A to Z Blog Challenge Coming to the Broomstick

 
I am taking part in the A to Z Blog Challenge in April this year.

There will be a post everyday, except Sundays, where the corresponding letter of the alphabet will inspire the post of the day.

There will be more personal posts, and you are welcome to leave a comment or ask a question at any time.


Here is my list for April :)

  1. Anthology
  2. Blogging

Hope to see you around!

  3. Course
  4. Dreams
  5. Email subscription

  7. Favourites
  8. Guest Posts
  9. Hobbies
10. Interview
11. Journaling
12. Kryane

14. Lettuce
15. My Story
16. NaNoWriMo
17. Obisidian
18. Plus 1
19. Questions

21. Reviews
22. STORM
23. Twitter
24. Useful links
25. Vacillate
26. Words

28. Xa'an
29. Yoke
30. Zirda

Voice Recognition Software and I: Part 2

 Since I started using Voice Recognition Software I have learned a few lessons:

1. Pronunciation: I might be fluent in English, but talking to a person is not the same as dictating to a computer. Since the computer does not understand speech, it only recognises frequencies and audio patterns, clarity is essential.
2. I have also learned (and the software will tell you that when you start out) is to speak fluently, ie speak in whole sentences, then it is more accurate. And yes, it actually is.
   A sentence in a novel might look like: John frowned. "What do you mean it exploded?"
   When you dictate that, the sentence will sound like: NEW LINE John frowned FULL STOP OPEN QUOTE what do you mean it exploded QUESTION MARK CLOSE QUOTE NEW LINE
   It does take some getting used to. The words in capital letters are INSTRUCTIONS to the computer, rather than dictation. You need a pause before you say them, otherwise the computer will type the "full stop" as part of your sentence. Still happens to me, especially if I am not paying close attention.
3. DNS (Dragon Naturally Speaking) can type directly into Microsoft programs. I, however, use YWriter5 or Open Office to write; neither of which are Microsoft products. No problem.
   When DNS recognises the software as being not directly compatible with its interface, it opens a text window that you then use for dictation. When you have finished dictating a portion of writing, issue the command TRANSFER, and he text will be moved to Open Office Writer (or whatever other word processor you might use).
   Word to the wise: Check the settings on DNS. Make sure the TRANSFER involves a COPY action and not a MOVE action. I lost a bit of writing when the transfer went to the wrong place in the document and could not be re-copied. Fortunately for me they weren't that many words.
4. There are other voice recognition software also available. I tried the built-in version that came with Windows 7. Yip, it is there you just need to find it. Like DNS it can be used to control programs in Windows, open and close files, browsing the internet, etc.
   I tried using it for dictation as well. It is not as accurate as DNS, no matter how much time I had spent on "teaching" it. I would think that it was written for control of programs more than dictation. If you could live with about 65-70% accuracy, editing is still needed after all, then consider using this for a start.
   You can use it with Notepad or Wordpad and then transfer to your word processor of choice. It has its own COMMAND set that you need to learn (these COMMANDS are not standard for the different packages).
   While it might be okay to write with, I would not recommend it for editing.
5. As mentioned you need to learn the DNS COMMAND set. Even if you have a standard (read not wide) screen, you can still keep the COMMAND set window open on the side until you a familiar with the commands to use.
   DNS has commands specifically for editing, and I have used that when I notice obvious errors in the text. I only "edit" with DNS while dictating my first drafts.
   Since I use DNS to relieve the stress on my hands, any editing I do after writing that first draft I use a keyboard, but you don't have to.
6. The one thing that I really like about voice recognition is that it makes no spelling errors. I know its weird, but I have a thing about spelling mistakes while I am writing. DNS has a large vocabulary, but still there are words that you to spell. It will add those to its dictionary - very cool!
   Names are a huge problem though. Since I also write in the fantasy genre, the names of my characters are not the usual. I mean, Alu"Edr'Erinia you are not going to find in a baby name list very soon (at least I hope not!)
   In cases like these, I keep a list of notes in a separate file where I pick a common name for the character, like Alan, and then find and replace it afterwards with my character's real name. It might sound like extra work, and it is, but it is so much easier than trying to spell that one - or pronounce it the same way - every time. 

In the last part I will tell you a bit more on my experience with dictating fiction, and a few last tips on writing with voice recognition software.

If you have Windows 7 or 8 or your computer, why not try its voice recognition, and tell me about your experience is in using it.

Voice Recognition Software and I: Part 1

After I did the incredibly brave (read stupid) thing to write 100,000 words during NaNoWriMo in 2012, I vowed to never to do that again. My hands hurt for weeks afterwards. Given the fact that I am responsible for writing a large report to our project's client every month, it had not been a smart thing to do.

Since then I have been looking out for voice recognition software that was easy to use, had a good accuracy rating, was compatible with my accent (I speak English, but with a South African accent) and was affordable.

The last requirement had been the most difficult. The one package, Dragon Naturally Speaking, fit all my needs, except for the aforementioned price. I found it on Amazon, but had to wait quite a while for a special offer to come around to be able to afford the package, the shipping and duties to South Africa.

Using the software

1. Take the time to let the software "learn" your voice. Every person is unique and the software can only work with a good measure of accuracy if you take the time.
2. DNS also learns your writing style from books, emails, articles, etc. that you have already written. Be patient while it works through these files.
3. Pronunciation needs to be clear. Computers do not understand mumbling and incoherent speech, although people do.
4. Invest in a gaming headset with microphone. These kinds of headsets are of higher quality and aimed at interaction with a computer.

Part 2 will be my personal experience with using DNS software, and other comments on writing fiction with voice recognition software :)

Tips, Tricks and Tales: Infuse Your Time with Extraordinary Purpose by Paula Grieco

Creative commons photo credit: Angie Nan

“A dream without a plan is just a wish.” Katherine Paterson

When I left the corner office of a high-growth tech company to work for myself, my biggest fear was that without external deadline pressure, I would never complete tasks again. Not one. Ever.

What I discovered was that checking items off of my “to do” list was still relatively easy…even with the distraction of social media.

The bigger challenge was ensuring that when all those completed tasks were strung together, I reached a meaningful goal – a dream even. There are an abundance of tech tools and sophisticated systems available to help you manage your time. But if after checking off all your tasks for the day, you feel no closer to reaching your goal, try this really simple method that has worked for me.

1. Start with your no limits list. Write down your biggest dreams and aspirations. Make them as measurable as possible and write down as many as you want.
2. Pick your one big meaningful thing. Really just one. Not saying that you won’t work on others, but many of us fail to reach our goal because we are trying to work on too many directions at once. Good goals distract great goals. So pick one. Really, just one.
3. Have a place for all your other brilliance. Creative and entrepreneurial types tend to have an abundance of amazing ideas. Have a place (one spot) to save all those brainstorms for the future.
4. Create a space for your one big thing. Get a box or clean out one drawer or empty a shelf to keep that one goal you just wrote down. This space is sacred so only items related to your goal are allowed in your box. Nothing else. Ever.
5. Underwhelm yourself with easy actions. Break your “big thing” into small actions until there is one step that feels easy. Make one phone call. Write 100 words. Some days, when you can, do a little more.
6. Dedicate a day a month to your dream. One day a month – blow it out of the park. Devote a whole day to working on your one meaningful thing. Every day, but especially on this day, get prepared the night before. Make a list of what you would like to accomplish. Even set out your clothes. Research shows that we have limited decision making capital everyday so take care of all the insignificant decisions.
7. Set a deadline. Only after working on your goal for about a month, set a deadline. Then multiple it times two.
8. Don’t dream (or write or make art or..) alone. Join or create a closed Facebook or face-to-face group meet up. Not negotiable.

Distractions will still happen, but they won’t derail you. (Though when you are writing a blog on time management, it is not advisable to begin your day by studying a tobacco body infographic – particularly if you don’t smoke.) Tasks will be hard, but not insurmountable.

Basic systems work. Save the complexity and sophistication for your dream – not the tools to manage it. 

In the comments, tell us how you make your time count for what really matters.

Author Bio

Paula is a former tech exec turned – entrepreneur and writer. She released he first book in the spring of 2013, Take 5 for Your Dreams. She is co-founder of What’s Your Brave?, a writing and media project that empowers girls and their parents to be brave, dream big, and take bold action.

Her work has been featured in: The Boston Globe, Online Christian Science Monitor, Tinybuddha, The Good Men Project, SheHeroes, and She Can’t What. It matters deeply to me that every person — that means you — on this planet has the opportunity to be who they really are and live what deep-down matters to them.

Sign up for Paula’s blog at: www.justbewhoyoureallyare.com.

Requesting Hosts for Blog Tour of STORM anthology

The Pretoria Writers' Group is requesting hosts for a blog tour of the STORM anthology.
It is an anthology to be published in two volumes (I for fantasy/scifi/dystopia and II for contemporary stories) intended for an adult audience (no erotica).

The tour will be from 11 to 24 May 2014.

If you are interested please email your preference for hosting to blog.tour.info@gmail.com

Notes:
1. This is NOT my personal email and only messages with STORM HOST in the subject line will be attended to.
2. Please indicate which Volume of STORM you would like to host (or both)
3. Please indicate if you would like to review (either or both) of the Volumes (a limited number of ARCs in PDF will be provided before the tour commences)
4. Please indicate if you would like to interview any of the authors on your blog (please provide the name(s) of the author and your questions in the email)
5. The authors are: Linzé Brandon, Vanessa von Mollendorf, Natalie Myburgh, Carmen Botman, Charmain Lines and Richard Wheeler.
6. The covers, buy links to both volumes, short excerpts of the stories in the relevant anthology (I = 6, II = 4) and the Smashwords author profile links for all the authors will be provided by 7 May 2014.

If you have any questions please include them in the email - thank you.

Guest Post: Time, the Great Equalizer by Dale Lavely

  In one currency, we are all given the same amount; time. Rich or poor, old or young, talented or not, we all get the same dole of time each and every day that we are alive. Once spent, we can’t retrieve even one second of time once it is gone. It doesn’t matter if you’re the President or a blue collar worker, you will all be given the same precious commodity of time.

  Many talented people make the most of their time and find ways to be productive. Some wastefully squander their allotment of time. Whether you value time or waste it, it marches on. Time ticks on and most aren’t even aware of its passing. The problem, especially for highly distractive, busy, or uncaring people, is that we aren’t aware of the gift of seconds, minutes, and days. I think that’s the attraction of sayings like, “carpe diem”, (the quote is usually translated, “seize the day”) was taken from a poem written in the Odes in 23 BC by the Latin poet Horace. Wikepedia also included the translation, “trusting as little as possible in the next day”. In odes 1.11 had another saying,” Whether Jupiter has allotted you many more winters or this one”.

  None of us knows how much time we really have, so we need to find the treasure of time and guard it. Keeping the reality of a limited resource like time will require watch care, attention, focus, and an ability to prioritize how we will fill our elusive container of time. Each of us much choose what we will spend our time on. This task of time allotment, is both the most delicious and yet daunting task any of us will have.

  There are so many choices to make in our modern society. If we even look at the possible food choices we make each day, around 200 according to researchers at Cornell University, we can get overwhelmed. How can we be intentional about how to use our hoard of time? One tip I learned from Michael Hyatt is to weed out things in your life that compete with your main priorities. There are things that don’t get us closer to our goals and waste our time. We need to take a hard look at where we want to spend our days. Without goals we are like a ship without a destination. No one but ourselves can decide what is important to us. We are all driven by different values, priorities, and expectations in life.

  As I write this there is a PBS special on Stephen Hawking. He lived with the specter of death for most of his life. He decided to spend his life trying to figure out how the universe began. What makes life worth living for you, may not make sense to me. It is a worthy use of time to think about our goals in life. Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living”. Life in Socrates’ days was much less predictable and probably not as long as ours. The quest to deal with time valuing issues is timeless.

  It is a treasure that normally can’t be taken away from us. While it is in your power to decide I hope you and I will choose well.

 Author Bio

You can connect with Dale on her blog http://dalelavelyatthewell.com/WP/ 

Mayhem in March: Guest Post by Khalid Muhammad

The story behind Agency Rules: Never an Easy Day at the Office

“When you are so hungry for peace that you are blind to atrocities, you are no longer sovereign or free.”

What’s it like to live in a country where you live in fear every time you leave the house? To live in an urban city under siege from criminals and gangs that operate under the unbridled support of political parties and terrorists alike, with police taking their share to the look the other way? Where bomb blasts and terrorist attacks become part of the nature of the country and people become desensitized to the blood and carnage with each passing day? What’s it like to have 90 million people suffering from Stockholm Syndrome believing that negotiating and agreeing to terrorist demands, the country may become safer, while the other 90 million are screaming for military action?

This is today’s Pakistan and the place that I call home. What I have just described to you is not all of what Pakistan is today. It is a nation that is fighting for its existence in the community of nations, but it is also a nation full of hard-working, educated, honest people that want to see peace returned to their country. And there lies the rub…

Over the years, Pakistan has been infiltrated by traitors to the nation, more interested in bolstering their offshore bank accounts and assets, than they are in building a better country. The repercussions are felt like shockwaves throughout the country every day - an economy in tatters, education non-existent for those without wealth and employment opportunities unavailable for those without approach. It’s the same Pakistan that the religious extremists use to recruit more followers into their holy wars.

Agency Rules – Never an Easy Day at the Office, rather than picking up from today, stumbles

backwards to the 1990s, right after the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan and the beginnings of the extremist/terrorist camps within the tribal areas. Fresh from a successful war with a superpower, the Mujahideen fighters that had traveled from Pakistan returned home. A segment of these fighters with more militant leanings looked to change the country that had neglected them and their religious beliefs in favor of a liberal agenda that allowed women to attend schools, men to dress in Western clothing and Islam to be sequestered to Friday prayers and religious holidays.

The book will take you through the 90s and the networks that were created within the country’s madrassahs (religious schools) that today funnel fighters into the al-Qaeda and the fight against the NATO forces in Afghanistan. It will give you a picture of Pakistan through one man’s eyes as he fights for his own identity and place in society. He is the embodiment of the Pakistani that the world doesn’t see in the headlines or the evening news. As the honorable soldier, the precision sniper, the intelligence operative and the conflicted man, Kamal Khan takes you through one of the greatest adventures before the War on Terror started to a Pakistan that is at war with itself.

Shrouded in political expediency, hampered by internal power struggles, international espionage and doublespeak that makes Washington’s spin doctors proud, Kamal’s mission is a nightmare of rampant militant fundamentalism that threatens to choke and take Pakistan hostage. For him, the fight is not just for freedom, but the survival of a nation.