Hello. Ive been slaving away at my site. I have also brought in a editor, so my terrible grammar is not so bad While i have been working pretty hard on the site, it has dawned on me that being such an amateur with little help is a big roadblock. Certain things that i have no idea about, and im pretty much guessing my way through everything. I can only assume Tim Smalley knows all too well if he has read my e-mail . I am not giving up on this. My heart is in this so im now thinking about what is on offer to learn about journalism, specifically online journalism. Are there any courses for such a thing? I can ask my way through everything, and eventually reach a point after bugging editors too death, or actually learn to do this properly, and get what i want done alot sooner. Does anyone know what options i have? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Kye.
I'm faced with an overwhelming urge to correct all grammar mistakes there. I don't see why you need a course, you seem to write well enough here, the only problem is your lack of punctuation.
Went to your site - doesn't look bad. I've got to say though, you really really need to read this. Good luck! AH
The editor hasnt edited anything on that site. Only messages sent to various people. My grammar is very bad, but i can correct it easily enough reading through it a few times. I dont really do that when writing on a forum. Thanks for that link. It does actually help. Ive found i write back to front in my sentances. They make sense when im typing, but re-reading it, i dont understand what ive written. I do, this, alot, to. Kye. edit: If anyone wants to have a go at a logo, let me know! I cant pay anyone...yet, but im sure once i get some traffic, i dont mind overtly advertising or trying to put as much credit to my benefactors as i can. All i can run on for the time being are favors.
Kye. Years ago when a few mates and I started out over on Blagged-Hardware we all suffered from dodgy write ups, But you get better after reading and writing articles over and over again, even if you;re just writing about what you've just cooked for lunch is helping you, the more you practice the better you will get at it.
I'll be buying a domain name soon. Someone recently snapped up the names i had in mind, so im not keen openly expressing what domain name i want. That is not my priority at the moment. I have recently e-mailed a few sites to ask if i can use there content. Just a small description of my own, and a link to the article. Ive had no reply from anyone yet. I can bring my own content to the site, but that wont be for awhile. Im trying to figure out how all the sites get there news. I might buy a DSLR camera to take some pics of some events that are happening around ireland. I live near dublin so its not that hard getting there. Saying that, ive had no reply from some lan organisers, and they seem a bit dead in the water. The webmaster told me to get some traffic before considering buying a website software editor to take it further. My former site (a forum) was easier, since it was targeting a game, so it picked up steam once it got known in the game. Im not sure how to advertise my site at the moment either. Everyday im getting something new done. Its all coming together, and will only be a matter of time. Sponsorship will help, but its hard to sell the idea of a site that has no domain name or traffic yet . Kye.
What you need is good HQ content. if you can get that then the traffic will come, and soon after other things like advertising. I suggest you get off wordpress as well (not professional and doesn't handle traffic well).
The wordpress is temporary. Wordpress was recommended by the webmaster that works on www.florinabeach.com and various other sites. Its enough to get me buy. I only have access to a laptop that has 256mb of ram, so im not sure if running the editor on this will work. Thinking about it, if i attended a lan party and got good shots, im not sure how it would work after uploading them on the site. I'll need a gallery plug-in. As much as it is frustration, its enjoyable thumbling through everything . Kye.
Forget journalism courses specifically, they're a waste of time. Take a short course in shorthand writing and read up on punctuation. Buy youself a copy of The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. It's currently in fourth edition, is a small book and is the key to getting good writing style simply. Maybe by a copy of the Video Game Style Guide too while you're at it. Work experience will be infinitely more valuable to you than taking a course and will help you decide what you're priorities should be. We occasionally have work experience people in here, so think about contacting Tim if you want that - else choose a publication similar to your own and buddy up with them. But really, The Elements of Style and a careful eye will do soooo much more for you than an editor, especially in this early stage. Concentrate on reading lots of magazines and so on to build a sense of style and then try and write the same event up in multiple different ways until you find a personal voice which you feel fits you easily. All the best
I used to live 10 minutes away from Future Publishing in Bath before i moved to Ireland. That would of been brilliant. The publishing area in Dublin is not far away, but its not really ideal. Unless work experience can be an online, im stuck with my own initiative for now. Im in the process of buying The Element of Style. Ive broken a few bad habits already. Ive never really considered the differance between too and to, but thats sorted and corrected now. After this post i think i will start posting in all the forums i post in with proper grammar. This is just to get the point across, but its bad practice. Thank you for the book recommendation. I will buy it as soon as i can find it. Kye.
