Whoa~ Need to recharge the Grey Matter

Writing isn’t as easy as it seems to be. For one thing, writing a particular format demands 100% focus if you want it to come out right. Somehow, there are still probabilities that an error or two would prop up. That’s when the time you need to re-energize and reignite that grey matter of yours.

While in Shah Alam, I enjoy watching the fishes at the aquarium at the lake park. The lake park itself is also a nice place to read, study and relax. No wonder so many couples and families go there every now and then. Though that comment is directed to the more ’secluded’ smaller lake. The larger part (which faces the PKNS Complex, SIRIM Bhd and Section 2) is too crowded and ‘open’. Feel exposed there, actually. The greenery and facilities of the smaller lake (behind Wisma Darul Ehsan and Plaza Alam Sentral) provides the serenity a student and a writer needs.

Back in Sarawak, I cannot say the same for beaches. Perhaps because I rarely go to one despite living about 50 metres from one. :-p When in Betong, however, the ideas rushes into my head that if I haven’t got a paper and pen to write it down, it would all be lost. There’s something inspiring in this Saribas heartland which I seem to enjoy. I guess it’s the simplicity of things here which eases the generation of ideas.

If I’m set to be a copywriter for life, I wouldn’t mind staying at either these two locations. The privacy the two towns has to offer are magnificent. As they say in French, c’est magnifique!

Alright, now it’s off to the showers before I work on the Bandar Puteri blog <link> entries for yesterday (still unpublished) and start on the entry for today. Then it’s a bit of speech writing for me. My first project of that nature. I look forward to the challenge.

p.s. Besides the location, writing this entry out helped to slow the pace my brain is working. From serious to relax. Like a car, you do not want to overheat the engine.

Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair 2008

(Image courtesy of KL International Book Fair 2008 - Link)

After much delay, I’m finally heading to the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair 2008. Did you know I totally forgot all about it until Friday? The event began last week, 4 April 2008 more accurately. Guess what? Today’s the last day! Good grief! Anyway, last week I was preoccupied with a meeting with my client and the Post Graduate Fair cum Entrepreneurship Fair cum Career Fair at Mid Valley Exhibition Centre (Entry link). And so the lobbying begins…

Case Study: Damien Green, MP

Damian Green, MP

Damian Green is the sitting member of the House of Commons for the constituency of Ashford. He has been representing that constituency since 1997. Currently, he is serving as the Shadow Minister for Immigration. Here is the link to his website (pops up in a new window).

You must be wondering “what case study is this?“

If you notice the tags and the category, you would realise what the idea is all about. Basically, I’m conducting a market research to offer my copywriting/corporate writing services to members of Parliament (either the Dewan Rakyat or the Dewan Negara) and the respective State Assemblies. Now this case study on Damian Green, MP is actually a case study on his presence in Cyberspace. The findings will enter my proposal paper on the proper services and packages which I can offer these public figures and other who require the same.

Speaking in Tongues - Business-Wise

“Heart Speaks to heart” (Cor ad cor loquitur) - St. Augustine

Was going through the archives when I stumbled upon this long forgotten entry. Take note that this entry - written over a year ago - is among the top visited page in recent times. While Influential quotations from Augustine’s writings may be religious, I assure you that this entry isn’t. Rather, this entry revolves around commerce and the material world. When it comes to writing and sales, many forget their true function: to sell. The question is how do you sell?

Inspitational Infusions

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

- Robert Frost

How often have you taken the time to pause and reflect on your life? The mistakes you made. The successes you have seen. The failure you face. Have you questioned how life would be if you had just taken that extra step? Or what would it have been like if you missed that particular turn? I know I have - over and over again. Then the question pops up: is this worth all that?

Post-BLS (Hons.) UiTM Plans

Education is a companion which no misfortune can depress,no crime can destroy, no enemy can alienate, no despot can enslave. At home a friend, abroad an introduction, in solitude a solace, and in society an ornament. It chastens vice, it guides virtue, it gives, at once, grace and government to genius. Without it, what is man? A splendid slave, a reasoning savage.

~ Joseph Addison, 1672-1719, English Essayist [The Spectator 1711]

For your information, this coming week will be the final week for my 4th Semester. Meaning, I’m concluding my second year and will soon begin my final year of undergraduate studies. But should this be the end of my formal education? Where will I be going to after this?

Certainly I have made up my mind that I must proceed with a Master’s Degree. The question is in what field? Should I continue with a Master’s Degree in Law? Would it be wise to duplicate the road that my seniors have taken before me? Which is to do the professional programme LL.B. (Hons). Quo vadis, Aldric?

Writing Career Update

It’s been a while since I’ve written anything about my writing career.

Bandarputeri.com.my

I have been hired by the Bandar Puteri online community to contribute to their blog. For your information, I should be contributing 20 entries per month beginning this February. Due to technical factors, I am rather behind schedule. I’ll make up for the remaining entry today and tomorrow - just before February 2008 ends.

Concurrently, a list of proposed topics would be emailed to the team behind the community. The team of dedicated people doing their best to make this project a success. The list would be emailed by tomorrow.

Elance.com

Against the advice of Robert Bly, I registered with Elance.com. Elance.com is where clients post their projects for freelancers to bid. Certainly the lowest bid would most certainly win the contract. To make things “worse”, I changed my membership plan from basic to professional. This cost me US$14.95.

On Elance.com, I’m offering my services under “Writing & Translation” and “Sales & Marketing”. While considering the paid membership, I uploaded a sales letter I wrote some time back meant to promote my services offline. The sales letter incorporates hypnotic writing (as per John Vitale’s Hypnotic Writing). I’m also drawing up specs for another sales letter, a press release and a short 200-300 description.

Remember I said that I was going against Bly’s advice? The fact is that his advice was meant for those who intend to finda constant flow of work. I’m adhering to his advice in the book Getting Started as a Freelance Writer. He urged novices to get the first 3 paid projects from commercial clients irrespective of the cost. Why? To build a more persuasive portfolio and clients list. The two ingredients differentiating a pro from rookie.

Verified PayPal Account

In line with my efforts to ease payment and transactions, I opened up a Paypal account some time back. It was only last week when I registered my TuneMoney.com card to verify my account. While I added a debit card, or pre-paid Visa card as it is being marketed in Malaysia, it did not amount to automatic verification. I then authorized the charging of $1.95 to my account to complete verification.

The effect? My Paypal can now handle virtually unlimited amount of money. Having a debit card, now I can draw the money with ease.

TuneMoney.com’s Pre-Paid Visa & AmBank’s NexG Pre-Paid Master Card

When you’re going to venture into e-commerce, it’s rather important for you to have either credit or debit cards. Why? To perform monetary transactions. Realising this and other reasons, I applied for TuneMoney’s Card during the Youth Lifestyle Showcase ‘08 at PWTC. A few weeks after that, I bought AmBank’s NexG card at the 7Eleven near the Monorail station in Brickfields/KL Sentral for RM25. I’m waiting for the follow-up on the registration of the later.

Needless to say, I now have both Visa and MasterCard without the worry of having a credit card.

Better stop Stats-Watching…

Right now I’m writing this entry from a “cybercafe” in Section 8, Shah Alam (hence no graphics…). For a blogger (or so I read), I shouldn’t be obsessed with the stats of my blog. Referring to it once and a while is fine, but obsessively is a bad habit. I guess it’s much like biting your nails or something.

How about you?Do you look at your blog once and a while or every other minute?