Good Luck in your US Web Site Promotion and Writing efforts in 2011 !

Image via WikipediaI hope you like the new blog look.  I like to change the template every few months to make it a little more interesting, and this is a new template that became available.  Let me know what you think !

Here is an interesting post from Lifehacker concerning online education.  Over the past decade, more and more major universities have started to provide lectures on a wide variety of subjects available to the general public,  (at no charge).  This article explores the ever-expanding world of online education, including free written course ware, and even free online textbooks.

2010 saw a new field of work for me, that took up a considerable amount of my time and intensity, in order to learn new software and programming techniques for 5-axis programming.  I did not have as much time to devote to online writing as I would have liked in 2010.

I have recently resumed my weekly keyword training class online.  If anyone is interested, they only need to sign up for a free Veretekk marketing system at http://jonlomb.veretekk.com.  I should be able to make free web site promotion training available to the general public in early 2011. 

I intend to maintain a much more active Internet presence in 2011, including this blog.  You can always check out my main blog at Web Site Promotion for my latest blog posts and even subscribe to the RSS feed, by RSS reader, or by email, by clicking on the keep updated icon at the top right of the page. 

Good Luck, and God Bless all your writing efforts in 2011. 

Moby-Dick

The last meeting of the Writers' Haven took place on Sunday, Oct. 31, at the Saunders' residence. Present were June Saunders, Kerry Pobanz, Donna Ferrantello, and Bob Beebe. Bob began the meeting with a reading on the importance of passion in writing. Successful writers are not those who write catering to market forces but those who feel passionate about their writing and love their work. They have something to say and throw the essence of themselves into it. For them, writing is a joyous activity.

Following this, Donna presented a PowerPoint on Herman Melville's Moby-Dick as a test run for a presentation she is giving this weekend in Hartford, CT, at the Northeastern Regional Women Educator's Conference. The presentation is based on her book "Moby-Dick and Peace" in which she explores Melville's search for inner peace through the characters and plot of his famous novel. Donna spoke about Melville's experiences on ships as well influences upon him by transcendentalists Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and others. Quoting often from Moby-Dick, she demonstrated how the quest for peace lies at the center of the novel in counterpoint to Captain Ahab's conflicted and obsessive desire for revenge against the great white whale that eventually leads to his self-destruction. Ahab's actions are a metaphor for man's fruitless rebellion against God and its predictable end.

Our next meeting is scheduled for this Sunday, Nov. 14, 3:00-5:00 pm, at the Panzer home. June Saunders will be presenting one of the final chapters of her Civil War era novel, Into the Breach. I hope you will be able to join us for what promises to be another stimulating discussion.

God bless you!

How to get paid for your writing efforts

Image via Wikipedia
This a great post on getting paid for writing from online sites.  I really like Fried Beef's web site.  Quirky name, yes, but they thrive on providing simple solutions to everyday problem related to technology.  I recommend that anyone interested sign up for their free e-mail notification, or RSS feed , to get their latest content.


This lastest post on getting paid for your writing is a real gem.

  5 reliable ways to look for freelance writing jobs


Good Luck in all your writing efforts.

Writing as a Business

Image by B1gJ4k3 via Flickr

Here is a good article on setting yourself up in the writing business, regardless of whether you want to write full or part time.  Useful info for sure. 

http://lifehacker.com/5602287/how-to-set-up-your-writing-as-a-real-business.


Lifehacker is a great site for useful information on a wide variety of topics, by the way.

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Hot Fun in the Summertime

I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the hot weather. We had a great meeting on June 27 at the home of Richard and Miho Panzer. Present were the Panzers, Kerry Pobanz, June Saunders (and her husband Alan for the first part of the meeting) and Bob Beebe. We started off with an exercise in which we tried to create a story on the basis of a list of disconnected words such as knowledge, piglet, gerund, riffraff and whining. After that bit of creative interplay (which led somehow to a story with a rather macabre ending), we moved on to the serious stuff.

June presented the next chapter of her book in which Gabriel and Genevieve are able to make a breakthrough in their relationship, moving beyond the unfortunate circumstances that brought them together (Genevieve's pregnancy through her relationship with Simeon and her need to be married to maintain her respectability in the eyes of society) to genuine love. Gabriel is able to revisit his painful childhood and experience resolution with Genevieve's help. All this on the brink of the Battle of Gettysburg which will provide the final climatic scenes.

Our next meeting will be taking place at the Beebe residence (26 Amity St., Little Falls) this Sunday, July 18, 3:00-5:00 pm. Presenting will be Kerry Pobanz, whose piece (entitled "Eating and Drinking in the Spirit World: Love-Feasting") is attached to this e-mail. I hope to see many of you there. Until then, God bless and happy summer!

Barbeque

On Sunday, June 6, the Writers' Haven enjoyed a wonderful barbeque at the home of Kerry and Carol Pobanz. Besides the Pobanz's, present were Jerry Chesnut, Alan and June Saunders, Richard and Miho Panzer, John Lombaerde, John Gehring, Irene Sasao, and Bob Beebe. We thank the Pobanz family for hosting us as well as enduring the shattering of their 'shatter-proof' glass outdoor table and umbrella set. High winds were predicted and high winds came and swept up the umbrella, destroying the table in the process. After that auspicious beginning, an old door was laid on the table frame and everyone enjoyed some iced tea. John L. read a poem written especially for the occasion and Bob read a poem about food from the play 'Cyrano de Bergerac'. Then the rains came and we hightailed it into the Pobanz's patio for a sumptuous feast of chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, desserts and drinks. There everyone shared freely with each other about their lives, families, recent activities, writings and Brazil (I think you know what I mean). June Saunders shared about her romantic adventure with her husband Alan to the Gettysburg battlefield for some on-site research for her novel, which is reaching its climax and denouement.

The next meeting, originally planned for this coming Sunday has been rescheduled for the following Sunday, June 27, at the Panzer residence. June will be presenting the next chapters of her novel, which she has already sent out. So, no excuses for not having it read by next Sunday. I will send out a reminder to you next week.

As we enter summer, I wish you all happy warm (and hopefully not too hot) months ahead. Especially, I wish for all you fathers out there a happy Father's Day this Sunday.

God bless you and see you soon!

From Russia With Love

Our last meeting took place at the home of Alan and June Saunders on Sunday, May 16. Present were June, Kerry Pobanz, Jerry Chesnut, Richard Panzer (congrats again on your new appointment!), and Bob and Karen Beebe. Bob began by sharing some words of wisdom on the importance and purpose of description and dialogue in fiction writing. Finding the right balance and being sure whatever you write is relevant to the plot is essential. Bob then shared his latest and hastily written new chapter from his ongoing (and often stalled) novel set in Siberia. Protagonist Jim Brady returns to the hostel in Sludyanka (a little village on Lake Baikal) after missing a train to Moscow to the delight of the locals there for whom this forlorn American has brought a bit of excitement into their lives. He orders a long distance telephone call to his wife in St. Petersburg only to be kidnapped by some wayward Tajiks before being able to connect with her. Last seen, they are heading towards Russia's border with Mongolia. To be continued...

Our next meeting WILL NOT BE this Sunday, but next Sunday, June 6, 3:00-6:00 pm, at the Pobanz residence, where we will depart from our normal meeting procedure to have a barbeque. We are inviting all those who have had some connection with the Writers Haven over the past few years as well as any newcomers interested to find out what this writers group thing is all about. Please come and bring some homemade dish of your own. There will be time for public reading of poetry or prose if you feel so inclined. Just let me know beforehand.

Life as Training in Love

Greetings! I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Easter with your family as well as this beautiful week. I am happy that our school is having its spring break now so I can enjoy the weather without worries.

We had our last meeting at the Panzer residence. Present were Richard Panzer, June Saunders, Kerry Pobanz, Jerry Chesnut and Bob Beebe. Kerry gave a presentation of his latest pieces on the spirit world, entitled "Life on Earth as Training in Love, Parts 1 & 2." In reality, these pieces were more about what we should do in our life on earth in preparation for the spirit world. Kerry covered the three stages of life (in the womb, on earth, and in the spirit world) as well as the four realms of heart, or love (children's, sibling's, spouse's, and parent's). For Unificationists, of course, this is ground well-covered. Here they were presented in Kerry's cogent and clear prose that makes his writing so enjoyable to read.

In the period since our last meeting, our group was asked to make a presentation at the small group seminar held at the Demott church last weekend. Ours was cited as an excellent example of a theme-based small group. Kerry presented representing our group and gave a synopsis of our history, brought copies of our two anthologies, and talked about our members' past and present projects.

Our next meeting is scheduled for this coming Sunday, April 11, 3:00-5:00 pm. It will be at Jerry's place. Presenting will be June Saunders, the latest chapters of her Civil War-era novel, which is nearing the end. Something you won't want to miss at the story approaches its climax.

I look forward to seeing you there. God bless.

50 resources for better writing from Smashing Magazine

Image by churl via Flickr

This is such a good comprehensive resource, I just had to list it here. Smashing Magazine is well known on the Internet for their breaking stories on the latest social media events. This is a very good resource on writing, and I hope everyone will take advantage of these sites for writers. Oh, and don't forget to let me know how you like the new blog layout. Thanks.

Smashing Magazine - 50 writer's resouces

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Broken Dreams

Our last meeting took place at the Pobanz residence on February 28. Present were Kerry and Carol Pobanz, Jerry Chesnut, June Saunders, Valerie Shimoyama, and Bob and Karen Beebe. We thank the Pobanz's for the wonderful coffee and treats.

We began with a discussion about what motivates us to write. Is it fame? Money? Personal growth? Challenge and adventure? Simply the love of writing? What motivates us will determine how we respond to various stimuli, whether positive or negative. Obviously, the best motivations are the more internal ones and, if we are good, the external ones will follow. So, who's going to be our first Nobel Laureate in Literature?

We then discussed some of the submissions we have received for the next issue of our literary journal, The Spirited Goldfinch. Already we have a good sampling of poetry and short stories.

Finally, Bob presented a new short story he is working on, tentatively entitled "Broken Dream." It is based on a true and tragic event concerning the death of his father's first wife. It is a story about how the direction of our life can change in one second. Also, about how people can lose sight of their dreams over time. It is also a story about destiny and twists of fate. I thank everyone for their feedback as I work it towards its conclusion, which I hope to present in a few weeks.

Our next meeting will take place this Sunday, March 21, 3:00-5:00 pm, at the Panzer residence. Kerry plans to present his latest--we expect it will have something to do with the spirit world. You should be receiving it soon.

I look forward to seeing you all then. May God bless.

How to Write with Confidence

I like the title above because it shines. When you are confident about the content and the quality of your writing it is something that really stands out.

Here is a post from one of my favorite writer's blogs on the subject.

Copyblogger - Write with Confidence

Happy New Year!

Our last meeting was held at Jerry Chesnut's house. Present were Jerry, June Saunders, John Lombaerde, Kerry Pobanz, Richard Panzer and Bob and Karen Beebe--and a wonderful spread of goodies (thanks, Jerry!). The main topic was Jerry's recent addition to his ongoing sort-of-autobiographical novel, which has brought us up to the present. We appreciate Jerry's honesty and vulnerability in sharing with us through his story some of his deeper thoughts and feelings. In addition, he introduced a new universal principle called "The Brass Rule." And he left us with a cliffhangar...to be continued. We can't wait, Jerry!

Bob also revealed that the second issue of The Spirited Goldfinch is now available online at lulu.com, nearly a year to the day after the first issue came out. Twenty copies have already been ordered, delivered and will be brought to our next meeting, which will be at...

The Beebe residence (26 Amity St., Little Falls) this coming Sunday, January 24, 3:00-5:00 pm. On the agenda are two presentations: June Saunders' latest addition to her Civil War novel plus a new story by Mike Yurechko, entitled "Two Moons," which was inspired by a recent dream (please see the attachment). As mentioned, copies of The (new) Spirited Goldfinch will also be available.

US Web Site Promotion | Library to the World

Image via Wikipedia

This is a picture of the Celsus library, built in 135 A.D. It housed over 12,000 scrolls.

It's been a while since I posted here, but I ran across a web site that claims to be a sort of online library to the world.

Take a moment to check it out, I am sure you will not be dissapointed.

Welcome to BookYards.com!

Their goal is to be "The Library To The World", a web portal in which books, education materials, information, and content will be free to anyone who has an internet connection.

Bookyards has a total of 17,010 books, 41,784 external web links, 4,197 news & blogs links, 384 videos, 32,963 Ebook links and access to hundreds of online libraries (800,000 Ebooks) for your reading pleasure.

Also this is a link to Free Public Domain classic literature. Any one want to download the complete works of Shakespeare?

You will find it on this site. Free Public Domain Classics

We hope you enjoy it!

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