Most writerly people -- like you and me -- are brave, fearless and courageous. We sit hunched over our keyboards day after day using the interwebz to dazzle the masses with our razor sharp wit, humor and all-around genius. During those rare moments we interact with other humans, we project a confident, fear nothing attitude.
We have to be fearless to give up a brick-and-mortar job and a regular paycheck for the unknown writerly world where money may not arrive for months. Not to mention our page views look a bit like the world's scariest roller coaster ride ever some days.
It may come as a surprise to know writers have fears just like everyone else. Yes, it's true! Not to worry, I've taken steps to keep the non-writerly in their blissfully clueless state concerning us writerly types. They'll either see a blank page or a jumbled mess followed by a ticking time bomb appearing on the screen that virtually explodes, depending on what browser they're using.
*Disclaimer* The list of 10 things may not be in the order of your own fears and any similarities real or imagined are purely coincidental.
Here's the list of 10 serious, and a couple of not so serious, things that scare writerly people.
10. Running Out of Pens. I'll freely admit that this scenario makes my insides tremble. Tapping away on a keyboard is more common than using pen and paper these days, but we still like to go old school now and then. I have a huge stockpile of pens and I can't stop myself from adding more pens. Maybe I need a pen intervention....or a pentervention...
9. Fear We Really Do Suck. It's quickly closing on three years since I became a freelance writer and sometimes I consumed by the fear I really suck, my articles are crap, but no one has gotten around to being honest enough to say so. I'm sure your insides or your hand trembles a bit, just like mine, when you submit an article.
8. Fear of Fame and Success. It's kind of funny when you think about this one. I've noticed many other writers, not just myself, are a solitary bunch. We write many different things we know are going to be read by thousands, hopefully millions, of people, yet fear being singled out. Being able to become anonymous by donning a pen name provides a layer of privacy.
7. Taking Chances. The world of writing is all about taking chances, confidence, selling our writing and ourselves to other people. I'll readily admit I sometimes--okay most of the time--have a severe lack of confidence in my abilities. I'm scared spitless thinking about putting myself out there to attract clients. There's a deep fear of not being good enough, of being rejected. Sometimes you just have to take a chance or risk losing a lucrative job when you let this fear hold you back.
6. Typos and Other Stupidity. This is enough to make the most confident writer shake uncontrollably with fear. Having work published with typos, and *gulp* even worse, published with one or more sentences that make no sense. There's also sentence tampering which turns perfectly sensible, factual sentences into gobbledegook. The meaning of sentences turned into non-factual stupidity leaving us, and readers, scratching their heads as we try to decipher them. Editors mean well, but if it doesn't need to be touched, don't touch it! When this occurs, go immediately to your email and raise some hell to have your writing restored to its pristine state.
5. Computer Wonkiness and Breakdowns. Computers, mainly laptops, have become the modern-day pen of writers. We use them for everything. Without them we lose access to our clients. The slightest glitch makes us sweat, fearing our trusty computer is going to go to computer heaven. Writers with older computers may also begin to tremble, worry and feel a strong urge to panic. Try to remain calm, retain your composure. Oh who am I kidding! Break down and sob, no one will blame you.
4. Trying to Right the Wrongs and Identity Theft. We know the world wide interwebz is full of misinformation, some of it truly horrific, content wise and the way it's written. The totally awesome writers, like us, pride ourselves on publishing well-written, factual content. We quake in terror of finding our good names on something which says: "He was on the maining with a halberd and did reach for sibilant tupperware." It's called a spun article and never makes sense. Although if you're like me and many other writers I know, you can laugh and have fun with it.
3. Quiet in the Deadlands. A descriptive way to express what it feels like when writers slam into the wall of writer's block, the feeling of a blank mind and wondering why our muse has abandoned us. The ideas for articles typically come from our lives, our interests, even our jobs, past or present. Running out of ideas and writer's block are real fears. I've sweated many moments of writer's block, even as I sit and stare at a huge list of ideas. Try not to panic. Just write something, anything to get things rolling again. Yes, tap out a single word 100 times if that's what it takes.
2. Deadline Pressure. I bet every writer has dealt with the nerve-wracking, sweat inducing fear of missing a deadline for anything. Even a self-imposed deadline such as putting up a blog post. Some writers will begin to obsess about a deadline right from the start. Take heart fellow writerly people, you are not alone in your obsession or fear.
And the number 1 fear of writerly people....
1. Realizing There's No Coffee in the House. This scenario is truly nightmarish, complete with palsied shaking and cold sweats. Affected writers may also turn into slathering beasts, accompanied by lots of teeth gnashing. Some may bear a resemblance to a pissed off Incredible Hulk. Give these writers a wide berth until they've ingested no less than 20 pots of coffee, which will set their bodily systems to normal once again. If you happen to be caught in the same room when they morph, make no sudden movements and leave the vicinity as soon as possible. Run to the nearest establishment that sells coffee, preferably Starbucks, and buy the whole store. Then carefully lure the beast...uh writer, to the store and proceed to pour everything with lots of caffeine in it down his or her throat.
Hopefully you had a few chuckles over the not so serious entries and found comfort in the serious ones knowing you're not alone. Do you have any writerly fears? Be bold, be brave, leave it in the comments, then get back to work!
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
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By:
Unknown
Saturday, November 19, 2011
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By:
Unknown
The Write Life: Keeping Sane When You Have to Say See You Later, Never Goodbye
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| Rose on ice, ColinBroug, sxc.hu |
Letters come together to form words, words become sentences, sentences turn into paragraphs. Out of the mind thoughts take shape to become an article, a poem, a blog post. Behind each word that flows from pen or keyboard are memories, random thoughts, feelings. As it all takes shape, a bit of your soul is laid bare to those who read them.
As writers, we are in a position to help others with the mundane things in life, pass along knowledge using our unique voices and style based on our life experiences. We can also touch hearts and stir emotions with our words. We use them to express pain, grief, loss, lonliness, sadness, joy, love, pain. We give life to what others feel, but can't find a way to express.
When life deals us a tremendous loss that makes us feel as if life is over, we must learn to crawl, then walk all over again. We must carefully and slowly feel our way through this new life, all the while finding and learning to use our voices to hang onto sanity the only way a writer knows how. Give life to your feelings as you say, "I'll see you later, never goodbye." to the one who holds your heart.
Monday, May 23, 2011
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By:
Unknown
Stayin' Alive and Touring the World
Nope, I'm not referring to that infamous 1970's song by you know who or any tours they may have done back in the day. I can't say the name of the band or I'll have that song stuck in my head for days, maybe even weeks. *shudders* I'm blasting country in my ears right now because I started to hear the music for it.
So, what were we doing besides reminiscing? Oh yeah, discussing what the title stayin' alive and touring the world means to the writerly life. *ahem* Some days trying to write seems like a chore or worse yet..*gulp*..a job! *gasp* It's all about stayin' alive to be able to move on and write the next article, even when you just want to throw your hands in the air. You just have to stick to it and, in the immortal words of Larry the cable guy, "git 'er done!" Just try not to take the Stayin' Alive express straight into frustration alley and go all postal on the first person your eyes happen to see.
Whether it's a good or bad day writing wise, we writerly types often tour the world through words. The words don't have to come from your fingers. They can slide into your field of vision from a fellow writer, a news story, a travel blog, or a piece in a magazine. Writers weave words and takes you on trips to other countries, above and below the sea, to tiny islands you never knew existed, or guide you to a new place in your own neighborhood.
Words and pictures let you sample food from almost every culture, learn about animals, laws (weird or not), languages, medicine, history and so much more. So, the next time you sit down to write an article, think about how it might take someone else on a tour, ok maybe a slight pit stop, to your little piece of the world. Who knows, maybe this will help you the next time you're struggling to stay alive.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
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By:
Unknown
Redundancy in Writing - Are You Guilty?
I'm not quite sure why this word popped into my head when I was searching for the perfect R word for this blog post. It was just...there, and plunged its roots into fertile soil refusing to leave until I wrote about it. As a writer, sometimes you just have to go with the flow.
Redundancy is a funny sounding word, at least to me. The word dunce is in there too. I think it may exist in this perfect word to remind us not to be a dunce and use redundant phrases in our writing. Redundancy is a phrase of two or more words that repeats itself. People in general tend to use many redundant phrases, but as writers we must be on the lookout for redundancy that turns concise writing into a long, painful read for others. Sometimes redundancy is appropriate if you're writing poetry, haikus or limericks. My focus today is on when not to use the dreaded redundant phrases.
"What time is it?", "It's 12 noon." Let's see, the sun is high in the sky, temperatures are rocketing up to 90 something and it's 12 noon. Well of course it is! At 12 midnight it's cooler by at least two degrees, but you can transport yourself among the stars to cool off. I bet you can pick the redundancies in the above pretty easily.
We'll take redundancy up a step and refer back to the definition, a phrase that repeats itself. Personally, I feel if days were shorter in length I'd be a much happier person. I love winter because of the short amount of time the sun is in the sky. I've always suspected I was part vampire. The end result of shorter days is a happier me.
Who gives away free gifts? Do you pack basic essentials when you go on a trip? In the event that the plane may crash, she is a person who will sit in close proximity to the nearest exit. The rock was of particular interest to the plane watching boy. He liked to examine each and every rock he came across before deciding whether it was worth keeping or not.
Watch for sneaky redundant phrases and banish them to regions unknown before they take over and ruin all your hard work.
Redundancy is a funny sounding word, at least to me. The word dunce is in there too. I think it may exist in this perfect word to remind us not to be a dunce and use redundant phrases in our writing. Redundancy is a phrase of two or more words that repeats itself. People in general tend to use many redundant phrases, but as writers we must be on the lookout for redundancy that turns concise writing into a long, painful read for others. Sometimes redundancy is appropriate if you're writing poetry, haikus or limericks. My focus today is on when not to use the dreaded redundant phrases.
"What time is it?", "It's 12 noon." Let's see, the sun is high in the sky, temperatures are rocketing up to 90 something and it's 12 noon. Well of course it is! At 12 midnight it's cooler by at least two degrees, but you can transport yourself among the stars to cool off. I bet you can pick the redundancies in the above pretty easily.
We'll take redundancy up a step and refer back to the definition, a phrase that repeats itself. Personally, I feel if days were shorter in length I'd be a much happier person. I love winter because of the short amount of time the sun is in the sky. I've always suspected I was part vampire. The end result of shorter days is a happier me.
Who gives away free gifts? Do you pack basic essentials when you go on a trip? In the event that the plane may crash, she is a person who will sit in close proximity to the nearest exit. The rock was of particular interest to the plane watching boy. He liked to examine each and every rock he came across before deciding whether it was worth keeping or not.
Watch for sneaky redundant phrases and banish them to regions unknown before they take over and ruin all your hard work.
Patience and Persistence - Two Writerly Qualities it Pays to Have
Writers who have been around awhile know patience and peristence are nice qualities to have because they really do pay. It doesn't matter if you write online content, books or for magazines, being a writer requires patience to build and persistence to get where you want to be. This is something new writers should know and a good reminder for the old timers.
Let's take a look at patience and all the situations we need this quality for in our daily writerly life. We need to exercise patience as we slowly build up our writing portfolio. No writer is going to become a household name overnight. Too many people jump into online writing expecting to make hundreds of dollars a day right off the bat. They have serious unrealistic expectations. It takes patience to start bringing in the money in a decent amount. Money rises as you build your portfolio and show people what you can do.
Outside of writing, but still very much writing related, are the things we also need patience for. We need patience when our muse deserts us, stranding us on Writer's Block in a bad neighborhood. We need this sterling quality when we're trying to work, but the kids, the husband or boyfriend, neighbor and that strange guy from the park keeps insisting on disrupting us. Ripping out one's hair leaves ugly bald spots and isn't all that attractive. Remember to breathe and let patience become your mantra.
Persistence is another writerly quality it pays to have. We need persistence to meet the goals we set for ourselves each day, week or month. It comes in handy when we need ideas to keep us writing. Persistence really counts if you're serious about being a full-time freelance writer and want to make enough money to pay all the bills. We're persistent as we send in query letters to magazine after magazine, publisher after publisher hoping this time we'll get more than a rejection letter.
Writers are a patiently persistent bunch who never give up, never quit and wield the written word like an experienced sword fighter. We love shaping letters into words, into sentences, into paragraphs, into entire articles and books. Keep your expectations realistic, set realistic goals, be the best writer you can be and one day you will be King or Queen of the writerly world.
Let's take a look at patience and all the situations we need this quality for in our daily writerly life. We need to exercise patience as we slowly build up our writing portfolio. No writer is going to become a household name overnight. Too many people jump into online writing expecting to make hundreds of dollars a day right off the bat. They have serious unrealistic expectations. It takes patience to start bringing in the money in a decent amount. Money rises as you build your portfolio and show people what you can do.
Outside of writing, but still very much writing related, are the things we also need patience for. We need patience when our muse deserts us, stranding us on Writer's Block in a bad neighborhood. We need this sterling quality when we're trying to work, but the kids, the husband or boyfriend, neighbor and that strange guy from the park keeps insisting on disrupting us. Ripping out one's hair leaves ugly bald spots and isn't all that attractive. Remember to breathe and let patience become your mantra.
Persistence is another writerly quality it pays to have. We need persistence to meet the goals we set for ourselves each day, week or month. It comes in handy when we need ideas to keep us writing. Persistence really counts if you're serious about being a full-time freelance writer and want to make enough money to pay all the bills. We're persistent as we send in query letters to magazine after magazine, publisher after publisher hoping this time we'll get more than a rejection letter.
Writers are a patiently persistent bunch who never give up, never quit and wield the written word like an experienced sword fighter. We love shaping letters into words, into sentences, into paragraphs, into entire articles and books. Keep your expectations realistic, set realistic goals, be the best writer you can be and one day you will be King or Queen of the writerly world.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
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By:
Unknown
Laziness Among the Writerly
Come on, admit it, you have lazy days too. Those days you just don't feel like writing a dang thing and for once it has nothing to do with your muse being MIA. That's the kind of day I'm having today. It's hard to get motivated to do much of anything when pain has taken over everything.
I can usually distract myself with computer stuff, but I don't get much work done. I can't afford to not work though, so here I sit in the midst of a huge quandry. I've been cussin' at my computer all day long. It refuses to cooperate, particularly Firefox. I have to end program every 2 to 5 minutes and despite how that ticks me off, I can't put any heat behind my curse words, nor get too upset about it.
I've caught up on my blog posts for the A to Z challenge though. I'm quite proud of myself. That means tomorrow's edition of Freelance Friday will be on time! I promised it would and I can't break my promises. I'll have to unlazy myself and produce a couple of articles, lazy day or not. I need a new computer. This one is so old and can't handle what I need it to handle.
Ode to Writerly Laziness
My brain is empty,
hollow and dead.
Must I really,
get up out of bed?
Yes I must,
thought I'd rather not.
Lazy days are calling,
but today it's for naught.
Goodbye lazy day,
it was nice knowing you.
How do you overcome your lazy days? If you give in, that's okay too, we won't judge.
I can usually distract myself with computer stuff, but I don't get much work done. I can't afford to not work though, so here I sit in the midst of a huge quandry. I've been cussin' at my computer all day long. It refuses to cooperate, particularly Firefox. I have to end program every 2 to 5 minutes and despite how that ticks me off, I can't put any heat behind my curse words, nor get too upset about it.
I've caught up on my blog posts for the A to Z challenge though. I'm quite proud of myself. That means tomorrow's edition of Freelance Friday will be on time! I promised it would and I can't break my promises. I'll have to unlazy myself and produce a couple of articles, lazy day or not. I need a new computer. This one is so old and can't handle what I need it to handle.
Ode to Writerly Laziness
My brain is empty,
hollow and dead.
Must I really,
get up out of bed?
Yes I must,
thought I'd rather not.
Lazy days are calling,
but today it's for naught.
Goodbye lazy day,
it was nice knowing you.
How do you overcome your lazy days? If you give in, that's okay too, we won't judge.
Kangaroos and Your Muse - What They Have in Common
Have you ever stopped to wonder what your muse and kangaroos have in common? No? Well, let me enlighten you. I promise you'll never look at your muse the same way again.
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| Baby kangaroo, Donmike10, Wikimedia Commons |
Muse's then grow into their teen years, full of attitude and spunk. They think themselves indestructable, just like human, and I'm sure, kangaroo teens. They want to strike out on their own and may desert you without any notice, hopping off across the land, possibly going for a long walkabout leaving you hanging. If your muse deserts you, remember it's not the end of the world. Refer to a previous posting, Creativity: Secrets Your Muse Doesn't Want You to Know to get yourself back in the writing game.
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| Lazy Kangaroo, kathatp, sxc.hu |
Kangaroos pack a lot of punch in their kick if they get angry. A muse can also pack a punch, but luckily for us, we won't be killed since they don't physically hit us. The wallop we get is the urge to write like we've never written before. The words flowing non-stop from our fingers and brains so fast we can barely keep up. This in itself can be thoroughly exhausting and leave us feeling drained. I know when this has happened to me, it also leaves you feeling proud and satisfied at what I accomplished with the help of my muse. Learn to love the muse's kick.
Even adult muse's will take off on a walkabout every now and then and call it a vacation. Refer back to the above creativity posting if this happens. Just because they're adults doesn't mean they'll give you any advance notice of this time off. Some are thoughtful and will, while others just...poof! off into the ether. You'll survive these periods if you remain calm.
Kangaroos and muse's go through the stages of life together, dwelling on different planes, but yet have things in common. Always be prepared for any stage of development. You'll survive and thrive the turbulent toddler years into the joyous, or not so joyous, stage of adulthood.
Justifying Your Writerly Time, Make the Most of It
You don't have to make up a rigid schedule and justify every single minute of the day, but you should plan your day to make the most of the hours you do have available. Sometimes things happen in life that's out of our control and can derail even the best schedule in the world.
Keep in mind that everyone is different when it comes to their writing needs. None of our schedules are going to be the same. As an example, I'm a night owl and tend to do best when I write at night. Even us night owls have different times of the night, late night, or early morning that we find most productive. Determine when your best writing hours are to make the most of your writing time.
Don't force the words or the time. Trying to write at the wrong time of day leads to frustration. It may also have you producing craptastic articles that make you cringe. I tried writing during the day one time, a whole article and...wow, I'll never do that again unless my muse moves me to write during my "off" hours.
Use your "off" hours to outline or do some research. You may not be writing, but you are doing writerly activity. That's making the most of your writerly time, allowing you to be ready to write that article when actual writing time rolls around. I lay out my how to's with my "Things You'll Need", steps, tips, warnings, references, resources and notes to the CE and notes of what goes in each step done. For section type articles, I give them headings and if there's something I particularly want to say, I make a note of it.
Always carry a small notebook, small recorder or something around with you to take notes. Life can be so hectic and that brilliant idea you had while standing in line buying groceries will vanish into the ether if you have to wait to jot it down. Make a note of whatever pops into your head right then and there. Later you can flesh it out on virtual or actual paper.
Reward yourself. I find the reward system is working for me. I must get x articles researched and outline, or x written before I'll allow myself to take a break. I get to peruse FB, check on a game, go clear the crap out of my email and leave the stuff I want or need to read sitting there for later. Some of you may go for a short walk to get the blood pumping, or grab a snack. Whatever you do, always make the most of your time, while rewarding yourself for all the hard "work" you're doing.
Inventing Your Writerly Self: Who Are You?
Two years ago when I stumbled across AC, I saw a chance to expand my tapestry. It also made me think about my writerly self. Who was I? Some people have a niche, some are generalists, others do both. Inventing your writerly self is a process you may or may not give any thought to at all. I'm a thinker, a planner, an organizer, so in typical fashion, inventing my writerly self required some thought.
I began with health related content because of the chronic pain condition I have. That led to my next favorite subject of home remedies and other health problems. I wanted to be more than a health writer, so I did some parenting type articles. Being a mom to four kids and one grandson helps me come up with ideas for those.
I love crafting, which led to crafting articles. Sometimes crafting and decorating cross, so I ended up with multi-dimensional articles. I have one pagan article, but have plans for more one day, as well as genealogy subjects for YCN. I have two fur babies who own me and let them each write their own article and the one I wrote on Maine Coons. Over at DS, I stuck with the health articles, then started writing gardening type, with a few craft articles thrown in and a few genealogy too.
At this point, two years later, I'm still inventing my writerly self. I'm a crafter, genealogist, gardner (only virtually...I murder anything that grows in real life. I did garden with my grandma growing up, just don't do it on my own.), health, parent, pet owner and proud pagan. I am a generalist who can write to specific niche topics with ease due to my life experiences.
There's other dimensions to me as a writer that I have yet to explore, but it's not as if I have any limits on what I can do either. I've seen people ask many times about how to get article ideas or rely on assignments at YCN in order to write something. Everyone should take some time to find out what they like to do to begin inventing their writerly selves. Go on, getting crackin' and make a list! I bet you'll start coming up with ideas for articles before you get too far.
Monday, April 11, 2011
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By:
Unknown
Freelance Friday: Ode to G
I know it's not Friday, it's Monday, making this posting of Freelance Friday three days late. *hangs head in shame* I'll beg forgiveness now, but most of you know my behindness wasn't my fault, so am I forgiven?
Due to the A to Z blogging challenge, this week's Freelance Friday, and the next three Friday's to come, will center on the letter that falls on that day. This past Friday, the letter was "G".
This week's freelancers bring us articles centered around the letter "G" somewhere in the title. We have giving, ghosts, a green craft and more to kick things off.
Our first freelance writer is Deborah Braconnier, also known as my co-conspirator in taking over the world, as well as a terrific writer who, according to her YCN profile, joined the site in November 2010. She has written billions of small business articles, okay, not billions, but still lots, and gives small business owners great advice. Check out Giving Your Small Business the Look of a Large Corporation. From business cards, to websites and other practical tips, you too can spruce up your small business image.
From giving your business a makeover to giving to others, Debbie reminds us in, A Season of Giving All Year Through, how satisfying it is to give all year long when you see a need, rather than confining the giving to one time year, during the holidays.
Consider signing up and joining the site she started, The Freelance Writer's Connection. It's a directory for those looking for writers, a way to give writers who don't have their own website a place to direct potential clients and a place to share ideas and more with other writers.
Next up is Tony Payne. He joined the YCN family in January of 2010 and has written up a storm. Tony is a genuinely nice person with a great sense of humor that comes through in his writing. I love all things supernatural, so couldn't resist showcasing The Ghost in the Bathroom. Does something or someone otherworldly reside in his house? You be the judge.
Take a trip overseas with Tony's slideshow from Glendurgan Gardens and Maze - Falmouth - Cornwall. These very nice pictures of a trip to Glendurgan Gardens is a pleasant nature break for the day, plus they made me smile.
You can also see Tony's other work around the web and his passions at Off the Record With Debbie & Tony. Look to the right side to find lists of blogs, sites and other goodies from Tony and his wife.
Karen Barnes, also known as tall Karen to differentiate her from me in chats, is an awesome writer with sarcastic wit and a great sense of humor. Pop on over to Karen's YCN Profile, where she's been adding well-written content since October 2006.
I can't resist the kitties, I have two fur babies of my own, so thankfully Karen wrote an article, or rather her cat did, titled Top 10 Free Christmas Gifts for Cats. It'll make you laugh and smile. If you have fur babies, you'll find yourself in complete agreement, because we all know you don't disagree with the real owners.
For further entertainment from the "G" world, Google maps gives untold hours of entertainment in Karen's article, Funniest Directions Given with Google Map. If you need a laugh, bookmark it to read again and again. I knew about Japan, but not the other totally screwy directions, but they were no less amusing than the first one.
Check out Karen's blog at Writing at Home for Money, where her humor is sprinkled throughout her postings, while she informs you of the things in the writerly world.
Our last, but by no means least, freelance writer is Lauren Romano. She's bold, brash, and in your face. How else would you expect a fist pumping Jersey girl to be? Behind all that that, she's a great friend to have through life's ups and downs. She's also a terrific writer who produces fun to read articles at YCN. On Lauren's YCN profile we find dating, home decor, and pet related content going back to June 2007.
Ever had to corral a kitty into a carrier? I did a couple of weeks ago when I had to move my fur babies to their new home. It took four of us, but we managed to get them both inside without being scarred for life. I wish I'd found, Tips for Getting a Cat into a Cat Carrier before that day. Maybe it would've saved us all some trauma.
Lauren is a crafty woman who makes some of the most awesome things ever. This love/hate relationship with all things crafty makes it into articles for others to read and be crafty too. Her Green Craft Ideas: How to Reuse Computer Keyboard Keys has interesting craft ideas that are simple and fun. You might be tempted to pop the keys off your keyboard just to make them.
Another addition of Freelance Friday for your enjoyment. Barring worldwide disaster, I hope to never be late with it again.
Due to the A to Z blogging challenge, this week's Freelance Friday, and the next three Friday's to come, will center on the letter that falls on that day. This past Friday, the letter was "G".
This week's freelancers bring us articles centered around the letter "G" somewhere in the title. We have giving, ghosts, a green craft and more to kick things off.
Our first freelance writer is Deborah Braconnier, also known as my co-conspirator in taking over the world, as well as a terrific writer who, according to her YCN profile, joined the site in November 2010. She has written billions of small business articles, okay, not billions, but still lots, and gives small business owners great advice. Check out Giving Your Small Business the Look of a Large Corporation. From business cards, to websites and other practical tips, you too can spruce up your small business image.
From giving your business a makeover to giving to others, Debbie reminds us in, A Season of Giving All Year Through, how satisfying it is to give all year long when you see a need, rather than confining the giving to one time year, during the holidays.
Consider signing up and joining the site she started, The Freelance Writer's Connection. It's a directory for those looking for writers, a way to give writers who don't have their own website a place to direct potential clients and a place to share ideas and more with other writers.
Next up is Tony Payne. He joined the YCN family in January of 2010 and has written up a storm. Tony is a genuinely nice person with a great sense of humor that comes through in his writing. I love all things supernatural, so couldn't resist showcasing The Ghost in the Bathroom. Does something or someone otherworldly reside in his house? You be the judge.
Take a trip overseas with Tony's slideshow from Glendurgan Gardens and Maze - Falmouth - Cornwall. These very nice pictures of a trip to Glendurgan Gardens is a pleasant nature break for the day, plus they made me smile.
You can also see Tony's other work around the web and his passions at Off the Record With Debbie & Tony. Look to the right side to find lists of blogs, sites and other goodies from Tony and his wife.
Karen Barnes, also known as tall Karen to differentiate her from me in chats, is an awesome writer with sarcastic wit and a great sense of humor. Pop on over to Karen's YCN Profile, where she's been adding well-written content since October 2006.
I can't resist the kitties, I have two fur babies of my own, so thankfully Karen wrote an article, or rather her cat did, titled Top 10 Free Christmas Gifts for Cats. It'll make you laugh and smile. If you have fur babies, you'll find yourself in complete agreement, because we all know you don't disagree with the real owners.
For further entertainment from the "G" world, Google maps gives untold hours of entertainment in Karen's article, Funniest Directions Given with Google Map. If you need a laugh, bookmark it to read again and again. I knew about Japan, but not the other totally screwy directions, but they were no less amusing than the first one.
Check out Karen's blog at Writing at Home for Money, where her humor is sprinkled throughout her postings, while she informs you of the things in the writerly world.
Our last, but by no means least, freelance writer is Lauren Romano. She's bold, brash, and in your face. How else would you expect a fist pumping Jersey girl to be? Behind all that that, she's a great friend to have through life's ups and downs. She's also a terrific writer who produces fun to read articles at YCN. On Lauren's YCN profile we find dating, home decor, and pet related content going back to June 2007.
Ever had to corral a kitty into a carrier? I did a couple of weeks ago when I had to move my fur babies to their new home. It took four of us, but we managed to get them both inside without being scarred for life. I wish I'd found, Tips for Getting a Cat into a Cat Carrier before that day. Maybe it would've saved us all some trauma.
Lauren is a crafty woman who makes some of the most awesome things ever. This love/hate relationship with all things crafty makes it into articles for others to read and be crafty too. Her Green Craft Ideas: How to Reuse Computer Keyboard Keys has interesting craft ideas that are simple and fun. You might be tempted to pop the keys off your keyboard just to make them.
Another addition of Freelance Friday for your enjoyment. Barring worldwide disaster, I hope to never be late with it again.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
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By:
Unknown
Frustration: How Not to Strangle Your Muse or Other People
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| Letter F, ba1969, sxc.hu |
No matter your reaction, I've had both, you can overcome the urgent need to strangle your muse or other people who may wander into your path as you have a righteous, writerly meltdown.
#1: Take a deep breath and just breathe. That's right, in...out...in...out, repeat until your blood pressure falls below immediate heart attack status due to frustration. Stop that! No counting while breathing allowed. For some reason counting can have the opposite effect and make you more ticked off rather than less. It does for me, try it sometime and see if you calm down faster.
#2: Don't make eye contact with anyone. This is imperative if you don't want to find your hands wrapped around the throat of your muse or other non-writerly types dwelling in your household. The muse sometimes likes to hang around to see our reactions as he, or she, takes back the magical writing dust they sprinkle around.
#3: Take your own mini vacation. It doesn't have to be anything big, like taking an impromptu trip to Hawaii or the farthest reaches of Timbuktu where you'll find yourself on a snowy mountain top. Think smaller, but relaxing. Put on some music and dance around the room like a crazy person. Take a bubble bath, slather yourself in lotion and body spray for a "spa" day. Go beat up some stuffed animals.
For the more manly among us, bubble baths and stuffed animals and dancing might not be your thing, so go do some manly activities. Retreat to your workshop and build an ark, happily sawing wood and banging nails galore. Ok, so maybe nothing so grand, how about a toy boat then? Tackle the highest tree and build that treehouse you always wanted.
We can also do non-genderly things too. Exercise is good for burning calories and frustration at the same time. Hiking, biking, walking, eating..healthy eating, not junk food. Tell yourself it's 5 o'clock somewhere in the world and grab a bottle! Don't drink till tipsy or drunk though, because your writing will suffer if your muse decides to give back the wordage you need.
Keep focused, keep calm, go forth and write your fingers off!
Excellence in Writing
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| Letter E, ba1969, sxc.hu |
The writerly will edit, edit and edit some more in order to achieve perfection in our works of art, down to the smallest jobs, giving it our all. We're determined to excel and ban those pesky typos, awkward words or sentences and passive writing to the realms of darkness never to be seen again. Reading everything forward, backward and upside down, we edit our writing.
Having gotten our work of art perfect, we proudly submit it to whatever venue it was created for. We're assured the person first reading it, whether it's an editor or the public, will praise us for our excellence. We sit back to bask in the glory due us for all our hard work. Tragedy strikes in an instant. We groan, moan and rant over the rewrite pointing out a teeny tiny error or two. We facepalm and exclaim, "OMG!" at the typo or awkwardness of a sentence that's now live to the public.
How does this happen? Writerly equals excellence in all things with nary a mistake seen in our writing. Well, the bottom line is we're all human. No matter how much we edit and reread, sometimes things slip by us, and even manage to slip by an editor perusing our work before it goes live. You can choose to let it horrify, or you can choose to laugh about it. The laughing sometimes is done on your way to write an email asking for a correction to something, but laughter it should be. Maybe along with a facepalm sometimes.
Deviousness and The Writerly of the World
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| Letter D, zacden, sxc.hu |
The world of fiction writing is perfect for unleashing all the negative feelings we puny humans deal with everyday. The characters in the stories aren't real so no harm done, but that doesn't mean we're not envisioning a friend or family member as the one being brutalized while we're writing it. It can be quite cathartic.
Writerly people are also masters at being devious enough to avoid working on days the words just won't flow. We've all done it. You peruse every status posting by every person in your network for the past six days. You invent reasons to hang out in groups to talk to people or play games. Researching an obscure term just took top priority on your things to do list. Anything shiny within your field of vision is a good enough reason to chase it.
In writing and in life itself, the writerly are masters of deviousness. We can kill people all day long and get away with it, or hang out yakking because we can't muster the words or energy to dismember someone. Whatever the reason, never lose the devious streak lest your writing suffer.
Friday, April 8, 2011
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By:
Unknown
Banging on the Keyboard: It's All About the Mood
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| Carbon letter, ilco, sxc.hu |
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| Keyboard, GinnyLynni, sxc.hu |
Hey! Yeah, you there in the gray shirt. I hear you snickering over that last line. You must not be a writerly person. *gives you my best mom eye* We writerly people are geniuses ya know. Our ego's are full of our creative genius that people like you can't ever hope to touch. *sniffs haughtily*
Ok, where was I? Oh yeah...our genius in creating words for others to read. I believe I used the word basking, which is a "b" word too. See, pure genius I tell ya! We bang away on our keyboards day and night, night and day to create stories full of wit, humor, facts and more woven together seamlessly to entertain and inform the masses.
When we have to go banging on the keyboard for other reasons, well, smart people steer clear. It's the not so smart ones who'll venture near for a closer look at the spittle flying from our mouths, our eyes glowing with an inner light that's not quite sane. All the while we mutter foul language about the idiotic so-and-so's and where they can stick that rewrite.
Whether we blissfully type away or bang on the keyboard, we do what we love. Only true writerly types will devote so much time to the written word and unleash our creativity onto virtual or real paper for others to read. It can be a true blood, sweat and tears business, but I wouldn't trade this "job" for anything in the world.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
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By:
Unknown
A Flurry of Words and A Special Thank You
Later today there will come a flurry of words flying from my fingers. I needed to devote yesterday to working on making money. The week without internet has put me behind, but I'm not out. I'll be posting my A to Z Challenge blog posts as fast as I can get them typed up, while striving to make the moola.
Freelance Friday's this month will still happen, they'll just be devoted to the letter that falls on that day. Stick around to find out how that's going to work. Same goes for Saturday Stumblings, which will be devoted to the letter of the day as well as Motivated Monday.
It was a rough day for me physically, so a comment left on my last blog post from Deirdra Eden-Coppel, awarding me the Powerful Woman Writer Award, completely made my day. I have a shiny new page tab at the top labeled Awards if you want to take a peek at the awesome art work on the award. I have artist envy because I can make a stick person look funny. Go check out her site, A Storybook World. Thank you so much for my very first award, for making my day and the boost it gave me.
Freelance Friday's this month will still happen, they'll just be devoted to the letter that falls on that day. Stick around to find out how that's going to work. Same goes for Saturday Stumblings, which will be devoted to the letter of the day as well as Motivated Monday.
It was a rough day for me physically, so a comment left on my last blog post from Deirdra Eden-Coppel, awarding me the Powerful Woman Writer Award, completely made my day. I have a shiny new page tab at the top labeled Awards if you want to take a peek at the awesome art work on the award. I have artist envy because I can make a stick person look funny. Go check out her site, A Storybook World. Thank you so much for my very first award, for making my day and the boost it gave me.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
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By:
Unknown
Saturday Stumblings - Randomness From the Writerly World
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| Help, topfer, sxc.hu |
Time for a bit of randomness from the writerly world. Let's start with YCN and the new Featured Contributor program. I'll admit I'm rather ticked off at their latest shenanigans. They pulled their usual, which is make it up as we go and see how many writers we can send into a panic this time! Combine a surprise slap upside the head with a deadline of three days, I think, and not everyone is happy.
The latest move is sending out test assignments for the subcategories we applied to get into. There was absolutely no mention of this at the beginning of the month. We were told to fill out the application for the main category and subs, then on April 1st we'll notify you if you made it in. A couple of days ago, up pops FC test assignments. You have to write according to the directions, of course, to even be considered for that subcategory. If they don't like it, you don't get to be an FC. You can reapply for categories 3 times a year, so if you don't "pass" you're down to two. I think you have to wait 3-4 months before you're allowed to reapply. *gets down on all fours to become the cute pooch that jumps through rings of fire* Nice image is it not?
I feel like it's unfair to keep springing these surprises on us. If you want to change it, post advance notice notice of at least two weeks YCN!! We are writers and many of us make schedules and write certain things at certain times. Throwing test assignments at us and then laughing as some of us juggle to fit it in somewhere in between other pressing deadlines isn't funny. Also the short time to write it in does not amuse anyone either.
On to DS and their freakin' references and resources format. I love them, I really do. I don't get paid as often and certainly not as well as I do there. Gardening titles are plentiful, keep 'em coming, and most CE's are awesome. Changing it from Website: Name of Page to formatting it as if we're sourcing a book sucks!! The other way was simple and easy. I've never seen such a group of confused people in my life as when it was changed, including me. Even CE's don't get it because they're mixing colons and semicolons in the refs and resources or even erasing the other info and putting it back to the old way of Website: Name of Page. Do us all a favor DS...put it back the way it was. Yet another bad move on your part, like the way you want business info inserted into articles. That particular piece of business is just ridiculous looking and stupid.
Ok, enough rants against the people I write for. I really had to get that off my chest. I'm making headway in my writing. When I need to research for DS titles, I tend to grab too much info, which causes me to have to go back before writing and take out stuff that I really don't need. It wastes time and time is money. I now repeat the title in my head as I'm looking at the info and take only the barest bones I need to fill it all in. If I can stick to it, maybe I'll get more written every day.
Speaking of wasting time, what are your bad habits as a writer? What things do you catch yourself doing that wastes writing time? We all do little things, come clean and fess up.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
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By:
Unknown
Hump Day Happiness
An off the cuff title that popped into my head. I kind of like it. It has a...quirky catchiness to it. Maybe Wednesday will be official hump day on my blog. Anywho, taking a few minutes to type up this post and start hump day with some happiness. We're halfway through the week now and a good week it has been so far.
My muse decided it was bored and came back to fill my head to overflowing with ideas. Now, if only Motivation would show up, things would be rockin' in the writerly world more than they are. Guess I really can't have it all, so I'm making do with what I have.
Freelance Friday is fast approaching. Don't wander off too far, you won't want to miss this week's lineup of awesome freelance writers. Speaking of which, thanks to the interview with Suz Alicie on Monday, it sparked an idea for Motivated Monday.
What better motivation, besides cute kitties, could there be than to get to know our fellow freelance writers? Knowing the odd, unusual or random tidbit about our fellow writerly friends and their writerly world can inspire us to reach for the stars. We all have our own personality that I'd like to see shine and maybe inspire others.
With two jam packed writerly days, I have many Monday's and Friday's till the end of the year. Do you want to be featured on Friday or interviewed on Monday? Better yet, is there someone, or someone's, you feel should be featured? Leave names in the comments nominating folks for Motivated Monday and Freelance Friday. You can also email me at kbfreelancing@yahoo.com with the subject line of MM or FF with your nominations. I could pick them myself, but I'd love y'all to chime in and toss some names in the ring too. We're a huge community and maybe I'll pick up some new friends along the way.
It's time for my day to begin. Work is fairly screaming my name, yelling write me, no write me. Sounds like a bunch of kids wanting to be first on the team. Thank goodness for an ever revolving queue and numerous documents with title ideas. No article will ever be picked last for team Karen. See y'all soon!
My muse decided it was bored and came back to fill my head to overflowing with ideas. Now, if only Motivation would show up, things would be rockin' in the writerly world more than they are. Guess I really can't have it all, so I'm making do with what I have.
Freelance Friday is fast approaching. Don't wander off too far, you won't want to miss this week's lineup of awesome freelance writers. Speaking of which, thanks to the interview with Suz Alicie on Monday, it sparked an idea for Motivated Monday.
What better motivation, besides cute kitties, could there be than to get to know our fellow freelance writers? Knowing the odd, unusual or random tidbit about our fellow writerly friends and their writerly world can inspire us to reach for the stars. We all have our own personality that I'd like to see shine and maybe inspire others.
With two jam packed writerly days, I have many Monday's and Friday's till the end of the year. Do you want to be featured on Friday or interviewed on Monday? Better yet, is there someone, or someone's, you feel should be featured? Leave names in the comments nominating folks for Motivated Monday and Freelance Friday. You can also email me at kbfreelancing@yahoo.com with the subject line of MM or FF with your nominations. I could pick them myself, but I'd love y'all to chime in and toss some names in the ring too. We're a huge community and maybe I'll pick up some new friends along the way.
It's time for my day to begin. Work is fairly screaming my name, yelling write me, no write me. Sounds like a bunch of kids wanting to be first on the team. Thank goodness for an ever revolving queue and numerous documents with title ideas. No article will ever be picked last for team Karen. See y'all soon!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
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By:
Unknown
Saturday Stumblings - Randomness From the Writerly World
I'm stumbling around this Saturday afternoon not because of a hangover from drinking too much, but because I haven't had my coffee! That's right, you might want to back away slowly before running as if the hounds are on your heels. Oh wait, come back here. I promise not to bite. I'd like you to read these words I'm pouring onto the virtual page before you run.
Saturday is good for stumbles and for lots of randomness from the writerly world in general. It's not the whole writerly world of course, just my little section of it. It's ok, I'll try not to unleash too much craziness just because I haven't had my coffee yet. Let's get to the randomness.
YCN/AC is torturing us all by making us wait until April 1st before notifying the...who knows how many writers, if they managed to get accepted into one or more of the subcategories they applied to. I had just been accepted into the Featured Contributor program, received my very first assignments and WHAM! Two weeks later they yank it away laughing their silly heads off as I sobbed at the unfairness of it all. Alright, maybe that's a bit dramatic, but still. *whines a little* I can only hope the new program is better and will equal more money. One of my writerly goals this year is to become less dependent on DS, not more so.
Speaking of DS, certain categories it appears got a raise. I write articles for the eHow Home and Garden section only and the value of my titles went up. I feared it was a mistake and would be yanked away, but here it is a week, a little more?, and nope, still there. That kind of, sort of, makes up for what YCN did to me. Even though it's a little more money, I still want to make enough money outside DS to shore up the bottom line.
Did someone say bottom? Oh stop it, I'm not going to talk about butts on my blog. Well, I might talk about butts only as they pertain to freelance writers. For instance, we all have one. Being a freelance writer means said butts really get a good work out, or rather lack of a workout. I better stop now. Save that for another post on freelance writers, exercise or lack thereof. What was my original point? *thinks* Bottom....bottom of the barrel, no. Bottom of the tub of butter, no. Ah well, I focused on butts and forgot what I was going to write. So goes my total spastic muse this morning.
I hope this flow of words flows right through the rest of the day. I'd like to get out of this week of hell and non-productiveness. I'm tired of trying to pull words out of my head that aren't there. My muse needs to quit goofing off and get back to work. I know several writerly people whose muse's have also taken off or are on drugs that need to straighten up so we can get back to what we do best....write!
Saturday is good for stumbles and for lots of randomness from the writerly world in general. It's not the whole writerly world of course, just my little section of it. It's ok, I'll try not to unleash too much craziness just because I haven't had my coffee yet. Let's get to the randomness.
YCN/AC is torturing us all by making us wait until April 1st before notifying the...who knows how many writers, if they managed to get accepted into one or more of the subcategories they applied to. I had just been accepted into the Featured Contributor program, received my very first assignments and WHAM! Two weeks later they yank it away laughing their silly heads off as I sobbed at the unfairness of it all. Alright, maybe that's a bit dramatic, but still. *whines a little* I can only hope the new program is better and will equal more money. One of my writerly goals this year is to become less dependent on DS, not more so.
Speaking of DS, certain categories it appears got a raise. I write articles for the eHow Home and Garden section only and the value of my titles went up. I feared it was a mistake and would be yanked away, but here it is a week, a little more?, and nope, still there. That kind of, sort of, makes up for what YCN did to me. Even though it's a little more money, I still want to make enough money outside DS to shore up the bottom line.
Did someone say bottom? Oh stop it, I'm not going to talk about butts on my blog. Well, I might talk about butts only as they pertain to freelance writers. For instance, we all have one. Being a freelance writer means said butts really get a good work out, or rather lack of a workout. I better stop now. Save that for another post on freelance writers, exercise or lack thereof. What was my original point? *thinks* Bottom....bottom of the barrel, no. Bottom of the tub of butter, no. Ah well, I focused on butts and forgot what I was going to write. So goes my total spastic muse this morning.
I hope this flow of words flows right through the rest of the day. I'd like to get out of this week of hell and non-productiveness. I'm tired of trying to pull words out of my head that aren't there. My muse needs to quit goofing off and get back to work. I know several writerly people whose muse's have also taken off or are on drugs that need to straighten up so we can get back to what we do best....write!
Friday, March 18, 2011
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By:
Unknown
Freelance Friday
I was working on some articles earlier and pondering what I'd do for today's blog post. Inspiration struck as I was commenting in a group on Facebook. Gotta love ideas that strike out of the blue like that. So, Freelance Friday is born!
Each Friday I'll choose four fellow writers and highlight their blogs and profiles on different sites. You may or may not already know them. If you don't, you'll find some new reading material and decide to follow their work and/or blogs. If you know someone, or you yourself, who wants to be featured, send me an email, subject line: Freelance Friday to kbfreelancing@yahoo.com. Include links to writing profiles around the web and blogs. Without further ado, let's me today's fantastic freelancers.
First up is John Myers. He joined the Yahoo! Contributor Network/Associated Content in June 2007. John's YCN profile is filled with articles on music, recipes, honest, heartfelt stories about his life and those of his students, as well as a story series, The Misadventures of Johnny Driver, which debuted in August 2009 and now has it's own site, The Misadventures of Johnny Driver blog, and much more. He never fails to entertain. John has a blog, John's World, detailing the happenings in his life personal and writing wise, along with the ever present music in his song for the day posts. You can also find his work on Examiner as the Long Island Gay Issues Examiner and the Long Island City Guide Examiner. I'm sure you'll come to love John as a writer and as a person as much as I do.
Next up is Langley Cornwell. Langley is also a YCN/AC writer who joined about the same time I did, March 2009. On Langley's YCN profile you'll find content related to health, pets, news, local and many more informative articles to read. Visit her List My 5 profile for a variety of informative and not so serious subjects such as Ways to Recognize a Leprechaun along with quotes, music and food. Stop by her brand new blog Langley Writes to get to know the person behind the words.
Sherri Thornhill is an all around nice person as well as being a great writer. According to Sherri's YCN profile she's a retired police officer and joined the site in April 2009. From tattoos, to Texas happenings, opinion, news and music, she keeps us entertained and informed. Sherri Thornhill Freelance is her new site, the go to place if you'd like to hire her for projects. Sherri is also found on Examiner as the Kaufman County Crime Examiner and the Generation X Examiner. If you haven't given her articles a read, what are you waiting for?
Last, but certainly not least is Saoirse O'Mara. I met her on Facebook and she is a very funny, smart woman. She wandered onto a post of mine one night to find herself caught in the middle of a stuffed animal fight, which she gleefully joined in on after I lobbed the first stuffie at her as she laughed on the sidelines. Check out Saoirse's profile over at Bright Hub where she writes on topics such as language, health, gaming, business, storage solutions and much more. Her Language Love blog is entertaining as well as informative. I enjoy learning new things everyday. Saoirse mixes humor in her writing life blog, at Saoirse's Crazy World. Pay a visit to her Cafe Press store Poetry of Dreams to find beautiful, scenic pictures on mugs, mouse pads, journals, magnets and other merchandise.
There you have it for today folks. Four brilliantly talented writers that I'm glad to know.
Each Friday I'll choose four fellow writers and highlight their blogs and profiles on different sites. You may or may not already know them. If you don't, you'll find some new reading material and decide to follow their work and/or blogs. If you know someone, or you yourself, who wants to be featured, send me an email, subject line: Freelance Friday to kbfreelancing@yahoo.com. Include links to writing profiles around the web and blogs. Without further ado, let's me today's fantastic freelancers.
First up is John Myers. He joined the Yahoo! Contributor Network/Associated Content in June 2007. John's YCN profile is filled with articles on music, recipes, honest, heartfelt stories about his life and those of his students, as well as a story series, The Misadventures of Johnny Driver, which debuted in August 2009 and now has it's own site, The Misadventures of Johnny Driver blog, and much more. He never fails to entertain. John has a blog, John's World, detailing the happenings in his life personal and writing wise, along with the ever present music in his song for the day posts. You can also find his work on Examiner as the Long Island Gay Issues Examiner and the Long Island City Guide Examiner. I'm sure you'll come to love John as a writer and as a person as much as I do.
Next up is Langley Cornwell. Langley is also a YCN/AC writer who joined about the same time I did, March 2009. On Langley's YCN profile you'll find content related to health, pets, news, local and many more informative articles to read. Visit her List My 5 profile for a variety of informative and not so serious subjects such as Ways to Recognize a Leprechaun along with quotes, music and food. Stop by her brand new blog Langley Writes to get to know the person behind the words.
Sherri Thornhill is an all around nice person as well as being a great writer. According to Sherri's YCN profile she's a retired police officer and joined the site in April 2009. From tattoos, to Texas happenings, opinion, news and music, she keeps us entertained and informed. Sherri Thornhill Freelance is her new site, the go to place if you'd like to hire her for projects. Sherri is also found on Examiner as the Kaufman County Crime Examiner and the Generation X Examiner. If you haven't given her articles a read, what are you waiting for?
Last, but certainly not least is Saoirse O'Mara. I met her on Facebook and she is a very funny, smart woman. She wandered onto a post of mine one night to find herself caught in the middle of a stuffed animal fight, which she gleefully joined in on after I lobbed the first stuffie at her as she laughed on the sidelines. Check out Saoirse's profile over at Bright Hub where she writes on topics such as language, health, gaming, business, storage solutions and much more. Her Language Love blog is entertaining as well as informative. I enjoy learning new things everyday. Saoirse mixes humor in her writing life blog, at Saoirse's Crazy World. Pay a visit to her Cafe Press store Poetry of Dreams to find beautiful, scenic pictures on mugs, mouse pads, journals, magnets and other merchandise.
There you have it for today folks. Four brilliantly talented writers that I'm glad to know.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
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By:
Unknown
Going Green in the Kitchen or Out for St. Patrick's Day
Since today is St. Patrick's Day, I'm going with an Irish theme. Maybe it's just me, or maybe not, but when I hear the words St. Patrick's Day I think of food first and alcohol second. It's one of my favorite days of the year, and not just because I'm Irish either. It's the food. The yummy, delicious food! My favorite is corned beef and cabbage. Without further ado, here are a few articles on food and drink for St. Patty's Day from fellow YCN/AC writers.
A traditional St. Patrick's Day dish on a day for all things Irish. Angie Mohr not only tells you how to cook up this yummy food for St. Patrick's Day, but also gives you a few tidbits on the history that you might not know. Stroll over and check out her St. Patrick's Day Corned Beef & Cabbage.
If you're going to hoist a few glasses of green beer tonight, or a few colorful mixed drinks, might as well have some fun. Jennifer Claerr gives us a few interesting and fun drinking games to make the night a bit more fun in her article, Fun Drinking Games for St. Patrick's Day.
Looking for a restaurant in Portland, Oregon for St. Patrick's Day? Look no further than this top 3 list from C.J. Mathis on the best restaurants to fill up on awesome Irish food tonight. Here Are Three of Portland Oregon's Best St. Patrick's Day Restaurants.
From a fellow Irishwoman, R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen gives you a few mixed drinks to celebrate the day. She also jotted down a few tips on food to eat and how to jazz up non-alcoholic drinks. Check out St Patty's Day Drinks and Food Tips.
Lisa Mason brings you the top 5 best foods to eat on St. Patrick's Day with some bonus tips on how you can enhance your meals. Find out what the Top 5 Best St Patrick's Day Foods are.
Enjoy your St. Patty's Day and night!
A traditional St. Patrick's Day dish on a day for all things Irish. Angie Mohr not only tells you how to cook up this yummy food for St. Patrick's Day, but also gives you a few tidbits on the history that you might not know. Stroll over and check out her St. Patrick's Day Corned Beef & Cabbage.
If you're going to hoist a few glasses of green beer tonight, or a few colorful mixed drinks, might as well have some fun. Jennifer Claerr gives us a few interesting and fun drinking games to make the night a bit more fun in her article, Fun Drinking Games for St. Patrick's Day.
Looking for a restaurant in Portland, Oregon for St. Patrick's Day? Look no further than this top 3 list from C.J. Mathis on the best restaurants to fill up on awesome Irish food tonight. Here Are Three of Portland Oregon's Best St. Patrick's Day Restaurants.
From a fellow Irishwoman, R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen gives you a few mixed drinks to celebrate the day. She also jotted down a few tips on food to eat and how to jazz up non-alcoholic drinks. Check out St Patty's Day Drinks and Food Tips.
Lisa Mason brings you the top 5 best foods to eat on St. Patrick's Day with some bonus tips on how you can enhance your meals. Find out what the Top 5 Best St Patrick's Day Foods are.
Enjoy your St. Patty's Day and night!
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