Brandon's Notepad @brandonsnotepad@writing.exchange

#introduction Hello, Fediverse! My name is Brandon. I have been blogging since 2008. I write about productivity, technology, books, religion, coffee and tea, and Texas. I joined Mastodon to share my work and learn from other writers, but also to escape Twitter, which has proven to be useful for neither of these things. You can find my blog at http://brandonsnotepad.wordpress.com.

Supercharging my #Mastodon experience by pinning hashtag columns! It's like a digital #newspaper on my big monitor.

Here's how:
1. Search for a word using the search bar in left column
2. Click on a result in the hashtag section to view in the dynamic column
3. Click the settings button in the upper right of the dynamic column and check 'pin'
4. A new dynamic column should open automatically on the right
5. Organize columns using the < > buttons also in settings

We need #instance columns too!

Last week was good! Monday was a holiday, but I was able to post blog entries on each of the four workdays. This week? Not so much. Lots of research and a little bit of outlining, but no entries even drafted yet. Did some maintenance today instead of writing.

Still focused on exploring #journaling. I’ve started posts about several kinds of #journal, including #prayer & #dream journals. Really hope to get those written, edited and published this week!

#Lent question for the #Catholic folk in the Fediverse: how do you feel about some #US #Bishops granting permission to distribute ashes today in lieu of #AshWednesday? This has happened in some areas due to #Mass cancellations during the snowstorm. For / against / indifferent, and why?

Hey Mastodon! I've been bragging about you.

In today's #blog post, I relate my #Mastodon and #Fediverse experience thus far, especially in comparison with other #socialmedia platforms. Biggest takeaway IMHO? Your instance matters...a lot!

Speaking of instances, if my fellow #writers would like to send me #feedback, I'd be very appreciative.

https://brandonsnotepad.wordpress.com/2021/02/19/the-mastodon-experiment/

Katz Texas Hill Country Pecan Coffee review has been posted!

#coffee #Texas #pecan #katz

https://brandonsnotepad.wordpress.com/2021/02/17/pecan-coffee-katz-texas-hill-country-pecan/

Are #men more likely than #women to #write in a #journal as opposed to a #diary? Aren’t they essentially the same thing? #Words and their #etymology are interesting, especially when you start to understand how they impact #culture.

https://brandonsnotepad.wordpress.com/2021/02/16/journal-vs-diary/

Currently #reading “Holy Cow” by David Duchovny, who I did’t know was an author until recently. Sixty pages in. So far, so good. #NotShakespeare

"Are you having hot chocolate or coffee?" she asked.

"Coffee, please." I replied.

"Are you sure? It's snowing. Hot chocolate and snow kinda go together."

I had to give her that, but then my thoughts snapped sharply to the ubiquity of coffee and its contributions to the progress of mankind.

"Yes, but coffee goes with everything...from petting the kittens on the back porch to...well...war."

There is #snow on the ground in #Texas. It is not a day to venture out, as Texans are notoriously bad about driving in this kind of #weather. It’s a good day to #binge #read some of those #books on the shelf and to drink some warm #coffee and/or #tea. Who’s with me?

Who out there listens to the #WriteNow #podcast by Sarah Rhea Werner? It’s a show for professional and aspiring #writers about #writing as a #lifestyle. She has some really good and #practical #advice. Over 100 episodes! Highly recommended.

When you feel like you have nothing left to say, nothing left to #write about that hasn’t already been written, remember that the real #challenge isn’t novelty, but to deliver timeless messages to a new #audience in a novel way. This is not new and you are not alone.

Nothing under the sun is new, neither is any man able to say: Behold this is new: for it hath already gone before in the ages that were before us.
(#Ecclesiastes 1:10)

Quick questions for those who (have at least attempted to) keep a diary: how important is it to #write in your diary #daily? Were you taught to do this as a #child? Do the words #diary and #journal have different meanings or evoke different #emotions or #memories for you?

Just doing some random searching on Mastodon tonight and ended up in comic book land. I can’t believe that a search on the #TMNT hashtag yielded zero pics of the original #comic. Thank you so much, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, for providing hours upon hours of #turtle-tainment over the years. [And I weep for what has become of your magnum opus.]