HubPages: Bring It! Arlene V. Poma's 30 Hubs in 30 Days Challenge

According to my profile dated today (September 1, 2011), I have been with HubPages for 2 months and now have 70 Hubs. 71 if you count this one.

Attitude is everything.

Making goals is easy. Experts say you make goals and have it so you look at them every single day as a reminder. Write down your goal and tape it to the bathroom mirror or anywhere in the house where you hang out on a daily basis.

That way, you see, live and breathe your goal.

I used to do that, but now, I don’t even bother. I keep my goals in my head. I leave my bathroom mirror free for the inspiring quotations I come across. I print them and tape them on the mirror.

By September 30^th of this month, not only will I have 30 Hubs completed and reach my 30-Day Hub Challenge, I will have also had a total of 100 Hubs. Most likely, I will over 100 Hubs by the deadline.

How can I say such a thing? Well, for one thing, what I say is not brag—just fact. Yes, I am that confident, and you should be, too.

I’m asking you to set your goals and join me in the 30-Day Challenge.

Look at it this way. The more Hubbers going after this challenge, the merrier. You don’t have to finish anything in 30 days, but whatever you finish is helpful because you will learn how to pace yourself. You can figure out what it takes to do 30 Hubs in 30 days. And, if you’re successful, you can prove to yourself, family, friends, other Hubbers, and the rest of the world that you can do it.

I may or may not write one Hub each day, but I'll make up for my Hub absence.

Life happens, and I can get distracted. Or force myself to take a break. But since one of my built-in goals is to finish with a grand total of 100+ Hubs, I could slam 3-4 Hubs in a day if I wanted to keep up with the pace of missing a day or more of writing. As they say in California--no problema.

This is how I plan to reach my goal.

Recently, I received an email from Marisa Wright, asking me questions about taking a cruise. I did have a few Hubs on cruising at the time, but Marisa insisted that I could write a series of Hubs on cruising.

Naw. Could I really? I had already seen different Hubs on cruising that week.

Marisa informed me that it didn’t matter. She explained that if a writer bundled a subject with 15-30 HUBS under a related title, the more readership you would attract. Although Hubbers wrote on similar subjects all of the time, each writer always wrote a different spin on it.

Thanks to Marisa, I’ve been adding other cruise topics to what I already have.

Bundling.

These days, even your phone, Internet and television services are bundled. So this is how I will plan, write and publish my Hubs. When I first started HubPages, my ideas for writing my Hubs were scattered, and I wrote on anything I could think of.

Now, with Marisa’s advice, I realize that her Hub bundling method makes sense. If you have readers who are interested in a topic, most likely they would be interested in reading more Hubs that are related to that major topic. Here are my six:

CRUISING

I already have Hubs on cruising and will write more on the subject.

HUBPAGES WRITING TIPS FOR NEWCOMERS

I have Hubs targeting the beginning Hubber. I consider myself a beginning Hubber, but I have been a published writer/newspaper reporter/magazine writer/budding novelist since the 1970s. As I grow into the Kingdom of Hubdom, I feel I can throw in some advice and encouragement when it comes to writing. I will always encourage people to write.

TWO RIVERS RISING

Two Rivers Rising is my literary creation which serves two purposes for me. It is an extension of my blog, SheRetired.blogspot.com, about my adventures as a 53-year-old Sacramento woman who retired way too early. I have fun with this soap opera/serial of mine because I’ve lived it as my main character, Arlene, (that’s me!) and continue to live it. And because of it and the rest of my Hubs, I seldom write in my blog.

I love to travel and love travel writing. I take photographs of my hometown, Sacramento, and shamelessly plug it into my soap as a destination. Taking photographs to illustrate Two Rivers Rising also gets me out of the house to explore tourist attractions and destinations in and out of Sacramento. Most of us don’t bother looking around our cities and towns because we figure the sights will always be there. Wrong! Sad to say, most tourists I’ve met in my travels know more about Sacramento than I do.

BOOK REVIEWS

I believe in supporting the publishing industry. Therefore, I always buy books and magazines. I love a good read, and most writers do. Reading and writing go together, so I make time for both. I have been hooked on memoirs and autobiographies for months, and I can't seem to shake them. I've stocked up on books to read. For me, books are still the best bargain around.

THE ART OF CLUTTER BUSTING

I retired in 2002, and I could kick myself for not organizing my home because I still have a mess on my hands. My husband and I are slobs who were brought up by control freaks for mothers. Sadly, the both of us are waiting on our moms to come by and clean up, and that ain't happening. If you have children, do not clean up after them. That goes for hubby/wifey, friends and relatives. Anyway, I am learning to clutter bust as I go along. Which means I have to undo a lifelong habit and cut loose with the books, magazines and containers which I consider my friends. I do appreciate well-designed containers. I love cigar boxes. I have a tote bag collection which is unreal, but I only carry a wallet in real life. Do I use the tote bags when I shop? Of course not! They are pieces of art, and they happened to be free.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG AND DUMB GIRLS

Last month, I met a young and dumb girl over the Forum. After hearing her ask other Hubbers to help her with her personal problem (the boyfriend!), she turned around and started singing praises about the jerk she was chained to. This was after her rant about what a jerk he was in the first place. I don't usually get pulled into drama and get my cage rattled, but she pissed me off with her young and dumbness.

When you ask for help, tell the people who give you advice, "Thank You!" and don't change your story or say, "I know, I know." So I wrote a couple of Hubs in honor of her. It was more constructive than getting out my violin and playing a tune while my eyes were rolling upward and into my brains. The twit didn't realize that by putting her problem online, she looked stupid, and anyone could look her up later. Don't ever put your personal problems online. You will never live it down because online material doesn't go away.

Take it from a former divorcee who has very unflattering photographs of her body parts recorded online and on Xerox machines. Although they date back to 1999, these creations of mine will come back to haunt me. For one thing, I didn't have a hot, smokin' bod at the time those photographs were taken and launched into the Internet. And, I still don't. But, if I was photographed with a hot, smokin' bod anywhere, do you think I'd care?

Do I sound harsh? What do you expect from an former correctional officer from California? What you see is what you get. That's how I am. I may have been considered an overpaid thug when I worked my job, but I do consider myself to be firm and fair. If you happen to piss me off with your whining and crying, and won't do anything to positively change your situation, let me help you with my Hubs for Young and Dumb Girls. As a rule, I don't kiss ass and I don't take crap. You will always know where you stand with me.

So quit your crying and suck it up, Young and Dumb Girl. You aren't the only one with problems.

Anything Else I Want to Write About?

The six topics keep me busy, but if I get any ideas, I’ll follow up on writing a Hub about it. I don’t suffer from Writer’s Block. I get ideas for my Hubs all the time, and this includes in my dreams. My problem is sitting my butt down in front of my laptop and catching up with my ideas.

My Only Advice

Do what you say you are going to do, and you will complete this challenge.

See ya at the Finish Line on September 30, 2011. And don't keep me waiting.

A Note from Arlene: If you can get in the habit of writing a Hub a day for 30 days, you will reach your goal. I have been published in the past and have worked on newspapers and magazines. Check out my Hubs on Hubs. Let's get you writing so that you'll succeed as HubPage's newest accomplished online writer.