Day: April 13, 2020

Blogging Insights — Advice For Newbees

Fandango27 Comments

Blogging insightsDr. Tanya has posted another in her series of Blogging Insights posts. This time she’s asking us veteran bloggers to share some blogging wisdom with novice bloggers.

What advice would you give someone launching their blog for the first time?

Make it easy for people to search your content by prominently displaying a search functionality on your blog. Also add a contact page, have an About page telling your readers a little about yourself, and pick a theme design that is crisp, clean, not too busy, and easy on the eyes. I prefer dark text on a light background over light text on a dark background, but that’s a personal preference.

What would you tell them to do that you were not able to do?

I’ve been pretty much able to do everything I wanted to do, so I don’t think I have anything of value to add.

What is something that YOU did but you would strongly tell a new blogger NOT to do?

When I first started blogging, back in 2005, my average post was around 800 words, with some being as long as 1,500 words. I quickly learned that most people who read blog posts have a relatively short attention span and don’t have the time or patience to read thousand-word posts. So over the years I’ve tried to be less verbose and more concise, which has led to a much wider audience, more views, more likes, and more comments. My advice to new bloggers is that short and to the point is better than long and convoluted.

If you feel you must write a longer post, I suggest breaking up the text blocks with subheadings and/or images.

Of course, not all bloggers share this shorter posts trump longer posts perspective (and yes, Jim Adams, I’m talking to you 😉), but Dr. Tanya asked me for my insights…and that’s my story and I’m sticking with it!

Share Your World — Stress Relief, the Afterlife, Koalas, and Creepy Tech

Fandango23 Comments

Share Your WorldIt’s Monday and that means that Melanie, over at Sparks From a Combustible Mind, has asked us to participate in her weekly Share Your World prompt. So let’s get to it.

What do you do to get rid of stress?

According to the New York City Health Department, I should masturbate. But I’m also I’m watching less news and my wife and I are playing a lot of very competitive games of Yahtzee, Backgammon, 500 Rummy, and that old no-brainer standby card game, War!

In the past people were buried with the items they would need in the afterlife, what would you want buried with you so you could use it in the afterlife?

First, as an atheist, I don’t believe there is such a thing as an “afterlife.” When it’s over, it’s over, so I have no need for toys after I’m dead. Because I’ll be dead! Second, I intend to be cremated, so anything I would take with me would be, like my physical body, be relegated to ashes.

What’s the opposite of a koala? (This is strictly for fun. I know what I came up with as an answer, but it was nonsensical. Alaok. See? It’s okay to pass on this one too if you want)

What kind of question is that? That’s like asking what is the opposite of human. The answer: Republicans in the U.S. Congress. But back to Koalas. They look so cute and cuddly. So I’m going to go with grizzly bears, who will tear you to shreds over a package of Oreo cookies.

What’s the creepiest tech out there? (My interpretation of “tech” is app or program. If you know what “tech” is supposed to mean, hey! Great! Educate us.

The creepiest tech is the tech used by hackers to steal your identity.

GRATITUDE IS AN ATTITUDE

What method are you using to find your smile right now? Please explain in detail so others might utilize the same ideas. Some bloggers have shared a daily (weekly sometimes) method that they are using to keep their spirits up right now. I’d love to hear from anyone who does and is successful at it! Have a great week and stay safe!

Today I received delivery of 18 rolls of toilet paper and 18 boxes of facial tissues. And, oh boy, that made me smile!

Also, this item that I received in an email today made me smile:

If Trump were captain of the RMS Titanic

There isn’t any iceberg.
There was an iceberg but it’s in a totally different ocean.
The iceberg is in this ocean but it will melt very soon.
There is an iceberg but we didn’t hit the iceberg.
We hit the iceberg, but the damage will be repaired very shortly.
The iceberg is a Chinese iceberg.
We are taking on water but every passenger who wants a lifeboat can get a lifeboat, and they are beautiful lifeboats.
Look, passengers need to ask nicely for the lifeboats if they want them.
We don’t have any lifeboats, we’re not lifeboat distributors.
Passengers should have planned for icebergs and brought their own lifeboats.
I really don’t think we need that many lifeboats.
We have lifeboats and they’re supposed to be our lifeboats, not the passengers’ lifeboats.
The lifeboats were left on shore by the last captain of this ship.
Nobody could have foreseen the iceberg.

K is for Friends and Enemies

Fandango7 Comments

A2Z2020For this year’s A to Z Challenge I’m going to attempt to post an old saying or adage each day of the month of April (except for Sundays). I’m going through the alphabet, with the first letter of the adage beginning with the first letter of the alphabet (A) and continuing for 26 adages in alphabetical order until I get through the entire alphabet by April 30 — from A to Z.

I don’t know if it can be done, but I’m going to give it the old college try. Here’s my April 13th adage and it starts with the letter K.

Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.

Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge #61

Fandango16 Comments

FFFCWelcome to “Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge.” Each week I will be posting a photo I grab off the internet and challenge bloggers to write a flash fiction piece or poem inspired by the photo. There are no style or word limits.

The image below is from the Brainsparker app for iOS.311D3216-9BF1-40D8-A33A-332B86049E8BFor the visually challenged writer, the photo is of a tree looking up from the base of the trunk to the bare branches above.

If this week’s image inspires you and you wish to participate, please write your post, use the tag #FFFC, and link back to this post. I hope it will generate some great posts.

Thanks to all of you who have participated in these challenges. Your posts have been very creative. Please take a few minutes to read the other responses to this photo challenge.

Please create a pingback to this post or manually add your link in the comments.

FOWC with Fandango — Boycott

Fandango15 Comments

FOWCWelcome to April 13, 2020 and to Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (aka, FOWC). It’s designed to fill the void after WordPress bailed on its daily one-word prompt.

I will be posting each day’s word just after midnight Pacific Time (US).

Today’s word is “boycott.”

Write a post using that word. It can be prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction. It can be any length. It can be just a picture or a drawing if you want. No holds barred, so to speak.

Once you are done, tag your post with #FOWC and create a pingback to this post if you are on WordPress. Or you can simply include a link to your post in the comments.

The issue with pingbacks not showing up seems to have been resolved, but you might check to confirm that your pingback is there. If not, please manually add your link in the comments.

And be sure to read the posts of other bloggers who respond to this prompt. You will marvel at their creativity.