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The Blog in Bangsar.

The Bloke in Bangsar has started a blog, or that is to say, he started three blogs.

Raman of Silverfish has started using Blogger as his "content management system" and now, thanks to its amazing aggregating powers he will post news items more "frequently" because "because some news have very short shelf lives".

(Of course, one wonders why he didn't go with a better CMS, like, say, cough cough, Wordpress.)

The three blogs actually power three categories on the Silverfishbooks website: Literary News, Writers's News, and the probably the most interesting of all, the Silverfish Writer's Circle.

Quoth the Bloke:
It is not infrequently that I receive request feedback on a short story or a manuscript. It is difficult to say no, but at the same time it is diffcult to say yes, lest it starts an avalance. Take for example the stories submitted to the Silverfish New Writing series. We typically recieve about 200 stories each time. It would be humanly impossible for us to go through each one of them and give them individual comments. Most understand our dilemma, but many don't and, hence, the flaming in some blogs. Frankly, I think they should pay reviewers for their time, but I also understand that writers are generally a poor lot. And unlike some other countries, we don't have anything like a writers' support group. Even writer-groups are few.
And so, Raman, with the powers vested in he, set out to create what he calls "a community of writers and a forum for comments and feedback. A writer's support group, as it were."

I think this is a good idea. I'm sure there will be some sceptical and cynical comments about this, but I'll be cautiously optimistic about this.
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Comments

  1. bibliobibuli11/10/06 1:53 pm

    it's a good thing. the most discussion the better - provided that the comments don't squash a newbie writer.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Artemis Hunt11/10/06 7:51 pm

    Well, the reservation I have about it is that it's posted on the Net, for all to read, which might get the writer some problems in getting it published with SOME publishers later. Of course, it might also not be a problem, but you never know.

    I'd rather do it my way, the way I do it with you guys, Ted. Post the story to a circle of literary friends for their comments.

    And if the newbie writer is as thick-skinned as me in taking and acting on comments, as you have experienced yourself, he/she will do fine.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ted Mahsun12/10/06 6:01 am

    Sharon: Well, everyone seems to be supportive so far, so I guess that's good.

    Xeus: Yes, most publishers demand first publication rights which can be a problem. nvm lah, at least it's a good thing for new writers to hone their craft by posting their stuff up for critiques.

    The problem with posting stories around to literary friends is that... well, you have to have literary friends... and they have to be good critiquers. I don't think most new writers would be lucky enough to have that. But having said that, I prefer that way too :D

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ted Mahsun15/10/06 2:25 am

    Ooh! Alrighties... that might be fun to write.

    ReplyDelete

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