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Background

 
We began life as the Fiction Workshop at the @MinnowSupport Discord server called PALnet. Set up by @Rhondak, it offered a critique and editing service for writers of fiction. In September @GMuxx created The Writers' Block server where we stretched our legs and expanded into poetry, non-fiction, and songwriting workshops and created an English language channel. To date we are 400 members strong.

So what do we do?

 
Do you have a little seed of an idea for a story you want to flesh out? We can help by brainstorming. We will show you how to avoid clichés and help develop a story arc, meaning it has a beginning, middle and end.

Is English not your first language? Not a problem, drop in to our English Language channel where many volunteers, ably led by @Lenadr, can help with spelling and grammar. We have many members who's first language isn't English.

So you have written a story. Now what?

 
Head on over to the Fiction Workshop and submit it - as a Google doc - to our queue, where editors will read it, leaving notes and suggestions on your document. Once you feel it has been critiqued enough, request that we pull it from the queue and implement whatever changes and suggestions you think make sense to you. By all means resubmit as many times as you feel necessary in order to polish your work to perfection.

WARNING! The critiquing process can feel quite brutal. After all, you are emotionally invested in your work and that's only natural. But please note, the editors do NOT criticise, they critique. BIG DIFFERENCE. If they are investing their time and effort to critique, edit and make suggestions to your work, it is because they see something worth working with, and the potential for a great story.

But I don't write fiction, how can you help me?

 
Do you enjoy writing poetry? Our Poetry Workshop allows you to type your poems straight into chat to receive feedback and suggestions from other members and the Poetry Editors, @sunravelme, @jrswab and @dbooster. Poetry not your thing either? Maybe the Non - Fiction Workshop is more for you? This is led by @jasonbu and @anarcho-andrei and runs in much the same way as the Fiction Workshop - there is a submission queue into which you post your Google doc. Perhaps you want to try your hand at songwriting? We have you covered here, too. @Uniwhisp runs this channel in much the same way as the Poetry Workshop. You can type your songs and verses straight into chat.

All of our workshops should be seen as places where you can finetune your work BEFORE posting it to Steem. Also note that we do not allow Steem link drops into the channels. There are other servers if all you want to do is share your posts. That is not our purpose.

What if I am not ready to submit anything?

 
That's perfectly fine. We have a thriving community of over 400 members, many of whom have not run the gauntlet of the submission queues. Drop in, chat, make friends. Chat in the General channel is mostly light-hearted. You won't find discussions there about the appropriate use of apostrophes or conjugated verbs.

Anything else I should know?

 
On Fridays @anarcho-andrei and @swelker101 run their State of The Witness podcast, which you can listen to in the Writers' Block Radio channel. On Saturdays @swelker101 and @GMuxx broadcast the Shane And Muxxy Show.

@GMuxx, @Rhondak and @thewritersblock account run regular writing contests, open to members and non members alike. We try to encourage all participants to submit their entries to the queue for editing, to increase their chances of winning.

@Rhondak and @GMuxx are the server administrators. Blue members are moderators and include @anarcho-andrei, @crimsonclad, @jasonbu, @negativer, @bex-dk, @swelker101, @thinknzombie, @tinypaleokitchen and @uniwhisp. Green members are editors and can be seen as channel moderators. If you have any questions, any of the members of this leadership team can find an answer for you.

To join The Writers’ Block Discord server, click the image below.