Lyric Fire

A New Direction For Lyric Fire - Also, Another Novel Update!

 

I know I'm a few weeks late, but Happy 2013! It's been a few months since my last post and I must say it was so weird to not be blogging! 

I had a lot going on work-wise and in my personal life so I had to put it on pause for a while. I am still busy and working my way through some things, but the worst of the storm has passed and now I am clearing out from the wreckage and in rebuilding mode. I will share more later about this, but for now, let's focus on what's up with Lyric Fire. 

In October of 2012, I unofficially celebrated three years of blogging! Whoo-hoo! Happy Belated Birthday to us! So I've decided that I want to launch the blog in another design and with a new CMS provider. I am still deciding on a new design template and a host of other things, but I just wanted to let you all know about the re-launch.

I will feature one last blog post in few weeks to pay homage to my time here on TypePad and will honor some of the amazing bloggers who I have had the pleasure of taking this journey with.

In the meantime, if you're so inclined, I welcome you to click around and read any blog posts you may have missed or ones you'd like to revisit. I will definitely be archiving and saving past posts, but everything may not make the cut. 

PS: I'm also currently working to complete some revisions on my novel that were requested by a potential literary agent. I expect to be finished by early February. I'll continue to keep you posted! 

Til then, Happy Blogging!

Grammar Cheat Sheet For Your Blog, Social Media Sites & Other Cyber Posts

 

 

I'm usually very strict about creating original content for my blog, but when I saw this colorful and informative post about grammar on Build A Better Blog, I knew I had to re-post it for my readers.

I have written about the importance of avoiding typos and using correct punctuation on Lyric Fire before, but this Grammar Goof Guide by Copyblogger is something that every writer should keep handy.

Enjoy and Happy Blogging!

Like this infographic? Get more copywriting tips from Copyblogger.  

Lyric Fire: Remember the NetworkedBlogs Discussion Board?

Hello Bloggers!

I'm sure a lot of you use or are familiar with NetworkedBlogs. It is a user-generated blog directory and syndication tool for publishers and bloggers and is one of the largest news apps on Facebook. Through this service you can promote your blogs on Facebook and discover and connect to other bloggers.

Some of the benefits and features of NetworkedBlogs are:

• Works on both: profiles and Facebook Pages
• Import your blog feed to your profile or public page
• A visual blogroll on your profile to promote your blog and blogs you like
• A directory of blogs organized by topic and geographical locations
• Read news and vote on articles you love
• A community of like minded people to connect with

Sounds great huh? I actually have been using it for a few years now and it is a great resource for promotion and connection. I have met some wonderful bloggers who now are a part of my daily reading. Some of them have even become my friends. The only way I got to meet these people was through the NetworkedBlogs Discussion Board. But it no longer exists! I know, tragic! If you had been wondering what happened to it here is some insight on why it was removed:

The explanation above was given by one of their help analysts after some confused bloggers noticed the forum was gone and complained. You can read the complaints and see the above response on the customer support page here.

Basically what it boils down to is that a lot of users were complaining about the spam and inconsideration of SOME bloggers who chose to use the discussion board as a vehicle to just plaster their links on threads without a true notion of wanting to connect but only promote. So without warning, the board was gone! 

I'm sure some of you were as disappointed as I was because the discussion board when used correctly can help you build readership for your blog and can serve as an avenue to meet other writers and learn new things. 

I actually was using the link to the thread I created to show potential employers my social media community building skills. So I was really sad when I could no longer access the link.

Because there were complaints about the vanishing discussion board... Wait for it... The kind folks over at NetworkedBlogs created a "backdoor" which allows bloggers to access the discussion board! There isn't a search feature so you might spend some time finding your links, but if there was information or links you lost that were meaningful you can access them here for a short period of time. Waleed, the help analyst assigned to this issue said the link will be available for only a few weeks so jump on in and get to searching if you want to view the discussion board again!

SCOOP ALERT!

Waleed also let the cat out of the bag that there will be a few "pretty major changes coming in the next 2 to 3 weeks" to NetworkedBlogs and a new way to promote our blogs might be included in the roll out.

In the meantime if you want to let Waleed know your thoughts about the removal of the discussion board or have other ideas on how NetworkedBlogs can be improved click here to voice your concerns. 

How do you feel about the removal of the NetworkedBlogs Discussion Board? Was it useful to you or did you find it to be a nuisance? Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Lyric Fire: It's All In The Comments, Or Not! - Part 2

A few posts ago I talked about my love of feedback and comments in blogging, but this time I want to focus on submitting meaningful comments and how to handle not receiving as many comments as you'd like on your blog posts. 

Whether you belong to a blogging community or several or none, there are countless numbers of blogs out there. Some will appeal to you because the subject matter is of interest or features information on a topic that you want to learn more about. Once you have a list of blogs that you regularly follow, it may become a chore just to keep up with them all. 

An easy way to stay connected is to follow bloggers on Facebook or Twitter so you can always be notified when they have new posts. Google Reader is also helpful, in that all of the blogs you follow are listed in one place and you can access them rather easily. You must follow the blogs through Google Connect though in order for them to be present in Google Reader. 

Another way to keep up with your favorite bloggers is to set up a block of time whether it's 15 minutes or an hour to do nothing but read blogs. I love to do this on Sunday mornings if I can, because it's the day that I'm most reflective. I find that people who post on Sunday usually have something inspirational to say and that helps me as I face my day. I can also then visit some of their other blog posts I may have missed during the week. 

When you comment on blogs you are really having a conversation. Read the other responses. If someone talks about something that sparks your thought process, refer to them in your comment as well. Sharing like this is a good way to network. That person could have a blog or website that you might be interested in. Scroll over the names of people who comment. Sometimes their blogs or websites will pop up. You can also click on their names and most likely be taken to their sites. 

Be mindful and respectful of the blogger's space that you're commenting on. If you don't agree with their point of view, say so in a way that can add to the conversation instead of just being negative. Ask for clarification if you don't understand something.

Also, bloggers can be very sensitive and intuitive beings. They can tell if you didn't read their post and just want to promote your own blog. If you don't have time to read the post, wait until you do and then comment. It's almost worse when you get a comment that has nothing to do with your post or illustrates that the person didn't read your work, than not getting a comment at all! Most importantly, when you do receive comments on your blog, RESPOND! People feel valued when they are acknowledged. They will return to your blog if you make them feel welcome. Ignore them and they will ignore you! 

Now, we all have those blogger friends that always seem to have scores and scores of comments on their blogs. Sometimes it can be disheartening to see a post have over 100 comments and then you go back to your blog and your average number of comments is four or five. There are many factors that can explain the discrepancy. The other bloggers may have had their blogs up longer and have had more time to build a following. Your posts may have been missed as no one is online all day. We do have to go to work and attend to our offline lives. Don't get discouraged! Remember that we blog not to get comments, but for the sheer pleasure of writing! It is amazing when we get a lot of comments, but the most important thing is to keep honing your craft and getting better. 

Sometimes people who read our blogs may not be commenting at all! I have a close friend who told me that she reads a lot of my posts. I was so shocked being that she never commented. But she just isn't into commenting. We had a lovely conversation about some of what I wrote about and it was evident that she was a regular reader! How about that! So it's best not to assume that since you didn't get 80 comments that no one reads your blog. It's not true! 

So keep writing and promoting your blog! Join as many blogging communities as you can through many of the social media sites. Go to networking events and give out business cards with your blog link. Visit and comment on the blogs that you are interested in and leave your blog link. 

SHARE YOUR SUCCESSES! - If you receive a lot of comments and are a whiz at getting new followers for your blog and want to share your best practices, please leave them in the comment section! What is the best comment you ever received on your blog?

Lyric Fire: It's All In The Comments... Part I

What's the best part of blogging for you? Is it the spark you get when you come up with a killer idea for a post? Does formatting and selecting photos soothe your soul? Or do you get giddy when you receive notifications from your CMS letting you know you have a million comments in your in-box?

If you're a true blogger, a combination of the above should make your heart vibrate. Who really wants to admit they are totally and SOLELY addicted to feedback? Hmmm. Well, you can if you want to. You're safe here! 

I absolutely LOVE getting comments. I enjoy when my readers ask me questions or let me know that something I wrote touched them. Even if the comment is one where someone is disagreeing with me, I still get pleasure from it. Why? 

CONNECTION...

When we share our opinions with each other a bond begins. There is nothing more beautiful than brain cells merging and melting into one another. Knowing that I wrote something of value that traveled thousands of miles across wires, water, land and sea to get to you the reader makes me almost orgasmic. Sorry, but it's true! 

So to pay homage to you for taking the time to visit me here and drop your love on me, I have selected some of the comments that have touched me the most and featured them below. 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS! - You're welcome here anytime! Please come again! 

______________________________________________________________________________

"You are one beautiful soul Tameka :) I just love the way you shared your sister with us. I felt the love there beyond words." - Melissa T.

"Sister stories make me cry. I am never going to be over losing my sister. Cherish those moments...every single one of them because some of us would trade years of our lives to have those moments back. Thank you for sharing a beautiful story and sentiment." - For Jen's Sake

"See, if someone told me this was about food before I read it, I would have missed out on a stellar piece of writing. If not for the pictures (lickable, I say!) I would have hardly noticed this was about food. Playful, sleek and really well pet together. Every line is crafted tight and I love the way the it builds to release in the end, Tameka. I am always amazed by the messages beneath the surfaces." - Ioannis P.

"Great start. Buona fortuna and all good things will come in time." - Lisa F.

"Hello there : ) 
Why is it that men and women (society generally) still prejudge people with tats. Women especially? I'm a 26 year old F, have 11 tattoos, lots of which can't be noticed on my daily travels. 5 To 6 during the warm months are pretty much constantly on display. I do not aim for attention and I have a loving boyfriend WITH NO TATTOOS. I get the impression that numerous people think that tattooed people are blind, as we get stared at, even if we return a glance many people keep on staring. When will society change?" - Anonymous

"As we move deeper into the instant-gratification generation of the online, instant-messaging, no-time to talk, too-busy-chatting world of information communication, it is inevitable that our mindsets become assimilated by the popular trends and language of the shared medium. In other words, our speech is going to continue to devolve unless we take a stand and encourage others not to lose sight of our basic fundamentals of reading, writing, and the other thing. Incidentally, I've only recently acquired a cell phone for the first time and I've done little more than send random messages and voice-mails to friends at weird hours of the night. Other than that, it makes for a really fancy watch." - Louminator

"Happy blogbirthday!" - Beth M.

"Sunday Solace...I hear a song in there somewhere. Beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this list and the joyous thoughts and feelings that came to mind as a result. Gorgeous photo BTW.
Michael Franks! I LOVE that song!!!" - Margo D. 

"I love this! Absoloutely love this! Sometimes I feel that way about new things in my life. For me its not really about cereal, juice or soap. It's about acceptance and things we don't like to change. It's also about things we hold on to because we don't want things to be different or we just feel as if they should be there (ex. People). Sometimes we keep people on "the shelf" because we know they aren't quite enough but what if we need them? What if we look up and no one else is there? Just like that bar of soap, we will have them around when all else fails when we know that they can/will never be enough. Good Post!" - Jasmine

"DAMN I am going to go take a cold shower.. Very sensual and very good :)" - Jim B!

"I know how hard it is to keep up the poetry challenge, but I congratulate you on getting this far. I enjoyed your work. As for your shoulders, brush them off and relax them. I hope you feel better soon!" - Sweepy Jean

 

My Blog: Lyric Fire: How Did I Miss This? Blog Cabin!

Okay, there are way too many shows on television. We have network TV, cable TV, Hulu, webisodes and  content you can watch on your phone and music players. The list goes on and on. So I'm browsing around on Hulu after taking a leisurely stroll this weekend and find a DIY network show in it's fourth season called Blog Cabin. Come on. How could I have missed this?

The premise: Blog It. Build It. Win It.

The process: A team of home improvement experts build a cabin inspired by bloggers who post their design ideas on the DIY website. When the home is complete a lucky winner gets to move in! Sweet!

The location for Blog Cabin 2009 was Asheville, NC and I have posted the finale episode which features the finished dream dwelling. Now that I know about this show, I might have to jump into the act. This year's location is the Catskill Mountains, Sullivan County, NY. That's only two hours away. I could be blogging in new digs in no time. One can dream, right? Anyway, even if I don't win at least I found another interesting show to watch.

Check out last year's beautiful blog cabin below:

My Blog - Lyric Fire: Tattoos & Poetry

 

As writers, actors, painters, poets and singers, we are always looking for additional ways to express our creativity and love for our art. Tattoos are a great way to display on the outside what you're truly feeling on the inside. An inked up arm, back or chest can tell your life story and spark provocative conversations. 

Yours truly is honored to be a part of the Tattooed Poets Project on Bill Cohen's lovely blog Tattoosday. In my feature I give insight on why I chose my tattoo and one of my poems is also highlighted to jump off a whole month of celebrating poets who have tattoos. 

Bill is a lover of blogging and capturing the artistic essence of New Yorkers so PLEASE become a fan of his page on Facebook, Tattoosday Facebook Fan Page, follow him on Twitter @tattoosday and check out his other blogs as well. Have an amazingly creative day all!

Click here to: Check out my tattoo and poetry on the Tattoosday blog