Well, it’s not exactly for writers…
… but it is most definitely web stuff.
It’s the culmination of a lot of work from a lot of people, including my web team colleagues and myself, throughout the last year.
Here it is: the new Alzheimer’s Society website, with all its factsheets, and its events, its news stories and its publications, personal experiences, local information, online forms, and yes, I’m rather proud.
Sixty seconds of fame has come the way of web stuff 4 writers this week with the site being mentioned on Mur Laffety’s I Should Be Writing podcast.
I Should Be Writing is billed as ‘the podcast for wanna-be fiction writers, by a wanna-be fiction writer’. It’s a show that was recommended to me in the comments on my first postcasting post and I’ve been a subscriber for about a month now. Over that time, I’ve enjoyed Mur’s commentary on her own writing and her advice to other writers so much that I’ve also downloaded a number of her back episodes.
In her most recent episode (ISBW#79 – Feedback episode), Mur responds to questions from listeners, talking about what to do when you lose interesting in your characters, world building and the perils of combining alcohol and writing. Then, about 20 minutes in, Mur says that she’s received an email from Caitlin, letting her know about web stuff 4 writers.
So thanks to Caitlin for sending the email; thanks to Mur for the mention; and welcome to any first-time viewers to this blog. Please leave a comment below, and let us know who you are, what you write, and how you’re using the web.
It’s been a month now since I wrote my first post here on web stuff 4 writers.
One month, 392 visits, 27 posts and 40 (non-spam) comments later, I’m still here and more enthusiastic about the project than ever.
I’ve learnt a lot in this month of almost-daily blogging. I’ve learnt technical stuff such as how to insert a search box in my side-bar and how to set up a Feedburner RSS feed. But more importantly, I’ve learnt that I need to make time each day to write. I need to record my ideas in my notebook as I think of them. I need to both start articles and finish them.
Here are five of my favourite posts so far
I’ve got plenty more topics on that ideas page of my notebook, but if there’s anything about writing and the web that you particularly want me to cover, please let me know by leaving a comment below.
A note of thanks
Thanks so much to everyone who has commented on my entries over the past month. One of the great things about blogging is that it connects you to a community of writers around the world. Thanks also to those who haven’t commented, but continue to read. Please feel free to join in the discussions if you wish to do so – or even just leave a note to say ‘hi’.
Happy one-month anniversary to all of us, and may there be many more months to come.
Just a short note for UK readers to say that, according to the Man Booker Prize website, the 2007 will be announced live on BBC news just after 10.20pm (GMT). The boy and I don’t normally turn on our television set, but I’ll be watching tonight.
And for New Zealanders and from a New Zealander: my vote goes to Mister Pip
Your thoughts
Do you have a favourite in this year’s shortlist?
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:
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?
There’s an issue of the writing magazine, Mslexia, that’s been sitting on my bedside table for a couple of months now. On the cover there’s a woman peering over the top of a rather large laptop screen, and the headline, ‘Should you be online?’
And yes, I am online. I’m a web geek. It’s what I do as a day job at the moment, and when I’m not at work, I’m often found working on my personal writing website, or answering emails, or checking in on facebook.
This new site is an attempt to bring together my two loves: writing and web (stuff). My intention here is to write regular posts on how the internet can be used at all stages of the writing and publishing process – from finding inspiration to marketing your published book.
I hope you will find this website useful and welcome any suggestions you have.
Natasha
September 2007
