Technical Details

I’ve had lots of questions about how to subscribe to updates for this blog, and about how to comment. Now my cover is blown: I am probably the least techno-savvy blogger in the entire blogosphere. But I will try to help you out here.

To comment, click on the (very tiny) word “comments” at the bottom of each post. Type your comment in the text box. You may choose an identity if you like (entering your Google/gmail or Open ID name if you have one, or entering a name of your choice in the Name field); or you can comment anonymously by choosing the Anonymous button. Prior to publishing your comment, you will be asked to enter a word verification - a slightly distorted series of letters displayed on the screen. This step prevents automated programs from sending SPAM to the comments section of a blog.

If you would like to subscribe to updates, there is a subscribe button on the left margin. This one works if you use a central online reader such as Google Reader. If you do not have a Google/gmail account, this won’t work for you. I am consulting with my guy over in Tech Support (a.k.a. Husband) about how to enable e-mail updates, so that you can receive an e-mail in your inbox letting you know the blog has been updated. We’ll try to work on that over the weekend; I’ll keep you posted. A warning on updates: sometimes I publish my post and then realize I left something out - like an entire word or phrase - , or misspelled something, so I edit and re-publish. If this happens, you would receive an update each time the post is published.

For those of you who want to keep it simple: I try to post on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, but it doesn’t always happen.

All that being said, feel very free to be an occasional reader and a “lurker.” That’s what I am: someone who reads blogs when there’s time, but doesn’t comment online. My goal here is to write more, share more, and learn from the process - and hopefully to bring a little fun, joy, deep thought, and/or enjoyment to you, dear readers.

Happy Friday!

Asked Questions

I can’t say these are Frequently Asked Questions, but these are some of the questions people have asked about my blog - so I figure they are worth answering:

Why did you decide to start blogging?
The quick answer is that I made a promise to myself to share my writing more, and blogging is an easy and convenient way to do it. Here are a few other reasons:

-- A blog allows me to try my hand at at a different type of writing. Typically, I write poetry, but there are some things I’d like to write that seem to require a different genre.
-- A blog feels more spontaneous than my usual, revision-heavy process for polishing poems. I am interested to see what develops from a less formal writing process.
-- I have always found that doing something new and different in my creative life leads to unanticipated bursts of creativity in my “usual” areas (i.e., poetry); so I am hoping for some of that creative cross-germination, as well.

Who is your audience?
Well, that’s a good question; maybe I won’t have one!? I have shared my blog with friends, family, and fellow writers that I thought might enjoy it. In some ways, I guess I’m part of the audience, too, as I hope to learn from writing this way and from observing the body of work that evolves.

Why would you share your writing on a blog rather than submitting it for print publication?
I do submit to print publications from time to time (and have the rejections to prove it!). But the truth is that I find it difficult to orchestrate a focused submissions process with pre-school children still at home. Also, some of what I anticipate writing on this blog is not suitable for traditional print media, but is just right for a blog.

Aren’t you afraid that people could take your poems and say they wrote them?
I have heard reports of people's original writing being stolen from their blogs by others, who then submit the work as their own.  At this point, I have erred on the side of trusting in my readers' integrity, and have decided not to password-protect my poems.  This way, more people can read and (I hope) enjoy them.

But I will make this plea:  Please don't steal my poems; they're the only ones I have.

Why have you given aliases to your family members and the name of the place where you live?
I decided I’d rather be too careful, than not careful enough, in determining the amount of personal information to share online.

Are you self-conscious about blogging?
Yes! I asked a trusted writer friend if she thought it was, well...., self-indulgent. She said, “No. It’s very generous of you.” So I am trying to think of it in that light. But I still feel shy about it.