Simon Rose's Blog, page 218

Words4TheWebwise – Copywriting and Website Design and Development.

[image error]Podcasting Software.

In previous Words for the Webwise (way before Christmas and New Year disrupted everything) I was talking about writing podcasts. If you've been following the series, you'll have a script ready and your mic setup. Now it's time to get the software so you can actually record your voice. There are a number of options depending on what you want to use to record - PC, Mac or even your phone.

With all recording software, audio is recorded into tracks, running horizontally. Time progresses from left to right and often a waveform can be seen in the track you can get an idea of how loud your signal is. The best thing is to plug in a mic and give the software a whirl. We only need a vocal track and a background track (if you have music), so recording is pretty simple.

If your mic is setup properly, and 'Built in mic' is selected in Preferences, you should be able to see the meters jump at the beginning of the first track. There isn't space here to offer a full tutorial on software, but if you have questions feel free to email me.

Audacity (PC/Mac: Free)
Available from http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/
For a free program, Audacity is laden with features, but it is still simple to use and works very well for our purposes.

Garageband (Mac: $14.99)
Once included with iLife, Garageband is now available by itself. Not only is it great for recording multitrack music, it has a specialized podcasting feature. Drag your background music track to the application and a new track is made. After recording a track of your voice, the vocal track will automatically 'duck', or lower the volume of the music everytime the voice kicks in. Grarageband also makes it easy to add links and chapters.

iTalk (iPhone : free)
iTalk is great app for recording your podcast no matter where you are. No need for a mic, or even to have to wait until you're back at the office or at home. You will have to transfer the audio to your computer when you're done, so you can add background music and convert it to an mp3 for uploading.

There are many other options for recording audio, but these are the lowest cost and most useful available. Perhaps you have access to a ProTools studio. Good for you! No matter how you do it, make sure you have an mp3 file when you're done. Next time, we'll upload it to iTunes and get your podcast on the air.


I can be reached by e mail (Contact at nburmandesign.com) and Twitter (@nburmandesign). NBurman Design can be found online at http://www.nburmandesign.com and you can also visit my blog LifeImitatingDesign.

Belugas - New Non-Fiction Title with Weigl Educational Publishers

Belugas, the latest non-fiction title with Weigl Educational Publishers, is part of the Canadian Animals series and is suitable for grades 2 to 4.  [image error]
Canadian Animals offers early readers a compelling look at the animal world. Every book explores the life span, habitat, and family life of an animal in the wild. Colourful and captivating, each volume reveals fascinating facts about the animal's development and behaviour, delves into folklore, and touches on conservation efforts. Website links connect readers to relevant, child-friendly Internet content. 
Schools can order Belugas here online from Librarybooks.com.

Writing Historical Fiction - Classes for Writers in Calgary with Chinook Learning Services

[image error] The Calgary Board of Education provides adult and continuing education through Chinook Learning Services. This winter, I am pleased to be offering the following classes in Calgary.
Writing Historical Fiction - Tuesdays, starting February 22 Do you want to bring history to life? Then you need to know what history to put in and what to leave out. In this course you will examine the writing of historical fiction and the need to fully immerse yourself in a particular time period to make your storytelling more believable. You will learn how to write effective, authentic and appealing historical fiction, how to turn your ideas into compelling stories, understand what exactly defines historical fiction and different historical time periods, how to create believable settings and plausible characters and how research plays a crucial role in the creation of your novel. Historical fiction, when it is done right, when its facts are compellingly used, will take the reader into the story of real people from long ago.
Register now at Chinook Learning Services.

Writing Children's Books - Classes for Adults in Calgary with Chinook Learning Services

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The Calgary Board of Education provides adult and continuing education through Chinook Learning Services. This winter, I am pleased to be offering the following classes in Calgary.
Writing Children's Books - Mondays, February 7 to March 21Examine the writing process from initial concept through to the finished manuscript, including how to turn ideas into stories, the creation of outlines, story structure, character development, the role of research and the importance of editing and revision, as well as examine ways to research and submit to publishing houses.
Register now at Chinook Learning Services.

Author Visits, Presentations and Workshops at Schools and Libraries

Throughout the school year, I offer presentations, readings, author in residence programs and conduct workshops for children at schools and libraries all across Canada, the United States and around the world.
An author visit can be highly inspirational, inviting children to unlock their own creative potential, whatever form that may take, and encouraging them in their own writing. 
Younger students especially are almost always thrilled to meet a published author, particularly if they have read their books.For schools and libraries, I offer a wide variety of presentations for grades three to eight, but can work with grades one and two as well. I cover such topics as where ideas come from, story structure, editing and revision, character development, time travel stories, history and research, plus many other aspects of the writing and publishing world. I will present to around one hundred students at a time, although the smaller the audience the more participation from children, as a rule. We can also look at workshops with smaller groups or individual classes. I am very flexible and able to modify material in consultation with teachers and librarians. 
For my Author in Residence program, I can be at your school for a week or longer. This allows me to cover certain topics in much more depth than would be possible during a regular author visit. I have also worked on playwriting with the Calgary Arts Summer School. Each of my novels can provide teachers with a wide variety of ways to explore projects in the classroom with their students and you may find some suggestions on the Study Guides and Classroom Resources page and class sets of books are also always available from my online store.In schools, I have worked with many special needs students and have experience with children from Calgary's deaf and hard of hearing community.
For a list of available presentations, visit the Presentations and Workshops page. However, please note that this list is by no means exhaustive and I am very adaptable. I am always pleased to work with teachers and librarians to build a group of sessions best suited to your students and also offer workshops for teachers.Contact me directly for details of fees and availability for school and library presentations at info@simon-rose.com.

Olympic Torch - New Non-Fiction Title with Weigl Educational Publishers

Olympic Torch, the latest non-fiction title with Weigl Educational Publishers, is part of the Canadian Icons series and is suitable for grades 1 to 3. 

Along with the famous colourful Olympic Rings, the Olympic Flame and torch are the greatest symbol of the Olympics. The burning flame represents peace, hope and equality for the whole world. So far, the Olympic Games have been held in Canada three times, in 1976, 1988 and 2010. 
The Canadian Icons series explores the various symbols that have shaped the nation's identity. This book looks at the history of the Olympic Torch and its role in Canada. Schools can order Olympic Torch here online from Librarybooks.com.

Writing and Publishing Your Children's Novel - University of Calgary, Saturday, February 26

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Each year, the Continuing Education department at the University of Calgary serves over 20,000 lifelong learners and offers thousands of courses taught by more than 1,000 instructors – all experts in their fields.
Writing and Publishing Your Children's Novel - Saturday, February 26 This workshop deals with getting started as a writer for young readers and the subsequent path to publication. You will examine the writing process from initial concept through to the finished manuscript, including how to turn ideas into stories, story structure, developing characters, the creation of outlines and the importance of editing and revision. You will also examine ways to research publishing houses where you can submit your work, cover letters, synopses and sample chapters.
Learn more about the Writing and Publishing Your Children's Novel workshop and how to register here

Loonie - New Non-Fiction Title with Weigl Educational Publishers

[image error] Loonie, the latest non-fiction title with Weigl Educational Publishers, is part of the Canadian Icons series and is suitable for grades 1 to 3. 


The Canadian one-dollar coin was first introduced in Canada on June 30, 1987. It replaced the one dollar bill, which was taken out of circulation completely in 1989. The coin is called a Loonie because it features a picture of a common loon, a well-known Canadian bird on the opposite side to the picture of the Queen. 
The series explores the various symbols that have shaped the nation's identity. This book explores how the Loonie came to be developed and how it still plays a role in the life of Canadian today. Schools can order Loonie here online from Librarybooks.com.

Writing Historical Fiction - Classes for Writers in Calgary with Chinook Learning Services

[image error]

The Calgary Board of Education provides adult and continuing education through Chinook Learning Services. This winter, I am pleased to be offering the following classes in Calgary.
Writing Historical Fiction - Tuesdays, starting February 22 Do you want to bring history to life? Then you need to know what history to put in and what to leave out. In this course you will examine the writing of historical fiction and the need to fully immerse yourself in a particular time period to make your storytelling more believable. You will learn how to write effective, authentic and appealing historical fiction, how to turn your ideas into compelling stories, understand what exactly defines historical fiction and different historical time periods, how to create believable settings and plausible characters and how research plays a crucial role in the creation of your novel. Historical fiction, when it is done right, when its facts are compellingly used, will take the reader into the story of real people from long ago.
Register now at Chinook Learning Services.

Remarkable People: Nelson Mandela - New Non-Fiction Title with Weigl Educational Publishers

Nelson Mandela is part of the Remarkable People series from Weigl Educational Publishers. 

This series provides an in-depth look at the inspiration, achievements, and successes that define some of the world's best-known people. Informative first hand accounts and stunning visuals will engage and stimulate readers.
Schools may purchase books online here.  You can also learn more about this book here on the Weigl Publishers US website