Is it Time to Update Your Author Website or Set One Up?

How many of you have a website that you set up years and years and years ago and it still looks the same as it did at the beginning? It probably has started to look a little outdated, a bit boring now that you've had it for so many years. Maybe you're not writing in the dame genre, so it doesn't quite match with your message anymore. Or maybe you set your website up so hastily that it was never quite what you wanted in the first place. 

Maybe you don't have an author website yet and are not really sure where to start.

Whether you want to revamp your website or want to set one up but you're not sure where to begin, here are a few hints and tips to help you get started.

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The Challenge

You already know why you want a website, right? Someone told you needed an author platform or you've published a few books and have a blog you write every week ... or fortnight ... month ... when you get the time, I mean, when will a book get written if you keep writing blogposts all the time, right? Anyway, the why is because us author's need a place where our readers can interact with us, get news on what we are writing next or finally get to hear that your book is being published soon, yes!

The challenge is what do you want to include in your website, or new updated version? Will you have a blog? Do you need a space to sell your books? What is your 'brand' - your message? What are your books about?

This is something you need to figure out first. You all should know what a mind map is. It's a great technique to throw out ideas on a subject, no matter how weird and wonderful they may be. Try it out for your website. What do you want to include - don't be shy? If it's a cool cinematic space animation with a ship flying through or a love heart that follows the users cursor around the page, jot it down. So many things are possible these days. The more ideas the better. You can whittle them down later to something more manageable.

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Your Audience

Regardless of whether you end up having people from all stages of life visit your website, you still need to consider your audience. Are you writing for the young adult, the confident twelve year old reader, the millennial who loves a good romance book or is looking for something more mysterious? Researching what your target audience is looking for from a marketing perspective is a great way to ensure your website relates to them personally.

Your Competition

It never hurts to see what other authors writing in the same genre are doing on their websites. Check out some of the more popular authors, even the more mainstream authors. Have a look at how they are using their space. What neat tricks are they using to engage their viewers. Is it a click and drag feature? Little cinematic videos? Maybe they use sound every time you click on something. Write out the pros and cons. Is there something that works on their website they you could incorporate in yours?

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Web Design Trends

This year there are some fun trends happening in web design.

Experimental Navigation is becoming more popular. The traditional fixed navigation menu on the top of the screen is becoming outdated and people are looking for something that is visually unique that exhibits an extension of your design 'brand'. The use of experimental navigation can generate visual interest and be fun for the reader.

One of the more popular trends is scrolling effects - animation which is triggered by as viewers scroll down a page. This can be as simple as a parallax scrolling effect that creates depth or interactive and dynamic which will encourage your readers to continue scrolling. You can use this to create a break in context or maybe even immerse the reader into a 3D experience.

Drag interaction is a great effect designed to mimic actual, physical action and allows your readers to pick up objects, move them around, make things jump, shrink, and grow. This type of gesture interaction is gaining popularity with more websites as the possibilities of what you can do are endless. If you want to create something dynamic, intense or inspiring - check out Falter Inferno's website. It might be the new way we do interactive Book Trailers ;)

Layering colours, images, shapes, typography, animations and other elements is an easy way to add something new to your website and has become increasingly popular in web design. This useful technique can add depth and texture to the design  by using shadows and overlapping various elements to create a three dimensional space.

Kinetic typography has been used in the filming industry for decades. This animation technique is becoming more prevalent in web design due to its immediate attention grabbing ability. This has been used to highlight the importance of a section or text, guide your reader as they scroll through the website and gradually reveal information to their delight.

If you're amazing at digital design or have some really great friends, three dimensional artwork and immersive web sites have been increasing in popularity due to the continued interest in Virtual Reality. From engaging three dimensional branding to completely immersive world design, this trend embodies visual interest and engagement your reader. This would be a readers dream for those who write fantasy. Have a look at  Choo Choo World - it is so much fun!

These are but a few web design trends to consider and most of them can be accomplished using standard website builders like Wix, Wordpress or Squarespace. Otherwise, if it all seems too hard but you still want something with a bit more than your average website, there are many web designers who can look at designing something for you. The more engaging your website is, the more your reader will want to engage with you and your stories.

Check out these author websites that are a bit different.

https://rickriordan.com/

https://jenniferegan.com/

https://www.jamespatterson.com/

https://www.taylortyng.com/

If you're still unsure what to do or how to go about setting one up or updating your existing one to something more engaging, ask your questions in the comments and I may be able to help out or give you some direction. :)

K.A. Hart aka. A.T. Richmond

Does Your Computer Need an Update?

This post is inspired by Eddie Pinero’s Prove Everyone Wrong Podcast, starting at 23:30 - if you don’t have time to read this through - listen to his podcast instead, then come back. 

My computer usually tells me when there is a new update available for my operating system, but after listening to one of Eddie Pinero’s podcasts recently, I thought I’d check before sitting down to write the draft of this post.

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There was an update. 

Do you think I decided to update my computer first? It would be considered a great procrastination tool. Most of us writers know a thing or two about procrastination - how to do it, when to use it and why we love it.

The answer would be no, I did not update my OS. It’s interesting I find having to update my computer as an annoyingly, inconvenient thing to have to do. Does anyone else feel like this? Maybe it’s because my computer tells me there’s a new update available at a time when I don’t have time to wait twenty to forty-five minutes while it does it’s thing. Maybe because the notification says, Update now and I’m a rebel and don’t like being told what to do. Maybe it’s because I don’t know what the update will do and I don’t see the point. My computer does everything I need it to do. It’s working fine, so does an update really need to be performed now? Surely it can wait for a more convenient time.

Why am I talking about updating the OS on my computer? This is a writing blog, or it's supposed to be.

I know, but please indulge me.

The operating system on your computer is the brains of the operation. The updates it receives gives the computer new information, new tricks and tips to be better at working for you when you need it to. Think of it as a writing course for your computer. 

Why do we do writing course or go to conferences? Social interaction for the introverted writer? Uh, no. Writing courses, conferences, retreats. These things help us gain better knowledge and skills to improve our writing. We all have a passion and talent for writing, but we don’t know everything. Some people are excellent describers, while others are amazing at dialogue. Some have a knack for compelling storylines and I envy those who know their characters like they're best friends.

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God did not create us perfect (okay, he did at the beginning, but we are far from perfect now) and that includes our talents. We all have something to learn which will allow us to enhance our writing techniques … mine included. Most writers want their written work to be the best it can be. Some just want to write that one story and feel the accomplishment of having a physical copy in their hand. That’s fantastic. If that’s you - go forth and enjoy. Other writers like myself have many stories vying for their attention and want to be a published author and earn millions of dollars … so why are we not learning from others and gaining more knowledge to make our stories better? God wants us to learn, grow and experience life. That goes for growing our talents too, don’t you think?

But I don’t have the time, you say. I don’t have the money. I have kids that need looking after, I’m not even writing at the moment, blah, blah, blah. Do you know what I hear? Excuses. And don’t think I don’t make them myself. I don’t have the time. I manage a retail store four days a week and anyone who says it’s just a 9-5 job hasn’t managed one before. I’m also studying an Arts Degree online, majoring in Game Design and Animation. I don’t have kids, but I live with two teenagers and that’s enough for me. I’m not writing at the moment, but that’s not a lack of time (I do watch Netflix …) and do you honestly think I have the money for more courses? Ha!

I get it. I understand, but these excuses are just that. Excuses. I have been contemplating the Omega Writers Conference for so long that I have missed the early bird cutoff date. But it’s only another $50.00 you’re paying and that’s just a family takeout meal you could skip …

Excuse 1 - I don’t have the time.

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If you’re like me, you have many, many weeks up your sleeve in annual leave. Take some time off for yourself! No one can do that for you but you. Do two weeks worth of study in one week. That next week is free.

Excuse 2 - I don’t have the money.

How much takeout do you have each week? Uber Eats? Menulog? Door Dash? Do you eat a lot of junk food? What about Netflix? Stan? Amazon Prime? Disney? Binge? How many of these you you have? 1, 2 … 3? 4!? If you cut down your subscriptions, stop eating so much takeaway, and got rid of most of the junk food you eat and started to portion your food so your not eating as much as you do (the body doesn’t need nearly as much as you would think it does), you would actually save hundreds per week.

Excuse 3 - I have kids that need looking after (I don’t, but I’m sure someone does).

Kids? If you have a partner, get him or her to look after them for a few days. No partner? No problem. If your kids have friends or you have family members close by (Auntie’s are the coolest), I’m sure a planned sleepover for a couple nights would make you the best mum or dad ever! Kids love sleepovers, especially if it’s a whole weekend. You could always offer to do the same (I’m sure your kid’s friends, parents would love a weekend off too).

If you have a puppy, get a friend to look after the cutie. I'm sure there is someone who loves your puppy nearly as much as you do and would love to dog-sit for a couple days.

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Excuse 4 - I’m not even writing at the moment.

I wonder why. You’re working all the time, studying all the time, kids have you on the ropes and words don’t even exist in your reality at the moment. If you’re not writing at the moment, it’s probably because you’re lost the momentum or the inspiration or both. If you still want writing to be a part of your life and those stories are still ticking away in the back corner of that dusty storage room in your brain, then a conference is the perfect place for you. I know. Sounds stupid. You’re not writing at the moment, so why spend the money to even go there when you won’t use the skills you learn? Because I know from experience that being around people who live and breathe writing helps boost that momentum. Being away from the normal, everyday life you live, boosts inspiration and having that moment to yourself, to do something you love, will get you writing again; even if it’s just for that weekend.

Excuse 5 - Enter your excuse here ...

I'm not proficient enough to answer all your excuses, but click here and listen to, Break Your Negative Thinking | Wake Up Positive podcast by Eddie Pinero. I don't think you'll have any excuses for anything afterwards.

So. No more excuses. Looks like I’m going to the conference.

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If you’re still reading and need a little more of a push in the right direction - listen to Eddie Pinero’s Prove Everyone Wrong Podcast from 23:30 onwards. Then go back and listen to the whole thing. Then put his podcast into your favourites. You won’t be sorry.

Kirsten (aka A.T. Richmond) is a born and bred Territorian who moved to Queensland and had no choice but to stay after her assimilation into the Toowoomba's infamous, collective known as Quirky Quills. Since then, A.T. Richmond has had two short stories published (under K.A. Hart). Stone Bearer, appears in Glimpses of Light and Tedious Tresses, in the As Time Goes By Mixed Blessings anthology. She is currently writing a fantasy trilogy (and has been for a while ...), but no more excuses, right?! Coffee helps.

Little Seeds, Big Clouds and a Clock About to Strike

Habits. Good habits. Bad habits. You need discipline to create good habits and discipline to destroy bad habits. 

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Discipline. How do you get it? Some people seem to be born with it. Others struggle to maintain it. And still others don’t much care one way or the other. Me?  It depends on the situation. Sometimes, I really just want to see if I can achieve a goal and discipline comes naturally. Other times, I just can’t seem to create that same sense of excitement and my discipline has heads for the hills on a long vacation. 

At the beginning of this year, January 1st to be exact, I decided to do a challenge. A 75 Day Challenge. 

THE 75 DAY CHALLENGE 

Morning Cardio workout

Afternoon strength workout 

Eat 850 calories

Drink 4 litres of water

Read 10 pages of a non fiction book

Every. Day. For a total of 75 days. 

Now I know what you’re thinking. ‘Are you insane?!’ Yes. Well, probably. But all the best people are, aren’t they?

When I heard about the challenge, at first I thought, ‘HA! Yeah right. I wouldn’t last a week!’ I’ve been suffering from a sore lower back for a good year now and thought I’d maybe get through the first three days before pulling my back out again. Then I’d be in bed for a week and back to the Physio. But what if I focused on exercises that didn’t use my back and supported it as much as possible? Was I really going to let my fear of failing and getting hurt get the better of me?

My fear. How many times has it beat me down? It doesn’t feel like that at the time, does it? It keeps me safe. I mean, I don’t want to get hurt and I don’t want to fail.  But what if I succeed, then what do I do? It’s the unknown that my fear keeps me safe from. It’s nice. It’s comforting, but all those big ideas, all the story outlines I jot down for when I have time to come back to them … they just wait. They gather dust. So what my fear has done, is kept me stationary. Never growing, never evolving into something more than what I am. 

So, what’s the point?

I sat down with a lovely couple about a month ago and we were discussing the current issues - the pandemic, emergency mandates, talks of war. We moved to Revelation and how everything looked pretty grim. They said they believed we had maybe another ten years left before the Rapture.

‘Excuse me? I don’t think I heard you correctly. Did you say ten years?’

I hadn’t misheard. Now, don’t get me wrong. No one knows when it’ll happen, but just think about it for a moment. Ten years. That’s all you have left. One hundred and twenty months. Five hundred and twenty weeks. Three thousand, six hundred and fifty days. Eighty seven thousand, six hundred hours. And so on, and so on. But you get it. Ten years left of your life.

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I don’t know about you, but should I even be bothering to do a Bachelor Degree that will take me six years to complete part time? And all those story ideas I have, do I just give up on them? It has taken me over a decade to write the story for one of my ideas, what do I do with the other thirty two I have outlined on my computer? All the other things I wanted to do, wanted to see … I don’t know, but ten years doesn’t seem like enough time, especially when procrastination and anxiety are such good friends of mine.

I just don’t know … but then again, I think I do.

It starts with a little seed.

Without a little water, a little dirt, a bit of sunshine, little seeds won’t grow. But if you put in a little effort and don’t mind getting your hands dirty, that seed will sprout roots and habits will grow. 

First things first. Show up. Nothing ever gets done if you don’t first begin. This builds habits. Things you can improve upon. You cannot improve if you don’t have a foundation.

Those big clouds you see in the sky above you. The ones you’ve imagined into dragons and castles and mushroom houses; they are your spark. They are the reason you want to write their stories. Don’t let fear stop you. Don’t let your doubts get the better of you. They are your past, not your present you. You woke up this morning as a blank canvas. Don’t let the negativity of yesterday paint the opportunities of today.

Today is day zero of my 75 Day Challenge. For the most part, I accomplished a lot. I will admit, the ten pages became a little too overwhelming - exhaustion and a heavy non fiction book do not mix well - and I didn’t continue with this aspect of the challenge. But I’ve now built up a few good habits and who knows what the next seventy five days bring. Even if the clock is about to chime - today, tomorrow, one year form now, ten years, twenty … I have an opportunity to learn more, see more, do more and it doesn’t matter how much I accomplish,  as long as I show up in the moments that matter and know God has everything in control.

Kirsten Hart (aka A.T. Richmond) is a born and bred Territorian who moved to Queensland and had no choice but to stay after her assimilation into the Toowoomba's infamous, collective known as Quirky Quills. Since then, A.T. Richmond has had two stories published. Stone Bearer, appears in Glimpses of Light and Tedious Tresses, in the As Time Goes By Mixed Blessings anthology. She is currently writing a fantasy trilogy.

Which Path Will You Choose?

Who read adventure books as a kid where you chose your own path and changed the story? Ever read a book and wished the author had gone in  a different direction? And what about that old man sitting on the side of the road who told the protagonist to go left at the intersection instead of right, what’s his story? If these are things you think about when reading a story or writing your own, maybe you need a different outlet.

Aristotle defined storytelling as an imitation of an action … with incidents of pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its catharsis of such emotions, and paved the way for story structure for novels and even the movies industry.

Now it’s the gaming industry’s turn.

If you love reading stories and watching movies, maybe this is the perfect time to have a look at taking up your son, daughter, niece or nephew’s Xbox or Playstation controller.

Game designers have had to think outside the box because of the countless intricacies and uncertainties associated with game timeline. For example, players can take infinite variables in time to complete a game. Players lacking skill or the game difficulty is too high can halt their progress. Level or quest based games having numerous tasks and puzzles can pull the attention of the player in conflicting directions; and non-linear games allow player’s to take control of the path and pacing of the story.

Skyrim, a game from the Elder Scrolls series, allows you to move throughout the world and discover different locations, people and stories. The main storyline is linear like a novel, however you have the ability to explore the Skyrim world and experience other storylines before returning to the main story whenever you wish.

Life is Strange, is an episodic graphic adventure game, which was released as five episodes periodically throughout 2015. This video game uses a branching narrative model and completely revolves around the choices made by you. These choices affect the outcome of the game and can produce a variety of endings. Imagine trying to write a hundred different choices, obstacles and endings. Now that’s a challenge.

Narrative has evolved so much in the last few decades of video games. Game developers like those who created Skyrim and Life is Strange, even the action adventure game, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, have brought the complexities and emotional, real-life decision making into gameplay through storytelling and narrative.

These modern games encourage interaction from you, giving you choices that have real consequences and allowing you to make your own story based on the decisions you make. Narrative is becoming more elaborate in video games and an increasingly popular way of expressing stories. If you love writing, creating worlds and characters, maybe this could be a new outlet for yourself.

I’ve always thought a movie based on one of my novels would be cool, but a game? Now that would be epic!

K.A. Hart is a born and bred Territorian who moved to Queensland and had no choice but to stay after her assimilation into Toowoomba's infamous, collective known as Quirky Quills.

Since then, K.A. Hart has had two short stories published. Stone Bearer appears in Glimpses of Light and Tedious Tresses, in the As Time Goes By anthology. She is currently working on a fantasy novel.

Write What You Know

Write what you know. Adrian Plass puts this so eloquently. Well, maybe it's more on the comical side, but still ...

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First you need to understand what's happening. Adrian is on a fast-flowing river boat ride at a theme park in Denmark with his two boys and four year old daughter. The ominously unstable, little round boat overturns and they are all thrown into the water.

Adrian isn't a swimmer, so you can imagine the panic and fear when he finds himself trapped under the water between the rim of the overturned boat and the bank of the river.

It's dark and disorienting under the water. The rising fear of drowning induces panic and confusion, but what of his kids? The two boys are strong swimmers. Hopefully they've been able to swim to safety. Kate, his four year old daughter might not have been so lucky and a deep sadness pulls him down further.

As fear and panic, confusion and sadness press all around him, a small corner of his mind is sitting back and watching the drama unfold. It ponders at the potential of using this situation in some sort of literary context. A magazine article or maybe it could be adapted into a fictional story later in the future.

The little man with a notebook who lives at the back of my head scribbled busily away, noting with interest the various nuances of panic and fear, the exact sensations that accompany drowning, and the emotions evoked by the imminent loss of those whom you love. He was just on the point of starting a new piece under the heading 'First Encounters with God' ...

 Jesus - Safe, Tender, Extreme

Adrian Plass

Everyone I talk to says the same thing. No one ever expected or thought we'd be in a global pandemic. It was one of those ideas in the far-fetched, dystopian/fantasy, world-building category that was way too complicated to even pick up off the floor from where you threw it, scrunched up in a ball.

But now ... isn't that what people say? Write what you know? All you have to do is read the titles of the news articles flooding the stratosphere and the possibilities are endless. New world currency - toilet paper. Gas masks and blind dates. Street-community living and the black-haired, introvert inside number 16.

The light bulb has flared twice for me in the last month with two new stories I'm dying (not literally. I am 100% healthy. No virus for me) to write. Okay, maybe three times with my black-hair introvert who lives in number 16.

Now, I know everyone has experienced something different during this situation. Some good, some not so good. But every experience can be drawn upon and expressed in our writing whether it's a fictional romance, suspenseful thriller or an inspirational, self-help, non-fiction book.

So, tell me, what ideas are brewing in that head of yours? How did you come up with it? Let me know in the comments below. I'm super excited to find out what ideas you've all come up with.

K.A. Hart is a born and bred Territorian who moved to Queensland and had no choice but to stay after her assimilation into Toowoomba’s infamous, collective known as Quirky Quills.

Since then, K.A. Hart has had two short stories published. Stone Bearer, appears in Glimpses of Light and Tedious Tresses, in the As Time Goes By Mixed Blessings anthology. She is currently working on a fantasy novel.

How's the writing going?

You’ve all heard the question before. Every writer has. Maybe you’ve anticipated it and given a well-thought-out, succinct answer. Maybe you were just excited someone asked and prattled on and on about how it’s all going; your voice rising an octave while your hand gestures increasing dramatically, all the while telling the poor, unsuspecting person the plot of your amazing story in intricate detail. Or maybe … just maybe, like me, you cringed inwardly and stumbled over some excuse about not having the time, life getting in the way, your busy schedule, etc, etc …

So, how’s the writing going?

Mazzy Adams wrote a post the other week about her muse. Mine got lost somewhere between Darwin and Toowoomba. Either that, or he went on long service leave, flew to one of the islands close to the Bermuda Triangle and got lost.

Last year I moved back up to Darwin. It was the wrong move. Right for various reasons, wrong for my creative flare and so-called muse. I decided to move back down to Toowoomba to the delight of the Quirky Quills and started a small part time job. Perfect. More time to sit down and write, learn the guitar and perhaps even get my motorbike licence. That’s what I wanted. God had other plans.

The job has turned into a full time Store Manager position which takes up most of my time. I’ve been sick multiple times this year with a few injuries in between. I bought a guitar, but it sadly sits on its stand, hardly used. I did complete my motorbike learners licence, however I’ve only been out on my bike once. To top off the first half of this year, I’m having to watch what I eat because my body seems to be disagreeing with something I have yet to identify.

I had so many plans this year. To write, to read, to learn new things, but EVERYTHING has been turned upside down by ‘life happens’.

So, how’s the writing going?

It’s funny. When life happens I get so caught up in feeling guilty for the simple fact I’m not writing. My creativity seems tapped out, bled dry from all the mind-numbing ‘happenings’ of my day-to-day life. I get to the end of each day having put a hundred percent into everything I did and all I can do is sit down and breathe. There is nothing left, but I still feel guilty.

All those memes telling me to write. All those blog posts of encouragement and helpful tips. All those writers telling me I should write everyday regardless of how I feel. Even if it’s a small journal entry of what happened that day. Get into a schedule, girl! Most of those I can ignore, but when someone who knows I like to write asks how it’s going, I cringe.

I cringe because of all the good advice I’ve been given. I’m surrounded by a writing community and see everyone else pursuing their dreams, publishing books, writing, editing, creating their worlds. I wonder what’s wrong with me. Why don’t I have the same passion at the moment? The same discipline. The same drive. Why aren’t I pushing myself to write regardless of whether I have the mental capacity to do so? Why have I let life happens get to me?

So, how’s the writing going?

‘There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: … I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time …’

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 NIV

I’m looking at this all wrong. This is not my season to write. Life does happen and there is a time for everything. Your time to write might not be now either. You may be experiencing a similar situation. Your muse may have met up with mine. You don’t have to feel guilty because you’re not pursuing a particular part of your life. Other things may be happening at the moment which need the extra creative energy. You’re still using your creativity, you’re just using it in a different way. It could be problem-solving, brainstorming new ideas, character building yourself, not your stories.

We all go through hard times. Some more than others. Those times we need to focus our energy elsewhere to grow and learn. If you’re working through some big things at the moment, don’t be so hard on yourself if you don’t have the energy to write and you sit at your computer and stare blankly at the screen. Your season will come. Focus on what’s happening now. Experience it. Live it. Lean in and allow the breeze to direct dictations.

K.A Hart is a born and bred Territorian who moved to Queensland and had no choice but to stay after her assimilation into the Toowoomba's infamous, collective known as Quirky Quills.

Since then, K.A. Hart has had two short stories published. Stone Bearer, appears in Glimpses of Light and Tedious Tresses, in the As Time Goes By Mixed Blessings anthology. She is currently in life happens stasis.