“You don’t do anything by halves, do you?” James said that to me the first time that I single-handedly negotiated a project contract on my own. Usually, James is on the front lines, dealing with customers and hammering out the project guidelines. This time, I did it. And it was a big one. A single comment often sets off a chain reaction of thoughts in my mind. They tend to lead to small life-changing moments. James was right; I rarely do anything by halves. For me, my attitude has always been all or nothing. Recently
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Blog Archives
Enjoy 1,000+ articles geared to your content-marketing, writing, freelancing or small business endeavors. Scroll down for recent posts, select a category, or browse the archives here.
How to be Cool with Your Network Contacts
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Networking is a valuable way to achieve some great success in your career. A good contact can help you get set up in business, can offer you some referrals so you start earning clients, and can help you through some rough times with some advice. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to network. Be cool, or be square. Be Friendly with Your New Friends Be friends before you become business associates. Find out a little about the person. Ask some questions, like whether they have kids or a favorite sport. You don’t
> Read MoreThe Importance of Suspending Disbelief
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“Aw, man! There’s no way I can believe that!” “C’mon, Pete,” I roll my eyes at my roommate. “It’s a movie, for crying out loud. You’re too much of a Virgo.” He really is. “You analyze too much.” He does have a point, though. How seriously were we supposed to take Conan the Barbarian? Writing fiction is about drawing your readers into a world you created, making them believe that world possibly exists. It’s creating characters that people can relate to – love ’em or hate ’em. It’s shaping something imaginative into something real. The
> Read MoreHave You Become a Statistic?
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Statistics show that 314 readers out of nearly 600 subscribers failed to update their feed readers when their favorite blog, JCME/Web Content Writer Tips, moved to a new domain at Men with Pens. Are you one of these 314 people? Don’t be a statistic. Break free. Be different. Update your feed subscription – before it’s too late. Very soon, Feedburner’s redirect feature will cut these 314 readers loose. It’ll be chaos. It’ll be panic. Did JCME disappear? Why aren’t they posting? Where have James and Harry disappeared to? We didn’t disappear. We moved to www.menwithpens.ca.
> Read MoreWill Content Kill the Web?
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The Web is on a crash course for disaster. There’s a glut of content out there, with more added daily in phenomenal amounts. The information is repetitive and redundant. The churned-out content that fills up the Internet is making it hard for people to sort out the good and the accurate from the ugly. People – this is a problem. Enter PLR content. I have very strong feelings about PLR content. I know plenty of people who write it, who sell it and who buy it. I wrote it myself, once long ago. I have
> Read MoreMen with Pens Writer Becomes A Professional Member of the PWAC
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We’re pleased to announce that James Chartrand has been accepted as a Professional Member of the Professional Writers Association of Canada. The PWAC is a nationwide non-profit organization founded over 20 years ago by a group of freelance writers to improve working conditions and pay rates for writers. The PWAC association plays a leading role in the Canadian writing industry. PWAC members represent the highest standard of writing in the country. All our members have extensive experience and publishing credits and are cultural entrepreneurs with first-hand, professional knowledge of the publishing and corporate writing markets
> Read MoreWhy Your Novel Isn’t Written Yet
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When we announced the start of a new series focusing on fiction writers, we were surprised at the reaction we received. It seems many of you have a novel up your sleeve, hiding in your files or tucked away in your thoughts. Reading the comments readers left, I couldn’t help but wonder… What the Hell are You Waiting For? Writing a novel is probably the easiest thing in the world to do. There are no outside barriers that stop you. You need skills and talent, yes, but you can learn much of that on your
> Read MoreIs Your Content Running Around Naked?
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Getting sexy with your content is important for capturing attention. But you don’t want your content to run around naked, either. Around here at Men with Pens, we’re sporting that casual look. A little edgy, clean and sharp… and our content is well dressed for the occasion. So what’s your taste in apparel? Maybe your content needs a suit and tie for an important presentation. Are you handing it in Levis and a t-shirt when the event is black tie? Learn all about dressing up your content in my latest guest post at Copyblogger.
> Read MoreFiction Writing: How to Capture Your BIG IDEA
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I do most of my thinking at night. My mind is like a highway, with one thought leading to another like endless exits to new locations. The bright lights of oncoming traffic are flickers of ideas. Most of them pass by, barely warranting a casual glance. They flash white, and then fade to dull red in the review mirror. And then it hits. The BIG IDEA bears down on me like a huge, rumbling tractor trailer. I feel the adrenaline surging and I’m wide awake. This thought just can’t wait until morning. If I go
> Read MoreVoid: The Way of Writing – Part 6 of 6
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“People in this world look at things mistakenly, and think that what they do not understand must be the void. This is not the true void. This is bewilderment.” -Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of 5 Rings In the void, there is no such thing as good or bad. No one way of doing things is the correct way – or the wrong way. There’s just your way. But the way of void isn’t easily accomplished. This spirit of Mushin (meaning no mind) can easily cancel itself out. Merely thinking of not thinking is thinking. Sound
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