James J. Cudney IV

365 Challenge: Day 361 – Tips

Tips: (a) monetary gratuity for doing a good job, or (b) new segment sharing advice for writers on the ThisIsMyTruthNow blog

tips.jpg

Today is the 5-day countdown until the 365 Daily Challenge is complete. I’ve chosen tips as the word to discuss in my post because it will be one of the bigger segments on my blog in the coming weeks. I have a few other reveals in the next few days, but this is the first of the vision unfolding before our eyes… I’m not entirely certain how it’s going to come together, but I plan to spend the next two weeks mulling over the approach, style, and content I’d like to share. Along with last Sunday’s flashback word mentor, I want my website and blog to represent a big piece of who I am… someone who likes to help other people by sharing all that I’ve learned on my own journey. Through the 365 Daily Challenge, I often suggested tips or provided advice on a few topics. In the enhanced blog, I want it to be a more formal approach where I have a few different segments or arcs throughout the month.

A few of the areas I’m considering:

  • Tips for writers. While I’m a fairly new author, I have been writing for years either professionally in my business career or creatively in my personal time. Providing tips doesn’t imply I’m an expert… I’m certain my editor will concur with that statement! I have loads of mistakes in different drafts of my books as they’re being written. In the first published version of Watching Glass Shatter, it contained a bunch of grammatical and proofreading issues (all later corrected) because it’s hard to find your own mistakes after re-reading the same thing repeatedly. Once I brought in an outside editor, it was life-changing. And so… I look at tips as a way to share things I’ve learned, explanations on how I write, or thoughts on options for others to try. These tips could include things like: (1) how to build characters your readers can connect with, (2) what are filter words and how do you remove them from your novel, (3) what ways/tools can you use to find duplicate/repeated words in your drafts, (4) how do you use Twitter to find new readers, or (5) how do you build a timeline and outline before you begin writing without going crazy.
  • Tips for life. The world is a big place. Our education can be formal or informal. I’m often surprised at the types of things people don’t learn along the way, but probably should have. Things that help you build a stronger, happier, and more efficient life. Many of these things I was lucky enough to be taught throughout the path. Some I learned only after failing miserably along the way. And in a few small cases, it just came naturally to me. But that’s now how it happens for everyone else, nor do people truly get the ‘life education’ they should get early enough to make an impact. These tips could include things like: (1) how to manage your money when you’re first starting out after school, (2) how do you handle constructive criticism, (3) how to think for yourself and not just go with what others want, (4) what do you need to do to achieve a balanced day, or (5) why is it important to trace your ancestry?

Both of these items are only partially fleshed out, but I’m passionate about the necessity of these lessons and experiences at an early age / period in life. I spend a lot of time thinking inside my head about how much we all face the same issues, yet we fail to truly enact the change to make the future better. It usually comes down to not having built your life with these principles at an early enough stage. I’m far from perfect. I make mistakes all the time. But I have a strong foundation and easily find my way back to peace. I would love to share my approach with others in the hope it helps even just a few. I’m thinking through how to make this work on a blog — also always open to suggestions. I thought I’d share just a little in today’s post about how I see tips playing a bigger role on my blog in the future. Looking forward to everyone’s ideas and feedback.

 

About Me & the “365 Daily Challenge”

I’m Jay, an author who lives in NYC. My debut novel, Watching Glass Shatter, can be purchased on Amazon @ http://mybook.to/WGS. I’ve always been a reader. And now I’m a daily blogger. I decided to start my own version of the “365 Daily Challenge” where since March 13, 2017, I’ve posted a characteristic either I currently embody or one I’d like to embody in the future. 365 days of reflection to discover who I am and what I want out of life.

The goal: Knowledge. Acceptance. Understanding. Optimization. Happiness. Help. For myself. For others. And if all else fails, humor. When I’m finished in one year, I hope to have more answers about the future and what I will do with the remainder of my life. All aspects to be considered. It’s not just about a career, hobbies, residence, activities, efforts, et al. It’s meant to be a comprehensive study and reflection from an ordinary man. Not a doctor. Not a therapist. Not a friend. Not an encyclopedia full of prior research. Just pure thought, a blogged journal with true honesty.

Join the fun and read a new post each day, or check out my book reviews, TV/Film reviews or favorite vacation spots. And feel free to like, rate, comment or take the poll for each post. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.

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62 comments

  8. Great post and I really like the idea of tips for life and writing. My friend, N. N. Light, shares her feelings on life through her inspirational thoughts and many times, it’s exactly what I need to hear at that very moment. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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  9. Sounds like a wonderful direction to follow. I’ve heard said that you don’t have to be an expert to coach. You just have to understand what the person you’re helping is going through. As someone fairly fresh out of the beginning stages, you’re in a good place to help others. You still remember the tribulations! 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  15. Great idea, Jay! I’m looking forward to your tips posts. We all have little things that we learn along the way and sharing them benefits us all. And there is still always so much more to learn! I think it’s great the way you are always so helpful and supporting others. Cheers!:)

    Liked by 1 person

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