October 2015 – Rosepoint Publishing

Time To Learn About Flickr and Creative Commons Licenses

Days of research on the computer have left me blurry eyed with the dizzying array of hosts who would love to have you upload all your pictures large and small to their storage reservoirs. This, in the fervent hopes you’ll upgrade and get all that stuff off your own limited computer, laptop, tablet, and cell capacities. (Okay–there’s another Oxford comma!)

There is everything from MyCloud to ZipCloud and JustCloud. I signed up for the Box.com 10 gig free cloud storage for my files. These could comprise all kinds of files–including videos, financials, spreadsheets and taxes. My Dropbox is currently at 45% of 5.8 GB capacity. I take double pictures of everything–never sure the first will be acceptable. Because this is the digital age, I can take a gajillion pictures–(and do!). I never have to wait and they never have to be developed. I have the power of the “delete” button AND I need photos for my posts.

I like YouTube for video, and other than the one html file, the remainder of my “files” are photos. But I have not found one cloud that will store my html file unless it’s within a website.

I’m a senior: I need it simple.

My Weather Bug is programmed with at least seven locations, all of which when checked come with a beautiful background and usually have the photographer’s name and the notation “©[photographer] on flickr“. I’ve been looking at those pictures and wondering where in the world those were taken. But I keep seeing “Creative Commons” and “flickr”……

Great! Another photo storage host! Flickr will host up to a capacity of 1 TB. WHAT??! Not 5 gigs or 10 gigs–1 terabyte.

According to the internet: “One terabyte is one trillion (short scale) bytes. The unit symbol for the terabyte is TB.” Which is 1,000 gigs! Va Va Voom!

Waiting for the other shoe to drop, I signed up! Why not? I won’t be buying any more little flash drives, the last one of which I’d ordered from Amazon to back up all those files. It came apart after the third use.

You knew it’d get complicated somewhere though, right? Now we have the option of offering any of these photos through a Creative Commons license. There are attribution options out there. And many more photos to share! I love it and I’m sharing two I found today. Hope these have the proper licenses.

Free WordPress Blog Theme

This is a free WordPress Blog Theme–titled “Twenty-Fifteen”. Given that it was actually fairly easy to change out of my old theme, “Beach,” I feel now that I have the power, this theme will be short-lived–no doubt until the end of the year! I know white space is supposed to be a good thing–but this much?

Having been crushed that the clickable file I tried to upload, wouldn’t, I’ve scouted for most of the day for a free host where I could park some html files. This was not a huge file.

I’ve tried uploading a gif before and noted that the action I had programmed in, didn’t. This is getting very frustrating!

Today, I found a number of free html file storage hosts, offering anywhere from 1 to 10 gigs FREE storage with up to a 250 mg upload capacity. Most are geared towards businesses wherein they hope to snag an upgrade or premium account later. Having checked everyone from HiDrive to Box, I finally went with Box only to discover it doesn’t really hold my html file as I’d hoped either. Google Drive is another (obviously giant) host driven toward businesses hoping to get bigger and there is always “the Cloud.” It’s out there–somewhere.

So, apparently, I’m back to the self-hosted website. ARGH! Gotta be an alternative! There must be something I haven’t thought of or tried yet. I will continue to tackle that problem and now I’m thinking it’s time to look into FREE (there’s a recurring theme here as well) #twitter hashtag analyzer/tracker out there. Suggestions? No, not Yoast–apparently this blog (at my level anyway) doesn’t support that app either–I’ve looked.

Wanted: Free WordPress Themes

I Need a New WordPress Theme! (I think)

I liked the (free) theme of this blog, so much so it’s dominated the background since I created the site (and that’s been awhile).

However, I keep getting assailed with bigger and better–that’s what led to publishing my grandfather’s 2nd (and more) novels in the first place; created this WordPress blog, opened (or resurrected) accounts for Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Etsy, Facebook and Pinterest. Is all this really necessary?

Link Images — Yes, these were all clickable–but WordPress doesn’t do html?

I’m still mainly clueless regarding the purpose of half of the above and as I’ve alluded to previously, really don’t know what I’m doing. So it goes that there is a constant need for more knowledge, ever more studies into making the present, better. Yes, I’m one of those that must learn from my mistakes!

Behind the desire to make something more desirable, more topical, create a larger readership, open more channels, craft a better product, I’ve been looking into converting this WordPress blog into a “self-hosted” website. Having read what I could, I’m still not sure of the benefit other than to infuse the coffers of others with my hard-earned Social Security money–all those years contributing my portion of those pitiful paychecks into that which is now being called the “entitlement.” (Guess I missed the benefits–don’t get me started).

Do you have a compelling reason for converting from a regular WordPress blog into a self-hosted website? (Maybe getting it to accept an html graphic?) I’d love to hear it! Since this is not “big business,” I’m thinking maybe I should just do more with the blog I have:

Keep up the writing commitment
Offer a wider content
Continue with reviews (I do still love reading for fun)
Change that old theme

WHOA! I know what you are thinking! (I almost snuck that one in!) “But it has served so well!” Or perhaps, “It was obvious at a glance the blog’s subject.” Okay, the last, arguably so.

Therefore, in keeping with the aforementioned warning [she] “doesn’t know what she’s doing,” I’ll only say this–I’ve been surveying some new theme ideas. Uh Oh.

Commitment to Blog Posts

Day 35: What are you going to do to keep the blogging momentum going? What plans do you have to continue your connection with other Author Blog Challenge participants and the new readers you’ve generated for your blog?

Keep the Momentum Going? Huh?

Dash To Christmas — Can I really add one more commitment to this pile?

This time of the year, I can think of few things I’d need to add to the chaos of the on-coming Christmas-time rush. No doubt it’s my daughter’s fault. Born in the middle of October, she upped the start of the season as her birthday quickly heralds in Halloween, followed closely by Thanksgiving, and in our case Christmas, though I know most people celebrate this time of year in their own way.

My celebration these latter years is just getting through it. For too many years, I tried doing the multi-tasking thing–keeping my regular-time job, but also the decorating, shopping, wrapping, baking, cooking, and cleaning in prep for company (LOTS of it–my hubby is from a large–need I say, Catholic family?). And then in reverse, the clean up, get ready for New Year’s Eve–again clean up. Thank heaven his sisters married, had families of their own, and started taking over the whole routine!

Now my goal is to do as little as possible.

The Author Blog Challenge is being completed with this blog. 35 days.

In the meantime, I published the anthology, which was decided would be the last of the books published for my grandfather. However, in view of the over-whelming need to keep the momentum going and the necessity for continued marketing and sales promotion, I will keep the blog active, but on a scaled back version.

The daily thing was pretty significant–huge contribution of time–and most of the new subscribers were, indeed, participants of this challenge. I greatly enjoyed reading everyone’s posts and subscribed, so they have grown into personal links and will be on-going.

The history with the blog had been extremely spotty–and getting to it was not at the top of the priority list. Realizing the importance of a schedule, however, I will commit to at least two blog posts per week. I’m responsible for one blog post a month to this MeetUp, and as everyone else, will be keeping a separate writing schedule as well as participating in a copywriting effort for ice cream money.

It’s good I have a dog to walk–exercising the fingers doesn’t constitute a complete work-out routine and my back-side doesn’t need to grow (any larger).

How Many “Do-Overs” Do You Have?

How many “do-overs” do you have in your life?

How many of us would choose a “do-over” if the Genie got out of the bottle?

Incredibly lucky, I seemed to have gotten the right life partner right out of the chute–luck–and guidance from above–as I really wasn’t that smart. I met him when I was 17 and only knew what I didn’t want. My first and best decision.

However, when I think of do-overs, mine would be incredibly miniscule compared to the big picture. And mine would mainly have to do with money. Growing up in poverty, I learned to be very careful with money early and, for the most part, guided our family budget. That isn’t to say my hubby didn’t make some of his own grand decisions, leading to several extremely poor financial choices. Do-Over–don’t give away the store!

So I thought in the do-over world, money might be right up there at the top. I was wrong. It goes much deeper.

What about completely changing your destiny?* Wait to get married. Finish school. Choose a different career. We are certainly not the first to want a second chance–the chance to do it “right.” How many books have been written about the subject? Too numerous to count. One of the final works by Jane Austen, “Persuasion,” might be an excellent example.

A quick look into a short poll regarding regrets (not necessarily in order):

Too shy about taking risks (squandering opportunity).
Not having married the right person.
Not having children.
Not keeping your mouth shut about something.
Drugs and/or alcohol.

And the good news about several regrets–some things are never too late to change:

Education–go back to school.
Leaving the downers–you’ve heard the song, “Don’t Bring Me Down”
Standing up for yourself.

We all need and deserve a second chance, a do-over, from time to time.

Carpe Diem

*When further asked if the do-over would change who they are–would they still do-over? The answer was no.

The Mynah Birds Are Mocking Me

Good Grief! Those sounds–what are they?

Every day that I walk my dog, I am greeted with myriad sounds of birds that are way beyond my ability to identify. Every area has it’s contingent of indigenous birds–but in Goodyear, Arizona, what would they be? Guess I’d have to bring in an avian expert as even perusing the web for some idea, I’ve still come up with no clue.

Because of the water features associated with the golf courses, I see a number of water related birds, but these don’t have the call I’d like to identify. I’ve confronted a pair of ornery (burrowing?) owls on more than one occasion. They became rather aggressive when they spied Frosty from aloft, but circling and landing just feet away apparently decided against tackling her as she came with strings attached (me).

Perhaps if I could catch a glimpse of them, it would help to identify if they have a squatty body with short tail, or slim body with long tail, short beak, long beak, colorful body or black. They make a dreadful mess of the sidewalks, but trying to spy them in the branches has been futile. Of course, we have our sizeable population of doves, pigeons, quail, hawks, killdeer, hummingbirds, mocking birds, mud hens, widgeons, blackbirds, sparrows, finches, and even roadrunners.

The cactus wren is the state bird of Arizona. That certainly makes sense, but what sound do they make and are they actually in the neighborhood next door where the cacophony near evening is almost deafening?

Which bird is it that is making me wonder if I’ve teleported to Africa? The only bird I can imagine making all those sounds might be a mynah bird. But is that even possible? Surely they aren’t common or wild around town. Or are they?

Exclusive Content Management Classes

I’ve mentioned before my love of reading, including historical fiction, but then I enjoy most books except porn and vampire–or are those pretty much the same genre these days–not sure. I’m also one who enjoys taking an occasional class, customarily at my local community college where generally the fees are quite reasonable and the courses widely varied and JUST what I’m looking for in an effort to further whatever interest is being pursued at that moment. I usually do quite well in them–except for that JavaScript class previously noted in which my grade of B (not A) was deserved. I struggled with that one! If they awarded “Miscellaneous Degrees,” I’d have won one long ago, taking everything from real estate classes to computer and graphics classes, though it’s become obvious I need to update my graphics programs which would necessitate new classes. It’s a never-ending cycle, this life-long education.

So it was determined recently I needed a few more classes–this time in Content Management, SEO, and Marketing and Social Networking. Mercy! These in addition to the aforesaid graphics programs would set me up fairly well with this blog, as well as give me additional background for the copywriting I’ve tackled on the side, along with the regular promotion of my grandfather’s books which have now been published.

I’ve never had time to get bored–there is always plenty to do!

I popped on the Estrella Mountain Community College website and found that I’d missed enrollment for the Fall Semester, but Spring Semester would be opening in October. Super!

I set up an account, checked for classes and found the perfect two, one online, to begin and added them to my “wishlist”. Of course, then I had to wait until payday to complete admissions and registration.

Online registration is as complicated as at the physical location, however, there is no one to advise you with the proper answers (online) and so began a convoluted effort at filing the appropriate paperwork in which at one point I realized needed to be a year-long Arizona resident to qualify. Additionally, they required you to verify you’d be an Arizona resident through the end of the class. Well, no problem (I thought), as we were living in Yuma in our RV prior to moving here and eventually leasing this apartment for a year, which will be next July. I had to go in to present the appropriate documents.

First, these days you must verify you are a U.S. citizen. That done, I armed myself with lease papers, receipts from our RV rental lot in Yuma, and the U.S. Post Office transfer of permanent resident address to Maricopa County. None of that mattered, however, when they asked for my ID. I presented my driver’s license, which is from Idaho and is valid through March of 2017. On that basis, I was denied the class as an in-state resident ($35.00); but could pay the out-of-state resident fee ($387.00). On Social Security, I had waited until I could pay the $35–but $387? That’s probably our food budget for the month. I’m disappointed and needed to vent. Thank you for listening!

Writing Dialogue That’s Natural

Talking just seems to come naturally–long conversations–no problem. There is the usual he said/she said argument about who talks the most, but I’ve heard men on the phone long enough for it to take root and grow (not that women don’t converse just as long–just that it seems more of a tie).

So what is it about writing dialogue that gets us typewriter-tied?

The problem seems to be one of making it flow naturally or come off as contrived. We’ve all read books in which the dialogue just isn’t believable–others where you might be a fly on the wall listening in to the conversation.

It was suggested that one of the ways to really get into writing dialogue is to go to a very busy place and politely eavesdrop (a shopping mall or Starbucks?). The suggestion was to take down some of the dialogue or create “prompts” to help you remember the conversation. Perhaps in my world, I’d have to take a recorder (the cell phone would do nicely), and just hit the record button. Who knows the tidbits you’d get if you weren’t caught and busted for being a weirdo.

We all have “self-talk” and usually have no problem with the running dialogue. I can carry on a real conversation and answer quite naturally when I’m on my walks with the dog. But to remember it and write it down later; again, just won’t happen. I’ve tried the cell phone thing and recorded dialogue thoughts, plot thoughts, and ideas to research and verify or clarify. Well, admittedly, the latter worked as, again, it would have been forgotten otherwise by the time I got home to pencil and paper or keyboard.

The nice thing about going to a very busy venue is that along with the bits of conversation you’ll catch the accompanying accents, facial expressions, and body language. Those are wonderful to help add real, engaging dialogue. The quiet groans, giggles, hand waving gestures and head shaking, head nodding, eyes closing. The expressions all go a long way in authenticating the dialogue.

There’s an art to painting the picture and creating that conversation. Add the nuances and you have completed the scene in the mind of the reader. It’s about more than just the words. It’s a stage and the characters, the actors. Set them free.