All About the Writer's Chronicle Community Forum

Writing critique groups are wonderful resources, but not all are created equal. Sometimes, a writer will encounter a group that provides more headaches than actual feedback, or that the feedback is either not helpful in the slightest or just plain mean instead of positive and full of suggestions for improvement. What's a writer to do?

This is where The Writer's Chronicle Community Forum comes in. The Writer's Chronicle Community Forum, formed by Ms. Emily Cross, 22, of Ireland, is more than just a critique group. On The Writer's Chronicle, one will find helpful writing advice, a section for members that have been published to promote their work, up-to-date information on the world of publishing, and that ever-important section for sharing work.

Unlike with many critique groups, members are not required to post a certain amount of work over a certain period of time. Instead, members are free to post as much or as little as they like at any time. Should the writer decide that they do not want to take advantage of the sharing section, he or she is free to opt for not doing so. Also, if at any time the writer decides that he or she no longer wants his or her work viewable by the public, one of the forum moderators will delete it on request. The sharing section is blocked from non-members for the protection of the authors.

The Writer's Chronicle focuses on writing more than "off topic" conversations. The moderators decided at the beginning to eschew too many off-topic sections of the forum, instead preferring to keep members focused on the craft. Members find that the writing-minded atmosphere keeps them on-track and keeps them writing when otherwise they might not.

Membership on The Writer's Chronicle is 100 percent free, and writers of any age, gender, nationality, race, or religion can join. There are sections for every type of writing, from poetry to nonfiction to novel-length works of every genre, making The Writer's Chronicle a fit for any author looking for critiques and advice.

Ms. Cross started The Writer's Chronicle because she believes that, not only are critique groups beneficial to the beginning writer, but also that networking is an important part of writing in today's society. "When I became involved in [the] blogosphere," she said, "I noticed there were many aspiring writers who weren't connected with a readership. I found that unless you networked a lot, blogging was a very one-sided interaction with a lot of writers never establishing a sense of community. Building a network is so important in the world of publishing that I thought a place like a community forum would be a great method of communication and interaction."

The Writer's Chronicle has many successful freelance authors as members, and even a few published novelists who are eager to share their tips and tricks with the rest. The forum moderators are kind and willing to help members with any problems, and are available at any time through private messaging.

When asked her hopes for The Writer's Chronicle, Ms. Cross replied that she hopes "to build up an active membership, and hopefully provide a fun atmosphere for learning, writing and making friends with like-minded writers, because often writers mightn't get support in their 'real' life." Ms. Cross succeeds, making The Writer's Chronicle a fun place to learn and get positive critiques.

The Writer's Chronicle is an ideal forum for writers of all kinds who are looking for critiques, advice, or just a group of like-minded individuals who enjoy the art of crafting a novel. You can join at http://thewriterschronicle.forumotion.net/forum.htm at no cost.

Sources:

http://thewriterschronicle.forumotion.net/forum.htm

Emily Cross

Personal experience