This blog was begun when I got into the Serious Pursuit of Publishing game. I called it a "diablog" in the hopes of getting into conversations about writing. Well, not so much. For one thing, I wasn't anywhere close to publishing, and didn't know what I was doing. For another thing, it's a stupid name. "The Write Stuff" isn't very original. Several other blogs have the same title.
One of the most important reasons for a writer to have a blog is to host an electronic location where readers can give feedback. That's another purpose behind this blog, and I set it up with the best of intentions to fulfill that purpose. But it hasn't worked out that way.
A problem I encountered early on was keeping up with the blog while still engaged in the actual process of writing books. (I have six so far...) It fragmented my focus to think of something new to put on the blog and keep readers interested there while I was trying to solve problems with a manuscript. After a while I joked with my writer friends that my blog had become the tiresome, too-comfortable, too-easily-ignored boyfriend I really should break up with.
Now I'm on the verge of publishing my first novel. I signed a contract with Walnut Springs, a small LDS publisher in Salt Lake City, to publish "Living It Down," and I'm told it should be released by early February. This is a major accomplishment for someone my age. I'm proud to be the poster child for Late Bloomers. In my whole life I've never done anything on anybody's typical timetable. Guess that makes me a reluctant rebel, or unpredictable. Or both.
Although I have put excerpts of my writing on this site from time to time, it has become almost exclusively a way for my kids to cheerlead and encourage me. That's nice, and I've always appreciated their support, but with the book publication, I'm told by Those Who Know that I should have a place for readers--both known and unknown to me personally--to comment on the books and give feedback, and for me as the writer to respond to my audience.
Knowing that the need for a blog hasn't gone away, and trusting that Those Who Know have some knowledge of this territory, I'm giving serious consideration to launching a new blog specifically tied to my published works (there WILL be more than one!). However, I need a new title, and while I'm good with book titles, I'm not so good with naming blogs. So help me out here. I've thought of a few, but none of them really grab my imagination, such as...
Pam's Permutations (how many would have to look up that word to know what's going on?)
Book Patter (sounds lighter than I want it to be, maybe too cliche as well)
Get it Write (maybe too pretentious; maybe somebody has already claimed that one--sounds more like a grammar website anyway)
Comment Conjunction (alliterative, but does it make sense?)
Pam's Paranoia (no, no, too literal... after all, most authors are shockingly insecure, but we shouldn't brag about it)
Pam's Book Brawl (now this is getting ridiculous!)
Here's the deal: you send title suggestions, I'll entertain them all, and a signed copy of "Living It Down" goes to the person whose suggestion I choose as the name of my new-and-improved reader-writer blog. Ready, set, go. Get back to me by January 12. That's my birthday, so I won't forget it.
1 comment:
Aigh!! I haven't checked blogs for awhile so I'm just hitting the deadline in time!
First, I can tell I am not "in the know" about publishing because I really think it's weird that people are saying you need a blog. Seriously?! I have never gone to the blog of a favorite author. ??? Maybe I'm too old. ha ha
Second, I do think the idea of starting over with a totally new blog is a good one. It gives you the chance to re-define it. As you said, this one hasn't necessarily gone the way you thought it would. With a new one, you can focus on just posting excerpts of your work, asking for feedback, or whatever you'd like.
Can you come up with a new blog in time for the URL to be published right on the book cover? That would be great!!
Okay, so I'm going with Pam Writes. Of the ones you listed, I like the ones with your name because it's more linked to you. But you're right--Book Brawl is not what you're going for! :) And you definitely want your blog to be accessible to the "common man," so to speak, so avoiding anything pretentious is also good.
Or how about taking a favorite quote about writing and using part of that for the blog title? I don't know--I still think your name should be a part of it.
“A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”
― Maya Angelou
“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
― Ernest Hemingway
“You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write.”
― Saul Bellow
See if those (or other quotes) give you some inspiration. If not, I do like Pam Writes. :) And I do think having a new blog going and a new URL to give to the publisher to actually publish on the cover is the best way to connect with your readers! Good luck!
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