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Blog Exercises: Why We Dig

December 10, 2013 – 12:26 pm

In the October issue of The Christian Science Monitor, I found this from John Yemma, Monitor Editor: Why we dig, and what we may find Sometimes a portal opens into the world of legend. A stone is rolled away from an Egyptian tomb revealing a 3,300 year old Pharaoh’s power and wealth. A Roman city […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips, Writing | Tags: archaeology, blog exercises, blogging, content, dig, inspiration, introspection, motivation, research, self-discipline, speculation, Writing, writing for the web | Comments (7)

Blog Exercises: It Still Hurts

November 18, 2013 – 4:40 am

As my career tangled itself in WordPress, even though I was well known in other industries, I quickly became popular within the WordPress Community – and the target of meanies. Yep, as in the childhood bullies that plague us our whole lives. Without any marketing or self-promotion, this site and my articles on other sites […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips | Tags: blog bullies, blog exercises, courage, endurance, evil, faith, hurt, inspiration, jealousy, mean bloggers, mean comments, meanies, motivation, pain, painful experience, trolls | Comments (13)

Blog Exercises: Learning From a Mentor Makes You Better

November 8, 2013 – 4:54 am

“What One of the World’s Great Novelists Learned About Writing from David Ogilvy” on Copyblogger tells the story of how famous author Salman Rushdie learned copywriting and writing in general from another great copywriter, David Ogilvy. Imagine it’s your job to convey the taste of a chocolate bar in just one word. And by the […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips, Writing | Tags: blog mentor, blog writing, blogging tips, copywriters, copywriting, education, how to blog, inspiration, learning, learning from the best, mentors, teachers, writers | Leave a Comment

Blog Exercises: Mashups

September 13, 2013 – 4:36 am

One of my favorite odd-ball mashups is the movie Moulin Rouge! Released in 2001, the movie features Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, and an outstanding cast of top notch actors singing their way through a Bollywood-style production set in a 1899 France cabaret. There are few original songs in the film. Instead they used pop songs […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blogging, blogging tips, Writing | Tags: art, artistry, audio, blog exercises, blogging prompt, collage, creativity, fan creativity, fans, fun, graphics, images, imagination, inspiration, mashup, mashups, multimedia, photography, prompt, video, writing prompt | Comments (13)

Blog Exercises: Blog Your Favorite Song

September 11, 2013 – 4:01 am

It all began the day I found That from my window I could only see A piece of sky. I stepped outside and looked around. I never dreamed it was so wide Or even half as high. The time had come to try my wings And even though it seemed at any moment I could […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips, Writing | Tags: blog exercises, blogging prompt, emotions, favorite song, inspiration, motivation, music, prompts, song, stories, storytelling, web writing, Writing, writing for the web, writing prompt | Comments (9)

Blog Exercises: 5,127 Tries

September 5, 2013 – 4:35 am

In his native UK, Sir James Dyson is known as much for his quirky looking, superior-functioning vacuum cleaners as for his long embattled path to commercial success. He gave Brits their first bagless vacuum in 1993 after 13 tough years tinkering in the tool shed. He slogged through 5,127 prototypes, a couple of lawsuits and […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips | Tags: blog exercises, blogging, blogging is hard work, blogging success, blogging tips, determination, failure, hard work, how to blog, inspiration, james dyson, motivation, success, thomas edison, web publishing | Comments (3)

Blog Exercises: I Can Wish It Away But…

August 26, 2013 – 4:54 am

“I can wish it away but I can’t change it.” Those words jumped out of the radio. This was a politician talking about international trade regulations and laws in my state. It’s true that any governing body is ruled by other governing bodies in this bureaucratic world. It got me thinking about what I could […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips, Writing | Tags: blog exercises, blogging prompts, change, change the world, inspiration, make a wish, motivation, wish it away, wishes, Writing, writing for the web, writing prompts | Leave a Comment

Blog Exercises: Self-Control and Distractions

August 5, 2013 – 3:55 am

During a recent WordPress Meetup in Portland, Oregon, I was on the panel of three WordPress experts answering questions from the audience on how to use WordPress. In response to one of the questions dealing with a recommendation that WordPress restrict what a user can and cannot do to protect themselves from doing something “stupid,” […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips, Writing | Tags: blog exercises, blog focus, bloggers block, blogging exercises, blogging tips, calendar, content generation, distraction, distractions, editorial calendar, focus, inspiration, motivation, plan, procrastination, schedule, self-control, self-doubt, self-sabotage, web writing, writers block, Writing, writing for the web | Comments (15)

Blog Exercises: What Story Would You Want to Hear Told?

August 1, 2013 – 4:13 am

I’m in a local writer’s group that meets once a week to test our mettle in creative writing. I have to share with you a prompt from last week that haunts me still. A prompt is a topic used to inspire creative writing. Anything can be a prompt, but a well-formed prompt in the right […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips, Writing | Tags: blog exercises, blog your story, blogging, blogging tips, creative writing, history, inspiration, motivation, perspective, prompt, stories, storytelling, web writing, writers group, Writing, writing for the web, writing prompt, writing tips | Comments (7)

Blog Exercises: Identify the Life Suckers

June 28, 2013 – 4:10 am

My friend, Terry Starbucker, is a blogger who specializes in motivating and inspiring others to live and work their passion. He’s also founder of SOBCon, the must-attend conference for online business people that takes this spirit to a higher level. In 2008, he published “Every Passion Has Its Destiny – An Olympic Inspiration” about Billy […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips, Writing | Tags: achievement, attitude, blog exercises, community, courage, dreams, endurance, failure, inspiration, motivation, passion, persistence, relationships, self-confidence, self-esteem, sobcon, terry starbucker | Comments (9)

Blog Exercises: What If You Knew You Could Not Fail

June 25, 2013 – 4:33 am

I helped a writer set up her first blog today, encouraging her to share her stories as part of the process moving towards becoming a published author. We talked about how a site will help her, not just with marketing, promotion, and community building, but also by rethinking how she writes, what she writes, and […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blogging, blogging tips, Writing | Tags: blog exercises, blog goals, blog plans, excuses, failure, goals, inspiration, journey, making a plan, motivation, plans, self-esteem, site plans, what if, what if you could not fail | Comments (9)

Blog Exercises: Are You Setting an Example for Others?

June 17, 2013 – 4:54 am

A milestone in personal rights seemed to have been achieved recently when US basketball player, Jason Collins declared publicly he was gay, hopefully setting an example for others that it is now “safe” to come out of the closet. The news in and around his announcement has me thinking about heroes, mentors, and risk-takers, those […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips, Writing | Tags: audience, blog exercises, blogging tips, dreams, example, hero, heroes, inspiration, inspire, lead by example, leader, leadership, mentor, mission, motivate, motivation, purpose, reputation | Comments (5)

Blog Exercises: Battling the Blue Funk

June 7, 2013 – 4:38 am

My mother just sent an email saying she was in a funk. Ten minutes later I got a phone call from a friend asking to visit to help her get over the “winter funk – summer blues” – her words. I just got over my blue funk a couple weeks ago. Funks are mini-depressions, short […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips | Tags: block, blog exercises, bloggers block, blogging, blogging tips, blue funk, blues, depression, friends, inspiration, interference, life changes, mental illness, motivation, passion, procrastination, sad, sadness, support network, the blues, writers block, Writing | Comments (6)

Blog Exercises: Battling Self-Doubt

April 24, 2013 – 4:04 am

Self-doubt happens to everyone, even bloggers. You are blogging away, full of inspiration, motivation, and energy, then wham! Something happens in your personal or professional life or you get hit upside the head by some bloggy or social media incident and your confidence is sucked away. Self-doubt moves in, and it doesn’t move in pretty. […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips, Writing | Tags: attitude, blog focus, blog struggles, bloggers, blogging challenges, blogging focus, blogging tips, challenges, confidence, depression, emotions, energy, focus, health, inspiration, moods, motivation, professional blogger, professional blogging, purpose, self-confidence, writing tips | Comments (20)

Blog Exercises: Honor the Moment

March 26, 2013 – 4:57 am

In “Okay, Everybody, Group Hug!” the author of True Stitches, Heather, honored the moment of a publishing triumph. This is my 300th post. An accomplishment of sorts, I guess, although it took me years and years to get here. But along the way I have connected with so many wonderful people, which is the greatest […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Writing | Tags: accomplishments, achievements, anniversary, birthday, blog exercises, holiday, honor, honor the moment, how to use wordpress, how to write, inspiration, memories, web writing, wordpress help, WordPress Tips, wordpress tutorials, Writing, writing for the web, writing tips | Comments (5)