random rants from the pen of a Fargo, ND writer

Debt Free in Three

Managing debt (especially, strategies to eliminate debt) is a hot topic of mine. Any information that helps a person stop living from pay check to paycheck I always pass along. Reprinted with permission, an article by Clint Holland addresses one of my three main objectives for financial health.

-- Will You Lose Your Marriage Because of Debt? --

Here's a scary statistic: Over 70% of marriages that end in divorce are due to "financial difficulties." In most cases, that means DEBT. If your marriage is suffering because of a high debt load, you need to do something about it NOW. Not tomorrow. Not next week. If you wait any longer, you may be bankrupt, divorced or both.

Here's what this is all about:
My name is Clint Holland. At one time in my life I was $213,000 in debt. Then, I discovered a breakthrough in debt elimination and became debt free in just 4 years.

Now, anyone can use this method to pay off all their debt, including the mortgage, in just 3-5 years -- without bankruptcy, debt consolidation, or any unethical tactics.

Can your marriage afford not to learn the method?

Clint Holland
Debt Free, Inc.

Posted by: nbarring on Monday, July 14 at 6:45 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Six-Word Short Story results are in

The Lake Agassiz Arts Council and Lake Region Arts Council challenged talented area writers to try their hand at writing a short story in six words.

The 2nd Annual LRAC and LAAC 6 Word Short Story Contest was an amazing experience.
At first, I didn't think it could be done. After I read the entries from the first contest, I soon saw the pictures that a few choice words can create. A picture is worth a thousand words, but I didn't realize six single words could generate a 1,000-word picture.

I set out to find my six words that flowed a complete story, with a beginning, a middle, and an end. I wrote some possibilities and sent them for the usual round of peer reviews. I needed to see which (if any) transferred a story to the reader's mind. I was amazed with the results.

Not only did the six-word short stories entertain the reviewers, some even transferred the exact images I had intended. Of course, most of the stories fell flat. They didn't transfer images, were too abstract, or just plain boring.

The reviewers picked a clear stand-out. It was submitted. And, it won an Honorable Mention. Thank you, reviewers.

Posted by: nbarring on Friday, May 30 at 6:40 PM | Comments (2) | Permalink

ScriptFrenzy - day 17 insight

Insightful articles.Motivating emails.Written by talented, experienced writers. The greatest part about doing challenges sponsored by the Office of Letters and Light. Today's article, "Midpoint--The Key to Cracking Any Story" by Blake Snyder offered two points that totally sink in and help me develop as a writer.

I've always known the "stakes get raised" at the midpoint of Act 2 . I've been taught that plots have a "time clock." What I learned today is when to start the "timer."

In my writing, I would put the time clock at the beginning of the story. I didn't know better. I was taught that a story needs a factor that draws a story to conclusion. The limit was either time-based (for example, ticking time bomb) or option-based (try all potential ways to solve a problem). I threw the element in the beginning of the story just because the story needed that element.

Today, Blake Snyder (20-year veteran screenwriter and producer) taught the exact point to introduce the "time clock" = midpoint of the story. In a movie, the point where these two key elements converge forces the "hero" to decide if continuing on is the right choice. Since the "hero" is locked in to the problem, they are also forced to address the change that truly makes them worthy of the term "hero."

For this weekend's writing sessions, I will focus on "raise the stakes" and "lay in the the time clock" for the story I am writing for ScriptFrenzy.

Posted by: nbarring on Thursday, April 17 at 12:36 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

April 15 = not just Tax Day

It's the 15th day of the script frenzy challenge: 30 days. 100 pages. April.
To be on pace to complete a 100-page screenplay by April 30, Writers need to have written 50 pages. My page count is 90. So, I am well on my way to completing the challenge. Only 10 pages left to write.

Posted by: nbarring on Tuesday, April 15 at 1:37 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

ScriptFrenzy continues

Almost 7,000 writers participate in ScriptFrenzy. Collectively, the page count is currently at 30,296. And, I have written 20 of those pages.

Posted by: nbarring on Wednesday, April 02 at 1:34 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink