Run Towards Giant
Becoming a Giant Squid
I joined Squidoo on Nov 1, 2010. By the end of November, I had already published 60 lenses, and had one in tier 1, 5 in tier 2 and most of the rest in tier 3. I am going to defend my dissertation in early Feb 2011, so I did not want to apply for Giant Squid by Dec 31, thinking that I really should be focusing on finishing my degree.
I have had a really nice reception on SquidU, which has given me the confidence to step out of my knitting niche into other topics that interest me. Yes I have a lot of lenses, but if I saw some of them in the Critique Me forum, I would have a lot of things to suggest. The lenses that I feature here are ones that I feel truly proud of.
The next Giant Squid deadline will be March 31, 2011, and I had planned to wait for this deadline. Feedback that I received through this process convinced me to through my name in the hat for the Dec 31 deadline. In this lens, I will be describing my journey towards to becoming a Giant Squid. What lenses do I have that could be considered "great"? I am receptive to any feedback any of you may have.
On January 6, 2011 I received the "Congratulations! You're one of our newest Giant Squids!" email! I did it!!
Title Mosaic created with Andrea Mosaic. See my lens for more information.
Keeping track of my "greatness"
I am going to turn a critical eye to my lenses, and add the best of the best to this lens. As of the creation of this lens at the end of November, 2010, I do not know how many of the lenses I should consider to be “great”, but I hope to find a few that reach that level!
Are you a Giant Squid?
Are you a giant squid?
I AM GIANT SQUID!!
as of 1/6/2011
50/50 Great Lenses reached 12/29/10
How I plan to reach Giant Squid status
My outline, "Squidoo to do" (screen shot of the preview with multiple pages). I have many ideas on how to improve my lenses, but don't necessarily have time to complete them right away. I have a word document where I have (most) of my current lenses or future ideas listed so I can flesh them out. When I am stuck without internet, I can write and think about how I will craft a lens, making the actual assembly happen much faster.
How long did it take you to get 50 lenses? - They may not be great, but they're made!
Approximately how long did it take you to make 50 lenses?
How did I get to 50 lenses so fast?
A question I've heard a lot this week
This week, a few users have asked me how I have been able to accomplish so much on squidoo in such a short period of time. I decided that I should share some of my story with you here.
I've been blogging for over two years, and through this writing I have accumulated a lot of content; book reviews, links to free knitting patterns, free patterns of my own design, and photos of these projects. This made the creation of knitting lenses really simple, since I already knew the resources I could draw from. Applying the style I have for knitting projects to other crafts, or even gift guides, was simple. I keep a word document with ideas for new lens topics. When I have ideas for modules or content for within that lens, I add it to the outline. When I feel like creating a new lens, I go through this outline and choose a topic. If I am without internet and bored, I go and write some introduction paragraphs. All of this helps keep writer's block at bay.
I have yet to choose a lens topic that requires substantial research before I can start working on it. This has allowed me to create a number of lenses really quickly. I am also working really hard to procrastinate on my dissertation. I am at the point in my thesis where I am working on editing photos (changing fonts of legends, making things consistent from chapter to chapter) so my discovery of squidoo has provided a welcome break.
Today is my 1 month birthday on Squidoo. I was thrilled when some seasoned lensmasters thought that I was a veteran. This must mean that I'm doing something right!
We're Half Way There - Livin' on a Prayer
25/50... I'm half way there! And I'll make it, I swear ;)
My Harry Potter Knitting Patterns lens earned a purple star on 12/06/2010!
My Dyeing Yarn with KoolAid lens earned a purple star on 12/08/2010!
I give up!
After receiving two purple stars in two days, I gave up on my plan to wait until March 31, 2011 to apply to be a giant squid. I turned in the Giant Squid Application on 12/9/2010. What's the worst that can happen?
The Application is Submitted!
In Your Opinion...
Is a lensography of my lenses I consider great a great lens?
Disclaimer
I am calling these featured lenses "great" but this is just my personal opinion. I will never know if these or others are considered great by the powers that be. Hopefully I will inspire you to share your own journey to Giant status.
My Chemistry of Hope lens earned a purple star on 12/22/2010!
"We are hoping to notify the new Giant Squids and Top 100 Club by Friday, January 7th..."
My Harry Potter Knitting Patterns lens was selected as Lens of the Day on 1/06/2011!
"We had hundreds of applications this round and raised the bar in our search for Squidoo lensmaking excellence. And you didn't just meet it; you vaulted over it. Thanks for the wonderful work, dedication, and for believing in what you can do here."
January 6, 2011 - I am a giant squid!
What do you think?
Now that I've reached the end... Do you think I have 50 great lenses?
Writing is a very personal process, and each of us have different preferences for what is a good lens. I welcome any critiques and suggestions you have to help me achieve the Giant Status.
