Artist Toby Malek

Any art fans out there?  Check out this visual media artist, Toby Malek.  His art is on display in Vienna and Linz, although he is currently working in Vancouver, Canada.  He employs a variety of media in his art, and highlights important issues of our time.
Read the full biography of Toby Malek here.

Men's Hats: Are They In or Out of Fashion?

Before 1950, a man was rarely seen out and about without a hat on his head. The hat was as much a part of a man’s wardrobe as his shirt, belt, or pants. Since then, with ever-changing trends and styles, the wearing of hats has dramatically declined. Have they gone out of fashion completely?

Read the full article at RosebudMag.com.

World's Most Romantic Getaways

Looking for that perfect sweet spot to take your sweetheart?  With all the exotic destinations to choose from, how do you make your decision?  I've researched dozens of different places and narrowed down the best of the best.  Take a look at the World's Most Romantic Getaways.  Still unsure?  Read Part Two for even more amazing destinations.

How Honest Should I Be on Facebook & Twitter?

“Honesty is the best policy.” We’ve all been taught this important value our entire lives. Whether we live by this principle or not, most of us would agree that being honest is a good quality. Yet in the world of social media, is honesty really the best policy? Since the creation of Facebook and Twitter, social networking has virtually exploded on the internet. You can connect with long-lost friends, keep in touch with family across the globe, and get all the updates on your favorite celebrities. But an interesting question creeps into the minds of many when creating their profiles or “tweeting” their latest news:

How honest should I be on Facebook and Twitter?

Check out the entire article here and let me know what you think!

What Do My Clothes Say About Me?

Have you ever wondered what people think when they first meet you?  Did you know first impressions are based largely on what you're wearing?  Our clothes do have a lot to say about us, whether we want them to or not.  What do you think your clothes have to say?

In today's competitive world, it's important that we have every advantage possible.  So the next time you're dressing for an interview, consider what your clothes might be telling your potential employer.  A little worried you're sending the wrong message?  Check out my latest article published on Rosebudmag.com:  What Do My Clothes Say About Me?

First Date Mistakes to Avoid

Got a hot date coming up?  Read my latest article "First Date Tips to Avoid" and improve your chances of a good night!

Lose That Gut!

A war exists inside the mind of every man.  On the one side, he wants the ripped 6-pack abs he sees guys showing off on the cover of magazines.  (Think Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino.)  Competing against his desire for a lean physique is the desire for food and a fundamental lack of interest in exercise.  So what’s a guy to do?  Simple lifestyle changes and weight loss tips can help you lose that gut and get in shape.

Read my latest article featured on Rosebud Magazine: Lose That Gut!

World's Best Party Cities!

Everyone likes to let loose and have a good time – especially on vacation. Some locations happen to be more conducive to the party scene, while others are downright famous for their all-night, rocked-out revelries.
Check out my latest article: World's Best Party Cities at Rosebud Magazine.  You might get a few ideas for your 2011 travel plans!

Read My Work on Rosebud Magazine

I was recently hired to be a feature writer for an exciting online magazine: Rosebud.  It's a fantastic opportunity that I hope to turn into continuous work.  Here are the links to my first few articles.

Why Visit Cape Town, South Africa?
How to Get Women to Notice You
Five Things Every Smoker Should Know

Save Rosebud Magazine as one of your favorites and keep up with my latest articles.  Coming soon: Five Fabulous Ski Resorts in the U.S. and World's Best Party Cities!

Elance

I am really enjoying my work with Elance, one of the world's top online resources for freelancers.  One of my recent clients gave me this nice testimonial:  “Superfast delivery, high quality work, professional and friendly communication - warmly recommended. ” The project consisted of writing 25 pages of SEO content for a new website all about Orlando.

If you have a writing project that you'd like help with, please email me for a free quote.  I can iron out the rough edges of existing copy, or work from scratch.  Whatever your writing needs are, Alaina's Voice can help.

5 Ways to Build Your Business

Are you looking to expand your business?  Struggling with where to begin?  Check out my latest article: 5 Ways to Build Your Business.

You'll learn about the importance of networking, how to improve your website, and why you need an effective marketing strategy.   

To learn more, or to inquire about any of my writing services, please check out my website, or email me for a free consultation.

Thank you

I just wanted to say a brief thank you for all of the cards and thoughts sent my way as I recover from surgery.  I appreciate the support from all my colleagues and friends, and the patience from each of my clients.  Slowly but surely I am getting back on my feet, and ready to start working again.

Thank you.

How to Cope with Fibromyalgia During Pregnancy

Check out my latest article published on Suite101:

How to Cope With Fibromyalgia During Pregnancy

Are You Utilizing Your Most Valuable Asset?

As a business owner, what is your main objective? To make money. What is one of the most overlooked asset at your disposal that can help you do this? Your employees. Research has shown that companies who utilize a system of performance management training have a higher retention rate among employees, boast of increased productivity and a better bottom line.

Successful organizations get their competitive edge from performance management system training. Developing a team of individuals who are energized and empowered helps your business thrive. Performance management system training programs give you the tools you need to hire talented professionals, put each employee in the right job position and continually develop their skills to reach the goals of your organization.

When a shared understanding unites an organization, everyone is working together. Performance management system training teaches and develops these common goals to achieve the highest level of performance possible. When you train your employees effectively, they know what is expected of them and need less monitoring. Employee morale is boosted when everyone feels they are adequately qualified for their job position. Positive morale has proven to increase productivity, which ultimately means more money in your pocket.

Are you taking advantage of your most valuable asset? Email me to learn more about performance management training.

Alaina's Voice

Visit Alaina'sVoice on Elance; the world’s leading online talent marketplace, where I am now qualified to offer a wide variety of freelance services.

Fibromyalgia

Over 12 million Americans suffer from the debilitating condition known as fibromyalgia. Women are 10 times more likely than men to get this disease, usually between the ages of 25 to 60. As one of those women, I feel more than qualified to write on this topic. I used this subject as my first article for Suite 101, which recently approved me as one of their contributing writers. Suite 101 is a content website similar to Demand Studios, which I also write for.

My article "About the Symptoms of and Treatments for Fibromyalgia" was published today. I am excited to reach out to new audiences with another avenue of writing. I look forward to writing more articles related to the health & wellness field, as well as on travel, parenting, and business management.

For more details on the services I offer, please visit my website.

Goal Reached!

I reached another exciting writing goal this week: 2 writing stars on helium.com!  I have been working towards this goal for a while, and have finally achieved it. Read the top-rated article that qualified me for the second star: Copywriting Tips For Advertising.

My next goal? A third star, of course!

Get More Done in Six Simple Steps

Whether you are the owner of a giant corporation or a stay-at-home mom; you're busy. There never seems to be enough time in the day, and at night you worry about the things you didn't accomplish. How can you utilize the time that you have to get more done?

1. Learn to love lists. First thing in the morning, create a detailed "to do" list. Jot down everything that comes to mind and then number them in order of importance. Deadlines that have to be met, appointments that need to be kept and items such as these get the top spots. Rather than leaving the less desirable tasks for last - get them done early so they're out of the way. Cross off the tasks on the list as you complete them, and refer back to your list frequently throughout the day.

2. Don't deviate. The list is there for a reason - so stick to it. If you need to go online to pay a bill, resist the urge to check your email. Save personal things for later; in fact schedule a limited block of time in your day that you can do whatever you want. When a friend calls to chat, ask if you can call back at your designated "personal time".  If you're interrupted during a task you've deemed unimportant, remember that it still needs to get done. Don't let yourself brush it off; it will only end up on tomorrow's list.

3. Perfect the art of prioritization. Some people mistakenly give priority to things that they "feel like" doing. Working on creative projects, updating blogs - your "fun" things to do usually get done first. What's the harm? As the day comes to a close and the night approaches, you're tired. But you still have things that need to get done today. You are in no mood to finish the annual sales report for tomorrow's meeting. You've pushed back researching how to advertise your new business or making an important sales call. Now the stress starts to set in. The solution? Prioritize the important things that must get accomplished that day. This may mean starting your list with the most challenging, the lengthiest, or the most involved tasks. You will have much more energy early in the day for these activities, and will feel less anxious once they are crossed off your list. Learn what priority really means to you.

Interested in learning the rest of these helpful tips? Sign up for my free newsletter! This month's edition:
Get More Done in Six Simple Steps.

Why Hire a Proofreader?

I received a brochure in the mail yesterday from a local business advertising specials and new prices. I could tell the business owner had spent a lot of money on these brochures from the nice glossy paper and high-quality graphics. The brochures were really impressive....except for the 3 spelling mistakes and numerous grammatical errors.

It would be difficult for me to give my money to a business that doesn't have someone double-check their advertisements. This is possibly their one chance to convince me, and everyone else, to shop at their store. It needs to be the best they can offer. And before you start thinking that their spelling errors were really hard words to spell and maybe their fact-checker just wasn't familiar with them, let me give you an example.  "Payments accepted by cash or chesk."

There is no reason this mistake (and the others) shouldn't have been caught before hundreds of these glossy brochures were printed and ordered. It isn't incompetence or laziness that caused this to happen. The truth is that the business owner probably went over the brochure dozens of times before sending it to the printers. Sometimes the eyes only see what they want to see. The only way to catch all the mistakes in writing is to have someone else's eyes go over the material. If it is an important piece of material, (like an advertisement) the best bet is to hire a professional proofreader.

Years of experience combined with a natural knack for proofreading makes me an ideal candidate for this job. For more details, or to email me for a free quote, please go to http://www.alainasvoice.com/.

10 for 10

My work with Demand Studios has been going really well.  I have submitted 10 articles since I was hired, and all 10 have been approved and published.  A few of what I've written are:

The Best New York City Clubs
Why Did Mexico Become a Vacation Spot
How Plants React to Light
Training Your Female Dog
How Floridians Protect Citrus Trees From Frost

My articles are published on content sites such as eHow.com and answerbag.com.  The pay isn't fantastic, but this is a great way for me to improve as a writer, learn to work under deadlines, and expand my writing portfolio.  I hope to use this experience to narrow down my field of expertise (read: decide what I really want to write about) and continue to grow as a freelancer.

A Night of Research

I have been getting books from the library to help me improve as a writer.  The first book that I started reading is "The Elements of Style" by William Strunk Jr and E.B. White.  It was recommended by the senior editors at Demand Studios, and after a few minutes of reading, I could easily see why.  The usage rules put forth in this book are simple and straightforward, and absolutely essential for quality writing.  What I like about this book is the way Strunk and White explain the rules and give examples of how to apply them.

One of the rules that I found interesting was #14: Put statements in positive form.  "The reader is dissatisfied with being told only what is not; the reader wishes to be told what is."  This really made me think about how I write.  Do I say "not honest" or "dishonest"?  Have I written "did not remember" or "forgot"? Do I use phrases like "did not pay attention" rather than simply "ignored"? 

The point the authors were emphasizing here is that writers want their readers to understand and enjoy what they are reading.  Using negative words and phrases make the reader think harder than they need to, which detracts from the message.

So Far So Good

The first two articles I submitted to Demand Studios were accepted for publication!  After a senior editor emailed me a few edits that needed to be made to fit better with the DS style of writing, I sent the revised articles back in and was notified they had been approved.  One article was on cat spaying, and the other was about tours in Cancun, Mexico, both published on eHow.com.

The hardest part for me was sticking to the structured style of writing these particular content websites require.  It is also difficult for me to keep my word count under their limits. It is definitely something I will have to get used to, but hopefully I will improve as a writer because of it.

My Exciting Writing News

Today was a good day in my writing world.  First of all, I received a very nice testimonial from Douglas Cottrell, the web designer who I recently worked for.  I wrote the storyline for his new video game which was launched today.  He wrote the following:

"Alaina provided us with exactly what we were looking for and more. The story line she wrote for our iPhone game put you in right in the drivers seat. I will be suggesting her services to everyone who needs a content writer. "

This was a very nice way to start my day.  The second piece of good news I received was that my application to Demand Studios was accepted!  They are a very prestigious company that hires freelance writers like myself.  I sent in my resume, samples of my work, and links to my published articles.  I had read that many applications are rejected, so I was surprised (and extremely happy) when I received my "Congratulations" email today, letting me know that I had been approved and accepted.

My Resume

My Resume
Web	DOC	PDF
RTF	ODT	TXT

Check out my new resume! 
P.S.  I am open to suggestions for improving it...

Recall Runaway

I had the opportunity to help on a very exciting project, thanks to a good friend of mine who gave my name as a referral.  I was able to write a short story for a new video game being launched on the internet this week.  The developers expect the game to do very well, which will give me great exposure, as I am listed as a story writer under the credits.

Here is just a portion of the story for Recall Runaway:
'You love driving. The freedom. The exhilaration. The speed. Although the traffic on this particular highway may require a little less speed. You sigh and let up on the accelerator. You know you have no choice but to slow down.

Frowning, you watch in confusion as the speedometer stays at a steady 65 miles per hour. You ease up on the accelerator a bit more, obviously expecting the car to respond. Looking back up to the highway, you see cars in every lane. You glance out the window and realize you are now flying past all the other drivers next to you. Gritting your teeth, you grip the wheel and navigate through a narrow opening between two cars right ahead of you.

You can hear your tires squealing as you barely squeeze your way past. Now your foot is completely off the accelerator but the car hasn’t slowed at all. In fact, you’re gaining speed!'

Check out the entire story, and the video game at http://www.recallrunaway.com/

Thanks again, Terra!

Advice for My Fellow Writers

Check out my latest article on Helium:  "The Importance of Endurance While Writing"
http://www.helium.com/items/1767989-the-importance-of-endurance-when-writing

Let me know what you think!

My Very First Post

I am a blog virgin.  Despite the many benefits I have heard others mention concerning their blogs, I have never actually created one myself.  I suppose I thought that no one would be interested in what I had to say, and so it would essentially become a waste of time.  Since I don't have a lot of time to waste, I put off creating a blog until now.  However, I am trying to expand and grow as a writer, reach more people with the words I write, and have a place to express myself.  I finally broke down and created this blog in hopes of accomplishing my goals.  It will give me a chance to improve my skills, and practice what I love best: writing.

I also want to convince myself that what I have to say is important.  This may take some time.