Last September, when I went down to Georgia to see the Keith Urban concert with my friends, we had to sit on opposite ends of the theater because when we went to buy my ticket there was only one seat left - damn near behind a pillar. Ended up sitting right in front of it in the back corner with men over 6’ tall standing right in front of me. They did stand up too - and at my short little 5’2" I could not see over them to see the concert I had flown from Alaska to see.
Why? Because places are able to buy up seats at concerts and sell the seats off to people that know where to find them.
Premium Seats USA says that they solve the nuisance of trying to get a seat "by providing a huge selection of first-class tickets to all concerts, sports and theater events nationwide," I‘ll give you three guesses how they manage that. They snap up lots of seats and then hawk them off to people at a profit.
I don’t have proof that it‘s actually done, but when large numbers of Event Tickets vanish from the theater website and show up on broker sites it certainly looks like that’s how it works to me.
Premium Seats USA goes on to say: "Just about anything you can think of, this premium online ticket broker makes it happen; if it's a comedy show you crave or a fabulous show in Vegas, consider the tickets in your hands."
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This has been a paid posting sponsored by Premium Seats USA
Here's a simple enough question for you, what are the rules of your world?
Come on, don't be shy. You don't have to tell us what they are, but do you know? Can you sit there and name them off? Do they sound logical?
If you are floundering a little and asking just what I mean by "rules", let me clarify a little bit. Okay?
Two wizards walk into a tavern and order ales, (bear with me, I swear it's not a bad joke), they pull out their wands and make the appropriate amount of gold appear on the counter to pay for their ales. Plausable? Maybe. It depends on the rules of your world. Can your wixards summon up small piles of gold coins? Where does it come from? Are they slowly teleporting it out of the king's coffers? Did they teleport it from their own hidden store? From the pouches of the fellows beside them at the bar? Is it even real, or is it a trick played on the mind of the barkeeper to make him think that there is gold there?
Assuming that it is real, there has to be rules and possible rules might be that they can not just create it out of thin air. It had to come from somewhere. Logic says that they can teleport it out of their own private coffers somewhere. Trouble potential would say they magically filtched it from other patrons. I love trouble, so let's look at that one. Shall we?
Here there is a rule in your world that says a wizard can learn a spell that let's him magically flitch money from someone nearby. It seems reasonable enough that if that is the case, that someone somewhere has probably come up with a pouch that is impervious to magical penetration or, worse for our wizards, alerts the wearer in some manner (vibrating like a cell phone?) that it was just magically lightened. Could be there is even a glammour that can be placed on anything taken from the pouch by magic so the filtched coins glow bright violet.
Imagine the chaos that would ensue when the 300 pound blacksmith taps on the shoulder of the wizard that just conjured the glowing purple gold from the blacksmith's pouch. This could get ugly.
I'll let you ponder what would happen from there on out, but I am betting that it would not be very pretty whatever happens.
And there is the rule. It is things set in place to keep things from getting out of hand. If you ever read the Amber series you probably recall that while the family of Amber could teleport to whereever one another was across the dimensions, they needed a Deck of Amber to initiate contact. (At least if I am remembering it correctly they had to have the deck. I was 10 when I read that series.)
Create your world, create your hero, then give them believable rules to keep them from getting out of hand.
Heir to Magic
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If you are floundering a little and asking just what I mean by "rules", let me clarify a little bit. Okay?
Two wizards walk into a tavern and order ales, (bear with me, I swear it's not a bad joke), they pull out their wands and make the appropriate amount of gold appear on the counter to pay for their ales. Plausable? Maybe. It depends on the rules of your world. Can your wixards summon up small piles of gold coins? Where does it come from? Are they slowly teleporting it out of the king's coffers? Did they teleport it from their own hidden store? From the pouches of the fellows beside them at the bar? Is it even real, or is it a trick played on the mind of the barkeeper to make him think that there is gold there?
Assuming that it is real, there has to be rules and possible rules might be that they can not just create it out of thin air. It had to come from somewhere. Logic says that they can teleport it out of their own private coffers somewhere. Trouble potential would say they magically filtched it from other patrons. I love trouble, so let's look at that one. Shall we?
Here there is a rule in your world that says a wizard can learn a spell that let's him magically flitch money from someone nearby. It seems reasonable enough that if that is the case, that someone somewhere has probably come up with a pouch that is impervious to magical penetration or, worse for our wizards, alerts the wearer in some manner (vibrating like a cell phone?) that it was just magically lightened. Could be there is even a glammour that can be placed on anything taken from the pouch by magic so the filtched coins glow bright violet.
Imagine the chaos that would ensue when the 300 pound blacksmith taps on the shoulder of the wizard that just conjured the glowing purple gold from the blacksmith's pouch. This could get ugly.
I'll let you ponder what would happen from there on out, but I am betting that it would not be very pretty whatever happens.
And there is the rule. It is things set in place to keep things from getting out of hand. If you ever read the Amber series you probably recall that while the family of Amber could teleport to whereever one another was across the dimensions, they needed a Deck of Amber to initiate contact. (At least if I am remembering it correctly they had to have the deck. I was 10 when I read that series.)
Create your world, create your hero, then give them believable rules to keep them from getting out of hand.
Heir to Magic
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Pitfalls of research
Okay, I know what you're thinking. You are wondering just how research can have a downside, right? Trust me, it does. It is very easy, particularly if you are interested in the subject, to start researching something and find yourself wrapped up in reading about it, looking at interesting bits of information or trivia, and generally wasting hours that you should have been spending writing about a subject you knew as well after 30 minutes as you know about five hours later.
Research in moderation. Do enough so you know what the subject is, then write your article. Then after you have wrote your article, then go and enjoy the fun of reading more on the subject. When you tire of that, then go back and reread your article to see just what sort of grasp you had on the subject and make any changes you feel are needed.
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Research in moderation. Do enough so you know what the subject is, then write your article. Then after you have wrote your article, then go and enjoy the fun of reading more on the subject. When you tire of that, then go back and reread your article to see just what sort of grasp you had on the subject and make any changes you feel are needed.
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Orlando Florida Vacation - Paid Post
Competition in Orlando Florida is high. Theme parks are constantly striving to find better attractions and rides to entertain their visitors. Even in as little as three or five years there are enough changes to make a visit there an entertaining experience for even veteran Orlando vacationers.
OrlandoVacations would like to invite you to Kissimmee hotels for your next vacation so you can see what is new in Orlando. Because with over fifty theme parks, scenic beaches an easy drive away and more top rated golf courses within a 40 minute drive than anywhere else in Florida, Orlando truly is a great destination for the entire family
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This has been a paid posting for OrlandoVacation.com
OrlandoVacations would like to invite you to Kissimmee hotels for your next vacation so you can see what is new in Orlando. Because with over fifty theme parks, scenic beaches an easy drive away and more top rated golf courses within a 40 minute drive than anywhere else in Florida, Orlando truly is a great destination for the entire family
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This has been a paid posting for OrlandoVacation.com
A Website of Your Own - By Sandra Fikes
I figured that since I've talked so much about it, I would share the article in question here.
A Website of Your Own
by: Sandra Fikes
What could be better than owning your own little piece of Cyberspace? To have the thrill of telling all you know to “e-mail me at me@my-website.com!” It is such a thrilling thing to be in complete control of your very first website. Akin to owning your first home.
I’m serious, let’s explore the two for a moment.
First you test things out, you see this wide world and decide to try exploring it. You go out and you make contact with others and get to talking to them. (Log into a library or school computer and enter chat rooms)
Now you’re hooked, you don’t want to have your parents or friends driving you around you want to be free to explore. You buy your first car! (First computer - YES! Now you can put whatever YOU want to on it! Oh… a flame paint job! Yeah!) Okay… as much fun as buying your first car was, and as much fun as souping it up was, that was not all you got it for. Time to get out there and explore!
You go out and get yourself a thankful of gas and go cruising. The world is a big place though, so you quickly start familiarizing yourself with how the highways are laid out, grab a road map or two and set off exploring. (Figure out what all those dot things are.. You know .com .net .gov .edu…. Then you run off and find a search engine [road map] and set off exploring.)
This is kind of nice so you decide maybe you might like to get your own place. Just to try living on your own a while, you know, see if you like it. Your first apartment! (Free website space) Ahhhh… this is the ticket! No one telling you how late you can stay up, no one complaining about the feet on the coffee table. This is the life… until you get tired of that blinking Neon sign outside your bedroom window (Banner ad across the top of the page) Or the limited number of colors the landlord said you can paint with (limited selection of templates)… and worst of all… them damn neighbors who keep calling the cops whenever you turn the music up enough to hear it (VERY limited bandwidth and/or site traffic allowed).
Living on your own is not quite as wonderful as you had first thought. Too many restrictions cramping your style and in more and more places, you can’t even get mail delivered (no-email service) so you have to go get yourself a Post Office box! (separate e-mail account)
Okay, this is just not working. Your style is too cramped. What do you do?! Buy a place! That’s it! If you own your own place then you can do pretty much anything you want (within reason). That annoying neon sigh could be YOURS! (your banner ads), you could invite all your friends to a party at your place (your own blogging site!), heck, you could even set other poor saps up in low-rent places on your property and make them put up with your annoying neon sign flashing in *THEIR* bedroom windows!
But where to start?
Well, in the real world you would probably start with a Realtor… in Cyberspace you start with a hosting company.
My preferred hosting company is PlatonicSolid.info. Check them out for a little while and you‘ll understand why.
This is where you create your world. Where you set up your home, your store, your museum, and invite others in to see what you have to share. Where you place your work and share it with the world. When you get your site the first thing you want to do is add stuff to it… how? Well, you can generally get design help from your hosting service, or, if you’re like me, you can dive in and try to build that world yourself. I suggest that unless you are familiar with site design (or go with a site like PlatonicSolid.info that has such easy to use ‘what you see is what you get’ site editors) you bypass the headaches (and there are a LOT of them) and have someone build the site to fit your dreams. However you decide to build your site, you will find a pride to be had from pointing your friends and family to your own little section of Cyberspace.
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About The Author
Sandra Fikes is a freelance writer living in Alaska. Her website can be found at Phantascene.com. For more articles and information, on writing and the internet, see her blog.
A Website of Your Own
by: Sandra Fikes
What could be better than owning your own little piece of Cyberspace? To have the thrill of telling all you know to “e-mail me at me@my-website.com!” It is such a thrilling thing to be in complete control of your very first website. Akin to owning your first home.
I’m serious, let’s explore the two for a moment.
First you test things out, you see this wide world and decide to try exploring it. You go out and you make contact with others and get to talking to them. (Log into a library or school computer and enter chat rooms)
Now you’re hooked, you don’t want to have your parents or friends driving you around you want to be free to explore. You buy your first car! (First computer - YES! Now you can put whatever YOU want to on it! Oh… a flame paint job! Yeah!) Okay… as much fun as buying your first car was, and as much fun as souping it up was, that was not all you got it for. Time to get out there and explore!
You go out and get yourself a thankful of gas and go cruising. The world is a big place though, so you quickly start familiarizing yourself with how the highways are laid out, grab a road map or two and set off exploring. (Figure out what all those dot things are.. You know .com .net .gov .edu…. Then you run off and find a search engine [road map] and set off exploring.)
This is kind of nice so you decide maybe you might like to get your own place. Just to try living on your own a while, you know, see if you like it. Your first apartment! (Free website space) Ahhhh… this is the ticket! No one telling you how late you can stay up, no one complaining about the feet on the coffee table. This is the life… until you get tired of that blinking Neon sign outside your bedroom window (Banner ad across the top of the page) Or the limited number of colors the landlord said you can paint with (limited selection of templates)… and worst of all… them damn neighbors who keep calling the cops whenever you turn the music up enough to hear it (VERY limited bandwidth and/or site traffic allowed).
Living on your own is not quite as wonderful as you had first thought. Too many restrictions cramping your style and in more and more places, you can’t even get mail delivered (no-email service) so you have to go get yourself a Post Office box! (separate e-mail account)
Okay, this is just not working. Your style is too cramped. What do you do?! Buy a place! That’s it! If you own your own place then you can do pretty much anything you want (within reason). That annoying neon sigh could be YOURS! (your banner ads), you could invite all your friends to a party at your place (your own blogging site!), heck, you could even set other poor saps up in low-rent places on your property and make them put up with your annoying neon sign flashing in *THEIR* bedroom windows!
But where to start?
Well, in the real world you would probably start with a Realtor… in Cyberspace you start with a hosting company.
My preferred hosting company is PlatonicSolid.info. Check them out for a little while and you‘ll understand why.
This is where you create your world. Where you set up your home, your store, your museum, and invite others in to see what you have to share. Where you place your work and share it with the world. When you get your site the first thing you want to do is add stuff to it… how? Well, you can generally get design help from your hosting service, or, if you’re like me, you can dive in and try to build that world yourself. I suggest that unless you are familiar with site design (or go with a site like PlatonicSolid.info that has such easy to use ‘what you see is what you get’ site editors) you bypass the headaches (and there are a LOT of them) and have someone build the site to fit your dreams. However you decide to build your site, you will find a pride to be had from pointing your friends and family to your own little section of Cyberspace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About The Author
Sandra Fikes is a freelance writer living in Alaska. Her website can be found at Phantascene.com. For more articles and information, on writing and the internet, see her blog.
No more bad people changing my article
Well, I went hunting for other uses of my article and the only place that changed it was andPOP. It was even translated into Portuguese and Arabic with the recommendations for PlatonicSolid.info being left in place and with the exception of two that obviously were not sure how to put it up, no one else had removed my site link in the signature - which ArticleCity.com requires be left in place. Shoot, even the folks that have hosting companies or website design companies left the links that I had there rather than slip in their own.
So I politely asked them to please fix the problems on the linking to my preferred hosting company and on my home page link.
They published the article within a few hours of when I sent it to ArticleCity so I doubt it will fix the harm they have already done on it, but at least they should, if they are honest, fix it now.
So I politely asked them to please fix the problems on the linking to my preferred hosting company and on my home page link.
They published the article within a few hours of when I sent it to ArticleCity so I doubt it will fix the harm they have already done on it, but at least they should, if they are honest, fix it now.
Hayfield Dental Care and Charles Brown DDS - Paid Post
Finding a good dentist is not easy, particularlry when you want to find a good dentist in a dental office where you can get most procedures done in the same office without being referred all over town. That is why hellodenver.com has sponsored this post to tell you about Hayfield Dental Care and Charles Brown DDS.
Since 1987 the Hayfield Dental Care office has been serving the residents of Alexandria and the surrounding areas. charles brown dds pc has been employed by Hayfield Dental Care for over ten years. During that time Charles Brown DDS has performed literally thousands of procedures including root canals and surgical procedures.
Holding a perfect record at the Virginia Board of Dentistry, with a history of zero complaints, Charles Brown DDS is listed as one of the regions top dentists by the Washington Area Consumer Council and is a member of the ADA.
Since 1987 the Hayfield Dental Care office has been serving the residents of Alexandria and the surrounding areas. charles brown dds pc has been employed by Hayfield Dental Care for over ten years. During that time Charles Brown DDS has performed literally thousands of procedures including root canals and surgical procedures.
Holding a perfect record at the Virginia Board of Dentistry, with a history of zero complaints, Charles Brown DDS is listed as one of the regions top dentists by the Washington Area Consumer Council and is a member of the ADA.
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This post has been sponsored by hellodenver.com
I'm going hunting
After this afternoon, when I found that one of my articles had been molested, I am on full hunt and search tonight for where my articles have shown up and just what people are doing with them. It's not nice to go changing someone's wording on them - particularly when it is in the form of messing with their personal endorsement of a service to others. I'll let you know how I find things so you all can check your own work. For now a search for my website on Sproose is how I found the first one.
Heir to Magic
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New user driven search engine - Sproose
Okay, in my last post I said I was checking out a website called Sproose, well, sprose is a social search engine that lets you register and then you can vote for your favorite websites. This allows the Internet community at large determine what is the creme of the crop rather than who can play the game of the web crawling Spiders the best.I registered with them, (you know I love search engines), and checked them out. It's easy, e-mail verification that you really are who you say you are then go searching and let them know what sites gave you the best help for your search and which ones you really would not care to visit again for some reason.
I've already found things through them that I have not found (with periodic checking) through other search engines so they get my vote. But, don't just take my word for it, check out the Sproose home page and do a few searches yourself and see what you think of them for yourself.
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This post was sponsored by Sproose
Oh *THIS* **PISSES** me off! I was plagiarized!!!
I'm over here in a perfectly good moon looking at a website called Sproose that I am looking over to review for writing a paid post for them, and what do I find when I type in my website, Phantascene, as a test? I've been frelling plagiarized! Not by Sproose, who I am already starting to really like, but by a site I found through them called andPOP - check this out - Technology Column: A Web Site of Your Own - A Website of your Own is MY work, but I recommend PlatonicSolid.info or Webmusher.com *EVERY TIME* when I recommend a hosting company because I *KNOW* the guy that runs them and know he will bust his ass to make his customers happy. I have never even HEARD of infinwhatsitssite they claim I had said I recommend. I checked it out just to make sure - I've never even BEEN to that site.
Grrrrr - guys have me sooo pissed I can't even remember how to spell, THANK GOD for Firefox's new in form spell checker. I'm definitely going to let that site know that not only do I *NOT* endorse that other hosting company, I endorse the ones by my brother thank you very much, but that I don't appreciate all the in article advertisements and money he is making off of my article that he changed and to top it all off - they say "Written By: andPOP Staff" at the top. I am not a member of the andPOP staff, never even heard about them until I found them on accident when I discovered they rewrote my work and filled it with advertisements.
(And what's with all them ? marks in place of ' marks???)
Okay, I'll shut up and go seethe somewhere else for a few.
Grrrrr - guys have me sooo pissed I can't even remember how to spell, THANK GOD for Firefox's new in form spell checker. I'm definitely going to let that site know that not only do I *NOT* endorse that other hosting company, I endorse the ones by my brother thank you very much, but that I don't appreciate all the in article advertisements and money he is making off of my article that he changed and to top it all off - they say "Written By: andPOP Staff" at the top. I am not a member of the andPOP staff, never even heard about them until I found them on accident when I discovered they rewrote my work and filled it with advertisements.
(And what's with all them ? marks in place of ' marks???)
Okay, I'll shut up and go seethe somewhere else for a few.
Got Retirement?
You probably already know what you will do with that book advance you have been dreaming about, but the Monex Deposit Company would like for you to take a moment to consider the future. What will your retirement be like? Will you have the money you need?
The Monex Deposit Company can help you save for the future using precious metals investments such as investments in gold bullion or coins.
For centuries gold has been the investment of choice for many. Both the beauty and lasting value of this precious metal have made it one of the most sought after metals both by investors and those who just appreciate fine metals.
The hard asset professionals at Monex Deposit Company are ready to help you pick the right investment for your needs and can arrange for either immediate personal delivery or, if you prefer, for your investment to be safely and conveniently stored in an independent bank or depository.
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The Monex Deposit Company can help you save for the future using precious metals investments such as investments in gold bullion or coins.
For centuries gold has been the investment of choice for many. Both the beauty and lasting value of this precious metal have made it one of the most sought after metals both by investors and those who just appreciate fine metals.
The hard asset professionals at Monex Deposit Company are ready to help you pick the right investment for your needs and can arrange for either immediate personal delivery or, if you prefer, for your investment to be safely and conveniently stored in an independent bank or depository.
The preceding Post is a paid advertisement for the Monex Deposit Company
Characters: The good bad guy
Okay, I know that it seems a little weird to see 'good bad guy', but think about it. You've seen bad bad guys and you knew it when you saw them. They are the cardboard stand up figures that are there just to present a problem for the hero and don't... well, they don't have a purpose either in the story or anywhere else.
They are flat figures that are often stereo-typed into existence. The villain with the long waxed mustache and beady dark eyes that slinks around in a cape and ties damsels to train tracks. The tall burly thug with a broken nose that works for the head bad guy. You can think of a number of such bad bad guys. Now, can you think of some good bad guys?
How about the little old ladies that feed arsenic to people and bury them in the basement in Arsenic and Old Lace? I saw a local high school production of it years ago and enjoyed it greatly. I recall that there were quite a few things about them that make you want to like them, but you know that, whatever else you may feel about them, they should not be doing what they are doing. They are bad ladies, but... they're good bad ladies. They have character and reasons for what they do and can draw the viewer in and give the viewer a glimpse into the way they see things.
A good bad guy should give your reader the sense that the bad guy has a reason for what they are up to. They should not simply want to kill the hero because they are bad, they should have a reason that goes beyond the basic plot point for what they are trying to do. Do they have reason to believe that the hero cause the death of someone they care about and are seeking revenge? Do they believe that the hero is the one that is the bad guy?
As you create your bad guys place yourself in their role and look at the story through their eyes. Imagine for a moment it was about them, that you want the reader to connect with that character, not your protagonist. Discover the side of your story that drives the bad guys and you will have good bad guys.
They are flat figures that are often stereo-typed into existence. The villain with the long waxed mustache and beady dark eyes that slinks around in a cape and ties damsels to train tracks. The tall burly thug with a broken nose that works for the head bad guy. You can think of a number of such bad bad guys. Now, can you think of some good bad guys?
How about the little old ladies that feed arsenic to people and bury them in the basement in Arsenic and Old Lace? I saw a local high school production of it years ago and enjoyed it greatly. I recall that there were quite a few things about them that make you want to like them, but you know that, whatever else you may feel about them, they should not be doing what they are doing. They are bad ladies, but... they're good bad ladies. They have character and reasons for what they do and can draw the viewer in and give the viewer a glimpse into the way they see things.
A good bad guy should give your reader the sense that the bad guy has a reason for what they are up to. They should not simply want to kill the hero because they are bad, they should have a reason that goes beyond the basic plot point for what they are trying to do. Do they have reason to believe that the hero cause the death of someone they care about and are seeking revenge? Do they believe that the hero is the one that is the bad guy?
As you create your bad guys place yourself in their role and look at the story through their eyes. Imagine for a moment it was about them, that you want the reader to connect with that character, not your protagonist. Discover the side of your story that drives the bad guys and you will have good bad guys.
HotelReservations.com - [paid post]
HotelReservations.com would like to let you know about their offerings or hotels, motels, resorts, vacations rentals and more. Their competitive rates let you save up to 70% off and they have discounts on world wide destinations.
You can get your Hotel Reservation through a easy search by hotel and even check searches for vacation rentals, car, or even air. Or maybe you would prefer to browse hot destinations such as Las Vegas, New York, Honolulu, and London. And don't forget to check into the cruise offerings and group bookings for when your writer's retreat group needs more than 9 rooms a day to visit a conference or something in another city.
Looking for a great bed and breakfast? (What writers does not practically live out of bed and breakfasts when on the road?) You can experience the personal service and country inn atmosphere that comes with a small country inn or guest house. Find bed and breakfasts in locations such as Atlanta, San Francisco, Toronto, Biloxi, and Cape Cod (to name just a few).
Looking for something a bit further from home? Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland... HotelReservations.com can help you with your world wide travel plans as well.
Visit their site to book online or to call them today and see what awaits you on your next getaway vacation.
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This post has been a paid advertisement for HotelReservations.com
Take the time to get organized
I have been reading Organizing Your Office For Success! by Lisa Kanarek (1993 Plume, an imprint of Dutton Signet, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc.)
I've had this book for a few years but have never really read it so much as just half-heartedly scanned it. This time I started actually reading it with the intent of implementing things that are suggested in the book in my designing of my office in the basement.
One of the things that struck me as I was reading was a quick tip that said "Take the time to get organized. In the long run you'll come out ahead.... just as it takes money to make money, it also takes time to save time."
The tip was, obviously, longer than that, but you get the gist of it there. I'm going to take her advice to heart and take the time to get things set up properly and organized in my home office so that it can run smoothly and I won't be wasting time trying to get things done that should have taken a third as long as they end up taking.
I've had this book for a few years but have never really read it so much as just half-heartedly scanned it. This time I started actually reading it with the intent of implementing things that are suggested in the book in my designing of my office in the basement.
One of the things that struck me as I was reading was a quick tip that said "Take the time to get organized. In the long run you'll come out ahead.... just as it takes money to make money, it also takes time to save time."
The tip was, obviously, longer than that, but you get the gist of it there. I'm going to take her advice to heart and take the time to get things set up properly and organized in my home office so that it can run smoothly and I won't be wasting time trying to get things done that should have taken a third as long as they end up taking.
It's a dangerous world - protect your children online
In this age of computers we have all come to be aware of the dangers of someone else finding out what our passwords that we use online are. Is there a time when it might be all right for someone to know that? Could a case be made for a software that tracks a site such as MySpace, providing information on myspace login and password information?
What would you think of a program that is designed to watch what someone does on MySpace? A program that can tell you about when someone has updated their profile, posted pictures, or made comments about others on the site? Would it be invasion to know when messages were sent to other users, when friends were invited or accepted? Would it be invading privacy to know if someone has more than one MySpace account?
I'm guessing that if you are familiar with the MySpace website, and are the parent of a child that uses a computer, then you would be shaking your head that it's not invading privacy when it comes to your child's safety.
There are predators out there. Men, and even women from what I have heard, although the women seem to be in a vast minority, that access the Internet and use sites like MySpace and regional chat rooms to connect with minors for purposes that curdle the stomach of any decent adult.
There are also programs such as the Spector Pro monitoring software that watches over the use of MySpace and provides parents with a chance to monitor their children's interactions with others on the website. Giving parents a chance to spot the predators before they can lure their child into danger.
What would you think of a program that is designed to watch what someone does on MySpace? A program that can tell you about when someone has updated their profile, posted pictures, or made comments about others on the site? Would it be invasion to know when messages were sent to other users, when friends were invited or accepted? Would it be invading privacy to know if someone has more than one MySpace account?
I'm guessing that if you are familiar with the MySpace website, and are the parent of a child that uses a computer, then you would be shaking your head that it's not invading privacy when it comes to your child's safety.
There are predators out there. Men, and even women from what I have heard, although the women seem to be in a vast minority, that access the Internet and use sites like MySpace and regional chat rooms to connect with minors for purposes that curdle the stomach of any decent adult.
There are also programs such as the Spector Pro monitoring software that watches over the use of MySpace and provides parents with a chance to monitor their children's interactions with others on the website. Giving parents a chance to spot the predators before they can lure their child into danger.
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This post was proudly sponsored by SpectorSoft -
because your child's safety is important to them
Buildign an office in the basement
I've been up all night letting mom get a good night's sleep while I worked on the basement and got it ready for using as my office again. Some of you may recall that I was using the basement as an office a few years back, and more will recall my talking off and on about how I should move my office back into the basement.
Well, I've started that project and it is going a lot smoother than I had expected. I have it mostly ready for revisions and hope to have it ready later tonight for my new desktop computer (which I hope to pick up from Rent To Own tomorrow afternoon when we take dad in for a blood test).
I'm also contemplating moving my bed down there and making this room just kind of a reading room and a place to have my laptop in the afternoons so I can enjoy the sunlight. We'll see.
Well, I've started that project and it is going a lot smoother than I had expected. I have it mostly ready for revisions and hope to have it ready later tonight for my new desktop computer (which I hope to pick up from Rent To Own tomorrow afternoon when we take dad in for a blood test).
I'm also contemplating moving my bed down there and making this room just kind of a reading room and a place to have my laptop in the afternoons so I can enjoy the sunlight. We'll see.
Secured loans - [paid post]
With all of the things that come with the holiday season; such as new computers, laminators, printers, thumb drives... you get the idea, debit is an ugly beast that can rear its head quite high this time of year. Many debit help lines report January to be their busiest month.
It is quite easy to fall into the trap of being in debt, it only takes a few minutes and a lack of ready funds and you're there. Getting back out can be the difficult part. You can turn to sources such as personal loans or, if you own your own home, look into the possibilities of mortgages to help you get the needed money to get out of debt. Everyone needs to borrow money at one time or another, and secured loans can be an alternative to being forced into things as unpleasant as bankruptcy.
It is quite easy to fall into the trap of being in debt, it only takes a few minutes and a lack of ready funds and you're there. Getting back out can be the difficult part. You can turn to sources such as personal loans or, if you own your own home, look into the possibilities of mortgages to help you get the needed money to get out of debt. Everyone needs to borrow money at one time or another, and secured loans can be an alternative to being forced into things as unpleasant as bankruptcy.
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The preceding post has been a paid advertisement for LoanWize
Office designed for comfort
As I get ready to redesign my office to accommodate a desktop computer, I am thinking of things such as redesign of my work space. My present setup is just a quickly tossed together arrangement of a couple of boards run between a nightstand and a TV tray. My laptop sits on a cake cooling rack over a keyboard tray sitting over the TV tray, my second monitor sits over the nightstand. The keyboard is on three leftover flooring boards tucked under the keyboard tray and angled out to let me see the screen on the second monitor as I type since I use it as my primary monitor.
I want to reconfigure things so that I can reduce or, preferably, eliminate my trouble with low back pain. I admit it, I'm a sloucher. I also have trouble getting my feet to the floor from my desk chair. I'm a short 5'2" so chairs designed for men 5'11" to 6'2" are not exactly the most ideal for me to be sitting in. I usually end up with one foot tucked up under me and the other resting on something under the desk.
So, for my redesign I am taking the following points into consideration, points you might think about too if you have trouble with low back pain.
I want to reconfigure things so that I can reduce or, preferably, eliminate my trouble with low back pain. I admit it, I'm a sloucher. I also have trouble getting my feet to the floor from my desk chair. I'm a short 5'2" so chairs designed for men 5'11" to 6'2" are not exactly the most ideal for me to be sitting in. I usually end up with one foot tucked up under me and the other resting on something under the desk.
So, for my redesign I am taking the following points into consideration, points you might think about too if you have trouble with low back pain.
- Adjust the level of the work surface so that it is at a comfortable height for you
- Find a chair with good lumbar support or use a lumbar support cushion
- Design the office so that you can easily stand up and move around in it
- Arrange items to encourage you to get up and walk across the room - printer across room maybe?
- Kick out all the junk food and, if you must have munchies, replace with good for you things
- Rest your feet on a low stool or maybe a low stack of books
Top Music Videos Daily (paid post)
And now for something from the procrastination files. (Not that I would *ever* procrastinate o:-))PopViral.com is a video sharing site that brings all the best music videos into one site. This site already covers several countries with more being added daily.
If you're looking for something to fill some time while you relax between writing your megga hit book and rereading it to find all of its flaws, check out www.PopViral.com and access all the latest music videos for free.
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This is a paid post paid for by PopViral.com
Office revisions in hopes of new desktop computer
I'm going to be doing MASSIVE renovations to my office over the next few days because I am working on getting myself a new desktop computer in the after Holidays sales - looking first at what my local Rent To Own place (where I got my laptop) has. Sounds like they have a few really good ones in stock and through Saturday the used computers are half price.
Audio Resume - record your resume for employers to listen to
Have you ever wished that a job interview could be as easy as answering five questions over the phone? Well, if so, then Audio Resume seems to have heard you. You can create a resume over the phone, then potential employers can browse resumes and review them by listening to an audio file on your unique URL.
You can also upload an optional picture if you want to. Click here to Learn More About Audio Resume and maybe make your next job hunt as easy as a phone call.
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This has been a paid post for Audio Resume
Sage Advice
I love quotes about writing. Here is some sage advice from the masters of the craft. Ponder it and use their wisdom well.
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It begins with a character, usually, and once he stands up on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does.
- William Faulkner
I try to create sympathy for my characters, then turn the monsters loose.
- Stephen King
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First, find out what your hero wants. Then just follow him.
- Ray Bradbury
It begins with a character, usually, and once he stands up on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does.
- William Faulkner
I try to create sympathy for my characters, then turn the monsters loose.
- Stephen King
The test of any good fiction is that you should care something for the characters; the good to succeed, the bad to fail. The trouble with most fiction is that you want them all to land in hell, together, as quickly as possible.
- Mark Twain
Writing fiction is a solitary occupation but not really a lonely one. The writer's head is mobbed with characters, images and language.
- Hilma Wolitzer
In writing a series of stories about the same characters, plan the whole series in advance in some detail, to avoid contradictions and inconsistencies.
- L. Sprague de Camp
When in doubt, have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand.
- Raymond Chandler
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
- Albert Einstein
DAB digital radio from The Radio Guide
I have spoken several times about my dad and his love of listening to the radio since he lost the ability to read. I was thinking of just what I could get for him for Christmas and browsing around and information on The Radio Guide caught my notice.
The following is a paid post for The Radio Guide - thank you to them for helping me realize just what my dad needs -- clearer reception of Coat to Coast AM! :-D
Digital radios are hailed for their better sound quality than you can get with a standard radio. The trick is, how do you know what you are looking for Choosing a new digital radio is made easier when you visit The Radio Guide can help you sort out what the options are and find places to purchase a digital radio.
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The preceding post is a paid advertisement for The Radio Guide
The following is a paid post for The Radio Guide - thank you to them for helping me realize just what my dad needs -- clearer reception of Coat to Coast AM! :-D
Digital radios are hailed for their better sound quality than you can get with a standard radio. The trick is, how do you know what you are looking for Choosing a new digital radio is made easier when you visit The Radio Guide can help you sort out what the options are and find places to purchase a digital radio.
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The preceding post is a paid advertisement for The Radio Guide
Today is the day to write
I went outside and tried to put up the Christmas lights along the front porch of the house - but the snow flurries out there chased me right back in to hide.
I went out and measured - we have 6.5 inches of snow in the yard and today it has dumped 1.5 inches where it was shoveled night before last.
Temperature is sitting on 20° F and the snow is falling still - small flakes, but there's a LOT of them.
So today I am staying inside where it's warm and writing.
I went out and measured - we have 6.5 inches of snow in the yard and today it has dumped 1.5 inches where it was shoveled night before last.
Temperature is sitting on 20° F and the snow is falling still - small flakes, but there's a LOT of them.
So today I am staying inside where it's warm and writing.
Book announcement - "Surprise! Now You're a Software Project Manager" by Bas de Baar
Bas de Baar has announced his new project management book. I have been on the receiving end of those surprise announcements by the boss that "Oh, by the way, you're in charge of this project." I could certainly have used this book then. I also have a friend that has had this same kind of surprise dropped in her lap a few times.The PM book approaches software project management in terms that help the beginner understand what they are getting into and how they can survive it. Letting them know what is expected, where to start, even what you should be focused on as you work. This is the book to get if you suddenly find yourself in charge and wishing you had called in sick that day (or perhaps had not been the only one absent from the meeting when they volunteered you for the project).
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The preceding post was a paid post sponsored by Bas de Baar to help get word out about his new project management book.
Novels don't put food on the table, a day job does that
Recent events have caused me to start reconsidering my writing work and looking at it not from a perspective of "how could I make money?" but rather from the perspective of "How can I make more money doing what makes me money now?"
So, as a result of that change in perspective, I have began to focus more directly on my blogs and work with advertising as well as working on the websites I run.
I still dream of getting Heir to Magic finished and published - but it is not going to be something I can do fast enough to make it my primary income. Like most other writers I have hit that point in my career where I realize that my bread and butter is not going to come from my using my abilities for novel writing, but for the writing that I do between the novels.
So, as a result of that change in perspective, I have began to focus more directly on my blogs and work with advertising as well as working on the websites I run.
I still dream of getting Heir to Magic finished and published - but it is not going to be something I can do fast enough to make it my primary income. Like most other writers I have hit that point in my career where I realize that my bread and butter is not going to come from my using my abilities for novel writing, but for the writing that I do between the novels.
Promotional products
Find business promotional products, such as color writing pads displaying your company logo, at MBH Promotional Products. Looking for special items that would be worthy of corporate gifts? Take a look at their briefcases, such as the Outback with the flap closure. MBH also carries promotional marketing products such as stress relievers, magnets, mugs and caps.
Looking for a unique way to advertise your new book? Check out the auto accessories for Intertek Auto-Sun-Shade static clings for the window of your car. These square shades are perforated see-thru shades that easily peels off and re-adheres to the window. Current price as of when I saw them was $5.96 each of you bought 100 of them.
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The preceding post is a paid advertisement
for MBH Promotional Products
Looking for a unique way to advertise your new book? Check out the auto accessories for Intertek Auto-Sun-Shade static clings for the window of your car. These square shades are perforated see-thru shades that easily peels off and re-adheres to the window. Current price as of when I saw them was $5.96 each of you bought 100 of them.
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The preceding post is a paid advertisement
for MBH Promotional Products
Where to find inspiration
Looking for inspiration for writing? Whatever kind of writing you do, whether it is blogging or writing articles for a newspaper, you can find inspiration all around you.
Common sources of ideas include:
You are watching your favorite show on television when they show something that catches your attention. You make a note of it and later you do some research and write an article about it.
You are listening to the radio when someone on a commercial says something that you find interesting so you look into it a little more on the computer and write an article about it.
You are reading a magazine and there is a small sidebar to an article that has a fact in it that you think is worth further research. You write your own article based on that research.
You are reading the newspaper when you find mention of the local little league winning their first game thanks to a new player that no one had expected to be very good on the team. A little research results in an article about the unexpected player and how he improved the team by learning to play from his uncle that plays in the big leagues.
Your friend tells you a great trick for how to get a stain out of your carpet. You ask if you can use the tip in an article you just got a great idea and with their permission (and maybe expert advise) write an article on the best ways to get various stains out of different kinds of carpeting.
You overhear two people in a public place talking about how something they had not been prepared for had happened to one of them and how it changed their life. Realizing that you had your life changed in a similar manner, and that others may be facing the same situations, you write an article to help others prepare for the event.
You are working at the computer when a meteor strikes the tree outside your house. After blinking away the shock you write an article on the cosmic shooting gallery of meteors and how we never know when or where they might hit.
You should have got the idea by now, so I'll shut up and go look for more inspiration on what I can write about. Happy hunting in your own search for subject matter.
Common sources of ideas include:
- The television
- The radio
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- Friends
- Overheard conversations
- First hand experience
You are watching your favorite show on television when they show something that catches your attention. You make a note of it and later you do some research and write an article about it.
You are listening to the radio when someone on a commercial says something that you find interesting so you look into it a little more on the computer and write an article about it.
You are reading a magazine and there is a small sidebar to an article that has a fact in it that you think is worth further research. You write your own article based on that research.
You are reading the newspaper when you find mention of the local little league winning their first game thanks to a new player that no one had expected to be very good on the team. A little research results in an article about the unexpected player and how he improved the team by learning to play from his uncle that plays in the big leagues.
Your friend tells you a great trick for how to get a stain out of your carpet. You ask if you can use the tip in an article you just got a great idea and with their permission (and maybe expert advise) write an article on the best ways to get various stains out of different kinds of carpeting.
You overhear two people in a public place talking about how something they had not been prepared for had happened to one of them and how it changed their life. Realizing that you had your life changed in a similar manner, and that others may be facing the same situations, you write an article to help others prepare for the event.
You are working at the computer when a meteor strikes the tree outside your house. After blinking away the shock you write an article on the cosmic shooting gallery of meteors and how we never know when or where they might hit.
You should have got the idea by now, so I'll shut up and go look for more inspiration on what I can write about. Happy hunting in your own search for subject matter.
U-DOO Ringtone and avatar
I'm sure that you have seen them avatars that look around and follow your mouse on the screen and such - right. U-DOO is a new program that you can use to build those avatars and matching ringtones. Downloadable ringtones can also be e-mailed to your friends and published to your MySpace pages. Record your ringtones or create them using prerecorded or text to speech options. Then design the avatar to match them including adjusting the sizes of the head and features, changing the age, or adding accessories to make them truly personalized avatars.
If this sounds kewl to you, then you can Check it out here. And, the first 60 days are free.
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The Preceding Message has
been a paid post for U-DOO
Kicking the cat out of the window
Okay, so it's a mean thing to do, but I have decided that part of the redesign for my bedroom / office is going to be to kick Harry out of the window seat he's had for a while now and put my laptop where I can sit at the window and look out as I write. It'll mean I 'll dang near need to make me a pedestal, but I am getting BAD cabin fever and that's not very good for the poor muses. So... desk going at the window. Sorry Harry.
CarInsurance.com - the "Progressive Direct: Insurance Damage Estimates" in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
The new HD DVD "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" has a deal called the "Progressive Direct: Insurance Damage Estimates," that the viewer can turn on to get a running total of damage estimates such as: "Roof repair: $209, taillights: $451, fender: $618."
It is the first of what could be a stream of branded interactive features on DVDs. The technology is possible because the new HD DVD formats have about six times as much data capacity as standard DVDs, giving extra space to the studios for not only high-definition video and enhanced audio, but also interactive features such as games, picture-in-picture commentaries and Web links.
I'd like to see a movie that totals up what the writer went through to get the screenplay written: "Current scene: late night pizza binge, Current scene: five days pacing floor pulling out hair, Current scene: inspiration struck when door hit nose as wife entered room as writer was leaving it." and so on
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Paid advertisement for CarInsurance.com
It is the first of what could be a stream of branded interactive features on DVDs. The technology is possible because the new HD DVD formats have about six times as much data capacity as standard DVDs, giving extra space to the studios for not only high-definition video and enhanced audio, but also interactive features such as games, picture-in-picture commentaries and Web links.
I'd like to see a movie that totals up what the writer went through to get the screenplay written: "Current scene: late night pizza binge, Current scene: five days pacing floor pulling out hair, Current scene: inspiration struck when door hit nose as wife entered room as writer was leaving it." and so on
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This information was brought to you by CarInsurance.com - their online insurance marketplace gives an opportunity to consumers and to insurance companies. "We offer the ability to shop for car insurance online. CarInsurance.com will meet the consumers’ requests and solve insurance companies' needs." Consumers can receive an auto insurance quote from many insurance companies, in some states you are able to purchase your insurance instantly, online. You don't have to drive your car to buy car insurance. Buy online...anytime!
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Paid advertisement for CarInsurance.com
Looking for Writer's Block Cures
Another thing that I am working on is a list of writer's block cures and what a person can do to get past it on a particular project when their muses are all focused somewhere else on them.
Annoying to want to work on my fiction stories and my muses all hide because of the non-fiction writing that I have to be working on before I can work on the fun fiction stuff.
Heir to Magic
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Annoying to want to work on my fiction stories and my muses all hide because of the non-fiction writing that I have to be working on before I can work on the fun fiction stuff.
Heir to Magic
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Researching for writing about Christmas
I've been looking into some research on the history of Christmas lately - planning to do some writing about the history of the holiday and things that are associated with it such as Santa, trees, presents, and so on and so forth - no time to get it all done, but I am finding the research to be fun when I can get the time to read some on it.
Heir to Magic
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Heir to Magic
Current Chapter:
Today's Word Count:
Chapter Word Count:
Total Word Count:
Current Favorite Method of Procrastination:
Capella University - online master degree
I have run a few advertisements on this blog and others for Capella University, and they would like to remind you of how convenient getting an online master degree can be.
Capella University is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capella Education Company, headquartered in Minneapolis. An online school, they maintain a high-caliber of academic excellence and offer graduate degree programs in 76 graduate and undergraduate specializations as well as 16 certificate specializations.
Capella University is a national leader in on-line education, currently serving 16,000 students from all 50 states and 63 countries.
Isn't it time you looked into the opportunities of taking classes online, whether you pursue one of the many classes offered by Capella or look into classes offered by another accredited on-line school. For more information on how Capella University can help you earn your degree from the comfort of your own home, please visit www.capella.edu or call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552).
Capella University is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capella Education Company, headquartered in Minneapolis. An online school, they maintain a high-caliber of academic excellence and offer graduate degree programs in 76 graduate and undergraduate specializations as well as 16 certificate specializations.
Capella University is a national leader in on-line education, currently serving 16,000 students from all 50 states and 63 countries.
Isn't it time you looked into the opportunities of taking classes online, whether you pursue one of the many classes offered by Capella or look into classes offered by another accredited on-line school. For more information on how Capella University can help you earn your degree from the comfort of your own home, please visit www.capella.edu or call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552).
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This post has been paid for by Capella University
Top five reasons writers starve
5. There are only 24 hours in a day and 48 hours worth of things that need to be done.
4. Keyboards still can not be manipulated with the mind - hands slow down getting the thoughts on the computer.
3. Distractions such as pets needing to be fed, bathroom breaks, writers needing food, and falling unconscious clutching the keyboard.
2. Lack of an IV tube means that nutrients have to be consumed, thus slowing the writer as they are forced to type one handed.
and the number one reason writer's starve -
1. .................................................................. uhhh...... :::drums fingers on desk trying to think:::...... well... they can't think of what in the heck they are trying to write about.
4. Keyboards still can not be manipulated with the mind - hands slow down getting the thoughts on the computer.
3. Distractions such as pets needing to be fed, bathroom breaks, writers needing food, and falling unconscious clutching the keyboard.
2. Lack of an IV tube means that nutrients have to be consumed, thus slowing the writer as they are forced to type one handed.
and the number one reason writer's starve -
1. .................................................................. uhhh...... :::drums fingers on desk trying to think:::...... well... they can't think of what in the heck they are trying to write about.
Writing Prompts
Since my muses are being so persnickety about talking to me lately, I have decided to present you all with some writing prompts that can get you to writing when lashing your muses with a bull whip fails.
Pick a subject and ask yourself "What do I want to know about it?" Never write about what you know, write about what you want to know.
Make a list of things that interest you and then pick one that you would like to research. Write about the research and what you might add to it.
Type a line and see what you get, if it's workable keep typing, if not, erase and try again.
Pick a subject and ask yourself "What do I want to know about it?" Never write about what you know, write about what you want to know.
Make a list of things that interest you and then pick one that you would like to research. Write about the research and what you might add to it.
Type a line and see what you get, if it's workable keep typing, if not, erase and try again.
Understanding Link Popularity and Page Rank
And now, a word from our sponsor...
Page Rank is a term Google uses that defines how popular a website is with other sites on the Internet. How does Google know how popular a website is with other websites? They look for the link popularity of a website by looking at how other websites link to it. The codes used by Google examine a page that contains a link to another website, searching for keywords. A second list of keywords compiled from the linked to site.
The two lists of compiled keywords are compared to determine just how interrelated the words from the linking page are to the page that is linked to. The better the two lists of keywords match up, the more value the system gives to the linked to page and therefore the higher that page's Page Rank is. Other elements that are taken into account include the title of the linking page, H1 tags, and information in the META tags.
Page Rank is a term Google uses that defines how popular a website is with other sites on the Internet. How does Google know how popular a website is with other websites? They look for the link popularity of a website by looking at how other websites link to it. The codes used by Google examine a page that contains a link to another website, searching for keywords. A second list of keywords compiled from the linked to site.
The two lists of compiled keywords are compared to determine just how interrelated the words from the linking page are to the page that is linked to. The better the two lists of keywords match up, the more value the system gives to the linked to page and therefore the higher that page's Page Rank is. Other elements that are taken into account include the title of the linking page, H1 tags, and information in the META tags.
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This post has been paid for by the Writer's Life sponsor US Web
How to catch a muse
You know, I've been thinking... prompted both by the picture of muses fluttering by the writer in my blog picture and by the lack of muses that are fluttering around near me lately. It is not that hard to catch a muse - it's the catching one alive that is difficult.
Standard muse catching is along the lines of:
Standard muse catching is along the lines of:
- Sit quietly and watch for a small flicker of disturbance in the air that signifies the flutter of tiny wings. That is a muse.
- Ignore the area where you saw the muse, but covertly keep an eye on it to make sure that you know just where it is.
- Once the muse is sure that you are not a threat it will light on the edge of your desk. Use caution! They are going to be suspicious for a little while still and will fly off quickly if they think that you have noticed them. Just keep staring into space and acting like you have not noticed the little fellow. Have patience and wait for them to make the first move.
- After they have gained a little confidence that they have not been spotted they will slowly move closer to see what you are up to. Take care and do not startle them.
- When they seem relaxed and are looking at what you are doing carefully reach to the side and with as much casualness as possible pick up the largest book you can reach and slam it down on top of the muse.
Forms for writing
I was just talking on my Work at Home blog about creating business forms for your business, and that got me to thinking about the use of forms in writing. Things such as character worksheets, daily writing count logs, submissions forms for where manuscripts have been sent, and so on and so forth. The same thing I had said about running a small business can be said for writers - which is with desktop publishing programs there is no longer any need to use forms that are "Kind of right for the job", just make your own. Look at what you have a need for and sketch out a form that would do the job how you want it done, then create your forms and print them out. Forms are as necessary to your writing business as creating a business plan - and I even see them as kind of being a part of a proper business plan. And printing them is a business expense - just as much as it would be a business expense if you had to go out and buy the forms ready made.
Writing math: Desk+long hours=needs to exercise
You know, I could make a case for why a writer needs a heart rate monitor to help monitor their heart rate when they stand holding that envelope from the publishing house they sent their manuscript off to. About how the palpitating heart and thready pulse should be checked before the envelope is opened to help protect weak hearts against the high rick of rejection and the heart stopping thrill of finding a contract.
But I won't. We all know it is more about health. Writer's spend their days at a desk working on a computer (or on a typewriter or a legal pad) and that means that regular exercise is a vital way to stay healthy, and Heart Rate Monitors are an important tool to helping you know if you are working out properly or not.
But I won't. We all know it is more about health. Writer's spend their days at a desk working on a computer (or on a typewriter or a legal pad) and that means that regular exercise is a vital way to stay healthy, and Heart Rate Monitors are an important tool to helping you know if you are working out properly or not.
I need to relax after writing so much
Whew. Too much writing and not enough sleep can really start to wear on a person.
I've been trying to catch up on writing commitments and getting a little time in the AIM chats after a couple of days of not being on AIM, and it's starting to get to me.
Later tonight I plan to just draw a nice hot bath and soak in it for hours with my aching fingers submerged. And when I say hot, I mean it. I tested the temperature of a bath that felt room temperature to me one day and it was 105 degrees F - so, yeah, hot relaxing bath is high on the agenda after the writing commitments are all dealt with.
Heir to Magic
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I've been trying to catch up on writing commitments and getting a little time in the AIM chats after a couple of days of not being on AIM, and it's starting to get to me.
Later tonight I plan to just draw a nice hot bath and soak in it for hours with my aching fingers submerged. And when I say hot, I mean it. I tested the temperature of a bath that felt room temperature to me one day and it was 105 degrees F - so, yeah, hot relaxing bath is high on the agenda after the writing commitments are all dealt with.
Heir to Magic
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Personalized Holiday Cards
This year, rather than buy bulk cards for all of your friends and family, why not make your own? You can buy blank cards that work in your home printer and write personalized content for each recipient. This is a very easy way to make them feel special and can even print pictures of your family or of you and your friends on the front of the cards.
Internet marketing for writers
You have written your novel and found a publisher, you have even created a web site for your book. Now what?
Now you begin marketing both your book and the website.
Writing a novel takes time and patience, so too does a successful marketing campaign. When research indicates that 70-80% of potential customers use search engines or search directories to find relevant content, it is easy to see just why it is important to get good rankings on search engines.
Competition to gain the best positions in search engine listings is fierce. Through search engine optimization, PPC bid management, and other services that target the Internet's major search properties, an internet marketing firm can drive visitors to your website that are looking for the type of product (such as a specific kind of novel) that you offer.
Now you begin marketing both your book and the website.
Writing a novel takes time and patience, so too does a successful marketing campaign. When research indicates that 70-80% of potential customers use search engines or search directories to find relevant content, it is easy to see just why it is important to get good rankings on search engines.
Competition to gain the best positions in search engine listings is fierce. Through search engine optimization, PPC bid management, and other services that target the Internet's major search properties, an internet marketing firm can drive visitors to your website that are looking for the type of product (such as a specific kind of novel) that you offer.
My secret - Writing is work
My secret to getting my work done is to see it as work. I know that sounds a little counter-productive, since most people see or hear the word "work" and cringe, but I have few options for making a living and my biggest resource is in my skills as a writer, so if I let myself see it as just play I will let myself slack off when I don't feel like writing and as a result - I'll never make any money.
Motivation to write
When you are sitting at the desk trying to get through writing your three pages a day - what keeps you motivated? If there any kind of secret treat that you allow yourself to enjoy when you have made your page count for the day, or do you just buckle down and get the writing done because it has to be done?
Holiday gift baskets for the writer's gift list
The holiday gifts that you give to your writing acquaintances, (such as editors, proofreaders, or writing buddies), should be a reflection of your professionalism. One of the most classic and elegant gifts is the gift basket. Decorative baskets filled with cookies or savory snacks make a perfect holiday gift for the hard to shop for on your holiday list. www.dotflowers.com offers gift baskets and a diverse selection of field fresh flower bouquets.
Check out the corporate gifts such as the Executive Choice or the Connoisseur. A Woodland Greens Assortment is perfect for any office as is the Bit of Sunshine basket. You can get same day flower delivery on flower arrangements designed in your local florist shop or field fresh flower delivery straight from their growers' farms.
Check out the corporate gifts such as the Executive Choice or the Connoisseur. A Woodland Greens Assortment is perfect for any office as is the Bit of Sunshine basket. You can get same day flower delivery on flower arrangements designed in your local florist shop or field fresh flower delivery straight from their growers' farms.
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The preceding is a paid post
Writer's Block
Have you ever had a problem where you just had no desire to write? You want to write, you need to write, but the desire is just not there. This is the point when washing the greasy pot and pans sounds more desirable than writing. When cleaning the cat box entices you away from typing on the keyboard. You look at a blank page until beads of sweat form on your brow, then beat your head on the keyboard until something looks like the start of a sentence.
I've been there often. Usually when I have to write something late at night after a long day of dealing with life in general as I know it. I'm just not good at refocusing the brain when it gets unfocused.
The following tricks are suggestions that I have collected on how to get focused and start writing when you face this problem.
1. Forget the beginning. Skip it if you have to, write worthless babble if you must, but don't worry about getting the perfect opener for your work. Chances are when you go back to it later you will reread it and find it does not tie in very well with what the heart of your article turned out to be, so just forget writing the beginning first and instead write it last.
2. Pick a word at random from a book and see if you can write 50 or 100 words around the subject. Picked up something like the word "the"? Have at it:
THE computer operating system. This was a multiprogramming system that was designed by Edsger Dijkstra and his team. Using the concept of layers as a structure, THE was the abbreviation for "Technische Hogeschool Eindhoven": The Dutch name of the Eindhoven University of Technology at the time the operating system was developed.
Want to know more? Check out: href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/THE" />
I personally had not realized when I randomly picked a common word that I would find out such a fascinating thing to write about it. So go find a word and see what you might discover for breaking your writer's block.
3. Write longhand. I know it sounds weird, but I can often write longhand a lot better than I can write on the computer. In fact, in something she had wrote, I think J.K. Rowling said she writes all her books longhand. And she's not the only famous author that prefers to write longhand. I forget just who, but there is one that will only write their first draft in longhand on yellow legal pads.
4. Dictate - either into a recorder or into a voice recognition system. Sometimes talking something out can be easier than writing it. I have a digital recorder I bought for this very purpose since I can describe scenes to someone easier than I can write them out. Later I just play it back slow and type in a bit at a time from a fully plotted scene on tape.
There are many more ideas - feel free to share a few of your own favorites in the comments.
I've been there often. Usually when I have to write something late at night after a long day of dealing with life in general as I know it. I'm just not good at refocusing the brain when it gets unfocused.
The following tricks are suggestions that I have collected on how to get focused and start writing when you face this problem.
1. Forget the beginning. Skip it if you have to, write worthless babble if you must, but don't worry about getting the perfect opener for your work. Chances are when you go back to it later you will reread it and find it does not tie in very well with what the heart of your article turned out to be, so just forget writing the beginning first and instead write it last.
2. Pick a word at random from a book and see if you can write 50 or 100 words around the subject. Picked up something like the word "the"? Have at it:
THE computer operating system. This was a multiprogramming system that was designed by Edsger Dijkstra and his team. Using the concept of layers as a structure, THE was the abbreviation for "Technische Hogeschool Eindhoven": The Dutch name of the Eindhoven University of Technology at the time the operating system was developed.
Want to know more? Check out: href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/THE" />
I personally had not realized when I randomly picked a common word that I would find out such a fascinating thing to write about it. So go find a word and see what you might discover for breaking your writer's block.
3. Write longhand. I know it sounds weird, but I can often write longhand a lot better than I can write on the computer. In fact, in something she had wrote, I think J.K. Rowling said she writes all her books longhand. And she's not the only famous author that prefers to write longhand. I forget just who, but there is one that will only write their first draft in longhand on yellow legal pads.
4. Dictate - either into a recorder or into a voice recognition system. Sometimes talking something out can be easier than writing it. I have a digital recorder I bought for this very purpose since I can describe scenes to someone easier than I can write them out. Later I just play it back slow and type in a bit at a time from a fully plotted scene on tape.
There are many more ideas - feel free to share a few of your own favorites in the comments.
Writing is running a small business
What does it take to run a small business? As writers we already know a lot of the requirements. From meeting with clients to hiring temp services to get things done that you do not have the time or perhaps training to do. When you work as a freelance writer you are taking on the role of a small business owner.I obviously do not bother to do so with my blog posts, but I have a friend who I will use for proof reading my novels when they are ready to be published. She is a whiz with grammar and understands how punctuation works. One of those talented people that just do it innately, rather than have to slave over text books for thirty years and still not quite know where the commas go. Then there are considerations such as buying envelopes and postage, researching information on-line, staples, computer hardware and software, taxes, interviews with sources, magazines and books necessary to the trade... and on and on.
Since being a freelance writer is running a small business, I of course look for information on small businesses whenever I can. I even have a blog that I am trying to get sorted out for helping work at home types like me.
Blogs are a good resource for finding information on running a small business, too. They are kept up to date and posted to regularly. They tend to focus on seasonal specific concerns such as taxes or getting ready for working around the holidays. You can find tidbits of information that you would not have expected to be finding on them and links to other sites such as the SBA or IRS websites.
EastBiz.com has a small business blog with free business info on their IncParadise.com website, to help answer common questions about small business ownership. Questions dealing with issues such as mastering customer service skills, the best states for business, e-mail, and sick days.
I've been playing with plug-ins
I have been out for several hours today playing with Firefox plug-ins and such - in fact, it is such an addiction that I even got my best friend addicted and she has long been loyal to IE. ::snicker::
As for other writing... the writing that I SHOULD have been doing... well... ::blush:: I'm kind'a behind on that. I'll get things whipped into shape soon and be able to spend more time on my novels though. I promise! (Soon as I can coordinate my life enough to work in a little sleeping.
But hey, it's not a totally wasted week. I've lost 3.6 pounds this week. :-D
As for other writing... the writing that I SHOULD have been doing... well... ::blush:: I'm kind'a behind on that. I'll get things whipped into shape soon and be able to spend more time on my novels though. I promise! (Soon as I can coordinate my life enough to work in a little sleeping.
But hey, it's not a totally wasted week. I've lost 3.6 pounds this week. :-D
Check out the PPP Blog for latest site news and information on PPP
Did you know that you can easily find updated information about PayPerPost by visiting their blog? If you have been paying even passing attention to my blogs, then you know that I have a lot of love for PayPerPost. I browse their site, their forums, and their blog daily keeping abreast of what is going on and watching for information or opportunities that might fit in with my blogs.
And let's face it - the lifeblood of any website is their blog. Posts on blogs are, without a doubt, the best way for someone to find out about site updates, behind the scenes information, site news, and general site information. PayPerPost understands this and utilizes the power of their blog to keep their membership informed and the general public aware of just what they are all about. Whether it is their coverage of the antics of the staff, or information that is important to the bloggers that write for them, their blog is the place to find out about it first.
Swing by and take a look at their blog at blog.payperpost.com
And let's face it - the lifeblood of any website is their blog. Posts on blogs are, without a doubt, the best way for someone to find out about site updates, behind the scenes information, site news, and general site information. PayPerPost understands this and utilizes the power of their blog to keep their membership informed and the general public aware of just what they are all about. Whether it is their coverage of the antics of the staff, or information that is important to the bloggers that write for them, their blog is the place to find out about it first.
Swing by and take a look at their blog at blog.payperpost.com
Firefox - The best browser I can recommend
I just finished downloading Mozilla Firefox 2.0 and I have to say that if you write, you must at least try out this browser and some of the plug-ins that you can add to it. Useful barely even begins to cover the amazing flexibility that this browser has. I absolutely LOVE it and highly recommend it to all writers for research or writing for the Internet or both.
Heck, students should check it out for helpfulness with their term papers. LOL
Heir to Magic
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Heck, students should check it out for helpfulness with their term papers. LOL
Heir to Magic
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Winzy - the free search you win prizes with
There is a new search engine that is called Winzy Search and Win. The basic concept behind it seems to be a lot like the concept behind the old search engine IWon - remember that engine? Winzy is a bit more like a cross between IWon and Wheel Of Fortune, however, since after you win you spin a wheel to see just what it is that you won.
The search engine seems to me like a worthwhile way to spend a little of my search time. I mean, shoot, writer's search for things all day every day anyway, right? May as well get a little something back for it once in a while. ;-)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Working on my blogs on my website
I've been working hard on getting my new blogs that will be based off my website rather than sites liks Blogger up and running.
I've already started posting to a few of them, but it's mostly test postings more or less to kick the blogs off and take a look at how things work as I go along.
I'm using b2evolution - highly reccomended for anyone that keeps more than one blog. It lets you set up a blogging community with stand alone blogs, or link the blogs together to build a blog network that people can move between one and the other of the blogs. (kind of like what I have here with the links to my other blogs over in the sidebar, but done automatically rather than me having to tweak the code every time I want to add a new blog to the network.
The one glitch with b2evo is that you kind of need to know a bit about programming things to get it to do what you want, it's not an easy ply and play setup like Blogger.
I've already started posting to a few of them, but it's mostly test postings more or less to kick the blogs off and take a look at how things work as I go along.
I'm using b2evolution - highly reccomended for anyone that keeps more than one blog. It lets you set up a blogging community with stand alone blogs, or link the blogs together to build a blog network that people can move between one and the other of the blogs. (kind of like what I have here with the links to my other blogs over in the sidebar, but done automatically rather than me having to tweak the code every time I want to add a new blog to the network.
The one glitch with b2evo is that you kind of need to know a bit about programming things to get it to do what you want, it's not an easy ply and play setup like Blogger.
Procrastination 101 - Poker Savvy
Feeling a little bit like procrastinating for a little while? If you're like most writers I know you spend a fair amount of time procrastinating and surfing the Internet. Next time you are surfing around and thinking about looking into those Online Poker websites, make sure you know the rules to games such as Texas Hold'em. Poker Savvy has information on poker, reviews of online casinos, and even links that allow you to get discounts on your new account at those casinos.
Boney Fingers
Used to be a song that had a lyric in it "what do you get when you work your fingers to the bone?... boney fingers." That's about how I'm feeling lately. I type and type and type and each day it seems like I am right back where I was and all I have to show for it are boney fingers.
At least my hands aren't looking too bad, and you can burn calories when you are typing, so I suppose that is one benefit of spending all my working time at a comptuer, I'm getting a workout. Still, it is just frustrating to be leaping up and down and by the time the work day is over I look back and wonder just what I have got from the day aside from boney fingers - know what I mean?
At least my hands aren't looking too bad, and you can burn calories when you are typing, so I suppose that is one benefit of spending all my working time at a comptuer, I'm getting a workout. Still, it is just frustrating to be leaping up and down and by the time the work day is over I look back and wonder just what I have got from the day aside from boney fingers - know what I mean?
Don't believe everything you're told
Maxim says that everything you know.... is wrong. And they now have the site that will explain just why these Common Myths that you have believed for so long are not quite what you assume.Everything from the truth about shaving your head to make your hair grow thicker, to the Catholic Church being the biggest land owner in the world.
How about that gas saving myth about putting your car in neutral as you're going down a hill? Is red wine really good for you?Take a look at the new Common Myth and Urban Legend Debunkment Section at Maxim that examines which ones are true and which are false.
One of them that got me the most was how exactly they say the cockroach would manage to survive a nuclear blast. Woah! Is an understatement and I now have these images of a planet infested by zombie cockroaches.
I have to disagree with their assessment on the dog ages, they are right, however, they left off the note that dog ages also vary by breed. For example - a Chihuahua does not age the same way that a Saint Bernard ages.
Possible cure found for short legs
Okay, I think I have found a possible cure for my short legs at the desk problem. I have a small desk chair, and even at that I can not sit comfortably in the chair with my feet resting on the floor. I'm not exactly midget short, being 5'2", but I am still short enough that with my chair all the way down there is an annoying difference in comfort and how I sit.
I was looking at the step I use for step aerobics and realized that it's almost the perfect heigth, collapsed for storage it is within a tad too high of being perfect. So, when I get around to reconfiguring my desk layout I am going to see if I can make room to slip the collapsed step underneath my desk and use it as a foot rest when I am not exercising. I can't do both at the same time, so that is a great way to store the step when it's not in use and I can sit comfortably by actually raising my chair a bit.
Now I just have to get the time to tear the desk stuff all apart and reorganize it into a desk arrangement that the step will fit under.
I was looking at the step I use for step aerobics and realized that it's almost the perfect heigth, collapsed for storage it is within a tad too high of being perfect. So, when I get around to reconfiguring my desk layout I am going to see if I can make room to slip the collapsed step underneath my desk and use it as a foot rest when I am not exercising. I can't do both at the same time, so that is a great way to store the step when it's not in use and I can sit comfortably by actually raising my chair a bit.
Now I just have to get the time to tear the desk stuff all apart and reorganize it into a desk arrangement that the step will fit under.
StockWrap - Stock market analysis and information
Do you dabble in the stock market? Maybe spend hours sorting through hundreds of different sites to get the latest news about that stock you want to invest in?The people behind StockWrap also grew tired of having to search through multiple sites to find relevant content, so instead of wasting their time, they produced their own unique solution. The StockWrap NewsFinder is a searching & indexing tool to help users find what they want, when they want it.
A team of active traders, the Ayamae StockWrap Team wants to deliver the fastest stock and investment news information from all around the globe instantly. Whether it is Company Information or Analyst Reports or even Investor Blogs - they can provide you want you want, when you want it.
A standard set of High Content Sites and the ability to add any site of your choosing allows you to make the Ayamae NewsFinder relevant to where you are in the world and how you personally want to view your stock information.
And, StockWrap Express Charts is the Perfect Charting Solution for traders of every level. It’s fast, reliable and can provide US and Canada Real Time Data, Live News Data & Real-Time Fundamental Data at the lowest possible price anywhere.
What could be better? - They offer a FREE VERSION of the program that pulls Stock Information from freely available sources across the Internet, and supports almost every exchange on the planet. stockwrap also provides community driven portfolios, hints, tips and analysis. Check out the forums and if you use a Mac, check back often because they are in the process of developing a Mac version too.
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My writing day analyzed
I've decided to take a look at just what I do in a day as far as writing goes. So here is the analysis of what my day is like:
5 a.m. - Wake up and log into AIM - chat with my friends for 1 to 2 hours as they get ready for work or take their lunch break depending on if they are on the West coat or the East coast.
8 a.m. - Work on blogs, getting them all caught up for the day. This can usually take me from 8.am. to noon.
Noon - Talk to my friend on the West coast at her lunch break.
1 p.m. - there is not a lot of writing that can get done between 1 and 5 p.m., I am as a general rule too busy jumping around helping my parents and getting things done around the house. I do some posts to blogs, but as a rule they are brief or articles reprinted with permission from other sources. Most of the work done here is on my websites trying to get them figured out to be set up how I want them to be.
5 p.m. - From 5 to 7 is my AIM time. I log into AIM and talk with my friends, sometimes I stay later than 7 p.m., sometimes I do some writing or blog posting, but mostly this is my time to just zone out.
7 p.m. - from around 7 until 10 or so I just try to catch up on my blogs again and see what I can get done work wise. Sometimes (okay a lot of the time) I will still be on AIM around this time as I multitask on working on websites and such.
10p.m.- Anywhere between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. I am trying to get to a point where I can sleep so I am working on mindless things such as organizing index cards with character profiles on them, scribbling notes on story ideas, drawing maps, whatever I can do that takes minimal focus and will let me just zone out until I am able to get to go to bed.
Then I wake back up between 5 and 8 am the next morning and do it all over again. Obviously there are minor changes, I may spend more time playing with polymer clay than writing during one of those points, or painting, or cleaning rather than writing, or I may spend an entire day without writing anything as I make a trip to town or something. It just kind of varied, but that is the basic structure of a writing day and everything else kind of fits itself around that.
5 a.m. - Wake up and log into AIM - chat with my friends for 1 to 2 hours as they get ready for work or take their lunch break depending on if they are on the West coat or the East coast.
8 a.m. - Work on blogs, getting them all caught up for the day. This can usually take me from 8.am. to noon.
Noon - Talk to my friend on the West coast at her lunch break.
1 p.m. - there is not a lot of writing that can get done between 1 and 5 p.m., I am as a general rule too busy jumping around helping my parents and getting things done around the house. I do some posts to blogs, but as a rule they are brief or articles reprinted with permission from other sources. Most of the work done here is on my websites trying to get them figured out to be set up how I want them to be.
5 p.m. - From 5 to 7 is my AIM time. I log into AIM and talk with my friends, sometimes I stay later than 7 p.m., sometimes I do some writing or blog posting, but mostly this is my time to just zone out.
7 p.m. - from around 7 until 10 or so I just try to catch up on my blogs again and see what I can get done work wise. Sometimes (okay a lot of the time) I will still be on AIM around this time as I multitask on working on websites and such.
10p.m.- Anywhere between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. I am trying to get to a point where I can sleep so I am working on mindless things such as organizing index cards with character profiles on them, scribbling notes on story ideas, drawing maps, whatever I can do that takes minimal focus and will let me just zone out until I am able to get to go to bed.
Then I wake back up between 5 and 8 am the next morning and do it all over again. Obviously there are minor changes, I may spend more time playing with polymer clay than writing during one of those points, or painting, or cleaning rather than writing, or I may spend an entire day without writing anything as I make a trip to town or something. It just kind of varied, but that is the basic structure of a writing day and everything else kind of fits itself around that.
AllWords - dictionary for crosswords, poetry and writing
January 2007 will mark the 8th year for the allwords dictionary, a search site that allows you to go beyond the basic word search.Imagine you are trying to compose a poem and have to find words that would work with Geranium .. type your need into AllWords "words ending in nium" and you get back:
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aluminium
chem (symbol Al , atomic number 13) a silvery-white light metallic element that forms strong alloys which are used in the construction of aircraft and other vehicles, door and window frames, household utensils, drink cans, etc.
millennium
a period of a thousand years.
pandemonium
noise, chaos and confusion.
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In addition AllWords is a perfect resource for crossword puzzle enthusiasts as well, allowing you to search for words that contain or start with certain letters.
Most other major dictionary sites only allow the user to search for words that match exactly or start with the string/letters typed in by the users. The AllWords search box allows users 4 matches.
1. Words matching the typed in phrase/letters. Type in "cat" and only exact matches result.
2. Words starting with a phrase/letters. Type in "cat" and cat, category, etc. are returned.
3. Words that contain the entered phrase/letters. Type in "zz" and blizzard and jazz result.
4. Words that end with the entered letters. Type in "zz" get buzz, jazz, but not blizzard.
They also have a directory of language sites and word of the week etymology articles as well. You can even have your word translated into Dutch, French, German, Italian, or Spanish - or search for words in those languages.
I use Dictionary sites all the time in writing, researching a word, looking for possible alternatives that I can use, confirming the spelling when I am not quite certain about a work or maybe double checking that it actually does mean what I think it does. As a writer, and the daughter of a person that loves crosswords, I can see where this site could be a very good resource for others. My only suggested fix might be if they made it so I can searchable from the Firefox tool bar.
Finger aches and pains
I'm looking for ways to east ache in hands when I type. I do a lot of typing, as part of my work, to update blogs, for talking to my friends online, and it all adds up to hours spent at the keyboard doing hunt and peck typing that leaves my fingers aching and sore.
I'll often run warm water into the sink and let it just flow over my stiff joints, making them feel better, but I hate to do that when it means that I am wasting heating fuel as the water heater reheats the used water.
I've also soaked them in just a tub of hot water to soothe them.
I'm curious about the hot wax therapy, but I've never tried it. Hand exercises and rubbing the fingers help some, but I'd be interested in if anyone else knows of ways to ease the ache? I think I may have arthritis, but never talked to a doctor to find out and I hate to take medication if I don't have to take it.
Heir to Magic
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I'll often run warm water into the sink and let it just flow over my stiff joints, making them feel better, but I hate to do that when it means that I am wasting heating fuel as the water heater reheats the used water.
I've also soaked them in just a tub of hot water to soothe them.
I'm curious about the hot wax therapy, but I've never tried it. Hand exercises and rubbing the fingers help some, but I'd be interested in if anyone else knows of ways to ease the ache? I think I may have arthritis, but never talked to a doctor to find out and I hate to take medication if I don't have to take it.
Heir to Magic
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Foonz (pronounced “phones”) - conference calling for anyone anywhere
My friends and I do a lot of writing. A lot. We work on one another's writing skills (hey, you should have seen how I wrote 5 years ago :-p), we discuss story ideas, we talk about things going on in our lives and at work and... a lot of talking. At least half of the talking on the phones we do as three-way calls.Because of that, Foonz caught my eye. Foonz is a new free service that lets anyone start a group call from any phone. This is similar to the group calling that businesses have used for decades, only now anyone can use the feature to start a group call, which means that instead of just three of us talking, my entire writing group can talk on the phone.
Foonz is easy to use, all you need to do is: Sign up for free at the Foonz web site and create a Foonz contact list with groups of contacts. To start a group call you call the number that Foonz gave you when you sign up. Foonz will tell you how to start a group call and when you do, Foonz sends a message to everyone in the group via txt messages to their cell phone. They are told that they are invited to join your group call and given the number to call. Foonz automatically joins you together when they dial in.
There are, of course, many reasons to use Foonz aside from writing groups conferencing. You can get the whole family on one call for Christmas well wishes to grandma and grandpa. A group of students can get their study group together on a call. RPGer's can talk to others while playing an online game. Or just for a group of friends to stay in touch with their friends back home or scattered around at other colleges.Foonz can be used from any phone, it's free to use with only your normal phone minute charges applying. There are no additional fees, no advertising and Foonz does not sell your information to others. You can start a group call anytime without any need to pre-plan.
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Well, I didn't get my 50,000 words
I failed to make my 50,000 words for NaNo this year, but I'm not dissapointed. I tried and I did my best but there was things that were more important that I get done than a whim on writing.
There's always next year, and it's not like I am stopping the story just because NaNo is over. I'll keep working on it.
Heir to Magic
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There's always next year, and it's not like I am stopping the story just because NaNo is over. I'll keep working on it.
Heir to Magic
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Current Favorite Method of Procrastination:
Seasoned Trade Lines LLC - fix bad credit by piggybacking?
You all probably know by now that I've been looking into credit cards. Those circumstances that seem to creep up on one in life forwent the creeping and just backhanded me a few years back and really played hell with my credit score and have been ever since.
My eye was caught by Seasoned Trade Lines. LLC - a market program that looks for people with at least 2 years of good credit that will agree to add someone with bad credit onto their credit card as an authorized user. The site claims that it is all perfectly legal and called "piggybacking" and through that they can use your credit history to make someone else's credit history look good, adding up to 200 points to someone's credit history in as little as 2 weeks.
It sounds majorly fishy to me. Seasoned Trade Lines claims that it's safe, that all you do is put someone on your credit card as an authorized user, have the card sent to you, and then just use it for a purchase. Then, 60 days later, the other guy is given your credit history.
But something that I have to wonder is, does that mean you also pick up his credit history? By piggybacking some guy on yer credit card so he can improve his credit score, do you screw up your own?
Seasoned Trade Lines claims that if their client does not maintain their credit it will not effect yours in any way, but I did not see any assurances that the history reports do not reflect upon your history.
It's all nice and good to help people repair their credit, but I don't think I would trust it. Seasoned Trade Lines says that the FTC says that this technique can be used to help people like home makers and college students, who ordinarily could not get credit. I'm thinking that the FTC meant for Suzie Homemaker to be put on Hubby Homemaker's card and for them to then put College-bound Timmy on their cards - not for Suzie Homemaker to have Donald Trump put her on his credit so she can fix all the Home Shopping Network debit that messed up her credit history.
My eye was caught by Seasoned Trade Lines. LLC - a market program that looks for people with at least 2 years of good credit that will agree to add someone with bad credit onto their credit card as an authorized user. The site claims that it is all perfectly legal and called "piggybacking" and through that they can use your credit history to make someone else's credit history look good, adding up to 200 points to someone's credit history in as little as 2 weeks.
It sounds majorly fishy to me. Seasoned Trade Lines claims that it's safe, that all you do is put someone on your credit card as an authorized user, have the card sent to you, and then just use it for a purchase. Then, 60 days later, the other guy is given your credit history.
But something that I have to wonder is, does that mean you also pick up his credit history? By piggybacking some guy on yer credit card so he can improve his credit score, do you screw up your own?
Seasoned Trade Lines claims that if their client does not maintain their credit it will not effect yours in any way, but I did not see any assurances that the history reports do not reflect upon your history.
It's all nice and good to help people repair their credit, but I don't think I would trust it. Seasoned Trade Lines says that the FTC says that this technique can be used to help people like home makers and college students, who ordinarily could not get credit. I'm thinking that the FTC meant for Suzie Homemaker to be put on Hubby Homemaker's card and for them to then put College-bound Timmy on their cards - not for Suzie Homemaker to have Donald Trump put her on his credit so she can fix all the Home Shopping Network debit that messed up her credit history.
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This was a paid ad for Seasoned Trade Lines LLC
