This is topic Did the Hatrack Forum absence impact your writing? in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.


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http://www.hatrack.com/ubb/writers/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=007052

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Posted by History (Member # 9213) on :
 
Looks like we're ba-ack!

Did not having your daily Hatrack fix make you accomplish more in your writing, or less?

How important are writing communities such as this for your own writing?

Respectfully,
Dr. Bob
 

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Posted by Teraen (Member # 8612) on :
 
Whew. It is nice to be back up. I finally finished a short story and was eager to get it reviewed, only to find my sole source of competent writers was offline! I was pulling my hair out all weekend.

No, it didn't impact my writing. It just meant I had more time to study anatomy...
 

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Posted by Owasm (Member # 8501) on :
 
New look. I missed the interaction. I frequent two other boards, but I will admit I missed Hatrack
 

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Posted by RoxyL (Member # 9096) on :
 
Hooray! We're back!

And, I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but I did write more without Hatrack to spend my time on.

But I'm so glad it's back. The encouragement and feedback here are invaluable.

Thanks Kathleen, and thanks OSC, and thanks nameless webmasters who slaved away to get this back up and running for us!
 

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Posted by pdblake (Member # 9218) on :
 
Who are you lot and where is this place?
 

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Posted by Meredith (Member # 8368) on :
 
Woo Hoo! Hi everybody. Long time no see.

I doubt the absence really affected my writing one way or another. When I need to look up and take a break, there are plenty of other ways to spend my time.

But I really missed it here. Glad to be back.
 

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Posted by pdblake (Member # 9218) on :
 
It didn't affect my writing much but my procrastinating time was simply ruined.
 

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Posted by EVOC (Member # 9381) on :
 
It did in some ways. The feedback and the interaction from other writers is inspiring. Seeing what others are doing, their advice, and their tips gets my mind set for writing.

Hopefully we don't go down like that again.
 

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Posted by LDWriter2 (Member # 9148) on :
 
Don't only back but changed. With new buttons to play around with.

As to how it influence my writing, I wrote more. But I'm going to be doing that anyway this month with NaNo and I won't have time to catch up with everything here... just add a comment or two.

Writing communities are important I find. The Fellowship and knowledge that you're not alone helps even when you fail.
Not to mention a place to learn.

And as as side issue I spent a whole lot more time on google+.
 

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Posted by philocinemas (Member # 8108) on :
 
Unfortunately, it didn't help or hinder my writing. I am currently bound with paperwork and red tape while I bounce off rubber walls - but, on a side note, it is nice to know my patient number for this asylum.

Philo
#8108
 

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Posted by MartinV (Member # 5512) on :
 
It was definitely weird not being able to chat here for some time, though I can't say it was my primary concern. Finishing up my thesis paper was and now when that's done, my brain can get back to storytelling. Still not completely in the zone but I hope soon.
 

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Posted by Reziac (Member # 9345) on :
 
Glad to see it's back. Each forum has its own ambiance and that is not easily replaced.

As to letting us lot back in, tho... that may have been a mistake.
 

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Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
 
Not really...I finished the thing I was working on and mailed it off, but I was planning on doing that anyway...maybe it freed up a little time for other things (I spent some time this past week rearranging books piled up in my living room) but writing wasn't affected.

I see the boards are a little...different...in this incarnation. I'll have to try some of it out as things develop...
 

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Posted by Crystal Stevens (Member # 8006) on :
 
Actually, the timing wasn't too bad. I've been working a few 10 hour shifts this week and have had some busy weekends.

I've squeezed in some writing along with everything else, but my new hobby has interfered too. I bought a Native American flute back in August, picked up another one at a Renn Faire in October, and just recently bought two more along with a songbook. I've been having a blast with these flutes, and the music is a fantastic stress reliever.

Of course I had to look into flute accessories (sp?) and started crocheting again after seeing how much flute bags cost. Also I can design my own, which I like. Gives me something to do when I watch TV... usually on the weekends.

As for writing? I got my final crit back for my Toka & Julie story, did the final revision, and it's in rest mode for a couple of weeks before entering it in the WotF contest .

I love the new additions to the forum. Hatrack is now very similar to my other favorite watering hole, my horse forum. Great job to whomever revamped Hatrack and a big thumbs up.
 

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Posted by Osiris (Member # 9196) on :
 
Not really, but the release a certain computer game did. Oy!
 

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Posted by History (Member # 9213) on :
 
I've been very busy with work the last couple weeks, helping my daughter (I fly to Denver tomorrow), and thus my own writing has been idle.

Instead (to keep my writer's brain active), I've been proofreading and editing my 85 y.o. mother-in-law's book on her Holocaust experience. It's written for a YA audience, I believe, which is appropriate since she speaks frequently to middle and high school students.

And, of course, it is written for her family.

I hope to have it ready for publication this spring by a local Maine publisher who has indicated interest.

Respectfully,
Dr. Bob
 

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Posted by InarticulateBabbler (Member # 4849) on :
 
I've been writing fairly steady, but mostly to keep up my chops. I find that, unless I'm writing flash fiction, writing short stories (not novelettes or novellas) is pretty difficult for me. Even with novelettes, I feel like I'm rushing the end sometimes. So, I decided to bump around in disparate genres until something struck me likely to have a resolution in just a couple thousand words. Long story short--pun intended--I did have an idea hit a couple of days ago (or rework itself) and I wrote a 1k outline of it. So, a once or twice over the outline, and maybe I'll be in the next WotF quarter again. If not, it'll be in the barrage of short stories I rework and send out.
 

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Posted by Smaug (Member # 2807) on :
 
Well, when Hatrack was down, my lunch breaks just were not the same! I was checking nearly every day, until the last couple, and not then only because I got too busy to check. Glad you're back up and running, even though I visit here for awhile and then seem to disappear. At least, that's been my pattern for the last several years. I've made a stronger commitment to writing though, so I plan on using and abusing this site on a more frequent basis. I hope you don't mind.
 

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Posted by Wordcaster (Member # 9183) on :
 
Hey, I'm three days late to the party and nobody told me!

I've been on a hiatus from fiction writing. I've been teaching a couple of night classes, which involves writing in the form of note-taking.

I plan to get back into writing hopefully this week -- I'm expecting a little break from the class preparation. It would be sad to not get any respectable novel-writing done in November of all months.

Trying some of the goodies for fun:

Hatrack Home Page

quote:

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Why is Wordcaster putting all this pointless stuff at the end of his post?

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-Everyone
 

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Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
 
I should have said that I, too, checked things out---it was no great effort to click on the bookmark and see that the boards weren't there, nearly every time I was online.
 

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Posted by KayTi (Member # 5137) on :
 
It's Nanowrimo, I'm writing! The forums being down just means I have done a smidge less procrastination BEFORE writing.

But it's going well - I'm at 14,330 words on day 6 of Nano. Hoping I can keep up the pace and finish early for once!
 

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Posted by elilyn (Member # 9426) on :
 
I missed everyone! I didn't write as much as I should/could have, mostly that is due to the fact that I have been crazy-busy, but also because I didn't have these boards to help me get in the storytelling mood. So happy we're back up and running.
 

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Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Wordcaster:
Hey, I'm three days late to the party and nobody told me!

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quote:

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Maybe my mass email went into your junk emailbox?

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