I’ll try my best to be there, i may drop in and out
2 Likes
Dropping in and out is one of the delights of this model.
2 Likes
Would you be able to post the prompts on here after the calls?
I’d be interested in giving them a go
2 Likes
Would they be Doctor Who related? And how dark can we get?
4 Likes
Yeah I’d be interested in this it sounds like a great idea!
4 Likes
Maybe. It sounds like a good idea but I don’t like talking to people so being on zoom would be incredibly nervewracking.
4 Likes
It would be a TARDISGuide related group, so we’d all have our own interests in Doctor Who, and might all have written fan fiction etc, but, in my view what the writer writes is very much up to them, and there would be no rule saying that you must produce a piece of Doctor Who writing. The prompts might well have a Doctor Who theme or at least be Who-adjacent.
AS for how dark you can go, again, that’s as far as the limits your imagination will allow! However, I think it’s important to be mindful of what you opt to read out to the rest of the group. I’d say that by rule of thumb, if you feel happy posting it here, then it would be OK. Consider content warnings for things that you might also tag that way here. Express yourself in any way that you like, but just keep in mind the safety and needs of your audience when it comes to sharing. Equally, as an audience member, it might be worth sharing any specific phobias or triggers that you might have with the group, if it’s possible that the prompt might take people into that area. Ultimately, everyone is responsible for their own safety, but we each need to consider the needs of others, as we all do so well here.
3 Likes
It is nerve wracking, especially reading out what you’ve written. However, there’s no requirement to do so, if you don’t want to. You can also opt to have your camera off. I guess neither of these things addresses the anxiety about talking to people, which I can really understand. If you’d like to write and share things in a different way, we could work out another format for that, maybe a private thread of some sort? I find the Zoom style format helpful because it forces me to write something within a short time, but it isn’t for everyone and it doesn’t preclude other ways we could support one another’s writing.
That would be up to the individual hosts, but it sounds like a good idea, and I’d be happy to do that with my prompts. We might also like to share what we’d written here, but again, only if the individual concerned wanted to.
5 Likes
Having another way to share stuff would be great. The chat function is an option but it’s probably not that great for sharing since it’s small.
3 Likes
That would be Discord. You can do voice/video chat within your own private group, and said group has its own private chat (with different channels or “breakout rooms” you can make).
For those who don’t feel comfortable reading their work aloud, they can pop it into one of the channels for the rest to read and comment on in their own time (in text format).
I think it would be easier to schedule meetings through Discord, and like sircarolyn said, you can add bots to the group so if users wish to do timed writing challenges outside of a scheduled meeting, they’d be able to. In fact, since the private group is stationary[1], conversation (voice chat, video, and text) can occur at any time like a regular chat box. Conversation wouldn’t need to be limited to just meeting times. That could be helpful if anyone needs help with their writing a week afterwards for example. Someone can just respond to them in real time instead of the person needing to wait until the next get-together.
I’ve never used Zoom except as a guest, so correct me if this is also an option Zoom has ↩︎
3 Likes
Sadly, i don’t have discord so that option is out for me. Zoom has breakout rooms too afaik
2 Likes
But do they disappear once the meeting is over or do they maintain, that’s what I’m discussing. Once the meeting is over, are we all now on our own or is there still an option for the group to communicate?
Personally I don’t want to make a Zoom account, so if we go this route and Zoom does have this option for members, I likely won’t be involved outside of the meetings.
2 Likes
I’m not sure, I’ve not used zoom since Covid
1 Like
This sounds good and I’m happy to go along with a consensus on the tech, as long as it does what it needs to and everyone can access it. If it were going to be left to me to set up the meeting I’d go with Jitsi, only because I know it and it doesn’t have the restrictions that Zoom has for free users. But, I’d be delighted to use Discord, if I could have a little hand holding to get me going with it to start. I’ve dipped my toe into it but felt a bit overwhelmed so far.
I also love the idea of people taking up with other groups in between meetings. It’s something people could really run with and could be really creative. Lots of options to move forward with.
3 Likes
Considering, the Option of Discord has been suggested a few Times. Should we maybe make a Poll about it? Alternatively, there could also be the Option of one (maybe you, Mindfog) doing the Groups for Zoom, while somebody else who volunteers could organize the Things for a Group over on Discord?
Not sure if I make sense with what I am trying to say, but I hope you get my Point!
4 Likes
Yeah, if it’s discord only then i have to drop out
3 Likes
There’s no need to commit to one specific technology, especially if that means anyone feeling excluded. I don’t plan to sort out an initial meeting for a couple of weeks, so there’s time to have a think about how we can support as many writers as possible. As it is, I’m most likely to sort something out on Jitsi, as it’s fairly easy to arrange, but that would be for a first meeting, and we could go somewhere else after that. I’m quite keen that anyone who wants to take part can.
4 Likes
Working overnights I don’t know how often I’d be able to attend, but I’m certainly interested. I need something to help me get back into writing and writing community would be nice in general. I’ll keep watching this space, but I am interested. And I think it’s really great that you all are putting this together!
5 Likes