Amy G. | Digital Writing 101

ALSO POTENTIALLY RELEVANT: How to make images web-ready (cropping and resizing in Preview) and How to annotate PDFs (in Preview). Change the Default PDF Reader to Preview Preview is a …

NOTE: Apply the steps below only to images you created from scratch or that you have a legal right to re-use, as described on: GUIDE – Finding Images You Can …

RELATED HELP PAGE: HOW TO – Put your file into a shared folder on Google Drive You can upload files to Google Drive or create them using one of Drive’s …

SLIDE VERSION ARTICLE VERSION WRONG WAY Pasting a plain URL is the wrong way. WordPress will not automatically turn URLs into clickable links, the way Facebook and G+ does, so …

I created this help page for students who will be making video blog entries or video interviews for the first time, using iMovie ’11. The steps below are very basic …

RELATED HELP PAGE: HOW TO – Add a shortcut to a shared folder to My Drive (for easy access) Everything you upload to Google Drive or create using one of …

If you make your audio essay in GarageBand, you will need to export it as an mp3 file before you can share it with the class (on the blog or …

NOTE: This help page is still under development, but I wanted to go ahead and post it to benefit current students who are working with audio. Recorded a podcast track …

Browse the categories on the sidebar to find help pages on a variety of topics related to writing in digital environments.

For more info about the purpose of this site, see the About page in the top menu.

NOTE: Posts below are not shown in chronological order. The first dozen or so are sorted by popularity, and the remaining and sorted by topic.

If you do a test screencast and discover it has no audio, try the steps below. CHECK YOUR QUICKTIME SETTINGS Choose “New Screen Recording” from the QuickTime Player File menu. …

FYI: I wrote this handout for my Fall 2015 students, to help with the specific issue of using a page for journal entries rather than posts. For general info on …

RELATED RESOURCES: HOW TO – Set up your new WordPress.com blog (covers one-time steps in the setup process) RESOURCES – Get more help from the WordPress.com Help Center This …

RELATED RESOURCES: HOW TO – Use your WordPress.com blog for class (covers day to day uses) RESOURCES – Get more help from the WordPress.com Help Center This help page …

RELATED RESOURCES: HOW TO – Set up your new blog on WordPress.com HOW TO – Use your WordPress.com blog for class RESOURCES – Get more help from the WordPress.com Help …

Although my classes emphasize the use of new media tools for writing and creating visuals, I also encourage students to explore the use of physical materials for sketching and drawing, …

NOTE: I created this help page for my Fall 2015 students. If you follow the tips below, you’ll get the hang of Pixton far faster than if you try to …

MAC USERS If you can print it from your Mac, you can save it as a PDF. This works with nearly all applications, but it’s particularly useful for saving web …

Lauren reflects on the turning point moments on her journey towards becoming an adult woman. (WRTG 3090 – Spring 2015) Behind the Scenes Commentary How did the process of working …

Shelby’s reflections on the healing power of body art. (WRTG 3090 – Spring 2015) Breathing Canvas (a Cowbird story) Behind the Scenes Commentary The interesting thing about publishing a story …

Rachel E. shares her story about “how death can make a child grow up, but even in death there is light.” (WRTG 3090 – Spring 2015) Rachel’s Behind the Scenes …

Kat’s screenplay about a turning point experience in her childhood. (WRTG 3090 – Fall 2014) You Can’t Always Get What You Want (opens in Google Drive’s PDF viewer)

Shelby’s “turning point” story in the form of an autobio comic Term: WRTG 3090 – Spring 2015

Tools: Hand drawn and inked in Photoshop

A “turning point” graphic memoir by Rachel N. Term: WRTG 3090 – Spring 2015

Tools: Composed in Comic Life

A “metaphorical” autobio comic by Sean Term: WRTG 3090 – Spring 2015

Tools: Hand drawn and digitally inked in SketchBook Pro; laid out in Comic Life

Ali shares the story of how a turning point moment led her to pursue her interest in arts and crafts. (WRTG 3090 – Spring 2015) Blessing in Disguise from alichurchfield

Follow these steps when a weekly assignment page directs you to do so. TIP ON COMPOSING BLOG POSTS: You can compose posts directly in a new post editing box on …

RELATED RESOURCES: The RIGHT Way to Save Images from the Web How to Make Your Images Web-Ready POP QUIZ! Of the following statements, can you spot the only one that’s …

When OS 10.9 (Mavericks) was released, it came with a completely redesigned version of iMovie. I’m referring to it as iMovie ’13, but some users refer to it as iMovie …

Every writer has heard the phrase “show, don’t tell,” but figuring out exactly what that means can take a while. This guide provides a strategy for deciding what to show …

Working on a project that will include audio voiceover? Here’s how to estimate how long the voiceover will be, based on the number of words in your script: Choose a …

If you decide to publish a Cowbird story for your portfolio, you may publish the story as text only or as text plus an audio recording of you reading the …

A “letter never sent” comic, by Marisa Term: WRTG 3090 Fall 2014

Tools: photos she found and modified and laid out using Comic Life

Want to try conveying a message in the form of a comic strip or comic book “short story”? Check out the options below, but also do your own Google searches …

NOTE: This post is under development as of 2/16/15. My WRTG 3020 students will find the same info (minus my sample avatars) on their Class HUB. AVATAR MAKERS Cartoon Style …

The demos below were experiments for students who wanted to incorporate social media conversations in their projects but didn’t want to use their “real” accounts to do so. Turns out …

NOTE: For related posts, browse the tag archive for: screencasting A screencast is a video recording of whatever is displayed on the forefront of your computer screen. Screencasts can be …

For most video projects, you will need to be able to make basic edits to videos you download or create, including cropping and trimming selections, adding title cards and transitions, …

If you’re planning to compose a remix or video commentary, or you need a video clip for some other reason, you’ll probably want to download a copy of a video …

Related resource: GUIDE – Examples of Showing vs. Telling Digital storytelling falls under the larger category of creative nonfiction, which makes use of narrative strategies from fiction and filmmaking. This …

RELATED RESOURCES: HOW TO – Find your Google+ community and set notifications You can share links on our G+ community in several ways. The two most common are directly on …