Polka Dot Mama

Google Documents

Thursday, November 12, 2009

When I first started to write my fiction, I used MS Word, like most of the western world, for my word processor. I still do, in fact, but when I began to use a beta (editor), she wanted me to send her my chapters using Google Docs. I had used it once or twice in the past, but really had no idea how to use it properly until she introduced it to me.

Basically, it's a word processor that you can use to easily share documents with other people. I write my chapter, invite her to share the document and she can go in and edit the chapter. She tracks all of her changes by using highlighting and makes comments that I can then go and accept or not. It's change tracker is not as sophisticated as Word's and the spell ck and grammar ck aren't nearly as good either, but the entire program has some huge advantages.

Your document is available online everywhere. You don't have to bring along your computer or even a flash drive. Going to a coffee house or sitting at work and get the inspiration to write? Just log on and boom...it's there.
You can have numerous people work on the same document. I recently wrote a collaborative story and my co-author and I were writing our respective parts, in the same document, at the same time and were able to see what the other was writing. We could make comments about things or ask questions, although we usually used gchat for that.
You can share a document without allowing a person to make changes too. They can just read it, but for me, that feature isn't used much.
I have even started to use it instead of Word, partially because Word on a Mac is a little slow and the constant saving makes it run slow. Gdoc saves regularly, when ever a change is made, but it doesn't slow things down.
You can tie your docs into email, tasks and your calendar, if you use these google services, which I do. I love google.
You can personalize your comment color so that each person in the document has their own identity. My color is green. Even if you all used the same color, each comment is posted with your name and time stamped. Okay, Word does this too, but still. :)

So, what would you use gdocs for? Christmas lists. Invite everyone to view the list and as something is purchased, cross it off. Hmmm. That could work. Anything else you can think of?

by Posy | 0 comments

A NEW Kind of Writing

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

It looks like my last post was on my 38th birthday, the day my life changed. That was the day that a story I write was recommended on a blog and my life, as a fiction writer, exploded. I started to live, eat and breathe my story and have done so until last week, when my mother arrived. Today she left for home and now I am free to write again.

I discovered a community online that I share my story with by submitting a chapter every week or so and then I get feedback. So far so good (actually great!), but the really cool thing about it has been all the friends I've made. We are people of all backgrounds and ages, from all over the globe, though many of the people are mom's in their 30's like me. However, the two people I've become closest with are a guy and a girl in their 20's.

Next week, I am going to travel to meet them in real life...the internet life meets the real life. The three of us are going to Comic Con in July and renting a house, and since I had some time off while Poppy is still in school, I decided to head down there and meet these people.

I am most excited about spending the weekend with people who are just as passionate about writing as I am. We all write fan fiction stories and we are even in love with the same characters. In fact, I've even written a collaborative story with one of my friends. Now we have days to plan our continuing chapters rather than trying to find time together on Skype.

So, if you are wondering where I have been, that is where. I'm sure there is no one left out there besides my husband and maybe my mother-in-law who are even reading this anymore. Sorry for the sabbatical, but I've been writing things that are so much more fulfilling than my blog.

Through my writing, I've discovered a few new pieces of technology that I may share with you from time to time. I'll have to see how this goes.

by Posy | 2 comments

NON Eventless Summer

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

If you read my last post about Twilight, you will know that it took over my life. My boring, work-free summer has been anything but boring. I discovered fan fiction and started reading. I did that for a month before I was struck with the desire to write. So now I'm writing, but I'm not writing here, as you can tell.

I haven't had much to write about on PDM. I've been sick and kind of stuck in bed. Weakness, no appetite, poor sleep. I've lost 20 pounds, much I'm sure was muscle. Not the best way to lose weight, but when you can only eat about 1/4 of the food you used to before feeling sick, you tend to not push it. And standing up only makes me need to sit back down because of weakness.

In case you are wondering, yes, I have been to the doctor. Blood work came back normal. CT scan showed nothing. They wondered if I had some sort of a virus. It's very possible. After about 6 weeks of no improvement, I started being able to eat and sleep better. My strength is coming back too.

So I'm sorry I haven't been around. I'm sure I haven't been that missed. All readership has probably gone on to bigger and much better things. :) But now I'm writing about other people's lives and it is so much more interesting than my own.

by Posy | 2 comments

Give Twilight a Chance

Sunday, June 14, 2009

I've been sucked into Twilight Fever. For those of you who have lived off planet for the last few months, Twilight is a book by Stephenie Meyer (and recently a movie starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson) about a high school girl, Bella, who falls in love with a beautiful boy, Edward, who just so happens to be a vampire who craves her blood more than any other human's. Unlucky girl or lucky, depending on how you look at it. Meyer contined the saga with 3 more books, none quite as compelling as the first, but addictive none the less.

While there are pieces of the story the go completely against my feminist sensibilities, I am pulled in and deeply affected by the sensual nature of the language Meyer uses to introduce or remind (in my case) the reader how powerful and all encompassing first love is. The added element of danger provided by Edward's venom coated teeth only heightens the experience. Danger is exciting.

The Twilight Saga is marketed to young adults, but I know many more adult women who have been drawn to it's power than girls. In fact, there are scenes written in the 4th book, Breaking Dawn, that many parent's have objected to for their children.

This book has deeply affected me. No, I don't want to fall in love with a vampire or become an immortal, rather it has shown me that I have been living a life without passion. I have been going through the motions of my life without feeling or soul. How Meyer made me feel this is through her words that made me feel the excited zings of power exchanged between Edward and Bella. It took me back to the hyper-emotionally charged reality of my youth where everything was felt fully, but now it can be tempered and controlled by the wisdom of my experience.

After reading the saga twice, I now go to my favorite parts, the exchanges where Edward and Bella reveal themselves to each other, share their core with each other. That is really what the story is about, not a vampire and a girl falling in love.

by Posy | 1 comments

Great Response

Friday, May 08, 2009

Poppy took her bike to school today for the bike rodeo. This is where a volunteer talks to kids about bike safety and kids have the opportunity to practice skills on an obstacle course.

A little background: Poppy is a petite girl, probably the smallest in her class and one of the youngest. Because of her size, many classmates have called her "baby" and other derogatory terms related to size. Her small stature has also delayed her bike riding. She didn't have the gross motor strength to pedal until she was 4. So, she still uses training wheels.

Due to the name calling and the use of training wheels I tried to talk Poppy out of bringing her bike so that more fuel was not added to the fire. Nope. She was bringing her bike and she didn't care. Kudos to her!

When she got home she told me that only one kid teased her. This was her response to the kid. "Yea, so. You had training wheels too." She's got spunk, this one.

by Posy | 3 comments

Hello Internet

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

All media was off. It was easier than I thought it would be without the television. Of course, it helped that Lost was not on. Not having the computer was much harder for me. I rely on it for my news. No, I don't read a paper (save the trees, especially during earth week). No, the radio wasn't helpful (especially when we have only one and it has horrible reception). So, needless to say, I felt a little lost not knowing what was going on in the world and jumped on any tidbit I could glean out of folks around me.

I am glad to have my computer back. Being without it for a week made me realize that my love affair with Facebook has pretty much lost it's spark. I don't really care what people are having for dinner, what "fun new" thing they are doing at this exact moment (i.e. standing in line at the Bryan Adams concert), or what their stripper name is. I did miss my news, hulu, email and the ability to answer any number of questions with the flick of a few fingers. I'm glad I'm back.

by Posy | 1 comments

Turn It Off Week

Monday, April 20, 2009

...and it's national! As soon as I post this I will shut down my computer, put a closed sign on my television and hide all the small screens in the house.

If you have never tried turning your TV off for a week, you really should do yourself the service. It's amazing what you can find the time to do.

In fact, make a list of everything you do instead of watching TV, surfing the internet, playing video games, and networking online. You might read a book, take a walk, catch up on that pile of magazines and network face to face.

Whatever you do, let me know. But not until next week.

by Posy | 1 comments