Thursday, November 10, 2011
Beginning to Write at Squidoo
A friend of mine recently told me about a writing site called Squidoo. I checked it out and immediately became hooked. This site is so much fun. Anyone can write here. You don't need to be a professional. What you do is create what is known as a lens. It's somewhat like a blog, but different. A lens can be about anything.
You can choose to do it for fun or to attempt to make money. One nice option is the Amazon feature. You can add products from Amazon on your lens that either Amazon picks out or that you personally choose.
It's very easy to get started and within just a few minutes of signing up with the site, you can be working on your first lens. The following is my first attempt.
As you get familiar with the site, you'll find there's a variety of things you can add to your lens including pictures, polls and YouTube videos. As you level up, more options will be made available to you including what are known as quests. This is when you can choose to take a challenge or not. To give you a better feel of Squidoo, here are some additional lenses to check out.
If this sounds like fun, give Squidoo a try!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Articles on Thanksgiving Including its History, Menu Ideas and Recipes
Thanksgiving is a time when there are many opportunities to write a holiday article whether it be the history of the holiday, menu ideas, recipes, crafts or more.
Let’s start with its history. Here’s an article about the historic journey of the Mayflower including information about the Pilgrims onboard:
Hoping to entertain a flock of people, but funds are low? Have a look at this article about how to feed your guests without going broke.
Planning a great menu is all a part of Thanksgiving when entertaining guests. Here’s a typical menu at our house.
- Turkey
- Stuffing
- Mashed potatoes
- Corn
- Green Bean Caserrole
- Gravy
- Caesar Salad
- Cucumber Salad
- Rolls
- Apple pie
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Ice Cream
Besides the turkey, dessert is also a huge part of a great Thanksgiving meal. Here are some recipes to check out:
Having something good to drink only adds to the celebration. Here are some good cocktail recipes.
If kids are involved, a good idea is to have plenty of activities for them to do. When people write craft articles, sometimes they hone in one specific craft and write a how to article about it. Other times, they’ll write several craft ideas and feature links to other online sites which provide more craft ideas and instructions. The following example is from a writer at Squidoo.
As you can see, there are lots of writing opportunities for Thanksgiving. Additional ideas include articles about reasons to be thankful, great family Thanksgiving movies, what to do with the left-overs, centerpiece ideas and local restaurants and their Thanksgiving menus, to name but a few.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
What Should my Blog be About?
You’ve decided to create your own and now the challenge is to figure out what you want to write about. Do you have a particular passion in life? How about a favorite hobby? A blog can be on anything. Perhaps you’re a mother with kids and have some great parenting tips to share. Or, maybe you're a movie junkie and writing movie reviews would be right up your alley. Do you travel much? Or, how about your favorite sport or best cooking recipes.
Let’s look at some blogs to help you get some ideas. This first blog is written by a solo writer who offers travel tips and advice to different countries including the Philippines.
This next blog is a personalized blog which includes gluten free cooking.
While some blogs focus on one topic, others cover a variety of different ideas. The following is all about useful information on different things and includes holiday ideas, recipes and more.
As mentioned about, a blog can be about a hobby. The writer of the following blog is really into fly fishing and offers a lot of helpful advice.
A blog can also be of a personal nature. It can make for a great way to express one’s feelings as evidenced by this blog:
As for me, I’m a huge Disney fan. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t get at least one trip a year to either Disneyland or Disney World. Over the years of visiting Disneyland I’ve learned a lot and just recently launched a new blog with tips for people who are visiting there.
As you can see, a blog can be about anything. Just find something you know and care about and write about it. If you are new to writing, I would suggest picking a free blog writing site so you can test the waters. This blog is on blooger.com which is a very easy site to set up a new blog on. Happy blogging!
Paranormal Writing Tips and Writers
As someone who's always been interested in the paranormal, when I look for articles online, I try to find credible sources. All too often paranormal articles are based on religious beliefs or opinions versus scientific fact. As someone who has a background in parapsychology, which is a branch of psychology and recognized by The American Association for the Advancement of Science, (otherwise known as AAAS,) I believe that to write good paranormal article, one should stick to solid facts.
If wanting to write a paranormal article, try to pick a very unique title as too many generic titles exist on the Internet. The following is an article I have written in which as you can see has quite a unique title. Now, it may seem like I have one Crayola short of crayon box, but if you read the article, you will see that it is based on science.
Jill Stefko PhD is the Topic Editor on the online writing site of Suite101 for the category of Paranormal. She is well-versed on the topic and has written numerous articles on the subject matter. Take note her use of credible sources. Here's an example of her writing:
Here’s another interesting article. Check out all of the sources sited at the end of the article. This helps lend credibility to the text of the article.
Hopefully the above articles have provided some examples of how to write a good paranormal article. Remember to keep it as factual as possible, versus opinionated, and choose a good title that accurately describes the content of your article.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
How to Add Free Pictures to Your Blog
It’s easy to add pictures to blog for free. One site that offers free pictures is morgueFile. The site has a search which allows you to find a wide range of photographs. If using this site, please take a moment to read the photographers notes. Sometimes, they ask to be contacted over how you are using their pictures. In some cases it's just curiosity, while in others, they are looking to build up their own portfolios and your work may help them do so.
Another site is Wikimedia Commons. If looking through the site, be sure to find pictures that are currently in the public domain. Of course there are other sites, but let's concentrate on these two for now. While looking through either of these sites, look for a picture that best matches what you're writing about.
For example, let's say you're writing a piece about family beaches. The photograph below is beautiful. However, as lovely as it is, it wouldn't quite fit the article or blog post that you are writing because there is nothing that says family about it.
Now, look at the photograph below. This much more depicts the scene of a family beach.
A good picture can not only enhance your blog, but any online articles you may write as well, unless not allowed by the website. Here is an example of a blog which makes excellent use of pictures:
Here is another one that not only uses pictures, but videos as well:
As mentioned above, the good use of the picture can also enhance an online article. The following article has a photograph that matches up perfectly to the article's content.
Both morgueFile and Wikimedia Commons are great sources for finding free pictures to add to your articles and blogs. If looking for more resources, check out stock.xchng. If you have a free photo site that you can recommend, fill free to leave it in a comment.
When is the Best Time to Write to Get the Most out of Online Writing?
If wondering when is the best time to get the most out of your writing skills, it depends on when you're the most relaxed and able to concentrate on writing. For some people, it's first thing in the morning woke feeling refreshed after a good night’s sleep. For others, it's a nighttime when everyone else in the house is asleep and all is quiet.
Sometimes the creative juices seem to flow better than others. If you suddenly get a great idea, even if you can’t fully write an article, at least jot down some notes with some key points that you have thought of. Then, when you give him time, you can go back to your notes which will help write the article.
It can be frustrating when you want to write but nothing comes to mind. Should this happen to you, either walk away for a while or try to quiet your mind. To help you concentrate, try to work in a relaxing surrounding without a bunch distractions If you meditate, try a relaxing meditation. If you don't know of any, try the following one and see if it helps you to clear your mind.
Of course, this is only my opinion. Here's another writer’s take on when the best time is to write:
As you can see, there are some differences of opinion. The bottom line is what works best for you in order for you to find the time to right and get the most out of your writing time.
How to Write Online Travel Articles with Examples
When writing travel articles, the first thing to do is to pick an interesting title. Avoid anything too generic such as Attractions in Italy, as it will get lost in the search engines. Instead, focus on a specific place and give it a more detailed title such as The Best Venice Attractions for Sports Enthusiasts.
It’s best to have actually visited the location before writing about it. This way you can include more vivid details of the travel destination. If you have any great travel tips, throw them in. Also, if there is any way that readers can save money while traveling, include that in your article as well.
Here are some well written articles with unique titles to check out:
Many people enjoy taking a cruise and will look for travel tips on the Internet. Here are some travel articles focusing on cruising:
Another way people write about travel online is with blogs. There much more freedom when blogging and money can be made. Check out these examples of travel blogs:
If possible, add some colorful pictures to your article to give readers the sense that they are there. Remember, when writing a travel article, be sure to pick a unique title, add lots of vivid descriptions and any traveling tips that will help readers plan the best vacation possible.
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