tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69732980170915991972024-02-02T15:31:56.486-08:00Voices: Write to Be HeardVoiceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212678863303753172noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-20718840574483060922014-02-14T10:17:00.000-08:002014-02-14T10:17:52.271-08:00With Struggle Comes Progress<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="null"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If there is no struggle, there is no
progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are
men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without
thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many
waters.” </i></span></div>
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<span class="null"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">― Frederick Douglass</i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="null">The other day I sat in the kitchen of a
couple who leads a local ministry that helps fix cars for people who can’t
afford expensive mechanics’ labor rates. We’d been discussing struggles, and
how some people seem to go through so many more than others. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="null">How
does that seem fair? </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNYXQz0hNvQ4pSDQm44w0SRg3GgnAuyf3qeYJ4pS76MHDy9JUihe1MMuYxg2zFqz9h4x-u41oHJltNkRsZAVPdyX_7NyNysUDek1o9qAxr8wZZDIfLrCrGEazu_IkdmKGsgoyXsyH0fqI/s1600/482456_10151997930870289_562952939_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="null">Why does God seem to favor some people over others?</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="null">The man’s wife told me a story about their
trip to Napa Valley, California. She told me how she’d expected the landscape
to be full and lush, just like we see in all the romantic movies. Instead, the
scenery was dry and the vines looked brittle. She asked the vintner if this was
a bad year. The man explained that though other vineyards might prefer the lush
expanses of overloaded grapevines, the wine produced is lower quality. He has
found in through experience that the best wines come from the most stressed
grapes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="null"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"I am the vine, you are the branches;
he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you
can do nothing.” - John 15:5</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNYXQz0hNvQ4pSDQm44w0SRg3GgnAuyf3qeYJ4pS76MHDy9JUihe1MMuYxg2zFqz9h4x-u41oHJltNkRsZAVPdyX_7NyNysUDek1o9qAxr8wZZDIfLrCrGEazu_IkdmKGsgoyXsyH0fqI/s1600/482456_10151997930870289_562952939_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNYXQz0hNvQ4pSDQm44w0SRg3GgnAuyf3qeYJ4pS76MHDy9JUihe1MMuYxg2zFqz9h4x-u41oHJltNkRsZAVPdyX_7NyNysUDek1o9qAxr8wZZDIfLrCrGEazu_IkdmKGsgoyXsyH0fqI/s1600/482456_10151997930870289_562952939_n.jpg" height="200" width="164" /></a><span class="null"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span class="null">Shanna Delap is a single mom who enjoys
sewing, crafting, cooking, and reading everything from Tolstoy to the backs of
cereal boxes. She also loves to write, and is the author of the blogs</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span class="null"> <a href="http://chanemza.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sweetpeas& Sour Apples</a> and <a href="http://www.cluelesshomesteader.com/" target="_blank">The Clueless Homesteader.</a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361445689469164832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-81863756011624996952013-06-24T05:00:00.000-07:002013-06-24T05:00:01.068-07:00A Little Monday Inspiration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ray+bradbury+quotes+in+pics&qpvt=ray+bradbury+quotes+in+pics&FORM=IGRE#view=detail&id=2010C565B2B3FE1E553C2BFA4F9EB20A218ACF9F&selectedIndex=200" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BxS-tOzn1lB1HqjNi9GA2lkJcCduwRG3pto1ZFXbYwCZjRuhOoPDuklHVX6tjVRTnz_FgT3ZVWBXztdsY1WwHXfXd1qnPPC-3c8eF1lYAzLYR1vkuyOgEATGg1WLgpNAEWQ9C7P-BwY/s640/e241c8cdcc89efda905011272ceff7cc%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361445689469164832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-586315857559272042013-05-20T09:15:00.001-07:002013-05-20T09:15:14.133-07:00I'd Rather be Writing...<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-1be1b4db-c2ab-66a8-dd26-a0f81c431906" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Corsiva; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s Monday again.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Corsiva; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’d rather be writing here:</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://smallrooms.tumblr.com/post/9367826613/writing-desk"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvDt9b3omcFiEJut2hyphenhyphen8I7AHQbX5Msl331lXXqZbf3SxqEb0QINVYFRfz3zC1MQTq8jxMMxfbeBND-R9JkHt6WkWPyLmOKJ6xHK4iL4kMQiFMZ8QDrLYoQzRrSkRbhlkAeKsQ_cD6AIM/s320/2280811f814d833ec271b62ca934aae1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Corsiva; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Corsiva; font-size: x-large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Where do you wish you were writing today?</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08361445689469164832noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-19073628608197389942013-03-06T09:55:00.001-08:002013-03-06T10:46:53.844-08:00Use Your Blog to Formulate Your Next Book<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-hHH76xLbwSHpo08zOdcMbFvlvDVIiQXtfKpcAfkNrCMQAcIJ0lqueMtlYMZeNOQbunxHMQG6X17vOrhY_E-cvZ6HO0eIFQgezTfgIhXrzuk0udVISDvwA9umustbSqE5ANJ-W5mX8KE/s1600/circle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-hHH76xLbwSHpo08zOdcMbFvlvDVIiQXtfKpcAfkNrCMQAcIJ0lqueMtlYMZeNOQbunxHMQG6X17vOrhY_E-cvZ6HO0eIFQgezTfgIhXrzuk0udVISDvwA9umustbSqE5ANJ-W5mX8KE/s320/circle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Savit Keawtavee</td></tr>
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In recent conversations with writers, I've been asked a particular question a few times:<br />
<i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></i>
<i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>"I have an idea for a book, but I'm not quite sure the direction I want to go and don't even know if there is a market for this topic. What do I do?"</b></i><br />
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My answer was this: Use your blog! This is just one of the many examples of the fact that a blog is a critical weapon in the writer's armory. This is where you connect with your readers (your tribe) instantly. You can blog about the topic on which you're considering writing a full length book and gauge the response you get.<br />
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Even if you aren't sure the direction you'd like to take with a topic, or even what the scope of the book should be, this is where you can work those things out. Let your readers' feedback be your guide to what they want to hear more about. If you are writing a business book on <b>How to Grow Your Market Share</b>, for instance, you'll want to know the specific areas in which most business owners are looking for advice. Your blog readers, probably primarily made up of business owners, will tell you exactly what they are looking for and your book will be all the more relevant.<br />
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You don't believe me that your blog readers will buy a book filled with information they've already received on your blog?<br />
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Here's an example: <b>Platform </b>by Michael Hyatt. This book is based on information he shares very generously for FREE on his blog. But, it was packaged differently, new information added, and several freebies were offered when he launched it.<b> Platform</b> became a NY Times bestseller in 2012.<br />
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Blogging a book works for fiction as well. If you have an idea for a novel but are having trouble with character development or the plausibility of the setting you've created, blog a short story using those characters and setting. You can get feed back right there that will help you in when you are writing your novel.<br />
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Some novelists are even publishing an ebook of the first chapter of their novel as a short story, getting feedback through their websites and reviews, and then making changes before they put out the next chapter. That takes to the next level, don't you think?<br />
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So take your idea to the people. You'll have a better book in the end and may sell a few "pre-ordered" copies along the way.<br />
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<br />Jennifer Tubbiolohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15579656867482338666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-81891516351725549102013-03-03T17:59:00.000-08:002013-03-04T08:57:33.608-08:00CreateSpace Writers Workshop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2gPZBKCeZWq8wT-pYd4BUxFDu7D92x6shk9SaZd1PCmpqxgg5cD7VScvBDvFkKBJ4KZA3mLvCRhNA2ZhXhUH9vhajFRP8YXKN5iQlxSz19jYsVRw5jJbYrDSjGlIKbvEK2Or2E2lcLs/s1600/Book+picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2gPZBKCeZWq8wT-pYd4BUxFDu7D92x6shk9SaZd1PCmpqxgg5cD7VScvBDvFkKBJ4KZA3mLvCRhNA2ZhXhUH9vhajFRP8YXKN5iQlxSz19jYsVRw5jJbYrDSjGlIKbvEK2Or2E2lcLs/s200/Book+picture.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by adamr</td></tr>
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On Saturday, the <a href="http://www.c4women.org/" target="_blank">Center for Women</a> here in Charleston, S.C., held their monthly Womens Writers Forum. The guest speaker was David Symonds, General Manager of <a href="https://www.createspace.com/" target="_blank">CreateSpace,</a> the self-publishing arm of Amazon.com.<br />
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First of all, let's just say more often than not, living in Charleston doesn't allow for access to people like David. Typically, companies (large and small) in the publishing world aren't located in South Carolina.<br />
New York? Yes.<br />
L.A? Sure.<br />
Chicago? Sometimes.<br />
Charleston? Um, no. <br />
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CreateSpace, however, is located in North Charleston, S. C. I was thrilled at the opportunity to hear from David without travelling to a conference to ask him my questions directly.<br />
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David and his colleagues were informative, knowledgeable, and willing to answer even the toughest questions to the best of their abilities. First, he reviewed the process of publishing a book with CreateSpace from start to finish. Then he discussed royalties, and finished with a Q&A session. Needless to say, tough topics came up like the Indie bookstores' boycott of Amazon products, the lack of returnability of CreateSpace products, and lack of access to Amazon Canada, just to name a few.<br />
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Here are my takeaways:<br />
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1.<b> CreateSpace is just about as easy as it gets for new authors to upload a book, create a cover and hit publish. </b>Now we all know that ease is not the most important thing when it comes to self-publishing, but for someone like me who has used other Print on Demand companies, ease is a welcome change. Who doesn't want easy?<br />
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2. <b>CreateSpace (print books) and Kindle Direct Publishing (ebooks published for the Kindle) are NOT the same thing.</b> While they are both owned by Amazon and work together, an author must create an account with both companies and upload your document to both companies. Definitely a downside when you are looking for a streamlined service.<br />
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3. <b>Amazon Canada is not part of the distribution options when you publish with CreateSpace, yet Amazon Europe is.</b> Is that a big deal? I think so.<br />
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4. <b>Expanded Distribution is optional for $25.</b> This means Amazon will make sure you are listed with Ingram and Baker & Taylor. But, let's face it, the chance that a bookstore will pick up your book when it's not returnable (and CreateSpace is not), is small at best. Unless you are the next Amanda Hocking, they will go with something else to fill that wild card spot on their shelf.<br />
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5. <b>There are many different options when it comes to ISBNs through CreateSpace</b>. The options range from the simplest (you are assigned of their ISBNs for free) to publishing as your with your own imprint and purchasing an ISBN at $99. This is a convoluted topic. Do your research before making a decision.<br />
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Overall, I was impressed with CreateSpace's software, their commitment to making publishing easy for everyone, and the fact that they recognize they may not be the perfect publishing route for everyone - but they're ok with that. They strive to do the best they can for the authors that choose them.<br />
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Finally, here was the <b>Quote of the Day</b> summarizing one attendee's take-away:<br />
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<b>"You don't have to pick one way or another (traditional, hybrid publisher, or self-publishing); you just have to have quality content."</b><br />
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Amen.<br />
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<br />Jennifer Tubbiolohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15579656867482338666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-34902643900599255642013-02-15T17:04:00.001-08:002013-02-15T17:11:26.589-08:00Writing Contest for Local Charleston Magazine<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi531QOVmhzVVsA1iMM2gSwRwUU4WI1Pz3swtVfFOGCcejwEjRhl-tG5AQbMV5Xpf9_TGEDLvp43ECf5PWOKcNGzcV7lY0Rch6jCPxMzfUQtrbozSHOVdllo-MNfedOBkBQaT0pBhUn4tM/s1600/elevate+logo+hi-res+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi531QOVmhzVVsA1iMM2gSwRwUU4WI1Pz3swtVfFOGCcejwEjRhl-tG5AQbMV5Xpf9_TGEDLvp43ECf5PWOKcNGzcV7lY0Rch6jCPxMzfUQtrbozSHOVdllo-MNfedOBkBQaT0pBhUn4tM/s200/elevate+logo+hi-res+(1).jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.elevatemag.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Elevate magazine</a>, a new local women's magazine in the Charleston, S.C., area is announcing a writing contest. The winning submission will be featured in the spring 2013 issue.</div>
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Elevate is focused on elevating the interests, issues and businesses of Charleston women. <span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"> </span></div>
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Submissions should be written in personal essay format on the topic of <b>"Fresh Perspectives" </b>in any area of your life.</div>
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<b>Contest Specifics:</b></div>
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<li style="margin-left: 15px;">Entrant can be male or female, but must live in the Charleston tri-county area. (Charleston, Berkeley or Dorchester counties)</li>
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<li style="margin-left: 15px;">Entry should be no more than 500 words.</li>
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<li style="margin-left: 15px;">Deadline for entry is February 28, 2013, at midnight.</li>
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Please send your submissions to: submissions@elevatemag.com.</div>
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Good Luck!</div>
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<br />Jennifer Tubbiolohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15579656867482338666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-4080516658129803362013-01-28T04:28:00.000-08:002013-01-28T04:28:11.898-08:00Finding An Audience for Your Writing<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQCAfl3Akyc1rlbk9uGrY7K3hpTTTqUz_gelLFGL18j0IJF-ILLnIO7yGJIkPV5aR2P0NcZyG8rrVpJI4cRcOwg5i0J7O-nKL_tyPuwpca9nCuLftNjvpyIyOIl8ou5kisQKRnYY_ZnoN/s1600/microphone1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQCAfl3Akyc1rlbk9uGrY7K3hpTTTqUz_gelLFGL18j0IJF-ILLnIO7yGJIkPV5aR2P0NcZyG8rrVpJI4cRcOwg5i0J7O-nKL_tyPuwpca9nCuLftNjvpyIyOIl8ou5kisQKRnYY_ZnoN/s1600/microphone1.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo/Acuzio<span style="background-color: #f5f3f1; color: #444444; font-family: verdana, arial, hevetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9px; text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr>
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When was the last time you paused from your writing and
thought, “Who is my audience?” It seems like a simple question and one with an
immediate answer. But when you really stop and think about it you may find the
answer is more fuzzy than you thought. </div>
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Whether you’re writing blog posts, magazine articles, a book
or website copy, you have to know the audience for your words. Answering that
question will help you through the research, writing and editing phases of your
work. </div>
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For example, I’ve written a large number of articles for businesses
magazines and newspapers. I know the audience is a business crowd – educated people
with an understanding of phrases like “ROI” and “succession planning.” I don’t
need to waste words explaining these concepts in great detail. </div>
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Who is your audience? </div>
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A <a href="http://www.rachellegardner.com/2012/11/possibly-the-best-blogging-tip-ever/">blog
post by literary agent Rachelle Gardner</a> sums up this concept nicely: “Make
your blog about your reader.” </div>
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Sounds like “writing concepts for dummies,” but we can get
so caught up in our writing we tend to forget who we’re writing for and who’s
reading our work. Gardner points to “engagement” as a critical component of
your blog. That means getting people to not only read your blog once but come
back time and again. The same could be said for books, articles and other forms
of writing where were want to develop an audience – a group of people who truly
want to read what we have to write. </div>
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If you’re struggling to determine your audience, take a look
back over your work and see what generated the most response. This is easy to
do on a blog where you can measure hits and comments and certainly if you’ve
published a book you’ll know if people are buying and reading. What blog post,
for example, had a lot of comments? Did something in that post resonate with
your target audience? </div>
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Maybe you write simply as a hobby, a way to express yourself
creatively. That’s OK if the audience is you. Most of us, though, want readers,
people who will engage with us on this writing journey, but they can’t engage
with you if you’re not writing for them.</div>
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Do you struggle with determining your audience? In what ways
have you answered this question for yourself? </div>
Holly Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13691758360732991833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-73527737616221279192013-01-21T07:35:00.001-08:002013-01-21T08:38:34.097-08:00Choosing Joy!<br />
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<b><i>Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an
opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your
endurance has a chance to grow ~ James 1:2-3 NLT <o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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I don’t know about you, but when things aren't going my way I
don’t consider it an opportunity for great joy.
In fact, I consider it quite the opposite. </div>
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I've had a great deal of trouble in my
life. I grew up in a pretty tumultuous
household. My mother unknowingly married a man after my father that was sexually abusive.
My father spent the most impressionable years of my life in prison. I made some pretty outrageous choices in my
young adult life that lead to disastrous consequences for both me and my
children. I’ll spare the details. That could turn into a whole book…</div>
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Ten years ago, I found myself crying out to God: <i>Why? Why has my life been so awful? Why can’t things seem to go right for
me? Why do I keep making the same stupid
choices? God, I need your help!! </i> I quickly discovered that He had been waiting for me all along. Waiting for me to turn to Him. Waiting for me to let Him take control. Once I did, He turned every test into a testimony,
every mess into a message. Every ounce of trouble that has come my way, he has used to shape me into the woman I am today. He is using my past to help others who are
struggling with the same things. </div>
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What about you? Are
you facing trials? Are you in the middle
of something you are certain you cannot endure? Would you consider making
it an opportunity for great joy, trusting that God can use all of it for His
glory and for your testimony? Now, suffering
with joy does not mean that you don’t feel <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6973298017091599197" name="_GoBack"></a>pain; it
simply means that you choose to trust him in spite of your pain. You choose to proclaim your love for Him in
spite of your circumstances. His word
says that He works ALL things out for good for those who love him! Will you choose JOY today?</div>
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<span class="text"><b><i>Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever
you face trials of many kinds,</i></b></span><b><i> <span class="text">because you
know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span class="text"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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Heavenly Father, thank you that you are with us when we face
trials and trouble. Give us the strength
we need to choose JOY. Allow our pain to
be used for your glory and while we are in the midst of it, comfort us and
bring us peace that passes all understanding.
In Jesus Name, Amen! </div>
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<i>By <b>Allison Herrin</b>, Founder and Executive Director of <a href="http://maiamoms.org/" target="_blank">Maia</a>, an organization dedicated to the advocacy of single moms and their children. Alison blogs at <a href="http://www.heartabandoned.org./">www.heartabandoned.org.</a> Follow her on twitter at @allisonherrin.</i></div>
Jennifer Tubbiolohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15579656867482338666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-4878824006926511232013-01-16T07:07:00.000-08:002013-01-16T07:07:17.860-08:00Creating an Online Portfolio<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIOKhTBXSTQ961_BTT0pzft3BP2PFaPaE7UQAveoNWctgwkXdthZHkIgyG3F8bvEir_hb8sXtZPMyn9d_a5GVr58n164VZw_Rt-ZUAct4nXZIYvr91e6CAdkZpCxHH3JjMTcN_Me-qeFt/s1600/contently.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIOKhTBXSTQ961_BTT0pzft3BP2PFaPaE7UQAveoNWctgwkXdthZHkIgyG3F8bvEir_hb8sXtZPMyn9d_a5GVr58n164VZw_Rt-ZUAct4nXZIYvr91e6CAdkZpCxHH3JjMTcN_Me-qeFt/s1600/contently.jpg" height="320" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Contently.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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When I was applying for internships and my first newspaper
job, I spent hours trying to get my published articles photocopied. It’s not
easy to shrink a full-size newspaper down to a readable 8 x 11 sheet of paper.
Then I made copies of my resume, created a customized cover letter and put together
a packet of information to mail to prospective employers. It was time consuming
– and expensive. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fast forward, er, just a <i>few</i>
years later and a majority of my clips are online. Now I have a website and
online portfolio where I add links to my articles. If someone wants a sample of
my work, I can simply forward a link to my website. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In fact, most editors don’t want that big envelope of
newspaper and magazine clips. If you’ve even seen an editor’s desk you know she
has more than enough stacks of paper. Today everyone wants to see your work
online – it’s much easier. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That means it’s critical for writers to have an online
presence. That could be a blog or a professional website where people can learn
more about you and your work. Even a blog needs an “About” tab and another page
to showcase work you might have had published elsewhere. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Keeping an updated LinkedIn profile is another good way to
highlight your professional experience. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a <a href="http://www.inc.com/magazine/201212/jennifer-alsever/your-online-bio-supercharged.html">recent
issue of <i>Inc.</i> magazine</a>, I read
about three products that allow you to quickly and cheaply create a personal
webpage. These don’t give you a space for adding a portfolio, but it’s a good
start if you don’t have an online presence and at least want a bio and photo on
the Internet. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are <i>Inc.’s</i>
recommendations: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.rebelmouse.com/">RebelMouse</a> for a
collage type site for your social media posts. Free for a basic account.</li>
<li><a href="https://about.me/">About.Me</a> for a one-page site
with your photo, bio and social media links. No place for creating a portfolio
but a good start if you don’t have any online presence. Free.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.vizify.com/">Vizify</a> for an
aggregate of your social media accounts presented in infographic form. Free.</li>
</ul>
<br />Now to go a step further and create a true online portfolio,
check out:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://writersresidence.com/">Writer’s Residence</a>
for creating a space for your resume, published work and bio. $8.99/month.</li>
<li><a href="http://writerfolio.com/">Writerfolio</a> for a nice
clean web space. $4/month.</li>
<li><a href="https://contently.com/">Contently</a> for a
professional portfolio and branding tools. You can also join their Pro.Network to get
work from publishers.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These are just a few of the many options out there. Let us
know if you’ve tried a particular site you really love.</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
Holly Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13691758360732991833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-72723372549108638672012-12-28T10:02:00.000-08:002012-12-28T10:02:17.152-08:00How To: Start Writing AgainChristmas is over and if your like me you've realized you haven't written anything, in well, a month. Since being stuffed with turkey your blog hasn't been stuff with anything. Here are some great ways to get your writing grove back.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Participate in a link up:</em></span><br />
Link up are a great way to not only write something, but meet other bloggers. Most bloggers out there host a link up or participate. Link ups are easy to use. There is normally some sort of writing prompt, a place to add your link, then a list of people who have "linked up" where you can ready what they have posted. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Read:</em></span><br />
Reading goes a long way. Reading gets those wheels turning, rattles off the dust and can inspire you. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFNynqdYOHv5q5fYkv2E6056TIhG0PnGwHAMzCxd5tWE2V02R8HzZDBUvEoPuBCmWEJIzoYK9cfmDMYv6XNDrWdlc14w8UPukhQNtUxidmSHFgfO3N5dcjdsmuDCj8VF_6-XBBCBAq_8/s1600/318118_10101274904479940_512743914_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFNynqdYOHv5q5fYkv2E6056TIhG0PnGwHAMzCxd5tWE2V02R8HzZDBUvEoPuBCmWEJIzoYK9cfmDMYv6XNDrWdlc14w8UPukhQNtUxidmSHFgfO3N5dcjdsmuDCj8VF_6-XBBCBAq_8/s320/318118_10101274904479940_512743914_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Journal/ Free writing:</em></span><br />
I love these two! I not only have a blog, but keep an actual journal. The act of handwriting helps my brain focus. Many times I use my journal as a free writing tool. Free writing is a simple exercise where you just start to write with out any thought of structure. Sometimes when you read back over your writing you find some great quotes you can use, but most of the time is just random writing. It doesn't matter because it gets you writing again. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Let's have a Voices link up! </span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><em>What are you looking forward to in 2013?</em></strong></div>
<br />
<br />
<script src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=c4e7aa9e-6a7a-4aac-86d5-968e46477b17" type="text/javascript"></script>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13971661146935372513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-47705429791579902662012-12-05T05:49:00.000-08:002012-12-05T05:49:48.014-08:00Turn Your Memoir into Fiction <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUb_v3SZkToukhKYUffRe2RVse4mQXkGByF1Qq5ohIrTSqKhg7NYvXezxwT7SCDkZDFzDCGM-ps9VUYr3fSCjo9J2N38HKD0_ZQ1jSiYxaTYUB1FUQAM0Ybl7wTxHo9ybMseIAOAsS41A/s1600/books+and+glasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUb_v3SZkToukhKYUffRe2RVse4mQXkGByF1Qq5ohIrTSqKhg7NYvXezxwT7SCDkZDFzDCGM-ps9VUYr3fSCjo9J2N38HKD0_ZQ1jSiYxaTYUB1FUQAM0Ybl7wTxHo9ybMseIAOAsS41A/s200/books+and+glasses.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
This weekend I had the pleasure of teaching a writer's workshop at Create:Saturday on the Seacoast Summerville Campus. The writers who attended the workshop were so excited about their writing, they inspired me in my own writing. What an unexpected gift.<br />
<br />
One man at the workshop told me he is a Sci-fi writer, but really wants to write his autobiography. He told me about the unconventional childhood he'd had and how, despite it all, God had brought him through. In listening to his stories, I was truly mesmerized. The characters he described and the settings he told me about were captivating. I wanted to hear more about them, but our time was limited.<br />
<br />
That conversation got me thinking. He will probably have a very hard time selling his memoir even though it will probably be better than most memoirs our there. Let's face it, when you query a memoir to an agent or editor, you get the "speech": <i>Memoirs don't sell</i>, u<i>nless, of course, they are the life story of a celebrity or some notorious character.</i> Memoir writers often have to decide if they will push through the discouragement or give up altogether.<br />
<br />
I would like to suggest a third option. (It's the same one I gave to this man at the workshop.)<br />
<br />
<b>Take the one of a kind characters and settings from your life and put them into a work of fiction. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Since this man is already a novelist, he understands story arc and pacing. If he drops in the rich characters and detailed settings only he has experienced, he could have the makings of a bestseller. Now he will have a whole different kind of query and a book that is a much easier sell to an agent or editor.<br />
<br />
<b><i>So how about it? Would you consider turning your memoir into a novel if it meant actually selling it to a publisher and seeing it in print?</i></b>Jennifer Tubbiolohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15579656867482338666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-67453159720958367542012-11-29T19:18:00.000-08:002012-11-29T19:18:51.095-08:005 Actions You Should Take Before You Write Your Manuscript As Per Michael Hyatt<br />
I just spent an hour on a teleseminar with Michael Hyatt... (and 10,000 of my closest friends). He spoke about the world of publishing as it is now, how to build a platform (based on his bestseller <a href="http://store.michaelhyatt.com/" target="_blank">PLATFORM</a>), the pros and cons of self-publishing, etc. One of the most valuable nuggets of wisdom he shared was:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5 Actions You Should Take Before You Write Your Manuscript</span><br />
<br />
<b>1. Set a specific written goal.</b> <i>What is it you want to do? </i>(Your answer here would be: write your book.)<i> When will it be done?</i> (Yes, this is an ACTUAL DATE.) <i>What is my end goal?</i> (This is where you decide what you want to do with your manuscript when it's done. Such as traditional publishing or self-publishing.)<br />
<br />
<b>2. Accept responsibility for the outcome. </b>The old adage of : "You get out of it what you put into it" applies here. No one can do it for you, so YOU do it for you. I appreciated that reminder.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Connect with your "Why".</b> Why do you want...<i>no</i>... why <b><i>MUST</i>,</b> you write this book? Write this out in bullet points. Michael told a story about how he grew discouraged at one point while writing <b>Platform</b> and actually considered giving the advance back to the publisher and ending the project. But instead, he went back to his <i>written</i> "Why" and it inspired him all over again to write his book. That spoke volumes to me and encouraged me to persevere in my goal.<br />
<br />
<b>4. Develop a writing schedule</b>. Map it out. Put it on the calendar. Be committed to it.<br />
<br />
<b>5. Write a killer proposal.</b> "A proposal is what gets everyone on board." - <i>Michael Hyatt</i> He said author should write the original proposal themselves first, so they have a clear direction for where their book is going. If you want to hire someone to re-write it for you before submitting it to agents/editors, that's fine. But write it first yourself.<br />
<br />
I really enjoyed this free teleseminar. I <i>highly</i> recommend taking advantage of Michael's extensive publishing knowledge by participating if he offers one again. The best ways to find out about these teleseminar opportunities would be to follow his blog at www.michaelhyatt.com , follow him on twitter @michaelhyatt, or listen to his podcast.<br />
<br />Jennifer Tubbiolohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15579656867482338666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-14928708612726902012-11-20T16:47:00.001-08:002012-11-20T16:51:55.610-08:005 Perfect Gifts for the Writer in Your Life<br />
In the spirit of Black Friday, I'm going to save you the long lines and cranky shoppers at your local Barnes&Noble and list the top 5 must-have books for all the writers on your list. Just click on the books, order from Amazon, and your shopping is done!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Writing-10th-Anniversary-Memoir-Craft/dp/1439156816/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353455534&sr=1-1&keywords=on+writing+stephen+king" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft" border="0" height="200" src="http://img1.imagesbn.com/images/102120000/102128984.jpg" width="129" /></a><br />
<br />
1. <span style="font-size: large;">On Writing</span> by <a href="http://www.stephenking.com/" target="_blank">Stephen King</a>. Yes, <i>the </i>Stephen King. <b>On Writing</b> gives the reader a class in writing while telling the story of Stephen's writing journey. It's a must read! (Scribner, 2010)<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Platform-Get-Noticed-Noisy-World/dp/159555503X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353453324&sr=1-1&keywords=platform" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World" border="0" height="200" src="http://img1.imagesbn.com/images/180480000/180481685.JPG" width="133" /></a><br />
2. <span style="font-size: large;">Platform </span>by <a href="http://www.michaelhyatt.com/" target="_blank">Michael Hyatt</a>. In today's WW (Writing World) an author needs to learn how to get her book noticed and <b>Platform</b> shows you how, step by step. Reading this book is like hiring your own Social Media/PR firm for the bargain price of $13.63 on Amazon. (Thomas Nelson, 2012.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/2013-Writers-Market-Deluxe-Online/dp/1599635941/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353458958&sr=1-2&keywords=2013+writers+market" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="2013 Writer's Market Deluxe Edition" border="0" height="200" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/181570000/181578701.JPG" width="154" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
3. <span style="font-size: large;">2013 Writer's Market</span> by Robert Lee Brewer. It's the Cadillac of market guides for writers. All the cool kids have it. Enough said.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Story-Engineering-Larry-Brooks/dp/1582979987/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353456378&sr=1-1&keywords=story+engineering+by+larry+brooks" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Story Engineering" height="200" src="http://img1.imagesbn.com/images/101820000/101827099.jpg" width="130" /></a><br />
4.<span style="font-size: large;"> Story Engineering </span>by <a href="http://www.storyfix.com/" target="_blank">Larry Brooks</a>. Larry Brooks looks at fiction as something that is built - layer upon layer. Here he offers 6 parts of telling a good story that when mastered, build the perfectly compelling story. It's a formula for success in fiction.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Websters-World-English-Grammar-Handbook/dp/0470410809/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353457416&sr=1-3&keywords=grammar+handbook" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Webster's New World English Grammar Handbook" border="0" height="200" src="http://img1.imagesbn.com/images/103110000/103119890.jpg" width="159" /></a><br />
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5. <span style="font-size: large;">A good grammar book.</span> I have shown the <b>Webster's New World English Grammar Handbook</b> here, but there are many, many good ones on the market. Absolutely essential for any writer serious about being taken seriously as a writer is a good grammar book. (Ok, I'm not sure about my grammar there...I think I'll check my book.)<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
What did I tell you? Christmas shopping made easy. No long lines and no cranky sales people. Just click and order. You're welcome. Happy Thanksgiving to all!<br />
.Jennifer Tubbiolohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15579656867482338666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-83310572452891338362012-11-13T07:00:00.000-08:002012-11-13T07:00:06.452-08:00October Writing Contest Winner: Amie Heathgold<br />
<br />
I used to think gold was a simple word. One that described the color of
some kind of piece of jewelry that I would have wanted in high school.
In looking at the definition it confirms those thoughts, but provides so
much more insight:<br />
<br />
gold /g?ld/<br />
<br />
Noun<br />
<br />
A yellow precious metal, the chemical element of atomic number 79,
valued esp. for use in jewelry and decoration, and to guarantee the
value of currencies<br />
<br />
An alloy of this (ex. 9-carat gold)<br />
<br />
A deep lustrous yellow or yellow-brown color<br />
<br />
Coins or articles made of gold<br />
<br />
Money in large sums; wealth<br />
<br />
A thing that is precious, beautiful, or brilliant<br />
<br />
I like this last definition of gold - a thing that is precious,
beautiful or brilliant. It changes my perspective of the word. It
challenges the value of the word in my head - makes me wonder what
exactly is gold in my life?<br />
<br />
It isn't just the necklace my parents gave me so many years ago for my
16th birthday, the color of the leaves in the fall as they shift from
deep greens to reds and yellows, burning bright in the soft sunlight.
There is something deeper to this.<br />
<br />
Gold is a thing that is precious, beautiful or brilliant. The title of
the poem Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost seems to untrue. God
calls me precious. His beauty surrounds me and the verse describing the
very streets in heaven jumps to the front of my mind.<br />
<br />
The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl.
The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass. -
Revelation 21:21<br />
<br />
Have we reached a wrong conclusion?<br />
<br />
Put things to a narrow definition.<br />
<br />
There's a need to broaden our perspective,<br />
<br />
change the angle in which we view.<br />
<br />
Ask ourselves the question,<br />
<br />
Is it possible that gold can stay?<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Amie (aka 'bigredhead) has been married for almost 15 years to the Jolly
German, who has patience to put up with starter problems on a
day-to-day basis. They don't have any of their own children, but have
impacted the lives of 100's as she ministers at the North Charleston
Dream Center.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13971661146935372513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-33430597742715684202012-11-08T11:38:00.000-08:002012-11-09T04:29:28.178-08:00Meet AmieHello Voices, meet Amie the lovely winner of our October Writing
Contest! We wanted to let you get to know her a little better and then share
her winning work later this month. Here is the lovely Amie.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9b23XTKz-mKmfvRnp-pgTiTdvUR0WTPBwvqQte7afQOgFuWtQpJ9I1eyP0bsHXUfpTxpC3IlNfeqwbwMbIYSUp3ZgQMV3kPjLvNBovICL9r1WrL6SQq9Mr3Uq8aPybWTIgLkHjeboi68/s1600/Amie-Heath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9b23XTKz-mKmfvRnp-pgTiTdvUR0WTPBwvqQte7afQOgFuWtQpJ9I1eyP0bsHXUfpTxpC3IlNfeqwbwMbIYSUp3ZgQMV3kPjLvNBovICL9r1WrL6SQq9Mr3Uq8aPybWTIgLkHjeboi68/s1600/Amie-Heath.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Tell us a little about your self.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I
love out loud. That’s the best description of myself as I walk
day-to-day, learning and asking for an extra portion of grace
each day. I’m 39 years old, grew up in North Carolina and originally
from Ohio. I married a German and have traveled around the world –
literally. I don’t have any kids of my own, but God has given me an
extra portion through the work I do at the North Charleston
Dream Center and the e3 mentoring program.</span></div>
<div class="im">
</div>
<div class="im">
</div>
<div class="im">
When did you start writing.</div>
<span style="color: #1f497d;">My heart for writing started when I
entered a beauty pageant in high school and needed a talent. I knew that
singing or dancing wouldn’t be a very good option, so I chose poetry
and spoken word. I guess back then it wasn’t called
spoken word, but I did get first place in the talent portion – so I
gave up on the life of beauty pageants and stuck with the writing. </span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span>
<br />
<div class="im">
What is your favorite thing about writing.</div>
<span style="color: #1f497d;">I love the opportunity to share my
thoughts, dreams and opinions and writing provides you with a way to do
just that. I can dream all kinds of crazy things and use the creative
portion of my brain that doesn’t always get used in
my day-to-day life. I am a communicator and writing is a great way to
communicate!</span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span>
<br />
<div class="im">
Where do you want to go in your writing.</div>
<span style="color: #1f497d;">I didn’t start writing again with any
specific goal in mind. I just knew I wanted to go back and do what I
love. I guess I always have the dreams of writing a book – I come up
with titles, chapters, ideas and thoughts all the time.</span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span>
<br />
<div class="im">
What is your favorite source of inspiration?</div>
<span style="color: #1f497d;">I loved Edgar Allen Poe when I was a
young – strange writing with so many turns and twists to a story. These
days I like to see how much power is in one single word. To take that
and express it on my blog – sharing the day-to-day
of life, hoping to inspire and encourage someone else along in their
journey.</span><br />
<br />
Thanks Amie for sharing with us!<br />
Want to be featured on Voices blog, enter our writing contest? Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13971661146935372513noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-70525556592641869032012-11-07T06:31:00.000-08:002012-11-07T06:51:00.544-08:00Ebooks As Easy As 1,2,3Many people have great ideas for writing an ebook, but have absolutely NO IDEA where to start. Here is your step by step guide to writing and publishing an ebook:<br />
<br />
<b>Step 1: Write the book. </b><br />
I know this sounds like it would be obvious, but you would be surprised how many people never actually start writing their book because they aren't sure about the steps following the writing. If you are unsure how to start writing, read our post <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6973298017091599197#editor/target=post;postID=8184455829887712370" target="_blank">Just Start Writing</a>. Once you have a written ebook to work with, publishing it is a lot easier!<br />
<br />
<b>Step 2: Pick a Great Title</b><br />
It may seems reversed to pick your title after writing the book, but during the organization and writing of your ebook, the content can take a different direction than originally anticipated. This happens all the time and is normal. Picking a title at the end allows you to really get to nitty-gritty of the completed ebook. One thing to remember: <i>because your book will be viewed on a tablet or e-reader, it's vitally important that your title grabs interest</i>. The most successful ebooks have titles that tell the reader what the book can give them in the title. Such as "5 Ways to Make Money Blogging in 5 Days." (Not a real ebook of course, but I would buy it, wouldn't you?)<br />
<br />
<b>Step 3: Design a Cover</b><br />
I can't stress enough the importance of having your cover professionally designed. Once again, someone browsing books on an e-reader is going to decide whether or not to read the information about your book by the title and by the cover of the book before they ever read a word of what the book is about. Find a reputable ebook cover designer either online, or from a personal recommendation and then don't settle. If you have to spend a little more money in the beginning to get the cover you want, DO IT. You will be happier with your product and it will sell significantly better in the end for the extra care you put into it.<br />
<br />
<b>Step 4: Have Your Ebook Digitized.</b><br />
This is the step where you select a company to change your document into a usable digital format. <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/" target="_blank">Smashwords </a>and <a href="http://www.createspace.com/" target="_blank">CreateSpace</a> are well known websites that can do this for you. Do your research here and make sure that the website you choose for this project fits into your overall publishing plan, not only for this book, but your future work.<br />
<br />
Like I said...easy as 1,2,3. Let me be your cheerleader for a moment: YOU CAN DO IT! Really, you can. The hardest part is getting started, but remember, you have something to say and now, with ebooks, you have a forum for it.<br />
<br />
Once this your book is ready to sell, it's time to think about marketing, promoting and selling your ebook...but, that's for a future post. Stay tuned...<br />
<br />
Do you have questions about ebooks? We'd love to answer them!Jennifer Tubbiolohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15579656867482338666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-61771585470473843052012-11-04T12:16:00.001-08:002012-11-06T17:56:58.200-08:00November Writing Contest<div style="text-align: left;">
It's fall in the low-country and you know what that means, 80 degrees out and people are wear scarfs. I'm joking. It means change. Change in seasons. The soon to be changing year, the sense of reflecting on what has been and what will be. "Changes" is this months writing contest. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_AkaD1mkK63lJXJ7A3AnvO-FENbteYZ9cJ7vhYp4gpeb_mRyRiWCR_t3NDGIcP0OU__SfBgAr6Afoil2nmnBKyFZHuNQbEpDkxvBDXnhpYj05R_iidE0ikTqNW3q3bQFUYBeS5tTUf0/s1600/photochanges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_AkaD1mkK63lJXJ7A3AnvO-FENbteYZ9cJ7vhYp4gpeb_mRyRiWCR_t3NDGIcP0OU__SfBgAr6Afoil2nmnBKyFZHuNQbEpDkxvBDXnhpYj05R_iidE0ikTqNW3q3bQFUYBeS5tTUf0/s400/photochanges.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit: <a href="http://instacanv.as/crpate">Christopher Pate</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px;">A</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px;">ll entries must be in by <u>third Tuesday</u> (November 15th) with winners announced at our <u>Third Thursday</u> meeting! </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Winners will be <u>highlighted the following month</u> on the Voices blog, with an interview and the winning piece posted during the month! </span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">All blog entries must have an <u>active blog</u>.</span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">All writers must be apart of Voices, </span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">either in a critic group or participating in the Third Thursday meet ups. </span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">All entries must be emailed to voicescharleston(at)gmail</span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> Sorry bloggers no link-ups.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13971661146935372513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-47916754099043921272012-11-02T10:27:00.001-07:002012-11-02T10:27:22.818-07:00How To: Track your blog/ Google AnalyticsThere are many ways to track your blog stats, the best one being
Google Analytics. Blogger does have a tracing system with their blogs
but they also count spam hits and actual hits, so Analytics is a more
accurate count.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.google.com/analytics/features/index.html">Google Analytics</a>
is simple to set up. You sign in with your Gmail/Blogger account,
select your url type (most of you will be a single url) and add your
url. Then you simply add the tracking<a href="http://voicescharleston.blogspot.com/2012/06/how-to-add-gadget.html"> html code on to your blog</a> and it will start tracking. <br />
<br />
It will take a day for the numbers to show up, it refreshes every morning.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HZqRjnMnT8HAehHzbBYWD_ed36uMNBGNIBsXJqH6shGo92XiEU4hHT-ZhpN2CcfaGFpDjpJz5VzxEmFSCgx66ml1vntVPf1cAVVk_CsxBoGxN6FkeJsqnoH9wGgzW3JDoEWw94OhnkU/s1600/googleanl.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HZqRjnMnT8HAehHzbBYWD_ed36uMNBGNIBsXJqH6shGo92XiEU4hHT-ZhpN2CcfaGFpDjpJz5VzxEmFSCgx66ml1vntVPf1cAVVk_CsxBoGxN6FkeJsqnoH9wGgzW3JDoEWw94OhnkU/s400/googleanl.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The next time you sign into Google Analytics you will see this crazy graph and chart.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The line graph shows you how many visitors you had each day, and the pic chart show you who was returning and who was new. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
On the side you will see this:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="wcb" id="ID-overview-sparkline">
<div class="hF">
<div class="et">
<span class="Jd ACTION-graph TARGET-analytics.visits"><span class="ID-chart-0-0-0"><img class="b-Bpb-clb" height="18" src="https://chart.googleapis.com/chart?cht=ls&chs=75x18&chco=e6f2fa%2C058DC7&chm=b%2Ce6f2fa%2C0%2C1%2C0&chd=e%3AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA%2CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADt..4kdrsgM-O1kKb0cvWQb0MDIWuXm8Z9Si" width="75" /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="jb zj ID-tooltipcontent-0">Visits:</span> <span class="Fa">560</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Fa"> The total number of hits to your blog.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="hF">
<div class="et">
<span class="Jd ACTION-graph TARGET-analytics.totalVisitors"><span class="ID-chart-1-0-0"><img class="b-Bpb-clb" height="18" src="https://chart.googleapis.com/chart?cht=ls&chs=75x18&chco=e6f2fa%2C058DC7&chm=b%2Ce6f2fa%2C0%2C1%2C0&chd=e%3AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA%2CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAER..3dcyruN3MzkQXdaqYhd3MzJmpllUbuVV" width="75" /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="jb zj ID-tooltipcontent-1">Unique Visitors:</span> <span class="Fa">338</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Unique Visitor</span> report counts visitors to your website (counting each visitor only once
in the selected date range.</div>
</div>
<div class="hF">
<div class="et">
<span class="Jd ACTION-graph TARGET-analytics.pageviews"><span class="ID-chart-2-0-0"><img class="b-Bpb-clb" height="18" src="https://chart.googleapis.com/chart?cht=ls&chs=75x18&chco=e6f2fa%2C058DC7&chm=b%2Ce6f2fa%2C0%2C1%2C0&chd=e%3AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA%2CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACh..yYduqUJEKlkxhwVqdOVqMmHjlyuWWqNm" width="75" /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="jb zj ID-tooltipcontent-2">Pageviews:</span> <span class="Fa">977</span></div>
<div>
A Pageview is the standard unit of Web traffic. Each time a webpage is viewed, it counts as one page view.</div>
</div>
<div class="hF">
<div class="et">
<span class="Jd ACTION-graph TARGET-analytics.avgPageviews"><span class="ID-chart-3-0-0"><img class="b-Bpb-clb" height="18" src="https://chart.googleapis.com/chart?cht=ls&chs=75x18&chco=e6f2fa%2C058DC7&chm=b%2Ce6f2fa%2C0%2C1%2C0&chd=e%3AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA%2CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhGwurZw0uViCiwxj7Iku..l8y6sInt5.qjjv" width="75" /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="jb zj ID-tooltipcontent-3">Pages / Visit:</span> <span class="Fa">1.74</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Fa"> </span>The Pages/Visit (Average Page Depth) metric displays the average number
of pages viewed per visit to your site. Repeated views of a single page
are counted in this calculation. This metric is useful both as an
aggregate total as well as when it is viewed with other dimensions, such
as country, visitor type, or mobile operating system.
</div>
</div>
<div class="hF">
<div class="et">
<span class="Jd ACTION-graph TARGET-analytics.avgSessionTime"><span class="ID-chart-4-0-0"><img class="b-Bpb-clb" height="18" src="https://chart.googleapis.com/chart?cht=ls&chs=75x18&chco=e6f2fa%2C058DC7&chm=b%2Ce6f2fa%2C0%2C1%2C0&chd=e%3AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA%2CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC70BdkN7bAekGljAc4PEtEPvLLKNUa..Y4e3" width="75" /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="jb zj ID-tooltipcontent-4">Avg. Visit Duration:</span> <span class="Fa">00:02:19</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Fa"> Average link some one is on your blog. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="hF">
<div class="et">
<span class="Jd ACTION-graph TARGET-analytics.bounceRate"><span class="ID-chart-5-0-0"><img class="b-Bpb-clb" height="18" src="https://chart.googleapis.com/chart?cht=ls&chs=75x18&chco=e6f2fa%2C058DC7&chm=b%2Ce6f2fa%2C0%2C1%2C0&chd=e%3AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA%2CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA4t1s2i4tw12A4t4Ov51qo9.A..hm2ctAwn07" width="75" /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="jb zj ID-tooltipcontent-5">Bounce Rate:</span> <span class="Fa">69.46%</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Fa"> </span>The Bounce Rate is the percentage of bounced visits to your site.<br />
A bounce is calculated as a single-page view or single-event trigger in a session or visit.<br />
The following situations qualify as bounces:
<br />
<ul>
<li> A user clicks on a link deep into your site sent by a friend, reads the information on the page, and closes the browser.</li>
<li>A user comes to your home page, looks around for a minute or two, and immediately leaves.</li>
<li>A user comes directly to a reference page on your site from a web
search, leaves the page available in the browser while completing other
tasks in other browser windows and the session times out.</li>
<li> </li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div class="hF">
<div class="et">
<span class="Jd ACTION-graph TARGET-analytics.percentNewVisits"><span class="ID-chart-6-0-0"><img class="b-Bpb-clb" height="18" src="https://chart.googleapis.com/chart?cht=ls&chs=75x18&chco=e6f2fa%2C058DC7&chm=b%2Ce6f2fa%2C0%2C1%2C0&chd=e%3AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA%2CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA5F..0ae70Vw7hTu1jhk1vk30u1yvmDkPjVp3" width="75" /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="jb zj ID-tooltipcontent-6">% New Visits:</span> <span class="Fa">60.36%</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Fa">The percent of your viewers that are new.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Fa">I
hope this helps break down the numbers for you. Google Analytics gives
you a lot of information for your blog. But the information is useless
if you don't know what you are looking at. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Fa">Please
remember to use these numbers to make your writing better, not as a bar
or standard for where you should be as a blogger. </span></div>
</div>
</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13971661146935372513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-19442116598968266982012-10-30T03:39:00.000-07:002012-10-30T04:04:23.673-07:00LHJ Personal Essay Contest<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Ladies Home Journal</i> is sponsoring a personal essay contest.
The winner gets $3,000 (nice!) and the chance to have her essay published in
the magazine. The topic: a memorable moment in your life – the day, the hour or
the second that changed everything. “Be poignant, reflective, funny,” the
instructions say. Word limit is 2,000 and the deadline is Dec. 7, 2012. For submission
details, check out <a href="http://lhj.com/essaycontest">LHJ.com/essaycontest</a>. Good luck! </div>
Holly Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13691758360732991833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-81844558298877123702012-10-29T04:06:00.000-07:002012-10-30T04:07:41.576-07:00Just Start Writing<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qaCtZd-9C0p8qacfkcjfMI7aNZD3to5gr-11mmszs-Z-NFJ1_25ZKMqxyJHOyKiJr6w1UTDGZRJEf2O5oNNLPl9JrjKeU_M1bCYaU5pp3gMxmruhq72x7qt9eoS8McDYJuiDjWPj83IF/s1600/bruckmann-poe-portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qaCtZd-9C0p8qacfkcjfMI7aNZD3to5gr-11mmszs-Z-NFJ1_25ZKMqxyJHOyKiJr6w1UTDGZRJEf2O5oNNLPl9JrjKeU_M1bCYaU5pp3gMxmruhq72x7qt9eoS8McDYJuiDjWPj83IF/s1600/bruckmann-poe-portrait.jpg" height="320" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo/www.poemuseum.org</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Have you ever felt paralyzed by your ideas? You have the
genesis for a book, short story or blog post but the idea doesn’t feel fully
formed so you decide to think on it. And think. And think. And think. In fact,
you may think on it so long you never even getting around to writing it. Or you
may sit down at the computer, hands poised over the keyboard ready to write, but
when the words don’t flow and the thoughts don’t gel in your mind, you get
frustrated.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In these situations look to Edgar Allan Poe and just write.
An article in the October issue of <i>The Writer</i> lays out Poe’s advice to writers
(<a href="http://www.writermag.com/en/Articles/2012/09/Advice%20from%20the%20crypt.aspx" target="_blank">“Advice from the crypt”</a> by B.K. Stevens). While we know Poe wrote creepy poems
and haunting mysteries, he also wrote about the subject of writing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The article notes: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The “mere” act of writing, Poe believed, helps writers make
their ideas not only clearer but more logical. To use his phrase, the process
of writing contributes to “the logicalization of thought.” </blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a rare situation that our work is perfect in the first
draft. We always go back and make edits or rearrange sentences. But you have to
have some words on the page before you can begin the editing process. So taking
that first step toward simply writing will set you on the path. No one has to
read that first (second or even third) draft so let the words flow onto the
page and you may just find that by picking up a pen or sitting at the keyboard
your thoughts will be begin to make sense. </div>
Holly Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13691758360732991833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-25953627513518481522012-10-19T11:08:00.001-07:002012-10-19T11:14:53.385-07:00Is Your Self-Published Book Guilty Until Proven Innocent?<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://econ.ucsb.edu/" target="_blank"><img height="238" src="http://www.econ.ucsb.edu/~tedb/Journals/gavel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I recently received an email from a woman in our writer's group. She has just about finished polishing her book and has chosen to self-publish. Her question to me was: <i>Does it matter if I purchase an ISBN from my print on demand publisher and therefore have their name as the publisher on my book, or is it better if I create my own publishing imprint, purchase an ISBN myself, and avoid having their company listed as my publisher?</i><br />
<br />
That's a great question.<br />
<br />
(I'm going to work from the assumption that she is not a speaker who is printing this book just to sell at her speaking engagements, personal appearances, and on her website. In that case it wouldn't matter much who the publisher is. I'm going to further assume that she would like as wide a distribution as possible for her book.)<br />
<i><br /></i>
The answer to this question is as simple as: Do you want your book to be viewed as <b>innocent until proven guilty</b> or <b>guilty until proven innocent</b>?<br />
<br />
<b>The Guilty Until Proven Innocent Book:</b><br />
As a book buyer, when a book is presented to me, one of the first things I look for is the publisher. If I see a print on demand company as the publisher of the book, it's a red flag that the product may be of lower quality or at the very least hasn't already been vetted by a trained eye. This book is now "guilty" in my eyes and needs to prove itself "innocent" of poor writing, poor editing and flawed information. If the topic seemed interesting, I will continue to browse the book, but now, the book has one strike against it and needs to convince me that it is a quality product.<br />
<br />
<b>The Innocent Until Proven Guilty Book:</b><br />
Upon first examination of a new book, if I see the name of a publisher (or imprint) I don't recognize, I don't automatically turn it away. After all, there are many great Indie publishers out there and more are coming on the scene all the time. I will continue to look through the book. In my mind, this book is "innocent" so far, and won't be "guilty" in my mind until I see a topic that doesn't work for my store, poor writing, sloppy editing, etc. These books have a better chance with me and those are just the hard facts.<br />
<br />
If at all possible, I encourage you to create your own imprint when working with print on demand publishers. Even if no one has ever heard of your imprint, you will be seen as a more serious writer, this book and subsequent books will be taken more seriously, and your chances of a wider distribution go up dramatically.Jennifer Tubbiolohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15579656867482338666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-50080075111424852402012-10-16T20:34:00.003-07:002012-10-16T20:35:14.841-07:003 Reasons You Should Participate in NaNoWriMo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img height="320" src="http://www.wired.com/geekmom/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/nanowrimo.jpg" width="229" /></div>
<br />
<br />
NaNoWriMo is <b>15 </b>days away!<br />
<br />
Some of you are saying nano-<i>what?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Na-No-Wri-Mo. Short hand for <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">National Novel Writing Month</a>. November is the month of the year in which novelists across the globe write with reckless abandon to attempt to reach the pre-set 50,000 word goal.<br />
<br />
November is also the month of the year in which literary agents can be heard screaming from behind their laptops <i>"Don't submit in December what you've written in November!"</i> Because more often than not, what you have written for NaNoWriMo doesn't qualify as a full-length novel in most genres and because in most cases those 50K words need not just some, but a TON of work.<br />
<br />
So, if you don't actually finish a full novel, and most of the time (especially for first time novelists) what you do produce is a <i>really </i>rough first draft; why on earth would you EVER consider trying to write 50K words in 31 short days?<br />
<br />
<b>Here are 3 really good reasons:</b><br />
<br />
<b>Reason #1</b>. NaNoWriMo is a great time to throw out all the excuses you've given to date about why you haven't written that novel.<br />
<br />
<b>Reason #2.</b> Participating in NaNoWriMo allows you to be a part of a global community of thousands of writers all attempting to write roughly 1667 words a day. <br />
<br />
<b>Reason #3</b>. To actually achieve the 50K words, you have to get out of your own head and just write. It's tremendously freeing to be released from those pesky story arcs and massive self-editing as you go. This is the time to let your inner-story teller free!<br />
<br />
If you have ever thought about participating in NaNoWriMo check out their website at www.nanowrimo.org and register today. I'll be right there with you.Jennifer Tubbiolohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15579656867482338666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-29354157180479976012012-10-10T06:03:00.002-07:002012-10-10T06:03:57.043-07:00Is ebook Publishing Right For Everyone?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwQq9eWRjTJPyzJHuq7QF9rxH_pvp5k4crOjztL1FQushlt-zmhLZ4YnCr4_t_qkLRBga_gGed4S5lZHWQFzpqomo8SZmS0OLCfDHT04BAo4VmFVHD51PYsRnwqpserrFyjneR2ZwHpo/s1600/ebook+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwQq9eWRjTJPyzJHuq7QF9rxH_pvp5k4crOjztL1FQushlt-zmhLZ4YnCr4_t_qkLRBga_gGed4S5lZHWQFzpqomo8SZmS0OLCfDHT04BAo4VmFVHD51PYsRnwqpserrFyjneR2ZwHpo/s320/ebook+photo.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Adamr</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Should you publish an ebook?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The short answer is YES, you should – <i>at some point in your
career</i>. Ebooks are a fantastic way to reach people in a relatively quick time frame. (Just to be clear, we are talking about ebook
publishing specifically, NOT creating an ebook version of your new book in
print.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, a much better question to ask yourself is:</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is an ebook the best way now for me to publish
my particular book and make it available to consumers?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The answer to this question requires a bit more information.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For instance, are the people you are targeting in this
particular book (your tribe) likely to download their books, or are they more
apt to stop in their local Barnes & Noble to pick it up? That is an important piece of information to
have. YOU may be personally savvy enough to download and read ebooks regularly,
but if the group of people you are trying to reach aren’t generally that tech savvy,
your sage wisdom or latest novel will never make it into their hands.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you feel that your target audience - your market - would
be inclined to download a book, your next step is to weight the advantages
against the disadvantages of ebook publishing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Advantages</span></h3>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ease. </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Once you have written an ebook, it is relatively
easy to upload to websites such as Amazon or B&N.com.</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Higher
Profits.</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Your royalties
(profit) for each ebook sold is generally higher than if you were to go through
the traditional publisher / print route.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Full
Control.</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">You have complete
control over your work from cover design to typesetting to price (although price
setting takes a little maneuvering!)</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ripple
Effect:</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Publishing an
ebook can help promote and sell books you may have published in paper/print.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You may be sold already by this list of advantages and be thinking
“Why would anyone not publish an ebook?” The answer has to do with your overall business plan as an author. If you are a professional consultant or
speaker, your primary goal may be to get your work into the hands of people you
speak to, or who use your materials.
Ebooks work well here. You don’t have to cart around boxes of books to
conferences, or ship and warehouse them yourself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But, if you are a writer whose professional goals include having
your book on the New York Times bestseller list one day, you may find that goal
tougher to obtain by relying solely on ebook publishing. Here’s why:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Disadvantages:</span></h3>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">·</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“Vanity Publishing”:</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Ebook publishing is still not held in
as high esteem as publishing your book through a traditional publisher. But this is changing and changing fast. In
August of this year, four self-published ebook authors landed on the NYT
Bestseller list in higher positions than well know print authors’ (such as
James Patterson) ebooks .</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 115%;">You are CEO</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">: When it’s your ebook, the buck stops with
you. You are responsible for putting out a quality product. Your book will only be as good as the team
that you put together, and good teams cost money and some extra time. How much are you willing to pay in time and
money for a quality product?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Marketing
and Social Media</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">: When you
have put out a book you have to market it to let people know it’s out there.
This is no different for ebooks. You
will need to carve time out of writing the other areas of running the business
to market and connect on social media. However, social media is tremendously more
important for an ebook author. If you have determined that your “tribe” is tech
savvy, then the best way to reach them will be online. That requires time and
it requires it from you in the form of building online relationships.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ebook publishing is on the rise because it is easy, profitable
and provide quick access for consumers. However,
you will only know if you should publish that ebook when you spend some time
looking at your professional goals and business plan to know if it is best for
you right now. </span></div>
Jennifer Tubbiolohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15579656867482338666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-79673624682381078802012-10-08T07:24:00.000-07:002012-10-08T07:24:20.262-07:00There's An App for That<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5oIvI_9UAaoqyoZUWbQB1PYRUrZqXl-w7MFJszT7j9S_P64tIFz0w1O1ce4Lo4of6G-1a0tsreFrZNuR17pkSMmaF7Jpno-kJNE_vgt8TdxKrObdwGt3KqiTNSH4MORgbMq5W0q619RiA/s1600/hand+on+keyboard_Brian+Lary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5oIvI_9UAaoqyoZUWbQB1PYRUrZqXl-w7MFJszT7j9S_P64tIFz0w1O1ce4Lo4of6G-1a0tsreFrZNuR17pkSMmaF7Jpno-kJNE_vgt8TdxKrObdwGt3KqiTNSH4MORgbMq5W0q619RiA/s320/hand+on+keyboard_Brian+Lary.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo/Brian Lary</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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Whether you’re writing blog posts, magazine articles, books
or something else, you know the amount of research, information and ideas you have can
be massive. I know I’m continually running across a useful blog or article or brainstorming some great blog post ideas. </div>
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<br /></div>
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So how do you manage the volume of words and ideas you have? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Charleston blogger <a href="http://andrawatkins.com/">Andra
Watkins</a> (and a recent guest at Voices Third Thursday) recommended a program
called <a href="http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php">Scrivener</a>.
She’s used it to keep her book projects organized. I’ve not used this program
myself but it looks great for keeping track of information and seems useful for
a variety of writing projects. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A favorite tool of mine is <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/home">Dropbox</a>. Sign up for free and use this
program to share files with others or among devices. If I’m working on
something on my laptop, I can pop it into Dropbox and, thanks to the Dropbox
app for the iPad, keep working on it on my tablet. If you collaborate with others
or need to share files with clients, this program works great for that. I
finally had to upgrade to a paid subscription of $60 a year, but that's pretty reasonable
considering how much I use it. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you’re like me, you probably have a zillion projects
going on at the same time so you need to make sure you’re being efficient with
your time. And if you’re working on a billable project, you’ll need a way to
keep track of your hours. I use a free time management program called <a href="http://www.clockingit.com/">ClockingIt</a>. In the year I’ve used this program, it’s
only been down once. But, hey, it’s free, so I really can’t complain. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Don't let a computer meltdown or hard drive crash wipe out all your work. I use <a href="http://www.carbonite.com/" target="_blank">Carbonite</a>, which starts at $59 a year. I consider that a bargain compared to the time it would take to recreate all my files. I also recently got a new laptop and just let Carbonite upload all my files to my new computer.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Here’s a good post from <a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/10000words/">10,000 Words</a> on the <a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/10000words/top-25-most-popular-apps-for-freelancers_b14933">25
Most Popular Apps for Freelancers</a>. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I’d love to hear what tools, apps and
programs you use to keep yourself organized and on track. </div>
Holly Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13691758360732991833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6973298017091599197.post-50882294794365494282012-10-02T08:52:00.002-07:002012-10-02T08:52:44.424-07:00Octobers Writing Contest<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I have a confession, I am a poetry nerd. For years I have poured my self over Frost, Angelou, Cummings, Dickinson and Poe. There is something about a poem, the words sing, they climb into your mind, pulling, tugging, reaching deep in creating an emotion like no other form of writing.
Like I said I'm a poetry nerd. Throw reformed drama kid on top of it and there will be no question what my favorite poem is. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> <u>Robert Frost: Nothing Gold Can Stay </u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> Nature's first green is gold, </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i> Her hardest hue to hold. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i> Her early leaf's a flower; </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i> But only so an hour. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i> Then leaf subsides to leaf. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i> So Eden sank to grief, </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i> So dawn goes down to day. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i> Nothing gold can stay.
</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This is Octobers writing contest. No you don't have to write a poem so everyone can breath, just be inspired by this one. We are picking one blog post and one traditional piece for the winners.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px;">A</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px;">ll entries must be in by <u>third Tuesday</u> with winners announced at our <u>Third Thursday</u> meeting! </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Winners will be <u>highlighted the following month</u> on the Voices blog, with an interview and the winning piece posted during the month! </span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">All blog entries must have an <u>active blog</u>.</span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">All writers must be apart of Voices, </span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">either in a critic group or participating in the Third Thursday meet ups. </span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">All entries must be emailed to voicescharleston(at)gmail</span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> Sorry bloggers no link-ups.</span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #3b3b3b; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Get inspired and have fun! </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13971661146935372513noreply@blogger.com0