! When I go through the listings for something to read, I look for catchy titles, engaging descriptions and, most of all, a unique idea. Let's face it, a lot of topics are overdone and a lot of writers simply imitate the style of other writers. What makes a writer stand out in a crowd of thousands of other writers is their uniqueness. In other words, it's okay to imitate in order to learn the craft, but at some point you need to find your own voice and use it.
Take the common topic of love, for example. Most readers are probably more likely to read a poem that portrays love in a different light than the typical rhyming "roses are red, violets are blue" style. We all experience love differently, so why not write from your own unique perspective?
The same can be said for common topics like death, or school, or sex, or the family pet. What experiences and knowledge do you have that can help you put a spin on a common topic?
Some other things to consider:
What does your brief description say about your work? I'm always intrigued by brief descriptions that contain a snipit of the work itself, or a short teaser that builds suspense or intrigue like the blurb on a back of a book might. "This is a poem I wrote when I was sad" doesn't tend to catch readers' attention.
Are you writing according to someone else's rules, or are you making up your own? I can often tell the difference between something that was written to fit a form or prompt and something that was written out of personal emotions and the passion of writing. I'm not saying that prompts are bad--they can be a great way to get your creative juices going--but a piece of writing should read like it's a labor of love, not the result of hard labor. A lot of new writers write the way they think they're "supposed to," sacrificing the spontaneity of writing that makes it so much fun. If I'm not having fun (or becoming depressed or intrigued or whatever) by a work, I often wonder if the author had any fun writing it.
Ok, I admit it. I'm a picky reader. I've been known to read a few lines of a poem and close it without reviewing it because I was bored. I'm sure I'm not the only one, just like you're not the only writer on this site. You can stand out simply by showing us your personality-- just be you!
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Way back in September, I wrote about how to deal with reviews. I'd like to share some of the feedback I got from that newsletter. It always makes me feel good when someone can use something that I've suggested!
Hey Crys, great newsletter. I wanted to add one thing. You wrote: ... you're going to receive some advice that just doesn't make sense to you, or doesn't seem to apply to your work. You're absolutely right about not needing to take all the advice offered. But if something offered doesn't make sense, that person should ask that reviewer what he or she means. It might be important, just not worded well.
I may no longer be a "newbie," but I still love your newsletters.  Keep 'em coming.-JACE - House Targaryen 
Wonder advice here even for those of us who are no longer "newbies"! Always consider the source and determine the reliability. Anyone can be critical. It's totally easy. But, offering solutions for that writer, makes a difference. :) Nice newsletter. Write On! -Tick 
Thanks for the info about reviews and how to respond to them. I'm happy to know I've been doing the proper thing. -A. L. Bond
Re-letter from the Editor:
Your article is very encouraging, thought- provoking and fit for newbies. I think it is the right advice for anyone who wants to publish someday. Because dealing with rejections will not be a happy feeling. -maame Grace
Ooooh! I didn't know you could respond to anonymous, too. In that case, my apologizes to any anonymous I never thanked. A belated, "Thank you" to all of you. I've never received an entirely useless review, so whatever you said, it was appreciated. -atwhatcost
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Noticing Newbies: January 19, 2011 Issue [#4186]
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