We had a wonderful meeting of our Writers Haven last Sunday, March 4, at the home of Kerry and Carol Pobanz. Present were Kerry, Debbie Grodner, Gelo Fleisher, and Bob Beebe. We started off with a discussion of the current state of literature in the 21st century, particularly how it has been affected by the digital revolution, which has upended the publishing industry. More and more writers are opting to self-publish, by-passing agents and the traditional print route. Many are publishing only electronic versions of their work, adding interactive features in the process. Another development we discussed is the blurring of lines between young adult (YA) and adult literature, as more and more adults are reading so-called YA books and whose themes contain much darker subject matter than in the past. A favorite theme has become romance amidst the ruins of a not-too-distant future civilization formerly known as America.
After this uplifting discussion, we went on to the main agenda of the meeting: a presentation by Gelo Fleisher of the beginning pages of his fantasy novella called The Night Thief, which you should have received by e-mail. He explained that most of his writing is in the science fiction genre, so this piece represents a departure from his usual work. Everyone was impressed by the fluidity and richness of his writing, the unfolding of his characters, and his strong narration. His first chapter left us hungering for more, which was only partially satisfied as Gelo has yet to fully work out the plot. We look forward to his next installment.
Our next meeting will be taking place at the Beebe residence Sunday, April 1st (no April fools!), 3:00-5:00 pm. The agenda is not yet clear. More on this when I send you an update as we get closer to the date.
Until then, all the best!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Saturday, September 3, 2011
YouTube is an additional resource for writers
Congratulations to all hurricane, (or tropical storm survivors)! We certainly were hard hit by flooding in NJ. I didn't experience it first hand, but I know many people who did, and it was quite a harrowing experience.
Welcome to the first post following a rather pleasant summer, (except for the 108 degree temperature we briefly experienced.)
I have made a number of posts on writer's resources on this blog, but these were links to blogs and web sites, RSS feeds, etc. YouTube is another information resource for writers, and I wanted to pass along a video that I ran across.
There are many how-to type videos available for writers, this is just one example, and it may not be the best. I just thought it would alert our group about what is available on YouTube, the 3rd most visited site on the Internet.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Engine Search Visibility | Great Resources for Writers
Image by thorinside via FlickrWhether you write for engine search visibility, or for offline publications, you will find some great resources using the links pages listed here. I ran across these link pages recently, and they might peak your interest, because they are excellent resources.If you simply would like to hone your writing skills, or find some good writer's software tools, these links may benefit your writing. Especially if you have ever experienced "writer's block", they can certainly help.
Nearly all of my writing is blogging for US web site promotion. I really have only ever experienced momentary writer's block. I should consider myself fortunate, I suppose. Mainly this is because there is such a rich cornucopia of information on the subject on a daily basis, that I draw inspiration from others. I monitor all of this information using an RSS reader called RSSOwl.
I haven't had a chance to explore all of the links on these pages, but many of the sites I have heard of before.
One of the sites listed has a very clever name, "Men with Pens". I don't know if there are any women that write for the blog or not, (no offense to women writers), but it certainly is a name that is easy to remember.
As a writer, if you do not have your own blog, I highly recommend it.
Blogging is to writing like exercise is to the body.It will keep you in shape, regardless of the topic you choose. I certainly would be willing to help you to get one set up. Here are four highly recommend resource lists.
5 of the Best Free Writing Software and Tools for Aspiring Novelists by FriedBeef's Tech
23 Websites that Make Your Writing Stronger
23 (More) Websites that Make Your Writing Stronger
10,000 Ideas and Resources for Writers and Bloggers: 100 “Top 100″ Lists
Friday, January 21, 2011
Engine Search Visibility | Where can I find Free Audiobooks?
Image via WikipediaOK, you may be of a certain age that is not quite hip to all aspects of the digital revolution, but that's OK.Chances are, however, that your kids are highly in-tune with cell phones and IPods or MP3 players that have the latest music on them.
I prefer working while listening to Pandora for my musical preferences and education. I also sometimes use Grooveshank. Both are free, unlike Rhapsody.
Oh. I almost forgot, there is another less known music site called Magnatune that I highly recommend. It is chock full of quality independent artists and 50% of the royalties go back to them. In addition for audiofiles, you can download in perfect WAV format, (better quality than MP3).
If you are interested in audio books that is a whole different ballgame. For avid readers, (should I suggest nearly fanatical readers), the IPad and Kindle are options. As for myself, I never signed in to the idea of the cost of these devices.
I enjoy browsing dusty used bookstores and when I have time to sit and read, I like the feel of books too much to make the change to an all digital format. It is well recognized, however, that frequent readers can save a bundle in the long-term by "going digital".
Maybe I am just old-fashioned, but I prefer the desktop computer for my computing. I do own a laptop, that is sometimes very handy, I admit. I am heavily into engine search visibility and what works best on the search engines, and that takes up quite a bit of my free time, so extra time is precious to me.
Suppose you would like to read, but have a hard time to find reading time? You may have some drive time if you commute a short distance to work, (like so many of us).
Why not consider audio books? They are digital formats of books that you can listen on your kids old digital device. I have a Zune that holds a big amount of data, that was bequeathed to me by a generation Xer, that is perfect for the purpose.
In addition, you can download podcasts of your favorite broadcasts. I know podcasts are a little outmoded, but the same thing has been said about blogging. It is clear from recent data that the death of blogging seems to have been greatly exaggerated.
Where do you go for the best digital books? You can pay $ 15.00 per month for 2 digital downloads at Audible, or you can search for free digital books. The following post will give you a myriad of sources for free digital book downloads.
http://www.tipandtrick.net/2008/free-audible-audiobooks-in-mp3-or-ipod-m4b-downloads-catalog-list/comment-page-1/
Happy Blogging, writing, listening, or whatever else you do!
John Lombaerde
Web Site Promotion
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Thursday, January 13, 2011
Top 10 Writer's blogs | Top SEO Blogs | US Web Site Promotion
Image via WikipediaWell, here is the traditional top 10 writer's blogs from copyblogger for this past year. Just click on the previous link, or copy the following url into the address bar of your browser.http://www.copyblogger.com/top-10-blogs-for-writers-2010/
Since most of my writing is based on US Web Site Promotion, or SEO, I thought it appropriate to include a list of SEO blogs as well. I access nearly 100 SEO blogs from my favorite RSS reader, RSSOwl.
Each of this lists has a slightly different perspective on what constitues a top SEO blog.
Daily Blog Tips - Top 25 SEO Blogs
400 TopRank BIGLIST Search Marketing Blogs
Top 100 SEO Blogs
20 Best Blogs to Follow and Polish Your SEO Skils
Top SEO Forums - SEO Blogs
If you are not an avid reader on the Internet, yet, I recommend that you check out RSS readers, as a way to monitor and keep updated on your favorite web sites. It is like your own personal customized newspaper or maginzine, that is automatically updated, and ready to open whenever you want. The best part is that it is completely free!
My Owl reader has all of my favorite SEO blogs, all in one place, and it is my favorite source of online reading, on a daily basis.
Oh, and since I am a keyword specialist, here are the keywords I am targeting at the beginning of 2011, US web site promotion, engine search visibility, keyword ranking analysis, and about a dozen other phrases.
Have a great year in 2011! If you would like to make 2011 the year you start to blog, just let me know. Whatever your reason, for business, personal joy of self-expression, maybe you could benefit from blogging. I highly recommend it!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Good Luck in your US Web Site Promotion and Writing efforts in 2011 !
Image via WikipediaI hope you like the new blog look. I like to change the template every few months to make it a little more interesting, and this is a new template that became available. Let me know what you think !Here is an interesting post from Lifehacker concerning online education. Over the past decade, more and more major universities have started to provide lectures on a wide variety of subjects available to the general public, (at no charge). This article explores the ever-expanding world of online education, including free written course ware, and even free online textbooks.
2010 saw a new field of work for me, that took up a considerable amount of my time and intensity, in order to learn new software and programming techniques for 5-axis programming. I did not have as much time to devote to online writing as I would have liked in 2010.
I have recently resumed my weekly keyword training class online. If anyone is interested, they only need to sign up for a free Veretekk marketing system at http://jonlomb.veretekk.com. I should be able to make free web site promotion training available to the general public in early 2011.
I intend to maintain a much more active Internet presence in 2011, including this blog. You can always check out my main blog at Web Site Promotion for my latest blog posts and even subscribe to the RSS feed, by RSS reader, or by email, by clicking on the keep updated icon at the top right of the page.
Good Luck, and God Bless all your writing efforts in 2011.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Moby-Dick
The last meeting of the Writers' Haven took place on Sunday, Oct. 31, at the Saunders' residence. Present were June Saunders, Kerry Pobanz, Donna Ferrantello, and Bob Beebe. Bob began the meeting with a reading on the importance of passion in writing. Successful writers are not those who write catering to market forces but those who feel passionate about their writing and love their work. They have something to say and throw the essence of themselves into it. For them, writing is a joyous activity.
Following this, Donna presented a PowerPoint on Herman Melville's Moby-Dick as a test run for a presentation she is giving this weekend in Hartford, CT, at the Northeastern Regional Women Educator's Conference. The presentation is based on her book "Moby-Dick and Peace" in which she explores Melville's search for inner peace through the characters and plot of his famous novel. Donna spoke about Melville's experiences on ships as well influences upon him by transcendentalists Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and others. Quoting often from Moby-Dick, she demonstrated how the quest for peace lies at the center of the novel in counterpoint to Captain Ahab's conflicted and obsessive desire for revenge against the great white whale that eventually leads to his self-destruction. Ahab's actions are a metaphor for man's fruitless rebellion against God and its predictable end.
Our next meeting is scheduled for this Sunday, Nov. 14, 3:00-5:00 pm, at the Panzer home. June Saunders will be presenting one of the final chapters of her Civil War era novel, Into the Breach. I hope you will be able to join us for what promises to be another stimulating discussion.
God bless you!
Following this, Donna presented a PowerPoint on Herman Melville's Moby-Dick as a test run for a presentation she is giving this weekend in Hartford, CT, at the Northeastern Regional Women Educator's Conference. The presentation is based on her book "Moby-Dick and Peace" in which she explores Melville's search for inner peace through the characters and plot of his famous novel. Donna spoke about Melville's experiences on ships as well influences upon him by transcendentalists Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and others. Quoting often from Moby-Dick, she demonstrated how the quest for peace lies at the center of the novel in counterpoint to Captain Ahab's conflicted and obsessive desire for revenge against the great white whale that eventually leads to his self-destruction. Ahab's actions are a metaphor for man's fruitless rebellion against God and its predictable end.
Our next meeting is scheduled for this Sunday, Nov. 14, 3:00-5:00 pm, at the Panzer home. June Saunders will be presenting one of the final chapters of her Civil War era novel, Into the Breach. I hope you will be able to join us for what promises to be another stimulating discussion.
God bless you!
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