Jim Bessey: Portfolio

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Contractor, Helium Steward, Writer, Husband, Father, Son (not neccessarily in that order)

Why do I write?

You might think that as a self-employed remodeling contractor I wouldn't find much time to write. My first love, however, was Journalism. Years ago, more than I care to count, I was a publisher. Once you've experienced the bug to express yourself via the printed word that feeling never goes away.

I love to write, to build things with nouns and verbs and all the other pieces of language. Some days I'm feeling very practical, filled with How-To advice. Other days there's Opinion (capital "O") on my mind, and I must give vent. Sometimes there's a story rumbling 'round my brain, just waiting to get out.

We write because we can, because we must. We write to share our thoughts, to set them down for posterity. We write for the joy of stringing the words together. We write to entertain, to inform, and to persuade. These are all good reasons to rattle my fingers around the keyboard. I'll offer one more: I write to meet other writers, because I treasure the friendships I've made among other authors. You know who you are.

This just in:

Shown below, one of my most recent articles.

by Jim Bessey

Everything we write reflects our own personal style, whether we want it to or not. We are artists who paint with words. Our palette and composition are composed of words, phrases, sentences within the...read more
  Write NowWrite

by Jim Bessey

Try these mental "tricks" for improving your short-term memory Where did I leave my car keys? Memory is a fickle friend, and seems to leave us farther behind every year. Remember when you could learn...read more
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by Jim Bessey

If you Google the phrase "become better writer" you'll get just over 59 million results. About half of these will be "freelance writing advice blogs":http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting . The ...read more
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by Jim Bessey

There's a line in Lee Child's tenth Jack Reacher novel, "The Hard Way," that sums things up perfectly: "Reacher, alone in the dark. Armed and dangerous. Invincible" [page 420] Former US Army M...read more
  Write NowWrite

by Jim Bessey

There are two distinct worlds of camping: tents and RV's. Each is as different from the other as Democrat and Republican. Emotions run strong in both camps, and proponents of one often disdain support...read more
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by Jim Bessey

When we say that a campground has something for everyone, that might be seen as a tired cliche. It's just a statement of fact, however, in the case of Canandaigua's KOA Kampground. KOA USA has mode...read more
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Jim's Home Links

Other places you can find Jim:

by Jim Bessey

It's a beautiful and gray Sunday morning here at home. Just now eight am. My wife is still sleeping, a soft smile on her face. This is my favorite day of the week, and my favorite time of that day. I ...read more
  Write NowWrite

by Jim Bessey

Golf is not a sport for the faint of heart. Nor is it a pastime for the weak of wallet, or for the uncoordinated. There's a very good reason why golf is a four-letter word. Still, playing golf is a gr...read more
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by Jim Bessey

I'm addicted to coffee. There, I've admitted it right up front. Without my morning coffee, I would collapse to the floor, quivering and mumbling gibberish. Don't think for a minute that just one coffe...read more
  Write NowWrite

by Jim Bessey

There's a popular myth which claims that the average male thinks about sex every 12.5 seconds, or some similar absurd number. Sounds real on the surface of it; but, like many urban legends and email f...read more
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by Jim Bessey

"Your Heart Belongs to Me," released late in 2008, adds yet another supernatural tale to Dean Koontz's "impressive bookshelf":http://www.deankoontz.com. "Heart" makes it FIFTY bestsellers for this pop...read more
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New content in Knowledge articles:

Here's something recent from me in the "just the facts" file:

by Jim Bessey

Towing safety begins in your driveway. Other than driving in a blizzard or hurricane, pulling a camper trailer down the highway is one of the most dangerous things you can do with your tow vehicle. O...read more
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by Jim Bessey

When you're towing a travel trailer on open the road, drive like your grandmother would. All of your normal bad driving habits are amplified when you're towing a camper. Leave your regular "late for ...read more
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by Jim Bessey

Build your own home? For most of us, that's the biggest construction project we might tackle in life. I've done it, with pleasant success, and can offer some tips for taking on this major challenge. I...read more
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by Jim Bessey

Every bathroom remodel is different, but all share three things in common: a sink, toilet, and tub or shower. In addition, most bathroom makeovers will involve new flooring. Many homeowners hesitate t...read more
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by Jim Bessey

Your closets are overflowing. The basement is a rec-room and office. You don't have an attic, and there's no room in the garage for your car. Sounds like you need a shed! Maybe you could build your ow...read more
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by Jim Bessey

You can use concrete pavers to build a beautiful patio, if you take the time to properly prepare for this project. These pre-cast pavers, a modern replacement for traditional bricks, offer uniform siz...read more
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by Jim Bessey

The past twenty-five years has witnessed a phenomenal boom in the construction of big outdoor decks. Most of them are downright ugly. Many are unimaginative rectangles built with now-graying green lum...read more
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by Jim Bessey

How big can houses become before we declare them too large? Should zoning boards and neighborhood preservation groups have the right to tell you your proposed house is too big? We all crave space, in ...read more
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by Jim Bessey

Remodeling your unfinished basement can be a cost-effective way to expand your living space, especially if you can do much of the work yourself. Create a cozy viewing lounge for a large-screen televis...read more
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by Jim Bessey

In high school we all had to analyze short stories. It was dreadful and tedious for most of us. It was bad enough to have to read those dreary tales written by long-dead authors. Then we had to pick a...read more
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photo by dno1967

by Jim Bessey

In difficult economic times only the strong will thrive. Great products and a solid sales program will keep your sales pipeline filled when your competitor's well runs dry. Product, packaging, pricing...read more
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by Jim Bessey

Shortly after Christmas and my birthday, deep in the heart of a snowy bitter winter week, I left my spacious Victorian home and moved into a tiny apartment in town. At least, the sign taped to the fro...read more
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The Dew Drop Inn III, Betaville

A bit of history, and Link to original Forum thread
What's a "Dew Drop"? It's where the Home & Garden gang hangs out, and all writers are welco ... more
Mar 19, 09 at 11:20 PM
Other fun things
What  do the other people here do for fun?  When I need to think about something to writ ... more
Feb 21, 09 at 11:51 PM
Old confused cold and tired
CAn I come in even if I haven't figured it all out yet? more
Jan 20, 09 at 10:10 PM
Use My Betaville as your Home Base here
Hi friends, Many of you (ALL of you?) have mentioned having trouble navigating here in Betavill ... more
Jan 01, 09 at 07:14 PM
Add a comment to this post
To continue an ongoing conversation, be sure you are viewing the Post Thread: click on the post ti ... more
Jan 01, 09 at 03:03 PM

Showing Comments 1 to 10 of 26

Jim Bessey
Posted on: Aug 10, 09 at 01:09 AM
Thanks very much for dropping by, Olivia -- you inspired me to update my showcase of articles here. New stuff scattered here and there.
Olivia Bredbenner
Posted on: Aug 07, 09 at 09:15 PM
Hi Jim, Just following some of my favorite people around. Great job on this zone. Lots of information. Thanks for the high honor. See you around. Olivia
Jim Bessey
Posted on: Jul 23, 09 at 02:23 AM
Duly noted, and so added, Renee! Thanks for your visit and comment. :-)
R. Renee Bembry
Posted on: Jul 21, 09 at 04:06 AM
Hey Jim... How do you feel about adding an "All of the Above" potential response to your survey question? That way I'll be able to cast a vote!{: And yes... This zone gets a thumbs up from me!
Jim Bessey
Posted on: May 29, 09 at 12:16 AM
Big thanks to Theresa, Carlie, and Francis for dropping by. @Theresa: Home color selection: "white" @Carlie: "give me coffee or give me death" (famous quote there) @Francis: I can no longer make heads or tails of Facebook. Would love to help you remodel. I do, though, charge for long distance commutes. :-)
Francis Jock
Posted on: May 26, 09 at 03:40 AM
I like this much more than Facebook. Are you available to remodel my house?
Carlie Lawson
Posted on: Apr 24, 09 at 06:15 PM
Jim, love your port! "Humor: Coffee" is my fav. I share that addiction with you. In fact, I'm off to make a pot now!
TA White
Posted on: Apr 05, 09 at 02:46 AM
"Fun Facts About Bacteria." That's one I'll have to read! Getting ready to paint my old home... sure could use a how-to article on color selection. ;)
Jim Bessey
Posted on: Mar 29, 09 at 06:28 PM
To Karyn, Molly, Petra, CV, Julius, and Cathleene... Thank you all very much for visiting and commenting. This reminds me that I'm way behind adding links to Writers I Respect, upper right. :-)
Catherine Fuller
Posted on: Mar 27, 09 at 10:15 PM
As a fellow addict and coffee snob, I agree, that is one great coffee article!

Zone Manager

Helium member since Aug 20, 07
Company:
D'Zyne Construction
Title:
Owner
Education:
Finger Lakes Community... AAS Business Administration
Number of Zones: 8

Writing:
Rating:

22

Writers I Respect

Top Submitted Links




photo by AlishaV

by Jim Bessey

Bacteria rule the world. No matter where you go or what you're doing, you cannot escape them. Nor would you want to. They're inside you, on every surface you touch, in the air you breath, and an int...read more
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HTTP response code 400

Survey says:

Why do you write?
For fun
For passion
For money
For my sanity
All of the above!

by Jim Bessey

Let's talk about rules for creative writing, since the rules for more rigid styles are much too boring. First of all, there are no real rules! If you can engage your readers, and make them ache for mo...read more
  Write NowWrite

by Jim Bessey

Dark room, flickering candles, hard floor under my knees. Im shaking, sobbing. "God, take me instead. Rip the heart right out of my chest. Please, God" Darkness surrounds me, and I see every moment of...read more
  Write NowWrite

by Jim Bessey

Carl Duff was a bully, plain and simple. Well, maybe not so simple. He was the Sheriff, too. When Silver Creek was a newborn town, rough around the edges and growing quicker than the carpenters could ...read more
  Write NowWrite

by Jim Bessey

"Nothing to Lose" - a bit of a stretch for Jack Reacher? Novelist Lee Child once said that he named series hero Jack Reacher after the guy in the supermarket who can stretch to retrieve items from hi...read more
  Write NowWrite

by Jim Bessey

"Bones," by Jonathan Kellerman, is the 23rd novel in the Alex Delaware series. On a murky night, a shy and lovely piano teacher's body is dropped on an isolated marsh-bank in the heart of LA. An obno...read more
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by Jim Bessey

Sixteen years ago, James Patterson's readers first met D.C. detective and psychologist Dr. Alex Cross. We've laughed, loved, cried and bled with this amazing man through fourteen (fifteen, soon) engro...read more
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Find Me!


somewhere along the road to my house

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