Real Words

I’m a big fan of HubPages, a site where people can publish content about nearly any topic under the sun. I write for the site myself but I also appreciate the fact that I can learn about a whole lot of things from the others who publish their content there. Because I do love this site so much, I’ve decided to start sharing my favorite posts from the day on a regular basis.

Here are my favorite HubPages articles from today:

• Alice in Wonderland Quotes
• How to Select the Right Wine Glass
• Online Movies: MovieLink vs. PeekVid
• How to Teach your Child to Use a Planner
• Janis Joplin Hub
• In Loving Memory Tattoos
• How to Set up Channels to Monitor Adsense

Happy reading! Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

I know that I’m not supposed to say this as a writer but I really don’t think typos are that big of a deal. This isn’t to say that I don’t proofread my work or try to weed out all typos in my own writing. Because I write primarily for clients, I think it’s important to maintain the standard of typo-free work. But as a reader, I really don’t mind typos at all and don’t think that they indicate all of the horrible things about the writer that we are taught to assume they mean.

Most people see a typo and think a few basic things about the author. They think that he didn’t care enough about his work to read through it again for typos. They think that she’s a sloppy writer. They think that he doesn’t really know how to spell or how to be grammatically correct. They think that she’s a bad writer. We assume all of these negative things about the writing and the writer based on the typos that we find.

The reality is that most typos probably don’t reflect any of these things. I assume some basic things to be true about most typos, especially if they’re in online writing. I assume that her thoughts were flying faster than her fingers and she was having trouble keeping up. I assume that his job demands quantity and that he had the time to research and write a quality piece but not the additional time to comb through it for typos. I assume that she did read through it, maybe several times, but that she was so familiar with her own work that she didn’t spot the typos that were there; (she read the writing the way she intended it to be written and not the way it was on the page).

In addition to believing that are assumptions about typos are incorrect, I really don’t believe that typos are a bad thing. As a reader, they don’t bother me a bit. And in fact, I think that they can be kind of fun. I love when I’m reading through a book and catch a typo that the author and editor missed. It makes me feel like I’m in on the secret, like I’m there with the work as it’s being written. It reminds me that a creative work is never ever finished even if it’s been published and put aside. In rare instances, the very nature of the typo causes me to laugh out loud. Or it inspires a whole train of thought about what the author really meant to say, what she was thinking as she mis-wrote, what her life was like as she was completing the work.

So, I happen to like typos. I think they bring humanity to the work that we are writing. I think that they can be inspiring as a reader. And even if you don’t like them, I really don’t think that they typically detract from the piece of writing. In almost all cases, you can easily guess what the writer meant to say and move on with the piece. If the typo doesn’t impact your understanding of the writing, does it really matter that it was there?

Of course, I don’t recommend that writers fail to proofread their work. The reality of the world is that people are going to judge you based on your typos. You aren’t going to get the freelance job you want if you fail to proofread your cover letter for typos. You are probably going to lose some readers if your blog regularly has writing flaws. Making sure that you have taken the typos out of your work is going to make you look like a more polished and professional writer and will show the world that you take your work seriously.

But as a reader, I encourage you to think of typos as a fun place for connecting with the writer and letting your own imagination drift off into their world for a little while. Let’s judge less and have fun more!

Question of the Day: So what do you think, do typos matter?

Link for fun: Typo Generator

[Tags] freelance, typo, copywriting, proofreading, editing, writing, blogging [/Tags]

This quote by Audre Lorde is one of the most inspiring lines of writing that I’ve read throughout the years:

“When we speak

We are afraid

Our words will not be heard nor welcomed.

But when we are silent,

We are still afraid.

So it is better to speak.”

That is what writing is all about; the willingness to speak our own truths despite the fears that may attempt to hold us back.

To always strive to speak what is in our hearts despite what we are concerned the consequences may be is one of the goals of a writer’s life … and the act of doing so is always an inspiration.

Question of the Day: What’s your favorite Audre Lorde quote?

[Tags] audre lorde, quote, writing, silence, fear [/Tags]

It’s tech-free Tuesday around here and that means that it’s time for another Real Words post on green writing. We all need to do our part to be kinder to the world around us. The best place to start is to clean up our act when it comes to work.

Here are 10 eco-harmful things that many writers and bloggers are guilty of … if you see something on the list that applies to you, consider making an effort to change your ways today! Every little bit helps.

1. The computer is always on. I’m definitely guilty of this one. I have two computers , a printer and a fax constantly turned on and using up energy. The reality is that I’m using at least one of the items most of the day but I probably don’t need to leave them all on all of the time. One way I counter this is to take tech-free days but I could certainly also turn off some of the equipment at least some of the time each day.
2. Working for eco-harmful companies. As a writer, you often have to take the work that you are able to get. Despite this, you should try to do at least a little research into the background of the companies and clients that you work for. If at all possible, try to work entirely or primarily with companies that engage in green practices. After all, when you do work that supports eco-harmful companies, you’re doing your part to damage the earth.
3. Driving when we could walk. People who work as freelancers generally have the ability to schedule their own time. This means that we can plan to take a little bit longer to get somewhere and use that time to walk, bike or take public transportation instead of driving our cars. The person who has to get to and from their errands during a scheduled lunch braek doesn’t have that luxury; we do. At the very least, we can schedule all of our errands and out-of-office meetings to take place around the same time so that we reduce the number of trips we take in the car.
4. Throwing away paper. You probably generate a lot of paper in the course of a week’s worth. You should be recycling it. Re-use it for note-taking when you can, make your own homemade paper with the scraps or stick it in the recycling bin to be greener than you are today.
5. Subscribing to magazines. You can read these online and save some trees but many web writers prefer the physical feel of the magazine because it differs from their usual experience of reading blogs. Try to limit your magazine subscriptions or at least donate the magazines when you are done with them.
6. Excessive use of computer ink. First of all, many web writers print out things they could read online which wastes ink. Second, they often just toss their ink cartridges as soon as they’re out. You can refill them to save on money and save on wasting the environment. And instead of tossing them, you can find a local recycling company that will make sure they don’t just go to the landfill. The U.S. Postal Service has also just started a pilot program that will let you mail those cartridges in for free recycling.
7. Letting books gather dust. Writers love books. However, a collection of books that you aren’t reading is a waste of trees and space. Periodically going through your books and getting rid of what you don’t read can help green the Earth. Ideally, you’ll sell them or give them away to others who want to read them. Alternatively, you can recycle them or you can turn them into altered art. Just don’t let them sit there.
8. Jumping on the new phone bandwagon. Many web writers are interested in always getting the latest new cell phone. That’s because they want to be able to Twitter away, access their Facebook from their phone or simply get online for web research. Ask yourself if you really need to toss your old phone already or if you can hang on a little longer to what you’ve already got working for you. If you do need a new phone, make sure you recycle and don’t just send that mobile phone to the landfill.
9. Turning up the AC and heat in the home. If you work from home, you probably get used to the climate control in your house. You may be wasting energy that you don’t need to waste. Get outside a few times a day for a brisk walk and you’ll warm up without turning on the heat. Open your windows instead of turning on the air conditioner.
10. Ignoring the green movement. More than anything else, most web writers are guilty of completely ignoring the green movement, at least insofar as it applies to their work. They simply don’t think about it and that can be the most earth-damaging act of all. Simple acts like adding green links to your site, writing about green issues and simply being aware that there are things that you can do to be a greener writer can start making serious change in the world around you.

Every single one of us can do something a little bit greener today than what we did yesterday. The earth depends on our willingness to do that.

Question of the Day: Do you think web writers can make a difference to the environment by implementing greener writing habits?

[Tags] green writing, eco-friendly, earth, environment, writing, web writer, blogging [/Tags]

I’m currently infatuated with the design of a new hybrid / plug-in electric vehicle that is being made this year by a new car company called Aptera. The vehicle is a three-wheel car that gets the equivalent of 300 mpg and has other neat eco-friendly features such as a heating and cooling system that’s powered by solar panel energy. It’s a fully-functional car able to handle highway speeds and is available for pre-order by California residents at the current time.

Here are a few of the reasons that I find this car to be inspiring:

• It’s eco-friendly. I’m a big fan of the green movement (and strongly believe that writers should practice green habits; learn more here). Anything that moves this forward is inspiring to me.
• The design is truly unique. It’s not something that you can see anywhere else. That kind of vision is always inspirational. More than that, it’s got a forward-thinking style that makes it look like a space vehicle. That makes me want to create a character who will want to ride in that car. It gets those wheels of creative writing spinning.
• It’s neither here nor there. It’s a three-wheel car that’s classified as a motorcycle but functions like a car. That kind of ambiguity leaves room for inspiration. It makes me wonder what else lies in its in-betweens.

Learn more about the Aptera car here.

Question of the Day: Do you believe that a car can be a source of inspiration for a writer?

[Tags] aptera, hybrid, plug-in car, electric vehicle, green, eco-friendly, inspiration, design, auto [/Tags]

I first discovered SARK when I was in my late teens. There was an independent bookstore in my town where I would go to discover things that they didn’t have at the chain bookstore where I worked. In addition to books on creativity and alternative living and artistic endeavors, this bookstore had posters. One of them was a poster of SARK sayings.

For those who don’t know, SARK is an artist and author from here in San Francisco (although I didn’t realize she was from here when I was still living in Arizona). She writes her books in colorful handwriting and dares her readers to dream. She provides simple mantras for living a more creative life, allows space in her books for readers to color outside of her lines and embraces the idea that every page can be a starting point for something else.

I’ve come back to SARK again and again over the years. In periods when inspiration is weak, I’ll remember her writing and print out a copy of one of her sayings to hang over my desk. I’ll remind myself that it’s okay to spend an afternoon coloring or to take a lazy day to just be in bed with a book; things I learned from SARK when I was overworking and making those rare stops in independent bookstores.

Learn more about SARK here.

Question of the Day: Which creative writer inspires you most?

If you happen to be spending Easter looking for freelance work, here are some links that will point you in the right direction: 

Blog Jobs:

• Video Game Blogger, 3-5 posts / week, $10 / post

Ongoing writing jobs:

• Monthly oncology newsletter, rate not stated
• Business sales plan, $500-$3000 DOE
• SEO articles, $5 per 500 words, 5000-10000 words per day, daily pay via PayPal
• Adult video reviews, per article with bonuses
• General writing, rate not stated

One-shot writing jobs:

• Books, multiple topics, pay rate not stated
• 4 personal essays, rate not stated
• Global Arts / Culture articles, 1000-1500 words, $100 per article

Seeking submissions:

• 90-minute feature film script, pay negotiable

Editing:

• Word doc layout and basic editing, $50-$200 for one-time project

[Tags] freelance, writing, jobs, gigs, resources, employment, links, freelance writing jobs [/Tags]

It’s Easter morning. If I was still a kid I’d be up early hunting through the house from the “prize” Easter eggs and checking out what kind of candy was in my basket. The adult equivalent is a lazy morning spent hunting through the Internet for gems of writing that inspire and inform me.

Here are some of those posts:

• 50 Ways to Create a Motivational Work Space @ Bootstrapper
• Should You Let Scrapers Link to your Blog? @ Men with Pens
• Blogging Basics for Journalists: Fundamentals to Building an Audience @ New Media Bytes
• How Much do Bloggers Really Earn? @ SubHub
• Let Go Of! @ The Writers Manifesto Blog
• Do You Make These Mistakes When Blogging? @ Blogging Tips
• 10 Ways to Become a Writer (that Gets Paid) @ Andrea Goulet
• Jason Boom Dot Com @ Small Fish Big Money
• What Kind of Bonus Excites You More? @ The Baglady
• Adding Some Glue to Online Relationships @ Get Paid To Write Online
• Sumo Wrester’s Blog Typifies Japan’s Blogging Boom @ Inventor Spot
• 3 Reasons to Write for Low Paying Online Sites @ How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career
• Free Writer’s Toolkit @ American Pai
• 7 Traits of Financially Successful Women @ WE Magazine
• Banging My Gong – The Brand @ Writing Journey
• A Writer’s Faith @ The Wizard of X
• An Interview with Robin Gerber @ The Literate Housewife Review
• Creangelism; Spreading the Word of Creativity @ Finance and Investment
• The Role of Twitter vs. The Role of Your Blog @ Broadcasting Brain
• Why You’ve Got To Digg to Get Dugg @ SkellieWag
• The Dark Side of Making Money Online @ Marketer Review
• On Being An Artist in Residence @ Creativity
• Writing and Art @ Dancing Cat Paperworks
• Don’t Fence Me In; Creating Space for Great Productivity @ Kevin’s Blog
• Get Ekphrastic! @ WoW Women on Writing
• Stephen King’s Greatest Lesson for Writers @ Write to Done
• The Silent K @ Daily Writing Tips
• What Is Creativity? @ Geeky is a Way of Life
• Blogging News Stories As They Happen @ The Wealth Blog
• Green Jobs @ River Wired

And here are some links to the articles that I authored this week and particularly like:

• How to Be a More Confident Blogger (Pureblogging)
• 25 Simple Mantras for Every Writer to Remember (here)
• Mobile Phone Laws Around the World (Dial-a-Phone)
• 20 Reasons Credit Cards are Worse than the Other Woman (Apply 4 Credit)
• Basics of Writing a Press Release (Hub Pages)
• 10 Hottest Guys in Mobile Phone Ads and How You Can Be Like Them (Dial-a-Phone)

As I mentioned here recently, I get inspiredy by participating in blog carnivals around the web. I find them to be a terrific way to spread the word about my own work. More importantly, I really like reading what other articles have been submitted to the same carnivals.

You might be interested in checking out the two current carnivals where my work is features alongside that of some other really talented writers:

• JustWrite Blog Carnival @ Incurable Disease of Writing
• The Business of Freelance Writing Carnival @ ThursdayBram.com

There are various types of posts about all aspects of writing to be found there. Happy reading!

Question of the Day: What do you see as the pros and cons of blog carnivals?

[Tags] blog carnival, writing, freelance [/Tags]

It is easy to get lost along the way during the course of being a writer. This fact is true whether you write novels or write for the web, whether you write for fun or you write to put food on the table. Writer’s block will throw itself in your path. Self-doubt will creep into your writing world. And every day you will need to make the choice to continue writing despite the difficulty of it.

Here are 25 simple mantras that you can keep in mind to keep you writing when the writing gets tough to do:

1. I can write.
2. I will know more tonight than I did when I woke up this morning.
3. My own writing voice is good enough.
4. The right words are just around the corner.
5. Reading is research.
6. It’s okay if the draft isn’t terrific.
7. My opinion matters more than my critics’ opinion.
8. I can write something else tomorrow.
9. It’s okay to be friends with other writers.
10. I only need to sit and write – the rest will work itself out.
11. My writing is good enough to serve fair pay.
12. My perspective is unique; sharing it adds to the world.
13. I write because I enjoy writing.
14. Writing is the way that I understand the world around me.
15. Inspiration is a jewel to be treasured and carried within me each day.
16. It’s okay to feel like a mess.
17. The most well-known writers have felt bad about their work.
18. There is a way to do this writing thing that will work for me.
19. Creativity is a worthy use of my time.
20. I can say “no” if I don’t want to waste my time writing something.
21. My writing will change with time.
22. Putting my writing out into the world may affect others in ways I’ll never know.
23. It’s important to listen to my instincts about writing.
24. I deserve to take time out each day to write.
25. I will write.

It’s the simple things that matter each day. We need to walk into our experiences with the mindset that it’s perfectly okay to do what we are doing and that how we are doing it is good enough for today. The world is tough enough; don’t make it harder by being unkind to yourself or your writing. Remember that when you are sitting down at the desk to write something that’s not working for you. And then just sit and write.

Question of the Day: What mantra gets you to the next step in writing?

[Tags] writing, affirmations, mantra, motto, sayings, inspiration [/Tags]