I’m trying another quick test of Zemanta. Having just finished the first part of a great MFA metaphor course at http://writersvillage.com/wvu3/home.html I thought it would be worth mentioning one of the books used for the course.

It was Metaphors We Live By written by Goerge Lakoff and Mark Johnson. In writing, we normally have a limited idea of what a metaphor is. This book, and others I’ll mention in future posts, along with guidance from Bob Hembree the founder and main guru at the Writers’ Village University  (aka WVU – but not the sports team), opened my eyes and imagination to the fact that our whole everyday language is full of metaphors – and even more astounding – it defines our culture and vision of the world in ways we might not be aware of – but politicians, spin doctors, and advertisers most certainly are, and use to their advantage.

I cannot recommend this book (and the WVU) highly enough. If you’re a writer, you will be amazed at the advances and enhancements this knowledge will add to your writing.

NB: The links below are selected from those offered by Zemanta as being relative to the subject of this post.

Wishes and vibes,

Grumps.

Related articles, courtesy of Zemanta:

• John Tropea: Lakoff and Johnson (14) argue that “many of our activities (arguing, solving problems, budgeting time, etc.) are metaphorical in nature. The metaphorical concepts that characterize those activities structure our present reality. New metaphors
• A victim of metaphor
• Idea Framing, Metaphors, and Your Brain

Long time no write, and today is just a fleeting visit to try out a blogging help application called Zemanta. It’s supposed to suggest additional content and links to related articles and sites.

The one I’m trying out is a free download extension for the Safari browser, and I’m writing this in Scribefire, another handy blogging helper – I couldn’t see any pricing information on the Zemanta website, but there might be a paid version.

Anyways, as I said, this is just a test run. At this point nothing has happened. I’m going to sign off and see what happens.

Addenda: To activate Zemanta, I should have clicked on the orange square next to the YouTube icon in the toolbar at the top of my post editor in Scribfire. When I did so, I got a pop-up giving me the option to agree to the terms and conditions before proceeding – then, after reading and accepting said terms, Zemanta offered a list of related information from which I could choose the ones I wanted to add to my post. As this post is about the application itself, the related content links focus on that. BTW: There is a paid version, but I haven’t checked for price yet. I guess that’s it for now.

Happy blogging.

Wishes and vibes,

Grumps.

Related articles, courtesy of Zemanta:

• Using Zemanta with any blogging platform
• Blog Writer Services and Programs
• Tutorial: Getting Started with Zemanta

I’ve tried it on my own writing with some success, and it has some features I haven’t used yet. But I’m impressed, and thought you might be interested in checking it out for yourself. It’s inexpensive for an application with so many features.

There’s a link in the sidebar to the right. Why not click on it and have a looksee?

I hope you find it as useful as I do.

Wishes and vibes,

Grumps.

Judging by the result below, which was based on a long example of my writing, I must have absorbed more of Le Guin’s influence than I was aware of. I feel quite chuffed.
If the banner turns out like it should, there’s a link on it if you want to test your own writing style. Just click on ‘Analyze your writing‘ in the bottom right-hand corner of the banner.

If nothing else, it’s a bit of fun.
Wishes and vibes,
á la Le Guin Grumps.

I write like
Ursula K. Le Guin

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

For one, my son and his friend successfuly completed their long cycle ride, and raised more than their expected amount of money in donations for their chosen charities. It goes without sayng that I’m very proud of my son, and his friend, but I’m saying it anyway. They covered over a thousand miles in fifteen days. Not bad at all for a 50-year-old who had a heart attack just a year ago.

My wife is now permanently in a care home, and that is a situation I’m still coming to terms with. This is a private matter, not for public viewing.

My writing muse is returning, but taking very small steps to do so. The Shadow Land group at the WVU paid membership site  http://writersvillage.com, and other writing friends, are a great help and very supportive.

The site will shortly be getting a facelift by its founder, Bob Hembree; a man of many talents who is dedicated to helping writers. The completely free writing course, called F2k, which runs for seven weeks several times a year, has already had a facelift. This includes its own social network site with a great many aspects to it that are taking me some time to get used to. However, it is also encouraging my muse to awaken—hence this update to my blog. At some future date, I might decide to post some of the writing exercises I’ve done in the WVU classrooms, but not just yet.

I think that’s enough for now.

Wishes and vibes,
Grumps.

In my previous post, I omitted to mention that they have their own blog if you wish to follow their progress, and/or send words of encouragement.

Here’s the URL: http://johnandmarkjogle.blogspot.com/

If it doesn’t work as a direct link, try copying and pasting into your browser.

I’d also like to mention that he will be 50 next month (15th June), and is likely to celebrate his birthday still on the road, in an (as yet) unknown location, amongst strangers. I would appreciate (as would he, I’m sure) any congratulatory messages to their blog on the appropriate date.
Thank you for reading.
Regards, Wishes, and Good Vibes to all, but in particular to my son, John, and his mate, Mark.
Grumps.

Future of Publishing – created by DK (UK)

I hope that you were as impressed as I was by the clever demonstration of word power.
Grumps.

He is raising money for charity in gratitude for surviving a heart attack. He has set up a website where his progress can be monitored. Messages of encouragement will be welcome, as will any donations.

To say that we are proud of him goes without saying.  Just after he was born in 1960, my wife and I cycled 160 miles on a tandem. I had built a special trailer for him to travel in, towed behind my bicycle, but plans underwent several changes and he eventually travelled by bus. I’ve written a short story about it, which I hope will be published one day—and who knows, there may be an added section to bring the story full cycle.

Anyway, please take a look at my son’s website. Here’s the URL http://www.justgiving.com/JohnnyH-JOGLE

Thanks and Regards,
Grumps.