My Leibster Blog Award!

Well, it's that sort of day here!!
The wonderful +Seumas Gallacher has nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award. You can find his great blog at http://seumasgallacher.com/ or on twitter @seumasgallacher

So what's it all about??
Here are the rules of the nomination...

The rules for the Liebster Blog Award:

1. List eleven random facts about yourself
2. Nominate eleven other bloggers for the Liebster Award
3. Notify these bloggers
4. Ask eleven questions that the bloggers must answer upon accepting the Liebster Award
5. Answer the eleven questions that you were asked when you were nominated
6. Link back to the person who nominated you.

Eleven random facts about me...

1. I hate the smell of raw capsicum.
2. My fave band of all time is the Spencer Davis Group (like you didn't know!!)
3. Fave song of all time "Georgia"
4. When I'm sick, I clean. Obsessively. Weird right?! 
5. I once "bought" a car for $38.oo - the cost of a new battery to get it running. A mauve Gemini, and it was the best little car. Never missed a beat!! (I miss that car ;)
6. I can be technically challenged. Nothing further to add here...
7. I love puzzles, especially Binary and Sodoku.
8. Cryptic crosswords are another fave.
9. I am the only female farmer in my area. And proud of it!
10. I love the smell of rain after a warm summers day.
11. I'm an intensely private person...and shy (with bursts of boldness!!)

QUESTIONS FOR MY NOMINEES (via Seumas)
1. What was the funniest movie you have seen?
2.What’s your earliest memory?
3. What was your favourite school subject?
4. Have you EVER had a need to use algebra away from a school environment? (No, seriously!)
5. Do you understand modern art (or even know if it’s hanging the right way up?)
6. Most enjoyable book?
7. Ever spent money to buy something you really wanted, although you could hardly afford it at the time?
8. Apart from when you were a child, have you ever danced in the rain?
9. What country would you like to visit that you have not yet been to?
10. What makes you grumpy?
11. What’s your  ’Go To’ switch to make you feel better on a gray day?
ENJOY :)

My Answers

1. 50 first dates. I love that film. (and anything by Adam Sandler)
2. My earliest memory...Looking out over a large, lush green paddock with gum trees in the distance. Mum and Dad tell me I was about 6 or 7 months old. They sat me on a fence post (holding me of course) when they were looking at a new property, and they are still astonished I remember it.
3. Science. Of course!
4. ummm...NO!
5. For the most part, no. It's just not my cup of tea.
6. The book I love most is "The Rainbow" by DH. Lawrence, followed closely by "My Brilliant Career"
7. No, I'm far too practical for that. If I realllly have to have it, I pay it off.
8. With my kids, yes.
9. India. (and Japan, South America and the list goes on!!)
10. Bad manners.
11. A good cup of tea :)

My Blogger Nominees!

M.C O'Neill (who I wish would join G+ sometime soon!! Hint, hint Mark ;)
 http://royalmanaball.wordpress.com/

+Michelle B
http://www.whatisthatbookabout.com/

+Vashti Q-Vega
 http://vashtiqvega.wordpress.com/

+Author's Thought - SLS Oborowsky
http://soborowsky.wordpress.com/

+M.G. Edwards
http://worldadventurers.wordpress.com/

@SophiaRecipes  Sophia Martin
 http://sophiamartin-recipes.blogspot.com.au/

Amanda @chewtowntweet
http://www.chewtown.com/ 

+Radhika Subramanian
http://www.ticklingpalates.com/

+A Long
 http://ajwrites57.blogspot.com.au/

+Glendon Perkins
http://www.glendonperkins.com/

+Bhawana Bhowmik
 http://nodesoflife.blogspot.com.au/


 Enjoy everyone. I look forward to finding out 11 random facts about you, and your answers to the questions!!
You don't need to participate in the nomination, but it would be nice if you did :):):):)


Posted by Katherine Vucicevic

Writing by hand. Modern day fetish?

Yesterday I read a wonderful article by +John Birmingham, (read it here)
+Ferg Hyde was kind enough to point me in its direction, and I can't thank him enough because it really got me thinking. Most writers today are hitting the keyboard with all the love they've got, but once upon a time all writers completed their manuscripts by hand.

Is writing by hand becoming a modern day fetish?!
What is the benefit of keeping a journal/notebook/scratchpad?
I think there are many!

Firstly, if like me you are a fetishist of stationery, you will be able to pick up your trusty pen and release the inner artist! Writing by hand is far, far more intimate, in thought and in deed. It is an entirely different experience to sitting in front of a screen and tapping away. Personally, I find writing by hand allows me to tap into areas of thought and emotion I just can't muster when typing. There is a natural closeness, a personal and familiar feeling that is evoked. It allows for the transfer of one's innermost desires, private thoughts and feelings directly to the page.

One of the most wonderful aspects of writing by hand is the vulnerability of it. It is an intimate act, between your mind and the paper, the pen being the conduit of your expression. (The verb "intimate" means to state or make known) As you are writing on paper, you do not have the option of backspace or delete! The vulnerability comes from choosing your words carefully, pausing to find the precise, detailed, physical representation of your thoughts.There is far more pressure applied to the writer when a pen is in hand!

Writing a book? What should you be doing to promote yourself?

Congratulations! You are part of an exciting club, the writers club!!
So you are in the process of writing or have just written a book. What now?
What is the difference between promoting yourself and marketing a book?
The difference is huge.

Once you've been published, these things can seem like a million years ago...the time BP!
I think one of the greatest things a writer can do, is share the simple stuff from the beginning of the journey, and take the time to look out for new authors by sharing knowledge that can seem so second nature, it's no longer even a conscious thought. If you have any thoughts or tips, do leave a comment and share!!

So, now to it!
Before your book is even finished, YOU should be considering your options for promotion. Not of the WIP, but of yourself as a new writer on the block. This should always be done before you get to the marketing stage, and can take many forms. You will need to decide what works best for you.
Some of the options include:

Twitter.
A good place to start. But be aware you are limited with how much you can say here, 140 characters is all you get! Interaction depends on who you follow and who decides to follow you, as with most social media. Use hash-tags to get your posts in with other relevant material.
Hash-tags that may prove useful are
#author
#amwriting
#novel
#indie
#writer
#romance
#horror
#scifi
and the list goes on.

Facebook.
Another avenue of social media you can pursue to promote yourself. This may entail a personal listing or a page that you create to get your name out there and to share some info about your upcoming release. You can connect with other authors and writers and join a vast array of groups here too.You can find a great many wonderful people to connect with here and learn from. Participation on any social media is key. Ask questions and listen to the answers.

Google Plus.
Well, not that I'm biased, but this is the best place to be so far as connecting with others goes. I simply love G+ and it's wide range of communities and people. The best part, you will be able to find a great many who will talk with you and you can learn a great deal. Hash tags are extremely useful here too.

Other social factors.
You can find a wide range of Forums in your chosen genre to pursue. Just do a simple search to find some you may be interested in.
Goodreads is another worth looking at. You friend like on facebook and can pick up a whole host of good tips here too, as well as some goodreads :) There are so many avenues to pursue. Tumblr, Pinterest, Linkedin to name a few. You need to find what you are comfortable with, and decide how much time you are able to dedicate to it.

So, here comes the really big and important one for new writers.

The Blog.

Every new writer should have a blog, in my humble opinion. Some will argue that blogging takes away precious writing time, but I must disagree with this. I believe blogging offers a fantastic outlet to write something other than your WIP. It allows you to practice the craft in a very safe environment and even get some very valuable feedback too. If you are using blogger, I do recommend using the newly launched comments for blogs. I've found it very useful.
Do take a look at my post "Blogging is like taking a lover" for more on this topic.
Your choice of where to list your blog will depend on what you find works for you. There are a few options, blogger, wordpress, goodreads and the list goes on and on.
A blog will allow you to explore the wonderful world of writing and writers, connecting with many other like minds. You may choose to follow other blogs and others may even choose to follow yours. You may even be lucky enough to find a mentor of sorts who will puff a little breeze under your wings by promoting your blog and getting the word out there. It is all a part of the pre-launch sequence leading up to the actual marketing of your book.

Another area to think about is the humble Competition!!
I've entered a few over the years, way before I even considered taking up writing as big part of my life. It was a rewarding expedition into the world of writing and composing poetry pieces. For my part, I haven't won any, but I did get a few placings and notable mentions. Being rewarded in this manner can be quite uplifting, but by the same token, even if you don't win or get a place, remember:  By looking at those who did win, you can glean some insight into what the judges were looking for, as well as what makes a winning piece.

All of these options are ones you can take up online, but don't forget places like your local library. You might find that they host days/evenings for writers. Writers clubs can be found everywhere, find one in your local area and check it out. Keep an eye out for organisations that hold courses or seminars (both free and ticketed) on writing, they may include successful authors as guests! Pick their brains!!

Marketing your book will entail a great deal more than the social media listed here, and again it depends on how you are publishing too as to how you will handle this area. But that is the topic of another post I think!
For now, in the WIP stage, take the time to enjoy the social aspect of promoting yourself. Get to know the other faces out there and read, read, read! Sometimes, it's easy to forget that when you are writing!
Don't be in a rush to get there, let things unfold naturally and delight in the process.

Whatever avenue you choose to take, be sure to have a firm idea in mind regarding how much time and effort you are willing and able to put in. Don't run yourself ragged trying to keep up with others who are further down the writing path than you. Learn from it, enjoy it, and be content with where you are on your own journey. When you are there, remember to pay it forward, share what you have learned with others. They will be grateful for it :)

If you are looking for more tech type tips for authors, apps, tools and addons, search the label author techtips on this site.

Posted by Katherine Vucicevic

Source: http://sci-fi-novel-otura.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/blogging-is-like-taking-lover.html
Content is owned and copyrighted by: http://sci-fi-novel-otura.blogspot.com.au/

Posted by Katherine Vucicevic

Posted by Katherine Vucicevic

Source: http://sci-fi-novel-otura.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/blogging-is-like-taking-lover.html
Content is owned and copyrighted by: http://sci-fi-novel-otura.blogspot.com.au/

What should new writers blog about?

I write about all sorts of things on my blog. Ranging from tech tips to help other authors (view here) to my experiences here on the farm.(view here) But the quintessential question on the lips of many new bloggers and writers is:
What do I blog about?

Like so many of us, I'm still trying to figure that out! However, for new writers and bloggers, a good place to start is the journey of writing.
On that note, here is part of my journey so far.

I had never thought to be a writer. Sure, everyone says they have a book in their heart that is dying to get out, but how many actually sit down and write it? Fewer than some might expect. If you read my previous post "The secret society of Writers" you will know some of my motivations with writing, but here are some of the more intimate details.

When I sat down for the first time at my little laptop, opened the page and looked at it, I must admit, it was with trepidation! What is the first line?! I'd had the idea for the novel kicking around in my mind for ages, probably about a year before the overwhelming urge to write it down became too much for me to handle. Bear in mine, I'd had a stellar career in my field and then swapped it for farming. Writing was about as foreign as Mars at that point!!

Well, needless to say, the first line was written and about a million more after that. But how does anyone know if what they have is any good or just the ramblings of a writer wannabe? I looked at my finished manuscript with pride to begin with, then something else set in. Panic and fear! What the heck do I do with it now?! The next part of my journey involved seeking some assistance. I joined the social media game and began to pick the brains of those who had been published, traditional and Indie. And it was absolutely the right thing to do. So what next?

For me, a good place to start was an assessment service. Here in Australia, there are several of these services available. You are able to send away your brand new manuscript, edited or raw, to be read and assessed by published authors and literary agents.(in confidence I might add)  I took a long time to reach this step. I loved my novel, but I felt a sense of fear in taking this step. Truth be told I was terrified of anyone actually reading it!!

Taking a step further, before I sent if off for assessment, I began to enlist the aide of "alpha readers"
These are people who will read your unedited, first draft manuscript. It is a brave move to give someone the unedited version, but well worth the while. It helps sort any issues with flow and plot and character development. Then you get the glorious job of editing out all of that!! Fun :)

Once you feel satisfied you have edited all the issues, send it to an assessment service, or if you don't want to pursue that avenue, I would heartily recommend sending it to be professionally edited.
Yes, I know you've just gone through the whole "but I just did edit the thing!!"
But it is vital, in my humble opinion, to have your work eyeballed by a professional. He/she will spot things a newbie writer may simply be unaware of. In the end it will bring out the true beauty of your manuscript.
I am still in the process of editing, and I'm very grateful to have the assistance of professionals with this part of it. Certainly though, there is a great deal of to'ing and fro'ing, but I think the end result will be worth it. A least I hope so!

One of the things I have enjoyed a great deal, is reading other author blogs. It is a great place to start when you are new to the game. Having said that, I'm not personally at the stage of doing interviews or blog hops yet, but it's all part of the process when you are further down the track and actually have your novel out there for people to read! I'm not in any hurry to get there either. For now, I am content to let the story unfold, as we all should be when in the "baby writer" stage :)


Posted by Katherine Vucicevic