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Saturday, May 31, 2014

Techie Writer - Basics and Beyond

Tuscaloosa Public Library, Rotary Room May 27th 2014 Presentation;  Techie Writer: Basics and Beyond  

Miller Center  -  June 4, 2014


Techie Writer – Basics and Beyond

PART I … Health
A research study done at Stanford found that walking, for instance, boosts creativity and inspiration.  They examined levels of creativity while they walked versus while they sat.  They found a person’s creative output increased by around 60% for those who walked.

Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) and the late Steve Jobs (Apple) walked to meetings. Perhaps you can recall pacing back and forth looking for an idea.  How about the times you pace to get your story ideas flowing? 

 Does anyone recall how an idea for an article or a story came to you by pacing -- or after you’ve had a physical workout?    OK, so let’s get moving -- if are a little tech savvy, you might get a Fitbit or some tracker to measure your daily exercises.

(Q and A)
So, how can we get into the habit of exercising our mind and body?  

(1)    Your brain is a muscle and you must give it work out too.  Try at least one brain game a day. These can easily be found on the internet and you can even download an app for it.

(2)   Take 30 minutes to work out.  You’ve got plenty of games to pick from: X-box and or a DVD.  I use X box’s “Your Shape” or other family type games.   You can ask your kids to show you how to use all of it.  And, you’ll get to play games as a family together.  There’s so much to enlighten your brain cells with a flow of Oxygen. We need thinking power and must be in optimal health for a healthy power house of thought to write on.

Many of you know I am a certified Arthritis Instructor, so I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve to get you going.  Sit down and relax.  
Here we do deep breathing, relaxing every muscle in our bodies and our mind.  We move our joints while standing. Then we sit and we do some basic stretching, while all the time we think only about clearing our “minds” of any distractions.   
Now that we’ve gotten past “to do” basics to get you running on full power, we’ve got work to do to get you up to “techie” speed.  Writers cannot afford to be lax with computer skills.
So far, I’ve covered  essential prep  a writer should DO before you hit the basics and beyond as a techie writer. 

Part II  - Tech skills

How much  time can you save with a tech savvy?    How much more money can you make?      
The “must know” to become a published writer:

(1)   Upgrade if you are using anything, like a laptop or desk computer older than 4 years .  Trade in your heavy laptop or computer for a notebook.   The latest ones have detachable keyboards and are about the size of a tablet.  Now, you go everywhere without lugging all that baggage and you have fewer hackers.

(2)   Get a smart phone. You can check your messages while on the run. You can record at any conference and never forget a thing after you take a photo. (Like I did on health sessions with Deepak Chopra and Dr. Oz  at Int’l CES session 2013.)


(3)   Stay safe and get a security program such as Norton and add a spyware too.

(4)   Organize, Organize, Organize -- On your hard drive and with your emails. Set up labels immediately, especially if you are in touch with an editor or a conference.  File it for safe keeping and easy access

.
(5)    Learn the following and take a class at your local college if you cannot comfortably do the following   
a.      Copy and paste
b.      Links
c.       Tracking your edits
d.      Apps for writers  
e.      Connecting to social media 
f.        Moving files on your hard drive, and, photo sharing
g.      Scanning a pdf file and sending files, photos, to an editor
h.      Researching the internet for information
i.        Blogging and bloggers who will blog your story
j.        Watch your grammar.  Check all beyond your spell check. 
k.       Send your article to an acquaintance for feedback and edits, or proofing.
l.        Listen up and learn. Make the proper edits with the help of another.

 Does anyone have anything to add to the list of what a writer must or should learn to get his/her work published?   Get as smart as you can. You've got competition 

DISCUSSION

2 comments:

  1. I would love to hear from you! What can you offer to the writers who might fall short of tech skills? What do think is helpful , or not?

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  2. Ms. Rhodes, you are SO right on about how walking stimulates our brain and our creativity. I don't know how many essays I've written in my head while walking. I've heard, too that we're supposed to take 10,000 steps per day. Recently I carried a Fitbit-type-gadget with me and discovered that I take 6000 steps on my morning walks. That should equate to lots of essays circulating in my head.

    You are so right about becoming up to speed with the latest computers and know how to use them. I'm really falling behind. Your article with all its great advice is certainly inspiring. Thank you!!

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