Online Writing Tips
HubSpot's Gobbledygoopgrader evaluates writing to increase credibility
The next time you dot the i and cross the t on your final sentence, copy and paste your writing content into gobbledygoop.grader.com. This tool evaluates your writing, checking for jargon, cliches, over used and hyped up words... and of course gobbledygoop.
Created by the brains at HubSpot with David Scott Meerman, this tool helps ensure your writing content is clear and concise. Once evaluated, you receive a gobbledygoop grade and a full report.
I love this tool. I call it my credibility catcher. It keeps me from getting into the expert, geek, cutting edge, flexible, next generation zone. This kind of writing only serves to dilute the substance of your message, stuffing it full of sweet nothings.
Plain and simple - everyone should use the Gobbledygoop Grader to keep their writing credible.
Keep it Conversational
From blogging to tweeting - if you're writing online, you're writing first person, present tense. That means you should write as if you were talking to me right now! The idea of building relationships online holds true with your writing style. This is Social Media after all, so keep it conversational.
You want to connect with your audience on a one-to-one basis. Don't go formal on us when you're writing about the latest technology trend or your best beach discovery. Remember your audience and speak their language.
If you write the way you talk - minus the pregnant pauses, ahs and ums- you'll never stray from informal to formal, first to third ever again.
Write with your real voice on your blog or in your tweets/updates. No one wants to hear the voice of the person who writes Council communicaes for a living online. My advice, just loosen up and have some fun.
Travel Writing Sample Stories:
Going Green in Maui's Kihei
Brown sugar beaches abound on Maui’s south shore – like that’s a surprise. Condos and resorts line the drive, sprinkled with dive shops, Mustang convertibles and the wafting scent of Plumeria. Kihei -pronounced key hey- is a busy beach hub. Morning rituals begin with everything from beach runs and rock hops, to dog walking along the flower-powered main drag.
Hibiscus bushes drip with flower colours so varied it’s mind-boggling. And it's everyday normal to pass by tropical hikers. These adventurers, with beach chairs strapped to their backs, slowly make their way to the water’s edge laden with coolers and towels. It’s busy, it’s beautiful, and it’s just another day in paradise. Now, how do you get away from it all?
In Maui there’s more ways to spend time and money than EBAY. Paradise is packed with adventure packages – on the water, in the water, on the beach, in the jungle- the list seems endless. And the prices, well the saying goes, “You don’t come to Maui if you’re on a budget.” One way to keep some green for beach beers at sunset is to snorkel with the Sea Turtles – right off the beach.
You can visit any number of sandy-bottomed beauties with easy in access and fish bowl views. We frequented Po’Oleanena and Maluaka beaches with great results. We never did get the name of the beach at the back of the Maui Prince hotel, but this was our greatest find. With green sea turtles surfacing less than an arm’s length away and iridescent fish shimmering in brilliant pastels in all sizes and colours – it was a snorkeler’s paradise. And it quickly became our favourite place to play. Imagine snorkelling just off the beach from your Condo or Hotel. In Maui, it’s not only possible, it’s a must.
The list of beaches on the south shore around Kihei are just dreamy. Check out the latest edition ofMaui Revealedfor information on beaches, hiking, eating, theHanahighway and just about everything you’d want to know about visiting Maui.
We’re heading back to the free fishbowl in October 2009. That's right. Hawaii again. Why? Because this kind of fun isn’t available just anywhere - it’s only in Hawaii baby. So Hang Loose and we'll see you there!
P.S. If you know the name of the beach behind the Maui Prince Hotel drop me a line.
Dinosaur’s Spring
Before the crowds of RV’s roll down the hill, before the undulating heat of mid-July, and long before the prairie wildflower and sage bushes parade across the hoodoos - there’s Easter in Dinosaur Park. Stark, pre-spring beauty layers shades of browns and gold’s in harmony with the morning meadow larks melody. How refreshing to be one of the few around to revel in the wondrous sights and sounds.
This is the time of crisp, frosty mornings. Where your breath wanes in front of you momentarily as your eyes adjust to the sights. Where cupping your warm coffee and considering your surroundings takes on personal peace and satisfaction. You can breathe deeply here. And at this time of year, the smell of last year’s leaves and wet earth mix and mingle with the promise of a new day of exploring.
It’s quiet, with the exception of Canada Geese calling from the tops of distant hoodoos. Perhaps you want to start a small fire from last night’s embers and pull up a lawn chair. Or maybe, just maybe, you and your lawn chair are climbing to the top of that hoodoo to watch the sun rise.
You could always wander down toward the Red Deer River and happen upon the hiding place of baby bunnies the colour of earth. Their sudden quick movement the only thing alerting you to their home in the Hawthorn bushes. Or be the first to discover purple crocuses huddling tightly in the early morning sunshine. Take a seat on the bench by the old forest burn and watch songbirds flit amongst cottonwood poplars and buffalo berry bushes. You’re sitting in prime bird real estate here so don’t forget the binoculars.
In Dinosaur Park, life abounds where elsewhere it seems seasonally asleep. Watch, observe and thank your luck for the joy a visit brings. Spring is coming, but now, at this moment, it’s your time to breathe in the sweet promise nature generously provides.
Mayan Riviera Cenotes... a hole lot of Yucatan fun
Ahh, the Yucatan’s Mayan Riviera. Cotton candy sunrises, sun seekers dreamilybeachin it,while Catamarans bob and weave atop the Caribbean’s brilliant blue. It's no wonder this heady expanse of saltwater is a big draw for travellers. But the area also boasts afreshwater surprise– the deliciouscenote(pronounced say no tay). Also known as natural sinkholes, these pools are blessings in the heat and a welcome change from the beaches busy coconut tones.
The word cenote is derived from the ancient Mayan word (dzonot), referring to a cavernous chamber containing permanent water. They occur when naturally acidic groundwater seeps through cracks in limestone bedrock. Over time, the rock beneath the surface crust dissolves, creating a cavern. Eventually the roof collapses, leaving an open-air limestone cenote. Ancient Mayan settlements flourished close to cenotes: the pools were, and remain, one of the most important drinking water sources in the Yucatan Peninsula.
In local lingo, cenotes are called caves. But they’re not all deep, dark, mysterious caverns. Some are wide open; just jump in from the waters edge. Others descend down stone stairs into lit, glittering caverns. If scuba diving dark labyrinths of water-filled caves are your game, special guides are necessary.
Dipping Down Below
Samula Cenote, located near the town of Valladolid in Dzitnip, is a roofed cavern. The air smells earthy; the atmosphere richly ancient. A visit here is nothing short of exhilarating.
Holding tight to the thick rope—securely attached to the rock wall—you begin a steep descent into a dimly lit cavern. Local kids skirt around slower tourists, obviously used to the downward pull. Rounding a corner, your eyes devour one of the most ethereal natural views imaginable. Alamo tree roots dangle like strings of spaghetti from a small hole in the roof. Slivers of dappled sunlight dance along its roots, leading your eyes downward almost 20 metres to a clear blue pool below. Silhouetted swimmers sit on rocks at the trees root base, as if holding court with nature. The water seems to move like sheets of fluid glass, mesmerizing the captive audience. Looking around, you’ll notice a natural rock jump-off point. Local kids jostle and play at the water’s edge, pushing each other off in peels of laughter. This is your cue to move down the steps and join the action.
Tuck in your sunglasses, shorts and shirts into the walls natural pockmarks. The water in this subterranean cenote is an ideal temperature – a refreshing 25 Celsius. Once you take the plunge, you’ll notice blind fish darting lazily through the water, their presence merely a tease without a scuba mask and light. You'll quickly forget the heat and humidity above in this cool, freshwater embrace. The only regret about visiting Samula is you likely couldn't stay long enough.
Skimming The Surface
Cenote Azul on highway 307, just outside of Playa del Carmen keeps you above ground. Maggie - the residentperro- is known for her tail-wagging welcome as you pay admission.
After giving Maggie a friendly pat, you pass dazzling raspberry bougainvillaea shrubs fringing the admissionpalapaand head in. Palm fans and tropical trees lined the idyllic limestone path. Tiny blue pools – merely appetizers to the full course at the end of the trail – popped in and out of view, contrasting beautifully with the jungle green along the way. Yucatan Jays and Green Parrots shrieked greetings, a constant reminder of the tropical rainforest environment. Around the bend a startling turquoise pool exploded into view.
There's a couple of different ways to get into the water here. After quickly changing on the wooden viewing deck that hugs the pool, you can jump right in off the bridge. Or just head over to the flat, algae free slabs of limestone and ease in slowly. Other adventure aficionados hike up to the cenote overhang and jump from high above.
Once in, it's easy to explore the rocky overhang for remnants of stalactites. This is a great opportunity to get a closer look at the pocked limestone rock wall. Acolourful,fish-bowl is directly underneath you so remember to bring your snorkel and mask.
Although Azul is a smaller cenote, what it lacks in size, it makes up for in colour and character. Every angle of the visit painted a perfect picture postcard.
Paradise Within Reach
Visiting Yucatan cenotes is easy. With more than 3000 to choose from - over 100 right along highway 307 west of Cancun – you're bound to find one close to your resort. Just ask the tour organizer at your hotel for details and directions or Google search online before you go. Visits are reasonably priced, giving you the perfect opportunity to rub shoulders with friendly locals.
Don’t miss these freshwater jewels when visiting the Yucatan’s Mayan Riviera. They’re serving up a refreshing taste of authentic Mexico. Fromwide open bluetodeep-cave exploring, one thing is certain – you’ll leave with delicious memories and the desire to visit again and again.
FYI’S
- If your visit includes a swim in a cenote, forego using any suntan oil, lotion or perfumes. Remember to pack out everything you bring, and stay on the trails to decrease your impact on this fragile eco-system.
- Collectivos are white mini-vans providing rides up and down highway 307. Stand on the side of the road, wave when you see it coming and they’ll stop if they have room. An average fare is two to three dollars and they let you off anywhere along the highway.
- Cenote Azul is across highway 307 slightly east of the Barcelo Maya Beach Resort.
- Samula Cenote is a little farther away. Book a tour that stops at this cenote on your way back from Chichen Itza, or if you’re visiting Valladolid, take a bike or car and head west on route 180.
- Cenote admission prices range from free to ten dollars.
- If trips off the beaten track are more your style, book a tour through a local operator.