What to do?

Alone with my son right now. Wife and youngest daughter left for Iligan earlier in the afternoon. My son and I will be leaving early tomorrow to follow them.

I hit a little snag in my latest book. I'm working on a scene and I'm debating with myself about whether I should include it in the story or to take it out. Part of me thinks it's important for the story and part of me thinks I should think of something else to replace it. Just to keep writing, I went ahead and made other scenes that are supposed to occur later in the book. You might say, I'm using a time machine where future events will dictate what happens in the past. Right now the time machine isn't working.

Another thing I'm debating with myself regards this blog. Should I limit it to writing or should I use it for other things? I'm leaning towards the latter option. A new author doesn't have much to say about writing, unfortunately.

In the next posts, I'm going to share other stories I've shared in my Facebook page. I'm hoping it'll get my creative juices going.

Programming vs Writing

It's been a busy three weeks for me. The plant had shutdown on December 17 and restarted on January 2.  For the next days after, I stood guard over the production automation and assisted with several other projects. The plant's running reasonably well and I'm tired. It's going to be a welcome respite for the next two days as I take my restdays.

My job this end of year was to program the automation for one of our processes. I also assisted with the commissioning of several other projects whenever needed. This is something I enjoy doing and it's got me wondering if I should stay in this field or continue taking on writing.

I started programming PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) in 1986 when I worked for an instrumentation contractor. When I joined my present company, I learned how to program HMIs (Human Machine Interface) as well. In case you're curious, PLCs are used to control processes (open/close valves, start/stop motors, control temperature/pressure/flow, etc.) while HMI are computers that are connected to PLCs and used by operators to operate the process. In the past, buttons, knobs, and lights were used by operators to control the process but now it's all done with computers.

Programming is a thinking man's job and involves quite a bit of imagination. I don't work with code but it's a specialized programming language called Ladder Programming. In my case, it involves some visualization for me to imagine how things are going to work. Most times I get it right, sometimes I don't. When I don't get what I want to happen, I keep at it until I get it. 'Hope that makes sense to my readers.

Anyway, I've been programming non-stop since December 17 and it's now January 11. Everything's working but I still need to make a few tweaks and add some features to make the programs easy and safe to use. I really enjoy programming because I get a kick out of seeing my creations work, especially when they work well.

Writing, on the other hand, is something new. I can't say I'm good at it though some people's comments have been very encouraging. Sales on my books have been slow but, as Mark Coker (Smashwords.com) says, "some books take time to break out." Some may never break out but that's only if you're a terrible writer. A well written book, however, may take months to years before sales pick up.

I guess writing is similar to programming in that it takes imagination and skill. Pour some effort and dedication into doing it and you'll be rewarded. The reward in programming is the satisfaction of seeing the program run error-free. In writing, the reward is seeing the book in print — or in the 'net, as the case may be.

Having Fun with Clone Pictures

These are pictures I put into my second book, "How to Create Clone Pictures with MS PowerPoint." Note that all of the pictures were edited with PowerPoint, not PhotoShop or any other image editing software.

This one was my first attempt at doing this. My youngest daughter squealed, "there are two daddies in the picture!" When I could hardly see the seam where the pictures joined, I knew this was going to be a new, fun hobby.

This was my second attempt. It was a little more challenging but I got it alright. I gained a lot of confidence after finishing this.

This was a pre-Halloween picture. The photos took about three minutes to set up and take. Editing the pictures took less than ten minutes.

I got a lot of likes for this picture. It gives the term, "multi-tasking" a whole new meaning. I also learned that people call these pictures, "multiplicity pictures," from the movie "Multiplicity." I didn't watch the movie so I had no idea what they were talking about at first.

This next one was more difficult than it looks. I had to balance on one foot to make sure only my head was visible (obviously, I was unsuccessful). I kept bumping into the closet doors and ruining the shot. I almost gave up on finishing this one.

I wanted to be able to tell a story so I combined three clone pictures of me playing, "Rock Paper Scissors." The loser pays the winner with money hence, the downcast posture.

The hotel where I recently stayed provided newspapers everyday so I had a small stack of them in my room. Editing this was a little difficult because the left clone was sitting on the right clone's shadow. I decided to leave it out. Fortunately, no one noticed it.

I got a lot of laughs for this one. I wanted to make it look like the right clone was putting on lipstick but I didn't have one so I used the small bottle of shampoo that was in my hotel room's bathroom. There's an imperfection here. The left clone doesn't seem to be looking directly at the right clone. That's one of the difficulties of setting up these pictures. It's difficult to predict where exactly you should be facing when you take the shot.

Editing isn't difficult. I even taught my niece how to do it via Facebook and, I must say, she did a pretty good job. Here, however, you can see the difficulty of knowing where to cast your eyes on if you're facing your clone.

I'll share my other clone pictures as I make new ones. Wanna try making your own?

My Second Book - How to Create Clone Pictures with MS PowerPoint

My second book is out!

Constant use of MS PowerPoint© led me to the discovery that I can easily make clone pictures that can provide loads of entertainment for my friends and family. The resulting images are so natural that people have been asking me how I do it. This gave me the idea for my next book, How to Create Clone Pictures with MS PowerPoint, published at www.smashwords.com.

Complete with pictures and instructions, you'll be able to see, as well as read, how it's done, and provides some ideas for creating memorable clone pictures. Check it out!

From today until January 9, 2013, you can buy the book at 60% discount! Just use this coupon code NJ22C before completing your check out.

Toastmasters Success Stories

For more than a month now, we've been trying to get our company's Toastmasters club re-established. We had a demo meeting last month which was attended by around 21 people, not counting the guests from other Toastmasters clubs. In that meeting we formed a steering committee that would work towards getting the club on its feet. After that meeting, the club has yet to take off.

I've been a Toastmaster for nine years. I've seen people improve their communication and leadership skills, taking them to heights that would otherwise have been unreachable or difficult to achieve. What would it take for people to put a priority on their self-development?

In my company's previous club, we had a member who had a terrible tendency to say the words, "whatcha call this." In his first speech, he uttered these words in almost every sentence.

It's something we call a "filler" in Toastmasters. When a speaker doesn't know, is unsure, or forgets what the next word is, he inserts a filler. The most common is "ah" though other people use other fillers.

I tend to refer to fillers as "crutches." Just as a real crutch helps lame people walk, a Toastmasters crutch helps the member get by with his speech delivery. Unfortunately, like a real crutch, the person still hobbles around, not improving. The sad thing about this is that they are usually unaware that they're using a crutch. They had gotten so used to it that it becomes a part of how they talk. They need someone to point it out to them.

That someone was our "Ah Counter." He's the person assigned to watch out for people who use fillers or crutches. This can be  ah's, uhm's, repeated words, anything that a speaker uses to prevent him from stopping and making an embarrassing pause in his delivery. Near the end of a Toastmasters meeting, the Ah Counter stands in front and tells people what fillers people used when they spoke and how many times they did it.

Of course, having someone point out your fillers can be embarrassing but if the Ah Counter is careful about how he or she says it and if the recipient is willing to accept it, it can work wonders. In our member's case, he took it to heart. In his next speech, there was not even one "whatcha call this." In fact, he didn't have any fillers at all. The applause at the end of his speech was enthusiastic.

He eventually finished his ten speeches and achieved his Competent Communicator norm. He retired from the company soon after that. About two years ago, I met him at a mall and he said that he had been getting invites to be a keynote speaker, to conduct seminars, and inspirational talks. He's been overseas several times, all expenses paid. He credits his Toastmasters training for it all. Yup, he did more than just eliminate his fillers but that was where he started. Then again, after seeing how he overcame his crutches, I never doubted it.

The next story is about a lady, a member of another club. When I first met her, she was soft-spoken and seemed unsure of herself. We met at a speech contest and she was a contestant, another member who was determined to improve herself.

After some time, she was asked by her club to be the club president. She tried to get out of it saying she wasn't prepared or she didn't know if she could do it. They persuaded her, assuring her that they would support her. At the end of her term, her club received the highest award a club could get. After that, they persuaded her to be the area governor. Again, she pleaded against it but again, accepted. At the end of her term, she was recognized as one of the best area governors of the district. She also became division governor but, this time, she didn't hesitate about accepting. That's leadership training at work.

If you've got reservations about joining Toastmasters, you're not alone.  Lots of Toastmasters went through the same thing. It's the determination to learn and improve that pulled them through.

Word Mastering in Toastmasters

'Came from a demo meeting by Toastmasters last night where I was the Word Master of the evening. This is the text of my presentation (as near as I can remember):

Good evening ladies and gentlemen.

The English language has a lot of borrowed words, words that originated in other countries or other languages and found their way into common use in English. Tonight, I will share with you three words from Italy along with their original meanings.

The first word is:

espresso

Today people are more familiar with this word as a type of coffee drink. The original meaning, however, is, a person of nearly frantic demeanor; a person in a hurry or working at a face pace. The espresso coffee drink, which is a particularly strong type of coffee, probably got its name due to its effect on drinkers in which it energizes them.

The next word is:

quarantine

The word "quarantine" is derived from the Italian word for "forty." In medieval times, sailing ships that came to port with sick passengers or crew were not allowed to disembark from the ship for forty days. Today people understand the word to mean "isolation" to prevent the spread of disease.

The last word is has been in the news these past days, I think you'll agree. The word  is:

sotto voce (soh-toh voh-che)

No, this is not another word for plagiarism (referring to Senator Tito Sotto who has been accused of copying someone else's speech). It actually means, to speak in a whisper or low, soft voice so as not to be overheard. The word is typically used in music and drama.

So, there we have it, ladies and gentlemen, three Italian words that have made it into common usage in the English language. Good evening.

(Note: I failed to mention it during the meeting—bad of me—but these three words came from an email from DailyWritingTips.com)

Wanting to be Prolific

It's been raining in the afternoon for several days and I haven't been able to get my daily walking exercise in. For once, it didn't rain this afternoon so I got into my walking shoes and stepped out for a brisk 30 minute walk. As my feet pounded the street, I reflected on what my future might be.

Writing was a new love and I'm still determined to have a go at it full time. Can I support my family with my writing? I don't know. I've read about a lot of authors who have to work full time and squeeze a little time into writing. Obviously, they are struggling. I guess it's important to focus what little time you have into doing what you want. For us, it's the only way.

I sometimes wonder how other authors do it. They entered into writing about the same time I did and they're churning out three, four, five, or more novels per year. That's astounding creativity! And what's more is that they're actually selling lots of books. Most of them, I found, are full time authors and they keep writing...non-stop.

How do they do it?

I've discovered two types of these prolific authors:

Type One - is organized; he/she prepares a storyline or outline of the story and uses that as a guide to keep typing.

Type Two - is a make-it-up-as-you-go type of author. A master of converting thoughts into typed words.

I happen to sort of lean toward Type Two though I'm hardly a master. If those other authors are making four or five novels a year, they've got to be typing non-stop for hours on end. Sometimes I envy their ability to think while typing.

Some time ago, I read about an author (who's name I can't remember) who rented out a hotel room, somewhere only his wife knew (with instructions that she was not to call him unless it was a matter of life or death), and brought along his typewriter. For the next week or so, he kept typing away, used up about  two reams of typing paper and produced a novel. That's quite a feat considering that he'd been using a manual typewriter. Evidently, he needed a quiet place where he could work in private, without any distractions and interruptions.

At this time, I'm probably not at that point. Besides, I'm still working and I don't want to use too much of my precious vacation time. Once I get my own computer though, I'm thinking of spending Saturdays somewhere else rather than home, just to get things done.