Edie Melson's Blog, page 425

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

by Edie Melson

It's that time again—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 or near the same date, like National Humiliation Day falls within the Someday We’ll Laugh About This Week .  And how National Pie Day is the same day as Women’s Healthy Weight Day . Did they even research this stuff?
I’m late this month because of the holidays, but I usually 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 January.
Using the calendar for blog post or even article ideas is a great way to jumpstart your creativity. It's also a fun writing prompt idea. 

Calendar days are also great conversation starters for social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
January Holidays, Special Days & Downright Crazy Days
January is: January is National Oatmeal Month—who knew?National Oatmeal MonthNational Be On-purpose MonthInternational Brain Teaser MonthNational Bath Safety MonthHot Tea MonthNational Blood Donor MonthNational Braille Literacy MonthBe Kind to Servers MonthBrainteaser MonthGet Organized MonthCelebration of Life MonthCreativity MonthNational Soup Month
Weekly CelebrationsWeek 1: Week 1 is Diet Resolution WeekCelebration of Life WeekDiet Resolution WeekSomeday We’ll Laugh About This Week
Week 2:Letter Writing WeekInternational 3-D Week
Week 3:National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week
Week 4:Clean Out Your inbox WeekNo Name Calling WeekNational Cowboy Poetry Gathering Week
Daily CelebrationsJanuary 1Bloody Mary DayNew Year’s DayZ DayCommitment DayPolar Bar Swim Day
January 2 is Science Fiction Day!January 2Happy Mew Year Day for Cats DayPersonal Trainer Awareness DayRun Up the Flagpole and See if Anyone Salutes DayScience Fiction DayNational Motivation and Inspiration DayBuffet DayCream Puff Day
January 3Humiliation DayDrinking Straw DayJ.R.R. Tolkein DayFestival of Sleep dayChocolate Covered Cherry DayFruitcake Toss Day
January 4World Braille DayHypnotism DayPop Music Chart DaySpaghetti DayTom Thumb DayTrivia Day
January 5Whipped Cream DayNational Bird Day
January 6 is Bean DayJanuary 6Bean DayShortbread DayEpiphany or Twelfth Night or Three Kings DayCuddle Up DayApple Tree Day
January 7I’m Not Going to Take It Anymore DayOld Rock DayHarlem Globetrotter’s DayNational Tempura Day
January 8Bubble Bath DayArgyle DayNational English Toffee DayShow & Tell at Work DayJoy Germ Day
January 9 is National Static Electricity DayJanuary 9Apricot DayPlay God DayNational Static Electricity Day
January 10National Cut Your Energy Cost DayLeague of Nations DayHouseplant Appreciation DayBittersweet Chocolate DayPeculiar People Day
January 11Milk DayLearn Your Name in Morse Code DayNational Human Trafficking Awareness DayFruitcake Toss DayStep in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day
January 12Marzipan DayNational Pharmacist Day
January 13 is National Clean Off Your Desk DayJanuary 13Peach Melba DayNational Clean Off Your Desk DayPublic Radio Broadcasting DayStephen Foster DayInternational Skeptics DayMake Your Dream Come True DayRubber Duckie Day
January 14Dress Up Your Pet DayPoetry at Work DayOrganize Your Home DayHot Pastrami Sandwich Day
January 15Strawberry Ice Cream DayNational Hat Day
January 16International Hot and Spicy Food DayGet to Know Your Customers DayAppreciate a Dragon DayNational Nothing Day
January 17Ditch New Year’s Resolutions DayKid Inventors Day
January 18 is Winnie the Pooh Day
In honor of A.A. Milne's BirthdayJanuary 18Winnie the Pooh Day (Birthday of A.A. Milne)Thesaurus DayNational Sanctity of Human Life Day
January 19Tin Can DayNational Popcorn Day
January 20Disc Jockey DayRobert E Lee DayNational Buttercrunch DayCheese Lover DayDay of AcceptancePenguin Awareness DayNational Day of ServiceMartin Luther King Jr. Birthday (Third Monday of January)
January 21Granola Bar DayNational Hugging DaySquirrel Appreciation Day
January 22Celebration of Life DayNational Blonde Brownie DayAnswer Your Cat’s Questions Day
January 23 is Measure Your Feet DayJanuary 23National Pie DayNational Handwriting DayWomen’s Healthy Weight DayMeasure Your Feet Day
January 24National Peanut Butter DayBelly Laugh DayBeer Can Appreciation DayNational Compliment DayTalk Like a Grizzled Prospector Day
January 25Robert Burns DayIrish Coffee DayMacintosh Computer DayA Room of One’s Own DayVisit Your Local Quilt Shop DayNational Seed Swap DayOpposite Day
January 26Spouse’s DayNational Peanut Brittle DayWorld Leprosy Day
January 27 is Thomas Crapper Day . . . YES that
Thomas CrapperJanuary 27Chocolate Cake DayHolocaust Memorial DayThomas Crapper DayBubble Wrap Appreciation DayPunch the Clock Day
January 28Data Privacy DayBlueberry Pancake DayFun at Work DayNational Kazoo Day
January 29National Puzzle DayNational Cornchip DayFree Thinkers DayCurmudgeons Day
January 30National Inane Answering Message DayCroissant Day
January 31Backward DayInspire Your Heart with Art Day
Now let's do a little brainstorming for next month. What are some of your favorite days from the list and how do you propose using them?
Don't forget to join the conversation!Blessings,
Edie


TweetablesLooking for ideas for articles & blog posts? Look no further than the calendar! (Click to Tweet)

The calendar is a great place to find ideas for blog posts & articles - @EdieMelson has the list for January here. (Click to Tweet)

Are You Struggling With Your Writing? Let God Decide Where to Put You!

by Lynn H Blackburn

Several years ago, my dad made a beautiful mirrored coat rack. I had the perfect wall for it and it hung in a place of prominence in my home where it received oohs and ahhs from friends, family, and guests.
Then we moved.
Our new home has an open floor plan with short walls. Most of the long walls are full of windows. There isn't a single spot in the house that made sense for the coat rack. I guess I could have hung it in the dining room. It would've made a great conversation starter, but it also would've made it functionally useless.
So with nowhere to put it, I placed it in a hall closet where it sat unused for six months before I realized I was being an idiot.
Because there was one other spot.
But it was so wrong.
No one but my family would ever see it. It seemed such a waste.
My coat rack doesn't belong there. It's too pretty. Too precious.
Then again, I knew my dad never intended for the coat rack to take up space in a closet.
He intended for me to use it.
So we hung it…In the garage.
Where we've used it every day since.
As I went through this process, I couldn't help but notice the parallels to my writing.
I don't know about you, but when I started writing, it never occurred to me to write anything other than a book. After all, isn't that what real writers do? They write books, make a fortune, buy a cozy bungalow, and churn out more books as they sip coffee and eat scones. Right?
Please don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of books. Some of my best friends are books.
But as 2014 dawns, I'm wondering if I need to rethink the purpose of my writing. I'm convinced God gifted me with the ability and desire to write and I'm certain He didn't intend for my words to be stored on a hard drive where they won’t do anyone any good.
Maybe there's a book in my future. I'm still working on it. But in the meantime, I can write blog posts, devotions, and articles about whatever God leads me to say.
Then I can leave it up to Him to use as He sees fit.
God may plan for my words to reach thousands. Or He may plan for my words to reach just one.
I'll admit, my pride likes the idea of thousands. After all, we live in a world that focuses on the numbers. Preferably big numbers.
Thankfully, we serve a God who uses everything at His disposal to go after the one lost sheep.
Maybe He's using you.
Or He would, if you'd let Him decide where to put you.

Lynn Huggins Blackburn has been telling herself stories since she was five and finally started writing them down. She blogs about faith, family, and her writing journey on her blog Out of the Boat. Lynn is a member of the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild and the Word Weavers, Greenville. She lives in South Carolina where she hangs out with three lively children, one fabulous man, and a cast of imaginary characters who find their way onto the pages of her still unpublished novels. She drinks a lot of coffee.

TWEETABLESWhat does being a writer look like? @LynnHBlackburn reminds us it's different for each of us! (Click to Tweet)
Are you struggling with your writing? @LynnHBlackburn suggests you let God decide where to put you! (Click to Tweet)

Online Etiquette for Authors & Others

by Edie Melson

Recently I’ve been reminded what a small world publishing really is. Even if we don’t actually know each other, it’s likely that we have friends and associates in common. Because it’s such a small world, it’s important for us to all pay attention to how we interact, especially online. What I say and do, doesn’t just affect me. The ripples of my actions spread out and affect many others. So before we go bumping and jumping into the New Year, I thought I’d give us all a refresher in online etiquette.
Guidelines of Good Online BehaviorRemember this—what happens online, STAYS ONLINE. If you don’t want someone to be able to dig up the dirt on you, don’t say or do anything online you might be ashamed of later. Know where you are. By this I mean, etiquette varies from site to site online. What flies on Twitter may be seen as cutting or slightly rude on Facebook.  Email to a friend is a totally different animal from email to a business associate. Take time to learn the guidelines for all the sites you frequent.Always play nice.Like I said, it’s a small world. And like any other small world, people talk. Even if they’re not gossiping, people notice things and they ask questions.Be respectful of others need for privacy. If you have the occasion to send a group email, be sure to hide everyone else’s email address unless you have specific permission to share. Don’t spam someone’s inbox. This usually happens when someone starts up a new blog and/or website. The person doesn’t have many blog followers and sends an email to all their friends announcing the new site and asking for support. Once or twice for this is fine. More than that is considered spam.
Avoid name calling. I know none of us would ever call someone else a derogatory name online, but we could be guilty of labeling someone incorrectly. It’s important to learn the difference between, unfollowing/unfriending and blocking someone on social media. Although ending an online interaction may sometimes be necessary, be careful how you do it. Unfollowing and unfriending are fine, painful, but fine. But if you take the next step and block someone’s access, especially on Twitter, you can do them very real harm. Twitter gets notice that the person being blocked is a spammer and can take steps to shut down that account. This is fine if the person being blocked is abusive or a real danger. But be sure that’s the case before you take that step and label them.
Assume the best motives in others. Truthfully, there are very few cruel and vindictive people out there. Most hurt feelings come from misunderstandings. It’s important that we give others the same kind of benefit-of-the-doubt we’d like to have. Don’t be a feed hog. It doesn’t matter if it’s bouncing blog post notices on Facebook and Twitter, Google plus updates, or even email, be careful that you don’t send multiple updates to your friends and followers in a short amount of time.Be careful with sarcasm. I have a pretty broad sense of humor, but I have to be careful when I’m writing something out—in email and on social media. I’ve discovered that, most of the time, sarcasm can be misinterpreted online.Exercise the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have other do unto you.

Personally, I’ve never run into an instance where I regretted behaving nicely. But there are plenty of times that I’ve wished I could have taken back thoughtless behavior. Now it’s your turn. What sort of things irritate you online? Now’s the time to share!
Don’t forget to join the conversation,Blessings,Edie
TweetablesPublishing is a small world. @EdieMelson shares online etiquette tips for smoother digital communications. (Click to Tweet)
Online etiquette for authors and others – learn howto play nice in the cyber world where we live & work – via @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Social Media Monday—Get a New Perspective on Social Media

by Edie Melson

I post a lot of information about social media here on TheWrite Conversation. Beyond that, I field a lot of questions about etiquette. I try to get to everything in a timely fashion, but sometimes you need the information right away. Today I’d like you to get a new perspective on social media and show you how that may give you the insight you need.
As writers, we tend to use social media from the perspective of people wanting to get information to an audience. We also use it to grow our platforms. We evaluate the time we spend online from the perspective of ROI (return on investment), looking at time and money invested.
Today I’d like to invite you to evaluate your own social media interaction from the point of view of the audience. 

To do that, we have to put ourselves into the shoes of the consumer. We must understand why they’re online in the first place. In general, there are several reasons that aren’t work related:
They’re here to have fun.They’re building new relationships.They’re looking for entertainment.They need information.
So how do we analyze what we’re doing on social media in relation to what our audience is looking for? I’ve come up with a short list of things to ask yourself before you hit the post button.  Would I share this update if I saw it posted elsewhere?Does this update answer a question my audience has?Will this make someone’s life better?Is this something that builds a deeper relationship?Will this make someone laugh?Does anyone really care about this?
I know this may seem like a small shift in the way we view social media, but it can make a big difference.
Now it’s your turn. What kinds of social media updates are you most likely to share? What is one that you’d NEVER share?
Don’t forget to join the conversation!Blessings,Edie
TweetablesA change of perspective may be what your social mediapresence is lacking.  (Click to Tweet)

Are you looking at social media all wrong? @EdieMelson has achange of perspective that can help. (Click to Tweet)

Weekend Worship--A Beginning

Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19

I love New Year’s Day. Not because of the partying and hoopla, but because it marks an end . . . and a beginning. You see, by the time I get to the end of a year, no matter how many good things have happened, I feel dragged down by all the junk that has accumulated.
Those unfulfilled expectations.

The unrealized dreams (usually because I didn’t put in the necessary work). All the people I’ve let down and who’ve let me down.
By the time December gets here, I can generally pull up enough stuff to depress an elephant. And even worse, it’s never a stretch to blame myself for ninety-nine percent of the failures. But January first gives me the opportunity to start over, hopefully a little wiser than the year before. Wiser in my work, my finances, and especially my relationships.
That’s what God is all about, second chances and new beginnings. He makes a way for us . . . one way or another.
So as this New Year begins, join me in putting away the stuff from last year and resolve to begin again with a new year filled with hope and possibilities!

Social Media Image—Never Say Never

Never say never.

This is truly a cliche' of epic proportions. And yet, like so many cliches' before, it's truth is undeniable. Almost invariable, when I make a never statement, it becomes real in my life. I said I'd never live in the Houston area and BAM, I spent seven years there. Is said I'd never stand in front of people and speak, and again, it came to pass.

My good friend and author, Beth Vogt, coined the phrase you see on the image below. It was too good, and too true, not to pass along.

So when have you walked through the never door? If you haven't ever, what's keeping you!

"God's best is often found behind the doors marked never." -Beth Vogt
Share your thoughts 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

Tweetables
When have you walked through the never door? If you haven't, what's keeping you! (Click to Tweet)

Walking through the door marked NEVER can be a life-changing experience! (Click to Tweet)

Life Lessons—Where Does Your Writing Go From Here?

by Edie Melson

I can’t help it. The time between Christmas and New Years is—at least in my mind—no man’s land. It’s a time filled with clean up, hurry up and wait up. In many ways it’s the lull before the storm.
January is when I hit the ground running, determined to start things off right. One of the reasons I’m able to do that is because I do some re-evaluating during this week. I always ask myself one question. Where does your writing go from here?
The answer is tied to several things, the one word I choose to define my year (look for that post soon). My past successes this year, and where my passion is leading me.
Don’t get me wrong on the passion part. I can—and often do—write for money. But even that feeds my passion. It may support the conferences I want to attend, gives me the financial freedom to pursue my dream, and even helps build my platform as a writer.
Today I want to concentrate on how I go about finding the direction for my year.
Finish Well. Yes, I start with this. I begin by tying up the loose ends from the year. I make plans to fulfill commitments and get things cleared out so I can begin working toward this year’s goals.
Pinpoint my Passion. What ignites my writing fire? Is it novels, non-fiction, blogging, a combination? I prayerfully consider all my options and decide where I want to go in 2014.
Set Some Goals. I write down my goals and begin to look at the timeline to achieve them. Then I make some plans.
Keep an Open Mind. I want to keep moving forward, but I don’t want to develop tunnel vision. I will evaluate all the opportunities that arise, but only take the ones that make sense.
Choose Joy. I have the power to choose my attitude. Sometimes it’s a struggle, but I can choose joy over complaints.
Relish the Relationships. One thing I’ve learned is that relationships are the most important things in my life. I’ll be making those a priority, no matter what else I choose.
These are the things I do to start the year off right. What are some of the things you do? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Don’t forget to join the conversation!Blessings,Edie
TweetablesWhere Does Your Writing Go From Here – some ideas to helpyou start 2014 off strong. (Click to Tweet)
6 steps to help determine the direction yourwriting takes in 2014 – via @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Top Social Media Mistakes Authors Made in 2013

by Edie Melson

I was originally going to include this information in my Monday post on the Top Blogging Mistakes Authors Made in 2013, but the post as just too long. So today we’re going to continue the fun with Top Social MediaMistakes Authors Made in 2013.
These are things I see on a daily basis as I hang out on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus and Pinterest. They may seem small, but many can cost you followers, mentions, and even friends.Social Media Mistakes Hogging the Steam.This is when there are multiple posts, from the same poster, in a row. Folks are better about this on Twitter and Facebook, but not on Google Plus and Pinterest. I’ve had to unsubscribe from several Google Plus folks because they are hogging my inbox. So do yourself a favor and leave ten to fifteen minutes between updates—on ALL networks!
Becoming the Me Show.Social media marketing is NOT the same thing as mass marketing. Although you have the potential to reach millions, you cannot treat social media as advertising. Constantly posting about yourself and your books will lose you contacts, NOT gain you sales. Use the medium the way it was designed—to build relationships—then let your friends advertise your products.
Giving Away the Ending with Your Updates. The key to social media updates is to encourage people to interact with you. You either want them to share what you’ve shared, comment on your update, or visit your site. But composing your update in a way that bypasses the interaction will hurt you. For example, if I wanted people to visit my blog and find out why I use Hootsuite I would not use the following tweet:

Use Hootsuite to schedule your social media updates and save time.
I would use this one instead: Find out how I schedule social media updates and save valuable time.
With the first tweet, there’s no reason for someone to visit my blog.
Not Being a Team Player. Social media is a reciprocal proposition. If someone follows you, it’s expected that you will follow back. If someone says something nice about you, return the favor. Ignoring his aspect of social media is a guaranteed way to make your numbers drop.
Inconsistent Updates. Social media is a network with a short attention span. Building a healthy presence means you need to be consistent. Updating twenty-five times today and not showing up again for three weeks kills any kind of momentum. Instead, six to eight updates every day, five days a week will build a following much faster.
Lack of Focus. Just like blogging, your audience comes to expect certain things from you. If they can’t figure you out, they won’t bother following you for long.
Valuing your Friends over Your Followers. I’m not talking about Facebook friends either. With social media your audience is your priority. We all want to help our friends promote their books, but ultimately we must value our audience. Go ahead and share about your friends’ books, but only if your audience will find the information valuable. Truthfully, you aren’t helping anyone advertising books to an audience that won’t buy it.
Hashtag Overload.Hashtags are great—until they aren’t. Using one to two hashtags in a social media update will increase your audience. But add a third or fourth in there and you’ll loose numbers.
Chaos Reigns. By this I mean you’re not utilizing a scheduling program, like Hootsuite. If you’re doing it all on your own, you’re wasting valuable time. Learn how to use a scheduler and redeem some valuable writing time.
These are the big ones I see on a daily basis. But again, I want to dig a little deeper. It’s time for the second part of Monday’s poll. Share what makes you unfollow someone on social media.
I’m going to add to the list I’m compiling about blogging and I’ll publish the results so we can all recognize the things we need to avoid. Go ahead and vote for anything listed in the post above. I’d really like to get a good idea of what irritates you all. It will be interesting to see what we come up with.
Don’t forget to join the conversation!Blessings,Edie
TweetablesWhat social media behavior irritates you most? Share your opinion in this end-of-the-year poll. (Click to Tweet)
Top social media mistakes authors made in 2013 – share yourfavorites with @EdieMelson as we compile a list of no-now. (Click to Tweet)

Merry Christmas—An Image for You to Share

I'm taking today and tomorrow off from blogging. But I couldn't let Christmas pass without giving you a gift. So today's post is an additional social media image for you to share. Don't worry, I already have another one scheduled for Saturday.

Merry Christmas to you all!
Edie

Social Media Monday— Top Blogging Mistakes Authors Made in 2013

by Edie Melson
Collectively speaking, during 2013 I’ve seen a huge improvement in how authors interact online. That said, there are still some common mistakes. These things are affecting your blog, making readers click away before they finish a post and even unsubscribe altogether. 

Today I’m going to share the top blogging mistakes authors made in 2013.
Blogging Mistakes Don't ignore your audience.Lack of Interaction. When someone takes the time and effort to comment on your blog post, it’s only polite to answer them. Sure there are days when we get busy and really can’t reply, but if you’re known for taking time to answer, those times will be forgiven. After all, look how patient you all are with me!Inconsistent Posting. I know I’ve said this at least one hundred times, but it bears repeating. If you expect readers to visit your blog consistently, they have the right to expect you to blog consistently. Don't be a weakling when it comes to blog titles.Weak Blog Post Titles. I know we’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover—or its title. But we all do it. Without compelling titles, blog posts go unread and readers unsubscribe.Little or No Formatting. Reading online takes more effort than reading actual ink on paper. Bloggers can overcome that with proper formatting. This includes using a sans-serif font, block formatting, bullet points, and bold subheadings. All these make the page easier to read.Too Many Grammatical Errors. I know, I really shouldn’t be the one throwing stones here. You all know I’ve allowed misspelled words, omitted words and grammatical errors into my posts. But  I’m referring to numerous errors in almost every single post. Lack of Focus. Variation isn’t bad, but don’t go overboard. A blog without a focus is a blog without an audience.Posts that are too Long. People today are way more willing to spend time rather than money. Regularly posting things that are more than 500 - 600 words long will cost you readers.No Images with Blog Posts. Just like the formatting issue, images help break up the text and provide for easier reading. They also give visual clues to the content.
These are the main mistakes I see consistently. But I want to dig a little deeper. 
I want to take a poll. I’d love to know what things make you

1. unsubscribe from a blog.
2. stop reading a blog post.

I’m going to compile a list of everything mentioned in the comments, and the number of times it’s mentioned.  Go ahead and vote for any listed in the post above. I’d really like to get a good idea of what irritates you all. It will be interesting to see what we come up with.
Don’t forget to join the conversation!Blessings,Edie
TweetablesWhat irritates you most in the blogs yousee online? Give your opinion! (Click to Tweet)

The Top Blogging Mistakes Authors Made in 2013 – which onesirritate you the most? (Click to Tweet)