Tag Archive: Barbara Custer


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?

Tags: , , ,
Comment

Balloons, Books, and Kitchen Misadventures

Filed under: balloons, people, Writing — Leave a comment
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
Tags: , , ,
Comment

Printer Conundrums

Filed under: Writing — 2 Comments
January 21, 2024

I need a balloon. A giant, pink Mylar butterfly balloon. You see, I bought a new printer two weeks ago. The other one quit functioning; printers have a way of doing that. This one almost went back to the shop three times. The first time, the printer wouldn’t print because of an “offline” message. Ditto for the second time. Both times necessitated spending time troubleshooting with the HP print and scan doctor.

This last time, I got an “error” message. That’s all it said. Error. Returning to the store wasn’t an option because we’re getting back-to-back snowstorms this week. Aside from the hazardous driving conditions, there is a long walk from house to car on icy sidewalks, thanks to the refreezing of snow.

Mr. Printer deemed himself worthy of printing off my iPhone but wouldn’t budge with my computer. I turned to my Mylar balloons for guidance, but they bobbed and said, “I don’t know.”  I ran it through the doctor again, and it is okay now. The quality of the print works nicely. I wish it wasn’t so temperamental. Why can’t it be gentle, like the Mylar balloons I find easy to work with.

I once went through a phase where I went through three printers in as many years. The technology on them has yet to get better. The print quality has improved, and they can do more functions thanks to the HP Smart app, but they remain as temperamental as ever.

As for my Mylar balloon wish, a large purple butterfly found me at the Giant this past weekend before the storms started. It rode saddle on my forehead until I checked it out with groceries, knowing the battle with the printer would resume. What are your thoughts on the temperament of printers? Have you found one that works for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Tags: , ,
Comment

The I Gotta Syndrome versus Developmental Edit

Filed under: Writing — Leave a comment
October 12, 2021

With my WIP, I’m processing the edits and recommendations made by Kathryn Craft, who did the developmental edit on my sequel to When Blood Reigns. In short, she recommended replotting. I’m looking at ways I can work her suggestions into what I have. The evaluations and recommendations were extensive, but I’m trying to follow through because I’ve got the I Gotta Syndrome.

Barbara Custer's brand

In 2020, shortly before the pandemic hit, I signed up for Kathryn’s Craft’s Your Novel Year writing class. I’d been working on the book before I took her class and started with Alexis being the lead character in the first two books. This WIP comes with a cast of new characters, and Maddie, the balloon lady with a sickly husband, took over the plot. I began Kathryn’s course resigned to having two protagonists. The story wouldn’t work that way. Because Kathryn had gotten well versed in the new characters, especially Maddie, and the writing class came with a discount on the developmental edit, I hired her for the job.

After reading the evaluations and recommendations, the first thing I did was head to the supermarkets and CVS, for when the going gets tough, the tough buy balloons. After a session of balloon-buying and rereading, I began to understand some of the problems. My main character came across too needy and weak. I thought if she kicked serious zombie ass, people would think she was strong. Wrongies. It’s her handling of day-to-day conflict that defines her as a strong character—or not.

I’d gotten attached to my characters and didn’t want any of them to die. So my current version has all the characters surviving. The trouble is, the mayhem the zombies create never hit home to the reader, says Kathryn, because it reads like statistics. Statistics mean nothing until one of your family dies. So a major character will have to die.

To me, repetition connotes having everyone smile or sigh through their lines or repeatedly using the same adjective. It never crossed my mind until I read the evaluation that whole scenes can be repeated—yes, this happened. Also, character A tells character B something, then B repeats the same information to C, and so on.

I got to feeling bad about this. Before I wrote this blog, I had to fortify myself with two balloon purchases first, but Kathryn advised me to think about why I wrote the story in the first place. Mike died from dementia—there is that, but I also have several close friends caring for spouses with dementia—and therein lies my I gotta. Because Maddie’s goal is to find a cure for her husband, and I’d love for scientists to find a treatment for this insidious disease.

I can’t advise anyone how to work through developmental edits or find the motivation to finish their stories, only how it’s working for me. I will finish this, even if it means I’m pushing 90 by the time it sees print. Kathryn Craft is a great editor, and so is Gemini Wordsmiths. You can’t go wrong sending your work for a developmental edit to either one. And look to the I Gotta Syndrome to find the motivation to finish the story.

So how are you making out with your WIPs? Have you sent any for a developmental edit? I’d like to hear about your experiences. 😊

A random commenter will receive a $10 Amazon gift card.

October Frighs Giveaway: https://storyoriginapp.com/to/Ac7PxRJ.

Panel Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhmMj50CfG8

science fiction tale by Rod Marsden
Tags: , , ,
Comment

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.

Tags: , ,
Comment

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
Tags: , ,
Comment