I normally don’t like to group awards together but things are getting a little rough for the old Lost Mind of late. He’s starting to struggle a bit. The flames are beginning to be felt.
I recently was nominated for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award by TWO wonderful and talented ladies.
First to arrive was Hilary of The Joy of Writing. I was pleased with this award coming from a fellow educator and one with a “Master’s degree in Secondary Education with a specialization in English”. (Please no proofreading, Hilary.) Hilary has the tips we all need. If you come to my site to be a better writer, I should have a header photo sign saying go to Hilary’s site instead. We met through The Blogging U Writing 101 June Class.
Then Hannah from Inked Roses arrived. A lovely young lady who I greatly admire in many ways. We met through The Blogging U Writing 101 June Class and my admiration has grown all the more since. I wait eagerly for each of her new works to arrive.
Here are the rules for accepting the award:
Thank and link to the amazing person who nominated you.
List the rules and display the award.
Share seven facts about yourself.
Nominate 15 other amazing blogs and comment on their posts to let them know they have been nominated.
Proudly display the award logo on your blog and follow the blogger who nominated you.
Seven Facts that I haven’t Revealed so Far?
1. I have attempted to go Vegetarian but it’s a bit difficult without a little bit of support from the Grocery Shoppers when one cannot get out often.
2. I enjoy writing poetry as a visual art in that I once I finish a piece I look and see if there is some form to it that with a slight wonder change can give an artistic shape to it, or I space the lines and stanzas out among photographs to act as accents or frames for my words.
3. My writing seems to be supportive of women in their individuality, equality and my adoration for them as an amazing creation above all other creations.
4. I dislike people who like to hear themselves talk or type when they actually have nothing to say at all.
5. I once won a speed skating contest in my younger days.
6. The more I write the more I discover that there is more I don’t know about writing and the more things I wish to write about.
7. I am always about 3 minutes away from burnout in blogging but without it I am lost.
My nominations for this award will be brief:
Jennifer of THE THINGS I YELL AT MY TELEVISION. “I got tired of going hoarse screaming at the television, computer monitor, and radio, so I decided to start a blog to share my illuminating thoughts and reflections on life in the modern world with all of you, or with my mom, because I think she might be the only one who ever sees this.” Look at the name of the blog. Do I really need to do anything or say anything to get you to click that? Didn’t think so.
Christine of The Journeyman’s Moments. “I am a dreamer who dreams of perfection but to say that would be to relinquish most of my imperfections too. Quite impossible, I have my own weaknesses. We all have. But I pursue where I do good and not the other way around.”
Sarah of The Lit Bear “Before she ever learned her first words (which took little time), her old Choctaw grandfather bestowed upon her a second name: Bear.” Poetry and Fiction and she says she can really pull of the short hair look, and that it makes her feel like a real bad . . . well you use what word you wish.
Justine of Eclectic odds n sods. “The above picture kind of sums me up and the ‘feeling’ predominantly filtering through most of this blog. No I am not a troll, but doesn’t he have the look of being a ‘right little ole cheeky monkey?’” And that is what you get from Justine. I need humor in my life and this is one place I go to find it. I never know what to expect and at times that’s just what you want. She’s a wedge of her life type of writer. (I have become disenchanted with typing slice of life, although I know that fits, well sometimes hers is a wedge.)
Linda of STUDY GOD’S WORD. “Often, as I study, I hear my dad’s words in my memory as well as those of other great men and women of the Word that it has been my privilege to hear over the years.” If I need to explain what her blog is about . . . well okay. Visit her to Study the Bible. She shares the message. I may write anything and everything within reason but I always try to remain a decent person. I had even thought of doing my own Bible related blog at one point, but my ministry is elsewhere.
Hugh of Hugh’s Views & News. “Based in Hove, East Sussex, in the United Kingdom, I write about all kinds of everyday life and what it brings to us all. Nothing too serious, most of the time just about the little things in life and how important they can be to all of us. Some of my blogs will be humorous, while others may bring a tear to the eye.” Fiction, life, photography. He keeps things varied. I seem to really enjoy is photography and I also appreciate his comments on my articles. That seems to be something those on the list so far have in common. It seems those that are inspiring seem to be the ones that do reach out and connect with others. I appreciate Hugh for that as well as everyone else. Hugh actually commented recently and made me rethink a way of writing articles. He doesn’t know it, but perhaps I will notice what it is someday.
Mikhaeyla of [w]rite of passage. A writer with a nice way with words. Vague enough? Visit the site. I’ve put in quotes from the About pages so far, but this time I have only seven words to say. Pearl Jam and To Kill A Mockingbird.
Florence of Meanings and Musings. “I embody these – ‘child of the Universe’, counselor, daughter, educator, friend, lawyer, lover, mother, psychotherapist, sister, wife – and many more. What do they reflect, I wonder. 🙂 ”
I am not sure how many nominees that was. To those I didn’t nominate, I know I should have, I apologize, I will do so in time when the names I can attach to faces. When you don’t know what day it is, it’s can be a bit difficult to remember a few other things at times.
Again I am honored by the nominations. I hope that I at some point live up to deserving the award.
People can remember events in their lives or recall specific details of life associated with an event even decades later. The odd thing is, they don’t even know the relevance of what that detail is.
Just imagine all the beautiful sounding songs you’ve ever heard and then think of some of the lyrics to them. You can’t right of the top of your head probably. It’s one of those “If you hadn’t asked me I could’ve named a dozen of them” kind of things.
One song that is incredibly simple, sweet, and beautiful has said to be one of the top 10 most covered songs ever. Some cover it because it’s beautiful. Some, though, realize there is a message there.
Blackbird written by Paul McCartney was recorded in 1968 and appeared on the Beatles ‘White Album’. Do you know the message? It’s 1968, an Englishman looks at America and sees what is happening. He thinks of the people in America and thinks of a girl, a bird.
Blackbird is born. McCartney writes about Civil Rights. Normally I would explain a little more and then give you the song followed by the lyrics. But there is a reason Paul’s song has been covered so many times. He’s an author more than a song writer. I call poetry micro chapters of my autobiography. Paul writes micro chapters of history.
It’s 1968. America.
April 1968 Martin Luther King Jr has been assassinated.
June 1968 Paul McCartney enters the studio and records,
“Blackbird”
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free.
Blackbird fly Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.
Blackbird fly Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.
You love the song from the moment the first chord is struck. The music and the voice harmonizes and you get lost before you even know what the song is about. You just know you love the song. Then one day you listen to the words and there it is. You but the year and the song together and you get it.
I’m a Southern man. Many may automatically think all Southern men have racial issues. I know of attitudes that are like that now. You can see it in the news today where something happens and they write it off as ‘well that’s the south for you’. Take a closer look at the news. It’s not just the South or mostly the South.
I’m a Southern man and I love all people. I love this song. I love the message. As a historian I am amazed at what it says. Paul McCartney, historian, author, singer, songwriter.
For those who say the Beatles weren’t something special . . . keep your Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber.
Cyber Bullying, Internet Bullying, Cyber Bullies, Trolls. You know where this is going. Did you know that if you share your thoughts on the internet that you might get attacked or that people like to use those things to try and make you feel weak and bad? No? It happens, even to the nicest people, INCLUDING adults. Cyber Bullying isn’t just about teenagers or younger any longer or in truth has never just been about those ages. Some call it discussing, commenting or debating. To me once you cross a line it becomes something else. This isn’t about something that’s happened to me. It’s happened to my FRIENDS.
Internet Cyber Bullies: Not just for the young.
by: Ronovan
Why do bloggers blog? Is it because we want attention? For some that may be the case, but I would say for most it is to share their thoughts and their creations. There are those who do it as a hobby of sorts or even as a way to make money. I need to look into how to do that last one. I’m not sure anyone would pay me to write what I write. I’m just too random.
If you are a paid columnist for a major publication I am sure you expect some attacks or fallout from certain pieces published. For those who simply share personal experiences in order for others to find a person to connect with and heal with, I expect an attack comes as a shock. It’s a sucker punch, a low blow, basically a jerk thing to do.
Have I been personally attacked? No, but I have seen my friends attacked. I hold my tongue and bite my fingers while I’m at it. Sure, I may write something in response either on their blog or even in an article myself but it is always more toward the support of the friend than against the attacker. I like to support the positive and not encourage the negative.
I’m a peacemaker. It’s what some call a spiritual gift. When I see strife it tears at me. When it involves one of my friends, especially a woman, I become . . . not happy. Society needs to realize that Cyber Bullying is not just limited to school aged kids. It happens to adults too. Sometimes it’s even by another blogger who is just so self centered they can’t see past their ego bubble to notice they have a problem.
And if what is called a ‘troll’ can find you and your weakness they are going to pick at that weakness until it bleeds and you crack. Yes, ‘troll’ is just another word for cyber bully. But people apply it to adult on adult bullying because we as adults are supposed to be able to handle ourselves.
Really? Give a try sometime and see how you like it. Not everyone is the same. Not everyone’s history is the same. I wrote an interview recently that showed me how different people really can be. That in part sparked this article. That, and a few other incidents.
‘Troll’ alert: I’m good. I’m better adjusted than my site content may suggest. I’ve been mentally attacked by the best and I’m still standing.
No matter what a blogger says the ‘troll’ will take the opposite view or spin words to create chaos, even if the blogger agrees at some point, the ‘troll’ will just change their words to keep an argument going.
‘Trolls’ want to argue and hurt people. Some ‘trolls’ don’t even know they’re ‘trolls’. However, they do know what they are doing. They find that person they think is weak, discover things about them, and then when the opportunity arises they strike. Or perhaps they don’t realize that’s what they are doing, I mean some of them. They just ended up mentally conditioned to prey upon others. I’m not giving them a free pass for it. Big boy, put on the big boy panties and act like a big boy or girl.
So how do you handle a ‘troll’? If you are a blogger you can block them from posting. Or better is just to ignore them and ask your reader Friends to not reply to their comments. ‘Trolls’ want attention. Don’t give it to them and some day they will go away.
But that isn’t the answer for some bloggers. There are some situations that can’t be ignored. That’s when you do have to block them or even report them to whoever you have your blog with. I would just make sure to reply to a comment telling the ‘troll’ not to comment on any more of your blog posts or any other social network or media you are involved with. Copy it, screenshot it, keep it, and if it continues, it’s harassment.
Will this article bring the ‘trolls’ my way? Perhaps, but if they disrupt my Friends enjoyment of my creations they will be blocked. And in truth, they would just give me more things to write about. Perhaps my next article would be Cyber Bully Booger Blues. So sad.
“It is the end of fall in the kingdom of Alymphia. Princess Aria and Prince Hob are readying themselves for yet another Fall Passing Festival. But unbeknownst to them, change is coming to the kingdom. Change brought on by dark forces and events that occurred generations prior. And those changes will unfold over their lives like a flood that nothing can stop.
In another place and another time, a mysterious prince walks the world, trusted steel at his belt and a mystical stone imbued with magic at his neck. He is looking for a word that has never been said; a word that would save his love from the grip of an ancient beast.
The WorldMight is a fantasy imbued with romance and mysticism. It is a classic tale of love truer than time, a spiritual journey in a world heavy with secrets and magic. Despite spanning generations and more, it is also a very personal story of devotion, jealousy, and redemption.”
Interview with Cyril Bussiere Author of The WorldMight
One of the very talented people I have come to know since starting up this site is Cyril Bussiere a Poet, Musician, Intellectual, and Author of The WorldMight, all of which I am jealous of. Renaissance man perhaps? We’ll go with that. Oh, and did I happen to mention Photographer as one of his gifts as well?
Yes, I hate on him sometimes, because he’s just so good at everything. It doesn’t help that he is also French and so does that cool French accent thing. If I didn’t like the guy so much I might just throw myself under a bus, but then I would miss out on what next creation he came up with.
I asked Cyril if he would be willing to do an interview and he kindly and generously said yes. I won’t waste much more of your time now. I’m just glad this isn’t in sound so I don’t have to hear the cool accent compared with my slow Southern accent, y’all.
RW: Okay, Cyril, first thing first, where do we get a copy of your book, The WorldMight?
CYRIL: At this moment it’s available at Amazon for Kindle.
RW: Now that everyone has left the interview to buy your book I will ask a few questions. You were born and raised in France (yes he speaks French-for real, I was not just saying that earlier) and then came to the United States to continue your University studies, why? Why Utah and then Texas? Those are three very different environments I would think.
CYRIL: This is a good question and worthy of a long answer. Right after high school I joined the University of Medicine in my home town.
During Christmas that year I read On the Heights of Despair by Emile Cioran and it sent me into a rather deep spiritual and existential crisis in the light of which life, let alone school, became irrelevant.
RW: I think we all get like that sometimes. But you came out of it, obviously.
CYRIL: After a few difficult months, I gathered the tools to fend off the dark doubts and uncertainties that plagued me. My mother nonetheless decided a change of scenery was in order for me. One of my best friends from high school was already studying in upstate NY and so at the end of that year I joined him and enrolled in the small community college there.
RW: That is seriously a loving Mom there. But that is New York, where does the Utah stop come in?
CYRIL: What was supposed to be a one year stay turned into more. I transferred to Alabama where I attended the University of South Alabama in Mobile, a proper university but still not too expensive -my family was already making great financial sacrifices for me to be in the US, (it’s crazy expensive here compared to France where it’s almost free -Med school was $300 a year.)
A year later, it was decided that if I was to graduate, it might as well be from as good a school as possible. That’s when I moved to Salk Lake City, Utah, where I finished my B.S. in Biology at the University of Utah. After that I worked for a year at UC Davis as a lab tech (my old lab from U of U had moved there right before I graduated).
In the meantime, I applied to grad school, mostly randomly, to places that had good funding for research. At the end of my year in California, I took a 4 months break and traveled South East Asia solo. I was in Bangkok when I got the news that I was accepted at UT Austin. I spent the next seven years there, getting my Ph.D. in microbiology.
So to sum it up, it was mostly through chance that got me where I am. I knew almost nothing about all the places I moved to throughout the years and it’s all been great.
RW: I’ll have to talk to you about South East Asia another time. That must have been amazing. But for not in regards to your writing, coming from more of a biological/medical background to now writing novels, are there medical aspects in your work, your literary creations?
CYRIL: Not at all. My research was not medical, it was more basic science, how-does-this-work type of stuff. Although I’ve done a lot of scientific writing in my time, science has not influenced my creative writing. I do have a few ideas for potential novels that involve scientific aspects, but that’s in the ‘if and maybe’ realm.
RW: Your parents were obviously great encouragers and supporters in your education, did they encourage your writing as well or perhaps a teacher saw something? Where does the writing influence come from?
CYRIL: I’m not sure where it comes from. As far as I can remember I always wrote, though mostly short form and poetry. My parents always read a lot and I guess they passed it on to me, and that in turn inspired me to write. I think it comes down to a need for creative expression.
RW: How would you describe your style of writing? You write poetry and have most of your writing life, now you write a novel, how different and challenging did you find it?
CYRIL: My writing can change drastically from day to day, and that makes it difficult to assign it a style. For example my first novel, The WorldMight is a very poetic work, while the book I’m currently working on has a very crude and raw style.
Going from poetry to novel was a daunting prospect I had shied away from all my life. The WorldMight was not planned as a novel. Initially, it just wrote the prologue one morning, it came to be on its own, and could have been just a longish fiction blog post. It came from a ‘free his love’ idea that I had almost two years prior and mostly everything else in these paragraphs was improvised. Somehow I kept on writing after it, and everything I created past that point, the world, its magical rules and the overarching plot flowed from these first words and ideas.
RW: With the ‘daunting prospect’ and the ‘plot flowed’ comments being a bit at odds, how long did it take you to finish The WorldMight? I know the idea was probably daunting but apparently you flowed well once starting.
CYRIL: It took about 14 months to write the first draft. A couple of months after I finished it, my wife and I took a nine months break to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail and do volunteer work in Nepal, so I didn’t touch it during that time. When we got back home at the end of last year, I got started on the editing process and that took another four months.
RW: That is great to know. A lot of the ‘experts’ say you need to walk away from your manuscript for a period of time to then come back to it fresh.
You mentioned a new project that is very different form The WorldMight. What is it that you are working on now and when can we expect it in our hands?
CYRIL: Right now, I am working on a novel, BLUR. The story takes place in Austin, TX, and follows Barrett, a scientist and wannabe writer, and, Pete, the protagonist of Barrett’s first novel. In it I explore love, lust, and the effect childhood experiences have on intimate relationships. It’s a raw, sometimes graphic work, that’s very different from my first novel. I’m six chapters short of being done, so I hope to have it out by beginning 2015.
RW: Very different idea from The WorldMight. But I’ve read some on your site, especially the short story series you have going called Vamp, which I have to say is very unique take on the Vampire idea, so I know there is a different side of your writing and that you like to break out and expose your different ideas.
Now, Cyril, You wrote a novel for 14 months, what did you learn about yourself while writing The WorldMight?
CYRIL: First thing would be that I can write a novel. That was not something I was sure of until the epilogue was finished.
Second, that I don’t have much control over the writing process. It happens more than I make it happen. It’s both engrossing when it flows and utterly frustrating when it doesn’t.
Third, that I pour a lot of who I am in my characters. They might be very different from me, but there’s always a crucial aspect about them that is a reflection of an aspect of my own persona. Sometimes, I don’t see it right away and it’s only on the umpteenth reread that it jumps at me, but it’s always there.
RW: I share the same opinion. No matter how much you want to go in one direction it just goes where it wants to. Now, what did you learn about the writing while working on The WorldMight?
CYRIL: That it’s hard. It’s like the blank page is my foe and we’re doing some kind of dance of seduction of the to-the-death kind and half the time I win and she bends to my will, and the rest of the time, I try and try but end up deleting hours of bad writing.
But in the end, you just have to keep on going at it, keep the floodgates open, until something decent comes out. I find that often the good stuff is inspired by the crap that came before it.
RW: Ah, when the floodgates don’t open what is your escape from writing when you are waiting for them to open again?
CYRIL: Something mindless. Right now I’m getting back into classical guitar after a five year hiatus, so I do a lot of that. I’m also involved with Big Brother Big Sister and my little lent me Grand Theft Auto V so I’m playing that too.
RW: Obviously the floodgates opened, you revised, what was the most challenging part of getting your book to the public?
CYRIL: The editing process was tough, especially cutting down 10% of it. It took me a while to come to term with the fact that I just had to, that great phrases that bog down the flow of a paragraph have to be axed without remorse, however beautiful they might be.
RW: What advice would you give a first time novelist venturing into publishing a book?
CYRIL: If in the writing stages, just do it. The confidence you’ll get from having written a book, whatever the quality, is utterly satisfying.
If you have written the book, do your research and figure out who your public is, how to reach it and what your options are.
RW: For me when I write I find lighting in my room influences how I write. You write songs, do you listen to certain kinds of music to help you write various scenes?
CYRIL: I don’t usually listen to music while I write. I find it distracts more than anything else. However, I do listen in my head to the sounds and music, if there is some playing, of the scene. It helps me soak up the atmosphere of the moment and write the character’s reactions more naturally in the given context.
RW: Writing does take time away from other aspects of life. What did your wife think of the time you had to spend writing The WorldMight?
CYRIL: I’m a morning person and my wife is not. I wrote in the mornings, 5-7am, while she was still asleep, so it didn’t really impact her.
RW: That works out great. Finally, what is your go to beverage while writing?
CYRIL: A light beer like a Shiner or a Blue Moon. But they don’t last long.
RW: I know you are currently unsigned by a literary agency, if you could hand pick one what qualities in an agent would you want?
CYRIL: Since I enjoy writing in various styles and in different genres, flexibility would be important in an agent. Also, given my attachment to well written sentences, one who is ruthless when it comes to editing would be a definite plus. And of course someone who would know how to get my work in the right hands both publisher-wise and to reader-wise.
I thank Cyril for agreeing to this interview. I must say he really agreed to help me out by doing so. My Friends here at RonovanWrites deserve to see the inside workings of getting to a goal and that real people write their dreams into reality.
If you are a fan of Cyril’s poetry then you MUST get this book. Just read the reviews at Amazon and the excerpts as well and you will see mention of his poetic style.
I ask everyone to make sure to visit Cyril at his site, cyrilbussiere.wordpress.com . You can also reach him by email at cyril.buissiere@gmail.com and of course as the whole of the world has a Twitter account, you can find Cyril there as well at @cyrilbussiere. Of course he and I are Twitter friends, and I also Follow his blog, so I’m not asking you to do anything that I don’t.
“It is the end of fall in the kingdom of Alymphia. Princess Aria and Prince Hob are readying themselves for yet another Fall Passing Festival. But unbeknownst to them, change is coming to the kingdom. Change brought on by dark forces and events that occurred generations prior. And those changes will unfold over their lives like a flood that nothing can stop.
In another place and another time, a mysterious prince walks the world, trusted steel at his belt and a mystical stone imbued with magic at his neck. He is looking for a word that has never been said; a word that would save his love from the grip of an ancient beast.
The WorldMight is a fantasy imbued with romance and mysticism. It is a classic tale of love truer than time, a spiritual journey in a world heavy with secrets and magic. Despite spanning generations and more, it is also a very personal story of devotion, jealousy, and redemption.”
Interview with Cyril Bussiere Author of The WorldMight
One of the very talented people I have come to know since starting up this site is Cyril Bussiere a Poet, Musician, Intellectual, and Author of The WorldMight, all of which I am jealous of. Renaissance man perhaps? We’ll go with that. Oh, and did I happen to mention Photographer as one of his gifts as well?
Yes, I hate on him sometimes, because he’s just so good at everything. It doesn’t help that he is also French and so does that cool French accent thing. If I didn’t like the guy so much I might just throw myself under a bus, but then I would miss out on what next creation he came up with.
I asked Cyril if he would be willing to do an interview and he kindly and generously said yes. I won’t waste much more of your time now. I’m just glad this isn’t in sound so I don’t have to hear the cool accent compared with my slow Southern accent, y’all.
RW: Okay, Cyril, first thing first, where do we get a copy of your book, The WorldMight?
CYRIL: At this moment it’s available at Amazon for Kindle.
RW: Now that everyone has left the interview to buy your book I will ask a few questions. You were born and raised in France (yes he speaks French-for real, I was not just saying that earlier) and then came to the United States to continue your University studies, why? Why Utah and then Texas? Those are three very different environments I would think.
CYRIL: This is a good question and worthy of a long answer. Right after high school I joined the University of Medicine in my home town.
During Christmas that year I read On the Heights of Despair by Emile Cioran and it sent me into a rather deep spiritual and existential crisis in the light of which life, let alone school, became irrelevant.
RW: I think we all get like that sometimes. But you came out of it, obviously.
CYRIL: After a few difficult months, I gathered the tools to fend off the dark doubts and uncertainties that plagued me. My mother nonetheless decided a change of scenery was in order for me. One of my best friends from high school was already studying in upstate NY and so at the end of that year I joined him and enrolled in the small community college there.
RW: That is seriously a loving Mom there. But that is New York, where does the Utah stop come in?
CYRIL: What was supposed to be a one year stay turned into more. I transferred to Alabama where I attended the University of South Alabama in Mobile, a proper university but still not too expensive -my family was already making great financial sacrifices for me to be in the US, (it’s crazy expensive here compared to France where it’s almost free -Med school was $300 a year.)
A year later, it was decided that if I was to graduate, it might as well be from as good a school as possible. That’s when I moved to Salk Lake City, Utah, where I finished my B.S. in Biology at the University of Utah. After that I worked for a year at UC Davis as a lab tech (my old lab from U of U had moved there right before I graduated).
In the meantime, I applied to grad school, mostly randomly, to places that had good funding for research. At the end of my year in California, I took a 4 months break and traveled South East Asia solo. I was in Bangkok when I got the news that I was accepted at UT Austin. I spent the next seven years there, getting my Ph.D. in microbiology.
So to sum it up, it was mostly through chance that got me where I am. I knew almost nothing about all the places I moved to throughout the years and it’s all been great.
RW: I’ll have to talk to you about South East Asia another time. That must have been amazing. But for not in regards to your writing, coming from more of a biological/medical background to now writing novels, are there medical aspects in your work, your literary creations?
CYRIL: Not at all. My research was not medical, it was more basic science, how-does-this-work type of stuff. Although I’ve done a lot of scientific writing in my time, science has not influenced my creative writing. I do have a few ideas for potential novels that involve scientific aspects, but that’s in the ‘if and maybe’ realm.
RW: Your parents were obviously great encouragers and supporters in your education, did they encourage your writing as well or perhaps a teacher saw something? Where does the writing influence come from?
CYRIL: I’m not sure where it comes from. As far as I can remember I always wrote, though mostly short form and poetry. My parents always read a lot and I guess they passed it on to me, and that in turn inspired me to write. I think it comes down to a need for creative expression.
RW: How would you describe your style of writing? You write poetry and have most of your writing life, now you write a novel, how different and challenging did you find it?
CYRIL: My writing can change drastically from day to day, and that makes it difficult to assign it a style. For example my first novel, The WorldMight is a very poetic work, while the book I’m currently working on has a very crude and raw style.
Going from poetry to novel was a daunting prospect I had shied away from all my life. The WorldMight was not planned as a novel. Initially, it just wrote the prologue one morning, it came to be on its own, and could have been just a longish fiction blog post. It came from a ‘free his love’ idea that I had almost two years prior and mostly everything else in these paragraphs was improvised. Somehow I kept on writing after it, and everything I created past that point, the world, its magical rules and the overarching plot flowed from these first words and ideas.
RW: With the ‘daunting prospect’ and the ‘plot flowed’ comments being a bit at odds, how long did it take you to finish The WorldMight? I know the idea was probably daunting but apparently you flowed well once starting.
CYRIL: It took about 14 months to write the first draft. A couple of months after I finished it, my wife and I took a nine months break to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail and do volunteer work in Nepal, so I didn’t touch it during that time. When we got back home at the end of last year, I got started on the editing process and that took another four months.
RW: That is great to know. A lot of the ‘experts’ say you need to walk away from your manuscript for a period of time to then come back to it fresh.
You mentioned a new project that is very different form The WorldMight. What is it that you are working on now and when can we expect it in our hands?
CYRIL: Right now, I am working on a novel, BLUR. The story takes place in Austin, TX, and follows Barrett, a scientist and wannabe writer, and, Pete, the protagonist of Barrett’s first novel. In it I explore love, lust, and the effect childhood experiences have on intimate relationships. It’s a raw, sometimes graphic work, that’s very different from my first novel. I’m six chapters short of being done, so I hope to have it out by beginning 2015.
RW: Very different idea from The WorldMight. But I’ve read some on your site, especially the short story series you have going called Vamp, which I have to say is very unique take on the Vampire idea, so I know there is a different side of your writing and that you like to break out and expose your different ideas.
Now, Cyril, You wrote a novel for 14 months, what did you learn about yourself while writing The WorldMight?
CYRIL: First thing would be that I can write a novel. That was not something I was sure of until the epilogue was finished.
Second, that I don’t have much control over the writing process. It happens more than I make it happen. It’s both engrossing when it flows and utterly frustrating when it doesn’t.
Third, that I pour a lot of who I am in my characters. They might be very different from me, but there’s always a crucial aspect about them that is a reflection of an aspect of my own persona. Sometimes, I don’t see it right away and it’s only on the umpteenth reread that it jumps at me, but it’s always there.
RW: I share the same opinion. No matter how much you want to go in one direction it just goes where it wants to. Now, what did you learn about the writing while working on The WorldMight?
CYRIL: That it’s hard. It’s like the blank page is my foe and we’re doing some kind of dance of seduction of the to-the-death kind and half the time I win and she bends to my will, and the rest of the time, I try and try but end up deleting hours of bad writing.
But in the end, you just have to keep on going at it, keep the floodgates open, until something decent comes out. I find that often the good stuff is inspired by the crap that came before it.
RW: Ah, when the floodgates don’t open what is your escape from writing when you are waiting for them to open again?
CYRIL: Something mindless. Right now I’m getting back into classical guitar after a five year hiatus, so I do a lot of that. I’m also involved with Big Brother Big Sister and my little lent me Grand Theft Auto V so I’m playing that too.
RW: Obviously the floodgates opened, you revised, what was the most challenging part of getting your book to the public?
CYRIL: The editing process was tough, especially cutting down 10% of it. It took me a while to come to term with the fact that I just had to, that great phrases that bog down the flow of a paragraph have to be axed without remorse, however beautiful they might be.
RW: What advice would you give a first time novelist venturing into publishing a book?
CYRIL: If in the writing stages, just do it. The confidence you’ll get from having written a book, whatever the quality, is utterly satisfying.
If you have written the book, do your research and figure out who your public is, how to reach it and what your options are.
RW: For me when I write I find lighting in my room influences how I write. You write songs, do you listen to certain kinds of music to help you write various scenes?
CYRIL: I don’t usually listen to music while I write. I find it distracts more than anything else. However, I do listen in my head to the sounds and music, if there is some playing, of the scene. It helps me soak up the atmosphere of the moment and write the character’s reactions more naturally in the given context.
RW: Writing does take time away from other aspects of life. What did your wife think of the time you had to spend writing The WorldMight?
CYRIL: I’m a morning person and my wife is not. I wrote in the mornings, 5-7am, while she was still asleep, so it didn’t really impact her.
RW: That works out great. Finally, what is your go to beverage while writing?
CYRIL: A light beer like a Shiner or a Blue Moon. But they don’t last long.
RW: I know you are currently unsigned by a literary agency, if you could hand pick one what qualities in an agent would you want?
CYRIL: Since I enjoy writing in various styles and in different genres, flexibility would be important in an agent. Also, given my attachment to well written sentences, one who is ruthless when it comes to editing would be a definite plus. And of course someone who would know how to get my work in the right hands both publisher-wise and to reader-wise.
I thank Cyril for agreeing to this interview. I must say he really agreed to help me out by doing so. My Friends here at RonovanWrites deserve to see the inside workings of getting to a goal and that real people write their dreams into reality.
If you are a fan of Cyril’s poetry then you MUST get this book. Just read the reviews at Amazon and the excerpts as well and you will see mention of his poetic style.
I ask everyone to make sure to visit Cyril at his site, cyrilbussiere.wordpress.com . You can also reach him by email at cyril.buissiere@gmail.com and of course as the whole of the world has a Twitter account, you can find Cyril there as well at @cyrilbussiere. Of course he and I are Twitter friends, and I also Follow his blog, so I’m not asking you to do anything that I don’t.
You’re on a date and you are stressed beyond belief. It’s like that first time and you just have no idea what’s going to happen. You just keep praying that you don’t do anything . . . stupid.
Stupid around my house is a bad word. We say silly instead. But really one word is as bad as another if you know what it is supposed to really stand for. No freakin’ way will I say that crap word again.
Anyway, for a guy what can you do that’s so bad on a first date, or really any date for that matter, but that first date is the one you have to impress. The rest of your time with her she realizes you’re a guy and you do guy things, so you get a pass card. And no I don’t mean that kind of pass . . . or that one either. Eww.
What do we fear?
Five Things Men Fear on First Dates
by: Ronovan
Pit Sweats
Guys, be honest, they are;
The dreaded stains,
That cause you chest pains.
You have options here men.
• Date only in winter and never wear a coat, jacket, or sweater
• Duct tape bath clothes to your pits
• Or be sensible and wear a t-shirt
But the truth is, none of those ideas occur to us until it’s the end of July and we’re standing outside her door and that trickle starts down the back of the neck. You just know what’s going to be next. Back sweats? Okay you can get away with that, she’ll understand. But then you drive and move your arm and the air hits and . . . you know it has happened.
That freezing cold feeling hits that damp pit cloth of the shirt and you begin to sweat more and wonder if she would question stopping at a local Quik Trip convenience store while you air dry your pits with the hand dryer in the restroom. Then you begin to worry she thinks you have other problems.
Bad Breath
You leave the house and you are like, “It’s all good.” Then you start singing to the radio. Something begins to smell.
You’re at her driveway. She’s sitting on the porch swing and sees you. You have no way out. You pull in and scrounge for anything.
And then you find it, that melted plastic wrapped piece of peppermint candy that is now pink from where the food coloring has fun together from who knows how many years of living in the cup holder under that Taco Bell napkin.
The plastic will not release. She’s stopped swinging and now is staring. Yes, you do it. In goes the candy, plastic and all and you . . . chew. You have to get out of the car because she’s coming. She’s worried about you. Oh no, you can’t get rid of the plastic or she’ll see and then your hands are covered in sticky 3,000 year old candy sugar.
Yep, you swallow the plastic.
Bats in the Cave
It happens to everyone, even her. But men, you know it’s going to happen on that date.
You can even feel it happening. The tickle starts. You breathe and hear that slight noise and feel it moving.
You start breathing through your mouth slightly. But then she’ll think you’re a mouth breather. You try for the distraction and the big sniff to move that thing up. Or maybe you find a way to rub your nose in the hopes of it settling into place.
Then one of two things happens. You’re in the moment, the kiss could happen. She has those melt you in your shoes eyes looking up at you and her eyes go from yours to your lips then . . . you got it. Her eyes moves slightly upward as the bat begins to say hello.
Is that the worst thing? Nope. Same situation and then Bat Cave Bomb Away, you got it, the boogie done left the building and it only has one place to go.
Nose Hair
Related to the Bat Cave situation are the Nasal Follicles.
I know the Good Lord designed them to help us out, after all if not for them all those Bats in the Cave matter would be in our lungs, but for goodness sake, trim the vines before the date.
Men if you are headed to the date and you are in your car, look in the mirror. No, you don’t have the nose hair trimmers with you. Yes ladies, we do have those. Mine are burgundy. Now guys if you look in the mirror and see Tarzan swinging it’s desperate measure time.
Yes, you have to pull them out. I heard the ouch. I feel your pain. Seriously, I’ve been there. Just go for it and yank Tarzan and Cheetah both out and hope the tears are gone before you get to Jane.
B.O. Bomb
Well men we finally come to the most dreaded one of all. All the others we can try to avoid and take care of. But when it comes to the body odor, well, what can I say? It stinks.
Some men keep deodorant in their car. Nice. Some even keep cologne. Not going to work. If you are like most men, you’re in trouble.
There are four options available at this point if you are in her driveway:
1. Grab the jacket in the back seat and wear it all night, even in late July at the ball game. Yeah, Pit Sweats combined with the B.O Bomb. Nice. Then you begin breathing heavy and the plastic peppermint quits working and you feel that piece of plastic still stuck in your teeth.
2. The car deodorizer might work. Chemical hazard? Yes. Worth a kiss on the first date? Yep.
3. Asking to borrow her bathroom and using her deodorant. It’s one way to be sure but you better keep it a secret.
4. Keep as far apart from her as you think is the safe smell limit. One problem with this is . . . no second date. You can either get close and get the rep as Señor Stinko with all of her friends who you also know, or become known as General Germaphobia. Take your pick.
Well, there you have them, and that’s just 5 of our fears. You didn’t know we had them, did you ladies? You thought our only worries were how expensive you were going to order and if we were going to get to first base or farther. Oh, and some of you men didn’t know you had to worry about all of that? Welcome to reality.
If you really want something that will freak you out, and this really happened, check out “When toots let loose. . . “ or what I call “A College Girls Gas Confession” at my fellow blogger’s site A College Girl’s Confessions. I swear, I’m not making this up.
Men AND women, do you care to share some of your MOMENTS on dates? Come on, you know you want to. Put a comment in.
Sometimes you want to say it but you can’t. You just don’t have the courage. You’re embarrassed. Then a song comes along that does it for you.
When a Song Comes Along
by: Ronovan
All my Friends here that wander by know I love music. I cannot listen to it often, if at all, but there are still those songs of long ago that I will see a lyric or it will slip into my mind as I write a word and it comes back to me. There are even songs from more recent years that have found their way to me even without my having been on the look out for them.
You may wonder how can I know they are from recent years when I have the whole memory thing going for me. I can look up a song lyric and find when the song was recorded. I do happen to play around with computers every now and then. Just saying. (I say that a lot, don’t I?)
Sometimes that melody or groove just can’t be denied. Maybe that’s the only thing you enjoy and the lyrics don’t matter. Sometimes you really do want to ignore the words or it ruins the whole experience. (JS) See what I did there? I got that acronym thing going now. Oh yeah.
But then we have those songs that . . . just can’t be denied. Yes, the melody catches us but then the lyrics keep us and carry us away to another place. And the good ones just say what you always wanted to say.
That brings me to the song.
You want to say those words to the woman in your life and the woman in your life wants you to say them. This hit record wasn’t just from luck. The man picked a song that was universal and every man and woman could listen to and get lost for several minutes. Your heart softened your eyes got a little dreamy and the corners of your lips turned up slightly as the song took you away and you just fell in love all over again. Just be sure when you hear the song come on, you pull over and stop before your eyes close as you just slip back into that dreamy land of love of . . . yes . . . you can sing it . . . your eyes, your hair, your smile . . . you’re amazing.
People like to see what you are doing. Your website is you. It is the center of your universe. This is where people can go to know what they want to know about you. One thing people want these days is ‘what is this person doing on Twitter?’.
Adding the Twitter Timeline to your Sidebar
by: Ronovan
The following steps will help you get your Twitter Timeline on the sidebar of your blog. People can even click it and choose to Follow you on Twitter. Don’t worry about the number of steps, if you’ve been through any of my how to do things before then you know I make every single thing a Step. 1-5 are simply clicking on the things you find in your Dashboard. 6 is finding something on the page and 7 is where you actually start doing something for real and even that is just a lot of words describing mostly easy things to do.
Step #1
Click on your Dashboard
Step #2
Scroll down and click on Appearance
Step #3
Click Widgets
Step #4
Scroll down and click on Twitter Timeline
Step #5
Choose Default Sidebar and then click Add Widget
Step #6
Now look at the top and middle of your screen for the Default sidebar area and you should see Twitter Timeline.
Step #7
I am going to only talk about two areas within the Twitter Timeline box at this time. This will get you up and running.
Title-Name What you want the heading to say above your Twitter Timeline, think the heading. Some say My Tweets. Mine says Follow me on Twitter. Be cute if you like, whatever fits your page and personality. Maybe you want it to say TWEET TWEET, or TWIT TWEETS. Whatever you type will appear in capital letters.
I lied there will be three areas I talk about. The next is # of Tweets Shown. This is your own preference. If you already have a somewhat full sidebar you may want 4 or 5. If you just love Twitter, crank up higher.
Now onto the Widget ID. There are 3 things to be aware of here. The create a widget at Twitter, Widget ID field, and Save all of which are circled.
Make sure you are signed into Twitter when you actually start this part of the process, because it leads you through it. When you click on create a widget at Twitter another window will open for your Twitter account and look like this. Just make sure your Username is correct. You can choose to Opt-out of tailoring Twitter at this point. That’s up to you to explore. Then click Create widget.
Then Save or Save Changes.
The ID number you need is in the address bar at Twitter where you saved you just created a widget. You’ll see it in red in the image above. Of course mine is marked out here. But you just need the numbers.
Once on the next screen you need to get the actual Twitter ID number. It will be in an address bar with /settings/widgets/then a lot of numbers. You just want the numbers as shown above. Copy and paste those numbers into the Widget ID field. Then click Save. Or you can always just write them down and then type them in, save your keyboard keys, right?
Once complete click Save and you are done. Open up your Main Page in a separate window and see if you are satisfied with your Twitter Timeline location. If not satisfied simply drag the Twitter Timeline within your Widget area back where you added it to where you would it to appear in order on your Default Sidebar.
Now whenever you Tweet something it will show on your webpage. Also it allows people to Follow you on Twitter with a click. Make it easy as possible for people to connect to you.
If you’ve poked around today you may have noticed something different in my sidebar.
There is now the ‘My Upcoming Posts’ schedule. It has everything I scheduled for the week so far and the time they will post in New York time. I like to post in the early AM to reach those in Europe that might like to see what I do.
Just keep an eye on the list and take note of anything that might catch your eye. If you want to be sure not to miss anything you can also ‘Get My Latest Via Email’ by clicking Follow just a little below the schedule of posts.
Take a look at the article, but there is one that is free that I don’t think they really mention here, but they might.
Youtube.com. Yes, you can do a personal video about your book, like an interview of sorts, post it and then share it everywhere you are present in social media.Put the link on everything you have. People will get a personal connection to you. Just make sure that you test it on some people, including some internet friends and see if the right feel is coming across that you want. And think about asking people for reviews of your book. They can record their response or you can put a clip of the email message in a nice form on the screen for the people to see.
I’ve seen some really cheesy, read BAD, ones done. I couldn’t even finish them and it made me not even download the free Kindle book just as a show of support.
Agents and Publishers alike want the authors to do a lot more of the marketing and promotion these days. The article tells you some easy ways and the Youtube idea is one more.
And each time you get a new review you could add it as a new Youtube clip with you reading it as it appears on the screen. Basically you have your own author Youtube channel. Remember that when naming any social media anything. Everything needs to be able to work together name wise. But that’s for another article.
If you’ve been around my blog a bit you notice a lot of things written about how I hurt sometimes, usually in my poetry. That’s my release, that escape hatch. But something else you may have noticed is, I haven’t stopped living my life.
For one I do a fairly decent job of putting out a lot of content for my blog, and it’s varied. Perhaps that’s just the old noggin not being able to shut down from the concussion.
Sorry, I had to write down an idea for another blog article. But as I was saying I don’t let Fibromyalgia stop my life. I have a son, let’s call him B, yeah for boy, original, huh?
But wait, you say you don’t know what Fibromyalgia is? Wow. Actually I’m not surprised. Oddly enough you may be reading this and have it yourself. You’ve heard of Chronic Pain and Chronic Fatigue syndromes? Then you know something about FMS, Fibro, Fibromyalgia. I’m not going to go into details right now, but just think of having pain all the time or pretty much every minute. I’ll do an article of what it acutally all entails another time, but I’m not letting it take over my life of having fun blogging right now.
Now back to living. I’m not supposed to do a lot of things with my ailments because they make me hurt. But here is the thing . . . it’s a secret so don’t tell anyone else, okay? Good. No matter what I do or don’t do I’m going to hurt anyway, so I’m going to enjoy life regardless.
Sure I can’t sit in a chair very long. I can’t lay down very long. I can’t stand up very long. Riding in a car is grrrr. But other than the car I know I can stop or change whatever it is, and those I am with understand it and if they don’t they can just go on without me.
My son needs practice hitting a baseball. We have some wiffle balls to use and he has my old Louisville Slugger little league wooden bat. Yes, I know they use aluminum bats but this is what we have and it is actually working on his strength. Just imagine when he pick up an aluminum bat to hit the kind of speed he’ll have.
So what do I do in the day time? 20 wiffle balls in a bucket times five rounds of buckets equals 100 pitches from the guy that isn’t supposed to do things. Oh and that’s 2 buckets for him to hit right handed, and 2 to hit left handed and the final 1 for whatever he wants to do. Yes, 9-10 year old who can switch hit, all on his own. These are very light so it’s not the weight that gets me it’s the arm motion. My arm doesn’t move like that any longer, but I make it do it.
He sometimes wants to learn to throw a spiral with the football, American football. I’ve discovered during this summer that I can apparently pitch pretty well and my throwing arm for the football is not bad at all.
What happens after these B times? Yeah, pain. What happens during the B times? Yeah, pain. But you know what happens as well? Life, learning, laughs, and love.
Just because I have something that can’t be cured doesn’t mean that I have to let it dictate my entire life. Are there days I just can’t do things? Oh yeah, plenty. And everyone understands that. But if it is at all humanly possible I’ll do things. You see I’ve lived with pain for so long that it’s kind of like a limp. I have it every step I go but I don’t notice it, I just keep walking and I keep getting to where I want to go.
Oh, but there is one thing my son won’t let me do. He won’t let me on his bike. I tried when his back was turned and he nearly freaked out. I don’t know if he was worried about me or his bike. But yeah, he does watch out for me.
I read my computer. That may seem like an odd way to start an article and an even odder thing to actually do. But I read the things I have written before. One note mentions an Arizona preacher who used scripture to say women are to be silent in the church and that meant not even to say Amen. This was from back in March of this year, 2014.
Let’s just say things inside of me went–
And that’s now. Just imagine what I must have felt to make a note of it!
“34 Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says.35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.”-1 Corinthians 14:34-35
Women are NOT to be Silent in the Church
by: Ronovan
To read the scripture that . . . preacher . . . points to you would say, well he’s just doing what the Bible says. This is the problem with many preachers today. They read but do not know. First I have to explain something to you. There are preachers and their are pastors. Preachers just get up and preach at you.
Pastors take time and make the effort to tend to the church members.
“1Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.”-Romans 13:1-5
Some may wonder about why certain leaders are in power, but then again look at how the Jews were put under the yolk of others. There is a reason. Often times it is to make us stronger with God. But I digress. Perhaps that will be a point for another article another day. But I don’t put scripture out there in part, I like to put parts that pertain to the scripture I want to discuss so you see the context of it. I don’t pick and choose.
What this passage says, from Paul who also wrote Corinthians is that we are to follow the laws of the land in order that no one may say anything against us that we are rebellious or anything and thus we may continue to live and believe as we like.
What the Arizona pastor apparently does not do when he reads the Bible is look at historical context. In the times in which the scriptures were written it was illegal for women to speak in public gatherings. That is why the scripture says what it does. Paul and scripture were not against women speaking or even being leaders in the church as Paul mentions Phoebe as a deacon of the church which means she worked with the elders of the church in an important role. Even if some question exactly what her role was, they cannot deny her importance in the church.
Paul also, in the same chapter, refers to Priscilla as a co-worker in Christ Jesus.
I listen to preachers preach and I have this alarm that goes off when something doesn’t sound right. I also do a lot of studying on my own. I actually take out the chapter and scripture number references/divisions of the books of the Bible and read them as originally written in order to not read them in a way that man has decided they should be divided up, instead of how God had his handpicked scribes put them to parchment.
Romans, one of the more controversial books and actually one of the most misquoted and misused books, has a very different message than some realize when read as a letter or essay and not with chapter breaks that make you stop and dwell on things where God did not mean for you to, but a man wanted you to because that’s how he thought. The actual real messages are more obvious than you would ever imagine.
Why in the world Mrs. Cindy of A Slice of Life nominated me only the Lord knows. But as I read her About The Author page I found someone that was like me in many ways. God in life, lover of History, and then it happened I read these words, “I love classic movies, especially the films with actors such as Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, and Deborah Kerr. I enjoy movies like “An Affair to Remember” and “Adam’s Rib” in which these actors starred. How does the saying go? They don’t make movies like that anymore.”
I couldn’t find the Follow quick enough. And I say Amen to that. And of course one look at her and you just have to follow that happy joy filled face.
She said she nominated me “For good, and honest writing.” She’s got a direct line to the Lord, so I am not going to say she fibbed on that one.
Here are the rules:
1.Thank and link to the amazing person who nominated you.
2.List the rules and display the award.
3.Share seven facts about yourself.
4.Nominate 15 other amazing blogs and comment on their posts to let them know they have been nominated.
5.Proudly display the award logo on your blog and follow the blogger who nominated you.
Now for the seven facts:
I have cut my own hair for over 20 years now. Imagine the money I’ve saved, not only on haircuts but all of those dates early on that said no. Think about it.
Considering I have an Amen lady giving me the award, I was baptized in my 20s by a man in his late 70s. I’m 6’1” and was 240 lbs at the time. Needless to say, I was a bit skeered, but I decided that if he couldn’t bring me back up I was covered anyway. Can I get an Amen on that one?
Since she mentioned it in her About The Author page, I’ll say it here. My favorite actor is Cary Grant, followed closely by Sidney Poitier. There are more similarities between these two men than you think. I’ve read biographies and autobiographies on both and taken notes.
One of my favorite TV shows ever is apparently Golden Girls. Don’t ask me why, I don’t know. Add Designing Women to that and if I could actually watch TV now I would probably be happy for the rest of my life, oh and don’t forget the Cosby Show. Just like Mrs. Cindy said about not making movies like they used to, they don’t make TV shows like they used to either.
My favorite candy bar is the Butter Finger but I also have an affinity for the Peanut Butter Snickers. I think you see the link.
Nobody cooks fried chicken like my MawMaw. But then she can’t make homemade tortillas and grilled soft tacos either. But give me the chicken!
I make an excellent homemade grilled zucchini and squash pizza. That includes the crust and sauce–homemade that is.
“I suppose the thing most people notice about me [other than my charm and good looks – shh mum or I’ll put you in a home] is my generosity of spirit and my deep belief in sharing my opinion with anyone who will stand still long enough to hear it.
If you’re busy and don’t have time to stop and listen don’t fret I’m nimble and can expound even as I chase you down the street. I’ve recently started this blog for all those who are unlucky enough not to have the benefit of my erudite opinions in person and I would dearly love to see you at Unload and Unwind again.”
“I am firm believer that the difficult times in life can help bring out our true potentials. After experiencing a pretty crappy 18 months or so, I only look back on those times as a blessing. For those darker times, are the times which inspire me the most. Last year I became lost, but through writing (as cliché as this sounds!) I hope to find myself again. I could waffle on, but I shall save that for my blog!”
Anyone that has my blog over the past few weeks knows I am a fan of Amanda’s. I reblogged while she was on ‘vacation’. That turned out be not exactly the right word for it. Amanda has inspired me in the past with her humor and the way she puts a blog together. She’s one of the best. But it’s not always about humor, or not JUST about humor. She shows us more and doesn’t pull punches or hide anything in the article Amanda Does Thailand: Part One. I learned a lot from this one. I read it twice and will likely read it again. And the photography is amazing. You see Thailand not from a tour guide ad but from one of us.
“I’d very much like to become a published author, but mostly I want to write great stories and share the characters from my brain with others in a way that is compelling. Because, to tell you the truth, I love these people in my head….well most of them. Some of them are pretty awful and creepy, but I can’t imagine a story without them, either.”
She’s one of us. I mean that as in she’s ‘an author in the works’. I like how she shares on her site. I feel connected in some similarities in our approaches even if we don’t end up in the same places. Plus she is great and loyal follower where she follows. I honestly think if I needed someone to help me with something, like a quick blog post or anything, I could go to her and she would help. We’ve never really been in conversations like that but her actions in what she does do just tells me that. That inspires me.
“So I have set up this blog with no plan, no posts written and no idea where to proceed from here but determined to at least try and post something (if my nervously sweaty fingers don’t slip off the publish button).”
Read the article The Kindness of Strangers along with her About page and you will see why I’m inspired. Again some similarities I feel between us but she has done so much with her life, including a second blog The Happy Starfish.
“I aim to give you a greater understanding of how writing can positively effect your life and overcome issues you may have with the world or yourself. I hope to open your eyes to important news stories and maybe show you a different view point on a highly opinionated topic.”
I enjoy Steven’s site because it’s different. I like the interviews he does and the fun he has. It makes me want to explore other things to do. I have interviews in the works but his are entertaining.
“I am a writer, educator, and internet enthusiast. I want everyone to be able to experience the joy of writing, and my intention is to help people become better writers.”
You ever followed someone and keep seeing them around liking the same things you do and you just seem to share the same interests? That’s Hilary and me. Wherever I go I see her there. She’s me in a more creative mind and better grasp of writing. And she looks better too. I would note one article of hers but you need to visit and choose for yourself. I like the one about How to write Haiku, oh wait, that was a reblog of my article. Ah, she has good taste too, did I mention that?
Well that is it for this time folks. I chose a variety for you with true reasons behind the receiving of the Inspiration award.
You ever notice how when your blog gets tweeted by someone that it says ‘by @wordpress’? You want it to say ‘by @yourtwitterhandle’, well not actually the words yourtwitterhandle. It would actually be whatever your actual . . . um, you get it.
Why is this important? Each time someone clicks the Twitter option to share your blog article you want your name attached to. That’s advertising, that’s credit, that’s what you deserve. When I share an article of a blog I like and the Twitter Handle isn’t in there I go looking for it either on their site or on Twitter itself and replace the WordPress with the real thing, but I don’t know if that’s just me or not.
How to get your Twitter Handle to show up when your articles are shared in Tweets.
Scroll down the page and find “Twitter username to include in tweets when people share using the Twitter button.”
Type in your Twitter handle, without the @ included.
Click Save Changes.
To check and make sure it is working properly, go to one of your blog articles and click Twitter. Your Twitter handle should now appear. Now whenever anyone Shares and Tweets your blogs your name is attached and you get a bit of name recognition out there. If it’s not showing sign out and back into WordPress and possibly clear cache. I haven’t had to do that myself but those are things to try just in case.
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