“What Am I Doing Here and Why Should I Stay?” or FAQ’s

(We can call this an FAQ page. Point of accuracy, it’s actually a page of possible Q’s. If you have more queries, you should definitely get back to us. Find out about us first, though. Read on. Please?)

So. What is this Writers’ Bloc business?

May I direct you to our About page? If you still have questions, let us know – either in the comment section or by sending us a mail.

Um. Why does your URL say One-Inch Photo Frame?

There’s a story behind that, actually. I swear. We aren’t completely nuts.(Well, we are… But our URL isn’t.)

Well, Sindhu (that would be the shorter of the two nutcases) read this brilliant book called Bird By Bird. (You’ll be hearing A LOT about it during the course of our interactions, don’t worry.) It’s about writing and gave a lot of sympathy and tips and made Sindhu laugh a lot. One of those tips was for when you get stuck while writing: Take a photo frame that measures one square inch. Tell yourself you only need to write about as much as you can see through that photo frame; just a description, or just one dialogue. When you achieve that, feel genuinely proud of yourself. Yes. It’s a great tip. Yes, we both use it.

And THAT is the story behind our URL.

What am I expected to do if I sign up?

Well, above all, you’re expected to participate in the activities of the blog (You can pick the ones that interest you and leave out the rest, of course). You’re also expected to help out our other members and us. And not be mean when you comment on someone’s writing.  And (here comes the cliche) have fun (we warned you)!

What do I get for signing up?

The satisfaction of bringing huge smiles to our faces. Talking to other people who love writing as much as you do.  A shiny membership badge to put on your blog, if you have one. (You’re also welcome to print it out and  pin it on your lapel.) A lot of new friends. Oh, and your name and a link to your profile and blog on our Members page.

Is this a two-way deal?

Absolutely. This isn’t you “following” our blog. You’re a member. You can contribute as much as you want to, collaborate with other members to organise activities and as we’ve mentioned, we welcome guest posts. If you’d like us to publish one of your posts, just drop us a line at writersbloc.blog@gmail.com

We will make sure that anything that involves group participation has a poll preceding it. You are also welcome to submit writing prompts, and if you happen to be hosting a writing/reading challenge on your own blog, we’re more than happy to offer free publicity!

How does the virtual book club work? Do you have a Goodreads group?

That’s the plan. We’ve set up a Goodreads group (go here), and vote on the books we choose to read. We’re also going to post updates here for those of you that aren’t on Goodreads. Two books in a month should be okay to start with, yes? You can review them on Goodreads or on your own blog, but please remember to let us know so that we can link back to you. We’re super-proud of anything our members write.

We’re also going to create a mailing group and a Facebook page. But we draw the line at tweeting.

Goodreads? I don’t want Goodreads!

Why not? It’s a free website where you get to keep a record of books you’ve read, are reading and want to read. You can write reviews and find what others thought of that expensive book you’re about to buy. Even if you don’t become a member of our Bloc (and we think you should), you should still get Goodreads. You won’t regret it.

So are you guys the leaders here or what? I’m a lot older/smarter/better at writing/all of those than you and I’m not sure I’m okay with that.

Absolutely not. We’re in this because we want help too. And we just run the website. It’d be as much yours as ours and we will always listen to everything you have to say. We won’t try to run things and we won’t be control freaks. Promise. And we like people who are better than us at writing to join. We like picking brains.

So if I send you my manuscript, will you edit it?

…No. We’re not editors. We’re peers who will offer constructive criticism and friendly discussion if you feel like it. (One of us wants to be an editor, though. Does that count? )

What kind of writing are you guys looking at?

All kinds. Anything that is a product of creativity counts as writing for the purposes of our blog. If you want proper reviews from a person with knowledge of your subject matter, we can give your writing to a member who has that kind of knowledge. All of us will have diverse interests and backgrounds. Let’s make the best of that.

Okay, then. Sign me up! (Psst. May I have my badge now?)

We thought you’d never ask.

That’s all we have for now. You can take your pick, or, if you’re good at these things and want to make one yourself, go right ahead! Just remember to e-mail us with a copy so that we can put it up and beam like proud parents and tell everyone else, “You see that? One of our members made it.”