Writing for a Living: An Ezine for Online Writers

Can terrorists use model airplanes as weapons?

2011-09-30T03:02:00.002-04:00

After the recent arrest of a man in Boston who has been accused of planning terrorist attacks on the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon, plenty of questions have been raised. Which is always the case. But in this particular case, a lot of the questions are about model airplanes. Apparently the man arrested was planning to strap explosives to model airplanes, then fly the planes into buildings.

Headlines similar to the one with this article, "Can terrorists use model airplanes as weapons?," have become common during the last couple of days. I can't count the number of times I've read, "Could model airplanes become a terrorist weapon?"

I hate these types of headlines. I was a newspaper editor for 20 years, so I've got plenty of experience writing headlines. And frankly, nearly all of these questioning headlines are bad. For one thing, they are questions, not answers. For another thing, such headlines tend to lead readers in a particular direction. I only use a similar headline here to make a point.

If one reads down into the articles concerning the potential use of model airplanes as weapons, the truth is yes, model airplanes could be used as weapons, but not very good ones. Why is this? There are two reasons: 1.) Because model airplanes, even the really big and expensive ones, cannot carry much weight, which means the explosives that could be used would have to be quite small and not very powerful. 2.) Even for experienced experts, flying model planes is not a precise science; it would be difficult to fly a model airplane directly into a small target, such as a door or window or person, which would be needed to cause damage using smaller explosives.

If you don't believe the articles, check with a local model airplane club. Such clubs, though sometimes small in number of members, are practically all over the place. Go to a gathering and ask those present what they think.

But what really irks me about the questioning headlines for such articles is that their use is basically fear mongering, often caused by lazy headline writing. Please understand, I understand what headline writers are dealing with daily. Nearly all of them are overworked and underpaid. Nearly all of them do not have much time to write excellent headlines. Often enough headlines are slapped onto a story as quickly as possible, without much thought given to them. Plenty of people within the news media will not admit to this, but it is the truth.

What can be done? Honestly, probably not much. One could scream about holding the news media responsible, especially the corporations who create over-stressed work environments, but the truth is that would likely not help. The bean counters and the marketers aren't really going to pay much attention because they are too busy trying to figure out how much money they're going to make this quarter, how they're going to survive just a few more months or weeks because of the bad economy and the growing unwillingness of advertisers and consumers to pay for advertising and news content.

It's tough for the media right now, but that should not be an excuse.

So, back to the original question, can model airplanes be used for terrorist weapons? Well, of course they can. But just about anything can be used for a weapon. A stick. A rock. A balled-up wad of paper jammed down someone's throat. Anything. Even a newspaper.

Are fiction writers the last great explorers?

2011-09-20T00:40:00.002-04:00

Once upon a time, just about anyone could be an explorer. Little more than a hundred years ago, there were still places on this Earth which had not been reached, or had been reached by very few. In those days, just about any man or woman could set out to trek off into unknown territories. True, major expeditions were funded by governments or business interests, as they are today, but the average person could still sign up with such groups or with a minimum of money could set out on their own.

Today that is not the case. Most of the reachable Earth has been explored, or found not worth further exploration. The stars still beckon as do the deepest depths of our oceans, but major funds for technology are needed to reach those uncharted regions.

The average person has little chance, little hope, of searching for the unknown, let alone finding it.

Except in fiction writing.

I'm not necessarily talking about professional novelists or short story writers here, but about anyone who can pick up a pen or type away at a keyboard and put together a basic sentence. I'm not talking about fiction writing as a business, nor really as a hobby, but as a way to stretch our boundaries, to look outside ourselves, to even create worlds that never existed and could never exist.

Other forms of potentially exploratory writing do not allow for this in our age. Since the Enlightenment, philosophy has become so pedantic as to have virtually no basis in reality. Most religious writings have become political or agenda driven, and much of scientific literature is little better.

Only fiction allows for true exploration.

Some might limit such exploration to matters of the psyche or the soul, but fiction's boundaries are unfathomable, as is the reach of the imagination. Anything that can be imagined can be put down in ink or upon a digital screen. If new lands are needed for exploring, fiction can create them. If new boundaries of the mind need pushing, fiction can be there to do so. If new studies of religion need to be considered without outside influences forcing their frameworks, fiction can reach, can look, can find God, or a lack of, or something else entirely.

Fiction can do anything within the mind.

Yes, it can be cheap and tawdry. It can claw away at our lowest senses, but it can also grab at the sky of our highest aspirations. Fiction is only limited by ourselves, by our minds.

There are no more cowboys or mountain men. There is no one to sail the Seven Seas, nor to climb the highest heights. It has all been done. Even astronauts and deep sea explorers are not the common person today, though I mean that in no way to belittle them.

For the common person, we are stuck in our world day to day. There is no escape, temporary or permanent. There are no new lands to venture off to if we should wish to escape the impressions of our native countries. There are no new continents to be found, no new tribes to discover, and buried treasures are few and far between.

Except in our minds. Except in fiction. Where we can steer a craft down the Congo, or walk on the moon, or float off to Narnia.

Write it. Read it. Enjoy it. It's the real world that is but illusion.

SheToldMe now charging for social bookmarking

2011-08-20T11:46:00.002-04:00

For those who might not be familiar with it, SheToldMe is a social bookmarking site that pays 100 percent AdSense revenue. Basically, you sign up for a SheToldMe account, also sign up for an AdSense account, then add your AdSense account number to your SheToldMe account. From that point on you can use SheToldMe to post links with descriptions to favorite websites, your blog, etc. Other viewers can then check out your links and descriptions, and if they should click on any of the advertisements that appear on the page of one of your individual links, then you are paid 100 percent whatever AdSense normally pays for that click (that are too many variables to make an estimate on how much that would be, anywhere from a few cents to several dollars or more).

SheToldMe has been one more tool online content providers and other writers could utilize to promote their articles, books, links, etc.

Until recently, SheToldMe has been a free service, but now there are premium membership charges if you want to use this service.

The prices are either $5 (U.S.) for one month or $12 for one year.

That's not too much, especially considering the site offers 100 percent payout for AdSense advertising.

But this raises some questions and concerns.

The most obvious question is: Is paying the prices for the premium membership worth it?

In my experience, I have to say "no." I like the SheToldMe site because it is easy to use, but during the last year or so I have used the site, it has not brought me that much traffic nor has it earned me much money. In fact, I would be surprised if I've made $5 from SheToldMe during this year.

One could argue that perhaps I am not using the site correctly. Perhaps I need to be working at bringing more traffic to my SheToldMe links. And I can't argue with that. Except, since SheToldMe is a bookmarking site, I feel I should not have to work at bringing traffic to my links there. Why? Because that is what SheToldMe is supposed to be doing! It's a bookmarking site, not a blog or writing site. It's very existence is for drawing viewers to other websites.

I fully understand whomever runs SheToldMe is likely trying to recoup some of the money (and perhaps time?) they have invested into the site. I don't blame them for that. But I do feel charging for their services is a mistake on their part. A better option, in my opinion, would be to lower their AdSense payout, but absolutely no lower than 50 percent. That way, if I make money, then they make money. But as it is, I make a few cents at most while the site's owners are making dollars from me.

That I can't abide. It would be a sorry business model on my end to follow through with such.

In all fairness, there is currently an option for long-time SheToldMe users who have more than 70 scoops (links) to ask the site owner for a free Premium Membership. This is a nice touch, but I believe it is too little too late. I fully expect SheToldMe to lose the majority of its regular users, and is not likely to draw many new users.

All of this brings up a big concern: Will other social bookmarking and similar linking sites now begin to charge for their services?

I truly hope not. I believe this would be the death knell for such sites. I say this not only as an online writer who uses such sites as promotional tools, but also as an online reader who enjoys using the sites to find new, interesting topics.

The worst part of being a fiction author

2011-07-11T16:16:00.000-04:00

Every fiction writer is different. Each of us has our own complaints.

Of course we shouldn't be complaining. We sit on our butts and make up stuff for a living, which is far easier and more fun than most of the working world gets to experience on a daily basis.

But still, we complain. It must be something to do with us being human.

Some fiction authors complain about their editors. Others complain about readers. Some will complain about the writing process itself, or the editing process, or having to do self promotions. It's becoming more common for fiction writers to complain about one another, especially in the seemingly never-ending indie publishing vs. traditional publishing debate.

I think writers just like to complain.

And as a fiction writer, I have my own complaints, of course.

When is it toughest for me as a fiction writer?

When a project comes to an end.

I hate that time period, especially if it's a long project that has kept me occupied for a few months.

It's not so much that I'm in love with my last project (though I usually am to some extent), or that I'm completely tied to it. My feelings are more like a lost traveler looking ahead at a blank desert that seemingly has no end. There's this empty canvas before me, and I'm not sure what direction to take. It's not that I have absolutely no direction. No, not at all. It's more like there are too many directions I could go.

For instance, just a couple of days ago I finished the first draft a 16,000-word young adult dark fantasy novelette. That's a bit long for most magazine and anthology publishers, and much too short for book publishers, but I'll spend the next year or three sending this story out to the handful of publishers I know who take stories of that length. My guess would be in the end I'll have to self publish this story, simply because there is not much of a professional market (or any kind of market, for that matter) for novelettes.

But I finished this story. It had taken up my time for a couple of weeks. Now I'm floundering.

I'm keeping busy, of course. I've set aside that novelette for the time being, but I'll get to it again in a month or so after I've given it a little breathing space; then I'll come back to it with fresh eyes and give it a couple of edits. I've spent the last couple of days doing a little editing work on one of my novels for my print publisher, and I've got an article finished for a heroic fantasy website that should be available in about a week.

Still ... that vast desert stretches before me. What project do I start next? Where do I go from here?
That is the part I hate most about being a fiction writer. The unknown of knowing what project to proceed to.

In hopes of reaching a decision, I sat down last night and updated a computer file of potential projects. I have ideas for a dozen or so short stories in that file, and for about 50 or so novels or novellas.

My ongoing epic fantasy series will eventually be about 40 novels, if I live long enough to finish it. But I'm not sure I'm in the mood to get back into that universe at the moment.

Then there are a handful of horror ideas I've been contemplating, but I'm not really in the mood for that either.

I might be in the mood to pen a more literary tale, a mood that hits me from time to time, but in my experience these novels just don't sell. Not that sales have to be the only reason to write, but they do help to give one a nice push.

I've also recently found a fondness for novellas, works in the 15,000 to 40,000 word range. That's my own definition of a novella. Other writers and editors and publishers have their own definitions, but most are somewhere in the ballpark of my own numbers. I like writing novellas. They don't take as much time to write as a novella, and they are longer so the writer still has room to explore a little.

So what do I do? Write a novel? Or a novella? Or a short story?

Do I get back to work on my epic fantasy series? Or do I start on a stand-alone tale? Horror? Literary? Even science fiction?

I'm not seeking a real answer, of course. Eventually I'll make a decision. Sometimes that decision comes easy; I'll wake some morning and be in the mood for a particular project, and I'll start it. Other times the decision comes with much difficulty, with me having several small starts on various projects before finally settling on one.

Yes, this is the part I hate most about writing fiction. The unknown. That blank slate. The empty page. Worlds unexplored.

Gosh, it sucks to do this for a living. ;-)

Related links
What do you need to publish your e-book for Kindle?
100 Days of Fantasy: Day 1, The Hobbit
Horror and fantasy author's blog

Not all Triond articles have to be winners

2011-05-24T01:48:00.000-04:00

So you sit at your keyboard every day and type away, writing articles you hope will bring you lots of viewers and some money on content publishing sites such as Triond. Yet the views never seem to be enough, nor does the money.

What's wrong?

You've heard stories about people who make hundreds if not thousands of dollars a month through the content mills, so you know it can be done. Right?

Well, maybe, maybe not. Hard work can help, but luck also plays a role, as does learning to work within Triond and other content publishing sites.

Reading the many articles about how to make such sites a success can give you some ideas, but most such articles are short on information, often leaving out key facts or sometimes even distorting the truth. Sure, utilizing community linking sites such as StumbleUpon and Digg can help bring viewers, but unless you spend tons of time at such sites building a community of "friends" then those sites are not likely to draw large numbers for you. Social sites like Facebook and Twitter can help, too, but often enough you'll find your "friends" on those sites get turned off if you start bombarding them with your articles or with pleas to read your articles.

So, what to do?

One, keep writing. Two, keep studying how content publishing sites work.

But more importantly, keep in mind that an article might not bring a large viewership through Triond or other similar sites, but that doesn't mean there's not an audience out there somewhere for the article. You just have to find that audience.

The problem with some writers on sites like Triond is they expect the audience to come to them. It doesn't work that way, or often enough it doesn't work that way.

You have to be willing to go out and find your own audience. Sometimes that does include using linking sites like Reddit, but I'm not advocating that here because such tactics usually bring in a limited viewership. In other words, unless you are a regular user of such sites, one who vocally is a part of the community of such sites, you're not going to get many views. Simply plopping up a link every day isn't going to bring your many readers, and it might get you banned from such sites.

What I mean by finding your own audience is that you have to be flexible with the use of your online articles.

For one thing, make sure you use more than one content publishing site. If you like Triond, give Bukisa a try as well. Or maybe jump over to Redgage and see what's happening there. A ton of such sites are out there, so study them to see which ones you feel will work best for you. Remember to follow the rules on each of those sites so you won't get banned.

Also, consider creating a blog. Or three. Or ten. Whatever you've got the time to do. Articles that often enough sink on Triond can sometimes still find an audience through a blog.

Also remember not to overwork yourself. You only have so many hours in the day and your endurance does know limitations. As a general rule, I suggest using no more than three of the content publishing sites at any time, and having no more than three blogs at any time. At least not until you feel you can handle more.

Always remember, not all articles you write for Triond will bring a big audience, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go ahead and place the article on the Triond site. A little readership is better than none, and could potentially take readers to your blogs or other articles.

Most importantly, remember that you have to find your audience, to build your audience. It won't just come to you.

And spamming is not an option. It doesn't work, believe me. The more you spam, the more you drive potential readers away from your articles. Oh, spamming might work a little for one or two articles, but soon enough viewers will realize they're being attacked with cheap advertisements for things they don't necessarily need or want. Gimmicks will not work in the long haul.

An example

Just so you know a little of what I'm talking about, I thought I'd give a prime example.

I write a fair number of retro video game articles that I publish at Triond. Most of them do not bring me many views on Triond. That being said, I do have a retro gaming blog, and I regularly do much better there in terms of numbers of viewers than I do on Triond with my gaming articles.

I publish my gaming articles on Triond first because those are Triond's rules, but recycling articles is a great way to find your viewership.

So you think you know books? Try this quiz about literature

2011-05-21T17:50:00.000-04:00

Who wrote The Raven?
What was the name of the real-life sailor whose story influenced the writing of Robinson Crusoe?
How many books did author J.R.R. Tolkien originally envision The Lord of the Rings to entail?
What was the title of Ayn Rand's first novel?
In what year did the murders in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood take place?
Name one historical figure, who is also a well-known literary figure, who was a friend of Cyrano de Bergerac?
What is the name of Leonato's daughter in Much Ado About Nothing?
What famed city is the location of most of the events in The Iliad?
Which writer has a character who said, "M-O-O-N spells moon?"
What is the name of the largest rabbit in the main group of rabbits in Watership Down?
What is the name of the son of Alexandre Dumas?
What was the title of Jane Austen's first published novel?
What name does Dr. Frankenstein give his monster?
What is the title of the sequel to Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea?
The first book published in the Lonesome Dove series is titled what?
Who wrote The Road?
What is the name of the main character in Franz Kafka's The Trial?
What is Lady Chatterley's name before she marries Clifford Chatterley?
One Hundred Years of Solitude is a critical, literary outline of the history of what country?
What are the first three words in Moby Dick?
What is the name of the street where sits the house in The House of the Seven Gables?
During what war does For Whom the Bell Tolls take place?
Who is the main character in Gone with the Wind?
Don Quixote was originally written in what language?
Who wrote The Time Machine?
Who does Satan try to tempt in Paradise Regained?
To where are the pilgrims traveling in The Canterbury Tales?
In how many novels does Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer character appear?
James Joyce is from what nation?
Beowulf is a hero of what northern Germanic tribe?
Who is the narrator of The Great Gatsby?
John Gardner wrote an existentialist novel about a famed monster. What is the monster's name?
The word "grok" comes from what famed science fiction novel?
In what country do the majority of events in War and Peace occur?
In Great Expectations, Pip discovers the escaped convict on what holiday?
What is the name of the Russian ship that runs aground in England in the novel Dracula?
Who is the lord of the castle in The Castle of Otranto?
Who is considered the author of The Republic?
Who wrote The Prince?
What is the name of the school from where Holden Caulfield is expelled?
In what U.S. city do the events of A Confederacy of Dunces take place?
Who is on trial in To Kill a Mockingbird?
How many chapters does Candide contain?
The Red Bade of Courage takes place during what war?
Who is the main character of All Quiet on the Western Front?
What is the name of the wastelands where McTeague concludes?
In what super-state/nation/continent do the events of Nineteen Eighty-Four take place?
What is the name of the only published novel by Oscar Wilde?
What is the name of Beauty's mother in Black Beauty?
In John Steinbeck's The Pearl, what item is discovered that leads to so much misery?

For the answers to this quiz, go here

Self-publishing writers still need good editors

2011-05-21T03:23:00.000-04:00

Let's say you've written a book.

Then you edited it. Maybe even did some major re-writing, moving around chapters and retyping whole sections fresh. You've straightened out the characters, tweaked your dialogue, all the stuff you think needs being done so that you have a professional quality book ready for readers.

Perhaps you've even designed your own cover artwork, and maybe you've even written your own blurbs for the back cover of the book.

A few years ago all this would have been frowned upon, but today more and more book writers are going the self-publishing route.

But why until recently has self-publishing been frowned upon so, and continues to be in some circles?

For one simple reason.

The truth: Most self-published books are garbage.

Yes, it can hurt to hear this. After all the months and years and hard work you've put into your book, it still might not be very good. It's your baby. You love that book. It has to be good.

But what you consider good might not be what a majority of readers will consider good. And unless you've only got one book in you, which is rare for most writers, you will want readers to come back and read other books, articles or stories you might write in the future.

So, you need your material to be top notch.

What to do?

Get an editor.

That might seem like a difficult task, but it's not. With economic and technological changes in the print industry, more and more editors are going freelance. Sometimes these editors used to work at a publishing house or a were literary agents. Sometimes the editors are new, or have been freelancing for years. There are plenty of editors out there. Just do a little searching on the Web.

Then you start to think about how much it might cost to hire an editor. Here, again, you are worrying way too much. Many editors will edit an average novel-length project for $500 or less, which really isn't that much money considering your book is your baby, right? Still, if you can't afford that price range, there are other options. If you have some editing skill, find someone else who needs a book edited and offer to swap with them, you edit their book and they edit yours. You could also check at a local college in your area, and perhaps you will find a student with an appropriate degree who will be willing to edit your book for a lesser price. Remember to think outside of the box. There are options.

Answers to literary quiz

2011-05-20T21:27:00.001-04:00

For the quiz itself, go to this link.

Edgar Alan Poe
Alexander Selkirk
One
We the Living
1959
D'Artagnon, though Cyrano also knew of Richelieu and likely the rest of the famed musketeers
Hero
Troy
Stephen King
Bigwig
Alexandre Dumas
Sense and Sensibility
He does not name the monster
The Mysterious Island
Lonesome Dove
Cormac McCarthy
Josef K, or simply “K”
Constance Reid
Colombia
“Call me Ishmael.”
Pyncheon Street
Spanish Civil War
Scarlett O'Hara
Spanish
H.G. Wells
Jesus
Canterbury, more specifically the Shrine of Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral
four: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer Abroad, and Tom Sawyer, Detective
Ireland
The Geats
Nick Carraway
Grendel
Stranger in a Strange Land
Russia
Christmas Eve
Demeter
Manfred
Plato
Niccolo Machiavelli
Pencey Prep
New Orleans
Tom Robinson
Thirty
U.S. Civil War
Paul Baumer
Death Valley
Oceania
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Duchess
A pearl

I'm considering writing for Triond again

2011-05-20T13:45:00.000-04:00

Nearly two months ago, I stopped writing for the Triond content publishing website after having done so for nearly two years. The reason was mainly financial. Because of the changes in Google's browser algorithm, my viewership dropped dramatically on my Triond articles and I was making less money through Triond. At least directly. Indirectly, I've still been making pretty good money from my AdSense account, which is another way for me to make money from Triond, through AdSense ads.

How much do I make monthly from AdSense? I've been averaging $100 per month, even since I stopped writing for Triond.

So, even though I was quite dispirited at the drop in views of my Triond articles, I'm considering once more writing articles for Triond.

There are three main reasons for this:

1.) Since I'm still making decent money through AdSense, I'm hoping by writing more articles for Triond that I could perhaps make even more money.

2.) I've been a blogger for years, and when I left Triond, I focused more on blogging. Then it recently dawned on me that I'm doing much of the same work I used to do for Triond, yet I'm not posting my articles on Triond's site. Which is kind of silly. I basically cut one of my income sources.

3.) Writing for Triond helped me to keep focuses to a degree. I wrote at least one Triond article every day, though it didn't always get posted for a day or two, and this forced me to sit down at a computer and write. I write almost every day anyway, but my Triond writing helped to enforce this.

There is also a fourth, lesser reason: I continue to make some money directly from Triond, though only about a fourth of what I was making months ago. With effort, perhaps I could build those earnings again.

Still, I have concerns about returning to writing for Triond. It can suck up the time, for one thing, and I make much more money from writing fiction. Still, Triond combined with AdSense did help to pay a bill or two each month.

What the heck? I'm jumping back in. That's why I'm posting this article. Of course if I have zero readership, I'm not likely to remain, but that's to be seen.

10 ways to tell if a guy likes you

2011-03-07T09:58:00.001-05:00

He tells lots of jokes around you. Little jokes, not big jokes like you'd see from a stand-up comedian. Most of his jokes likely will also be lame, and he'll laugh at them himself. If you laugh back, he'll probably get the idea you're interested.
He'll tell you. Yes, guys generally don't tell a woman he likes them unless he really does like them. Of course his long-term motives might not be well intentioned, but at least he still likes you.
If he asks you out, he likes you. It's quite simple, really.
Is he flirting with you? You know, batting his eyes, making semi-funny small talk, stuff like that. If so, he likes you.
Are you female? Is he speaking with you? If you answer "yes" to both of those questions, it means he likes you. Unless you're taking his order for fries. Then he just wants fries. Probably.
Does he babble when trying to speak with you? If he does, that's a sure sign that he likes you.
If in his conversations with you it seems that you and he have a lot in common, more than likely he's into you. This is especially showing if he keeps working into the conversation ways in which the two of you are similar.
He's sharing stories about his life with you, probably little, possibly slightly embarrassing things. That means he trusts you, and likes you.
Has he given you his phone number? His e-mail? His Twitter user name? His Facebook user name? Yeah? Guess what? He likes you. Don't think on it too hard.
Does he seem to hand out the compliments to you? Yep, that's a sign he likes you.

10 tips for becoming a faster writer

2011-03-05T08:11:00.002-05:00

Don't worry about the first draft: The first draft of almost any writing project, whether an article or story or blog post or book or whatever, is not going to be very good. Don't worry about that while you are writing it. If you worry about it, you'll keep trying to correct yourself by editing and reworking. Don't do that. Get that first draft done. You can always go back and edit to your heart's content afterwards.
Learn the basics: Grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. This might seem overly simplistic, but it's not. If you know these basics well, you will be able to incorporate them into your writing without even thinking about them. The better you know these basics, the less editing you will have to do.
Shorthand: If you write in longhand, meaning on paper with pen or pencil, consider taking a class or studying a program about shorthand. Most shorthand writing styles will teach you various symbols that can take the place of some words. Something as simple as using an ampersand while writing in longhand can help to save a little time writing. Of course this means your typed drafts will take longer to input.
Software: There are a few computer programs that can help you write faster by allowing you to replace certain words with shorthand of your own creating. One such piece of software is Texter. Think of it as shorthand writing for computers, which is what it is.
More software: What about instead of using a pen, pencil or keyboard to do your writing, you could just speak and your words would appear on paper or on a screen. Well, actually, that can be done, at least the onscreen part. Consider using speech recognition software, such as Dragon, for your writing. Basically, you speak, and the words appear on the screen.
Outlining: Outlining isn't for everyone, but if you are a writer who sometimes finds yourself becoming lost while writing, you might consider outlining your projects before you begin writing them. An outline not only can help keep you focused, but it can help you save time with that focus.
When you write, write: This is easier said than done, but try to gather all your research or whatever other material you need for a project before you sit down to actually write. If you have all your material together and organized, you won't have to go looking for it or sifting through it while trying to write.
Avoid the time sucks: What is a time suck? It could the the telephone. Or the TV. Or the Internet. Stay away from them. You'll never get anything done if you're constantly distracted.
Write through it: Writer's block is a common enough malady for many writers, but don't let that deter you. If you're a writer of any experience at all, if you are truthful with yourself then you will know when you are facing a block. You might even see it coming. Sometimes a writing block is there because the writer doesn't know what to do next, where to go, on a particular project. Fight through this. It's easier said than done, but just keep writing. Eventually you'll work your way through this type of block, and even if much of what you wrote isn't very good, you can always edit later.
Don't read what you are writing: Yes, you read that correctly. While you are actually writing, do not read what you have written. Do not look back on paragraphs or at the beginning or your project. Just don't look back. Keep writing. You'll do your rewriting and editing later.

More writing links
There's nothing wrong with writing for money

Writing for a Living, a blog for online writers
E-book indie author's blog

50 tips for becoming a better writer

2011-03-04T18:32:00.002-05:00

Read every day.
Write every day.
Then read and write some more.
Read aloud what you have written.
Surround yourself with quality writing friends.
Such as those in a writing group, whether online or in real life.
Take a class on writing.
Send off that article, short story or book to a publisher, agent or editor. You'll never be able to test the waters until you do, and you might get back some solid feedback even if your material is not accepted.
Hook up with a small-press magazine and offer to read from their "slush" pile for at least a month. Most likely they'll take you on. You will learn a lot. But you will also be quite bored and frustrated at times.
Once you have completed the first draft of a writing project, set it off to the side for a while, perhaps a month, perhaps six months. That way, when you come back to it, you will be doing so with fresh eyes.
Study spelling.
Study grammar.
Study punctuation.
Whenever you read something you really enjoyed, go back and read it again, but this time with a critical eye. Try to figure out how and what the author did that you felt worked so well.
Interview an author.
Or editor.
Or publisher.
Or anyone related to the publishing field.
Get a job at a newspaper, even if it's only part-time and/or at a smaller newspaper. It will open your eyes to a lot.
Look for inspiration in the mundane. There are story ideas all around us.
Work on developing a thick skin. You're going to need it. Writing and publishing often comes with letdowns.
Study great authors. Maybe even make a list of authors whom you have enjoyed, and read them. Study them. Learn them, and how they do what they do.
Turn off your television for a month.
Maybe the Internet, too.
And the cell phone or PDA or whatever gadget that sucks up your time. At least for a while.
Study the markets. I'm talking short magazines and book publishers for the most part, but newspapers and online venues should also be considered. Learn what is selling to editors and publishers, and learn what people want to read.
But try to be original. What's hot today might not be hot next week.
If you feel you are in a rut, step outside your comfort zone. Try something totally different, something you never thought you'd do. If you write mostly fiction, try to put together a non-fiction article. If you write mostly romance stories, try your hand at a Western.
Also, read outside your comfort zone. If you're a science fiction fan, pick up a historical novel. If you read mostly fiction, pick up a biography. Try something different. Story ideas and techniques can come from all over.
Study a different kind of writing, something you never thought you'd try. If you've never written a poem, give it a try. If you only write novels, consider working on a screenplay.
Self-publish an e-book online. You will learn quite a bit from this process. Just make sure you have quality material before doing so, of course.
Pretend you are a potential reader or customer. Would you buy your story or book or article?
Visit a good book store. If this doesn't whet your appetite to write, nothing will.
Start a blog. It might get you to writing every day.
Start your own magazine. You'll definitely learn from this process.
Go for a walk. It will give you time to think about your writing projects.
Don't whine.
Don't forget to promote yourself, but try to do so withing being annoying. Promotions is often the key to being a successful writer.
Be patient. It can take time to become good at your craft.
Spend time thinking about what you want out of your writing. Do you want to write for a living? Or is writing a hobby for you? Nothing is wrong with either choice, but thinking through this stuff will make you better prepared for where to go with your writing.
Have a plan. Especially if you want to write or already write for a living. This will allow you to keep deadlines, whether set by someone else or by yourself.
Pay attention to others when in public. No, don't become a stalker, but listen in on chatter at restaurants and such. This will not only help you with studying dialogue, but it might give you some great story ideas.
Stop looking for shortcuts. There are none. It takes time to become a good writer.
Try to be objective about your own writing. Far too many writers can't do this, or they don't want to. Which is a waste of time. You have to be realistic about your own writing, and its weaknesses, if you ever want to succeed.
Learn to blank out the world. This is a tough one for many people, but it can be done with practice. Some people can't write unless they have absolute quiet and a perfect little place to write. But that's not realistic. How often is it going to happen? For most people, not very often. So learn to write when there's noise, when you're around other people, etc.
Write to your personality strengths. Are you funny? If so, try to write comedic stories and articles. Are you a dark, dour sort of person? Then write some horror short stories. Is religion prominent in your life? If so, write articles related to your theology, or even consider fiction based upon your beliefs.
Writing can be lonely work, especially if it's your day job and you spend a lot of time doing it. Make sure to socialize! Otherwise your mind will dull down on you, and that's not good for writing.
Don't worry about whether your book or story or article sells. Thinking about this can drive you crazy. Instead, go on to the next project. If a particular project doesn't sell, send it on to another editor or publisher. Or consider reworking it some, if you've heard feedback from others and you felt it was correct.
If you write for a living, keep it professional. Don't complain to editors. Don't mouth off to readers. Yes, you will get a bad reputation. And yes, this will effect your ability to make sales.
Remember, there are no rules in writing. If someone tells you otherwise, they are wrong. Any "rules" in writing are meant to be broken. Though maybe not by you. Maybe by someone else. But still, the "rules" of writing are broken all the time.

More writing links
The Importance of Editing Your Writing

Writing for a Living, a blog for online writers
Horror and fantasy author's blog

10 reasons not to date your boss

2011-02-25T20:41:00.002-05:00

The most obvious reason not to date your boss is that if the two of you ever break up, your boss might fire you. Sure, that's illegal. And yes, you could probably take your boss to court and you would most likely win something. But do you really want to go through all that? Avoid the headaches.
Nepotism is a concern. Your boss might start showing you special treatment, or you might start showing your boss special treatment on the job. While this might not seem like a problem for you, it really is. The other employees will most definitely notice, even if you and the boss think you're being discrete. If nothing else, this builds bad relationships between you and your fellow employees, and that can make your job all that much harder.
But even if nepotism doesn't truly exist, your co-workers are likely to bear some grudges, at least some of them. Even if special treatment isn't involved, some employees are going to believe it's going on anyway. You don't need that kind of trouble.
What about your next raise? If you are dating your boss, it will be impossible for him or her to properly decide upon what level of raise you should get. Even if you have done a fantastic job, the boss might not want to give you too much of a raise because he or she could fear it will look like nepotism.
Or just as bad, the boss you are dating could give you a great big raise, one you might not deserve. The money sounds great, but other employees will find out. Believe me, other employees will find out. Even if your boss and human resources department promise and swear that employees can't find out what one another makes financially, don't believe it. People talk. Word gets out. This could be more trouble brewing for you on the job.
What if you and the boss break up and you go on a hunt for a new job? Would you feel comfortable asking him or her to be a reference? Most likely not. Think the two of you will never break up? Maybe not, but don't bet on that. It might happen or it might not, but it's best to play it safe.
What if you and the boss break up but you remain on the job? Do you think it will be a pleasant work environment? Do you think your boss and former girlfriend or boyfriend will be able to treat you fairly? Think about it.
He or she might be your significant other, but they still are your boss. That means there will be times they will have to put the company before you. In fact, there might be a lot of times they have to do this, and they might be more willing to do it since you work for the same company. Are you ready to handle being second at times?
Most places will have a policy concerning inter-office relationships. If you are going to enter a relationship with your boss, or even another co-worker, make sure you know those rules. Nowadays most companies won't outright disallow such behavior, but they'll still likely have some sort of policy. You don't want to break that policy. It could get you in trouble at work, even if your boyfriend or girlfriend is your boss.
What if you and your boss/lover have a workplace disagreement? Will it then boil over into a personal argument? Can you set up strict boundaries between work and your personal life?

One man's encounter with Bigfoot

2011-01-26T06:07:00.002-05:00

While traveling in North Carolina recently to visit relatives, I got to talking with a fellow I have known for years. He and I are not exactly friends, but he is a friend of the family. I was surprised to learn he supposedly had a run-in with a Bigfoot creature about 10 years ago. We talked for a while and I asked him if I could interview him for an online article. He agreed as long as I did not use his real name. For sake of the following tale, I'll call him Bill. Here is his story, retold by me from notes I made while talking with him.

"It was about ten years ago when I run into the Bigfoot creature, or whatever it was.

"At the time I lived in a trailer up near the Virginia line, not too far from South Boston. I was going to college at Duke University in Durham at the time, and it was about an hour's drive to get to campus every day. Thank goodness most years I only had classes two or three days a week, because that's not the most exciting drive to make.

"For morning classes, I had to get up real early, usually by about four (a.m.). First thing I usually did was get a shower and eat breakfast. Then I had to feed my dog, she was an old beagle, and then I would take her outside for a good walk before I would have to leave for school.

"One morning I was out walking her, I guess I must have been about four thirty or five o'clock, when we heard something tearing through the woods behind my place. Now I know even a squirrel can make a lot of noise, especially in the middle of the night when there's no other sounds, but this was a lot louder than that. There were tree limbs cracking, and whatever it was sounded real heavy as it stomped through the woods.

"Now I've heard stories of black bears in that part of the country, even seen a few pictures, but I've never personally seen any. My thought at the time was that it must be a black bear. So I rushed my beagle inside because I didn't want her to get hurt.

"I was standing there in the trailer door unleashing my dog when the sounds from the woods got closer, as if something were tearing through the trees coming toward me.

"I didn't think. I shoved the dog further into the house and reached for a rifle that was hanging in a rack in a little closet across from the washer and dryer. I should have just gone in the house and shut the door, but that didn't occur to me for some reason.

"I grabbed the rifle, it was only a .22, a Marlin I think, and pulled out the clip to make sure it had ammo. It did, so I put the clip back in and jacked in a round. Then, as that noise was getting louder and closer, I stepped out onto the back patio and kicked the door closed behind me. If it was a bear or something, I didn't want to chance it getting in the house and I didn't want to chance my dog running outside to attack this thing.

"I didn't raise the rifle to my shoulder, but it just sort of hung from my right hand, ready in case I needed to bring it up.

"I think I walked out to the end of the patio where there was a short wooden fence, and I stared into the woods. I couldn't see much because it was so dark back in the trees, but there was one of those big lights that the electric company provides up a pole over the trailer.

"Then suddenly there it was in front of me, no more than twenty yards away. It tore out of the trees and came to a standstill right there, not moving, just staring back at me. It's chest was heaving up and down a little, as if it had trouble breathing or something, but other than that it did not move.

"I don't rightly know how to describe it. It was huge, taller than me, and covered in hair from head to foot. For a second the idea of it being a grizzly popped into my head, but I knew there weren't any grizzly bears in that part of the world. But I had seen penned grizzlies in Cherokee, North Carolina, and this thing was every bit as big as they were.

"It's fur was a dark brown, and it's face was sort of like that of an ape, but it didn't have the big mouth of an ape and its eyebrows protruded more than that of an ape. It's eyes were the scariest thing. They were real human, just like somebody looking right at you.

"But the thing didn't seem mean or angry or threatening. It just stood there staring at me, sort of as if it were sizing me up, but not as if it were going to attack. More like it wanted to make sure I wasn't going to attack it, be a threat to it.

"I couldn't move. I just stood there staring at it, frozen.

"Then it turned and walked back into the woods, slow this time, not making near as much noise as it had earlier.

"That's when I noticed my dog was howling its head off inside the trailer. I stood outside a little longer, but soon I couldn't hear anything in the woods, so I went back into the house.

"I was pretty shaken up. I didn't go to Duke that day, but stayed home. Part of me didn't want to leave the house because I was afraid that thing might come back and break in and hurt the dog. But I never saw it or heard of it again.

"I've asked around a little bit, and no one else around here that I know of has ever seen such a thing in these parts. But I don't like to tell too many people what I've seen, because then they think you've gone crazy or you were drunk or high when it happened."

10 ways to use a pencil other than writing or drawing

2011-01-02T11:32:00.002-05:00

Chewing stick: Bored? Got your head in the clouds? But there's no gum about, and gum is important for daydreaming and other through processes. Well, it's time to stoop and use your pencil. You remember how to do that, right? From back in grade school? So gnaw away. Hopefully you have a clean pencil.
Stabbing: I'm not advocating physical violence or anything, but if you ever get attacked by vampires (or by anybody, for that matter) and a pencil is all you have at hand, then stab away! Yep, a pencil can be used as a weapon. I've got a small chunk of pencil lead in my left hand from second grade as proof.
Erasing: Yeah, this is an easy one. At least if your pencil has an eraser on one end. But if you don't feel like writing, and you've got that eraser, feel free to do some erasing. Just don't tear through the paper, at least not if you need that sheet of paper again.
Throwing into the ceiling: You've probably played this game at work on a slow day. You find one of those drop ceilings that aren't too stiff, and you throw the pencil with the sharp end facing upward at the ceiling. You have to have a little skill to do this correctly and to get the pencil to stick into the ceiling, but with practice it can be fun. You could even get a few co-workers together and have a contest. Or even keep score.
Spin the pencil: Remember playing spin the bottle in junior high school? This is just like that, except you are spinning a pencil instead of a bottle. Just make sure to pick good-looking friends to play this one with. And alcohol can help.
Measuring: This is a fairly simple use of a pencil, and it's somewhat practical. Let's say you need to measure something, but you didn't bring a ruler or measuring tape with you. What's a handy substitute? Your pencil. Don't worry, because you can always measure the pencil itself later on and multiply that number by the number of pencil lengths used in your original measurement if you are in need of an actual unit of length like inches or centimeters or something.
Kindling: Is it cold and you don't have any source of warmth? Well, in that case, hopefully you've got some matches or a lighter and a whole bunch of pencils. Because yes, pencils burn. At least the wooden ones do. I don't want to think about trying to keep warm by burning a bunch of plastic or metal pencils.
Back scratcher: Don't you hate it when your back is itching ... right ... there ... in ... the ... middle ... where ... you ... can't ... reach ... it! Thank goodness for pencils, because they can give you that extra bit of length that can allow you to reach those tough spots.
Modeling: Okay, you've got to be a real pencil lover to do this one. First off, you're going to need hundreds if not thousands of pencils. And probably some glue. Once you've got all those pencils and glue, you can get to work building a model. What kind of model? Your choice. But I'll suggest something rectangular, like a building, because of the length of pencils. Who knows? You could maybe do a model of a famous building, like the Empire State Building or the Tower of London.
Stress relief: Sometimes there's nothing that can do away with your stress like breaking something. That's where pencils come in handy. They're cheap. They're easy to find. They're usually one around somewhere. And, most importantly, they're relatively easy to snap in half. So if you're having a bad day, get to breaking some pencils!

Other useless links for your amusement
10 reasons there ought to be a Constitutional Amendment banning flip flops
5 odd roadside buildings in America
5 weapons to have for a zombie apocalypse

In fiction, "darkness" is in the eye of the beholder

2010-12-04T19:23:00.002-05:00

As a fiction author, I tend to mostly work in the fields of fantasy and horror. I don't consider my fantasy works especially dark, nor do I consider most of my horror to be overly gory.

But readers as individuals have different tastes and wants in their literature. Why, just recently I had a reader e-mail me asking me about the darkness in my fantasy series, The Kobalos Trilogy. I was not surprised, but as recently as a couple of years ago I would have been.

When I first set out to write The Kobalos Trilogy, I wasn't planning on writing dark fantasy. I was thinking of writing epic fantasy, but I didn't want it to be huge epic fantasy, if you know what I mean. Yes, there's a bit of traveling and a dark mage and some of the tropes of epic fantasy, but I wanted the story to mostly focus upon a core group of individuals, a half dozen or so people, instead of spanning across nations and armies and whole populations. In the end, I believe I mostly accomplished what I set out to do in those regards, though there is a touch of a broader, world-spanning plot.

Also, something else I wanted to do was to make the violence in my fantasy to seem realistic, not to be overly bloody or gory, but to have the emotional impact that violence does in real life. When one of my characters kills someone, I want it to mean something, to have an emotional impact upon the reader. Which is one of the reasons I don't use non-humans in my fantasy, because I feel such characters limit the emotional relevance to many readers. I see far too many fantasy novels filled with heroes who slash aside orcs or goblins or other meanies without their being anythingreal to it; the bad guys are just bad guys and stand-ins for any kind of bad guys (not that there isn't a place for those stories as well, but they're not what I wish to write). Violence has real-life repercussions, regardless of whether it's committed by some sordid serial murderer or a patriotic hero waving a flag; there might be different levels of the violence, different reasons behind it and different repercussions, but they are there. Violence of any type by any person leaves no one without scars, often not even the perpetrator of the violence.

What brought this to mind, besides the one e-mail from a reader, was my own recent readings. Upon the recommendations of various friends of colleagues, I've read several fantasy novels lately that have been labeled as "dark." Some of this novels are from traditional print authors, while some are from indie authors.

None of them have I found overly dark. Violent, perhaps. Bloody, sometimes. Dark? Nope.

What is the difference, at least for me? To me, "dark" literature is fiction that explores the debased side of humanity, our darker thoughts, ideas, etc., what some might call evil and/or the disturbed. To my way of thinking, blood and horror and gore and violence in and of themselves are not necessarily dark, sometimes being little more than titillation, what author John Gardner said celebrates "the trifling."

True dark literature, in my opinion, goes beyond the mere physical acts of violence and explores the emotional depths of the darker sides of humanity.

For example, despite the large numbers of murders and deaths, I wouldn't consider the Friday the 13th series of movies to be overly dark. Gruesome at times, yes. Dark, not on your life.

Keeping with an example from film, Apocalypse Now I find to be a truly dark film. Yes, it has its blood and gore and its fair share of battle scenes, but it goes beyond this to explore the emotional effects of the Vietnam War on soldiers, the effects of violence and madness, the outgrowth into more violence and madness, etc.

To that end, such novels as Fight Club and Moby Dick I consider "dark" literature, though they are not necessarily overly gore-filled. On the other hands, I don't consider most horror novels are truly dark literature, though there are exceptions. Clive Barker writes dark fiction, sometimes so does Neil Gaiman, but honestly, despite my liking of his writing style, I don't consider most of the works of Stephen King as overly dark, ashorrorific as some of them might be.

Now, I freely admit I'm simply offering my own opinion here. I'm not suggesting no other opinion's are valid. This is just how I see things.

So what are your thoughts on dark fiction?

Links about dark literature

10 Horror short stories online for free

10 Web Sites for Horror Writers

Logical Misanthropy, horror and fantasy author's blog

10 things hunters should never camouflage

2010-10-21T03:37:00.000-04:00

Wallet

So you're tromping through the woods on your way from or to your truck. You reach for your wallet. Why? Who knows? Maybe your keys are in your wallet. Maybe you need a stick of gum from your wallet. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you are taking out your camouflage wallet in the woods. Oops! There you go dropping your wallet. You've lost it! And everything else that was in your wallet. Bet you're wishing now it wasn't camouflaged, right?

Gun

Yes, we all know camouflage shotguns and rifles are hip. If they're not, then why does everybody and their brother seem to have one or want one? But imagine you are up in your deer stand and you set your longarm down or lean it against the tree while you're putting in a chew of tobacco. Agh! There goes your gun slipping off the edge of the deer stand! Now you climb down to retrieve your weapon and, guess what? You can't find it. Why? Because it blends in so well with the surroundings.

Chewing tobacco

Some brands of chewing tobacco come in a camouflage bag, or sometimes the chewer will have a special bag that's camouflage. Now what's worse than being miles away from a vehicle, out in the middle of nowhere, and losing your tobacco? Not much. Maybe getting shot in the leg. Keep your chew in a regular old bag. Probably the packaging it came in is best so you don't have to worry about losing your own personal special bag.

Hat

You don't want a camouflaged hat for one very important reason. You might get your head blown off by another hunter! Hunter orange, blaze orange, safety orange ... whatever you want to call it ... is what you should be wearing on your head if you want to keep it. Remember, safety first when it comes to hunting. Heck, safety first when it comes to any and all firearms use.

Vehicle

You've been out in the woods since four in the morning. You didn't even get a dang buck. Now it's late in the day and you're tired and want to go home. Where did you leave your truck? You thought it was over there, right? But now you can't find it. Why? Because you were an idiot and had your truck painted camouflage. Youwould be able to see it if you'd kept it a normal color, but now you get to have extra fun walking up and down the road looking for your vehicle.

Cell phone

You might need your cell phone in case of an emergency, so the last thing you should do is have it camouflaged. What if you are out in the woods and become injured? Or worse, wounded? Boy, that cell phone would come in handy. But you just dropped it and it's camouflaged, so you can't see it now. Good luck limping back to the truck and waving down another driver.

Shoes

You should be able to look down and see your feet clearly while in the woods. Why? Safety. You should be able to see where you are walking at all times. Yes, you can look ahead to where you are about to step, but camouflaged footware doesn't help. It hinders. Just watching out for you. Don't come crying to me when you break your ankle.

Canteen

If you get lost, or if you become injured, and are in the forest for a long period of time, water can become the difference between life and death. If you drop or lose your camouflaged canteen or water bottle, you might have trouble finding it again. You don't want that to happen if you are desperately in need of water.

Flashlight

Why make it harder to find an item you might really, really need? Sure, a camouflage flashlight in the middle of the night doesn't make much of a difference. But if you lost or misplaced your flashlight during the day, you want to be able to find it. Why? Uh, because when the night rolls around, you're going to need it.

Knife

A knife is one of the most important tools to have. Even a basic knife can cut, be used as a screwdriver and perform all kinds of other tasks ... many you won't even realize until they come up. So don't camouflage your knife. If you drop it, it'll be tough to find. And you never know when a good knife, even just a pocket knife, might come in important.

Related links
10 unusual firearms
10 unusual revolvers
10 bear safety tips

10 signs you should dump your boyfriend

2010-10-07T21:05:00.000-04:00

You catch him in bed with your sister
Or maybe it's your mother or your aunt or your uncle or your nephew or your best friend's third cousin from out of town. Anytime you catch your boyfriend in bed with anyone that's not you, that's a pretty good sign you should dump him right then and there, no questions asked.

He uses your credit card without asking
And lifts cash from your purse or wallet without asking. That is a sign. And no, it's not a little sign, nor even a simple street sign. It's a great big, horns blaring, lights flashing, train rolling, clowns doing tricks sign that you need to drop your boyfriend at the nearest corner. Or off the nearest bridge.

He's on the run from the law
Yes, you love him. But is it really worth putting up with all the garbage that goes along with him being on the run? The having to put all the bills in your name? The having to move every few months? The having to pay for everything with cash? You know, fun stuff like that? You still want him? Then he's all yours, and you'll face time behind bars, too, for harboring a fugitive. Good luck with that.

He's on the run from the mob
Okay, facing a jail sentence is one thing, but facing a bullet between the eyes is altogether something else. Sister, drop this loser. He's not only going to bring you down, but he's going to bring you down to the mortuary. For good.

He keeps looking at other women
Maybe you're not the jealous type and don't mind your guy checking out other chicks. But looking can lead to talking, and talking can lead to phone calls, and phone calls can lead to meeting, and that can lead to a whole lot more. Babe, correct this behavior in your man or don't come crying to me when you catch him in bed with your sister.

He keeps looking at other men
And not in a competitive, he-man sort of way. You know what I mean. He also knows the brand names of your shoes and your purse. And he likely knows the names of your perfume and eyeliner. Men generally don't know that kind of stuff. Your man, honey, is not for you. Or any other woman. Even if he won't admit it to himself.Especially if he won't admit it to himself. Have a talk with him, get him some professional help is need be, but it's over. If not now, 10 years from now when you catch him winking at the paper boy or somebody.

He disappears for long periods of time
How long? Maybe it's just a few hours here and there. Or maybe it's for a few days at a time. Whatever it is, if he can't come up with a realistic reason, with actual proof, of where he's been and what he's been doing, then you need to dump him flat. He's doing something he shouldn't be doing. It's either something illegal or something you won't approve of. Either way, drop him like a bowling ball from a helicopter.

He's drunk more than he's sober
Or maybe he's high more than he's not. That's a bad sign. No, he might not be cheating on you, but it still means he loves something else a whole heck of a lot more than he loves you. And it's only going to lead to trouble down the road. Sure, maybe now he's only drinking a case of beer a day, but in a year it might be a keg a day. That's expensive. And it brings trouble. Trouble you don't need. Dump. Him. Flat.

He works all the time but never has any money
Something's up. It might be another woman. It might be a drug habit. Or maybe he's playing the ponies too much. Whatever it happens to be, it's something that's costing a bunch of cash. Which means he's not good with money and/or has no control over how he spends money. Yes, you could be the big woman and step in and try to take charge, but that's not going to work. Somehow, some way, he's going to keep on doing whatever it is he's doing that's eating up the cash.

He spends all his time writing online
Is he really writing all the time? Or is he peeking at porn all the time? Or hooking up with someone else online? You don't know! These men are crazy these days. He could be doing anything online all the time. Heck, you hear about those people who get addicted to the Internet. It's just like a drug addiction. You need to dump this loser, and fast.

More links with attitude
10 drivers who increase my road rage
10 people at the grocery store who make me hate
Why is it phone books suck so much nowadays?

Yes, you can make a living as a fiction author

2010-10-03T20:31:00.000-04:00

The other day I was reading a blog about fiction writing and authors. The blogger was bemoaning the fact that it's tough for fiction writers to find a paying market today. There are fewer and fewer paying magazines and online e-zines that pay anything. The economy and current changes in technology are forcing book publishers, and even literary agents, to pass on many books and authors.

I say all that is hogwash.

It's the best time ever to be a fiction writer.

What makes me say this? Several factors.

For one, that changing technology I mentioned above is mainly the recent arrival of easy digital publishing. Anyone, even a writer who has never been professionally published, can now upload their files onto Amazon at its DTP service and at Barnes and Noble's Pubit service, which makes those books available for sale to the general e-book reading public.

Also, there are several content publishing websites such as Triond where one can self publish their fiction.

Yes, yes, we all know the stories about how awful self-published stories and books are. But that's changing. Sure, there is still plenty of drek out there, but more and more self-published authors are hiring professional editors to edit their work, and some are hiring professional artists and designers to do the covers for their books and e-books. The self-publishing world is changing, too, and many self-published books are better than they would have been just a few years ago, despite the stigma that sometimes goes along with self-published books.

Best yet, these self-published authors can actually make money through their digital e-books. Can one make a living at it? Yes. But there are four things a self-published author must have to succeed:

Quality

As mentioned above, a self-published author must have quality material. They must learn their craft and know it well. For some this is easy. For others, it might takes years of study and writing and reading before they are ready to publish. Most professionals attend college for several years and/or have an apprenticeship period that can last as long as a couple of years, so why shouldn't writers also give themselves at least that much time to become good at their craft? Also, it helps to know how to editor your own work and how to design book covers, though you can hire out that work or ask accomplished acquaintances to help in this regard. Remember, you want your material to be professional, because that will bring more readers and bring back readers.

Marketing

Some writers are bored with marketing. Others absolutely hate it. But if you want to make a living as a writer, it's something you're going to have to do. What's the secret? There really isn't one. Different tactics work for different writers. Some writers find success with blogging, others use social networking, some by advertisements or post on others' blogs. There are tons of different ways to market yourself and your writing, many of them for little or no cost. Just keep in mind that marketing is important because you need to get your name and your books' names out there to potential readers, but always keep in mind you don't want to antagonize possible customers by spamming and being annoying online.

Patience

For many writers, this is the hardest part. The waiting. In the old, pre-digital, days, writers had to have oodles of patience. Sometimes they'd have to wait months or years just to hear back from a publisher or literary agent. Today, if you decide to go the traditional print publishing route, you still have to face all that waiting. But there is another option, and that's digitally self publishing your work. Still, you have to have patience. Once you've written your book, edited it and uploaded to online sites, and done tons of marketing, you still have to wait. Readers aren't going to just come rolling in by the hundreds. It takes time. You're going to have to keep marketing, blogging, writing more, doing whatever it takes each and every day to make sure potential readers know about your work. And guess what, eventually people will start to notice. It might take a few months, maybe even a year or so, but if you have quality material, readers will eventually take note and your sales will start coming through.

Quantity

Yes, you want quality. That's most important, and it should come first. But you also want quantity. What does this mean? Basically, the more books or short stories you have online making money for you, the better chance you have of being able to make a living as a fiction author. How many e-books will it take for you to making a living writing? Who knows? It all depends upon how large an audience will come flocking to read your books. For some lucky authors, one or two books will bring in enough readers and money, but for most authors it's going to take several books. So, again, remember to be patient and to keep working at it.

Related links
New for epic fantasy fans, The Kobalos Trilogy
There's nothing wrong with writing for money
Logical Misanthropy, horror and fantasy author's blog

10 Writing Lessons From Spaghetti Westerns

2010-09-12T19:13:00.001-04:00

"In this world there's two types of people, my friend. Those with loaded guns, and those who dig. You dig." - Blondie (Clint Eastwood) in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
What could this quote possibly have to do with writing? A lot. A whole lot. If you are a writer, you have to be willing to be the type of person who digs. You have to be the type of person who gets things done. Procrastination is your enemy. If you are trying to be a writer, yet you can't find yourself completing a task, perhaps you should look for another line of work. Writing is about accomplishing. If you can never complete a project, an article or short story or novel or whatever, you're not a professional writer. You're a hobbyist, at best. And the people with loaded guns? Those are your editors and publishers, and often the readers, too, who want and need you to get down in the dirt and dig, dig, dig.

"Two hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money. We're gonna have to earn it." - Blondie (Clint Eastwood) in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
For most people, two hundred thousand dollars actually is quite a bit of money. But regardless of the actual dollar amount, if you are trying to be a professional writer, sooner or later you're going to have to write for money. Some people balk at that. Some seem to think any artist who is doing their craft for money is a sell-out. That's not true. Any artist doing their craft for money is a professional. And that money has to be earned.

"People with ropes around their necks don't always hang." - Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef), in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Fiction writers need to keep readers on a hook, to keep them hanging, at least until the end of a tale. This is done through building suspense, regardless of the genre of tale, through doling out certain amounts of information, usually about plot or character, but not too much information.

"The question isn't indiscreet, but the answer could be." - Colonel Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef), in For a Few Dollars More
This is related to the hanging quote above. The writer doesn't want to alienate readers by cheating them, by leaving out obvious, important facts early in a tale, but can keep the reader's interest high by revealing just a little, then a little more, and a little more, and so on until the story is complete and the reader knows all the information. Just remember, don't cheat the reader.

"Every gun makes its own tune." - Blondie (Clint Eastwood) in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Every writer is different. If you read Tolstoy's War and Peace backwards and forwards for years, possibly even had it memorized, then sat down to write your own version of the tale, your version would be unique. There's a saying that there are only so many plots. That might be true, but no one has seen a plot through your eyes and through your writing style until you've got it out there for others to see. Early on in your writing, don't worry so much about being original. When you're a beginner, you need to focus on getting things done. Later on, after you've some experience, then is the time to truly focus on your own voice. Just remember, each writer is different.

"When a man with a .45 meets a man with a rifle, the man with the pistol will be a dead man." - Ramon Rojo (Gian Maria Volonte), in A Fistful of Dollars
Actually, despite how the story played out in the movie, this quote is generally true. You don't bring a handgun to a rifle match, because the guy with the handgun will be outgunned. The guy with the rifle will have better range, quite often will have more ammunition immediately available, and usually will have a more powerful weapon. Of course, there are always exceptions, but not often. What does any of this have to do with fiction writing? Know your stuff. If you're writing about weapons, whether modern or historic or firearms or blades, make sure you know what you're talking about. You don't have to be an expert marksman or sword fighter, but you should at least know enough about weapons so your readers (many of whom will know about weapons) won't laugh at you. Because those readers might not be back for your next story or book, and they won't be shy about telling their other reader friends about how much of a doofus you are. And even if you don't write about weapons, you're going to be writing about something. So, to repeat, know your stuff,

"After a meal, there's nothing like a good cigar." - Blondie (Clint Eastwood) in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Actually, I find this one quite true. I love a good cheroot after a meal. But I digress. This quote relates to writing in this manner: After the climax of your story has come to fruition, that doesn't mean the entire tale has come to an end. Hopefully your climax lead to the main resolution of the story, but there still might be some lesser things needing said, or at least worth being said. Maybe it's a short examination of the resolution's effect about a character. Whatever it may be, this denouement helps to tie up any lose ends for the story and the characters. A denouement is not always necessary, but quite often it is. One key to a solid denouement is to keep it short; readers have already got the gist of the tale, and they're ready to wrap things up. And don't cheat the readers by leaving something out.

"When two hunters go after the same prey, they usually end up shooting each other in the back." - Colonel Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef), in For a Few Dollars More
This one basically means, "don't worry about what other writers are doing." Or, don't worry so much about following trends. Sure, vampire novels are really hot right now, but they might not be in a year or two. Another example would be young adult novels; those are popular right now, but will they be in six months? Maybe, maybe not. But you as a writer shouldn't worry about that, about trying to follow what's hot. Why? Because if you do so, you're likely to miss whatever window of popularity is still available for such literature. Unless you are an extremely fast writer and can have a novel done in a couple of weeks (which isn't impossible), then it's going to take you a while to write that novel. By the time the editing is finished and you've gone through a publisher or self-published, trends will likely have changed. That young adult vampire novel you wrote will possibly be considered trite or hackneyed by the time you can get it out to readers. That doesn't mean you shouldn't write such a novel, if that's what you feel inclined to do, but that you should write what you feel impelled to write, whatever it may be.

"Sometimes the dead can be more useful than the living." - Joe (Clint Eastwood), in A Fistful of Dollars
Learn from the classical masters of literature. Sure, their writing styles are outdated and will seem boring to many modern readers, but they can still teach a lot about plotting and characterization. Literary masterpieces are often also quite strong at helping to teach writers how to emotional involve readers, which is always important. You want those readers to like your writing, right? Then make them become emotionally involved with your characters, and those readers will love you and will be back for your next book or story.

"When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk." - Tuco (Eli Wallach), in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Talking about writing isn't writing. Reading isn't writing. Only writing is writing. If you want to be a professional writer, you have to write. Don't forget that. Getting the writing done is half the job. The rest is editing and promotions and all kinds of other stuff. But remember, you have to have the writing part done before you can move ahead with the rest.

Money should flow to the writer, but always?

2010-08-26T01:09:00.002-04:00

Among fiction writers there is an old saying that "money should always flow to the writer." Basically, this means fiction writers should be paid by publishers, and should not pay their own money to be published.

It's become a cliche.

However, most times it is true.

That old saying is basically an attack against vanity publishing, in which a publisher charges the writer to be published. By many fiction writers, this is considered a scam, and they're not necessarily wrong. If a writer is paying to be published, the publisher is making their money from writers, not from the readers, and that's not really publishing, at least not traditional publishing.

Until recently, most self-publishing ventures were some form or other of vanity publishing, and have long been looked down upon by more traditional writers and publishers.

But technology has changed much in the book publishing world in the last few years. Digital books are exploding, becoming more and more popular by the day. With digital publishing of e-books, writers can now publish their own works online at sites such as Smashwords or for e-reader devices such as the Kindle by Amazon without having to lay down any cash because these companies make their money through percentages of sales of the writers' e-books.

The writer doesn't have to shell out any money, the companies distributing the e-books make money, and everyone's happy. Right?

No, not really. Technically, this new wave of digital publishing is still self publishing, though it's no longer vanity publishing because the writer doesn't have to pay to be published. Unfortunately, self publishing raises the hackles of a lot of people, many of them working within the traditional print publishing field.

But not everyone. Some writers and even editors and publishers are joining in this wave of digital publishing.

The arguments on blogs, boards and forums become quite heated at times, but the truth of the matter is that the technology is here to stay. Currently there is nothing to stop a writer from digitally self-publishing their own work, despite a number of people frowning upon it.

It's also generally looked down upon for writers to spend any of their own money to promote their own work. The publisher is traditionally supposed to take care of that.

But does that thinking hold with today's technology?

Not entirely.

Yes, money should flow to the writer, and yes, writers should not pay to be published.

But guess what? Once a writer begins publishing their own works, they are no longer just a writer. They are also a publisher.

Which means, maybe there's nothing wrong with a writer spending his or her own money for promotions, marketing, etc.

Please don't get me wrong. I don't believe writers should go out and spend tons of money to get published or to purchase advertising or anything like that. But I also feel writers shouldn't limit themselves because of some stigma of spending their own money to promote their business.

Because a self-published writer is indeed endeavoring upon a business. In the U.S., if you make more than $600 a year from your writing, that's a business. If you make less than $600, that's a hobby.

One secret successful writers have learned is that the writing is the easy part (and often the most fun part). It's the promotions that's the real hard work. Promoting one's own writing, especially in an appropriate manner that is not spamming potential readers, takes a lot of time and effort. In fact, it can take more time to promote a book than it can to write the book!

Again, I'm not advocating writers spending a bunch of money. But I am suggesting writers consider doing some research into promotions, then possibly spending wisely. Remember another old saying, "if it's too good to be true, it probably is." So beware of all the scams trying to take your money, because plenty of them are out there.

Related links
New for epic fantasy fans, The Kobalos Trilogy
Writing for a Living, a blog for online writers
Logical Misanthropy, horror and fantasy author's blog

Great list for Triond writers

2010-08-25T13:32:00.001-04:00

AskSan, one of the writers over at Triond, now has a regular blog post promoting articles and writers she likes from around the Web. So far, most of what she's picked seems to come from other Triond writers, but it's her blog so there's always room for expansion.

Not only is this nice news for some Triond writers, AskSan's blog is also an easy way to check out some decent writing. Also, for you writers out there, it's a good place to check out your competition, and to see what other writers are doing that's successful. You can always learn from others, right?

50 ways to annoy Triond writers

2010-08-12T12:09:00.000-04:00

Copying a Triond writer’s articles. It’s called plagiarism. It’s illegal, as well as immoral.
Copying their article titles. This one’s just silly.
Copying the subject matter of one of their articles. This one isn’t as bad as others, but it still shows a lack of consideration, if nothing else. Also, the time element has to be taken into account. If two articles with the same subjects are published within a day of one another, it’s kind of cheesy. But if several months or years have passed, no harm, no foul.
Posting tons and tons of your own links on the Triond forums.
Posting tons and tons of anyone’s links on the Triond forums.
Trash talking another writer on the forums when they’ve done nothing wrong. Are you 14 and still in junior high?
Leaving spam on article comments.
Leaving tons of links to your own articles on another’s articles.
Messaging another Triond writer and begging them to read your articles.
Messaging another Triond writer more than once and asking them to “friend” you on Triond.
Messaging another Triond writer more than once and begging them to “friend” you on any other site.
Trash talking Triond for stupid reasons on the forums. There are, at times, legitimate reasons to be upset with Triond. Most reasons on the forums aren’t legitimate. They’re stupid, and make you sound petty and stupid.
Lying in the forums about how you’ve made tons and tons of money on Triond. It’s old. It’s boring. And it’s hardly ever true. You look like a fool, at best. And anyone who spends a fair amount of time on Triond already has a pretty good idea of who the big earners are. You’re not one of them.
Posting your referral links to other sites in the Triond forums, without pointing out it’s a referral link. We’re not stupid. We don’t mind helping out someone from time to time, just not those who are trying to trick us.
Writing stupid articles and having them do very, very well. This one’s not your fault. You got lucky. It just annoys the rest of us.
Writing really good articles that make money. Yes, the rest of us are still jealous.
Going to another site and trash talking Triond writers. Then returning to Triond and acting as if nothing has happened. Many Triond writers use more than one site. They’ll know.
Trying to police the Triond forums. I’m the first to admit, the forums have a lot of garbage. But in all the years Triond has been around, the staff has shown next to no interest in policing the forums. Neither should you. It is what it is.
Going to another site and trash talking Triond, then coming right back to Triond to publish your articles. This one makes you look like an imbecile. As always, there are legitimate gripes with Triond. Just be intelligent in what you complain about.
Trying to write in English when you don’t know the language very well. This is another one that really isn’t your fault. You’ve got to learn, right? But feeding out bad English doesn’t improve your chances of drawing viewers, and it hurts the heads of the rest of us trying to read it. Suggestion: Don’t try to write in English on Triond until you know the language better. Or perhaps there are sites similar to Triond that allow other languages? Just an idea.
Being bigoted against those who can’t write English very well.
Blowing up on the forums about your personal religious/anti-religious/spiritual/political/whatever beliefs. We don’t care.
Not accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.
Writing about the same subject matter. All. The. Time. No one wants to tell you what to write, but come on. It gets boring after a while.
Posing as an expert when you’re not. Other writers will catch on to this. How? Because some of them really are experts.
Talking on and on about how “real writers do it for the love of writing or to express themselves, NOT for the money.” No. You’re wrong. And you’re an idiot. Real writers write because they love writing, enjoy expressing themselves AND want to make money, if not a living, through their writing. Anything else is a hobby, not a calling.
Pretending to be someone you’re not on Triond. Sooner or later others will catch on.
Commenting on the Triond forums under multiple user names. Again, others will catch on.
Being overly promotional on Triond. It’s okay to post a link every once in a while, or from time to time to mention whatever it is you’re selling, but doing it often is annoying. Others will shut you out, and this won’t help you sell whatever it is you’re selling. Annoy enough people, or the wrong people, and they’ll make it their personal goal to attack you and your product on Triond and beyond. That doesn’t do you any good.
Not helping beginning Triond writers. Sometimes it’s fun to be flippant on the Triond forums, but it also doesn’t hurt to help out the newbies. You were a newbie once, remember? If the newbies get a little help, they’ll soon add to the Triond community instead of slinking away or worse, by becoming annoying.
Leaving extremely brief, almost unrelated comments on Triond articles. They’re usually something like “Nice article.” These comments scream “I’ve read your articles, so please read mine!” If you have something to say, say it. If not, just click the “Like It” button and move one.
Posting on the forums that you have some new way to make others money, if not out-and-out rich. Everyone has seen your scam or whatever other kind of BS you’ve got going on. We know. We will avoid you like the plague.
Screaming “censorship!” No. Censorship is what a government does. Private entities, such as individuals and businesses, do not have to publish your garbage. You can write it all you want, and you can find other ways to publish it if you so desire, but you don’t have the right to force anyone to publish anything of yours.
Bad language. Oh, wait, who the f*ck am I kidding?
Complaining about how little money you make from Triond.
Especially if all you write are poems or religious articles.
Or post images on Picable.
Bad speling. It cun be enfuriating. Especialy considring Triond is spposed to catch this klnd of thang.
Being the grammar police. Triond is basically a free for all. We write what we want. You don’t have to read it.
Writing poetry.
Then begging others to read it.
Begging others to read anything you’ve written. Learn the word “promotions.” Begging and spamming are not involved.
Acting like a know-it-all. No one knows it all at Triond. Okay, maybe one or two people. But you’re not them.
Going on the forums and acting as if you are a Triond employee. It’s been done. A billion times. And it wasn’t cute the first 500.
Complaining about how much work Triond is, and you should be making more money. No one forced you to come here. Spend your time job hunting if you want to make money.
If you actually work for Triond, one way to tick off writers is by cutting their pay. Without telling them about it.
Coming up with a list of 50 ways to annoy Triond writers.
Writing a follow-up article titled something like “50 ways to be nice to Triond writers” or some such nonsense.
Coming up short on your lists.

Online writers have to know when to cut back

2010-07-29T14:40:00.000-04:00

If you're a writer like me who utilizes some of the online content publishing websites, time is precious to you. How so? Because these sites do not pay much money, and it takes a lot of work not only to write your own articles but also to promote those articles.

For beginning online writers, it's best early on to try out at least a half dozen of these sites, perhaps even more. Eventually the writer should find a site that works best for himself or herself, a site that fits all their needs and is easy to use for them.

For me, the site that best fits all my current needs is Triond, though I have my quibbles about Triond. I also routinely use Bukisa, RedGage, Gather, Xomba and, until recently, Helium. Over the last year that I've been blogging and writing regularly online, I've tried out another half dozen sites, but I've always come back to a core group.

However, I've decided it's time to cut back and to utilize fewer sites, probably just Triond and Bukisa.

Why?

Because time is essential to me. Writing is not a hobby for me. It's how I make a living, how my bills are paid and my family gets fed. And since I can't magically create more time, I have to focus on what's essential, on what works for me as a writer.

As I mentioned, I no longer use Helium for writing and publishing. Helium is a great site. In fact, it's one of the better paying content publishing sites out there. But Helium also takes up a lot of time. Not only do you have to write and promote your own articles, but to make money at Helium you also have to spend lots of time reading and reviewing others' writings. Sorry, but I don't have time for that.

RedGage is a nice site, and I like it a lot, but the site pays you through a gift card. Initially the idea of the gift card sounds cool because it works just like a debit card. However, the problem I've found is that after you've had the card for six months, you are charged a fee of roughly $3 per month just to keep the card. While $3 isn't a lot, RedGage isn't exactly a site where I make a lot of money each month. In other words, I would almost be writing at RedGage for free. Sorry, time to move on.

The other sites I mentioned, and other sites I've tried out in the past, have their good sides and bad sides, but they don't pay enough in my opinion or they make it too difficult to make any money at all. So, time to move on.

Yes, there are those who will argue that Triond also is not an easy site with which to make money. And that's true. But I've already spent more than a year on Triond and I've built up an audience there and have learned how to use Triond well enough to bring me in some money. I also like that I can link my AdSense account with Triond, which makes me even more money. Adding AdSense is a huge bonus for me.

Also, there might be those who ask why I'm sticking with Bukisa since Bukisa also doesn't pay well. The reason: Because Bukisa brings a fair number of viewers each month to my Triond articles through my links. Simple enough, yes?

Writers have to make adjustments, and more importantly, they have to know when and why to make those adjustments. If new content publishing sites spring up, or if the old sites make major changes, I'll probably give them a try. But for now, I'm sticking with what works for me. If you're a writer, try out your own things, then stick with what works for you.

Just remember that sometimes you have to make a change.

More writing links.

Can Social Networking and Online Marketing Take Over a Writer's Life?

Promote Your Writing by Promoting Others

100 ways to show I love you

2010-07-28T06:24:00.003-04:00

Dance together with music.
Dance together without music.
Give roses. Out of the blue. For no reason.
Give chocolates. Anytime.
Leave short, romantic notes about the house.
Write a sappy love poem and leave it for your loved one in a special place where you know they'll find it.
Sing a song for your loved one.
Play a musical instrument for your loved one.
Bake cookies together.
Jewelry is always nice.
Read poetry to the one you love.
Take a carriage ride together, preferably through a park or other wooded area.
Be there for the good times.
And the bad.
Carve your names on an old tree.
Hold hands.
Cry during a movie.
Go on a picnic together.
Take a day hike to a romantic spot.
Go simple. Go old fashioned. Dinner and a movie.
Give a single rose.
Have a movie date night at home. You make the popcorn.
Teddy bears are quite popular.
Just talk.
And pay attention to what the other one says.
Give coupons for free a back massage.
Give a back massage.
Smile when he or she enters the room.
Always say goodbyes.
Shovel the sidewalk when it snows.
Leave a trail of rose petals from the front door to a pleasant surprise, perhaps a hot bath or special dinner.
Sing together.
Sip cocoa together by a fire.
Go on a vacation together. Just the two of you.
Make dinner.
And don't complain about it.
Foot massages are often popular.
Take dancing classes together.
Take cooking classes together.
Teach a class together.
Spend a weekend together at a bed and breakfast.
Leave a rose and love note on his or her windshield.
Send an e-mail from work that says you miss them.
Say, "You are the best thing to ever happen to me."
Let him or her take a nap while you answer the phone, run the errands, take care of the kids, etc.
Write a romance novel or poetry collection about your significant other. Have it bound and/or published. Give them a signed copy with the words "I love you" written above your signature.
Laugh together.
Cry together.
Do something fun together.
Snuggle.
Especially when watching TV.
Wash all the laundry in the house.
Sleep in together.
Rub noses.
Go for long walks together.
Make love, not sex.
Say something nice to him or her.
Compliment him or her.
Look at old photos together.
Take out the garbage. Without being asked.
Thank his or her parents for bringing them into the world.
Create a blog about how much you love them.
Play his or her favorite board game together.
Go house hunting together. Even if you aren't buying a house.
Go for a long Sunday drive.
Go bicycling together.
Watch sunsets together.
Surprise him or her with a night out on the town.
Whisper sweet nothings in their ear.
Go shopping together at his or her favorite store.
Sit in the same room and quietly read books with one another.
Do house chores together.
Work in the yard together.
A good hug can mean a lot.
Call a radio station and have his or her favorite song dedicated over the air.
Slip a secret note into his or her pocket.
Make a present. Yes, with your own hands.
Share secrets about your childhoods.
Lay atop a grassy hill and watch the stars together.
Read bedtime stories to them.
Play footsie under the table.
Play footsie on the couch.
Just play footsie.
Throw them a surprise party.
Go parachuting together.
Watch soap operas together.
A favorite is "All My Children." Pretend you're Kindle and Zack.
Make a scrap book together.
Take care of them when he or she is ill.
Walk the dog(s) together.
Go jogging together.
Caresses.
Sit close together.
Did I mention chocolate? Yes? That's fine. Chocolate deserves two spots.
Take them out for ice cream.
Bring home their favorite ice cream.
Make their favorite ice cream at home.
Really, just about anything including ice cream will do.
Say, "I love you."
More than once a day.