Posts
Housekeeping
>> Saturday, November 7, 2009
Gayl and I have been updating our blogs, replacing old bio shots with new ones (like this one of Cooper, which she took and I can't resist putting up here, although it's not the one we finally selected), cleaning up the header shots, trying to make everything look better. The header shot on my main blog is actually a shot of our world, which I like.
Our body of work is so large, and obviously so difficult to navigate, we've been discussing ways to make it easier for readers to start with Sessions. I know if I came into it cold I probably wouldn't continue because it feels like it begins in the middle of something. And it is intimidatingly huge.
I moved the link to the story summaries up further to the top of the sidebar where it's more visible. In response to a reader request (thanks xtina), I wrote a more detailed summary/recap and posted that too. Any recap will contain spoilers, and it does, but it's there in case anyone wants to read it. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
What works better? The story summary format by stories? The recap format by characters? Something different?
EDIT: The recap with shots is up. I hope it makes sense. The story line does not progress smoothly because it isn't about only character. I took down the link to the story summaries since it was redundant. And I couldn't follow it myself.
12 comments:
I like the detail of the recaps. I think a combination for the recap by story might be good. For example if you take everything under Rafe and Gabe and make that Rafe's Journal/South Beach and take everything from Cooper and mix in the Ryan stuff and put that under DD, TOSTS, Sessions heading. Wyatt under Rising Above; Rayne under Passeges.....ya know??
So you think we should keep the story format but put the recap detail in there?
I think including all those stories is confusing. I confuse myself looking at them. I didn't even put in Passages yet.
The new loos is awesome, i love the header and Cooper looks gorgeous on that shot!
I think the recap is a great idea, and the story summary is just as great!
since I'm all up to date with yours and Gayl's stories I don't really have anything to suggest. lol
I just love everything you two do and I seriously think that if I was a new reader I would start reading from chapter 1...
that's how awesome your story is... I wouldn't mind sitting down for a whole day just to read the whole thing:P
You guys have done a lot of great work so I think it might be a bit over whelming either way at first.
I'm partial to the story format because, while the stories do intertwine, it is still continuous in a sense. (i.e. DD, TOTS, Sessions). Though South Beach is kind of a while card because it spans all three.
I am trying to go back in my mind to when I first came across the story. I actually found Sessions first, was intrigued by the Ryan, Beth, Cooper triangle. I saw the TOC link and decided to read the whole thing to get up to the most recent post.
If I were new to the blog and didn't want to immediately read the whole thing the reacaps get you up to speed with a better understanding of who's who, what's happened and the major situation that's going on now.
So however you divide it up I definately think that recap version is more helpful to the new reader. The summary is good for the Writers Alliance site since short and sweet probably works best there.
I know this is a lot of work and you are a hero for doing it. So thank you for taking the time.
That is enormously helpful Muzegoddess. It's hard to know what people think when they hit this and probably go OMG. And run away LOL.
The SWA story summary will stay in place. I don't know if anyone ever looks at it, but it will stay there. I probably won't link to it from here though.
It's difficult to even write a recap. It's not about one person; trying to gather the threads on Cooper, Beth, Ryan, Rafe, Gabe and Rayne and put them into some sort of half way sensible order is hard LOL.
I'm still working on it. I'm adding shots I've grabbed from all over the place. I hope to have it ready in less than an hour.
It will be a work in progress.
Again, thank you SO MUCH. We rarely ever get new readers, so it's just impossible to know what they think or what puts them off. You are just wonderful!!!! Well you're wonderful anyway!!!
S@andy, that is so incredibly kind! Thank you...thank you so much.
I can't imagine trying to find a way to organize so much work, but you guys always find something that works really well. I like the recap, I think it's very thorough for a new reader without having to read everything and I loved going back myself to some of those times.
The only thing for me is the chapter guide, I hope you keep that going because I've been using it lately because I get behind by two or three parts and want to read them in order. But everything looks great and I think it is really organized well.
I have to jump in here and say that the work that went into the Chapter Guide and the recap is all Beth. She did the entire thing and did it brilliantly. All credit goes to her for pulling this together and making it work so seamlessly.
Emily, the chapter guide will stay. I've been thinking of inserting some shots into it, to break it up and make it look a little better, but it's not hard to keep it up.
thank you!
Oh Gayl there wouldn't BE anything to organize without your work! And when I can't write, I make lists. Thank you always.
What a great shot of Cooper! And the recap is awesome and so helpful. U did a great job sb!
Xtina! I don't know that I would have done it if you hadn't pushed me. Thank you!!!!
Post a Comment