Writing Lifestyle: Maximise Your Writing By Stretching Your Body

By Buffy Greentree

Exercise

If you want your mind to work, to be fully creative and concentrated, then you really need to exercise. What? Exercise? There is a reason you choose to sit behind a computer all day. Ah yes, but sadly the brain does not work so well without exercise. It doesn't have to be the hard, sweaty kind; walking is great. 'Why? WHY?' You cry to the heavens. Well, let me tell you why.

First: Being able to sit down and write works best when all your physical needs have already been attended to. If you have done some light exercise first, and blood is happily flowing to all your muscles, they feel stretched and nicely warm, and this will help you slip into the flow much more easily.

Second: Exercise gives your mind time to process. Watching your thoughts at every moment is counterproductive. Go for a walk and let your conscious and subconscious conspire, then half way through the walk, or when you return, you will might find you hear a little Click! and everything works that much better.

Third: Your brain benefits from physical exercise. Increasing evidence indicates that exercise develops brain plasticity (how flexible you are in your thinking, and how well your brain can build its habits), and makes your thinking processes both faster and more clear. Get some blood pumping around that brain and increase your concentration.

Fourth: If you want to be writing as a lifestyle, then sitting down for the majority of your life needs some sort of compensation by making the most of the time you aren't sitting down.

Fifth: There are things you need that you can't get inside. You need to get your vitamin D activated by sunlight. Sunlight on your retinas helps keep your circadian rhythm up to date, and so also helps you stay awake when you should. Sunlight also reduces depression, and refreshes the senses. So you could go outside and just lie in the grass for all this to happen, but why not do a bit of walking first? Or roll around while you are down there?

As stated before, it really doesn't have to be hard. Walking is good. I like to break a light sweat, but not go into anaerobic exercise. You should still be able to hold a conversation, with just slight puffs. This means your blood is pumping at an optimal level and your body hasn't started creating excess waste product such as lactic acid, which can add extra stress to your body to get rid of. Remember, we are all about stress minimisation. Though one or two hard sessions a week is fine if you are so inclined.

Stretching

If sitting all day, you really should spend some time stretching, because sitting is not a natural position to be in constantly. Years of constantly sitting makes your hip flexors shorten, which can result in lower back problems. Similarly, your glutes like to be gently stretched and used. Your neck and shoulders get tight from the tension you are placing in them, and your wrists and forearms are in danger from the strange repetitive motions you are making them do.

So when you suddenly feel as though inspiration has done a bunk, shrug your shoulders and stretch for five minutes. (Please note that because this is a short article, I've only gone into some stretches here. If you want a fully detailed account, please go to my book 'The Five Day Writer's Retreat' on Amazon).

Warm up: As you haven't been moving, the muscles won't be particularly warm, so it's not a great time to just demand they stretch out, and can in fact do damage. For each muscle group take a moment to warm them up. I recommend starting at the top of your head and work down. It's a nice organised method.

Neck and shoulders: Start by turning your head to either side a few times and then gently lowering your ear towards your shoulder and then the other ear to warm up. Finish this with shoulder rolls, lifting your shoulders up and around. After ten circles reverse and go back the other way. This should get the muscles nice and pliable. Then, keeping your shoulders square, gently lower your ear towards your shoulder and hold it there for 12 seconds. Come up to straight and drop your other ear to your other shoulder and hold for 12 seconds. You should feel the stretch on the opposite side. If you need a little bit extra, you can place the hand on the same side on your head and gently put weight on it to stretch further. Finally, with your head straight forward, drop your chin to your chest to stretch out the back of your neck and hold, then drop the back of your head down so you can stretch out the front of your neck and hold.

Legs: You might need to hold onto to something to start warming them up. Standing next to a chair for support, swing your right leg up as high as it will easily go, and then let it swing back as far as it will go before bringing it straight back up again. Each time try to kick a little bit higher without hurting. Do ten swings. Rotate your body so you are facing the chair. This time swing your leg out to the right, then let it swing back between you and the chair and as far out to the left as it will go. Each time try to swing to the right just a little bit higher. Repeat with the other leg.

Wrists and forearms: Start by rotating your wrists in a circular motion for ten counts, then rotate them the opposite direction. Hold out one hand flat with your palm facing down and with the other hand bend the wrist down until you feel the stretch up your forearm. Hold for 12 seconds and repeat on the other side. Then hold your hand flat with the palm facing upwards, and again push it down with your other hand until you feel a stretch on the underside of your forearm, and repeat on the other side.

If you do that every few hours, your body will thank you every day, and your spritely older self will thank you too!

About the Author:

This is an excerpt from Buffy Greentree's book 'The Five Day Writer's Retreat', available now on Amazon. Five_day_Writer_Retreat

The Write Environment: Improving Your Writing With Easy Changes

By Buffy Greentree

If you ever want to write prolifically, writing needs to become a priority in your life - a skill that you practise daily. As such, you need to make it part of your lifestyle; it needs a dedicated place in your daily schedule, you need to factor in what you eat, drink, how you exercise and sleep. But these are many changes. Right now, I just want to talk about things you can do to your immediate environment in order to maximise your effectiveness as a writer.

Firstly, where is it that you dedicate yourself to writing? Do you have a dedicated writing space? Or do you snatch a corner of the kids' play area, or crouch in the kitchen as it begs you to clean it. Perhaps it's time to get one - there are many people who argue that having a space that is solely dedicated to writing is an excellent way to get your brain in the mood. I'm not one of those people, though I think it's important to have a time and space put aside to write in. When I first dedicated my lifestyle to writing, I wrote in my four-poster bed, which had lanterns hung on each post. Every night I'd get home from the gym, have a shower, dinner, and then jump straight into bed and turn on each of the lanterns. The next few hours before sleep I would dedicate to writing. This was a great time in my writing life.

However, when I got my tax return (yippee!), I went out and bought myself a named 'writing chair'. (In itself it's not particularly special; it's IKEA and probably half the world has the same chair, my treatment of it lends it significance.) My aim is to keep this chair for purely writing purposes. I'm not sure whether my writing is any better for it (difficult to tell), but my back is certainly happier.

The location of the writing space is important. I live in a one bedroom apartment, so the spaces I could dedicate to writing are not very varied. My main living area is across from my kitchen, and my writing chair is in this space. It used to stress me that my kitchen (always in my line of sight when I was sitting in my special chair) was messy. It was very stressful, and while it's possible to block those nagging thoughts about cleaning-as-procrastination, the most effective way to rid myself of those nagging thoughts was to get myself a cleaning lady. So, for the price of staying an hour and a half longer at work (or not going out to a movie and dinner). I get a completely cleaned apartment every second week.

I've made concerted efforts to make my writing environment nice. My furniture is arranged so that I have inspirational books on shelves within arm's reach, inspirational words and favourite quotes festoon the walls, and I have plants around me. I find pictures that evoke my work to myself, as well as large prints of places I've travelled to and adventures I've had, both of which excite my imagination.

Lighting is very important to me, and not just having good light. Sometimes I need low, mood lighting, while at other times I need sunlight streaming in. I've fiddled around with my lighting options, and have a lamp that has a warm light bulb in it, along with my down lights, and moved my chair to be situated right near the windows. How does lighting affect you? Are your lights too harsh? Do you need to invest in a lamp? You might be surprised the difference it makes.

Lighting, music and sounds are all sensuous ways of putting your mind in writing mode. Some people (including myself) use soundtracks for their writing, and scented candles to evoke the writing atmosphere. I use both, combined with other techniques. What scents/sounds put you in the mood to write?

I once heard about writer who had tried unsuccessfully to write while raising young children. She eventually tried locking them in a play pen so she could sit down and write, but the complaints and noise made that impossible. Her solution? Free the children and lock herself in the pen! And it actually worked for her, so don't be afraid to think outside the box (or in this case, inside it!).

Picture for a moment your ideal writing place. What immediately jumps out when you try to picture yourself writing in the future, once you are rich and famous and can write anywhere? What are the key elements?

Personally, I have two images I keep coming back to:

The first is of a clear, light conservatory. A comfortable chair is surrounded by greenery, and beside it is a small table with shelves for books and can hold my pot of exotic tea that I breathe in deeply while thinking.

The other is of a warm, carpeted study. Large French style windows look out into tree branches, dark wood bookshelves surround a large mahogany desk facing into the room. In that warm room are comfortable chairs for curling up and reading fireside. The room smells of fresh coffee.

In these two images, the colour contrasts and the amount of light are important. The nearness of books inspires me, and the use of natural elements such as wood soothes me. The two examples I use mean I don't need much memory input, such as the photographs I have up around me, (the inspirational books on the shelves serve that purpose for me). I try to recreate the essence of these two images as much as I can in my current environment.

Another task: describe your imaginary writing space in as much detail as you can, down even to the scent in the air. Spend five minutes trying to go deeper: where is the light coming from? What is closest to you? What colours dominate the scene? Are you sitting, standing, reclined? How are you supported: feet up with a neck rest, sitting on a desk chair, no back rest? What is your method of writing - desktop, laptop, typewriter? Once you have gotten as much detail out as you can, go through and make a list of elements that are most important to you. Then from these, implement any you can into your current space.

About the Author:

This is an excerpt from Buffy Greentree's book 'The Five Day Writer's Retreat', available now on Amazon. Five_day_Writer_Retreat

The Importance Of Herringbone Dish Towels

By Serena Price

Herringbone dish towels are always unique and different from the rest of the products. They are sold in very many shops n the markets. Manufacturers supply different people with these products. They advise their customers to do window shopping before they can settle on a certain type of item. Customers are advised to select items from trusted individuals in the market.

Manufacturers buy their raw products from different industries. The fibers used have to be treated by these manufacturers before use. They ensure that all the items are durable and can serve customers for a specific period of time. Individuals are also supposed to ensure that they purchase goods from trusted individuals who will provide them with the best quality items. The towels are always soaked in water containing chemicals. The chemicals increase the toughness of these products and make them presentable.

Materials used when making towels have to be durable. Companies ensure that all their raw products are suitable to function well. They buy quality goods for all their customers. Individuals are also able to select the type of material they need from those available. These materials are then soaked in different solutions to make them durable and able to last long. Customers can also select materials that can be treated frequently. Individuals are also able to buy goods that have been treated and those that will serve the required purpose.

Online buying was introduced to different people in the market. Customers have to learn how to buy products from the internet. It is very fast and easy. This method is also reliable since customers are sure of getting quality products from the manufacturers. They have to log in these different sites and view what is available. They can then choose on an item they love. Manufacturers ensure that they provide free and quality delivery services to all their customers.

Herringbone items are used to wipe and clean different products. They are able to soak water for a very long period. They are also loved since dirt is easily washed away. The products are always ironed and aired under the sun after use.

Cleaning of these goods is easy and affordable. They always look presentable an affordable when clean. Customers are taught on the different methods they can use to clean the products individuals are also asked to use different cleaning agents in ensuring that all products are clean. Cleaning agents help to retain the original color of the products. They can also use bleach and other products such as blue where necessary.

Wiping clothes are cheap and affordable. They can be purchased by different people in the market. These goods can also be bought through hire purchase. The products are always sold in pairs. They come in very many colors and designs. The colors vary depending on the interest of the customers.

Herringbone dish towels can be customized. They always look presentable when personalized. Customers are required to provide the correct details that should be printed on the products. They then have to choose on methods that will satisfy them. Machines used when customizing products vary. Customers should choose the stitching method depending on the machines available.

About the Author:

Burdisco offers a great online supply of herringbone dish towels. To see our other fines selections of janitorial supplies, come to our home on the Web at http://www.burdisco.com today.

Getting Rid Of Bathroom Books And Other Clutter

By Serena Price

Every now and then we all come to a point where we feel overwhelmed by the clutter in our living spaces. Unless you keep constantly on top of clearing things out, eventually something will pile up. It may be bathroom books, tacky picture frames, an old Beanie Baby collection; we all have something we could stand to get rid of. Since no one wants to become a hoarder, here are a few tips for clearing out the unwanted clutter in your home.

1. Don't be afraid to throw things in the trash. It can feel very permanent to throw stuff away, but it is the single most effective method of reducing the clutter in your home. You do not have to throw away the things that hold particular sentimental value to you, or things that you are still using. However, if you are honest with yourself, you will inevitably find some stuff that is broken or just plain useless.

2. Store some things. Even if throwing things away seems too drastic, you can at least put things in storage. While this doesn't remove them from your life altogether, it does get them out of immediate sight, and create some more space. If you have not used something in the last three months, chances are you can do with out having it immediately accessible.

3. Have a stoop sale. You might call it a garage sale, or a yard sale, depending on where you live. Whatever you call it, this is a good way to get rid of unwanted stuff without being wasteful. Earn money, and see your stuff go to a good home. You might even make a new friend or two in your neighborhood.

4. Give things to charity. If selling your stuff feels uncomfortable, or if the prospect of organizing a sale is overwhelming, think about donating to a charity or a resale shop. Clothing is the thing that is most commonly donated, but you may have other things that would be useful, too, like old appliances or toys. Coats and blankets are also usually in high demand.

5. Give to a friend or relative. If you have a child and do not plan to have any more, chances are you have a lot of things you will no longer need. You may have cribs, bassinets, baby clothes, toddler clothes, and any number of other things you will never use again. Ask around to friends and relatives who are considering having children or who already have them.

6. Organize. Even if you cannot find a significant amount of things you are willing to store, throw away, sell, or donate, you can still reduce clutter. Invest in some shelves and plastic storage containers, and organize things rather than leaving them lying around.

You will be very happy if you find some time to dedicate to reducing clutter in your living space. Clearing away the ceramic figurines, bathroom books, and other items that are taking unnecessary space. Think about using the tips provided above to help you do so.

About the Author:

Check out an incredible selection of bathroom books by visiting our web pages today. To access our online catalog of quality titles and know more about the author, click the links at http://bayridgepublishing.com right now.

Brain Food: Not For Zombies

By Buffy Greentree

Why would you think your brain isn't affected by what you put into your mouth? Sudden sugar rushes and the following lows play havoc with your concentration and ability to access the key language areas that will bring out the best in your writing. Remember that you are training to be an expert in your field, trying to push your mind, and body as well to some extent, to the edge of human possibilities. You want your wit to be quick and your decision-making skills sharp. You simply can't stuff any old food into a finely trained and balanced system.

Brain Food

Surely you will have heard that some foods are better for the brain than others. Considering your main asset in this adventure is going to be your brain, this is worth paying attention to. Anything you can do to improve your concentration and thought processes is a good idea.

The big secret eating for your brain is understanding the chemicals that come from the foods you eat. These different chemicals can keep you motivated, help you concentrate, improve memory, help you deal with stress, and slow down the ageing process (and fight an incredible amount of mental illnesses).

So, here are some of the top foods for brain function. See how creative you can get.

These are the top four chemicals your brain loves:

Glucose: Yes, it is otherwise known as sugar, and we all hear all the time that sugar is bad for you. Let me explain. Most of the brain's energy comes from glucose, so you definitely need it. The problem is your brain needs a slow and constant stream of it, and gets rather upset by a sudden increase and then none at all. Dealing with this problem? Have more and smaller meals really helps with concentration.

Fatty Acids: Your brain definitely needs fat! But not the kind of fat you find in chips. The big winner is omega-3. So fish is a great looking option here, particularly the fatty kinds like salmon and tuna. However, you can also get omega-3 goodness from walnuts, pumpkin and flax seeds, so you're not totally limited if you can't have seafood. How much are we talking? Well, one serving a day is a great aim.

Amino Acids: These come from protein-rich foods and are essential for mental alertness. They affect your neurotransmitters and so can improve a range of different mental aspects, including memory, your immune system and even your sleep. Mmmm, sleeeepppp.... So how do you get this good stuff? Amino acids come as the body breaks down protein, so fish, meat, eggs, cheese and yogurt are all good. The suggestion is to get one of these into each and every one of your meals. Are you up to the challenge?

Antioxidants: These help to regulate the oxidative stress that negatively affects brain cells. Want some of these goodies? Well good old tea is great, as well as veggies or berries. Your parents were right, you should eat your greens because they're good for you.

Finally, I know it's not a food, but water mustn't be forgotten. Get more water into you, as even mild dehydration has consequences for your mental performance. Make sure you are having a few glasses a day of the pure stuff, along with all your other drinks.

Sadly, eating well won't make you super smart overnight. In most modern lives, change needs to be made just to get your brain functioning as it should. There are some short-term gains, but you should be focused on creating better brain function for the long term. And seriously, it will be worth it.

Avoiding the After Lunch Slump

1. Avoid eating too much. That 'stuffed' feeling is a bad sign. It means that more blood is going to be diverted to your digestive system to deal with the overload, and that you are going to feel sleepy and weak as a result.

2. More protein, less carbs. (Okay, so I sort of agree with the nutritionists, in that you should have some protein. But carbs aren't all bad.) A big bowl of pasta is a great way to make you want to curl up and sleep. However, a chicken salad will keep you fresh and awake.

3. Are you getting enough iron? One of the causes of fatigue, in women in particular, is lack of iron. Use your lunchtime as a chance to make sure you get enough. Chuck some spinach into your salad, or make it a Thai beef salad.

4. Don't rely on stimulants to pick you up. This might work on occasion, but in the end your body will just come to rely on them, meaning they are less effective and without them you feel even worse than you did before! Caffeine is an emergency drug.

5. After-lunch meditation. Well, if your body is going to need some down time to process the food you have given it, you might as well help it and give your brain a rest as well. After lunch, try finding a relaxing spot and listening to a meditation or relaxation tape for 20 minutes. This lets your body digest and refresh as you use that near sleep state to further your creative processes.

About the Author:

This is an excerpt from Buffy Greentree's book 'The Five Day Writer's Retreat', available now on Amazon. Five_day_Writer_Retreat

The Write Diet: Eating To Support Writing As A Lifestyle

By Buffy Greentree

I know, I know, writers are meant to live on booze and cigarettes, but honestly, some of those authors might have written an awful lot more, and for a lot longer, if they had looked after their diet a bit more. I want to look at how to optimise your writing ability through good nutrition.

The Saucy stuff

Don't get me wrong, I have no doubt that people are able to write while eating fast food, and they might even do it better for short bursts with sugar to power them through an all-nighter for an essay. But we're talking about the long term, a career of writing. We are talking about being able to sit down day after day and not falling asleep after your midday meal or crashing from low blood sugar. Best health only comes with good nutrition. If you were a top athlete training for the Olympics, what would you put in your body? Only the best, because you want only the best out of your body. Why do you think your brain isn't similarly affected by what you put into your mouth? Sudden sugar rushes and the following lows play havoc with your concentration and ability to access the key language areas that will bring out the best in your writing.

Hunger vs Willpower

It's very difficult to force yourself to do anything when you are hungry. Easy solution, don't let yourself get hungry. When planning to eat, don't wait until it is too late. One of the biggest traps I've found while writing is that you get caught up in what you are doing, and then suddenly realise you're starving. You go into the kitchen and everything seems too difficult, so you might just grab some chips or live on toast. Toast might get you through the short term, but you'll look back at the week and realise you haven't had anything other than processed carbs. The salad materials you bought have now gone brown and your poor digestive system hasn't seen a vitamin in days. Therefore, plan ahead! And plan to have some pre-made meals for the few slips you might still make.

The first step is to always have breakfast. I know, some of you don't like breakfast. You don't feel hungry in the morning, it's 'always' been this way, it's in built. But you can train yourself to prefer and even crave a healthy meal to start your day. So start with something, even if it is just a piece of fruit (but be aware of the 'sugar crash' that can follow natural fruit sugars as it can follow a cake or biscuit).

Plan simple and brain appropriate breakfasts that won't be stressful to make. Plan them now, and add the ingredients to the shopping list. My breakfast ranges from porridge with cinnamon and brown sugar in winter, which is comforting and makes the world seem better, to natural yogurt and a homemade oat and dried apricot granola. I find yogurt too cold for winter, but refreshing and light in summer. Also, both meals are not at all difficult to whip together, and not having to make the choice of what to eat every morning saves some of my decision making power for later. Whatever works for you, organise it and use it.

Assuming you get up early enough to leave time between breakfast and lunch, I agree with the Hobbits on the importance of elevenses. Taking a break in mid-morning to have a snack breaks the workload into manageable pieces and gives you something to look forward to. Moreover, I'm not one of those people who say you should only eat fruit, unless you feel like it. Personally I find fruit one of the greatest things in the universe, however I am also in favour of a bit of cake - when it's the good solid homemade variety. You know, something to excite you about the upcoming break, without leaving you pinging off the walls. Cheese and biscuits is another good snack. It is just a matter of all things in moderation.

Lunchtime

I love lunch. So many options! Almost anything is acceptable at lunch, unlike dinner and breakfast (which tend to be more traditional and rigid in their definitions). The thought of lunch, what I might have and how it will taste, gets me through a tough morning writing session. I am not above negotiating with myself or even stooping to self-bribing when necessary. However, you do need to think about the consequences.

Many people complain about a tiredness and heaviness after lunch that makes tasks such as writing feel impossible. This wipes out a good three hours of possible writing time, for no real benefit. If you've decided to go see a movie for three hours, well at least you would get some enjoyment. But just staring at a screen blankly and trying to stop your head hitting the desk is a waste of effort. Therefore, do everything in your power to stop this mid-afternoon crash. This starts at lunch.

Some Steps You Can Take To Avoid the After-Lunch Slump

1. Avoid eating too much. That 'stuffed' feeling is a bad sign. It means that more blood is going to be diverted to your digestive system to deal with the overload, and that you are going to feel sleepy and weak as a result.

2. After-lunch meditation. Well, if your body is going to need some down time to process the food you have given it, you might as well help it and give your brain a rest as well. After lunch, try finding a relaxing spot and listening to a meditation or relaxation tape for 20 minutes. This lets your body digest and refresh as you use that near sleep state to further your creative processes.

3. Don't rely on stimulants to pick you up. This might work on occasion, but in the end your body will just come to rely on them, meaning they are less effective and without them you feel even worse than you did before! Caffeine is an emergency drug.

4. Are you getting enough iron? One of the causes of fatigue, in women in particular, is lack of iron. Use your lunchtime as a chance to make sure you get enough. Chuck some spinach into your salad, or make it a Thai beef salad.

5. After the allocated 20 minutes, you need to kick your body back into gear, so try going for a walk to get the blood flowing again to the rest of your body. Also, getting out into the sunlight will let your body know it should be awake.

In the afternoon it is easy to start craving carbs and sugar, but now really isn't the best time to have them, as they are just going to make you feel worse. Instead, now is a great time to make sure you have gotten enough veggies for the day. Still a bit low? Try something like carrot sticks with hummus, or even nuts. Once you realise how good getting vitamins can be, your body will be begging you for them.

Dinner

If I'm writing later, I know that I'll need a snack later on. So sometimes you need to be realistic about this. A smaller dinner with a dessert, followed by a supper snack a few hours later will keep you ticking over nicely for an evening writing session.

Make your meals smaller and you are allowed to have more of them. How great is that? Also, you will avoid feeling stuffed, and not feel hungry in between. Just make sure that you do reduce the size of your meals to compensate for having more of them.

Snacking While Writing

As previously mentioned, I'm not above a bit of bribing to get myself to sit down and write. When I first started my writing challenge, I had a great idea. I would beat two willpower problems at once: I would make sure I was never hungry OR fighting major temptation. How did I do this? By allowing myself to eat as much chocolate as I wanted, but only while I was writing. Great plan, huh? If I wanted to eat chocolate, which I did nearly all the time, then I had to be writing.

Hmmm... then there's the downside... If you're planning to spend 4+ hours writing per day, then eating chocolate for this entire time is not going to be healthy. The chocolate had to go. Painful, but it came down to a point of all or nothing for me. I was like an alcoholic - once I started, I couldn't stop. So the only solution was not to start at all.

Aaaannd... Welcome into my life caramel jerseys. Yup, I just replaced them with something else, which didn't solve my problem at all. But I needed something! The hours of just sitting there, not doing anything! And the chewing helped me think, really it did. So then I took a note out of my godmother's book, who had given up smoking. I started chewing gum. What else was I to do?

Chewing gum has a couple of benefits: first, your breath stays minty fresh. Second, the chewing really seems to help the thought process. Third, it stops you putting anything else, like mysteriously appearing pieces of chocolate, into your mouth.

Now I know this sounds like a small, inconsequential piece of advice, but think about it. If chewing gum saves me from devouring chocolate for four hours a day, that saves me hundreds of calories a day. Hundreds of calories a day quickly equals an extra two kilos of weight gain per month. That becomes 24kgs heavier for every year that I write! Considering my writing challenge is for five years, that would make me three times my current weight!

Like I said, chew gum.

About the Author:

Need help with self publishing, The Five Day Writer offers consultancy and services to make self-publishing easy. Five_Day_Writer

Welcoming A Guest Preacher Ensures A Great Event

By Judy Sullivan

Many church congregations will be presented with a guest preacher at certain times throughout the year to speak about certain topics. Any visit by an outsider will require certain steps to be taken in order for the minister or speaker to be fully versed on why a request is being made. The process is a formality for most congregations because the individual is usually known throughout the community as a well rounded speaker.

The invitation to speak is often accomplished by the current pastor, and the first contact that the two individuals will have will be done through a conversation over the telephone. Certain forms may be used to make a more formal request, which would be required to meet Church standards of conduct. Certain facts must be compiled before the visit is placed before the Church board for approval.

The clergyman will provide a great deal of valuable information on the forms that are sent out. The clergy can choose to provide a script of each speech or sermon that is to be executed during the event. Spaces on the form will clarify the purpose of each event so that all parties understand why the visit is being scheduled. If a person is to be baptized on that date, then those names are included on the form.

An announcement is created for each speaking event and is usually mailed to all members of the congregation. Some churches will have a fellowship after the speaking engagement, and that information will be included in the announcement. Some people that agree to speak at an event will have to come to the church from another State and arrangements for lodging will need to be made.

Certain spaces in the form that is sent out will allow the speaker to make known any special needs. The space could list items that would be presented to people who are being baptized that day, or the person might ask the choir to sing several songs in celebration of a seasonal holiday. This opportunity to make a request will ultimately make the speaker feel welcomed before they arrive.

Not all members of the congregation are familiar with the special speaker or their background. The information that is gained from the forms is used to create a biography that can be handed to guests when they enter the building. The paper would contain a brief history on his marital status and any children at home. The congregation will warm to the person when these details are revealed.

The church Board will review all costs associated with the visit since the funds given by parishioners are what pays for these expenses. Some members may feel that a fee should be provided to the speaker and travel costs are often added to those totals. Lodging arrangements will be discussed and finalized before the speaker arrives in the area.

When the visit concludes, the guest preacher should have the opportunity to meet all members of the congregation. The event can also be posted in the weekly newsletter. Any fees owed to the speaker should be provided after the event. Certain speeches are designed to introduce the person to the congregation because the church needs to fill a position on the pulpit.

About the Author:

Read more about Inspire A Congregation With The Speaking Skills Of A Guest Preacher visiting our website.

Steps To Make The Most Of Freelance Writing Work

By Agripina Nuss

Article writing jobs for newbies may well not appear to be quite profitable but they can be. With diligence, conviction and time it will be much easier to generate a decent revenue from taking jobs as a self-employed writer. The secret is to understand how you can make the most of this kind of work.

One of the key approaches to improve writing independent jobs is to know very well what you are enthusiastic about. It is of critical value to your success in this subject that you just take stock of what you're excited about so that you can recognize a practical niche in which you can run efficiently.

When you add your education and experience to the mix it makes a great recipe for success. So, if you are passionate about travel, gardening or marketing, you can make it your niche. Writing about things you love makes the processes easier and makes you sound like you know what you are talking about. Once you have established a name for yourself in your area of specialization, it will become easier to find work and command higher pay.

It is much easier to get writing jobs for newbies if you set up a reputation on the net. It shouldn't just be an element that is unnecessary but a thing that is well considered and serves a reason.

It is important that as you become more successful as a writer you remain focused and keep setting goals for yourself. There are always new techniques to learn or other ways to hone your skills.

About the Author:

Find out more information on freelance writing jobs for beginners at www.freelancewritingjobsforbeginners.org.

How To Know If The Traveling Pastor Got An Attitude Problem

By Judy Sullivan

The individual should be aware that a traveling pastor is not an angel. Not everyone who works at the church is a good person. There are some who actually have severe attitude problems and they even hold a high position at the church. If the person wants to know whether the said professional has an attitude problem, here are the things to check up on.

First of all, one should be aware of whether this professional is self-centered or not. It should be easy to see if this is the case if the said professional always have needs that he or she wants to get attended to. Most of the times, they imply importance to their needs to the point that it takes precedence over the church.

Just because the said professional works in a church does not mean that he or she is not prone to mistakes. The said professional really has an attitude problem if he or she does not show any signs of remorse when they make mistakes or when they are caught for their misdeeds. They will not even offer a heartfelt apology or ask for mercy for those things.

Being unable offer a heartfelt apology or ask for forgiveness might also be due to the fact that the said professional has a high blaming behavior. This is the kind of behavior that will just project all of a person's faults on to other people. This means that whatever happens, any mistake is never his or her fault.

If they are unreliable, then they are surely someone with an attitude problem. As a professional who is working in a church, there are times when the less unfortunate people will rely on them for a few necessities. Being an unreliable person means that he or she can change mind and even reverse his or her decisions any time.

There are also times when the said professional does not even care the consequences of his or her actions. They do not understand that their actions are connected to other people. If they are such people, then they might have little to no conscience at all. They do not care about other people aside from themselves.

A professional who has attitude problems will most likely be a pathological liar. They can easily lie to other people, especially if they think that the said lie will further their image. They do not think their lie will get discovered too. And in the case that it does, they will just imply that they never said anything about it in the first place.

Someone who can rationalize easily can either be a good or a bad person. However, someone who use their rationalizing ability to twist conversations to gain at the expense of others surely have an attitude problem. If these people get trapped, they either keep on talking or change subjects. At times, they get angry.

There are many other signs that the person can check up on to see if the said traveling pastor has an attitude problem. If the person can do a good job at this, then he or she can easily avoid working with such professionals. It is better to be near a professional who is good-natured, after all.

About the Author:

Read more about How To Identify A Traveling Pastor With An Attitude Problem visiting our website.

Important Guidelines On How To Find The Best Deals On Flights

By Judy Sullivan

These days, airfares change often and it is therefore challenging for travelers to find the best deal. Most travelers wish to get cheap air tickets and the common question they have in their minds is how to save money on airfare. This is particularly the case from frequent travelers because they may end up spending too much money on airplane travel. The following are tips on how to find the best deals on flights.

Signing up for airfare alerts is the first step you need to take. Listing and travel search websites offer them free. They will send you emails informing you about the reduction of airfares. Some sites will inform you when the airfares on a particular route you have chosen reduce in price despite the airline or flight time.

You can also get good deals on air travel if you sign up for frequent flier programs and emails from different airlines. Airlines always try to attract customers to book with them directly by offering special deals after they sign up for their email lists and newsletters. They may provide you with a promo code deal that you can only redeem on their websites. An airline can also alert you on special deals available to members of its loyalty program.

If you are a flexible flyer, you can also pay low airfares. Be flexible on arrival and departure times, travel dates and destinations if possible. Different price levels exist for every flight. The factors that affect the prices of flights include the date when a ticket is bought, the popularity of the destination, the travel season and how full a flight gets.

Another thing to can do to get good deals on flights is to book travel tickets early. Most airlines offer the best fares to travelers who buy tickets, 24, 14 or 7 days before the day of the flight. It is also possible to get a good deal if you are creative as you search for flights. You can check how much various airlines are charging based on connection and schedule.

If you are traveling for a vacation, you can opt for travel packages, which usually include car rentals, hotel and air travel. The total package rate is often lower than the cost of paying for all these services separately. You can also save on airfare if you use your frequent flyer miles or points. The smart way to spend these miles or points is to pay for long distance trips.

Another way to pay less on a flight is to call a travel agent and ask him or her to help you find a package deal. Travel agents always know about the airlines that are offering the cheapest tickets to various destinations. Even though they will charge you for their services, the savings you can achieve can be tremendous.

Once you find a low priced ticket, it is essential to research about the other charges the airline will ask you to pay such as charges for premium seats and baggage among others. This will help you know everything you have to pay for prior to purchasing a ticket. By choosing to take these steps on how to find the best deals on flights, you will pay less on your future flights.

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Lydia Sloley Leadership Skills And Good Personalities

By Amanda Bean

After being brought up in Brooklyn, NY; this lady Lydia Sloley changed the lives of many people around the region. She succeeded in touching peoples lives through her sense of belonging to the society. The driving force behind her encouragement was the salvation she received in 1982. Upon receiving salvation, she was blessed by the Lord and she became good in poetry.

The Lord directed her steps in a way that she managed to bless the lives of people both internationally and nationally with her talent of poetic expressions. Upon completing her studies, Lydia started a program called Life In Its poetic Form. The program was exposed in the whole country in Boston region.

Because of the knowledge and skills that she obtained from the institutions, the lady was able to produce, write and direct some of her Television programs. This was due to her knowledge and skills that she acquired to enable her become a producer.

Lydia progressed further with her career to become an expert in image consultant. This made her to establish the life liberation workshops. These seminars taught people life skills and how these life skills could be used to by people to improve their daily livings.

Most institutions such as the churches, Schools and other corporations praised her for the good work that she was doing to change people lives. Currently, the lady has written more than five books of poetry.

The books cover topics such as relations, inspiring insights, Deliberate Yourself Through Christ, Challenging Experiences and Accepting Our Feelings. The publications above have greatly created room for other works in progress.

This recognition has made her write many poetic books in the last five years. The books are of different topics ranging from inspirational to encouragements. These books include; relationships, inspirational insights, Knowing Yourself through Christ and Challenging Experiences and Understanding Our Emotions.

In her future literature such as the Supernatural woman, Lydia speaks to women on their empowerment through following and keeping the Christ mind. In the forthcoming books, she keeps on encouraging women to be updated so that they do not make the same mistakes of the past. She advises the women to adopt a supernatural life because this will make them obtain peace that will create an everlasting life with a purpose in it.

The most inspired novel that she ever wrote was the Fountain of Youth Called Truth. She began more teachings after she had written this novel and thereby revealing to the people that the inner truth should be borne positively. She encouraged the people to follow Christ so that they can have everlasting and more promising relationships with the Lord. Most people therefore turned to the Lord because of her encouragements to the world and also to the people.

The lady also created a website in which she focused majorly on empowering and inspiring women to use Christian principles in their daily lives. In this website, she downloaded talks on various topics that are spiritual and very much important to women. In her website Lydia Sloley also has the song supernatural woman and the supernatural woman shirt also is available on this website.

About the Author:

Read more about Lydia Sloley Leadership Skills And Good Personalities visiting our website.

How To Use Article Marketing To Increase Your Sales

By Madelene Dekuyper

Believe it or not, article marketing really does dominate the landscape for start-up web businesses. Of course, the huge businesses out there do not need to put so much effort into pushing content, but the smaller guys are able to build bigger businesses by pushing content. Read about a few great ways you can improve your campaign.

Write some informative articles. By writing guides that relate to your company, you will be able to call yourself an expert at it and you will gain the trust of your customers. As original content, these articles will also boost your rank in search engine results, since they favor sites with plenty of unique content.

If you are repeating something that you saw on another person's site then you need to be sure to give them credit for it and provide a link back to their site. This will save you from having anyone upset with you and it will let your users see that you are noble and can give credit when it is due.

Strike the right balance when putting keywords into an article. If you pack your content with too many keywords, both search engines and readers will reject you. Keep your keyword usage under 5 times in an article to ensure that you are not dinged by either the engines or your readers. Keyword usage is important, but the quantity is just as important.

Use of good grammar and a large variety of words can enhance ones articles that they produce for marketing. The use of grammar in the right manner can greatly improve the appeal of one's articles. By monitoring what one writes they can improve the quality of an article greatly.

When you are composing the first draft of your next article, do not worry about grammar, spelling or proofreading until the article is finished. Sweating over such details in the middle of composition is inefficient and wasteful. Leave the editing and correcting until after the draft is finished. You will write faster - and better, too.

Travel article marketing is a great way to build back links to your travel web site and become a known authority in the subject. Use your love of travel as inspiration when writing your articles. People will always need helpful information about their destinations. So, if travel is your passion consider sharing your knowledge by becoming a trusted voice in travel writing.

With most ventures you'll pursue in life education is the key to success, and article marketing is no different. You will need to make sure that you're learning everything you possibly can about marketing in general and how to use content to your up most advantage when attempting to market your business.

As you begin to learn more about article marketing, you will inevitably see that you can carve out a path to success by applying solid and working tips one at a time. As one method begins to work, it then opens the door to another variety of tactics you can use. Take things slowly, and use these tips for your success.

About the Author:

Amalia Tscrious writes many reports on her blogs concerning the right way to do effective Article Marketing with Social Lead Freak Software to raise targeted traffic. She will guide you the instructions how to obtain Social Lead Freak Bonus.

Playful Enthusiasm: Writing Well With Motivation

By Buffy Greentree

"It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to." Annie Gottlier.

All activities that have not become habits are a result of one of two things; enthusiasm giving you motivation or plain hard willpower. However, for the majority of people, enthusiasm does not last, and motivation is difficult to maintain. We suddenly realise what we're working on means hard work and will take months and years to get the results we secretly hoped would come overnight. Many people hit this in their writing early on. Pure inspiration will rarely carry the writer all the way through the first draft, let alone the second, third, fifth or tenth. And that is long before the ordeal of trying to find a publisher, if we go the traditional route, or the promotion and marketing necessary for self-publishing.

So how can you possibly maintain your motivation? To start with, you need to realise that motivation and enthusiasm are all in the mind. As I discuss later in my book ('The Five Day Writer's Retreat'), but motivation is an attitude. This is great, because it means that it is totally under your control, if you have the mental discipline to take charge of your thoughts. Our mood and thoughts are easily affected by our environment and experiences. Knowing this, you can set up systems that will reinforce your desire for your task and rebuild your motivation. Generating enthusiasm and a constant feeling of play and fun in your work are two great methods of doing this, and I'll detail some methods of increasing both of these.

Enthusiasm

1. If you're able to build motivation and enthusiasm for anything, you'll find yourself becoming a prolific and happy writer. Want me to write about the new changes to income tax law? Bring it on! Or on the eating habits of dung beetles? I'll think like a five year old and find it cool. Being able to muster excitement, and you'll find your career flourishes, if only because people will pick up on your attitude and want to see what you can make sound exciting next. You will also be able to turn out more content because you will not constantly fight the urge to get up and do absolutely anything else. It makes the difference between begrudgingly writing for an hour turning out 250 words, and letting your fingers tap-dance across the keys for the same time to produce 2,500 words.

2. Remember that other people's enthusiasm is catching. Find someone else who is interested in the same thing you should be (like the flight path of swans in the winter) and warm yourself at the fire of their desire. In today's society of online networking, that person could be anywhere in the world, yet still only a blog post, book chapter or podcast away.

3. There are many great books on writing. Sometimes, just reading about someone who loves writing is enough to remind me that I love it too. So, beg, borrow or steal some books on writing. Ask for them for Christmas presents, borrow them from the library, or obtain them any other way you can. But don't read them all at once, in one sitting. Try to read a little bit each day, a sweet mouthful that tickles your taste buds and continues to feed your enthusiasm. I find this is the best way to use these books. Always have one on the go, and turn to it when you are struggling to sit down and write. You may find yourself getting into the mindset.

Playtime

Critically for your creativity, you need to think of your writing as playtime. If you think about your writing as 'work', your motivation will flee from you. Have you ever tried to get a child to stop playing in order to come in and do homework? Imagine being able to harness the untapped power of their enthusiasm for playing towards being productive.

1. Procrastination. Have you noticed how when you have something else you really should be doing, something worse than your regular chores, those regular chores suddenly become a lot more attractive? Such as cleaning up your bedroom when you should be studying? Similarly when you 'become serious' about your writing, maybe even giving up your day job to write full time, you suddenly can't find the same motivation for it. Now your writing is your 'have to' task, rather than your sneaky secret private time. It's the thing that you want to procrastinate from doing, rather than being the procrastination. How to battle this? Try to do your writing when you should be doing something else. Sounds stupid, but try it. Take on a DIY renovation or start doing your tax early. If you find these win out over sneaking off to write, then you might need to consider being a builder or an accountant.

2. Imagination. The more you involve your imagination, the more like play writing will feel. Each time you write you can witness an adventure. How do you involve your imagination more? Set yourself a challenge that will need creative thinking to fit it into your work. During one essay and exam period, a friend and I dared each other to quote certain 'sources' in our essays. My friend managed to footnote 'I am a fish' written in Ancient Greek (a wonderful tribute to the TV series Red Dwarf), and I used Terry Pratchett in an essay on Ancient Rome. The naughty secret between you and the work might only be a sentence or two, but it can turn a boring essay into a cheeky endeavour, and makes it a whole lot more fun.

3. Relaxation. I've created a ritual in which I get home from work, go straight to the gym, come back and have dinner, then get a cup of jasmine tea, and sit myself down in my writing chair with a small sigh of relief. A physical sigh, which actually helps a lot, I recommend it. As well as the cup of tea, or wine if you prefer. Make this time a relaxing experience. It's your time to be with yourself and your characters, to see what they're up to and have a chat. Create an inviting environment and include little rituals that you look forward to. Maybe talk someone into giving you a foot rub when you get started... always worth a try!

4. No routine! Sometimes setting a word limit to aim for is effective, as this uses the 'goal achievement' aspect of motivation. But for some people, that won't work. It will make them feel stressed and constantly focused on meeting the limit. Kids play because they want to play, and they stop when they want to stop (or more commonly, when they are made to stop). They can go from one piece of equipment, over to the next, and back again as much as they like. There are no rules and no routine they have to follow. You can make your writing like that. Skip around chapters, write whatever jumps into your mind. It won't work for everyone, but it may work for you.

So there you go - three hints on enthusiasm, and four for play in order to maintain your motivation for over a day.

About the Author:

For more help with writing, check out Buffy Greentree's website 100_First_Drafts

How To Source For Sustainable Digital Printing

By Marissa Velazquez

If you own or are starting a business, you probably know of how important a copier machine is to successful operations. Several businesses burn through realms upon realms of paper daily to get their documents and materials printed. Such a trivial daily activity can often be overlooked and regarded as usual and not critical. Not until something happens to your copier or you run out of paper. To learn more on sustainable digital printing, please read on.

Copy machines are available from a number of supplying companies. They range in size as well as printing capabilities. Depending on your business needs, you should be able to find the appropriate copier for your business. Big firms may need larger machines to meet their needs of having lots of documents to print.

Unlike digital print job, offset printing offers a large diversity of special inks and coatings such as fluorescent, spot UV, metallic inks, flat satin matte finishes and high gloss UV. One of the quickest ways to print bulky quantity orders is through offset print work. This fast turnaround is made possible as the print job plates take significantly less time to generate print copies compared to other types of print work.

Several people also prefer to source for used copy machines and buy at lower prices. This is often a good idea if the machine is still in a good working condition. The amount saved on these is tremendous and a good idea for many starting businesses.

Frequent use of printers exposes them to a great degree of wear and tear. At one point or the other, it becomes necessary to undertake printer repair. Some repairs can be handled at the individual level while others need the assistance of a repair specialist. If you choose to hire experts for the job, go for the experienced ones. The experts should have been in this business for a long time to gain enough experience.

One of the most common problems with printers is paper jam. There are several causes of paper jam. It could be due to worn out rollers or even accumulation of dust or grime within the printer. Worn out rollers should be replaced. If the jam is as a result of dust accumulation, cleaning the inner parts of the printer is the only solution.

At times, the toner may smear onto a page or may not stick. This is a clear indication that there is a problem with the printer. This is usually as a result of a defective fuser assembly or toner cartridge. Despite the cause of the problem, any hesitation to take the printer for repair will result in worsening of the problem.

Lastly, when a printer picks all the paper from the paper feed tray instead of picking one, it is time to take it for printer repair. This is an indication that the pad designed to separate the paper is defective or worn out. So long as the printer is not performing as expected, the owner should be concerned. It could be that it needs repair. There is a lot to learn about sustainable digital printing. For more details on the same, please check the web.

About the Author:

You can visit the website www.rollingpress.com for more helpful information about Materials Used For Sustainable Digital Printing

Factors To Consider When Looking For Custom Written Essays

By Marissa Velazquez

Being a student means that you will have to undertake several assessment tests. The difficulty is that, these assessments normally do not provide room for in depth studies and learners find it as a major liability on their time. When in such a situation, you need to consider employing custom written essays services that are given by professional companies online.

Learning in this present digital age is very beneficial. This is simply because, your custom papers and research work can be undertaken online by experts. There are businesses on the internet that have competent writers and some are professors. This offers you a well-researched paper.

Searching on the web is the best way to obtain these services. What you need to know is that there are a good number of companies online that help students with their papers. When making the search for a reliable company, you should also be aware that there are those who offer poor quality services and if hired, your lecturer will not give good marks. With a computer that can connect to the internet, you are only seconds away from hiring the best company for professionally written essays.

These services can also be obtained by asking your school mates for recommendations. What you have to know is that there are a good number of students who are using these services. These students can be your close friends, and they will guide you through the process. The good thing with recommendations is that, you will be sure of getting quality services as it has been tested by your friends.

Custom essays require skills. This is because, these are written in different formats such as APA, MLA just to name a few. What you need to know is that, there are websites which specialize in certain writing styles, so it is important to know all this before making your orders.

The right website to work with is one that ensure that your paper is not plagiarized. Copy pasting is a very serious offence and if your lecturer detects plagiarism in your submitted work, there will be several problems. So ensure that the website chosen is sure that the final product does not contain copy pasted work. This you can know by asking the customer care support online during your search.

The right business to appoint should have experience in this industry. Due to this, you have to make sure that that business chosen has been in the field for a long time, as quality writing can only be acquired from the experienced expert writers. Having a project written by knowledgeable service providers is the assured way of getting good grades from your professor.

The other thing worth considering when searching for custom written essays is the charges. Although, are many companies on the web, their costs varies significantly. You will realize that well established websites request for more money per page while others charge reasonable. In education, all that is need is perfect grades and due to this, appoint well established businesses for quality work.

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Read more about The Best Way To Hire Custom Written Essays Companies visiting our website.

Content That Rocks: Effective Article Marketing Tactics

By Kelle Dudack

Whether you are taking on article marketing by yourself or you have decided that services from an outside source would be best, you have to know what you are getting into and how article marketing is used to promote your business. Only then are you able to determine your needs and whether they are met. Use these tips and begin learning more about a great tool in marketing online today.

If you have an affiliate network, use them to promote your articles for you. Let them brand the articles with their ID's and send them off working to increase your presence on the web. You can really maximize your results by using the power of your affiliate network.

Article marketing is an important component of any successful internet marketing campaign. When you submit articles to free article directories, you can include a link to your website in the author resource box at the bottom of the article. This not only drives new customers to your website, but it also boosts your search engine rankings by increasing the number of backlinks to your site.

Inject a bit of yourself into each article you write. Be original and use your personality to create great content. Let your personality shine through. Your readers will enjoy the personal touch to your writing and will be more likely to come back again and again.

Make sure to use linkbacks. Create linkbacks to your own content on your site pages. Good examples of linkbacks would be having an archive of your articles or related links to other pages on your site. Be careful not to put too many of these links as they clutter your pages. More links on your pages mean more links will pop up on search engines.

It is important that you stick to the topic that was asked for. Many sites do not want to use an article that rants on and on about a totally different article. If you are unsure of what to write about a specific topic, you can always ask the requester for more information.

Looking at what other authors are publishing out there is a great way to help develop your article marketing campaign. You should always avoid plagiarizing anyone's content, but you also need to see how the experts are getting through to their respective niche via the content they write and distribute.

Always try to stay as relevant as possible in your article marketing campaign by creating a set of email alerts for any breaking news. If you can be among the first to get out in front of a breaking product or trend, your readership will stay tuned in and appreciate your site as a source of legitimate and useful information.

As you begin to learn more about article marketing, you will inevitably see that you can carve out a path to success by applying solid and working tips one at a time. As one method begins to work, it then opens the door to another variety of tactics you can use. Take things slowly, and use these tips for your success.

About the Author:

Rozanne Dahley writes many reports on her blogs concerning the right way to do effective Article Marketing with WordAi wordpress plugin to raise targeted traffic. She will guide you the instructions how to obtain WordAi WSO.

Writing Inspiration Tips: Discover Your Muse

By Buffy Greentree

Every time you start a project, or even start a day's writing, you will be faced with a blank page and usually an overwhelming urge to crawl back into bed. It is at times like these you need to pull out your secret weapon. Used for millennia before we become too smart for it, your best friend in getting over that initial fear is your Muse.

Who or what is a Muse? Most simply, it is someone else to blame. And sometimes that is enough.

In the ancient Greek world, there were nine Muses. Although they were often portrayed as scantily clad women, inspiring through the arousal of sexual desire was not their primary purpose. Instead, they were both the embodiment and the sponsors of the arts. You could only produce great art if the Muses chose to grant you the necessary skill and inspiration.

In various forms throughout history, the Muse has been used as an entity that bestows inspiration and passion upon an individual (rather than arousing it within them). This is a very important distinction of roles. It was your responsibility to be open and willing to work when the inspiration was given, but it was her/his/its responsibility to give you that inspiration. If you sit down and work, and yet nothing good comes out, well that's not your fault. Your Muse is simply throwing a sick day. You are, of course, responsible for doing everything you can to win the fair Muse over, but you can't expect any more from yourself than this.

Having to internalise and take responsibility for this purely creative element is one of the reasons for the idea of the tortured artist, so evident in contemporary culture. It is now the writer's fault if they cannot produce inspired work on demand. This is incredibly stressful, enough to make anyone curl up and whimper. It both instils and magnifies the fear of failure that can utterly cripple a writer, that which causes a lot of the writer's block in the world. As Elizabeth Gilbert said in an engaging TED Talk, ("Your elusive creative genius"), "I think that allowing somebody, one mere person to believe that he or she is like, the vessel, like the font and the essence and the source of all divine, creative, unknowable, eternal mystery is just a smidge too much responsibility to put on one fragile, human psyche... and I think the pressure of that has been killing off our artists for the last 500 years."

Accordingly, one of the most important and effective exercises for the developing writer is to identify your Muse. This must be something external to you that has the ability to grant you inspiration when it wants, and requires only that you sit down and faithfully work (and maybe write it a sonnet or two in thanks). Then, invisible to yourself, it will infuse its inspirations into your work, and together you will create something great. And if the work you produce is not great? Well, your muse was away at the time.

Take a moment and discover your Muse. My personal faith works pretty well for me, and you need to find out whatever works for you. If you are at all imaginative, give it personality, characteristics with which you can interact. Make a deal with it: your part is to turn up and start writing on demand, their part is to bless the process and take responsibility for the outcome.

In general, I have found cats make good Muses. There is something in the way they carry themselves that suggests they have the ability to grant inspiration (it certainly explains why they love sitting on keyboards so much, and perhaps why there are so many photos of them online). They also have egos big enough to take your successes or failures in their stride.

Perhaps you could imagine your Muse is the spirit of your favourite writer, or perhaps Botticelli's Venus, the spirit of new-born art. Whoever she is, her role is to be an external being, there to assure you of some higher meaning to your work, and to remind you to relax and let the words come.

As unusual as it sounds, I urge you to undertake this activity right now. Search for an answer that will work for you and has a strong personal meaning. Either real or imaginary, designate someone else to take the pressure and stress of the creative process, so you can just enjoy having fun.

About the Author:

This is an excerpt from Buffy Greentree's book 'The Five Day Writer's Retreat', available now on Amazon Five_day_Writer_Retreat

Love Poem Poster As A Wonderful Gifting Item Or Room Decor

By Marissa Velazquez

It's always nice to come across a love poem poster. Its design is delightful to look at and the words printed on it are touching to read. Placing it in the bedroom, office, restaurant or any other area is a great way to add a dash of interest. When given out as a gifting item, it's for certain that the recipient will have a clue on the true feelings of the giver.

Created to be larger than a postcard, for sure the words, lines and stanzas imparted are going to be seen. The item comes in a range of sizes, from as small as 4 inches x 6 inches to as big as 24 inches x 36 inches. Still the dimensions available will differ from vendor to vendor. It's a must that the buyer opts for something that's just the right size for the area.

There are plenty of designs for you to choose from, each one as dazzling as the other. Expect that all of the decorative elements present have something to do with the message being expressed by the words found on the item. Without them, fewer heads may turn. The addition of eye-catching designs helps make the lines and stanzas become more meaningful and sincere.

Still a shopper may run into something that contains nothing but words. Commonly, dramatic and colorful fonts are used to make the item grab lots of attentions. There are times when a few decorations are also added, like tiny blossoms placed at the corners. Regardless if the one preferred is heavily or lightly designed, for sure the product can make hearts beat faster.

Looking for the best one may require stepping foot inside various bookshops or specialty stores in the area. Chances are these establishments offer the item in different designs, poems and dimensions. However, it may be extra challenging to come across the right one for the room or the person to be surprised as going to one shop after the other may be needed.

To make the shopping process a breeze, it is recommendable for any buyer to go online instead. It's in cyberspace where so many selections are available for all to enjoy. After accessing the search engine the shopper favors, visiting one website after the other is as easy as clicking the mouse button. The internet simplifies the hunt for the best room decor or gift.

Checking out the product description posted by the vendor has to be done by the buyer to make sure that he or she is looking at the right product. When choosing the size, something that's neither too small nor too large for the wall should be chosen. Because framing may be done for added beauty and protection from damage, it's also something to consider.

As soon as the payment is a success, the love poem poster is sent straight to the shopper's address. He or she should order from a reputable seller in cyberspace. The vendor has to ensure the customer's 100% satisfaction and guarantee a timely delivery. Decorating a room or surprising someone is simplified by shopping for this item on the web.

About the Author:

Show how you care about your loved ones by giving them only the best love poem poster. Check out our website for list of poems on www.mylovelypoetry.com. Alternatively you may use the link to reach the main page at http://www.mylovelypoetry.com.

Science Fiction Comic Book Authors

By Marissa Velazquez

The first sci-fi comic strip was a comedy called Mr Skygack from Mars by A. D. Condo, which appeared in the 1900s. The first sci-fi comic strip of a serious nature was Buck Rodgers in 1928, which was quickly followed by Flash Gordon, Brick Bradford, and Dan Dare from Britain. Since then Sci-fi comic books have spread throughout the world and there are many science fiction comic book authors creating more imaginative storylines making the genre incredibly popular to this day.

The superhero sub- genre of sci-fi comics began with the introduction of Superman by Planet Comics in the 1950s. EC comics created sci-fi comics to great success during the 1950s and plot-lines and concepts gradually became more and more sophisticated and clever. US comic book authors began to create sci-fi comics that were aimed at adults and adolescents, and in the late 60s, hippy underground became popular with adults.

Japanese Manga appeared in the 1950s amd Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy is considered to be the first major sci-fi Manga comic. In the following decades many other creators of Japanese sci-fi comics would appear, including Leiji Matsumoto with Galaxy Express 999, Katsuhiro Otomo with Akira and Masamune Shirow with Ghost in the Shell.

Sci-fi graphic novels first appeared in the 60s and comic strips with a longer and more developed storyline. Graphic novels have the advantage of being able to portray specific concepts that would be difficult to put into words. Robots, time travel, virtual reality and mecha are popular concepts in sci-fi graphic novels. The graphic novel has become increasingly sophisticated in it's artistry and storylines and tend to be aimed more at adolescents and adults.

In America the majority of sci-fi comics tend to be in the superhero sub-genre. Marvel and DC comics have been extremely successful with their Superman, Spiderman, Thor, Avengers and Incredible Hulk superhero comics. The superhero comics contain many elements of sci-fi, although most of the storylines are set in the present day on earth.

The sci-fi Manga comics from Japan are usually set in the future or in some alternative reality. For example Akira, which provided inspiration for The Matrix films, and Ghost in the Shell, which is set in the future. Not all manga is of the sci-fi genre, but the most popular Manga comics outside of japan tend to be the sci-fi ones.

Many sci-fi comics and graphic novels depict the specific science fiction concepts that existed when they were written and capture the zeitgeist of the era. The older and classic sci-fi graphic novels were hand drawn and inked by an artist, whereas modern sci-fi comics often use computer generated images created using photoshop, corel paint, illustrator and paintbucket.

Science fiction is a very loose genre and there are many sub-genres. New concepts in sci-fi comics are being created all the time and there are certain science fiction comic book authors that have revolutionised the medium. This includes the graphic artist Warren Ellis who created the concept of the Cyberpunk with his Transmetropolitan series of comics. Also, Alan Moore enjoy a huge following around the world with his V for Vendetta graphic novel, which has a social commentary and is set is a dystopian future.

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Exploring New Release Romance Novels

By Marissa Velazquez

Women and men who like reading new release romance novels can explore those in several genres. When it comes to this type of writing, there is something for everybody, whether you enjoy science fiction or historical tales. Writers usually publish books fairly regularly so there is always something to look forward to from your favorite novelists. Once you find a writer who has a style that you like, you will probably enjoy reading most of their books.

Erotic romances are among the books which have been popular for ages. If you like stories that have loads of sexual tension and a good plot, no doubt you will check these out to see what they have to offer. While the characters may be interesting, readers also want to know that the language is to their liking so each novel is placed in a particular category according to its heat level.

People who are into texts with a central love story expect it to end happily. While this does happen in most cases, there are situations where the main characters are together for a short time and then part ways. This may be a more modern approach and it is not the alternative that all will like. Choose texts carefully so you find what suits you.

Two or three people may be involved in a love affair. Love triangles have existed for a long time and they are not going anywhere anytime soon. There are situations where a person loves someone but never has that love returned. All of these themes are explored in new release romance novels. This is what makes them interesting because people can relate to the characters.

A fair number of readers are intrigued by stories of supernatural events. They like paranormal activity and enjoy seeing their heroes and heroines thrust in situations that involve vampires, monsters, werewolves, fairies and other strange beings. If this interests you, you should check out one of many books that are written for fans of this theme.

There are various books which are written for younger persons while others cater to a more mature audience. In addition to that, some writers address May December relationships, where there is a significant disparity in the ages of the main characters. As with other themes in these books, people can usually relate to this type of story and the feelings that go with it.

While numerous books are really serious, several writers aim to have their characters enjoy themselves as much as possible, so their readers can too. They do this in subtle and more direct ways through their use of dialogue and even the situations that characters are placed in. Stories like these are relaxing to read and can take your mind off stress.

New release romance novels allow readers to view relationships from the inside, even if they have never been in a particular type. Individuals who have fantasies of escaping to villas in Brazil can do so in the pages of a book. It is a good way to spend a little time during an otherwise stressful day. Many online retailers have items that may be just what you like.

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A Good Read From A Cold War Author

By Marissa Velazquez

Many people vividly remember at least one book written by a Cold War author. Significant events, causes and effects of this period of history, biographies of major players, and a wealth of fiction based on espionage, nuclear proliferation, and true-life efforts to escape to freedom made engrossing reading. From about 1947 to 1989, two huge superpowers held each other at bay because they both had the capability to destroy the world. What a scenario!

The totalitarian regime that controlled Eastern Europe established what was called the Iron Curtain. This system of closed borders, state controlled media, and strict control of major economic forces virtually cut its citizens off from the rest of the world. Travel into the USSR was restricted, and travel out of it was almost impossible for private citizens. Those who dared to try to escape were killed or imprisoned if caught.

Life behind closed and guarded borders was carefully hidden, but information leaked out. News from the outside world was sent in by Radio Free Europe, and courageous men and women on both sides kept some contact alive. The dreaded secret police, the KGB, became famous for brutality, and exile to Siberia, the punishment for not adhering to the party line, became a slang term for the worst case scenario.

Communism has lofty ideals of a classless system where workers could escape capitalistic oppression and share the fruits of their labor. In reality, a new elite made up of Party members was created. Ten percent of the population could go to university, practice a profession, shop in stores with plentiful merchandise, and vacation on the Black Sea. The other ninety percent worked in grim factories or communal farms, lived in cramped apartments, queued for hours in hopes of getting the necessities of life, and had no way to improve their lot.

The literature can be grim, but inspirational tales of the endurance of the human spirit also abound. People took great risks to gain freedom. Others risked their lives to smuggle Bibles into regions where religion was illegal. People continued to help others although government watchers were stationed 'on every corner' to discourage this sort of humanity.

'Cold' refers to the lack of open warfare between the two superpowers, but there was confrontation. The US helped Greece resist a communist takeover, while Russia succeeded in spreading its doctrine to China. Korea and Viet Nam were regional wars that taxed both countries. Although the nuclear power of each superpower restrained the other, lines were drawn over the Suez Canal and conflict almost erupted when Russia tried to install missiles in Cuba.

Fiction heightened the romantic aspects of this period. James Bond novels gave the mysterious world of espionage glamour, fantastic villains, beautiful women, and intricate gadgets. The Space Race needed no embellishment, but it gave new scope to science fiction. The eternal themes of young love, loyalty to country and family, faith, and resistance to tyranny continued.

A Cold War author who lived through that dramatic time has much to offer us today. Modern books should be evaluated against the many accounts from those who knew the realities of The Iron Curtain, the arms race, and the struggle to shape the world.

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You can visit the website www.war-author.com for more helpful information about History Is Exciting When Told By A Cold War Author

Obtain Your Dream Job Through Executive Resume Writing Service In Philadelphia PA

By Marissa Velazquez

A resume is a job-seeking tool that fresh job seekers and employed people alike should possess because it helps improve chances of securing a dream job. Employers will look at resumes when selecting suitable candidates for openings of job vacancies. By consulting executive resume writing service in Philadelphia PA, you are able to stand out of the crowd when seeking and applying for jobs.

The phase of crafting resumes is one part of the job seeking process, which cannot be avoided. If you are to get the job you want, you need to have the right resumes. These resumes are the face of your experience, qualification, strengths, and achievements.

Describing your career goals and desires in an objective statement may not do the trick in getting the job. This is because many a times, the senior executes care less about what you may be looking for, and they are more concerned about what is in you. Resumes should tell the recruiters what they want to know and not just, what you want from a job.

Rushing through the process of writing executive resumes only does more harm than benefit. You have to approach this task properly with help of a professional resume writing expert. Preparing resumes is something many people hate and they end up crafting pieces, which are not worthy their status. These resumes represent you and they should clearly portray an image of who you are even before the recruiters meet you.

These documents should offer a sense of professional touch and presence to the recruiters. When a recruiter picks the document, he or she should feel some professional presence right from that document. Employers will want to see things like how you increased revenue in the previous company you were working and how you intend to apply such strategies in the current job.

You need to quote figures and percentages if possible and not just saying that you increased sales. Without details on how much you achieved, it may just offer plain information that may be of no much help to the interviewers. If afraid that the information is secretive, then you can use percentages to avoid revealing confidential information of other companies to other people.

Any mistake in the hiring process can cost businesses a lot of money and this why there is a lot of emphasis on quality selection process. Reworking this document to quickly and clearly show the value addition you are able to bring in within a business is of great importance. A professionally crafted job application document whether a cover letter to resumes allows a prospective candidate to immediately garner more job interviews.

The more interviews you attend and with the right qualifications properly conveyed through resumes, the more chances candidates have in obtaining the jobs. You cannot underestimate the need to consult executive resume writing service in Philadelphia PA since this is the starting point in searching and obtaining the jobs you have desired. Even if you have a resume that helped you acquire your previous job, it does not mean it can do the same in the next job.

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Discover The Goodness Of Digital Printing That Is Eco Friendly

By Marissa Velazquez

To get the best in printing, it is good to first get the best shops. This is in terms of quality work and also affordable prices. This character is what defines digital printing that is eco friendly since it enhances professionalism all the time. They are too well versed with the different services that a client may be in need of. With this clients have become confident of them as they are assured.

First they are well placed in producing all the colors. This has come out of their many years of experience and knowing what is needed. This is also in terms of all the materials which a person would like to use to print a certain message or graphic. Through their digital equipment, they have been able to provide quality results in all cases.

Through their dedicated team of experts they have been able to offer classic and timely service. This has helped a lot in delivering what was promised on time. Despite the workload, they are able to work fast and deliver. This too involves handing over the materials for delivery to the specific places. Therefore they are reliable which is quite advantageous.

During the printing process they help the client in doing the final touches. This includes editing the graphics and even the writings. Through their many years of experience, digital printers have been able to offer professional advice on something which needs to be added or changed. This helps the customer get the best. With this the cost becomes worth.

Those who place an order of just a few copies are given the same attention as those who place an order of many copies. This kind of balancing helps a lot to favor all the clients. They are also prepared to do any job. This helps take care of all types of orders. With this no one is left out.

Clients are treated in a professional way when it comes to asking questions. When they call to inquire about something, they are assured of an answer right away. This is because there is a customer care that is always there to answer them.

The working hours are also quite friendly. This helps attend to a big number of clients which is a plus to the customers. With this one will not be pressured to run so as to be attended to other issues. They are also able to do a lot daily and thus serve people on time. Therefore, delays are not experienced.

Working for years has earned them a lot of praises. This has helped instill confidence in the new customers that they are good for any work. Therefore they strive to maintain the standards so as to maintain the reputation. Therefore they benefit the clients from all regions who in turn remain happy and satisfied.

For those who are far from their offices, the delivery of their printed products is quite easy. This is because digital printing that is eco friendly has gained much recognition in present times. Therefore the shipping will be done in an easy and quick manner. This washes away fear in clients, and provides assurance.

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