Virtual Workshop for Writers
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Welcome to Write Away
Write Away is a virtual writers' workshop where writers of all skill levels are welcome to join and participate. We welcome original works from poets, non-fiction writers, and fiction writers of all genres.

Please remember to read the rules and comment on your fellow writers. If you have issues with something or someone, you can contact moderators privately here; since comments on that post will remain screened, please have an alternative way of contacting you back available if you want a response.

Useful links:
20th-Aug-2008 09:40 pm - Semi-introduction
waltz
Hi! )
19th-Aug-2008 05:49 pm - Question - college/careers
i am nothing more than
I know this is a little off-topic for this community, but I checked the userinfo and didn't see anything explicitly against posts like this so... I'm going for it. But, mods, if this isn't allowed, I understand if it's erased.

What colleges/universities do you most recommend for undergraduate programs in Journalism? And, when in Journalism programs, do you recommend double majoring/minoring in an "outside field" (Political Science, Culinary Arts, Film Studies, etc)? I've heard that going the Journalism & Literature route doesn't get one far, but I really don't know... Opinions? Also, are MA programs (mainly in Print Journalism) a good step after getting a BA, or is field experience more beneficial? My college has a very.... relaxed Communications program so I'm looking into transferring to a school with a better Journalism program (right now I'm looking at both American University and University of Maryland College Park). I'm most interested in Print Journalism, for the record, and can see myself comfortably being a reporter or copy editor...I'm really open to any and all suggestions.
Also, to broaden this up a bit, good schools for English undergrad degrees? And what are the best career steps after achieving one?
17th-Aug-2008 10:09 pm - Sunday Picture Prompt
the lady clare (waterhouse)
Hello, and welcome to the new and improved Sunday Picture Prompt! Well... it's new anyway. Let's start out with something mildly creepy, shall we?

Read more... )
16th-Aug-2008 10:09 pm - Recent Kiss
hayloft
We writers often use our own experiences to build stories. Without getting into a pointless, formless speculation about the relationship between imagination and experience, let's just say there is some combination of the two at work in good, honest writing.

Time to put some of your life experience to work! Your Saturday "resource" is the your last kiss. Your challenge is to write a short piece of fiction based on it. Maybe leave the names the same. Maybe leave everything the same, except set it in a colony far off in space. Just be true to the experience, and write something that puts a reader right there.
14th-Aug-2008 05:55 pm - Poetry.
i am nothing more than
Adult themes (?).
Untitled. )

12th-Aug-2008 12:24 pm - Response for word prompt: Anathema
curves

Something silly...

11th-Aug-2008 07:47 pm - Anathema
hayloft
Our [info]clare_dragonfly is on vacation or something, so I am hastily filling in for the word prompt. Let's use the Merriam Webster word of the day for it: anathema.

This word has Greek origin and refers to something held in intense, or religious, dislike. Croutons are anathema to me. The chief librarian muttered anathemas towards the couple playing footsie.

Your prompt is to use this word in a short piece, either a poem or flash fiction. Bonus points if you can point this divine hatred towards something ordinarily harmless, something you personally like.
10th-Aug-2008 05:34 pm - Hello, Everyone
Name;Tori

Age:22

Writing Experience:  I began writing stories on a regular basis in 2nd grade; in third grade I wrote a story about a Troll name Canica and followed it up with six 'sequels' of more of her adventures.  I began writing poetry in 6th grade and have been passionately writing it since, but didn't really come into my own until I was at least 19- by which I mean I left the rhyming and subsequent bittingly bitter and emo stage behind.  I stopped writing stories when I was about 14, unfortunately, but recently I've written a couple and want to work at developing my prose skills.  I have two poems in the Summer/Fall 2008 issue of Epiphany (found in Barnes and Noble) there is a website, however it is a print journal.  I also have a bitter poem that I wrote years ago in issue #108 of the e-zine zygoteinmycoffee.com ( entitled "Skinscape")

Preferred Genres:  Poetry is by far my preferred genre.  As far as reading goes, however, I am not limited to poetry- I read novels, autobiographies, journals of poets and short stories as well as poetry.

Education:  I am returning to college as of August 26th, after 3 years away.  I am going in with 41 credits

Country:  USA

What do you hope to get from this community?  Mainly inspiration, but also the chance to help others improve their writing while also receiving help with my own- especially short prose.

Where did you hear of us?  I did an interest search.

EDIT:  I'm sorry, I did the copy and paste thing and as you may have seen and it did not work at all for me, it was a mess, so I just went through and deleted all of the weitd "<<P>>IJ>>" stuff and cleaned this up.  Apologies for it not being cut.
10th-Aug-2008 02:04 pm - Sunday Picture Prompt!
Reckless adandon
Get your Sunday Picture Prompt, here! Bargain deals! Only 800 words for this charming picture! Won't find another sale like this for years!

You know the deal - look at the picture, get inspired, and WRITE!

Picture here! Click here! C'mon, you know you wanna click! Do it! )

You can write anything you want, obviously, but this week's extra challenge takes it a step further. Earlier, you were challenged to write a story in a simple sentence. I challenge you, using this picture as an inspiration, to write a story in just six words! Need some inspiration for that? Check out this collection of very short stories. Above all, have fun, and post it for the community to enjoy!
10th-Aug-2008 03:07 pm - Innebriation Logic
 
I might have deamt this las t night, then again I might not. Blast away, comments welcome. 

 It starts off so simply, go see City play at Turners Cross, a few beers after and home.  The mistake was deciding where everyone should meet, so not thinking of the repercussions it was decided to meet in the pub. 
So, one by one the troops arrive. Beers are called for, consumed with relish, and as the "  bird can't fly on one wing" rule is introduced more beer is ordered. By now the the comrades are in really good humor so any suggestion, however ridiculous is considered as inspired.  Attending the match is abandoned in favor of watching it on the TV in the back room. As the game goes their way, beer is consumed in a more rapid fashion. Chants are sung in unison with the fans that actually attended the game.  Relevance to soccer is soon forgotton and an accapela version of anything, anyone can remember the lyrics to is soon in progress.  As closing time approaches, the hero's are sitting in a single file along the floor, rowing an immaginary canoe while singing "Row da boat asshore". 
But the night is young, and no one is in the mood to return home.  After a  quick consultation and it is agreed to proceed to a night club. At the door, the bouncers are not impressed with the plea's of the celebrants to be allowed enter. one by one each of the late night establishments are crossed off the list which is as well. The clubs get seedier as the desperation increases. 
It's slowly understood that the night has come to an end so they depart for the Taxi rank.  By now, early morning light has appeared and a mini bus deploys each of the nights veterans at his home. 
One of them, due to  the fog of alcohol has a keen sense of innebreation logic.  This is a voice inside his head which dispenses advice. As he searches for his keys the voice suggests that he take a whizz  before he enters the house as this will reduce the chance of waking up Precious. So he empties his bladder through the hedge and onto the Newspaper and Milk of his neighbours.  After a long search though his pockets, he finds his keys in his other hand. Long testing of each key in the lock eventually lets him in.  
Inside in the hallway, he agrees with the voice that it certainly would be a good idea to get undressed downstairs so as not to wake up Precious.  He leaves the hallway looking like an explosion in a Menswear departmment.  Another voice has piped up from the self preservation part of his brain and urged him to act normally. Thinking this makes sense he proceeds to the downstairs bathroom to brush his teeth. All he can find is his toothbrush so he grabs a tube out of the medicine cabinet and is brushing his teeth when a fowl taste fills his mouth. He reads the tube and decides Vagisil is the  worst toothpaste ever. 
He creaks up the stairs and finger to lips enters the bedroom. On the night table is a glass of water and some Alka Seltzer. He drinks down the 'Cure' and realises that Precious must have left them out for him. A warm feeling of love for her fills him and he leans over to kiss her tenderly on the forehead. Before he reaches her she says "Don't even think of it" , so he pats her on the head, falls on the pillow and is asleep.
9th-Aug-2008 06:03 pm - One Sentence
hayloft
One great thing about limits is how much ingenuity they give you. You all may be familiar with Twitter (my own twitter is here: twitter/somerled). Some people use it as a place to narrate stories in 140 letter bursts, others drop web links, little poems, or context-free, disjointed and random thoughts.

There is also a site that publishes one-sentence stories. It presents an interesting challenge: how much scenario, style and mood can you convey in just one sentence?

You might find the site interesting. I propose you post some stories in one sentence as comments to this post. You might find they work as opening sentences in a larger story.
8th-Aug-2008 07:38 pm - The Maiden Without Hands
Girl
Hey everybody - haven't posted in a long time. (Pretty sure I'm good on crits - if a mod could give me a count?) I've been having a lot of emotional, fairy tale content in my mind - I'm sort of unintentionally channeling Anne Sexton here - and though I normally only write prose, it seems to me that poetry is really the only medium for the ideas in my head right now.

So, this is my first serious attempt at poetry, and I thought I'd post it up and ask where improvements might be made. It's a telling of The Maiden Without Hands, focusing on the first part of the story.

ETA: Oh, and the story has often been interpreted as being symbolic of incest (reflecting other tales about incest in which the victim's hands are severed). I kind of tried to refer to that. (And I edited a typo. >.>)

Read more... )
7th-Aug-2008 12:26 pm - Introduction
Name

Name:  Pam

Age:  Currently 21

Writing Experience:  I have been writing since sometime in middle school. I took some creative writing courses in high school and college but it is mainly a hobby for me.

Preferred Genres:  Short Stories, Fantasy, Some Poetry, Fiction, Children's Stories

Education:  I have a bachelor's degree and teaching certificate in early childhood education.

Country:  USA

What do you hope to get from this community?  I hope to get an opportunity to read works by others and to allow others to read some of my work as well.

Where did you hear of us?  Through a livejournal search and my sister, [info]enchantedsister.

6th-Aug-2008 08:36 am - Holidays and Writing
So we're into August now and the holiday season is under full swing.

Do you find you do less writing during the summer, or any other particular season? Summer is just a likely candidate with warm weather, longer days, people tending to be more sociable.

What do you do to try to keep yourself writing? And do you write on holiday?
5th-Aug-2008 06:22 pm

Name:  Vaughn.

Age:  15.

Writing Experience:  I started writing my first story when I was 8 or 9. It was horrible, but that's okay. I've attempted to write everything from lyrics to scripts. Two years ago, I took a 10-week online course on how to write an essay and I was once published on an online poetry magazine.

Preferred Genres:  No real preferences. I read/write a wide range of genres.

Education:  I'm going to be a sophomore in high school, come September.

Country:  United States of America. I live in New York.

What do you hope to get from this community?  Inspiration and feedback.

Where did you hear of us?  Got this website from Quizilla.

6th-Aug-2008 12:18 am

Name:  Kathryn

Age:  Fifteen. 

Writing Experience: Had a poem published a year ago (it was awful, but never mind.) I used to write fanfiction, currently cut that off completely to write original.

Preferred Genres:  It varies. I'm open to most things. I can't stand a lot of gore though.

Education:  High school student.

Country:  Greece. But I've had an English education.

What do you hope to get from this community?  Inspiration, feedback, maybe meeting some more writers.

Where did you hear of us?  It came up when I searched for writing communities.

5th-Aug-2008 03:08 pm - Sunday picture prompt
Kat
 I first saw the window frame as bars, so...

http://cimeara.deviantart.com/art/Window-on-the-World-93898883
  
4th-Aug-2008 10:27 pm - Flash fic
flower
I dug this up to use in a application to another site, and I thought I'd post it up here and see what you guys think. All writing is subject to improvement, after all. :)

Title: Devotion
Genre: Drama/general fiction
Word Count: 501

Read me! )
4th-Aug-2008 05:29 pm
Another piece of flash fiction; this one I wrote last night.
THIS IS NOT ANTI-DEATH PENALTY; I AM PRO-DEATH PENALTY.

Title: The Architect
Genre: Flash fiction/drama/philosophy/crime
Rating: PG/PG-13.

4th-Aug-2008 03:16 pm - Hihi, I'm a newbie
In the Beginning...

Name:  Kamiel. Despite its manly spelling, I'm actually female.

Age:  Seventeen

Writing Experience:  Er, I started with fanfiction and slowly drifted over to original fantasy, if that counts for anything.

Preferred Genres:  Anything that can take extraordinary situations and/or settings and make them believable. I also like poetry. e.e. cummings is a favorite poet of mine.

Education:  I'm going to be a Senior in high school in a few weeks. OMG im so...not that excited. XD

Country:  I live...IN AMERICA!

What do you hope to get from this community?  Inspiration, mostly. Maybe a bit of feedback. I'll try and return the favor, of course. :)

Where did you hear of us?  Nowhere. I just found this place when I searched for writing communities.

4th-Aug-2008 05:42 pm - Introduction
Kat

Name:  Kat/Cimeara/Caryl
Age:  Two score and ten, plus a bit more
Writing Experience:  Professional? none. Courses? none. Flailing about? a few years.
Preferred Genres:  Poetry and short stories.
Education:  Bachelor's degree in computer science with additional technical training.
Country:  U.S.A.
What do you hope to get from this community?  Inspiration, general feedback, and informed critiques, and will try tp offer the same, to the best of my ability.
Where did you hear of us?  Suggested to someone in a comment at the poetryslamming community.

4th-Aug-2008 11:46 am - A new poem...
poetry

Again, this came from a moment that I felt I had to write about... but as I was walking away from said soggy napkin, I wasn't sure what the point was supposed to be, what the point of any of my poems of these moments *are*. I wanna say that I write about the world around me and what I see and how it's beautiful... but is that *really* coming across? And what is this 'deeper meaning' anyway? If I feel it in this moment, won't that come through in the poem? I'm still not sure...

So, here tear the poem apart and tell me (or not, as you choose):

***

4th-Aug-2008 01:56 pm
Intro post 8D

Name: Beth
Age: Fourteen :]
Writing: I've been writing for a few years, although when I was little I used to write little stories as well :]
Preferred Genres: Anything, really.
Education: In September I'll be going into year ten at secondary school :S
Country: England. I hate it here.
Where Did You Hear of Us?: Quizilla forums :D
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