web stuff 4 writers

What is del.icio.us?

del.icio.us is what’s known as a social bookmarking service. It’s a way to store links to selected websites and share them with others.

I’ve been using del.icio.us for about six months now, and I still want to pronounce it ‘del-dot-icio-dot-us’, but I’ve been told that the dots are silent and it should be pronounced as just ‘delicious’.

Why use del.icio.us?

There are other ways to bookmark a website. You can simply add it to your ‘Favourites’ if you use the Internet Explorer browser; ‘Bookmarks’ if you use Firefox.

So why bother using something like del.icio.us?

Firstly, having a del.icio.us account means that you can store these links online. And this means that you can access them from any computer (or at lease, any computer with an internet connection).

Unlike the bookmarks listings on browsers, del.icio.us also allows you to add ‘tags’ to your bookmarks. ‘Tags’ are keywords associated with a piece of information. For example, for my bookmark on the Guardian’s poetry workshop, I assigned the tags: workshop, writing, poetry, competitions, Guardian, UK.

Writers and del.icio.us

There are a number of ways that an online bookmarking service could be useful for writers. For me, these are the three main ones:

1. As a resource list: del.icio.us allows you to save and tag sites as you surf the web, so when you see a writing competition which you’d like to enter or a magazine you’d like to submit an article to, you can add it to your bookmarks and perhaps add the month of the deadline as a tag. Then later you can sort your list of saved opportunities by closing dates, etc.
2. As a research assistant: In the past, I’ve often found a website which has some useful information for a story or article I was writing, but haven’t bookmarked it. And then a week later, I haven’t been able to find it again. With del.icio.us, you could tag a website with ‘chapter 1’ or a character’s name and then be able to search your list of bookmarks for that information at a later date.
3. As an online portfolio: If you write for a lot of different websites, del.icio.us could allow you to build a list of links to your work. For some, this might be an efficient alternative to having a personal website or blog.

How do I get started with del.icio.us?

Basically you’ll need to register for an account, and then decide whether you’d rather add links to your list by visiting a website or installing a button on your browser. There’s more information on the del.icio.us website.

Your thoughts

If you’ve used del.icio.us or any other online bookmarking tool in the past, have you found it to be useful? Are there any other ways that you can see del.icio.us benefiting writers?

Tags: Research, What is? by Natasha
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It’s not difficult to start a blog.  Millions of people already have one.  There are websites and hosting companies out there that will do all the tricky, technical stuff for you.  There are other websites, like Blogging Basics 101, which give a comprehensive overview of the topic.

What I wanted to talk about today is the pre-blog issue which is perhaps more significant for a lot of writers: planning your blog’s content.

What are you going to blog about?

When deciding what your blog’s going to be about, it may be worth revisiting your reasons for blogging in the first place. 

If you’re looking for somewhere to express yourself or an alternative to a paper journal, your blog may become simply a record of your day-to-day life, recording your highs and lows, holidays and what you’re making for dinner.

However, you may want to narrow your focus to one particular area of your life, such as your writing and the books you’re reading.  If you’ve decided to self-publish a novel, you may want to post chapters as you write them.  This type of blog has advantages in that your readers will know what to expect from your entries.  It’s also a way to limit how much information about yourself you put online.  However, when you limit your range of topics, it can become more difficult to come up with new ideas for entries.

Who’s going to read it?

If you’re planning a public blog, then the potential readership is endless.  It includes fans of your writing, new readers, other writers and offline friends.  However, it also includes groups of people such as your parents, ex-partners, blishers and literary agents.  In other words, there’s a possibility that anyone can read it.

With this in mind, you might want to consider what sort of content you’re going to include in your blog entries.  My rule of thumb has always been to keep it to the things I’m happy for my parents to read.  Some things are appropriate for publication online.  Some things may be more appropriate for that paper journal you keep in your sock drawer. 

Similarly, you might not want to talk about the negatives of writing (such as writer’s block or rejection letters) in your blog if you’re currently in the market for an agent or publisher.

Making changes

While I think it does help to have a plan before you begin, the great thing about blogs is that they can evolve over time. A public blog can acquire a password if necessary.  Posts can be edited, or deleted. A limited-focus blog can become more general.  Make a start, and see what happens.

Your thoughts

If you have a blog at the moment, is the focus similar to what you thought it’d be when you started?  What are your favourite topics to write about?  What topics do you find it difficult to write about (or avoid writing about altogether)?

Tags: Blogging by Natasha
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I’ve just finished reading Amy Tan’s memoir, The Opposite of Fate.  It’s a collection of non-fiction written in different parts of her life, about different parts of her life. 

I really enjoyed all Tan’s essays, but given the direction of my thoughts over the past week, the piece that really stood out for me was an eight page section called persona errata.  In this section, Tan speaks about the internet and how easy it is for misinformation and rumours to spread.  On the internet, prizes have been attributed to Tan that she’s never received in real life; she’s attended more colleges, had children and extra husbands.  Persona errata is her attempt to correct these untruths.  It’s also available online on what seems to be (though may not be) Tan’s official site.

What’s true on the internet?

The famous New Yorker cartoon says, ‘On the internet, no one knows you’re a dog.’  However, if you were reading a website that was written by a dog, there might be some give-aways (ads for leashes perhaps, articles on the dry vs canned vs fresh food debate).

Similarly, it’s important to remember that the information you read online may be not be written by an ‘expert’ on the subject.  It may therefore be deliberately untrue, a rumour or biased in some way.  Anyone can write about pretty much anything on the web, and this is particularly significant when you’re researching material for an article or a piece of fiction.  As you would when you’re reading a print publication, it may be necessary to ask yourself:   

• How credible is this source?
• Where have they got their information from?
• Do they provide any references?

Sometimes it can be interesting to try and work out who’s funded the website, as that might give you an indication of any bias in the information.

As a side note, I’ve added an About page to this website over the last 24 hours.  Hopefully this gives you a better idea of who I am and where I’m coming from.  Unless stated otherwise, the information on this site is purely based on my own opinions and observations.

Your thoughts

Tan has corrected the internet-spread untruths about her in an essay in a published book.  Is it possible to do the same via having your own website or blog?  Is an author website the ultimate source of credible information about an author?

Tags: General, Research by Natasha
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Bianca Zander is a New Zealand writer and the creator of the Sponsor My Novel website which I mentioned last week.

She’s also agreed to be the first interview victim of web stuff 4 writers and last night, while I was sleeping, she answered my emailed questions.

Where did the idea for the ‘Sponsor My Novel’ website come from?

It came out of the blue, actually. About two months ago, I got sick of trying to balance work and writing, and decided that I would put all my energy and focus into the novel. I made the scary decision to stop looking for paid work and to see what would happen if I just wrote. What happened is that I ran out of money!

Rather than borrowing money from my parents or taking out a bank loan, I thought, “What if I get a whole lot of people to give me really small amounts?” So that’s where the idea came from to ask people to sponsor me to write a page, a paragraph or a sentence. For NZ$1000 they can be a character, but so far, no one has taken up that option.

How was the website created?

Very easily. I got a couple of designer friends to help take photographs and design the banner, but did the rest myself on Wordpress.com. It’s actually a blog, and very easy to manage.

How have you promoted the website?

Initially, I sent personal emails (rather than group emails) to all my friends and family, asking them if they would like to become a sponsor. I also created a group on Facebook, which has been less successful as I think people respond better to a personal approach. I’ve also done a small radio interview and one with New Zealand arts website the Big Idea. Word is getting around though - people have been talking about the concept.

Are there any other ways in which having access to the internet has assisted your writing?

Well, it’s a brilliant instant research tool. The other day, I was trying to remember the songs on the Pretty Woman soundtrack, to insert one into my story, and hey presto, Google had the answer in about two seconds. On the other hand, having constant access to broadband is a horrible distraction. I know of one writer who hides her wireless terminal inside the house so she isn’t tempted. I sometimes take my laptop to cafes or the library so I can be ‘offline’.

Do you have any favourite writing-related websites?

I’m enjoying Goodreads.com at the moment, where you can list and rate your favourite books and discuss them with other readers. It’s a good indication of what people are actually reading and loving, as opposed to just buying and casting aside.

Otherwise, I occasionally read reviews in the New York Times or the Guardian online or check the Big Idea for residency and funding deadlines.

You can find out more about Bianca’s work-in-progress and perhaps even sponsor a sentence or two at sponsormynovel.wordpress.com.

Tags: Interviews by Natasha
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There are some great writing-related resources and reads on the internet.  The difficult thing is finding them! 

Here’s a couple that I’ve come across while surfing the web this week. 

• On the BBC website, they’re reporting on the demise of the hyphen.  In the latest Shorter Oxford Dictionary, hyphens have been removed from words such as pigeon-hole and ice-cream.  The story suggests that blame should be assigned to the slap-dash (thought perhaps without the dash) nature of electronic communication.
• Linda of MidLifeWriter.com has Five Ways to Break Through Your Writer’s Block and Get Your Book Started Now!  Her fifth point about starting a book as a blog hit home to me.  A lot of people (and I’m usually one of them) find it easier to write 500 word blog posts, rather than opening up MS Word and writing 500 words of fiction.  Of course, if you’re writing a book that you then intend to submit for publication, it’s probably worth making all your posts password protected.

Tags: Blogging, Web links by Natasha
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In last Thursday’s entry I mentioned that one of the most frustrating aspects of keeping a writing blog is coming up with regular topics to write about. In the past, I’ve used topics from the fantastic ‘Booking Through Thursday’ blog, but the focus of their questions is usually on the stories that you’re reading rather than the ones you’re writing. 

As a way to remedy this, I’m proposing to post weekly ‘writing about writing’ topics which you can use, if you so desire, as the starting point for your own blog entries. 

So here goes…

Writing about writing: Week #1

Do you think keeping a journal or blog is a useful practice for writers?  Why or why not?

If you’ve answered this question in your blog, please leave a link to the relevant entry in the comments box below.  Alternatively you can write/paste your answer directly in the comments box.

Tags: Blogging, Writing about writing by Natasha
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What is BlogRush?

This is BlogRush.  You can currently find another, more clickable, version of it on my sidebar.  It’s a widget.  In the web world, a ‘widget’ is something that sits on your sidebar (or on other parts of your website) and does something.  There are widgets that create calendars and countdowns, widgets that keep track of who leaves the most comments on your blog, widgets that display random videos or Bible verses, and so on.

BlogRush is a widget that has been designed to increase your blog traffic.  The title-links that you see on my BlogRush widget here have been taken from the RSS feeds* of other blogs which are on similar topics to this one. 

* The BBC website has a simple explanation of RSS feeds.

From reading the FAQs on the BlogRush website, it seems that BlogRushers earn credits based on the traffic their own website gets.  The more credits you earn, the more frequently the titles of your blog posts appear as links on the BlogRush widget of others.  Extra credits can be earned by referring other bloggers to the service, as their site traffic is also counted on your account.

Advantages for writers

I only installed this widget yesterday, so I’m still experimenting with its features and potential.  However, I was pleased to find when I signed up that there was a ‘Writing & Literature’ category that I could choose for my blog.  This means:

1. My blog titles will appear on other blogs which have also been BlogRush-categorised as being about writing and literature.  Arguably visitors to those blogs will be more interested in reading another blog on a similar topic.
2. I’ve already whiled away a couple of hours by clicking on the links on my own BlogRush widget.  It seems that it’ll be a great way to find interesting writing and book related commentary and resources on the web, and to ‘meet’ other writers.

Interested?

You can sign up for BlogRush here.  Once you’re registered you will be given a piece of code which you need to cut and paste into to the appropriate place on your blog.  If you’ve got any questions about how to do this, let me know, and I’ll see what I can do to help.

Already have BlogRush installed?

What are your initial thoughts?  Have you seen an increase in visits to your website?  Can you see any other benefits for writers?

Tags: Blogging, What is? by Natasha
2 Comments »

In Wednesday’s post, I mentioned that one way people could sponsor Bianca’s novel writing was to donate via PayPal.  Today I’m following up with a post on what PayPal actually is and how it can be used by writers.

What is PayPal?

PayPal (www.paypal.com) is a website which allows money transfers to take place over the internet.  Having a PayPal account is kind of like having an online bank account.  You can ‘deposit’ funds and then use them to by goods and services.  Other users can also transfer money into your account.

It is free to set up and pay for purchases with a PayPal account, however there are transaction charges to withdraw funds and accept credit or debit card payments.

Paying for products and services with PayPal

It’s probably fair to say that most of the websites I buy things from regularly don’t accept payment by PayPal.  However, when I can use this service, it means that I don’t have to worry about submitting my credit card details directly to a supplier or about having the right currency for the transaction. 

It seems that online products and services, such as Skype and eBayare more likely to accept this type of payment.  So if you’re setting up a website to promote your writing for example, you may be able to pay for your domain name and hosting via PayPal.

Receiving money with PayPal

Perhaps more useful for writers is the ability to receive money through PayPal.  If you’re selling something via your website – such as an e-book (or a printed book), or even seeking sponsorship for your novel – you may wish to allow your site visitors to pay you via PayPal. 

If you are writing articles or other content for publications or websites based overseas, you may also be able to ask for payment into your PayPal account.  You can then transfer the money from PayPal into your local bank account, in your local currency, without the need to worry about receiving foreign cheques.  There is a list of supported currencies on their website.

Your thoughts

Have you used PayPal to send or receive money online?  Were you happy with the experience?

Tags: Funding, What is? by Natasha
1 Comment »

There are many ways for writers to build up their profile online.  You might want to create your own website, have a MySpace page.  You could send out e-newsletters, contribute to online communities, or you could keep a blog.

What’s a blog?

Blogs (short for web logs) are online journals or diaries, updated regularly by one or more people.  Like you see on this page, the entries of a blog are usually displayed in reverse chronological order and are open to comments from readers.  In May 2007, the blog search engine, Technorati, reported that they were tracking over 70 million blogs! 

So there is obviously a lot of people blogging out there.  They’re writing about topics from cooking to gadgets, finance to politics.  Some are keeping their personal diaries online.  All bloggers are writers in a sense, but some of those 70 million are also journalists or poets, short fictions writers and novelists.  Well-known writers such as Meg Cabot and Neil Gaiman have blogs.  So should you be joining them?

Why blog?

Every blogger would probably answer this question differently, however, these are perhaps some of the more common responses:

• To express yourself.  To say what you want.  Most blogs don’t have an editor, which can be seen as a positive or a negative I suppose.
• To get into a habit of writing regularly.
• To keep a record of what’s happening.  This can be particularly useful in the lead up to the publication of a particular piece of writing.
• To interact with your readers and build up interest in your writing.   

Some blogs are also able to become a source of income through advertising and affiliate programmes.

 Reasons to reconsider

• Blogging can be time-consuming, and perhaps you’d prefer to focus on your other writing projects.  Or read books.  Or spend your free time in a hundred other ways.
• It’s not easy to keep coming up with topics to write about, and long silences can result in you losing your regular blog readers.
• While you can take steps to preserve your privacy, starting a blog means putting an aspect of yourself online.  You may wish to consider whether or not you’re okay with this.

Over the next month or so, I’m going to be writing more about blogging – covering topics from planning a blog to building your readership.  If you’ve got any questions, feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to answer either directly or in a new blog post.

Tags: Blogging by Natasha
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In the latest e-mail newsletter from the International Institute of Modern Letters, there’s a message from a past student.  Bianca Zander is 64,000 words into her first novel and she’s seeking sponsors to complete it.

To explain her idea, Bianca’s created a website called Sponsor My Novel, which contains information about her and her writing, a list of sponsors and an extract from the work in progress.  Sponsors seem to be able to pay directly into her bank account or online via PayPal.

For NZ$2 dollars, you can sponsor a sentence.  For $8, you can sponsor a paragraph.  For $20, a page.  Bianca, says she’s aiming to raise NZ$8,000 which will allow her to write full-time for six months.

The website is well-designed.  The information is clear.  I enjoyed reading the extract, and it’s very tempting to sponsor a sentence or two.

It’ll be interesting to watch how the site (and Bianca’s novel) progresses.

Your thoughts

Do you think this is an concept that could work for other writers?  Or is it one of those ideas, like million dollar homepages, which is inspiring when the first person does it, and then fast becomes cliché?  Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.  

Tags: Funding by Natasha
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