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Wordophilia - December 2008

Freelancing Site

December 31st 2008 14:42
In my eternal rounds of the Internet, where I seem to be spending proportionately larger amounts of time these days, I came across a rather excellent forum for freelance work. It's over here at GetAFreelancer.

The thing that really surprised me is the rate at which the available projects appear. Now, I'm only really looking at proofreading stuff for the moment, with perhaps a bit of writing work if it isn't too rush-rush. Every single day, there are at least three or four emails with a few new jobs popping up in my inbox. It's completely mad. I daren't even imagine how many jobs would appear if I were doing design, programming, databases, training, ASP or any of the dozens of other things!

I can't say much about the reliability of the site just yet, since I haven't actually done any work through them, but I'll keep you posted!
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Someone else's blog

December 23rd 2008 17:53
It's only been about a month since I started writing online, but one o fthe best sites I've been pointed to has just updated. OnlineWriter maintains a blog here on Orble which contains so much useful information that it makes my ears bleed. He's also a jolly helpful chap.

His latest post, after a bit of time away, is about making money online. If you're a writer producing content on any of the many sites out there that pay a little, it's most definitely worth reading.
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How could I possibly resist?

December 23rd 2008 00:10
Wandering (lonely as a cloud), I came across a list of potential writing topics over on HubPages. I'd just seen a bunch of depressing titles on a different site, talking about ways to decorate your work cube for the season, so when I saw this particular one over there, I was tempted.

Now I'm someone who hates cube farms. I think the whole idea is horrific, inefficient, depersonalising and one of the best examples of the way work destroys our lives in present times. The very idea of actually caring enough about the box you are forced to sit in for eight hours every day is alien to me. I can't think of anyone I've ever known who would willingly go and sit in one all day if they weren't being paid for it


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Another site discovered

December 22nd 2008 10:29
I was twiddling around on MyLot yesterday, reading a few discussions and earning another 2c (or some equally small amount of pocket change) when I noticed - again - a number of mentions of a place called HubPages. So I went and had a look.

Yes, it's another online writing site, but it has a less serious feel than AC or Helium. It doesn't really pay anything either, unless you get ad hits, but I quite like the layout and the editor they have there. Very smooth. Some of the pages are horrible, it has to be said - especially the really badly thrown together marketing ones - but there's a lot of good content


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Inspiration

December 21st 2008 17:49
A small addendum today. I was sitting here thinking about inspiration: why I write, why I bother, what encourages me and so on. With the novel 'Donnerjack' in hand, I realised just how much I owe to Roger Zelazny, my favourite author. So I thought I would write a little piece to express it.

It's over here on AC. I just wish I could have met the man.
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Helium Obsession

December 21st 2008 14:39
It crept up on me quietly. Unannounced, slinking in the back way, hiding in shadows and moving silently closer and closer until... bam! There it was. Helium obsession.

Yes, every morning, I find myself itching to point my browser at Helium and my list of articles. I need to see if my work has risen or dropped in the rating system. How many are at number one? How many have moved? Has that marketplace piece closed and been viewed yet? Will I sell it or will someone else's work be better


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Beating the block

December 20th 2008 09:55
Hurrah, hurray! I finally managed to beat the block and write a couple of articles yesterday (hey, that rhymes!). I wasn't overly pleased with either of them, but they're acceptable.

I figured that the largest part of my block was because I'd lost the initial enthusiasm I had for online writing. You know, when that adrenaline rush starts to wind down and you start wondering if everything you write is actually just pointless crap. It's not that I'd become unenthusiastic - far from it - but that it just all seemed a bit pointless after I'd used all my original ideas


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Still blocked

December 19th 2008 18:02
Sigh. I can't seem to break this block I have at the moment. I can't string words together into any sort of coherent article form and it's really starting to annoy me. OK, so some of it could be tiredness, since I didn't get much sleep, but a lot of it is just a lack of inspiration. The phrases won't flow. The words won't come. Nightmare.
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A rescue cat's story

December 18th 2008 22:23
My brain's gone a bit blank over the last couple of days. I haven't been able to write much. I think it's because of a little extra pressure from my other half - she wrote to my mum and mentioned that I'd sold an article online, so I feel all in a tizz.

I did have one idea trotting through my head for a few days recently and I finally wrote it down. A few years ago, I rescued a cat from a mean owner and looked after him. Eventually, he ended up with my mother, since he doesn't like my other cat at all. Completely different style of article, but I hope you like it


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Bitten

December 18th 2008 22:07
Welcome to ScrawlBug, my blog. I've always loved language and writing, but just recently I've had more time on my hands and have truly been bitten by the literary bug. I've started writing again, mostly articles but also a couple of novel ideas that have been running through my head for a while.

This will be my space to muse, to comment, to think out loud, to show my articles, to discuss writing and to chat with any passers-by, should they so desire. I hope it'll be of some interest.
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