A Science Fiction Book to Read

The publishing world can be hard, and most people today go with self-publishing their work. The following book "Icarus Falling" followed that path. From the blog site Parking Orbit Publishing, here are few statements about the process:

This last week the book proof for Icarus Falling  arrived for preview. . . Most of the edits are word choices, grammar errors, and missed paragraph indention. After the book proof has been read and adjusted then a more solid date of publication can be announced. 

 Layout is complete and with final editing still to be done.

After the book proof has been read and adjusted then a more solid date of publication can be announced. 

Because of unforeseen circumstances the release date has been temporarily postponed. This is to give a chance to improve on the customer satisfaction in the ordering processes. Changes will include how the product can be obtained, an easier check out process, and improvement to the text for an even better reading experience. An online book trailer and added online content is also in the works.

Icarus Falling was prepared almost entirely with open source software. . . Open Office . . . Scribus  . . . Gimp . . . Inkscape . . .  PDF Shuffler . . . In any event Amazon makes the process look very simple and it isn't really. At least if you want something that looks good and is easy to read.

 Of Course, that last statement is where NDM Writing Service can come in to help with the publishing process. Having already had experience getting a book ready for publication, it is a job that we can do for those needing the help.

You can also order the book at the Parking Orbit Publishing website or click the book cover to order directly at Amazon.



A simple video Youtube trailer was made for the book's release, but it is dated. Another one was created to update the feel and the acceptable quality:

Keep watching the skies! Don't forget to ask for NDM Writing Service for help with your writing and editing needs.

How to Write a Youtube Script

Just like mentioned in the last post, very few are successful by looking into a camera and becoming Youtube famous. It takes careful and deliberate work with some planning. After deciding what topic to cover (and there should be a focus), the next step is writing a script. Both stories and documentaries require writing down what words will be used to convey a message. Despite what might be believed, even "reality shows" are carefully crafted for maximum entertainment possibility. At the least there should be an outline to shape what goes into a video.

There might be a question of why a script needs to be written instead of staring into a camera and saying what is on your mind. It is assumed all this will be edited, cut down, clips added, and all will be fine. For a daily life "vlog" this might be acceptable, but it is also time consuming. Putting down what will be said saves a lot of time in the post-production stage. Why go through hours of tape when less can mean more time for other final touches? Having pre-made scripts can also sharpen the message by thinking about what is really essential. It smooths the edges, streamlines the presentation, and shapes into a story structure.

Start by making an outline of the topic or write down some questions that will be answered. At this point you are trying to create a focus. What exactly do you want to talk about? How are you going to present the information on video to the desired audience? How much do you actually know or might need to research some more? It is better to have everything mapped out rather than discover serious problems later. Casual video making is the only exception to this step. A serious Youtuber will not allow chance and hope for the best.

There are at least four parts to a good video script, similar to the five part paragraph taught in school when writing papers:

The Hook: This is where you attract attention and get people watching. It might start with bringing up a question needing an answer. There might be a shocking or startling revelation about you or your topic. A joke gets laughs that make a positive connection. Be sure the hook is equal to the whole presentation or the audience might feel cheated.

The Introduction: Some Youtubers have one and others don't, but if chosen it acts as a type of branding. Use it to tell your name, the company affiliation, the general channel topic, and any call to action such as subscribe. Most importantly is to keep it short. Even a majority of modern television shows barely use this anymore.

Body: Here is where the meat of the video comes in, of course. Take the outline or list of questions and expand on them. Keep the words at a minimum, saying only what is needed to avoid boring the viewers with rambling. Don't forget this is a visual medium. Storyboard what will be seen and edited in with or without using pictures. Think of it as a play with stage directions; something like exists and entrances, and scene changes.

Finale: This is the wrap up. Give final thoughts. Remind the viewers of the main points. Have a "call to action" inviting the audience to do something: subscribe, buy, comment below, etc. For an ongoing series, tease the next video by explaining what to expect.

Once finished, put the words in a teleprompter format to read off  into the camera. Maintain a consistent voice throughout the whole script. A serious topic might require maturity, but that is not a requirement. The script, however, should not sound serious one half and filled with jokes during other parts. Remain true to the created persona. Whatever choices are made, be conversational. Viewers want to feel that the video presentation is talking directly to them. The more that is accomplished in the script, the better a response by those watching.

As a reminder, NDM Writing Service can help polish the script before recording the video. Please leave a request if needing help.

Youtube Channel Startup

The idea of starting a Youtube channel seems so easy in theory. All you need is a computer, a camera, and microphone. Turn them on, look forward and talk. All your thoughts will be presented in video form for the whole world to watch and be inspired. It can be that simple, but doesn't mean an audience will automatically form. A good Youtube channel takes time to grow and develop a following. For all those with a million views, there are a million other people who get anywhere from 100 to a few thousand on good days. According to some experts (and many will claim that title) there are ways to become successful.

Probably the number one suggestion they all can agree on is don't hesitate, just start. Almost all of the big names didn't know exactly what they were doing. They wanted to record themselves and place online for everyone to watch. Many look back at their first recordings and laugh at the embarrassing first efforts. What none of them do is wish they never tried. Take their mistakes and learn a few lessons. Be inspired by where the biggest Youtube stars are today. Be careful not to try and copy what many popular Youtubers are doing without finding a personal touch.

Becoming a Youtube sensation takes more than making a recording and slapping on the Internet for viewership. That is a sure recipe for disaster and limited interest for viewers. Casual research might make it seem that is what everyone is doing, but it isn't true. No matter what magnetic personality comes out when pressing record, there needs to be purpose. All the slick, professional, popular, and viral channels have a particular focus that relates to every created video. Some of the most common subjects are fashion, food, travel, and reviews of products. The voice can be serious to comedy, and anywhere in between.

Think small before hitting big. People are not going to suddenly drop by and subscribe. It takes work forming connections and building up a community. Go to other similar channels and write comments that engage the topics. Pick only a few large Youtubers because hundreds or thousands of other will be trying to get attention. A large portion of interactions should be a number of smaller and relatively unknown personalities. They might return the favor (but never ask to return the favor) by visiting your channel videos. Starting at rock bottom might require asking friends, family, and those from other social media platforms to watch what you have recorded. One of the biggest Youtube sensations, Rhett and Link, failed multiple times until Good Mythical Morning became a hit. The dub-step dancing violin artist Lindsey Stirling lost a nationally broadcast competition in humiliation. the self-made Crystallize video made her a huge star. Failure is part of the equation toward success.

Make sure your productions are consistently made and the channel maintained. Upload once a week at the least, and on a specific time table. Twice a week is common and once a day is best if there is enough to show and say. The more videos made, the greater chances people will find the content. Of course, the content needs to be interesting or it could be viewed and then forgotten. Algorithms count views if a person remains watching for at least three minutes, so it is best to have five to fifteen minutes for each video presentation. Any content on the channel should be named according to top search items when looking for similar topics. Don't forget to add as many labels for search engines as possible with related subjects. Most of all, don't worry about how well they actually do because the best videos are done with passion and fun.

Photo by Gianandrea Villa on Unsplash

How to Come Up With Story Ideas

Probably every successful writer gets the question from someone. The more creative the writer, the more insistent the question. Where does the idea(s) for a story originate? To those who don't write, it all seems like such a mystery. For them life is one day after another of the same boring experiences. They don't realize that story ideas can be found anywhere and in everyday circumstances. All it takes is putting unrelated things together to form a new combination. There are times when a concept doesn't work out and is abandoned, but when it does come together the results can be satisfying.

A fictionalized biography of J.K. Rowlings, Magic Beyond Words (2011), tried to portray the creative inspiration for her Harry Potter book. Despite an otherwise interesting movie, the situations that sparked her imagination felt false. The movie's representation of the creative process didn't come off as believable. Too many of the inspirations were over simplified coincidences. An object or person seen for the first time doesn't suddenly become a large part of the story, although they can have an impact. There is history behind creative ideas.

The truth is most creative ideas boil together and ferment over time, coalescing into a single narrative structure after lots of thought. Before that can happen, the writer must pay attention to their surroundings or look back on long lost memories. Consider that “creative work comes from noticing. You are being given a warning, an intimation of something, and that something is the creative urge, sometimes buried deep in your subconscious . . . material to uncover there, memories and associations to explore.” (Alice LaPlante, The Making of a Story. W.W. Norton & Co., 2007. pg 36). This can take conscious work. For instance, the movie scene where J.K. Rowling sits in a café with a writing pad presents too casual an instance of inspiration. She watches two people playing a chess match and then carefully writes a scene that would become famous. In real life she would feverishly be jotting down a spur of the moment idea. She wouldn't want to forget what came to mind, and it certainly wouldn't be seamlessly flowing from the previous text of the book on the same page.

More likely she remembered playing or watching others play chess over several years. Seeing two people playing the game while concentrating on the next story idea probably brought back memories that inspired her to incorporate into the book. There is also, for those who know the scene, a hint of Alice Through the Looking Glass that came to her while devising the living chess game. The importance of one chess game are exaggerated for story telling, but distorts true genius.

The history goes that J.K. Rowling was sitting in a commuter train gazing out of the window. She came up with the idea of Harry Potter while delayed for four hours returning to London from a trip. Apparently there are those who doubt the book idea came to her while on a train, although no other credible alternative is put forward. Her explanation of when and how the book idea came to her is realistic. To be sure, it didn't come all at the moment in full bloom. The kernel probably existed floating around since childhood. Whatever set the spark to set fire on the accumulated debris, there is no reason to disbelieve a train ride set the creative blood flowing and brought the book series to life. Stephen King, another bestselling author, wrote, “good story ideas seem to come seem to come literally from nowhere, sailing at you right out of the empty sky; two previously unrelated ideas come together and make something new under the sun. Your job isn't to find those ideas but to recognize them when when they show up.” (Stephen King, On Writing. Pocket Books, 2001. pg. 37). It is often during moments of reflection and boredom that daydreams can become projects given the right circumstances.

There is a common saying told to budding writers to “write what you know” as if it was a truism that could bring success. Whoever says this is either lazy in answering the concerns of new writers or deliberately wanting to avoid a deeper discussion. To become a good writer, a person should write about what they don't know. This might sound counter-intuitive, because if a writer doesn't know the topic then how can the information be accurate. Better advise would be write what you are interested in, and study if the topic is unfamiliar. The idea of fiction, for instance, is writing about not only something that we don't actually know but that is not real. Research is the busy and time consuming companion for any creative process. To write is self discovery for charting the unknown made knowable. The best words for generating story ideas is “what if” and then seeking to answer that question.

Getting at the heart of where story ideas come from; there is no magic formula. They can come from other books a writer enjoys, a dream that cannot be left alone ( like the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer), a conversation, a person's life, an experience to remember or reinterpret, a challenge accepted, new knowledge expanding old, and the list continues. A better question to ask an author, because it means having actually taken time with their work, is where did “that idea” or “that scene” come from. They will more than likely be happy to answer more specifics. Chances are there is going to be an illuminating description of the back story to the text. Still, don't be upset if the author responds a few times with “I don't know.” They probably don't. Sometimes the subconscious is a powerful tool in generating story ideas. All an artist can do is go with the creative flow. For those who are trying to come up with a story idea, it is best to ask themselves for what reason they want to write. Examine the details of past and present. Work with whatever comes comes from the answer, because that probably is the future story.

The Right Pen for Write Work

Nothing is worse for a writer than having the wrong writing pen to do an ink on paper job. A too thick or thin handle will make it hard to grip. Less than smooth pen tips increase the lack of comfort by forcing the user to drag the ink along the paper. It doesn’t take very long for the hands and wrists to burn with the forced effort of putting thoughts to paper. The hands become tired a lot faster than the brain, destroying any rhythm achieved by the busy writer. Because of this, it can be important to decide if a ballpoint or a fountain pen is a better personal choice.



The fountain pen represents the early days of ink and is surging in use among enthusiasts. They are descended from reed and quill pens often associated with candlelight letter writing. There is a certain prestige associated with their use that a now common ballpoint doesn’t carry. Unlike the first ink writing utensils that required the messy dipping of an inkwell, the fountain pen has an internal liquid container. Even more enticing for the discerning scribe is the different styles of metal nibs. They can range from fine to broad nibs for different drawn line sizes. Better yet, all of the pen can be taken apart and put together with parts desired by the owner. Interchange the nib for different needs without replacing the whole pen. Most of all, many users feel the writing is consistently smoother than the ballpoint counterparts.



Despite the wonderful acclaim of a fountain pen, many writers still consider the ballpoint pen more user friendly. They might not have time to refill an internal bladder or clean it out before the ink becomes dry. A ballpoint pen is not as messy when the lid is off the point. They are also ubiquitous when the pen runs out of ink or breaks. All a writer has to do is go to the nearest store and buy one without the hassle or higher price for purchase. Perhaps there is not as much versatility, but the desired smoothness or grip can still be found after careful brand and style experimentation. Practicality might be more important than elegance. The muse and comfort can decide.

Any Life Can Be a Simple Life

By N. D. Melander

Most people acknowledge their lives have become busy and complicated. They wish to simplify, but aren't sure how that can be possible.   It doesn't take drastic measures to enjoy a simple life. There are steps that any person can take to lower stress and still have a normal life.

Probably the biggest challenge to a simple life is financial concerns. This is tied to a very consumerist culture that may question buying too much, but is still in debt to the point of bankruptcy. The main culprit is using credit to purchase almost everything. Financial guru Dave Ramsey suggests paying cash for any purchase other than basic expensive necessities, “When you pay cash, you can 'feel' the money leaving you. This is not true with credit cards. Flipping a credit card up on a counter registers nothing emotionally.” ( Dave Ramsey ). Although many people use credit cards responsibly, too many pile up debt burdens that increase stress. It is better for those who are looking for a simple life to save up and allocate cash for  specific purchases.

Spending money leads to the issue of having too much stuff. What was once wanted, even for a fleeting moment, starts to take up too much space. Marie Kondo suggests in her best selling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up that a simple life is a clean and organized one. To be successful at doing what is necessary to create a simple life means changing hard to break habits. “Changing lifestyle habits acquired over a span of many years is generally extremely difficult,” Kondo wrote, “. . .  People cannot change their habits without first changing their way of thinking. And that is not easy!”(pg. 15). Most simple living experts suggest having a needed and don't need pile, then getting rid of the latter.

Deciding what is needed and what isn't cannot be a one time thing for creating a simple life. Every decision and purchase must ask the question is this necessary? Whatever becomes not used is a complication. Living space must be sparse and clean, and that goes for a personal life as well. Learn to walk away from people, places, and things. Cleaning expert Don Aslett wrote in his book Lose 200 LBS. This Weekend, “We don't like to admit that anyone or anything could get the best of us. So instead we let overbearing people – or our overload of clutter – push us to the breaking point.” (pg. 55). Fewer objects and drama leads to more happiness and fulfillment.

Getting rid of debt, unnecessary possessions, bad relationships, and wanting it all can give a person freedom and peace. They don't worry as much because there isn't as much to worry about. Unplug the computer and cable containing frivolous entertainment. Take time to go for a hike, plant a garden, and talk with a neighbor. A simple life opens up more time with family and friends, helping others to enjoy life too. That is worth having fewer things.

Life.Simplified. T-shirt.

Writing Service for Blog and Business

Maybe you don’t have the time to complete a writing assignment. Perhaps you have to maintain a publication, but you can’t do it all alone. At other times the ideas are there, but you are not sure how to put it down for easy understanding or polished communication. For any number of reasons a person wants to hire a writer to create good content. There are two types of writers that might be required for hire. Depending on needs it might be good to pick one over the other, but be sure it is an appropriate decision.

Most authors like to have their names or bylines associated with the work done. This is to show others examples of their writing as evidence of how well they can do a project. Usually the byline choice of writer is when contributions are required to add to an already extensive catalog or magazine. Blogs need content and successful ones often have more than one author to give variety to a subject. No one person can cover all the possible angles or do all the writing, especially when large volume is needed.

Sometimes a person just needs help making sure their ideas are realized. They know what they want, but don’t feel confident or skilled enough to get the job finished. This might be a good time to hire a “ghostwriter” to do the manuscript. All the information, research, and even outline has been worked out and needs to be put into words. Successful collaboration takes a lot of time and work, with constant communication. The name of the employer will be what readers see as on the product. Letter writing and press releases are best for this pick, although longer works are certainly a possibility.