Tag, you're it, ladies!

I've bumped this post up for the current class, and for anyone who doesn't know what a meme is.

Meme: Any unit of cultural information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another. Examples include thoughts, ideas, theories, practices, habits, songs, dances and moods and terms such as race, culture, and ethnicity.

Also, an easy peasy blog post that's fun for writer and reader.
_________________________________________

Here's a modifed writers meme for members of the August Blog Challenge, three of whom got tagged at the end. These are my answers:

1) Computer, longhand, or other?
Computer or Alphasmart. Only longhand when mindmapping. That might change as I get good with speech recognition software which I'm loving so far. Jeez, my mouth can type fast!

2) Coffee or tea?
Coffee and tea although I'm cutting down on both. Coffee in the morning, and 4PM tea when the weather gets cooler.

3) Day or night?
Mostly day, unless I'm on deadline. I usually read at night.

4) Favorite genre to write?
Non-fiction although Penny Dreadful is getting more of my attention! Cozy mysteries are a daily part of my life, too.

5) Pencil or pen to edit?
Pencil. Not necessarily red.

6) Unusual writing quirk or trait?
I mindmap everything including my grocery list.

7) Writing from home or writing in a cozy café?
Home! I cannot write in public - mostly because of the noise.

8) Music or silence while your write?
Definitely silence. See #7. Unless a neighbor's dog is barking and then a Baroque adagio helps tune them out.

9) Favorite motivational writing quote?
Write first. Clean later. Thanks, l.j. Sellers!

10) Favorite bookmark?
I love those lovely book thongs.... like jewelry for books. Copper book darts are cool, too, although I keep losing them to the library.

11) Favorite fictional character of all time?
Merlin in the Mary Stewart Arthurian series.

12) Most admired living writer today?
Tough question. This week, it's Nora Roberts for all those books, and they're actually decent novels. Okay, they're indecent in parts, but she consistently weaves a pretty good tale for having written 150+. Anyone who writes two or more good books a year is most admired. I stand in awe.

~~~~~~~

If you like memes, writing pal, Moe, has put together a bunch more at her super-fantastic Squidoo lens called 50 Memes.

And don't underestimate the power of a meme. It's really all about linking which boosts the popularity of your blog.

What's in a name?

Maybe a lot. One of our blogging challengers is writing a book out of her genre and is considering a pseudonym. Here's a fun meme to try out some new monikers:

1. Your real name: Daniella

2. Your Gangsta name:(first 3 letters of real name plus izzle)Danizzle

3. Your Detective name:(fave color and fave animal)Red Feline

4. Your Soap Opera name:(your middle name and street you live on) Mariah Love -- oooh, I feel a romance novel in my future!

5. Your Star Wars name:(the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name) Greda

6. Your Superhero name:(your 2ND favorite color, and favorite drink) Blacktonic

7. Your Iraqi name:(2ND letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your last name, 1st letter of your middle name, 2ND letter of your moms maiden name, 3rd letter of your dads middle name, 1st letter of a siblings first name, and last letter of your moms middle name) Aemaida

8. Your Witness Protection name:(parents middle names) Marta Cliff

9. Your Goth name:(black, and the name of one of your pets) Black Portia

I'm tagging these three bloggers, in case you're ever asked to write something ... you know, different:) Like a children's story. Or something.

lj Sellers
Dana Fredsti
Karen Syed

Even if you're not tagged, do the exercise.

Thanks again to 50 Memes!

Tagged!

I got this marvelous award from Helen Ginger who tagged me at Straight From Hel! I'm giving this meme a good deal of thought, so watch here for my comments and a list of who's next.

All about me(me) and reading

Elsa Neal, that brilliant fiction editor at BellaOnline, tagged me for this meme and what could be more appropriate for a blog about books?

What have you just read?
Deadly Advice by Roberta Isleib.

What are you reading now?
Why We Read What We Read by John Heath and Lisa Adams.

Do you have any idea what you'll read when you're done with that?
Preaching to the Corpse by Roberta and Dana Fredsti’s premiere novel, which has a great title, but hasn't been in front of my face often enough for me to instantly recall. It's the first in her Murder For Hire series. And this situation is exactly why authors must put their latest title after their names everywhere in the world, every chance they get. Repetition, repetition, repetition.....wait, I've almost got it..... The Peruvian Pigeon!

What's the worst thing you were ever forced to read?
An Editing How-To eBook – the first eBook I ever bought – that was so full of errors I should have edited it and sent it back to the author! I did complain to the publisher who laughed and replied that they should have hired me to edit the thing. I was not amused.

What's one book you always recommend to just about anyone?
Not the editing book, that’s for certain! I think my all-time favorites are Mary Stewart’s books in the Merlin Trilogy. I never tire of reading them. The fourth book, The Wicked Day, is one of my very least favorites.

Admit it, sadly the librarians at your library know you on a first name basis, don't they?
Not sad at all, as I love the added attention and service!

Is there a book you absolutely love, but for some reason, people never think it sounds interesting, or maybe they read it and don't like it at all?
I like Anne McCaffrey’s Dragon Riders of Pern series, but many people don’t.

Do you read books while you eat?
Rarely.

While you bath?
Never, since I shower. What a mess that would be.

While you watch movies or TV?
I don’t watch TV and when I watch the occasional video, I concentrate on it. I can’t even knit for very long, before I'm completely engrossed and staring at the screen like an idiot. It's not a pretty picture.

While you listen to music?
No.

While you're on the computer?
I don’t know how people can do this! I mean, isn’t it like trying to read two things at once?

When you were little did other children tease you about your reading habits?
Not other children, but my mother used to kick me out of the house and tell me to go play. I would hide a book in the clothes hamper, which was in the bathroom, and then use the potty excuse to get in a few pages of reading.

What's the last thing you stayed up half the night reading because it was so good you couldn't put it down?
Alas, I simply haven’t been able to do this since my cataract surgery earlier in the year. I still remember my marathon session with Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. I think I had pizza delivery three times over two days. Huge pizzas. Mushroom with double cheese.

Have any books made you cry?
You mean have many books made me cry? Yes. The last was Garden Spells. And I just read an article in AARP magazine that had tears rolling down my cheeks. I have that author, Ann Harleman, on my To Read list now.

So I’ve tagged these good folks, and you can read their answers here:

Dana Fredsti
Ann Parker
Doris Baker
Diana Vickery

All about me(me) and blogging

Straight From Hel tagged me to participate in a meme about blogging and I simply couldn’t refuse because I’m so completely sold on the idea. Thanks for choosing me, Helen. Here are my answers to the five questions:

1. How long have you been blogging?

Only about a year. The online youngsters don't call me Old Noob for nothing!

2. What inspired you to start a blog and who are your mentors?

I loved reading good blogs even before I had my own. I have a collection I read regularly, but it wasn't until I went to the Women Writing the West Conference that a writing pal and I offered to post conference doings on their new blog so all the members could vicariously enjoy the gathering. We did and it was so easy and fun! Next, I actually started a yahoo discussion group, and just for holiday kicks, set up a 360 degree blog in that community called Queen of Christmas. Before I knew it, I had started several blogger blogs for various reasons, and suddenly I found myself reading professional blogger newsletters to get all the hot tips on improving my own sites. There's still so much to learn. I don’t know if I’d call them mentors exactly, but Chris Garrett and Yaro Starak certainly provide some excellent information to their readers.

3. Are you trying to make money online, or just doing it for fun?

I don't close the door on blogging to make money, though I hate the look of most click-the-link advertising. Visual clutter is tough on an artist’s eyes. Without question, blogs are marketing tools, whether to promote a book, a stained glass commission, the latest yarn shipment a store has received, the loveliest fused glass bowls, whatever. Everyone likes being up on the latest, and this is a simple way to impart information. There's a reason that newspapers have blogs and were first to jump on the blog bandwagon. Added content. Easy peasy added content that doesn't require high-tech knowledge. Family albums, store bulletins, town hall news - anyone could benefit from the use of a blog. Did I mention blog book tours? This one is linked to a squidoo lens for added impact.

4. What 3 things do you struggle with online?

I don't feel like I know enough yet to really have the online presence I'd like. I want a website with a shopping cart for my own products, but don't feel like I'm quite competent enough to handle that on my own. Blogs have been a nice stepping-stone in that direction.

I don't understand a lot of aspects like cloaking urls, html code, and other nitty-gritty regarding search engine optimization, but I am developing the courage and even interest in pursuing it further thanks to blogging. It's a bit like living in a foreign country. When you immerse yourself, you eventually learn the language and the practices.

Like anyone who is fascinated with the potential of the medium, I spend too much time on the internet exploring its vast horizons. It takes a bit of discipline fitting it into a normal busy life. Paradoxically, it also takes a bit of discipline to continue regular posting once the novelty has worn off a bit.

5. What 3 things do you love about being online?

First, reading the news without having to sit down with a real newspaper. Nothing gets dumped or goes up in smoke.

Second, having vast repositories of research information available at the touch of a button, including library card catalogs.

Third, connecting to communities of like-minded people via the written word. I'm out in the sticks and for the most part, feel pretty much like an alien from another galaxy. The internet connects me to kindred spirits.

I'm interested in reading what others have to say, so I'm tagging these good bloggers for their input:

Kittlog

Riehlife

Groovy's Ruminations

Community of the Land

Donna Druchunas

Ms. Karen's Place

Be sure to go read what they have to say, and bookmark their blogs which are always packed with interesting interviews, essays, tips, insights, and even recipes. Did I mention humor and good photographs? What about gorgeous standard poodles? And a very special treat for kitties and their people.