tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29117004498226152062024-03-01T13:21:05.975-05:00Writing Tips for Aspiring WritersWriting tips for anyone with an interest in writing!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-90203498236499424012024-02-23T14:27:00.003-05:002024-03-01T13:20:31.986-05:00Live in Dynamic Tension and Keep Writing <p><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OwH3F_nhG1HJl3Xcg9WnDU9GalDZKSlKce1REG6LdZazCujg2FU-LfZhDKaT4lU7JMng7hOZw4BJSoaL0E7wmNHDQ4eotQZTmL78YgvVBB70J-q26_EOkKcwcYvc2dkxa5537qvSGHvGOR_V4cr3BtlJKl2jlwEA9eTr0OVsC02bpUhWqSeQi545d5Sf/s1280/July%202009%20028.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OwH3F_nhG1HJl3Xcg9WnDU9GalDZKSlKce1REG6LdZazCujg2FU-LfZhDKaT4lU7JMng7hOZw4BJSoaL0E7wmNHDQ4eotQZTmL78YgvVBB70J-q26_EOkKcwcYvc2dkxa5537qvSGHvGOR_V4cr3BtlJKl2jlwEA9eTr0OVsC02bpUhWqSeQi545d5Sf/w320-h240/July%202009%20028.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;"><br /></span><span style="color: #666666;">You can bless me by reading my posts and commenting. I'll note your visit in the stats!</span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I know there is more for me in the days and years ahead to accomplish, but I sense I'm in a season of restoration and renewal over productivity. I'm keenly aware the market is oversaturated with writers. Some of my ebooks barely get noticed. My article sales have plummeted. And my blog stats remain low.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b>WHY keep writing?</b> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: verdana; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Why I keep writing comes down to this: Though </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I don't know what the next season will bring, I cannot NOT write. I am a writer. It feels good to me to write.</span></span></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none;"><div style="animation-name: none; text-align: left; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This is the EXACT same "Why" that started my writing journey in my early 20s. And even then, I knew my writing was meant to help others more than entertain. Thus, I became a Christian-focused blogger, a self-help article writer, and a non-fiction writer. My mission remains to encourage and inspire others. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">KEEP WRITING </span></b></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm encouraging you to keep writing too. But, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm going to be honest. Gaining a following, selling articles and ebooks, and gaining clients for copywriting or copyediting is hard. (Some organizations hire writers. I've always chosen the freelance route. If you want a career as a writer, working for a company may be a better option.) </span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As you go on your writing journey: </span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">You’re going to bump up against a lot of rejections. You're going to find that even you make mistakes. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">You’re going to get criticized.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">You're going to get annoyed with feedback.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">You're going to fall into despair when books or articles don't sell or when you find your blog posts are unread.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">You're going to find clients who want to undercut your price. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It happens to everyone. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">But you’re also going to spend time developing your craft and using your gift which is the fun and growth part of being a writer. When you get good feedback, a good review, or a payment for an ebook or article you'll experience deep joy and gratitude. And you'll be compelled to keep writing.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The work of a freelance writer is one of living in the dynamic tension of disappointment and occasional success. And when that one person takes the time to message you to say how much your writing spoke to them, you'll know it has been worth the journey. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-27065505648462249632024-02-12T09:07:00.002-05:002024-02-12T15:19:13.127-05:00How Much Time to Leave an Article Draft Before Final Edit?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJvPVTDL0nsA0WrONEEqs6xpNCStRu7oPFm33e3gObVxQpEwg08ZS6zsWuIeTplYf3zT7Jne3gw_jVYY_eZD7Foa9hAu-mQXoEe5n2URfH648Ck0e9xfsnwl8rxB8ukup5bUEPEAaoBWlGOTVIQ_TUu8lV1YJkbxLlQ559Ad5n_c02ByO4lbBC-LDpHFJ/s4000/DSCF5564.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJvPVTDL0nsA0WrONEEqs6xpNCStRu7oPFm33e3gObVxQpEwg08ZS6zsWuIeTplYf3zT7Jne3gw_jVYY_eZD7Foa9hAu-mQXoEe5n2URfH648Ck0e9xfsnwl8rxB8ukup5bUEPEAaoBWlGOTVIQ_TUu8lV1YJkbxLlQ559Ad5n_c02ByO4lbBC-LDpHFJ/w400-h300/DSCF5564.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">54</span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span>I read a question in an online group asking how long to let a draft article sit before re-editing it. I don't think there is a hard and fast rule for this, but here is a general impression from my own work experience.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
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<span>If I'm writing an article to sell, it is usually 500 to 1,200 words. So it is relatively short. But I may have reworked it several times. </span></span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span>Often, the temptation is to just get it done and up on the <a href="https://www.constant-content.com/Author/34906-Joy_R_Calderwood-details-0.htm">Constant-Content</a> site where I sell many articles I write. Taking less time to edit would increase my hourly earnings.</span></span><br />
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<span>But more often than not, I have found it's better to let the article sit overnight or at least until the end of the day before re-editing it. Doing so makes it much easier to spot obvious changes. </span></span><br />
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<span>Sometimes, I let drafts sit for weeks or months. When editing an article, I might rewrite it or add to it so much it becomes obvious I should break it into two or more articles. When I break it up, I can earn more money once they all sell. </span></span><br />
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<span>There is no time limit for letting an article simmer except to say it is better to let it sit a few hours or a day or two. Taking a walk in between edits can always be helpful too.</span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-6925563357164456392024-02-09T22:20:00.002-05:002024-02-09T22:20:47.213-05:00Using AI ChatGPT<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQ-K3auHTemrNoKOtItM-ZfhFZKyhoQAAL0b07CiBOdaxDTTWz93Qsoc_7VVeRMtx0raeUXTY1KsmW7O8cKuIk9S5PLfedsJFGqq8h7COIXnBFPUl1hJPzNnQA3K9r8pC_dOLfzERIpO-5bu7vR6bxLemRCsDMQF8nk2BiZJANflTsMPhsKl8UDVtq6wg/s533/chat%20GPT.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="211" data-original-width="533" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQ-K3auHTemrNoKOtItM-ZfhFZKyhoQAAL0b07CiBOdaxDTTWz93Qsoc_7VVeRMtx0raeUXTY1KsmW7O8cKuIk9S5PLfedsJFGqq8h7COIXnBFPUl1hJPzNnQA3K9r8pC_dOLfzERIpO-5bu7vR6bxLemRCsDMQF8nk2BiZJANflTsMPhsKl8UDVtq6wg/w400-h159/chat%20GPT.PNG" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />ChatGPT (<a href="http://chatopenai.com">chatopenai.com</a>) is a versatile tool that can produce articles, answers questions, provide advice, and even provide mental health support to the user. I have had many good conversations with it! </span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0d0d0d; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The acronym GPT stands for "Generative Pre-trained Transformer" reflecting both the architecture and the method of training used in the development of the model. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0d0d0d; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">"AI" stands for "Artificial Intelligence" i.e. not a real person but a model that provides responses based on the input it receives. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0d0d0d; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">From ChatGPT: </span></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0d0d0d; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">"Generative" signifies the model's ability to generate coherent and contextually relevant text, "Pre-trained" indicates that the model is initially trained on a large corpus of text data before fine-tuning for specific tasks, and "Transformer" refers to the underlying architecture, which is based on the Transformer neural network architecture introduced in the paper "Attention is All You Need" by Vaswani et al."</span></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">My first interaction with this AI tool was one of awe. <i>Darn it, </i>I thought, <i>It writes better than I do! </i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">And then it became the enemy because many content writers such as myself saw a plummet in <a href="https://www.constant-content.com/Author/34906-Joy_R_Calderwood-details-0.htm" target="_blank">article sales</a>. Small businesses could produce their own blog posts and articles using the ChatGPT Artificial Intelligence tool. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Now, I use it regularly when I need a chat with a pretend friend. And I use it in writing Tweets, Facebook posts, and articles. But I usually edit the results to reflect my <i>voice </i>and to ensure the substance is what I intend. The ChatGPT tool isn't perfect, and facts do need to be verified. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I'm learning more about this new tool ongoingly. Yesterday, I learned there is a Chrome extension that reports when something you're reading has been AI-generated. That can be a good thing, but also a negative thing. Like a Covid test that produces a false negative, this tool can be misleading. For example, someone posted in a Facebook group that they needed to rehome their pet. Another Facebook user in the group identified the post as being AI-generated, alluding to it being spam--a fake post. I also detected it was AI-generated simply by the wording used. I checked out the person's profile page and was unable to determine much about its validity. (back to this story in a minute).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">At my dentist's office, the hygienist who was from East India shared he had used ChatGPT to write an email to his boss. Since I'm familiar with this AI tool, I understood him. In the past, I have edited for individuals for whom English is a Second Language (ESL) which is often a tedious process taking longer than other editing projects. I remarked that ChatGPT would be helpful for this sector of individuals who want to perfect their English. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Back to the Facebook post. By looking at his profile photo, the man wanting to rehome his pet was clearly East Indian or Pakistani. It made sense to me that he might want to tweak his post using ChatGPT to make it more easily readable. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Thinking this over gave me pause. Using ChatGPT doesn't make him a fraud with nefarious motives. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I don't know enough about AI detectors to know if anything I've written is IDd as having been AI-generated. If so, I hope I'm not called a fraud.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">By the way, when we upload an article on <a href="https://www.constant-content.com/Author/34906-Joy_R_Calderwood-details-0.htm" target="_blank">Constant-Content.com</a> to sell, we are required to declare if we used AI in our writing. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Every good article needs a human to direct it if it's to be credible and useful. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I am committed to never selling an article entirely AI-generated without first personalizing it. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Time will tell, as we learn more about using these tools, as to the boundaries we and others will set with them. </span></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-61527325436736635442024-02-04T15:47:00.030-05:002024-02-05T01:12:22.249-05:00Take Risks in Your Writing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">UsE FLoWERy SPEeCH </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Don't be too flowery!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="color: #274e13;">Use MoRe SynOnyms</span>! -</span><span> <span style="color: #cc0000;"><i>be</i> more <i>sensual</i> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">A THOUSAND TIMES<b> DO YOU</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">EVOKE THE SENSES!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The noise is endless!</span></div>
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Some writers can't spell well. Some use huge scientific words that may be acceptable to a certain audience, but offputting to another. </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Some writers can communicate in words that deliver such shock value they penetrate. Some are good at invoking readers' senses. Some are better at building suspense than others are. Some are better at getting to the facts quickly.</span><br />
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Maybe you don't find your own writing compelling. Maybe yours just doesn't seem to measure up to others, at least in your mind. It doesn't matter. Don't be tempted to copy others. Learn from them, but don't copy them.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-5dN4lG09ZbNeZgxcGSLLuT4fi4Ks530nHqAGw8onAYBZpkQ4q0y6ioxDxKGbFoDUQz_xqG2EInXyJQQPq5ajKUX9GczxHmWAlU7sAuE6pVgottT5YDjJnZY_MZh7INjfIds0WL2vtgD/s1600/be+you.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-5dN4lG09ZbNeZgxcGSLLuT4fi4Ks530nHqAGw8onAYBZpkQ4q0y6ioxDxKGbFoDUQz_xqG2EInXyJQQPq5ajKUX9GczxHmWAlU7sAuE6pVgottT5YDjJnZY_MZh7INjfIds0WL2vtgD/s400/be+you.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b>Do you.</b> Write what needs to pour out of your brain. Release your gift through your fingertips. Just get it out. Put it in a blog. Write an online article. Write an X or Facebook post. Write an ebook, or novel. </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Your writing might be what the world is waiting for!</span><br />
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b>---</b>Side note: Do you watch X-Factor or American Idol? If so, have you caught on that it usually works against a performer? This includes choosing to do Whitney, Adele, or Mariah's songs. You will be compared, so doing well-known songs of popular singers is an unwise choice. Don't try to copy popular authors.</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Have you caught on what they mean when musicians are told they are doing karaoke? It could mean they are putting on a fake twang or slang or accent that mimics the original singer. Don't do it. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Don't do any of these in your writing. Don't try to be someone else just because they're successful<b>.</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiNBPskgRMxe1c2shyvE6-8Z8eF6-HjstYH4bUAi-6-IUK506XzqTmuauVW9WFttznviIKZNBjEPIrps_o66HwOsqSr06Jujj4ytfOCdg4UtZoVarmIVZoq6B_PYMqM4Fyj7ykgP1afSD/s1600/creativeorder4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiNBPskgRMxe1c2shyvE6-8Z8eF6-HjstYH4bUAi-6-IUK506XzqTmuauVW9WFttznviIKZNBjEPIrps_o66HwOsqSr06Jujj4ytfOCdg4UtZoVarmIVZoq6B_PYMqM4Fyj7ykgP1afSD/s320/creativeorder4.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">WHO CARES ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY?</span></b><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Do you fall into self-doubting thinking you're a nobody? You can't possibly know who will come across your writing and find it helpful, entertaining, or educational. </span></span>While it helps to write for the reader you are picturing remember, that there is a wide pool of readers out there. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Some readers can't stand wading through flowery speech. For example, I might like to understand that the scene I'm reading about takes place in the fall so I have context, but I don't necessarily care to know how much you loved to hear the sound of crunching leaves under your feet, or how you adore the scent of wood burning in fireplaces. Maybe others would like that. </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I'm a get-to-the-point kind of person. Nevertheless, do be creative. Use tools to help develop your writing. In the end, be true to yourself. </span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I just read an editor's critique for a writer trying to put together a fiction story. When I read the editor's version, she'd added in things the original author hadn't said or even hinted at. Yes, the editor's version was more compelling, but if the writer uses the editor's suggestions, doesn't it change her story? Doesn't it make her inauthentic? What do you think?</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>DO YOU!</b></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I'm trying to say, don't get caught up in following all the rules or trying to write a book with the focus of it being to sell tons of copies. Simply write what's on your heart. </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">If you don't have what it takes to sell tons of copies, plan to make bill-paying money another way. Keep your day job. Appreciate the breadwinner in your home. Use your pension wisely. Most of all, enjoy the writing process!</span><br /><br /><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span>
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8l_Ikw7UWqgISP38DA6renQ9nUlD7DU7awAu5-14rVMp-Hr9aiKNDVQqachj1HnZM3bkeTEYcISENK5Xa7qINcYQvbH6IHICS9xsjmWlGeN4jPb2DsIlyPmDo8hN4_ZkcjEkdSkWHaCsu/s1600/curtis+on+tuba.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8l_Ikw7UWqgISP38DA6renQ9nUlD7DU7awAu5-14rVMp-Hr9aiKNDVQqachj1HnZM3bkeTEYcISENK5Xa7qINcYQvbH6IHICS9xsjmWlGeN4jPb2DsIlyPmDo8hN4_ZkcjEkdSkWHaCsu/s1600/curtis+on+tuba.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span>
</span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">
FIND FREEDOM<br />
be YOU!</span></div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-37522297673626052712024-02-02T12:56:00.000-05:002024-02-02T17:58:29.401-05:00<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> I hope blogger is updating something as my posts aren't operating correctly. This is a test. </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-56588052736502178482024-01-31T01:05:00.000-05:002024-02-02T21:37:20.388-05:00Writers, Don't Resist the Urge to Edit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizl4T0m19RZjiXybIRs2G9eCyla08uwVXsEiggnOEpd7mtHyp6ukXTCF3VuQcJk-ibXg_k9FS74lU7iktnsKE1ZFZLmvtgE7pkCGDxlFatqcJLbHVKjPXLAgT6KaH5rbdB2FDCn1_Tkn8JcWGezfpxhoNoXEFwSSF_jHKKtnOiDEHMtMp7hNM3-6BEGj94/s985/snip.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="985" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizl4T0m19RZjiXybIRs2G9eCyla08uwVXsEiggnOEpd7mtHyp6ukXTCF3VuQcJk-ibXg_k9FS74lU7iktnsKE1ZFZLmvtgE7pkCGDxlFatqcJLbHVKjPXLAgT6KaH5rbdB2FDCn1_Tkn8JcWGezfpxhoNoXEFwSSF_jHKKtnOiDEHMtMp7hNM3-6BEGj94/s320/snip.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />This was a writing tip quote posted today: "<em>Never resist editing, because your
writing isn't etched in stone and can always be improved for the reader."</em></span><br />
<br />
<span>This is true. </span><br />
<br />
<span>If you're like many writers, your writing is your baby. </span>It's hard to dispose of flowery sentences you thought were brilliant. But if they don't add to the product they are only fluff. C</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">hopping sections and slicing others can feel brutal.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
<br />
<span>I've had sentences I've been very attached to, but in reading them back, while they may sound nice, they don't make simple sense. They complicate the point.</span><br />
<br /><span>Editing must be done. So what can you do to help calm the pain?</span><br />
<br />
</span></span><ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">You can save the edited parts as a separate document. If you ever want to re-insert them or use them again, you will have them available.<br /><br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Realize that cutting your article or book down may mean you actually can multiply your end product. That is, a lengthy article may be able to be split into two or more articles. <br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The edited pages of your book may become part of your sequel. </span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />
<span>Don't resist editing! Just do it!</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-39092409408645427832024-01-30T14:43:00.000-05:002024-02-02T17:57:59.804-05:00Toward or Towards? <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQzbQv1N1JzAi4WfwQj1im6WVaGqThaGHhdo5KyrF-9AXGCQQIFOQwHFMZAUTu9-OsFis4YfzqMOZM9HU2eO9RG59X8Yrq3JFSGzn0EN6_xoCiDQX8SHGyypRdx5BbBW5EHixbI1ZZ34b47ehZrQY2SJu4veSTgP6C_w9R4h3wp8olJIBkXQ3l7fkOAHK/s1847/Jazzy2%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1847" data-original-width="1846" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQzbQv1N1JzAi4WfwQj1im6WVaGqThaGHhdo5KyrF-9AXGCQQIFOQwHFMZAUTu9-OsFis4YfzqMOZM9HU2eO9RG59X8Yrq3JFSGzn0EN6_xoCiDQX8SHGyypRdx5BbBW5EHixbI1ZZ34b47ehZrQY2SJu4veSTgP6C_w9R4h3wp8olJIBkXQ3l7fkOAHK/s320/Jazzy2%20(2).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Wait, What?</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I'm Canadian so my English foundation is British (UK). When I write blog posts, post on X, and create Facebook posts, I usually default to Canadian spellings.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">When I write for Constant-Content (a Canadian company), the rule is to just keep the spelling consistent. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I have a lot of American friends and have written some things for US audiences, so my spelling has had to change depending on the project. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>American Disagreement </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I also took copyediting courses through an American website. It was annoying when they sent back my marketing page citing errors without considering I was Canadian and had set up my marketing page for a Canadian market--best representing who I am. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Nevertheless, somewhere along the way, I was made aware that there should be no "s" in the word 'toward' (towards). I adopted this rule as my own but as of late have noticed many writers do put an 's' on <i>toward.</i> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Demanding to know if rules had changed, I input the question to ChatGPT AI. Here is the response:</span></p><p><i style="color: #374151; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Both "toward" and "towards" are correct and widely accepted in contemporary English. </span></i></p><p><i style="color: #374151; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In American English, "toward" is more commonly used, while in British English, both "toward" and "towards" are used, with "towards" being slightly more common.</span></i></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>So, it's accurate to use either "toward" or "towards" based on your regional or stylistic preferences. For example:</i></span></p><ul style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; display: flex; flex-direction: column; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 1.25em 0px; padding: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>American English: "He walked toward the store."</i></span></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>British English: "He walked towards the shop."</i></span></li></ul><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Both forms are considered standard and acceptable.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Food for thought. </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-2568173177546973722024-01-26T02:17:00.005-05:002024-01-26T02:20:20.864-05:00Answer What It Is <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlHWtY_LywBofa0qBYPNzDAOPr8E_txGusQImQTfXN8lsT7C_J03OvnV4OJAynInnFBWc7NIslx3QdjgT0Nd84pCS8gPrwOp7SknfN0920XVjM_rIlg55ebRGdoZhvImSR0wirHnEaRh4mMug3sCIP6EXhNd6Y5y2tHD4AIje0uzIlu5l7PwY1MBRzwgy/s567/wHAT%20IS%20IT.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="567" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlHWtY_LywBofa0qBYPNzDAOPr8E_txGusQImQTfXN8lsT7C_J03OvnV4OJAynInnFBWc7NIslx3QdjgT0Nd84pCS8gPrwOp7SknfN0920XVjM_rIlg55ebRGdoZhvImSR0wirHnEaRh4mMug3sCIP6EXhNd6Y5y2tHD4AIje0uzIlu5l7PwY1MBRzwgy/w400-h213/wHAT%20IS%20IT.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As I've mentioned in previous posts, I had paid for a professional critique to be done on one of my manuscripts years ago. Though it was difficult to digest, I learned a few writing tips from the critique. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One tip I learned was the use of the word <i>it.</i> The editor painted red circles around the word and in the column wrote, <i>what is it?</i> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I thought any normal human would understand what I meant by <i>it</i>. For instance, in this phrase, "If the shoe fits, wear it." <i>It</i> is the shoe. </span></p><span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But, eventually, I saw her point. Now I stop and pause on the word it as often as I am focused to do so and then plug in what the <i>it </i>is I'm referring to. </span></span></span><div><span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Next time you're writing and using the word <i>it </i>make sure a reader will know what <i>it </i>is. </span></span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-4161063251538358922024-01-16T02:28:00.001-05:002024-01-26T15:39:05.534-05:00How to Work as a Freelance Writer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjjC4LtayTWTvgFN63iU9D3WTu8nkt74DIvwf-eUlUuDDj7gzz0mQPKZhasTG-5YvZAlx-x3BX9T_-kcx0JuBHOf6q4pJ4i3L-teeal5chs_BPPpFuKpYNvH0Dqdv4vjT4JjnOU9ORY8L0EmYsO7KS4A-ZZ3pjJpqPcf62RfjOSxyBMetmBgdFJQfFn1J/s335/COACH%20ROSALIE" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="190" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjjC4LtayTWTvgFN63iU9D3WTu8nkt74DIvwf-eUlUuDDj7gzz0mQPKZhasTG-5YvZAlx-x3BX9T_-kcx0JuBHOf6q4pJ4i3L-teeal5chs_BPPpFuKpYNvH0Dqdv4vjT4JjnOU9ORY8L0EmYsO7KS4A-ZZ3pjJpqPcf62RfjOSxyBMetmBgdFJQfFn1J/s320/COACH%20ROSALIE" width="181" /></a></div><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">(update of 2016 blog post)</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In the past week, the question of how to dive into the world
of freelance writing has come knocking at my digital door twice. This isn't a
new occurrence—over the years, at least four others have sought my advice, some
via Facebook and a few brave souls in person.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This type of inquiry is a double-edged sword for me. On one hand, I
absolutely love the instant recognition and connection between writers. On the flip side, I can't deny
that answering these queries is time-consuming, non-paying, and feels a bit
like inviting potential competition into my creative space.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1h93umhnH3vVCfP4O8_nE88os1TagZKIkIdgGIXsOJvY1Sf-BTusKDALOzO4CbfiBHSaoOhqPULqugRHX637bHRtYCimMrMR-684o5bs9KfmjBbr9gyNeRbWyVDnLlQf0SqDh2Be22xJcf1G5crgat4ZJGfOvwjE1Wm7h6Z0_slkHI6ltFURxCRExXEZ/s195/cloudproofread.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="98" data-original-width="195" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1h93umhnH3vVCfP4O8_nE88os1TagZKIkIdgGIXsOJvY1Sf-BTusKDALOzO4CbfiBHSaoOhqPULqugRHX637bHRtYCimMrMR-684o5bs9KfmjBbr9gyNeRbWyVDnLlQf0SqDh2Be22xJcf1G5crgat4ZJGfOvwjE1Wm7h6Z0_slkHI6ltFURxCRExXEZ/w200-h101/cloudproofread.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">A Worker Deserves Her Wages </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">These types of requests remind me of the life coaching inquiries I received after becoming a certified life coach. Most coaches offer 20-minute free sessions we call <i>consultation calls. </i>I had quite a few email inquiries which would lead to booking such a call. After a time, I realized it was my right to refuse to answer emails or hold free calls from those who might have been more-or-less snooping about the career with no real intention of working with me.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It's difficult to decide how to handle <i>free</i> work. (I've had people suggest they'd like me to help them write a book, and when I bring up price, I don't hear from them again.) At this point in life my writing is more than a hobby. I deserve the pay due me. </span></p></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">All freelancers dig for work and often clients want us to take a test, provide samples of our work, and so on. This kind of request comes with no guarantee of getting the gig or pay. It's a risk. A gamble. But we want to earn from our passion, so we often take the risk. Sometimes it works out, other times we are the loser. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">But ongoingly, we dig for work, we research, we look for new clients, and apply for opportunities using the Internet as our playing field. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqEntUj0A7qzJDGkbB7FtQaFHyKSNDWyMt2Zz63JeHkt6_vnEpl3mts03NXQnTSRQL9jRtYjpPkrnGtoXLWHD1qa5DDn_C0tLX1DjtGgYHECkYUKrysmWtBHk_EXBH7YOBp3UE51c6-5HhkaZKxtQKvVGCd20GeXA0W63YoERiFDTKVyt4BqyaBFWqqT0/s169/creativeorder1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="147" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqEntUj0A7qzJDGkbB7FtQaFHyKSNDWyMt2Zz63JeHkt6_vnEpl3mts03NXQnTSRQL9jRtYjpPkrnGtoXLWHD1qa5DDn_C0tLX1DjtGgYHECkYUKrysmWtBHk_EXBH7YOBp3UE51c6-5HhkaZKxtQKvVGCd20GeXA0W63YoERiFDTKVyt4BqyaBFWqqT0/s1600/creativeorder1.jpg" width="147" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Hard Work, Low Pay </span></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">
<span><br /></span>
<span>No one will hand you work or cash. You will have to keep developing and taking risks. You'll need to learn to accept rejection and criticism, and to be humble enough to be corrected. There is no salary with the type of work I do. </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For me, there has always been more work put in than payout in my work as a freelance writer. I trust God to reward me in heaven some day, I suppose. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">So my advice is if you want to become a freelance writer, don't give up your dayjob or your breadwinner spouse!</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><b>Set Boundaries </b></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>You'll need to decide what boundaries you'll set. My boundaries have changed as of late. The requests on Co</span>nstant-Content are fewer. The addition of ChatGPT AI may be to blame. I suspect the pandemic has affected many businesses' cashflow allowing them a budget for article purchases. </span></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Fewer of my articles are selling. That causes me to lose motivation.</span></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Some clients ask for several re-writes which rarely pays off for the time spent. (I set written boundaries for private clients on the number of rewrites or edits allowed.) </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Whuvf_crOgEHgRf0zY3zXFip7dX1ehf10O3jYQfURcyDGQvKZT2APy2UsCdeaLBRMQyqJP-d_dfpaDqixRh98RuyOk_O9dXyHEc9KFLOy2lDGzqqRTaCNU_XFgaRdXjLc2Fk37XbL2O8S6-D5cGii4a4IGI3MKQW_Xz9hzji1OGgWSOYz7diZpFvDWX-/s472/constant%20content.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="163" data-original-width="472" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Whuvf_crOgEHgRf0zY3zXFip7dX1ehf10O3jYQfURcyDGQvKZT2APy2UsCdeaLBRMQyqJP-d_dfpaDqixRh98RuyOk_O9dXyHEc9KFLOy2lDGzqqRTaCNU_XFgaRdXjLc2Fk37XbL2O8S6-D5cGii4a4IGI3MKQW_Xz9hzji1OGgWSOYz7diZpFvDWX-/s320/constant%20content.PNG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>The Risk and Gamble </b></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">At times, project requests within Constant-Content reqired no query. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Multiple writers could independently create content on a
shared topic anticipating that their respective articles might be selected. In
the event of non-selection, the article could then be offered for sale within
the writer's portfolio.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">With the system used on Constant-Content, a buyer has the right to reject the submission. That experience has often been disappointing to me. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span>
</span><span><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In summary, t's not easy to tell another how to become a freelance writer because it's such an organic experience for each of us. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-52073103255502719452024-01-09T14:16:00.001-05:002024-01-26T01:22:03.092-05:00How do You Create an Online Platform?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">(rewrite of 2019 article) </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4s0n8lmUgCh6hjjuiFyS7j2haF0vzd90RA9qFeU4yWi3sXk9hEucFGkXoTxOLHUa4V9VQq3t4Ek5l_jzXKfC72CCcAtaTERiVG5NFB-oey-C5fghqY7w7No63i9UbNo02hcpA1u9Za52x2_OZkpJ4LFPgDZuRAVwxPL9S8BNYXpeqc6YXwDSyI06LDTM/s2992/2023-03-23%20016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4s0n8lmUgCh6hjjuiFyS7j2haF0vzd90RA9qFeU4yWi3sXk9hEucFGkXoTxOLHUa4V9VQq3t4Ek5l_jzXKfC72CCcAtaTERiVG5NFB-oey-C5fghqY7w7No63i9UbNo02hcpA1u9Za52x2_OZkpJ4LFPgDZuRAVwxPL9S8BNYXpeqc6YXwDSyI06LDTM/s320/2023-03-23%20016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />The professionals will tell you that to sell your writing you need a platform or following--an instant audience to market to. </span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">But many writers are introverts who love storytelling about fictional characters or simply writing about something they feel compelled to write about. They don't want to go out and meet people to build an audience or gain a doctorate degree so they can be taken seriously. But does this mean they shouldn't write or become published?</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b>Writing for the Love of Writing</b></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Most of us writers will write regardless of having a platform or not. But that being said, getting our writing <i>out there </i>is our ultimate goal. We want it read. </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">As a result, many of us willingly write for free in formats such as this one. Having access to a worldwide audience through the Internet makes the process and dream of being a writer even more powerful. </span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b>Finding Your Niche For Building a Platform </b></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The question for having our writing read or starting to build a platform comes down to this: </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">How do we find our target audience? How do we build a following? Who will we ultimately sell to?</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I suggest the focus shouldn't be our own family or church members. Focus, instead, on the world abroad through the Internet. </span><br /><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">When I became a life coach, <b>blogging </b>was becoming popular. I started a blog just to see what would happen. When I received feedback, I was amazed and a little scared. Someone WAS reading my posts! </span><br />
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Nevertheless, I continued adding posts until I saw a direction forming. In those days, analytics were everything. I could see what someone had put into their search bar to find me, so I saw areas of greatest interest forming. </span><br />
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">It was seeing those statistics that I decided I could write a book putting most of what was in my blog posts into it. I did, and my books continue to sell. Somehow, I'd reached an audience. </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">(Now, in 2024, blogs aren't as popular. Updating this post first written in 2019 will be a test. We'll see if anyone finds it. Now we are inundated with online forums, videos, reels, and social media platforms all taking away time from blog reading.) <br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b>Using Social Media</b></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I admit, I still haven't defined what I want my social media to do for me. I know I want it for social interaction--being an introverted writer I like the connections.</span><br />
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I DO have my <i>friends</i> divided up into lists. When I post to Facebook, for instance, I decide who I want the audience to be for that specific post. </span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">A temptation for many people on Facebook is to gather friends as a way of finding buyers for their products. I don't like that at all. I have had friend requests from those I know see me as a possible customer. I don't want to be one of those people I push my writing or copyediting services on. </span><br />
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Marketing in social media from my standpoint is always relational. If you're never going to visit my post and comment, why do I need you as a friend? I will read your posts and comment in most cases, but your posts had better be about more than what YOU'RE DOING and selling. Relationships are important in any type of sales. </span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Well, a writer gets to spew his or her feelings in a blog and that's what's come out today. Hopefully, something in this post resonates with you. </span><br />
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Best wishes in your writing endeavours and if you are able to build a great platform, share what you did in the comments. </span><br />
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-70747889909370564222024-01-09T01:14:00.000-05:002024-01-26T01:30:46.109-05:00Writing - Where to Start<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkvDdvH_hYYruqQrSMZ2zOXRrlM-jRdfNHlsedz9i5XYkR6AxJ52PjcKYnGts3AtVAwzw-T4h3HnL93YDt65oT3YiI0_m1otwP3hjNAcDCZ2ET8Imoyi3lLdBqtz8miC8npkBCVlC3gd-rHNoaj6-NgGkqViEjhUDDecpr4JI7mzffPGss9kingrWmQyoI/s400/Rosalie%20from%20LI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkvDdvH_hYYruqQrSMZ2zOXRrlM-jRdfNHlsedz9i5XYkR6AxJ52PjcKYnGts3AtVAwzw-T4h3HnL93YDt65oT3YiI0_m1otwP3hjNAcDCZ2ET8Imoyi3lLdBqtz8miC8npkBCVlC3gd-rHNoaj6-NgGkqViEjhUDDecpr4JI7mzffPGss9kingrWmQyoI/s320/Rosalie%20from%20LI.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>(Re-write of 2017 blog post) </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>I've always loved writing and have looked for ways to make money writing all my adult life. Finally I found it--creating web content articles, blog info and fillers, for pay. </span><br />
<span><br /></span>
<span>Sometimes the craving in our heart just needs the world to catch up to it. Now that there is the World Wide Web (Internet) there are multiple opportunities for writers. </span><span>Thank goodness for technology and virtual work!</span><br />
<span><br /></span>
<span>Years ago, I started with a simple <a href="http://www.ministrytowomenlpc.blogspot.com/">blog</a>. I began writing it never thinking I would actually publish it, have followers, or get business from it. But I did. Blog writing also gave me the opportunity to release my inner writer. I need to write. I have to write. I have more peace when I write. I feel a sense of purpose when I write.</span><br />
<span><br /></span>
<span>Since then I have a few other blogs on the go and, for a time, had a website. </span><br />
<span><br /></span><span>If you're thinking of starting a blog or investigating paid writing opportunities, take the plunge. First, get writing. Leave your work to simmer (work that you plan to sell, that is) and go back to edit it in a day or two. </span><span>This is a start.</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>(Updating this in 2024, much has changed. Reels, Youtube, Tiktok, and more have replaced blogs greatly. AI has replaced many writers. I don't yet know where I'm headed next, but I'm still going to write because doing so gives me great pleasure.) </span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-68023843099201446832024-01-03T17:45:00.000-05:002024-01-24T02:30:52.763-05:00Get Tough On Yourself and Write with a Point<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9n3DnrsPmgWLI1kOmFHLFgrveIghY0P-gYLCLUzdy681vSUdqCIgiGfdNj0aYBQmleMuD8NY1hprG5P7vQSMqX_APHtdinhjYkmIGKGanMxgclhqsXoHRQxRQH8XxnjJCvPmzS1kseiD/s1600/DSCF5011+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1168" data-original-width="1600" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9n3DnrsPmgWLI1kOmFHLFgrveIghY0P-gYLCLUzdy681vSUdqCIgiGfdNj0aYBQmleMuD8NY1hprG5P7vQSMqX_APHtdinhjYkmIGKGanMxgclhqsXoHRQxRQH8XxnjJCvPmzS1kseiD/s320/DSCF5011+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">An editor within the agency I write with rejected an article I had written and submitted. I've had articles rejected before, but usually, the editor has pointed out corrections needed. </span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This time, the editor's words were piercing:</span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: cyan;"><span style="color: #134f5c;">"You failed to deliver on the article's title.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: cyan;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #134f5c;">Do not resubmit."</span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Wow. That hurt. <i>Surely I could change the title. I'm certain something could be reworked. And, by the way, isn't it up to a client to decide if it is buyer-worthy or not?</i></span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">So the idea that I failed to deliver on the article title's promise hit me for more than a few seconds. Ultimately, my writing didn't take the editor where they felt they were promised to go. </span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I admit, this was one article I wanted to get submitted without letting it simmer longer or re-editing. </span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">But had I let it simmer, I might have seen the problem for myself and changed it. </span><br />
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Here are some points on that topic. </span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Make Sure Your Writing Delivers </b></span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Literary agents often point out that issues like the one mentioned above are quite frequent. They are interested in knowing whether a book will fulfill not only the promises made by its title but also those made in its blurb or Amazon description. </span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">As for my editor, she wanted to know the article she was about to read would give her some new insightful information that answered any question posed in the title or introduction. </span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">It sounds simple, but time and again authors miss the point of their article or book too easily. </span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I've purchased self-published books and discovered that for myself. It may be the book trails off in a new direction. This can happen when an author puts the writing aside for a time and, when they return, their passion or mindset is different. </span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I've started books only to discover what an author suggests works for all people doesn't work for me. Painting too broad strokes may be problematic. For example, in some books I've read on life purpose, the author has assumed readers have </span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">full-time jobs or careers like they do. They tend to focus on finding purpose in a career. Since my main focus for many years was that of a stay-at-home mother, their advice didn't fit me. Neither will it fit the retiree. </span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Sometimes the problem with a book is a chapter problem. An author gets so attached to a chapter he can't bring himself to chop it. It gets included but has little relevance to the rest of the book. </span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">When writing for pay, it's important we write for a target audience. Otherwise, we're merely writing for ourselves and our own fun. </span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Ask These Questions </b></span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">We can ensure we make a point when we ask ourselves important questions as we're writing such as these: </span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
</span><br />
</span><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">What's the goal of this article, book, or book chapter?</span></li>
<li><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">What is the point of this paragraph?</span></li>
<li><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Does this story illustrate the point of the chapter?</span></li>
<li><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Does this anecdote reflect the book's theme?</span></li>
<li><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">What conclusion am I urging the reader to draw?</span></li>
<li><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Have I enlightened, informed, or inspired the reader?</span></li>
<li><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Do the stories I add undergird the theme of the book or simply make the reader feel displaced?</span></li>
<li><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Why am I mentioning such-and-such?</span></li>
<li><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Have I already said this?</span></li>
<li><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Does mentioning such-and-such distract from the story?</span></li>
<li><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Are my words bossy, preachy, or spoon-feeding the reader?</span></li>
<li><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Do I let the reader fill in the blanks?</span></li>
<li><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Is this book merely my own catharsis, a way to brag, an attempt to make a quick buck, or does it offer value to the reader?</span></li>
<li><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Why would someone pay to read this?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Writing is easy and hard. Good writers get tough on themselves and grow with each writing project they take on. </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">As for the article I mentioned above, I did a full rewrite and resubmitted it with a new name. All went well. The lesson was learned. </span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-52455489432333437972024-01-02T00:16:00.000-05:002024-01-25T00:27:13.486-05:00Writing/Proofreading/Copyediting/Rewrites <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8SN3rs8JLn0XTHRESdSfB67ODdqQYYeJLZG12wfqf_UenbvayBAf3-tMfryZJT7fHgiWiMpj7X5sGjWb8VNBEH1tQnHbZFm_okU5we7nezkXOBFQI46Ngi4CocKmustn1get5nP2LIYVgIk8h1Ct9vQhToSd1X-ovXQTjqz-LciPL-IGrFBPY94g3RkDk/s293/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="293" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8SN3rs8JLn0XTHRESdSfB67ODdqQYYeJLZG12wfqf_UenbvayBAf3-tMfryZJT7fHgiWiMpj7X5sGjWb8VNBEH1tQnHbZFm_okU5we7nezkXOBFQI46Ngi4CocKmustn1get5nP2LIYVgIk8h1Ct9vQhToSd1X-ovXQTjqz-LciPL-IGrFBPY94g3RkDk/s1600/image.png" width="293" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Writing/Proofreading/Copyediting/Rewrites </span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f">
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</v:imagedata></v:shape></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #9e270e; font-family: "The Girl Next Door"; font-size: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Don't get caught looking unprofessional! Have your writing checked!</span></i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-size: 16pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #9e270e; font-family: "The Girl Next Door"; font-size: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></i></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #9e270e; font-family: "The Girl Next Door"; font-size: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><b>SLIDING SCALE OF FEES </b></span></i></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #9e270e; font-family: "The Girl Next Door"; font-size: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><b>LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD</b></span></i></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #9e270e; font-family: "The Girl Next Door"; font-size: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Proofreading of letters, articles,
websites, blog posts, transcripts, etc. Especially suited to:</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #7b7c7f; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><b><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">business professionals</span></i></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #7b7c7f; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><b><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">writers </span></i></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #7b7c7f; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><b><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">self-publishers up to 40,000 words</span></i></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #7b7c7f; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><b><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">completing paperwork for those for whom English is an additional
language (ESL/EAL)</span></i></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #9e270e; font-size: 24pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">HOW?</span></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Proofreading and editing from
MSWord document sent by email attachment.</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">A marked-up copy and final copy
are returned. </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Payment by PayPal Invoice<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #9e270e; font-size: 24pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">WHAT IS
INCLUDED?</span></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #9e270e; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Proofreading <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Checking/Correcting: </span></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18pt;"></p><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Spelling</span><br /><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Typos</span><br /><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Grammar</span><br /><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Sentence
Structure</span><br /><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Punctuation</span><br /><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Format
Consistency</span><br /><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Numerical
Sequences </span><br /><!--[if !supportLists]--><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #9e270e; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Critiquing<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #9e270e; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span></b><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Includes:</span></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">As in
proofreading above,</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br />
<b>plus</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18pt;"></p><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Comments
on continuity/word choice and cautions</span><br /><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #9e270e; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Questions for greater clarity</span><div><span style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div><br /><!--[if !supportLists]--><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #9e270e; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #9e270e; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Copyediting/Rewriting<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Includes:</span></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">As in
proofreading above, </span><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">plus</span></b><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></b><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18pt;"></p><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Light or
heavy changes to improve clarity and fit for purpose</span><br /><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Rewriting
text</span><br /><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Reorganizing
or restructuring for flow </span><br /><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Tightening
wordiness</span><br /><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7b7c7f; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Correcting
run-on sentences</span><br /><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Changing
from passive to active where possible</span><!--[if !supportLists]--><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #8a713c; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">
<br />
<br />
</span><span lang="EN-CA"><br />
<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-34680345053042302282023-11-08T01:31:00.003-05:002024-01-26T01:35:12.147-05:00Get Your Timeline Right: Write With Coherence <p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojk_zOYvSlxaCoQ96YqHv98ecCTT17WG8gqx0z69uc1QuCf9vJ8DLx52GBZq5Z2dphgGAApArtNe-OoCQYcD6Pg1kBhdHLYLV-fxMJdQUl41SU5WFhxKyYJRz8TGTV0huP3VkIxan_mI98Z0xumlAYXpRuMLb9J8lSvZ-OHCrLvkwusizeaXSy7fFP8sy/s400/GERBERA2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojk_zOYvSlxaCoQ96YqHv98ecCTT17WG8gqx0z69uc1QuCf9vJ8DLx52GBZq5Z2dphgGAApArtNe-OoCQYcD6Pg1kBhdHLYLV-fxMJdQUl41SU5WFhxKyYJRz8TGTV0huP3VkIxan_mI98Z0xumlAYXpRuMLb9J8lSvZ-OHCrLvkwusizeaXSy7fFP8sy/s320/GERBERA2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />I recently read a Kindle book, but the timing of events in the storyline were so significantly off I had to stop reading. That is what prompted this blog post on timeline coherence. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Publishing your story with Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is quite easy, even if you are new to self-publishing. Many self-publishers skip the hiring of editors or writing coaches and it's understandable. I don't hire one myself for my published books. That's because</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> writing and selling ebooks hardly results in earning enough money to cover the cost of editing. I</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> once paid $500 for a writing critique, and it was a bargain price. Since I have done editing for pay myself, I know what I would have to charge if I were an editor. Therefore, I prefer to do editing and proofreading myself. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As I was reading the above-noted book, I could tell the author hadn't had it professionally edited. If she had, it would have had a better flow. That being said, this is something that can be self-taught too. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">So this tip is to help you as a writer become aware of the importance of writing your events in order. (This doesn't mean you can't do foreshadowing or highlight a dramatic event and go back to it later. Often, books start with an impactful event to catch a reader's attention. The details of the event are explained later in the story.) </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Backward Timing</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here is an example of something written with backward timing--the kind I want to point out in this blog post: </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>My belly felt bloated. I walked the waters edge hoping movement would help me feel better. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>I entered the cafe and overlooked the menu. The meat-filled wraps looked appealing. I ordered one.</i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>My blue dress was my favourite. I felt pretty in it. Now I just felt fat. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>I bit into the wrap after the waiter brought it. Yum, it seemed to hit the spot. I sloshed down my diet Pepsi quickly. I wanted to get out into the sun before it set.</i></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Years ago I'd been to this beach and loved it. There were no cafes on the beach at that time. I spotted the cafe and decided it was the perfect spot for a late lunch. </i></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In my opinion, this story goes all over the place. It isn't in sequence. A writing coach or editor could point out improvements or even fix it for the writer. Simply, there should be a flow of the timing of events. Obviously, you don't mention a bloated belly before you've even eaten the sandwich and had the beverage that caused it. You don't eat at a cafe before even spotting it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Think Through Logically </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Many times, getting the flow right is simply a matter of thinking logically about how normal events of the day unfold. However, there are larger timelines that should be taken into consideration. For example, if you have relocated to a beach area apartment with your baby, it would be confusing to then discuss the progress of the pregnancy. This is because the reader understands that there is already a baby present.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Read from a Reader's Perspective</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Yes, pouring your thoughts out on paper (computer screen) is a first good step when writing anything. And, as the author, it can be hard to see the storyline unfold in proper order. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #161719; white-space-collapse: break-spaces;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Nevertheless, it is essential to read your narrative from a reader's perspective to ensure that the timeline flows smoothly and maintains its intended coherence.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #161719; white-space-collapse: break-spaces;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-3860948371254167682023-11-01T01:51:00.000-04:002024-01-24T02:11:26.389-05:00Blogging Is Great for Developing Your Writing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EqMkUTir-SseCgRL_QEBMJZrbI9ECpJ9S90glJkpD4GGROjy1_fN0iA96-o1ojjyQq-QmIu7nRegYaaXBK4GuWq_0BXZFhtgT3BF8Kps8S3X6ioaiGuh8vGnhTegxAG_Ur3u24t6EUct/s1600/website.bmp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="960" height="87" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EqMkUTir-SseCgRL_QEBMJZrbI9ECpJ9S90glJkpD4GGROjy1_fN0iA96-o1ojjyQq-QmIu7nRegYaaXBK4GuWq_0BXZFhtgT3BF8Kps8S3X6ioaiGuh8vGnhTegxAG_Ur3u24t6EUct/s320/website.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">(reprint from 2011)</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">If you want to be a writer and don't have a blog, start one. Blogging is free and it is something that will help to develop your writing skills. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Actually, blogging accomplishes several very important tasks for writers:</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1. Whether you gain an audience or not, you will feel accountable to update your blog. That will push you to write often. </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2. Needing fresh content for your blog will stretch your mind. You will think of new angles and approaches to tackling subjects so you don't repeat yourself.</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">3. Knowing outsiders may see your blog, you will be more careful about sentence structure and grammar.</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">4. Blogging is a little forgiving as far as errors go, and editing is easy. Even professionals have spelling mistakes in their blogs. They don't want to use up extra time or money by hiring a proofreader or editor to check their blog. They like the natural flow of blog writing and they are able to publish their blog as soon as it is complete. </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">5. You will feel validated by getting the art of your writing into public view especially if the stats show people have visited. </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">6. If you gain followers who make comments, you can enter into some great two-way conversations.</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">7. Blogging can help get you noticed as a writer. You might even be contacted by a buyer who'd like to buy one of your blog posts for re-publishing.</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">8. Your blog can become your personal portfolio of writing style examples.</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">9. Blogging keeps everything nicely typed and organized in an archive. It is virtual and should stay safe for a long time.</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">10. Blogging becomes a type of diary. It's fun to go back and see your development over time.</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">If you're starting out as a writer or are a writer who wants to develop your skills, try blogging on one of the free online formats. Doing so will help you become an even better writer and you never know where that may lead.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-45933436551380798702023-10-11T16:08:00.001-04:002024-01-26T01:22:37.529-05:00Affordable Copyediting is Available<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29C-j7Lajvs0Ic1P6SdjJSAER0nG4nh3fxb-jB1RAzHx6ayWvKEfWyvGOmZnZy5PMGaIUHLsW0F439ASvFddR_YvtSRlEDNoIw8s27lziQRoLosHKWIygKrd6ox0yy-aeIon_XNA1fnrjCeiEuniV4cV5m5krzGoB88Hvu7MmqQvJGs7g6HkwwLg58LE8/s111/creativeorder4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="90" data-original-width="111" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29C-j7Lajvs0Ic1P6SdjJSAER0nG4nh3fxb-jB1RAzHx6ayWvKEfWyvGOmZnZy5PMGaIUHLsW0F439ASvFddR_YvtSRlEDNoIw8s27lziQRoLosHKWIygKrd6ox0yy-aeIon_XNA1fnrjCeiEuniV4cV5m5krzGoB88Hvu7MmqQvJGs7g6HkwwLg58LE8/w320-h259/creativeorder4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Typos and Edits </b></span><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Before you go and self-publish through KDP I want to share some points. I recently paid $10 for a book from someone I met on Facebook. Something in her post resonated with me causing me to make the purchase. I hoped I'd find some new direction and inspiration from her book.</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The book started off great. But then it led me down bunny trails. Reading it from the viewpoint of a writer who has done editing, her errors were glaring. There were grammatical errors, punctuation errors, typos, and so on. But what really bothered me was trying to understand the point of the book as it tended to stray. </span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I've seen this many times. And I know it costs too much extra to hire a copyeditor, proofreader, or to have someone critique it. Now that I'm 'semi-retired' I'd like to fill my time, so I would be happy to give you a quote for your new project. Better yet, tell me what you can pay and the subject matter. I'll take a quick look at your project and let you know how I might be able to help.<br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Copyediting/proofreading service is purposely for self-publishers of books under 40,000 words (145 Kindle pages; </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>160 double-spaced MS Word pages). </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Or articles of up to 1200 words. </b></div></span></span>
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<span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Yes, it is scary having someone else read your manuscript. But it can be well worth it. </span></span><br /></span>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-40927528765786847672023-07-06T13:25:00.000-04:002024-01-24T02:00:28.960-05:00Finding Words for Your Story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwmcxQ1MCF_TI4UYSPBZfZa9E_mmpvSydImawmhKR5kc1CB4WDLpFWZMGH0QRH7asDum4UXohqzeqnho_WV__M6WnzxFzwmnUC4bkKf_BTjkPkQfImgIQpVIqG-Bd4Iw3dUSV3VxfLsRdG/s1600/dappled+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwmcxQ1MCF_TI4UYSPBZfZa9E_mmpvSydImawmhKR5kc1CB4WDLpFWZMGH0QRH7asDum4UXohqzeqnho_WV__M6WnzxFzwmnUC4bkKf_BTjkPkQfImgIQpVIqG-Bd4Iw3dUSV3VxfLsRdG/s320/dappled+%25282%2529.jpg" width="177" /></a></div>
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I usually write non-fiction. In non-fiction, especially articles for web content, we need to write concisely. That means, we don't add in flowery description. While this blog is in first person, articles I sell are never written in first person. And, each writing project has its own rules.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Writing Your Story</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Recently, I wanted to write <i>my story. </i>What I mean by that is a sort of memoir or creative non-fiction piece that describes a specific time of my life. This sort of writing demands flowery descriptions and can be written in first person. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">As often is the case, I want to write it to help others who might read it. But another benefit arose. </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">While writing my story, I found healing and better understanding of myself and that era of my life. I thought most of the wounds of that part of my life had been healed, but it was remarkable how writing my story out in detail brought me even more clarity and healing. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">They say if you're going to write your story, you need to make it gripping. You do that by showing rather than telling much of it. And y</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">ou do it by adding meaningful description. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I'm not usually good at writing such details. The non-fiction writer in me finds it tedious. But I may want to self-publish my story on Kindle, so I need it to be all it can be. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">A tool I found which helped me put words to my feelings is a website called <a href="https://www.descriptionari.com/">Descriptionari</a>. This website is remarkable. You simply type in a word and it gives examples of compelling writing using your word or emotion. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I used this site to teach me how to add touch, scent, emotion, and description. (I don't recommend copying the sentences into your story, but to use their examples as prompts. Then you can put it into your own words.) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Other tools exist now in 2024. Artificial Intelligence (AI) </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://chat.openai.com/">ChatGPT</a> and Grammarly will rewrite sections for you in remarkable ways. As long as the original thoughts were from you, there is no copyright violation to use the rewrite, though checking it for accuracy and rewriting it in your voice is advised. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>A remarkable thing happened for em while using the </span><a href="https://www.descriptionari.com/">Descriptionari</a> <span>tool. </span><span>The descriptions offered seemed to describe my pain in words I could not find myself. And in doing so, I found more healing</span><span>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">For example, during the era I wrote about, I cried out of confusion, disappointment, and sadness. Instead of simply saying "I cried" I put cry into the tool. Look at the sentence it came up with:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">"I</span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;">t</span><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"> is my tears that keep my soul alive in the furnace of this pain. They cannot extinguish what has been, yet only carry me forward until a time comes when that searing pain is distant enough to forget more than remember, and maybe one day erase itself from my brain. So perhaps it may be an oddity to thank my tears and be proud to cry, yet if that's what saves me from becoming a monster, a person indifferent to suffering and sorrow, then crying is the smartest thing I can do." </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.descriptionari.com/quotes/crying/">https://www.descriptionari.com/quotes/crying/</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It was helpful to see the purpose in crying when put this way. The words above make me believe the writer had an experience similar to what I went through. In that interpretation, I found that perhaps in my suffering I was not weak, strange, pitiful, a victim, or odd for crying as much as I did. I was simply human. </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-68412226699979954412023-05-12T18:02:00.000-04:002024-01-24T02:41:49.366-05:00Should You Take a Writing Course?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTZkl9-xb1bptA8nu2M0N0sWKBrufZrSFWsjoC2IMsfVKc-Q6gx_CFOBsC11UvVYH61pTEmSj-BMmAjVjicNLN8qM3Sn4XqYTJMLAMr-AUg7n_N0GyBsaMp5IYnz_SfnfvdgOq9sex-6m/s1600/jazmyn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="568" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTZkl9-xb1bptA8nu2M0N0sWKBrufZrSFWsjoC2IMsfVKc-Q6gx_CFOBsC11UvVYH61pTEmSj-BMmAjVjicNLN8qM3Sn4XqYTJMLAMr-AUg7n_N0GyBsaMp5IYnz_SfnfvdgOq9sex-6m/s320/jazmyn.jpg" width="189" /></a></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Every day there are courses offered for writers. There are online courses and there are writing coaches who will help you walk through the steps of writing. </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">(I started writing in a creative writing course in high school.)</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Do you have to take a course or have a degree to be a writer? No. </span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">(But now, in 2024, I will share with you that I have looked at enough online jobs for content writers and similar roles and they all say the applicant needs to have a journalism degree. I disagree with the need for one but if that is their rule, I guess you can't get the job.)</span></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">To write, just write and see where the path leads you. </span><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Do what suits your personality and skill level. Look up help online to improve your grammar. </span></span><br />
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If you feel taking a course will help, sign up for one. If a writing group is of interest, join one. There is always more to learn in the field of writing.</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Writing for an online audience is also far different than writing more intensive materials. Look into tips for writing for online audiences if that is your goal. </span><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Much input can be learned online and through studying style guides. </span><br /><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">If you really love writing, you will also be a reader. Much can be learned simply through reading. </span><br />
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Grow as a writer at your own pace. You should know when you're ready to take the next step of publishing a blog, writing a query letter, sending an article to a content site editor, signing up for personalized coaching, or sending a manuscript to an agent. </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The point is, there is no set path for a writer. </span></span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>Thick Skin</b></span></span><br />
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T</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">he field of writing can be tough on you, though. You will have editors rip your work apart. You will want to be as prepared and knowledgeable as you can be. </span><br />
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As you develop your craft, you will likely see yourself make dumb errors and feel embarrassed when important people point them out. You will get rejections and have your feelings hurt. </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Writers take the pain in stride. They take what they're dished and pour it back into their writing to be used for good.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">A great way to test your skills is to put a piece past an inexpensive proofreader or editor to see how you fare. Another way to test your skill level is to send an article to an article site--preferably one that uses in-house editors that will scrutinize your work and offer feedback. </span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I have learned a lot from the editors at <a href="http://Constant-Content.com">Constant-Content.com</a> where I have many articles for sale. I don't always agree with the editor's comments. Like art, some writing is subjective. But good grammar is also needed. </span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-12902225802080343402023-02-17T16:50:00.001-05:002024-01-26T01:36:11.159-05:00Writing a Memoir? Here's Some Advice <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_epqG3JEplEgXuw2Z12EvCediFAGDvOcSDcZm5ApLeCXLuBKIQniURHvUYfEY15l_bwZg8Xh0CwVAgig5LsLEpEY_5cRGMmY09IEHYDFkXCTqgGnbPNJibWDlU9rBxvV1mifZ6X4edv5mNlFkEs5zwm4mFTEUw_fiqzBIEf6Q9-jaX5wQOEr6kwrvvN_h/s4000/November%202011%20110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_epqG3JEplEgXuw2Z12EvCediFAGDvOcSDcZm5ApLeCXLuBKIQniURHvUYfEY15l_bwZg8Xh0CwVAgig5LsLEpEY_5cRGMmY09IEHYDFkXCTqgGnbPNJibWDlU9rBxvV1mifZ6X4edv5mNlFkEs5zwm4mFTEUw_fiqzBIEf6Q9-jaX5wQOEr6kwrvvN_h/s320/November%202011%20110.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Someone in one of my Facebook writers groups posted a question about how to structure a book about her life experiences. I suppose she was writing a memoir. </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I gave her this response and thought it might be a good blog post:</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x"><i>"I know writing this will be therapeutic for you. </i></span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x"><i><br /></i></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x"><i>To actually sell it, you'll need to consider who would read it and why. Here are some questions to ask yourself:</i></span></span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x"><i>How will your experiences inspire or enhance a reader's life? </i></span></span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x"><i>Why would someone want to read it? </i></span></span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Is there a hook?</span> </span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x"><i>(</i>T</span></span></span><span style="color: #374151; white-space-collapse: preserve;">he prim</span><span style="color: #374151; white-space-collapse: preserve;">ary purpose of a hook is to capture the reader's attention and engage them right from the start. A well-crafted hook can make the reader curious, eager to read more, and set the tone for the entire piece.)</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x"><i>Why would someone pay money to read it? </i></span></span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x"><i>If you were going to buy such a book, what would you expect from it? </i></span></span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x"><i>Will there be a point to the book aside from you having fun telling your story?"</i></span></span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x"><b>The Point of the Book</b></span></span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x">I write non-fiction and often weave life experiences into my writing but I try to only do that if it moves the reader further. Illustrations should have a point that is connected to the theme of the book. </span></span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x">Sometimes my writing presents a problem and provides some solutions and, in the case of a memoir, I'd think the writer would have life examples pointing the way for the reader to find solutions for themselves. </span></span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x">I went on: </span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x"><br /></span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x"><i>"If you can find an interesting hook or define a niche topic, you'll have more success. </i></span></span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x"><i>Would it appeal to someone the same age you were at the time? Is it geared toward others questioning their faith upbringing? Can you explain what made you have doubts about your faith while still holding onto it? Is that likely to happen with a reader too from what you write? Who are the people who might be in a similar situation?</i></span></span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span class="_3l3x"><i>Once you identify the person you want to share your story with, write it as though you are talking to them over coffee. </i></span></span></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;">Give your reader points to ponder. Ask them probing questions."</i><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;">That's my 2 cents.</span><br /><br /></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-52882831778477770052023-01-20T16:16:00.000-05:002024-01-25T01:39:54.492-05:00Are you About to Self-Publish?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gEumIUmGcANnC4cFLahfnKkyf69ueP6iVH_ji79XoatIu6-d1MMSvjrfEugdOjQAIscWesEnyz3qcgeou4TGtZNL-ONOAQN7miqsbDPlwIDLHUh5V6uGXpDvx1jlZYb1zudib3tDBpPw/s1600/IMG_2268.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gEumIUmGcANnC4cFLahfnKkyf69ueP6iVH_ji79XoatIu6-d1MMSvjrfEugdOjQAIscWesEnyz3qcgeou4TGtZNL-ONOAQN7miqsbDPlwIDLHUh5V6uGXpDvx1jlZYb1zudib3tDBpPw/s320/IMG_2268.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>Motives and Focus</b></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I believe some authors have the idea that writing a book makes them appear more legitimate or important. I believe one's motives for publishing a book should be better than that. </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">That leads me to write this blog and ask some important questions:</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>What is your reason for writing and publishing your book? </b></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Maybe you do have a good story to tell or sage advice to offer others. Perhaps you've uncovered a niche market that is in search of a solution you can provide. Does that describe you? Then I'd say that's a worthy motive.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>Is your motive for writing and self-publishing simply an attempt to earn lots of money? </b></span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">When I tell an average new non-fiction author what they can expect to earn from their book, they are sometimes offended. One friend said, "I can't charge a mere $5 for my book after all the work I've put into it!" </span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">That feeling is common, but ignorant of the truth regarding the book-buying market. People want to buy books at low prices. KDP has a price-setting tool to use and often it suggests a price point of $3.99 to $4.99 on my books.</span><br />
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<span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Think about what you might be willing to pay for a similar book. </span><br />
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<span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">(On a side-note, I think it is awful some people will pay $5 or less and then leave critical reviews. That hasn't happened to me, but I see it all the time. For $5 it isn't very kind to give a hostile review on a piece of work someone probably spent 1,000 hours writing. But neither should you give a 5-star review for something mediocre just because a friend wrote it.) </span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I've seen some authors charge over $20 for their book. I'm not sure there is a market for such by unknown authors. I did purchase one and was shocked by how little there was inside the book. It was a good well-written and helpful book, but $28 plus taxes and shipping was extreme in my opinion. </span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">When you publish with Amazon KDP, you receive a mere percentage of each sale. Big buck earnings are hard to come by. </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Yes, authors put in hours upon hours to write and edit. Some work on projects over years. Some pay for critiques and editing. It adds up. </span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">If you self-publish, any marketing that is to be done is up to you. </span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I don't mean to sound negative, but realistic. This comes from my place of being in the writing world interacting with writers for some time now. </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">If you're about to self-publish, do it. But set the right motives, and set realistic goals for your writing. </span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-76360031203004304522022-12-11T15:39:00.006-05:002024-01-26T01:37:10.642-05:00Where To Purchase Web Content<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oyBH355iPWYVSsZAFcwQjElQPSTHnsOg1GuyksomGrLglKxs6RG66tfD6Kf9uRinrqqovadkqItN3S6wG4r_m3FUwfXcOxY72xqbTTDSVJdyP_0olx9YDDooDE8f3mUhXLvt-Vsd3mlBWvYdD5lGVrRLDts1USoklp00eNXPSKF72wq6j3OQQmTjlNWb/s1096/me%20&%20dogg1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1096" data-original-width="778" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oyBH355iPWYVSsZAFcwQjElQPSTHnsOg1GuyksomGrLglKxs6RG66tfD6Kf9uRinrqqovadkqItN3S6wG4r_m3FUwfXcOxY72xqbTTDSVJdyP_0olx9YDDooDE8f3mUhXLvt-Vsd3mlBWvYdD5lGVrRLDts1USoklp00eNXPSKF72wq6j3OQQmTjlNWb/s320/me%20&%20dogg1.jpg" width="227" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />Entrepreneurs have enough balls to keep in the air. In addition to the products or services they offer, there are administrative tasks and keeping up marketing. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Entrepreneurs will need fresh material for their blog posts, articles to add to their website resource files or mailouts, and perhaps other cross-promotion material. Creating such is time consuming.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Entrepreneurs may be good at many things and writing may or may not be one of those things. To help simplify the writing process , there are a number of freelance writers available to write for them.<br /><br />Great writers post their pre-written material on sites such as <a href="http://www.constant-content.com/">www.Constant-Content.com.</a> That's where I post mine. Here is my profile of available work written under my pen name: <a href="https://www.constant-content.com/Author/34906-Joy_R_Calderwood-details-0.htm">https://www.constant-content.com/Author/34906-Joy_R_Calderwood-details-0.htm</a></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Entrepreneurs can also request content there, offering tips of what to include. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="color: #274e13;"><b>Why Buy Pre-written?</b></span><br /><br />Pre-written content is helpful to the entrepreneur who needs more ideas of what to add or write on next. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">A buyer can look through a batch of pre-written articles at <a href="http://www.constant-content.com/">Constant-content.com </a>and choose those that are suitable. They will be buying exclusive rights which means they can alter the articles to suit their needs and even put their names on them as authors (ghostwriters).<br /><br />The entrepreneur can also take purchased articles and compile them into e-books or use as workshop materials if they'd like to. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">If you're in need of web content blurbs, blog posts, articles and the like, please look into prewritten content available at the click of a key, purchased online, with no telephone consultations, email exchanges, and so on, needed. A new article can be yours today. </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-22342231307036723672022-06-09T13:30:00.001-04:002024-01-25T02:40:41.802-05:00A Tip for Article Writing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhav7tBfzsZ7X4rnyLkdJqTlAyCjtF-innlwNR75pS9i9Dqnp3kBSCPvYdyg80UrzlbHstE_Y4VkBHvrFuFgz19PPkpSj5Ouo3dSjhjIMGwA3SXoAz9HQp_vhe8KJDqoC4j3V3oylKN5dt-/s1600/DSCF4718+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhav7tBfzsZ7X4rnyLkdJqTlAyCjtF-innlwNR75pS9i9Dqnp3kBSCPvYdyg80UrzlbHstE_Y4VkBHvrFuFgz19PPkpSj5Ouo3dSjhjIMGwA3SXoAz9HQp_vhe8KJDqoC4j3V3oylKN5dt-/s320/DSCF4718+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><strong>Article Writing </strong></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">One way to grow in your writing career is to write articles. I wrote and submitted many articles to magazines hoping for publication. When my first paid article was purchased through a library association, I was overjoyed!</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I then began posting free articles with the online platform <i>ezine articles</i> (now defunct).</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Why write articles? </b> </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I wrote articles to promote my life coaching business launched in 2008. However, I realized I also wanted to become a web content writer. By 2010, I discovered I could write and sell web content articles through Constant-Content.com. <br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It's important to note why there is such a service. It's because t</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">here is a market for articles today like never before. Website owners need articles and blog posts to keep readers coming back, to become educated, inspired, or entertained, and to keep their websites optimized. </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>People are Readers</b></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">People read articles online daily. They often set out to give the reader a new perspective or updated information. </span>Articles are usually informational or inspirational. <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Simply reading an article can enlighten a person and change their mood. Articles can be powerful tools that lift others up and that is what I love to do. </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>What to Do </b></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Do you want to be an article writer? </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Re-Writing for Multiple Sales </b></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Once you're an up-to-speed writer you too will see how easy it is to re-write the same article and potentially sell the topic more than once. Now, I'm not talking about doing cheap article spinning where you flip things around for the sake of flipping them around sometimes with a spinning program. What I mean is, re-writing your article from a different angle.</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Here is are examples:</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Sample article on writing fiction:</span><br />
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<em><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Want to write a novel? Need new ideas? Put yourself in the story. Picture where you'd like to go, and what you'd like to see. How might you see things differently than another person?</span></em><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Same article re-written:</span><br />
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<em><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Are you in the midst of writing a novel and find yourself stuck? Why not use this trick. Dress yourself in the era of your novel and walk its streets or corridors. That's right, put yourself right in there. Smell, hear, taste, and see the environment. Write about your experience.</span></em><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Same article re-written:</span><br />
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<em><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Fiction writers have various ways of developing their work. Many writers like to put themselves right into the story. Once they've gotten an idea of the era and surroundings, they find it helpful to think about what they might see, where they'd want to go, and what they'd like to do.</span></em><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">How's that for switching things up and making your writing go further? </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">If you have questions or comments, feel free to connect. </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Happy Writing!</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-67672315468918836492022-01-28T13:00:00.000-05:002024-01-24T02:01:20.229-05:00Be Wary of Your Writing Approach and Motivation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJvX2LIkT8Vf9DRY8pZacMNu6rvoW6Wp66zelb9SszI-SGqJV-S1U0NWKGAfzHuFI4i3KOUO-vSSIX89it0Lai-7hhjB8BRFTwpHH_wjl9PYogTGEW-eTwWc356feL3Le7sRTwORlZ2if/s1600/IMG_2268.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJvX2LIkT8Vf9DRY8pZacMNu6rvoW6Wp66zelb9SszI-SGqJV-S1U0NWKGAfzHuFI4i3KOUO-vSSIX89it0Lai-7hhjB8BRFTwpHH_wjl9PYogTGEW-eTwWc356feL3Le7sRTwORlZ2if/s320/IMG_2268.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><span>The publishing industry is evolving rapidly. In the past, authors would write a book based on their established platform, and then their agents would search for an audience to sell to. </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">A different approach is to write specifically for a particular niche, understanding what they are looking for and tailoring the content to their needs. This is a <b>reader-centric approach</b>, whereas the former is <b>writer-centric</b>.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">A writer must give readers what they are searching for lest the content come across as irrelevant or uninteresting. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rambling, spouting, pontificating, reporting, or commenting on a topic may not engage readers looking for something that appeals to them personally.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> What you write should inform, entertain, educate, or inspire the reader. Choose at least one goal and write with it in mind. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In today's world, people value personal relevance and a clear takeaway from the content they consume. Thus, it is critical to give readers what they are searching for to feel they have received good value for their time or money spent. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-5879004487443035322020-08-13T15:37:00.019-04:002022-12-11T15:52:17.879-05:00Tips for Kim's Creative Writing Group<p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeK6N97erZNex-hny0NVW2Ao5cozLY1NPBl8d6y7Gow_U8eIYPbggvXoW-8arP6Xhuqv3vmu865ORDp9WIv_vUARLny_0dpQHztRUSfiaxtHOY2fBIBib5nJZcPhd1xn0vbLI3KvZYDuRs/s2048/DSCF5208+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeK6N97erZNex-hny0NVW2Ao5cozLY1NPBl8d6y7Gow_U8eIYPbggvXoW-8arP6Xhuqv3vmu865ORDp9WIv_vUARLny_0dpQHztRUSfiaxtHOY2fBIBib5nJZcPhd1xn0vbLI3KvZYDuRs/s640/DSCF5208+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><p><span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-align: justify;">This post is especially for </span><b style="text-align: justify;">Kim's Creative Writing Group. </b><span style="text-align: justify;">Thanks for having me share today (August 13, 2020).</span><b style="text-align: justify;"> </b></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: left;">I mentioned a variety of things in my conversation. I want to share some links you may find helpful for trying to make money from your writing, plus a few other opportunities. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you have a question, feel free to message me at rjofficejob@gmail.com or through Facebook <span>Messenger here <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rosalieg1">https://www.facebook.com/rosalieg1</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Non-paying Writing</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Actually, I started out publishing free articles to promote my life coach business on Ezine Articles <a href="https://ezinearticles.com/">https://ezinearticles.com/</a> (NOTE IN 2022 THIS SITE CEASED PUBLISHING NEW MATERIAL.) There are many other ways to publish your work--a blog, for instance. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Blog </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Start a blog with <a href="http://blogger.com">blogger.com</a> or <a href="http://wordpress.com">wordpress.com</a>, market your books on your blog.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Web Content/Online Magazines</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>1. I write as Joy R. Calderwood on this site and have sold over 400 articles. Constant-Content </span><a href="https://www.constant-content.com/freelance-writing-jobs.htm">https://www.constant-content.com/freelance-writing-jobs.htm</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>My personal bio page on Constant-Content. </span><a href="https://www.constant-content.com/Author/34906-Joy_R_Calderwood-details-0.htm">https://www.constant-content.com/Author/34906-Joy_R_Calderwood-details-0.htm</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Sites that Pay (various work from home jobs)</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1. <a href="https://realwaystoearnmoneyonline.com/5-sites-that-pay-you-over-100-to-write/">https://realwaystoearnmoneyonline.com/5-sites-that-pay-you-over-100-to-write/</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2. On the below link I have submitted to the <b>greeting card </b>companies. I didn't get any accepted. Rappers, poetry writers---the greeting card submissions might be for you!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://wallethacks.com/i-need-money-websites-to-earn-extra-money/">https://wallethacks.com/i-need-money-websites-to-earn-extra-money/</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>3. I haven't used this but you can offer to write for $5 or more</span><span><span> </span><a href="https://sellers.fiverr.com/en/">https://sellers.fiverr.com/en/</a></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">4. I haven't used this before, but looks interesting. See *notes below. <a href="https://problogger.com/jobs/" target="_blank">Problogger Jobs</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">* Some job offers require you work in the US. Remote means work from home usually. If you're from Canada, check if they hire Canadians and how they make payment. Avoid sites that make you buy a membership. Be careful of sites that ask you to do a practice test. For Constant-Content, I did have to submit 3 articles that passed editing before I could sell. That was okay with me. </span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Creative Ideas </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">A fabulous way to learn to use more description in your writing <a href="https://www.descriptionari.com/">https://www.descriptionari.com/</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Editing </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>Here are examples of editing rates </span><a href="https://www.the-efa.org/rates/">https://www.the-efa.org/rates/</a></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Self-Publishing - Kindle Book or Paperback</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://KDP.Amazon.com">KDP.Amazon.com</a> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>My author page on Amazon </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rose-Garde/e/B00VXXGMRI?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1597348308&sr=1-1">https://www.amazon.com/Rose-Garde/e/B00VXXGMRI?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1597348308&sr=1-1</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Some Paying, Some Non-Paying </span></b></p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/ChristianWritersCommunity/"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>https://www.facebook.com/groups/ChristianWritersCommunity</span>/</span></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Life Coach Training </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>1. I trained through Life Purpose Coaching Centres. Here is a Facebook Page. I didn't seem to get to the website.<b> </b></span><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/LifePurposeCoachingCentersIntl/">https://www.facebook.com/LifePurposeCoachingCentersIntl/</a></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I've asked friends to let me know where they trained. I'll add it if I find out. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>2. A friend trained here: </span><a href=" https://www.coachu.com/About/index.cfm?fbclid=IwAR2ABYl5qo__9iIFCvsnHL97n3NVBxWPXA-LMicJgLvHpVzpU5sytrWwMNA" target="_blank">Coach U</a><span> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>3. Another friend of mine trained here: <a href="https://www.lifepurposeinstitute.com/" target="_blank"> Life Purpose Institute</a></span><span><span> </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>4. Check out </span><a href="http://www.christiancoachingcenter.org/" target="_blank"><span>The ChristianCoachingCentre</span></a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I will add to this page as I think of what else may be of help.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">5. Another friend studied with <a href="https://www.newlifecoachinc.org/training/?gclid=CjwKCAjwydP5BRBREiwA-qrCGqwtAMXUKYjzzlJkyuk1IN_k8KtXIyJM2d2ghZBcw465NrMa7lHCRBoCjt0QAvD_BwE" target="_blank">New Life Christian Coaching</a> and did a refresher with <a href="https://transformationacademy.com/" target="_blank">Transformation Academy.</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I have several blogs on various topics. Here are two others.</span></p><p><a href="https://midlifechristianwoman.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">https://midlifechristianwoman.blogspot.com/</span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://MinistrytoWomenLPC.Blogspot.com">MinistrytoWomenLPC.Blogspot.com</a></span></p></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911700449822615206.post-11968476549502475772020-06-08T16:16:00.001-04:002024-01-24T02:58:50.884-05:00Managing Writing Inspiration<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglsuwr7Zp7Hqtm92m3ENVYmtfEITsDtUpvo-AjHnUftngIvLuy7z55Ufif8HBPUGtz18TO4uzqKHylqKV-_-jfCZ4khIrlpgOSocTSHeVFE7YQnSJrVem4ebzFb1mGOemZemBqreKXZXlx/s1600/downstream+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="470" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglsuwr7Zp7Hqtm92m3ENVYmtfEITsDtUpvo-AjHnUftngIvLuy7z55Ufif8HBPUGtz18TO4uzqKHylqKV-_-jfCZ4khIrlpgOSocTSHeVFE7YQnSJrVem4ebzFb1mGOemZemBqreKXZXlx/s320/downstream+%25282%2529.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
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<span face="">If you're an article writer who has the option of choosing your own topics to write on, there are a few tips that can help you collect inspiration:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif">1. Typically, a writer's mind is always writing in the same way an artist's mind is always seeing art in nature. When an idea pops into your head, scribble it down or get to your computer to jot the idea down. </span><br />
<span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif">2. When you read something online that inspires you, cut and paste it and save it into a special Word file <span style="color: #cc0000;">perhaps changing the print colour </span>so you know it is something you copied and not your own work. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif">I named my file </span><i><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span>fodder (</span></span></i><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; color: #303336; letter-spacing: 0.2px;">material that is used for a particular purpose).</span> When I want to get some writing done to submit for pay, I look in my fodder folder for ideas. </span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0