Café Life is the Colony's main hangout, watering hole and meeting point.
This is a place where you'll meet and make writing friends, and indulge in stratospherically-elevated wit or barometrically low humour.
Some Colonists pop in religiously every day before or after work. Others we see here less regularly, but all are equally welcome. Two important grounds rules…
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I don’t think I fit the criteria, do I, Peyton. Xxxxx
You and your heaving bosoms. I think your still waters run very deep, our Bev. Do you need a safe place to share? Away from the madding crowd?
It could be a place to share ways of working through fear of submission or criticism. That does affect some of us more than others. And we all need to learn to publicise and share if we want to sell books. I have thought of a zoom group for story-telling. Something like a game show-is it true or false. The purpose would be to get more comfortable speaking in public.
I think there may be a flaw in providing a group marked INTROVERT PROTECTION ZONE for people that by definition feel uncomfortable being marked out for attention. You know those roly poly bugs that do such valuable work detoxifying soil? You always find them under flower pots and old logs. Maybe just make a comfortable environment where soft voices can be heard?
I find Litopia a comfortable environment where soft voices can be heard. I don't think there is any need for a further division.
My grown sons talk about "Normies" who don't do swords, read medieval manuscripts and study Ancient Greek.
Huddle doesn't really give public speaking experience. It was Pete who suggested a group to practice social speaking beginning with something much less sensitive than your hearts blood. Huddle can give people a chance to get feedback on their work but it is absolutely terrifying for many. From conversations I've had there are probably as many who find it impossible to go to Huddle as there are those who do go.
Maybe we should start a Sig for heaving bosoms. @Vagabond Heart (Bizarrely, @AgentPete has no emoji to denote heaving bosoms. How strange).
The hug emojy looks a bit like bosom heaving. Simply don't wear glasses and presto, bosoms are groped.
One of the main reasons I joined Litopia, after having enjoyed watching the Pop-Ups on YouTube for several years, was not just what seemed to be the welcoming community involved, but also @AgentPete's description of how feedback is given on Litopia. I'd been in four critique groups which, though always including nice people who were well-meaning when they gave feedback, tended to be overly focused on line-editing and copyedits, and were often only critical without being supportive as well. Some people always seemed to think themselves superior to others in craft, the "writing police," in effect, and it took the pleasure out of the groups. I suppose to prevent that from developing in a group, we best police ourselves. I hope Litopia stays as positive as I've found it to be, a place where everyone is seen as having something valuable to offer. Warm fuzzies, too.
... is that actually a thing...? We agents lead such sheltered lives...
Apparently. Dude, you don't even want to know what's in my brain when I think about those meetings.... is that actually a thing...? We agents lead such sheltered lives...
I didn't know @AgentPete had suggested such a group. I think it's a good idea. There is a writing school, The Attic, in Portland, Oregon, that does this sort of thing. Writers read very brief bits of their work in front of the group and then people in the audience rate just a few key aspects of their presentation. Nothing about the writing itself, just things like use of tone and volume, clarity, gestures, eye contact, etc. Everyone had a half-sheet form with boxes to check off, a few fill-in spots for longer feedback, but all very quick and easy. The sheets had the names of the writers who read on them. After each reader had finished, a few minutes were taken to finish up the feedback and then sheets were collected and given to the reader. I think most people found it quite useful. Non-threatening, too, since all were "in it" together. The Toastmasters organization has a really great 3-page .pdf download handout for use as a model for such a form (though much more extensive than needed). They have other tips on their site for people wanting to be more comfortable and effective at doing presentations. Here's the link to the form: https://toastmasterscdn.azureedge.n.../english/8053-generic-evaluation-resource.pdf
The issue being discussed is people who have trouble accepting criticism of their writing, sorting out what is useful and what is to be ignored- which I think is all of us to some extent. The point of my first post is that many people have had trauma around their writing and find Huddle difficult. You do not have to have any kind of clinical diagnosis to not want to go to Huddle. There is a reason it is the same people every week despite Pete's urging.
That sounds like a librarian thing Barbara. Men don't make passes at bosoms that wear glasses?
Many do not feel comfortable bringing their work to Huddle.
That's not what I meant.
I meant that one needs to have blurry vision before one can see the hug emoji as a bosom grab. Wine would do the same.
What made me suggest that was the dramatic positive change I’ve seen in writers who have undergone media training. Publishers occasionally pay for this, but not often, not as often as they ought to.
I agree. I like Carol's idea. But I also like the idea of just storytelling in a zoom circle. I do think the immediacy of how not to bore the pants off someone is front and centre with a live audience. It can help crystallise that ephemeral idea and maybe lead to knowing where your story needs to begin.
