Writing and Things

Memoirs of a Cashier #3 (Last)

2010-02-15T09:46:00.000-08:00

As I come to a close on this series, I feel I should describe when I was almost robbed by a desperate woman, with a horrible addiction.

Friday night had brought the usual rush of drunken fools, dazzling drug dealers, and an assortment of other crazy customers, but one stood out from the rest. Standing next to the counter, an elderly woman (dressed in three coats) with a large boxy wicker purse stood by the lottery, away from the ever-extending line. Though I was concerned with the customers flooding through the doors, I heard a soft muttering, almost unheard over the raucous.

The woman that stood next to the counter was muttering to herself, sounding like "I need some money. Times are getting harder and harder, and I'm in need of some quick money."

My eyes glanced towards the disheveled appearance, and her hands were tucked inside the purse. Her brown eyes held a reddish hue in the white, and both were set upon me. Slowly, she lifted a folded shirt from her purse, but it seemed to be wrapped around an item of which I had no clue. Continuing her quiet mutterings, she glared at me in an attempt to ascertain the collected bills within my register.

Once shirt rose from her purse,threatening me with mystery, I scanned the nearly hostile mob; no one else had noticed. Smoothly I said, "I can't have you in my store, you're going to have to leave."

With a look of shock, like I hurled an insult her way; she withdrew her purse from the counter, storming from the establishment. A shake of my head, and I returned to work after the nervous ordeal, never to see her again.

I like to think I handled it well, especially not knowing what was held within the bag, but I do still hope she found her way out of her financial struggle. If you are threatened, I hope you luck in finding the safest way out.

Memoirs of a Cashier #2

2010-02-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

When I worked my first day, I found out we closed late at night, around 1:30 a.m., to clean and re-stock the cooler, but little did I know, a surprise customer would make a special appearance that night. Just before the double doors were locked in place, allowing us to work in safety, I saw the silhouette of a man running through the street.

Of course, at 1:30 a.m., I could not see the man's condition. And, before it was too late to stop his progress, he bounded to and through the door. In a moment, it seemed, an African-American man of average height and build stood, stark naked, cupping his privates, dancing to warm his cold and shaken bones. The cashier and I exchanged a weary glance and an almost inaudible whisper escaped her lips.

"Should we call the police?"

It was the question of the century, for we knew not whether the naked stranger was a threat or seeking the safety and warmth of our store. Then, I listened to the repeated ramblings of the naked man, and with constant mutters, he pleaded "Please help me, please help me..." It seemed his mind reeled from an unknown experience down the road.

Quickly and quietly, I slipped into the office to the right, grabbed the phone, and proceeded to dial 911. No matter if the man asked for help, I was not sacrificing my life for his safety. Within moments of telling the address and situation, the police and ambulance pulled into the lot and whisked him away.

To this day, I never found out what happened to the man, whether he was robbed, high, or just crazy, but I did learn one thing. Just because someone runs up naked, shivering, and repeating some random sentence, doesn't make him dangerous. Often, I look back and wish I had done something to help the man further, but my fear paralyzed my need to help, and the only thought that remained was to get him the hell out of there.

When a random situation presents itself, will you quickly and quietly call someone else, or will you assert yourself and aid the situation? I hope you do whatever is best.

Memoirs of a Cashier #1

2010-02-01T10:09:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, I worked in a small gas station known as Travel Store #6, or known in my home town of Washington as Bridge Street. Though blocks from the antique architecture of Main Street, it was also blocks from the ruffian and addict infested Martin Luther King Jr. Street.

Working the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift ensured one thing, I was the first and last stop for the thugs' night time excursions and their customers' hunt for satisfaction. Not only did working here ensure seeing the "businessman", but it also ensured I saw their customers. Nothing seemed to contrast my city better.

While men wearing designer clothes, driving clean new cars, and smoking the most expensive cigarettes came to my store, their customers often wore rags, walked in huddle packs, and shivered in the cold night air. In a strange way, I felt for the hapless players in life's game. Deep down, I knew it was their own fault for giving to temptation, but nothing seemed so forlorn as a shaking, down trodden person browsing the aisles of Bridge Street.

In the night's cold grasp, they walked inside hoping for safety--and they found it. Many times cringing from withdraws and unknown addictions, they handed crinkled, sweaty money over the counter, asking for a pack of New ports or a White Owl cigar. Still, I felt for them.

Most times, the customers and sellers mingled with each other within the confines of eggshell walls, tiled floors, and whirring coolers. Other times, they were separated by the boundaries of want, desperation, and poverty. Each needing the other, but still hoping to one day separate.

It was in this common day bazaar I saw many uncanny things, which gave insight to the actions of others, and I hope, through this series, to share my enlightenment with you.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T07:03:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, to anyone who happens to venture over this blog. Many good tidings are wished your way.

Freelance Online

2009-12-21T19:08:00.000-08:00

Many people every day think, "What's a good way to make money?" Online freelance journalism is a great source of extra income, if you've got the time and dedication. It's definitely not going to bring in tons of money right away, but if you're good enough, people like your content, and visitors steadily see your material; it may not be as far fetched as it seems.

Like anything, planning is a big step in freelance journalism. Even when you've planned out which site(company) you're going to work for, planning is involved with each article you'll be writing. But, before you starting slinging ink to a page, you should look into the resources at your disposal for getting your work out to the public.

Mass submission sites are often a good resource for beginning freelancers, for they take unlimited articles, review them, and pay you a small amount, fairly quickly. Sites such as AssociatedContent.com, AllVoices.com, and many others fall into this category, but there is a downside to them all. With such lax submission guidelines, people are submitting volumes of content, which has a good chance of drowning yours out of view, for you also receive a small payment for a certain amount of views.

Never fear, though sites such as these may give your competition the view advantage, there are plenty of other sites that allow you to make better money for your content. ConstantContent.com and ContentCurrent.com are two sites I am a member of, and each is a publisher request site(business submits an idea, their writers---you---have a chance to submit for the articles). Though these sites aren't mass submission, they have higher prices for articles, which means you have to write less to earn just as much. Most sites like these are only for professional or aspiring writers, not the hobbyist looking for a quick buck.

Some sites mix the pot, adding components of both mass submit and publisher request sites together into one. Helium.com is such a site, and they bring together a massive amount of topics anyone can write about, with a writer's marketplace that allows publishers to request an article. Along with pay-per-view, you can earn from their marketplace, which gives you two sources of income in one site.

Though there are plenty of opportunities throughout the Internet, it will still be an uphill battle to accrue a reputable source of income from online freelance journalism. This may not be what you want to hear, but the main point to take away is, it's possible, and you can do it too.

Sentence Structure Part-2

2009-12-17T14:35:00.000-08:00

Welcome back, one-and-all. Today we're completing the sentence structure post series, learning about the rhythm of sentences. My previous post was about the 4 structures of a sentence, and how to write them correctly; now, I'm going to show you the rhythm associated with the structures, which will give the reader a clean flow from beginning to end.

Simple sentences are usually just comprised of subject and verb, so they have a quick, choppy rhythm when in succession. A man ran to the store. The man came back. Just these two simples sentences makes it choppy and boring, but A man ran to the store, then came back. delivers a better rhythm, giving it a better read.

Complex sentences are informative and fancy, but too many in succession can also detract from your writing's readability. A man ran to the store, soon he came back. He cooked us dinner, when he returned. He was a stranger, because I've never met him. Notice how it bogs your eyes down, and it eventually gains a slow rhythm. Break it up a little with a Compound sentence. A man ran to the store, and he came back. He cooked us dinner, when he returned.

Compound sentences can also drag down the rhythm of writing, if too many are used back-to-back. A man ran to the store, and he soon came back. He cooked us dinner, but he was a stranger. I've never met him, but he seems nice. Usually, you can just throw in whatever sentence you want. It goes the same for Compound-Complex sentences, which can be broken up by any other structure.

With rhythm of sentence structure, it mainly depends on your ear, for you often have to read it out loud, before you can hear the rhythm. Also remember, moderation with the styles is never a bad thing. If you feel it doesn't need a particular structure, don't fret you have four to choose from. Once you've mastered rhythm, readers will follow your prose seamlessly from beginning to end, and they will be fascinated with every well picked word.

C. A. Daniel

Sentence Structure Part-1:

2009-12-14T11:55:00.000-08:00

Welcome all, it is finally time to begin this wonderful blog of writing, freelancing, and online money making. I decided to make my first posts a two-part series, introducing sentence structure---one of the main weapons in any writer's arsenal.

Simple Sentence:

These are by far the easy to comprehend and use, but with that said, used in the wrong way, they can detract from your writing's appearance. Don't take this to mean never use them, for they are very handy to have, especially when mastered.

Now for an example: John plays. This is the simplest type of sentence, with only subject and predicate(verb). You can get a little fancy by adding another subject or predicate, but make sure to get the agreement right. See if you tell the difference: John and Bill plays. or John and Bill play. Also don't forget, you can use two predicates as well: John and Bill run and play. All of the above examples are simple sentences, though some may not look it.

Complex Sentence:

Now, to step it up a notch. Dependant clauses add more detail to the Independant clause, either verifying a time or describing an action. These will certainly add some spice to your work, showing the reader you know your stuff. Like before, the next step is examples.

First one: I'm going to use the first sentence from before, turning it into a complex. John plays. Simple. John plays, while at school. Complex Notice what makes it a dependant clause, the while throws off the sentence, because what's happening while at school. You don't know. Using these can definitely add some zest to your prose.

Compound Sentence:

Next, the well known Compound sentence is up to bat. The definition of a compound sentence is two complete stand-alone statements come together, being combined, with a conjuction. If you don't include the conjunction, it's known as a comma splice, and if you have neither conjuction or comma, it's a run on sentence.

You know what's next...examples. Well use the previous sentences once again, so there's no confusion. John plays, and Bill runs. Notice where the conjuction if located, and the comma before it. If your sentences don't sound right with "and", have no fear. A whole list is usable in that location: and, but, nor, for, or, so(or is also a conjuction, in school i had trouble with that).

Compound-Complex Sentence:

Now you're getting fancy. This is sure to show anyone your writing chops, when you break out the compound-complex sentences. Not only are you joining two ideas, but two very detailed ideas, which can elaborate far more than any other sentence. Though like everything, and these especially, moderation is key. If a work is nothing but compound-complex, it can grow boring and heavy.

But, you can never have too many examples, so here we go. Returning to the first sentence, once again. John plays, when at school, and Bill runs, while at home. In that one sentence, I described the action of two boys and when they did it. Combines the detail of all the above sentences, delivering it in one impressive blow. Remember, moderation is key.

In Conclusion:

I hope you enjoyed this post, as much as I enjoyed writing it. Come back for the last post of the series on Thursday, about the rythym of sentence structure, and how to make it work for you. Till next time.

C. A. Daniel

Update:

2009-12-13T13:36:00.000-08:00

My blog will technically begin tomorrow, and I'm planning on beginning a two post series about sentence structure. Monday will be the intoduction and first "lesson"; Thursday, we'll begin a little fancy work with changing the rythym of the sentences.

I will place the week's plan on Sundays, so anyone can catch up to where it is. I hope anyone who hopes to become a better writer finds my information useful. I do not mind critiques, and if anyone notices something wrong, do not be afraid to speak up. I'm already thinking up plans for the week after, and I'm excited about the post tomorrow.

To My Readers

2009-12-10T16:30:00.001-08:00

Dear Reader:

Thank you for taking time to look at my blog. I know it's doesn't have all the bells and whistles yet, but give it time. I am an aspiring novelist, blogger and freelance journalist, closer to the latter, for I have a few articles published already and much farther to go.

The point of this blog, is to give you ways to make money on the internet, and possibly, share my knowledge of writing...if it's worth your time. This blog is just starting, but I hope that it will take the internet by storm, entertaining, informing and helping readers everywhere.

I will keep you posted on the progress of my book, which I've finished the chapter 1 outline today, planning to start writing tonight or tomorrow. Currently enrolled in school, I have lots of studying to accomplish before finals next week, but I will do my best to post twice a week(Monday and Thursday). With best wishes for your entertainment, thewriter.