Pulling the plug (temporarily) on your online presence

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Julie Stroebel Barichello

As an independent author, I know the importance of platform building. Being plugged in to social media, feeding content to a website or blog, and connecting with readers is part of the self-publishing process.

But sometimes, it feels good to unplug.

One of the main themes of my storytelling is the unplugged imagination, in which children set aside toys and games that need batteries, cables, and cords. Their play is fueled by the most powerful energy of all: their own imagination.

Unplugging is just as important in life as is in play. The world is abuzz 24/7 now with instant access to millions of voices via computers, smartphones, and televisions. As vital as it is to plug into those voices and connect with people, sometimes it’s nice to disconnect for a weekend and enjoy the quiet.

Ahhhh. Silence, broken only by the tiny voice in my head or the words of loved ones physically in my vicinity.

For platform-building writers, tools like HootSuite and Facebook’s advance post feature are especially handy. Scheduling posts helps keep content fresh on social media pages without having to be connected to the pages all day.

(Being more consistent with scheduling social media posts is a goal on my list. I’m particularly unreliable on Twitter, and there are weeks my Facebook page doesn’t even tally a post per day.)

Scheduling blog posts is a handy feature as well. There has been more than one occasion I find myself running out of daylight while tackling other chores and writing a blog post in the wee a.m. hours. Writing when I have the time and scheduling the post for a more suitable hour for my audience has been a lifesaver on more than one occasion.

Social media and blogs are about connecting with people, so just scheduling posts, brushing our hands of interaction, and walking away isn’t a solid plan. But scheduling posts allows us to say, “Hey everyone, I’m still around, and here’s some interesting content in the meantime while I take a breather.” Then we’re able to plug in at our leisure and respond to anyone who leaves comments.

I value my unplugged hours, because they serve as a mental reset. They can be devoted to writing, reading, time with family, chores, or just sitting on a bench by the Vermilion River to daydream.

Best of all, having time away from social media and online platforms makes me value them even more because, when I return, I’m refreshed and eager to plug back in to see what others have to say.

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Giving new life to extinct surnames

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Julie Stroebel Barichello

There are no more Spinsters.

That’s because, according to MyHeritage.com, the surname Spinster is extinct.

The last names Bread, MacCaa, Pussett, Puscat, Pussmaid, Bythesea, and Bytheseashore also are reported as being extinct as of 2011. The last survivors carrying the name have passed away.

I have a soft spot for surnames nearing the end of their life.

As a woman living in a society in which a bride traditionally takes the husband’s surname, I was happy to adopt the name Barichello. Equally, I was reluctant to let go of my maiden name, Stroebel. The reason for the reluctance is that I didn’t want to see the end of the line for my family’s surname. In a household of daughters, there is no one left to carry on the Stroebel lineage from my father’s line.

That’s one of the reasons for my tongue twister of an author name. As proud as I am to be a Barichello, I was a Stroebel much longer. I wanted to honor that and keep both surnames alive on book covers.

Similarly, writers can keep endangered or extinct names alive through character names.

Embed from Getty Images

If you’re a writer struggling to find a surname for a character, consider some of the following. MyHeritage, a family tree-building website, posted 15 surnames that are extinct or endangered. The site lists 11 names with fewer than 20 bears left in the world:

  • Berrycloth,
  • Birdwhistle,
  • Dankworth,
  • Fernsby,
  • Miracle,
  • Loughty,
  • MacQuoid,
  • Relish,
  • Sallow,
  • Tumbler,
  • and Villin (Villan),

 

and an additional four with fewer than 200 bearers:

  • Ajax,
  • Edevane,
  • Gastrell,
  • and Slora.
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Book 1 vs. Book 2: The battle for an indie author’s attention

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Julie Stroebel Barichello

I’m not a mother yet, but I think I’m experiencing a hint of how it feels to have two kids.

On the one hand is Book 1. My firstborn. My toddler. Not even a year old, Book 1 was released in November 2014. It has barely started walking, with book sales that stumble some months and make a few strides the next.

On the other hand is Book 2. My infant. With only three chapters written, it needs my constant attention and care if I am going to meet the deadline to release it by Christmas.

Both need supervision. And both are competing for my time.

As an independent author, it’s difficult to strike a balance once focus gets split between two books. For the first book, it’s easy to invest all time and resources into that project. But after the book is released and it’s time to start writing Book 2, there’s still plenty of work to be done for Book 1.

Many days, I fall into the trap of platform building, branding, and promoting Book 1. My mornings before work are spent trying to keep up with my blog, Facebook page, and Twitter feed. I schedule school visits to give presentations about the first book. I work at being my own publicist.

After work, my attention is divided between planning for presentations and events (usually consisting of making baggies of “Book Worms,” a.k.a. gummy worms). Once that’s done, I handle life’s other necessities: dishes, laundry, emptying litter boxes, feeding the cat, making dinner, etc.

Before I know it, I’m in bed and I haven’t written a word.

The dilemma boils down to those common résumé buzzwords: Time management.

Knowing it’s easy to get sidetracked into promotion and branding, I’ve rearranged my daily approach. I leave Book 1 in it’s playpen first thing in the morning. It’s old enough to play by itself for a while (and maybe even sell a copy or two online) while I pay attention to Book 2.

By writing first, I reduce the amount of time I spend on branding and promotion. However, that forces me to use that time more efficiently. (And, by result, more effectively.)

I love them both equally, so it’s hard to set one aside to focus on the other. Thus is the challenge of being an independent author.

And, I suspect, a parent, too.

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(Pt. 7) What I love about children’s books

Posted on May 10, 2015 by Julie Stroebel Barichello

It’s Children’s Book Week!

In honor of the annual national literacy initiative hosted by Every Child a Reader and sponsored by the Children’s Book Council, I will be sharing a series of the seven elements I love about children’s books. One element was featured Monday through today, finishing with …

EVERYTHING!

I know, I know. It might seem like I cheated on today’s final element I love about children’s books.

But really, what’s not to love?

I considered ending the week by saying my seventh favorite element is writing children’s books. It’s true that I get a lot of joy from the writing process, but it’s hard to single out a final aspect when so many others are being omitted. There are many others I enjoy and equally as many illustrators. There are children’s literature festivals, storybook-inspired locations (like Bookworm Gardens in Sheboygan, Wis.), derivative works in other media like the stage, film, and art …

There aren’t enough days in Children’s Book Week to list them all. So I’m wrapping up the celebration by spreading my arms wide and encompassing all elements of children’s literature by saying I love everything about it.

The rest of the series:

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(Pt. 6) What I love about children’s books: Storytelling

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Julie Stroebel Barichello

It’s Children’s Book Week!

In honor of the annual national literacy initiative hosted by Every Child a Reader and sponsored by the Children’s Book Council, I will be sharing a series of the seven elements I love about children’s books. One element will be featured each day through Sunday, continuing with …

STORYTELLING

As both a writer and a reader, storytelling is one of the elements that stands out most to me.

Those who think writing a children’s book is easy — particularly books for younger children that consist of 30 or fewer pages — probably has little to no experience with writing kid lit. Crafting children’s literature is an art that relies on clever use of language, awareness of age-level vocabulary, the imagination to dream up a story children will relate to and love, and the ability to tell a story beyond words.

That last bit is one of the parts that intrigues me the most.

About a month ago, I watched a recorded lecture about children’s literature. The professor told the class about a children’s book in which a hen goes for a walk. To read the book aloud sounds a bit boring. Each page simply tells where the hen walks. She walks around the pond. She jumps over the fence. She walks through the barn. She walks under a tree.

And so on. Simple, straightforward. No conflict. No tension. No story at all, really.

But when you look at the book, it becomes more than a hen’s itinerary. Each illustration shows the hen walking around the pond, or over the fence, or through the barn … with a fox hunting her the entire way. Suddenly there’s an antagonist. There’s danger.

There’s a story.

It’s not just artwork that makes children’s books amazing stories, though. Take B.J. Novak’s THE BOOK WITH NO PICTURES as an example. As the title suggests, the book has no pictures. But as children read, they are encouraged to get involved by reading loudly or softly, making silly noises, or saying preposterous things. (Yes, the word preposterous is in the book.) Children themselves become part of the story experience.

Children’s literature is a playground of storytelling. It’s full of experimentation, multiple media (from pop-ups to interactive e-books to texture books to picture books to books without pictures).

The stories also tend to teach lessons. Whether it’s a Sesame Street book about Big Bird learning to count or a story about a character learning empathy, the stories can be a child’s earliest introduction to being a good member of society. Books can teach ethics and responsibility through endearing characters and entertaining plots.

There’s a lot to love about that.

Read the series to date:

 

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