Hello, and a very warm welcome to my blog.
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. I’ve learned a lot about the world of blogging since I first came here in February 2014. All of the tips and advice I give are free of charge and will cost you nothing apart from a little bit of your time.
I have always enjoyed writing, and the fact I suffer from a mild form of dyslexia has not stopped me from enjoying the passion I have for writing.
Now in my fifties, I thought it about time I let my writing become public. Becoming a blogger seemed to be the perfect way for me to do this. Blogging has put me in touch with hundreds of other writers, many of whom have been supportive and helped me with my writing.
Here is a list of categories I write about on my blog. Click on a category to view all the blog posts under that category.
- Adverts
- App Reviews
- Audio Story Corner
- Awards
- Blog Post Promotions
- Blog Promotions
- Bloggers Bash
- Blogging
- Blogging Tips
- Book Promotions
- Book Reviews
- Cee's Foto Challenge
- Charity Appeal
- Christmas
- Competitions
- Daily Squares
- Events
- Everyday Life
- Fiction
- Flash Fiction
- Flashback Friday
- Glimpses
- Guest Blog Posts
- Guest Bloggers
- Gutenberg – How To
- Humour
- Interviews
- Lens Artist Photo Challenge
- Monthly Wrap-Up
- More Glimpses
- Music
- Photography
- Poetry
- Reviews
- Short Stories
- Social Media
- Sunday Stills Photo Challenge
- Technology
- Television
- The Entertainment Files
- Thursday Doors
- Thursday Doors
- Time Travel
- Toby
- Wordless Wednesday
- Writing
- Writing Competitions
- Writing Prompts
More about Hugh
I lead a happy life and always try to stay positive. I share my life with John, my civil partner, and our two Cardigan Welsh Corgis, Toby and Austin.
Austin and Toby.
You will find some of my short stories and flash fiction on my blog, and I hope you enjoy reading them. Flash Fiction has become a big part of my writing, and I enjoy participating in various writing challenges.
Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint!
Blogging and Social Media Tips
As I mentioned earlier, I also write articles giving free blogging and social media tips. Click on the ‘Blogging Tips’ and ‘Gutenberg – How To’ buttons on the menu bar to access all my articles.
These articles have proved very popular. My free tips are a way of thanking everyone that supports my blog by visiting, reading and commenting on my posts.
If you have any questions about blogging, let me know what they are. I may respond with a brand new post that could feature you and your blog.
Blogging Awards and Tags
As much as I appreciate being nominated for blogging awards and tagged in blog post challenges, I took the decision a few years ago for my blog to become ‘award free’ and to no longer participate in ‘tagging’ challenges on here or on social media.
You can read why I took this decision by clicking here. However, I’d like to thank everybody who has (and who still does) nominated me.
What kind of blogs do I like to read?
If you blog about any of the following subjects, then leave me a link to your blog. I’d love to connect with you and read your posts.
- Blogging tips
- Blogging
- Social media tips
- Writing
- Writing tips
- Photography
- Photography challenges
- Flash fiction
- Flash fiction challenges
- Short stories
- Short story challenges
- Blogging challenges
- LBGT topics
- Science fiction
- Television
- Films/movies
- Technology
- SEO tips
New Column
I’m delighted to announce that I now have my own column (Diversity with a Twist) on the Carrot Ranch blog. Click here to read my first post. I hope you’ll join me and all the other guest columnists there.
My Books
My first collection of short stories is available on Amazon.
Glimpses is available as both a paperback and an eBook and contains 28 short stories and flash fiction full of twists, turns, and unexpected endings. The Kindle version is 99p.
Click the link below to order your copy.
My second collection of short stories and flash fiction, More Glimpses, is now also available on Amazon.
Price cut! – The Kindle version of More Glimpses is now £0.99. The paperback version is now £4.99.
Click here to buy a copy.
Alternatively, contact me to buy a copy.
Latest Interviews with Hugh – Click on the links
The Writer Next Door – Vashti Q
Sunday Blog Magazine – Getting To Know You
Bad Moon Rising – Books And Such
Bad Moon Rising – Books And Such (Oct 2019)
Let’s Get Inspired – Affirmation and Gratitude
Latest Guest Posts by Hugh – Click on the links
Don’t forget to check out the pages on my blog where you’ll find lots more information.
How To Contact Hugh
Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
You can contact me by clicking on the ‘Contact Hugh’ button on the menu bar at the top of my blog.
Thank you for visiting me today.
All photos on this page are copyrighted to ©hughsviewsandnews.com
Copyright © 2021 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.
Greetings, I have to admit I don’t have an “About Me” page as such but after reading your post on this topic and checking out your very enjoyable & informative “Meet Hugh” page it seems I may be missing a trick! I do have two pages that I thought would be an alternative, “Not The Beginning” & “Herstory” .. Do you think adding an “About Me” page would be overkill?. I would really be grateful for your opinion. Regards, Vicki
Hi Vicki, I couldn’t see those two pages on the menu bar of your blog. As most bloggers have either an ‘about me’ page or ‘Meet (name of Blogger),’ I’d recommend you have one and put a link to it on the menubar of your blog. Whenever I want to check out more about a blogger, the first thing I do is look at the menubar of their blog for an ‘about me’ page. If one is not there or I can not find it easily, then I’ll move on quickly.
I hope that helps?
Not a good start if you couldn’t find them! They are listed under “Home” on the menu bar. I guess I could link the other two on the “About Me” post. My thinking was people would be more interested in the family history content than me but your post made me re think this assumption. Many thanks for your help. Vicki
I’d recommend you have them visible on the menubar, Vicki. Makes it easier for visitors to see them straight away rather than have to find them. And as well as having some information about the person behind the blog on the ‘about me’ page, tell visitors a little about what your blog about. Include any links where they can find more information. I guarantee that if they’re interested, they’ll click the links and find out more. And those are the readers we all want. Not the ones that follow a blog and never ever return.
Thank you Hugh. I can see how to these changes will make it easier for the reader to find my “starter” pages. Hopefully it will result in some comments too. Many thanks.
This is a great front page. You have an interesting range of interests.
Thanks, Rob. I think the front page of a blog is so important. Given that it’s one of the most visited pages on my blog, it needs to be interesting and friendly, which I think I managed to include when creating it.
Nice way to introduce yourself. I never gave much thought to about page. Now I will revisit it. Thanks.
You’re welcome and thank you.
This is a lovely way to ‘meet’ you, Hugh and get to learn more about your interests.
Thanks, Jacquie.
Its good to know a little more about you Hugh. Decided to read your ‘About’ page so I knew how much to write in mine. Again, leaving with a lot of useful information. I can’t believe I’ve been wading in the dark for the last 3 years. Finally I see some light. Thank you!
I’m glad to hear that reading my ‘about’ page has helped you in knowing what to add to yours, Smitha. Remember to revisit your ‘about’ page and update it (if it needs updating) at least once every six months. Nobody likes to read out-of-date information and are more likely to leave a blog or website straight away if the information on it is out-of-date or has broken links. The ‘about’ page on many blogs is also one of the most visited pages on a blog, so it needs as much care and attention as the blog post we write publish do.
Thank you Hugh. I just completed updating my ‘About’ page. I hadn’t looked at it during the last two years. Will do it every six months now on. Thank you. I know you don’t like people asking you to check their blogs but I’d really appreciate it if you look in- just once to tell me if I’ve done it right.But I understand if you cannot.
I’ll take a look during the week and let you know, Smitha. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
Thank you so much Hugh. You too have a wonderful weekend.
Hi Smitha, I’ve now had a chance to look at your ‘about’ page.
I’d recommend you get rid of the featured image. It took up the whole of my screen when I first looked at the page (I’m using an iMac desktop computer). I think it much better that visitors see the introduction you’ve written first. After all, you have a photo of yourself on the page anyway.
I’d recommend you put a link to your home page (which I note are your latest blog posts) in the menu bar. I couldn’t find them, and it was only by accident when I click on the title of your blog that I found them. We need to make it easy for visitors to find the essential parts of our blogs.
Fill your widget bar up with some more widgets such as the social media widget that links to your social media accounts so that people can follow you on them too.
I’d add the category widget or (if you are using the Gutenberg Block editor) add the category block to your ‘about’ page. When you add it, the categories load automatically.
There are a few other recommendations, but I’ll let you deal with what I’ve suggested for now.
If you want to come back to me, it’s probably better that you contact me via the ‘Contact Hugh’ link on the menu bar of my blog. That way, these comments won’t appear on my ‘about’ page.
Have a good week.
Thank you so much Hugh for taking the time to check out my blog. I have made the necessary changes as advised by you. Will contact you through the link mentioned. A big thank you again 🙏 🙂
I’ve only now discovered that we live relatively close to each other. I’m near Cardiff airport. When the current crisis is over it would be lovely to meet up over a coffee.
That would be great, Karen. Over the years, I’ve met several bloggers face to face. It’s always lovely to meet in person.
Hope you’re doing ok in the current crisis. Stay safe.
I just mentioned you in my blog post today. Am hesitant to give you the link because I know that’s a no no so I’ll do a tweet with your handle included ….
That’s so very kind, Karen. Thank you so much. Please do leave a link to it here.
Happy to do so Hugh. Here is the post https://bookertalk.com/blogging-expertise-is-just-a-click-away/
Thanks, Karen. I’ve left a comment on the post for you.
Good to “met” you Hugh … terrific looking blog. And so well laid out
Thank you very much for the feedback. Good to meet you too.
Hello Hugh in Swansea, this is Margaret from Chorley, Lancashire.
Really glad to have met you here via Bella on ‘Thoughts n Life’.
Your blog has arrived just at the right time for me on my blogging journey now that I have a better understanding of word press but still feel I am working in the dark.
So much of your down to earth attitude resonates with me and I look forward to further exploring your site.
Take care & thanks again.
Hello Margaret, thank you so much for your lovely comments. My thanks to Bella for sending you over to my blog.
I hope the blogging tips post I publish prove to be helpful on your blogging journey. There is a lot to learn (and I’m still learning), but it’s all great fun.
Happy blogging.
Thank you Hugh for your prompt response and I look forward to perusing your ideas soon.
You’re very welcome, Margaret.