  Contests & Activities
This week: Blog Rings Edited by: spidey  
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Welcome to the Contests & Activities Newsletter. I'm spidey , and I'm your Editor this week. I'd like to discuss Blog Rings.
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Amazon's Price: $ 4.99
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Blog Rings
What is a Blog Ring? In short, it's a community of linked blogs. Often there is a common theme or subject linking the blogs, and the writers interact with one another through comments. A major benefit of a Blog Ring is exposure - by linking blogs to other blogs, you can gain readership for all involved. It also promotes interaction with other members of the Writing.Com community!
Anyone can create a Blog Ring, and they can be as formal or informal as you wish! A group, forum, or In & Out can be created for users to submit a link to their blog, or an informal one can be started simply by linking another blog in your own!
Some tips on Blog Rings:
 Encourage comments and interaction - These can help promote interaction between blogs, and the success of public blogs are often measured by the amount of interaction involved!
Ratings - Be sure all involved are aware of the ratings and content of each blog.
Theme - While not necessary, a theme can bring a group of like-minded individuals together. Using a theme can attract more participants who are looking for fellow readers and writers. Examples of themes can include writing, music, politics, cooking, children, etc. The possibilities are endless!
Tips on finding similar blogs:
Using the navigational tool at the left of your screen, click on "Browse by Type," then "Blogs" in the first section. This gives you a listing of public blogs on the site in the order of recently modified. Moving your mouse over each blog listing will give you a preview of the latest entry.
Try using the search bar at the top of the page or browse by genre within the "Book" listings to find common themes!
The key to a Blog Ring is the Link. Each blog within a ring should link to one another or to a group or page which lists the blogs. The main idea behind a Blog Ring is that it connects blogs.
So how do you link other blogs? There are a few ways to do this:
 Use WritingML to link to other blogs. (Remember, using the various types of links will give different information to viewers. For instance, using the {r-item:#######} link will include the item's rating) For more on linking WritingML, see "Invalid Item"
Once you have your Blog Item set up (click on "My Account" on the navigational tool, then "Account Info." From here, click on the "Options" tab, then "Personal Display Options." Here Upgraded Members and higher memberships can enter the Item ID number to list their blog on the public listing.), you can add links to other blogs that will show on the left side of the screen when others view your blog. Click on "Manage Blog Links" to add/edit the list of linked blogs!
Happy Blogging!!
Always keep on writing!
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A few site Blog Rings
Contests:
Activities:
Know of some gems that deserve exposure? Submit them in the feedback form or submission form at the end of this Newsletter, and I'll put them in my next one!
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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Feedback from my last newsletter, which discussed the difference between Contests and Activities.
Great NL, Spidey! I love to enter both contests and activities, but for different reasons. Activities are fun, promote community, and help me connect with WDC members I may not have met otherwise. But as a writer always improving in her craft, there's nothing like a good contest to raise my bar and stretch my style. I work best with deadlines -- something nonexistent in my personal writing world, so chalk another mark under "pros." Lastly, I have a number of WDC friends who compete in the same contests I'm drawn too. The support and friendly competition we give each other reminds me again why this site's community is so wonderful. ~ NickiD89 
Great points, Nicki! 
Amazing newsletter, Spidey. I love the way you compared contests with activities and made each sound so exciting, it made my pulse go quicker. ~ Annette 
Thanks so much! 
An interesting newsletter, nice comparison. I prefer to enter contests as there is (generally) more of an element of skill to it - I'm the same with games: if it's mainly luck I won't play. Plus, I like competition 
As for hosting... I'd have to say contests take the cake again. If I wanted to raise gps I'd host an activity, but the good thing about a contest is you can give motivation to get people to think in new ways/genres/specifications while still creating serious items. This will make it more likely for them to take these skills and use them for other pieces they write, as the context is similar - more so than with a fun or unusual activity.
I'm trying to help build up one aspect of writing I think is sometimes under-valued with my current contest and I know many others do the same.
That being said, activities are often quicker, easier, more humorous and can break a muse block. If I want some fun or a break, I'll often try one. ~ Free_Rip 
Thanks for the feedback! These are great points, too! I think contests work really well to motivate people to think creatively!
Questions to think about:
Do you belong to a Blog Ring? Do you blog mostly on one theme? How do you feel about blogging vs journaling?
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Contests & Activities: August 11, 2010 Issue [#3904]
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