Read + Write + Report
Home | Start a blog | About Orble | FAQ | Blogs | Writers | Paid | My Orble | Login

Writer's Notes - By Jeanne Dininni

 
WritersNotes.Net: Helping Writers Follow Their Dreams Through Information, Inspiration, and Encouragement!

Writer's Notes - March 2009

BrainyQuote: Your Online Stop for Famous Quotes

March 31st 2009 22:32


Quotations: A Writer's Best Friend

We writers just love a good quote -- whether we use it to enhance our own writing or simply read it for the sheer pleasure we experience as we drink in the inspiration ... or relish the wit ... or perhaps revel in the humor ... or marvel at the wisdom inherent in an insightful turn of phrase. In whatever way we may decide to use them, quotations can enrich our lives -- and our writing -- immensely.

That's why I'd like to share a website that offers a plethora of famous quotes, arranged by topic, type of author, specific author, favorite authors, and nationality, to make your search for the quotes that will pique your personal interest that much easier. The ability to browse by author's last name, along with the availability of a quick list of popular authors, adds to the convenience and applicability of the site to a variety of reader -- and writer -- needs. The site even offers quotes for the iPhone and features a Quote of the Moment (which changes every time you revisit or refresh the page), as well as over a hundred quotation trivia quizzes to help keep your mental agility in top form. The site is called BrainyQuote -- a deceptively simple yet highly appropriate title for such a rich repository of intellectual fare.


Quotations for Every Area of Interest and/or Occasion

The BrainyQuote website provides quotations on numerous topics, such as business, education, imagination, intelligence, success, and wisdom, to name but a few which might appeal to the writer's creative side. Some of the author types quoted in the type-of-author category are artist, author, journalist, musician, philosopher, and yes -- even writer. My only disappointment is that the site doesn't offer a collection of quotes on the topic of writing, rather than simply providing quotes that originated with writers -- since we all know there's a vast difference between the two.


How About a Regular (Daily) Dose of Brainy Quotes?

One added dimension of this site is that you may also pick up a string of code which allows you to display a Quote of the Day from one of several selected types of daily quote generators on your own website or blog. This is a great way to share the wit and wisdom of some of the better-known -- and some of the not-so-well-recognized -- personages of our times. Displaying a quote a day gives readers more time to ponder each quotation more fully, gaining maximum value from its insights, rather than overwhelming our visitors with too many intellectual gems to assimilate at a single sitting.


The Quote of the Day Widget Here at Writer's Notes

You may have noticed the quotes currently displayed each day in my left sidebar. (If you haven't, why not take a look.) The quotes displayed here come from the general Quote of the Day category of the BrainyQuote website (though at some point, I may decide to try a different daily quote type). Other Quote of the Day types include Art Quotes, Funny Quotes, Love Quotes, and Nature Quotes.


BrainyQuote: A Fount of Wisdom to Visit or Take "Home"

The fact that the site doesn't offer quotes about writing is really a rather minor imperfection. Aside from that, it has a great deal to offer -- both to those who simply want to visit and peruse (and definitely bookmark) the site and those who prefer to give their blog's or website's readers a daily dose of verbal wisdom by posting the automated Quote-of-the-Day widget in their sidebars.

So, why not visit the BrainyQuote site and get your daily dose of wisdom and inspiration? You might even decide to bring some brainy quotes back to your own home page and give your readers some daily food for thought -- aside from the tempting intellectual fare you already provide, that is.


Happy quoting!
Jeanne


Did you enjoy this post? What are your personal thoughts on quotations? How do you prefer to have your quotations served up: all at once, one at a time, in limited groups of related remarks, more than one of the above, or ? What do you think of today's Quote of the Day? I'd love to hear your thoughts!



Please note: If the StumbleUpon and other social bookmarking buttons aren't visible, please click the "Add Comments" link beneath this post. Thanks!



84
Vote
Comments (13)Comments (13) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
   


A Cure for Blogging Guilt?

March 16th 2009 19:03


A Fun Tool for the Guilt-Ridden Overworked Blogger

Karen Swim, at Words for Hire, recently penned an entertaining post, in which she introduced a fantastic tool for lazy…er, busy…bloggers who are willing to refrain (for at least a little while) from taking themselves—and life—too seriously. (To be perfectly accurate, she has partly penned and partly generated this post.) To see what I mean, check out Lazy or Creative? and prepare to smile.

Karen's post introduces an eminently—OK, amusingly—helpful standby for the blogger who may be having trouble keeping up. It's an automatic blog post generator that can help you easily (and often quite humorously) explain/apologize to your readers for your inexcusable blogging lapses. (It's about time someone thought of this!) With my own practically non-existent blogging schedule lately, I feel eminently qualified to take full advantage of this tool. (In fact, I thought that two apology posts created with this software would be the least I should offer my loyal, longsuffering readers, who certainly deserve two posts—and, at the absolute minimum, two apologies—for dealing with the dearth of content here at Writer's Notes lately). So, here goes!


This Lazy Busy Blogger's Automatically Generated Posts:

My first, more down-to earth, conservative version follows:

Goodness Gracious I just discovered I have not updated this since they invented sliced bread...You would not believe I spend all my time in front of a computer. I hope you still love me!*

I am absolutely consumed with work, personal projects, (and) just generally being a slave to society in general. (M)y day is full to overflowing from dawn to sundown and beyond. I am not complaining though. (But) I need a nap.

I won't promise anything to you, but I will make more of an effort to blog more often. Well, I'll try. What do you mean you don't believe me?


And here's my slightly zanier, or rather far more literary [cough, cough], version:

Abject apologies! I just opened mine eyes, and lo! I have not updated this since long before Shakespeare wast a boy...You would not believe my anguish at my misdoings. I prostrate myself in sorrow and beg thy forgiveness.

I am absolutely consumed with discovering time doesn't stand still, hoping you haven't found other blogs, (and) just generally being a doormat to my cats. (M)y day is passing in a blur from (the time) the light through yonder window breaks to whenever (I get finished). I am not complaining though. (L)ife is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're going to get.

I declare solemnly I will try to remember my blog password more often in future. Truly! Unless of course the pool with the cocktail bar is heated!


Why not drop whatever you're doing and drop by The Lazy Bloggers Post Generator, where you can turn your blogging guilt into blogging fun!

Enjoy!
Jeanne

*In the interests of proper usage, I've made slight grammatical and punctuation changes to the two posts generated by the above tool. Added words and capitalizations are enclosed in parentheses, though I've taken the liberty of not indicating punctuation changes (which would have been awfully cumbersome--not to mention downright boring).


Did you enjoy this post? What do you think of such all-in-fun lapses in serious content posting? Do you consider this tool a dream-come-true for the busy (or lazy) blogger, or simply a way of letting off steam, eliciting a smile from readers, or assuaging a blogger's guilt when circumstances conspire against a regular blogging schedule? Perhaps a bit of all of the above? I'd love to hear your thoughts!



Please note: If the StumbleUpon and other social bookmarking buttons aren't visible, please click the "Add Comments" link beneath this post. Thanks!



91
Vote
Comments (16)Comments (16) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
   


Writer's Notes' Recognition for February '09 Comments

March 12th 2009 19:03


February '09 Comment Recognition

I'm honored to once again recognize my valued readers who have left comments at Writer's Notes. To the special people who have graced this little corner of the blogosphere with your wit and wisdom during the month of February, 2009, "Thank you!" You help make this blog so much more interesting, and you are greatly appreciated!


Thanks, Everyone!

I appreciate all your thoughtful, wise, inspiring, and informative comments! Thanks so much for taking the time to read and share your thoughts at Writer's Notes! I truly enjoy reading your insights, viewpoints, and perspectives and especially appreciate your loyalty over the past month, during which I've posted so little, since you are obviously a die-hard Writer's Notes fan!


Sparser Posting Schedule

My sincere apologies for the lateness of this comment appreciation post, for my sparser-than-ever posting schedule lately, and for my practically non-existent visits and comments at the other blogs that I so enjoy. So many things have been keeping me busy--all vying for my attention at once--that it seems impossible to get to them all; and I admit that, as a result, I've been rather lax in my updates here at Writer's Notes.* I hope you'll forgive me. I appreciate each and every one of you who took the time to leave a comment--even more now than when I have a larger group! Thanks so much for your faithfulness!


February '09 Commenters

The following is a list (in no particular order) of the fantastic folks who have left comments at Writer's Notes during February, 2009:


Janet Collins, at The Social Critic

Mark Antony, at Bloggers Quest

Wilson Pon, at TechnoStuffs

Lillie Ammann, at A Writer's Words, An Editor's Eye

Brad Shorr, at Word Sell, Inc.

Jacques, at Monkeyprofit

Laverne Daly, at Words into Print

Sharon Hurley Hall, at Get Paid to Write Online

Michele Tune, at Writing the Cyber Highway



I Truly Appreciate Your Comments!

Thank you so much, everyone, for making the Writer's Notes conversation so much richer during the past month by visiting and sharing your thoughts, insights, opinions, advice, and personal experiences with us! You add so much value to this blog, and for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart!


Many, many thanks,
Jeanne

*I've been so busy, in fact, that I totally missed my Writer's Notes second blog birthday (which was also my second blogging anniversary) at the end of January and only just realized it recently! Now, that's distraction!


P.S. If you've commented at Writer's Notes during February, and I've somehow managed to overlook you, please be sure to let me know. I appreciate every single commenter, and I want to give each of you the recognition you deserve!



Did you enjoy this post? Have anything to add...any insights to share? I'd love to hear your thoughts! After all, your comments are what these monthly recognition posts are all about!



Please note: If the StumbleUpon and other social bookmarking buttons aren't visible, please click the "Add Comments" link beneath this post. Thanks!



65
Vote
Comments (8)Comments (8) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
   


More Posts
September 2013
1 Posts
July 2013
1 Posts
May 2013
1 Posts
Older Posts
398 Posts dating from January 2007
Email Subscription
Receive e-mail notifications of new posts on this blog:
[ View Blog Summary ] [ Create A New Post ]
Moderated by Jeanne Dininni
Copyright © 2012 On Topic Media PTY LTD. All Rights Reserved. Design by Vimu.com.
On Topic Media ZPages: Sydney |  Melbourne |  Brisbane |  London |  Birmingham |  Leeds     [ Advertise ] [ Contact Us ] [ Privacy Policy ]