C Tann-Starr

Club Chaos SEO Bootcamp

Writing 101: The Water Writer versus The Glass Writer

What is an objective comment? The concept seems pretty subjective to me... Fact: the glass is half empty. Fact: the glass is half full. Fact: the glass is full of air and water... Hmm... Are we all right based upon our view of what we observe and how we describe it? Is one more right than another? Facts are always relative to what we are presenting or comparing them to. Facts change as more information is known... Whether a fact is objective or subjective remains to be seen. The facts of the matter have to be discovered and facts change with each new piece of information revealed.

If the glass is the subject, it is full of air and water. If the liquid is the subject, it can either be half full or half empty. If one writer focuses on the glass and another focuses on the water, third parties visiting writers who write upon the same subject should not take it upon themselves to hastily call either the water writer or the glass writer a liar, incompetent, unobservant, negligent or any emotionally charged thing simply because he or she (the writer) is the sole person who gets to decide the point of view or angle of relativity to narrate their blog post story from.

Sharing a view or voicing a complaint should always start from a point of honesty. Be honest about what you like and dislike and people will be able to connect to you simply because they can relate emotionally and intellectually to what you are saying. Blogging is a social sport of bantering words because it is the blog posts that start the conversations.

Without dialog your blog is worthless. Original content is king so write with the idea that people will be Googling what interests them. If something is a common term to your profession, religion, community, hobby then use that term and don't worry about the grammar issue if the phrase is the key to finding your blog post subject. Stop trolling the net for a list of hot key words. They don't exist. Your readers exist. Your readers are looking for interesting writers to opine upon stuff they like. If you don't write about what is important to you then that's a waste of time and you wont develop your talent. Create works of literature based upon what you are trying to convey from your heart, mind and imagination. The rest will follow as you share more of your thoughts regarding what you like and dislike.

The person who focused on the glass did not give a more precise description of events than the water writer, he or she just described a different aspect of the same scene from their point of view relative to the known facts at hand. You need to understand this because if you are not privy to all of the facts, did not observe first hand the event, then you only know what people choose to reveal to you. They only know what you describe in your attempt to make them understand what you are seeing and feeling.

It is up to the reader to decide to accept or reject the information at hand. They will make judgments about you based upon what is read so you might want to start by stop calling yourself number one in anything. We can't all have that slot so why bothers screaming you are THE expert when you are not? Being AN expert in a class of many is not the same as being THE expert. There is always something you don't know, so it is best for a reader to decide you are one on their own by experiencing you than discovering your claim to fame is bogus.

As a reader you should always feel free to verify the veracity of a statement you feel is important, however, you may not be in a position to receive the information you seek. If you are going to be a blogger you first have to be a reader. Put yourself in the shoes of the people who will be reading you because as a writer your job is to paint a picture for your readers so that they can experience a sense of what it is you are trying to convey. Your love or your outrage - it doesn't make a difference. What ever you write about I expect you to take someone you don't know on a journey. If your writing doesn't do that then why are you here?

You need to know why you are here and you need for your reader to discover what makes being here with you special. If they like what you write they will return for more. If they don't like what you write they may still return for more simply because you pushed a button and people have a way of foaming at the virtual mouth when they gear up to argue their points (LOL). They will lurk and monitor a conversation, waiting to dive into the fray when the right comment triggers a need to write a pithy response (LMAO).

We all argue our points, marketing our ideas and beliefs in the process. Objective comment? Subjective comment? Rant? Rave? Kudos? Cease and Desist Warnings? Don't for one minute think that bloggers are not marketing themselves or what they want to advocate and advance. Don't for one moment fail to believe that people for or against your post(s) champion and debate ideas for no reason(s). We write because we seek to engage in dialog regarding the things that interest us and people read for the same reason. We write because we want to share our business and personal beliefs and people comment for the same reason.

Commenting is the same as writing. Think of your comments as a micro-blog. They reveal a lot about you. More than you may ever realize if someone were to cut and paste them all into a book about you. Imagine the havoc it would cause if I did a cut and paste biography of every opinion you, the writer, have placed in cyberspace. Would you be proud of your cyber-biography? Would you stand by every idle word that flowed from your fingertips? In my case my Mom would have to smack me at least twice (LOL). Possibly a third time (ROTFLMAO). Bet you didn't see that one coming did ya? But I caught your attention and made you wonder what the heck I was talking about... that's my point... ;-)

Your personal bias will begin the theoretical arguments to state your case when you have something to say regarding your position or opinions concerning a blog post. Contrary to popular (or minor) beliefs all comments have the predisposition of a judge, arbitrator, prospective juror, friend, foe, etc. We are talking personal opinion people.

Defamation is the act of making untrue statements about another which damage them so watch your dictum (n. Latin for "remark"). Evidence may be necessary if you cross the line and have to answer for something that you wrote so keep track of your source notes. Fair comments are allowed so don't think you can not make a statement of opinion (no matter how ludicrous) based on fact about another person (so long as you don't damage them). Free speech is not free, it comes with a price and bloggers are not the press so don't think posting to a website has protections. You blog, you publish, you deal with the ramifications behind what you say about businesses and people.

Innuendo (n. from Latin innuere, "to nod toward.") can be fun but be careful. I'm always joking around with people about taking things different ways. The fact of the matter is it is very true. You can "take that two ways" simply by having two people in a room (or chat room or blog post) with two opinions. What you intend to say may not be what you intend to convey. If you have to leave it in draft for a day or two, then sleep on it and don't rush a post for points. It wont be worth it if you get sued because you were not careful to remove all personal identifiers while illustrating a point. Some people don't mind you chatting about them. Some people do. Make sure you know who you can and can not talk about.

Stay tuned for lesson two and Wiki your defs if you need clarification. :-)

Yotveta for ice cream is one of my fave things to do. Sometimes when my day gets a little strange I go find something really tasty to eat. I am thinking that I really do need a vacation. A few days off would be lovely. I am overdue for an ActiveRain Road Trip and I need to relax my brain with a little fun. I've been thinking way too much lately and not giving myself time to play.

I have new film on the wee people that I need to go edit. I have slide shows to animate and post. It's raining outside and I am thinking that I need to spend some time between appointments splashing in the rain and stomping puddles with my kids. Might even use them as an excuse to get more ice cream (LOL).

Last time I had ice cream Jeannette Neerpat was with me. I have got to finish those two interviews I promised to post for you guys, however, I am thinking I should go drag a few friends out for some Israeli coffee and I've gotta go get Noah and pick out a treat with Stephen the Minion Blur. Mmm yummy. :-)

Neerpat and Yotveta: Gotta Have An Israeli Coffee With A Banana Split For Breakfast

YOTVETA

187-20 Union Turnpike Fresh Meadows, NY 11365 (718) 454-1636/37

I love food. Eating is one of my favorite pastimes. I have said it before and I will say it again: Gotta go here if you are in Fresh Meadows, Queens County, NY. Seriously!!! The food is Spanking-A tasty. Ever have an Israeli salad? They dice it very fine. Tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, parsley dressed in olive oil and lemon juice. Ever have an Israeli Coffee? I am not a coffee drinker but I crave that (LOL). It takes a lot to get me away from drinking my daily tea. I drink tea off and on all day. ;-)

Life is short, so have desert first. Preferably with a friend that you love and definitely for breakfast.

Took a tour of a few of my fave spots in Queens County with Jeannette Neerpat. Yup. 'Tis true. We went on an eye candy hunt together for a few hours and have lots of pictures, but I have to post my time with Erik at the Hard Rock Cafe first. That blog post is waaaaaay overdue so I am gonna have some fun during late night tonight (if I ever get back into the house at a decent hour). Got a little slide show planned. Will tease you all about it later... Alas, I have to get back to work. Got a hot buyer waiting and I need to go pick her up.

Wordy C will return with two interviews from a couple of wonderful Rainers. In the meantime I am distracted by the fact we have not recently high-jacked a blog. Hmm... methinks we're overdue for a virtual par-tay. Wonder what we're gonna talk about tonight... Hmm... I think I have an answer (LOL). The topic will be up to you. While I am gone go find me a fun post to jack. Send me a link so I can check it between assignments and touring homes.

One last thought before I go run the streets tonight: Jeannette Neerpat has a gorgeous soul. She is mad fun to spend quality time with and if you are looking for a FL Realtor give sweetie pie a call.The FL crew in Club Chaos are the bomb diggity! Will hook you up with buying and selling property so go check the membership roll and say hello.

I love my bay-bays! Who else would let me talk them into having desert first for breakfast (not to mention jacking a blog)? That b-split was gooooood. We each had our own banana split by the way. Did I mention I love food? I really, really do. Yotveta is mad cool. Is that a seriously huge portion or what? That's why I keep coming back there. They really know how to treat you to a fine dining experience. ;-)

Joy Bonner, Realtor

ERA Top Service Realty Inc

194 Flatbush Avenue Brooklyn NY 11217

Direct: (347) 772-7003

Joy_Bonner@yahoo.com

Meet Joy Bonner. She's A Sweetheart But I See I'm Gonna Have To "Minionize" Her... Seriously. She's a blogging virgin, doesn't have a single social media account and is not familiar with manipulating graphics programs on computers... Hmm...

JB is about to go through our version of SEO BootCamp and I have to say I feel as if Club Chaos is about to launch an ActiveRain Realty TV show (LOL). She's getting her computer fixed and when she does her upgrade I want it to be from her IP address, not mine. Very important mentors: Have your students set up from their equipment, not yours. They need to work with what they have, not rely upon using what you have. :-)

Step one is opening up an ActiveRain account. We put off setting up her AR profile yesterday because I realized she really needed to hit the streets and learn about the value of eye candy. She has beautiful listings but no eye candy. Hmm... I don't just want the people I mentor to open an account, I want them to have some material to get started with and see some results. I will be catching up with her later to explain the AR dashboard, hits, views and Goggle analytics.

Step Two is opening up an Outside Blog. Writers need to be found and Realtors need to showcase their listings while writing posts for Localism to show off their neighborhoods. Listings and business are not the only thing to talk about. The goal is to engage in conversations about the things that interest you. Our second lesson had to do with what to do with your eye candy once you collect it. We are going to be working on a YouTube presentation so you can see where we've been and where we like to go. :-)

There is no point in making a profile if you are not going to use it. JB is pretty excited about joining the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, however, you have to temper someone's excitement with reality. Blogging takes dedication and when you open your social media accounts you have to maintain them. Social media is about being social. :-)

Virgin bloggers need incentive to not only get in but stay in the game. To that end, we called a couple of her clients to set up appointments to collect some photographs so I could show her how to move a blog post up the Google rankings and aim for page one while showing the public what's available. We had a blast running around Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, New York and the Brooklyn Navy Yard. I have a thing for commercial property and am about to embark on a SEO adventure with our new Realtor friend from Clinton Hill regarding a very roomy rental. My next post will be about her commercial listing in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and the history of the area for Localism.

I think I am really going to enjoy actively participating in the real estate adventures of newbie bloggers (LOL). They are funny as hell without trying to be. You guys know how easily amused I am (LOL). JB is a lot of fun.

Here's a little peek of some of the eye candy from Clinton Hill and the Brooklyn Navy Yard collected during our first mentoring session:

Available Rental in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, NY

Clinton Hill Brooklyn Brownstones

Brooklyn Navy Yard Entrance

Brooklyn Navy Yard Parking Lot (Nice views of Manhattan)

So, I'm standing outside of JB's listing wondering if I climb the side of the building what kind of views would my Nikon see of Manhattan... (LOL) Didn't want to scare her on our first outing together, but boy was I tempted to test out a few of those rungs... (LMAO). Seriously! Photographers always obsess about getting the right shot... We'll go just about anywhere to capture the right moment for a stellar bit of eye candy, but I digress... :-)

She really does have some very nice listings and the views from the Brooklyn Navy Yard parking lots alone make me want to move there and open a Gallery (LOL). A little sheet rock and paint would work wonders on this place... What do you think? Wanna see it up close and personal? Shoot me an e-mail or give JB a call. Gotta run. Time to post some tutorials so she'll have an idea of what her next assignment will be (LOL). I've got students to teach and more introductions to write... I am collecting social media peeps throughout the industry. This is going to be an interesting weekend (LOL).

Need help setting up an account or Outside Blog? Shoot me an e-mail. ;-)

Life With Wee People: Mother's Day Musings (Every Day Is Mother's Day)

I have been writing this post since May. I keep deleting it. There are so many things that I can say about living and caring for learning disabled children. They are brilliant in some regards and clueless in another. They present with the quirkiest personalities I have ever seen. You never know a person until you live with them. I find myself wondering what my kids think about living with me (LOL).

I have CyberBabies. They have digital expectations. They expect to see themselves roaming across the Internet on Facebook, YouTube and their Mama's blog posts. They actually turn on the computer to look for themselves (LOL). It's really neat. Noah sits in front and Stephen climbs up on the chair so he can lean across his back, put his arms around his neck and watch what ever Noah decides they should be looking at in YouTube over his shoulder. It makes me very happy to see Noah so proud to be the older brother in control of their snacks and entertainment. He takes his job very seriously. Snack-age is serious business in my house (LOL).

When they play nice I find myself thinking that every day is mother's day. Children are a blessing. They are a gift from God. You have to enjoy them when you can because you have no idea how much time you, or anyone else, has. I was thinking I would like to do something special for the pookies. The little minions have been such a joy to tease this week. We have tickets to the Museum we have yet to use. I think it's time to use 'em.

Lately, Noah's complaint has been the fact that we haven't been exploring enough houses. My boy has actually been telling me he wants to see a house. Hmm... that's what I get for convincing them they are mini-Realtors-in-training (LOL). Guess it's time for me to do another turtle run. Except I am not going to show him a regular house. I am going to show him buildings that he previously found very interesting that people do not live in. We're going to do landmarks and Museums. Technically they are houses... They are home to knowledge.

My pookies could use a culture break. How about you? Wanna do Manhattan with the wee people? I do... Was there yesterday and had a great time. Here's a little eye candy from my run with my blogging buddies in the rain (LOL). Shall be talking more about this later. ;-)