Tag: Blogging

Blogging Part 2: Editing Your Own Blog Post

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*This could be seen as an extension of  my previous blogging post so I’m treating it as a part 2.  And just to let you know, I am not an expert.*

Self editing is a big bone of contention for me.  As  a writer, whether said writer is professional or amateur, we are more used to the actual act of putting our thoughts and fancies on the page and not double or triple checking our output. It seems that when we edit our own work, we tend to miss the more obvious mistakes while looking for the more eclectic ones.

For example: recently I uploaded a post that I had taken ages to edit. *”Ages” to me means more than three passes over the article, it doesn’t really equate to a real time.*  Once I was satisfied that every thing looked okay, I posted it. Only to cringe with embarrassment when I first read the posted product. My first sentence had a word missing!

Face Palm moment.

Of course one of the great things about WordPress is that we can always go back and re-edit our stuff after we’ve posted it. But that really isn’t what we should be doing. We should do a decent edit before we send our baby out to be read by strangers (and friends) who will most likely not be impressed by the fact that we cannot spell or write an intelligent  sentence.

I don’t read other blogs nearly as much as I should. I am, by my very nature, lazy. I only have so much energy and attention span available to me and I have to share it with everything from doing the housework to taping a video for YouTube. So in my mind three passes is the longest that I can take to edit my own written material.

But when I do read other blogs, I cringe when I see a barrage of misspellings and sentences that have great holes in them where a word should be. Now I will admit that I have an almost phobic distaste for writers who cannot get the difference between to, two and too. I also have real problems with those who cannot differentiate between their, there and they’re.

*My most cringeworthy moment came when I’d incorrectly used their instead of they’re. I was mortified.*

With the use of spell checker software that is available, not just on WordPress, but on every word processing software in the world, I find it inconceivable that these common mistakes still appear on people’s blogs and (I’m sad to say) their books. I know that I have not followed a blog that has been full of spelling mistakes and despite the content being fantastic, I couldn’t in all honesty follow someone who did not care enough about what they wrote to edit it properly.

Editing is boring and tedious. Why is this chap smiling.
Editing is boring and tedious. Why is this chap smiling.

Granted we are writers and not editors, the two things are not mutually inclusive. Being good at one does not automatically mean you are good at the other. But, and this is a big but, we have to make that effort. If we don’t take ourselves seriously enough to send out a polished product when we upload, how can we expect anyone else to. (and that is to not too or two)

And we do want to be taken seriously, don’t we? The blogging world is full of people who can write just as well as we can and a lot more folks who can write better.  A lot of successful bloggers don’t just add pictures and videos and GIF‘S (that’s for you Tyson) they add a professional touch that includes ruthless editing.

Editing Tips:

1) Try reading the blogpost in reverse order. It’s a lot easier to spot boo-boo’s that way.

2) Have a trusted person read the post. My daughter used to do this for me and me for her. It works.

3) Try reading the post out loud. A lot of times this will save you from making sentencing mistakes.

4) Leave your post alone for a bit. Go do something that is not writing related and then come back, the mistakes will sometimes leap off that page at you.

5) Take your time. There is no rush. No-one is breathing over your shoulder screaming hurry up.

6) Last one I promise. Try reading it in preview mode (WordPress). I find mistakes show more clearly on preview.

Now following these tips is no guarantee that your future blog posts will be mistake free. But they will go a long way toward making it read more smoothly and improving the look of it.

I do feel that standards are slipping. I’ve read no less than three Freshly Pressed articles that were “shot-gunned” through with misspellings. Great stories all, but to read? I kept stumbling over misspelt words and it took the enjoyment out of the article. Just as it takes the enjoyment out of posting my own articles and discovering that I’d either turned word-check off, or I hadn’t bothered to really edit properly.

Just things like using the wrong “tense” or the wrong adverb or adjective can throw the reader out of the moment or cause them to miss your point. This can lose you views, followers and the confidence you need to continue writing.

We owe it to the good people who take the time to read, like, or comment on our babies. More importantly we owe it to ourselves. Because  we are writers, damn it and we are proud of that fact.

Do you have any editing tips that work for you? If so, please feel more than free to share them. We’d love to hear them, I know I can use all the help I can get.

What we do.
What we do.
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BLOGGER’S TAG!! “SMACK!” You’re IT…

I’ve never done a bloggers tag before, so I’ve got to thank Kim over at Tranquil Dreams for reaching out and smacking me with a tag. Thanks Kim! She’s got a great blog going over there and just recently put up a recipe for yummy Banana Cake if you haven’t made her acquaintance yet, click on either of the previous links and check her out. She’s great.

Now for the rules. Sit down in the back and stop sighing! You know there’s going to be rules; it’s the nature of the beast. Does everyone have a pen and paper? Right, let us begin. Oh and spit out that gum, unless of course, you have enough for everyone!

The Rules:
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and eleven random facts about you.
3. Answer the questions given to you in the tagger’s post.
4. Create eleven new questions and tag new people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog/twitter and let them know they have been tagged.

*Self photo (life sized) and 11 factoids about moi.*

A couple of mugs…
  1. After owning this laptop for almost 4 years, I only just discovered that the web camera had a plastic covering over it.
  2. I love, love, love Starbucks coffee.
  3. After stopping smoking on the 30th of August 2012, I’m now addicted to the damn nicotine gum.
  4. On the 30th of August when I had my heart attack, it took me 3 and a half hours to make up my mind to have my daughter call the ambulance.
  5. While I tried to figure out what was happening to me on the 30th of August I drank 3 cups of coffee and had 4 cigarettes.
  6. I was cast in a Peter Fonda film when I was in High School but never got to film the part.
  7. I met Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs, et al) when I was in high school; he was a very nice and patient man.
  8. I once saw Sean Connery without his hair on.
  9. I am incapable of passing items that say touch me or press me without doing as requested.
  10. I was once nearly decapitated by a sheet of flying sheet metal during a sandstorm in New Mexico.
  11. I am in the (very slow) process of writing/finishing a collection of short stories.

Now for Kim’s 11 questions:


1) Cookies or Cakes?

Cookies every time although I do like a bit of Black Forest Gateau.

2) What was your first Blu-ray or DVD you ever purchased?

I honestly don’t remember, I’m pretty sure it was Wrong Turn with Elisa Dishku, but I could be wrong.

3) Whats the most inspiring book/movie you’ve ever read/seen?

      The book that most influenced me was The Stand by Stephen King and movie was Terminator 2.

        4) Cats or Dogs? Or other pets?

Both, I love animals, but I’m too lazy to want to look after them!

5) What type of music do you like?

I like all music! Up to and including Dub-step!

6) Whats your favorite Grimm’s Fairy Tales?

As a fan of horror, it’s got to be Red Riding Hood. That woodsman and his axe! Yeah baby!

7) Console, Handheld, PC or Arcades?

Console all the way!

8) Favorite flavor of chips?

English crisps – Salt and Vinegar, American Chips – Green Onion.

9) What animal do you visit first at the zoo?

The monkey house every time.

10) What food could you eat every single day?

I could eat Quorn Chilli every day of my life!

11) Who is your favorite superhero?

Superman, I used to watch George Reeves re-runs when I was really little. Although I do love Buffy who is a modern day super hero!

Now it’s time for my 11 questions:

  1. Snow, rain, or Sun?
  2. What is your favourite genre of literature/film?
  3. Do you snore when you sleep?
  4. Who hogs the covers in your house?
  5. If you could be a movie character, who would it be?
  6. Do you watch sub-titled movies?
  7. Who is your favourite movie director?
  8. What is your “guilty pleasure?”
  9. Seaside, mountains, or desert?
  10. Would you crash your car to avoid hitting an animal in the road?
  11. Do you prefer mornings or afternoons?

Now for my “Tag-ees:”

Serendipity

Written in Blood

Mad Ramblings and Assorting Musings

Tim’s Film Reviews

Cinema Schminema

ClaratsiMovieBlog

Robbins Realm Blog

foxxiecinnamon’s Blog

jackie.eat.world

Issac Picture Conclusions

Cinematic

So there you have it! Another fun way for us to spread the word about other blogs out there that are fun to read; click on the links and check these folks out, you won’t be sorry. And as usual I apologise in advance for those deserving blogs I did not get to tag, I really do love you all.

Cheers!

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What is so Great about Reddit?

When I first started blogging on WordPress, I found to my delight that they had widgets that allowed you to share things to reddit. I was aware of this website through my daughter’s work on Video Games Blogger.

It is used by quite a few games channels and websites as a means to publicize their articles. I had never used it before and was eager to give it a go. The first ever post I uploaded to reddit was a post about the film Stake Land the referrals I got from reddit alone helped to push my view count up to 1051 views. In one day. For one post.

I was, in a word, ecstatic.

I started sharing all my posts with reddit and I also interacted with the folks who had commented on my upload. Everything went swimmingly for a while, then…zilch, nada, and zero, “zip-ah.”

Now, I don’t have a full understanding of how reddit works. I am not the guru of networking and my rudimentary knowledge of the site could fill a matchbox, maybe. I do know that each category and sub-category is watched over by a sort of “mediator.” This man or woman tries to insure that the submitter abides by the rules of the site.

They also “weed out” the spam.

I’ve got a suspicion that as I used reddit a lot that I’ve been put on the naughty list.

I splurged and bought a “Gold” reddit account and I wished that I’d saved my money. So, okay, maybe I was spamming the site. I did create a little group of accounts so that I could keep submitting to the site. In my defence though, reddit is sort of wacky when it comes to submissions. You can take a day or two break from submitting and when you get back on the site to submit, they tell you, “You’ve been doing that too much lately, wait for 125 minutes and re-submit.”

What?

Due to this “apparent”  banning of my website I had to chuckle when Tyson over at Head In A Vice mentioned it in a blog post. Because he’d mentioned it, I decided to give the reddit another shot.

The end result?

Zilch, nada, zero…zip.

In essence, no change at all; my website is obviously still on the naughty list. I don’t mind (like hell I don’t) but I’ve never gotten one word of why or how I got put on the list; if such a list even exists. It would be nice. I went through a short time period of getting thousands of views per day. I was so excited that it’s a real wonder that I did not have my heart attack sooner.

I am trying, though, to comply with Tyson’s Call to Arms to help publicize other folks’ blog posts, but, reddit is not one avenue that works for me. I have even tried “sharing” other blogs’ posts with the site and again, gotten no response.

So I’ll wait to see if I get taken off the naughty list, it has been about six months, and hopefully I’ll start getting more views again. If not? Well, I’ll continue to write, rant, and ridicule where I see fit. Despite my obvious preoccupation with them, numbers don’t really matter. Only the writing does and I’ll never stop doing that.

So there, reddit; put that in your metaphorical pipe and smoke it.

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You Can See the Signpost up Ahead, Next Stop Post 500

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Yes, I did crib some of the intro from the Twilight Zone. I also used a bit of poetic license on the post 500. I posted my 495th blog post today, despite being up all night with some sort of mysterious tummy ailment, that I don’t even want to talk about or think about.

But as I posted number 495, I had a thought: “What should I blog about for my 500th post?” I feel like such a momentous occasion should not consist of my usual blog post blathering. I am probably blowing the significance of this event wildly out of proportion to its actual importance. (Wow that sounded impressive didn’t it?)

Based on my usual practise of submitting 2.5 posts per day, I don’t have a lot of time before the magic 500 is reached. My “normal” practise (as if anything in my life could be referred to as normal at this point in time) is to watch a film, or to re-visit a film watched; or to read a book, etc, etc etc… Luckily for me, my blog does not just talk about film.

Because I am predominantly lazy, I choose not to manifest multiple blogs that I can upload posts to on varying subjects. I sort of liken myself to the cook who likes to prepare everything in the same pot. There is less to clean up and it keeps the pot choices to a minimum. So despite the title of my blog (and just in case you’ve found yourself here by accident, it’s called MikesFilmTalk only because I did not know that I could put spaces between the blog title, NOOB!) I write about a lot of other things besides film.

But I am, as usual, digressing; as I sit here looking out at the, finally, melting snow and listen to my tummy growling and rumbling, memories of last night, I am trying to figure out if I do indeed need to do anything special about my 500th post.

Should I just post as usual but include some sort of meme that has fireworks or some cute furry frolicking animal on it?

Should I include a picture of me holding a sign that says, “Will blog for money?”

I really don’t have any idea of what I should do, if anything, on my big 5-0-0. So, I thought, why not open it up for discussion?

Do any of you have an idea of what I should do? All suggestions will be considered (apart from sit down and shut up ya old fart) and I’ll try to pick the one that seems most appropriate. Maybe you liked my Arkansas Razorback stories and would like to see another one. I could also write about another “event” in my past…

But really, as you can no doubt tell by the extreme shortness of this post, I haven’t got a clue.

So, answers on a postcard please; just kidding, if you want to tell me what you think I should post for my 500th let me know via the comments. *ruder ideas should probably be submitted via my email, thereby making it easier for me and my daughter to take the piss out of the sender at our leisure*

If I don’t hear anything I will still do my 500th post, so lack of participation will not have the desired result of no post.

All kidding aside, I have had fun doing this and meeting so many special people (and I don’t mean that in a derogatory way). Folks who have made me laugh, think and smile a lot. Folks who have taken the time to support my little old blog and through so doing have helped me to work my way through a pretty damned difficult patch in my life.

Thank you all, who follow, read and take the time to comment or like my posts. You make my day!

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Cue Fireworks…

200 Followers!


Congratulations on getting 200 total follows on MikesFilmTalk.

Your current tally is 203.

After my not so brilliant day yesterday, things could only get better and they did. What is most impressive (to me anyway) is that things got better on the same day. Just when I’d grabbed my metaphorical bootstraps, pulled and nothing happened; I got two bits of fabulous news.

Firstly, it looks like I won’t have to starve to death, at least not this year, as some of my financial woes have been sorted. I’d love to tell you how  but I cannot. Suffice to say the “fix” as it were has nothing to do with illegal activities such as robbing a bank or selling addictive substances.

Secondly, I broke the 200 follower barrier last night. It is amazing that something so not related to my main issues could have improved my mood so much. My heart did a long and energetic Snoopy dance and my mind set off copious amounts of fireworks.

The human brain is an odd sort of duck. It is pretty damn resilient. It’s function, beyond that of the body’s Central Processing Unit (CPU), is to help us cope with certain emotions and it enables us to “switch hit” through every day (and not so every day) problems.

When I came home yesterday I was really down. I mean right at the very bottom of the darkest well in existence. But the human brain that I call mine started to immediately function as a pep squad; cheerleaders with pom-pom’s waving and doing handstands.

After I’d written my first draft blog post about yesterday’s events I already felt better. I felt good enough that I pretty much “canned” the first post and I re-wrote it. Talking things through with my daughter Meg also went a long way to improving my disposition. I wasn’t quite ready to do cartwheels of joy just yet, but damned if I wasn’t almost cheery.

After washing the dishes, I made a cup of coffee and went into the front room. I checked my emails and the other windows I had open and I realised that I had another follower or two. I immediately went into the fist pumping show of joy accompanied by my internalized Snoopy dance.

I woke up this morning, back aching and brain on temporary hold, came downstairs and put a load of laundry on and made my first coffee of the day. Switching on the computer I saw that I was still over the 200 mark and despite the firm lecturing I gave myself the night before about not writing about this so soon after my “bragging” 40,000 break-through post; I sat down and started typing.

I am now sitting in my living room. I’ve hung the laundry up to dry, finished my first cup of coffee and I’m looking out the window at a beautiful snow-covered sunshiny day. The confusion and hopeless feeling from yesterday is a million miles away and I am back on the optimism train in the first class section. *It looks like I didn’t need to dodge the train at all, I just had to grab hold of it and “hop” a ride.*

I am also sitting here thinking about that 4th draft copy of my ancient screenplay upstairs lying on the desk. I’m thinking that while I have all this enthusiasm, optimism, and vigour I’d better take a look at it and start again.

But first I’ll have another cup of coffee and enjoy the fireworks a bit more.

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