Wednesday, 27 February 2019

Writing Motivation

"If you really think about it, hitting the snooze button in the morning doesn't even make sense. It's like saying, 'I hate getting up in the morning, so I do it over, and over, and over again.'" 

~ Demetri Martin

Sometimes it's hard to get going when you feel unmotivated.

I feel like that some days, but just like author Stephen King so famously said, don't wait for the muse to show up before you sit and write because it won't show up for work until you do.

So, in other words, whatever it is you have to do, just make a start and the rest will be easy.

The problem though is that we all want to achieve the goal (no matter how big or small it is) but we don't want to put in the actual work to make it happen. And it doesn't matter if your goal is small like having a shower every morning or writing a letter, or huge like redecorating the whole house or writing a book, getting started, or knowing how and where to start can seem like a bit of a hurdle.

I recently bought the Hal Elrod book, "The Miracle Morning" and in it, he talks about this problem too.

He says, "It's been said that nobody actually likes waking up early, but everyone loves the feeling of having woken up early. Kind of like exercising -- many of us struggle to get ourselves to the gym, but all of us love the feeling of having gone to the gym. Waking up early, especially when done with purpose, always starts you off feeling empowered for your day."

And it's true. We all dislike doing things, but we want the feeling of having it done.

Motivational speaker Mike Litman used to say it's important to focus on the goal, not on the process of getting there.

And it’s the same with writing. It’s hard to actually sit down and concentrate on getting the writing done when you have low motivation and there are so many distractions on the computer like games, social media and emails, just to name a few.

But what I find is that as soon as I sit down and make an effort to at least start, by taking out my diary and my notebooks and looking at what I was working on the day before and what I have to do that day. And I find that once I begin to just ‘look’ at what I have to do and re-read what I’ve already written, then I seem to get my ‘writing head’ on and that makes it much easier to get to work.

And when I have a productive day, it doesn’t just give me a feeling of satisfaction (and help me to earn more money), but it also helps me to generate more ideas for other writing projects.

So when you feel unmotivated to write, just remember what Nike said.

Just Do It.


And if you want to read more about writing motivation, go on and take a look at my latest writing article over on my website, The Gene Schwartz Japanese Tea Ceremony Distraction-Free Writing.


Tuesday, 26 February 2019

Porno and The "Bitcoin Hacker"

A couple of weeks ago I told you about a few annoying emails I've been receiving, all sent to various email addresses of mine at my different websites, accusing me of watching online porn and saying that if I didn't pay them in Bitcoin, they would send the supposed videos they have of me watching porn to all my family and co-workers.

I thought it rather amusing that they say that they know who my family members are and all my co-workers. That's really funny because like most writers, I work alone. So co-workers???? How stupid.

And as to what I was watching online, well, I don't (or extremely rarely, if ever) watch any online videos at all so chances of having recordings of me watching anything online would be slim to none.

And yesterday, after I finally got my computer back from the repair shop where it's been for almost 2 weeks, I found a dozen more Bitcoin Hacker emails had been sent to me, again, at my different email addresses for my different websites, so it's easy to see these addresses are just being scraped from the internet.

And below is exactly what the email says:

----------------------

This account was hacked! Modify your pswd right away!
You may not know anything about me and you may be definitely wanting to know why you are receiving this electronic message, is it right?
I am ahacker who exploitedyour emailand OSsome time ago.
Do not try to contact me or alternatively try to find me, in fact it's not possible, considering that I directed you a letter from YOUR hacked account.
I installed malware to the adult vids (porn) website and suppose you enjoyed this website to have some fun (you understand what I really mean).
When you have been keeping an eye on video clips, your browser started out to act as a RDP (Remote Control) with a keylogger that gave me permission to access your desktop and webcam.
Afterward, my softwarestoleall information.
You have put passcodes on the sites you visited, I intercepted all of them.
Needless to say, you can modify them, or possibly already changed them.
However it does not matter, my malware updates needed data every time.
What did I do?
I compiled a backup of every your system. Of all the files and contact lists.
I formed a dual-screen videofile. The first part displays the film that you were watching (you've got a good taste, wow...), and the second part displays the video from your webcam.
What actually should you do?
So, in my view, 1000 USD will be a realistic price for our small riddle. You'll make the deposit by bitcoins (if you don't understand this, try to find “how to buy bitcoin” in any search engine).
My bitcoin wallet address:
1Je9xULKJK191a1JV68QuMiPgHJduSpYf6
(It is cAsE sensitive, so just copy and paste it).
Attention:
You have 48 hours in order to make the payment. (I have an unique pixel to this email, and at this point I understand that you've read this email).
To tracethe reading of a letterand the activityinside it, I installeda Facebook pixel. Thanks to them. (The stuff thatis appliedfor the authorities may helpus.)

In the event I fail to get bitcoins, I shall undoubtedly direct your recording to all your contacts, such as relatives, co-workers, and so forth?

--------------------------

And what is really, and I mean REALLY funny (apart from the bad spelling and appalling grammar), is that these emails were sent while my computer was in the Apple repair shop, so if they did find someone watching online porn using my computer, it must have been the tech guys. Ha ha.

And did they find any malware on my computer? Of course not. My computer problem was a major hardware malfunction, not a software issue at all.

Sadly, most of my original computer is gone because they had to replace the screen, the top cover, the keyboard, the trackpad, the logistics board and the battery. So all I really have left is my software and files (that they backed up before they replaced everything) and the bottom cover. Thank goodness I took out an extended warranty because my computer is 2 years and one month old and the original warranty was only for 2 years. So it cost me nothing, except a long wait.

But at least I'm back in the driving seat again with my writing business because I have all my files back.

And during my off-line time, I got plenty of writing and planning done.

Oh, and by the way, now that I have my computer back I can get back to what I was working on. I'm currently in the process of changing all my published PDF ebooks to paperbacks and digital books that will only be available from brick and mortar book stores or online book stores.

So if you want to get them while they're still instantly downloadable PDF ebooks, you better be quick because by the end of March (in one month's time) they'll no longer be available in that format.

But you will be able to buy them, or order them, from any book store or library.

https://ruthiswriting.com











Thursday, 21 February 2019

Script Writing Competitions for 2019

I was doing a bit of freelancing writing research online recently and I came across a lot of screenplay writing competitions.

There are competitions running all year for stage plays, movies, TV shows and a whole lot more.

There are even opportunities to write episodes of existing TV shows or to create one of your own.

And it's easy to look up what screenwriting competitions are coming up months in advance.

Because it's already February, some of the deadlines for early competitions are closed.

But there are plenty more for this month, next month, and many months to come.

So if you're interested you can sit back with a fresh cup of coffee and browse all the screenwriting competitions available by clicking on the links below (each one has lists of many competitions) or if you're not up to writing a whole script, go to my website to read about writing and submitting ideas for movies, TV shows, and Reality TV shows at https://ruthiswriting.com/scriptwriting.html.

Enjoy.

https://www.scriptmag.com/screenwriting-contests-calendar-dates-prizes

https://www.coverfly.com/calendar/

https://screencraft.org/2019/01/03/screenwriting-contests-competitions-coming-2019/

https://scriptangel.com/screenwriting-contests/




Tuesday, 19 February 2019

My Computer is Still Being Repaired and Why You Should Care

Last week I posted about my computer suffering the "Black Screen of Death" and that I had to take it in for repair. You can re-read it at https://writeaholic-inspiration.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-black-screen-of-death.html.

Well, sadly, it's still being repaired. It's been seven days since I took it to the Apple store and it's still there.

I rang them this morning and they said that it needs a few spare parts like a new keyboard, trackpad, screen, etc, you know... just a few bits and pieces.

Which means that this past week I've had no access to any of my computer files, no email, and I don't like to use my writing computer to sign into my online accounts so I haven't logged into any of them. I like to keep my writing computer as empty as possible so that it can never be used to access my accounts.

So instead of working online I've been doing quite a bit of off-line writing (except for a couple of posts to my blog) but haven't been able to check my email or check any of my online accounts or upload anything.

But my computer should be back sometime tomorrow so I'll have a lot to catch up on.

But you're probably wondering why you should care.

And it's because what has happened to my computer is a good reminder to keep regular backups of all your work.

I was lucky because I'd backed up my computer the day before it crashed. I usually back it up weekly, or more often if I'm working on a big project like a book, because I've known writers who have lost nearly full manuscripts because they didn't back up their work often enough.

So if you use your computer a lot, make it a habit to back it up regularly. I usually do mine at the end of every week, or every day.

You see, my whole writing and publishing business runs from one computer so I cannot afford to lose it all, or lose even a small part of it.

And that's why computer backups are so, SO important.

I can't afford to lose all my work.

And either can you.


Thursday, 14 February 2019

The Black Screen of Death

Last month I wrote a post about how my Mac Book Pro hadn't been working properly and had to go to the Apple store for repairs, so I was offline for a few days while it was done. You can re-read the post at https://writeaholic-inspiration.blogspot.com/2019/01/off-line-and-not-writing.html.

Anyway, my computer hasn't really been the same since, despite the guys at the store telling me that my operating system was corrupted and they had to reinstall it, which they assured me would solve the problem.

But my computer was still acting up intermitently with freezing, not being able to connect to the internet, and then, eventually, yesterday, I got the Black Screen of Death.

What happened was that I was happily using my computer and it was actually behaving well. Then I closed it, had some lunch, opened it again and the keyboard immediately lit up but the screen stayed black.

Nothing to see but a big, black screen.

I Googled the hell out of it (using my iPhone) and followed all the instructions of how to cure it, but nothing happened.

So eventually I had to give in and take it to the computer store where it still lies.

I was also super annoyed because yesterday was an extremely hot and sunny day (36 degrees, or for those not on the metric system, 96.8 degrees) plus it was SO humid that I could feel the sweat trickling down my back as I walked the 15 minute journey and when I got to the shop and took my computer out of my bag, it felt really hot too.

At the moment I'm using my writing computer which is a Mac Book Air. I keep this one separate and it has no automatic logins to my accounts and I don't use email on it either. It's just a plain old computer that I use for typing.

I usually keep it so plain and boring for two reasons. One is so that I'm not distracted by anything on it like emails, and two, because it's the computer I use when I'm away from home, at the park or in the library, and if it ever got stolen, there's nothing personal or private on it. Whenever I write, I save the documents to a flash drive and delete them from this computer.

But sadly, I've had to log in to my blog account to write this post (plus others I'm getting ready to go), but once I've finished, I'll sign out and go back to using it as a glorified Word Processor like I usually do.

And hopefully my main computer will be back again soon.

Thankfully, I'd just done a complete back up of it the day before so at least I know I haven't lost any files.

I back my computer up every few days (or every day if I'm writing a book) and I hope you do too because your hard work can never be replaced once it's lost.

Unlike a computer.

I'm just hoping that my computer's Black Screen of Death isn't as fatal as it sounds.


Friday, 8 February 2019

3 Day Monk eBook Writing

Have you heard of the expression '3 Day Monk?'

It means doing something intensely but giving up after 3 days. Sometimes it's not used negatively and is simply meant to mean having intense focus for 3 days in order to get something done.

But 3 days is usually not enough time to achieve anything worthwhile.

For instance, it doesn't work for weight loss or for getting better habits.

But it can be enough time to write an ebook if you're motivated, focused and can write quickly without distraction.

Many authors have written best sellers in 3 days. So can you do it?

What if you could write an ebook in double that time, say, 6 days? That would still be quite an achievement.

I've written about how to do it in my free "How to Write a Book in 6 Days" PDF ebook that you can download straight away.

No sign-up is needed.

http://ruthiswriting.com/free-ebooks.html



Wednesday, 6 February 2019

The One and Only Secret to Making Money Writing eBooks

When I first ever thought about writing an ebook, I thought it would take months to do.

First I had to have a great idea. Then I needed to outline it, write it, edit it, proofread it, get a cover and publish it.

Sounds like a lot, doesn't it?

But first of all what I didn't realise is that the publishing part is easy and an ebook takes less than 5 minutes to publish.

And as to the outlining and writing, well... that depends on several different factors like how long your ebook is, how focused you are and how fast you can write.

If there's one thing that is THE most important when it comes to writing any book, it's how motivated you are which also influences how fast you can write.

And one thing that I've learned, is that the more I write, the faster I get.

That's because anything is easier and faster the more you do it, and eventually, you develop your own routines and ways of writing.

There are many authors who've found that they can write an ebook in as little as 3 days.

Sylvester Stalone wrote the script for Rocky in 3 days, and best selling author Stuart Wilde wrote most of his books in 2 or 3 days.

And you can download my free ebook "How to Write a Book in 6 Days" to learn more.
http://ruthiswriting.com/free-ebooks.html 

Tuesday, 5 February 2019

Email Bitcoin Hacker

Last week I received an email from a supposed hacker who wanted me to send him/her money in Bitcoin... or else!

The "or else" was that if I didn't send them thousands in Bitcoin within 48 hours they would expose my online viewing habits.

They said that they had hacked my online accounts and had recorded me watching hours of online p*rn and if I didn't pay them the money they wanted then they would send the recordings of my online activities to all my contacts and my family.

So I've written about it over at my website and included the whole threatening email in the hopes that it will help anyone else who might receive (or has received) an email like this.

I could tell it was fake straight away because I never watch online p*orn or any other type. That sort of thing does not float my boat at all.

Go over now and read all about it and see the whole sorry email in its entirety.
https://ruthiswriting.com/articles/2019/email-hacker.html


Friday, 1 February 2019

Can You Write An Ebook in 3 Days?

There are many people who want to know how fast an ebook can be written.

And can it be written in as little as 3 days?

Well, anything is possible.

But if you write an ebook so quickly, will it be a quality book?

Well, first of all, to write an ebook in just a few days, you have to have a strong motivation to do it and have an outline ready so that you can sit down and start writing straight away and not get distracted.

I find that when I'm inspired and highly motivated, it's hard NOT to write all day.

And when I'm writing all day, it's easy to write 2,000 words an hour or more when I'm in full writing flow which means I can accomplish 20,000 to 30,000 words easily.

Not all ebooks are equal in length or quality, but if you're a good writer, have a detailed outline, a solid system of writing, and the focus to work without distraction, then there's no reason why your ebooks won't be valuable.

Some ebooks are only short at around 10,000 to 15,000 words and only take 30 minutes to read.

But if it's content that people want and love to read then you'll make sales no matter how short your ebook is or how quickly you wrote it.

I know of at least one writer who wrote a best selling ebook in just one day!

And there's no reason why you can't do it too.


7 Day Ebook
Writing and Publishing System
How to write and publish an ebook and start getting sales in just one week