The first step in writing a book is . . .

So, what is the first step in writing a book?

What would your answer to this question be?

My first answer would be that you need to have a gift for writing; that's the first thing.
Next, would come an idea for a book; no idea, no book.

But let's assume you are a writer, you have that innate yen to express yourself in the written word; and you have an idea for a book. Then what? What's next, after that? Where do you go from this point?

Well, for one thing, you write. You open up a word processing file, and start writing. Write when you can, whether it be for a few seconds or an hour or so. How long you write for is up to you; it depends on your schedule and routine.

As to the software you use, I like Microsoft Word; but if you don't have word on your computer, don't despair. There's some good free software out there available to download. One that I have heard my other author friends say they use, is Open Office. Also, there is documents on Google Drive, accessible through your google log in; same one you use for youtube or google plus or gmail.

So now you're all set up to write.
But what else? What else should you be doing?
Is there something else you should be doing in addition to writing your book?

Yes, there is something else that you could be doing. You could be building your online presence, and getting your name out there; prepping for when you have a book to market. Here are some additional things that you could be doing:

• website, you can get a free one via wix.com
• author page on facebook, get it set up and start posting and getting likes
• twitter account
• newsletter via mailchimp
• street team group
• join author group on facebook, and read and learn

Those are just a few other things you can do while you're writing that first book.

Ta-ta for now.
--jd--

Just one more time, and pow! Right in the kisser.

I'm so very sick of getting emails from people that I've reached out to for help, to tell me:

clear your cache,
update your flash player,
update your browser,
etc.

COME ON PEOPLE! I'M NOT A DAMN MORON!
PLEASE STOP ASSUMING THAT I AM AND ADDRESS THE BLASTED PROBLEM!

Getting your problem addressed takes twice as long because they automatically assume that you're a dummy and haven't done this.

I equate this advice to:

unplug it,
wait a minute,
then turn it back on.

That's another of their stock in trade responses to help requests.

These people who are supposed to help need to actually start helping and quit assuming that folks are idiots.

Windows 10 - after the upgrade notes

Hey all,
This is an update on my upgrade to windows 10. I upgraded from windows 7, in case anyone wants to know. And if you want more info on that, -- click here --

Now, here's some notes about windows 10 after I've been using it a bit.

To begin with, don't try to start your upgrade through the windows updates that you may be used to using for updates. Yes, your windows 10 update will show there, saying it's ready to install; but if you try to begin the upgrade from there, it will fail. You need to click on the little windows 10 update app icon, which you'll find in your taskbar, on the far right, over where your clock is. It will be a rectangle shape of 4 rectangles. Start your upgrade there. That will tell you when you're ready to upgrade.

I had to reinstall my printer software. This wasn't too big a surprise to me. I was sort of expecting this one. In fact, my computer didn't even recognize that my printer was hooked up to it at all. But this wasn't too bad though. Found the spot on the HP site where I needed to download the software from and got that done.

First thing I learned was how to change the color of the start menu and the taskbar. That can be found under settings, link is on the start menu, under personalization. 

I enabled cortana, which I'm still learning about. 

My sound coming through my speakers is different now. I've tweaked on it some, but it still sounded different, but I got it better sounding. I'm still wasn't completely satisfied with it, and kept tweaking on it. The thing that seemed to finally fix it was resetting the settings to default, then tweaking a tiny bit.

I'm slowly but surely finding stuff and learning stuff about windows 10. The settings is neat, in that it has a search function, which the old control panel didn't have. And my old control panel is still there. Found it and pinned it to my start menu.

I really like the new start menu. You can pin about anything that you want to the start menu. If you go to a link in edge, it has a menu option that will let you pin that link to your start menu. I pinned a link for microsoft support to my start menu.

What I don't like is that the tops of the windows are all white, no color; and no way to change that right now. I figure these are things that, in the coming months, as Microsoft gets feedback from users, may get tweaked. At least I hope so. But I'm getting used to the white.

The new browser, Edge, has 2 colors, light grey or black. Hopefully they will expand that in the future. But so far, I like edge.

I kept having trouble with the pins in the quick access being frozen and not being able to rearrange them. I searched and searched for an answer, to no luck. Finally, I hit upon the answer all by my widdle self. I had moved the pin for my J's Library to the top of the list. I had been unpinning some unimportant stuff, wondering maybe if there were too many there. Then, I went to my library and unpinned it, because I had changed the icon to a neat tree symbol. Then I repinned it. Suddenly, I could move the pins. I played around with this several times, doing things that froze and unfroze the pins. Never did find anything online anywhere about it. But now I know what caused it to freeze up.

I learned just now that what I call the files window, is actually called file explorer, and always has been. Another little note on this - all the file icons are set to details, and I like it on large icons ...... so ....... every time I go to a folder for the first time, I am having to reset the icon to what I like. Once I've been there once, it seems to stay. But, it is a bit tedious.

I've been exploring the various free apps in the windows store. Just recently I found an NFL one that I downloaded. Also found a couple of pinball game apps that I downloaded, along with a couple of match 3 type games. All in all, I'm loving the new apps feature.

In conclusion, I'm really glad I upgraded to windows 10. I love it. I thought I liked windows 7, but windows 10 is head and hands above 7. 

My windows 10 installation experience

Now my computer is like my baby. So when I first heard about the free windows 10 upgrade, I said 'no, no thanks, I'm happy with 7'.

But then, some events took place to change my mind.
During a bad thunderstorm, lightning ran in through our phone line and toasted hubby's computer. He's having to use our old XP computer in order to have something to get online with. Here's the link to an event I created about that:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1151459831537335/

Watching him scour around checking on what he could and couldn't upgrade on that computer, that's what settled me on upgrading to 10. I didn't want to get there with 7, on my baby. So I clicked the button and reserved my upgrade and set back and waited.

Today, I was on my computer doing my usual stuff, when it froze up on me for a moment. I've come to recognize that as meaning that it has some updates to install. Baby is hinky that way. So I checked updates, and low and behold, the windows 10 box said it was ready to install. That's when I checked the windows 10 app, and it said it was still downloading, so I waited till it said it was ready to go.

This screen below is where you want to get your info from, and it's where you'll start when the download is ready to go.

**********************************************

Windows 10 rolling out in 190 countries as a Free upgrade from today, Download ISO files hereDownload it from here: http://goo.gl/90asUr
Posted by Windows 10 on Wednesday, July 29, 2015

**********************************************

So, when it was ready, I followed the instructions. Here are a couple of screenshots of when it was upgrading. It took all of about 2-1/2 hours to do, from start to finish. As you can tell from the photos, it has some really nice graphics that let you know what it's doing.

It has the big circle graphic in the center that gives a total percentage of how it's progressing. At the top, below the upgrading windows, it says: "Your PC will restart several times. Sit back and relax."

 At the bottom, there are three word groups:
- Copying files
- Installing features and drivers
- Configuring settings

They start out as all grey colored. The one that is being worked on will be white, with a percentage of how far along it is. When the first one reaches 100 percent, it will restart; then start working on the next one. Just remember: grey means it hasn't been done yet, white means it's being done, and blue means it's finished.

When it got done, I didn't have much of any trouble finding stuff and getting going. My desktop and taskbar looked a lot the same, but it was the start menu where I noticed the changes. Here's a peek at my desktop and the start menu:

The main issue I had afterwards was with my HP printer. It wasn't recognizing it at all. But, I solved the problem by going to the HP website and downloading the software for my printer. That took close to an hour itself. But, the printer is all installed now and working fine.

Everything has a different look to it, but the print and pictures seem sharper, and my computer is just as fast as ever. There's a lot I have to learn about it, but I'm liking it a lot, and am glad I upgraded.

Just wanted to share this info with everyone. Take care.
-- jd --

Respecting others' right to choose

Great points made in the above video. Wish more people on facebook would put into practice what this video says. Unless it's illegal or severely insulting, let others choose to take it or leave it.

I miss the 1980s, part 1

For the first time in my life, I truly do miss another time period. I miss the 1980s. The world was a simpler, kinder place back then. The seeds planted in the 1960s had taken root and were flourishing. I miss the peace that existed in the world back then.

Computers were just beginning come into their own, and the internet was still in it's fetus stage. When I graduated business college in the mid 1980s, they were just beginning to teach desktop computers. I learned computers on a big IBM system 34.

People were nicer then. Television was much better then. Yeah, we have more channels, but there's not a lot on them sometimes. There's way too much reality t.v. today. I was much slimmer then, and in much better shape, both physically and financially.

It was at the tail end of the 1980s that I met my hubby. I took karate in the 80s, and got in probably what was the best shape of my whole life. I think the 80s were my golden decade, in a way. Life held such great promise back then.

With the 1990s, came a lot of changes, both for me and the world. That's where it all started. Some of the changes have been good, and some have been bad. There's not really much of anything about the 90s that I miss; it was not a good decade for me nor my hubby. The only redeeming thing about the 90s is that I married my husband and moved out of my parents' home, and finally began to truly discover myself. Instead of trying to fit into the mold that my mother constantly laid out for me.

Having been in a situation where I was told by someone else, who they thought I should be, how I should act, what I should do - I have sympathy for those in the same situation.

A bad thing that the 90s held for hubby and me was the beginning of a financial downslide that we still haven't recovered from yet.

It's getting late, and I'm getting tired. So I'll continue this another time.

Reviewer basics - What would you like to know?

There are lots of articles for writers, about various things, various how to topics. But how about getting reviews? More specifically, about how to contact reviewers? What to say? What they'll expect? Should you pay for a review? 

What would you say to a series of articles, for writers, written by a book reviewer, on how to get reviewers and contact reviewers. Well, that's what I'm planning to do. I'd also like to know what questions you have? What is it that you would specifically like to know?

Share your questions with me either as a comment to this post, or use my contact form:

http://goo.gl/forms/fMOkka0Uu0

--jd--