I am finally nearing the end of the writing part of my website. What I am dealing with now is social media.
I want to add links to all the standards: Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook,Youtube, and Blogger.
Twitter went off without a hitch, but it is becoming more apparent that I have to have the website up and running to add the rest. Just doesn't seem right to me.
“It’s the journey and not the destination.” Anthony Bourdain and probably a few people before him, said. I love the journey of writing books and painting pictures. The destination is the icing on the cake. And, that is not bad, either!
Showing posts with label website. Show all posts
Showing posts with label website. Show all posts
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Saturday, December 24, 2011
I have not been abducted by aliens!
As time goes by is one of my favorite British sitcoms, but in this context I am talking about life and the passage of time. It has become a time, in my life, where I am caring for an ill, and elderly mother.
She complains that the roles are reversed. She loves to instruct and she does not like playing the child to me, the mother. This is a role that is made even more difficult by the fact that she is OC.
It literally, took me sixty years to realize she was OC, because it was a normal state of my growing up. I thought every household balanced like ornaments when hanging them on the tree. Surely every one's mother cut up bits of papers in perfectly straight squares.
I was the weak one, who cannot cut a straight to save her life. Who finds it disturbing to have perfectly balanced anything on the mantle or coffee table. Don't ever look in my corners and expect perfect cleanliness either.
Caring for a mother who is in stage four heart failure and who has a tube in her gallbaldder can be very time consuming. I am fortunate to have a very understanding and supportive husband, who is often more patient than I am.
My mother, who has done more than I could even detail here for me, is worth every minute of that time, but I do miss being able to dedicate my time to my artwork. But, not to marketing it.
I have a website but find I am not updating it. So, I have decided to drop my website and use blogs instead, to both market my book and artwork.
This blog is already entitled my working title, "Moon Tree Brothers." This blog will remain a place to discuss writing and give you hints of my book.
With that said, I do so hope, I can take the time every couple of days to give you snippets of Moon Tree Brothers. Throw in descriptions, drawings, anything that you might find fun, without endangering my publishing possibilities.
So, a happy holidays to everyone from the gang in the Moon tree, who have come from all over the world to fight the Darkness together. My you have peace, joy and love in your hearts for life.
She complains that the roles are reversed. She loves to instruct and she does not like playing the child to me, the mother. This is a role that is made even more difficult by the fact that she is OC.
It literally, took me sixty years to realize she was OC, because it was a normal state of my growing up. I thought every household balanced like ornaments when hanging them on the tree. Surely every one's mother cut up bits of papers in perfectly straight squares.
I was the weak one, who cannot cut a straight to save her life. Who finds it disturbing to have perfectly balanced anything on the mantle or coffee table. Don't ever look in my corners and expect perfect cleanliness either.
Caring for a mother who is in stage four heart failure and who has a tube in her gallbaldder can be very time consuming. I am fortunate to have a very understanding and supportive husband, who is often more patient than I am.
My mother, who has done more than I could even detail here for me, is worth every minute of that time, but I do miss being able to dedicate my time to my artwork. But, not to marketing it.
I have a website but find I am not updating it. So, I have decided to drop my website and use blogs instead, to both market my book and artwork.
This blog is already entitled my working title, "Moon Tree Brothers." This blog will remain a place to discuss writing and give you hints of my book.
With that said, I do so hope, I can take the time every couple of days to give you snippets of Moon Tree Brothers. Throw in descriptions, drawings, anything that you might find fun, without endangering my publishing possibilities.
So, a happy holidays to everyone from the gang in the Moon tree, who have come from all over the world to fight the Darkness together. My you have peace, joy and love in your hearts for life.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
IQ, Beans, half a brain and MENSA
Do you remember those IQ tests they used to give when you were like in sixth grade? My brother ranked MENSA. I ranked about three points below MENSA. And, I am living proof that those stupid tests do not mean a hill of beans.
Just exactly what would you do with a “hill of beans” anyway? Oh, my gosh! An idea for PiBoIdMo. Hold on, gotta type it down.
Digression over: After I took the IQ test, I was moved into an “advanced” class. The teacher was wonderful, it was challenging, I did homework until midnight every night, I began falling asleep in class and I was only in sixth grade. And, my grades went from being straight ‘A’s’ to C’s. I did not recover until I went to college, some twenty-five years later.
The reason I say those tests mean nothing though, is that sometimes I can be so stupid.
Take, building my website. (Insert Groucho eyebrows and cigar here.) That’ll be two-forty for the site and do you want me to wrap it? Obviously, I am till sleep deprived.
First: If I would have just taken the time to learn CSS, I could have saved a ton of aggravation. I know just enough to know that my links, which I have to continually go in and change on each and every page, could have been done, all on one page.
Second: My status is: Twenty-four graphic pages down, six graphic pages to go and twelve text only pages done, with twelve text only pages to go and I make the bright decision to go ahead and start putting it up on the web. Then, I discover that I have continually forgotten to do the description and keywords and change the Title. All important for people finding you. Meaning, I am now on my third round of uploading all those corrected pages.
Third: I have just now figured out about the only way I can get my illustrations reduced to manageable size without degrading.
Yes, I am so bright, I did a lot of my own illustrations.
A true renaissance woman, with half a brain and three points from MENSA!!!!
Just exactly what would you do with a “hill of beans” anyway? Oh, my gosh! An idea for PiBoIdMo. Hold on, gotta type it down.
Digression over: After I took the IQ test, I was moved into an “advanced” class. The teacher was wonderful, it was challenging, I did homework until midnight every night, I began falling asleep in class and I was only in sixth grade. And, my grades went from being straight ‘A’s’ to C’s. I did not recover until I went to college, some twenty-five years later.
The reason I say those tests mean nothing though, is that sometimes I can be so stupid.
Take, building my website. (Insert Groucho eyebrows and cigar here.) That’ll be two-forty for the site and do you want me to wrap it? Obviously, I am till sleep deprived.
First: If I would have just taken the time to learn CSS, I could have saved a ton of aggravation. I know just enough to know that my links, which I have to continually go in and change on each and every page, could have been done, all on one page.
Second: My status is: Twenty-four graphic pages down, six graphic pages to go and twelve text only pages done, with twelve text only pages to go and I make the bright decision to go ahead and start putting it up on the web. Then, I discover that I have continually forgotten to do the description and keywords and change the Title. All important for people finding you. Meaning, I am now on my third round of uploading all those corrected pages.
Third: I have just now figured out about the only way I can get my illustrations reduced to manageable size without degrading.
Yes, I am so bright, I did a lot of my own illustrations.
A true renaissance woman, with half a brain and three points from MENSA!!!!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Trials and Tribulations
And, just what does it tell you about my blogging, when I take a month off from posts and I gain a follower? Curiouser and curiouser! Forever, I have had one loyal follower, who has followed me through my "here is how to do your XYZ, on your website building or in your book, and then, Opps! I found a better way" postings.
I do thank you A LIFE IN THE DAY OF ME for being a loyal follower. Perhaps she is just too lazy to cut herself off from being a follower, or doesn't want to hurt my feelings, but thanks for whatever the reason is. And, thank you SHANI for joining our party.
I am still working on both the web site and the book.
I am downsizing the work involved in the website. It was taking too much time from my writing, when I am finding time at a premium. There will be nothing fancy, just get it up and done. I am tired of people telling me about all the broken links on my old one and I just want it all fixed.
I am up to chapter nine in the editing with Master's Daughter and her ideas have been invaluable so please do find a writing partner who can read your work and provide valuable insight. Master's Daughter is not for hire. She is actually working at Notre Dame this summer on some new fancy microscope. So, she is all mine, when I can get her.
The lack of posts. Could I just be lazy? I don't know but we have had a spate (gosh that's an old fashioned word) of illness. Mom was in the hospital again for her Congestive Heart Failure. I threw my back out, went to the ER, opted not for Steroids but to take Ibuprophen. Three days later my stomach was in such a mess I could not eat. So, now I have to have a stomach scope. More than you wanted to know, right?
Anyway, I lay here, propped with pillows, taking an occasional Hydrocodone for my back, and a something or other for my stomach and trying to focus on my book.
I do think it is time for an isolated writer's retreat. I'm off to do research on finding one. Hope you are all well. And WELCOME, new follower.
I do thank you A LIFE IN THE DAY OF ME for being a loyal follower. Perhaps she is just too lazy to cut herself off from being a follower, or doesn't want to hurt my feelings, but thanks for whatever the reason is. And, thank you SHANI for joining our party.
I am still working on both the web site and the book.
I am downsizing the work involved in the website. It was taking too much time from my writing, when I am finding time at a premium. There will be nothing fancy, just get it up and done. I am tired of people telling me about all the broken links on my old one and I just want it all fixed.
I am up to chapter nine in the editing with Master's Daughter and her ideas have been invaluable so please do find a writing partner who can read your work and provide valuable insight. Master's Daughter is not for hire. She is actually working at Notre Dame this summer on some new fancy microscope. So, she is all mine, when I can get her.
The lack of posts. Could I just be lazy? I don't know but we have had a spate (gosh that's an old fashioned word) of illness. Mom was in the hospital again for her Congestive Heart Failure. I threw my back out, went to the ER, opted not for Steroids but to take Ibuprophen. Three days later my stomach was in such a mess I could not eat. So, now I have to have a stomach scope. More than you wanted to know, right?
Anyway, I lay here, propped with pillows, taking an occasional Hydrocodone for my back, and a something or other for my stomach and trying to focus on my book.
I do think it is time for an isolated writer's retreat. I'm off to do research on finding one. Hope you are all well. And WELCOME, new follower.
Monday, March 9, 2009
My to-do list.
Sorry, if you are on RSS feed. (What does that stand for, anyway?). I had allowed a comment on the site and then realized I was giving out someone's email for the world to have. Not that they cannot get it anyway, but I did not want to be responsible for someone being spammed to death. I could not find a way to erase their email, in their comment, or to alter their comment, once allowed, so I just deleted the whole post and reposted it.
No, you have not landed in "Ground Hog's Day" or in a time warp, it is a repeated of the post of the fourth, and no, it did not fool anyone into thinking it as something new and stimulating.
That said, what is the new news?
No, you have not landed in "Ground Hog's Day" or in a time warp, it is a repeated of the post of the fourth, and no, it did not fool anyone into thinking it as something new and stimulating.
That said, what is the new news?
- I have eighteen graphics ready to put on the website. That means they are cleaned up, altered to suit and the backgrounds are clear. Two of these are background images.
- I have nine, out of fifteen, text only pages done. From these I will complete the pages that the graphics go to.
- I have completed twenty chapters, and have the wrap up chapter to go. I havecut back to 69,118 words.
- I have also discovered that, before I send the book out, I need to have a Marketing Points, My Bio and a list of reasons why someone would buy my book. That is what I spent yesterday on, and today and tomorrow, and probably all week.
All of this stuff is sooooo important to the process.
My Long Absence
Wow! This has to be the longest time between posts yet. But, trust me, my reader. It will all soon be worth it. I am so close to the place where I can begin submitting my novel to agents.
That is very exciting to me. Everything clicked and my Advanced Middle Grade Fantasy Novel (could that get any longer?) is down to the "wrap up" chapter. One day, the big scene just fell in place.
Actually, I reached that point in my millionth edit and just kept going this time. Master's Daughter and I are up to chapter seven in our joint edit.It is amazing to me, that she picks up on the exact same spots where I have thought, "This isn't right. This isn't necessary. The wording is off." Thus, showing me that I need to trust my instincts more and that everyone needs a partner editor.
The edit is picking up words mostly, or where a scene is confusing. It is nice to have a second pair of eyes, or should I say, a second brain, to help me find the right word.In the evening, when my brain is a bit tired, I do a few more things on my web site.
The website is coming along well. I have my graphics ready and I am working on my text only pages, knowing that the wording for those, will go into the graphic version, so I am killing two birds with one stone.I have worked out how much I can say without giving too much away and making the web site interesting enough to get people to return.
I look forward to the day when I can post a request here for help in critiquing it. Nothing really humorous to write, just that Master's Daughter found my pile of leaves confusing. And, if you want to know what I'm talking about, you'll have to read the book.
That is very exciting to me. Everything clicked and my Advanced Middle Grade Fantasy Novel (could that get any longer?) is down to the "wrap up" chapter. One day, the big scene just fell in place.
Actually, I reached that point in my millionth edit and just kept going this time. Master's Daughter and I are up to chapter seven in our joint edit.It is amazing to me, that she picks up on the exact same spots where I have thought, "This isn't right. This isn't necessary. The wording is off." Thus, showing me that I need to trust my instincts more and that everyone needs a partner editor.
The edit is picking up words mostly, or where a scene is confusing. It is nice to have a second pair of eyes, or should I say, a second brain, to help me find the right word.In the evening, when my brain is a bit tired, I do a few more things on my web site.
The website is coming along well. I have my graphics ready and I am working on my text only pages, knowing that the wording for those, will go into the graphic version, so I am killing two birds with one stone.I have worked out how much I can say without giving too much away and making the web site interesting enough to get people to return.
I look forward to the day when I can post a request here for help in critiquing it. Nothing really humorous to write, just that Master's Daughter found my pile of leaves confusing. And, if you want to know what I'm talking about, you'll have to read the book.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Sunshine on snow; through closed eyelids.
The sun is shining and the world looks a lot better in central Indiana. Chihuahua can about see over the snow we received, since it has settled down some. We did have close to a foot of snow. But, we only lost power momentarily that night so we are really lucky. Our stomachs, on the other hand, are not.
Monday night, I think it was, all these "school's cancelled" days have me confused, but whatever night it was saw me emptying my stomach in the bathroom for about ten hours and today, sun or no sun, all I want to do yet, is sleep. At least, I am working again, a little at a time. Sorry for the absence.
I really want my new website up and running and was working hard to complete it for the first of February, but I will try for week two now. One thing that I did do yesterday is a new opening for my book. I really should have kept count. This has to be close to a dozen different openings.
I love the help I have gotten at Talking Books, from Cheryl Klein. With the help of her 'Rules of Engagement," I may have an opening that fits the bill. It has to simmer in the stew for a while yetbefore I know for sure . My next assignment, beside the web page, is to make out a Book Map. It is the first editing thing she does and I think it is going to help me a great deal, so I will let you know how that goes.
The car is still stuck in the drive but life is cancelled/closed for the day in Brown County anyway, so no need to go anywhere. Maybe I will take another nap first. Stay warm, if you can.
Monday night, I think it was, all these "school's cancelled" days have me confused, but whatever night it was saw me emptying my stomach in the bathroom for about ten hours and today, sun or no sun, all I want to do yet, is sleep. At least, I am working again, a little at a time. Sorry for the absence.
I really want my new website up and running and was working hard to complete it for the first of February, but I will try for week two now. One thing that I did do yesterday is a new opening for my book. I really should have kept count. This has to be close to a dozen different openings.
I love the help I have gotten at Talking Books, from Cheryl Klein. With the help of her 'Rules of Engagement," I may have an opening that fits the bill. It has to simmer in the stew for a while yetbefore I know for sure . My next assignment, beside the web page, is to make out a Book Map. It is the first editing thing she does and I think it is going to help me a great deal, so I will let you know how that goes.
The car is still stuck in the drive but life is cancelled/closed for the day in Brown County anyway, so no need to go anywhere. Maybe I will take another nap first. Stay warm, if you can.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Web Site Creation - pg 8 - Site Maps and Search Engines
By talking about site map, we are skipping ahead a bit, but it is important to have some other things in mind before you get down to coding, or WYSIWYG’ing, your web page. After promising to talk about "site map" I have done research and found out that you site map your site AFTER you create it. So, for now, we will discuss getting your site found by Search Engines. This is something to consider during every step of your page creation.
Note: I have substituted the word carrot for the <> for each page, don’t say “page 1,” “page 2,” etc. Do use very descriptive sentences, like: “Painting information from SaVanVleck” or “Native American characters in the Moon Tree books.”
2. And, don’t forget that detailed ALT text for all images, we have discussed.
3. Use your (carrot) meta name="”keywords”"> to good use with detailed information. If you will look at your WYSIWYG editor's HTML, you will find the "keywords" and "content" at the top of the page. These are two very important keys to being found by search engines.
4. Use CONTENT => also The CONTENT can also be used by search engines as your site’s description when displaying search results. These are where the lines that you see when you google come from.
Below is the AOL Google search for “www.vanvleck studio.” I do not find the AOL Google to be as thorough as a straigh search with:http://www.google.com/, but it was handy.
a href="http://www.vanvleckstudio.com/" target="_blank">pottery, painting, drawings, fairy, doll sculptures, by Sher...carrot /a>
Welcome to VanVleck Studio on-line ... Link to pottery and sculpture by Sheryl VanVleck ... Link to 2-dimensional work by Sheryl VanVleck ...www.vanvleckstudio.com/ - 11k - Similar pages
Note: I have substituted the word carrot for the <> for each page, don’t say “page 1,” “page 2,” etc. Do use very descriptive sentences, like: “Painting information from SaVanVleck” or “Native American characters in the Moon Tree books.”
2. And, don’t forget that detailed ALT text for all images, we have discussed.
3. Use your (carrot) meta name="”keywords”"> to good use with detailed information. If you will look at your WYSIWYG editor's HTML, you will find the "keywords" and "content" at the top of the page. These are two very important keys to being found by search engines.
4. Use CONTENT => also The CONTENT can also be used by search engines as your site’s description when displaying search results. These are where the lines that you see when you google come from.
Below is the AOL Google search for “www.vanvleck studio.” I do not find the AOL Google to be as thorough as a straigh search with:http://www.google.com/, but it was handy.
a href="http://www.vanvleckstudio.com/" target="_blank">pottery, painting, drawings, fairy, doll sculptures, by Sher...carrot /a>
Welcome to VanVleck Studio on-line ... Link to pottery and sculpture by Sheryl VanVleck ... Link to 2-dimensional work by Sheryl VanVleck ...www.vanvleckstudio.com/ - 11k - Similar pages
AND
http://www.vanvleckstudio.com/
Welcome to VanVleck Studio on-line
VanVleck Studio and Gallery is located in a quiet rural area in Brown County, Indiana, USA. ... On the left will be VanVleck Studio, 7873 N. Oak Ridge Road. ...
www.vanvleckstudio.com/4studio.html - 8k - Similar pages
[ More results from www.vanvleckstudio.com ]
http://www.vanvleckstudio.com/4studio.html
My INDEX page is the top search for vanvleckstudio. So, it is saying welcome (probably unnecessary and certainly non-descriptive) Link to pottery and sculpture by Sheryl VanVleck is okay. “Link to 2-dimensional work by Sheryl VanVleck” really does not tell anything about my portrait paintings in three medias. That should be more descriptive for full affect.
a. A caveat here is that search engines will ignore keywords if you repeat a given keyword too often. That means any word used more than seven (7) times, in some search engines, will be ignored.
5. I read some advice in my CoffeeCup HTML, to check out your site on Lynx, and you will see the text only version. This is good to see what the visually handicapped will see, but also good to see what words will pop-out on search engines. My vanvleckstudio.com came up thus (it is too long to copy all in here, so here is the link) seebot.org text view of http://www.vanvleckstudio.com. Suffice it to say that it is a lot of words, but perhaps not what I would intend to point out as the most important information on my site.
6. It is also said that some “well-known free hosting services” are ignored by the search engine. So, if you are serious about marketing from your web site, you should consider having it hosted. It costs me $100 a year for a basic service package from Gold Rush Hosting Solutions. There are cheaper options for hosts, but I got tired of not having someone to email when I got into trouble.
Hey, what can I say? "I got people, now."
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