The Community

I’ve only been involved in the writing community online for a few months but one thing everyone talks about is the Absolute Write Forums where writers go to have conversation, get help and overall nurture their writing skills. I joined up a while ago but only posted a few times. I have seen many, many people post about AW (as it’s known) and I’m trying to figure out how to get more involved in that aspect of the community.

I guess in a way, I’m doing things backwards. Most people work on getting readers by being part of a message board and promoting their blog / site. They then work on spidering out through the community to gain support and make new friends. For me, I worked this backwards. I really want to get into the AW realm because ever since my falling out with the moron running my old writers group, I have had no interaction with anyone regarding writing. My searches on Meetup.com seem fruitless. I also think this contributes to my lack of writing drive.

One thing I’m not sure about for AW is my username. I used my old standard ID that I have been literally been using for over 15 years. I’ve been trying to move away from it to a newer screenname but I am unsure what people do on AW. Should I use an ID that is a variation of my name? Should I just use a handle that is obscure? I really want to know what you guys think. What is common on AW? I tried browsing it for a bit but couldn’t make a real assessment. Any help would be appreciated!

Capacious Kindle for July 15

I’m going to pat myself on the back for this post because I was “this close” to not posting at all today. If you’re not sure why, see the previous post about my hellish weekend to Mass. Anyhow…. it’s Tuesday and that means we’re back to speaking about my favorite eBook reader, the Amazon Kindle. Today I wanted to address the ‘killer app’ as they call it in the tech world. For those of you who don’t have any clue what that means, the killer app is the one amazing thing about a computer or product that it kills on. For the Kindle, its ace in the hole is the built-in ‘Amazon Whispernet’.

One thing that a lot of people don’t know about the Kindle is that it never needs to be hooked up to a computer, which is a big plus for people who are bad with technology. The reader is charged with a standard plug and that is the only time a wire must be hooked up. If you’re looking to get books onto the device, you’re going to do it right on-board. I cannot tell you how valuable this simple idea is to the Kindle as a whole.

Sony has a reader that has no built-in wireless. This means that when you want to get a book, you must get to your home computer and search their program for the particular book you want. Once you find & buy it, you then must sync your reader to copy it over. If you’re not home, you’re out of luck. I hope you have a pen and paper with you so you can remember it later. The Kindle nixes all of this.

If you have a modern cell phone, you know you can access the internet anywhere via the cellular network. Normally this is a paid service that is added to your plan. The advantage of cell data is that you can be virtually anywhere and get online. The Kindle uses this technology to deliver a knockout to the Sony reader. If you want a book, you simply click the navigation wheel from any screen and select “Shop in Kindle Store”. You’re Kindle connects and brings you right to the storefront. Along with the recommendations and ‘front shelf’ items, your cursor is defaulted to a search box making it even easier to find what you want. Once you find your book and purchase it, it downloads instantly over the air and within one minute your book is ready to go.

When I first heard about this whole thing, I suspected there was marketing involved. I was surprised to find out that Amazon was 100% truthful in their claims. Anything I’ve bought has been ready to go within 30 seconds. Additionally, I was ready for Amazon to tack on a monthly service fee or one-time premium fee for the data access. I mean someone has to foot the bill for the data being transferred through the Sprint network. Well Amazon gives it to you gratis. That’s right. Use all the internet you want because it’s free. The price you pay for the Kindle includes the data.

You, my dear C.N. readers, know what it’s like when you speak to someone about a book or author. Almost always, someone will recommend a book or writer that you should check out. Any time this happens to me, I will instantly pull out my Kindle and see if they’re available in Kindle format. If so, I tag the book as “Save For Later” and know I have a potential new book in my queue. The on-board wireless also is great because you can utilize the amazing Amazon recommendation engine to see what books are suggested for you. I, for one, find it pretty accurate.

As I’m sure you can all guess, this feature of the Kindle was a major selling point for me. Aside from being Mac compatible (you can hook it up to a computer if you want) the Whispernet was the feature that put it over the line for me over the Sony reader. You never know how valuable it is until you’re sitting in La Guardia airport and want to read the NY Times, then having it $0.75 and thirty seconds later. I didn’t even need to get out of my seat!

Out Of Sync

Hello Copious Notes readers! I bring you this early Tuesday post to let you all know that I am *still* trying to get my body back into the groove of the real life, consisting of work and little time at home. Briefly, my weekend was long and I discovered first-hand that the streets of Boston are impossible to navigate, even with my trusty TomTom affixed to my windshield.

Many miles driven and rest stops later, my body is still trying to recover. I am also greatly dissapointed in my writing progress last week (read: zero progress). I know I set ambitious goals but at the same time I accomplished nothing. Perhaps I’m putting too much pressure on myself to write? I’m not really sure.

Last night was productive in another sense though and I believe though that my new toy should help get my writing in gear. I have a new ‘typewriter’. Hehe.

Another Short Week

Hey C.N. readers! This week brings me another shortie and that means no time to blog. I’m off to an extended weekend with my wife for a friend’s wedding out of town, so I’ll be limited in my computer access. This also means I need to wrap up a whole bunch of things today and Thursday Thirteen will have to be pushed back for another week.

I’ll be back on Monday to update you all on my writing progress and bring you more fun-ness (is that even a word?) to read. Enjoy the weekend everyone!

Capacious Kindle for July 8

For anyone out there who isn’t sure about how it is to read on a Kindle, I wanted to post today’s entry just for you guys. As you probably know already, I’m a big Kindle guy and really enjoy it. I still think that the $400 I paid was worth it. One thing that I wanted to ensure with my Kindle is that I didn’t get overwhelmed by the technology and I lost myself in the book I was reading. I did this by being picky about my first book.

My first purchase for my Kindle was Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons. The book is the prequel to The Da Vinci Code and it even has some of the same charactars. One thing I love about Brown’s writing is how he goes at a breakneck pace and that hooks me in. I’m a sucker for his writing style. I will admit that when you’re reading on a Kindle the first few times you do feel a little awkward pressing buttons instead of turning pages or holding something that doesn’t have the thickness of a book. This is where a great story makes the Kindle shine.

Within five to six pages of starting A&D, I was fully engrossed in the story and I almost forgot that I was reading electronic ink on a device that had EVDO, batteries, and was the thickness of a pencil. I only came ‘out of it’ when I had to stop reading to get a drink or to use the bathroom. I have heard time and time again that a good story is a good story no matter what. I believe that the Kindle is just another way to get that good story from the author to the readers eyes.

I finished A&D within a week and I never looked back. The Kindle showed me that reading books on other platforms is okay and can really be a benefit. I enjoy it and I am also achieving my goal of reading more. I actually started my fifth book the other day. More on that next time!

I’ll Pencil You In

So excluding this blog, I have written zero words in the past two weeks. For me that is a tough pill to swallow. As a writer or aspiring writer, this is not acceptable and really, I should be writing much more. To help remedy this, I’m hoping to get more done this week.

First, Spirit Hackers needs to get its butt in gear. I cliff hanged a chapter and I need to write the next scene. I think part of the problem is that I don’t know what I want the next scene to be. I did my best thinking about the story in my usual spot: the shower. For some reason I get some great ideas while gettin’ clean.

Second, I really want to get a submission written and sent over to Stephanie for The Oddville Press. I figure that if I put out a call for submissions, I should get something submitted myself.

Additionally, Creative A posted this great publication that looks for people to write short stories based on a given first line. I think this is a great idea and I want to get something to them as well.

Overall, I think that can make my week pretty busy. Stack a personal life and work on top of that mix and I assure you my time will be well spent!

Lyrically Speaking for July 6

Hey there Copious Notes readers! I hope everyone who’s in the US had a great July 4th and everyone else had an enjoyable weekend. We’re back to Sunday and that means another great song to inspire your writing. As always, I believe that songs can read as poetry and this week is no different.

Whether you like rock or not, Guns N’ Roses came out with their epic November Rain in 1991. Taking up 8 minutes and 57 seconds of your time, this song is epic to say the least. It’s also one of the most beautiful rock ballads out there. The song shifts from beautiful soft piano to hard rock and goes all over the place. It all comes together in the end and really sounds great. Even more impressive than the song’s length and sound are the lyrics Axl Rose wrote. The song is truly a poem and every time I hear it, it invokes emotion in me. I hope it does the same for you.

From the album Use Your Illusion I, this is November Rain:

When I look into your eyes
I can see a love restrained
But darlin’ when I hold you
Don’t you know I feel the same

‘Cause nothin’ lasts forever
And we both know hearts can change
And it’s hard to hold a candle
In the cold November rain

We’ve been through this auch a long long time
Just tryin’ to kill the pain

But lovers always come and lovers always go
An no one’s really sure who’s lettin’ go today
Walking away

If we could take the time
to lay it on the line
I could rest my head
Just knowin’ that you were mine
All mine
So if you want to love me
then darlin’ don’t refrain
Or I’ll just end up walkin’
In the cold November rain

Do you need some time…on your own
Do you need some time…all alone
Everybody needs some time…
on their own
Don’t you know you need some time…all alone

I know it’s hard to keep an open heart
When even friends seem out to harm you
But if you could heal a broken heart
Wouldn’t time be out to charm you

Sometimes I need some time…on my
own
Sometimes I need some time…all alone
Everybody needs some time…
on their own
Don’t you know you need some time…all alone

And when your fears subside
And shadows still remain
I know that you can love me
When there’s no one left to blame
So never mind the darkness
We still can find a way
‘Cause nothin’ lasts forever
Even cold November rain

Don’t ya think that you need somebody
Don’t ya think that you need someone
Everybody needs somebody
You’re not the only one
You’re not the only one

So Much For Plans

Today is normally a Thursday Thirteen day. Today is a day I like to blog and also have a ‘good weekend’ go out to everyone. Work today has been hell and I have 4 hours more to go. Blogging is impossible today. So much for those plans.

So for today, I want to wish everyone in the US a great July 4th. This is a rare weekend where I get to spend two days off with my wife, so this blog will be on stand-still until Sunday or Monday.

Stay safe and everyone enjoy themselves. I’ll see you all in a few days!

Why *You* Write

Last Wednesday I posted about my reasons for getting my butt into a chair and why I write. I posed some interesting questions such as when does someone consider themselves a writer? I also wanted to know what you, the fantastic Copious Notes readers out there, thought about this topic. Boy did you guys comment!

I was so inspired by what you all had to say that I wanted to dedicate a post to you guys and feature your reasons for writing. I found everyone’s reasons really inspiring and also fascinating to read. Here’s some of the great things you guys had to say:

Auria Cortes was the first to chime in with “…but I do believe that a good story is a good story.”
And a good story doesn’t always make a good book. I bring this up because I beta read a book and the writer ask me if I liked the story. I did. The story was interesting. I told him that.
What I didn’t tell him is that the story doesn’t make a good book. It’s a good story to tell at parties (his book is based on true events).
Now you may ask why I didn’t tell him that it doesn’t make a good book. Fair question. Because that’s not my job as a beta.

Creative A let us all know his thoughts: I think the single best way to define a writer is that a writer writes. They keep at it. Maybe they stop for a while - a few months - a few years - but as long as they keep coming back, as long as they continue to feel that urge to write, they’re writers.
That’s what makes the difference. Desire + persistence.
I started writing because I wanted to read books that I couldn’t find anywhere. And then I kept writing because it was magical. Now I write because it makes me happy, and I can’t stop, and I feel this is what I’m supposed to do.

Colby Marshall came at me with I like Creative A’s description. I think a lot of people write, but not all of those are writers. I think it takes self-discipline and stamina to be a writer rather than if you just write as a hobby.

Steph rounded out the bunch with Once upon a time, I used to have the romantic definition of a writer in my mind’s eye. You know the one I mean, the man with unruly hair scrawling away at a piece of paper in a dimly lit, smoky room with his brow furrowed and surrounded by a silence so loud that he can hear what it’s saying. Nearby, a Persian cat sits oh-so-importantly on a ragged pillow amid several crumpled bits of paper and stacks of books.
Of course all that shattered when I became a writer and learned the business side of the profession. Really, to me, a writer is someone who sits on the sidelines of people but understands them enough to create whole new worlds around them.
I suppose that’s still a somewhat romantic view of the profession, but hey, I’m a struggling idealist. And I write because I choose to. If I ignore the stores I think of, I don’t think anything in me would die. It would just seek another creative outlet.

Capacious Kindle for July 1

Happy July everyone! On the way in to work this morning, I heard that the Kindle was going to be making its way to Princeton’s bookstores and that many textbooks were heading into ebook format. Rather than paraphrase, I figured you guys could see for yourselves. Enjoy this goodness from C|Net.com:

Princeton University to publish Kindle textbooks
Posted by Greg Sandoval
Another prestigious school is embracing Amazon’s Kindle e-reader.

Princeton University has announced that it will start printing Kindle-edition textbooks this fall, according to a story in The Christian Science Monitor.

Princeton follows Yale, Oxford, and UC Berkeley in creating textbooks for the Kindle. In the United States, there are about 2,500 four-year universities, so Amazon still has a long way to go.

But the Kindle should appeal to university students better than other demographics.

I wrote this week that I was putting off buying a Kindle until I learn whether I can read digital books on the iPhone 3G, which goes on sale July 11. If the handheld enables me to read e-books well enough, I’ll probably pass on the Kindle. The reason is simple: the iPhone gives me much more for my money.

Students, on the other hand, do so much reading that they may be thankful for a device that can help save their backs. Instead of schlepping 10 pounds of textbooks, the Kindle can hold about 200 titles and it weighs only 10 ounces.

Instead of having to thumb through pages, students can find text instantly with Kindle’s search feature. It also allows a user to highlight text and make notes.

It’s been a long time since I was in school, but I remember those long lines to buy books in September and January. Contrast that with Kindle’s wireless service and the ability to download books off the Web from almost anyplace.

Back then, I would have been glad to buy a Kindle.

Tip: At Amazon, Kindles are advertised now for $359, but it might pay to check out eBay. Ina Fried, my colleague here at CNET News.com, paid $329 at the auction site this week and used Microsoft’s Live Search cashback offer to get an additional 20 percent off. Total cost: $264.

Update 12:45 p.m.: I’ve learned that there’s a strong bond between Princeton and Amazon. The company’s founder, Jeff Bezos, is an alumnus of the university, class of 1986. I obtained the information from co-worker and former Tiger Caroline McCarthy (2006).