25
Jun
I get stuck. We all do.
So what to do when you've hit a wall and don't know what to write about?
Make a list. No, not a shopping list, or a list of the top ten people you'd like to gag. (Am I on that list? Eek!)
I mean a list of things to write about.
Here are some which may (or may not) inspire you:
- Where have you been? (Travel)
- Whatever happened to…? (People)
- What are friends for? (Friends)
- Have you seen my pictures? (Photography / Images)
- Let me show you my etchings. (Things to avoid.)
- He ain't heavy, he's my brother. (Family)
- Standby Me. (Television)
- Beta is Latin for "still doesn't work." (Computers and Software)
- Kids say the funniest things. (Family, but little ones.)
- I see what you did there. (Other blogs / sites)
- Let me fetch the TippEx / Whiteout (Mistakes)
- Red Pen Day (Editing)
- I did it Hemingway (Books)
- What's that noise? (Music)
- No, I mean what's that noise? (Spooky things.)
There you go. A few to get you started.
You can also make a list of the places you visit online, and share them, especially if they inspire you.
Write about why you visit them, what makes them special.
There are lots to choose from, really. Try to find a theme to stick to, and designate a day for it. Have a look what other blogs do and join into the conversation by putting your own slant on a topic (and don't forget to link back!) I have long lists, and if you do online searches you will find tons of suggestions.
Have a go!
4
May
I have no idea why I named the post Bedtime Blues. Just wanted to clear that up. 
I woke up with a migraine this morning. Tunnel vision, nausea, stomping headache, sensitive to any and all noise and light.
It's bliss — when the pain stops.
Of course my neighbor had to pick this day, of all days, to do his DIY. I've been blessed with hammering, drilling and the whine from a circular saw most of the day. I am ecstatic, truly. At one point I wanted to head downstairs and ask if they would be so kind and drive a six inch nail through my temple. On both sides.
I'm sure it would have been more pleasant than having my brain hit my skull every five seconds, with every "BANG" coming from downstairs. Alas, it would have meant I'd have to open the door and brave the light of day.
I'd rather stick a fork in my eye, than deal with the pain from bright daylight hitting my light sensitive eyes — which then transmit their displeasure about such inconsiderate actions directly to my already thumping skull.
And in the middle of all this, it dawned on me. Anyone coming to my door today would think I'm a vampire. All the curtains are drawn. The door wouldn't be opened more than a crack to keep the daylight out and if you knock, I'll bite your head off. I slept most of the day.
Seriously, I think those vampires aren't really worried daylight will burn them to a crisp. There's a whole other reason for it.
Think about it.
They cover up all windows, keep out all light – because it hurts them.
They're not too fond of loud noises either – because it hurts them.
They don't eat – because it will make them nauseous.
They're agressive when disturbed – I can relate to that.
They have a menacing stare – tunnel vision will do that to ya.
They sleep all day – I can relate to that, too.
So yeah, those vampires?
I think they are all just having a badass eternal migraine.
Right. I'll go slink off to bed again now. After I strangle the other half for turning the TV sound above a whisper. As far as I'm concerned, that falls under justifiable homicide.
Don't stake the vampires.
Give them some Migraleve.
See what happens.
4
Feb
One of the most asked questions in my critique group (and most other places where writers linger and mingle) is "Should I have a website?"
The answer isn't as simple as you might think.
It isn't a simple yes or no.
In fact, it's not the right question to ask.
The real question is: Should you have a web presence.
Then the answer is a resounding "Yes"
Confused?
Isn't a website the same as a web presence?
What if I have a blog? Is it also a website?
It may be confusing terminology, but it is really very straightforward.
A blog, a website, a facebook page, a myspace place, Livejournal… any of those is a web presence. I don't count Twitter among those, btw.
A website is a static entity. Most "websites" you find are what web developers and savvy internet users refer to as "Cobwebs".
A cobweb refers to an unchanging, dead site. It goes up, and never gets modified. It's static. It's… dead.
Why should your visitors return? What is the point of having a page that never changes? (Or gets only minimal updates, maybe once a year.)
Most writers are far better served by having a blog. Blogs, while they can also be static if you never post anything, allow visitors to interact with the blog owner. (There are also tons of abandoned blogs out there. It's by no means a surefire way of being on the cusp of technology.)
Most blogs allow you to have a fixed page, or articles. Use those for static content, like book listings, useful link collections, biographies etc.
Use your actual blog posts to update your readers. Be that a new book release, a sale, an agent who signed you, an appearance, a contest, or maybe just what you had for breakfast this morning.
Keep it lively. Think of topics that might interest your readers. Maybe post a snippet of a WIP sometimes. That kind of thing.
Keep it interesting and you'll have people coming back. That's what you want. Build up a following.
Static webpages are a thing of the past, the web has evolved way beyond those, so really you don't want a webpage – you want a place where you can interact.
There are other considerations that go hand in hand with building a web presence.
Should you have your own domain?
The domain is the bit after the http://, in case you're confused.
Yes, you can certainly have a web address of iamagreatauthor.blogspot.com. Nothing wrong with that.
There are cost considerations too. A domain needs to be paid for. (About $10/pa for a .com). That's not a hell of a lot, now is it?
Then you need to consider your image. Do you mind if your "free" host (where your blog lives) puts adverts on your pages? (Most do, and they won't ask what they can put on your page, they just slap it on there.) What if that free host goes bust? It happens. Are you prepared to lose all your hard work and words of wisdom and find a new place for it? (Which you then have to set up and configure.)
If you write under the name Joan Smith – would you prefer if your readers found you via joansmith.com?
Another thing about those free hosts…
I am betting NONE of the writers who host their blogs on wordpress.com or blogspot.com / blogger.com ever read the terms of service.
Well, on those two your content is safe. It still belongs to you. I haven't really checked any others (I don't use them), but it behooves you to read those terms and conditions carefully.
For instance, a while back I posted about a "Buyer beware" when it comes to terms and conditions, after I read About.com's terms — which state anything posted on their site belongs to them and their affiliates. So make sure you read carefully before you sign on the dotted line, or you could find all those articles you write, snippets you post — belong to the service who is hosting your blog / webpages.
Hosting your own isn't as hard as people think, nor is it all that expensive.
You can get started from as little at $3 a month and often the hosting company will throw in the cost of the domain. (Beware on that, too, but I'll explain in a little bit. Bear with me.)
If you want your own, and want to host a blog, but you're not comfortable with installing it yourself, then look for a host who offers something like "Fantastico" which is a script that does it for you.
If you write erotica — make sure you choose a host who doesn't mind "Adult Content". Yes, I know it's a writer's site, not a porn site, but 99% of hosts out there will class the site of an erotica writer as an adult site. All it takes is one visitor to email your host and complain — and you will be minus a web presence because you violated their terms and conditions. (The same goes for free hosting — double check! If not sure, ASK!)
On that "Free" domain thing…
Domains cost very little to register. I would always — ALWAYS — register the domain myself, not let some webhosting company register it for me.
Why?
Because it's not hard to do, but if the hosting company registers the domain in their name (instead of yours) then it's their domain (not yours) even though you might think it is. And if you don't like it there anymore, and want to move, that super domain you found and which is associated with you — might not belong to you. Then you're faced with a domain name dispute and that's messy.
What's more, if you register your domain yourself, you often get the option to add privacy on it. That's important, because any domain out there is registered with a full address, which people can look up via a "Whois" service.
(Godaddy.com offer privacy registration, their domain panel is straightforward and they are good to work with.)
So unless you have a postbox, or you don't mind every stalker knowing where you live and what your phone number is — go for private registration.
Another thing on domains: Good, short, meaningful .com domains are practically gone.
Unless you have a name like mine, you'll likely find your name is not available as a .com.
There are other extensions available, but the first one people look for is a .com, so if you can get a great one — grab it now. Even if you don't use it right now, keep it registered. Because when you are ready to use it, and possibly need that domain… it may be gone.
Yes, it's a lot to take in, a lot to consider.
But ask yourself this:
Do you want freedom, no ads, and a domain name that never changes and which you can build on? Or will you be happy with what you can get from a free provider?
It's up to you, but I hope I've given you an idea of what is out there, and that it's not as daunting as it seems if you follow a few simple rules:
- Register a domain yourself
- Protect your privacy
- Read the terms and conditions
- Be aware of what you need, and get hosting accordingly (bought or free)
That's pretty much it.
I'll harp on about the content of a blog some other time. Because that's important too.
P.S. I'm not a Godaddy affiliate, I just like their service.
P.P.S If you come across "Myhosting.com" as a registrar… don't even think about it. If I could award them a -10 for ease of use and competence, I would. I am currently in week 5 of trying to get a domain away from them. So far, it's still sitting there, over two months after registration, and I can't do anything with it. AVOID them at all costs, it's the worst experience I've ever had with a registrar — and I've used plenty of them.
19
Jan
Seeing as I decided to blog at least once a week, I find myself stuck for topics occasionally.
I made a list, ticking off what I've blogged about.
Now, sometimes you have 20 topics in your head and you're on fire… other times you find it hard to blog about anything at all.
So… what do you do?
My suggestion is to "Blog Ahead".
What I mean by that, is to write those blogs when you're on fire – and release them when you're not.
On wordpress it's quite easy to do this. Either save it as a draft, or schedule it for a later date.
I tend to do the latter, or I forget to post the darn thing. 
(This one wasn't written ahead of time though.)
Not only will it keep the flow of your blog steady, it will also aid the writing process. None of us are always on fire when we want to be. It gets hard when that muse decides to take a long vacation.
"Having to" is the worst scenario I can think of. "Having to" implies force. Force never goes well with inspiration. You can't force yourself to have ideas, to feel inspired, to be on fire with your prose.
Not gonna happen.
So if, like me, you set yourself a task to keep your blog up to date — why not type up all those ideas you have, and schedule them?
Or at least put them up as a draft?
You can always slot another post in, or change the release date of one you already have, if something comes up that is time sensitive.
At least this way you have a little bit of leeway.
How do you blog?
Do you blog ahead, or write week by week, day by day?