Monday 2 April 2012

Manic Monday

I just wanted to blog and say how good it is to be writing again. This morning I even woke up dreaming about Steve and the next scene ideas I had. This is always a good sign when I have my heroes back in my head.

I've been obsessing lately, mainly with what's going on in my life and worried I've put myself back on the single shelf, and rapidly approaching 40, worried I won't find someone, not even to have a bit of fun with. I'm not really interested in long-term. If it happens, it happens.

My problem is I am so damn impatient, plus feeling the need for some intimacy. Us girls have needs to!

So to wake up and have Steve there busily chatting to me was quite a relief. I've got my writing mojo back.

Keep an eye on the word count too! It's going up. Aiming for around 1000-1500 words a day so I can get this project finished by the end of April - mid May at the latest. However, the Easter holidays and the kids home might scupper me.

I'm also trying to read four chapters a night of The Wedding Favour. I'm reading it on my Kindle, but with a notebook beside me noting any little tiny nits that need changing. Then editing straight away so I don't forget. So this is keeping me busy too! 

On another note I've been meaning to discuss, I'm not sure about posting 'tottie' pictures. One author told me a horror story of another author being in trouble for it, and costing her money. And then, when I was at my chapter meeting last week, another author mentioned it too.

And so now I'm worried. (Hence you have a free Shutterstock photo of a flower today).

Technically, I'm not making money from it - but it does gain me pageviews etc (Adam Levine on Advent Calendar day 9 is over 6000 pageviews all time). And who knows, one day, when published, it might draw in an additional reader. So could it be argued I am gaining from the pictures? I'm not claiming the photos to be my own. But I understand there is a copyright thing with photos, just as there is with writing and I certainly can't afford to be sued.

I did with one post actually put the links on the pictures, so if you clicked on it, you went to where I borrowed the picture. Would that cover me?

So I would love to hear your thoughts. Such a shame, as I have lots of gorgeous men on my PC that I love to put on here too, from time to time - for inspirational purposes of course! And I've read that to make your blog interesting to break it up with pictures - so that's what I was doing!

Do I need to go photograph random good looking men on the street and put them on my blog?

12 comments:

  1. I think one is supposed to give credit for pictures, but linking to it should cover you. Definitely don't post photos of random men that you take - you need a model release to do that. ;)

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    1. lol! I was joking about the random blokes. I doubt I'd find any as good as Bradley.

      It's hard to give credit when you're not sure where they've come from. But the linking idea is what I might do to get myself around it. But I might not post the tottie pictures as often - boo!

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  2. So glad to hear about your writing mojo. Don't be worried about the rest of it, see it as an adventure. It might seem hard, but I have experience in taking a situation and seeing the best of it (in another direction, but I hope it still counts).

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    1. Yes, I know. I usually try to find the best in everything. Plus, I know, it might be messy initially (more with the stress of money and looking after the kids on my own) but eventually I will be a happier person.

      I'm just wondering if I'm setting my heights a little high, wanting 'hero' material in the next man I find... and wondering if I'll be rather lonely for a long time not finding one lol!

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    2. As a romance writer, that's the risk you run - you spend your days creating the perfect man. Write about some really flawed guys and the ones you meet in real life will seem ideal :-)

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    3. Yes, this is the downside to writing Romance... lol! We expect to much.

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  3. After my husband and I separated, I resolved that if ever I shared my life with a man again he was going to have certain qualities and attributes. Yeah, no. Life never works how you plan does it :-)

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    1. lol! Well, I keep telling myself I'm not looking for what I wanted in a man 15 years ago. Some fun, being wined and dined will be nice. I'm not looking for someone to grow old with - but never say never. Maybe I will find my soulmate along the way lol! Certainly not looking for it, though.

      But writing romance does mean I've raised my goalpost lol!

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  4. The photos is a tricky one. Legally of course, we don't have a leg to stand on. But most people wouldn't be sued if they aren't directly making money from it. It's different I think if it's someone's artwork or photograph from say their gallery on DeviantArt or some other site and you use it without permission. But a picture of a celebrity that's being uses on 20,000 other sites right now, is still technically illegal, but unlikely to get anyone in trouble.

    If I use book covers on mine when I'm talking about other people's books I make it clickable to the full details of the book on Goodreads, so people can easily check it out and go buy it if they want to. So it's a bit of advertising for fellow writers. :D

    I've used pictures I've taken myself too sometimes. I'll be upgrading my phone soon, and plan to get one with a better camera and take more pics I can use on the blog. It gives it a nice personal touch I think.

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    1. Yes, maybe if I stick to just posting Bradley Cooper I should be safe. And Dirk... I can't see Dirk wanting to sue a fangirl. :D

      And yeah, I should take more photos of my own, but they're not as interesting as Bradley, or sexy fireman, or Adam Levine...

      All books are linked to Goodreads, that comes with the widget when I do the book review. (Or I will find it on Amazon and provide a link if it's referring to the book). And I do try to credit, or link wherever possible, and I would never use a photo that has a copyright symbol on it, or for instance Shutterstocks that I haven't purchased and has their name through it. The ones I've got from Shutterstock are free to download, (every now and then I get an email, as I've registered) so I do use those.

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  5. Hi, Glad you got your writing mojo back!

    Hope you find a little intimacy along the way soon...

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    1. Thanks, Maria. I'm just impatient at times. But I'm glad to be writing again. I know the editing process is equally as important, but I much prefer the writing bit.

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