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July 1, 2014

50 000 Emails? On Canada Day?

Ever try to take a vacation from your computer – but couldn’t for fear of your email piling up?

Ever get so many email notifications that you wanted to pull your hair out – but didn’t? (Sorry, baldies, I mean no offense.)

Vacation Emails

I think that most email programs allow you to alert others that you are going on vacation. I know that in gmail, all you have to do is

go to your settings (the “gear” icon) and then
go to your vacation responder setup to create your message and set your settings, shown in the image below:

Tons of Emails + NO TIME = Frustration!

If getting excessive amounts of emails or email notifications is your problem (as it was mine for a long time as a newbie blogger), then you need to learn how to hit the “unsubscribe” link – or at the very least, adjust your settings on every site you belong to.

I just wrote a guest post on this very issue, complete with screenshots and instructions on how to find your “settings” on many different sites.

I’m not going to re-hash it all here for two reasons. One, it’s Canada Day (akin to the USA’s 4th of July) and I am taking the day off!

Two, I seriously am stressed out and tired right now. (I’ve been trying to do 50 000 things this week, including dealing with “old” emails – which I am filing into their appropriate folders and/or deleting.) I’m frustrated because I’ve been trying to do this for weeks. Each day I make a little progress, but I still feel like the numbers are not decreasing fast enough!

However, progress is progress, and I’ve cut down the amount of emails I get by following the steps outlined in How to Cope With Massive Amounts of Email Notifications.

FYI, as Greg’s monthly contributor, I was paid to write this post. 🙂 So you know it’s darn good. 😉

And because I’m going to respond to all of the comments left on said post, I’ll simply send you over there right now to show you how you can cut back on your 50 000 emails before you get 50 000 more.

I’ll even join you in the gripe session at the end. 🙂

[red-button url=”http://www.dearblogger.org/change-email-settings” text=”Read the post on Dear Blogger “]

Happy Canada Day!

[Tweet “Learn how to deal with massive amounts of email EASILY.”]

Photo credit: imagerymajestic from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

June 27, 2014

Blog Awards: What are your views?

What are your views on blogging awards? Do you think they serve a purpose? Have you ever received any?

Please see the end of this post for a few other questions I have for you . . . and please weigh in!

(Note: This was first published as a page on this site. I’ve deleted the page and am republishing it as a post instead, because I’m still proud of my “newbie” accomplishments from last year!)

Awards for l’il ol‘ me?

Wording Well used to be called Lorraine Reguly’s Life (back when I was a newbie blogger). Lorraine Reguly’s Life received many awards. I’m proud of them all, too! 🙂

What awards are for

Awards seem to be mainly for “new” bloggers, don’t they? Newbies are recognized in the blogosphere through them. Awards provide recognition and inspiration. They are like a pat on the back from an older sibling or parent. They also help you connect with other bloggers, and even offer a new blogger a few backlinks.

What else are awards for? Read More

June 24, 2014

My Son Was In An Accident (a car crash/collision)

On May 17, 2014, my beloved son was in a motor vehicle accident.

The picture of the crashed vehicle (above) was the one my son was driving when he was hit by someone going through a red light. I think it was taken by Randi-Lynn Manduca, but am not entirely sure. (I don’t know why there is a line through this link; perhaps it because it links Facebook page?)

I learned about the accident the day after it happened, on May 18, 2014, and my son said that I could find some pics on this person’s Facebook page. Naturally, as a mom, I cried when I saw the photos but am happy my son lived through it and is still alive.

The truck that hit him is rumoured to be driven by a young man (age 20 or thereabouts) who had just broken up with his girlfriend, was upset, tried to involve her and her mom in a car accident but failed to, and so sped away from her house, accelerating and running a red light as my son happened to be going through a green light on the other street. (Yeah, my lucky, lucky son…)

The truck flipped and rolled, coming to a stop in someone’s front yard. He apparently went to the hospital but is also being charged.

The Psychological Effects

Since the accident – which was reported as a scary crash on our local news site – son has been terrified to drive. He no longer owns his own vehicle (he got rid of his last year), but driving was part of the job he had. I say “had” because two days after the accident, he actually quit his job. He’s still anxious when in a vehicle. He also gets freaked out when riding his bike. Intersections scare him, and I don’t blame him one bit!

Pictures of the Accident

Here are some more pics of the accident, also taken from the aforementioned person’s Facebook page: Read More

June 20, 2014

Dialogue + 4 Things #Authors Should Consider Regarding What Your Characters Know?

Today’s Featured Friday post is a guest post from sci-fi writer Massimo Marino, an award-winning author and scientist. He’s going to talk a bit about dialogue between characters in your novel as well as how they know what they know. He’ll also offer up a few suggestions for authors to consider when creating characters’ personas.

Take it away, Massimo!

The Most Boring Dialogue Ever

Last week I took the tram from CERN to the Cornavin Train Station. It’s a ride of some twenty minutes. At one stop, two young women sat near me. The moment they started to talk I knew they were American: they sprinkled their sentences with “like” and “you know.” I started counting; in five minutes they used the two phrases over a hundred times. “Like — you know — he called and, you know, he said — like — do you want, like, to do something?” “Like what did ya say?” “Like I told him, you know, like…” and on and on and on. Besides wanting to beat the story out of them without all the “likes” and “you knows” it proved me the point that we can’t copy real dialogue. Writers cannot write the way some people talk. Dialogue needs to sound true to the ear — a dilemma at best — and, yes, I admit I eavesdrop all the time, and watch, and have no desire to reform.

But it’s a great way to get story ideas and create personas for characters.

For example, how many times you heard the following conversation? It must be repeated millions of times each day, but it makes for boring reading.

“Hello,” she said.

“Hello,” he said.

“How are you?” she asked.

“Fine,” he replied.

(*Yawn*)

One of the reason dialogues like this fail is because they don’t serve one of a dialogue’s primary purposes: move the story plot forward.

What to Do to Create Knowledgeable Characters

Before learning the ropes, many novices make the mistake of putting in too much information, things the other speaker knows already.

“Honey, I cannot take you to your Auntie Helen’s tonight, who lives next door at 113 Embury Avenue, and is married to your Uncle Ed. The car we bought only last year broke down; the red Mustang I use to drive you to work at the same supermarket as our neighbor, Sam.”

No character would ever talk like that! However, even though I exaggerated, I’ve seen things close to that in the first efforts from writers at their first words, especially in sci-fi stories.

Information should be imparted, but it has to be based on information the other speaker doesn’t know.

June 17, 2014

Lisa Jackson Sent Me An Autographed Book!

Lisa Jackson, one of my favorite authors of all time, recently sent me an autographed copy of one of her books! Can you believe it? (Neither can I!)

How I got an autographed copy of Tell Me:

I connected with Lisa Jackson on Twitter last year. On March 7th, 2013, I opened an email to see this:

I was pleasantly shocked to see that she actually replied to me.

Yes, at the time, I was new to blogging, new to social media, and a starstruck fan.

I had only had my computer for about three months at that point.

Over a year later, I sent her another Tweet. Of course, this is after connecting with her on Goodreads (as friends), and after commenting on and “liking” several of her Facebook posts.

I sent her this Tweet because I wanted to see what would happen.

I honestly wasn’t sure she would reply. But she did. Positively.

As it turned out, we began Direct Messaging one another.

And a month later, I had an autographed copy of one of her latest novels in my hands!

Naturally, I was ecstatic! While I don’t want to say that this book is my most prized possession, I have to admit that I am “old-school” and think that having an autographed copy of one of Lisa Jackson’s book is “groovy,” “cool,” “the bees knees,” “simply right on,” “awesome,” and “fabulous!”

I love my book so much that I actually didn’t even want to read it and ruin it’s value. (Ahem, it’s in mint condition!)

So I posted this on Twitter:

Yep. I bought a digital version of Tell Me.

I’m reading it now, and I’m thoroughly enjoying it – so far.

I’ll be posting a review of it when I’m finished reading it.

Of course, I have a couple of other book reviews to post, too, but you’ll hear/read about them when the time comes (on Featured Fridays).

For now, I just had to brag a bit at my good fortune. 😉

Call me starstruck. I really don’t care.

I love Lisa Jackson. Well, her writing, anyway…

And now I’m following her on Pinterest, too, as she recently joined this site. 🙂

I love authors

I love learning from other authors, whether traditionally published or self-published.

I think all authors should support one another, even if you don’t particularly like their genre, and to prove this point, I have a special sci-fi author being featured this coming Friday! (I don’t like science fiction; never have, never will…)

But I do like suspense novels and murder mysteries.

And now I have an autographed copy of a book written by one of my favourite authors.

Do you???

Share a story about YOUR most prized possession in the comments please!

(FYI, the other two authors who comprise my top 3 faves of all time are Lisa Gardner and James Patterson – and if either of you care to do what the lovely Lisa Jackson did, I’d gladly hold up my end of the deal of Autographed Copies in Exchange for Reviews? Yes! Yes! Yes!)