Bio Sketch of J. R. R. Tolkien, Author of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Link to my Wizzley web page about J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel) Tolkien. Created a biographical sketch from a few fascinating, funny and ordinary facts about this reclusive writer/scholar/mythmaker.

Sample fun fact:  

• On an official questionnaire used for army records, in response to the question, what was his father's profession, Mick Tolkien filled in the blank with the word: WIZARD.

J. R. R. Tolkien (1892 - 1973)

The artwork is by The Brothers Hildebrandt

"The One Ring" Limited Edition Giclee on Canvas by The Brothers Hildebrandt! Numbered and Hand Signed by Greg Hildebrandt! Includes Certificate of Authenticity!

Related links

Go Google Yourself!! Fairy Tales Do Come True.

"Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale."

- Hans Christian Andersen

If you are you a writer or a blogger like me, then you'll appreciate this post.  I have been at this home biz endeavor for a while. (Started trying to blog and write in 2011.) 

Do you ever Google yourself (your name and a search term) to see what pops out in the search results? 

It's a serious search but also a lot of fun!

I write at various sites and wanted to quickly find some content I had published several years ago, so I Googled myself (fairy tales, cmoneyspinner).  The search engine generated 86,600 results (0.50 seconds). WHOA! The results also change depending on which browser (Chrome vs Firefox).  My fairy tales quest came true.  I found what I was looking for. YAY!!  I couldn't believe it!!   The search engine actually recognized me!  Happy to report that the first two search results actually did relate to what I was searching for.  What was curious was the rest of the page results? I don't quite get the connection. (O.o)  No matter.  The search results were fruitful.

There probably is no connection other than the fact that my name also shows up with some of those content links and the search engine decided to produce some more results to fill out the page.

Let's face it. It's artificial intelligence and a handy research tool. But the search engine can't do the thinking for you. You got the results. Now you're going to have narrow it down and do some cherry picking.

The search was still fun though! :)

By the way, do you know the name of the man who is called the father of fairy tales.  HINT:  It's not Hans Chrisitian Anderson.  (Answer.)

An Illustrated Treasury of Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales: The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, the Princess and the Pea and Many More Classic Stories

HCA By Thora Hallager (1821-1884) - http://museum.odense.dk/viden-om/hc-andersen/publikationer/jeg-sad-i-dag-for-photographen.aspx, Public Domain 

 

Make Money Online : What is Forum Coin? Social Site That Pays

Can your write 500 word articles about any topic that is interesting, but also provides practical advice and tips for the reader? 

Do you just want to monetize your social activity?

At this site, Forum Coin.com, you can do both or one or the other. You must submit a writing sample and request to be qualified to submit your articles for publication. But you can also join the forum just to socialize, make friends and make money.  No writing skills.  Just be courteous and nice to the other members!  😊  Yes really!  Such a site does exist!  

I have been a member of this forum since 2017.  I was approved as an article writer but I am happy just being there to learn from others and share what I have learned with others.  It is a great community to join if you want to learn how to make money online.  But sometimes we just chit chat like friends do about everyday life or get into deep discussions about world affairs.  Hey!  You never know.  We might change the world for the better!  😊  

All of your activity there can be monetized.  You earn forum coins, which  is a virtual currency that you can exchange for US dollars (or the currency of your country) or for gift cards.  I usually request USD payment via PayPal.  However, you can contact the owner directly if you want to arrange a different type of reward.  For example, some users prefer to trade cryptocurrencies.  The owner engages actively with the members and is always open to suggestions.  He's a great guy!  He's not really a relative of Kermit the Frog.  That's just his avatar. 😊  

Learn more.   Free to join! Start immediately!
Click here to register

… ...

Holidays and Celebrations : Intro to Halloween Superstitions ~ Happy Halloween!

Halloween superstitions?
For me, many of them were incredibly unbelievable or simply unexplainable.

But the holiday itself has always been fun. Designed to scare ya! Not terrifying heart-stopping scary. Fun scary! The celebration is loaded with superstitious beliefs that have been passed down from generation to generation. Some clouded in gloom and doom. Some harbingers of good fortune and good things to come. Halloween has from bats and black cats to ghosts and spirits to spiders and trick or treat.  Here is a link to a quick study!

A Brief Introduction to Halloween Superstitions

(Image found at glitter-graphics.com.)

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Get into the spirit of the Halloween holiday!!

Where To Find Fascinating Facts About Classic Fairy Tales

Did you know that many of the classic fairy tales that we read today were not originally written that way?

By Léon Carré (Livre des 1001 nuits) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Do you believe that wonderful and interesting people and places exist all around the world? So do I. Based on my virtual travels, Slovenians seem to be my kind of people! Why do I say that? Mainly because of Tolovaj.com (aka “Tolovaj Wordsmith“), a small publishing house in Ljubljana, Slovenia, that specializes in publishing literature for children as its primary line of business. As a secondary business project, they delve into the under-reported history behind many of the classic fairy tales and share the fascinating results of their research.

• Did you know the first edition of Grimm’s original story, “The Frog Prince”, was not even intended for a child audience?
• Do you know the true symbolism and history behind the fairy tales, “Sleeping Beauty” and “Little Red Riding Hood”?
• Sure most of us know about Aesop’s fables. But do we know Aesop?

Many of the Tolovaj articles are on display at their blogs or at online writing communities like Zujava, HUBPages, and Wizzley. On display? Yes. Take a look and you will agree that the research findings are presented to the reader in such a way that not only is it very enjoyable reading but the accompanying artwork turn the pages into visually stunning masterpieces.

Aren’t you a little curious about the real story behind all those stories collectively known today as “1001 Arabian Nights”?

'Contemporary crime novels have the monopoly on moral ambiguity - but fairy tales take no prisoners and often offer no redemption.' @CrimeReads looks at the connection between #fairytales and classic crime stories. https://t.co/bKWSmvA5Lm

— The Folio Society (@foliosociety) June 4, 2019

First Books in Every Child's Library Should Be Fairy Taleshttps://t.co/WV5fIQk5Mb

For the first tender years of my life (ages birth to 7 years), I grew up in the James E. Scott Community Housing Projects. Folks who lived there just called it “the projects”. My older siblings … pic.twitter.com/Pr1831Uud3

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) April 10, 2020

Whatever happened after happily ever after? This thrilling collection of classic fairy tales answers the question, each story going deeper into the fanciful creations the world has loved and shared over the centuries. https://t.co/kO14yQUXbU #FolkTales #JohnHopeWriting pic.twitter.com/05YHPfCsqr

— Affaire de Coeur Book Review Magazine (@affairedecoeurc) April 17, 2020

The Gruesome Origins of 10 Classic Fairy Tales. https://t.co/85RobCl8Io pic.twitter.com/LDvTJDkLIp

— AMORQ ?￰ﾟﾇﾸ (@amorqcom) April 15, 2020

How Much Are Your Thoughts Worth? Ask Lucy.

This is the most awesome throwback ever!  While providing a response to a question asked in an online community where I am learning about SEO and how to master the search engine, I found this image and threw me back to my childhood and brought me forward to the present day.

Who doesn't love all of the characters from the eternally popular Peanuts series created by the late Charles M. Schulz (1922 - 2000)?  Especially Lucy, a modern-day woman after my own heart.  Lucy van Pelt made her debut in 1952.  She was a role model then and even now for independent women of the 21st century.  Published this short post just to share this image.

Public Domain Image source - Charlie Brown series by Schulz

If you are interested in a writing opportunity where you can earn passive income for sharing your opinions and thoughts, there are several online writing communities that have a revenue-sharing platform, but in my opinion, this site is the best.

HUBPages is an Established Writing Community and You Can Earn Passive Income

6-Year Anniversary on the HubPages Network!

What?  Another anniversary?? 
This becoming a habit.  ☺☺

• Celebrated my 4-year HP anniversary!
• Celebrated my 5-year HP anniversary!

HubPages is an online writing community that has hundreds (maybe even thousands) of talented writers who are experts and/or passionate about a wide range of topics.  I am not an expert in anything but I enjoy writing about things I like to write about.  

The site's description reads:

HubPages is the best place to discover and create original, in-depth, useful, media-rich articles on topics you are passionate about. All for free.

It's true!  I am very happy that the HP Editors accepted me as a contributor.  Just received an eMail congratulating on my 6-Year Anniversary.  This is the longest relationship I have ever had with such a popular writing community.  My profile reflects about 20 HUBs or articles.  Below is a sampling of subjects I like to write about.

Magazines That Pay for Travel Writers (and Other Paid Writing Work)

Some of my fellow bloggers have a passion to write about their wanderlust.  Reblogging this list provided by Erica Verrillo, publisher of Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity.

Idea? 💡 

• Perhaps you can turn some of your memorable travel photographs into works of art and resell them as art. It's a thought.

21 Magazines That Pay for Travel Writing

If you are not a travel writer, do not despair.  Here are links to other income-earning writing opportunities.  Perhaps there is one for you (and me).

 

15 Magazines That Pay $500 or More

While most literary journals generally offer modest compensation (if any), there are some magazines that pay generous professional rates. Many of these specialize in niche markets, which means they have a loyal readership. If you happen to have the expertise or a background that would appeal to their audiences, these magazines will be happy to read your pitch.

37 Paying Markets for Personal Essays 18 Paying Markets for Humor Freelancing: Getting Paid to Write Nonfiction Articles

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Originally posted at My Blog Stop!

Freelance Work : Writing Articles for Rational Mind.club

UPDATE July 2024:  This website was sold and under the new ownership my articles vanished.  Fortunately I kept backup copies so the content will reappear elsewhere on the web.

It's the beginning of the 3^rd month of 2019 and so far it has been a very good year for my freelance work efforts. A fellow blogger and freelance writer offered me a job writing articles for their brand new website called Rational Mind. Accepted the writing work as it seemed like a rational decision. ☺  

To date, I have published 5 articles (see below).  

Although my goal is to write 3 to 4 articles per month, the site owner is very flexible and allows me to work at my own pace and choose any general topic of interest. I can now add writing for RationalMind.club to my writing work resume.  My hope is that others who are looking to hire a writer might consider making me an offer like my friend did.

"Hope is a beautiful thing. ..." ~ Julie Donner Andersen

Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 13 Paying Markets for Flash Fiction (Reblog)

Constantly keeping my eye open for writing opportunities since many of my online friends are also pursuing freelance writing, I pass along my findings. These writing opportunities look fantastic and they pay!

"In this age of short attention spans, flash fiction is becoming increasingly popular. Literary magazines which previously only considered short stories of at least 3,000 words are now calling for fiction short enough to be considered 'flash fiction.'"

Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity:
13 Paying Markets for Flash Fiction

Other Interesting Posts From This Blog:

• 25 US Children's Book Publishers Accepting Manuscripts Directly From Writers
  If you are a children's or young adult author, you have the option of submitting your work directly to a number of publishers without...
• Agents Looking for Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers
  Science fiction and fantasy never go out of style, so if you write in either of these genres, you are in luck. Here is a list of reputab...
• 6 Publishers Accepting Unsolicited Manuscripts from Writers - No Agent Needed
  Updated 10/2/17 These publishers accept manuscripts directly from writers. As is the case with most publishers that don't re...
• 35 Writing Contests in October 2017 - No entry fees
  Jonathan Wolstenholme There are nearly three dozen free writing contests in October. They cover the full range of topics, style...
• 324 Paying Markets for Short Stories, Poetry, Nonfiction
  This is your year to get published! Conveniently, I just happen to have a list of literary magazines that want your work - and will pay ...