Joe Flood

Month: May 2009

  • Murder in Ocean Hall – Where'd the Idea Come From?

    Since I finished writing Murder in Ocean Hall, I’ve gotten questions from friends and family regarding the book. Creating something from nothing seems enough of a magical act to inspire some questioning. The question I’ve gotten most is:

    Where’d you get the idea from?

    I originally planned to write a much different book, something much more serious and literary. It’s a manuscript that I’ve worked on for three or four years and exists on my laptop as a mix of disparate scenes and ideas that have never quite come together. The novel that I had in mind was a much grimmer story, about DC during the summer before 9/11. The book is about people chasing success, unaware that their world is about to be undone.

    Finishing that big serious book was my plan. It’s why I decided to leave my government contractor job. (more…)

  • Murder in Ocean Hall – Update

    Just a quick update to let people know where I’m at with my book.

    I finished writing Murder in Ocean Hall at the beginning of April. It’s a murder-mystery about a controversial explorer who’s killed in the Smithsonian’s Ocean Hall, when a giant replica of a whale falls from the ceiling and crushes him. It’s up to a cynical DC detective to solve the murder of a man who was equally admired and hated among scientists and explorers.

    There really is whale hanging from the ceiling of Ocean Hall – go check it out.

    The book was loosely inspired by the three years I spent working as a web site manager for NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. Of course, no one was murdered while I worked there but a lot of what I learned about ocean exploration, government bureaucracy and the occasionally big egos of people in the field has made it into the book.

    I’m represented by Stuart Chang of Samara Literary. I’ve known Stuart for several years – we used to be in a writers’ group together – so I was really happy that he agreed to be my literary agent. Samara Literary will be focusing on DC authors. I’ve signed a six-month contract with the agency. Literary agents work like other types of agents – they get paid a percentage, if the book gets sold.

    I’ve submitted the manuscript to Stuart and he’s gotten back to me with some excellent edits and suggestions that I’m in the process of making. A select group of readers has also provided invaluable feedback. After I get the book in final shape, we’ll start looking for a publisher.

    This is the beginning of the long process of getting the book published. Coming from a career in web site development, the publishing world seems positively antiquarian with its lengthy lead times and schedules. If we sold the book today, it would be a year before it’s in stores.

    But I’ve done the hard part – I wrote the book – so I’ll keep pushing on. 

    I’ll let you know what happens next!

  • Lessons from a Webby-Winning Web Site

    I was excited to learn that The Nature Conservancy won a Webby for their web site, nature.org. They beat out the competition (which included the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation!) in the category of Charitable Organizations Nonprofit.

    I worked on nature.org from 2003-2005 as a Web Producer. I think it’s a great site though, of course, I’m hopelessly biased ;)

    Nature.org was recently redesigned but it follows a core set of design principles that I think helped it win the Webby. If you look at past screenshots of the site, these principles have been pretty consistent over the years. They include:

    • Excellent use of white space. Text on the home page is given room to breathe, making it easier for people to scan down the page and absorb what’s on it.
    • Strong photography. What sells nature? Great photos of nature. The photos selected for the site are more than just pretty pictures, they tell a story.
    • A consistent color palette. Using the same set of well-matched colors across the site provides a consistent experience, one that underscores that this is a professional, well-designed site.
    • Third-party validation. The home page features endorsements from the Better Business Bureau and Charity Navigator.
    • Concise copywriting. Many nonprofit web site are either hopelessly wordy or incredibly vague. In a limited amount of space, nature.org manages to communicate what the organization is about and how you can get involved.

    Note how simple this is. Readers aren’t overwhelmed by flash animations or crowded blocks of content. This simplicity is a design choice that has paid dividends for The Nature Conservancy.