Podcast Blog Post - Voice, Tone & Style

Voice is defined as the author's fingerprints. By the voice you can narrow down who wrote the book without even looking at the front cover. Things that make up your voice include: word choice, sentence length, use of prepositional phrases and adjectives, and beat and rhythm of the story. 

While your style and voice will just come, there are also ways to work on it. However, you should not worry about it extensively until you have some experience. When you are first starting to write you should first be focusing on the character, plot, and setting.

"The people paying you to write should be focusing on your voice."

Said Bookisms: Anything you write instead of said. Some people say that you should never use said or asked. THIS IS FALSE. Said and asked are invisible when you use them and your attributions should be the least interesting part of the dialogue. 

Advice: Choose a few things about your voice you want to change and try tweaking your writing. Then keep doing it until you master what you were trying to accomplish. Only then can you take on a couple more items you want to try and tweak. 

Finally...PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. 

10 Twitter Handles and Response to Questions

3. One form of social capital is official membership in volunteer organizations. According to Putnam, there are three main types of volunteer organizations in American society: (1) Community-based organizations, (2) church-based organizations and (3) work-based organizations. Which of these types of organizations do you get most involved with? 

I personally am most involved in church-based organizations. I think that this is because the Mormon church is such a high involvement church and so many people in Provo are Mormon that there is not a lot of community events as everything is run through church events. The job I have is just a part time job that does not really have an organization because I do not spend very many hours there. 

 5. Putnam gives a few examples of informal social connections in his book and characterizes two different types of people: Machers and Schmoozers. Machers are people who make things happen in the community and are all around "good citizens." They follow current trends, follow politics and work on community projects. Schmoozers are people who spend time in informal conversation and communion. They tend to host dinner parties, play cards and throw barbecues. Are you a Macher or a schmoozer? What characterizes you as such? 

I am a schmoozer. I love socializing and spending time with my friends. I am not very involved in the community and I will admit I am not involved politically. I am not one to have big debates with my friends. Instead we talk about what is currently going on and what our future plans are. 
6. Self-help groups (i.e. A.A., Weight Watchers, etc.) have grown in recent years. What are people finding from these groups that they aren't finding elsewhere? How are these groups similar to online chat forums or apps such as My Secret App, Tell My Secret or Whisper? 

I think they are finding support. When I personally was on a diet my friends got sick of hearing about my diet and what I was doing. I did not turn to other forums but I can understand how people would need support and eventually turn to some of those online groups where they can find others who are in the same boat as them.

Here are the ten Twitter handles of people that I thought might be useful. Some have a ton of followers while others are smaller. The people with fewer followers might be easier to work with.
@AprilynnePike
@robinhobb
@DrewKarpyshyn
@BrianTMcClellan
@drhastings
@monsterhunter45
@paolini
@FantasyFaction
@JessDayGeorge
@robisonwells

Cell Phones.

3. Why do we treat electronics as our most prized possessions?

I think that they are our most prized possessions because not only are they expensive but we cannot function without them. They are the way we get in contact with people and check our mail. We use them for GPS and checking our bank account. Our world runs on digital and so our phones are our constant access to them. Without our phones is it hard to access the digital world that rules. 

4. How do you feel when someone is using his or her phone during a conversation with you?  Do you do this too?  Why?

I am definitely guilty of this even though it is something that I hate. When I really am trying to talk to someone and need them to listen to me it does start to bug me when they only look at their phone. However it is hard not to and I understand where they are coming from because I always have people who are needing to get ahold of me so I am scared that if I do not check my phone I am missing  something or a possible emergency. 

5. Are you in control of your electronics, are are they in control of you?  Give examples.

I want to think that I am in control of them but in reality they probably control me. I cannot go a day without using my phone and so that to me says that my electronics are controlling me. 

6.  Would you rather have no phone at a party for 4 hours straight or spend the night playing on your phone with friends who are playing on their phone.  Why? 

I would rather have no phone at a party for 4 straight hours. I prefer human contact rather than only ever communicating through my phone. 

7. Do you prefer texting or calling?

Definitely calling. It is faster and much more personal. My mom always tries to text me lots and lots of information and its hard to read and text back everything. Also things get miscommunicated through texting and fights happen because of it. 

Digital Networks and Cell Phones

In what ways have access to online digital networks put more power in the hands of the citizens of countries?

Similar to what happened in Egypt, I recently read an article talking about what is currently going on in Ukraine. You can find the article here: http://caracaschronicles.com/2014/02/20/the-game-changed/ The article talks about how no one is talking about Ukraine right now. I found a video that was saying how no one is talking because reporting rights have been denied and so there are no reporters. However the video I watched had gathered all of its information and pictures of what is currently happening from Twitter. However, the government then proceeded to block all images on Twitter. The citizens have still been able to communicate though though this medium. Online digital networks have shown the world what is really going on in places that are hard to get a reporter in. Not only can the world find out and the citizens can communicate, but the rest of the world can find out instantaneously. This gives the county more power as they have the potential to find help from other countries or citizens faster than ever before. 

4. How has the introduction of the ‘personal computer’ and ‘the World Wide Web’ changed our way of life?

I consider the personal computer nowadays to be a cell phone. People do everything on them from booking a flight to checking their bank account to sending emails. We are moving away from traditional computers and onto portable and easy to carry devices. I found an articles that you can read about how everything is going mobile. Here it is: http://thoughtwiremobileandwebsites.com/blog/websites-are-going-mobile-are-you/. It talks about how there are 6 billion mobile subscribers. This has caused all webpages to have not only an app but a mobile page as well. Users are not ok with zooming in all the time. We expect mobile pages that are easy to read and easy to use for a cell phone or tablet. It causes businesses to now develop 2 webpages instead of one. 

TNT

1. How have social media and the internet changed the way businesses (and more specifically, the entertainment industry) approach marketing and advertising?

I personally think that the internet has changed advertising forever. We are exposed to so much that what used to work doesn't anymore. We no longer remember the TV ads we see or the billboards we drive by unless they really hit us. Our brains are being stretched in so many different ways that it becomes difficult for us to remember everything we see even if it did make an impression. There have been many times I have seen an ad or something on TV that I wanted to look into more and simply forgot. 

What does all this matter? Well it is making advertisers change the way they advertise. The first thing that came to my mind is when companies perform a stunt, film it, and then use the internet to share it with the rest of the world. For example this stunt done by TNT. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=316AzLYfAzw.

This video has gotten nearly 50 million views on Youtube. Producing a stunt like this would never have been feasible before. Not that the company couldn't have, but there would have been no incentive before the internet and social media. Now companies and advertising agencies can produce wild stunts and events in the hopes that they go viral and become advertising for the company even though only a couple of people saw it in person. 

Spreading Media

Question #1: Why does media spread?
I personally think that media spreads because it is something that touches us in a large enough way that we feel the desire to share it with others. Some of my friends share videos that draw out emotion while other videos are extremely funny. Some of the videos are extreme sports videos that draw that viewer in because they are so incredible that it is hard to imagine how someone could base jump from so high or do three flips off of a jump. Other times people share relevant content that resonates. For example all of my friends are sharing videos about the Olympic luger Kate Hansen who is from BYU. Even though she is not currently winning, she is a BYU student in the Olympics and so we want to share relevant content that we think is cool. Here is one of the pages about her:

http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2014/2/10/5397916/kate-hansen-luge-sochi-2014-winter-olympics

Question #4: What is the most effective way to spread media?
I think that the most effective way to spread media is simply to make it something that people want to share. We are a selfish kind and only will share content when we want to. People are not getting any incentives for sharing the videos that they like, they are sharing them because they want to and in their own self interest. No matter what you try to do to get people to share something, the hard reality is that they will only do so if they want to.

Question #5: Is humor simply a matter of taste or is it a vehicle?
I think that humor is a vehicle. We purposefully choose different tones for different videos depending on the message we want to send. Some videos are emotional while others are extreme. While some people may like humor more, you can't make all videos be humorous. The tone has to match the message.

Question #6: How is “timely controversy” a factor in spreading media?
Most videos and pages that go viral have to do with something going on during that time period. When the Harlem Shake was big everyone was making their own versions. The BYU Adlab even joined in. You can see the video here: http://vimeo.com/59700792. No one would have found that video or wanted to make it unless it had a timely component. However, once the harlem shake fad was over people completely stopped watching the videos.

Here Comes Everybody Blog Questions

1. How has social media changed our perception of who is a professional/expert in a given field? ex. photographer?

2. How has social media changed business management?

3. What have we lost because of the freedom social media gives us?

4. What is your birthday?

5. Because users can post instantaneously, how has this affected the quality of the content?

Communities.

Let's talk about Community. No not the show. Actual communities. One of the questions asked if it better to be apart of a large group/community or a small group/community?

My personal experience has been that you make more friendships and connections in a small community versus a large one. At BYU I have made the most friends in my classes with only about 20 other students. You get the chance to meet everyone and work with them. However, when I took American Heritage and sat in a lecture hall of 600 people I surprisingly never made a single connection. You would think that there are so many more possible connections that one should make at least one connection. However with such a big community, you never saw the same person twice. No one knew anyone and the result was no one talked. There were never any conversations to join. However, in the smaller classes I saw the same people everyday. From the very beginning the class built a community of friends. I always had someone to get notes from or work on a project with. 

I lived in a very small community in high school. We always had parades for the 4th of July. The whole town would come together. I knew every house in the town I lived in. Even though our town was located in a very populated area the community was very small and close. Not only was it fun, but our community looked out for everyone even though it was not what you would call a small town. I think that small communities are better and give us more connections and make us feel more apart of something. 

The Prisoners' Dilemma

For this post I will be responding to a couple of questions by Matt about the prisoners' dilemma. When I was a kid my dad sat my brother and I down and did a similar simulation with us but with money. It was interesting as we cooperated for more of the simulation. Then my dad lied and told us that one of us had taken more and the other would get less (which was false). Once my brother and I lost trust in each other it went downhill from there. But while we both trusted each other and helped each other out we made a lot of money and were willing to not be selfish.

Why would cooperation between a business and their customers be so important?

When my brother and I cooperated, we both benefited. We made more money and were not bitter towards each other. However, once one of us lost our trust in the other it was never gained back. I think this is similar with corporations and their customers especially on the customer's end. When a customer trusts a company because that company has cooperated with that customer they are more likely to recommend the company and keep using the products. However, once a customer is skeptical about a company they will tell everyone and usually switch products.

How can you promote cooperation on social media?

One way I have seen companies cooperate over social media is on Twitter. Many times my friends have complained to a company and that company responds VERY quickly. Not only does this show the customer that the company care about the customer's needs, but it also shows the friends of that customer. I think this medium is perfect for promoting cooperation because the customer can voice their concerns and a company can provide instant customer service that gives their company a good reputation. 

When should a person cooperate and when should they be selfish?

Some people might say that a person should always cooperate. However, in the real world people only cooperate when they people they are interacting with are cooperating also. No one wants to be taken advantage of. We have a selfish nature, however we are more likely to get rid of that nature when we like the person we are working with and there is a benefit for us. 

Westercon Business Model Canvas

For this post I would like to talk about a couple of ways Westercon could improve their business model canvas.

Key Partnerships:
While Brandon Sanderson has partnered with Westercon, no one would know. Westercon needs to capitalize on this partnership they already have. When you go to their website Westercon should use Brandon Sanderson to draw people in. He is a huge name and I feel like many more people would come to the event if they know about Sanderson coming.

Channels:
Westercon is on many social media sites but they are not engaging the few followers they have. In order to get more followers and make people want to follow Westercon they need to not only post their own content, but find funny and relevant content to their event. I think they could branch out onto vine and Youtube. But honestly they just need to make their current channels more interesting and it would make a world of difference.

Customer Segments:
I think it would be wise for Westercon to branch out into who they want to try and get to come to this event. A couple groups that might be interested are as follows:
-Young people
-Young writers
-BYU/UVU writers
-Aspiring authors
-High schoolers and middle schoolers in Utah
-BYU arts program
-English majors
-Utah aspiring writers of any age

I think there are a lot more people that would be interest in attending Westercon than currently do. I think they need to get a stronger presence online and make their event something that people want to share.

Westercon vs. Comic-Con

Westercon has potential to become big but they are not capitalizing on social media. In today's age social media is crucial to promote events and create hype. While it won't make every single person aware of your event, it can capture a large portion of your audience if done right. However, in order to capture your market, you have to make it cool.

Comic-con Salt Lake has done a good job of this. Looking at their twitter, it instantly looks interesting and fun. You can see that they have put a lot of working into creating original content, finding interesting and relevant content and interacting with their followers. Even though this is the page for only Salt Lake, they still have almost 4,000 followers.

Contract that with the twitter of Westercon. All of the content is only created by Westercon. They try a little to interact with their followers but they only have 20 followers (many from our class). The reality is there is not enough people even following their twitter to even have the potential for someone to see the content. No only do people not see the tweets, but there is nothing exciting about this twitter. The are not memes or interesting and relevant content from outside sources. It does not catch your attention much less make you want to follow it even if you are a huge fan of Westercon.

The same goes with the website. Comic-cons website is fun to look at and draws the audience in. I can tell instantly what I am looking at. However, Westercon's website is kind of boring. If I had not done research on it I would not know what it even was. It does not look like a fun event and I would most likely turn away simply from the website.

 Finally let's talk about Facebook.

 Westercon has a cool logo but they still only have 270 likes while Comic-con has almost 70,000. The content could be the reason why.

Comic-con has found funny meme and content that their users would like. They offer incentives to share and like and get their followers engaged. I found their Facebook interesting even though I was their target market. It is content that is fun to look at and something I wouldn't mind in my feed.

If you look at Westercon's posts, they do not offer a lot of engagement. They do not give users a call to action. They do not find outside content and it is not something worth seeking out.





When Comic-con came to Salt Lake I knew about it instantly. All of my friends were posting pictures with characters or actually dressing up themselves. Because users posted their own content it spead the word even more than anything Comic-con could have done on their own. They created a cool event that people wanted to go to and promoted it well on social media.

R.I.P. Print

Twitter
Enhances: Conversation about current events. You cannot share multiple pictures like you can on Facebook at once. But with twitter it is all about conversation. When the Grammy's are on, everyone is talking about them. During the walking dead the conversation is there. We can talk and interact with people we have never met but share a common interest with.
Obsoletes: Blogs in a way. We no longer want to read someone's two page blog post. It is much easier and faster to follow them on twitter. It is limited to 140 characters and only required seconds of attention per person.
Retrieves: The act of sharing links to articles. Lets users talk about what is going on in the world.
Reverses: Twitter allows users to share links, pictures, and their thoughts. People sometimes use it as a Diary of sorts in which they use as a medium to remember what they did and their thoughts about what was going on.

While we can talk about twiiter in relation of the McLuhan Tetrad, what is really interesting is the effect it has on us. Sites like Twitter and other social media sites have killed our attention span. We can no longer read for more than 20 minutes. A writer from Spain said:

 “The digital era has made us lazy and apathetic, and our stories, our literature, are losing their shine." 

"Increasingly sophisticated gadgets and ubiquitous Internet access mean that we are ever closer to information and knowledge, and yet our ability to glean that knowledge, by reading uninterruptedly, has been irrevocably stymied."

"What’s important right now is our lack of concentration, our inability to be able to read, listen or write for more than 20 minutes."

I think it is sad how our culture has largely forgotten the culture of reading. Now there is so much on the internet that people forget to unconnected. It is rare to see someone checking out a book at the BYU library. We are so used to being able to get information in mere seconds that we no longer have the patience to search though a book, much less read one from cover to cover. 

Here is the link where the quotes came from. 

http://publishingperspectives.com/2013/09/technology-has-ruined-readers-attention-span-says-argentine-hernan-casciari/

Online communities: The new block parties

"Net members are distinctive in providing information, support, companionship, and a sense of belonging to persons they hardly know offline or who are total strangers."

When I first read this article, I immediately thought of LDS Missionary Moms. I was talking to a mom this weekend who has a son on a mission in Costa Rica. She told me how there is this site that allows you to join the email group with the other moms who have sons in your same mission. It allows the moms to better know what is going on and have some support. While they have never met and will never met, they can chat with the other moms. Hey can help each other while they are missing their sons and gives them a community that understands what they are going through. 

"Repayment of support and social resources might be as exchanges of the same kind of aid, reciprocating in another way, or helping out a mutual friend in the network."

This quote made me think of when I became friends with a girl by the name of Carlie Bond. She was the roommate of my best friend who was currently going to college at BYU-I while I was at BYU. We became friends because we always commented and liked each others posts on our mutual friend Whitney's page. 

Eventually we talked enough and I finally visited her and she asked me to be one of her bridesmaids even though we had only met in real life twice. However, I knew her very well because of all of our internet interactions. "Net users usually trust strangers much like people gave rides to hitchhikers in the flower child days of the 1960s."  

The nature of literature

1.) Literature as the 'foregrounding' of language:

Shakespeare's Writing. 

I always remember in high school that we couldn't read Shakespeare without first talking about the way that he wrote and how he not only rhymed what he wrote but also with iambic pentameter. 

2.) Literature as the Integration of Language:

She sells sea-shells on the sea-shore.
The shells she sells are sea-shells, I'm sure.
For if she sells sea-shells on the sea-shore
Then I'm sure she sells sea-shore shells.

This tongue twister calls attention to itself and is very hard to say. 

3.) Literature as Fiction:

Harry Potter

The Harry Potter books are fictional and the events and story all happen in a make believe world. Many people who read these books try and interpret them different ways. Each person takes something different and views the book in their own individual way.

4.) Literature as Aesthetic Object:

Les Miserables
The broadway play and movie are incredible. It was so powerful that it brought me to tears (something that rarely if ever happens). While I have never read the book, I am sure it is even better than the play and movie. 

5.) Literature as Intertextual or Self-reflexive Construct:
Wicked

This broadway play was only made possible by the previous story of The Wizard of Oz. Wicked plays off of the story line and is the story behind The Wizard of Oz. It gives the audience a new perspective on who all of the characters are and what their previous lives were like before Dorothy was introduced to them. 

"Networking knows no boundaries"

One of the things that I have found to be really cool is how easy it is to communicate with people in other parts of then world. When I was a kid, I remember not having long-distance calling on our home phone plan. Whenever we called Grandma, we had buy a long distance card and then use that to call.

However, with the invention of cell phones, the internet, Skype, iMessage, etc. we are more connected than ever. My parents are able to not only talk to me, but they can also see me while they do so for free even though they live in Minnesota. I think it is incredible how easily we can communicate with anyone in the world. Vontage even offers unlimited international calling for $9.99 a month, something unheard of just a couple of years ago.

With this ease of communication throughout the world it has expanded everything we can do on a global scale. So many businesses outsource their work as it is cheaper and the option to easily communicate is now available. People can meet and date on a global scale. Families that live thousands of miles away can easily share all of their moments with each other. Recruiters can find someone that fills their requirements from any part of the world. I think it is incredible to look at how far our technology has come and what it can do for us.