Hello Mangoo, Welcome to the Creative Writing Forums. Creating, removing, or changing your avatar can be done from your User Control Panel. Click the UserCP link near the top of every page. Please read How to Use the Writing Workshop before you post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on should not be among the very first things you do here. It is worth taking the time to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog. Also, be aware that posting a piece of writing on any public site, including this one, will greatly diminish your chances of selling it for publication. Removing the writing later does not alter that fact - once posted, it is irreversibly considered published. So do not post anything more than a small excerpt of any piece you are planning to submit for publication. If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Writing Workshop, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate. As for the Writing Workshop, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize constructive critique as a vital writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. We also impose a two-week waiting period before you may post writing for critique, to give you time to become familiar with what is expected and how the site operates. The Writing Workshop forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Writing Workshop forum). Also, please use the same thread for all revisions and additional excerpts from the same piece of writing. See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information. And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out the RPG forum for improvisational fiction. Also try our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
I was also having trouble loading an avatar. Found these instructions useful. They should probably make it a sticky. 1) Test fit the wing tube into each wing half. The brace should slide in easily up to the centreline that you drew.If not, use 220 grit sandpaper with a sanding block and sand down the edges and ends of the brace until it fits properly. 2) Remove the brace when satisfied with its fit ineach wing half. Coat both sides of one half of the dihedral brace with 30 minute epoxy. Next, pour some epoxy into the dihedral box in one wing panel. Make sure you cover the top and bottom as well as the sides of the dihedral brace. Use enough epoxy to fill any gaps. Carefully slide the two wing halves together and firmly press them together, allowing the excess epoxy to run out. There should not be any gap in the wing halves. Use rubbing alcohol and a paper tower to clean up any excess epoxy. Apply masking tape at the wing join to hold the wing halves together securely. 3) Peel off the backing from the self adhe- sive covering strip. Apply the strip to the centre section of the wing starting from the bottom trailing edge. Wrap the strip all the way around the wing until it meets the trailing edge again. Trim off any excess strip. 4. Once the epoxy has cured, trial fit both wing halves together. The centre ribs should fit together flush with no gaps. If gaps do exist, use 220 grit sandpaper and sand down the high spots on the root ribs and the wing joiner until a proper fit is achieved. The correct amount of dihedral is ready-built into the wings. With one wing half laid flat on the table, the other wing tip should be off the table surface. If this needs to be adjusted, you may do so by sanding small amounts from the centre ribs or dihedral brace. 5. Carefully apply masking tape around the top and bottom edge of the root rib of each wing half to protect them from damage caused by epoxy. 6. Mix a generous amount of 30 minute epoxy. Coat the exposed half of the dihedral brace, and the remaining wing joiner box and both root ribs with epoxy. Slide the two wing halves together and carefully align them at the leading and trailing edges. Wipe away any excess epoxy using paper towels. Use mask- ing tape wrapped around the centre section to hold the halves in place until the epoxy cures. 7. When the epoxy has cured, carefully remove the masking tape from the wing. I gave up around step 4
