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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Page A Day: 8/365


Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It Now8/365
Page-count check! You should have at least 8 pages.  Do you have more? Less? What makes you work harder (or less hard) now? What is it that makes you work frantically (or procrastinate)? Figure out the answers to your relevant question and you’ll conquer all stumbling blocks.

Final Word
"If and When were planted, and Nothing grew." ~Old Proverb

Monday, September 12, 2011

Page A Day: 7/365



7/365
Are you stuck in a writing rut? Don't fret. Keep writing your page a day, even if it ends up on the cutting room floor. The main idea is simply: to write. One page.


Final Word
"Everything in the world exists in order to end up as a book." ~Stephan Mallarme

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Supplement Your Income: ChaCha!

Earn Money~Work From Home~Choose Your Hours

~Do you need to supplement your income?
~Do you want to work from home (or your choice of location)?
~Do you want to work around your everyday life?
~Do you want to choose your own hours?
~Do you enjoy helping others?
~Do you like trivia and knowledge?
~Are you a self-motivator?

If you answered "YES" to any of these questions, consider working on my ChaCha Team as an independent contractor.

But first - ChaCha, if you haven't heard by now, located in Carmel, Indiana, is basically "like a smart friend" you can call or text for answers to all your questions at anytime and for free.  ChaCha was founded in 2006 by Brad Bostic and Scott A. Jones, who launched the mobile service early 2008, with a huge promotion at the Sundance Film Festival.

The founders claim the ChaCha name came from the Chinese word, Cha, which means "search," the Cha Cha, the dance, a "fast-paced ballroom dance, and our Guides can be thought of as dance partners who will lead you to the best answers quickly and smoothly," and because... it's just plain silly.


And so, there are different independent contractor ChaCha guide jobs (I'm a generalist and a specialist), and at the moment, it does seem as though the new Vetter position is the one that's most available.  Either way, you'll earn between about .02 - .20 per question.  It's up to you how many you answer, whether you answer during a bonus perioud where money is added to what you earn, whether you are in the midst of a contest where you can win additional money, how quickly you work, how often you work, how much time you put in. It's up to you.


Ironically, people save aluminum cans often more for the money than for the environment or recycling, and that's sometimes not even an entire penny per can––but they do it.  So, I know that this puts ChaCha's money making opportunity into perspective.  You are simply supplementing your income, learning, and having a bit of fun (yes, you really do, because some of the questions are absolutely hilarious!).


I probably really have confused you here and put you in a position where you have to just go try it to understand.  Basically, you'll fill out an application with the bare minimum, including where you put me as your referring guide (Teraisa@gmail.com - they CANNOT change that later) so we can be on the same team and I can help you. Altogether, this takes about a half hour or less, which includes some of your training.  It's easy to understand, they explain well.


And to jump the gun, assuming you are accepted as an independent contractor, ChaCha is INCREDIBLE with their help. There are tip sheets, videos, practice quizzes, and an entire forum dedicated to helping you be most successful. The only way you can fail is to not show up. 


Whether your goal is to answer just one question a day, work for eight hours, work only weekends, earn $3000 by the holidays, you can do it because you are in charge.


Read the flyer below, then click on it to go to the ChaCha application form. In order for you to be a part of my team, and we deliver quality work,  type in Teraisa@gmail.com where the application asks for "ChaCha Guide Referral Email Address"  Again, you cannot change this later and I will not be of much help to you.  Don't worry, there's still help, it's just not me.

Good luck, let me know how it goes and if you join using my good reputation (so far!), send me a note or comment here so I can do something special for you.

ChaCha Facts



Thursday, September 8, 2011

The More You Do... the More You Do

We've all heard it said that busy people are the people to give "the job" to––they're the people who will get it done.  Whomever said this is so right.

When I look into my past, I remember how much I relished having a full calendar and when I had an odd day off from most everything, I cherished it.  More than likely, my appreciating quiet time made my busy time a thousand times better and a million times easier.

It's high time to get busy!

Page A Day: 6/365


6/365
Writing a page a day is great––if you are actually doing it. Are you? Many writers find being accountable to someone other than themselves keeps them on track. Do you need a push? A tugging? Pulling? Join a writing group and tell them what you are doing, why, and when you expect to be finished. Write them when you have a down day. Someone just may have the solution to motivate you to keep writing even when you do not feel like it. Check both on and offline.

Final Word
" It is the province of knowledge to speak, and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen." ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Page A Day: 5/365


The Power Of Point Of View: Make Your Story Come To Life5/365
From whose point of view (POV) are you writing? Yours? The Almighty Third Person?  Know and understand WHY you chose this particular viewpoint, because it will show in your writing.

Every now and then, go back about twenty pages and make sure you’re consistent.  The right POV will flow naturally.

Final Word
"If the narrator's identification with the protagonist is strong
enough, it might make more sense to let the character tell the
story herself, in her own words and voice..." ~The Blue Quill

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Page A Day: 4/365

On Writing: 10th Anniversary Edition: A Memoir of the Craft4/365


"No, it's not a very good story—its author was too busy listening to other voices to listen as closely as he should have to the one coming from inside." ~Stephen King

Listen to your characters talking. Let them be true to themselves. Most of us need a character driven story. Allow them to drive.

Did you write yesterday? One page? Today (or tomorrow where you are) is page four.


11/22/63: A Novel  Full Dark, No Stars  Under the Dome: A Novel  The Long Walk

Times of Stress

When you think about it - when is there NOT stress? Somehow, you must go on. I must go on.

For me, this week, the stress is one of those "it's not the first time, it's the last time" kind of things. That's when those five minute spurts work extremely well.

All energy is zapped. All motivation is zapped.  Out the window is everything I'd been planning to do - and it's replaced with things I'm now forced to do.

But my will power is strong. I will NOT let this completely throw me off track. For five minutes, I am going to write here in this blog.  I will take another five minutes and write my page a day.  You all know how I feel that business and exercise goes hand in hand, so I'm also taking a few five minute work-out breaks.  And five minutes to do a quick clean-up.

Lastly, five minutes to write out a list of what I hope to accomplish tomorrow. I'm including the hope of having a no-stress (or let-it-roll-off-my-shoulders) kind of day.

Did I mention that I sent in a book proposal?  It took less than five minutes to print it, address the envelope, and stick it in the mail. Who'd have guessed?

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Page A Day: 3/365


3/365

Good day to all Page A Day writers! Thank you for staying with us, we are pleased and pray you are as well.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Style, 2nd EditionIf the Page A Day turns out to be too much for you, try five minutes a day. You will be surprised how much five minutes a day adds up. If it still adds slowly for you, perhaps you will feel how I feel: "At last! I feel like I’m worth something once again. I've been writing daily and I have never felt better."

Avoid the Truth
There are "experts" who believe that in your writing you must please everyone. We don't. If you are too liberal, you will become stuck in a rut and, sooner or later, your work/writing will take second place and being politically correct will take first and is bound to get you into trouble at some point either way.

If you must, put a disclaimer in the front of your book, stating "for ease of flow in reading…" Fear of being a sexist pig is the number one avoidance, according to too many books and writers (thank you Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Style).

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Style, 2nd EditionPick a pronoun and stick with it. That works and pleases real readers in the long run. If it works for you, it should work for them.

Final Word
If you are writing a page a day for a book, please do reply. Let us know: which day you started, if you have found it to be fairly easy, if you have hope this will work for you, and any tips and ideas you can share with others.

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Friday, September 2, 2011

Page A Day: 2/265



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FreeWriting is the action of writing, without premeditation, freely, as thoughts flow from your mind to your paper (or computer screen). A great way to bypass "writers' block" is via FreeWriting. If you stay on target with your book, all the better.

Set a timer for five minutes. Write ANYTHING until the timer goes off. Do this every day for thirty days until you have formed a new habit. Continue five-minute freeWriting during your entire year of a Page A Day (PAD) and watch the ideas and pages add up faster than a scientific calculator.

Final Word
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." ~Aristotle

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Thursday, September 1, 2011

Quotation: Lee Iacocca

"As everyone knows, there are only two ways to make more money: you can sell more goods or spend less on overhead."

Page A Day: 1/365


Welcome to the second edition of Page a Day



Goal:  a complete book
Accomplishment time:  one year
Steps to reach goal:  write a page a day
Commit to bang out one written page a day (edited or not--these are your rules) and you will have a complete book in a year. It is so simple, you will swear you are cheating.

In general, we will share one short note here each day, written to remind and inspire you to sit down and write--just a page a day.

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Fantasy is not for paper only. Use fantasy to your advantage. Consider this: You are a real writer. Imagine it. Now fantasize you are a rich writer. Add to your fantasy that you are a well-known writer.  Lastly, imagine your writing changing lives for the better.  Makes you want to work, doesn't it?

... are you still hanging around?  Get out of here and write, will ya?

Final Word
Instead of MAGNiTUDE (noun) try:  extent, abundance, and consequence

Start Date: September 1, 2011
Pages:  1/365

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Please, if you are committing to a page a day, let us know so we can share your progress!