When I first started blogging I was so proud of myself for figuring out how to actually upload a post. Then I wanted to add pictures in my blog post and that sent me into a tizzy for days. Flickr or Photo Bucket...wait, what's Picasa?Flash forward a year and I'm slowly figuring out how to add scroll bars to my link list. This HTML stuff is simple, but complicated...oxymoron, you say. Uh, no.
The other day I wanted to make a button that launches you to my book website. I didn't just want a picture with a link. I wanted to choose a picture and alter the coloring and size. I wanted to add text to the picture, etc. Basically I wanted a bigger brain...not happening.
My daughter, Rebecca, whipped it out in like twenty minutes. She's 13 years old. I watched her hands fly over her laptop as she hunted down appropriately romantic-looking font, downloaded it, and then re-colored it to my very specific request for, "crimson-ish." She even fixed the font itself as the cursive 't', when seen at that small size, looked like an 'l'. I have no idea HOW, but its fixed.
Then she wrote some code and emailed it to me so all I had to do was copy and paste it in a gadget and I was done in less than 30 seconds. I can't tell you how humbling that was. I've homeschooled her for over a decade and now she's surpassed me in this area. Oh, she also made this award for me that I wanted to use later in the month. Wow. ------>Because I can't pull her away from...whatever it is she does on the computer everytime I need some help, I thought I'd list some great helps for the non-technical people out there like me.
First off is How Can I Do That? a website by fellow writer Bonnie Calhoun. She's a certified Blog*Star by Google and her step-by-step explanations are so helpful. Plus, she's super patient and walked me through the whole scroll bar thingy right on her comments section.
If you're past the newbie things, you can add some really great features to your blog like digital voice clips on sites like GabCast. Or make your own widgets that invite your viewers to a particular event if you leave out location, the widget can be altered for online events like blogfests.
Intimidated? The Blog Doctor has some great picture tutorials. Finally, if you're like me and just want to start from the basics and add to that, there is a great HTML tutorial here. Its free and you don't feel like you're jumping in mid-stream. If you can think of any sites that might be helpful, please let us know.
Until next time...Go Write!