Scribblefolio

On my rather extensive "Blog" tab of my iGoogle homepage, I follow the blog from Scribophile. I find that having a reminder to write while I'm wasting time reading blogs is probably a good idea! It certainly has motivated me to shut down and pull up Word on more than one occasion. So I was probably one of the first to see their blog touting a new service--Scribblefolio. The point was made, and I absolutely agree, that it is hard for amateur writers (and even more seasoned ones) to showcase their writing. I would never link to this blog, for example, as a writing sample. (Would I really want potential clients to read about my struggles with deadlines and writer's block??) And while I am somewhat tech savvy enough to make my own website, I would be better off spending that time tackling some of those deadlines. So I was happy to sign up!

I was pretty happy with what I got. First, it was free. Yay! Of course, like most free services, you can upgrade for a price. But the basic package definitely works. My one complaint about the plain version is that you can't include any formatting in your writing samples. Poor people can't use italics now? Thanks. On the plus side, the upgrade is pretty cheap, so it would be worth it if you were really going to use this as your writer's website.

Second, it was extremely easy to use. The buttons were simple and big, the fields were clearly delineated. My only complaint here was that it was almost too easy, like my intelligence was being somewhat insulted. But like I said, I am somewhat internet savvy, so I can imagine this would be really helpful for people who have no experience. (Although one has to wonder how they even find out about the website, in that case.)

That's really all there is to Scribblefolio. But that's not a bad thing! It's a site designed to give you a simple, clean showcase for you and your writing. Not overloaded with bells and whistles (imagine a potential employer stumbling across a MySpace like barrage of color and sound--no thanks!), and very quick and easy to set up. Basic package is serviceable, with extra themes, writing sample space, and formatting for "Fancy Pants" users. I would highly recommend any writer without a professional webpage to take advantage of this service.

Scribblefolio: http://scribblefolio.com/

My Scribblefolio: http://nora-hill.scribblefolio.com/

Positive Affirmation!

I know that it all must be taken with a grain of salt (lots of big, BIG grains, as a matter of fact), but of the two people who've read my first chapter, both really liked it! I posted it to Scribophile and got my first crit there, and he started out with "I thoroughly enjoyed this chapter. It is the best thing that I have read on this site, so far. You captured my interest, immediately." Trying not to pat myself on the back too much ensues. And what he said pretty much lined up exactly with what Beta 1 (hubby :)) said. One point made in the Scrib crit hit so close to home: "Your writing is very clear and clean (and that is much appreciated - thank you), and your descriptions are wonderful. On the flip side of that, though, is a suggestion is to examine and kill some of your adjectives." It's so true! I love adjectives and adverbs, and no matter how much I know that I shouldn't overuse them, I can't stand to get rid of them! That will be a project for my line editing for sure.

Unfortunately there seems to be an issue with the in-line critique I got, where only the first word of each comment is displayed, so I didn't get to see what specific recommendations/issues the critiquer pointed out. I'm hoping it's just due to my terrible work computer and IE6, so I'll check it again at home tomorrow. Possibly an error in posting though.

With a couple good praises under my belt, I feel a lot better going forward. I'm on duty today, so I should have plenty of time to knock out some good chunks!