The Good, The Bad and the Tasty
My Twitter Account is Filled with Food
I have struggled with my weight for most of my life. Last year I dieted my way from 360 pounds down to 230 pounds. As often happens with diets, my weight has been jumping up since I stopped actively dieting. I’ve been through a lot of major life events and other distractions that pushed my weight loss goals down on the priority list. Recently my weight hit 310, and I decided to get serious about improving my eating habits. This isn’t easy. I am surrounded by people who eat and enjoy junk food and high calorie foods of all types. In addition, I travel weekly for work, so maintaining any particular routine of diet or exercise is a challenge.
My goal this time is different from previous goals. I am not going to try a specific diet. Instead, I am simply trying to make myself think about what I eat (and think twice about many of my choices). To do this, I started posting all of my meals and snacks (usually with pictures) to my twitter feed (@HewittJohnC). I was nervous about this at first. I wasn’t sure if this would make me lose followers or result in a lot of unkind comments. So far though, the response has been minor, but the results for me have been very positive.
I am down seven pounds since I started posting three weeks ago. I haven’t completely changed my habits, nor did I expect to. My addiction to slush drinks remains. I still eat fast food on occasion. I have consumed more than a few cookies. At times I have wondered if I have changed my habits at all, but since the weight keeps inching down I feel like I am accomplishing something, and that is good.
So, if you aren’t following me on Twitter, please know that I would like you to. If you do, you’ll see:
Pictures of food
Comments on pop culture
Links to jobs and other posts here at Poewar
Videos of my twins
Occasional conversations with people who I think are interesting
So please think about following: @HewittJohnC
News
Self Publishing Benefits Major Publishers
Whether you like the book or not (My wife likes it, I haven’t read it) 50 Shades of Gray (aff) changed publishing, and I think it changed it for the better. It demonstrated that a bestseller could not only be self published, but could get to the top before it ever hit print. This must be devastating for the big publishers, right? Nope. The big houses are doing just fine. It turns out that all the big indie authors eventually sign some sort of deal with the publishers, who get the benefit of a proven money earner. Self publishing is serving as a sort of farm system for publishers. The writers who thrive as self publishers eventually thrive with a major publisher.
Books as a Service
Web site Scribd recently launched a subscription service that will allow you to pay a flat fee ($8.99) and read any book in their collection. In much the same way as Netflix, readers choose what they want to read from a list of available titles. The service does this by paying the publishers for the titles that people read (I assume at a significant discount) so the publisher does not get cut out of the profits. Sounds like a good deal for everyone.
Prompts
Writing Skill Builder (A Quick Exercise)
Pick three books (at random, your favorites, recent reads) and create new (alternate) titles for the books based on your experiences with the book.
Poetry Prompt
Write a poem that involves trust.
Short Story / Fast Fiction Prompt
Write a story that begins with a person buying a drink.
Essay / Non-Fiction Prompt
Write about your experiences reading books in a nontraditional format (on a a tablet, on our computer, via audio).
Jobs Round Up
Here are some recent jobs posts:
Community Editor – Access Intelligence – New York, NY October 4, 2013
Associate Editor – Fort Lauderdale, FL October 4, 2013
Freelance Medical Editors – Cactus Communications – Los Angeles, CA October 4, 2013
Freelance Proofreader – Dwell Media – United States October 4, 2013
Reporter – Media Network of Central Ohio – Mansfield, OH October 3, 2013
Reporter – Times-Tribune – Corbin, KY October 3, 2013
Freelance Copywriter – Think Communictions, Inc. – Pittsburgh, PA October 3, 2013
Marketing Communications Writer – Barton Associates – Peabody, MA October 3, 2013
Grant Writer – Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison – Ossining, NY October 3, 2013
Lead Creative Writer – Bader Rutter – Milwaukee, WI October 3, 2013
Staff Writer – Savannah State University – Georgia October 3, 2013
Coordinating Editor – Apress – New York, NY October 3, 2013
Community Editor – Dow Jones – New York, NY October 3, 2013
Editor – Pension Professionals – Arlington, VA October 3, 2013
Editorial Consultant – Axelon Services Corporation – Riverwoods, IL October 3, 2013
Plugs
Again, you can follow me on twitter @HewittJohnC