Archive for May, 2008
All writers need deadlines to give focus to their work
Some years ago I worked at a job that required meeting two daily deadlines. It was a newspaper. Between the hours of 5:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. I had to meet a first-edition deadline and a second-edition deadline. The pace was fun and exciting — for the first couple of years.
After a year or two, […]
Writing seasonal stories? Deadlines make this whatever season you need it to be
When I look out the windows on a snowy street scene in mid- to late-December, I find it easy to think and write about Christmas. I’m sure you do, too.
But what about trying to come up with copy for Halloween invitations or New Year’s Eve stories in mid-July? Does that pose more of a challenge […]
Hey, I suddenly find myself ‘working’ full-time again — not an easy step to take
Okay, well, get the drum roll ready. (Or at least turn up the lights on your home theater lighting in that fancy big-screen TV setup. What? You don’t have a big-screen TV with home theater? Yeah, me neither.)
Big announcement time: I just got hired this morning for a full-time job. It’s one of those situations […]
My Western blog project has been reborn — have a look, but be gentle
I posted here a couple of days ago regarding a writing project I felt compelled to abandon because of possible copyright problems. I “killed” the “Tales of the Old West” site which I’d never done much with.
But out of that death came rebirth (does the term “Phoenix” sound familiar?), and this new project is more […]
Killing a writing project can be like murdering an old friend
I love reading and writing about the “Old West,” that part of American history related to westward expansion, settlement, and “rip roarin’” cowboys and the whole works. You’ll remember from some earlier posts on this site that I’ve even been working (irregularly) on some “Western” novels.
Just a few minutes ago, I had to kill a […]
Do all Russian novels take place on dark, chilly nights?
Suppose you have a novel with a scene that takes place outdoors. Now suppose you were given the job of turning that novel scene into a play — how would you approach the lighting of that outdoor scene? Would you light it as near dawn, near twilight, bright sunlight, dark night?
I thought about this when […]
Memoirs revisited — what are your favorites?
I just finished reading a memoir that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago: “Crazy for God,” by Frank Schaeffer, son of the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer, a religious evangelica/fundamentalist who was instrumental in forming much of today’s “Religious Right” Movement. Fascinating, honest book. Frank Schaeffer, author of the memoir, tells an honest, compelling story […]
For those of you who are eBay affiliate marketers, here’s the best software tool you can own
If your efforts at online writing include affiliate marketing — you know from many previous posts here that mine do — you may be a member of the Ebay Partners Network, i.e., you do affiliate marketing for eBay.
If that’s you, I’ve discovered one of the absolutely most useful software tools you can own. It’s called […]
How about a nice vacation home in Florida? Here’s a site for that
I was watching out of one eye this morning as the “Today Show” played on the old television while I was getting up and around. Al Roker, their intrepid weather guy who’s one of my favorites, was in Orlando getting ready to help kick off a new rollercoaster type ride at the big movie theme […]
Got that Lamott book from the library — I’ll give you a review when I’ve read it
I mentioned a day or two ago (who keeps track of the time??) that I was on the library’s waiting list for Anne Lamott’s newest book about spirituality and faith, “Grace (eventually),” and that I expected to get it in a week or so.
I was wrong. The good folks at the library came through today.
Unfortunately, […]
For those of you with blogs or websites — do you know a good polling script?
I know that many of you blog or host your own websites to which you add regular content. Many of you, I’m sure, have various scripts or software on your site that allows you to poll your customers about an issue.
Forum software, I’m sure, allows this pretty easily. But I don’t run a forum here, […]
Trying direct marketing? Here’s a useful site about mailing list brokers
Have you ever needed a list broker? Perhaps you aren’t familiar with mailing lists and those who use them, but here’s a useful website, put up by the Direct Contact Marketing Group, explaining what list brokers do and how your business or freelance writing career might benefit from lists and the services of list brokers.
I’ve […]
‘Speed writing’ may be the tip you need if you’re fighting writer’s block
Here’s another of those simple, basic writing tips you may already know — or you may be overlooking. I hope it’s helpful. In a word: Speed writing.
Okay, I cheated. That’s two words, but it’s a simple and effective way to start a writing session anytime you simply can’t get the words flowing and get started […]
Speaking of copy writing — I’ve always found putting new ’spins’ on old products a tough job
I’ve only had one “professional” copy writing job in my writing career, and that was many years ago. But I do copy writing almost daily for much of the content on my various affiliate marketing websites. I’m sure many of you reading this are professional copy writers and/or find yourself also writing website copy that […]
Odd brand name? Unusual jargon? Obscure ‘bureaucratize’? Somewhere a writer is responsible
Writers can work magic. Or, sometimes, they just write down words and the magic doesn’t come. In most cases, technical writers and/or copy writers get stuck with the “non-magic” sorts of words.
For example, copy writers forced to come up with names for pharmaceuticals and diet supplements rarely create magic. Let’s face it, the word “Orovo” […]
