Live Writer Tips – Using Windows Live Writer

Welcome back!

As you can tell I like Windows Live Writer. If I didn’t I wouldn’t have created this site. When I first started blogging live writer really simplified blogging for me. I knew how to write and had a vague understanding of WordPress but my coding skills were limited to creating links. And I usually had to look that up before cutting and pasting.

WLW really helped because it made formatting, creating tables, adding video and images a breeze. Things have changed a bit since then. For one thing I know a lot more about WordPress, blogging, and coding now. For another thing WordPress has changed. The WP visual editor is actually very good now. Adding video and photos is not a major ordeal and with the kitchen sink function formatting is fairly easy now too.

I still like WLW but I use it less because the WP interface is easier and I know how to code, for the most part. I also have many sites and after awhile some of them would not work in my live writer interface. I’m not sure if I had a corrupt file or if there is a limit on how many blogs we can have WLW linked to at one time. That being said WLW is still a valuable tool.

In fact I have found a new clever use for it. Even though I know so much more about coding, I still can use some help once in awhile especially when it comes to things like creating tables.  An easy way to use WLW to completely customize your posts. Is to use WLW like an HTML editor. In fact I think this little trick is brilliant and you don’t even have to configure WLW to use it.

Just open WLW and click on the edit tab. Then use the easy to use visual interface to create a page formated with colors, and images, and spaces, and tables and whatever fancy stuff you want. Then click on the source tab and copy everything in that window. Then open WP and click on the HTML tab and paste in the source code you copied from live writer. Now you have a perfectly formatted post. Created by you and coded by live writer.

This works like a charm every time. In fact I even have DreamWeaver and yet it is often easier for me to use this live writer trick to create coded blog posts. Things have come along way and with minimal knowledge we can now make our WP sites look anyway we want them.

Which is great because having the flexibility to make your site look how you want is as flexible as what we do with our sites. Some people blog to share information, or express themselves, or make new friends. Some people create sites to earn extra money or to sale affiliate products.

Often times sites that sale products are review sites. Some of these sites have several posts with reviews of different products. Some of these sites are smaller and focus on just one product. I have a friend who has created one such site. It is for a product called Google Terminator. I don’t really know what this product is about but it is something to do with creating templates for product reviews.

One of the nice things about the Internet is that there is no shortage of information when you are considering purchasing something. Or when you are looking for a solution to your problems.