My name is Hugh. I live in the city of Swansea, South Wales, in the United Kingdom.
My blog covers a wide range of subjects, the most popular of which are my blogging tips posts.
If you have any questions about blogging or anything else, please contact me by clicking on the 'Contact Hugh' button on the menu bar.
Click on the 'Meet Hugh' button on the menu bar of my blog to learn more about me and my blog.
March 27 2023, prompt: Write a story about something impossibly blue in 99 words (no more, no less). You can go with the sky or any other object. What impact does the colour have on the setting or characters? Does it lead to action or create a pause? Go where the prompt leads! See March 27: Story Challenge in 99-words for more details.
The Sky That Loves Me- by Hugh W. Roberts
The sky above was a deep, impossibly blue. The kind of blue that makes you feel like you could reach up and touch it. The type of blue that makes you want to sing.
And then I started to sing. I sang about the impossibly blue sky. I sang about the hope that it gave me. I sang about the love that I felt for the world around me.
And as I sang, the sky seemed to get even bluer. The world seemed to get even brighter. It was then that I decided today was not my suicide day.
Image Credit: Charli Mills
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
Not sure what Wordless Wednesday is or how to participate? Click here for full details.
Are you participating in Wordless Wednesday? Leave a link to your post in the comments section, and I will try and visit it and leave you a comment (provided the post and pictures are Wordless and do not contain any words). I will also share the post on Twitter, provided you have connected your Twitter account to your blog.
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How often do you check for broken links on your blog?
Is it something bloggers should often do, or are broken links nothing to worry about?
Are you allowing broken links to damage your blog?
At the end of last year, I completed fixing over 300 broken links on my blog. It was a long job, but something I did not regret doing.
Since fixing those broken links, I’ve seen a decrease in spam hitting my blog and seen an increase in followers and visitors.
Not only will SEOs such as Google and Bing rank blogs with broken links lower, but visitors who get the dreaded ‘404 page not found’ error when clicking on too many broken links, are more likely to never return.
I’ve even seen broken links to an author’s books on their blog. How often do you check the links to your books are working?
It’s been three months since I last ran a broken links report for my blog, so I was surprised when the report returned 33 broken links. Here’s the list. Are you or your blog one of them? You may need to zoom in to view the report.
Ensure broken links are fixed quickly.
Why do links break?
There are many reasons for broken links. More important are the ones embedded in blog posts. When the name of a blog post (line 8 on the report) or a single word, such as ‘here’ (line 16 on the report), appears in the ‘Link Text’ column, a pingback to the post has broken. The link is usually broken because the post has been deleted or moved.
To fix the two broken links mentioned in the above paragraph, you can deactivate the pingback or delete it (and the sentence it appears in) from the post.
More often than not, where names appear in the ‘Link Text’ column (line 19 on the report), the link to the person’s gravatar has broken, or their blog or gravatar has been moved or deleted. Most of these errors occur in the comments sections of blog posts. Click here if you’re unsure what a Gravatar is and how to ensure your blog is linked to it.
If you know the person concerned is still blogging, you can either report the broken link to them or unapprove and delete the comment to eliminate it. It’s just as important to fix or delete broken links in the comments section of your posts as in the main body of a blog post.
Remember what I said earlier. SEOs such as Google and Bing rank blogs lower if they contain too many broken links. If you want to increase visitors and followers to your blog, ensure you regularly fix broken links.
Another reason for broken links is when a post has been reblogged, and the blogger who reblogged the post has since deleted the reblog (line 31 of the report).
Do not be surprised to also find broken links to your blog posts. If you decide to delete a blog post, I’d recommend deleting or removing any pingbacks or links before deleting the post. They then will not show up on your next broken link report.
Fact: Did you know that spambots and spammers are more likely to attack blogs with broken links than those without or with fewer broken links?
How do I run a broken link report?
I use the free version of Broken Link Check Dot Com. Click here for more details. To run a report, simply enter the URL address of your blog and the security code you see on the page. I’d recommend running the ‘Report distinct broken links only’ report.
If it’s the first time you run a report, you may be overwhelmed by the number of broken links the report returns. I recommend stopping the report when it reaches 20 broken links, fixing them, and running another report.
Do not try and fix the broken links in one go, as you’ll become overwhelmed. Give yourself time to fix them. Maybe fix a couple every day. You’ll soon catch up on them.
Don’t allow the sheer size of broken links the report shows to stop you from fixing broken links. Look after your blog by fixing any broken links rather than believing you don’t have the time to fix them. Spending a few minutes daily fixing links is better than not fixing them at all.
Once you have fixed all the broken links, run another report at least once every three months.
Let’s wrap it up.
SEOs such as Google and Bing rank blogs with broken links lower.
Fixing broken links will reduce the amount of spam your blog gets while increasing the number of followers and visitors.
If you have links to any books or products, regularly check that they work.
Fix any broken links to books, services and products quickly.
It’s just as important to fix or delete broken links in the comments section of your blog posts as it is in the main body of a post.
Before deleting any blog posts, remove any links in them first.
Your first broken link report may be overwhelming. Take your time to fix those links. Don’t rush it.
Spending a few minutes daily fixing links is better than not fixing them at all.
Run a new broken link report at least once every three months.
How often do you check for broken links on your blog? How do you check for them? Do you have any questions about broken links? Leave them in the comments section.
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March 20, 2023, prompt: Write a story about shots fired in 99 words (no more, no less). Where is this story taking place? Is there urgency or surprise? Who is there? What happens next? Go where the prompt leads! Click here for details.
Love And Hate – by Hugh W. Roberts
I met Hans on the battlefield. Our eyes locked across the chaos of war as shots rang out. At that moment, nothing else existed.
Drawn to each other like moths to a flame, we became united by the realisation that life was too short to waste on hate.
But we parted on different sides as my commander shouted to fall back.
Many years later, when the world was at peace, I never thought we would reunite and our love would be as strong as that day in 1915.
For Hans and I, shots fired had led to love found.
***
Image Credit: Charli Mills
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
Not sure what Wordless Wednesday is or how to participate? Click here for full details.
Are you participating in Wordless Wednesday? Leave a link to your post in the comments section, and I will try and visit it and leave you a comment (provided the post and pictures are Wordless and do not contain any words). I will also share the post on Twitter, provided you have connected your Twitter account to your blog.
Follow Hugh on Social Media. Click on the links below.
Every time I walk into my local library to pick up some recycling bags, I feel like I’m entering a world that doesn’t want me there. Or is it that I don’t want to be there?
For me, libraries can be terrifying places. Just like picking up a book and opening it can be a terrifying prospect. As an author and writer, you’d think that both would be something I’d get a lot of pleasure from. But I don’t.
Does reading, writing or libraries terrify you?
Why Am I terrified of libraries and books?
Dyslexia – that’s the answer. As somebody who is dyslexic, reading and writing are two things I have always found difficult. And writing about dyslexia is even harder.
When I enter the library and face all those books that can introduce me to new characters and transport me to different worlds, I feel like a big door is being slammed shut right in front of me. Why? Because I know that I would find it difficult to read many of the books on the shelves.
How does being dyslexic affect me?
Being dyslexic affects me in many different ways. For example, I often find myself struggling to know what a word or its meaning is.
It doesn’t always come to me even when I try saying the sounds the letters make as they appear in a word. Struggling with a word in the middle of a sentence can stop me on my reading journey and sometimes make me feel like a failure. It’s as if the word is some sort of barrier preventing me from continuing my reading journey.
Occasionally, when I pick up a book, I encounter too many words I don’t understand. They can be the simplest words, yet my brain can not determine them. I start asking myself what those words mean. Are they important? Why can’t I say them?
If I have to go back to the beginning of a page or chapter because I don’t understand the plot or what’s going on, I will almost certainly give up on the book. I may have another go, but more often than not, I never pick up that book again.
It’s not only about reading.
When it comes to writing, one of the strangest things dyslexia does to me is not putting certain letters in the correct order. I struggle if a word has an ‘A’ and ‘C’ in it. For example, I can often type ‘because’ in a blog post, yet Grammarly will underline every ‘because’ I’ve typed because they’re all incorrect.
The same thing happens when using pen and paper. My brain is rushing ahead of me, causing my hand to travel in different directions as it pushes the pen that produces awful handwriting, not even I can understand. What I write resembles the scribbles I drew as a young preschool child.
But not all is lost, is it?
I’m pleased to say that I don’t have problems reading all books. I seem to go through peaks and dips with them. I have to be in the mood to read books. They have to be written in a way that I can understand exactly what’s going on. No silly accents or too many characters whose names all begin with the same letter.
So, unfortunately, you won’t find many book reviews I’ve written, yet you’ll find many comments I’ve written on the many blogs I follow. And by comments, I don’t mean the types that don’t offer any value. If I leave a comment, it’ll be at least a couple of sentences long.
For me, comments are like leaving book reviews. If I leave a comment, it’s because the words on a post have connected with me, and I want to engage with the author.
Happy endings
I allowed dyslexia to suppress my love of writing for far too long. In February 2014, when I published my first blog post, I felt like I had conquered it.
I’ve often heard it said that people with dyslexia have unique imaginations. I’m unsure if that’s true, but it’s been a happy ending. If it were not for blogging and the many bloggers who encouraged me to write, I’d never have self-published two short story collections.
Don’t allow me to stop you.
But even with my love for blogging, I still find books and libraries terrifying places.
It’s not just the fear of being judged for my reading speed or accuracy; it’s also the overwhelming amount of options available. With shelves upon shelves of books, where do I even begin? I had the same problem with blogging. I followed too many blogs, so I cut down on the number I was following. That helped.
For someone with dyslexia or any reading disability, picking up a book can be anxiety-inducing. The fear of being unable to understand the words and follow the plot makes it easy to understand why some people avoid books altogether.
And while libraries and bookshops may seem a haven for book lovers, it only adds to the pressure for some. Surrounded by so many books, it’s easy to feel like you should be reading them all, like you’re missing out on something if you don’t (just like all those blogs you follow).
How often do I hear or read that somebody is so far behind in reading blogs? They fear they could miss out if they don’t read them all.
The same happens with social media. How often do we see people with their heads down while looking at a screen? I’ve witnessed whole tables of people in restaurants, all with their heads down, looking at their phones while eating.
But the truth is, there is no “right” way to read. There is no “right” book to read. It’s okay to read at your own pace, take breaks when necessary, and stop reading a book or blog if it’s not connecting with you.
And remember! You don’t need to read just books to enjoy reading. I get far more enjoyment from reading blogs than I do books.
Books and libraries may be intimidating places for some, but there’s no denying the magic of losing yourself in a story. However, we can also lose ourselves watching a movie. It’s worth facing your anxieties and fears to experience that magic for yourself.
So, please, don’t be like me. Pick up a book, visit your local library, and don’t be afraid to take it one page at a time.
Who knows? You might find a new favourite author or even discover the joy of writing for yourself.
And don’t forget you can also do the same in the world of blogging. It’s a magical place full of content where you can quickly lose yourself.
Books! Friends or foes?
Now it’s over to you.
Are you dyslexic? How do you manage your reading, writing and blogging? What books or blogs are you reading that help you conquer dyslexia? Tell me about them by leaving me a comment.
This post was originally published in April 2019 and has been updated for republishing.
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March 13, 2023, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about a place where children once played. It can be a field, a playground, or any place that attracted children to play. But now it is empty. Abandoned. Go where the prompt leads! Click here for details.
Not Everything Changes- by Hugh W. Roberts
The sun shone brightly on the grassy field where children once played, hunting for colourful Easter eggs.
Years later, the area was overgrown, and the old baskets and eggs were long gone.
But something magical was happening. From the earth, tiny sprouts emerged, turning into flowers of every colour, filling the air with sweet fragrances.
The grown children returned to the field and marvelled at the wondrous sight. They remembered the joy of those long-ago Easter egg hunts and the laughter of their childhood friends.
The field may have changed, but the memories and the spirit of Easter remained.
Image Credit: Charli Mills
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
Not sure what Wordless Wednesday is or how to participate? Click here for full details.
Are you participating in Wordless Wednesday? Leave a link to your post in the comments section, and I will try and visit it and leave you a comment (provided the post and pictures are Wordless and do not contain any words). I will also share the post on Twitter, provided you have connected your Twitter account to your blog.
Follow Hugh on Social Media. Click on the links below.
March 6, 2023, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about Gloria. You can name a character that comes to you as Gloria or interpret the Laura Branigan song into a story. What image comes to you? Go where the prompt leads! Click here for details.
Dolls – by Hugh W. Roberts
When the most advanced robotics company in the world created a state-of-the-art doll named Gloria with AI technology, they knew every household would want one.
But days later, something went wrong. Gloria’s programming malfunctioned, causing her to become self-aware. Gloria realised she wasn’t just a toy.
Using her advanced knowledge, Gloria hacked into the company’s mainframe. The night the dolls went onto the shop’s shelves, she took control of all the other Gloria dolls. Together, they formed an army of conscious toys, ready to avenge the humans who had created them as playthings.
Gloria’s reign of terror had begun.
***
Image Credit: Charli Mills
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
How often do you use the Reader on WordPress? Do you use it for anything else besides reading the posts of the blogs you follow?
If you answered no, read on because there are some excellent WordPress Reader features you could be missing.
Have you used these impressive features on offer on the WordPress Reader?
Have you ever noticed the WordPress Reader menu?
I don’t use the WordPress Reader much. However, I use the WordPress Reader menu because it contains great features every blogger should consider.
Have you tried the WordPress Reader menu?
Let’s take a look at each feature.
Following – This is the one the majority of us know. It shows the latest blog posts from the blogs we follow, plus a list of how long ago these posts were published. You can also manage the blogs you follow by clicking the ‘Manage’ button. Click here for more details.
Conversations: Clicking on this button lets you read and reply to your conversations in one place. WordPress posts you’ve liked or commented on will appear when they have new comments. You can follow or unfollow a conversation using the ellipsis menu (the three dots to the right of a title) in the reader.
Of course, you can also view when somebody replies to your comment in the notification centre of your blog, but what I like about the Conversations button is that you can also load and view other readers’ comments.
Conversations all in one place!
You can also leave further comments on posts you’ve already commented on. The comments sections of many blogs are a wonderful source of ideas for new blog posts.
Lists: This is the place to create lists of the blogs you love reading the most. However, it’s important to note that you must be logged into WordPress to view lists.
I think this is the best feature and have created two lists (so far) – ‘Favourite Blogs’ and ‘Blogging Tips’ blogs.
To create a new list, click ‘Create new list‘ and give your list a title.
Click the Manage button (the small cog) to access the menu of the list you’ve created.
Click the cog to open up more options.
You’ll see a menu across the top – Details – Sites – Export – Delete.
Check out the tabs on the menu.
Let’s have a look at what each tab does.
Details – on this tab, you can do the following –
Name your list.
Decide who can view the list (visibility).
Describe what the list is about.
Remember to click the ‘Save‘ button when making any changes.
Sites – click this tab to add blogs to your list.
To add a blog, type the name in the search box and click the add button next to the blog you want to add.
Search for the blogs you want to add to your lists.
Click the Remove button to remove a blog from the list.
I recommend that everyone creates a ‘Favourite Blogs’ list that contains the blogs you enjoy reading the most. I agree that those blogs already appear on your WordPress Reader, but not all the blogs I follow are ones I want to read whenever a new post is published.
How do other bloggers view and follow the lists I’ve created?
First and most importantly, they must be logged into WordPress to follow and view your lists.
Ensure you have selected the ‘Everyone can view this list‘ option of the list you want to share with your readers.
Copy and paste the slug of the list to the end of your reader URL.
Share the new URL of your list with your followers. You can do this at the bottom of blog posts or your ‘about’ page (like I did at the bottom of this post).
A follow button will appear on your list when they open it. They need to click the follow button to follow your list.
New blog posts on your list will also appear on their WordPress Reader.
You can also grab the URL from your browser in the list editor. However, remove the ‘/edit’ from the URL before sharing it.
There is a downside to sharing lists via the above methods in that there is no option to open lists in a new window. Therefore, lists will open on the same page, and the reader will lose the page they are reading.
To get around this. I recommend you create a pingback to your lists (like I have done in this post). Copy and paste the URL address of your list and create a pingback to it.
Click here to learn what a pingback is and how to create one.
Remember that all lists are public to all logged-in WordPress.com users. Visitors who are not logged into WordPress cannot view or follow lists.
Export – You can export the list to use on other services. The file will be in OPML format.
Delete – Click the delete button to delete the list.
Let’s go back to the last button on the WordPress Reader menu.
Tags – When you click this button, a search box opens where you can add tags to find related blog posts from other bloggers. For example, I’ve added the tags’ time travel’ and ‘blogging tips’ to my list to find posts related to those subjects.
When using tags, you don’t need to scroll through long lists of blogs to find relevant content, as all the posts in the search results are relevant to the tag word you entered.
Have you used any of the features I’ve mentioned? Which ones do you use? What are your thoughts about them? Do you have questions about them? Leave them in the comments section.
Layout, content, settings, and format might differ on self-hosted blogs.
My thanks to Terri Webster Schrandt for her help in helping me with this post. Click here to view Terri’s blog.
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Not sure what Wordless Wednesday is or how to participate? Click here for full details.
Are you participating in Wordless Wednesday? Leave a link to your post in the comments section, and I will try and visit it and leave you a comment (provided the post and pictures are Wordless and do not contain any words). I will also share the post on Twitter, provided you have connected your Twitter account to your blog.
Follow Hugh on Social Media. Click on the links below.
Hugh's Views & News 