NBI2016

NBI 2016 Coming To A Close

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As we come to a close on the Newbie Blogger Initiative “Lite” for this year I first and foremost want to give a big shout out to all our new bloggers who joined with us this year!!!!  This was a crazy month but I’ve seen some great stuff being posted from everyone so I tip my hat to you all and give you props for stepping out of the box and writing with us and say welcome to the gang.

List of our 2016 Recruits –

Go give them some love and likes as they publish some fantastic stuff!!!!

Vagrant Zero at Just East of West
Zyngor at Pleasant Gamer
EGrey at The Wild Core Chronicle
Kluwes at I’m Not Squishy
Shadowz at Shadowz Gaming Blog
A2Zeo at A to Zeo
Mingnon at Cookie Cutter Monks
Sparko Marco at SparkoMarcoGaming
Chordian at Chordian.net
Elio at Static Refresh

 
I also want to say thank you to all the supporters who have helped each year to keep this thing going. The troops rallied together this year and we did start a bit late, but this year has been a lot of fun and I’ve really enjoyed being a part of it.  NBI has a strong community of gamers, writers, and content creators who enjoy connecting and that is what makes this group fun and cheeky to be a part of.  As we come to a close for the NBI event, I leave you with this last tid bit for the months to come while you type away creating those blogging masterpieces.

Blogging with a schedule is tough but if you like to keep up the pace and continue to grow, you’ve probably developed a system for staying on track. Staying consistent is the key to a blogging schedule and what I use works for me so I hope it helps spark some ideas for you.

Before You Get the Wheels Turning 
Think consistency, consistency, consistency…. because blogging in a way is like exercise but for the brain and the hardest part is….STARTING the engine. Once you’ve kicked some momentum into gear…usually after a few cups of coffee, it’s probably not hard to get going. Just like exercise though it’s one of those things that at first you usually have to force yourself to do, but it becomes more natural over time.  Remember Consistency is key.

Do You Have a Planner? 
I’m an old fashioned kinda guy and go analog for writing things down when I plan. Whether it be in my Moleskine, or a sticky note that later goes in my Moleskin that is where most of my planning happens.  This becomes a reference point for me if I’m writing something that I can’t quite get to that day, or maybe it’s a larger piece I’m writing and want to keep track of where I’m at.  To me having something I can check off in a Moleskin is a great sense of achievement… you know… I just made a check mark by a task right.

Make That Schedule Happen
I’m a planner so I tend to know how many posts each week that I’ll be able to get out.  I on average blog twice to three times a week and usually publish about 6-8 posts a week.  Now, that varies depending on what I have going on but I’ve committed to blogging twice a week for sure.  This may be completely different for you…it may be once a month, once a day, or whatever you fancy.  Being a planner means I like to choose one day a week and plan out some posts in advance so that I have a constant feed to work on, which helps me from falling behind on my schedule. I only recommend scheduling for a week at a time because you probably won’t know the specifics of that week until the week before. By making your specific schedule for the following week on whatever day you choose, it gives you some flexibility in posting. If you end up with some free time and want to post more than what you schedule, well that’s just a bonus for the readers.

 

Remember this is just what works for me so you have to find what works best for you. Sometimes though it’s easier to use another idea instead of recreating the wheel.

I hope you’ve enjoyed all the content that has come out of our writers this year during the Newbie Blogger Initiative.  Go connect with them, and we will see you out in the digital community somewhere.

Sincerely,

Iogro Merrybelly

Newbie Blogger Initiative 2016 – Writing With Focus

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Starting a blog is easy for the most part as the tools you can get now days makes the startup pretty seamless.  What isn’t so easy is staying focused while writing as it takes time, and time is the killer for most writers.  Either we don’t have enough of it, or we lose focus over a period of time and get frustrated with what we were trying to accomplish.  I’ve been down these paths quite a lot before but over the years it’s helped me learn how to stay focused, or at least narrow it down so I can enjoy writing.

One of the questions I hear a lot from new bloggers is am I doing this blog thing correctly?

That question is very broad but when you break all those pieces down into why you started your blog and even why you started writing…..that question becomes pretty easy to answer.

Doing this blog thing comes down to personal preference overall but be willing to focus your material and niche so you can reach an audience.

These are just a few things I’ve stumbled over and even sometimes fallen on my face while writing and blogging.  I’m no professional by any means, but I enjoy what I get to do with my little corner of the internet and I want to make it the best I can.

One of the ways to improve your blog is step back and examine all of the aspects of what your blog brings for readers.  Do you have a vision for the blog, or at least an idea of the direction you want to go?

The more you narrow your focus, the more you broaden your audience.  This is where vision and an idea of where and what the blog will look like helps.

Before you begin writing, consider your subject (what you want to write about), then figure out the the theme (your angle and area of focus), then put it into action and figure out what you want to accomplish.

What subject or subjects are you writing about, and what are you passionate about?  If you can bring those two ideas together then you’ve made a huge step as that’s something most writers struggle with for years.

Take a look at the theme of your site and writing style as well.  Think of it as a subset of your main topics and figure out what that looks like for you.  Ask yourself: What will my writing “VOICE” be? Will it be tackling the humorous side of things, or maybe you take a more practical approach to writing.

Lastly, take a look at what you want your blog to accomplish overall.  This is the main goal of this little exercise so take some time and look at what impressions you want to leave the readers with.  Ultimately the question is why am I blogging and how does it bring enjoyment to my life?

For me writing is a passion but connecting with people is a bigger passion and that is where my enjoyment and focus comes from.

One of my writing mentors gave me this little nugget years ago and quickly became a favorite quote and one I stuck to when I was struggling with writing.

“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.”         – Louis L’Amour 

 

 

Newbie Blogger Initiative 2016 – Cartography of a Fantasy World

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See, you can post about anything for

I wanted to do something different this morning and take a look at map making!!!  Didn’t you ever draw a secret treasure map when you were a kid?  Map making is fun but it can be a huge challenge and pain point for writers who want to depict their world to the audience.

Technically I’m wrong in calling it “Map Making” which I pulled this from the definition off of Wikipedia.

“Cartography (from Greek χάρτης khartēs, “map”; and γράφειν graphein, “write”) is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively”

Personally I’ve always enjoyed making maps for any of the stories I’ve written but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have frustrations that came along while making them.  Creating a map for a fictional world is one of the most satisfying things you can do, as it gives you a greater idea and visual reference to what your world really looks like.  All those ideas floating around in your head about this magical world is only a pen and paper away. Creating a map on paper is one of the best ways for a writer to connect to their world as it allows you to see the geography of the land, and best thing is it’s yours so customize how you see fit.

I’m not a published writer “Yet” but that is something I am diligently working on as I have a fantasy novel series that’s in the making. This epic story is currently four years in the works and map making has been a huge piece of depicting this piece of fantasy.  The worst part about writing when you have a map for reference is when you go back and realize you’ve missed a great detail of location specifics in the story.  It’s one of those oops moments you get when writing and the questions begin to pop about why didn’t I look at this closer, or why did I write location A when it really should have been location B the war took place.

Frequent reference to your map can be one of the greatest tools in the bag for you as a writer.  Stumped on where your hero was supposed to end up, check the map and maybe it will turn a flickering light bulb into a bright spotlight of an idea.  The uses for a map from a writers perspective are to help bring the story to life, and give the geography of what you have in your head a visual presence for you and the reader.

Mapping a world isn’t a set style and there really isn’t anything you can do that is wrong or would break some hidden rule of map making.  Take a look at the visual style of the following map.  Probably one of the most famous fantasy worlds ever created to date.

middleearth.jpg

I don’t think their will ever be another world quite like what Tolkien created with Middle Earth, but that’s not to say we can’t get some inspiration off of the beautiful world he created.

Another famous author and amazing story with a vast beautiful map is Narnia.  Both C.S Lewis and Tolkien had grand creative minds and each with their own flair for map making.

Map-of-Narnia-cs-lewis-1434807-700-528

Now a quick look at a rough draft for one of my maps I created.  It’s nowhere finished and doesn’t have the flare or prestige either of the maps above do.  The world I’m creating is for the novel series I spoke about earlier.

This is the first time I’ve ever let anyone look at one of the early rough drafts of one of my maps.  This one is still in the works and it’s ever changing at times with new places and grows as I continue to write this novel.

Welcome to Ardonia – The main world of my novel series Brothers Three

Map (2)

 

How do I get started map making…..?

  • Have fun and CREATE
    • First and foremost have fun with it and allow it to be something that sparks creativity for you and your story.  Don’t let it become a burden or you will be overwhelmed and quit pretty quickly through frustration.  It’s easy to try and be a perfectionist when creating a map for anything so don’t be afraid to have multiple versions, drafts, copies, and let the map be something that could continually grow and change just as a real world does.
  • Take Risks
    • Don’t be afraid to develop something that doesn’t work the first time around.  Remember things have a natural process for development and as you write and grow the story, your map may continue to grow with it.  Don’t get stuck in one style of box….have a bunch of them and hop in and out whenever you want.
  • Create the Foundation
    • Every world has a center of attention.  What is your’s?  What are the major cities, towns, and locations on your map?  You have to start somewhere so why not start with a basic list of cities and towns.
  • Land Development & Growth
    • Anything you create will always be a work in progress of sorts.  As I mentioned above the land mass you create will have a natural development process and a free flow but you have to allow for that space and development to happen.  Have some places in your world that aren’t mapped out per say….maybe it’s a discovery point later on in the story and a new map get’s released. Just sayin.
  • Features of the World
    • This is a very complex piece of map making, as you not only have to think about the geography of the land, but the type of surroundings, climate, cultures, race of inhabitants etc.  Do you have a town with a unique culture that stands out from the rest, or maybe a deserted location locked away with dark secrets.  The possibilities are limitless of how you carve the land and features of this world.

 

Have fun creating your world and enjoy the development of how the characters of the story interact with their surroundings. Go checkout some of your favorite fantasy / sci-fi novels and begin to explore their worlds as it will help you get a perspective of what to do for your map.

 

 

Game Blogging – Should You Start?

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Good morning writers!

Have you had the thought yet?  You know, the one where you start up a blog and write shamelessly about gaming.

Maybe you are stuck on the idea but just not sure where to start.  I’m hoping this post helps kickstart some ideas and gets the brain sparks firing.

Why Would I Blog About Games?

  • If you enjoy writing at all then blogging is one of the most satisfying things you could venture out and do.  Especially as a gamer it gives us an outlet to speak about our passion of games.  Gaming in all sense is a large community and blogging about games is more than just writing thoughts down on a screen and hitting the submit button.  As a community, blogging gives us a way to connect with other gamers, writers, and gives us a place to enjoy each other’s perspectives.
  • This “Blog” you create is a little slice of the internet that you get to make however you like, and it allows networking with other which helps build those relationships.  This personally is one of my favorite parts of blogging.  I’ve had the chance to meet some pretty amazing people over the years, that otherwise I would have never probably met.
  • Writing about games in particular though gives people a look into your perspective on the game, and that can create some fun conversations.  Whether that platform is through writing, streaming, or connecting online over some social network it’s always great to connect with other gamers and share opinions.
  • Writing about games is also a way to reach the community and review specific games you enjoy, and potentially help others find games they’ve never tried before.  This is also a way you could potentially connect with the developers of said games and give them a look at what players think of these games.

 

Starting That Gaming Blog

Ok, you’ve made the decision you are going to kick this idea off and get things rolling but need help with the blog creation.  Go checkout one of my previous posts on “Starting Your First Blog” for ideas of the platform you want to use. Now that you have the idea kicked off and you know what blog platform you are using it’s time to start writing.

What do I write about?

Anything you want! That’s the best part as this is your blog, and you get to choose how often you post, what you write about, how things look, and what niche you want to connect with.  Some ideas for good kickstart posts to help get you started though are ……

  • Game Review / Play Through:  I personally do a lot of game reviews which is always a fun outlet to talk about.  These are thorough descriptions of the game and mechanics you’ve experienced.  Usually screenshots, videos, and tips / tricks you’ve come across while playing.  These types of posts are fun to write but they are a great way to help other gamers potentially discover something they’ve never seen before.
  • Gaming Rundown: This is another great way to get started and usually a nice way to connect with people playing like games.  What are you currently playing and do you have a task list per say you’d like to talk about.  What are your top games of all time which could lead to a history walkthrough of how you played them.  These are always fun posts to make.
  • Gaming Community: You can write a blog post that depicts your thoughts on the state of gaming, and the communities that surround this realm.  How do the communities differ from PC gamers to Console gamers?  This is always a fun area to delve into.
  • Gaming Companies:  What do you think about the gaming industry, and some of the top dogs out there.  This is always another way to get your foot in the door of writing. Let people know who your favorite / least favorite companies are producing games and why?

 

These are just a few ideas to help you in this blogging adventure.  I hope you guys have fun with this, and make sure you don’t burn yourself out as it’s easy to do.  I can’t wait to see what you all come up with and start reading those posts.  Stop by and visit me sometime over at my blog A Hobbit’s Journey.  I enjoy connecting with people and who knows maybe we’ll see each other out in the virtual world of gaming one day.

Newbie Blogger Initiative 2016

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1464077259935Time has absolutely flown by as it seems just yesterday I was writing my first post ever for NBI and my blog.  It was two years ago that I first got involved with the Newbie Blogger Initiative. I wasn’t able to participate much last year due to my schedule and this year it almost seemed as though NBI was going to be postponed.  But that is not the case as Doone himself was lurking around Twitter and low and behold an announcement from him that June would be the month for NBI.

Once again we get to see the Dragon and already we are seeing new faces joining the blogosphere realm asking questions about NBI.

For those who aren’t quite sure what the Newbie Blogger Initiative is, here’s a look back to it’s origins.  The Newbie Blogger Initiative is an annual event created by Syp of Bio-Break back in 2012. His main goal was to bring writers together and hopefully start an MMO blog of their own.  It was a place to rally bloggers alike and have encouragement, advice on topics, and overall help with getting traffic to the new bloggers sites.

Why does the NBI exist?

NBI exists to help encourage bloggers (Gaming) bloggers to be specific, but all in all it’s here to help writers, and content creators.  This event has a large group of veterans who have helped over the years and they have a wealth of information to share.  It’s one of the reasons we “Veterans” enjoy this event as we get to pass down the torch of knowledge to anyone who wants it.  NBI exists to help new bloggers get their blog started off in the right direction, and to give any advice we can offer to anyone willing to write and create material for such a blog.

Are you Ready to Participate?

Are you questioning if you can participate in this event, well don’t as all are welcome here. But to be counted as a “Newb” in the Blogosphere you need to have just started blogging within the last year.  That doesn’t mean any of the oldie but goodies are excluded from the event as our “Veterans” as I mentioned above are a huge key to this event as well.

How do I get involved? 

You can follow any of the links below to get started and see all the chatter going on about the event.

 

 

NBI Forums 

NBI on Twitter 

Discord Invite Code: https://t.co/bZLA0YGZSk

 

 

If you’ve ever tossed the idea of blogging around then I hope NBI is what kick starts that fire and helps get you going.  I’ve been writing for years and even today after setting down and looking back, it’s not been an easy journey, but it’s been a very satisfying challenge.  Writing is a passion and just part of who I am, and I hope that passion rubs off onto the next generation of writers.  I hope you all take the challenge and enjoy the 2016 Newbie Blogger Initiative!  Can’t wait to see you all around!

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