The Writer's Pulse

I started seriously blogging a little over a month ago (this site has technically existed since March, but I didn’t get around to working on it until mid-May). Since then, I’ve learned quite a bit, and I thought I’d share with you what I’ve discovered so far:

1. It’s not as easy as it seems. I mean, it’s easy if you don’t care about traffic and advertising. But if you want your blog to be read, you’ve got to put some work into it.

I’m not just talking about writing quality content or creating a good design or any of that standard website stuff, either. You have to get involved. Join communities and manage SEO (search engine optimization) and keep yourself going. I’ve been trying to post regularly, and I even — gasp — have a schedule. Not that I always stick to it, but it’s there! I’m only just getting used to consistently writing content and finding my style.

2. It’s a bumpy road. Check out the traffic statistics for The Writer’s Pulse since I started counting:

It’s a roller-coaster, that’s for sure. Most of that traffic has come from StumbleUpon, but there has been a steady increase of standard visitors, from searches, general traffic, and various link-backs. The lesson here is that, so far, growing this site’s “popularity” has been very much akin to trying to jumpstart a junked Edsel.

3. Help and be helped. Joining social networks and communities is not only a great way to make friends, but it also allows you to share your blog with others. The important thing to remember, though, is that you only get what you give in return. Leaving comments, reviewing blogs, stumbling, digging, giving advice and praise and positive criticism. Helping each other out. You also learn a lot, too, just by interacting with bloggers of all types who cover all sorts of different topics. BlogCatalog is great for this.

4. Reviews are reviews. I admit it — I got a little miffed when I received some negative (though, granted, helpful…not exactly friendly) criticism the other day about one of my articles. Here’s the thing, though: reviews are reviews. Good or bad, they’re free advertising.

I’m not saying there’s no such thing as bad publicity (clearly there is), but most of the time a complaint is subjective. Others will look to see for themselves, and in fact they may very well like it. Don’t always try to please those who destructively criticize, either — you don’t really want those kinds of people visiting your blog, so let them go on their way. They have other sites to haunt.

5. The experience is as good as you make it. For a while there, I was doing what I’m pretty sure every n00b blogger does — checking stats constantly, reading blogging advice, searching for new ways to drive traffic, totally burning myself out. But after a while I realized that my stats probably haven’t changed in the last two minutes, I can only read so many articles about the same blogging tips, and I shouldn’t make more out of it than it is. It’s better to just stop worrying and do your best.

I still have a long way to go, and this is just the beginning. But I think it’s a good start.

If you’re a blogger, what have you learned? How has the journey been?

There’s one thing I can always turn to when stuck for ideas: music.

It’s not so much the songs themselves, either. It’s what I associate them with. Past experiences, phases, places. People, to a certain degree. So when I’m creatively lost, I listen to something.

The effect of music on the brain in general is also fascinating. Take a look at Wikipedia’s article “Music and the Brain” to see how the brain functions while listening to music, then head over to “The Mozart Effect,” which analyzes the potential for music to improve cognitive abilities. Read the rest of this entry »

“How poor are they that have not patience!
What wound did ever heal but by degrees?
Thou know’st we work by wit, and not by witchcraft;
And wit depends on dilatory time.”

- Shakespeare (from Othello)

What makes a person successful? What leads to victory no matter the conflict?

Patience. Perseverance. The willingness to continue on even when everything is going awry.

It’s hard to push forward when you feel that everything you’re working for is meaningless, that you’re not receiving credit or acknowledgment, or gratification seems far off. Negative criticism may be holding you back — you do your best at something only to have it ridiculed and dismissed.

These feelings are difficult to avoid.

But the key to true success is to never give up. Never give your critics an inch, never worry about the future. Continue in spite of all that.

I constantly face this conflict, myself. While I’d like to think I take criticism in stride (and I always try to learn from my mistakes), I find that I will still tend to second-guess myself when confronted with opposition. Old habits die hard, I guess, but I keep going, anyway.

When it comes to acknowledgment, I’m a bit less worried. I write for whoever will listen, and to give myself a voice. In a professional sense, and in college, I write because that is my assignment and it provides income. But in the end, whenever I find my patience diminishing or my morale fading, I always remember why I started writing in the first place, all those years ago.

Because I like to. And no one — nothing — can take that away from me.

Do you ever find your morale slipping?

What do you do in those situations?

Whether you’re working on a blog entry or a novel, it’s always a good idea to know where you’re going in advance.

That’s not to say you should plot out every detail — leave yourself room to be creative — but having a plan will:

• help you focus on your topic

• provide direction so you don’t get eaten by the Writer’s Block monster. That would be a tragedy.

Read the rest of this entry »

Step right up, one and all! Whether you’re looking for inspiration, ideas, or just something to laugh at, these websites will spark your creativity and set you on a path toward fortune and glory (disclaimer: fortune and glory not guaranteed).

General Kiosk

Visuwords. An online graphical dictionary that allows you to visually explore word meanings, associations, and concepts.

Proverbia. Proverbs, quotes, and sayings.

Project Syndicate. Newspapers from around the world.

Regret The Error. As they say, “mistakes happen.”

Here’s a brochure: read something

The Literature Network. A database of short stories, plays, poems, novels, and essays by many classic authors.

Booksie. Read the work of fellow writers, or share your own.

Espresso Stories. Short stories, 25 words or less.

Wikihistory. A time-travel story for the Internet age.

Fifty Words. Fifty-word short stories, Monday Through Friday.

Join the circus

Fail Blog. There’s nothing more entertaining (and tragic) than utter failure.

Point2.de. Funny pictures.

The Darwin Awards.”Honoring those who improve the species…by accidentally removing themselves from it!”

Try your luck at the midway

Seventh Sanctum. “Inspiration by Randomization.” I’ve been using this website for years (mostly just for fun, but their generators are really something).

The Random Concept Generator. If you’re desperate for a story concept, or just looking for a prompt, you’d might as well hit the black button.

Thinking Machine 4. Best the artificial intelligence at a simple game of chess (and watch its thought process the entire time).

Music Catch. Catch the shapes and listen.

Gender Guesser. Think you can fool the carnies? Insert some text and be astonished!

Free Rice. Learn vocabulary, feed the hungry.

20 Questions. It knows what you’re thinking.

Enjoy the rides

Vectorpark. Fun with animated vectors.

fl0w. Relax, and go with the flow as a creature of the deep blue.

Underneath it all. A journey to the center of the earth and back again.

Danteworlds. Explore the horrors and wonders of the Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise.

Listen to their stories

PostSecret. Anonymously posted secrets for all the world to see.

Unphotographable. Stories of pictures never taken.

One Sentence. “True stories, told in one sentence.”

i am neurotic. Are you?

FutureMe. Sending letters to the future. Write one for your future self!

Be mystified at the sideshows

Oddee. Strange things for strange people.

Anomalies Unlimited. Aliens, ghosts, death, and Disney. The horror.

Exit Mundi. Doomsday scenarios. We’re all going to die.

John Titor. Time-traveler or just really bored?

The Amazing Poodle Spider. Part poodle, mostly spider. Be amazed!