Cate Russell-Cole's Blog, page 6

#Horror Writing with Dean Koontz

“But once an idea for a novel seizes a writer…well, it’s like an inner fire that at first warms you and makes you feel good but then begins to eat you alive, burn you up from within. You can’t just walk away from the fire; it keeps burning. The only way to put it out […]

Resources for Writers… Come and Take Advantage of Them

  Pinterest contacted me the other week, and let me know that my account had been compromised by hackers and spammers. It sure had! One of my main community boards was a mess, and it was easier to hit delete and start again… so I did. Looking on the bright side, it means you can enjoy […]

A Warning on Image Copyright and Wikimedia Commons

Trying to get free, or affordable images for blog posts is a giant pain in the derriere. Kristen Lamb started using Wikimedia Commons images on her site, so I followed along very happily and made sure I double checked copyright. All was dandy. Then I sent an image to my husband as an idea for […]

An Organisation Helping Support #Writers and #Authors: Please Pass On

Every day, one in three authors will prepare to work, just to discover that they have run out of coffee. Medically, this leads to a short-term, debilitative state known as cafea ademptus. Long term, it creates a serious cultural vacuum in literature. Beans for Books is a non-profit initiative, which aims to stop this loss by […]

The Writer’s [Inner] Journey

The Writer’s Inner Journey is an essential confidence-boosting blog by Meredith Resnick. She describes herself as: “I’m an artist and writer; a right-handed right-brain type who responds beautifully to deadlines… Creativity PRN is the intuitive work I do to help creatives and writers unblock. And always seeking ways to prove, see and understand that “the […]

Aussie-isms and Novel Writing: It Gets Tricky!

When my Canadian husband first came to Australia, he had to learn the language. It sounds odd, doesn’t it? Canada and Australia are both English-speaking, Commonwealth countries. However, whenever the Census comes around, I am now tempted to put myself down as bi-lingual. We took a walk through a supermarket picking up fruit and vegetables and comparing the names. You have no idea how many differences there are, in that area alone!

In Australia, we have a lot in input from other countries. I should be classed as tri-lingual as I was bought up watching American shows, British programmes and at that time, the Australian tv industry was much smaller, so there was less Aussie content. (Note the three changes in language, in just that sentence.) I had heard about Twinkies, long before I ever saw an image of one. But do you know what a Tim Tam is? If not, I feel bad for you, because they are one of the most awesome biscuits known to mankind! Ask any Aussie ex-pat. I know who Barack Obama is, but can you tell me who the Australian Prime Minister is? We’re oddly isolated down here.

I can read American and British novels without any hassle and love them, but in writing The Dragon Tree, I had to often stop and review whether phrases I used in dialogue, would be understood outside our borders. Except for Steve Irwin’s tendency to say it, the word ‘crikey’ went out of fashion about eighty years ago. There is a great deal of misinformation about our country and culture and there are many Australian names and phrases, that would have you scratching your head and reaching for Google. They are so common to me, I wouldn’t even notice I’d put them in the book. I have a glossary of terms, but I never think I need everyday sayings in it.

When my husband started work in Australia, he’d text me questions like, “what’s a sanger?” It’s a sandwich. “What’s arvo mean?” It means afternoon. “Someone said Woop Woop was near us, let’s go there.” *sigh* No, there is no Woop Woop. It just means somewhere out the back of nowhere, that is really boring. You know, like the Canadians refer to Dodge. That got me in trouble. Apparently, Dodge is a real place and he thought I was having a go at him – ha, there is another Aussie-ism “having a go” at someone, which means, teasing or telling off. That is how easy Aussie-isms are to write in and I never notice I’ve done it. To end my tale, my husband pointed out that Australia has a Woy Woy and a Wagga Wagga (yes, we do,) so why not a Woop Woop? How do you argue with that? (Enterprising souls have been smart enough to name their winery Woop Woop, so now you can go somewhere. People like me owe them thanks.)

So in pre-emptive self-defence (Aussie spelling there folks), my novel has a place in it named Wollongong. I wrote it in, as it is entirely appropriate and then realised, people will think I made a name like that up. I didn’t, truly. Just click on this link.

Do you have any writing challenges like this? What are your localised ___isms? I’d love to hear about them.

This article / blog post is Copyright Cate Russell-Cole 2014. All rights are reserved Internationally. You may not reproduce it in any form, in part of whole, without Cate’s prior written permission. That includes usage in forms such as print, audio and digital imaging including pdf, jpg, png etc. A fee may be requested for re-using her work if it is for a commercial venture. 

Link sharing and Pinterest pins are most welcome as long as Cate is the attributed Author.

Filed under: Writing Resources Tagged: author, challenge, colloquialisms, communication, cultural differences, Language, novel, speech, writer, writing

Book of the Month: How I Overcame My Writer’s Block

I researched and wrote a course on creativity, to overcome my writer’s block. I could argue over whether it was actually writer’s block or a complete lack of motivation, however, to overcome the problem, I wound up researching and writing a complete course on how creativity works! That course is now being taught to Seniors Australia wide, and I have had the pleasure of teaching it locally. As the course was so helpful to both myself and the students, it became an ebook. It’s enjoyed great reviews.

“Thanks, I enjoyed opening up to my creativity interesting that when I started looking into my own creativity I found a dearth of information and help just kind of flowed to me.”

“Very enjoyable course; inspiring and motivating.”

This e-book will help you turn your dreams into reality. It explores the process and practical aspects of creativity: the mental processing; philosophies that drive how we think about and assess our creative worth; creative character traits; historical role models; an extensive bibliography and web link list and more. The content is practical, not just analytical. It will give you ideas on how to move forward in your creative life.

Topics covered include:

Capturing the Muse
Quieting the Internal Censor
Building A Creative Space
Working With Failure
Finding Direction
Techniques To Use

To order in pdf or Amazon Kindle format, please visit this link.

This article / blog post is Copyright Cate Russell-Cole 2014. All rights are reserved Internationally. You may not reproduce it in any form, in part of whole, without Cate’s prior written permission. That includes images and text usage in forms such as print, audio and digital imaging including pdf, jpg, png etc. A fee may be requested for re-using her work if it is for a commercial venture. 

Link sharing and Pinterest pins are most welcome as long as Cate is the attributed Author.

Cate’s books for writers.

Filed under: Writing Resources Tagged: author, blogging, books, creativity, encouragement, fiction, goals, ideas, Indie publishing, inspiration, Kindle, novel, problem solving, resource, support, writer, writing

Free #NaNoWriMo Motivational Badges for Your Blog

Everyone uses the NaNoWriMo badge, which is great, but if you’d like something additional to give yourself a motivational boost, you are welcome to use these. They are for social media, web sites and blogs and can be shared, adapted, whatever you’d like.

Click on them to get the full size copy, or right click on the image to save to your computer.

Good luck Nano’s! We’re all cheering you on.

 

 

This blog post by Cate Russell-Cole is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. You are free to share and adapt it.

Filed under: What's On Tagged: badge, blog, free, freebie, Nanowrimo, social media, web site

Computer Use: Minimizing the Strain

This ebook is free and has been approved by a Spinal Surgeon with a Master’s Degree in Spinal Biomechanics. Please click on the cover to get your pdf copy.

I can spend fifty hours a week at my desk easily. My work depends on it; then when work is done, there are the usual tasks such as paying bills online and keeping in touch with distant friends and family. Quite often a day has flown by and I haven’t moved position much. That not only strains my eyes, but it is a risk factor for back and neck problems.

In an office setting ergonomics has become a buzz word we have developed an immunity to. There are policies, handbooks and sets of rules which have been put together so we don’t hurt ourselves. We know they are there, but may not be using them. It is easier to rely on our subconscious habits. Being aware of and breaking out of those habits can save you chronic pain, or potentially more serious long-term problems.

To cut a very complex science down to a few basics, below are useful tips to remember when using a desktop computer, laptop or tablet device. These only cover neck and back strain. More information is available online on keyboard heights and other body strain issues.

Keep alignment in mind. Your back, neck and head should be as straight as possible, at all times. If you stay aligned, you are not fatiguing and stressing your spine. If your shoulders aren’t relaxed, your position is wrong.
Have lumbar support on chairs. Make sure your chair is the correct height for your desk.
The top third of your computer screen should be level with your eyes. iMacs have screens which adjust up and down easily. Similar set-ups make it simple to move the screen whatever your height, or if you need to stand up. That will save you crouching down to read the screen.
If you need to repeat tasks over and over, make sure you take frequent breaks or alternate tasks, so you can get up and move without feeling you are wasting time.
Don’t sit in awkward postures for more than a very, very short time.
Use laptop risers and iPad stands which conform to the rules above. If you are unable to, or still find your neck aches when using mobile devices, minimize their use and/or take frequent breaks.
If you need to use paper documents as you work, a document holder which is attached to your monitor, or free-standing, may decrease neck strain as you aren’t looking up and down repeatedly. Even slightly bending your back and neck can create pain at the end of the day. It is repetition which creates the strain.
Learn to touch type so you need to look at the keyboard less.
Software companies make programs which will pop up on your screen, reminding you it is time to stretch, move and give your eyes a break. That will also help your spinal joints.


Get Your Free Copy of the Book

Back pain affects more of us than any other complaint, including heart disease and asthma. It is an epidemic which is largely avoidable, but rarely addressed in public health education. The information in this book is quite diverse. Taking care of your spine is an issue for everyone, including mothers; athletes; military personnel; the aged; computer users and office workers who battle with back ache due to posture; builders; manual laborers; and anyone who regularly lifts, bends and twists their spine to get tasks done whether at home, work or recreationally.

Contents Include:

Back Health Essentials: A Simple Overview
Basic Guidelines on How to Lift Anything
Conditions Caused by Repetitive Back Strain
What Type of Bag Do You Carry?
Back and Neck Friendly Computer Use
Household Maintenance and Back Strain
Lifting and Caring for Children
Spine Safe Sport and Recreation
Back Saving Water-Wise Gardening
Avoiding Back Strain While Packing and Moving
Taking Care of Your Back After Corrective Surgery: A Cautionary Tale
Back Care for Carers
Back Care for Wheelchair Users
A Special Chapter for Young Carers
Online Back Care Resources

This article / blog post is Copyright Cate Russell-Cole 2012. All rights are reserved Internationally. You may not reproduce it in any form, in part of whole, without Cate’s prior written permission. That includes images and text usage in forms such as print, audio and digital imaging including pdf, jpg, png etc. A fee may be requested for re-using her work if it is for a commercial venture. 

Link sharing and Pinterest pins are most welcome as long as Cate is the attributed Author.

Filed under: Writing Resources Tagged: author, back pain, computer use, pain, problem solving, resource, spine, support, writer, writing

Internet #Marketing Terms #Writers Need to Know

If you watch my Twitter feed, you know that I frequently pass on blog posts which contain words that you may not think are relevant to writers. Have you seen these?

Content / Content Marketing
Business
Branding
Engagement
Sales
Web Design
SEO
Platform

I wouldn’t blame you for tuning out to those posts, however, if you are an author or blogger marketing your work, you need those posts and an understanding of the terms. Those posts are passed on to help you.

May I demonstrate?

Content: your book, your blog posts and what you place on social media. Content marketing means you gear what goes into those elements to make people want to read your work and buy from you.


Business: if you sell anything, you are a business. You are liable for taxation. Even if you are a small time Indie author, you are still a micro-business and it helps to be organised and think like one: without getting bogged down!


Branding: whatever image of you that is placed online in pictures, web design and your “voice” in your work, makes a brand that is YOU! Wherever you see my online presences, you see my teacup logo and Macbook desk image. They are part of my brand and make me recognisable. If you build a strong brand, people will recognise you.


Engagement: how you interact with followers, other authors etc. that sells and promotes your work.


Sales: we all hope for them! If you don’t sell books, your “sales” could be likened to your blog stats and followers.

Find these posts on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cateartios


Web Design: necessary for everyone with a site, whether it is a blog or independent web site.


SEO: Search Engine Optimisation which dictates how far up the search list your name, web site, books, blogs etc. are found.


Platform: speakers stand on a platform to be heard. It raises you high enough that others notice you. Your platform is your blog, web site, social media presences and whatever you do online to be noticed.

You will also find me passing along posts relevant to the main social media including Pinterest, Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter; email list services, plus varied other technical topics… it is all relevant believe it or not. Have a read, stretch your view of your value a little further and see what new tips and tricks you can discover.

This blog post by Cate Russell-Cole is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. You are free to share and adapt it.

Filed under: Blog Building and Promotion, Book Marketing, Writing Resources Tagged: author, blog, blogging, books, Branding, business, content, content marketing, email marketing, Engagement, Facebook, goals, Google Plus, growth, mailing lists, marketing, Pinterest, Platform, promotion, sales, SEO, social media, Twitter, Web Design, writer, writing