Blogging

Blogging has been around for a decade and ever since its inception there have been numerous ways to use it. From journal entries, instructive how-to's, and blogging to making money, to marketing, PR and business posts, there's a platform for everyone. It's a matter of finding what works best when choosing the blog content and then maximizing the potenial. For myself, as a writer, my blogs focus on writing themes, such as writing tips, articles and book reviews to topics from my novel such as techonolgy and the environment. I try to blog two to maybe three times a week and to keep my tme structured between blogging, working on my novel and other writing endeavors.


There are great reasons to blog and other reasons not to blog or to blog several times a week or perhaps only several times a month. Some of the benefits of blogging are being able to express and share ideas and creativity. And in this process being able to teach others about ideas and topics they may not have otherwise thougt about. It can help get the writer into a routine where they can benefit from stengthing their writing and build idea organization. Blogging can also be a way to meet others who share your same interests and knowledge and to also recieve comments and feedback on those informative posts. Blogging has many uses and it won't take long for the new or seasoned writer that start a blog to discover its many benefits.

Surviving Antarctica by Andrea White

Selected Song: SAVE ME by Remy Zero


















Hardcover
448 pages
HarperTeen
ISBN: 9780060554569

Based on Robert F. Scott's 1912 expedition to the South Pole, Surviving Antarctica is set in 2083 when the educational system is delivered through television. Such as re-enacting historical events to teach history where the participants can win money. The television producer uses five fourteen-year-olds to be the leads in the latest trek to the snow-capped south. What the kids don't know is that implanted in their eyes are tiny digital cameras so that any adult interference is completely avoided. Grace, the main character, is an Iñupiat Eskimo who lives in Arizona after Alaska became a nuclear waste dump. Then there's Billy, the snack junkie; Polly, the smart one; Robert, the gadget and engineer-type; and Andrew, who is the timid one who discovers his hidden courage. This story is also a commentary on society's own fixation with reality TV.

Save Me - Remy Zero

Meg Cabot video on Writing Mistakes

There are many rules to writing and even those that can be broken if one knows how, but of the many books, blogs and articles that give advice (yes, even this one) make sure the information is accurate by researching and verifying among several sources. Most times if a fact you're seeking is offered among other reputable sources then likely it's true. Although everyone has preferences and therefore even some 'facts' can differ. One excellent source is Strunk and White's The Elements of Style or Stephen King's On Writing. And if you're polished manuscript is ready for readers a great source on marketing and promoting in the 21st century is author Jeff Vandermeer's Booklife. Below is Meg Cabot on Writing Mistakes.



Meg Cabbot is the author of The Princess Diaries (17 books in the series) and many other popular titles.

Windrusher by Victor Digenti; Video Trailer

Paperback
292 pages
Ocean Publishing
ISBN: 9780976729143

Windrusher chronicles the exciting and daring heroics of a tabby cat who finds himself on a journey home after his family moves to Florida - without him! The problem is that Windrusher, as had his family, lives in Connecticut and must find his way along the eastcoast with the guidance of Akhen-et-u (The Inner Ear - an ancient communication tool among cats) and Irissa-u (The Holy Mother). Victor Digenti has woven a wondrous and grand story where cats have an ancient history and ways of living that no Hyskos (humans) are aware of. Through his trials, Windrusher meets other feline friends, some foes and Hyskos, and will stop at nothing to fulfill his destiny appointed by Irissa-u. So, how will Windrusher exactly reach his destination and in how many night globes (months)? Wind(rusher) is waiting to sweep you up into the pages of his debut adventure and show you the way of his Path!

This trailer is for the third book in the series; the second book is titled Windrusher and the Cave of Tho-hoth

Bullet-Ant Glove video; Tribal theme

The bullet-any glove episode aired on the National Geographic channel last night, though I had seen it before. This reminded me of the time I volunteered for a research experiment for extra-credit at my university. I had to submerge my hand in a bucket of ice water until I could no longer tolerate the pain or until time was up, which I learned was just over 5 minutes because I kept my hand in until time was called. After the first half-minute my hand tingled then at about a minute it began to feel warm and then became numb. After this, the tingling turned to a stinging/burning feeling, but I ignored the pain (knowing that pain toleration was likely the basis of the research) until I was told to remove my hand. At this point, my hand felt like it had been stung my dozens of bees or ants and fortunatley I was given a warming glove to warm my hand.

The participants in this tribe are going to experience something much more painful than prolonged exposure to ice water, though don't always show their pain, as you'll see. Also, in my novel, there's a tribal theme where one of the characters was branded with an authentic tribal tattoo from South America. To find out which character, visit my website.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Day is tomorrow and known as a harvest festival. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. It is a holiday celebrated primarily in Canada and the United States. While perhaps religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday.

The date and location of the first Thanksgiving celebration is a topic of modest contention. Though the earliest attested Thanksgiving celebration was on September 8, 1565 in what is now Saint Augustine, Florida, the traditional "first Thanksgiving" is venerated as having occurred at the site of Plymouth Plantation, in 1621.

Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Thanksgiving dinner is held on this day, usually as a gathering of family members and friends.
Excerpt from Wikipedia.com

Visit History.com for fun and informative Thanksgiving topics!

Man vs. Wild vs. Survivorman.

My novel, set in North Carolina, has environmental themes and in future postings I'll be blogging on environmental topics under the tag eco-logical.

The survivalist, Les Stroud - Survivorman, from Canada, knows extreme environments well and Bear Grylls, a British special forces veteran, is another to embark on journeys of Man vs. Wild. Both have their styles: Stroud the sole cameraman with a no-nonsense approach and Grylls going to extremes with bravado and athleticism.

Writing Groups of Northeast Florida

In my city of Jacksonville there are many opportunities to network as a writer. Not only are there colleges and libraries, but also numerous writing groups. The Florida Writers Association has many groups throughout Florida and in Jacksonville there are at least six groups. Each group meets monthly and has a guest speaker and usually afterward will have a critique session.
                              Flagler Hotel in St. Augustine
There is something to learn from each guest speaker who always offers informative information about writing and the business of writing. There are usually great turn outs with 25 or more attending and who all are in various stages with thier writing. The meeting locations range from libraries, to a Historic Bed and Breakfast and a Church meeting room. I've also been part of groups that meet at a University and on a house boat. Since writing is as diverse as the meeting locations and the people who attend the groups, there's always something new to learn.
                                     Amelia Island Coast

Building a Website

It seems that everyone is getting a website and those who haven't (who need one), soon will. Many websites are created equal in terms of layout, a.k.a., template websites, and even then contain content relevant to the person it belongs to. However, even content can be the same if the author of the website doesn't research and set themselves apart from every other look-a-like website. Some template sites are free while others can cost $50 to $150 depending on the seller. Website developers also offer custom sites for as low as $150 (2 pages and minimal hosting services). The person's ability to program/use HTML and their creativity will determine the cost of the project.

For me, I created my website layout using Photoshop then had a design company program it's foundation. I thought about how I wanted it to look, my needs for it, and that it had easy navigation. A user friendly website is what invites returning visitors, so instead of using a traditional layout I made certain that mine would engage the visitor and want to keep them clicking on pages. The possibilities are only limited to the time a person is willing to invest in researching the web and finding HTML and other coding sites that offer free code for any feature that can be thought of.

My website design is a three panel layout that eliminates down scrolling. At the top, my links surround a photo banner on three sides and below this are the three text panels. The left panel has my networking links. The middle panel tells what my website is about and has a bookmark button along with updates and subscription info. The right panel provides a noteable links section featuring pages of greater interest; some of these are Notes (character related), Photos (3 roll-over galleries), Characters (Flash page) and Playlist (there's 2, one with character requests). Interactivity is an important part of my website. There's also a 45 second Flash intro that's part of my novel's theme. My website has taken time to develop, and will continue to do so as my needs as a writer/author grow.

Message Boards for Writers

Posting to message boards is a great way to not only network, but to also build your writing skills while at the same time giving feedback to others. Your perspective on whatever topic is posted can be helpful and thought provoking in a way you might not have realized. There are countless writing topics available and if there isn't one then create it. When I post on the Absolute Write forum, I make sure to contribute informative content and not just always give a short, quick reply. Since I write Young Adult fiction I reply to posts that are relevant to the themes in my story.

This is an opportunity to introduce new readers to my writing who might have interest in knowing more about my work and the characters I create. And the same for me toward their work. Of the many networking opportunities on the internet, message boards are an excellent way of displaying your writing and creative thoughts. The next best thing for me is Blogger and then Twitter. I also use Shelfari to not only showcase what I've read, but also to network with others on the message boards, groups and review pages that are available.

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

Today, the National Novel Writing month began. What is writing a NaNovel all about? Well, for one thing, it isn't about taking time to write! The title says it all, because that idea, and goal, is to write throughout the entire month (30 days) and finish with 50,000 words or 175 pages by midnight on Nov. 30th. Established in 1999, this national novel month of writing is to encourage writers, or even those who have never written a novel, to throw off any worries about how they'll write, and to just write. With this mindset the writer is free to create (then clean it up-revise-later) and continue until the goal is reached.

To meet the monthly goal the writer must meet daily goals, or close to it. In 2008 there were over 120,000 participants, 20,000 of which completed their novel. And in 2009? Likely there will be many more! Of those 20,000 last year I'm certain many of those works have been revised and submitted. And of those not yet publishable, a great work still happened and this is the reason for the national novel writing month.

Movies that epitomize Halloween. Book Trailers: Promoting

Selected Song: THIS IS HALLOWEEN by The Citizens of Halloween

Movies that epitomize Halloween. Book Trailers: A Great Way to Promote!
To see the movie posters visit J's Journal on my website.

Each of these movies have a theme related to Halloween. Which have you seen? Seen as in which movie, not in real life, of course!

Twilight - Vampires
The Uninvited - From Beyond the Grave
Race to Witch Mountain - Witches
Coraline - Other Dimension
The Haunting in Connecticut - A Haunting
Friday the 13th - Psycho Slasher
Monsters vs. Aliens - Monsters and Aliens

Just as movies have trailers, so can books and in recent years this trend has grown popular. It's a great way to promote your book and can be cost effective if you research various companies for pricing and even better, find a friend or their friend to help you out. To have an engaging and effective book trailer doesn't have to cost a lot, but it does take creativity. This is one thing I'm sure you have or else you wouldn't have written a book and be in need of a trailer to promote it! As for it's content and running time that's up to you and the designer to collabrate your ideas.

This Is Halloween - The Citize...

How the movie The Strangers is related to a similar experience I had

Early last November, just like in The Strangers, I heard the doorbell ring at 4 a.m. It rang every 10-15 seconds for several minutes and I called the police. And like in The Strangers, the property is somewhat wooded and set back from the road. The porch light was off and after those few long minutes the bell ringing ceased. I looked outside to see a Caucasian man walking down the street in a t-shirt and shorts.

He might have been drunk and looking for an address, although he never walked onto other properties, just continued down the road. The next morning I saw that the doorframe paneling was separated as if he attempted to pry the lock. Although, maybe, the paneling had already been that way and the man did need directions. That's the opinions I received from people; that the 'visit' wasn't of ill intent. One can't be too certain. I recently saw a Dateline episode on the ID channel (Investigation Discovery) where two teenage boys were convicted of murdering a married couple who were University professors. They gained entry into the house by posing as workers for an organization.

After they were captured, a man reading the paper noticed the familiar face of one of the assailants. It was the same person who had stopped by his house one evening 6 months earlier to ask to use the phone after his car had broken down. The man wouldn't open the door (and his child was also inside), but raised a gun near the door's window to show the teen and offered to call a tow-truck. When he went to the phone he found the line dead and after the stranger left the homeowner found the outdoor phone cables cut. Upon capture, the two teens had also confessed their failed attempt to kill and rob the occupants of that house (with his friend hiding around the corner), but the gun deterred them. So, you never know...

Public Speaking and Promoting

In recent years the internet has exponentiated in users and with this boom of broadcasting grew an ever increasing audience. And just as there are numerous online opportunities for promoting yourself or product there are also great ways to generate awareness outside of the digital realm. The easiest way to promote is during a conversation (you and another's - not disrupting two people) asking the person what they think about a certain subject. Whether they know the subject or don't, you can share your thoughts on an idea or theme related to your 'brand'. Since my product is novels I would talk about topics related to what I'm writing to create potential interest. This, of course, doesn't have to be everytime you talk with someone, but the opportunities to do so are more than what it seems.

Speaking to groups is a great way to gain attention and awareness. The number of attendees that you're addressing is most times not as vital as the location and, more importantly, the content (given that you're not stage shy). If you are uneasy with speaking in public, practicing with a friend or someone who can give positive and constructive feedback is an excellent way to begin. If you were to speak at the library or book club group (and posted event flyers well in advance) there might be five or twenty-five people who attend, but if you arrived underprepared then five people might be all who stay interested. And of those five, who would likely tell a friend of the event, two or three might be interested in what you were offering.

It's favorable to your audience and advantageous to yourself to research, gather your notes and assemble a hierarchy of topics and main points that you'll present with an engaging enthusiasm. You never know who will be there and it just might be someone that wasn't interested, being dragged there by a friend, then finding your talk more enjoyable than they had first thought.

Researching not only includes using ideas and themes that you already know, but making certain that you're aware of your target audience (or close to it). For instance, the library. Depending on what day or time you schedule, there will be a different crowd of people. Even with flyers showing the time and day. If your presentation is during a weekday afternoon after schools let out, there may not be as many teens who show up. For instance, due to after school sports, homework or watching a sibling. However, if you present on a Saturday afternoon, there will be a greater for a larger audience. Another strategy (and primary one) is to host a speaking engagement based on a platform or theme in your story or for your product. Choose a location central to your platform then the audience will follow and be ready to listen.

There are numerous ways to promote what you've written or created and there are just as many people who want to know about it. Make public speaking part of your promotional plan and you'll discover the fun and rewarding benefits!

Creating Networking Opportunities Online

Creating opportunites to promote oneself on the internet can be an easy and fun endeavor that has many rewards. And it doesn't neccessarily have to cause headaches. In addition to my website http://www.jleeward.com/ I have added to my homepage image links to Myspace, Twitter, Facebook and Blogger. These four networking sites are on the left section of my site and in the center box I have included a signup for my Yahoo monthly newsletter where I feature my Ridgeview Reader newsletter that is based from my novel Helen and The Hunter.

The right box of my website layout has Noteable Links that showcase the highlights of my website. These pages are: Notes, Photos, Characters, Ask Jason, Playlist and J's Journal Blog. For more information on these visit my website. My J's Journal blog is a great feature that I chose to build into my website in addition to having any external blogs such as Blogger.

Even though my blog content will mostly be the exact same, a simple promoting strategy is that while one reader will find my blog on blogger, another will find the same posting on my website and then see links to my other sites such as Twitter, etc.

Creating links to and from each website source will gain further awareness for your audience. And a great thing about utilizing these sources is that unlike the majority of personal websites, they're free!

With countless blogs posted every day it can be difficult to decide what to read and even moreso, what to blog about, should you be writing an article or whatever you chose to post. I've considered the time invested in doing so and if it would garner many readers. To establish an audience there must be topics and ones worth reading about, to pique that reader interest. I've had readers check out my website's blog, but I know (when I do blog) there will be many more potential readers when I post what I write there onto Blogger. And from here (Blogger) they can go to my website.

When I've thought about what to write for topics, I've wondered if it would be a time waster. I've realized that no matter how many people read it, it creates an opportunity for them to visit my website and my other networking sites. And most importantly it allows me the benefit of practicing my writing (aside from my daily writing on my novel) to a diverse audience with topics that might not be in my novel or that I otherwise wouldn't give much thought to. It's amazing what new things can be learned every day and that those discoveries can be shared with those wanting to know. Or even better, to those who thought they didn't want to know and are glad they had the opportunity to find out.