Archives for November 2012

Steven Pinker on What Our Language Habits Reveal

November 29, 2012 by Noemi Leave a Comment

I’ve heard it said more than once that grammar and learning the intricacies of a language can be boring. I guess it’s safe to assume that you don’t think the same way. (At least I hope I am right!)

Earlier this week, I was working on another piece about TED talks. I don’t know if you’re familiar with TED, but the premise is to invite select speakers to speak to a limited audience, with the condition that the talk is focused on something inspiring related to the work the speaker has done. Since its inception in 1984, TED has grown phenomenally. Thousands of talks have been held, not counting those from independent events called TEDx. To learn more about TED, visit their site.

So why did I start a grammar guide entry with TED? While writing that piece, I found myself – unsurprisingly – browsing the immense collection of talks. Just as unsurprisingly, at some point, I was looking at talks related to language and grammar.

When I saw the title “What Our Language Habits Reveal”, I knew I had to watch the talk, and I as I watched and listened, I also knew I had to share it with all of you.

Steven Pinker is a man of many hats: experimental psychologist, cognitive scientist, linguist, and popular science author. This particular talk of his, given sometime in 2007, takes a look at how our choice of words, sentence structure, and verbs give a glimpse into how we think.

I won’t give you a full transcript of the video, but instead, do take about 18 minutes of your time to watch and listen. I think that the talk will not only help you analyze how you speak but also how you convey your messages in your writing.

Whether you agree or not with Pinker’s assessments, why not share your thoughts with us?

Awesome But Simple Ideas For The Travel Writer

November 28, 2012 by Noemi 3 Comments

Travel Writer

Travel writing gigs are not as many as one would want them to be. I honestly do not know the reason for this, but what I do know is that there seems to be a glut of “What I did on this trip” type of travel articles and blog posts.

That is quite understandable, but there is no reason for a travel writer to stay in that box. Traveling is such a wonderful experience. There are so many facets to it, which can be translated to writing. If you are looking for a little inspiration for your travel writing, take a look at these simple ideas.

Learn a foreign language while traveling

You’re a travel writer, and the chances are that you have a penchant for learning languages. Why not consider a project where you focus on a specific aspect of the country that you are visiting? Its language.

If, for example, you are planning a trip to Thailand, instead of merely focusing on the attractions there, why don’t you learn Thai and write about the experience? That will give your travel writing a different spin.

Create a themed tour

Tours can be found left and right. Personally, I don’t really like taking organized tours unless absolutely necessary. I prefer the freedom of roaming around wherever I want, whenever I want. For the purposes of adding variation to your travel writing, though, why don’t you create your own tour following a specific theme? For example, when I went to Saigon in Vietnam, I discovered that there is a huge microbrewery scene there. If I had to come up with an article, or a series of articles, for that trip, a microbrewery-themed tour would have been a great idea.

It all happened in the cafe

This is inspired by a blog that I ran across recently, It Happened In The Cafe. As the name says, the blog is all about things that happen in cafes. Wherever in the world you go, you will find cafes to hang out. If you like hanging out in cafes, you can use this as a springboard for writing ideas. People watching is the term!

Interact with the locals

Travel writing is not only about giving guides and tips. It’s also about delving into the local life and culture. Even if you do not usually talk to strangers, try interacting with the locals more. Talk to the doorman. Talk to the cab driver. Talk to the shopkeepers.

When you go out to bars, talk to the locals and ask interesting questions that you can incorporate into your travel writing. It is a good idea to have a focus. What aspect of the culture do you want to write about? That way, your questions will have a direction, and you’ll have a more insightful travel article.

Interact with fellow travellers

In addition to feeling the pulse of local life, it is also interesting to get a glimpse of the lives of travelers. If this is your cup of tea, I suggest staying at hostels, where travelers might be more into interacting with likeminded people. You may, of course, opt to stay wherever you want, but the idea is to reach out to other travelers and write a piece from that angle.

Image via Ben Beiske

Is Your Computer Killing You?

November 23, 2012 by Noemi 1 Comment

Death by Computer

They say writers tend to be introverted and talk to themselves. I’ve even heard it said that writers are more paranoid than normal. My response to that: As Whoopi Goldberg said ((Or is supposed to have said)), “normal is just a cycle on the washing machine”!

That being said, I think it is totally reasonable to ask the question, “Is your computer killing you?” without running the risk of being labeled as nuts. After all, we know how spending excessive amounts of time in front of the computer can be bad for the health; and as writers, we probably spend more time with the computer than anything else. It might be sad, but I have to admit that that is the case for me.

I want to share this infographic with you, which highlights the negative effects of spending too much time in front of the computer. To sum it up, here are the top health risks.

Chronic pain from poor ergonomics

If you’ve been following us for a while, you might have seen some of my posts mentioning back pain. I am not alone in this, as many of our readers have given their own tips (via Facebook and Twitter as well) on how to avoid/manage back pain. Do you have this problem?

Multi-tasking mush brain

I have long since given up on relying on multi-tasking as a habit. It does turn your brain into mush, and it makes me feel like a scatterbrain at times. What do you think about multi-tasking?

Blue light insomnia

What’s your before bedtime routine? What’s the last thing you do before turning in? Do you sleep with your laptop (or tablet or phone) beside you? Take a closer look at the infographic and see why this can be bad for you!

Obesity

Surely, the computer does not directly make you gain weight, but sitting down all day, with little or no exercise is definitely not a good thing. If you have the habit of munching on something while writing, then that’s not going to help either.

If that describes you somehow, maybe it’s time to think of taking a break in between tasks and getting your blood flowing. If you do this already, maybe you can share your tips with us?

Computer vision syndrome

I’ve worn eyeglasses since I was in third grade, so I can’t say much about this, but I do know it seems my eyesight is just getting worse. What’s your experience?

Gaming addiction

This is not a problem for everyone, but I shall keep my silence on the topic lest I incriminate myself. 😉

Take a look at the infographic, “Is Your Computer Killing You?”, for stats and more details.

Source: http://www.whoishostingthis.com

The Case of the Dangling Participle

November 20, 2012 by Noemi 1 Comment

Yesterday, I came across this photo of a t-shirt I wouldn’t mind wearing.

I actually found it really funny, so I shared it on our Facebook page. (If you don’t visit it regularly yet, I suggest you do!) The ensuing discussion from our readers inspired me to write a quick post for the Grammar Guide.

What is a dangling participle?

To make it simple, let’s take a look at a few sentences.

Looking around the kitchen, the shelves needed to be restocked.
Starving like a lion, the pot roast disappeared within a few minutes.

An untrained eye may take a cursory look at the sentences and see nothing wrong with them. If you take another look, though (or if you’re a grammar “enthusiast”), you’ll see that there is no one doing the action. The first part of the sentence dangles. It does not have a noun who does the action!

How to fix the problem

Once you’ve spotted the problem, the fix is easy. Simply insert the doer of the action. Using the examples above, we have the correct sentences.

Looking around the kitchen, I saw that the shelves needed to be restocked.
Starving like a lion, I made the pot roast disappear within a few minutes.

Much like many other grammar mistakes, it is rather easy to slip up now and then. Don’t beat yourself up over it if you do find yourself making this mistake. Just proofread and make sure you make the proper adjustments.

What about ending a sentence with a preposition?

This subject has been talked about so much that it’s pretty much a non-issue for me, but just in case you do still have problems with ending a sentence with a preposition, do take a look at that t-shirt again.

If you want to have a little bit more fun with this topic, I suggest reading “Churchill on Prepositions“.

For the SEO Writers: How to Successfully Optimize Your EBook for the Web

November 15, 2012 by Amanda DiSilvestro 4 Comments

Creating an EBook is becoming more and more popular amongst small businesses—and for good reason. According to researchers, EBook sales grew 177 percent last year. This number is only expected to rise and our technology continues to improve, and even some of the old hardcopy book-lovers are realizing that’s it incredibly easy to have an electronic library where you can store and even checkout new reads from a library.

[Read more…]

Business Solutions for Freelancers: Get the Most Out of Each Purchase

November 13, 2012 by Angus Shaw Leave a Comment

Business purchases are expensive, especially for startups and small business owners without deep pockets. Rather than trying to have it all, look for ways to reduce what you have to buy without actually losing any functionality. It is all about getting more bang for your buck when you are dealing with running a business on a shoestring budget.

Start by Introducing the Sharing Mentality

Via Flickr by BlockSim

This is not kindergarten again, but one effective way of reducing IT and technology costs are simply to not buy as many. Communal computers are often just as effective, especially on split shifts. Sharing computers, especially as freelancers, is easy enough to do and can save a business thousands of dollars especially at startup. Sharing resources like this cuts costs but does not usually impact productivity or customer service. If it works for your organization, it’s one of the most effective ways to trim the budget.

Forget the Computers Altogether Instead

Via Flickr by all.promising

On the other hand, find an easy to use Android phone or tablet for each employee. Use cloud software to connect databases and resources to the tablets. Tablets often cost a fraction of the cost of a PC, but may have every program necessary. In addition, they keep your staff or clients by your side so you never miss a beat. Tablets are the “in” thing, but be wise about this purchase. Buying a bigger name brand does not always mean a better product. Buy business-smart tablets with total functionality for what your needs are.

Don’t Forget the Smartphone Plan

Via Flickr by Roberrific

With a tablet in hand, it makes sense to link your staff together with smartphones. Instead of paying for individualized service, though, maximize profits by using a shared plan. You’ll cut the costs and make sure everyone is always connected to serve the client’s needs within moments. Seek out an affordable phone plan right for your group. You will want to investigate options for shared plans such as shared data plans, too. Depending on how much your staff is using their phones, this may be a significant money saver. Some providers want your business so much that they will offer a significant discount.

Move in Together, Too

Via Flickr by Salil1365

Not really, but why not share space with other freelancers or small businesses. It is a simple idea that can work very well for some small businesses. If you and the business owner down the hall already work in the same building, have non-competing businesses and like each other enough, sharing a space will save you money. This is especially efficient when you do not need to have a customer storefront. Sharing space means cutting costs on property taxes, rent, equipment, furnishings, and even customer service staff in some cases.

Every penny counts for today’s small business. With a sharing mentality and a frugal business plan, the goal is to focus on each purchase. How can you effectively trim that purchase price down just a bit more? The more creative you are (and by moving in together with fellow freelancers, you are being creative!) the more likely you are to make your goals and skyrocket to profitability.

International Mom Freelance Bloggers Meetups

November 13, 2012 by Angus Shaw 1 Comment

As a mother and blogger, you’ve got a full plate, juggling more in the way of demands than any corporate position entails as you work to please your children and your readers, all at the same time. Given the extreme importance of your dual positions, whether you blog for fun or for business, you’ve got to stay sharp at every moment.

Luckily, conferences aimed at moms with home offices are abundant, offering workshops and networking opportunities that will help you to hone your skills in every department as you learn from the busiest and best of your peers!

Connect with other moms who double as power bloggers at one of these four international mom freelance bloggers meetups: [Read more…]

An Apology and Thank You

November 13, 2012 by Noemi 2 Comments

To all our loyal readers and followers, if you are reading this post then it means that we have finally managed to solve our wretched technical problems that have been dogging us for the last 2 weeks! It seemed like we would never get the site back, but we finally managed it today and we are going to get right back on track immediately with the daily job listings!

We have been getting concerned emails, Tweets, and FB messages almost daily from you, and we have been taking notice of all these. We would all like to apologize to you, but also say thank you for sticking with us!

These technical server problems come hot on the heels of the Google EMD update that affected this site quite badly, too at the end of September, reducing our traffic from Google by almost 50%. It seems that Google now deems us helping people find online writing work not so important for their search results. But, oh well, we will continue with your daily jobs posts, so again, thank you for sticking with us!