The Techie: Procrastination Station
Contributor
Written by
Contributor
Written by
Mia Eaton addresses the two biggest questions writers have about websites, and the real answer is procrastination.
For many writers who don't already have an online home, the general feeling about blogs and websites is "here be dragons." My goal as both techie and fellow writer is not to show you how to slay dragons, but to learn to ride them and harness their magic.
Writers in this camp usually know they want one, but are unsure of what the functional differences between websites and blogs are. At this point they've have spent a lot of time worrying about how much having a website might cost if they can't do it for free (more on that in future posts), how much they'll have to know (ditto), and what they'll have to do with it once it's up and running (ditto).
The main thing to keep in mind is that a blog platform is just a system that allows anyone to publish (aka post) stuff online — stuff being text, images, and videos. Just because you may opt to use a blogging tool, it doesn't mean you have to blog with it, blogger style.
In the other big category, the writer/author currently has a website or blog, but it's not taking them on any wonderful rides through The Neverending Story — specifically, it's not connecting their writing world to the real world and connecting readers to their writing.
Sometimes their website is old and hasn't been updated because the person who helped them for free/cheap is gone. Sometimes think they need to "redesign" it for various reasons usually related to their inability to get in there and tinker with it themselves. Some writers say they've been working on building a website for years, they have all the text and images picked out, and that their student, brother-in-law, or son is going to make it for them. This unfortunately, will keep them in this category indefinitely.
While all of above are real problems, these hurdles also fall into writers' favorite category of all: procrastination.
Thinking about your future website is like the fantasy of finding most perfect desk and chair, in the most perfect room, with the nicest paper and best pens. But all that's just distraction when instead you should be putting words down on paper, or banging away on your machine.
Last weekend fellow SheWriter Kio Stark decided to launch a new blog about writing about ideas, called Fact over Fiction. I've already enjoyed her short, vivid writing on Municipal Archive but her new blog is something different. It includes, among her writings, The Cult of Done Manifesto.
When I told her how inspiring I found her quickness to start this new blog, she responded, "I had the same experience when I started Municipal Archive. I thought of it, and just did it, and if I hadn't acted in the moment of momentum (never noticed those words are related!), I wouldn't have done it. It's some of the best writing I've done, and the novel I'm working on was inspired by it."
You can see why I think she's such a good example of getting over our natural writerly procrastination.
Here are some great free, quick-start blogging platforms available to you, just off the top of my head: Tumblr, Movable Type, WordPress, TypePad, and Blogger.
Also, I can assure you that I've never met an author with a currently functioning blog who wanted my input so badly that they rode home with me on the subway just to pick my brain. Once you strap a saddle on this thing, your experience level goes from none to some, and your new-found control lends to a sense of opportunity. All of your questions and challenges from that point on will be infinitely more productive.
There's no mistake you can make, aside from not giving it a try.
Don't get bogged down by fussing about the countless design options or being "official." Do think about what gets you excited. You need to know how to do this before you attempt or commission anything fancier.
And know this getting started: it's not that hard to take all the posts from one blog system and import them into a different one. Technology is marvelous!
For many writers who don't already have an online home, the general feeling about blogs and websites is "here be dragons." My goal as both techie and fellow writer is not to show you how to slay dragons, but to learn to ride them and harness their magic.
Writers in this camp usually know they want one, but are unsure of what the functional differences between websites and blogs are. At this point they've have spent a lot of time worrying about how much having a website might cost if they can't do it for free (more on that in future posts), how much they'll have to know (ditto), and what they'll have to do with it once it's up and running (ditto).
The main thing to keep in mind is that a blog platform is just a system that allows anyone to publish (aka post) stuff online — stuff being text, images, and videos. Just because you may opt to use a blogging tool, it doesn't mean you have to blog with it, blogger style.
In the other big category, the writer/author currently has a website or blog, but it's not taking them on any wonderful rides through The Neverending Story — specifically, it's not connecting their writing world to the real world and connecting readers to their writing.
Sometimes their website is old and hasn't been updated because the person who helped them for free/cheap is gone. Sometimes think they need to "redesign" it for various reasons usually related to their inability to get in there and tinker with it themselves. Some writers say they've been working on building a website for years, they have all the text and images picked out, and that their student, brother-in-law, or son is going to make it for them. This unfortunately, will keep them in this category indefinitely.
While all of above are real problems, these hurdles also fall into writers' favorite category of all: procrastination.
Thinking about your future website is like the fantasy of finding most perfect desk and chair, in the most perfect room, with the nicest paper and best pens. But all that's just distraction when instead you should be putting words down on paper, or banging away on your machine.
Last weekend fellow SheWriter Kio Stark decided to launch a new blog about writing about ideas, called Fact over Fiction. I've already enjoyed her short, vivid writing on Municipal Archive but her new blog is something different. It includes, among her writings, The Cult of Done Manifesto.
When I told her how inspiring I found her quickness to start this new blog, she responded, "I had the same experience when I started Municipal Archive. I thought of it, and just did it, and if I hadn't acted in the moment of momentum (never noticed those words are related!), I wouldn't have done it. It's some of the best writing I've done, and the novel I'm working on was inspired by it."
You can see why I think she's such a good example of getting over our natural writerly procrastination.
Here are some great free, quick-start blogging platforms available to you, just off the top of my head: Tumblr, Movable Type, WordPress, TypePad, and Blogger.
Also, I can assure you that I've never met an author with a currently functioning blog who wanted my input so badly that they rode home with me on the subway just to pick my brain. Once you strap a saddle on this thing, your experience level goes from none to some, and your new-found control lends to a sense of opportunity. All of your questions and challenges from that point on will be infinitely more productive.
There's no mistake you can make, aside from not giving it a try.
Don't get bogged down by fussing about the countless design options or being "official." Do think about what gets you excited. You need to know how to do this before you attempt or commission anything fancier.
And know this getting started: it's not that hard to take all the posts from one blog system and import them into a different one. Technology is marvelous!Share
part of the SparkPoint Studio Family
Thanks Mia. I is -- it IS so stressful - we're down to the last 5 days. My nerves are on end!
But - you're right. I have a great team behind me - and you can see their/our work at www.dianemeier.com. I can't imagine picking up a pencil without them all behind me - and wish such a team for all of you. Mia -- you seem to be a great force in helping others to get over the fear of the unknown. Brava!
Miranda, thank you so much for your comments! I think first-hand stories like yours are more valuable to others than anything I might have to say. You rock!
One more thing: It is SO worth it to get over the procrastination, because having a site makes life so much easier when trying to drum up work. Just point people to your site, and bingo! Work samples, testimonials from satisfied clients, etc etc.
I used to have a "Personal Home Page" that served this purpose at MediaBistro, but I found it limiting because they only let you do it a certain way. That is a good place to start in having a website if you're not quite ready for your own site. You just fill in a form and upload a few files (samples, resume, etc.) and you're good to go.
As someone who procrastinated for years about getting a website, I resonate with everything you say!
I second your call to just do it -- I did that with blogging and was pleasantly surprised how easy and fun it is to set up a blog. I used Blogger, and participating in group blogs later helped me get acquainted with other platforms, eg WordPress.
Somehow, though, I still felt intimidated by creating an actual "website" showcasing my skills and work. Part of the problem is I assumed I had to build it all by myself because I had no budget. The trial and error of doing that taught me alot, but I wouldn't recommend it when there are so many templates out there. For example, I made the mistake of building all these site pages and THEN looking for a web host. If I had done the reverse and gotten the host first, I would have discovered my host HAS website templates I could have plugged into.
What finally got my site up (www.redpandacommunications.com) was enlisting the proverbial techie friend. Fortunately, she just transferred the site to WordPress and gave me a cheat sheet and now I'm going to take my first stab at updating the site myself.
Thank you so much. Fear about doing it wrong is why I have been procrastinating.
You can add static pages to tumblr now too. So nice!
Procrastinating on adding new posts to my blog is my problem...finding the time; the words; needing sleep...that being said, I'm liking Blogger's new ability to add static pages like Wordpress...tres cool...
Blooming in Midlife
Thanks, Mia. When I'm being rational, I know it's not my fault, but it's so hard to avoid that way of thinking! I used Blogger, but I've heard good things about Wordpress. (I'm not locked in platform-wise at all. My blog was an anonymous, (mostly) comic blog about being a writer in a financial services company while the economy was exploding. I loved writing it, but I have to admit, it was also a little disheartening to feel like I was shouting into the void -- it's kind of impossible to publicize an anonymous blog, so basically no one came.)
In fact, HERE: www.babeincashland.com. Ahhhhhhh. That felt good. :)
I will say, I had a fantastic time developing a kind of comic writing voice, and this conversation today had me going back to see what I can use from there as the basis for more stuff. And I'm now considering starting a new, non-anonymous blog and will probably give Wordpress a shot. Very exciting!
Julie and Diane, I'm so happy that this post is encouraging to you both, and really hope to help you with any overwhelming parts you may encounter. While the audience may seem far away or nonexistent at first, you'll find that you can meet some amazing people and create some amazing results. I've seen it happen for all sorts of artists in this way.
Diane, I'm sure it's stressful to have to get into this "outreach" and "social media" (wow, I hate those words teehee) stuff while releasing your book, but it sounds like you have some good help and a great attitude! Good for you!
Julie, don't feel bad AT ALL about having probablems with analytics stuff not working correctly. All sorts of stars have to align, urls and anything linked have to have special and unique javascript code embedded, which then fires off a beacon and (hopefully) pings a little something that registers and tracks it and creates a report. It's one of the more voodooey aspects of web development (and I've NEVER liked it). It can take some real trial and error, and usually you need another pair of eyes and lots of help - maybe even to use another system, unless you're locked into this one.
I'm so glad you loved finding Kio Stark, definitely explore her other links and blogs too, I was afraid to include too many, I'm not trying to pimp anybody per se, but she's a great example and inspiration. Here's a new post she did today on her blog "Fenced Lot"
http:/
I didn't find the blogging part overwhelming. What got me was the analytics stuff. I don't think it's that complicated, and it's sort of embarrassing to me because I worked on a web team as a content manager as well as a writer, but I couldn't get the tracking code I tried to add to work, and then did what I hate to see others do, which was feel stupid and blame myself. Grrr.
On a sunnier note, thanks for the intro to Kio Stark's blogs! I love them (and just tweeted the Municipal Archive, because I know many many others will love it too).
Overwhelming. And not JUST because of the technology or the fact that our audience is not within arm's length, but because the time to master it all and play with the tools, still seems beyond me. Still, Mia Eaton bravely leading the cheer in setting a bar not SO high that it acts as a deterrent! Here I am, seven days from publication of my first novel (The Season of Second Chances), and the younger hands in my office have ferried me into a world of "outreach" I never thought I could manage. It's interesting, and enriching -- and far more 'human' than I'd imagined! So - technology might be one of YOUR second chances too.
Ha!
I am procrastinating right now.