Hentrack's Corner

Saying Hello to an Old Friend

2012-01-28T09:40:00.000Z

That old friend is reviewing.

But, please, if you are an author, do not get too excited! I'm working through BookRooster.com, a site that increases an author's chance of receiving an Amazon review. I receive free Kindle books to review in the following genres (I chose these):

Mystery
Horror
Thriller
How-to

My reviews are then added to the book's sale page on Amazon.

By the sounds of it I can work at my own pace which suits me. Please, however, do not ask me privately for a review because I will not accept review requests this way. I used to, but the demand became too high, and I was unable to do any of my own writing.

I may increase the genres of books that I wish to review when I have found my reviewing feet yet again. But, for now, if you are published in the above genres and your book is available on the Kindle and available on Amazon.com, then I could be reviewing your book!

Bookmarks (weekly)

2012-01-24T22:41:00.000Z

The Mysteries of the Paranormal
tags: mysteries paranormal

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Join Zurker.com

2011-12-21T09:12:00.000Z

If you are sick and tired of Facebook changing the rules, security settings and the like, then it's time to try a new concept in social networking.

Zurker.com is just that. Something entirely different to many of the networking sites out there. As we all know, social networks are a great way to keep in contact with friends and family, find new friends etc. Privacy on these sites are always a concern. You are often required to fill out your profile which usually tends to include pretty sensitive information like your birthdate.

Zurker doesn't own you. You own IT! Every member becomes a shareholder of the site. Pretty cool, right?

'At Zurker, you are a co-owner and an investor. You can earn V-shares by referring your friends. The more friends you invite, the more equity you earn. Zurker becomes better, and better, as more people join, increasing in value. As Zurker becomes more valuable, your stake becomes more valuable.

Like any other social network, we ask you to refer your friends. We ask you to do some work. But we make sure you get a slice of the pie in return.' - Zurker.com

Joining Zurker is free, so what have you go to lose? Go on, give it a go :D

Build 25 Unique Backlinks to Your Pages Every Single Day, FREE!

2011-12-13T09:55:00.000Z

Building backlinks to your pages is an essential part of SEO (short for Search Engine Optimization) for two reasons. The first reason is that it helps your pages get indexed faster, which is very important because you want the search engines to find them as soon as possible and crawl them regularly. The second reason is that it helps your pages get higher search engine rankings for the keywords of your choice. The more backlinks you have, the better. Period.

However, building backlinks can be a time-consuming, boring process. You can outsource the process to an agency and pay a lot of money... Or you can do it yourself with SocialMonkee! SocialMonkee is an instant backlink builder allowing you to build 25 unique backlinks, every day, FREE! All links are on unique C-Class IP addresses and domains. Imagine being able to create 25 unique backlinks every day, with the click of a button, FREE! Well, you can stop imagining...

So, 25 unique backlinks every day... That's a total of 175 backlinks every week, 750 every month. If you upgrade, you will be able to build 100 uniques backlinks, 3 times a day! That's a total of 2,100 backlinks every week, 9,000 every month! The good news is... you can get a Premium Account, FREE! All you need to do is to refer 12 members, and your account will automatically be upgraded. If you're not really into referral marketing, you may upgrade right now for a low one-time fee.

Submitting a page to SocialMonkee via the members area takes under two minutes, but there's an even faster way! They created a Firefox plugin that allows you to submit your page to up to 100 sites in just a few clicks, using nothing else than Firefox! If you have a Premium Account you will also get access to link reports and RSS feeds, which are great to keep track of your backlinks and get them indexed fast. Submitting your RSS feeds to RSS submitters is actually a very important step in link building.

So what are you waiting for? Join SocialMonkee now while it's still free!

http://www.socialmonkee.com/index.php?af=110504

Magpies feeding

2011-12-04T19:26:00.000Z

Introducing A Patchwork Quilt...

2011-12-02T19:45:00.001Z

...of Interests and Hobbies promoted via Squidoo.com

This is the new addition to my blogs :) A Patchwork Quilt is on Blogger and it will explore my interests and hobbies of which I promote using the platform Squidoo.com.

Rather than annoying people bookmarking each new lens I create, I've decided that by exploring my interests via a blog (and in turn linking to a lens it relates to), I will not be seen as a spammer (so much!)

The categories on this blog will include topics such as paranormal, true crime, health, books, the unusual, food, animals and marketing. If there is a topic there that would interest you, please do drop on by and possibly subscribe :)

You Deserve More From Your Blog

2011-10-19T17:17:00.002+01:00

Blogging can be not only a great pastime, but also a source of income. YouSayToo.com is an ad revenue sharing community where bloggers promote their existing blogs, boost readership and make money with AdSense and Amazon.

Every blogger likes it when their content is being read, liked and commented. That's why so many bloggers find YouSayToo so attractive. By adding your existing blogs to YouSayToo from Blogger, Wordpress, Tumblr and other platforms you can increase exposure, boost readership as well as earn additional revenue with AdSense and Amazon.

Grow your blog with YouSayToo. Register your account now!

http://www.yousaytoo.com/refer/7152

Bookmarks (weekly)

2011-10-11T20:59:00.000+01:00

Writing Queries - Google Moderator
This is your chance to get the answer you want from writing experts!
tags: writing queries google moderator

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Excerpts of short stories published

2011-10-07T16:47:00.001+01:00

I've placed up on Hentracks, an excerpt of one of my new erotic short stories which will be published in December as a collection.

I aim to change this excerpt at least once a week until I run out of material. Do take note that the title and the content of these stories will be changing before publication. I don't want to give away all of my secrets, you know!

For those of you who enjoy reading my stories, this will be welcoming news to hear as it shows that I haven't completely stopped writing stories in any genre. I would still love to branch out more in the horror and crime genres, so do keep tabs on this blog for more news.

I hope you enjoy these excerpts and you can read the first one at Short Stories !

In Your Own W-Rite

2011-09-23T11:36:00.001+01:00

In Your Own W-Rite

This is my new addition to my weblog list. In Your Own W-Rite publishes about all aspects of writing including marketing, articles, SEO, tips, ideas and advice.

Some 0f these posts were transported over from Blogger (Squidalogue Promotion) but I fully intend to carry on the tradition of publishing articles about all the topics listed above.

I hope, one day, for it to be considered a good writing resource for beginners and professionals alike. Please do subscribe!

---------------------------------

New Beginnings

2011-09-20T09:07:00.002+01:00

I'm hoping that this month in the year of 2011, will go down in my history as the start of new beginnings as a freelance writer and reviewer.

Today saw the first ever publication of my new mailing list entitled See Wight's Informer. This newsletter will publish all new works, happenings, events, weblog posts, stories etc. created by me. Since I started as a amateur writer in 2000, events have been few and far between, so I believed that it was way too early to even contemplate a mailing list.

Now, the situation is different. I am making a definite leap in the right direction to establish myself (even more) as a freelance writer and reviewer. I have several work projects ongoing and another one in the pipeline. See below for more information:

Ongoing

Squidoo Encyclopedia
Squidoo Lenses (all 90+ of them)
Weblogs (In Your Own W-Right, Squid Ink, Hentrack's Corner)
My main website, Hentracks
Topsite, The Top 100 Squidoo Resources
The Art of Book Reviewing at Zimbio
Twitter account, Minskinnywin
Inkserotica at Wizzley
New mailing list, See Wight's Informer (get it? :D)
Tumblr Blog
Posterous Blog
Web rings at RingSurf.com
The Author's Bulletin
The Publisher's Chronicles

In the Pipeline

A new erotic short story collection

Links to follow shortly!

Bookmarks (weekly)

2011-09-12T09:32:00.001+01:00

Writing Online - Writing for Profit, Writing for Web and Seo Tutorials
tags: writing profit seo tutorials online web
The Beast Within
Werewolves, along with Vampires, are one of the most infamous monsters of our time. He often crops up in stories, folklore and, of course, films. But is he real or imaginary?
tags: beasts squidoo

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Contradiction

2011-09-11T10:37:00.000+01:00

Contradiction:

'via Blog this'

A brand new squidoo lens has just been published! This lens is a work in progress as I know that more information will be added over time as I recall them!

It seems a funny topic for a squidoo lens but I believe it features a lot in many of our lives. How it affects us individuality is another matter. I am curious to know just how much contradiction we experience throughout our lives.

See what you think.

New Hentracks launched!

2011-09-08T09:43:00.000+01:00

Yes, for the umpteenth time (basically, I've lost count of the number of times the site has had a template change), my official homepage has been re-launched.

However, this time, new content will be added to Hentracks, more posts will be published on this blog about my work and happenings and more promotion and marketing will be going on in terms of both Hentracks and this blog.

It's time to get my name back out there!

Hentracks

A worthwhile debate about wolf-whistling?

2011-08-05T18:06:00.001+01:00

This is my latest squidoo lens and it's a debate :)

Do you find wolf whistles offensive?

Wolf-whistling has made the news a few times lately and I thought it would be a good way to provoke a debate. My attitude towards wolf-whistles has changed a lot over the years. Maybe because I'm more confident in myself and who I am...who knows?

What are your views on this? Please, do visit the lens and leave your opinions!

England and America: two countries divided by a common language.

2011-07-02T12:32:00.003+01:00

DOES THIS QUOTE STILL HOLD SOME RELEVANCE EVEN NOW?

England and America: two countries divided by a common language.

URL: http://www.squidoo.com/england-and-america-two-countrie...

what is YOUR view of this quote? Is it accurate? Could the possible 'misunderstanding' of expression, verbal meaning, set us both on the road to huge conflict as before? Or does it ultimately bring us closer together with positive results?

Also, although I have listed the source as being Shaw, were there other great men who said these words?

But mainly, does this quote still hold some relevance?

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a16e25

The Publisher's Chronicles

2011-06-17T08:33:00.001+01:00

URL: http://paper.li/minskinnywin/1308241243

Follow the Editor on Twitter and make sure your Bio is filled in stating you are a publisher, editor or book-lover to be added to her twitter list and to be included in The Publishers' Chronicles!

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a15evo

Cats with thumbs

2011-06-09T22:01:00.001+01:00

Amplify’d from www.milkmatters.co.uk

Ever wondered why cats stare while you're pouring milk? It's because they know that it is only a matter of time...
That time is the only thing between them and opposable thumbs. An army of cats with thumbs is forming and
they are after your Cravendale...

Read more at www.milkmatters.co.uk

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a14tib

2011-06-06T18:26:00.001+01:00

Pearltrees is the social curation community. It's the place where you can organize, discover and share the stuff you like on the web.

My profile is under the username: inkserotica! Please join me; it's kinda lonely here... http://amplify.com/u/a14o21

Writing-changing events

2010-10-17T17:43:00.000+01:00

My latest post at EWN discusses why we write...what drives us to express ourselves using the written word. Fundamentally, I don't think the true reason why many of us listen to the urge to write ever changes. Any other reason as to why we write, which builds upon that, may alter, increase or decrease over time.

Life can sometimes trigger a huge change in direction and that certainly relates to me in many ways. I used to be happy just writing erotica. It was something I thought that I would become very well known for. However, over the past few years I've moved away from this area and, although I have strong interests in the darker aspects of life, I feel I'm at a bit of a crossroads.

Do I try my hand at horror/crime? Do I focus entirely or mainly on freelance writing? Do I write this novel that I've been promising I would? Or do I sit back and let fate take its course?

Whatever I choose, I know that something in me as changed due to recent, upsetting events in my personal life, the occasional Eureka! moment and probably something to with my age as well.

Whether or not, this turns out to be a good thing, is whether or not, I can accurately channel these emotions, thoughts and epiphanies into something constructive.

So, how about you? Have you ever had one (or more) of these writing-changing events?

Check and check again! | Extreme Writing Now

2010-10-03T10:22:00.001+01:00

I have so much information and knowledge about writing but, for the most part, I'm unable to structure it.

Writing a weekly post on EWN does help a lot with respect to organising my knowledge and allowing others and myself to benefit from it.

Organising is one important aspect of editing your own writing which I have touched upon this week on Carrie's Writing Tips. To read more about editing and proofreading, then please do read my latest post at EWN:

Check and check again! | Extreme Writing Now

Writing Series over at EWN

2010-09-23T21:33:00.000+01:00

I thought it was about time I made more of an effort over at EWN. Not that I don't already, I hasten to add!

But, I'm more of a behind the scenes kind of gal. I tend to be hidden away at the back end of things, keeping myself out of the public gaze and away from the dangers of unwarranted attacks. Not that being behind the scenes is a bad thing; it just doesn't give you much chance of any credence or credit for work that you may do. So, I've started a writing series that will focus on the different styles and kinds of writing around.

It will be written in simple terms and it will be using my own experiences and knowledge as references so not too many difficult terms or analogies here :) Just straight talking, writing and reading with no pressure.

So, if you like the idea of learning something different about the art of writing, then please do check in at EWN for Carrie's Writing Tips.

Blog catching-up day!

2010-05-09T12:32:00.000+01:00

It's that time again, once a week, where everything else stops and I really get my creative brain on. With approximately 9 blogs to update, it can, surprisingly take up very little time if I'm in a creative mood.

This is usually when one of the strongest emotions (in me) known to man is awakened from its slumber and asked to work overtime. You may, very well, recognise some of these emotions as feelings that you often experience through one reason or another. Believe me, they are extremely good motivators.

Some of my best work has been written whilst in the grip of these emotions namely anger, grief, love and depression. My poetry generally takes on a new lease of life at these times although it's fair to say it doesn't even begin to breathe without them!

I'm currently in the mighty embrace of a few of these emotions right now and I'm trying desperately to take advantage of them whilst they still linger as well as working through them as best as I can.

They are love (a strong and new emotion for me (namely because I've never felt it like this ever before)), disappointment (and/or depression due to the love; well nobody ever said that the path of true love was smooth, did they?) and discontent.

The last one is not something I experience very often; I'm generally quite happy with my lot in life, never thinking that the grass was greener on the other side. Or hankering after things I know I couldn't have. I'm very much led by my emotions. I need stability, understanding and respect and that has been distinctly lacking in my life until now.

So, whilst I battle through these feelings, I'm taking the opportunity to update some of my blogs.

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Tips on how to earn money writing freelance

2010-05-01T14:54:00.000+01:00

Whilst the economy is bad; credit crunch still in force, earning money has become particularly difficult. Freelance writers are struggling just as much as anybody to try and make ends meet. Competition is fierce, too, for that lucrative deal.

So, how can you maximise your chances of surviving the credit crunch? Maybe these tips, below, can help:

A lot of freelance writers use the internet to find work. There are so many different opportunities available if you know where and how to look. Keep an eye out for businesses building websites that may be on the look out for creative and unique writers. Don't be scared of pushing yourself forward and offering your services as a writer for a fee.

Write in to your favourite magazines. Many magazines offer a monetary prize for letters that make the star letter spot or even just to get published. Others may offer gifts of expensive products. Perhaps you could write a short story for the fiction section or do you have some advice you could offer for a weekly column? Again, don't be afraid of selling yourself.

Become a Jack of all Trades. If you're a fiction writer, try your hand at non-fiction articles. Why not join Squidoo and publish lenses on your favourite subjects? It takes a few months and some hard work to build a reputation, drive traffic and earn money, but, believe me, it's well worth it and fun too!

Examples of non fiction writing slots can include features, fillers, opinions and readers contributions. Try your hand at writing plays and earn commission each time its brought after publication.

Enter a writing competition or set up your own. Keep the entry fees low and aim to build up a good reputation in this field.

Offer to guest post on well established blogs. Whilst, initially, these don't tend to pay, it will help to get your name out there, increase and improve your reputation in your field and ultimately may lead to offers of writing gigs.

Do you have any tips or suggestions to help freelance writers earn money?

Please do leave your suggestions in the comment section of this blog :)

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Using your dreams to write steamy shorts

2010-04-23T19:08:00.002+01:00

Have you ever considered using your dreams as material for short stories?

I know at least one talented writer who does just that with success. Dreams are an intriguing source of material for short stories. They can be pretty bizarre at times as they use your subconscious to relay messages so either you use them directly or you use their basic outline for your story.

It is possible to develop the habit of writing down your dreams as soon as you wake. Dreams have a habit of not hanging around for long so you need to get them down on paper as quickly as you can. Then just work on them from there.

Writing them down can also help in deciphering what they mean especially if you have the same dream or similar over several days or weeks.

Here are a few scenarios you can possibly use for your steamy short stories (I've also written a rough meaning with each just in case you ever dream of these situations!):

Sex with your best friend

This includes both male and females. A dream that possibly isn't even close to how you feel about him/her but a common situation nevertheless. It just means you are craving for more support from your friend (either male or female) or you just want to be more like her/him.

Sex with your Boss

Okay, hands up who hasn't dreamt of this at some point? You can ask yourself these questions: Do you want to be as successful as either him/her? Are you yearning for your potential to be realised? Then all you want to do is to get closer to your boss but not in the intimate sense!

Sex with a Celeb

Even the choice of celebrity means something different. How you go about decoding that is beyond me unless you consult an expert on dreams. But, basically, like sex with your boss, sex with a celeb means your craving for something that they have: Fame, fortune and possibly what they represent; father figure, sex appeal etc. You may also be secretly attracted to them, too!

So, there's just a few ideas as to what you could write about or perhaps you've had a very sexy dream yourself? Would you like it explained as well as fleshing it out on paper? Why not give it a go and check out http://www.analysedreams.co.uk for more information :)

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Writing should be fun

2010-04-16T11:38:00.002+01:00

So, what happens when it's not?

I've been writing non-fiction articles and Squidoo lenses for so long I've almost forgotten what it's like to write steamy, erotic short stories about the other thing in life that matters.

Love.

The one emotion that sparks so many different and wonderful thoughts and feelings it almost doesn't seem right to capture that essence in the written word. It's as if it should be private; locked away for only the two people who they relate to, to enjoy.

You're probably where this is all leading to :)

Yes, I have to get back into the art of writing erotica again. I've had such a long break from it, that it was inevitable at some point that I would need to write it again.

I've never been a prolific writer; I don't have hoards of scraps of writing just flitting around so anything I have to write is started from scratch. I've very few snippets of stories to combine into new works, and I rarely practice.

So, what I will produce will be the real deal as if I'm jumping into the deep end over and over again, learning as I go as if I've never done it before. Perfection is the only thing that should come out of the end result. Nothing else will do.

It's a tough challenge and it doesn't allow for any pleasure I may receive from writing such heartfelt words. It's become work to me; a chore I need to complete and writing should never be that way.

I need to find that pleasure again. Writing should be fun. It should be something that I feel driven to do because it's the only way I can express how I feel.

So, here's what I'm going to do to help me love the art of writing once again:

Write small. No mammoth tasks; no long 5,000 + stories. Even if it means writing one paragraph a day.
Get in touch with my own feelings, desires, wants and emotions.
Read inspiring fiction.

Can you think of any tips that would help me?

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Why am I scared?

2010-04-05T11:17:00.000+01:00

Thanks so much to everyone who commented on my previous post and I appreciate all of the suggestions that were made.

Unfortunately, for me I don't own a horse and I am no longer working with horses (which I miss!!) so I am unable to give product reviews :( As I am a reviewer (by trade) this would have been a logical step to make. If I could I would love to review horse products! I could do horse books of which I own several so that is an idea. Many of these books were used to help me improve my knowledge of horse theory (that brings back memories...)

I shall have to think long and hard about what I could publish about horses as I know there is something else there just trying to get out! I can feel it....

I find publishing Squidoo Lenses much easier to do as opposed to writing and publishing a novel. I know the reason why I haven't yet completed my novel:

I'm scared. Totally and utterly afraid of ruining things. Whatever I write, I feel, has to be perfect (which, of course, it could never be) so the easiest option is never to write it. Therefore it could never be a mistake. It could never be ruined and I would never feel like a failure.

Not writing it, however, does not make me feel like a failure otherwise I'd be writing like never before!

I know the reason why I cannot write but I need to find out the cause of this fear. And I need to do it fast.

Why am I scared of making a mistake with this novel? What could have triggered off this fear? Is it because it would be my first? Is it because I feel it has the makings of a good novel and I'm scared I won't be able to pull it off?

I have some serious thinking to do...

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Sharing my knowledge on Squidoo

2010-03-18T10:33:00.000Z

As a professional writer and reviewer I should have a wealth of information that I could make use of on Squidoo. But, I haven't.

I wonder why?

Could it be that I feel that there is such a vast amount of information about writing on the internet and Squidoo that I couldn't hope to add anything new to the mix?

Perhaps I'm missing out on what could be a very lucrative market. But, I'm not feeling that urge to write about what I know. The same applies to my knowledge of horses. I've been taught to a very high standard in both theory and riding and yet I haven't shared that knowledge with the Squidoo community. Maybe, again, I don't feel I could provide any information about the subject that hasn't already been done to death.

So, am I missing out here? Am I wrong to steer clear of topics that I obviously know a lot about? What I feel I'd need to do with, for example, the horse topic is come up with something unique to me. Could I find something in my experiences and memories that could turn out to be popular and well-visited subjects?

What could I write about horses that would make for interesting reading?

Any suggestions or ideas are welcome :)

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Re-write or pass up?

2010-03-08T11:58:00.000Z

Although I'm using 3 of the 6 new stories I'd written for a past project that didn't come to fruition as a novel, I've now decided that the last 3 stories can be used in an anthology along with some of my older stories that will be completely re-written.

It sounds simple. Rewrite old stories. But, it's not. Not at all.

In effect it's probably much easier to start from scratch than change characters names, personalities, the storyline, plot, outcome and the like. It's a mammoth task and I've been putting it off for some months.

I'm not sure if it's something that can be carried out with any degree of success, either. I'd be more inclined to expand on existing short-short stories that didn't work than to rewrite an old 5, 000 word one that had some degree of success.

Is rewriting old stories something that writers do on a regular basis? It's not something I've heard about much at all. Could that be because it's not seen to be a good thing to admit to?

Mind you, I'm not exactly a writer that tends to follow the rules that much. So, I wouldn't be worrying about that side of things anyway.

But, is there a process that makes the task easier to complete?

There is also the problem of deciding which stories to use. Not all of my old stories are very strong at all. Their plots are weak, the overall readability of the story is poor and I'm ashamed of a good many of them. Is that such a good foundation to start with?

What are your thoughts?

Have you re-written an old story with success? Or do you always avoid doing so because of the numerous problems it can throw up?

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Delegation and structure

2010-02-22T09:49:00.000Z

Do you ever find that you start to learn one art/craft and you suddenly find yourself doing another one?

I started off learning how to make cards (which I still would like to do) but have also become fascinated in the art of origami.

Now, of course, it's twice the expense as I need to find additional books about the subject because I know next to nothing about it.

I shall be writing more about Origami over at Carrie's DD's. It saves cluttering this blog up with anything other than writing ;)

However, I hope I'm not setting myself up for a fall...Am I taking far too much on if I discover I'm not a very quick learner? Is it taking up otherwise valuable writing time?

Can I do more than one art/craft at once? I cannot say I have a lot of time on my hands. I have 84 Squidoo lenses, approx. 6 blogs (I say approximately because I have smaller blogs at Tumblr, Typepad and Posterous to post at too) and my own website at http://www.hentracks.co.uk to maintain and keep updated. I'm sure I've forgotten something in that list...

So, I have to make sure I'm evenly distributed between them all and that's not taking into account anything that might crop up in the meantime.

I'm not a good delegator of my own time. I don't do structure. I'm very much a spontaneous person; if I feel it needs doing, I'll do it. Or, if I feel I want to do it, then it will get done. Novel writing is a new thing for me because there is usually a structure involved in that. So, I'm struggling. It's a question of finding the best method for me that works and sticking to it. In the meantime, it's all over the place ;)

But it's certainly fun finding it all out :)

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Don't ever be scared of asking for a second opinion

2010-02-09T10:35:00.000Z

I'm going to go a little bit of the topic of writing in this post. Maybe I feel I need to get something off my chest.

I used to have a personal blog for such occasions but it attracted a lot of animosity and I bailed out. I can be a chicken at times.

Anyway...

I had a little rant yesterday over the phone to one of the GP's in the medical practice I'm registered to; a build up of frustrations and pain spilling out to this poor woman who only rang up to discuss my blood test results.

Suffice to say, I had feelings of overwhelming guilt for some time after. What had I done? Had I done anything wrong? The simple answer to that is no, I hadn't but I certainly felt like I had. But, why?

It stems back to my childhood...of being told that what I felt was wrong, stupid, funny...

So, now when I express an emotion strongly I feel like I've done something wrong. But, all that I'm doing is standing up for my rights and asking for help.

It appears that I am justified as what has been written in my medical records is that all my test results came back as normal. And, yet they clearly wasn't. There were numerous abnormalities but it was never disclosed in my records so when my GP read it, he simply doesn't see that there's anything wrong and the label of IBS is given.

Great....

It's looking like I have to go back to the beginning again. I hope that I don't have to go through all those tests again as some of them was extremely painful. Or, I complain...

I'm angry; I feel that I'm at the end of my tether and I am severely unhappy/depressed because of the pain and ill health. I feel that I am at my wits end with it all.

I feel that I have no where else to turn.

Is there a moral? Yes, don't be scared of standing up for what you believe is correct; don't be scared of asking for a second opinion. More importantly, don't be scared of questioning your GP/doctor/consultant or anyone in a high position. Listen to your gut, so to speak; you know yourself better than anyone else.

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It's with a sad heart...

2010-01-25T09:49:00.000Z

...(well maybe not so sad but more of relief!) that I close down my reviewing business.

When I first starting reviewing I felt it was a good way of pushing my name 'out there'. It helped me make a start on a career of writing and it helped me build up my confidence.

Now, I feel, I no longer need it and I'm almost beginning to resent it for all the valuable time it seems to take up. It's also not a good way to earn money. Yes, I enjoyed reading a variety of books (and I found some friends along the way); Yes, it helped me write and also to see how other novels were written. But, now I feel it's more of a burden than a pleasure.

It's been a long time since I picked up a book of my own to read because the pressure of knowing that I had another 3 or 4 books waiting to be reviewed was strong. Now, I can get down to business of reading a book for pleasure and for research purposes.

It's amazing how much time it takes up, too. You wouldn't think so really but you can 'hold' a book for up to 3 months before constructing a review. It would then take you a week or more (or less) to complete the review and send it off to the author. Then, there's the business of uploading the review to all the sites you own.

By, the time you completed all that, another two or three books would come in for review...

I found that my writing was suffering. I no longer had the passion or the will to complete my own stories or novels.

Now, that I've finally made this decision, I can get on with new and exciting projects and start making a name for myself in a different way :)

I would like to express a huge thank you to all the authors that I have reviewed. I wish you all the luck and success in your career :)

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A new direction

2010-01-14T09:41:00.000Z

I'm in the process of developing a few extra strings to my bow :)

I'm branching out more on the crafty side of things i.e digital art, card making etc. Does this mean I'll stop writing? Oh no! Nothing will ever stop me writing unless I lose the use of my hands and brain (but even then I'll find a way ;))

The creating of crafts etc. is a new way to express my inner thoughts and creativity and it might just help my writing along in the process.

I don't doubt that somewhere along the line other writers have come up against a wall in their writing and have used an alternative method of the arts to knock down that barrier.

If that has happened to you, how long did it take you to get back into your stride?
What other method of creativity did you use?

I am also wanting to develop my drawing skills again. I say again. One time I could copy; copy very well. Not trace but copy. I hope to develop this more so that I can draw freehand.

I feel my only problem with the arts etc. is the lack of creative ideas. Maybe I just need confidence to spark this off.

I've set up a new blog on Blogger that will document my attempts at the arts and crafts. You can visit it at Carrie's DD's. Please do say hello in the comments if you pop in.

See you there!

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Developing your character (in a novel or story)

2009-12-21T09:21:00.000Z

It's been a long time since I last posted on this blog; I've no idea where the time has gone!

Anyway...

Here's an exercise on how you can develop a character in your novel or story:

1. Think of your character as someone who has little or no connection to you. If you're female, choose a male and vice versa. Make him/her older or younger than you. Create the basics of your character I.e name, age, nationality, class, appearance etc.

Make notes about this character. Ask questions to yourself (I've started to do this in my own novel, except mine are more about what he would do in the situation that he finds himself in) like:
What is her/his favourite food?
What do they like to do to relax?
How do they dress?
What is their favourite smell? Perfume or aftershave depending on their gender, of course.

2. Ask more questions remembering to make notes.
What are their fears?
Do they have any family commitments?
What do people notice about him/her?

3. Now write a scene with your character in it. Keep the scene simple e.g. him/her doing an everyday activity. Show your reader what kind of person he/he is by how they act, tone or voice etc. That classic rule: Show not tell.

Oh, and have a very Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year!!

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Reasons for a lack of creative thought

2009-11-30T10:04:00.000Z

After so many months (or even years) struggling to get my act together with my writing, I've finally figured out the reason for my difficulties.

This might not apply to others as it's such an unusual problem I doubt if very many people suffer from it. However, it makes sense to me and I'm surprised I didn't think of it before.

After many difficult years as a child, I learnt, over time, to compartmentalise my thoughts and memories. These are memories that hurt me a great deal and in order to be able to function, I learnt to lock them away in another part of my sub-conscious. Allowing these thoughts to come to the surface increases the risk (my risk) of suffering from a mental or nervous breakdown. A very dramatic consequence but, for me, a real enough threat.

Unfortunately, there are consequences to this compartmentalising, as you can imagine, and one of these is the lack of creative thought. For so long I have blamed it on the cocktail of anti-depressants and mood stabilisers. Maybe they played a part for a short period of time but, for the long term problem, it had to have been something else.

So my next step (if I want to access these thoughts and get some writing done!) is to learn how to filter the thoughts I need to use to write from the more painful memories locked away.

No doubt I will need these thoughts too but, for now, I need to learn a new skill of filtering in order to make a start with at least one of my novel ideas.

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I'm taking it slow

2009-11-17T09:21:00.000Z

Learning to write again is like coming off medication.

Except I'm not learning to write again exactly; that doesn't ever go. What does go AWOL is the ability to recognise that you do have talent; that you can write and you can express yourself with a pen and paper (or a computer and keyboard).

It's a slow process and can be extremely frustrating, too. You know what you want to write but you just can't get down the way you feel it should be.

I've acquired a very cheap Psion (£1 in a charity shop in Watford) and it works very well considering it's been dropped. I use it to ask myself questions about what my character should be doing, or thinking in his/her current situation. Anything to get the writing processes kick-started again. At a later date I will then answer those questions in the novel itself.

I'm lucky; a good part of my novel is already written thanks to the short stories I wrote some time ago. All I need to do is to work them all together. But, I need an introduction (which I'm working on now) and a reason as to why this situation is happening.

It's easy to just write a story with the bare outlines but there has to be a reason why your character may behave in a particular way. Why hasn't he/she escaped? Has she tried at all? Or has he just accepted his fate?

That sort of thing.

I haven't given up on the speech to text software. It will come into its own much later.

For now, I'm just happy taking things slow.

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Back links and this blog

2009-10-27T09:12:00.000Z

Well I'm all set to go with the Speech to Text software. All registered and unlocked.

Now, I have a mammoth task of training it. Somehow, I just know that, my accent may become a problem here ;)

I have to say a huge Thank you to Katinka who gave me a lovely write up on her blog, Squidoo Friends :) Katinka is also known as Spirituality at Squidoo and gives out lots of Angel blessings, comments, ratings and feedback to other Lensmasters. A good supportive Giant Squid :)

Back links are vital for a blogs' (and other websites) success and this blog is definitely lacking in those! Despite this blog being active now for over 2 years, its traffic is very poor. Mind you, a lot of that is my own fault as I've been so busy at Squidoo, I've neglected a good many of my websites. I think it will be now on my list of To-Do's on my lens, Playing Havoc on Ning.

Surprisingly on the list plexo for the above lens, writing a novel is not considered the most important thing for me to do. It seems that establishing back links and your expertise is.

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Methods of writing - Speech to Text

2009-10-16T12:31:00.000+01:00

I have to admit to being a rather lazy writer. If I can find a way to get my thoughts, ideas, stories etc. down on paper/the screen without expending too much energy then I will be in my element. The writing world would never know what hit it.

So, my latest experiment?

The use of Speech to Text software.

By using this I can speak into the microphone and, hopefully, the software will understand what I say and write it.

Of course, there's problems. You have to spend a while training it. At the moment the software I'm using doesn't understand when I say 'train word'. Must be my accent.

However, I don't know if I'm using the best software available for the job. A search for the right program tends to show text to speech software and not so many the other way round. Not good.

I'm also restricted in the fact that I cannot afford to pay for software at this point. My trial period for e-speaking voice runs out in a couple of weeks so need to find a solution by then.

Have you used speech to text software to write?
Are you using one now?
Can you recommend software to me?

I have a headphone/mic set so am all set up to use it. I just need to find the perfect piece of software so I can get 'scribbling.'

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One of your characters has an accident...

2009-10-02T09:29:00.000+01:00

Have fun and unleash your creativity with a writing exercise.

Write your response to the latest exercise on this blog in the comment section:

One of your characters has an accident.

What happens?
Does anyone help?
Does he/she escape uninjured?

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How do you come up with a title for your short story?

2009-09-09T09:26:00.000+01:00

If you're a writer of short stories, poetry, novels and the like, at some point one of your tasks will be to find a title or name for your latest work.

I have this problem now with the six stories that were written for another project that failed. What I'm wondering before even attempting to find six titles, is whether these stories could be transformed into a novel. One plus side of this would be that I would only need to find the one title. Mind you, that isn't my only reason for doing this.

I actually believe, along with the introduction that I'd started to accompany these stories, that they would work very well as a novel in the genre of Dark Erotica or Erotic Horror.

Of course, it would mean that I would need to tweak them as, although they are all linked together anyway, as they stand they do not fit quite as a novel.

The question still stands, however. How do you come up with a title for your story or novel?

Mine usually comes from within the text of the story itself or it pops into my head during the process of writing.

Sometimes I come up with, what I feel are good titles, but others are decidedly poor. However, titles are not one thing I tend to work too much on. Am I wrong to be so slack with regards to titles?

Would love to know your thoughts!

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Black dog

2009-08-25T09:11:00.002+01:00

Lately I've been battling with another episode of depression which has not helped my writing one little bit (hence the lack of updates to this blog.)

I know my depression well enough now to be able to work through it a lot of the time but sometimes it gets the better of me. There are no foolproof methods of beating depression; it's different for everyone. It's one of those things you have to work out for yourself.

I'm still in the grip of it and I'm fighting it on a daily basis. I shouldn't let it win.

I have plans for my writing and there is no way on this earth that I'm going to let my 'black dog' scupper them.

I feel I've not reached my full potential and I've let many years go by with no real achievements. Do you ever feel that way?

I've worked for a year or so on Squidoo.com which has been enjoyable but I can't help feeling I'm spending way too much time there. I really need to delegate what work I have so that I don't feel I'm overwhelmed in one area of writing.

I've removed one of my blogs (the dating one). I have no need for it and I'd lost interest in the topic. Since I've no longer been working for a dating site, it had no real purpose. It's a big relief for me not to have to worry about updating it.

Anyway, it's time now for me to work out some sort of timetable to work to so that all areas of my writing are covered.

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Take that writing opportunity when it arises

2009-07-28T09:30:00.004+01:00

For many years I've often said that I would love my first ever erotic novel to be published by Black Lace. However, something I've been told has now put a dampener on that.

It's my own fault for spending valuable time procrastinating and putting the whole thing off time and time again. However, it does give me the opportunity to start looking into other avenues instead of being stuck with one idea, one dream.

I've also heard, possibly, that 6 erotic short stories that I wrote for another project could be released back to me to do with what I like. I may decide to tweak them further; I shall definitely be giving them new and better names but I'm kind of pleased about this.

I've always considered them going to waste as the project never looked like it was moving forward. Now, I can read them over again and send them out into cyberspace, and the off line world, for the reader's pleasure.

I hope they will be received well. I shall let you know how and when they will be published so that you can be the first to be in the queue to read them ;)

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Bridget Midway interview

2009-07-14T09:24:00.002+01:00

Bridget Midway writes what everyone else fantasizes about but won’t admit. An avid writer for all things fun, unusual and passionate, Bridget enjoys making her readers laugh as much as she likes seeing them fan themselves down after reading a hot, sexy scene. She writes long contemporary romance, single-title romance, light paranormal romances, science fiction, historical and erotica, all with multi-racial characters and/or with interracial romances (because when you have a box of chocolates, you have to taste each one and enjoy the differences). http://www.BridgetMidway.com

Here is her interview:

How would you describe yourself? Who is Bridget Midway?
Bridget Midway is a very quiet and, surprisingly, shy woman who likes to write about the people who could be someone you work with or live next door to in real life. In perverted terms, I would be classified as a voyeur. However it sounds better if I describe myself as a constant observer. I'm also someone who still finds is shocking that readers not only buy my books but that they dig them. I still find it hard to wrap my brain around that concept.

What sort of books did you enjoy as a child and what do you like to read now?
I started off reading light mysteries and coming-of-age stories. It would be nothing to see me with a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys book when I was younger. I also loved some C.S. Lewis and Laura Ingalls Wilder. Yes, I was a Little House on the Prairie junkie. When I became a teenager and sprouted up like a weed, I started reading some adult fare. First it was Judy Blume's Wifey. Then I went on to Jackie Collins. I still think she's the true Queen of Steam.

There's always that one person in life that you truly want to meet before you die. Jackie Collins is that person to me. I started writing sexually-charged books because of her. As for now, I hardly have any time to read. If I'm working on a book, I try not to read other people's books because I tend to adopt their writing style and voice. I don't do it on purpose. I can usually catch myself when I do it. However, when I do read, I find myself reading my friends' books. Right now I'm reading Jane Millionaire by Janice Lynn. Next I'll be reading "Strictly Classified" by Denise Jeffries. My to-be-read pile is huge. Fortunately so are my to-be-written requests.

What were your dreams or ambitions as a child? How do these compare with where you are now?
I was all over the place with my ambitions as a child. I wanted to be everything from a nurse to a veterinarian to a photographer. Deep down I always knew that I was most happiest as a writer. I love putting pen to paper. Now the sound of clicking keyboard keys does it for me. When I got my first typewriter at age 13, that was it. I could spend whole summers inside typing away. Even back then I wrote 100,000-word manuscripts. Not a lot has changed since my teenage years. I still write long novels and feel happiest at my laptop.

Do you think you were "born a writer"? Or did the writing bug take awhile to find you?
Because writing is such a lonely endeavour, I never got "bitten" by the writing bug. To be bitten, I would think one would have to observe someone else doing it. For example, many people say that after watching a movie or play, which they got the acting bug seeing people perform. It wasn't as though I watched a writer at her/his typewriter or computer or with a pad and pen in hand. As you call it, I was a "born writer". For as long as I remember, I enjoyed books and respected the written word. I remember as a child holding a book, feeling the pages, seeing the names of the authors under each story and hoping one day that my name would appear in a book.

Are there any particular authors who’ve been influential to your work?
I mentioned two above. Jackie Collins, my guru, and Judy Blume. I also like Jeanette Winterson. I still debate with myself if the protagonist is a man or woman. I've amped up my sensuality as opposed to my sexuality in my work because of up-and-coming authors like Laura Bacchi. I think she's truly gifted in writing sexual tension and wringing out the sensuality in a scene.

Have you seen an evolution in your writing? What steps did it take?
Definitely! My writing has changed in grand leaps and bounds. I used to say that I would never write anything futuristic or something with a science fiction background. And now I have one published called "Adam and E-V-E" and I have it's longer sequel coming up called C-A-I-N and A-B-E-L. Although writing contemporary works seem to be my thing, I've recently toyed with the idea of doing a historical/time travel story. The idea has been nagging at me for years. I'm also learning to write at different lengths. When I first started writing, I would only write short works. I never thought I could write a full-length novel. Then when I did write one, I didn't think I could go back to writing shorter works again. Now I enjoy a delicious balance of the two. Writing keeps my skills sharp. I also am involved with a local writing group and I learn a lot from them.

What was it about your genre that interested you enough to choose to write in it and not in another genre?
I like writing erotica and erotic romances because there's something so taboo about them, even to this day and age. It's the same reason I like writing interracial romances. I like shaking things up a bit. Yes, this quiet wallflower has a sneaky streak inside of me. I also enjoy writing erotica and erotic romances because despite what some people may think; I think stories are deeper, richer, and fuller when sex is involved. You mine into your character's psyche a lot more when they're naked, sated and vulnerable.

What do you find helps you when inspiration is lacking and motivation even more so?
Reading news stories helps with the inspiration. I've gotten some great ideas from just headlines. As far as motivation, I want to be in this business for the long haul. My motivation is to keep my name out there and to keep my readers and myself happy.

As a writer do you have any eccentric habits while writing?
I always check my e-mails before I write. Sometimes I'll leave my e-mail folder up while I write. I'm so obsessed and I think that I'll miss something if I don't check my mail every 5 minutes. I also found a game on a BDSM website called Hexxagon. It's a very tame game. It's like Othello if anyone has ever played that. I play against the computer. Sometimes I'll play a game. If I win, I know my writing will go well that day. If I lose, I feel let down and I think my writing will suffer. I know. I'm a weirdo.

What do you think is the most important piece of advice to writers trying to turn their hobbies into professions?
The advice I give to new writers is don't sell yourself short. Some publishers’ bank on the fact that you've been rejected so many times, and when you finally get a contract offer they know you'll sign it right away. I have seen contracts where the publisher wants the full rights and then some to your work. So please, when you finally get a contract offer, don't rush it. Read it over carefully and consider that it's your work that you put forth blood, sweat and tears. You want something to show for it at the end of the day. Other than that, have fun writing. If it's not fun for you, then you need to re-evaluate why you're writing in the first place.

How do you market yourself, and what have your experiences in self-marketing been like?
Marketing myself has been really difficult. I've done everything from on-line chats to banner and book cover advertisements on different websites and print ads. As an author, you have to promote yourself and your work, especially when you're with a small publisher or an e-book publisher. Promoting myself has been a great experience. It's taught me to think outside of the box. For that reason, I developed a website to my full-length novel Fascination Street as well as start a forum and a chatroom. Readers want something else to hook them. So as an author, I have to do something totally different from other authors.

If you could assemble your fans and readers, say, in an interview, what would you like to say to them about how to improve their erotic perceptions?
Readers are very savvy about how they perceive erotica. They know what they want and how to go about getting it. It's the reason why so many publishers actually break down the type of book they sell, for example they'll have listings for interracial romances, science fiction, dark fantasy, man-on-man sexual situations, etc. It's me who has to improve because I have to keep readers interested.

For more of your erotic/interesting scenes do you visualise them before you write them?
Yes, I do visualize my scenes. I have to figure out where the noses go. The orgy scene in Fascination Street was very difficult to write. So much going on at once. I tried very hard not to make it sound too technical and more sensual.

The relationship dynamics that you create for your characters. Are they drawn from your own personal experience or are they more reflective of how you see couple's in society today?
Some stories I have pulled from real life, not necessarily my own. For example, my novella "Chances" through Erotique Press is about a young African-American woman who falls for a guy from work she's only talked to on the phone and has never seen. He's much older than her. I pulled the age and race differences from my own relationship for that story. And for a story like Corporate Seduction, there was a manager like my character Winston Biggers who worked in the same office. So I based that character on him. But I'm not like Maybelline Davenport. All of my other characters or a reflection of society or, rather, pop culture.

It's said that there is a little part of the writer in that what he/she has written. Do you agree with this? And, if so, which areas of your novels does this relate to?
I definitely agree. There's a writer saying that goes, "Write what you know." Many writers, myself included, do pull from their lives and incorporate that into their stories. For me, I try not to delve into what I'm thinking or feeling and put that into a book. I'll just pull situations, the funnier the better. Writing can be stress-relieving.

With the internet there has been what I believe an increase in the amount of sexual related sites available e.g. blogs and journals. Do you feel that this has helped to liberate more women with their own sexual feelings?
I'm always surprised to see sexual-related sites that are geared toward women instead of to men. I don't know if the sites have helped liberate them or if women were already liberated enough and they're putting these sites and their feelings right in your face. Quite frankly, I love the shift in thinking. Hopefully we women will want to keep up these feelings for a long, long time.

Erotica is another man's/woman's porn. What would you say are the differences between the two?
Porn is in the eye (and loin) of the beholder. I think the biggest difference between erotica and porn is that readers get to know the characters more in erotica than they do in porn. Porn is a quick fix. No delving into back stories and character development. Whereas erotica and erotic romances deal with emotions and feelings. The one thing they all have in common is that they all have a satisfying ending. The ending doesn't have to be a happily-ever-after one. Just one that satisfies the reader.

And finally, what are you currently working on and what are your goals for the future?
I have lots of irons in the fire right now. Currently I'm working on one of the prequel stories to Fascination Street for Venus Press. I'm also working on submissions to Red Sage Publishing and Harlequin Spice. My goal for the future is to make it into larger publishing houses. I would look to have books with Berkley Heat and Kensington Aphrodisia. I'm working on it.

Thank you so much for interviewing me. If there's anything else you need, please let me know.

Thank you, Bridget Midway!

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My entire collection of Squidoo Lenses

2009-06-23T09:05:00.004+01:00

Don't be scared of trying new things

2009-06-13T09:10:00.002+01:00

When I first started to write for a living, I thought I would always be a fiction writer and that I would become very successful at it.

Several years down the line I've come to realise that fiction is not my true calling. Yes, I enjoy writing stories when the inspiration strikes and I will never stop writing them. However, I don't feel that this was what I've become a writer for.

I actually prefer to write non-fiction but not articles etc. I'm enjoying my time on Squidoo; a community that allows me to socialise with like-minded writers, to research about subjects that interest me and to expand on my creativity. It is also a good platform to learn about marketing of your writing and websites.

But, is this my true calling?

I can't say for sure, at the moment, but it doesn't matter because I'm learning new things and I'm still doing what I love best: writing.

It may be, in the near future, that I will move on from Squidoo. Maybe I won't.

There's a good chance that my work will be spotted from an Editor or publisher on the outside but it's not what I'm using Squidoo for. Either way, I'm not adverse to trying out new things; to experience new methods of creativity. This is what writing is all about.

So, my message to you is: Don't be afraid to try new things in your writing career. Expand your talents further. You never know where it may lead.

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Don't leave posting at your blog too long

2009-06-05T09:52:00.004+01:00

I'm guessing that there are a number of bloggers who forget or neglect to update their blogs on a regular basis.

I know I do especially when I get carried away with working on something else. However, it's not a good idea to leave it for too long.

How long is too long?

The maximum time I've left a blog requiring an update is one week. I would say that that is too long. I would suggest to try and update your blog at least every two to three days. Sooner if you can manage it.

One of the difficulties in updating a blog is running out of material. This is something I've struggled with at times, too.

If this happens to you, as a last resort, you can always publish an article on your blog's topic to fill in the gap until you're ready to post again. There are a number of article directories that will allow you to reprint their submitted articles on your blog or website.

Some suggestions are:

Ezine Articles
Idea Marketers

Of course, you could always write your own articles, too! But, please do follow the criteria for reprinting any article you choose. Also, if you can, contact the author of the article to let them know you've republished their article on your blog.

Other things you can do to get your writing clogs moving again is:

Publish a quiz
Save newspaper or magazine articles on your blog's topic and use them for inspiration or ideas (don't copy them word for word, though!)
Read other blogs

Have fun! ;)

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Don't put too much pressure on yourself

2009-05-27T09:35:00.002+01:00

Many of you will say, 'But, don't we need pressure in order to keep to a deadline?' Of course!

Pressure is good at the right time.

The pressure I'm talking about is that which comes at the wrong time.

Let's take me as an example.

If you've been reading this blog regularly you will have noticed all the times that I mentioned that I was going to write a novel. I had the idea but what I didn't have was the motivation. I kept putting it off and making excuses as to why I hadn't started it.

It just wasn't happening for me. I didn't realise why until much later. Now, this may not be the same for you but for me, I just didn't have the passion to write that novel. I could have everything I need to make it work (i.e. plot, storyline, character development, time) but if the passion or the drive inside of me isn't there then that novel (or whatever it is) will not happen.

I figured that it just wasn't the right time for me. It may never be the right time for me to write a novel, in which case I'm losing out on a big opportunity. But, I don't think that this will be the case. One day will be right for me.

So my advice is: Don't beat yourself up if you don't complete something when you think you should have. Leave it awhile (providing that you don't have a deadline, of course.) Work on things that you know you can do (in this case, for me, it's Squidoo :))

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How not to be a writer

2009-05-18T09:25:00.002+01:00

Do you know the reason why I haven't posted on this blog for so long?

It's simply because I thought I would need to post something about my writing. As I haven't done anything different from last time I posted I've been surprisingly devoid of news. I suppose I could go down the route of posting about writing tips etc. but there are so many good blogs out there that do that already, I've decided to decline.

I'm probably the only writer who has been working in this field for nearly ten years who hasn't achieved an awful lot:

I haven't written a novel
I've not worked with some of the top editors
I've not won any competitions
I've not had any of my stories published (lately; apart from one in Bunnie)
I've not been interviewed

In fact, I'm still relatively unknown. So, I suppose I could post on this blog about how NOT to be a successful writer. Do you think that would work?

How popular do you think that would be? ;) Would you be interested in reading about how not to do things whilst writing?

It's a thought...

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Squidoo and social networking

2009-05-05T09:59:00.004+01:00

Most of my time has been spent working on and tweaking my Squidoo lenses. A lot of people may not see these websites as a proper writing job but I believe it helps me to keep focused and motivated and I'm getting paid!) As I often need additional information for the subjects I'm writing about it helps with the research side of things, too.

At times, I do feel guilty that too much of my time is taken up with Squidoo. I feel guilty, though, if I don't work at least for an hour on my lenses and I believe that the traffic and the interest in them kind of wanes. Working with Squidoo has also taught me a lot about writing and publishing good content, SEO and promotion/marketing of websites. However, I have a personal goal to reach and I'm determined to succeed this time around.

In between working on Squidoo and reviewing (the latest review has been published), I've been updating all of my social network profiles as well as joining new ones. I shall be checking to see which ones work for me the best and will concentrate on being more active on those.

I think it's easy to become bogged down with things and I can't help but wonder if I'm putting too much pressure on myself to complete this novel. It could be that this is not my calling. I would love to write just one if nothing else but I need to do this in my own time.

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Latest News and Updates

2009-04-27T10:47:00.002+01:00

Here are my latest updates and news:

I've deleted one of my blogs, Little Earners. I felt it was surplus to requirements especially after I set up another blog, Giant Squid Invasion :) This new blog will document my journey to Giant Squid status and beyond.
I've opened up Squidoo Lens PLUS book review requests on 4 Star Rating. You can now purchase a Squidoo Lens which will include your book review for $150.
Kitty is doing okay at the moment. He's eating well although still with a distended belly which will never go. However, he seems happy and sometimes will even play.
There has been no progress on the novel front at all. Nothing new there, then!
I've been concentrating on tweaking and improving my Squidoo lenses which leaves little room for anything else.
I'm in the process of writing one review for P.G. Forte and will be starting another review for Reid Laurence shortly, too.

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Crumpled Sheets

2009-04-15T09:34:00.003+01:00

As a sideline to my writing and reviewing, I am also a member of several affiliate programs.

One of my biggest successes (though it's not excessive by any means) is this: Crumpled Sheets.

Due to the recent law change all of the heavier and questionable books have now been removed and I'm definitely happier at this change.

Crumpled Sheets is a branch of A1AdultEbooks which allows you to set up your own erotic bookstore online and set it up as to how you want it to look. Of course, I won't be divulging exactly how much I've earned with this affiliate ;) but let's just say it has been one of my most successful earners to date.

If you would like to set up your own erotic bookstore, then please do check out Crumpled Sheets :)

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Spring inspiration

2009-04-07T09:15:00.002+01:00

I have to admit to feeling a little bit reluctant to work at the moment. My beloved cat, Turner is sick and I believe that at some point this year I'm going to lose him.

As it is I've made no attempt to start on this novel of mine. I'm really going to have to shake myself up if I'm going to get this novel completed this year. Even if it's not published I will be more than satisfied with a finished first draft.

I've finally managed to get my Paypal account sorted and book review requests are finally back on. I've also added the ability to purchase a review PLUS a Squidoo Lens for $150. The published squidoo lens will then be transferred over to the author after they've registered a free Squidoo account.

I'm hoping that the beautiful spring weather will create some inspiration. I really love this time of year (I was born March 18th) and it encourages me to get out and about walking. I would spend all day outside if I could but I don't like leaving my kitty alone for too long.

I apologise for the lack of interesting news lately and I can imagine you're pretty sick of hearing about this 'possible' novel. I don't blame you! I am too. So, it's time for me to getting cracking.

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Contributing to The Bunnie Blog

2009-03-30T10:08:00.003+01:00

I've been invited to contribute to The Bunnie Blog along with a few other good erotic writers. As I'm already running 6 blogs I'm not sure how prolific I will be but I'm going to give it a try!

Some time ago I changed this blog's title and theme away from the erotic as ideas weren't so forthcoming for me. Very slowly I've been moving away from the erotic genre not because I became bored but simply because I wanted to experiment within my interests.

As my first ever novel will be in the erotic genre I think posting in The Bunnie Blog will help with inspiration and, of course, promotion of my novel. If you prefer not to visit the blog regularly to catch my posts I will publish them here to let you know. I don't think I'll be posting about my novel entirely on The Bunnie Blog as I would prefer to post them here. But, I shall be posting about some other very interesting topics ;)

Now, I must go and get ready for my visit to the Dentist :(

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PDA's, PDF's and Novels

2009-03-23T11:58:00.003Z

Well, I've finally got my laptop and it's all set up ready for my novel writing.

I've dug out the beginning of the novel which I started some time ago so I've got something to work with. No doubt I'll end up changing it but for now it will give me a start to a novel that's taking so long to get started!

My next step with the novel will be to write the first of four short stories using a dream book I have for research.

Trying to read pdf files on a PDA is not the easiest of tasks but I shall keep trying. I think it's because it's so new to me to work with a PDA and to remember to take the PDA with me whenever I go out anywhere.

I think if I commuted to work I would have more time to use it! The journey from my bed to the computer is, unfortunately, not at all long enough :)

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I have no excuse

2009-03-13T10:38:00.003Z

I've been so busy updating my Squidoo lenses that I've forgotten to update all my blogs! Agrh!

Anyway, I've finally managed to acquire a laptop (about 5 years old) so now I can 'scribble' away at my novel without needing to sit at the computer. My computer chair is not the most comfortable around and it makes my butt ache after awhile!

Sorry, TMI! This laptop will mean that I can now go portable and as my most comfortable seat is my bed, I have no excuse for not getting to work on the novel. I can also take it out with me and use it in a quiet park or library for inspiration and research. Perfect!

I've been after one for ages but the smaller the laptops are, the pricier they become so they were always out of my reach, so to speak. Luckily, I've acquired one from my partner's brother and it's a very good make. So I couldn't be more pleased :)

I've now completed the main part of the editing job I had which I'm pleased about. It frees up my time to continue with reviews, squidoo lenses and any other writing that I need to do.

So, that's all my latest news :) Will keep you updated as to the progress of my novel.

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Received copy of Bunnie

2009-03-03T11:10:00.004Z

I received my copy of Bunnie yesterday through the post and I have to admit to being impressed with the quality etc.

If you would like to picck up your copy of the first edition of Bunnie then, please visit Red Rabbit Books!

On another note, I've just acquired a PDA for an early birthday present so that I can now read pdf files on the go. This makes reviewing ebooks a lot easier for me! So, I've now uploaded two pdf books to read :) So, P.G, my dear friend :) a review will come your way soon for one of your books :)

I'm also on the home stretch of editing this book for a friend so witha bit of luck I can finally get myself sorted and start this novel!

I was a bit worried that my copy of Bunnie had gone astray somewhere as the postal system at this end is not always the most reliable. I've had books sent to me for review that have not arrived before which is extremely frustrating and expensive for the author in question.

As it was I had to pick up the PDA yesterday from the sorting office and there was my copy of Bunnie with it. Apparently the postman had said it couldn't been delivered because it was missing the flat number. It wasn't! Something is definitely going on with London post at the moment. It's funny how some things get through and not others. I think it's time for an official complaint...

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Bunnie, novels and reviews

2009-02-25T10:08:00.002Z

I'm working methodically through reviews and the editing job as I'm determined to get started on this novel of mine. I know exactly how I'm going to structure it: 4 short stories linked together at the beginning, middle and the end.

Sounds simple, right? I hope it is! I'm not sure whether I can write all of my novels in this way but with this one it seems to fit perfectly.

Other news is that I've got an erotic short story accepted for publication in Bunnie by Red Rabbit Books. I can't wait for my copy to drop through the door :)

I've decided to close down the main website of my review site and just use the blog to advertise my services as a reviewer. As my workload increases it will help a lot if I don't have to worry about updating the website as well as publishing the reviews elsewhere on the internet. All review submissions will go through the blog as usual. I'm wondering if I should stick with blogger for the blog or move to Wordpress?

I also need to set up the means to purchase a Squidoo lens/book review as soon as I can as well. Authors will be able to purchase this via the blog, too.

So, I think that's it for now :) Catch you later!

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2009 - A good year?

2009-02-17T09:52:00.004Z

It seems that 2009 could turn out to be a good year for me.

Not only do I have lots of ideas for stories, novels, lenses etc. but I seem to be attracting more job offers than ever before.

I've had one job offer this month but unfortunately I'm unable to say much about it. I can tell you, though, that it involves reviewing :)

I think that I would be extremely disappointed in myself if I don't manage to get this novel written. I have everything ready to write it; research books, the plot and storyline, the characters (albeit very basic information) and the need to write it.

So, why can't I sit down and start??

Anyway, I don't think I'll be writing anything on the novel any time soon unless I can get this editing and some reviews completed!

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Latest News

2009-02-10T09:31:00.003Z

I'm still editing/proofing this non-fiction book about religion. I'm a bit frustrated as the author has decided to send me a new version of the book so it means I have to start all over again :(

I have a backlog of books to review (I have to apologise here to my author friend, P.G Forte as it means she is having to wait even longer for her reviews :()

I've been offered a reviewing job but am unable to say much more about it at this stage as I've signed a contract to be quiet :)

My book writing is again on hold as I struggle to prioritise my other jobs. But, I will get this novel written this year even if it isn't published.

And, I think that's it for now. If I remember anything else I'll be sure to add it :)

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Article published on the Mooncup

2009-02-04T09:43:00.002Z

Image via Wikipedia

I have an article published about the Mooncup and my experiences with it on Imperfectly Natural :)

Here's a teaser:

Mooncup
Excellent alternative to tampons/sanitary towels

Like most women, I have always dreaded that time of month i.e. my period. Unlike a lot of women, it wasn't the pain that caused me the most problems, although it was disabling at times. PMS or PMT was never an issue for me, either. Even my very first period was a difficult time as I didn't know what was going on and my mother seemed reluctant to explain it to me.

You might say, "well, what else could be the problem?"

Click on What really works - Mooncup to read it!

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Unique spin

2009-01-28T09:19:00.004Z

How long does it usually take for you to get to the point of sitting down and thinking, "I'm sitting on a minefield of information and resources and I know how I could really use it."

Hopefully, not as long as I have!

Years of experience working with horses has provided me with loads of information and resources and ideas about how I could use that in a series of teenage books. Okay, has been done before, granted, but, I do tend to put a unique spin on things that I write.

Take this time of year for instance; coming up to St Valentine's Day. Most people on Squidoo are publishing lenses on romantic gifts, ideas etc. for loved one. But, not me. Oh, no! I have to go in a completely different direction and focus on the St Valentine's Day Massacre...:)

The idea for the teenage books hasn't developed much yet in my head; the idea only hit me last night but I've been mulling over on it for awhile (using the horses in stories that is) so I don't think it will take me long to figure something out.

Will keep you posted :)

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Blocks and health issues

2009-01-21T11:49:00.002Z

Things have been slow moving around here at the moment.

I have a book to edit/proof sitting on my desktop but am unable to start working on it because the author has another, improved version waiting to be sent to me (he's in Hong Kong at present.)

I have yet to make a start on this novel though I'm currently in the process of creating a Squidoo lens on the subject so hopefully that will get things moving. There's definitely a block with this novel and it's not the usual writing block. It's as if I'm reluctant to start it in case it doesn't work out or it's complete rubbish. I think I'm worried it's not going to work out because I've been telling people I have this idea for a novel and I'm sure that it will work out and I don't want to let these people down as well as myself.

I just don't have the confidence in myself as a novelist to make that break...

Other than that, I've been battling with a few niggly health problems that have taken my attention away from my work for a bit. Working on Squidoo lenses is easier for me at this time than really getting down to writing this novel.

I'm going to be offline for a few days whilst I come off some medication cold turkey. I'm not expecting to feel all that well so will be back at the beginning of the next week.

Have a great weekend and please, do think of me :)

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The Frisky: Relationship Tips, Celebrity Gossip and Sexy Fun

2009-01-06T10:09:00.006Z

The Internet is one of the best ways of finding good Relationship Advice and The Frisky.com is an upbeat, hilarious look at how to solve relationship and intimacy problems by using quality advice by a regular column of writers. It also features some more popular methods of insight by using your Star sign forecast for the coming year and celebrity relationships.

Although the e-zine is geared towards the female community, the guys are not forgotten about. Hot Guys is just one of the sections of the site where guys can go to pick up insights into just what women want in a man. Of course, let's not forget about the loads of juicy images of gorgeous men for the women to lust over!

Women who are fascinated by celebs don't need to feel that they are pushed onto the sidelines, either as this online magazine focuses on celebrity relationships just as much as they do on our own. The question, perhaps, they pose is, "Can we learn anything about our own relationships by analysing those in the public eye?"

One intriguing section is the Astro Guide for 2009. These are star forecasts with a difference as they focus on love and, interestingly, madness and obsession. I couldn't resist checking out my star forecast (I'm a Piscean) for this year. Mmmmm, truly inspiring...;)

The Sex Advice Column goes one step further in the quest for improving the dynamics between couples by featuring overpriced sex toys, how they're doing 'it' abroad, ways to avoid not doing what your guy wants you to do in the bedroom i.e. anal sex, sex tips via IM and even online dating. Although registering is not pushed in your face, I think if you want to become a regular contributor in the comments section and the polls, it could work in your favour. Also, you might want to consider submitting a column or story.

There is a link or two to a forum but it seems that this was disbanded at some point as the link takes you right back to the homepage. Not to worry! There is plenty of other things to keep you busy and well informed in the rest of the e-zine. Enjoy your time there; I did!

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Making plans for the new year

2009-01-02T12:28:00.000Z

I've been trying to be more organised at the start of this new year with regards to Squidoo, my writing and anything else that crops up in my life.

One of the things I've started to do with regards to Squidoo is buy a load of cheap(ish) notepads to record search terms that have been used to look for my lens' subjects. This way I've got a list of ideas of new information I can add to my lenses to keep them fresh and updated.

I've started up two more blogs to further help promotion of my lenses so feel free to bookmark them :)

They are:

Little Earners - Working to increase traffic and ratings

Ink’s Erotic Lenses - Promotion of Erotic Ideas on Squidoo (i gave up on setting up a website for this. Poor hosting and horrid banner ads put me off!)

So, it's all going to keep me busy with updating these blogs, squidoo lenses and any other writing jobs I have to do like articles, novel, short stories! Phew!

With a bit of luck I shall be paid on Wednesday for an editing/proofing job I've been assigned so that will enable me to buy a new digital camera (better pics for lenses) and a late Xmas present for my partner, Chris.

So, hopefully, 2009 will be a much better year than 2008 for me.

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List of current Blogs

2008-12-16T10:14:00.003Z

I seem to be setting up more blogs than ever more at the moment, so here's a list of them all! Please feel free to link or subscribe to those you find interesting ;):

Inks Goes Freelance - My journey through the world of freelance writing.
4 Star Rating - Book reviews & marketing resources.
Giving Squids a Helping Hand - Helping to promote poorly ranked Squidoo Lenses.
Squidalogue Promotion - Promotional tactics for Squidoo lenses.
Squid Ink - Ink’s Squidoo Lenses.
Little Earners - Working to increase traffic and ratings
The Online Dating Coach - Helping you get the best out of Dating by using the WWW.

There you go!

No doubt more will appear at a later date :)

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Fleshing out

2008-12-12T23:36:00.003Z

Lately, most of my time has been spent reviewing, marketing my squidoo lenses and making changes to my blog templates.

I'm thinking of fleshing out my erotic horror anthology before designing (or creating) a new cover image and then selling it via Cafepress (I hope to publish it through a publishing company that my partner is setting up; more on that later!) There is another story I could add to it but I would have to completely rework it as there is no erotica at all within it as it is now.

The 'story' was orginally the beginning of a horror novel but the idea is far from unique. It's something which has been done so many times before, but I liked how it turned out. I wonder if I could make it into two stories thereby increasing the anthology to five stories altogether?

Also, at some point, I've got to make a start on this erotic novel...it's like I'm frightend to, in case I lose the idea completely.

Does that sound stupid?

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I am Now Publishing on AddsYou.com

2008-12-10T00:13:00.000Z

http://www.addsyou.com
username=MjAwOC0xMi0wOSAxMDoyNjozMQ==

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Promote your Lens - Promotional Resources

2008-11-24T18:58:00.000Z

Promote your Lens - Promotional Resources

You're probably thinking, 'Oh no! Not ANOTHER Squidoo marketing lens!' and you're right. There must be hundreds on Squidoo already not forgetting the sites, e-books, courses etc. on the outside.

So what makes this one any different?

Well, since I've started my blog, Squidalogue Promotion, it has given me an opportunity to really think outside of the box where marketing my Squidoo lenses are concerned.

I don't tend to follow the usual, conventional methods of marketing and promotion simply because many of them don't suit me as a person(ality) and I struggle to make them work for me. So, I'm always on the look out for different ways to get the word out about all my websites and this lens is not only written and published by me, Carrie White aka Inkserotica, a freelance writer and reviewer but it will also feature some of the resources I use to market all my websites. It will also feature methods I've yet to try out!

So, do leave me some feedback as to how they worked or did not work for you!

Please do bookmark this lens, if you feel it is of some help to you :)

It Makes Me Mad!

2008-11-22T13:39:00.001Z

clipped from www.squidoo.com

Pet Peeves and Current Events

It Makes Me Mad! is in the same vein as Poddy's My Pet Peeves - Those Things That Annoy Me lens because I thought it was high time that I created one, too.

I'm so impressed with the Squidoo community and how supportive it can be that I've decided to come out of my shell a little bit here and place myself in the firing line.

Those who know me pretty well will already know that that is something I very rarely do.

Growing up I was often shouted down for my opinions, views and emotions and because of this, I tend to keep my views to myself for fear of ridicule.

Until now!

This lens will be the only place that I will open myself to all sorts of views of how I feel etc. but, saying that, I won't tolerate any nastiness or negativity.

My Worst Ranked-squidoo-lenses Ever

2008-11-20T22:30:00.001Z

clipped from worst.ranked-squidoo-lenses.ever.com

Here are the reasons why these are My Worst Ranked-squidoo-lenses Ever:

1 - Can you help me get these lenses listed here off this lens?
2 - Can you help me increase the traffic and their ratings?
3 - Can you see what I am missing as to why these lenses are not doing so well compared to many of my other lenses?
4 - Is there hope for them and me as a Lensmaster?
5 - Or am I (we) doomed to stay on the bottom of the Squidoo barrel for ever more?

Here are the possible reasons why these are my worst ranked squidoo lenses ever!:
1 - Poor traffic bordering on Zilch, nada, zero, nowt, nothing...okay, you get the picture ;)
2 - Few comments
3 - Few ratings
4 - Hardly any or no backlinks
5 - Probably not indexed in Google
6 - Poorly researched or boring subjects
7 - No Angel Blessings
8 - No awards or contest prizes
9 - No LotD awarded

A marked difference in traffic

2008-11-15T09:37:00.003Z

Slowly but surely all the work I am putting into Squidoo is paying off. Not necessarily monetary wise yet, though there has been an improvement with the latest pay day :)

I have seen a marked difference in the traffic to my main website at http://www.hentracks.co.uk which has been left untouched for a few weeks whilst I concentrated my efforts over at Squidoo. I've now decided to really try hard to regularly update all my sites and blogs whilst making continuing efforts to improve and promote my current Squidoo lenses.

I can see how it's easier to build up a good following on a blog if you make regular postings and you make sure you reply to each and every comment you receive. Of course, it helps if you have comments to start with which I have very few on my 4 Star Rating blog :(

I'm hoping that all this work will pay off with offers of freelance writing jobs or gigs coming in eventually. But, in the meantime, I shall continue to work my little socks off at Squidoo and on my sites and blogs :)

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That Missing Something - short erotic story

2008-11-07T11:35:00.003Z

My erotic short story 'That Missing Something' has been published in Issue 2 of Ex magazine!

About Ex:

To celebrate our fifth year the AEA has relaunched its free e-magazine as 'Ex.' 'Ex' is a supercharged and exclusive art/lifestyle/aspirational magazine that is the result of a pioneering creative collaboration between the AEA, our corporate sponsors 'boutique of unique', and z-Mags. 'Ex' is but one more example of how the AEA is evolving to benefit the art community as a whole.

'Ex' is new. 'Ex' is different, 'Ex' simply is!

To subscribe FREE to Ex Magazine and to read my story ;) please click here.

To view the first Issue of 'Ex' simply click here.

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Squidalogue Promotion

2008-11-01T12:29:00.001Z

I found this fascinating quote today:

Squidalogue Promotion is about everything to do with my promotional efforts with regards to my Squidoo Lenses (link on the right. My username is Inkserotica.)inkserotica, ShoutPost - Read. Post. Interact., Nov 2008

You should read the whole article.

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What's happening?

2008-10-29T10:33:00.003Z

Lately, most of my time has been spent on Squidoo which has you've noticed has taken me away from a couple of my blogs. Rather than post again about Squidoo, I thought I'd post about what's been happening with other aspects of my freelance life.

The 6 erotic stories book that will be published in limited editions is still being worked upon. It's taking longer than orginally thought so I've no idea at this time when it will go to publication.

The ghost writing/editing job is on the back burner. I'm not sure what is going on with that at all. Some details have been changed since I was offered the job namely the fact that it is more editing than ghost writing. An hourly rate has to be decided.

The other editing job will happen in January :) I've already decided what I'll be spending the money on which is bad, really because if, for some reason, it doesn't happen I'm going to be extremely disappointed.

Reviews are still coming in though they've decreased in numbers since I started to charge a $10 fee. I have 3 reviews at present to complete and one of those I'm finding difficult to do. It doesn't happen often but when it does, it causes an awful lot of problems.

As I've been spending a lot of time on Squidoo, the traffic to my other websites have been dropping also. Not such a good thing so I need to start allocating time etc. in order to keep the sites in the search engines.

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Promote your Lens - Reviews

2008-10-22T13:48:00.002+01:00

Promote your Lens - Reviews

Reviews of books and /or products are useful and very important methods of promotion. They encourage consumers to buy. Reviews can be given for all manner of items including books, films, restaurants, products and Squidoo lenses!

This lens will:

Give information as to where you can get your lens reviewed.
Give information as to how you can set up your own reviewing business.
Give information as to how to review Squidoo lenses or websites/blogs.
Give support and advice.
List essential resources about reviewing.

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Britain - Cat Country

2008-10-17T20:04:00.002+01:00

Britain - Cat Country

The Mystery Predators of Britain

I'm making this page about Britain's killer cats because the subject fascinates me!

After reading a rare but fascinating book about The Beast of Exmoor by Di Francis, I've been intrigued by stories of 'killer' cats' loose in Britain's countryside.

Di Francis also came up with the idea that maybe...maybe, Genette Tate, the 13 year old girl who disappeared whilst on her paper round, was the unwitting victim of a killer cat.

Could this be possible?
Where exactly are these cats seen?
What risk do they pose to the general public?

All these questions and more, I shall answer in this Lens.

Posted using ShareThis

Blog Action Poverty Day

2008-10-15T09:07:00.002+01:00

Well, it's finally here! Blog Action Poverty Day.

It's a subject that's amazingly difficult to even believe that in this age still occurs on a worldwide basis. What's surprising is that it just doesn't occur in the third world countries where you'd expect to find poverty and malnutrition. It happens right here on your own doorstep.

According to The Poverty Site there are many factors that can increase the risk of poverty. What is so frightening is that a fifth of the population of the UK (a staggering 13 million) are still living in households in the low-income bracket or below!

So, what can we do to stop this?

The End Child Poverty website suggests that you can:

Write to your MP and get them involved
Join as many groups as you can across social networks that deal in all aspects of poverty, not just child poverty.
Support the poverty organisations by linking to them on all your websites.
Get as many people as you can to join in with your own campaign to end poverty.
Write about your own experiences of poverty. Make your voice heard.

For more information about Poverty in the UK, please have a look at some of these sites:

Millions live in poverty in the UK
Child Poverty Action Group
UK coalition against poverty

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Roadside memorials - Are they a nuisance?

2008-10-10T11:43:00.002+01:00

Roadside memorials - Are they a nuisance?

Roadside memorials - Are they a nuisance?

When there's a death on the roads whether it's a cyclist or a pedestrian, what usually follows is the placement of a roadside memorial. With cyclists it's a ghost bike and with pedestrians it's images of the deceased, condolences and flowers.

But, what do you think of roadside memorials?

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Ghost Bikes - What are they?

2008-10-08T11:43:00.002+01:00

Ghost Bikes are small and sombre memorials for bicyclists who are killed or hit on the street. A bicycle is painted all white and locked to a street sign near the crash site, accompanied by a small plaque. They serve as reminders of the tragedy that took place on an otherwise anonymous street corner, and as quiet statements in support of cyclists' right to safe travel.'

Source: Ghost Bikes

I have to admit I don't often read newspapers. I'm not sure why. However, when I do, it's usually because an article or review has caught my interest.

This is what happened in the case of Ghost Bikes. The Observer (a paper I tend to avoid!) ran an article about these ghostly memorials to cyclists killed on the roads in horrendous RTA's (Road Traffic Accidents.)

read more | digg story

Inks' First Erotic Novel

2008-09-29T19:28:00.004+01:00

So many posts on this blog are about my Squidoo Lenses but they do count as writing, though, don't they? It's all I seem to be doing at the moment and it wouldn't surprise me if I became a professional squidooer, if there is such a thing. Now, all I've got to do is earn slightly more than 2oc and I'll be quids in!

But, there is one thing I am determined to do and that is to finally write my first novel. Erotic, of course. So, to make sure I'm constructive and disciplined, I've set up a blog on it. Inks' First Erotic Novel will encourage me to get my ideas down on 'paper' instead of staying stuck in my head for ever more. You see, I have it (or most of it) planned out but it's all in my head! Not a good place to be as so much stuff in there takes a walk, never to return.

Please do bookmark/favourite it as I reckon this blog could be a good read :)

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Book Reviewing - Share the Fun

2008-09-29T10:42:00.001+01:00

You may already know that I’ve worked as a book (amongst other things) reviewer now for over 8 years (and counting.)

What you won’t know is exactly how I go about reviewing any books (adult toys, websites, blogs) that happen to come my way.

So, in this Lens, I’m going to reveal some of the methods I use to complete a review. Enjoy!

http://www.squidoo.com/howtoreviewbooks

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Snapbomb - Review

2008-09-19T09:30:00.006+01:00

I've only just signed up to Snapbomb and already I'm impressed with the service.

Snapbomb is a paid to blog service that allows bloggers to choose opportunities or 'jobs' that match their expertise, interest and target readers. Advertisers, on the other hand, can promote their services via targeted campaigns.

Each blog that you submit to Snapbomb is verified and valued according to its page rank in search engines, traffic and the quality of your posts. Sponsored opportunities are matched to your submitted blogs according to their targeted audiences and you can then pick which 'jobs' you take on. If you do decide to take an unmatched opportunity it only means you receive a lower payment. This may be necessary for low ranking blogs, initially, to help increase their valuation over time.

Writing good, quality posts within the guidelines of the campaigns that you take on guarantees your blog valuation to increase thereby assuring you receive high monetary payments. Another way that will increase your blogs' rating and value is to receive good feedback from advertisers.

So, there are plenty of reasons why you should write and publish good quality blog posts!

Targeted blog marketing is necessary for all businesses to ensure that they reach their intended market so services like Snapbomb are essential to aid in their success. Its ease of use, professional, clean design and unique way of categorising job campaigns all make this service a pleasure to use.

For more information and to sign up, please do visit Snapbomb!

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Inkserotica’s chipirons

2008-09-19T09:30:00.001+01:00

Unfortunately, the only reference to baby squid I could come up with was a cooking one…ahem, (not that we really want to eat baby squid; they’re way too cute!)

That’s what Chipirons are: Baby Squid in cooking terminology but it a seemed fitting term for my babies: my lenses :)

So, this is what this Lens is all about: all my current published Lenses and clues to those I have as Works as Progress.

Perhaps you can help me choose the next one to publish by pushing your favourite up the list :)

http://www.squidoo.com/inkseroticaschipirons

Cross posted from Squid Ink

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Comments with IntenseDebate

2008-09-17T10:47:00.004+01:00

I've signed up to IntenseDebate. Here is more information on the kind of service they provide which I've taken from their website:

'Intense Debate is the premier commenting system available on the Internet for blogs and websites. With Intense Debate you can give your blog readers the opportunity to better engage your blog's content and each other. No longer do you have to sort through an endless maze of sub-par comments and responses. Intense Debate organizes your comments in a that allows for your readers to express their opinions and thoughts. With Intense Debate's reputation system and comment voting, you're able to quickly find the worthwhile comments and commenters, while cutting through all of the other nonsense. Subscribe to comments with our RSS readers support. Give your blog an entire new dimension of interaction with Intense Debate!'

Source: IntenseDebate

So, if you leave a comment, don't worry if you get taken to a different page other than the normal blogger comments :)

I'm not sure how well IntenseDebate will work for me as I don't receive that many comments, lol. But, it does incorporate all other networking sites in with your account like Facebook, Myspace, Digg etc. Feel free to sign up :) and if you do, please add me as a follower and I shall do the same for you.

My profile page is: http://www.intensedebate.com/people/inkserotica

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Blue Plaques of London

2008-09-10T10:27:00.000+01:00

By reading these Blue Plaques dotted around London, you can learn a lot more about the famous people who lived, worked and died in the Capital.

But, just when you think you've found them all, you discover loads more!

I plan to publish more lenses about the other colours that these plaques are featured in: Black and Green.

Are there any more? If you know, please do leave a comment :)

http://www.squidoo.com/blueplaquesoflondon

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How to Write a Dirty Story

2008-09-08T22:46:00.004+01:00

My new lens :)

It's kind of an experiment using my review so I would be interested to see how it goes. I'm also considering doing this for other books that I enjoyed reading and reviewed. It seems that, at the moment, I can't set up a Lens for e-books or those without an ISBN number. So, that might cause a few problems because I would really like to promote some of my favourite authors and friends.

Anyway, see what you think of this Lens now; I shall be continually updating and adding new content as time goes by.

Feel free to leave a comment or add your own thoughts etc. You don't need to be a member of Squidoo, on my lenses, to do so :)

I'm a Squidoo lensmaster, and I'm inviting you to join me. Find and share recommendations online by building a lens. Click the link below to get started.

Join Squidoo here!

How to Write a Dirty Story - Review and Squidoo Lens.

'Whether you're an amateur writer of sex or someone who has been in the business for years, this is one book, I feel, you should never be without. Susie Bright reveals her 'tricks of the trade' to enable you to gain the expertise to succeed at the craft of writing erotica.'

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Which is better? Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox?

2008-09-03T08:39:00.002+01:00

Which is better? Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox?

Like most people, my first browser was Internet Explorer. Since then I've tried many other different browsers including Opera, Mozilla and Avant but nothing has come close to beating Mozilla Firefox.

Until now...

Or, maybe not!

Google has just released the BETA version of its own browser, Google Chrome and already hundreds if not thousands of internet users all over the world are downloading and installing it.

So can it knock Mozilla Firefox of its perch?

I don't think it can. What do you think?

P.S It's early days but I think this debate will be going on for some time!

http://www.squidoo.com/googlechromeorfirefox

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Another string to my bow

2008-09-01T18:09:00.003+01:00

You've probably thought I'd abandoned this blog; I haven't, honestly!

I've just been a little busy with a few things :) I think that I haven't yet found my niche with freelance writing and am busy exploring all possibilities and niches. I'll probably end up becoming a Jack-of-all- trades with my expertise lying in one or two fields.

Most of my time has been spent at Squidoo.com which I think is a fantastic place for all writers to hang out at. Creating and updating Lenses (single page websites on a subject of your choice) is an ideal way to unleash your creativity, learn about marketing and promotion, become part of an extensive community and earn some money at the same time.

I've often posted here new Lenses that I've created so I won't bore you with the whole list, however, I will mention the 4 latest additions to my collection :)

My two most recent lenses are Promote your Lens with MyBlogLog and Squidoo Profits Step by Step Guide - Review

My two groups are The Ever Project Group and Reviews on Squidoo

I do encourage you to at least visit my lensmaster page where all my lenses are listed along with several of my favourite links, fans and biography. If you're interested in creating your own lenses (which are free) you can sign up from my page, too :)

Another piece of news is that I've landed a proofing job for a friend's non fiction book which is excellent as it provides me with another string to my bow.

There'll be plenty more posts about my lenses here in the future and my journey to become a Giant Squid (I need to publish 50 quality lenses) so do wish me luck!

I hope to see you there!

Pssst! If you do join up at Squidoo, please leave a comment so I can become one of your fans :)

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Blog Action Day Poverty

2008-08-23T08:51:00.006+01:00

On October 15th over 2,000 blogs (as the total stands today) will be publishing posts about Poverty. Inks Goes Freelance will be participating and has already registered with Blog Action Day.

Now, all I've got to do is to remember to post on the 15th of October! I'm going to get one of those countdown tickers or something like it for this blog.

Anyway, please join in with us for this important worldwide discussion. Thanks to Georganna Hancock of A Writer's Edge for putting me onto this :)

Writer's Block? I'm bound to have one, lol! Check out this link for help!

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Frustrations

2008-08-18T22:11:00.005+01:00

I have my profile on several freelance writer databases on the Internet and have had unsurprisingly very few responses for available work from these.

One thing, I have had, however, is the equivalent to a cold caller offering me publicity for my novels (of which I've written a total of naught) or journals (of which I don't intend to publish.)

I find this very frustrating and a complete waste of everyone's time. It seems to me that there has been a total lack of research in the search for potential (I do seem to like this word) clientele and a misuse of the Freelance Writers' Database, as stated in the site's Terms and Conditions:

'Using your profile or any other area of this website to advertise products and services unrelated to freelance writing is not allowed.'

If this particular company had done their research properly instead of approaching me because of the area or genre in which I work in, they would discover that not only have I been around long enough not to require their services but, also, that I do not actually have work (novels or journals) to advertise.

I also found that the initial contact email was very misleading giving me the impression that this company was looking for content or reviews and not searching for advertising clients.

Anyway, I've contacted the Freelance Writers' Database in reference to this matter and shall let you know of the outcome, if any!

Update: I've just received a very quick response from Freelance Writers' Database and they see nothing against the stated rules, which I accept, though the second email I received from this company was not, I believe, offering writing services; they were offering me advertising space. Nothing wrong with that but I think it's more to do with the way it was done (sending a misleading initial email offering work): he was guaranteed in getting a response from me (or anyone else he sent it to) as I am looking for freelance positions.

Hey ho...

Asking for endorsements

2008-08-04T09:55:00.004+01:00

I've been a member of LinkedIn for a few years and I can never really say I've had a lot of contact from it. It's possible, however, that I'm not making use of the features of the site. One thing I've lacked on my profile is endorsements mainly because I'm afraid of asking for them. But, the saying 'If you don't ask, you don't get' holds true here and I finally plucked up the courage to ask for a few endorsements.

One thing I must point out about asking for endorsements is that make sure you're asking the right people for them. I've been asked several times for endorsements from people but I've declined to give it to them, simply because I've never worked for them. How can I endorse someone or something if I've never used their service? I can't. I only know these people as friends or people who've used my services but not the other way round. It may seem mean, but I don't see the point in giving an untrue or dishonest endorsement for the sake of it especially if used in a professional sense.

With regards to receiving endorsements, I was very pleased to receive one from Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Here it is:

“Ethics in the arena of book reviewing has always been iffy and the Web has brought out the worst of the worst. In this milieu of nonprofessionals, Carrie stands out as professional, ethical, and discerning. She is a reviewer who can be trusted. Carolyn Howard-Johnson Founder of Authors' Coalition www.authorscoalitionandredenginepess.com”

When I read her endorsement, it kind of blew me away. Here was a well-known author taking the time out of her busy schedule to give me an amazing endorsement of my reviewing service. It just doesn't get better than that! Throughout the years that I've worked as a book reviewer, I've received a number of thanks and appreciation notes etc., but this is the kind of feedback and recognition we should all be aiming for. This is something I can proudly publish on my own websites to promote my own services (stupidly, I forgot to do it at the time!)

Carolyn also publishes a number of blogs (which include those here and here) to help writers promote and market their books as well as her own website at http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/ which features a vast array of tips and advice for both the author and reader. All resources well worth checking out and bookmarking!

Thanks again, Carolyn! :)

Qassia.com

2008-07-28T18:59:00.003+01:00

I'd come across Qassia.com a few weeks back but as I didn't know anyone who'd signed up, I couldn't join up myself (you need to join from a user page otherwise you would have to go on a waiting list in order to sign up.)

Luckily, I didn't need to wait and signed up today...

Qassia.com '...is fantastic because you get credit for sharing your intelligence. The more credit you earn, the better your websites will rank. And you get a backlink to your website for every intel you add - only Qassia gives you unlimited quality backlinks.

Last but not least, Qassia also has the best ad revenue sharing system on the Internet, so in effect you get paid for promoting your websites. Qassia rocks!

The more people join Qassia, the more everyone will benefit, so give Qassia a spin. Signing up takes less than a minute, so you've got nothing to lose. See ya around!'

You earn credit by 'screening' other members intels, by referrals and by the quality of your own intel. The ratings are out of 5 with the lowest being a 'reject'. The two intels I submitted scored a 3 and a 2.23 (I think) so not particularly high and it affects how much credit I'm awarded.

You use the credit you earn to promote your own websites (I've got 6 of mine listed (no adult content allowed) but not sure if I'll add any more or not yet) which is explained here:

'The more intel you add, the more credit you will get, in the form of Qassia dollars. This will make your sites rank better in our directory. And for every intel you add, you get a backlink - this will be picked up by search engines and seen by people who read your intel. Lastly, if your intel gets a lot of pageviews, it may generate advertising revenue, all of which goes to you.'

If it sounds like your kind of thing, go ahead and visit my page and join up from there :)

A lesson learnt

2008-07-28T09:04:00.002+01:00

I'm pleased to say that my blog post here was approved :) and so was my blog, The Online Dating Coach for BuyBlogReviews.com. Unfortunately, due to the diet pills post on this blog, this one was not approved for BuyBlogReviews.com :(

It just proves that you have to be careful as to the type of posts you take on a blog if you want to keep your blogs' integrity intact. Well, I've learnt my lesson (very quickly!) and I won't be taking any more assigned tasks that do not fit in with this blog's topic.

It seems that I could be waiting a long time for something to be assigned to me especially as almost all of the good offers tend to get snapped up pretty quick.

I actually prefer the way that BuyBlogReviews.com work. On this site, you place bids on potential jobs that are listed and you can only do so on offers that match the topics you write about. I've just placed bids on two jobs, one for 4 Star Rating and the other for The Online Dating Coach. I have my doubts that the bid for the dating blog will be approved or accepted as I think the site it was placed for is not even active. So, that just leaves the one which is to review a marketing e-book. As reviews are what I do best, I can only keep my fingers crossed...

This site also lists your blog in a directory which enables publishers to seek you out and offer you a job so it doubles your chance of earning money.

On a side note, I've almost completed the short story I've been writing and I shall let you know when and where you can read it :)

I'm being paid to blog..I think!

2008-07-24T09:22:00.006+01:00

Occasionally, throughout this blog, you may come across a post that doesn't quite fit in with this blog's usual topics. Take this post, for instance.

Yes, I'm being paid to blog :) Well, hoping to be paid to blog, lol! I've just written my first post and am awaiting for it to be approved or not to be. Apparently, it can take about 5 days for approval. I'm thinking that I will be asked to at least edit it as I've placed too many links to the company in the post. Fingers crossed, otherwise I've just lost $6.

I did finally get a task assigned to me from Bloggerwave but as there was no indication as to how to proceed I decided to call it a day with the company. I'm still on Blogsvertise, however.

$6 doesn't sound very much but it should increase as my blog and my posts improve in ranking within Smorty, and if you take into consideration that the maximum word count you need to post is 400 words, it's not too bad.

I hope the tasks assigned will eventually become more targeted to my blog topic but will have to see how things go. As I'm new to this and new to the site, I may need to take on a few jobs that don't really fit in with the topic on this blog.

Now, I really must get back to reviewing and writing this short story :)

P.S. Twitter had somesort of database problem and I've (along with a good many other twitters) lost all my followers etc. If you would like to follow me on Twitter, then please do add me :)

http://www.twitter.com/inkserotica

Make an informed decision about Diet Pills

2008-07-21T15:15:00.007+01:00

It's easy to get confused with the wealth of information that is currently available on the Internet and in the media especially if you're looking for information and advice about a specific product.

For example, if you were considering purchasing diet pills, you would want to be sure that the particular brand you decided to buy would be safe and effective at least. It would also need to fit in with your budget as well and with so much conflicting advice from more than one diet/health expert, you need to be sure that what you receive is good, trustworthy guidance.

This is where consumerpricewatch.net comes in.

The review service follows a 12 point criteria that will ensure that you, the consumer, are sufficiently educated about the diet pills in all areas of its manufacture. Not only does it check the products for safety and quality, it also checks criteria as important as company reputation, consumer feedback and ingredient quality amongst others, to ensure that you are able to make an informed decision with regards to your needs and expectations.

The diet pills are then ranked according to this 12 point criteria and the list updated regularly as more information becomes available.

However, the service that this site provides doesn't stop there:

Once you've made your decision as to the right diet pill to buy, you would then want to know where would be the best place to purchase it online. The RRP (Recommended Retail Price) is given along with a review of the listed product and, in addition, the cheapest price found on the Internet for that brand is also provided.

With over 200 products evaluated and listed, this has got to be one of the most extensive review sites for diet pills on the internet. Nevertheless, to keep even more informed about your health, diet and weight, make sure you check in at the Expert's Blog which is linked on the index page.

How do I gain the courage I need to pitch an idea to a client?

2008-07-14T08:42:00.006+01:00

Up until now, I've been lucky with regards to freelance writing jobs; they've come to me rather than me going out looking for them.

Now, I find myself in the rather awkward position of needing to learn quickly some of the vital components needed to win over potential clients. One of those, is the ability to be able to figure out how much to charge.

I've also been fortunate because I've already built up a collection of articles which I've been paid for so have been able to spend some time working on promotion and marketing of my talents. This means I have a ready made portfolio to market to potential clients. Unfortunately, for me, this has meant that I've never had to pitch an idea to a market or work out the best price to charge for my work.

I'm finding out now, that I need to learn how to do this if I want to continue to earn money and gain more clips for my portfolio. I also need to gain a considerable amount of courage and faith in my own writing abilities if I'm going to do this at all.

In one of my previous jobs, I took over from where another writer left off so it was easy to accept her charge rates which sounded reasonable to both me and my client. In another job, I set the price but there was some problems regarding the amount from the client's side until it was made clear that I would be earning, in effect, less than the minimum wage, set out in the UK, per week.

I know what I need to do in order to find positions that I feel are within my capabilities and a recent query from a webmaster in the market I am aiming for has proved to me that I could achieve a considerable amount of success in that area.

All I need now is courage and faith in my own abilities to get my pitches out there.

Any advice?

Paid to Blog: Worth it or not?

2008-07-10T09:06:00.006+01:00

Two of the latest sites I have joined in my search for writing jobs are Bloggerwave and Blogsvertise but I'm wondering if I'm actually going to receive any 'tasks' or jobs from them.

Both sites seem to be extremely quiet at the moment with no news, activity from the members or projects/task listed to be completed. They've been this way since I joined almost 2 weeks ago. I'm now thinking: Should I leave these sites and try and join another paid blogging site or should I give them both a chance and wait just that little bit longer?

As I'm pretty new to this, I'm not entirely sure how these things work and if the jobs provided by these type of sites are a regular thing or not.

In a way, I was surprised for this blog to be accepted for blogging jobs as its Google rank is only 4 and it has been refused for a blogging job before. I'm not expecting to become rich by working this way and I suppose I'm just experimenting to see if this could work for me as a side income and to gain valuable blogging experience.

I would be very interested to hear from other bloggers who have tried any of the services for bloggers to earn money especially if you've used the two I've mentioned above.

On a side note and about something completely different to paid blogging jobs, I signed up to Oronjo.com which gives you the ability to sell content on your own site which can include, books, articles, short stories, music CD's etc. by allowing you to offer a taster or description. The customer then purchases the remainder of the file/document for a set price.

I set it up to see if sales of Hot Blooded would improve but unfortunately, they haven't. I think that is more to do with the fact that I'm not well known as an erotic horror writer and it's not really what people are looking for or expecting when they stumble onto my site rather than anything bad about Oronjo.

So, it's well worth trying out Oronjo even if it's just to see if you have more success than me, lol!

Do you Squidoo?

2008-07-03T09:57:00.002+01:00

I do! :)

I think I did awhile ago but unfortunately, for me, it was the wrong time.

Anyway, I'm now trying again and you can see one of my lenses here. I have another one in the pipeline and you can probably guess what that is but, for now, it's being constructed.

I think that I've been a little stupid as I've been very late in making use of some of these resources available to me and I can't help but wonder just what have I missed out on with regards to opportunities and networking.

I've never been a very prolific writer and I believe that is one of my biggest problems. I will try and convince myself that I work on the principle of quality is better than quantity but at some point I've got to realise that while this principle is sound, it's not exactly conducive to a successful career as a writer.

So, here I am now trying out all these resources although I am aware that some will not work for me but will work very well for others which is why I've decided to post them here anyway.

Squidoo is a promotional tool that enables anyone to set up a lens on subjects that mean a lot to them or on which they feel they have the greatest knowledge. As with any site, the problems that occur are:

How do I get the word out about my Lens?
How can I achieve top ranking?
How do I make my content interesting for my readers?

But, Squidoo makes this possible for you to achieve by giving you numerous widgets and modules to work with and endless forum topics, lenses and articles to help you achieve the best ranking you can.

Anyway, I believe it's worth a shot though it may take up some of your time until you've got the hang of it! I'm still learning, obviously but one way you can make your lens easier to manage is to allow your readers/visitors to interact in the way of publishing polls and debates.

Check out my lens whilst you're there and please feel free to leave some feedback :)

On to other things

2008-07-01T11:14:00.006+01:00

I've been wondering if it's really worthwhile to still publish any reviews I do on Inks Goes Freelance.

As I've now set up 4 Star Rating (would really love to change the name!) to post reviews and information etc. for the main reviewing site, I cannot see the reason to keep posting them here, too. I would love to know your thoughts.

Anyway, on to other things!

What I've been working on lately aside from more reviews :) are:

a short story for The AEA new newsletter, Ex (details below.)
a new novel which I've been promising myself for days to get started.
articles on different subjects which I've picked up ideas for from other blog posts I've made and advice from other freelance writers.

About Ex Magazine

'Ex' Magazine*

To view the magazine 'Ex' simply click here

If you wish to be the first to preview the next issue of 'Ex', before it goes online, subscribe free by clicking here

To celebrate our fifth year the AEA has relaunched its free e-magazine as 'Ex.' 'Ex' is a supercharged and exclusive art/lifestyle/aspirational magazine that is the result of a pioneering creative collaboration between the AEA, our corporate sponsors 'boutique of unique', and z-Mags. 'Ex' is but one more example of how the AEA is evolving to benefit the art community as a whole.

'Ex' is new. 'Ex' is different, 'Ex' simply is!

More about the novel and the articles at a later date :)

BlogRush.com

2008-06-28T10:28:00.003+01:00

In between time spent looking for freelance jobs, I've been taking note of the different ways that you can use to promote your blog, some of which you will find linked on the sidebar, over here >>>>

Sometimes, I've come across what I believe is a good idea but, for some reason or another, hasn't worked particularly well. However, one service I've decided to use on this blog is BlogRush. This is what BlogRush says about itself:

'BlogRush is a "Cooperative Syndication Network." It's a network of blogs that run a small "widget" on their pages. Each time this widget is loaded it will contain 5 clickable headlines which are the blog post titles to other users' posts. Clicking on any of these links will open a new browser window and load the blog and full post. Users earn "syndication credits" based on each time their blog loads the widget as well as each time any of their referrals (users that signup after clicking the "add your blog posts" link on the widget) loads the widget. They also earn additional credit based on all the activity through 10 generations of referrals. 1 Syndication Credit = having one of their recent blog post titles served inside the widget on another member's blog.'

Signing up to BlogRush is very easy but you do have to make sure your blog provides quality content or it will not be approved. This ensures that any links you display on your blog provides good, quality information in return. They are also extremely useful as resources especially if they match your own blog content.

So far, I've seen a fair amount of traffic from BlogRush as it keeps stats on any visitors you do receive from your own links displayed on other blogs in the community. It will also inform you if any readers have subscribed to your feed via BlogRush.

I think BlogRush will be one service I will be sticking with. The widget is clean, unobtrusive and a good way of finding other blogs on the same subject as your own. It's free to join and you are able to have more than one blog on your account. Very handy if you're a very prolific writer :)

So far, I've not had any problems with setting up my account or my blogs. I'm just waiting to see if a second blog of mine is good enough to be included but, as far as I can tell, I don't think there will be any problems.

BlogRush is one service I do recommend you use to further promote your blog but I would love to hear your own thoughts about it!