10 reasons to write a blog

A blog is an extremely versatile tool that can be used for marketing, writing, and reference.

I have maintained two blogs fairly consistently over time. I keep recipes online and periodically add to the collection at my vegetarian recipe blog, www.EatAtHome.info. The other blog is this one, www.PersonalChange.info. I wrote my first post in January, 2011: Play. While my consistency in posting has waxed and waned since then, I am definitely glad I have maintained, and continue to add to, this blog.

Below are ten ways blogs can help you, regardless of your profession, interests, or goals.

1. Blogs can be a great marketing tool.

If you have a business or are selling a product, blogs are a great way to generate leads by offering education information related to your business, services, or products. Visit RayHigdon.com for great resources of marketing with blogs. I reviewed Ray's blogging webinar in 2014.

2. Blogs help you write regularly.

Some bloggers post every day while others post less frequently. Like every recurring activity, posting daily vs. posting once a week can make a significant difference in terms to the number of posts written by the end of a year. Since I started this blog I have experimented with various posting schedules, including taking extended breaks. Currently I try to post 3-4 times per week. This fits with my scheduled of other activities. I also use the scheduling feature of Blogger to write several posts and then schedule them over a period of weeks.

3. Blogs are flexible.

You can have a blog focused on a specific topic, and you can also use blogs as a platform for other types of writing. Nina Amir wrote a book and teaches others how to blog a book. Instead of writing in a word processing application, a blog can be used to organize posts into chapters using hashtags. Blogging a book provides the ability to write consistently (daily, etc.) while accumulating several words and chapters over time. Blogs can be configured to be public or private, so you could write extensively without anyone else seeing your work.

4. Blogs are a good personal reference tool.

Many of the topics I use as blog posts are for my own later reference. I like to put notes on my blog, especially if there are links to books, sites, and other resources. I use the custom Google search feature regularly to find information on my blog.

5. Blog content is easily sharable. 

There may be times when you want to share information on Facebook or Twitter but the information itself requires more than 140 characters or a few lines to share. By writing a blog post, you can then share the post on any social media platform, including Twitter, Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.

6. Blogs provide a hub for transmedia.

As I have written about previously, transmedia means sharing the same content on multiple platforms. You can write a blog post and use the content to create a video, SlideShare presentation, Instragram and Tumblr images, etc.

7. Blogs can function as a basic website.

You can buy an inexpensive domain from Google Domains, GoDaddy, or other sources and link it to your blog, as I have done with this blog. In addition to the regular list of posts, you can also create pages with additional information.

8. Blogs can be customized.

Both Blogger and WordPress offer a variety of plug-ins, such as lists of posts, images, etc., to enhance the functionality of your blog. Additionally, you can adjust the look of your blog and layout of various elements on the page.

9. Blogs are interactive.

Unless the feature is disabled, blogs allow the ability to comment on posts. This is a great way to interact with readers who find your blog.

10. Blogs include tracking statistics.

In the back office of my blog, I can see the number of views for each blog post. Additionally, I can view the number of total views on a daily basis, and the primary sources of views.

Start today

If you don't already have a blog, today is a great day to start. You will be amazed how quickly posts will accumulate over time. If you already have a blog, please share it in the comments below, and use this post as a reminder to review how regularly you post and what you can do to make your blog even better. 

Free image sites

This post is a review of several free image sites.

Image credit: Ryan MacGuire | Edited with Canva

Last week I reviewed government image sites. If you are looking for high quality images - especially of military action and space - these sites are fantastic.

Several websites exist which provide stock photos at no cost, and there are no royalties required either.

Government images sites

Below is a list United States government image sites. In addition to specific image sites, many government agencies also have Instagram and Flickr accounts.

Using imagery provided by the government has several advantages.

1. With very few exceptions, pictures, drawings, and illustrations created by the government are automatically in the public domain. You can use them without having to worry about licensing or having to request permission.
2. Because images are in the public domain, they are free to use for personal and commercial projects.
3. Government agencies employee professional photographers who have access to cutting edge equipment and techniques.
4. Government photographers have access to situations that are limited for the rest of us. When the President is huddling with key leaders in the situation room, a photographer is present. When troops are in combat, photographers are there.

Ultimate Video Bundle - App Review

The Ultimate Video Tools bundle consists of several utility apps to assist with converting images and GIFs to video formats. Most of the apps offer the ability to use music from previews on iTunes.

Frequently while searching for apps in the iOS App Store I come across multiple apps from the same developer which are bundled together. Usually these bundles cost less than the total price of purchasing each app individually. However, like music albums, sometimes there are only one or two great hits in a bundle

The Ultimate Video Tools bundle is one that includes eight useful apps. I discovered this bundle while searching for an app to convert GIFs to video. The apps I have used are described below.

Another Set of Mental Jogging Prompts

More brainstorming prompts from the book Mental Jogging by Reid J. Daitzman.

In previous posts I reviewed the book Mental Jogging by Reid J. Daitzman, and later share some more games from the book to stimulate the imagination.

• Mental Jogging Book Review
• More Mental Jogging Prompts

Eleven Mental Jogging prompts

The  book consists of 365 prompts to stimulate your creativity. Below are ten prompts. These are great to think about while commuting and at parties.

1. Six or more places never to put grass seed.
2. Seven or more reasons not to smell a rose.
3. Seven or more things to think about while descending on a parachute.
4. Six or more ways to produce electricity.
5. Seven or more day dreams everybody has. (Possible answers below.)
6. Seven or more important news events of your parents' lifetime.
7. Eight or more non-sport uses of a football.
8. Six or more college majors that least interest(ed) you.
9. Eight or more routes from New Orleans, Louisiana to Mexico City, Mexico
10. Nine or more uses of dust.
11. Seven or more uses of bamboo.

Possible answers for Seven or more day dreams everybody has: The book lists 75 possible answers for this prompt.

• 1. Getting into first choice of colleges.
• 11. Being valuable.
• 21. Becoming involved in a grandiose scandal.
• 31. Having a famous face.
• 41. Lavish clothes in abundance.
• 51. Real jewels for every occasion.
• 61. Printing your own money.
• 71. Being able to fly.

Mental Calesthenics
Mental Jogging also includes twelve mental calisthenics (one for each month) that are more complex mental tasks.  The one below is from February.

Sit in a comfortable position in an area of distractions and noises. Take three deep breaths and exhale through your nostrils. Close your eyes and image a BLACK SQUARE, BLACK RECTANGLE,  BLACK CIRCLE, BLACK OVAL, and BLACK RECTANGLE. Repeat the exercise, this time make the shapes another color of your choice. Arrange the BLACK shapes alphabetically, from left to right. Make them disappear one at a time. Open your eyes. 

Note: don't close your eyes if driving.

If you are looking for ways to increase your speed of thinking or the volume of ideas as solutions or creative approaches, I encourage to buy Mental Jogging and try some of these exercises. 

Dale Carnegie's Secrets of Success

The link in this post displays a list of tips from How to Win Friends & Influence People and How to Stop Worrying & Start Living.

I recently reviewed How to Stop Worrying & Start Living by Dale Carnegie. In an earlier post on paradigm changing books, I included How to Win Friends & Influence People.

Today's post features a link to a PDF document on the Dale Carnegie corporate website. The PDF contains all of the tips from both books.

The categories of tips are:

• Become a friendlier person
• Win people to your way of thinking
• Be a leader
• Fundamental principles for overcoming worry
• Basic techniques in analyzing worry
• Break the worry habit before it breaks you
• Cultivate a mental attitude that will bring you peace and happiness
• The perfect way to conquer worry
• Don't worry about criticism
• Prevent fatigue and worry and keep your energy and spirits high

Link to Secrets of Success

You can download the PDF and print the pages. If you don't have have to read the books - which are excellent and should be read by all - at least familiarize yourself with these essential points.

App Review for Writing on Your Phone

This post review different apps for writing on the iPhone. Apps discussed are Notes, Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, and Google Docs.

Recently I came across an e-book written by Andrew Mayne, a television personality and author.  In How to Write a Novella in 24 Hours, Mayne offers general writing advice on a several different topics. In one of the chapters, Mayne discussed how he uses his smart phone to write.

Writing Tools

Prior to the advent of computers there were really three ways to produce words that would eventually result in a book. If you had a generous budget you could dictate your writing and pay someone to transcribe it. If you were lucky enough to have a typewriter, you could type your pages. Finally, if you didn't have a budget or a typewriter, you could simply write words on paper. Computers have largely eliminated these problems, but still have one characteristic in common: you still need to carry a tool with you.

This is often my situation. Sometimes I write using my laptop and sometimes using my iPad with Bluetooth keyboard. However, after reading Mayne's article, I decided to experiment with typing on my phone.

The advantage of using phone to create content is that it is immediately available all the time. Who is without a phone for too long? You can now write a few sentences when waiting in line. You can write between other activities. With a dictation feature, you can even dictate a few sentences into the writing app of your choice.

Apps

For my Writing 365 project, where I am writing 1,000 words per day during 2016, I have been using Microsoft Word for Mac and Apple Pages for iPad and Mac. At the same time, I have used Google Docs to create outlines for various documents.

Since I already have the apps for Word, Pages, and Docs on my iPhone, I decided to determine which would be best. I decided to use the classic speech, The Gettysburg Address, by Abraham Lincoln.

Microsoft Word for iOS

I first opened Word for iPhone, pasted the text of the speech and viewed the result. The default when both creating documents and opening existing documents is to display the text as a full page, and you have to scroll to view full paragraphs. There is a button to toggle between page view and text view, but because the default is the page view, this requires an extra step. The Word app also requires a Microsoft account to edit documents.

Apple Pages for iOS

Apple Pages provides the same basic app across platforms. While there is considerable additional functionality on the Mac, the iOS versions are still fairly powerful. Pages works well on the iPad, but has the same problem as Word on the iPhone. Unlike Word, I could not find a toggle button to switch between text and page views.

Google Docs

Google Docs defaults to the text view, with a toggle button to switch to page view. This is perfect for the iPhone. Since all three apps provide for basic formatting, including paragraph styles, Google Docs provides the best scenario: text view which is perfect for iPhone and basic formatting capabilities.

  

Notes

Notes provides basic text entry, but only offers limited style or formatting options (apparently with no way to modify the styles).

Stock Video Sites (Free and Paid) Reviewed

In this blog post I review several stock video sites including VideoBlocks, ShutterStock, iStockPhoto, VideoHive, XStockVideo, Videezy, Videvo, and StockFootageForFree. Four of these are free.

If you do any kind of video production you need stock video footage from time to time. Yes, you could create it yourself, but it takes time and money to create certain scenes. I became inspired to create book trailers and quote videos after viewing several videos from Epic Reads, the young adult YouTube channel for Harper Collins. An good example from the Epic Reads channel is below.

Stock Video

I simply searched for "stock video" in Google. Several sites appeared in the search results. Below are the ones I viewed. It is likely that companies are continually evolving and adjust their policies regarding free downloads of clips. However, as of this writing, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at what is available.

Free sites

XStockVideo
This site offers free downloads for videos at 960x540. High definition resolutions (1280x720 and 1920x1080 cost a couple of dollars). The videos are easy to download, and sizes are fairly manageable. I had a few problems logging in the second time. The username is case sensitive. If you fail to log in three times, the IP address is blocked. Just remember your password and you should be OK.

Videvo
This site is convenient to join as you can sign up with Facebook, Twitter, Google, or Yahoo. Videvo requires a share to social media (Twitter or Facebook) every time a video is downloaded. I will probably use Twitter for sharing since I am not very active on that platform. Videvo appears to be connected with Shutterstock (see below) for premium and additional videos.

Stock Footage for Free
Like Videvo, you can join with Google or Facebook profiles. Stock Footage for Free appears to be affiliated with VideoBlocks (see below). Some videos I looked at are no longer available for free (but are on VideoBlocks). This site also provides editorial comments for each video. In my clip compilation below I used a video titled "Beautiful girl running on sunlit wheat field." The description provided was:

Is there anything as freeing as watching a beautiful girl running on sunlit wheat field? Possibly, but for now we will say no. This stock clips makes us think of a young girl leaving the Ingalls farm, the only place she knows to find something new. She’s running far away in hopes of seeing the lights of New York City, or becoming an actress in LA, or potentially just to the next wheat field. Regardless, it’s a liberating feeling!

Videezy
This site is also well-connected to Videoblocks and Shutterstock. However, there is a nice collection of free footage to download.

Below is a clip compilation featuring one clip each from the sites listed above.

Paid Sites

Personally, I like to find free resources whenever possible. However, there are times when a premium clip is desired, and a paid video download may be required.

Videohive
With Videohive the cost is per video. The good news is that the prices are fairly reasonable.

• Matterhorn in Switzerland is $8.
• Beautiful woman waiting for order is $25.

VideoBlocks
This site has three plans.

• Monthly, $79/month
• Annual, $149
• Premium, $198

iStockPhoto
This site has two levels of membership.

• Essentials - $40 for 10 images or $90 per month (annual subscription) for 50 images per month.
• Signature starts at $199 per month for 50 images (full site access).

ShutterStock
Another premium site, a basic level cost ranges from 2 images for $29 to 25 images for $229. The professional level is $199 per month for 750 images.

Andrew Mayne's Twitter Promotion Ideas

This post lists some of Andrew Mayne's Twitter tips for book promotion.

Andrew Mayne is a television personality and author. In his recent ebook, How to Write a Novella in 24 Hours, he includes a list of 100 ways to promote your book. In browsing his website, I came across the same list as a blog post. Definitely check out his book and his website:

Below are 10 of the several Twitter-related ideas suggested by Andrew Mayne. While I have a Twitter account, I don't use it like I should. Check out my previous posts on using transmedia to share your message. It is a good idea and a reminder to me as well. By posting these tips here, I will be able to locate them easily when I'm ready to promote a book project currently in the works.

Twitter Tips from Ways to Promote Your Ebook by Andrew Mayne

Note: many of these tips will work on other social platforms besides Twitter.

1. Tweet out the link when you first release the book.
2. Tweet out each time you put the book on a new platform.
3. Ask anyone who likes the book on Twitter to write a review for the book.
4. Hold a contest for people to make a blurb just on the cover and tweet it out.
5. Tweet really good reviews with a thank you.
6. Tweet and post small facts about the research for your book.
7. Tweet and post a list of books that influenced your book.
8. Tweet and post a list of movies that influenced your book.
9. Ask people on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ for promotion ideas.
10. Post the first sentence on Twitter and include a "read more ..." link.

Andrew's list includes 100 ways to promote your book, and most are free, only requiring your time and effort.

Short Run Book Printing

This post provides links and descriptions of websites with short run book printing services.

The Purpose of Your Book

Most writers dream on phenomenal success with millions of books purchased around the world. However, from time to time, you may only want to print a small number of books to commemorate a special occasion or family event. Even printing your electronic work (blog posts, articles, etc.) as a book can be a nice way to archive your writing, both for your reference and posterity.

After a family trip to South Korea in 2012, I created a photo book. I wanted to include stories from our trip and history about the country as well as photos. The result was a book which I gave to a few select family members (who would be interested in the content). I printed a total of four book.

This past year I participated in a writing challenge. After six weeks I had finished a 60,000 word collection of stories from my family. I set it up as a book and printed two copies.

Several companies offer book printing services. Many of these expect large quantities of books. Offset printing technology has extensive costs and labor related to the setup, which is the same for 1 book or 5,000 books. However, quick printing technology can minimize many of these setup costs.

Below are two lists of printers. The companies on the first list allow you to print a minimum of one copy. The second list of companies generally require 24 or more books as a minimum.

The estimated prices are based on a 8.5-inch by 5.5-inch, 200-page book with black-and-white interior printing and a glossy color cover. All of these require a PDF of the interior pages, formatted to the selected print size, and a separate PDF of the cover, formatted to the companies specifications.

Minimum Quantity = 1

CreateSpace. Cost = $3.15 for 1 copy (This is based on proof copy of a 192-page book).
Amazon's CreateSpace website is the print brother of the Kindle e-book platform. With CreateSpace, your book is available on the platforms you select. However, just because a book is available on Amazon doesn't mean it will sell. If you have a small book project, you could  publish it through CreateSpace, and order copies as you need them.

Lulu. Cost = $3.85 for 1 copy.
I have used Lulu on multiple occasions to print small quantities of books. Lulu offers a variety of sizes, paper qualities, and cover options.

TheBookPatch. Cost = $5.95 for 1 copy.
I have not used this site. The Book Patch offers a variety of services including e-book creation, ISBNs, and author services.

Blurb. Cost = $4.25 for 1 copy.
I have not used this site. Blurb appears similar to Lulu in terms of printing options.

Minimum Quantity (approx 25)

DiggyPOD. Cost = $222.67 for 24 (9.27 per book).
48hrBooks. Cost = $226.25 for 25 (9.05 per book).
PublishingXpress. Cost = $526.22 for 25 (21.05 per book).
GorhamPrinting. Cost = $188.24 for 25 (7.55 per book).

If you or these sites find lower costs, please let me know. I was surprised to discover relatively high prices per copy on these sites.

Conclusion

Even if you eventually want to print several copies to sell or distribute, I still like the idea of being able to purchase one or two to check the layout. I found some sites that charge up to $80 for a proof copy of a book.

For these reasons, I will probably continue to use the companies on the first list.

Classes That Mattered

What classes from school were helpful over the years? This is my list.

I completed eighteen years of school. Certainly, many have achieve success with twelve or fewer years of school (my grandfather only completed 8th grade; my father dropped out in 10th, but went on to complete a master's degree in education). Others, such as medical doctors, complete many more years of education. A physician with a sub-specialty is typically in school for 25 or more years (8 elementary, 4 high school, 4 college, 3 medical school, 3 residency, 3-4 specialty fellowship, and 2-3 sub-specialty fellowship).

In my case, I completed 8 years of elementary, 4 of high school, 4 college, and 2 master's-level. However, out of all the classes, from the standard reading-writing-'rithmetic classes in elementary school to specialized classes in my clinical psychology master's degree program, there are honestly only a handful of classes that really made a difference.

1. Handwriting (6th grade) 

Instead of regular handwriting classes that in previous years focused on improving cursive, my sixth grade teacher taught us calligraphy. We learned basic calligraphy and Old English styles of decorative writing. Beyond penmanship, what I really learned was the basics of layout for graphic design. Although my calligraphy pens are long gone, I utilize graphic design skills every day.

2. Geometry (high school)

Even though I use statistics extensively, my favorite math class was geometry. My school wouldn't buy the book back at the end of the year, and I still own this book, my only one from high school. Although I occasionally reference it for basic calculations for area and volume, what this book really taught me was a form of philosophy, critically analyzing a situation with theorems and postulates.

3. Chemistry (high school)

As I struggle when helping my daughter with her junior chemistry this year, I am reminded of my own high school chemistry experience. I learned all of the same concepts, and after a little studying, was able to pull some of this long-forgotten information out of the recesses of my brain. However, what I really learned in chemistry was an approach to thinking. My teacher, Mr C., frequently encouraged us to take a break after reading a chapter, sit back, and think about what it all meant.

4. Typing (high school)

My typing class occurred at a time when electric typewriters were en vogue. The Internet as we know it today did not really exist in 1986. Our typewriters did not have any type of correction abilities. However, learning to type with the proper fingering by far was the best class I took in high school. I type every single day.

5. Principles of accounting (college)

I was unsure of a major when I started college. My father suggested I start with a general business degree. One of the first classes I took was principles of accounting. The basics of accounting apply to many situations. The concept of balance is important in accounting and life. However, what I really learned in accounting was that I did not want to be in business. I radically changed from business to psychology in the middle of the semester. Interestingly, my former 6th-grade teacher was now at the university, and discouraged me from switching majors. Of course, stubborn student, I did not heed his advice.

6. Learning theories (graduate)

With a focus on clinical psychology, I completed several behavior-related classes. Learning theories was a joint upper-level college course and lower-level graduate course, the only difference being an extra research paper. A knowledge of behavioral principles is applicable to all situations. I also had to complete a series of experiments in the university's pigeon lab, and working with live animals in an experimental situation came with some life experience as well.

In think about your own academic experiences, what classes were the most meaningful?

Massive List of Story Prompts, Part 2

This is the second post of lists of story prompts. Find a category and pick a work. Take a few minutes to recall a memory centered around the word. Write a story about what you remember or an incident you experienced.

In Part 1, I shared lists from several different sources I have compiled over the years. The lists in this post are from the book, The Healing Art of Storytelling by Richard Stone. From the back cover:

Over the years, television and other cultural forces have robbed us of storytelling as a tool for communicating, learning, and healing. Professional storyteller Richard Stone describes this crisis and its devastating effects and then offers a step-by-step guide for creating a storytelling tradition that we can use to transform our families, our friendships, and ourselves.

The House Tour+

• The house tour - On a blank piece of paper, draw the floor plan of a house you grew up in.  Indicate where major pieces of furniture were placed, the location of windows and doors, and important features of the yard.  If more than one level, draw separate floor plans for each level.
• Firsts - Think about things you did for the first time (driving, dating, etc.)
• Funny things that have happened   
• Sounds of childhood - noises (environmental), car sounds
• Aromas of childhood - smells in the house, environmental/neighborhood smells
• Music of youth   
• Movie memories   
• Family photo album   
• School days - teachers, bullies, "special" students, favorite/least favorite subjects, vacations, grades, discussions at school
• Turning points - Share one wonderful experience that changed the course of your life (move, job, having children, getting married, etc)

Massive list of story prompts, Part 1

Books of lists are popular. This post features lists from various writing books to use as prompts for writing stories.

Over the course of several years, I have collected a variety of storytelling prompts. Until now, my list has been stored on Google Drive as a Numbers spreadsheet. For the first time, I am sharing part of the list in this blog post. The second part of the list will come at a later date.

These prompts are ideal for writing memoirs, but could also work as prompts for fictional writing, especially when experiencing writer's block.

Stories: The Family Legacy

Stories: The Family Legacy: A guide for recollection and sharing, by Richard Stone, is a short book filled with story prompts. Stone uses stories from his own life as examples for each section of story prompts.

Forty Categories

I do not recall the source of this list, but it is a nice list of forty story prompts.

Writing for Your Life

Writing for Your Life: Discovering the story of your life's journey, by Deena Metzger, is another excellent book to assist with writing your memoir.

• Stories from your childhood
• Stories your parents and siblings tell about you
• Stories your parents, siblings, and children tell about their lives
• Morality tales your parents told to shape your behavior
• Stories you habitually tell about your life
• Traditional family stories
• Stories you tell strangers about your family to reveal character
• Stories you tell to strangers to introduce yourself
• Stories you tell about travel and adventure
• Cultural tales - teaching stories, inspiring stories
• Stories that reflect your beliefs
• Stories for your most intimate associates
• Stories so intimate you believe they will bind you to someone forever
• Lies you tell so often they become truths
• Stories you will never tell anyone
• Stories you will never tell, not even to yourself

Dale Carnegie

I am a fan of Dale Carnegie's approach to communications and influencing others. I have read several of his books including How to Win Friends and Influence People, The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking, and How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. The prompts in this list appear to be from Carnegie's biographical sketch, but I do not recall how I came to develop this list.

• Early years and upbringing
• Early struggles to get ahead
• Hobbies and recreation
• Special areas of knowledge
• Unusual experiences
• Beliefs and convictions

My List

This short list is comprised of categories. Each category can be further expanded to create additional prompts.

• Elementary: teachers, students, and classrooms
• High School: teachers, students, and subjects
• College: teachers, students, and activities
• Jobs
• Places: specific locations such as Grandma's house or a backstreet of Tijuana
• States
• Countries

Creativity Blogs to Follow

In this post is a list of creativity blogs I follow on a regular basis.

For me, reading online often leads to other websites and blogs. While www.PersonalChange.info is my primary blog, I also maintain a couple of private blogs. On one of those I keep a list of favorite blogs. Blogspot's list functionality displays the last update for a blog, and also sorts the list by the most recent post.

Blog | iMindMap

iMindMap is the software and training site for Tony Buzan, creator of the term mind map and evangelist for visual techniques to improve memory and brainstorming. While the iMindMap blog  often focuses on features of the iMindMap software, there are also articles on creativity and how others creatively use iMindMap.

eLearning Learning

This blog features articles and posts from experts on the topic of e-learning. The blog usually provides summaries and links to 8-10 articles. eLearning Learning is updated every day.

Presentation Zen

Garr Reynolds is the author of Presentation Zen and The Naked Presenter. His blog, titled after his book, focuses on issues related to professional presentation design. He frequently includes posts on storytelling techniques as well as design tips.

Austin Kleon

Author of Show Your Work and Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon writes about creativity and design.

Anecdote

The company Anecdote is an Australia-based company specializing in business storytelling. The blog features articles written by the company's principal partners.

Sacha Chua :: living an awesome life

I first came across Sacha's blog while learning about sketchnoting, creating visual notes. Sacha is in the middle of a five-year experience where she is exploring personal interests without working. She posts on life hacking, computer programming, visual design, and other interesting tidbits. Sacha usually posts every day.

Nieman Storyboard

Nieman Storyboard is a publication of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard. It explores the use of nonfictional storytelling. I discovered this blog while searching for articles on storyboarding, a the visual technique created by Walt Disney. However, this was a serendipitous find, and I learn something whenever I visit this blog.

Improve your writing in 10 easy tips

Use these simple tips to improve your writing, whether you are writing with less than 140 characters or more than 100,000 words.

01 Read what you've written.
When my daughter was in elementary school she would frequently write something and then ask me to review it. When I always asked, "Have you read through it yourself?" her answer was usually, "No." In my estimation, this is not just a problem limited to students still learning how to write and edit: I receive many e-mails where it is clear from either poor phrasing or bad grammar that the author never read the e-mail before sending it. When you write, take a few minutes to read it and make quick corrections.

02 Run spelling/grammar checks.
Even when reading back through a document you may not notice misspelled words or grammar problems. Many applications highlight misspelled words. Microsoft Word underlines misspelled words in red and questionable grammar in green. Certainly, not every grammatical improvement that Word suggests is correct, but often it works as the first editor of your writing.

03 Use word count/grade level tools.
Word count tools are useful if you set writing goals based on a certain number of words per day. However, word count tools—whether a feature of an application or stand-alone—often include grade level assessments of your writing. This can be helpful to ensure that you are writing at the appropriate level for your desired audience. It is also helpful if you are writing a longer document because you can keep the grade level consistent across various sections or chapters. Word Count Tool is an add-in for Firefox and is also a web-based application. This paragraph (excluding this sentence) has 101 words and 584 characters, including spaces. The reading level is 11-12th grade.

04 Search for your overused words.
Whether you call them "overused" or "weasel" words, you probably have certain words that you may use too often without even thinking about it. For me, I use that, also, additionally, so, and thing too often. Whenever I write, I use the Find feature to highlight these words and see if I can eliminate them. Review your writing and try to identify your overused words. It may be helpful to keep this list of words on a piece of paper prominently displayed on your computer.

05 Print to review.
This is probably more of a personal preference than some of these other tips. I find it helpful to print a document when proofreading it, especially if a document is particularly long. Certainly I don't print every e-mail and tweet, but I prefer reading on paper, because it is not as taxing on my eyes as on-screen reading. Printing documents also has the advantages of comparing different versions over time and presenting the writing in a different format so that it can be easier to spot mistakes and opportunities for improvement.

06 Use standard editing markups.
If you print a document, learn and use standard proofreading symbols. You can search for lists of these. The basic ones are delete, insert something, close-up a space, bold, italicize, capitalize, and transpose words/letters.

07 Take a break between writing and editing.
Spaced repetition is a term used to describe increasing the intervals of time between study periods when reviewing information. Allowing an interval between writing and editing is beneficial because you will be able to view your writing with fresh eyes. I recommend allowing at least a day between writing and reviewing. If you've written a longer document like a book, I recommend waiting at least a week between finishing the writing and starting the editing.

08 Use text to speech.
Whenever you view your writing in an unfamiliar way, you will be able to identify problem areas more easily. Just like printing, listening to your written words will present them in a novel way. There are several apps for iPhone and Android to read back selected text. However, at least for iPhone, you can configure the accessibility to speak any selected text. This is my preferred option because it is free. The current version of iOS (version 9) allows you to select from a variety of male and female voices and accents (for English) as well as multiple languages. The iPhone text to speech accessibility option is smart enough to transition between languages. My wife and I tested this with paragraphs of text in Korean and English. Siri had no trouble switching languages.

09 Omit unnecessary words.
One of the principles in The Elements of Style by William Strunk and EB White is to "omit needless words." When editing your work, look for ways to rephrase so that the same ideas can be stated in fewer words.

10 Adopt a mindful approach to writing.
I have frequently read that it is good just write while disregarding spelling, grammar, and sentence construction. While there may be a time for this type of creative writing to generate ideas, I believe it is better to be mindfully aware of spelling and grammar when writing. By keeping these tips and other sources of writing instruction in mind when writing, you can eliminate a lot of errors that would be caught during the first reviewing of a document.



Never Quit Learning

If you learned something from this post, please check out my free e-book, Never Quit Learning: 10 easy ways knowledge can help you stand out.

Mac Keyboard Shortcuts

Use these shortcuts to be more productive when using your Mac computer.

My switch to Mac

For years I was a Windows operating system personal computer user. However, after a series of laptops that consistently overheated following about two years of use, I decided that I was ready to switch to an Apple Mac computer.

This transition was already well underway for me because I had already started using an iPhone, and then added an iPad to the mix. Thus, switching to the Mac completed the Apple puzzle.

I love the Mac. The power-up time is fast, and when the computer is asleep, pressing the power button instantly brings it to life. Because the hard drive is solid state, there are no moving parts.

Any type of change takes time. Switching to Mac required me to become familiar with new screen layouts, file organization, and keyboard shortcuts. You can easily search the Internet for keyboard shortcuts for both Windows and Mac operating systems.

Keyboard shortcuts

There are numerous keyboard shortcuts for Mac. Many apply across all applications on the Mac operating system. There are other shortcuts that are app specific. The shortcuts below are, in my opinion, essential ones to use all the time.

General keyboard shortcuts

1. Letters with accents: Hold down a letter to reveal accented letters. For example, a document detailing educational and work experience is a résumé, not a resume.
2. Emoji and Symbols: Click Edit on the menu bar and select Emoji & Symbols. You can also hold down Control+Command+space bar simultaneously. 😀
3. Delete a character to the right: Press Control+D or Fn+Delete.
4. Navigate to the top of a document or page: Fn+← (Fn+left arrow).
5. Navigate to the end of a document or page: Fn+→ (Fn+right arrow).
6. En dash: Option+dash. The en dash is used to indicate a range of dates (1941–1945) or page numbers or to set apart some text – that is, for emphasis or interruption – to draw attention to it. The en dash usually has spaces on either side when using in a sentence (dates do not use the extra spaces).
7. Em dash: Shift+Option+dash. The em dash is preferred by many editors—according to many style guides—for inserting statements of emphasis or interruption. It can also be used to attribute a quote. For example, "All I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother ." —Abraham Lincoln.

Keyboard shortcuts for Pages

1. Increase font: Command+plus (⌘+).
2. Decrease font: Command+dash (⌘-).
3. Left justification: Command+{ (⌘{).
4. Right justification: Command+} (⌘}).
5. Center a line: Command+| (⌘|).

Keyboard shortcuts for Word

1. Increase font: Command+Shift+>
2. Decrease font: Command+Shift+<
3. Left justification: Command+L (⌘L).
4. Right justification: Command+R (⌘R).
5. Center a line: Command+E (⌘E).

Never Quit Learning

If you learned something from this post, please check out my free e-book, Never Quit Learning: 10 easy ways knowledge can help you stand out.

30-day challenges to challenge you

Complete a 30-day challenge and change your life. This list provides 12 possibilities in the areas of spiritual, physical, emotional, and learning.

It seems like there are a variety of 30-day challenges to introduce you to new ways of doing things.

Advantages of a 30-day challenge

A 30-day challenge of any kind has several advantages.

• Thirty days is enough time for something to potentially become a habit. 
• Thirty days is not a life time, so you can try a challenge and discontinue it after the 30 days, if desired. 
• Engaging in an activity every day for a certain number of days achieves approaches to life that I advocate: 

▶️ Be intentional with your time
▶️ Give consistent, daily effort
▶️ Set goals
▶️ Track your progress
▶️ Reward desired behavior

Below are twelve challenges that I have either completed or would like to attempt at some point in the future. These challenges span the four main aspects of life: spiritual, social, mental, and physical. Each of these challenges should be done every day for thirty days. If for some reason you miss a day, don't give up; start back as soon as you can.

Challenges completed for 30 consecutive days are meant to challenge you. Select one of these challenges that may be a new activity. Commit to doing it every day for the next 30 days.

Twelve 30-day challenges

1. Write 500 words. You can write about anything, but the key is to write without editing - just write. I learned about a writing challenge, My 500 Words, from the author Jeff Goins. I started this challenge in January, 2015. Somehow I reinterpreted the challenge as writing 500 words per day for 120 days, so I ended up writing over 60,000 words.

2. Write out a Psalm. I completed this challenge in 2012. I wrote out (by hand) a Psalm from the Bible every day. The Psalms are a good source because they are inspirational, usually short, and there is a large variety from which to choose. I selected the Psalms prior to starting the challenge.

3. Complete a 30-day plank challenge. The planking exercise consists of holding your body stiff while resting on your forearms. You can read more about the planking challenge at 30 Day Fitness Challenges.

4. Take a photo every day and upload it to Instagram or Tumblr. Most of us probably think of Instagram as a place to upload pics and write a brief caption. However, I have seen more and more posts with long descriptions and stories. Read about this approach at Nieman Storyboard. Three excellent sites for photo challenge ideas are: FatMumSlim, Expert Photography, and The Idea Room.

5. Create a video every day and upload it to YouTube. I learned about this via e-mail from one of the many entrepreneurs I subscribe to. Many tips are provided on the 30 Day Video Challenge, but you don't have to join ($177.00) in order to benefit.

6. Read the Bible for fifteen minutes. If you are not familiar with the Bible, start reading at Psalms or Acts. Beyond physical Bibles with pages, numerous apps exist that feature a variety of translations and features.

7. Drink only water. The Mayo Clinic recommends about 3 liters of total liquids per day for men and 2.2 liters for women. A number of variations exist, ranging from the classic 8 cups (64 ounces) per day to calculations based on weight. The key for this challenge is that you should only drink water: no tea, coffee, juice, or alcohol.

8. Do a random act of kindness. Reaching out to help others also helps us individually. For this challenge, be aware of the activities going on around you and find a way every day to ease someone's burden, whether that is holding the door open or giving up your parking space or feeding the homeless. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has a great list to give you some ideas.

9. Learn a new word. Increase your vocabulary by learning a new word or phrase every day. The Merriam-Webster dictionary, both online and the app, feature a word of the day. For maximum learning to occur, write out the definition of the word.

10. Memorize a Bible verse that is new to you. There are many promises, inspirational passages, and guidance for life in the Bible. Search for some of these yourself or start with an online list.

11. Single-task at your desk. The opposite of multi-tasking, which scientists suggest is really a misnomer, single tasking means doing one thing at a time. Clear everything from your desk except the barest of essentials: a computer, if needed, a planner, and writing utensils. Bring out whatever resources you need to accomplish a task, but then clear those resources before starting the next task.

12. Walk 15 to 20 minutes. If you don't have a regular exercise program, this is a great start. Beyond the benefits of physical exercise, gives you an opportunity to stimulate your brain for better thinking and lets you take a mental relaxation break. Stepping away from a problem may provide a catalyst for problem solving.

Create a record in a journal, on a whiteboard, or on your computer so that you can track your progress every day. At a minimum, record whether or not you completed the challenge each day. If the challenge is quantifiable (e.g, minutes or distance walked, number of words written, ounces of water consumed), record these measurements as well. This will allow you to review your progress and see what is possible in a brief period of time.

Have you started any 30-day challenges? Have you completed any 30-day challenges? What helps you get from the start to the finish?

Commit to a challenge

If you would like to commit to one of these challenges, use the link below to sign up. I will send you a couple of encouragements during the process and follow-up with you at the end.

Yes, I commit to a 30-day challenge!

Never Quit Learning

If you learned something from this post, please check out my free e-book, Never Quit Learning: 10 easy ways knowledge can help you stand out.

Reward Yourself

Use the science of behavior modification to motivate yourself.

The Science

In the classic book, Science and Human Behavior, B. F. Skinner describes the behavioral principles that govern much of human and animal behavior. The premise of the book is that behavior is influenced by the consequence of the behavior.

If a behavior receives a positive reinforcement (for example, you give your dog a treat when he obeys a command) that behavior is more likely to be repeated.  However, if you are punished when engaging in a certain behavior, theoretically, you may be less likely to repeat it.  Research and history have both shown that punishment is largely ineffective in the long-term.  Short-term, it may have some immediate effects, but usually those effects are brief.  The table below depicts the conditions under which behavior is influenced.

Karen Pryor is an animal trainer and has worked with large marine mammals such as dolphins and orcas.  In her book, Don't Shoot the Dog, she discusses the fact that whales do not accept punishment.  If the mammal misses a trick and is given a punishment, the whale will no longer respond to the trainer.

Create Incentives

Suppose you want to start an exercise program of some sort. Perhaps you want to walk or jog everyday or want to visit the local gym two to three times per week. You could provide an incentive by giving yourself a reinforcer when you complete a certain number of minutes or miles (walking/jogging) or number of visits to the fitness center.

I am not one of those exercising-loving individuals who runs until the endorphins kick in. However, I recognize the necessity of exercising for better health. To keep myself motivated to walk every day, I decided that I would celebrate each marathon, 26 miles, that I complete. At a rate of three to four miles per day, I am able to walk a marathon every few days. My incentive is $25 to spend at Amazon or iTunes. Now that I am walking consistently, I have changed my reinforcement structure so that I need to walk 50 miles in order to receive the reward.

More Science - Schedules of Reinforcement

Another aspect of reinforcement is the schedule of reinforcement.  

• Fixed ratio reinforcement occurs when a reinforcer is administered after a certain specific number of responses, in my case miles walked.   
• Fixed Interval reinforcement occurs when the reinforcer is given for the first response after a certain amount of time has elapsed. A example of this is salary paid every two weeks.   
• Variable ratio reinforcement occurs when a reinforcer is administered after a random number of responses. For my exercise incentive program, I could randomly generate a number of miles. However, usually, the person receiving the reinforcement would not know what the random schedule is, something unavoidable when creating your own incentive plan. Variable ratio reinforcement is the secret behind slot machines. A random amount of money is given after a random number of attempts, thus ensuring that patrons sit mindlessly at the machines depositing coin after coin.
• Variable interval reinforcement, in which the first response is reinforced following a random amount of time, is effective when the person receiving the reinforcer doesn't know the schedule.

In previous posts I wrote about my writing project where I wrote 60,000 words in six weeks. I gave myself incentives for completing blocks of words ahead of schedule. This was effective. My initial goal was to write 500 words per day for 120 days. However, by incentivizing my writing, I wanted to write more words per day and try to write regularly.

Start Today

If you are trying to start a new behavior, think about about how you can provide incentives to help that behavior become a habit. Make a list of reinforcers and when you will earn them.

Never Quit Learning

If you learned something from this post, please check out my free e-book, Never Quit Learning: 10 easy ways knowledge can help you stand out.

Task List Status Indicators

Use these task list indicators to monitor your progress when completing tasks.

Advantages of Tracking Task Progress

While it is possible to keep track of tasks on your smartphone, I prefer to use a paper-based planner for my tasks. Several advantages to using a paper list include:

1. Tasks that have been acted upon are still visible, permitting you to track the evolution of a task from initially added to a list to eventually deleted, delegated, or canceled.
2. By adding status indicators to tasks, you can track the progress of each task.
3. You can view a completed list of tasks and feel satisfied at a job well done. 
4. Additionally, you can use task lists to review categories of tasks in order to monitor and improve performance.

Below are six variations of task list status indicators. The first four sets are ones that I have come across in my Internet journeys. The last two sets are the ones that I use every day.

BulletJournal

From the BulletJournal website: "The Bullet Journal is a customizable and forgiving organization system. It can be your to-do list, sketchbook, notebook, and diary, but most likely, it will be all of the above. It will teach you to do more with less."

FranklinCovey

FranklinCovey is a productivity company focused on performance improvement. According to the company's website, "We help organizations achieve results that require a change in human behavior." Co-founded by Stephen Covey, much of the content is based on Covey's book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People."

Mike Rohde - The Sketchnote Workbook

In the Sketchnote Workbook, Mike Rohde walks readers through specific ways to enhance visual notes and organization.

Unknown Source

I recently came across this set of indicators, but was unable to relocate the source for this post. However, I wanted to include it because it is slightly different than those included thus far. The small circles remind me of the achievement tests I had to take in school and of the satisfaction of filling in each circle completely with my #2 pencil.

My Indicators for Tasks

As I have previously written in a post on my DIY planner, I dedicate one section of my weekly planning pages to tasks. My set of indicators is modified from the FranklinCovey indicator list.

My Indicators for Tasks in Notes

In a separate section of my weekly planning pages, I also have space for notes from meetings, observations, and other interesting tidbits. When taking notes from various meetings, I usually use some sort of bullets to record each agenda item. If an action item is assigned to me - or I assign it to myself - I use the status icons below to ensure that it stands out from the routine agenda items.

I also use this set of icons when making notes on handouts or other documents. In these situations, I usually create a task list on the first page of the document.

You have probably noticed that this set of indicators is similar to Unknown set displayed above. Since I've been using this set for several years, it is always interesting to find similar approaches to tasks from across the world.

Track Your Tasks

If you are already using a system to track your tasks, please comment below and let me know what your system is and how well it is working. If you need a system to help improve your approach to tasks, I encourage you to try one or all of these sets to see which one works best for you. Let me know how it goes by commenting below.

Never Quit Learning

If you learned something from this post, please check out my free e-book, Never Quit Learning: 10 easy ways knowledge can help you stand out.

Master Plots 11-20

Improve your storytelling by using one of these time-tested plot patterns.

Last week's post on Master Plots for Stories Large and Small lists plots 1-10 from the book 20 Master Plots and How to Build Them by Ronald Tobias.

Master Plots 11-20

11. Metamorphosis: involves physical characteristics of the protagonist actually changing from one form to another (reflecting inner psychological identity).

12. Transformation: involves the process of change in the protagonist on the journey through a stage of life that moves them from one significant character state to another.

13. Maturation: involves the protagonist facing a problem that is part of growing up, and from dealing with it, emerging into a state of adulthood (innocence to experience).

14. Love: involves the protagonist overcoming the obstacles to love that keeps them from engaging/experiencing true love.

15. Forbidden love: involves the protagonist overcoming obstacles created by social mores and taboos to consummate their relationship or seeing that the price is too high.

16. Sacrifice: involves the protagonist taking actions that are motivated by a higher purpose such as love, honor, charity, or for the sake of humanity.

17. Discovery: involves the protagonist having to overcome an upheaval in their life and thereby discovering something important within them, a better understanding of life, etc.

18. Wretched excess: involves a protagonist who, either by choice or accident, pushes the limits of acceptable behavior to the extreme or is forced to deal with the consequences.

19. Ascension: rags-to-riches plot deals with the rise (success) of the protagonist due to a dominating character trait that helps them to succeed.

20. Destruction: dominating character trait that eventually destroys the protagonist’s success.

Never Quit Learning

If you learned something from this post, please check out my free e-book, Never Quit Learning: 10 easy ways knowledge can help you stand out.