[ElennaElemirre]

ok this is kind of awkward.... i've been in this archive for more a year now, but I haven't posted a story in a very, very long time. Last night I started a new fic but when I came to post it on here this morning... I realized I've forgotten how !!!!!

So all you nice people here please help! I'll be forever grateful.

[ElennaElemirre]

figured out after I posted this.

[Caerali]

Don't feel silly, it took me a while as well the first time!
Hugs,
Caerali

[Siladan]

At least you tried to post. Most of the time I feel so out of my league and end up not posting at all!

Does anyone have a solution for writer's inferiority? It is not quite the same as writer's block, but just as disabling....

Siladan

[Sulriel]

Siladan, it's a difficult thing to handle, but I think most of us suffer it in some form or at some time.

The best way I've found to deal with it is through study and education and practice. There are foundation blocks used in writing fiction, just as in building a house and if you're uncertain, it might help to plod through them to check yourself.

* your grammar needs to be acceptable - none of us are perfect!

* there are techniques that can be learned and applied for characterization and plotting. - some basic. ... does your story have a beginning a middle and an end? how does your character change or grow by the end of the story? at what cost was the conflict overcome?

* a beta is good, a beta circle is better, but never forget that the story is *yours* and that while you should take their comments under consideration, no one else can ever tell *you* how to write *your* story.

and the main thing to remember is that the fact is that no matter how good your story is - someone isn't going to like it.

You have to write for yourself and if you do, some other people will like it. You can use the 'rules' (guidelines!) of writing to improve a great deal and to give yourself confidence, but in the end, *you* are the one who has to love the story.

You can't apply any kind of judgment on the story or on yourself based on the feedback from this or any other forum. It has to come from inside, that *you* know you've done a great job on it. Feedback is great - believe me - we all love it, but the truth is that it's very hard to come by, and it's not something to be used to judge the quality of the story. It's just icing on the cake.

We post here (most of us, I think) because we love what we've done and we want to share. Sometimes other people like what we've done and enjoy it with us, sometimes not. But that shouldn't diminish how the author feels about their own work.

- whew - that got longer than I intended, but I hope it helps in some way.

Becky

[NancyBrooke]

That is excellent advice, Sul, and I particularly wanted to add my voice to the 'coming from inside/writing for yourself part'.

If you are not posting because you are worried that no one will like your work, there's nothing that can be done about that. You will be validated - in all probability someone won't like your work. All the 'best' and most popular writers here at OSA have gotten negative reviews or even no reviews at one time or another. So you just have to learn to let that one-percenter not bother you, to not let it worry you, and not let it keep you from writing. The accomplishment is in the writing and completing of a story, the fulfillment of your vision; the reviews are just icing - the cake still has to taste good on its own.

If you are not posting because you are afraid your plots, grammar, awareness of Tolkien etc. are not up to par, that you can do something about! And Sulriel has the keys - educate yourself (there are lots of online writers' resources), and get a beta to help! There's a beta section to this forum where you can ask and look for a beta interested in the kind of story you are writing.

[ElennaElemirre]

You guys are just so supportive here

That's why I love you all.

[Siladan]

Thanks for the input. I do appreciate it. I understand about the story being within you. Many times I have had to type into the night, intent upon getting the words out of my head and into the computer.

I do feel a tad inhibited when I post. I am not as knowledgeable as most of you when it comes to Tolkien. I have read the books since I was 12 and I watch the movies over and over because I enjoy them. Yet, I always learn something new when I read what others write and find myself thinking, "I didn't know that." LOL

Anyway, I need the encouragement. Thank you.

Siladan

[Seriiyah]

I do not see why you need encouragement. Your stories are great and you have been posting them for at least a year. I would say you have a knack for writing, Siladan.

I glanced over a few of the stories and was quite impressed. I am just starting to write and I believed I learned a great deal. I am looking to improve so I read other writers and I hope to compare to you.

As for the other writers, I am going to read the kind hearted souls that gave advice since they were found here to help others

As for this thread, somebody should put up how to post a story because it was the reason I began to read it


Thank you for a great start!


HOW TO POST STORIES
Firstly, you must log on - if you are not a registered user then you need to do this first.

Once logged on, click on the ring of the Open Scrolls Archive on the main page. This will bring you to the category page. You'll see that each category listed has the option to add a story to it. So, click on 'Add Story' and go from there.

Alternatively, you can locate the category that would suit your story best, click on the red wax seal to bring up this category's main page. Click 'Add Story' on the upper-right corner and follow the details. This is the same page that you would reach if you followed the path described above.

You can post in text (cut & paste or directly type in the window provided), or upload an HTML or TXT file. Most of the HTML markup is stripped (to prevent problems with the site) but you are able edit the story after it is uploaded.

Your story will be available immediately after it is posted - we do not moderate stories as they are uploaded but they will be subject to moderation if they do not follow submission guidelines. You can edit your story, but others may have already read it! Should a story not fit with the aims of the archive, we reserve the right to remove it. We may also change the description, warnings or other information should the need arise. But please help us out by entering accurate information in the first place.

A few notes about posting:
Before posting, please read the submission guidelines and ensure your story fits with this archive. If you are uncertain about what sort of story you intend to post, please feel free to ask us and we should be able to help you decide if the Open Scrolls archive is suited for your work.

You can upload your story as a single post, or in multiple parts (or chapters). Please be sensible with chaptering, but do as you feel is the best way for your story.

We cannot guarantee your story will remain here forever. We may delete stories that do not belong here, that receive complaints or if we run out of diskspace (hosting these archives is not cheap!). Worst still, we may suffer backup failures - so please, keep copies of your own work just in case.