Guest Posts
Guest Post: A Parable for Writers
2This article was offered by Gwen Plauche through Faithwriters.com’s free article service.
A man was preparing to go on an extended trip. He sent a text to three of his employees to come to his office.
To the first employee arriving in his office he handed an agreement from a publisher to write a series of books. To the next employee, he gave a contract to supply a monthly column and to the third employee arriving in his office he assigned the duty to keep his blog updated.
The first employee excitedly worked daily on the project. Unfortunately the book contract fell through. However, his energy for the project was contagious and after many submissions, a new deal was inked. The new publisher also asked for an additional series with a generous advance attached.
The second employee also went right to work writing the column with attention to detail. Ahead of schedule, he decided to carefully review the contract and found that he was able to sell reprinted articles to other publications. He invested many hours researching possibilities and found that many of the newer publications did not pay for published submissions. Not one to get discouraged, he continued to submit appropriately chosen articles with full passion for the project and carefully followed up on all the submissions. One of the new publishers was so pleased with the reader response to the monthly column that they proposed an anthology that would be published by year end.
The third employee looked at the blog with disdain. I really should be writing a book! Why am I wasting my time blogging for my absentee boss? He reviewed the previously posts on the blog and matched the word count and frequency as he blogged. He was surprised how easy of a task it turned out to be and used the rest of his time on his personal business. Well, I have completed my assignment!
At the end of his extended absence, the boss returned and called the three employees to his office to recap the events of the past year.
True to form, the first employee to his office was the one who had the book assignment. As he entered the office, the boss embraced him and said, “I do not even need to ask how you did. I have been following your tweets and Facebook posts. Sit down and tell me all about it! I am so proud of you; you have represented me well!”
About then, the second employee joined them in the office. “Welcome,” the boss said as he warmly greeted his entrance. “Look what I picked up at the airport during my last layover as he showcased the newly published anthology of the articles published in his absence. You are a genius; great work! Just think where we can take this in the next year!”
The third employee slipped in the room and took a seat across the office, hoping to be unnoticed, but all eyes were on him. The employee squirmed. Silence in return. The boss opened his laptop and logged in. Typing his blog address he began to speak. “Well, I have been watching the blog.” No response from the employee. The boss continued, “And I have to say, it was pretty boring.”
The employee sat up a bit straighter and answered, “But sir, I know you are a perfectionist and well known in the publishing world. I just did not want to do anything that was not up to your standards,” he said as he slumped back down in the chair.
“So you basically did nothing?”
“Not exactly, sir. I continued your blog as instructed. I even matched your previous word count and tried to keep the topics very similar.”
“I never imagined you to be so lazy! The very least you could do is use your own creativity and stretch a little bit. I gave you a vehicle that would get your writing out there, but you did not even use it to grow. You could have networked with other writers and at least entered a writing contest or two. I hate to tell you this, but I will not be able to trust you with this again. In fact, I will gladly assign this to my first employee who ran circles around you during this same time, yet accomplished ten times as much. I will accept from you your immediate resignation.”
“To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away” Matthew 25:29 (NLT).
Copyright information:
Written by Gwen Plauche. Blog: http://www.GwenPlauche.com. Copyright 2011, Gwen Plauche. You have permission to reprint in its entirety only provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission. All other rights reserved.
Guest Post: Writers’ Block Buster
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Today’s guest post is by Rebecca Livermore, and the full title is “Writers’ Block Buster: Idea Jars.” Be sure to visit her website Professional Content Creation.
Does writer’s block ever get you down? Try putting together idea jars so that next time writer’s block strikes, you’ll be able to shake it. Here’s how to do it:
1. Get two jars, or containers of some sort. (Don’t obsess over this step! They don’t need to be anything special, unless you want them to be!) Label one jar “ideas” and the other one “words.”
2. Grab a newspaper or magazine, or head for your favorite news source online. Skim through the articles, looking for interesting stories, or a mediocre story with an interesting element. For instance, I just saw a story on MSN about two people being stung by scorpions on an airplane. In my view, that’s an interesting story!
3. Jot tidbits of information and words on strips of paper. For the above story, I would jot, “man on plane bit by scorpion” and perhaps, “leg swells due to scorpion bite.” I would also write some of the primary words on strips of paper such as, airplane, scorpion, bite, swell, venom, etc.
4. Put the words in the word jar, and the ideas in the idea jar.
5. Get into the habit of doing this regularly, as you read the newspaper, or even as you watch the news on T.V. Over time you’ll collect a lot of words and ideas.
Next time writer’s block strikes, grab the two jars and do the following:
1. Pull an idea from the idea jar, and pull three words from the word jar.
2. Set a timer for 30 minutes, and write like mad, using the idea and the three words you’ve drawn in your writing.
The fact that the words you’ve drawn may have nothing to do with the idea you drew is part of the challenge and part of the fun. The sheer silliness of it takes away from trying to “be serious” in your writing.
Don’t worry about writing a masterpiece. You may not. But I’ll bet this exercise will get you writing, make you smile, and perhaps got you out of your slump.
Used by permission. Copyright by Rebecca Livermore, a Christian speaker and writer from Denver, Colorado. Her passion is helping people grow spiritually. To read more of her articles, visit her Associated Content page at http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/60801/rebecca_livermore.html.
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS
Rebecca on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rebecca.livermore
Guest Post: At Home with Homestead by Tracy Crump
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Tracy Crump is a writer, speaker, workshop leader, and co-editor of The Write Life, a monthly e-mail newsletter. Her work has been published online and in numerous print periodicals. She also team-teaches workshops on writing for the Chicken Soup compilation books. Subscribe to The Write Life here.
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My husband is a computer programmer. I am not. My husband can make a computer stand up and dance. I can check e-mail. So—in deciding to create a website, I looked for a company that would make it possible for me to set up and maintain the site by myself.
After researching several website hosting services, Homestead stood out as the logical choice for me because of its affordability, 2000-plus customizable templates, and ease in development. Knowledge of HTML or PCP was not required. Instead, pages display a tool bar similar to most word processors that is relatively easy to figure out and allows subscribers to customize as little or as much as they want.
Before settling on Homestead, I tried their free 30-day trial that includes:
- Website hosting
- Website building software
- Five web pages
- Site statistics to track visitors
- Toll-free phone support
I made the most of my thirty days by learning as much as possible about setting up the site. Their tutorials helped. The templates already contained pages with graphics, navigation and content to get me started. Not satisfied with the heading on the template I chose, I designed a banner on a free site and inserted it on my home page. I added content and pictures until I was pretty satisfied that I could really do this.
Once the trial period ended, Homestead began charging my credit card $4.99 a month. I already owned a domain name, so I declined their offer (and extra charge) for that. I also moved from SiteBuilderLite, the web building software, to the more advanced SiteBuilder (downloadable at no charge), which allowed me more options in customizing my site.
Overall, my experience with Homestead has been positive. They do not require a long-term contract and offer upgrades to two more expensive packages that provide enhanced services such as more web pages, multiple sites, domain names, e-mail addresses, blogs, web listings. Their support system is good, though sometimes they don’t seem to understand my question. A few days later, the problem will “resolve itself,” and I figure they found a bug and fixed it.
I’ve had no downtime issues. Homestead notifies subscribers ahead of time about periodic maintenance/upgrades. The downtime usually lasts only 4 hours, and merely affects subscribers’ publishing during that time. The site remains active.
The only thing I would warn about is that Homestead markets aggressively. Representatives called several times in the first few weeks I had the site but slacked off after that. Potential subscribers would be wise to study the different packages carefully to find the right fit. Homestead charges extra for many features added to the basic (starter) package.
It took many hours to set up my first site, but I’m glad I found a hosting service that allows me to maintain and update it myself.
So is my husband.
Next week, our topic will be Marketing: Developing Your Network
Guest Post: Pass on the Passive
1Tracy Crump is a writer and speaker whose work has been published online and in numerous print periodicals. She also presents workshops at conferences and team-teaches workshops on writing for the Chicken Soup compilation books. She publishes an e-newsletter for writers entitled “The Write Life.” Subscribe here.
Which of the following sentences arouses more righteous anger?
- The World Trade Center was destroyed in 2001.
- The World Trade Center was destroyed by terrorists in 2001.
- Terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center in 2001.
Though all three sentences are grammatically correct, the last uses the active voice or construction which conveys more power, emphasizes the actor, and is clearer and more direct. The first two use the passive voice which generally expresses an idea in a weaker, less straightforward manner.
To understand passive versus active voice, simply remember: In the active voice, the subject performs the action; in the passive voice, the subject receives the action. The passive voice always combines a form of to be with a past participle. Sometimes the direct object acts upon the subject (as in the second example), and sometimes the actor vanishes from the sentence altogether (as in the first example). Your sentences will carry more clout and communicate better if you use the active voice. (more…)
Guest Post: Why Am I Here?
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Today’s guest post is by Cassandra Wessel, a writer of devotionals and poetry whose work has been published in the Presbyterian Church of Canada’s Daily Devotionals. She responded to my request for Christian writers to share their experience at their first writers’ conference. Visit her Web site for more information.
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My alarm clock roused me, but a stuffy head and sore throat made me want to throw it across the room. Instead, I hit snooze for ten more minutes of sleep. When it sounded again, I rolled over and thudded to the floor. Moaning, I staggered to the shower where streams of scalding water revived me. After a breakfast of strong coffee, egg and toast, I packed a lunch and headed out.
I was bound for the St. David’s Writing Success XIX Conference in Stoneboro, PA, a two hour drive through dense fog. I arrived—late. I caught the tail-end of the keynote address, then went to the Beginners group. There I learned heaps about manuscript content, formatting and point of view in spite of a runny nose that rivaled the Allegheny River at flood stage. (more…)
Guest Post: Writing for Publication—and Servanthood
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Dianne E. Butts has over 250 publications in more than fifty Christian print magazines and seventeen books. Her articles have been republished in Great Britain, Bulgaria, Poland, Canada, and Korea. She speaks to writers groups, teaches at Christian writers conferences, and offers her monthly e-zine to writers for free. For your free subscription use the sign-up box at www.DianneEButts.com. To follow the progress of her upcoming book, stay tuned to www.DeliverMeBook.blogspot.com. The following article is reprinted from her e-zine with her permission.
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I had a couple of interesting conversations with writers lately. One lady contacted me because she noticed the local writers group and she was thinking she might like to join. Though I encouraged her to come to the writing group, she seemed shy and uncertain. Finally she confessed what was really on her mind. She said she wasn’t sure it was right to call attention to herself through writing. She was concerned about becoming prideful about writing in a way that would be unbecoming for a Christian.
I had to be careful in my response, because I didn’t want to laugh out loud. That might have come off as rude.
I asked her what she meant about calling attention to herself. She looked confused. I asked her if she thought if she started writing that everyone would then know her and she would be famous. She kind of, sort of indicated yes. I asked her if she had read any magazine articles lately. She said yes. I asked her who wrote them. She said she didn’t know. I wondered if she’d read anything else lately. Articles online? Newspaper? Book? Would she have remembered any of these writers’ names? My bet is if she could have remembered any, it would have been the name of a book’s author. (more…)
Guest Post: Contests as Marketing Tools
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Guest blogger today is Marylane Wade Koch. She’s a writer, editor, speaker, coach, and adjunct professor (University of Memphis nursing school). This article first appeared in Tracy Crump’s The Write Life, a newsletter for writers available here.
And the winner is . . .
In my twenties, I dreamed of winning the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes. Now each year I virtual-tour the HGTV dream house online, submit my entry, and envision myself as the owner. However, I only considered entering writing contests after I read an article in The Writer profiling authors who catapulted their careers to publishing success with their wins. (more…)
Guest Post: Affordable, Professional Web Sites
0Welcome to guest blogger, Tracy Ruckman. She is a freelance writer, editor, and photographer. She owns Write Integrity Editorial Services and WIES Workshops (online writing courses.) She also hosts the popular Pix-N-Pens blog for writers, readers, editors, and photographers.
An essential tool for any business, especially writers and editors, is a Web site. Most of us are of the “starving artist” variety, so we can’t afford a huge budget for building and hosting our site – but we also can’t afford to look cheap, either. (One of my pet peeves is a cheap-looking Web site.)
Several years ago, I discovered HostGator and they provide the best of both worlds – professional and affordable.
HostGator provides many options for beginners and professionals, and can be considered a “one-stop shop” because you can purchase your domain name and monthly hosting of your Web site. They even provide free site builders (SiteStudio and SiteBuilder) so you can easily build the Web site yourself from thousands of templates. Building your own site saves money in the end, because you’ll be able to make updates yourself as needed and you maintain total control of its look and content.
HostGator’s web hosting packages are priced from $8.95/month for a very basic plan, to $9.95/month for their mid-range plan, and $14.95/month for the professional plan that includes your own toll-free number. The rates are a little lower if you pay by the year(s) rather than by the month ($4.95/mo, $7.95/mo, $12.95/mo for a 3-year payment.)
The company offers a “reseller” plan if you are interested in building web sites for others, or even if you just want to set yourself up as a hosting company. Reseller hosting plans start at just $24.95. (You’ll recoup this almost immediately as you build your client base.)
HostGator also sells domain names, and they start at $15, which is a little steep compared to some of the other companies, but they don’t jack up the price after the first year, so it averages out. (It also saves a few steps transferring the DNS.) But if you prefer to buy your domain name elsewhere and use HostGator for everything else, that’s acceptable and easily done.
Technical support at HostGator is exceptional. Agents are available 24/7 by phone, chat, and e-mail. They are thorough, efficient, and friendly – and there’s never much of a wait except during peak times (and even then, it’s not a long wait.)
Some of the Web sites I’ve designed using their templates include: www.tracyruckman.com, www.debraullrick.com, www.mildredcolvin.com, www.thechristianpen.com, and www.writeintegrity.com. All of these were built using the SiteStudio program with limited html knowledge, and limited experience – if I can do it, you probably can, too!
