The Internet teems with communities of people who write for children, but if you're an ICL student, only one is full of writers who understand exactly what you're going through. Here are some of the best reasons to check out the ICL Message Boards at Writers Retreat:

At Writer’s Retreat, both students at all stages of the ICL courses and ICL graduates check out the Message Boards. Which story prompt from Lesson 1 is the best for you? Are the Take 5 exercises worthwhile? Should you write the character sketch in third person or is first person okay? How do you manage to outline an entire novel for Assignment 10A? You’ve sailed through the first six assignments, but now you’ve got writer’s block--what do you do? Should you take an advanced course?

Wherever you are in your coursework, there will be people at Writer's Retreat who have faced similar issues and are willing to give you some solid, practical advice.

Don’t know where to submit your fantastic article on the differences between skunk tongues and camel tongues? You’ve checked out the Children’s Magazine Market, but you still want some help narrowing your list of possible markets. Again, the ICL Message Boards are a great place to go for marketing advice. And maybe YOU are the one with a hot tip to share; you can post your suggestions here.

• To moan over rejections and rejoice in success with people who really understand
  

You get a rejection letter with a blue-inked scribble across the bottom and you dance around the living room. Your spouse smiles politely. Your mom stares blankly. Your kids roll their eyes. But at the ICL Message Boards, we know that’s a reason to celebrate, and we’ll do a virtual happy dance with you!

• And best of all, to make new children’s writer friends
  

Writing has been called the loneliest profession. So much of our time is spent sitting alone in front of a computer screen or at a desk with pen in hand--even when other people are around, we tend to exist within ourselves and the worlds we’re creating. But sometimes, you need to reach out to other writers. Especially if you are just starting out, it’s difficult to connect with people who love what you love--crafting stories for kids. I certainly found this to be true, and I live in a university town filled with writers! At the ICL Message Boards, connecting with people who share the same passion is easy--we’re just a mouse click away.

Finding the ICL Message Boards

You can access the ICL Message Boards through the ICL website. Clicking on Writer’s Retreat, either in the column of buttons down the left side of your screen or in the links at the bottom of the page, should bring you to the right place. If you want to check it out now, here’s a direct link:

"I’ve found the Welcome page. What do I do now?"

Kristi Holl has written a comprehensive overview of the message boards software that explains every detail of the Message Boards system, including how to log in, what the icons represent, and how to maneuver around the boards. Her article can be found at

To get you started, here are a few hints:

You NEED to know . . .

. . . the difference between the Chat Room and Writer’s Retreat (the ICL Message Boards):

At the ICL website, there are TWO wonderful places for writers to meet other writers. The Chat Room takes place in real time; that is, several people who are on-line at the same time can meet in the chat room and have a conversation. It’s like going out for coffee--but you’re typing instead of talking. When people leave the chat room, whatever they have typed is erased forever.

Writer’s Retreat is a message board. You post when you have time to sign in. Another time, when you’re somewhere else, another writer can read your message and post a reply. The messages stay posted. It’s a conversation, but one that takes place over a longer period of time, and participants don’t have to be there at the same time.

. . . a few organizational terms:

Different Internet message boards use various terms to describe the way messages are organized--when different boards use the same words in different ways, a user who frequents several boards may be confused by the overlapping terms. These are the terms the ICL Message Boards use:

A topic is the largest division of messages. Currently, there are five topics: General Discussion, ICL Course Lessons, Marketing Tips, Spring 2003, and Waiting and Rejection. The topics are set up by the Webmaster; individual users cannot set up a topic.

Within an individual topic are messages. These are the actual posts that members make to the topics. When someone replies directly to another message, the original message, the reply and any new replies to either of those messages (and so forth) are linked together in a thread.

. . . that all topics are unmoderated:

What unmoderated means is that you won't have to wait for a moderator (Mel) to check out your message and release it. Doing that would take at least one day, and we don't want to delay your discussion boards, but get your question, answer or the joy of annoucing a sale out as quickly as is humanly and cybernationally possible!

. . . how to sign in:

First, you’ll need a username and a password. If you haven’t already created your account, Kristi’s article has complete directions for creating a new user account and signing on with an existing account. If you have created a Chat Room account, you use the same username and password. Follow her instructions to create your username and password.

. . . what you’re looking at when you enter Writer’s Retreat:

After you sign on with your username and password, you’ll see the main Topics page, which consists of a toolbar across the top and the five topics listed underneath.

. . . what the toolbar icons represent:

Across the top of the Topics page is a toolbar. This is your upper toolbar. It always appears the same, no matter where you are within the Message Boards.

At the left of the upper toolbar, you’ll see a down arrow within a circle; this icon opens a lower toolbar. The lower toolbar varies depending on your location.

To get started, the most important upper-toolbar icons are the down arrow (to open your lower toolbar), the left arrow (to go back to the page you were previously on, and the lightbulb (to go to the topics list).

Note: The ? opens a new browser window and takes you to the Institute of Children's Literature Chat Help Desk. You can also use this link to get there:

. . . where to find the messages to read.

Clicking on any underlined topic heading will take you to the list of the messages that have been posted to that topic. To read a message that interests you, click on its underlined title.

. . . how to post a new message.

Posting is only slightly trickier than finding the messages. From within a topic, you’ll want to open your lower toolbar by clicking on this icon.

Then you’ll see a new row of icons, including one that looks like a page with writing on it and a plus sign. This is for posting a new message to that topic.

Click on that post-message icon, enter a subject for your message, enter your message and click on the button reading "Post Message." It’s that simple.

. . . how to post a reply to other messages.

If you want to reply to a message already on the board, first click on the underlined message you want to reply to. Now in the second row of icons, you’ll see one that looks like a page with writing on it and an arrow pointing to the right.

Click on that arrow icon and you will see the subject already filled in. Just type your reply and click on the button reading "Post Reply." Then click on the icon that looks like just a page of writing, and that will take you back to the page listing all of the messages for the topic you’re in.

. . . that these instructions are just the beginning.

There are a number of advanced options available with the ICL Message Boards software. After you feel comfortable maneuvering around the boards, you can set options to display only unread messages, adjust the order in which the messages appear, mark messages and threads as read or unread, and search for particular topics. Kristi’s article is helpful when you’re ready to go beyond the basics. Here’s the link again:

A final note

Some beginning writers or beginning message-boarders have been scared off other Internet message boards by the flame wars and competition that can cause controversy and hurt feelings.

The ICL Message Boards are NOT like that. Writer’s Retreat is just that--a safe haven where both beginning and more experienced writers can come to get support, to vent over frustrations, to ask questions (even the ones you fear may be "stupid"), to learn and to have fun.

If you’ve decided to check out the ICL Message Boards at Writer’s Retreat, make your first post an introduction. Tell us about yourself and your writing. We regulars are looking forward to meeting you.