Evaluate, Update and Recommit to Your Blog for the New Year

By Edie Melson +Edie Melson

This time between Christmas and New Year’s Day is often a no-man’s land of lethargy and laziness…at least for me. Part of it has to do with the surfeit of calories and gatherings. The rest seems to stem from re-evaluation.

I can’t seem to help it. The approach of New Year’s, with its focus on resolutions, pulls me into a period of introspection. Actually, it’s a good thing. It gives me a chance to look back over the past year and decide what worked and what didn’t. It also gives me a push toward trying something different.

Today I’d like to invite you to join me in one aspect of this journey and take a look at your own blogging aspirations. Click on your own site and look at it with these thoughts in mind. Here’s the checklist I use to evaluate my sites. Don’t hesitate to tweak it to fit your needs.

Checklist

• Make sure your site hasn’t become too cluttered in the sidebar area. Clean out any old links and add any you’ve been considering.
• Recheck your default font. Sometimes you’ll find you’ve drifted into a different one. Whatever font you use, make certain it’s easily readable…on all screens.
• Update your about me section on your site. Include the things that have happened over the past year in regard to publication, job changes, awards, and anything else applicable.
• If you have a calendar with your speaking engagements, update it as well.
• Also be sure to update any lists you have of other sites, like those for writers, photographers or others.
• Now take out your mobile device (cell phone, tablet, eReader, whatever) and make certain your site is optimized for mobile viewing. This is vital because at least a quarter of all visitors to your site will be looking at it from a mobile device and that number will continue to increase!
• Reassess what action you want your reader to take after viewing your blog. Maybe you want them to share your site with their friends/readers. Perhaps you’re selling a book. Even if it’s only to follow you on Twitter, make sure it’s easy for them to see what you want and then execute it!

This is also a good time to look at your blog posting schedule and evaluate the popularity and efficiency of your different topics. You can do this by utilizing the stats section of your blogger dashboard or of your specific blogging platform.

• First, look at the most popular posts of the past year. Do they fall into a specific category or theme? If this isn’t the main focus of your blog consider making it a bigger part of your posting schedule.
• Next look at the day of the week when you get your most hits. Does it correspond to your posting date or is it the following day? You may need to tweak when your email notification is sent out.
• Finally, Google the subject of those popular posts. Don’t plug in the exact title of those blogs, instead try a more generic subject search. The purpose of this is to see where within that search your blog entry is falling. Not certain what I’m referring to? Read my posts about SEO and Tagging.

We all benefit from a yearly checkup and our blog is no different. I’d love to hear how you use this time to get ready for the New Year ahead!

Don't forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie

Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains ChristianWriters Conference and the Social Media Mentor at My Book Therapy. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at Guideposts. Com, Social Media Director for SouthernWriters Magazine and the Senior Editor for NovelRocket.com. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. Don't miss her new book from Worthy Inspired, WHILE MY SOLDIER SERVES.

My Top 10 Gift Giving Ideas for Writers

By Edie Melson

All I want for Christmas…

‘Tis the season of gift-giving and I’d like to propose a few. Most of us are members of critique groups or have a special friend who’s a writer. Here is my top ten list. Consider these a jumping off point, use them for your own Christmas list or as a way to bless another writer this season.

10. A Christmas ornament. This could be something that pertains directly to a WIP (work in progress) or be more generic in nature. Through the years, my critique partners have gifted me with some amazing Christmas ornaments and I look forward to adding them to my tree.

9. A special notebook. I know we live in the age of electronics, but for me, nothing replaces a special notebook. Of course, that leads me to the next idea…An unusual pen. I have a favorite type of pen (roller ball, very thin) but think outside the box. Many bookstores and stationary stores have unique pens.

8. A CD of writing music. Many of us write to music (at least music without words). There are lots of great movie soundtracks, why not gift one to your best writing buddy.

7. A subscription to Writer’s Digest. It could be digital or physical, but there’s no better (or more inexpensive) gift. Not convinced? Read Lynn Blackburn’s review here!

6. A Starbucks gift card. I know, this seems a little out of left field. But many of us find the formula of Starbucks coffee combined with a different setting the magic combination we need to pound out the words. (AltonGansky, this one’s for you!)

5. A gift card to Barnes and Noble, so they can purchase that one writing book they still lack.

4. A weekend away. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but what a gift of 48 hours of uninterrupted writing time!

3. A scholarship to a writing event. It could be a workshop or a conference, but trust me, every little bit helps! Here's a great one February 24, 25 & 26, Writers Advance! Bootcamp 2012.

2. A gift of peace of mind. Do you have a back-up system in place for your computer? If not, you should. Personally, I use Mozy. It’s less than a hundred dollars per year and works like a dream. I know because several years ago I lived through a catastrophic computer crash and lost…NOTHING!!!

1. For those of you who know me, you’ve probably already guessed what number one on my list is—an iPad 2!

So whether or not you use these as your own Christmas list, or an idea for a friend, don’t wait ‘til the last minute. I left a lot of ideas off, but I’d love to hear some of yours.

What was your favorite writing gift ever? What would you most like to have?

Don’t forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie

Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains ChristianWriters Conference and the Social Media Mentor at My Book Therapy. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at Guideposts. Com, Social Media Director for SouthernWriters Magazine and the Senior Editor for NovelRocket.com. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. Don't miss her new book from Worthy Inspired, WHILE MY SOLDIER SERVES.

You Know You’re Editor Material When . . .

by Edie Melson

I LOVE editing!

I love editing.

To me, it’s the process of bringing order to chaos. It’s not just my own words that I want to make sing, it’s the words of others. I get as much joy when an author I edited succeeds as when I do.

I’ve discovered this isn’t a universal gift. Some would even argue that it's a curse. But you know you’re editor material when . . .

1. Grammar jokes never fail to crack you up—because they’re funny, right?

2. The misuse of quotation marks sends you into a five minute tirade.

3. You mark the mistakes you find—in red pen—in the books you read.

4. You listen to grammar podcasts. After all, those tips and tricks come in handy, right?

5. You could talk for hours about comma usage.

6. You’re constantly clarifying what someone says, because in general, people should be more precise.

7. When you receive handouts in a meeting or workshop, you find yourself marking typos and rewording sentences to tighten it up.

8. You collect pictures of grammar mistakes.

9. Your critique group has nick-named you the Grammar Snob.

10. You know how to use the edit feature on Facebook.

Now it's your turn to add to the list. Be sure to leave your comments in the section below.

Don't forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie

Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains ChristianWriters Conference and the Social Media Mentor at My Book Therapy. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at Guideposts. Com, Social Media Director for SouthernWriters Magazine and the Senior Editor for NovelRocket.com. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. Don't miss her new book from Worthy Inspired, WHILE MY SOLDIER SERVES.

Handy Step-By-Step Blog Editing Checklist

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Lately, I’ve notice more and more typos creeping into my blog posts. It’s not a fun thing to admit, but it’s because I’ve become complacent about editing. 

Oh I could blame it on being busy, or life getting crazy, but the truth is...I’ve gotten sloppy.

It’s easy to do. We’re halfway through the year, things are going well with my blog, and my concentration has been elsewhere. Still no excuse. 

So today I’m going back to the basics. I’m posting the checklist I use before I publish a blog. It’s not a long involved process, but it will ensure those annoying typos become much less commonplace.

Before I get to the list you should know I compose my blog posts in a word document, with NO formatting. I do this for a couple of reasons.

• First, it gives me a back-up of everything I post on my blogs.
• Second, it’s easier to check for misspelled words here rather than in the compose pane of my blog.

Blog Edit Check List

1. I begin the process by looking for misspelled words. First checking for the ones my word processing program underlines in red, then checking some common words that have more than one spelling. Here’s a short list of ones that frequently get by me:

• Lose vs. loose.
• Chose vs. choose.
• Its vs. it’s.
• There vs. they’re vs. their.
• Your vs. you’re.

2. At this point, I stop to copy and paste the post into the compose window of my blog. This is when I add the formatting. The reason I wait is because the formatting doesn’t copy and paste accurately. The reason for this due to the code involved with publishing a blog to the web. I also check for places to break up the text with bold, headings, italics and bullet points.

NOTE: Sometimes, weird formatting accidently gets copied over to my blog and I can’t seem to get rid of it. This could be extra spaces between lines, weird formatting for bullet points, or even odd indentions. If I can’t make the text behave, I have a fool-proof way to tame the text. I highlight the offending paragraph and click on the REMOVE FORMATTING icon at the top of the page. It’s easy to find, it’s a capital T with a red x at the base. It’s universal for all major blogging platforms. Once I click that button, I can add back in the formatting I want.

3. Next I add the photographs to illustrate the post. 

4. Now that I have the photos, I go to the preview window to see if the font type is correct (verdana), and all the spacing lines up. Here’s what I’m looking for:

• I want an extra, blank line separating paragraphs (no indentions allowed).
• I don't want extra lines anywhere.
• I make certain the text and the pictures line up well, and there isn’t an odd or short line of text sticking out anywhere around the photos.

5. Finally, I return to the compose window and read the entire post out loud. I know it sounds weird, but this is an important step. Our brain uses different pathways when we read something out loud and we’re less likely to see what’s actually on the page. This is when I add any commas or other punctuation marks I may have missed.

These steps won't insure a perfect post every time, but they will cut way back on incidental typos.

Now I'd like to know what you do to insure a clean blog before you hit publish. Any tips you share about your process can help us all get better.

Don't forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie

Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains ChristianWriters Conference and the Social Media Mentor at My Book Therapy. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at Guideposts. Com, Social Media Director for SouthernWriters Magazine and the Senior Editor for NovelRocket.com. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. Don't miss her new book from Worthy Inspired, WHILE MY SOLDIER SERVES.

Successful Editing Summed Up in a Single Principle— Err on the Side of Outrageous

by Edie Melson

Writers tend to fall into two distinct groups, those who prefer to write and those who prefer to rewrite—also known as editing. I fall into the latter group. I can’t help it. I just love the process of editing.

It doesn’t really matter if I’m editing someone else, or my own manuscript.

To me, it’s a fulfilling task of taking something good and making it into something great. But the path of getting from good to great can be a difficult one, unless you follow this single principle. I stumbled upon it early in my writing journey and it’s served me well, no matter what type of editing situation I’m in. So what is it that makes for successful editing?

 Err on the side of outrageous

I can see the puzzled looks from here. But bear with me as I explain.

Saying things the way they’ve always been said is, at best, boring and at worst, a cliché. So when you’re going back over what’s been written, look for something new…something different…something OUTRAGEOUS!

Places to Plug-in the Outrageous

Verbs—first, get rid of the passive verbs that dot the landscape of a first draft. Search for was and were, and be and been. Now go for action. And don’t just stick with boring action, search for something that zings the senses of your readers. For instance, instead of this sentence:

He moved across the busy street to reach his beloved’s side.

Try something like this:

He darted across the street, zigging and zagging toward the one who held his reason for living.

Comparisons—we do want our comparisons to make sense to our readers, but within those parameters, be brave and dare to walk on the path of outrageous. For instance, instead of this sentence:

Her heart pounded like a bass drum as she watched for her love dart through the traffic of the busy street.

Try something like this:

He darted across the street, and the staccato beat of her heart beat punctuated each of steps that brought him closer to her embrace.

Senses—in fiction, as well as creative nonfiction, all scenes should include the five senses. Look for ways to include the senses that also capture the setting or the character’s emotions. Do you want to give us the essence of a hot summer’s evening in the south? Instead of the cool breeze that kisses cheeks and ruffles hair, what if it carried the smoky taste of the grill from the house next door. Perhaps it clogs your throat with the chemical taste of a mosquito truck that just finished its rounds. Perhaps the delicate lace under a brides fingers promised an enclosing mesh of steel, instead of the soft promise of two lives knitted together? These are the things to look for as you take a manuscript from good to great.

Clichés—this is a way of saying something that has become so common place it’s almost invisible. The first few drafts of any manuscript often contain clichés because they’re a good way for the writer to capture the essence of what she wants to convey. Again, good, not great. But the editing phase is the time to tweak those ho-hum sayings and make them great. Sometimes it’s nothing more than turning them on their head. Your reader thinks you’re headed in one direction and at the last moment you dodge and it’s something original. For example, instead of this cliché:

She was decked out head to toe.

Try something like this:

She was decked out toes to nose.

The opportunities for outrageous are plentiful at this stage in the writing process. It’s the act of looking for opportunities to surprise and delight your readers that makes them appear.

What about you? Have you been surprised by an author’s choice of phrase or word? Have you found a new way to say something common-place? Now isn’t the time to be shy. Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

And don’t forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie

Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains ChristianWriters Conference and the Social Media Mentor at My Book Therapy. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at Guideposts. Com, Social Media Director for SouthernWriters Magazine and the Senior Editor for NovelRocket.com. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. Don't miss her new book from Worthy Inspired, WHILE MY SOLDIER SERVES.