June Blogging Prompts

Don't let June gloom get you down. Do something to lift your spirits. For example, do some blogging. 

Summer is rapidly approaching and it won't be long til those beautiful summer days start calling your name. If you want extra summer fun time, plan ahead and stockpile some blog posts. 

Here are some topics to write about in June.

Father's Day (third Sunday): Dads like toys and gadgets. What are some great gifts for Dad that are related to your niche. See what you can come up with that's out of the ordinary. You can also so an advice post.

Summer Camp: Kids heading off to camp mean a few things. Parents may have a little extra downtime. Give them advice of how they can spend it. Also, kids at overnight camp will require some fun letters from the parents. Do you have a crazy letter writing idea that adds spark and sizzle to an ordinary letter? Share that with your readers too.

Plus:

June Holidays: In addition to Father's Day, June is Aquarium Month, Gay Pride Month, National Accordion Awareness Month, National Adopt a Cat Month, and Rose Month. June 14 is Flag Day, June 15 is Smile Power Day, and June 18 is International Panic Day (it's also International Picnic Day). Summer solstice is June 21, Forgiveness Day is June 26, and Camera Day is June 29.

June Food Holidays: June is National Candy Month, National Dairy Month, National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month, National Iced Tea Month, National Papaya Month, National Seafood Month, National Steakhouse Month, National Turkey Lover. (Covered all the bases, didn't they?) Also June 13 is Kitchen Klutzes of America Day, June 17 is Eat All Your Veggies Day, and June 22 is National Onion Rings Day.

Bonus: Fiction writers, it's time for a beach party. What do your characters do when they let loose on the beach? What do they eat? What games do they play? Do they tell stories around a bonfire? Give your characters space to have some fun. They may give you some fun adventures to include in your prose or they could be involved in something that they must keep secret. Either way, it'll sure be fun to see what happens. And then use that as inspiration for your writing.

***

Debra Eckerling is the author of Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages. She's a writer, editor and project manager/goal coach, as well as founder of Guided Goals and Write On Online, a live and online writers’ support group. She is an editor at Social Media Examiner. Debra is also a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting and social media.

Author-Reader Engagement

How to Serve Your Niche Audience

 by Debra Toor

STEP 1 Research your niche readers and create their profiles.

Readers' Profiles

1. Professions:
2. Education:
3. Lifestyles:
4. What do your readers care about?
5. What motivates them?
6. What information, tools and resources do they need, but can't find?
7. Do they need to do more with less time?
8. Where do readers go to network, collaborate, find info, and get assistance?
     Examples of online sites: 
     - professional association blogs
     - trade e-zines
     - Facebook groups, LinkedIn groups, Yahoo groups, Google+
     - Twitter Chats, etc.

     Examples of offline sites: 
     - conferences
     - meetings
     - trade shows
     - professional trade print magazines

STEP 2  Research your niche competitors and create their profiles.

Competitors' Profiles

1. How do your competitors fill readers' needs?  
2. Do they provide solutions to obstacles?
3. What service do they fail to provide readers?  How can you fill this void?  Can you provide specific professional expertise?

STEP 3  Combine profile details.  Create a plan and a reader survey.

 1. Design your survey to be brief and easy to complete. 
 2. Ask a select few to provide feedback on your plan.
 3. Focus on tools, resources, and information that they would like to see:

 Some ideas:
 - downloadable worksheets
 - tip sheets
 - checklists
 - handy resource lists 
 - networking venues and resources
 - expertise on specific subjects
 - informative slideshows, infographics, fact sheets, charts, videos, podcasts

Offer an incentive, such as a free copy of your book or a free downloadable resource.

Remember, your blog is your primary forum to engage your readers:

- Make it welcoming, accessible, informative, and entertaining.
- Offer posts that have value and are sharable.
- Encourage readers to share their suggestions, opinions and stories.  
- Offer contests with prizes that are on your niche audience's wish list.

How do you connect with your readers?  Inspire other writers by sharing your story in the comments section.

Helpful Links

"Crawling Inside your Customer's Head" by Copyblogger: www.copyblogger.com/empathy-maps/

"Author Platforms: How to Use a Time Machine to Create Your Author Platform," by Katie Davis, Huff Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/author-platforms/ 
________________________________________________________________

Debra Toor is the author of Survival Secrets of Turkey Vultures, an adventure story for grades 4 to 6 that's based on peer-reviewed science. She's also a ghostwriter for a health blog.

Debra Toor Author, Eco-Literacy Connections, Free Lesson Plans p:905-510-9804 | e:debtoor@gmail.com | w:www.ecostoriesbydebtoor.com

Preventing Distractions the Low-Tech Way

Distraction can be the number one enemy of a writer.  And when you sit down on the computer to write, distractions are plenty.  Check Facebook.  Check e-mail.  Do some marketing.  Surf.  Play a game.  Organize photos.  Defrag your hard drive.  Do research for your piece.  The list goes on.  All these have their place, but when you’re really trying to write—just write—they can cause problems.

My solution, when this happens?  Paper.  Remember paper?  And pens?  And pencils?  Yes, that old technology really helps when I’m having trouble concentrating.  There are programs to black out all the but your writing screen or prevent you from accessing the internet for a certain time.  But paper is a low-tech solution. 

It’s also ultra portable.  Paper works in a park, in bright sunshine, on a bus, all with no worries about electricity or battery life.  It works on a beach with no worries of sand or water damaging it.  It’s permitted during airplane take-off.  And it’s very user-friendly.

The downside of paper is that you later have to transfer all your scribbling to computer.  You can’t click and drag, cut and paste.  It takes time.  But if can easily make up for that in pure, distraction-free writing time to begin with.  

Try it.  You may like it.  

Melinda Brasher's short fantasy story, "Chaos Rises" is now FREE on Amazon (and everywhere else).  Her microfiction (38 words) recently won honorable mention in On the Premises' Mini Contest #25.  Read "Dusk" for free here.  Or visit her online at www.melindabrasher.com

SEO and Website Ranking - Inside Website Traffic ‘Visit Lengths’

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a key element in driving website traffic to your site and ranking in the search engines. But, simply getting traffic isn’t enough. Along with getting that traffic, there are other factors that search engines look at when ranking your site. One of those elements is ‘visit lengths.’

According to Statcounter.com, visit lengths are considered “the time between when a visitor accesses your first webpage of their visit, and when they access the last.” While this particular measure isn’t 100 percent accurate, it’s pretty close and provides important information about your visitors and what they’re doing.

This information allows you to see “just how much ‘pull’ and ‘interest’ your website is generating for your visitors.”

So, why is this SEO information important?

Put simply, the longer a visitor stays, the better standing you’ll have with the search engines.

If you were to check your statistics, chances are the majority of your site’s traffic stays for less than five seconds. Google and the other search engines take note of this. It can be considered that your website or its content isn’t valuable enough to hold visitors. Your lower rated ‘pull’ and ‘interest,’ will cause a lower website ranking.

As a measuring stick, Statcounter measures ‘visit lengths’ in increments of:

• Less than 5 seconds
• From 5 seconds to 30 seconds
• From 30 seconds to 5 minutes
• From 5 minutes to 20 minutes
• From 20 minutes to an hours
• Longer than an hour

If you can hold a visitor for over 30 seconds you’re doing pretty good. Each increment beyond that demonstrates a rise is your website’s ‘pull’ and ‘interest’ capabilities.

At this point, you may be wondering how you can get traffic to stay on your site beyond 5 minutes, which will give your rankings a boost.

Well, how long does it take you to read one article?

If that article is informative, a visitor will want to know what else of value you have on your site. This leads the visitor further and deeper into your site. She’ll look at older titles and read more articles of interest. I’ve been on sites where I’ve read three or four articles, causing me to go deeper and deeper into those sites.

This is how ‘pull’ and ‘interest’ work. A visitor is pulled in by the informative and interesting content. The easier it is to find additional relevant quality content, the longer you’ll hold that visitor’s attention  . .  and viewing time.

There are two basic and easy ways to hold a visitor’s attention and increase your website ranking:

1. Create embedded links within your content. For example: if you have the word ‘marketing’ in your article, link that word to another article on marketing within your site.

2. At the end of your article include three or four additional article titles and link them directly to the articles.

So, the next time you’re posting an article to your site, take the extra few minutes to include links to other articles within your site. This is a proven method of engaging and holding your visitors, thereby increasing your site’s ranking.

Originally published at:
http://www.karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com/2012/08/seo-and-website-ranking-inside-website.html

~~~~~
More on Marketing

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Tips from C.S. Lakin on Cinematic Techniques for your Novel

Image from www.ishareimage.com

C.S. Lakin's terrific book, Shoot Your Novel: Cinematic Techniques to Supercharge Your Writing, is the latest addition to my desk. Note, I didn't say bookshelf. Overnight, Lakin's book has become a staple of my process that is quickly growing dog ears. This is no exageration: Every page of Shoot is jam-packed with suggestions for writing or re-writing the scenes in your books to advance the plot, reveal your character, and stir your readers' emotions. In short, Shoot is thorough. It covers so much on what it takes to enhance your novel that it is a great resource for all writers, beginners as well as experienced.

In this post we will touch on Lakin's approach to writing fiction, which is to view your story as a series of scenes as seen through the lense of a camera. For the full scope of what she has to offer, I highly recommend this book to be added to your own personal writer's toolbox. It could save you time and effort and give you a concrete way to reach your reader, ridding you of any guesswork. Sprinkled throughout Lakin's book are numerous passages from books and movies to illustrate her points. A handy list of them is included at the end.

Most important, there is much more to this book than is covered in this post, such as how to combine camera shots for the best outcome, how to use visual motifs and symbols, and more. I hope the post will spark your interest in reading it for yourself and reaping all it has to offer. Lakin has written three other books on writing and many fiction books. Next I want to study her book, Writing the Heart of your Story: A Guide to Crafting an Unforgettable Novel, which details scene construction (and dip a toe in one of her fiction books . . . just for fun, of course). 

Before you begin, you might want to make room in your closet for more hats other than the editor's, illustrator's, writer's, marketer's, etc., hats you already wear. To name a few, you might add chapeaus for cinematographer, production designer, and screenwriter. Save your fanciest topper for you as director, as you will be donning this hat to tell your story in a series of scenes as if it were a movie.

Lakin has handily narrowed down the types of camera shots to two: stationary and moving. Stationary shots are the most common shots in movies and on TV. "These essential shots define our world . . . We are not always moving . . . We see life most often [this way], whether close up . . . or far away."

"Moving shots mimic the way our eyes follow what's happening . . . The right choice of a moving shot will effect pacing and tension . . . Novelists have a wonderful medium in which to translate moving shots into powerful prose."

Lakin's Method
Begin by identifying the high moment of your scene--the moment of greatest impact. You will need to decide which camera shots to use leading up to the high moment, and then the best shots for whatever happens afterwards. Once you know the high moment and how your plot builds to it,
you can work backward and forward. Some basic shots Lakin describes:

• Establishing Shot (ES): Each time the scene changes the time and place need to be established. In most cases, it is best to keep the ES short--move on to the main part of the scene. Omniscient POV is okay. Give just enough details, then move on.
• Three Basic Distances:
• The Close-Up or Two-Shot (CU): The CU is used when you want to zero in on a detail, such as an expression on a character's face or an object that is the point of the scene. The common two-shot shows two people in conversation or relating with one another. CU's tell the reader, "Pay attention here!" You can reveal a clue that is not explained until later to add tension and your reader's curiosity.
• Full or Medium Shot (MS): Full shots can be full body shots or shots from the waist up, showing body language and facial expressions. MS shots can also show a small group of people, such as a family sitting at the dinner table eating and talking.
• Long Shot (LS): LS's in novels are effective if showing something that might be coming or what might be happening such as a threatening tornado or hurricane off in the distance, which can add tension. LS's can add tension by drawing out a high moment. The example used is an excerpt from Predator by Terry Blackstock: "[Krista] has to wait (and so does the reader) agonizing moments until the body is pulled out and she can make out the shirt and hair--not the face because she's not close enough--" we've had to wait (and sit on the edge of our seat) for the final moment when she recognizes her sister.

More Helpful Tips

• Every scene has a purpose in advancing the plot and every camera shot has a purpose.
• Scenes need to be shown from the POV character's eyes and reveal her frame of mind.
• Each scene needs to be planned out and the best shots chosen for greatest impact.
• Scenes are a string of moments leading up to the high moment and may include movements, internal thoughts, gestures and expressions and dialog.

Some of the Ways I Plan to use this Book

• View my scenes as camera shots and see if I can improve on how to show them.
• Make a list of the scenes in my WIPs, identify the high moments and make sure I've done what I can to build to the high moment.
• Consider shortening my ES's.
• Make sure every scene has a purpose. Right now I can think of at least one part of a scene where I described my character waiting for her friends to sneak out of their house, and the night sounds she listened to. The description popped into my head as a part that could be eliminated unless I assign it a purpose other than simply listening to sleepy crickets crick.
• Read the books and watch the movies used as illustrations, partly for fun--I'm always looking for good reads and shows, but mostly to take Lakin up on understanding these works' importance as seen through the authors' lenses.

Linda Wilson, a former elementary teacher and ICL graduate, has published over 40 articles for adults and children and six short stories for children. Recently she completed Joyce Sweeney's online fiction and picture book courses. She is currently working on several projects for children. Follow Linda on  Facebook.

More Help for New Writers - Patience

Last month we looked at ways for new writers to handle rejection.

Another important topic for discussion is patience. Without it, you will become disappointed and give up. 

I like quick results. When I taught K-4th grade art classes, I chose projects the students could take home later that day (unless we were working with clay or paper mâché). When I was asked to teach a drawing class for high school, I learned about process and the patience it requires.

Building a writing career is a process. There are very few overnight successes. Whether you are freelancing, writing for magazines, or writing a book, there are slow and steady steps which require patience for success.

Step 1 - Starting a blog

In early 2012, the first step I took in my writing career was creating a blog. It helped me be serious about what I wanted to do: build my platform. That means writing to a specific audience on a topic I am passionate about and gain credibility. It's been a slow and steady process, but I have a good following and readers from all over the world.

Once we create our blog, we're pretty proud of it. The layout, colors, font, and photos reflects our personality. It's like welcoming someone into your home and making them feel comfortable.

But after about a week or two, we wonder where our followers are. 

Statistics state, in 2012, there were over 173 million blogs and climbing. Finding you by chance is slim. Dedication takes patience and you need both to gain followers. When you get published, readers will either know who you are through your blog, or you will have a place for readers to land and know more about you.

Step 2 - Educating yourself

Another step is learning all you can. Technology is always changing and it's important to keep current. Learn how to do cover letters, how to get published, how search engines work, and more. You don't need a degree to be a successful writer but it can only help to take some courses. Many online are free or very affordable. 

I realized the value of this as I began writing. Be cautious of thinking you have a gift and can jump right in. You're a small fish in a big pond. Don't let this scare you, just do your homework. 

Step 3 - Waiting, waiting, and more waiting

I think we're all pretty conditioned to be impatient in today's world.  

Ask any writer who submits their work to magazines. It's typical to be told it will take 6+ weeks to be contacted regarding acceptance of your work. Sometimes you are not contacted at all. Many successful authors submitted their manuscript to several publishers before they landed a contract.

The key is not to give up. If you get discouraged easily, it may be because of impatience.  

Photo credit: Internet Archive Book Images / Foter /No known copyright restrictions

You've heard it before: slow and steady wins the race. Your goals will be reached when you are patient. Celebrate your small successes along the way until the day you reach the finish line!

~~~

After raising and homeschooling her 8 children and teaching art classes for 10 years, Kathy has found time to pursue freelance writing. She enjoys writing magazine articles and more recently had her story, "One of a Kind", published in The Kids' Ark. You can find her passion to bring encouragement and hope to people of all ages at When It Hurts - http://kathleenmoulton.com

Writing - Think Like a Publisher

Books: photo by zole4 from Free Digital Photos

Dean Wesley Smith is a professional writer, a USA Today best selling author. He has over one hundred novels published and is responsible for many episodes of popular long running TV series.

He also finds time to write helpful blog articles and books to help aspiring authors.

Now updating his best seller Think Like a Publisher for the 2015 edition, he is posting the update chapter by chapter on his blog, www. deanwesleysmith.com  The joy of reading the book in this way is that its value is doubled. Not only is it a free way to access great information, but you also have the benefit of the comments section in which he gives practical answers to authors' questions. 

By doing the maths of the writing life, he shows  how it can be  possible to make a living without qualifying for the Amazon bestseller lists and constantly  reminds of the need for patience and hard work. Interestingly, he is not one of the authors with hundreds of five star reviews. He just does the writing and assumably  his work markets itself.

It's a blog well worth investigating and his other bestsellers, Killing the Top Ten Sacred Cows of Publishing, with the second book specifically about Indie Publishing, and the third one on the way, are also available chapter by chapter as blog posts with again the added benefits of the comments.

To  Market or Not ?

I suspect very few of us make a living as professional writers, eking out our income by teaching, full or part-time work or pensions. But it is possible if , like Dean Wesley Smith, we are adaptable, write for hire, ghost write, content write, and correctly price our writing to sell.

It does take planning and dedication and perhaps a bit of luck, though many would say we make our own luck by putting in the work.

It also seems to mean  a minimum of time spent focusing on marketing rather than new writing. 

Check out the writers you admire. How many have hundreds of five star reviews? I looked up a few of the indie publishers I know are making a living. To my amazement, their reviews were in the teens and twenties rather than the hundreds.

Looks like they're writing rather than soliciting reviews. But then they've spent years building their reputations

Anne Duguid Knol

A local and national journalist in the U.K., Anne is now a fiction editor for award-winning American and Canadian publishers. As a new author, she shares writing tips and insights at her very new Author Support blog: http://www.authorsupport.net

Her novella, ShriekWeekis published by The Wild Rose Press.