Google Reader - Its More Complex Pieces

Don't forget to pose a question or two or three for me!

I've been on a sort of Google Reader binge:

• First, I shared the reasons why Google Reader is a great utility that should be used for monitoring and organizing one's activities on the Internet.
• Later I gave an overall glance at the basics of Google Reader -- a how to on how to get started.
• Now I'm going to look into some of the more complex functions that can help you make the most of your Google Reader experience.

This post does not consist of "steps." Follow the directions here to get started and, once you're ready, try whichever of the things below interest you.

Efficient Reading

Once you open any category (i.e., "Blogs I'm following" or a particular blog by its name) you will see the options to Show: Expanded - List at the top right corner of the reader. Play around with both options to choose which one allows you to read more efficiently; Expanded means that every blog entry appears in full form and therefore you must scroll down endlessly to find particular entries while List shows up like an inbox, forcing you to click on an entry in order to read it.

Using the "Entry Toolbar"

Each entry that you see through your Google Reader will have a toolbar at the bottom:

• Add star - this option lets you star entries; they save automatically into the folder "Starred Items" that appears in the column on the right hand of the reader.
• Like - this option lets you "like" an entry; anyone else reading it through Google Reader will see that someone has liked it
• Share & Share with Note - these options give you the opportunity to put items into your shared folder either without your comments or with; they will go to your folder entitled "Shared Items" (* for details on the 'Share' option scroll further down until you hit the header entitled 'An Opportunity to Share')
• Email - this allows you to share the item with a specific amount of people by email
• Keep unread - if you want to come back to a post at a later time or mark it, keep it unread
• Send to - by clicking this button, you can forward the entry to a wide array of other digital mediums:

To customize this option,

open your Settings and scroll to the Send to tab

An Opportunity to Share

Sharing an item is easy. All you have to do is click Share or Share with Note on the entry toolbar.

- Share -

Even if you click the Share button solely, you will be prompted to Add a comment (for additional information on adding comments, click here):

Otherwise:

- Share with Note -

You can also customize who sees your shared items.

Open your Settings page and click on the Folders and Tags tab:

Notations

If you click the Notes button on the left handed side, a page will open up that will allow you to share notes with the general public and your followers. If there's ever anything you want to remember, use this page to your advantage! (I jot my notes down into an email and send it to myself; it's easier for me, personally, to keep track of it that way.)

The Trendy

One of Reader's most interesting functions is the Trends button on the left-handed side. Opening it up allows you to see what you've read and how you've participated through Google Reader with the blogs and sites you follow:

You can tell a lot of things:

(The option above, however, is flawed because it looks at numbers and not proportions.

I added my Friends-Followers tag almost a month after I added the Industry one.)

Google Reader is great. It really is. Use it to your advantage -- it helps keeps thing in order from one screen. I read ten entries at a time and, as I read, if I find the desire to post I begin to open new tabs. It's much easier than scrolling through a blog feed and opening each entry only to find it's not something you're interested in. This one makes skimming easy and less present (at least for me -- I spend the time reading the post versus waiting for the page to load).

If you ever have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Otherwise, check out Google's Help aisle.

A Writer's Space - From Where I Come

iTunes Highlight: BEGGING by The Libertines

I think I'll have to term this week the week about me -- a taste of my poetry, my senior pictures, and now a look into my writer's space. I've seen a few bloggers do this and I've always loved it, seeing as I am very curious about the places from which writers come. I understand, of course, that sharing something like this is more personal than the objective blogging we attempt to do, but I don't see a reason not to.

I introduce you to my bedroom/office, the place in which I write.

If you're up to it, post some snapshots from your own place of writing!

P.S. Don't forget to pose some questions for me (I'll be disappointed if you don't!).

The open door on the left leads into my bathroom.

Otherwise, this is a general glance at my room/office.

(I added that 'office' part just to sound professional.)

I self-published a book in 2005 and held a launch party. I was 13 years old.

All of my guests were asked to sign this instead of a guestbook.

I'm still working on finishing decorating the wall (it's only been 10 months...).

The desk is pretty simple -- a system of organization is present, I assure you.

My bookcases -- probably 3/4 of all the books I own (the rest are in the garage).

You can tell a lot, a lot, a lot about me here.

I love books.

I go to school.

I've had some portrait sessions in the past.

I've won many debate/speech/congress awards.

I used to own many stuffed animals.

I love books?

Books from the library and more recent additions to my collection.

There's no place on the bookshelf to add them in.

I own 4x more clothes than what's in the closet.

My mom and I are going through what I need to buy and

we're hiding all summer clothes slowly but surely.

That's why it's empty -- and in some sense of order.

My favorite painting. Ever.

Ask Away!

iTunes Highlight: PISTE 9 by Feist

I thought that I would take it easy on myself today. I've begun the second part to the Google Reader info series but I also want to do the Calculus homework I have due on the first day of school (I know, it's ridiculous) and get through the books I checked out from the library last week. I'm also going out for coffee with another good friend and longtime mentor of mine.

So, for my post for this morning/afternoon (I may come back later in the evening), I ask you to

ASK AWAY!

Ask me any question you would like -- about me/my writing, about something technical that you would like answered in a full-out post, anything that I've said/written that's made you curious, any recommendations or suggestions for blogs or books, etc.

Up to three questions per asker, sil vous plait. I'll post the replies either tomorrow or Tuesday, so ask away.

The Basic Ins & Outs of Google Reader

iTunes Highlight: RAG DOLL by Aerosmith

For the purposes of keeping this page as uncluttered as possible, I've decided to split my quick insights into Google Reader into two parts -- the basics today and some of the more complex functions tomorrow or later in the week.

1. Set up an account on Google. (If you already have one, open Google Reader and skip to step #3.)

• Visit the Google Accounts / Create an Account page.
• Fill in the appropriate information and create your account.
• Once everything has been confirmed, you are ready to use Google Reader functions.

This applies only to those who don't use Blogger, since Blogger users must have a Google account in order to blog here.

2. Open up your Google Reader.

• Click here: Google Reader. Your screen should look something like this (most likely less active):

3. Check to make sure all of your Blogger subscriptions are available.

• They should immediately be available under the "Blogs I'm following" tab.

4. Add all website and non-Blogger blog subscriptions to Google Reader.

• Click on the "Add a subscription" button on the top left corner of Google Reader.

• Type in the appropriate URL of the website/blog you are subscribing to.
• In some circumstances, you will have to find the RSS feed URL of the particular website. In order to do so, open up the web page and look for the RSS feed logo and subscription prompt. They can be available on all parts of the page (bottom/top, left/right), so look closely. Most updated pages have an RSS feed somewhere.

In this example (Inkygirl.com), the Subscribe RSS feed logo and prompt

are available at the top right corner. I recommend you follow the blog!

5. Organize your blogs into categories and folders for easy reading.

• Click the "Manage subscriptions" link at the very bottom of the left-handed column.

• Have in mind what kind of category you would like to begin with.
• Find the first blog you would like to categorize and, to the right of that blog, click the "Add to a folder" tab and scroll down to "New folder..." A pop up will appear and prompt you to type in a name.

6. Name the folder and click "OK."

7. To add additional subscriptions to the folder you created, find the blog/website that is applicable and follow step #5 through clicking the "Add to a folder" tab. Instead of clicking the "New folder..." option, however, just add it to the folder you created.

8. Continue to follow the same steps until you've categorized everything you need to categorize.

Note: When you return to the Google Reader home page, the folders may take a few minutes to load/appear. Additionally, adding blogs to folders won't erase them from the "Blogs I'm following" tab, which means you can access them in both places; reading them in one place, however, will make them unread in the other immediately.

9. Click the "Folders and Tags" (next to "Subscriptions") button at the top in order to customize how your folders and tags are used.

• You can make some of your folders public and keep others private, etc.

Sunday Scribblings #178: Poetry ("To Come From")

This week's Sunday Scribblings prompt follows:
For some, the word poetry conjures up terror; other people's mouths begin to water in anticipation. Very few people feel nothing about it. Either way, your assignment this week is to write some - whether you like it or not!

Last week I thought a lot about a potential poem but now I've forgotten its premise entirely (yet another reason why I should write down every single one of my thoughts. Grr.). So, here's what I came up with on a short notice (WARNING: Weronika does not have the aptitude for poetry-writing).

TO COME FROM

I come from
cobblestone pathways
tainted by the grime
of daily wanderings

I come from
tea bags filled with
crumbs of natural fruit
honey-brushed

I come from
kotlet, periogi, barszcz
on Christmas Eves
to feed five plus one

Salty sea waters
blood-stained fields
cloud-devoured mountains - 
there I come from

I come from
hand-weaved baskets
amber jewelery
and love within skirt folds

Senior Pictures Sneak Preview

I won't get to see the rest of them (my senior pictures, in case you didn't catch the title) until next week, but here are a few of my favorites from the sneak preview I had today. Which ones do you like best?

P.S. I never wear my hair down (don't have the time) so this is a bit awkward for me. But, well...you know.

Reasons for Google Reader

I think that Gmail is the best free e-mail system out there, and I even prefer it to Microsoft Outlook on my computer, but when I first opened up Google Reader (you must have an account to see it) I wasn't sure what it could offer me. I wasn't following many blogs at that point and it seemed like a hassle to find the RSS feed link of every website and subscribe to it. With the growth of not only the things I read but also the number of followers I have on my blogs, I've come to realize that having a base for everything is critical to time management and the ability to participate.

What exactly is an RSS?

RSS (most commonly translated as "Really Simple Syndication" but sometimes "Rich Site Summary") is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blogentries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format.^[2] An RSS document (which is called a "feed", "web feed",^[3] or "channel") includes full or summarized text, plus metadata such as publishing dates and authorship. Web feeds benefit publishers by letting them syndicate content automatically. They benefit readers who want to subscribe to timely updates from favored websites or to aggregate feeds from many sites into one place. (From Wikipedia)

I think everyone should create a Google account and begin to utilize Google Reader's functions to the maximum.

Why?

• You only need to open one website/page to read everything that you need to read, opening up new tabs for the pages you want to comment on.
• Downloading speed is super quick. You don't have to wait for all of the individual pages to load. Google Reader archives everything (read or unread) for you automatically so that you can access it immediately.
• You are able to access a wide array of things at once -- from pure blog entries, to website updates, to the news, to newsletters with RSS feeds, etc. -- all at the same time.
• You can create folders/groups for the stuff you read. For example, I have two categories at the moment -- Friends/Followers and Industry News; if I have limited time, I focus on my Friends/Followers and make sure that I read what they have to say and comment on it, and then I go to the stuff that carries important Industry News and take my time with that. Only later do I go to the random blogs that inspired me or made me curious, considering that I am not 100% loyal or indebted to those bloggers.
• You're able to share stuff from your Reader with anyone who has befriended you on Google from one source (no sending emails or links) -- the entry goes straight to your friend.
• You can check your trends: which stuff are you following more actively? What stuff are you not reading? This helps clear out blogs that were once of interest but are no longer, so you have a clean space to work with and are not wasting your time
• You can check out the stuff that Google recommends -- writing sites or blogs you're not familiar with, or whatever else fits the basic description of what you're reading. Sometimes, it's incredibly helpful.

I would love to hear the feedback of anyone else who's using Reader -- does it work for you? Why or why not?

WiP Wednesday #7

Oh, yes, it's this time again and my hands are itching with excitement -- it has been a helluva good week.

WHERE THE DOVES FLY Progress < -- Click here for snippets from the book!

Word Count: 54,643 / 100,000

Um, yes -- I did pass the 50% this week -- and, yes, I did in fact write 12,236 words over the last week. *cheers*

Here is what I have to say about it:

• My charger broke. Again. I have not written since 9pm last night, when the charger breakage occurred; I'm positive I would be past the 56k mark right now if I had been able to get out everything I wanted to get out on paper. I read instead (Alice Hoffman's THE STORY SISTERS; review here).
• I added an entire chapter to the beginning of the book in order to get some more action/tension in the story before the brunt of the book begins to unfold (I don't know how to start in the middle of that without dumping a ton of back story, so I decided to go backwards a few months instead and make the back story interesting and critical to the story).
• Anna's first baby has been born -- Samuel. She doesn't love him, but Hasim does -- a lot. I've found the catalyst for why their marriage will last. They're going to switch positions. She will work while he remains home, which will allow for her to open the art gallery that makes her famous and even more obsessed with art, and it is how Rafal will find her again.
• I'm still not sure about two things: Whether or not I want this story to be told in dual POVs. I'm at 54k and I still have...mhm...10-15% of Anna's story to go. There is no way I can break into the market with a 130k novel. No way, Jose. But at the same time I don't know how to tell the story without Fatemah's part because everyone thinks it's more her story than her mother's. *sigh* The other thing is whether or not I want her story to end in suicide. I'm considering it, throwing around possible endings in my head. The climax will occur soon and, once it does, I need to know where I'm taking Anna.
• Anna is a surprisingly good teacher. After she and Hasim moved to Minnesota (where he heads the art department at the University of MN - Twin Cities), she did a few lectures and was very good at them.
• New goals: I still hope to hit 70k before I go back to school on the 8th, which means I have 13 days to write like 15k words. I can definitely do that. If I finish Anna's story and decide to stick with it as the sole voice in this novel, there will definitely be dramatic rewrites in the story structure. I will have September, October, and November to relax from this book and I will hit rewrites in December. It should be ready for betas in March or April, which I consider soon, and ready to query by next summer -- one year to do all of it. In September and October I'm going to begin a new novel; October will also be dedicated to outlining some stuff for NaNo and doing all of the college application stuff I will have not finished by the beginning of the school year. Then, November will be NaNo.
• Make sure to check out the WiP blog and leave a few comments -- I posted the first few paragraphs of the new first chapter and, though I know they're awkward and still not as I want them to be, I hope the general take works.

BOOK REVIEW: "The Story Sisters" by Alice Hoffman

If you're a writer and have never read anything by Alice Hoffman, you're missing out. Her novels, for both the adult literary community and YA readers with unique perspectives, are written with a timeless talent and ability. She is and will continue to be one of my favorite novelists, and I am pleased to share THE STORY SISTERS with everyone today.

Book Information (Courtesy of Amazon)
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Shaye Areheart Books (June 2, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307393860
ISBN-13: 978-0307393869
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.6 x 1.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
Average Customer Review: 3.7 / 5 stars
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #11,638 in Books

From The Washington Post:

Elv, Meg and Claire Story share a secret imaginary world, Arnelle, complete with a private language that they speak to each other. Yes, Hoffman is back in fairy-tale territory. Arnelle made its appearance after 11-year-old Elv rescued 8-year-old Claire from a child molester and was abused in her stead -- the random intrusion of malevolent fate that this author has explored many times before. Grin and bear it, readers, because a brilliantly detailed delineation of ever-shifting power relations among siblings and a beautiful portrait of love's redemptive power are twined around the fey Arnelle material and grim recollections of the abuse. (Still, Hoffman should trust her readers to get the point -- Elv will never be the same; Claire feels guilty -- without endless repetition.) ... [The] radiant finale reminds us what a satisfying novelist Alice Hoffman can be, when she feels like it.

I've recently had the opportunity to watch and read many good, wonderful things -- I loved The Time Traveler's Wife movie, thought District 9 was even better, and highly recommend THE FICTION WRITER'S WORKSHOP. I read THE STORY SISTERS and my first reaction was love (the overall impression after reading the book) but I thought back to all of the parts when I cringed, exhausted by some of the repetition in this story and the constant need for Hoffman to expand upon her prose.

It's odd, how different parts of a novel can act on you in different ways, erasing the bad memories to remember only the good ones. My final verdict is definitely not a 3.7 / 5 stars one. THE STORY SISTERS is too good for that -- the story is beautiful, literary, prosaic, and heartfelt, and what I think is a must read for any woman, and any man with teenaged daughters, or who is in love with someone younger or depressed, in a world of darkness. It resonates with its humanity. I give it 4.2 / 5 stars because Hoffman could have done a better job with some of the pacing and logical plot choices, but those mistakes are easily forgotten when you are brought to tears in the final stages of the book.

Get it from the library when you have time and read it. Or go to Hoffman's better books because she has them, and she deserves your time and, in those special cases, your money.

The Beta Reader's Role

iTunes Highlight: SORRY, BLAME IT ON ME by Akon

The first time I heard the term "beta reader" was a few months ago when I began to blog seriously and, at the same time, dived head-first into the blogosphere. I had never heard it before; every time I requested someone to read for me, or accepted requests to read, the term used was "reader" -- as simple as that.

Wikipedia defines "beta reader" as:

A beta reader (also spelled betareader, or shortened to beta) is a person who reads a written work, generally fiction, with what has been described[1] as "a critical eye, with the aim of improving grammar, spelling, characterization, and general style of a story prior to its release to the general public."

"Beta reading," therefore, is to me just a more specific assignment than "reading." It holds a lot of importance in the writer's revision process, which means that it deserves to be considered carefully by both writers and the readers who take projects into their hands.

Who should beta read?

• Writers - Requesting help of other writers is critical because only other writers will have a knack for seeing problems with the story structure, pacing, characterization, setting, etc., sooner and with a better grasp on how to fix it. On average, each novel should be beta read by no more than five other writers, two or three of them from within the story genre, one or two outside of it (to comment on the more overarching things, the logic, and the impression that an "insider" may not pick up immediately).
• Readers - Having one or two avid readers go through a book will help you figure out what kind of impression readers would have if they read your work-in-progress. Readers will be able to point out the things other writers may not (since writers will read with the eye of an editor).

Then, if one is able to afford and/or finds it necessary:

• Editors - Having an editor read through a work-in-progress and critique both the overarching story structure and do line edits can be helpful in ensuring that your manuscript is as professional as it's going to get before it goes out on submission.
• Professionals - If a writer's manuscript deals with professional issues (science/technology, medicine, cultural practices, etc.), requesting the read-through of someone who is familiar with the issue will help ensure that no logical mistakes are being made in regards to the story line.

Regardless of whether one requests writers / readers / editors / professionals / others, there are two things to keep in mind:

• Reader experience - A beta reader may offer dramatic criticism and you want to be sure that, if they do, the criticism is driven by years of experience instead of personal fancy (this is why I avoid making comments about the big picture - I'm not comfortable enough to tear a book apart).
• Reader background - Readers will be coming from different genres, histories, and expectations; they will be of different genders, ages, races, and religions. These backgrounds may be enough to fundamentally change the way your book is interpreted, which is why you should keep such factors in mind as you read and as you send books out for beta reading.

What's the procedure for beta reading?

From the writer's perspective:

1. Make sure that your manuscript is done done done, not done done, or done. It has been revised, edited, checked over, double checked, and read by you again and again. You may have asked for help during this revision process -- requested someone to recommend one direction or another -- but before you send your book out in mass numbers, it needs to be done done done.
2. Send an email or make a phone call to any potential beta readers. If you've been following their blog or website for a while and/or have interacted with them about your or their writing (and are therefore familiar with how their mind works -- not to be creepy or anything), you don't have to ask "business"-type questions. If you're throwing out cold requests, though, make sure to ask about experience, time, beta reading personality, etc. Have a grasp on what kind of person your beta reader is before you send your work-in-progress out.
3. Send out the work-in-progress and offer the following information -- how soon you need it returned (be realistic and think about yourself); what type of comments you're looking for (pose specific questions if it's necessary); and a request to delete the file from the beta reader's computer once they've returned it to you (just in case anything ever happens).
4. Wait patiently.
5. Thank the beta reader once you receive the critiqued copy of the manuscript, look through their comments, and then wait a week before you a) send out an angry email barraging them for their inability to properly see the story; b) ask questions about any comments. Give yourself time to take in all of the comments before you begin to piece together a new revision plan.
6. Send a follow-up email that kindly and professional requests details and assistance, if necessary.

From the beta reader's perspective:

• Even if the writer doesn't pose any particular questions (and it is someone you are relatively unfamiliar with), specify your "beta reading style" (or what you expect it to be, if it's the first time) -- how you work, what the writer can and cannot expect from you, etc., how soon you plan to return the manuscript. You want to let them know how to balance out their expectations for the revision process.

The beta reading process (a recommendation):

1. Read the first chapter through before you begin to comment to get a sense of the writer's style and their language. Based on the first three or so chapters, you'll be able to draw most of the overarching comments you have to make about the style ("You're too wordy," "you use too many adjectives/adverbs/prepositions," etc.).
2. Make sure to critique clearly and with details, perhaps even suggestions to give the writer an idea of what you dislike or find necessary to change. Also, be sure to specify the circumstances in which you change something based on personal preference (i.e., the way a sentence is structured, the way dialogue tags are applied).
3. When you are done with the full read through, go back and supplement the comments you made earlier about overarching problems and the specific comments at the beginning. Sometimes, things unravel in a positive way and something may not necessarily deserve a change.
4. Let it sit for a few hours, then go back and scan over your comments, making sure you didn't miss anything or were too harsh.

Additionally:

• Be calm and understanding when a writer asks for you to clear up some comments. Give your honest opinion and don't be intimidated by the mix up.
• Check in with the writer over time to make sure that you weren't insulting and that your comments did indeed turn out to be helpful in some degree. (It would probably be better to know that you're not suited to be a beta reader early on.)

Overall, I don't think I need to say it more than once: I recommend beta readers. I really, really do. They've helped me incredibly in the past and today I still don't know how to thank those people with an insight that transcends my capabilities. They're fabulous. Just choose them well.

And, as always, I am open to beta reading -- have beta read for Sara J. Henry, Laura Martone, and Steph Bowe, all here on Blogger and all good friends!

P.S. Yet another award, this one from J.B. Chicoine (whose novel I am currently beta reading, by the way)! Thank you.

The Super Comments award I get to pass on to five others. I looked back onto my last 10 posts (seems like a good legitimate & objective number) and tallied which individuals commented most consistently.

Susan Mills

Laura Martone

Jessica

Lisa and Laura

Fiction Groupie

Thank you to you five for everything.