Author: R. Petty

Story of the Month: A Surprise Dinner Guest

On By R. PettyIn Story of the Month2 Comments

Well, the holiday season is upon us. I can’t believe Thanksgiving is next week, and I’ve already started shopping. Time flies when you’re having fun!

This month I want to share a story about a very special guest we had a few years ago. He was the highlight of our holiday and caused a lot of chaos and fun.

 A Surprise Dinner Guest

It was Christmas Eve, and we had lots of family coming to the house for food and festivities. Our guests were about to arrive, so we opened the door only to find a large multicolored duck on our front porch.

A greena dn white duck on our porch on Christmas Eve.

We live in a highly residential neighborhood between several main roads. Our houses are about 15 feet apart, and there are rows and rows of houses in the neighborhood. Needless to say, ducks are not a common site, and the only wildlife you see around my house are domestic pets or squirrels. I could not believe a duck would choose to chill at our house of all the ones in the neighborhood.

At first I worried that he was sick or had a broken wing. We fed him, and he was a little nervous, but he never ran. He was still on our porch when the guests arrived; and then we had a problem. We had several kids who wanted to play with him, and one wanted to chase the duck around the yard. I yelled some sense into him, and everyone left the duck in peace.

The duck fluffed up next to the house and slept. Hours later he was still there, sleeping the night away. Late that night, I fed him once more and checked on him. He was still asleep in his warm spot, and I fell asleep wondering how we would take care of a duck. We had a dog and a small bird, and I did not have the heart to call animal control.

Christmas morning arrived, and our feathery friend was gone. I like to think he continued his journey at dawn, moving onto another house or he found his new home.

So, in the spirit of the Thanksgiving season, I am thankful for pets – past, present, and future. No matter the size or how long we have them, their unconditional love makes the darkest days seem a little brighter.

Feel free to share your weird and/or special pet stories below in the comments section!

Writing for Web: 7 Headline Tips

On By R. PettyIn Writing for Web and TipsLeave a comment

Ah, the headline. A task that haunts all writers, especially when they are trying to write the perfect one.

Print headlines can be creative and fun because there’s often a deck to give a reader more information. For example: The Light Fantastic (print headline), The Lotus Elan turns 50 this year (deck).

But what about Web headlines?

Web headlines are all about search engines finding you and the reader not being bored or confused. Here are a few tips on how to write good Web headlines:

Keep it simple. The headline is the first thing your readers will see, so you don’t want it to be too long or boring. Think What I Did on My Summer Vacation simple.

Don’t confuse your reader. If your headline is Writing for Web: Getting Started, then make sure you are talking about how to start a blog or site. Don’t stray off subject and talk about grammar, adding photos, or great sites to read. Save those for other posts.

Use keywords. In its simplest definition, a keyword is a word or concept of great significance. Use words that will be searched and mean something. If you want the stats on a keyword, check out Google Ad Words Tool, which will tell you how many times a word is searched and how the competition is.

Think about it. Ask yourself: What would you search for? How can I find my work on search engines? What’s the subject of the post? And describe your post in one sentence. Once you have a list, you are ready to write the headline.

When you can use numbers. People love lists. They are short and oftentimes fun to read. Top 5 Best T.V. Shows in 2012 suggests a list, a popular topic, and important keywords.

Know your audience/client. Keep these people in mind as you write. You may have to tailor your writing to their style, and know if your headline is good, people will keep reading.

Remember you can have fun. Your Web headline may feel a little boring, but you can get creative in your posts and assignments.

I hope these tips help, and feel free to share some of your own!

Sources:

Copy Blogger

Inbound Pro

Google AdWords

Writing for Web by Lynda Felder: Final Review

On By R. PettyIn Writing for Web and Tips1 Comment

What began as an experiment and blog review became a useful tool and popular topic. My idea to review Writing for the Web: Creating Compelling Web Content Using Words, Pictures, and Sound by Lynda Felder was one of the best decisions I have made for my writing. The book enabled me to tighten my writing, understand my audience, and help other writers.

Top 5 Reasons This is a Great Book for Writers:

1. It’s easy to read. The book is well organized and broken into fast-paced chapters that focus on relevant topics.

2. It’s fun to read. The examples and word choices take a technical topic, adding sound for example, and make it interesting. The word snooty was one of my favorites because you don’t see it often, especially in technical writing books.

3. Your writing will improve. If you follow Felder’s advice and practice the provided exercises, you will see a difference.

4. You can apply the tips to all of your writing. I recommend this book to all writers and those interested in writing. Not only are there tips and instruction, there are dozens of writing ideas, which helps get you started and with writers’ block.

5. It’s small and affordable. The book is 180 pages and a perfect size, so it’s not too bulky or heavy. Comparable books in the market are usually more expensive and many do not cover all of the Web topics in this one.

My only complaints are that Felder tends to repeat topics in different chapters and not everything is covered. The basics are covered, but chapters on Search Engine Optimization, keywords, and headlines are missing.

Due to the positive feedback I received from these posts and how much I learned, I look forward to reviewing more books on writing. The next book is If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence, and Spirit by Brenda Ueland. Future post plans include more Writing for Web tips, grammar cheats, and lots of creative, fun content!

If you bought the book, let us know what you think. And we hope everyone is enjoying Lil’ Horsemen!

Read past posts on Writing for Web.

A Lifetime Supernatural Experience

On By R. PettyIn Short Stories1 Comment

I have always been skeptical of imaginary friends, but my family has a long history with one that makes me a believer. My mom calls him an imaginary friend and her guardian angel, others may call him a poltergeist, but those who know the stories know him as Arnold.

Sightings

When he was a child, Joe (my mom’s friend) created Arnold as his imaginary friend. Joe was later in a band, and when he toured, Arnold stayed with my mom and roommate. Eventually, Arnold lived with my mom until she married, so he came around less often until Joe passed away.

I was 8 or 9 when I experienced my first encounter. My younger brother claimed to see Arnold and said he had a large, round head that was orange like a basketball. A couple of years later, one of our roommates confirmed this description because he saw Arnold, too. Sometime later after moving again, another family member saw him standing in our living room.

When I was 13 or 14, I received a call at 2 a.m. from my dad. His girlfriend was hysterical after seeing Arnold standing in their kitchen at the table. I will never forget how terrified she was and consoling her. She described him as all the others, with a large, round orange head.

The Protector

My mom describes him as her guardian angel. Arnold protected her from people who meant her harm or mistreated her. He was seen by many as a reminder that they were being watched and to treat her well.

When my mom was younger, she was working a lot and needed to do laundry and clean. She wanted to wash her bedspread and finally made time to do so. When she got home, it was done. No one else washed it, and it was beautiful. Years later, one night at work, Arnold dumped a strawberry daiquiri at a server who was irritating her.

I remember, at 15, taking a shower and seeing all the shampoos, conditioners, and soaps flying at me. Not falling into the tub; they were thrown horizontally at me. Knowing me, it was probably after an argument with my mom.

Arnold loved to move objects. He turned on TVs and lights when no one was around. He hid things in random places – you know, those places things would never end up – and especially my dad’s tools after their divorce. One night my dad called demanding me to pick up Arnold because he kept slamming the toilet seat down, over and over again. We visited my dad that day, and he swore we left him there.

One of my mom’s friends didn’t believe the stories and thought it was all a hoax. Her windshield wipers randomly came on for the next three days. She believed after that.

Loving Memories

My mom fondly recalls seeing objects move across the counter and floor. I remember missing things and finding them in weird places like the oven. I was never scared though, mostly annoyed, and I embraced the idea we had a poltergeist who followed us.

Poltergeists are defined as noisy, usually mischievous ghosts, and no one is sure of the full story. It’s amazing that a manifestation from a child’s imagination can live decades and attach itself to one person or family. What began as an imaginary friend turned into a supernatural force that dozens of people can witness to and several have seen. I haven’t had any Arnold experiences since I was a teenager, but I’m sure now that we are talking about him, he’ll resurface again.

A very special thanks to my mom for the great stories, and we at RevPub hope everyone has a Happy Halloween week. Be sure to check in Wednesday for a very special post!

Ghost Story #7: Dreams

On By R. PettyIn Short Stories2 Comments

Do you think ghosts can appear in dreams? I’m torn on this subject, and although I have dreamed about deceased people, I’m not sure they were ghosts or it was just a dream. This story comes from my mother-in-law* and makes me wonder if ghosts can intercept dreams.

A Ghost from the Past

It was July 1964, and little did Martha know she was close to going into labor with her first child. After returning from a long day at work, she laid down to take a nap.

Suddenly, her grandfather appeared at the foot of the bed. He passed away a few years before this incident. “Martha, I can’t stay long and need to tell you something,” he said.

She listened carefully but was terrified. It was an old tale that a pregnant woman seeing a deceased person in a dream was a bad omen for the baby.

“You are going to have a boy with long black hair,” he explained. “Don’t worry, the baby is fine. I need to go now, and I love you.”

She begged her grandfather to stay, but he drifted away. She awoke in a panic, and ran to her mom to tell her what happened. Her mom was worried there was something wrong with the baby, and they spent the next few hours waiting for the baby to move.

The next day Martha went into labor. A few hours later she had a healthy baby boy with long black hair.

Even today Martha isn’t sure it was just a dream; she wonders if her grandfather’s ghost visited and she was never fully asleep. Her grandfather never visited (or intercepted) again, but it makes you wonder if ghosts can enter our subconscious or if it was just a strange coincidence. What do you think?

*Names have been changed.

Don’t miss our Story of the Month, which is a weird tale that even skeptics will have trouble explaining!

Ghost Story #5: Grocery Stores

On By R. PettyIn Short Stories1 Comment

Anyone who has worked at a grocery store knows the back room is a little creepy. It’s dark, loud, and packed full of product. It’s only a step up from a cellar or basement, and there are lots of blind spots. I spent hundreds of hours alone in the back room, whether it was loading carts for a truck or prepping produce.

Over 10 years, I worked at five stores, although I spent most of my time at one on Nolensville Rd. The building was complete and the store opened in 1982, and although it wasn’t very old, there was something odd in there.

Here are a few things that happened:

  • The radio in the produce cooler would turn off. We kept a radio on when we did prep work, and it would often turn off with us in the cooler or when we were outside the door. There was no pattern, it would just happen. We tried different plugs and radios, and we always had the same result.
  • I would hear my name. I know it sounds crazy, but I would hear my name whispered in my ear – in the aisles and back room – and it never happened at another store. I was once told it was bad luck to answer to your name being whispered, so I started waiting for the second call. I still don’t respond if I’m not sure.
  • At night, the store made me uneasy. It was well lit, almost always had music playing, and there were only a couple of entrances and exits, but I never felt like I was alone. It always felt like something was lurking and watching.
  • I walked in the back room one night to turn off all lights, and saw a black figure. Not a shadow on the wall, a figure walked and disappeared three feet from me right in the middle of the back room. This was before I turned the lights off (thank goodness), and I only saw it out of my peripheral, but I know I was the only person back there. The only other person in the store was up front.

I’m not sure if the building was haunted, but it shows that no matter where you are, there may be something watching…

Have you ever worked in a creepy building? Tell us about it in the comments section!

And for another spooky work tale, read Sounds in the Dark.