The writing tip of the day is to draw a pyramid. Make a list of what it will take to accomplish your dream. Put your ultimate goal at the top of the pyramid. Starting from the bottom, write down everything that you need to make it to the next level.
Follow each of the steps in sequential order. Don't skip steps unless you have confidence in meeting those challenges. The pyramid of success will give you an idea of what it takes to deliver your challenges and obstacle in exchange for your goals.
How will you ever know what it takes to accomplish a dream if you never try? Be reflect back on your life, and have regrets about missing out because of fear of success. The time is now to make your dreams happen. If you want to be a television writer, write down what it will take to get a job on a prime time show.
On the pyramid, you will include anything that relates to writing such as training to complete work, meeting deadlines, avoiding procrastination, accepting criticism, and anything else that will hold you back in becoming success in the field. Do research at the library, on the web, and take a drive out to a physical location. Communicate your intentions, make your dreams known to others.
The pyramid activity can work for anything in life. You can use it to advance in your career, education, saving for a trip, and many other goals. Essentially, the goal is to know what it takes to accomplish a dream. This way, you're not locked in a tunnel trying to find the light. You will always have the light right by your side to guide you in the darkest, and most grimmest moments in life.
You don't have to be an artist to draw a pyramid. The foundation of the pyramid will have the most steps. The higher you climb, the least amount of tasks there will be to accomplish. With less tasks, the challenges become more intense, possibly testing you will to continue on down the path of success. Never give into criticism unless you use it to advance as advice to make it through your journey, and in realizing your dreams.
Have fun making your pyramids!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Giants put on an Offensive Clinic late in the game to tie the Rockies in the NL Wild Race
When Matt Cain stepped onto the mound today, he was attempting to put his past pitching woes behind him. He tried to get number #13 out of his head so he could focus on helping the Giants move into a N.L. Wild Card tie with the Rockies. The Rockies jumped on Cain quick, running off a 1st inning run, a pair in the 5th, and then another lone run in the 6th inning. The Giants offense was quiet early, but managed to erupt after Cain was replaced with Henshaw in the 7th inning.
Coming out of the game down 4-1, Cain faced losing for the fourth time in 7 tries. Vowing to get his 13th win, Cain didn't look like his dominant self, as he gave up 4 runs in 6 innings pitched. He couldn't duplicate Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito's dominant effort on back-to-back nights during the Wild Card weekend.
Tim Lincecum was brilliant on Friday night in front of a sellout crowd, shutting out the Rockies in 8 stellar innings. Everything was working for Lincecum, including his fast ball, which was consistently topping out at between 95-97 MPH.
On Saturday evening, Zito picked up right where Lincecum left off the night before. pitching 0s' across the board until he gave up a solo shot in the 9th inning. Zito escaped with a mastery of pitches; his curve ball was looking as good as his vintage self when he was throwing it back in Oakland. He out-muscled the Rockies in 8 1/3 innings, giving up only 1 run in a noble effort to bring the Giants within 1 game of the N.L. Wild Card.
The offensive clinic was on display on Sunday. The Giants took 7 innings to wake up from their offensive hibernation. They started a late game rally in the 7th inning. With bases loaded, Edgar Reneteria hit a game changing grand slam, which put the Giants ahead 6-5. The offense wasted scoring opportunities in the previous innings before, but didn't come up short this time around. Renteria took advantage of the Rockies with a blast that erupted AT&T Park. Matt Cain was cheering, knowing that he was now off the hook for his sub-par performance.
Jeremy Affeldt arrived in the 8th inning just in a nick of time, pitching his way out of a jam with a pair of Rockies standing on the corners. Giants added to the total with a trio of runs in the bottom of the 8th. Their lead swelled to a 4-run advantage.
Brian Wilson came in for the second time in as many nights when he saved the Giants from squandering a 5-run lead in Saturday night's close win. On this very afternoon, Wilson manged to breeze through the first two outs, but things started to get shaky again, as two Rockies made it onto 1st and 2nd base.
The Monday night 14th inning meltdown played into the minds of Wilson and other Giant's faithful. Wilson torched what he does best, a high optimum fastball that made it right into Eli Whiteside's glove for the last out of the game, giving the Giants a deadlock tie in the N.L. Wild Card race.
Action continues yet again, as the Giants square off against the World Champion Phillies, which they last faced at AT&T Park, taking 3 out of 4 games. Jonathan Sanchez is set for a heavyweight bout against World Series MVP Cole Hammels at Citizen's Park.
Giants are hoping to capitalize on the Phillies poor home record mark. With a month left to play in the MLB season, the Giants have a chance to make the playoffs. They have their eyes set in making the postseason for the first time since 2003, when they won the N.L. West Division Title.
Quote of the day "Bochy mentioned that once the Giants have a few rallies like the one today, and three others in the month of August, then they will have many more in the late part of the season. I would hope that the Giants would find ways to get ahead instead of falling behind, hoping for some rally in the 7-8th innings to put them over the top. They are fun to watch, but expecting these late comebacks are not dependable. The Giants are more effective when they score first. Rather than rally to win in the late stages of a game, they need to focus on maintaining their pitching while also improving their offense. They squandered scoring opportunities many times before the surge. It was nice to get this win, but Cain didn't look like his dominate self. He could have easily cost the Giants a win. I'm sure Cain was cheering on Reneteria after he smashed one over the left field wall. More like a sigh of relief to get him off the hook for possibly costing the Giants a tie in the WC race." - JSmooth
Coming out of the game down 4-1, Cain faced losing for the fourth time in 7 tries. Vowing to get his 13th win, Cain didn't look like his dominant self, as he gave up 4 runs in 6 innings pitched. He couldn't duplicate Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito's dominant effort on back-to-back nights during the Wild Card weekend.
Tim Lincecum was brilliant on Friday night in front of a sellout crowd, shutting out the Rockies in 8 stellar innings. Everything was working for Lincecum, including his fast ball, which was consistently topping out at between 95-97 MPH.
On Saturday evening, Zito picked up right where Lincecum left off the night before. pitching 0s' across the board until he gave up a solo shot in the 9th inning. Zito escaped with a mastery of pitches; his curve ball was looking as good as his vintage self when he was throwing it back in Oakland. He out-muscled the Rockies in 8 1/3 innings, giving up only 1 run in a noble effort to bring the Giants within 1 game of the N.L. Wild Card.
The offensive clinic was on display on Sunday. The Giants took 7 innings to wake up from their offensive hibernation. They started a late game rally in the 7th inning. With bases loaded, Edgar Reneteria hit a game changing grand slam, which put the Giants ahead 6-5. The offense wasted scoring opportunities in the previous innings before, but didn't come up short this time around. Renteria took advantage of the Rockies with a blast that erupted AT&T Park. Matt Cain was cheering, knowing that he was now off the hook for his sub-par performance.
Jeremy Affeldt arrived in the 8th inning just in a nick of time, pitching his way out of a jam with a pair of Rockies standing on the corners. Giants added to the total with a trio of runs in the bottom of the 8th. Their lead swelled to a 4-run advantage.
Brian Wilson came in for the second time in as many nights when he saved the Giants from squandering a 5-run lead in Saturday night's close win. On this very afternoon, Wilson manged to breeze through the first two outs, but things started to get shaky again, as two Rockies made it onto 1st and 2nd base.
The Monday night 14th inning meltdown played into the minds of Wilson and other Giant's faithful. Wilson torched what he does best, a high optimum fastball that made it right into Eli Whiteside's glove for the last out of the game, giving the Giants a deadlock tie in the N.L. Wild Card race.
Action continues yet again, as the Giants square off against the World Champion Phillies, which they last faced at AT&T Park, taking 3 out of 4 games. Jonathan Sanchez is set for a heavyweight bout against World Series MVP Cole Hammels at Citizen's Park.
Giants are hoping to capitalize on the Phillies poor home record mark. With a month left to play in the MLB season, the Giants have a chance to make the playoffs. They have their eyes set in making the postseason for the first time since 2003, when they won the N.L. West Division Title.
Quote of the day "Bochy mentioned that once the Giants have a few rallies like the one today, and three others in the month of August, then they will have many more in the late part of the season. I would hope that the Giants would find ways to get ahead instead of falling behind, hoping for some rally in the 7-8th innings to put them over the top. They are fun to watch, but expecting these late comebacks are not dependable. The Giants are more effective when they score first. Rather than rally to win in the late stages of a game, they need to focus on maintaining their pitching while also improving their offense. They squandered scoring opportunities many times before the surge. It was nice to get this win, but Cain didn't look like his dominate self. He could have easily cost the Giants a win. I'm sure Cain was cheering on Reneteria after he smashed one over the left field wall. More like a sigh of relief to get him off the hook for possibly costing the Giants a tie in the WC race." - JSmooth
Writing tip for the day 8/30/09
The writing tip for the day is to watch a good film and dissect it for its writing. I urge students to also take part in this activity. After watching The Final Destination last night, I'm feeling more motivated to finish writing some of my scripts. The dialogue, story, and the choice of deaths in the film have definite issues. Either go to the movies, or rent a DVD in one of those DVD play machines for a $1.
Pay attention to the dialogue, and the visuals. The plot should be structured like an academic paper. Students can learn from dissecting films because their papers require a quality introduction, body, and a conclusion.
Good papers rely on a strong thesis. The same theory applies in film. A good film must have a strong plot to be effective, using a setup, confrontation, and resolution to mirror its beginning, middle, and end.
Write a one page review about the film. Try to avoid recounting too much of the plot. Focus on the quality of writing in terms of the dialogue, the plot development, theme, and the main plot idea. In every Final Destination film, the main theme is death. The plot latches onto the first premonition like the thesis sentence does in academic papers.
Writing a short film review will surely help you to improve your writing skills. Be creative in describing the film, carefully critiquing the writing. You can mention what you would have done to make the film better.
Have fun taking part in a film review.
Pay attention to the dialogue, and the visuals. The plot should be structured like an academic paper. Students can learn from dissecting films because their papers require a quality introduction, body, and a conclusion.
Good papers rely on a strong thesis. The same theory applies in film. A good film must have a strong plot to be effective, using a setup, confrontation, and resolution to mirror its beginning, middle, and end.
Write a one page review about the film. Try to avoid recounting too much of the plot. Focus on the quality of writing in terms of the dialogue, the plot development, theme, and the main plot idea. In every Final Destination film, the main theme is death. The plot latches onto the first premonition like the thesis sentence does in academic papers.
Writing a short film review will surely help you to improve your writing skills. Be creative in describing the film, carefully critiquing the writing. You can mention what you would have done to make the film better.
Have fun taking part in a film review.
Mozilla Firefox is the worst Internet explorer
Do not use Mozilla Firefox. The new updated version keeps crashing. If you have no choice but to use it, then please write your responses, drafts, and other content using another program. When Firefox crashes, you lose everything that was written in the process. Very frustrating, especially when time is an issue.
Do not trust Mozilla Firefox. I should know better because I have Safari on my Apple. I have no idea as to why I use Firefox. Ever sine the new update, the program has been crashing at least once a day. Imagine being a writer; losing quality work because of a poorly flawed program.
Do not trust any system with writing out quality pieces. Always try to make it a point to save all work. Never take the chance of trusting any Internet Explorer. Technology ruins great ideas. How often can you remember everything that was written?
I have lost great work because of the Internet. Write out all of your drafts using another software, then paste the content to the intended location. MSN, YAHOO, AOL, and other e-mail accounts have caused me to lose great e-mail responses. The only effective site that remembers work when logged out is Blogspot.com.
I learned that you can trust any website because you will lose great work. After taking the time to write a quality piece, the amount of time since logging in and between the completed task may cause a system delay, which will log off, making you lose what you have written in the process.
Please be aware of Mozilla Firefox. Their program is unstable and ineffective. They used to have a good program, but with new updates, you can no longer depend on the program anymore. I dislike Mozilla Firefox. Very poor program that is not worthy of being an explorer.
Do not trust Mozilla Firefox. I should know better because I have Safari on my Apple. I have no idea as to why I use Firefox. Ever sine the new update, the program has been crashing at least once a day. Imagine being a writer; losing quality work because of a poorly flawed program.
Do not trust any system with writing out quality pieces. Always try to make it a point to save all work. Never take the chance of trusting any Internet Explorer. Technology ruins great ideas. How often can you remember everything that was written?
I have lost great work because of the Internet. Write out all of your drafts using another software, then paste the content to the intended location. MSN, YAHOO, AOL, and other e-mail accounts have caused me to lose great e-mail responses. The only effective site that remembers work when logged out is Blogspot.com.
I learned that you can trust any website because you will lose great work. After taking the time to write a quality piece, the amount of time since logging in and between the completed task may cause a system delay, which will log off, making you lose what you have written in the process.
Please be aware of Mozilla Firefox. Their program is unstable and ineffective. They used to have a good program, but with new updates, you can no longer depend on the program anymore. I dislike Mozilla Firefox. Very poor program that is not worthy of being an explorer.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Multi-media artist or animator job are in high demand - only need an associates degree
According to an MSN article written on a multi-media artist or animator job, the following information discusses the potential of seeking this exciting career field:
Multi-media artist or animator
Average earnings in 2008: $29.99/hour, $56,330/year
"Multi-media artists and animators are the bread and butter employees for film, cartoon, television and Web animation studios. Duties can vary by training, specialization or the specific needs of the employer. Following graduation of a two-year degree or career training program, animators and artists may be hired to create original sketches, map out entire story boards to match the script, or produce special effects. Job growth will be fueled by an increase in demand for professionals who can produce 2D and 3D animation effects for films, Web sites and video games. New jobs will also open in education, science and research design. Consider courses in software animation programs and illustration. The Labor Department foresees a 26 percent increase in jobs for multi-media artists and animators between 2006 and 2016" (MSN Encarta, 2009).
Check out the article at multimedia artists and animators
Multi-media artist or animator
Average earnings in 2008: $29.99/hour, $56,330/year
"Multi-media artists and animators are the bread and butter employees for film, cartoon, television and Web animation studios. Duties can vary by training, specialization or the specific needs of the employer. Following graduation of a two-year degree or career training program, animators and artists may be hired to create original sketches, map out entire story boards to match the script, or produce special effects. Job growth will be fueled by an increase in demand for professionals who can produce 2D and 3D animation effects for films, Web sites and video games. New jobs will also open in education, science and research design. Consider courses in software animation programs and illustration. The Labor Department foresees a 26 percent increase in jobs for multi-media artists and animators between 2006 and 2016" (MSN Encarta, 2009).
Check out the article at multimedia artists and animators
Using a Tens Unit for pain management
Tens units are inexpensive. They can effectively treat muscle pain. You can purchase them online. Do a Google search. Look for my Coupon Cactus article. There may be some discounts on the website.
Pain pills are not reliable in managing pain. They only block the pain. After you take a muscle relaxer, the medication blocks the pain - the brain and pain communication are interrupted.
I used the Tens unit for the first time yesterday. It reduced my back pain. I connected the 4 electrodes to my lower hip area - place them a square pattern. The module impulses provided a soothing energy that loosened the muscles. A majority of back pain is due to deferred pain from the hip, feet, knees, and others structural problems.
Tens units are good for pain management. You can use the unit on your calf, thigh, shoulder, bicep, and in any other place to treat pain. Avoid placing the unit on the front part of your neck because it can interfere with the carotid artery. Also, please don't use the Tends while operating a vehicle. A malfunction may jolt you into an accident.
In my case, a physical therapist demonstrated the Tens unit - she gave me a set of instructions. Tens units are very easy to use. Be careful with turning the nob up too high, as the jolt will surely be uncomfortable.
Don't use the Tens unit for more than 40 minutes in one session. Avoid using the Tens before sleeping. The constant impulses will irritate the skin. Use the Tens Unit as much as you need to, but break up the session in intervals. Don't use the Tens unit in the shower, or while taking a bath. Don't place electrodes on bony prominences.
The Tens unit can be clipped to your side. Treat the Tens unit like you would any other electrical component that has batteries.
It is better to treat the pain instead of just taking medication to interrupt pain. Consult your healthcare providers about a Tens unit for pain management.
Pain pills are not reliable in managing pain. They only block the pain. After you take a muscle relaxer, the medication blocks the pain - the brain and pain communication are interrupted.
I used the Tens unit for the first time yesterday. It reduced my back pain. I connected the 4 electrodes to my lower hip area - place them a square pattern. The module impulses provided a soothing energy that loosened the muscles. A majority of back pain is due to deferred pain from the hip, feet, knees, and others structural problems.
Tens units are good for pain management. You can use the unit on your calf, thigh, shoulder, bicep, and in any other place to treat pain. Avoid placing the unit on the front part of your neck because it can interfere with the carotid artery. Also, please don't use the Tends while operating a vehicle. A malfunction may jolt you into an accident.
In my case, a physical therapist demonstrated the Tens unit - she gave me a set of instructions. Tens units are very easy to use. Be careful with turning the nob up too high, as the jolt will surely be uncomfortable.
Don't use the Tens unit for more than 40 minutes in one session. Avoid using the Tens before sleeping. The constant impulses will irritate the skin. Use the Tens Unit as much as you need to, but break up the session in intervals. Don't use the Tens unit in the shower, or while taking a bath. Don't place electrodes on bony prominences.
The Tens unit can be clipped to your side. Treat the Tens unit like you would any other electrical component that has batteries.
It is better to treat the pain instead of just taking medication to interrupt pain. Consult your healthcare providers about a Tens unit for pain management.
Children Books at Barnes & Noble
While eating a sandwich in the Starbucks at Barnes & Noble, I noticed a few children books sitting on a stand. They appeared to be helpful for children.
One of the books was named "Bear likes to Share". Essentially, the books helps children learn about sharing; to avoid being selfish. Many children will get mad if another child plays with their toys. In essence, sharing is about giving to others. Children that learn to share will be respectful later in life.
Another book, "Bear is Polite." seems to be useful in building manners. These are not the exact titles of the book. There were a number of different books that assisted with shaping children. As with being polite, a child is taught at a young age to have good manners. Take for instance; children that interrupt others develop bad manners. The book is helpful in teaching respect. Children are able to see cartoon bear characters interacting in a series of situations that involve being polite.
The children section has several different books. They are more like picture books that teach kids how to interact, share, and be polite - learning to be respectful and responsible. Barnes & Noble is a really helpful bookstore for both adults and children.
If you're a parent, and would like help in teaching children the preceding processes, check out these books. They appear to be a fun and useful way to attract a child's interest.
Visit barnesandnoble.com to get additional online discounts. If you spend more than $25, the shipping is free. Many books are reduced 20% online. With the membership card, you can save another 10% on top of any other coupon promotions going on for members; usually 15% off the most expensive item.
One of the books was named "Bear likes to Share". Essentially, the books helps children learn about sharing; to avoid being selfish. Many children will get mad if another child plays with their toys. In essence, sharing is about giving to others. Children that learn to share will be respectful later in life.
Another book, "Bear is Polite." seems to be useful in building manners. These are not the exact titles of the book. There were a number of different books that assisted with shaping children. As with being polite, a child is taught at a young age to have good manners. Take for instance; children that interrupt others develop bad manners. The book is helpful in teaching respect. Children are able to see cartoon bear characters interacting in a series of situations that involve being polite.
The children section has several different books. They are more like picture books that teach kids how to interact, share, and be polite - learning to be respectful and responsible. Barnes & Noble is a really helpful bookstore for both adults and children.
If you're a parent, and would like help in teaching children the preceding processes, check out these books. They appear to be a fun and useful way to attract a child's interest.
Visit barnesandnoble.com to get additional online discounts. If you spend more than $25, the shipping is free. Many books are reduced 20% online. With the membership card, you can save another 10% on top of any other coupon promotions going on for members; usually 15% off the most expensive item.
Writing tip for the day 8/29/09
The writing tips for the day is to write in the second person. Second person writing is considered formal communication. Students and respective writers should second person in the way they communicate with another person. Why is second person writing important to students and writers?
Second person writing communicates with an audience. Having effective communication skills are vital to being successful in any social environment. Second person writing can also be used for instructional purposes.
An instructor writes a syllabus in the second person. Their main intent to communicate what is expected of each student within the class - a set of rules and guidelines.
Sample second person sentence: Students are urged to complete assigned article responses before the due date.
Screenwriters can use the second person when writing dialogue. The action will always be in the third person. Actor directions - in parenthetical under name - are given as an command; they model second person writing. An "insert" of a letter containing a set of rules can be considered second person writing.
Second person writing relies on a writer to communicate, instruct, and to guide an audience. Cookbooks, instruction manuals, and workplace rules are all written in the second person.
Try writing a "how to" or a set of guidelines using the second person. Use a direct style of second person to communicate, which suggests writing with confidence.
Have fun writing in the second person.
Second person writing communicates with an audience. Having effective communication skills are vital to being successful in any social environment. Second person writing can also be used for instructional purposes.
An instructor writes a syllabus in the second person. Their main intent to communicate what is expected of each student within the class - a set of rules and guidelines.
Sample second person sentence: Students are urged to complete assigned article responses before the due date.
Screenwriters can use the second person when writing dialogue. The action will always be in the third person. Actor directions - in parenthetical under name - are given as an command; they model second person writing. An "insert" of a letter containing a set of rules can be considered second person writing.
Second person writing relies on a writer to communicate, instruct, and to guide an audience. Cookbooks, instruction manuals, and workplace rules are all written in the second person.
Try writing a "how to" or a set of guidelines using the second person. Use a direct style of second person to communicate, which suggests writing with confidence.
Have fun writing in the second person.
Writing tip for the day 8/28/09
The writing tip for the day is to write in the first person. Write a short story using "I, we, me". Writing the first person will help people master e-mails, letters, and journal pieces. First person is the most common form of everyday writing.
Authors have the luxury of using either the first person in autobiographies or take on third person in dealing with biographies. Screenwriters only use the first person in developing dialogue. Visuals are to written in the third person.
Millions of web surfers are familiar with the first person; they write e-mails, leave comments, take part in discussions, and engage in other processes. Text messaging is highly dependent on first person writing.
Improving first person writing skills will keep a writer in sync with expressing thoughts, personal perception, and in responding to questions.
Write a creative story using the first person - remember to use a combination of "I, we, me".
Have fun writing in the first person.
Authors have the luxury of using either the first person in autobiographies or take on third person in dealing with biographies. Screenwriters only use the first person in developing dialogue. Visuals are to written in the third person.
Millions of web surfers are familiar with the first person; they write e-mails, leave comments, take part in discussions, and engage in other processes. Text messaging is highly dependent on first person writing.
Improving first person writing skills will keep a writer in sync with expressing thoughts, personal perception, and in responding to questions.
Write a creative story using the first person - remember to use a combination of "I, we, me".
Have fun writing in the first person.
Friday, August 28, 2009
AT&T Referral Code for U-Verse, Wireless, Home phone, and High Speed Internet
Follow the steps below when signing up for At&T service. If you do, you will make money and have future referrals from two companies.
1. http://www.CouponCactus.com/?ccid=119599
(Enter the above link into your address window. It will take you to Coupon Cactus. Once you go there, open up a free account.)
2. After you've signed up, look for the At&t account offers. Click on the offer you want. (They will usually offer a cash back amount.)
3. You will then be directed to the At&t website. Cactus knows that you're there, so you'll get credit. (Cookies). Sign up for the offer you like best on At&t.
4. You will confirm a date to have service installation.
5. Write down the account number.
6. go to this website - https://www.attreferrals.com/Default.aspx
7. Enter "Your Referral Code," which is ZZ1020229.
8. Fill out form.
9. Put your account number either on the right side or a new phone number on the left.
10. After you follow these steps, you activated the referral. Make sure to request some referral material for yourself. Click on the bubble that mentions it.
11. After you follow all of these steps, you will receive a rebate from AT&T, one from Cactus will apply to your account in 4 weeks, and you will be able to start referring others to purchase AT&T service.
The same applies for the Coupon Cactus website - very cool website that you can make money. Check out my article on the website.
Good luck. Please leave a comment if you need help.
1. http://www.CouponCactus.com/?ccid=119599
(Enter the above link into your address window. It will take you to Coupon Cactus. Once you go there, open up a free account.)
2. After you've signed up, look for the At&t account offers. Click on the offer you want. (They will usually offer a cash back amount.)
3. You will then be directed to the At&t website. Cactus knows that you're there, so you'll get credit. (Cookies). Sign up for the offer you like best on At&t.
4. You will confirm a date to have service installation.
5. Write down the account number.
6. go to this website - https://www.attreferrals.com/Default.aspx
7. Enter "Your Referral Code," which is ZZ1020229.
8. Fill out form.
9. Put your account number either on the right side or a new phone number on the left.
10. After you follow these steps, you activated the referral. Make sure to request some referral material for yourself. Click on the bubble that mentions it.
11. After you follow all of these steps, you will receive a rebate from AT&T, one from Cactus will apply to your account in 4 weeks, and you will be able to start referring others to purchase AT&T service.
The same applies for the Coupon Cactus website - very cool website that you can make money. Check out my article on the website.
Good luck. Please leave a comment if you need help.
Ways to make money on things you already purchase: Coupon Cactus
http://www.CouponCactus.com/?ccid=119599
(just in case you don't want to read the article I prepared about the website)
I just ordered AT&T cable and high speed. Instead of starting off at the site, I went through a really cool site. It's free to sign up. You can make money through making the usual purchases that you make, and with referring other people as well. There are coupons for Target, At&t, and other popular website.
Once I refer you, then you can refer others afterward. You'll go through the website, which will recognize your link, and then take you to Target.com, or other websites such as AT&T. Why not make some cash going through the website?
You will make some money doing what you already do, which I think is a great deal. There are deals for a bundle of companies. I only found the website because I was looking for a deal on my new cable and high purchase.
The website pays you through PayPal or can mail a check to you after you reach $10. If you're proactive, you will make far more than that amount. Trust me, as a blogger and as a person that write to help others, this website is legit. Good luck and have fun shopping, and earning money.
Remember, after I refer you, then spread the word around to refer others too. This is a commission based, and also a money back offer for making purchases through starting from the website, which will then reroute you to the website you're going to make a purchase afterward.
http://www.CouponCactus.com/?ccid=119599
Thursday, August 27, 2009
How to Make Money From a Blog | eHow.com
How to Make Money From a Blog | eHow.com
Click on the link above or copy below to paste in address window
http://www.ehow.com/how_2050755_make-money-from-blog.html
Click on the link above or copy below to paste in address window
http://www.ehow.com/how_2050755_make-money-from-blog.html
Avoid purchasing certain Canon printers and all Dell printers
For some reason, Canon printers will not let you use a standalone black cartridge. Without a color cartridge, you are out of luck. Another problem is that most new Canon printers are sold as a package deal:
-Printer
-USB cord
-Color ink
-Black ink
In buying new ink cartridges, you're spending more than $10 more than you have to when making a printer package purchase.
In the past, I had an HP printer that allowed me to use black ink. On a Canon Printer, the orange light will flash, stating that you have to change the color ink. It's really frustrating because I need to print some documents. I will never buy another Canon printer again.
Dell printers are also a waste too. They are not compatible with Macs. Dell printers and computers are a waste of money. Don't trust their physical designs. Avoid Canon printers and Dell printers. Trust me. They will take up unnecessary space.
-Printer
-USB cord
-Color ink
-Black ink
In buying new ink cartridges, you're spending more than $10 more than you have to when making a printer package purchase.
In the past, I had an HP printer that allowed me to use black ink. On a Canon Printer, the orange light will flash, stating that you have to change the color ink. It's really frustrating because I need to print some documents. I will never buy another Canon printer again.
Dell printers are also a waste too. They are not compatible with Macs. Dell printers and computers are a waste of money. Don't trust their physical designs. Avoid Canon printers and Dell printers. Trust me. They will take up unnecessary space.
Never buy a Blackberry
Blackberry phones are the worst cellular phones in the market. Once the scroll wheel becomes moist, it will not react. At first, I was sold on the Blackberry Curve.
After struggling with the scroll wheel as of late, I have given up on Blackberry phones. Without a reactive wheel, the phone is useless. It's just like trying to use a computer without a working mouse.
Next time you're shopping for a phone, avoid looking at ones that have those swivel wheels - most Blackberry phones have them. The last thing you wan is to send a message or a picture you didn't select, or be unable to scroll through contacts, and text messages.
With time being a constant issue, I have to schedule in process. Blackberry phones that have the swivel wheel disrupt my schedule. Blackberry phones get 0 stars.
After struggling with the scroll wheel as of late, I have given up on Blackberry phones. Without a reactive wheel, the phone is useless. It's just like trying to use a computer without a working mouse.
Next time you're shopping for a phone, avoid looking at ones that have those swivel wheels - most Blackberry phones have them. The last thing you wan is to send a message or a picture you didn't select, or be unable to scroll through contacts, and text messages.
With time being a constant issue, I have to schedule in process. Blackberry phones that have the swivel wheel disrupt my schedule. Blackberry phones get 0 stars.
The Sacramento Kings deserved to be champions
The real class of the NBA never won a title. They were destined to be champions, but somehow that chance was lost time-after-time again. Why did a team with so much class deserve to be treated with little respect? Sacramento Kings worked as a team. There was no "I" in their games. The Kings had everything working. They were close to dethroning the Evil Empire.
Chris, Peja, Vlade, Doug, Mike, Bobby, Hedo, and compay deserved the title. They fought through getting swept in the 2001 NBA Playoffs - the year before they made a run at the Lakers in 2002. A year later, the Kings breezed through the Jazz and the Mavericks, en-route to facing the Lakers in the 2002 Western Conference Finals. In the series, the Kings were missing their 3pt specialist Peja, who had been injured in the Dallas series. Hedo filled in for Peja nicely.
I could remember the shot that was coined an "Horry-ble" finish for the Kings. The Kings had a lead from start to almost finishing the Lakers off in the each of the games. Game 4 was a heartbreak loss.
Game 6 was the start of something even worse. No matter what the Kings did, they couldn't be rewarded for their effort. Shaq had one lousy foul. Vlade and Pollard fouled out of the game. Lawrence was the third string covering a legend. What could the Kings do against their nemesis? They deserved to win this game, on the very night they would make it to NBA Finals. I watched the game from the Jumbo Screen at a Giants game. Everybody was focused on what was going on with the game. The Kings had the game all wrapped up.
All-of-a-sudden, Kobe decided to pop Bibby in the noise with an elbow. Bibby got the foul for trying to cover Kobe. After only a dozen trips to the line, the Lakers went on to shoot almost triple that amount in the 4th quarter alone. It was tragic. What was going on in this game? I couldn't believe the officiating. The San Jose Mercury News noted Game 6 as one that was lost because Kobe, Shaq, and the 3 referees were unstoppable.
The Kings lost their hopes to make it to the NBA Finals. They still had home-court advantage. A Game 7 to fix the Game 4 and Game 6 meltdown.
Game 7 was one of the most frustrating moments in sports. The Kings found a way to extend the lead to 11 points in the third. They were playing Kings basketball, sharing the ball, and just full of energy. What went wrong? Somehow, the Lakers made an improbable comeback.
We thought it was the Kings moment to shine in the spotlight. They worked so hard for this moment. Hardship-after-hardship, the Kings deserved to make it to the NBA Finals. They were a classy group of players that had millions of fans riding on their train.
The Lakers took the lead in the 4th quarter. They went up by 2 in closing stages of the game. The Lakers raced up the court to extend the lead, but a foul was called on Kobe. Bibby shot two of the most important free throws in Sacramento franchise history. He made both of them. Arco was loud! Kings could taste a victory. After Shaq missed a dunk, the game went into overtime.
In overtime, Webber hammered a thunderous dunk. The Kings were up 102-100. Thing started to fall apart. Hedo got trapped in the corner, near the half court line. Two Lakers swarmed Hedo, stripping him of the ball, and scored on the possession.
Peja rushed a wide open 3 point shot. He air-balled it! Dam! Things were looking grim. The Lakers stole the show, and took the hearts of the Kings Nation with them. They had no class. Shaq ridiculed the Kings, calling them the Sacramento Queens. The Kings squandered many opportunities to avoid Game 7, but left it all on the court, almost dethroning the Lakers in the process.
The Lakers never deserved to win the title. They were back-to-back champions, but in 2002, the Kings had the title within plain sight, but couldn't deliver. They let 3 games go, each of them they should have won.
The Kings were doomed again in the following year when Webber blew his knee out during a blowout loss. He should have never been playing, as the Mavericks were putting on a shooting clinic, embarrassing the Kings a game after enjoyed a blowout win.
The Kings were far better than the Mavs in 2003. They were waiting for a second chance to take on the Lakers. That never happened, as Webber's injury was too steep of an obstacle to overcome. Moreover, the Spurs dethroned the defending champions Lakers in 6 games.
The next season, the 2003-2004 Kings were off to a fast start. They looked far better than the rest of the NBA. When Webber finally came back from micro-fracture knee surgery, the Kings struggled to insert him back into the lineup.
After a close series with Dallas in the 2004 NBA Playoffs, the Kings faced the Western Conference's Number #1 seed Minnesota Timberwolves. The Kings were so close from going up 2-0, but fell apart. After being up 10 points with 4:01 left in the game, the T-Wolves went on 1 16-1 run to win the game.
The Kings returned home with the series tied at 1-1. In Game 3, the T-Wolves pounded away, taking a huge lead into the last few minutes of the game. With Peja and Bibby pushing hard, the Kings made a comeback. They rained rained three-pointers like they were going out of style.
After taking a narrow lead, Peja missed a critical free throw, which ended his free throw shooting streak. He managed to miss a free throw that would have won the game in regulation.
Going into OT, the Kings had their chances to squeeze out a win, but with a Bibby technical because of throwing off his headband, and Peja missing two critical free throws, the Kings lost Game 3 by 1 point.
In Game 7, the were down by 10 at half-time. The Kings didn't seem to have the fire that helped them win by 17 points in Game 6 at Arco Arean. Game 7 looked to be over, but Christie hit a 3 pointer with 13 seconds left, pulling the Kings within 1 point.
Cassell immediately fouled, making two free throws. He put the T-Wolves up by 3. Christie tried to shoot a 3, but missed the game tying shot. Miller squabbled for the loose ball, grabbed the rebound, and then flicked over a pass to a hungry Webber.
C-Webb jumped up, shot the ball from the 3 point line. The ball rolled around, and then rimmed out of the hoop. Webber dropped to his knees, leaving his heart on the floor - knowing the Kings wasted a prime opportunity to have another rematch with the Lakers.
The Kings never had a better shot ti win an NBA Title. The 2002-2004 Kings had all the weapons to get to the next level. They came so close to bringing a title to Sacramento. The Kings were a classy group of players that deserved to win a title.
One NBA title would have made this city happy. Instead, the Lakers won 3 titles, and then added another in 2009. The team that deserved a title never got one. The Kings have been unable to make the playoffs the past 3 years. This past season, they managed to win only 17 games - a franchise low.
The rivalry that made basketball fun to watch is now gone. Will the Kings ever have another shot to be a contender? Only time will tell. All the Kings players have moved on.
The Kings had a chance to duplicate the same success in 2007, but they decided to break the team apart and fire the coach.
All we can do is remember the good times. I used to listen to Kings games on the radio, watch them, and check out the stats on the Internet. I enjoyed watching the Kings. I will always remember how exciting the Kings used to be. They were the most electrifying team in the NBA.
The Kings earned the respect of fans, and the NBA. Only the Lakers were too arrogant to show some class. No matter what the record books read, the Kings will always be champions of the 2002 NBA season. May the Kings have another opportunity to win a title.
Read the article below about Webber, and What if?
http://ballhype.com/story/what_if_history_weren_t_chris_webber/
Chris, Peja, Vlade, Doug, Mike, Bobby, Hedo, and compay deserved the title. They fought through getting swept in the 2001 NBA Playoffs - the year before they made a run at the Lakers in 2002. A year later, the Kings breezed through the Jazz and the Mavericks, en-route to facing the Lakers in the 2002 Western Conference Finals. In the series, the Kings were missing their 3pt specialist Peja, who had been injured in the Dallas series. Hedo filled in for Peja nicely.
I could remember the shot that was coined an "Horry-ble" finish for the Kings. The Kings had a lead from start to almost finishing the Lakers off in the each of the games. Game 4 was a heartbreak loss.
Game 6 was the start of something even worse. No matter what the Kings did, they couldn't be rewarded for their effort. Shaq had one lousy foul. Vlade and Pollard fouled out of the game. Lawrence was the third string covering a legend. What could the Kings do against their nemesis? They deserved to win this game, on the very night they would make it to NBA Finals. I watched the game from the Jumbo Screen at a Giants game. Everybody was focused on what was going on with the game. The Kings had the game all wrapped up.
All-of-a-sudden, Kobe decided to pop Bibby in the noise with an elbow. Bibby got the foul for trying to cover Kobe. After only a dozen trips to the line, the Lakers went on to shoot almost triple that amount in the 4th quarter alone. It was tragic. What was going on in this game? I couldn't believe the officiating. The San Jose Mercury News noted Game 6 as one that was lost because Kobe, Shaq, and the 3 referees were unstoppable.
The Kings lost their hopes to make it to the NBA Finals. They still had home-court advantage. A Game 7 to fix the Game 4 and Game 6 meltdown.
Game 7 was one of the most frustrating moments in sports. The Kings found a way to extend the lead to 11 points in the third. They were playing Kings basketball, sharing the ball, and just full of energy. What went wrong? Somehow, the Lakers made an improbable comeback.
We thought it was the Kings moment to shine in the spotlight. They worked so hard for this moment. Hardship-after-hardship, the Kings deserved to make it to the NBA Finals. They were a classy group of players that had millions of fans riding on their train.
The Lakers took the lead in the 4th quarter. They went up by 2 in closing stages of the game. The Lakers raced up the court to extend the lead, but a foul was called on Kobe. Bibby shot two of the most important free throws in Sacramento franchise history. He made both of them. Arco was loud! Kings could taste a victory. After Shaq missed a dunk, the game went into overtime.
In overtime, Webber hammered a thunderous dunk. The Kings were up 102-100. Thing started to fall apart. Hedo got trapped in the corner, near the half court line. Two Lakers swarmed Hedo, stripping him of the ball, and scored on the possession.
Peja rushed a wide open 3 point shot. He air-balled it! Dam! Things were looking grim. The Lakers stole the show, and took the hearts of the Kings Nation with them. They had no class. Shaq ridiculed the Kings, calling them the Sacramento Queens. The Kings squandered many opportunities to avoid Game 7, but left it all on the court, almost dethroning the Lakers in the process.
The Lakers never deserved to win the title. They were back-to-back champions, but in 2002, the Kings had the title within plain sight, but couldn't deliver. They let 3 games go, each of them they should have won.
The Kings were doomed again in the following year when Webber blew his knee out during a blowout loss. He should have never been playing, as the Mavericks were putting on a shooting clinic, embarrassing the Kings a game after enjoyed a blowout win.
The Kings were far better than the Mavs in 2003. They were waiting for a second chance to take on the Lakers. That never happened, as Webber's injury was too steep of an obstacle to overcome. Moreover, the Spurs dethroned the defending champions Lakers in 6 games.
The next season, the 2003-2004 Kings were off to a fast start. They looked far better than the rest of the NBA. When Webber finally came back from micro-fracture knee surgery, the Kings struggled to insert him back into the lineup.
After a close series with Dallas in the 2004 NBA Playoffs, the Kings faced the Western Conference's Number #1 seed Minnesota Timberwolves. The Kings were so close from going up 2-0, but fell apart. After being up 10 points with 4:01 left in the game, the T-Wolves went on 1 16-1 run to win the game.
The Kings returned home with the series tied at 1-1. In Game 3, the T-Wolves pounded away, taking a huge lead into the last few minutes of the game. With Peja and Bibby pushing hard, the Kings made a comeback. They rained rained three-pointers like they were going out of style.
After taking a narrow lead, Peja missed a critical free throw, which ended his free throw shooting streak. He managed to miss a free throw that would have won the game in regulation.
Going into OT, the Kings had their chances to squeeze out a win, but with a Bibby technical because of throwing off his headband, and Peja missing two critical free throws, the Kings lost Game 3 by 1 point.
In Game 7, the were down by 10 at half-time. The Kings didn't seem to have the fire that helped them win by 17 points in Game 6 at Arco Arean. Game 7 looked to be over, but Christie hit a 3 pointer with 13 seconds left, pulling the Kings within 1 point.
Cassell immediately fouled, making two free throws. He put the T-Wolves up by 3. Christie tried to shoot a 3, but missed the game tying shot. Miller squabbled for the loose ball, grabbed the rebound, and then flicked over a pass to a hungry Webber.
C-Webb jumped up, shot the ball from the 3 point line. The ball rolled around, and then rimmed out of the hoop. Webber dropped to his knees, leaving his heart on the floor - knowing the Kings wasted a prime opportunity to have another rematch with the Lakers.
The Kings never had a better shot ti win an NBA Title. The 2002-2004 Kings had all the weapons to get to the next level. They came so close to bringing a title to Sacramento. The Kings were a classy group of players that deserved to win a title.
One NBA title would have made this city happy. Instead, the Lakers won 3 titles, and then added another in 2009. The team that deserved a title never got one. The Kings have been unable to make the playoffs the past 3 years. This past season, they managed to win only 17 games - a franchise low.
The rivalry that made basketball fun to watch is now gone. Will the Kings ever have another shot to be a contender? Only time will tell. All the Kings players have moved on.
The Kings had a chance to duplicate the same success in 2007, but they decided to break the team apart and fire the coach.
All we can do is remember the good times. I used to listen to Kings games on the radio, watch them, and check out the stats on the Internet. I enjoyed watching the Kings. I will always remember how exciting the Kings used to be. They were the most electrifying team in the NBA.
The Kings earned the respect of fans, and the NBA. Only the Lakers were too arrogant to show some class. No matter what the record books read, the Kings will always be champions of the 2002 NBA season. May the Kings have another opportunity to win a title.
Read the article below about Webber, and What if?
http://ballhype.com/story/what_if_history_weren_t_chris_webber/
The meaning of "Fugly"
I have heard the word "Fugly" used on IMDB.com and on Twitter. Fugly is commonly used to describe certain women that people find unattractive.
The insult can be universal, but it seems to be popular in coining certain women as being ugly. I knew what the word meant before doing a Google search on it. There are 1,170,000 hits on fugly.
One Twitter member claimed Meagan Fox to be fugly, which is kind of strange, as she is one of the most desirable women in Hollywood. Fugly is used more on girls, especially the ones that get too much attention than on others that don't have enough exposure.
Before searching for fugly, I assumed that it meant a combination of the "F word and ugly". After searching for fugly, many web surfers confirmed that it was indeed the mixture of the two vulgar words.
Whenever someone wants to make a point about another being really ugly, they will use fugly. Seems to be one of those sayings like "My Bad" and "WTF". The word fugly is also more popular than lower tier celebrities.
Fugly is much more worse than referring or even suggesting that another person is ugly. It's funny that there is always someone out there creating new slang. Soon we will hear fugly used in an upcoming film.
As this point in time, fugly is the new slang making its rounds on the Internet, and in school discussions.
The insult can be universal, but it seems to be popular in coining certain women as being ugly. I knew what the word meant before doing a Google search on it. There are 1,170,000 hits on fugly.
One Twitter member claimed Meagan Fox to be fugly, which is kind of strange, as she is one of the most desirable women in Hollywood. Fugly is used more on girls, especially the ones that get too much attention than on others that don't have enough exposure.
Before searching for fugly, I assumed that it meant a combination of the "F word and ugly". After searching for fugly, many web surfers confirmed that it was indeed the mixture of the two vulgar words.
Whenever someone wants to make a point about another being really ugly, they will use fugly. Seems to be one of those sayings like "My Bad" and "WTF". The word fugly is also more popular than lower tier celebrities.
Fugly is much more worse than referring or even suggesting that another person is ugly. It's funny that there is always someone out there creating new slang. Soon we will hear fugly used in an upcoming film.
As this point in time, fugly is the new slang making its rounds on the Internet, and in school discussions.
Writing tip for the day 8/27/09
The writing tip for the day is to brainstorm. It may sound like a cliche to brainstorm, but many people tend to ignore the process. Brainstorming is useful for creating ideas. Students are expected to brainstorm, which is useful for expanding ideas. Screenwriters can benefit off of brainstorming th help them carve out future ideas into marketable screenplays.
How should one start a brainstorming session? It really depends on the idea. Take for instance; an effective brainstorming process is to branch off of one idea. A story about conflict in religion and science can start with ideas that are closely related to both areas.
Religion - God, Jesus, Christianity, Bible, The Tree of Life, Angels, Judgment Day, Ezekiel, Moses, Jewish, Israel, Jerusalem, and Church.
Science - Stem Cell Research, Medicine, Surgery, Transplantation, Cloning, Immunizations, Disease, Survival, Life, Researchers, and Death.
The two areas oppose one another for the same reason that have some similarities. Brainstorming is about expanding one or two ideas into a research topic and or a film. Screenwriters can benefit from brainstorming through creating subplots.
Read about the review I wrote on Emotional Structure Screenplay, based off of Peter Dunne's book n the same very subject. Brainstorming will surely help a screenwriter transform log line into a developed screenplay.
Log Line: A man that is treated poorly by his wife loses his memory in a accident.
Brainstorming for ideas - subplot: man wants to leave, woman is materialistic, selfish, passive, weak, unappreciative, rude, vulgar, cruel, society, social pressures, influences, cognitive perception, doing what others do, and failing to make good decisions.
The story can be about anything. Use brainstorming to branch out ideas, making your research papers, essays, and screenplays an exciting read.
Have fun brainstorming ( )
How should one start a brainstorming session? It really depends on the idea. Take for instance; an effective brainstorming process is to branch off of one idea. A story about conflict in religion and science can start with ideas that are closely related to both areas.
Religion - God, Jesus, Christianity, Bible, The Tree of Life, Angels, Judgment Day, Ezekiel, Moses, Jewish, Israel, Jerusalem, and Church.
Science - Stem Cell Research, Medicine, Surgery, Transplantation, Cloning, Immunizations, Disease, Survival, Life, Researchers, and Death.
The two areas oppose one another for the same reason that have some similarities. Brainstorming is about expanding one or two ideas into a research topic and or a film. Screenwriters can benefit from brainstorming through creating subplots.
Read about the review I wrote on Emotional Structure Screenplay, based off of Peter Dunne's book n the same very subject. Brainstorming will surely help a screenwriter transform log line into a developed screenplay.
Log Line: A man that is treated poorly by his wife loses his memory in a accident.
Brainstorming for ideas - subplot: man wants to leave, woman is materialistic, selfish, passive, weak, unappreciative, rude, vulgar, cruel, society, social pressures, influences, cognitive perception, doing what others do, and failing to make good decisions.
The story can be about anything. Use brainstorming to branch out ideas, making your research papers, essays, and screenplays an exciting read.
Have fun brainstorming ( )
Dreams lost because of money
There are millions of people out there that have failed to accomplish their goals because of money. Are goals about making money or living a dream?
Many people find comfort in doing what makes them happy. We all want to be happy. People choose to carry out their dreams because they find the desire to go after what interests them the most.
Money holds people back from carrying out their dreams. Trying to save your money is harder than accomplishing a dream. Making bad decisions, being scammed, and failing to stick to one goal destroys many dreams. Life is about being successful, but it's also about making others happy too.
We fight our entire lives to accomplish a dream. Don't let money interfere with your desire to live a dream. Nothing is more worse than losing out on a lifelong dream because of making bad decisions.
Money, outside influences, and waiting for success to come knocking on the door are a few reasons why dreams are lost. Treat your dreams with respect.
Map out your goals. Plan to take alternate routes while making a journey, which will help you to deliver your dreams to the right destination. Don't expect your dreams to go as planned; be ready to take on considerable challenges and obstacles.
Although money prevents you from making reliable decisions, continue to carry out your dreams - that one extra effort may be the difference in succeeding, and finally realizing your dreams.
Good luck on your dreams - take the journey of a lifetime!
Many people find comfort in doing what makes them happy. We all want to be happy. People choose to carry out their dreams because they find the desire to go after what interests them the most.
Money holds people back from carrying out their dreams. Trying to save your money is harder than accomplishing a dream. Making bad decisions, being scammed, and failing to stick to one goal destroys many dreams. Life is about being successful, but it's also about making others happy too.
We fight our entire lives to accomplish a dream. Don't let money interfere with your desire to live a dream. Nothing is more worse than losing out on a lifelong dream because of making bad decisions.
Money, outside influences, and waiting for success to come knocking on the door are a few reasons why dreams are lost. Treat your dreams with respect.
Map out your goals. Plan to take alternate routes while making a journey, which will help you to deliver your dreams to the right destination. Don't expect your dreams to go as planned; be ready to take on considerable challenges and obstacles.
Although money prevents you from making reliable decisions, continue to carry out your dreams - that one extra effort may be the difference in succeeding, and finally realizing your dreams.
Good luck on your dreams - take the journey of a lifetime!
Check out the blog archives on the side panel
On the right side of this blog page, click on the blog archives. It will show the overall blogs for 2009. You can also click on various months.
Click on the months, which will expand a list of articles that I have written on various topics.
Check out the various articles on writing tips, short stories, life experiences, and decision making. My goal is to help people through sharing mistakes, advice, and in providing information. Advice is not useful unless someone uses it.
Have fund reading. Good luck!
Click on the months, which will expand a list of articles that I have written on various topics.
Check out the various articles on writing tips, short stories, life experiences, and decision making. My goal is to help people through sharing mistakes, advice, and in providing information. Advice is not useful unless someone uses it.
Have fund reading. Good luck!
Follow me on Twitter
I am occasionally on Twitter. Keep a close eye on my Twitter page @ http://twitter.com/Goodlin1975. I will share anything about writing or other things that will assist you with your anticipated film career.
The writing advice I will give you is not going to delve into what writing books suggest you should do, but instead the advice will include what I think works for writers to get noticed.
Writing is about disciplining yourself to write, to be proactive in getting your work out there, and to get noticed. Waiting to get noticed is not good. If you want to be a paid writer, you have to get your work out there. Show the industry that you have been paid for your writing. Anything project that you have taken on is good enough.
When you hire a plumber, you expect them to have experience with fixing pipes. You trust that your plumber has the ability to work around electrical wiring. Plumbing is about knowing how to work around the problems to fix the main problem.
A writer that is able to provide samples of their paid work has a greater change than another writer that claims to be a writer without having a portfolio.
With the social communities, blogs, and e-mail services, a writer lives in a time where they don't have to live out in Hollywood. One would suggest that you have to pay your dues first - taking on the lower tier jobs. If you produce quality work, you have an advantage in attracting attention.
A studio will not take the risk of losing a brilliant writer to another competitor. Some projects have the potential to rescue a studio from sinking into quicksand.
As a writer, you have to be disciplined, be motivated, be able to take criticism, and market your work. Don't wait for success to come, go out there and get it. With all the competition out there, you need to be proactive.
The following websites have jobs for writers
- Freelancewritingcenter.com (writing academic papers)
- Mediabistro.com (find a professional media and or writing jobs in LA, NYC, and in major US cities)
As time passes on, I will include other jobs for writers.
Continue to write, get your work out there, and have confidence. Writing is a lifelong goal that is worth the effort.
The writing advice I will give you is not going to delve into what writing books suggest you should do, but instead the advice will include what I think works for writers to get noticed.
Writing is about disciplining yourself to write, to be proactive in getting your work out there, and to get noticed. Waiting to get noticed is not good. If you want to be a paid writer, you have to get your work out there. Show the industry that you have been paid for your writing. Anything project that you have taken on is good enough.
When you hire a plumber, you expect them to have experience with fixing pipes. You trust that your plumber has the ability to work around electrical wiring. Plumbing is about knowing how to work around the problems to fix the main problem.
A writer that is able to provide samples of their paid work has a greater change than another writer that claims to be a writer without having a portfolio.
With the social communities, blogs, and e-mail services, a writer lives in a time where they don't have to live out in Hollywood. One would suggest that you have to pay your dues first - taking on the lower tier jobs. If you produce quality work, you have an advantage in attracting attention.
A studio will not take the risk of losing a brilliant writer to another competitor. Some projects have the potential to rescue a studio from sinking into quicksand.
As a writer, you have to be disciplined, be motivated, be able to take criticism, and market your work. Don't wait for success to come, go out there and get it. With all the competition out there, you need to be proactive.
The following websites have jobs for writers
- Freelancewritingcenter.com (writing academic papers)
- Mediabistro.com (find a professional media and or writing jobs in LA, NYC, and in major US cities)
As time passes on, I will include other jobs for writers.
Continue to write, get your work out there, and have confidence. Writing is a lifelong goal that is worth the effort.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
A funny story while in Basic Training
On September 20, 1994 I left home for Air Force Basic Training. During Basic Training, our flight had to conform to a set of rules, as expected of every military trainee. It was a way to build discipline, and to help each member develop "pay attention to detail skills".
We only had an allotted time to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As the weeks passed, we earned more time, and had more freedom to communicate. After being on bathroom patrol, out squad wasn't given the opportunity to wash our hands. I thought about scrubbing the floors, the toilets, and the sinks. We had to rotate through a different set of duties.
While having dinner, I used napkins to eat my food. My hands were far from clean, and I couldn't afford to get sick. I thought about avoiding any mishaps. I knew that if I got sick, I would be recycled back.
The Training Instructor (TI) told our flight that we had to be responsible. He mentioned that one military trainee once avoided telling anyone about the blisters on his feet. They were in result of marching, wet socks, and moisture from sweat. A soldier has to keep their feet dry to avoid infection. I thought about that, and the other stories of other trainees that had mental breakdowns because of the pressure.
My dad used to write me letters; he helped me make it through Basic Training. He served 20 years in the Air Force. I took his advice to make it through without making any mistakes. I used to napkins as a sterile shield to avoid contaminating the food.
Another trainee asked me, "What religion are you"? I told him that I just cleaned the bathroom, and didn't have a chance to was my hands. I was one of the few to think about avoiding getting sick. My goal was to complete Basic Training so that I could get ready for the next round - Medical Training.
I always remember the religion and the napkin incident. It brings back good memories because I was actually doing something with my life. Even after earning 4 college degrees, I don't feel like I am giving back to society. I do write to help people, but I don't feel that it's enough. Maybe one day I will feel good about my purpose in life. Giving back to the community makes me more happy than receiving money or validation.
At 18, I had a dream about wanting to be an actor, and also served my country. I think I was doing good to give back to the community. Religion, napkins, avoiding getting sick, and all the memories from before are useful for preserving the goodwill I have within me to help others.
As a Air Force medical worker, I helped many patients to get better, while also easing the pain of others that were ready to pass on. That feels good to think that I was able to do that at such a young age. You don't appreciate the good moments until you find time in a fast paced life to remember them. Great memories.
We only had an allotted time to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As the weeks passed, we earned more time, and had more freedom to communicate. After being on bathroom patrol, out squad wasn't given the opportunity to wash our hands. I thought about scrubbing the floors, the toilets, and the sinks. We had to rotate through a different set of duties.
While having dinner, I used napkins to eat my food. My hands were far from clean, and I couldn't afford to get sick. I thought about avoiding any mishaps. I knew that if I got sick, I would be recycled back.
The Training Instructor (TI) told our flight that we had to be responsible. He mentioned that one military trainee once avoided telling anyone about the blisters on his feet. They were in result of marching, wet socks, and moisture from sweat. A soldier has to keep their feet dry to avoid infection. I thought about that, and the other stories of other trainees that had mental breakdowns because of the pressure.
My dad used to write me letters; he helped me make it through Basic Training. He served 20 years in the Air Force. I took his advice to make it through without making any mistakes. I used to napkins as a sterile shield to avoid contaminating the food.
Another trainee asked me, "What religion are you"? I told him that I just cleaned the bathroom, and didn't have a chance to was my hands. I was one of the few to think about avoiding getting sick. My goal was to complete Basic Training so that I could get ready for the next round - Medical Training.
I always remember the religion and the napkin incident. It brings back good memories because I was actually doing something with my life. Even after earning 4 college degrees, I don't feel like I am giving back to society. I do write to help people, but I don't feel that it's enough. Maybe one day I will feel good about my purpose in life. Giving back to the community makes me more happy than receiving money or validation.
At 18, I had a dream about wanting to be an actor, and also served my country. I think I was doing good to give back to the community. Religion, napkins, avoiding getting sick, and all the memories from before are useful for preserving the goodwill I have within me to help others.
As a Air Force medical worker, I helped many patients to get better, while also easing the pain of others that were ready to pass on. That feels good to think that I was able to do that at such a young age. You don't appreciate the good moments until you find time in a fast paced life to remember them. Great memories.
Leaving the criticism at college behind
Two years after graduating from film school, I have found it to be a struggle in finding criticism. Criticism makes writers much more effective.
Take advantage of the criticism you receive in class - instructors and classmates. Once you leave college, people will not want to listen to your work. Essentially, you will have a tough time finding feedback.
Constructive criticism that helped you in college will later turn into repetitive criticizing and judging. People may in fact criticize your work for reason of holding you back from attaining your goals.
Make sure you get as much criticism as you can. There is going to be a time when people will avoid taking the time to assist you with the writing process.
Remember to ask questions about your screenplays and creative writing pieces. Constructive criticism outside of the academic sector is not as useful unless you find a writing position that provides it.
Writing contests are good forums for feedback, but impersonal feedback is much more reliable.
Good luck on your writing journey.
Take advantage of the criticism you receive in class - instructors and classmates. Once you leave college, people will not want to listen to your work. Essentially, you will have a tough time finding feedback.
Constructive criticism that helped you in college will later turn into repetitive criticizing and judging. People may in fact criticize your work for reason of holding you back from attaining your goals.
Make sure you get as much criticism as you can. There is going to be a time when people will avoid taking the time to assist you with the writing process.
Remember to ask questions about your screenplays and creative writing pieces. Constructive criticism outside of the academic sector is not as useful unless you find a writing position that provides it.
Writing contests are good forums for feedback, but impersonal feedback is much more reliable.
Good luck on your writing journey.
Writing tip for the day 8/26/09
The writing tip for the day is to pick a word that you never used before. Look in the dictionary, in a book, or in an article. Find the definition of the word. Use the new word in a series of sentences. Depending on the meaning of the word, consider using it in a visual description or as a audio cue.
In order to improve your writing, finding a new word each day will broaden your vocabulary, and further expand your knowledge. Make it a habit to learn a new word each day. Don't just write down the word, use the word as you would with your education.
Without gaining new word knowledge, you may find yourself using the same words. Learning new words will help you to write more efficiently. Pick up a new word now. Learn the word, use the word in a sentence, and master the word in your writing.
Have fund learning a new word.
In order to improve your writing, finding a new word each day will broaden your vocabulary, and further expand your knowledge. Make it a habit to learn a new word each day. Don't just write down the word, use the word as you would with your education.
Without gaining new word knowledge, you may find yourself using the same words. Learning new words will help you to write more efficiently. Pick up a new word now. Learn the word, use the word in a sentence, and master the word in your writing.
Have fund learning a new word.
Feel better after going to gym
As of late, I have been feeling down about everything in life. I was struggling to find the energy to write. I decided that I should go for a workout at the gym. I didn't take part in a strenuous workout, but exercised enough to relax me. Taking some time away from writing helped me to rejuvenate. Essentially, I was able to regain my focus.
Whenever you feel negative or lose motivation, take a moment to escape activities that exhaust you. Overworking yourself to the point of exhaustion can cause you to become negative, and possibly to feel down.
I wouldn't consider myself depressed because I am able to complete work, but a combination of work and financial instability are causing me to constantly think about alternatives to make life better.
Try to take up on an outlet away from your professional responsibilities. Going to the gym, taking a walk, or drawing will relax the mind. You will immediately notice mental improvement. Writing is about having fun, not being stressed out about life. Don't let life defeat you.
Whenever you feel negative or lose motivation, take a moment to escape activities that exhaust you. Overworking yourself to the point of exhaustion can cause you to become negative, and possibly to feel down.
I wouldn't consider myself depressed because I am able to complete work, but a combination of work and financial instability are causing me to constantly think about alternatives to make life better.
Try to take up on an outlet away from your professional responsibilities. Going to the gym, taking a walk, or drawing will relax the mind. You will immediately notice mental improvement. Writing is about having fun, not being stressed out about life. Don't let life defeat you.
Been struggling with lack of energy?
I'm feeling more exhausted than usual. Maybe the late night writing binges are catching up to me. I woke up today, and felt dehydrated. My back muscles were stiff. I felt like I was sleeping out in a desert. Before I went to sleep, I drank plenty of water.
Maybe I need to drink a Coke or a Rockstar. When you're used to drinking those type of drinks, you might suffer with low energy because your body is dependent on them.
I decided that it would be wise to work out at the gym. I need to infuse my heart and lungs with some good healthy exercise. A few months back, I was walking and working out everyday. Now I'm sporadic with exercise.
Since the gym is open 24 hours a day, I find that it benefits me because I don't usually follow one of those customary schedules. If you're a writer and feel like the way I do right about now, read "Writing tip of the day 8/25/09". Writing burnout can fatigue your mind, making your energy levels drop below the norm. Take some time to rest.
Maybe I need to drink a Coke or a Rockstar. When you're used to drinking those type of drinks, you might suffer with low energy because your body is dependent on them.
I decided that it would be wise to work out at the gym. I need to infuse my heart and lungs with some good healthy exercise. A few months back, I was walking and working out everyday. Now I'm sporadic with exercise.
Since the gym is open 24 hours a day, I find that it benefits me because I don't usually follow one of those customary schedules. If you're a writer and feel like the way I do right about now, read "Writing tip of the day 8/25/09". Writing burnout can fatigue your mind, making your energy levels drop below the norm. Take some time to rest.
City construction keeping everyone up
Is there a better time to pound on the pavement than in the middle of the night? Construction workers have been working on the road for the past two nights. They are reconditioning the road in the early AM hours.
Looks like the construction will be a long process. The road is completely torn apart. Whenever the jackhammers start to pound on the ground, the entire floor shakes and rattles. It almost feels like an earthquake. Residents are probably restless right about now. I don't blame them if they are mad about now.
Writing in the waning hours of the night has its advantages. The noise doesn't bother me because I'll wait until right after the construction crew ceases work in the morning to sleep.
The construction stopped for a minute. I'm going to get back to writing. Hopefully you're not one of the residents trying to sleep through this construction storm.
Looks like the construction will be a long process. The road is completely torn apart. Whenever the jackhammers start to pound on the ground, the entire floor shakes and rattles. It almost feels like an earthquake. Residents are probably restless right about now. I don't blame them if they are mad about now.
Writing in the waning hours of the night has its advantages. The noise doesn't bother me because I'll wait until right after the construction crew ceases work in the morning to sleep.
The construction stopped for a minute. I'm going to get back to writing. Hopefully you're not one of the residents trying to sleep through this construction storm.
Writing tip of the day 8/25/2009
The writing tip of the day is to take some time to rest. Excessive writing without resting is not healthy for the mind. Sometimes I find it hard to write without resting. Writers have to step away from the computer.
When the mind is on overdrive, a writer may become frustrated, and fatigued. Give yourself a moment to reflect on the hard work that you've already done. After resting, conquer the next writing project with energy. Writing is a demanding process.
Get some rest. Don't abuse the mind because you'll need it to write a creative story. Enjoy your rest. The next project is waiting for your expertise.
When the mind is on overdrive, a writer may become frustrated, and fatigued. Give yourself a moment to reflect on the hard work that you've already done. After resting, conquer the next writing project with energy. Writing is a demanding process.
Get some rest. Don't abuse the mind because you'll need it to write a creative story. Enjoy your rest. The next project is waiting for your expertise.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Full-Time and Freelance Celebrity News Reporters - HollywoodLife.com - LA and New York, NY USA - mediabistro.com Jobs
I was looking at joblistings over at www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/, and I thought this one might interest you. Click on the link below:
Posted using ShareThis
Posted using ShareThis
Freelance Article Writers - Demand Studios - Any City, USA - mediabistro.com Jobs
I was looking at joblistings over at www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/, and I thought this one might interest you. Click on the link below:
Posted using ShareThis
Posted using ShareThis
Monday, August 24, 2009
Writing tip of the day 8/24/2009
The writing tip for the day is to write in the third person. If you are a current student, this should be easy - APA requires third person writing. The best strategy to writing in the third person is to see yourself as the narrator - the voice guiding the story.
Academic work, screenwriting, medical research studies, and any other form of writing has the ability to grow with exploring the third person. The third person has the ability to deliver a strong sense of excitement, adding a mystique - an extra layer, which is sure to inject life into the writing.
Haven't you noticed the influence of third person writing? Reading any such work featuring the use of third person will make one feel respect for the writing, knowing that eluding "I," "we," and "me" can be a challenging task.
Try and use "entity" to make reference to a particular group or person. It really really helps to be effective in mastering third person writing because many professional and education forums depend on analysis to capture an audience.
Take some time to write in the third person. Write a short story. Write as if you are watching the characters from sky. Identify them, as being the narrator in which guides the characters, creates the action, makes the smells, and creates a taste.
Enjoy writing in the third person.
Academic work, screenwriting, medical research studies, and any other form of writing has the ability to grow with exploring the third person. The third person has the ability to deliver a strong sense of excitement, adding a mystique - an extra layer, which is sure to inject life into the writing.
Haven't you noticed the influence of third person writing? Reading any such work featuring the use of third person will make one feel respect for the writing, knowing that eluding "I," "we," and "me" can be a challenging task.
Try and use "entity" to make reference to a particular group or person. It really really helps to be effective in mastering third person writing because many professional and education forums depend on analysis to capture an audience.
Take some time to write in the third person. Write a short story. Write as if you are watching the characters from sky. Identify them, as being the narrator in which guides the characters, creates the action, makes the smells, and creates a taste.
Enjoy writing in the third person.
Writing Tip for the Day 8/23/2009
The writing tip for the day is to check out a good screenplay at the local library. I would recommend purchasing one at either Barnes & Noble or Borders. Screenwriters know that it's wise to read other work, not to imitate style, but to learn different techniques which can used in the process of writing a quality screenplay.
Make sure you spend a little time sifting through the pages. Imagine the scenes as if you were the actor moving within them. Hear dialogue echo in your ears, softly beating on your eardrums. Close your eyes for one second - allow the script to take you into the pages, to an imaginary world that travels beyond the theater, the written words, and past the characters.
The moment you can feel, see, and can imagine yourself in a screenplay is when you have found enlightenment with being a screenwriter. In the past, I used to just write words and complete the projects.
Now when I write, I feel the words, hear the voices, and have the ability to imagine the images as if they are real. That's what you have to do with any type of writing. Step into the shoes of the character or speak with a powerful tone - like a narrator.
Pick up a screenplay and feel the power of visual, action, and dialogue.
Make sure you spend a little time sifting through the pages. Imagine the scenes as if you were the actor moving within them. Hear dialogue echo in your ears, softly beating on your eardrums. Close your eyes for one second - allow the script to take you into the pages, to an imaginary world that travels beyond the theater, the written words, and past the characters.
The moment you can feel, see, and can imagine yourself in a screenplay is when you have found enlightenment with being a screenwriter. In the past, I used to just write words and complete the projects.
Now when I write, I feel the words, hear the voices, and have the ability to imagine the images as if they are real. That's what you have to do with any type of writing. Step into the shoes of the character or speak with a powerful tone - like a narrator.
Pick up a screenplay and feel the power of visual, action, and dialogue.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Writing tip for the day 8/22/2009
The writing tip for the day is to write dialogue that realistically speaks. The best way to improve dialogue is to visit a busy place to listen to random conversations - do so in a conventional matter so you don't act as if you are trying to Eve's Drop. When you listen to people talk, you get real dialogue.
Writers make the mistake of writing dialogue for the studios and publishers. Of course it is important to respect the studios because they do finance projects. The impact of poor dialogue in a screenplay and or a book can be damaging and irreversible.
Many writers make the mistake of trying to please others with generic dialogue. Their idea of dialogue is writing catchy phrases that end up sounding like a staged dialogue driven piece. Attracting audiences with good dialogue is as simple as hearing everyday conversations.
Sure, Hollywood dialogue may work for the time-being, but after each project, a writer's originality will go up in smoke. Writers are then only a mirror that reflects on what others want instead what they're capable of and have the ability to do.
Writing good dialogue start with a voice other then your own. Lunchtime chatter is best for dialogue piece. Another good way is to take part in text message and online chatting binges - start a Twitter account.
Twitter is perfect for writing dialogue. People use phrases that are cool and sensual. Ashton Kutcher recently used a catchy dialogue phrase, "this is a bitch'n video". Now that some good dialogue.
Take a pen, a notepad, and venture off. Record some good dialogue - it doesn't have to be accurate. Review the dialogue later, making some changes to past written work. You get the point; write realistic dialogue.
Have fun inventing conversations - write dialogue that is clever and witty.
Writers make the mistake of writing dialogue for the studios and publishers. Of course it is important to respect the studios because they do finance projects. The impact of poor dialogue in a screenplay and or a book can be damaging and irreversible.
Many writers make the mistake of trying to please others with generic dialogue. Their idea of dialogue is writing catchy phrases that end up sounding like a staged dialogue driven piece. Attracting audiences with good dialogue is as simple as hearing everyday conversations.
Sure, Hollywood dialogue may work for the time-being, but after each project, a writer's originality will go up in smoke. Writers are then only a mirror that reflects on what others want instead what they're capable of and have the ability to do.
Writing good dialogue start with a voice other then your own. Lunchtime chatter is best for dialogue piece. Another good way is to take part in text message and online chatting binges - start a Twitter account.
Twitter is perfect for writing dialogue. People use phrases that are cool and sensual. Ashton Kutcher recently used a catchy dialogue phrase, "this is a bitch'n video". Now that some good dialogue.
Take a pen, a notepad, and venture off. Record some good dialogue - it doesn't have to be accurate. Review the dialogue later, making some changes to past written work. You get the point; write realistic dialogue.
Have fun inventing conversations - write dialogue that is clever and witty.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Writing tip of the day 8/21/2009
The writing tip of the day is to listen to music while you're writing. Find music that has the same theme as the story you're writing. Think of yourself as an imaginary composer, but keep from identifying the music in both a screenplay or a novel. Just use music as a way to help you visualize the scenes, and to spark some good dialogue.
Music has the tendency to soothe the mind, which helps a writer clear their thoughts. Exploring the subconscious mind fuels indirect writing, one that is no so dependent on obvious scenes, but builds on internal motivation. Essentially, making the audience or readers think about what is going on within a story will retain their interest.
Choose the music wisely because you will have to befriend it throughout the writing process. Rap music goes well with action flicks. 80's music fits well with high school films. Eerie sounds work set the theme for horror classics. Listen to music that sets the tone for your story.
The main purpose in listening to music is to get into the writing rhythm. A writer has to feast off of the possibilities, using music as a tool to inject into the scenes. If you're writing a screenplay, avoid naming a particular song. That is both the director and composer's responsibility to develop music that compliments the film. It is acceptable to identify the type of music.
A novelist has more freedom to act as the sole author their work. Listen to music that sparks the five senses. Draw the reader into the story, gripping them from beginning ot end. Listening to music also keeps the mind from wandering off.
Pick some good music that fits the story; listen to the tunes to give you another inspiring voice or tune to motivate the writing process.
Find some music that fits your story.
Listen to some good tunes and write with rhythm.
Music has the tendency to soothe the mind, which helps a writer clear their thoughts. Exploring the subconscious mind fuels indirect writing, one that is no so dependent on obvious scenes, but builds on internal motivation. Essentially, making the audience or readers think about what is going on within a story will retain their interest.
Choose the music wisely because you will have to befriend it throughout the writing process. Rap music goes well with action flicks. 80's music fits well with high school films. Eerie sounds work set the theme for horror classics. Listen to music that sets the tone for your story.
The main purpose in listening to music is to get into the writing rhythm. A writer has to feast off of the possibilities, using music as a tool to inject into the scenes. If you're writing a screenplay, avoid naming a particular song. That is both the director and composer's responsibility to develop music that compliments the film. It is acceptable to identify the type of music.
A novelist has more freedom to act as the sole author their work. Listen to music that sparks the five senses. Draw the reader into the story, gripping them from beginning ot end. Listening to music also keeps the mind from wandering off.
Pick some good music that fits the story; listen to the tunes to give you another inspiring voice or tune to motivate the writing process.
Find some music that fits your story.
Listen to some good tunes and write with rhythm.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Tweets with Text
Twitter has a cool feature where they let you tweet through text messaging. I probably sound like a kid the night before Christmas. The last person to a party that has already ended. I knew about the site before, but just figured out how to use it today.
If you want to tweet using text, just click on settings, then on "Device." Input your cell phone number, and then wait for a generated code. Send that code to 40404.
After sending the code, you will then be activated to tweet away. You will have direct access to tweeting on the web through text messaging. Make sure you have a text plan that doesn't bill you a share of the company.
Tweet!
If you want to tweet using text, just click on settings, then on "Device." Input your cell phone number, and then wait for a generated code. Send that code to 40404.
After sending the code, you will then be activated to tweet away. You will have direct access to tweeting on the web through text messaging. Make sure you have a text plan that doesn't bill you a share of the company.
Tweet!
First time on Twitter
Just checked out Twitter for the first time this morning. The website is rocking hard with a concert of bloggers. I'm diggin it! I am a quick learner. I figured that Twitter is technology friendly. I sent out 13 tweets. I already have 7 followers. Not much if you add up Brittany Sprears and Ashton Kutcher, which are over 2 million followers a piece.
Maybe I'll travel back and forth between the BlogSpot and Twitter. I was trying to attract more traffic to my blog site because I want to help people. I feel that a writing tip not used is one wasted. I don't want them to just sit on my site gathering cyberdust. Everything we do in life requires writing. I have thousands upon thousands of hours of writing experience to figure out what it takes to be a better writer.
Society bases success on professional experience. I base success on helping others to realize their dreams. Would that make me Tony Robbins? Not exactly. Since Tony is one of the most effective motivators on the face of the planet, I would have to reach the globe and then spin it around many times over to attract the attention he does.
Instead, I inspire people through the written word. I have given personal advice to random strangers many times before, but people will refuse to listen unless you're a Christian counselor, a psychologist, or a celebrity. Go figure. I'll try out this Twitter gig later to spread the writing word. Go Twitter!
Maybe I'll travel back and forth between the BlogSpot and Twitter. I was trying to attract more traffic to my blog site because I want to help people. I feel that a writing tip not used is one wasted. I don't want them to just sit on my site gathering cyberdust. Everything we do in life requires writing. I have thousands upon thousands of hours of writing experience to figure out what it takes to be a better writer.
Society bases success on professional experience. I base success on helping others to realize their dreams. Would that make me Tony Robbins? Not exactly. Since Tony is one of the most effective motivators on the face of the planet, I would have to reach the globe and then spin it around many times over to attract the attention he does.
Instead, I inspire people through the written word. I have given personal advice to random strangers many times before, but people will refuse to listen unless you're a Christian counselor, a psychologist, or a celebrity. Go figure. I'll try out this Twitter gig later to spread the writing word. Go Twitter!
New Changes in effect today for Credit Cards
Credit card companies have tried to weather the new credit card laws with closing down accounts and slicing credit limits in half. Customers are now armed with new rights, which grant them the ability opt out of a credit card agreement, and just pay off that amount using the old terms and interest. The obvious drawback is that the credit card accounts will remain closed and only active for making payments toward paying off a balance.
Customers now have 45 days instead of 15 days to be notified of such credit term and interest changes. Whether the new credit laws will help consumers is going to take time, as credit card companies have to make adjustments to redirect their credit card solicitation practices.
The Federal Reserve and government bank regulators are enforcing new laws to settle the credit card companies from taking advantage of the consumers. There are rules and guidelines that consumers must follow to retain such rights.
The Credit Bureau Agencies make it hard for consumers to acquire credit due to maintaining high standards for determining credit scores. When a consumer applies for new accounts, companies process the amount of credit to credit limits. There is also a income to debt ratio, which alerts a company of a consumers risk in paying back a loan.
Having less than 50% balances, paying more than minimum payments on each account, and avoiding low balance credit cards are common indicators for improving credit. With the new changes in store, consumers have to be aware of slashed credit limits, closed accounts, and high interest rates.
Banks influence consumers in extending loans for home and car purchases because of their guidelines in maintaining an extensive credit history. If credit card customers are making decisions to close down account or trim credit limit, then a customer that normally rests their balance at the 50% mark may soon come closer to the 90% percentile of their limit. These changes are sure to appear on a credit report.
Hopefully health reform doesn't travel in the same direction credit card reform. This is the main reason that Chase decided to close down accounts of customers that have been in great standing. Many credit card companies tried to prevent from losing out on future interest.
The best strategy to avoiding credit card issues are to keep your balances below, pay more than the minimum, spend and pay off balances before the due date, avoid withdrawing cash off of credit cards, and don't try to survive on credit cards. Follow these approaches and you shall be fine. Read the MSN article below to find out whether the new credit card changes will affect you.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/CreditCardSmarts/higher-interest-rate-its-up-to-you.aspx
Customers now have 45 days instead of 15 days to be notified of such credit term and interest changes. Whether the new credit laws will help consumers is going to take time, as credit card companies have to make adjustments to redirect their credit card solicitation practices.
The Federal Reserve and government bank regulators are enforcing new laws to settle the credit card companies from taking advantage of the consumers. There are rules and guidelines that consumers must follow to retain such rights.
The Credit Bureau Agencies make it hard for consumers to acquire credit due to maintaining high standards for determining credit scores. When a consumer applies for new accounts, companies process the amount of credit to credit limits. There is also a income to debt ratio, which alerts a company of a consumers risk in paying back a loan.
Having less than 50% balances, paying more than minimum payments on each account, and avoiding low balance credit cards are common indicators for improving credit. With the new changes in store, consumers have to be aware of slashed credit limits, closed accounts, and high interest rates.
Banks influence consumers in extending loans for home and car purchases because of their guidelines in maintaining an extensive credit history. If credit card customers are making decisions to close down account or trim credit limit, then a customer that normally rests their balance at the 50% mark may soon come closer to the 90% percentile of their limit. These changes are sure to appear on a credit report.
Hopefully health reform doesn't travel in the same direction credit card reform. This is the main reason that Chase decided to close down accounts of customers that have been in great standing. Many credit card companies tried to prevent from losing out on future interest.
The best strategy to avoiding credit card issues are to keep your balances below, pay more than the minimum, spend and pay off balances before the due date, avoid withdrawing cash off of credit cards, and don't try to survive on credit cards. Follow these approaches and you shall be fine. Read the MSN article below to find out whether the new credit card changes will affect you.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/CreditCardSmarts/higher-interest-rate-its-up-to-you.aspx
Sign up for a free MSN Live accont: meets personal, professional and educational demands
If you don't have a MSN Live account already, open one up for free. MSN e-mail accounts have a Skydrive that allows you to store 25gb of content in your e-mail account. The Skydrive can be found under the "More" link - select the skydrive. The drive will help you free up memory on your hard drive, and also make the information more accessible on the go.
The MSN Live Office Space holds 5gb of work that is compatible with all MS Office programs, which allows you to collaborate with other professional clients or students in real-time. You can find this link under "More." Click on Office Live.
MSN e-mail accounts are far better than AOL and Yahoo because they cater to professional, personal, and educational users. I don't even pay attention to my AOl and Yahoo accounts anymore because MSN has everything I need to keep organized and to have fun.
Having an MSN Live e-mail account makes living easier; you have an all-you-need-and-can-do e-mail account that does everything to make you happy.
The MSN Live Office Space holds 5gb of work that is compatible with all MS Office programs, which allows you to collaborate with other professional clients or students in real-time. You can find this link under "More." Click on Office Live.
MSN e-mail accounts are far better than AOL and Yahoo because they cater to professional, personal, and educational users. I don't even pay attention to my AOl and Yahoo accounts anymore because MSN has everything I need to keep organized and to have fun.
Having an MSN Live e-mail account makes living easier; you have an all-you-need-and-can-do e-mail account that does everything to make you happy.
E-mail and website submission tip
The technology take for the day is to make sure you select all and copy before sending an e-mail. If you spent a great deal of time writing an e-mail, the e-mail site may have logged you out, making you lose all that hard work.
Any time you write an e-mail, always make sure you copy what you have written before sending it. I always find out the hard way, especially after writing a good e-mail response, then losing it afterward because I was logged out of the system.
Remember - select all that was written, copy it, and have it for a backup just in case you are logged out of your e-mail account. Use this same approach for anything that involves writing on another website. If you submit the work, there is a possibility you may lose it once the website doesn't fails.
***Always select and copy the writing sample. After the submission successfully goes through, then you don't have to worry. If it doesn't, then reopen or resubmit using the paste function.
Don't let technology ruin your creative responses.
Any time you write an e-mail, always make sure you copy what you have written before sending it. I always find out the hard way, especially after writing a good e-mail response, then losing it afterward because I was logged out of the system.
Remember - select all that was written, copy it, and have it for a backup just in case you are logged out of your e-mail account. Use this same approach for anything that involves writing on another website. If you submit the work, there is a possibility you may lose it once the website doesn't fails.
***Always select and copy the writing sample. After the submission successfully goes through, then you don't have to worry. If it doesn't, then reopen or resubmit using the paste function.
Don't let technology ruin your creative responses.
Submitting photos and film footage to make some nice money!
Submit Photos to Shutterstock and make $$$!
http://submit.shutterstock.com/?ref=461122
Shutter Stock is a cool company which you can upload photographs to make money. Once you start a new account, they will allow you to upload an initial set of 10 photos to screen them for lighting, compositions, and marketability.
After being approved on the initial batch- 7 out of 10 need to be approved - you will be able to make money through other subscribers downloading your photographs. You will get paid .25 per download, meaning that with 1000 downloads, you can make $250.
Any time you upload any picture with a person in it, you have to submit a release form. Even a person picture of yourself requires a signed release form. Pictures that are taken of others can be uploaded as news footage.
Shutter sock also needs film footage as well. They pay a percentage, possible $15 or more per download. Since the uploaded photos are yours, you have the right to keep them. You're not really selling them, as they're actually representing your photos with charging memberships, which you receive per download pay.
Please click on the link below, visit the website, and submit your best quality photos. Upload photos that you like most, but also ones that you would pay for, if they didn't belong to you. Don't forget that they need film footage as well. A simple hand pouring wine is in demand. New channels download content they need for shows.
Good luck and snap away!
Submit Photos to Shutterstock and make $$$!
http://submit.shutterstock.com/?ref=461122
Writing tip for the day 8/20/2009
The writing tip for the day is writing about dreams. If you can't remember what you dreamed about the night before, try creating an imaginary dream sequence. Research the meaning of dreams through reading dreams or psychology books.
Barnes & Noble sells dream books that explain the meaning of dreams. Any aspiring screenwriter and creative writer will benefit from learning to strengthen their dream writing skills.
Dreams help people to learn about their waking problems. Essentially, life is about realizing problems, and working to repair them. Noticing dream symbols improves a writer's ability to tap into the subconscious region of their mind, making the audience and readers think about the dream sequence long after watching a movie or reading a book.
Any person can write about the events within a dream. Try to analyze a dream for their internal signs - test examination (goals), a toilet (emotions), and death (renewal). Every dream has a meaning, which makes developing dream sequences more valuable to the writing process.
Capture the imagination of readers. Make people analyze dream sequences for what they're worth, subconscious signs that help to improve the waking life. Write dream sequences that are fiction or ones that are from your own dreams.
Construct dreams with the same structure as writing a script or a novel - using a paradigm structure. Have a purpose for the dream sequence. Don't make a dream appear obvious. Make the reader analyze dreams as if they are clues to a murder case. Novels and movies are made to entertain people, and to also make them think about their own lives.
Have fun learning and preparing your dream sequences.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Making a mistake prepares a person for the future
Making mistakes are expected in life. A person should not make mistakes just for the sake of learning. I wouldn't recommend purposely making mistakes because life is about understanding unnoticeable mistakes that later surface as what many people assume as being unfortunate events or even bad luck.
Making mistakes are a part of life; they help every person learn and to eventually realize the benefits of change. People that refuse to change, may in fact benefit from making mistakes. In making mistakes, the person learns that they need to change to avoid hurting others. How often do people make mistakes?
There is not one second that goes by where a person doesn't make a mistake. Life is measured through learning. People learn from making mistakes, which helps them to avoid repeating the same action again in the near future.
Making mistakes is part of life. People that make it through life without any having regrets are that ones that have made mistakes. In time, they have learned from their mistakes. A world without mistakes is one that prevents change. Don't try to always be perfect because humans are expected to make mistakes.
If you're a college student or a professional, focus more on being ethical and having integrity instead of wasting time on preventing mistakes. I assure your that learning from making mistakes will improve your future.
People are expected to use their mistakes to gain life experiences. Making mistakes will helps a person live a better life. Having experience makes one more capable of treating others with respect and to also be hospitable.
Making mistakes are a part of life; they help every person learn and to eventually realize the benefits of change. People that refuse to change, may in fact benefit from making mistakes. In making mistakes, the person learns that they need to change to avoid hurting others. How often do people make mistakes?
There is not one second that goes by where a person doesn't make a mistake. Life is measured through learning. People learn from making mistakes, which helps them to avoid repeating the same action again in the near future.
Making mistakes is part of life. People that make it through life without any having regrets are that ones that have made mistakes. In time, they have learned from their mistakes. A world without mistakes is one that prevents change. Don't try to always be perfect because humans are expected to make mistakes.
If you're a college student or a professional, focus more on being ethical and having integrity instead of wasting time on preventing mistakes. I assure your that learning from making mistakes will improve your future.
People are expected to use their mistakes to gain life experiences. Making mistakes will helps a person live a better life. Having experience makes one more capable of treating others with respect and to also be hospitable.
Writing tip for the day 8/19/2009
The writing tip for the day is to write descriptive scenery that sets the tone in either the opening act of a screenplay or a creative writing piece. The goal is to draw in the reader using strong visual descriptions.
Many writers try to concentrate too much on dialogue instead of devoting their time to establishing a setting. Work on visually describing your surroundings, but try to use similes, metaphors, and also make sure to retrieve a thesaurus to spark your creative style.
Visual description makes cinema both dynamic and visually refreshing. Novels also rely on strong visual description to stimulate a reader"s senses. Try to be a descriptive as possible because the audience and readers will appreciate your effort.
Time and space gives a story an identity. Horror films start off with describing an event, a creepy home, forest, and or in a nightmare within a dream. As seen above, the ship deck looks spooky, spreading the outside light evenly, and narrowing the beam to create a dark tone. In an opening scene of a script or book, clearly describe the events to orientate the audience and readers about the developing story.
Look outside, go to the beach, or take a drive; try to describe the environment around you in a way that captures the imagination. Instead of just only describing the setting in simple form, do so with using prose to set a tone.
Whether you're writing a screenplay or a novel, focus on delivering a stylish feel to the audience. Ditch the dialogue for this writing exercise. Tell a story using visual narrative to set the tone.
Have fun writing writing visual description!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Just had an epiphany
I just realized that people don't care about writing, stories, ways to prevent bad decision making, and positive things. There are many resources out there to help people defeat their writing problems, but they would rather make excuses and complain.
The Broke Ass Bride blogspot.com website attracts huge site traffic. Many of the followers are women that are either planning to get married, are going to attend a wedding, and that are helping out with another wedding. Web surfers are most likely visiting the site to find out ways to save money on weddings, how to survive with limited funds, and in looking for advice to plan for a wedding. Maybe I'm tapping into the wrong market.
I have written many quality articles, focusing on ways to improve writing skills. Although I have the ability to write about many diverse subjects, I decided that sharing writing techniques would attract interest. In many discussion forums, many students have voiced their concerns about writing, procrastination, and interest level problems. People are not interested in improving their writing skills.
What I came to realize is that spending money, getting married, materialism, and seeking attention is what drives people. The most popular Internet searches are ones that involve celebrities. People spend a majority of their time criticizing celebrities and others on imdb.com. The other half of the time is wasted on YouTube.com, where web surfers enjoy making comments adverse comments on videos and talking nonsense.
Negativity makes the world go around. Without criticism, the world would just sit still. I will continue to post articles to help students and others aspiring writers out with their problems because I want to contribute to making the world a better place.
People focus too much on unimportant things that have nothing to do with making their lives better. I see it too often in society - the size of a diamond, the type of car one drives, having expensive homes, how much money another has, traveling destinations, and the careers people have. Whatever the case is, I hope that I can inspire you to accomplish your goals.
This is my 100th blog!
The Broke Ass Bride blogspot.com website attracts huge site traffic. Many of the followers are women that are either planning to get married, are going to attend a wedding, and that are helping out with another wedding. Web surfers are most likely visiting the site to find out ways to save money on weddings, how to survive with limited funds, and in looking for advice to plan for a wedding. Maybe I'm tapping into the wrong market.
I have written many quality articles, focusing on ways to improve writing skills. Although I have the ability to write about many diverse subjects, I decided that sharing writing techniques would attract interest. In many discussion forums, many students have voiced their concerns about writing, procrastination, and interest level problems. People are not interested in improving their writing skills.
What I came to realize is that spending money, getting married, materialism, and seeking attention is what drives people. The most popular Internet searches are ones that involve celebrities. People spend a majority of their time criticizing celebrities and others on imdb.com. The other half of the time is wasted on YouTube.com, where web surfers enjoy making comments adverse comments on videos and talking nonsense.
Negativity makes the world go around. Without criticism, the world would just sit still. I will continue to post articles to help students and others aspiring writers out with their problems because I want to contribute to making the world a better place.
People focus too much on unimportant things that have nothing to do with making their lives better. I see it too often in society - the size of a diamond, the type of car one drives, having expensive homes, how much money another has, traveling destinations, and the careers people have. Whatever the case is, I hope that I can inspire you to accomplish your goals.
This is my 100th blog!
Make sure you get up and stretch out
Writers tend to focus too much on their work; they will not do anything but write. Don't abuse the writing process.
Get up, stretch out, and take a quick break. The shoulders, eyes, and the fingers need a moment to rest. At this very moment, my shoulders feel like I have 200 pounds of bricks resting on them.
Next time you find yourself becoming stiff, and your mind feels warped in the process, get up, stretch out, and take a break. When you return back to your work, you will feel renewed and ready to make the writing stick on the pages.
Get up, stretch out, and take a quick break. The shoulders, eyes, and the fingers need a moment to rest. At this very moment, my shoulders feel like I have 200 pounds of bricks resting on them.
Next time you find yourself becoming stiff, and your mind feels warped in the process, get up, stretch out, and take a break. When you return back to your work, you will feel renewed and ready to make the writing stick on the pages.
Take that well deserved break
Writing tip of the day 8/18/2009
The writing tip for the day is to dig up old work - on your computer hard drive, in a plastic container, or on a memory stick. Try to read the old paper, then figure out ways to improve the writing.
The revision process is considered one of the most important stages in writing. Whether one is a screenwriter, novelist, or a student, the revision process will benefit each and every writer that uses it to its fullest potential.
Read through a paper once. Do it a second time, but this time focus on the writing style, the context in word usage, the structure, and paragraph opening, closings, and transitions. Work with the paper to see ways to make it better. Try to select papers that you like, and not ones that make to cringe at the thought of them.
Take pride in the revision process because it will definitely make you a better writer. Ask questions, take notes, add and remove content, and be proactive in deciding what the paper needs to be better. For screenplays, change dialogue, add action and sounds, remove content, reverse scenes, and be more creative with the characters and the paradigm.
Peer editing papers is looked as being a waste of time. But treating the revision process of any such work with respect, you will find a great opportunity in the future, leading you to land a job at a good company - if writing is your main goal.
Dig out those old papers, brush the dust off them, and work on making the papers the best they can be. The same process can be done for screenplays and creative stories. Remember to ask questions, add and remove contents, check the context of words, improve paragraph openings and transitions, and to make sure the writing flows from beginning to end.
Have fun revising!
Academic Writing - Regarding writing service companies and freelance writers
Last night, I was surfing around the Internet for some blogs discussing academic writing, which I then remembered about an essay scam site that I had viewed before. Many students complained about past experiences regarding whether they should trust a writing service company and freelance writers.
Some students asked where they could find writing assistance because they were struggling with their academic assignments. I decided to open up a discussion about what assistance students would need to complete their assignments. I understand that interest level and procrastination are primary reasons that influence academic assignments. But students brought up relevant issues such as plagiarism, cheating, struggling with the content, and other issues.
Plagiarism is something that a student may stress about because instructors try to induce fear, making the writing process stressful and uninteresting. Don't be alarmed about plagiarism. If you're one of those students that uses a writer's manual to cite, then just ignore the instructor. They only threaten student for the sake of preventing cheating and to target students that purposely plagiarize on assignments. I can't tell you how many times that I have sat in university classrooms hearing instructors warn students about plagiarism and cheating.
Once I started freelance writing a few years back, the same issues come up again. The instructors are warning students that over cite, improperly cite, and ones that obviously cheat. Some students wait until the last minute - procrastination - and tress out about the deadline. Their last resort is to paraphrase without giving credit to authors. Other times they just flat out copy and paste an article or an academic paper in Google Scholar. How can a student avoid plagiarism?
Make sure you have an up-to-date writer's handbook, which has all the most widely used citing guidelines. I tend to stick only to APA and MLA. I rarely take on Turabian and Chicago. To me, it is basically a time issue. Clients need projects on the fly, so there is limited time trying to use superscripts and also footnotes and end notes. If I had to, I could cite in Chicago and Turabian, but I prefer not to, just to avoid any conflict. APA citing guidelines and structure takes practice.
When I first started writing APA before, one of the graduate instructors mentioned the third person. Since I was new to APA, I eventually learned after taking on freelance projects and completing large volumes of government assignments which required APA. I sometimes had fear about making sure that I cited everything right and didn't make any such mistakes that could cause me potential issues. Please don't fear instructors, as many of them have teacher assistants that are just as inexperienced as any other.
TAs' tend to threaten students because a sense of power, having control of a lecture and a discussion. While at a university, I had to take film courses that required discussions, screenings, seminars, and main class sessions. For one course, I had to go to five different classes.
Many times I would find it pointless to attend a discussion that reiterated on what the other four sessions had done about the same specific film theory processes. Though, I found great comfort in taking screenwriting courses because you knew what to expect each class session. TA's are still learning about the writing process. They are not experts in detecting plagiarism because they too, also have problems with citing guidelines. Don't let them try to influence you or eve make you think about plagiarism. They are just warning students about the obvious forms of plagiarism.
Instructors that warn students about writing companies and hiring a writer because they can spot the work from a mile away are incapable of detecting such work. Unless a writer is making many mistakes, there is no way that an instructor will even spot work. One caution; make sure that if you ask for help, do so at the beginning of the course. If you have average writing skills, then elect to wait until the last paper and the final exam to seek assistance, you may be sniffed out of the hole.
Another way that a student can complete their academic projects without spending a ton of money and not learning anything in the process is to write their own paper, then pay another freelance writer or a writing service company to revise their work. This way, you have an original paper that was written using your writing style and perceptions, but needing just some revisions to bring it up to speed. Writing service companies have freelance writers that are capable of editing work, cleaning up a project, then helping a student understand their mistakes.
As time progresses on, I will write more articles focusing on writing strategies and techniques, which are sure to students produce quality academic work. I would like to touch on how to improve interest in dreadful courses. Students that enjoy a course still have problems with preparing academic papers. I have heard gripes about not wanting to do work because a course was boring and instructors don’t take into account a life beyond college – over assigning work. Essentially, the more a person writes, the better their writing skills become. They will also understand the citing guidelines and feel the benefits of receiving good feedback and grades.
After earning multiple colleges degrees, I eventually learned to become a better writer through staying up many long nights and well into the late morning to write. Taking on many projects, blogs, e-mails, and other various forms of writing transformed my average academic skills into something better. I used to only focus on what I liked most - screenwriting and creative writing - into trying to master many diverse subjects. I am familiar with many historical events, dates, and what took place in them.
The average person will not going to discuss Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) or the Revolutions in 1849 in Europe. They may not even know who was the President during the Plessy case and why they didn't intervene and reverse such a ruling. I covered a broad range of assignments, which improved my knowledge, helped me gain a cognitive perception, and also equipped me writing skills that allowed me to prepare papers on the fly - writing, citing, and packaging an academic paper, custom to the client.
Writing takes patience, discipline, time management, and interest. As a writer, a person has to make a sacrifice to complete assignments. Take the projects seriously because they will give you valuable experience. Reading is also an important process in the writing process. While I was an undergraduate, I never had the time to read, which influenced my ability to write with the efficiency that I was capable of and had the potential to do with each given assignment.
In the last few years, I combined book knowledge, college experience, and high volume writing to evolve my writing abilities. Don't worry too much of plagiarism. If a student understands citing guidelines, then they should just focus on writing quality papers. Don’t let the plagiarism muddle crowd your ears.
Writing service companies such as Freelancewritingcenter.com are good for writers. The freelance company also caters to students that need quality papers. If a student needs a quick paper, they have the option to consult a custom writer ready to make that happen. Writing companies are not as bad as students make them out to be. There are some out there that may have a bad reputation, but dream essays have been helpful with producing quality projects.
Customers that hear another complaining about their favorite restaurants are not going to abandon them because of contrasting experiences. Students have to take initiative in wanting to do well in a course. There are deeper reasons as to why students procrastinate on assignments. I will write some articles on how to avoid procrastination and ways to improve time management.
For now, be confident about your writing abilities. There is no need to try to be perfect because the best writing is in the revision process. Flush out your ideas; work on structuring and revising them to produce a strong final draft. Any students having problems have the ability to use writing companies such as dream essays. Check out some of the blogs on Word Press. Search through my article archives, in addition to some of the advertisements that have quality writing companies and networks.
Some students asked where they could find writing assistance because they were struggling with their academic assignments. I decided to open up a discussion about what assistance students would need to complete their assignments. I understand that interest level and procrastination are primary reasons that influence academic assignments. But students brought up relevant issues such as plagiarism, cheating, struggling with the content, and other issues.
Plagiarism is something that a student may stress about because instructors try to induce fear, making the writing process stressful and uninteresting. Don't be alarmed about plagiarism. If you're one of those students that uses a writer's manual to cite, then just ignore the instructor. They only threaten student for the sake of preventing cheating and to target students that purposely plagiarize on assignments. I can't tell you how many times that I have sat in university classrooms hearing instructors warn students about plagiarism and cheating.
Once I started freelance writing a few years back, the same issues come up again. The instructors are warning students that over cite, improperly cite, and ones that obviously cheat. Some students wait until the last minute - procrastination - and tress out about the deadline. Their last resort is to paraphrase without giving credit to authors. Other times they just flat out copy and paste an article or an academic paper in Google Scholar. How can a student avoid plagiarism?
Make sure you have an up-to-date writer's handbook, which has all the most widely used citing guidelines. I tend to stick only to APA and MLA. I rarely take on Turabian and Chicago. To me, it is basically a time issue. Clients need projects on the fly, so there is limited time trying to use superscripts and also footnotes and end notes. If I had to, I could cite in Chicago and Turabian, but I prefer not to, just to avoid any conflict. APA citing guidelines and structure takes practice.
When I first started writing APA before, one of the graduate instructors mentioned the third person. Since I was new to APA, I eventually learned after taking on freelance projects and completing large volumes of government assignments which required APA. I sometimes had fear about making sure that I cited everything right and didn't make any such mistakes that could cause me potential issues. Please don't fear instructors, as many of them have teacher assistants that are just as inexperienced as any other.
TAs' tend to threaten students because a sense of power, having control of a lecture and a discussion. While at a university, I had to take film courses that required discussions, screenings, seminars, and main class sessions. For one course, I had to go to five different classes.
Many times I would find it pointless to attend a discussion that reiterated on what the other four sessions had done about the same specific film theory processes. Though, I found great comfort in taking screenwriting courses because you knew what to expect each class session. TA's are still learning about the writing process. They are not experts in detecting plagiarism because they too, also have problems with citing guidelines. Don't let them try to influence you or eve make you think about plagiarism. They are just warning students about the obvious forms of plagiarism.
Instructors that warn students about writing companies and hiring a writer because they can spot the work from a mile away are incapable of detecting such work. Unless a writer is making many mistakes, there is no way that an instructor will even spot work. One caution; make sure that if you ask for help, do so at the beginning of the course. If you have average writing skills, then elect to wait until the last paper and the final exam to seek assistance, you may be sniffed out of the hole.
Another way that a student can complete their academic projects without spending a ton of money and not learning anything in the process is to write their own paper, then pay another freelance writer or a writing service company to revise their work. This way, you have an original paper that was written using your writing style and perceptions, but needing just some revisions to bring it up to speed. Writing service companies have freelance writers that are capable of editing work, cleaning up a project, then helping a student understand their mistakes.
As time progresses on, I will write more articles focusing on writing strategies and techniques, which are sure to students produce quality academic work. I would like to touch on how to improve interest in dreadful courses. Students that enjoy a course still have problems with preparing academic papers. I have heard gripes about not wanting to do work because a course was boring and instructors don’t take into account a life beyond college – over assigning work. Essentially, the more a person writes, the better their writing skills become. They will also understand the citing guidelines and feel the benefits of receiving good feedback and grades.
After earning multiple colleges degrees, I eventually learned to become a better writer through staying up many long nights and well into the late morning to write. Taking on many projects, blogs, e-mails, and other various forms of writing transformed my average academic skills into something better. I used to only focus on what I liked most - screenwriting and creative writing - into trying to master many diverse subjects. I am familiar with many historical events, dates, and what took place in them.
The average person will not going to discuss Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) or the Revolutions in 1849 in Europe. They may not even know who was the President during the Plessy case and why they didn't intervene and reverse such a ruling. I covered a broad range of assignments, which improved my knowledge, helped me gain a cognitive perception, and also equipped me writing skills that allowed me to prepare papers on the fly - writing, citing, and packaging an academic paper, custom to the client.
Writing takes patience, discipline, time management, and interest. As a writer, a person has to make a sacrifice to complete assignments. Take the projects seriously because they will give you valuable experience. Reading is also an important process in the writing process. While I was an undergraduate, I never had the time to read, which influenced my ability to write with the efficiency that I was capable of and had the potential to do with each given assignment.
In the last few years, I combined book knowledge, college experience, and high volume writing to evolve my writing abilities. Don't worry too much of plagiarism. If a student understands citing guidelines, then they should just focus on writing quality papers. Don’t let the plagiarism muddle crowd your ears.
Writing service companies such as Freelancewritingcenter.com are good for writers. The freelance company also caters to students that need quality papers. If a student needs a quick paper, they have the option to consult a custom writer ready to make that happen. Writing companies are not as bad as students make them out to be. There are some out there that may have a bad reputation, but dream essays have been helpful with producing quality projects.
Customers that hear another complaining about their favorite restaurants are not going to abandon them because of contrasting experiences. Students have to take initiative in wanting to do well in a course. There are deeper reasons as to why students procrastinate on assignments. I will write some articles on how to avoid procrastination and ways to improve time management.
For now, be confident about your writing abilities. There is no need to try to be perfect because the best writing is in the revision process. Flush out your ideas; work on structuring and revising them to produce a strong final draft. Any students having problems have the ability to use writing companies such as dream essays. Check out some of the blogs on Word Press. Search through my article archives, in addition to some of the advertisements that have quality writing companies and networks.
Good luck on writing!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Writing Tip for the day 8/17/2009
Choose your writing environment wisely. When you experience writer's block or just lose interest in writing, take your work with you on the road. Go to the beach, a cool college, a cafe, a library, bookstore, and any other place that makes you want to write.
Changing scenery from time-to-time will excite you to write. Forcing yourself to write in the same environment can adversely impact your writing. Visit a new place. Take your laptop, a book, a writing pad, a nice pen, and other supplies with you to a new environment.
It really depends on where you live. There are always places that you can go. Give yourself a break from routine locations. People go on trips to escape work. Writers should go to a new place to renew and rejuvenate the writing process.
Traveling to a new place may lead to a story. Try to take advantage of going outside of your routine space. In screenwriting, a writer has to change the setting. Be like your characters. Make it a point to leave your comfort zone to explore a new environment.
Have fun exploring!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Writing tip for the day 8/16/2009
Pick up a good book and read it. The more you read, the better your writing skills become. While reading, your unconscious mind processes the new words, structure, and style, which helps a person to write with more range.
Schedule in some time to read at least 30 minutes a day. You don't have to be selective on what you read, but make sure the piece is from a professional writer. Reading You-Tube and Sports comments are not going to improve your writing skills. The comments may entertain you, but if your goal is to become a good writer, possibly expanding your already quality skills, then I urge you to read a good piece of literature - a novel, magazine, and whatever else you can find that attracts your interest level.
Pick up a book right now. Search around the house, go to Barnes & Noble - look for something interesting, even challenging - and schedule in some time to read. Barnes & Noble has a good selection of affordable books that are cheap, I bought a copy of H.G. Wells's War of the Worlds and T.S. Elliot's The Wasteland and Other Poems. It cost me $10. These books have the ability to make you a better writer, one page at a time.
Reading old literature from a classic writer allows one the ability to enter a time where writing resonated with great influence and respect, even more than what we see now. With the Information Age and the New Media, society put reading on the back burner, waiting only to use when it is needed. Back then, before technology was the focal point, there weren't as many distractions as there are now. Chronic distractions are sure to produce troubled writing.
Check out the local county library. Some libraries tend to sell cheap magazines and books so that patrons have access to great pieces of work. I bought a copy of Khaled Housseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns. I haven't yet to read the book, but in flipping through a few of the pages, I have noticed a strong, and creative style of writing.
Pick up a book today. You are sure to improve your writing skills.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Writing tip for the day 8/15/2009
Find a picture of something you want or someone you respect. Place the picture next to you. It can be anything. A picture of a car, a person you want to date, a picture of your mother (wanting to succeed for her), a home, food, a trip destination, surgery, an island, your pet (dog, hamster, cat, parrot, etc), and whatever else excites and inspires you to write.
If you have to dig up one of your high school yearbooks in the attic, please do it. Your time will be well worth the effort.
When you lose motivation, look at the picture. The picture will help you regain your focus, inspiring you to write again. Everyone loses their focus.
As you can see, I have some goals for the future. For now, choose one picture that inspires you. You can switch them around with each project.
Find Your Muse
Sending BlogSpot.com article links using Firefox
The best way to send a blogspot.com article is to use Firefox. Copy the article title and paste the title link into an e-mail.
It will allow your reader click on the link, taking them to directly your blog article.
I have tried to use Safari to duplicate these actions, but it just pastes the title of the link in normal letters.
Using this strategy will help others to gain access to your blog site. Remember, copy the title link to your article, and ten paste in an e-mail.
Instead of copying the url, try the instructions above to make it easier for your readers. It also looks more professional too.
It will allow your reader click on the link, taking them to directly your blog article.
I have tried to use Safari to duplicate these actions, but it just pastes the title of the link in normal letters.
Using this strategy will help others to gain access to your blog site. Remember, copy the title link to your article, and ten paste in an e-mail.
Instead of copying the url, try the instructions above to make it easier for your readers. It also looks more professional too.
Have fun reading and writing!
Writing Emotional Structure Scripts
I just recently purchased a copy of Peter Dunne's Emotional Structure: Creating the Story Beneath the Plot - A Guide or Screenwriters at Barnes & Noble. This has to be one of the best books I have read in a long time. So far, I made to it page 13. Once I read further into the book, I will provide a detailed book review as to what I think about the message, themes, and if I think they can work to make your script more powerful.
I usually look for books that have cool covers - the more appealing books. The above book has a catchy cover. The cover is maroon with a combination of yellow and white lettering. There is a sketched man holding a theme ball in his hand. A plot, story, and character ball hovers above him. The theme represents the emotional structure within a script. Think of the theme as the moral part of a story. What makes a character act the way they do? Do they change because of the events? What events or moment did they realize the change? The questions can go on forever.
Dunne (2007) notes that the plot is the events that happen and the story is more focused on the actions of the character responding to the preceding events. The book paves the way for writers to write an emotional story. Every script needs some internal layering to make the audience think about the intended purpose of the film.
Watching movies are about escaping from reality to live a fantasy. They are about being entertained. The audience makes a connection with the characters or the events. When I sit in a theater, I don't know what to expect. Sometimes I like to know about a film beforehand, but at other times I find it more interesting to just sit in the dark, and try to figure out what is happening - within the story - without outside influences skewing my perception.
Films are written for a combination of reasons. Many times, a studio just distributes a film into theaters, leaving no real purpose beyond their decision to make money, but attracting massive audiences for profit.
Terminator Salvation was one of those films that had no real story impact. Sure, many will found the film entertaining, but it lacked the powerful, emotional story. It didn't have the emotional feel that made Terminator and Terminator 2 popular. James Cameron is one of those writers/directors that understands the concept of emotional structure . He knows how to tell a story; he uses many plot devices to influence the characters into changing.
In Titanic, when Jack first approached Rose, she never gave him a chance. Jack had to earn Rose's respect before attracting her love. Jack and Rose were from two different worlds - rich and poor. What plot devices were used to confirm their love? Rose recognize Jack when he tries to save her from committing suicide on the bow of the boat for reasons he didn't understand. Jack's artwork is what makes Rose realize that even though Jack is not rich, he has a creative side to him. He is an artistic person that values artwork,like Rose, and knows Monet; they both admire artwork. Rose's fiance Cal has disagreements about artwork and artists. There are necessary plot devices that help to advance the story. Without the art, or the attempted suicide, the story would not have that emotional element within it.
Everything inserted within a story is important to an emotional structure. The theme of love suggest no matter what the challenges are, if two people want to be together they will overcome all obstacles. People always think about that one true love in their life. Rose remembers Jack as a charming guy that made her feel like herself. He made her realize that there was more to life than being preppy, rich, and a snob. Jack helped Rose transformation into a good person. The emotional structure within Titanic is that people must look past prejudice and judgmental views to realize love.
I have a ton of books in my personal library that can help to inspire an emotional structure. There are dozens of books that I haven't read, but when I find the time, I will make it a point to do so. A variety of books cover a wide range of social topics. I have a decoding your dreams book that is good for writing the perfect dream sequence. This is one those books that a write must get a hold of. I have additional books on what a person must do when there is a catastrophic disaster - comet, nuclear, disease, civil unrest, and every other major event), government and policy, writing manuals, medical, performance arts, communication, novels, film theory, screenwriting, and many others.
I have opened every book at least once; some a few times more than other books. The emotional structure book instantly captured my attention. The decoding your dream book is another one of those books that I can sit and read for hours, 40-50 pages in one sitting. Check out my review of the book in the archives. Dreams in screenplays have the ability capture the inner psych of the audience, making the emotional structure a moment of discovery, reflection, and a period of transformation.
Trying to survive the struggles of life interferes with the reading process. I appreciate a good book when I have the time to read one. Living life also helps to create emotional structure scripts. Imagine how much good content comes from a life. The events people experience each day represents the plot - their life is the story. Writing can be broken into simple reflection on an entire life. The years are the chapters that novel writers so eloquently produce in their work.
For a screenwriter, writing an emotional story takes internal focus. Knowing what message they want to to send out there into the world improves the message of a film. Challenging morality, being admirable, sacrifice, assimilation, feminist, and other processes are good focus to on. Incorporating an emotional structure story requires personal understanding of what emotionally influences people from within. What theme do you want to convey to an audience? Do you want them to be an investigator? What about assimilating into a new culture, struggling to grasp at values? Take the time to find out what the theme of your favorite film is? Look for the message of the film.
Writing an emotional story requires an understanding of what is expected of the characters and how the overall story itself sends out the message. Blockbuster films usually focus on the survival of mankind, the moment of precipice, and forgiveness. Knowing, Deep Impact, and Armageddon are based upon survival and hope. What is the sense of purpose of an emotional film? Does the story induce an emotional response that influences the audience to think about a story long after they leave a theater?
I discovered that even thought Knowing didn't make a bundle in the box office, the Imdb.com boards are filled with discussion about the religious implications and creationist theories. Take some time to check out how people respond to this film. While there are biased opinions, Christianity tends to generate intense discussions. Film theorists may look at religion as an allegory, using motifs to influence the audience. I look at Knowing as being a film that offers hope to life after death.
After I read the rest of this Peter Dunne's book, I will be able further explain more about emotional structure, emphasizing on the strategies in making a story great using emotional themes. I would like the dissect some of my favorite films to find out what there emotional structure is and how it relates the success of a film. Figuring out the impact of story requires adding the emotional structure layers to capture an audience. I have some good emotional scripts, but over the years, my opinions and education has further evolved. It would be interesting to return to these scripts again.
Going back to my old scripts can be like returning to high school or an old job. It will feel foreign at first, but then I will be able to make the connection again. Don't sit on your scripts for too long because life experiences may influence the outcome of them. During the initial idea, the creative juices are flowing, making the writing process inspiring, interesting, and fun. Waiting on script may have it benefits, but it can also have a negative impact.
Waiting to submit a script like trying to approach a person you want to date. How many times have you missed on in talking to a girl or a guy that you liked. When you finally muster the courage to approach her or him, you missed out. Another girl or guy beat you to the punch a week earlier. Waiting on success has the same effect. Seize the moment. You never know where dreams may take you. Just don't wait for too long on the right moment. That applies for anything in life. Go after your goals with courage. Writing an emotional structure will always produce a powerful story.
The most successful movies have some type of emotional structure layered into them. Influence an audience to imagine, to hope, and to change. The next time you write a screenplay, a short story, a novel, and or any body of work, even an academic paper, add an emotional structure into the mix. More than likely, you will have the opportunity to complete a great project. Emotional structure appears to be a universal themes that works as an interesting and powerful, emotional message.
Thank you Peter Dunne for writing such a powerful screenwriting book. It really helps writers to understand the emotional structure from within a script. Brilliant!.
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