Putting the critics in their place

I once read that if you were a writer, it wasn't enough to just write. "You must publish what you write" was the given advice. I believe that's true and it's great advice. But when you do that, you have to know at least three things are going to happen: 1.) Someone will like your writing. 2.) Someone will dislike your writing. 3.) Someone won't care! If you allow all these reactions to make or break you, you'll be on an endless emotional roller coaster ride. You can smooth out the peaks and valleys, though, if you ask yourself a few questions.

Who is Saying it?

You may have heard the saying "consider the source". That's important when you're weighing any commentary on your work. In the case of teachers, editors or book reviewers, you want to be confident that the person is truly objective and knows what they're doing. If you're sure of them, you can take what they say, good and bad, and learn from them. These aren't people out to destroy you (usually!), so don't shoot the messenger.

Once people in the real world start buying and reading your work, you'll definitely hear about who loved it and who hated it. But pay close attention because there's more to it than a love-hate relationship. My first novel was packaged in such a way that it looked like an urban romance when in fact it is a complex family drama. I knew people who picked up the book expecting a light romance would be sorely disappointed--and that's exactly what happened when my novel was featured in a book-of-the-month club that specialized in selling urban romance. Many of their customers who bought my book hated it!

What Are They Saying?

If I had taken their criticism at face value, I would have felt like a failure. But all of the reader comments I saw on the club's website: "Too slow, boring, not enough se*x" told me they were expecting a different kind of book--and I didn't blame them! I would have been miffed too if I had expected "Valley of the Dolls" and ended up reading "War and Peace"! These readers were not in my target market, so the comments didn't upset me.

Readers in my target market gave different feedback. Yes, they liked the book, but that wasn't all: I could tell they had engaged with the book and had invested in the characters. Even comments about how frustrated they got with the main character were good because it meant they cared enough to be frustrated. If these readers had found the book slow and boring, I would have known for certain I had a problem.

Is it Consistent with What You Know of Your Work?

As a writer, you must know your own work well enough to help you decide what criticism makes sense and what doesn't. I've said before that I believe most writers know in their heart when something is wrong or if they're having problems with their material. If you know writing dialogue is difficult for you, there's no reason to be hurt or surprised when someone says your dialogue is weak or unbelieveable. So do an open and honest evaluation of what the reader and/or critic is saying. Then you can...

Make a Decision: What Will You Do?

No matter where your feedback is coming from, it will always be your decision whether or not you do anything with it. Sometimes feedback will open up new ideas and you're happy to rewrite based on those comments because you know the work will be better. Sometimes the book is already out there, and the feedback can only make you think about what you'll do differently next time. Or maybe you won't make a change at all. There's a particular scene in my novel that's so soap opera-ish it's almost ridiculous. But I knew that when I wrote it and I wanted it to be that way because I wanted to show how love can make people do crazy things. I wasn't going to change it.

But if I hadn't been clear on my intentions for the scene, I would have felt horrible everytime it was brought up in a book group's discussion. It was easier for me to stand up for my writing because I had been clear about what I was doing. So, for the sake of your writer's heart, be clear--all the better to see your way through to a better book.

© 2006 Sophfronia Scott

Be aware that credit cards change

The changes in terms for your credit card can impact you financially. So many people simply pull the statement out of the envelope and never read any of the changes in terms or other materials sent by the credit card company.

There are even some people that assume that their rates won't change and that terms won't go against them.

Make sure you read everything your lenders send you thoroughly. For example, your late fees, overlimit fees and other charges may be rising. The default rate could be going up as well.

Recently some credit cards have raised the minimum amount percentage by a percentage point or more. While this helps you in paying off your card about two weeks faster, it can hurt those that are stretched to the maximum breaking point.

Many credit card borrowers are outraged when things are changed. How can they do this, they ask. Well, they can. They've always been able to, and they do it all the time.

When you accept a credit card, you are signing to the terms promised at the time of offering. But you are also signing a statement that says the issuer can change the terms anytime it wants to, to anything it wishes. Most credit cards are only required to give you a sixteen day notice in the change of terms.

What can you do if your terms are changed? You can either accept or cut the card up and never use it again. If you choose option two, you preserve your current terms, but lose the card.

If you don't read the terms, you can't say you didn't know. The next time you use the card, the purchase is acceptance of the terms. You are blindly agreeing to new terms.

Plus, chances are that the terms will not be changing to benefit you. Last year, credit card issuers collected over $16 billion in penalty fees last year. Seventy percent of those dollars were from late fees. The fees are rising. Most people paid over $34 dollars per incident last year.

Make sure that you understand all of the terms of your credit cards, including what the rates and fees are. And understand that those terms can change at any time. You are taking a huge risk by taking on a debt that is out of your control. Make sure that you know what can happen before you agree to it.

Check your statements to see that you are being charged teh correct rates. You can see your rates increase without any default on your part. There are many reasons that card companies will give you for changing your rate.

If you want to insure that you never face that late fee, schedule regular minimum payments. You can always pay more anytime during the month to pay off your balance faster. But by at least having that minimum come out automatically, you are eliminating any missed payments.

If you see that there is trouble in your future, make sure you take action right away. Sitting and waiting can cost you money if new fees kick in on your accounts. Talk to the lender before you have any troubles with your card.

Debt consolidation - get 0 apr on balance transfers today

Debt Consolidation made easy!

If you have alot of debt, or even a little, and are paying outrageous interest or any interest for that matter, you may want to apply for a new credit card with 0% interest on balance transfers. This is a very simple procedure that many people now use to avoid paying interest on their debt. There are numerous credit cards available that allow to transfer balances and receive an introductory rate of 0%, usually for 12 months, on any balance transfers.

In fact, many people apply for a new card about six to eight weeks before their their current offer ends. They then transfer any remaining balance to the new credit card and again receive 0% interest. This cycle can go on until the debt is paid off without having to pay huge interest rates. This process can save thousands of dollars a year, and help you to pay off your balances are a much faster rate.

If you are interested in applying for a credit card that offers 0% interest on balance transfers, you can do online and be approved instantly. The advantage of applying online is that many sites let you compare different credit cards to find out which one is best for you. Please take your time and compare some of the benefits of each card, some even offer 0% on purchases.

This strategy will help you in your debt consolidation efforts and is the best way I know to cut interest paid out each month. If you are looking to apply online, you may compare cards by visiting my website at augyz. ecreditdirectory. com and clicking on the balance transfer cards option.

This site offers over 100 different credit cards with a wide range of interest and rewards options.

All rights reserved. This article may be reprinted as long as all text and links remain intact and unchanged.

A mortgage without fees

Let’s face it, no one likes paying a charge if they don’t have to. And when it comes to mortgages, where the expense can already be onerous, avoiding fees can seem like a good idea. But is it possible to get a mortgage without paying any fees? The answer is - almost certainly not!

Even if you manage to avoid a fee for one part of the mortgage transaction, it is likely that you will be charged one for another part.

There are fees when you are seeking a mortgage: an arrangement fee (or booking fee) is charged by many lenders at the point at which they originally lend you the mortgage amount. At the time of writing (7 August 2007) all of the top 10 three year fixed-rate mortgages for house movers include a start-up fee. These range from Ј215 to Ј999 for a Ј150,000 mortgage. You will also have to obtain a property valuation (or survey) and there will be a fee for this, although it is not strictly part of the mortgage. Even if you get the survey carried out independently of the lender you may still be charged a “valuation administration fee” to cover the lenders’ administration expenses.

If you are borrowing a large amount relative to the value of the property (say over 90%) then you could have to pay a “higher lending charge”.

There will also be legal expenses involved, although in some cases lenders cover this cost for remortgages.

If you decide to change your mortgage before the special deal period is up you may have to pay an early repayment charge.

And even if you manage to avoid all of these you may still have to pay a “deeds release fee” when you transfer your mortgage to another lender!

So the upshot of all of this is that fees are now part of the overall package of costs a lender charges with a mortgage. If you want to be sure that you are getting the best overall deal use a mortgage comparison site that compares the true cost of all mortgages – this includes all the fees that you are likely to be charged.

5 easy ways to lift the spirit

What to do?

Luckily for me there’s always been that curiosity of what’s out there in the alternative world including the alternative therapies. I’ve tried many of them over the years and will continue to do so, all in the hope I can make things better for my body, mind and spirit. And it has.

I’m aware that what may work for me may not work for someone else, so the message is to keep trying until you find something that will suit your needs.

Many times I’ve been told they’ve tried everything. What is everything? What it actually boiled down to you could count on one hand. It’s worthwhile to keep searching, you may find that your world expands in a most amazing way by the making of new friendships (I have) and picking up useful skills for your ‘self-healing’ tool-kit.

So what do I do when I’ve reached a cross-road and need some direction or could do with some healing?

Below I’ve listed 5 basic points that have helped to lift my spirit and with practice will also help yours:

1. Meditation! Meditation is one of the greatest self healing tools available and costs nothing except a little of your time! There are many meditation techniques out there, find one that suits you and begin.

By putting some meditation music on and spending time in quiet contemplation it can soothe your soul and reconnect you with the highest aspect of yourself.

2. Aromatherapy and Essential Oils.

Rebalance and rejuvenate your spirit through blending a selection of essential oils together in an aromatherapy oil burner. I’ve found the following blend works extremely well when there’s a need for nurturing, support and healing:

Approximately an hour before retiring to bed place a few drops of the following in an aromatherapy oil burner with some water (for safety’s sake, extinguish the flame before lights are turned off for the night):

4 drops Jasmine

4 drops Rose

4 drops Neroli

3 drops Lavender

3 drops Bergamot

The smell divine! I use this one every now and again and not only sleep like a baby but anxiety and stress disappears, and feels like the weight of the world has lifted from my shoulders by the following morning! (If you have a small bedroom you might like to half the amount of drops)

3. Breathe! Stand with feet a shoulder-length apart. Take 3 slow and deep breaths using the diaphragm muscles. Breathe in through the nose, and breathe out through slightly parted lips. As you do these imagine you’re inhaling your personal power, filling every cell in your body, from your diaphragm up to the top of your head.

Be your personal power and notice how much taller, straighter and stronger you become. Repeat the steps above.

4. Be in the Present Moment. Take a few deep breaths and focus totally on this moment, right now.

If you’re reading a book or magazine, or even this article, totally focus on the words and take in their meaning. There is only you and this article now in the present moment.

If you’re in the workplace, focus totally on the task at hand, and only this task, and what you must do in order to complete it. Nothing else matters except you and the task at hand.

5. Set an intention. When I’m on the lookout for something new and useful for me, I set my intention on what it is I’m after.

For example, I may want to find a book that will give me answers in regards to directing me to another healing modality or skill. I then meditate on this intention, give it a timeframe then open my heart to it. Lo and behold I will have a book in my hand in no time at all! I love the power of intention – I also use intention for getting a parking space when I go shopping!

These days I rarely get sick and when I do and have a medical checkup, doctors tell me I’m actually very healthy (surely they can find something so I can get some sympathy around here!) which also includes blood test results.

I still do sadness and unhappiness well (I’m still human) though neither lasts long whereas in the past it would last many days sometimes weeks. What lasts much longer is a peaceful state.

When using the 5 points above, my spirit lifts and life once again becomes more peaceful and joyful.

How to choose your tropical fish

Knowing how to choose your new tropical fish is going to be one of the most important things you ever do in this new hobby. But how can you tell which are the best fish for your tank? This is the question I will answer for you in this article.

The first thing we need to discuss is the temperament of your fish. There are only three main different temperaments a fish can have. Here they are:

Social breeds. These breeds of fish will get along with any other type of fish. Some of the most common fish to fit in this category are Danios, Tetras, Guppies, Swordtails, Mollies and Corydoras.

Semi-social breeds. These breeds can comfortably be kept along with other fish that are of equal size without them showing signs of aggression. Think of fish like Barbs, Angelfish and Gouramis.

Aggressive breeds. These breeds of fish must always be kept by themselves, or at most, in pairs with another fish of the same breed. An example of these type of fish would be Male Bettas, Oscars and Jewelfish.

If you’ve got a good local pet store, they should be able to give you further advice on what kind of fish you can keep together. A good question to ask the pet employees is if the fish have been kept in quarantine for at least two weeks before being available for sale.

If they haven’t been quarantined the fish will be much more susceptible to disease and early death if they have been exposed to high amounts of stress (such as being on an airplane) without a few weeks rest time.

Another important thing to look for in a fish is its color. You want to choose a fish that has a dense and well-defined color. If the fish has a pattern, check to see there isn’t any signs of blurring between colors.

Home improvements - professionals or diy

There are lots of reasons why you might be considering improving your home. You have to live in it, after all, and if some part of your home seems to be getting past its sell-by date then it’s natural to want to replace it. Also, many home improvements can increase the value of your home by significantly more than the improvement itself cost.

Some of the most common home improvements are new bathrooms, new kitchens, and extensions to add extra rooms such as bedrooms, a study or a conservatory. There are also plenty of home improvements you can do that are less visible, however, such as improving your plumbing or electrics.

When you start to undertake any home improvement project, the first decision you have to take is whether you will do it yourself or hire a professional. While DIY can save you money in theory, you will often find that the savings are minimal, as you will not get good prices on materials and will have to spend much more time on the improvements than they would otherwise have needed. You can do well at DIY, and it can be fun, but don’t try to run before you can walk: do small projects first, and gradually build up from there, instead of starting out with a grand design and no idea how to achieve it.

If you’re mainly doing a home improvement because you think it will add value to your home, make sure to check that it actually will. People are often shocked to discover that the value of their house goes down when they build rooms over their garden, for example, as the garden space was actually more valuable than the extra room that has been added. In most cases, the best thing to do is to add improvements that you actually find useful, not ones that you think someone else will like: if you like them, the chances are that the housing market will too.