Every once in a while in the world of online writing, you come across a kindred spirit. You meet someone that for whatever reason, spurs you on to bigger and better things. If you are really lucky, that person turns out to be a pretty fine human being to boot. My good buddy Randy over at Barefoot Scribbles is just such a dude. I dare say that it is hard to imagine how anyone could be unaware of his blog by now, but if you have not checked it out, click that pretty link above and give him a visit.

You can thank me later.

What is so cool about Barefoot Scribbles is that you can learn something about online writing while laughing your arse off. His writings are always chock full of great advice, while still entertaining as hell. He is what I aspire to be – A writer that keeps people coming back for more, if only to find out what he is up to.

On a personal note, this guy has always had an open door policy with me. From the first day I met him in Associated Content’s forums, he has made himself available to help. That is rare in the cynical world of web writing. I hope that I have been that same thing for others, and followed his honorable lead.

If you have a budding online writing career, I would highly suggest that you head on over and subscribe (after subscribing here of course) and dive into his huge amount of content. You will find more advice than you will ever need on virtually any subject you can think of where writing is concerned.

Thanks Randy for being a friend and mentor as well.

For years I wanted to have my very own blog, and was always unsure of doing so. Not because of content or information. I had oceans of that. The problem I had with starting my own blog stemmed from my dependence over the years on Blogger.com. I did not think I could actually get my own domain name, and start a “real” blog. I thought it took extensive knowledge in areas that I knew little about, and that my limited knowledge of html would be a huge problem.

Man, do I feel stupid now.

I wanted a wordpress blog, and briefly had a free one. I loved the simplicity of the blog, but I did not like that I could not put adsense on it. Again, I feel stupid now. Adsense is allowed if you get your own blog hosting and domain. I did not know that either.

Anyway, I finally took the plunge blindly, and went over to Bluehost.com. These guys set me up with hosting and domains, and simplescripts loaded up WordPress services quick and painlessly. Now I have that blog that I have always wanted (three to be exact) – all with their own domains and complete control on my part.

Having finally done it, I would say that you need not worry about it. The process is simple as it can be, and you are up and running fast. I am new to the blogging world in this way, but my blogs are already doing better traffic wise than older ones I had on Blogger for months.

In other words, I am now converted. Never again will I have to take the route of free blogging on Blogger to monetize a blog. I am quite happy thus far. If you are considering getting your own blog with WordPress, I can honestly say that you need to do so right away. The service is fantastic, and the interface is easy as pie.

If you are just getting started writing for the web, then earning a little cash has to be on the list of things you are looking to do. Getting your start is not always easy. Earning money as a writer can seem nearly impossible at first. Inevitably, new writers turn to the online writing sites that litter the web.

While these online writing sites are wonderful at their best, they are horrid at their worst. The key is to find the good ones and not waste time with the others. To that end, I have decided to tout the three online writing websites that helped me the most as a new writer. These websites all have their ups and downs, but they all are beneficial to a new writer.

Here they are:

Associated Content - This web writing giant has had a number of ups and downs over the years, and they certainly are not perfect. One thing I will say about Associated Content is that they are quite punctual with payment and they generally do a good job of keeping your web writing in the search engines. They pay an upfront amount for your work if it is well done, keyworded, optimized for the web, and they do not already have a large amount on the subject. They also pay you a page view bonus each month based on the number of views you garner.

Associated Content also has a special place in my heart for another reason. They awarded me 5000 bucks for a contest.

Demand Studios - Demand Studios is a step up in compensation and expectations. They are a little tougher than AC when it comes to editing, etc. Still, they offer upfront money as well. I earned a great deal of money from them over a year’s time, and they taught me a lot about writing for the web. I highly recommend them to anyone interested in writing for the web and earning money.

Hubpages – Hubpages is a bit different in that they do not pay upfront. Instead you put your adsense code in and are paid on a percentage basis of your views. The thing I love about Hubpages is the fact that you can really garner some serious page views. Also, you are free to add pics, Amazon, Ebay affiliates, and a number of other great earning sites. Finally, Hubpages gives you a fantastic way to build pages that can include video, pics, polls, and more. Hubpages is highly addicting! You can make money on Hubpages!

Hopefully you will check out some of the great websites I have listed, and do not give up. Though you are starting there, you will not finish there if you are dedicated. More earning power will come from these sites over time, and you will quickly find private clients are more than willing to pay for great content!