#if you go to the effort of buying bananas don’t just leave them to rot on the counter?

[the-witchhunter]

DP x DC: obsession ramble

It’s not that I dislike obsessions, but I’d like to actually see them actually used more

The word obsession means: “an idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person’s mind”

It has connotations of compulsivity and a loss of control

So if I’m told X character is obsessed with y, then I’m not actually shown the character being obsessed, it just feels… unsatisfying?

And a lot of the time we get told about it and then it’s never addressed again, or it gets treated more akin to a special interest

It’s Chekhov’s gun remaining unfired

Which is a shame because the works that do actually show the obsessive element of an obsession it feels like setup and payoff. It’s really cool and an interesting way to examine a character

And I get that takes extra work and isn’t always the story you want to tell, but it’s significantly less cool when it’s arbitrarily lumped in. It’s not a be all end all if it’s included and nothing is done with it, but it’s a bit like a nail not quite hammered into place: sticks out a bit and occasionally tears a small hole in your sweater(story)

Def not saying not to use it, but just food for thought on ways to use it I guess, or a way. Idk man I’ve definitely been overthinking this but people overthink every aspect of writing and tropes so that don’t make me special just sleep deprived

[canadian-buckbeaver]

Tales of Old and Bone

Beginning of a commission for a very special reader of mine :)  @alextris 

Chapter One: Horrortale Sans meets a friend

( @redtomatofan I think you would appreciate this too ;) )

The old lady stared at the fruit through her thin watery eyes, her hands slightly shaking.  Was it a nectarine or a peach?  Or maybe that weird apple that Jennifer was talking about yesterday. She wasn’t sure.  There wasn’t even a fragrance that she could smell with it. She gave a soft sigh and put the fruit back.  It had been so much easier when her husband was here.  He always knew how to make her smile and forget about how the passage of time had not been kind to her.  And yet she had still outlived him by at least ten years.

Well.  She would see him soon… especially if the cost of groceries kept going up.  She might find herself running out of money yet.

With a soft sigh she put back the fruit and shuffled over to the hazy yellow shapes, her gait unsteady.  Those at least she knew those were bananas.  And they were probably cheaper than whatever apple-hybrid that that new generation was eating.  Where had the world gone so wrong?  Back in her day her grandparents had retired at the ripe-old age of fifty and were able to afford their house, cars, groceries, have money left over to spoil grandchildren and even leave a healthy inheritance to their loved ones when they passed.  The good old days.  Before greed and capitalism took over and rotted everyone’s minds.

And nowadays she could barely afford to eat.  Thank god that she and Harold never had any kids. She couldn’t imagine the disappointment on their faces when all she had to give him were the trinkets that dotted her little house. Tears dotted her eyes.  She was so scared of the future.  What would it hold for her?  And…

She bumped into someone.  “WATCH IT HAG!” The loud, acidic voice snapped.  She couldn’t see the boy’s face but, judging by the way the voice wavered between octaves, he had to bet between fourteen and eighteen. Still so young.

And already so cynical with the world.  She felt bad for him.

“My apologies, young man.  I did not see you there…”

“Of course you didn’t, you old bat.  Your glasses are about as thick as Kardashian’s pussy!”

The words were clearly meant to try and surprise her. Or maybe to make her disgusted. Such language.  Children never truly changed, did they?  Especially the ones with the high opinions of themselves…

* * * * *

The boy sneered to his friends as he pocketed the older lady’s wallet.  It had just been laying on top of everything inside of her purse, just ripe for the taking. He couldn’t resist.  They needed it more than her, the price of their favourite vodka had gone up.  He doubted that she would even miss it.  She had on a wedding ring.  Her husband would just give her some more government-funded money and she could go out and buy more yarn and pea soup.  He gestured at his friends to continue walking.  Act natural.

“Seriously, I think it is about time that those older folks know your place and just die.  Their time is over.  Make way for the young.  Over population is a serious issue these days and, you know what happens when a chicken can’t lay eggs or work anymore…”

His wrist, the one holding the lady’s wallet was seized, clasped tight in deadly grip, never letting go as they slammed the wrist into a nearby display.  The boy cried out, pain radiating from his wrist and traveling up his arm, forcing him to drop the wallet.  But that was the least of his worries.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?” he demanded, eyes unable to focus on the shadowy figure due to the pain. Whoever had attacked him had a death wish. But his mates weren’t backing him up.  Instead he could see them slowly backing away, leaving him on his own.  They were murmuring something as they disappeared to the other aisles.  

Cowards.  Here he thought that his friends were true.  Fine.  He could do this on his own if he needed to.  He didn’t need anyone to hold him back.

When his vision returned, he could feel his stomach drop.

Long, curved bones were wrapped around his warm skin, just digging into him hard enough to make a slight mark.  There was not an ounce of flesh on the bones, he could see every knuckle, every joint, every crack in the bone.  And the noise…. He wasn’t sure how best to describe the grating noise that they made when they moved slightly.  It was enough to cause a shiver to go down his spine.  But still the boney hand held him tight, not letting him go.  The grip was as cold as steel and just as strong, keeping him pinned where he was against the display with little effort.

Slowly, against his better judgement, the boy’s eyes traveled up, scanning his attacker.  A dirty, threadbare hoodie caught his attention next.  It was obvious that there had been an unsuccessful attempt at cleaning the rag before being seen in public, but whatever had been spilled over it had stained it.  Deep browns mixed with a rust had intermingled and dried across what used to be a blue hoodie.

Up, up, up.  What he saw made no sense.

A manic grin smirked, the grin unwavering, unflinching, at him, lending to the unsettling atmosphere. Two deep, flickering, red eyes stared him down, unblinking.  Unafraid. Almost challenging him to make a move.  Give him an excuse to attack and fight.  The curve of the skull was interrupted by the chunk that was missing out of his skull…

Wait.

A skull.  He was staring at a skull.

No.  He was looking at the full thing.  A real live, honest to fucking hell skeleton stood in front of him.  Pinning him where he stood.  But… but that was impossible.  He had heard of the monsters escape, it had been all over the news.  Hell, even his old man had joined an anti-monster gang to try and keep the monsters out of the school system and out of ‘regular’ areas.

And here he was, being pinned by one in a grocery store of all places.  He could see that, up close, the skeleton wasn’t looking as smooth as he had originally thought.  The monster was absolutely covered in scars and raised bumps.  This… this monster had been in several fights.

The boy had the feeling that he did not lose.

“Let me go.” He snarled, trying to pull his hand away from the creature.  The creature didn’t even move, made no indication that he had even heard at him.  Those red eye lights just stared at him, unblinking. Uncaring.  The boy yanked at his arm again.  “OI I SAID LET-”

“Do you know what happens when a young rooster gets too big for his feathers?” a cracking voice asked.  It sounded unused, unneeded.  Like two rocks had been grinding together to make the noise.  And yet it was so soft, the boy could barely hear it.

“I beg your par-”

“I asked you a question.  Do you know what happens, when a young rooster gets too big for his feathers?  Tries to take over the roost?”  The voice had definitely come from the skeleton.  The eyes were focused in on him, watching his every move, every struggle.

The boy tried to pull away again.  “Let me g-”

“Answer the question first, and you’ll find yourself free.” The skeleton demanded, giving a yank to his hand.

Wincing slightly, the boy glared up at the monster.  He would make sure that they would all pay. “No. What happens when that happens?”

The skeleton almost seemed to like that answer.  The grin widened, stretching across his skull, the red eyes took on an extra sparkle.  The skeleton’s free hand slowly reached down, pulling the hoodie away from his body…

Exposing the large, silver axe that he had stashed there.

His breath caught, his heart clenched, and he felt his arms and legs go numb.  This wasn’t the first time that he had been in a life-or-death scenario.  His gang initiations came to mind as well.  Fight or flight.

But he didn’t have his knife or gun this time.  His so-called friends had held them for him this time.

The skeleton gave a low, rumbling, sinister laugh.  “The old rooster and the young battle it out. To the death.  The loser loses everything, to be fed to the wolves or others that night.  The winner walks away a proud winner, free to lead the hen house as he sees fit.” The skeleton leaned closer to him, dusty breath brushing against his ear and cheek. “Cock-a-doodle doo.”

Message loud and clear.

“What do you want from me?”

“Oh there is many things I could want from you. You to stop bothering the innocent patrons of this store.  You to leave innocent old ladies alone. And for you to leave her wallet where it is.” This last little bit came out as a snarl.

The boy gulped.  “I don’t have the wallet.  I already dropped it.”

The skeleton took his time to appraise him and then check the ground.  The pale, well-worn pink wallet was under the display that he had the boy pinned on.  He gave a cold, satisfied, chuckle.   “Good.  Starting to learn already.  Now. Go find your little groupies and get the hell out of here.  And if I ever find you in this area again… well.  You’re not the only rooster I’ve plucked and dressed for dinner.”

The threat was very clear.  

The boy grit his teeth, hating every second, but ran off as soon as he was able to.

Sans watched him storm out of the store, swearing and stamping his feet, the little useless groupies soon following along behind him.  He chuckled softly, letting the red eyes lose their glare, releasing the hold on his sinister magic.  He hated doing that in public.  Quickly, before any other costumer could get any bright ideas, he reached under and grabbed the woman’s wallet.  “Excuse me, ma’am.  I believe that you dropped this?” he said, limping up to the elderly lady.

[enterthetadpole]

A couple of months ago the wonderful @arentiaclevergirl commissioned a Rhink one shot where they meet at a farmer's market. Today I found this velvet Elvis painting at a garage sale and had to share it with them. With their blessing they are allowing me to share their one shot with you. The photo will make a lot more sense when you read the story below. 😉

From My Head To-Mah-Toes

There was no real reason for Rhett to be at the farmer’s market today. He had plenty of fruits and veggies to last him for a while, and he had just gone to see the same familiar faces and smiles just the week before. It was more about getting out of the house, and a destination was always better than roaming around with way too much time and money on your hands. That was how he had wound up with that huge velvet Elvis portrait that sat like an eyesore in his living room. That was how he had gotten his lovely tile floors swallowed up by sky blue shag carpeting, and how he now had a six month subscription to Wood Lover’s Digest. 

He shuddered, and then winced. Specifically in that order. 

The market was crowded as it always was when the weather behaved. Today, every single vendor stand stood out like framed pictures of lovely and delicious possibilities. Rhett moved with the surefooted pace of a man who knew exactly where not to get ripped off on an overpriced watermelon. His cash folded in his front pocket, his green eyes were focused on a bargain. 

It wasn’t the fact that he was too zoned in on some particularly well ripened honeydew melons that caused him to crash into the slightly shorter man to his right. Rhett was as graceful as a swan when he needed to be in the best of times. As a matter of fact, when Rhett would recall his first meeting with Link Neal much later on, he was convinced that Link must have backed away from the Mrs. Little’s Little Tomato Shop and caused the actual collision. 

In a moment of that felt like slow motion, the dark haired man in even darker rimmed glasses yelped as he went tumbling down like a ton of bricks. Right into the arms of Rhett James McLaughlin. Full time marketplace shopper and now, part time ‘soft place to fall’ for really cute guys. 

“What the crap, man?!” 

Rhett blinked up at the shorter man, whose blue eyes he was absolutely sure could stop traffic if they wanted. Too bad that his swooning faint had not had him literally falling into love with Rhett as the movies always proclaimed. 

Stupid, lying romantic comedies.

“Sorry,” Rhett rasped as he tried and failed to get the both of them to their feet. All the while Mrs. Little giggled at both sets of their flailing arms and legs. This was not the way to make a sale in Rhett’s opinion. Screw Mrs. Little and her soggy tomatoes.

The other man huffed as he dusted himself off. His pristine 1980s era WWF shirt was now sporting a stain from what looked like a collection of every single bit of grime that has ever existed. This earned Rhett yet another glare of brilliant blue. Rhett could see himself making this man mad for the rest of his life. 

“You got a little somethin’ on your...umm…”

Rhett coughed back a laugh, and enjoyed another scowl aimed his way. This wasn’t technically the way to flirt, but it had been a while since Rhett had been on a date. Velvet pictures of Elvis and sky blue shag carpets in your house make getting laid difficult. The awkward silence was broken by Mrs. Little. 

“Now, Link, honey, don’t let Rhett get to ya. Come here and I’ll get some water on that dirt spot and clean it right up.”

Link. The name was unusual, but so was the man. Long and lanky and lips way too kissable for Rhett not to already be finding ways to hide the stupid purchases in his house. Barbara would make for a good distraction while he gave Elvis a second burial. This time in his backyard. 

Within a few steps, Link was allowing himself to be manhandled by Mrs. Little, who despite her small size was much stronger than she looked. Her efforts to rescue Link’s vintage shirt were hit and miss. The Undertaker still looked Royal Rumble ready, but the mighty Paul Bearer would never be able to sit ringside again.

“I can buy ya another shirt there, brother…”

This, if anything, made Link frown even more as if Rhett had personally insulted his entire family. Mrs. Little tapped him on the shoulder and Rhett could have sworn that she had whispered for Link to be nice. The smile that Link forced on his face made it seem as if there was a rotting pumpkin right under his nose.

“Nice to meet you, Link,” Rhett said. He stuck out his hand for what he hoped would be an eventual handshake. There was a slight nudge of an assist from Mrs. Little, but Link finally took Rhett’s hand in his. 

“Link is my nephew,” Mrs. Little continued, “Just got back into town after leaving for college.” She turned to Link. “This is the young man I was tellin’ you about yesterday.”

At once, Rhett wondered how long Mrs. Little had been trying to get him hooked up. Instantly, Link’s cheeks turned as red as the apples in that little table at the edge of Row D. If anything, it made Rhett want to find ways to anger and embarrass him. 

Link spluttered at the smirk on both his aunt and Rhett’s faces. The vaguest signs of a cute and cuddly animal trapped between the very notion of a matchmaker hard at work. Rhett decided that he now would make a point of always buying Mrs. Little’s soggy tomatoes. Rain or shine. Snow or sleet. God bless this wonderful woman.

So there the three of them stood. Rhett throwing out every single hint that he was definitely interested in getting to know Link better. Link trying to not jump over the counter and run towards the nearest exit. Then, Mrs. Little, who seemed to be sensing an escape attempt from her nephew, and took a hold of his arm in her firm grasp. 

“You didn’t tell me that he was a giant, Aunt Jean…”

“A clumsy giant, thank you very much!” Rhett retorted with an air of faux annoyance. 

And that was the first time that Rhett was aware of how the laughter from the right kind of person could make you feel like you could grow your own private garden with the warmth radiating from your heart. Link had that kind of laugh. The kind that made Rhett ignore the fact that he would have to always remember how much Link hated tomatoes. And bananas. And green apples.

Being in a relationship with Link Neal would make going to a farmer's market a challenge, but it would be the right type of challenge for someone like Rhett. Plus, it helped that Link didn’t mind sky blue shag carpeting under his feet, or piles of Wood Lover’s Digest surrounding his morning cups of coffee. 

Velvet Elvis, however, did end up leaving the building.

[mini-pretzel]

quite the serendipity

Genre: fluff mostly?? like there’s a lil hint of angst, but like not that much??

Music: time and fallen leaves

Word count: 1k

A/N: i blame my friend that keeps sending me namjin taking care of kid!bts.

Namjoon is not a kid person. Yoongi is not a fan of adults.

But somehow that doesn’t stop them from developing an unlikely bond.

Namjoon never considered himself to be a kid person. Or well, to have any traces of maternal instincts. For him, it was as if they had been cut off and left to rot in a ditch a long time ago.

Along with all of his past relationships.

And he preferred it that way. It was easier. Less mouths to feed, less people to attend to and worry about, less room for betrayal or disappointment. It was just him, his books and his plants in his little apartment.

Things were simple.

Until, they weren't.

It started out like a normal Tuesday. The air was crisp with and the wind still a little too cold for spring, but the sun helped it not get too gloomy as the remains of winter were slowly thawing away. Namjoon was walking down his usual route, on his way home from the grocery store. A new book he found at the library was safely tucked away under his arm, and there was a skip in his step, eagerness transparent in his movements as he was set on getting home to devour its contents.

Then it happened.

Namjoon stopped dead in his tracks where he was walking. His eyes stayed glued to the picture before him; a little boy, about five, sitting on the curb, looking like he really did not want to be there, in a torn shirt and messy hair. There was a mangled teddy bear in front of him, but the boy made no movements to pick it up or put the torn limbs back on the body. But his eyes held so much pain, so much sadness, that it tugged at something inside Namjoon.

He looked like he had been crying; his red eyes and runny nose making it evident, but the displeased pout on his face showed that he was trying to suppress his emotion from the world.

"Hey, kid." Namjoon found himself saying before his brain could register what his mouth was doing.

The boy looked up, his lips turned into a deeper frown, his eyes locking away all the emotion behind their rich brown colour and it made something awaken inside Namjoon. Something he never felt before, and it scared him a little. But now that the attention was on him, he felt compelled to continue his thought--whatever it was, he hadn't really planned it beforehand.

"What happened?" Namjoon, with a gentleness that even he himself found stunned by. He cautiously approached the boy and plopped down beside him on the pavement, easing his grocery bag between them, creating a barrier that he hoped made it so that kid wasn't intimidated. He was determined to keep a significant distance, in case his presence and sudden interest scared the shit out of the kid.

It seemed that, despite his efforts, he still startled the kid quite a bit, as he immediately looked on edge. If pushed further, he'd start kicking, biting and scratching like a feral cat that had trust issues. Which he probably did, and Namjoon wouldn't blame him. Stranger danger was a very real threat. And, really, what was he doing?

"What's it to you?"

It registered in Namjoon's brain that the kid had answered him and he turned to see him eyeing him suspiciously, his upper body leaning away from him.

"Dunno," he said, meaning it, as he looked away, "I don't usually do things like this." he admitted.

"Talking to kids?"

"Talking to people."

There was a silence, and a soft oh.

When Namjoon looked back he saw that the boy wasn't pulling away from him anymore. He was still on guard, but there was something less frosty about his exterior.

"I'm Namjoon." he opted to introduce himself first, to make things easier. "You don't have to tell me your name if you don't want to-"

"I know. I wasn't going to. Especially to an old man like you."

Wow, rude. He was only twenty-five.

What a brat.

Somehow, the thought made Namjoon smile.

"So what happened? Do you want to talk about it?" he tried again.

The boy pouted and crossed his arms, shaking his head, making his whole upper body sway with the movement.

"Fair enough. Are you hungry?"

As if on cue, both of them heard a stomach emit a loud growl. The boy looked as embarrassed as Namjoon amused.

"No." the boy said in a high-pitched voice.

Namjoon shook his head, a smile still tugging at his lips as he fished through his bag and brought out a rice ball wrapped in seaweed.

He gestured with it towards the boy, urging him to take it, and the boy did, albeit hesitantly, his eyes watching Namjoon’s face the whole time; as if expecting there to be a catch.

"Take it, it's yours." Namjoon said as he went back to digging through his bag. "I have some banana milk in here somewhere." he mumbled.

He located it and quickly took a hold before turning back to hand the drink to the kid, only to freeze to see that the kid was staring at him as if he were either a phantom or an angel; like he couldn't believe Namjoon was real.

Namjoon blinked, and the boy kept staring intently, before his eyes fell to the bottle in Namjoon's palm and his tiny hand reached out to take it as well.

After both of the items were safely in his arms, the boy clutched the rice ball and the little bottle so close to his chest, Namjoon swore they would pop and spill all over him. The boy’s glassy eyes were looking at the food in his hands like they were something extremely precious and it made something squeeze inside Namjoon's chest.

"Right, well." Namjoon swallowed, emotion heavy in his throat, "I should be going now."

Really, what was he doing? This was beyond creepy. He wasn’t his dad or anything. And, he definitely had overstayed his welcome.

At least the kid was fed now. Sort of.

Was there enough nutritional value in rice balls for kids?

Namjoon shook the thoughts that were forming in his head away. This was already a break from his routine, he had to get a move on before he did something else that was just as equally as stupid or uncharacteristic of him; like taking the kid to a restaurant and buying him a full hearty meal.

He looped his hands through the bag straps once again and readied himself to stand. After checking that he had his book, he barely took one step forward when he heard a tiny voice say something.

"What?" Namjoon said, turning back to the boy, who was staring at him attentively.

If Namjoon took a step closer and inspected the kid's face further, he would see the little drops of tears on the side of his eyes.

"Yoongi." the boy said, voice thick with emotion. "My name is Yoongi."

A huge smile erupted on Namjoon's features. "Yoongi," he said, and he saw the boy turn pink, a small smile tugging on the corners of his mouth.

"Want me to fix your bear?"

[jdrefrigeration-blog]

Keep your fruits and vegetables fresh for longer.

Summer is now fast approaching in Sydney and with the warm weather comes a bounty of delicious seasonal fruit and vegetables. However, keeping them fresh can be a challenge. Most of us don’t have enough time to visit grocery stores daily to get fresh produce and instead we buy everything at once. Sadly, with even the best intentions and big appetites, by the weekend we often find our fridges and pantries full of bruised fruits and moldy veggies.

Thankfully, all that good food doesn’t have to end up in the bin. With just a little bit of effort and extra attention, there are many ways of keeping your greens and fruit in prime shape for a summer shake or cake.

In today’s blog, we would like to share our tips and tricks on how to keep your fruits and vegetables fresher for longer before the Sydney’s weather gets hot!

– Wash your berries in hot water.

Do you often cool yourself down with cold and fresh berries topped with a bit of creme fraiche? Unfortunately, even with a good appetite and fridge, uneaten berries can go moldy overnight. The best way to stop the onset of the fungus is to give your berries a hot bath before storing them. The process is called ‘thermotherapy’ and it can be easily done. Just grab a plastic bowl, put your berries in and pour in some hot, previously boiled water. The hot water kills off mold spores and lets them stay fresher longer. After bathing the berries spread them out on a towel to allow them to breathe and then store.

– Keep tomatoes OUT of the refrigerator.

Most of us love eating tomatoes all year round, but keeping them from rotting in the hot Sydney summer can be difficult. One of the most common food storage mistakes is keeping tomatoes in the fridge, when in fact storing them in cold temperatures makes them lose their flavor and can ruin their texture within just a couple of days. As refrigerator specialists, we recommend to put them in a paper towel lined bowl that closes at the top. The most tender part of a tomato is directly around the stem, making it easy to bruise. Room temperature is preferable when it comes to storing these type of vegetables and make sure to keep them away from sunlight and direct heat sources such as kettles, ovens, etc.

– Wrap your leafy veggies.

Leafy vegetables should be eaten within 2-3 days from the purchase because they quickly lose the majority of their nutrients and go off. The best way to extend your greens freshness is to wrap the unwashed leaves in a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture. After wrapping your lettuce, kale, etc put them in a plastic bag and keep in your fridge. Get rid of any rotten leaves from the bunch before storing and keep different varieties of vegetables in separate bags or containers.

– Freeze your fruits and veggies.

If you overestimated how quickly you could eat your fruits or veggies, the best way is to freeze them for future use. You can freeze the majority of them, but the most popular are strawberries, blueberries, bananas, eggplant, mushrooms, onions, beans, broccoli, peppers, chillis, cucumbers, cabbages, brussel sprouts and the list goes on! Just make sure you rinse them in hot water before sticking them in below freezing temperatures.

What are your tips and tricks to keep your food fresh for longer? Share them with us in comments!

Content Source: Keep your fruits and vegetables fresh for longer.

[samepock-blog]

http://www.samepock.com/honing-killer-instincts-internet-marketer/

Honing Your Killer Instincts as an Internet Marketer

In Internet marketing, like anything else, there are going to be winners and losers. Often, the difference between success and failure doesn’t depend on outside influences, but on your attitude.

Successful Internet marketers share a unique set of qualities known as the “killer instinct.” Train yourself to use these qualities every day and you can increase your chances of becoming successful.

With Internet marketing, you can choose ahead of time how successful you are going to be. By making the conscious choice to adopt the attitude you need to win, you can be the successful online marketer you always dreamed of being.

Take Chances

Because Internet marketing often doesn’t require a lot of upfront costs, you have more of an incentive to try new things with less financial risk. In fact, many of the web’s biggest success stories – eBay, Amazon, eTrade, iTunes – won because their founders had a willingness to follow a business model that nobody had ever tried before.

As online entrepreneurs, we make our own luck. When you think creatively, are innovative, and are willing to take risks, you can reap the rewards of your efforts.

But, if you are resistant to change, lack original ideas, and are willing to settle for the status quo, don’t be surprised when the Internet opportunities pass you by.

Like any industry, Internet marketing recognizes and rewards creativity. By thinking outside the box and finding innovative and unique solutions to your business’s challenges, you can put yourself in a better position to succeed.

Using Failure as a Teaching Moment

Failing is the only way we can truly learn. If you never failed at anything, you wouldn’t be able to appreciate success.

Don’t run from failure: Embrace it. Learn from your mistakes and move on. If one of your Internet promotions isn’t working, pull it, and either rework or dump it. Experience will tell you when to pull the plug on a product that fails to meet your expectations.

If you don’t learn from your past, you are doomed to repeat it. Internet marketing is fast-paced and constantly changing. To maximize profits, you don’t have time to keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again. If your business isn’t going the way you planned, change it and move on. Determine what went wrong and don’t make that same mistake again.

Strive for Excellence

When you go to your local produce market, do you seek out the rotten apples? Do you buy the bananas that have the brown spots? Do you choose the droopy, bruised lettuces that are starting to rot?

Of course, you don’t! You want only the best.

So do your customers. They aren’t going to spend their hard-earned money on your products if they aren’t the best in the market. It doesn’t matter which niche you choose, there are always going to be a lot of other IMers in the market. Your product needs to be the best, or your customers are going to go elsewhere.

You have to have an unwavering commitment to excellence if you want to be the best. There’s too much competition to settle for anything less than that.

The Importance of Networking

When you work online, you don’t always interact face-to-face with a lot of other people. But your success or failure is actually in the hands of others – not just customers, but other business people who are going to play a key role in how successful your enterprise is.

Just as important as nurturing a customer base is making and maintaining contacts with other people within your niche. Schedule time every day – or at least set aside a few hours per week – to make contact with other people in your field.

You can find them by visiting forums, searching blogs, leaving comments on other marketers’ home pages, or by doing anything else you can to increase your visibility among other people in your business and get to know the other players and what they can offer you.