Most of the writers in our group never had written for publication before their work here. We welcome novices. However, this is group of writers who are serious about what they do, not a play-group. Therefore, there are certain expectations and requirements that go along with participation in this forum.

Let us give you some idea of what these expectations and requirements are. We normally have about ten to twelve writers. These writers each have definite characters which they have created, or for which they have assumed responsibility, and which they always author. No other author may write for them except with explicit permission from the responsible writer. By "write for them" we mean writing primary text about them, including dialog. All writers can and do mention other characters, and at times move them about a bit. Very occasionally they even write simple, brief dialog for situations where it would be awkward to require that it be done in a separate post.

However, it is considered impolite and inappropriate to make major movements of another writer's character, or to write lengthy dialog exchanges, without consulting the primary writer for that character and obtaining their permission. This is a cardinal rule for the site and group, and violations can cause unpleasant responses from the Site Administrator. Consultations can be conducted by e-mail, but we suggest that you may wish to participate in the discussions as part of the group in IM on MSN. That group discourse occurs most evenings from about 10:00 PM to 11:00 PM CST. As an approved writer, you will be given the IM address of at least one other writer so you can be pulled into group discussions.

All of our writers have at least one primary character for which they write and are responsible. Many of our writers do so for multiple characters. In addition, all writers are responsible for authoring, on request or need, material for support characters for whom no particular writer is responsible. Such support characters include Bonny Ruth, Cook, the kitchen help, musicians (other than the Master Bard), the stable hostlers, and occasional animals such as the cat Draco. However, any support character can become the property of a writer who is willing to assume primary responsibility for them, as has occurred with characters such as the local faerie dragons, Lady Anna, or Will Carver and his wife Lara. Such an assumed assignment is to be discussed with and approved by the Site Administrator.

As a general rule, writers in this group are expected to check the SDI site daily, looking for opportunities to write for their character(s). Of course, there are times when a writer is unavailable, but we request that the Site Administrator be informed several days in advance of such instances so plans can be made to write around an absence. Of course, serious, sudden illnesses or family tragedies are exempt from the advance notice requirement. However, you should be willing to inform one of the other writers as soon as possible. This is a serious commitment to a group of writers who will depend upon you and invest in you, and you should expect it to be a long-term relationship, not a frivolous or momentary whim.

As a new writer with the group, you will be assigned to a mentor as an apprentice. No new writer will be assigned to a person who puts them forward for candidacy. Apprenticeships last for the duration of at least one complete story. In that time, the mentor will help you get acclimated to writing in this interactive manner. In addition, the mentor will check your writing for punctuation, spelling, formatting, and language use, and will provide feedback to you regarding your work. Please understand that this feedback is valuable to you as a learning tool. It is not intended as harsh criticism, but rather as gentle guidance toward fitting your character(s) into the general format of the venue.

One of the most valuable lessons any new writer can learn is that "All the words that drip from my pen are not golden." We have several writers in the group who have been participating in this venue for many years, and we all still accept reminders and critiques from our fellow writers. We are, after all, human. We all make mistakes. What is expected is that as an apprentice you will accept critique gracefully and make the requested changes promptly, and learn from the experiences. As a fully-vested writer you will be expected to receive critiques gracefully and give your careful consideration to them, and to accommodate the requests whenever possible.

We have mentioned that this is an interactive writing group, which is very different from writing as a sole author. By that we mean that we do not "script" what any writer will produce. For each story, there is a lead writer who sets the general outline of where the story is going, and who decides approximately who will be involved. However, part of the fun of this venue is that one writer never really knows exactly how another writer will respond to a specific post. Therefore, you may find that what you intended in a post has been viewed by another writer from an entirely different perspective, and the response has taken the story in a direction you had not anticipated. In such cases, if it is critical, you will be expected to find a way to creatively warp the story back to its original path. However, we have found that such deviations often add considerable interest to our stories, and we are very reluctant to request an author to substantially change or remove a post.

We are not concerned about style so much as we are about real content, stressing that imaginative writing is most important in this venue. You can deviate from the basic story outline, especially when it comes to developing your character. The one caveat, however, is that the deviation must not leave other writers' characters stranded and unable to continue. Violating this cardinal rule may cause the offending character to be abruptly written out of the story line by senior writers, and possibly removal of the writer from the group by the Site Administrator.

One of the goals of this venue is to educate. We seek to interest people in discovering more about their historic roots in the Celtic countries (Scotland, Ireland, Wales, the Isle of Man, and the Basque portion of Spain). Therefore, we try to write about events as if they actually were happening in the time and place described. That means that we do a lot of research about the historic happenings of the time, and the appearance of the places. Currently, our story is set in the year 1378. Descriptions of events, the manner of doing things, materials and methods available, technology, and background descriptions of places need to be kept within the bounds of that time in real history. Knives and swords certainly existed, as did bows and arrows. Spears, maces, and battle axes, ditto. Hack away to your heart's content. Cannon existed, but seldom were used. Firearms and fragmentation genades, no. By the same token, a three-level building (30 feet) was a tall pile of masonry. Castles with towers at four or five levels were huge. There were no skyscrapers (buildings above seven levels height) prior to the advent of steel girders for support in the late 19th Century. Masonry simply could not support the structures. However, many castles did have more levels than this if they were built upon solid rock and that rock had levels quarried into it.

While we are considering appropriate writing, please be aware that this is an "open" forum. That is to say, while the privilege of authoring in this forum is restricted, reading is not. Anyone can come in and read what we write. We have regular readers who live all over the world and follow our stories with great interest. We have no control over who these readers are, or whether material is appropriate for their viewing. For this reason, the Site Administrator here has requested that all material be appropriate for a PG-13 audience. This means there must be no explicit sex descriptions or other pornographic material, and no really stomach-turningly graphic descriptions of violence. The Site Administrator is the person with authority and right of decision regarding violations of this rule, and that person's decision is final.

Three of our writers have the ability to "fix" problems with posts for you, but they prefer not to have to do so on a regular basis. Therefore, if you so desire in addition to the elements mentioned above, your mentor will be pleased to coach you on how to check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors before you post your writing. The mentor will even do some schooling with regard to correct use of language to help you eliminate some of the most common and glaring term and phrasing errors. Information on how to use simple HTML code to obtain certain special effects also is available. Your mentor also will be happy to help you to learn something of the Llalans form of the Scottish brogue.

Well! Having come this far, we suspect that you may have a genuine interest in writing with us. Here is how to make a formal application. The following materials are excerpts from two of our stories. One involves a female character, and the other one a male character. Read each excerpt, and consider how you would respond if you were the primary (female or male) character. Copy the last character entry of Excerpt One and paste it into an e-mail.

Then write a proposed post of about 250 words (that is about what is contained on a typewritten page of text) for the female character. Do this for the male character in Excerpt Two as well. Submit the proposed posts in an e-mail addressed to NewWriter@RCRCo.Com, and we will review your submission. You will receive a response stating whether or not your application interests us.

Just for the sake of interest and as a means of judging the size of the proposed writing, the preceding two paragraphs contain 132 words.

Post by Muireall

Muireall was entranced

Muireall was entranced with what she surveyed. The landscape was enchanting with a silvery river winding its way through the wooded valley, and three distinctive hills soaring nearby. The road dipped to where a bustling town nestled around a magnificent building. As she queried her brother, riding at her side, he informed her that this was a place of worship for the human's supreme being.

The closer they approached the cathedral, the better was the view of its soaring arches, steeples and stained glass windows, which reached as high as the waterfalls of her own Ravenscrag. Her admiration for those who had conceived and built such a wonder grew by leaps and bounds. Never had she expected to find a building of such exquisite beauty in the mundane world.

People stopped to stare at the little cavalcade, some calling greetings to Falkirk, Elspeth and Beathan, whom they knew by sight, and casting curious glances at herself and Niall. Muireall surveyed her unicorn steed to assure herself that the spell she had cast made him appear to be an ordinary horse. Satisfied with what she saw, she reached for the veiling of her head dress that hid her telltale Elven ears. All was well, she thought, she would be able to pass for a human maiden.

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Post by MacBeatha

Beathan's much loved Shadow

Beathan's much loved Shadow brought up the rear of the group. He was far from the elegant mounts of his companions, but the gray Border garron and the dragon youth were fast friends, a bond that had been forged when first they had met at the Newark castle fair.

The enticing smells that lingered around town from the morning meal made Beathan's ever hungry stomach rumble in anticipation. Elspeth had seen to it that they had broken their fast before leaving the glen, but he saw nothing wrong with a second morning meal. A click of his tongue urged Shadow forward to join his foster father, just as they approached the inviting doors of the Rampant Lion Inn.

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Post by Falkirk, Lord Liddesdale

As they arrived at the Rampant Lion Inn

As they arrived at the Rampant Lion Inn, Falkirk was the first to dismount from his horse. He turned and assisted Elspeth from her saddle and then turned to help Muireall from her saddle. At the same time, a window on the side of one of the adjacent buildings opened and there was a cry of "Guardez Loo!" And with a splattering and plopping sound a pail of night soil was emptied from the window above.

Falkirk grabbed Muireall and spun her about, putting himself between Muireall and the splattering goo. Luckily it was far enough down the alleyway that none of the slop reached them.

Falkirk set Muireall back on her feet and said, “"I am sorry my Elvin sister, this one of the perils of living in our world. Would that it be as clean and serene as your world of Avalon. However, things here are not that way, I am afraid. Come, let us get to the inn. Young Beathan is as hungry as a young Dragon can be. His meal at the glen was only an appetizer, I fear."” The last was said with a grin as they headed for the door to the Rampant Lion.”

If your character was Muireall, how would you respond to what just has happened? Give your reaction to what you just have seen and experienced for the first time in your long Elvin life. Then describe the inside of the Rampant Lion Inn.

Post by Paul, Rex

The lull was interminable.

What was the Cleric thinking? Did he intend to stop the ceremony and not marry them? Why was he waiting so long? Paul's impatience knew few bounds, if any. (Have done, Priest!) he silently commanded. But still the Father did not continue. Then, suddenly, the question he had longed to hear was before him.

"Palben Kemen Etor Unai, of the house and lineage of Kontxesi, do ye take this woman Ainea unto spouse, to love and cherish and protect, in sickness and health, for better or worse, as long as ye both shall live?" Following the lead of the cleric, Paul answered in the same reserved, yet very formal manner.

"I do so, wholeheartedly and without reservation, both for my own love of her and for the good of our people." He looked down into her eyes, those orbs that gazed up at him with such trust and returned love. He own eyes were misty, yet filled with his adoration of her. She would complete him, and make his every day a joy.

But even while he thought of this, the holy man was asking the inverse question.

"Ainea of the house and lineage of the Guardians in the Tower, do ye take this man Palben unto spouse, to love and cherish and protect, honor and obey, in sickness and health, for better or worse, as long as ye both shall live?"

Whispers began to be heard as the assembly awaited her response. For her part, Ainea seemed to be in no hurry to give it. Instead, she disengaged one of her hands from his and reached upward to stroke his face, her smile growing as she did so.

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Post by Lady Ainea

The caress to his face

The caress to his face was light as a feather, but her smile promised him the world.

"I so do," she finally answered, "by the love I bore you from the moment I first saw your face. Only you can complete my life and destiny, and I am yours henceforth for all the days of our lives."

Two pairs of eyes were turned to Father Calgacus, waiting for him to speak.

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Post by Calgacus

Their eyes turned to him.

Paul's response was just as it should have been. He showed care not only for his beloved, but also for the people of his country. And Ainea's was as it too should have been, centered upon him. Yes, these two would make a good example for the young Earl and Marquessa. His smile was the result more of his thoughts than of direct approval, though. He was wondering in his mind how many times the youngsters would throw in the face of the Royal couple that although they were younger, they had been married longer! He almost laughed aloud, but that would have spoiled the solemnity of the occasion. It was with some difficulty, therefore, he pronounced the finality of the ceremony.

"Then I pronounce thee man and wife. What God has brought together let no man put asunder." Turning to the man, he added, "Ye may kiss thy bride, your Majesty."

He watched in great satisfaction as Paul made haste to do just so, not being quite so reserved as had Gorka with Altea. He picked her up fully off the floor, and then made a great production of kissing her as a Royal person should kiss his wife. It was long and languorous, and she appeared to enjoy it as immensely as did he.

Standing off from them, Calgacus did as he had earlier. He began the slow, measured clap of group approval that gave any not attending the understanding of consensus. Others picked up the cue and joined him. Within the joyful celebration, Calgacus smiled broadly at his final thought on the subject. Perhaps they would set too good an example for the youngsters. Meanwhile the sound rolled on and on ...

What do you think Paul's thoughts are after just having kissed his new bride? Remembering he is a new-crowned king, what thoughts might he have for others? Describe his feelings. How will he address his subjects? How will he address his new wife? And what will he do next?