Feeling Disoriented?

Yes, I admit, there are a few changes going on around here, and if that's disconcerting to you, I sincerely apologize...and will continue to apologize, since I have no idea when I will be done the renovation of this blog. I am one of those people who would rearrange my furniture every six weeks if I could--the fact that my current home allows for one configuration, and one only, of our furniture is making me batty.

Anyway, perhaps you're shaking your head at my swap of templates. Now that blogger has upgraded your ability to see your blog with new "clothes" on, I've been trying a few templates on for size. The current template's font sizes and the like are not my favorite, so we'll see if I can get that swapped out for a custom header soon. But nonetheless, it has been fun to see what other looks I might utilize around here.

The Donate Button (Dun-dun-DUN!)
Another detail you may have noticed is a little button on the right that says "donate." To be honest, left to my own devices, I probably never would have placed such a thing on my blog. However, every day, I receive an email called "David Farland's Dail Kick in the Pants." For those of you who don't know David Farland, author of the Runelords series, you may know his as Dave Wolverton, who wrote at least a handful of Star Wars novels. The Courtship of Princess Leia comes to mind off the top of my head. Okay--so what does he have to do with a paypal button on my blog?

Whatever one might think of Mr. Farland's writing, one fact you can't deny is that the man is a successful writer, in a career sense. His books routinely make best sellers lists and I get the impression he has a pretty comfortable life due to the royalties from his writing. He composes his "Daily Kicks" to offer new writers practical advice on how to attack their writing from a career standpoint. One of his recent kicks suggested offering a "donations" button on your website or blog.

Let's face it...we're all struggling along this "get into print" road together. As a reader, you have minimal power to insist a publisher take on your favorite budding author. But if the Lord has blessed you financially and prompts you to do so, you could make a contribution to a writer, which would enable said writer to pay for things like airfare to conferences (ahem, the particular place I have a shortfall right now), cover the cost of registration for a conference, contribute to the fee it would take for that author to pay for a professional edit of his or her work...you see what I mean. While the time a writer spends writing costs him nothing in dollars and cents, to say there is no monetary outlay necessary to build a career as a writer is a misconception.

So, I hope you don't view my little button as an online way to sit on a street corner and mutter in a barely intelligible voice, "Spare any change?" In future months, I intend to start offering short fiction here on CotC, and maybe, if there's something you read and feel you enjoyed, you might just feel moved to throw a few coins into my little online cup. If not, that's great too. Just keep stopping back, reading new stories, and telling your friends to drop by too. I'll be blessed if you do.