Wednesday Wise Words - Time

Today's quote is by Harvey Mackay, an American businessman, author, and syndicated columnist with Universal Uclick for which he gives career and inspirational advice.

You've probably heard or read his most famous book, How to Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.

One of the secrets of success is learning how to use your allotted time each day rather than frittering it away on unimportantmportant tasks.

Mr. Mackay is 94 now so he definitely knows the importance of using time effectively. Here's what he said.

"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back."

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Like money, time is something you can't take with you when you die. When you're living, time is more important than money because yo can always make more money, but you can't make more time.

Romance Gems...Where Authors and Readers Meet 

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Monday Magic - 3 YouTube HotKey Tricks

Happy Monday!

I have 3 YouTube HotKey Tricks to share with you today. These are easy peasy and speeds up your ability to navigate videos you watch.

If you watch information videos, chances are you pause the video quite often, rewind, and play numerous times.

Rather than clicking video navigation icons, try these easy keyboard hotkeys to navigate faster.

1. PAUSE AND RESUME VIDEO

 Tap the K key or the space bar and your video willl pause. Tap either again to resume.

2. REWIND

Tap the J key to rewind 10 seconds. Keep tapping if you need to rewind more. When you're ready to resume, tap the K key or the space bar to resume. 

3. JUMP FORWARD

10 seconds—tap the L key and the video jumps forward 10 seconds.

Beginning—tap the 0 key and the video jumps to the start.

% of video—tap a number on the number pad, and the video jumpes to a percentage of the video, i.e., 1 = 10%, 9 = 90%, etc.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

These are the most common hotkey tricks. I hope they'll help you navigate a video faster.

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

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Monday Magic - 2 YouTube Tricks

I'm happy to give you 2 YouTube Tricks to help your navigate faster through videos you want to watch.

1. Watch Later

If you stumble upon a video you want to watch but don't have the time at that moment, quickly save the video to watch later.

On the video, tap the Menu, that's the 3 dots ... in lower right of the video. Select SAVE which opens a list of your playlists with Watch Later shown first. Check that box and it's there for you to watch when you have time.

2. Better Search Results

When you do a search on YouTube, you enter specific keywords for what you want to see. However, the results often aren't what you want. You can make the search results better by having YouTube show you results containing only the keywords you enter.

Enter your search string by typing allintitle + colon + space + keywords.

Example to search for these keywords, youtube tricks, and have results that are only those keywords, you'd type:

allintitle: youtube tricks

Yes, it's that easy.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I hope these 2 tricks help you use YouTube more effectively.

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What Is Going On With Google Search?

I'm having a problem with Google Search? If you're experiencing something similar, please leave a comment.

In fact, if you have already switched search engines, tell me which you are now using.

This started when Search queries began generating responses from the Google AI.

At first I ignored those AI generated results and scrolled down to find results from credible websites.

Those SERPs with credible websites grew smaller and smaller.

On Wednesday of this week, I wanted to write a birthday letter to one of our grandsons. I wanted it to be inspirational because this was a milestone birthday for him.

I thought to include a couple of quotes tailored to a young man—quotes from men who were admired for their leadership and accomplishments. So I typed in a search string, beginning simply with "inspirational quotes for young man."

The number of SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages) was shockingly small. The first third of the page were AI generic results—kind of what you'd see in a birthday greeting card.

To my search string, I added "wise quotations by famous men" and received some that sounded like an actual quotation by someone learned but none of the quotes had attribution. I'm not going to use something without attributing it to its source.

I scrolled down to the page and realized many of the quotation websites that I would normally see like BrainyQuote were not shown. 

This is a site I often peruse, and I couldn't believe it had shut its doors so I typed in the direct link, and there it was!

BY NOW I WAS INTRIGUED

I changed the search string to be very precise: inspirational birthday quotes for men by men.

The AI generated 3 quotes with attribution, a bunch of generic greeting card stuff, and 8 SERPs below that. Those were for 2 Pinterest boards, Quora, and websites that had something to sell: Swifdoo, FloraQueen, Alibaba, Shutterfly, and The Today Show website. Of those, only the Today Show website had attributions for the quotes they displayed. They also had popups for products featuring the show's "cast."

I think we have reached an era where one must carefully check the credibility and truth of articles displayed by search engines. Even if the source cited is something credible, that doesn't mean that the article was written by a "real" write who fact-checked for accuracy. 

Most AI-written articles are created by pulling multiple articles from the internet. Some of those may be fact-checked accurate pieces where others may also be AI-generated. If false information is used then the article you end up with may be inaccurate.

 TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Unfortunately, it appears the Google AI has taken over the Search Engine so be careful in using any resource you find using those SERPs. See if you can find independent websites—hopefully with source material written by people and fact-checked—that address the topic.

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The Truth About Blogs in 2024

Are blogs still relevant today? The short answer is a resounding yes.

Despite what many claim, blogs are still relevant and effective in 2024. They can help you build an audience and even create a revenue stream.

I've been writing and publishing SlingWords since 2005. I've seen a lot of trends come and go and heard a lot of pundits say blogs are a waste of time—social media is where it's at.

THE TRUTH

Yes, social media is huge and growing all the time, but, guess what? Blogs are still read regularly by 77% of internet users.

The last estimate of internet users was in 2021, and the number was 219 billion per month. It hasn't decreased. It just keeps growing. What's 77% of 219 billion?

Wow! That's more than 168 billion people reading blogs. So, yes, blogs are still relevant in 2024, and they are a profitable content marketing channel too.

Blogs are still driving results according to 80% of bloggers, but blogs are evolving too. They're now more than just text on a page. Sure, they've always had graphics, but now, they offer multimedia experiences with interactive infographics, embedded podcasts, and video content.

NICHE YOUR BLOG

One of the ways to attract a dedicated audience is to pick a specific niche rather than being a generalist. People who are passionate about a particular subject matter are always looking for blogs to feed their passion.

BLOGS CAN BE SALES ENGINES 

I'm living proof that blogs are successful at marketing products (books for me) and/or services. They can even help bring in revenue via advertising.

When I published my first ebook in 2011, I had a built-in audience since I'd been writing and publishing SlingWords as well as another personal blog for 6 years.

Tomorrow I'll give you some tips on how to make your blog more relevant if your readership has been lagging.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

In short, don't underestimate the importance of a good blog. 

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Punctuation Tips for Writers

It's National Punctuation Day. Yes, that's really a thing, and it's today, September 24.

I thought I'd give a few punctuation tips for writers because I see a lot of ebooks with "clunky" punctuation. That's my nice way of saying, "You're doing it wrong."

 What to Call Digital Books—ebooks or Ebooks if at beginning of a sentence. Not e-books, E-books, eBooks. (I've been guilty of using eBooks because that was what they were called in the beginning.)

These punctuation "rules" follow Chicago Manual of Style and the Modern Language Association aka MLA Style Manual, but they may differ from the APA, the style manual of the American Psychological Association which is used to format papers, list sources, and cite references.

It should also be noted that most style manuals refer to printed documents, but the Chicago Manual of Style and the MLA seem to be embracing online publications. The most important rule is to be consistent in whatever style you choose to use.

Titles: Book, Plays, Films, Periodicals, Newspapers, Databases, and Websites

Titles should be italicized. Yes, I know most people do not italicize websites, but it is proper to do so. Examples follow.

Newspapers—New York Times, Houston Chronicle 

Books—Heat Lightning by Joan Reeves, The Key To Kristina by Joan Reeves

Plays—Hamilton, The Lion King, Les Misérables 

Films—Casablanca, Romancing the Stone, Kiss the Ground, A Documentary

Periodicals—Time Magazine, Vogue, Elle

Databases—Oracle Database, Microsoft SQL Server, MongoDB

Websites—SlingWords, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube

Titles: A Part of a Larger Work

In punctuating something that is part of a larger work, titles are treated differently. The title of the section of the larger work is placed in quotation marks. Examples follow.

Articles—"Survival mode: Inflation falls hardest on low-income Americans" by Rachel Siegel and Andrew Van Dam from the Washington Post

Essays—"Lost in the Kitchen" by Dave Barry

Chapters—"Chapter 1, Hell Hath No Fury Blah Blah Blah" from Sex, Murder, and Mint Juleps

Poems—"Chase Henry" in Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters

Webpages—"Vintage Columns" by Dave Barry

Songs—"God Bless America" or "Take It Easy" by The Eagles or "Pour Me a Drink" by Blake Shelton 

Speeches—"The Gettysburg Address" by Abraham Lincoln or "Tear Down This Wall" by Ronald Regan

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

That's it for today's little lesson. I do have another post planned to discuss Ellipses, a quandary for many authors.

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Saturday Share: Fix a Slow Computer

Here at the casa, we've had a lot of tech challenges in the last month.

The new router continues to be a problem in that our Samsung TV won't stay connected wirelessly. But that's probably because it's several years old.

The other issue is a slow-running computer—my 2011 Lenova desktop PC. It's several years old too, but updates have been kept up.

 This desktop PC has been a problem-free workhorse. In fact, it's been so dependable that when it came time to replace my laptop, I bought a Lenovo.

MY TECH GUY

As many of you know, My Tech Guy is my Darling Hubby. When he hears me ranting and raving in my office and using inappropriate language because of some computer problem, he comes to the rescue. What a patient guy who is my biggest supporter.

He researches tech problems and finds a solution or a workaround. He assured me the new router wasn't the problem. It's my 13-year-old PC.

BIG SLOWDOWN
It appears that an overall slowdown of a computer is one of the most common problems and the one people complain about most often.

In case you're wondering what running slow means, it's how long your PC takes from the time  you turn the computer on to it being ready to open a program.

Sometimes you'll also notice that typing something on the keyboard doesn't instantly appear on the monitor. Unfortunately, there's no 1 single reason for a computer to run slow. It can be caused by several things which kind of makes it more difficult to diagnose and fix.

TO FIX A SLOW COMPUTER

Most often, a slowdown occurs because certain programs or processes take too much of the computer's RAM (Random Access Memory), hard drive, or the CPU (Central Processing Unit).

Of course you know that the hard drive has a certain capacity. If you're close to maxing out the storage space, that can make your computer slow down. The solution is to offload data to another device or upgrade the hard drive if your computer is capable of that.

The RAM, or Random Access Memory, is the hardware that provides temporary storage for the operating system (OS), software programs, and any other data in current use in order to make all of that quickly available to the device's processor. 

The more RAM, the faster a computer processes. It's like a person's short term memory. Always get the most RAM you can. If your computer is upgradeable, add RAM.

The CPU, or Central Processing Unit, the main part of your computer, is a complex set of electronic circuitry that acts as the control center. It's what actually runs your computer's operating system and apps. 

Just running your operating system takes a base amount of resources—just like a person's basic functions takes a certain amount of calories.

If you have a computer program that takes a huge amount of RAM, hard drive space, and processing resources, it's going to slow your computer. An easy way to check to see what program is sucking your resources is to run Task Manager.

HOW TO USE TASK MANAGER

(1) Task Manager is a part of Windows. Right-click your taskbar and select Task Manager.

(2) On the top of the Task Manager window, you'll see tabs. Select Performance.

(3) You'll see a list of everything that's running on your computer. If you see something showing 100% or close to that, click that.

It will show you how much of your computer resources are being used for that program. If that's an open program you're not using, close it.

I know it sounds very basic, but I too disregard this. I'm bad about opening several different programs and going from one to the other. 

I know all those open programs slow my computer, but I don't think about it until my computer bogs down.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Get in the habit of closing programs when you're finished with them so your computer can run fast and efficiently.

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Font and Design Mistakes on Websites

Do your eyes get tired when you read a lot online?

Mine do. I spend about 8 hours a day online. Yes, that's a lot, but every day I'm writing and/or reading for information or entertainment.

I've found that websites with difficult fonts and/or backgrounds make my eyes feel as if acid has been poured into them.

In fact, I've got where I avoid websites with those problems.

(Image at left by magnetme from Pixabay!)

Plan your website well and always with consideration for those you hope to attract to it.  According to website design experts, readability is of primary importance.

10 Things to Avoid in  Website Design

1. Website themes with black or dark backgrounds and white or other light colored fonts.

Some think a dark dramatic background is evocative. Have pity on those who spend a lot of time reading online. This white text on black tires the eye.

2. Run from fonts in fluorescent orange, yellow, lime, etc. Those colors make the font seem to pulsate before the viewers' eyes.

3. Please don't use different fonts for everything on the virtual page. That's simply not good design. In fact, it looks "busy" like plaid or stripes on broadcast television. Pick 1 font. Use bold or italic of that font for specific elements on your website.

4. Avoid using weird fonts like 28 Days Later, Black Adder, Old English, or Vivaldi. Those fonts are difficult for most people to read.

Rather than be glued to your virtual page, a web visitor will simply move on to an easier to read website.

5. Use a sans serif font like Arial or Open Sans so that those with reading disabilities can access your content.

6. Use a resonably sized font like 12 or 14 point because not everyone online is under the age of 30.

7. Make use of white space. Content with huge text blocks tend to look like a gigantic page stretching from top to bottom. Web readers' eyes glaze over.

8. Break up your text into short paragraphs because web readers read "vertically" with their eyes scanning for the salient points.

9. Use relevant images to break up the text and add interest to the content.

By the way, I frequently finding myself using eyedrops. The eyedrop I've found that works best for me is Systane Gel Eyedrops. They're pricey at the drugstore so I've been ordering from Amazon. 

Takeaway Truth

Make your website easy on the eyes and appealing to the brain, and you'll have plenty of website visitors who return often.

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Modern Magic: Free QR Code Maker

Happy Monday! It's Amazon Prime Day. 

Here's a link to help you Expore Featured Deals.

I know you want to shop, but take a few minutes to read about the free app I have for you today.

QR Code Monkey

What can you do with a QR Code? Embed information like any URL—your website, blog,  or other social media.  

With the free level, you can embed any URL, i.e. MP3, PDF, or a file URL.

With QR Code Monkey, create a static QR code that's 100% free and downloadable. Static means you can't edit it or embed other information.

If you need scan statistics, flexible editability, and other features, look at the professional level of QR Code Generator.

You can also embed an identifying image or logo that will appear in the center of the QR Code. I'll embed a couple I created so you can see what they look like. 

The images you make are readable with any QR code reader, like the one on your cell phone.

The QR Code at right is the signup URL for my free newsletter. Try it with your cell phone QR code reader. You'll see it takes you to my signup page.

What Can You Do with QR Codes?

When you create a QR code with this free app, you download it to your computer. Then you can use it as an image in blog posts, emails, your website, or in printed materials.

The app is really easy to use and can be custom designed with an image you upload or one of their stock images on the website. You can also change the color of the code data, purple in the newsletter code, and the background color, white in this case.

This QR code at left takes you to a Follow Joan page on SlingWords where you can find all of my social media links listed. 

You'll notice that this time I chose the standard black code on white background and used the social media image in the center as a logo. 

With some blog posts, I list the popular online links where you can find me and also post a signup link for my free newsletter. I think it would be easier to just post a QR code than list all the links.

I'm going to experiment with using QR codes in various ways. This "plain" QR code at right is the link to this blog. What do you think about QR Codes? Do you use your cell phone app to read product information in stores? I do.

Takeaway Truth

Is this free app something you might use to create QR codes to direct visitors to your websites or blog or perhaps in a letter so someone can find your website?

Thursday3Some: 3 Apps You'll Want

3 FREE Apps you'll absolutely want to download!

Bitmoji

Create your own Bitmoji and be yourself wherever you go—at least, that's how it's advertised.

Bitmoji is a personal emoji app available for both iOS and Android that helps you create a cartoon avatar that's a rather realistic depiction of yourself.

Bitmoji is free to download, but it includes some in-app purchases. Click the FIND OUT MORE button on the landing page to watch a video.

The next 2 apps are for the computer.

Audacity

Want to get into podcasting? Need an audio editor and recording software. Believe it or not, Audacity is a free and open-source digital audio editor and recording application software, and it's an excellent one according to PC Magazine. Good for amateurs and pros, and it's available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and other Unix-like operating systems.

CCleaner

I used to run this clean up utility, but I guess I forgot to install it the last time I was forced to buy a new computer. The C in CCleaner is for crap. It's a utility used to clean potentially unwanted files and invalid Windows Registry entries from a computer. It is one of the longest-established system cleaners, first launched in 2004. It was originally developed for Microsoft Windows only, but in 2012, a macOS version was released. In July 2020, it was still rated by PC Magazine as excellent.

Takeaway Truth

Who says you can't get something for free that works like an expensive software package?

Review: Quote Maker by Qwops

Today, I'm reviewing another free website infographic designer.

Qwops offers a library of quotes and limited images. It's easy to create attractive quote images in a very short amount of time.

Just click a topic to find a quotation and then click one of the background images.

Another click to download, and your PNG graphic is ready to save to your computer.

Takeaway Truth

Have a great Monday!

Authors: Monitor Books With Google Alerts

If you don't have a Google Alert set up with the title of your books, you really need to do that.

One of my friends received a Google Alert for a Tweet mentioning her pre-release book as free. The link in the Tweet directed people to a pirate site where her book was indeed offered for free.

She was racking her brain trying to find out who might have had access to her book file and uploaded it.

The outcome was that her book file probably was not on that file share server.

More than likely if someone  clicked the download link, the or she would get some insidious malware, worms, and viruses—which would serve them right for trying to get an author's hard work for free!

My goodness, most ebooks cost less than a Starbucks Venti Latte! No wonder it gets harder every day for an author to make a living!

My friend told everyone in our group about this situation, so several of us went to Twitter and marked the tweets as "suspicious, probably malicious spam" or words to that effect.

I'll post on a different day how to report Tweets like that.

Stealing an author's book content is a CRIME!

While we were reporting this user and blocking her, my friend received another Google Alert about another user account with the same Tweets.

So each of us reported that too and blocked the user.

These Twitter accounts usually have no followers, and they're not following anyone either plus the user name is a woman's first name followed by some numbers.

Be alert for this kind of thing. Better yet, set up Google Alerts to protect your name and your book titles.

Google Alerts? Easy to set up!

How to Set up Google Alerts

It’s simple to use. Just enter a word or phrase, like your name or title of your book,and you’ll be alerted by email whenever Google finds new mentions on the web. Set up one alert for your name and other alerts for each title of your books.

1. Go to Google Alerts.

2. Enter a search term to track. Make the alert specific by enclosing the search term in quotation marks, i.e., "Joan Reeves" or "Liam's Wild Irish Rose." Google Alerts will display a results preview as you type.

3. Select “Show options” (below the search box) and choose how often you want to receive alerts: once a day; as it happens; once a week.

4. Choose a source for your alerts: web; blogs; news; etc. If you’re unsure, leave the default setting  automatic.

5. Choose a language and region.

6. Choose how many results you want to see: “all results,” or “only the best results.”

Writers need all the TOOLS they can get.

7. Choose a delivery email address (this is where Google will send your alerts).

8. Select Create alert.

Takeaway Truth

Google has many free tools that authors can use so take advantage of them.

Review: CloneSpy

Do you need to clean up your hard drive either to retrieve some space or because you find duplicate apps on it?

If you're like me, you probably download freeware or shareware apps to try them.

If you don't use a certain app for an extended period, you may forget about it. Then you hear about it again and decide to download it—not realizing you've already done that.

CloneSpy is a neat little app that can clean up your hard drive by removing duplicate apps.

How Does CloneSpy Work?

CloneSpy frees up hard drive space by detecting and removing duplicate files. Duplicate files mean those which have exactly the same contents regardless of their name, date, time and location.

Also, it can find files that are not exactly identical, but have the same file name. That's helpful if you have different versions of a file and you want to find all of them and remove the older versions.

A plus is that CloneSpy can also find files that have no content, called zero length files. Go visit the webpage to find out more information, read the FAQ, and download the app.

Takeaway Truth

Your hard drive will run faster with all the crap removed.

Review: PageRank Checker App

Do you wonder how important your blog or website is in the grand scheme of things? Well, Google has a tool that ranks the importance of a website. It's called PageRank.

About Google PageRank

PageRank, or PR, is an algorithm used by Google Search to rank web pages in their search engine results.

Named after Larry Page, one of the founders of Google, PageRank is a way of measuring the importance of website pages.

It works by counting the number and quality of links to a page to determine a rough estimate of a website's importance.

The underlying assumption is that important websites are likely to receive more links from other websites.

In case you think a website's rank isn't that important, let me assure you that it is; otherwise, Google would not have updated the PageRank patent recently.

Why is it important? Because it's one of the factors a search engine like Google takes into account when it decides which results to show at the top of its search engine listings rather than buried in the middle.

Want to know how your websites stack up? Use the PRChecker app that I use.

PR Checker App

It's easy to check any website or blog with PRChecker, a handy PageRank app. No need to register an account. Checking a website is free.

Just put the URL in the checker and verify you're not a robot. That's all there is to it.

Takeaway Truth

So what is your PageRank?

Character Counter App

Don't hit the panic button when a website says: "Submit a description no longer than 50 words." Or, even worse, "Submit no more than 50 characters." You just need a good Character Counter app.

I have one of the best, and that's what I'm sharing with you today.

Online Character Counter Tool is as easy as pasting your text into the app then editing until it's exactly the correct length. Absolutely no guess work needed

This app will count Characters, Words, Sentences, Paragraphs, and even the Whitespace between words. Best of all, it's totally free. You don't even have to register an account to use it.

Breathe easy and never again dread submitting something with a strict length requirement. 

Takeaway Truth

Be sure and share this tool with your friends.

3 Fun Image Generators for Book Promotion

There are some wonderful graphic image design websites like BookBrush, which I highly recommend.

If you're on a really tight budget, there are some free graphic image generators you should check out.

You can create some fun graphic images for book promotion with these online image generators.

They're very easy to use, and you usually don't have to create an account. Since they're free—really free, not just a trial period—no credit card is needed.

You can create some quirky images that may have a place in your marketing. I've created an image to go along with each link.

Street Party Sign

Put your book's title and your author name on a movie marquee with a street party!

Easy to do with this image generator from Atom Smasher.

Just fill in the 4 lines and click the Make My Sign button.

 
Newspaper Clipping Generator

Make the front page news with this Newspaper Clipping Generator from Fodey.com.

Just fill in the boxes with the information you want to appear.

Click the Generate button. In less than a minute, you have a cute graphic image like the one I made.

Make as many as you want with different headlines and news stories.

SuperStickies

Make a sticky note design with SuperStickies by WigFlip.

Just type up your note, select the color of sticky note you want, select a font if you want something other than the default.

Click the Create button. In a few seconds you have a sticky note facsimile you can download.

Takeaway Truth

I have dozens of these image generator webpages saved so I'll share others with you in future posts.

6 Ways to Create Compelling Blogs

The goal of a blogger is to create compelling content that educates and entertains.

Bloggers want to keep readers coming back for more—especially if the blogger works hard at creating captivating blog posts.

6 Ways To Create Compelling Blogs

1. Write with a compelling voice that makes the reader feel as if they're having a great conversation with the writer.

If you talk to the reader, not talk at them, they're more likely to read the post, not just skim the copy. Like Jared Polis said, "For me, blogging is just like talking."

2. Punch up the copy with something unexpected.

Something unexpected might be a quote that emphasizes the point, like the quotation from Jared Polis that I used above. Or it might be something that makes the reader think like what Warren Ellis said, "I think blogging is a muscle that most people wear out."

You could use a startling statistic or fact, anything that amuses the reader or inspires deeper thinking.

3. Use numbered lists.

Number those items!

Readers love this because psychologically they feel as if they're getting step by step help in an area—and they really are. People like reading lists for information.

4. Use metaphors and similes that speak to the audience's cultural experiences.

I often use a baseball metaphor because I love baseball. Just about everyone understands a reference to "hitting a home run." Sports allusions are great for male readers, but female readers understand them too. Sports are part of our cultural background. Don't be afraid to use sports, literary, political, or whatever-floats-your-boat metaphors and similes.

5. Reference what others have done. 

Why re-invent the wheel? Point your readers to other blogs that contain information that will help them. Acknowledge the body of work that has already been created. Give links if possible. Honor your fellow writers.

6. Feel free to blog about subjects many others may have already addressed.

Different writers can, and do, present the same information in many different ways.

Maybe you've read 100 articles on writing, but article number 101 is the one where you really "get it."

The way you write about something may be the way that speaks to someone who desperately needs to understand the information you offer.

Takeaway Truth

To be a blogging success, keep these 6 tips in mind as you plan and write your posts.

Month by Month Blog Post Ideas, Part 1 of 2

What I hear most often from bloggers is that they can't keep coming up with ideas for a blog post.

Here's another tip to help you with this so you don't have to get a headache dreaming up ideas.

Today's Blog Post Tip

Always have some resources that can nudge your imagination. By this, I mean a specific list of something you can go to time and again to mine for ideas when your imagination is on strike.

One of these resources should be the Monthly Tie-In because every month of the year is special for something: holidays, retail sales of certain items, commemorative days, etc.

You can do a google search of what a particular month is noted for or use my list that follows as a resource. Add to it. There are many things about each month that's special and that "specialness" may also trigger a memory of an experience you had about that event.

Not on the list below are each month's birthstones, astrological signs, and flowers as well as books whose subject matter can tie in to special celebrations and events.

My Resource List of Monthly Tie-Ins: January - June

January

• after Christmas sales
• New Year's Day
• resolutions
• self-improvement of every variety
• review some of the latest books about diet, fitness, vacation planning, self-improvement
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• starting new projects in the home, work, hobbies, etc.
• International Holocaust Remembrance Day

February

• Chinese New Year
• Black History Month
• Library Lovers Month
• Valentine's Day and everything involving love, romance, relationships, marriage
• President's Day in the U.S. may spark ideas of past presidents, history, accomplishments, quotations, speeches
• Baseball spring training starts. Whether a fan or not, did you play baseball as a kid? Got memories to share?

March

• St. Patrick's Day
• Easter
• Daylight Savings Time starts in the U.S.
• spring begins
• Mardi Gras 
• Girl Scout Day
• International Women's Day

April

• April Fool's Day
• spring flowers
• allergies
• World Health Day
• World Earth Day
• National Poetry Month
• National Autism Awareness
• National Walking Day

May

• May Day
• Mother Goose Day
• Kentucky Derby
• Star Wars Day
• Cinco de Mayo
• Police Officers Memorial Day
• Armed Forces Day
• Mother's Day
• Memorial Day

June

• National Heimlich Maneuver Day
• National Pen Pal Day
• Flag Day
• Bastille Day
• Summer begins
• D-Day Remembrance
• National Cancer Survivors Day
• Father's Day
• Old Maid's Day
• Graduations of every type

That should get you started. Next week, I'll post another list for July through December.

Takeaway Truth

Having a resource that generates blog post ideas each time you go to it makes blogging more enjoyable.