Some people don’t like smart phones and some only use iPhones. I, however, can vouch for the Blackberry.
Approximately one week ago I updated to a Blackberry. It is a great addition for this freelancer that needs to stay on top of her clients needs. Instead of not responding to a client for hours or even days because I am unavailable, I can message them back in minutes. Of course it isn’t all work, the wordpress app makes it possible for me to update directly from my phone at any time. …

Sometimes writers require a dark room too.  However, this room is on their computer.  More specifically, it is a software program that completely blacks out the computer screen.  When there are no buttons and features visible to distract you from what you’re writing, the creative energies are free to flow.
When it comes to writing, I am no different.  In an attempt to find a way to help me write better, longer, with the least amount of internet distractions, I decided to see what freeware I could find.  That is how …

When I know I need to write something but I am not sure what I should write about, I whip out my idea book.  It is simply a notebook filled with random ideas I have jotted down over a period of time.  Some are good ideas, some are not so great.  Every so often an idea sparks renewed interest and I suddenly have a whole article or blog post ready to be transferred from my mind to my computer.  Like now.
Muses are a little weird.  She might hit you …

One of my favorite twitpals happens to be the Providence Social Media Examiner at examiner.com.  The moment I realized it, I was awestruck.  You couldn’t find a more suited writer to fit into that position.
That also inspired me to write this.
For over a year now I have found myself stopping in to examiner.com periodically.  I look at that “write for us” button and I consider clicking on it.
Examiner.com is filled with talented writers that talk about their “specialties",” from celebrities to business. Each person comes from their own location …

To get inside the mind of mommy blogging, you need to know what it is.  The concept is pretty simple: mommy blogging is based around a mom who writes about her life as a parent.
This can involve the different aspects to dealing with children of any age, making choices from their perspective, or running a household.  If it involves children and family, there will be a mommy blogger who expands on that definition in her own way.  But that’s not what makes mommy blogs so attractive.  So, what does?
Like …

Photo Credit: scui3asteveo

This is a guest post by Christie Ingram
What do you think of when you think of the word "intern"? College students trying to get credit? A medical student? The true definition of intern is "a student or trainee who works, sometimes without pay, at a trade or occupation in order to gain work experience." Interning is the perfect way for you to try out a "job", to make sure it is a good fit for you before you jump in with both feet.
I have been …

Photo By: ▲ lewis chaplin
No matter how long I write, I have 3 techniques I use which will always remain consistent.

I write by hand;
I keep an idea book; and
I gather inspiration where I can find it, by reading.

Physically writing is therapeutic and it can spark inspiration on it’s own. I couldn’t live without a pen and notebook. Then there is my little idea book. It’s no bigger than a pocket notepad but it offers me refuge when I can’t get an idea for an article out of …

More people than you would believe. However, it may depend greatly on where your traffic is coming from, the placement of the ads, and your content.
I’ve been faced with my own fair share of people who could never understand why I continue using adsense on this website. The answer is simple:
I use them because they are effective!
The bloggers that I see complaining about adsense don’t use it right. Either it’s not positioned in a way to attract clicks or their content isn’t formed in a way to …

The day I decided to start writing for money was the day I figured I had become a professional writer. Well, in the sense that writing became my profession. When someone mentioned that they needed a professional writer, I froze. Thankfully this mention was through email and not in person (or on the phone). They didn’t have to see the terrified look in my eyes when I read those two words.
Professional. Writer.
I considered myself one, would they? What do others consider professional? A …

If there is one thing I’ve learned about blogging, and writing in general, it is that people want you to grab their attention and if your headline or first paragraph does not do that, they will stop reading. You do not need to be an expert in your niche before reaching out to your audience. Rather, you need to find out what they are looking for and bring it to them. When some topics may continue to live on, others may eventually lead you into a dead …