All You Need Is Lists To Enjoy Your Time Online

I love lists! Yes I’m one of those people who has to write a list for everything I do. I have a housework list, a grocery list, I even have a “to write” list. So when I came across the site All You Need Is Lists, I got all excited. I had to go do a little checking around the site just to see what it was all about.

In a nutshell All You Need Is Lists is about information. Some of it is entertaining information, some of it is need to know information, and some of it is totally useless information. But when you bottom line it, it’s going to inspire someone. According to the site’s About Us page, the site basically started out as a place to post information on things that couldn’t be found in one spot anywhere else on the Internet. Over time, the site basically took on a life of it’s own.

There are only 3 main categories on the site; gaming & entertainment, technology & design, and world, business, & lifestyles. There are further sub-categories from there, but this is a good place to start. I was blown away by the wide variety of topics and the ideas that the writers put into these posts.  I loved the list about the Non-Fiction Books That Read Like Fiction.  Being an avid reader and a writer, I loved this one and quickly realized that I need to update my non-fiction reading list.

I really like the way this entire site is put together. Not only do they have a link where the average blogger can submit their own lists, but they encourage their readers to post comments. Not through the usual fodder found on most blogs, but in great big bright letters. “Come leave a comment and get free backlinks”. I don’t usually leave comments on blogs unless I feel I have something worthwhile to add to the conversation. But this site makes me feel that even if I post something that is, shall we say, less than intelligent, I won’t be called out for all to see.

I had a ball going through the different lists on the site. I had so much fun that I had to check out their Facebook page and their Twitter page. I’m even thinking about putting together a few lists of my own to add to this way cool site. I mean, if someone can post a list about the Top 5 Cartoon Spies (and NOT mention Secret Squirrel or Spy VS. Spy), I’m sure I can come up with something to add to the mix.

Seriously, the next time you’re out browsing through the Internet, you’ve got to check this site out. It’s a riot and oddly enough, you might accidentally learn something. Need a better reason? What, do I gotta write a list for ya???

The Bio That Is Me

This is the bio I had started to put together for a new site just released.  However, when it dawned on me that I’d pretty much written a full-length novel of myself, I thought I’d better fix it and start again.  But I didn’t want to loose everything I’d already written, so I’m putting it here.  Enjoy…or don’t…your choice.  LOL

My name is Christine Senter and I’ve been a freelance writer for the past 20+ years.  I began writing as a hobby in grade school and began trying to write professionally at about age 18.
I wasn’t able to go to college as children and life got in the way, so I read everything I could find about the writing field on my own time.  I wrote articles, short stories, and poetry on an old
1950s manual typewriter.  And after several rejection letters, I did manage to get a couple poems published in small chapbooks.

In 1994, I finally joined the online revolution.  My husband got us our first computer and I spent 3 days in my room teaching myself how to work the Internet and how to build a site using HTML.  In 1995, I found a free online site that would help me with my online writing career.  The class was called “Beginning Writing” and the teacher was Shery Ma Belle Arrieta.  She taught me a lot about being a writer online, and soon gave me my own column on her personal website.  Her site was called The E-Writer’s Place and I wrote a column called The Write Sites.  I researched the Internet looking for sites that had anything to do with writing, from free classes to research sites to literary agents.

Within a couple of years, I was producing my own sites through a company called WebSeed Publishing.  It was one of the very first writing communities and I ran 2 different sites.  One was called Finding the Father.com—a site about finding God in today’s society—and the other was called PlantLore.com—a site that looked into the histories, mysteries, and mythologies of the plant kingdom.  When Webseed went under, so did my sites.

It was then I decided to take the plunge and buy my first domain.  It was a site called The Prompt Writer and was filled with writing prompts for my fellow writers.  I also put together a weekly newsletter for my readers and posted each week’s prompts onto the site.  Though I no longer maintain the newsletter, the site has been updated several times and is still filled with free writing prompts.

From 2004-2007, I worked at writing poetry and short stories.  I had a few published on various websites and made a little money along the way.  When I started writing for Associated Content, my writing career took on a life of its own.  I found out that I could make money as a writer, though I didn’t see me making enough to pay off any bills.  I had also started writing for Hubpages and a couple other sites that are no longer in existence.

In 2008, everything changed.  I was contacted by a pro-blogger by the name of Garry Conn.  Garry and I became great friends and he began paying me to write SEO styled articles for his many web blogs.  Up to that time, I had had a blog, but it was more of a play place than a way of making money.  Garry taught me how to monetize my sites and how to run a WordPress blog.  With a year’s time, I owned 3 more blogs—Special Offers Blog, Sapheyerblu Review, and Christine Senter.com.

Today, I still work to maintain my many blogs, though I don’t get it done as often as I’d like.  I do, however, make enough to keep me going by writing for several different content sites such as TextWriter.com and WordGigs.  I also work as a ghostwriter for a couple other bloggers who prefer to remain anonymous.

Outside of being a writer, I also run a couple different online shops.  I run a webstore called Classic Curios Boutique and I’m working on putting together my own Zazzle store.  However these are only as a hobby for the time being.  My real triumph is winning my own EZshoppe called Prairied Treasures, which I’m working on getting put together as I write this.  I want to have enough items made (all handmade items) to make it worth sending people over to see.  My problem is that I’m a perfectionist and I can’t see anyone wanting to buy my jumbles.

So that’s me.  I’m sure there’s a lot of stuff I’ve forgotten about.  Several sites I’ve written stuff on that I can’t remember the address of or even the name of.  I’m sure there’s a lot more out there about me, but some of it’s probably not worth seeing.  If I think of more stuff, I’ll update this page.  Until that time, this is the bio that is me.

My Winning Books

I took some time off from blogging to rest up my hand. I’ve either gotten Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, or a pinched nerve of some sort. Way to go, Ducky!! Oh well, my own fault, but it won’t keep me from playing on the puter.

I was lucky enough to win a total of 5 books during the Spooktacular Book Blog Giveaway Event. 2 e-books and 3 physical books. So far, I’ve received 4 of the 5, with the last one sent being sent out tomorrow. Rather than just send out thank-you’s (which I’ve already done), I thought I’d do something nice for those 5 bloggers/writers to show my appreciation.

The very first book I won was a hard cover copy of Stephen King’s The Dark Half. This win came from Grab A Book From My Shelf, with a total of 3 winners. I loved the fact that the winners were chosen by the site-owner’s pets. Very cool video posted showing the drawing. LOL. Thanks to Spunky Doodle for sitting on my name.

The next book I won was an e-book copy of The Noble Pirates from the book’s author, R.L. Jean. Though there were originally going to be 5 winners, this kind person gave everyone a copy so everybody was a winner in this contest. And I’m thrilled to be one of them.

Number 3 came from a very sweet girl who’s created more than just a neat book, she’s created a visual trip through modern day Egypt that inspires children and adults alike. An ABC Escapade through Egypt is an e-book bursting with vivid pictures that take the reader/viewer through an alphabetical journey through modern-day Egypt. I highly recommend this e-book to anyone who has children. It’s very cool!!!

My forth win came from the lady who put this entire event together, Inspired Kathy. I love this site, and there’s a contest going on all the time. I won a copy of Dreadnought by Cherie Priest. It takes place during the Civil War on a train called the Dreadnought. That’s my mom’s favorite period in history so I,m thinking about giving it to her for Christmas.

And finally, I won a copy of Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews from Urban Girl Reader. I received a message from site owner, Sherri Wright that she will be sending my copy out tomorrow. She was a bit worried as the copy has been a little loved, but that’s totally cool with me. I like books that have known love.

I want to thank all of these people, and everyone who contributed to this event. I had a ball, and I can’t wait until the next one so we can do it again.