I believe our writing flourishes when we experiment with different writing styles.
Creative writers benefit from learning the more structured forms that non-fiction writing adheres to, while non-fiction writers are better able to make their content engaging when they make it creative and connect well with their readers.
Please view my latest hub for 101 writing prompts that are challenging for every type of writer! Challenge yourself and grow - both personally and as a competent writer.
http://hubpages.com/hub/101_writing_prompts
The prompts here will provide great ideas for articles, short stories and self-discovery journal writing. Enjoy! :)
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
The 12 Universal Laws Explained
Many of you are probably familiar with the "Law of Attraction" due to popular movies/books like "The Secret".
While I also enjoyed that series very much, I've found that there is a lot more to it than that and a lot of people are left without the full knowledge they need to truly manifest their desires.
I have spent a great deal of time learning and pondering the various laws of the universe - long before I knew the specific names of the laws ;).
This has led me to write my latest piece The 12 Universal Laws Explained in a Nutshell
The Law of Attraction DOES work - but not without the full application of all the other universal laws which correspond with it. This article teaches the other universal laws by describing them with real world examples. I hope you will find it useful and pass it on :)
Sincerely,
Christin
While I also enjoyed that series very much, I've found that there is a lot more to it than that and a lot of people are left without the full knowledge they need to truly manifest their desires.
I have spent a great deal of time learning and pondering the various laws of the universe - long before I knew the specific names of the laws ;).
This has led me to write my latest piece The 12 Universal Laws Explained in a Nutshell
The Law of Attraction DOES work - but not without the full application of all the other universal laws which correspond with it. This article teaches the other universal laws by describing them with real world examples. I hope you will find it useful and pass it on :)
Sincerely,
Christin
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Hub Pages - What I like about them
I just discovered the whole Hubpage phenomenon and I think it will give me a good venue to show off some of my other writing.
Writing a Hub is easy and allows you to produce articles about whatever subject(s) you are knowledgeable about. You earn revenue through Adsense and Amazon, but I think one of the best things about it is using it as a way to showcase different writing styles.
I have used it so far to publish some articles on herbal remedies (another passion of mine that doesn't fit in with any of my established blogs) and a short story. I am of course just getting started with it, but I hope it will generate some sideline income. Like anything, you get out of it what you put in. Needless to say I have "hopped" some really beautiful writing there and some just made my cringe.
If any of you reading have used HubPages please comment and let me know what you think of them. I'm happy to follow your hubs if you follow mine :)
Writing a Hub is easy and allows you to produce articles about whatever subject(s) you are knowledgeable about. You earn revenue through Adsense and Amazon, but I think one of the best things about it is using it as a way to showcase different writing styles.
I have used it so far to publish some articles on herbal remedies (another passion of mine that doesn't fit in with any of my established blogs) and a short story. I am of course just getting started with it, but I hope it will generate some sideline income. Like anything, you get out of it what you put in. Needless to say I have "hopped" some really beautiful writing there and some just made my cringe.
If any of you reading have used HubPages please comment and let me know what you think of them. I'm happy to follow your hubs if you follow mine :)
Friday, June 24, 2011
3 Simple Steps to Take Your Power Back
As you all know - I am a big advocate for personal growth and self-discovery. I believe each person comes here to learn and that all experiences have something beneficial that can be gleaned from them.
I found this article this morning - something I wrote a long time ago and hadn't shared yet so I thought I would post it because it is relevant :).
Take Your Power Back in 3 Steps
Take your power back! The few steps outlined below will start you on the path to liberation and show you how to live a more rewarding life.
Acceptance: This is the first important lesson to living an empowered life. Living in the past does not allow us to move forward. Let go of futile things like regret. We don't always have to like what happened, or what others have done that is harmful, but dwelling on things only keeps us stuck. Holding onto pain ultimately hurts us more than the original transgression anyway. Accept what has come before, that is the first step to finding peace. This doesn't mean "like it" - but accept it and look for the lessons that can be gleaned from it.
Secondly - Forgiveness. We don't have to "forget" to forgive, but in the act of forgiveness we say "I am not going to allow this person or this situation to have power over my life". When we make a conscious decision to forgive, we allow ourselves to move forward with a new sense of freedom. Forgiveness is the ultimate act of taking your power back.
Finally, Release. Once we have accepted the person/situation and made a conscious decision to forgive ourselves/others etc. we are free to release that burden from our soul. In release, comes the ability to rebuild and start fresh. Release lifts the weight of the negative emotions of anger, regret, sorrow. When we release them, we open up to higher vibrational frequencies which in turn draw more positive people and circumstances into our world.
Once you have worked on these steps, it is important to keep the ball rolling. Accountability is the final lesson for leading an empowered life. Stop being a victim, stop blaming others. Take ownership of your own life. You are in control of your destiny based on your choices and actions. You cannot control the actions of others, but you can choose your own. Recognition of this fact allows the individual to feel more in control of his/her own destiny as opposed to feeling victimized by circumstance.
I found this article this morning - something I wrote a long time ago and hadn't shared yet so I thought I would post it because it is relevant :).
Take Your Power Back in 3 Steps
Take your power back! The few steps outlined below will start you on the path to liberation and show you how to live a more rewarding life.
Acceptance: This is the first important lesson to living an empowered life. Living in the past does not allow us to move forward. Let go of futile things like regret. We don't always have to like what happened, or what others have done that is harmful, but dwelling on things only keeps us stuck. Holding onto pain ultimately hurts us more than the original transgression anyway. Accept what has come before, that is the first step to finding peace. This doesn't mean "like it" - but accept it and look for the lessons that can be gleaned from it.
Secondly - Forgiveness. We don't have to "forget" to forgive, but in the act of forgiveness we say "I am not going to allow this person or this situation to have power over my life". When we make a conscious decision to forgive, we allow ourselves to move forward with a new sense of freedom. Forgiveness is the ultimate act of taking your power back.
Finally, Release. Once we have accepted the person/situation and made a conscious decision to forgive ourselves/others etc. we are free to release that burden from our soul. In release, comes the ability to rebuild and start fresh. Release lifts the weight of the negative emotions of anger, regret, sorrow. When we release them, we open up to higher vibrational frequencies which in turn draw more positive people and circumstances into our world.
Once you have worked on these steps, it is important to keep the ball rolling. Accountability is the final lesson for leading an empowered life. Stop being a victim, stop blaming others. Take ownership of your own life. You are in control of your destiny based on your choices and actions. You cannot control the actions of others, but you can choose your own. Recognition of this fact allows the individual to feel more in control of his/her own destiny as opposed to feeling victimized by circumstance.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
3 Quick Tips to Beat Writer's Block that Actually Work!
There are tips galore for breaking the grip of writer's block. Writer's block happens to the best of writers and it can be a very foreboding feeling - especially when you depend on your writing to help feed the family and pay the bills.
I have an ironic inner issue that I have learned to play along with - and it has prompted some of my better writing. I feel amazingly pressured by deadlines - so much so that I freeze. However, when I am playing a game I love the pressure to solve a puzzle or do something as quickly as possible - which leads us to tip one.
Beat Writer's Block Tip 1
The little game I play with myself is to get ideas down on paper - everything else can come in revisions later. It involves a timer and free writing.
I do this in a couple of ways - either by choosing a subject or just writing whatever comes out. I set a timer and the idea of the "game" is to see how many ideas I can come up with in the allotted time. Usually just one "round" of this free writing will get my words flowing. Sometimes, the brain is still stubborn though and in that case I set the timer again and "compete" with myself to get more ideas during the second round.
The key components to excellent free writing:
Granted some of these can be harder than they sound, but keep practicing and you'll find free writing techniques the most valuable for overcoming writer's block and allowing words to flow more easily and frequently.
* Forget punctuation, spelling and other distractions - it's only for you
* If you get off topic keep writing anyway sometimes you'll come around full circle and end up developing even more well-rounded ideas.
* Allow your ideas to flow freely and don't try to "correct" them as you write - let go and ALLOW yourself to just write - without fear or consequence just do it.
Beat Writer's Block Tip 2
Sometimes it's just difficult to come up with ideas. A few things I do for this is consciously ask questions. Watch the news or read a magazine and as you do ask deeper questions - "why would someone do that" or "what lead to this", "how else could you...?" etc. Those questions can lead to neat new ideas to explore.
Another idea is to use SEO tools to see what people are searching for - what do they want to know? Find something interesting and write an outline for that type of article to pitch (or write the article and sell it as online content right away)
Beat Writer's Block Tip 3
set up a mic and voice record - ask questions, talk about what's on your mind, share insights you had about something you read etc. It's the "speaking" equivalent of a free writing session, but allows you to get a lot more ideas out in a short time. Later on listen to your recording and glean ideas from that.
I have an ironic inner issue that I have learned to play along with - and it has prompted some of my better writing. I feel amazingly pressured by deadlines - so much so that I freeze. However, when I am playing a game I love the pressure to solve a puzzle or do something as quickly as possible - which leads us to tip one.
Beat Writer's Block Tip 1
The little game I play with myself is to get ideas down on paper - everything else can come in revisions later. It involves a timer and free writing.
I do this in a couple of ways - either by choosing a subject or just writing whatever comes out. I set a timer and the idea of the "game" is to see how many ideas I can come up with in the allotted time. Usually just one "round" of this free writing will get my words flowing. Sometimes, the brain is still stubborn though and in that case I set the timer again and "compete" with myself to get more ideas during the second round.
The key components to excellent free writing:
Granted some of these can be harder than they sound, but keep practicing and you'll find free writing techniques the most valuable for overcoming writer's block and allowing words to flow more easily and frequently.
* Forget punctuation, spelling and other distractions - it's only for you
* If you get off topic keep writing anyway sometimes you'll come around full circle and end up developing even more well-rounded ideas.
* Allow your ideas to flow freely and don't try to "correct" them as you write - let go and ALLOW yourself to just write - without fear or consequence just do it.
Beat Writer's Block Tip 2
Sometimes it's just difficult to come up with ideas. A few things I do for this is consciously ask questions. Watch the news or read a magazine and as you do ask deeper questions - "why would someone do that" or "what lead to this", "how else could you...?" etc. Those questions can lead to neat new ideas to explore.
Another idea is to use SEO tools to see what people are searching for - what do they want to know? Find something interesting and write an outline for that type of article to pitch (or write the article and sell it as online content right away)
Beat Writer's Block Tip 3
set up a mic and voice record - ask questions, talk about what's on your mind, share insights you had about something you read etc. It's the "speaking" equivalent of a free writing session, but allows you to get a lot more ideas out in a short time. Later on listen to your recording and glean ideas from that.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Journaling Exercise: Acceptance
I have decided to do a few videos that highlight the power words articles and journal exercises. I hope you will enjoy and pass along to friends :)
Blessings,
Christin
Blessings,
Christin
Saturday, June 11, 2011
6 Best Paying Websites for Talented Writers
Below are the best options I have found for websites that offer up-front pay to writers for quality content.
I have just recently applied to a few of these and I am still waiting on the results. I am impressed that these sites pay an up-front fee for assigned articles and also participate in revenue-sharing. I thought I would share a few of them here for any of you looking for higher-paying, freelance writing work. My primary focus of course is still going to be print magazines :) - and other obligations I currently have, but these may be useful to someone so here you go! :) enjoy.
Love to Know Love to Know requires writer's to have some experience. The application process will take awhile. Have a current "writing focused" resume as well as 2 samples of relevant work. On this site you can apply to specific channels where you have knowledge which I thought was very nice. You can apply to as many channels as you like, but in the third part of the application process be prepared to share what makes you an expert in those areas with working examples.
Writer's are expected to be very knowledgeable and have the willingness to contribute regularly. In return they offer up-front payment for accepted articles, a professional team of editor's to work with you, and you also earn a share of ad revenue from your pages.
Demand Studios: This is another website that is highly competitive and accepts only the best writer's. When you apply be sure to have your "best stuff" on hand and be able to demonstrate your knowledge in the areas you are interested in writing about. Demand Studios offers up-front pay ($16.00 per accepted article the last I heard) and also continued profit sharing for your content. Very nice gig if you can get it.
Bright Hub: I have been accepted here very recently and I am looking forward to writing for them. They offer excellent training materials, up-front pay for assigned articles when you write for an editorial community channel. (I'll be writing about green living - one of my passions :) ) and the ability to also write about whatever you like in a "self-publish" area and earn ad revenue (without an up-front payment).
If you are accepted, you will be limited to 5 articles per month the first month. This is to ensure that writer's don't just dive in and get in over their heads. I am very impressed with how Bright Hub seems to genuinely want their writers to succeed. A team of editors to support and guide you is always a good thing when really digging into freelance writing.
About.com Contributing Writer: High competition here, but for good reason. About.com is the place to be as a freelancer. Guides and even contributing writer's are compensated very well. The contributing writer process - like the Guide process, is very extensive. You choose from topics that are available and send in your application. If your application is accepted, you are put through a training process with other writers and at the end of the training period a team of editors decides whether or not to accept you. About.com is by far the place where one must jump through the most hoops to prove themselves - but what a resume builder if you can get it. Many About.com Guides and Writers do only that full time and earn a very nice living.
Yahoo Contributing Writer: Associated Content was purchased by Yahoo and now is the Yahoo Contributor Network. I have not looked at this very extensively yet since being accepted, but they offer several ways to earn money. Up-front offers, assignments, performance, and distribution. Yahoo states their typical up-front payment ranges from $2 - $25.
You can choose work from their assignment desk, or you may write your own content and have them make an offer.
Constant-Content: This website allows you to answer requests for articles or to simply publish articles and name your own price. You can offer everything from only usage rights to exclusive rights. Articles and content can sell for varying ranges here. I haven't published any articles here in over a year due to other engagements, however I have sold some of my work through them before.
The article acceptance is quite slow and they are very rigorous in their editing - so you must write, proofread, and edit any work thoroughly before submission to save yourself time and headaches. I appreciate this though, because people who go here to purchase writing know they are getting high-quality work and they are willing to pay for it!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Freelancing Job Boards - In search of a decent wage...
I have been doing a lot of self-promotion the past two weeks trying to land some gigs and get some more writing done. I love the idea of being a full time freelancer with my writing, web design, and other projects.
The newest website I am working on is going to highlight all of my skills and be on a subject I love - animals! More specifically animal totems - it gives me an opportunity to show off some art, web design, and writing all in one place :)
In the meantime, to make some more money I've been filling out profiles/portfolios on sites like Elance and some others. I will compile a list of freelance sources to post to find writing gigs at some point here in the near future. I'd like to hear from anyone though who knows of a good freelance job website where you can get decent paying gigs. Elance has a lot of competition and a lot of the jobs are going to people overseas who are willing to write for a dollar an article. I believe I am worth more than that and I refuse to take on those super-low paying jobs.
One cool website I did find though is www.donanza.com - I like the design it's really clean and sharp. When you sign up (free) you can get job postings sent to you. Their job postings cover most of the freelance sites and the listings they have sent me have all been relevant. It's a good way to search "all at once" rather than going from site to site.
More later.... Happy writing!
The newest website I am working on is going to highlight all of my skills and be on a subject I love - animals! More specifically animal totems - it gives me an opportunity to show off some art, web design, and writing all in one place :)
In the meantime, to make some more money I've been filling out profiles/portfolios on sites like Elance and some others. I will compile a list of freelance sources to post to find writing gigs at some point here in the near future. I'd like to hear from anyone though who knows of a good freelance job website where you can get decent paying gigs. Elance has a lot of competition and a lot of the jobs are going to people overseas who are willing to write for a dollar an article. I believe I am worth more than that and I refuse to take on those super-low paying jobs.
One cool website I did find though is www.donanza.com - I like the design it's really clean and sharp. When you sign up (free) you can get job postings sent to you. Their job postings cover most of the freelance sites and the listings they have sent me have all been relevant. It's a good way to search "all at once" rather than going from site to site.
More later.... Happy writing!
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