Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Web Page Design - LESSON 1 - email and SPY BOTS

I am definitely not an expert web designer. But, I am learning and seriously working on my new web page for the writer in me.

Just this week, I was told by my web holders, something I already knew and something new. First, my email link, on my web page was the victim of a SPY BOT that trolls the internet and steals your email address, then uses it for SPAM.

I knew this was happening, because I was getting SPAM from my own website and I wrote my friendly and knowledgeable Web “host” Gold Rush Hosting Solutions. These guys are literally on duty 24/7. They are friendly, to boot. I am not so cheerful after 10:00 pm, but these guys are all smiles.

Anyway, AOL has actually requested that they shut off my email forwarding to my AOL account because I am sending out SPAM. It’s a bit inconvenient but not that much. The main thing is, I am not sending out SPAM.

So, if anyone has gotten SPAM from http://www.vanvleckstudio.com/ , trust me; I did not send it out. My web page may be rather messed up now because the new design is not ready and yet I had to take off all the email links to stop the SPY BOT idiots. I also deleted some of the pages that were not valid and so it is all a mess. I don’t know if it will stop those who have already stolen my email but I hope so.

SO, the lesson for today in web design is the second thing I learned from my Host: Do not be nice to your viewers and link to your email or the SPY BOTS will get you and one day you will be, along with a million other people, receiving spam from your own web page.

My Web Host suggests I either just write the email address, without a link, for contact, or use a form for contact. It may be a little more work for you to be checking the form, but it keeps your web page fresh anyway with constant use. This is a good thing for the search engines as one thing they look at is use on the web page.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

The Best Laid Plans

I am spending a week at my free personal editor's house: Master Daughter. She has high speed. No, that is not why I came. We usually spend a week at her house during the holidays. It was a wonderful week too and you will have to read my personal blog, Savanvleck’s Weblog, to see just how wonderful it was. But, back to the high speed.

I've been working like crazy, since I finally have a finished design for my web page, to get it done so that I could do the uploading and checking on high speed. Well, you know how well my "plans" work out. I thought it was looking pretty good but the best laid plans are now trashed.

Fortunately, it is for an even better, more dynamic site. This is really what I wanted all along. I wanted a site to entertain and keep people coming back for more.

Master's Daughter took one look and started adding and adding and adding. And, the ideas were too great, and in keeping with my book, to pass up.

I know your web site should be about the author, but I plan (there's that word again) on breaking with that a bit to start getting people interested in the book. I've learned a lot more programming in the last few weeks that I think I can pull this off and I already know what my opening page will look like, so that's a benefit.

Now, to go home and redo that page and work on the secondary pages. I can always go to the library to do my uploading. Our dial-up is just not reliable enough to do it.

Hope you all had a great holiday. I will start posting more regularly in the New Year.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Young Adult novel, revising critique & never ending revision

Okay, couldn’t fool you on that last post. Tonight my Middle Grade novel became a Young Adult Novel. I have read the definitive reason on deciding how, The Difference Between Middle Grade & Young Adult, when it is meant for an 11/12 year old age group.

My book does have the subject of child abuse as a part of the story and this will probably put it into a more advanced Middle Grade category. With everything else I am fretting over, including yet another opening, I am not too concerned about this. It's for my agent/editor to decide.

A third draft of my query letter states: "When Alex and his two brothers decide they have had enough, they run away from home with the help of a half man/half black dragon and a deteriorating house fairy. But, that is only the start of Alex’ battle as he must learn to accept help from others and learn what being a friend means." This battle, for Alex, is due to his past neglect and abuse.

Now, if I could just find that perfect opening for my story. I just recently began revising my opening again after entering it in Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent's first paragraph contest. His comments about what an agent use to judge that all important paragraph, opened my eyes to the deficiencies in mine. I'm sure my personal editor will be just soooooo happy.

Friday, December 12, 2008

New Blog Look & More about my Young Adult Novel

This is my new look for marketing my perpetually "in edit" Young Adult Novel.

I am simplifying the process of updating my web page with 'room to grow' written in. This happens to coincide with the attempt to declutter and simplify my life. Both processes are a bit slow at this point.

A bit about my new banner and my book:

Alex lived a feral life in his home until he and his brothers had enough of it, and with the help of a half black dragon, half fairy man, and a tiny deteriorating fairy, they have gone to live in Yellowwood Forest.

Deep in a neglected area of the forest resides a Moon Tree and five offspring trees, where Alex and his brothers take up residence. Alex must grow to trust others and learn the good from the bad, and learn that being a friend means accepting help from others.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Publisher's Questionnaire

I do not have a publisher yet, but am thinking seriously about marketing. A wise teacher I had stated to me that things come to you when you are ready for them. And, two days in a row now, blogs that I follow have been about marketing. Yesterday, I filled out my wish list for marketing my book, on Shrinking Violet Promotions. And, today BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency: An Author Questionnaire has a post regarding a publisher’s questionnaire.

I do not have an agent or publisher yet, as I am still in final edit and that is slowed by working on revamping my website, etc, etc. But, I thought the publisher’s questionnaire would be a good exercise. The brain kind--not the hip kind.

· What are the main points about you and/or the book that should be emphasized to the media?

My Middle Grade Fantasy (Yes, folks, it has decided it is DEFINITELY a Middle Grade fantasy) is about a boy has had enough of his life and with the help of two of his brothers, a half black dragon fairy, and a tiny deteriorating fairy he leaves for a new home, where he must grow to trust others and learn that being a friend means accepting help from others.

· Who so you think will buy your book (i.e. your market)?

I hope through word of mouth, and my promoting it to every library and school I can, that the children, approximately sixth grade, themselves will be the biggest instigation in purchasing my book.

· Are there any anniversaries, occasions or events upcoming to which we might tie publicity for your book?

The setting for my book is in a magical part of Yellowwood Forest. There is a real State Forest in Indiana called Yellowwood, but in my part of the forest, there is a grouping of trees that contain folks whose ancestors have walked the land, alongside humans, since the beginning of time. They live a primitive/self-sufficient life and hold with ancient festivals such as having a Beltane Bonfire celebration for the coming growing season and lammas for the harvest. The book actually begins with Imbolc, which is another name for Groundhogs day. Which just happens to be my birthday, and a very cold time of year that was needed to start my novel.

· What was your inspiration for the book?

The three grandsons I have taken into my home, and their struggles are the inspiration for my book. This, and the fact that I have been told that it is often the other students who know what is going on with a child, who is having problems at home, before any adults realize it. This caused me to wonder what I could do to inform children on the issue of abuse, while creating an entertaining story that they would want to read for it's own sake. The abuse is but a small portion of the book, really relegated to a few paragraphs of dialogue.

It is the ensuing struggle of a boy who has been neglected, by his family, and abused and his ensuing struggle to deal with a world he has been kept separate from, that is the heart of this first book in the series.

· What do you hope readers will learn/discover from reading your book?

As I was writing this book, I was having a wonderful time learning all sorts of things that lead to more new things to make the book enjoyable and create a solid world, with a history, for my characters to inhabit. It really wasn't until my "Master's teacher daughter" began helping me with the final edit, that I learned how much information I had snuck into the book. It was all just fun for me, but made the teacher in her jump for joy. She is currently working on a Teacher's guide to go with the book.

There are tie-ins with cave painting, Roma camps, ancient festivals, clothing from the 1700s, winter survival, Native American traditions such as gifting, and it is 9:30 and my brain is shutting down, so I will continue this later, along with the four questions I skipped.

So, good night to all. Dream of your own world to inhabit in your head.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

A sample from my Blogger reading list

My blogger reading list provides me with all sorts of wonderful, informative reading. Today, it gave me even more: confusion, laughs, wonder.

Starting from the top, and mind you I was only reading from the list and not opening the site.

Monty Python: Science Fiction Sketch posted from The Swivet - said it all: “Still funny after all these years!” However, since I can't get movies on my dial-up, I'll never know. Love the banner though.

Slush and Punishment: Fairy Toilets at Editorial Anonymous– had three lines about boy fairies failing to put the toilet seat down. And also a post that started like this:

Robert was a sweet little mutt.
His favorite food was cashew nut.
Eating it had given him a bit of a gut.

Slush and Punishment: Love Potion No. 12 at Editorial Anonymous: Something about children falling in love earlier from television watching and a love-struck bunny.

Okay, I’m just reading the blurbs for these, so decided to go to the site and it is hilarious query letters. A good lesson for all.

Then, Editorial Ass posts “Forget doom and gloom!”
Ahh, an answer to Editorial Anonymous and a return to normalcy.
I forgot to link to this great post: Editorial Ass: just what I wanted to see today. So, here is a Hee-larious story from Moonrat.

Buy a book for a Christmas gift

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Writer's Journal Wednesday, or not

I thought it might be a unique idea to use December 4th’s actual assignment from Amazon.com: The Aspiring Writer's Journal: Susie Morgenstern, Theresa Bronn: Books
You are bored to death.
Why?
Where are you?
Who are you with?

First, we are going to presume you are not bored to death, since you are reading this highly informative, albiet wrongly labeled blog. Did I mention that I thought today was Wednesday the 4th? It is not, it is Wednesday the 3rd. Oh well!

Being bored is a concept that I have never understood. I think it is less of an issue when you have grown up with less: less entertainment, less things, less neighbors, less tv, less—actually no computer and no video games and no DVD movies to watch whenever you want.

I had a homemade wooden square box to put my toys in, as a child. I think it was about 3’x3’. Things that did not go in it were few. We received the bulk of our toys, for the year, on Christmas. Birthdays were basically a one-gift deal and Easter was candy and trinkets. I never felt deprived, but then I didn’t watch tv with the thought of “I should own all of that.”

Maybe, because I had the most wonderful toy ever. I had a half acre of safe land to play on. There were clouds, trees, flowers, clover, a ditch, a bit of a hill from the house, sandbox, and swings. And, if the weather was bad, I could go inside and read or draw or write. How could anyone be bored in such a paradise?

I just cannot imagine ever being bored, even yet.