Good afternoon! Welcome to this week's edition of The Week in Review, brought to you by Elves Inc.! I hope today finds you relaxed and content, basking in post-holiday after-glow for the Christmas celebrators and simply weekend glow for the non-Christmasizers.

Don't worry, you haven't missed it! The sign-ups for January have not been posted yet. desert_rose will be posting the January Sign-Ups tomorrow night (Sunday 12/27), so watch for the announcement. The announcement for the Week 1 January topic will be up soon as well :-)

The editing post is roaming around with some mistletoe, looking for love!

Hubba hubba to awkward_ostrich for taking the December contest by storm!

Got a hankering to post some ideas for the Literary Library? Mosey on over here!

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Chatter Round-up:

This week's Chatter Posts featured the following topics and queries:

Monday: desert_rose:
What are your favorite places to hang out with your friends?

Tuesday:
firesign10:
What lesson have you had to learn the hard way about doing something potentially dangerous?

Wednesday:
desert_rose:
What are dynamics like within your family? How easily are differences set aside at family gatherings?

Thursday:
lalalaleigha:
How strong is your nostalgia when finding yourself in familiar places? If you could, would you want to wipe away the past, or are all memories important to you regardless of whether they make you uncomfortable?

Friday:
lalalaleigha:
Post a comment with a bit of fiction (or poetry!) combining any two (or more) genres you like.

I wish you a fine and enjoyable rest of the weekend! See you over at the January Sign-ups!

Merry Christmas, to those who celebrate; merry December 25th to all others. :)

Editing post! Go to it!

Send some cheer to awkward_ostrich for taking the December contest by storm.

Got a hankering to post some ideas for the Literary Library? Why, don't mind if you do!

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I got my sci-fi genes from my dad. I use them well.

For Christmas, I got him a DVD with a small collection of the allegedly best episodes of Star Trek TOS. I grew up watching this show. The tribbles will live on in my childhood memories forever. We're watching one of the very early episodes now and it's reminding me of a Doctor Who episode I watched yesterday. This thought led me to laugh for a long time and flash back to all the lovely things I watched with my parents in childhood--The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits--and then I understood why I love sci-fi so much. It's pretty much been indoctrinated into me since birth. And hell, if you're going to indoctrinate your kid, indoctrinating them with the principles of sci-fi seems to be one of the best possible options.

Lately I've been tumbling headlong into the fantasy scene, much to my own chagrin. In my teens I avoided anything labeled 'fantasy' like the plague and ignored any and all claims that Buffy the Vampire Slayer qualifies as fantasy. I don't know why. There seemed to be this stigma against fantasy that it's like a dumber version of sci-fi. I totally revoke that claim. There are a lot of similarities between fantasy and sci-fi and I've grown to appreciate them both on their own terms.

I've been toying with the idea of putting magicians in the future and giving a futuristic reason for it. It's led to a lot of really ridiculous ideas and a lot of laughing at myself in public. It seems like I'm applying the principles of the bad 60s sci-fi I grew up with to my sci-fi-fantasy hybrid.

It's Friday, so I thought I'd run a bit of a holiday weekend meme here on the Flame. Post a comment with a bit of fiction (or poetry!) combining any two (or more) genres you like. Make it as sincere or ridiculous as you like (but of course ridiculousness is highly encouraged). People may add to it or simply tell you what utter genius it is. I'll start it off in a few minutes (unless family drags me away). Here is an incomprehensive but still helpful list of genres to help you off. Already-existing hybrids such as steampunk are of course encouraged, but perhaps you could combine it with another genre to make the fic just a bit stranger.

Of course, it is the holidays, but given that there's at least a week until the next contest, I thought we could all do with a bit of a reason to keep our creative juices flowing! :)

Good evening, ladies and gents!

Major congrats to awkward_ostrich for taking December by storm and swooping forth to finish first in the polls!

You swell folks oughta check out the editing post in a pretty soon sorta way.

Got ideas for the Literary Library? Post 'em here! We've got some great suggestions so far, but we can always use more!

+

I've been socializing like crazy over the past 72 hours, and I am freaking tired. I used way too many abbreviations in the above list of reminders.

I find it odd how being in certain situations makes me revert to certain habits. I went to a party Monday night and was totally comfortable (after a drink or two), despite that the house was half-full of people I'd never met before. I went to a dinner party last night and was slightly uncomfortable, despite that the people in the room were all people I've known for a bare minimum of four years.

The difference? The Monday party was in Vancouver, where I've lived for the past two and a half years. The Wednesday party was in my hometown. I'm a lot happier in Vancouver than I was when I lived in my hometown, and as a result my level of comfort at being in these places is quite different.

I've put it down to this and this alone. There's no other explanation for why I spent half the night inside my own head last night. I had very fond affection for everyone I saw last night, except that because the environment was one where I traditionally was unhappy, I began to revert to this unhappy state.

Reason #426 why I'll probably never move back to my hometown.

I read about this phenomenon in a bit of a silly book that was published where I work. Apparently there really are atmospheric factors which influence how one reacts to a situation. Because I'd been in similar situations before in that house with those people enough times, and because I was generally less than content on most of those occasions, those memories snuck back and beat me upside the head when I wasn't looking.

Not to say I didn't have fun. It was great fun to see all those folks again, close friends and old acquaintences. It's just odd how previous circumstances can sometimes influence how one reacts to a current situation.

On the other hand, there are occasions where looking back on past circumstances can make one feel extremely comfortable in a situation. Nostalgia's a funny thing.

How strong is your nostalgia when finding yourself in familiar places? If you could, would you want to wipe away the past, or are all memories important to you regardless of whether they make you uncomfortable?

Wow, sorry about making y'all wait there! It's just been busy-holiday-stuff going on at Chez Firesign10. My heartfelt apologies for being tardy!

So, let's get to it!! We have a winner for December 2009, and that winner is

awkward_ostrich!!!!


Congratulations to the lovely Ostrich, who takes December and makes it her second victory!!!!

*throws confetti and pops a champagne bottle!

Bonjour, mes amis!

Congratulations to our December Contest Winner awkward_ostrich!! Nice work, Dani!
&
Congratulations to pelethetart for receiving the highest number of votes with her Just For Fun entries!

To our awesome editing team, the Week Three Editing Post is here! If you're playing catch up like me, please get your edits done before December 30!

The January Literary Library Ideas Post is ready for you! If you have ideas for an article, or would like to leave feedback on December's articles, please leave a comment to this post!

I'll be posting signups for the January Contest on Sunday night, so stay tuned for that, and a new month of Flame Fun!

It's officially the start of the holidays for me- I took today off work as I'll be flying out of state tonight to spend Christmas with my Mom. We haven't spent the holidays together for at least ten years, so I felt that this year I needed to change that.

Last week I asked Mom what we would be doing on Christmas Day, and she said she wasn't sure. She told me that my sister's family would be spending Christmas with the in-laws, and that even though she didn't want to go to their home, she would go so it meant I could see my sister and the rest of the family. My mother is a strict vegetarian, and doesn't drink, so feels very uncomfortable in situations where meat and alcohol are being consumed. She also lets it be known that she disapproves of people who eat meat and drink alcohol, so relationships with family members have become strained, and gatherings at Christmas time and the like have become less frequent. I'm ashamed to admit that I'm feeling a bit nervous about how this will all go, as she has made a bit of a scene at family gatherings before when food is served that contains something she can't eat.

For this reason, I don't think I'm going to have the chance to see my Aunt, Uncle and cousins, as their values differ greatly from my Mother's, which has resulted in a lot of tension and less frequent contact.

Unfortunately, even between my Mom and I, there are tensions, as our values are very different, and she is very critical of the way I live my life. Each time I visit, she makes a lot of negative comments about my hair, my choice of clothes, my diet, and the fact that I don't want to meditate. So, with my visit with her only hours away, I'm feeling more tensed up about spending three days with her than I should be. It's the holidays, and we hardly ever get to spend any time together, so I want more than anything for our visit to be an enjoyable one! She forewarned me that there are things she wants to talk to me about, which I'm trying to stay positive about, as I don't want any tensions to arise between us.

To end this on a happier note, I want to wish you all a safe and happy holiday, and safe travels for anyone travelling over the next few days!

What are dynamics like within your family? How easily are differences set aside at family gatherings?

"Porridge today, Gromit! TEWWSSSday!"*

Good morning, Flameisters! How does this day find you? Here in New England, it is pretty damn cold. Break out the woolies!!

Let's check out what is happening in the Flame today:

* The Week 3 Poll is up and running! Get your votes in before noon tomorrow!

* There is no Week 4 poll this month - Week 3 is for the whole cheese log! Stay tuned for the sign-up post for January 2010!

* pipisafoat has done a masterful job with the Editing Post!

*Please note: if you have been on an editing hiatus due to school/finals, and you find you have some time this week now, please check with Pip! We have several outstanding edits to clear up by the end of the year, and you have the time to take even one, please let pipisafoat know by PM or sign up on the editing post to be included in next week's Reassignment Post. Don't forget to include how many you can take and anything you particularly do or don't want! Thanks for your help, from Pip and all the BF Mods!

*The January Literary Library Ideas Post is up! If you have ideas for an article, or feedback on the four December submissions, please leave a comment to this post!

* This week, rephen is our featured writer in the Writer's Showcase!

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This past week I was struggling, as I so often do, to catch up on various tasks around the house. One of my least favorite is ironing. I tend to put it off, which then leaves me with quite a substantial pile. My preferred method is to either find something on tv (marathons of a favorite show are good here) or put in a DVD and watch as I iron, (being that ironing is about the most boring thing to do on the planet). Children's programming is not ruled out here, if it is something I like such as iCarly.

My 6 3/4 year old son Mr Bear was home at the time, so children's programming it was. Fine fine, he's playing and watching tv, I am ironing and watching tv. Every few shirts I stop to either get more shirts, get other laundry to fold, etc. Mr Bear has been around the iron for a few years now, and knows to give the iron, the ironing board, & the freshly pressed shirts a wide berth.

So I go in the other room to do something, and all of a sudden I hear a wail and zoom! here comes Mr Bear! His cheeks are all covered in tears, and more are rolling out from between his squinched up eyelids. "mooooommmmmmmmyyyyy!" I'm quickly scanning him, try to ascertain the problem. "What?? What is it??" I ask, running my hands over his head and limbs to make sure he is intact. "It hurrrrrrrrrts!" he cries and I realize that one hand is clutching the other, with the index finger sticking straight out. "What, sweetie? What hurts?"

"My finguuuuuuuuuur!" he snuffles. "My finger hurts."

"What happened to your finger? Did you pinch it? Do you have a splinter?"

"No................I touched the iron!"

*facepalm"

I took him to the sink, ran cool water over it for a bit, and then wrapped a cold cloth around it. It was a slight burn - no blistering, nothing more than pink and some pain for a bit. After the cold cloth I gave him a band-aid, mostly as band-aids have miraculous haeling powers to little kids.

Of course I felt bad for him. My sympathy, however, was tempered with the thought that well, he wasn't going to fool around again with that iron. He'd been told many, many about leaving the iron alone. I'd explained to him about the heat and the boo-boos and so on, and he had heeded that...until now. Somehow he HAD to just find out for himself how hot it really was, and one inquisitive finger tip had tested it. He'd now had a quick lesson on minding what he'd been told about something that could hurt him, and I'll bet it will be a cold day in a hot spot before he ever does that again.

What lesson have you had to learn the hard way about doing something potentially dangerous?


*From Wallace & Gromit

Hey, how's it going with the Holiday Flames stuff, everyone? Should I post the "Thank You" thread soon? I sent my two gifts out last week but haven't heard back if they got them.

I haven't received either of my own gifts yet, but my fiancee Jessi (stargazerkisses- I proposed to her over the weekend!) has received and sent hers already. Did you get yours? Are yours sent?

i_hope_that
For many of us, the holidays can be kind of rough. If you're searching for a network of understanding friends, this ultra-nurturing community encourages you to express your heartfelt wishes and offer other members encouragement and acceptance. Not for the terminally snarky or emotionally-challenged, this is a good-spirited place to lend comfort and support.

diygifts
Feeling crafty? If you've got a few last folks on your holiday gift list, this is a great place to seed your creativity and generosity. You'll also discover wonderful DIY tips to decorate your home and entertain guests. Offering a no-frills-no-skills attitude that welcomes the cash-challenged and arts-phobic, you're sure to get ideas and make friends in the process.

cooking_club
A fun and friendly community dedicated to those who love to cook, whether you're a meat-and-potatoes type, an aspiring gourmand, and/or a vegan. In search of a brilliant dish to use up those weekly leftovers? Post your ingredients and you'll be whipping up a feast by dinner. You can also share favorite recipes. For Type A chefs, you can spice up your culinary repertoire with exciting cooking challenges.

G'day, y'all!

The Final Poll for December is up! As this is the last poll for the contest, voting will run until 12pm EST Wednesday December 30! So, lotsa time to read and help decide who will be December's winner!

The January Literary Library Ideas Post"> is up! If you have ideas for an article, or feedback on the four December submissions, please leave a comment to this post!

Editors, pipisafoat has worked her magic on the Week Three Editing Post! Please try and get your edits done by December 30! Thanks a ton, everyone!

If you're yet to meet the wonderfully entertaining and creative genius that is rephen, please stop by this week's Writer's Showcase!

In the lead up to the holidays, friends and I have been going out for dinner a little more before we all head our separate ways over the holiday season.

When we discuss catching up, there's never any question about where we are going to go- we have our favorite places to eat, so all we need to work out is a time to meet.

Last Tuesday I had dinner with two of my friends, and we went back to a diner we got to very regularly, as we all love American food. For those who don't know, I live in Australia, so blue cheese dressing, root beer and grape soda aren't available in the grocery stores, unfortunately. We go to this diner because we know we'll always be able to get a good dose of American food, including candy corn and peanut butter chocolate! The owner is also good fun, so it's great to catch up with her whenever we visit!

My friend Rocky and I, who I had dinner with last night, also have a favorite restaurant that we always go back to. It's lovely to sit outdoors on a summer night enjoying food that tastes as good as any home cooked meal, good conversation and music from street performers. The wait staff are good fun, and we have our favorite who always comes over to chat to us and to share a few laughs. Even in winter, it's most enjoyable to sit next to the coal heaters with a chai latte after the sun has gone down, catching up on each other's lives.

If we're wanting a quiet night in, a group of us get together at one of our friends homes, and order in pizza from our favorite takeout pizza restaurant. Saturday night was especially fun as we played the Simpsons game, which involved having to either answer questions about Simpson's episodes- I sucked at that, :-) or sing songs or recite nursery rhymes. (no comment on how I did there) There's also usually a fair bit of candy or dessert consumed, and this time was no exception. The friend we visited had made this fudge-like candy called tablet, which was very very sweet, but also fun to play with! :-)

I return home feeling happy, and I find I'm so much more relaxed and ready to either sleep or get on with what needs doing at home after nights out like this!

What are your favorite places to hang out with your friends?

Hullo, folks! Welcome to another edition of the Literary Library Ideas post.

( Quick overview )

We had four submissions this month:

a) Proper Usage of English
mister_troper submitted an article on pronoun agreement -- singular 'they' versus agnostic 'he'."
mister_troper also submitted an article on the usage of 'who' versus 'whom'."

c) Stylistic Choices
riesiel submitted an article on the use of end-line punctuation in poetry and how it changes meaning.
lieffeil submitted an article outlining a few tips for beginning sci-fi writers.

Are the articles easy to follow? Comprehensive? Do you have suggestions on how to make the articles better? Let our authors know! Articles will also be formally edited and revised by authors.

Thanks so much to our valiant submitter!

And finally, it's time for another Ideas Post! If you have an idea for a Literary Library Article, post it here in a comment! Please post your ideas here by Sunday, January 3 for consideration in January's articles.

A complete list of already-suggested article topics can be found ( under the cut: )

Thanks, folks! Hope to see some great new ideas! :)

Welcome to the new Writer's Showcase for this week! Today katden brings us the scoop on rephen, a relative newbie who quickly became a fan favorite. katden is on the road traveling today, so I'm bringing this to you from her! Rephen, take it away!



Rephen here, and I joined brigits_flame in September, 2009. I have been learning so much from Brigit's Flame since. This community is amazing! (And a ton of fun, too!)

I have not been writing a long time. To be honest, the sketching comes out of me much easier than the writing. Words are very constricting, sometimes. Very defined. But, I am finding that writing can be so much more fulfilling.

However, I've been reading for as long as I can remember. My favourite genre is Sci-Fi, though I can enjoy almost anything. I can probably go on and on about the books I like. But my favourites include The Hitchhiker's Guide series, Neverwhere, Terry Pratchett's Ankh-Morpork series, 1984, The Handmaid's Tale, Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, Lord of the Flies, American Gods, and err, many, many more. Currently I am reading Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game. I think it will make another favourite.

My other vice in life is Games. I could sink into a game and disappear from life for a while. I like RPG and Action the best. Currently I am playing Halo: ODST. It's an awesome fun experience. Other games I've recently completed: Tales of Vesperia, Infinite Undiscovery, Lost Odyssey, GTA4, Assassin's Creed, Prince of Persia, The Last Remnant, Eternal Sonata, Ninja Gaiden 2, DMC 4, Mass Effect, Fable 2, ... to name a few. (Yes, I am an addict. HORRIBLE.)

My favourite game this year is The Last Remnant. It was awesome. I look forward to Mass Effect 2, though! Alright, enough of gaming jarbles that no one would be able to decipher :D.


The Chosen Piece:
Alice in Somberland. It's Alice, in a strange place inside the rabbit hole, deep within herself. Hope you enjoy!

The Link:

http://rephen.livejournal.com/12092.html

Thank you, rephen, for the chance to get to know you better! And thank you, katden, for another great Writer's Showcase. Travel safely!

A special thank you this week to firesign10 for her help and awkward_ostrich for letting me bribe her. And offering moral support. :D An even more special thank you to the people who finished their edits on time, especially those who did right before I started assigning! It was like magic, guys.

Here's the deal: You have a week and a half to get these done (Wednesday, December 30, 2009), but the sooner you do them, the better for me. Next Sunday (December 27), I'll be posting a catch-up post - all the edits from weeks one and two that have not yet been completed. We didn't have enough editors to get all outstanding edits reassigned this week, so none were. If you finish your edits in time, I'll use you on the outstanding edits unless you tell me otherwise. If anyone is a new editor and can take a couple edits - I know you're on vacation! Use it as an excuse! - let me know, and I'll PM you one or two if you want them now. THANK YOU!

( The Editing Post )

Good afternoon! It's time for the Week 3 Voting Poll! Because of the holidays, we have shortened the contest this month, so this is the final poll for December. The winner of this poll will be our December 2009 victor!

29 writers were eligible to compete this week. Out of that number, we have entries from twenty-five.

( word counts/ratings info )
Click here to edit your vote!

Poll #1501341 Week 4 Poll
This poll is closed.
Open to: Friends, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 39

Whose entry scratches our itch for a December winner?

 

Just for Fun entrants:

Voting for this poll will close at 12 noon on Wednesday, 12/30.

Good afternoon! Welcome to this week's issue of the Week in Review!

This week's news includes:

* The Week 3 topic posting poll is open! Post your entry links about the topic "Scratch" here by 12 noon EST Sunday, December 20, 2009 (approximately 23 hours from now!).

* Week 3 writers! You can still sign up to receive editing on your Week 3 post! The sin-ups are here and are open until 6 pm EST this evening, Saturday 12/19.

* The Editing Post is up over here for your reference. Please check off your edits as you get through them, and be aware there are a number of edits left from last week still!

* Our featured writer this week in the Writer's Showcase is tangledwood! Go over and read her bio and featured piece!

* Week 2's winner was the lovely jewelsverne!

* There's a new spin-off group in the air! It's called "Fanning_The_Flames" and you can read all about it over here!

* awkward_ostrich has an opportunity for you! Her college's literary magazine is now open to submissions from Flamers - get all the details about it in this post!

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Chatter Round-up:

This week's Chatter Posts featured the following topics and queries:

Monday: firesign10:
Poll regarding holiday treats and traditions!

Tuesday:
lalalaleigha:
What are some of the dumbest slogans you've ever heard?

Wednesday:
one_time_pad:
What artistic works have you seen reinterpreted successfully? Does anything ever trump the original? Is there something which you could not bear to see reimagined?

Thursday:
niliwen:
What causes are you particularly passionate about? How do you work with them?

Friday:
desert_rose:
How does your personality impact your personal and professional life?

That concludes this week's edition of the Week in Review. Stay tuned tomorrow for a new Writer's Showcase from katden, and of course the Week 3 (the final week for December) Voting Poll! Stay warm, y'all!

First of all, I'd like to ask anyone who has made any community artwork, for Brigit's Flame, NaNoInFlames, or FanningTheFlames, to email it to me! Please be sure to include your username in the body of the email so I can credit it to the right person. I know there were several NaNoInFlames icons that never got on the website.

In addition, I've done a fair amount of work all at once lately, so if you notice any typos, broken links, or other problems anywhere on the website, please let me know!

( A summary of the updates, including new art, FAQ changes, and slight reorganizations )

Has anything happened that should be on this list? Is there something that needs done that isn't on that list? Any feedback at all on the website? Heck, anything in general we can do to make your community experience the best it possibly can be? Please let me know in a comment on this post!

G'evening, possums!


Contestants and Just for Fun writers, the Final Topic for December awaits you!

Editors, please try and get your Week Two Edits done by Sunday! Thanks a ton, guys!

If you have an article you would like to submit for December's Literary Library, please post it here!

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awkward_ostrich has an exciting opportunity for any writer who would like to get their writing published!

This week's Writers Showcase featured tangledwood!

A new sister community run by pelethetart is in the making! To find out more, go here!

Last Friday our team at work had our Christmas party and end of year wrap-up. When I heard about what was planned, I seriously considered telling my boss I would stay behind at work, as I don't feel comfortable in social situations where I have to try and make conversation with other people, and where participation in work-related discussions is expected. I decided not going would be a bad professional move, and felt that socializing with my coworkers, as difficult as it is for me, would improve the rapport between us.

One of the activities we did on the day was the Myers Briggs Type Indicator personality test. When I was answering the questions, I knew what my personality type would be. My responses centered on keeping to myself, caring about other people's feelings, and being spontaneous both in personal and professional situations. So, when the results came in, and I found out that I was an INFP type personality, I wasn't surprised.

At work I get quite anxious when I'm required to speak in front of a group of people, even when it's just our team. I have to force myself to participate, as it's going to help me professionally, even though I feel that what I have to say is not that important. Most of the time I worry that what I'm going to say will upset someone or sound stupid, so I either don't say it, or if I'm sending an e-mail, I take forever to think of the right words that I know won't offend or sound silly.

At our work function, we were put in groups, introverts together, and extroverts in the other group. Knowing this seemed to make a lot of difference. As none of us were comfortable talking over another person, everyone felt more confident sharing their thoughts. I talked a little more than I usually would, as I was allowed to speak without being interrupted.

When the formal part of the day ended, and we had lunch and played party games, I began to feel uncomfortable again. There are two reasons for this. One, because I can't see, I'm not comfortable wondering around at parties, so don't end up with anyone to talk to most of the time. If I know everyone really well, and know the venue, I find it a little easier to socialize, but I don't know my coworkers that well, and wasn't familiar with the surroundings. I'm also too shy to start up a conversation with people I don't know well, so feel awkward if I do approach them in social settings. So, unless someone came to talk to me, I spent most of the time on my own, and couldn't wait until I could leave.

I'm much more comfortable in groups of two to three, though sometimes when there are only three friends together, I feel as though I'm an unnecessary third, so wish I could run away and hide somewhere.

I'm trying to work on being less introverted, as it makes social gatherings that should be enjoyable not a pleasant experience for me, and I think this upsets my friends sometimes, too.

How does your personality impact your personal and professional life?

*Yawns and looks around sheepishly*

It's Friday, so I apologize most humbly to you all, but most especially to Pip, for posting the editing signups so late!

If you would like your Week Three contest or just for fun entry edited this week, please rush on over to the below poll by 6pm EST, Saturday December 19!

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Poll #1500511 Critiques and Edits Signup for Week 3, December, 2009
This poll is closed.
Open to: Friends, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 25

Would you like content criticism on your entry this week?

Would you like feedback on your grammar, punctuation and technical writing feedback this week?