Writing Creatively

Writing Creatively
Creative Writing Tips

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Let Her Entertain You



Twilightnera's Entertainment Hotspot blog was begun two years ago when Twilightnera decided that she wanted a medium to express her opinion on the most recent entertainment news.


According to Twilightnera, "I think everyone is always a little interested in entertainment news and I wanted a medium to express my opinion on the most recent entertainment news."



Though Twilightnera admits that readers might not learn anything "that they can use everyday...they definitely can be entertained..." and what she writes could elicit some discussion. Her desire is to entertain her readers.


What separates Twilightnera's entertainment blog from other entertainment blogs? Spunk and spin. As she explains, her posts "are not just copies of the same news already written." Twilightnera offers "a different spin and spunk" every time.

She wants her readers to have fun while they read her entertainment news. And she enjoys the exchange of blog comments, too, so make sure you leave comments on her blog.

Anybody who wants to keep up with the latest news on music, movies, fashion, and television in the entertainment world would enjoy reading her blog.

Find Twilightnera's Entertainment Hotspot blog by clicking any of the links in this blog where Twilightnera appears.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Which Blog is the Top-Rated Blog?

What is the Top Blog? Have you ever wondered which blog has the most readers?

Plug the word, "blog" into any search engine. Go ahead. Do it. I'll wait. What did you come up with? I came up with 193,000,000 when I tried it.

Does that mean that the Internet is filled with 193 million blogs? Perhaps. Which is sad for those of us who are at the bottom rung of this extremely high Highway To Heaven type of ladder.

If you write a blog, do you want your blog to be the top-rated blog? So do I. But WOW what competition. I decided to find out which blog was listed as the top blog. And I found it.

According to Technorati and The eBusiness Knowledgebase, it's The Huffington Post.

So what does The Huffington Post offer that I don't offer in any of my blogs? LOTS! The Huffington Post covers so many areas that it will take me a paragraph just to list them:  politics, health, divorce, arts, entertainment, books, business, media, world news, food, travel, technology, the environment, energy, movies, and so much more.

If you feel like checking out your competition, as I did, click on any link for The Huffington Post.

And if you would like to read more from this author, please click on any of the following blogs and articles:

Your Weird Dreams

Your Blog Connection

Help For Single Parents


My Heart Blogs To You

Writer of Blogs 


Paranormal Minds

Product Favorites

Theresa Wiza's Blog 


My Associated Content Articles

My Xomba Articles 


Thank you for visiting!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

EXPERT Advice for Bloggers Who Want Readers – EXPERT Information on How to Make Money from Blogging

Ever Hear of Darren Rowse or ProBlogger?

Blogger Darren Rowse of ProBlogger is a blogging guru who teaches bloggers about all aspects of blogging.

If you are a blogger who hasn't yet heard about Darren Rowse or his ProBlogger web site, you will be excited to know that just by visiting the ProBlogger web site and by reading ProBlogger, you will learn more about blogging than you ever thought possible. If you've been trying to pickaxe your way though the minefield of blogging trying to locate that one blogger who will tell you everything you need to know about blogging, let me introduce you to the gem you've been seeking.

In other words, from how to use SEO (search engine optimization) to how to find more readers to how to make money blogging, ProBlogger is the BEST blogging information site I've ever found. I'd like to share it with you.

Before I tell you about what's on the site, I'd like to tell you about something else that is currently taking place on ProBlogger.

What's New With ProBlogger?

Right now, ProBlogger is offering a Blogging Success Summit 2011 that I would dearly love to attend because of everything they will offer at the summit, but the price, even with its current 50% discount (as of January 2, 2011), is WAY out of my price range. (I wonder if they offer scholarships ;)

BUT just because I can't afford to take advantage of ProBlogger's Blogging Success Summit 2011, doesn't mean you can't. Click the links to find it.

Despite the fact that I can't join the summit, I wanted to help other bloggers who might not already know about Darren Rowse or ProBlogger, by showcasing ProBlogger in my Your Blog Connection blog. If, like me, you can't afford to attend the online summit, you can at least access all of the links available on ProBlogger and gain access into the insights of a blogging powerhouse. Darren Rowse offers a plethora of information directly on his web site.

Why is Blogger, Darren Rowse, Successful?

Darren Rowse has been blogging since 2002 (he has 30 BLOGS!), and he has been earning a FULL-TIME LIVING from his blogs since 2005 (can you see my jealousy seeping through my words right now?) – I repeat – a FULL-TIME-LIVING FROM WRITING BLOGS!

Imagine how much you'll learn from this master blogger. He is so knowledgeable in the field of his expertise, you could learn enough from him in one day to jump-start your own career in blogging. My goal this year (perhaps THIS is my New Year's Resolution) is to read him more frequently. Maybe one day I, too, will be able to earn a living from blogging.

Where Can You Find ProBlogger, Darren Rowse?

To visit the main ProBlogger web site of Darren Rowse, click HERE.

If you are interested in his workbooks, click HERE.

And his money-making information is located HERE.

What makes this blog truly remarkable, from a blogger's standpoint, is his Latest Jobs section, located HERE. I have so many blogs that I'm having difficulty maintaining, so I haven't been able to utilize this part of his web site, but check it out. You might find something that interests you.

All in all, Darren Rowse's ProBlogger blog is probably the best blog around if you are a blogger looking for information on how to improve traffic to your blog, make money from your blog, and come up with ideas for more interesting content.

Whether you're a blogger just starting out or you've been blogging for a long time, you will always learn something from ProBlogger.

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Want to read more by me? Check out my other blogs and article sites:

Your Weird Dreams

Help For Single Parents

My Heart Blogs To You

Writer of Blogs

Paranormal Minds

My Wordpress Blog

My Associated Content Articles

My Xomba Articles

Monday, December 6, 2010

The Clone Blog

What do you do when, for TWO WHOLE MONTHS, you have to deal with a ton of personal issues, including a car in need of more than a thousand dollars worth of repair, a broken vacuum cleaner with a warranty (but the nearest fix-it place is 50 miles away), a broken refrigerator (cost me several hundred dollars), a broken computer (would cost the price of a new computer to fix), no Internet connection (so even with a working computer, what difference would it make), seven blogs that cry for your attention, a memory that fails every now and then to remind you to take your cancer drugs and your asthma medicine, AND you take care of children all day long?

Well, I can't answer for you, but for me, I've decided to clone my blogs – at least this once.

Yessiree. If you go to any of my blogs (all of which are listed at the end of this blog), you will find that on this day, December 6, 2010, every single one of my blogs will say exactly the same thing as does this blog – assuming I don't get interrupted while I'm posting everywhere, that is.

So, without further ado (I don't think I've ever used that word before), here are a couple of (shortened versions of) blogs I would have written if I could have found the time and a working Internet connection:

MY HAIR

When my hair began to grow after chemo destroyed it, I noticed about a thousand cowlicks EVERYWHERE. In other words, I continue to look as if I am permanently affixed to an invisible electrical socket.

My youngest daughter and I were sitting in the cafeteria at Barnes and Noble (one of my favorite places to visit) when I spotted two women, who at first appeared to be reflections of me in the windows and whose hair looked as ugly as mine did. Of course mine was hiding beneath Avon's Breast Cancer cap, so nobody could tell how truly ugly it was.

In complaining to my daughter about how horrible I felt, because every time I looked in the mirror I saw a frightening apparition, I decided to illustrate my sense of horror by pointing out the two women to her.

"See those two women sitting by the window with their short, ugly, no-style hair?" I asked my daughter. She discreetly turned around.

"That's how I feel," I continued.

"You feel gay?" she asked.

OK, before you get all uppity, know this: several people I know are gay, and one of my best friends is gay – I think HE would get a laugh out of my daughter's comment.

MY FASHION SENSE

Everybody knows I have none – fashion sense, that is. I even wrote about my lack of fashion sense in my Weekend of Fashion blog, which I invite you to read by clicking the link.

Never had my lack of fashion sense been more apparent, though, than the year Jim Riordan shot his movie, Maddance, and one of his actors needed an outfit for a character she considered to be "trailer trashy."

Oh, what to wear, what to wear? Her eyes settled on me. I was wearing a broom skirt with a button down sleeveless top and a pair of sandals.

"That outfit, the one you're wearing. That would be perfect."

The #@%$&! What irks me even more is that I actually GAVE her my outfit!

WHEN TEMPERS FLARE

Yes, I'll admit it. I have a temper. Some people might be surprised to learn that I do because I usually hide it, though not always very well. You can tell when I'm upset, though, because I sulk or become an absolute witch.

Seething with sarcasm, my eyes squint into slivers of hatred. I become a cartoon character of myself, and I really don't like ME when I act that way (though, believe me, I have plenty of reasons to be "witchy" sometimes). In spite of those reasons, I really TRY to be mature (at my age, you would think that would come naturally by now).

Sadly I can't always help myself, so I'd kind of like other people to step forward and slap my mind with things like, "Do you realize you're acting like a temper-tantrum-throwing child?" or  (sarcastically) "Yeah, it's all about you!" or (even more sarcastically) "Nobody else ever in the history of life itself has ever had as many problems as you do. You deserve the status of martyr. Give me the phone. I must call the Pope!"

When I act like the Wicked Witch of the West I don't understand why people don't just throw a house on me. Maybe my toes curling beneath the pressure of a house smashing me into the ground would be the catalyst for change and I would respond differently. I could smile and say chirpy little comments, like, "My car needs over a thousand dollars worth of repair – the Universe must be trying to tell me something." ("You're getting too old to drive, Nimwit!"), and, "My computer is so broken, it will cost me the price of a new computer to fix it, so the Universe must be trying to tell me something." ("You're the one who wanted to be a writer – maybe you should rethink you're 'ideal job'.")

Or, and this is just a thought, maybe people should start being more responsible for OTHER people, especially those – like me – who need…what? What do I need – a heavy dose of reality? No, thank you. I think I've had  plenty of that…a reminder that lots of people have it worse than I do? No, that won't work. Oh, how about ________ (fill in the blank – I'm trying out a new type of blog – interactive – how's that working for me)?

Oh, you know what? Just throw a house on me!

Hmm, you don't like my remedy for witchiness? Be gone! Before somebody throws a house on you!

COMCAST

Comcast is on my hits (rearrange the letters) list. For the past three years since I moved into my home I have had intermittent problems with my Internet connection, and EVERY SINGLE TIME I call them and they send a tech, without fail, the technician who arrives at my home to FIX (choke choke) the problem tells me that the guy who came before him didn't know what he was doing.

I repeat – EVERY SINGLE TIME.

So, does that mean that for the past 3 years, every technician Comcast has sent to my home has been incompetent, or does Comcast hire egocentric techs with superiority complexes who believe that nobody but them knows how to properly connect a computer to the Internet?

Whatever. My Internet connection is in Illinois while I am in Virginia enjoying, in addition to attending to the needs of my grandchildren, a reliable Internet connection. Could the fact that I'm in Quantico, hub of the FBI and other government agencies, have anything to do with that, I wonder?

Despite the vacuum cleaner/computer/Internet/car/refrigerator problems I have been deftly dealing with over the past several months, I have managed to get a couple of articles and blogs written, the most recent of which is Paranormal Gifts for Your Paranormal Loved One.

In my Help For Single Parents blog, my most recent postings are:
PREVENT BULLYING
Applauding Accomplishments
Single Parent Resources

The three recent posts that appear in my Paranormal Minds blog are:
Why Does the Tarot Scare People?
Interviewing the Dead
I Have a Confession to Make

My Heart Blogs To You includes the following recent posts:
What Happened This Halloween
T-Ball With Kaden
Why I Have No Time To Write
Jeremy – Another Writer In My Family

Your Weird Dreams could appear in this blog along with these dreams:
The Bobby and The Dead Guy In The Trunk
Violent Murder In A Dream
Dream of Former Workplace

Writer of Blogs includes only one recent post:
How Embarrassment Became a Kindle

Your Blog Connection is currently disconnected due to the fact that I have not interviewed anybody recently for that blog.
But just because I had no time to devote to this blog, doesn't mean you can't check it out ;) Also, if you want YOUR blog covered, let me know.

My Wordpress Blog
Nothing new here, either, but feel free to visit for links to my other blogs and articles that automatically post here.

My most recent Associated Content Articles include the following:
A Halloween Paranormal Nightmare While Awake
I Wish Somebody Would Do Something About That!
The Perfect Gift for People Who Have Everything

My most recent Xomba Articles include:
A Halloween Paranormal Nightmare While Awake: Halloween Voices Won't Let You Sleep
Interview With Dead Rock Star Jim Morrison of the Doors
Learning the Mysteries of The Tarot
Paranormal Gifts for Your Paranormal Loved One

Hopefully by 2011, everything will be less stressful and I'll be writing more. The only way I can see that happening, though, is to find my own planet. But then I'd have to consider the costs to get there and...

In the meantime, thank you for reading this blog and clicking on the links.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Check Out This "Writing for AC" Blog


Pamela Gifford began writing her blog, Writing For AC, before she "even really knew what (she) was doing on AC." Admitting that she was merely "squeaking by on page views," Pamela had "no clue what SEO was, and was tickled pink if (she) got 100 page views in a day." In Writing For AC, Pamela chronicles her journey from that of an unknown contributor to that of a Featured Contributor (in the Arts & Entertainment category).

Although she is "not afraid to put (herself) out there" and admits to screwing up now and then, she also provides "information on other content writing sites and basics on content writing in general."

Pamela began her blog, Writing For AC in May 2009, which she initially used to promote her work on Associated Content. As she kept writing it, though, "it turned into a tutorial, a question/answer, and much more."

Who would most likely read her blog? "AC contributors (new or experienced) or anyone who is thinking about signing up for AC."

Pamela provides tips and advice, not only from herself, but also from other contributors, giving readers more opportunities to find the answers they seek. And she wants readers to know that she gives an honest assessment of what they can hope to gain from writing for Associated Content. "The benefit," as Pamela says, "is a truthful sharing of information."

For a featured writer's perspective on Associated Content, visit Writing For AC by Pamela Gifford. And if you would like to read Pamela Gifford's Associated Content Articles, click any of the links under her name.


As an aside, I enjoy writing for Associated Content too. For anyone interested in writing, it's a great place to earn money for your writing.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Every Day Crochet

Other than spending time with family and friends, two things I enjoy most are writing and crocheting, so I'm always looking at patterns for ideas about how to create my next project.

When I came upon Every Day Crochet, my eyes lit up. I no longer have to conduct my own finds, because Marie Anne St. Jean does all the work for me!

Does that mean I'm lazy? Possibly, but when you find somebody whose blog is dedicated to crochet and only crochet, why go anywhere else? Also she provides links to various crochet sites, so I now rely on Every Day Crochet for my ideas.

Marie Anne (pronounced Mary Ann) started Every Day Crochet in October 2008. She saw others blogging and decided to try it herself. I'm glad she did, because one of her newest blogs has given me an idea for my upcoming crochet project – a Stained Glass pattern (you can see it by clicking the link).

Most of her readers are those who "share the craft of crochet," but others might want to check out her Wednesday blog, because on Wednesday, Marie Anne St. Jean shares something she calls "WIP Wednesday" (Work In Progress), where she showcases her current projects on Every Day Crochet.

She also encourages others to link their blogs to hers so readers can see what everybody else is working on. And she doesn't limit the links to just crochet projects: "Everyone is welcome to share a project they're working on, be it a craft, DIY, renovation, landscaping, etc."

Marie Anne further states, "I keep the linky tool 'live' for a full week until the next WIP Wednesday rolls around, so it doesn't matter what day you blog about it, you can still link to mine. I find it a great way to find new and interesting blogs to follow and people to visit."

The patterns Marie Anne creates are beautiful, but, according to Marie Anne, they are not magical. "Those who don't crochet think I'm doing something magical, when in fact nothing I crochet is very fancy. I can teach anyone to do the simple things I do (and I have)."

Her comment reminds me of the time I saw my grandmother crocheting intricate doilies when I was a child. Because I was so interested in learning how to crochet, I asked her to teach me how to crochet. I was an attentive student, because I really wanted to learn the art of crochet.

Years later, when I provided daycare, a couple of the older girls (around the age of 10) wanted to learn how to crochet. I taught those little girls how to crochet, and now one of my daughters wants me to teach her how to crochet. Once you learn the various stitches (not many), you can create crocheted items on your own. Like Marie Anne, mine are simple (scarves and afghans).

Marie Anne adds, "Those who crochet might pick up a tip or two that I've shared, and those who don't crochet have a chance to see just how easy it can be to create simple projects. I'd like to think I've inspired some to either pick up a crochet hook again, or endeavor to learn the craft. I've got a few stitches and simple patterns that I enjoy, and those are either listed on my blog, or there are links to where they are listed."

If you enjoy crocheting, or if you just want to be inspired by the patterns and information Marie Anne supplies on Every Day Crochet, click any of the Every Day Crochet links in this blog.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Your Home On A Budget

Where can you find money-saving advice and share free offers with others?

Your Home On A Budget!

This new blog was begun only within the past month and already it is filled with LOTS OF FREE STUFF you'll want to check out.

Jenny Wagner started her blog because she was "looking for a way to share money-saving advice and free offers with others." She thought "a blog was the best way to do just that. "

Jenny brings more than 20 years of experience from the home improvement industry "and a lifetime of learning how to live on a budget…"

In addition to providing links to free items, Jenny provides tips on upgrading and decorating your home "on a budget."

By joining the community at Your Home On A Budget, you can look forward to daily updates on new free items for everything from Starbucks Coffee to Breathe Right Nasal Strips.

As Your Home On A Budget states, "Your Home On A Budget provides money-saving ideas for everyday life. Affordable home improvement ideas, decorating tips, sweepstakes, freebies, coupons and coupon codes, and many other budget-friendly suggestions and ideas."

Visit Your Home On A Budget by clicking any of the links in this blog.

And if you would like to read Jenny's articles on Associated Content, click anywhere you see Jenny Wagner's name.