Posted by admin on October 23, 2008
I recently joined up with the Widgeteers! I’m pretty excited about it because it is drop dead simple, and it works in tandem very well with Entrecard. I can’t say it has dramatically increased the traffic to my site, but it is a great way to build brand recognition.
The way it works is pretty simple – display a widget on your site which displays advertisements other widgeteer’s ads from categories of your choosing. Each time an ad is displayed, for each page impression, you gain some credits towards displaying your own advertising.
Of course the widgeteers offer multiple levels of membership from free right on up to platinum status, but there is no obligation to join any of the pay per membership levels.
The beauty of the system is that – unlike Entrecard or other click based systems – there is really very little to do. Simply add the widget and then create your ads. The widgeteer system takes care of the rest.
Obviously this will not turn a ramshackle website into a success overnight – nor will it bring an unaccountable boost in traffic instantaneously, but it is a dead easy way to get free exposure.
If you decide to try it out, let me know what you think.
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Posted by admin on October 22, 2008
Writing is a lonely art, very often a solitary effort carried out in hidden corners of the world. A person gathers his or her thoughts and begins to put them down, alone where the judging eyes of others cannot confirm the internal criticisms. At the end there is a manuscript. A piece of paper or electrons that hold a bit of triumph – evidence of the author’s worth.
Now, perhaps, if the nerves can handle it this child of thought is borne to others. Given away and they can make it their own, but only if it has worth to them. Others can accept it, reject it, or try to change it. They can toss it out to the daggers of public scrutiny. If it is good it will hold up. If it is good it will be accepted, cannonized, monetized, or simply printed.
To the the author the manuscript will always have worth. Always that moment when it first appeared in thought, that special solitary time remains with the author. That moment is what drives the author to write again. That moment drives the author to continue to create in the vain hope of connecting that moment with another.
The work is both about communicating with another (the best authors consider their audience), as well as about enjoying the moment of creative inspiration. In the end, writing is still a lonely art.
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Posted by admin on October 17, 2008
Whether writing online or off, short stories rely on a few basics in order to be successful. While plot may be essential for most stories, for many stories there are no real twists or turns to follow and there may not be much in the way of action or adventure.
For these stories, and for all stories, the crucial elements are the characters and their interactions with each other.
A common mistake made by many new writers is to fail to fully develop all of the characters in the story. All too often the lead character or perhaps the lead and his supporting character are the only developed characters in the story. The remaining characters come across as paper figures. Their dialogue is flat and full of cliche phrases. They often do little to move the story forward and their interactions with the protagonists feel awkward and stilted.
Much of this can be avoided by taking time to understand their place within the story world. If these characters are to become interesting to the reader then they must first be interesting, at least on a basic level, to the author. Only then can the author place them appropriately into the story and have them interact in an interesting way with the main characters.
When writing for the online audience, often authors feel rushed because stories tend to be shorter. Any audience, on the internet or in a magazine, however, requires the same level of depth and suspension of disbelief. It pays to take the time to truly develop characters to give the story the necessary level of depth.
One technique for doing this is to simply write a quick paragraph about the character in question. From that little idea the author will quickly come to understand how the character will fit into the story – if at all.
For example, the protagonist may be passing a bellhop in a hotel lobby. The bellhop may have a bit of crucial information to give to the protagonist. How their interaction comes about will decide whether the bellhop comes across as a plot device or if he comes alive as an interesting addition to the story.
The author may write a quick paragraph about the bellhop:
A thin, greasy figure who was awarded this position because his brother-in-law conceded to his sister’s demands. He does not like vegetarians in general, and often complains about having to cater to the demands of the hotel guests. He prefers to wear a pair of yellow sneakers despite company policy and uniform procedures. He smokes excessively and has a rough voice.
From these few sentences the author now understands how to approach the scene, and can introduce the bellhop appropriately into the story. As the story progresses, the bellhop will have a logical place within the story world that will grow organically out of his naturally established place.
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Posted by admin on October 15, 2008
Cold as ice and bound for hell
the dogs pounded a thrashing knell
of death beyond the moonlight clean,
while I with mine began to scream.
The fate of men wrought clear with blood
came howling down like devil’s love
to drown the hopes and mysteries
bound within my poetry.
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
I hope you got a laugh from this. I find the frustration of writing so annoying that sometimes I just have to find the humor somewhere.
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Posted by admin on October 8, 2008
Writing poetry is one of those activities that is so deeply personal that more often than not nobody really knows about our passion for poetry until we manage to overcome some of our deepest personal fears.
The beauty of the experience of receiving your first negative criticism is that although the process is painful it is also thoroughly cathartic and wonderful. Each step along the road provides another growht opportunity and another insight into self.
If you are a poet or a writer of any calibre, I encourage you to take the plunge and publish your work. These days getting your work in front of people is relatively easy. If you don’t wish to trouble yourself about making a blog, or running a web site, I would be happy to host your work here. Just check out the submissions page and off we go.
I try not to think of Darnuth Keep as a magazine so much as a collaborative online experience where readers and writers can enjoy the experience of sharing.
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Posted by admin on October 5, 2008
I love to write as all of you know. I love the way words work together to make messages that can reach out and affect people. Blogging is a great way to do that.
In order for blogging to really be effective, and in order to reach the widest possible audience with my writing I have to promote this blog. One great way to do that is to participate in excellent contests.
One such contest is giving away 20,000 Entrecard credits.
The contest runs through the end of October, and I think it is a great way to help promote the blogging community in general. If you are interested, then hop on over and see what they are all about.
Now I don’t know that I’m going to win, but it sure would help if I did. To those of you out there who are unfamiliar with Entrecard and the wonderful things that they do, well I suggest you stop on by. For those of you who already use their service, hop over and check out the contest.
For those of you who enjoy blogging and writing. Thanks for your support!
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