Arild Nygard

The Internet has a lot of people writing and publishing. Some are very good and give a great value other are more b/s if you like. There is a lot of duplicate content online and I think that is one of the “Bad” sides to this kind of publishing especially if it serves no other purpose that cluttering up the net. I guess most people that do publish online have an idea that anything goes and whatever they write is “Good Stuff” so freedom of speech is really in effect here. Not much I can do about that. [Read more →]

Destination UK. This time it’s the Eastern Side of the Islands that we are visiting. The flight in to London from Montreal take about 6 hours and is relatively boring. As the flight departs in the evening it is really a good time to get some sleep. Landing is morning time in UK so it works out very well for the time change as I slept through it all. Travelling here this time is mostly for private business but we will still take some time out for sight seeing a bit around in London and the sub-urbs. [Read more →]

Questions we ask when we want to write something and need a place to start can usually be triggered of by using the “Who”, “What” , “Where” type of markers. I call them markers as I see them as just that. They mark my beginning or a paragraph within whatever I’m writing at the moment.
”Who” am I writing for? It is a question that can be leading to many different other questions and all have to be answered in order to complete the topic.

“What” am I writing about? This is a direct lead in from the “Who” marker. If I write for expecting mom’s than it will be a subject directly related to that topic. Expecting mom’s.

The single “How” marker is sometimes the most difficult one to get going. This is where a lot of research comes in to play. I f you write for the Internet or I should say If I write for the Internet than I will do some keyword research and find words or phrases that expecting mom’s are asking online.

The list goes on and on like this until I have a complete picture of what I am doing and as notes and small paragraphs have been written as I go the whole thing becomes like a picture that you start elaborating on and before you know it you have a full fledged article or report made. It only remains to edit and do the final touch up before publishing.

I presume that if I do this long enough than after a while it becomes second nature to do this automatically.

So conclusion to the original question than must be that I’m not a natural writer, as I have to do a lot of work before I have anything good to write about.

Finding Inspiration is Important for me and I have to look for it all the time.

You hear people taking about how they wrote a report or an article in a couple of hours. I can’t do that. I have to sit down in quiet surroundings and think. I have to look deeply for inspiration and find a subject that I can write about. Than I do my research and write down keywords or phrases at the same time. As research is progressing an “idea” or outline is forming and I start to write. At first it is just a ruff draft that I write. I will get back to it later and do editing and corrections as needed.  The part of research is what takes time. I don’t like to write just junk that has no deep purpose or end result. It has to have a meaning and for that to happen I have to do the research. Get facts. Hey, maybe Ii should call it a fact-finding research and not just research. I was once told that one of the better ways to write was to start asking questions. Use the questions as a beginning and than write the answers to them. After editing and writing for a while you might see a nice report forming.

So here we go; what should I write about for my Site “ArildNygard.com”. It’s a site about writing. I sometimes get a bit frustrated and don’t know what to write about. Travel was one of the subjects that I was going to write about. I like to have a bit of everything related to living and working in Montreal, Canada. Looking at travel I think, why travel? What’s so special about that and what can I write that has not been written before by somebody else? Many before me have don this and I don’t know if it can be any new way or a different way that I can do this. Maybe I Should just get into the specific of one subject only and stay with that till I have built a base for anything else that might evolve from it. I guess you have heard the expression one idea leads to another being borne.

Keeping on writing just might do that also. You kind of get into the groove and than the trick become how to stay there, in the Groove I mean. Many times I have been in the groove and just lost it as external distractions kept on interfering and I finally gave up completely. I sometimes wonder how a professional writer can stay with it for so long time. I guess this is part of their training that they go through when they start out. I heard one female writer once say that even though you know how to tune your car, you are not going to do it as well and fast as a professional mechanic. The same goes for writing she said. I think it’s true to the nt’ degree. I used to find great comfort and inspiration by listening and working with likeminded people online. This has since kind of diminished as we all drifted apart it seem. I don’t know what happened but the inspiration has gone and I now think it a lot of time lost just listening to or socializing online.
Another think about writing that I kind of have problems with is the fact that I can’t stay completely on topic but seem to drift off a bit every now and than. I kind of get side tracked and wonder off into the blue somewhere.

Staying focused and on track is one of my priorities when I write and after my ruff draft is done I sometimes have just half of my original left. The other half has been edited away as it’s not on topic. I have been told not to worry about it but keep on writing anyway and just edit it in the end.

The ruff draft is just that, a ruff draft. It might take a complete re-write for it to be any good but it has to start with a ruff draft. How would I ever finish if I don’t do it this way? No way I can get it done and completed any other way. At least I don’t know any other ways that works for me. So finding inspiration kind of get’s done this way. I just start writing and as I write things kind of pop into my head and I write them down, sometimes I just write them down in the middle of whatever I’m writing at the moment. I mark the “Idea” with a star or something that makes it easy for me to find later on. It is a way that is less intrusive and don’t throw me off the original writing as much as if I had to stop and take a note pad or book and write it down by hand. The inspiration I find is usually good for a bit and I have to act as fast as I can on it as usually doesn’t hang around for long. Inspirations come and go!

I was asked a question the other day on how to start publishing online and more importantly I guess an underlying question on how to sell the “works” online or make money if you like. Right at first I didn’t quiet understand what was behind this question but I pursued it and found that the person had been writing stories and articles for a while. Trying to get published off line is not easy. I still don’t know at this point what will come of it. I don’t even know what the person is writing about. I guess things will come to the surface eventually. It is a great pleasure for me to help out if I can but I really need some idea on where we are going with this if anything that I do is going to be targeted on the subject. It’s like looking for something in the haystack but not knowing what to look for.
I could imagine a scenario as follows;
So here we are, I have quit my day job and started to write for a living, full time or almost. I have been trying to get published for a while but no success yet. I have sold some articles to magazines and things are going ok for now (the bills are being paid). Sporadic work on other things takes me away from writing and lack of concentration on that is affecting the result. My short stories have been mailed out to publishing companies but are being sent back and I don’t even know if the have red, it doesn’t look like it! So now what? What can I do next? Should I try to contact some people and let them know what I’m up to and ask for help? I don’t know yet. Maybe a little bit of information can be obtained if I’m careful about asking. I have heard about publishing online – maybe that’s the way to go?
So how do I publish online? Is that the right question to ask? Maybe I should ask “How do I sell my work online” type of a question? I don’t know much about this at all do I?

I think the right answer for a person like this will be a multi stage type of answer.
Sitting down and talking about it for a while and maybe explaining what goes into working online might shed some light on the way to go. Draw up a plan, make a budget and last but not least, take action and start.
I will follow this a bit further as things evolve and post back here.

Technorati Tags: publishing, writing

Getting things out of my mind and forget about it. I wonder if it works if I write about it. Sort of emptying the grey matter we call a Brain.
Life is short and going around bearing grudges means wasting time and energy. People talk about backstabbing and that kind of stuff. What’s up folks? Don’t have anything better to do? Don’t like it the way it is? Well, get out of Dodge!
Personally I think my life is richer because of the people I meet and learn from. We are all different and should learn to accept one another the way we are. It doesn’t mean to join the bandwagon but simply accept the difference. I was under the impression that we all could get along just fine but it seems that it is difficult for many people to do just that. Maybe it’s the long winter that is taking it’s toll on peoples state of mind. I just don’t know.
Anyway this is all I’m gong to say about it as I consider it a waste of my time and energy. I just don’t like this sort of things.

Technorati Tags: State of Mind, Writing

It was yesterday, 2007. I think I said the same thing last time around. The year has passed by so quickly and it was like only yesterday that I was overseas for family visit and some r/r with friends and family. Wow, already a full year ago. Oh my, it flew by very fast. Looking back on the year that passed I have to say that it was a year of some learning but mainly it has been a year without focus and not real effort of putting things to work. Let me see if I can do better this year?
The change has to come this year as there is no return after this one. Focus is the name of the game.
Number one on the list is “The List”, a new way of training my self in how to focus. It has been my biggest problem and now I intend to really change it. For the New Year 2008 my motto will be “FOCUS”
I will be blogging about it and it will be part of my daily routine to work on “The List”. The “Theme” for 2008 will be “Focus” and “The List”. I hear it is a lot written about focus and what goes into being successful online. There are many that tries by very few seem to have any success at it. I’m talking about creating a comfortable living online. Take for instance this moment I’m sitting here writing about it and simply not doing it. Well it’s really more to it than that. I’m intending to document the whole process that I’m going through at the moment. From the beginning to the end, if I ever reach there, the end being a time when I’m making a comfortable income from the Internet. So here it is folks, my New Year resolution.

Technorati Tags: Focus, Concentration, Money, Progress

What else can you say than, oh my – are we getting it this year. Mother Nature is in an uproar and have dealt us one early this year. From one side we have to say it nice with a white Christmas but now it’s over and the reality is setting inn. It might be a heavy winter, as many seem to predict. The oil majors are hitting us with high price at the pump. Home heating will be hard this winter. There is very little positive from the side of the elderly. Heavy snow and slippery, hard to get around, makes for a tuff time for them. Hospitals overcrowded and long waiting in emergency rooms as this is the flu season but nothing new there, we have seen this before. The ski buffs are having a grand time and good for them. That industry needs a couple of good winters. Ski centers have been on the short end of the stick for a while now so it’s their turn this year. The time for staying inside and enjoying indoor activities is here and will stay for a while. It’s Boxing Day today, wonder what that will bring. Some people are crazy and are already in line-ups for the big sales. Those that can afford it will be getting some great deals. Many stores are expecting a higher than normal Boxing Day crowd and we will see in the end of the day if they were right or not

So you’ve always wanted to take a dream cruise vacation. Maybe it’s one of those things that wound up on the back burner, but you’ve started to believe that you just won’t be able to save up the money to take yourself and the spouse, or the whole family, on such a trip. Think again.
The cruise industry is growing faster than ever, and with this huge expansion comes more opportunities to save money on special cruise deals. With more vacationers taking to the seas cruise lines are growing larger and can afford to offer special discounts to customers to get more people hooked on this luxury style of vacationing. Those looking for a cruise vacation can make a few smart decisions and save themselves a lot of cash without much sacrifice.
The first step is to look into theme packages. Many cruises offer special discounts for certain lifestyles or age groups. There may be a family discount, a golden years discount, or a honeymoon discount available. Depending on what type of cruise you want and who’s going with you, this can be a huge money-saver if you’re willing to accept what is offered in the packaged deal.
When it comes time to book your cruise, believe it or not, don’t be too hasty. Many cruise lines receive unexpected cancellations at the last minute, and are eager to fill the empty slots. A would-be vacationer can often get extremely good deals if their schedule allows them to wait until the last minute to book. Call a cruise line days before a ship sets sail, and you might be pleasantly surprised by what you hear regarding discount rates for last-minute trips.
If you find a cruise line that you like, consider booking any future cruise vacations with the same line. Many cruise lines give discounts to repeat customers and you will probably receive a good percentage off your rate if you book a cruise at the same time each year with the same company. Talk to a travel agent who specializes in cruises. Often these agents can get you deals as well, especially with cruise lines they book often. By booking through an experienced travel agent you may earn the instant right to be a preferred customer.
Finally, do your research! There are many sites online for discount cruise fares, just as there are for airfares and other types of travel. Some websites specialize in locating cheap cruises for those who wish to vacation on a budget. Make use of a search engine, and don’t get discouraged… your cheap cruise is out there somewhere. The trick is using resources and a little brain work to find it.

Technorati Tags: Budget Travel, Money Matters, Travel, Vacations

If you are cruising for the first time – congratulations! You are in for a unique, worthwhile experience. As a newbie, though, you probably have questions about some of the do’s and don’ts of traveling aboard a cruise ship. Luckily, there are many die-hard cruisers who are happy to share some tips to make your first time more rewarding.

Before You Leave Home

Have a friend or neighbor take in your mail daily. Accumulating mail is a big sign to thieves and other troublemakers that no one is home. You could also have your mail held at the post office until you return.

Set your lights on timers so that it appears someone is home to deter troublemakers. Tell your neighborhood community patrol to make a few extra passes by your home while you are away.

Preprint labels and stamps if you plan to mail postcards out while you are on your cruise. This saves some time and you won’t have to lug around an awkward address book.

Money Matters

Stock up on traveler’s checks since they are replaceable if lost or stolen. To expedite the replacements should your traveler’s checks be lost or stolen, write down the serial numbers and put them in a safe and separate place. That way, it makes the bank’s job a little easier and speed up the process for your replacements.

Keep a handy supply of small denominational bills, usually one’s and five’s. Tipping is appreciated for porters and stewards at both the airport and docking pier of the ship. This is especially important in foreign countries. Horror stories abound about stolen or “lost” bags that never make it to the ship. Sometimes, you have got to grease their palms with cash. It’s a small price to pay for having your clothing and toiletries aboard for your cruise.

To avoid long lines at the end of your cruise, check out your ending invoice on your account. Check for any errors and resolve them as soon as possible. There is no sense adding the stress of standing in line to pay your final tab after you just had a relaxing vacation.

Take a few rubber bands with you to wrap around your wallet. The rubber will “grab” onto your clothing. This makes it very difficult for a pickpocket to part with your wallet without you feeling it.

Kid Stuff

If you are traveling with babies or toddlers, paper throwaway bibs are perfect for protecting your child from stains and messes at meal times, thus prolonging the wear of their clothing.

Bring a collapsible stroller for your young child. The cruise ship is a happening place and before long you will hear the strains of “I’m tired! Carry me!” This is exhausting to parents. With a stroller, you can just pop your kid inside and roll on.

Pack a few portable, self contained snacks for your child like peanut butter or cheese crackers. These will come in handy and are much cheaper than buying some once you are cruising or at port.

Odds and Ends

Throw inside your suitcase a few of those annoying plastic shopping bags that you usually get from the grocery store. These are handy for storing dirty clothing.

If you have an inside cabin, take a nightlight with you. Darkness is not fun when you are in a strange room. No sense running into walls or stubbing your toe if you can avoid it. Little maglight keychain flash lights are handy too.

Bring a little first aid kits for those minor emergencies. Wet wipes are handy too for those instance were a sink isn’t handy.

There are literally hundreds of cruise tips that can save the sanity of newbie travelers. Think of those little shortcuts or ideas that you use at home. Decide if they are adaptable to the cruise ship. The less you have to worry about, the more relaxed you will be after your cruise.

Technorati Tags: Cruise Vacation, Travel, Vacation