New and Updated Website at DWHirsch.com

May 17, 2016

Hello everyone!

You may have noticed a lack of posts–or you haven’t because I haven’t written anything here to notify you of. The reason? I have moved my WolfHowlings blog over to a self-hosted site:

DWHirsch.com

At this time, this blog will stay open as a static history of me and all of you. I am posting new content at my other blog, and I will get in touch with all of you, my dedicated subscribers, to let you personally know of this change. This was a decision a long time in the making–and a difficult task in the transition. More on that there. The new site is still under construction, and sporatic updates will be posted here.

Come join the fun: all this site had to offer and MORE!!

I look forward to seeing you there.

Just say No: #AtoZChallenge continues

AtoZ-LetterN-2016
.
.
.
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”~Mark Twain, American author
.
.
.
.
Today’s Alphabet Haiku is brought to you by the Letter N.

IMG_0526.JPG

Mighty changes are scary: a reflection from #AtoZChallenge

AtoZ-LetterM-2016
.
.
.
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”~Socrates, Greek philosopher
.
.
.
.
I’ll admit, some of my Alphabet Haiku posts have been pre-planned, but not this.

I said at the beginning of this A to Z Blogging Challenge that I thought pre-writing posts was kinda cheesy, in the sense that it wasn’t holding true to the spirit of the challenge which is to blog every day. Then I realized doing so gives me the freedom to explore other websites and writers participating in this challenging. So I did that. Then I didn’t. I flip flopped between the two, and today is one of those spontaneous posts.

IMG_0484.PNG

I wrote it with the intention of posting on the Haiku Horizons site for the Week 112 prompt, Fear. I choose not to link up there because my self-hosting site adventure is progressing.

Now, to say “adventure” is putting the whole experience mildly. I’m going to focus on the process, my experiences and insights once I move over to the self-hosted site next week. That seems fitting. As of April 23, I’ll no longer be posting to this site, so it will remain a historical freeze-frame time capsule of my humble beginning. I want traffic to direct to that new site, because sending people here seems…well, unnecessary since it will become static soon.

It’s an adventure, and, yes, fear is a part of that. This haiku feels appropriate.

Live and let live: an #AtoZChallenge thought

AtoZ-LetterL-2016
.
.
.
“On earth there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it.”~Jules Renard, French dramatist
.
.
.
.
Today’s Alphabet Haiku is brought to you by the letter L.

IMG_0498.JPG

Interesting ideas in #AtoZChallenge

AtoZ-LetterI-2016
.
.
.
“Tell me and I forget. Involve me and I learn.”~Benjamin Franklin, American politician
.
.
.
.
Today’s Alphabet Haiku is brought to you by the letter I.

April 11
.
.
.
.
Isn’t it interesting?

Intriguing?

Indeed.

One #ROW80 Round2 goal done, but doesn’t change a thing

AtoZ-LetterH-2016
.
.
.
.
If we were having coffee…
.
.
.
.
.
I’m excited to say that it’s officially done: this website is now self-hosted. However, I am not promoting that site. Not yet.

I set up a self-hosted site with a brand new shiny name, but doing that wiped out all of the current formatting that you’re looking at. That’s not the end of the story. Heck, it’s not even the prequel. It’s a story to tell as I share my self-hosting blog experience, a simultaneous point of pride and wide-eyed disbelief. Simply put, I have to do this whole thing over again.

This website thing throws my ROW80 goals into a spin dryer. In no particular order, Goal 5 stated: “Update one thing on my blog each week.” Following this plan would keep my site freshened and current with the updated links-badges-formatting, those makeup touches long overdue. I did not expect a facelift.

1–Complete migrating this WordPress blog to the self-hosted one.
1–Redesign new/old website for launch Thurs, April 21; soft launch to my writers group and others Tues, April 19.
With this timeframe, I get my site launched and looking snazzy before the Rochester Writers Spring Conference on April 23. With two pre-launches, I can tweak anything that is glaringly unprofessional. I hope.

2–New business cards.
Now that my new web address is functioning in a skeletal stage, it’s time to order cards. I need something in my hands by April 18-ish, so design and order this week. My gosh, it’s April 10th already! Yipes! The thing is, I’m okay ordering anything professional-looking right now so I have cards to network with. I can always order new ones before my writerly events in May. A waste of money, you think? First, it’s a business expense, so no. Second–and maybe most important–I could spend $100/month on coffee if I set my mind to it, so re-doing cards is no big deal.

IMG_0338.JPG

3–Complete AtoZ Challenge posts for 2016 AND 2015.
Ugh. I lost track of my 2015 posts and had to list out what I needed to write. There’s an unlucky 13 of them. What a pile of poo I was about this last year. I’m staying current with this year’s haikus, and my posts are as long or short as I want to make these days. I have lots of open writing time this week.

4–Catch up and keep up with email.
It’s a nice goal–“Deal with 10-25 emails/day”–but I get at least 50 emails/day before deleting the obvious trash ones and those I have no interest in reading or dealing with, leaving still a net-negative emails in my Inbox.

6–Complete all blog/social media planner sheets for Happy Planner.
I keep creating new ones! I’m spending so much time planning my planning that I’m not utilizing these planning tools. Just stop already *smacks hand with wet noodle* Stop, stop stop!

7–Schedule social media.
See above re: planning planner sheets. I’m thinking on that, meditative reflection with coffee and tea nearby.

9–Put away holiday decorations: 1-2 boxes/week.
Haven’t yet.

10–Call family members at least once a week.
I’m going to call my Uncle Harold today. After I nap.

12–Continue writing letters.
I’m doing this, and finding inspiration through Write_On, which I’m writing about (ha!) this week. It’s more than a project, too fun to be called a challenge, and more awesome than just a campaign.

BONUS: Write for fun. Y’know, just play with words.
Haven’t done that yet, but this week, I’m okay with that.

—POSTPONED GOALS for April—

5–Update one thing on my blog each week.
Yeah. Addressed above. I’ll revisit this in May.

8–Schedule time to write/edit/promote my two current WIP: My Father, My Friend and Jimmy the Burglar: Thief of Socks.
Postponing until May, after the April blog nonsense is over, or at least contained. I’m hoping I’ll pick up some tips at the conference in two weeks. (Two weeks?!? Yipes!)

11–Contact 2-5 potential editors.
Yep, pushing this off until May when I’ll start with my Alaska contact and Fiverr.

I printed out these ROW80 Round 2 goals and attached them to a dashboard in my Happy Planner. No excuses for forgetting them now.

Grownups go gaga in #AtoZChallenge

AtoZ-LetterG-2016
.
.
.
“Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.”~Lyndon B. Johnson, American president
.
.
.
.
Today’s Alphabet Haiku is brought to you by the Letter G.

IMG_0425.JPG

The F-Word, in haiku

AtoZ-LetterF-2016
.
.
.
“Desire if the key to motivation”~Mario Andretti, American sportscar driver
.
.
.
.
Today’s Alphabet Haiku is brought to you by the letter F.

IMG_0293.JPG
.
.
Today’s Thursday Throwback link is also brought to you by the letter F.  Hop back in time to revisit the A to Z Challenge from 2015, which is all about writing, procrastination and fish.

How do you plan to exit Earth?

AtoZ-LetterE-2016
.
.
.
“Not what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance,”~Epicurus, Greek philosopher
.
.
.
.
Today’s Alphabet Haiku is brought to you by the letter E.

IMG_0275.JPG

Previous Older Entries