From: rmr@annexia.esd.sgi.com (Robert M. Reimann)
Newsgroups: alt.prose,alt.prose.d
Subject: WELCOME TO ALT.PROSE.*
Date: 11 Jan 93 18:05:41 GMT
Organization: Technical Publications, Silicon Graphics, Inc.


             alt.prose.* Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) List
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Last revised: 11/19/92


Send questions, additions, suggestions, and corrections to:

rmr@sgi.com (Robert M. Reimann)
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This FAQ list is posted on a monthly basis to acquaint new
readers with alt.prose and alt.prose.d.  Readers who are
new to USEnet as a whole should also check out the newsgroup
news.newusers and its FAQ list.

Questions covered:

1)  What is prose?
2)  What are the newsgroups alt.prose and alt.prose.d for?
3)  Is alt.prose moderated?
4)  Where do I go if I want to post a poem?
5)  Where can I find out about how to submit my work to publishers?
6)  What is the difference between misc.writing and alt.prose.*?
7)  What do I need to know about copyrighting things I post to alt.prose?
8)  What guidelines should I use when posting to alt.prose.*?
9)  How do I critique a piece of prose?

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1)  What is prose?

    Prose is written work of a non-poetic nature.

    In the context of this group, "prose" refers to
    "literary" writing, meaning fiction (of any genre), 
    essays, journal entries, etc.
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2)  What are the newsgroups alt.prose and alt.prose.d for?

    alt.prose is for the posting of original prose works
    of any nature or genre, including short stories, novel
    and script/screenplay excerpts, essays, journal entries, 
    and biographical/autobiographical short pieces.  On occasion,
    the group has also served the purpose of an online writing
    workshop, suggesting weekly writing exercises in which
    prospective writers are encouraged to participate.

    alt.prose.d is for the critique of works posted to alt.prose
    and for meta-discussions about the alt.prose.* groups.
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3)  Is alt.prose moderated?

    No.  The group is an open forum, and relies on each contributor
    to use his/her judgement in posting appropriate material.  
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4)  Where do I go if I want to post a poem?

    Please post poetry to rec.arts.poems.  It has a much larger
    readership, and the people there are very willing to comment
    on your work.
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5)  Where can I find out about how to submit my work to be published?

    misc.writing is a newsgroup devoted almost exclusively to
    questions like these.  the misc.writing FAQ and recommended
    reading lists answer such questions in great detail.  these,
    along with the misc.writing charter are available by FTP from

    ftp.apple.com  in /pub/lsefton/misc.writing

    Any questions you have about these items can be directed to 
    lsefton@apple.com.

    As a side note: posting to alt.prose or any other public
    group is considered publishing by many editors.  Since editors
    often consider buying the *first* rights to a work, you should
    exercise caution in what you post if you have any thoughts of
    eventually trying to have it published it elsewhere.  This is
    a caution only; editors of smaller, literary magazines may be 
    less inclined to worry about such things than editors of larger
    commercial journals.
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6)  What is the difference between misc.writing and alt.prose.*?

    misc.writing is devoted to discussions about the art, craft,
    and business of writing.  No original postings or critiques
    are permitted in that group.  The alt.prose.* groups are
    specifically for the posting of original work and critiques
    thereof.
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7)  What do I need to know about copyrighting things I post to
    alt.prose?

    Since the Berne Unviersal Copyright Convention of 1989, all
    written work is implicitly copyrighted, and requires no
    copyright notice.  This convention is recognized by all
    signator nations of the Berne Convention, which includes most 
    of the western world.  This convention may not be recognized 
    by some Eastern European, Asian, South Amaerican, and African 
    nations.

    Including the following notice:

    Copyright <Year> by <Name>

    will give you some additional protection in South American nations.

    Most nations *not* covered by these conventions require a copyright
    symbol.  However, the characters:

    (c)

    Have no legal value; only a real copyright symbol has valid
    legal meaning.  Thus, your copyright protection in non-Berne
    nations outside of the Americas is theoretically at risk.

    All of this aside, you can certainly announce your rights, but in
    a global electronic forum, these rights are not very enforceable.
    The likelihood of your work being stolen is small, but if you
    wish to retain (or sell) control of the distribution of your
    work at all costs, don't post it to alt.prose.
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8)  What guidelines should I use when posting to alt.prose.*?

    First, make sure the article is appropriate, as described in
    question 2).  Second, make sure you have read your piece over 
    at least once before posting it.  

    If your article is appropriate and ready, consult the guidelines
    listed below.  Experience has shown that these suggestions
    make posted material more readable.

    (a)  Make sure that your text is less than 80 columns wide.
         For best readability, it should be between 65 and 70 
         columns wide.

    (b)  Separate your paragraphs with a blank line, except in
         short dialogue, which you should indent for each 
         speaker.
    
    (c)  Break up pieces longer than 1000 lines into segments,
         and be sure to include the name of the piece and which
         part it is out of the total (i.e., 'Joebob, part 1 of 5') 
         in the subject header of each piece.

    (d)  IF YOU WANT A CRITIQUE, SAY SO UP FRONT, preferably in
         big letters before the piece starts.  If you absolutely
         do not want feedback, you should similarly indicate this.

    (e)  Use a spell-checker, if you have one, before posting.
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9)  How do I critique a piece of prose?

    These are a few guidelines you should follow when critiquing
    someone's work:

    (a)  Try and be precise in your critique.  "I liked/hated it" is not
         useful to the author.  

    (b)  Unless it is a serious problem for you, do not focus on
         spelling and grammar.  Drawing brief attention to typos
         is okay, but these problems are the easiest to fix, and
         don't in general require much work from the writer's point
         of view.

    (c)  Remember that a critique is not a *criticism*; you are
         trying to provide helpful input to the writer.  Be courteous,
         and try to emphasize the good without neglecting the problem
         areas.  Remember that the author probably spent a great
         deal of effort on his or her work.

    (d)  Don't try to rewrite someone else's work your way.  When
         critiquing a piece, you must accept the author's basic
         premises; don't try and recast the story the way you
         think it should be.  Try and help the author achieve what
         he or she wants.

    (e)  Don't be afraid to ask the author what he or she was trying 
         to do in a particular spot.  This can help you give better
         comments.

    The following suggestions and questions are things you might
    consider when critiquing someone's fictional work (or rewriting your own
    work).  Not all may always apply to a given piece, but in general,
    they are the sorts of thing you want to follow/look for.

    (a)  Try and keep track of what really interested you about
         the piece, and what images/scenes stayed in your head.
         Write these down, and then go back and try to find the
         places where you were confused or lost interest.  This
         sort of information is invaluable to the author.

    (b)  Are the characters real for you?  Are their actions
         plausible?  Do you feel that they could be real people?
         Do you know anyone like them?  

    (c)  Does the plot grab your attention and hold it?  
         Is the author showing you the characters through dialogue, 
         gesture, and action, or is he/she telling you about them?

    (d)  Can you see the characters as they interact?  Does the
         author engage your senses through use of visual, auditory,
         olfactory, or tactile descriptions?  In screenplays, can
         you visualize all of the scenes?
         
    (e)  Does the ending feel as though it follows as the inevitable
         consequences of the character's actions?  Is the plot
         natural feeling or contrived?  Is there a 'trick ending'
         that comes as too much of a surprise?  Is the ending too pat?
         
    (f)  Does the viewpoint stay consistent, or does it shift
         from one character to the next in a jarring fashion?  

    (g)  Does the author intrude on the story with 'clever' phrases that 
         detract from the characters?  Is the passive voice overused?

    (h)  Do you like the language used in the story?  Does it fit
         the tone the author was trying for?  Does the diction of
         the characters and narrator match their personalities and
         backgrounds?  Is the dialogue tight and believable?  
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That's all!  Enjoy your stay in the alt.prose.* groups!
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END
Newsgroups: alt.prose