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 For Authors: June 15, 2005 Issue [#423] |
  For Authors This week: Edited by: megsie2584More Newsletters By This Editor   1. About this Newsletter 2. A Word from our Sponsor 3. Letter from the Editor 4. Editor's Picks 5. A Word from Writing.Com 6. Ask & Answer 7. Removal instructions  ”I don’t know what a bitem link is, let alone how to make one!” 
 “I don’t know what a bitem link is, let alone how to make one!” As a moderator, contest host, and friend, I often hear statements like this one. Let’s start from the beginning. A link is a clickable doorway from the webpage that you are on to the one that the item being linked is on. So when you click on the link, it brings you to that item. There are many different kinds of links on writing.com. The bitem link is the one that is the most commonly used. “Bitem” stands for “big item” and it’s especially useful because it shows a lot more information than some of the other linking options. A bitem link shows the reader the title of the piece, its content rating (E-XGC), author, item number, type of item (static, group, etc), and a brief description. Before you can make the link, you have to know what item you want the link to go to. Every piece on writing.com has an item number. (Click on "Invalid Item" to see the task bars and numbers I’m talking about.) I’ll use the item these instructions are in as an example. Above the title, “All About Bitem Linking,” is a black task bar. The right-most text on that taskbar is the item number 901810. Every writing.com item has a number and it can be found in the same place on its own item page. To make a bitem link you simply type in {bitem:xxxxxx} and replace the x’s with the item number. So for item number 901810 you would write {bitem:901810}. It has to be written in this exact format for the link to work. Notice that there are no spaces in the link and that it uses "{" and "}" not "(" or ")". When you save your writing on writing.com, whether it be through saving a static or book item or posting in an interactive, it automatically converts your bitem text into a link. Here’s what the bitem link to a static item with this information in it looks like:
The bitem link is for items only. Individual forum posts and book entries cannot be linked in this way. Images can be, but the picture will not show up unless you use the image link, the bitem link will provide a doorway to the item that holds the image. For more information on linking and other WritingML tags, look at the navigation bar on the left of every writing.com screen which says Site Navigation Click on Author Tools and select Writing ML Help from the pull-down menu. Your Challenge This Month: I challenge myself as I’m challenging you. I’ll share my story behind participating in this challenge in my next issue. Reach out and connect with a new person on writing.com. This person can be new to the site or just new to you. You could start a conversation in scroll, visit a new forum, add to an in and out or interactive story, or review a piece; be friendly and have fun. ** Image ID #971386 Unavailable ** 
Here are some places to visit which may help you get to know other members here on writing.com. All of these links are in bitem format, by the way.
There are some great links in the Site Navigation menu also.  Under "Gift Point Tools" check out the Angel Resources. Under "Item Jumps" check out the Read a Newbie link. Submit an item for consideration in this newsletter! http://www.Writing.Com/main/newsletters.php?action=nli_form  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! http://www.Writing.Com/main/newsletters.php?action=nli_form Don't forget to support our sponsor!
 Last month’s challenge was to read someone else’s writing out loud to yourself, by yourself, just for fun. I read Bruce Coville’s book Into the Land of the Unicorns aloud. This in particular was fun to read aloud because the language was simple (so I did not stumble over the words) and the content was excellent. I found myself making unique voices for Squijum the monkey-squirrel, Dimblethum the man-bear, and Lightfoot the teenage unicorn. Thank you for your feedback! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ tavner   said:I'm glad I'm not the only one who loves to read aloud. While my family thinks I'm a bit off center, I find that I enjoy the story just a little bit more. I love the lyrical quality to be found in most works and I have found myself relating more to the emotion of pieces by releasing the words from my head and bringing them into the real world. Excellent newsletter!!! Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ mousybrown said: What an informative newsletter. Thanks for all of the tips. Janne ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ edenselement said: Wow! Thanks so much for including my poem "Flower Baby" in the suggested "Editor's Picks" area. I've already received more input and reviews. It was really great to se my poem here! Allegra ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Tammy~Catchin Up~  said:Great newsletter!! I r/r alot and I read aloud almost every poem...I think to give a good review of poetry one must read it aloud. Tammy ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ demor said: I couldn't agree more about the value of reading your work out loud. More than anything else, it reveals flow problems that merely editing doesn't find. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Cece Redmond said:My journalism professor taught us to always read out our stories out loud as you said to let our tounges find the glitches that our eyes cannot discern. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ schipperke said: Excellent newsletter, Megan! I feel funny reading outloud! Guess I am not used to the sound of my own voice Good idea, however! Shy Schip ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ mithrandir  said:Thanks for another thought provoking Newsletter! It's always nice to be reminded of "new" ways to read. There can be a difference when writing for the page versus writing for the ear. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ "Invalid Item" by A Guest Visitor Have a question or comment for the Editor? http://www.Writing.Com/main/newsletters.php?action=nli_form
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