Often when I mention projects it sounds as if something has been heavily planned. Maybe a little over thought and a little too aware of itself.
This really does not have to be the case.
Last week The Cabarazzi hit the news with an exhibition of photographs hosted in North London. The pictures which are really quite stunning were all taken with a simple point and shoot camera from a London Cab. It sounds like a cool idea. Yet it started when Cabbie Dominic Shannon started carrying a (disposable) camera as a precautionary measure to collect insurance evidence in case of an accident. He realised how good London looks and started to take photographs. The disposable camera became digital and the pictures are now on display.
If you’d like to view Mr Shannons photographs click here.
This is a case of one idea getting caught up in enthusiasm and turning into something special.
It proves that all you need is an idea, some patience and not very expensive equipment to produce good art. To me the message is - just get on with things and see what happens.
Ok so you want to write online. It’s not an uncommon desire. In fact blogging has become one of the most popular of activities taking place on the Internet. I don’t want to restrict myself to blogging though. I want to look at the concept of publishing online. This can be fiction, non-fiction, newsletters, newspapers. No limits and no exceptions.
I’m not going to give advice on computers and Internet connections, but remember this; you need to write - not play the latest games or rendered complex 3D images - these are different creative pursuits. Writing only needs a basic computer. Text is easy for a computer to process. This article is being written on a browser plugin running on an aging Mac laptop, not the latest fashionable piece of multi-core kit running a heavy duty word processor.
So where do you start?
You start with an idea. You need to have some idea of what you need to write about, and then there is passion. Whatever you want to write about you need to be passionate about it. Remember you are going to be spending a lot of time with this subject material - it is essential you have real feelings for it. If there is no passion you are in trouble.
It is possible that you feel the need to write but are feeling a bit fuzzy on subject. That is fine. The passion is there - but not the focus. You need to find something to focus on. Read around some blogs, add some comments. Join services like Twitter and Plurk, follow a lot of people and see what is being said - it will help. If you are nervous about writing in public then practice on paper. You have total control over a piece of paper. Only the people you give the paper to can read it. You can practice until you are feeling happy enough to commit something in public. Remember though that when practicing writing you are own enemy. It will be easy to be over critical and that kill your ambitions before they really start. So remember this rule, you are not looking for a great style of writing, you are confirming what you want to write about. Be honestly brutal here. When you find your subject you will know it, anything else just won’t feel write. Write until you feel enthused. Then you go online. Not when you have written a perfect piece. The reasoning here is simple. Writing online is a serial affair, no matter how it starts - over time it should improve. This is fine as no website gets instant recognition from nowhere. Recognition comes in time. It comes when you have a body of work behind you and when it is interesting for others. That comes with application on practice. Your words will be improving as people find you. You ‘just’ have to have the faith that this will happen.
By now you have an idea. Now give it an easy to remember name. You will be placing your work on a website and a good name helps a bundle. Think carefully about the name. No so long as you don’t start. Just long enough for a name to come about. What you are looking for here is an identity for your writing. Ijustine is a good example. Take a look at http://tastyblogsnack.com/ its simple sassy writing with a clear idea of who ijustine is. Great stuff. Learn from it.
Ok so you know what you want to write about and what it is going to be called. Next time - where to write it and thoughts on creating content.
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