By: Kristi Waterworth

An idea is a many-splendored thing, as pure as the fallen snow. Although it's not rocket science, birthing a new idea can leave you crazy as a loon if you zig when you should have zagged. A lot of people make the mistake of going through the motions, trying to force their idea to move to the beat of a different drummer by incorporating a little of this and a little of that and end up painting themselves into a corner. Go with the flow, write what you know and the whole enchilada will be as easy as pie.

Everyone has their crosses to bear, but if your complete picture comes out as sound and fury, signifying nothing, you're toast. It's nothing personal, but when you're wet behind the ears, it can feel like the walls are closing in on you. Say what you will about thinking outside of the box, but the road less traveled can be a white knuckle ride, even though you'll have to work your fingers to the bone.

A picture is worth a thousand words, they say, but you'll know your new idea is up to snuff when people are begging to be flies on the wall, or sweetening the pot with unexpected offers of assistance. The more people get all worked up about your idea, the quicker the competition will start dropping like flies, proving that you've got the skills to pay the bills.

Just don't forget to take a step back for a little perspective, because even the real McCoy relies on the luck of the draw for their success -- it's a necessary evil. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained, so keep your nose to the grindstone and your fingers crossed while you throw some gasoline on the fire. Sure, sometimes you'll draw a blank, find yourself grasping at straws or even trying to put lipstick on a pig.

When reinventing the wheel starts to take its toll on you, head back to square one. Soon, you'll be happy as a pig in mud because you've realized that truth is stranger than fiction, and the world is full of more curious ideas than you could shake a stick at. Sometimes, all you need to do is add your personal touch -- the icing on the cake -- to a concept you already know like the back of your hand.

If your idea is still a little rough around the edges, put it on the back burner for awhile and let it simmer. After all, time will tell if the newest feather in your cap will hold up under a microscope. Review it after you've thrown some cold water on the passion for your new-found idea, just to make sure it's not the same old song and dance.

Ultimately, it's your baby and if you take my advice with a grain of salt, that's up to you. After all, that and a quarter will get you a cup of coffee.

By: Nate Evans

I live in the Internet.

No, I don't follow all the important blogs, post constantly to Twitter (if there was a Protective Services for Twitter, they'd take my account away for neglect), or discuss what (insert important Google official) said earlier today. However, I submit most of my homework online, work online, date online, and shop online. Certainly a person who spends so much time in front of a computer screen, connected to a false reality and out of touch with real humans, can't be well adjusted.

You've heard the jests, the tongue-in-cheek jokes, rants, and scholarly work about how the Internet is discouraging human interaction. The argument makes sense: the more time you spend on the internet looking at stuff, the less time you're with your family, friends, work, school, gym, etc.

However, as discussed in Not With a Bang, but a Tweet: Part 1, since what I put on the Internet is no longer sacred and personal, I have to talk with real people about my problems.

So wait. The Internet is driving me into the arms of the people that society says it's pulling me away from?

Yes, folks, you read that right. The Internet may, in fact, be promoting face-to-face interaction.

Take me for example. A few months ago, in one of those late-night desperation episodes that writers are prone to, I wrote down exactly how I was feeling, which could basically be summed up as "crappy and depressed." I posted it on Facebook and immediately took it down because frankly, I didn't want my boss, high school classmates, or nephews reading it. Instead, I got in touch with a family member and talked through what I was experiencing.

I'm not the only person who's had a meaningful talk because of the Internet. One wily dad sparked a conversation with his son over an issue that was boiling between them in a rather ingenious way. Upset with his son quitting work and vegging out with videogames, "Mr. Feng" hired several in-game killers to destroy his son's online persona every time he logged in.

It's kinda weird, reverse logic. The Internet, where we can share everything and "really be ourselves," is too open. Everyone can see what I put online. Accordingly, I must now share important things with people in real life, therefore keeping my personal affairs private and simultaneously strengthening flesh-and-blood relationships. Wow. Only my generation would have come up with such a roundabout way of avoiding hard work.

Before I entered the world of Internet writing, I didn't know Michelle in Missouri, or Kat in Florida. I didn't know the girl who lived next door until I met her online. And yet, I do now.

There are thousands of couples who met through the Internet, met face-to-face, and liked their interactions so much that they decided to spend their lives together, more so than conventional couples. To anyone who says the Internet discourages meaningful relationships between two people, I say phooey. If you disagree, leave a comment; we'll meet up and discuss it. (See what I did there?)