#say what you want about the quality of the roadmaps and

[caitlynlynch]

Hi. I've sometimes considered getting into narration and I was just wondering how you got yourself into the industry, if you have a moment...

I got in because I was already inside the house :P

Let me elaborate. I was already an author. I'd written stuff that suited my voice. I'd been wondering for a while about audio and when my writing org (Romance Writers of Australia) ran an online course about how to record your own audio, I decided to pay the $55 cost and see what it was all about. I had a high school acting background and was reasonably confident I had a suitable voice, I already had a cheap USB mic, I hung a few blankets in my closet, and got to work. I recorded a couple of short stories I'd written in the Austen fanfic genre and posted them for free in an Austen fanfic fan group on Facebook asking what people thought. Within literally days I had other authors pretty much all over me asking what I charged. I really didn't know what it was worth, so I did a bit of research and quoted a rate (about 2/3 of my current rate) and booked my first paying project. I then got really lucky. I got hired by an author to do a series of 12 books, one a month, if I would guarantee the rate I was then charging. Sure, I said. I've since done over 30 books for that author. I've upgraded my equipment and my skills since then, but tbh most of my work still comes through authors I know - I hardly have to audition - and my theory is this: People are lazy. If you need a skilled job doing and you have a close acquaintance who has that skill, you hire them. An electrician, or a plumber, for example. You don't go looking for a different one. If someone wants a British-accented female narrator and they've been chatting with me on social media for 5 years, there's a high probability they're gonna say "Hey you want the job?" rather than have to go through the auditioning process and then trust a complete stranger when quite a bit of money is on the line. The way I got into narration won't work for people who aren't already embedded in the author community, unfortunately. I'd already done the preliminary work, not that I realised what I was doing, and I was positioned to take advantage of it.

If you want to get into narration, the first thing you need to do is go to the Narrator's Roadmap and take advantage of allll the free resources. Now, you need to do some PRACTICE. I've recommended before to people who want; approach fanfic authors and ask if you can make podfic of their work. You won't get paid but you'll learn A LOT.

Once you've got a few recordings under your belt I recommend getting a tech consult. There are a couple of people who will do a freebie to start - Don Baarns is a leading engineer in the field, or my personal tech guru is Jim Edgar.

Don't skip this step. You need to be sure your work is up to quality standards or you're wasting your time auditioning. And then you need to start auditioning. Go back to the Narrator's Roadmap for the where and how.

Good luck. It's not for everyone, but it's something I love doing, and I'm lucky enough to be earning a decent rate for it. I could absolutely make a full-time living out of it but, for me, sitting in a cupboard all day talking to fictional people isn't great for my mental health, so I keep a part-time day job to get me out of the house.

#audiobook narration #long post #my history #I got lucky

[iamprchung]

Chunks of History

Taking a small break with a short one-off...

Chunks of History By PR Chung Originally post: 1/12/2005 Time Period: Sometime in the future (Is that sooner than it was?) Authors Notes: Inspired by and an adaptation of a commentary I heard on the radio at lunch one day.

Chunks of History

"I was a lawman. There was justice at times. I tried to follow what I was taught." He glanced around at a few of the others. "Were any of you lawmen?"

A moment passes, then, "Yes," says someone in the group, who was a policeman in Kansas City in the 90's.

Someone was a security guard once. He raised his hand and murmured so.

Another in the groups says he wanted to be a secret agent, and that he desired action and the excitement of capturing the bad guys, and this was almost as good as being a 'lawman.'

"That's fine," he says, but knows he will never be understood.

He had been high up in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was a long fall from there to this hospital. There was a breakdown, a question of mental health, loyalties, and... the eccentric story. Then years in unidentified wards, the amputation, chunks of history no one would ever know.

Treatments for his unnamed affliction and medications for his neurosis had caused permanent distortions. Sometimes his tongue was so thick he struggled to swallow. He was nearly deaf, nearly blind even with his glasses, and the disease coursing within him mottled his skin in a roadmap of black and blue veins. Still, each Thursday at one he rapped at the door for his appointment at two o'clock. He is dressed in a worn dark suit, and the nurses have doubled knotted his wing tips, one sleeve pinned neatly to his shoulder calling attention to the absence of the limb.  

"I'm here to see my psychiatrist," he says, "for my analysis." It has lost some of the acerbic quality but seems more like mockery now.

His wheelchair motor whines low and a wheel creaks as he comes into the center of the room.

"I've been killed by the boogieman," he says, sounding somewhat dazed and surprised by a realization, yet not for the first time. He's given this analogy some thought; he's had the time. "I am homeless... and loveless."

That isn't completely true here at the hospital, although perhaps it was at the FBI.

The social worker, the pretty one with the auburn hair, who he takes to quite a lot, takes him to the cafeteria for coffee. The nurses dress him in that old worn suit that he prefers; a professional, upright style. And when they wipe his nose after he misses the tissue they're so good they do it without wiping away what dignity he has left.

The hospital, the doctors, the nurses, and pretty social workers, no one here can erase the boogieman who murdered him. There may be no one now who could ever be truly held accountable for the horrors that ravaged his mind and body, but once there might have been. A person who might ease his grief, and if not now in person, at least there in his thoughts and memory she resides. The social worker reminds him of her he admitted once. Then he spoke very little else of this woman; someone he misses and worries for.

So he now arrives early on Thursdays for the meetings. As he may see it there is at least one positive thing that comes out of all this pointless analysis: coffee in the cafeteria.

"No one will ever understand until the time comes what it is I've seen and know," he says, reverting for a moment back to the tale he clung to in the beginning; A story of truth and coming apocalypse. But then, he glances around and lowers his voice, "Doctor, can you promise me a chocolate bar?"

It can be arranged, and he is told so.

"Thank you," he says solemnly. "Then I will go now."

As he slowly turns his chair and wheels away his story lingers in the room. A foreboding and earnest warning to those who would listen, but most who dare agree travel their own dark affected paths.

It was the end time he talked about; not far off now with a glance at the calendar.

What was it again that would be our end? Did it merit another review of the old sessions? It is considered, but then there is another group coming in, more appointments, calls to return, email to read, and then a life separate from this place, so far was home it seemed some days.

No, not today, there would be no curious review of patient records and tape-recorded sessions. There was progress now, he was coming around, and moving on. Forgetting sometimes, mostly in the cafeteria over coffee with a red head, the boogieman.

"I'll see you next Thursday, Walter."

***

End.

#walter skinner #the xfiles #xfiles #the x files #xfiles fanfic #Chunks of History

[loopy777]

Hey! I just love your Mai’s POV fics! Really love it! To me, you are the authority when the issue is writing her in character. You nailed it!

I’m thinking about trying to write a Maiko fanfic. I never wrote anything before.

Please, give me some tips. Especially about how to write Mai right! What do you try to keep in mind when using her POV?

Aw, thank you!

In terms of general writing, I'm a big fan of outlines. Even for short stories, I start with a concept, break down the necessary points/scenes, and write a short summary of each. Having a roadmap makes it so much easier, since you know exactly what it is you need to do; figuring out where you're going while also writing is too hard. In terms of constructing stories, remember that they're basically collections of problems and solutions. Yes, you can write something that doesn't have any conflict, but I find for that type of story that it's hard to figure out the beginning and ending. When you do use conflict, the beginning is when the conflict appears, and the ending is when the conflict disappears, and then the points in between are the dance steps that get you from beginning to ending. CHARACTER A goes here, sees this, talks to that person, realizes something, and then solves the problem.

For the actual writing, always remember to never worry about what you're writing until the second draft or editing phase; once you have a sentence done, move to the next. The important thing is to get it done, because that's your base level of quality- everything you do to what you've already written (including completely rewriting it) will only improve things. Don't second-guess yourself while writing, because that's what we call "editing" and it comes later.

However, at the same time, be open to your own reaction to what you're writing. If it feels boring to write, then consider if it can be spiced up in some way, some humor added or a plot twist moved up from later in the story or just have the characters exchange some fun but pointless banter. If you're having fun while writing, you'll want to do more of it. And then when you're addicted, you can work on stuff that's no fun to write at all, like massive fantasy epics longer than 'Lord of the Rings.' ;)

The hardest part is getting that first draft done, and then you're free and clear.

For Mai herself, I'm sure any fan has a sense of this, but the way I put her basic psychology into words is that she doesn't think she cares as much as she does. She has a real sense of right and wrong, and she admires heroes and people who help others, but she got so hurt by Zuko's banishment that she has psyched herself into thinking she's completely apathetic. I find the best storytelling conflict for her comes in pushing on that, on putting her in situations where she needs to examine herself and realize she really does care. That's essentially what the big moment at the Boiling Rock was about, after all.

But up to that moment, her attitude is cold and sardonic and a little mean. She values uniqueness, even if the rest of the Fire Nation doesn't, because Azula likes it as well (after all, she picked Mai and Ty Lee for her companions) and so it's one of the few pleasures she's can indulge. She's a bit of an adrenaline junkie, but also fussy. It can also be fun to put those in conflict, where her sense of adventure is pushing her into a situation where she has to get messy.

The trap with Mai is how passively she lives most of her life. She goes along with what her parents do, she goes along with what Azula orders her to, she goes along with what Fire Nation society says she should. She complains about it, as wittily as she can, but she does it and does it well- sometimes so well it's an act of sarcasm itself. So writing about her runs the risk of making her an observer, which rarely makes for an interesting story. A POV character needs to be the one who drives the action in a scene/story, otherwise they're not really the main character. So coming up with stories to tell for Mai often starts with finding a way to push her into action, most likely coming from her parents or Azula or Ty Lee or society or whatever, and then in the course of that she runs into something which challenges her facade and makes her deal with it in some way. A story can also be about her seeking some excitement herself and running into more than she bargained for, no parents or Azula or etc required.

I also really love bouncing Mai off more expressive and honest characters. Someone like Ty Lee or Sokka or Katara or Toph challenge her facade as well. Ironically, Zuko doesn't do that very much, hence the first half of Book Fire where they were just hanging out together in the capital of the Evil Empire. But when Zuko does take action, he compels her to do the same more readily than any other. But Mai still does need to struggle with getting over that hill, even for Zuko, when all the other trappings of her life are holding her back.

Mai is happy to commit small, secret rebellions, but grand public acts are -- she knows from Zuko's banishment -- how you get the hammer dropped on you. A fun storytelling formula for her can be how she starts with some small and pointless mischief, and that leads to a spiral of more secrets and rebellions until she's right on the edge of fighting Azula to the death.

I also think Mai has a strong sense of loyalty. It can be argued how it all exactly ranks, but the list includes:

Zuko

Azula/Fire Nation

Family

Ty Lee

So putting those loyalties into conflict can be another way to have fun with her. AtLA itself put her loyalty to her brother in conflict with her loyalty to Azula, and later her loyalty to Azula in conflict with that to Zuko. Keep in mind, though, that the really interesting plots can have her trying (and failing?) to thread the needle, like how she left Tom-Tom with the gAang to satisfy Azula but also because she saw he was relatively safe with them. Having her make those hard choices in degrees is good fuel for storytelling.

That's everything that comes to mind. If you have questions about anything specific, feel free to drop another line! Good luck!

#atla mai #avatar mai #zumai #writing

[femmefatalevibe]

Hello, I hope you're doing well.

There's this man I dated years ago (like 7 or 8) and our relationship was only sexual. 6 years ago I started a long-term relationship with another man. I ended this relationship few months ago.

During this relationship, man A and I wrote to each other only to take some news, even though, I'm not proud of it, last year I wanted to take a drink with him "friendly". He refused and explained me that we never were only friends.

6 months after my breakup I reached him up. We saw each other at his home and we had sex. I have a lot to say about it, but at the end I realized I always had feelings for him and that night awaked them when seeing him.

So. When I left his home, I asked him lightly if we'll meet again. His answer was "we'll see". The problem was I had the feeling that our connection was real during the night. He welcomed me really nicely and we had deep conversations and laughs and everything. Anyway, from this answer I started to act crazily. Not crazy crazy, but impulsively, I barely let him breath, and he responded me until I think I went to far. But in an other hand I was spontaneous. I have to admit I came too strong towards him. I was afraid to lose him because of this answer and I didn't... Mastering myself.

So. He ghosted me. I understand him honestly, even though a message telling me to stop would have been correct, I would have respected it.

So, after 2 weeks of ghosting, he send me a message in which he apologized twice, made a list of all my mistakes which put him in distance because he felt embarrassed, and ended it with "I hope you're well, take care/with love". Honestly, I understand what he felt because in his shoes I would have feel invaded too.

Here is the thing, I don't wanna have the same behavior that he got, ghosting, but I don't know how to react. I want to give him an answer, and at the same time I think perhaps it's humiliating myself. What do you think about it ?

I want to pursue a connection with him, but it's impossible for me to ignore my feelings any longer. I also have my dignity that I lost a little bit last month, and I don't want to appear needy or... Childish-er.

How can I empower myself and be a woman that have her dignity while not being a ghost ? Can you help me to handle this situation ?

I hope you can.. Take care and thank you for everything.

Hi love! I'm sorry you're going through this. It's difficult to have a one-sided emotional connection to someone you have long-standing sexual compatibility with. Honestly, I would consider whether this man is even looking for any type of committed/consistent romantic connection at all. From what you've told me, he seems like a reasonably kind man who just doesn't see this relationship in the cards for him and wants to be upfront with you about it. I got ethical player vibes from this message – but I have no outside context, so there could be someone else he's getting over, another life goal/preoccupation he's dealing with at the moment, etc.

My best advice would be to thank him for sharing his reasons with you, acknowledge any boundary-crossing behavior, share that you only had positive intentions, wish him well, and let it go. You're clearly not compatible at this time if you're interested in pursuing a relationship with him and he is not.

If you have the emotional space and energy, after sending that text, I would take some time to write out a list/journal the qualities you find attractive in this man and separately write out the incompatibilities to give you a roadmap/criteria to help you evaluate future dates/ new potential partners.

Hope this helps xx

#femmefatalevibe #dating advice #dating tips #dating #sex and relationships #friend with benefits #sex advice #relationship advice #social interaction #social skills #communication skills #emotional maturity #femme fatale #dark feminine energy #dark femininity #it girl #high value woman #the feminine urge #high value mindset #female excellence #dream girl #female power #queen energy #self concept #self improvement #interpersonal relationships #q/a #relationship goals #green flags #red flags

[stardustjessie]

JESSIE'S 2024 ROADMAP

So, I just wanted to ramble about the projects I have planned out for 2024. I've been very ambitious about some due to being able to afford to invest in them. Of course, art will forever be my #1 ambition and will continue to improve my craft. I'm always finding new ways to improve and exploring new ideas. However; I do have various non-digital art related! And I want to tell you all on my own personal blog about them and what you can look forward from me in the future!

MUSIC PROJECTS

I've actually been taking my time to figure out how FL Studios work, and how to work with it with Audacity. I've been attempting at voice training, so once I'm satisfied with my voice, I'd really love to do lyrics. I'm planning on working out something special for the first quarter of 2024. An EP called "Hear my Voice! (Existence)". I want it to be focused on the progress of HRT and Voice Training and just the idea of artistic freedom and the great feeling it is to be able to create things the way I want after being so long unable to. I don't know, 3 songs sound good for an EP. I want to be crafty and creative with them. I'd love for it to be Lo-Fi Pop Punk. As in, actual Lo-Fi, not the Synthwave kind of Lo-Fi. I want it to be the classic lower quality and lower frequency sounding music. I have a grudging respect for Lo-Fi and what it can represent, so I want to have my own take on it. The other project would be a proper album for once I get the hang of it all. I plan to call it "Celestial Wishes". I so far only have the plans for it to be Pop Punk and be very angelic sounding. I want it to be like heaven answering my wishes to finally do music. Obviously I won't sing about that-! I want it to carry the story of Ponies living life and miracles happening in various ways. How many songs ? God knows! It's only an idea thus far, and will take shape later. Right now I want to focus on making a couple of singles, maybe having one done in December still even. That and focusing on the overall theming and style I want for "Hear my Voice! (Existence)". I'll post all of these on a new Youtube Channel I've created, StardustJessie Music! Subscribe for when I start posting some!

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

I don't know how aware you are, but I do have a Youtube Channel. I primarily post Video Game Analysis Essays. I'm extremely proud of the ones I made this year, those being Deus Ex 2 and Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Well, I have two more videos planned out! The first, POKEMON SUN & MOON ARE GREAT AND HERE'S WHY; Which I'm very ambitious and passionate about this idea. Everyone was very quick to defend Sword & Shield, Sun & Moon didn't get that same treatment. I want to be one to defend Sun & Moon, which I have a lot of argument for, and have a lot to say about its history and the state of pokemon in that age. I actually really hated S&M when I first played it and deeply regretted buying Ultra Sun (Which I still do.), so it's almost like a redemption arc for me! I'll have to gather up a shitload of footage though. Pokemon Red, Silver, Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, Black, X, Alpha Sapphire, Red Team Rescue, Explorers of Sky, Gates to Infinity, Super Mystery Dungeon, Sword, Violet, Rescue Team DX, Sun, Ultra Sun, and more! These are just the pokemon games I'll have to record! Not to count other games I bring up as a precedent and examples like Persona 4 which is some 60 hours of gameplay! So yeah. It's a lengthy project. Thankfully I'm purchasing a 4TB HDD this week so I should be able to gather that much footage without a worry. I imagine I'll only have this done in a year or even 2025! It's a tough project. However; I want to also work on another video! MORROWIND WALKED SO SKYRIM COULD RUN (AWAY WITH MY MONEY); I really despite Skyrim for a lot of reasons. But I really love Morrowind. A lot of the things I see people praise Skyrim are things I genuinely believe they'd have a better time and enjoyment of those aspects if they played Skyrim. I believe I can actually get this video done in 2024 as these games are waaaaaaaaaaaay shorter than all the shit I have to play for a Pokemon project! But even then, Skyrim would be some 30 hours and Morrowind some 15, not to mention any other games I talk about. It's a great topic to analyse and I'll be very ambitious. I should get to write it sometime and have a W.I.P project in mid 2024 so it'll be my annual essay.

BOOK PROJECTS

I'm very interested in writing my own book honestly. Ever since I read Dracula I've considered writing a story that touches on similar themes and ideas and can evolve them further through the lens of 2024. I'm slowly taking shots at it. Sometimes I write a sentence or two. As any Tumblr Writer knows, it's very tough. Be on the look out! Once I have anything concrete I'll definitely post!

I believe this would be it! I don't have many individual projects, but they are ambitious and time consuming projects that I want to have done next year or have something substantial to show in 2024! There are more projects, like my Game Project which I'm very passionate about and have 74 pages of documentation of and still working on it! Since it's on very early planning stage I rather not talk too much. But maybe 2025 roadmap ? Thank you for reading this if you have at all! I just want somewhere to put all my ideas. Who knows. It'll be interesting in 2034 to look back to 22 year old me being so ambitious, while 32 year old me has those ambitions fully realised and onto new projects. This is almost like an archival of my personal artistic ambition and my passion for the crafts of Writing, Visual Arts and Music.

#artist on tumblr #personal

[makingspiritualityreal]

Why Spirituality is a Realistic Concept that translates to a Better Quality of Life

One of the things that upsets me the most in spiritual circles is people who give the subject a bad rep by making it sound detached from reality. In truth, these people are just using spiritual concepts for escapism and their attitude of ignoring this human life we chose to experience has nothing to do with depth or understanding.

Just because spirituality helps us understand, that there is more to the Universal existence than the mundane physical things, it doesn't mean that it should be an escape from these things. Spirituality is about understanding how to handle physical things and make the most out of them while remaining in alignment with your soul. The whole point of experiencing spirituality in this physical incarnation is to see it... through the perspective of the physical vessel. If we were looking at spiritual concepts from a higher dimensional perspective at the exclusion of the human life we're living now...we wouldn't even be using human language to discuss these ideas.

The same applies to Astrology. The point of looking at a chart is to understand in more detail the expression of our soul here on Earth, at a given point in time. Our higher selves couldn't care less... because they already have that bigger perspective. They don't need a chart to know. The chart is DESIGNED as a roadmap for the simple human brain to connect with the soul energy... through lower human concepts, understandable to the human perspective. Once we completely transcend the human point of view, we're most probably already in between incarnations, and we have no use for these simple human tools created for understanding higher concepts.

This is something that makes me very angry because it takes away all credibility from who you are and what you do when you say "I'm spiritual". People assume you're high on drugs, detached from the physical aspects of this life and can't even see what is in front of you.

Spirituality is about remembering that your soul is with you every second of every moment, as you live your physical life. It's about letting your soul fully drink in the material energetic imprint of this life. You can't do that if you're not present in your reality and not aware of the life you're living.

Being aware of the bigger picture doesn't mean ignoring what is happening here and now. It's about living the here and now in a meaningful way, knowing what choices to make based on the depth of your consciousness.

Granted, there are certain things you can't control immediately, but even faith is about believing something PHYSICAL will change over time enough to give you answers on what actions are correct to take. It's not about wishing your life away and giving up on realising it, it's about being able to take action in alignment with yourself while letting go of the illusion that you can micromanage every detail of your existence.

When I make a post on my social media, the goal is to give it to people here, in the now. I can't control who and how views it...but I share it with the people who need my wisdom in mind. My self expression in this physical life is to help people at a specific point in time. The subject may be spirituality related, but it is supposed to bring something tangible to the world. If I wanted to just float around in space and didn't have a purpose here on Earth, I would skip on the pain of human life altogether.

There is a perfect balance between observing a larger perspective and introducing it into your everyday life. Spirituality is simply about finding that balance. For me, it is a calling that will last a lifetime, and it doesn't lead to a lack of "realism". It simply makes all of my physical experiences more meaningful, because I choose to be present in every moment, right here, right now...even with the perspective of eternity.

#making spirituality real #astrology #spirituality #spiritual journey #spiritual awakening

[tawus]

hi! i recently started doing commissions so i wanted to ask if you have any piece of advice to give?

Hi! Sorry about the delay with getting back to you on this ❣️

I may not be the best person to ask for advice on commissions, since I’ve written only 2 commissioned works – though they were huge and I’ve put a lot of thought, effort and a part of my soul into each one. But I’m not like a regular commission writer, just to be sure.

What I can offer is that I believe in personal brands. So I believe a person comes to me and pays me to provide them with an unrepeated experience that only I can deliver. I fully allow for each commer (the person who commissions me) to give me their specifics for the plot, the main character, the scenes etc – and I use those as the roadmap, the firm string that pulls the whole story along – but my magic comes in when I manage to stick to what they’ve wanted and at the same time surprise them. Which means I always add my own personal touch. I’ll give an example: with No Cure, the commer requested that the Reader character has a Nullification power, i.e. she can nullify others’ cursed techniques and cursed energies. I used that as a basis, as if it was a canon premise, and I expanded it. So the Reader’s usage of it during her first fight against Gojo was wholly my creation, and similarly when he trains her on the temple grounds and she develops a variation to her technique, those are my expansions as well. The commer was also quite taken aback by the way Gojo justified training her on temple grounds, which also involves the technicalities of cursed techniques and energy that I have expanded.

The personal touch (that I’ve described one instance of above) requires me to put a lot of thought into each commission, which also means each commission requires a fair bit of time. So don’t be in a hurry to churn out content for your commers. I think it’s disproportionate and unfair to expect for quality work to be done in a short time. Quality does take time. I’ll be honest, in all, each of the 2 commissions that I’ve done took me about 3 months to produce – counting from the conception of the idea in the commer to my final delivery. 3 months sounds outrageous, but each commission that I’ve produced is like a standalone novel and I’m proud of them, as I’ve put in a lot of my time, thought, energy, and soul into them. So my timeline is fully justified, especially when I remember how happy, surprised and satisfied my commers have been with what I delivered.

In more practical terms, you need to set out your terms clearly (I say this both as a creator and as a lawyer) so that there’s no discrepancies and no grounds for dispute. To gauge your commer’s preferences, you can use a survey form that you can create and use on each new commer. Give your commers periodic updates on how things are going and with the updates provide some snippets of the work you've done so far (I also provide them with additional research materials: for instance, with Dimming Hearth, the theatre and 7/11 shop locations are real in Tokyo – since central Tokyo is emphasised as the stage for the AiB games – so I shared with my commer the visuals for the scenes I wrote).

In terms of smut scenes I have a rule I set for myself: if it doesn’t turn me on while I’m writing it, then the smut I wrote is no good. But I also hate scrapping stuff so I make sure it does turn me on lolol. In more practical terms it means that, since I’ve low libido lately, I get deliberately tipsy before sitting down to write my smut scenes and I write them in 1 or 2 sitting to not break the continuity of my zone. If the smut I wrote turns me on, I know it will cause a fucking waterfall for my commer.

Do your research and set a fair price for your work. I know we live in hard times – as do I. But I find that a lot of creators aren’t even aware of the fair market value of their own labour, they haven’t done the research. Look on Fiverr: there are lots of fanfiction writers on there too and check out their fees. You’ll see that what Tumblr creators often charge for their hard work is scraps compared with those. You can make a decision to charge less to attract more customers as long as it’s a valued and informed decision on your part.

As you know, I’m more of a long work writer – both my comms are above 20k words – so my tips may not be as relevant if you deliver shorter commissions, but still I hope you find something useful in here. Good luck! 🍀

#ask tawus #commission advice #writing advice #creator advice #ao3 writer #writer tips #writing tips #fanfiction #fanfiction commissions #fanfic commissions #fanfic

[starlessumbra]

More Questions Answered

The game has pretty nice OST, And art at least from what i've seen and heard off of Opera GX, Did you do all this yourself or did you get some help?

Thank you! Assets at this point are very much a combination of my original graphics and sound, royalty-free resources, some artwork done by my wife, and assets commissioned for the game. I am trying to get out of the habit of calling this a solo project, because the truth is I can't really do all of it myself. I'm focusing on content over polish, so writing a somewhat cohesive narrative from start to finish is the focus. I have and will continue to hire freelance help for sprite work, portraits, etc., but that all currently comes out-of-pocket.

With the time SU has taken to release and stuff, will the game, Will it ever be launched on a different platform? Like Itch.io or Steam or even Epic games, maybe different platforms if you'd like (i don't think rpgmaker games can be ported, probably would have to rewrite the whole code in a language like C# or something)

One of my sneaky little tricks comes from a closeness to the classic RPG Maker community: this isn't actually an RPG Maker project anymore. I do try to closely emulate the RPG Maker 2003 style, mostly out of nostalgia, but the game is written in Gamemaker so porting is relatively painless. Confirmed platforms are currently PC (Steam, itch, anywhere I can get) and Nintendo Switch.

What hurdles did you come across that made you restart the development of the game?

The first is primarily technical. RPG Maker 2003 (at the time) couldn't natively export to non-windows platforms. Even on windows support felt waning. I remember the game would crash if I had two GPUs running and the game did this awful anti-aliasing on windows 7. Everything felt dated. (Aside, easyrpg fixes a lot of this! But I feel this ship has already sailed...)

The second is graphical. Starless Umbra started in 2002 before indie games were even a thing. It was common practice to rip assets from other RPGs. And while that did teach me about palette usage, effective map creation, and pixel art overall, the result is the product started to feel like a mixtape of some of my favorite game assets, of varying degrees of quality. Few of which I could call my own.

The final reason is the writing. I started the game as a child, and though I did my best to revise the story as I matured, revisions on the story began to take its toll on the narrative. Interest in the story came mostly through a mystery I was explaining to players that I myself hadn't quite figured out. Overall, there's a lot of cringy moments in these older iterations of the game, but in those moments they felt very genuine to me. It wasn't until I took a step back and approached the narrative from the top-down did I at least have some semblance of a roadmap for a story I wanted to tell.

Is there something that you've been unable to do that still sucks to do/hard to do for the game?

The writing is still difficult for me. Typically, what I plan for an act goes through a series of revisions, some even requiring multiple rewrites if the story doesn't meet the desired pacing or tone. I try to minimize this, but often it takes a lot of trial-and-error.

Striking a balance in the combat system between something that feels like a JRPG, isn't boring, and doesn't require twitchy/quick reactions like most action games is also challenging. People come into the game with certain preconceived notions, eg., "I don't want this enemy to hit me", but in reality by moving away from it and not attacking you're letting its abilities recharge. Trading damage is okay because as long as you survive the encounter your health is replenished. Allowing players to understand that and make combat engaging has been difficult.

How long would you say till SU launches as a whole game?

I'm notoriously bad at giving estimates. (Heroes of Umbra's initial estimate was 6-12 months: it took almost 6 years!) At the pace I'm going without any help it'll be another 3-5 years, but I hope I can trim that down. This is primarily because the game is a hobby project. I also have a full-time job, a two-year-old daughter, and generally try to follow some semblance of a fitness regimen to keep me busy otherwise.

[prodzcl]

Purposive Communication - Task #1 (Group Work)

Course, Year & Block: AB Broadcasting 1B

Group Members:

Dagñalan, Angelica L.

Llavanes, Mae L.

Lusana, Angela B. (@jayngrybirdsstuff)

Tagsa, Ayeza Shane A.

Date: August 31, 2022

Task #1. Participate in the discussion board via forum postings, learning logs, or blogs. (For synchronous and asynchronous groups). Critically discuss and explain the significance of the vision, mission and the quality policy of the university to the students, community and the country.

Each school or university, organization, company, and other establishment has a unique vision, mission, and quality policy. The question is, why do they carry out vision, mission, and quality policy? What are the importance of these three?

But before we move on to the specific subject/topic of this discussion, let me first share with you the vision, mission, and quality policy of Bicol University.

VISION - A World-Class University Producing Leaders and Change Agents for Social Transformation and Development

MISSION - The Bicol University shall primarily give professional and technical training, and provide advanced and specialized instruction in literature, philosophy, the science and arts, besides providing for the promotion of scientific and technological researches ​(RA 5521, Sec. 3).

QUALITY POLICY - Bicol University commits to continually strive for excellence in instruction, research and extension by meeting the highest level of clientele satisfaction and adhering to quality standards and applicable and statutory requirements.

Now let's go on to the primary topic, which is the significance of vision, mission, and quality policy of the university to students, community, and the country.

When we use the word "significance", we mean the "attribute of being significant or important”, meaning to say, this discussion is intended to elucidate the importance of vision, mission, and quality policy of the university.

When compared to firms without a vision, mission, and quality policy, it has been found that those with clear, coherent, and meaningful statements about their goals have twice as many benefits for shareholders. Indeed, these three things— vision, mission, and quality policy play an important role in the university.

These will serve as a guide for setting objectives and goals at the university, thus providing a roadmap that should be followed by everyone (students, as well as employees and workers) of the community.

The university's vision, mission, and quality policy outline its goals and give students or an individual a feeling of identity. This encourages and motivates them to work harder in order to achieve success. This helps to increase efficiency and productivity in the university or organization. 

And most importantly, it provides a great work environment and treats each other with respect and dignity. In short, the vision, mission, and quality policy were developed to help us become the best version of ourselves. Having a university that has clear goals enables us students to better the world, prepare for the future, and to live better in the present.

Universities, schools, communities or organizations need to have a clear vision, mission and quality policy in order for other people to know why your firm exists and what it wants to become or achieve. These three things serve as a guideline for all your firm's actions. A study of Bart, et. al, (2001) states that firms with clearly communicated, widely understood, and collectively shared mission and vision have been shown to perform better than those without them. By that, we can conclude that having vision, mission and quality policy is indeed essential for a firm's success.

The university's vision, mission and quality policy educate the students, individual, of what learners should follow at the university. Also it provides us guidelines that we must follow in order to maintain the peace, respect, of each and everyone. By following these three it means we respect, we value and appreciate the University's vision, mission, and quality policy. Having these will serve as an organization or a university a lifetime success.

[jcmarchi]

Moon Studios' No Rest For The Wicked Doesn't Require Online Connection To Play Single-Player

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/moon-studios-no-rest-for-the-wicked-doesnt-require-online-connection-to-play-single-player/

Moon Studios' No Rest For The Wicked Doesn't Require Online Connection To Play Single-Player

Moon Studios co-founder and tech and production director Gennadiy Korol has revealed the team’s upcoming action-RPG, No Rest for the Wicked, which is also the game on Game Informer’s cover this month, will not require an online connection to play single-player. Although, if you’ve read our cover story about the game, you already know this, and you also know you can play the game with up to three friends on a shared living server.

What’s more, Korol says the game will feature “a rich Offline Mode” for those not interested in the game’s multiplayer elements.

[embedded content]

Korol announced this today on X (formerly Twitter), expanding on Moon’s thoughts about No Rest for the Wicked as both a single-player and multiplayer game. 

“Even though Wicked was built from the ground up with multiplayer in mind, we did not want offline-play to feel like a second thought and we want people to be able to play on the go when connection quality is not always ideal,” Korol writes. “Our April 18th [Early Access launch on PC] will focus on the single player experience and we will be sharing more details about the Multiplayer aspect of the game later in our Early Access campaign.” 

[embedded content]

Game Informer has played hours of No Rest for the Wicked, so far only in single-player, and it’s been a blast. You can read our preview thoughts on the game’s opening hours here, and you can watch it for yourself in our No Rest for the Wicked New Gameplay Today.

Read about No Rest for the Wicked’s early access roadmap and Cerim’s Crucible endgame content after that, and for even more exclusive content, head to Game Informer’s No Rest for the Wicked coverage hub. 

Are you going to play No Rest for the Wicked with friends or alone? Let us know in the comments below!

#content #details #game #it #mind #Moon #PC #Play #Production #Read #REST #Server #Tech #twitter #X

[bellmaria774]

Self-Learning C++: Does This Go the Right Way to Be a Coder?

Yes, you can make Android and iOS applications with C++. 

It is an old language. But then it is a giant in the world of technology…modern technology that is!

Although feared by many programmers, we can say that C++ is somewhere misinterpreted as a ‘tough and complex’ language because of the time you need to learn this. You cannot learn C++ in a fortnight. However, that does not make it into a language you’ll have to fear.

Can you learn C++ by self-learning it with the assistance of only your laptop and the best computer science books? The answer is mostly a big ‘yes’. 

However, there are things you might want to learn about C++ because it will occupy some time in your career or professional life (if, however, you are committed to learning it). 

The points below might help:

A Basic Idea of C++ and Where It’s Used in Recent Times?

Many have this misconception that C++ is a language that only engineers and mathematicians can manage because of its high level of logical constructs and relations to machines. 

That’s not the right way to define or characterize this programming language. 

Yes, C++ is a language working very closely with machine language, meaning it is more ‘rooted’ in the hardware (tools and equipment) of a computer. It’s a general-purpose, object-oriented programming language, suited for umpteenth kinds of computing tasks. 

It’s technically right to say C++ deals with the physical computer system. But it is also technically true that C++ makes applications, embeds systems on your camera, creates AAA games (or a plain 2D title), and makes mobile apps. 

Don’t believe it! Well, C++ has created the music app Spotify which is probably in the top 10 list of leading music apps globally. 

The bottom line here C++ can walk on both worlds – both machine levels and software development, which makes it a language any software developer would not want to miss learning. 

Where Would C++ Take You If You Self-Learn It?

You can self-learn C++ with the help of online classes, the best computer science books and coding bootcamps offered. Both self-learning and organizational education will take you to almost similar career destinations. Here are a few of them you can find both interesting and encouraging:

C++ developers, at least in this day and age, are going to be required dominantly in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Robotics. 

IoT, embedded systems, and graphical technology development rely heavily on C++ and will be so in the upcoming years. 

You should learn C++ if you’re planning to be a game developer in whatever stream you choose. 

Animation software needs C++ coding along with other programming. 

Those who are interested in working closely with hardware technology and systems have to learn C++. This work also correlates the building, modification, and development of operating systems (Google’s Android OS has parts of its code written in C++). 

How to Self-Learn C++ without Being Worried About It

Self-learning C++ coding will have to take you to the basics and that’s good for you to learn coding without compromising on the core nature of computer science. Here are a few ways you can learn C++ if you’re really into learning it as soon as possible:

Prepare yourself for a lengthy period as C++ cannot be mastered in months. 

Understand where you want to go with C++ programming later in your life whether it's database management, embedded software development or just making the next game that’ll steal the show. 

If confused about what you want to do with C++, start learning and think about your roadmap later. You’ll need time to strengthen basic C++ skills. 

Get resources such as quality videos, and webinars or register with an online coach or class. You will need books of course. A reputed online book store in Singapore might have beginner and advanced C++ books you badly need at the learning phase. 

When you have proceeded some way, take part in bootcamps or online coding games to make learning even more interesting. 

Self-Learning C++ Might Give You Professional Opportunities in the Near Future

This is your answer to what to expect if you learn C++ all by yourself.

The Goods: You’ll learn a coding language, which is very close to machine language. Languages like Ruby or JavaScript are made for business-centric operations whereas C++ is made for operating the computer itself. 

That is why you get all computer basics with C++. This can help you become a strong coder whose knowledge is deep-rooted in the understanding of computer and computing systems. You can choose to be a software developer, a systems manager, a game developer, or pretty much any IT professional if you know C++. 

Where You Need Working: As mentioned earlier, C++ is a language that is not learned in a few months. You cannot hasten to learn it too. Instead, work on your patience. 

You have to be a little careful with C++ as it tends to grow extensive and more informative as you continue learning. 

To Conclude: A Few Book Recommendations for Self-Learning C++

Don’t do it with the advanced C++ books because that won’t be of any aid. Instead, choose a few beginner-level titles like:

C++ for Dummies by Stephen R. Davis

C++20 for Lazy Programmers by Will Briggs

And for advanced/ targeted learners:

C++ Game Development Primer by Bruce Sutherland 

C++ for Financial Mathematics by John Armstrong 

Wondering if you could find an online book store in Singapore with even more C++ books? You can try visiting Booksmart. It might surprise you with its wide collection of books in an unending variety of niches.

[speed-seo]

Visitor Attention Spans Optimisation List For Better Website Engagement!

With more competition online than ever before businesses need to prioritize user engagement by recognizing how technology has affected our attention spans. While some may mock claims about goldfish having longer attention spans than humans- even if recent studies debunked this myth- one thing is clear: internet use has changed how we consume information and perceive time. To stand out among competitors online requires website optimization strategies such as integrating visuals (graphics and videos) utilizing easy to use interfaces via tabs or buttons instead of links for navigation purposes all while utilizing white space to strategically direct users' eyes. As consumers, we have become accustomed to having information at our fingertips and expect quick results. If you want your marketing efforts for your product or website or even your pitch for an idea to be successful- then knowing how best to grab people’s attention is half the battle won. What is the Attention Span of humans? The attention span of an individual refers to the duration for which they can focus on a single task without getting sidetracked by other thoughts or distractions. Attention is a key element in any successful marketing strategy - after all, you can't sell your product or service if nobody is paying attention! But with the average human attention span hovering between just 8 and 12 seconds, capturing and holding onto your audience's interest can be a daunting task. What is a Short attention span, for example? This is a good example of attention span; The power of attraction and holding someone's attention cannot be underestimated. It was evident when a man glanced at an ad while talking to a beautiful girl. However, the real challenge lies in engaging the person for long enough so that your message sticks with them and prompts them to act on it. In the world of marketing, keeping an audience engaged is key. This passage offers up tips that are both practical and easily digestible, providing a roadmap for how to hold someone's attention for longer than a mere second. What is a shorter attention span? As technology advances at lightning speed, our ability to focus appears to be dwindling at an alarming rate. According to Times a research made by Microsoft over two decades ago, the average person had an attention span of 12 seconds - but today, that number has dropped down significantly. Online users now have an attention span shorter than even a goldfish - just eight seconds! This means marketing professionals and content creators must work tirelessly to create high-quality material and ensure it immediately captures the viewer's interest. Fortunately, there are various strategies to overcome this challenge. By tapping into the latest trends producing eye-catching visuals, and focusing on captivating storytelling, businesses can still create content that resonates with their audience. Check the video below for a general overview of attention span: https://youtu.be/hDOKX-umAJQ What is Attention Span | Explained in 2 min Attention Span Research - Shortened Attention Span? When it comes to marketing in today's fast-paced digital world, where everyone seems to have a million tabs open at all times - capturing someone's interest can seem like a daunting task! A recent article by Psychologist Today sheds light on the impact the pandemic and constant screen time are having on our already dwindling ability to stay focused. But fear not! According to CNN, "Your attention span is shrinking, studies say. Here’s how to stay focused" The key then is knowing how to hook your audience early so they don't switch tabs. Recent studies show that if you can keep people's attention past the initial 7-10 second mark, they're likely to stay on your website for up to 17 minutes! Reason for Attention Span Shortened Our modern digital landscape is undeniably fast paced - information comes at us from all sides; notifications pop up constantly; news cycles run 24/7. It can feel like we're always on high alert ready to jump from one task or source of stimulation onto another. But according to Dr Nick Morgan, PhD, the issue isn't necessarily that our collective attention spans are shrinking - rather than have disappeared entirely due to these factors. Instead he suggests much of the problem lies with how we consume media today: with so many different stimuli competing for our focus simultaneously, it can be difficult (if not impossible) to remain fully present and engaged with any one task or activity for an extended period of time. For businesses seeking to make an impact online this reality presents a considerable challenge. How do you capture the attention of visitors to your site and keep them engaged while also providing valuable content? One approach is to keep things simple and straightforward in terms of your messaging. Avoid using overly complex language or jargon that can quickly turn off readers. Instead focus on clear concise statements that convey your message in a way that's easy to understand. Another key strategy is to incorporate eye catching visuals like graphics or videos into your website design wherever possible . These types of media can help break up longer blocks of text, making it easier for people to consume and digest information. Finally be sure to optimize your site for mobile devices so that users can easily access your content via their smartphones or tablets. This is especially important given the increasing number of people who rely on these devices as their primary means of accessing the internet. By taking these steps and focusing on creating a seamless user experience you can improve engagement levels among visitors to your site while boosting loyalty over time! What is your attention span? As individuals, our attention span only lasts for approximately 8 seconds. During this brief moment, our brain processes information and retains it as a memory. Therefore when attempting to engage with website users it is important to keep messages brief and easy to understand. How can you do that? Selling products or services through an online platform comes with its own set of challenges- one of which is capturing the user's interest amidst all the noise on the internet. But worry not because we have some tips for making sure you get noticed! One of them involves highlighting specific images or text portions that are important in communicating value propositions effectively. While there are numerous creative ways to achieve this goal using contextual cues such as incorporating subtle elements like cutlery besides fruit images has proved successful in grabbing users' attention without being too pushy. Remember- keeping things simple yet effective should always be your top priority while designing your website. Making Your Website More Attention Grabbing The world of marketing can be overwhelming when you’re just starting out. Nonetheless crafting gripping content is crucial for achieving success. Enticing traffic to your website and keeping them engaged demands delivering something intriguing and valuable. To accomplish this goal, it's wise to ponder over the following 10 elements: - Offer valuable content. - Use images, videos, infographics and other visual aids to make your site more attractive. - Create a layout that is easy to navigate. - Your headings must catch the eye. - Important information should always be above the fold. - The value offered must be found immediately by your visitors. - Call-to-actions buttons must be used logically. - Use eye-catching graphics. - Always use enough white space or free space. - Arouse the interest of your visitors. In order to help you understand how enhancing your website could augment visitors’ focus span lets explore each of these elements in detail. 1. Offer rich quality content: Modern marketing depends heavily on one key principle: capturing your audience's interest quickly and effectively. This maxim extends not only to traditional methods but also to search engine optimization (SEO). Our society nowadays has an extremely limited attention span because there's so much information competing for space in our minds. Poor quality content - whether it comes in the form of images or articles - only exacerbates this issue by failing to hold people's attention beyond a few passing moments. Consequently, its incumbent upon creators alike must ensure that they create meaningful and engaging materials which immediately capture visitors' interests. 2. Use images, videos, infographics and other visual aids to make your site more attractive: Crafting engaging content may seem like a straightforward task - until you realize just how many factors go into making something truly successful! From understanding modern marketing strategies to knowing exactly who your target audience is, there are many pieces of the puzzle that must fit together just right if you want readers' eyes glued to the page (or screen). With that in mind, it's crucial to always stay informed about the latest industry trends and best practices. What works today may no longer be effective next month, so you need to be nimble and adaptable. Remember: brevity is key! Get your message across clearly and concisely to keep readers engaged from start to finish. 3. Create a layout that is easy to navigate: Gone are the days when desktop computers were our only option for browsing content – thanks to smartphones and tablets! Yet these convenient gadgets have caused us some trouble: namely, lower attention spans. But don't lose heart just yet! You can enhance user engagement by crafting an intuitive website design that streamlines navigation. When users feel empowered to find what they need easily on their phones/tablets, it's likely that their interest will remain piqued for longer periods of time. 4. Your headings must catch the eye: Your landing page headlines are like a virtual handshake with readers – they set the tone for what follows. So it's critical that your headlines grab attention quickly. Keep them snappy - ideally five words or less (aside from the intro). Here are seven tips to help you optimise your headlines and boost engagement: - Give your headline the same importance as your page title. - Keep your headlines short and concise. - Include a call to action for your readers, e.g. "read more" or "learn more". - Do not be afraid to use subheadings to break up the text. - Use meaningful words in your headings. - Use words that convey a feeling in your headings. - Capitalise H2 headings if this makes sense based on the design of your page. 5. Important information should always be above the fold: Whenever someone visits your website, it's crucial that they're able to quickly spot any important details, such as exclusive offerings or limited-time deals, before navigating away from it. Make sure this key information remains visible as users scroll down by placing it above the fold - aka. The hero section, which encompasses everything visible upon landing on a webpage. 6. The value offered must be found immediately by your visitors: It's important not to confuse this with our earlier fifth point; although they share some similarities there are notable differences between them. What we mean by optimizing website layout is making sure users remain interested and invested during their visit. Ultimately what you want is for users to find what they're looking for quickly and efficiently - so every area of your webpage should introduce or further elaborate on what makes it worth visiting in order worth a users attention span. The footer is no exception to this rule. 7. Call-to-actions buttons must be used logically: Effective website design requires capturing visitors' attention immediately by highlighting key offers and services and explaining company branding and its services. Visitors should not have to click around aimlessly; instead, strategically placed call-to-action (CTA) buttons should guide them through their site journey. For example, offering various options like filling out a contact form via phone or email is an effective way of using CTAs wisely while giving visitors convenience as well as choice. It's important to enhance CTA visibility by using contrasting colours too. Research reveals that people can only retain up to three things at once: therefore, having a variety of designs makes A/B testing effective. 8. Use eye-catching graphics: Want to make your website stand out from the crowd? One simple way is by adding compelling images that really pop. Studies suggest that sharp, colourful visuals are far more likely to capture people's attention than bland or uninspired ones – after all, our eyes love vibrant hues, striking contrasts, and dynamic motion. But it doesn't stop there: research has shown that images with emotional impact – whether they portray joy or fury – can further entice visitors and encourage them to explore your site further. If you're curious about this topic (and why wouldn't you be?), dive into the full study here. Effect of Emotional Facial Images on Perceptions of News Content Bias and Source Credibility in Social Media 9. Always use enough white space or free space: The impactfulness of any website depends largely on how much thought has been given towards creating a peaceful and composed visual landscape which encourages users to remain focused on relevant information without unnecessary distractions. Presenting a cluttered or frenetic web page could indicate disarray, which may lead prospective clients or readers astray from exploring beyond the home page itself! Therefore, employing plentiful amounts of white space, which imparts feelings of calmness through minimalism, helps reinforce attention in desired areas while resonating aesthetically with current design trends. 10. Arouse the interest of your visitors: To attract and retain your web visitors, it's crucial to captivate their interest and curiosity with captivating information on each webpage. Be it new content or special deals, ensure your website offers something worthwhile. Stale or irrelevant content can drive visitors away, so regularly updating your website with fresh news is necessary. These are the ten best practices when it comes to keeping your visitors interested: - Offer exclusive content that is not offered anywhere else, e.g. videos or articles that cannot be found anywhere else on the internet. - Have a good design with an attractive layout and use the right colours. - Use eye-catching headlines and captions that summarise the content. - Offer your visitors new information regularly, e.g. by publishing a blog post or a newsletter. - Change your layout frequently to keep it interesting. - Create an interactive experience with polls, quizzes, competitions and other fun activities for the whole family. - Use pop-up windows with information about the article you are reading. - Offer an active live chat on your website so visitors can talk to you and other visitors. - Offer a multilingual option so visitors can read your content in their native language. - Display your social networks, e.g. Facebook and Twitter. Determines how many minutes your website visitors' attention span lasts Maximizing visitor attention spans requires an understanding of how long they typically stay on your website. By accessing Google Analytics, you can easily uncover this information and start optimizing accordingly. A greater number of minutes spent on your site indicates higher engagement levels and better overall performance. Here's how to find out exactly how long visitors are sticking around: - Log into Google Analytics and click on the property you would like to analyse. - On the left-hand side of your screen, click Audience > Overview. - Scroll down until you reach the "Avg Session Duration" section. Averaging less than two minutes, low session durations point to a lack of visitor attention and interest. To prevent losing out on potential conversions, websites need to prioritize engagement optimization. Long Attention Span: A Step-By-Step Guide. Does the idea of enhancing your website's attention span seem overwhelming and confusing? Fear not, as we have just what you need - a comprehensive list of steps to take: Step one: Effective marketing articles demand an enthralling topic at its core. It's imperative to pick something that hooks in readers right from the start. A great way of doing this is by selecting a subject matter close to your heart - like your favourite hobby- as people are often drawn in by others' passions and interests. This way, they will likely continue reading with keen interest until the end of the piece. Step two: Why Your Hobby Might Be the Key to a Killer Headline It's no secret that titles matter – they're often what draw readers in (or turn them away). But coming up with one that stands out can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. That's why it can be helpful to start by focusing on something close to home: your hobby. Whether you're into cooking or mountain biking, or bird watching, using that as the foundation of your headline will give people an immediate reason to check out what you have to say. As marketing guru Jay Baer advises: "Make sure headlines are specific and highly relevant." Step three: Write a short paragraph describing what you are going to write about. The opening lines of any piece can be daunting - they have to set the tone for everything that follows and capture your reader's interest right off the bat. Step four: Whether or not readers continue on with an article often depends on its opening sentence making it a critical component of any piece. This is how crucial your article introduction is for your blog articles. Do not ignore the fact that a great introduction will also make your readers return to your website. Step five: Effective Marketing forms one cornerstone upon which any successful business must always rest on its laurels. By making efforts to understand what their customers desire- companies can then create products/services tailored specifically to their needs. However, as customers are exposed to a vast array of new products and services each day, organizations must look beyond just the bare product and create a unique selling point that demonstrates why they should choose your product over competitors. In this essay on marketing, we will explore what is commonly known in the industry as the four Ps of Marketing: Problem Identification, Promise formulation, Proof establishment- by providing evidence for benefits delivery or need satisfaction - and Proposal creation. Each of these elements forms an integral aspect of building an effective marketing strategy capable of winning over new customers by providing value that speaks directly to their pain points. Step six: It isn't easy running a business; there's never-ending work involved! But at least one thing is clear: without successful marketing campaigns, the competition will quickly get ahead, leaving your firm behind in dust. However, marketing today has grown beyond basic selling techniques often used traditionally; few other fields have evolved as rapidly as this domain has recently. Marketing requires researching customer behaviour patterns in detail to utilize this information effectively enough while creating captivating campaigns using creative approaches that resonate well with consumers. Of course, catching people's attention is just the start; a successful marketing campaign must be able to influence their decision-making process. Recently digital marketing has exploded in popularity, enhancing marketing campaigns further through various social media channels. Read the full article

[chloeunitfive]

How to be a sustainable fashion lover

Fashion is scrambling to meet the challenge with meticulously researched roadmaps and reports that include a slew of plans to improve supply chain energy efficiency, switch to renewables, invest in material innovation that avoids synthetics, ramp up social justice initiatives, and address animal cruelty. While these initiatives are well-intended, they are up against an industry that is already massive in scope. Most of those 80 to 100 billion clothing items - a conservative estimate - are already burnt or disposed of after only a few wears. According to McKinsey Fashion Scenarios, global fashion sales are on set to rebound to just above 2019 levels, notwithstanding the pandemic. Campaigners are increasingly proposing that one of the simplest ways to reduce the impact of fashion is to buy less (much less, according to Take the Jump, only three new pieces of clothing each year) and to make the things we already possess last longer. Essentially, the fashion business must significantly diminish in size. This may be difficult to imagine for a generation of buyers raised on manufactured needs and fast pleasure, but the statistics are unmistakable. According to Wrap's research, extending the life of a piece of clothing by only nine months may reduce its environmental effect by up to 10%; think what could be accomplished over decades. Buying excellent quality clothing, owners' desire to wear the same item over and over again, and their capacity to care for them are all factors. These may appear to be simple tasks, but if they were, we would have completed them by now. After all, it has only been a generation since we lost the beautiful skill of clothes upkeep. Whereas our ancestors lived thrifty lives, most consumers today have gotten accustomed to a wear, break, and chuck model. De Castro's flawless garments with damaged zips reveal a significant disconnect with how apparel is created. But it is now more important than ever to ask why so much of our clothing is petroleum-based; whether the rayon in that jumper was sourced from ancient forests; what animal's fur has gone into that pom pom; why only a minority of garment workers are paid a living wage – and whether we still want a hand in driving all this destruction.

The first step is to re-examine your personal wardrobe; textile reuse organisation Traid started the 23 Percent Campaign in 2019 to highlight the amount of items left unused in Londoners' wardrobes. Sam Weir is the founder of Lotte.V1, a one-on-one style service that aims to rekindle our love affair with clothing. "Many of us don't use what we own because we've been taught to find style solutions through consumption," says the high-profile ad stylist. "Styling allows people to express themselves and have fun with clothing without having to buy new; it encourages creativity and allows people to truly wear their clothing." It's about developing relationships with our possessions and learning to interact with fashion outside of consumption." According to Mikha Mekler, lecturer in production management at London College of Fashion, it helps if you buy well to begin with. "The issue is how we buy. Quality purchases endure longer." Begin by avoiding quick fashion manufacturers and their glitzy, celebrity-laden advertising campaigns, and instead seek for ethical labels that value workmanship. Even still, do your own research: the weight of an object and the quality of its details may reveal a lot. "Test the garment," says Victoria Jenkins, creator of adaptive clothing business Unhidden and a garment technologist. "Pull it, yank on it, inspect the stitching." Is it nice and tidy, or are there a lot of loose threads Can you see 'grinning', where the thread is visible at tension points on the seam? Does the garment have hanger loops to stop it losing shape? Is there taping along a T-shirt shoulder to stop it from being distorted if it is hung up? Is the hem sturdy or can it be easily unpicked? Is there shading on the fabric; are there faults in the print beyond what you might expect?" The next stage is to take care of yourself. Semiotician Roland Barthes wrote about the use of foam in an advertisement for detergent in his 1954 essay Soap Powders and Detergents: "What matters is the art of having disguised the abrasive function of the detergent under the delicious image of a substance at once deep and airy which can govern the molecular order of the material without damaging it." Washing is still thought to renew and rejuvenate, but as Roland Barthes reminds out, it is actually extremely harmful. Most sustainable clothing experts believe that washing garments less is better - and washing them cold, properly sorted, with mild, natural laundry detergents, and inside out to prevent colour and print fading. "Garment care is still something people get wrong on a day-to-day basis," Mekler said. "I wash a lot of garments, especially the finer things, even jeans, on a wool wash unless they're really dirty." Consider hanging mildly dirty items in the bathroom while taking a shower and letting the steam do the cleaning. Avoid tumble drying by shaking your clothing and hanging them to dry. Then bask in the environmental advantages of your new habit. According to the EPA's Energy Star programme, the average washing machine uses 6,500 gallons of water each year, which is about half of what you'd drink in a lifetime. Finally, most of the emissions produced during the "in-use" stage of an item's life cycle originate from washing and tumble drying. Cut that and you're basically a sustainable fashionista.

When you've finished cleaning your clothing, avoid the desire to dump them on the floor or bundle them up under the sofa. Correct garment storage accomplishes half the job; top advice include storing clean clothes away from sunshine and heat, in cool, dry places with enough space between them to air. Katrina Hassan, a professional organiser, employs the KonMari Method of tidying. "Awareness and positive habit change is at the heart of the process," she explains. "Another important principle is to store things so that you can easily see everything." When you know exactly what you possess, you are far more inclined to care for it."

Reference:

Bel Jacobs. (2022). How to be a sustainable fashion lover – and why it matters. [Online]. BBC. Last Updated: 31 March 2022. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20220329-how-to-be-a-sustainable-fashion-lover-and-why-it-matter [Accessed 6 November 2023].

#Youtube

[kevinszabojrplumbing]

5 Evidence-backed Ways To Get Motivated To Work Out at your new home

It is becoming common knowledge that regular exercise is essential to ensure good health. This is because it comes with innumerable health benefits ranging from improving your mood and better sleep quality to helping you achieve a healthier body weight.

These benefits have informed the WHO's minimum recommendation of 150 to 300 minutes of exercise weekly for adults and 60 minutes for children and adolescents.

Despite an increasing knowledge of its benefits, working out and doing it consistently can be hard. While it's easy to include working out as one of your New Year's resolutions, following through is the problem. health benefits ranging from improving your mood and better sleep quality to helping you achieve a healthier body weight. 

This is not for a lack of will but because it can be hard to keep yourself constantly motivated. The discipline and tenacity it requires can sometimes pose a stumbling block.

If you're looking for ways to keep your fitness motivation up, here are a few evidence-backed tips:

1. Set Process Goals

Goals refer to the expected results of your efforts and ambitions. They provide a roadmap to where you want to be and serve as fuel for motivation. Goals provide the focus you need to get where you're going, the drive to keep going, and a mechanism to track your progress. Goals can either be outcome or process-oriented.

For example, an outcome goal will be you saying you want to lose about 70 pounds by the end of the year. For process goals, an example would be if you say you want to work out for 3 hours daily on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Studies have shown that having process goals significantly improves motivation. This is because they force you to face the reality of your goals and how to achieve them. Hence, you set feasible goals while outlining how to meet these goals.

2. Restructure Your home Environment

Your environment has an undeniable impact on how motivated you'll be. Hence, using your environment to set yourself up for success is one of the essential elements of effective behavior change.

It has been reported that restructuring your environment can provide the motivation you need to cause a change in your behavior. New habits are formed from consistent behavioral patterns, and your environment plays a huge part. Therefore, you must set it up to keep you motivated. 

Restructuring your environment can mean finding a gym you enjoy visiting or designating specific times for working out. It would help to consider setting out your workout clothes the night before.

You can also set multiple reminders for your gym sessions. These ensure that all you need for success at working out more is more accessible. Keeping yourself motivated can be as straightforward as this.

3. Build a Community

Building a solid community is essential for motivation. Honestly, it's almost impossible to be motivated every day, and it is perfectly natural to have days when you don't feel up to working out. This is where your community comes in.

A robust and encouraging community will ultimately motivate you to get up and start moving, especially on days when it's hard. The positive impact of a strong community on motivation has been reported. Money can't buy the smiles, high fives, and encouraging remarks from the bonds people form.

There is a fitness team out there for everyone, regardless of what workout plan you're working with. Find an exercise that makes you feel good, and spend time with individuals who will help you develop your strength and confidence while keeping you motivated. These people will constantly hold you accountable, which is essential for motivation.

4. Reward System

Working out can be challenging to keep up with, but rewarding yourself can make it easier to bear. Of course, you'll do something more often if you're getting some form of gratification from it. You can gift yourself a healthy meal or watch a movie after a gym session. You should also remember intrinsic rewards like accomplishment and relief after a workout.

Part of having a reward system can include having fun while working out. Making the entire process of working out more enjoyable is a great way to keep yourself motivated. Greater physical activity enjoyment influences individuals' capacity to engage in regular physical activity.

Simply put, you are much more likely to repeat a gym session if you enjoy yourself. Switch things up occasionally; have your favorite music playing in the background as you work out or with your favorite person. These are steps to keep you motivated.

5. Positive Affirmation

Evidence suggests that repeating positive fitness affirmations changes your brain, increasing your likelihood of exercising. This is because, naturally, working out can be perceived as uncomfortable and met with opposition mentally and physically. Positive self-affirmations encourage you to engage in more physical exercise by removing that mental barrier, causing an aversion to working out.

However, beyond these positive self-affirmations, you should constantly evaluate the challenges and obstacles you face regarding working out and plan ways to solve them.

Conclusion

Working out can be challenging to start and keep up with. Therefore, finding evidence-backed ways to keep yourself motivated is essential. You should remember to build a strong community around yourself while having simple goals and rewarding yourself occasionally. With these in your arsenal, you can get that gym subscription.

#This Summer #Guest Author #Guest Blogger #Guest Contributor #Guest Post #Guest Writer #Best Ways To Prevent The Most Common Plumbing Problems #Plumbing Problems #broken pipes #leaking pipes #clogged toilets #garbage disposals #prevent drains from clogging #plumber in tinley park #tinley park plumbers #plumber in orland park #orland park plumbers #plumber in homer glen #homer glen plumbers #plumber in frankfort #frankfort plumbers #plumber in mokena #mokena plumbers #plumber in lemont #lemont plumbers #plumber in new lenox #new lenox plumbers #plumber in oak forest #oak forest plumbers #plumber in homewood

[arisiontreatmentwoodlandhills]

How Our Intensive Outpatient Program Can Transform Recovery

When addiction is a real problem, it can be hard to find the right way to treat it. You’ve probably heard the phrase “Intensive Outpatient Program” and wondered what makes it different from other kinds of treatment. Let’s take it apart.

What Does An IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program) Include?

Imagine for a moment that you could get help without having to quit your job or miss picking up your child from school. IOPs, like the one that Arision Treatment has, are all about this. IOPs like ours let people stay at home during the day while they go to therapy and counseling in the evenings. This is different from full-time, residential rehab, where people spend months in the center.

The great thing about our IOP is that it finds a balance, a middle ground so that you don’t feel pulled between getting better and taking care of yourself. It has a plan, but you can change it enough to fit it into your daily life. Many people need this careful balance to get better. It’s not just something they like.

Key Markers of a Stellar Intensive Outpatient Program

Quality comes first at all times: Recovery doesn’t come in one size that fits everyone. And because it’s a one-of-a-kind trip, the best care is the most important thing. Your recovery should be planned out with tried-and-true methods and guided by professionals whose main goal is to see you do well in your new life as a clean person. The following are always part of a good IOP:

Comprehensive Assessments

Blends of individual and group therapies and custom-tailored treatment schedules A robust community of like-minded individuals on the same path Aftercare support An eclectic mix of both conventional and innovative therapeutic approaches Mental health services for those battling other disorders This and so much more await you in Arision’s intensive outpatient program. Our commitment is to care for the whole person. But the level of care, while important, is not the only thing that makes an IOP work.

Embracing Flexibility One of the best things about IOPs is that they give you freedom. A good program should fit into your life without making you feel like you’re being put through lots of pressure. IOP is a good solution for people who are on the fence about going to rehab because of their busy schedules. As it combines treatment with day-to-day life.

IOP is not just another program at Arision Treatment. We’ve set it up so that it adapts to you, with the right amount of hours a week, which are spread out over the days of the week. This design makes sure that you can balance work or home life and still take care of your health.

Creating Safe Haven

We can’t say enough about how the treatment center feels. Real healing can happen in a place where you feel understood, accepted, and safe. Also, being with other people who are going through the same thing builds a sense of community, a web of shared understanding and sensitivity.

A good setting for treatment isn’t just about luxury; it’s about making a place that helps people grow. Cleanliness, comfort, and safety are not frills; they are necessities. You’re not just looking for a place; you want a safe place where your mind can rest.

Customized Roadmaps to Recovery

Addiction is a very private matter. So, there can’t be a generic and one-size-fits-all way to heal. What speaks to one person might not speak to another. A good IOP takes this into account and makes sure that the treatment approaches are based on the person’s unique problems, experiences, and goals.

Whether you feel more comfortable with alternative treatments like meditation or nature therapy or need to go deeper into trauma therapies, your treatment should fit you, not the other way around. And at Arision, we’re proud that we don’t just give treatments, but also carefully planned experiences that match each person’s unique path to recovery.

Building Bridges and The Importance Of Community

Think back to the times when you felt like you were alone with your problem. It is deeply isolating. A strong recovery community can be like a lighthouse, gently reminding you that you’re not alone on this road. This network not only helps you feel less alone, which is a common side effect of addiction, but it also strengthens your resolve and makes it less likely that you will return.

Precision Treatment’s intensive outpatient program does more than just treat addictions. It also helps people get back into the community by making sure they are surrounded by love, understanding, and support.

Building a Brighter Future

Choosing the right IOP can be a pivotal moment in your journey to recovery. At Arision Treatment, we make sure that our program is more than just another item on your list of things to do to get better. With our intensive outpatient program, we make sure you get the most out of your rehab by combining tailored care, a caring environment, freedom, and a strong community.

[t0pitium]

Empower Your Life: Mastering the Art of Proactivity in a Reactive World

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and reactive. However, shifting from a reactive to a proactive mindset can help you take control of your life and create the outcomes you desire. In this article, we’ll explore the steps outlined in your text and provide additional insights to help you be more proactive.

Take back control

The first step in becoming more proactive is to take back control of your life. This involves setting clear goals that align with your aspirations, breaking down these goals into actionable steps, and making active choices to eliminate negative factors and nurture positive ones. By setting clear goals, you can create a roadmap for yourself that will help you stay on track and focused on what matters most. Breaking down these goals into actionable steps will make them more manageable and less daunting. Finally, making active choices to eliminate negative factors and nurture positive ones will help you create an environment that is conducive to your success.

Grow your self-confidence, self-belief, and self-worth

Building self-confidence is an essential part of becoming more proactive. You can do this by stepping out of your comfort zone, acknowledging your abilities, and pushing past doubts. Stepping out of your comfort zone can be scary, but it’s essential if you want to grow as a person. By taking risks and trying new things, you’ll learn more about yourself and what you’re capable of achieving. Acknowledging your abilities is also crucial. It’s easy to focus on what you can’t do or what you’re not good at, but it’s important to recognize your strengths as well. Finally, pushing past doubts is essential if you want to build self-confidence. Everyone has doubts from time to time, but it’s important not to let them hold you back.

Recognizing your self-worth and believing that you deserve positive outcomes is also crucial. Many people struggle with feelings of inadequacy or imposter syndrome, but it’s important to remember that everyone has value and deserves happiness and success.

Accept that mistakes are inevitable

Mistakes are an inevitable part of life. Embracing them as opportunities for learning and growth can help you become more proactive. Analyzing setbacks to understand how to handle similar situations better in the future is also essential. By learning from your mistakes, you’ll be better equipped to handle challenges in the future.

Be solution-oriented and opportunity-oriented

Focusing on finding solutions rather than dwelling on problems is another key aspect of becoming more proactive. When faced with a challenge or obstacle, it’s easy to get bogged down in negativity or frustration. However, by focusing on finding solutions, you’ll be able to move forward and make progress. Embracing opportunities by saying yes to experiences that can lead to positive outcomes is also important. Many people miss out on opportunities because they’re afraid or uncertain. By saying yes to new experiences, you’ll open yourself up to new possibilities and potential successes.

Don’t sit on the sidelines

Actively participating in decision-making and problem-solving is crucial for becoming more proactive. Taking the initiative to contribute ideas and solutions can help you take control of your life. It’s easy to sit back and let others make decisions or solve problems for us, but this approach won’t help us grow or achieve our goals.

Seek out proactive people

Surrounding yourself with motivated individuals who inspire and support you is another way to become more proactive. Positive company can drive you to maintain a proactive attitude. When we surround ourselves with people who are motivated and driven, we’re more likely to adopt those same qualities ourselves.

Understand your motivations

Identifying your reasons for wanting to be proactive is essential. Whether it’s achieving a specific goal or simply living a happier life, understanding your motivations will help keep you focused and energized on your goals.

Foster your own independence

Taking responsibility for aspects of your life that you may have relied on others for is another key aspect of becoming more proactive. Developing independence enhances problem-solving skills and self-reliance. By taking responsibility for our own lives, we become more empowered and better equipped to handle whatever challenges come our way.

Shifting from a reactive to a proactive mindset can help you take control of your life and create the outcomes you desire. By following the steps outlined in this article, including setting clear goals that align with your aspirations; building self-confidence by stepping out of your comfort zone; embracing mistakes as opportunities for learning; focusing on finding solutions rather than dwelling on problems; actively participating in decision-making; surrounding yourself with motivated individuals; identifying your reasons for wanting to be proactive; fostering independence by taking responsibility for aspects of our lives; we can become more proactive and achieve our goals.

#writing #positivity #philosophy #life #self improvement