Category Archives: Blog Posts

Week 5 – Snippet – Content & Layout

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Last week I wrote about the tools I’m using to create my Snippet. 

I introduced Scrivener, a word-processing program for writers which allows them to organize documents and keep everything in one place.

Today I’ll be writing about the content and layout of my Snippet, and what I’ve accomplished thus far.

It can be difficult to get started on a project when you feel overwhelmed. The best way to break through your fear is to jump right in.

Break it down. Create an outline for the content of your Snippet.

I’m writing a How-To guide to assist teen writers in building a blog from scratch. Each chapter of my Snippet will be devoted to an individual topic (remember – each chapter in Snippet must be less than 1000 words!).

My outline consists of four sections: Intro, Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3. I’ve created folders in Scrivener for each of these sections. 

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Your “binder” is displayed in the sidebar on the left. Folders and documents are found in this sidebar. In the screenshot above, the notecards represent the documents within my Phase 1 folder. This is simply an overview – each document at a glance.

Now that I have a pretty solid outline, I’m ready to begin adding chapters to my Snippet in the Snippet dashboard. Check out this video tutorial about adding new chapters.

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I’ve decided which of my chapters need multi-media, and I’ll begin filming and editing images this week.

Next week I’ll touch on image editing and adding discoverables to your Snippet project. Thanks for reading!

 

Questions, comments? Share your thoughts!

Top 10 Tuesday: Series I’d Like to Start

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Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

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1. Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis – Sep. 24, 2013

2. The Secret Diamond Sisters by Michelle Madow – Feb. 25, 2014

3. The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski – March 4, 2014

4. The Falconer by Elizabeth May – May 6, 2014

5. Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne – July 8, 2014

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6. The Young Elites by Marie Lu – Oct. 7, 2014

7. Endgame by James Frey – Oct. 7, 2014

8. Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch – Oct. 14, 2014

9. Talon by Julie Kagawa – Oct. 28, 2014

10. A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray – Nov. 4, 2014

 

Have you read these novels? Any recommendations?

Week 4 – Snippet – Tools

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Last week I reviewed what I believe to be a great example of a Snippet that tells a story. Pat Flynn, speaker and blogger, shared his personal story through a series of short chapters and videos. Snippet is a fantastic platform for this sort of thing.

So this week I’d like to share a bit about the Snippet I’m creating, and the tools I’m using to create it.

Backstory: I’ve been blogging for a while (I created the blog in May 2006 – that’s a little over 8 years!) but have really only intensively worked on the blog for the past year. Needless to say, I’ve put in a lot of time researching blogs – providing quality content, tracking stats, layout.

Over the summer I was asked to consult on someone’s personal site. And then I was asked twice more – to help create personal sites from scratch. It’s something I really enjoy, and until I began working with these people I wasn’t even aware of how much I’d learned about blogging.

Present day: I’m creating a How-To guide to assist teen writers in building a blog from scratch. I’ve chosen Snippet as my platform for this project.

I list/describe my tools below.

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Pixelmator – a tool for image editing
Cost – $30 (free 30 day trial)

Basically, Pixelmator is Photoshop for Mac. I’ll use this program to edit the images I plan to use in my Snippet (cover image, header image, etc.)

Scrivener – a tool for writing/editing
Cost – $45 (free 30 day trial)

Scrivener is a word processing program for writers and has so many great features. The reason I’ve chosen to use this program for my project is that it’s easier to keep things organized. Rather than having a folder with multiple word docs, I can keep it all in Scrivener.

Camtasia – a tool for screen recording and video editing
Cost – $99 (free trial)

I’ll be creating video tutorials for my Snippet. This program allows me to do that. (It will definitely take some experimentation!)

So I realize these programs can be expensive. I truly believe they’re worth it in the long run. However, these programs are not necessary for the successful creation of a Snippet.

Next week I’ll write about content and layout. Thanks for reading!

 

Questions, comments? Have you worked with these programs? Any recommendations for me? Share your thoughts!

Top 10 Tuesday: Places I Want to Be

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Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I’ve listed below (in no particular order) the ten places books have made me want to visit. (Almost all of them are fictional! Go figure.) I am posting this very late in the day, but better late than never, right? I was super excited about this post.

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1. Paris – Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Ooh la la. I think there’s a strong chance I could find love in Paris like Anna.

2. London – 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
A giant department store? I’m there.

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3. The Underland – Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
It’s an underground world beneath NYC populated by giant rodents. I’d really like to check it out.

4. New Beijing – Cinder by Melissa Meyer
New Beijing is home to super cool tech and Prince Kai. And also Thorne. <3

5. Dystopian Chicago – Divergent by Veronica Roth
The factions fascinate me, I’m not gonna lie.

6. Panem’s Capital – Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Not sure I’d want to live here, but I’d certainly like to visit.

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6. Hogwarts – Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Do I even have to explain?

7. Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women – Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter
I’ve always had a secret obsession with becoming a spy.

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8. Eighteenth-century London – Gideon Trilogy by Linda Buckley Archer, Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare
London made the list TWICE. Two time periods!

9. 1920s New York – Born of Illusion by Teri Brown
I <3 NYC!

 

Have you read these novels? What places have books made you want to visit? Share your thoughts! I love recommendations!

Week 3 – Snippet – Brooke Reviews “Let Go”

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I discovered Snippet through Pat Flynn. I follow Flynn’s well-known site Smart Passive Income, and was intrigued when he blogged about writing/publishing a Snippet. After I’d done my research, I was pretty excited.

So I purchased Flynn’s Snippet for $2.99. I decided to read it on my laptop, but I can also access it on my iPhone.

I knew I’d get a better idea of what Snippet can do by taking a look at Flynn’s “Let Go.” Flynn’s efforts are never half-hearted – when he does something, he does it right. He focuses on providing quality content, and so that’s what I expected.

His Snippet definitely delivered.

I was actually already quite familiar with Flynn’s story – how he’d been working as an architect and was laid off due to the crashing economy, and how creating a blog as a study tool for an exam led him to becoming an online entrepreneur.

However, I enjoyed reading it all over again in “Let Go.” Flynn’s story is certainly inspiring, but he wrote “Let Go” because he had a message to share. Check out the trailer for “Let Go.”

*Snippet provides an engaging reading experience. It’s simplistic. White background, standard black text. But it isn’t merely a block of words on a screen. Flynn opens each chapter with a quote, which is italicized at the top of the page. Certain lines (his big ideas) are in larger font. Occasionally text is bolded.

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And at the end of several chapters, there’s a short video. Flynn elaborates on an idea he introduced in the chapter, or discusses something with his wife or his father (who are mentioned in the book), or returns to the setting of an important event. In my opinion, these videos really add something extra.

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I encourage you to learn more about Pat Flynn and to check out his Snippet “Let Go” if you’re interested.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be exploring how to incorporate some of Flynn’s successful elements in our own Snippets.

*Quick disclaimer – I have not been paid to promote Snippet. I’m writing this series of posts simply because I think it’s cool and I’d like to create one myself. Also, all screenshots of “Let Go” are from the free preview. 

Week 2 – Snippet – Getting Started

Welcome to week 2 of my Friday series about creating a Snippet. Last week I described Snippet and my plan for this six-week series of posts.

In this post, we’ll create an account with Snippet and explore Snippet’s features.

Take a look at this tutorial about setting up an account.

Go to the official website to register for an account. You’ll need to give your full name and a valid email address and will be asked to create a password. Click the big green ‘sign up’ button. Congratulations! You’ve created a Snippet account. You’ll be taken to your dashboard and given a basic tutorial.

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Also, you’ll find a “welcome” email in your inbox.

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Before you go any further, you might want to check out the FAQ page. I’ve highlighted some of the important stuff you should know:

  • It is FREE to publish on Snippet.
  • Snippets may be priced between $.99 and $4.99, or offered free of charge.
  • Proceeds are 50/50.

Let’s take a quick look at some of Snippet’s features.

Keep in mind that Snippets are short and sweet. Each chapter is 1000 words or less. However, you can add photos, video, and audio. You can “invite readers to connect within the chapter using social timelines.”

Snippet calls its multi-media options discoverables.

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I love this quote from Pat Flynn, a blogger I admire who has published a Snippet to share his personal story. We’ll be taking a closer look at Flynn’s Snippet, Let Go, next week.

“The multi-media experience was the perfect way to share my story, and integrating social media into it was just beyond wild – it was so cool to see exactly who was reading my book and when, and the fact that I could immediately reply and thank them meant a lot to me.”
—PAT FLYNN, Writer and Top-Rated Blogger, Let Go

That’s it for today’s post! Next week I’ll be reviewing Flynn’s Snippet so we can get a better idea of everything you can do with Snippet.

Top 10 Tuesday: Difficult Reads

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Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

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1. Allegiant by Veronica Roth – There’s just this awful feeling of impending doom. : /

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2-3. Crown of Midnight / Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas – Great books, but they’re difficult to read because Maas makes you feel SO MANY THINGS. (And I actually haven’t finished Heir of Fire yet, so no spoilers please!)

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4. Panic by Lauren Oliver – I thought this was a very good novel. But it disturbed me. I read it all the way through because I needed – but didn’t necessarily want – to know what happened.

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5. Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini – Subject matter for sure. I LOVED this book, but there are several passages that are quite difficult to read, emotionally speaking.

6. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen – Again, subject matter. This book became another absolute favorite, but I remember struggling with it. (And that’s probably why it’s stuck with me more than any of Sarah Dessen’s other novels, which have all impacted me in some way.)

7. Fault in Our Stars – Subject matter! I refused to read this book for the longest time because I thought it’d be depressing.

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8. Arclight by Josin L. McQuein – I just wasn’t a fan of this book. It was a difficult read for me simply because I wasn’t enjoying it, but I’d already gone too far to give up.

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9 – 10. Blood Promise / Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead – AH! Two fantastic series. Both of these books were difficult to read because Mead delights in torturing her readers. (If you’ve read either of these series, YOU’LL KNOW WHAT I MEAN.)

 

Have you read these novels? Share your thoughts!

 

September Rewind & Review

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So I’m participating in “Rewind & Review,” a blog hop hosted by Shae Has Left the Room. Basically, we’ll be glancing back at what happened on the blog during the month of September, and also take a look at what I’ve been reading.

Books I Read

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Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Not in the Script by Amy Finnegan
Vitro by Jessica Khoury

Books I’ve Been Given For Review

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Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

Posts You Might Have Missed

Happy Book Birthday, Amy Zhang!
TCWT Blog Chain: Fave First/Last Lines
Introducing my sister, former book hater
TTT: My Fall TBR List
Brooke Reviews: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before
Friday Series: Introducing Snippet

Upcoming on the blog:

So September was a pretty quiet month. Definitely didn’t read as many books, especially compared to the summer months, but I’m still adjusting to college and my new schedule. That said, I’m hoping October will be a busier month for the blog! Looking forward to future TTTs (Top Ten Tuesdays), book reviews (Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, Vitro, Blue Lily Lily Blue, Heir of Fire) and the continuation of my new Friday series. I’ll be walking through the process of creating a Snippet, which is a pretty cool app that (I believe) will change the way we share ideas.

Also, LOVING all the comments on my posts! It’s been really great to meet/form friendships with other bloggers. I definitely want to encourage conversation. It’s so much more interesting when I read what you all have to say. So don’t be shy! Introduce yourself – I’d love to support you, as well. 🙂

Friday Series – Introductory Post

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So I’m pretty excited to introduce a new series of posts I’ve got planned for the blog. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while now, but hadn’t quite gotten around to. Actually, it’s a school project that has encouraged me to go for it. (More on this later.)

I’ll be publishing 6 posts about the process of creating a Snippet. (Posts in the series will go up on Fridays.)

What is Snippet? That’s what I hope to answer with today’s post, the first in the series.

Snippet is a pretty cool app (it’s free!) I discovered earlier this year. It allows individuals (anyone and everyone) to publish/sell interactive ebooks. Basically, it’s a creative outlet for ideas.

Take a look at this video: Introducing Snippet. (I’ve linked to the video just in case it doesn’t load here.)

So I’m currently taking a class called Reading, Writing, and Speaking in the Digital Age. (It’s a mouthful.) It’s all about digitization and new media and how they’re changing the way we share ideas.

Online blogs, Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest (just to name a few) are relatively recent. I’m a writer who blogs about books. Fifty years ago, I would not have had such an easily accessible platform with which to publish my thoughts. And I would most definitely not have been able to self-publish my novels or convert them to ebooks.

Now there’s Snippet, which allows writers to use a variety of media in their published work, including hyperlinks, photo, video, and audio. A Snippet does not necessarily have to be a novel. (In fact, it’s designed to be short and sweet – and affordable!) It could be a collection of sorts, or a simple How-To.

Throughout this series, I’ll be exploring how new media is changing the way we publish and market our thoughts and ideas – specifically by looking closely at Snippet. By the end of the six weeks, I hope to have successfully published my own Snippet.

The reason I’ve decided to chronicle this process is because I think it’s exciting for teen writers. If you’re interested in creating a Snippet, I encourage you to join me! Let’s do this together.

Tentative outline for the remaining posts in the series:

Week 2 – Getting Started – creating a Snippet account, exploring Snippet’s features

Week 3 – Snippet in Review – taking a look at published Snippets

Week 4 – Taking Action – tools for creating your Snippet

Week 5 – Taking Action (continued) – content, layout

Week 6 – Taking Action (continued) – publishing finished Snippet

 

Thoughts? Questions? 

 

Top 10 Tuesday: My Fall TBR List

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Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I’ve listed my Top 10 fall TBRs. I’ve got their pub dates on my calendar! Their covers are gorgeous, right?

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1. Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White – Sep. 9

2. Echoes Of Us by Kat Zhang – Sep. 16

3. The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh M. O’Brien – Sep. 16

4. Kiss Kill Vanish by Jessica Martinez – Oct. 7

5. Not in the Script by Amy Finnegan – Oct. 7

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6. Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch – Oct. 14

7. Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater – Oct. 21

8. Atlantia by Ally Condie – Oct. 28

9. Talon by Julie Kagawa – Oct. 28

10. A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray – Nov. 4

 

Are any of these novels on YOUR TBR list? Please share!