Calendar Days—Holidays, Special Days & Downright Crazy Days in November

by Edie Melson

It's that timeagain—Calendar Days. I sure hope you all are enjoying this column as much as me. It's funny, as I research these each month, I think of so many of you.

And I can't help but giggle at the holidays that fall on the same date, like Black Friday and Buy Nothing Day on November 29. That just hits me as ironic.

I always share this info on the last Thursday of every month. So be sure to drop by. Today I’m going to continue with the upcoming crazy and normal holidays in the month of November.

Popular Hashtags and How to Use Them Effectively

by Edie Melson

Hashtags can be a confusing concept

Hashtags can be a confusing concept, so today I’m sharing a list of popular hashtags and how to use them effectively.

First, lets back up and evaluate the reason we’re all working at building an online presence. We are looking to deepen existing relationships and build new ones. But building new ones can be difficult if the only people we interact with are those we already know, either online or in person.

We can get a little bit of exposure to new folks by our existing connections introducing us, but that’s a time consuming way to go about it.

What if there was a way for someone to search a given social media network by topic and find new, interesting people to interact with? That would be a great way to grow our connections.

Social Media Image Cheat Sheet—What Size Does that Image Need to Be?

by Edie Melson

There's not a lot as frustrating as trying to look at an image on Facebook that's the wrong size. By the time I blow it up big enough to see it, it's too blurry. Here are some exact dimensions to help you avoid that trap, and not just for Facebook.


It's my Social Media Image Cheat Sheet

This list will give you the specific information you need to upload photos to various social media sites.

Social Media Monday—Linking Your Social Media Accounts and Other Major Blogging and Social Media No-Nos

by Edie Melson

Successful social media is something of an art form—with lots of gray areas. Building a successful online presence takes a good amount of flexibility and a little bit of experimentation. But even though I encourage people to find their sweet spots, there are a few things you want to avoid. Today I’d to weigh in on linking your social media accounts and other major blogging and social media no-nos.

Social Media Image—The Courage of Others

I took this picture a couple of weeks ago when our youngest son, John, was home from college. He spent the day with us in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I'm constantly challenged and inspired by all three of our sons. Their courage has given me the strength to accomplish much more than I ever thought possible.

So, I'd love to know, who has shared some courage with you?

Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.
Robert Louis Stevenson

Share your stories in the comment section below. 

I also invite you to use this image any way you like online. Post it to your blog, share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, anywhere you'd like. All I ask is that you keep it intact, with my website watermark visible.

Don't forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie

Genre Talk—The Difference Between Science Fiction and Fantasy

We interrupt the usual Life Lessons Friday post. Reba is en route to Salt Lake City and will resume posting next Friday. (Don’t worry, I’m not letting her leave us!)

The Difference Between Science Fiction and Fantasy

During our last Genre Talk discussion, I gave you the basics on the general category of Speculative Fiction. Today I’m going to deliver on my promise to give you some insight into the difference between Fantasy and Science Fiction.

Often times readers and writers will lump science fiction and fantasy together without realizing the difference. And in an attempt to differentiate, they’ll often come up with arbitrary rules about what makes something fantasy or scifi. Truthfully, there are very few books that mix the two.

Don't Miss Writers Advance! Boot Camp

It seems like three quarters of the advice we hear as writers has to do with marketing, sales and platform. The reasons for this are myriad, but the biggest is that most of us struggle in this area. It tends to be way outside our comfort zone. But all this focus on social networking can also lead us astray, in time management and priorities.

It’s critical that we recognize the need to grow in our craft…to learn to write better!

So how do we do that? One of the best ways is to attend a writing conference. But with all the choices out there, how do we choose the one that best fits our circumstances?