The Joys of Growing with Our Team

Remember the saying "There's no 'I' in team"? Well, that's true and I've seen proof of that all my life. I've been working from home for almost 2 and a half years now and if there's one thing I learned, it's this -- working without a team can get lonely sometimes.


Whatever your chosen field is, as long as you're pursuing your dreams using your core gift, you're bound to succeed, one way or the other. If there's one thing I've learned, integrity and quality is the best benchmark for success.


I have a dream journal which I used to edit from time to time. (Yes, I'm a bit O.C. about this.) I have some personal prayers and requests in there but I also have a few career-related dreams. One of them is to make that all-important step from being a self-employed content writer to a business owner. The transition was not easy, boy, that's an understatement. It took a whole lot of blood, sweat and tears but finally, a breakthrough! We just got some good news today. An answered prayer. Unexpected but wonderful just the same!


When I left my full-time job, I was really lost at first. But my business partners, who also happen to be my closest friends since kindergarten, told me to keep on writing. And when I did, I was amazed at how wonderful our team has become. We have amazing writers and virtual assistants who are not afraid to face the odds together, as a team. That was both heartwarming and extremely encouraging.


And as I wrote with them, I discovered nuances to our work that I never really noticed back when I was merely editing. I can totally relate with them and every meeting is such joy! We share writing secrets and styles and we share each others' burdens. And that is the best part. That is what team work is all about and we are so blessed to have team players working with us. Work is so much fun again!


It's true, starting a new business is not easy. We have to go through growing pains. And here's one thing that I'd like to share with all of you: "When building your Dream Team, take good care of your team. Always choose your Dream Team over money."

Sailing with My Friends on IsleMedia Philippines...

I am free! Working as a freelance writer, that is. I am finally living my dream. Anxious? Yes! Nervous? Definitely! Scared to death? You betcha! But one thing is clear, this feels right. Wow! That's the first time I've ever said that out loud. And now it's on this blog. This has been a long time coming. I opened this blog many, many months ago, not knowing that this was really my dream. I thought that having a regular paycheck would keep me content. But I guess not. I chose health over wealth this time and heaven help me I  sure hope I made the right choice.

When I left the corporate world, I went down the online route still carrying the corporate world mindset... missing my office mates, wishing I was working in an office. I started out as a virtual assistant but I did not know it back then. A few months later I applied as an online content writer and I have been very blessed ever since.

Yes, freedom has it's ups and downs but I'm enjoying the perks now that I've finally regained my balance. I am hopeful and dreaming again and that is enough reason for me to get up every morning, do my work, bond and reconnect with my family and friends and finally spend more time discovering Jesus working within me and around me.

I wanted to form or be part of a group of freelance writers who shared the same interests I did. When I opened this blog, I had no idea how and where I would find those people. Now I'm part of a small group of friends, old and new, who I include in my prayers because I am so enjoying working with them. I am still struggling in this new environment but I know that we're fighting the good fight and we're helping each other out. And that is enough for me.

My closest friends and I have embarked on a business venture that has its ups and downs. It hasn't been easy but our meetings are so much fun! We are building our dream team and I am so blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people. IsleMedia Philippines is a dream that I've been nursing in my heart for such a long time and now we're on our way. Our ship is sailing, sometimes the seas are rough but the best part is, my friends and dream team are sailing with me. Are we on the same boat? Would you like to join us? Please feel free to leave a message and let me know... See you on the bright side! :)

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There's No Playing Around with Google Adsense

I just discovered something absolutely embarrassing today. I've been getting penalized by Google Adsense because I used a picture from the Internet for which I don't have ownership rights. I did not pay for the image or anything. Now I understand why my Adsense earnings has been going down even though my sites' visitors have been going up.


I've been blogging on and off for a couple of years now on my all-time favorite Gratitude Journal http://gratitudejournalmisty.blogspot.com/ and I've been earning Adsense credits from it. I've been torn about this one too cuz I felt guilty earning off a blog that talks about God and his goodness. With that aside, I was amazed when I checked my Adsense reports today and I discovered that using just any picture from the Internet is a big NO-NO. It's kind of the same as plagiarism. Anything you don't own, you should steer clear from. At least, that's my big lesson for the day.


And so as I stifle a big yawn, I realized 2 things today -- first, images and words on the Internet may appear to be free for all but it's NOT. Second, that nothing is ever FREE in this world. And so I crawl into bed, content in the knowledge that I learned something valuable today. Never use anything you don't own or have a right over. Intellectual property rights also applies to the Internet. And Google had to be the one to teach me that lesson.


And that is one of the reasons why I love my job. I write for a living and I have fun while I'm at it. I have to remind myself of that reality everyday because sometimes I forget to thank God for giving me such a blessed life, for which I'm eternally grateful. I love blogging. Good night and God bless! :)

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You may also share your comments and leave your questions here. Thank you and God bless!

7 Ways to Improve Your Writing ASAP!

Many of you would love to write more compelling blog posts, articles or web copy.


You’ve heard all the old advice. Practice makes perfect. Get your 10,000 hours in. Just show up and write.


And of course, that’s all a good idea. It just takes so danged long.
Meanwhile, I’ve got a couple of fast ways you can improve your writing immediately. No waiting for that pesky, tedious “practice” to kick in.


Way better.


Be concise and be clear


You’ve heard this one a million times. Tight, concise, easy-to-read pieces are heaven for readers. Long, complex, convoluted ones are just confusing.


Very often, the longer you write, the less you hold a reader’s interest.


If you can’t say it simply in just a few words, then you’ve lost readers. Write short, write lean, andwrite clearly, so you don’t have to waste words explaining what you’ve just written.


Keep it short


Not your writing (although that’s a good idea), but your line length.
Interestingly, people actually read longer lines faster. But fast reading isn’t necessarily what you want them to be doing. You want readers to be absorbing what you wrote, understanding your message, and reading comfortably as well.


So go for short. Set your page layout so that it’s not full width, or if you need that full width, keep sentences short and use plenty of paragraph breaks.


100 characters per line is optimal for speed — but about 45 characters is best for reader comfort.


Stick to three


3 is a magic number.


It’s said that people can process 7 bits of information (more or less) at a time. But the number that’s most compelling is the one we like the best: 3.


So have 3 bullet points. 3 steps, 3 strategies. Use the number 3 as often as you can.


Not only will you capture better reader interest by doing so, but you’ll improve your readers’ ability to remember what you’ve written. We tend to chunk information into groups of three, and recall those triads more easily.


Watch your tone


It’s easy for writers to assume readers can pick up on our mood and tone from our writing.


After all, we certainly know our feelings, humor, intent, and state of mind at the time we write. But for readers, it’s clear as mud. They’re guessing at your tone — and they may guess wrong.


Here’s an example:


Honey. Please.


Was I exasperated and rolling my eyes? Smiling and gently teasing? Acidly sarcastic? Or maybe just eating toast and reaching for the bear-shaped bottle?


As a reader, you have no idea unless the words around that phrase cue you into my written tone.


Talk Food, Sex, and Danger...


Susan Weinschenk from What Makes Them Click is writing a great series called 100 Things You Should Know About People.


Go check it out. It’s good. Seriously good.


In this resource, Susan mentions that our brains always ask the following questions:


Can I eat it? Can I have sex with it? Will it kill me?


Nice.


Nice for you, too, because if you want people to pay more attention to your writing, bring up those big three (there’s that number again). Use stories and examples that touch on aspects of food, sex, or danger.


Add descriptors or associative words. Pair it with a nice picture, if you’d like. It’ll glue them to the page.


Break it up


Time and again, I see writers spooling out long, chunky paragraphs.
No, no, no.


Make it easy for people to read your work. The easier it is, the more they’ll get your point and enjoy reading — and that’s what you want.


Reading online is tiring (yes, even for you fresh-eyed Gen Ys out there). So you need to do everything you can to make it less of a strain.


 No more than three sentences to a paragraph, please, and keep those sentences short.
 Add bullet points and subheads to guide people along.
 Oh, and bump up that font size, would you? Tiny means squint, and that’s no good.


Stay on topic


I know how tough this one is — I commit the crime of wandering too often myself, and have to make sure I don’t stray too far from my main point.


If I add too many points to a piece of writing, readers get confused about the main point of my post. They’ll be confused about yours, too.


Building an outline helps. Decide on the main point of your piece and create three (!) sub-points that support it. Make sure each one ties back to the message you want to get across to readers, and make sure each sub-point is supportive and relevant.


So there are your quick guides to becoming a better writer today.
How about you? What’s your favorite tip for immediate writing improvement? Let us know in the comments!


From 7 Ways to Improve Your Writing … Right Now

10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer

10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer:
1. Write.
2. Write more.
3. Write even more.
4. Write even more than that.
5. Write when you don’t want to.
6. Write when you do.
7. Write when you have something to say.
8. Write when you don’t.
9. Write every day.
10. Keep writing.


From Become A Better Writer on CopyBlogger.com.