March 22, 2017

What I Wil Do Next Is This

Last Friday, I teased everyone with a potential big change for my Blogger blog. As some of you have probably deduced, I've been traveling on empty for pretty much the entire year as it applies with my Blogger blog. And as you've probably deduced, I found my ju-ju again blogging about my writing on Tumblr.

So I came up with the brilliant idea of turning my Blogger blog into a mini-version of my Tumblr blog, in that I would reblog my posts from my Tumblr blog. Even had a new name for the blog, a new blurb and a new pic, which is the only change that I've been able to apply so far. All that was left was clearance from both Blogger and from Tumblr. I kind of got a "yes" from Blogger, who basically said this to my question about reblogging content from my Tumblr blog to my Blogger blog:

If you own the post content, you can surely have it in both places as long as it doesn't violate Blogger Content Policy and Google Terms of Service.


I answered in the affirmative, but I had one other question, which was this:

It doesn't violate Blogger Content Policy (I already have a blogger blog that is labeled adult) and I'm pretty sure that it doesn't violate the Google Terms of Service (but I can always put note at the end to the effect of "This post first appeared as XXXXX at my Tumblr blog"). As a safety net, would it make sense to give the post(s) in question a new title? I title it one particular way (use the Tumblr blog title with a changing date) and I would have no problem in giving it a completely different title. Again, any advice would be greatly appreciated.


As of today, this second question has not been answered (nor, by the looks of it, a reposting of the 2nd), so the end result of asking Blogger was a "yes, so long as it doesn't do this or that". Which really doesn't help, because as you know, sometimes the word yes has a nasty habit of turning into the word no.

With Tumblr, I asked the same question, and apparently, I didn't dumb down the question (I guess with all customer service reps, simpler is better), because he automatically assumed I was making complaint over a violation being done to my blog. So I dumbed down the question, and as of today, I have not received any further response.

So where do we stand with Father Nature's Corner? I quote a post that I wrote some several years ago for my now closed short story blog:


From out of the far horizon, a horse ambled in to the front porch. I could see that his eyes were rimmed with red and his demeanor melancholy. Getting up from my rocking chair, I rolled up my copy of the Yellow Spasm and tucked it into my back pocket, before reluctantly stepping off the porch and walking towards the horse.

When I got there, I could see that he was holding a small mail pouch between his teeth.

"Is that what I think it is?" I asked warily, even though I already knew the answer.

He dropped the mail bag at my feet, before bowing his head in prayer. A minute later, he snorted, turned and waited for me to make the next move.

I picked up the bag and emptied the contents all over the porch. There wasn't much inside the bag beyond a small 3 x 5 envelope. I picked up the envelope and studied the familiar handwriting on the front for a minute or two. Sighing hard, I opened the envelope and took out the letter. I read it without really reading it, then stuck it back in the envelope and stuck the envelope in my back pocket.

Sighing again, I stepped inside the line shack to gather what little belongings I had: my shot up hat, my broken six shooter, my frayed whip and my worn out saddle. Shutting the door, I gave the house a lingering touch, then walked over to the horse and threw on my saddle.

Apologizing for the way it landed on his back, I then secured the straps and climbed aboard. Patting his neck a couple of times, I said, "Onwards my friend, for you are the driver on this new adventure."

The new adventure, so to speak, is to be a wandering minstrel in the Blogger blog world, reading and commenting on your posts, while perhaps posting the monthly IWSG post (except for April) and taking up permanent residency in the land of Tumblr. Please keep in mind that you can always like a post on Tumblr and that you can ask a question as well.

Most importantly though, is that I will continue to write. The bug has finally returned and even though I have one story done and in the can (so to speak), I'm three chapters deep into another that will ultimately be a proper lead in to the recently completed 1st.

All of my blogs will be available for you to either peruse the archives at your leisure {Cedar's Mountain, It's Always Saturday In Suburbia and Pictures For Smarties} or to buy personalized paperback copies of my books {Books By G. B. Miller}. Additionally, you can find me on Amazon and Smashwords.

It truly has been a fantastic 9 1/2 year Blogger journey of epic proportions. A journey that I could not have possibly taken without the incredible support of you good people who have inspired me to be the very best blogger and writer that I could be. But, after writing 1,659 Blogger posts spanning 6 blogs, it's time to take a Blogger blogging break.

I am forever humbly yours,

G.B. Miller

(c) 2017 BOOKS BY G.B. MILLER. All Rights Reserved.

March 17, 2017

What Should I Do?

Yes indeed, it is a rare non-Wednesday post. I'll try to make this short, sweet and nearly complete, but I'm wearing an older man's clothes (with apologies to William Joel).

I am at a serious crossroads with my Blogger life. This coming May will be 10 years, and for the past three I've been trying to find a way to keep the home fires stoked. I did find something of a rebirth after retooling my Tumblr blog about 1 1/2 years ago and turning it into a writing stream of conscience blog. In other words, going back to the main foundation of what my blogging sprang from: my adventures in writing serialized.

Come next Wednesday March 22nd, I should either have some good news for all, or some bad news for all, or quite possible somewhere in between. I will, hopefully, get the answer I want and not the one that I might get via the Blogger forum, as I posted a detailed question looking for advice on what I can or can't do with this blog. What they'll say is anyone's guess, but what happens next week will be decided on what the powers that be give me for advice.

(c) 2017 BOOKS BY G.B. MILLER. All Rights Reserved.

March 15, 2017

I Too Can So Write!: 3/15/17

As per the norm, we have a fresh post up at I Are Writer!, where we attempt to explain the Rube Golberg-style plot we created for our latest project. And as a side note, nothing worse for a writer than to have your plot be three pages ahead from where you're currently at.

This is what I've been able to come up with for a snippet this week, since I've decided to make a concentrated effort to work on my latest project {no title yet to speak off}, thus slagging off from creating a thorough snippet for everyone to read. Yes, it is Spring time in New England, but we got socked with Nor-easter deja vu version 2.017 Storm Eugene, which happened yesterday (3/14/17).

Please enjoy this very rare video post from my semi-retired blog Pictures For Smarties, called Storm Nemo.

(c) 2017 BOOKS BY G.B. MILLER. All Rights Reserved.

March 8, 2017

I Too Can So Write!: 3/8/17

As per the norm, we have a link to a fresh post @ I Are Writer!, which continues our look into rewriting/reinventing old characters from old stories as well as reinventing plotlines. Please check it out.

So.

Wasn't sure if I was going to add anything else to today's post, since I'm in one of those conundrums with my blog again, but I decided that decision could wait another week. For your entertainment (dis)pleasure, two videos featuring the two of the worst singers of all time. This little snippet was inspired by this book. Enjoy!





(c) 2017 BOOKS BY G.B. MILLER. All Rights Reserved.

March 1, 2017

IWSG #17: It's A Good Thing!

As per the norm, we have a fresh post up at I Are Writer!, which is part the 2nd on character reinvention. And as also per the norm, you can comment here about it.

Great Googly Moogly, it's a mime, it's an idea, it's....IWSG TIME!

IWSG
And just like the golden unicorn, IWSG rides to my rescue with the topic prompt to end all topic prompts for me. It's like, deja vu all over again.

QUESTION! OF! THE! MONTH!

Have you ever pulled out a really old story and reworked it? Did it work out?

 I swear on a stack of floppy disks (click on link it if you're too young to know what a floppy disk is) that this prompt was made for me, because on my writing blog (link up above there), I've been talking about exactly that for the past five months or so.

I have just finished the first draft of a very old (like 2008) and very bad longish story that I spent since mid summer '16 re-writing/re-working/gutting/demolishing/rebuilding, etc. etc. etc.  Originally, this story featured almost every writing violation known to man & womankind. A veritable pile of mediocrity this was. 

But, as they say for every pile of steaming mediocrity, a seedling of redemption is sprouting from deep within to brighten the day. In short order, I took that pile of mediocrity, separated it forthwith, put one plot line to the side, gutted the other, and some several months later, came up with a 55k+ workable manuscript, of which I am very proud of.

In regards to the other plotline, long story made very short, I started working on a brand new story using that very bad plotline as a skeletal outline, which by the summer, I should have yet another viable manuscript to play with.

In summary, pulling out a very old story to work on has been very beneficial to my creative juices. Mostly because what I've learned in the past several years I can now apply and make any kind of dreck smell positively buoyant.

(c) 2017 BOOKS BY G.B. MILLER. All Rights Reserved.