Share Your Best Aids for Writing Material on Hubpages

1. 95

   sallybeaposted 7 years ago

   Two of my favourite aids for improving my Hubs are to use:-
   
   Capitalize my title dot com and the Free Grammarly download.
   
   Do you have any more you would like to share so that we can all improve the way our content appears here?
   
   If I am allowed to post the links please tell me and I will change them to links.

   replyreport
2. 87

   Will Apseposted 7 years ago

   I have studied every single one of Christy's pages because every single one has made it to a niche site.
   
   I emulate awesomeness.

   replyreport
   1. 95

      sallybeaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      It does not get better than that!  That is a pretty amazing record and what better reason for visiting Christy's pages.  Thanks for sharing that.

      replyreport
   2. 94

      Christy Kirwanposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      We moved eligible Staff Hubs first as a controlled test to make sure we wouldn't risk tanking Hubbers' traffic.
      
      Staff Hubs often serve as guinea pig content for very new programs to help us gather data and assess risks.

      replyreport
      1. 95

         sallybeaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for your openness Christy:)

         replyreport
      2. 87

         Will Apseposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         I knew it was that.
         
         I have 60 or 70 fine data-magnet, guinea pigs in my account, all willing to sacrifice themselves for the cause, if you need them.

         replyreport
         1. 89

            lobobrandonposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            

            replyreport
            1. 87

               Will Apseposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               You think I'm joking but here they are:
               
               
               
               Ready and willing...

               replyreport
               1. 89

                  lobobrandonposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                  OMG

                  replyreport
3. 95

   theraggededgeposted 7 years ago

   I use Scrivener for all my writing as it is brilliant for organising content and collecting research.

   replyreport
4. 58

   Adoamangposted 7 years ago

   Yes it's fretyt amazing.

   replyreport
5. 81

   Wesman Todd Shawposted 7 years ago

   Who is Christy?

   replyreport
   1. 89

      lobobrandonposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      http://hubpages.com/@christykirwan

      replyreport
6. 39

   ChristinSposted 7 years ago

   I love mind mapping to organize thoughts and ideas coherently.  There is a free software called FreeMind that I use pretty frequently - not only for writing, but also for just clearing my head.
   It has some pretty nice features for a free software and is very user friendly.  Great organization tool.
   
   I also love using Google docs/drive.  I set a specific folder to private and keep my work there.  No more worries if I should have another computer meltdown.  The last time I had one, the external drive I kept backups on fried at the same time.  I quickly became a believer in the cloud - sigh.
   
   I also have a little digital recorder gizmo that I keep with me.  I should use it more than I do.  It's tiny and fits on a key chain.  Handy if you have a sudden inspiration and want to record it right quick or if you are listening to a lecture or doing an interview things like that.

   replyreport
   1. 95

      sallybeaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks ChristinS
      Some great ideas, especially the last one which I have always meant to put into action.  It would be especially useful when I am out and about as I so often hear some gems of conversation on the bus or train which I would like to use in my writing.

      replyreport
      1. 96

         wildernessposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Can a phone be used as a recorder?  Surely it could!

         replyreport
         1. 95

            sallybeaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            Definitely, think I need a pair of earphones to hear it back.  I am dead useless with my mobile phone.   I must be one of those rare humans who try to forget that they actually own one, except for the occasional photo shoot of course:)  I am definitely going to learn how to do it now:)

            replyreport
         2. 39

            ChristinSposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            Probably, but I am one of the few people who don't carry a smart phone.  My husband has his phone through work and I don't feel like spending the money on an expensive phone bill each month so I have an older model "dumb phone" without any of the fancy features .  I'm sure phones could do it, but I like having my little recorder.

            replyreport
            1. 95

               sallybeaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               I know the feeling.  I use a pay as you go phone with only a few fancy features.  I buy used but decent quality.  Simply said I won't have a phone contract, now or ever:)

               replyreport
7. 93

   jansharesposted 7 years ago

   My go-tos are good old-fashioned hard copies of Roget's Thesaurus and Webster's Pocket Dictionary. They stay by my computer. That's it.

   replyreport
   1. 95

      sallybeaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Nothing wrong with that!  Thanks, janshares

      replyreport
8. 60

   benqieposted 7 years ago

   Sellybea Hi nice to meet signifier here,, bolekah I ask? What if we want to make a note in Hubpages well and does not violate the rule that is in use by Hubpages? thanks alot

   replyreport
   1. 95

      theraggededgeposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      You cannot write at Hubpages without good English skills. Your post shows that you don't have those skills.
      
      Best advice is to write on a site that supports your native language.

      replyreport
9. 87

   Will Apseposted 7 years ago

   When the 2015 Google rater guidelines were leaked on Scribd (since removed) the most notable characteristic of pages used as examples of poor quality content was the presence of ESL text.
   
   The average reader is so turned off by 'broken English' a grammatically imperfect page will not be given a chance.
   
   I find this kind of intolerance depressing, but that is the way it is. Even moderate to good quality content written in poor English is going to sink a website.
   
   What to do with entirely legitimate regional variations like Indian English? I don't know.

   replyreport
   1. 89

      lobobrandonposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Indian English is the same as British English, with just a few variations here and there. The only variations are seen in slang, and I don't see that affecting anything.Then again, there are those who aren't really fluent just because it's not just their second but fourth, fifth or sixth language. And this being a majority of the people, one may assume that English in India is legit, but a thing of its own. But Google, isn't dumb and they know of these minor variations, because they do have Indian English as options on all their services just as they offer UK and US English.
      
      But I do get your point, just thought I'd let you know some of the facts that aren't really publicised in the right way around the globe. Gotta blame the media.

      replyreport
      1. 87

         Will Apseposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         If you read The Times of India, The Guardian, or the New York Times, you are not going to notice many differences, (though I can never remember what a kind of mad number a 'crore' is).
         
         As you suggest, drop down a level and the differences multiply, fast. This is true of UK, American and every other kind of English. Prepositions suffer first.
         
         Indian English seems as regional as the food as soon as it is one step removed from the best university education.
         
         The sad fact is that Google picks up fast on negative reactions from page users and human beings are ruthless on differences. That back button is always there.

         replyreport
         1. 89

            lobobrandonposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            Deleted
            1. 87

               Will Apseposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               At least I learnt something today. The things I don't know are a crore to the power of a crore...

               replyreport
               1. 89

                  lobobrandonposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                  Hahaha

                  replyreport
         2. 89

            lobobrandonposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            A crore is 10 million lol. Just consider it the Indian system if the US can follow miles and that stupid system India can do that

            replyreport
10. 70

    makingamarkposted 7 years ago

    If you read blogs, forums and tweets by people who have English as their first language you very soon realise that not being able to write English properly is not limited to those for whom English is a second (or 3rd, 4th or 5th) language.
    
    Some native English speakers have an absolutely appalling understanding of English grammar and spelling.
    
    By way of contrast some of the people I know with incredibly good English language skills are those who have learned the language as a second (or 3rd, 4th or 5th) language.
    
    The issue is purely to do with the ability of an individual to learn and that individual's application in learning the rules of good English.
    
    It's got absolutely nothing to do with where you were born or whether English is your native language.
    
    Sadly the Americans have still not learned how to spell correctly! They keep changing the spelling of proper English words and leaving letters out! 

    replyreport
11. 70

    makingamarkposted 7 years ago

    On the tools front I love Evernote. I have it on my iMac, iPad and iPhone and it automatically syncs between them
    
    Plus it allows me to
    * save interesting resource information
    * Draft notes while I'm out and about
    * make a note of important things people tell me
    * organise all my material in folders - which makes finding things really easy
    * pops up in Google when I'm searching for things and reminds me I've already looked before and these are the notes I saved on this topic!!! (Massive timesaver!)
    
    Plus (major advantage) I save all my Hubs (and website pages) to it as well. Which then means I have a back-up!

    replyreport
    1. 95

       sallybeaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

       That is very useful, thank you.  I will check it out.

       replyreport