Commenting on Blogspot

Okay if you have a Blogspot blog like I do, you have no idea about this. I sure didn't!

When I first started visiting different blogs and leaving comments, I found it extremely easy to comment on a blogspot blog - well I had one so it was all laid out for me. But that wasn't the case for Wordpress blogs, and I'm not even going into to the ones sponsored by other companies. I got so much junkmail that I have refused to comment on those sites anymore.

At a Wordpress blog, I had to type in all of my data for each new blog as I tried to comment. It was most annoying, but I found that the ones I commented on frequently held my data somehow and only required a small repetition to continue to respond. Not too bad.

As a Blogspot blogger, I kept hearing what a nightmare it was to comment on my site. Especially if they have a CAPTCHA. (Those are the little wavy letters that will prove you're not a robot when you type them in.) I even read in articles of media gurus that they won't even attempt to comment on a site that requires a CAPTCHA. My first thought was, "Gee that's pretty harsh." But as I have now switched over to Wordpress, I have to echo the sentiments.

I have several blogs I follow, where I cannot comment with my Wordpress sign-in. I prefer to use my new blog address. It will have MUCH more to offer than my old site, but the comment box won't allow me to. When I switched over to my Wordpress identity, it just kept saying that my CAPTCHA entry was wrong. Dummy me, I kept trying with each new combination thinking I was sleepier than I thought. Nope, it wasn't me. Finally giving up, I used my blogspot ID and got accepted right away.

The next time I tried, I noted that I could log out of my blogspot ID. Thinking maybe I needed to do that in order to comment with Wordpress I gritted my teeth (can't stand the way google makes me log out of EVERYTHING to switch accounts like google docs!) and logged out, losing my email and calendar temporarily as well.

But that didn't do it. No matter what I tried, I could not leave a comment with my Wordpress ID.

I know I've gotten comments from Wordpress folks on my blogspot. I am SO thankful for their perseverance! I had no idea how difficult it was. Alas I haven't found the correct hoops as yet. Maybe I should return to IE as a browser. Maybe Chrome and Blogspot, and Google in general, are working against the force that is ...

... pressing.

So tell me ... what blogs are easy to comment on and which are difficult? Who knows; maybe it's just me?

Blogger vs. Wordpress

I've worked on Blogger for several years. For the last 8 months, I've been faithfully posting daily blogs and before that, I kept up a weekly scrapbooking blog. I thought I knew Blogger pretty well, but I learned a lot this weekend when I asked folks which they preferred.

I got feed back from all sorts, many of whom had used both. Only one

News. Reviews. Previews.

I had so much fun planning this week. I've got some new blog ideas and am actually considering moving my blog over to Wordpress instead of keeping it here at Blogger. Have any of you done that? I'd love to hear your advice on the matter!

So I've got these new things that I'm so pumped about sharing. But I want to
wait to make it all just right before I do a grand opening! So excited!

Speaking of excited, did you notice the change in the header. I promise the picture that was there before was only a half-dozen years old, but it made me look much younger. So this one is only a few months old. My dinky twinky did a great job on it! (BTW, Dinky Twinkies is code for my twin girls. thus Dinky Twinky would be a single.) Precious Redhead said it made me look mysterious. I would be flattered except that yesterday she said my grin made me look constipated. I think I'll go looking for compliments elsewhere - just sayin'. :)

This weekender will offer:

• Some great blog articles from authors including Staci Stallings, Jody Hedlund, David Walker, and Julie Cantrell.
• Last week's blog review
• ROW80 Update
• Next Week's Blog Expectations

News

I'm getting better at visiting blogs, this week. Of course with my Grace Readers' Weekly, I don't have to rely only on my own blog touring. Some Twitter buddies offer their favorites as well.

Review

Last Monday, I got to share the Best Almost Kiss winner at the Clash of the Titles. I'm enjoying being part of their blog Alliance every other week. On Tuesday, I shared about my boy's rugby team at the University of Texas at Dallas in G is for Grrrrr! Highs and lows and how to live through them was my topic on Wednesday with another ROW80 update. Then I shared all I've learned about writing a Synopsis on Thursday. An interview with author and missionary Zeke Lam rounded out the week with a discussion of his book, Submission. Please visit the links here if you missed one of the articles!

ROW80 Update

Like I said, I'm inspired. I've written about 5k in a new story and am in the process of laying it out. I've taken two of my other stories, along with a serial I wrote using one of the characters, and am in the process of weaving the serial into my second story to connect them in a series. This third one that I'm writing now will complete the set and I'm really excited how things are going with it. 

I got better at blog visiting, started on Pinterest (I'm totally addicted!), began tweeting more regularly, and set up some new surprises for later. Oh and I also played volleyball for an hour and a half! So sore after sitting around for 2 weeks! Now if I could just get off of potatoes again!

Preveiw

I think my plans may change, but for right now, I'm planning to Review a brand new book by debut author Bonnie S. Calhoun on Monday. On Tuesday, I'll be highlighting the letter H. Hmmmmmm. I'll have another ROW80 update on Wednesday, along with an inspirational article about life and writing. On Thursday, I'll be chatting about learning styles and how they affect adults as much as kids. Then Friday will hold an interview with Author Fay Lamb. 

Hope you've had a productive week and will have a delightful weekend. I'm going to watch my Dear Boy beat up on the UT of San Antonio for the Texas State Rugby Championship! (That's the way I've pictured it in my head anyway.)

Have you blogged with both Blogger and Wordpress? Which do you prefer? Do you think I should switch to Wordpress?

Highs and Lows

Okay, you non-race fans. Bear with me. There really is a point to this! I was watching an interview with last year's Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne. In only his second Sprint Cup start, the 20-year-old (same as my Dear Boy) won the equivalent of the Super Bowl.

He was so green he had trouble finding Victory Lane. "I don't even know where to go," came over

his radio after his burn-out.

Only a few weeks later, his career lay in jeopardy by a mysterious illness. Five weeks, he was forced to watch, mostly from a hospital bed, his car race without him.

Thankfully, the man recovered and has qualified for his second Daytona 500 race coming this Sunday.

High highs and low lows. They're just part of life, whether you're a race car driver, a parent, an accountant, or a writer.

The highs inspire us. Carry us. And the hope of them drive us forward in anticipation. It's that hope that gives us our strongest motivation and propels us through most of our daily days. Reaching the highs is spectacular for a moment. Resting on it for too long can drag us down, but that element of reaching the high and the memory of it provide the fuel that creates our dreams in the first place.

If the highs inspire us, the lows direct us. As a teacher, misbehavior always resulted in redirecting. Not only did the word sound better than punishment, it was a more accurate description of what happened. I didn't want to stifle the creativity or the spirit of my students. I just wanted to funnel it into an appropriate area.

Our failures treat us to the same instruction. Like a mouse in a maze reaching a dead end, we have to pick up and turn our enthusiasm to a different path. The lows threaten to rob us of hope and a positive attitude, but they don't have to.

In fact, they really don't have the power to do that. Dead ends only look like they stop us, but it depends on how we react to them. We can allow them to stop us, sit on our hineys and whine. Or we can pull a u-ee and try another possibility. (There are always other possibilities.)

Now this article isn't an explanation of me making a drastic change. On the contrary, I'm riding on hope right now with my new story idea and am writing more than I have in months. But I have to be ready for set-backs: passes from agents, strong critiques, even poor reviews. I don't expect them, but I have to be prepared for them so that when they come I can use them for growth instead of wrapping my emotions around them into a fetal position.

All of my goals, including reading, visiting other blogs, even my exercise, are on an upswing. It hasn't been that way the whole time, but I've been able to find something to be pleased about with every update, even on weeks when I topple big.

Where are you this week? What's spurring you on, or what's holding you back?

Purpose

I visited a blog today that totally inspired me. My own little corner of this great virtual existence is tenincy. (Yes, that's a word I've used all my life! Long I in the middle - tea-nIne-cee.) I've been tickled that ANYONE came by and have LOVED "meeting" folks online. Some of them, I'm getting to meet up close and personal from time to time. That's fun!

But after almost nine months of daily blogging, I'm not quite reaching the goals I

F is for ...

Me and Sweet Hubby - I am so blessed!

Family.

I know I've already done an F entry for the week (you can find my original F entry HERE!) but being that it's VALENTINE'S DAY, I just had to give an online hug to my favoritest people in the whole, wide world!

Iron Man - Goofy Nephew and my amazing mom.

I just LOVE spending time with my kids, my brother and his family, and all of the extensions. 

My mom has the greatest sense of humor and it has spread to my brother, his son, and my son. As a result, we can't usually make it through a meal without laughing ourselves silly.

Dear Boy and Goofy Nephew
doing what come naturally.

(Yeah, I think the restaurant was really happy to see us leave!)


Speaking of laughing, I love to make my sweet hubby crack up. He's the quiet type, but he tosses in zingers every once in a while and when he gets tickled, his giggle is delightful.

"Granny" is Awesome Sis-in-law's Mom.  Goofy Nephew didn't
realize he was in this shot. Too funny!

Me with my mom and my brother. Yes, I'm a good little Texas
girl and I call my brother, "Bubba"!

All of our holiday and birthday celebrations include my mom and brother, his family and my sister-in-law's mom. We go together well.

Sis and her family with my dear boy.

One of the reasons we get to enjoy so many Christmas celebrations is because of the wonderful lady who became my dad's third wife. 

My wonderful step-mom and Dear Boy.

Though Daddy is gone, she makes sure we get to have family time at every opportunity. My sister and her kids complete our celebration. Don't kids just MAKE a party?

Delightful Dinky Twinkies.

DTs with Precious Redhead.

And speaking of kids, my house if filled with laughter and singing. Few harsh words and fewer raised voices. I love the sweet smiles of my girls and how they chatter and laugh together.

And I never even got to my excellent in-laws!

I'm blessed and I know it full well. 

Tell me about your family!

News. Previews. Reviews.

I read some great articles this week - well what else could I do? Stuck in bed, I couldn't focus enough to write very much, so I read through blogs. Thomas Umstattd never ceases to amaze me! I know that I my little corner of the internet isn't very crowded, but his suggestions always hit home with me. Logical, reliable, and reasonably within my grasp of understanding. Well, mostly. His information

Interview with Author Lee Carver

Sample and buy it here!

Happy Anniversary, Lee! Hope you and your hubby have a GREAT day and a super-blessed weekend!

Lee Carver and I met at a meeting of the DFW Ready Writers, a chapter of ACFW. I've had the pleasure of working with her in a critique group that Lena Nelson Dooley hosts. What a hoot! This lady makes me laugh!

However, her dedication to her craft is anything but funny. Focused and thoroughly researched, her writing is a delight to critique. Her attention to detail also makes her a fabulous

Top Ten Reasons to Stay in Bed!

I'm not a lazy person. No wait let me clarify. I AM a lazy person who has spent her life overcoming natural tendencies. But today, I declare a moratorium on productivity. Like during the ice storm that never came this winter, I need to hunker down and recreate, repair, refresh, and a whole bunch of other res that I could think of if given a chance.

So here are my top ten reasons to drag my tail and leave my head on the pillow as long as possible:

E is for ...

... Easy.

I have a friend who is an office manager. She has an Easy Button from Staples on her desk and it just draws the hand. I can't go into her room without pushing it. "That was easy" in a high-pitched computer voice rewards my hand smack. I wish

Writer Tips: Citations

So many books, so little time!

Lately, I’ve been wondering about police procedures in little towns. I met a detective from the Allen, Texas police department who was an acting chief for the department in the little North Texas town of Whitewright. She explained several things about her department.

If I were to incorporate her information into a research paper or an article, I would need to cite the

presentation that I got to see, giving credit to her for her expertise. In a Bibliography, the citation of our discussion would look like this:

Whitworth, Doris, Det; Allen Police Department. What's it Like to be a Modern Policewoman. DFW   
             Ready Writers Meeting. La Hacienda Ranch-Grapevine, Texas: 12 Nov. 2011. Lecture.

Speakerlast, first. “title if there is one.” Subject matter if no title. Title of Group and Organization. Location: date. Conversation. (or Reading, Address, Lecture.)

Here's another example from a writing class:

Clubine, Marji. "Creating Citations." Prep & Precision. Enrichment Classes of Carrollton: 13 Jan. 2012. Lecture.

Now doing citations for books is pretty easy. There are only a few changes in details with multiple authors, volumes, or publication dates. The general rule for entries includes the author's name, book title, city of publication, publisher, and copyright date.

(Hanging indent) Authorlast, Authorfirst. Title of Book. CityofPub: Publisher – full name, copyright date – 

            latest. Series title if the book is part of one. Print. (To identify type of publication.)

Whatabout, Marcus. I Know What You’re Trying To Do. Boston: Macmillan and Post, 2012. Living in the Suburbs. Print.

Magazine articles also have prescribed formats for their listings. It also starts with the author, but that is followed by the article title in quotations. Then the periodical title and date follows and the page numbers where the article can be found.

Whereabout, Matthew. “Secrets and Sources.” Spy Magazine 15 Jan. 2012: 47-49. Print.

Whichabout, Marybelle. “The Country’s Best Cooking Shows.” Food and Family Life 27 Nov. 2011: 15-16. Print.

An encyclopedia or dictionary entry is like it:

“King, Martin Luther, Jr.” World Book Encyclopedia. 1999 ed. Print.

In the same way, the things found on the internet would also require citation. For instance, I found several sites that described the differences between the ranks of peerage in modern England and during the Medieval period. To correctly cite a website, it would look like this in a Bibliography: (Author, Title of Article, Site, URL - which isn't always required - and date of visit.)

Author, editor, or compiler namelast, namefirst. “Title of article.” Title of Website. Date of publication. 
          Web. Date of access (Day, Month, Year). Probably on note cards, you would want to cite the URL, 
          but it isn't required in the Bibliography.

Laine, Marji. “Learning Through Failure.” Marji Laine: Faith-Driven Fiction. 18 Jan. 2012. Web. 20 Jan. 
          2012.

Movies and television shows can also be cited. Especially with today's technology, the ease of retracing steps to examine data and gain more makes listing sources imperative.

TV Show:

“Title of Episode.” Title of Series. Network. Broadcast date. Television (or Radio).

“In the Process of Time.” Popodopolassy. ABC. 6 Sept. 2011. Television.

Movie:

Title of Movie. Dir. Firstname Lastname. (Leads) May add main performers, producer, screenwriter. Distributer, production date year. Film.

It’s a Wonderful Life. Dir. Frank Capra. Perf. James Stweart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore. RKO, 1946. Film.

(Listing the performers is a good way to identify a particular movie that has been made over many times.)

Being sure to not infringe on copyrights isn't difficult if credit is being given. As long as the creative work isn't marketed, usually citations are all that are needed, but be sure. Before using anything digitally, make sure to contact the creator and check to see if it is available for use.

All citations made with guidance from MLA Handbook. I highly recommend the book if researching is in your future!

Blogger Updates!

Woohoo! You know I've really been envious of the cool way that Wordpress blogs offer direct replies for their articles. If you haven't seen them, I could describe them. Oh, but I don't have to! Cause now Blogger has them, too!

Yea!

So when you leave a comment, you can either leave a general one or you can reply to someone else's comment, and I can reply back to them as well, instead of just doing a laundry list reply when I'm away from the computer. Ooooo - gonna love this!

News, Reviews, and Previews

This week swept by on a dust devil called "Class in Session"! I'm sure I've been grading essays for hundreds of years at this point, yet still more arrive in my email box. I must admit, through my weariness, that many are quite good and I'm thankful that they actually grasped the techniques I taught them last fall.

And yet, the task has left me precious little revising time, though my critique group did approve of my next chapter. Woohoo! And as I write this, I'm in anticipation of something. The chances are just

Author Interview with Mary C. Findley

Today, the author of The Baron of Larcondale is visiting. Mary C. Findley is another member of Grace and Faith Author Connection that I've been blessed to get to know. My first query, as always, goes for the big picture.

Marji - What inspired you to become a writer?

Mary - I started out wanting to be an artist, but everything I drew was characters from a story. So around Junior High, with the encouragement of some teachers, I began to write the stories. God had a hand in this. I don't have the discipline to create the level of art required to be successful in that field, but I still use my artist's "eye" in the graphic designs I make for our books and videos.

Marji - So did you ultimate goal in writing stem from the artistic realm, or was it something else?

Writing with Research

My students have been doing some non-fiction essays and I’m gonna tattle. One of my writers didn’t research their topic and ended up spouting data that just simple wasn’t true. Oops. 

Yeah, I didn’t let it slide. And it made me think of the importance and the correct methods of gathering research. Since this semester, we’ll be creating research papers, (Well, they’ll be creating research papers, I’ll be watching.) I thought a

refresher course on giving credit might be in order.

The point of research is to have the facts about a topic. Unless a topic is intensely personal, a writer will not likely have all the information that they need to fill up an entire term paper or even a five-paragraph essay. Research is the gathering of enough facts to support the statement made about the topic – thesis statement.

When collecting the data, it’s important to make a note somewhere about the origin of the data. If it is from a book, the author, title, publisher, location of publishing, and publication date should be listed along with the page numbers where the data is found. The same general information should be taken for any other source. A researcher wants to have a trail that leads back to the original source, regardless of what that source is. That way if something needs to be checked it can be found. In the same way, a reader can learn more about the topic by following the citation trail back to the original sources.

The other thing about research is that one source isn’t enough. If only one source is used, then the researcher is basically only duplicating someone else’s work – plagiarism. When several sources are used and cited, the researcher is creating his own work, basing it on the opinions and work that others have done before him. That’s the core of a correctly written research paper.

Do you research when you write or blog? What research have you done recently?

A is for ...

... Appetite. Can you tell I’m hungry while I write this? I’m visiting relatives and hoping that lunch will begin soon. This is the first installment of Patty Wysong's A2Z Take Two Blog Hop or meme (rhymes with "cream"). Join us and get to know some great folks!

My two latest novels are set in eateries: one in a diner and one in a bed & breakfast. Both have special dishes that are served, things that the places are known for. One of these is a

News, Reviews, Previews!

Found some great articles by Tamela Murray, Staci Stallings, Camy Tang, and Melissa K. Norris!

This past week, I had some more milestones with my new goals for ROW 80 and an introductory Vlog.

Monday - Goals for the next 80 days both in writing and life.
Tuesday - An introductory Vlog for the A2Z-Take Two Meme. It's not too late to start!
Wednesday - My first ROW80 Check-in: Journaling my Writing Journey
Thursday - Writing Tip on Ellipses
Friday - Interview with Author Dana Pratola

Next week will have a couple of milestones of it's own - I hope!

Monday - Review of Cowboy by Staci Stallings
Tuesday - A is for ... (You'll just have to visit to find out!)
Wednesday - Journaling my Writing Journey, will I have an announcement?
Thursday - Writer's Tip: Research
Friday - Randomness: Let's see what topic pops out of the hat!

This week has been a struggle to get back in the swing of things. Have you found that rough patch after the holidays? My biggest challenge is getting to bed at a decent hour so I can get up early. After the lazies of last week, that's been QUITE a challenge! What's been your biggest challenge of getting back into the groove?

Who Am I?

The A2Z blog that Patty Wysong started last year is about to gear up again and we’ve been challenged to begin things with a Video blog – a V-log or vlog.

Mine was recorded as we celebrated our fourth Christmas for the year at my in-laws home in Mounds, Oklahoma. I’m so blessed to get to

News and Previews

Wow! Two weeks away from writing and I hardly know what to do with myself! I'm looking forward to digging into my revisions again, and I have another story that's beginning to tickle the back edges of my mind. I'm looking forward to telling it.

First, I have some blogging to do! My A2Z leader, Patty Wysong, has challenged the new group to

Reflections on the Season

I tend to get caught up in the fun and merriment of this season. And why not? It is positively magical! Just looking at my girls faces as they admire decorations or see new things in stores makes my heart happy. Their uninhibited expressions are echoed in the faces of youngsters experiencing all of the splendor for the first time.

And that's how I'm gonna look in heaven.

Can you imagine it? The same delight that holds the