What site should I use? Penname? Help please!
Hey everyone sorry I have been absent. Laptop has been broken for nearly 2 weeks now. I have spent those few moments I can sit up promoting my charity auction, and my uncle lent me his netbook for a few days last week, which I have now again. So I will have a new auction up tomorrow.
Anyway, the competition I entered where my story Aphrodite's Dream http://ahistoryofromance.wordpress.com/2010/03/18/8-aphrodite%e2%80%99s-dream/ came 2nd place, are having me on their blog for a 2 week spot in May 23rd - June 5th, when I have to promote myself, answer an interview, and have a website where people can contact me, and a proper blog, although i already have 7 lol, but a proper writers one.
Anyway, I wondered if anybody had experience with those free sites where you can have a blog as one of the site pages. I have found two where that is possible, I dont know if anybody has any preferences or suggestions? I have no website design or html experience, and certainly wont be getting any any time soon...so basic = good. Also I really have to have something basic done in a few days.
www.yola.com
www.wordpress.com
Thank you if you do manage to make any suggestions.
Penname worries:
I feel I should keep my name, as that is what the general advice is to most authors, although many have pennames especially different ones for several genres. I have never really liked my surname, but I guess it is branding, as there is no other person in the world that I know of with the name. Nobody on facebook/myspace etc... Mind you I used Laura Dunks for author on the competition website, and once you start to use something you should really stick to it. Branding and all that...
So my options are:
a) Laura Dunks
b) Laura Ann Dunks
c) Your name is awful you really need a penname...
Butterfly With Broken Wings is going through rewrites and the second draft is being written. I have also been taking part in writing workshops., and getting good marks/advice. Even though I have written most of my assignments on a PDA, due to no laptop/internet! I also did the National Novel Editing month in March and scored 88.5 hours, when I only needed 50, so I was a busy bee!
I am also looking at studying creative writing and spanish at the open university, as it is something I enjoy and can do from my bed in the meantime before I go back to medicine, or to an alternative career, which may be writing if I am any good at it...
Hope everyone is well, and having a lovely Easter, if you celebrate it!
Laura
~X~