Tag: technology

Categories
Is It Too Late?

A Love-Hate Relationship

Pssst! I have a love-hate relationship going on.

Relationships can be tricky, and this one is one of my worst. I try to make it work, yet the other participant doesn’t always work well with my efforts. Have you ever had a relationship like this? The frustration! The irritation! Since I’m married, you might think I’m speaking about my husband, but no. It’s not him. That’s another article entirely.

What is causing me this trouble?

It’s technology! As someone of seasoned age, I haven’t been raised with technology like younger people. When I began my journey toward publication, I didn’t know how to use social media or have a website. It took several months to build my knowledge base to get things up and running.

Gone are the days of sending in a manuscript written in cursive through the post office. We must jump into the technology age and use all these things to help us succeed. Social media, websites, and editor submissions all require technology. We’ve mastered many difficult things in our lives, and we can do this!

Some great ways to learn include using Google, YouTube, writers’ groups online, and family members under the age of twenty or so. Many local libraries offer classes on computers. Don’t be afraid to ask them if they offer courses for your specific need when using technology.

Your ideas deserve to be out there.

Don’t let fear of technology keep you from moving forward in your efforts to become a successful author.

Jill Chapman resides in Southern Indiana with her husband of forty-four years. They enjoy their country lifestyle and visiting with their children and grandchildren. Her life centers around her family and her yellow lab, Indy. She is an avid movie watcher, loves Mexican food, and enjoys watercolor painting. Jill says her life is like a good plate of nachos, a tiny kick of spice, and a whole lotta cheese.

Categories
A Lighter Look at the Writer's Life

‘Tis the Season of Thankfulness

lighter look at a writer's life

Even though Christmas items have been up in stores for what seems like forever, ’tis the season of . . . thankfulness! Lest we skip over Thanksgiving for the season of holly, mistletoe, and Christmas nougats (my favorite), I decided to make a list of reasons writers need to be thankful. So, here’s the list, and feel free to check it twice (Sorry, I couldn’t resist).

1. Writers can be thankful for the gift and talent of writing.

Some people are talented at singing, while others are gifted in working with their hands, like woodworking, mechanical tasks. Those are worthwhile things, but God made writers a special breed, wired to share His story on the page. It’s a wondrous gift and a serious responsibility.

2. Writers can be thankful for technology.

Even though it drives us absolutely CRAZY sometimes, technology makes writing easier in this day and age. Personally, I’m thankful I don’t have to fire up an oil lamp, write everything out in longhand, and then “snail-mail” huge manuscripts to prospective publishers. I’ve been a teacher so long that you probably could not read my handwriting anyway.

3. Writers can be thankful for websites like this one.

With a few clicks, we can get top-notch instruction on everything from where the commas go to how to write travel pieces. Speaking of commas, we can even read endless debates about whether to Oxford comma or not (For the record, I am firmly in the Team Oxford Camp).

4. Writers can be thankful for other writers.

I don’t know about you, but I found my “tribe” or “squad” or whatever you want to call it through writing. Our fellowship is unique, as we relate to the struggles, commiserate the rejections, and celebrate the successes. Bonus thankfulness for writers conferences, where we gather to consume caffeine while we are talking, laughing, and eating way too many sweets. Oh, yeah, we also take classes and discuss writing (most of the time . . . well, some of the time . . . well . . . ).

5. Writers can be thankful for readers.

Where would we writers be without our readers? You are the reason we do what we do. Your support and feedback are invaluable

Now you know my thankful list—what’s on yours?

Carlton Hughes, represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary, wears many hats. By day, he is a professor of communication. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he serves as a children’s pastor. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer. Carlton is an empty-nesting dad and devoted husband who likes long walks on the beach, old sitcoms, and chocolate—all the chocolate. His work has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dating Game, The Wonders of Nature, Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. His latest book is Adventures in Fatherhood, co-authored with Holland Webb.

Categories
The Intentional Writer

How To Improve Website Accessibility

The intentional writer

How user-friendly is your website? Could a stranger understand at a glance what kind information you offer and where to find it? Can people easily navigate to what they’re looking for?

How about those with impaired vision? Is your website user-friendly for those with vision challenges, or haven’t you given that issue a thought?

I know I’ve been guilty of that omission in the past. But I recently attended a webinar about this issue and I’m passing on some of what I learned to you.

Tips to make your posts and pages more accessible for users, in particular the vision impaired.

Make sure everything is readable.

We’ve all been frustrated by a badly designed web page that is difficult to read. You don’t want that for your website! Common readability errors include:

  • Font size too small. Many people find small print difficult to see. Be kind to your readers and make your default font size large enough to read easily. Consider a 14 pt or 16 pt size for body text.
  • Hard-to-read fonts. Script fonts, handwritten fonts, and ornate fonts are often difficult to read. Save those fonts for invitations and other fancy stuff. Even standard fonts can be challenging when some strokes of letters are very thin. For best readability on a screen, choose a sans serif font like Arial, Lato, or Verdana. (There’s a good reason they’re so popular. They work!)
  • Insufficient contrast. Low contrast between font and background can make the text difficult to read. If you suspect your contrast isn’t good, you’re probably right. Here is a website that allows you to analyze your contrast. You can enter hex values for the foreground (ie text) and background colors, or just use the sliders to play around. The boxes on the top right indicate whether the contrast passes or fails various standards.

Help users see what you want them to see and do what you want them to do

  • Create white space. When you try to cram too much into the page, it becomes confusing to the reader and they may miss the great content you want them to read. Spread things out so it’s easier for someone to see each important thing you have to say. Break long paragraphs into smaller ones. (Read a long paragraph on a phone and you’ll see why this makes a difference.)
  • Provide useful subheadings. Subheadings help users navigate through your posts and let them know at a glance what the key points are. Many readers scan the subheadings before deciding whether to read the post. If there aren’t any subheadings, they may move on immediately.
  • Make it easy to take the next step. After reading the page, what do you want the user to do next? Have you made your call-to-action obvious and simple to use? Can they easily find links to related posts, the comments section, or the search box?
  • Clarify what clicking a link will do. Don’t assume that every user will understand buttons or links that say vague things like “I’m in!” or “Show me.” Instead, be very clear about what will happen when a user clicks a link or a button.

Design for screen readers

Many vision-impaired users rely on a screen reader to navigate websites. Here are tips to make your site more user-friendly for audience members using a screen reader:

  • Include alt text on all images. Screen readers can’t interpret images. By filling out the alt text for each image, you can include an explanation of the image for the screen reader to read. This could be a simple description of the image, or an explanation of what the image is intended to illustrate. (Also, many email browsers default to not showing images. In this case, the alt text will show rather than just the “an image goes here” icon.)
  • Don’t use images when text will work. Since screen readers can’t interpret images, all the data the image provides to those with able vision is lost to those who can’t see it. Screen shots, quote memes, and infographics are examples of images that offer text that is inaccessible to screen reader users.
  • Don’t open a new window unless it’s necessary. Screen readers get confused when they have to deal with multiple windows. Users may get lost or unable to navigate back to the page they want. To avoid this, don’t set hyperlinks to open in new windows, and if you do, clearly state that in the hyperlink. For example: Click here to open ThisAwesomeWebsite in a new window.
  • Create helpful hyperlink descriptions. Screen readers read everything literally. If you include the whole web address in a hyperlink, the screen reader will read out every letter and symbol. Who wants to listen to that? Long links aren’t nice to look at anyway, so it’s better to offer readers a clear description of what the hyperlink will do.

Consider color-blindness.

Color can make a certain image pop.

Unless the viewer is colorblind.

There are several different kinds of colorblindness, and each will see an image with varying degrees of impairment. I have listed two sites (below) that show examples of how images might look to colorblind viewers. (In both of them, clicking the various types of colorblindness will change the image) Both sites also allow you to upload your images to see how they would appear.

If differentiating colors is critical for understanding your images, you should use a resource like the one above to ensure your message will still get across. Colorblindness is also a factor to consider for contrast between text and background.

Here are links to two websites that simulate colorblindness:

I hope these tips help you make your website even more awesome! Have other tips to make user-friendly websites? Let me know in the comments.

Lisa E Betz

Lisa E. Betz worked as an engineer, substitute teacher, and play director before becoming an award-winning mystery writer. She brings her analytical mind, quirky humor, and positive outlook to all she writes. She draws inspiration from thirty-five years of leading Bible studies to create entertaining mysteries set in the world of the early church, and then she fills that world with eccentric characters, independent females, and an occasional sausage-snatching cat. Her first novel, Death and a Crocodile, garnered a gold medal in the Illumination Book Awards.

In addition to writing novels, Lisa blogs about living with authenticity and purpose. Visit her at www.lisaebetz.com. Facebook LisaEBetzWriter Twitter @LisaEBetz and Pinterest Lisa E Betz Intentional Living.

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

advances in rocket propulsion to inspire your science fiction

There’s an important difference between Science Fiction and Scient Fantasy. Scient Fiction is based on real world science, even if that science is theoretical. Science Fantasy looks and reads like Science Fiction, but it’s not based on real world science. Science Fiction spends more time explaining how the technology in their created world works, while Science Fantasy treats it as akin to a magic system. The classic delineation is Star Trek is Science Fiction, while Star Wars is Science Fantasy.

Known and mundane

Chemical rockets have been powering human spaceflight for decades. Every rocket used this type of propulsion. Whether the fuel is liquid or solid, it’s burned with an oxidizer to create rapidly expanding gas. The design of the rocket gives the gas only the rocket’s nozzle as an outlet and thanks to Newton’s Third Law of Motion, all the force going out causes a reactive force pushing the rocket to the stratosphere and beyond.

SpaceX, one of the leading innovators in space travel, has begun tests on The Raptor, a full flow staged combustion (FFSC) engine. It’s still a chemical reaction, but it’s more fuel efficient and generates more power.

Are you telling me that this sucker is NUCLEAR?

Nuclear fission reactions recall visions of mushroom clouds and destruction, but much like how we can use fire or electricity for both destructive and constructive purposes, this potent reaction is being tested as a possible propulsion source. It works like a chemical rocket. Gases are heated and given the nozzle as their only escape.

The problem with fission engines is size. The current fission reactors are too large for a space faring vehicle, but research and experimentation continue. The other issues is launch failure. It’s one thing when a chemical rocket explodes, but a nuclear rocket could spread radioactive material over a large area. That is not ideal.

It’s electric

There are few sounds more iconic than the Twin Ion Engines of a Sienar Fleet Systems T.I.E fighter. This technology is getting some real application. The drives ionize particles and fire them out a thruster. They are fuel efficient and can even be solar powered. Real-world applications include Esa’s SMART-1 mission to the Moon and Bepi-Colombo mission headed to Mercury.

The major issue with ion drives is speed. They are too slow for any manned mission, but NASA is working on more powerful versions for a proposed moon mission.

Solar sails

Versions have of Solar sails have appeared in popular Science Fiction and Science Fantasy. The real-world versions rely on catching photons emitted by the Sun. They propel the sail through space. There is an inverse relationship between distance from the Sun and speed. The Japanese IKAROS spacecraft and the Planetary Society Lightsail-2 project have both employed this technology. Unfortunately for solar sail enthusiasts, these engines make the ion engines look fast.

Scientist continue to push the boundaries of our technology, chasing the dreams birth in them by writers of great science fiction. The writers inspire the scientist to reach new heights and the discovers the scientist make inspire greater and more fantastical stories from the writers. It’s a beautiful, symbiotic relationship.

Ted Atchley is a freelance writer and professional computer programmer. Whether it’s words or code, he’s always writing. Ted’s love for speculative fiction started early on with Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, and the Star Wars movies. This led to reading Marvel comics and eventually losing himself in Asimov’s Apprentice Adept and the world of Krynn (Dragonlance Chronicles). 

After blogging on his own for several years, Blizzard Watch (blizzardwatch.com) hired Ted to be a regular columnist in 2016. When the site dropped many of its columns two years later, they retained Ted as a staff writer. 

He lives in beautiful Charleston, SC with his wife and children. When not writing, you’ll find him spending time with his family, and cheering on his beloved Carolina Panthers. He’s currently revising his work-in-progress portal fantasy novel before preparing to query. 

Ted has a montly newsletter which you can join here. It’s a roundup of links about writing, Star Wars, and/or Marvel with brief commentary from him.

  • Twitter: @tedatchley3
  • Twitter: @honorshammer (gaming / Blizzard Watch)
Categories
Guest Posts

TikTok For Beginners: Ultimate Guide To Market Your Brand In 2021

Guest posts

TikTok is currently one of the most popular video sharing applications in the social media world. It’s filled with lots of videos such as dancing, lip-syncing, duet, performing stunts, and comedy clips. 

Once you start to scroll TikTok videos on the For You page, you won’t want to stop. Because TikTok videos encourage users to watch videos again and again. Whether you’re relatively new to TikTok or already a member, the following tips will help you to go viral on the TikTok app. 

However, whether you’re just a viewer or planning to upload videos yourself, you have a clear idea about how to use TikTok to become a famous person in time. 

TikTok – Short Intro

TikTok is the combination of all social media content with short and long form videos from 15 to 60 seconds. It has an effective music library, comedy, dancing, and trending videos. You can find popular videos, follow people and explore hashtags on this platform. 

There are two main reasons that TikTok is really unique: 

  • Type of content you post
  • How posted content is reaching your audience

Set Up Your TikTok Account 

Before you get the TikTok For You page, you need to create a TikTok account. Here are the steps to create a TikTok account: 

  • Go to the google play store/ App store. 
  • Search the TikTok app in the search bar and download the app. 
  • Once downloaded the app, sign up for your account by using Facebook, Twitter, or email. 
  • Otherwise, use your email to create a new username and password. 
  • Once logged in to your TikTok account, you’ll get a TikTok homepage to access videos.

Optimize Your TikTok Profile

Are you ready to edit your profile?

A profile is a place to show your identity across the world. You can add your unique profile image, username, short bio with clickable links, and attractive emojis. 

To edit your TikTok profile, 

  • Tap the ‘Me’ profile icon in the bottom of the screen. 
  • Click edit profile.
  • Here, you can change your profile picture. TikTok allows you to choose either a static image or a video. 
  • Next, you can add a unique username that easily remembers and identifies your audience. 
  • Add a short bio to your profile, and it will appear at the forefront of your profile. 
  • You can add your website link, Instagram, and YouTube profile links in the bio section. It will display at the bottom of your bio, so people can directly visit your website. 

Create And Upload Your TikTok Videos

TikTok is the best social media platform to create amazing videos and engage people to follow your profile. Here are few ideas to create your TikTok videos:

  • Click the + icon at the bottom center.
  • The camera will open, and you can start to film your videos. 
  • But before starting to record videos on TikTok, you need to choose your song. 
  • However, if you want to capture videos at the moment, you can skip the option and start filming videos without music. 
  • Like Snapchat, TikTok provides AR filters and effects, which helps to change the look and color of videos. 
  • Click the effects option on the left-hand side to find more features.
  • The world tab includes options like environment and the effective background designs. 
  • On the right side of the recording screen, you can see a beauty button to change the look of your face. 

TikTok allows you to create videos from 3 to 15 seconds, and you can also merge multiple clips together for up to 60 second videos. 

Once you start to post videos regularly, try duets, dance, and lip syncing features because these videos are more popular among the TikTok audiences and viewers. 

TikTok For Marketers

Nowadays, many applications have helped businesses to promote their products and services and reach target customers. TikTok is undoubtedly a fast moving platform to get maximum reach and reach your message to the viral audience. Marketers use different strategies for brand awareness and increasing sales growth. 

Here are some most effective strategies to brand a particular product or service on TikTok: 

  1. Make a Trend 

TikTok is the best platform to find trendy content and hashtags. One of the best ways to increase brand awareness and drive traffic to your website is by making the most recent content and using a perfect hashtag to get your content in front of the exact audiences. 

  1. Engage With TikTok Users

Engagement is a two-way process! Uploading engaging content for your TikTok followers is important. Additionally, spending some time to see your post comments and commenting back to the audience is also needed. You can also comment on other users while watching trending videos, which helps to create good conversation and build strong relationships. 

  1. Promote Hashtag Challenges      

Hashtags are the most popular and inspired activity on every social media platform. It will help you to generate audiences and spread your message organically. Hashtags challenges are a non-sponsored method to reach potential customers. Even you can grow organic TikTok viewers by using trending hashtags that may help you achieve immense growth. 

  1. Partner With TikTok Influencers

Like other social media platforms, TikTok’s influencer presence and growth are huge. Partnering with TikTok influencers to promote your brand is a great way to increase brand awareness and generate sales. 

In fact, people are more likely to trust a brand and buy products based on their influencer recommendations. That’s why influencer marketing helps to improve your marketing growth and establish your brand to loyal followers. 

Conclusion: 

TikTok provides endless opportunities for users to create TikTok accounts and become more popular among younger audiences. Incorporating TikTok into your marketing strategy is a long process. But, with a perfect guide, you’ll be able to create awesome content and attract many people to visit your TikTok profile. Therefore, don’t miss this amazing platform for your business success!

Alison Williams is a social media content writer who works at Flatfitty, she is an experienced social media analyst, and her passion is to contribute to engaging content for authority blogs and websites. You can also visit her online at Twitter.com!

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Writers Chat

Writers Chat Recap for March, Part 1

Writers Chat Recap

Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie Alexander, and Brandy Brow, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!

“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”

Scrivener Basics with Brandy Brow

In this two-part tutorial series, Brandy explains how to use Scrivener. By the end of part one, you’ll be able to use the basics of Scrivener, even if you don’t understand how to use the many bells and whistles this program offers. In part two of the series, Brandy takes us on a more in depth exploration of a few of the more popular aspects of Scrivener, like the corkboard and the outliner. Whether you use Scrivener or not, this two-part tutorial is informative and encouraging. Check out the two link below to catch the replay, but be sure to have a notepad and pen ready.

Watch the March 2nd replay.

Watch the March 9th replay.

Brandy Brow is a writer, editor, vocalist, and artist who loves magical realism and science fantasy. Currently, she’s working on flash fiction and children’s stories. Brandy lives in Vermont with her husband and several children. You can connect with her on social media.

Join us!

Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET
on Zoom. The permanent Zoom room link is: http://zoom.us/j/4074198133

Categories
The Intentional Writer

What’s on Your Writer’s Wish List?

The intentional writer

The Christmas season is an excellent time to expand your writing resources. Here are some suggestions of items you can include on your wish list.

Craft Books

A serious writer knows there’s always room to learn more about the craft of writing. If you don’t have a list of writing-related books you want to read, now’s the time to start one. If you do have a list, select s few titles to add to your on your writer’s wish list.

Marketing Books

Writers need to learn about the marketing side of things, too. So add a few titles about marketing, branding, platform, and social media to your writing TBR pile. Then choose a title or two to add to your writer’s wish list. It’s never too soon to start learning about marketing and platform, so even if you’re a beginner you should be collecting (and reading) books on these topics.

Creativity and Inspirational Books

Why not invest in a book that inspires your creativity or helps you get past writer’s block? There are plenty of books designed to help creatives in all fields, so don’t confine yourself to those aimed specifically at writing. Need a suggestion for a non-self-help book to inspire you? How about a biography of someone you admire, or a story of someone who succeeded against great odds.

Genre Books

A good writer reads avidly and widely. You need to read books in the genres you write, because it helps you understand what readers expect, and what You should also read a variety of books in other genres, because we can learn and find inspiration in good books of all genres.

Software and apps

Have you been wishing you could upgrade to a more powerful version of a tool you use regularly, such as Canva or Book Brush? Why not add a year’s subscription to your wish list? Ditto for software that would make you a more productive and happy writer.

Memberships

Joining multiple organizations can get expensive, but these groups offer networking and other resources that may give your career the boost it needs. What kind of groups make the most sense for you? Some are specific to a genre, such as Sisters in Crime. Others are intended for a broader range of writers, such as American Christian Fiction Writers. Many offer a support community, such as Serious Writer Club. Why not look into a few and pick one for your wish list?

Classes and Coaching Sessions

There are tons of classes and coaches out there who can help you learn what you need to learn, or help you figure out what you need to do to take the next step in your career. Invest in yourself and make use of all that knowledge.

Technology

When apps give you a warning that your computer is too old to run their software properly, you know it’s time to think about replacing your laptop. [Yes, I am getting that message from a particular app.] In addition this might be a good opportunity to consider adding useful accessories like a microphone, to up your quality on podcasts or videos.

Office equipment

When was the last time you considered the ergonomics of your favorite writing spot? Maybe it’s time to invest in a more supportive desk chair, or a better desk that allows you to adjust the height of your keyboard. Or maybe you simply need some cute organizer bins to tame the clutter.

Hobbies

If you want your to keep producing creative ideas, you need to be intentional about feeding your creative well. And that means regularly doing the kinds of activities that feed your soul. Hiking, beekeeping, knitting, gardening, etc. Don’t neglect to include hobby supplies and equipment on your wish list.

I hope these suggestions have inspired you, both for items to add to your wish list, and also for awesome gifts you can five to your friends and loved ones.

Lisa E. Betz worked as an engineer, substitute teacher, and play director before becoming an award-winning mystery writer. She brings her analytical mind, quirky humor, and positive outlook to all she writes. She draws inspiration from thirty-five years of leading Bible studies to create entertaining mysteries set in the world of the early church, and then she fills that world with eccentric characters, independent females, and an occasional sausage-snatching cat. Her first novel, Death and a Crocodile, releases February 9.

In addition to writing novels, Lisa blogs about living with authenticity and purpose. Visit her at www.lisaebetz.com. Facebook LisaEBetzWriter Twitter @LisaEBetz and Pinterest Lisa E Betz Intentional Living.

Categories
Guest Posts

9 Writing Tools to Become More Productive as a Writer

Do you want to become a successful writer? Be ready to work hard and keep your productivity high.

Yep, writing talent is not the only thing you need to succeed in today’s world. You also need to be able to work effectively and deliver results fast.

Luckily, we live in the technology age, where productivity tools are widely available.

If you want to become a more productive writer, use the following tools and apps.

Grammarly

How much time do you spend fixing typos and correcting small grammar mistakes? Fifteen minutes a day or maybe a few hours? Try to install Grammarly and proofread your writings automatically.

Grammarly is an AI-powered grammar checker – it defines common mistakes and suggests fixes. If you start using it today, you will significantly speed up the writing process and get a chance to release your book sooner.

Evernote

The most brilliant ideas always come to mind unexpectedly. And if you don’t want these ideas to fade away, you should be ready to write them down immediately.

Evernote is an app that allows you to take notes and manage your tasks in a smooth and convenient way. You can use it to create textual notes or save drawings, photographs, audio, or web content that inspires you.

The best thing about Evernote is that it allows you to sync your notes across multiple devices. It means that you can access your saved files using your phone, tablet, and laptop no matter what device you have used to create that file.

Scrivener 

Scrivener is a popular writing app used by best-selling novelists, professional screenwriters, and non-fiction writers. If you want to take your writing to the next level, consider using this tool for crafting your next draft.

Use Scrivener to write down your ideas, edit your manuscript, and add background materials. Compile everything into a single document for printing and share your book with the first readers and publishers.

Thesaurus

Good writing is all about choosing the right words to describe characters, settings, and items. If you want to expand your vocabulary and improve the quality of your texts – use Thesaurus. This tool will help you to find relevant synonyms for overused words and enrich your language.

Thesaurus is an excellent solution for elevating and improving writing and vocabulary for both newbies and pro writers.

Novel Factory

If you are a newbie in novel writing, Novel Factory will be a great tool for you. It works like an integrated step-by-step guide that helps you to craft a story one idea at a time.

Novel Factory interface includes dedicated sections for characters, locations, and items. It means you can describe the main hero of your story and the settings first and then move to crafting a plot.

Besides, Novel Factory offers plot outlines for popular genres like romance and thriller. If you want to write a novel but don’t know how to start, you can use these outlines for inspiration and as an example to follow.

Essay Guard

Nothing and no one is perfect. So if you feel like you need expert help to improve your writing, don’t feel ashamed to ask for it.

The best way to find a reliable writing service is to check websites ratings and read reviews on Essay Guard. Choose a qualified writer wisely, and you will get adequate editorial assistance.

Writing Prompts

Do you want to become a part of the online writing community? Install Writing Prompts, a mobile app, and create your own writing prompts and stories. Share it with other writers and get valuable feedback.

Writing Prompts allows you to check stories written by other authors. It means you can evaluate the quality of other authors’ works and learn the lesson from their mistakes and successes.

FocusMe

Do you find it challenging to focus on writing? Do you get distracted by social media notifications? If you want to finish your book due to the deadline, you should fight your social media addiction.

Install FocusMe and block access to social media websites. If you don’t have the strong willpower to stop checking your phone – this tool is just a perfect solution for you. It will limit the distractions so that you will be able to immerse yourself in writing.

Freedom

Freedom is another app for blocking distracting websites and apps. If you use it daily, you will improve your productivity and will get able to generate more brilliant ideas. You can set a work schedule, so Freedom will block access to distracting media automatically at hours when you are busy with writing.

In conclusion

All these nine tools are available for free or offer free trials, so you don’t have to pay money to understand whether they suit you or not.

We highly recommend you to test productivity tools one tool at a time to find a solution that works for you the best.

Daniela McVicker is a well-known writer, a contributor to EssayAssistant. She enjoys reading classic literature and doing research on internet marketing. Her favorite pastimes are to write, listen to jazz tracks and take quiet walks.

Categories
A Lighter Look at the Writer's Life

We put on a Show And Saved the Day!

lighter look at a writer's life

I remember watching a Carol Burnett Show sketch that spoofed the old Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland musicals. You know the ones.

Hey, let’s put on a show!

The routine: a bunch of kids decide to do a show in an abandoned barn, and, miraculously, elaborate costumes and props appear. The show is a success, the day is saved, happily ever after for everyone.

I am a member of the planning committee for Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, and, like most conferences, we found ourselves at a loss as to how to hold our event this year in the midst of a pandemic. In April, members came to a unanimous decision.

Hey, let’s put on an online conference!

Now, I’m not Mickey Rooney, and Judy Garland was nowhere to be found. However, a group of determined writer servants set their minds to making such an event work.

Our coordinator Hallee Bridgeman and her tech-expert husband Gregg arranged the video conferencing details, and the rest of the committee followed. Much time and energy were devoted to scheduling, promotion, faculty confirmations, and more.

Everything fell into place, but, as the event neared, I got nervous, which is unlike me. I have attended numerous writers conferences and have taught at KCWC for years, but I had never done anything like this online.

I was scheduled to teach three classes (one a repeat), and, the night before, I was a wreck. What if my style wouldn’t translate to online teaching? What if my highly-interactive new attendee class went over like a lead balloon? What if my home internet went out?

It turns out, I had nothing to worry about. The classes went off with very few glitches. The technology, for the most part, worked. As for interaction? God did a supernatural thing, y’all.

Through the “chat” feature and other means, 400 attendees from nearly 40 states and 6 countries (France! Australia!) connected, networked, and generally enjoyed each other’s company. Though different, my classes were fun and interactive; getting out of my comfortable zone was a good thing. I was also able to attend some great classes myself and to listen to inspiring keynote addresses without having to jump up and run somewhere to take care of conference details. I even baked a batch of brownies while attending a class!

An overwhelming majority of the attendees have raved about the setup of the conference and the encouraging instruction, as well as celebrated the fact that they had some human interaction after months in isolation.

And guess what? MY HOME INTERNET DID GO OUT! With less than a minute left in one of my classes, I was answering a question when my service “hiccupped.” Only me, right?  I did what any tech person would do: I unplugged the “internet thingie” and then plugged it back in. Voila! It came back!

So we put on a “show,” and, by all indications, it was a success. God knew what we needed when we needed it and showed up in a big way.

Let’s put on another show! Who’s with me?

Carlton Hughes, represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary, wears many hats. By day, he is a professor of communication. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he serves as a children’s pastor. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer. Carlton is an empty-nesting dad and devoted husband who likes long walks on the beach, old sitcoms, and chocolate–all the chocolate. His work has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dating Game, The Wonders of Nature, Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. His latest book is Adventures in Fatherhood, co-authored with Holland Webb.

Categories
Embrace the Wait

Survival Tips for the Waiting Part of Writing Tip #14 – Stay on Mission

I’m writing this post at a time when our world is in shut-down mode. Stores are closing their doors, travel has been restricted, and the term self-quarantine has suddenly risen from the shadows of the past and roosted in our everyday vernacular. Life right now seems like a sci-fi WIP—being written by a pantser. And yet again there’s the … waiting. Waiting for answers, waiting for a cure, waiting for some assurance that this virus won’t be the tiny straw that breaks the world’s hope.

Ah, but we know the true author of the story, and we know that He is where our hope lies. None of this has taken God by surprise. He’s still on His throne and still in control. So, what do we do during our time of waiting?

Here are a few tips to help us stay on mission.

  1. – Social distancing does not have to keep us apart. Can you imagine how much more difficult the separation would be if we did not have the benefit of technology? I shudder at the thought. Now is the time to take full advantage of every online networking opportunity available. Our connections with each other are vital to God’s plan. He created each of us to fit together like puzzle pieces for His purposes. Wouldn’t it be just like the enemy, that schemer, to use this time to divide and conquer us? We can’t let him. We must choose to band together in every safe and possible way. I’ve added some links below to help with this.
  2. It has been said that the instruction to fear not occurs exactly 365 times in the Bible. I’ve not counted these occurrences for myself, but I believe it. It’s as if God doesn’t want us to live one single day in fear, so he gives us a verse for each day.  One important thing I’m learning about fear is that it has zero power in my life when it is brought into the presence of God’s perfect love. His perfect love casts out all fear. But wrangling that fear from the confines of my worry and anxiety and casting it into the truth of God’s love—requires trust. In this time of uncertainty, when it’s hard to discern truth from fiction, one thing is sure. We have a God who can be trusted. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. May we all move into that trust and away from fear.
  3. Many of us have extra time on our hands now that the demands of our overly-busy lives have been temporarily suspended. With fear out of the way, let’s use the spare time to move forward into our callings. Let’s draw near to God, deepen the relationships we have with our families, write something every day. Remember, this period of waiting is not a bump in the road—It’s a springboard. As C.S. Lewis once said, “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”

Scripture: 1 John 4:18, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

Fun Fact or Helpful Resource:

Here are some great ways to connect with others online:

  1. Join a critique group where you can share your work with other writers and receive valuable feedback. There are many out there. But Word Weavers Intl. is my fave.
  2. There are private writers’ groups and clubs you can join online. Serious Writer has a club that I love. They not only provide networking opportunities, they offer training and other amazing perks.

Annette Marie Griffin is a award-winning writer who speaks at local women’s group meetings and women’s retreats on the topic of biblical womanhood and finding our identity in Christ. She is the Operations and Events Coordinator at a private school for special needs students and is the editor of their quarterly newsletter. She has written custom curriculum for women’s retreats and children’s church curriculum for Gateway Church in San Antonio, Texas where she served as Children’s Ministry Director and Family Program Director for over twenty years. She and her husband John have five amazing children and two adorable grands. She’s a member of Word Weavers International, ACFW, SCBWI, and serves on the Board of Directors for The Creative Writing Institute.

Categories
Guest Posts

WordPress Performance Tips for the Everyday User

No matter what you do for a living, there is a big chance that you are running a website dedicated to your business. After all, the number of websites keeps growing steadily as there are now more than 1.7 billion sites on the Internet.

Now, every website runs on a content management system (CMS) and WordPress is by far the most popular choice among webmasters of all levels of knowledge and skills. A report reveals that WordPress powers 34% of all websites on the Internet, but the platform’s market share goes as high as 60%.

Users love WordPress because it’s simple and easy to figure out, but they still need to know a few basics in order to keep their sites running smoothly and efficiently. In this post, we will show you nine WordPress performance tips that are suitable for everyday users. Let’s take a look!

Find a Reliable Hosting Provider

Many webmasters make a simple mistake of choosing cheap but unreliable hosting providers. A typical user does it because he/she is not expecting a huge amount of traffic and therefore is not willing to invest in WordPress hosting.

Jake Gardner, an essay writer in charge of IT topics, claims this is a big mistake: “As soon as you create an army of loyal fans, you will notice that your site is slowing down. This is why I recommend you to pick a well-known provider such as Page.ly, WP Engine, or Bluehost.”

Pick a Good Theme

A theme is a collection of templates and style sheets used to define the appearance and display of a WordPress powered website. As such, it has an overwhelming impact on website performance because people love to see a beautiful online presentation.

Now, you can find a lot of WordPress themes with “one size fits all” solutions. While it may seem tempting, we encourage you to opt for a specific niche-focused theme. How come? Generic themes are covering all sorts of features – even the ones you don’t really need.

For this reason, you should pick a narrow theme that suits your business needs. If you visit a website such as Best Essays,  EssayTyper.com or EssayEdge, you will realize they use the same sort of theme because it gives them only those features academic writing agencies might need.

Choose the Right Plugins

WordPress themes determine the appearance of your site, while plugins help you to make the website better and more efficient. Just like a theme, you should also be smart enough to choose the right tools for your business demands. Generally speaking, almost every website needs plugins to enable search engine optimization, online security, contact forms, email marketing, content creation, and similar.

Remove the Plugins You Don’t Need Anymore

Everyday WordPress users are known for their “set it and forget it” philosophy. This often turns out to be a disastrous habit because hackers take advantage of outdated plugins to attack WordPress websites. If you know that over 50% of WordPress vulnerabilities come from plugins, then you understand how important it is to uninstall the tools you’re not using anymore.

Take Advantage of Excerpts on Homepage and Archives

Another thing you can do to make the website more functional is to take advantage of excerpts on the homepage and archives. Namely, WordPress will automatically load and display the entire content on a given page, which is a surefire way to degrade website performance.

If you really think that visitors should read the whole thing, then you can leave the function as is. But if you think excerpts are enough, then follow this pattern:

  • Settings → Reading → For each article in a feed, show Summary

Minimize the Size of Images

Visual content is always burdening WordPress websites, so you should consider minimizing the size of your images. Photos that are too big will make the site slower, which is a big deal in the world where almost 60% of visitors leave a page if it takes longer than three seconds to load.

The easiest solution is to use lighter images and avoid gigantic files. Another option is to install a plugin such as Smush Image Compression and Optimization to make visual content go easy on your site.

Split Comments into Pages

When your website becomes very popular, you can expect people to start writing lots of comments all over the place. While this is a sign of professional success, it can also jeopardize performance because comment loading increases the overall speed of your website. If you want to prevent this problem, go to Settings once again:

  • Settings → Discussion → Break comments into pages

Optimize a WordPress Database

As you keep creating new posts and adding fresh content to the website, you can expect WordPress to get slower gradually. In such circumstances, you should not hesitate to optimize a WordPress database because that’s where all the information is stored.

You can do it manually through settings, but a much simpler solution is to install a WP Sweep plugin. This tool will help you to get rid of many redundant features in these (and many other) segments of the site:

  • Auto drafts
  • Deleted comments
  • Revisions
  • Orphaned user meta
  • Transient options
  • Unapproved comments
  • Unused terms

Keep Your System Up To Date

Do you know that almost 40% of hacked WordPress websites were using an outdated version of the platform? This means that webmasters who neglect updates are likely to suffer from malicious attacks.

The only logical response to the threat is to keep your WordPress system up to date. Every time you see there’s a new version available, take your time to upgrade and solidify both the performance and security of your website.

Conclusion

WordPress is responsible for the functioning of more than a third of all websites currently available online. Users appreciate the platform because it’s super-easy to figure out, but some of them are still not able to identify the most important functions of the CMS.

In this article, we analyzed nine WordPress performance tips suitable for everyday users. Remember our tips and make sure to leave a comment if you need additional explanations – we would be glad to help you out!

Justin Osborne is a writer at dissertation help and research paper writing service, he loves to share his thoughts and opinions about education, writing and blogging with other people on different blogs and forums. Currently, he is working as a content marketer at online assignment help and Edubirdie reviews.

Categories
Guest Posts

Using Technology To Boost Creative Ability When Writing

Writers already understand the importance of creativity: after all, writing is an art form, and art forms rely heavily on imagination and the ability to craft something unique.  Technology is sometimes painted as the enemy of creativity, but that is simply not true. From provoking inspiration to facilitating the means of finding it, technology has simply enhanced the ability of writers in their pursuit of creativity, not hindered it. Here is how:

Tuning in to the right distractions

Technology is sometimes cited as the enemy of concentration – mobile phones constantly pinging and entertainment facilities such as TV and video games marking hugely distracting and mind-numbing activities which take away from our more productive activities and thinking time.

However, cannot these advances actually perpetuate imagination and creative thinking? If through video games we are able to enter incredible online worlds, and in movie theatres we are able to step into lives that are far-removed from ours as we could possibly imagine, are we not in fact feeding creative thought? Of course, there is a time and place for such distractions, such as when we have a task at hand that demands our full attention.

Using technology within helpful restrictions

Technology offers unlimited choices. Unfortunately, choices can be counterproductive, as there is also evidence to suggest that the greater number of choices we are faced with, and the greater the number of options we can select from, the more we resort to out tried-and-tested, and thus, less-creative, options. Consider a restaurant where there are 500 choices on the menu. In such a case, are you more likely to choose something new, or become so overwhelmed by the number of possibilities that you order a burger through sheer panic?


Using technology to ask questions

What technology can do, to an incredible extent, is facilitate your ability to ask questions and get answers. “It still amazes me how the internet in particular has facilitated our ability to find about things that we always wanted to know. In fact, some people have almost become dead to the idea of this, but I say use it for absolutely everything it is worth to feed your knowledge and creativity,” says Stanley Strachan, a writing consultant at Australian help and Academized.


Play educational games

Research from Michigan University has pointed to children who play video games actually showing a higher degree of creativity than their peers. Now, this doesn’t mean that writers need to immediately jump into the world of Fortnite, but it can mean that, with the selection of the right sort of game, your creative juices can start pumping. Games which inspire problem-solving capabilities are particularly useful.


Getting creative with help of photographs and videos

Technology has facilitated the ability to record images and videos, and subsequently share them, in a manner that could not possibly have been envisaged a short time ago. Use these images to inspire creative thoughts and to help paint the visuals you need in your mind’s eye to produce the story you want to tell. “As an example, now you can write a novel set in Africa if you have never been there simply because images and videos can facilitate your understanding of that place” says Lucy Hutton, a blogger at State of writing and Big Assignments.


Balance privacy and sharing

One final word of warning here. Creativity can also be greatly bolstered through what is known in the business as ‘incubation’, that is time spent alone with one’s thoughts and ideas in order to foster the greatest possible outcome. This rings as true now as it ever has, so be wary of sharing your ideas to freely before they have solidified in your mind.

I have often been warned against ‘oversharing’, and I think this is pertinent advice. Let the idea come to fruition first, because once you have released it, it is not yours anymore.

Nora Mork is a journalist at UK Writings and Essay Roo. She shares her ideas by speaking at public events, and writing posts for Boom Essays.

Categories
Blogging Basics

Popular Plug-ins And Problems You Can Avoid

When I created my blog in May 2012, I signed up for WordPress.org. One of the unique features of WordPress.com versus WordPress.org is the ability to select from 54,545 plug-ins tailored to suit your needs.

Note: WordPress.com does not offer the ability to select your own plug-ins.

The Free Dictionary defines a plug-in as an accessory software program that extends the capabilities of an existing application. Here, we will cover accessory software you can add to your WordPress.org account. 

My Favorite Plug-ins

Akismet Anti-spam

When I first started WordPress, I received lots of comments. Scrolling through the messages, I tried to decipher if the comments were from genuine readers of my blog. Many spam comments were easy to spot since they were selling a product. Or the comments were vague like:

“I bet.”

“This is moving.”

 “I agree.”

It can be difficult to determine if these comments are from a real person. And once you post a spammer comment, they will send you more… much more.

I also checked if the comment came from a Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail account. Though not fail-safe, I found the comments coming from these accounts to be genuine.

I spent hours reading and deleting questionable comments. When I mentioned this to my web developer, he recommended Akismet. After installing this plug-in on my WordPress.org account, all the spam stopped. Now, I only receive genuine comments from people who have read my blog — what a difference.

Since adding this plug-in in May 2017, Akismet blocked 18,743 spam requests. I saved countless hours and no more problems.

Better Click To Tweet

Another favorite plug-in is Better Click To Tweet which allows readers to share a captivating quote from your blog to Twitter.

The Click To Tweet box looks like this:

I combined the Click to Tweet box with a picture to grab the readers attention. See the blog here:

This helps to get your blog seen on the Twitter platform by readers who share your quote with their Twitter followers. Consider adding this plug-in to your blog to reach across platforms.

Yoest SEO

Optimizing your blog to be found by search engines helps to broaden your audience. Yoest SEO prompts you to attain a good SEO rating using a stop light system of red, yellow, green. When the stop light is green, your blog is ready to publish. Two criteria are reviewed: Readability and SEO. 

This popular plug-in has over 1 million downloads.

Readability

I have discovered my readability score turns green by adding sub headings throughout the blog. The software program recommends placing a sub heading every 300 words. This breaks up the blog visually which allows the reader to view your content and select which sections they want to read.

Readability also checks for paragraph/sentence length and overuse of passive voice. You can find suggestions for changes in the Analysis section which we will touch on in a moment. 

SEO

The SEO criteria is determined by various factors from your selected keywords to your meta-description to name a few. A breakdown of what determines good SEO can be found here.

The SEO criteria checks for word length, focus keyword, meta-description and external and internal links among other things.

You can craft your own meta description in Yoast SEO.

Analysis Section

Example 1: Analysis Section

Recommended suggestions are given in the Analysis section in three categories: Good Results, Improvements, and Problems. One recent blog post for miraclemann.com showed the following suggestions:

Example 2: Analysis Section

Good Results:

  • The text contains 618 words. This is more than or equal to the recommended minimum of 300 words.
  • The focus keyword appears in 1 (out of 3) subheadings in your copy.
  • The meta description contains the focus keyword.
  • You’ve never used this focus keyword before, very good.

Improvements

  • The meta description is over 156 characters. Reducing the length will ensure the entire description will be visible.
  • The focus keyword does not appear in the URL for this page.

Problems

  • The focus keyword doesn’t appear in the first paragraph of the copy. Make sure the topic is clear immediately.

These prompts help you to make the recommended changes to improve your SEO.

Plug-in Problems You Can Avoid

Using a plug-in can pose a problem for your blog. I once added a plug-in designed to add a watermark to all the photos posted on my blog. The next time I checked my site, all the photographs had vanished. My son’s story was due to be featured on local television the next day. Imagine my panic. I called my web guy who fixed the problem which took hours to correct. Lesson learned: be careful which plug-in you add.

Help Reduce Plug-in Problems

  • Select plug-ins with a user base of over 10K. Generally, popular plug-ins will be updated quickly if an issue arises.
  • Keep plug-in use to a minimum — the fewer plug-ins you use leads to fewer problems. (I have 22 plug-ins.)
  • Update plug-ins individually. If you update all plug-ins at once and an issue arises, you won’t know which plug-in caused the problem.

What is your favorite plug-in and why? Have you ever had a problem with a plug-in? Post your comments below.

Evelyn Mann is a mother of a miracle and her story has been featured on WFLA Channel 8, Fox35 Orlando, Inspirational Radio and the Catholic News Agency. A special interview with her son on the Facebook Page, Special Books by Special Kids, has received 1.4M views. Along with giving Samuel lots of hugs and kisses, Evelyn enjoys hot tea, sushi and writing. Visit her at miraclemann.com.

Categories
Songwriting

Recording Your Own Songs

So, you’ve written a great song using prosody, and you even wrote the music for it or had a friend join you on the guitar or piano. You want to copyright it, but you need to record it to do so. Also, if you make your recording high enough quality, you may want to consider sharing it with the world. If you’re new to the music world, I’m going to share some basic ways to help you record your material. The digital age has made recording so affordable and so simple, that even the basic novice has the ability to make a decent record.

Making a recording on your phone

When I’m writing a song, the first thing I do is record a demo version for myself on my phone. There are a number of phone applications that will let you do this. I currently carry two: GarageBand, and MTSR (Multitrack Song Recorder.)

GarageBand gives you a variety of instrumentation to experiment with. However, it is not as simple and user friendly. If you are old school like me and remember the analog days of recording on reel-to-reel tape, you’ll probably prefer MTSR.

MTSR uses only one face, and you just layer track over track, adding instruments one at a time. Since I play everything in a band and don’t use digital instruments, I prefer the simplicity of MTSR. I’m sure there are better applications out there, but since I’m not planning on letting anyone hear my phone recordings but me, it works fine. It allows me to lay down guitar, lay down vocals, and then try an option of guitar leads, bass, mandolin, harmonica, etc. with the ease of pressing record. The best part about it is that it’s free. If I wanted to use one of those tracks, exporting to a wav file is simple. And yes, you can use the recordings you’ve made on your phone to send in for the copyright if you wanted to.

Making a DIY studio recording

Once I get an idea of how I want my song to sound for the public to hear, I usually go to my real, home studio. While there are recording studios available for hire in pretty much any major city, a decent one will cost you a pretty penny. If you’re not aiming for a professionally produced studio recording with Lauren Daigle quality, and you’re willing to learn the tricks of the trade, you can produce a decent recording to sell or share with your friends right at home. I used to spend thousands of dollars on recordings at good studios back in the day, and yet the sound can’t compare to what my little studio produces today. It is a matter of educating yourself and learning the art of recording. There are YouTube videos and tutorials at sites like Lynda.com. Even the software sites have tutorials.

The first piece of hardware you need is a decent computer that can handle multitracking. Most modern computers can. I used to be a PC guy, but now that I’ve switched to Mac, I will never go back. I currently use a MacBook Pro.

The next thing you need is an audio interface, which is an input device for your microphones or instruments. For home recordings, what’s hot right now is the Universal Apollo. You can get it to connect via USB or Thunderbolt. If you don’t want to start with the best and want something more affordable, there are a number of other options, such as the Focusrite Scarlett or the M-Audio MTrack. I chose the M-Audio interface because it is easy to use, affordable, and came with Cubase software. Most of these interfaces come with a software key.

The next thing to look at is software for recording and mixing—and one that is compatible to your audio interface device. What’s hot is always changing. Today’s most popular software becomes uncool in five years, while something else takes the trendy lead. When I started, Cubase was the top software. Then, ProTools became the hot industry standard. I learned both. Shortly after, it was Logic, and now it’s Ableton Live.

In my honest opinion, I would say, don’t follow the trend, follow what works best for you, personally. If you are an audio guy who used to work on live soundboards, ProTools or Cubase is going to feel a lot more comfortable to you. But in all reality, it truly depends on your audio interface. Some interfaces only work with certain software, so I would suggest researching what interfaces and what software you are interested in.

Other hardware you’ll need to include is a microphone for singing. There are several kinds of vocal microphones, but you truly only want to choose between two: dynamic and condenser. Condenser microphones need power, but your audio interface should provide that. Condenser microphones are usually better with home recordings. You’ll also need a cable that goes from the microphone to the audio interface, called an XLR cable. If you are going to plug instruments directly into the audio interface, you’ll need a quarter-inch instrument cable, but I often use the condenser mic for instruments as well. And don’t forget a microphone stand.

Your final piece of the puzzle is a way to listen to your work. You can’t rely on the built-in speakers of your computer. You either need to get studio headphones that completely cover your ear, such as the Audio Technica ATH-M30x, or buy studio speakers, which will run you 3x as much.

If you are new to recording and want something truly affordable, there are a number of turn-key starter packs for home studios available, such as the Focusrite studio pack that comes with the audio interface, microphone, cable, and headphones. The only thing needed is the mic stand. If you live close enough to a major chain music store such as the Guitar Center or Sam Ash, they have qualified sales reps who will direct you to the right studio gear, and sometimes they’ll even have studios set up to sample.

Matthew Hawk Eldridge is a coffee addicted, sleepless, Renaissance man. When he’s not passionately penning screenplays or novels rich in musical history, he’s writing songs on his guitar or working on a film as an actor, musician, double, or stand-in. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing. His album, Overcome, releases Spring 2019.

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

The Right Stuff

Recently, I went to my local gym for a run. After I finished, a friend and another member approached me and shared how they couldn’t use the treadmill beside me. They said they were afraid I would fall because I was running too fast.

I replied that I use the treadmills to do cardio and not to walk, talk and watch TV. Shocked, my friend explained she wanted to do cardio too. The problem is she didn’t want to use the equipment the right way to do the job.

We see this everywhere in society these days. People want results, but they want to do it the easy way. Or they just don’t know how to use the right tool or know the correct equipment for the job.

Before pursuing a writing career, I worked in the manufacturing and production industries, being disabled I tend to pay more attention to safety. One of the first things I learned when I started in these fields, is to always use the right tool for the job.

The manufacturing and textile industries have been around for decades and most jobs utilize specific tools made for specific functions. These tools ensure safe work with maximum results. This train of thought has become a way of life for me. You never get maximum results by giving minimum effort.

Once you know your goal, get the right tools for the job and give it your best shot. The difference between a professional writer and novice is the professional carves out the time to write and knows how to use the right tools for the job. According to PC Magazine*, the best laptops for college students are below.

  1. Dell XPS13
  2. Asus VivoBook S15
  3. HP Chromebook x2
  4. Lenovo Legion Y530
  5. Lenovo Yoga 730
  6. Apple MacBook Air (2018)

The Tools?

Fortunately for those of us who are still trying to achieve a full-time professor writing career, we live in an age where we have countless resources, devices, and conferences to help us with our writing journeys.

While working on this post I decided to take another path for my writing career. After spending two years seeking Christian representation for my screenwriting, I realized that if my target audience is outside the church, I need to work with someone who can help me make the right connections on the path I believe I need to be on. Regardless of the path I take, there are resources to help me find the appropriate agent for the market I’m writing for.  The two staples in market guides are listed below.

Over the last year, I’ve had the opportunity to work with other writers and editors who have shared with me some of the writing software they use. Here are some of the best for 2019.

If you’ve ever tried to write anything before, you’re aware of just how stressful it can be. You don’t have to be disabled like me to understand the bad side effects of stress on the body: headaches, chest pain, fatigue, upset stomachs, and insomnia are just a few.

For me, you can add an increased risk of seizures, aneurysms or strokes; which is why it’s great to live in the 21st century with increased communication and advanced technology. All of which support writers in getting the job done right.

Support?

The idea of being a nomad writer is a myth. All writers need connections and networks. This is one of the most important tools for a successful writer is attending writing conferences.

It is that there where we can get up-to-date and hands-on training from professionals who know what it takes to get the job done right. Also, it’s a great way to get advanced training in writing programs, and most importantly networking with key connections in the industry. The general rule I’ve heard is to attend at least one conference per year. There are two that I am interested in attending this year.

  1. Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference (May 19-23 2019)
  2. Writers’ Digest Annual Conference (August 23-25 2019)

I once heard someone say, “The only difference between an athlete and a spectator is that the athlete decided to stop watching and get into the game.” Attending writer’ conferences is the best way to get into the game with the right stuff.

*Brant, T. &  Burek, J. ( 2018, December 7) the Best Laptops for College Students in 2019, P.C. magazine 

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Truamatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

Categories
Guest post archive

Editing Tip: Have Your Computer Read Your Work Aloud

Published authors are often asked what their number one piece of writing advice is. Well, I’m not published yet, but I’m already beginning to form my answer to the question.

My top piece of writing advice is:

Have your computer read your manuscript aloud. This is an option offered in both Pages and Word.

Though I can’t remember where I first heard the advice to read my work aloud, it’s one of the most valuable tips I know. I tend to feel self-conscious when I read my stories aloud to myself, so I made the switch to having my computer perform the task. While the robot-like voice may grate on my nerves at times, having my computer read to me is a great way to catch typos and awkward wording.

This is also a nice way to smooth out dialogue. Sometimes I’ll be listening to my manuscript and a few lines of dialogue will appear. While I listen, I’ll find it’s hard to keep track of who said what. I then add or adjust my dialogue tags to add clarity.

Sometimes I find descriptions that sound great in my head but just stand out strangely when read aloud. Therefore, I switch out some words for less strange ones or rewrite/cut the description all together.

Another thing I do is read along with my computer. Sometimes there will be words that sound similar , but have different meanings. For example, my computer read the word “decent” allowed when I had meant “descent”. I almost missed the difference, but scrolled back to double check and found the typo.

What about you? What’s your top piece of writing or editing advice? Or, what is one piece of editing or writing advice you want to try?

Ashlee Schaller enjoys reading about reckless, headstrong heroes, prefers tea over coffee, and loves dollhouse miniatures. When not writing, she can often be found curled up with a book.

You can find out more about Ashley and what she writers here:

https://ashleyschaller.wordpress.com

Categories
Truth Be Told

No More Ideas Down The Drain By Tina Hunt

…make the most of every opportunity. (Colossians 4:5b, NLT)

Most of my best ideas come when I’m in the shower. And most of them are gone by the time I dry off, moisturize, get dressed (change my mind and get dressed again), dry my hair, and finally make my way to my computer.

So my best ideas come in the shower and go right down the drain. No matter what I tried to remember the golden nugget, sure to unfold into a great article or life-changing devotion, it floated away on a cloud of soap bubbles.

Until today.

Today I got the idea for this post. Today I realized I could call out to my personal assistant Siri, and tell her to take a note. Not a part of the Apple Nation? Let me introduce you to Cortana, the Droid version. Still have room for one more gift on your Christmas gift list? I hear they’re running great deals on the Google personal assistant and Alexa from Amazon.

Don’t like all the technology? Put a pen and tablet on the back of the commode. In most bathrooms, the toilet is within a couple steps of the shower. Don’t step off the bathmat until you write down the amazing idea God just gave you.

Truth be told: To do any less is to squander, or waste, the opportunity God gave you.

What if that nugget or devotional thought is just what someone needs to read in your blog, or in the Upper Room? What if God gave the idea that you needed to hang on and keep going to someone, but they didn’t think it was important enough to jot down or dictate. Technology can be so overwhelming, you know…

My phone is always in the bathroom with me. Why not make it work for me instead of being a distraction?

Use it…or lose it…the idea, that is.

Hey, Siri. Thanks for taking this note.

Tina Hunt writes to inspire. She loves the challenge of a devotion’s brevity, a Bible study’s clarity, and an article’s ability to change lives. Communicating truth, whether written or spoken, defines Tina’s passion and purpose. Tina’s thoughts can also be found at PotOfManna. Tina is an active member of Word Weavers, serving as a chapter co-president, online president, and mentor