Can youtube help you as a writer

Okay this post is going to be really short but I hope it will gather a lot of comments. For about a year now I've been an active YouTube viewer, only recently did I start uploading my own videos.

I decided to upload videos to Youtubes because I noticed all this big time Youtubers and the fans they have amassed over the years. These Youtubers such as Shane Dawson, Jenna Marbles, Philip Defranco, Smosh and so on have gone on to make brands for themselves, selling t-shirts and various merchandise and other things.

And it made me wonder if the same route could work for books. Maybe I have not done my research well, but I haven't heard of any writer, indie or otherwise that makes Youtube videos as a means to promote herself, except Lauren Destefano, and it's a vloggy kind of thing not a planned out thing.

I know it's going to take out time from the actual writing, but publicizing and marketing is also an integral part of the book business. And trully I hate that part of the writing process, however I have found that I enjoy making the videos.

Notice that I try my best for the main part since I am just starting out, to shy away from things book related because if not done properly it might become dull and chase potential subscribers and viewers away.

So I am throwing this question out there before I get so caught up on Youtube instead of the actual writing. I am known for doing things without seeking other people's opinion, and now I have put my foot down. What do you guys think, is Youtube a useful tool in promoting yourself as a writer.

Here's my channel, and one of my videos.

Video of the day: The mugu will always pay

The mugu will always pay is a short movie I wrote for my Youtube channel. It's basically about a boy who gets conned by his other friends into spending a lot of money for some girls in the hopes that he is going to get laid, only for his hopes to be destroyed, and later on finds out that the boys had their share from the money he spent on the girls. And so the boy decides to seek revenge.

I am basically making up videos to promote myself, because I've seen the potential of getting exposure through youtube, so I am trying to use that as a means to get myself out there so by the time I'm fully ready and I get to release my books, promoting it will be easier because I already have a fanbase.

So please y'all should go and subscribe to my channel, and share any of the videos you find interesting on your facebook walls. I could even promote fellow indie writers if my channel gets big.

Here's the episode one.

And here's the episode 2, it gets better really.

Please comment and rate the videos, your feedback is really important.

15 Powerful Things Happy People Do Differently

What is the difference between happy people and unhappy people? Of course, it may be very obvious, happy people are happy while unhappy people are unhappy, right? Well, that is correct, but we want to know what are the things that these people do differently and that is why, I have put together a list of things that HAPPY people do differently than UNHAPPY people.

1. LOVE vs. FEAR. Well, I can tell you for sure that those people who are really happy, FEAR less and LOVE a lot more. They see each moment, each challenge, each person as an opportunity to discover more about themselves and the world around them.


2. ACCEPTANCE vs. RESISTANCE. Happy people understand that you can’t really change a situation by resisting it, but you can definitely change it by accepting that it is there and by understanding that there might be a reason for its existence. When something unpleasant happens to them, they don’t try to fight it, knowing that this will make the situation even worse, but rather, they ask themselves questions like: What can I learn from this? How can I make this better? and they go from there, focusing on the positive rather than on the negative. They always seem to see the glass half full no matter what happens to them.

3. FORGIVENESS vs. UNFORGIVENESS. Really happy people know that it’s not healthy to hold on to anger. They choose to FORGIVE and FORGET, understanding that FORGIVENESS is a gift they give to themselves first and foremost.
“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”Buddha

4. TRUST vs. DOUBT. They trust themselves and they trust the people around them. No matter if they talk to the cleaning lady or the C.E.O. of a multi billion company, somehow they always seem make the person they are interacting with feel like there is something unique and special about them.
They understand that beliefs become self-fulfilling prophecies, and because of that, they make sure to treat everybody with love, dignity and respect, making no distinctions between age, sex, social status, color, religion or race. These are the great men that Mark Twain was talking about: “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” Mark Twain

5. MEANING vs. AMBITION. They do the things they do because of the meaning it brings into their lives and because they get a sense of purpose by doing so. They understand that “Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life” like Wayne Dyer puts it, and they care more about living a life full of meaning rather than, what in our modern society we would call, living a successful life.
The irony here is that most of the time they get both, success and meaning, just because they choose to focus on doing the things they love the most and they always pursue their heart desires. They are not motivated by money; they want to make a difference in the lives of those around them and in the world.


6. PRAISING vs. CRITICIZING. Happy people would probably agree with Carl’s Jung theory on resistance: “What you resist not only persists, but will grow in size”. They don’t criticize the absence of the behavior they want to reinforce, but rather, every time the behavior is present, even if it’s not that often, they know that by praising the person and the behavior, they will actually reinforce the positive behavior.
When a parent wants to make sure that his 7 years old boy will learn to always put the toys back in the box after he’s done playing with them, he will make sure not to focus on the many times the child won’t do it, criticizing him and his behavior, but rather, every time the little boy does put the toys back, the parent will praise him and his behavior and that is exactly how he will reinforce the positive behavior, and in the end geting the wanted results.

7. CHALLENGES vs. PROBLEMS. Happy people will see PROBLEMS as CHALLENGES, as opportunities to explore new ways of doing things, expressing their gratitude for them, understanding that underneath them all lies many opportunities that will allow them to expand and to grow.

8. SELFLESSNESS vs. SELFISHNESS. They do what they do not for themselves, but for the good of others, making sure that they bring meaning, empowerment and happiness in the lives of many. They look for ways to give and to share the best of themselves with the world and to make other people happy.
”Before giving, the mind of the giver is happy; while giving, the mind of the giver is made peaceful; and having given, the mind of the giver is uplifted.”Buddha

9. ABUNDANCE vs. LACK/POVERTY. They have an abundant mindset living a balanced life, achieving abundance in all areas of life.




10. DREAMING BIG vs. BEING REALISTIC. These people don’t really care about being realistic. They love and dare to dream big, they always listen to their heart and intuition and the greatness of their accomplishments scares many of us.
“Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.” Goethe




11. KINDNESS vs. CRUELTY. They are kind to themselves and others and they understand the power of self love, self forgiveness and self acceptance.

12. GRATITUDE vs. INGRATITUDE. No no matter where they look, no matter where they are or with who, they have this capacity of seeing beauty where most of us would only see ugliness, opportunities, where most of us would only see struggles, abundance where most of us would only see lack and they express their gratitude for them all.


13. PRESENCE/ ENGAGEMENT vs. DISENGAGEMENT. They know how to live in the present moment, appreciating what they have and where they are, while still having big dreams about the future.
“When you are present, you can allow the mind to be as it is without getting entangled in it. The mind in itself is a wonderful tool. Dysfunction sets in when you seek your self in it and mistake it for who you are.” Eckhart Tolle
14. POSITIVITY vs. NEGATIVITY. No matter what happens to them, they always seem to keep a positive perspective on everything and by doing so, they tend irritate a lot of negative and “realistic” people.

15. TAKING RESPONSIBILITY vs. BLAMING. They take full ownership over their lives and they rarely use excuses. Happy people understand that the moment you choose to blame some outside forces for whatever it is that happens to you, you are in fact giving all your power away, and they choose to keep the power for themselves and taking responsibility for everything that happens to them.

Lifted from Purpose fairy blog

Unwind, A review

Unwind, Unwind, what can I say about this book. Well the premise is a little bit of the roof. Picture a world where children between the ages of thirteen and eighteen are legally signed over by their guardians to be put through a harvest program where their organs are harvested so that others can make use of them. SAD.

It was a bit slow at the beginning, but once I got into it, I was hooked. 

The novel is basically about three teenagers who are getting prepared to be harvested or unwound as it is called in the book. They are organs would be harvested to those who need them, but the problem is that need is not a good word to describe this, because for example in this book, I can decided to get new eyes or what not just because I dislike the color of my original eyes, you get what I mean.

So these three teenagers are Connor, who is a headache, a typical problem child. His parents are perturbed by his demeanor so they decide to donate him for the harvesting program. In a bid to escape he meets Risa, a state ward who is being given up because of lack of money for upkeep, and Lev who is being given up by his parents as a sacrificial lamb unto God.

Connor and Risa are bent on remaining alive till their eighteen birthday at least so that they can be officially protected by the lam, while Lev on the other hand is torn between turning them in, and doing what he thinks is his main goal in life to have his body sacrificed to God.

I enjoyed the book, in the sense that all the characters were relatable and well thought up, however there were just some things that I found a bit unrealistic.

I know this is a book of fiction, but at times I think there is a bit of truth in fiction. For example, the decision unwind Connor. I doubt any parent could do that to a kid they’ve trained and nurtured for years, especially when that kid has a brother. I just felt the idea of unwinding, though it was cool, was not plausible enough. I say so because there was just no good reason to make up for the decision the parents made.

The back stories of the other characters were sufficient enough though, I can understand why a state would give up a child they have no relations with to make up for costs, and I can also understand why two parents getting a divorce would want to dispose of their kids rather than endure the drama that comes with separation.

Since I read the Hunger Games, I’ve been reading and enjoying dystopian novels recently. 

Another thing I found that wasn’t done well was his portrayal of future America; I felt it wasn’t fully fleshed out.

This book is enough to make anyone think and evaluate their life and how it affects those around them, especially the kids. An enjoyable read, I give it 3.5 stars.

My Review of Catching Fire

The premise is this. Right after the Hunger Games, and just as the publicity tour is about to begin, Katniss still finds herself pretending to love Peeta in order to survive and this pains Peeta deeply.

Gale’s relationship with her on the other hand disappears slowly, and even though Katniss now lives in a luxurious home due to her victory at the Hunger Games, she finds herself itching to go back to the village where her old dilapidated house still is.

Also, President Snow pays her a visit and issues a warning, stating that her life and that of her family is in danger except she can prove to everyone that eating the deadly berries in the arena was just because she was madly in love with Peeta, and could not live without him, and not because she was being rebellious.

The reason he is particular about this is because, unknown to Katniss that little act of defiance is causing an uprising and her and Peeta are going to the center of it all.

My thoughts.

In as much as the book was quite interesting, I found this to be a bit tedious, slow and kind of over written. I know people keep saying that this was their best part of the series, but it wasn’t for me.

The Hunger games was quick, meticulously planned, there was unintentional romance, gore and other dangerous elements infused into it. Catching Fire on the other hand was a bit too much of talking and telling.

The real action only started towards the middle of the book, when a special announcement was made about the new Hunger games, and how that decision was going to affect Katniss and Peeta.

Anyways the characters were well written as usual, I found Gale to be a bit lifeless though, but that’s probably because of the role he was forced into. The arena was just awesome with the new booby traps, and tasks. 

There was a salt water lake this time where they all entered the arena, a lot of force fields, blood rain, mutated monkeys, and best of all new tributes, even though they were kind of old (read the book to know what I mean).

Of all the characters, the two characters I would love to see how they turn out in the movie is Finnick, sold for sexual favors because of his good looks, and Inobari (I hope I spelt that right.)

An amazing book still, one I would recommend. I give it 3.5 stars.

Rihanna, I'd love too see this movie

Akwa Ibom Horror: How my 3 brothers were murdered in one night -Helen Ukpabio cries

The killings - shocking, barbaric and reminiscent of a mafia-styled gangland bloodletting - happened on March 25, 2012, when three brothers of same parents - Charles, Emmanuel and Joseph Akpabio - were shot in cold blood right before their 72-year-old mother, Atim Akpabio.

The murdered young men were brothers of Evangelist (Mrs.) Helen Ukpabio, revered filmmaker and founder of Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries based in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. The heinous crime was allegedly perpetrated by a combine team of the State Security Service (SSS) operatives and a Nigeria Police squad. The killing which was a culmination of a well-laid plan started on March 24, when three anonymous white men came to Mbente Village in Nkari clan, Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, the village where the decased, Emmanuel and Joseph, lived. They (white men) came in the company of one of one Benjamin Christopher Akpan Otu from Ifa village of the same clan. The three white men allegedly came on a courtesy visit, inviting youth leaders of the clan to come for a meeting concerning a dam that is to be constructed on their land. Joseph Akpabio, one of the youth leaders, invited people in the village to welcome the visitors. The visitors requested for a formal meeting the next day. The youths had no idea that Benjamin, whom they consider a friend and who escorted the white men was a bait and that the other men in the white men’s entourage were actually SSS operatives. The next day’s rendezvous was fixed at Ikot Ekpene, which is about one hour drive from Nkari clan. Benjamin, further suggested to Joseph that the meeting should be in his wife’s house at Ikot Ekpene. Joseph unwittingly accepted. The “Judas” went ahead by calling the Akpabio elder brother, Charles, a sailor who resided in Calabar, and informed him of the meeting. The latter called his brother to confirm it. To forclose any suspicion, the scheming Benjamin and his white men invited a few other youths, who were executives of the Nkari Youth, one Solomon Udoette, two others from other villages in Nkari and also the last of the Akpabio brothers, Emmanuel. The next day March 25, the invited youth leaders left for the meeting not knowing they were on their way to their death. Joseph the host of the meeting bought drinks and prepared snacks for the coming visitors. He went the extra mile by asking his wife to buy petrol so that they could put on light and fan while the meeting lasted. The white men and their escort, Benjamin, called Joseph Akpabio to be sure he was there. They also confirmed whether his elder brother Charles, who lived in Calabar would make the meeting and the still-unsuspecting Joseph told them he was on his way. Before long they were all assembled in Joseph’s compound. The mysterious white men came in a truck driven by one Toppa, who incidentally was a friend to the younger Akpabio, Joseph. Also in attendance was Benjamin Christopher Akpan. Shortly into the meeting, the white men called for an interlude so they could hold a brief discussion among themselves outside. Just as they stepped out, the generator went off. The host’s wife who went out to check the cause of the power outage was confronted by about 20 policemen who all wore black T-shirts. She witnessed the final betrayal as the white men shook hands with the leader of the squad, a certain Noel Nduka before they departed. Then the nightmare unveiled. The policemen rushed into the house rounded up those inside, handcuffed them and herded them into their trucks. Thereafter, the true intention of the meeting began to unfold as Benjamin Christopher Otu who was also handcuffed had his own handcuffs released and he suddenly began to discuss freely with the police. The police wasted no time in showing that they meant business: they shot all the six young men in their knees. Then the bizarre happening began to take the shape of a vendetta, as the Judas, Benjamin, replied that they should “go and shine in the grave”, when questioned by his friend Joseph about what crime they had committed to deserve such a treatment. With the traitor acting as their guide, the police drove their victims to their village allegedly to find the father of Emmanuel, Charles and Joseph with the intention to kill him also. When the death squad got to the village, they gave their traitor guide a mask to cover his face so as to hide his identity. Back to the very compound where the meeting was held the previous day, the policemen stormed the house searching for Chief Essien. However, their quarry was not at home. As they ransacked the whole house, breaking down locked doors, the masked accomplice (Benjamin) led them on with sign language, directing them to pressurize the the Akpabio’s mother, madam Atim to produce her husband. When that failed, they dragged out two of their victims Charles (whose broken legs had been tied wit rafia ropes) and Joseph ad dumped them by plantain trees. The two elderly women, one, their 72-year-old mother, the other their uncle’s wife, aged 82 years cried, begged the policemen to set them free and to tell them what their crimes were. At that point Joseph did manage to tell his mother that Benjamin had set them up using the dam project. The two boys were shot before the very eyes of their mother and their uncle’s wife while their other brother, Emmanuel, and the other three young men were taken away. Later, Benjamin confided in one Peter Ekpenyong Inuaeyen that the four boys who were not killed were being detained at the State Police headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia. He also gave out some phone numbers which include that of Noel Nduka, the SSS officer who allegedly shot the brothers. When a call was put through to him, Nduka allegedly confirmed that he killed the three brothers, claiming that they were terrorists. According to reports, when asked about whom they had terrorized, the SSS operatives was alleged to have claim that he has the right to kill anybody he is asked to kill. How the other captives met their end gave a picture of a mindless cruelty. By the next day, March 26, the remaining four young men who were still alive—Emmanuel Akpabio, Solomon Udoette and two others – were driven to Obot Akara and then shot at the boundary of Nto Edino and Obot Akara at about 1a.m. of March 27, 2012. Benjamin, the Judas, again called his confidant, Peter Ekpenyong Inuaeyen and told him that “all are gone”. Noel Nduka, later told a local newspaper that the police team encountered some robbers who operated between Abia State and Akwa Ibom and had killed all four of them. Meanwhile, two weeks before the tragedy, Benjamin, the deceiver, came with his accomplice, Toppa, and told the late Joseph of how the youths of the land were vandalizing the property and equipment for the dam. Benjamin insisted that since Joseph is the youth president he should call Charles to accompany him to go and pick some of those things for safety. Charles later told his wife that Benjamin did a strange thing by filming them with his camera phone while they were doing that. Today, the police are using what Benjamin recorded as their evidence to the fact that the boys have been stealing from the dam. Killed and abandoned by the road, efforts made by the family of Chief Essien Akpabio to have the corpses of the murdered young men buried decently has been futile. A lawyer, who went to see the DPO of Obot Akara, was sent back empty-handed by the recalcitrant police boss. At the moment, it is alleged that Noel Nduka is still insisting that he must kill Lady Apostle Helen Ukpabio whom he claimed has been aiding the kidnappers. He has also sent threat messages and calls to the only brother of the deceased, Henry Akpabio who is resident in UK. He is alleged to have boasted that “they” are commissioned to eliminate him and the entire family of Chief Essien Ukpabio. In a brief phone chat with Sunday Express, grief-stricken Helen Ukpabio, said all her family wants now is justice and the recovery of the corpse of her remaining brother. “My life is in danger, but I’m not deterred, my family and I will follow this wicked case of injustice till we get justice. You cannot kill my innocent and defenseless brothers and expect me to keep quiet because you are working for the government.”

Rihanna no go kill person, lol.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words, Rihanna and Meek Mills at Perfections Strip Club. Dating? WHat do you guys think of this.

What Nas thinks About Nicki MInaj

For all the hip-hop purist refusing to giveNicki Minaj her props, your homeboy Nas just did.

The “Ghetto Dreams” rhymer recently told XXL Magazine about why he chose to do a record with Nicki for her new albumPink Friday 2: Roman Reloaded. Nas also conveyed his appreciation of his fellow Queens MC.

Woman pours boiling hot water on baby for crying to loud.

Emilio's mother held her child under running scalding water for two to three minutes, before taking the baby out and to the hospital.

What do you guys think about this.

A Nigerian mother to be Busola Ayeni gets a car on the Ellen Degeneres show