Improvements?

[Kait Nolan]

So while I'm not new to Ning as a participant or a moderator, I've never created a group quite like this one. I am wide open to suggestions for features or ways to make this site better. So put on your thinking caps and let me know!

[Erinn]

In the profile there was a question about being a pantser or a plotter... what's that?
maybe a glossary for newbies might helpful.

Thanks.

[Kait Nolan]

Ah, glossary...good idea Erinn. I'll work on that tomorrow. In the meantime

pantser: someone who tends to figure out their plot "by the seat of their pants", essentially making it up as they go

plotter: someone who tends to plot everything out in some level of detail before they get writing.

As for the groups, you're more than welcome to start one yourself! It's easy. Just click on the "groups" tab at the top and there's a link for "Create a Group" next to the "Hello [your name] box on the top right. Then just fill in the blanks it asks for!

[Emily]

When looking at the members page, it might be helpful to have an indicator of what that member writes ... or is there an option for that and I just missed it?

Emily

[Kait Nolan]

There is, of course, the portion of every member's profile where it asks what genre and what they write (novels, short stories, etc.). There's not any way to class members by genre or anything else on the members page. My best recommendation is for folks to go join (or start) the group for their genre to meet like minded folks.

[Emily]

That's what I thought ... I assumed if there were an option to do that, it would already be there.

Thanks for starting this page!

[Kait Nolan]

No problem! Ning is a great service for those of us who don't know diddly about web design :D (and I don't!).

[Trois]

Would it be possible to add a subforum for general fiction, for those of us with works that don't fit into a certain genre?

[Kait Nolan]

Sure!

[Erinn]

what about a forum for the different stages of writing and what you are looking for a crit partner.

For example:

A forum for people who are looking for someone to to help them with the story from the ground up.

A forum for people in an early draft but looking for a crit partner.

A forum for people in the final stage and almost ready for publication, they just want another set of eyes to read their work.

A forum for Query letters and the publishing process.

This way it might be easier to find the exact sort of partner you are looking for instead of scanning through all the profiles or doing this by genre.

[Kait Nolan]

Great minds :D I was just discussing that last night with someone else. I just haven't had time to set them up yet!

[Erinn]

Very cool. My suggestion would be that its should be VERY easy to find. Like maybe on the home page. Maybe instead of forums they should groups.