[ad#rssannouncer]
As a writer, you probably already use a computer and the Internet. You may maintain your own web site to showcase your writing abilities. However, many other opportunities abound when you have writing skills. You may want to consider a few of the best home based business opportunities.

As an online writer, you can publish your own ezine or electronic magazine. The Internet essentially levels the playing field for writers as you don’t have to wait for a publisher to discover you. If you have the desire to publish an ezine, you can get started with very little upfront money. By using various self-promotion techniques, writing your own ezine can become one of the best home based business opportunities available to you. Alternatively, you could publish your own weblog or blog. Pick your own platform or just write to get your name out there. Your possibilities are limited only by your imagination and time.

Another one of the best home based business opportunities for writers is blogging or writing for hire. Many businesses and individuals want to maintain blogs for different reasons but don’t have the time or the experience to do so. They will often pay a professional writer to maintain this aspect of their business. They may also require other types of writing for their web sites or offline needs. You can find out about these types of opportunities in different writing magazines both on and off the Internet.

And, of course, one of the best home based business opportunities for any writer is freelancing. You may choose to sign up at a site like http://www.elance.com where you can bid on different writing jobs from all over the world. So many different possible projects exist for a freelancer. You could write sales copy for businesses, write business correspondence or even ghostwrite books. The list goes on and on.

Many of the best home based business opportunities for writers are available either on the Internet or through the Internet. You just need to get out there and find the best one for you.

Popularity: 6% [?]

[ad#camstudioim]
I have recently updated the LearnToPodcast.com site to a WordPress Self Hosted blog site. I am utilizing a new theme that allows WordPress to act as a landing page site. By using this theme, I will not only get the same results as I would by using a standard landing page, however, I will also get the built-in SEO (search engine optimization) from WordPress and this will enable me to get my site onto the search engines faster and more efficiently.

Check out the new redesign today and let me know what you think! Oh, and if you are looking for a theme like this to create your own landing pages using WordPress, I will have this theme available for purchase soon!

Popularity: 6% [?]

[ad#twobeams]
Tonight, we discussed another chapter from the book, Podcasting for Dummies by Tee Morris.

Podcasting for Publicity covers a lot of ground about what not to do as well as what to do in order to properly publicize your podcast. There are lots of great examples in this chapter that we did not go over and I urge you to pick up a copy of this book, especially if you don’t already own a copy of it!

[ad#podcastingdummies]

Popularity: 5% [?]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

First, find a place to call your
writing space, office, writing
area, writing corner, or
somewhere your writing ideas
can run free.

Visit everyday. Yes, write
everyday.

“How long should I spend
writing?” You asked.

Write, at least, two hours
per day.

Mix your fear of writing up
into fiction, or a great piece
of non-fiction.

“What do you mean?”
Someone asked.

What do you fear? Why?

Write down the reasons
for your fear. Look at
what you wrote.

Create a character to
work through a fear
in fiction. Place him/her
in a setting comfortable
for you.

Get over any fear by writing
about it through a character,
and then come to terms with
it.

Writing through a fear helps
you understand it better.

It’s possible you’ll want to
do some research, and
write an article about it.
An essay on it is interesting.
A poem?

Also, another idea is to
have various characters
work through different
fears.

Here are some questions to
ask yourself before working
a character through fear.

Should a male or female
be best in that role? How
will the character look?
He/she will show signs of
the fear?. The character’s
behavior points to which
fear? His/her appearance?
His/her speech pattern? The
character’s quirks a result of
the fear?

What age should the
character be? Where will
he/she live? City? Suburbs?
Rural area?

Should height of the character
be included? Educational
back-ground? Is there
anything else you need
to stir-in?

If you’re not ready to attach
your name to a work, use a
pseudonym. It’s a pen name.

There’s an added benefit to
writing through your fear.
It’s therapeutic. Writing
everyday about a fear helps
you deal with it, and move on.
You’re less stressful about it,
and happier.

It’s a big step toward healing.

This is how my novel, Grave
Street House, was born.

It started out as a poem.
I kept writing until I realized
a novel was in the making.

Always, turn ideas upside
down to get other ideas.

Write about someone’s
fear. A friend? Neighbor?
Co-worker? Associate?

In closing write through a
fear to gain knowledge,
and live better. Perhaps,
you’ll write a master-piece
as a fear is worked through.

Popularity: 6% [?]

[ad#rssannouncer]
Well, it appears that most of my sites (and some of those that I host) have been offline for about 24 hours or more. Thanks to GoDaddy updating my hosting account and moving it to another server. What happened was, they changed my internal IP address to my hosting account and this made everything go bye bye! Not physically, just the server couldn’t exactly find it.

The long and the short is, I have resolved this issue (as you can tell if you are reading this post) and have most all of my sites back online once again. There are a couple of site that are being stubborn, but they should be back online soon (I hope!), so try to be patient with me!

My bathroom remodelling project is almost competed, so I should be back to normal (ok, define normal) soon. Thanks for understanding!

Popularity: 5% [?]

[ad#twobeams]
For the next few weeks, we will be taking excerpts from the book, Podcasting For Dummies, by Tee Morris.

This week, we talked about “fishing for listeners” and differnet techniques you can use to not only monetize your podcast, but to also bring in new listeners to your podcast.

If you don’t already have a copy of this book, you should really think about picking up a copy. It is a great read and has lots of brilliant information in it that will take you step by step into the world of podcasting.

Next week, we will talk about Podcasting for Passion and Publicity. Also taken from chapters from this book!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Prologue 2 Released – During WordCamp Germany, Matt Mullenweg mentioned something called Prologue 2. This new version of the Prologue theme introduces Ajax like real-time commenting meaning, if I place a comment on the blog and someone else is staring at the site, they will see that comment appear before them as it happens. Heather over at the WordPress.com blog sheds some light on the project, including a video showcasing the new theme. Heather mentions that P2 is already available for WordPress.com users but to look for it on the WordPress.org theme repository in the coming days. – http://www.wptavern.com/prologue-2-sees-the-light-of-day

WordPress 2.8 Delayed Until April – WordPress 2.8 which was originally scheduled to be released in March has now been delayed until sometime in April. The roadmap currently has 2.8 scheduled to be released on April first but just think that it will probably be released at some point during the month, not really the first.

Multi Use Widgets In WordPress 2.8 – Earlier this week, it was announced by the developers that a new Multi Widget class has been added to WordPress 2.8? What does this mean? It simply means that in WordPress 2.8, all of the default widgets as well as widgets that are recoded with the new class will be able to be used multiple times instead of only once. We had a similar feature back in WordPress 2.3 so it’s great to see this one making a return.

If you’re looking for more information regarding WordPress or just want to be part of a community centered around WordPress, please head on over to WPTavern.com. The site contains news, reviews, editorials and much more on not only WordPress, but all projects under the Automattic umbrella. We also have a forum which has been rocking as of late so stop on by and join the party. The drinks at the tavern are always on the house.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Automattic Turns on WordPress TV (readwriteweb.com)
• Recapping WordCamp Denver (lijit.com)

Popularity: 7% [?]

It’s possible to relax, and
gather-up writing ideas. Or,
avail yourself to writing ideas
without much fuss.

“Is it possible?” You asked.

Yes, it’s possible.

Do an activity that relaxes
you, make a call you’ve
wanted to since last week,
or just watch your favorite
show.

A person who likes to
dance has an option
of writing about. It
relaxes you? Why?
Do some research on
the various dance styles.

Were there any studies
done stating how dancing
relaxes, helps, the body?

Write fiction and non-
fiction about it. There’s
no limit on the ideas
you can get from it.

You made the call. It was
nice to catch-up with that
person. Is there something
you can write about it?

You talked about a place
the two of you frequented?
The people?

Use the place as the
setting in a work of fiction,
or non-fiction. Or, have
characters visit it in the
present.

A character screams. He/
she sees something, or
someone. Only, the
character arrived alone.

What’s next? How would
you write it?

You turned on the television.
A scene from a movie,
commercial, ignited your
imagination?

Create the scene from
your imagination. There
shouldn’t be any
resemblance to the original.

Your characters talk, look,
different. The actions of
each character is new,
exciting. Make the scene
yours.

Think of any product
or service. Write the
benefits of your product,
service.

How would you turn it
into an article? Fiction?

Why did you pick it?
Why would people buy
your product or service?
Or, re-write the commercial.
Have fun with it.

Let’s look at other relaxing
ways to get writing ideas.

Take a walk. Who did you
see? What did you see?
You find your muse?

Take a trip to the beach.
Soak up material for
writing.

A name from the past.
Take each letter to make
new words. Sam turns into:

–Saturday, Arrives, Mocha

How would you churn out a
writing idea with those words?

Look at what I did.

Saturday night, Russ charged
over to us in a rage. His skin
appeared mocha colored.
He attacked…

What should be the next line?

Pace to a friend’s house.
On the way there, writing
ideas jump-out at you?

Let the sunshine press against
your skin. Any ideas for writing
come to mind?

Listen/look at people as they enter
and leave the mall. You can get
countless ideas.

A color that caught your attention.
Why this color? What exactly
pulled your eyes to it?

Dress differently than usual. Are
ideas bouncing into your head?
If yes, use the ideas. If no, try
another out-fit.

Act like a person you know. How
would you write about it?

Write about laughter. What is
it? How does it make you feel?
Write a scene using laughter.

What was the funniest moment
of your day? Write, at least,
five-hundred words about it.

Write about a problem in the
world. How would you solve
it? Or, would you write fiction
about it?

Slice away writing ideas as
you relax. Remember, turn a
writing idea upside down to get
as much use as possible from it.

Popularity: 6% [?]