Yesterday went well. I had a bunch of intelligent questions and stayed late to make sure everyone got some level of satisfaction. This put me into the house at 9:30 PM.
I have a hard time going to sleep after a long drive, so I stayed up for an hour and dealt with blog comments. My plan was tentative at best to sleep in this morning.
The alarm puppy had the good sense to wait until 5:00 am to wake me up. I let her go potty and tried to go back to sleep. This time of morning meant all the dogs had to crawl in with us. It’s cute, really it is, but Otto weighs 65 pounds. He’s like a big rock when he leans against you and steps on the blanket. I tried to sleep, but by quarter to six, I gave up completely.
I fixed their kibble, and they ate like little horses, then went back to sleep with mom. I monkeyed around with blog comments, RSS feeds, Facebook, and Twitter. After that, I knew I had to work on Lisa Burton Radio posts. I assembled next week’s post, but didn’t do much with the week after. I still need to do that prior to Monday.
I also got some material out for a promo I jumped on for October, and another post for The Storyreading Ape’s site. Then I responded to an inquiry about a pet interview. All I have to do is respond to it as one of my dogs.
I glanced over my shoulder. Huh, wife and dogs are still asleep. Whatever shall I do?
I opened a new document and started writing The Hat, a paranormal superheroish origin story. I like the character intro, and I think readers will have some fealty with her right away. She’s been through a tough stretch. I am doubting myself because it needs a bit of backstory. With a two character, buddy type, story it’s almost necessary. I can introduce Lizzie and get everyone up to speed the right way. When it comes to the hat, yes he is a character, I have to dive into some backstory. He’s ancient compared to Lizzie and readers need to know some things. I already have some plan to get part now, and another part later. That helps to break it up.
All in all, I’m nearing 2700 words. I didn’t plan this as a writing day, so I’m content. My wife has to work tomorrow and Sunday, so I’ll have much more time to dedicate to this project.
This also poses a mental shift to me. All I want to do now is work on the new story. I have to keep Lisa burton Radio moving ahead, and I have edits back on The Yak Guy Project. I want those edits completed by Mid September. — so it isn’t exactly an emergency.
By the end of the weekend, all I need to do is get another Lisa Burton Radio almost complete. Then I need to respond to the pet interview. After that, I can work on whatever I like, and I kind of choose The Hat.
Just for giggles, someone talked me into starting Pinterest boards for my pending projects. I started one for The Hat if you’d like to check it out.
I got some strange message from Twitter about adding my telephone number to my account. I didn’t want to do this, but they make it nearly impossible not to. The process sends you a call and a text from some cryptic number that has nothing about it that says Twitter. Then they ask if I’d like to receive updates and notifications. Oh sure!!! I’d love to have my phone ringing whenever one of my thousands of followers posts something. Particularly love that shit in the middle of the night. I turned all that off, but they said not to worry, I could always text to turn it back on. All I have to do is text to the cryptic number that has nothing about it that says Twitter.
Personally, I think they just want my number to sell to telemarketers. I’m relatively certain I’m about to start getting texts about fake prizes I’ve won, timeshares I need to visit, and vacations I haven’t really won. They make me choose between accepting this, or quit using Twitter. I’m trying to be an author here, but Twitter has rendered itself almost useless. Most of my activity is to support others there.
The Twitter thing only happened after their last update. Did anyone else get this message too?
I’ve been playing with the actual WordPress app on my last few posts. Blogsy is outdated and they have no plans to update it for future versions of iOS. It’s too bad, because they did WordPress better than they WordPress does. Everything was easy, made sense, and came with options even WordPress didn’t have. I checked, and there aren’t any decent blogging apps left in the App Store. This leaves me with the WordPress App. How does this post look at your end?
I vaguely remember that Twitter thing, but I said no. I used to have notifications set for Twitter and it was a nightmare. It was nonstop beeping and blinging that drained the battery fast. Congrats on starting the new project.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The way they went about it was weird. They said they thought I was a bot of some kind, and without the phone number I wouldn’t be allowed to continue. All I do is retweet and tweet other folks’ pinned tweets. They don’t know how close they were to losing me.
LikeLike
Really strange. I never got that message. I do a new pinned post every day, so I wonder if that helped me.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Maybe. I’ve been leaving mine for a few weeks at a time.
LikeLike
They might be cracking down on bots and many retweets is definitely a sign. Guessing they do purges at times.
LikeLiked by 2 people
That could be it. I’m not one to tweet out copies of the beer I drank on date night tonight. I auto feed my blog, then try to help others.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Surprised the blog posts showing up didn’t help. I do that all the time and it counts as a tweet from you.
LikeLiked by 2 people
No idea then. Maybe they learned Lisa is a robot so they think I am too.
LikeLike
Given the weird stuff that happens on social media, it wouldn’t surprise me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had to turn those notifications off as well. There are just too many to deal with. I like twitter because unlike FB, I don’t have to knock on wood, worry about getting hacked. FB, every time I turn around, there’s a hacker. It’s gotten so that I barely go on anymore.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The post looks great on the reader from my app. I blog almost exclusively from the iPhone app. It is not *perfect* but it sure is handy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That might be my problem. I’ve had perfect, and I want it back. With the app, I have to schedule, then edit so the links open in a new window. It doesn’t let me set that from the app. It also won’t center text when I want that. I can edit it, but it’s a pain.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’d hate losing that capability, too. Since I’ve never really had it, you’re right, it doesn’t bother me. There are some photo editing things I wish I could do in the app that I can get on my computer but I will upload a lot of images from the computer as draft posts at one time so I can then write the actual posts from the app. I find writing in the app is way easier than on the computer. And it’s portable. Blogging from the potty or the airport and all that… 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will give them credit that’s it’s much more usable than it used to be. I like the ability to add my photos without uploading them to the library first.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds like a good morning!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I didn’t get a Twitter message like that. You sure it wasn’t some kind of scam thing?
LikeLiked by 1 person
It probably was them, because the response was instant and my account came back on. Then there is the whole idea that Twitter itself is becoming a scam. There’s value in data, and I have no doubt this was about collecting data to sell, not in securing my account.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ugh, I must’ve given my number to a data sell group somewhere along the line. I got a text yesterday saying a relative had died and I stood to inherit their millions 😏
LikeLiked by 1 person
I got a robo call today – in Spanish.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hola!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now I know it was you. (Joking)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hehehe!
LikeLike
Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Post looks fine… and I refused Twitters offer. Between them and FB they think they can do what they like… calling you a ‘bot’ was out of order though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I tried to refuse, but they locked my account down. They’re so huge that I can’t give up on them as an author. As a regular guy, I don’t need them at all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t understand these huge companies. They do such strange counter productive things…
LikeLiked by 1 person
You sound very busy!! Love those dogs!! 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. They let me be until 6:30 today so that’s a bonus.
LikeLike
Excellent our girl sleeps until we get up so we are spoilt! 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m currently managing to make Twitter go away as regards the phone number thing. Not sure how much longer it will listen when I tell it to ask me again later mind… It’s getting sort of insistant. Hey, maybe they’ll give my number to those people who call about accidents. I always have fun with those people, especially the ones who insist I was driving a car when I was in an accident… It’s always funny seeing what they’ll say in response to my comment that, “If I was driving, I’m not surprised there was an accident, since I’m blind.” They tend to go away soon after I say that, actually. Not sure why… 😉
Anyway, I hope the rest of your weekend is as productive, and you get some decent sleep in there somewhere.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I used to work for a guy that loved to get the magazine salesmen on the phone. He’d listen, ask questions, express interest in some publications and the salesman would get all excited. Right before they got ready to exchange information, he’d make sure they sent the Braille editions. They always hung up on him. In sales, time is money. He figured if they wasted his, he would waste some of theirs.
LikeLike
I like your friend’s thinking!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wondered what happened to all the notifications… not that I miss at all really! 😛
Blog is looking clear and crisp! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Jan.
LikeLike
Smart to turn it off. You are so popular you won’t get a wink of sleep. LOL
LikeLike
I’ll probably miss the enrichment expert who’ll bring me untold wealth, but you can’t buy sleep either.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Once you have the wealth you can pay someone to sleep for you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That would be handy. I may have just found a job for one of my sons.
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL. There you go.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did NOT get the Twitter thingy. I don’t like WP mobile at all.
There are some awesome basses in your Pinterest boards!
LikeLiked by 1 person
So glad you checked out the boards. I spent a long time writing about those basses today. Even sent of a clip to my consultant so I can polish them up a bit. I’m not a fan of the WP app, but it is better than when I looked a few years ago.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Weird about Twitter. I didn’t get the message you mentioned and am going to be really bummed if Twitter goes south. If Facebook imploded tomorrow I wouldn’t bat an eyelash, but I don’t think I could survive without Twitter. I use it for everything from news to keeping up with friends, to sharing tweets and book promos.
I just moved to the WP Business Plan on another site I manage (day job) and am loving experimenting with all the plug-ins. I can see myself moving my site there in the near future. What would I do without WP and Twitter?
Have fun with The Hat. It sounds like you are off to a great start. New project are always fun. And I love the photo of the pups. I wouldn’t be a fan of getting up at 5AM, but they would make it easier.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wasn’t a fan either, but my alarm usually goes off at 4:00 so I try to see it as a win. This Twitter stuff isn’t about protecting me. It’s about gaining extra data to sell. I’m certain of it. Got a robo call today – in Spanish.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Don’t think I got the Twitter message either – but I wouldn’t want the notifications. I agree about the telemarketers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Writing Links 8/21/17 – Where Genres Collide