What It's Like To Be

Some writers will tear their hair out over story length. I was sitting in my One-Act Play class during junior year of college, discussing the instructions on writing a paper with my classmates. I don't recall what the paper was about, but I remember our professor telling us it needed to be double-spaced, 12 pt. font, Times News Roman, and all that jazz. She also told us about all of the points we needed to cover, but one thing she didn't address was the length of the paper.

Engineering might make you think of construction, architecture, mechanics, and electronics, etc. While all these items are definitely involved with engineering, there’s a lot more that goes with the profession than you may think.

A lot of people play with the idea of writing for a living. A few lucky people are born with fantastic connections that allow them to parley idiotic concepts like using sharks and tornadoes as the basis for a major film. Even when these films flop somehow there's still enough cash left over for these people to relax, drink, and lounge around doing nothing.

I have been critiquing virtually all forms of entertainment media for almost seven years now, and the longer I do this, the more I sympathise with other critics' increasing exhaustion with the endeavour. Not because it gets boring—although I do very much like to save my creative juices for other projects in the interest of exploring other challenge-filled avenues—but because it sometimes feels like audiences don't understand or appreciate why critique exists in the first place.

I'm a ride-share driver. Four years ago, this gig was lucrative for drivers. Now? Not so much. Both Uber and Lyft claim they take no more than 25% of the total fair the rider is charged. This isn't always true. Many times, they take upwards of more than 40% of the fee the rider pays. We put thousands of miles on our vehicles yearly and beat them up all in the name of providing a service to the community.

Nurses do so much more than what you see on TV or ads. Nurses are the majority of the reason we make it out of the hospital bed. They care for us, wipe some butts, and do it all with a smile (fake one, but still). They need appreciation, because let's face it... the doctors won't always give them a standing ovation. A 12 hour shift can turn nasty in two seconds. They walk around a hospital at impeccable speeds, carry everything in their pockets, and chart every respiration at a drop of a hat. The nurse life isn't always the easy life. So here's a few tips to help out your fellow nurses who work harder than anyone.

So now that we know in Parts One and Two the "who" of what I was looking to talk to in making this documentary, let us move onto what I was going to ask them.

I dedicated myself to article mills of full time work for approximately three months. Normally, I managed to make $400 per week (maybe not good, but I had been getting paid!) However, how can you get all these things into a single place without having an attachment? A site. I discovered that starting out writing for a number of content mills was a means to get fast cash, gain confidence, and also boost my general writing ability. Additionally, I got an insider's look into what freelance writing projects were similar to, and how to manage editors. Though my earnings were not enormous, the understanding I gained was well-worthwhile. You are able to initiate a freelance writing career with zero expertise. So can you.

If you know me at all, I'm always looking for ways to be more productive. When I have down time at work, I'm running through my list of things to do in my head, and determining the most efficient way to get them done. And I love lists! Here are some of the things I do to stay on target and up to par. Do I stick to them like a religion? No. I'm always trying new things, but I do hope to one day become a creature of habit. A lean, mean to-do list knocking out machine! So without much further ado, here are my top nine ways to increase productivity and stay productive!