MWM Policies
Review the policies explained below before participating in the Moot.
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Feedback & Moderation
GIVING FEEDBACK
When giving feedback, keep in mind that we are here to help each other stay on our growing edge. Respectful participation is a must. Feedback must be focused on the content and craft of the writing currently under consideration.

Consider the submission's stage of development, and the writer's goals and intended audience when you decide how to assess a piece.

Often it is helpful simply to say what you get from a piece — feelings, atmosphere, or impressions — and the author can compare that to what they are trying to achieve. E.g.:
“This scene feels tense and grim.”

“I love this character but he seems unreliable as a narrator. Maybe he's supposed to be a trickster.”

“The voice of this poem sounds ancestral. Sort of remote.”
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RECEIVING FEEDBACK
Submit work that you're sure you want feedback on.
Do a basic proofreading review of your manuscript. Of course the writing may be rough, but check for typos or basic errors, and run a spell-check.
When your work is being discussed, you will hear a lot of people say a lot of things about your writing. Some of it will serve you. Some of it won’t. Regard the feedback to the extent that it resonates with you.
If several readers agree on a particular point, it's probably something to consider more closely. But don’t let random opinions drain the originality out of your work. As the author, you know what you want a given piece of writing to achieve. Stay true to that.
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FACILITATION
During a moot, the facilitator reserves the right to end a conversation that is inappropriate, not helpful, or not focused on the quality or mechanics of the writing on the table.
If necessary, the facilitator may refer such discussions to the Moot administrator for follow-up.
Nonbinary Pronouns
The Moot is supportive and accepting of nonbinary pronouns and does not require writers to use only he or she pronouns in their work. Writers are welcome to use other pronoun sets, such as singular they/them, ze/hir, xe/xim, and e/em.


We therefore ask readers to keep in mind that nonbinary pronouns are accepted and not something to mark for correction.

If the grammatical meaning of a sentence is unclear, reviewers might consider offering sentence rewrites or other structural edits, without assuming that the pronoun set is to blame. 




If you are submitting a story that includes nonbinary pronouns other than they/them, please use your introduction to give your readers an overview of your pronoun set. (E.g., “My character Loki is described using ey/em pronouns.”) 

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The Montpelier Writers Moot supports the trans community. If you have questions or concerns about pronoun usage, please contact the Moot admin.
Maintaining an Anti-Racist Space
The Montpelier Writers Moot seeks to create and preserve an anti-racist space.
Herein, “racism” does not solely refer to a set of actions and beliefs that we can consciously avoid, but also to an overarching system that we are socialized into, such that we do not get to choose whether or how we are affected by it.
Moot writers may include characters of different races in their work, a choice the Moot welcomes. Moot readers may choose to challenge the presentation of race and power in a text.
In such discussions, the Moot asks its members to work together to maintain an anti-racist space by following these five basic ground rules:
1. Focus on harms, not on intent.
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2. Understand that pieces need not be written for white readers, or readers of a certain type of privilege. Accept that some works may resist centering the perspectives that you find most comfortable.
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3. Understand that challenges to your perspective are not aimed at you personally.
4. Accept that some discussion around this topic may make you uncomfortable.
5. Acknowledge that anti-racism is a process we work on together, not a permanent and blameless state of mind. Anyone can engage in racism without meaning to, and we all need to be open to learning.
Facilitators and the Moot admin reserve the right to end a discussion that does not abide by these rules. Moot discussions should focus primarily on the craft of writing.
Content warnings
The Moot requires authors to provide content warnings for any potentially disturbing material that is submitted for Moot discussion.

Here are some examples of events or story elements that warrant a content warning. Even if such an event is not graphically described, if it is witnessed, imagined, or experienced by one of your characters, it merits a warning in the Moot.
Death, murder, dead bodies (human or animal)

Injuries, gore, blood, vomiting

Gun violence

Rape, sexual assault

Domestic violence, physical abuse, child abuse

Self-harm, suicide

Hate speech, slurs

Possession, metaphysical violence, gaslighting

Abortion, miscarriage, stillbirth

Animal cruelty or death

Drinking, intoxication

Drug use, overdosing

Fire, immolation

Kidnapping, being tied up or held captive

Car crashes

Drowning


Here is an example of a well-worded cw from a fellow Moot-member:
This piece contains some dark and heavy emotional content, including references to war, alcoholism, infanticide and abortion.
The final decision on whether a cw is warranted and how it is worded is the purview of the Moot admin.

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If you have questions about content warnings and why they're necessary, contact the Moot admin.
Are you sick?
Meaning, are you physically ill?
If you are, suspect you are, or sound, sick with a contagious illness — please stay home.
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We sit together in an enclosed space, at close proximity, for two hours. Even if a sick person wears a mask, other people are at risk. Some mootlings have long-COVID concerns and don't want to be exposed to any illness.
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If you show up when you are or sound sick, the Moot reserves the right to send you away. That will be sad and awkward, so please help us all avoid that situation by choosing to stay home.
Equitable Participation
The MWM relies on equitable participation.
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If you have been and author in the last 3 months, please give others the opportunity to submit.
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If you have submitted work, please try to attend as a reader at least once before submitting again.
The Moot admin reserves the right to enforce equitable participation in the Moot.