Welcome to Gaia! ::

Introduction

This is the column I'd like to have. Not really sure of the details yet, but I'm excited! It will basically be a column about various things, including anime, video games, manga/comics, authors, websites, fandom, etc. It will have a particular focus on being a girl with such interests, but only because I am, in fact, a girl. Hopefully it should be interesting to either genre. Basically, it will be anecdotes, observations, and opinions.

As with my review topic, i will most articles as I finish them, and then pick and choose which ones would be most appropriate.

Map
1-Introduction and Map
2-Articles in Progress / Completed Articles
3-Perspective Articles
4-Sportlights
5-Author's Notes/Misc.
6-A Matter of Aesthetics
17-The Geek in Everyone

Pictures

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Author's Notes, Rants, and Updates

11.29.06

wow. I've been at this for almost a year now. Well, granted, I've been pretty unseccessful the last few months, but still. I'm not really sure what happened, I was just not feeling into the column. But, I just went back and reread some of the old ones, and I actually wasn't doing as badly as I thought! yay.

Well, I still want to have the column going, but we'll see how much time I have.

4.5.06

I've now had two articles out so far, and I like the feel of being a columnist! I'm adding a section here for misc. things I want to keep track of, since I figured my own person thread was the best place to do it. Firstly, I'm making a list, complete with links, of the on-going stories belonging to members of the WF. We may start some sort of Local Author Spotlight, and I want a list already going so we have something to work off of. At this point I'm simply going with any story I can bear to read beyond the first few paragraphs, and leaving it at that, with no futher judgements of quality.

2.6.06

Well, I have the rough version of an article up. It still needs editing, and it may not even be the article we use for Feb, but at least I made a start on it! I could easy turn this column into a constant rant about my love of books, but I'm going to try to avoid that. I have more interests, really I do. I swear. At any rate, A Matter of Aesthetics is now up, in post 6, I believe, and I would love comments/critique on it.

On another note, I have added another section to my columnn, Sportlights. These will be for those times when we have a large project going, or a specific theme for the Press (like, say, the winter holidays). The Spotlights will do just that, sportlight books (or perhaps movies, games, etc.) which fit the theme. It will differ from La Revue because I will not be critiquing or rating the books, simply offering a little blurb about them, and letting the reader go from there. By posting them in this column, I will be implying that they have my person stamp of approval.


Misc.

Local Works/Authors
Something Fierce at Wicket Lane - by LatkesGirl

The article content was amusing, specially the way you've personified the books waiting on your shelf to be "fondled and lovingly stroked."

It opens rather slowly though, and doesn't really grab attention. I suggest using the Ink Spell anecdote as your opening, describe how it grabbed you and taunted you to buy it etc. And then move on to explain how you have a pile of such books in your collection.

While what Ne-uh... Deabus Amor wrote was true, I have to add a few things, because I have found, just by comparison in other cases, that column writing isn't nearly as easy as it looks.

The main thing is keeping interest. While writing, keep asking "Why should the reader care? Why should they continue reading?" In this case, probably because they have an interest in books that you share with them. But why should they go on? So you see, you need to make a fine, solid point of some kind, whether you're trying to persuade them or debate or something else, have a destination in mind.

In this column, you talk about common problems/quirks amoung readers and writers: buying on impulse, an attraction to shiny covers, never reading new books, etc. Things that we can relate to, and that is the best part of this piece. We can relate.

But where are you taking us with this? Are you trying to recommend Cornelia Funke's books? Where's the point?

It's painful, but... most readers won't care about Inkheart or Inkspell. You have to make them care, show them why they should bother. Jaho, Xeh, and Whim all three talk about something they care about and they all are obviously trying to make the readers care too.

So study them. Study other columnists too, if you can. Find something to care about, find what you want to share with your readers, and write.

I hope that helps. >.>

thanks Serieve, I'll definately try to focus the article more when I edit it! It's mostly a rant so far, I just need to make it a bit more cohesive...

and thanks, I wanted a new look since the new hairdos came out.

thank you!

The only problem I have with the article is your use of the word mat. I find the spelling matte is less easily confused than mat, which possesses many different meanings.
That's more personal preference, though, than anything else.