WELCOME! READ ME FIRST!!!! - 03/13/2006 08:50 AM
The Fiction Concentration of the Johns Hopkins M.A. in Writing Program welcomes you to the Fiction Discussion Board for students, instructors, and alumni of the Fiction Concentration! We've created places for you to discuss classes you might want to take, books you're reading, the publication process, the craft of fiction, and writer's block. Please explore the board, read some messages, post your own, and let us know what you think!

Please note the following rules for use of the discussion board:

1. Please conduct yourself in a professional manner at all times. Obey all university rules and procedures. Do not use offensive language. Keep your tone and your words polite and respectful. Remember that your full, real names will be posted with every message, and/or in the user profile available to all members. Remember, too, that this board may be read by anyone in the world with access to a computer. If you have a grievance against any individual, group, or organization inside or outside of Johns Hopkins University, this is not the forum to use to air that grievance.

2. This is a fiction concentration board only. Stick to fiction-related topics. Every topic should be of interest to writers of fiction and students of fiction writing. If you are unsure if a topic would be appropriate to post on this board, contact Mark Farrington with your question.

3. The moderators will be reading the board on a regular basis. Inappropriate posts will be deleted, and the poster will be warned. A second inappropriate post will result in the poster losing access to the site for a period of time determined by the moderators and the fiction advisor.

In accordance with Johns Hopkins University IT policy (on line at http://www.it.jhu.edu/policies/itpolicies.html), an inappropriate post is one which:

- Harasses others with annoying, abusive, profane, threatening, defamatory, offensive, or unnecessarily repetitive commentary (based on the subjective determination of the moderators in conjunction with the faculty advisor);
- Violates the privacy of others;
- Violates applicable copyright laws;
- Includes sexually explicit images, or sexually explicit language that is not directly taken from or related to a piece of fiction or aspect of the craft of fiction under discussion;
- Implies JHU (as opposed to personal) endorsement of a particular position or proposition, unless official JHU endorsement has been previously approved by the faculty advisor and is specifically noted as such; or
- Attempts to use the discussion board for commercial purposes, e.g., for promoting the sale of a user's own book, services, or story.

4. Do not post any previously published material, as for instance text or images from another web site. If you would like to share information that appears elsewhere on the web with the posters of this board, provide a description of the information and a link to the original site. (That information should still be “on topic” for this board.) If you summarize or quote from a book, story, or article, be sure to provide attribution for the material.

5. Do not post any original fiction for others to critique. This is a decision that may change as time goes on, but is for now a decision we must adhere to in the interests of the workload required to moderate posted stories and novel chapters. If you would like comments on your own writing -- or if you are looking to participate in a writing group, whether real or virtual – feel free to state what your interests are, and then request that others contact you privately.

6. We expect that questions will be asked, and opinions sought, about specific courses, individual instructors, and program procedures. We know, too, that conversations about art can raise passions. We strongly believe that open, honest discussion about these and other issues must remain a vital part of this discussion board, and we trust that you, as writers, understand the need for courtesy and tact. This discussion board is for use by fiction students, alumni, and faculty of the writing program, but it belongs to Johns Hopkins University. Please remember that this board exists because the university has granted us the resources and the permission to use it.

While this pilot program is for fiction students, in the future the forum may be extended to nonfiction and poetry students. Nonfiction and poetry students are encouraged to let their program advisors know of their interest. We hope that you will find the Discussion Board enjoyable and useful, and that it will serve to foster a greater sense of "writing community" among the Fiction Program students, instructors and alumni. Welcome!