A writers’ workshop runs on trust and on reciprocity. People hand over pages they are not sure about, and other people give up an evening to read them. If the exchange feels unfair, the readers drift away and the writers go quiet. A workshop website has to protect the pages, make the exchange visible, and give writers a reason to keep turning up between critiques.
This guide builds that on WordPress. Jetonomy runs the critique circles and the contest board, WB Gamification adds sprint streaks, challenges and kudos, and BuddyNext provides profiles and genre spaces. The Reign theme presents them as one site. Reign is built to work with BuddyNext and every Wbcom plugin, so the whole site shares one design. Jetonomy and BuddyNext are each free with an optional paid Pro licence. WB Gamification has no Pro plan; everything in it is free. Pro features are labelled.
If you are building lessons for students who learn from a teacher, that is a different job, and Writing Course Lessons covers it. This guide is for peers who read and respond to one another’s drafts.
How a workshop week runs
Plan the week before you plan the plugins. A simple weekly rhythm gives every tool a job.
| Day | What members do | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Post a draft to a circle, with a specific question | Jetonomy circle space |
| Tuesday to Thursday | Read and reply to circle mates | Jetonomy replies |
| Friday | Run a sprint and post what they achieved | WB Gamification challenge and streak |
| Weekend | Check the contest board for deadlines | Jetonomy contest-call space |
| Any day | Thank a reader | WB Gamification kudos |
You can change the days. What matters is that each activity has a place and a rhythm, so members know where to go.
Critique circles: small, private and time-boxed
A critique circle is a group of four to eight writers who exchange work for a fixed period. Those numbers are common workshop practice rather than anything the software demands, and you can pick your own. In Jetonomy a circle is a space.
Build one space per circle
Create a space in Jetonomy and choose the Forum type. Replies in a Forum space thread up to three levels deep, which is exactly what line-level discussion needs: a reader quotes a passage, the writer answers, the reader replies again.
Then set the access.
- Visibility: Private with a join policy of Requires Approval if you want circles that members can find and apply to. The space shows in listings to signed-in members with a Private badge, and only members can read what is inside.
- Visibility: Hidden if a circle should be invisible to everyone but its members. Hidden spaces are always Invite Only, and people join by an invite link that a space admin generates. Links can carry a maximum number of uses and an expiry.
Private spaces, hidden spaces and the moderation queue are in the free plugin. A post inside a private or hidden space is kept out of search results, tag pages, trending lists and link-preview cards, so a draft does not leak into a public listing.
Be honest with writers about what that means. Private means members and site administrators can read it. It is not a legal safeguard for unpublished work. Say in your rules that circle mates must not copy or share anything they read, and have a qualified person look at your terms if your members care about rights.
Settings that shape the conversation
Several space settings matter for critique.
- Allow Voting: off. Jetonomy lets a space admin disable voting. Turning it off removes the vote buttons and scores from the space entirely. A critique circle is not a popularity contest, and a score next to a chapter changes how it feels. (Q&A spaces cannot turn voting off, which is another reason to use the Forum type here.)
- Who can post and who can reply. Leave both on Members Only for a normal circle. For a circle that rotates, you can restrict posting to moderators and admins for one week and open it for another.
- Require Post Approval. Optional. With it on, each post from a non-moderator waits for a moderator before going live. It is useful for the first month of a new circle.
- Status. When the circle ends, set the space to Archived or Locked. Both stop new topics and replies and keep old ones readable, so the exchange is preserved.
Prefixes and a submission template
Turn on topic prefixes for each circle and create labels for what is being submitted: Prose, Poetry, Query letter, Synopsis, Revision. They appear as coloured labels before the title, so a reader who only likes poetry can scan for those.
Add a pinned template post that every submission follows.
Title and genre
Word count: 1,800
What this is: the opening of chapter 3
What I want to know: does the argument at the dinner table feel earned?
What I do not want: line edits, the draft is still moving
Word counts are a good habit, because they let readers decide whether they have the time. Jetonomy does not count the words for you, so ask the writer to type the number.
Long text and formatting
The Jetonomy composer is a rich-text editor. Its toolbar has bold, italic, inline code, code block, link, blockquote and image upload. It does not convert typed Markdown, so the toolbar is how you format. Blockquote is the useful one: readers can quote the line they are responding to. Pasting a chapter into a post works, and replies thread beneath it.
Attaching new files such as a DOCX or PDF to a post is part of Jetonomy Pro, through the File Attachments extension, with a default limit of 10 MB per file and five files per post. Without Pro, members can paste text and images. If your circles prefer to swap manuscripts as files, Pro is worth it; if not, pasted text is fine.
Private topics for one-off sensitive requests
A writer sometimes needs a read from only the moderator, for example a piece on a painful subject. Every signed-in member can tick a Private checkbox when composing a topic. A private topic is visible only to its author, space moderators, the space owner and site admins, and it does not show in search.
Blind submissions, if you want them
Jetonomy Pro adds anonymous posting. You switch it on site-wide under Extensions and allow it space by space. Members then post topics and replies without a name or avatar showing, while administrators can reveal the real author, and every reveal is logged. It suits a critique round where readers should judge the page alone. Keep it to the spaces where it fits.
Writing sprints with streaks, challenges and kudos
A sprint is a short, timed block of writing that a group does at the same time. The group part is where the motivation comes from. The software cannot run a timer or count words. What it can do is reward turning up and give the group a place to say what happened.
The sprint itself
Pick a regular time and run it the same way every week: members post their goal in a short thread, write for the set period, then post how it went. A Jetonomy space of the Feed type is a good home. Posts have an optional title, replies thread beneath them, and the layout reads like a stream of updates.
If you want a live session with a join link and a headcount, Eventonomy can schedule it. Its free version repeats events weekly, takes RSVPs, and for a virtual event gives each registrant a personal join link. That is optional, and you do not need it for a text-based sprint.
What WB Gamification can and cannot do
WB Gamification awards points automatically when members take actions on the site, and it works with Jetonomy and BuddyNext. Here is how its pieces fit a sprint culture.
| Feature | How a workshop can use it | Limit to know |
|---|---|---|
| Streaks | Reward showing up on consecutive days | Counts any action that earns points, so it measures activity, not words |
| Challenges | “Weekend Writer”: complete a set number of an action within dates | Counts actions, not words |
| Community challenges | One shared goal for the whole group; everyone who contributed earns the bonus when it is reached | Same: it counts qualifying actions |
| Submit Achievement | A member claims “finished a sprint” with a short description and an optional proof link; an admin approves it | Self-reported, approved by hand, five submissions a day by default |
| Kudos | A reader thanks another member, with an optional message | Points are given for the first five kudos a member sends each day, by default |
| Badges | Milestones such as a first critique | Manual badges exist, awarded by an admin |
Streaks. A streak counts consecutive days on which a member did something that earned points. The default grace period is one day, so one missed day does not break it, and admins can set it from zero to three days. Milestones come at 7, 14, 30, 60, 100, 180 and 365 days, with configurable bonus points. Streaks are timezone-aware for each member.
Challenges. An admin chooses an action, a target count, a bonus and optional start and end dates. Members see a progress bar and days remaining. For a sprint you might pick an action from the list, such as creating a post, and set a target of three in a week. Which actions appear depends on which plugins are active, so open the Challenges screen on your site and see what is offered before you plan around a specific one. BuddyNext’s documentation lists “Post created” as an action that WB Gamification can reward.
Community challenges. These share one progress bar across all members. When the target is reached before the deadline, every member who made at least one contributing action gets the bonus. They suit a group goal such as “fifty sprint posts this month”.
Submit Achievement. This is the nearest thing to a word-count claim. A member submits a title like “Wrote 1,000 words” with an optional proof link, an admin approves it, and the points for the chosen action are awarded. The points depend on the action you define, not on the number in the title. It is honest self-reporting, not measurement.
Kudos. Giving kudos earns the giver two points and the receiver five by default. After five kudos a day, further kudos still go through with no points, and a second kudos to the same person within an hour earns none. Kudos is how a workshop thanks a reader without writing a paragraph.
Mind the leaderboard
When Jetonomy is active, WB Gamification defers its own leaderboard to Jetonomy’s reputation ranking so you do not show two near-identical boards. The WB Gamification leaderboard and top-members blocks render nothing by default. Developers can override this with a filter. Decide whether you want a leaderboard at all. A ranking by reputation rewards the writers who get the most votes, and in a workshop that is rarely the behaviour you want to feature. Streaks and kudos reward showing up and helping, which is closer to the point.
Reputation and fairness
Jetonomy has reputation and trust levels in the free plugin. Votes and accepted answers raise reputation, and trust levels unlock abilities such as posting links and images. In a critique space with voting off, little reputation accrues, so do not depend on it to show who reads others’ work. A visible reciprocity habit is better: a moderator posts a short weekly note thanking the readers who gave the most notes, and uses a manual badge for people who stay the course.
Contest calls: a board for outside contests and a contest of your own
“Contest calls” means two different things in a writing community, and it helps to handle them separately.
A board for outside contests
Writers want to know about contests, anthologies and open calls. Create a Jetonomy space called “Contest calls”. Turn on prefixes with labels such as Open, Closing soon, Fee, No fee and Closed, and ask posters to use the template below.
Name and organiser
Deadline
Entry fee: none, or amount
Word limit and genre
Rights: what the organiser asks for
Link to the official page
Two rules keep this board useful. First, every post links to the organiser’s own page, because deadlines, fees and rights terms change and you cannot verify them. Second, the rights line is mandatory, since a writer should know what they give away before entering. Moderators pin the urgent calls, and when a deadline passes they close the topic. Jetonomy lets moderators pin and close topics, and members can bookmark a topic to find it later. Posts can also be scheduled for a future date, which helps a moderator who batches the list on Sunday.
Add a short disclaimer: the board lists opportunities and does not vouch for any of them. Tell writers to read the terms, to be careful with fees, and to take advice before signing anything that affects their rights. That is general caution, not legal or financial advice.
A contest of your own
For an in-house contest, use a dedicated space. Each entry is a topic, tagged or prefixed with the round. Members vote with the built-in upvote on topics, they cannot vote on their own, and the score appears in the listing. Jetonomy’s voting is real and simple.
A few mechanics make it tidy.
- Open the space on the start date and set it to Archived or Locked on the closing date. Both stop new topics and replies while the entries stay readable. There is no automatic closing time, so you do this by hand.
- Keep it blind with anonymous posting (Jetonomy Pro) if judges or voters should not see names. Reveal after the result.
- Use a poll for the shortlist if you want a members’ vote with a closing time. BuddyNext’s free poll gives up to five options, live results, one vote each and an optional end time.
- Award participation with a WB Gamification challenge for entering, and a manual badge for the winners. Badge awards by an admin go through the Manual Award screen.
- Announce with a BuddyNext announcement, which pins above every member’s feed until they dismiss it.
WB Gamification does not run contests with judging or votes. It handles points, badges and challenges. The judging mechanic comes from Jetonomy votes or a poll. For more on promoting a community contest in general, see Launch Contests on Your Community Site.
If you offer a prize of value, check the rules for prize promotions where you live. No plugin handles that for you.
Writer profiles and genre spaces
BuddyNext supplies the member layer.
- Member types. Poet, Novelist, Screenwriter, Editor. Each shows as a badge on the profile and a filter in the directory.
- Profile fields. Add a multi-select for genres, a URL for published work, a long-text field for a bio, and a Yes/No field for “Open to beta reading”. Turn on Include in search for the ones people look up.
- Spaces. BuddyNext calls its groups spaces. Make one per genre for general chat, and keep the critique circles in Jetonomy. A space can show a Discussions tab when you switch on the Jetonomy integration for it.
- Follow and connect. Members follow writers whose work they admire, which is how people find readers outside their circle. Screenwriters who also want collaborators on screen can look at the filmmaker community guide.
Direct messages in BuddyNext run through WPMediaVerse, which has to be installed with Messages on. Writers often want a private word with a circle mate, and this is where it happens.
The pledge, in plain words
Publish a short pledge on the page where members join. These lines are social rules, not software features.
- I read before I post, in the ratio the circle sets.
- I say what I experienced as a reader, not what the writer should do.
- I do not copy, share or quote another member’s work outside the circle.
- I finish what I start, or I tell the circle I am stepping out.
- I take what helps and leave the rest.
Our community guidelines template offers more wording to adapt.
What is free and what is not
| Need | Tool | Free or Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Private and hidden circles, prefixes, moderation queue | Jetonomy | Free |
| Attach DOCX or PDF files to posts | Jetonomy | Pro |
| Blind submissions | Jetonomy | Pro |
| Streaks, challenges, community challenges, kudos, badges | WB Gamification | Free, there is no Pro plan |
| Profiles, member types, spaces, polls | BuddyNext | Free |
| Feed cards and search for events from Eventonomy | BuddyNext | Pro |
The free versus Pro page lists the full split.
A sensible order of work
- Install Reign, import a layout from the demos, then BuddyNext, Jetonomy and WB Gamification.
- Build one critique circle with prefixes and the submission template. Invite five writers.
- Add the contest-call board.
- Turn on a weekly challenge and kudos. Leave the leaderboard alone until you know you want one.
- Open a second circle only when the first is running well.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep a manuscript private from everyone but the circle?
Make the space Private with Requires Approval or Hidden with invite links. Members and site administrators can read it, and posts in those spaces are kept out of search and link previews. It is access control, not a legal guarantee, so ask a qualified person about rights if that matters to your members.
Can WB Gamification count words?
No. Points come from actions, such as creating a post. A Submit Achievement claim can describe a word count, but an admin approves it by hand and the points follow the action, not the number written in the claim.
Do I need Jetonomy Pro for a critique circle?
No. Private spaces, topic prefixes, the moderation queue and threaded replies are free. Pro adds file attachments, anonymous posting, polls, private messaging, email digests and more.
Can I run a contest with a closing time?
Not automatically in Jetonomy. You close or archive the space by hand when the deadline passes. A BuddyNext poll can carry an automatic closing date and time, which is useful for a shortlist vote.
Why is my WB Gamification leaderboard blank?
When Jetonomy is active, WB Gamification hands the leaderboard to Jetonomy’s reputation ranking and its own leaderboard blocks render nothing. A filter in the plugin can switch that off if you want both.
How big should a critique circle be?
There is no technical limit. A circle of four to eight writers is common workshop practice because each person can read everyone’s work in a week. Start small and open a second circle when the first fills.