Timewaster's Guide Archive
Local Authors => Brandon Sanderson => Topic started by: EUOL on November 17, 2005, 06:31:43 PM
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So, what do you guys think of this? I figured I needed some kind of theme to motivate me to blog more often, and since I'm always thinking of new wacky story ideas, most of which I'll never end up using. I figured I'd try and post one a day.
Suggestions? Comments? I'm not looking for story ideas to post--I'll come up with those on my own. I'm just curious to see if any of these are actually useful, or what you think of the entire concept.
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Sure, why not? And if anyone writes a book using them, you can sue for patent infringement. (just kidding).
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I think if you get enough of them, you should put them together in a "writer's inspiration" book or a book of rush write starters or something. They are a good idea. I've noticed a few bloggers who have been passing along your writing advice (blogsearch.google.com is pretty cool--I've run a lot of my friends, and myself, through it for fun), and I think that and other advice for aspiring writers is a good way to keep them coming back to your site.
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EUOL, i'd suggest you build them up into one big block, every fortnight. One a day will kind of overwhelm anything else you try to put into your blog.
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How long is a fortnight, exactly?
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Two weeks.
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I agree that blogging a new story idea daily might be a little overkill.
Once a week or fortnight is more palatable.
Also, I think you, and your readers, might find after a month or two that a lot of your story ideas are similar if you were to post them every day.
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Huh. I like the daily story idea posts. I don't see how they could be overwhelming, since they're all incredibly short. I definitely don't see the point of putting them up every 2 weeks. I thought the basic idea was to have something to put up every day so the blog has activity, and waiting two weeks would defeat that purpose utterly.
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I agree. I think it's a good way to get people to come back. I'd suggest, though, also updating other things on a regular basis so that they have something else to look for when they come.
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I'm with stacer and Ookla in that if your objective is to get them to come back often then I think it is a good idea. But I also agree with stacer that a story idea alone may not be the most attention-grabbing tactic.
Isn't the point of author blogs so fans can feel connected to the author--so he becomes more than just a name? If that is the case, you will still want to put occasional details about your life and opinions and writing habits up there as well (like the link to the interview with the Tor editor--that was good). If the story ideas get you in the habit of blogging more often and being aware of your web presence, then they have accomplished their purpose. But I wouldn't let the other interesting stuff on your site slide--like the goodies and annotations and such. You may even want to start writing EUOLogies again, since the Tolkien one got so much attention, and building an awareness is important now with Elantris out and Mistborn on the horizon.
Of course, this is all advice from what I've read and heard in classes, including yours, so take it or leave it. :)
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I think the posting of ideas is an interesting concept, but I'm not sure that on its own it's the kind of thing to draw readers into checking your blog more often.
If (as you've done several times) the posting of the idea is in conjunction with posting about something else, then it may be useful because the daily habit of blogging a story idea reminds you to post other content.
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A better thing might be to every so often, post a story idea and then just talk about how you would develop it, how it could go, your ideas on what to do with it. Sort of like the very first step of a novel. I'd certainly be interested in that sort of thing.
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Entropy has a good point. That would be interesting.
You may even want to start writing EUOLogies again
I've been wondering for a while why you stopped, actually. I've missed them. They were a good column here, and generated quite a bit of discussion. Perhaps you could combine Ent's idea with a EUOLogy from time to time, for more substantial content, and then continue with the everyday story ideas to get you in the habit?
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Hear hear! I vote for more EUOLogies
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The other day when I visited EUOL's website, I was rather surprised to see no new EUOLogies had been posted in a while. :( I guess I thought that, with ELANTRIS being out, the site would be updated more often to encourage fans to get more and more involved (i.e., "hooked" and rabidly loyal. ;)) So I, too, put in my vote for more EUOLogies!!
I zipped through the story ideas happily and waited for something to "happen" with them or for them to spark some more EUOLogies, but nothing happened. So I like how Eric said that the goal should be to post something else in conjunction with these ideas.
Yep, I agree that the story idea blogs are nifty. But they need to be beefed up somehow--the post should be more than just a line or two about a story idea. That just whets our appetites for something more substantial and there's not much worse than looking forward to an entree and having the kitchen close down after you get your appetizer! :-/
Like Chimera said, the point of the blogging should be that readers get to connect to the author, to feel like they "know" the author as a person not just as a name and a bio on a book jacket.
Basically, I feel kinda gyped that the ideas are just left there, floating. So if the idea-a-day (or idea-every-other-day or whatever) works as a reminder to sound off on other stuff (related or non-related), that would be awesome. Naturally, the other blogs wouldn't have to be about that day's idea. But just give us something else longer lasting to munch on, that's all. Though, I do think it might be fun to have the story ideas themselves be directly involved in the other blogging.
Like, what if EUOL were to pick a few writing/publishing topics and use the story idea to illustrate something about that topic. How about topics such as effective imagery, effective dialogue, "kiling your babies/darlings," POV problems, past tense vs. present tense, outlining, writing solid first paragraphs of a novel, etc. Hmm, well, maybe this could get too complicated. It's sounding like a book project.... Anyway, something like that would be cool.
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In EUOL's defense, EUOLogies were originally written for THIS site, and were then cross listed to his site later. He stopped doing them so he'd have the time to focus on writing more directly related to making money.
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In EUOL's defense, EUOLogies were originally written for THIS site, and were then cross listed to his site later. He stopped doing them so he'd have the time to focus on writing more directly related to making money.
Yeah, the money part makes sense, of course. I also know how the EUOLogies were part of TWG originally. Still, they're a good "draw," you know, on his web site for those who want to know more about him as a writer and a person. That's all. Can't resist wanting more of a good thing, I guess. ;)
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The idea of posting stories is great (something everyone else has said already), but you never know when you might need some of them for minor elements in your stories. And you might not care if you use something you've already given away, either, as long as its not often. I would be a bit nervous about giving so much away. Of course that's just me. I do enjoy reading them, though.
As for additional content, does anyone here read Neil Gaiman's blog? I read his blog every chance I get and find it very interesting. And something like that, EUOL, with your story ideas, your blog would still retain a strong element of uniqueness.
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But EUOL wants something he doesn't have to expend any effort on at all.
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Probably. But little effort equals little return.
I don't think he should do something huge everyday. And the annotations are a pretty big thing. I just suggested the EUOLogies because I knew that the Tolkien one had created a stir in the online community and something like that every so often would build EUOL's web presence.
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Part of the problem sounds like it's the balance of marketing time vs. writing time. You don't want to have to expend too much energy on blogging every day, but you do need to have something interesting to sell your site and your book to potential readers.
I think the story ideas are just a beginning. I rarely look at BS.com, because nothing ever changes there. The story idea posts are a start, but I think more needs to update on a regular basis.
Blogging funny little happenings in your life, or commentary on writing, or whatever, would be more interesting, I think. That's why I read friends' blogs--to keep in touch with them. Of course a professional blog has a different purpose, but it's the same feeling--people go there to find something curious, new, interesting, and yet slightly personal (nothing deep and dark, that's for sure).
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I agree that BS.com needs more content.
I liked the EUOLogies. Story ideas would be good too.
I don't you can just do one thing everyday and have it be a hit. It would be better to have three or four weekly articles that show some variety.
I like the idea of you just writing about something that happened to yout that day or that week. It could be more interesting if you severely exagerated that event. Thus allowing you to show off your creative side.
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I've been checking out the site more often since EUOL's been posting the story idea of the day. Ideas are cheap. I think any two professional writers could take the same idea and come up with their own original takes on it, and both stories would sell. So, there's no need to fear "infringement."
I agree with Entropy that an occassional inside peak of how EUOL would turn a certain idea into a story would be pretty cool.
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I think they're really a good idea. Though, I'm not sure if they should be every day because then your blog will seem more like some kind of story-idea dispenser, I'd do it more like every third day or so, only you'd have to do three at a time because I don't wan't to miss out on cool story ideas.
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But EUOL wants something he doesn't have to expend any effort on at all.
Uh-huh, I think Ookla's onto something here.... haha.
So... perhaps we ought to do some R&D to develop a revolutionary, just-add-water blog formula for successful authors with a proclivity for letting their web sites languish. We could call it Blogquick [tm] or InstaBlog [tm] and we'd make trillions! Trillions, I say! Who's with me?
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Remember when we did that Nations thing? There were like, 50 nations run by board members. We had our own continent. etc. Then the questions started repeating. Everyone stopped.
ie, new content is necessary for repeat visits. a one liner isn't enough for me to spend the time int he browser that I could use to write my own three or four sentences.
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Ahh, Procrastania. :)
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Wow. EUOL actually updated the welcome on bs.com. Maybe all our ragging on him for not having new content helped. ;)
He deserves one of OneEyedGreenPerson's cookies! ;D
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I have a magic system or two in my head let me share them here...
"input-name"- is based on using your shadow in 3-D as a landscape..kinda..where your shadow is you have complete dominion and the laws of physics are what you make them... your shadow's landscape would start out extremely small ( large enough to be about the size of a volleyball but you could wrap in around a blade to more or less tear this dimesion and anything in it with another one..your shadows) and by absorbing dieing peoples shadows grow.
Another one is more sci-fi and not really magic its genetically altered super-humans (most are failures and die) who are anemic or some other blood disorder and must take others blood into their blood-stream via injection as cardiovasucular system isn't your digestive system. And their hunters who are themselves ex-vampires or what have you who have weapons of biological tissue and their blood is poison to vampires...lets call them with-hunters
well i can't give all my ideas away but hey whats your thoughts?
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Just to let you know, this isn't the correct place for something like this. We actually have an entire area (http://www.timewastersguide.com/forum/index.php?board=20.0") for writers to post this type of thing and get feedback. I'd copy everything over there.
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Holy thread necro Batman.
Check out this page. (http://www.timewastersguide.com/forum/index.php?topic=11.0) ;)