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Developing a Web Presence for "Local" Writers
With Laura Wright
Open
enrollment-- new sessions start every Monday!
The Internet is one of the most powerful marketing tools a writer
has at her disposal. Find out how to make the web work for you! Learn basic HTML
skills, the building blocks of web design, plus how to get your web space, the
difference between websites and blogs (and what each can and can't do for you),
domain names, and more! Whether you've got a high-speed connection or a slower
dial-up connection to the Internet, Laura Wright, a writer with years of
hands-on technical experience, will show you how to make the most of your web
presence.
Prerequisites:
Students must have a computer with Internet access.
Students will
receive course materials via email on the start date. Lessons will be sent
as HTML files; students must be able to accept attachments via email.
Course Outline:
Week 1 - Orientation and Introduction
A. Discussions on dial-up access and real limitations as opposed to
perceived.
B. What you can expect from the course studies and how the class is
structured.
C. Discussion of
the comparisons used: virtual space and real estate.
D. Various types of web presences.
E. A beginner’s look at HTML, horizontal rules, and Connectivity Concerns.
HTML Discussions: Formal Introduction to HTML.
Assignment and Resource Materials
Week 2
A. Discussions on the three primary forms of web activity: blogs, “free” web
sites, and professional services.
B. When should you decide to take your venture to a professional and when it
is appropriate to, “do-it-yourself.”
C. The importance and necessity of proper planning when creating your
domain.
D. Discussions on featuring information outside of writing (for writers’ web
sites).
HTML Discussions: Fonts and Breaks.
Assignment and Resource Materials
Week 3
A. Further discussion of both benefits and drawbacks of the three services
mentioned in the previous week (blog, free web site, professional web
service).
B. Week 3 explores
the concerns with presenting readable content on screen.
C. Maintaining a professional image online.
D. Using content from other web sites to create entertainment.
E. How to avoid “busy” pages that will distract your visitors.
HTML Discussions: Images and Links.
Assignment and Resource Materials
Week 4
A. Class is encouraged to create a free web site for experimentation and
learning.
B. This week discusses the general areas on most web pages with content and
what their respective, technical terms are.
C. In-depth discussion on HTML editors and finding a good product without
spending a great deal of money.
D. This week also discusses properly formatting content for reading online.
E. Common errors and offers a web site checklist of the most prevalent web
page issues.
Instead of an HTML Discussion this week, the session discusses monitors and
the best of both CRT and LCD devices.
Assignment and Resource Materials
Week 5
A.
Part 1 of the domain name discussion.
B. Students are asked to start considering the domain names they desire.
C. The week’s studies also involve extensive information on plagiarism,
virtual plagiarism, and how to avoid it.
D. Offers insight and advice on approaching self-publication online with
caution. E. The discussion of the fallibility of ideas in writing and
publishing.
F. There is a brief discussion on common ways writers are mislead when it
comes to protecting their work.
G. The week debates the benefits of featuring other authors on a web site
H. Using frames on your pages.
HTML Discussions: Colors and their appearance online as opposed to on your
computer.
Resource Materials
Week 6
A. Final part of the discussion on domain concerns and facts.
B. Find affordable and quality web hosting services.
C. It explains how to use a “control panel,” with a hosting company.
D. Weekly discussion also involves the process of backing files up and
protecting your work.
E. This week features content on how to best update your web site without
sending it offline or disturbing visitors which may currently be on the web
site.
F. Link farming, Hotlinking, and other Shady Areas
References and Resources:
Includes: The best web sites and books for the novice and intermediate web
master.
 Laura Wright is a three-time published author and writer. Her
non-fiction has appeared in such publications as, “The Business
Journal,” all the way to high-end travel magazines and opinion
editorials. She has worked as everything from a book reviewer to staff
writer and guest columnist.
Wright has been on a computer since 1993. In 1999, she became connected
to the Internet, personally, and immediately started working with HTML.
She has owned and operated forums, “free” sites, countless blogs, and in
2002, became owner and administrator of her own domain:
www.laurawrites.net.
Wright has since been trained in general web development and site
development, and is certified in CSS. She has participated in academic
training for Dreamweaver and Flash.
Wright is an avid photographer and enjoys hiking in her native
Appalachian Mountains. She is an advocate for many small towns in her
region and contacts representatives and leaders to bring about awareness
for the lack of technology. Wright is currently a “dial-up” user as
well.
Wright’s published books include, While I’m Dying (2001),
Timeslips & Terrors (2005), and Virginia Creeper (2007).
Her web sites include:
www.laurawrites.net
and the new
www.vacreeper.com.
How to Register:
Click here to
register via PayPal:
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