Places to Write: The Bowling Alley

I’ve been reviewing different places to get your writing done, and I’ve been extremely surprised at the results. The common places you might expect to be conducive to writing—like the library—were absolute failures when I gave them a go. A bounce place that my daughter likes to attend, though it has free Wi-Fi, seemed like a dubious try; it turned out to be one of the best places to write I’ve ever tried! So I’ve learned, through trial and error (and plenty of fun, too), to never judge a writing venue by its face value.

Another recent pleasant surprise for me is our local bowling alley. My daughter gets free coupons via kidsbowlfree.com, and we, in turn, purchased a full summer pass for $25 so we could bowl with her all summer for one low price, too. Though it sounds rather commercially, it’s actually a great deal, and we pretty much got our money’s worth early last month. We go at least once a week, so I decided to bring along my laptop this week.

You might think it would be uncomfortable and loud, but in reality it’s actually a very comfortable place to work. Our bowling alley is smoke-free, which is very important to me and my allergies. It’s lighting is low, except over the lanes themselves, so it’s pretty much easy on the eyes while you work. The seating is comfortable and the tables are exactly where I need them—to the point that they are actually a better fit with my laptop than my own desk at home.

I am certain that not every bowling alley would work for every author. We have a closer bowling alley to us, after all, that is super smoky and noisy, and I really hate going there. But as far as this bowling alley, I give it two thumbs’ up as far as a good writing place, even though some of the cons might make other people think twice:

PROS:

·         Great lighting!

·         Great seating and a place for your laptop

·         Cheap food and drinks a walk away

·         Easy occupation for the rest of the family (It’s pretty easy to keep them busy while you work)

·         Decent music (sometimes they play pop, which I could take or leave; other days they play classic rock)

·         Comfortable temperature in the heat—I have air conditioners blowing right on me at the moment

CONS:

·         No place to plug in!

·         No Wi-Fi! This could be a deal killer for some. I usually compile my topics before I write, though, so I’m usually okay writing without Internet access—at least, for a few hours. You could also use your own Internet access, of course.

·         Your hands sort of get oily even if you don’t touch a ball; I haven’t figured this one out just yet. Maybe it’s the high-fives from my five-year-old…

·         No ringing phones or other constant interruptions (the main reason I am writing here not once but twice this week!)

Be careful what you wish for....

I have always been an avid writer.  Some of the work is okay, some of the work is terrible, and a few pieces I have written I truly fell in love with as if they were my child. With the downslide of the economy I have been bouncing from job to worse job to make ends meet. I love working from home, but there doesn't seem to be a huge arena in my area for that.

Craigslist in my local community isn't usually the place to find a good opportunity, but I still check it out most of the time just for a laugh.  We have one local family run newspaper ( did I mention that is where I was laid off from after 7 years?) , and that is one of the only places where there are legit job postings.  The paper has partnered with some big name job search engines, which if you ask me only makes it harder to find TRUE postings.  I still check every day though to find as many listings as I can, and hope for the best. Last weekend I came across a posting for someone to do some data entry from home. I applied for the position immediately, I knew it was legit because the email was with one of our big name local real estate agencies.  The realtor called me within the next hour to go over some of what he was looking for.  Sure I can make you some spreadsheets, I can help you design your virtual tours, and edit some images, but I was truly blown away when the gentleman started telling me about the book he wants to write, or has already begun to write in some sense of the word.

As the phone interview went on the focus went more from data entry to bigger and better things, which I would love to help someone with, but I am not sure if ghost writing a real estate book is anywhere in my list of capabilities.  He explained to me that he is the main source of knowledge, and how long he has been doing this. He would provide me charts, and writings he already has mused up, and wants me to set up the pages for him as a basic layout to his thoughts.  I am slightly overwhelmed. I love the idea of undertaking such a massive project on something I know nothing about, but I also fear disappointing myself and the realtor if I can't bring this to life. 

The pay is fair, the first few steps are fair, and I know I am going to give this my best shot.  It is a great resume builder, and at the end of the day I may have really accomplished something.  If worst comes to worse then I can always keep busy with the string of endless data he wants to be able to have access to.  I would say right now, he has access to one of the most affordable writers there is, just because I am looking for experience. 

When walking down a new path, with a new partner you never know where the end may take you, and if you are willing to grow together and be the extra set of arms for someone that can carry you up to the next level, by all means take it.

This is another journey I have earned the "write" to.

What is an Affordable Writer?

 

You're looking for an affordable writer, but you aren't sure where to find one.  Perhaps you have a book you need ghost-written, or a blog that needs material, or you want to write your memoirs, or you need ad copy for your web market- but you are on a small budget.  You need a writer you can afford- an affordable writer. 

You would think that for every story, there is a writer.  In a purely technical sense, how could it be otherwise?  But not everyone possesses the skills necessary to write well.  Thank goodness.  We need our Doctors, Scientists, mathematicians, and accountants in this world. How boring would this world be if everyone excelled at the same craft.  I do not want to live in a writer-only world.  Twitter is bad enough without any more self-published books on how to suceed at twitter.

When a person has an idea, either for a book or a website unlike any other, ultimately they are faced with arduous task of developing the mechanics for their idea/goal.  Unfortunately, good ideas can fall flat on their face if the final product is sloppy, full of grammatical errors, and poorly written or phrased.  Then the search begins to find a writer to fill that empty slot. 

It would be wonderful if Neil Gaiman agreed to ghost-write your book, or contribute to your blog on a daily basis. That isn't going to happen.  So where are these talented, affordable writers, how much do they charge, and what kind of service will they provide?  

In the next few posts, we will take a look at who is out there in cyberspace, how you can reach them, and what it may cost you.  We will also provide guidnace for writers.  They are a scattered lot, working on their craft in tiny, dark rooms-their stereos blaring progressive rock music as they improve their craft.  

One of the most popular freelance writing job boards is ELANCE.  A comprehensive platform for hiring in the cloud, Elance has an excellent reputation for bringing writers and businesses together.  Elance signs up writers,  then provides accreditation for many different software programs. A writer can create an excellent resume, provide references, and examples of their work.  A business in need of a writer can post the job, receive submissions, review  for quality work, and if satisfied, hire the writer.  

We decided to enter the site and push a few buttons to see how ELANCE works.  On their main page, click on FIND TALENT which will take you HERE.  On this page, there is a video that explains how ELANCE works. You can choose to watch or you can scroll down to the bottom and click on the orange button  GET STARTED NOW.  This will land you on the page where you must choose between TALENT or HIRE.   If you are a writer, choose "I want to work". If you are an employer, choose "I want to hire" and click on the green CONTINUE button.  Depending on what you chose, you will land on an appropriate registration page. From that point on, it requires that you take some time to set up your account.

ELANCE  has virtual workrooms where you and your talent can meet and dsicuss and work on the projects together. There are some very successful writers who work exclusively on ELANCE.  The advantage is that there is a need for jobs and talent and ELANCE is a place where your needs can be met.  But be advised. ELANCE takes their cut, generally 6.75%-8.75% of the contract amount. 

ELANCE is a proven success, very popular, with well-designed website.   This is an excellent first place to begin your search.  Next post:  More writing boards, job postings, and a tiny story!

 

 

 

Shadows of Obsession


Shadows of Obsession, An erotic novel that cautions us that sometimes one touch, one taste of undulated ecstasy, or one chance encounter, is all it takes to become the object of someone's affection, or the desire to become someone's obsessional affliction

  An erotic psychological thriller that sets the heart racing, and the pulse pounding

  An intimate romance that indulges your wildest and illicit fantasies

  

Crime Thriller

Has anyone ever heard of a book called, The Scar, written by Michael Weiner (www.thescarnovel.com)?  My friend gave me the book. It was a quick read, but I thought the story was really intense and such a good crime thriller. Does anyone know if he has written anything else?

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