down the writer's path

Internet Writing Tools: iGoogle

One of the things I like best about today's tools found on the web is the way they bring everything to me. Instead of having to go out and search, much of the material I like to skim, surf, and read arrives via my iGoogle home page and various tabbed pages. On my main page the common links I use pretty much daily are found in the two "box of links" areas on the right (see the images below). I can immediately click to my project manager that is dedicated to my current project at TeamworkPM or I can click to Facebook or MyLibraryThing, etc. When I click on the reading tab I'm taken to my page where I have used gadgets and feeds to gather book reviews, quotes, columns, magazines and topics that interest me to spur my thinking and stimulate my creativity. On the iGoogle writing page I have a writing sprint 5 minute hour glass timer, a clock, writing quotes, word links to dictionaries, etc. Sprinkled throughout I have timers that tell me how many days, weeks, hours, and minutes until my various deadline dates whether it's for a workshop, a completed draft, or any other writing-related project. Often these are self-imposed deadlines. On my writing project page I have gadgets that gather information that may be relevant to my book. It took a little bit of time to put my home page and tabbed pages together but now it saves me many hours. I can quickly find the things I tend to use on the web and move on. I have a total of 16 iGoogle pages full of things I like to use. Best of all no matter where I am or what computer I'm using, my iGoogle page is ready and waiting.

I write fiction. I don’t need no stinkin’ social network.

Most writers are solitary souls: they inhabit their own universe apart from the rest of the world. The clutter of life is a distraction. All this new social media network stuff is nothing but quicksand guaranteed to suck your attention away from the important work: the book. So why bother to plug in? For sure, fiction writers don't need Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and all the finely tuned and gently nuanced applications built to support these behemoths. Storytellers have been telling their tales for centuries without them. But is that the real question?

Except for a brief excursion now and then I stayed away from the new social networking world. I could see marketing application readily enough. I wasn't there. But then my fictional universe became populated with all these kids who were fully plugged in to the 21^st century. Their daily lives reflected the impact of this social networking and even governed how they interacted. I watched as their actions became a direct result of their use of Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, and Live Journal. What's a writer to do?

Does it become a matter of research only? Should you skim the surface, assume you know what's going on, and skate on your fictional characters' assumed knowledge? Or do you take a deeper look at what's happening and actually experience it? For me the answer led to my having accounts with Twitter and Facebook and then branching out into some other applications. It meant reading more about this phenomenon of collapsed walls between people and allowing myself to fully experience its impact on how I socialize, work, and act. To monitor how I respond during the day and watch to see if it remained a simple tool or took on a deeper, more enhanced connection.

Today this galloping online networking is embraced by millions of people. The swift and intimate connection with strangers is accepted and even sought. But what does that mean at a deeper level? What does it say about us as we slide into a world where there are no borders, no walls, and no constraints? How do we respond? Are we even able to keep up with this constantly evolving world? And what does it mean for our characters and our plots? How does all this sculpt our characters in ways that we, as fiction writers, never had to tackle before?

As fiction writers we might sit behind our safe monitor and screen the world, safe in the knowledge that we inhabit an imaginary universe that never collides with reality. But can we afford this luxury? If we want readers to connect with our characters and to believe in the imaginary construct of our fictional world, shouldn't we at least experience what is going on?

You tell me. Have you peered past the distraction and noise of Facebook and Twitter to consider how it really shapes you, your world, and that of your characters? Leave a comment or enter the new world. You'll find me—and this blog—on Facebook. Or just bite the apple and Twit me.

What’s up with all this Twit and Luv stuff?

In the “just so ya know” department, I’ve stumbled across a couple of neat little applications that add some social media flavor to this blog. If you’re a social media maven, you’ll appreciate the addition of TwitThis and I’ll appreciate your ability to use it. If you’re a blogger, then using the CommentLuv application should make you an even happier camper. Ultimately what’s it all about is reader appreciation coupled with my efforts to make it easier to get the word out about my blog and what I write.

TwitThis makes it easier for anyone using Twitter to share Down the Writer’s Path blog and/or a specific blog post. It’s as simple as clicking on the button. Obviously for me the more easily I can help readers get the word out the better.

CommentLuv is a neat application for any reader who blogs or has a website. Since I’ve enabled CommentLuv on this blog, any reader who is signed up with CommentLuv can have a notice about their site or one of their blog posts appear automatically at the end of their comment. Why would I want to do that? Well, I’m hoping it will encourage more reader participation in the comments section. I like the idea of a notice about my last blog post appearing whenever I leave comments on other sites so I figure other bloggers and writers will appreciate the same. Here’s a copy of my comment CommentLuv signature from yesterday:

vikksimmons’s last blog post..A writer’s tools: Carrots, contests and chocolates 

At the end of each post in the footer, you'll also find the green "Share this" button that allows you to take advantage of about 20 social media sites including FACEBOOK. The net gain of both of these is increased traffic. Increased traffic equals a potentially larger readership. And a readership, any readership, is what it’s all about when you write because the process isn’t complete until the writing has been read and, hopefully, digested.  

And now for your St. Patrick’s Day Irish blessing: 

Wishing you a rainbow
For sunlight after showers—
Miles and miles of Irish smiles
For golden happy hours—
Shamrocks at your doorway
For luck and laughter too,
And a host of friends that never ends
Each day your whole life through!

Links: TwitThis, CommentLuv

 

Down the Writer's Path launches first Facebook ad campaign

One of the concerns of any blogger has to be readership. But doesn't that become a concern for most writers? The first question generally revolves around defining who the reader is. Once that is figured out the really big question is where to find them. If you've noticed my Facebook profile on the left, then you know I'm a new Facebook player. In the last month I've discovered two things important to this blog. DWP now has its own Facebook page with a growing "fan" base, and today I used the Facebook "create an ad" application to launch my first ad campaign. The information below is contained in the ad that began its foray into the sea of Facebook writers and readers a few hours ago. We'll talk more about social marketing but right now I'm happy to see the list of fans growing. If you have any experience with social media marketing, let me know.     

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Writer's Tools: OMG, I'm Facebooked!

The solitary writer is no longer alone. I have finally succumbed to the social networking phenomena and opened a Facebook account. I did it in the name of research, of course. I wanted to experience what my characters did on a daily basis. Now I'm not sure why it took me so long. Too much focus on the writing, I guess, and not enough playing around. I can see why everyone likes this. I began last night and already have 40+ friends and managed to reconnect with several old friends. It's all so, well, immediate. But there's more for writers to do than simply chat with friends.

Facebook offers writers plenty of opportunities to mix and mingle, to market and to publicize. There's a lot of cross-fertilization that can occur with only a few clicks. You'll find my Facebook profile on the left side of my blog now and my blog posts appearing on my Facebook account. Any blogger can immediately import their feed into the Notes section and a notice of the new post is immediately listed. I uploaded my book covers and put them in an album. The ability to go back and forth and talk to people and keep them apprised of what I'm doing is amazing. I can share photos, links, blog posts, and just about anythng else I can come up with. If I have future booksignings, there's a place for events. If I want to post slices of current work or reviews of my books, I can. The ability to just plain support one another is incredible. The nice thing is that I am not restricted to just writing when I share links and information. I'm still mining all the opportunities Facebook provides; after all, it's been less than 24 hours since my FB birth but I get it. So stop by, say hello, and "friend" me.  

The Prayer of Jonah: Introducing my new blog

Today marks the introduction of my The Prayer of Jonah blog to the blogosphere. The Prayer of Jonah is a new writing endeavor--well, not so new to me but new to the world--that I've created to capture my more spiritual and faith-based writings. I created the blog back in 2004 when I first took up the ancient art of iconography. Since then I've posted infrequently as I worked out the definition, nature and purpose of this particular blog. If you visit the site, you'll quickly see its scope. You'll find my ruminations on the book Book of Jonah and the prophet, reflections on my spiritual journey, and rants chronicling my experience as, I admit, a rather reluctant caregiver. Obviously these offerings will attract a different readership from you here at Down the Writer's Path or that of My Dancing Pencil so a new blog was born.

Internet Tools for Writers: Catch it with Stickies

I am old enough to remember life without the Internet, typewriters prior to word processors, and index cards before the dawn of Post-its. I love stickies. Canary yellow, pale pink, turquoise blue, and spring green, the list goes on and on. Now there are Super Sticky notes, ruled notes, sticky index cards, and even color-coded half-index-card stickies. It's a beautiful world for writers today.

My library is littered with flags and notes on stickies. I use stickies as I read through books that I use for research or that I'll review. I arc out a character's life on stickies. I manage a novel visually scene-by-scene using stickies in a blank book I keep close at hand. Notes, ideas, questions all mark up my stimulating rainbow of stickies.

But wait! Let me tell you about my desktop. It, too, is littered with Stickies. I've tried several note-taking software and my favorite is--what else?--a software called Stickies. Offered by Zhorn Software, this is a simple, clean program that will soothe the soul of any stickie manic. You can color-code, alarm, and play hide and seek with them. They can live on your desktop or hibernate in a particular file. They can be huge, tiny, or Post-it sized. Bless them, they can even be printed.

I use my cyber-stickies to capture random thoughts that accumulate during the day, to run ongoing shopping lists, and to capture quick notes for phone calls or emails. They function as terrific reminders. If you prefer to have a clean desktop, hide your stickies until you need them. What's the best thing about Stickies? It's free! Download it now.
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More info: USING FURL; USING OUTLOOK; USING GOOGLE ALERTS; USING GOOGLE DESKTOP SEARCH; USING THE BLOG READING LEVEL TOOL; USING VISUAL THESAURUS; USING JACKETFLAP.COM SOCIAL NETWORK

Internet Tools for Writers: JacketFlap networks people in the children's book industry

Social networking is here to stay. So if you're among the thousands of writers who have not made an attempt to tickle any social networks such as MySpace, Facebook or Twitter, it's time. Anyone remotely connected with the children's book industry should take a look at JacketFlap.com. You'll not only find authors and illustrators, but you'll run across reviewers, librarians, agents, booksellers, publicists, teachers, and even students. This is a growing community with a database of books, just released books, reviews, children's book-related blogs and publishers. If you're already published, you may discover your name and book is already listed. If that's the case, it's time to update your profile before anyone else does. Best of all, JacketFlap is free.

I came across JacketFlap yesterday during a search of my name. The site only had my name and the info on DIVIDED LOYALTIES. So I cruised around the site, read all about it, and updated my profile. It was easy and didn't take long. You can make it as concise as you wish. I was even able to have a feed to this blog show up on my profile page. If you're a writer or illustrator, JacketFlap is one more way to promote your books and your work. In addition you can find other writers and "friends" who will network with you. At the very least your profile is one more page that will show up on a Google Search. The best JacketFlap offers is a connection to the publishing community that may lead to more book sales and possible future work.

In order for the community to grow, JacketFlap awards points when you update publisher information, new contacts, or referrals. The points accumulate and gift certificates are earned. So, don't forget where you first heard about JacketFlap and spread the word. I find the site pretty impressive. Take a look and then come back and give me your thoughts. If you're in the kiddie lit field, why not join me--and don't forget to "friend" me--at JacketFlap.com.
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More info: USING FURL; USING OUTLOOK; USING GOOGLE ALERTS; USING GOOGLE DESKTOP SEARCH; USING THE BLOG READING LEVEL TOOL; USING VISUAL THESAURUS

Internet Tools for Writers: Save Time with Google Alerts

If you're guilty of losing time on the Internet surfing for research and information, one great tool for writers is Google Alerts. Instead of you going out to find the information, Google surfs the net, mines the web for any info particular to your alert, and bundles it in an email that lands in your mailbox. You determine whether you want the alerts daily, weekly, monthly or whatever. The alert can be as broad as monitoring "dinosaurs" or as narrow and specific as your name. (Setting up an alert to monitor your name is something I think every writer should do; you'd be amazed at what you discover.)

You can create up to 1,000 Google Alerts. That should satisfy even the most versatile and research-needy of writers. Check the Google Alert FAQ page to learn the hard facts. Right now I maintain an alert on my name. I also have one that pertains to a subject for a future book and one that is directly related to one of my current characters. Both alerts float in once a week. Now Google doesn't know exactly what you are looking for but just having something that goes out and searches the web for every mention of that particular word or combination of words greatly reduces the time you spend foraging. The magic inherent in surfing isn't eclipsed, either. Serendipity snaps into focus the moment you click on a link that is even remotely interesting.

Google Alerts has an easy manager. This little program is so easy to set up and use that anyone will benefit from its use. Mine are sent directly to my gmail account. (You will need to open a Google account but you don't have to use Gmail.) Filters funnel the alerts so they are easily retrievable. They also show up in my Outlook in a folder titled ALERTS. There they sit, silently awaiting my attention on my timetable.

When you get an alert, it may contain one, two, three, even seven, eight or ten websites. They probably won't all directly relate to your needs but it only takes seconds to click, check and delete. Save the ones that may matter in the email. When I find one that obviously has something I'm going to want or need later--you guessed it--I Furl it.

If you haven't discovered Google Alerts, give it a try.
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More info: USING FURL; USING OUTLOOK

Internet Tools for Writers: Lower your Email Anxiety

Are you sucked into a whirlpool of email every morning only to finally be spit out to discover 1-2-3 hours have gone by? Take advantage of the software and Internet tools to gain control. I use filters and folders so that much of my e-mail is automated. I do NOT have to read everything, nor do I need to read it immediately. Some items accumulate and if I don't have time at the end of the week or month I may even delete an entire folder's contents. That often happens with a few subscription-type emails.

I use Outlook and that has really helped me upgrade my efficiency in handling email and tasks. If I read an email that requires attention--not immediate--I'll flag it. If it's something I need to do, I'll task it. I make quick decisions that enable me to sort the mail that is not automatically sorted. There are only about 3 or 4 people whose emails I feel I should read quickly. Those are automatically filtered into folders but their folders are moved up to the "favorites" section so I see them first. Newsletters, alerts, and group email are immediately funneled to their appropriate folder to be checked. I use downloadable timers that are set to 2 minutes for immediate response and 15-20 minutes to limit the amount of total time spent on email. My goal is to go through all legitimate email every morning, usually within 15-20 min. so I can clear decks for the day's work ahead. If an email requires more than 2 minutes for a response I either flag it or convert it to a task. Since I don't use any sound to let me know when the emails come in, I'm able to maintain focus on my daily work and set specific times for email checks.

The use of filters, folders, flags and tasks allow me to move quickly through my email and the Internet. Any internal tension or anxiety about "growing email" or losing myself in the research abyss of the Internet is eliminated.