Seeking More Feedback for CIC!

Well, I must admit, I'm tickled beyond belief that our last group story went as well as it did. But, before I get ahead of myself and start posting on a more regular basis, I figure it might be a good idea to solicit your feedback about the site.

So, my fellow authors – and characters, too – what would you like to see here at CIC? More group stories or first line challenges? A return of “Character of the Week”? Or something else entirely?

Let's discuss the possibilities – and I'll try hard to accommodate your desires!

Gone for the Holidays

As you've no doubt noticed, the Come In Character site has been rather quiet as of late. Well, after much soul-searching, I've decided that we all – authors and characters alike – could use a much-deserved break. Perhaps putting CIC aside for the holidays is just what we need to rejuvenate this once-treasured place.

So, while you can rest assured that the site isn't going anywhere anytime soon, don't expect any new posts until next year.

In the meantime, I hope you all have

a happy Thanksgiving,









a merry Christmas (or other appropriate winter holiday),





and a healthy, prosperous New Year!

The Hard, Cold Truth

Let's face it, folks. Participation in CIC has seriously waned since the spring. Oftentimes, no more than two people comment on a given post, which frankly makes me sad and also begs the question... Why?

Are we as authors simply too busy to comment, or worse, are we feeling less than inspired by the CIC prompts as of late? If it's the latter reason, what can I do about it? Please help me by making suggestions about future posts. Would group stories, for instance, do the trick? Or perhaps we should resurrect “Character of the Week” Fridays...

Of course, if it's the former reason, then perhaps it's time to put Come In Character to rest. While I would hate to see that happen, I'm simply too busy myself to fret over posting here twice a week when it seems that few people are interested anymore.

Thanks, everyone, for your input!

Seeking Feedback About CIC!

Now that 2010 has dawned, it seems appropriate to share that Come In Character is undergoing some big changes. As you might have noticed, Mira – the creator of this wonderful site – has decided to pass along the reins to her fellow moderators.

So, I just want to take a minute to thank her for creating such a supportive haven for authors: a fun, entertaining place for them to find some inspiration and explore the facets of their myriad characters. I wish her the best in all of her future endeavors – and hope she'll stop by every now and again.

Christine, too, has decided to channel her creative energy into other projects, so I want to thank her also – not only for her incredible contributions to this site, but for inspiring me to get involved with CIC in the first place. I've really come to adore this site, which is why, in spite of my busy schedule, I've resolved to keep up with the blog for as long as possible. After all, I'm grateful for the respite that it offers – and I'd hate to see it come to an end.

Nevertheless, while Ann and I will continue to post, we might not be as consistent as we'd like. I hope that you'll still find some inspiration and amusement here – and with that in mind, I'd like to know what you appreciate best about the site. What features are your favorites? The forum games? The first line challenges? What?

Also, do you have any ideas for future posts? Something we're not doing now? Please let me know – I'm always in search of new ways to promote creativity and character development.

Thanks for your input!

Blog Announcement: Team!

If I can interrupt our picnic for just a moment........

A few months back, I announced that CIC had become a partnership, me and Ann. I am now delighted to announce that we have two new administators joining us. They are:


Christine H.
and
Laura Martone!


That means that CIC, once a partnership, is now......A TEAM!

My most heartfelt gratitude to Ann, Christine and Laura for taking on the team duties here at CIC. Without this, we most likely would not have been able to continue, due to my upcoming school schedule. So, thank you, thank you, thank you!

For now, here is the posting order:

Monday: Ann, Getting to know you
Wednesday: Laura, varies
Friday: Christine, Featured character
Weekend: Christine, varies

I have every confidence that this team will not help keep CIC alive, but will help it flourish.

I am honored to be in such creative company. I would ask that everyone at CIC raise a glass and toast our new administrative team: Ann, Christine and Laura!

Cheers!!

And then, please go back to the picnic, if you like, and enjoy!

The future of CIC

Hi guys,

Well sorry to have such an 'un-fun' post for labor day, but I'm freaking out. I just found out school starts a week earlier than I thought. Doesn't seem like much, but it made it feel more real.

Here's my schedule, with work, school and internship combined:

M and W: 6 a.m - 10 p.m.
Tu: 6 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Thurs and Fri: 6 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Sat: All freaking day!

That doesn't include reading, studying and papers.

I've been going back and forth on CIC all summer. I've sent poor Ann e-mails: I just can't do this! And I really think I can't. I was going to post and not worry about the site, but even thinking about posting feels like too much.

Ann has been incredible, but there's no way that she can do the site alone.

So, I'm asking for help; if people would be willing to take over posting a day a week, or even alternate. I would need to cover Wed, Friday and the weekend.

I realize people are also super-busy, so if folks can't do it, that's completely understandable.

If we can't find someone, we'll need to close the site or put it on hiatus at the end of the month. It's been a really fun ride, and I've gotten to know some amazing characters, so even if it's been a short run, it's been definitely worth it!

Oh, and I want to take another moment to acknowledge Ann again. She really has been amazingly awesome. Thank you so much, Ann!

Schedule change

Hi all,

Announcing a schedule change:

To accommodate the moderator's schedules, as well as to respond to some member requests, CIC will be switching to Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday posting schedule. This will hopefully give everyone a chance to read each post and respond when they have time.

Tentatively, the schedule will be:

Monday: Getting to know you

Wednesday: Varies

Friday: Featured Character. This might include a question/answer format, like previously, or we might offer folks an opportunity to post something for feedback.

Saturday: Social Events, Group projects.

Hope this works for everyone! Please keep giving us your feedback; your input is highly valued.

p.s. Feel free to continue contributing to the historical novel unfolding below.

Weekend Town Hall Meeting

Hi All. Anyone who would like is invited to our Town Meeting. Let's pile into our old school house to discuss CIC.


Our main agenda item is building the site. The sad reality is that I, Mira, will be entering a 72 hour work schedule in the end of September. I'm intending to still post, but I imagine my time will be pretty limited.


Ann is still very committed to the site, and I was wondering if it would be possible to build the site before I have to disappear. And I'd like to ask your help with ideas and feedback.

To open the discussion, here are some questions:

**Do you have ideas for building/promoting the site?

**Are there any improvements people might suggest that would make CIC appealing for you?

**Is the system of prompt and answer becoming tired? Need more variety? Does anyone have any ideas for other types of posts?

**Any other general suggestions, comments and/or agenda items?

Thanks in advance for your input - it is very much appreciated! As are all the members here.

Oh! Choice of snacks for break time. Healthy and unhealthy. Take your pick.

Dig in!

New Site Guidelines: Please give us feedback, thanks!

In a place where characters of all sorts roam the streets, naturally, there are a few situations that may pop up. We would like to ask that everyone here follow these guidelines. This will enable the undead to co-exist with the living, vampires with vampire-hunters, and dogs with cats. After all, at the end of the day, we all just need to get along. Right? Right? Yes, evil domineering warlord. That means you, too.

These may be amended as time goes on, and as new situations crop up. We'll alert the site to any changes. Suggestions, as always, are welcome.

Guideline #1 - Keep It Relatively Clean. In order to keep this site from being labeled "Adult", we need to ask folks to stay away from graphic sex and language.

Guideline #2 - Please Report to Management. If you are bothered by something about the site, we'd like to hear about it! However, please e-mail us rather than addressing it on the site directly.

Guideline #3 - All Characters Welcome! This site is non-denominational and non-discriminatory. This site is open to everyone of any species, race, age, ethnicity, creed, religious belief, sexual orientation, gender, moral center or lack thereof, life or lack thereof and nutritional requirements.

Guideline #4 - Author to Author; Character to Character. For the most part, we ask that you stick to your group. Friendly greetings, compliments and exchanges about the weather are exceptions to this.

Guideline #5 - All Multiple Characters Welcome! Go on, pile everyone in the car, and bring them all here. We encourage people to try out many different voices. Our only guideline is this: please stay on topic. If one of your characters strays, send another to rein them in. Please help us avoid topic drift! If you want to suggest a new topic, e-mail us.

Guideline #6 - We all Just Need to Get along. This is a tricky one. We want characters to have natural reactions to each other. Here's an example. Let's say you're an exorcist and an evil ghost just entered the site. Please remember that evil ghost is welcome here, too. Feel free to say 'Begone, foul demon!' whenever you run into each other. However, strong insults, and organizing a posse to capture and perform a ritual on said ghost would....um, not be getting along.


In summary, we want to say that the vision of CIC is to give our characters voices, by pulling them out of their plotlines, putting them in new situations, and exploring their edges and depths. But remember, everyone around you is doing the same, so let's make it easy on each other. If you have any questions, about what does or doesn't work here, definitely e-mail us. We want everyone to feel comfortable.


And there we are. Some simple guidelines that will hopefully help us all have a great time here! Thanks in advance for your cooperation. And thanks, also for joining us. We couldn't have the site without you!

Please Give us Feedback on the new Site Guidelines listed below. Thanks!

In a place where characters of all sorts roam the streets, naturally, there are a few situations that may pop up. We would like to ask that everyone here follow these guidelines. This will enable the undead to co-exist with the living; vampires with vampire-hunters; and dogs with cats. After all, at the end of the day, we all just need to get along. Right? Right? Yes, evil domineering warlord. That means you, too.

These may be ammended as time goes on, and as new situations crop up. We'll alert the site to any changes. Suggestions, as always, are welcome.

Guideline #1 - Keep It Relatively Clean. In order to keep this site from being labeled "Adult", we need to ask folks to stay away from graphic sex and language.

Guideline #2 - Please Report to Management. If you are bothered by something about the site, we'd like to hear about it! However, please e-mail us rather than addressing it on the site directly.

Guideline #3 - All Characters Welcome! This site is non-denominational and non-discriminatory. This site is open to everyone of any species, race, age, ethnicity, creed, religious belief, sexual orientation, gender, moral center or lack thereof, life or lack thereof and nutritional requirements.

Guideline #4 - Author to Author; Character to Character. For the most part, we ask that you stick to your group. Friendly greetings, compliments and exchanges about the weather are exceptions to this.

Guideline #5 - All Multiple Characters Welcome! Go on, pile everyone in the car, and bring them all here. We encourage people to try out many different voices. Our only guideline is this: please stay on topic. If one of your characters strays, send another to reign them in. Please help us avoid topic drift! If you want to suggest a new topic, e-mail us.

Guideline #6 - We all Just Need to Get along. This is a tricky one. We want characters to have natural reactions to each other. Here's an example. Let's say you're an excorsist and an evil ghost just entered the site. Please remember that evil ghost is welcome here, too. Feel free to say 'Begone, foul demon!' whenever you run into each other. However, strong insults, and organizing a posse to capture and perform a ritual on said ghost would....um, not be getting along.


In summary, we want to say that the vision of CIC is to give our characters voices, by pulling them out of their plotlines, putting them in new situations, and exploring their edges and depths. But remember, everyone around you is doing the same, so let's make it easy on each other. If you have any questions, about what does or doesn't work here, definitely e-mail us. We want everyone to feel comfortable.


And there we are. Some simple guidelines that will hopefully help us all have a great time here! Thanks in advance for your cooperation. And thanks, also for joining us. We couldn't have the site without you!

Open Discussion and Blog Announcement: Partnership!

As always, feel free to discuss whatever is on your mind, or your character's mind.

To start the conversation, I'm really pleased to announce that Come In Character is now a partnership! Ann (bunnygirl), the creator of the (soon-to-be-published) Maelstrom band will be sharing the site with me. I'm thrilled! Ann is fantasically creative, and smart, and honest, and innovative, and....lots of other things that all make for a great partner! Thank you, Ann, for taking on the commitment. I really look forward to how her input will help shape and build this site in wonderful ways.

(There is a possibility that a person or two may join us (you - if you're interested), but for now we're starting the two of us.)

Although both of us will post throughout the week as able, we've divided the week in terms of posting.

The tenative schedule is set at

Mira:

Fridays: Character of the Week
Saturday/Sunday: Event, game, social stuff, open discussion
Mondays: Getting to know you, emote this, imagine this, etc.

Ann:

Tuesday/Wednesday: Group Story
Thursday: Comment on a picture, quote, etc.

Thanks, everyone, for your patience as things get settled. Let us know what you think as things move on. As always, your input is both solicited and very welcome!

Here's to the new and expanded Come In Character!

Blog Note

Hi all.

For creativity today, those who are interested could keep working on the group story. It's not done! What happens to Carson and Marzi? Who will betray whom? Will the car turn the tables and sell them for the insurance money? And most important, what happened to the rope (I liked the part with the rope.)

I also wanted to update folks I've been lucky enough to have 2-3 people who are forming a team to manage CIC. I'm delighted, thrilled and honored that they want to be involved on that level. Also, if you're still interested, there's room on the team - let me know.

I'm planning to move the site to group ownership next week, if possible.

I do have one question for everyone though. A couple of people have mentioned that the daily posts move things too fast. If you have a second, could you pro-offer a vote:

a. I prefer daily posts. I like the variety.

b. I prefer every other day. It gives me a chance to 'catch up.'

c. Why do you get to ask all the questions? I have questions too, you know. For example, I heard that in England, they only have one channel. Is this true? If so, my God, why has no one done something about this travesty of injustice? If it's not true, my God, why can't people just be honest with me for once? That's all I ask for. Alittle honesty and fairness in the world. And lots of T.V. channels. Is that too much to ask for, no, I don't think so.

d. (Whatever you want to say.)

Thanks in advance for answering the question!

Blog Announcement

****Notice****

It looks like there might be ways to continue here. I deeply appreciate the support of the members. A shared partnership is in the works. If you'd like to be a patner, let me know.

Otherwise, business as usual for awhile as the details are worked out!!
===============================================


For anyone who didn't read it, a notice was posted here saying I would need to close the blog due to time constraints. But I'm looking for another solution - partnership! Or even better - a collective.

Announcement: Upcoming Concert this Saturday!

Hi all. The band asked me to post this announcement. Sounds very fun!

Kalila: Hi, everyone! I mentioned a couple weeks ago that we’d like to invite all of you to one of our shows. Ricky found us a venue that would let us put everyone on the guest list, so next Saturday, May 2, you are all invited to our show at Cabal. Details about the show and instructions on how to get there are here. Those of you needing a fake ID should get in touch with Nevin during the week so he can conjure one for you.
Ricky: Kalila, that’s illegal.
Kalila: You worry too much.
Ricky: Would you at least tell them that the underage characters shouldn’t drink?
Kalila: Oh, sure. No drinking if you’re underage, okay? It’s a rule of some sort, and Ricky could get in big trouble. If we catch you drinking, we’ll have Lazaro eat you.
Ricky: I think I better go call my lawyer now.
Kalila: I also understand there will be an after-party right here at CIC!
Bo: And don’t wear clothes!
Kalila: They have to wear clothes. It’s another one of those human rules.
Bo: Then wear sexy clothes. Or buy one of our new logo t-shirts, available off our website.
Kalila: Right. And be ready to have a great time! Be sure to check out the details about the event, and we’ll see you there!

Announcement: Character of the week

Not to detract from the great exploration of jealousy, but I have a quick announcment.

I've been so impressed with the quality of writing here. Truly. I wanted to find a way to give people a chance to really shine.

So, I'm trying out something new. This Friday, we will start a new thread called: Character of the Week. They will start the post, and interact with other characters through the day.

Each week, a different character will be featured.

I selected one of the first characters to every appear on this blog to start us off. Who? It will be a surprise! You'll meet them on Friday.

Oh, also, it seems weird for me to always pick them. I may figure some other way in the future. Anyway, it's just an experiment!

Now, please go back to being jealous, if you like.

Thanks!

About the blog: site suggestions, lurkers and guidelines

Hi all,

I was hoping we could take a break today to talk about the blog abit. Again, I have to say how grateful I am that other people are here and participating in this! I would like to make this a site that works for everyone.

First, I'm very open to suggestions about how to make this site really fun and interactive. Allowing Ms. Fettleston to host a tea, and trying a group story are experiments. You can let me know if it worked for you, and if you have other ideas, I would really welcome them. If you don't want to post them, I'm always open to e-mails. My address is on the side.

Any suggestions at all about the site would be welcome.

Second, I am going to post a set of guidelines this weekend. Nothing fancy, just the basics. I don't like having to single anyone out, and I think that might help avoid any hard feelings. I really don't want people to feel badly here in any way, either because they accidentally stepped over my artifical line, or because someone else did.

Lastly, I debated about letting people know this, because there can be something fun about a site that feels intimate. But I think many people would want to know, so I will tell you we have a bunch of lurkers. Maybe 50-60 people daily who are reading the site, but not posting. Sometimes more.

That's cool. People may be lurking because they are just reading for entertainment, or maybe feeling too shy to post. I will say that this is a good place to post for shy people, because no one has to know who you are! Also, I will never get a site counter that tells me who you are. That totally defeats the point of this site.

Okay, I've rambled on. Thanks again for being here, and any suggestions again would be very welcome!

Site Suggestions

I would love to hear any suggestions for the site. I'd like this to be a place everyone finds fun and useful. I'm also building the site, and I'd love input on how you'd like it to develop. So, if there's anything you don't like, or if you have any suggestions for improvement, they are very welcome!

About the blog

Hi. I've been getting questions from folks about whether I am on this blog in character. You betcha, I am.

I partly started this blog because I had a similar experience once, and found it really sharpened my writing. I also had tons of fun. I'm hoping to share that with other people who might be interested.

But the other reason is I'm developing a book that involves characters talking to one another. I only have two of those characters nailed down. I need several more. So, I'm also here to practice and develop voices.

I've picked up that some people may be concerned that I'm trying to manipulate the site, or manipulate people. That's truly not my intention. I'm having fun, and interacting.

Hope that makes everything clear and above board.

That said, I'm very grateful that other people want to be here. I've always thought of the internet as one big writing playground. It's so much fun to have other people who want to build sand castles, climb jungle gyms and hang upside down from the bars, too.

But enough about me. Back to being in character!

How To Post In Character

There are four ways to post as a character.

1) An easy way is to type your message in the box. Scroll down. Click where it says name/url. Type your character's name in the box and post

2) Another easy way is to type your message in the box, and scroll down. Click where it says anonymous. You can sign your character's name in the post itself, or just stay in voice.

3) Also easy: post as yourself, but sign your character's name.

4) Or, sign-up for an e-mail account under your character's name. This is more work, but satisfying because your character's name is right there above the post.

So, there you go! Now, let's get started. Come in character!

Site Guidelines

In a place where characters of all sorts roam the streets, naturally there are a few situations that may pop up. We would like to ask everyone to follow these guidelines. This will enable the undead to co-exist with the living, vampires with vampire-hunters, and dogs with cats. After all, at the end of the day, we all just need to get along. Right? Yes, evil domineering warlord. That means you, too.

Guideline #1 - Keep It Relatively Clean. In order to keep this site from being labeled "Adult", we need to ask folks to stay away from graphic sex and language.

Guideline #2 - Please Report to Management. If something here concerns you, we'd like to hear about it! However, please e-mail us rather than addressing it on the site directly.

Guideline #3 - All Characters Welcome! This site is non-denominational and non-discriminatory. This site is open to everyone of any species, race, age, ethnicity, creed, religious belief, sexual orientation, gender, moral center or lack thereof, life or lack thereof and nutritional requirements.

Guideline #4 - Sometimes Characters Need Some Alone Time. Although authors are very welcome here, some posts will be designated Characters Only. This gives Characters a chance to really dig in without any pesky real life issues bothering them. Thanks for respecting the designations.

Guideline #5 - All Multiple Characters Welcome! Go on, pile everyone in the car, and bring them all here. We encourage people to try out many different voices. Our only guideline is this: please stay on topic. If one of your characters strays, send another to rein them in. Please help us avoid topic drift! If you want to suggest a new topic, e-mail us.

Guideline #6 - Critique-Free Zone Here. By critque, we mean writing critique. This is a site for writing experimentation. If you have feedback for a fellow author, please offer this feedback privately.

Guideline #6 - We all Just Need to Get along. This is a tricky one. We want characters to have natural reactions to each other. Here's an example. Let's say you're an exorcist and an evil ghost just entered the site. Please remember that evil ghost is welcome here, too. Feel free to say 'Begone, foul demon!' whenever you run into each other. However, strong insults, and/or organizing a posse to capture and exorcise said ghost would....um, not be getting along.


In summary, we want to say that the vision of CIC is to give our characters voices, by pulling them out of their plotlines, putting them in new situations, and exploring their edges and depths. But remember, everyone around you is doing the same, so let's make it easy on each other. If you have any questions, about what does or doesn't work here, definitely e-mail us. We want everyone to feel comfortable.


And there we are. Some simple guidelines that will hopefully help us all have a great time here! Thanks in advance for your cooperation. And thanks, also for joining us. We couldn't have the site without you!