Truths of a Shy Writer

One Crazy Christmas

2009-12-26T21:07:00.001-05:00

One Crazy Christmas
Originally uploaded by terrijd

It's been stressful -- but lots of fun.

Options for Baby Acne

2009-12-21T11:22:00.002-05:00

Baby acne is a more common problem than many people think. Sometimes first-time parents are unsure of how to treat it. There are many home remedies that can be applied to get rid of baby acne that are safe and reliable.

In my personal experience, I have never seen this problem in infants. Neither one of my nephews suffered from baby acne, though they went through their share of diaper rash! The problem is due to an imbalance of hormones that generally corrects itself.

Since the problem of baby acne typically occurs on the face rather than any other part of a baby's body, it is easy to avoid some common products that could make the situation worse. Oils and moisturizers should be avoided with this condition. Since the condition will typically subside within a few weeks, it is generally a good idea to just let nature take its course.

The one aspect of this condition that parents will have to be aware of is that sometimes an allergic reaction can look similar to baby acne. If the condition does not subside within a few weeks, parents should consult their physicians about the condition to see if any other problems (such as allergies) exist.

Update to my Disclosure Policy

2009-12-21T11:20:00.002-05:00

This policy is valid from 21 December 2009

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. We believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

Get Good Gravy This Year

2009-12-21T08:44:00.003-05:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Club House. All opinions are 100% mine.

We all know that the holidays can be stressful. There are two major factors to this: family and food. And while we all know there is little we can do about the family, there is a lot we can all do to make the holiday food taste its best. The one element of any holiday feast that really makes the main course stand out is gravy. All you Canadian readers may or may not be aware of Club House Gravy products. These products provide a simple way to prepare gravy for small and large holiday gatherings.

If you are not sure on how to prepare gravy from scratch (and trust me, it can be a big hassle), Club House Gravy has provided a gravy tips video to learn all about preparing a delicious gravy to go with your turkey feast.

And if you like these tips, consider a newsletter sign-up and contest entry with Club House Gravy.

Club House Gravy makes adds a great flavor your your holiday dinners and does not have to be used only for the holidays. Use it any time you have a craving for a great tasting meal with no mess and no fuss.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2009-12-21T08:40:00.002-05:00

Finally, there's snow on the ground here in Indiana. While all my friends and family go “bleh, snow” I love it! Of course, I'm the only one that does not have to drive in it on a daily basis. My commute is two steps from the bed to the desk chair.

Even though there are a lot of holiday distractions, I'm still working hard. It's very difficult to take a real long vacation on a freelancer's salary, so my vacations end up being about eight hours to stuff my face with holiday food, open a few presents, and take some pictures. So with that in mind, I am working on a lot of articles, and the first one of these is The Basics of Accidental Injury Insurance. Anyone that owns a business or works with groups of volunteers should check it out.

I took a few pictures of my new writing desk, but I've completely misplaced the camera, so when I do find it, I will be sure to post them up here. It's much better than working on top of an end table, sitting in a recliner. Although I must admit the recliner was more comfortable than the kitchen chair I'm using now!

For all of my readers, I hope you have a wonderful holiday (whichever one that may be) and I'll see you next week with arms full of Christmas tales.

The Information Control Debate

2009-12-18T09:52:00.006-05:00

I'm all for free speech, freedom of the press, and the general idea that you can express your thoughts as long that it is respectful to those that you disagree with. But is government control of the media going too far or not far enough? While every business in some manner needs to follow government guidelines, the media is a unique beast. Their product is information and how they present that information may or may not persuade viewers to act.

Government control in the media in the UK, for example, has been studied and deemed that with its rapidly growing outreach through convergence of different outlets, better government control would be deemed appropriate. So should the media in the United States also be reigned in to a degree? I know that many stations have their weaknesses. I'm a news junkie and I get frustrated with 24-hour news stations that report things as soon as they happen, speculate so that their opinion could be misconstrued as the truth, then retract what they have said a few hours later when all the facts are in. I have also seen specific media outlets with a purposeful political agenda -- for both sides of the American political spectrum.

I guess that we will just have to wait and see if more government control is necessary for media outlets overseas and at home. If it proves to be true, it may open the world of media to significant contributions to society as medical studies and other leaps in science have been created.

Who Inspires You?

2009-12-14T08:16:00.011-05:00

Lately, the story ideas that are supposed to fuel my career have been non-existent. I thought long and hard about this, and realized that I have not surrounded myself with the people and places that usually inspire me. Friends are the biggest inspiration for me - usually not my family. Since it is the holidays my family is the only thing around me. I'm not complaining, but I'm making a mental note that December is the hardest month for me in terms of work. Most of the time general work is lacking. And since I'm not inspired, I anxiously await January 2nd (usually still recovering on the 1st...).

This is the year I am also looking into to taking more trips, whether it's to the streets of downtown or out to the east coast. I've been planning a weekend trip to Chicago with a friend for years now, but he and I still have to find the right time when both of us can escape from work and have the money to do so. Taking trips will also give me an excuse to work with my Nikon and also try some lomography, if at all possible. I'll be working like a maniac on articles, editing and other work until then, but it should be well worth it.

Have you shopped for the writer in your life?

2009-12-07T09:29:00.006-05:00

I saw many great blog posts and articles last week about getting the perfect gift for writers. I wanted to write my own list, but why mess with something that works? Instead, I'll point you to some of the most helpful writer gift lists I have read over the past week. And remember... you can never go wrong with giving time. That's the gift that writers want the most!!

If you want some other gift ideas for writers, check out:

All I Want for Christmas
Gifts for Writers 2009
Gifts for Writers
Persevering Pens: Gifts for Writers

Trying to get back

2009-11-30T14:59:00.005-05:00

Getting back to a normal routine after a holiday is really hard for me. Work is slow, so I feel unaccomplished. There's still the stench of leftover turkey in the refrigerator. It suddenly got cold in the Midwest, so my toes are freezing. But, I have my health, a job, and a roof so I still consider myself pretty lucky.

And I made my final purchase for the year -- shoes for my Christmas dress. The dress is navy blue with some pink/fuchsia flowers on it, so I thought that these would go perfectly:

I chose the pink ones. They look like shiny wrapping paper and should give me that little pop of color my outfit needs (I definitely watch too much TLC). And now my credit card will be hidden until the new year. THere's nothing else that I really need anyway. Shopping (especially online) is just another excuse to avoid writing, and we certainly don't want that!

Speaking of writing, NANOWRIMO is another bust this year. I haven't written since before Thanksgiving and I'm pretty sure I can't get through more than 10K tonight. The one thing I can pat myself on the back for is getting past the 20K mark. First time ever and I hope this means I will have a better chance at winning next year.

The Holidays Are Upon Us

2009-11-23T09:32:00.003-05:00

I just spent two hours wrapping Christmas presents. It's fun at first, but once you get down to the last few, paper starts ripping, scissors stop working, and you question why you ever bother in the first place. But I'm one of those people that make the effort even when you know the other person won't, so my living room is filled with presents. I probably spent too much in total, but per person the average price is very reasonable.

And if I have some more last minute things to get, I'll probably check out Amazon's Black Friday Deals. Anyone who reads this blog will recall how much I love shopping online. This is just another excuse to do so!

Work is going well, but I'm having to put up a fight for what I want. Everyone else is hungrily grabbing work for a padded paycheck. Since I already spent my money, I'm just trying to fill my bank accounts again, but it's not looking too promising -- at least this week. After Black Friday, things should calm down again and a lot more work should be available. So if I have free time, I'll sneak in a few words to add to NANOWRIMO. At least it keep me writing!

A Chance for $5K

2009-11-22T18:25:00.002-05:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Incendia Health. All opinions are 100% mine.

All you directors out there can have a chance at a $5,000 grand prize just by submitting a short video to the “You Gotta See This” Video Contest from Abbott Medical Optics, Inc. The iLASIK Video Contest is looking for an original video that expresses one of three ideas:

**“My contacts are getting in the way of my good time”
**“My favorite sport or activity would be so much cooler with better vision”
**“You should see life after the iLASIK® Procedure”

Once you have submitted a video for one of these categories, you will need to tell all of your friends and family to vote for their favorite video (hopefully it's yours!). The amount of votes your video receives is an important factor in winning one of the great prizes available. Besides the grand prize, AMO is giving away one first prize in each category of a HDTV package ($2,500 value). Second prize in each cataegory is a Flip UltraHD camcorder ($199.99 value).

There have already been tons of great videos submitted to the contest. Hurry and get yours in for a chance to win one of these great prizes. To watch videos, submit your own, and learn more about the contest, visiting www.GottaSeeThisNow.com.

Two Hands

2009-11-22T18:21:00.001-05:00

This weekend has been one hectic ride. I've been shopping (apparently I still didn't have everything for Christmas) babysitting for 2, and I have still managed to stay ahead on NANOWRIMO. On the other hand, this week probably won't allow any free time for writing with work, Thanksgiving prep, and the all-important Christmas prep as soon as I have digested my dessert. But I still have nothing to complain about this year because I have passed 36K on my novel. The last two years I could make it above 20K, so I'm making progress. I don't know whether to blame it on the fact that I'm now officially a responsible adult or that I just have that much free time!

Taking on Tofurky

2009-11-20T09:51:00.005-05:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Jones Soda. All opinions are 100% mine.

Yesterday, a bright green box appeared on my doorstep. No, it wasn't anything left by aliens – though I wondered for a second! It was Izea's Thanksgiving postie pack. When I opened the box, I found a free groovy turkey hat and a Jones Soda: Tofurky and Gravy flavored. The Tofurky and Gravy Jones Soda seems kind of strange, but when I first opened it, the smell was a mix of gravy and a hint of sweetness. It tasted pretty good, though I didn't drink the whole thing. Instead, the bottle was passed around for everyone in my house to try it. Most agree that while the flavor sounds funny, the taste far exceeded it. I think this soda would be a fun way to celebrate the holidays – especially for kids. Kids always love to try weird foods. Unfortunately my nephew wasn't here yesterday to try it with us. I'm sure he would have loved to go around the house telling everyone he was drinking Tofurky and Gravy. I'm pretty sure he is going to love wearing my fun turkey at as well. I know I had fun wearing it around the house last night. :)

What a Week

2009-11-16T16:04:00.008-05:00

Last week was super-busy. With NANOWRIMO, my work, AND the birth of my second nephew, it's been a whirlwind. Luckily, I've managed to hold on to some of the multitasking and prioritizing skills I picked up in school. Although, it does get frustrating when some of the websites I work on just crash or put error messages on my screen. It gives me mixed feelings about IT professionals.

Even with all of this, I managed to finish Christmas shopping this weekend. That's right -- I'm finished! I probably bought more than I budgeted for, but all the stores had really good sales, so I'm still in line for paying everything off so it won't get me into any trouble.

Even though its dreary outside, I'm still getting a great boost of energy knowing that everything is on track.

Looking for that perfect career?

2009-11-16T15:21:00.003-05:00

I know that it was easy for me to choose a career once I left high school. I had wanted to be a writer since I was a little kid. For others, their skills could be hidden behind the mask of ordinary housework – like cooking. If you love to cook, why not make a career out of it? There are tons of great schools and
culinary institutes that will teach you all you need to know about fine cuisine. Places like Northwest Culinary Institute can provide you with the education you need while supporting you in all aspects of your life. This culinary school offers, scholarships, financial aid and housing for many students. It you live in the Vancouver, Washington area you can easily commute to the school. If you are your family's culinary master, why not check it out?

Finally

2009-11-09T09:00:00.002-05:00

I can't believe this, but this is the first year that I have surpassed the daily goal on Nanowrimo. I'm all the way up to more than 17,000 words and I don't have to be there until the middle of the week. This might be the first year that I stand a good chance of meeting the 50,000 word goal.

The great part about it is that my schedule gives me ample time to write. For some reason last year this is the month I was hit heavy with work. Now that I'm doing a slightly different type of work, it makes it much easier to write and work consistently. If only I didn't have to add babysitting on top of it this week... But it's really fun hanging out with the nephew. He's a sweetheart.

Quick update

2009-11-06T09:12:00.002-05:00

With work, Nanowrimo, and other things, it's a wonder I have time for any extra articles. I did, however, manage to write one yesterday. If you are interested in networking in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, check out Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Networking. Thanks!!

Busy November

2009-11-02T08:18:00.004-05:00

It looks like I'm going to be running around all this month. I went out and ate dinner with a friend last night, watch a movie, etc. That means I'm at least 6 hours behind on NaNoWriMo. Yikes! I need to get caught up fast. Luckily, I have no available work this morning (not good, but I'll use it to my advantage) and so I should be able to get 3K+ no problem.

My story for this year is one that I attempted to write in the spring, but I didn't like how it was turning out so I scrapped it and wrote a new outline. I don't want to give it all away, but there's a prison, political intrigue and lots of internal reflection. Now let's see if I can pull that off!

HA!

2009-11-01T09:04:00.001-05:00

This is exactly how I feel:

Watch out Pocketbook!

2009-10-26T19:22:00.003-04:00

I started Christmas shopping tonight. Normally I shop in the stores before I head online to get what I was really looking for, but this year I just had to buy some exclusive Lego seasonal items. Some were for me, some were for my mom, but all of them are really cool and I can't wait to put them together!

Friday is the scheduled Christmas shopping day at the mall, Toys R Us, etc. My family prides itself by getting the majority of Christmas shopping done before November. Although we don't get all of the great sale prices, we are not getting elbowed and kicked in the shins with baby strollers. It's well worth it, trust me. And it also lets us justify the little purchases from now until Christmas Eve.

I might not have a six figure salary, but I think that Christmas is going to be really nice this year. The family isn't feuding, no one is complaining (yet), and we're finally getting a new tree. Oh, how I love the holidays...

A Warm Bath Robe for All

2009-10-23T08:12:00.002-04:00

I have been thinking a lot about Christmas presents lately. Sometimes it's hard to shop for family and friends. You may think that you know everything about them, but some people are just really hard to please. I have never went wrong with a terry bath robe. It warm and comforting without being extremely intimate. It's a perfect present for the mother-in-law in your life. Of course if you know that the person you want to buy a robe for likes a lighter touch, a waffle bath robe is probably a better choice. This type of robe breathes well after a hot bath.

If you are shopping for a younger person, a towel wrap is probably your best bet. Towel wraps come in fun colors, can be used in places like the college dorm and stay put on your body without pulling. I know I looked everywhere for a towel wrap when I was entering college – little did I know that I could easily find them online!

Out sick

2009-10-23T08:09:00.002-04:00

The last couple of days I was temporarily out sick. It was just a cold, but I stayed away from anything that wasn't strictly work related: Twitter, Facebook, this blog, etc. But now I'm back! I can breathe out of my nose and I'm ready to pick up some of the slack. I have to get my little behind in gear -- Christmas is fast approaching and I need any extra money I can get. :)

Making a Difference with Homeless Pets

2009-10-19T14:57:00.003-04:00

Anyone that knows me knows how much I love pets – especially dogs. They are the ultimate companion that can make a lot of difference in mood, attitude and responsibility. There are many reasons why so many pets are homeless these days: the economy, lack of spay and neutering and even because of divorce. If you are ready to bring a dog or cat into your home, check out Petango.com. This website is for those that want to bring a pet into their home and also make a difference by taking a homeless pet off the street. Petango.com provides a real-time searchable database of of pets that are currently without a home. Petango assures that when you adopt a pet, you will be getting an animal from a reputable shelter almost anywhere across the country.

Once I move into my new apartment or house, I'm going to check out this website. If you are looking for a new best friend, consider Petango.com - Adopt a dog today! (or Petango.com - Adopt a cat!, if you prefer).

The worst thing a writer can do

2009-10-19T09:08:00.003-04:00

I have committed just about the worst thing a writer can do -- I stopped writing. With the excitement of my new editing job, I have seriously neglected almost all writing. What's wrong with me?! I know that the editing job seems easier and provides nearly the same amount of pay, but a writer should never stop writing. Why? For me, it has caused a total lack of motivation. I want to get 6 articles written by Wednesday. Two weeks ago that would have been simple. But now? I'm totally lost for ideas and concepts on how to approach the writing process. I've got to get back into gear, especially since NANOWRIMO is quickly approaching. Yikes!

Hype, letdowns, and confessions

2009-10-14T19:13:00.022-04:00

Lately I have been bombarded with opinions and commentary on freelancing. I wasn't looking for all of them -- some I just found when turning the wrong corner in cyberspace. I must admit, once I start reading I just can't stop. And if you follow me on Twitter, you can catch some of my opinions about this topic from time to time.

What I have been reading about lately is the worthiness of online content mills. Any writer that has freelanced online knows about these work opportunities. Not all participate, siting the huge flaws that haunt many of these businesses. What I don't think anyone has addressed is how the current state of the economy is pushing writers, experienced or not, in to choosing this for an additional source of income. While it may make them sacrifice a little bit of dignity, it just may be necessary.

Writers can hate on the content mills all they want. I don't think these businesses are particularly great in any way. Besides insufficient pay, writers in many cases must give up rights to the article (including giving up the all-important byline), write quickly for a decent paycheck and work harder than most people do at your common 9-5 office position. What a lot of people are leaving out are the writers that need these positions for income no matter what they have to sacrifice. I know I do.

Once I found out that the pay at most content mills are atrocious compared to print publications and other respectable writing outlets, I wanted to get out of the content mills and into a real writing position. I decided this back in May, and I have yet to have an opportunity to publish any work outside of a content mill or revenue share site -- which are also a waste of time unless you are really efficient.

Why can't I leave? It's a similar vicious cycle to those commercials about community colleges: I can't get published because I don't have time to write the articles; I don't have time because I'm working too hard for little pay; I can't afford to work less and work on content that may or may not pay; etc. It all goes back to the same thing: no time for writing that does produce instant income.

I don't want to look at this a just a bunch of excuses. I'm working to get out of the rut I stuck myself into with this type of writing. I moved back in with my parents a few months ago. I only have a couple of bills to pay each month and by working where I am I still cannot make a decent living. I'll be honest. I only work about 6 hours a day (6 days a week) for money because when I hit the 5 1/2 hour mark, I feel like I've wasted my time. I could have put the same effort into any of my other writing projects and easily feel more accomplished. I cannot write a great article for a content mill because I can't afford to put in the time that would take. But they accept my less-than-perfect articles, so what does that say about their standards?

At the moment I submit work with 6 different businesses and only get about $800-$1200 a month. Some may say that a full 40-hour work week would correct this, but it doesn't. I've put in 60 hours before and still couldn't get what I was worth because writers don't get paid overtime. If I have to do corrections/edits/rewrites, I don't get paid extra for that. Neither do editors most of the time, but sometimes the power trip they get is well worth it -- and before I get a flood of comments, I know that maybe 1% of editors have this Almighty complex. The rest of the are great and willing to work with writers.

I thought writing would be easy. I have a solid education in English, I love to write and I'm dedicated to deadlines. I know that work isn't necessarily supposed to be easy, but I should enjoy it 99% of the time. Right now, that enjoyment is about at 50%. At this point, I could take it or leave it if I received a better opportunity outside of the writing world.

Neglecting my poetry and fiction has not been a great way to deal with this either. The subject of publishing this type of work was practically forbidden in my writing classes. Every professor shamefully avoided the question of publishing. I heard many times "I can't tell you how to get something published." I now know how to get this stuff published, but I do not have the time to work on unfinished manuscripts and send them out. Instead, I ignore the fact that I even have these manuscripts sitting around. It's like having physical evidence of failure.

Where am I going to go from here? I don't know. I'm not starving, my bills are getting paid and my parents are more than willing to put up with me in their house. I know I cannot work at content mills forever, and it certainly isn't worth it to do so. Time, patience, perseverance -- I'll need them all to keep my chin up and walking towards a future in writing.