How did Beta Testing Go?

This week, we are diving into How did Beta Testing Go, How to Use Write Recipe Buddy System, Tips to using Notebooks, Prompts and more.

Coral Sands

Jessica

Melanie

, and 2 others

Sep 23, 2024

Writing Quests is a writing community that strives to connect writers with writing challenges to foster a continued flow of words for your preferred genre.

How did Beta Testing Go?

Writing Quests recently finished Beta Testing, which took place from September 7 to 14. The feedback is helping us continue to improve our Framework. Two different groups conducted the testing for us.

Overall, we received positive responses regarding the ability to track different things (e.g., words, and editing time) and the tracker itself. Testers also mentioned enjoying the community graph and loving the color choices for the spreadsheet.

It was nice to hear what we were doing right, but the feedback we are taking away the most is: what was confusing? Some people said getting the regional graph to update confused them, whereas others felt all the tabs on the Tracker made the spreadsheet feel bulky and confusing. Another person said the location of the status update was hard to find. They felt that if people were going to use that, it would need to be more prominent. Another thing that needs to be addressed is adding people to the aggregator via the Google form might be hard, and knowing the technology level of some of our writers, it may be too confusing. Some may feel that even making a copy into their own Google Drive will be hard for many.

Suggestions for improvements included updating the graph to show whether people were on track for goal both individual and group. One person found they were calculating a daily goal, and they would love to see some of that automated, especially for day one, to get that smaller, achievable goal and to help the 'did you meet a goal' chart so there's less red. They also suggested updating goal suggestions because it felt like pressure to do a higher goal, which might dishearten slower writers. Additionally, maybe change it to say things like Novelette/Novella/Novel/Epic. Lastly, a nice to have would be a way to customize date ranges for groups or individuals that might want to run events that aren't 30 days. We will need to look at whether pushing the updates will be hard for the aggregator to update. If we are, it may also take a long time because it seems to take a while, even for 4 people. If we do manual updates, someone must be assigned to do it at a specific time since it may take a while.

Some additional gaps include an issue with badges. Testers thought that the aggregator was good overall. But it does only aggregate words or overall percent complete, and we are missing out on a graph for those who are doing hours only.

We appreciate the time and feedback from all the testers and will implement some changes to improve our Framework. A huge thank you to the testers!

Volunteer Spotlight- Rebecca

WQ: What is your writing background?

RR: I have been interested in creative writing since I was young. I dabbled here and there and was a part of several groups. When I completed my masters, I dove into novel writing during NaNoWriMo in 2012 and have since created a massive fantasy in my head that needs to be refined and edited so it can be published.

I also run a writing group in the elementary school I work in to help empower creative writing in our youth!

WQ: What are your hobbies when not writing?

RR: I am an avid reader and aim to read at least 60 books a year. I am also a Girl Scout leader going on 7 years now helping to empower girls to be risk-takers, entrepreneurs, sensitive to the community needs around them, and leaders to take action to make the world a better place. Other than that, I enjoy swimming, gardening, cooking, and traveling.

WQ: Time for your shameless plug. Promote anything you'd like including your writing group.

RR: I am one of the coordinators for the Mid-Hudson Valley Writers Society in NY.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/232679146897830

WQ: What do you do to contribute to Writing Quests?

RR: I work on the Writing Quests’ Marketing & Branding team, help out with the newsletter, and am hoping to create user friendly worksheets for participants in the future.

WQ: What is your quest?

RR: My personal long-term quest is to become a published author!

My short-term quest will be to chunk my writing process so that I can make my long-term goal a reality.

How to volunteer/contribute

We have three different ways to get involved:

Quest Guides- The people who host the Writing Quests are called Quest Guides. They help creatives through the process of setting goals, prepping for the quests, and providing encouragement during the event. Click on Get Involved> The Framework to get started.

Participants- Anyone can participate, even if you are not a writer. Visit our website to find a participating group near you.

Volunteers- Writing Quests is an all-volunteer organization. If you want to volunteer, please email info@writingquests.org and let us know your experience and if applicable, what you want to help with.

We actively need people with technical skills in website design/coding (our writingquests.org site is created with Hugo) and web application design/development (e.g., using Vue.js to create our rules generator or Laravel to work on a web-based progress tracker).

How to use The Write Recipe Book

You’ve joined Writing Quest as a Guide and have found this document, The Write Recipe Book, and you’re wondering how to use it. It is a recipe book for creating a Writing Quest for your community. Like any other decent recipe, every Guide can use whichever ingredients make their Writing Quest perfect for them. Whether you are a well-seasoned Guide yourself and already have a well-oiled community, you are welcome to skim through our recipe book to see if any ideas stick out to you. Or maybe you are newer to being a Guide and need to follow our recipe more closely. The idea is that no matter who you are, you will benefit from this recipe book in some way.

In The Write Recipe Book, you will find information on how to create your Writing Quest and details on the tools’ Writing Quest provides. There are pointers on topics you can cover for your meetings and different platforms to reach your writers. You will be provided with detailed information about in-person events, such as various activities you could use and several more resources. Pick and choose the ingredients that work for your Writing Quest and your community. The great thing about this recipe book is that you can adjust the ingredients each time you use it.

We look forward to making updated versions to keep things fresh for you! Whatever you choose, we know your recipe will be just right!

Tips for Writers- Notebooks

Writer’s Notebooks and How to Do Them

by Tim Yao

Writer’s notebooks come in many alluring sizes and paper types. It’s always difficult to pass them by when shopping—can one have too many journals and notebooks?

When I think about writers, I imagine people carrying small notebooks and jotting ideas everywhere they go. Writers observe the intricacies of life; writer’s notebooks can provide places for those observations to be kept. Then, when one needs an idea or a character inspiration, one can browse one’s notebooks and find and use what they had thoughtfully observed before.

On the other hand, even carrying around a pocket notebook is a habit that needs to be established over time and with definite intent. It doesn’t happen by itself.

I confess that I haven’t yet succeeded in this classic vision of a writer’s notebook, though I’ve tried to ingrain this habit every few years. On the other hand, what I have managed to do is still valid. Since I don’t always have the same little notebook wherever I go, I will jot down my story ideas on little bits of paper, index cards, a Gmail message to myself, or in a vim file somewhere. The Vim files, backed up with subversion, are particularly handy afterward because I can easily search through them with a simple Unix command. But even the little slips of paper, even the ones I lose, can be helpful.

There are no right or wrong answers regarding writer’s notes and notebooks. They are as varied and unique as each writer. It’s one of the most exhilarating things about being a writer; the tools we use are limited only by our creativity.

Why? Because the very act of writing an idea down reinforces it in my mind. I will have a better chance of remembering it later if I’ve taken the time to jot it somewhere, even if I lose the physical paper. The memory of it will take root in my mind and have a better chance of developing into something I can really write with when I am writing my story.

Now a prompt: Write about the twenty-third photo in your phone, your online photo gallery (such as Google Photos or on Facebook), a nearby photo album, or something similar. Alternatively, write about the scene outside the nearest window.

Upcoming events

In October, we will start prepping for November’s Novel Quest, a fun writing challenge run by Writing Quests. We will release templates for the challenge and include social media banners for writing groups and participants. More information to come as we get closer to the month.

More information to come on the exciting special Featured Authors during November’s Novel Quest!

Coming October:

Oct 1: Preptober for November’s Novel Quest Starts on Youtube at 11am central

Oct 15: Preptober Second Session on Youtube at 11am central

Coming November:

Nov 1: Novel Quest Begins! Kick-off Event on Youtube at 6:30pm central

Sundays at 11am central Virtual Write In on Youtube

Thursdays at 6:30pm central Virtual Write In on Youtube

Coming December:

Dec 1: Thank Goodness Its Over Party on Youtube at 6:30pm

Subscribe to our Official Youtube Channel