Story Starter
Posted by Jo | Filed under Creativity
Suffering from a little writer’s block. Here’s a little thought experiement / story starter to get you going.
Imagine that people no longer die from disease or from old age, for whatever reason. Maybe it’s medical advances or something supernatural, but the reason doesn’t really matter (unless you make it matter). The birth rate also has not changed. In fact, due to improved health, people may be having more children, not fewer.
Think about all the problems this would cause. Crowding. Hunger. Resource shortages.
Now, solve the problem.
Bonus, don’t do something obvious like colonize another planet or start killing off the elderly.
You might want to start thinking about how China has dealt with its population issues, how Tokyo is notoriously crowded, or how hunger and disease have ravaged Africa. How would a constantly increasing population make these types of problems worse? What kind of creative, or even violent, solutions would people come up with to relieve the pressure?
Further Reading
- None Found
Find Freelance Writing Jobs
Posted by Jo | Filed under Freelancing, Markets
Whether you’re looking to be a ghostwriter, freelancer, or just simply want to find a writing job, there are plenty of reputable places online to help you get started.
Elance is a good option. As of today, there are 705 jobs listed under Writing and Translation. Here are a few breakdowns for you, keeping in mind that some jobs fall under multiple categories.
- 372 eBooks
- 441 Creative Writing
- 963 Web Content
- 298 Academic Writing
To get started on elance, you’ll need to register and complete your profile. This can be a bit time-consuming, but buyers will use this to decide whether to hire you. One of the toughest things for me was putting together a portfolio, or having any samples to offer when bidding.
I’m not sure if this is the best solution, but it has worked out for me. I use blog posts as samples for potential buyers. I also have copies of articles I’ve sold elsewhere online that I can attach for samples. The whole idea is to give the buyer something of yours to look at that’s similar to what they’re purchasing.
Don’t be tempted to under price yourself. You’ll be tempted to bid low, particularly when you’re just getting started. Charge a fair amount for your work. Underbidding can backfire by making buyers think that you’re not worth any more than you’re asking for.
When bidding, write a custom bid for each job. Address each question or requirement that the buyer has, and provide samples of work that demonstrate your ability to deliver what’s needed. It’s helpful to explain how you arrived at your fees so buyers can compare what you’re offering and charging to others’ bids.
When you have the job, deliver what you promise, well done, and early if possible. Communicate frequently and clearly with your client. Don’t outsource the work to someone else unless the client approved it before you bidded. Often a client is looking for a long-term relationship, so doing a good job on the first project will mean you get the first offer for subsequent projects.
Job Boards are another viable option, but one that I don’t use, so I can’t speak to them specifically. Here are some options for you to explore.
The same rules apply as with Elance. Provide a custom quote for your services and relevant samples of your work to land the project. After you’re hired, communicate with your client and provide what’s asked for professionally and on time.
Other
If you’re looking to make money from your blogging or writing, then check out some sites that pay you to do so. You’ll write articles and sell them through their sites. You won’t get rich, but you will learn what sells well and what doesn’t. You’ll get feedback on your work (sometimes), and you’ll have some articles to add to your portfolio of published works.
I’ve had some success with Constant Content. It’s a nice way to sell some articles that you don’t have a place for. However, if you’re writing something that’s close to your blog topic, I think you’re better off posting it on your own site and gaining the traffic. Just my opinion…
Anyone care to share other sites for writing jobs, freelancing jobs, etc.?
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If you’d like to contact me off the blog, please use one of the methods below. And feel free to send me links via twitter and SU.
Further Reading
- None Found
Grammar Helper: Farther vs. Further
Posted by Jo | Filed under Writing Helper
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Farther and further are often mixed up in writing and in speaking. Luckily, they’re also very easy to use correctly once you know the difference.
Farther is used when a distance can be measured.
- I ran farther yesterday than I have all summer.
- Cincinnati is farther from here than Pittsburgh.
In both examples, the distance is measurable. We can measure how far we ran in number one, and we can measure how far away each city is in number two.
Further is used when no measurement of distance is possible.
- We need to discuss this further before making a decision.
- We’ve gotten further on the project today that I expected.
- Janet wants to further her education by attending college.
In the above examples, none relate to measuring distance.
If you find this article useful, read more Grammar Helper articles.
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I’m interested in expanding my online social network. If you’re interested, you can follow me on twitter or friend me on StumbleUpon. You can also leave a comment with your ID in this post so other readers can follow you as well.
I reciprocate my twitter followers, and feel free to send me articles via twitter or StumbleUpon.
Further Reading
- None Found
CornerScribe changing to Dofollow
Posted by Jo | Filed under Weblogs
Do you know what do-follow means, in terms of your blog and comments you leave elsewhere?
Usually, blogs default to no-follow in their comments. That is, links in comments are not treated as “real” links, meaning you get no credit for them in google. So, commenting isn’t going to do much for your google page rank because you’re not really creating links back to your site.
Except… If the blog you comment on has the comments set to do-follow, then you DO get credit for a link when you comment on the blog.
Wondering where you can comment on such blogs? Frank over at TechJaws has a great article on this topic, A list of Dofollow blogs to Improve Your Pagerank, and a list of PR 4, 5 and 6 blogs that are do-follow.
I had wondered whether changing my own comments to dofollow would have an adverse effect on my google pagerank, but Frank assures me it will not. One word or warning though, you’ll want to run something like Akismet and watch your comments so that spammers don’t take advantage of you. You don’t want to provide links back to disreputable sites.
So, CornerScribe is changing to dofollow, tonight if I can do it easily, so come back and comment often.
Thanks, Frank!
Further Reading
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9 Ultra Useful Writing Sites
Posted by webmaster | Filed under Writing
I’ve been busily at work on the novel, but I thought you might appreciate a list of useful sites for writers. These are a few I’ve run across lately. You’ll want to subscribe to a few of these RSS feeds too, I bet.
E Publishing Reality
If you’re trying to get published, one of the best things I think you can do is read what published authors have to say about how they “made it.” Go to Genreality.net. Subscribe. Now.
On Avoiding Writing
This is a funny take on what writers do instead of write. Wow, that would never be me. Ahem.
10 Overused Words in Writing
This one is probably best for bloggers, article writers, non-fiction writers in general.
Hook Your Readers with Tension
This is a good article for fiction writers. Tension is what keeps readers reading.
5 Tips for Blogging Around the World
O.K., so most of us probably won’t get the chance to travel the world and blog, but it’s fun to read about it anyway. Also so great tips for bloggers on the go.
5 Killer Ways to Improve your Writing
ProBlogger is a long-time favorite of mine. Definitely worth an RSS subscription.
Common Errors in English
Is it affect or effect? Insure and Ensure? Back when I taught English, this type of instruction was often what students appreciated most.
Tools for Writers
Small presses and literary magazines where you can submit.
10 Tips for Writing Horror
Ten tongue-in-(rotting)cheek tips for horror writers. I like #7, if there’s a boring part in your story, “fill it with zombies and set it on fire.”
Remember, subscribe to my RSS feed.
And follow me on twitter.
Further Reading
- None Found
Wanted, One Good Goal
Posted by Jo | Filed under Novel
I’ve been working steadily on my novel, making decent progress, but I still don’t feel any closer to being finished.
Hm.
And today I decided that what I need is a goal. A deadline. Something to shoot for that will let me say “It’s finished and ready for the public.” Often, without a deadline, I’ll meander along forever, doing a lot, accomplishing a little.
So, with that in mind, here goes.
I will send out my first agent query letter for the novel by September 1. Of course, that means the novel will have to be finished and ready for review. I’ll also need whatever the agency typically wants (synopsis, sample chapters, etc.)
Anyone else working on a novel with no end in sight? Care to announce your goal and join me for a summer not just of writing, but of finishing as well?
Further Reading
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Reading List
Posted by Jo | Filed under Books
I’ve been thinking a lot about how much I read, what I read, etc. I also got to wondering how much I read, after reading that many people won’t even read one book this year.
So, with that in mind, I’m putting up a new blog page, my Reading List. I’ll start it off with the books I listed a couple weeks ago and keep going from there. That should include all my books read from May onward. From time to time I’ll include a blog update and maybe a short review or two.
I think you can tell a lot about a person by what they read, and I doubt I’m any exception. I’d be curious to see what people learn about me from my book list.
I’ll also be putting my Amazon affiliate link on the page, so if you’re interested in buying something from Amazon, I’d appreciate your using my link. If you do, I’ll cut a small cut to help support my lavish lifestyle. Yeah. Right.
I’m genuinely curious to see how much I read in a year. I think it’ll also be fun to be able to look back and rememberwhat I read. I know I read dozens of books last year, but I’d be hard-pressed to remember more than half a dozen of them right off.
If anyone is interested in joining me, or if you’re already doing something similar, drop a comment on this post and I’ll link to your reading list as well.
Further Reading
- None Found
Get Inspired
Posted by Jo | Filed under Creativity
Need something to prompt your muse? Feeling a little uninspired? Try one of these writing prompts.
- What if there were no energy worries at all. Someone discovers a cheap, safe source of energy. What happens?
- A runaway teen returns to her home to confront her ________ about __________.
- Think of one piece of technology that most people use daily and then imagine what the world would be like if it had never been invented.
- A woman meets the man she’s always dreamed of and refuses to marry him.
- Three men walk into a bar.
- A teacher gets a 3 a.m. phone call from a student he taught several years ago and hasn’t heard from since.
- Take a character from history you like and transplant him/her to the modern world.
- A woman permits her child to be molested for years. Why?
- It’s 9:44 p.m. and _________ doesn’t know where ___________ is.
- What’s one item you still have from your childhood? Why did you keep it?
- In order to stop world poverty and hunger, a mad scientist decides to kill three fourths of the world’s population.
- A young man goes off to college and finds that he doesn’t fit in, although he was popular in high school.
- A __________ year old learns she’s pregnant.
- You have to barricade yourself in your home with several of your neighbors for a week or more.
- An abused wife returns to her dying ex-husband to confront him.
Further Reading
- None Found
Will anyone read in fifty years from now?
Posted by Jo | Filed under Books
Check this out, one in four people read NO books last year.
I have a tough time understanding that, but that isn’t really what I want to write about.
As a writer, these numbers make me think.
- Of the people who do read, the average was seven books a year. SEVEN.
- The most avid readers are older females.
- Fewer than 5 percent listed horror, scifi, speculative as books they’d read. I care about these because they’re what I write.
So, I can’t help but think about what this means for writers and publishing. If older people tend to read the most, then will the numbers of books read drop even further in the future, as the internet generation ages?
Will new technologies, like the kindle, replace books or bring younger people back to reading with the attraction of a cool gadget? Will they do both? Neither?
How possible is it for a writer to make a living in this market?
Will books as we know them even exist in a few decades?
I obviously don’t know the answers to these questions, but I have my own opinions. I don’t see brick and mortar bookstores going away any time soon. No Amazon or e-book can match the atmosphere of a good bookstore. Well, at least I hope they’re not going anywhere!
I’m curious. How many books have you read in the last month?
Here is my list
- Lynn Viehl’s Dark Need
- Plot and Structure by James Bell
- Encyclopedia of Knitting by Donna Kooler
- A historical novel about Bloody Mary. That author and title completely escape me, and I’m too lazy to go digging.
I’ve also started reading the Cluetrain Manifesto online.
O.K., everyone. What are you reading?
Further Reading
- None Found
Writing Resources
Posted by Jo | Filed under Writing
Here are the entries for the Writing Resources Carnival that ended April 30. I do wish that a few more people had participated, but many thanks to those who did!
Neil Bartlett presents A Beginners Guide To Writing For Profit | Pro Article posted at ProArticle. This is a nice, tips-oriented article for the person new to online writing and blogging.
Jim DeSantis presents An Easy Way For Newbies To Get Articles! posted at Internet Marketing at On Line Tribune. He focuses on finding cheap/free content and reworking it for your site. He has some good ideas, but take care. I’ve seen bloggers get called out for some of these techniques.
Further Reading
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