Thanks, Alan. It's appreciated. The only thing I've ever tried to do in teaching, advising, etc, is help writers to improve against the aims they set for themselves. This of course is not always straightforward since many writers don't really know what they want! My partner and I took a workshop at EasterCon this year and her side of things - life coaching - went down really well. She got a wide range of writers to essentially visualise their aims and most were quite amazed at what they actually wanted but didn't know they did!

When I saw the response about Terry, I had to rejoin, albeit temporarily as a trial member.

Terry has been nothing but constructive to members on this site. However, several of my writing friends fared less well with his current 'antagonist'. The comment made seems to reflect this person more than Terry.

I never got time to thank everyone on here for their advice and guidance before my membership ended. I never actually intended to leave but my payment card changed  during the year and while I got a reminder that the payment hadn't gone through it was all very quick before I was booted out (I am lax about reviewing emails).

Although David has kindly put me to anon by request since then, I was surprised that there was no 'are you sure?' emails about leaving as, tbh, I wasn't sure. But it was my fault for buggering up the payment.

However, although I have missed people and it was frustrating not to be able to say goodbye, I couldn't offer much to the site and its members (I've had a writing break), so there was no point paying just to lurk - which, as you can see, I do anyhow. 

So, thank you everyone. And good luck with your writing. 

Sharley x

Hi Sharley. Many thanks for taking the trouble to comment. I enjoyed our exchanges while you were a member. Please do keep in touch.

Terry

Hi, and my first post here is straight into controversy... Opinions matter. I have no idea who Terry is, but his views have obviously struck a nerve of a few members it seems. 
Edited by Tipp Hex at 16:37:00 on 28 July 2015

Well, ok I've had a look around and posted my one permitted and hence, last story. No response either to my first forum post above yet, so it looks pretty quite on the forum front as well. Sad. I'm sorry to say the look of the site looks very, very, very dated and dull. Ten years out of date. BUT if there were say, an Editors pic of the day/week/month... or ANYTHING I could strive to attain to, or at the very least read what's deemed by my betters to be excellent, then my interest (and for others too I dare say also) would be high. I'd be motivated. Inspired. Moved to contribute ...cash? As it is I think I'll be gone in less than a month. Sad.

Hey, Tipp Hex (great name, although can't believe you like to white much out).

It's interesting to get the views of an intelligent new pair of eyes. You're right that things are quiet here, in more ways than one. Also that strong opinions don't tend to go down too well. We had outspoken people here in the past, and very entertaining some of them were but, well, you know . . .
 
This was the first online writers' site I joined (many years ago) and I took it seriously for a long time. By seriously, I mean I put the best of my experience into trying to help people with their writing but also to try and move things forward where I could. Unfortunately, like many associations, undeclared or unconscious agendas gradually won the day. It's very difficult to deal with people who claim to be here to help but in reality are much more interested in self-promotion or building a secondary career. By the latter, I mean people who have not succeeded at writing so instead go looking to build an audience by become an advice point instead (oddly enough).
 
This doesn't of course apply to the majority of members here who are generally helpful and good-hearted. The trouble is, it takes a bit of steel to stand against the few who want a site such as this to remain average, acceptable, adequate - because that allows them to rule it that much more easily.
 
And you're right about the money. This question has been raised many times and once again it won't be answered by the site owners. Which is one of the main elements killing the site.
 
Yes, it will be sad to see you go!
 
Terry
 

Thanks Terry, you're the single sign of life I've encounterd here. I think I might have enjoyed the odd banter with you. Well, it's 24 hours since posting on this thread, commented on a couple of stories and posted up some work and so far... zip. Not long I know, but long enough I think. On this evidence, I'm not sure why I should want to join, never mind stump up £20. Looks like it's back to Scribophile, despite the Americans... adios!

Hi Tipp, thanks for your comments on my stories, I appreciate it, I always value any and all feedback, so thanks :)
This site has quiet patches, but just because people don't immediately respond doesn't mean they wont at all. This is a good site for writers to talk and help each other along, we don't normally have much conflict on here. It's sad to see a couple of people
not getting on, but that's how it goes sometimes. I guess this isn't an especially "lively" forum. Helpful, friendly, supportive, yes. I guess it depends what you're looking for :)
Edited by Bazz at 15:47:00 on 29 July 2015

Thanks bazz, appreciate your reply and also your comment on my little naughty story! Yes, all sites have flat patches, but this one here seems to be a doody. For two days now, my story has been the only new one posted. I find that astonishingly worrying. So many writing sites are in decline (or gone) that the owners MUST revive the site somehow or die. Complacency is not an option. I've found blog writing sites like FlashFriday! are buzzing with activity and genuine feedback. No fee's either. These may be the future direction. I'd like to join the flash fiction group here as you sugested (and in fact I did apply upon joining) but again, zip. But this I fear is a non-starter as unless I stump up some cash, I'm only allowed one posted story anyway so my credit is already zero. Are the owners here active? It feels a little like Jottify after that sites owner walked away. But Jottify it turns out was really only set up to promote a friends efforts to be published and once that was done, the plug was pulled. A lot of folks paid subscriptions to that venture too. 

Hi Tipp, yes the owners are still around, they seem keen to try a few new things, they seem to be interested in changing things. The site's a lot quieter than it used to be, the short story group seems to have quietly died off, for example. Flash fiction usually has three or more stories a week (on a good week), but again, it's a quiet time. It's not rare for a week to go by without a story being uploaded, i guess. I've been here a few years, made a few friends, got used to everything... I guess I don't know if i would join if i came to it fresh for the first time and found it to be this quiet! It's a shame, it used to be so much more busier...

Yes, it is very quiet on here, these days. I re-joined after a break of a couple of years, and was shocked at how little activity there is now. A number of long-standing members left to switch their activities to Facebook, a while ago, and now this site seems like a graveyard.

I probably won't renew, once my current year's membership is up. It's not the same site that it was when I first joined a few years ago.

I think a good idea would be a streamlining of the remaining groups, there's only about eight left really. Get rid of all the unused ones (which must be confusing to newcomers, they join these groups and then nothing happens!), maybe get a new host for the short story group and relaunch that, and then move forward with a smaller, tighter, more focused feel to the site...

that's a good idea, Bazz - that would avoid the pitfall of newcomers joining a group and posting work, not realising that nobody has been active on it for weeks

Thanks, I definately think the site should be streamlined for a smaller group of people. I don't know if David's reading this and has any thoughts...?

(We could then get rid of the the "groups graveyard," just have around ten groups, and let them stand as they are, without risk of them going missing everytime they go a bit quiet!)
Edited by Bazz at 13:01:00 on 31 July 2015

Regarding new members joining dead groups, I have actually sent private emails to a few pointing out the error and suggesting where they should focus their energies. The old groups have come onto the active page only because Alex and myself left them. They'll disappear again soon if nothing further happens.
Your idea about stramlining the groups is a good one, Bazz. I knew you'd come up with one eventually my friend. Wish I could be stramlined too as my puppy fat has been with me far too long.