I've tried occasionally to write science fiction, only to find that I lack the science background and become too impatient to do the research to make it seem authentic.

I've had better luck writing fantasy, though I've not had anything published yet in any fantasy genre. The beauty of fantasy is that you can make things up when you don't know the "facts" you need for serious science fiction. I am not saying that to disparage fantasy writers in any way. I appreciate the challenges of writing good fantasy -- I simply understand that it's easier to invent a language, or invent an entire world, when writing fantasy.

I was thinking about all this because I just saw a trailer on television for that intriguing remake of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" which is coming to theaters in December. I definitely want to see it. One of the best and worst movies I recall from my childhood was the original 1951 "Day" starring Michael Rennie. I say "best," because it turned my young world around. As I kid in a small southeast Nebraska town, it opened my eyes to the awesome world outside our town, and the wonderful possibilities of "make believe." I say "worst" because it kept me in nightmare land for a loooooonnnnnggg time as a kid. (I was a very impressionable little kid, I guess.)

The original "Day," and perhaps this new sequel, too, sort of falls between the cracks of "science fiction" or "fantasy." It had hints of hard science, but relied really on a lot of fantasy. Which is a good reason to forget about labels and strict adherence to genres and just set down and WRITE your story.

Finally, in all this rambling, I arrive at the subject of this post: You are perfectly free as a writer -- and science fiction/fantasy thrive on this fact -- to make things up as you go along, including creating words and an entire language if you wish. I refer specifically to the classic line from the original "Day," which has appeared in every type of movie, television show, and even comic books since those writers came up with it in 1951:

"Klaatu barada nikto."

So get out there and use your imagination and write something to make us all proud of you. (And if you don't recognize or know anything about the phrase "Klaatu barada nikto," look it up. You can start with Wikipedia.)

Amazingly, many people find nothing wrong with all this and many of the people creating these web pages and videos, CNN said, make no effort whatsoever to hide their identities.

But what does cheating on tests have to do with writing and writers anyway? I suppose a lot of the way you answer that speaks as much to your sense of ethics and morality as it does to various "how-to" opportunities this whole area opens up. In reality, for DECADES there have been various services offering to sell you lecture-by-lecture class notes at most major universities. And you can easily find writing services on the Internet which will provide everything from outlines and basic research notes to completed essays and term papers for a price.

Are those writing services really so much different than the YouTube video where some guy shows how to substitute math or physics test material on a soda pop bottle label for the soda ingredients? Yes, one of the quick mentions in the CNN piece was a video where some guy shows how to put test material into the label on a soda where the soda ingredients list normally goes. Amazing.

But what are we to do as writers? I don't think there are any retail franchises out there for companies that sell cheat methods or pirated test materials. (I don't think so, but I wouldn't rule it out!) There are, however, unscrupulous writers and editors who will plagiarizer your work to suit their purposes. There are software scripts online that will strip your website content and allow someone else to benefit from your hard work, if you have a website or blog. (Indeed, someone stole material from one of my websites and I'm trying to figure out ways to stop that from happening again. Not this site.)

The "bottom line" on all this for writers? Be honest. Be ethical. Don't plagiarize. Don't use other people's writing -- unless you have legitimate permission and follow any restrictions they put on that writing. (Look for a post in the near future about Private Label Rights articles and how such material can be useful for your blog or website.)

Simply put: Do the right thing. Always.

I can't sing the praises of this little tool loudly enough if you write regularly and want something extremely portable and extremely useful for just entering text as if flows rapidly from you Big Writer Brain into your Nimble Writer Fingertips and out to the world.

Okay, really, the point of this post is to alert you to the right-hand sidebar of the website where you'll find constantly updated links to AlphaSmart Neo, AlphaSmart Dana, and various AlphaSmart accessories being sold on eBay. Yes, you'll find constantly updated links there to all the AlphaSmart goodies you could want currently being offered on eBay.

Always glad to help when I can. Now it's up to YOU to click on one of the AlphaSmart deals on eBay there and look it over. Go ahead and click now while you're thinking about it. I'll wait.

Go ahead. I'm still waiting ...

I was just looking over my last post here and noticed that the link in the left-hand sidebar to one of my "merchant partners" who offers great deals on tarps and other utility coverings has been sitting there with a typo in it for however many months I've had the link up.

And no one even noticed or called that to my attention.

As it read before, the link was: "Yard tarps, for easy leaf removal. Chick for Full Details!" The typo, of course, was "Chick." It should read as it does now -- "Click."

Those typos realyl aer na embarasment, aren't thye?

Several of the "rants" or "pet peeves" which I discuss in that lens are matters we've discussed here. But go take a look. As long as we writers continue to make such idiotic mistakes in English grammar and usage, I'll continue my rants.

Seriously, give the new lens a look. If you like what you see, show me a little "lens love" by using Squidoo's star rating system at the top of the page. Then come back and leave a comment here. I'd love to get your feedback on the lens -- including any suggestions you would have on errors/mistakes I need to add.

I think the biggest BLESSING of the Internet for writers is that it opens a world of online writing opportunities you can find regardless of your skill level or how much time you have to devote to writing. It's an incredible launching pad with pretty much unlimited potential.

I think the biggest CURSE of the Internet for writers is that it opens a world of online writing opportunities you can find regardless of your skill level or how much time you have to devote to writing. It's an incredible launching pad with pretty much unlimited potential -- and is filled with freelance writing gigs that offer embarrassingly LOW payouts.

Notice the similarities of those two paragraphs? That's my not-so-clever attempt at sarcasm.

If you check out that lens I've recommended, you'll find some incredibly useful ways to get started writing online. You'll find some excellent motivational stuff. Heck, just scanning quickly through it has made me flex my fingers and want to stay up writing the rest of the evening.

But you'll also find, as you explore sites such as "GetAFreelancer.com," one of the lens author's highly recommended sites, that you can work very hard for very cheap. For example, I went through her link to that site and browsed around a bit. One of the first offers that caught my eye(s) was someone seeking 10 articles on keywords he would supply. Each article would need to be approximately 500 words and total payment for the 10 would be $25.00. I'm no rocket scientist or even math major, but I believe that works out to one-half of a penny per word.

To her credit, Ms. Whitehead presents getafreelancer.com as a good starting point to get some experience if you're just getting a freelance career started, and she does present some sites and some ideas for ultimately making steady writing income online.

With all that in mind, I recommend you check out her lens and see what you might find there. In addition, she has a number of other Squidoo lens related to freelance writing, and she actually is a "Groupmaster" for other writing related lenses. So I would highly recommend you take a trip over to Squidoo and see what's available for writing ideas, writing motivation, and writing opportunities.

I have a writing tips lens started which I hope to finish tomorrow. I'll let you know how to find that one when I get it published.

You bet it does. The "what's in it for me" concept applies to just about every relationship in your life, certainly to your writing. Whether we're talking about writing, social relationships, or personal relationships, we're talking about "salesmanship" of some sort. You are constantly reselling your self in one way or another to editors, to friends, to loved ones.

Is that too cynical? Does that mean I view myself as "on stage" constantly, even in private -- or that you need to view yourself that way?

No, not really. Of course I realize personal relationships and some social relationships become "set" or "fixed" so that you aren't always on the spot to perform or please others. I'm a firm believer, for example, in the unconditional love between spouses, unconditional love for children, and that God has unconditional love for people (for me, as an example).

But keep in mind for most relationships, particularly those you form with acquaintances and with business associates, will always work better if you remember that most such people will always respond best if you put your best foot forward (I love that cliche) and show them "what's in YOU for them."

Make sense? Leave a comment and tell us all what you think about it.

My "rule of thumb" that I try to share with beginning writers is this: "What's in it for me?" That's simple enough. For example, I don't want to buy a simple old diet pill. There are millions of diet pills on the market. But I might take a look if you called that diet pill a "fat burner." As a fat guy, I can quickly see that a fat burner at least deserves a look. I don't want to diet, I want to be slim and trim. I long for fitness not fatness.

No big lesson here, perhaps. But if you're writing anything at all, this is an important perspective to keep in mind: Don't fall in love with your words to the extent that you forget what your READER wants. Whether you're selling the developing romance between your two main characters in a novel or diet pills to burn fat, keep in mind that readers want to know what's in it for them.

Maybe that's a bit extreme, but I've never seen so many people who are self-labeled "writers" or who would say the "want to be" or "hope to be" or "plan to be" a writer. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but until/unless a person is writing he/she is NOT a writer. Being a writer is completely up to you, because only you can make the time and follow through on the decision to write. No one can write for you.

I mention all this as I sit here watching hours of doom and gloom each day about the unemployment rate, whether national or in a specific state, constantly rising. But rising unemployment can be either good or bad, depending on what you choose to make of it. Not to wear out such cliches as "glass half full/glass half empty," but whether you are unemployed or "self-employed" often is up to you.

The last full-time, professional editorial job I had ended when I changed churches and was asked by the church magazine which employed me as a news editor to turn in my resignation. (That was long ago, it is a LONG story, and I've probably worn it out already on this website and others.) After several weeks of dealing with a lot of emotional and financial shock, my wife, Shirley, and I decided I was going to use contacts I had made at my job ("networking" -- get it?) and make some changes.

I was no longer unemployed, I was self-employed, specifically as a freelance writer and editor.

In my case, that simple change in perception made a big difference. It gave me a path to take, some ideas to work on, and a sense of self-esteem far greater than someone struggling with "unemployment." Was it the answer to our family's very real financial needs? Not right away. But it has worked out. I have since "raised" a family and helped both of my children into adulthood and careers of their own. We've managed, through various runs of writing, editing, proofreading, and part-time jobs for Shirley and me, to make it work out.

We've never yet lost a home or had to declare bankruptcy, even in today's tough financial times.

So, how do YOU see yourself? Are you unfortunate enough to be unemployed, perhaps as a result of our current economic crises? I would only tell you my experience, and would not presume to tell you what you ought to do for you and/or your family. But it might be a step in the right direction to turn your unemployment into self-employment. Or not?

Gotta love Squidoo. The more I hang around there, the more I get hooked. It really is addictive to see all the tons of lenses on every subject you could imagine -- and many more you could probably never imagine. What a fun place for writers.

I invite you to take a look at my newest lens, "Shop for Gifts Online to Ease Holiday Shopping Stress." The first Squidoo lens I ever made was in June 2007. I've only made a total of three now, and there was a gap of more than a year between lens 2 and lens 3, so I'm pretty "rusty" at it, more than a little awkward at picking my way through the many, many modules available.

But I'm going to get better at it. I invite you to join me in the process!