Adventure for the Technologically Impaired

You never realize just how advanced and complicated technology is nowadays until you have to "upgrade" or change the technology you use. Believe me.

I thought getting my laptop would be easy-peasy lemon squeezy. I'd be able to hook it up and boom- I'd be typing out more novels like a crazed mad woman of words...Flitting from couch to kitchen and bedroom---Not stopping for anything but nourishment and baths---and maybe some interaction with others...

Nope- uh-uh.... I'm not nearly as educated as I thought and it was in NO way as easy as I had first hoped.

When the laptop arrived yesterday, I was just so excited I would be able to start moving around elsewhere in the house to work on my writing that I hadn't taken several things into consideration because I wasn't concerned about getting online for anything.

Like—

Registration and Warranty-

If you pay for warranty in whatever yearly increments, you WILL have to go online to activate it. I thought- Okay, that's simple enough- I was instructed to go online and activate it when the hardware arrived. I thought that meant the laptop itself. I figured I could just punch in serial numbers and product numbers and code numbers, blah blah blah...

But--- You can't activate the WARRANTY until your PRODUCT is registered first and that entails going online as well. You have to access the company's website so they know you have it before you can put a warranty on said product.

Also-

Microsoft Office

The customer service associate my husband placed the order through assured him my Microsoft Office would be FULLY installed and I wouldn't have to worry about registering it so I would be able to continuously use it—unlike with the trial versions on most computers where you have a time limit, once opened it has to be used in 30 or 60 or 90 days before you have to decide to purchase the full program or not....OR so many uses before having to register it.

Oh, sure, it was FULLY loaded on and I got the backup disks, and I put in my product code once I opened up the program the first time and therein, it informed me that I would be able to use it 25 times before I HAD to go online or call them to "register" the product in order to use it- otherwise some options might not be available to use.

Great...

So, this disturbed me why?

Because I didn't want to use my laptop until the warranty was on it and all that stuff needed to be done online, but via the laptop, not my home PC.

This wouldn't have been that big a deal, except I chose NOT to get the virus and spy-ware programs on my laptop since I wasn't going to be going online with it at this point.

Much as I didn't want to go online unprotected, I realized I would have to, even if it were momentarily to take care of these important issues. I tried to wire into my laptop with our DSL line, but I know NOTHING about configuring ISP codes and whatnot and it wouldn't let me in until I could do that. I finally got frustrated and gave my brain a break until my husband got home from work so he could help me.

In the meantime, it got me to wondering why EVERYTHING electronic these days HAS to be registered online or why you have to access a website just so you can use the item. We never had to register our boom boxes or walkmans or VCRs, but nowadays it just seems they expect everyone to own a computer and have internet access so they can "track" your every move and purchase and it irks me.

Suppose you just wanted to buy your item, be it an MP3 player or a laptop or a PS3- take it home, open the box, plug it up and have the instant gratification of using the item once you have it in your possession? Why does it have to be so complicated and convoluted to buy things anymore? (Yeah, hubby had to go online with his PS3 to get "important" updates! ACK!!)

Well, needless to say, I got my laptop registered. After we tried and tried to figure it out on our own, my husband called our internet and phone provider and they talked us through manually setting up my laptop with all the code numbers for our ISP. I registered the laptop and checked the warranty, which apparently had already been activated several days ago when my laptop shipped via the computer company and I registered my Microsoft Office while I was at it so I won't have to worry about that either.

I can now use my laptop with our internet service- if I want to- and we could even get one of the wireless routers so I could access it from elsewhere around the house- but I don't think I'll be doing that until I check into adding some virus and spy-ware protection. For now, I just want to get used to it and start figuring out Word for my writing and I need to save copies of my novel manuscripts into Word documents so I can work on them on my laptop instead of on this computer.

Guest Blogger Mary Buckham & Alpha Male Body Language for Writers

Reading male body language can either be a lifetime of trial and error – or involves a specific study of what sets them apart from women. Knowing and understanding male body language is very important for women writers to make sure their portrayal of male characters are accurate and grounded in ‘scientific’ facts, as opposed to simply being based on personal experience of viewpoint. So let’s have some fun in looking at what makes a male Alpha in his behavior and body language.

Male animals living in packs, such as wolves and wild dogs, compete to be the leader of the pack. This brings the strongest and smartest male to the leadership position and every pack has a leader who dominates and leads the other members of the pack. Thus the human Alpha Male refers to a type of man who is strong, smart and a leader. Others respect his decisions, and tend to not challenge him. An Alpha Male moves and stands in ways that show he expects to get what he wants without being questioned or challenged. After all who’s going to attack the biggest and most powerful?

Men can display some of their Alpha tendencies by consciously using their body posture. Standing or sitting erect with chest out, head up, arms relaxed and not flailing about are signs of dominance, and thus Alpha Maleness. Moving only when necessary, and moving slowly and deliberately indicate great self confidence, pride and determination. So an alpha male can be both the protagonist and villain on the page.

Alpha Males tend to display the following behavior patterns.

1. Aggression. This does not mean to be argumentative, belligerent and ready to fight but involves being dynamic and doing what needs to be done. They don’t wait to be shown what to do—they’ll ask forgiveness, not permission.

2. Assertiveness. Alpha males tend to communicate in a clear, straight forward fashion, respectful of others as long as others are following the Alpha’s direction. Alphas are used to leading and taking responsibility for others so they assume others will acknowledge this by following blindly and without complaint.

3. Courage. Alphas are ready and willing to confidently tackle problems and see them resolved. They take responsibility not only for themselves but for those under their protection—their family, their group, their community. There’s a reason why organizations such as the military or law enforcement abound with Alpha males. There is a structure, hierarchy and willingness to accept responsibility for doing the hard jobs, as well as an awareness of what protection of others entails that attracts Alphas to these fields.

4. Persistence. Alphas can and will keep focused on their goals and apply all resources until goals are achieved. These are not easy men to divert or stop once they’ve determined what they see as the right course of action to take.

Research has found that males, especially young ones in their teenager years, compete in many subtle ways for a perceived Alpha Male position on sport teams, gangs, or in neighborhoods. One way they demonstrate their Alpha Maleness is by taking risks and doing dangerous things. Risk-takers are advertising their fitness to potential mates by showing off their strength and bravery.

Not every man is a natural Alpha Male, and those who are not cannot fake it. A Beta male can be an Alpha male in the making, or can accept a lower position in the pack and thrive there.

More body language cues the dominant person uses can include:

· Directs and controls the conversation. A true dominant steers the conversation without resistance from others in the group. An Alpha Male-wannabe will hog the conversation.

· Freely asks questions and expects a response back but gives little or no self-disclosure. The Alpha male-wannabe will assume the conversation is all about them and steer it in that direction.

· Stands with hands on hips, elbows out to sides. Takes up more personal space that way and wants to look bigger. If sitting tends to also take up more space.

· Stands or sits taller than others subconsciously.

· Freely interrupts others speaking, not to shut down others but because he and others are willing to listen to him. Others don't interrupt him. Alpha Male-wannabes will override others to prove their points and shut others down.

· Long pause when answering a door knock, or replying to someone. Makes others wait. Not as rudeness but as the highest in a hierarchy.

· Freely touches others whereas others don't touch back. Example – a boss would pat an employee on the shoulder or back but the employee does not feel comfortable initiating or returning the gesture. Alpha Male-wannabe will use the touch in inappropriate ways.

· Will stare at others and as a result demand their attention. Others don't do the same back. Think of law enforcement officials in any kind of public interaction.

· Never breaks eye contact first. Others usually break eye contact first by looking down, signifying submission.

· Occupies a bigger personal space and crowds others on purpose but only because they are used to protecting their space and wanting, subconsciously, the strongest offensive or defensive position.

· Takes the lead purposefully when walking and going through doors.

· While sitting, will put hands behind head, put feet on desk, remove eye glasses and put ear-piece in mouth, or turn chair away from others and stare out window. [though many of these gestures are more common to men than women]

To learn more from Mary about the wonderful dynamics between male and female characters check out her upcoming live workshop in Lexington, Kentucky:

2nd Annual Kentucky Romance Writers Spring into Writing Workshop
on Saturday, March 20, 2010 - 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 PM

Sex Between the Pages: Understanding and Writing Sexual Tension
with Mary Buckham

COST: $25/MEMBERS; $30/NON-MEMBERS

HOST HOTEL: Hyatt Place, 2001 Bryant Road, Lexington, KY 40509 (For reservations call: 859-296-0091)

For more information visit:

http://www.kentuckyromancewriters.com/Workshop.htm

Mary’s Bio:

Award-winning author Mary Buckham has worked with thousands of writers both on-line and in live workshops throughout the U.S. and Canada. She loves meeting writers at all levels of their development. She’s also the co-author of the ground-breaking plotting book BREAK INTO FICTION®: POWER PLOT YOUR NOVEL (Adam’s Media/June 2009).

To learn more about Mary visit her website www.MaryBuckham.com or www.BreakIntoFiction.com

Less Than—

How do you write about love and joy and happiness when you're feeling "less than?"

I'm feeling less than joyous, less than accomplished- less than interested in what I know I should be doing and that's WRITING.

I just can't seem to wrap my mind and my heart around my characters when I don't have the emotional aptitude in recent days, weeks, months to achieve what I would like to...Perhaps I have a bit of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) or perhaps I've burnt out on romance and love from writing so much in so little time that my love tank is sitting on empty...

I'll give only a 1/4 of that to SAD though and the reason for that is because I have been out of the writing loop for over a year now—not just for a month or so. I can't have SAD year round...At least, I sure hope not! LOL

No, I've pushed myself, burning the candle till both ends have sizzled out and there's nothing left of the wax in the middle except a puddle and no wick to ignite.

I want to embrace the characters of my story and have them pull me down the rabbit hole- sucking me into their world so I can escape mine for a time and get their story finished.

It doesn't seem I have the touch anymore though. I keep looking for it, but half the time I feel like I sit and stare at the words in the file in front of me and I just don't SEE what I need to see. I can't seem to unlock that door or window that leads where I need to follow.

Even making the schedule for myself only takes me so far. I have hours laid out for writing, but when I open that file, nothing happens. I'm not connecting with the characters the way I did before. I even talk to them out loud—thank goodness that's when I'm home alone!—I ask them to talk to me, to open up, but I get no response.

It's frustrating and discouraging and well, when I woke up this morning feeling "less than" it was just all the more discouraging. Yesterday was a bust and today's not looking much better. Going to open the file anyway and see if I can get through some of it.

Got a special blog post coming up tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Bluebird of Paradise

Spring might very well be on its way after all.

I had noticed them before today, honestly, but the wintry weather we've been foraging through seems to make their arrival a bit premature. It's not Spring and yet, bluebirds have begun staking their claim on nesting sites around here.

Pretty little fluffed up things, bring a smile to my face when the sun is shining brightly and I see that vivid splash of blue as they take the wind and glide away.

It's that shock of blue that catches the eye and inspires a feeling that Spring is truly on it's way. You don't see colors like that in the midst of winter's gloom. Only around the holidays in the mix of sparkling lights and paper and ribbons. After that....it's all grays and browns till Spring's colors start to show.

It makes me wonder what my little co-residents know that I don't.

Do they feel the changes coming? The warmer weather on it's way? What exactly is it that tells them it's okay now to start house-hunting and sprucing things up and chattering amongst themselves so loudly that I can hear them when I'm indoors with the doors and windows closed?

I'm glad to see their arrival. It gives me renewed hope that we'll make it through the rest of this cold nasty season to welcome the warmer weather, sunny days and the awakening of the earth from its months' long slumber.

The bluebirds of paradise already think it's on its way.

I think it is, too.