While looking for something else entirely, I discovered a WordPress widget called ‘Gallery’. And voila! There it is on the sidebar to the right. The images are a little small, but it’s nice to be able to do something useful with all those faces!
And the gallery provides a nice introduction to the price change for the Innerscape Omnibus. In line with most other bundles on Amazon, I’ve raised the price to $5.99. This price point makes it slightly cheaper than buying each book separately, and it allows me to do ‘specials’ every now and then without having to do an exclusive via KDP.
And finally a word about the widget I was actually looking for – a word count progress bar: https://abtoolz.alanpetersen.com/wip-progress-bar/
The instructions mention that you can get this app via the WordPress widgets. That’s not quite right. It is not available on the free, WordPress.com widget page. I assume it will be available to the paid WordPress.org sites. If someone could check that out for me I’d be eternally grateful!
Still on the progress bar, there is a manual way of inserting it into your blog but I haven’t tried it out yet. If I get it to work, I’ll post a mini how-to about it. Alternately, if someone out there gets it to work, please post some instructions, preferably with pictures so we can all start using it!
Ahem, and the reason I want that progress bar is because, as Robert Chazz Chute says:
‘The meters really get me amped and moving. I don’t want to see a static progress bar and measurement gives me a sense of momentum. That which cannot be measured will not be improved.’
https://chazzwrites.com/2020/07/13/two-simple-tools-that-work-for-writers/
Like Robert, I’m all betwixt and between at the moment. Once I sit down and start writing, I’m okay, but getting myself to that point has never been this hard before. I know what’s causing at least part of the problem – that miserable virus – but knowing and ignoring are two very different things. So, I’m hoping a progress bar will give me that little bit of extra incentive to ignore the outside world and escape into Vokhtah again.
Okay, I feel as if I’ve been productive enough. Time for some lunch. Cheers!
Meeks
Meeka's Mind 
February 10th, 2021 at 5:18 am
I have been lacking motivation, direction, and purpose. I don’t know if it’s a result of social distancing and not having social interactions that are essentially required for a healthy mindset?
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February 10th, 2021 at 7:23 am
Hi Joel and welcome. You’re not alone. This has been a fallow year for most of us I think. Part of it is that we’ve had to hunker down in survival mode, never conducive to creativity, but I think part of it may also be that fiction hasn’t felt like fiction lately. We come up with fantastical plots and situations to see how our characters deal with them. But who could have predicted /this/? I mean, if I’d come up with a plot like this, it would have been met with derision. Yet we’re living it.
Hang in there. The drive will come back…eventually.
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September 12th, 2020 at 8:09 am
The difficulty with gaining momentum seems to be contagious. I’m am finding myself in unfamiliar territory just now as well. I don’t like it. Not. One. Bit. Looking forward to better days ahead for us all!
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September 12th, 2020 at 10:54 am
Me too. I want the things I do to matter. At the moment, there is a sense of futility about thinking more than 24 hours ahead. -shrug- Things will change. We just have to ‘hang in there’. Pity that phrase sounds so trite.
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July 15th, 2020 at 2:56 am
Yep, this virus is quarantining our muses. Ugh. It’s so hard to write. My WP theme is so old that they retired is about 6 years ago, so I don’t have any of the new features or capabilities and I can’t add many widgets without upgrading or knowing how to write code. Sigh. Someday, I’ll update. Maybe. The word count sounds like a good tool. Good luck figuring it out! 🙂
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July 15th, 2020 at 1:19 pm
-giggles- I think my theme is retired too. High Five to us diehards. 🙂
I actually looked at some new themes after I decided that Medium wasn’t for me. Unfortunately I couldn’t find anything that I really liked, even in the paid section. My old ‘Grunge’ theme still provides me with the best balance of functionality and ‘style’. Maybe one day. 🙂
I spent this morning doing a how-to on the slideshow so I might tackle the progress bar tomorrow. Notice how I haven’t mentioned Vokhtah at all? I did have good intentions this morning but…
You know, I think part of the problem is that each day is the same. Some days I have to check the date to see what day of the week it is. I know I should be using this time to finish the story, but so many other things seem more important. And there’s always tomorrow.
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July 15th, 2020 at 10:58 pm
Yesterday my husband asked it if was Saturday. Um…not. Lol. And yes, finish that story… I’ll read it! But I get it. Writing has been really tough through this pandemic.
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July 16th, 2020 at 10:26 am
-grin- I assumed that losing track of the days was me being elderly, ahem, but the Offspring casually asked what day of the week it was so I don’t feel quite so bad. 🙂
We need a new motto: Keep Writing! or Where’s My Muse? or…:D 😀 😀
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July 14th, 2020 at 8:48 pm
I love what you did and tried to do the same. In a mess now. So. Okay, how did you get the links on the gallery, and how did you make it a separate column?
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July 14th, 2020 at 11:45 pm
Ok, first question I have to ask is – do you use the old Admin dashboard or the newish Design/Customize interface? The reason I ask is because things look very different depending on which you’re using. I use the old dashboard. I can work out how to do it on the new one but I’ll have to ‘play’ with it for a bit. Oh and question 2 – are you using the free WordPress.com or the hosted WordPress.org?
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July 15th, 2020 at 6:39 am
Q2 = the free version; Q1 = I think it must be the new version ‘cos there was a change from how it looked in the not too distant past of [this] year.
However, when I was in the Customize Design area, it all looked the same as before (as in last year, which was the last time I played in there).
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July 15th, 2020 at 1:13 pm
Okay! I just posted a proper how-to coz once I looked into it, the process had a couple of truly murky spots in it. I know you don’t need such a basic level guide but I figured there might be some newbies who need the help.
I hope this post helps you get your slideshow up and running. 🙂
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July 15th, 2020 at 5:58 pm
Ah, I see. And I hadn’t done anything wrong, but can’t attach a link to the pics so the reader who clicks on a pic can go to the sales site.
Looks like I’ll have to find some other way to become visible.
thank you. And I hope the writing bug bites with some extra-strength go-juice soon.
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July 15th, 2020 at 7:32 pm
Aaaaah! If you want people to be able click a pic and travel to a point of sale – use the image widget as you can put the destination link in there.
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July 15th, 2020 at 7:32 pm
Righto — on it!
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July 15th, 2020 at 7:44 pm
From memory you put in link in ‘Custom’ something or other. Yell if you want some help.
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July 15th, 2020 at 7:49 pm
I think it’s finally there … a few in, they work. Thanks. I’ve been wondering about that for a while, but focussed on anything but trying to figure it out!
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July 15th, 2020 at 8:14 pm
lol – I know all about that. Glad you’ve got it sorted. 🙂
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July 14th, 2020 at 5:35 pm
If I get to a page with something moving, I leave. Can’t take the wiggly things in my line of vision.
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July 14th, 2020 at 7:40 pm
Oh….I’m so sorry. I’ll move it down so it’s not so in your face. 😦
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July 15th, 2020 at 2:32 am
I just scrolled past it – sorry, I didn’t realize you had one until after I clicked send.
It’s the ones that won’t let you get rid of them that are the worst.
Yours isn’t that kind. I’ll just scroll past it. Didn’t mean to sound grumpy, but of course I did.
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July 15th, 2020 at 1:20 pm
lol – PHEW! I’m delighted. I actually moved it down but now I’ll put it back up the top again. 😀
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July 15th, 2020 at 2:37 pm
Quick question: do you have to have a paid WordPress theme for this to work? I don’t – and don’t have much stuff to go there – but I do have widgets and an area to put them in.
But I can’t do video or sound, because I don’t have a paid theme or paid blog (I forget).
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July 15th, 2020 at 7:43 pm
Nope. I’m using the unpaid, not-on-a-plan version of WordPress too. You can get around the video and sound issue by using Youtube or Vimeo videos – i.e. you can upload your video and then once it’s live, you can ‘share’ your own video on your blog that way. Bit of a workaround but better than nothing. For sound I use Soundcloud. Again, you upload something to soundcloud then share it on your blog.
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July 17th, 2020 at 2:59 am
If I ever want video or audio, I’ll try those – but they’re other platforms to master. I’m a print person – I put up a graphic of some kind on most posts for the fun of playing with a bit of that.
I loved making my first cover.
I don’t think at this point I have much to say that requires me saying it, though I’m planning the ‘as read by author’ versions of my books.
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July 17th, 2020 at 10:55 am
Good for you! I’ve pondered audio but a) I can’t afford to pay someone to do it and b) I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to do it myself so…-shrug-
I’ll be interested in your thoughts if you go ahead and do it.
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July 17th, 2020 at 11:07 am
Oh, I will. But after NETHERWORLD is finished.
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July 17th, 2020 at 10:23 pm
No rush. 🙂
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July 14th, 2020 at 3:01 pm
Interesting to see those faces!
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July 14th, 2020 at 7:41 pm
lol – thanks 🙂
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