INTERVIEW WITH JILLI


THE WEBSITE

By:   Scriptress & Jilli

Jilli stood and walked around her chair, that look of intensity returning, then turned to the reporter again, "What also helps to make people comfortable is our website. The two go hand-in-hand.   Every writer can find their level of writing here.   We have writers from 12 years of age to 70 on our webpages.   Anyone can submit their writing."

"Oh, and how does that work?" the reporter asked, pen poised above her small notebook.

"I offer the web space for publishing writing from the writers that come to the channel,   and do most of the work on the website,   though I am fortunate to get help with this sometimes. One of the most successful parts to the site is each writer having their own pages, even an intro page if they have multiple writings, along with a short bio. Also a popular feature is our Christmas Section that is full of the season's feelings and remembrances, each unique from the author's own perspective.

"Yes, I read that page and was very moved."

"The site also gives links to other personal pages by writers, to sites that offer writing as we do, to E-Zines on the web, and we now have a help section for writers that will include everything we can find to help beginning and amateur writers. From the questions we are often asked on the channel, we can see that a section like this will be useful," Jilli continued.

"That's quiet an undertaking. I can't help wondering what is the purpose of the website. I do understand the purpose of the channel now, but why the website too?" the reporter queried.

"Like I said, the channel and the webpages go hand-in-hand. As more writers came to the channel, I began to nourish a dream, of making the writing from these writer's available for others to read. Most of it was so good it seemed almost sacrilegious to me that it would never be read by the public. I thought of 'written's' work hid under a bed and out of sight, I remembered the destruction of my own writing. I wanted the world to see what these writer's had to offer. But again, I didn't know how to acheive this dream, as I didn't know anything about making a webpage or what HTML stood for then."

"What happened?"

"Well at first I tried to get someone to do it for me since I was totally ignorant of how or what to do", Jilli smiled, "but others couldn't understand my dream or purpose, and certainly didn't want to spend the time needed seeing that it came true. They had their own dreams to work toward. I began studying HTML, from the web, and I learned the basics at least. I am still learning, and study as I go when time permits."

Jilli went on, her words coming faster, "For some, this is the only way their writing will ever be read by this large an audience, not because they aren't good writers, you can see they are, but because many will never submit their writing to a publisher, or never finish a novel, and because it is very hard to get published these days. Being a 'good' writer in no way quarantee's publication! Sometimes it's as if the publishes have secluded themselves behind locked doors and challenge you to find the key to get your writing to them. The publishing market is difficult, to say the least."

The reporter noticed the fire in Jilli's eyes and decided to add more fuel to it. "I've heard that it isn't a good idea to put your writing on the web if you ever want it published."

Jilli's head snapped around, her eyes sparking, "No, that isn't true. It isn't a good idea to put something you will submit to a publisher on the web. 'Course not! It deminishes their market. This is what I tell our writers: put a sample of your writing here. A short story, poetry, editorials, essays, book reviews. All writers have something, say a short story, that will never be published. You don't write a novel every time you sit down to write. You can write something expressly to be seen here so that people can see a sample of your writing and how good you are, but no matter how short, make it a finished work."

Jilli's face softened as she laughed lightly, "I like to think we are saying to the world ...'Look at the great reading you would otherwise have missed!   Of course, we have published writers work here also, and are very proud of their writing on our website. It helps us all to realize that being published is a realistic goal, and that 'being published' has more than one meaning also. One lady that has writing on our pages has two books of poetry published, two of our authors write articles for local newspapers, while some are published in on-line E-Zines that pay a nominal fee for their work."

The reporter's pen was flying as she asked, "Do you pay the writers to post their work?"

"No, I pay for the extra webspace so that I can post their writing on the web. It is my gift to the writers and to the world, and I make no money anywhere from posting their submissions, so all expenses is out-of-pocket for me." Jilli smiled. "Right now I have a 30meg webspace with GeoPlus, and I am committed to go to 50megs if needed, to accomplish our goals. Plus the time and work I invest in posting and maintaining the webpages. I don't get paid either."

Jilli sat back down in the chair she had sat in earlier, her eyes on her hands in her lap, "There's something I would like to say here, that I want you to be aware of. I don't have a degree in computer science, or a degree in anything for that matter. I am not a rich entrepreneur. I am an ordinary person. I have no super intelligence or secret way of doing things that makes it any easier for me than it is for anyone else. My educational background is in secretarial/bookkeeping.   There are many people on the writers club smarter than me, and if it wasn't for so many people helping and encouraging me by their support along the way, this all would not be happening.   I could never do all of this without help from others. This is not, nor has it ever been, a one-person accomplishment. Some people help for a while, then drift on, others stay. Each and every one are appreciated for their contributions."

The reporter glanced at her notes, "I think people can see that Jilli." She turned the page on her pad, and asked, "Would you explain how your Round Robin works?"

THE ROUND ROBIN



SUBMISSIONS