Blogging 101: Day Seven: Keep Personalizing

Blogging 101: Day Seven: Keep Personalizing

Picking a theme you love is the first step. Next, make that theme your own; start with the basics, like a header and/or background. (Lots of you have already begun this — keep it up.) If you’re happy with your header and background, try your hand at a widget.

Today’s assignment: create and upload a simple header, background, or both. Already done? Try a widget.

 
 
For my blog, Rantings of a Third Kind, I have chosen the black-white-gray theme, mainly for the readability and also for the presentation of photographs.

The header is chosen from one of my trips and depicts what I enjoy, both as scenery and as a hobby: Italy and sailing.

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On the main page I also added a small intro to the blog with a photo of the blogger, myself of course and a few anecdotes in pictures, naturally 😉

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As for the widgets; there are several, informative and also filtering the posts by date, category, popularity etc. I also have the blog counter and follower counter visible. And those I follow appear in on of the widgets in random visited order.

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More photos on Flickr:

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About, bio and contact information are all on their own pages.

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Step right in, enjoy the site!

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About This Blog

Day Six: Make an Irresistible “About” Page

You’ve now completed the first week — congrats! It’s been an incredible experience to read your stories, watch you getting your blogging legs, and see the connections you’re making.

This week, you’ll continue publishing and personalizing your blog to perfection. First up, we’ll tackle an element that all blogs need: an About page. Some of you have already written one, others have one in progress or feel stuck, and some of you don’t have one at all. Let’s change that.

Today’s assignment: create and publish your About page, then either adapt it into a widget on your home page or add it to your menu.

Go check out the finished product:
About This Blog

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“Every story I create, creates me. I write to create myself” Octavia E. Butler

About This Blog

Who?

Gun Roswell

AKA Gunilla Roswall, Gun Roswall and La Gun, with the fastest bullets.
(A rose by any other name 😉 )

More in BIO 

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Why?

“Be careful what you wish for, you may get it”

Welcome and feel free to stalk about in my blog! You may find things you actually enjoy and get hooked!

“Seek and ye shall find”

Hope you you will find something worth your while!

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In my posts you can find some of the following:

Some lessons learnt, some wisdom (if you look with a fine-tooth comb), maybe even some fact and a lot of fiction! Then again, who says wisdom ends with fiction? For all we know, life is a fantasy! And to top it all, lots of photographs.

I write and photograph mostly for myself, but hope others will enjoy my products too.

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What?

As the slug says:

A blog about everything and nothing.
Fiction, fact, poetry, odes, homages, photography.
Humour, yet some serious thoughts.

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Here are some of the topics, not in any particular order:

Awards and contest
My publications on other sites
Photography
Poetry
Quotes on writing
Reviews
Serials
WP 101

I have also compiled some links useful for writers for networking behind this link: Social networking sites for writers page.

And some of my favourite writing on Quotes on writing page.

And it’s all done in the best possible taste!
Enjoy!

Gun

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FREE STYLE WRITING CHALLENGE: WHAT WOULD YOU DEFINE AS THE TURNING-POINT OF YOUR LIFE?

“You go through life experiences. Each record captures a different turning point in my life” Keith Urban

WHAT WOULD YOU DEFINE AS THE TURNING-POINT OF YOUR LIFE?

I was nominated to the do the Free Style Writing Challenge a while ago by Lucy Danvers, her excellent blog Ice Coffee Couture
The aim of this challenge is really just to write non-stop for a period of time, so try it out!

My question for the challenge was:
WHAT WOULD YOU DEFINE AS THE TURNING-POINT OF YOUR LIFE, AND OR CAREER?

The question, raises my eye brows more than any other question would. To put it bluntly,
I guess am still waiting for mine to knock on the door.

That being said, I feel like a liar. Why, you ask?

I will tell you why. I probably should start by counting my blessings what I have achieved so far, both in work life and personal life. Looking back at my life, I really cannot pin point one specific turning point but several. Not all of them have turned out to be good ones, but they have taught me lessons, turning me into the person I am today.

But I would say that the most recent one would be when I started writing again. Well publicly that is. I never really stopped, rather moved to different forms of writing. This is my third try and hopefully the charmed one and so far I am convinced I will stay on this path and not let go. Granted it’s a long way from my “fantasy” of having a best seller or a produced screenplay. But I like the interactiveness of the World Wide Web in the blogging community. Instant feedback and knowing your product is something people actually enjoy.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying writing on the internet is not real work or real writing, it is and it is hard work as anything else. Simply because most of us have day jobs and continue to our second job of the bloggers world, possibly putting in another eight or more hours a day, and not getting paid for it. I must admit one thing though. As much as I love seeing my work published, I do have a love and hate relationship with the internet and all that which it contains. But as long as I am honest as a person, writer and a blogger, giving credit when credit is due, I feel I can survive the ugly too.

So my point here is, hold on to your dreams, try to realize them, but most of all: Keep calm and continue blogging!

Signing off!
Gun

Words: 371

How to do it:

Open an MS Word document (or Pages)

1. Set a stop watch or your mobile to 5 minutes or 10 minutes whichever challenge you think you can beat.

2. Your topic is at the foot of this post.

3. Fill the word doc with as many words as you want. Once you began writing do not stop.

4. Do not cheat by going back and correcting spellings and grammar with spell check in MS WORD (it is only meant for you to reflect on your own control of sensible thought flow and for you to reflect on your ability to write the right spelling and stick to grammar rules)

5. You may or may not pay attention to punctuation and capitals. However, if you do, it would be best.

6. At the end of your post write down ‘No. Of words =_____’ so that we would have an idea of how much you can write within the time frame.

7. Do not forget to copy paste the entire passage on your blog post with a new Topic for your nominees and copy paste these rules with your nominations (at least 5 bloggers).

I will nominate:

1) Chloe
2) Lee Hiller
3) E J Frost
4) Robin Seaton
5) Raine Fairy

My topic for you is:
Have you ever wished you were either older or younger?
What would you consider to be the benefits and possible problems?

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My Coffee Addiction

“Coffee and love are best when they are hot” German proverb

Blogging 101: Day Four: My Coffee Addiction

Blogging 101: Day Four: Identify Your Audience
Today’s Assignment: Publish a post you’d like your ideal audience member to read, and include a new-to-you element in it.

Coffee, probably the most searched for topic on the World Wide Web. Most people can handle their coffee and enjoy a fine blend every now and again. And then there are the others, us, those who are completely hooked on the intoxicating, exquisite dark liquid. One or two cups a day just won’t do, thinking if less is good then more must be better!

While most people enjoy looking into their own coffee cup and are completely satisfied with the one time visual experience, there are some, who spend a lot of time looking at pictures of other people having coffee. The worst of these people actually develop habits, such as peeping in on others enjoying their cups of java be that in coffee shops or even in the privacy of their own homes.

I discovered my passion for coffee when I was around five. Sneaking into the coffee room, looking on while the adults were enjoying themselves. After they had finished their moment of coffee, I snuck in and had a taste, and have been hooked ever since!

I like having coffee by myself or in company. A nice cup of java in the morning, several times during the day and before I go to sleep. At work there are those of us, who enjoy our coffee in a group setting. It is most enjoyable especially during those days, when you need to work late. After all, you can never go wrong with a coffee party!

My taste in coffee varies. Sometimes I like to add a little vanilla to keep the taste soft and sweet. But other times, a more stronger blend is needed to satisfy the thirst. Then again, there is no such thing as bad coffee, or even an undrinkable kind. Cold, tea like or tar, it’s all fine as long as it spells c-o-f-f-e-e!

During my travels, I try to choose cities to visit, which have special shops and even dedicated streets for coffee lovers, like Paris or Amsterdam. There you can have your coffee pretty much in any way, form or position you like. I have also heard of places, where coffee is banned for what ever reason and you dare not even speak the name out loud. Personally, not my first choice to visit, I cannot stand too long a dry spell, not the mention the withdrawal!

Mostly you can drink coffee for free, especially if you are not too picky on the company and enjoy any type of coffee you can get. But, unfortunately not all coffee is free. Sometimes you have to pay for your coffee! Then again, paid coffee can taste as good as free coffee, it’s just a matter of adjusting your way of thinking.

OK, so I admit I have and addiction to coffee, but I generally like to blame my Finnish heritage of it. Since most of us are born with an the newly discovered gene, the coffee bean. That’s right, it is in our DNA to love coffee!

In summary, my advice to you is, enjoy your coffee while you can, when ever and where ever you can, you are never too young or old for it!

Related posts in Rantings:
Coffee, Coffee, Coffee and some more Coffee
Four Options For Coffee
Coffee, a Bliss and a Blessing
Not without my Coffee

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Congratulations on getting 1,337 total likes on Rantings Of A Third Kind

Congratulations on getting 1,337 total likes on Rantings Of A Third Kind

Thank You all my fellow Bloggers for the Likes and enjoying my posts!

Gun

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Congratulations on getting 200 total follows on Rantings Of A Third Kind!

Congratulations on getting 200 total follows on  Rantings Of A Third Kind

Thanks for the follow Dear Fellow Bloggers!
Gun

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Blogging 101: Day Five: Love Your Theme

“Blogs are whatever we make them. Defining ‘Blog’ is a fool’s errand” Michael Conniff

Day Five: Love Your Theme

Today’s assignment: try out at least three other themes — even if you’re happy with the one you first chose. Try one you’re drawn to, and one you would never use.

No one is going to spend more time on your blog than you, so you should love the way it looks. As with jeans, you never know if a theme fits until you try it on.

My current theme version is the choice for me, at least for now. It fits with the writing as well as with the photographs. The theme I use is The Visual Theme.

I went through four themes on my blog during the five months since I started and tried on a few more for size, but still came back to the option I am using now. As I recall, someone even complemented on it earlier.

I try to keep the looks clear and simple, unfortunately or fortunately I have so many things I want to put out there, simple may not be the option for me.

Please check out for your self. Click on the various links and find out what I am up to. I am planning to add more into the wide world of Rantings of a Third Kind in the near future.

Bloggers Ago!

Gun Roswell

Rantings Of A Third Kind

Blog about everything and nothing and it’s all done in the best possible taste

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Blogging 101: Day Two: Take Control of Your Title and Tagline

Blogging 101: Day Two: Take Control of Your Title and Tagline

Rantings Of A Third Kind

Blog about everything and nothing and it’s all done in the best possible taste!

Dear Reader,

A blog about everything and nothing.
Fiction, fact, poetry, odes, homages, photography.
Humour, yet some serious thoughts.
And it’s all done in the best possible taste!

Enjoy!

Gun Roswell

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Blogging 101: Day Three: Say Hello to the Neighbours

Day Three: Say Hello to the Neighbours

Stalking around other bloggers sites is a fun chore. Even though your interests may be other than some of the offerings out there, the effort which goes into the creation of the blogs never seizes to amaze me.

Being visually orientated myself, I always enjoy the pictures of course, but the topics also strike interest in me. I try to widen my horizons and follow as many blogs as possible. It is also important to remember to press the LIKE button on your visits to show the appreciation for the bloggers work!

I hope to get familiar with many “faces” during this Blogging 101 session and hope you enjoy my offerings too!

Bloggers ago!

Gun Roswell
gunroswell.wordpress.com

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Celebrating Milestones again on Rantings Of A Third Kind: 1000 Likes!

Congratulations on getting 1,000 total likes on Rantings Of A Third Kind

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Go Blog 😉