I'm going to post one of my Fotolia images on here to illustrate a soldier Bee from the Jive Hive. Mean looking little critter, isn't he? Cost me 3 credits at $1.30 a credit. But I'll use him again.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Stock Photos
I joined Fotolia, a site where I bought credits in order to download real nice photos and images. There are hundreds of them. A Twitter friend sent me a couple of links to sites, also, that offer free stock photos. Some must be paid for but there are a lot of free images. Have to give attribution to the photographer or graphic artist and a link to the site if I use those images, but I'm glad to do it. So I've spent the last couple of evenings replacing my images with the ones I bought and/or gave credit for. Certainly didn't mean to do anything illegal.
I'm going to post one of my Fotolia images on here to illustrate a soldier Bee from the Jive Hive. Mean looking little critter, isn't he? Cost me 3 credits at $1.30 a credit. But I'll use him again.
I'm going to post one of my Fotolia images on here to illustrate a soldier Bee from the Jive Hive. Mean looking little critter, isn't he? Cost me 3 credits at $1.30 a credit. But I'll use him again.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Copyright of Images
I have a question. Are the images I take from Google all copyrighted? And if so, how do I find out and where do I go to ask permission? I certainly don't want to be sued for infringing copyright on an image. Maybe I should make my own. I could draw something, take a picture of it, and post it to my blog. I sometimes, even often, use my own photographs.
I found a site with images that are public domain but they charge a few hundred dollars for subscribing every month.
I think a bit of searching on the internet might come up with free images.
If anyone can help I'd be grateful. And if I'm infringing on someone's copyright I apologize perniciously and will immediately remove the offending image.
For example, I used a space war image meant to promote my upcoming book The Jive Hive. I have a wonderful publisher who will supply me with a cover page and graphics (I presume) for my book cover and personal use. When that arrives I will be so elongated. Until then serrate head and puzzle. Perhaps be in deep doo doo yet again for ignorance and hitchhiking the galaxy without permission.
I found a site with free images but my computer detected malware when I tried to download the image. So I saved the image in Dropbox, not ideal, it has their logo on it.
Help, anyone?
I found a site with images that are public domain but they charge a few hundred dollars for subscribing every month.
I think a bit of searching on the internet might come up with free images.
For example, I used a space war image meant to promote my upcoming book The Jive Hive. I have a wonderful publisher who will supply me with a cover page and graphics (I presume) for my book cover and personal use. When that arrives I will be so elongated. Until then serrate head and puzzle. Perhaps be in deep doo doo yet again for ignorance and hitchhiking the galaxy without permission.
I found a site with free images but my computer detected malware when I tried to download the image. So I saved the image in Dropbox, not ideal, it has their logo on it.
Help, anyone?
Sucking the Joy out of Twitter
I started out my experiment with social media by alienating a family member on her blog. Then I progressed to sucking the joy out of Twitter for her. I joined Facebook and was horrified at pictures of mutilated animals and bored by stories about grandchildren, so I quit. Then the powers of Light changed Facebook. I joined again. Twitter changed and I got the hang of it. .
LinkedIn was my first venture into the social media forest. At first I enjoyed the chats and tips, but found at one time there were more than 400 comments on how many words a novel should have. There were some fights and rude comments on other posts, which led to reports of abuse. That was a good thing, but the threads I found seemed frequented by authors who self publish and some refused to rewrite or edit, so I left. Not before I'd met some very nice authors, though.
I began to buy ebooks about how to create interest in one's blog and how to use social media, SEO, and Amazon to advantage. I didn't learn a thing.
I started to amuse myself and not care so much what others posted.
If I live long enough I might figure this all out.
LinkedIn was my first venture into the social media forest. At first I enjoyed the chats and tips, but found at one time there were more than 400 comments on how many words a novel should have. There were some fights and rude comments on other posts, which led to reports of abuse. That was a good thing, but the threads I found seemed frequented by authors who self publish and some refused to rewrite or edit, so I left. Not before I'd met some very nice authors, though.
I began to buy ebooks about how to create interest in one's blog and how to use social media, SEO, and Amazon to advantage. I didn't learn a thing.
I started to amuse myself and not care so much what others posted.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Carpe Diem, Crap Breaks Writer's Block
I broke the writer's block by sitting down and typing crap crap crap carpe diem crap and then I went on to write 4000 words.
My 96,300 word horror anthology is finished. You've heard of Circle of Friends -- I called it Circle of Fiends then realized my readers would think I'd made a typo. So it's Circle of Devils. Will be submitted in March to Imajin Books for their consideration. Writer's block now broken. Another author came up with the same solutions. Good article on writing and distractions.
These were my solutions:
Good luck. Life is short, seize the carp!
My 96,300 word horror anthology is finished. You've heard of Circle of Friends -- I called it Circle of Fiends then realized my readers would think I'd made a typo. So it's Circle of Devils. Will be submitted in March to Imajin Books for their consideration. Writer's block now broken. Another author came up with the same solutions. Good article on writing and distractions.
These were my solutions:
- My publisher advised me to set the book aside for one week
- On another suggestion I sat down and typed anything to get started
- Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, anything to break the ice
- Just write
- A deadline helps
- Are you simply burned out? Give it a rest
- Go for a walk or workout
- Have a hot shower
- A cup of tea
- Read something similar to the genre you're writing
- Read something pertinent to the subject you're interested in
- Write a poem
- Listen to music
- Dance like nobody's watching. Chances are nobody is.
- Read for pleasure, read for interest, read for knowledge, read your Kindle
- Go to the library
- Go to a used bookstore
- Go to a thrift shop
- Go shopping but don't use your credit card
- Get a cool exercise book at the dollar store and write your goals and plans in it
- Write an outline of what you'd like to say
- Call a friend
- Sleep
- Dream about it
- Take a notebook with you and jot down ideas
- Write in your own handwriting on a pad of yellow foolscap
- Write in the park on your laptop
- Write in a cafe while drinking a latte
- Go to a conservatory if it's winter and smell the roses, walk around
- If it's summer go to a park or for a walk
- Jog or run
- Lift weights
- Watch a movie
- Forget about it for a day, a week, or if you have a deadline, then:
- Just write anything and the juices will start to flow. You can always edit later.
 | |
| Photo by Vlado, FreeImagesPhoto.net |
Good luck. Life is short, seize the carp!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Writer's Block, Entrepreneurship, and Some People's Lack of Business Sense
I suspect I may have writer's block now and then but I get up and move around, clear my mind, do something else, or read a bit about the topic I'm interested in, and the words flow again.
I may have something called Reader's Block, though, because I'm not reading what I'd like to and there are so many ebooks on my Kindle and print books on my shelves that I doubt I'll get through them before the Second Coming. And there are more I'd like to get. Puddles of Ithaca is a charming children's story written by an author I correspond with, and I must download Puddles of Ithaca. Puddles was the author's dog when he was a boy, and Ithaca, New York was his childhood home. Sounds very charming and I'd love to read it. I'd like to get it in print but it's a bit pricey, I thought.
I do spend a lot on books, ebay and Amazon.
As a child I read voraciously to escape from reality, I think, and later read for enjoyment and knowledge. It's important to get a good grounding in literature and I read all the classics I could as well as popular and nonfiction -- for some time reading more nonfiction than fiction, which isn't a good idea for a fiction author.
As I have my own home based business since 1999, and got that established without any knowledge of how to do it, basically, I did read a lot of marketing and business books and talked to people. I try to help out those who are just starting out if they show promise. I struggled on my own for about five years before succeeding so I could support myself without outside jobs, and I have empathy for those just starting out who perhaps don't know the ins and outs of business yet.
I've had numerous calls and conversations with people, though, primarily women, who think that working at home is a piece of cake. I don't know how many times I've heard someone say they'd like to work in the morning in their pajamas when they felt like it. How unrealistic is that! I try to steer them straight in their thinking how hard it is, and how hard I worked, from seven or eight in the morning until midnight seven days a week most weeks, and getting dressed to meet clients when they came to the door, in those days before everything was digital. I try to tell them clients can tell if you're dressed and ready for business by your voice when they talk on the phone. I try to tell them the marketing and promotion necessary, the need for professional business relationships, the organizational skills needed and the discipline. Not to mention the money needed to see oneself through the first five or six years of not breaking even. I spent all my savings on my "baby" -- my medical transcription business.
I'm a sole proprietor, have associates I talk to and consider friends, and refer to, but don't employ anyone directly. I like it that way. Probably could have done better if I had employees but I don't want the hassle of paperwork, hiring and firing, supervision, and the risk involved. I did hire a transcriptionist many years ago on a contract basis and she was excellent. I don't think I could have easily replaced her when she moved to another city, and I didn't try. But she was excellent, honest, and hardworking. I did appreciate her as an employee. I realize that excellent employees are hard to find and don't want to push my luck.
Now I'm a senior and slowing down somewhat. I won't retire before I'm 80. Can't afford to retire, anyhow, and my health is good and I enjoy working. I'm branching out into writing more and more, but my business clients are very important to me and I don't want to neglect them. I'm guilty of hinting that I want to retire to a number of them, and regret that, as I have no intention of retiring. I was delusional, I think, when I started writing a lot, and didn't see how I could have the energy to do both.
Certainly it's working out and I'm balancing both worlds, the medical transcription and the authorship, not taking on any new clients at the present time for transcription, but the faithful original clients are still with me and I'm very grateful for them.
Humans make the business. Let me never forget that. If you don't like people, stay out of business. Maybe hide in a cellar and eat worms.
As far as I know, none of these early adopters I tried to advise have ever succeeded. Most haven't even tried after a desultory attempt at entrepreneurship.
Guess it isn't that easy, eh?
I may have something called Reader's Block, though, because I'm not reading what I'd like to and there are so many ebooks on my Kindle and print books on my shelves that I doubt I'll get through them before the Second Coming. And there are more I'd like to get. Puddles of Ithaca is a charming children's story written by an author I correspond with, and I must download Puddles of Ithaca. Puddles was the author's dog when he was a boy, and Ithaca, New York was his childhood home. Sounds very charming and I'd love to read it. I'd like to get it in print but it's a bit pricey, I thought.
I do spend a lot on books, ebay and Amazon.
As a child I read voraciously to escape from reality, I think, and later read for enjoyment and knowledge. It's important to get a good grounding in literature and I read all the classics I could as well as popular and nonfiction -- for some time reading more nonfiction than fiction, which isn't a good idea for a fiction author.
As I have my own home based business since 1999, and got that established without any knowledge of how to do it, basically, I did read a lot of marketing and business books and talked to people. I try to help out those who are just starting out if they show promise. I struggled on my own for about five years before succeeding so I could support myself without outside jobs, and I have empathy for those just starting out who perhaps don't know the ins and outs of business yet.
I've had numerous calls and conversations with people, though, primarily women, who think that working at home is a piece of cake. I don't know how many times I've heard someone say they'd like to work in the morning in their pajamas when they felt like it. How unrealistic is that! I try to steer them straight in their thinking how hard it is, and how hard I worked, from seven or eight in the morning until midnight seven days a week most weeks, and getting dressed to meet clients when they came to the door, in those days before everything was digital. I try to tell them clients can tell if you're dressed and ready for business by your voice when they talk on the phone. I try to tell them the marketing and promotion necessary, the need for professional business relationships, the organizational skills needed and the discipline. Not to mention the money needed to see oneself through the first five or six years of not breaking even. I spent all my savings on my "baby" -- my medical transcription business.
I'm a sole proprietor, have associates I talk to and consider friends, and refer to, but don't employ anyone directly. I like it that way. Probably could have done better if I had employees but I don't want the hassle of paperwork, hiring and firing, supervision, and the risk involved. I did hire a transcriptionist many years ago on a contract basis and she was excellent. I don't think I could have easily replaced her when she moved to another city, and I didn't try. But she was excellent, honest, and hardworking. I did appreciate her as an employee. I realize that excellent employees are hard to find and don't want to push my luck.
Now I'm a senior and slowing down somewhat. I won't retire before I'm 80. Can't afford to retire, anyhow, and my health is good and I enjoy working. I'm branching out into writing more and more, but my business clients are very important to me and I don't want to neglect them. I'm guilty of hinting that I want to retire to a number of them, and regret that, as I have no intention of retiring. I was delusional, I think, when I started writing a lot, and didn't see how I could have the energy to do both.
Certainly it's working out and I'm balancing both worlds, the medical transcription and the authorship, not taking on any new clients at the present time for transcription, but the faithful original clients are still with me and I'm very grateful for them.
Humans make the business. Let me never forget that. If you don't like people, stay out of business. Maybe hide in a cellar and eat worms.
As far as I know, none of these early adopters I tried to advise have ever succeeded. Most haven't even tried after a desultory attempt at entrepreneurship.
Guess it isn't that easy, eh?
Sunday, December 4, 2011
A Play in One Act
Criminal Embarrassment
A play in one Act by Kenna McKinnon
Characters:
Prosecutor: Anne Tagonist
Defendant: Helen Wheels
Lawyer: Ima Wünderbar, QC
Plaintiff
1: Mrs. Froot Loops
Plaintiff
2: Mr. Froot Loops
Witness: Chicken Little
Judge
Bailiff
Court
Reporter
Journalist: William H. Macy
President
of the University
Men in
brown shirts
Chorus
French
revue
Ms.
Androgynist
Defendant
sits in courtroom with lawyer. Prosecutor is on opposite side of room with the two
Plaintiffs. Chorus sits in back rows. Bailiff enters.
Bailiff: All rise. Here come de judge.
(Judge
enters. All rise. Judge takes his seat.)
Bailiff: Order in the court.
Witness: I’ll have a bucket of KFC.
Plaintiff 1: KFC here.
Plaintiff
2: I’ll have what she has.
Plaintiff
1: I have Chlamydia.
Witness: What did she say?
Plaintiff 2: She says she wants clams.
Witness: Does KFC have clams?
Judge: No, but Joey’s Only does.
Chorus: (sings) Joey’s to the world. The
Lord has come…
Witness: Who has come? Speak up, I’m a little…
Chorus (all
together): The Lord.
Witness: Dullard? Look, I might be hard of
hearing but I’m not a dullard.
Judge: Clam up.
Bailiff: Order in the court.
Witness: I’ll have…
Prosecutor: Stop that.
Judge: What is the charge?
Court
reporter: (reads) Criminal
embarrassment of the first degree.
Prosecutor: Kill her!
Judge: Steady, Anne.
Prosecutor: Sorry, sir. I get carried away.
Bailiff: We can arrange that.
Judge: Order in the court.
Witness: Two hotdogs…
Prosecutor: Kill the witness.
Judge: How do you plead?
(Defendant
takes stand)
Defendant: Not guilty, your Honour.
Judge: How so?
(Defendant
looks to lawyer)
Lawyer: Your Honour, we intend to prove my
client was in Kelly’s pub at the time of the alleged offence.
Defendant: (burp)
Prosecutor: Do you have a drinking problem, Ms.
Wheels?
Defendant: No problem. I drink, fall down, get up,
drink again. No problem.
Prosecutor: Where were you on the night of March 17th?
Defendant: I was in Kelly’s pub.
Prosecutor: All night?
Defendant: Yes.
Prosecutor: Where were you at nine o’clock in the
evening on the night of March 17th?
Defendant: I was in Kelly’s pub.
Prosecutor: Were you not in front of the Froot Loop
residence in Snob Hills delivering cookies?
Defendant: No, your Honour.
Prosecutor: These cookies were seized as evidence by
the Court and analyzed in the forensic lab by 23 off-duty police officers
working 32 days overtime at taxpayer expense. Did the cookies not contain flour and sugar and baking soda and
chocolate sprinkles?
Defendant: I plead guilty to that, your Honour.
Judge: Guilty to making cookies?
Defendant: Yes, your Honour. I do make the
occasional cookie.
Prosecutor: Where were you on the evening of March
17th?
Defendant: In Kelly’s pub. Where were you when they
handed out…
Prosecutor: Does Kelly’s pub have a kitchen in the back?
Defendant: I don’t know.
Prosecutor: I rest my case.
Lawyer: Objection!
Judge: Yes?
Court
reporter: Slow down. “Chocolate…”
Lawyer: Objection!
Mrs. Froot
Loops: Boo hoo (takes out tissue and
wipes at eyes, which are streaming)
Mr. Froot
Loops: There, there, dear. We can
go home soon and water orchids.
Judge: Order in the court.
Bailiff: I’ll have a…
Lawyer: My client is being harassed.
Judge: Objection sustained.
Prosecutor: Hang her!
Lawyer
(ignores the Prosecutor): I’d like
to call my first witness.
(Witness
takes stand)
Lawyer: What is your name?
Witness: Mrs. Little.
Lawyer: Your first name?
Witness: Chicken.
Bailiff: Raise your right hand.
(Witness is
sworn in)
Lawyer: Where were you on or around nine
o’clock on the evening of March 17th?
Witness: At Kelly’s pub.
Lawyer: And what were you doing at Kelly’s
pub?
Witness: Warning.
Lawyer: I beg your pardon?
Witness: I beg your pardon?
Lawyer:
WHAT WERE YOU DOING AT KELLY’S PUB THE NIGHT OF MARCH 17TH?
Witness: No reason to yell. The sky was falling.
I was warning the establishment.
Lawyer: Where was the Defendant?
Witness: In the back making cookies.
Prosecutor: Ah hah! Hang her!
Lawyer: What kind of cookies were those?
Witness: What time? Around nine o’clock on the
night of…
Lawyer: What KIND of cookies?
Witness: They appeared to be chocolate chip cookies
with sprinkles.
Lawyer: And what TIME was that?
Witness: That would be approximately nine
o’clock at night.
Lawyer: How can you be so sure?
Witness: We were timing the cookies to come out
of the oven at 9:20 pm.
Lawyer: And what did you do with the cookies
when they were baked?
Witness: They were hard as little bullets.
Lawyer: I beg your pardon?
Witness: I beg your pardon?
Lawyer: What did you DO with the cookies?
Witness: We put them in boxes and delivered
them to the Youth Emergency Shelter.
Lawyer: Why did you do that?
Witness: What? (puts hand to ear)
Lawyer: WHY?
Witness: They’ll eat anything with chocolate
sprinkles on it.
Prosecutor: Objection!
Judge: Sustained.
Lawyer: Did at any time you observe Ms.
Wheels leaving the establishment?
Witness: The what?
Lawyer: The pub.
Witness: No. Helen stayed until the pub closed
at midnight then we went home together.
Judge: Ah!
Prosecutor: Objection! The witness and defendant are
obviously very dangerous perverts.
Judge: Overruled.
Prosecutor: Hang them!
Lawyer (to
witness): You may step down now.
Witness: What?
Lawyer: GET OUT OF HERE.
Witness: The sky is falling. (Leaves witness
stand)
Defendant: (laughs)
Prosecutor: What is the meaning of that laughter? Very
suspicious.
Defendant: Sorry, your Honour.
(Defendant
takes stand)
Chorus: (Sings first verse of Take Me Out to
the Ball Game)…
Judge: Stop that.
Mrs. Froot
Loops: Oh, DEAR, I can’t stand to be
in the same room as that pervert.
Mr. Froot
Loops: There, there dear. We’ll be
home soon with your kitty binky.
Mrs. Froot
Loops: Oh, I love you so, dear Mr.
Froot Loops.
Mr. Froot
Loops, glaring at the Defendant: Hang
her!
Judge: Order in the court.
Witness: I’ll have…
Prosecutor: STOP THAT!
Lawyer: I rest my case.
(Judge
recesses court for 15 minutes then returns)
Bailiff: All rise. Here come de Judge!
(All rise
and face the Judge expectantly then sit. The Defendant remains standing).
Judge: I have made my decision.
Chorus: (sings first verse of O Sweet
Mystery of Life)…
Bailiff: Stop that.
Judge: Order in the court.
Witness: I wouldn’t touch that with a 10 foot
pole.
Prosecutor: Hang him!
Judge: Order or I will declare a hung
jury.
Lawyer: Jury?
Defendant: Maybe that would have been a good idea.
Judge: I have made my decision.
(All wait
expectantly)
Judge: Not guilty due to insanity.
Lawyer: Insanity?
Prosecutor: Insanity?
Defendant: Insanity? I’m not crazy. I’m a drunk. Oh,
dear, I’m all confused. (Takes a drink of water from the stand and belches) Oh,
that’s better, sir.
Judge: The charge is insane. Therefore
not guilty due to insanity.
Defendant: (laughs)
Prosecutor: Stop that!
Judge: Not guilty of criminal
embarrassment. I find you guilty of a lesser charge.
Witness: The sky is falling!
Lawyer: What is the verdict?
Judge: Guilty of making poor quality
cookies. They were like little rocks, you say? Disgusting.
Defendant: I’m sorry, your Honour. I honestly won’t
do it again.
Judge: I sentence you to a day of
community service at the Oliver Community League learning how to make proper
cookies.
Defendant: Thank you, your Honour.
Judge: Case dismissed.
Bailiff: There go de judge. All rise.
(All rise
and judge exits the courtroom, followed by the chorus singing The Hallelujah
Chorus. There is a pile of soggy tissues beside Mrs. Froot Loops, who sobs into
another tissue. Mr. Froot Loops pats her shoulder. The Women’s Temperance
League enters the room carrying pots of orchids. All exit).
Journalist
(outside the courtroom taking pictures and speaking into a microphone): And here ends a very curious case, ladies and
gentlemen. (Clacks sticks together to simulate horses running). The underdog
appears to have been vindicated. But wait -- could it be?! It’s a large black
limousine pulling up to the front of the courthouse with men in brown shirts
wearing dark glasses; ladies and gentlemen, this is incredible! The President
of the University appears to be here! And he’s carrying off the Froot Loops in
the back of his limousine! There are brown shirts everywhere. What is the
meaning of this?
Prosecutor
(standing outside with the wind whipping her silver hair about her face,
speaking into the microphone): We intend to appeal, Mr. Macy. This crime cannot
go unpunished. Death to all perverts! Hang the infidel and her cookies!
Journalist: Do you mean to say this is not the end of
the drama, Ms. Tagonist?
Mrs. Froot
Loops (leaning out the window of the limousine): I sincerely hope that nothing
bad happens to the Defendant. Hang her!
(The
Women’s Temperance League bursts into song and throws orchids at the limousine.
Mrs. Froot Loops leans farther out the window and playfully smacks the ladies
with her cane, including Ms. Androgynous, who squeals with delight).
Chorus: (sings) And I think to myself it’s a
wonderful world…
Lawyer: We appeal the appeal!
(Limousine
drives away, covered with orchids. Several of the Women’s Temperance League
have been knocked down by the blows of the cane).
Chorus: (sings) Think think think…
Witness: Make mine an Irish soda bread with
beer.
(Defendant
and witness exit arm in arm.)
Lawyer to
Journalist: Vous plus avoir belles
croupes.
(Prosecutor
and Bailiff dance the can can with a French revue coming up the street.
Journalist clacks sticks in simulation of horses running)
Chorus
sings They’re Coming to Take me Away ah - hah…ah hah ah hah…they’re coming to
take me away…
Faintly in
the distance Defendant and Witness are heard singing Drink drink drink…
Judge comes
out in a leisure suit with a can of beer in his hand and toasts the Women’s
Temperance League.
Ms.
Androgynist: I beg your
indulgence, sir. I have been somewhat wounded. (She falls to the ground,
clasping her breasts).
Journalist: No, ladies and gentlemen, this won’t make
the five o’clock news. Wait a minute. Could it be?
(Mrs. Froot
Loops comes staggering down the street, leaning on her cane. Mr. Froot Loops
follows her, pushing on her buttocks).
Mrs. Froot
Loops: They threw me out on the
street!
Mr. Froot
Loops: Me too.
Journalist: Could it be!?
Mrs. Froot
Loops stops and does the can can with her cane and sings Puttin’ on the Ritz…
Mrs. Froot
Loops: Where’s that pervert?
Mr. Froot
Loops: I’m right here, dear.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
My car looks like this
| Sketch by Phil Parry (author of "Wishful Thinking") |
Your car is much fancier than mine and has a good paint job although her engine doesn't run as well as mine. She's domestic and a smart looking vehicle, white on top like a rain hat I lost my first year in University. Speaking of lost, I haven't seen your car around lately. She costs a lot more than mine and is probably worth a lot more on the market. She has a fancy garage and my car sits out in the rain.
But they're pretty much the same. Want a ride? We could venture sedately into the winter snow towards Christmas and then towards Easter when picnics beckon and dryads hide in trees. Remember the shepherd to his lass? I could make you strings of posies...no gold have I but sugar cookies and roses. Eccentric but unique.
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