From the daily archives: Sunday, February 28, 2010
Quick article writing tips.
The following are just a couple of tricks I use that make content creation easier for me and hopefully they will help you out too.
Quick article writing tip #1
I am not the world’s greatest writer. Usually I have to do a couple of edits to my articles to make them coherent so I need all the help I can get. It’s one thing to read the content to yourself when editing, but I find it much easier when I’m having it read to me by someone else. I’m not suggesting you have someone read all the content you write before you publish it, but definitely have your computer do it. This is a quick method to ensure the content you write for your blog makes sense. You will need a text to speech program that will read the text you cut and paste into the program. These can be found for free or can be purchased. Even windows vista has one included, which I never figured out how to use. I have only ever used free programs and I find they do the job well. Currently, I use SpheNet’s free TTS reader. It only comes with one voice (though the full version comes with others) and it can seem clumsy when using it at times, but I haven’t needed to find a better program. Give this method a try. It can make an average article good and a good article great. It can help you structure the content and cut your editing time in half.
Quick article writing tip #2.
Thinking up topics for content and posts can be tough for some people. Thinking up new subjects day in day out can seem like an impossible task, but funnily enough it is tougher when first beginning a blog rather than when you have been running it for a while. I find it much easier to think of a whole bunch of topics at once rather than thinking up a single one and writing an article for it. You may be surprised to learn how many topics you can think of by feeding off other ideas. It’s called mind mapping and it can kick start your creative juices when thinking up topics. For those not familiar with mind mapping, it begins with a main topic (for example, fishing) that branches of with sub-topics that relate to the main (i.e. fishing rod, bait, lures, locations etc). You may then have sub-topics (or sub-sub-topics) under the sub-topics (so for ‘bait’ you may have worms, shrimp, fish etc) and so on. All these can have an article written for each. Some topics will be better than others but it is a great way to think of ideas and to keep track of everything you’ve written about. Even better news is that there are some great Mindmapping programs out there that you can use rather than using a pen and paper. There are a fair few programs out there but I use MindMapper professional 2008 from SimTech systems. It’ simple to use and has a great layout, but it does cost a fair bit of money. There are probably other free ones to use, just be wary of programs that claim to be free but only give you a trial version. This method can be a great way to build content for a blog, whether it is a series of articles or laying out an entire website. It will keep everything nice and neat as you can simply put a line through a topic you’ve already covered but will still be visible if you want to go more in-depth on the subject.
To join me on my journey in making an income online, visit my blog at Blog Income Online where I will share with you everything I learn and what works for me so you can implement similar strategies.
So you want to write a good story? The kind of fiction that resonates with its readers; the kind that lasts longer on the shelf than the milk at your grocer; the kind that keeps people up at night like a narcotic? Well, then here’s a little advice my fifth grade teacher, Ms. Pendergast, gave me: do your homework. But you don’t like research, you say. That’s why you write fiction and not non-fiction, you say. With fiction you can just make everything up. You don’t need to do any research. OK, so how is that working for you? Before you answer, let me also ask you this: ever hear of Michael Crichton? How about The Da Vinci Code?
I could go on and on, listing authors and titles that most anyone has heard of, besides maybe Osama—though I bet even he has read The Da Vinci Code. And though there are many reasons why these authors are so successful, there is at least one thing they have in common. They do their homework. Their works are rich with research. Think about it. If Dan Brown just made everything up in The Da Vinci Code would it have become a #1 world bestseller? Absolutely not. The Da Vinci Code’s success is directly related to Dan’s ability to convince the reader that in fact it may just be that Jesus had wed, born children, and that his lineage exists down to the present. Despite all the churchyard signs, documentaries, and nay-saying experts to the contrary, Dan’s book is credible, at least to the reader. And that is the kind of fiction that sells—credible fiction.
Now keep in mind that credible isn’t synonymous with absolute truth or fact. The Da Vinci Code is by no means a historical textbook, nor should anyone read it as such. Even Crichton’s work, as authentic as many of his may be, should never be mistaken for absolute truth, facts, or any form of non-fiction. They are all works of fiction. But they do speak a truth of a different kind. They speak of emotional, moral, and even universal truths. And it these truths that readers hunger for, not necessarily the facts. Works such as Crichton’s State of Fear and Brown’s The Da Vinci Code ring true, feel true, and in a metaphoric sense are true.
And the key to earning this sort of credibility, this authority to speak a subjective truth, is building a story upon a foundation of in-depth, exhaustive research. Readers are intelligent, in a street-wise sort of way if not in an academic sense. They know when they’re being lied to, when an author is faking it, or when she is flat out wrong. And readers also recognize sincerity, subject matter expertise, and especially when an element of a story overlaps with their own personal experience. You don’t have to discover an ancient secret that rewrites history, understand the complex workings of nano technology, or even travel beyond your city library. Your story can be a simple detective story or genre romance. But there is research that can be, and should be, done to tell that romance or who-dunit with authority and credibility.
To give an example, one I’m quite familiar with, my first novel was a thriller about Sasquatch or Bigfoot. Now I knew two things going into this project. First, most of my potential readers already believed Sasquatch to be a hoax or simply a myth at best. Second, the scariest sort of monster is one that is real, one the reader can’t simply dismiss as pure fantasy whenever the tension gets too tight for their comfort. So my task was to convince the reader that Sasquatch might not be as fantastic as they believe. Perhaps it may even be alive and well in their own backwoods. And the only way to accomplish this was through research. I had to create an authentic creature on the page for the reader to behold. Not only that, I had to graft my story into the very world the reader knew to be their own. And I accomplished that be doing a little homework on Lewis & Clark, specifically the possibility that the two legendary explorers may have actually discovered Sasquatch. The end result was Cryptid: The Lost Legacy of Lewis & Clark.
Osama may not have read Cryptid yet, but it is on bookstore shelves, and for far longer than the milk at my grocer. And I guarantee you it’s not because of my vivid imagination and ability to make-up a good story about Bigfoot. On the contrary, it is because I made-up very little, just enough. The rest came from over a year of thorough research. Readers care about the story because it feels true. And it feels true because in a large sense it is true.
So listen to Ms. Pendergast, Mr. Thatchet, or whoever your fifth grade teacher was. Do your homework. You might be surprised to find it easier to keep me up at night reading your book if you had researched it rather than faked it.
Eric Penz is the author of Cryptid: The Lost Legacy of Lewis and Clark. Visit his Web site to learn more, http://www.ericpenz.com
Non-monogamy didn’t cross Marc’s mind until 10 years into his relationship. He didn’t even know it was non-monogamy he would consider when his girlfriend Tina, started mentioning marriage and kids. What did cross his mind and what he began to consider quite seriously was that he’d been sleep-walking through his life and wasn’t sure who it was he’d be bringing to a marriage, let alone if he wanted one at all.
Non-monogamy? Although deeply wanting to explore the edges of himself and his life, including love, intimacy and sex, Marc didn’t want to just throw away his relationship. When we started working together, I asked, “What if you were not confined to any particular model of relationship, but could co-create something that is an expression of you both? What if your relationship was fit to you, rather than you trying to fit into your relationship?”
Marc and Tina’s situation is more ubiquitous than most of us know. So, what to do if the plate that is set before you, piled high with the traditional fare of monogamy, perhaps rounded out with marriage and children, doesn’t look that appetizing to you? Is wanting something besides this “norm” selfish at best, immoral and deviant at worst? And if there were an alternative, what in the world would it look like and how would you go about creating it?
In the section Why ReDefine?, I speak more to this quandary, especially as it relates to choosing to re-define your monogamous relationship – or to considering non-monogamy. Gleaned through work with my clients and a series of recent in-depth interviews, I offer you some examples of non-monogamous relationships, the elements that has them be workable, the challenges that come along with them, and the reasons why the people have chosen to set up their lifestyles and love-styles thus.
A useful term within non-monogamy is “polyamory,” relatively new and admittedly meaning different things to different people. “Poly” means many, “amory” means loving; it includes the ideas that love is not a limited commodity, that it is possible and deeply fulfilling to love and be intimate with more than one (with the full consent of everyone involved), and that you can’t expect to get all your needs met from just one person. Just like it is possible to have multiple children, love them all and have them all be important, so it can be with polyamorous relationships. Polyamory doesn’t necessarily mean license for promiscuity, and “open” doesn’t always mean less committed.
When people think about non-monogamous relationships, jealousy is usually the first challenge that comes to mind. Bitsy is 23, just graduated college, and describes herself at the center of a “V” of two young male partners. One partner of 7 ½ years is away at law school and the other partner of 2 ½ years and she live together. Wise beyond her years, she says, “People give the emotion of jealousy so much sway; we believe that you can deal with and get over huge things in life like being abused as a child, but jealousy, no, it’s too much, it means you’ll just to have to leave. We’re afraid we might not be able to handle what comes up, but you can experience jealousy, you can sit there and it can hurt and that is OK, it’s not the worst thing.”
Reid Mihalko, a relationship and intimacy coach, sex educator and Cuddle Party co-creator, adds, “If people handle jealousy with themselves and partners in the same way they handle ecstasy and intimacy, sadness, love and grief, they would surprise themselves. You are saying yes to emotions when you get into any relationship, and you need to get excited, like bird-watching; quick there is a green-eyed jealousy bird! If you spend some time watching it and not trying to fix it, it can become beautiful; suddenly, nothing’s wrong.”
Some additional challenges of non-monogamy can include: lying, being reactive, being afraid and not taking action, not taking time to honor and take care of yourself, and acting from scarcity. As Reid says, “Being poly, there’s no way to ‘step over the garbage.’” Also, often, one or more lovers are long-distance, which can prove to be a huge challenge, not only because of emotionally missing a lover in between visits, but also for issues of complex scheduling. It can also be difficult to take care of yourself with only one partner, and it is exponentially so with many. And then there’s the lack of privacy and the large amount of emotional energy necessary to be ON with the many people you care deeply for. Of course, for anyone having multiple sexual partners, education around STDs and safer sex protocols are a must, as is being honest with everyone you sleep with, including what kind of sex you have and what is – and isn’t – safe for you. Personal boundaries are vital, since relying on others is not the most powerful or safe choice.
Another layer of complexity is admittedly added when raising children. Rebecca Reagan, a 35-year old relationship coach, offers her unique perspective of being raised by her biological parents in concert with another heterosexual couple, over 30 years ago. The four parents, along with one daughter each, functioned as a single family, sharing a single bank account and trips to the doctor and principal’s office, as well as their beds. Although generally wonderful, there was more tension and rigidity that was perhaps necessary, and Rebecca wishes her parents, with no like-minded community, had the tools she has now. “We were told to lie, and the secretiveness put my sister as risk for an unhealthy relationship with authority and abusive behavior. I felt disempowered and not considered as a person; it formed me as a being and had me not trust my parents to take care of me. I am an advocate for considering that kids are capable of discernment.”
And why, with all these challenges, would people choose non-monogamy? Tessa, a 35-year old psychologist, chose it years ago because the levels of communication and honesty it requires of her brought a kind of intimacy that was deeper than anything she had ever experienced. Getting really good at loving one person made Reid want to love more. Since the age of 14, Bitsy has wanted more than to be clustered off in a single family dwelling, and wanted an intentional family of those she could trust. Bitsy considers children in her future, but would never enter into monogamy. Erik Wilkinson chose to create his relationship with Betty Dodson out of a desire for a lifetime of exploration of human sexuality within long-term partnership. Betty is a woman 47 years his senior and famous, among other things, for her book, “Sex for One,” as well as her promotion of masturbation and female orgasm. Betty also offers Erik her time-won pragmatism and rationality; he’s learned from her that the first sign of strong feeling like connection or attachment isn’t a sign to leave the relationship. He adds, “I love the challenge, the intricacies and three-dimensionality.”
For Birgitte Philippides non-monogamy is about activism. She came to polyamory after having lost several key people in her life, including her father, which left her hating everyone in the world. “When I got introduced to this loving community, it just felt like home, even though it scared me. It is important to me to be vocal about it. There is only one model, monogamy, which works for some, but not everyone; the rest are lying cheating, un-self expressed, and not having relationship situations they desire. What if you knew there is another love-style that includes integrity, honesty, respect, responsibility, self-care, knowing what you want and need as well as a high level of clear, open communication?”
Jenny Block had to be brutally honest about the fact that her seemingly perfect monogamous marriage was not working. For a long time she was angry at herself for her dissatisfaction, but finally acknowledged the need for change, one that was partially based on her bisexuality. She recently wrote a book about her experiences with non-monogamous marriage, “Open: Love, Sex and Life in an Open Marriage.” Jenny has now had a long-term girlfriend for over a year but wasn’t always so clear and articulate about her ideal relationship situation. She never believed the “myths” about love being a limited commodity or marriage being about sexual ownership, but now she has proven them not to be true. “I know I am not alone here. Happy, healthy, loving marriages don’t exist in the huge numbers we claim. I mean, the real infidelity statistics can’t be good. Because we want to fit in, we cling to a model that doesn’t work.” She adds, “I often wonder how people would really form relationships and how they would really have sex, if we lived in a vacuum. I have an 8-year old daughter, a happy, well-adjusted kid, in no way affected adversely by my lifestyle. We are all so much better off than if I were unhappy with my life. I don’t have a problem with monogamous relationships, although I have been accused of that. I do believe ‘to each her own,’ but not her ‘brainwashed own,’ not her ‘Disney own,’ but her actual own.”
Perhaps it goes without saying that there are no standards for how alternative relationships are configured: Reid has four main partners with many romantic and erotic friends; of his main partners, three are women, one is a man; one of the women is his business partner and two lovers live in far-off cities. Birgitte’s relationships form a kind of tribe: she has multiple non-primary partners, some as long-term as 12 years, 3 new ongoing dating relationships as well as a group of extended friends and lovers. Cynthia Frawley, an “out” bisexual 37-year old woman with a successful radio show, “Out Q In the Morning, with Larry Flick” on Serius 109, has two step children and a son with her husband of over 10 years. Dating women, Cynthia shies from promiscuity, and has a preference is for a “forever girlfriend.” Patricia, a 60-year old psychologist, also bisexual, is in an open marriage with her heterosexual husband of over 25 years. Originally, she was the only one having a relationship with another woman, but recently, he’s begun one as well. “For him it is about enhancing his life, for me it is about sustaining mine.”
For better and worse, with non-monogamy, there is no script, no default, no auto-pilot and no template; you have to make it up as you go along. Rules are co-created and morph and change as they get put to use. Thus, those practicing non-monogamy tend to hold those in their life to high standards, and hold themselves to even higher ones. They often have amassed a wondrously rigorous skill-set of self-awareness, self-expression, “black-belt level” communication, honesty, integrity, transparency and a commitment to grow and learn; a skill-set that isn’t much different, however, than that needed to make monogamous relationships workable, fulfilling and extraordinary.
Support, beyond the relationships themselves, is also key, whether it is an internal support system, a community of like-minded people, online resources, books or a relationship coach. To discover a definition that describes your situation or simply to know there are others just like you can make all the difference. For many, the book, The Ethical Slut: A Guide to Infinite Sexual Possibilities, by Dossie Easton and Catherine A. Liszt, is key. Also helpful are sites: the blog PolyamorousMisanthrope, the message board for married women in love with other women cmwlwdotcom, the dating site OKcupid.
Our culture promises a lot if we follow its rules, but that doesn’t mean we will be happy and fulfilled. This land beyond monogamy, where the rules are made up dynamically by the people applying them, is neither a better nor worse, but rather a matter of self-expression, honesty, freedom, and ultimately, of choice.
LiYana Silver, creatrix of http://www.ReDefiningMonogamy.com, works with couples and women to step out of painful relationship ruts into extraordinary, satisfying co-created partnerships – coloring both in and outside the lines of traditional monogamy.
One of the best ways to boost traffic to your website and convince people that your product is a valuable one is with article marketing. If you are new to this field however, writing articles can feel a bit strange at first and you may end up writing a few that will not be of much value. Therefore, if you want to get started on the right foot, you may want to use a few article writing tips to find your foundation.
Writing articles for a website has a double purpose. Not only are you trying to bring more traffic to your website, which may result in selling more products but you are honestly trying to give your visitors useful information that they will be thankful that they took the time to read. Therefore, when beginning your articles, you are going to want to pick a topic that is related to your topic and still narrow enough that you can write a short article about this.
How Long Should Articles Be?
Ideally, articles that are written for the WWW should not be too long. This is because most people who are searching for something over the internet are people on the run. In this day and age of instant gratification, people do not have the time or patience to read through tomes to find what they are looking for. They prefer articles that are short and snappy while still being informative and interesting. While it is not all that difficult to adhere to these guidelines, a few good article writing tips will help you hone your article writing skills and create killer content using the shortest amount of words possible.
Fabian Tan is a well-known Internet
Marketing expert and the author of the popular 59-page Report:
“Murder Your Job: How To Build Cash Sucking Autopilot Businesses In 30
Days Or Less!”
Head over to http://www.MurderYourJob.com
to get your FREE copy now!
Also, quickly download his FREE “Explosive Traffic System” report that
shows you how to generate 10,000+ unique visitors per month at no cost! => http://www.ExplosiveTrafficSystem.com
For my world history class, I have to pick a historical novel or film to review, read and/or watch. I then have to write a historical review, expressing usages of bias, point of view, facts and falsehoods of the author.
I would like to have some ideas of an engaging movie that I can be sucessful in the above with.
Some people hold the view that anyone who can use a computer keyboard can create articles because there is a word processing software that is pre-installed. But, when you get down to the serious business of writing articles, you will understand how the facts differ. When you don’t have the natural ability, it is essential that you understand a number of article writing tips.
1. Understand the purpose
The first among these article writing tips is to understand the purpose of your article. When your task is to write on cheap airline tickets for example, your article should speak about what cheap airline tickets represent, where to look for them, what are the benefits, and the negatives if any. Thus, an introduction to the topic, 2 or 3 core facts and a conclusion all of them well linked to the purpose.
2. Language control
Your articles should be grammatically correct and free from spelling errors. Short sentences contained within 15 to 20 words are more ideal for the web articles. The long and complex sentences are more reserved for the print media. Modern software will help you a good deal on all these aspects. However, understand that every single error cannot be pointed out by the software. Consider ‘Pains’ vs. ‘paints’ and you will know the importance of manual proof reading.
3. White space
People who read your articles are always in a hurry. By providing plenty of blank space of ‘white space’ around your writing will make it easier on the eyes. And, that is the concluding part of article writing tips for your success.
Fabian Tan is a well-known Internet
Marketing expert and the author of the popular 59-page Report:
“Murder Your Job: How To Build Cash Sucking Autopilot Businesses In 30
Days Or Less!”
Head over to http://www.MurderYourJob.com
to get your FREE copy now!
Also, quickly download his FREE & quot;Explosive Traffic System” report that
shows you how to generate 10,000+ unique visitors per month at no cost! => http://www.ExplosiveTrafficSystem.com
The easiest way to explain what a property of â??non standard constructionâ?? is to define it as a property that is not made of brick or stone walls, with a slate or tiled roof. There are lots of examples of â??non-standardâ?? construction properties, but they tend to be very specific to an area, depending on the type of materials that were readily available to build.
Examples of â??Non Standardâ?? Construction Homes
There are lots of examples of â??non standardâ?? construction homes, from ones built purely of timber to concrete and prefabricated homes. There are nearly 1.5 million of the latter types of homes in the UK and were mainly built during and post-war as â??cheapâ?? housing. Unfortunately unlike brick or stone, concrete doesnâ??t last as long and properties were soon suffering from crumbling concrete and the steel that binds the concrete together corroding, causing cracks to appear. As a result, itâ??s difficult to get both a mortgage and insurance to purchase or live in these types of properties.
The reason mortgage companies donâ??t like lending on these types of homes is that these properties arenâ??t deemed as â??safe to lendâ?? for various reasons. The main reason is that the demand for â??non standardâ?? homes is restricted, so if you default on the mortgage, then it will be more difficult for them to sell and recoup their money. The other reasons include the difficulties in maintaining a timber or concrete home, and therefore they donâ??t want to lend in case the property hasnâ??t been properly maintained, which can result in it losing its value very quickly. Again, this means itâ??s more difficult for the mortgage company to recoup their money should you default on payments for any reason.
Top 10 tips when considering buying a non-standard home
1. Make sure the property is priced at a discount to reflect the difficulties in raising finance and insurance.
2. Most â??non standardâ?? properties are sold at auction so donâ??t make an offer on a property unless you are sure you know what itâ??s made of.
3. Ensure you budget enough to purchase the property as surveyorsâ??, mortgage and legal fees to purchase the property may be higher than normal.
4. Either have the cash ready to buy the property outright or find a specialist lender that is happy to lend on the property before you make any offers.
5. Have a specialist survey carried out on the property and ideally go around with the surveyor so you are clear about the problems the property does/doesnâ??t have.
6. Secure a specialist legal company to carry out the conveyancing, usually someone local to the area that has experience of additional questions that need to be asked.Â
7. Find out what the bills will be, for example will the heating bills cost more or less?
8. Make sure you secure quotes for insuring the property from a specialist company who understands the problems that the property may suffer and should therefore give you cover more suited to your needs. Contact Towergate Insurance for a quote.
9. If the property needs renovating make sure you secure the help of builders with experience of renovating properties like yours, donâ??t just go for the cheapest quote and ensure you agree the work that needs doing and any guarantees via a contract.
10. Understand that when you come to sell the property, unless you have renovated the property to â??standardâ?? construction, it may take longer and you may have to sell at a discount to attract a buyer.
Non-standard construction properties can be turned into â??standardâ?? construction properties by either securing planning permission to take down the property and then rebuild it, or by doing remedial work such as taking away the concrete panels and replacing with bricks and mortar.
If you buy the property at a good discount, it may be that you could either rebuild or renovate and you may be able to add enough value that you could sell at a profit in the future.
Kate is one of the top property experts in the UK and regularly quoted in the press including the Telegraph, Independent, Times, Daily Mail and Express, and has appeared on BBC2, as well as featured on BBC Radio 4 and a number of local BBC Radio stations.
Kate has also been a consultant to the property sector for a number of years and is the author of a number of books, including four for Which? – Buy, Sell, Move House, Renting and Letting, Develop your Property and the Property Investment Handbook.
Contact Kate Faulkner at http://www.designsonproperty.co.uk/
A group of friends get together on a monthly basis to watch sci-fi/fantasy movies and potluck. We hang out, but we all have young kids and we’re looking for new ideas to keep them involved and since even the food is themed, we are looking for themed games for the kids.
The children are young. One 6 year old and the rest are in the 2 and 4 age group.
I meant activities, not video games.
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