Tag: Tools

No money to hire a secretary…Here is the next best thing…for free

Kim Koning, Notes on Wrestling The Muse, Tools

Ever felt like this….

Do you desperately want/need someone/thing like this?

I love being a full time writer. This is a dream come true and wish fulfillment. Do I miss the EDJ? (translated=Evil Day Job) Short answer = No. Longer Answer = Sometimes. Hang on, didn’t I just say I love being a full time writer? Yes I did and Yes I do. But I would love it even more if I could do only that, just that: FULL TIME WRITING. The realities of life as a full time writer in this age is that I only get to write 50% of the time on a good week. You see what I miss about my EDJ is that as a Manager I had secretaries, employees and amazing assistant managers. In other words I could get on with my job of being a Sales Guru Manager. I could multi-task the priority tasks because someone else would be delegated those pesky daily must-do tasks. The reality of my life as a full time writer looks a bit like this…Except in my reality, Johnny Depp lives in my fantasy world…

Johnny sums up my quandary. Life as a full time writer without employees, secretaries, social network secretaries,  personal assistants or assistant managers means that I don’t have 100% time to JUST WRITE. Sometimes the daily tasks overwhelm me so much that I want to throw my hands up in frustration or find a local wall to bang my head against. In a perfect world, I could lock myself away in my hidden writer’s cabin in a place far, far away from the evils of modern distraction including all and any of the following: telephone, mobile, email, blogging, twitter, facebook, website ect. Not mentioning life in all it’s weirdness. But unfortunately the reality is that I can’t lock myself away in that dream cabin. (Now the current dream and wish.) I need to be accessible. I need to be up with what is happening in the world of publishing and social network. I need to blog at least once a week so that I keep my audience. I need to update my website. I need to retweet/reply to tweets on twitter. I need to update facebook. I need to answer emails. I need to complete this ms by such and such a deadline. I need to…I need do…. I need to… Which leads me to not having 100% time to JUST WRITE.

As much as I bitch about life in the modern digital world where information is on hyper overload, I believe you need to keep your friends closer but your enemies even closer still… So I am all about finding great online digital tools that help make my life as a full time writer more manageable…

Today I would like to share my latest find with you…in the hopes that should you find yourself looking more like the first picture in this blog than the writing writer you thought you were meant to be…this little gem of a tool may just make your life a little more manageable.

Available for Mac, iPhone, iPod Touch 4th generation, Android, Windows

Price: Free. Free. Free. Free. Free.

  • Organize tasks and projects to get more done
  • Access, interact, and update from anywhere
  • Perfect for small projects, or larger collaborations
  • Tight E-Mail and IM integration
 
“Listen…What’s that? That’s the stress-free feeling of having everything under control. Tame the Beast with the only task management application that is designed to work the way you do. = Producteev“


So that is what the application home page has to say … This is what I have to say.
 
I love this application/program. I have been using it for about 2 weeks and for the first time in months I feel on top of things. I love how this application synchronizes in real time on all your devices. So when I enter a task or tick off a task as done on one device it lets all my programs know. It e-mails me when I have a task due or when I have forgotten a task. One thing I totally love it for is that you can use it in groups too. I have not used it in this way yet but could see the advantages. For instance you could sync your schedule with your editor’s or cover artist’s schedule so that you are on the same page. Likewise you could use the group function to sync tasks with your writing group/ critique partners. It syncs beautifully with your calendars, your email, your reminders and your notes. Best of all I love this app because it is F.R.E.E. and available for most of the digital platforms. The great thing too is that if you do not have one of your devices near you, you can log onto the web application of this app and all your tasks will be there for you. So it may not make coffee for you and may not answer your emails or post your blogs for you but it will put you back into the control seat in your task management. An organized mind writes and edits more clearly.
 
My Overtasked Desk before Producteev
 
So get organized. Click on the Producteev logo in this post and download this app onto all your devices. You won’t be sorry. It won’t cost you a thing but it will save you so much time by putting all your must-hatch eggs into one neat basket. Unclutter your desk from the mountains of sticky notes, filofaxes and calendars. (Save some trees by using less paper.) In the words of the Producteev guy, Tame the Beast that keeps you from being a Writing Writer.
 
My Desk after Producteev... The Writing Writer
 
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Blogging 101

Blogging, Kim Koning, Marketing/Networking, Monday Mental Muscles, Notes on Wrestling The Muse

Blogging 101

Blogging is the modern mode of connection. Some people love blogging, some people dread blogging and some people do not know how, what and why to blog. So what are your thoughts about blogging?

These are some pointers for successful Blogging:

  • Find a subject that you are knowledgeable on first.
  • Decide on the slant you want your blog to take.
  • Do you want to create conversation, debate or controversy?
  • Do you know what reader you are looking for?
  • Is your blogging interesting?
  • Do you have a regular blogging schedule that you stick to?
  • Does your blog have a unique selling point or unique theme?
  • Do you enable/encourage commenting on your blog posts?
  • Is your blog easy to navigate and clearly headed?
  • Do you have an “AboutMe” page and is it attention grabbing?
  • Are your blog titles eye-catching, topical or controversial?
  • Is the theme of your blog tied in to the subject of your blog?

Blogging, like twitter, is a two-way conversation. The conversation is between you, the blogger, and the readers, your potential followers. The easiest way to gain a readership and therefore gain a following besides following all the top tips above is to follow other bloggers and to comment on their posts. Successful blogging is all about common courtesy and respect. Unless your blog’s selling point is creating controversy or snarkiness – some bloggers excel at this unique selling point – it is important to be courteous and respectful at all times. If you start blogging with the idea that everyone is going to love you and agree with you, you will wake up with a rude surprise. There are going to be people who don’t like every one of your posts nor will they agree with you. This does not mean that you should delete their comments but rather use them to open up new discussions. You may find a new way to look at a subject. Remember everyone is entitled to an opinion. It also helps to acknowledge  the comments on your blog posts by replying individually to each one.

I mentioned “Unique Selling Point” earlier in the post. This is a sales term that is used in sales and marketing but can be used for anything wanting a following or a market. A “Unique Selling Point” or “USP” is something that makes a product more desirable than other products of the same calibre. Finding a “USP” will make your blog stand out from the crowd and will guarantee you some loyal followers.

Remember to also personalize your blog to reflect you and your personality. Blogging is about various topics and subjects but bloggers are people. People respond to people. Therefore readers will respond to a person who blogs. This does not mean you have to diarise or publicize your life. Instead throw in a few posts that are personal to you or relate the topic of a post back to your own life and your own experience. This will create more of a conversational environment on your blog.

So today’s exercise:

  • Give your blog a critical look-over and see whether it meets the top tips.
  • Is your blog fresh to the eyes or is it feeling a little stale? Perhaps it is time for a blog makeover…
  • Do you follow a regular blogging schedule? Maybe you should think of creating one if you don’t.
  • Ask your followers what else they would like you to post blogs on…they can be a wealth of ideas.
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I am back blogging!!

Kim Koning, Notes on Wrestling The Muse, Postaday / Postaweek 2011, WIP Teasers
lock
Image via Wikipedia

Well this has been a very frustrating 5 days. Since Thursday last week I have been locked out of my blog as well as all other WordPress sites. I was ok on Friday. On Saturday I was starting to get impatient. By Sunday I was nail-biting, wondering whether any of my posts would still be there. By Monday I had succumbed to the idea that it may be a long while until I get back onto WordPress. I was thankful that, in the worst case scenario of being locked out permanently, I had backed up all my posts and could re-archive them via a new blog.

The one plus about the situation was that I finally got to grips with tumblr. I had toyed with tumblr this year; mainly using it for posting photographs. But with WordPress denied to me, I was forced to get tumblrised with tumblr. I learnt how to add a comments tab as well as a “Facebook Like” page. I also realised that should the need rise, I could blog from tumblr.

Just as I was giving up hope on WordPress and preparing to grieve my loss of my beautiful Dragonfly Scrolls, I logged on this evening and….I was in. The site was very slow and took about 15 minutes to get me in but I was in. The first thing I did was check that all my previous posts were intact and unharmed. Thankfully I can report that they are all intact.

I did have a few breakthroughs during my enforced lock-out. I was forced to get down and dirty with a short story that I have to write this month. I had a theme and an idea but the characters and the essential plot kept on evading me. Finally inspiration struck and I had my main character. The story suddenly came alive for me.

This made me realise once more that for me Character is the all-important element in a story. Without a Character I have no emotional connection no matter how good the story idea may be. So for me no Character is a creative block.

So now I have a Character and I can see where this story is going. Suddenly where before a faceless Character stood at a four-way crossing not knowing which way was the best route to take; now a Character with purpose and drive took me down a route that was suddenly clear of obstacles.

Another plus about this enforced lock-out was that  inspiration struck constantly this last weekend. I have a head full of story ideas. So I have to invest in a new notebook that I can keep handy and capture the ideas as they flow. I have five submissions to complete by the end of this month, not to mention work on two WIPs. So these ideas are going to have to take a backseat for a little while until I take them out and give them the full attention they deserve.

For now I am just happy to be back in the land of WordPress. Watch out for me here. The next post will be a new interview for the Warrior Wednesdays series…If you don’t find me here know that I have been locked out again. Do not despair there is more than one way to word a blog. If not on WordPress, look for me on tumblr. Post I will…by hook, crook, WordPress or tumblr…

For now I leave you with a taste of one of my WIPs. This is a piece I tumbled on my tumblr site:

A snapped twig in the dark

Inspiration is sometimes loud and jarring. But sometimes it is that one snapped twig in the dark forest. There is an eery silence and you believe you are all alone and then very faintly you hear a distinctive snap: someone is walking there. Suddenly you are not alone.

Today I heard the snapped twig in the dark forests of my imagination. It is the foot tread of a story. It moves quickly and quietly through the forest. Is it following me or am I following it? I still my thoughts and listen. The dark silence is almost deafening. Nothing.

Out of the corner of my eye I catch a glimmer of movement. There is a shadow behind the tree. My heart beats violently struggling to maintain its home in my chest.

I feel watched.

Yellow eyes…

© All rights reserved Kim Koning.

Celebrating Prolific Bloggers

Awards, Blogging, Kim Koning, Notes on Wrestling The Muse, Postaday / Postaweek 2011

awards

Since January I have been taking part in a blogging challenge called: Postaday2011. This challenge is being held by WordPress. The gist of this challenge is to post at least once a day, every day of the year in 2011. For those who find this a little too challenging, there is the challenging Postaweek2011.

Since I have started doing this I have met many different bloggers I usually would not have and my online network has grown. I had not been doing this challenge for long and I came across a FB group called Post A Day (Week) Challenge. Through this site, I find that my knowledge basis on music. gardening, crafting, house renovations, art and writing has increased. This is a direct result of joining this Facebook group.

So today, I would like to award, acknowledge and celebrate my Postday / Week 2011 bloggers. The award I am giving them is very apt for what they are: It is the Prolific Blogger Award. This is an award given to Bloggers who blog, comment and follow to a prolific degree irregardless of the stresses or time constraints of daily life.

The Prolific Blogger Award

These are the Postaday 2011 Bloggers who are this year’s Prolific Bloggers:

http://mbcoudal.wordpress.com/

http://mybeautifulnewyork.wordpress.com/

http://runningaground.wordpress.com/

http://gettingmyessayspublished.wordpress.com/

http://oraclejuice.wordpress.com/

http://lookingatlyrics.wordpress.com/

http://adamdbird.blogspot.com/

http://eof737.wordpress.com/

http://OliviaTejeda.com/

http://adobecolors.wordpress.com/

http://twilightreadings.wordpress.com/

http://socialkonnect.wordpress.com/

http://therunninggarlic.wordpress.com/

http://djbs2011inmusic.wordpress.com/

http://POPembroidery.wordpress.com/

http://mollyandtheprincess.wordpress.com/

http://gradinggirl.com/

http://homeonlagrange.wordpress.com/

http://bluenote84149.wordpress.com/

http://www.geldo.de/wordpress/

www.somegosoftly.com

http://clairewade.wordpress.com/

http://donnahuebsch.wordpress.com/

http://pennilesstim.wordpress.com/

http://jonandphyllis.wordpress.com/

http://paulasstory.wordpress.com/

http://tndzulo.wordpress.com/ (moving to http://joendzulo.info/blog )

http://www.peterweis.com/tag/today/

http://webgrrrl.net/

http://justalittlesnarky.com/

http://www.bohemianchick.com/

http://amusingconfusing.wordpress.com/

http://amaravadee.com/blog

http://geewhiz.wordpress.com/

http://cosmobong.wordpress.com/

http://seycen.wordpress.com/

http://amoderngirl.wordpress.com/

http://notejar.wordpress.com/

I would also like to award the founder of the Face Book group for this challenge her very own award: The Versatile Award. This perfectly sums up Debbie’s blog where she has a daily theme to every day of the week. These themes range from Photography, to gardening, to crafting, to cooking, to business advice to technology advice and many more on top of that. So today help me in celebrating Debbie’s Running Garlic WordPress blog and applaud her as she accepts:

The Versatile Blogger Award

Congratulations to these Bloggers who do not baulk at a challenge. Well done on already posting so prolifically and Good Luck on the continued success of your challenge.

If you are blogging every day or every week of the year and find you need some support then join our Facebook group. You will find a very supportive environment and may even find some new friends.

Happy Blogging…

– Kim

Gaga for Circus Ponies

Kim Koning, Notes on Wrestling The Muse, Postaday / Postaweek 2011, Tools
Carved Circus Pony
Image by Atelier Teee via Flickr

I think that I have mentioned in previous posts that I have a small problem. It costs me in time and money but I am addicted. The thing is I don’t want to be cured. They say the first step in recovery is admitting you have one. While I will admit an addiction but I do not believe that it is a problem. In fact, it has been an asset in many ways. But in case this is the first time you have come across one of my posts about it I will clue you in:

I am a software junkie…Any software – photography software, graphic design software, organisational software and my favourite writing software. Lucky for me I also happen to use an OS (Operating System – computer speak) that is RICH in PHENOMENAL software development. I am a MacGal.

Well today I came across a new yummy program and it’s called….

Circus Ponies Notebook version 3.0

But before I tell you anymore about this. I am going to confess, here and now, to another addiction in my life: I am a stationery junkie…Since I was very young, I have loved pretty pens, pencils, highlighters, notebooks, writing paper and all things stationery related. As I grew older this grew to include white boards, pin boards, cork boards, filo-fax binders, journals and the ever useful sticky notes.

Now, I guess you are wondering why I mention my stationery addiction in the same post as my software addiction. Well, it all has to do with this little circus of a program.

This is going to be a review in progress since this program has just come to my attention and I have just downloaded the (very generous) 30 day full featured trial version. But just looking at the videos on the developer’s website had me hooked.

From the little that I have been able to figure out, in an evening, a truer name could not be found other than the current moniker. This really does seem to be a digital notebook of circus ponies. Like any decent circus pony, this program has lots of tricks up its sleeve.

So today I am going to do a very summarised review but I will be linking through to a number of review sites at the bottom of this post where you will find more concise reviews.

The first thing that sums up this program is the top blurb on the developer’s website:

Organization for a Creative Mind

Circus Ponies NoteBook is the revolutionary award-winning application that helps Mac OS X users get

organized. With its intuitive notebook interface, versatile content handling, and powerful searching and

sharing capabilities, NoteBook has become the tool of choice for clipping e-mails and web pages; taking

notes; managing to do lists and projects; writing papers, books, and novels; getting organized for school;

building electronic notebooks for trial; managing film and TV shoots; and more. (from their website)


What do I love about it on first download?

  • It looks just like a notebook. (Perfect for that traditionalist with a modern touch)
  • You can tag and note anything with sticky notes – digital style
  • You can keep all your internet research in one place
  • It keeps a record of all the websites addresses you download your info from.
  • It has a number of formats including pdf
  • It allows you to make draw simple diagrams or sketches
  • It is a place to store images
  • You can upload it into a website form through web hosts like MobileMe
  • It syncs with your iCal
  • It makes to-do-lists
  • It automatically indexes all of your work in a comprehensive index
  • You can write a book in it,
  • Prepare court trials,
  • Organize a tv/film shoot,
  • Use it as a journal
  • Record your notes in voice annotation

So that is what has hooked me?

But I am going to test it out properly now and then get back to you with a full review. Why don’t you give it a try? You might just be like me…..

Gaga for Circus Ponies!


© All Rights Reserved Kim Koning

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Postaday/ Postaweek 2011 ~ Blogging Challenge

Kim Koning, Notes on Wrestling The Muse, Postaday / Postaweek 2011
Monkeys Blogging
Image via Wikipedia

WordPress have laid down a gauntlet and I am taking up the challenge. By now, you may have realised that I am someone who thrives on taking up challenge that is why NaNoWriMo was right up my alley.

Well after taking a month-long hiatus from writing in December, I am back in the saddle and ready for new challenges and goals. WordPress sent me an email with an open challenge to Postaday / Postaweek 2011. The idea behind this is to blog more either by attempting to post a blog post per day or to post a blog post per week of 2011.

I have signed up for both. I am hoping that I can do 365 posts this year but in case of life-interruptus, I am definitely doing the minimum 3 posts per week.

So I am going to continue with Monday Mental Muscles and I am going to add two more blogging themes to my blogging week. Sunday is going to be a day of exploring and branching out in different creative and writerly pursuits. I will call it Sunday Serendipity posts where I will share A-ha moments that I have purely by chance or “accident”. Thursday is going to be Thursday Tips day where I will share tips that are and have helped me creatively – both my own tips and tips from other creative types I follow and admire.

So the definite 3 weekly posts will be:

  1. Sunday Serendipity
  2. Monday Mental Muscles
  3. Thursday Tips


What are your blogging goals in 2011? Are you blogging? Maybe one of the 2011 goals could be to start blogging or to commit to Postaday 2011 / Postaweek 2011. Share some of your blogging goals with us. We would love to support you and encourage you just as my followers and friends support and encourage my goals.

So here is a toast to taking up gauntlets and opening up new possibilities in 2011!


© All rights reserved Kim Koning.

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