The Online Writing Insider podcast is packed with useful writing tips
There is no lack of advice, support, and education on HubPages, but not all of us have time to read through all the guides in the
Learning Center, participate in
Weekly Topic Inspiration, and submit entries in our
contests.
With our busier Hubbers in mind, we offer additional Hubbing tips via Online Writing Insider podcast. The Online Writing Insider is a series of recorded guides packed with advice for modern online writers. We've covered everything from
social media 101 to
self-optimization, and publish a new podcast each Wednesday.
You can find the Online Writing Insider
on our blog (where you can both download and listen to episodes) as well as on the iTunes Store (just search for HubPages, and you can download podcasts directly to iTunes, your iPod Touch, or your iPhone). Don't know where to start with our podcast? Check out the Pro Tips below for a listing of our best hits!
Every little princess loves a feminine tutu. Rose petal tutus are easy to make and the supplies cost very little money. They can be worn for every day dress up, birthday parties, dance classes, with a favorite outfit, or as part of a fairy Halloween...
If you often make short trips, especially to work and back, you've probably seen your fuel economy drop with the winter temperatures. A block heater can help you improve your fuel economy by pre-heating your engine and allowing it to burn fuel more efficiently.
Do you know how to use the word "myself?" Be honest. Check out this hub and find out if I need to commit myself to a mental institution because of how many people commit such grammatical atrocities. Incorrect use of "myself" will not be tolerated...by me, myself or I!
How to recognize a "bad boss" during the interview process by noting red flags in behavior. Discusses 7 types of bad bosses and how to deal with each one. Suggests resources for those who are working in abusive environments.
The BAFTA ceremony takes place every February and is a forerunner to the Oscars. This article looks at the BAFTA prizes since 1948 right up to today and compares the BAFTA outcomes with Oscars and Golden Globes in the same year.
Having a new baby is such a blessing! Whether it is your first, or tenth, newborn babies all have one thing in common...the ability to create sleep deprived parents. After having three children myself, I wanted to share some hard-won lessons for...
When it comes to women and hair, it can be a touchy subject but let's discuss it anyway. Why do we remove hair in one area only to increase hair in another area? It can be a seriously hairy situation!
Choux Close Up The small, sensational Pâté à Choux, also known as a profiterole, is a crisp on the outside, hollow on the inside pastry that is split in half and filled either with sweet whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or pastry cream and topped...
LEGOs have been around for centuries! They have made many more products these days and have added lots of different ways to play then just the building blocks themselves. I love how LEGOs make you use your creative side. Have you used your creative side latley?
Weddings are beautiful. Fabulous. Romantic. Fun. Joyous. Invigorating. Spiritual. Hopeful. And, expensive.
I went to a wedding last night where the bride and groom were a young couple very much in love. In fact, they were high school sweethearts...
I ditched my gym membership two years ago with the goal of living more frugally, yet still maintain a healthy lifestyle. I began to find different and creative ways to lose weight, keep that weight off, and still have fun at the same time.
Oakley...
Finding a real four leaf clover is a rare occurrence, with about a one in ten thousand odds and since it is that rare it has always been considered good luck to find one. They say that four leaf clovers are the results of a common three leaf clover...
Learn how to be responsible with your money and even graduate debt free! Find out other ways to earn money besides getting a job, and learn tips and tricks to being financially stable in college.
Helping your dog to feel happy and comfortable on a long journey isn't difficult, but it takes some preparation and a little training. Here are some tips for stress-free journeys with your dog.
A short introduction to the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama and the Gelukpa (also called Dge-lugs-pa, Yellow Hat) branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The article explores the future of religious life in Tibet, in Chinese occupancy.
In my humble opinion there is not superior product to Microsoft Outlook, it's possibly the best piece of desktop software that Microsoft produce - perhaps with the exception of their operating systems. It simply makes email easy, anybody who still...
Have you ever wished you had a friend who lived in the vacation spot you planned to visit, one who could tell you what to do, where to go, and what to avoid? Well, if you're visiting the Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii, you have a friend in me. I'll tell you all about what you must see, where you must go, and what's not worth the time, money, or effort.
By listening to the Online Writing Insider podcast, you can sharpen your Hubbing skills while commuting, washing dishes, walking the dog, and running errands! Here are some of our more popular episodes:
To page through our entire Online Writing Insider archive, stop by
the HubPages Blog.
Is there an online writing challenge you face that we have not covered in our Online Writing insider podcast? Tell us about it! Many of our Hubs are inspired by requests from Hubbers, and we're always looking for new subjects to cover. Send your questions and recommendations in an email to podcast-at-HubPages-dot-com.
Do you prefer reading over listening? Check out our nifty Learning Center guides!
http://hubpages.com/learningcenter/contents
To celebrate fabulous Hubs written by Hubbers who are new to the site, we host the weekly
HubNuggets competition, which involves the nomination and community review of 18 Hubs from three different topics. Nominated Hubs are voted on by the community, and winners are awarded with special Accolades.
This week,
Enelle Lamb and the rest of the HubNuggets-nominating gang continued their search for fellow HubNugget team member KoffeeKlatch Gals by following her brochure trail to Morocco, Casablanca, Tanzania, and finally Cairo. Along the way,
they came across some excellent nominees from the Family and Parenting, Technoloy, and Business and Employment topics.
Now that the community has had time to vote on them and the polls have closed, you can view the winners below!
Producing your own power with a kit from a retailer has never been cheaper or so easy. I detail my own usage of a kit that I purchased and set up myself.
You are doing online research and find those people who hide their identity posting sarcasm and hatred. You wonder what makes a person hide while online. I have my opinions.
Have a beloved, elderly parent or grandparent you just can't seem to get a card or letter off to these days? Stop berating yourself! Here's how to use the technology to your advantage and make everybody happy!
I thought that sharing my experiences as the father of two young girls might be helpful to newer dads with daughters. Here's a guide to life in an atmosphere of perpetual pink.
My baby won't sleep! I can help! Read this hub to find out some great soothing techniques that work to get your newborn to sleep - at night and for naps!
I am 45 years old and have worked many different jobs in my lifetime (26 years of work experience), particularly, before I went to college and pursued my degrees with a vengeance, as if time was running out for me (I was only 33 years old when I...
Every interview is a two way street. Show up to your next interview with a handful of questions that will be beneficial to both you and your potential employer.
Melovy, From Scotland, 248 Fans, 55 Hubs, Joined 8 months ago
An Interview with Melovy
Insights and advice from a published fiction author & multiple Hub of the Day winner
What first brought you to HubPages?
I had been looking for ways to earn money on-line for a while, and watched one of those webinars that promise you will be a millionaire by lunchtime if you follow their golden rules – providing you give them your life-savings first. One of them explained the basics of finding niche markets and going deep, not wide, while the other supposedly wrote an article and posted it online during the webinar. I didn’t hand over my life savings and sign up for their magic formula, but I did take note of the site to which they claimed to have uploaded their article. It was of course HubPages. (I did find one of those jokers registered on HubPages, but he had no Hubs at all.)
I’m really glad you picked those two Hubs for this question, because they are extreme examples of the way inspiration comes. With the Hedgehog cake recipe, I was chatting on Facebook with Hubbers
Just Ask Susan and
barbergirl28 about cake recipes and mentioned the Hedgehog cake. They both liked the idea of it, and I said I’d do a Hub. So I started baking and uploaded the Hub the next day. My daughters were delighted at getting chocolate cake when it wasn’t even anyone’s birthday! As for the recipe itself, that was handed down from my mother.
On the other hand, the Accuracy of Memory Hub was a slow burner. I have long been interested in the way we miss parts of conversation because of our own internal chatter, and in the way we distort conversations and memories based on our beliefs and fears. So I read anything related to that, and I came across an article about the Manhattan Memory Project way back in September. I kept the article, feeling certain I’d use the information in some way but it wasn’t until December that I started writing the Hub. Even then it remained half-written for weeks because I couldn’t seem to get the balance right. When I came across Daniel Greenberg’s paper on President Bush’s false ‘flashbulb’ memories and the rest of the article fell into place.
In addition to being interesting and fun, your Hubs have wonderful layouts and look great! Do you have any Hub styling tips for other Hubbers out there?
On a practical note, it took me months to realize that if I’ve already spent time adding capsules to create a good layout, then for subsequent Hubs it is easier to copy that with the “Use Existing Layout” button than to start from scratch. It’s far quicker to delete a few capsules if you don’t need them all than it is to add more. As far as the layout design goes, I’d say
HubPages’s suggestions for a “stellar Hub” are worth following. In particular, I recommend adding at least one photo for every 300 words. I’ve done a few Hubs with a run of several small photos to the right followed by one full-size one below and I like that. Create text boxes with blue or grey backgrounds (I prefer blue) for anything that don’t doesn’t fit into the main body of the Hub – additional facts, links, that sort of thing. I probably spend far too long getting the layout to my fussy satisfaction, but since I used to work as a designer it’s in my blood.
You're currently a three time Hub of the Day winner. What tips might you offer to Hubbers looking to win the distinction?
This is a tricky one, because I’ve never written a Hub thinking it might get Hub of the Day! I didn’t even know Hub of the Day existed until I got an email saying my
How To Enjoy Solo Parent Travel With a Baby Or Small Children had been selected. All I’d say is create Hubs you’d be happy to read yourself and with photos you also enjoy. It’s worth taking a long-term view when writing, as good Hubs will last for years. If you churn out Hubs quickly just to try to make money it shows.
Developing your own style is possibly important – I tend to imagine I’m chatting to a friend when I write. With recipes, I have in mind the abilities of my husband and kids– the first time my husband baked a cake he tipped the eggs in unbeaten because the recipe simply said 2 eggs. So, with recipes, write for beginners and the experts will ignore what they don’t need. It’s also a good idea to take part in HubPages community, by entering contests and participating in the Weekly Topic Inspiration. That way your work is more likely to get noticed and get an accolade if it’s good enough.
After getting to know you through your Hubs, readers may be surprised to discover that most of your past writing has been fiction. Could you tell us a bit more about your fiction writing career?
I’ve been writing fiction for a long time. I actually wrote a “novel” when I was thirteen, but burned it a few years later. The first thing I had published was a short story called Looking for America, about a little girl looking out over the Atlantic trying to see America because her grandfather says he can see it. The book it was published in has been out of print for years. Several years ago my story New Year’s Day came third in a contest run by She Magazine (the UK edition). Versions of both those stories are now on HubPages.
Another highlight was getting a Distinction for my Creative Writing MA. That was particularly pleasing since I’d had to take a break from my studies halfway through when my second daughter arrived three months premature. I’m currently working on a novel set partly in 1980s London and partly in Edinburgh, but I keep getting distracted into writing Hubs!
What has it been like publishing your first novel, Drawings in Sand?
Drawings in Sand took a long time to write, partly because we moved house seven times, partly because I had two babies, and partly because I used to be a very slow writer. I wrote the opening of it for my MA, and when I’d finished writing and rewriting several friends read it, and to get unbiased opinions, I asked my friends to pass it on to others who didn’t know me. And I then rewrote it again, taking the comments into account.
My daughter took the cover photo (you can see more of her photos on my Hub:
Photography Ideas With Canon Powershot SX210IS - Flowers). A friend did the cover design. The actual uploading to Amazon’s Kindle Store was relatively easy – at least it was for my friend who knew the required HTML! They say it takes a village to raise a child and you could say the same about my novel! Although my novel is now selling fairly steadily on Kindle I’d also like to publish the traditional way, so any agents or editors reading this please feel free to get in touch!
How different is your fiction writing approach and process from your nonfiction writing process?
Overall, fiction takes way longer. I usually rewrite many times before I feel satisfied with a piece of fiction – I’ve even edited my novel and reloaded it onto Kindle. I’m not unusual: I once went to a reading by Scottish writer Janice Galloway and she had been editing a story on the train – a story that was already in a published collection!
That said, I have a couple of fiction Hubs that I wrote towards the end of last year and that came very easily, so maybe I’ve become faster overall.
In a way, fiction can be far more personal then non-fiction, because to write believable characters you need to dig deep into your own psyche, and that can feel frightening. The psychiatrist, Carl Jung, coined the phrase “the shadow” for the elements of our being that we repress, and all writers will come up against that shadow when creating “bad guys.” Even if you think you are modeling a villain on someone you know, to get the feelings right you’ve got to draw on your own experience. We have more in common with our villains than we’d like to believe and that can feel uncomfortable. Actu
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