Date: Mon, 3 Jul 1995 22:45:49 EDT From: the apprentice? Subject: ALL, FAQ: Firewords and Revolutions Comments: To: Masters of the Page [welcome, one and all...before I get down to drudgery, let me invoke a bit of the magic of words, just for fun. I'll try to avoid grinding salt or dipping water, though... :-] Hi. Glad you could make it. Why don't you sit down, and we can talk a little about this place. [that chair? well, okay, it's not an ordinary chair. a little electricity, a few pixels, and a dash of imagination. Not bad, eh?] By the way, what do you think of the place? Oh, no, that's okay. I can understand that you might want to hear some of my ideas about it first. Let's see... I suppose I might call it a bar apres les workshop, a theater mostly absurd, a mere reflection in the midst of the cyberspatial jungle--almost any of those might be a place to start. But they're not quite right, are they? [back to basics?] I guess at one level it's just a mailing list. You send your message to WRITERS@mitvma.mit.edu, it bounces around in the gears, and copies are sent to at least 450 places. Simple. Just like a hundred other lists. [She could have posted to any other list, but she posted to mine...sorry, that's another story] At another level, it's a kind of community. Many lists form such a group, with some well-known characters pontificating on anything and everything that strikes their interest. In some places newcomers are bashed and beaten severely if they dare to express something different from the prevailing blasts of hot air--and that is a shame, because such groups all too easily become sour and strange beds of inbred stagnation, no matter how loudly they proclaim their doctrines. [be ye a star-bellied sneetch or be ye not? declare yourself, so that we may smite you if you be different...] So, what do you think about those? Oh, sure, well, yes. trite, but true. So... You're right, the list really isn't a thing or an object. It's more like a way--kind of a path. Today, maybe, there's a pile of animal excrement that you have to shovel out of your way, looking for anything that might be buried in the muck. Then another day revels with displays of fine worked words and braids of great artistry and talent. And, of course, there are all the days in the muddle, with some gems, some flames, and a great deal of chatter and patter...so you walk along, watching where you step, and enjoy the scenery, eh? [walk this sway, my star? and swing low croons of delight, fantasy?...] On the Fourth of July--Independence Day in the United States--I suppose I could appeal to firewords, patriots bleeding on oaks, and such. Take a stand on the flag, and see who salutes it? [oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave? over the land of the free and the home of the brave...Play BALL!] Okay, you've been patient. Listen, lean over here and I'll tell you the truth. I'll just whisper it in your ear, just between you and I, okay? Writers is... [hey, is someone else listening? get out of here, this is just between my buddy and me, okay? private, you know? sorry about that. I hate eavesdroppers, don't you? so, let me see...oh, yeah, writers...] well, it's real simple. the truth is writers is whatever you make of it. So write soon--and write here on your list. and you thought it was going to be a surprise, didn't you? thought I'd have the magic hidden truth of the ages locked in my grimy little keyboard? actually, you do. let it out. [O say, can you see, by your login's early light, What so proudly we posted at our screens' last gleaming? Those broad jokes and bright tears, thro' the cyberspatial night, on the terminals we watch'd, were so constantly streaming?...] Put your words where your fingers are, and I'm willing to bet we can make a revolution happen--or at least get someone to read between the lines... Viva Writers! The unending revolutionary party! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= [Please feel free to print this FAQ and keep a copy for when you have questions! In fact, the author would be pleased if you did that.] The meat in this sandwich - v. 17, July 4, 1995 1. Posting to the list--Submissions and other work 2. Help with LISTSERV 3. Some of our programs 4. Archives and other resources 5. PM&I 6. Poke around with the web... 7. Other questions 1. Posting to the list--Submissions and other work Submissions: To provide all members with a copy, send it as email to writers@mitvma.mit.edu (internet) or to WRITERS@MITVMA.BITNET (bitnet) (everyone will get a copy automatically). Please use the tag SUB: in your subject line. Those who prefer to send their work out individually should use the RFC (Request For Critique) heading below on a general announcement describing your work and saying that you will send a copy to anyone requesting it. You should be prepared for such requests by private email or the list. Critiques and comments for RFC work should be sent by private email. To archive a copy of your work, send it as email to wfiles@mitvma.mit.edu (internet) or to WFILES@MITVMA.BITNET (bitnet). Postings to WRITERS are NOT automatically archived, and material filed in WFILES is NOT automatically posted. It is YOUR decision. To help us recognize the kind of work it is, if possible put the following "tags" in your subject line as appropriate writing SUB: pieces (genre--poem, short story, essays, etc.) CRIT: critiques COMMENT: comments (some people have suggested that detailed technical critiques and quick comments should be tagged differently, thus the two headings) RFC: request for critiques--used to announce availability of a piece with exchange and critiques handled via private email OPIN: opinions TECH: techniques of writing (a good place for summaries of techniques, workshops, or other helpful aids) EXERCISE: exercises ROBIN: round robbins interesting WOW: writing related interesting bits (World Of Writing) WOE: electronic related interesting bits (World of Electronics) FILLER: non-writing related interesting bits FLAME: self-admitted stupidity; or, the dam burst and here's the spill list related INTRO: say hello now BIO: background about yourself (may overlap intro) SOCIAL: addresses, phone numbers, and other personal ads ADMIN: topics about the list use a plain subject line for odds and ends, like everyone else RE: for followups you can also make up your own - useful ones WILL be adopted. [Note: Novels or other longer pieces should be announced and offered to those whose email systems can handle them. Please do NOT post extremely large pieces. my rule of thumb: 50K or 5000 words in one post is pushing. Some people are now using the TOPICS filtering of listserv to limit mail. As a result, the following tags are especially significant SUBMISSION, CRITIQUE, TECHNIQUE, EXERCISE, WOW, FILLER (you can combine tags! e.g. "Subject: SUB, ROBIN: Once More Down the Dandelion Tail" is a perfectly acceptable subject line) As a self-imposed discipline, many of our members use the 50/50 rule - for every "chatter" posting, they try to post one posting relevant to writing. You may want to follow this rule to help maintain the focus on writing. Public chastisement, unfortunately, is NOT an effective method of promoting writing-related postings - it adds one more irrelevant post, and does not provide positive encouragement. 2. Help with LISTSERV To take a short vacation: send email to listserv@mitvma.mit.edu (internet) or LISTSERV@MITVMA.BITNET with SET WRITERS NOMAIL when you leave. Then send email with SET WRITERS MAIL when you return. To have the daily mail collected in one large mailing each day, send email to LISTSERV with SET WRITERS DIGEST To return to normal mailing, send email to LISTSERV with SET WRITERS MAIL To leave the list: send email to LISTSERV with SIGNOFF WRITERS [NOTE: The SIGNOFF is NOT instantaneous. You may want to SET WRITERS NOMAIL first, then send the SIGNOFF command as it takes some time to process. I recommend waiting at least a day before deciding it didn't work.] To subscribe to the list: send email to LISTSERV with SUBSCRIBE WRITERS yourfirstname yourlastname To get a list of members: send email to LISTSERV with REVIEW WRITERS BY NAME To check on your own mail parameters: send email to LISTSERV with QUERY WRITERS To limit your mail to certain topics: send email to LISTSERV with (select your own list of topics) SET WRITERS TOPICS= SUB CRIT You can then go back to the normal full delivery of all topics with SET WRITERS TOPICS= ALL 3. Some of our programs Poems On Demand--on Friday, the challenger posts a challenge (usually describing a form, theme, maybe some allusive references). Others respond with a poem of their own over the next week. If you want to join the challengers, send Roger Giner-Sorolla a message and he'll tell you all about it. To join the challenged--WRITE! Story swap - each participant writes a story around a common theme or title, then the stories are "swapped" - and you rewrite the story you get. (NOT CURRENTLY ACTIVE--needs someone to organize and run it) Critic's Galore--the Critmeister helps make sure everyone gets critiqued, and that we share the load of critiquing! Don't hesitate--let the critmeister show you how to get in there and CRIT! (not active at present as far as I know) Parsons M&I - the small town newspaper of Parsons, Iowa always amuses. A new issue came out in January, 1995 - if you haven't read it, get a copy! Title challenges - these are interesting phrases proposed by a member as possible titles for you to write a piece (story, poetry, or other form) around. Just another one of our ways of provoking writing... Dare to be bad challenge - this is a self-imposed discipline, to write and submit at least one story for publication each week. Variations on the basic challenge are up to you, but several published writers have recommended this program as a definite way to get published. Round robbins spring up from time to time - essentially a form of writer's relay race, with the hope that someone will take up the baton and finish the race. Sometimes we have several participants grabbing the baton at the same time, and somehow these races don't seem to reach a finish line very often, but they are quite entertaining... and another method of provoking writing. Square robbins are another program, with a moderator who paces and selects the public postings to help maintain the integrity of the race. We also have had sine robbins, with a "writer's bible" issued along with the first post which provides guidelines for the style and other issues of the runners. A "convention" for robbins has been the author's name list - each person adds their name with a colon, thus allowing branches if two people want to add sections at the same point. E.g. such a list might look like tink:mji:jane:randy:bill:ming. Just add your name when you post a new section. Other programs include QOTD (quote of the day) and WOTD (word of the day) - both intended to provide you with thoughts to help you keep writing. Note: all of our programs are open to submissions from anyone - but don't overload the list with all of your favorite ideas at once. Pace yourself, and tantalize us with your good taste! 4. Archives and other resources Send a message to WFILES-SEARCH-REQUEST@mitvma.mit.edu with just the number from the following list 3776 FAQ: A Preliminary List of Sparks and Irritants - some upsetting topics Tink's discussion of what causes anger on this list 3777 FAQ: SUB guidelines (DRAFT!) - submission guidelines 3778 FAQ: CRIT guidelines (DRAFT!) - critique guidelines (if you find other helpful documents in the archives, please let me know and we'll add them to this list!) and if YOU want to write one of these useful documents, let me know! To get information from the archives, first send a message to LISTSERV similar to the one between the dashes -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= // JOB Echo=No,Reply-To=None Database Search DD=Rules Echo=Yes //Rules DD * search * in wfiles from 1 jan 1995 to 1 feb 1995 index -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= you may also want to use search lines such as: search * in wfiles where sender contains ( barker ) search exercise in wfiles since 1 jan 1995 LISTSERV will send you a list of available postings matching your search. second, send WFILES-SEARCH-REQUEST@mitvma.mit.edu a message with the number(s) of the pieces you want to get a copy of (change the number to what you want). it's that simple. 5. PM&I The local newspaper is irregular, but you might like to read it. This is the archive number for the most recent issue. (Most of the original issues are now out of print, unfortunately, although I have heard rumors about someone finding some in a spider's web or downspout or something) 115 PM&I Golden 1995 Issue 6. Poke around with the web... try these URLs our very own home page http://www.acci.com/acci/writers.html Others worth looking at... http://bronze.ucs.indiana.edu/~dlodge/writing.html http://www.missouri.edu/~wleric/writery.html http://web.mit.edu/afs/athena.mit.edu/user/m/b/mbarker/www/writers.html general interest http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/FAQ-List.html 7. Other questions There may be other information or help you would like. Ask, and someone will (usually) answer. Sometimes you may be asked to help turn the answers into a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) piece, sometimes you may have to repeat the question a few times to get an answer, but don't be afraid to ask. -=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=- [you say you want a revolution, well, you know, it all begins with you...] open a vein--blood! one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration--sweat! and something is rotten in Denmark...a tragedy--tears! (pass the vampires, skip the deodorant, and don't spare the tissues! full text ahead!) if we don't write together, we shall assuredly rot separately! It's your list--write on, writer! *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=