Do You Have Great Writing Plans for the New Year?

Today is the 31st of December. New Year's Eve.

It's a time when most of us reflect on what we did throughout the year and make plans for things we'll do better next year.

And this is especially true for writers. If you're anything like me you already have a whole list of writing projects for the coming year.

I've also made a list of things I want to stop doing too. Things that didn't work out quite as well as expected or that I found I didn't enjoy. But nothing was a failure. It was all a learning experience because we need to learn what we don't want to do as well as what we do want to do.

I've spent quite a bit of time over the Xmas break going through my past and ongoing writing projects and also catching up on a bit of reading that I wanted to do but didn't always find the time for.

And it's been a really interesting time reading about new things and having a good look at what I've achieved and how much my writing business is moving on.

And to wrap up this year I've compiled a short reading list of articles that might help you to review  your past 12 months of writing and make new plans for the coming year.


The Best Way to Make a Living as a Writer
http://www.writersdigest.com/awai-copywriting/the-best-way-to-make-a-living-as-a-writer

The Simple Shift That Lets You Earn More from Your Writing
http://writetodone.com/earn-more-from-your-writing/

Why You Should Do a Year-End Review for Your Writing
http://thewritepractice.com/year-end-review

Here’s How Daniel Pink Writes
http://www.copyblogger.com/how-daniel-pink-writes/

Amazon SEO – Understand Amazon Keywords & Categories
http://thewriteoneblog.com/amazon-seo

50 Articles on Writing to Help You in 2015
http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/50-articles-on-writing-to-help-you-in-2015


Have a great New Year.

:)

I've Changed My Mind, But That's OK

A couple of weeks ago I said that I was changing the way I worked and instead of working for 3 to 4 hours a day, I was going to work for 2 full days a week.

Well, that didn't turn out to be such a great idea for 2 reasons.

Writers Who Procrastinate Have Skinny Kids

It was the famous author, salesman and motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, who said "Timid salesmen have skinny kids."

In other words, if you don't make sales, your kids don't eat.

And it's the same if you're a writer.

You need to make sales if you want to feed your kids.

It's the Weekend. Time to Write

This weekend, instead of doing the usual chores, why not get that novel written, write that screenplay, start that blog.

Whatever it is that you've been promising yourself that you'd get done when you get "a round tuit" make this weekend the beginning.

And the reason to start this weekend is because of all the amazing Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals for writers.

Below is a list to help get you inspired and get you going.

Final Draft 9 on Sale for $99+ at Writers Store, now-12/31/14
Get your copy of Final Draft from The Writers Store, the Industry’s #1 screenwriting software source for over 30 years, and you'll receive the latest version, an exclusive Screenwriting Starter Package ($100 value), extended access to your download and serial number, free installation support and peace of mind knowing your purchase is backed by our unmatched 30-day money-back guarantee.

Movie Magic Screenwriter 6 on Sale for $59.95+ at Writers Store, now-2nd December 2014
Format your script and outline it, too, with the newly redesigned Movie Magic Screenwriter 6! This award-winning screenwriting software formats movies, television, novels, stage plays and even comic book scripts, making it the only program for all types of creative writing.

Shop Software Starting at $12.99 at Writers Store
Black Friday Savings at Writers Store are here! Valid 28th Nov till-1st December 2014, Shop Software Starting at $12.99 and Up! In Addition, Save 20% Storewide with Offer Code BF2014. Offer excludes items already on sale and kits.

Save 50% Off Plus an Extra 10% at Writer's Digest Shop with CYBERSALE10
Cyber Monday Savings include an Additional 10% Off with Offer Code CYBERSALE10. Offer Valid until 1st December 2014.

And lastly, but by no means least, Hostgator (a company that I use myself) are having massive "Fire Sales" from Black Friday through to Cyber Monday with discounts on hosting from 55% off to 75% off. Keep checking the site all weekend because many of these sales only last for one hour. Click on the banner below. Get your website started this weekend.

How to Be Better Than the Rest in Just 30 Minutes a Day

There are all different kinds of writers.

But mostly, there are only 2 kinds.

Writers and wanna-be writers.

The real writers write every day.

The wanna-bes don't.

And somehow there seems to be far more wanna-bes than actual writers.

But this is good news for you.

If You Don't Make Your Processes Easy, You Won't Do Anything

I've just finished reading a book on Essentialism and it was quite an inspirational book that changed the way I look at life and work.

One of the things it talked about was the fact that, if you want to do something, you need to make the processes easy or you won't do it, or if you start, you won't finish it.

And I thought that this was so true.

This idea not only applies to many things in life but also to writing for a living.

And I'll explain.

My Writing Failures of 2014 and Writing Plans for 2015

Because the New Year is fast approaching (Holy crap! November already?), I've been doing a lot of thinking about what I've achieved and what I've failed to implement this year with my writing, and what I plan to do next year.

And what I also thought was that I don't need to wait till next year to implement my plans/goals for 2015, I can start them straight away.

Why not?

I know of one blogger who begins his New Year resolutions on his birthday every year because he considers this to be the start of a new year in his life instead of January 1st, which makes perfect sense.

But we really don't need to wait for any particular date to start making better changes and implementing our goals for the next 12 months.

And here is what I was thinking.

2 Special Offers and 2 Free Offers That You Won't Believe

Today I have 2 special offers for writers to tell you about plus 2 free offers.

The special offers are really great.

The free offers are fantastic. In fact one is so amazing you won't believe it.

It's a copywriting course by one of the world's best copywriters.

This course usually sells for over $700. But you can download it absolutely free.

Can I Please Stop Wasting My Own Time?

I've read quite a lot of books and articles on Time Management because, as a writer, time is money.

The more time I spend writing, the more money I make.

The time management information I read, often talks about not letting other people undervalue and waste your time, which is relatively easy to do.

Like when someone says "Have you got a minute?" and you know that whatever they want always takes an hour instead of a minute.

So you stop them by saying "Not just now. I'm really busy. But I've got a few minutes spare at 4 p.m. Shall we talk then?" And usually it's enough to get rid of them.

But what about when it's not others wasting your time?

What if you constantly waste your own time?

The Most Versatile Writing You Can Do

Most people think that writing only has one purpose, as in, you're writing a book or writing an email or writing a press release.

But there is one kind of writing that is extremely versatile and can be used in many different ways.

Articles.

Articles can be used as blog posts, press release articles, emails, ebook chapters, auto-responder emails and marketing articles, just to name a few things.

Which means that if you can write a lot of articles, you can earn a really decent income.

2 Free Subliminal MP3 Albums From Inspire3

This is a promotional offer from Inspire3 that I've mentioned before, and I want to remind you again so that you don't miss out.

Inspire3, who have hundreds of MP3 subliminal audios available, including their impressive BrainSalon and Brain Evolution System (both of which I have myself and always highly recommend) have launched their new site called Subliminal Guru.

And to celebrate, they are currently giving away 2 free MP3 subliminal albums. These are not just a few minutes of audio, but almost 5 hours of free listening.

Beautiful Books and More

Today I have 3 things I want to tell you about.

These are 3 different offers from 3 different companies.

But one is only available for a short time (24 hours) so you need to be quick to take advantage.

This is the Time of Year When Writing Gets Faster

In many parts of the world, the weather is cooling down and winter will arrive in a few weeks.

In other parts of the world (including mine), the weather is getting warmer and summer will be here soon.

But no matter where you live in the world, now is the time of year when writing gets faster, and if you get involved you can be blown away with your writing speed and output.

Write Articles That People Want to Read

Saying that you should only write articles that people want to read sounds like common sense, doesn't it?

Yet it's surprising how many people don't do it.

There are 3 things that your article needs if you want people to read it.

2 Freebies and 2 Writing Markets

Today I have 2 writing markets for you plus 2 free offers.

So lets's dive straight in.

Flash Fiction Contest

The WCCL Network have decided to hold another Prize Flash Fiction Contest on the myWritersCircle.com forum

To enter, submit a story of EXACTLY 100 words, including three specified words (jade, conduit, effervescent). A maximum of two stories may be submitted per author.

But you have to be quick. The closing date for entry is Friday 10 October at 10 am EDT / 3 pm BST.

The contest is free to enter, and the first-prize winner will receive a copy of the CD-based course Write Any Book in Under 28 Days.

The second prize will be a copy of the downloadable course Blogging for Writers

The third prize will be a copy of Essential English for Authors.

All shortlisted authors will receive a $10 discount voucher as well, that can used against the price of any WCCL course or product.

For the full rules, including how to enter, please visit this forum topic.

Note: This contest is for members of MyWritersCircle only, but it is very easy, and free, to join (if you haven't already).

They are Calling Me "an online writing guru"

With my years of experience of writing, freelance writing, and online writing I was offered the opportunity of teaching a course at my local community college.

Yesterday they sent me an email with a link to my new course page.

I clicked through and two things struck me.

The first was that the course is already listed as "sold out."

The second thing was that they have called me "an online writing guru."

5 Amazing Resources For Writers

Today I have 5 new amazing writing resources from the Writers Store, that are all designed to get you writing and keep you going.

It doesn't matter if you want to write your next novel or start writing that screen play that you've always dreamt about.

2 of these resources are substantially reduced in price and 3 are on sale, but only for a short time.

Download free trials.

The Author Whose Readers P*ss Her Off

I was reading an interview with a new fiction author last week and I couldn't believe what she was saying.

The whole point of doing author interviews is to attract readers (or so I thought) and not to repel them.

In the interview, one of the questions she was asked was what "p*ssed" her off the most.

Her response astounded me and I thought "Wow! Just wow!"

An Interview on Content, Creativity and Writing Consistently

This week I read an online Q & A interview with best selling author, Ann Handley.

Ann is the author of "Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content" which recently reached number 4 on the New York Times Best Seller list.

In her interview Ann talks covers many topics including how writing habits “practiced once a week aren’t habits at all. They’re obligations.”

She also discusses that there is no one way to write, just as their is no one way to parent a child. But she does believe that the following is a guaranteed formula for writing creative and engaging content:

How I've Been Increasing My Writing Speed

This working week is nearly over for me. It's only Thursday but tomorrow I'm going to an all day Ayurvedic Cooking class. Should be interesting plus the food will be useful for helping me stay physically and mentally balanced.

But back to this week.

I have spent the whole week writing, plotting and planning.

I'm currently working on my next ebook for writers as well as all my other weekly writing projects.

As you know, the last few months I've been crazy-busy practising writing quickly or, to put it a better way, seeing how much more I can write in the same amount of time.

And so far the results have been much better than I expected.

Current Writing Competitions Free to Enter

Today I have compiled a list of current writing competitions that are all free to enter.

So if you have the time and the imagination, why not give them a go. One has a first prize of $20,000 for a 100-word story.

Mash Short Stories
Looking for short stories of no more than 500 words written from a 3-word prompt.
Competition runs every 3 months. Top prize of $100. Current competition closes on 15th October 2014.
http://mashstories.com/competition/

SpineTinglers Short Story Competition
Looking for short stories of under 5,000 words that make the spine tingle. Can contain ghosts, ghouls or poltergeist and even mild erotica. Top prize of 100GBP. Monthly competitions. Current competition closes in 2 days.
http://www.spinetinglers.co.uk

Writing News September 2014

July 2014 Author Earnings Report
http://authorearnings.com/report/july-2014-author-earnings-report/

Women dominate this year's BBC National Short Story Award shortlist
http://shelf-life.ew.com/2014/09/17/bbc-national-short-story-award-shortlist/

Amazing Roald Dahl cakes that Wonka himself would be proud of
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinkpicturegalleries/11101340/Amazing-Roald-Dahl-cakes-that-Wonka-himself-would-be-proud-of.html

Photo-Sharing Service Twitpic To Close Rather Than Fight Twitter Over Trademark
http://marketingland.com/twitpic-close-98740

Scarlett Johansson wins £2,000 compensation over 'hurtful and demeaning' book'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/10943323/Scarlett-Johansson-wins-2000-compensation-over-hurtful-and-demeaning-book.html

Want more visitors to your website? Become a Google News site
http://searchengineland.com/google-launches-google-news-publisher-center-198990

Amazon launches Kindle Kids' Book Creator
http://www.mywritingblog.com/2014/09/amazon-launches-kindle-kids-book-creator.html

'OITNB' writer divorces husband, dates 'Poussey'
http://entertainthis.usatoday.com/2014/09/14/orange-is-the-new-black-writer-poussey/

Know Thy Market

If you want to sell more books and make more money from your writing, then you need to know your market.

• Who are you writing for?


• What are you giving them?


• How will it help them?

Do you even know who you’re readers are?

Having a hungry market is more important than the work that you produce.

If you’re writing a book that no one wants to read, then you’ll never sell any copies, not matter what.

But if you write a book that you already know people want to read, then you’ll have a hungry market.

Know Where You’re Going and Get There Fast

If you want to be more productive then you need to know where you're going and how to get there fast, because there's nothing more frustrating than working long hours and producing nothing significant.

When you're working, you want to be moving toward your end goal all the time.

So first, ask yourself “What is my goal?” What is the one end goal that you want to achieve with your writing?

Then look at everything you do every day to move yourself closer to your goal and get rid of the rest.

Once you know what your ultimate goal is, there are 3 things you need to do.

You Can’t Save a Damsel Who Enjoys Distress

On a podcast I was listening to recently, I heard the expression, “You can’t save a damsel who enjoys distress.”

The podcast was about business and how not to waste time with people who won’t take advice and will never invest in their own business. These are people who are failing and seem to prefer it to trying something new.

It reminded me of a comment someone made last week about my new 15 minute article writing system.

Six Writing Resources to Help You Write More and Earn More

Today I have a new list of six writing resources that are all designed to get you started and keep you going and, how to earn more money from your writing:

How to Find an Agent and Get Published Premium Collection
Are you ready to get your book on the shelves? Whether you’re just starting to write your novel or have dozens of submissions under your belt, this collection includes everything you need to successfully get your work into the market.

Learn how the publishing industry has changed and how you need to format and submit your proposal in order to build a solid reputation. Get insight from experienced agents on common mistakes writers make and how to craft an irresistible query letter.

If you’re serious about having a long-term, prosperous career as a writer, you need to develop the business-savvy skills necessary to land an agent and get published.


Chimpanzee Budgeting & Scheduling Sale
Designed for student, low budget or beginner filmmakers, Chimpanzee offers traditional film scheduling & budgeting features at an affordable price.

Made by the people who brought you Gorilla, Chimpanzee allows you to create breakdown sheets, budgets, manage cast & crew, generate call sheets, prop lists, shot lists, storyboards and more. Easily import a screenplay and immediately get started attaching scenes to shoot days and scheduling cast and crew.

Choose from a variety of budget templates or create your own, and easily link your budget to schedule elements such as cast, crew and props. Chimpanzee comes with over a dozen reports, including breakdown summaries, call sheets, and a budget topsheet. Chimpanzee can also be integrated with the Gorilla Ratebook and Koala Call Sheets for even greater functionality and power.

Now on Sale for only $64.50, now until 23rd September 2014.


25 Ways To Write For Money
Discover 25 Ways To Get Paid As A Writer -
 From Writing Ebooks To Copywriting To Freelance Articles To Greeting Cards And Resumes.

Writing Rituals For Marketing Writers & Copywriters
5 Proven Rituals To Help You Write Faster And Smarter, And Make More Money.

Whether You Are Writing Promotional Materials, Reports, Guides Or Even Your Own Web Sites, This Guide Will Dramatically Increase Your Writing Productivity And Earning Power.

How To Make Money Writing Easy, 350-500 Word Web Articles
If You Can Type, You Can Start Making Money Writing Simple 350-500 Word Web Articles.

You Don't Need Experience.

In Fact, Most Who Start Don't Have Any. I'll Tell You Everything You Need To Get Started Immediately. I Do It Every Day & So Can You!

Frustrated Authors Finish & Publish Your Book Get Big $ 6-month System
Finally, a Kick-in-the-Pants -- Guaranteed -- System if You're a Frustrated Author or Writer Who Wants to Stop Procrastinating, Get Your book Done and Start Collecting FAT Checks...All in Record Time.

Writing Fast and Focused

My new romance novel that I published a few weeks ago is selling well.

With little (or really, no) marketing, sales are steady. It is also being borrowed often through the Kindle Lending Library. So I have to say I'm pleased with how things are going although I hope to market it properly soon.

It is a great book though and it has a twist in tail ending. It looks like the usual "will they get together or won't they" story, but the ending is a great surprise and that could be why sales and lending are up.

You can download your own copy of Stand By Me from the Amazon Kindle Store.

What I loved about writing this novel is that it was fast to do. I just wrote an outline and starting writing. Every time I sat down to write more of my novel, the time simply flew by and I could write thousands of words in one sitting.

And I think there was a reason that I found it so easy to do (and an experience I intend to repeat soon as well).

Keep Your Eye On Your Goals and Stay Inspired

Lately I've been re-reading two of my Kindle books, 6 FIGURES A YEAR WRITING KINDLE BOOKS: The 100 Book Challenge and 1500 Words Per Hour: How To Write Faster, Better And More Easily Using The Simple And Powerful Speed Write System For Writing Mastery.

These two books are a great inspiration for writing faster which is what I need to keep doing if I want to earn more money. I find that the faster I write, the more I publish and the better my writing is. If I'm writing against the clock (like when I write in pomodoros) it keeps me focused and stops me from doubting what I'm doing or stopping to think to often. So I find that my writing simply flows.

And writing as fast is possible and can product great results. You only have to look at what my friend and colleague, Yuwanda Black, achieved when she had a goal of writing 50 ebooks in one year. And she did it. But she did have to put in a lot of hours to do it and said she virtually had no life for the whole 12 months.

Using the Pomodoro Technique When Writing Is Hard

This past week or two I've been writing a lot more than normal. In fact I've been working really hard.

It's been great on days when I felt really revved up and ready to work, but it was difficult on days when I just didn't want to sit down and write.

But I had a lot to do so taking days off wasn't an option.

Instead, what I did was use the popular Pomodoro Technique to get more done on days when I just wanted to kick back and be lazy.

And it worked really well.

"I Can Write A Book In A Weekend" And Five Other Annoying Things Beginners Say

Since every literate person can write, most people think they can be writers. Interestingly enough, we all can speak quite well, but few of us would deem ourselves ‘speakers.’ However, this prevalent belief encourages beginners to say the oddest things that make professional writers want to cringe (or preferably strangle them with a thin wire). If you find yourself saying the following, please stop:

1. “I can write a book in a weekend.”

I’m certain you can mutilate a couple hundred pages with words; however, that doesn’t mean that anyone will want to read them. Yes, I know there are prolific writers who can write a book in two weeks (Voltaire supposedly wrote Candide in three days). Usually they are professionals who have mastered a style and understand the craft of writing. Have you?

Getting All the Little Jobs Done Relieves Stress

Don't you just hate all those little jobs that need doing, piling up and never getting done?

And without even knowing it, these little jobs that are left undone, can build up stress.

We think it's not bothering us, but they're all there in our subconscious, niggling away.

So this week I decided to get all those little jobs out of the way.

And guess what?

It feels great. Really great.

Writing News and Weekend Reading

Another hectic week is over.

The weather is grim and it won't stop raining so it's a good time to kick back and catch up on some writing news and weekend reading.

My Week of Non-Stop Writing

This has been a busy week for me. I've been writing non-stop.

Well, it's not just been writing but researching and gathering material.

I'm currently working on my next ebook for writers and I've decided to add two bonus products as well.

By the time I'm finished, this will be one massive offer with everything you need to start writing and making money.

Why It's Important To Have Weekly Planning Meetings With Yourself

"Every minute spent planning saves ten minutes in execution." ~ Brian Tracy

Working from home is far different to going out to work every day.

The biggest challenge I find is self disciplin. It's so hard to keep working on my own without a boss standing over me telling me what to do and giving me deadlines.

But without deadlines I find I waste too much time. And in order to have deadlines I have to have a weekly  meeting with myself to figure out what I want to achieve during the week, what I need to do to achieve it and how long it's all going to take.

And this is why weekly  meetings are important even if you have to have them with yourself.

My New Romantic Novel Is Out

This is just a quick update on my latest (in fact, first and only) romantic fiction novel called Stand By Me.

I formated and uploaded it yesterday to the Amazon Kindle Store and now it's published and available for download all over the world.

I'm not sure yet if I'll be publishing more romantic fiction novels, but I probably will. I've enjoyed writing this one so it's an experience I want to repeat.

Turning Off The Blog Comments

I've just made changes to the way comments are allowed on this blog.

The change is that only those with a Google account can comment.

Why?

Because I'm sick of spam. I'm sick of 'anonymous' commenters leaving spam comments with links to their spammy websites.

I'm sorry if this change inconveniences anyone but I just had to do something.

Ahhhh!!!

I don't know why they waste their time. I mean, does it really work? I doubt it.

Instead they should spend their time writing something useful that people want to read and that earns them money legitimately. I'm sure it would work better.

Writing isn't hard if you know what you're writing about.

It's even possible to make living writing your life history or writing about something that happened to you if it helps other people.

And there are products out there to help you get started writing your own personal story.

Memoirs & Personal Essays Premium Collection

Turn your personal story into a bestseller!

This collection walks you through every phase of the memoir-writing process from uncovering memories to marketing your story to the masses.

Gain insight from top authors and agents in the industry on story structure, editing techniques, pitching to agents and publishing a commercially viable memoir within a competitive market.

Whether you are just beginning the process or are a published writer, these resources will carefully guide you to your goal of writing and publishing a piece of your personal history.

How to Keep Moving Your Writing Business Forward

To me, writing isn't just something I do, it's my business.

It's my business because it's how I earn all of my income. I don't have any other job. I only have my writing.

That's why I set up  my own publishing company, because writing is my business.

But before you can set up a successful business there's one thing that's important to know. And if you don't know it, your business will fail.

Still Haven't Got My Blog Emails Right

If you're a subscriber to this blog then you'll have noticed that I'm having a bit of trouble getting my blog posts emailed correctly.

First of all, a few weeks ago, the same blog post was sent multiple times. Then none were sent at all and then they all got sent at once.

So if you're reading this and you are someone who received my crazy emails, I do apologise.

Yet at the same time it made me laugh at myself. What the hell was I doing? Why couldn't I get it right?

But now I think I've got it all under control. I just hope I didn't need to put the emphasis on the word "think."

As I've said before, I'm not a really "techy" person and sometimes working online simply baffles me.

But I keep moving forward and making progress.

And speaking of "techy" (or not) don't forget that my course on web page design and how to make money online is still reduced by a massive 90% of the price. That's $30 down to $3.

The Complete Online Course

It's an old course but a big one divided into 3 huge modules.

Write Web Page Content, 

Create All Your Own Websites 

Earn Income From Every Website You Create.

And it's for the none-techies like me who just want to design websites and make money online but don't know how.

So if you've never created your own websites before but want to know how then this will teach you exactly how to do it and guide you all the way from deciding what you want to set up a website about to creating it and publishing it online.

And even if you're already online and you have a simple, free blog, like this one, this course can show you how to tweak and change the html code to get your blog exactly the way you want it.

How I Get Ideas For Writing Even When I Think I Have None

One of the hardest things I find, as a writer, is running out of ideas.

Yes I want to write ebooks. Yes I want to write articles. Yes I want to write blog posts. Yes I want to write emails, sales pages, auto-responders and more. But if I don't have any ideas then I'm stuck.

Thankfully I have a way of finding ideas, even when I don't think I have any at all and then next thing I know, I'm raring to go.

And this is how I do it.

A Blatant Sales Pitch and a Freebie

Today I have an unashamed blatant sales pitch to put to you.

There are two sales that I wanted to tell you about and both could be of great benefit to you as a writer. There is also a free offer of an MP3 Download and free ebook.

Does Article Marketing Still Work?

Article marketing used to be a great way to market any website or book.

But then, a few years ago, along came Google Panda and Penguin which wiped the article directories off the SERPs (Search Engine Results Page).

Before the changes it was easy to write an article for directories such as EzineArticles.com and soon your article would be republished and indexed all over the internet.

After the changes it's hard to find your directory articles in the search results even if you search the exact heading through Google.

So everyone said that article marketing is dead.

But is it?

Act Like a Publisher

The world of publishing has changed, especially for self published authors.

Gone are the days when you could leave all the publishing details up to your publisher (if you were lucky enough to have one).

Now writers not only write their own books but publish them as well. And if there's one thing that I've learnt over the years, it's that if you want to be a successful writer you need to act like a publisher.

$8 Domains and 75% off Hosting Plans

This is just a quick reminder that today is the last day to take advantage of HostGator's Summer Sale.

They are offering up to 75% off some of their hosting plans and only $8/year for a domain name.

But this offer ends on Sunday 27th July 2014.

If you're thinking of starting up a new website or looking to change hosting or registration companies, now is a good time to do it.

I use HostGator myself and until midnight tonight you can get

• 75% off all new Shared hosting packages with 1-6 month terms.
• 45% off all other Shared hosting packages.
• 50% off all VPS packages.
• 45% off all Dedicated server packages.
• Domains as low as $8 per year.

All for one whole year.

Just take a look at what they have on offer. They are a good hosting company with a solid track record of incredible reliability and great customer service.

Most Ridiculous Song Lyrics Ever!

This is something that is not educational but it sure is funny so I wanted to share it with you. Go and get a box of tissues first though to wipe the tears of laughter from your eyes.

Depending on your age you may or may not remember this band. They had a string of hits and record albums for years and did really well.

But I always thought that not only did they have a stupid band name but also their songs were the most ridiculous I'd ever heard because none of the words made sense. It was always as though they got drunk (or stoned), wrote down a load of crap and put a catchy tune to it.

And yet somehow they had hit after hit.

But when you see the actual lyrics to their songs written down, you can see just how stupid they are. I have absolutely no idea what their songs are about because they're just load of words that don't make sense at all.

But I'll let you make up your own mind.

Here are the lyrics to just two of their songs.

Are you ready? Do you have your tissues handy?

Here we go (spoiler alert: that is a line in one in their other songs.):

How to Write a Great Online Article

If you want people to read the articles that you publish online, then you need to do 3 things.

You need to hook them in, keep them reading and spur them into action.

But how do you do this?

Well, although there is no exact science, there are certain things you can do.

And here are the 4 main ingredients of a great online article:

1. A Headline That Gets Attention.
Your headline is important. It's no good writing a great article with a mediocre heading. You'll get far more readers with a great heading and a mediocre article. Headings matter. Make sure yours has a great hook.

2. An Intriguing Introduction.
Your article's introduction must provide the answer to why someone should read your article. Take a look at the opening sentence of this article as an example. It gets straight to the 'why?'.

3. Keep Them Reading.
Once someone starts reading, give them a reason to keep going. Write as you speak (WAYS) to keep them interested. Tell a story. Use numbers, bullets and subheadings. All of these can help.

4. Tell Them What to Do.
Conclude your article with a 'call to action.' Tell the reader what they should do next. Preferably, tell them to buy your book and read it for more information.

And that's all you need.

• A great hook
• A reason why they should read
• Stories and lists to keep them interested
• A call to action

Put them altogether and you'll have a great article.

How to Make Money As An Online Writer

This is what many writers dream of doing; earning money by writing articles and publishing them online. But how can you make money if all you're doing is writing a few blog posts and articles?

Well for a start, you're well ahead of others if you can already write.

Many people dream of earning an online income but can't write.

So here are 3 simple steps to help you earn money online.

Latest Writing News - July 2014

South Africa's Nobel-winning novelist Nadine Gordimer dies

Amazon Tests ‘Kindle Unlimited,’ A Netflix For Ebooks And Audiobooks
Amazon might give readers something to get really excited about: A digital ebook and audiobook subscription service that provides Kindle users with all the content they can consume from a potential library of over 600,000 titles for just $9.99 per month.
http://techcrunch.com/2014/07/16/amazon-tests-kindle-unlimited-a-netflix-for-ebooks-and-audiobooks/


Patreon
Patreon enables fans to give ongoing support to their favorite creators. A place where writers can upload content in return for monthly donations/subscriptions.
http://www.patreon.com

Lady Gaga's Former Assistant Writing Tell-All Book
Jennifer O’Neill has signed with Atria Books to write a tell-all book about the musician. Jennifer O'Neill, who sued the singer for $393,000 in unpaid wages, is reported to have gotten as much as $1 million to spill about working for the singer from 2009-11.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lady-gagas-assistant-writing-tell-719402?

Sherlock Heirs Lose US Supreme Court Test
Justice Elena Kagan dismissed a plea by the Scottish author's heirs, who aimed to delay another writer's ability to use Holmes and his loyal assistant Dr Watson in a new book.

Kagan provided no comment as to why the request by the inheritors of Doyle's literary rights was turned down.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/entertainment/a/24493670/sherlock-heirs-lose-us-supreme-court-test/

South Africa's Nobel-Winning Novelist Nadine Gordimer Dies
Johannesburg (AFP) - South African Nobel Prize-winning writer and anti-apartheid activist Nadine Gordimer, who became an icon through her unique insights into the country's social agonies, has died at the age of 90.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/news/a/24458257/south-africas-nobel-winning-novelist-nadine-gordimer-dies/

22 Lessons From Stephen King On How To Be A Great Writer
In his memoir, “On Writing,” King shares valuable insights into how to be a better writer. And he doesn’t sugarcoat it. He writes, “I can’t lie and say there are no bad writers. Sorry, but there are lots of bad writers.”

Don’t want to be one of them? Here are 22 great pieces of advice from King’s book on how to be an amazing writer:
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/stephen-king-on-how-to-write-2014-7

From Presentation to Pilot to Series + Essential Tools of Writing a Comedy

Have you ever wanted to write comedy but just didn't know where to start or how to write it?

To help you, here are two of the latest comedy writing courses offered by The Writer's Store.

They both have discounted prices, but not for long.

Comedy series are well thought-out worlds constructed to play out over 100 or more episodes. In this webinar, Paul Chitlik will lead you through the process of creating a world, designing characters to populate it and coming up with stories to keep it vibrant and funny. ON SALE! $59.99 (ends 20th July 2014)
From Presentation to Pilot to Series: Get Your Comedy on the Air, Cable, or Net

Believe it or not, being funny is a skill that can be learned. This value pack will teach you how to structure a comedy film and how to create a unique story line that your audience will love. If you want to launch a career in writing comedy, whether it's in a writer's room or selling your script, you need to start with this invaluable collection of comedy writing resources. ON SALE! $59.99
Essential Tools of Writing a Comedy

Books to Inspire, Books to Enjoy

If you're looking for an inspirational book to help you to write, or you're looking for a good book to curl up with, below is a list of books available now from The Book Depository.

All have discounted prices and all are available or free worldwide shipping.

And it's not just these books. The Book Depository discounts all it's books and offers free shipping worldwide on all orders, which is great because often the shipping costs can be more than the price of the book.

On Writing (Paperback)
by Stephen King
http://www.bookdepository.com/On-Writing-Stephen-King/9781444723250

Why I Write (Penguin Great Ideas) (Paperback)
By (author) George Orwell
http://www.bookdepository.com/Why-I-Write-George-Orwell/9780141019000

How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing (Paperback)
By (author) Paul J. Silva
http://www.bookdepository.com/How-Write-Lot-Paul-Silva/9781591477433

Walden and Other Writings by Henry David Thoreau (Paperback)
By (author) Henry David Thoreau, By (author) Joseph Wood Krutch
http://www.bookdepository.com/Walden-Other-Writings-by-Henry-David-Thoreau-Henry-David-Thoreau/9780553212464

642 Things to Write (Record book)
By (author) San Francisco Writers' Grotto, Introduction by Po Bronson
http://www.bookdepository.com/642-Things-Write-San-Francisco-Writers-Grotto/9781452105444

The Creative Writing Coursebook: Forty Authors Share Advice and Exercises for Fiction and Poetry (Paperback)
By (author) Julia Bell, Foreword by Andrew Motion
http://www.bookdepository.com/Creative-Writing-Coursebook-Julia-Bell/9780333782255

Writing for Comics: v. 1 (Paperback)
By (author) Alan Moore, By (artist) Jacen Burrows
http://www.bookdepository.com/Writing-for-Comics-v-1-Alan-Moore/9781592910120

The Writing Life (Paperback)
By (author) Annie Dillard
http://www.bookdepository.com/Writing-Life-Annie-Dillard/9780060919887

Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity Third Edition/Expanded (Paperback)
By (author) Ray Bradbury
http://www.bookdepository.com/Zen-Art-Writing-Ray-Bradbury/9781877741098









And if you want an easy, relaxing, read, try any of the Book Club Classics
http://www.bookdepository.com/book-club-classics


Happy reading. :)