Writing as a Rule

Writing as a Rule

I found it very disconcerting that I give advice and then not follow my own advice. I write in the post Writing about Blogging that one should make time to write. 

So, to cheat, I am going to enter this admission here as a blog post. Now I know the reason why people ask others to write for their blogs. The business of the day catch up with you, and you place your blogs at the other end of the list. Soon you fall behind, and find that the spaces in between gets longer and longer. 

A friend, Robin Bownes, has been diligent tin writing his blogs every Wednesday. Here is one of his blog entries: Living Creatively. I have to follow his lead and in a way make myself accountable to write regularly.

So, the moral of the story here is: Please look out for blog posts here, every Wednesday. These blog entries deal with issues in writing. My other blog at: Creation in the Making. This one is for various topics. Please visit it for interesting entries.

Calligraphy Part I

Calligraphy could be seen as an art form or a discipline. As a discipline it was intrinsically connected to the Chinese, and Japanese martial arts.

How can one see the connection? Both martial arts and calligraphy is a form of art in its own right. Seeing someone do this type of writing, is inspiring. There is the initial preparation of getting the paper ready, setting out the ink and the calligraphy pens. The process could be slow, especially if accuracy is of great importance. There should be consistency in each of the letters you form.
Calligraphy is, therefore, not for the impatient person. Alternatively, though, perhaps one could learn patience from this type of writing.

The comparison of the art form with that of martial arts, is the fact that precision is required: "your hand should do what you command it." What is also vital is the fact that you need to make the writing as clear, as possible, and as beautiful as possible (McCormick).

Aside from the martial art connection, calligraphy has been the way in which the people in previous centuries communicated information. This is the way in which books were written and data were recorded -- via the calligrapher's hand. As a child, I was fascinated by the way in which my father would, draw pencil lines on a clean sheet of paper, and see how the letters emerged as he gave shape to them as well as give color to the pages. It is unfortunate that I do not have a copy of his best work. He did most of his work for other people. The image here is of something he did when he was very ill.  

The calligraphers of the past were employed by the church to copy the Bible, for example. This form of art, however, has not just been reserved for the Christian realm. Islamic calligraphy is as much part of the history of calligraphy.

The importance of this entry here is for the purpose to illustrate the desire for people to write for centuries. These days, computers are the instruments of choice for writing. Although some traditional writers still use the typewriter. However, calligraphy is where it all started, and there are myriads of computerised fonts that can mimic the art form. It does not, however, take you through the painstaking, disciplined process of the art form. That is where the enjoyment lies -- the enjoyment I saw in my father's face and eyes when he completed his most intricate work.


Reference:

McCormick, David . "News & BlogCalligraphy and Martial Arts." Academie Duello Centre for Swordplay. Accessed September 18, 2017. https://www.academieduello.com/news-blog/calligraphy-and-martial-arts/.

Specialization Writing

Specialization Writing

This is an interesting way to create a niche for yourself. If you have a special  interest in something, it would be easy to write about it. If you are an excellent crafts person, for example, it would be easy to simply share your methodology, and processes with others through your writing. The previous blog entry referred to niche writing. This is just an extra bit of information added to that.

It is important to write about what you know. However, you could still do research into whatever interests you. Some areas of specialized or niche writing are:

• Writers who have special interest in animals. These writers could be zookeepers, wildlife rangers, dog trainers, and many others who are simply interested in animals. 

• Those interested in motor vehicles or the automotive industry are sometimes called petrolheads. Should you be one of these people, you could be sharing your thoughts and special information regarding the automotive industry. 

• Artists with extensive background on materials and methods, could write information regarding the art world. It is also a matter of simply sharing basic knowledge, as well as experiential information. 

• Writing about the outdoors is a wonderful way in which to share both experiences as well as personal photographs of special places that you visited. The description of the journey and the places could be extremely interesting to those who enjoy the outdoors, and who would like to know more about local, or distant places.

• Travel writing is also a way in which you can document your own travels, but more so to give others the information they would love to have about places of interest to them. 

The main purpose of writing within your specialization, especially as an academic, as well, is to share your thoughts and interests with others. It is also a great way to save these thoughts and information in a safe place on the internet.

Writing about Blogging

Most people, including myself, start blogs, because we feel that we want to write, and put ideas and thoughts out there. Most of the time, though, it takes time, and energy to write an entry for a blog. The part that is most debilitating in writing for your own blog, is to find the right topic, and the right content for it. It becomes easier if you have a theme based blog, but this can again be hampered by how much time you have for it. What can one do about such a dilemma? Perhaps some ideas might help - as I speak to myself here as well.

Find the time to write

How can one find the time to write content for ones blog? The simple answer would be to schedule your blog - that is, use a calendar to set up a weekly blog, and stick to it. However, one should not feel guilty if one misses the schedule. Perhaps just move it to the following day, but the importance is to stick to the schedule.

When to write

This is as important as the scheduling. The best time to write is when you know what time of the day is your quiet time. If you whole day is quiet, then you are able to write at any time, but preferably try and sit down to write your blog (specifically) at the same time each day. That would make the time slot and the day your "blogging day."

What do I write

What you write about is entirely up to you. If you have a specific theme - that is, a "content specific" blog, it is somewhat easier, as you would write along those lines. This is also called niche blogging. If one has a general blog it can become a little more intricate, as one cannot always find a topic to write about. A "content specific" blog is often a passion, and it becomes easier to write about it. 

Finding a blog space

The Internet has hundreds of places where you are free to place your blog. The best way to find a space is to look at what your needs are. These places offer different ways of creating your blog. It depends entirely on how you wish to communicate your content. The blog spaces also allows you to create your own themes for the visual appearance of your blog.

How much do I write

The length of a blog and any other writing online,other than academic writing, should be as short as possible, and grab the attention. You do not want a lengthy blog where people would lose interest midway. The suggested length of a blog entry should be between 350-500 words. This is just a suggestion, as you could write longer blogs, as long as you keep the attention of the reader.

Finally, blogging has been around for a very long time, and does not seem to lose its appeal. If you are able to create your own website for a specific purpose, such as, selling products, most of the hosts offer a blog attached. Thus, you are able to use your blog, attached to the website, as a promotional tool for your products. Website hosting can be expensive, but there are hosts that would offer free websites, but with limited functionality.

Writing as a Habit

Writers and authors are dependent on big breaks to make some form of income, as well as to sustain a living. However, in the in-between times, a number of “gigs” are available to fill the daily pot of expenditure, especially if one is waiting for that big break. This depends on what you, as a writer, can contribute. A number of places are available to write for, but these places are a slog and you need to really work hard to earn a small amount. There are those who do offer higher salaries, though. One such place, where you are able to earn a reasonable amount, is Writerbay. This is where you can apply your own academic expertise, and become more proficient in your own writing as well.

Each writer should have one or more specialization subjects or courses. This makes it easy to write even though you need to use the prescribed books. As the assignments are academic, the writers are also given a salary on a sliding scale. This means that the salary depends on your own qualification level. The assignments are assigned to the writer once they have made an application, indicating that they would like to work on a specific paper. Depending on the settings of the writer, the work would be assigned within the writer’s expertise. The writers are able to set their own working hours, such as being available 24/7 or lesser hours.

Most of these sites offer services to students to have their essays written for them. These students come from non-English backgrounds, and are, therefore, not fluent in English. What this means, too, is that the student might be able to speak the language, but cannot necessarily think or analyze at a deeper level in English. The writer at Writerbay would assist them with their essays for exam purposes. Some people do question the ethics of this methodology, but it is the only way that students from foreign language backgrounds can obtain a degree at a Western university. As mentioned already, the student has to study and understand the written essay in order for them to complete the exam paper.   

Once the writer is given access to the “Available Orders” list, the writer can choose the assignment, and start writing. However, it still depends on the administrators whether they would assign the order to the writer in question. The writer is given specific time periods in which to complete the assignment. The longest time-period is eleven days. The shortest periods can always be negotiated to a longer period, if the time allows. The shorter periods can be from as little as thirty minutes.

The most important aspect of Writerbay is that the work has to be academic. This group allows you to write as much as you can, and allows you to choose what you would like to write about. Even though your expertise does not lie within the requirement for a particular order, you could still apply and write from general knowledge, but with the seriousness of academic writing and the right sources. That means that the language is formal, and all various paper formats, and referencing styles apply. However, they have recently opened up an opportunity for blogging. Hence, should you do have your own blog, you would be able to write blogs for them too, and make some money there too. Any person who enjoys writing will find ways and means to write and keep busy at writing. Writing for groups are an important aspect, as it teaches you to write for various types of people, as well as various modes of writing.

The main focus is on writing. It teaches you to sit down and complete pieces of work within a particular period. It will finally train you for when you want to do you own writing. It teaches you the discipline to sit, write, and complete tasks. When you finally write for yourself, you are able to set your own timelines and goals. Most writer groups have their own rules, and you will have to pop in at this group (Writerbay), ask the right questions, and see what they have to offer. Visit the website, as they are an online group.

Image references: no need for attributions

Under the Sea

The subaquatic world is a place that has been exclusive for a very long time. The possibility for anyone to dive into the deep blue sea is there. Many people have been excluded as a result of the lack of exposure. It is, therefore, a matter of getting to know what scuba diving is about, and that would help in spreading the popularity of the sport.

The question is: Why would you want to go down into the ocean? There are thousands of reasons. Some of these are:

• To see that life that you would not see otherwise. Seeing the inhabitants of the sea is not the same down below as it is in an aquarium.
• You would not only see these creatures, but you would have an intimate experience with them.
• You would be exposed to extraordinary things at every point in the various dives you could do. Take, for example, this incredible experience a diver experienced on one of his dives:

Furthermore, your experiences could take you to another level of your diving, such as an interest in the various jobs you could do underwater. The book: A General Guide to Scuba Diving will give you some insight into what you might expect from such an experience. You will never look at diving in the same way.

It is an expensive hobby, but as a job, you will be given your full gear in which to work. Even as a hobby, you could still rent your scuba gear, until you are able to afford your own. It is important, though, that you start somewhere. 

The Book vs Kindle

Enough said:

http://www.lovelight-publishing.co.za/