Tag: wp.me

20120320-Daily Post

On the Road by Erica V. on March 20, 2012

• plan for a series of posts later | Of course, it’s much safer than blogging while driving behind the wheels.
• use post formats | I’ve submitted my ideas to the Android Forum on narrowing down the fields to each type of formats. So far there’s no response to my reply
• write your blog posts in a plain text file | I really don’t use Word documents all that much and find plain text does a fine job.
• brainstorm | That’s all I do — “zone out” and think too much. That’s creating a short-circuiting of my mind, which gets tired and forgetful recently.
• using your smart phone | Yup. It’s my only toy that I take with me everywhere. So, yeah, I’m being tracked and/or monitored, too.

20120322-Daily Post

The Oxford Comma by Daryl L. L. Houston on March 22, 2012

So, where do you stand on the Oxford comma, and what’s your rationale? I’m very much in favor of it.

• I’ve gotten used to leaving out the Oxford comma because the conjunction “and” already separates two items. I’ll also get used to leaving out that conjunction if I were to use the Oxford comma. Not being lazy, but eventually we will learn to shortcut everything to get our point across.

20120327-Daily Post

Blogging for a Cause by Erica V. on March 27, 2012

What causes are you passionate about?

• Political/governmental/enforcement reforms, responsible globalism/environmentalism/conservationism (wildlife, animal, plants, mineral), hopeful opportunities for us bottom feeders/free loaders…

20120329-Daily Post

I Wish I May, I Wish I Might by Daryl L. L. Houston on March 29, 2012

Here are my sample sentences:

• I may wish to volunteer my service in the Forums because I have time to spare.
• But I might wish to contact someone who knows how to get things done properly.

20120403-Daily Post

Comment Community by Erica V. on April 3, 2012

So, how can you foster an active commenting community on your blog?

• making it easy to comment | Done. I’ve set mine to the default of 14 days and
• moderate all comments | Done. I set mine so all comments are reviewed before Approved, by moi.
• reply to all comments | My bad! I’ve not replied to ALL comments because I’m not smart enough to add to my own opinions/comments that were left intelligently.
• ask questions | Done. I’ve asked questions from at least one smarter commentator, who has technical knowledge in computer and such.
• ask their readers to leave comments | Nah. I don’t like begging.

20120405-Daily Post

In Uffish Thought by Daryl L. L. Houston on April 5, 2012

Well, I don’t know anything about Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwocky” or how anyone could understand fractured nonsense from a mind-controlled victim such as Alice (in Wonderland).

20120410-Daily Post

Viral Spiral by Erica V. on April 10, 2012

Honestly, I NO longer participate in social networking sites and/or OPEN forum discussion board. I have since deleted most of my username/identity and will refocus/dedicate myself on WordPress.com. The only distractions are checking my empty emails and the few articles on my online reader. Why, FLYNN? I’m busy at home with chores and gardening. See? There’s life away from the computer and from off my buttock.

20120412-Daily Post

Rules for Writing by Daryl L. L. Houston on April 12, 2012

So, do any of these rules for serious fiction writers strike a chord with you? What are your own rules for writing (fiction or otherwise)?

1. “The reader is a friend, not an adversary, not a spectator.” Agree. I guess that’s why I blog because it’s difficult to “find” friends” who are willing to stick around for a while. Adversaries fight for nothing; while spectators take up bandwidth.
2. “Fiction that isn’t an author’s personal adventure into the frightening or the unknown isn’t worth writing for anything but money.” Disagree. My favorite [ahem] author happened to have written many “fictional-based” material that include his personal adventures that are frightening and unknown. He had made lots of money but now begs because he drank his “Cool-Aid”.
3. “Never use the word “then” as a ­conjunction – we have “and” for this purpose. Substituting “then” is the lazy or tone-deaf writer’s non-solution to the problem of too many “ands” on the page.” Disagree. Using the conjunction “and” to connect two sentences is too harsh; whereas utilizing “then” gently leads the reader into the next event.
4. “Write in the third person unless a ­really distinctive first-person voice ­offers itself irresistibly.” Disagree. I find speaking and blogging in the first person easier though rather self-absorbed. Writing in the third person distances the author from a personal point of view and no one would dare question someone with multiple personalities. That’s scary.
5. “When information becomes free and universally accessible, voluminous research for a novel is devalued along with it.” Dis/agree. Without the internet, I’d be stuck with outmoded data and a rotting mind that knows nothing beyond itself. But too much data can add confusion to a simple solution and so far no one could seem to agree on anything.
6. “The most purely autobiographical ­fiction requires pure invention. Nobody ever wrote a more auto­biographical story than “The Metamorphosis”.” Disagree. You’d be surprise how our current POTUS was an elaborate invention to “transformational change”. His plan truly worked (as per his recent speech yesterday). The “shapeshifters” have truly outdone themselves this time.
7. “You see more sitting still than chasing after.” Disagree. If you know how to do those OBE, you’re lucky. But it’s more fun to get up; to observe and take notes and “then” to sit still and blog about what you saw/heard/sensed.
8. “It’s doubtful that anyone with an internet connection at his workplace is writing good fiction.” Disagree. I didn’t know writing could be this much fun. Without the internet, I wouldn’t realize how much time/effort/energy is spent on “creating” a “fictional environment” behind a personal computer and/or as an anonymous blogger.
9. “Interesting verbs are seldom very interesting.” Disagree. When I don’t recognize any word, my curiosity is activated; so that I end up reading more on word definition/usage and lag behind on the original reading material. The more fanciful the verbs the more I wonder if the story is real.
10. “You have to love before you can be relentless.” Disagree. I have loved and now refuse to budge from my seat of resentment, which fuels my blogging experience unfortunately enough to remove me from participating in creating a bridge to nowhere.

20120417-Daily Post

National Poetry Month by Erica V. on April 17, 2012

How will you celebrate National Poetry Month?

• I missed this year. Maybe next year I’ll post a poetry each week. Writing “haiku” seems easy and short enough for starters, like me.

20120418-Daily Post

Roundup of great advice on blogging by Scott Berkun on April 18, 2012

What other advice are you looking for that goes beyond using specific features and tools?

• Well, I need direction on my personal blog, which include politics, relationships, religion and other controversial rants and those are becoming boring and no one wants to comment on boring blogs. I don’t really care about getting more traffic or page views.
• Initially I wanted to turn my precious blog into a book or at least find a WordPress.com theme that allows for “pages” to turn according to categories.
• So now I’m thinking about starting a photoblog but the features and tools found in the “edit mode” are limited to my needs. So that project is still on the shelf.

20120419-Daily Post

Pre-Writing by Daryl L. L. Houston on April 19, 2012

So I’ll put to you a question: What kind of pre-writing do you do, if any, and how important is it to your process as a writer?

• My only recent “pre-writing” is jotting down short notes on the Memo app of my smart/cellphone. This part of the rant is important because I have other things to do before entering my notes into a blog.