[For those of you just tuning in, this is based on the 301 Lists that Darren Rowse’s List Group Writing Project brought together. You’ll find Chapter 1 here –> A List Becomes 301 Links in Story ââ¬â Chapter 1 ]
Taking the Missives to Rue Dante
“I guess I’m coming,” Lizzie said. “Where?”
“10 Rue Dante,” Hal said, still walking. Read these on the way there. He handed her Starting a Blog? Here Are 8 Different Blogging Business Models, Breaking the News To Your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Customers, and The Top 10 (heck, maybe more) Streaming Piles Even I Canââ¬â¢t Believe I Sat Through!
“I don’t like the looks of these. I don’t like the sound of that address.” Lizzie didn’t like the sound of Hal either. Suddenly Hal didn’t sound like a guy from Kerrville, Texas.
“Here, take these Ten Essential Tools for Beginning Web Developers, 14 Accomplishments of a Newbie Blogger, and Comments that have Fertilized the Inadvertent Garden. You’ll need them.”
“What’s this about?”
“You’ve heard of ProBlogger’s List Meme? We’re being tested.
As they walked through the back streets, they were stopped by black market vendors — the worst kind — list dealers. Lists go for a lot in the blogosphere. Traffic in lists is big business.
An old woman with a broken briefcase shouted, “Setting Up a Home Office – 5 Things You Need and 5 Things You Want” at them.
“Buying a Car the Right Way,” said a guy from a junker.
“Keep walking and look ahead,” Hal said, sounding more like Jack Bauer.
“You’re not from Texas, are you?” Lizzie said, while some guy tried to hand her Blogger Beta – 8 new features and 8 new issues.
“No, acutally I’m from Canada,” Hall answered. He started down a dark and bending back street filled with trash and lined with parked Smart cars. Lizzie kept bumping into rearview mirrors that drivers forgot to fold in.
Hal stopped to consider the direction. Then he continued on. Lizzie continued bumping into errant mirrrors.
“Buy my pamphlet please, madame!” said an orphan waif. “In no time you will be Quickly Greening Your New Home with that handsome man of yours. We’re having a special on this bestseller, “Move your bowelsââ¬â¢ and other sage travel (writing) tips. Buy BOTH and you’ll get three more: Top researchers list 11 reasons behind the blog pandemic, Top 3 Reasons YoUââ¬â¢L Love Ordered Lists, and Advice on Buying a Car the Right Way.”
“Canada?” said Lizzie. “Oh man, Canadians know everyone everywhere.”
Hal walked on. It’s as if he wasn’t listening, probably because he wasn’t.
A Romanian woman with a smiling, dancing child, both of whom were dressed in gypsy regalia, stepped out from a darkened doorway with a crystal ball saying, “What are your online creations and activities next to your weblog? Pay us and we will protect you from them.
“Don’t look. Don’t answer.”
“Your name isn’t Hal either is it?”
“That’s right. It’s not,” the man who wasn’t Hal said.
“Homeless kid from the local orphanage,” Ex-Hal said. “Probably poses nude in the art schools near here.”
“Here, Here, Get these! How to Ruin Your Corporate Blog: 100 Tips by 10 Bloggers,” “Post 9/11 Neologies,” “Making a Site Inaccessible – Things I used to Do,”
“Good French men gone bad.” Un-Hal shook his head. “Obviously, we’re geting closer.”
.
Then they seemed to meet the devil himself. “Beware. See the Signs of the Upcoming Blogamageddon and 20 Things Every Blogger Should Know to Prevent it”
Finally the two pseudo-spies were in the light again, standing in front of 10 Rue Dante. It was a tall brownstone sort of building, filled with a creepy sort of mystery.
“Stop right now.” Lizzie demanded. She raised her voice, even though she was the nice one. “I need to know before I go one step further who are you really and what do you do?”
“My name is . . . ”
“Wait. I know you. You’re the president of b5media — the guy who was denied entry into the U.S. because he told customs he’s a blogger.”
“Jeremy. Jeremy Wright.”
“You wrote THE book —Blog Marketing. You also wrote the list of List of IE7 CSS Bug Fixes. They talk about that everywhere — even in the women’s bathroom at Blogher.”
“Ahem, Lizzie, -er let’s go across the street to that cafe. What we’re about to do is serious. It involves the fate of the blogosphere. I think I need a mojito.” Jeremy. Jeremy Wright said.
The two travelers tied in techical treachery took a trip to El Tapatio.**
What Lizzie heard there was amazing, astonishing, and awe-inspiring.
The tale that Jeremy, Jeremy Wright related started with two names . . . and a List made by 301 Bloggers — an Innocent Group Writing Project suggested by Darren Rowse.
“It seems the list inspired an international Television Event,” Jeremy, Jeremy Wright said. “It starts tomorrow, and you’re the host.”
“I’m the what? No Way.” Lizzie stood almost knocking over a dry, delicate, caramel citrus cognac.
“We figured you’d say that.” Jeremy, Jeremy Wright explained standing as well. “That’s why the subterfuge. Tonight I’ll show you the studie at 10 Rue Dante. Tomorrow we’ll meet there, and the game show will begin.”
What were the two names Jeremy told?
That’s what you find out in ——————————-> Chapter 8
–ME “Liz” Strauss
**What was a Mexican restaurant doing in Paris on Rue Dante? . . . I didn’t know a French word that started with a T that might be a place that serves a mojito.
Related Articles
A List Becomes 301 Links in Story ââ¬â Chapter 1
301 Links in Story ââ¬â Chapter 2 Lizzie Meets Fred
301 Links in a Story ââ¬â Chapter 3 Lizzie Reaches the Paris Hilton
301 Links in a Story ââ¬â Chapter 4 Lizzie, Jean, and Etch-a-Sketch
301 Links in a Story ââ¬â Chapter 5 Lizzie, Americans, and French Bread
301 Links in a Story ââ¬â Chapter 6 Intrigue and Romance