about this blog

On hiatus

blogger vs. wordpress

I’ve had a blog here, and another one over at Blogspot for a year now, and so of course I have an opinion about which platform I prefer.

Comparison:

1. Both are free, and both are easy to set up and easy to use.

Contrast:

1. WordPress lets you add static pages, and with some themes you can even switch the order of the static pages and your blog, so that you can create a proper website.  Blogger has no such thing.

2. WordPress has more themes, but you cannot edit the stlye sheets or the HTML of your theme. Blogger is more limited in its ready-made templates, but you can choose from many, many templates to download from other sites, and you can edit any of the ready-made to your heart’s content, provided you know how, of course. This makes BLogger more versatile for the tech-savvy. (I’m currently learning HTML and CSS, and so at some future time, I’ll want to experiment with my other blog. Expect chaos to ensue.)

3. WordPress has a built-in stat counter. Blogger invites you to add your own, which I have done. This is how I know that one blog is being read and one is not, though that’s due to the content being different.

4. Blogger allows you to use AdSense in order to make some money. However, you must have a lot of hits in order for this to work for you. WordPress does not allow you to monetize your blog.

5. In addition to categories, WordPress has tags which you can add to your posts. This allows tag-surfing through other WordPress blogs, which allows you to find a lot of WordPress bloggers with similar interests. It builds communities. Blogger lacks this feature.

6. People have wondered in the past whether Google favors its own product in its search engine. It seems to me that it does not.

My verdict?

I prefer WordPress because it has more of the features that I personally like and use. I can see, however, that others might prefer Blogger for its CSS-editing and money-making possibilities. It’s my intention to keep both blogs active, and to maintain a presence on both platforms.

writing for publication vs. writing for oneself

I’m wondering about the value of writing a story which I find personally compelling, but which (based on my experience trying to sell such stoires in the past) I suspect is not marketable.

I do think that for someone who is focused on publication, writing time (scarce to begin with, and filled with interruptions) needs to be carefully used writing stories that are most likely going to sell. Anything else, for a truly  focused person, is a waste of time.

Most times I think I can determine which stories fit which category before even writing them, so that – yes – I can choose to write only stories that I think will be of interest to editors. But I am so weak! I continue to spend valuable time writing stories that I like, that are personally meaningful, but that are ultimately a waste of time. I must focus more on goals, and less on frivolous self-amusement, as I’ve come to see it.

In the summer, I have more time for writing, and I’m far more productive. So. My goal for the summer is to write: (a) only stories that are fit for publication, in my view; (b) the novel, whether publishable or not, because I need the experience.

something I’ve noticed

“In a single fluid motion”

This is a phrase which I’ve encountered in several novels by different authors. I think it’s a good phrase, and in each case where I’ve seen it, it is an apt description of the action taking place. But I wonder how it is that so many different writers come to use it.

Are some writers deliberately stealing phrases from others? Is it even stealing, since it’s only five words? Are writers unconsciously influenced by what they read, so that they do not even realize when they are doing this? Do I do this, as well? Or is there a guide to approved phrases that I don’t know about?

A variation on this is “in one fluid motion.”

story published and a brief update

Some exciting news! My short story “Beanstalk” has been published in OG’s Speculative Fiction. This is my first time appearing in that magazine. You can read the current issue here.

Now, I know I haven’t posted here in a while. So, here’s what’s happened regarding my writing since my last post: I received a rejection from a professional market (sigh!) but it came with news that the story made the second round, and an invitation to submit again - which I haven’t done, as I don’t think I have anything suitable for that market.

I’ve been posting weekly over at Adventures in Writing. And I’ve been writing posts on another non-fiction blog dealing with a criminal case that has gotten my attention.

Also, on the non-writing side, I’m taking some online courses for my regular day job. I’ve been doing these on my own time, and yes, it’s time-consuming but important, and as a result my own fiction writing has been suffering a little lately. I’m not worried about it though, as I’ll be done with this course work soon.

I’ll be writing more regularly and posting here again soon, and also, I’ll be catching up on all the blogs I like to read.

Introducing…

Ken Kiser has a new – and very professional – website to promote his five-book fantasy series The Kreggorian.

what’s your writing style – fast or slow?

I know a lot of writers like to get the story down first, and so they write quickly, and then go back and revise. I assume this is what NaNoWriMo is all about – tapping creativity while it’s flowing molten-hot, and while the writer still has a lot of enthusiasm for the story. This isn’t my style at all, though I think I should experiment with it a little more than I have.

I tend to write slowly, conscious of language and style as I go along. This slows down my first draft, but it helps me visualise the events  and the emotions and motives of the characters more clearly, and so I think it the long run it’s a good thing. I still need to revise my drafts, though.

How about you? Fast or slow?

Introducing….

Adventures in Writing

A new multi-author blog dealing with various aspects of writing, which I feel honored to have been invited to take part in.

Douglas L. Perry has his first post up there now, and you can expect to see introductory posts from each of the blog’s authors over the coming week. Discussions on the writing life will start up in earnest shortly thereafter. You’ll find interesting and varied topics every day, as we have an interesting and varied cast of writers. It’s going to be a real adventure!

a short story writer’s view of 100,000 words

I haven’t started writing my new novel yet. I said I would start it in February, but I did not. Nope. I did not start it.

I have characters, plot, tension and most of the scenes outlined (according to the snowflake  method) but with the expectation that I will still need to grow and expand the story during the writing process. Still no title I like, but basically everything else is in place to at least start this project. So what’s wrong?

The initial enthousiasm is gone (of course it is). So now I’m facing the prospect of working hard for several months, maybe a year, at a single project. I imagine this is a common dilemma for writers accustomed to writing short, but I’m wondering what is really a better use of time and effort – writing a single 100,000+ word novel that may never see publication, or in the same amount of time writing twelve or fifteen or twenty short stories, some of which will almost certainly be published somewhere.

What to do? What to do?

story published

My short story “All That Glitters” is now appearing in Reflection’s Edge, which is an excellent online magazine publishing a variety of genres. The story just published is a fantasy, and it happens to be one of my favorites. I hope you’ll stop by and read it.