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Thursday, April 4, 2013

I Am A Writer

There I said it.  I've always been told that if you really want something, you've got to profess it.  So that's what I'm doing.  And I am a writer.  I've been writing since I was old enough to realize that all my "imaginary" friends could be put to paper and a real world would emerge.

Though I'm not exactly back to the point I'd like to be, I'm well on my way.  The more I write, especially on this blog, the more my confidence is beginning to grow.  I'm loving it too.  I'm starting to feel like I'm accomplishing something real.  That's a huge deal for me.  I'm getting past that whole "I don't think I can do this anymore" stance.  I'm starting to get into this whole "I think I can, I think I can" mode.

I know I have a long road ahead of me, but it's one I'm starting to get excited about once again.  The more I work toward achieving my goal, the happier I'm becoming.  I just have to keep at a steady pace.  I want to just jump in with both feet and go for it, but I also know that with not writing for over a year, I've got to make sure I know the in's and out's of the industry.  One thing I have learned is that trends change quickly on the Internet.  What was the "in" thing a year ago may be a huge no-no today.

I will get there, one way or another.  It's going to take me some time to get there, but everyday is another step in the "write" direction.  I can't give up and I have to keep moving forward.  After all, I can do this because I am a writer!

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Be A Freelance Blogger

In my ongoing quest to get back into this whole writing and blogging thing, I found a site that may well be just what the doctor ordered.  It's called BeAFreelanceBlogger.com and it's not your run of the mill type site.

I must say up front before you think about heading over there to check the site out, be prepared.  The site is run by a gutsy little lady called Sophie Lizard and she lays it on the line.  There is some strong language on her posts, but it's not for shock value.  She tells you the way it is and she doesn't leave anything to the imagination.  If you're not ready to hear all the things you didn't want to know, don't bother.

Now, with that being said, let's get to it.  This is the site you need to check out if you're serious about making money as a pro blogger.  She gives you great advice on how to find the markets that pay you real money for your blogging talents, as well as ways to improve those talents.  She makes it quite clear that the only real thing holding anyone back from being a well-paid blogger is their own inhibitions.

Sophie also offers any and all readers a chance to download her e-book, The Ultimate List of Better-Paid Blogging Gigs, for FREE!!!!!  This is a killer list of sites that will pay bloggers to help out their readers.  All she asks in return is that you give her a helping hand in promoting the list.  Furthermore, if you think you have it in you, Sophie will pay you to do a guest post on her site as well.  It's got to be your best work in order to make the cut, but if you get it there, she'll pay you a mere $50 to do so.  That's damn good for those who don't know.

If you're looking for a way to make it as a professional blogger as I am, this is one of those sites you've got to check out.  You won't find a bunch of fluff and flash, but you will find the information that will get you one the right track to making it in this highly competitive field.

Monday, April 1, 2013

My plan for getting back into writing

I'm working hard at getting back into the swing of writing for money again, but I already know it isn't going to be easy.  First and foremost, I know that I'm pretty much going to have to start from square 1 and work my way back up again.  I only hope it doesn't take me another 10 years to get to where I was when I took my break.

So here are a few of the things I plan on doing in order to get myself back to where I need to be:

1.) Pinterest
I'm quickly becoming a huge fan of Pinterest.  My fiance' and I are getting ready to move out to his farm and I've been using Pinterest to find ideas on how to set up various flower and vegetable gardens.  As I was going through the millions of pictures it dawned on me that many of them were giving me little hints of inspiration for stories and/or articles. So now I check out Pinterest each day and just type in a random word in the search box to see what comes up and catches my attention.  I add at least 2 pictures to my new "Writing Ideas" board.

2.) Writing Prompts
The one thing I regret most about this past year is that I ended up losing all of my domain names for lack of funds. I couldn't afford to host them or even keep the names on hold so I had to give all of them up, including my very first blog ever, The Prompt Writer. I'd started that blog in 2003 and it had been my baby for a long time.  The thing that really gets to me is that I can't even go back in and rebuy the name. It's gone....forever. However, that doesn't mean I can't keep doing what I was doing there.  I can still sit back and try to come up with new prompts for myself and anyone else that might need a helping hand.

3.) Blogging Job Boards
As I said before, I know I can't just jump into the world of article writing again without finding my groove again. And I can guarantee that things have moved on in leaps and bounds in the past year. With that being said, there's nothing that can keep me from checking out the blogging job boards to see what people are looking for and practice on this site, or any other free site I create, just to give myself a little more practice before trying to land real jobs.  Who knows, it may work in my favor and I'll make a little extra dough on my own sites.

4.) Networking
Ok, before I say to much on this let me just say this is NOT my strong suit.  I've always had trouble connecting with like minded people that I don't talk to on a regular basis. I was lucky enough in the past to connect with a few individuals that did help me on my road to success, but I'm not sure I'll be able to have the same kind of luck. That being said, I am going to try and get into a few writing groups and see if I can't get caught up on some of the latest trends and find out where I need to go from here.

5.) Write!!!
I know it sounds redundant, but this is actually my biggest problem.  I've got to get myself past this feeling that I just can't do it anymore and find the strength and will within myself to just do it.  No matter what it's about, I just have to make myself write each day.

So there it is, my short term goal for getting back on the road to being a paid writer.  I'm not sure how much luck I'll have but at least it's a start.