Nick | velvetverbosity.com https://velvetverbosity.com Just another WordPress site Mon, 27 Jun 2022 01:06:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 194740957 What does it mean to be a writer? https://velvetverbosity.com/2022/06/23/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-writer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-writer Thu, 23 Jun 2022 15:21:11 +0000 https://velvetverbosity.com/?p=549 The writer is an unusual and interesting profession. It seems that writers are people of choice. In fact, anyone can write and publish a book today. Moreover, even publishing a book is not required – you can create an electronic version and sell it over the Internet. Writers can be… Continue Reading What does it mean to be a writer?

The post What does it mean to be a writer? first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]>
The writer is an unusual and interesting profession. It seems that writers are people of choice. In fact, anyone can write and publish a book today. Moreover, even publishing a book is not required – you can create an electronic version and sell it over the Internet.

Writers can be different: some write fiction, others – business books, third – technical. What is closer to you, then choose for creativity.

The essence of the profession of a writer

Create interesting books that are in demand on the market. The more circulation of your works – the more money you earn, the more famous, larger publishers will want to work with you.

Basic skills that require work as a writer:

Deep knowledge of your subject, both theory and practice;
The ability to express ideas and thoughts in an interesting and clear way;
The ability to find interesting topics for books that can attract many people.

Desirable knowledge, skills, abilities:

Easy and simple syllable;
Literate language.

Main clients
Publishing houses.
Books can be sold directly to readers through the Internet, for example, on your site.

Writers’ fees
On average, publishing houses pay 10% of the wholesale price of a copy. Usually retailers make a markup of 100% on books. Thus, roughly the author receives about 5% of the cost of a book on the shelf. Beginning writers can expect to issue a book with circulation of 2000-4000 copies.
It is possible to sell books directly through the Internet, setting the price by yourself.

If you become a popular writer and are able to sell 100-200 thousand copies of your works, your fees can reach very serious figures.

How to become a writer?

There are two ways to become a writer. The first is to come up with an idea for a new book and offer it to publishing houses. If they are interested in it, they will conclude a contract with you and will take on most of the trouble to produce and distribute the book. You will have to write a brilliant text. The manuscript can be sent through the websites of publishing houses. Choose to send the application of large and reputable companies.

The second way to become a writer is to write a book and try to sell it yourself via the Internet. In this case, you will need skills in e-commerce. In the second case, the income may be much higher than in the first. The disadvantage of the second approach is that you will have to invest your own money in creating a book as a product and promoting it.

The post What does it mean to be a writer? first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]>
549
What to do and not do on the exam? https://velvetverbosity.com/2022/06/22/what-to-do-and-not-do-on-the-exam/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-to-do-and-not-do-on-the-exam Wed, 22 Jun 2022 13:03:00 +0000 http://velvetverbosity.com/?p=554 The exam is approaching, and you are getting nervous because you have no idea how to answer the questions. Here are some basic tips on what to do and not do on your exam paper from one of the best educational service – Customessaymeister. Here are some basic things you… Continue Reading What to do and not do on the exam?

The post What to do and not do on the exam? first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]>

The exam is approaching, and you are getting nervous because you have no idea how to answer the questions. Here are some basic tips on what to do and not do on your exam paper from one of the best educational service – Customessaymeister.

Here are some basic things you can do before you start writing your essay.

  • Read the instructions carefully. Are there any changes?
  • Make sure you understand each question and its sub-questions.
  • Underline the main point of each question, or read through it again to make sure you understand what this is asking.
  • Think about how you’re going to organize your answer: do you separate between Reasons and Consequences, or Causes and Outcomes?

Do read the instructions and check for any changes.

Do read the instructions and check for any changes.

The exam instructions will be printed on a card, which you should read carefully before answering each question. The instructions can change from year to year, so even if you took the same test last year, it’s important to check whether there are any changes this year.

Each question has two parts: the stem and two answer choices (A and B). To answer correctly, you must choose the correct one of these options—there is no “none of these” option in a multiple-choice exam! Be sure not to accidentally click on A or B when looking at your answer choices; instead take your time and carefully consider each letter before selecting an option.

Do underline the main point of each question.

Before you begin to answer a question, you should find the main point of the question. To do this, read through the entire problem and underline each word that seems important or related to the topic of the problem. Then, reread your underlined words carefully until you find one sentence that clearly gives an overview of what is going on in the entire story/situation/problem. This sentence is called “the main point.” It tells us everything we need to know about how things are connected and why it matters.

Now, go back over all your answers from before and see if they address this main point correctly! If not, rewrite them so that they do.

Do read through the question and make sure you understand it.

You should read through the question and make sure you understand it. Don’t just skim over what’s written in the question.

Don’t just read the question and then start writing your answer. The questions on the exam will have more than one part so make sure you know exactly what they’re asking before starting to write down an answer.

Do outline the structure of your exam answer, making sure you clearly separate between Reasons and Consequences, or Causes and Outcomes.

  • Understand the question
  • Understand the structure of your answer
  • Write down a plan for yourself before you start writing your essay. This is called an outline and it helps to make sure that when you go back through the essay, you don’t miss any key points or ideas. An outline should include:

4-5 Reasons (Causes) + Consequences (Effects)

3 Costs/Benefits

2 Strategies/Tactics

Do make a list of the reasons/causes (the things that will explain your main point).

Be sure to make a list of reasons/causes. In order to help you out, here’s how I’d do it:

  • List them in order of their importance (or, if you’re writing about more than one thing, the things that are most important).
  • If there are multiple causes for something that happened, list them in the order they occurred. For example, let’s say we’re talking about why someone died from an illness—the first cause may be that he or she didn’t get enough sleep; then his or her immune system might have been weakened by lack of food over time; etc.
  • Order your reasons/causes according to how they will be presented in your essay (which could even change!).

Do brainstorm an introduction/conclusion.

As you brainstorm, you’re thinking about what kind of essay to write. Brainstorming helps you get started by giving your mind time to relax and think about the question. It also helps you develop ideas and organize your thoughts in a way that makes sense for the question.

You might ask yourself: Why did the author write this document? What is its purpose? What arguments is the author making? How does my opinion relate to those arguments?

Here are some things you should definitely not do before you start answering an essay question on your exam paper.

Here are some things you should definitely not do before you start answering an essay question on your exam paper.

  • Don’t write out the entire answer in your own words on a separate sheet of paper before copying it onto the answer sheet. This is a sure-fire way to lose marks. What happens if you run out of space? What happens if the examiner reads your handwriting and gives it zero marks because he or she thinks it looks stupid?
  • Don’t panic! Exam questions are very rarely any trickier than the ones you work on in class during revision sessions, so try not to worry too much about this particular one being different from what you have been taught at school or university before now.

Don’t write out the entire answer in your own words on a separate sheet of paper before copying it onto the answer sheet.

DON’T copy the full answer from your own sheet of paper onto the answer sheet.

You don’t have to write out the entire answer on a separate sheet of paper before copying it onto the answer sheet. It’s okay to use scratch paper for things like solving problems, but once you’ve solved a problem and are ready to record your solution, do not simply write down all the steps in their entirety on another piece of paper and then copy those steps onto your answer booklet! Instead just record each step separately—this way if something goes wrong with your hand writing (which has been known to happen) you won’t lose everything at once.

Don’t panic! Exam questions are very rarely any trickier than the ones you work on in class during revision sessions.

Don’t panic! Exam questions are very rarely any trickier than the ones you work on in class during revision sessions. You know the material and you have been practicing, studying for the exam and revising for the exam. You have experienced exam conditions before and have a good idea of how long it will take to complete a question.

You also know what format your course is going to follow: multiple choice questions followed by short answers or extended writing tasks.

Always go through the instructions, check for changes and read through the entire question to find any important details.

The instructions, as well as the questions themselves, are going to be written in a specific format. Your task is to read and understand this format. Each question will have a key part that you must identify and understand before answering the question. The key details could be words or numbers.

This is an example of a typical question:

What is the best way for kids to learn about healthy eating habits? ____A) Get parents involved at home by serving healthy meals prepared from scratch; B) Encourage them to snack on fresh fruits and vegetables; C) Learn how many calories they’re burning while they exercise; D) Make sure they get plenty of physical activity each day.(Source: Nutrition Across America Survey (NAAS))

Conclusion

The main thing to remember is that exams are designed to test what you’ve learned and how well you can write about it. There will be no ‘sneaky’ questions, because this kind of thing doesn’t really help anyone. Just make sure that when you’re reading your exam paper, you properly understand what each question is asking for, and don’t panic!

The post What to do and not do on the exam? first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]>
554
Velvet Verbosity’s Etsy Find – Halloween Masks https://velvetverbosity.com/2020/10/31/velvet-verbositys-etsy-find-halloween-masks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=velvet-verbositys-etsy-find-halloween-masks Sat, 31 Oct 2020 09:24:55 +0000 http://velvetverbosity.com/?p=183 In the Halloween spirit, I bring you my two favorite Etsy finds this week. Just look at these gorgeous handmade leather masks! This first one, made by Merimask, is a Copperhead Medusa Mask, hand-sculpted from one piece of leather and then hand-painted with meticulous detail. Merimask has done work for… Continue Reading Velvet Verbosity’s Etsy Find – Halloween Masks

The post Velvet Verbosity’s Etsy Find – Halloween Masks first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]>
In the Halloween spirit, I bring you my two favorite Etsy finds this week. Just look at these gorgeous handmade leather masks!

This first one, made by Merimask, is a Copperhead Medusa Mask, hand-sculpted from one piece of leather and then hand-painted with meticulous detail. Merimask has done work for Cirque de Soleil, and her work is featured in galleries around the country. With Merimask’s talent, her take-charge attitude, and radical confidence in her work, this mask is bound to be a collector’s item. This gal is going places, and the prices of the masks are likely to only go up and up. So even if it’s too late for Halloween this year, plan ahead for next.

This delicate, yet durable, gem of a mask is made by Wendy Klein Masks. I love the subtle details of this mask, from the embroidery to the embedded rhinestones. My favorite feature is that the beads wrap over your ear rather than tying behind your head (and thus messing up your fabulous Do because you’d have to have fabulastic hair to go with this beauty). Now, I haven’t tried this myself, and I have doubts about how well that actually works, but the craftsmanship of this mask is so superior that I have to believe it works to at least a satisfactory degree.

Happy Halloween!

** Disclaimer – All items from Etsy that I choose to feature here are of my own finding. They are things I like, not things I will get a kickback on or a free gift of. No one has approached me asking me to review their product. Most importantly, I don’t always BUY these items (what, you think this blog is making me any MONEY?) This is just me, doing my part and sharing a little bit of what’s worth finding on the world WIDE web.

/ Digg this /
Stumble this
The post Velvet Verbosity’s Etsy Find – Halloween Masks first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]> 183 Bossy Wins Halloween Costume Contest https://velvetverbosity.com/2020/10/31/bossy-wins-halloween-costume-contest/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bossy-wins-halloween-costume-contest Sat, 31 Oct 2020 09:24:52 +0000 http://velvetverbosity.com/?p=181 Bossy and her Beau win for most original Halloween Costume for 2008. I’ll be the judge of that! hehe. / Digg this / Stumble this

The post Bossy Wins Halloween Costume Contest first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]> Bossy and her Beau win for most original Halloween Costume for 2008.

I’ll be the judge of that! hehe.

/ Digg this /
Stumble this
The post Bossy Wins Halloween Costume Contest first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]> 181 Portrait #37 https://velvetverbosity.com/2020/10/30/portrait-37/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=portrait-37 Fri, 30 Oct 2020 09:39:40 +0000 http://velvetverbosity.com/?p=455 He is a porcelain doll writ large, too tall for grace and yet, it is all he possesses in every gesture and every motion.  Even the way he eats cake is graceful, when the length of his limbs says it shouldn’t be anything but awkward.  He carries the refined features… Continue Reading Portrait #37

The post Portrait #37 first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]>

He is a porcelain doll writ large, too tall for grace and yet, it is all he possesses in every gesture and every motion.  Even the way he eats cake is graceful, when the length of his limbs says it shouldn’t be anything but awkward.  He carries the refined features and low brow of the German or Dutch, and sits in the common modern repose – face over laptop – but his bend is different.  Perhaps it is the ghost of a smile that plays upon his perfect mouth as though his face could split open into laughter at any moment.  Perhaps it is nothing more than that strange sense of “other” we pretend doesn’t exist, but is betrayed by our constant fascination.  I let myself imagine that he is blissfully unaware of his outer beauty, so that when and if he ever looks up at another person, the smile he will surely gift will be innocent, for it is too tragic to think that such physical perfection corrupts the soul.

With love,

The post Portrait #37 first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]>
455
100 Words on Place https://velvetverbosity.com/2020/10/27/100-words-on-place/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=100-words-on-place Tue, 27 Oct 2020 09:39:34 +0000 http://velvetverbosity.com/?p=453 Place – Unaware She was born fierce, never knowing her place whether that be her position, her race, her size, her gender, her skills, or her economic status.  Wherever she was, whoever with, her place was there, in that moment.  She vaporized boundaries on a minute by minute basis, unnerving… Continue Reading 100 Words on Place

The post 100 Words on Place first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]>

Place – Unaware

She was born fierce, never knowing her place whether that be her position, her race, her size, her gender, her skills, or her economic status.  Wherever she was, whoever with, her place was there, in that moment.  She vaporized boundaries on a minute by minute basis, unnerving most everyone she came into contact with. It was only after she had confronted the hoodlums that night, in the darkness of her own yard, that she would sit in wonder at her lack of awareness of the limits of her power, and a shiver ripped through her at what might have happened.

My pick of the week is newcomer Daddybookins.  We found each other on Twitter and he was excited to try his pen at the 100 word challenge, and he immediately set to work with his young son to create a whimsical 100 word poem on Place.  Head over to PeasandBananas to check it out, and remember to give him some extra special blog love.

In other words…

  • The torture of not feeling place…(I,Rodius)
  • If anyone has figured out how to see AuroraLee’s entry, please let me know.
  • Give me the shivers… (Angelgal)
  • “He needs a place…” (Lceel)
  • She’s so not a chicken… (Patsy)
  • The places you don’t want to go… (Laura)

That wraps up last week’s challenge.  For those of you that are new, welcome!  And for those of you lurking, visiting, or serendipitously stumbling your way here, speak up, we’d love to hear what you have to say in 100 words.  (If you need a debriefing on the challenge, go here but ignore the timelines in there.)

Between building a new website, starting a new business, working on a re-design of Velvet Verbosity (I’m so excited), and the general chaos of life, I’ve had no time to read anything this week.  In fact, do you hear that?  That’s the slow silent scream of all my plants drying up.  So this week’s word comes from an oldie but goodie, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach.

Falter

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go water my plants before they stage a coup.

With love,

The post 100 Words on Place first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]>
453
Where Did She Come From? https://velvetverbosity.com/2020/10/27/where-did-she-come-from/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=where-did-she-come-from Tue, 27 Oct 2020 09:23:05 +0000 http://velvetverbosity.com/?p=131 I gave birth, almost fourteen years ago, to an unbelievable life force. Loud, forceful, funny, outgoing, athletic, brave-as-all-hell, thoughtful, organized, and stunningly beautiful. Everything I’m not. How does that happen? Today, she and I were driving around looking for a parking spot, and in one of the few parking lots,… Continue Reading Where Did She Come From?

The post Where Did She Come From? first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]>
I gave birth, almost fourteen years ago, to an unbelievable life force. Loud, forceful, funny, outgoing, athletic, brave-as-all-hell, thoughtful, organized, and stunningly beautiful. Everything I’m not. How does that happen?

Today, she and I were driving around looking for a parking spot, and in one of the few parking lots, there was a car just sitting, idling. The first time we drove by, we looked in and took note that the occupants of the car were a young, good-looking couple. As I drove past the car several minutes later, for the second time, I wondered aloud what they were doing just sitting there. It was annoying me for no particular reason. I thought maybe they knew something I didn’t, like that in two minutes half the stuffed parking lot would clear out, and they were just patiently waiting for some prime downtown parkage.



After I grumbled to myself, “what the heck are they
doing?”, my daughter promptly replied, “They’re being hot…just give them a minute”.

Out of the mouths of babes…

/ Digg this /
Stumble this
The post Where Did She Come From? first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]> 131 100 Words Tomorrow https://velvetverbosity.com/2020/10/26/100-words-tomorrow/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=100-words-tomorrow Mon, 26 Oct 2020 09:39:29 +0000 http://velvetverbosity.com/?p=451 I’m on a copywriting deadline that is giving me a bit of a headache. Great gig, but trying to make copy for something completely uninteresting sound interesting is a bit of a challenge.  So hold tight folks, I’ll be back tomorrow with the roundup.  Or late late tonight if my… Continue Reading 100 Words Tomorrow

The post 100 Words Tomorrow first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]> I’m on a copywriting deadline that is giving me a bit of a headache. Great gig, but trying to make copy for something completely uninteresting sound interesting is a bit of a challenge.  So hold tight folks, I’ll be back tomorrow with the roundup.  Or late late tonight if my eyes are still open.  To hold you over, a photo taken today on the drive home.  Couldn’t pass it up.

The post 100 Words Tomorrow first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]>
451
Kenneth Parker Photography – Just Stunning https://velvetverbosity.com/2020/10/25/kenneth-parker-photography-just-stunning/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kenneth-parker-photography-just-stunning Sun, 25 Oct 2020 09:24:50 +0000 http://velvetverbosity.com/?p=179 Don’t ask me why I’m suddenly into the whole review thing, but obviously I’m on that kick right now. There are just so many cool things on the internet, and so little time. For my few but loyal readers I feel almost responsible to share things that I find. To… Continue Reading Kenneth Parker Photography – Just Stunning

The post Kenneth Parker Photography – Just Stunning first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]>
Don’t ask me why I’m suddenly into the whole review thing, but obviously I’m on that kick right now. There are just so many cool things on the internet, and so little time. For my few but loyal readers I feel almost responsible to share things that I find. To not share links and photos seems selfish somehow in a three year old kind of way.

“No, you can’t see it. It’s MINE!”

Velvet Verbosity doesn’t play like that.


So I bring you Kenneth Parker Photography. Stunning, beautiful photographs. The kind we all wish that expensive digital camera we asked for for Christmas would take automatically.

/ Digg this /
Stumble this
The post Kenneth Parker Photography – Just Stunning first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]> 179 Velvet Verbosity’s Etsy Find of the Week – Paper Lotus Light Shade https://velvetverbosity.com/2020/10/24/velvet-verbositys-etsy-find-of-the-week-paper-lotus-light-shade/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=velvet-verbositys-etsy-find-of-the-week-paper-lotus-light-shade Sat, 24 Oct 2020 09:24:47 +0000 http://velvetverbosity.com/?p=177 I am in love with this week’s Etsy Find. I won’t be able to afford this gorgeous handcrafted Paper Lotus Light Shade right now, but I hope someone can. Better yet, I hope someone buys me this for Christmas! You want to know the best part? These hanging light shades… Continue Reading Velvet Verbosity’s Etsy Find of the Week – Paper Lotus Light Shade

The post Velvet Verbosity’s Etsy Find of the Week – Paper Lotus Light Shade first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]> I am in love with this week’s Etsy Find. I won’t be able to afford this gorgeous handcrafted Paper Lotus Light Shade right now, but I hope someone can. Better yet, I hope someone buys me this for Christmas!


You want to know the best part? These hanging light shades are custom made to order so you can specify size, and even color. The dynamic duo behind this beautiful lotus also make other lamp shades, which are really lamp shade sculptures.

Lest you worry that your beautiful lotus light shade will burst into flames right before your eyes after just a couple of hours of glowing warmly, no need to worry. Blue Tree is way ahead of you (or maybe it’s just me). All paper lamp shades are treated with a “protective finish” rendering them non-flammable and moisture resistant. This is fabulous news.

So, Dad, Sister, Mother, Brother, Someone Who Loves Me, Children of Mine, Stranger on the Street, take note. This is on my WISH LIST. If you’ve been in my kitchen, I think you’ll agree. I need this.

** Disclaimer – All items from Etsy that I choose to feature here are of my own finding. They are things I like, not things I will get a kickback on or a free gift of. No one has approached me asking me to review their product. Most importantly, I don’t always BUY these items (what, you think this blog is making me any MONEY?) This is just me, doing my part and sharing a little bit of what’s worth finding on the world WIDE web.

/ Digg this /
Stumble this
The post Velvet Verbosity’s Etsy Find of the Week – Paper Lotus Light Shade first appeared on velvetverbosity.com.]]> 177