web stuff 4 writers

There’s only 21 days to the launch of Faye L. Booth’s debut novel, Cover the Mirrors, yet she’s still found time to answer a few web stuff 4 writers questions about how she uses the internet.

How did you use the internet when you were writing Cover the Mirrors?

The good thing about the internet is that it’s like a free library. The bad thing about the internet is that anyone can update it, so information obtained from it is not to be trusted automatically. (Although of course, there are plenty of books and newspaper articles that are absolute drivel). My preferred technique when it comes to using the internet for research is to see what I can find, and then attempt to corroborate mutually supporting evidence from several sources.

Book recommendations can be found online too, and Amazon’s always handy for obtaining the kinds of titles that might not necessarily be found in bricks-n-mortar bookshops, like the texts on Victorian Spiritualism I used in researching Cover the Mirrors.

Then there’s the self-indulgent internet use, like blogging so I can complain about having a bad writing day, and word meters (see below) so I can keep track of my progress.

How have you used the internet to promote Cover the Mirrors?

I am becoming a rather accomplished media tart. In such a competitive field it’s vital for new authors especially to keep their book’s name in people’s minds, and there are plenty of ways to do this online.

Now that there are user-friendly sites on which to create online content (blog providers and social networking sites, for example), it’s easy to have a web presence, and the payoffs can be great. I avoided getting a MySpace account for a very long time, but my MySpace is probably the most viewed of all my various web presences, and I have met some great people there, like Laura, the editor of hagsharlotsheroines.com.

How was fayelbooth.co.uk created?

A techie friend provided the basic code, and I have sufficient knowledge (acquired by trial and error over my years online) to tweak it. I’m currently doing a web design course, though, so hopefully I’ll be in a position to take better control of my site soon.

What are your favourite writing-related websites?

I have yet to really get into sites like EditRED and Authors’ Den, although I do have accounts on both of them.

Really, the majority of sites I visit for writing purposes weren’t specifically designed for authors - history sites for research, networking sites for promotion and such.

As I mentioned, though, I do like to have a little progress meter going for my own amusement while I’m writing a first draft, and my favourite one comes from Writertopia as it’s the only one I’ve found so far that doesn’t get overloaded and stop working in November when NaNoWriMo’s happening, and none of the others have an option that allows you to depict yourself as an anthropomorphic raisin in a variety of moods.

Faye’s novel, Cover the Mirrors, is available for pre-order on Amazon.com. You can find out more about Faye and her writing on www.fayelbooth.co.uk.

Tags: Interviews 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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