Too busy writing to blog? Yeah, Right!

Unlike The Swivet [Colleen Lindsay]: "I don't know what we're doing for May, but I hope it involves Nerf weapons." I am not procrastinating on writing my book, nor am I looking forward to a Nerf war.

I am working eight or more hours a day on my book. I am now three chapters ahead of Master’s Daughter, who is helping me with the final line edit. What is my projected date for sending it out now; perhaps June? I hope!

I should add that I am working eight or more hours a day, given days when no one is ill, including me. The flues this year have been a real drag, and my mother is still battling one. So, when I take her groceries today, I am sure I will find myself bringing home some pesky germs to again spread the flu to our home.

What else am I doing? Well, it certainly is not blogging here, as you can all--all two of you--attest to. I do blog a bit more on my WordPress account: http://savanvleck.wordpress.com. Other than that:
1. I cooked Easter Dinner.
2. I am still weight lifting and doing aerobics.
3. I have cared for Irritating Little Chihuaha for several days; both before and after surgery.
4. I just bought groceries and will be baking cookies, to send to Army Guy grandson and his buddies.
5. I actually did work on the web site for several days but it was because I have some interest in my paintings from a friend in California.
6. I also have worked a small bit on my website for writing.
7. I watched Two and a Half Men last night and two episodes of Monk yesterday.
8. Watched son, JRock perform as a nasty prison guard and a Bobby/Policeman in a production of “Oliver” at the high school.

And, that is my life and why I am just tooooo busy to post here. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I do not want to tell too much about my book and I have no other interesting life and nothing to say. Honest!

Wednesday with the Aspiring Writer's Journal

I have been extremely busy trying to figure out to get the visitor from -- well maybe an escapee from somewhere, out of my house. You finally have to lock the dog safely in her pen, hide the jewelry and say, "Hey, you gotta go home. Preferably, your own home." Actually, her mother's home would work. But, I don't care, as long as it is not my home.

She was supposed to be around a lot but by the fourth day I realized that a lot had turned into not leaving and she was living with us. It is now day fifteen and she's on her way out. New house rule, NO ONE STAYS OVERNIGHT.

Okay, got that out of my system, and so I promised myself to open The Aspiring Writer's Journal, Susie Morgenstern, Book - Barnes & Noble and pick the first page I opened. I actually took the second page: April 22nd. "How would you define "clean"? The directions state: "Spend your day giving your room a good spring cleaning." Gheeesh!!

Forget that. It's spring. Why would I want to stay inside all day and clean? That's for fall, when it is getting cold outside, and you know you will be spending more time in the house for winter.

I first time I read it, for some reason, I thought it said, "Define your idea of clean." I like that one better.

Clean is the way the air smells when a breeze blows in the window of my not so clean house.

Clean is how my work surface should look inbetween projects.

Clean is how it feels to have a hot shower after you have spent the day canoeing and getting dumped. (In water, not necessarily by a boyfriend, but I bet that would feel clean too.)

Clean is how it feels to have a cool shower after standing on hot asphalt, under the August sun all day at a city street art fair.

Clean is snuggling a freshly bathed baby.

Have a clean day!

Two days of research equals a page this time.

Sorry, yet again, for the long absence, but the book has to take precedence over the blog at this point. It is one of those things you can taste; the joy of when you are actually ready to send your book out into the world, to survive on its own

Master’s Daughter is really busy right now, so I think she may have a plot to slow me down. She keeps finding neat things I need to do with the book.

As a sixth grade teacher, who is writing a teacher’s companion for my book, she has been a great source of inspiration. This time, it was all about the phases of the moon. I did not really think about children having a problem with this concept. Apparently, younger children seem to view the phases of the moon as if the moon could change its shape.

The world in my book is greatly influenced by nature. They do not live in little square wooden boxes, as we tend to do and so they must learn to live and survive in nature. This means they need to understand the natural world and so I have again spent two days researching a way to say something in one page. That amount of research generally results in one sentence. Good thing I love research.

So, now I shall pay Master’s Daughter back and shoot my new page off to her for more corrections. This is a discussion of the phases of the moon. I am afraid it might be too long or unclear, but she will let me know.

Okay, let's be honest here.

I am so sick of redesigning my web page that I could -----.

You can fill in the blanks. I just want it done and if I could hire it done, I would.

I have settled on a background and page design. I am trying to go fairly simple. But, it seems to take forever. The graphics are pretty well done. I have eleven text only pages written and have four more to go.

I had an addition this week, which seems to be happening a lot. And, that is the fact that I need to have Marketing Points. I need them before I start submitting my book anyway, so I feel I need them on the website. After all, what is the point of writing your book if you do not market it.

Here is an interesting Blog post on Book Marketing Buzz: Book Promotion & Publicity Tips: How to Promote Your Books with Epic Fantasy Author R. Scot Johns « Book... And, he confirms, what I am finding out even before really beginning. Marketing is very time consuming so get used to it.

The Marketing points that I have, for my book are:

• Fantasy
• Native American Indian Lifestyle
• Native American Indian mythology
• Child abuse

I have researched these for popularity by books sold and statistics of the issues involved.

I also have lists of possible Promotion based on my history: where I have lived, what I have done, etc. And a list of Promotion that I have (will have) in place for my book already.

In this crowded market, with so many people out of work and trying their hands at writing, you need to be willing to work to get your book out there, no matter how long it takes to build your webpage.

Unfortunately, I do not remember exactly where I got the list of marketing points. But, it was probably from one of my two main sources of information about marketing, which are:

Shrinking Violet Promotions: An Interview with a Real Live Publicist: Random House's Kathy Dunn - which actually has a great article right now about promoting your book, and Author! Author!,

Okay, enough break for me, I'm back to web design.

Less artistic, easier on the eyes!

Every few days I try to complete another text only page for my site, so I was interested in a site I found by Jakob Nielsen, entitled Writing for the Web. His message is that writing for the web is different than writing for print media.

First, computer users scan pages instead of reading word-for-word. I do not know about you, but I know I do this, until I find that it is interesting enough to give it a more careful read. I am on dialup, and those minutes are slow going, so I am not wasting my time on a page that does not have the information I want on it.

He also states that it is 25% slower to read from the computer screen than from a paper. I have to wonder if this is also a case of it being easier to read black letters on white, rather than some of the insane combinations I have seen on the web.

I have literally seen red letters on green and when you have colors like that, itthey just seem to throb at you. It is popular right now to put black letters on white backgrounds. This is probably the hardest, especially for older people or those whose eyesight is not the best, to read.

I have said it before and I will say it again, this is not going to stop anyone from copying your words. All they have to do is copy it and then change the text color. And, there is always PrtSc for anything else, folks, so be kind to your readers and, not so artistic, and make your copy readable.

His other points were to use simple sentence structure, update the page frequently, use bulleted lists --- oppps!! Let's change that to a bulleted list and see how much easier it is to see.

· Simple sentence structure
· Update page frequently
· Use bulleted lists
· Avoid scrolling
· Have a main page and link it to secondary pages for more detail
· Use headlines and captions
· Edit your work.

The only one I disagree with is “avoid cute headlines.” Frankly, a funny catchy headline will slow me down to investigate how well a site is written, now if you are writing for a professional audience, perhaps you want to tone that headline down.

I am off to edit and simplify and write catchy headlines, now.

My to-do list.

Sorry, if you are on RSS feed. (What does that stand for, anyway?). I had allowed a comment on the site and then realized I was giving out someone's email for the world to have. Not that they cannot get it anyway, but I did not want to be responsible for someone being spammed to death. I could not find a way to erase their email, in their comment, or to alter their comment, once allowed, so I just deleted the whole post and reposted it.

No, you have not landed in "Ground Hog's Day" or in a time warp, it is a repeated of the post of the fourth, and no, it did not fool anyone into thinking it as something new and stimulating.

That said, what is the new news?

• I have eighteen graphics ready to put on the website. That means they are cleaned up, altered to suit and the backgrounds are clear. Two of these are background images.
• I have nine, out of fifteen, text only pages done. From these I will complete the pages that the graphics go to.
• I have completed twenty chapters, and have the wrap up chapter to go. I havecut back to 69,118 words.
• I have also discovered that, before I send the book out, I need to have a Marketing Points, My Bio and a list of reasons why someone would buy my book. That is what I spent yesterday on, and today and tomorrow, and probably all week.

All of this stuff is sooooo important to the process.

My Long Absence

Wow! This has to be the longest time between posts yet. But, trust me, my reader. It will all soon be worth it. I am so close to the place where I can begin submitting my novel to agents.

That is very exciting to me. Everything clicked and my Advanced Middle Grade Fantasy Novel (could that get any longer?) is down to the "wrap up" chapter. One day, the big scene just fell in place.

Actually, I reached that point in my millionth edit and just kept going this time. Master's Daughter and I are up to chapter seven in our joint edit.It is amazing to me, that she picks up on the exact same spots where I have thought, "This isn't right. This isn't necessary. The wording is off." Thus, showing me that I need to trust my instincts more and that everyone needs a partner editor.

The edit is picking up words mostly, or where a scene is confusing. It is nice to have a second pair of eyes, or should I say, a second brain, to help me find the right word.In the evening, when my brain is a bit tired, I do a few more things on my web site.

The website is coming along well. I have my graphics ready and I am working on my text only pages, knowing that the wording for those, will go into the graphic version, so I am killing two birds with one stone.I have worked out how much I can say without giving too much away and making the web site interesting enough to get people to return.

I look forward to the day when I can post a request here for help in critiquing it. Nothing really humorous to write, just that Master's Daughter found my pile of leaves confusing. And, if you want to know what I'm talking about, you'll have to read the book.