Live Writer and Live Spaces

Downloadable from Microsoft, the Live Writer tool allows you to type up blog posts ahead of time, and if desired, publish the same information to more than one BLOB or JOURNAL with a quick click or two. 

The interface is straight forward and easy to use, including the pesky spell check tool we wish many other web log programs applied actively instead of trusting your fingers to hit the correct key every time.  Typing up a new post is as simple as most email interfaces with pictures, hyperlinks, maps, tags and much more.

Live Space is the Microsoft blog, email, networking tool and more in an integrated package with many modules used in other blogging and networking tools.  Just what I need, one more blog or networking tool.

I think I’ll be using it a bunch in the future.

Test Live Writer on Weee PC

Does it work?  Do we like it?  Am I more likely to blog if I can use this tool?

MAYBE!!

Happy to be running out of excuses!

I've been writing on my work laptop (bad, bad Dragon) or my home desktop, but it's a challenge to use two different machines, even with the wonders of technology they have today with USB drives and data cards. If I'm using the laptop, there is often the lure of my email from the day job to distract me, and on the desktop there are chat programs and web site things I can play and learn with for hours!

In December I bot an Eee PC to use for writing. The little machine came with Linux, and while it's a fine OS, I just didn't want to learn something NEW while I'm supposed to be writing. It's not like I need an excuse to be distracted by technology, but it happens. Often.

Julia Hunter, a fellow writer and friend of mine, turned me on to this little Netbook at the 2008 ECWC and then volunteered her DH to help put the XP OS on it for me. Mr. Tech made it all happen, even adding MS Word so I had no excues not to WRITE, and he turned it over to me today - YEAH!

We hooked up at a local coffee shop and chatted a bit about the technology, and some things I was hoping to do, then we went to work. Julia wrote an article on body language while Mr. Tech grumbled about connecting to the computer in his office on one laptop and while poking around in his Zune list on another! (Yes, he had two!) Together Julia and Mr. Tech bring multitasking to a whole new level.

And I wrote. It's the first time I have committed a whole hour to my current WIP since the end of NaNo 2008 and I was thrilled when the fingers stared to fly over the little keyboard and my ideas were making it onto the page! YEAH!! Mucho thanks to Mr. Tech and Julia for the conversation, inspiration and assistance, I hope we can make a regular coffee shop thing in the future.

I'm happy to have the Weee PC (the current nickname) dedicated to writing. I'll be looking for a new meter for the current WIP, the second in the series, but I have until the end of the month to make the 10,000 works for my January goal, so I think I will begin NOW!

Tag! I'm it! Now you're it!

SIX THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY-- Tag, now you're it!

Lynnette Baughman author of Love with a Welcome Stranger is blogging and playing tag at Authors and Books.

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, snow flakes that stay on my nose and eye lashes, silver white winters that ... wait, that's not quite right...

The Rules:
Link to the person who tagged you. (Check, double linkage!)
Write down six things that make you happy. (Check see the list below, in mostly no particular order.)
Post these rules. (Check)
Tag six others. (Check! x6)
Notify me that you've tagged six others--or not. (The mail is on the way, check!)
AND please check out the websites of the folks I TAGGED -- see the links below.

I did them a little out of order but here are the folks I've TAGGED!! (who may not have already been tagged *wicked giggles*)

Elizabeth Darvill
Kate Diamond
Strategerie at The Little Pink Clubhouse
Aurrora St. James
Emma Pedersen

My Six Happy things...

1. My family and friends, all of them. Thought they drive me bonkers most days, I don't know how I could live a day without them.
2. Sad songs, which seems weird, but I'm often happy that person is 'not me' but also I have had music help me through some of the worst times so I can find happiness again.
3. Chocolate - this may be cheating but I don't dare.
4. When the "Ah Ha!" moment finally comes on a problem I've been noodling for days!
5. Using video hack and slash game to take out my frustrations, and being happy afterward!
   
6. Reading and/or Writing (come on you knew it was going to be here, don't look so surprised)
   

RWA Conference Day 0.5

Wow... Just Wow. This is Day 0.5 because the day's only 1/2 done and I have much to report.

I took some time for myself this morning, had Blueberry Pancakes for breakfast then hit the Bart for a quick trip to the Conference Hotel.

Registration was the first order of business, and digging into the material has been a blast. There were books, of course, many of them with a Paranormal feel, though to be honest I have not read the backs just yet. The program has many loads of information, the workshop schedule and all important map of the hotel. I'd be lost without it.

Grabbed a hug from Cherry Adair on the way back from Registration, gave Judy Weibe directions on the way out and passed Heather Davis on the escalator on the way to the Goody Room, she said she thought it was on the 5th floor. One of the San Francisco Chapter members, I'm so bad - didn't remember her name - said she thought it was down the hall from her room, and we walked there together. In case you have not located it yet, the Goody Room is on the 5th floor.

There are OOdles of book marks, buttons, pens and other artful things in the Goody Room, and I've been told there are new things in there all the time. I picked up some really fun stuff, some for me, some for the ECWC Goody Bag crew. My bag is already overflowing. I also ran into our very own Julia Hunter while I was in the Goody Room.

On the way out of the Goody Room, I ran into Christina and Ashley from Benefit at Bloomy's. YEAH!! Benefit At Bloomingdales in SFO - Awesome friendly service!! They're going to raffle off a basket of Benefit products for authors who stop by for a complementary facial. The girls are sweet, please, stop by!!

We rode down in the elevator with Chaoscat from RomanceJunkies.com and then while I was sitting here bootin' up the PC she came over and introduced herself and asked for clarification on what the Benefit Girls were babbling about. Seems she was waiting for the Ibuprofen to kick in and wasn't really understanding what they were saying. Chaoscat was sitting with two authors (I asked their names then forgot, jeepers do you see a trend?) but I took a quick picture and will post it up later when I can find out the names. I'm also supposed to say something about someone being a bitch, but that was too long ago - almost an hour - and I know everyone has the same problem, or I will hope they do have the same problem.

I chatted with Pat White for a little bit and then was joined by Trish Silver and Mary Beth Bass.
I'm signing off for now... to eat my lunch.

The Wizard Whedon

Streaming thru today, and then hopefully you'll be able to purchase the maddness on a DVD soon.

.

Emerald City Writers' Conference

Join us at the 2008 Emerald City Writers' Conference, October 10-12, 2008.

Oh for want of a good meter!

I have had the same little meter <--- to the left, for some time now, but the webservice seems to be scrambled.

I decided to update my word count (because working would be the wrong thing to do on New Year's Eve!) but it doesn't matter what I try, the site will not create an updated meter for me.

I diddled around (techy term for messed with the HTML code) and tried to update the numbers but didn't want to spend the time to figure out how to make the bar move.

Found the NaNo meter at... Language is a Virus and it is very nice, but it didn't much care for being centered in my side bar. I'll figure out how to fix that eventually (maybe) but for now, it will just have to be off center.. like me. This site also has some interesting NaNo Icons I want to investigate later.

I Googled word meters or word count meters, I don't remember which, and found this happy little group. I think Shelli may be using the picometer, the look familiar, and I believe it was her Bloggy I saw them on...

Then there is the progress meter (bottom of the same page) I just had to share. Looks like it has a built in cap at 50k, but it's kinda funny. Check out all this little potato guy's moods. I'm book-marking this little guy for next year's NaNo.

Wednesday: Wander, Wonder or Word Play

Welcome to the first Wednesday Edition of the for the New Year, Wander, Wonder or Word Play.

Wednesday's will be a day to wander around the web, wonder about this and that or play with words.

Today we're going to wonder what is the proper etiquette for a new (as yet unpublished) author. While that's an open question, and likely to be a wonder from time to time, let me be specific. Edit etiquette

I have been reading an book from one of the folks in my chapter, and I have found some things that make me scratch my head and re-read paragraphs to make sure things were comprehend correctly. I'm about 1/2 way thru the book and I've found two different items that have stopped my reading flow cold and I've had to read back a page, sometimes more, to address what seems like a glaring error. I don't know that it matters, but the book is an e-pub.

So my wonder is - should I ask the author about these things, or just let it go? I'm not more than an acquaintance with this author, but we've traded email on the group loop and she's an active member of our chapter even though she doesn't live in the area.

To tell or not to tell, that is the question. I already had planed to send a note when I have finished reading the book, but I also feel a responsibility to author to say something about what I've found. If this is really an error (at least one, yes) and if so, could a correction be made so other readers will not be stopped to wonder. I know I want to know, if it ever happens in one of my books. And them a question too, if the e-pub can be re-published (or uploaded, uploaded or whatever) with corrections if they are needed.

But would you want to know? Thanks for your comments on my wonder, I'll be sure to fill in the details when I have finished the book.

National Novel Writing Month or NaNaWriMo

Update: December sometime

I managed to finish the NaNo challenge, and mark can count myself as a winner..... YEAH!

My total word count was 50,523

Any bloggy thoughts I might have will have to wait until December 1st or 2nd.
All spare words MUST be used for my NaNoWriMo meter.

Check back later!

Meter Makes a Move - FINALLY!!!

FINALLY - I can move the meter on my current WIP above the 10k mark. YEAH!!

I've been adding a few words to the document here and there since the last report in early July, but nothing of any weight that was worth mentioning or updating the meter code.

Today I did a bunch of brain storming with Aura on her book and she's on her way to some very interesting twists and turns with her current WIP.

Then I kicked in on my own work, this weekend I've added an impressive (for me) 2,000+ or so words to my WIP.

10,084 / 85,000

(11.9%)

What have I done?

Today I had a wilde moment and did something crazy... something I've been puttin' off for YEARS. It's not that I didn't expect to make the commitment in the near future, but what was I thinking? I'm a dabbler, it's what I do, I play with words - and it's serious, but not so when it comes right down to it.

You're wondering what I'm babbling about - I know.. so am I !

Drum roll please..... pthrrrrrrr!

I've been part of a Marine Corps Family Support group since late last year, and this morning I accepted a position with that group to help moderate the myMarine Yahoo! group content. My Marine (son) is currently stationed at Camp Pendleton in California, but I remember what it was like right after he left for boot camp in August of 2006. There was SO MUCH I didn't know about boot camp, the Crops and what to expect that it nearly drove me crazy. (hush you!!)

Being a part of this group has been fun, interesting and a helpful way for me to cope with his pending deployment and to help others as they begin the journey with their recruit as they train and are accepted as Marines. But that wasn't all .. oh no...

... this afternoon, I faxed my application to RWA, yes, this afternoon. You now.. RWA as in Romance Writes of America. Yeah, that organization. I'm excited and terrified at the same time.

Why? Let me count the ways... (and in no particular order)

• First, there's the membership fees. Not that I can't afford it, but I'm sure there is another application for those funds.
• Then, that makes it official. It's like the start of clock - the first official step on the road to be published. YIKE!
• And then, then that means (if only in my mind) that I need to start taking my writing seriously. Which translates (again, in my mind only) to, it's work.

Anyone reading this, rolling their eyes and/or shaking their heads - get over it - it's the way I feel, rational or not, there it is. I'm sure there are others who TOTALLY understand where I'm coming from, and I thank you in advance for your support and words of wisdom.

Then as if all that has gone before was not crazy enough, I marched (ok, clicked) myself over to the GSRWA website, as in Greater Seattle Chapter of Romance Writers of America, and proceeded to submit my application to that group as well.

I know, it's nutzy! My real life jobs, both corporate and domestic, are fucking crazy right now and it's like I've added more nails to my coffin. Well, not so much so, but here's what I'm thinking.

I'm not getting any younger, well ok, that's a given.. but no, not that. I work too much, at work stuff. So IF there are other things besides housework, bills and the four letter W.O.R.K. that I have a responsibility to do then perhaps it will balance out.

And what more responsibility is there than something you've paid money for the privilege to be a part of, really? And I need to make time for my writing, I want to do it, I have voices in my head that sometimes distract me from the W.O.R.K. which is frustrating and counter productive. So what it boils down to is accountability. Being a part of these organizations I hope will level out the effort for the fun work of writing and the W.O.R.K. of earning a living and being part of a family.

That is all the brain dump I have for now... thank you for listening, thank you for your support and thanks for all the fish.

Words seem to flow like water, now!

In the morning, I finished one of the four books I've been reading. I found an advance reader copy of Cherry Adair's White Heat on eBay and couldn't resist. I've never seen one before and was thrilled to be able to read the book before it came out. I have had the hard back on pre-order for a long time, and expect to re-read it before the conference in October.

I worked some, answered a few emails and was going to work on a form but became distracted by my email and ended up surfing the web a bit then I just sat at the PC for several hours yesterday, working on nothing in particular.

I wanted to write, but the words didn't seem to want to come. I talked with Dub about my inability and his words of encouragement prompted a Q & A session with my hero.

At first he was not very forthcoming, but then the answers started to flow. After that, I started working on Chapter 2 and it was after 11pm when I came up for air. One and a half scenes, 1,638 words later I had to call it quits for the night. I'm sure it will need a good polishing, it always does, but the point is the words did flow - finally. I'm headed back to the waterfall to see what else comes out.

6,200 / 85,000
7.3 %

Lazy Weekend - sorta..

I feel a little bit guilty for not writing this weekend, but then I didn't work either. Neeper spent the weekend with Aura and Mario so we had the house to ourselves all weekend. Seems like she had a good time with A-button and B-button (Mario's Twins - to be renamed later, maybe), but I asked that the computer time be limited, and I'm not sure that was enforced. Out of my control, water under the bridge .. moving on.

I spent most of my time sewing a pair of PJ's for Neeper. It's been a long time, and I was feeling the need to be crafty. Dub worked on Saturday, so I spent some time with George, Brad and Matt (and the rest of the Ocean 11 & 12 crew) while I was cutting, pinning and stitching.

The PJ's are a custom 2 piece job with a longer than usual shirt and shorter than expected (capri length) pants. I intended the shirt to be long, sleep shirt length, so it could be worn on it's own or with the bottoms - and that works pretty well. I didn't want to fuss with buttons or snaps, so I stitched the front together and called it done. It looks a little bit like a Kimono, but she likes them - so all is good. I have muchos more fabric to work on, but this time I'll take measurements before I start cutting. ~ grins ~

I did a little laundry and other chores while I was at it, but mostly me and the cats!

I'm amazed, actually, that I felt much like doing anything. Friday night, after dropping off the Neeper in Seattle with Aura - I picked up Dub and we went to our favorite local watering hole. No wait, I met him downtown, I had a couple Jack/Coke combos while I waited for him to be off work. THEN we went to our favorite local watering hole and Zach was a nice bartender and gave me TALL Jack/Coke combos while we played video games and waited for our dinner. Bar Burgers at the BEST!! Several Jack/Coke combos later, Dub drove me home and I poured myself into our lovely (almost 45 days old) king size bed! AH... and I was out! This was early, actually, around 10:30 or so if I recall correctly.

I tried to watch TV, but I was exhausted and so J/C'd that it didn't pay to stay awake. Dub was in bed a little while later cause he had to work the next day. AH.. what a wild life.

Sunday, not much doing. I whipped the PJ pants together in morning but I needed to measure for the elastic. (oops) It was rainy off and on, and I cat-napped in the office in between chores but that's as close as I was to the computer all weekend.

Monday was total craziness again, and today has been just as weird. I guess I COULD have taken advantage of no interruptions and put some more words on the but it was damn nice doing must what I wanted.

This will not help me finish the MS on time, but.. WILL help me keep what little sanity I have left.

More words on the morrow!

Why I find time only on Sunday

It seems like I can only seem to write on Sunday, and I'm not sure why that is.

Sure, there is time during the week, but I guess I don't use it as well as I should.

There is dinner, shopping, laundry, homework, dishes, pets, bills... pick one.. not to mention the boob tube. And I'm working on a waking program with my Aunt to help motivate her to move more.

Every other week I spend time with the ladies of my family yacking about this and that.

Saturday's there are often things to do like driving to Everett for a book signing *waves to Pat, Anne, Yasmine and Alexis* and then finding you can't drive your way out of the Everett Mall area without checking the map. It took twice as long to make it home as it should.. I was very turned around, and there was not sun that day. (I couldn't tell my south from east with the sun behind the clouds.)

So today my Ex Roomie called and said she needed some motivation and would I be up for some timed writing. SURE!! After I finish with Capt'n Jack Sparrow, sez I.

We kicked in a little later, and between the research and general goofing around, I managed to put over 1,000 words in the computer today - and that wasn't even editing what was already there! YEAH!!

So Sunday is the day, but if that's the case I'm going to have to put more than 1,000 words per day.

I'm glad the meter moved today, I'll take the progress I can make, and be happy with it for now.

How'd you do today?

4,509 / 85,000

(5.3%)

Stoopid Meter...

won't move if you don't write.

Turns out I didn't add any words, or even take more away last night. I was annoyed, but then I remembered I'm a part time writer - so I wasn't too hard on myself (this time).

And so... it begins!

Today I will start what I hope is the first of many books that will actually be published. At the moment, I have a 4 book series that will not leave me be - so it's time to start them.

I'll find a progress meter after I have a few more letters on the page.

The Mother of all excuses for not writing this weekend.. pun in tended.

It's been a little while - things have been hectic and nearly non-stop both at home and at work.

On the home front, Aura moved in with her man - we will call him "Mario" for now. Mario sold his condo in Everett, and bot a house in Marysville - which is still a long long way from the community where I reside at the southern end of Lake Washington. We helped move most of Aura's stuff out then in two weeks ago. I don't think any of us knew how much "STUFF" she'd accumulated over the 4 years she's been here. And I'm not even talking about the 6 boxes of unread books (probably more like 8 all told) that were packed and moved. When we were done, there was an empty wall in the pool room (I have a pool table in my living room), a blank spot in the TV room (so then the TV is in the dining room), and the Master bedroom was now empty (I gave it up to her when she moved from Florida, so she could lock herself in her room to work on her book if it was necessary, but so there wouldn't be puddles on the floor. ~ Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it! ~)

We cleaned away the accumulated dust and cat hair then re-arranged the furniture in the front two rooms while we decided what to do with the Master bedroom. I have plans to make it an office space or den, somewhere I can go to work from home or where I can write. Neepers computer is in the pool room at the moment, so we've also talked about putting her computer in the office.

Then, all hell broke loose with one phone call on Friday evening ..... Yeah, Friday, April 13th! Buffy called and said that she'd bot a ticket to come home (to stay) and would be arriving on Sunday, April 22nd, and would that be ok Mom? STUNNED. I did my best to contain my shock while we were on the phone and then after we hung up, I sat on the couch for several minutes watching my office plans melt into nothing.

See, when PFC left for boot camp in August 06, he didn't pack his all his stuff, so his room has been mostly untouched (and unusable) since his departure. Sure, he comes home every chance he can, and uses the mess as his base of operations, but there is no way anyone else could use that space... for anything. Before Buffy left for Florida in October 06, we had planned to pack up the rest of the PFC stuff and use his room as the new Neeper space. Having a 10 year old in your room tends to CRAMP your style when you're a social diva like Buffy. So when Buffy left, we allowed Neeper to keep the 'girl' room, and left the PFC mess as it was, as I had a hard time going in there without thinking about how empty the house was and how much I missed my kids. Of course, this was all when we still had Aura in the Master bedroom. Are you following?

SO, this weekend, we decided with Buffy returning we should go with the initial plan and clean out the PFC room (move his desk, bed, TV and bookshelf) into the Master/Office/Den/Guest Room and make the switch to from PFC Mess to Nice and Neat for Neeper. PFC can stay in the guest room when he's home, and when he's not around, it can still be an office or den.

MANY boxes of DVD, VHS, game systems (I think I counted 6 consoles), books, computer CRAP and electronic gizmos later we can see the floor, but the desk(with 2 computers) and bed still need to be moved. Oh, and the posters - the rooms walls are covered with Anime posters. We're going to prep and paint (maybe Tuesday or Wednesday) then look for a new bed and dresser for Neeper to start her bedroom transformation.

So, being a Mom is my excuse for not writing this weekend.

Buffy ~ Mom can I come back home and go to school, I didn't believe you when you said it's tough out here in the real world.
PFC ~ Mom, can you store my stuff for me while I'm in the Marines?

One of these days, I'll be able to start actually writing my book... instead of thinking about it while I'm supposed to be working.