AFamily Past Time: Paintball

If touch football is not for you, why not play a little kickball with your kids. Set up a diamond similar to a baseball diamond. Now the pitcher rolls a large soft ball, like a playground ball, on the ground to the "batter." Only in kickball, the batter kicks the ball and runs to first base. Since the ball is soft, the fielding team can throw the ball at the runner to get him out. Since the kicker will almost always manage to kick the ball and foul balls are rare, this is a classic game to play with young kids and others who are not very athletic.

A fun family game that makes a good past time sports activity is tetherball. This rousing game can be played with one or two people. Tetherball is called that because the ball is on a tether - it is on a rope tied at the top of a pole. The ball hangs about hand level. The object is to hit the ball and make the rope wrap around the pole. The two players attempt to make the ball go different directions. If you have never played tetherball, you should give it a try. It is really fun! And it really gets you moving (and laughing!)

Sand volleyball may have started on the beaches, but many towns are now installing sand volleyball courts in their public parks. The littler kids can sit in a safe place and play with their sand toys while Mom, Dad, and the older kids hit a beach ball or volleyball back and forth over a net. The sand feels good on bare feet (but not so good inside your shoes!) The kids will enjoy this past time sports.

A cross between volleyball and tennis that many families enjoy is badminton. In this game, the object is to use lightweight rackets to volley a "birdie" back and forth over a net. The birdie looks like a little plastic funnel attached to a firm rubber ball. You hold the birdie by the plastic and drop it onto your racket to serve to the other team. Badminton moves more slowly thantennis and is a leisurely way to get moving with the kids. You'll get some exercise, though!

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Creating a Successful Book Marketing Plan

If you've just written a book and have decided to self publish it, congratulations. A great book marketing plan is the next essential step. As a self-publisher, you can be a very successful author, given that you have "skipped the middleman," and taken your destiny into your own hands, so to speak.

Although it's certainly "easier" in many ways to have your book promoted if you find a publisher first, this is a hard road to go for many authors; it is much easier and quicker to self publish your book at the start, as a means to establish a track record. Once you are successful with your book, it's much easier to find a publisher who would be willing to invest. The likelihood is that you will enjoy self-publishing enough to never give it up.

Build a website about your book

In fact, you should be building your website at the same time as you are writing your book. You want to have it ready to go once you've got a book to sell. Your website will be the central location for people to go to when they want information about your book, or to read samples of it. It's all about who you know

In other words, build relationships from the very first day you begin to write your book. Get online and begin to talk about your book with others; there are many writers communities online where you can get help, encouragement, feedback, and simply a sense of community as you work through this usually solitary practice of writing a book.

As you work on your book and talk about it with others at the same time, you should begin to notice that there are a few people that stand out from the others. Lots of people online are "wannabe writers," so how do you make yourself stand out from them? First of all, when you post, make sure you treat every post as though you were talking about your book with an esteemed colleague, such as an editor, publisher, and so on. There is a lot of "junk" out there, such that many people post gibberish that shouldn't see the light of day Make your posts stand out. Be remarkable and authentic. Make sure that everything you send out is professional and knowledgeable sounding.

Comment on related forums, blogs, and websites

Once you've got yourself ingratiated with several of these communities, begin posting on these like-minded sites; it's not always necessary to talk about your book directly (in fact, this is sometimes completely forbidden), but do include a sig line with every post. Your sig. line should contain sample links of the book itself (so that people can read a sample of it before they buy), and links to your website so that people can go and purchase your book directly from there -- or be linked to the source of your choosing.

Remember, you're the professional -- so write a press release
Many authors overlook that they must treat publicizing their books with as much care as they did writing them. Get a press release and send it out wherever possible, so that the world knows your book has been released. Have a publicist edit or write your press release to make it professional, containing all the key elements.

Article writing means more exposure

Don't give away your book's central focus with your articles, but do write and post articles on as many free websites, professional newsletters, and so on as you can find. This will further increase publicity, so that people will go and read the sample link you posted -- and then buy your book.

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Overcoming Writer's Block Easily - How To Make Sure You Know When And What You Will Write About

Writer's block is something we don't hear about very often any longer. Twenty years ago, when I wanted to pursue a career as a professional writer, I found it difficult to sit down and write. After a short time, I believed that I was suffering from writer's block and would always have this problem. Now that I write daily and have developed an online business based almost exclusively on my writing, I can honestly say that I am never at a loss for something to write about.

What's the difference between what I do now and what I did long ago? I believe it is based on the fact that I am now writing on topics I know something about, can choose the time of day I write, and that I continue to repurpose my writing on a regular basis.

You can think about this in a number of ways. If someone asks me to write about something I am not interested in or do not know much about, the writing becomes a chore. I often write articles for my students, and typically I am not very knowledgeable about their topic. For instance, I wrote about making soy candles recently, and this was a tedious task for me to complete. I had to do some research to learn something about this topic, and then I had to write something that would be interesting to the people who would read it. When I write about my interests it goes very quickly and is something I look forward to doing.
I have also discovered that I do much better when I write early in the morning. I write down my ideas the day before, and when I wake up and sit down to write, I can bring those ideas to life. It also makes me feel like I have accomplished something early in the day before I must take care of other areas of my life.

Repurpose everything. This means that nearly everything I write will be used for another purpose. I turn every idea into articles, short reports, blog posts, teleseminars, forum posts, and content for my membership sites. This way you get two or three times as much content from just one piece of writing.

Find out what time of day is best for you to be most productive. Write about the topics you know and are interested in. Repurpose everything you write into at least one other format. This will ensure that you never have to deal with having writer's block.

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Writing The Modern Mystery

From private eye, police procedural, professional Amateur, John and Jane Q Public, Heists, Capers, Kidnapping, Romantic Suspense the genres and sub-genres are endless when it comes to what constitutes a mystery. Correction, a Modern Mystery.

Let’s begin with a definition of mystery – it comes from the old Greek MYSTERION – to keep silence (MYEIN- to be closed as with eyes or lips sealed.) Keeping a secret is the idea behind it all. The modern mystery finds its roots in morality plays. The felonious assault against neighbors and crimes against entire populaces, though the crimes may remain the same the intensity, the horrificness of those crimes has increased. It seems the stakes are higher, the punishment harsher in the modern day mystery.

Some modern mystery writers prefer their imagination to reality, creating their own criminal milieu. Whether or not they use modern technology to solve the crimes is their choice. They ring out, draw-out, and leverage their creative powers until they squeeze the last thrill out of the whodunit and give the reader a full measure of satisfaction.
“It is characterized by its own rules and is judged by those rules.” According to Barbara Norville, in Writing the Modern Mystery. This book was published in 1986 but the information is as true as if it were written today.

Supposedly there is no such thing as a simple linear plot in a mystery. A mystery thought when a writer begins s/he better have a plot outline in place so s/he does not run amuck. Painting him or her into the proverbial, unsolvable corner is not an option. Even though it may not appear that the mystery is as orderly as a plot outline on the page, it must be thoroughly thought through to keep you on target so that you reach your perceived goal at the end.

There is no room for irrelevant material or loose ends. Absolutely no room to change course midstream, unless you want to see the reader toss your book in to the circular file and cross you off their “to be read” list.

Characters, fully developed characters, are always consistent in their attitudes and actions. Usually who they are isn’t as important as what they do. Hero/heroines solve the problems or promises made at the beginning of the story. Antagonists disrupt, thwart and create chaos that tears a hole in the fabric of known society. Theme choice of the crime and authors attitude toward the crime are also key factors.
The many subgenres help define what type of story the mystery reader can expect. Detective, romantic suspense or true crime. Characters and plot define, and genre rules, ultimately, illuminate the category or subgenre for the reader. Create a world you are comfortable with, people it with characters, a crime, a world you are contented with and want to write about—choose your subgenre, and write.

Your sleuth can have any career you can think of. Billie A Williams has used a single mother waitress, hobby candle making; an antique store owner, a bed and Breakfast owner, a town chairwoman, book store owner, investigative reporter, teacher, archeology professor, peace corps worker, a homeless woman, CAN at a nursing home—all accidental sleuths who solve the crimes in their own style. The modern mystery has many options for the writer, depending on the crime and author experience or imagination as mentioned above.

Many times in real life, crèmes, cold case crimes, as in Patricia Cornwell’s Jack-the-Ripper solved, or others unsolved, but begging all sleuths to render their version of whodunit, a solution –they become mystery novels.

The modern mystery is not shackled by earlier conventions; locked rooms are passé, but could still be used with a twist and your unique take on it. Your imagination, your comfort zone and your skill are the only limitations you must obey.

Write Like the Wind and Solve it your way.

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Writing Articles Myth-Article Marketing No Longer Works

I have been doing article writing now for about 7 years. In that time I have seen several changes in the article marketing niche. However, one thing that has not changed is the effectiveness of writing and submitting articles.

Although the Internet millions more articles than in 2004 it is still a great way to build an Internet business. This will never change as long as search engines are relying on fresh content to deliver to their searchers.

There are a few things you can do to make your articles more appealing to the search engines and your reader. If you implement a few of the suggestions I list here you will help bust of the myth of whether article writing works or not.

1. Write catchy titles. Your titles must be interesting if you want to get the attention of the reader and the search engines. You certainly want to include keyword phrases that relate to the theme of your website. This will also be the basis for what your article is about.

A catchy title gives you an advantage over one that is not well written. Scanning article directories and looking for titles that catch your eye is one good idea.

Copy those down and put them in a swipe file. Spend a little bit of time every week re-writing these titles to make them unique.

You will find this is an excellent source of titles for future articles. It will also help you come up with article ideas if you hit a dry spell.

2. Be a problem solver. People still search the Internet looking for answers to problems they have. This gives you an excellent opportunity to write an article that a person would find helpful.

When you submit these kind of articles to article directories they often show up on search engine pages. These articles also become an excellent form of viral marketing as a reader is more apt to refer them to a friend.

3. Write in a conversational tone. I personally like articles that are written as though the author and I are having a conversation. A human element in an article is much more personal and a more enjoyable article to read. These type of articles give you an excellent opportunity to share your expertise on the topic you are writing about. This is another trick to doing article marketing the correct way.

Over time you begin to brand yourself as an expert on the theme of the niche your articles are in.

Article writing will continue to be a powerful form of marketing for any Internet marketer. It certainly works if you implement these simple suggestions and write and submit a lot of articles online where people can find them online.

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Internet Marketing Tips: How to Create an Elite Online Community for Your Business

Although social media marketing has become extremely popular in today's day and age, there are still many businesses that haven't figured out how to do it right. Using social media to build a functional online community that actually benefits your company is harder than it may seem. Even if you know the important of making a good online impression and image for your company, you may be unsure of how to go about doing it. Here are some Internet marketing tips that will help you build an online community that will increase brand awareness and loyalty as well as drive traffic to your Website and encourage purchases.

First, identify your business goals and objectives. What do you want to accomplish with your online community? Do you want to increase brand awareness and enhance your company's online image? Do you want to have a direct network where you can announce promotions and new product launches? Do you want to enhance your customer service? Luckily you can do all of these things with a social media network. However, it's important to define your exact goals so you and your staff know what to focus on. Also, think about your target audience. What kind of information would they be interested in reading? You want to make sure your online community is a place where your target audience/customers can meet their objectives. Otherwise they will not have an incentive to come to your network. So whether their objectives are to learn about the business's promotions and new products or have somewhere to talk to others about similar interests, make sure your social network is able to meet theirneeds.
Get personal. One thing to keep in mind about social networks are that they are place where people go to interact with other people. This means that the more human your make your company appear on its social network, the better. In order to accomplish this, you must talk to your audience in a conversational, casual tone. Make them feel like they are talking to a friend rather than a huge corporation. This will increase their trust in your company and therefore make them more likely to do business with you. However, keep in mind that getting too personal is never a good thing. Have your company on the brain when you post or tweet, and ask yourself, is this something my customers would appreciate or am I going too far? You are a business after all, so you must maintain some professionalism without being too stuffy.

Become an industry expert. Social networks can help you become a source for news and information that deals with your industry, which is a great thing. Post relevant breaking news stories, trivia, tips, trends and advice that deals with your industry and people will keep coming back to read more. This also enhances your company's credibility, which will motivate people to do business with you rather than your competition. It will also ensure that your site comes up in conversation when people talk to their colleagues and friends. Becoming an industry expert will help your company gain and maintain the trust and loyalty of your customers as well as get more leads that will hopefully turn into sales.

Find out what they think. Social networking is a great way to find out what your customers think about your company, products or services. If you just launched a certain service or product and want to know if your customers approve, just tweet or post the question on Twitter or Facebook (or both) and watch the mentions, direct messages and comments fly in. People love sharing their opinion, so asking a question is one of the best ways to engage your audience. Gaining valuable opinions from customers will allow you to shape your products or services to better meet their needs, which will increase customer satisfaction and sales for you.
Give online community members privileges. Giving your online community members special privileges, promotions or information will give them an incentive to join the community. It's important to provide an incentive to stay active within the community, so try giving members weekly specials, monthly contents, daily breaking news and more. If you're launching a new product, make sure your online community members are the first to know. The more special access to new information, discounts and contests you give your members, the more they will talk about how fun your community is and spread the word to their friends, family and colleagues.

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