Kristen's blog

[Kristen]

I've been hearing for a couple of years now that a writer should have a blog. And my family and friends got sick of hearing me start sentences with "if I had a blog, I'd write about..."

So here's my blog: thefactotumsrostrum.blogspot.com/

Which, after I put my big ol' real name on there, got me thinking about privacy.

Actually, I've been thinking about it ever since I bought my domain (kristenstieffel.com) and my husband said "you used your REAL NAME?"

Well, all the writers who publish under their real name use their real name, don't they? And my real name is already all over the Web site from my day job. (He just about had a conniption when he Googled my name and got three thousand hits, most of which are from my columns on the paper's site.)

So there's the problem: you can't protect your privacy and promote your writing at the same time. Unless you use a pseudonym, and often, not even then.

[rwley]

I have my name all over, and I use my real name. I think sometimes we just have to trust in God to protect us. He can make sure our stuff stays secure. I've had people tell me that's naive, but so far, so good, so in my opinion; if it ain't broke, don't fix it. We have to make choices for the sake of our business, and for most, if not all of us, our writing is business, and I think God will honor that and protect us. Again, just my naive opinion.

[Christian Soldier]

Same here. I used to be so paranoid about my name being out on the net, but now *shrug* why not? How is anyone going to hear or read my name and know about me... if I don't use my name. How is anyone going to hear about my work, if I am CS or Konthra7 to everyone, and not Glyn? No, I still use my screen names, my handles, but I use my realy name when my work comes up, and I always will.

God Bless -- CS

[Jeff Gerke]

I use a psydonym for my writing, but my real name for everything else. My real name is actually known more than my pen name, but that may simply be because my books didn't sell that well!

I've been doing this biz for 14 years now and I can tell you that I've never had a problem, either with people knowing my real name or looking up my pen name and tracking me down, or whatever. I thought people would show up at my house or blow up my mailbox or something. I guess things like that don't happen as often in real life as they do on TV (or in fiction)!

Jeff

[Kristen]

I briefly considered using a pseudonym for my fiction, to distinguish it from my work for the paper, but since the latter hardly gets read outside of Central Florida, I figured "why bother?"

[fluke]

Randy Ingermason has been doing a great series on the writer's website and blog the last couple of weeks. Everything from hosting, software to use, to content, to design.

I've been thinking about a website and blog for a long time. But time is the critical issue. I never have enough of it. What's the name of that demon in Phantom Tollbooth? The one who specializes in busy work; "there's always something to do to keep you from doing what you should be doing" is his motto. Yep, he and I have something of a hate-hate relationship.

[Christian Soldier]

With websites, there are two ways to go: you can have someone else design, and pay money but not time, or you can do it, but pay for it time-wise. I did my own website, but I used the handy editor that came with it. Just check out officelive.microsoft.com . It's free and only takes a second. Just check out my site for an example.

I also agree with Randy on keeping the blogs attached to your site. It keeps your numbers unified and ensures that everyone looks at your content instead of just reading your blog.

[strangewind]

For now, my blog is my content. So that's another alternative, especially to get yourself going right away. Start a blog on blogspot or wordpress. You can put links to your content, if it is relatively straightforward format, right in the blog without too much trouble.

The drawback to the "blog first" approach is that, at some point, you'll probably need to get some help in seamlessly converting your landing page to a more complete website. But it can be done.

My blog is www.strangewindx.blogspot.com it literally took 45 seconds to get it up and running. (yes, I timed it). If I feel like it is working over time, I'll get a niftier domain name to point to.

Ingermason is dead right though - whatever you do, don't split your sites up, either by design or through laziness. One or more of the sites will wither. Keep it compact, so that you only have to put something up one place, and it appears everywhere (i.e. both the blog and more fancy "home" page).

[Kristen]

You guys are the best! Thanks for the ideas and links.

[Teskas]

You guys have got me wondering... I tried to find the reference to Randy Ingermanson re writers having blogs.

I don't have a blog, or a website. And I don't talk about myself very much on open boards like this. I can't decide whether, when the day comes I'm about to published (notice the when, not if :S), whether to do so under a pseudonym or as plain ol' me.

Ugh, neurosis, neurosis....

[Kristen]

The subject of pseudonyms came up at the Florida Writer's Conference a couple of years ago, and the consensus was that using a pen name won't help a writer preserve privacy much, because sooner or later some journalist (ahem) will dig up the real name.

[CastleLyons]

Loved your blog! Especially the part about baby Jesus on His mother's lap. Makes me think of the story Peace Child. These people had no concept of the sacrifice made by the Son of God, yet within their culture they had a ritual that pointed to Him so that they would eventually recognize Him. Just as the Hebrew people had an annual sacrifice of an innocent lamb, so I believe that many cultures of the past had their own images, rituals, or whatever, that would help them recognize God's Son when He was presented to them.

C.S. Lewis put it better than I could: "Pagan stories are God expressing Himself through the minds of poets, using such images as He found there." (from a letter Lewis wrote to friend Arthur Greeves)

[Teskas]

Here's something that freaked me out (in a nice way) when I first learned of it about 10 years ago.

I studied psychotherapy under a Christian psychiatrist practicing in England, who had worked in China as a medical missionary for more than 20 years before WWII. He had been captured by the Japanese, and to while away the time in prison, read Chinese philosophy texts. He could read Chinese philosophy in the original, and said that there was a passage in Confucius which went like this:

Humanity was mired in sinfulness, and carried the burden of sin. However, someday, there would come to earth a Son of Heaven who would be able to intercede with Heaven and forgiveness of sin would be possible.

'Son of Heaven' was the title of the emperor. It was thought he was the go-between and chief negotiator for the people before God.

Dr. McAll said he thought somehow Confucius (who lived about 500 BC) had been shown the coming of Christ, and looked forward in hope to Him.

[Kristen]

Wow. How cool is that?

CastleLyons, thanks for the feedback. I was recently listening to an audiobook about ancient Greece in which the author cites the parallels between Christ and Dionysus, and thought of CS Lewis.

[Jeff Gerke]

Lewis's quote makes me think of The Hero's Journey, the "monomyth" described by Joseph Campbell. His theory was that there was one archetypal story that could be found in all cultures in all parts of human history.

His conclusion was that this proved all religions were the same.

My conclusion is that God had imprinted HIS story (or the story of man's relation to God) in all cultures as His fingerprint. Another aspect of natural revelation by which people might find their way to God.

Seems to go along with Lewis's cool quote.

Jeff