I recently joined a site called FanStory (www.fanstory.com). My purpose in joining this site was to get some feedback on how the general public would respond to my upcoming fantasy book. So, I paid the $6 fee to be able to access all features on the site and published my first bit.
The site has what it calls "member dollars." You can either buy these directly or earn them by reviewing other people's work. Depending on how well each piece is promoted, you can earn a dollar or more per piece. This includes all types of writing, so sometimes you can get more bang for your buck by reviewing a piece of short poetry that needs no editing.
Although I like reading poetry and have tagged many poets as favorites, the greatest challenge for me is successfully editing a book chapter, essay, or other story-form work. When I review a piece, I pick out all of the errors and suggest corrections, usually spending 45 minutes to an hour and leaving a detailed list for the writer to peruse. Almost every writer is grateful for these corrections, and I have quickly gained a reputation for being an "eagle eye" reviewer.
On top of this, most of my work to date has received five or six stars each (the rating is 5 stars, but a reviewer can award 6 if the writing is absolutely outstanding). This includes the book chapters I have been submitting, along with one flash fiction and a couple of poems. I am doing far better than I have imagined.
My point in this is that my suspicions have been confirmed - I do have good writing skills, and I do know how to edit properly; therefore, I am a good writer. Believe me, it took me years to come to this conclusion, but I will not be fully convinced until the general population has the chance to read a fully published book.
Now, if I could only nudge myself into a career where I can use these hard-earned skills....
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Friday, October 17, 2008
Cherry Blossom Lady Speedstick
What are you allergic to? I thought I had no allergies, until one day when I decided to start really pinching pennies and bought a generic brand of deodorant. I usually get Ban, which can run $3 or $4 a whack. I thought, okay, there are plenty of cheaper alternatives, so I'll try one of those. I picked one up for just a little over a dollar and tried it the next day. Imagine the horror when I felt a burning, itching sensation under my arms the next day at work. On my first break (a few hours into the shift), I went into the restroom to have a look. The skin there had turned really red! I knew it had to be the deodorant. Good thing I had enough sense to save some of my Ban. I was able to use it until I could get to the store to buy more.
I didn't try new deodorant again until just recently, which makes it about ten years since the cheap deodorant incident. This time, I took the time to really think about it, and I decided on Lady Speed Stick (Passion Flower, if you must know). It's not the very cheap brand, but it's definitely much cheaper than Ban. I first tried it on a day off of work so that I could wash it off and switch if it gave me any trouble. But, to my delight, it didn't give me a rash or anything, and I've been using it for a few weeks now. So ladies, if you're looking for a nice, inexpensive alternative to the expensive deodorant, try Lady Speedstick. :)
Oh, but what about the Cherry Blossom Lady Speedstick I promised in the title of this blog? Well, I'm sitting here at my desk, and I noticed my Lady Speedstick sitting here by the lamp, next to a bottle of Cherry Blossom body lotion by Bath and Body Works (got it for Christmas last year). Seeing as how I generally have an overactive imagination, it came as no surprise to me that the thought of a new Lady Speedstick fragrance entered my brain. What about Cherry Blossom Lady Speedstick? Bath and Body Works and Mennen should get together and make some spanky new fragrances.
Don't get me wrong, they need to be sensible about it. I mean, can you imagine Twisted Peppermint deoderant? Or (ew) Brown Sugar? Still, it would be kinda cool for the two companies to put their heads together and come up with some ideas. Well, that's what I think, anyway.
I didn't try new deodorant again until just recently, which makes it about ten years since the cheap deodorant incident. This time, I took the time to really think about it, and I decided on Lady Speed Stick (Passion Flower, if you must know). It's not the very cheap brand, but it's definitely much cheaper than Ban. I first tried it on a day off of work so that I could wash it off and switch if it gave me any trouble. But, to my delight, it didn't give me a rash or anything, and I've been using it for a few weeks now. So ladies, if you're looking for a nice, inexpensive alternative to the expensive deodorant, try Lady Speedstick. :)
Oh, but what about the Cherry Blossom Lady Speedstick I promised in the title of this blog? Well, I'm sitting here at my desk, and I noticed my Lady Speedstick sitting here by the lamp, next to a bottle of Cherry Blossom body lotion by Bath and Body Works (got it for Christmas last year). Seeing as how I generally have an overactive imagination, it came as no surprise to me that the thought of a new Lady Speedstick fragrance entered my brain. What about Cherry Blossom Lady Speedstick? Bath and Body Works and Mennen should get together and make some spanky new fragrances.
Don't get me wrong, they need to be sensible about it. I mean, can you imagine Twisted Peppermint deoderant? Or (ew) Brown Sugar? Still, it would be kinda cool for the two companies to put their heads together and come up with some ideas. Well, that's what I think, anyway.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
FREE MONEY!
Yep, that's right, it's FREE MONEY! All you have to do is read a thousand lines of text explaining how ridiculously easy it is to sign up for our 30-day, money back guarantee to get access to an extensive list of programs that will pay you to read emails, take surveys, and much more.
....wait, hold the phone. Money back guarantee? What happened to FREE? I am disgusted at the amount of fluff floating around the internet these days about easy ways to make money. There are fifty bazillion sites out there that want to boast about how they provide the best services for making EASY MONEY.
Let me tell you something, honey. There are no shortcuts, and there is NO SUCH THING as easy money. You want to be a millionaire? Get a safe or a bank account and SAVE every penny you can. Pay only for the essentials of living and put everything else away. Make a strict budget and stick to it. Feel like you're throwing your money away? Maybe you are. Here area few simple rules to live by:
1. No, you really DON'T need that doughnut. Skip it and save space in your wallet AND on your waist.
2. Do you really need to go to [insert favorite amusement destination here]? Probably not. There are many local things to do for half the price, or maybe even for free. Look around your area, up to an hour or two away, and see what the locals have to offer. You'll save a bundle.
3. Wait, did you just buy a DVD? Oh, you rented one? How about this: around here, the library has movies we can check out for FREE. See if your library does the same thing. Nothing there you like? Pick up a book or two. Spend the two hours you would have been watching the movie on reading instead. Actually using your imagination will be a nice change of pace.
4. Keep a change jar. ALWAYS put your change in it. Spend bills only. This will encourage not to spend as much, and those coins will add up quickly.
5. Consider living closer to your work place so you can walk, carpool, or take public transportation. You'll save a bundle on gas.
There are many, many ways to save money. These are just a few.
But wait, you say....I thought this article was about making money, and fast. Well, yes and no. Mostly it was about me being very disgruntled about trying to find legitimate work at home opportunities and coming up empty.
Truth be told, I'd love to write, create graphics, design websites, or do anything computer-related for a living, but the sad fact is that there is just NO WORK for people that have no professional experience and can't afford to get a degree in something. It's that old catch-22, where you can't get a job without the experience, but you can't get the experience without a job. If I could just get half a chance, I know I would be very successful. I could make my own chance, but that's the tricky part, isn't it? Making a chance where there is none, and finding people to buy into it.
Where am I going with all this nonsense rambling? Nowhere, really. I'm just ranting about how hard it is to find a legitimate work at home job, and how much harder than that it is to create a niche and be successful with it.
So, back to the drawing board, I guess. But then, there isn't much work for unknown, half-talented artists either.
....wait, hold the phone. Money back guarantee? What happened to FREE? I am disgusted at the amount of fluff floating around the internet these days about easy ways to make money. There are fifty bazillion sites out there that want to boast about how they provide the best services for making EASY MONEY.
Let me tell you something, honey. There are no shortcuts, and there is NO SUCH THING as easy money. You want to be a millionaire? Get a safe or a bank account and SAVE every penny you can. Pay only for the essentials of living and put everything else away. Make a strict budget and stick to it. Feel like you're throwing your money away? Maybe you are. Here area few simple rules to live by:
1. No, you really DON'T need that doughnut. Skip it and save space in your wallet AND on your waist.
2. Do you really need to go to [insert favorite amusement destination here]? Probably not. There are many local things to do for half the price, or maybe even for free. Look around your area, up to an hour or two away, and see what the locals have to offer. You'll save a bundle.
3. Wait, did you just buy a DVD? Oh, you rented one? How about this: around here, the library has movies we can check out for FREE. See if your library does the same thing. Nothing there you like? Pick up a book or two. Spend the two hours you would have been watching the movie on reading instead. Actually using your imagination will be a nice change of pace.
4. Keep a change jar. ALWAYS put your change in it. Spend bills only. This will encourage not to spend as much, and those coins will add up quickly.
5. Consider living closer to your work place so you can walk, carpool, or take public transportation. You'll save a bundle on gas.
There are many, many ways to save money. These are just a few.
But wait, you say....I thought this article was about making money, and fast. Well, yes and no. Mostly it was about me being very disgruntled about trying to find legitimate work at home opportunities and coming up empty.
Truth be told, I'd love to write, create graphics, design websites, or do anything computer-related for a living, but the sad fact is that there is just NO WORK for people that have no professional experience and can't afford to get a degree in something. It's that old catch-22, where you can't get a job without the experience, but you can't get the experience without a job. If I could just get half a chance, I know I would be very successful. I could make my own chance, but that's the tricky part, isn't it? Making a chance where there is none, and finding people to buy into it.
Where am I going with all this nonsense rambling? Nowhere, really. I'm just ranting about how hard it is to find a legitimate work at home job, and how much harder than that it is to create a niche and be successful with it.
So, back to the drawing board, I guess. But then, there isn't much work for unknown, half-talented artists either.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Bible Barbie - Why It's Hard to Find Single Men With Online Dating
I never claimed to be perfect...and that may be why I am still single at 30. I saw a clip of a group of comedians called the "Apostles of Comedy" not long ago, and one of them was talking about Christian dating and how hard it is. He said, "There's always that one guy that's looking for 'Bible Barbie.'"
Boy, can I relate to that.
So why is it so hard to find a good match when you're on the online dating scene? The easy answer is that we don't give people a fair chance; that we skim over the introductions and the primary photo (if there is one) and make a snap judgment. Some "experts" would say that we need to exchange a few emails and get to know the person before we decide if he or she is our kind of dating material. Well, I am no "expert," but I will say that for Christian dating, the introduction page is critical in properly presenting oneself. First impressions are everything, whether we like it or not, and this is where the deciding factor is made over whether or not we wish to communicate with the person.
For guys, I have noticed that the one key factor is the photo. Sound piggish? Well, guys are visual by nature, and they usually make that snap judgment based on the photo alone. "But that's generalizing," you may say, "and not all guys are like that." Okay, there is the occasional diamond in the rough that actually read my profile fully before contacting me. But the vast majority of emails I get from guys (I would say around 98%) start out with, "Hey, you look great," "Love the pic," or something similar. If they bothered to type anything more than, "Hey, you look great, let's chat," it's a miracle.
On the off chance that they did manage to type more than that, however, I look for telltale signs that they actually read my profile. Why? Two reasons, actually. First of all, I am looking for a solid Christian man. Too often I find profiles of men that say they "believe there might be a higher power," or "I think there might be a god," or whatever. Okay, well, the demons believe in God, and tremble. What I am looking for is a solid, born again Christian that actually walks that straight and narrow path, and I can usually tell in one or two emails (or by their description alone) whether or not they are. Bottom line, if they're walking the walk, they will be talking the talk.
Second of all, I have specific guidelines laid out. I do not ask for much to start with, and no more than I can bring to the table. I generally set out an age guideline (within 2 years younger than myself and up to 5 years older). I also look for someone that is a born again Christian, never married (I am still saving myself for marriage, so it's only fair), no kids, non-smoker, and someone that either never drinks or drinks very rarely, like a glass of wine on a few holidays or something. I didn't think that was too much to ask, but I have yet to receive communication from anyone that fits the criteria. Occasionally I will chat up someone outside the age range, but only if they fit the "born again Christian" requirement. Alas, the only men I seem to get emails from are the ones that are divorced, have kids, smoke, and/or drink. Or, if they don't do any of that, it'll be someone that is not a Christian. And I am most often contacted by men that are 15 years or more older than me. (Insert big sigh here.) For a while, I thought I was being too picky. I mean really, who lays down pre-requisites for dating? But then I asked several of my closest guy friends, and they said I wasn't being picky enough!
I wanted to get to the bottom of why I wasn't getting quality matches, so I went over my profile many, many times, often asking opinions of others. Then I thought that maybe it was because I'm not pretty enough. "Don't be silly," I often told myself, "after all, most guys that contact you start out by saying you're cute or pretty." So, okay, I did something a little bit sneaky. I searched for realistic-looking pictures of blondes, brunettes, and readheads, settling for pictures I found on little-known advertising sites. I made a profile for each picture, and just to up the ante and see how guys would respond, I made up some pretty wacky information for each profile (like making one of them a Reformed Baptist Calvinist just because the option was there).
The results? The blonde (the Reformed Baptist Calvinist) received over 100 emails in just a few short hours. A few of them (like, maybe 5) were curious about what exactly a Reformed Baptist Calvinist is, but the rest of them commented on how beautiful "I" was and that they would love to get to know me better. Very few of them offered any icebreakers for the "getting to know me" process, and fewer still had provided any information at all on their own profiles. When I started this experiment, I did plan to reply to any emails received, in order to be polite and not discourage anyone from contacting others just because one person ignored them; however, the volume of emails received on the blonde's profile was too overwhelming to respond to everyone. A lot of them received an automated response. The brunette and redhead profiles weren't quite as overwhelming, but since they were cute girls, they did receive a lot of emails. Also, like the blonde, the majority of the emails first commented on how cute the girls are, and there were only a small handful of guys that got past the looks department.
Myself, I never received 100 emails in a few hours, but I do okay for not being a model. I generally receive a fairly large amount of emails after first creating a profile somewhere, then it tapers off. If I ever do get past the "Hey, you look good, wanna chat" stage and continue into a few more emails, I find out pretty quickly that most Christian guys out there are looking for "Bible Barbie." They want a woman that not only looks good, she has to have a substantial amount of money and be willing to move to their location. I have not yet found a guy that would even consider moving to my location. And as for money, well, once guys find out that financial hard times have forced me to rent a room from my parents' basement, that's pretty much the end of communication. As if it's my fault that there's a job crunch here and I basically have to take what I can get.
So what do you do when you've searched the Wild Web and come up empty? Here's an idea - go out into the real world and find someone. The few dates I have had that were worth anything were with people I met in real life and were able to talk with on a regular basis before going out on a date. Now, I'm not saying that you should give up online dating completely. I know a couple of people that married someone they met through an online dating service. What I do suggest is letting your online profile do its work, but get out more and meet people in your own area in the meantime. Chances are, you will find someone that likes you for your personality and not just because you're another pretty face.
And really, don't let being single bother you. Just continue serving the Lord, knowing that is your greatest work. If marriage is in store for you, it will happen. If not, take peace in knowing you possess the greatest gift of all - the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Boy, can I relate to that.
So why is it so hard to find a good match when you're on the online dating scene? The easy answer is that we don't give people a fair chance; that we skim over the introductions and the primary photo (if there is one) and make a snap judgment. Some "experts" would say that we need to exchange a few emails and get to know the person before we decide if he or she is our kind of dating material. Well, I am no "expert," but I will say that for Christian dating, the introduction page is critical in properly presenting oneself. First impressions are everything, whether we like it or not, and this is where the deciding factor is made over whether or not we wish to communicate with the person.
For guys, I have noticed that the one key factor is the photo. Sound piggish? Well, guys are visual by nature, and they usually make that snap judgment based on the photo alone. "But that's generalizing," you may say, "and not all guys are like that." Okay, there is the occasional diamond in the rough that actually read my profile fully before contacting me. But the vast majority of emails I get from guys (I would say around 98%) start out with, "Hey, you look great," "Love the pic," or something similar. If they bothered to type anything more than, "Hey, you look great, let's chat," it's a miracle.
On the off chance that they did manage to type more than that, however, I look for telltale signs that they actually read my profile. Why? Two reasons, actually. First of all, I am looking for a solid Christian man. Too often I find profiles of men that say they "believe there might be a higher power," or "I think there might be a god," or whatever. Okay, well, the demons believe in God, and tremble. What I am looking for is a solid, born again Christian that actually walks that straight and narrow path, and I can usually tell in one or two emails (or by their description alone) whether or not they are. Bottom line, if they're walking the walk, they will be talking the talk.
Second of all, I have specific guidelines laid out. I do not ask for much to start with, and no more than I can bring to the table. I generally set out an age guideline (within 2 years younger than myself and up to 5 years older). I also look for someone that is a born again Christian, never married (I am still saving myself for marriage, so it's only fair), no kids, non-smoker, and someone that either never drinks or drinks very rarely, like a glass of wine on a few holidays or something. I didn't think that was too much to ask, but I have yet to receive communication from anyone that fits the criteria. Occasionally I will chat up someone outside the age range, but only if they fit the "born again Christian" requirement. Alas, the only men I seem to get emails from are the ones that are divorced, have kids, smoke, and/or drink. Or, if they don't do any of that, it'll be someone that is not a Christian. And I am most often contacted by men that are 15 years or more older than me. (Insert big sigh here.) For a while, I thought I was being too picky. I mean really, who lays down pre-requisites for dating? But then I asked several of my closest guy friends, and they said I wasn't being picky enough!
I wanted to get to the bottom of why I wasn't getting quality matches, so I went over my profile many, many times, often asking opinions of others. Then I thought that maybe it was because I'm not pretty enough. "Don't be silly," I often told myself, "after all, most guys that contact you start out by saying you're cute or pretty." So, okay, I did something a little bit sneaky. I searched for realistic-looking pictures of blondes, brunettes, and readheads, settling for pictures I found on little-known advertising sites. I made a profile for each picture, and just to up the ante and see how guys would respond, I made up some pretty wacky information for each profile (like making one of them a Reformed Baptist Calvinist just because the option was there).
The results? The blonde (the Reformed Baptist Calvinist) received over 100 emails in just a few short hours. A few of them (like, maybe 5) were curious about what exactly a Reformed Baptist Calvinist is, but the rest of them commented on how beautiful "I" was and that they would love to get to know me better. Very few of them offered any icebreakers for the "getting to know me" process, and fewer still had provided any information at all on their own profiles. When I started this experiment, I did plan to reply to any emails received, in order to be polite and not discourage anyone from contacting others just because one person ignored them; however, the volume of emails received on the blonde's profile was too overwhelming to respond to everyone. A lot of them received an automated response. The brunette and redhead profiles weren't quite as overwhelming, but since they were cute girls, they did receive a lot of emails. Also, like the blonde, the majority of the emails first commented on how cute the girls are, and there were only a small handful of guys that got past the looks department.
Myself, I never received 100 emails in a few hours, but I do okay for not being a model. I generally receive a fairly large amount of emails after first creating a profile somewhere, then it tapers off. If I ever do get past the "Hey, you look good, wanna chat" stage and continue into a few more emails, I find out pretty quickly that most Christian guys out there are looking for "Bible Barbie." They want a woman that not only looks good, she has to have a substantial amount of money and be willing to move to their location. I have not yet found a guy that would even consider moving to my location. And as for money, well, once guys find out that financial hard times have forced me to rent a room from my parents' basement, that's pretty much the end of communication. As if it's my fault that there's a job crunch here and I basically have to take what I can get.
So what do you do when you've searched the Wild Web and come up empty? Here's an idea - go out into the real world and find someone. The few dates I have had that were worth anything were with people I met in real life and were able to talk with on a regular basis before going out on a date. Now, I'm not saying that you should give up online dating completely. I know a couple of people that married someone they met through an online dating service. What I do suggest is letting your online profile do its work, but get out more and meet people in your own area in the meantime. Chances are, you will find someone that likes you for your personality and not just because you're another pretty face.
And really, don't let being single bother you. Just continue serving the Lord, knowing that is your greatest work. If marriage is in store for you, it will happen. If not, take peace in knowing you possess the greatest gift of all - the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
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