Tag: Write 2 Be blog

It’s All In How You Word Things

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I saw this video on Ms. L’s timeline on Facebook and it spoke volumes to me.  Words can be so powerful and you can say things in so many different ways that take on many different meanings to people.  Be mindful of what you say to others, not just the tone in which you say it, but the words that you choose to express yourself.  It’s also a reminder, on the business side of things, that everyone can use a good writer and if words are not your thing, if you don’t always choose the best words for the appropriate situation, then by all means please hire a writer.

Let Write 2 Be Media show you how valuable our professional writing, editing, and social media marketing services will be to you and your business. We offer various writing services such as professional blogging, portfolio creation, company newsletters, ghostwriting, typing services, research, and web content.  Take the pressure off of having to be your own marketer and let us do the work for you.  We’ll create and monitor your Facebook page, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn accounts, as well as create and maintain a blog or email newsletter for your project.

Simply leave a comment below or email us your request for services and a price quote to Write2BeFreelance@yahoo.com. Upon receiving your request, you will be contacted within 72 hours to assess the next step for your project.

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

My Write 2 Be is…

CEO/Writer/Editor

Write 2 Be Media/Write 2 Be Magazine

https://write-2-be.com/

http://write2bemagazine.com/

https://twitter.com/write2bemag

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

https://twitter.com/jcladyluv

 

I Could Pick Another Career….But I Like the One God Picked For Me

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WhatIDo

I will preface this post by stating with an absolute certainty that I love (love, love) being a writer.  It is what I am most passionate about.  It is what gets me through most of my bad days.  It is when I feel like I am doing the most good, in general, throughout the world.  And most importantly it is, what I feel, is the best legacy that I can leave behind for my daughter, and her children to come after.

Having said that, some days it is hard to be a writer when that is your only source of income and when the thought of doing anything else for a living makes you literally cringe.  People seem to think two polar opposite things about the life of a writer.  They either think that you are basically using a hobby as an excuse as to why you don’t have what they deem to be a “real” job or they think you have large sums of money in which you are not even close to having.  Now if you have made it like J.K. Rowling, or Stephen King, or James Patterson, or Terry McMillan, then sure, you do have large sums of money at your disposal.

However, if you have not made it to that milestone in your writing career yet, then you are just scraping by like any other average working person, it’s just not doing the traditional job.  That does not in any way diminish what you do or make it just a hobby that you are trying to get paid to do.  There is a huge difference in doing writing as a hobby and doing it as a career.  The struggle is different.  Once you make writing a career, it is not just about the sheer love of putting a fictional story, or even your story, on a piece of paper for all to see.  It then becomes a business in which you must then market yourself and your work.  You have now become a business in which you are your brand.

The business side of writing is what I sometimes dread because I have not always been the best at “selling myself” so to speak.  I can sale anyone else’s work and promote many others but for some reason when it comes to me it gets difficult.  It’s something that I have to get used to and get better at gradually but gradually does not garner me any immediate income the way that I need it to.

Writing is definitely not a career choice for the weak, or faint of heart, or for those that are looking for an easy source of financial stability.  I look unstable to those outside of the creative spectrum and I even feel that way most days but when I look at it in terms of whether my child is taken care of and if she has what she needs (plus a few things that she wants) and if the basic needs are being met, then I have to acknowledge that my modest way of living is working for now.

True I can’t do outlandish extravagant things and I can’t get every little thing that I desire but it makes it so much more worth it when I can obtain those things because I know that I worked hard for them.  Like I said in the beginning of this post, I love writing and I wouldn’t choose any other career.  There are ones that I would love to do in addition to writing like singing and counseling others but nothing I feel as passionate about as writing.

If writing is something that you love to do, then ignore all of the days that you feel like it’s just not worth it.  Ignore the feelings of you not being good enough to do this successfully.  Ignore all of the days where a regular job seems like the only option you really have to have everything that you want and desire.  Ignore the days that you feel like you’re not truly meant to be a writer because you can’t seem to promote yourself well enough.  Your days of struggling as a writer may seem like they are just beginning but in the end, if you work hard, if you fight hard for what you want out of your career, then it will all be worth it.  Work hard and struggle harder.

Jimmetta Carpenter

My Write 2 Be is…

CEO/Writer/Editor

Write 2 Be Media/Write 2 Be Magazine

https://write-2-be.com/

http://write2bemagazine.com/

https://twitter.com/write2bemag

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

https://twitter.com/jcladyluv

The Lesson I Learned From His Example

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“There is no passion to be found playing small—in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”

~Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela

The world has lost a great and powerful influence and the example for how to live life free of anger, and bitterness, and the true meaning behind forgiveness.  Nelson Mandela was undoubtedly strong and brave and showed a great love for his country and a great passion for the rights of people in general.  However, even more remarkable than that was his ability to not only forgive but to let go.

A lot of us can forgive but the letting go, the casting it out of our mind part, is always a little harder of a task to achieve.  That is not to say that Nelson Mandela ever forgot being wrongfully imprisoned for 27 years of his life, but just that he didn’t let it dictate his actions once he was released.  He could have been angry, he could have been bitter and he could have been depressed because he had more than enough reason to be.  But that’s not how he carried himself.  He forgave the people who wronged him and he continued on fighting for the people in his country and the human rights of people in other countries as well.

It puts things in perspective when you look at the man that he was because in all of our lives, while our struggles are not to be minimized or to be treated as if they are not indeed a struggle, they are still nothing that we should let stunt our growth as human beings or our growth in fulfilling our purpose.  This man sat in a prison cell for 27 years of his life and is still leaving behind such a huge legacy.

If anything, it makes me feel a little obligated.  I feel obligated to live this life that we are given, for the undetermined time that we are given it, to the fullest and obligated not to waste the gifts that God has given me.  I feel obligated to not waste this opportunity to fulfill the purpose that I have here on this earth.

None of us knows what tomorrow holds and I am not saying that we should not think about the future that is in store but we still have to concentrate on moving today in order to get there.  I’m saying this as much to myself as I am to all of you out there.  Stop worrying about what you can’t get done today and start focusing on what you can get done.  Don’t waste this day on the negative thoughts running through your mind.  What you do TODAY counts!

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

My Write 2 Be is…

CEO/Writer/Editor

Write 2 Be Media/Write 2 Be Magazine

https://write-2-be.com/

http://write2bemagazine.com/

https://twitter.com/write2bemag

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

https://twitter.com/jcladyluv

The Artist That I Am Not

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I have a secret wish.  I have always, in one way or another, wanted to be able to create visually stunning art.  Whether it would’ve been paintings, or drawings, or photography, or even graphic designs; anything that had to do with creating something that was visually stunning.

I always thought that is would be the perfect combination to add to my writing.  I could create my own covers after creating a wonderful story for everyone to engage themselves in and someday if I wanted to write children’s books then I could be the writer and the artist, sort of like a one stop shop.

Unfortunately while I was blessed with many creative talents to tap into (writing, singing, playing an instrument), drawing, painting, or taking a halfway decent picture was just not among those talents.  I have often thought about learning how to draw but every attempt (my sister, who is able to draw beautifully, tried to teach me a couple of times) at actually trying just proved to be pointless and a waste of the talents that I actually do have.

I don’t typically think about the type of artist that I am not but every now and then, I’ll see some beautiful painting or someone drawing something that is just extraordinarily beautiful and I’ll wish for just a few moments that I could create something like that.  It was just never meant for me to be visually artistic but for those of you who are, I admire you so much.  Don’t take the art that you create for granted and be proud of the visions that you are able to translate for the rest of the world to see.

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

Write 2 Be Magazine is now out so please go check it out at http://write2bemagazine.com/.  Also please go and join the magazine on twitter https://twitter.com/write2bemag, join the email listing for the magazine or submit a request for an author interview at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com, and also like the Write 2 Be Magazine fan page https://www.facebook.com/Write2BeMagazine.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

Evolve or Be Left Behind

jcladyluv

So in a career field such as writing there are many changes that have taken place.  There used to be a time when being published in print was the most desired end result by writers and the possibility of accomplishing it was damn near impossible.  Then technology came along in a huge and powerful way and allowed writers who weren’t able to get those sizeable publishing contracts from the bigger publishing houses to publish their own work in their own way and on their own time table.

Of course this then presented writers with having to do all of the hard work that the big publishing houses would have done for you such as marketing and publicity and booking their own interviews and book signings.  This then made writers more then just storytellers but also formidable business people as well.  Now, not only are writers able to self-publish their books in print form but technology has paved way for the ebooks for those (who for some reason that I have yet to figure out) who prefer to read their books through ereaders, kindles, and nooks.

Ebooks do make publishing easier, more affordable, and sometimes even more profitable.  Now I know that I have said before that I do not necessarily approve of reading my books in the form of ebooks, but I also acknowledge that as I am trying to grow my business and become more successful within the writing world, I need to give in to the times at some point.  That point is coming very soon.  Now I have a lot of research to do in the area of ebooks because I certainly don’t want to just put a product out there without knowing what I am doing, but I know that it is a step that has to be taken.

I don’t want to let my resistance to change hold me back from progressing and becoming more of a success.  This year is about moving forward and not holding myself back by refusing to budge as the world evolves around me.  Now this does not mean that I am going to turn into a kindle or nook user and suddenly start reading my books on those devices because I still prefer turning the pages of a physical (preferably hardback) book and that still is the method of reading that works for me.  However, I acknowledge that a lot of the people that I want to read my work probably don’t prefer to still read their books that way and I want to be read by everyone.

So of course after I have done all of my research and gathered my materials together and start producing ebooks to further grow my business, my readers here will be the first to know and hopefully the first to support.  So that is one way that I plan on evolving within my writing career this year.  How are you planning on evolving in yours?

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

Write 2 Be Magazine is now out so please go check it out at http://write2bemagazine.com/.  Also please go and join the magazine on twitter https://twitter.com/write2bemag, join the email listing for the magazine or submit a request for an author interview at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com, and also like the Write 2 Be Magazine fan page https://www.facebook.com/Write2BeMagazine.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

The Time to Incite Change is Now

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Yesterday was one of those days that make you want to incite change, not only within yourself but in the world.  Between it being Martin Luther King Jr. day and the Inauguration day of President Barack Obama you couldn’t help but to be inspired and hopeful for the bright future that this country has ahead and the mark that you could someday leave on it.  It just feels like the time to change things is now and that in this present moment you have to be willing to stand up and be that difference that this world needs.

When I think of all of the great people who incited the change that has been made in this world, I think about the fact that these were people who refused to remain silent or stand still.  They were people who didn’t care if no one else shared their beliefs or their opinions they were going to make their belief and opinions heard anyway.  They were not going to be afraid to step outside of the box that other people kept trying to keep them in.  They weren’t afraid to be that change that the world needed and make their mark.

I would like to think that I have already started on that journey to make a great change within this world.  While it is only the beginning of this year, with the release of my new magazine and my first guest blog post, which was published last week, that seems to be well received, I am feeling more and more like everything is starting to fall right into place.  There are so many things that I want to do in this world and so much change that I want to make.

My dream started off with just writing, then evolved into wanting to build a publishing house, and evolved even more into wanting to create a media empire to pass on to my daughter that not only encourages artists to not conform to what society says they should be, but that they should celebrate their uniqueness.  I also, as I saw my daughter begin to experience the bullying that I also once went through as a child, developed an urge to want to use my message for my media company to begin communicating to young children that they should feel okay with being who they are and know that being different is not something to be ashamed of but rather something to embrace.

I’m not sure what it is about this year that feels so different but it just feels like it’s going to bring about the changes that I’ve been waiting for.  Of course some of those developments I am working towards are still in the making but I feel like I’m getting so much closer to my destination.  I am going to change this world, in my own way and in my own time.  I believe all of us have that power.  We just have to tap into it.  Did yesterday inspire you to want to move toward change?

I have the Write 2 Be Motivated and Empowered… What is your Write 2 Be?

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

Write 2 Be Magazine is now out so please go check it out at http://write2bemagazine.com/.  Also please go and join the magazine on twitter https://twitter.com/write2bemag, join the email listing for the magazine or submit a request for an author interview at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com, and also like the Write 2 Be Magazine fan page https://www.facebook.com/Write2BeMagazine.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

Unstuck and Heading in the Right Direction

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I finally launched my magazine the other day and I am feeling really excited about all of its possibilities.  Initially I was scared (or maybe nervous would be a better word) about its release for all of the obvious reasons that anyone would be nervous going into a new venture.  This magazine is a big deal for me and the whole meaning behind Write 2 Be is important for me to get out.

Of course, as with any big venture that you embark on, I am discovering that all of the hard work that went into putting the initial debut issue out is really only just beginning because then there lies the responsibility of promotion and marketing that all falls on me.  Now anyone who reads this blog or who knows me already knows that I struggle deeply with the marketer that is supposed to live inside of me.

As a writer who does not have an agent as her advocate and who has not “hit it big” yet with some big contract from some major publishing house, and without some publicist slaving away on her behalf, I am learning how to market as I go along.  I was one of those aspiring writers who naively just thought that any publishing house would accept her work and of course they would have their own team of marketers and publicists that are working feverishly on behalf of my impending career and success.

Well that just isn’t how things worked out and nowadays as a writer trying to make it you have to be a good marketer of yourself and admittedly I am not.  I suppose it is mostly that I usually feel awkward patting myself on the back and that stems from personal childhood issues but I have slowly but surely started to get past that.  I am getting more adapt to being my own best supporter but it is definitely still a work in progress and is certainly not easy.

Having said all of that, with the release of my magazine I realized that this is a step in the right direction.  I had been feeling stuck within my writing and my drive towards success as a writer but now I know I am heading the right way towards my ultimate goals.  I felt stuck last year, and possibly even the year before that and I hadn’t realized why until I released the Write 2 Be Magazine.

I feel like I am now really beginning to fulfill my purpose and that I am starting to see my vision becoming the reality I knew it could be.  I feel revived and much surer of where I am headed and that I am definitely on the right path.  I feel very optimistic about this year as it pertains to my writing career and I am going to hold on to that optimism for as long as I can.

I have the Write 2 Be Proud and Inspired… What is your Write 2 Be?

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

Write 2 Be Magazine is now out so please go check it out at http://write2bemagazine.com/.  Also please go and join the magazine on twitter https://twitter.com/write2bemag, join the email listing for the magazine at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com, and also like the Write 2 Be Magazine fan page https://www.facebook.com/Write2BeMagazine.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

People Shouldn’t Be So Quick to Throw Stones

jcladyluv

So the topic of conversation in the news these days seems to be the whole Lance Armstrong mess.  Now I wrote a post previously regarding my thoughts about this topic but that was before there was any actual proof, and an Oprah interview around the corner sealed with a confession.  Well while almost every news anchor and talk show host seems to share the position that this is a disgrace and that his actions were simply the most horrible thing that an athlete has ever done, I still feel the same way that I did when I wrote about it before, empathetic.

One news anchor even went so far as to call Lance Armstrong a disgrace to all humankind.  I have to admit that comment shocked me because are we really going to put Lance Armstrong in the same category as mass murderers and rapist (because those people are one’s I consider to be a disgrace to humankind).  To tell the truth it made me a little angry.

What right does anyone have to judge someone else on mistakes that they have made?  Are any of us that perfect that we can really throw stones from our glass houses?  I mean obviously everyone doesn’t go around using steroids to perform better in a sport but there are so many mistakes that people make on a regular and daily basis that other people could judge just as harshly.  There are murderers who have been treated in a kinder fashion then the media is treating this man.  He may have been a world class athlete and a wonderful philanthropist (which everyone in the media seems to have forgotten about) but he is still a human being that makes mistakes just like any one of us.

We hold people, particularly those who are in the media spotlight, to such high standards that are impossible for anyone to measure up to.  Why do we keep expecting people to be perfect when we can never be?  It’s a shame that we are always so busy searching for the bad in people that we overlook all of the good in them.  There are so many people who hold themselves back from so many opportunities because they’re too afraid that they can’t live up to being perfect.  When are we going to just accept people for who they are, mistakes and all, and love them instead of choosing to judge them?

I have the Write 2 Be Authentic and Imperfect… What is your Write 2 Be?

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

 

Write 2 Be Magazine is now out so please go check it out at http://write2bemagazine.com/.  Also please go and join the magazine on twitter https://twitter.com/write2bemag, join the email listing for the magazine at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com, and also like the Write 2 Be Magazine fan page https://www.facebook.com/Write2BeMagazine.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

Write 2 Be Magazine is Live!!!

jcladyluv

Well after much preparation and weeks of pulling my hair out to put the final product together, the debut issue of Write 2 Be Magazine is finally ready to be shared with the rest of the world.  Write 2 Be is about not fitting into the mold other people want you to fit in.  It’s about not letting other people’s thoughts and opinions of you define who it is that you are.  It’s about making the unexpected and sometimes unpopular choices in order to stay true to yourself.  Write 2 Be is about defining yourself as whatever you feel you have the Write 2 Be…

Write 2 Be Magazine will be designed to give writers and artists a broad platform to showcase their work and share their experiences in dealing with the ins and outs of both the creative and business side of writing and the publishing industry.  It is a magazine that is meant to help people tap into their true creative and artistic selves without giving into others expectations of who you should be.

It has been a true labor of love, one that I pray will carry on for years and years to come.  I really hope that all of you will go and check it out (http://write2bemagazine.com/) and more importantly, that you all will love it and read it on a regular basis.  So go on, check it out and leave a comment to let me know what you think.

I have the Write 2 Be Creative and Inspiring… What is your Write 2 Be?

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

Is My Work Ethic Lost in Translation?

jcladyluv

I am in awe of the work ethic of most successful people.  You here stories all the time from Oprah Winfrey, or Russell Simmons, or Tyler Perry, or Steven Spielberg, about how they work nearly 24/7 and the need for them to sleep is something that they continue to put off until the work is done.

It’s something that I admire in all of them and that I wish already existed in me.  I don’t know if it’s just that I don’t have the capability to work that hard (God I hope that’s not it) or if it’s just that the work ethic will suddenly show up in full drive when the success that I’ve been longing for arrives.  But I know better and I know that in order to get that success that I am driven to have the work ethic has to be put in place now.

I will admit that since I got out of my funk and my depressed state at the end of last year and developed a renewed drive to establish my brand and launch my magazine that I have increased my level of work ethic.  However, it’s not high enough, the intensity is not in high enough gear for me and it sounds simple to say ‘well if it’s not high enough then get it there, fast’ but it’s almost like as soon as I reach the peak of my drive to get things done, I get tired all of a sudden and my energy level drops (despite the many vitamins I take).  I’m starting to wonder if maybe this is more a health issue and not an issue of my work ethic.

One of my goals this year is to take better care of my health and I have already made the first step to tackling that but I won’t see my new doctor until the end of the month.  I know that I am anemic and I am not currently taking any iron pills so that may very well be a large part of the problem but I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I’m a little worried that there might be other things wrong.  I can’t wait to figure out the problem so that I can address it and get the level of my work ethic back on track with my actual desire to accomplish all of my goals.  I suppose this is why they say you have to take care of you first so that you can take care of everything else that is to come.

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

Write 2 Be Magazine will be debuting on January 15th, 2013 so please go join the magazine on twitter before it debuts on https://twitter.com/write2bemag and join the email listing for the magazine at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com.  Also please feel free to like my Write 2 Be Magazine fan page https://www.facebook.com/Write2BeMagazine.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.