Interweaving the Writer and the Web

You've heard it before--every serious writer should have a web site. You've thought about it already--the set-up, the design process, the maintenance. And it all seems too overwhelming. This article will help dispel some of the fears and myths associated with creating your own site.

The first belief you must carry with you is that every writer should have a web site, no matter what stage of career you are in. Whether just starting out, or multi-published, the internet is a powerful marketing tool from which all writers can benefit.

As soon as you start writing, you should investigate and register your domain name. Use the name you will be writing under (pen name) as your domain name. If you have a common name which is already taken, consider adding a suffix like: JaneDoeBooks.com or JaneDoeAuthor.com. If you aren't sure which name you will be using, purchase several domain names. They can be bought for as little as $7.95/year if you lock in for several years.  Don't renew the names you won't use.  Your ownership will be automatically cancelled. 

Once you have a domain name, start investigating hosting sites. Prices range from free, to upwards of $35/month, depending on how much space you want, and what services you need, such as e-mail accounts and e-mail forwarding. The more you pay, the more space and services you receive. Free sites such as 000webhost.com will usually have banner ads that pop up for every visitor to your site. The price may be right, but do you want your visitors dealing with pop-up ads? You may also be limited to use of their templates, with little customization options.

After setting up your server, you can start the design process. You can design your page by using templates (usually available through free hosting services), learning to write HTML code yourself, or purchasing software which writes the code for you, such as Microsoft Expressions or Adobe's Dreamweaver. 

The first step in design is to define the purpose of your site. The purpose will define the content. Here are several purposes, and the basic content for those sites:

• Promote novels and other published works--For established authors, this will include pages for your books, a bio, writing tips, news, and links as a start.
• Promote non-fiction--For authors published in non-fiction only, this site would be more subject-oriented, with articles and links on your area of expertise, and contact info.
• Educate Readers--For the unpublished author, this site could include a bio, monthly column, offers for speaking engagements, etc.
• Educate Writers--For the author who wants to help other writers with their careers, this site would include writing tips, bibliography, links, etc.

A basic site should include a simple home page with links to other pages. The Table of Contents on your home page should have links to top-level pages only, for ease of navigation. Include a photo and brief welcome note on your home page, and move more detailed information to other pages to avoid clutter. Your home page is your first impression, so keep it as simple and clean as possible.

Keep subsequent layers to a minimum, and when designing these additional pages, stay within a theme which reflects your writing. Again, keep the design simple. Dark backgrounds are hard on the eyes, and small, fancy text is difficult to read, no matter how pretty it is. Use tables to align graphics and text within any borders you may choose. Keep graphics small so they upload quickly for the viewer. Finally, always include a copyright notice on your pages.

Once your pages are designed, they need to be uploaded to the internet using FTP software. But don't think for a minute that your job is done once your pages are uploaded. If you have a web page, you need to make a commitment to your visitors to keep your pages up to date and well maintained. Keep content current, fix broken links, and bring new information up front as it develops.

You also need to publicize your site. You can do this by submitting your site to search engines, joining listserves, using your domain name on your stationary and in your signature tag, requesting links on other relevant sites and even starting your own listserve.

Feeling overwhelmed after reading this?  Contact Michelle Prima at: literaryliaisons@aol.com for help on designing your web site.

How to Research a Location for Your Latest Book by Allie Pleiter, Guest Author

How to research a location for your latest book

One of my favorite parts of writing a book is location research.  Here’s my plan of attack for when I visit the setting for my upcoming book:

1.       Get a basic working knowledge of the location

My favorite first step is to attack a guidebook (or three) with a highlighter and post-it notes.  I’m wandering through the pages for anything that catches my fancy whether it makes sense to my concept of the book right now or not.  I also check imdb.com for which movies are set there.  Larger cities and most states have tourism boards that can send you packages and brochures.  Internet and travel sites are also good places to get a basic sense of the area.

2.       Plan your trip

I like a four day spread, as it gives a good mix of weekday and weekend days, and often matches hotel promotional packages.  I’ve found that about 100 pages into my manuscript is the best time to go--I’m far enough into the story to know the gist of what I need, but early enough to be flexible if I uncover plot gold.  I find it best to book my trip right after I sign my contract.  It’s focused work--fun but fast-paced--so I usually go alone or with a hearty soul.  It’s great if you can go the location at the time of year your book is set, but I’ve found it’s not essential. 

A BASIC TIMEFRAME

Two months out or earlier

0  Book your airfare and rental car (remember you don’t always need one)

One month out

1.  Gather your contacts

0  Make a list of who you’d like to contact from what your research told you

0  Poll boards or lists for local colleagues willing to meet

0  Look for lodging – I’ve found B&B’s make wonderful home bases, and the owners are always willing to share info

2. Map out the specific sites you want to visit

0  Break your target area into quadrants - one for each day of your trip

0  Use Mapquest or other navigational software to map out all the targets in each quadrant for the most expedient route

0  Look at public transportation, too

3.  Start to make appointments

0  Now you know your general timeframe (“I'll be on the north side of town on Friday”)

0  Ask restaurants for their signature dishes

0  Ask professionals “What’s the most unusual thing you can tell me about ____”

0  Ask locals plot-based questions like “Where would you go to propose?” 

Two weeks out

0  Firm up your schedule and confirm appointments

0  Work out your a.m. and p.m. plans into written packets

0  Watch any movies you found on your database research

0  Browse for any books on or set in your target location

One week out

0  Arrange for any family commitments, etc. (the vacation hint)

0  Check the weather and plan your clothes accordingly

0  Make your packing list 

I love research trips--it’s the most useful fun you can have.  With a little planning, you can ensure that your trip gives you the details that make for a vivid manuscript while making you some wonderful memories.  Bon voyage!

Allie

Homefront Hero

Love Inspired Historical

May 2012

#978-0-373-82916-3

 

Dashing and valiantly wounded, Captain John Gallows could have stepped straight out of an army recruitment poster. Leanne Sample can't help being impressed—although the lovely Red Cross nurse tries to hide it. She knows better than to get attached to the daring captain who is only home to heal and help rally support for the war's final push. As soon as he's well enough, he'll rush back to Europe, back to war—and far away from South Carolina and Leanne. But when an epidemic strikes close to home, John comes to realize what it truly means to be a hero—Leanne's hero.

Author Bio:

An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction.  The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, buying yarn, and finding new ways to avoid housework.  Allie hails from Connecticut, moved to the midwest to attend Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois.  The “dare from a friend” to begin writing has produced two parenting books, fourteen novels, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing.  Visit her website at www.alliepleiter.com or her knitting blog at www.DestiKNITions.blogspot.com

UPCOMING GUEST

Join us Wednesday, May 23 when Allie Pleiter will visit.  Her topic--How To Research a Location for your Latest Book.


Allie Pleiter

Homefront Hero

Love Inspired Historical

May 2012

#978-0-373-82916-3

About Homefront Hero:
Dashing and valiantly wounded, Captain John Gallows could have stepped straight out of an army recruitment poster. Leanne Sample can't help being impressed—although the lovely Red Cross nurse tries to hide it. She knows better than to get attached to the daring captain who is only home to heal and help rally support for the war's final push. As soon as he's well enough, he'll rush back to Europe, back to war—and far away from South Carolina and Leanne. But when an epidemic strikes close to home, John comes to realize what it truly means to be a hero—Leanne's hero.

Author Bio:

An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction.  The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, buying yarn, and finding new ways to avoid housework.  Allie hails from Connecticut, moved to the midwest to attend Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois.  The “dare from a friend” to begin writing has produced two parenting books, fourteen novels, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing.  Visit her website at www.alliepleiter.com or her knitting blog at www.DestiKNITions.blogspot.com

Time Management for the Overworked and Overstressed

As our days get busier, time seems to slip by more quickly. We stress more over the little things, and wonder why there aren’t enough hours in the day. Yet, have you ever looked at how you spend your days?

You may be surprised that you have the time after all, if you would organize your days better, and if you were more selective in how you spent your time. The key is to make the most of your efforts by concentrating on the tasks that give you the highest pay-off. Here are a few tips on how to analyze your schedule, and how to make the most of your waking hours.

THE STUDY

The first step is to see where your time goes. Select a typical week in your schedule. Then set up a chart to track the following:

· Time the activity started

· The activity

· The activity category

· Time spent on the activity

· Value or priority of the activity

THE ANALYSIS

Look at your log with a critical eye. How do you answer the following questions:

· Where did I spend the most time?

· Did I spend the most time on high-priority tasks or trivial items?

· Did I have a good balance of work and family in my time?

· Did I work late into the night on high-priority tasks after spending the day on trivial tasks?

· Did my tasks achieve my goals for the week, or did I still find unfinished business at the end?

· Did I spend any time on tasks I enjoyed?

· What are my strengths? What can I accomplish quickly?

THE FIX

Once you have analyzed your time and addressed problem areas, you can come up with solutions. Setting up an action plan and scheduling your time accordingly will help you on your way.

The Action Plan

· Set goals for the week

· Prioritize your goals (High, Medium, Low) or (A,B,C)

· Write down the steps needed to achieve those goals

· Work these tasks into your scheduling

Scheduling

· Enter your ‘fixed’ events into your calendar such as appointments, work schedule, etc.

· Look at the High or ‘A’ priority goals on your list

· Schedule time in your week to accomplish those tasks

· Look at the Medium or ‘B’ priority goals—can any of these fit into your schedule without losing family or work time?

· Do the same with the Low or ‘C’ priority goals—Don’t stress if you can’t fit everything in, especially these unimportant tasks.

Scheduling Tips

· Tackle the most challenging chores on your list first. 

· Don’t schedule more than you know you’ll have time for.

· Preserve contingency time to handle the unexpected.

· Allow for time between events and tasks.

· Verify appointments 1-2 days beforehand.

· Take phone numbers and directions with you.

Goal-setting is not just a week-to-week task as this example implies. You should always have your eye on the big picture.

Do regular reviews of your goals. What were your goals for the week or month? Did you accomplish what you wanted? Did you find your tasks took up more time than you thought? Less time?

Also look ahead. What are your goals for the next month? Will you accomplish them by finishing the tasks on your weekly lists based on past experience? What are your goals for the coming year? What are your goals in life? Do your daily and weekly tasks work toward your larger goals, or against them?

A well thought out plan will help you accomplish your goals and help you work toward what you want out of life. Remember, you are in ultimate control of your destiny.

Finding Inspiration from the Past

As we age, we accumulate experiences and knowledge.  We take these experiences and put them in our writing.  It may be a place we visited, a painting that inspired us, a song we heard, or a moment in history.  Whatever it is, it enriches our writing.

However, there are moments when we don't feel particularly inspired.  Writer's block hits us like a brick wall.  Our minds turn blank, and it's difficult to create characters, scenes or plot lines.  So how do we work past that? 

One way to create memorable characters is to take them directly from your personal history—your childhood.  Our perceptions were much different as children than they are as adults.  Dark houses seemed scarier, and old men seemed grumpier.  We can use those perceptions in creating characters by using these exercises:

·         Think back to the houses on your block.  Was there a neighbor who had oddities than everyone whispered about?  Maybe they never came out of the house.  Or they always yelled at kids for walking on the lawn.  Our neighbor used to trample on the flowers we had planted alongside the property line, even though there was plenty of room to walk around them.

·         Think back to a Thanksgiving dinner that was particularly lively.  Where was everyone sitting?  Were you part of the 'adult' or 'kid's' table?  What were the side dishes?  Were there china or paper plates for settings?  Was there laughter at the table, then whispering and gossip in the kitchen?

·         Think back to your least favorite teacher in school.  What was there about him/her that you didn't like?  The way they smelled or looked?  The way they yelled at the students or disciplined them?  The enormous amount of homework they assigned?

·         Think back to your favorite teacher in school.  What did he/she look like?  Remember the particulars—eye, hair color, glasses, sound of their voice, hair style, etc.  Bring those details to life on the pages.

·         Who was your best childhood friend?  Where did they live?  What was their family like?  What was your favorite thing to do together?  Why were they your best friend?

·         Who was your first childhood crush?  What color hair did they have?  What color eyes?  Were they the class clown, or the studious one?  My first crush had bright red hair.  His father was a dentist, so he used to bring me trinkets from his dad's Treasure Chest at the office.   He transferred to another school after that first year.  I was crushed in a bad way.  I still wonder what happened to Richard.

How about you?  What character from your past have you brought into your writing?

Post Conference Notes

Writer Wednesday

As I mentioned last week, I attended the Chicago-North Spring Fling Conference over the weekend.  I went prepared, and had a wonderful time.  The best part was re-connecting with old friends, and being with some I hadn't seen in two years. 

But now that conference is over, there are lists to write and tasks to do.  I plan to look through all the goodies I received and sort them into piles. 

There are books I want to read, and some to pass along to other readers if I've already read them.  I'm keeping a sampling of bookmarks, especially those new trading card-sized ones.  I'd never seen them before the weekend.  That's how long it's been since I've been to a conference.  I thought the idea behind them was very creative.  Authors design one for every book or character, and readers try to collect them all.  Trading cards for books!  How cool is that? 

I took all my notes in one notebook.   I want to review everything and follow up with web sites, speaker's recommendations, and marketing ideas.  I'm off to Facebook to "Like" some new author pages, and to incorporate some ideas into my pages.

How about you?  Did you have an appointment with an editor or agent?  While at conference, the agents informed us that they only receive about 30% of the manuscripts or partials they request from authors.  Thirty percent?  That number astounded me.  Getting published isn't easy.  So it's critical that you take advantage of every opportunity you get to put your work in front of a publishing house. 

I came home excited and inspired.  The stories I heard reminded me why I started writing so many years ago.  And why I want to go back.  So how coincidental is it that my fortune cookies that evening were "Allow your mind to absorb new knowledge" and "Bring something up from the back burner."  It's a sign!  And I taped them to my keyboard as a reminder. 

What did you come away with from conference?