May 17, 2012

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Announcing Reader Appreciation Month!

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The 5 Q's feature is going on hiatus in preparation for February, which I've declared Reader Appreciation Month. So far, I've gotten a ton of great ideas for blog posts, so thank you to everyone who emailed me. I've been trying to respond in a timely fashion, but I had Lasik last Thursday (all went well, thank goodness), so I'm a little swamped and I'm still wading through email.
 
Unfortunately, I also discovered a few more emails that got caught in my spam filter (ooops!). So, if you emailed me about guest blogging, and I haven't responded, please leave me a comment, so I can track down your email. Stay tuned for more on Reader Appreciation Month!
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Meme: Getting Around Productivity Roadblocks

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Michelle over at Writing the Cyber Highway tagged me for a meme on Procrastination Roadblocks and How to Get Around Them. Here are my seven tips on beating procrastination.
  1. Do your research and get your questions answered as early as possible. It's easy to put off writing because "my editor hasn't gotten back to me on the number of sources" or "my source isn't answered her phone." Those may be legitimate excuses, but they're also kind of lame. Knowing that it could take awhile to get an answer, you should ask questions early and avoid a last-minute scramble.
  2. Get physical. Walking or jogging usually helps me focus my ideas and think up even more. Afterwards I'm rejuvenated and ready to write. Plus, it's a healthy way to work through stress.
  3. Reward yourself for reaching mini-milestones. It's like dieting: if you deprive yourself of all the things you crave (eating French fries or checking facebook), eventually you're going to cave in and have a major binge. After I've completed an assignment (or just written for a designated time period), I allow myself to check the forums and surf my favorite blogs.
  4. Take a hike. Sometimes I find impossible to write at home, because I'm always finding a surface that needs dusting, a shirt that needs mending, or a thank you card that needs addressing RIGHT NOW. Getting out of my apartment and into a new setting helps me refocus and avoids all the lame excuses that surround me at home.
  5. Unplug. By temporarily disabling your internet or unplugging your power supply (assuming you have a laptop), you can get a lot more done. When I can't plug in my laptop, it forces me to stay focused and write everything down before the battery dies and my computer goes into hibernate mode. I have a lot of trouble writing long-hand, but that's another option.
  6. Write on topics that interest you. Yes, sometimes we all have to write things that don't interest us to pay the bills. But if you carve out a niche writing about things you like, it shouldn't be hard to pull yourself away from the TV long enough to finish your assignment.
  7. Branch out. Even if you're doing #6 right and sticking to topics that you love, too much of the same thing gets boring. So take on a variety of assignments to keep things interesting. If you're blocked on the travel article, shift gears and write that blog post instead. At least you're getting something done, even if it's not the piece you planned.

I have a hard time keeping track of who's been tagged and who hasn't. So, if you'd like to blog about this meme, then feel free to leave a comment and tag yourself!

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Why I Still Use Blogger

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Over the past several months, many of my fellow bloggers have been buzzing about switching to WordPress. Many have already transitioned to the other blogging platform. Take, for example, Kristen at Inkthinker, Beth at Shenanigans, and Deb at Freelance Writing Jobs. Michele at Writing the Cyber Highway was also contemplating WordPress a few months back, but right now she’s still using good ol’ Blogger like I am.

The usual reasons for switching to WordPress are as follows:

  1. Hosting your blog on your own domains produces better traffic (and more professional credibility*) than a .blogspot.com or .livejournal.com URL.
  2. WordPress is more customizable, so you can add an “about this blog” page, set posts to automatically publish in the future, and add a whole bunch of really cool plug-ins.

Sounds great, right? Call me crazy, but this blog will be staying with Blogger for the foreseeable future. Here’s why:

  1. Actually, as of a year ago, Blogger does allow you host to your blog on your own domain so the first point is moot.
  2. WordPress’ endless options for plug-ins, upgrades, and widgets can cause a lot of headaches, too.

Trust me, I use WordPress at work, and I’ve spent a big chunk of the last three months with the IT department trying to unravel a laundry list of WordPress problems. There’s a mysterious afflication we call “Blank Box Syndrome” (or BBS for short) that makes adding links a huge hassle. There’s the ginormous amount of memory that WordPress sucks up that makes my computer (new as of April 2007 and with a major memory upgrade since then) function at the speed of my family’s first computer (circa 1992). There’s also the issue of permalinks, which we improperly configured when we first set up the blogs and still haunt me to this day.

Admittedly, I’m a bit of a technophobe, and I was blissfully unaware of all these potential problems until I started using WordPress. Blogger sets up the permalinks for you using your headline and the publish date (WordPress’s default uses numbers, which is not as search engine-friendly). Blogger makes adding links really simple, and, aside from a few schedule Blogger maintenance times, I have no complaints about slow response times in Blogger. It’s true that in Blogger you can’t post-date and publish in the future, like if you were going on vacation, but the post via email feature offers a bit of a compromise.

Yes, I’m aware of the benefits of hosting your blog on your own domain, and that’s something I plan to explore in 2008. (What do you think: should it be an extension of my professional website? Or on its own domain?) In any case, I’m sticking with Blogger.

If you’d like to explore more on the WordPress vs. Blogger debate, then check out these posts from other bloggers:

Best Blog Software for Writers
Making That Switch from Blogger to WordPress
Migrating Your Blog from Blogger to WordPress

*Ironically, that post came from a Blogger user, who writes the opposing viewpoint here.

Filed Under: blog platform, blogging

5 Q’s with Kim MacGregor

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Kim MacGregor is the author of Be… a Woman, a beautiful book combining photography and prose to celebrate woman of all ages and shapes. Here, Kim talks about writing, publishing, and finding inspiration.

Urban Muse: Tell us about your inspiration for Be…a Woman.
Kim: That’s a loaded question – my inspiration comes from so many sources. My mother and my three little girls are definitely at the top of my list. My mother battled breast cancer at forty-two and lost her battle with colon cancer at fifty-three. Her courage, encouragement and unconditional love through all of life’s challenges gave me a marvelous foundation. My little girls teach me about the beauty in the world, about non-judgment and about love and acceptance. My husband has inspired me to believe in the power of forgiveness and friendship found through love. I am deeply moved by the way life’s tribulations force me to look for the lesson – the truth in what’s happening and to grow through it, rather than resist it. I see beauty in the face of every woman, at all the various stages of evolution in each woman’s journey. My friend and business partner in this book, Arline Malakain, inspires me through her visual genius and her spiritual quest. I am inspired by a smile, a hug and understanding – by the complexities we create and the simplicities we discover, along the journey of life.

UM: Did you find an agent or a publisher first?
K: We had a fabulous literary agent in New York who loved our book concept. She pitched the heck out of our proposal. We got two great bites but turned both down. In the first deal, the publisher wanted to sell it exclusively to one corporation. In the second offer, the publisher wanted to turn it in to a Mother’s Day book. The rest didn’t think it was sexy enough or quirky enough and they were right. We were creating something that shows women what makes them ALL beautiful – it wasn’t supposed to be out of a magazine – it was supposed to be TRUTH. We self-published and have a new lit agent now.

UM: What was the best writing advice anyone has ever given you?
K: My mentor, Dave Chilton said, “Writing is rewriting!”
He also said, “The success of a book is directly linked to your passion for the topic.” Arline and I are extremely passionate about this topic!

UM: What other writers inspire you?
K: I love Marianne Williamson, Maya Angelou, Mitch Albom, Paulo Coelho, Charles Dickens, and William Shakespeare, among others. (ed. note about Mitch Albom: the bf and I watched the movie version of Tuesdays with Morrie this weekend, and I cried the entire time – such a moving story!)

UM: What’s next for you?
K: Creating awareness about Be…a Woman is my primary focus. The effect the book is having on women is so powerful. It feels great when women “get” our message and look at themselves and each other with a softer gaze, increased confidence and acceptance. We are working on creating a way to honor extraordinary, ordinary women every month. Not for MBA’s, CEO’s or Pulitzer prize winners only – it is for any woman who is amazing in that quiet, modest but powerful way. We are also working on jewelry, t-shirts, and a web show. Lots of exiting stuff. Thanks so much for asking!

Thank you, Kim! For more information, visit www.be-awoman.com or contact Kim MacGregor .
Filed Under: writers on writing
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