WRITERS CO-OP: A WRITER COMMUNITY FOR YOU.

GD Deckard

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65 comments on TheMotleyScriveners.com

TheMotleyScriveners.com

First off, this is all Carl E. Reed’s influence. He it is who started calling us motley scriveners. I just happened to notice that the phrase was available as a domain name.

And now we own a catchy domain name & it can be useful. We could rename our current Critique Exchange page “The Motley Scriveners” and point the domain name to it.

Mimi Speike has volunteered to create The Motley Scriveners page. On that page could be links to a separate webpage for each of us. We could each use our page in different ways: Start a conversation, feature our writing, solicit critique partners &/or ACR readers, announce a book release, request reviews -we could use that page any way the writing life moves us at the time.

These pages could also help the Writers Co-op because Motley Scriveners may naturally link to their Co-op page from their own website or blog or social media platform. The extra links might elevate us in search engine algorithms and may even bring in new members. I mean, who wouldn’t want to identify as a Motley Scrivener? We may have to sell T-shirts.

The above is only one suggestion. Let’s use the comments section to discuss this and other ideas.
(And feel free to inveigh venomously against Carl’s cartoonish lambasting of worthy wordsmiths.)
😝

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GD Deckard

Severely beaten as a child by a WWII hero and combat-induced-PTSD stepfather, the author, as a teen, faced the old man down with a shotgun and earned his blessing to join the military at the time Americans were learning about a country called Vietnam. The “lazy, no good son-of-a-bitch” opted out of combat and hard labor by becoming an Air Force medic, stamping out suffering and misery on Freedom’s Frontier at Clark Airbase in S.E. Asia and earning some kind of medal pinned on him personally by then Secretary of the Air Force, Harold Brown, for “Saving lives, etc.” There followed a summer in Europe ending in the first of happy marriages. Then graduation with University Honors, kids worth dying for and a career in business. Life is good. Author, The Phoenix Diary, Penguin, 2015. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-phoenix-diary-g-d-deckard/1122175645 Founding Member, Writers Co-op. https://WritersCo-op.com Co-Editor, The Rabbit Hole anthologies. https://www.amazon.com/Rabbit-Hole-Weird-Stories/dp/1691225355/ref=sr_1_1 Founder, SciFi Lampoon Magazine. http://scifilampoon.com/ Contributing Editor, A Celebration of Storytelling https://www.amazon.com/Celebration-Storytelling-GD-Deckard/dp/1951716167 Current WIP: Code Blue and Little Deaths, stories from Clark during the Vietnam War. Recipient of the Psi Young award for Creative Biography.

65 responses to “TheMotleyScriveners.com”

  1. Sandy Randall Avatar
    Sandy Randall

    I like the idea of using it for readers to critique … you could always post a piece with explanations and questions of what you’re trying to do with the understanding you are open to critique.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
    1. GD Deckard Avatar
      GD Deckard

      That would be an excellent use of your page on this site.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
    2. Sandy Randall Avatar
      Sandy Randall

      Thanks GD I can call it “Mama’s little shop of Mayhem”

      Liked by 5 people

      Reply
      1. GD Deckard Avatar
        GD Deckard

        Oh you just introduced a new element: Catchy titles for the links on The Motley Scriveners page.
        People would happily click on a link named “Mama’s little shop of Mayhem’”
        Then, we’d all have to have a catchy link. 😝

        Liked by 4 people

        Reply
        1. Sandy Randall Avatar
          Sandy Randall

          Can I blame it on Carl? He influenced my desire to have a catchy name…😁😇😎

          Liked by 4 people

          Reply
          1. GD Deckard Avatar
            GD Deckard

            Yes. It is Carl’s fault. He’s a serial influencer.

            Liked by 2 people

            Reply
            1. Sandy Randall Avatar
              Sandy Randall

              Ha! You just named his page … “Serial Influencer” (not cereal dammit!)

              Liked by 2 people

              Reply
  2. Carl E. Reed Avatar
    Carl E. Reed

    Geez, GD: You really took a tossed-off phrase and ran with it, heh! I’ll sit back and see what comes of it. Better minds than I . . .

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply
    1. GD Deckard Avatar
      GD Deckard

      That phrase resonates, Carl. I know you’re a happy poet, but you could have gone into advertising.

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply
    2. Sue Ranscht Avatar
      Sue Ranscht

      “Better Minds Than I” has possibilities for a Carl E. Reed page…

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply
  3. sootfoot5 Avatar
    sootfoot5

    Just don’t make me sell t-shirts door to door. I sold Christmas cards and seeds that way as a kid, and I’m too motley for that now. 😉

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply
    1. GD Deckard Avatar
      GD Deckard

      Leslie Muzingo! You dropped in through the rabbit hole, didn’t you? Welcome!

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply
      1. sootfoot5 Avatar
        sootfoot5

        Didn’t we all? Aren’t we all mad as March Hares here? If not, I’m in the wrong place!

        Liked by 3 people

        Reply
        1. GD Deckard Avatar
          GD Deckard

          Oh 😏you fit right in. Write us a blog, sometime?

          Liked by 3 people

          Reply
          1. sootfoot5 Avatar
            sootfoot5

            Write a whole blog? For you? (and you haven’t even bought me dinner!)

            Liked by 2 people

            Reply
            1. GD Deckard Avatar
              GD Deckard

              😏Yes.
              You can email it to me at
              GD(at)Deckard(dot)one
              We have posted a new blog every Monday since April of 2016. It’s about time you earned your dinner.

              Liked by 2 people

              Reply
              1. sootfoot5 Avatar
                sootfoot5

                Oh, you mean a blog PAGE, not start a blog for you – whew! You had me worried. Sure, I can do that, but give me a few weeks, okay? I’m going through something, besides editing my novel and the holidays, that is distracting me.

                Liked by 3 people

                Reply
                1. GD Deckard Avatar
                  GD Deckard

                  No problem. Your blog will be welcome whenever.

                  Liked by 1 person

  4. Perry Palin Avatar
    Perry Palin

    I’ll take two of the t-shirts in XL.

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply
    1. GD Deckard Avatar
      GD Deckard

      They’re on backorder at the moment.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply
  5. mimispeike Avatar
    mimispeike

    It’s good to have a second site with a different approach. I would treat this as a blog space.

    I see myself reporting some of the chuckle-inducing incidents of the Elizabethan era and talking about how they fit into my novel. Sir Phillip Sydney’s ‘Astrophel and Stella’ was written in 1582, it is said, to a girl he was deeply in love with, the daughter of William Cecil. Cecil considered the Sydneys insufficiently wealthy to hand his daughter over to them.

    Phillip chose a second girl. That marriage did not go through because the father died unexpectedly. The third time was the charm. Phillip captured the daughter of Sir Francis Walsingham.

    Penelope Cecil having been safely married off, Phillip took her for his mistress. It had to have been done quickly. He and Frances wed in 1583. He was dead in the Netherlands in 1588. I don’t think that could have been a happy marriage. I’m banking on that for the few lines it occupies in my story. A lot of research just to make one small comical point!

    I see myself also commenting on the classics. ‘Master Flea’ is a disappointment overall, but there is enough to make me glad I bought it. It’s not at all like lively, hilariously opinionated ‘Tomcatt Murr’. The style is cut-and-dried period/fairy-tale prose, but there are phrases and ideas here to keep me reading.

    This is a POD edition. The publisher feels it merits publishing as a historically-significant work, but (my conclusion) there would not be enough of a demand for it that a full print run would be advisable.

    That’s the rabbit we must pull out of a hat, isn’t it? Keep visitors coming back for more.

    I took my logo and tailored it for Carl:

    https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1799241270469074&set=p.1799241270469074&notif_id=1670176803986137&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic&ref=notif

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply
    1. Carl E. Reed Avatar
      Carl E. Reed

      That logo is a thing of beauty, Mimi!

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply
    2. Sue Ranscht Avatar
      Sue Ranscht

      Based on Carl’s response to your logo, I can hardly wait to see it, but it seems the link no longer works. Pity.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply
    3. Sandy Randall Avatar
      Sandy Randall

      We can all go hang in Mimi’s Pub and listen to Sly play the fiddle and watch Dolly Dance!

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply
      1. GD Deckard Avatar
        GD Deckard

        “Mimi’s Pub” -great name for her page.

        Liked by 3 people

        Reply
        1. Sandy Randall Avatar
          Sandy Randall

          I like naming things … Maybe thats why I have three dogs and way more characters in my stories than I really need! lol

          Liked by 2 people

          Reply
  6. GD Deckard Avatar
    GD Deckard

    I might use a page to post Roy stories. Sue’s Show Case has been invaluable for suggesting story themes and for garnering useful feedback. But I’d like to write enough stories to make a book.
    Not sure what to title it.
    Maybe?
    Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Roy

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply
    1. Sue Ranscht Avatar
      Sue Ranscht

      That suggests horror stories rather than sardonic humor, don’t you think? And I’m unclear about the Dr. Jekyll side of Roy. I think of him as enterprising, inventive, and slightly slimy, but not horrific.

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply
      1. GD Deckard Avatar
        GD Deckard

        I agree, Sue. The original story is about a Dr. Henry Jekyll and a murderous criminal named Edward Hyde. Roy ain’t murderous but I’m toying with a cast of characters for the stories. Maybe Dr. April Jekyll has a PhD in some worthless social study and is employed as Roy’s secretary. People always talk to Dr. Jekyll first and April always agrees with whatever they want but they end up with service provided by Roy.
        Dunno. Working on it.

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply
  7. Sue Ranscht Avatar
    Sue Ranscht

    Would you be okay with using “The Motley Scriveners’ Critique Exchange”? Will anyone directly visiting Writers Co-op have reason to click on “The Motley Scriveners” when they’re looking for Critique Exchange information?

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
    1. GD Deckard Avatar
      GD Deckard

      Sorry. Didn’t know anyone was using the Critique Exchange. No problem.
      We have room at the top of our home page to add a button, “The Motley Scriveners.” That leaves everyone free to use their own personal page for whatever they want.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply
      1. Sue Ranscht Avatar
        Sue Ranscht

        Good plan!

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply
      2. mimispeike Avatar
        mimispeike

        I like that. It could be a trial run. We could explore what we would do on TheMotleyScriveners.com. The idea is exciting, but also scary. Why scary? Because, if used as a blog space, content changing frequently, which is what I’d try to do, it would be a lot of new, extra work.

        This is why I never got around to creating a blog. I registered one, and did nothing with it.

        Liked by 3 people

        Reply
        1. Sandy Randall Avatar
          Sandy Randall

          I know what you mean Mimi. I tried blogging but it seemed to take time away from what I really wanted to write….. Which is why my blog is now dedicated to my Grass Dragons Exist story for my readership of two. My Mom and my brother. lol. On Motley Scriveners, I would like to post stuff for people to read and critique. I have several things I’m working on that fresh eyes would be helpful. I like the idea of the critique exchange, but I think I prefer how we do the Showcase, where it’s sort of open season on whatever you present. I love all the discussions around those pieces and the ideas those discussions generate. I think the motley scrivener pages would allow folks into our “workshops” and see what we’re crafting and offer opinions. The nice thing is we get some feedback, but we don’t have to use it if it’s off base.
          I’m kinda rambling here. But that’s what I had hoped to do with my own blog, but I think being linked to a group provides a larger audience base. My best analogy is The group is like a shopping mall rather than a stand alone store front.

          Liked by 5 people

          Reply
          1. GD Deckard Avatar
            GD Deckard

            I like your concept of a “workshop” page. That sounds useful.

            Liked by 4 people

            Reply
          2. Sue Ranscht Avatar
            Sue Ranscht

            The main difference between the Critique Exchange and what we do with each others’ writing prompt stories is depth. The Critique Exchanges have been, in many cases, professional reader/editor deep. Both treatments have their appeal, but I think you might someday appreciate having a full critique of a short story, chapter, or novel done — especially at the deep discount Roy has convinced us to make.

            Liked by 2 people

            Reply
            1. Sandy Randall Avatar
              Sandy Randall

              You’re right Sue… I look forward to that day. Right now all my work is in guidance stage.

              Liked by 1 person

              Reply
  8. mimispeike Avatar
    mimispeike

    Here’s the original logo.

    https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1799901777069690&set=p.1799901777069690

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
    1. Sandy Randall Avatar
      Sandy Randall

      I saw it Mimi! It’s terrific!

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply
    2. Sue Ranscht Avatar
      Sue Ranscht

      I just keep getting “This content isn’t availably right now.”

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
      1. Sandy Randall Avatar
        Sandy Randall

        Hey Sue, I sent a screen shot to your email.

        Liked by 3 people

        Reply
        1. Sue Ranscht Avatar
          Sue Ranscht

          Many thanks, Sandy!

          Liked by 3 people

          Reply
    3. Sue Ranscht Avatar
      Sue Ranscht

      I saw Sandy’s screenshot of your logo, Mimi. I, too, love it!

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply
  9. sootfoot5 Avatar
    sootfoot5

    when I click the link it says the content isn’t available right now. But hey, I’m just glad someone is awake! I was beginning to think it wasn’t true about writers writing into the wee hours of the night. Or maybe they are too busy writing to look at this blog? Naw. Anyway, be glad to check out the link when it is available!

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply
    1. GD Deckard Avatar
      GD Deckard

      SOOTFOOT5
      If the link you refer to is
      TheMotleyScriveners.com
      that link currently goes to our planning department. They always say that.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
    2. John Correll Avatar
      John Correll

      I have the same problem, probably because I don’t have any facebook friends…

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply
      1. Sandy Randall Avatar
        Sandy Randall

        I’m jealous … I’ve been toying with the ditching [of] FB and not having any friends on their (seriously? there!) either lol. So far at the moment the plusses still outweigh the minuses, but the gap closes [a bit more] every year …
        geez … let me fix this … read before you post Sandra!

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply
    3. Carl E. Reed Avatar
      Carl E. Reed

      It’s a beautiful piece of caligraphy, Mimi! Truly gorgeous. But after some reflection I’ve hidden your post on my FB page. Why? I’ve no idea what the Co-Op plans to do with the new site, as all I did (apologies?) was toss off that phrase in a throw-away post. I don’t wish to be seen directing (or misdirecting) people to a site that is nothing more right now than some nebulous notion of . . . something writing-related. Okay? Don’t unfriend me, heh! I’ll weep . . .

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply
      1. mimispeike Avatar
        mimispeike

        Quite all right, Carl. I put it there because I couldn’t put it here. I think I’ve seen images displayed in the comments, but I can’t figure out how to do it.

        Liked by 4 people

        Reply
  10. mimispeike Avatar
    mimispeike

    In whatever format The Motley Scriveners finally appears, I will be ready. I’m writing my first entry now.

    On my ‘Sly’ site, the table of contents allows unlimited (at least, I haven’t reached the limit yet) pages, and also sub-pages. I don’t know how that works here.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  11. GD Deckard Avatar
    GD Deckard

    The Motley Scriveners Page(s)
    Here’s what I’m thinking.
    1. Set up a “home” page for The Motley Scriveners’ links to individual pages.
    2. Mimi designs that page.
    3. Add the individual links & individual pages.
    4. Stand back & let the scriveners motle their pages.

    What say ye?

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply
    1. Sandy Randall Avatar
      Sandy Randall

      I say Aye.

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply
    2. Sue Ranscht Avatar
      Sue Ranscht

      I heartily agree with your proposal, GD.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  12. mimispeike Avatar
    mimispeike

    I feel a separate look is essential. We don’t want people thinking, ‘Just more of the same.’

    It may be the case, to begin with. But that may be a jumping-off point, leading to … who knows where?

    My headlines on Medium can be found on the web. A findable headline, I have to figure out how that works.

    My first headline will be: May I remind you, this is a story about a talking cat. I will discuss my ‘Wayback Machine’ and all the twisted fun I have with it.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
    1. Sue Ranscht Avatar
      Sue Ranscht

      To be clear, you’re suggesting the Home page of TheMotleyScriveners be different from Writers Co-op, right? Each of our individual pages (Child page to the Parent home page) will have the same look as the TMS Home page, but be filled by our own content.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. mimispeike Avatar
        mimispeike

        Exactly.

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply
  13. victoracquista Avatar
    victoracquista

    I had the good fortune of having lunch together with GD a week ago and this idea was still gestating. Now it it nearly birthed. I feel at home amidst the motley bunch. Vicissitudes of Whimsey and a Mandelbrot of Mayhem vie in a contest of naming.

    Liked by 6 people

    Reply
    1. GD Deckard Avatar
      GD Deckard

      Thanks, Victor. Our luncheons are always a high point. The writing life doesn’t get much better.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply
    2. Sue Ranscht Avatar
      Sue Ranscht

      This is the only thing that causes the palest thought of moving to Florida to flicker through my mind. I am envious of your proximity to one another.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
      1. victoracquista Avatar
        victoracquista

        Well, if your travels ever bring you here, it would be lovely to visit.

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply
        1. Sue Ranscht Avatar
          Sue Ranscht

          Thank you, Victor. I’ll definitely get in touch if I’m out your way.

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply
  14. GD Deckard Avatar
    GD Deckard

    Mimi,

    Thank you for volunteering to create our new page, a portal to pages for The Motley Scriveners.

    The portal can now be viewed at
    TheMotleyScriveners.com
    But to edit it, you’ll need to go to
    writercoop.wordpress.com/the-motley-scriveners/

    Please feel free to make that page as you wish. We like your vision and your talent.

    And, thank you!

    – GD

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply
    1. mimispeike Avatar
      mimispeike

      I’m on it. Something to take my mind off Boris! I feel bad about that. I’m reading about him on the web. There are dozens of pages to be found on Google.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply
      1. Sandy Randall Avatar
        Sandy Randall

        I have hopes that one day he will come around to understanding the difference between a well thought out critique and a personal attack. I will miss his writing, I found it refreshingly unique.

        Liked by 4 people

        Reply
  15. mimispeike Avatar
    mimispeike

    The image I have for our main site is the image I had planned to use here. I never intended to touch the format of WriterCoop. I still don’t know how it happened. I was working in this site. Oh well.

    I want the two sites to have a different look. I’m playing around with an image for the logo of here, and it’s priceless. I love it! It’s a Maxfield Parrish-like back to back two figures, one dressed, oh, period-style, holding a goose quill pen, the other a contemporary man working on a computer. They have the same face. It’s a slightly distorted face I created as the face of my John Dee on my website, looking rather harried and quizzical.

    Another image that’s going to be a lot of work, finding and marrying body parts and clothing. But these faces say it all: What comes next? What happens after that? What I say to myself all the time. Don’t you?

    These fellows are the motliest of scriveners. This is so funny! And so true.

    Liked by 6 people

    Reply

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