My AC 100th Article Extravaganza

I finally did it - 100 articles on AC. To celebrate, I decided to write an article just for me. No optimization for the web. No thoughts of how to reach the masses. Just an article about my experiences here at AC. Writing a hundred articles may not seem like much, but it has taught me more than a few things about writing for an audience. As they say - in the beginning was the word...

I still remember the very first time I clicked on Associated Content. It certainly wasn't yesterday, but in ways, it feels like it. The entire site was a lot more orange back then. I looked it over. The People's Media Company. Hmmm... Where's this place headquartered, Beijing? No, Denver. Last time I checked there weren't too many communists in Denver.

And they really pay for your articles? Yeah, right. Sure they do. Bet the only thing I'll get out of this are the free stickers. Probably just want my address so they can put it on some junk mail list. Let me check this out and see what kind of scam they're running....

I've been a content producer ever since -- a tiny part of one of the most amazing websites on the internet.

Looking back on my time as a content producer, I've noticed some very distinct stages I passed through.

Stage 1: This can't be for real.
But man, if this is some kind of scam, they've really put a lot into it. I bet the catch is in the fine print. Let me check out the User Agreement. Hmmm... nothing scary in there. Alright, I'll sign up, write one article and see what happens.

Stage 2: Avatars and Pen Names.
Real name or pen name? I want people to know it's me, but I'm still not sure about this site.

(26 stupid, pretentious-sounding pen names later...)

I'll go real; I can always change it later according to the instructions. We'll see about that.

Okay, an avatar. I kinda like that antelope thing with the AC sticker in its mouth. The football player is okay, but then people will think I'm a sports writer. What is that blue thing? Oh, it's an x-ray of a skull. That commando guy is scary. Maybe I should choose something unique. Something that says me. Let me Google avatars and see what I can find.

(Four hours of searching through avatars later... )

Stage 3: Exclusive or non-exclusive?
They pay more for exclusive. I wonder how much more? Maybe I'll write one of each just to see the difference. So what to write? Something safe. Not too good. They may not pay. Just something small.

Stage 4: Crap. Where can I get free pictures?
(Five hours of searching for free, non-copyrighted images later...)

Forget it, I'll stick a picture on the next one.

Stage 5: Payday.
I can't believe it! Five dollars! They paid me five dollars for that article!

Stage 6: I could make a living doing this!
How many articles would I need to write a day? Ten a day would be 50 bucks. Times 7. So that's 350 a week. Times 52. Hmmm... maybe 15 a day. I can do that. I have a ton of article ideas.

Stage 7: Man, what am I going to write about today?
Think... Think... Think... There's gotta be something.

Stage 8: Payday.
I can't believe it! Five dollars? I only got five dollars for that article!?

Stage 9: There's got to be a way to make more per article.
Keyword density. Unique Content. No problem. I bet nobody's done a top ten list on here.
(One quick search later...)

Okay, well, I bet no one's written an article about screenwriting.
(Another quick search later...)

How about unique gift ideas?
(Another search...)

Maybe I should stick with keyword density.

Stage 10: Man, what am I going to write about today?
This seemed so easy 100 articles ago.

Pat Myself on the Back Time
During my time as a content producer I've had 11 articles make it to the featured content page. Numerous other articles featured on the front pages of various content sections. I've received a $50 payment for an article and have a number of subscribers. Once again, this may not seem like a lot to some, but it's something I'm proud of.

Ten I Like

These are some articles I feel I did a good job writing.

The Things I Learned in Prison
In this article I was working on creating tension while relaying a narrative about my experiences working on a movie in a jail. I think it worked pretty well.

The Unlikely Fate of an American Icon - A History of the HOLLYWOOD Sign
I like this one primarily due to the depth of research. My early research-based articles were rather dry - like term papers. This was one of my first attempts to combine informative writing with a punchier, more journalistic style.

Nice Things People Say when They Don't Like Your Writing
If I could do it over again, I would have changed the formatting a bit, but I still like this one.

Marriage and the Elimination of Manhood Parts One and Two.
This was my first two-part article. It's a more personal one for me, written mostly as a humor piece but using facts from my life. This article was one of my early attempts to combine humor with facts - a style that would begin to dominate my writing.

Trouble in the Spongebob Squarepants 2008 Presidential Campaign
This article was rejected by AC as unsearchable, but I liked it anyway. It was the first, and only, article I published for free. I had recently been reading a lot of Onion news article parodies and decided to give it a try. The article is a combination of actual facts about the presidential campaign combined with my kid's favorite cartoon character. Somehow it seemed appropriate.

Free Paris_Hilton
I tried taking the Onion news approach again in this article to make a statement about the idiocy surrounding the media coverage of Paris Hilton. It was also one of my few attempts at utilizing keywords. I like the satire in this one.

Confessions of a Stay at Home Dad
I really liked the set up in this one.

The Ten Most Popular Chat Forum Users
This one never caught on, but it still makes me laugh out loud.

Downrate THIS: Downrating Articles for Fun and Profit
I was mad when I wrote this. Fortunately, times have changed since then. However, I still like the humor in this one. If I'd do anything differently, it would be to shorten the first half of the article and play up the infomercial half.

Ten I Don't
These are some of the ones I wish I could do over again.

The Real Lottery Winners: A Number of Myths...
Ironically this is my most popular article to date, but it's one with a big, fat factual error in it. I've tried to address it in the comments section but to no avail. That's what I get for trusting information gleaned from the web. I actually tried to verify the information with my handy dandy solar-powered calculator, but it didn't have enough decimal places to provide an accurate result, so I went with the info I had found. It's a mistake I've not repeated again.

The Independent Moviemaker - Guide to Camera Filters
I'll have an extra dry article, unshaken and unstirred.

Best Places to Propose...
This was a CSO. 'Nuff said.

How to Break Down a Movie Script
Reads like a textbook.

The Independent Moviemaker - Where Your Movie Ticket Dollar Goes
I just could have done a better job with this one.

How to Care for and Feed Hermit Crabs
AC changed the title of this one - kinda wish they'd changed the writing as well.

Are Movies_Still Relevant?
I like this one, but I wish I hadn't written it. I was feeling down in the dumps when I wrote it, so the article was outdated for me the moment it was published and I was out of my funk.

How to Talk Cowboy
Mostly a generic list of cowboy terms. Could have been better.

How to Wean Yourself from WalMart
Liked the idea and the intro to the article, but my tips are lame.

The Independent Moviemaker - Guide to Lights
You don't need silica gel to keep your electronics dry, just print off this article and use it instead.

On To Article 101
Okay, I've gone on long enough. If writing for AC has taught me anything, it's to keep it short and fast.

Thanks for joining me as I looked back over my first hundred articles.