Stuck For A Topic To Write About? Brainstorm My Way!

I was feeling some pressure about what to write about for my next blog post, and I didn’t like this feeling. It wasn’t writer’s block, exactly, since I wasn’t stuck for a topic to write about (I can write about almost anything!) but I felt like I needed to brainstorm some new ideas. So what I did was this:

Mindmap

I took out my markers and sketchpad and wrote the main topic of my blog in the middle: ME.

Then, because I like colourful things, I began listing different topics all around my main topic.

I added a few lines, a few “clouds” to highlight each category, and this emerged:

I added a few things...

I added a few things…

I had used almost all of the colours by this point, and so I decided to use one more colour to add four more topics at the bottom. Then I thought about what I had already written about, and added them to my mind map. The ideas were really flowing by this point!

Once I filled the page, I stopped. This is what my page looked like when I was finished with it: Read More

Praise…Please?!

Here’s a totally relevant song to listen to while you read this post:

I have been doing some wondering lately. I’ve been wondering if I should write posts more often, or less often, or if I should write whenever I want. Now that people are actually reading my writing, I’m at a different place in my mind than I was when I first began this blog. At that time, I didn’t think anyone would really be interested in what I have to say (my depression at work). Now, I am a blogger, and people are reading and sharing some of my writing! (I love you for doing this, by the way!) I’ve also been wondering if I should do another survey. I got some very good feedback the last time I did one.

To prove that I’ve actually taken a look at the results, and have learned that the majority of you want to hear the honest-to-goodness truth about some of the things I go through, this post is one that will let you in on some of the behind-the-scenes thoughts and actions of my mind, my experiences, and my life. Read More

Post Your Links Here To Promote Yourself and Your Blog!

GET INSTANT ACCESS to 26 Phone Apps that Make LIFE Easier (for blogging or business) JUST CLICK HERE!

Welcome, everyone! I’d like to invite you to post your links to your blogs by doing so in the comment section of this post! I’d also like you to post your Twitter handle, too! (If you are on Twitter, that is!) You might gain some new followers if you do! (I’ve been meeting a lot of new and interesting people lately, and am growing my followers bit by bit! I’m getting good at tweeting properly, relevantly, and usefully, too!)

Here is my old Twitter pic/screenshot:

twitter pic for post

Here is Twitter screenshot/pic a few months later:

This is a screenshot of my Twitter stats as of November 21, 2014.

Here is Twitter screenshot/pic a few months later:

Twitter pic as of Dec 2015

In a few sentences, tell us:

  • what your blog is about
  • what you offer others on your website
  • your Twitter handle

There are two things you should know, too, before leaving me a comment…

The first thing you should know is that I’m hoping to engage people a little further out here in the blogosphere, and create my own little group of awesome bloggers that can interact with one another, who will also become part of the discussions that may happen in future blog posts!

Note that you can choose your level of participation, too. Jump in and participate when you feel like it, with no pressure from anyone, and sit back and observe when you want to, too!

I know that many of you would like more engagement with others, and this is your opportunity to meet someone new, who just might have more knowledge and experience than you, or who might happen to be a really interesting person who you’d like to connect with.

I know that I am looking forward to meeting some new and awesome people! 🙂

THIS IS IMPORTANT

The second thing that you should know is that, in exchange for this free promotion and introduction service to each other, I am requesting that you grab my free ebook to join my mailing list! That way, we can stay in touch, get to know one another, and, most importantly, you can learn from me through my blog posts!

I generally only post once a week, usually on Mondays.

If you just want to promote yourself, and then never read anything I write in the future, that’s totally up to you. I’d also like you to share this with others on your other social networks. I’d really appreciate it if you could help me spread the word, so that I can get to know your “friends,” too!

My Blogs

Laying It Out There is my personal/author site. On it, I share recipes, true stories about my life, some of my poetry, book reviews, and information about self-publishing.

The Blind Writer is another site that is mine. The Blind Writer offers bloggers and writers direction in moving their writing forward, improving their writing and productivity, and improving their vocabulary.

I can’t wait to introduce all of you awesome people to one another this way! 🙂

Let the meeting and promotion of awesome people take place! I’ll start! This is a digital business card for Lorraine Reguly.

Who I Am

My name is Lorraine. I’m a freelance writer for hire, an editor (also for hire), an author, a blogger, and a blogging coach who can help you with your online blogging journey. Hire me to help you figure stuff out! My consulting services are worth every penny!

My expert advice has been sought out by many bloggers. As a result, I’ve been featured in MANY round-up posts. A list of these posts can be found on my portfolio page.

More about me…

I’ve written several short stories, won a short story competition, and am working on other books. So far, I’ve published Risky Issues.  You can learn more about this book by reading about it on Amazon. Ebook Cover - Risky Issues by Lorraine Reguly

 

I also have several mottos. One of my mottos is “Dare to be different!” I believe you should embrace your uniqueness, and love yourself for it. Don’t worry about what others will think of you!

Do you think that people who have changed this world wanted to be the same as everyone else?

N-n-nope. They dared to be different, and they became successful!

You can learn more about me easily.

Visit my websites or find me on social media.

You can also read more about me through this guest post I wrote: RAPE DRUGS AND PROSTITUTION – ONE BLOGGER’S JOURNEY TO SUCCESS.

My Social Media Profiles:

Twitter (@lorrainereguly)

Google + (Wording Well profile)

Google + (Author profile)

Facebook (Writing and Editing Services)

Facebook (Author profile) Facebook (friends and family)

BrandYourself

LinkedIn

about.me

Pinterest

YouTube 🙂

Now go follow my awesome blog (by grabbing my free ebook) or by whichever method you are most comfortable with, and then tell us about YOUR awesome-ness! 🙂

I’ll start with the free ebook!
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How to Use “Click-to-Tweet” Links In Your Blog Posts

pic that says "Tweet this"

Using Click-to-Tweet links in your blog posts will help get your posts shared more often.

Every blogger wants more traffic to his or her blog, and using Tweetables is one way to get it.

There are several ways for inserting Click-to-Tweet links into your blog posts. Some are free, and some cost a small bit of money.

This post will cover these various methods.

If you have a self-hosted blog, you have more options for doing this (including plugins).

If you are a newbie blogger and are blogging for free on a platform such as Blogger or WordPress.com, then your options are limited. But there is still a way for you to insert Click-to-Tweet links into your posts!

All you have to do is execute these 10  easy-to-follow steps in the order that they are listed

This is a long and tedious process, but it works. (This is how I used to insert Tweetables when I was a newbie blogger back in 2013!)

Learn #HowTo insert Tweetable quotes in your blog posts #blogg­ingtip­s #bloggers

Click to tweet

10 Steps to inserting “Click to Tweet” or “Tweet This” links in your blog posts:

  1. Find something worthy of tweeting, and write it in your blog post, such as “Tweeting helps you gain followers!” (Tweet this)
  2. then click on the “get Shortlink” button and copy your post URL’s Shortlink (note that this is for the  WordPress platform; for Blogger, click on Permalink and copy your post URLs permalink) OR simply copy the permalink of your post’s URL, which is found right below the title of your post
  3. then shorten your permalink by going to Ow.ly, which is a URL shortener and copy the shortened URL that it generates
  4. then go to Click to Tweet  and
  5. then type your phrase, in my case, “Tweeting helps you gain followers!”, inside the text box
  6. (optional) add relevant hashtags to your Tweet so that it becomes a Perfect Tweet that will get retweeted!
  7. then paste the link generated by Ow.ly after this phrase and add via @yourtwitterhandle which, in my case is via @lorrainereguly (you don’t have to do this, but when you are on Twitter and are checking your @ mentions/notifications, you will be able to see how many people are actually Tweeting your Tweetable links)
  8. then click “generate link” and copy the URL it gives you
  9. then go to back to your blog post and type “Tweet this” in brackets (like I did in step one) after the phrase you want your readers to tweet,
  10. then highlight the words “Tweet this” and use the link icon to add the link you just copied from Click to Tweet so that when your readers click on “Tweet this,” they will be connected to their Twitter account and a textbox that is pre-populated with the phrase “Tweeting helps you gain followers!” and the link to the post that you are writing!

Make sure that you click on the “open link in new window” so that your readers don’t leave your website.

You can also change the color of the text (like I did) if you want it to stand out and really catch your reader’s eye.

If you are able to follow these simple instructions, you should have absolutely no problem adding “Tweet this” to your blog posts!

Other Methods for Using Click-to-Tweet Links

You could use a service such as Click-to-Tweet.

Of course, you could always try to figure out what Ana Hoffmann was trying to say in her instructions for how to do this, if you have an understanding of code and how coding works… or maybe Ramsay’s post, How to Add a “Click to Tweet” Link to Quotes Within Your Posts might help you gain a better understanding.

You might also want to use one of these recommended plugins (if you have your own, self-hosted site like I do now).

You can also use a plugin called Tweet Dis. (This is an affiliate link.)

I love TweetDis. It has a lot of options, looks nice, and has many neat features you can use.

Learn how to insert Tweetables into your blog posts. #newbie #bloggers

Click to tweet

Tweet Creation

Another tip to remember is to make your Tweets as short, or succinct, as possible so that when they are Re-Tweeted, or RT’d, there will be enough room in the 140-character box for all of the characters!

(Twitter adds the name of the person who is Re-Tweeting your Tweet TO THE TWEET. This is why you need to leave at least 15-20 characters free!)

Include a hashtag relevant to the topic of your Tweet, too, to increase the visibility of your Tweet.

Note that it is common practice to put it at the end, and to use no more than two hashtags, although sometimes people use three.

Learn how to insert a Tweetable quote in your blog post #bloggers #socia­lmedia

Click to tweet

Please Tweet this, and leave me a comment if you found this information useful!

Thank you! See you in the comment section… or on Twitter!

By the way, I will accept donations if you feel like thanking me for this information!

The Liebster Award: The Official Rules + My First Blog Award and a Few Personal Secrets Revealed

liebster2 liebster3

The Liebster Award – General Info and Rules

Most bloggers, at some point, have heard of or received the Liebster award, unless you are a newbie! From the extensive searches I have conducted in my attempts to learn about this award, I have visited a bunch of blogs and gleaned the following information:

  • This award exists only on the internet, and is given to bloggers by other bloggers.
  • It has German origins – the word “liebster” has several definitions: dearest, sweetest, kindest, nicest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, welcome, sweetheart and boyfriend (really?)
  • It follows similar principles as a chain letter, in the sense that it should be passed forward to a certain number of people.
  • It can be misconstrued, depending upon your personal views, as either something wonderful (who doesn’t like awards?) or as an annoyance (a chain letter that involves work).
  • The choice lies within each of us to ACCEPT it, and continue PAYING IT FORWARD or to refuse to accept it, thereby STOPPING or INTERRUPTING the chain. However, if you stop the chain, you are only hurting yourself (keep reading for benefits you will have)!
  • Personal views play an important part in our choice to participate. Some people have refused to accept it and have made attempts to “break the chain”. There have been many people who have been nominated, yet refused to accept it, and now their blogs have been abandoned.
  • Variations have been made over time to the “rules”.
  • Marketing plays a role in accepting this award, as other bloggers are promoted. (This is not a bad thing, however, since people should help others!)
  • Other awards are a part of the whole “meme“. These include “One Lovely Blog Award”, the “Sunshine Blog Award” and the “Versatile Writer Award”.

It is said that the Liebster award was created to recognize and/or discover new bloggers and welcome them to the blogosphere. In the digital world of the internet, this seems like a nice gesture, in my opinion! Read More