Month: September 2009

Writer’s Wisdom 8

/ inkspeare

Perseverance

This is one important characteristic that best selling authors have in common.  Their backgrounds are very diverse, but there is a constant – they persevere once they fall into writing, and they just keep at it for as long as it takes.  Some of them had hardship in their lives, or events that lead them into writing.  But once they wrote, they persevered.  Many aspiring authors love writing, but they are not willing to hang in there for the love of it.  Rejections are hard, but each one comes with a wealth of information attached to it.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines perseverance as:  “to persist in or remain constant to a purpose, idea or task in spite of obstacles.” 

According to this definition, not only do we have to be persistent, but also constant, in spite of obstacles.  Many writers stop, take a break, become paralyzed or frozen at the arrival of a rejection letter. They stop writing, they suffer, mourn, and disconnect themselves from their main purpose – writing.  But this is not what perseverance is.  While dealing with the feelings of rejection (the obstacle), a writer must continue to write, write, write.

100 Ways to Save

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More and more people seem to be sharing the same boat these days.  In a though economy, every bit of good or creative advice to save your hard earned dollar, helps.  Here’s a hundred money saving tips, just to start you off.

Surf the internet for free product samples.  It’s like shopping for free!

  1. Utilize coupons.  Double them when possible.
  2. Take advantage of “buy one get one free sales.”  But, make sure that the price has not been inflated.
  3. Re-invent leftovers.  Study some recipes, learn new food tricks.
  4. Squeeze toothpaste to the end.
  5. Save soap shavings in a jar, and make a new bar of soap.
  6. Utilize natural food products (eggs, oil…) as beauty aids.  Research ways to use these products which you already have in the kitchen.
  7. Learn the many uses of baking soda (cleaning, beauty, cooking…)
  8. When products are almost at the end, dilute with water, and you will get more uses.
  9. Use a multi-purpose cleaner.  Commercial strength multi-purpose cleaners are strong, and because they need to be diluted, you get more for your money.
  10. Learn how to make your own shampoo/detergent.
  11. Makeup – Have a fall-winter/spring-summer makeup palette, so you can easy replace the used up item.
  12. Clothes – Buy basics and classics that you can mix and match.
  13. If you have the skill, mend or convert pieces of clothing.  Alter for different outfits.
  14. Trade in with friends and family.
  15. Ditch your home phone line.  Utilize a family program for your cell phones.
  16. Do you really watch all those cable channels?
  17. Have you heard of the meal portions of the 1940-50’s?  That’s how you should eat!
  18.  Buy foods and ingredients that have a long shelf life, like cornmeal, all purpose flour, rice, pasta.  These can be turned into different meals.
  19. Learn to make things from scratch (cookies, cakes, bread).
  20. Visit your local farm market to save money on veggies and fruits.
  21. Turn off the lights.  If you are not in the room, the light should be off.  By now, all your fixtures should have energy saving bulbs.
  22.  Unplug appliances when not in use.  For an easy way, buy a power strip.
  23. Visit your dollar store.  It is a source for many good items such as party favors, school supplies, cards, cleaning supplies and many more.
  24. Visit consignment shops, garage sales, flea markets.  You never know where you can find what you are looking for.
  25. Make a trade in party with family and friends.  Anything goes, bring any items and exchange for others.  Invite your neighbors.
  26. Sell your unwanted items for extra cash.
  27. Collect rain water.
  28. Do full loads of laundry.
  29. Dilute fabric softener.
  30. Paper towels can double as napkins.
  31. Make your lunch to take to work.
  32. Make coffee in the morning.  Take some with you.  Use a travel mug.
  33. Reuse plastic bags for pet waste or to line small trash cans.
  34. Forget gym memberships.  Do it the natural way – walk, hike, bike, become active in sports.  A can of beans can double a weights.
  35. Think of a second life for items.  For example a cup that has a small chip can become a key holder, change holder; a small saucer can be a soap or sponge holder; a tall glass can be used as a makeup-brush or toothbrush holder.
  36. Shop on EBay.  Sell on EBay.  You can get brand new books for 99 cents and free shipping!
  37. If you have a very expensive pair of shoes, take them to the shoe maker before ditching them.
  38. Donate clothes or other items, a car, and take the tax deduction.
  39. If you live in the country, decorating for the holidays (a la natural) should be easy and fun!  If not, take a trip, enjoy it, and collect pine cones, leaves, branches, and anything that you can use to decorate your home.  If you are in a coastal area, the beach is full of treasures!
  40. Take advantage of a friend’s garden.  Ask for seeds (before going to the nursery).
  41. Learn to use natural products (coffee grinders …) as fertilizers and bug repellents.
  42. Ask your bank, mechanic … for freebies such as pens, note pads, calendars.  They are usually available for customers; people don’t ask.
  43. Learn to make gifts, its fun!
  44. For big families, have a secret pal during the holidays.
  45. Don’t leave the faucet running.
  46. Don’t leave the refrigerator door open.
  47. Trade music, movies and books with friends and family.
  48. If you don’t have carpet flooring, go back to basics:  a broom, a mop and a bucket.  It will save you some bucks!
  49. Start an all year garden.  Cut your own flowers, don’t buy them.  For winter, pines and holly arrangements will look gorgeous!
  50. Use your library.
  51. Scout your township for free events (concerts, movie night, festivals).
  52. DIY – when advisable.
  53. Make use of your free weekends (cell phone) and use the email or social networking sites to say hello.
  54. When you donate to some organizations, (whatever amount) they will send you mugs, calendars, stationary, address labels, and even t-shirts.  You get tons of freebies and your donation is tax deductible.
  55. Schedule your errands – to save gas and wear and tear in your vehicle.
  56. Plan your menus.
  57. Old towels/clothes/sheets can become cleaning rags.
  58. Adopt an animal, don’t buy one.
  59. Dried summer flowers can make beautiful fall arrangements.
  60. If you don’t have the budget to replace a rusty fence, paint it, or plant vines to cover it: morning glory or honey -suckle will do.  It will look beautiful and fragrant.
  61. Repaint garden items; they will look like new again.
  62. Sell your metals (old appliances, pots, iron, and aluminum).
  63. Sell good parts of appliances that you no longer need (timer, motor …).  There’s a market for it.
  64.  Maintain your vehicle (wash, tune-ups …).  It will last you longer, perform better and save you money.
  65. Some clothes, sheets, can be converted into pillows.
  66. Bundle services, but beware.  Do the math first, to see if you are saving money by bundling.
  67. Take advantage of free credit card rewards.  But use your credit wisely.
  68. Save on postage.  Pay electronically.
  69. Leasing is a waste of money.
  70. Trade services:  “I’ll do your taxes for a tune-up.”
  71. Reuse computer paper as scrap paper/notes.
  72. Start healthy habits; you’ll save on medical bills.
  73. Sell your old gold jewelry (I made over $1,000.00).
  74. Can you cut your husband’s hair?
  75. Old pillows + old bed sheets = good pet beds.
  76. Bundle up in the winter, and lower your thermostat.
  77. Dress appropriately in the summer, and use ceiling fans.
  78. Take advantage of rebates.  Send them out.
  79. Easy on the pedal, save gas.
  80. Have a change piggy bank.  And please, bend over and pick up that cent or nickel on the floor.  It adds up!
  81. Old nail polish can be used on craft projects.
  82. Shake your printer’s ink.  You can get more from it.
  83. Use old Christmas cards as bookmarks.  Cut the part that is not written on and use it as post cards or note cards.  Perfect for those Christmas recipes.
  84. Be creative with pet toys.  Balls made of old socks, an old computer mouse …but, always make sure – safety first!
  85. Evaluate your purchases.  Buy what you need.
  86. Cook your own meals.
  87. Compare brand ingredients with store brands.  Why pay more if it contains the same ingredients?
  88. Grow your own veggies.
  89. Do your own pet grooming.
  90. Cancel subscriptions of magazines that you don’t read.  Keep one subscription and tell your friends to do the same, and then trade in between yourselves.
  91. Networking pays.
  92. Visit Craig’s list for great bargains and free stuff.
  93. Air dry clothes, when possible.
  94. Do some freelancing.
  95. Ask your doctor for generic drugs.
  96. Ask your vet for multiple pet’s discount.
  97. Take advantage of discounts for having multiple policies with an insurance company (auto + home).
  98. Organize your home.  If you know where things are, and what you have, then, you won’t buy things twice.
  99. 100.   Do you really need that boat?

There are many other ways of saving money.  These are only 100 tips to get you started.  Apply what you learn, otherwise is money down the drain – your drain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Writer’s Wisdom 7

/ inkspeare / 2 Comments

Love of the craft – write, write, write.

Some best selling authors seemed to have writing in the back-burner, and somehow, fell into it as if by chance or destiny; others, did not even know if they were any good.  But one thing they have in common is that they write, write, write.  They have a discipline about writing, and they love writing.  It is their passion, as if a birthright.  However you feel about writing, if you want to become good at it, then you have to be disciplined about your writing and give it a serious place in your life.  There are many inspiring bios of best selling authors.  You may want to check out Stephenie Meyer, Janet Evanovich, Lalita Tademy, and Sara Grwen.  They had their very unique start in writing, and they will inspire you.

So, pick up your pen, wake up your PC, and write, write, write.

Writer’s Wisdom 6

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“Pick a genre and stick with it, at least at the beginning.”

For those who are planning on making a career out of writing, this is sound advice.  At the beginning, the excitement and inspiration is high, the ideas are floating everywhere, and you feel that you can write hundreds of books in different genres.  You may be able to, but you have to focus your writing.  Read best selling authors in different genres and have a feel for the genre that you identify with the most.  Stick with that genre and start writing.  Write everyday.  Once your first manuscript is finished, send your queries and keep writing.  If you get published, you will start establishing yourself in that genre, and then, later in your career, you may decide if you want to try other genres.  At the beginning of your writer’s career your efforts and focus should not be spread around.  You have a story to tell, and in the future, many readers that will want some more.  So, pick a genre and write, write, write.

How to Fight Writer’s Block

/ inkspeare / 2 Comments

With these easy to do techniques, you can say goodbye to the dreaded dark cloud – writer’s block.

  1. The dream approach – Dreams are a great source of inspiration.  Keep a notebook and pen next to your bed; and as soon as you wake up, write down your dreams.  Anything that you remember will become fuel for your writing.
  2. The word approach – Take a word, any word, and play with it in your mind.  Write down the ideas that the word generates.  These ideas will become themes for your writing.
  3. The “throw it out there” approach – This method is fun!  Utilize your email or better, your social networks for feedback.  Just put out a sentence and invite people to comment about it.  Limit their comment to a short sentence.  Their input can generate ideas that can in turn, become excellent topics for writing.
  4. The mind approach – Thoughts are bouncing all the time in your mind.  This process is non-stop, even if you are not aware of it.  Become a watcher of your thoughts, write them down, and use them for inspiration.
  5. The conversation approach – When you are running your errands, standing on line, at a restaurant, or any other place, listen to what people are saying around you.  This is a great source for writing material.
  6. The newsworthy approach – What is going on the news?  What do people seem to care about?  Write about that.
  7. The” from bad to good approach” – Listen to the news and pick up a sad story.  Now, what would that story look like with a happy ending?  Use the inspiration from the story to create your own.
  8. The “what I love” approach – This is simple; just write about themes that you love.  It should be effortless, since you have a passion for the subject.
  9. The “against my grain” approach – Write about subjects that you totally dislike.  This will force you to do some research, you will learn something in the process, and will have plenty of material to write.
  10. The sentence approach – Take any sentence, any, and develop a story from it.

Inspiration is everywhere; you just have to attune your senses.  So, wake up your pen (or your PC), and start writing!

Writer’s Wisdom 5

/ inkspeare

“It is a huge honor to have your book made into a movie; but, it is a totally different animal.”

I heard a best-selling author say this in an interview; I wish I remember who. Many best selling authors have had this honor.  This is one of the best things that can happen to you as a writer (besides being published for the first time).  Some writers are actively involved in the process, while others are completely disconnected, by choice.  Most of them agree that making a movie out of a book is a totally different animal, and that you should let the “movie makers” work their magic.  Others agree that the integrity of the story should be kept, they welcome instances where the magic of the movies has made the story dynamic, or a particular part, better.

For us fans of best selling authors, we can’t wait for the movie to be made.  We got a good taste of a good book and now, we wait for the dessert.

Writer’s Wisdom 4

/ inkspeare

“The characters will take a life of their own; they will lead you, but you are in control.”

As you get deep into the story, each character will start interacting with you in its own way.  Sometimes, a character will refuse to do what you want them to do, and will suggest other ways.  It is up to you to listen to that character, feel what he/she is feeling, get a better understanding of where he/she is coming from.  Sometimes, characters will surprise you, they will step forward in the story, or they will stay back.  Sometimes, characters will help you in a story dilemma; you might be stuck with an issue, and suddenly, a character jumps out with the appropriate answer.  So, listen to your characters, talk to them.  However, you are still in control of the story.  You choose to accept or refuse their input, and you certainly have the last written word.

 

Have we become a better race?

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Are we doomed to destruction or have we become a better race?  What do movie genres have to do with it?  Read on.

When we think of science fiction, we think of the future and all kinds of things that can become possible.  The sci-fi world fascinates us, as it stretches our imagination as far as the times go.  The present time determines the type of science fiction that we experience.  Today’s sci-fi is more challenging that it was 20-40 years ago.  Old school fiction has become today’s reality.  If you ask a teenager to view an episode of old school Star-Trek, he/she might not be as impressed as many teens were many years ago.  This is because a lot of these gadgets resemble many that we currently use.  So what is there to fascinate him/her?

Our minds have learned to evolve as our future becomes more technological, and our responses to a particular movie genre, have too.  I doubt if a person taken from the 1930-50’s would be able to handle viewing today’s horror movies.  Will this person be prepared to handle the quick scene movements, the explicit bloody scenes, strong language and all that stuff we love to be scare by, these days?  I don’t think that mentally, emotionally, and physically this person was ready.  He/she could possibly end up at the emergency room with a series of physical symptoms, close to a heart attack, and possibly, emotionally marked forever.  In a sense, technology in the movies has made us strong, maybe even detached.  Does that mean that we are less sensitive to violence?  Maybe, or maybe not.  We just don’t scare that easy anymore.  But we still seem to condemn violence in our society.

Today, some old movies seem too slow in scene movement.  We have become used to handle fast speed in action, sci-fi and horror movies.  Our lives move at high speed as our technology does, too.  We have become like cyborgs, in that sense.  We process huge amounts of information (our brains have acclimated) and handle visual stimulation faster.  Just think of what a game of Atari looks like today – slow motion.  The dexterity that today’s teens demonstrate while playing video games and playing with techno equipment is impressive.  There’s no doubt that we have evolve as a species.  Some might argue that our values have not, but if you go back to study the atrocities of centuries ago, then the argument remains open.

Many believe that the human race is doomed to destruction as a result of its own chaos.  I see a race that has evolved from barbaric to sensitive, diplomatic, and strong.  Every era has its challenges, and leaves its mark on our evolution.  So for better or for worst, we remain, stronger than ever.