Rhetorical Analysis: The Whistling Fire

The Whistling Fire is a non-profit forum where writers can submit their work or, as the editors suggested, their works in-progress. TWF accepts fiction, non-fiction, poetry and plays. The site is more of an forum than a publication, there is a vast range of abilities on display; some writing is definitely better than other pieces. Elements such as tone, subject, etc are not required to conform to any specific guidelines. I feel that the “niche” of this publication is that they aren’t so much interested in seeing themselves as a serious publication, as they want to see the free flow of ideas being exchanged; peer criticism of a constructive nature. Most of the pieces read like first drafts, or at the very least drafts with little editing. However there are a few pieces that standout.

“Look at Him on the Edge” by Jessica Barksdale examines the relationship between parents and a drug addict son. I think it would be classified as an “I” essay, investigating a situation/memory, and regarding it in terms of the narrator’s perspective. This is one of the examples of a “well-done” essay presented on the site. It grabs the attention of the reader with its believability, pondering a higher meaning; transcending the story/situation itself and relating to life in general. The subject matter of this story reflects so many different levels of human interaction with each other that attempting to condense it all into 3,000 or less is very difficult, lending to the story feeling rushed. If this essay were to be expounded upon, it could manifest into a very provocative piece. For every piece that shows promise, there must be a thousand that are worth more as learning experiences than anything else.

One such piece, “Wanted: Fat Girl” by Kimberly Dark, inspects the schism between people created by physical appearance; in this case, as the title suggests, weight. I feel that this is a piece that is a decent piece of writing, but it breaks one of the most principle rule of CNF: it cannot be self-serving. It chronicles the “life” of an apparently overweight girl (who used to be thinner). Ironically, the tone in some places reads condescendingly, with an air of superiority; some of the same characteristics she is critical of in her story. Anything positive that comes from the essay is readily undone by the feeling that the author is trying to convince the reader that the author is the better person. Now this is just one, relatively uneducated writer’s opinion.

This is the range of work that appears “in” The Whistling Fire, and the emphasis is that it is all welcome. Members of the site are all peer editors, capable of providing comments and feedback on any piece they wish; good, bad, or indifferent. If one were to create a hierarchy of publications The Whistling Fire would be above a blog, but perhaps below a printed publication. This publication serves as an intercessory, or a sounding board for potential authors to get their pieces out there and receive reactions, criticism, etc without having to pay submission fees or receive rejection after rejection slip. Sites such as The Whistling Fire could help jumpstart a writing career, or help uncover a passion for writing that wasn’t there before; they are the building blocks in this technological age for writers to be discovered.