Interviewing @rhondak - PALnet minnowsupport moderator and Channel mod @ MSP Fiction Workshop - PART 1

 

@rhondak is no stranger to the people who frequent PAL Discord. You can almost always find her in MSP Fiction Workshop if you go look. She is the main pillar there. And also a part of the main furniture, if you know what I mean. She's always around. But, how many of you REALLY know her?

Here's your golden opportunity to find out answers to the questions that have always boggled you:

Is @rhondak a kickass editor or a sci-fi writer? Or a paranormal short story writer? 

Is @rhondak in love with Steemit? Or does she just like the colours?

Does @rhondak truly have great plans for SFT? Or is she doing all this just because she LOVES the chance to read good stories?       

Is @rhondak a murderer? Or a total do-gooder? 

Is @rhondak a loving wife to her husband and loving mother to her kids? Or an advocate for social rights and social reform? Or an an animal rescue's Executive Director? Wait, what?!

WHO IS @rhondak?

This interview is a small but exciting attempt to get to know her better. I'm dividing it into two parts: 

Part 1: @rhondak - the Busy Steemian! and Part 2: @rhondak - the Fiery Human!

Without further ado, let's get started! 

Part 1: @rhondak - the Busy Steemian

@sandzat: Hello @rhondak! Thank you for giving me this opportunity to find out if you are truly as crazy cool as you appear to be all the times I meet you at PAL Discord!! :) And please know that I appreciate your taking the time today to give some very honest responses about yourself on the Steemit platform. Ready? 

Question 1. What exactly do you do at the MSP workshop?

@rhondak: In addition to being a PALnet minnowsupport moderator, I’m also a channel mod in the Fiction Workshop. There, we’re growing a group of writers and editors who review and critique each other’s work, host contests and challenges to strengthen our skills, and offer each other the kind of support that only writers understand. Some people in the group write for fun. Others are very serious about their work and we do our best to give them everything they need to compete in the mainstream publishing world.

Question 2. How and why did you join Steemit? 

@rhondak: My long-time friend and faithful critique partner/editor @carolkean told me about it. She’d learned of the platform through @roomerkind, who is one of her colleagues at Perihelion Sci-Fi Online Magazine. I joined thinking it might be a great way to raise awareness about the animal welfare crisis in Appalachia, but once I learned the potential of this platform, my ideas got even bigger.

Question 3. How were your first couple of weeks?

@rhondak: My first week was discouraging. I could see no way at all to make this platform work for me. By the second week, I’d found the @minnowsupport project. And that’s when Steemit began making a whole lot more sense.

Question 4. What did you do when the idea hit you that you could become a moderator at PALNET Discord Channel?

@rhondak: I knew right away that I would be a good fit for that role. That isn’t arrogance talking. It’s the fact that I already got along so well with other moderators and share @aggroed‘s “big vision” for the project. My only concern was how much time I spend with the Fiction Workshop on the PALnet channel, but so far it has worked out perfectly.

Question 5. How did you become a story writer? Which is your favourite genre? Can you share the details of your latest and greatest writing here?

@rhondak: I’ve been writing stories since I could hold a crayon. I don’t think I “became” a writer as much as I was born one. My favorite genre is literary, but with a caveat. The story MUST have a plot. The tag “literary” is not an excuse to write 100,000 words of self-indulgent drivel and call it a masterpiece. 

My latest project is a novel titled “High Kill.” It’s based on actual events in my part of the U.S., Central Appalachia. The storyline itself is fictional, but the milieu of corruption and animal abuse in the setting is very real.

Question 6. How did you become such a kickass editor?

@rhondak: I don’t know about “kickass,” LOL, but I learned most of what I know from Carol Kean as well as the Internet Writers Workshop. I’ve been a member of IWW since sometime around 2008. I think every serious writer should spend at least a year there and consider it Basic Training. I hope we are able to bring the good elements of IWW to the Fiction Workshop at PALnet and find workarounds to the more problematic aspects of critique groups. So far, so good. One thing I will utterly disallow in the Workshop is toxic critique. One school of thought says there is no such thing as “bad feedback.” I disagree. So far, I haven’t seen a single instance of abusive or demoralizing feedback at the Fiction Workshop. This makes our Workshop a refreshing anomaly among online writing circles. However, if I ever do see it, rest assured that it will not be tolerated.

Question 7. Do you like bots? What are your thoughts on my favourite bot, @muxxybot?

@rhondak: Bots can make or break a platform. My opinion of them is a direct reflection of my opinion about their purpose. Bots created to solicit F4F should be nuked on site, their creators banned and set on fire. In any order. However, bots like @muxxybot are the future of Steemian success, as they’re designed to encourage growth of new users and ultimate success of the community. 

Question 8. Do you like Steemit? How do you see it evolve in the future?

@rhondak: I love Steemit. I go into withdrawals without it. I think a real possibility exists for Steemit accounts to become a “must-have” for professionals, celebrities, and established bloggers. Facebook is for the dabblers, and FB algorithms have made it nearly impossible for business-minded individuals or groups to grow their audience. Steemit thrives on the success of its users, and I believe this will be the key to social media domination before it’s all said and done. 

Question 9. What is your vision for SFT?

@rhondak: Well, a couple of thoughts. First thought is that some people may be upset by the narrow focus of Steemhouse Fiction Trail curation. We are seeking only the authors whose work is ready for the mainstream, authors who’ve spent time honing their craft and produce work of publishable quality. The reasons for this are multi-fold. First, we want to reward the effort they’ve put into rising above the slush. We also want encourage quality on the Steemit platform. But also, there may come a time in the not-so-distant future when literary agents and publishers scout Steemit for new talent. I’d love to have a repository of that talent ready for them.

Will our selections be subjective? Not as much as you’d think. We’re putting together a panel of experienced authors, editors, and industry professionals who are very qualified to gauge commercial appeal. Our upvotes won’t be based as much on personal choice as many other curation trails. Our panel recognizes good fiction based on certain elements, and years of practice. 

Question 10. What advice can you give the authors at Steemit? What advice can you give me? :)

@rhondak: The best advice I can give Steemit fiction authors is study your craft. Learn about techniques like Deep POV, showing versus telling, and polish that prose. There’s no room in the publishing world for bad grammar and syntax. As far as my advice to you, Sandzat, I actually wanted to tell you about a post we have pinned at the workshop, written by Steemit author @jessicakluthe. It’s called “Flash Writing: An Introduction to the Short, Short Form,” and it is excellent.

@sandzat: Thank you so much @rhondak for all the information you shared here. And for the special advice for me. :) Seeing somebody with so much knowledge, mental clarity and drive is refreshing and truly inspiring! I can't wait to know you more.

Steemit friends: Tomorrow, we'll look at the personal side of @rhondak – the fiery human! Stay tuned!

--------------- UPDATE

Check out Part 2 at https://steemit.com/minnowsupportproject/@sandzat/interviewing-rhondak-palnet-minnowsupport-moderator-and-channel-mod-msp-fiction-workshop-part-2