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The Interview (Request) – #MNINB Day 25

Today’s April Platform Challenge is to request (important – Robert didn’t say get) an email interview from an expert. I have chosen two experts, Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris. If they agree, we’ll talk about their upcoming novel, The Janus Affair; writing with a partner, creating a sequel, and stuff like that.

Their new book hits stores May 29th. Mine is on pre-order. This blog is still too all-over-the-place to warrant an advanced copy. Perhaps by the third installment.

This is going to be a bit of a homecoming and a bit of stretch for me. I used to be a pretty good interviewer way back when I worked in radio. That’s the homecoming part, the stretch is I haven’t conducted an interview in almost 25 years. I’d almost like to do this as a podcast except, my studio is in pieces, I have a raging head cold (and sound it), and there is a little trepidation being unscripted after that long. Of course, it’s all moot if their schedule is too full. We’ll have to wait and see.

Polite Conversation, Part Deux – Day 24 #MNINB

by Paul K. Ellis on April 24, 2012 No comments

As before, so again; today’s April Platform Challenge is to take part in another Twitter conversation. Okay, twist my arm.

Managing Time – Day 23 of #MNINB

by Paul K. Ellis on April 23, 2012 No comments

Today’s April Platform Challenge is just as difficult, if not more so, than creating the editorial calendar was on Day 20, and for many of the same reasons. I appear to have an instinctive animosity towards planning my time. I rehashed the same arguments from 3 days ago; planning stifles the creative muse, you can’t dictate inspiration, why would anyone want me to put my imagination in a box? The list of excuses goes on. It’s a good thing Robert put these two challenges near the end. If these had been up front, how many of us would have overcome the paralysis of analysis long enough to start writing, let alone do anything else?

I have to admit, I have drug this challenge out (well, most of the latter half of the challenges, actually). I didn’t want to draft a plan, because that makes it real. I’m committed to that time, in order to work, to produce. And with that reality; that work and production; comes the very real chance of rejection; of failure. It’s so much nicer (safer) to *think* about writing than to risk doing any writing. After all, in my head, I’m a superstar! In reality, not so much.

*Sigh* Back to Google Docs I went and formulated a rough, time management plan. It’s real now and that makes it scary. It’s also exciting!

Here’s the Wind Up … and the Pitch – Day 22 #MNINB

by Paul K. Ellis on April 22, 2012 No comments

Today’s exercise in the April Platform Challenge (which is becoming increasing misnamed, as I take longer and longer to finish it) is to be a Guest Blogger! Fortunately for me, I have an in.

Mel Jones, over at Mel’s Madness, asked for guest bloggers and I jumped at the chance before she had an opportunity to think better of it . Bad news, that’s not the intended exercise. It’s seems I have to “pitch” an idea to a blog host, not just invite myself in.

No worries! I like meeting people, whether virtually or IRL. I’ve been following a new blog for several days and the title says it all; Letters To People Who Won’t Read Them. That much snark just must be read! So, I readied my pitch, “Dear Inattentive Driver,” and … it was high and outside.

Amber Jones, proprietor of said blog, is a bit cagey with her contact information. So cagey, that I couldn’t not find it. Nary a whisper. That doesn’t mean that the information is not there, just that I couldn’t see it. It may have been the color of laundry or the shade toys on the floor get, I dunno; I was just unable to see it! I have resorted to pleading with Mel to pass the information on to Amber. (She guest blogged Mel’s Madness last week.)

*Sigh* It’s a great letter. I would post it here, but I think it needs a more letter-quese context. Do me a favor, would you? Hop on over to Amber’s site. Tell her how funny she is; how awesome her writing is. Do it many times. And casually let it slip that I sent you.

No, I haven’t forgotten Mel (and all that I have asked her to do for me). How could I? I’m the guest blogger (at least this one time) Wednesday, May 9th. Come visit! Bring your family! Bring your friends!

“Daddy, Stop Twitting!” – Day 21 #MNINB

by Paul K. Ellis on April 21, 2012 No comments

Today’s April Platform Challenge is all about being a twit. Seriously. Well, according to my youngest, SamIAm, anyway. I’m a recovering Twitter addict, the ebb and flow of information calls to me on some primitive level. My wife says it’s because I’m simple. Go figure.

Robert wants us to take a look at three different pieces of Twitter software and pick the one we like the best. As with a lot of these challenges, I think I’m a little ahead of the curve.

I’ve tried Hootsuite and Seesmic. Seesmic didn’t do a lot for me. I know a lot of people swear by it, so chalk this one up to individual taste. Hootsuite runs a close second in my book. Matter-of-fact, I’ve got the Hootsuite extension loaded in my Chrome installation. But the one I like the best for my laptop is, hands down, Tweetdeck. However, Tweetdeck isn’t my favorite Twitter application. No sir. That prize goes to another.

My family and I have recently come into the 21st Century, cell phone-wise. We’ve embraced the smart-phone craze like ravenous wildebeests. I have no idea what that literally means, but it just sounds needy. My wife will say she initially objected. Not so with Thing1 and Thing2. Be that as it may, we all like the Android smart phone … and I like the Tweetcaster app. That is my favorite.

But, all these programs have the same draw back, even Tweetcaster; none of them cross post to Google+.

I can follow and post to Twitter and Facebook on Tweetcaster and those plus LinkedIn on Tweetdeck, but Google+ somehow has eluded them both. Yes, I’ve heard the excuses, but the Google+ API has been out for some time now. Come on, people! You’d think Google Play would want that integrated as soon as possible!