It’s always good to take time throughout your life to review the past. This is particularly true for people who do creative work for a living. It helps you find the thread of your work. It helps you define themes in your art. And it just gives you perspective on where you’ve come from so that you can better see where you want to go.
This is done in many ways for writers. I keep a regular journal. It times of life that are emotionally confusing or times when I need to go back to the basics of who I am, I can mine those journals for insight. Photo scrapbooks can be mined in similar ways. In blogging, the best thing to do is to regularly look at your favorite posts and favorite themes.
So, in honor of that, I want to share my review of the best things on this Real Words blog in the month of March …
By far my favorite post (and the favorite of readers, apparently, since it’s been the most visited) was 10,000 Resources for Writers and Bloggers.
However, my favorite theme isn’t writing tips and resources but rather the posts that I have penned on green writing. I think it’s really important to work towards being eco-kind in our writing so I enjoyed providing information on 10 Eco-Harmful Habits of Writers and Adding Green Links to your Website. Green Writing is going to be a once-weekly Real Words column on Tuesdays from here on out.
Although it wasn’t my favorite post, the most commented-on post in March was my piece posing the idea that Typos Don’t Really Matter. I imagine that’s a controversial thing for a writer to say! And I stress that I always proofread my work since I know it matters to most people but that my point was I don’t mind typos at all as a reader of other people’s work.
Question of the Day: What was your favorite Real Words post from March?
[Tags] writing, round-up, links, freelance, typos, resources, posts [/Tags]
I’m always a little bit inspired by someone who has come up with a great screen name for himself or herself. We so often see online names that lack imagination (many of the ones I use are probably guilty of this) either because we need to use our given / professional name for work purposes or because we’re just in the habit of using the same old screen name that we’ve always used. As a result, it always catches my eye when someone has a great screen name that makes you look twice.
I’m also a big fan of any sort of play on words. I think words should be played with! So my interest was particularly captured when I was stumbling (through the social bookmarking site StumbleUpon) and I came across a profile with the name:
It’s a different kind of name. And it’s a great play on words (because of the spelling of break and the phrase ‘brake for animals’ it conjures up). I think we should all break for trees a little more in our lives. If we did, perhaps we’d be more inspired to come up with unique screen names and otherwise infuse creativity into the little things in our lives!
Question of the Day: What’s the best online name you’ve come across on the web?
[Tags] inspired, creativity, screen name, break for trees [/Tags]
Here are some of the posts and news articles that I find interesting today:
- When you Shouldn’t Use your Blog as a Writing Sample @ Catalyst Blogger
- How a Few Measly Words can Dramatically Improve your Blog Headline and Content @ Copyblogger
- The Work at Home Professional @ Freelance Parent
- Please Do Not Disturb @ Get Paid to Write Online
- How to Accomplish your Dreams @ Men with Pens
- 5 Things to Change to Save Yourself from Burnout @ Urban Muse
- How Intention Adds Fuel to the Writing Fire @ Confident Writing
- Draft Plans for Literary Essays @ Two Writing Teachers
- How you can Gain Clients by Getting Off the Web @ Quiet Rebel Writer
- Cool Websites and Tools @ Make Use Of
- Is Tagcow the Future of Photo Recognition and Tagging? @ Thomas Hawk’s Digital Connection
And here are some links to my favorite things that I authored this week:
- Introverted vs. Extroverted Blogging @ Pureblogging
- 10 Areas of Web 2.0 Where You Can Launch a Business @ HubPages
- How to Write and Distribute a Social Media Press Release @ HubPages
- Typos Don’t Really Matter (here)
- 10 Eco-Harmful Things Web Writers are Guilty Of (here)
- Aptera Hybrid: 3 Wheels and 300 MPG @ NewsFlavor
Want to get a jump start on the week to come by applying for new freelance writing or blogging work today? Following you’ll find the list of job links posted around today’s web.
Blog Jobs:
- Natural healthcare posts, $5 - $15 per post, additional pay for comments and links
Ongoing writing jobs:
- B2B Fashion Articles, $40-$400 per article
- Ghostwriter, Latino Teen Magazine articles, state your rate
- Summarize reports, $15-$60 per hour
- Ghostwriter, state your rate
- Kids’ TV show, paid by segment
- Lifestyle magazine, rate not stated
One-shot writing jobs:
- Press Release, Kids’ Music Project, state your rate
Seeking submissions:
- Lonely Planet travel books, various U.S. and international locations
Editing jobs:
- Editor for photo sharing information website, rate not stated
- Manuscript reviewer, rate not stated
- Proofreader/editor, oil industry texts, $5 per page (pages include charts and other non-text)
- French and German translation, one letter to be translated, $30 per translation, ASAP
- Web content editing, $20 per hour, 5-10 hrs. per week
Misc:
- Transcriber, two-hour audio tape, rate not stated
- Chinese Translator, soccer website, $10-$12 / hour
[Tags] freelance, writing, jobs, gigs, resources, employment, links, freelance writing jobs [/Tags]
If you’re on the hunt for freelance jobs that are available right now, you’ll want to check out the following opportunities:
Blog Jobs:
- Sports and fitness bloggers @ TFS Media Network, see ProBlogger for details, note unique pay scale does not pay for first five posts per month but increases by post so the total monthly pay may be worth it to you
- Gift blogger, $5.50 per 250-35 word post, 1 post per week
- City blogger, new network, revenue based only
- Consumer technology blogger, $0.02 per word
Ongoing writing jobs:
- Travel and Finance articles, $5-$10 per 500 word article
- Daily auction write-ups; 20-25 words @ $0.25 per word
- Resume writing, rate not stated
- Grant writers, rate not stated
- Technical writer, SQL Server Software, full or part time, rate not stated
- Business / Investing Reporter, $50K-$75 K per year
One-shot writing jobs:
- Review of website service, $50 for 300-500 words, be sure to get the details on this one first; don’t do it if it requires paying to sign up for something!
- Web page sales letter, $200
- IT business security information, rate not stated
- Copywriter for social networking site, rate not stated
- Press releases, pet company, state your rate
- Rewrite Org. Business Statement, $50
Seeking submissions:
- Midwest stories anthology, 225-375 words, $50 if accepted
Editing jobs:
- Web editor, rate not stated
- Proofreader for freelance writer, state your rate
Misc:
- Translator, English to Japanese, rate not stated
[Tags] freelance, writing, jobs, gigs, resources, employment, links, freelance writing jobs [/Tags]
Check out this week’s Just Write blog carnival. I know about it, of course, because one of my posts is featured there. However, I recommend it for the other great links that you’ll find there about writing. From dealing with artist rejection to coping with writer’s block to poetry about poems, there are some great little gems to be found there.
I’m also on the lookout for new blog carnivals for writers. I always enjoy reading about writing and think these are a great way to find writing articles I wouldn’t find anywhere else. So, if you know of any good ones, drop me a line!
I wrote a post earlier in the week describing the fact that I don’t think typos are that big of a deal. As a writer, I definitely make sure to proofread my work so that others don’t see typos because I think it’s the professional thing to do. But if it were up to me, people would be a lot less judgmental about the occasional typo because I really don’t think they matter much in the big scheme of a written piece.
In fact, I think that typos can be really inspiring when I see them in other people’s work. Here are some of the ways that you might think about being inspired the next time that you see a typo in someone’s work:
- Take time to wonder about why the typo happened. Imagine the author writing that piece of work and why he ended up with a typo. You just might find that this wondering leads to the development of a character in your next story.
- Ask yourself what the author really meant. Assess whether the typo makes any difference to that intended meaning. If not, let yourself think about the reasons that we take typos so seriously when they don’t really matter much.
- Let your mind wander over the different meanings that are created when an amusing typo crops up.
- Look at the word that’s been misspelled and see how many other words - real and imagined - can be created out of changing around those same letters.
- Let each typo be a reminder to come back to the piece. Most of us read with half our attention while thinking about (or doing) other things. A typo catches our attention and refocuses us on the page. Let each one be a reminder to really pay attention to what you’re reading.
- Look at the typo and see if it’s a nonsense word. If it is, spend some time brainstorming what that word could mean if it was a real word. Sound it out. Ask yourself what it feels like. Be inspired by the mistake.
I know that I’m one of very few people - and certainly very few professional writers - who don’t believe that typos are a big deal. But it’s true, I don’t. And I think they can be inspiring if we look for the inspiration in them. Let’s have more fun with our words, especially when they don’t come out the way that we intended.
Question of the Day: Can you imagine that typos are a source of inspiration?
[Tags] typo, edit, freelance, writing, copyediting, inspiration, creativity [/Tags]
I’ve found that there are a lot of benefits of blogging with HubPages. One of those benefits is that you get the chance to read information about all sorts of different topics that other people are posting on the site.
Here are some of the articles that went up on the site in the last 24 hours and that I happened to quite enjoy:
- Prison Life Through an Inmate’s Eyes
- Variations of Bench Press
- Retro Style Digital Cameras
- How to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo
- Lambada Dancing
- U.S. History: Hillary Clinton
What do you think of HubPages content?
[Tags] hub pages, blogging, content, articles, writing, reading, links [/Tags]
I love blog comments. I love dropping by the blogs of other writers whose work I enjoy and letting them know what I think about the things that they have written. I love it when people take the time to let me know what they think of my own blog posts here on Real Words (and on the other blogs I write for, too, of course). And I really love getting the chance to respond to blog comments that people have left for me because that’s where a real dialogue gets going.
It is through these back-and-forth comment conversations that pieces of work can grow and change. Ideas that were simple posts can turn into full-fledged articles. Some may even turn into books one day. It is this kind of interaction that web writing - and Web 2.0 as a whole - is all about.
As a quick note to my readers, I do try to respond to all comments on this blog as often as possible. The comments are left on this blog by editing the comment on my end. I’ll add an “@ author - NOTE HERE - Kathryn” line to show who it was meant for, what I want to say and that I was the one that added it. If you want to be notified that I’ve left this note on your comments, simply drop me and email to let me know and I’ll make sure to update you when my responses have been added.
Thanks for dropping by; I love the fact that you’re here!
Question of the Day: What are the best approaches you’ve seen to the process of writing and responding to comments on blogs?
[Tags] comments, blog, writing, readers, web 2.0, communication, interaction [/Tags]
Inspired is a daily column here on Real Words that reveals all of the different things that inspire me throughout the week. What I’m finding inspirational today is this stunning photograph of the insides of a beautiful flower. It comes from Caught in Time Photography where you can go to check out galleries of other impressive photos.
I find this inspiring as a writer for a few reasons. These reasons include:
- Quality photography eludes me. My medium is words. I love images but I’m not skilled at capturing them in any form. I’ve definitely never gotten to the point of being skilled at capturing great close-up photos with a camera. Someone else that can do it inspires me as an artist.
- The attention to detail. As a writer, you can never get too much attention to detail in your life. Breaking everything down to those small little pieces makes it easier to understand. Knowing how to look at details helps you to capture nuances in your own work and to really allow readers to connect with what you’re trying to describe.
- The light and shadow. Writing boils down to showing off the light and shadows in life. I love seeing that complex notion captured simply in photographs such as this one.
It’s also just a really beautiful picture that I can gaze at to inspire daydreams.
Question of the Day: Why do you think flowers have so often been a source of inspiration to artists of all kinds?
[Tags] photography, art, flower, inspiration, writing [/Tags]
