Google to the Rescue

I made the leap into Windows 10 Land with the free Microsoft upgrade available to Vista (Windows 7) users, knowing full well the potential risks: unexplained quirks, things I used to be able to do easily that now ain't so easy, etc. The road, frankly, has been bumpy. And this from someone who was really staying open-minded about Microsoft's new relevance with consumers.

Among other things, the WiFi adapter was switching off without apparent reason. Thanks to asking the question of Google — with the query "Windows 10 internet keeps turning off between start-ups" — a post from the very helpful, highly technically-minded Tom Tancredi of Tom's Hardware provided an ordered set of steps to take:

1. Check Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network Connections then right click properties of the adapter. Click Configure then the Power Management tab. Uncheck to turn off the device to save power. 
2. Click the Power Icon in the tray, then More Power Options, and click on Hide Additional Plans, then select High performance.

I've done the first one and should now try the second.

If neither of these helps, it's time to "do some basics". The one I intend to apply soon involves malware:

1. Download Malwarebytes do a full system scan.
2. Repeat the AV/Malware scans till the system comes up clean.

I did turn over my laptop, but don't think it needs the "Can Air dust out the bunnies and use paint brush on the vents, coolers, fans, etc." steps.

SEE: Tom's Hardware

Posting Your Poetry At Your Own Site

Many literary journals deem poetry that has been posted to your own blog or author site to be previously published. How can you share your poetry without having to worry about not being eligible for publication at such outlets?

1. Write website exclusive poetry specifically to publish at your blog or site, helping create an audience for more of your work. 
2. Post previously published poems, once the rights revert back to you, being sure to acknowledge the original publisher. 
3. Reserve poems published online for poetry collections; previously published poems are usually acceptable to editors of collections.

Of course, you can always self-publish thereby setting your own publication guidelines. Or just find journals that accept previously published work.

SOURCE: Poets: What You Must Know Before You Post Poems On Your Author Website; April 2, 2015 by Web Design Relief Staff.

8 Tough Creative Writing Lessons from an Ex-MFA Teacher

1. “Writers are born with talent.”

As Ryan Boudinot says in his article for The Stranger: “Some people have more talent than others . . writers are not all born equal.”

2. “If you didn’t decide to take writing seriously by the time you were a teenager, you’re probably not going to make it.”

Ryan says, “Being a writer means developing a lifelong intimacy with language. You have to be crazy about books as a kid to establish the neural architecture required to write one.”

3. “If you complain about not having time to write, please do us both a favor and drop out.”

Ryan writes: "My experience tells me this: Students who ask a lot of questions about time management, blow deadlines, and whine about how complicated their lives are should just give up and do something else."

4. “If you aren’t a serious reader, don’t expect anyone to read what you write.”

Ryan says, “Without exception, my best students were the ones who read the hardest books I could assign and asked for more…”

5. “No one cares about your problems if you’re a shitty writer.”

Ryan says: “For the most part, MFA students who choose to write memoirs are narcissists using the genre as therapy.”

6. “You don’t need my help to get published.”

My advice is for writers to reject the old models and take over the production of their own and each other’s work as much as possible.

7. “It’s not important that people think you’re smart.”

Ryan says: “If you can put your ego on the back burner and focus on giving someone a wonderful reading experience, that’s the cleverest writing.”

8. “It’s important to woodshed.”

Ryan warns about the instant gratification (and distractions) of social media, saying it’s the “enemy to producing the kind of writing that takes years to complete. That’s why I advise anyone serious about writing books to spend at least a few years keeping it secret.”

FROM: CHRIS ROBLEY on MARCH 25, 2015 in WRITING TIPS

Songwriting Tips from Darius Rucker and Cary Ann Hearst

Darius Rucker, former lead singer for Hootie & the Blowfish, and Cary Ann Hearst, one half of folk duo Shovels & Rope, share a little wisdom about writing a song.

SEE: Charleston City Paper