Category: balloons


The Virtues of Self-hosting?

Filed under: authors, balloons, marketing, Publishing, science fiction / fantasy, Writing — Leave a comment
October 14, 2024

 

 

Barbara Custer loves Mylar balloonsand horror fiction.Back in September 2012, I began to self-host my websites, extolling the virtues of self-hosting in a blog. Well, two weeks ago, I quit self-hosting my website and moved it back to WordPress. My Mylar balloons have been urging me to do so, but I had two book releases forthcoming, so I gutted it out until the books went live. I struggled for months with the technical end of it and foresaw more expenses to keep it going. My watershed moment came when I realized I was going to be paying over a thousand dollars this year to maintain the website. Also, my site got hit by malware twice in the last year despite the security measures I’d taken. The balloons had it right, I thought. So much for the virtues of self-hosting.

Around the time I saw the exhorbitant bill, I got an ad from WordPress offering to migrate my website to their server for free if I subscribed to their business plan ($300/year). WordPress would handle the security measures, the updates, the technical glitches. I could go about my business of writing, publishing new books, and editing the magazine Night to Dawn.

Ah, but there are no free lunches or balloons. Some of my beloved plugins went bye-bye, but thankfully, the ones at WP worked for me. After migration, I ran into a snag and learned that Parabola, the theme I used, had vulnerabilities with security, so it would need to go. That meant finding a new theme and redesigning my website. I wanted a theme that would work like Parabola. Not too many did, and some came with a learning curve. Astra looked great until I tried ordering the pro version, but the company that issues Astra didn’t have a user-friendly website. On to Motion theme, issued by WordPress.

Ah, now, the fun begins. The Mylar balloons and I spent the next three days searching out backgrounds on www.Dreamstime.com. Found several and author L. M. Labat helped me pick one that would work. Next came the job of choosing a font—there are a gazillion fonts—large and readable. Motion came with a white font, which I changed to black for the main body. Next came the purchase of Fonts Plugin Pro, which helped a lot. The website is now secure, as security is WordPress’s headache. I’m in a better place, though the balloons are begging me to swap out that green font for the links and replace it with light purple or blue.

Your thoughts?

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Balloons, Books, and Kitchen Misadventures

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July 29, 2024
Kitchen Floor Odyssey

Like all major decisions, my kitchen misadventure began with a discussion between my Mylar balloons and me. A contractor who’d done work for me before called to see if I had any upcoming projects. I said I contemplated replacing the flooring and that I’d get back to him.

“What are you waiting for?” the butterfly, the spokesperson for the balloons, asked. “The tiles you have now look like someone threw up.”

To which I responded with a glare: “Thank you for sharing!”

The balloon giggled. “I’m always happy to help.”

After the phone call, I received a proposal, which I gave to my homeowners’ association. They approved it. I cleared my knickknacks and rolled the table out of the kitchen, anticipating completion in two days at the most.

That was not what happened.

On day one, the contractor (I’ll call him Buddy) pulled up the old tiles, and lo and behold, he found holes in the subfloor. I called the homeowners’ maintenance worker, who said that the subfloor needed replacing due to a heater leak (now fixed). This meant I had to remove all the contents from my cabinet, as that had to come apart. The workers replaced the subfloor, and retiling the floor was rescheduled for the following week. I had limited use of the kitchen—I could do laundry and make coffee, but I got some takeout meals that week. Fantasies of butterflies and other balloon shapes danced before me, but the 100-degree weather prohibited such purchases.

The maintenance people from the HOA were understanding. They have a sense of humor, which helps. Buddy returned as scheduled, and the new tiles were laid without a hitch. In the process, I learned that the buffet needs replacing. That will have to wait. The cleanup followed, including a visit from my exterminator. The front door opens and shuts during such projects, which invites ants and fruit flies. Things are back to normal, and we now have balloon-worthy weather.

My takeaway? In many ways, home upgrades are like writing a book. You might envision beauty, but surprises will happen along the way; upgrades and book projects always take longer than you estimate. Especially in Lyn McConchie’s Forever Cornwall, where people rebuild communities after an apocalypse. No quick run to the local Home Depot in this book, but even in everyday life, you can expect a few messes, even false starts. You should order takeout, or with major refurbishes, prepare to rent a hotel room. In my case, the finished project made the job worth the hassles at the end of the day. Now it’s off to the CVS for more Mylar balloons.

written by Lyn McConchie
The characters in this book had a rough go with housing projects after the apocalypse
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Romancing the Balloons

Filed under: Artists, authors, balloons, Healthcare, people, Publishing, romance, science fiction / fantasy, Writing — 4 Comments
October 14, 2020
Barbara Custer's brand

Since April, when I wrote my first post on the pandemic, gyms and hair salons have reopened, albeit with restrictions. Some of my friends are jumping into activities full force. Others remain in quarantine. Per the discussions with my Mylar balloons, the activities are okay if I can take the risk from a level 10 to a level two. Romancing the balloons at the supermarkets and pharmacies hasn’t stopped; my balloons deemed that activity a level two.

I’ve gone back to my hairstylist, but not the gym. I do ZOOM workouts while Daisy, my Mylar butterfly, becomes my trainer, coaching me on which weights to use. If she thinks I’m slacking off, she lets me know about it. I contemplated getting a traditional trainer, but I have what I need at home.

The pandemic has colored the way I write. My WIP involves a highly contagious virus that had a way larger death toll than corona. This means that, as in real life, my characters have to struggle to find a store that sells toilet paper, disinfectant, and other supplies they need. As in real life, my protagonist has Mylar balloons to guide her on her daily activities.

Since the pandemic started, I’ve noticed that driving’s gone downhill. I’ve seen people blow through red lights and make U-turns on four-lane thoroughfares, despite heavy traffic. Friends tell me that some folks think nothing of driving 100 miles per hour on the turnpike. About a month ago, a van came up to my right to make a U-turn and almost plowed into me. I had to get off the road. So I’ve used the back roads and avoid rush hour traffic as much as possible. The Mylar balloon principle applies: take the risk from a level 10 to a level two.

I never know when I’ll find a unique Mylar balloon. Maybe I’ll go to CVS to pick up a prescription, and a Valentine’s day balloon with lace will beckon from the card aisle. Perhaps I’ll go to the supermarket for bread and milk. If supplies hold up, I’ll get them, but a balloon, soft as a kitten paw, will make its way into my shopping cart. The balloons go into an isolation area for 72 hours at home, then joins the others in my living room.

How are you getting through the pandemic? I’d love to hear your experiences.

A $10 Amazon gift card will be sent to a random commenter after the bloghop.

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Killing your Darlings

Filed under: Artists, authors, balloons, marketing, people, Publishing, science fiction / fantasy, Writing — 4 Comments
October 12, 2020

This year, I’ve been taking Your Novel Year with Kathryn Craft, and among other things, I am learning what it means to kill your darlings. No, not my balloons. My Mylar balloons are darlings, and they’re staying right where they are. I’m referring to the darling scenes I have in my WIP. 

The trouble was, my WIP had two protagonists. I started the book with one, Alexis. Maddie was a bit character who sought help from the underground Kryszka people with treatment for her husband’s sickness. However, Maddie wound up stealing the show and became a protagonist. I tried writing with two protagonists, but you can only have one, I found out. Readers will usually sympathize with the character they meet first. I had introduced the villain first, and after a class or two under my belt, I realized I couldn’t do that. So I started with Maddie kicking zombie ass.

After consultation with Kathryn, I saw that I had to completely restructure my book. Several good scenes had to go, as they had nothing to do with Maddie’s goal. What’s more, I had 114,000 words in the book, and genre books shouldn’t be longer than 100K words. So a love scene between Alexis and her partner went. So did a scene where Maddie visits her nephew in prison. It was a touching scene, but it didn’t further the story or relate to Maddie’s goal. 

However, new scenes have cropped up that I like better than the discarded scenes. For starters, Maddie develops a spine and tells off her heartless boss. Now, I may have to change that scene again, but we’ll see. And the Mylar balloons in the story get to stay. There is that. I strongly recommend Kathryn’s course. She’s been running it once a year.

How many times have you had to kill your darlings? I’d love to hear about your experiences.

A $10 Amazon gift card will be sent to a random commenter after the bloghop.

horror fiction by Allan Heller
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A Lift to the Apocalypse

Filed under: Artists, authors, balloons, people, Publishing, science fiction / fantasy, Writing — 2 Comments
May 6, 2020

Many folks stare and gasp when I inform them that a Mylar balloon has found its way into my shopping basket. “The balloon’s contaminated,” they warn me. True, I don’t know where that balloon or any other product I buy has been. This is why I wear a mask and gloves to the supermarket. At home, the balloon goes into a separate room for three days. It takes that long for viruses to die on Mylar and other plastics. After washing my hands long enough to sing my balloon song, I wipe down my other groceries. As I patiently explained to one person, I’m giving a lift to the Corona apocalypse.

Meanwhile, others, such as the writer I wish to talk about, are Birders, also known as Twitchers. The sky everywhere is their domain, and like a hawk after prey, it does soar into this particular Australian’s work, representing hell as well as hope for a distant future.

Rod Marsden’s recent release, 50 Dragons, features an apocalypse after a nuclear war. The time set is the 23rd century. The human population has gone way down, and many areas of the earth are uninhabitable due to radiation. There are no balloons, but folks in this world have all the cleaning and paper products they need, unlike our present world. However, Marsden’s citizens have far more serious concerns than balloon acquisitions or toilet paper supply. In 50 Dragons, one centralized government of priestesses runs the world. Religion is mandatory, but you don’t get to choose which one. Attendance at the temple is compulsory. No one need protest because robots armed with guns patrol the streets, and they’ll shoot just as soon as look at someone.

This government practices population control by eliminating people they consider inferior. Five classes of people exist: priestesses, mavericks, maidens, knights, and dragons. In school, thirteen-year-old boys are tested. The ones who pass muster become mavericks, meaning they go to college, get a career, and have a good life. The others train to become knights who will slay the dragons, thus a short life. Being a maverick doesn’t ensure longevity. If he attracts unfavorable attention from the authorities, he can be demoted to knighthood without training. They have tournaments twice a year featuring knights versus dragons, and the government calls these biannual events the “culling.”

50 Dragons was not meant to be political, but I can see governments heading in this direction if we allow them. Already, one governor said that older people should volunteer to die to save the economy (shades of the high priestesses). I don’t want a government telling me how to worship. Perhaps the coronavirus is a wakeup call to appreciate, have, and pull together to avoid a nuclear war. So I’ll tell my relatives and friends I love them when we speak. If one day, we can go out and eat, I’ll savor every moment. And I’ll continue my “Mylar balloon chases” at the supermarket. I am, after all, giving a lift to the apocalypse.

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PWC2019 Days Two and Three.

Filed under: authors, balloons, Publishing, science fiction / fantasy, Writing — 2 Comments
June 13, 2019
Barbara Custer loves Mylar balloonsand horror fiction.

When I got on the train on Saturday, the conductor said hello. I smiled and shouted, “Choo choo!” The other passengers burst out laughing; then someone noted that new lines were being painted on the parking lots. I piped up with, “Yes, and they’re also painting Mylar balloons on these lines so that people can see to park between them.” If Mike were here, he’d smile and say, “That’s my Balloon Lady,” but you see, anticipating the second day of PWC2019 had put me in a jolly mood.

The jolliness prevailed because I started the day in Jonathan Maberry’s master class on action scenes. I once believed that martial arts would enable anyone to defend themselves. However, I learned differently in that class. Martial arts have too many rules, said Jonathan, and they don’t teach the physics involved in a fight. Your character can use common items for self-defense weapons, but there’s a way to turn to apply torque to make that weapon more effective. 

Saturday night, Jonathan was the keynote speaker, and he told everyone how he started out with teaching martial arts and writing nonfiction books. He then moved onto fiction, starting with Ghost Road Blues; he described how different writers have influenced him and his writing. In that speech and his Writer’s Business Plan class, he emphasized the importance of professionalism: don’t slam other writers, don’t put people on a pedestal, approach politics with caution on social media, and avoid negativity. As my mom used to say, if you don’t have anything kind to say about a person or organization, don’t say anything at all (at least on social media).  

Sunday morning, I got up, tired, but I greeted everyone with a smile and “Top of the balloon to you,” for I anticipated more good things. And I got them in Brian McKinley’s class. He provided a lot of great material on horror, specifically log lines, elevator pitches, and book blurbs. One formula given: protagonist must do something brave to achieve a goal, with high stakes. There should be a time limit given, for example, a ticking bomb. For a one-sentence plotline, the formula is: in a setting, a protagonist has a (problem) caused by (antagonist) and faces (conflict) as they try to achieve a goal.

I also got plenty of good material from Shirley Hailstock’s class. The most important takeaway: the protagonist must do all the work. I can’t have God working miracles or the cavalry rescuing her. She also gives a tool for managing the ending, something I have difficulty writing. Have the story come full circle. So I’m thinking that if my book starts with a monster wreaking terror, perhaps the book could end with the protag slaying the beast or watching it die.

I owe the Liars Club and the PWC board a 50- balloon thank you for the hard work that went into this writing conference. This had to be one of the best I’ve attended, and I hope to go to many more.

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