The Written Word

Hello Everyone,

Thought I’d put a quick post in here on what’s going on.  Truth is, I don’t know.  I haven’t heard from Angela since last week.  Even in times when our online presence has been hidden from the rest of the world, her and I have always been in chat or email communication.  This is not the case.  She may have already lost her internet connection due to circumstances beyond her control.

I do know she had plans for today, so I will try to contact her by phone this afternoon and see if I can find out what’s going on.

I do not know if I will have time to take over The Written Word while she is gone.  I have several other sites I work on, plus I will be taking on a full time job within the week.  That’s the plan anyway.  I will try to stop in and do some type of weekly post at least.  That means this place may go completely off topic.  LOL.

Thanks to everyone that keeps up with The Written Word and Angela.  I will let you know something as soon as I know something.

Have a Blessed Day!
Patti Ann Stafford

Writing an article doesn’t mean just putting down thoughts into words. You have to capture the interest of the reader and keep them reading. To get your message across you need to have a firm grasp of their interest and pique their curiosity.

The main ingredient in baking up an article is a large dose of creativity. While creativity may come natural to many people, others seem to get writers block.

Putting words into images in the readers mind is an art. A clear and crisp depiction requires a certain flair that only creativity can provide. Similes and metaphors help a lot, but the way an article gets entwined word for word, sentence by sentence, then paragraph by paragraph into a whole article, develops the essence of the article.

So what do you have to do when nothing comes to mind? There is no surefire way to get the perfect idea but there are easy ways to get your creative juices flowing. No one can guarantee you will have the perfect mindset, but many methods may aid you in achieving that state of mind.

Many writers find these ideas helpful:

Keep a journal with you at all times to jot down thoughts, ideas or images you may see in your mind.
Find time to relax and ponder your thoughts.
Set up a place for writing.
Find what helps you set the mood for writing, radio, TV in the background, silence, candles–whatever it takes to set your mood.

In setting time aside for writing, it’s a good idea to also set aside time for reflection each day.  This can help ensure you always have fresh ideas in the making.

Happy Writing!
Patti Ann Stafford

This week has been a series of events that nothing could have prepared me for, and now some very tough decisions have to be made. To put the problem in a nut shell, my husband was hospitalized this week - his prescription medication plan apparently no longer covers 9 of his 11 medications - and I’m forced to make some cut backs. After weighing all of the things I could sacrifice for a month or so, the internet/land line is the one on the chopping block. As an act of desperation, I decided to put this PayPal button on here and see if anyone just happened to be wearing Angel wings today.

For everyone who donates to keep The Written Word going, I will maintain a list and pay you back as soon as possible.

Earlier this week, Google CEO Eric Schmidt was quoted on several websites and news feeds as having called the internet a “Cesspool”. Rather than repeat the various quotes that pertain to us as writers, I would like to refer you to the full story here:

Google’s Schmidt Says Internet ‘Cesspool’ Needs Brands By Nat Ives

I’ve long preached on the importance of quality web content coupled with targeted advertising campaigns. The two, indeed, go hand in hand. I have little faith that Google will ever be able to control the monster they’ve created because for every change they make - I expect hacks to develope a way to manipluate the results. I am, however, glad to see that Google is well aware of this situation and willing to take future measures in order to attempt a clean up.

For us writers, this is amazingly good news! When the focus is placed back on the content - where it should have never been allowed to leave - our future in this profession looks much brighter. For advertisers, this means the dirty tricks of link buying and such will only waste your money. You’re going to have to form a partnership with us writers, create quality relevant content for your website, and work toward much more targeted advertising campaigns.

Now that I’ve seen some positive proof that my way of thinking on all this was on track, I’ve decided to take a rather bold move and attempt to launch a new website that will partner talented writers with websites in need of quality content and targeted advertising. The Written Word will later merge with this new website, but there’s no need to worry about bookmarks just yet! My launch date has been pushed back a bit due to a prior commitment, so I’m looking at sometime after the first of the year now. But if you’re a web content writer, a website owner in need of quality content, or targeted advertising - feel free to drop me a line now, and I’ll be happy to discuss the plans I have at length with you. It would be nice to launch with a few people already on board! (yes, this was a hint!)

People of all ages will celebrate I Love To Write Day on November 15. Founded in 2002 by Delaware author John Riddle, I Love To Write Day is now celebrated in over 20,000 schools all across the United States. Bookstores, libraries, community centers and everyday people also join
in the fun.

“My goal for I Love To Write Day is to have people of all ages spend time writing,” says John Riddle, Founder. “They can write a poem, a love letter, a greeting card, an essay, a short story, start a novel, finish a novel.the possibilities are endless. But I want people to take the time to put their thoughts down on paper. They will be amazed at the results. Writing can be fun, but also challenging. People need to be challenged, and writing is but one of many creative ways to express yourself. I am very excited because I Love To Write Day activities are already being planned all across the United States. For many people, that will be the beginning of their writing career. I Love To Write Day has the potential to launch the career of the next John Grisham, Mary Higgins Clark, Stephen King or Toni Morrison.”

Many Governors from across the United States are recognizing the importance of writing, and are encouraging their residents to celebrate I Love To Write Day on November 15. In fact, Governors from the following states have “officially proclaimed” November 15 I Love To Write Day: Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan and Texas.

“Everyone can get involved in I Love To Write Day,” says Riddle. “Just visit the Website, I Love To Write Day at www.ilovetowriteday.org and you will find suggestions and ideas on how to hold special I Love To Write Day activities in your community. There is a registration page, and I am encouraging everyone to sign up so that we can count how many people get involved in I Love To Write Day. People are also encouraged to spread the word about I Love To Write Day in their local
communities.”

For additional info:
John Riddle - johnriddle@sprintmail.com
302-834-4910
www.ilovetowriteday.org