[EzineArticles] EzineArticles Asks: What Are You Reading?

EzineArticles Asks: What Are You Reading? Want to connect with your audience? Be a sponge: Read! Expert Author articles, books by famous authors, books by not-so-famous authors, news articles by ground-breaking journalists, posts by leading bloggers, and more - read everything and anything you can get your hands on. Thumb through celebrated periodicals and even divulge in a little guilty pleasure by browsing through those tabloids waiting at most checkouts - whatever you do read, absorb it and reflect on what you read. These reflections will help you understand an author's approach as well as the nuances and tricks of writing a convincing story that engages readers. And you need engaged readers who are compelled by your writing. A compelled reader will want more of what you offer by continuing from your article and on to your website because you've resonated with their needs and interests by striking a chord with them. Without an engaged audience, you'll be a one-man band playing out-of tune to an empty room. Read to be engaged and engage others! Read Daily With These Tips "If you don't have time to read, you don't have time to write." - Stephen King Reading is absolutely essential for Expert Authors. Think of it like this: You can't (or shouldn't in most cases) be a lawyer without studying and understanding the law. You can't be a scientist without absorbing and learning the science. You can't be a postmodern artist without understanding the works of leading postmodern artists. And so on. Reading is an incredible tool for Expert Authors - make time to use it! "Read! When your baby is finally down for the night, pick up a juicy book like Eat, Pray, Love or Pride and Prejudice or my personal favorite, Understanding Sleep Disorders: Narcolepsy and Apnea; A Clinical Study. Taking some time to read each night really taught me how to feign narcolepsy when my husband asked me what my 'plan' was for taking down the Christmas tree." - Tina Fey Read for discovery. Reading is not so you can say this at cocktail parties: "Yes, I read War and Peace cover-to-cover" (with the underlying subtext "be impressed by my reading prowess and canonical-guided magnificence"). Good readers don't read to reach the ending. They read to connect with and understand new ideas and old traditions. If someone asked them what they thought about War and Peace, connected readers (and authors) would likely focus on the how the pieces of the work fit together and the emotion, not just the play-by-play plot. "If one reads enough books one has a fighting chance. Or better, one's chances of survival increase with each book one reads." - Sherman Alexie Read for growth. Avoid limiting yourself to one particular genre and soak up a variety of subjects, style, language, ideas, and inspiration by reading a wide-breadth of content. "The most successful people I know don't just read-they inhale information." - Brett Nelson If you haven't already, make time for reading every day. Not only will you increase your knowledge and vocabulary, reading can be entertaining, provide mental stimulation to keep your brain active, improve your memory, and overall boost focus. How you can make reading a habit? Try Dr. BJ Fogg's "Tiny Habits" formula, which we recently covered in another post: Set a specific goal (in this case, reading every day). Start with an easy target (such as reading for 15 minutes, 1,000 words, or perhaps 5 pages). Create a cue so reading becomes an automatic response (such as when you get home from work, wake up, finish dinner, etc. then you'll read). You will eventually notice your reading target increasing and may begin craving to read! 15 Questions to Reflect on Your Reading Get more engaged with your reading! Don't worry about asking yourself all of these questions - some pieces warrant more (or less) thought than others. Simply think of this list as a walk-through guide to consider what you're reading: What's the credibility of the author and/or the publisher? Who is the audience the author is writing for? What is the author stating? Is the author making any assumptions? What was the context of the author's position? Did the author imply anything? What's the author's purpose or motive in writing this piece? What tone or attitude does the author adopt? Does the author use formal or informal language? Is the author writing objectively or emotionally? What conclusions did the author reach? Were those conclusions justified? How does the author's position compare to others in their niche? Did the author say anything new? What part of the article pulled you in? Note your reflections in a reading journal or simply give yourself a few moments to ponder. Either way, you can use these questions to give your reading a contemplative punch as well as inspiration for your own articles! "When I get a little money, I buy books. If any is left, I buy food and clothes." - Erasmus What are your thoughts? Are you passionate about reading? What are you reading to expand your expertise? What are you reading for pleasure? How often do you read and how long are your reading sessions? Do you have any great reading recommendations for fellow Expert Authors? Do you think Stephen King's view on authors who don't read is too harsh? Let us know! Click here to share your comments or questions - we'd love to hear from you. To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Vanessa, Editorial Manager http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ EzineArticles Member Endorsement "... build an expert reputation ..." After submitting articles to EzineArticles.com, I experienced a dramatic improvement in my website's search engine rankings -- and the increases in traffic and sales that come with top rankings. I recommend EzineArticles.com to anyone who wants to increase their web visibility and build an expert reputation. Cathy Stucker IdeaLady.com EzineArticles Newsletter Information Join EzineArticles | Manage Your Subscription | EzineArticles RSS Feed | List Support Create Free Membership Account | Login For Members Only To Leave The EzineArticles Newsletter: leave-10031816-4591749.2ee37a53b1b55f6b57794ace0b613d97@lists.permissionbasedemail.com ISSN: 1525-7126 - Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. Postal address: EzineArticles.com, PO Box 12740 Green Bay WI 54307 USA © Copyright 1999-2014 EzineArticles.com. All Rights Reserved.

[EzineArticles] End Your Frustration with Submission and Save Time

End Your Frustration with Submission And Save Time Too scared to hit submit? Relief is here. Some people's 20 minutes to craft an article may take you 5 or 6 days - and that's not even including the days waiting during the article review process. No matter how hard you try, you wonder: "Can I write articles? Is all of this time spent writing and editing worth my time? Is there a better way to get a ROI with article writing?" Being an expert does not equate being a professional writer, but that doesn't mean you can't share your insights and experiences in articles. All it says is that you lack the skill set of professional writers to efficiently edit your own work, which in turn helps you avoid article rejection or embarrassing errors from slipping through. As a result, you exchange "fear of rejection" with "aim for perfection" and end up losing so much of your time that would be better spent adding value and increasing your bottom line. Help - that will save you time, energy, and fear - is on its way with a great new service. Watch in this quick video. It's no wonder people are so frightened to click the "Submit This Article" button with such a large variety of ways to get rejected: Formatting issues, localized niche, bad links, too many links, affiliate links, poor spelling and grammar, keyword abuse, and sales language ... to name a little more than a few. Even if you have felt a degree of what Gary's felt about perfection, rejection, and feeling completely helpless about the article review process, know this: Relief is on the way. Our team has been working diligently on a top-secret service. With it, our Senior Editors will remove the pain of article submission, make sure you put your best foot forward, save you time, and help you reap the rewards article writing offers. What else? This new service will: free you from perfection and fear of rejection make you look good and prevent embarrassing mishaps give you complete control to maintain your quality standards save you precious time to focus on other goals alleviate the pain of editing your own articles make writing less challenging for non-native English speakers fix all of those grammar errors and/or spelling typos soften less-than-perfect HTML skills take the edge off any struggles with formatting end juggling between business tasks and writing tasks build a relationship between you and your audience help you focus on controlling your message build your brand's platform and exposure reinforce your expertise and authority in your niche create informed and engaged readers help you discover what's important to your customers eliminate time wasted with article rejections minimize the time spent waiting during the article review process give you access to audiences once limited to professional writers Interested? Don't miss your chance to make publishing articles easier and eliminate your fear of article rejection. Sign up for EzineArticles new Blog Alerts, where as always, we break the latest EzineArticles.com news, insider-industry tips, and more - including when this top-secret service will be available. Comments? Questions? Click here to visit this post online and join the discussion - we'd love to hear from you! To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Vanessa, Editorial Manager http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: Time's running out! Get 2 fresh Article Templates FREE with the purchase of any Article Temlates package in the Shop. Enter the code: SPRING14 at the checkout to claim your free templates and start your writing sessions with the power of these reader-friendly, time-saving templates! EzineArticles Member Endorsement "I'm delighted with EzineArticles." I love writing my restaurant reviews and other articles without having to keep them in a drawer or go through the hugely complex process of submitting them to newspapers and magazines. I don't have the time for that. By posting at EzineArticles.com, my material, which I edit very, very carefully, and which also gets checked out by EzineArticles' very competent editorial staff, is IMMEDIATELY out there in cyberspace, available to an audience around the globe who regularly goes to EzineArticles.com to find material for their web pages and magazines. I'm delighted with EzineArticles. It is beautifully run and easy to use. Francesca Salerno Amazon.com/dp/B00HMUDT4U EzineArticles Newsletter Information Join EzineArticles | Manage Your Subscription | EzineArticles RSS Feed | List Support Create Free Membership Account | Login For Members Only To Leave The EzineArticles Newsletter: leave-10025720-4591749.2ee37a53b1b55f6b57794ace0b613d97@lists.permissionbasedemail.com ISSN: 1525-7126 - Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. Postal address: EzineArticles.com, PO Box 12740 Green Bay WI 54307 USA © Copyright 1999-2014 EzineArticles.com. All Rights Reserved.

[EzineArticles] 21 Ways Expert Authors Can Go Green

21 Ways Expert Authors Can Go Green What Do Writing and Earth Day Have in Common? Green! You make an impact on the world with your writing, so why not take it a step further by making a positive impact on your environment, too? Check out these 21 ways to go green with your article writing efforts! Save Paper How much paper are you tossing every week? According to the EPA, paper makes up 27 percent of our trash and much of it can still be recycled.* In addition to recycling paper products, here are 6 tips you can use to save some of that paper from making it to the trash. Print less by going digital with an eReader (iPad, Kindle, Nook, etc.) for books and other reference materials. Cancel the delivery of hard-copy periodicals and switch to online-only subscriptions. Stop junk mail from reaching your door.** Print less paper by using the "print on both sides" feature of your printer. Use post-consumer recycled content (PCR) paper (recycled paper). Get more out of your smartphone or tablet by downloading task reminder apps for notes, lists, and brainstorms. Conserve Energy If you practice a little energy conservation, you'll also practice a lot of wallet conservation. Here are 10 tips to save power and your green: Turn down the brightness of your screen to a reasonable setting (so you're not straining your eyes to read the content, but it's not blazing at full power). Shut down programs that don't need to be running in the background, including Bluetooth. Unplug devices (like tablets and phones) once they're charged. Eject any discs that are not being used if you have a CD or DVD drive. Turn devices on the sleep or standby mode if you're not actively going to be using it in the next 20 minutes. Use a power strip and use it to turn off all devices before you leave work for the day or before you go to bed. Use a desk lamp that utilizes a compact fluorescent bulb and switch off that overhead light. Turn the thermostat down (60-65 degrees Fahrenheit should still be comfortable) during the winter. Throw on a warmer sweater or a scarf and allow the brisk air to help you stay alert! Turn the thermostat up a few degrees during the summer and allow your body to acclimate. Don't sweat the small stuff! Microwave the water for your tea rather than using the stove to consume less energy.*** Produce Less Waste Sometimes the best waste prevention is to not have something to waste in the first place! For every item you consider buying or ordering - even if it's free - consider whether it's recyclable, how much energy it consumes producing it, and whether you'll dispose of it responsibly. Here are 5 questions and tips to consider: Do you have to use the gas? Create a stellar writing space to write at home and make your own coffee/beverage to save the gas from the commute rather than going to coffee shops to write. If you need to get out, don't drive - walk or bike! Do you need to waste that cup? At the coffee shop and getting coffee to go? Say "no" to disposable to-go cups and bring your own (clean) travel mug. Do you really need to use a plastic water bottle? Stay hydrated during your writing session to maintain focus with a reusable water bottle or even go old school with an actual glass! Do you really want to throw that out? Donate or dispose of electronics properly by recycling them (check with your local recycling facilities how to do this properly). Do you really need a pen? Choose the classic wooden pencil over plastic pens. Pencils last longer than pens and conserve much more nonrenewable resources to produce.**** There you have it! You don't need to perform all 21 ways to go green with your writing efforts at once. Simply take one step at time to make it a part of your routine and form a long-lasting habit. EzineArticles Asks: How do you save paper, conserve energy, and produce less waste? Click here to share your "go green" tips below - we'd love to hear from you! * Environmental Protection Agency. Common Wastes & Materials - Paper Recycling, EPA ** Direct Marketing Association. More Than Just Mail DMAchoice *** Munger, Dave. What's better for heating a mug of water: The stove or the microwave?, Science Blogs **** Cockfield, Josh. Pens versus Pencils, Green Lifestyle To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Vanessa, Editorial Manager http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: Help Others Go Green With Your Next Set of Articles Want to share some of your own green tips? Whether it's your office settings or the physical environment, get ready to analyze the role the environment plays in your business with the 15 Environmental Impact Article Templates. Get this Article Template package today and get two article templates FREE. Click here for details! EzineArticles Member Endorsement "... the process of writing has been profoundly rewarding!" Writing articles is truly the best way to become a leader of thought in your industry or within your circle.... Thank you, EzineArticles - You literally changed my life, and the process of writing has been profoundly rewarding! Camille Rodriquez PolkaDotImpressions.com EzineArticles Newsletter Information Join EzineArticles | Manage Your Subscription | EzineArticles RSS Feed | List Support Create Free Membership Account | Login For Members Only To Leave The EzineArticles Newsletter: leave-10019848-4591749.2ee37a53b1b55f6b57794ace0b613d97@lists.permissionbasedemail.com ISSN: 1525-7126 - Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. Postal address: EzineArticles.com, PO Box 12740 Green Bay WI 54307 USA © Copyright 1999-2014 EzineArticles.com. All Rights Reserved.

Easter Sale 2014.. Sorry I am partly to blame for it..

Re: Easter Sale 2014 extended until 12:00 PM Monday. Hi Sherif, I have now over 23 emails (and counting) from our members complaining that they missed our Easter sale yesterday. Sorry, I didn't realize that most of you would be away for the weekend to celebrate Easter with your families. So to make it up to you, We're opening up the Easter sale again for a few hours and giving away 10 more business accounts at throwaway prices at a flat 84% discount. Get Article Video Robot for 84% discount <- Click here. Now is your chance to grab it, in case you missed my email yesterday. But remember, this is our last sale. It will be impossible to get Article Video Robot at this price after this. You get 1500 videos, 1500 submissions and all the business account features. Full details on the offer page above. Regards, San Kumar, Founder, Article Video Robot. P.S. Remember, the Easter sale will end in a few hours. It had already Sold out yesterday but I'm making an exception for you guys. The offer page will automatically close after 12:00 PM.

Change subscription preferences

Easter sale is ending in exactly 1 hour.. only 2 packages left (last chance)

Re: Easter Sale 2014 is Ending in Exactly 1 hour. Hi Sherif, The 84% discount sale for Easter is just about to end in 1 hour and we only have 2 packages left now. Get Article Video Robot for 84% discount <- Click here. 1500 HD videos with free submission to promote your business at throwaway prices.. just think what it can do for your business? Remember, this is your last chance. You will not get Article Video Robot at this price ever again! If you are serious about marketing for your business with videos, then you really don't want to miss this amazing opportunity. Regards, San Kumar, Founder, Article Video Robot. P.S. Remember, the Easter sale will end in EXACTLY 1 hour. The offer page will automatically close after that.

Change subscription preferences

Article video robot: Easter sale ending in 10 hours

Re: Easter Sale 2014 Ending in 10 hours.. Hi Sherif, Get Article Video Robot for 84% discount!  But the sale is about to end in 10 hours and we only have a few accounts left now. Click here to get Article Video Robot for 84% discount! If you are serious about video marketing for your business, then you really don't want to miss this amazing opportunity. Regards, San Kumar, Founder, Article Video Robot. P.S. Remember, this sale will end in EXACTLY 10 hours. The offer page will automatically close after that.

Change subscription preferences

Easter Sale: Get Article video robot business account at throwaway prices (20 accounts only)

Re: A flat 84% discount to celebrate Easter (20 accounts only) Hi Sherif,   To celebrate Easter, today we are giving away 20 business accounts at throwaway prices with a flat 84% discount. Get Article Video Robot for 84% discount But we only have 20 accounts to give, so it's strictly first come, first served. Here is the deal: Pay for just 2 months and get an Article Video Robot business account for a whole year! Yes, crazy as it sounds it's true. You get the whole Article video robot yearly pack including 1500 videos, 1500 submission credits, HD videos and all the premium business account features like Easy voice recorder, CTA player, etc with it. Take a second to imagine how much traffic 1500 videos on YouTube can create for your business. Think of the amount of traffic you can generate when your videos show up for almost every keyword in your niche? This is the power of video marketing and you now have a chance to make it work for you too! If you order today, your discount will remain effective as long as you're a member. There will never be another oppurtunity like this for you to get Article Video Robot at such low prices ever again! Happy Easter! :) Regards, San Kumar, Founder, Article Video Robot. P.S. Remember, this special Easter sale is only for today. The offer page automatically expires after midnight.

Change subscription preferences

[EzineArticles] How to Make Writing a Habit (That Sticks!)

How to Make Writing A Habit (That Sticks!) Start Building Toward the Future You Want You want to write because you know that it's an incredible tool to build exposure and leverage your authority as an expert in your niche. So you sit down to write, but you find yourself distracted. Or your find yourself putting it off, excusing this writing session for other tasks. Whatever the story is, you're not getting any closer to meeting your writing goal. This is a similar story for all of those people who wanted to exercise, learn a new language, play the piano, or pick up some other fulfilling task that will either help them meet professional or personal goals. "Here's what you've got to do," the gurus say. "You've got to make writing a habit. Simply drum up the discipline, write for 21 days straight and voila! You've started a new habit and are well on your way to success." Sound familiar? Here's the rub: What happens when you lose steam and stop because that habit didn't stick? Everyone can recommend a strategy that has worked for them, but the fact of the matter is that there's no "one-size-fits-all" strategy. You need to find a strategy that works for you. Let's do just that - let's build a habit that sticks. Why We Do What We Do Despite of Ourselves Pulitzer prize winning author Charles Duhigg shares how to harness the science behind habits in order to build better businesses, communities, and lives in his book The Power of Habit.* Duhigg maintains that there are 3 elements that create habits: The Cue - what triggers the habit The Routine - the action or habit in motion The Reward - why we keep coming back In order to change or create powerful habits, Duhigg recommends 4 steps: Identify the routine. Experiment with a reward system. Isolate the cue. Have a plan. Whether to stop bad habits or implement good ones, changing your habits is all about experimentation and data collection so you can appropriately adjust your routine in the face of a particular cue and still get the equivalent of the reward you crave. To illustrate Duhigg's recommended strategy, let's tackle one bad habit many authors are guilty of: procrastination. Breaking Bad Habits "We all know how procrastination and dilatory tactics help us to stay away from writing. We are only too happy to cover up our follies and blame 'writer's block,' which is nothing but lack of discipline on our part." - Ritesh Agarwal, Turn Off Your TV and Write Articles! Comments We've all done it. We've all sacrificed a writing goal by making up some excuse: "It'll just take 5 minutes to check my messages - you know: voice mail, text, email, etc." "I'll check my Twitter feed so I'm not the last person to know about something happening in the world." "I need to check my business' Facebook page to make sure no one's comments are unattended." "They just released the next season of [insert show name] and I need to get a running start before the Internet releases spoilers." No wonder we can't get anything done! Ritesh's outlook on procrastination in the quote above is absolutely right - it's a lack of self-control on our parts and we're quick to make excuses and blame lack of inspiration or writer's block. Simple or elaborate, our procrastination may have been born out of a choice we once made (no matter how valid), but it may have transitioned into an unconscious habit we now make. Here's how you may break the cycle of procrastination using Duhigg's steps. Let's use checking Facebook, the common procrastination flavor of the decade, as an example: 1. The Routine: You sit down to write. During your writing session, you tell yourself you'll quickly check your Facebook page. You end up on Facebook for 15-30 minutes (maybe longer), taking out a chunk out of your writing time and interrupting your writing flow state. Cue (????) - > Routine (Checking Facebook) - > Reward (????) 2. Experiment with the Reward: Consider a variety of benefits you get out of the routine and then change the routine to see if you get a similar reward. For example, people use Facebook for any number of reasons: Socializing with friends, such as chat, posts, or just checking out what they're up to. Keeping up-to-date with pages you follow, such as deals, event announcements, promotions, etc. Looking for the latest memes, a quick laugh, or a moment of inspiration. Needing to assert your presence, such as uploading a selfie or updating your status indicating where you are. Leveraging your insights or opinions on posts, such as hot-button topics like politics. So the next time you feel the Facebook itch during your writing sessions, try doing the equivalent off Facebook for a set period of time, such as 5-10 minutes (many of these will take a little pre-planning on your part): Call a friend or write an email to a friend. Subscribe to newsletters from pages you follow and review these emails. Bookmark the websites of your favorite meme creators or sources of inspiration and check these. Take a selfie and post it to Instagram, post a Tweet, or check into Foursquare. Find a different platform - such as a forum or blog of a topic you're interested in - and engage in the discussion. Note: These aren't solutions to your procrastination problem! We're experimenting to identify why you're craving Facebook. Once you've performed the new routine when you get the itch to check Facebook, consider how you feel, what you saw, or any other reflections that come off the top of your head. Write these down so you can track it. Next, once 15 minutes have passed after performing the new routine, consider - are you still craving Facebook? If you are, then try swapping out another routine. If you aren't, you're ready for the next step. For the sake of illustration, let's say you discovered the reward you felt for checking Facebook was socializing with friends. Cue (????) - > Routine (Checking Facebook) - > Reward (Catching Up with Friends) 3. Discovering the Cue: Each time you get the craving to check Facebook in order to socialize with friends, fill in the blanks: Where were you? What time is it? How do you feel? Are other people around? What were you doing immediately before? After a while, you'll see a pattern emerge in one of the above criteria, such as: You're at your desk, which is cluttered with to-do lists, notes, and other writing ephemera. It's between 9:30 am and 10:00 am every day, which occurs right in the middle of your writing time. Frustrated. There are people distractedly talking around you while you're trying to concentrate. You took a phone call. Let's say the pattern that emerged is that there are people talking around you, such as your kids or coworkers, which triggers you to check Facebook to reap the feel-good reward of catching up with friends. Cue (People talking) - > Routine (Checking Facebook) - > Reward (Catching Up with Friends) 4. Have a plan. Get ahead of the habit by implementing a plan. For example, to circumvent the cue of people talking around you, control what you can hear by wearing headphones and listening to music that will help you focus. Try isolating yourself into a quiet space - some authors have even gone as far as creating a writing space in the toolshed of their backyards! Also, have a contingency plan! Try using an if/then statement ("If I have this cue, then I will do this"). For example, "if I hear people talking, I will write a note to myself to check Facebook at a feasible and non-disruptive time." Here's another example: "If I feel unmotivated, then I will read an article by an author who inspires me." These statements will create positive cues that will also help your brain prioritize tasks and choose writing over checking Facebook. I know - these 4 steps seem rather intricate and experimenting can take up to 2 weeks, but understanding the cause of your bad habits that prevent you from reaching your writing goals is well worth it. Next, let's talk about getting your writing habit to stick. Making Writing a Habit: How to Crave Writing In order to make writing a long-lasting habit, Dr. BJ Fogg of Stanford University asserts that planning for behavior change (creating good or breaking bad habits) is entirely systematic by creating "tiny habits" using the following three steps:** Get specific with your goals by not targeting the eventual outcome, but by specifying how you will adapt your behavior to achieve that goal. Make it easy by making the goal tiny. Set a routine quota for the minimum amount of work, such as write 100 words/day. Trigger your behavior by creating a prompt or cue to make your behavior become an automatic response, such as after my morning coffee, I will write my quota for the day. It's important to reiterate that Fogg's "tiny habits" method targets designing behavioral change in small increments rather than focusing on the desired outcome. Over time, your "tiny habits" of this will expand into bigger behavior and larger output. Finally, make it even easier to write by creating shortcuts. These could include setting out your work the night before, creating a to-do list, drafting a rough outline, or using writing prompts like the article templates. These will help you eliminate the "what should I" or "what was I going to write about" delay in the morning. That way you don't have to hem and haw over the choice and you can just jump right to it. Let's Wrap These Habits Up If you're not sure where to start to create long-lasting habits, consider this quote by Stephen King: "A man who can't bear to share his habits is a man who needs to quit them." Isn't it time to start building new habits you would love to be proud of and share with the world? What are you waiting for?! You have the tools! Start systematically approaching your habits - good and bad - to achieve your goals today. And before you go, share what habit you'd like to break, what shortcut you'll create to make writing easier every day, or what's your secret to writing every day. We'd love to hear from you! Want more resources like this? Check out these 5 articles that will help you on your way to make writing a rewarding habit: Be Better, Faster: Make Writing a Daily Habit 7 Tips to Improve Your Mindset in Article Writing 30 Time-Saving Tips to Free Up More Time to Write Overwhelmed? Break BIG Goals Into Manageable Chunks Weekly Writing Plan to Strengthen Your Writing Muscles References: *Duhigg, Charles. The Power of Habit (New York: Random House, 2012). **Fogg, BJ. "Fogg Method," http://www.foggmethod.com/ To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Vanessa, Editorial Manager http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: Want an easy way to make writing a habit? Start every writing session right with Article Templates! EzineArticles Member Endorsement "EzineArticles is a Great Way to Start Out" I didn't know that writing and submitting an article could be this easy and exciting! EzineArticles really allows a writer to write and share great articles without hesitation. EzineArticles is a great way to start out if you are thinking about article writing. I love my EzineArticles! Kisha N Rivera LadyMinista.blogspot.com EzineArticles Newsletter Information Join EzineArticles | Manage Your Subscription | EzineArticles RSS Feed | List Support Create Free Membership Account | Login For Members Only To Leave The EzineArticles Newsletter: leave-10013655-4591749.2ee37a53b1b55f6b57794ace0b613d97@lists.permissionbasedemail.com ISSN: 1525-7126 - Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. Postal address: EzineArticles.com, PO Box 12740 Green Bay WI 54307 USA © Copyright 1999-2014 EzineArticles.com. All Rights Reserved.

[EzineArticles] Turn Off Your TV and Write Articles!

Turn Off Your TV and Write Articles! You May Be Turning Off Your Screens, But You'll Be Turning On Your Life! It's Screen-Free Week! Also known as Digital-Detox Week and TV-Turnoff Week, this is an annual international event to encourage everyone to turn off their screens and "turn on life." Consider how much of your days are sucked up by constantly checking your text messages, voice mail, email, social media notifications, news feeds, so on and so forth - all because you just can't bear to miss something. Then add that to the amount of time you watch television. 12 Hours (Maybe More) of Media per DAY Last year, it was reported the time spent per day with major media by adults averaged 12 hours and 5 minutes every day.* Granted, much of that may have been spent connected to devices while at work, but that only accounts for an average of 8.4 hours a day on a typical 5-day workweek. This means we spend the majority of our waking moments plugged in for professional and personal gain. For all of those non-work related media devices this week: Turn. It. Off. We promise: it can wait. Look up from your televisions, your smartphones, your tablets, and other devices in order to experience your environment and the relationships around you. Use this information to recharge your writing! Pick 1, 2, or 3 Distractions and Pledge to Unplug Again, it's impossible for those of us whose businesses rely on online communications to completely unplug, but you can experiment by picking a few areas to turn off. For example, if Twitter or Facebook are your time vampires, then stop checking these for one week by not checking on your computers and even consider removing the apps altogether from your devices (you can always download them again once you've become more disciplined). Rather than binging for 2 hours on television, hang a note over it to remind yourself, "You should be writing!" 5 Tips to Distraction-Free Writing Sessions Are your writing sessions plagued by media distractions - either by incoming notifications or the compulsory need to be up-to-date in real time? Here are a few tips to stay strong and get some powerful writing sessions in. Don't put your phone on your desk. In fact, turn it off and "forget" it in the other room. For tablets you use to write, go into the device's settings and turn off all notifications. Simplify. Is all of that gadgetry necessary? Is it for show? Just because you have the latest tech to write at hip coffee shops does not mean you're a writer. The proof you're a writer is the writing. If you can save yourself time by using a gadget, then do so. Otherwise, a pen and paper in an area conducive to writing productivity is your best bet to getting the job done. Stick to a writing schedule. Rather than writing whenever you can squeeze in an hour or two during your busy workday, plan ahead. Creating writing appointments with yourself and stick to them. Plan ahead. Break your writing session into 6 stages: Brainstorm, outline, write, revise, proofread, and submit your ideas. This will help prevent writer's block as well as help you structure your writing sessions to write faster and more effectively. Don't cave in. Practice self-discipline. If all of your bills and important information is online, then by all means plan 15 minutes every day to get online. Don't stray by interrupting your writing session to do it. Stick to your pre-planned schedule and then get in and get out without stopping by and dawdling on a social media site. Turn it off! You'll find all of those hours that were drained by television and other media snap back into focus and you'll make great strides using it to write. Rather than fill those quiet moments with your smartphone, tablet, or televisions, allow your thoughts to carry you away. Use that smartphone, tablet, or carry a small notebook to record ideas, notes, or observations. Your writing goals will thank you with great rewards later! So how about it? Take the pledge: Share what you'll be "turning off" to have a more productive and fulfilling writing week. Let us know in the comments section below - we'd love to hear from you! Want a great way to plan ahead and help stay disciplined on your writing tasks? Channel your thoughts and ideas into an easy-to-write format readers love with over 200 Article Templates in a variety of packages or the original 52 Article Templates available at the EzineArticles Shop! Visit Shop.EzineArticles.com to get started today! *eMarketer: "Digital Set to Surpass TV in Time Spent with US Media," 1 August 2013. To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Vanessa, Editorial Manager http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ EzineArticles Member Endorsement "You guys are simply the BEST!" EzineArticles.com is truly a reputable directory article site that gives so many writers an opportunity to publish their work and have it exposed to a huge global audience. You guys are simply the BEST! Kym Gordon Moore FromBehindThePen.WordPress.com EzineArticles Newsletter Information Join EzineArticles | Manage Your Subscription | EzineArticles RSS Feed | List Support Create Free Membership Account | Login For Members Only To Leave The EzineArticles Newsletter: leave-10006982-4591749.2ee37a53b1b55f6b57794ace0b613d97@lists.permissionbasedemail.com ISSN: 1525-7126 - Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. Postal address: EzineArticles.com, PO Box 12740 Green Bay WI 54307 USA © Copyright 1999-2014 EzineArticles.com. All Rights Reserved.

New features added to your account (Serenity theme, Volume controls, and more!)

Hi Sherif,

This is Bob from Article video robot. Just wanted to let you know about the new feature we've added to your account.

But before that here is an amazing news for you: On 20th April we will be having an Easter day sale :) During which we will be giving away 20 business accounts at throwaway prices. Our sales generally last only a few hours, so make sure to mark your calendar for 20th April!

Anyway, our designer Sujoy has just created another theme for you.

It's called Serenity and here is a preview:

Click the thumbnail to play the video. The theme is now available inside your member's area here.

Secondly, a lot of users have requested a feature to control the background and voice volume seperately. We have added that option as you can see in the screenshot below:

 

We have also done a lot of bug fixing and added many new features like "Option to choose the background image from the theme", "Instant video preview in My projects".

You can access these new features directly by clicking this link here.

To your continued success,

Bob Thompson.
Article video robot.

P.S. Your feedback is greatly appreciated (and really helps us to improve AVR). Just hit the reply button and let me know.. :)

Change subscription preferences

[EzineArticles] 10 Ways to Inspire, Motivate, and Encourage a Young Writer

10 Ways to Inspire, Motivate, and Encourage a Young Writer April 10 Is Encourage a Young Writer Day! From poems to short stories to autobiographies to much more, young writers are getting a burst of writing inspiration today! So why not include articles into the mix? Encourage young writers to offer their insights to the world through article writing! Yes, even kids are specialists - in their own way. Many kids, with just an ounce of encouragement, will talk your ear off about their hobbies or interests. They know how to perform complicated tasks that even adults have a difficult time handling. And they are often more aware of the latest trends than adults! Help them channel all of that youthful knowledge and passion by encouraging them to write. Here's how! 10 Ways to Encourage Young Writers You can help kids overcome writing anxieties and motivate them to write. Here are 10 ways you can write or discuss writing to encourage young writers: Reading helps promote writing! Write an article that prescribes a reading list for parents. Include a paragraph about each book that quickly summarizes the plot and how the book will benefit young readers. Write a book review about your favorite children's or young adult book and then encourage young writers to write a book review of their own. Write an article giving advice to a young writer - you can even write it as if you're addressing your younger self! Remember your audience: they're young! Be interesting, descriptive, and compelling as well as avoid confusing jargon. Address writer's block by writing an article that helps young writers overcome writing anxiety. Give them the preventive tools to ward it off! Talk about writing with kids. Provide meaningful comments about their writing without being overly critical. Build their confidence so they know writing is not a scary thing and it can be fun as well as rewarding! Encourage young writers to write every day in a journal. Not only does it have the benefit of unloading their thoughts and expressing their worries, writing every day helps them look at the world differently. Create a chain story, which is a fun, collaborative-writing strategy. Write the beginning of a story. Pass it on with the instruction that the next person writes a sentence or two that moves the story forward and then pass it back. Encourage them to practice the art of letter writing! Whether they write to a family member, friend, or pen pal, letter writing is a great old-fashioned way to promote communication, understand their audience, and improve writing skills. Instruct a young writer to keep a travel journal - this can be based on trips or daily observations of the physical and social environment around them. Encourage young writers to provide a how-to article on something they know. Use the How-To Article Template as your guide! BONUS! Share the love! Kids love to talk about things they are excited or passionate about. Help them channel it using The I Love Article Template. Help shape great writers by showing them how to maintain a positive attitude (including when "rejection" is involved). Help them create reasonable writing goals. Help them find their writing motivation that will help and inspire others! Why? As cliché as it may sound, kids are our future. What do you want to be reading in the future? Your influence now will determine what you read later on. To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Vanessa, Editorial Manager http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: Want more great article ideas? Get 15 in the Tell Your Story Article Template Package! Magical characters, heroes, kids that won't grow up ... you've read these stories as a child, but did you ever think of using these themes in your articles? With a little tweaking, these classic story tropes make perfect articles. Get the Tell Your Story Article Template Package at Shop.EzineArticles.com/BuildYourOwnArticleTemplates/ EzineArticles Member Endorsement "... establish your voice and brand ..." The marketing principle of giving away of something of value for free in order to sell something else, resonated with me. It is also a way to establish your voice and brand in a more structured professional manner than typical social media i.e. Facebook, Twitter, et al. They have their place and are useful to an author/writer. However, the growth of the internet creates a huge demand for quality content. I still think the key is to write "quality content". If it is well written, accessible, and of timely interest to people it will get plenty of attention. EzineArticles is a wonderful reservoir of good content on many topics. Bruce Kaler M.D. Seattledoc.com EzineArticles Newsletter Information Join EzineArticles | Manage Your Subscription | EzineArticles RSS Feed | List Support Create Free Membership Account | Login For Members Only To Leave The EzineArticles Newsletter: leave-9999620-4591749.2ee37a53b1b55f6b57794ace0b613d97@lists.permissionbasedemail.com ISSN: 1525-7126 - Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. Postal address: EzineArticles.com, PO Box 12740 Green Bay WI 54307 USA © Copyright 1999-2014 EzineArticles.com. All Rights Reserved.

[EzineArticles] EzineArticles Asks: Do You Edit Your Own Articles?

EzineArticles Asks: Do You Edit Your Own Articles? Share Your Answer to This Question and More in the Comments! "[Copy] editors know that the catch with machines checking spelling is that if it's a legitimate word, the machine smiles, oblivious to whether it's the right word in context. 'Lemon aide'? Well sure. 'Lemon' and 'aide' are both real words. But can one enjoy a cool glass of 'lemon aide' in the garden?" -- Gypsy da Silva While there are some who take delight in editing and proofreading, for many it's an arduous task. Editing includes ... Proofreading First there's proofreading by checking: Spelling Punctuation Grammar That's not too bad, right? Text Consistency Usually overlooked, consistency might review for the following in writing: Usage of contractions vs. no contractions Verb tenses in sentence-to-sentence Abbreviations (United States or US) Punctuation with abbreviations (USA or U.S.A.) British Spelling (colour) vs. American Spelling (color) Piece of cake! Style In style, the grammar and spelling may be technically correct and consistent, but it may lack style. You might edit for the following: Clarity (descriptive vs. vague or excessive use of jargon) Tone (the mood of the piece) Verbiage (such as remove redundant phrases) Wordiness (such as the overuse of filler words like "that" and "which") Voice (passive or active and personality) Okay, things are really starting to heat up ... Structure Is the formatting and content structure consistent? Format reviews might include the following questions: Does it use headers? Does it use lists appropriately? Is it appropriately sequential, categorical, chronological, causal, etc.? If it tells a story, does it follow an arc (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement)? Some people are probably shifting uncomfortably in their seats right now ... If that's you, bear with us. If you're as happy as a clam at high tide, then rock on! If you do all of the above proofreading and editing checks, that's incredible! The truth is: Most people don't. And that's okay! Most people will perform the proofreading steps and call it a day. Others will dabble a little in style reviews. For those serious about breaking into the professional publishing scene, they may hire someone to proofread and edit their content. There's no shame in asking or hiring someone to edit your articles. Often, the writer is too close to their work to see where improvements can be made, they lack the time to perform the review, or editing is just not their strong suit. Discussion Questions This brings us to a few discussion points we'd like to kick start today: How much do you edit your articles? Do you have someone proofread your articles? Why or why not? If you answered yes, do you also have them make the necessary changes? Also, is it a friend, family member, colleague, or someone from a professional editing service? If you proofread your own articles, are there any areas you wish you could have a little help? Join the discussion and share your feedback here. We'd love to hear from you! To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Vanessa, Editorial Manager http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: Are you ready to share your unique insights on work environments to keep your readers in-tune with their surroundings? As an Expert Author, your audience looks to your articles as the definitive guide to help them on their journey to success. Explore different work environments in your niche with the Environmental Impact Article Template Package. Whether it's your office settings or the physical environment, get ready to analyze the role the environment plays in your business! Get this original Article Template Package here! EzineArticles Member Endorsement "The Tips Are Wonderful" I really love the work that EzineArticles does. My favorite thing I like is getting those training newsletters each week. They are simple, because folks wouldn't know what to do and the tips are wonderful. Kerry B Johnson EzineArticles Newsletter Information Join EzineArticles | Manage Your Subscription | EzineArticles RSS Feed | List Support Create Free Membership Account | Login For Members Only To Leave The EzineArticles Newsletter: leave-9992159-4591749.2ee37a53b1b55f6b57794ace0b613d97@lists.permissionbasedemail.com ISSN: 1525-7126 - Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. Postal address: EzineArticles.com, PO Box 12740 Green Bay WI 54307 USA © Copyright 1999-2014 EzineArticles.com. All Rights Reserved.