Tag Archives: writing

Success! (NaBlPoMo) Failure! (NaNoWriMo)

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Today is the end of November 2008. I have managed (with this post) to log a blog every single day of the month, as I committed with my participation in NaBlPoMo. Even when I was under the weather for several of these 30 days, I managed to blog a little. Yea, me!

But, I didn’t do as well toward my commitment for NaNoWriMo. Despite my several thousand words this month, I didn’t come near the 50,000 I had hoped to log. (Epic Failure!) Alex didn’t get hers logged either — but pressuring her to write was taking all the fun out of it for her, and that seemed counterproductive.

We did both manage to get started on a novel, albeit a less than prolific start. We plan to continue our work on said books… so at least we managed that much.

I may try again next year to participate in the Novel Writing Month. Hopefully I’ll be finished with the current effort by then. We shall see. I don’t know if I’ll do the blogging month commitment next year. I think doing both in the same month isn’t the best choice I ever made.

As far as the rest of this year goes, I’ll probably be blogging alot less during the last month of the year and spend my time trying to close out client accounts and close out my business books for the year.

I missed the Thanksgiving holiday with my family, since I (selfishly) wanted to keep my illness to myself. So I’m really looking forward to spending time with my family though the Christmas season.

For now, as I wind the blogging frenzy down a few notches, I wish you and yours an enjoyable remainder of 2008!

Web conversations: Writing with passion online

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A friend contacted me last night with a quandary…

He wanted to learn to write with a bit more passion. He felt his style was more journalistic than persuasive. He asked if I had any pointers.

So, at midnight, during a 15-minute-cross-country-guerrilla-approach-to-writing session, we covered the following basics:

Grab them with the title

If you don’t pique the audience’s interest with the title, they won’t read any more of your story. Tell them in a quick, pithy style why the rest of the story is something they need to know. Advertise what’s in it for them or intrigue them.

Example:
Change the boring title, “The Current Economy’s Downturn Impacts Designers and Fashion Entrepreneurs in New York”  to “NYC Designers Weather Economy With Style!”

Starting out

At the top you summarize what you are going to say and ask the “w” question that your writing teacher never told you “Who gives a …. a…. hang?” (*Yeah, that works*) Tell them first why it matters to them.

You can’t give away all the information at the top because all the information isn’t contained inside your story. Online, the tentacles and supporting information will go out to hook other webpages.

After the first “w” question, THEN you go on to the classic “Who, What, Where, When and How” of the story.

Break down paragraphs

In standard writing, meaty paragraphs are a good thing. Paper likes large chunks of gray space. The web doesn’t. Online you should:

  • Use short paragraphs
  • Trim up your sentences
  • Make your writing easy to scan

The shape of content to come

Forget what you learned in school and ditch the “reverse pyramid.” Writing is not a simple linear practice online. You don’t skip along from most important facts to least.

Think of your story structure more like an egg; less pointy, more rounded and appealing. The title is your hook, followed by a general statement that summarizes the story. Fill in the “yolk” with details and examples. Add links and sprinkle liberally with bullets to capsulize the essential points. Conclude with a summary.

On the web, content gains depth and dimension through diagrams, graphics, inter-textual links to related outside resources. This doesn’t happen in the lead paragraph. It happens in the middle.

Be conversational

Stilted, sterile language doesn’t work. Your visitors want a comfortable way to absorb information. If you don’t provide it, someone else will. Readers need clarity with warmth. They seek knowledgeable, easy-to-digest resources. Humor is worth bonus points.

The mantra in business used to be “keep it professional.” Internet trends have encouraged us to “keep it personal” online and find ways to bridge the geographic distance by decreasing the psychological and social distance between individuals.

So, speak to your audience the same way you would speak to a friend. Use natural word choices and tone. Let your personality shine through. After all, that’s what will keep them coming back.

When writing for the web, hook your reader with a title too interesting to ignore. Answer the first “w” question right away and tell them the gist of what you plan to say. Answer the five standard questions (who, what, where, when, why and how) and illustrate them with examples from additional resources. Then summarize the article and bid them farewell.

And, yes, amping up your web writing really can be this easy!

(photo courtesy of kesh of morguefile.com)

Novel-writing month dropout?

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I’m not sure if I can do this NaNoWriMo thing and maintain any sense of dignity. What the HECK was I thinking to take that on when life has been such a challenge lately? And to let Alex commit to 25K words? Did I have a little mini-stroke that night that rendered me temporarily without any common sense?

Already Alex has told me that writing isn’t fun anymore, it’s more work than anything else. I’d have to agree (although I resist the urge to tell her). I’ve quit hounding her, after all… if I manage to take a talented writer-in-the making and turn her against writing, I fail. (Epic fail.)

So, I’ve looked at my own puny word count. I’m not saying that I’m throwing in the towel yet. But I didn’t anticipate the vBlog project (cool thing, more on that later), or the stuff that’s happened in my personal life, or the work load with one of my clients that has required so many off-site days of late when I said I’d do this.

Do I sound whiny? Maybe that’s because I am.

I also signed up to write a blog a day and I’m beginning to think that’s more my speed. Blogging, I can do. Heck, if I could add my word counts in from the blog, I’d proabably be much closer to my goal!

My issue is that I’m not “stuffing my editor in a closet” when I can take the time to sit down and actually write. When I write… that’s when she really comes out to play.

She’s a witch.

She whispers things like… “should that character really be from Mexico? What the heck do YOU know about Mexico, you can’t even remember your Spanish from a decade ago. Some star student… if you had to order your dinner in Spanish, you would starve.”

She says, “Shouldn’t you be spending this time on actually EARNING a living?”

She says, “Gee this room is a mess, wouldn’t it be easier to write and to be creative if you swept the floor first?”

“I’m hungry,” she moans, “I need to pee” and makes *swisshhhh* sounds until I need to go too.

“A good mother,” she leans toward me conspiratorially, “would spend this time with her daughter. They grow up so quickly, you know.”

She taunts, “Write what you know. REMEMBER?!?! So it should be female, single, middle-aged, and chubby who never gets enough sleep and dreams of being a novelist. After all, that’s what you REALLY know, isn’t it?”

Then she slumps back in the velvet chair beside my desk and crows, “Who are you fooling?”

Cross-legged, balancing her impossibly pointy red high heel shoe on the edge her right big toe, she declares, “You aren’t THAT kind of writer. You, my dear, are NO novelist!” Then she cackles like that was funniest thing in the world, until she’s rendered breathless… grasping for air and holding her sides.

Secretly, I hope she dies.

I push a few of the almonds from the little pile on my desktop toward her, hoping she pops one into her mouth and chokes on it.

(photo courtesy of dmscs on MorgueFile.com)

Moleskine Hacks: Budget Gift Ideas With Impact

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Need a practical, median priced gift for your favorite artist, writer or student this year? Know someone who would benefit from a GTD command post that would fit in a pocket or purse?

Maybe a little bitty notebook could be the cornerstone of your gift giving season (you save money if you buy in bulk!)

My own love affair with the Moleskine:

Despite my love of Moleskines for everyday use, I really appreciate the artistic side of things where these little gems are concerned. I enjoy them so much that I’ve been collecting some sites that show off the best illustrations, hacks and accessories for the little volumes.

I know that they now make smaller and brighter colored versions (Volant versions). I just got the email yesterday. It’s pretty fresh news. But, I’m a traditionalist when it comes to my notebooks.

I’m not saying I won’t try one of the tiny ones — it looks like those may represent a “can’t help myself” episode in full force. Gee, I love paper and pens and pencils (Oh. My!)

Newfangled colored and flexi-covered versions aside, today I’m going to share a few cool things with you, fellow classic Moleskine lover. And these things can make a notebook into a token gift or an amazingly rich gift… depending on how you play it.

Moleskine Art:

Some ideas for the artist in your life. Select a Moleskine Small Sketch Notebook (pocket-sized) and add a high quality graphite pencil set and art erasers. If you are particularly fond of this artist, add in a lust-worthy water color pencil set and/or travel watercolor brush or professional quality colored pencils to create a portable art studio.

Smashing Magazine’s Collection of Moleskine Art
‘Skine.art – a site dedicated to the decorated moleskine
Flicker Hive Mind collection over on FivePrime.org

Hacks:

A writer’s Moleskine Hacks – Mikes version from 2004, but still quite applicable (and I use the writer’s tools PDFs printed out and glued into my own). Add a package of post-it tabs, brightly colored index cards, a fabulous pen (I highly recommend the Namiki Vanishing Point Raden Fountain Pen if it’s in your budget. I swear by mine.) You may prefer to opt for a high quality mechanical pencil, instead. Be sure to tuck an Amazon.com gift card in the pocket to support their reading habit. And dedicate it to the writer on the inside cover. No writer likes to be caught out without a place to capture ideas. IMHO, there’s no better, quicker, easier tool to capture those thoughts on the fly than a properly outfitted pocket-sized, ruled Moleskine notebook. Leather covers are nice too (see below.)

GTD Moleskine Hack for Students – Great gift idea! This How-To printed out with a brand-spanking new Moleskine, a good no-skip pen and a mechanical pencil, a few Post-It tabs, a package of index cards, a large rubber band and an eraser. Add a funky, properly sized sticker and tuck an “emergency $20 bill” in the pocket alongside a prepaid calling card and you have a “to die for” gift that will actually be enjoyed and appreciated.

Accessories:

Want a beautiful, handmade leather case for your favorite notebook? Try Gfeller Casemakers.
Want one that’s got the midas touch, and is made to order? Try Sojourner Leatherwork

To whet your appetite for bitty notebooks:

If you aren’t already a convert, learn more about all things Moleskine over on Moleskinerie. Those of us who are already in love with these little notebooks will wait, we are patient. It’s only a matter of time before you join us in our addiction. :)

Mother and Daughter Join Forces for NaNoWriMo

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courtesy of nanowrimo.org

Logo courtesy of nanowrimo.org

I wanted to accept the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge last year, but I decided to do NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) instead. I found it challenging enough just to come up with a post for every single day in November, but I did it.

I was so proud of myself!

This year, I’m going to do both! And, to make the pot a little sweeter, my 10-year-old daughter is going to be joining me for the National Novel Writing Month youth challenge. When we went to sign her up on October 30th, the youth NaNoWriMo site crashed from an overload of traffic. Now THAT is a good sign! I love it that so many young people are interested in writing.

So, for the next thirty days, she and I will be hammering out 25,000 and 50,000 words respectively. She’s so excited she’s giddy. I can’t say I’m quite that exuberent, but I’m quite pleased with the decision. I may change my tune at the half-way point, but for now, I’m really looking forward to the prospect.

Juggling my blog, my work and NaNoWriMo will probably make for an interesting month… but as a client of mine recently stated… I can do anything for 30 days!

I’ve been trying to outline the plot on a novel that’s rattling around in my head for the past couple of months. Now… I am going to take the leap and just pound it all out. It may be good, it may be bad. It doesn’t really matter. Either way that first draft is going to be done..

50,000 words or bust!