In the “real” world, there would be absolutely no market for diet pills. In the “real” world, losing weight simply means eating less food and getting more exercise. Of course, in the world we live in, diet pills, diet plans, special foods, and various weight-loss groups still can’t accomplish lasting weight loss for most people.
Read more on Never underestimate the power of well-written ad copy…
Here’s an important lesson for beginning writers: Keep your eyes open, do your research, and you never know when something useful will pop up for your writing.
A few months ago I worked for awhile with a guy who used to do telemarketing for an online hotel reservation chain. You know the sort of business I mean, right? They arrange great hotel deals for people who use their online reservation service.
Read more on Good research, careful observation may uncover surprising story ideas…
I am sorry to say that, after doing this for several years, I’m sort of putting the blog into a state of “semi-retirement.”
Due to the 1) increased hours I must spend at my “day job,” 2) the lack of comments and/or participation by most of the people who visit here and read my ramblings, and, 3) increased time I must spend on my online marketing efforts, I will not be able to spend as much time as you and I might like on this blog.
Read more on Not hanging out here as much anymore — such is my new ‘day job’…
I really know very little about jewelry in general, and even less about pearls in particular. Doing some research for a writing project, I discovered my understanding of saltwater pearls and freshwater pearls was seriously lacking.
Read more on A pearl is a pearl is a pearl — do your research carefully…
I’m not asking which you prefer to USE, of course, but which you prefer to read or see in print — adult diaper or adult incontinence product.
What we’re talking about here, in writing terms, is the use of a euphemism — which one online source defines as: “Substitution of a delicate or inoffensive term or phrase for one that has coarse, sordid, or otherwise unpleasant associations, as in the use of ‘lavatory’ or ‘rest room’ for ‘toilet,’ and ‘pass away’ for ‘die.’ ”
Read more on Which expression do you prefer — ‘adult diaper’ or ‘adult incontinence product’?…
I’ve always thought being a freelance travel writer would be a wonderful gig. How could you not like going to interesting places, meeting interesting people — then getting paid to write about it?
Read more on Any travel writers out there? Anyone who writes travel guides? Care to share?…
If you’ve written much, you know what I mean when I say there comes a time when the writing just isn’t working. No matter what type of writing you do, I’ll bet you’ve been there once or twice — that point when you realize the plot just won’t move, the characters are unreal, the dialog is flat, etc., and you really have to bury the thing.
Read more on How do you recognize when your writing simply isn’t working? How do you start over?…
Let’s suppose you’ve invented something that you’re sure will change the world, and now you want to put your miracle product/service online and watch the world change — and your fortune grow. Perhaps it’s a marvelous electronic gizmo or gadget you know every household needs at a price you know they can afford. Perhaps it’s a diet pill that works. Whatever.
Read more on Key to successful online ad copy: Write something that draws targeted traffic…
In my last post, I pointed out the joyous flexibility we have as freelance writers thanks to the high-tech world we’re living in.
But one of the biggest downsides of the business is the difficulty of finding good, affordable health insurance. Let’s take a look at that.
Read more on One of the NOT so joyous parts of freelancing — health insurance is tough…
I’m writing this sitting in a recliner in my 102-year-old home in Springfield, Missouri. Where are you reading it?
The beauty of being a writer in our age is that “office” can mean anywhere you like — and your readers can be worldwide. If you blog, you can publish your writing and get it to your readers virtually instantly.
Read more on One of the joys of writing these days: Your office can be almost anywhere…
A deadline is only daunting if you 1) ignore it hoping it’ll somehow go away, or, 2) procrastinate. Well, sure, some deadlines are harder than others, because they may seem impossibly near, even if you’ve made a conscientious effort to work promptly and hard on them.
Read more on More about deadlines: Don’t panic, just get to work one task at a time…
How do you decide when you’ve done enough research on a project and you’ve reached the point when you’re ready to write? Or is there a distinct threshold or starting point when you research a writing project?
Read more on How much research is enough research before you start writing?…
I just read a somewhat bizarre article in The Washington Times regarding former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan’s “tell all” book about his years in the White House. I’m sure you’ve read about the book, perhaps read excerpts, and probably have seen McClellan being interviewed about it.
Read more on McClellan’s ‘tell all’: Was his use of research materials somehow wrong?…
Ringbinder theme by 
Themocracy
