Sunday, June 13, 2010

Very Top Five Skills For Journalists


Did someone not once say "if the pen is mightier than the sword, then journalism is the whetstone"? I'm sure somebody must have done.


Anyway, do you want to check out the skills zone for current trends or indications of paradigm shifts? By the way, if you can use the words 'paradigm shift' without your face sagging into a grimace under the weight of all the sarcasm, then you will make an excellent political journalist.


Journalism is a cavalcade of caustic, Faustian drudgery. It even says that in the dictionary (Any journalists reading this won't check, they'll just copy and paste it and take my citation for granted.)


Journalists have a surprising combination of tenacity and laziness. That is to say, they flatter themselves with the belief that they have the ability to discern the wheatiest stories from the misleading, irrelevant and uninteresting chaff. In practise this means they'll superciliously scan through a report and make up their 'story' by pouncing on one wildly unrepresentative strand and spinning it out to cover three pages.


There are many different types of journalists, from political journalists (Who report how terrible politicians are) right through to opinion columnists (Who give opinions on how terrible everyone (including politicians) is.). Regardless of what sort of journalist you end up being, you'll need easy mental access to the following grab bag of skills.


5. Headline creation


Headlines are supposed to get you to buy the newspaper, and they should hook readers in a punchy way.


Getting the words to rhyme is excellent form, as is including the sorts of puns that would disgrace even the worst sort of dinner party bore. For examine, imagine if John Locke, the philosopher and physician of the 17th century, had been seen wearing a dress. The headline wouldn't say "Locke seen wearing a dress," it would be "LOCKE FROCK SHOCK." And the journalists would go into paroxysms of delight.


4. Misrepresentation


This is most common in areas in which most people don't have an adequate knowledge to evaluate the worth of a concept on their own, such as science, medicine or law. The brilliant thing is that the journalist who's writing the article doesn't have to understand it either!


Let's say you want to write a story about GM foods, or a pharmaceutical product. All you have to do is find a scientist with a crazy opinion about how long-life cabbages give you brain cancer and present it alongside conventional wisdom (that they don't) and suggest that these two opinions represent the two leading equally-weighted alternatives in a contentious field, and ta-da! Instant hysteria, and the chance to write dozens of follow up articles on how YOU, the readers, reacted to hearing the 'news' about cabbages, letters from concerned parents, discussions between experts on the pros and cons of each side of the argument, etc etc.


And you can't be sued for libel even though you have practically invented a scare out of nothing, because, "hey! I'm just reporting leading researchers' opinions here. You can't interfere with the public's right to know information that might be important to their health."


3. Leaving your options open


Did you hear that a celebrity turned down an invitation to attend a charity dinner for dying orphans last week? Did you report it, and deride him as a massive wanker for being a no-show? If so, woops, turns out he couldn't come because he was at a dying kiddies home, making a massive anonymous donation, which another paper has just reported.


No problem! Your initial story should have been written with enough leeway to report both stories with the journalistic integrity required to do 'em justice.


If you're an editor (A person who is to journalists what a giant bloodsucking bat is to regular-sized bloodsucking bats) then just change writers for this new story, and juggle around your writers in future as necessary depending on whether you want to pan a celeb or laud them with obsequiously brittle candour.


If this happens in an opinion column, then oh no! You can't just change writer to report your massive change of tack. But if you're in this situation you could still be in the clear, just write the new story as if it's the first time that the celeb has revealed himself not to be a massive wanker, and discuss the significance of this as if it's a real thing rather than something you made up to save face.


Alternatively, just say "oh, that first piece was sarcasm, everyone knows that celebrity is a jolly nice guy," if you can stand the g-forces tearing on your morals with such a huge change of direction.


2. Attract stories


Make yourself the go-to person for your area of expertise by greedily claiming to have an opinion about every little thing to happen in your chosen field for several years, and eventually everyone in that area will come to tolerate your consistent inability to just go away, like a stain on the toilet that just shift, regardless of how hard to scrub.


Next thing you know you'll be attracting stories like a media magnate. Eh? Eh? Geddit?


1. Hounding


Realised that most of the things that happen to most people, even celebrities, are mundane? You can get into trouble for making stuff up, so your job is to make the boring, irrelevant or personal stuff that happens into news.


So follow a celebrity around and make notes on everything they say, form a firm personal opinion about how sensible and normal they seem; perhaps the sort of person you might go for a drink with. Be secure in the knowledge that like most sensible, normal people, they will eventually something a bit stupid, unkind or offensive that they probably don't mean and wouldn't have said if they'd had a chance to think about it. Pounce! And publish that.


Speed this process along by asking them barbed questions, or by barracking them, or by barricading yourself outside their house with a telephoto lens and long range sound recorder. Eventually, by you and your colleagues grinding insistence, you'll slowly shift their perceptions of normalcy so they won't know what's right and what's wrong, and will trot out these crazy out-of-touch nuggets of newspaper gold as a matter of course.


So there we go, a handy how-guide to journalism. Feel free to use this as the basis for careers talks at schools.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Using a Running Example to Illustrate Points in Your Writing


When your writing can benefit from the use of an illustration, we highly recommend looking into the possibility of using a running example. If you are not familiar with the term, "running example" simply refers to a single example that you use throughout the piece, using the same scenario to illustrate various points.


Unlike the benefits of a full-featured writing software, restricting yourself to a running example is probably not applicable to all types of writing. However, it also lends itself very well to many of them. Technical documents, for instance, that attempt to explain a process or an algorithm can benefit from having a single example throughout. Same with many persuasive pieces that attempt to promote an idea, which can use a running illustration to show the ramifications of it being adopted (or ignored, whichever the case may be).


A running example allows you to amortize the time spent explaining it. Since it is kept alive throughout, you can utilize the entire piece to explain it in detail, allowing the reader to have more time to process your ideas. Most of the time, readers will end up appreciating your examples more when you go in this route, compared to some separate illustrations that have nothing to do with each other.


You can introduce a running example either along the end of the introduction or right before the main body starts. Either way, the idea is to create the association early and keep it up throughout, refreshing the reader's memory.

Use SuperNotecard to Write Easier and Better


You need a different writing tool depending on what type of writing is most suitable for you.


While many professional writers and laymen have different opinions about writing strategies, they seem to agree on one point. The point is that writing is not easy. Sometimes, difficulty in writing stems from lack of experience or knowledge. Sometimes, it may arise because you do not have the right tool that suits your writing style. For example, if you are a linear type of writer, what you need is a simple editor like Writemonkey that helps you to concentrate on the writing itself without being distracted by non essential aspect of writing like layout and fonts. If you find it difficult to write straight from the beginning to the end, but can focus on small ideas, what you should try is SuperNotecard.


SuperNotecard is a great writing tool


SuperNotecard is simply digital version of old style card system. Many writers have been using note cards to jot down their ideas, arrange them for logical connection between them, and also retrieve their information. Note cards are familiar tools for researchers, novelists and writers in various fields.


Simple writing process


SuperNotecard is simply composed of decks and cards. Decks can include several cards. Cards can include texts. Writing with the program has many advantages.


First, rather than trying to write a text with logical order, you just make as many cards as possible with titles and fill them later with texts. This can alleviated the burden of writing the whole long text. All you have to do is to write small segment that deals with the title of cards. Second, once cards are written, you can rearrange them until you are satisfied with the logical connections among each card. This saves you the trouble of having to check whether the segments you are writing are relevant to the big picture.


Deck and card


Decks and cards are flexible. Whenever you find that a card can be expanded to include more ideas, you turn the card into a deck. Now the newly made deck can include new cards. The reverse is also possible for a deck to be changed into a card. This flexible hierarchy between deck and card literally turn your writing into a powerful exploration of new ideas. Once you are done with the writing, you can export the file as a rtf format that can be read on built-in Windows editor or other word processor programs.


More functions for novelist and researchers


SuperNotecard has many other functions including reference, categories, flagging and more. Using all these functions can make your writing tasks much easier. However, just the core function of decks and cards alone is more than enough good reason to try this excellent software. As a matter of fact, I wrote this article with SuperNotecard and it took just 20 minutes to come up with a good final draft. If you have a chronic problem of not being able to write a long and coherent piece of writing, try SuperNotecard.

Transition Signals - What They Do


Transition signals are words and phrases that act like bridges between parts of your writing. They link sentences, paragraphs, ideas and entire thoughts together, making sure each section flows smoothly from one to the other.


Think of them as signposts - ones that tell the reader when there is a jump or break in your discussion. It prepares them for changes, preventing abrupt shifts that can both lead the reader astray and make reading your piece as hard as it will be if you refused to use a thorough proofreading software. Simply put, transition signals aid continuity, strengthening the internal cohesion of your work.


Different transition signals do different things.


1. Some are used to indicate sequence or order, such are "before that," "along with it" and "in the meantime."


2. Some are used to introduce an example, such as "for instance," "to illustrate" and "take the case of."


3. Some are used to indicate time, such as "immediately," "prior to" and "at that time."


4. Some are used to logically divide an idea, such as "initially" and "lastly."


5. Some are used to compare and contrast ideas, such as "in contrast," "on the other hand" and "by comparison."


6. Some introduce additional ideas and information, such as "in addition," "furthermore" and "more than that."


7. Some introduce an opposing idea, such as "on the other hand," "in spite of" and "even though."


8. Some are used to give an example, such as "to illustrate," "for example" and "in this case."


9. Some are used to summarize, such as "on the whole," "in summary" and "to sum things up."

Friday, June 11, 2010

Tips For Writing a Good Paragraph - Why You Need to Adjust the Length For Different Media


Words, sentences, and paragraphs. These are the main building blocks for a writer. Ultimately all types of writing stem from and are composed of these three core elements and structures. Writing a paragraph is an important skill when writing your book. If you don't write paragraphs well, you can't possibly write anything larger well. A writer's skill is measured by how well he or she can manipulate the three building blocks into a flowing narrative. A book, an article, a speech, an anthology...they all come back to those three lonely building blocks.


It's important that anyone who wishes to be a writer first becomes a master at writing paragraphs. In this article, I'm going to address one characteristic that constantly changes when a good paragraph is written -- the length. More particularly I'm going to address why different media require different lengths in paragraphs. Of course, within any one media paragraphs will vary in length. That's part of what keeps the writing interesting. If you only ever wrote one length of paragraph your writing would sound stilted and boring. And your reader would easily lose their place and find it difficult to pick up again.


But even though the sizes of individual paragraphs vary there is a general trend that can be identified with different media for your books. A paragraph in a digital book is always shorter than a paragraph in a traditional printed book. And a paragraph in a popular length (or executive length) book is always shorter than that in a text book.


But why?


The answer has to do with readability and the target reader. Digital books or eBooks have traditionally been harder to read than a traditional book. Not only do you need to sit at a computer to read them, but the page size seldom matches the screen size. And the print is much harder to read. Either it's much smaller than a book or it's much larger and less clear. Pieces of letters disappear and become lost in the glare of the white screen.


Even the new crop of eBook digital readers has not solved that problem. On the other hand a traditionally printed book is a joy to hold and read from. The font is usually crisp and easy to read. The book is portable and can be carried to where the lighting is much better. As a result, writing for the digital market needs to adjust to the difficulty of reading in that media. In short it needs to be simpler to read.


The same thing applies to an executive book and a university textbook. An executive doesn't have a great deal of time. They need to be able to read a book quickly and determine if they are going to spread the information. In short, they too need the writing to be minimized. An executive book needs its paragraphs to be as simple and easy to read as possible. For a paragraph that means that the paragraph needs to be as short and simple as possible.

Tips For Writing a Good Paragraph - Structure & Length


You can't be a good writer if you can't write a good paragraph.


A paragraph is one of the key building blocks for writing. Without having mastered the ability to write a good paragraph, you can never master the art of writing. And structure and length are two of the key characteristics for writing good paragraphs.


But how do you choose the correct length and structure for a paragraph?


Structure is the easier of the two questions to answer. All paragraphs have the same basic structure as a good argument. They begin with an introductory sentence. They end with a concluding sentence. In between are one or more body or development sentences. The introduction should be strong. After all, its purpose is not only to introduce the paragraph but to cause the reader to be interested in reading the paragraph. Similarly the conclusion should be strong.


Length on the other hand is somewhat more difficult to answer. After all, we're not in school and paragraphs are not expected to always be the same length. In fact, paragraphs should not be the same length. Or makeup. Or structure or anything else. Too much similarity is boring. So keep the parts varying. Make one paragraph long. And another short. Make the sentences long and short. Keep the sentences varying as well. Have one paragraph with too many long sentences? Let the next paragraph be filled with short sentences. Mix it up.


The answer is made more difficult because there are multiple answers. In a digital article short is best. So figure between 40 and 75 words in a paragraph. Maximum. But in a textbook, the length will be much higher. Figure at least 100 words in a paragraph. Don't be surprised if some of them edge past 200!

Tips For Writing a Good Paragraph - Just One Idea at a Time


Writing a paragraph is an important skill for a writer. After all, if you don't write paragraphs well, you can't possibly write anything larger well, now can you? Paragraphs are one of the main building blocks for writing. A writer's skill is measured by how well he or she can manipulate words, sentences and paragraphs into a flowing narrative. A book, an article, a speech, an anthology... they all come back to those three lonely building blocks.


It's important that anyone who wishes to be a writer become a master first at those three basic building blocks. In this article, I'm going to address a single issue. Just like your paragraphs should. I'm going to address why you need to focus on only one idea when writing your paragraphs.


Think of a paragraph as a mini-argument. Yes, the argument you call a book is made up of a great many paragraphs. But the paragraph itself is a mini-argument. Like any other argument it is made up of an introduction, a body and a conclusion. And like any other argument, it is judged by its organization and ability to stick to the topic.


By letting your paragraphs express more than one idea, you are allowing your paragraphs to become unorganized. You are allowing their arguments to flow off from the organization you have determined. You have lost focus and instead mutated into a disorganized flow.


In short, you no longer appear to be in control of your argument. And to a reader that's a sure indication that quality has suffered. That you do not know your subject well enough to control it. And that you can't synthesize the ideas into a something that makes sense. So make your life easier and keep your writing in control. One idea per paragraph.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Things You Must Know Before Writing Your Novel


Thinking about writing a novel, but are wondering how to begin? The following tips will help:


1. Get your main character or characters in BIG trouble. For example, a potential divorce means trouble for one of those characters, but it shouldn't be the only problem. Other problems, such as the main character's attitudes and other shortcomings, should prevent that character from getting what he or she wants.


2. Try to determine the outcome before writing your novel. In other words, will your character have solved his or her problems or not?


3. In your novel's first chapter, present the thing that will really upset your character's way of living. So far, he's gotten what he wants and continues to live his life without a care. Everything is going smoothly. But without warning, something happens that will change that character's life forever and he must do something about it NOW before things get any worse. All of the chapters after the first will be devoted to your character's attempts to solve the problem.


4. After writing your first chapter, make a scratch outline, or quick list of events that are to follow. For example, the character returns home, only to find that his home has been broken into and ransacked. What does he do now? Does he succeed or not? What's the next obstacle that will frustrate his efforts to solve the problem?


5. As you write, keep thinking about your character's mental and physical obstacles. How do they hinder your character's efforts to get what he wants, and what does he do to overcome them?


6. Try to resist the urge to edit as you continue writing, especially as you write the first chapter. Doing so will slow you down and prevent you from continuing. Just keep writing!

The Technical Aspects of Technical Writing


Just because you're writing a paper for a highly-technical field (be it Engineering, Math or Physics), it doesn't mean you can do away with proper rules and writing conventions. Yes, you will have to compose the work with as much attention and care as you would if you were making it for that literature subject you dread so much.


What kinds of things do you need to keep in mind to turn up an easy-to-read technical paper?


1. Make sure all your terminology and notations are clear to everyone who reads it, spending appropriate time inw riting definitions when necessary.


2. Never use "etc." unless the succeeding3 items are 100% obvious.


3. Every table, figure, draft, algorithm and diagram should be on the top of a page, not in the body of text. It ruins flow otherwise.


4. As a corollary to the above, the accompanying reference for the graphic should start on the same page. In case it's too big to fit any text in, then use the next page, but that's as flexible as it gets.


5. Never say "for various reasons." It's a cop-out of damaging proportions. If there are reasons, always list them.


6. Always use a technical writing software for proofreading (or, if you have a living, breathing proofreader, all the better). Not doing so is inexcusable, especially if you're serious about your piece.


7. Use large enough fonts (base average is 11 point), with generous spaces and margins. You do want to make your paper readable, right?

The Simplest Way To Write For Cash


What made Robert Kiyosaki's book gain so much popularity in the world? Is it because he writes impeccable English? Not at all. What made o many successful men to sell millions of their books in its first year? Is it because they are with no faults? Not at all. People like Dale Carnegie, Zig Ziglar, Napoleon Hill, Myles Monroe, Ewen Chia, etc. Some of them are school drop-outs or didn't even perform well in writing while in school. Their books attract more interests than that of those regarded as the writing masters or professors.


The number one reason is that they wrote a solution to the needs of the people. Success in the world of man is the provision of solution to the needs of man. This is done in writing which people pays to get, no matter the price. Think of the needs of the people, what they cannot do without, what determines their survival in life, business, marriage, etc. Now, this is what writing does, with a catch-word, attracting their attention to learn more. For instance, a person who is desperately in need of money, and sees a book or an article titled, "How to start making money today with your pen", will definitely read till the end to know how. Also, an unemployed youth that sees an article or a book titled, "How to find your dream job", will not hesitate to read to know how. Now, the important thing is to solve the problem you said you would.


Writing as a career means the expression of ideas, feelings, and experiences compiled in a book. Writing is a means of communicating with people. The simplicity in writing is in finding ideas, feelings, or experiences to share with people. It all comes from within us.


Our spoken words produce our written words. The way we speak, our pulses while speaking, references we make while speaking, quotes from other people, our illustrations, etc., comprises the words we write down in a book, and these determine how and when to use tenses and punctuation marks. This helps us to understand tenses and punctuation marks very well. In my opinion, the only thing you can apply much of your time on, is how to read and learn the language you want to use in writing. Some people are afraid to write a book. Hear this. Some people entered the fire, but were not consumed; some were near the fire, but were consumed; some were not anywhere near the fire, but were totally consumed. Boldness takes away fear and establishes faith in a man. Share your ideas in writing. There is no pain in writing.

The Qualities of a Good Writer - The Most Important Habits a Good Writer Needs


In the previous articles of this series we've discussed many important habits and skills. Habits and skills which a good writer needs to develop and improve and constantly strive to achieve. We've covered technical habits that a writer needs to develop their craft. We've talked about personal work habits that a writer needs to work on in order to actually produce writing. We've talked about communications habits that a writer needs in order to be understood. Habits that form the basis of his or her craft. And we've discussed the thinking habits that a writer must seek to develop to allow them to put the pieces of a book together.


But of all those habits and skills which is the most important? The one skill or habit that makes a writer stand out? It's not technical, or communications or thinking. Even work habits aren't the most important. It's passion and a love of people. Why is that? And aren't those two separate issues? I'd argue that they are in fact two sides of the same coin. Two faces which drive all the other habits. Two ends of the chain that drags a writer towards constant improvement and constant output.


It starts with a passion for one's topic. Whether it's making the life of a cancer patient easier. Or saving peoples lives by improving their waistline. Or showing the disabled how to live their lives with dignity. The passion starts with the topic. The love of that topic and the overwhelming belief that your topic means something to people. That it can help people in someway. That it can truly make a difference.


It continues with a passion for writing. A desire to express oneself through writing. A hope, and fear and demand that forces one to get their name in writing on the cover of a book. Whether driven by fame or fortune or a true passion to help. But it expresses itself as a passion for writing.


And finally it meets with a passion for people. For helping the other guy. For making people's lives just that little bit better. These are the habits that make a good writer. That transforms a mediocre writer into a great writer.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

The Qualities of a Good Writer - 7 Thinking Habits a Good Writer Needs


As important as emotion is to a writer, writing is a thinking game. You need to be able to think in order to succeed. You need to be able to plan, to organize and to create structure -- both in thought and action. After all, that's what your reader is looking for from you. You need to deliver or your reader will feel cheated.


A writer must be a good thinker. But what are the thinking habits that a good writer has to develop?


Here are 7 thinking habits that a good writer needs:


1. A writer must be able to start with the end in mind. I know you've heard that phrase before (probably too often). But with a writer it's definitely true. Writing a book needs you to be able to see the end product. To see what your book will be when you finish.


2. A good writer must be able to see both the overall pattern and the individual pieces. This sounds like the previous habit but it isn't. Quite. The previous habit talks about being able to see the desired end. This habit refers to being able to see each of the building blocks of the book, how they fit together and where the book is actually going. Without this ability, it is not possible to bring a book back on track.


3. A good writer must have the ability to provide full attention to detail. They need to be able to think at the lowest possible level. All the way down to the words and the letters that make them up. After all, another name for a writer is wordsmith!


4. A good writer needs the ability to conceptualize. Being able to create a concept and deal in ideas is a core requirement. It doesn't matter if the concept is a fantasy world of dragons and knights. Or a world without mental illness. Or increased sales. Or almost anything that a fiction or non-fiction writer might choose to write about. The core of all books is a single idea.


5. The ability to synthesize ideas is another key skill or habit. To bring different ideas together to form new and more powerful ideas. Just working in the world of ideas is not enough. A good writer needs the ability to create new ideas from others. To build up and change and grow.


6. A good writer needs an open mind. Especially to criticism. Thinking you have the only solution blocks you from growth. And growth is a necessary condition to being a good writer.


7. But most of all a writer needs to be positive. Realistic certainly, but positive most of all. There will always be times when writing fails. When even the great writer begins to doubt their ability. A positive mind set is the only thing that will carry the good writer through those times.

The Qualities of a Good Writer - 5 Technical Habits a Good Writer Needs


In the previous articles in this series we've talked about the personal habits and skills which a good writer must have. But what we haven't talked about are the habits and skills which allow a writer to put his or her words on the paper. And then have them read. And make sense.


We haven't discussed the technical skills a good writer needs to develop.


The first of these five habits is proper spelling. Perhaps the most hated of the skills. That skill which is hardest to obtain and most obvious in its dereliction. It's true. We can excuse grammar, we can excuse selecting the wrong word or using the words incorrectly. But the one mistake which every reader will spot is spelling the word wrong.


It seems simple and innocuous. After all it's just spelling. And if it's only a word or two in a piece as large as a book it might escape notice. But more than one or two... even in a piece as large as a book... has a major effect on credibility. After all, if you as a writer can't be bothered to spell correctly, how can you be bothered to consider other ideas and work towards truly understanding your subject?


The second of these habits is the use of proper grammar. Now that we are no longer in school, we are no longer caught in the tyranny of English class. But even so, and despite our skill in using grammatical rules, we must overcome the limits on our sentences. We must know when to use a rule. Why it is made the way it is. What is the point of the phrase? When should we break the rule?


The third habit is the constant development and use of our vocabulary. Words are the blocks and mortar of our castles in the sky. They are our levels and squares. They need to be cared for and nurtured and polished. A good writer must create a habit of constantly improving his or her vocabulary so the proper word is always at hand.


The fourth habit is keeping it simple. We've been taught throughout our school lives to use long and complex wording. To write in an academic style. Which is fine if your purpose is to confuse poor students. But in the real world your reader can choose to buy your books or not. In the real world you either please the reader or starve. And complex sentences tend not to please readers. Instead most readers prefer a simple, straight to the point style.


The fifth technical habit is to develop one's voice. This is the distinctive use of words and writing style which defines the writer. For many traditional writers developing one's voice was a difficult, time consuming task involving years of practice. But there is an easy way. You see you've been developing your voice over almost your entire lifetime. You only need to write the way you speak. That alone will give you a distinctive voice. From there it's merely a matter of refinement and polishing. But even so the constant refinement of one's voice is still a habit that a good writer needs to embrace.

The Qualities of a Good Writer - 5 Personal Work Habits a Good Writer Needs


There's a difference between being a talented writer and being a good writer.


Talented writers are able to write well. They can tell a story well. They can explain a process or opinion well. A talented writer can use words properly and yet knows when words should be misused for greatest effect. A talented writer knows what a target reader wants from a book. A talented writer can spell properly. A talented writer can string words together in seemingly endless patterns.


The difference is that good writers do.


Ultimately, good writers sit down and write. Talented writers merely carry their talent around in the baggage of their day to day existence.


But what are the work habits that allow talented writers to become good writers?


The first is that a good writer must be willing to schedule time to write. Writing is hard work. And if you don't schedule time then you will always find other things to do. Things like reading which is much easier and more enjoyable. Or sitting in a coffee shop and pretending to be researching the street life.


Secondly, a writer must be able to focus on the task at hand. Thoughts have a habit of drifting off as you sit staring at the blank page. Blank pages are the enemy to the good writer. They must be filled with letters and words and sentences and in their time paragraphs. But to do that you need to be able to focus on getting the words down on the page. Disciplined enough to avoid those stray thoughts that are inevitably more interesting than those you're currently typing on the page.


Third, a writer must be able to concentrate on what they are doing. Focus is your mental compass... directing your mind towards your writing and away from stray thoughts. But concentration is your ability to ignore external stimuli. The noise of the coffee shop. The car horn on the street outside your office window. The sun on your face and the soft breeze. Or the barbeque smoke. A good writer needs to be disciplined enough to continue to write despite the desire to escape either to universe inside or to the world outside.


Fourth, a writer must be strong willed enough to ignore interruptions. It's not enough that you want to escape to your own world -- either inside or out. But there are people around you that seem to be determined to stop your creativity. Let's be positive -- perhaps not intentionally. Though they certainly seem to be persistent if it isn't by intent. A good writer must be strong enough to say, "This is MY writing time. You shall not intrude."


And strong enough to make it stick.


Finally, at least for this article, a writer must be willing to practice and to critique the results. After all, if you don't practice you won't get better. And if you don't know where you are making mistakes, you'll never correct those mistakes.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

The Qualities of a Good Writer - 3 Communications Habits a Good Writer Needs


In Ireland there is a block of bluestone called Cloch na Blarnan. Built into the battlements of a castle in County Cork, it is said to bestow the blessings of the fair folk on any who brave the climb and the bending over the parapet's edge. A kiss on this stolen piece of the Wailing Wall, or perhaps in truth a fragment of the Lia FГЎil, is sure to grant the seeker the gift of a golden tongue.


Or at least turn him into a mildly good writer. If a mere kiss of the Blarney stone can cause a person to wax eloquent, a good writer must have swallowed a piece whole!


- For the first and foremost of the communications habits a good writer must have is a love of words. A writer must love the forming of them and the sounding of them and the use of them and the ideas that they convey. A writer must love their rhythm and their song. And the poetry they make as he's waxes lyrical. Whether silently whispered or shouted above the battle's din. A love of words for their own sake. A writer's first love must be words for they are the blocks and mortar of his castles.


But the gift of the gab is not enough to make a person a good writer.


- There must also be a need to communicate. A need to share ideas, and dreams and thoughts and imaginations. This need to communicate and share is the drive behind the hours spent staring at an empty computer screen. The heartache of the wrong word and the sentence that just won't come must be overcome. A good writer is driven to communicate and it is this drive that allows them to be more than a merely talented writer.


- And finally, a good writer must be driven to expound on their ideas. An actor, a singer, a bard -- all are driven by the same need to communicate. But none are faced with the sheer egotism of the writer. They all have an audience in front of them. Even a modern movie actor has a crew that reacts to Hamlet's cries or Juliet's tears. But a writer speaks their thoughts to a blank screen. One way. Never truly knowing the audience reaction. And to talk and talk and talk takes a drive, a need to expound.


Or an ego as big as Blarney Castle.

The Qualities of a Good Writer


What makes a good writer?


Yeah, we all know one when we see one. Actually, we all know when we read their book.


But what qualities does a good writer need to have? What makes them a good writer rather than just a mediocre or poor writer?


I believe that there are five generic elements which need to come together to create a good writer. And I believe that we all have the ability to have those five elements. It just takes a bit of effort on our part.


So what are the five elemental groups of qualities that matter?


1. The first group of qualities are personal work habits. A good writer must have a sense of discipline. No matter how good your system to write is, writing is still hard work. And we must learn how to motivate ourselves to sit and write. Because the other thing about writing is that it is a solitary habit.


2. The second group is related to how we think. A good writer needs to be flexible in our thought processes. At times in the writing process we need to be detailed oriented. Every little letter and character must be in the right place and have a defined purpose. At other times, we need to focus on the whole picture. While a third occasion requires us to see blocks of information and how those blocks interact.


3. A writer needs to be blessed with the gift of the gab. Good communications is an underlying quality that every writer needs. Forget kissing the blarney stone. Make love to it! Feel its coolness and hardness. Touch and caress it. (Don't really, I'm being figurative here. Hanging upside down to kiss a piece of granite isn't going to help your ability to write. No matter what my Irish ancestors believed. Besides getting arrested for obscenity at an Irish tourist attraction is frowned upon).


4. A writer needs to work on the technical aspects of their craft. Writing is, at its core, a craft. You must master your tools. You must master your system of writing. Fortunately, we practice all the time. You see we speak. But you still need to master your ability to use words. Your grammar. Your spelling. Otherwise you'll spend everything you earn on editors.


5. But most of all a writer needs passion and a love of people.

The Notebook - The Portable Tool


I talk a lot about carrying 3x5 cards with you to jot down scene ideas. Just as important is your portable notebook. Sometimes you need to write more than what can be held on a card or two. Any portable size notebook that is easy to carry with you is good. I use a small black notebook which has a ribbon bookmark so I can open up to the next blank page and just start writing; and a pocket in the back for collecting small paper items. I carry it in my bag along with other items so I also appreciate the elastic band attached on the back that slips over to keep it shut.


Yesterday I was out running errands. The temple piece on my reading glasses broke so I took it in to the local eyeglass repair man. The last time I was there I was the only customer. In five minutes my hinge was replaced and I was gone. Yesterday when I walked in the waiting room was crowded with about 15 people. I decided to wait. A chair opened up and I sat down. Another chair opened up and a woman sat down next to me. She was there with four children who were sitting on the floor.


I'd been pondering how to make my villain give two messages at the same time. All of a sudden the woman stood up grabbed one of the children and...here some jottings from my notebook:


Double Message


"Come here little skinny bird." Mother scoops up 6-year-old boy and holds him in her lap. Arms wrapped around him in a tight hold she gives him a pat on the back.


"Look at your hair. It is too long." Pat. Pat. Still in strangle hold.


"Let me see your finger. It's dirty. You rubbed your eye and got it dirty." Hug and a pat.


"Yuck! Your feet are dirty. You got so dirty at the playground." Pat. (The child was not particularly dirty. His clothes were clean. In fact, he was fairly clean for a child who had been out playing.)


When we get home everyone will have to take a bath. That dirt is disgusting." Pat. Pat. Hug.


Everything this person said was negative. Not one positive comment. All this while being held so tightly he could not move.


I probably won't be using the exact transaction in a story. However, the illustration of physical manipulation combined with a series of negative comments is great grist for the mill. It will go into my folder of various behavior examples.


Keep the notebook handy. It's a great way to capture incidents on the spot that will flesh out your story details.

Monday, June 7, 2010

The Editing Process You Haven't Heard About


Some editors charge by the word, some by the page and even others charge by the type of editing or the size of the manuscript or a combination of these. The pricing structures are as unique as the authors and their writing projects. What you may not know is that editing process has many facets. For first time authors choosing a reputable and fairly priced editor or editing service can be extremely frustrating. But in the midst of this challenge, there are some things that every author or writer should be aware of concerning this process.


Armed with the understanding and knowledge revealed below, a soon-to-be-published author or writer will have a greater level of compassion and awareness for those whose services they employ, and there will be less disputes, disagreements and misunderstandings between them and the service provider(s).


In addition, this information will also restructure the mindset that follows this school of thought: "I don't need to know the details, just edit my book!" Instead, the author will become informed about his or her need; and the services they require.


Here are some things you need to be aware of:


1. Editing is a time consuming job! A 100-page, 8.5x11 manuscript could take a skilled editor HOURS to read and comb through. Speed reading is not an option for most professionals and neither are the unrealistic turnaround times that a new author or anxious writer could impose. Professional editors will work through your manuscript just like a stylist works through a tangled head of thick hair - with extreme care and concern. Editing services may move faster based on the type of project, the editors familiarity with the author or writer's work or even because they may have a staff or teams of writers who can dedicate their time to one project at a time. A one-person editing service could easily take more time.


If you are an experienced writer -- meaning you've been writing professionally for years and have article and/or book organization and structure perfected -- then the editing project may be easier. If you are a first time author who lacks an understanding of article or book organization and structure, then your project could very well be an editing nightmare. I am telling you what I know. As a result, what it costs one person for editing for a 100-page manuscript could cost another person more or less depending on how much editing time is required. In addition, many editors like to "review or scan through" a manuscript before agreeing to taking on a project or quoting costs. This is why so many provide quotes verses just giving you a flat rate.


For example, I have an excellent command on article and book organization and structure; but my areas of weakness lie in spelling and grammar errors due to a failure to proofread, not a lack of knowledge. So, when I request editing services it's generally a spelling and grammar check job- not full-blown book development and cohesion.


On the other hand, I have read books that people have sent me to review. They were free of spelling errors, but the books had major editing needs as it related to content development, supporting facts, providing attribution for the use of quotes, and the need for re-writes to ensure clarity and understanding. An editing project like this is "intensive" and could take dedicated time.


It is critical that we understand that EVERY manuscript is as unique as the writer who submits them. To flat-rate the editing process is very difficult. Workmen are worthy of their hire. So in working with editors, earnestly listen for their feedback and recommendations. Take into account the kind of time it may take to edit your book. A good, professional editor will tell you up front what your project is in need of BEFORE taking the project on. Some projects may need to be completely rewritten for clarity and understanding.


2. There are different types of editors and editing services. As writers, you must know what you are in need of, and if you don't know then search for an editor that can not only spell check your document, but evaluate what you really need to have done. This is critical. I rather have an editor say to me, "Theresa, this project is outside of my area of expertise. Let me recommend someone else to you," than to end up with a project that only minimally meets my expectations. Understand that there are different types of editors and editing services that writers may need.


There is developmental editing, substantive editing, copy editing and proofreading. In addition, there are editors who specialize in medical, scientific, educational, creative writing or even religious editing on various levels. There are also editors who specialize in creative writing projects like novels, poetry and plays. It is important to know what the editor of your choice specializes in. For example, one editor may have a keen insight as it relates to editing "prophetic writing" while another editor may only specialize in "theological perspectives" on writing. Another editor could specialize in magazine, newspaper or web content writing. Each area is distinctly different and is governed by its own "style." There are so many twists and turns in this area that we couldn't possibly address them all. The good news is: There is an editor out there who can help you. The point is this: If you don't know what you need or want, you could easily place false expectations on the editor you choose, choose the wrong editor or end up very dissatisfied with your finished product.


3. Expect time delays and/or contingencies along the way. As stated earlier, different projects take different amounts of time. Just because you think an editor can edit your project in two business days, don't mean it will happen that way. In the midst of an editing project, there are times when questions arise and your prompt response is needed to move forward. Some of those questions could drastically change your project. If you are an editor, it can be devastating to your schedule to work with a client who fails to respond in a timely manner - especially when deadlines have been set.


There are also times when the editor may discover "unanticipated problems" in a manuscript, and extra costs could be involved in fixing them. These delays and contingencies are always possible. It is important to be aware of and to expect these kinds of things to take place. Have you ever taken your car to the shop to have your oil changed only to discover that your transmission also needed flushing out? Well, things happen. Just brace yourself for unplanned road blocks. At the same time, make sure that there is good communication between you and your editor either by phone or email. Don't forget to ask them about how they handle issues like these when they arise.


Editors should avoid clients that are unresponsive to requests for more information concerning their projects; and authors should respect the time of the editor and seek to bring their projects to completion within a reasonable amount of time. Professionals should also respect the projects of the client, and return calls and answer questions as quickly as possible.


There are so many other areas about editing that should be addressed. We will discuss them further in future articles. The point I want to raise here is that the job of an editor isn't easy and sometimes, clients can be really insensitive an unrealistic concerning their expectations. In addition, professional editors should also be mindful of their clients and always strive to communicate effectively, earnestly and promptly. Also, never forget that there is no COOKIE CUTTER SOLUTION to editing process but there is definitely a solution to finding a good, professional editor to meet your needs.

The All Consuming Inspiration Vs Writers' Block


How do you start a new project? Be it a short story or a 80,000 plus worded novel, you have to start somewhere. And for that you need inspiration. It can come as sparks of thought during the hours of trying to get to sleep, in the middle of a boring business meeting or even in the aisle of a supermarket.


I've had all three. I've had ideas in most strange places. In fact I get so many I find it hard to keep up with them. Before I'm labeled as 'lucky' most of them are worthless, whereas gems get forgotten if I don't write them down. And this is the problem, I find using a notebook a tad tricky to use, especially during 'normal' hours of the day if I'm in a conversation with someone for instance, or in my day job whilst treating a patient or even getting intimate with hub. First, people would soon label you a rude git, second it's very unprofessional to be talking diabetes one moment and whipping out the notebook the next. Third, it's difficult to write whilst you're tied up (only kidding!)


So, my ideas are stored in my head, and yes I forget them. But notebooks aren't for me.


Writers' Block


Then comes the block. The moment where NOTHING is happening. You could have the idea but unable to expand it, or no idea at all. The more you panic and force your brain to work its magic, the worse it seems to be. Maybe unconsciously or not, you're feeling overwhelmed at the task ahead? Maybe you think this book won't be as good as the first, or you've received so many rejections already you think what's the point in writing another book? This is anxiety.


The other option is that you're not writing the correct book. You'll know this if you're failing to become excited by your efforts, characters bore you, you find yourself using "fillers" and not getting anywhere with the plot.


Fillers: Resorting to boring description to fill the pages/unnecessary subplots/characters that spring in and out of the story for no apparent reason.

Stumbling Blocks - When Creative Thought is Stifled


There are many reasons why when you sit down to write, your mind goes blank. Some of these are caused by external events and should be treated as such. But, there are times when you unconsciously create reasons for yourself.


The following are great ways to stifle creative thought, and experience the dreaded writer's block. If you find yourself going in these directions, I suggest stepping back and re-analyzing your writing process. You'll find it's easier to overcome mental blocks if you begin writing with purpose.


"I'm not creative enough." That's probably a number one thought on any artist's mind, including writers. Our work is not inspiring, people will not like it, it doesn't pose any challenges..the list can be quite endless. We are all creative, and limited only by the boundaries we set up for ourselves. Chip away at these barriers and let the inner creative you emerge.


"What is the correct answer?" More often than not, there is more than one right answer to any question. But if you persist doggedly in trying to find the one that's most well-suited, you can get stuck. Instead, explore angles which work for your story. Some may not seem right, but pursue all leads and you might be surprised at where they end.


"But the rules say I should.... " I've been reading the book The Renegade Writer, by Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell, and they seem to have got it right. There are plenty of occasions where rules should apply, but often it's important to break time and tested 'must do's', and come up with your own ideas.


"Let me very quickly check my email." It's important to have fun on the job, and that holds true for writing as well. But don't confuse having fun with play time. Working online conducting research is not a reason to switch to twitter and face book and 'chat' with friends (unless that's part of the research you're conducting). Moving from thought to thought can often make you forget key issues which need tackling. Set up boundaries between fun and play times, and don't cross them.


"I can't take on this project, it's not my niche." We all consider ourselves niche artists. Yet, sometimes being too specialized can lead you to miss out on some great projects. Play around with words and themes, and dare to explore the unknown.

Story Research - Write What You Know


The bottom line on doing research: do not guess.


Write what you know. The old adage rings true because readers will catch you in mistakes. If you are writing about a town or city, know the lay of the land. If you are writing about the countryside, don't put a rocky bluff in the middle of flat land.


Research can take anywhere from two months to years. The average research time for historical fiction is 18 months to two years. Know what tools people use to do jobs. Know daily routines. Is it a foreign country? Know the weather. You may have to sprinkle dialogue with unfamiliar slang. You may have to research your main character's work, special jargon, and work place environment.


Interview those with experience. An interview can actually save you time. Rather than trying to weed out spurious sources from the internet you can receive clear information. You will be surprised to find that most people are willing to give you interviews and even tours of facilities if you tell them you are writing a story whether novel or screenplay. Interview subjects can also direct you to correct sources to further your information gathering.


The internet works as a great tool for finding basic background material. Be cautious about the sources. Along with detailed information you will find slanted and spurious information. Follow leads like links at the bottom of a Wikipedia page.


While doing your research you will gather details for setting, character development, and even story plot development.


The one false path for writers is to go so far into research that the story does not get written. How do you know when to stop? A better question is: when do you have enough material to really get the details into your story to make it lively? Your story is the main goal. As you continue on with the steps of characterization, setting, plot, etc. you may need to pick up more details. So you may be doing targeted research as you go through the process. This is OK. Don't let doing research keep you from the story creation process.


Just don't guess, always check it out.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Simple Techniques to Unlock the Writer Within You


Everyone gets writer's block every now and again, and coming up with a great idea for story can be a daunting task. Even more, just writing the story can be an overwhelming project, to say the least. You don't have to be a magnificent writer to write a great story. With some basic techniques, writing can become as second nature as riding a bike. It can even be enjoyable and rewarding.


When trying to write a story, you may be faced with that dreaded white sheet of paper or that blank computer screen staring back at you. But don't fret. Using these simple techniques will help you unlock the writer within you.


Clearing Your Mind


Find a quiet place, somewhere where you feel relaxed and calm. Take deep breaths and release the air inside, letting your body fall limp. Do this for several minutes until you feel completely relaxed. Then you are ready for the next step.


Daydreaming


Daydreaming? This doesn't sound like something a writer would do, does it? When would a writer get any writing done if he or she is daydreaming? You will get writing done, but you have to have something to write about, and daydreaming will allow those creative juices to flow. When an idea comes to mind, jot it down. Write down any visual images that float through your mind. Don't spend too much time writing at this point, though. You want the daydreaming process to take control. When another idea comes to mind, jot it down and continue this process for at least 30 minutes to an hour.


Free Writing


Now that you have some ideas down on paper, the next step is free writing. Look at one of the ideas you have jotted down. You may have words, phrases, fragments, complete sentences, or even short paragraphs. That is great. Now choose one of the ideas you've written and just start writing whatever comes to mind about that idea. It doesn't have to be a complete sentence or even a phrase. It could be one word. And from that one word, think of other words or phrases that come to mind and jot them down. Then look at your list of words and phrases and write a complete sentence about each one. Remember the words and phrases don't have to relate to each other. You're just getting your ideas down on paper.


Outlining


Every good story begins with a great outline. This technique helps you organize all those ideas you daydreamed about into a workable story. It seems a daunting task at this point, but with a well-organized plan, you can create a story. The outline can be as simple as three paragraphs: an introduction, a body paragraph, and a conclusion, or it can be as elaborate as 25 chapters. No matter how detailed or how simple your outline is, it is a great method for getting those ideas clearly focused so that you can start the writing process.


Writing


Now that you have a detailed plan of how you will write your story, start writing. Sounds simple, huh? It is. You have done the hard work of coming up with an idea for the story and creating an outline of what you will cover in your story. Now the easy part begins. Put those ideas down on paper. For some writers this sometimes can be harder than they think. No writer ever really feels that the first attempt at a story is his or her best work. That is a good thing because all writing can be improved. As a writer you should want to make your writing the best it can be. In order to do that, you will need to revisit the work.


Revisiting


Once that first draft is written, take a break. You have spent a lot of time on your story, and now you need to give your mind a rest. When you feel you have distanced yourself from your story a bit, revisit it and reread it as if it were the first time seeing it. Notice any flaws in your writing. Does it make sense overall? Does the writing flow? Do the ideas link together cohesively? Does the story interest you? These questions are starting points to help you think about your writing and ways you can improve it. Make any necessary changes to the story to make it interesting, to make others want to read it, and to make yourself proud that you have completed a story locked inside you waiting to be unleashed.


Writing is never an easy process, especially when you don't have an idea of what you want to write, but writing does not have to be an impossible task to accomplish. Start with an idea and branch out from there. Have a plan in place for how you will pull those ideas together. Then put pen to paper and create your story. Don't forget, all good writing is rewriting.


Ready to write that story now? All you have to do is apply these simple techniques, and you have got the makings of a great story.

SEO Copywriting - What Really Matters


SEO copywriting can be confusing, with one guy telling you one thing and someone else telling you another. Despite the conflicting advice, there are at least five elements that appear to show up on most everyone's radar when talking about optimizing your web content for SEO purposes.


1. Title. The title is the most important place to use your keyword, as it's both a major factor for search engine rankings and the first thing readers will see. It also helps you with links, since people are more likely to anchor text similar to the title you use in your piece. Keep it under 72 characters (some say, 60, but 72 is usually safe) for brevity - very important when showing up in listings.


2. Meta Description. See that snippet of text below the title of a page in search engines? Most of the time, that's taken from your meta-description. Keep it under 165 characters to keep it visible in the results, in case the algorithm decides to pull up the meta-description.


3. Content. This is probably where the bulk of on-page SEO tips center. As a rule, very short content will have a harder time beating a page with substantial content in ranking, so always look towards having at least 300 to 500 words of real content per page. Use bold and italicization to your advantage, using it to highlight the first occurrences of your major keywords.


4. Keyword Frequency. You don't need to repeat keywords mindlessly to do effective SEO, but using it several times (along with synonyms) wouldn't hurt. It only makes sense that it affects ranking too. As a rule, try to have your primary keyword appear both on the first sentence and on the last one, along with two or three more times in the main body (the frequency should depend on the length of your copy). Avoid excessive use of keywords. To judge, try reading the piece. If the keyword gets in the way of the flow (sometimes, to the point that your writing improvement software will flag it), then you're using it too much.


5. On-Page Links. Links are the main currency of web pages, so don't hesitate to give credit to relevant content, provided they won't hurt your rankings. As a guideline, make sure you only link to reputable pages, with naturally relevant anchor text. Don't be shy about linking to content in your own website too.

Review Writing Tips


Writing a review? Do you find it difficult to write? If you are not sure on what and how to write a review, then it will be better if you are aware of how to write a successful review. Here are a few things to keep in mind to make sure it works as well as you're hoping it would.


1. If you point out any flaws in the piece, always suggest a way to fix it. Saying something's wrong is criticism; offering up an alternative makes it constructive.


2. Direct your criticisms at the material, never the author. You can hate the writer of a piece with seething passion all you want, so long as you don't let that dictate your review. Otherwise, you might as well just skip the material altogether, leaping right into a deconstruction of the author's personality.


3. If the idea behind a piece is bad, then shredding it to pieces is warranted (okay, maybe a little tact is also forthcoming). When the idea is good, but only the execution is poor, make sure to suggest optimism for a future version - one that's properly structured and well-written.


4. Distance the review from yourself. You want to talk about the piece, not how it relates to your life and your work. It helps to keep things objective.


5. Use an essay writing software for proofreading. You don't want to dis a piece about its writing quality only to have your actual review fall on the same shaky boat. A good grammar and style checker can do wonders for that end.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Reviewing a Movie - Some Helpful Steps


Do you like watching movies a lot? If your answer is yes, you might also like to write the review about the movies that you have watched. A movie review that you have written might be able to be published. In this case, having your reviews published will make you get paid.


However, writing a movie review is not that easy. To help you to become a good review writer, there are some tips that you can follow. The first thing that you have to when you want to write a review about a movie is take a note from the movie that you are watching. This will help you in writing the review after you watch the movie. If you do not take a note about it, you might forget the story of the movie. You can take only the important points of it.


However, the movies that you watch are not always the ones that you like. This could be any kind of movies. This is because people do not have the same favorite movies. Thus, if you want to have your reviews read, you must write any reviews of movies.


After you have finished with your note, take time to think about the movie before you start writing for your review. Make sure that your review is interesting. Make an introduction to take your readers' attention. Additionally, make sure that your review cover all the important events but never tell surprise ending.


Finally, discuss relevant and important parts from the movie that you are reviewing. In this case, you can include your opinion in your review. It could be about the direction. Additionally, you can discuss about the script and the actors/actresses as well. And edit it if you feel that it needs to be edited. After that your review is ready to be published or read by other people.

Researching Your Short Story Or Novel - How to Know Your Subject Well Enough to Write About It


If you've been writing for any length of time, you've probably been advised once or twice by a well-meaning writing teacher or Beta Reader, to write about what you know. Usually they mean to write about things you've experienced. While it is good to write what you know, you don't have to experience it to know it.


When I was attending the University of Nebraska I knew a science fiction writer named Cindy who'd had two stories published in Analog. One of those stories had been critiqued by a writing Professor from whom I was currently taking a class. The Professor had admonished her to "write what she knows," and apparently he was skeptical that an alternate reality was something that Cindy understood. That story went on to become her first published fiction.


Although some writers have written excellent fiction that has grown out of their experiences, for most of us there is research. The research can range from a little to extensive.


While in college, I wrote a story for a writing workshop about a custodian cleaning the morgue during the graveyard shift. He has a habit of drinking on the job and is a little tipsy, so he believes that one of the bodies dropped off for an early morning autopsy is really alive but is in a coma. I had never been in a morgue so I called Lincoln General Hospital and asked if I could come over and take a look. A nice fellow showed me around the morgue (the first thing I learned is they didn't like to call it the morgue; on the door was a sign that said "Clinical Evaluation"), and I went home and wrote the story.


It turned out that one of my classmates actually had been a custodian on the graveyard shift at Lincoln General. He thought I'd worked there at one time myself. When I told him I'd just done research, he said I'd nailed it. He asked if they still had that barrel of brains... I said no, just the jars containing bits of organs in the closet.


"Clinical Evaluation" became my first published story, appearing in Pig Iron Press's 1983 anthology The New Surrealists.


Arthur Hailey was an example of a writer whose backgrounds were almost entirely researched. The author of such bestselling novels as Airport, Hotel, and The Moneychangers, Hailey would choose an industry, spend months researching it in-depth, and they set a story in that industry. Although Hailey was a pilot, he didn't have much personal experience (and most of the time he had no personal experience) of the things about which he wrote. But no one could ever accuse Arthur Hailey of writing about things he did not know.


Whatever you write about you can fill in the parts you don't know with research. Sometimes what you haven't experienced can be a major part of the story.


When you research, use "live" rather than "dead" sources as much as you can, or as much as you need to. A dead source is anything you find in a book, magazine article, a document, online, or any other place it is written down on recorded. A live source is when you get your information by talking to people who have had the experience you're writing about. In the examples above, Cindy used dead sources--and her imagination--to get her science fiction story right; Arthur Hailey and I used live sources for our research.


Make sure that your research is thorough. Dean Koontz is another example of a writer who does extensive research. He cautions writers to be sure to get the tiniest details right--for one of his novels he had to find out the color of taxicabs in a certain Japanese city. Don't assume that you know something; find out. I thought the slang "blow away" was descriptive of what happens when someone gets shot; the force of the bullet knocks the victim over. Then I researched it for a novel I was writing. As it turns out you'd have to use a pretty big gun for that to happen. I mean a seriously big gun. If you shot someone with a.357 Magnum or a shotgun, for instance, he would just drop like a sack of potatoes, not go flying off his feet like he did in one movie that shall remain nameless.


That's the sort of thing that somebody, somewhere will know, and it's annoying to be at a book signing and--to paraphrase Ray Bradbury--have one of your readers say, "Dude, on page 227 where Joe gets shot and it flings him over the back of the couch..." and you say, "Yeah," and he says, "Nah."


So write what you know, but you don't have to personally experience it to know it. You know what I mean?

Remember a Draft Modifications Check


It is very important to turn to other people when editing a very important document. This is because some corrections you didn't see may have been quite visible. Whenever you need help in fixing errors and adding information, the draft modifications check can easily result to a successful article or even a book. Whenever there are times that do not have to approve the draft changes that the parts are not quite included in the subject.


This is why it is very important to review the automatic draft check that includes the subject. Users must review the documents before they accept any changes. When they are used to using the program that can track the changes then it is easier for them to just make things simple. The automatic check draft should not have to be complicated. Make it simple. If there are rejections and approvals on the draft changes, you will see that the draft modifications check is definitely the right move for you.


As a writer, there is a great value for automatic check draft when checking the work that you need to research on. They are the ones that should be drafted, observed, and suggested. Whenever the draft modifications check is refined, the document must be accomplished. What is important is that the automatic check draft is observed and can easily be referred to the other users that turn to the same program.


Automatic check draft can also allow the other people to revise and to edit the work. When it does not affect the original document, then this means that the draft modifications are accepted. As long as the Track Changes option is for everyone to use, then the modifications and changes are quite necessary. Therefore one just has to make the move and completely regard it as very essential. When the user decides to keep the alterations, they can just go for the automatic check draft.


Be very careful when this is your first time to use this option. You have to remember that the automatic check draft is under process and you must uncover the different ways that will let you track the document as well as the changes. You can always resort to the easiest method and just go for the right click on the gray box. At the bottom of the document, the letters that are the Track Changes from the selection can go for the Reviewing toolbar.


The auto draft check when this is turned on can just open the document that has been edited by other people that easily discern with the other parts that have been modified. This is the time when one reviews the draft modifications so that it can just give way for the approval of the users of the software. To eliminate them with the automatic check draft.


At least with the time that is allotted to the auto draft check, it is very important that the files are reviewed. The toolbars should then be maximized and select in order to navigate from the various changes. Then just select whether the acceptance of the clicking check marks can be accepted in the X mark and reject it when needed.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Prose Cutting


Creating a cutting for any event is an art. It takes patience, knowledge of structure, and a full understanding of the author's story. Prose is no exception. Do not assume that because you can make use of short story, or a chapter from a book, that cutting a piece is any simpler. Because it's not. This event offers its own challenges to cutting that other events do not. It also offers some of the same hurtles.


* NOT a DI/HI Interpretation. By this it is meant that Prose Interpretation is not like Humorous/Dramatic Interpretation in the sense that full-blown character pops are not used. Actually, that level of physical interpretation and back-and-forth dialogue is anti-Prose. Vocalization is essential, as well as interp of the story, but usually through the use of a narrator. Prose pieces that do contain multiple characters generally only use other voices sparingly. Thus, as you cut you need to keep in mind to not set-up a discourse that will eventually become HI or Di-esque. If you are interested in completely embodying and popping between several characters cut a Dramatic or Humorous Interpretation.


* Time. Most time limits fall between 8-10 minutes. Your Prose must meet this requirement. The easiest way for a Prose cutting to fit time while doing the least amount of trimming is to select a chapter from a book OR a short story as a piece. However, that does not necessarily mean cutting will be simple. A novel's chapter might need some extra information from previous or later chapters to help create the arc. Short stories might still need to be cut for length. Whichever source material you choose, be certain you can cut it for time. KNOW you can before you begin or risk wasting a lot of effort.


* Development complications. Many authors like to take their time developing an idea over a stretch of the piece. And that works in a novel or short story. The reader has the ability to place the work down and continue later. Prose does not offer this luxury. You have to be able to tell a story in time. As you read the ENTIRE material to gather insight for analysis, and to see if the selection is right for you, pay attention to the story. Ask yourself if a tale can be cut down without sacrificing quality. Some ideas are just too grand for the limit time you have to perform. You can always cut an idea to the essentials, but would it make for a good piece when cut?


* Find the one story. You Prose should not resemble Spider-man 3's script (a tri-fecta of too many plot-lines and not enough time to develop all of the stories properly). Your Prose needs to have one solid story that is interpreted in-depth. You might be able to slip in a supporting character story if it relates directly to the lead's somehow. Otherwise, read your material and find the one story you wish to perform and make a cutting based around that central idea. This will add focus and a tightness to your piece.


* Structure. A cutting is a mini-version of the larger whole. Your cutting must have proper structure or the audience will be left feeling like an element is missing. Basic plot structure is as follows: Exposition (introduction of characters, setting, etc.) --> CONFLICT and Rising Action (the issue is discovered and problems arise due to the conflict) --> Climax (the height of conflict and highest tension; everything is unleashed!) --> Falling Action (things begin to settle down and a solution is sought) --> DГ©nouement (the resolution/conclusion; things come to an end happily or not). Organizing your cutting around this will help move the plot along and keep the audience involved. If your author tells the story in a non-linear fashion (flashbacks, in reverse) try your best to craft a cutting that mirrors the structure they have created (they wrote it like so for a reason).


* Unnecessary information. If you are having difficulties making time you might have to rethink your cutting. Is there any information you left in the piece that has no real reason for being there? Is it absolutely necessary? If the the audience does not need to know then cut that bit until your performance becomes tighter and you have extra time to add it back in. Prose cuttings are organic and changing. You can always make adjustments. Do try to keep a couple jokes or extra fluff though as a way to draw the audience in--if you can. 10 minutes of straight fact or sorrow is tiring. A good laugh is often needed and wanted.


These tips and tricks can help you create a solid Prose cutting. As stated earlier, most of this is useful for doing cross-event work. Yet, there are some particulars unique to Prose. Think logically and design a Prose cutting around what type of piece you wish to practice and perform. What story is it you wish to tell? Answer that and chase after it.

Proof Reading Jobs Online - Where Can I Find These Jobs and How Bidding Works


Are you looking for proof reading jobs online? With the Internet growing at an exponential rate, more and more content are being put up online, which means the demand for proof readers will be growing.


This means it is not difficult to find proof reading jobs online. In fact, if you are savvy enough, you can probably find some just by using the search engine.


However, if you an absolute beginner with totally no idea how to find proof reading jobs online, you can always start from freelance websites. Some of the more popular freelance websites include Elance, Guru, GetaFreeLancer etc.


These freelance websites are great for people of all skill levels. Even if you are an absolute beginner, you will be able to find an assignment that suits you.


Do take note that when you are just starting out, it will be slightly more difficult for you to get a better paying assignment. This is due to the fact that you have no track records and positive reviews yet.


There is usually a bidding system for these freelance websites. For example, a buyer may post a proof reading job and state that he is willing to pay up to $30 for this assignment.


Bidders like you will start bidding for the assignment. You can choose to bit for any amount less than $30. Usually, buyers will choose a lower price as they want to pay as little as possible for a project.


Of course, that is not always the case. Sometimes, buyers will be willing to pay a little bit higher to get someone who has more positive reviews. Therefore, it is important that you take every assignment seriously.


As much as possible, try to do it quick and without errors. When buyers like your service, they will give you a high rating.

Practice Makes Perfect For Improving Your Writing


Some people are born with natural writing ability. Others struggle. Regardless of which side you were spawned into, there's one constant that holds true: practice makes perfect.


No matter how talented a writer is, they will still produce crap that editors will scoff at and readers will ignore if they don't hone that inborn ability into a polished skill. That's just the truth of it. While you can mask a lot of inadequacies with a competent writing software, those who put in the time will still put out better stuff on a consistent basis.


Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers set a base level for anyone who wants to be a "professional" at anything. His theory is that people will need to put in at least 10,000 hours of practice before being at a level where they have a shot at becoming great. If you complain about your lack of writing ability, it may be time to ask yourself, how much practice time have you really put in?


Want to improve your writing?


1. Set aside some time to write everyday. This can be informal entries on a practice sheet of paper or a novel you're looking to finish. The principle is the same: find time to write on a regular basis and the gains will pile up.


2. Pinpoint your learning style and find resources that can help you improve in that preferred manner.


3. If you're writing for practice, choose different subjects, forms and writing styles. The more accustomed you become to writing in a varied manner, the better your overall skills develop.

Power Proofreading - 10 Steps to Become a Better Proofreader


It's hard enough to get people to read what you write, but when your writing is also riddled with errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar and sentence structure, it's even more difficult.


Power proofreading may be the solution. Take the time to make sure that your writing flows for your reader and then develop a process that quickly and efficiently eliminates the errors that inevitably detract from easy readability. Professional proofreading or proofreading courses can sometimes be a necessary option, however there's no excuse for not having at least a basic knowledge of good spelling, grammar and sentence structure. Show your reader the respect he or she deserves by carefully proofreading everything you write.


Proofreading is rarely a pleasurable task, however with a set procedure and a few sensible tips you can make it at least an efficient process that creates a more enjoyable and productive experience for your readers:


1. Hard Copy - Try to proofread on a printed, hard copy rather than on a computer screen. This will aid concentration and has the added benefit of reducing eye stress. The ability to move your proofreading to different heights (compared with set at the height of a screen) enables you to move your neck to different angles and avoid neck and back strain.


2. Concentrate - Avoid distractions and interruptions. It would be nice to think that you could proofread effectively and watch television at the same time, but unfortunately it can't be done if you want the best possible results.


3. Treat Spell Checker Software with Caution - In the phrase "There clothes were dirty" the incorrect use of "there" (rather than "their") would not be picked up by Spell Checker.


4. Punctuation - Punctuation errors can be hard to find and easy to miss. Remember that correct punctuation helps flow and readability and is an important courtesy that should be paid to your reader.


5. Use Proof Reading Symbols - develop your own or use the proof reading symbols commonly used in the industry. These will "standardise" your changes and make it easier for you to develop consistency throughout your work.


6. Back-track - Try reading your work from the last word in the last sentence, backwards. This forces you to read every word and is a valuable aid to picking up errors (especially missed words) that may be overlooked when we assume what's on the page.


7. Take a Break - Don't work for any longer than 30 minutes at one time. This reduces tiredness and enhances concentration.


8. Read Out Loud - Another very popular and important trick used in proof reading. By reading out loud, you read each word independently, which increases the chance of finding all manner of errors, including missed or repeated words.


9. Get Someone Else to Proofread Your Work - go over it firstly yourself and then ask someone else to take a look. Apart from offering a second "pair of eyes", another person is likely to be more detached than the author and offer a different perspective on the flow, tone, effectiveness and appeal of the piece.


10. Proofreading Practice - Like everything else, don't underestimate the importance of practising the skill. Look carefully at the writing in newspapers, books, advertising, websites, etc. and you'll gradually notice more and more errors as your proofreading "eye" develops.


These simple steps are just an indication of easy ways that can help to reduce errors in your writing and make it more appealing for your reader. Take a disciplined approach to your proofreading and it will become a more effective and successful process.


And by the way, did you notice the use of both "proofreading" and "proof reading" in the foregoing? Well, if you thought you'd caught me out, you didn't. I personally like "proofreading" (for no particular reason) but both are perfectly acceptable in UK and US English.


If you need it, here's the best and least expensive professional proofreading on the net.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Part Time Writing Jobs From Home - How I Can Turn it Into a Full Time Income


Are you looking for part time writing jobs from home? If you are, chances are you are just looking to earn some extra cash to supplement your income.


However, if you do love writing and have a flair for it, then you can always turn this part time pursuit into a full time career gradually. But how can you do it?


The key to becoming a full time writer is to have more assignments than you can handle. There is no way you can become a full time writer if you can only get a limited number of writing jobs. Obviously, if you want to earn more, you also want to get paid higher per assignment.


Unfortunately, most freelance writers are only proficient in writing but not in marketing. If you do know how to market yourself, you will have an edge over the other writers.


Let us discuss marketing in a bit more details.


Marketing


By marketing, it means marketing yourself as a writer. You want potential clients to choose you instead of others. So, how can you do it?


Well, have you ever considered starting a blog? A blog that portrays you as an expert?


You might be asking, 'But what should I write on my blog?'


Well, do you think there are many people who wants to become a freelance writer but don't know how to start? Why not create a blog to share your knowledge?


And when you are bidding for writing assignments, you can show your potential clients that you own this blog. Don't you think you will stand out from the crowd?

Overused Adverbs - Why and Why Not


Adverbs are important in writing, as they help turn drab verbs into colorful actions. Like many good things, though, people have been started using them since time immemorial. As such, the more common ones can begin sounding trite and unimaginative, eventually failing to make your verbs more descriptive than adverbs should have allowed them to be.


Overused adverbs are still valid for use as modifiers. Just because they are going to pass your error-finding writing software, however, it doesn't mean you should continue describing your action words them. Because of their lack of impact and sometimes vague nature, it's usually better to either use a different one or get rid of them entirely.


Some overused adverbs include:


1. very (while this adverb indicates heightened intensity, everyone has practically used it to imply all sorts of superlatives, making its use more trite than useful)


2. so (as in, "so big"; as an adverb, it barely adds anything to the description, so it's better to avoid at all costs)


3. kind of (another vague adverb, there are probably ten other modifiers that you can use to say the same thing, each one infinitely more descriptive)


4. totally (while this makes sense when describing an action that has been carried out to completion, it's been abused by a slew unskilled writers to describe just extra intensity, making people wary when they see it employed.


5. seems ("seeming like" something isn't very clear, yet people continue to rely on this to eke out a description)

Online Writing Job - 3 Things You Can Start Doing Today to Turn it Into a Full Time Income


Are you looking for an online writing job? Many people who became freelance writers start out on a part time basis just to earn some extra money every month. However, when you approach freelance writing the right way, you can easily turn it into a full time income or more.


Here are some tips that can help you achieve that.


Build Up Your Reputation


The people who earn the most from writing are those who have the best reputation. First, more people will look for you. Second, you can charge higher if you have a great reputation.


Assuming that you are starting from scratch, here are a few ways you can start building up your reputation.


a) Putting in 150% Effort


Yes, that's right. You are not only going to put in 100% effort, but you are going to put in 150% effort. Most writers probably earn average to miserable income simply because they only do the bare minimum.


But you are different. When you are asked to write 10 articles, you will not hesitate to write 15 articles instead. You constantly over deliver. Your clients will be happy.


Along the way, you will be able to build your own database of long term clients. This is a surefire way to turn a part time income to a full time income.


b) Submit Articles to EzineArticles


EzineArticles is one of top article directories on the Internet. Once you submitted 10 articles, you can apply to be a Platinum Status author. If your 10 articles are of good quality, it should be easy for you to become Platinum Level author. This will also build up your reputation as a writer.


c) Start Your Own Blog


Blogging is probably one of the best ways to showcase your writing skill and build up your reputation at the same time. So, what should you blog about?


Do you have any hobbies? How about sharing your freelance writing experience?

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Newspaper Writing Tips - What You Need to Get Published


If you've been writing for newspapers for quite sometime, you must have already been in situations where your articles were rejected by your editors. Well, this is a usual scenario in this field but did you know that you can avoid this from happening to you? Here's what you need to do:


1. First thing to do is to make sure that your stories are recent and newsworthy. Your editors will surely publish your articles if they think that it will capture the attention of your target audience. What I suggest is that you look for explosive stories that have direct impact on the lives of your readers.


2. Offer complete information. You don't want to leave your readers puzzled or with unanswered questions in their minds. So, I suggest that you dig deeper when doing your research. Talk to all the people who are involved in the story and if needed, ask for the opinion of the experts. It's important that you do not leave any stone unturned.


3. Talk about famous people. Your articles will surely attract more attention if you write stories about somebody who's always making the headlines.


4. Write clearly. Your articles will surely be ignored, no matter how explosive they maybe if they are very difficult to understand. Consider the level of comprehension of your readers when writing your articles. It's okay to use highfalutin words if you're serving businessmen. But if you're writing for tabloids and if your newspaper is being read by people from all walks of life, it will be best if you use lay man's terms to avoid causing confusion.

Newspaper Writing Tips - How to Effectively Inform Your Readers


As a journalist, you must understand that your job is to inform the masses. You need to make sure that you keep them updated on the things that are going on around them. Here's how you can do that:


1. Know your readers. Just like when you're writing for online users and for other printed materials, it's very important that you know and fully understand the people that you're serving. It is through this that you'll be able to offer them exactly what they're looking for. Get to know the issues that they find really interesting and their level of comprehension. Make sure that you write your articles in such a way that these people will not have a hard time understanding your content.


2. Offer complete information. Never leave any stone unturned when doing your research. Strive to interview all those individuals who are either directly involved in the situation or those that have useful insights to share (experts). If needed, be willing to check out printed materials. The more information you gather, the more valuable your articles will become to the eyes of your readers.


3. Offer the good stuff first. Never make your readers wait for the juiciest information otherwise, they'll lose interest and they will not read your articles in their entirety. Always use the inverted pyramid technique. Give your readers the gist of your article on your first paragraph. Also, anticipate and answer all their possible questions.


4. Proofread your articles. Read your news articles out loud for at least a couple of times. Ensure that your content flow smoothly and that your articles are at least close to perfection. They must be free from factual, grammar, and spelling errors.

Newspaper Writing Tips - How to Become a Trusted Journalist


Credibility is very important in the field of news writing. It's crucial that your target audience have solid reason to trust you otherwise, they will not read any of your articles. Here's how you can become a trusted journalist:


1. Stick with facts. I know, sensationalizing your stories or overstretching the truth can sometimes help in grabbing your readers by the throat. But let me tell you that this will not help your career in the long run. People will quickly find out if you're making up stories and when this happens, they will lose their trust instantly. You don't want that to happen, right? So, always stick with the truth. Tell your readers what they need to know and nothing more.


2. Verify your data. You cannot afford to insert unverified information in your articles. So, even if it takes a lot of your time and energy, go out there and ensure that all the information you have in hand are based on facts. You may support the information by properly citing your resources.


3. Admit your mistakes. If in case that you accidentally inserted unverified information or you misspelled a name in your article, make sure that you admit your mistakes and apologize for them. Your readers will understand that you're just a human being who is capable of committing mistakes. They'll appreciate you more if you admit it and if you apologize for it.


4. Offer unbiased reports. By this, I simply mean do not take sides when writing your articles. Remember, your goal here is to educate the masses and this will only happen if you present both sides of your story.