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Hobbies: Writing - articles, hints, and tips for the freelancer and professional

Hobbies: Writing

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Back to Hobbies, Sports & Leisure main site Find A Site Technical Skills | Personal Journals, Memoirs, and Letters | Professional letters Fiction and Novel Writing | Poetry | Writer's Block and Inspiration Professional Writing | General Writing Tips

Technical Skills ●

How to improve writing skills with writing exercises

Writer's Block / Inspiration

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How to overcome writer's block A cure for writers block Overcoming writers block: five writing exercises Overcoming writer block Overcoming writer's block Overcoming writer's block Overcoming writer's block How to overcome writers block Overcoming writer's block with the help of your kids Writer block: how to treat it, how to beat it Overcoming writer's block Overcoming writer's block How to overcome writer's block

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Tips on overcoming writer's block

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Improving writing skills

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Common grammar mistakes

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Glossary of writing terms Punctuation rule: how to correct a comma splice Grammar & Punctuation: proper use of the colon Proofreading tips Punctuation: semicolon rules Rules of English grammer Writing an introductory paragraph

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Personal Journals, Memoirs, and Letters ● ● ● ● ● ●

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How to write a memoir How to write a family newsletter How do i start a journal? The importance of keeping a personal journal How to journal for therapy Personal journaling-- a different kind of life insurance Personal letter writing Journaling method for writers Journal writing is good therapy Journal writing tips Journal writing for the writer The value of writing a daily journal Learn how to write a letter! How to write letters your friends will love Keeping a journal Inmate pen pals

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How to be a great writer Dream journals: get story ideas in your sleep! Using dreams for story ideas Writer and critique group Mornings for creative writers Help for writers: advantage of writers groups Brainstorming term paper topics How to brainstorm ideas for short articles Learn to write in twenty minutes a day 25 Tips every writer should know How to improve writing skills

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Writing for success How can I become a better writer? A creative writing exercise

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Creative writing tips: let your creativity show

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Hobbies: Writing - articles, hints, and tips for the freelancer and professional ● ● ● ● ●

Daily journal writing benefits How to write a family newsletter How to maintain a journal Memoir writing through the generations How to write a memoir

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Motivation and inspiration for struggling writers Starting a writing workshop Ideas for writing Finding time to write

Professional writing Professional letters ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

How to write a thank you card Writing the great complaint letter Effectively writing a complaint letter How to write a perfect query letter Writing a letter of complaint How to write mission and vision statements

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Writing a letter to the editor Writing donor thank you letters

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How to make writing thank you notes easy!

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Elements of writing a great query letter Learn how to write a thank you note Learn how to write a letter!

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How to write a query letter

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How to write an effective complaint letter How to write effective complaint letters 5 tips for writing business email newsletters

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Fiction and Novel Writing

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Writing flash fiction using bubble diagrams How to write a romance novel Tips for novel ideas How to write longer fiction Creating the perfect setting for writing fiction How to write a short story the creative way Writing a good plot outline How to write fiction

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Novel writing tips: what tense should i use? Write a romance novel in three months Write a better novel: final draft Write a better novel: first draft Write a better novel: second draft Creating dialogue in fiction Create interesting and believable fiction characters Creating a character profile Writing technique: character development

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Creating fictional characters

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Writing fiction for fun How to write short stories

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How to self publish a how- to book The tenets of submitting a manuscript Writing for city websites Great markets in which to sell your first story How to make a portfolio How to write a book proposal How to write an effective query letter for a nonfiction article The paying writing market Marketing tips for freelance writers Writing a short story manuscript format for publication How to submit a short story manuscript to an editor Free web publishing: how writers can profit in cyberspace How to secure a literary agent Editing services: Do you need them? Writing screen plays to sell Launching your unpublished books in the media Writing a cover letter for short story submission How to choose a market for your writing Self publishing on internet Building a career in writing after first publication How to decide if freelance writing is for you Writing for publication: five attention getters not impressive to editors Guide for freelance writers Freelance writing information Agents for writers: should you have one? Write a non-fiction book proposal How to market and promote a book Writing tips for writing under a pen name Should a writer adopt a pen name? Getting published in magazines Learn newspaper editorial writing

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Make the most of your writing editor appointment Writing a newspaper press release How can you become a freelance writer

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How to get an article published in a magazine

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General writing tips, ideas, and advices

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Hobbies: Writing - articles, hints, and tips for the freelancer and professional

Poetry

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How to write poetry How to write a haiku? How do you write poetry? How to write poetry How to write a haiku Poetry inspiration: making your life experiences into poems Tips to poetry writing How to write poetry How to publish your poems How to write a poem How to write a sonnet How to write a haiku Poetry writing tips How to write a haiku How to write (good) poetry How do I write a haiku? How to write limerick poetry Organize a poetry writing workshop How to interpret five common criticisms on poetry

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How to write a title Non fiction writing Five traps to avoid when re writing a manuscript How to write song lyrics How do I write a book synopsis? How to write an effective speech Information on how to write a book review How do you write a book synopsis? Writing short stories that work Getting started writing children's books How to write an essay How to write a research paper Writing children's books: choosing the right audience Writing narrative personal essays Writing children's stories Writing a cover letter for poetry submission Writing a character sketch essay How to write an autobiography Tips and resources for the teen writer Creative ways to publish children's stories Writing a research paper How to write an obituary Tips for writing an essay Article writing tip; the best title for your piece How to write a good film review Writing tip: point of view Guideline to writing an essay effectively Writing film reviews: you too can be a critic Song writing tips How to write jokes Writing an essay Writing books for children Fanzines - television & publication? Five fast and easy steps to writing nonfiction How to write a working screenplay Writing a nursery rhyme for children How to write biographies: the basics How to win an essay contest Writing children's picture books What is a chapbook? Starting a critique group for writers How can I write a book

© 2002 Pagewise, Inc.

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Hobbies: Writing - articles, hints, and tips for the freelancer and professional

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How to improve writing skills with writing exercises

How to improve writing skills with writing exercises I take writing classes and workshops whenever I can. It's so easy to get stuck in a rut, but when you have someone dishing out writing assignments, you're forced to pull yourself out. Here are 5 exercises I've done over the years. Stretch yourself! 1) Take a mediocre, horrible or fabulous piece of your writing. It doesn't need to be long, just writing. Go through it and look for non-descript words, such as 'nice', 'beautiful' and 'wonderful'. List these words, and detail what they are actually supposed to be describing. A nice outfit - Nice means as many things as there are people! Does nice mean green or blue? Cotton or polyester? A skirt or pants? Matching or eclectic? A beautiful day - Some folks like rain, some love the sun. Are there clouds? Is it morning or evening? Is it a day to lounge at home or go out and socialize? What constitutes a beautiful day? Beauty? What's that? You can see by these examples that non-descript words rob your writing of what makes it unique - you! 2) This is one of my favorites. I came across it as I was studying metaphors. On the left side of the page, list tangible nouns. Ocean, flood, steam shovel, cinder block, spoon. On the right side of the page, list intangible nouns. Respect, desire, hunger, flight. Now combine them in a phrase like this: 'a of '. Examples would be 'an ocean of respect', a spoonful of desire'. Let yourself get carried away with this, and you will come up with some very powerful images. 3) Open up a dictionary. Choose a word and write about it for 10 minutes, non-stop. Choose another word and do the same. Choose a third and write 10 more minutes. Although you have three different words, there may be a common thread running through them. Look for it. The day I did this, the rainy weather permeated my three pieces of random writing. If a thread is not there, try and connect these three separate pieces of writing. 4) Make a list about something. Choose something ordinary and make a list of things about it or related to it. Do it off the top of your head, taking just 10 minutes or so. Now read it. You will feel a rhythm to it after a few lines, and it will sound poetic. If you make

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How to improve writing skills with writing exercises

a list about a kiss or love or flowers, you may have a sweet poem when you're done. The class I did this in listed a yard sale. Sounds dull? It was actually very interesting to hear what everyone had to say about a yard sale, the contents, the seller, the other buyers, the type of day it was and so on. A yard sale is not dull subject matter! 5) Find a picture in a magazine. Make sure it interests you. Look this picture over carefully for just a minute and write about it for at least 10 minutes. Describe the detail, the light, the subject matter. Are there people? What are they thinking? How did they get there? Who are they? You could do the traditional 'Who What When Where Why' routine. You'll be surprised at how much you can see in a picture when you have to! These are just a few exercises to keep your creativity flowing. You can enhance them by doing them with your writing friends, too. It's entertaining and enlightening to hear how others respond to the same exercises. Don't be afraid to try a class or a workshop, either! Good luck and have fun!

Written by Nan Fischer Title: How to improve writing skills with writing exercises Description: Question no more how to improve your writing skills! You will be able to stretch your imagination and your use of words with these five writing exercises that explore description and metaphors. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Improving writing skills

Improving writing skills Having good writing skills can be very useful at times. If you are a student it will be helpful when you are writing a research paper or thesis and for aspiring writers it will be an essential quality. Some could naturally have good writing skills while some may lack it. If you ever feel that you can never gain good writing skills, you are wrong. Everyone can attain quality-writing skills if they try. Here are some helpful tips to improve your writing skills. Write - Write something each day. If you don’t practice you won’t gain anything. This is very true in the art of writing. You have to keep on writing to brush up your skills. But if you are wondering on what to write about, not to worry as I can give you some ideas. You can write about an incident that happened to you or about anything interesting that caught your eye when you were walking on the street. But if nothing interesting happened while you were strolling, get creative and think of anything to write. It doesn’t matter what you write as long as you attempt to write something. Take courses - Courses can give you a good guidance to writing. With the rapid growth of on-line courses you can even opt for an on-line creative writing course. Most of the online courses would be short and if you are a novice at writing it would be more advisable to pick a classroom course where you can interact with the lecturer. Join newsgroups – Newsgroups can be very helpful for you as the members can give you advice. By joining a writing newsgroup you could be interacting with the members who could be experienced writers. By sharing information and tips on the craft of writing the experience of joining a newsgroup is interesting and useful. Subscribe to newsletters- If you ever come across a website where they offer useful writing tips and information for improving your writing, it would be wise to subscribe for their newsletter. Subscribing to newsletters is free and you will get loads of information through the useful articles. Criticism - Write something and allow it to be read by a critic. If you always write but never show it to someone to read and edit the article, you might not be able to spot the mistakes in that piece of writing. Once you have written the article, proofread the article and check it for errors. Then get a critic (it would be great if the person is an experienced critic) to comment on your work. This would enable the person to give you feedback on your work and at the same time you can learn how good is your standard of writing. Even if your first article gets a lot of criticism do not lose heart. Take the experience as a learning one and remember not to make the same mistakes again. Read - Reading is another way to help you. You could go to the library to search for http://sd.essortment.com/improvingwrit_rfkg.htm (1 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:33:04 PM]

Improving writing skills

books on writing. You can read the non-fiction books on how to improve your writing as such books would guide you along on the essential steps on writing well. Apart from nonfiction books you could also read fiction books of a wide range of categories. This would allow you to observe the styles of various authors and would be helpful to you in the future if you decide to write a novel yourself.

Written by Anusuya Vethanayagam Title: Improving writing skills Description: Improving writing skills is easy with these techniques. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

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Common grammar mistakes

Common grammar mistakes A debate rages in academe concerning the teaching of Standard English. Some contend that attempting to instill Standard (i.e. correct) English in students amounts to an act of cultural fascism, encouraging class divisions and perpetuating stereotypes. Perhaps, the most extreme form of this position is the Oakland, California, school district's abandonment of Standard English in favor of Ebonics or Black English. The opposite side of the debate contends that Standard English is a tool for effective thought and without its mastery a student is condemned to second-class citizenship in the world of work and letters. It's probably safe to say that a majority of English teachers subscribe to this position. Whatever the status of the debate and the response of the school, one thing is clear. Speech and writing will go on, and unfortunately, despite the pleadings of idealists, some of us will be judged by lapses from Standard English. In short, speaking and writing errors signal one's background, the success of one's education, and one's own concern for correctness just as blatantly as an arm-cast signals a broken arm. Since this is true, what then are some of the most common spoken and written errors and what if anything can or should be done about them? Wrong Form of Verb This mistake serves as a glaring marker of humble social origins or failure to master elementary school training. Depending on tense (time element) verbs have different forms or principal parts. The most common forms of this mistake are: He "come" late to school, and I "set" in the back row. These two gaffes are easily mastered if one remembers that "set" means to place, while sit and its past tense sat refer to putting one's weight on the posterior. For example, I sit in a chair, and yesterday I sat in a chair. With "come" the key is remembering that the past tense of come is came. Hence, Joe comes today and Joe came(not come) yesterday. The absolute essential principal parts to master are these. I see today; I saw yesterday (not seen). He gives today; he gave yesterday (not give). On the other hand, lie and lay constitute another bugaboo of the same type, but failure to use these forms correctly is so widespread at every social level, that the mistake is unlikely to even be noticed. For those who care, however, "lie" is to recline and "lay" is to place something down. However, the issue is confusing because the past tense of "lie" is, also, "lay"; thus, I lie (not lie)in bed today; I lay in bed yesterday.

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Common grammar mistakes

Subject-Verb Disagreement In standard English verbs agree with subjects in number. This type of mistake in its simplest form is another obvious social marker. A common glaring example is "it don't." The problem here is that "it" is singular and "don't" is plural. The correct form is it doesn't or he doesn't. The trick is to make the subject and verb match in number (not tense, which is another issue altogether). Additional examples of this type error are-- Dogs with puppies "needs" (should be plural need)lot of vitamins, and Sailors with scurvy "has" (should be plural have) sore gums. There is, however, a second type of subject and verb disagreement that commonly occurs where the speaker is confused because a second noun intervenes between the subject and the verb. For example--the captain of the guards "don't" like ice cream. This is incorrect since the subject governing the verb is captain, not guards. Unfortunately, this type of error is not easily corrected because one must be able to successfully identify the subject as opposed to the noun nearest the verb. Furthermore, correctness demands a kind of instant grammatical analysis that only those who are not likely to make the mistake in the first place can perform while speaking on their feet. The Good or Well Dilemma If there's a single usage error that can be said to be afflicting well-meaning Americans today, it's when to use "good" and when to use "well." A bad choice here can make one look incredibly naïve. The problem centers around school warnings against "good" used as an adverb. For example, schools have rightly taught that He hits the ball "good" or She bowls "good" is incorrect. Yes, but while incorrect, the preceding errors are essentially minor and unlikely to provoke scorn. The problem occurs when one develops an inordinate fear of good and begins substituting "well" in every normal "good" slot. Then egregious errors pop up. People then say, "Have a well day" or She's a pretty "well" singer. Horrors! The cure here is just to go with "good" and take the blame for an occasional slip. However, purists will want to get it right. In that case, remember "well" is an adverb, for instance, she knits well. "Well" here modifies the verb knits. "Good," on the other hand, is an adjective. He's a good singer. Good modifies the noun singer. The tricky decision happens after a linking verb which will not use an adverb. Therefore, I feel "good" or he's "good" at pool are correct because "feel" and "is" are linking verbs, and linking verbs don't take adverbs. Pronoun Hell Pronouns like nouns have what is known as case and shift their form depending on case. In other words, within a sentence they may function as subject, direct object, object of http://azaz.essortment.com/commongrammar_rfoi.htm (2 of 4) [2/5/2004 12:33:12 PM]

Common grammar mistakes

preposition, or indirect object and vary their form depending thereon. The dilemma for the speaker is inserting the correct pronoun in terms of its function in the sentence. Garden variety pronoun errors include--him and me went downtown, or the boss gave he and I a raise. Unfortunately correcting this type error takes a modicum of grammatical skill, for one must determine the role of the pronoun in the sentence. Thus, "he" and I went downtown is correct inasmuch as "he" is the subject of the sentence and "he" is a subject-case pronoun whereas "him" is an objective case pronoun. Ironically, and much like the school-inculcated fear of "good," "him" has developed an aura of incorrectness that then drives a speaker to say gave "he" and I a raise, when in fact "he" and I stand in an indirect-object position in the sentence and therefore demand objective case pronouns--"him" and me. Other common pronoun errors are--talks to "hisself" (should be "himself;" "hisself" is always wrong) and taller than "her"(should be "she"). The latter of the two mistakes is so widely made that the correct form actually sounds stilted, but technically speaking taller than "she" is correct since "she" is the subject of an understood verb "is." Who or Whom And finally there is the dilemma of whether to say who or whom as in these situations-Who/whom was at the door? or Who/whom did you give the money to? The good news is this. Speakers at all academic and social levels tend to either ignore or be confused by the distinction between who and whom, generally choosing "who" and letting it go at that. A result of this is that in situations where "whom" is the correct form, choosing the correct form again may again actually sound somewhat stilted. The bottom line for most social situations is go with "who" as chances are your listener won't know the difference either. However, if one chooses to be fastidious, it works like this. Because "who" and "whom" are pronouns, they have case as determined by function in a particular sentence. Thus, getting back to the examples above. "Who" was at the door is correct because "who" is the subject of the sentence and "who" is a subject-case pronoun. On the other hand, in the second example--"whom" did you give the money to is technically correct because the pronoun "whom" is the object of the preposition to and "whom" is an objective-case pronoun.

Title: Common grammar mistakes Description: Survey of five common grammar mistakes with advice on how to cope with each. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

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Common grammar mistakes

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Punctuation rule: how to correct a comma splice

Punctuation rule: how to correct a comma splice A comma splice is a type of run-on sentence. It is the attempt to join two independent clauses with a comma. Independent clauses must either be joined by a coordinator (one of the coordinating conjunctions or one of the correlatives), or separated by a full stop (a period, question mark, exclamation point, or semicolon). I. Coordinators CORRELATIVES: either . . . or neither . . .nor not only . . . but also both . . . and COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS: and but or nor yet so (Most grammar and usage textbooks also include “for” in the list of coordinating conjunctions, but it actually functions as a subordinating conjunction, translating more or less as “because,” and therefore should not be treated as a coordinating conjunction.)

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Punctuation rule: how to correct a comma splice

II. Stops END-STOP PUNCTUATION (FULL STOP): period (.) question mark (?) exclamation point (!) semicolon (;) III. Independent Clauses An independent clause is a clause that can stand alone as a sentence. Whenever two independent clauses are next to each other, they must either be completely separated (with end-stop punctuation) or completely joined (with a coordinator). 1. One way to correct a comma splice is to add a full stop (end-stop punctuation) between the two independent clauses. --EXAMPLES-WRONG: A person who is hard of hearing is not trying to be annoying, it takes only a little effort to help him understand what you are saying. CORRECTIONS: A person who is hard of hearing is not trying to be annoying. It takes only a little effort to help him understand what you are saying. or A person who is hard of hearing is not trying to be annoying; it takes only a little effort to help him understand what you are saying. WRONG: My parents can’t make it this weekend, they have other plans. CORRECTIONS:

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Punctuation rule: how to correct a comma splice

My parents can’t make it this weekend. They have other plans. or My parents can’t make it this weekend; they have other plans. 2. Another way to correct a comma splice is to join the two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction. --EXAMPLES-WRONG: The biology club will meet on Friday, several important issues will be discussed. CORRECTON: The biology club will meet on Friday, and several important issues will be discussed. WRONG: Our Uncle Tom died rather suddenly, my brother Allen was tapped to manage his business until a suitable replacement could be found. CORRECTION: Our Uncle Tom died rather suddenly, and my brother Allen was tapped to manage his business until a suitable replacement could be found. WRONG: He agreed to do the job for awhile, he hoped they would soon find another manager. CORRECTION: He agreed to do the job for awhile, but he hoped they would soon find another manager. WRONG: Our uncle’s partners knew Allen would stay for only a few months, they hurried to interview possible replacements. CORRECTION:

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Punctuation rule: how to correct a comma splice

Our uncle’s partners knew Allen would stay for only a few months, so they hurried to interview possible replacements. 3. A third way to correct a comma splice would be to change one of the independent clauses into a dependent clause, which can then be set off from the main clause by a comma if it is a non-restrictive dependent clause. --EXAMPLES— WRONG: My parents can’t make it this weekend, they have other plans. CORRECTION: My parents can’t make it this weekend, because they have other plans. WRONG: The biology club will meet on Friday, several important matters will be discussed. CORRECTION: When the biology club meets on Friday, several important matters will be discussed. WRONG: Our Uncle Tom died rather suddenly, my brother Allen was tapped to run his business until a suitable replacement could be found. CORRECTION: When our Uncle Tom died rather suddenly, my brother Allen was tapped to run his business until a suitable replacement could be found. WRONG: He agreed to do the job for awhile, he hoped they would soon find another manager. CORRECTIONS: Although he agreed to do the job for awhile, he hoped they would soon find another manager.

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Punctuation rule: how to correct a comma splice

or He agreed to do the job for awhile, though he hoped they would soon find another manager. WRONG: Our uncle’s partners knew Allen would stay for only a few months, they hurried to interview possible replacements. CORRECTION: Because our uncle’s partners knew Allen would stay for only a few months, they hurried to interview possible replacements. IV. Conjunctive Adverbs A frequent cause of comma splices is the mistaking of a conjunctive adverb for a conjunction. Although conjunctive adverbs have a weak conjunctive (joining) quality, they are actually sentence adverbs, not conjunctions, and cannot be used to join independent clauses. Here is a list of the most commonly used conjunctive adverbs: accordingly also anyhow as a result besides consequently for example furthermore hence henceforth however

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Punctuation rule: how to correct a comma splice

in addition indeed in fact instead likewise meanwhile moreover namely nevertheless notwithstanding otherwise similarly so still then thereby therefore thus yet Whenever a conjunctive adverb appears BETWEEN two independent clauses (rather than simply as a modifier WITHIN a single independent clause), the two clauses must be separated by a full stop. --EXAMPLES--

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Punctuation rule: how to correct a comma splice

WRONG: She will never agree to give you an extension, therefore you had better get that paper finished tonight. CORRECTIONS: She will never agree to give you an extension; therefore you had better get that paper finished tonight. or She will never agree to give you an extension. Therefore you had better get that paper finished tonight. WRONG: Most freshmen feel overwhelmed by the workload in their college courses, nevertheless they usually spend more time socializing than studying. CORRECTIONS: Most freshmen feel overwhelmed by the workload in their college courses; nevertheless, they usually spend more time socializing than studying. or Most freshmen feel overwhelmed by the workload in their college courses. Nevertheless, they usually spend more time socializing than studying.

Title: Punctuation rule: how to correct a comma splice Description: An explanation of how to recognize and correct this common error and follow punctuation rules. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Punctuation rule: how to correct a comma splice

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Grammar & Punctuation: proper use of the colon

Grammar & Punctuation: proper use of the colon The colon (:) is most often used to formally or emphatically introduce series, lists, appositives, and quotations. Generally, a colon implies a "promise," and what follows the colon "delivers on" that promise. 1. When extra emphasis or a degree of formality is desired, a colon can be employed to introduce a word, a phrase, or a clause used in apposition to a substantive (a noun or a noun substitute) in the introductory statement. EXAMPLES WORD There is one thing a human being simply cannot do without: hope. PHRASE Her goal was easily stated: the state championship. One factor cannot be ignored: the bottom line. CLAUSE There was only one question left to answer: who had sent her the first warning? Don't overlook the most important rule: never argue with the boss. 2. A colon is frequently used after an introductory statement that clearly indicates that something--a list or an enumeration, for example--is to follow. EXAMPLES The children were asked to bring certain supplies the next day: crayons, scissors, glue, glitter, and ribbon. A number of unexpected problems cropped up: the orders didn't go out on time, there was a breakdown in communication with the branch offices, and our top salesman was http://nh.essortment.com/grammarpunctu_rxjn.htm (1 of 4) [2/5/2004 12:33:30 PM]

Grammar & Punctuation: proper use of the colon

recruited by another company. The major holidays for the upcoming academic year are as follows: Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, and Memorial day. 3. If a quoted passage is formal, long, or paragraphed separately, a colon is used to separate the introductory statement from the quotation that follows. EXAMPLE John F. Kennedy issued this stirring challenge: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." 4. A colon is used after the salutation of a formal letter or a business letter. (A comma follows the salutation of a fiendly letter or an informal letter.) EXAMPLES Dear Sir or Madam: Gentlemen: To the Selection Committee: 5. A colon is used to separate the title of a book or article from its subtitle. "High Risk: Children Without a Conscience" ______ COMMON MISUSES OF THE COLON 1. Do not use a colon to separate a preposition from its objects. WRONG She was in charge of: registration, cabin assignments, and camp clean-up. CORRECT She was in charge of registration, cabin assignments, and camp clean-up. 2. Do not use a colon to separate a verb from its objects.

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Grammar & Punctuation: proper use of the colon

WRONG I like to play: soccer, racquetball, and ice hockey. CORRECT I like to play soccer, racquetball, and ice hockey. 3. Do not use a colon after "such as." WRONG I enjoy playing physically demanding sports such as: soccer, racquetball, and ice hockey. CORRECT I enjoy playing physically demanding sports such as soccer, racquetball, and ice hockey. 4. After a word, phrase, or clause has been introduced by a colon, the sentence must end with the introduced element. (The main clause cannot be picked up again after the introduced element.) WRONG We were offered a choice of desserts: pudding, an assortment of pastries, and a fruit cocktail, but we were too stuffed to eat another bite. CORRECT We were offered a choice of desserts: pudding, an assortment of pastries, and a fruit cocktail. Unfortunately, we were too stuffed to eat another bite.

Title: Grammar & Punctuation: proper use of the colon Description: Frequent misus of grammar & punctuation is common. Although there are only a few rules governing the use of the colon, this form of punctuation is frequently misused. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Grammar & Punctuation: proper use of the colon

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Proofreading tips

Proofreading tips The skill of proofreading is necessary whether you are a student, a professional writer, or someone who creates lots of office memos. No matter the context in which you are writing, there are systematic procedures that you can follow to ensure you produce the best work possible. There are three types of proofreading: Comparison, content, and format. A comparison proofread may not be applicable to every project you do. It applies to projects in which you have an original document you are copying from. This 'original document' could be your own handwritten notes, they could be a typed document that needs to be re-typed because a file was lost, or they could be a document with changes scrawled by hand all across the pages. A comparison proofing requires a word for word, character for character comparison of the new document and the old document. The purpose of this reading is to make sure that the exact same words and punctuation are in both documents. A comparison proofread is the first type of proofing that will take place. For a content proofread, you may put aside the original document and focus on the new document. At this stage you will be looking for correct sentence structure, logic, spelling, punctuation, and factuality. You will also be looking for consistency. If your memo says, "(s) he would be in violation of company policy” and then later states " he/she would need to report the incident to the appropriate supervisor", there is a consistency error. A change should be noted to use either "he/she" or "(s) he" consistently. The purpose of the content read is to make sure the document is correct and reads well. Finally, a format proofread is performed. A format proofing is just what it sounds like. You are looking for a correct format and consistent format in the document. There are certain formatting conventions that are followed when typing, for example, a business letter. There may also be specific formatting rules when typing a memo for company. An easy way to start a format proofread is to 'scan the edges' of the document and look for anything that sticks out and doesn't look right. Then look at the overall page: Does it look balanced? For example, is the text consistently justified or consistently left aligned? Now scan the document and pay attention to the spaces instead of the words. Take out any extra spaces you find within the text. Finally, this is the time when you will check page numbers and footnotes, if applicable. Give yourself ample time to go through each of these three types/stages of proofreading for the cleanest most professional resulting document. The following tips will help you do a more accurate proofing at any stage: 1. Always proof from a hard copy. Do not try to proof a document from your computer screen; you will miss many errors this way.

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Proofreading tips

2. When marking the document, try using proofreader marks. If you are unsure of the proofreader mark for a particular correction, write out the change you want to make. Be clear and specific about your corrections, do not simply circle the errors. 3. When possible, do not proofread your own work. You know what you mean to say, so you are more likely to skim over errors. If you are able, get more than one person to proofread your work. Everyone has different strengths and they will find different errors. 4. Break down your tasks. When you are doing a content proofing, the number of things you need to look out for may overwhelm you. It is best to break it down into quicker, more specific proofreads rather than one big proofread. For example, do one proofing for spelling and punctuation, next proof the document for grammatical errors, then do a third content proofing for factuality and consistency. 5. When you are doing a comparison proofread, use a straight edge (such as a ruler or piece of paper) as a guide. If you carefully move the straight edge from line to line on the original document, you are less likely to miss omitted text in the new document. 6. During a proofing for spelling, try reading the document backwards. When each individual word is looked at, outside the context of a sentence, you are less likely to miss spelling errors. 7. After corrections have been made, don't forget to proof the revised document. First check to see that all the corrections were made, then read over the document one more time to make sure you didn't miss something the first time around!

Title: Proofreading tips Description: Proofreading tips to help professional writers, students, or anyone that writes as part of their work day. Error free writing and typing is possible! Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Writing an introductory paragraph

Writing an introductory paragraph When you set out to write the introductory paragraph of an article, there are a few factors to keep in mind. The more organized you can be ahead of time, the easier your article will flow in the direction you want it to. First of all, think of the entire article you are planning to write. Ask yourself what the goal is of your writing. Do you seek to strictly inform or is your approach going to be more complex? If you think that the reader may have a difficult time understanding what point you are trying to make, the introductory paragraph can give some guidance to anyone who may struggle with your writing. What the introductory paragraph should do beyond providing a starting point to your article, is summarize the point of writing anything at all. It should also be something you can draw from when you want to write your conclusion for they often say the same things, just in a different way. So think of it this way: Not only is the introductory paragraph a starting point on your road map, it is also a smaller version of the map showing the course in which you will go. For example, if you want to write an article about how to follow a particular career path, you would not likely start out by discussing how to get that job if education is necessary first. An introduction could make note that the particular career you want to follow provides excellent job opportunities but important education is needed first. That way you are summing up two points together but being sure to point out that one follows another. Then when you start to write the process it takes to follow that career path, your reader would already understand the direction the article is going to follow. If your article will happen to have a particularly philosophical point of view, then you can pose questions in your introduction leading the way to the remainder of the article. Suppose you want to explain how people should strive to get along in their relationships by focusing on their own internal issues first. You could give your reader something to ponder while they read the rest of your writing. Maybe they could be thinking about all the ways they react to any given situation and how that might be related to something in their past. It could give more meaning to your whole piece rather than stating matter-offactly that they need to fix their own problems first before they can get along with other people. Quotations can also be a fine way to start out an article. Either one from a philosopher or famous person or a quotation gained from a person interviewed for the article. No matter which you choose it can be a powerful way to approach your writing. So look ahead to your goal, the direction you want your article to take and how impacted http://msms.essortment.com/writingintroduc_rhof.htm (1 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:33:53 PM]

Writing an introductory paragraph

you hope your readers will be and follow that path with courage and determination to be the best writer possible.

Title: Writing an introductory paragraph Description: Learn some basics of writing an introductory paragraph to grab your reader's attention. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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How to write a memoir

How to write a memoir If you have ever thought of writing your own memoirs, you might have been stopped by feeling like no one would ever want to read about you! This is absolutely not true. If you write your memoirs well, they will, at the very least, be a treasured family heirloom. There are fascinating stories in even the most ordinary lives and all we have to do is find them and bring them to the page. Using colorful language and developing lush stories is all we need to do to keep our memoirs from becoming a boring history lesson. Keep in mind that memoirs can be like home movies, if you don’t make it interesting to readers that don’t know you, they most likely won’t be much more interesting to those who do. Memoirs should start from the beginning, but don’t bore your audience with minute details about your birth. Make facts short and elaborate wherever you have an interesting or unusual story. Maybe there was a horrible storm the day your were born, or your mother gave birth to you in the family home, focus on the most interesting facts to present to your reader. Unless the doctor that delivered you had a witty comment or other notable features or personality, don’t bore your readers with his name, where he went to medical school and how many children he had. Likewise, don’t go through every single age chronologically whether anything happened worth noticing that year or not. Include mentions of any vacations you took, people you met along the way and any particular difficulties you may have had. Did you have troubles in math? Tell about it. Family members especially will love to hear about things like this that can cause them to say, oh, maybe it runs in the family! Unless you’re sure they won’t mind, don’t include the full names of anyone that wouldn’t appreciate being made public in your book. Although it is a factual book and your memoirs, you shouldn’t make public the private lives of others whom you are no longer associated with. Memories can be fuzzy things and what if you didn’t get the story quite right, you may be sued for libel! If there are any goals you worked towards during your lifetime, career dreams, things you wanted to accomplish, include these in your memoirs and include what steps you took to achieve your dreams. If you accomplished what you set out to do, tell about how it made you feel to finally realize what you’d been working towards and give any advice that helped you get there. Try to get the dates right. If you include fairly accurate timelines, it will be easier for people to check out what else was going on at the same time and it will give your readers a frame of reference to work from. It also gives credibility to your memoirs when you can associate them with a certain time period. Even if your memoirs never get published, they will serve as a valuable family history which will be treasured for generations to come. Even if you are not a writer, you should try to assemble some sort of memoirs to leave a record of your life and accomplishments, no matter how large or http://vt.essortment.com/howtowritemem_rmtv.htm (1 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:34:03 PM]

How to write a memoir

small.

Title: How to write a memoir Description: Writing memoirs is something everyone should do, whether they are a writer or not. Memoirs can be a valuable family heirloom. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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How to write a family newsletter

How to write a family newsletter THR FIRST EDITION OF YOUR FAMILY NEWSLETTER ROLLS OFF THE PRESSES! Though it’s more likely that this landmark issue will roll from a computer printer, the headline excitement should be the same. A newsletter is a wonderful project to bring your family together. Hopefully, it will also be an educational experience so couched in fun that children won’t notice all the writing and design skills they’re practicing. In fact, the only absolute rule to ensure the success of this project is that it must be fun! Let this be an instance where children take the lead. They might choose to form an editorial board or they could prefer taking turns as managing editor. Give them as much editorial and artistic control as their ages can handle. After setting limits regarding offensive material, foster an atmosphere governed by freedom of the press and team spirit. A newsletter may become a document of family history that is as rich and telling as a photograph album. That said, let the creativity begin! All aspects of your children’s lives contain material to be explored: best dinner of the week, wish lists, recently seen movies, a sports award, silly jokes, or a school subject they’ve recently discovered. (If articles seem closer to a Mad magazine style than to your local newspaper’s, just enjoy the humor!) Individual writers should contribute according to interest and writing ability. A third grader might interview grandparents about important life stories. Preschoolers often find great delight in seeing a silly tale they’ve dictated to an older sibling in print, especially with an accompanying drawing. An editorial page is a great place for teenagers to discuss their opposition to a family policy. Even your one-year-old can contribute a scribble. Children can make a game of examining all sorts of publications, from glossy magazines to PTA mailers, for ideas about material, format and design. Computers allow for multiple options in your newsletter’s look, and experimenting with different styles will enhance your children’s computer literacy. Though not all software programs offer the same variety in font selection (“font” means the overall style of letters, such as Helvetica or Times New Roman), they all provide some diversity. Through experiment you can choose which styles you like, with the option of changing fonts for different sections of the newsletter. For instance, an editorial could be well served by a serious-looking font, latest family news in a more whimsical choice. All software programs will provide both italic and bold, and of course you can change point size (the size of the letters) for headlines and subheads. Computer programs also let you format text to add boxes around sections you want to set off, create more than one column, and underscore subheads. In terms of including drawings, cartoons and photographs, if you have a color printer and scanner, you’re all set for business, but any copy shop can provide the same results for a moderate fee. If you would like a spiffier look, desktop publishing programs are available, ranging in price from $20 to more than $100. Most likely, you won’t care to splurge on an expensive http://ia.essortment.com/freefamilynews_rwjk.htm (1 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:34:09 PM]

How to write a family newsletter

package unless you’re certain your family newsletter is a serious project. If you don’t have a computer at home, many public libraries service communities with systems access, or see if your child’s teacher--so impressed with this project she might develop it into a class activity--will make a school computer available. Finally, though, this project could exist in a computer-free environment—a few handwritten pages filled with your children’s ideas. If your newsletter becomes a creative experience in which your kids learn to work as a group, gaining a sense of closeness, it’s a special event. Whether it winds up as a brainstorm thrown together when the mood hits or turns into a formal publication distributed to friends and relatives, the ideal family newsletter is the one that your family creates.

Title: How to write a family newsletter Description: How to keep in touch through the unique format of a newsletter! Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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The importance of keeping a personal journal

The importance of keeping a personal journal KEEPING A JOURNAL How is it that you would define your life these days? Is it exciting, or painful or boring or may be just meaningless. No matter how is it that you see your life, but the fact remains that good or bad, 'this' is the life you have and there is no escaping it. Accept this and it would easier for you to come to terms with the undesirable things in your life. But acceptance doesn't fall upon us just like that, we have to cultivate it. It is only when we have acquired the maturity to know that this is our life and it can not be otherwise, that we get the strength to make whatever changes we can think of in order to make our lives better. Just cursing your life wouldn't make the negative disappear. It would still be there and chances are that your neglecting your life would make it even worse than it already is. It is like ignoring some pain in your body, if you do not acknowledge the pain, you would not try to do something about it and nine times out of ten, the pain wont just disappear, it would only reach an excruciating degree. And then it may already be too late to do anything abt it. Life is a very beautiful gift and you must remember that good and bad events both make up our life. So it is not the good or the bad circumstances that make us a winner or a loser but it is the way we deal with them that determines who is a success amongst us and who a total failure. Normally days would pass by us so fast that before we know, our 24 hours have come to an end and a new day is staring us in the face. You may not know how to slow things down, but it is possible to take some time out to record the events of each day and to analyze them. An honest analysis of each day would help us see what went wrong and why and what needs more attention. It also teaches us to be grateful for everything that went well and for simple beautiful things in our life, which we may not notice otherwise. So how is it that you can record each day, obviously you can not carry a camcorder all day long. But there is simple and more economical alternative. Keep a journal. Have a personal diary in which you must write down something about your day. The best time to do that is naturally before hitting the bed. There are a few things to remember in order to get the most out of having a personal journal. Write everything down: http://scsc.essortment.com/keepingpersonal_rfxk.htm (1 of 3) [2/5/2004 12:34:18 PM]

The importance of keeping a personal journal

Don't hold yourself back when writing. It is good to put down just about everything that happened or you gave a thought to. Don't wait for an important event to take place, remember every day is important because it will never come back. Never ever.. so it needs to be paid attention to. There is no contest going on. No one cares what your skillful you are. If something needs really significant took place, and you feel it needs more mention that others, do write each and every detail of it. What happened, how you felt, what you think you should have done and didn't do. Just keep writing. Remember no one cares about your writing skills. Because you wont be showing your personal stuff to anyone in the first place. And please don't worry about someone else reading it. Because all these little worries would keep you from writing candidly and honestly and chances are you would miss out on important details. Do not forget to put down some pleasant thoughts: It is very important that even if you have had an awful day, you must, without fail, mention something pleasant that happened that day. I know it is very difficult to even think positive when all your life seems to be in a mess, but it would do you good to let your mind move from the negative track even if it is just for a few minutes. Be grateful for simple small things in your life. The kind passenger who let you have his seat, or the adorable child who chatted your ears off in the bus. Do remember to mention them in your journal. It will not only relax you for sometime but in the long run, you would find yourself appreciating these small gestures that brought a smile on your face. Think one good thing about that rude person: When you are writing down about that rude person who you think has ruined your day, whether it is your boss or your boyfriend, it is okay to call him anything you want. Do mention how you felt, what you should have said and what is it that you want to do about it. Yes, it is ok to vent your feelings about him. But in the end, force your self to mention just one good thing about this person even if it is seems negligible. It is only natural that you wouldn't want to think anything nice about him, but make yourself do it. It would help you get control over your negative emotions and put things in the right perspective. You are likely to over react when you are hurt and upset, so try to gain some control over your emotions before you decide to do something about him or his behavior. Make a list of next-day goals: We all have plans for our lives, before going to bed each day, make a list of all those things that you would want to achieve the very next day. These very short-term goals http://scsc.essortment.com/keepingpersonal_rfxk.htm (2 of 3) [2/5/2004 12:34:18 PM]

The importance of keeping a personal journal

would help you achieve more than you ever can without a list. For example, you have to make a call which you have been postponing for some times now, make sure you put it down on your list of do-to things. How long will it take, a few minutes? So don't delay it any more and just do it. So whatever it is you want to do, not matter how small, out it down and do as many as you can the next day. It will put your mind at ease and give you a sense of achievement. In the end, write down a prayer: It is another very important part of a personal journal if you really want to achieve something out of it. Put down a heart felt prayer. We all want things from God, just write them down. This will help you know just what is it that's really important to you and whether you believe it or not some of your prayers even get answered. Remember " A single grateful thought raised to heavens is the most perfect prayer". So friends, wish you all the best and Happy Writing!

Written by Kiran Piracha Title: The importance of keeping a personal journal Description: It is important in a persons life to be keeping a personal journal. Journals are to be filled with meaningful things if real benefits are to be reaped. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Journal writing tips

Journal writing tips One of the elements common to most famous writers is that nearly all keep a regular journal in which they write down their daily accounts. Keeping a record of your life gives you an insight into your subconscious mind that would not have been possible otherwise. Also the habit of writing something daily unleashes your creativity and writing skills as you try to transcribe the events of the day into words. By giving you an insight into your consciousness, it helps raising your emotional quotient (EQ) and in controlling stress. Most people at some time or the other do try to keep a daily journal but miss out due to some simple mistakes. Following a few basic guidelines will enable you to start a journal and more importantly to enjoy keeping it regularly. The first thing to decide is what to put down in your journal or diary. This is where most people trip up by not knowing exactly what to write in it. They complain of not having anything to write as nothing ‘important’ happened during the day. The mistake they make is in assuming a journal is just a record of the day to day events in their lives. Instead, the journal should deal not with the events that happened to you but what you yourself achieved during the day, not with your daily routine but with your experiences during the day. What you should put in your journal is the thoughts and feelings that went through your consciousness during the day. It is equally important to know what not to write down. While writing down your account, try to recall what experiences you went through: what made you laugh, what made you cry, what touched you deeply. Remember, you are writing down your account so that you will be able to access this phase of your life at a later date. You will then hardly be interested in recalling at what time you had woken up on this date or what you had had for breakfast. The coffee might have been particularly good, but it is hardly something that is going to interest you much later. On the other hand, if during breakfast, your partner had given you a particular look that had sent your pulses racing, you will enjoy rediscovering that feeling from the past again. Similarly, if you have just given an exhilarating presentation in the office, you don’t have to put down the details of the presentation itself, instead you should describe the reactions to it: who was encouraging, who was catty, who gave a particularly warm compliment. You must also write down your own reactions, how thrilled or proud you were and so on. Also while writing down your account, give free rein to your creativity. Use all your senses and writing skills to analyze not just your own emotions but also those of others. You will discover as you do this that you are far more aware in your subconscious mind of other people’s feelings, and this in turn will sharpen your own EQ or emotional quotient.

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Journal writing tips

In trying to recall what to put down, you will find that the situations that stick the most in your mind are the ones that made you laugh. In fact, this is the best way to start, at the end of the day simply put down all the events that made you laugh, all the wisecracks of your friends and others and their conceits. Recalling these at the end of the day is the surest way of controlling stress. Also put down how much you laughed, whether you laughed till you had a bellyache or whether it made you laugh much later also. You will find yourself laughing all over again as you describe the event, and this will heighten your emotional stability, your emotional quotient (EQ). Another thing to remember is that you don’t have to write every single day, avoid making your journal writing into a chore. Instead keep a small pocketbook by your bedside and at the end of the day, just scrawl down a few notes of the day’s events that will bring them back to you when you sit down to write. For the same reason use a good notebook instead of a datefilled formal diary. You may also use a laptop or other computer if you are comfortable with one. Then every three or four days or whenever convenient, you can write down your account from your notes. The aim of writing a journal is to enable you to return to it someday and relive the highs and lows of your life. But even more than that, writing the journal itself acts as an outlet for your subconscious mind. Nearly all successful writers keep a journal regularly. By regular journal writing, you can give free rein to your creativity and hone your writing skills. It acts as a catharsis for your pent up feelings and will help raise your emotional quotient (EQ). It remains as a treasurehouse of memories for you, and gives a permanency to the events in your life. Your journal will act as a powerful tool for you to analyze your life, and add new meaning to it.

Title: Journal writing tips Description: Journal writing tips about this enjoyable and self reflective activity, which enhances your creativity and sharpens your EQ (emotional quotient). Some tips on how to start one. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Journal writing tips

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The value of writing a daily journal

The value of writing a daily journal For as long as people have lived, they have written things down. In caves, on scrolls, in books such as the Bible. Man’s longing to write is as old as his thoughts, and it has been used as a form of communication for centuries. Possibly one of the most potent forms of communication is a person communicating to his or herself, and to the world, in the form of a Diary or Journal. Diaries are not just pretty teenage books with locks on them hid under pillows. They are helpful for anyone to understand themselves and the world better. Here are a few benefits of journal writing. Journal writing, or journaling, is a way to document events in life, which can be looked back upon to find patterns of mood, health and environment. In our busy life, one day seems to blend into the next and many a thought evaporates and is no longer clearly remembered unless written down. If one tries to recall where one was at or what happened at a particular moment, a short journal entry will help bring it back to life. A picture is worth a thousand words, but a few words added to the picture complete the story. Journaling can also be a cathartic tool. The letter that is never sent (don’t leave it out, someone might mail it), the things better left unsaid, the secret crush; these are all things that can be set down on paper to work through. Many therapists and self help groups recommend journaling as a recovery tool. Carry the journal everywhere. Writing ideas as they occur prevent missed opportunities later when the brilliant idea is just out of your mental grasp. Keep your writing with you everywhere, for a couple of reasons. First, you want the convenience of being able to jot down a thought, anytime anywhere. Second, you don’t want to be at work and have your unemployed roommate reading your journal while watching the daytime soaps. Temptation is hard to resist, even nice people snoop, so be aware. If you journal on a computer, have a password that only you know. I would not recommend journaling anything private on your work computer, as anything on an employer’s computer is considered their property and an idea can be stolen or your privacy can be invaded anytime. No one wants the company Techno geek to hack into their journal because he can and the voyeur in the next cubicle could be spying as you type your password. However, a discreet pocket or purse size notebook can take a person back to the days of playing “spy” and no one has to know what you are scribbling during that boring board meeting. If you know shorthand or can make up a code language, all the better. Just keep writing.

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The value of writing a daily journal

Title: The value of writing a daily journal Description: How writing a daily journal (or journaling) can be used for self direction and recovery. How to keep a journal and keep it away from prying eyes. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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How to write a thank you card

How to write a thank you card A thank you card is necessary after you have been a guest at someone's house for dinner, stayed at their house as an overnight guest or longer, received a gift such as flowers from them, or received any sort of significant kindness and generosity from them. By significant this means that a thank you card is not necessary if a door is held open for you or some other small act of kindness is performed. A verbal thank you would be enough in this case. Writing a thank you card is a burden for most people and some will try even desperately to get out of it or just ignore it altogether, but it should not be this way.People deserve to be thanked for their acts of kindness and thoughtfulness. You expect to be thanked too, don't you? How do you go about writing a thank you card? You simply start by taking afew minutes of your time andsitting down at the table. You can purchase a pre-written card which will make it easier for you. Or you can start with a blank card or a sheet of paper and compose your own original card, note, or letter to the person that you owe thanks to. Think about the necessities of the card or note, and what you completely want to say to them. Of course you will start with the phrase Dear (the name of the person) and then go from there. Be sure to write down in your thank you card the type of gift or service that they gave you or performed for you. Thst is, if Aunt Mildred gave you a toaster for your wedding, then specifically thank her for the toaster she gave you as a wedding present. Donot just thank a person for the present as that is too general and it makes it sound like you do not really remember what gift they gave youm or, what they did for you. Tell the giver how you wil use their gift.If it was money tell them for example that you are going to put it towards the purchase of a new coat for the winter. This makes the giver feel good by letting them know what you are goiong to do with their gift. Or, if the gift was a waffle iron, for example, tell the gvier that you and your family will enjoy hot, fresh waffles and will think of him/her every time you use it. This isn't a lie, you know, as most people are reminded of the giver every time they use or look at soemthing that someone else bought or gave them. Finally, end your card or note with anouther thank you and then you can properly sign off of your card or note. Remember to personalize the card to the person who will recieve it. Don 't make it sound like its a card that anyone could receive. Let them know how much you appreciate their generosity. And, above all, tkae the short amount of time it takes to sit down and write that thank you card that you ahve been putting off. You will be glad that you did, and the reciver will too.

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How to write a thank you card

Title: How to write a thank you card Description: How do I write a thank you card? Read this article and learn how. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Writing a letter of complaint

Writing a letter of complaint Occasionally we find ourselves on the receiving end of a defective product, company error, or poor service. This experience can be so infuriating that we feel we must mention it to someone in charge and have the situation rectified. However, many of us choose instead to swear off a company or product altogether simply because we lack the skill and confidence to express our disappointment. This is a small tragedy since many businesses are fully prepared to remedy any problems that arise. With a little know-how, you will be able to get the results you deserve and find happiness in the consumer world. The most important step to customer satisfaction is the need for you to act immediately. Not only do most companies have a fourteen-day return policy but you may need to recall details of your transaction and you will need to act while the events are fresh in your mind. Before you sit down to write your complaint letter, ensure that you have made photocopies of all pertinent information such as product and postage receipts, warranties or contracts, as you will need to back up your request with tangible proof. Before composing the letter, take a moment to think about how you want the situation to be rectified. You must clearly outline your demands for the company to be given the proper opportunity to please you. Do you want your money back, a replacement product or perhaps credit applied towards your account? Once you are certain of your request you will then be ready to compose your letter. It is not necessary to know the name of the person that will be receiving your letter, so it will be quiet acceptable to address your letter; "To whom it may concern". When relating the information, stick to the facts only. No need to get insulting. Your letter only needs to be a few sentences long, just enough to get the point across. State the "when" first, followed by the "what" and the "how". A sample letter is shown below. To whom it may concern, On April 1 2000 I received a book entitled, "How To Write A Complaint Letter." by the author XXX. I believe I was shipped this book in error as I had ordered the book "How To Write A Love Letter" by the author YYY on March 15 2000 and to date I have not received the book. I am returning this book and including my postage receipt. Please credit my account the amount of the postage and send me the book I had originally ordered entitled "How To Write A Love Letter" by YYY, product-number 011011. Yours Truly, Your Name Here Account number 777 777. http://wywy.essortment.com/complaintletter_rcst.htm (1 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:35:06 PM]

Writing a letter of complaint

The "when" in this example is April 1 2000. The "what" is the situation of the shipping error and the "how" is the credit on account for postage and a second request for the desired book to be sent. The complainant will include the postage receipt and a copy of the original order form, proving she ordered the book in the correct manner. The complainant should also photocopy the letter for her records. If you give a company the opportunity to right a wrong, many times they offer their customer an additional bonus such as a gift certificate, coupon or free product. I have written complaint letters to several companies and have always received the results I expected as well as a few unexpected extras. If you take the time to express your dissatisfaction, many companies will not only meet your requests but will thank you for giving them the opportunity to do so. While you have your pen and paper out, why not take the time to commend a company or sales person that made an effort to please you? It will do your heart good to know you gave someone a boost.

Written by Melanie Cossey Title: Writing a letter of complaint Description: Writing a letter of complaint can be effective. Have you been less then impressed by a product or service? In this article I will discuss how to write a letter to a company to get the results you deserve. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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How to write a perfect query letter

How to write a perfect query letter You have the power of life and death in your hands. Or should I say at your finger tips? You can open the door to a bright new future or put a nail in your own coffin! I’m talking of course, about your query letter. Your query letter is an editors first impression of your writing (and we all know how important first impressions are). It is actually the first piece of work that you will submit to them. An editor will get a glimpse of your ability as a writer as they read your query letter. You may be saying to yourself that I am over reacting. This isn’t the important part. The article is the place where you must concentrate all of your efforts. This is just a query, right? Wrong! Editors see it much differently. They take query letters very seriously and so should you. Your query is your way of getting your foot in the door. A door that will either be flung wide open or perhaps shut and locked! You may be cheating yourself out of great writing assignments. Assignments that you would actually be perfect for, all because of a poor query letter. I have received assignments solely on the content of my query. I have had editors tell me that they enjoyed reading my query letter so much that they could hardly wait to get to the actual article! Some have also shared with me experiences where the queries were so boring that they said they could not even imagine having to read anything more. While it is important to keep it professional, it is also possible to still be interesting as well. Editors are people too (no matter how hard we find that to believe), and they love a good letter just as much as the rest of us. You can get a feel for the type of editor that you are dealing with by reading several issues of the publication that you would like to write for. By doing this you will get to know the types of articles that this editor finds appealing. Often there is a certain niche that needs to be filled. If you notice a large amount of comical or easy going pieces, then you may want to be slightly humorous in your query. Show your lighter side. If the stories seem to be cut and dry. And filled with facts and figures, your best bet is to be strictly business in this case. There is a good chance that this editor is the no nonsense type. Finding favor with an editor will not only increase your chance of being published, but will also help you to get the honest unbiased feedback that you need to succeed. Even if the editor is not completely taken with the idea that you submit, if he feels you have talent and likes your style ... he may point you in the right direction and give you the advice that you need to help you create the type of work that he is in need of. Possibly an avenue for future assignments as well as an opportunity for future publication. Your query is your chance to grab them by their tails. It is the free sample, or taste if you

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How to write a perfect query letter

will, that will cause them to desire more! Give them something that will cause their mouths to water. Your query can be that aroma that reminds them that they are hungry. This is the time when you have their undivided attention. They are reading and examining your work intently. They are concentrating on you and you alone. Spark their curiosity. Cause them to raise an eyebrow at you. Think of your query letter as a personal interview. Put your best face forward. What makes you interesting? What areas do you shine in? Why are you the perfect man (or woman) for the job? What you lack in experience can be made up by what you possess in talent. This is your chance to wow em! Remember, you’ve got their attention ... don’t lose it. This also applies to publications that ask you to contact them for more information. I once got an assignment immediately because the editor said that she found my inquiry so fascinating that she knew the story must be even better! Put as much effort into your queries and inquiries as you do the actual article. Sell yourself. Do what you do best to help you get what you want. You’re a writer, so write a query that is as interesting and exciting as that thriller you are working on. Be as passionate about getting assignments as you are when you are lost in the pages of your most recent love story. Remember, a successful query is the first step to being a successful writer. It’s as simple this ... if the sample is good they’ll want more.

Title: How to write a perfect query letter Description: If you want to get an editor's attention ... here's how! Learning how to write a perfect query letter can open doors that you never dreamed of. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Writing a letter to the editor

Writing a letter to the editor Do you want to write a letter to the editor -- and ensure it has the best chance of being published? Keep it short, keep it focused and keep it within the bounds of good taste. The bigger the circulation of the publication to which you are submitting, the more competition you face in having your letter selected. The letters editor may have hundreds of choices in each day's mailbag, arriving by ordinary post, e-mail or fax. To make sure your letter is compelling enough that the editor will not toss it in the reject pile: 1. Put your full first and last name, address, phone and/or fax numbers (day and evening) and your e-mail address at the top of the letter. Most publications will want to call the writer to confirm authenticity: (i.e. that you are using your correct name -- not a phony name -- and that you did in fact write the letter). 2. If you are referring to a previously published letter, a news story or column, identify it by its headline and the date it was published (Re: Davenport grinds out a win, Aug. 17). This enables the editor to quickly check the original item to verify any references you have made to it (i.e. quotes, statistics, etc.). 3. Cut to the chase. You don't need a long, rambling introduction to your subject. Just focus on one or two key points that you want to make and then get out. 4. Write short, punchy sentences, grouped in two or three paragraphs. 5. Be witty. Let your sense of humor and irony shine through. You can even be a little wicked, as long as you don't cross the line of good taste. 6. Avoid wornout cliches and weak puns (groan). 7. If you are responding to a columnist's views (or any other opinion piece), don't launch a personal attack on the columnist -- attack his/her views. Offer a countervailing opinion. Try to advance the debate so that other readers might join in the discussion in subsequent letters. 8. If you have read a news story or feature article that relates to something you've experienced, respond by putting your own personal twist on the subject. 9. Don't send copies of your letter to a whole host of publications. Make it an original to the publication you really want to publish it. If you don't get a confirmation call within a http://wa.essortment.com/lettertothe_rvet.htm (1 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:35:32 PM]

5 tips for writing business email newsletters

message will not reach the widest possible audience. In general, the most effective e-mails are 500 words or less. But if you must go into more depth, make sure that you do not exceed the 25K file size. 4) Provide an AOL version or links. When you provide a link in your newsletter, most readers will be able to click on it. However, that link won’t work for America Online mail readers. Depending on your list, that could be anywhere from 10 to 50% of your subscribers. To make a link work for AOL, do the following: linkname In the example above, the AOL user would see a link on the word “linkname” that would take them to www.yoururl.com. If you don’t want to clutter your newsletter with AOL links, send the @aol.com portion a different newsletter. But don’t treat these readers like second-rate citizens, unless you like second-rate response. 5) If possible, make your newsletter personal and exclusive. If your technology allows it, add in personalized addresses (Dear X), and provide your readers with exclusive benefits. For e-commerce newsletters, this could be a newsletteronly sale, while content newsletters should get insider features. The goal is to make your newsletter reader – who is likely to be your strongest customer – look forward to getting your newsletter. Do this, and your program will always be effective.

Title: 5 tips for writing business email newsletters Description: An e-mail newsletter is a great way to get customers coming back to your site. These 5 marketing tips will help your newsletter writing efforts. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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5 tips for writing business email newsletters

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Writing flash fiction using bubble diagrams

Writing flash fiction using bubble diagrams Outline a draft story in your coffee break! Impossible? Not if you use the BUBBLE technique which will concentrate your attention on short, easy-to-answer questions. The technique described below is open-ended. There are no prescribed story-starters as you provide all stimuli yourself. It is a creative technique that utilizes the mind`s ability to weave meaningful connections between disparate elements. Steve Moss, Editor of „The World‘s Shortest Stories“ (Running Press) says about the 55 word stories in his collection, „...for our purposes a story is a story only if it contains the following four elements: 1) a setting, 2) a character or characters, 3) a conflict and 4) resolution.“ Using the bubble method as described below, your story will contain all of these vital elements. The method is split into three parts - DROPPING THE NET, BRIDGING THE GAP, CATCHING THE FISH. Writing flash fiction means writing fast and writing tight. WRITING FAST - it should take you about 5 minutes to accomplish the first stage and about 10 to 15 minutes to accomplish the second stage. We shut down your internal editor to get you from a point where you have no story to a point where you have written a rough draft. In the third stage we WRITE TIGHT. Reawaken your editor to get the story honed down to an entertaining short-short of less than 200 words. Ready to start? Get a blank sheet of paper, a magic marker and a timer that can be set for seconds and minutes. DROPPING THE NET Write down these words - „SETTING“, „HERO“, „PERSPECTIVE“ - in block capitals in the center of the sheet spaced out evenly one below the other. Now circle them. These are your BUBBLES. Now draw 8 lines irradiating outward from each of your BUBBLES as if you were drawing spider legs. You should now have 3 „spiders“ one below the other in the center of the sheet of paper. At the end of each line, you will be writing words in block capitals, which you will also encircle. The time limit for writing down 8 words will be 60 seconds. Write the words quickly without thinking too hard. Set your timer to 60 seconds. For SETTINGS

http://meme.essortment.com/microfictionsh_rlub.htm (1 of 5) [2/5/2004 12:36:08 PM]

Writing flash fiction using bubble diagrams

write 8 settings that come to mind spontaneously: e.g., HOSPITAL, JUNGLE, MOON, etc. They can be ordinary or whacky or a mixture of both. Now reset your timer and move to EMOTION. Write down 8 emotions - e.g., LOVE, DISAPPOINTMENT, GREED, JOY, etc. Next, move on to PERSPECTIVE. Set your timer again to 60 seconds and write down 8 different ANIMALS. For example, CAMEL, MOUSE, LADYBUG. (These ANIMALS will encapsulate the predominant PERSPECTIVE of your HERO, i.e. how he or she views the world. ANIMALS are rich in associations so by playing with the idea of an ANIMAL as a framework for personality you mine a rich field of connotation. I will show exactly how this works later. For now just jot down the ANIMALS) Pick one idea from each bubble and highlight it with the magic marker. For example you might choose JUNGLE from your SETTINGs BUBBLE, JOY from your EMOTIONS BUBBLE, and MOUSE from your PERSPECTIVE BUBBLE. Now make new BUBBLES on a clean sheet of paper and write the words you selected inside This time write them horizontally across the BOTTOM of the paper. In our example the bottom of the sheet would look like this: JUNGLE JOY MOUSE Encirle each of the words to make them into BUBBLES. This forms the BOTTOM LINE or FINAL SCENE of your story. Why that? In writing flash fiction you need to write fast.. To write fast, you must know where you are going. You have just given yourself a DESTINATION. We still have no idea of what the beginning of the story is but we know that at the end of your story your HERO (man or woman, young or old - doesn`t matter) will have the perspective of MOUSE (maybe he will be feeling shy or timid?). He will be in a JUNGLE (either physically or metaphorically -more about that later) and he/she will be feeling the EMOTION JOY. Next step: Draw a line upwards from your centre BUBBLE - (EMOTION). At the end of the line, near the top of the page, write LACK OF and your original EMOTION. In our example we would write in LACK OF JOY. On the right hand side draw another BUBBLE and write the word HERO? inside. To the left of the EMOTION BUBBLE write the word SETTING? and make that into a BUBBLE. Example: SETTING ? LACK OF (JOY) HERO ? This is the TOP LINE of your story. Initially, your HERO, for whatever reason, is suffering from A LACK OF (in this case) JOY. We don‘t yet know the SETTING he or she is in and we also do not know if our HERO is a man, woman, child (or something in between!).

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Writing flash fiction using bubble diagrams

Between the TOP LINE and the BOTTOM LINE, in the center of the page, write CONFLICT??? and encircle it. CONFLICT is important in any story, micro-fiction included. By encountering a CONFLICT, the HERO undergoes a CHANGE. This CHANGE leads to the RESOLUTION of the story as seen in the BOTTOM LINE. The complete page should now look something like this (with more space in between). SETTING ? LACK OF (EMOTION) HERO ? CONFLICT??? JUNGLE JOY MOUSE This is the framework of your story. All you need to do is hang on some flesh. Now set your imagination to work. We will take the words in the BUBBLES as springboards. Don`t stick to them slavishly - let your imagination weave its own pictures and associations. The answers I have given below are merely suggestions. Everyone who does this exercise, even with the same stimuli, comes up with completely differnt responses. Look at the BUBBLES on the TOP LINE Again draw spider legs out from each of the BUBBLES and jot down spontaneous responses. We will ask WHO, HOW, WHERE, WHY questions. Again WRITE down the answers to these questions FAST. Look at the BUBBLE on the TOP LINE where it says HERO. WHO is the HERO? The HERO IS SOMEONE WITH THE PERSPECTIVE OF A MOUSE i.e. someone quiet, shy and easily intimidated. Jot down your ideas at the end of the lines. HOW is he feeling initially? He is suffering from a LACK OF JOY, maybe he feels frustrated as he is stuck in a boring job. Jot down your ideas at the end of the lines. WHERE is the HERO at the end of the story?

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Writing flash fiction using bubble diagrams

The HERO is in some sort of JUNGLE. Maybe AN AMAZONIAN RAINFOREST or a COMPLICATED JUNGLE OF A RELATIONSHIP. Jot down your spontaneous ideas. HOW is he feeling? Joyful. Perhaps he has discovered a rare Amazonian medicinal plant. Or maybe he is caught in the throes of indescribalble bliss even though he doesn`t know for sure what his next step will be (emotional jungle?) Write down your own ideas. BRIDGING THE GAP WHY is he there? Try to forge a story line that will take your HERO all the way from the TOP LINE down through a CONFLICT to the BOTTOM LINE. Jot down your ideas as to the HERO´s persona (job, marital status etc), the initial SETTING (his office, the street, his home etc) through to the impetus for change, CONFLICT??? (loses job, falls in love, reads an interesting ad) These questions set up a CREATIVE TENSION between your skeleton view of the INITIAL SITUATION and the FINAL SCENE. Your mind searches for the UNKNOWN CONFLICT that has taken the HERO form the EMOTION AT THE OUTSET to the FINAL DESTINATION. At some point the story will take over and you will want to start writing. Set the timer to 10 minutes (or 15 if your coffee break is longer) and scribble down the bones of a story. Don`t worry about expressing yourself particularly elegantly. The task here is to RELEASE THE TENSION you have set up between the beginning EMOTION and the FINAL SCENE. CATCHING THE FISH In the first two stages we set ouselves TIME LIMITS to WRITE FAST. In the final stage we set a WORD LIMIT to WRITE TIGHT. The first draft of the story is there on the desk in front of you. How long is it. Maybe 400 500 words. Slash it by half. That`s right. Reduce your word count by throwing out all the unnecessary words, phrases and ideas. It sounds brutal and it is. But it is also effective. By writing tight, you are able to CATCH ONLY THE HIGH QUALITY FISH. As you reduce your word count, you will find that you automatically REWRITE. Better words and expressions pop to mind. Use them. But set yourself a WORD LIMIT- I recommend either 60, 150 or 200 words. This is the single most effective way I know to WRITE TIGHT. If you complete all three stages, you should have a finished manuscript of 200 words or less. It will encapsulate all the elements of a traditional story line, You will have a HERO in a SETTING in which he comes across a CONFLICT. By resolving the CONFLICT he will have undergone a CHANGE.

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Writing flash fiction using bubble diagrams

Now all you need to do is submit it.

Written by Carole Eilertson Title: Writing flash fiction using bubble diagrams Description: Flash fiction is a new genre. Writing ultra short stories is easy if you use the bubble diagram method Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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How to write a romance novel

How to write a romance novel So you‘ve been reading romance novels for as long as you can remember and now you think you’re ready to write one. Congratulations you’ve taken the first step. Everyone has at least one book in them. Now it’s time to put your thoughts onto paper. The best way for beginners to start is to jot down your ideas. Write where you are starting the story and where you are going to end it. This will be your plot. You may find you have a couple of subplots along the way but don’t fret, must good books do. Next you‘ll want to jot down ideas for different events that will occur in your story. When you start to write your book, if you follow these simple directions, your story will flow and you will hit each major event you have decided on. Now you want to name your characters. This is a big deal. These are the life of the story. You may have certain names picked out already however, don’t be surprised that if you the way, one of your characters changes their own name. All of a sudden you know the character is not who you thought she was but she “tells” you the name she wants to be known by. This happens to a number of great writers. The characters “live and breathe” inside their minds. Once you start with characters, you should always keep notes about each person you write about. You’ll want to have a list of their names, nicknames, ages, hair color and style, eye color, height and weight, special talents and any other information that you think is important to your story. Some writers will tell you to write X amount of pages per day or week. This is a good rule of thumb. If you are going to want to have your book published, you need to make writing your book a real job. Set goals for yourself and follow the rules and deadlines you have set. After you've written your book, it is always helpful to have someone read it to check the flow and content of the story. Then you should check for any inconsistencies. Take a week or two away from your book and then go back and reread it. Keep notebook handy for thoughts or changes you want to make. When you’ve finished, research the romance book publishers market. The Internet is a great tool for this. Search out each house’s guidelines and decide where you’re story fits. Most if not all the publishing houses want a standard formatted manuscript sent to them. Upon request, they will give you their writing guidelines. Follow them to the letter for submission or your manuscript will never even be looked at. After you’ve written your book, reread it, made your changes and researched the http://vava.essortment.com/howtowritea_rdcd.htm (1 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:36:23 PM]

How to write a romance novel

publishing houses, you’ll need to write either a query letter or a book synopsis. Which ever you choose to do, they should both include highlights of your book without getting bogged down with too much detail. Remember, almost all romance books have the her and heroine falling in love, fighting conflict, either inside or out and in the end, the obstacles are overcome and they live happily ever after. Make sure your synopsis mentions that these things have happened. Next you’ll need to write a cover letter addressed tot he specific editor for the line you are targeting. In this letter, tell a little about yourself and any background you may have in writing. NEVER put anything negative about your lack of experience or anything negative about your book in this letter. That will kill the book before it even gets read. When you’re ready to send out your manuscript be sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope in your packet. Send it out. Sit back and relax or start your next book. Remember, publishers get hundreds of manuscripts and it takes awhile to get to all of them, but they do. Good luck and happy writing.

Written by Vanessa Mullins Title: How to write a romance novel Description: Learn how to write a romance novel with this easy guide. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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How to write longer fiction

How to write longer fiction Many writers experience a block when trying to move from shorter forms of fiction writing to longer forms like the novella or novel. This block is completely natural. Short stories and poetry are easily contained within formats that the writer can control. Longer fiction often looms so large that the writer fears becoming lost in his own sentences. To make a healthy progression from short fiction to long fiction, try to remember that long fiction can always be contained within several chunks. In fact, the following steps will address the ways that long fiction can be formed without ever leaving the safety of small, controlled fictional formats: Step One: Outlines Outlines are a fiction writer's best friend. Don't let your story control you. Carefully lay out a ground plan addressing each chapter. Break chapter into halves, thirds or quarters and outline those as well. The smaller the sections you are writing, the easier it will be to see how they fit into the larger picture. Step Two: Consider Multiple Subjects. If you are having problems conceptualizing a long fiction story in its entirety, then consider making it two or three stories instead of simply one. It's a common thing to have a book begin with a chapter on one thing, then continue with a second chapter contiaining an entirely new story. This is a wonderful exercise for the imagination, if leaped into, because your creativity will exert itself making stories meet. Step Three: Try Writing Backwards Take a look at the outline you've put together. Chances are, most of the action and conclusion appears in the end of the text. Many writers find that if they write the ending of a piece first, then proceed to the beginning, there are no loose ends to tie up after writing. Creating backwards is the easiet way to coherent whole. It also eliminates the gaping hole that many writers sense at the end of a manuscript. Creating an end to proceed toward creates a comfortable journey. Step Four: Combine Your Short Fiction Talents The shape and content of novels has changed greatly. It is often possible to find poems, short stories and factual information inside a novel's storyline. If you are at an utter loss for how to proceed to longer work, toss a bunch of shorter works into the pot. For instance, take a good short story that you've written, then insert a poem. Take the short

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How to write longer fiction

story and the poem, and insert it into a chapter. Take the chapter and make more like it, then combine. You may be surprised at the freshness and creativity that this produces. Step Five: Give Yourself Time It is a common thing for a writer to create a rough short story, put it down for a few months, and then come back to it with a clear idea of how to edit and finish it. The same thing applies to longer fiction. Give yourself time to write and re-read what you are putting down on paper. This practice is especially suited to the novel and novella, because much work must sit untouched for periods while other pieces of the work are being created. Even when your work is complete, set it down for a month or two, and then approach it with a clean slate. This procedure gives fiction work a burnished aspect that will appeal to editors.

Written by genevieve thiers Title: How to write longer fiction Description: Learn how to write fiction and find ways to extend your shorter fiction into long works. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Tips for novel ideas

Tips for novel ideas There are so many ways to come up with ideas for writing a plot or creating fiction. Sometimes it's as easy as looking around oneself to find that great idea. Here are some tips for novel ideas... The six ?’s of story telling Questions always lead to something. Whether it is the right answer, or a new idea or thought, questions can become a pathway to new story ideas. These are the basic six questions you want to ask yourself when coming up with a new story line. But don’t stop here. The key is to ask yourself detailed questions about your story line and leave no stone unturned. The five ‘W’s’ and the ‘how’ questions have always been a good guidance tool for this. Never forget these questions when writing: How? Who? Why? What? When? Where? Stretch your mind by reading In a time where the television has taken control of most of our homes, we need to break out and re-discover words. Sure we can get ideas from watching television but it doesn’t work our minds like reading does. Reading both fiction (novels) and non-fiction (newspapers, magazines, etc.) will help keep you updated on what’s happening in the world and it will increase your memory bank. Depending on what genre you are interested in, be sure to read other writers from that genre. If you like romance, read romance. If you like westerns, then read westerns. Nonfiction, read biographies or self-help books, or whatever else you like. Get to know that genre and what the publishing industry is offering readers.

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Tips for novel ideas

You can even dig deeper when reading a fiction novel. Watch for a theme. All fiction books have themes such as ‘love triumphs all’ or ‘good guys finish first’, etc. Be a watcher – of people and places This world is a busy place. The goings-on around us can supply us with endless plots and scenes…if we are paying attention. Observation is a key tool to discovering how the world works. As an observer, try a few different ways to discover new ideas for your writing. Imagine the scene as if you were experiencing it or seeing it for the first time Imagine the scene as you are now Imagine the scene as if you knew you were going to die soon Imagine the scene as if you were seeing it for the last time because it won’t happen again in your lifetime By doing this you will give yourself a broader writing point-of-view. You will open up the doors to great storytelling and your characters will become much more realistic and reliable to your readers. You will also find that your readers will connect better with them. People are constantly fascinating me. The way they act, speak, watch, look, dress, walk, etc. I could sit in one spot and watch people pass by for hours. There are so many places to ‘people watch’ such as: the airport, shopping malls, buses or any other transport system, when you’re stuck in traffic, in a dentist or doctor’s office, etc. Don’t just watch, but discover how the people react to what’s happening to them and around them. Ask yourself questions about why they do what they do? Why do they look happy or sad? Are they on vacation? Where are they from? Why are they here? There are so many questions, and it’s these questions that can lead you to new story ideas. Let them flow and write down your answers. People watching can stretch the borders of our imagination. Wherever you go, always bring paper and a pen with you. You never know what will happen. You might just see something that will spark your imagination and set you on a new journey of storytelling. Sounds Sounds are important to describe in any story. They give more shape and substance to your scenes. Your readers become more entranced when they are given more information.

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Tips for novel ideas

Reading should be like living for your reader. It should be a world that contains all the senses. Touch, taste, smell, sound – these are all key to making your story come alive for your reader. Listen to the sounds around you, wherever you are. Take a moment to close your eyes and listen to what is happening instead of just watching. Write down the sounds you hear around you and give a detailed account of each of them. Good listening skills can and will increase your ability to write great stories. By listening, you become more aware and prepared to provide details of the sounds you need to make your story credible. Dream and Fantasies Dreams can often provide you with incredible stories because there seems to be such a freedom of the mind when we dream. It’s been said, ‘dreams are a window into our very soul’. If this is true, then writing from our dreams could be a great way to write from our hearts, and in that, find out what we’re passionate about. I always keep a notebook and pen beside my bed. If I dream something that I think I can use in a story, I always jot it down for future reference. Fantasies provide us with another great way to glean new story ideas. We all fantasize at some point in our lives. It can happen in school, in a meeting, on an elevator, etc. This is another great way to open up and stretch your imagination for new stories. Take time to sit and allow your mind to take you wherever it wants to go. It’s amazing what ideas for story lines and scenes come to light during this time. Journaling Journaling is a great tool for writers. It’s a place where we can write down all our secrets, thoughts, ideas, scenes that suddenly come to mind, sounds or smell or sights that we don’t want to forget and anything else that pops in our heads. Journals, in a way, can become a friend to us, or a confidant that we share with. For some, it is our chance to open up ourselves and become extremely vulnerable. This is a tool that writers can use to stretch and improve their writing skills. I hope all these tools send you on your way to great story telling!

Written by Krista Barrett Title: Tips for novel ideas Description: Novel ideas for writing a plot or creating fiction is easier htan you believe. Sometimes it's as easy as looking around oneself to find that great idea. Here are some tips for novel ideas... Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

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Tips for novel ideas

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How to write a short story the creative way

How to write a short story the creative way Writing a short story can be creative and fun if you don't get bogged down in too much technique and protocol. Many, many people are drawn to writers workshops and creative writing classes in search of learning to write. Unfortunately, workshops and classes are not always the best avenue to learn how to write. When it comes to writing a short story, you can learn all the technique in the world and still not write a great short story. If you choose to take a workshop or class, make sure it is the one for you. It might not benefit you to take a workshop or class that has too much focus on technique and writing the "right" way. Writing a short story is an extremely creative process, and it is important to let the creativity flow. While many people find workshops and classes to be very beneficial, the key is to find the one that works for you. Sometimes too much focus on grammar, spelling, and the so-called technique of creative writing can sap the creativity out of the process. The point of creative writing is to write creatively. Although that might seem obvious, there are plenty of writers who forget to make this a priority. Assuming that writing creatively is your priority and that you want to write a short story, try a few helpful hints. Nobody has the exact recipe for how you write best, so it is important to remember that there are no hard and fast rules. - Do something creative for yourself before you begin to get yourself in the right mood. Light candles, play soulful music, dance in your living room, call a creative friend, walk the beach, or do something that inspires you and validates your creativity. - If you have a faith in nature, the universe, God, Buddha, Allah, or any other so-called higher power, you might want to say a prayer, do a meditation, thank your creator, or in some other way affirm your trust and faith in this entity. If you do not believe in a higher power, that is okay. This is only a suggestion that some writers find to be helpful. - Start writing. You do not need to plan ahead. You do not need to take notes or form an outline. You certainly may do so if you wish. But to really stay true to creativity, trust the process of it. Be creative. Let your imagination and inspiration guide you. There is no

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How to write a short story the creative way

right or wrong, no good or bad. Just let yourself play and enjoy writing creatively. - You might find along the way that something keeps trying to bog you down, such as that old feeling that your writing isn't good enough and that your technique is not up to par. Do not worry about your technique for now. Unless you plan to win some great award, this should not be an issue. Even if you want to win an award, remember that some of the greatest writers of all time did not worry about technique. Look at James Joyce, for instance. His book "Dubliners", one of the most famous books of all time, certainly did not adhere to any traditional sense of what a book "should look like". - The final, and most important, took is to ENJOY YOURSELF. Let the writing flow. Don't worry about editing as you go along. Certainly you can edit along the way if that makes you happy. But you might enjoy the creative writing process more fully if you let your imagination lead the way - and let the creativity fall into place.

Title: How to write a short story the creative way Description: Writing a short story can be creative and fun if you don't get bogged down in too much technique and protocol. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Creating the perfect setting for writing fiction

Creating the perfect setting for writing fiction When writing fiction, a writer spends a great deal of time concentrating on the plot of the story, the characterization of the people in the story and the beginning and endings of the story. However, another exercise that demands just as much attention is the development of the setting. Your characters and plot can go no where without the correct setting. And, your setting is not going to help your story at all unless you create the detail your reader needs in order to place him self in your characters' world. Setting is very important for three reasons. First of all, your characters need an environment that will help deliver their story. It has to be a place that is in keeping with your plot and theme. If there is not a setting for the story to take place, there is no story. Second, your setting will help you develop your plot. A plot that takes place in a sea side harbor is going to be a lot better developed for your story of the intricacies of industrializing the canning industry, than is a desert reservation. Keeping in mind what kind of story your are telling will automatically give you ideas about your setting. A fantasy story about mole people is not going to be very viable if it takes place in a desolate barren land with no hills. Third, your characters will be better developed if their setting is clear to your readers. It is hard to understand why a character would lock themselves in a basement due to a phobia about tornadoes if he or she lives in a place where there are no tornadoes. Your readers just may consider this a bit too odd to keep reading. Hence, a cowgirl trying to save her family's ranch will be right at home in a western wilderness setting. The fact that she can walk in the fields at night and not be startled by the calls of owls and coyotes will tell your reader a lot about what kind of character she will become. Now that we understand why our setting is so important, lets look at some ways to create a believable and workable setting. You don't want your setting to be too rigid. It may need to change as your story develops and your characters grow. That office building may need to start out as a storefront until your character has found his fortune to build the skyscraper of his dreams. Always keep in mind your plot and your characters as you develop your setting. A reader is not going to understand a long monologue by a character about the beauty of dirty slums that he grew up in and caused his sister to die from rabies due to a bite from a rat living in the same apartment building. However, a remembrance atop a high rise apartment building about the first time a that girl made love to that very special boy

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Creating the perfect setting for writing fiction

during a hot summer night would cause such a monologue. Be careful of details. You want to have enough details that your reader gets a clear picture of the surroundings. However, if you try to get too detailed, the prose of your story will become tedious and your reader will lose interest quickly. It is important to note that the sun is a burnt orange as it descends behind the skyline of your city. But, if you go to great lengths to describe the rays of the sun and the different shapes of the buildings that comprise your skyline, your reader just may forget that there is a vampire waiting in the basement of one of those buildings. Setting is a great way to allow your reader to become part of your story. If done correctly is will pull your reader into your writing and absorb his or her thoughts completely. But, if overdone it will make your reader put your story down and forget it even exists. Give your reader some credit that he or she can figure some things out for themselves and let them munch happily on the events in your story while enjoying the scenery.

Written by Chrystal McCoy Title: Creating the perfect setting for writing fiction Description: Here is an article to help create a setting for your fictional writing. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

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Writing a good plot outline

Writing a good plot outline You were just hit with a great idea for a novel. You’re inspired, energized, psyched, and can’t wait to start writing. STOP! Back away from the keyboard. Have I got your attention? Good. The first thing any writer should do before starting any serious writing is to craft a plot outline. A good outline is like a blueprint of your story. The same way an architect would never start building a house without first knowing where he was going, neither should a writer start building his story without fist knowing where its going. Your outline can be detailed – with scene descriptions and dialouge, or brief – with only a few lines describing the main action in each scene. Which ever method you choose, its best to rework it roughly three times. The first draft isn’t expected to be perfect; Its purpose is to give you the main shape of the story – letting you know what you need to get from point A to point B. Start this outline by writing the beginning scene, the end scene, and all other major scenes you already envision. This will give you an idea of what other scenes you need. Fill in these extra scenes until you think you have a fairly well fleshed out story. Try to write a set amount of scenes each day, and never stop when you’ve run out of ideas. Stop in the middle of an idea so you don’t start “cold” the next day. The time this draft will take varies considerably from person to person, and depends on how detailed you are and how long the book you’re writing is. For some it might take only days, while, for others, it might take weeks. When you do finish this draft, then put it aside for a few days to give it a “cooling off” period. When you think you can look at it objectively, then take it out again, and start revising. Start the second draft by taking out a pen and coffee, and reading through what you’ve written. Jot down any thoughts you have, and ask yourself these questions: Do the scenes switch easily from one to the other, creating a continuous piece? Are all the scenes in the correct order? Is the pacing right – should a scene maybe be added, or deleted? Try to look for a central “theme” in your work – the main point it’s making or story it’s telling. This isn’t necessarily a moral, just a central “idea”. Once you get down to your story’s true “core” you’ll be able to better see what needs to be reworked. In a good novel, every scene some how relates to the main “core. Any scenes that don’t relate need to be either cut out or reworked so that they do. Take your time with this stage, reworking the outline until everything seems to fall into place. When you think you’re finished, put it aside again – this time longer than the first. When you take out your outline for the final draft, and read through it again, you will probably find only minor changes that need to be done. A scene added, or maybe just reworked. If you aren’t sure about something, like the beginning or ending, then experiment with it and see what else you can come up with. Remember though, that even your best draft of an outline probably won’t remain completely unchanged throughout the whole novel. Just as Architects get ideas as they build, so will you as a writer. As long as you have a blueprint, you can experiment with these changes without http://meme.essortment.com/writingplotout_rtuj.htm (1 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:37:09 PM]

Writing a good plot outline

damaging the structure.

Title: Writing a good plot outline Description: Great houses start with blueprints, and so do great Novels. Learn about writing a good plot outline for you story. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

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Writing fiction for fun

Writing fiction for fun Some people write for money. Others because they have to. But some people enjoy writing. It can be a fun and interesting hobby. I have several ideas on how you and your friends can do some basic writing exercises just for fun. You can get a group of friends together for a “Round Robin” as it’s sometimes called. This is where one person writes part of a story. Then another person continues it. You could go on and on for as long as you want, just continuing the story. To spice things up, you could divide everyone into two groups and have one person write the same beginning for each. Then each group will continue the story, and the end result will be very different and pretty funny. If you don’t like that idea, try getting some friends together and have a writing contest. One base topic is set and everyone must write about it. Usually this is best if it’s something fiction or a personal experience. A good example is to have everyone write about their biggest fear. Then you can have two or three people who have not written with the group to judge all the stories. Whoever has written the most compelling one wins. You can include prizes to make it more challenging. If you can’t seem to get a group together, there’s plenty you can do on your own. Try writing in a journal if you don’t already. It may seem boring for the first few days, but trust me it gets to be fun. And don’t just write about what you did or who you saw, instead write about your emotions. Anything that comes to your head. This will not only help you grow as a writer, but you can look back later on and see the progress you’ve made. And if none of these sound interesting, then try to set a personal goal and then try and beat it. For example, if you write 5000 words in one day, try and do better the next. If you do beat it, try and beat that new standard. This will probably help you to improve your writing more than anything, and it also improves your self-confidence. The most important thing is to remember that these are all just games. Don’t take them too seriously.

Written by Frank Flowers Title: Writing fiction for fun Description: Writing fiction can be fun, if you know how to make it fun, http://vtvt.essortment.com/writingfiction_rzad.htm (1 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:37:28 PM]

Writing fiction for fun

Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

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How to write short stories

How to write short stories Some of the best fictional stories are short stories. A short story is a usually a fictional story or it could be otherwise, but it is short enough to be read in one sitting, hence the name “short story”. The thing about short stories is that because they are short you do not have too much time to introduce your characters and to set up the scenes. The idea is to keep it fairly simple and make it fairly fast paced.

StudyWeb

When writing short stories, keep the number of characters in your story to a minimum. If you spend all your time introducing characters, your reader may lose interest and you may run out of time for all the action of your story. Make sure that all the characters you include are necessary to your story. Before you start writing it is a good idea to briefly plan out your story. Make a list of possible characters and describe briefly what you want to happen in your story. In your plan you should have an introduction paragraph that sets the scene and introduces your characters. There should be a few paragraphs in the middle of your story, these should be where all the action happens and should be the core of your story. Always finish with a conclusion that rounds it all up and brings the story together. Your introduction should make an impact on your reader. It should be precise and present the characters and events sharply. The idea is to create just enough excitement that the reader desires to read on. Don’t give out too much information in your introduction. Leave most of the information and action of your story for the middle of your story in the core part. The core of your story is where is all happens. This can be just a couple of paragraphs or several depending on the length you intend your story to be. Pace your story out over a few paragraphs but remember to not give more information than is necessary. Concentrate on what your story is about and try not to go off track on to information that is not needed. Keep it to the point and keep your reader interested. As you come towards the end of the core part of your story, start to finish the story up, or prepare it for the big conclusion. The conclusion is where it all ends up. Your conclusion should be one to two paragraphs and it should bring the whole story together. It should answer any questions raised in the core part of the story, and finish off the story. You can conclude your story with a bit of a twist or a surprise to keep the reader guessing or wondering what would be next, but it does however need to bring a feeling of finality to the reader. Sometimes the best short stories are the ones that leave you guessing, so do not be afraid to create a bit of mystery in your conclusion but make sure the story feels finished and concluded.

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How to write short stories

When writing short stories be precise and do not “babble” on about unnecessarily things. Try to keep it simple and to the point. Try to keep the reader interested, intrigued or guessing. You do not have much time in a short story to explain yourself, so describe your scenes well and with descriptive words. Be careful not to over use big words and create a story full of fancy language, keep it direct and simple. You story should flow from one paragraph into the next and not have an interrupted feel about it. Writing short story fiction is easy and just about any one can do it. It is quick and it doesn’t take long to pull to together a story with a few ideas. If you feel stumped about what to write about, write about something you know and take it from there. What have you got to loose? Give it go today!

Title: How to write short stories Description: How to plan out your paragraphs and write short stories and short story fiction. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

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How to write poetry

How to write poetry When in grade school, you are given a choice either to recite poetry or create and read poetry. Which did you choose? In writing poetry, one does not have to be born knowing rhyme. It is basically written upon how that writer feels. You can see this when studying poets from the 17th century to present day now. Just different articulations on the vocabulary. Most people think, when attempting writing poetry, that they would get laughed or not accepted because of their lack of knowledge in the “world of the poets” or limited vocabulary. Not true. Please understand that one’s ideas and views are different from the next person. The key word is FOCUS. “ Who are you writing for? What will it be about? Will I let others read it? Do I care if it is being read? How long will it be? What rhymes with A?”, are questions that should not be in your head. “Topic, Structure, Feeling, and Mood” should be there. Example. “I want to write a poem to my girl friend.” TOPIC=Girlfriend, STRUCTURE=Based upon if your girlfriend likes to read or not, FEELING=Love, MOOD=Seductive. So you have the tools but the words do not come to mind! FOCUS....they will. Your example is that you want to write to your girlfriend. How does she make you feel? BOOM!!! She makes you feel special. This could be the first line you write. But do not write yet, that could also be your last line. When writing poetry, you have no set guidelines. Remember your MOOD. Begin by writing things you know will bring the MOOD on in the piece. The end result could be that “she makes you feel special” or beginning with “she makes you feel special by doing _____”. You have the MOOD and you are FOCUSED, let's begin. All poems do not have to begin with a topic, or a setting, or an event. You can begin yours with a word, or a everyday saying, or a descriptive event. Your poem, no matter how long it is, can be 20 words but written in a way to look like a two word sentenced piece. Writing poetry has no limitations. Be sure to put all emotion into the piece. Meaning, describe your emotions to the point of where the reader feels them with you. If you cannot do that, then be blunt. Your reader may enjoy this as well. Remember, in poetry you must FOCUS. Your piece you created must fit the MOOD you set. If your mood is seductive, bring that poem to a “kiss and not tell” closing. Or, if you do not desire that, bring it to an abrupt ending making the reader want more to read. The choice is yours. The poem is yours. The mood is yours. The feeling are true. In closing, original poetry written is a result of emotions, external situations, the want to share, or just plain passion. Your poetry that you create is an extension of yourself and yes, it will be judged by those who read it. But do not be afraid to write and get “not so

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How to write poetry

good” reviews. Poetry is like an art of work Keep writing, you can only get better.

Title: How to write poetry Description: Learn how to write poetry, the art of writing rhyming or non rhyming sentences to express emotions, events, and translations. See how easy it really can be creating your first piece. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

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How to overcome writer's block

How to overcome writer's block All writers have experienced it at one time or another...the dreaded writer's block! What is it, you ask? Writer's block is that terrible menacing mental block that prevents you from writing! There you sit, at the desk, pencil in hand, tapping it against the desk top. You are unable to focus, unable to write. It has happened to the best of us, whether it's a letter, an essay, a book report or a book that we are trying to write. Or maybe you write one line, only to erase it or crumble the paper up and toss it into the trash. When writer's block gets a hold of you, you can fight back! The first thing you must figure out is why you are having writer's block and then decide what you can do to sneak around it! Why can't I write? Writer's block is caused by many different things. Here is a list of reasons that could be causing you to be unable to write. > No interest in the topic. If you are so uninterested in the topic that you can't even write about it, why would anyone want to read it? Try changing the idea or the slant to something that you can become more interested in. If you are writing an essay for school and the topic was assigned by the teacher, ask if you can be assigned a new topic. > Not having enough information on the topic. If you are trying to write about something that you know nothing (or very little) about, chances are you will have little success. Try to do some additional research or talk to others who are knowledgeable on the topic. The more you learn on the topic, the easier it will be for you to write about it. > To tired to concentrate. If you are like many freelance writers, you go to work at your day job, run your errands, cook dinner, take care of the pets, spouse and the kids and are so drained that you are too tired to write! Writing takes time and concentration. If you have too many responsibilities that are constantly interfering with your writing, get rid of all of them. Just kidding, of course you can't do that, but seriously, set aside a scheduled time that is only for writing. No interruptions, no phone calls. > Your idea is under-developed. Sometimes writers get so excited about an idea that they want to start writing it at once. However, if you haven't thoroughly researched your idea, you may find that you aren't able to develop the idea as you had planned. This goes hand in hand with #2, Not having enough information on the topic. Do more research so that you are able to better develop the story. What can I do to get around writer's block, or stop it altogether?

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How to overcome writer's block

You may not be able to stop it altogether. From time to time, everyone experiences circumstances that preoccupy their minds or cause them to lose their focus and concentration. But, there are some things that you can do to dance around writer's block when it tries to grab a hold of you. > Create an Outline! Remember back in high school when your English teacher would make you do those outlines? Those are great to use when you are going through writer's block. Instead of composing long sentences or ideas, jot down two or three major ideas. Label the major ideas Idea 1, Idea 2, and Idea 3. Place Idea 1 at the top of the page, Idea 2 in the center and Idea 3 toward the bottom. Now list two or three things that come to mind about each idea. Use these ideas to develop your sentences and paragraphs. This will help you determine a beginning, a middle and an end to your article. > Write every day! Writers need a schedule for writing. Just as a star athlete has to practice to stay adept at his craft, so must a writer. Try to write something everyday, even if it is journal writing or freewriting. > Work on several articles simultaneously. Sometimes, writers will get burned out while working on an article. If you find that you can't focus on the topic, try switching to another topic. Often it is helpful to put the idea aside for a while, when you come back to it, you may have a different perspective. > Practice Freewriting Freewriting is writing about whatever comes to mind. Anything at all. Start writing about your topic and continue to write ideas for five or ten minutes, or until you can't think of anything else to say about your topic. If you can't think of anything to say about your topic, write about whatever is on your mind. If you are thinking that you forgot to take the trash out, then you can write that. Freewriting is sort of like talking to yourself, but doing it with ink. Just keep the ideas flowing, even if you can't think of anything to write about. Pick an object on your desk and write about it. The worst thing you can do is to give into the writer's block. Finding out what your obstacles are and how to work around them will keep you writing. And when all else fails, you can always resort to writing a grocery list or honey-do list.

Written by Victoria Walker

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How to overcome writer's block

Title: How to overcome writer's block Description: Whether you are writing a book, an essay or a letter, this advice will help you to overcome writers block! Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

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A cure for writers block

A cure for writers block Everyone suffers from writer’s block at some point. Whether it’s writing an essay, a letter, even a note, we may find ourselves completely blank on how to start it off and how to word it. Well after spending a lot of my time writing, I think I’ve found a good way to get the ball rolling. It’s pretty simple actually, so simple it’s ridiculous. The secret to getting rid of your writer’s block is to keep a journal. I started a journal as an experiment, just so I could look at my feelings and thoughts each day. I forced myself to write, even when I was stumped. Most people have a hard time just starting off with the first sentence. Well with a journal you can just write the first thing that comes to your mind. Write a quick sentence on what your day has been like or who you’ve talked to. I’m sure that you’ll find after the first sentence you should be able to write a good journal entry without worrying about grammar or spelling. Also, the pressure of someone else reading it isn’t there, it’s totally for you. The whole point of the journal is to be able to write without anyone reading it. It’s there only for you and you have total control. “Ok, I’ve done a journal entry, now what?” I think after you write it, you’ll know the answer to this. I find that after writing a paragraph or two in my journal, lots of ideas come to my mind. I’m already into the flow of writing so I just switch topics and boom, I no longer have writer’s block. Like I said, it’s simple. You just write a few words about your day and you’ll find yourself in the mood to continue. This should work for most people, but not for everyone. If it doesn’t work for you, then I have another method. Set a time where you’ll write everyday. Clear your schedule for about an hour, and then just write. Force yourself to write, no matter what the topic. Continue this for a few days and you’ll find yourself into the flow of things. People naturally get into habits and want to stay with them. Try and make writing a habit for you. And if you’re still stuck, the only other option is just waiting it out. If you’ve had writer’s block for a long time, I suggest taking a weekend off and watch a lot of movies and read as much as possible. Don’t even think about writing. After the weekend you’ll find yourself full of ideas. You may think watching movies will do anything but help you write, but just try it. I’ve gotten some incredibly wonderful story ideas from movies, and after I watch something I find myself writing. Remember, everyone get stumped on how they should right. It’s hard to break out of, but when you do you actually become a better writer. So take my advice and see if it works. And always keep writing.

http://txtx.essortment.com/curewritersblo_refg.htm (1 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:38:43 PM]

A cure for writers block

Written by Frank Flowers Title: A cure for writers block Description: Tips to help cure writers block. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Overcoming writers block: five writing exercises

Overcoming writers block: five writing exercises The phenomenon of writer’s block has had many a writer burning the midnight oil trying desperately to compose a piece. In a world of fast-paced deadlines and fickle audiences, it is a writer’s worst nightmare. While writer’s block is often a very complex problem, its solutions are usually simple. The following are five carefully composed exercises that are designed to combat the worst kinds of writer’s block. Step One: Write for Yourself Many writers sit down to the blank page prepared to write the next Great American Novel. This is neither practical nor healthy. Letting the expectations and standards of the outside world slip into your private sphere is almost certain to leave your mind blank within minutes. To combat this tendency, take a piece of paper and write whatever you want for as long as you like. It doesn’t matter if it’s a masterpiece or absolute crap, as long as the pressure is off. Then read it. Chances are nine out of ten that it will be some of the most real, relaxed writing you’ve done in a while. Try this exercise several more times, and pretty soon you’ll be approaching every piece as though it were simply a rough draft, with amazing results. Step Two: Remember Your Motivation Often the pressure of writing something leads one to forget why they’ve chosen to write it at all. Take a piece of paper and make a question list. Ask yourself why you started writing in the first place. When you feel yourself answer, ask “Why.” (Example: I started writing because I love the freedom. Why? Because being able to do my own thing is important to me. Why? ) After a period of time you might be able to unravel the cause of your writer’s block, and discover the motivation to move forward. Step Three: Make a U-Turn Many writers often feel that their writing becomes “stale” for reasons that they can’t explain. Writing in one genre for a long period of time make actually lead to writer’s block. To keep your writing fresh and retain a sense of challenge in every piece, write things that are completely opposite to your normal routine. (Example: If you are a serious writer, try comedy. If you are a woman, write as a man, and vice-versa.) Then bring this freedom back into your daily work. You’ll notice a difference almost immediately. Step Four: Try a Disguise http://ar.essortment.com/overcomingwrite_rcke.htm (1 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:38:51 PM]

Overcoming writers block: five writing exercises

Writers are well known for their ability to step into the skin of a character and make it come to life. Sometimes, however, a little more than imagination is needed. Try dressing in an article of clothing that your character would wear. (Example: For a detective story, wear a trench coat. For a war tale, wear camouflage.) If you really want to get into things, throw on accents and parade around the house in character. You may scare the neighbors, but your writing will take a turn for the better. Step Five: Use Outside Influences More often than not, writers become blocked for lack of a story. There is an easy solution to this problem. Take a radio or TV and place it near your writing space. (If it is a TV, turn it so that it is not facing you.) Then let your stories take their inspiration from the greatest pool of strange stories around: the daily news. Write on the first story you hear, or jump from story to story recording reactions. This exercise is guaranteed to give you a large set of ideas to work from while you write.

Written by genevieve thiers Title: Overcoming writers block: five writing exercises Description: Experiencing the frustration of writers block? Follow these five simple exercises to create inspired prose, poetry and news in all situations. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Writer block: how to treat it, how to beat it

Writer block: how to treat it, how to beat it You have a plethora of abstract ideas and concepts that you would like to explore, and you could do it too, if you only come up with one sentence. Just one brilliant sentence that would glitter and shine like a beacon to take you the rest of the journey. But brilliance hasn’t made its appearance yet, and even a glimmer of a real concrete idea hasn’t even whispered in your ear. But if you were to be honest with yourself, you probably already have an idea of what you want to explore, you just don’t know where to begin. You know you are blocked when something like this happens to you: You decide you would like to write a story about a childhood experience. Perhaps something quite moving and poignant happened, where your whole concept of the world was forever altered. Your mind begins going through all of the memory files, your best friend’s face appears, who shared the experience with you. You realize how much this friend meant to you, how you both shared this particular event, and how a bond was forged in childhood because of this event. You type your first sentence. “My best friend Billy was a really great friend.” Then you hit the delete button exactly forty-nine times. For an opening line, it reeked. That first sentence didn’t even scratch the surface much less hook anyone. Often your mind is so full of great ideas, insights, facets and themes that you can’t seem to separate all of those complexities into one central idea. This is often the reason a writer becomes blocked. It’s not that you don’t have any ideas; the problem is you have too many ideas. The trick is to hone in on one concept then build from there. Your muse didn’t fail you; she overwhelmed you with too many pictures, sounds, emotions, textures and smells. Set a kitchen timer for ten minutes and write the longest sentence you possibly can. Close your eyes and write with absolutely no punctuation. Instead use connectors: like, and, but, yet, instead, however.

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Writer block: how to treat it, how to beat it

Here’s an example: “Riding my bike past a field of sunflowers, all their faces gazed toward the sun like a mass of fanatical religious zealots, all dressed the same yet in their sameness was beauty and grace all aching for the love of the warm yellow golden light to touch and nourish them but their amber faces were happy and round and they bobbed as they noticed me free wheeling by on my magic bike on an unforgettable warm summer day…” The idea of this exercise is to escape from the rules of writing so that your imagination is free to draw from your own very personal experiences and insights. Write whatever thought pops into your mind, and try to expound on every idea that appears. Eventually you will discover a theme or idea that you will want to revisit. Writers are a special group of people. They need to interact with other writers for support and inspiration, as well as the occasional kick in the pants. If you are not already involved in a writer’s group, try to acquaint yourself with one. If your town doesn’t have a local group you can join then get resourceful! There are literally thousands of groups you can join via the Internet. If you are a writer, then to go deeper it’s safe to say that you are a great observer. Every artist has a deep well within their mind where ideas and emotions connect to form stories. It is vital that the writer replenish that well often. “But how do I replenish my well?!” The writer must spend time doing the things that bring him joy. Perhaps a walk through the rose garden, or going to church will nourish that imagination. For some writers, just spending a day with their children, grandchildren or volunteer work will fill the well. If you don’t have enough time for such nonsense, then your writing will suffer. The process of creation requires a lot of energy, and if you are tired, that will reflect in your writing. Make sure you are getting enough sleep and you aren’t too busy for your writing time. Make writing a priority and an integral part of your daily routine. The more you write, the better your writing will become. There are a great number of books on the market that deal with the problem of writer’s block. Here are some favorites: “Writing Down the Bones” by Natalie Goldberg “Writing the Natural Way”, by Gabriele Lusser Rico

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Writer block: how to treat it, how to beat it

“Writing the Wave,” by Elizabeth Ayers “Writing On Both Sides Of the Brain,” by Henriette Anne Klauser

Title: Writer block: how to treat it, how to beat it Description: How do you overcome that blank page? Learn about writer block and how you can release the pent up creativity! Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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How to be a great writer

How to be a great writer Becoming a writer: to many people this sounds like an easy job, but being a writer does not mean just putting words correctly on paper; writing has to come from the heart. Here are some tips to consider when deciding to pursue this career. 1. Your heart must be in it: if you start writing and the words do not flow, or you have to force your thoughts to get them on paper, this is not going to be a love for you. Most well-known writers have been known to write thoughts and feelings much better than being able to speak them. 2. Being a good writer doesn't mean just a person who can spell well. Many writers get so caught up in their writing or typing that they may indeed make many typos, so do not let this issue disturb you. As a matter of fact, many great writers have people who actually proofread for them, because when the words just seem to pour out, so do many typos. 3. To start writing, pick subjects that you really feel deep in your heart. Anyone can take a subject and give you facts, but a good writer also shows you heart behind the words, so start slowly by picking subjects you really have a feel for. This will give you a better article. 4. Practice... we have heard time and time again that practice makes perfect. This is true with any career. You will continue to get better as you go along, so if your first article doesn't make the grade, don't give up, just try harder. 5. Be a good reader. Before you become a great writer you first need to spend lots of time being a good reader. Read all kinds of stuff: fiction, nonfiction, children's books, everything. This will give you a feel for how the words will look and sound on paper. 6. Finally, decide what kind of writer you want to be after you have written in all different fields; test the waters. 7. After you write some things, have others read your work and give you an opinion. I have found it's best not to use family members, because they will always tell you it is good, and they won't point out the errors. You need someone who is a good critic, as that is the only way you will learn. 8. Be prepared for let-downs, especially when you first start writing. Remember everyone doesn't start out being good, at least not right away. Never let any bad

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How to be a great writer

remarks about your work get you discouraged; learn from your mistakes and learn from your critics. Some of the advice you get may help you to one day become that great writer you have always dreamed you would be. 9. Submit your work to many places to get noticed. Now with the World Wide Web it makes it so much easier for writers to get their work seen, and once you get you reputation established people will even ask you to submit your work. 10. Save as many copies of your words as possible. You may find once you write it you may not be able to re-write your work twice. Keep journals of when you wrote your work; this will also give you a chance to look back on all of the stuff you have ever created.

Written by melissa ransom Title: How to be a great writer Description: Learn how to be a great witer with these tips. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Dream journals: get story ideas in your sleep!

Dream journals: get story ideas in your sleep! Ideas for short stories and novels are everywhere. In your family life, work surroundings, the mall, grocery store, newspaper and on TV just to name a few. In order to find those ideas it may take a little soul searching as far as what, you want to write, and for what reason. If you’re simply writing for an article, the ideas you choose don’t have to be that broad. But if you’re trying to write a short story or novel for a contest or the bestseller list, then it may get to be a little harder, but nonetheless the ideas are right before you. Finding ideas may be even harder when you are given a certain theme but in this case you will have to do a little more research to be able to get your point across. Ideas for short stories and novels that are found in everyday life have pretty much been done, over and over again. Because most of those ideas have happened to all of us or someone close to us, the trick is to turn that idea into a bestseller. To make that idea jump from the page and walk right into the hands of book buyers. Your idea has to be the changed around, so well that it will trick the world into believing that it’s new, and untouched. I believe the best way to find these ideas are to keep a dream journal. Or should I say there are ideas floating out there while you sleep. I keep a dream journal and I have learned how to get my best ideas from my dreams. I have learned how to relax my mind, and to allow myself to go into a positive dream state, and you can do it too. First of all buy a little notebook, a pen/pencil to write with, and a book light. Place them right under your bed in a spot you can reach. Before going to sleep every night, lie on your pillow, and talk to your dream maker. Ask for specific dreams, ask for clear dreams, ask for the ability to remember the dreams. It will take some time to train your mind to remember your dreams, but it can be done. http://ky.essortment.com/dreamsjournals_rgjx.htm (1 of 3) [2/5/2004 12:39:25 PM]

Dream journals: get story ideas in your sleep!

As soon as you wake up in the morning, don’t move, except to grab your notebook, pen/pencil and light. Click on your light, open your book, and start writing. (If you don’t sleep alone and have a chance of disturbing your mate, put your journal next to the toilet, and write in the morning.) You don’t have to write in complete sentences, just write keywords that will help you remember your dreams, and then go back and write the full sentences. Don’t forget to write the date and time on each page. Add any thoughts, positive or negative that may come to mind about your dream. Or what the meaning of the dream may be. After you have cleared your mind of any thoughts left from the dream, thank the dream maker before getting up. Turn off your little light, close your dream journal, and get ready for your new day. Be sure to keep a smaller notebook with you at all times to jot down any other thoughts that may come to you during the day. Sometimes your dreams will come to you once you’re on your feet, so be ready to write them as needed. After a few days of doing this project it will become a part of your daily routine and you’ll have so many ideas to use in your writing you never see writer's block, again.

Written by Stephanie Storey Title: Dream journals: get story ideas in your sleep! Description: Dream journals: How to find ideas for you short stories and novels while you sleep. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Dream journals: get story ideas in your sleep!

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Help for writers: advantage of writers groups

Help for writers: advantage of writers groups Every aspiring writer likes to hear how wonderful his or her work makes a reader feel. Each one wishes to touch a soul at least once with his or her words and gift of weaving those words together to form some kind of meaning. The problem with getting only positive feedback is that there is no promotion of growth for the writer. And, the writer is unaware of any problems his or her work may have that prevent him or her from becoming published. Writer's groups are a rich resource for all writers. These collections of personalities that all share the same dream provide invaluable support and resources for any writer. If you are a writer and have not joined a group yet, it is time for you to think about doing so. A grammar and spell check function on a word processor can only do so much. Writer's groups will give you the constructive criticism and resource information you will need to get published. There are two ways to become involved with writer's groups. Either in person or online. The question you may have is "How do I find these groups?" It is a lot easier than you may realize. In person groups are all around you. It's just a matter of knowing where to look. You can start by going to your local library. The resource librarian will know how to help you begin looking if she or he doesn't know of a group personally already. Newspapers are a good place to check, also. Look in the want ads to see if there are any groups advertising for new members. If you still can't find a group, check with your community center or the city hall to see if there are any groups registered using city buildings for their meetings. One other place you can check is with any local colleges or adult education classes. And, finally, if you have found no luck with any of these, start your own group. Advertise on community bulletin boards and grocery store bulletin boards. Use the newspaper if you can afford it. Just get one started. Finding online groups is just as easy. Of course you can just go to any search engine and type in words like writer, author, groups, or whatever comes to mind to help you find any groups with websites. However, this could prove to be a long tedious search. It is best to find bulletin board and chat communities that host a variety of different topics oriented boards or rooms. Some of the places that have countless groups are: Egroups http://ok.essortment.com/helpwriters_rdtq.htm (1 of 3) [2/5/2004 12:39:42 PM]

Help for writers: advantage of writers groups

Topica Yahoo! Clubs These are just a few of the places that will have writer's groups. Egroups and Topica are great because they come straight to your email box and you can reply just by sending an email. With all three places you can start your own group if you wish. The best ways to find writer's groups is to find bulletin board or chat communities and then look through the boards and rooms for ones that are geared towards writers. There are two other places on the web that can give you invaluable exposure and access to experienced and talented reviewers. Those places are: Zoetrope Themestream There are bound to be even more if you take the time to research them. Keep in mind what you want to gain and contribute to a group. Read the group's guidelines before joining to make sure you are able to commit what is necessary. If you write a specific genre, try to keep away from groups who only want other genres. If you write only nonfiction, don't try to join groups that are geared for fiction writers. Once you find a group, introduce yourself and have a sample of your work ready. Keep your introduction as brief as possible. Include personal stuff as well as any publishing credentials you may already have acquired. Also, include all the types of writing in which you are involved. This will give your group a good sense of who you are and give them insight into your writing, which will help them help you in a more effective way. No matter where you find your writer's group, have fun with it and remember to take constructive criticism in the spirit in which it is given. It is a helpful tool that will guide you to a successful writing career.

Written by Chrystal McCoy Title: Help for writers: advantage of writers groups Description: All writers need help, support, and constructive criticism in order to grow in their craft. Writer's groups are wonderful tools that can help a writer achieve his or her goals while allow him or her to make lifelong connections. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

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Help for writers: advantage of writers groups

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How to brainstorm ideas for short articles

How to brainstorm ideas for short articles Even if our writing aspirations include writing the Great American Novel or the next bestselling movie script, the bread-and-butter of the freelance writing world continues to be short articles and stories. With the explosion of the Internet and the continued growth in the print magazine industry, content will be the new mantra of the working writer. Companies with Web presences will need fresh content as never before, which should keep freelance writers working for quite some time. Everyone from the church secretary who creates a monthly newsletter to the editor of a national magazine needs short articles to fill the pages, making freelance writers very valuable commodities indeed. But where do writers get their ideas for new articles, and what should a writer do if the old brain pan seems to be running dry? Here are some ideas on how to generate short articles on just about any subject you can imagine. 1. When in doubt, brainstorm. This is one of the most time-tested methods for generating new ideas, so don't skip this step unnecessarily. In order to have a good brainstorming session, clear off your entire agenda for a few minutes. You need to devote all of your attention to the brainstorming process in order to benefit. If you work with other writers, suggest a group brainstorming session. Begin the session by clearing your mind of any preconceptions. There is no right or wrong, marketable or unmarketable, useful or useless- just ideas. Pick a subject and just start talking about it. Snow. Snowballs. Winter weather. Bad driving. Snowball fights. Blizzards. Slush. Shovelling driveways. Snowblowers. Snowplows. Kids home from school. Colds... You get the idea. Riff on connections, other related subjects, feelings, memories and so on. Take those rough ideas and turn them into marketable ideas for short articles. From the above example, here's what a writer might submit as a query: Ten Worst Blizzards in History How to Shovel Snow Safely My First Snow Ball Fight Ideas on Entertaining Children on Snow Days How to Drive Safely During a Snowstorm Five Ways to Earn Extra Money During Winter

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How to brainstorm ideas for short articles

You can always take a few minutes out of every day to brainstorm, which can unblock your creative side on those days when inspiration is not working. 2. Go beyond the nuts and bolts of your subject. Many experts who become freelance writers become frustrated after writing all the 'how-to' articles they feel are useful. For example, a professional bowler may write articles on ball delivery, lane conditions, spares, scoring, tricks, leagues and ball selection. He or she may feel that the subject of bowling has pretty much been exhausted, and the chances of creating any more useful articles are slim. This is the perfect opportunity to start thinking 'outside the box'. Writing articles on a subject you know very well does not have to end when you've covered the 'how' side of things. You still have why's, where's, who's and what if's to consider. Let's take our bowling expert's situation, for example. Here are some questions to ask yourself when generating new ideas on a subject you believe is tired: What is the history of bowling? Who are some of the best bowlers in history? Have there been any recent equipment changes? Where do you see the sport going in the future? Have there been any humorous bowling incidents? You can adapt these sorts of questions to any other subject you seem to stuck on. Histories, famous figures, strategies, theories, trends and forecasts, personal anecdotesall of these elements can help generate new ideas, even if you believe that the 'how-to' element has been exhausted. Think outside the box for new ideas. 3. Keep an eye on other mediums for new ideas. One concern for beginning writers is the fear of plagiarism. They may feel that any idea generated or inspired by another medium will be considered plagiarized. This in turn leads to fewer and fewer ideas, and can cripple the creative process. Rest assured that writing an article on your own after seeing a television program on the same subject is not plagiarism. Using the exact phrasing and not crediting outside sources for information will hurt a new writer much more than writing an original article based on ideas you heard on a news program. Information in and of itself is free to all, and general ideas are not protected by copyright laws. You are perfectly free to write a story on fire safety after seeing a local news report, or submit an article on child abuse after seeing a documentary on a public television station. Mediums such as television, movies, radio talk shows and newspapers can help generate a lot of useful ideas. As long as you use that idea as the basis of an entirely original article, you are not in any danger of plagiarism. If you use quoted material or research, include phrases such as "According to Dr. Dave Winters, head cardiologist at Pratt and Whitney, the incidence of heart attacks among veterans is climbing..."

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How to brainstorm ideas for short articles

Real plagiarism comes as a result of improper quoting or not quoting at all. Using facts that are public knowledge is not considered plagiarism unless those facts are copied verbatim from another uncredited source. If you make sure that your article is original, then you can get a lot of inspiration from watching the other media outlets. 4. Nothing replaces observation. If you are completely stuck for new material, take time to observe your surroundings. Watch people interact in a public park or mall. Engage in conversations with friendly strangers, or professionals you encounter. Join in an online discussion group to see what concerns are currently on people's minds. By taking time to recharge your creative batteries, you may discover some renewed interest in writing. Many interesting article ideas can be generated simply by taking the time to consider what potential readers really want to know.

Written by Michael Pollick Title: How to brainstorm ideas for short articles Description: If you ever feel like you've run out of ideas for short articles, try these hints and brainstorming ideas designed to inspire new proposals and queries. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Learn to write in twenty minutes a day

Learn to write in twenty minutes a day Someone once told me that to learn how to write you have to write. The rest of that day I was fuming. All that I had asked was a simple question. All that I had wanted in return was a simple answer. That night, I was still so angry that I grabbed my journal and wrote for twenty minutes. when I finished, it dawned on me; I was learning to write. Keeping a journal has been an essential key in my education as a writer. Every night, I sit down and pour my soul out on to the paper. It doesn't have to be pretty. It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't even have to be interesting. It just has to come out and make it's way onto the page. This one nightly ritual has freed my mind more than I can ever explain. One of the most important things it has taught me is that my first drafts do not have to be perfect. Whether it was a story or an article, I would get frustrated when what I wanted to say didn't come out right the first time. It had gotten so bad that I would stare at the blank piece of paper and nothing would come out. I was convinced that it wasn't good enough to put down. When I write in my journal I come to understand that what I write doesn't have to be perfect the first time out. As a matter of fact, when I can get to the point of just writing and not editing myself as I go my prose comes out much clearer and filled with more feeling. The same person that told me that I have to write to learn to write also gave me another piece of advice that had confused me at first. He told me that you have to write everything in you mind out when writing a first draft. When you go back to edit it you find that 10% of it was what you actually wanted to say. You just could not have gotten to that 10% without writing the 90% junk. Keeping a journal has also helped me discover my writing voice. For so long I heard about this mysterious voice that every writer has. I belived that is would come naturaly and that is why my inability to write perfect prose on the first shot would distress me so much. If all of the writiers had a voice then were was mine? Only the actual act of writing can bring out your inner voice. By choosing words and deciding where to use them do you find the way you like to say things in your writing. To get to your inner voice, you have to peel back the layers of junk and copies of other writers until you get to the real thing. You can use your journals in several different ways to acheive your goal. Many people use it as a diary. They use the pages to get out all of thier emotions that were pent up during the day. That is what I use my journal for. You can also use your journal as a mini writing class. By devising assingments for you to do you can get your creativity http://vtvt.essortment.com/learntowrite_ruyp.htm (1 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:40:04 PM]

Learn to write in twenty minutes a day

flowing for your other writing projects. I use a seprate book just for these such assignments. There are many types of exercises you can do to help develop your professional skills and open the wellspring for ideas for your writing. Work on observation and description by going to a place you have been to a thousand times and trying to describe it. Explain what you see as if you are talking to a person who has never seen it before. This can help you create a sense of place that is needed in all types of writing. Another good exercise is to take a confrontational incident that has happened between you and another person and write a scence form their point of veiw. This is not only good writing but also good therepy. You never know how things change when you look at them from another perspective. There are no hard and fast rules to keeping a journal. Some people like to type on thier computer while others prefer to use a pen. Some people use a sketch book so that lines do not limit them while others prefer lined paper. Some people like to use the same type of book for every journal in thier library. I use all kinds of notebooks. My only requirement it that they are appealing to the eye. I have some with flowers on them and some with cartoons. all you have to do is get your feelings out so you can read them at a later date. You might be amazed at what you find.

Title: Learn to write in twenty minutes a day Description: Learn to write in twenty minutes a day by keeping a journal. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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How to improve writing skills

How to improve writing skills The most important thing to discover with regards to writing is your "style". Once you lock in on your style, all the rest will follow closely behind. How do we find our style, know our style, or realize, if and when we've got a writing style? 1. Finding your style Finding your style comes from many things, but high on the list is a lot of reading. I don't mean just this year. For a lifetime. Your style could be a combination of those writers you love to emulate, dream to be. Really, this is not a blatant thing, but an unconscious one. But I like to think those I admire are a little bitsy part of my writing style today. All those hours spent curled up with books, both good and bad, had to influence what I do as a writer. Style also comes from your upbringing, your parents, your life's experiences, your beliefs and the area you live in. Values instilled in you growing up are hard to get rid of when you're writing. You can't do it. Well, I guess you can in fiction, but that's another story. 2. Knowing your style I've often asked friends who were writers, and some that were not, what is my style? They tell me all the things I'm good at writing about and how I make them laugh, but that wasn't it. What I wanted to hear was not that. Some time ago I sent samples of my writing to a few friends, and they both decided that night, while perusing some of my writing, that I was a combination of Erma Bombeck and Dave Barry. I have to admit that I have never read Dave Barry faithfully although I am familiar with his style and flair for writing. I am quite familiar with Ms. Bombeck and knew Erma had made people laugh for years and also knew she had passed away. I feel honoured that many feel I write similar to Ms. Bombeck, but I have no desire to "replace her". 3. Do you have a writing style yet? Don't worry, your fans will let you know, and by fans, I mean your readers. They will tell you what they enjoy about your writing. With me, it's humor, a wry and quick wit, an open way of writing, an honest approach, and a quirky way of looking at life. Expressing myself in words comes easy to me, and I know that readers like the emotions I evoke with that expressiveness.

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How to improve writing skills

On the discovery journey of locating your own style, I say don't look too hard. You'll read all about style in Writer's Digest and other places. The words of the wisdom? Just be yourself and let your "self" enter whatever you write and there you will find your talents and hidden potential.

Title: How to improve writing skills Description: A guide to developing your writing skills. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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25 Tips every writer should know

25 Tips every writer should know People who begin writing for a career often don't realize what they are getting themselves into. Venturing blindly into the writing business usually leads writers back to that old 9 to 5 job they hate. So what is it that writers really need to know before they begin writing? First things first, answer these questions to decide if writing should be a career or a hobby. * Do you want to be wealthy from your writing, or would you be just as happy writing for free? * Do you enjoy researching? * Are you easily motivated? * Would you be willing to write non-fiction brochures about the life of the aardvark, or are you determined to write only about well-read issues? Now if you answered yes to these questions, chances are that writing may be a good career choice for you. Now you need to know the most important aspects of the writer's life. 1) Expect Rejections! You will not sell everything you write, you probably won't even sell most of your ideas. Get used to it and move on to the next idea. 2) Don't expect to make a lot of money. That's why we are called "starving artists." Writers often have to write as a second career, as a spare time passion. 3) A writer should be able to write on any topic. Read the newspaper, books you normally wouldn't read, or surf the internet for ideas you may not have considered. The majority of money to be made is in the non-fiction market. 4) Be prepared to research. You will often spend more time researching than writing. Writers must research markets as well as their ideas. 5) Research how to write query letters. Try your hand at a few before submitting any. Each query letter you write will get better. Have a friend critique for you, or join a writer's group.

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25 Tips every writer should know

6) A writer must be patient, flexible, and have some skill in writing. 7) Be prepared to wait for editors to reply. Editors are overworked and underpaid, just like you. 8) Look for online markets. The internet is quickly becoming one of the best ways to become published and there are some great high paying markets. Starting online will make it easier for you to break into print. 9) Be assertive. Grab opportunities when they arise. Don't wait for publications to post a notice that they're looking for submissions; ask for article assignments and send your resume and ideas to them. 10) Be willing to negotiate. You don't have to settle for the price they offer. Many editors are willing to discuss payment and rights offered. 11) Keep your query letters short. They should be no longer than 3 short paragraphs. First paragraph should contain a hook, or an excerpt from the article itself. Second paragraph should include a working title, approximate word count, sources or interview subjects and what department it would be best for in the publication. Third paragraph should briefly list your credentials and why you are the most qualified to write this article. 12) Don't write articles before you query. You have a very slim chance of selling the article as is, without changing the slant. 13) Join a writer's organization. Not only can they offer you plenty of advice on writing, but they also look great on a resume. 14) Don't take rejections personally. Most editors don't have the time to offer their reasons why they can't use your article, but most of the time it's not your writing ability. 15) Treat editors like normal human beings--who can make or break your career. Be personable, but professional and courteous. 16) Don't call an editor without his/her permission. 17) Always send an SASE with your query letters and manuscripts. 18) Put forth your best work. Always. Don't ever do a job halfway. 19) Always query first, unless an editor specifically requests manuscripts to be sent. 20) Send your query letter to more than one publication. The odds that more than one editor will want the same article is slim.

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25 Tips every writer should know

21) Don't berate yourself, or your writing. 22) Act confident. Act professional. It will show in your writing. 23) Every writer gets criticized. Every writer has work that needs revision. 24) Keep a journal for brainstorming. Every day pick a simple topic and think up different articles/essays you could write on that topic. 25) If you start to find writing to be a chore, rather than a goal, stop for a while. You can always go back to it later. Writing should not only be a career, but should be something you love. We all have our own story--now is the time to tell yours.

Title: 25 Tips every writer should know Description: Top 25 tips that every writer needs to know before they choose writing as a career. This article covers everything from queries to publishing. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Writing for success

Writing for success Many writers are born procrastinators. Writing and mastering the art of procrastination often seem to go hand in hand. Truth is, those "hands" should not be running through our hair, lamenting our writer's block while waiting for some inner muse to "tell" us when the time is right to write. These hands should be clutching a pencil scratching away at a large yellow pad or poised above a keyboard plunking out the next chapter to our book. If you want to reach some level of writing and publishing success, you must write. Following that, you must rewrite and rewrite again. The concluding step is not to stick it in some drawer and/or allow it to ferment upon our computer hard drive, but instead to submit it for publication. There really is no other way. How do you escape the miring muck of self-doubt and lack of discipline and start traipsing down the path of writing success? The following will give you a boost out of the stagnant muck and get your work into readers hands. First: You will write for a minimum of 15 minutes per day. Yes, per day. Allow yourself no more excuses. None. Nada. You are hereafter not allowed to listen to that repetitive, negative voice inside you questioning how you will EVER find the time. You wouldn't be reading this if you didn't want to find the time, would you? Fifteen minutes is findable by everybody. Get up fifteen minutes sooner than normal. Go to bed fifteen minutes later than normal. Write at your kids hockey game. Write while you're eating your lunch. The point is you, yes YOU, CAN set aside that seemingly oh-so-elusive block of 900 seconds and you WILL use that time to write. "What will I write?" You might ask. "What if I'm not inspired?" Tough. Write anyway. Go ahead and write the reasons why you don't want to write. Keep doing that long enough and believe me, you'll come up with something worthwhile to write mighty quick. Odds are, you will also discover that you are writing longer than fifteen minutes with no idea where the time went. That's called finding your flow. When you're in the flow you'll notice that when you re-read your work you not only don't cringe, you actually grin. http://nh.essortment.com/writingsuccess_rtag.htm (1 of 3) [2/5/2004 12:40:49 PM]

Writing for success

Once you've reached this point, sit down and list (in writing of course!) your writing goal(s). Your long-term goal might be to have a novel published within 3 to 5 years. Your short-term goal might be to pen the outline and synopsis of your book and complete the first several chapters within boundaries of the coming year. Or perhaps your long-term goal might be to have a chapbook of your poetry published and your short-term goal is to write a certain number of poems and have submitted at least a couple of them for publication in the not-so-distant future, as well. Every goal varies for every writer. It certainly wouldn't hurt to pen Op-ed's and submit those in the process, and to flex your writing muscles at every given and publishable opportunity. Poetry contests; Website's looking for writers; look around, you will likely notice many of them. And no matter what, don't tell yourself you can't write, and that you will never be published because you're just not good enough. The fact that you are reading this shows a keen interest and a certain sense of committment to yourself and your talent and that is vital. What you must do is to allow yourself to reach for your writing goals. Dreaming of achieving writing success is fine; but only as long as you wake up quickly and follow it up with action. Follow these steps and you will likely encounter success in one form or another. And yes, you will also likely encounter rejection. It's part of the package, people. You can allow these little blurbs to defeat you or you can look at them realistically, and see if you can glean anything helpful from them. In either event, you must continue writing and submitting. It is completely true that the same written work which winds up buried in the grave of one editor's "circular file" could then receive an enthusiastic thumb's up and fat check (or at the very least, contributor's copy!) from another editor. It's happened more than once to a writer whom I know very well... ;) Take your inspiration from your work and your own drive, as well as those editor's who note positive comments about your submission. Also, draw staunch determination from the same aforementioned sources--adding a haughty dose of "I'll show you!" from those editor's who perhaps were not so kind, for good measure. Above all, trust in yourself and your abilities to write and just as importantly, your courage to face the writing unknown. That is the only way to become acquainted with writing colony which you want to be a part of.

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Writing for success

The induction into the world of published writer-- often via a letter of acceptance from an editor (for YOUR work) is truly unforgettable. It is worth it. So are you. So get to it and write. Write on!

Title: Writing for success Description: Those who find publication are those who write and submit with confident, determined regularity. Learn how you, too, can be published and achieve your writing dreams. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Creative writing tips: let your creativity show

Creative writing tips: let your creativity show How can I allow me creativity show in my writing? You can spice up your writing by adding something creative or even something new that you've never seen done. We writers try to look at the world a little differently. In order to keep those ideas fresh; try using a touch of magic. What do you mean by magic? Writers use "magic" in many ways to dress-up their writing. Every writer needs to find a style that works for them. Many times the techniques that fiction writers use will help to touch your reader. You can bring a little pizzazz to your non-fiction articles by using these many different techniques. Just because it is non-fiction doesn't mean that it shouldn't be dazzling prose. You can use many techniques to bring impact, adding sparkle to your message. Here are some ideas. 1. Use over-exaggerated examples to describe a point. Here are a few examples: · Ex: Your prose will reach out and grab the reader! · Ex: If you employ these techniques then you can write like a best-selling author! 2. Humor can make the reader smile, leaving a pleasant feeling. Here is an example: · Ex: It's too bad I'm not a writer. Then I would be able to tell you how to do all of these wonderful things. 3. Often a creative analogy can make your reader relate to your ideas. Using something that the reader can relate to will often help them to hear what your message is much more clearly. · Use a funny anecdote or humorous analogy. · This technique makes your point more real to your reader, while entertaining him or her immensely. An example of this:

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Creative writing tips: let your creativity show

· Ex: Writing a great non-fiction article is like raising a child. If you instill the right values in your child and give them caring guidance, you will raise a morally conscience, loving child. 4. Add a metaphor to your article. Here are some examples: · Ex: Your article will sing! · Bring your readers into your soul. · Your article will 5. Use a simile to brighten things up. · Your article will read like a Nobel Prize winning book. This is both over exaggeration and simile. · Think like a poet. · Write like a demon. 6. Use Alliteration to spice things up. · Ex: 'Make your story sing' is both alliteration and metaphor. · Ex: Try using whimsical words of wonder. 7. This is a good example of using a story: · One day a writer was reading an old magazine and saw an article about writing that she thought had a good topic, but the writing didn't touch her. She thought that the article needed something, but she wasn't sure what. Well, after awhile she put the magazine down. The article was rather boring, almost like reading an Encyclopedia. Just as the woman was setting the magazine down, the page flipped back to the first page of the article. She looked down, realizing that this was her very own article from a few years back. Right there in black and white was her name staring her in the face. She picked up the magazine for further inspection, noticing that it was over fifteen years old. This piece had been sold long before she understood the art of adding creative fiction techniques to her non-fiction articles. I hope that by reading this article many of your questions were answered about how to add your own creative touch to your article. Now you will be able to add your fingerprint to each new article. The next time that you search your mind for a fresh approach, hopefully this article will come to mind. Good luck with all of your writing goals. Now, go write an article! http://or.essortment.com/creativewriting_prh.htm (2 of 3) [2/5/2004 12:41:03 PM]

Creative writing tips: let your creativity show

Title: Creative writing tips: let your creativity show Description: Creative writing tips: helps the writer who struggles with using creative fiction techniques. In this article, you will find a smorgasborg of scintilating ideas! Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Motivation and inspiration for struggling writers

Motivation and inspiration for struggling writers Your "great American novel" may have started with a bang, but now it's all you can do to drag yourself to the keyboard. Long writing projects often become difficult as self-doubt, writer's block, and endless everyday distractions begin to pile up and take their toll. The enthusiasm that was nearly overflowing at the beginning has dried to a trickle. Even worse, that old advice, "Do something else and you'll come back feeling refreshed and ready to write," hasn't worked. But before you give up, try these ten ideas for interest retention: 1. Keep a journal of all the triumphs and pitfalls you've experienced. Include what you've already achieved and what you hope to accomplish in the near future. Rereading it may stimulate new ideas and dredge old tangents to the surface, giving new direction and renewing inspiration. 2. Pretend your story is a movie. Who would star in it? Where would it be filmed and who would direct it. What songs would you have on the soundtrack and in what part of the movie? While you may never see (or want to see) your work on the silver screen, this will get your mind thinking in new ways. 3. Edit what you've already written. Editing will not only improve what your work, it will temporarily give your mind a break without letting it shut down all together. This "working vacation" can often do wonders. 4. Visit the setting of the novel or a place that reminds you of it. Immersing yourself in the location of the book is, in many ways, like immersing yourself in the book itself. Local people and events may provide the inspiration you need. 5. Make deadlines (and actually stick to them). Because so many of us are simultaneously goal oriented and procrastinators, self-imposed deadlines are excellent motivational tools. Break a large project into smaller pieces and give yourself a time limit in which to accomplish these smaller tasks. Write your plans down, since you'll be more likely to stick to them when they're in black and white. 6. Reward yourself. Much more important than the actual deadlines, the rewards you give yourself after meeting them will make self-discipline much more appealing. A

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Motivation and inspiration for struggling writers

reward can be anything - a candy bar or a cruise to the Bahamas. Just make sure that your treat is something you wouldn't normally do or buy and that you have both the time and budget to enjoy it. 7. Work out of order. If you're at Point A and know what to do at Point C, but have no idea how to get there, go ahead and jump ahead. If you have a scene, or even a sentence, floating around in your head, write it down. The next time you have writer's block or are bored with what you are currently working on, gather all these loose tidbits and see what you can do with them. 8. Make a dust jacket. If your manuscript was finished, what would you say about it? How would you summarize your work to make it appealing to the casual reader? A view of the bigger picture may clear up your mind as it struggles with details. 9. Do something for your novel besides writing. Write a poem or a quote to stick at the beginning of the first chapter. Draw a map that details the setting or make character sketches for easy reference later. Again, this productive down time will utilize your creativity and breathe new life into your project. 10. Talk to people. Tell everyone what you're working on, what you've done and what you hope to do. Let them read and critique what you've written. Not only will they be able to give you advice on how to improve your manuscript, but, more than likely, they'll pressure you to keep writing so they can read more. Family and friends can give you that extra push you may not be able to give yourself. If none of these suggestions have helped, you may need to take a serious look at your writing project. But, with a little effort and creative thinking, you should be back on track in no time.

Title: Motivation and inspiration for struggling writers Description: Inspiration and some nonconventional ideas, to motovate and inspire writers who are struggling to stay interested in their long-term writing project. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Motivation and inspiration for struggling writers

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How to self publish a how to book

How to self publish a how to book Do you have a vast knowledge of something? Is there a book waiting to get out? Have you been told that you know so much that you should teach a class? Have you found yourself just spewing out advice every chance that you can get? If the answer is yes, it’s time to write a book. If you feel that you don’t have the proper English writing skills to publish a good quality how to manual, don’t fret. There are tons of Ghost Writers available to lend you a helping hand. In the mean time, let’s talk shop. The following is a step by step guide to self-publishing: 1. Find a topic that you know a lot about and jot down all the things you know. 2. Prepare an outline from the noted you have jotted down. 3. Expand on your outline by writing topic related paragraphs that seem to follow some type of order. This is where you will begin to organize your thoughts and put them in such an order that someone can follow your directions and accomplish the task or tasks that you have set out before them. Think of it as following a recipe and waiting for the final product to come out of the oven. 4. Once you have your paragraphs written, type them using a 12 font. Use the grammar and spell check on your document to make sure that the best possible copy has been written. 5. Purchase a newsletter program such as Publisher 98 and copy and paste your written words into Publisher 98. Once the words have been inserted, you can add logos, pictures, graphs and more. 6. Apply for a Copyright from the US Office of Copyright. You will be asked to send in a completed draft of your work along with a check. Once the office receives your check, they will issue you a library number. 7. You can now head on down to your local printer and have copies of your manual made up. This is where the real expense comes in so make sure that you have looked into all possible options before you agree to a printer’s fee. Printing fees can be anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000, up-front. Don’t have that kind of money? Don’t worry. Just head on down to your local Kinkos or Staples Copy Center and have them make copies of your book, bind them with a spiral bind and a front and back cover. A 63 one-sided book will cost $8 per book, but you can have them made on an as needed basis.

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How to self publish a how to book

8. Once you have this prepared, head on over to the internet. You can find many FREE websites, that you can build yourself. Place an eye-catching advertisement on the web, along with an excerpt of your book and a table of contents. Give them your email address and a PO Box to send cashier’s checks to or sign up with a credit card server (often as low as 1.9% transaction fee). 9. Go on over to the search engines, and place your web-site out there for others to see. 10. Now look for websites that relate to your how to manual and ask if they would be willing to reciprocate a link exchange. 11. You can also improve the sells of your manual by performing speaking engagements. After your speech has been given, go to the back of the room and wait for sales to come in. 12. You can even call up local bookstores, and stores across the nation and promote your book.

Title: How to self publish a how to book Description: Learn how to self publish a how to book: take an idea and turn it into a self-help manual. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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How to make a portfolio

How to make a portfolio If you are a writer looking for work, the most important tool in your arsenal will be your portfolio. Editors and publishers want to see examples of your work and what kinds of places you have published with before and they don’t want to get a stack of photocopied papers and folded up newspaper clippings. If you want to present your best side to a prospective editor or publisher, it is important to be professional, organized and thorough. If you want to be chosen out of the hundreds of other writers on the editors slush pile, you need to stand out and present yourself coherently and with style. The portfolio you create could make or break your next writing contract. Before you start, you’ll want to pick up some report folders, the kind with the sliding bracket on the edge are the easiest to put together, but you may find a loose leaf type folder even more professional looking and weighty enough to not get lost in a pile of envelopes. Get about twenty good quality laser copies of any articles you have published in the past 3 years. If your article included color photos, have them copied in color. On the bottom of each copy, type the name of the publication it appeared in along with the date. Make sure you produce copies of ALL of your clips, not just the best ones. You want to build an arsenal of different types of writing so that when you are querying for a job, you will have a full artillery. Clips can include brochures, newspaper articles, nonfiction articles, poetry, fiction, advertising copy, anything that you have written that has been published. The more different kinds of examples you can assemble, the better. Before you assemble your portfolio, you will want to work up a resume to include in the front of your package. Include any relevant credits you have accumulated no matter how obscurely related they may seem. Also include any information that really doesn’t have anything to do with writing at all. You never know when an editor is looking for an expert in a field you may have experience in to do an article. Even if your editor isn’t interested in your query, if he sees something in your resume that looks interesting, he may ask you to do an article pertaining to it. You can tailor make your portfolio to suit the interests of any particular editor. If, for example, you are querying to a children’s magazine, include in the beginning of your portfolio any examples of writing you have done related to this field, followed by a few examples of other things you have published. It is always good to show versatility, even when working for a targeted audience. If possible, you should include a photo of yourself in your portfolio, sometimes magazines like to include photos of their authors and it also helps the editor to put a face to your writing, a big advantage! Above all, make your portfolio user friendly and unpretentious. An editor can tell by your portfolio whether you will be difficult to work and you want to give the impression that you are easy going, though professional and talented. Portfolios add up to a big plus in your favor if you send them along with your query, you will be less likely to get ignored http://mtmt.essortment.com/howtomakeapo_rjku.htm (1 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:41:42 PM]

How to make a portfolio

as a nice looking portfolio is tempting for editors to look through.

Title: How to make a portfolio Description: How to make a professional portfolio to increase your chances of publishing your articles. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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How to write a book proposal

How to write a book proposal First make sure a book proposal is the appropriate document for you. Many new writers make the mistake of using a book proposal for fiction. While that is not entirely unheard of, it is not the usual way to get your work in the hands of a publishing house. Book proposals are often used to market non-fiction books and you may send a book proposal to an agent or editor without having finished the book first. If your interest is fiction, your document should be polished and complete before sending it on. Also be sure to check the Writer’s Market or other reference to see if the agent or publisher you are targeting accepts unsolicited proposals. Many agents and publishers would rather a short query letter before being faced with the whole proposal document. You can also request a copy of their submission guidelines at this time. Don’t forget to include a stamped, selfaddressed envelope. Before Beginning Thoroughly research your subject before beginning. Are there any books out there like yours? If so, is there room for more? Before developing your idea you should research the market and find out what has been published and what sold and what did not. Talk to your local librarian and bookstore manager. They can tell you what has been popular and what has not. While you have the bookstore manager’s ear it doesn’t hurt to explain your idea and ask what genre he or she would put your book in. You want to be clear in your proposal just what shelf your book will sit on and who will be interested in buying it. You can also check out Publisher’s Weekly to see what is current in the market. Your proposal should include: a cover page, pitch, detailed table of contents, sample chapter, and attachments detailing related news and your qualifications. Cover Page The cover page is pretty self-explanatory. Include the title, your name, your address, and your phone number and email. The Pitch The pitch section will outline your idea, what market it is intended for, who the competition might be, publicity and promotional ideas and some information about you, the author. Explain your idea in several paragraphs clearly and concisely. Don’t beat around the bush. Describe the market of readers who will be anxiously awaiting your book. Are they young or old? Male or female? The publisher wants to know that you have done your homework. Be honest about whom you think the competitions will be. If you think it will be a tough market, say so. Give details about how you plan to publicize your http://wv.essortment.com/howtowriteab_rinx.htm (1 of 3) [2/5/2004 12:41:55 PM]

How to write a book proposal

work and make sure the agent or publisher is left with the impression that you will work hard to get the word out. Lastly, list your qualifications. Why are you the person to write this book and how are you qualified in the subject? Don’t be modest. Table of Contents You should have worked out how many chapters there will be in your book and what each chapter will cover. While this is something that should be given a lot of thought, you don’t have to feel it is written in stone. One of the reasons for sending a proposal for non-fiction is to have the editor give some input for the content of the book. Changes can be made later if needed. Sample Chapter While the sample chapter is often the first chapter, it doesn’t have to be. If you think your third or fifth chapter will be more attention getting, then send that chapter. Make sure there are no errors and remember this is what is going to set the tone for your book. Is it going to be an academic document, a humorous piece, or a practical how-to book? Think about your style and consider if it will work with all the other chapters you plan on writing. Supporting Material The last part of your proposal should contain any recent news clippings related to your topic or media attention you have received. The purpose of this section is to give credibility to the author and the idea. Sending it Off Proofread your proposal and have someone else look at it as well. Then put it in a drawer and take it out a week later and check it again. Once you are satisfied that there are no errors pack it up (without shredded paper or Styrofoam peanuts!) and send it out. If you want your document back be sure to include a stamped, self-addressed envelope with the appropriate postage. Once you have sent your proposal, move on to another project. Mark your calendar for two months later. If you haven’t heard form the agent or editor by that time send a polite note asking if they received your proposal. If they are not interested then try another publisher. Just because one agent is not interested doesn’t mean your idea isn’t good. After all, Harry Potter was rejected eight times before J.K. Rowling got an acceptance.

Title: How to write a book proposal Description: Learn how to write a book proposal, what the elements are and how to create them.

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How to write a book proposal

Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Marketing tips for freelance writers

Marketing tips for freelance writers Writers just starting out and hoping to publish need to do more than perfect their writing skills, including syntax, grammar and lucid use of vocabulary, learn to do excellent research and polish their prose. In fact, the business of writing, the sale of pieces of writing for profit with corresponding protection of rights is an important part of a free lance writer’s work. This piece will suggest a series of steps for the beginning writer who must acquaint him/herself with markets in order for sales to begin. First, choose a genre or type of writing, or perhaps a couple of them, and place your focus there.Will you write fiction or non-fiction? Poetry is altogether another subject, and markets for poetry will not be dealt with here, nor will play or script-writing. If you will write fiction, aim for short, picaresque, well-told stories with well-motivated characters and concrete details at every turn. The time for novel-writing should probably be after you have proven your skills as a writer of short fiction, although this is not true for all novelists. If you decide to write non-fiction, you will have a broader market selection, and must of necessity choose a few subjects on which to base your early work. Later, with research and writing experience, you can dabble in more than one area with ease, but to work, say, in celebrity profiles, business writing and sports writing nay confuse the issue and triple the amount of research you must do. But, if for example, you decide to write health and medical articles, incidentally, an up and coming area for free lancers, you can hone yourself as an expert by the volume of your work alone, and your research can also double or triple for use in more than one article. Free lancers must work fast, and efficiently, to produce even a modest income. Be logical in your choice of what to write; if you don’t have a scientific bent, don’t decide to write technology articles. If you are impatient with details, don’t bother trying to do craft how-to pieces. Let’s assume you’ve chosen Health and Medicine to begin with, because there are a few subjects in this field you know a bit about, and even more you’re interested in. Because you once had a sports’ injury that required extensive physical therapy, you know a little about such injuries. Start doing your research, but in the meantime, research the markets and find out where you might be able to pitch a piece on such a sports injury. With a specific market in mind, you’ll know how to slant your article, how long to make it, and whether to query the editor before it’s completely written or whether they’ll want to see a completed piece. Where do you find out these things? http://nm.essortment.com/marketingtipsf_rekh.htm (1 of 3) [2/5/2004 12:42:12 PM]

Marketing tips for freelance writers

Without a hesitation, go to writing magazines like The Writer, Writer’s Digest and Byline. Obtain copies at the library or invest in them at your mega bookstore, and start poring over the market suggestions in current and back issues. You may come up with five or six magazines outside of the top ones like, say Sports; Illustrated, which you may want to save for you fame and glory days. See if your chosen selections are looking for pieces on sports injuries, sports’ medicine or the physical therapist’s role in keeping athletes fit. Just reading these Writer’s Guidelines, or Submission Guidelines will help you decide how to slant your article. If you can’t locate some specific markets in the magazines, go online and do a search, or go directly to some e-zines which may also be looking for such pieces. E-publishing is incidentally a great way to get started. Even if you have to publish for no pay, get a few “sales” under your belt will help your resume when you query an editor and try to sell later. There’s also a possibility that straight print magazines who want your piece won’t pay either, except in copies. As a beginner, you’re in a bind, and may have to accept that route as the best starting point, when you have no experience of sales. You decide when you’ve had enough of that routine, though, and when you’re ready to get paid or die trying. My first two short stories were freebies, but the thrill I got from seeing my work in print, and the nice comments I got from the editors of those two literary magazines was pay enough. Later I got paid small amounts, and twice had the pleasure of seeing the cover of two more magazines push my story, with illustrations and headlines—a thrill. Finally get paid for short stories took a few years, and, incidentally, I’ve never made as much from short fiction as from noon-fiction. So if you’re eager to publish, stay with nonfiction and study the markets. Eventually, you’ll graduate to the Writer’s Annuals, a compendium of all kinds of markets for writers. Most libraries have a few of these annuals in their reference departments, and often you can take out the year-old volumes for study at home. Writer’s Market 2000, for example, is a Writer’s Digest Books selection that costs about $25.00, and offers updated market listings. There are also subject-particular references, such as Christian Writer’s Market Guide Annual, Business Writer’s Guides, and so on. Study your Writer’s Market like a Bible. You will discover small, niche markets that don’t get 1,000 submissions a month like Sports’ Illustrated does. Aim for the small guys first; they’re hungry for you and your well-written articles. Also, don’t neglect newspapers, local and regional. A regional newspaper near my town is large enough to pay at lest a two-figure amount for my travel and food articles, while my local paper will not, even if I occasionally offer them a freebie for public relations’ sake. Another tack for marketing is to connect yourself to a writers’ group. I found mine when I took a college evening course called Writer’s Support Group. After a helpful eight-week course, a group of us decided to continue to meet, critique each other’s work and educate one another by sharing market tips and advice. We were all pretty much beginners, but the mutual support we were able to give and receive in our group has been a godsend. http://nm.essortment.com/marketingtipsf_rekh.htm (2 of 3) [2/5/2004 12:42:12 PM]

Marketing tips for freelance writers

Learn your markets, focus your work, find support and educational resources, and you’re well on your way to a free-lance writing career. If you have enough determination and a modicum of skill and marketing savvy, you’ll make it.

Written by Eleanor Sullo Title: Marketing tips for freelance writers Description: Marketing tips for freelance writers. Useful resources and offers vital suggestions for writers at the erearly stages of their careers. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Writing a short story manuscript format for publication

Writing a short story manuscript format for publication Persistence. Talent. Imagination. These are the hallmarks of a good fiction writer. Without them, you'll never succeed in the overpopulated field that publishing's become these days. Even with them, you're not guaranteed success. Nevertheless, there are certain conventions that, when followed, can give your manuscripts that professional look and feel that sets them apart from the rest of the slush pile. Among these, the basic rules of manuscript formatting loom largest. Ten Not-So-Little Rules Every writer develops his or her own style, even when it comes to marketing their work. Nevertheless, there's a basic body of rules every writer should know. In time, these rules will become so familiar that you'll use them without even thinking about them. 1. Print your stories on white 20-pound paper. There's no need to use anything else, since 20-pound white bond is the industry standard. It's also cheap (copier paper works just fine). Colored paper is annoying and amateurish, and erasable paper isn't particularly erasable. 2. Always type or word-process your manuscript (or at least have someone else do it). No self-respecting editor would ever consider a hand-written manuscript. 3. Try to print your article with a laser printer; you can get a good one new for less than $250 these days. If you don't have one, borrow a friend's, use the office's during lunchtime, or go to Kinko's. Inkjet printers are OK, but dot-matrix printers don't cut it. If you're one of those prehistoric hard-cases who still pecks away at a typewriter, always use a clean, sharp ribbon. 4. Avoid double-sided copies or printouts. They're too hard to read and edit. 5. Use Courier, Courier New, or a similar easily-read font. You don't want the editor to get eyestrain, do you? 6. Double-space between lines. Never triple space. Use two double-spaces to indicate a scene break or the passage of time. The first line of each paragraph should be indented about half an inch. 7. Make sure your margins are at least one-and-a-half inches wide (but don't overdo it).

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Writing a short story manuscript format for publication

Leave the right margin unjustified; this makes it easier to edit. 8. On the first page of your manuscript, include your contact and rights information. In the upper left corner, type your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address (if you have one). In the upper right corner, type the estimated word count. On subsequent pages, include a header in the upper left corner that briefly identifies your manuscript and its author (for example, "Joe Blow/Story"). Page numbers should be centered at the bottom of the page, but don't bother with a page number on page one. 9. About a third of the way down the first page, center the text and type the story's title in bold caps. Keep your text centered, drop down one double space, and type the word "by" followed by your penname. Then press Enter twice, left justify your text, indent your paragraph, and start typing your story. Continue until done. 10. Once you've brought your opus to a close, drop down two or three lines, center your text, and type THE END in bold caps. Ta-da, you're done! This is what your properly-formatted title page should look like: John Q. Scribbler 700 words 1600 Marvin Gardens Atlantic City, NJ 21000 (123) 456-7890 [email protected] HOW TO FORMAT A SHORT STORY MANUSCRIPT FOR PUBLICATION by Jake Scribbler Persistence. Talent. Imagination. These are the hallmarks of a good fiction writer. Without them, you'll never success in the dog-eat-dog field that publishing's become these days. Even with them, you're not guaranteed success. Nevertheless, there are certain conventions that,

http://il.essortment.com/writingmanuscri_rdos.htm (2 of 4) [2/5/2004 12:42:23 PM]

Writing a short story manuscript format for publication

when followed, can give your manuscripts that professional look and feel that sets them apart from the rest of the slush pile. Among these, the basic rules of manuscript formatting loom largest. Ten Not-So-Little Rules Every writer develops his or her own style, even when it comes down to the marketing aspects of their work. Nevertheless, there's a basic body of rules every writer should know. In time, these rules will become so familiar you'll use them without even thinking about them. ****** THE END

Title: Writing a short story manuscript format for publication Description: Details about the best way to format a short story manuscript for submission. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Writing a short story manuscript format for publication

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How to submit a short story manuscript to an editor

How to submit a short story manuscript to an editor Writing fiction at the professional level isn't for the faint of heart. Any writer who wants to remain competitive in the field must be blessed with talent, imagination, and (especially) perseverance. As if that weren't enough, he or she must also learn to be a good businessperson -- and that means mastering the basics of marketing, negotiation, manuscript formatting, and manuscript submission. This article covers the most often overlooked of these subjects, the submission of the manuscript itself. Ten Important Rules Before you submit your story to a professional publication, you need to learn the basic rules of the game. Study these, learn them, and internalize them until they're second nature. Along with formatting, they're the key to your success as a fiction writer. Editors won't look twice at your work if you don't follow the rules. NOTE: Many of these items assume that you'll be submitting your article by snail-mail. Electronic submissions may be the wave of the future, but most editors haven't gotten around to accepting them yet. And away we go: 1. Don't submit to a market unless you've studied it carefully. While few writers are careless enough to submit a regency romance story to a hard science fiction magazine, it's not uncommon for editors at such a magazine to be inundated by piles of soft SF, sword-and-sorcery, and fantasy stories. 2. Unless you're submitting a work that the editor has asked for specifically, or if you have special instructions for the disposal of the manuscript, don't bother with a cover letter. Most editors think they're a waste of time. 3. If you're submitting the story by snail-mail, always be sure to include a selfaddressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with it. Make sure the SASE is big enough for the entire manuscript to return in (usually 9 by 12 inches are larger). Always use stamps for your SASE, because the Postal Service won't accept a SASE with metered postage. If the manuscript is disposable, let the editor know and include a smaller SASE for their reply. If you're submitting electronically, ask the editor for submission instructions and follow them to the letter.

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How to submit a short story manuscript to an editor

4. Snail-mail manuscripts should be submitted in a large envelope, at least 9 by 12 inches in size. This will give you plenty of room for your manuscript, SASE, and any other items you need to include. One exception: very short manuscripts can be submitted in a plain business-sized envelope. 5. If you're including a computer disk or other electronic media in your submission, invest in a disk mailer to keep it safe. Label the mailer with your name and story title, just in case it gets loose in the editor's office or mailroom. You should also label the exterior of the submission envelope with the legend "DO NOT BEND. ELECTRONIC MEDIA ENCLOSED." 6. For a more professional look, type or print the editorial and return addresses on adhesive labels and attach them to the appropriate spots on your submission envelope. 7. Submit all snail-mail manuscripts by First Class mail. Why? It's not that expensive, it looks more professional, and it arrives more quickly than other classes of mail. 8. Unless the editor has asked otherwise, always submit the complete manuscript. 9. Try to submit your story to the proper editor. Sending it to the wrong place will delay its consideration, or might simply get it lost altogether. If you must, call the editorial office to verify the name of the editor, but don't make a habit of this. 10. Never call an editor about a submission. This will only irritate them. After the reporting period has lapsed, submit a politely-worded query asking about the piece's status. After a month, follow it with another, similar query. If this doesn't result in a reply, wait a bit and then send a letter politely withdrawing the story from consideration. Yes, this is a lengthy process, but you do have other projects going in the meantime -right? These rules won't sell your story by themselves -- you have to have the right idea and right execution, too. But if keep them in mind, along with your formatting requirements, you'll be on your way to a publishing success. You might not sell the story right away, but it'll look damn professional while it's on an editor's desk.

Title: How to submit a short story manuscript to an editor Description: A guide for how to properly submit a short story manuscript to an editor. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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How to submit a short story manuscript to an editor

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Free web publishing: how writers can profit in cyberspace

Free web publishing: how writers can profit in cyberspace In the opening chapter of Olivia Goldsmiths' novel The Bestseller, the main character, a writer, receives twenty-six rejection letters and promptly hangs herself. Written in 1996, the premise is almost laughable today. The Electronic Publishing Revolution is here and writers no longer need to rely on a handful of publishing powerhouses to get their books into the hands of thousands of hungry readers. Any revolution begins with a small group of individuals who are fed up with the tyranny of those in power. Throughout the literary world, the cry is being heard loud and clear as the Internet on-line publishing services become the voice of the oppressed writer. Ever since the invention of the written word, publishing has been a long, tedious and sometimes painful process. It may take months, sometimes years, to complete a novel; even longer to find an agent. The agent then submits the manuscript to a group of editors at major publishing houses, who could hold onto it for months. It takes only one editor to kill it. With buy-outs and mergers, the number of publishers has diminished rapidly over the past decade. And with that, the opportunity for writers to have their work published diminished as well. The odds of being published became almost as slim as winning the lottery. Until the miracle of the Internet began to turn the tide. What the printing press and the copier did for writers of the parchment and quill age, the Internet and electronic publishing will do for aspiring authors in the new millennium. Ebooks, books that are published in CD-Rom or 3-1/2" floppy disk format, are growing in number, especially in the fiction market. Ebookstores, such as www.ebookshoppe.com, list over three hundred titles, with more being added every month. Production costs are low so that the average price of an ebook is much more affordable than typical hard cover or even paperback releases. With the introduction of Ebook readers early this year, text books and encyclopedias that used to take up shelf space and weigh several pounds can now be stored and transported in a small carry case and read anywhere. Ebook pages can also be downloaded and printed from any computer and read in hard copy format. Print-On-Demand is another publishing innovation that saves time, space and trees. When a book is ordered from an on-line store, such as Amazon.com, the publisher prints and mails the book, usually within twenty-four hours. This eliminates huge inventory costs and awards greater royalties for the author. http://ny.essortment.com/publishingwebf_rcle.htm (1 of 3) [2/5/2004 12:42:48 PM]

Free web publishing: how writers can profit in cyberspace

But the greatest benefit of this new industry is the freedom it allows both the writer and the bibliophile. No longer will authors be at the mercy of a handful of agents and an even smaller handful of publishers for their works to be read. For the first time in the history of publishing, the writers are in control. And the literary community is now free to discover a wide variety of wonderful literature, exceptional writing, and a diverse selection of authors who have been kept silent. Best sellers will no longer be decided by an elite group of publishers. Millions of people from around the world will now have instant access to thousands of titles, in hundreds of categories, from sources that would never have been published with conventional methods. New genres are being created everyday. Where, in a typical bookstore, would you find Erotic Science Fiction? Even today's mega- bookstores would have to be the size of a small city to be able to hold all the titles that will soon be available through this new publishing medium. But the opportunities for writers in cyberspace isn't limited to novels. Publishers of paper magazines are discovering the enormous savings of internet publishing. Former paper publications such as OMNI have transformed their magazine to on e-zine and finding their readership has increased substantially. New e-zines are appearing on almost a daily basis, and these magazines need talented writers. From the exotic to the erotic, freelance writers on the internet are finding themselves in high demand. Never before in the history of the written word, have writers had this much opportunity to make money from writing. And this is only the beginning! A new resource for writers in Cyberspace has just been published. Writers Market for the Internet by Anthony Tedesco, lists over 200 paying web sites, ezines, Print On Demand, and ebook publishers. The Electronic Publishing Revolution is here. The battle cry has been sounded and the literary community will never be the same.

Written by Robin Westmiller Title: Free web publishing: how writers can profit in cyberspace Description: Learn about free web publishing and how you, as a writer, can profit in cyberspace. The Electronic Publishing Revolution is here and you can be a part of it! Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Free web publishing: how writers can profit in cyberspace

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Self publishing on internet

Self publishing on internet New writers have a tough time getting that first book published. Luckily, many can be "discovered" by publishing on the Internet, which can often lead to their work winding up in print, or "hard-copy." However, many of the current electronic publishing Web sites are little more than vanity presses. The majority require fees to publish books online, so new authors are paying up front costs of $700.00 or more. The author will then receive as little as 10% in royalties and have to pay for expenses, such as credit card disputes. The average cost of an e-book is $5.00 for titles written by unknown authors. Ten percent of $5.00 is $.50. If you are an author receiving royalties of ten percent on a printed book priced at $20.00, you're way ahead. Even at forty percent on a $5.00 digital book, your chance of selling as many as you would in print form is unlikely. The reason for that unfortunate fact centers on marketing. Like self-publishing houses, electronic publishers don't seem to do much advertising the work of their authors. For obvious reasons, their market is the unpublished author. Currently, if you are an author wanting to publish on the Internet, you have two options: go with an electronic publisher and pay them to publish it, or become an Internet selfpublisher. The advantage of the former, and it is a big one, is that an electronic publisher will handle all of the ordering process. They take care of delivering your book to the reader, and most importantly, credit card processing. But there are also advantages to becoming an Internet self-publisher. The most obvious is the 100% royalty on your work. And there is something to be said for having complete control over its production. The first thing you will need is a Web site, and one of the easiest things to find on the Internet is a company to host it. Things to consider when choosing a Web host are connection speeds, reliable servers and included features. There are two very important features the author needs. One is a password-protected directory; the other an autoresponder. A password protected directory is simply a space on a server that requires a password to access. You will want to upload a plain text file of your book to this directory. Then once a customer orders your book, he or she is given that password. The next thing to acquire is a merchant account. This is by far the most difficult and

http://wiwi.essortment.com/publishingonin_rrer.htm (1 of 3) [2/5/2004 12:43:10 PM]

Self publishing on internet

sometimes, the most costly aspect of the self-publishing venture. But it is as necessary as any other step to take. The one thing that makes electronic commerce successful is the impulsive buyer. If the customer has to take the time to write a check, address an envelope, and drop it in the mailbox, he also has time to change his mind. One option is the growing number of processing companies found on the Internet. For a fee and/or percentage of sale, they will process credit card orders and deposit your share in your bank. Once everything is set up, the next step is promotion. One of the best and least expensive ways to reach people on the Internet is through mailing lists and newsgroups. But before you start promoting your book using these free mediums, take some time and read what other members are posting. And don’t post an advertisement in a mailing list that is strictly discussion. You will certainly learn the meaning of “flame” if you do. So once you find the appropriate list, write an ad describing your book. As an incentive, offer the first few chapters for free, followed with the URL to your Web site. Once there, potential customers will find an email address where they can request the free portion of your book. This email address actually leads to your auto-responder. Once it receives an email message, it automatically sends the free portion of your book to the email address of the person sending the message without you having to do a thing. So anytime of the day, a reader can make a request, receive the chapters and read them. Then with their credit card, they can order via your online form the password that will allow them to access the remaining chapters stored in your password-protected directory. The other advantage of the auto-responder is that you will know how many people request your free chapters. This lets you know the effectiveness of your ad and if you are providing enough “hook” for your readers to purchase the rest of your book. This whirlwind tour through the Internet self-publishing concept leaves out many important things to consider. For example, how long do you want customers to have access to the book? Do you give them a few weeks to read or download it and then change the password? And once your hard work is out there for the world to see, how much protection do you have over copyright infringement? If your goal is to get your work out there while making money for your labor, Internet self-publishing is an inexpensive way of doing it. And as long as the work doesn’t stop with the words “The End,” you may accomplish your goal and more.

Title: Self publishing on internet Description: Electronic publishing costs money, but self publishing on the internet allows writers to publish their ebooks online at their own Website and keep 100% of the royalties.

http://wiwi.essortment.com/publishingonin_rrer.htm (2 of 3) [2/5/2004 12:43:10 PM]

Self publishing on internet

Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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How to decide if freelance writing is for you

How to decide if freelance writing is for you So you want to be a writer. You’ve written some short stories, some articles, maybe some poetry or even a novel. You’ve thought about becoming a freelance writer, but could you do it full-time? You’ve got bills to pay, maybe a mortgage and some kids to feed. You might work at a job you tolerate, but you dream of writing, of being a writer, of making a living from being a writer. Does this describe you? Well, you can be a writer, especially if you consider a relatively new and fairly lucrative market: Internet writing. You CAN make a living by being an Internet writer. But there are a few questions you should ask yourself before quitting your day job: Can you be both boss and worker, salesman and office manager? You have to write enough to make money, which at least at first, will probably be quite a bit. And being a writer, you already know you have to be a good editor. No publication wants an article riddled with errors or typos. You have to sell your work and yourself to editors and publishers. You have to able to manage your business efficiently, unless you are one of the lucky few who can afford a secretary. Do you have a financial safety net? Some writers say you should have three months’ worth of income saved; some say a year. But if your income is the only one you have to depend on, you need to have as much in the bank as you are comfortable, and only you can decide that. It depends upon what your expenses are, how much savings you have, and if you have other means of income. Many writers start out writing in their free time at first, and then moving to full-time when they become successful enough to do so. Only you can decide when that is. Can you write? Writing for the web is different from any other kind of writing. You have to be able to write in a conversational style and put the information into an easy-to-read format such as bullets. You will have to be clear, concise and able to write short, tight paragraphs. Surfers often have short attention spans, so you have to grab their attention with great text. You don’t have to be the greatest wordsmith that ever lived, but you should know the basics of writing and grammar. But most of all, you have to have a passion for writing. If you truly love writing, it will show in your work, and that will carry you the rejections. Can you take rejection? Yes, there will plenty of those. And if you’re anything like most writers, you’ll have more rejections at first than you have assignments. But you just have to believe in yourself and be persistent. It takes time to get established as a writer and get jobs that pay, let alone jobs that pay well. Know that you can do it and that your hard work will pay off. It’s great if you have a support system, friends and family who also believe in you, but that will carry you only so far. You have to believe in yourself. http://mo.essortment.com/freelancewritin_rqub.htm (1 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:44:09 PM]

How to decide if freelance writing is for you

Can you market yourself and your writing? You have to be business-like. You are a salesperson. You have to sell yourself to editors, and when you land a job, you have to sell the publication to the readers with your content. So act like a salesman: be a professional marketer for yourself and it will pay off. Are you self-disciplined? If you work from home, you have to separate your home life from your work life; don’t get distracted by the kids or the dishes. You have to ignore the mounting pile of laundry. You must be able to schedule your work time so that you can meet deadlines without a boss hanging over your shoulder. O f course you love your literary writing, but the fact is it is much easier to make money from commercial writing than from “literary” writing. Advances for a nonfiction book can run between $5000-$25,000, but an advance for a first-time novel is likely to be much less because there are so many would-be novelists. Everyone wants to be the next Great American Novelist. No one wants to be the next Greatest American Copywriter, so you stand to make a lot more money at that. No one says you have to give up your dream of publishing your novel. I’m simply suggesting that if you want to make money at writing, you should definitely consider Internet writing. If nothing else, it could get you out of that job you hate, pay the bills, and leave you with more free time to write that novel of yours.

Title: How to decide if freelance writing is for you Description: Some key questions you should ask yourself when deciding to become a freelance writer. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Writing for publication: five attention getters not impressive to editors

Writing for publication: five attention getters not impressive to editors The world of freelance writing has a very strong appeal to those of us who would love to see our writing get world-wide exposure. For many beginning writers, the thought of having something we created ourselves being read by hundreds, thousands or maybe even millions of people can become an obsession. Some writers are not content to work within the confines of the established freelance system, however, and resort to attentiongrabbing tricks in order to impress an editor or exaggerate their own accomplishments. These would-be writers can actually achieve some of their goals through the use of these tricks, but ultimately a solid writing career is based on hard work and dedication, not Jedi mind games. If you are just starting out on a freelance career, you may be tempted to try some or all of these gimmicks yourself, but do fight the temptation. Freelance writing can be a tough field to break into and find success, but it is most rewarding when done honorably. Here are five things you do NOT want to do to impress editors or improve your chances of publication. 1. Exaggerate your publication history. Many editors request cover letters or brief bios that give them some idea of your previous writing credits. Some writers translate this request to mean that they won't get hired or accepted unless they can list a tremendous amount of bona fide writing credentials. They will pad out their 'curriculum vitae' with non-existent publications, false acceptance claims and exaggerated educational backgrounds. Undoubtedly, some unscrupulous writers have gotten away with this form of resume padding, but you wouldn't want to be one of them when the real truth comes out. You never know where an editor has worked before, or what schools they may have attended. Never put down a reference or a publication credit that you cannot verify. If you have limited experience, say so. List what credits you do have, even if they sound minor or amateur in nature. Editors may take a chance on a young unknown if the query letter is well-formed and the cover letter sells the sizzle. You should never resort to unprovable background information. 2. Submit work to the same editor every week, regardless of his decision. If you really want to get on an editor's bad side, keep sending out the same type of material he rejected last week. Some writers have been lead to believe that editors live to be worn down. This is the same tactic that young actors sometimes employ to get auditions from high-profile directors. It may work once out of a thousand times, if at all. Resubmission of inferior work to the same editor amounts to harrassment, and may lead to legal action if taken too far. If you receive a rejection letter from a magazine editor, either resubmit the work to another editor at a different magazine, or rework the piece until you believe you have improved it sufficiently. Always wait a considerate amount of time before submitting new work to any editor, whether or not he or she accepted your previous submissions. Success is not an invitation to overload someone's desk with more and

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Writing for publication: five attention getters not impressive to editors

more submissions. 3. Call an editor on the phone for updates. No matter how many times the guideline books tell a writer not to call the editor directly, some writers just don't get the hint. They will call the editor's direct line within weeks of a submission and ask for feedback or decisions. Again, you may get extremely lucky and catch the editor in a good mood, but that is a rareity. Calling an editor on an unsolicited manuscript submission is considered rude and unprofessional in most publishing circles. You may believe that such phone calls imply a writer's strong interest in the magazine or his willingness to follow up on a submission, but you would be wrong in most circumstances. Editors face what is referred to as the 'slush pile' every working day. This is that ever-growing pile of unsolicited manuscripts that demand their attention. Even if they could answer the phone, they won't appreciate any writer's inquiry on a manuscript they probably haven't even seen yet, much less formed any sort of opinion on its merit. Do yourself a favor and stay off the phone unless specifically requested to do so in the course of acceptance. 4. Overstate your writing level and ability. Ambitious freelancers sometimes feel the necessity to exaggerate their level of expertise or writing level in order to land the higherpaying assignments. Their hope is that the story will write itself and their lack of native ability will not be noticed by the editorial staff. If you want to continue working for a particular magazine, never try to appear more knowledgeable on a specific subject than you are. A good freelance reporter depends heavily on interviews with bona fide experts in the field he or she is covering. The skill of writing comes into play much later, when the thoughts of the experts are blended in with the author's own observations. If you don't have the proper skills or knowledge to take on a freelance assignment, don't accept it for the sake of a publishing credit. Know your own limitations and strengths before pitching your skills to a specialized magazine. 5. Argue the merits of your rejected article. If a manuscript is rejected by an editor, there is usually a reason behind it. You may never be privileged enough as a freelancer to learn what that reason was, but you should learn to live with rejection slips in the writing business. Some beginning writers take rejection very hard, and feel obligated to fire off complaint letters that defend the merits of their rejected works. The hope is that an editor will take a second look at the piece and realize just how misguided and shortsighted he was. The reality is that the editor realizes precisely what he will be missing in his life by rejecting your article, and he will not be moved. Never waste precious time and energy arguing a rejection decision. Simply move on to the next name on your list and hope for a better result. If you argue with an editor now, he or she may remember your name for a very long time. Try to maintain a good professional relationship with the editorial staff, even if the acceptances aren't exactly flowing in yet.

Title: Writing for publication: five attention getters not impressive to editors Description: Freelance writing for publication can be such a competitive field that some beginning writers resort to attention-getting tricks to impress editors. Here are five tricks to avoid as a fledgling writer. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

http://il.essortment.com/writingpublicat_pmi.htm (2 of 3) [2/5/2004 12:44:42 PM]

Writing for publication: five attention getters not impressive to editors

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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How to market and promote a book

How to market and promote a book As an author, you've spent months, maybe even years working on your novel, and finally after trudging through agents, publishers, rejection letters and pessimistic friends, you're holding your finished book in your hands. But don't bask in the glow of accomplishment for too long. The real work is just beginning. Whatever path you chose for your book, whether it's published by a major publisher, copublisher, self-publisher, Office Depot and Kinko's, or your handy lap-top and HP laser jet printer, no one will know about it unless you are ready to take the next step; marketing and promotion. Unless you have mega-bucks to hire your own publicist or marketing company, you will spend about ten percent of your time writing and 110 percent working hard to have what you wrote, read. Contrary to the opinion of professional PR firms, there are many low cost ways to promote yourself and your book. The easiest, and least expensive is to make your own business cards using your home computer and printer. If you don't live near a store that sells pre-designed business cards, there is an excellent catalogue company called Paper Direct that carries a complete line of business stationery. (order their catalogue by calling 1-800-4-papers.) You might find a theme card that will work well with your promotional material as well as matching brochures, postcards and letterhead. Colorful cards are attention getters. I use several different designs for my writing in general and a more specific design for my novel which has a picture of a wine bottle and glass on it. I've printed the caption "Wake Up with Red Wine For Breakfast" a small one line description of my book, phone number and web site. The computer printed cards work well if you're going to a lot of different events. At the recent L.A. Times Book Festival, I substituted my phone number with the booth location number so when I handed out the cards on site, people could find the location of where to purchase my book. At my recent booksigning event, I replaced the booth location, with the Barnes and Noble's store address and phone number. All these changes were free. The box of 500 cards was just under $30.00, and if you print out only what you'll need, you can use them for any event or promotional occasion. Free ink is always the best. If you have children, they are an excellent source of free press and promotion. Buy some iron-on transfer paper and make your own t-shirts with a picture of the cover of your book on one side, your web site, or other information on how to buy your book on the back. Strongly suggest they wear it on "story telling days" at your local library or book store, especially if you're holding a booksigning there. City events in the park, street fairs, parades, anywhere there are crowds, take the kiddies.

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How to market and promote a book

PTA events, school and extracurricular activities all are excellent places to promote your book. Cute little kids make excellent billboards! The cost is low (maybe some ice cream) and the exposure is high. Of course this won't work if your children are pre-teen or teenagers. Unless you're book is cool. Your car is another excellent advertising tool. Traffic is an wonderful opportunity to promote your book. If your state has personalized license plates, find a way to put yourself or your book title on the plate. (Mine reads: GR82B RW) However, if this is impractical, find a company that makes personalized license plate holders. Mine is red with white lettering and has "Wake up with Red Wine For Breakfast" imprinted on the top line, and my web site on the bottom line. If you own a truck, you can have magnetic signs made of the cover and display your book right on your vehicle! If you're in the business community, join the local Chamber of Commerce. Attend mixers, breakfast meetings, network to anyone and everyone. Do NOT be shy about your book, (but don't be obnoxious either!) People will be more inclined to buy books from author's they know, especially if you personally autograph their copy! Make a list of the local bookstores in your area, and contact their community relations managers. Both Barnes and Noble and Borders has a complete listing of their store's locations on their site. And if you are invited to a store, don't forget to bring a gift for the person who made the booking. I give them pewter pens that I sell in my store because they're not available anywhere locally. Hopefully, they will tell other CMR's of your generosity and will schedule an event for you just for the free gift! Collect all promotional material written about you and your book. Make copies of all your interviews, reviews, articles, photos and create a full press kit for radio and local television stations. Try to get on your local cable shows that may have topics related to you or your book. Create a new angle to promote yourself. Radio and television interview shows are saturated with authors looking to talk about their books. Find a new approach, something interesting that will spark their interest. I've written an article about the new "Electronic Publishing Revolution" and have been receiving a great deal of press on the subject, and I always find a way to promote my novel, which takes place in a Los Angeles radio station, especially when trying to book a radio talk show. On the Internet, one of the best sites for information on marketing and promotion can be found at iUniverse authors tool kit. Here you will find sections on Publicity, Marketing, Cracking the Media and Essentials for marketing and promoting your book. It's a huge source of valuable information, but it will be up to you as to how much of it you use. Join the www.egroup.com and check out the many lists about writing, publishing and marketing. I have my own list for Print On Demand authors, and belong to three others where we share ideas and support each other's efforts. Another excellent and inexpensive way to get your book into the hands of reviewers is send them disk versions of your work. Most authors write their novels on a PC, saving their files in a variety of formats. Once their book is published, getting it into the hands of reviewers can be a costly process, both in the cost of the books and in the postage. No longer. Adobe had created the perfect way to promote your entire novel in an easy

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How to market and promote a book

and inexpensive way. Their site can save any file, up to three, for FREE! Once saved, it can be copied onto disks which can then be mailed to anyone with an Adobe program, which can also be downloaded from their site for FREE. This is an excellent way for authors to send out copies of their books, provided you send an email with instructions as to how to upload your file. You can also use this method to offer an "ebook" of your novel as a tease, or sell them at a fraction of the cost for those who are interested in this new and exciting format. Most importantly, schedule your time. If possible, plan one or two days a week, to concentrate on the marketing aspect of your new career. Avoid unnecessary meetings, clubs and activities that take away from your main focus: to get your book and yourself noticed! Don't join a lot of writer's clubs. Those that can, write. Those that can't go to meetings. And those who attend meetings very rarely buy or read other member's books! At this stage of your writing career, there are only two things you should be doing in your spare time: writing and promoting your work. Remember, overnight success takes about 10 years. You will become very educated, very tired, and very satisfied when you see all your hard work pay off.

Written by Robin Westmiller Title: How to market and promote a book Description: How to market and promote a book. There are a number of creative, effective and inexpensive ways. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Should a writer adopt a pen name?

Should a writer adopt a pen name? Richard Bachman, Lewis Carroll, Mark Twain, Trevanian, George Sand- what do all these authors have in common? They are all pen names created by best-selling or critically acclaimed authors. Few people have ever heard of Charles Dodgson's scholarly works on such arcane topics as croquet, but almost everyone has enjoyed Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Indeed, few viewers suspected that the science fiction writer behind the movie "The Running Man" was actually horror master Stephan King using a pseudonym. Pen names have been used throughout the ages by authors who either seek anonymity or a more 'marketable' presence. So should you as a beginning writer consider doing the same? Only you can decide if a pseudonym is the proper route to go with your first publications, but here are some pros and cons to adopting a pen name you should consider first. PRO: Pseudonyms can increase an author's overall marketability. If you write action/adventure novels, you may want to adopt a name that is more suited to the genre. "Rivers of Blood" by 'Tank McThunder' may appeal more to the readers than "Rivers of Blood" by Murray Fishbinder. Not that there is anything intrinsically wrong with the Fishbinder name, but in a promotional sense you need to hook your readers from the beginning. Other pseudonyms may take on even more significance, such as "Trevanian" or "Phaedrus". As a marketing tool, a good pseudonym can boost sales and create enough positive buzz to give your 'name' some strong selling power. CON: A poorly chosen pseudonym can hurt your chances of acceptance. As a beginning writer, you have very little leverage with publishers as it is, so you may not want to muddy the waters further by using a pretentious or gimmicky pen name. Insisting on a blatantly obvious pseudonym may make you a one or two hit wonder, but won't give you staying power. If your own name is reasonably marketable and your work is meant to be taken seriously, you should not resort to a meaningless pen name. Later in your career you may feel the need to use a pen name for works outside your established genre, but you need a name and reputation first. PRO: Pseudonyms can make artistic statements for the author. Sometimes a writer takes on a subject that is highly controversial or threatens to expose secrets. Rather than remain anonymous or risk personal injury as the named author, you may want to use a pen name for protection. The pen name you choose may reflect some element of the controversy, or establish your credibility as an expert on the subject. "Secrets of the Emergency Room" by 'Dr. Dread' may sound like a gimmick, but it does establish that the author is a doctor and that his or her information may jeopardize careers. In a different vein, you may choose a pseudonym based on a character you enjoy from literature or history. A well-chosen pseudonym can add an air of mystery or intrigue. CON: Pseudonyms can create 'identities' from which there is no escape. In the same way http://mdmd.essortment.com/penname_ravc.htm (1 of 3) [2/5/2004 12:45:05 PM]

Should a writer adopt a pen name?

that an actor may be linked forever with a popular character, an author may be linked forever with the character created by a pseudonym. Some authors may create elaborate backstories to give dimension to their alter ego pseudonyms. In essence, the pseudonym's fantasy personality may overwhelm the actual writer's persona. Many authors who use pseudonyms discover that they must keep using that pseudonym long past its usefulness. Efforts to publish works under their real names may be met with rejection or reluctance. If you are comfortable with the idea of perpetuating a character that writes your books, then a pseudonym can work. If you are concerned that a gimmicky pen name will take away your future credibility, then don't use one. PRO: Pseudonyms can offer an author some protection in the business side of publishing. Many beginning writers dream of the day when a major publishing house accepts their first novel or signs them to a multi-book deal. But the reality is that writers still must work for a living, even if their first book is accepted. Sometimes a publishing contract limits a writer to the number of outside projects he or she can do under their name. Pseudonyms may provide a way that freelance writers can continue to work while under contract. If you honestly believe that you may need to work under these conditions, then use a pseudonym for any work not covered by the contract with the publisher. CON: Using a pseudonym to deceive publishers or the audience can come back to haunt you. If you know that you are using a pen name to circumvent the terms of a legitimate contract, the penalties can be stiff. Even if the publisher does not make the connection, your audience might. Using a pen name for deceptive purposes makes you look thoroughly unprofessional. If you have some legitimate concerns about your contract, work out a reasonable compromise with your publisher. You may be able to continue working under your own name without penalty. By unilaterally deciding to use a false name to get around the process, you run the risk of breeching your contract and facing civil court action. Pseudonyms are not illegal in themselves- it is the improper use of pseudonyms that could be actionable.

Written by Michael Pollick Title: Should a writer adopt a pen name? Description: Many fledgling writers want to adopt pen names, much like some famous authors have done through the ages. Here are some pros and cons to consider about using pen names. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Should a writer adopt a pen name?

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Getting published in magazines

Getting published in magazines You've typed out your great-grandmother's secret barbecue sauce recipe, and now you want to share it with the world because, let's face it, she could make a barbecue sauce! How do you go about sharing it? Why don't you submit it to a magazine? The publication doesn't have to be a huge one most magazines are read by a lot of people, and those people tell their friends and family, who tell THEIR friends and family, who...you get the idea. The first step to getting your work published is simple: Write the thing. Remember, it's almost always a lot more enjoyable if you're writing for the fun of it - though writing it because the money's not bad is good as well. My point is simply this: keep your priorities straight. For the moment, this is just something you do in your free time - your next meal doesn't depend on whether or not you write this. Now you have to find a magazine that will accept it for publication. For example, if you've got a short collection of recipes using a certain common ingredient, Playboy may not be the magazine for it because the overall theme is different. Go for the magazines that publish work similar to yours in idea and theme - in other words, send personal stories to Readers Digest and great recipes to Martha Stewart Living or The Joy of Cooking. Now that you've found a few magazines you wish to hit up for publication, you need to write them a letter explaining (politely, of course!) that you've got an idea. It's just like working here at Writeforcash - give a short proposal, a topic description, and a little bit of information directly relating to the article you wish to write. In other words, this doesn't have anything to do with sucking up, rambling for hours, or the like - stick with the facts, and tell it like it is. Send one letter at a time for each article. In other words, don't hit up more than one magazine at a time for the same article. Be patient, as this could take a bit of time depending on how busy these people are. Speaking of people, who do you address your initial letter to, anyway? One of the assistant editors. Never go for the editor-in-chief - he or she is guaranteed to be busy dealing with people that are already published, along with the other editors and staff. In other words, they won't have time for newcomers such as you or myself they're busy with the already-familiar people. Address your letter to one of the assitant editors (usually named on the publication's masthead, of course) because they've got a little more time AND they're eager to discover new, fresh talent - give them the chance http://wa.essortment.com/gettingpublishe_rvlb.htm (1 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:45:14 PM]

Getting published in magazines

to prove themselves at their place of work, why don't you? Also, while you're at it, going about this a bit early never hurts. A lot of magazines have printing schedules that are up to a year in advance - six months is usually a fair estimate. Send your proposals in as early as possible so that your chances of getting a check are better. Please remember the following: Don't discuss money during the initial letter. Remember, you're just trying to get noticed at this point - they'll make an offer to you if they like what they read. Be patient. This takes time and effort - on your part as well as the parts of everyone working for the magazines your proposals were sent to. Enjoy this! It's not pulling teeth, it's WRITING! This is one of my favorite things to do and, if you're anything like that, you'll get a bigger kick out of writing it than you do the check (although the money certainly doesn't hurt).

Title: Getting published in magazines Description: Tips for getting your writing published in magazines. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

http://wa.essortment.com/gettingpublishe_rvlb.htm (2 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:45:14 PM]

Writing a newspaper press release

Writing a newspaper press release Local papers constantly seek copy to fill their hungry pages. Yet, a lot of people can’t seem to write a news release a hometown editor will print. But, there is hope if you want to push a new business in town or just tout your child’s sports team accomplishments. Here’s what I've found busy editors look for. The first thing you should know is what goes into a standard press release. If you’ve ever heard journalists discuss their trade, you’ve heard them use the words who, what, when, where, and why. Make sure you hit all of these concepts when you write your press release. For example, “After a year of record sales in his first establishment, Ted Jones of Ted’s Hot-dog Stand opened his second restaurant on June 15 on the corner of Blain and Oak. He hopes to triple his sales in the new location.” There. You’ve hit all the pertinent facts. Now expand upon them. Tell a little bit about the history of Ted’s Hot-dog Stand, for instance. Give a reader a reason to read the item. But, don’t stop there. If the five w’s are the only points you write about, harried editors may just see your story as a blatant case of advertising only and may refuse to run it for that reason. So what can you do to enhance your chance of publication? Add a newsworthy point to the release. Did Ted say he’d give ten cents from the price of each hot dog to the local food bank? That would make the story newsworthy and highly increase its chances of seeing print. When you’ve covered the item you want to push and added a newsworthy tidbit, stop. Close your piece. Two or three double-spaced pages, or about 500 to 700 words, is a good length for submission to a local paper. How do you “design” your press release? One standard format is to print your name, address and phone number in the upper left hand corner of the page, single spaced. Drop a few spaces down and type in the words “Press Release”, centered. Two spaces down, type “For Immediate Release”, also centered. Two or three spaces down, centered, type your proposed headline. Drop four more spaces down and begin your text, indenting the beginning of each paragraph about five spaces. Always double-space your copy and print it on one side of the page only. Now, how do you submit your press release? Many small-town newspapers accept only hard-copy releases--that is old-fashioned print on white paper. So be ready to print your piece and mail it via the U.S. Postal Service. Fold the manuscript in thirds and use a http://me.essortment.com/pressreleases_rvss.htm (1 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:45:21 PM]

Writing a newspaper press release

Number 10 white business envelope. Be sure to keep a copy of your article for your records. Newspaper editors receive hundreds of press releases every year, so don’t expect an acknowledgment of receipt. Just watch the pages of your local paper to see when your release is run. Home-town newspaper editors are always on the look out for good copy to fill their pages. If you can write a good press release with the extra value of newsworthiness, there is no reason that your words won’t see print in the next edition.

Title: Writing a newspaper press release Description: How to write press releases that newspaper editors will print. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Non fiction writing

Non fiction writing 1. How can I add angle to a Non-fiction Article? Before sitting down to write any piece of fiction, you should be sure that you have an angle. Whether it is a news story for a local paper, an article to be sold online, or any non-fiction piece that you will be selling to a publisher, your article should represent a strong voice. Now this doesn't have to read like a testimonial. There are ways to make your article appeal to the reader without using first person. 2. How can I add an angle to my article without using first person? · A good way to do this is to think in the third person frame of mind. First of all, refer to yourself in the article as "we" helps. Just replace I with we. It is amazing how a simple switch of pronouns comes off so clean and professional. Observe this comparison: a. I always am looking for new ways to incorporate an angle into my articles. b. We writers are always looking for new ways to incorporate an angle into our articles. · Notice that the latter sentence just sounds cleaner and crisper- much more professional! 3. Can I use first person in some cases? · Yes, you can use this when you ask questions like presented in this article. · NOTE: Try to use first person pronouns very sparingly. · Avoid the use of boorish testimonial writing in non-fiction 4. How can I use persuasive techniques without sounding preachy? This is the key to adding an angle, but it is also the difficult part too. You must persuade your reader without them being conscience of it. · You do this by getting them interested in the topic or by involving them in the article. · Some authors of non-fiction pieces use "we" for that very reason. This makes the reader feel like part of a team. http://wvwv.essortment.com/writingtipstec_nuj.htm (1 of 3) [2/5/2004 12:45:36 PM]

Non fiction writing

· Other authors choose to drive their readers to change or right some wrong that plagues the world. These authors challenge the reader to make a change in him or herself, prodding them into action. Without the reader even realizing, many times they are absorbed quickly into the article. 5. What is another way to involve the reader in my article? · Try to ask questions that your reader may also be having, like you see here in this nonfiction piece. · Use examples of real life instances to touch your readers. An example of this would be a story about a writer who never was a success until he or she learned the value of adding angle to an article. You might want to give examples of the writer's first attempts that were considered very boring and read like textbook or encyclopedia. · You can use the name of famous people also to move your readers, connecting them with your message. 6. How should I begin my article for the best possibility of my angle touching the reader? · Many writers often start off with a question. · Other writers like to make a very bold statement, provoking the reader to think about the subject of the article. · Some writers also like to begin with a quote. In this case, perhaps a quote from Longfellow or Poe about writing. 7. How should I end my article? · End the same way as you began it. Think of the article as a funnel. You start out broad and finish up very narrow. If you started with a quote, finish with a comment on the quote. · If you started with a bold statement, end with a reiteration of the statement or some comment about it. · When you begin with a question, it is good to mention that you hope all of the reader's questions were answered by your article. Often you can give additional options for more information like libraries online, books, ETC. 8. What should I check my article for when proofreading for the effectiveness of my angle?

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Non fiction writing

· Of course, check for the use of first person passages. · Also look to see if you used third person effectively. · Read the article as if it were not your own. · Ask yourself if the article would move you. I hope that by reading this article many of your questions were answered and that you are now able to add an angle or slant to your article with much more ease. If you need additional help with adding an angle to your article, many writers find the use of Internet search engines and their local libraries very helpful. Also trade magazines and papers aimed at writers are a great place for writing tips. When you search, look for writing tips or advice. Good luck with all of your endeavors!

Title: Non fiction writing Description: These writing tips and tricks for writing non fiction will reach out and touch your audience! Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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How to get an article published in a magazine

How to get an article published in a magazine Here are a few things that I learned from researching in the library and on the Internet that helped get my first article accepted for publication. These tips should increase your odds of being published. One of the most important things is the idea for the article. Finding a niche that very little has been written about or finding a unique angle to the subject is a good start. The editor will give more consideration to a new topic or angle. If you want to write an article that has been covered in the magazine, make sure it has not been covered in the last three years. Another thing is to find a market for the article. I had been a subscriber to the magazine for 2 years before I wrote the article. Most editors will tell you to read at least the last 6 issues of their magazine in order to get a “feel” for their style and focus. Be sure to look in the advertising section of the magazine. As you look through the ads, ask yourself the question “What kind of people would want to buy this?”. I found this very helpful in determining the type of readers a magazine had. Write about what your know. For my first article I chose to write about designing welded structures. It has been my job for over ten years. I was able to write most of the article by drawing on my experience as a mechanical engineer. Another benefit to writing about what you know is that you already have credentials. When the editor saw that I was an engineer, I think the fact that I didn’t have any clippings was not a problem. Your subject doesn’t need to be about your job. It could be about a hobby or personal experience. Another thing is to present your article in a professional manner. Get a copy of the writers’ guidelines. The guidelines will tell you what kind of articles they buy, how long they should be, how much they pay, what format they prefer, and any other particulars that might be important. You can get these by simply writing the magazine and asking for them. Be sure to enclose a SASE for their reply. Do not e-mail the editor unless the guidelines say it is acceptable. Most magazine editors prefer that you “query first”. This means that you send the editor a query letter. A query letter is a letter stating your idea for a story and a paragraph about yourself (qualifications, clippings, etc.). The query letter is your sales pitch for your article idea. There are several books on how to write query letters. One of my favorites is Queries and Submissions – Elements of Article Writing Series by Thomas Clark. After you send the query letter, the editor will probably do one of two things. Either you will be rejected or you will get the go ahead. Be sure to double space your manuscript. It is also a good idea to use 12-point type. Resist the temptation to use fancy fonts. http://nh.essortment.com/howtogetanar_rsxa.htm (1 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:45:45 PM]

How to get an article published in a magazine

The last thing is to keep trying. If you get a rejection, send a query letter on your idea to another publication the same day. Never give up.

Title: How to get an article published in a magazine Description: How to get an article published in a magazine: focusing on beginning, nonfiction, free-lance writers. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Five traps to avoid when re writing a manuscript

Five traps to avoid when re writing a manuscript Almost every writer, famous or struggling, can recall instantly the first time they were asked to rewrite a submitted manuscript. Seeing their prized story come back from the editor's office with red ink marks can be a humbling and disheartening experience for any writer, regardless of their status in the publishing world. Rewriting is a difficult process- one that asks the author to go back into a story and start tearing out the walls and floorboards. We would all like to believe that our own work is good enough to find acceptance without the spectre of rewriting, but that is rarely the case. Anyone involved in a creative process should understand that ideas may have to be reworked or rethought in order to insure future success. While the rewriting process may be painful at times, it is also a necessary evil in a competitive publishing world that demands the best work possible. But there are several 'traps' that writers may discover during the rewriting stage. These traps may keep a writer from making the changes necessary, or fill a writer's mind with enough self-doubt to render him unable to continue with the project. Here are five such traps to avoid while rewriting your own manuscript, along with some advice on how to get out of them if needed. 1. Beware of Self-Doubt. This is a very common trap for the beginning writer who has not been faced with the demands of extensive rewriting. Suggestions for rewrites are not intended to create doubt in your own ability as a writer. If your work has merited such careful editorial guidance, then you should know that the basic structure is still good. You should keep in mind that you are not being asked to build a new house, just tweak the furniture that is already there. Self-doubt can cripple a writer's confidence at a point where he or she needs the most confidence yet. Work on the rewrite just as hard as you worked on the original manuscript- don't view it as punishment for not being perfect the first time. If you feel that you are indeed in the grips of self-doubt, take some time away from the project to re-affirm belief in your own writing ability. Talk over your concerns with a trusted friend or fellow writers. Rewrite from a position of strength and confidence. 2. "The Editor Doesn't Know What He's Doing." You may start looking at the editor's suggested changes and begin to wonder if he has lost his mind. How dare he insist that you expand that character or eliminate that chapter. He's not the genius around hereyou are. Sound remotely familiar? Writing is a collaborative process, and the relationship between writer and editor should be a cordial and professional one. You may feel passionately about a suggested change, but you still have an obligation to explore an editor's point of view. If you have a strong argument against a suggested change, by all means present your case to your editor. But don't allow pride or stubborness to stand in http://ia.essortment.com/writingmanuscri_pmj.htm (1 of 3) [2/5/2004 12:46:00 PM]

Five traps to avoid when re writing a manuscript

the way of the entire rewriting process. Sometimes it's best to rewrite the manuscript per your editor's suggestions, then hash major disagreements out in a different forum. 3. Never forget the intended audience. Many rewriting suggestions are technical in nature- a paragraph needs tightening or a certain passage is confusing. These changes can be made relatively painlessly, and should not affect the main thrust of your story. But occasionally the suggested changes will take your story in a direction you may not have anticipated. Before continuing on the rewrite, make sure that your intended audience will also accept these changes in plotline or character. If you are writing a series of science fiction novels, for example, the audience may remember an important plot twist in an earlier book that you have forgotten in the midst of rewriting the present book. Although rewriting for improved readability and cohesion should be your primary goal, never sacrifice established characters or plotlines in the process. Keep your audience's expectations firmly in mind when rewriting for content. 4. Why bother rewriting? This trap may come up as your list of potential new projects grows and your interest in unfinished business shrinks. Going back into an older manuscript in order to fix mistakes can be half as exciting as it sounds. You may believe it would much easier to abandon this project in favor of some new and exciting idea for a novel. Rewriting and polishing a manuscript is hard work for a writer, both mentally and physically. You must fight the temptation to leave a promising work in limbo simply because the task of reshaping it seems daunting. Many famous literary masterpieces were rewritten dozens, even hundreds of times before publication. If a project shows enough promise to merit even one rewrite, then you should view it as a badge of honor to start the process. No one ever said the writing world was going to be easy. 5. Overcorrection. The final trap will continue to spring up throughout every rewriting session you do. You will be tempted to make more and more changes to your manuscript until it is barely recognizable. No one is asking you to rebuild the Pyramids or reinvent the wheel from scratch. There are parts of the original manuscript that work perfectly well as written, and should not be touched at all. But as the writer/tortured artist, you may be tempted to scrap the entire project and start over. This would be a complete waste of time and energy on your part, because the original work obviously doesn't deserve such extreme measures. For the first rewrite, concentrate strictly on the suggested changes made by your editor or trusted critic. Once those changes have been made, stop rewriting and start resubmitting. Don't second-guess the entire manuscript based on minor changes. Trust the collaborative process to point you in the right direction for future rewriting efforts. Gaining distance and perspective on a manuscript is the best gift a writer can give him or herself during the difficult rewriting phase.

Title: Five traps to avoid when re writing a manuscript Description: When re writing manuscripts, the process of reworking a piece can be very difficult for the writer. Here are five common traps when rewriting and how to avoid them. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

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Five traps to avoid when re writing a manuscript

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How to write an essay

How to write an essay When you are writing an essay, the first step is to choose a topic and determine what direction or point of view you will take. Your essay may try to persuade the reader to share your view on the topic, it may try to explain to the reader how to complete a particular task, or it may try to inform or educate the reader on a particular topic. Every good essay will follow the following outline: 1. Outline of your topic 2. Introduction 3. Thesis 4. Body (Usually 3-6 Paragraphs) 5. Conclusion OUTLINE To create your outline, list the topic you have chosen as item 1. Under item 1, list three to six main ideas about your topic, list these as A, B, C, and so on. You will use your outline to construct your essay's paragraphs. Your outline may look similar to this one: 1. Topic Idea A.

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How to write an essay

This idea about topic B. This fact about topic C. This information about topic Introduction/Thesis The first paragraph consists of the introduction and a thesis statement. The introduction should attract the reader's attention and give the reader an idea of the essay's focus. You may begin with an attention grabber such as intriguing information, captivating dialogue or a startling fact. Start with a few sentences, explaining your topic in general terms and lead into your thesis statement. Each sentence of your opening statement should become a bit more specific, until you reach your thesis. The thesis statement tells the reader what the essay will be about, and what points you will be making in your essay. In your thesis, you should state the topic of the essay and state the point of the essay or the main ideas on your topic that you determined in your outline. BODY PARAGRAGHS The body paragraphs will describe and explain your essay topic. Each of the main ideas that you listed in your outline will become a paragraph in your essay. If you had three main ideas, you will have three body paragraphs. Start by writing down one of your main ideas, in sentence form. In three to five sentences, explain your views or the facts surrounding this main idea. Go on to the next main idea, which will form paragraph 2, and follow the same steps until each main idea has been turned into a paragraph. Conclusion The conclusion brings closure to the reader. Three or four sentences are all that is needed to write a conclusion. You may use your conclusion to sum up the points of your essay, to provide a final perspective on your topic or to simply review the main points.

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How to write an essay

Title: How to write an essay Description: Follow this guide for how to write an essay. A step by step guide to each part of the essay from outline to conclusion. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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How to write a research paper

How to write a research paper Research paper, term paper, reference paper, investigative theme - they all mean one thing and that is the preparation of a paper that must use sources to document given facts. Questions usually abound: Where should one start? How are resources organized? How are notes taken? What is a bibliography? Writing a research paper can be overwhelming. Breaking it down into steps helps. 1) Choosing a topic Finding a topic of interest is a good start because searching for information is more fun if the person is intrigued by the subject matter. A topic usually begins as a broad category. Then, it must be narrowed. For instance, a subject of interest might be American history. However, it is much too broad a category to be covered adequately in one paper. Narrowing the topic would mean choosing one instance of historical significance or one person in American history to research. 2) Finding material Before a paper can be written, material on a subject must be gathered. Public and Internet libraries offer excellent resources. Books that might not be on the local library's shelf can be requested from another library by "inter-library loan." Current magazine and newspaper articles are also good resources, and in fact, often have the most recent information on subjects. Internet surfing can produce results leading the researcher to other books or web sites offering up-to-date sources. 3) Taking notes As possible resources are scanned, those with information that will be useful in writing the paper should be set aside. Other sources that are not applicable may be returned. Note-taking can begin with the most valuable source - the book, magazine or Internet article that is most comprehensive - and then progress through all the sources that have been collected. One note card should be used for each major point. Information incident to the source can be written in a corner of the note card: the name of the book or article, the place and year it was published, and the company that did the publishing. Magazine volume numbers or month and year designations should also be notated. This will be useful later in making the bibliography. Incident notes are those that that list people, places, events, dates and time. Summary notes recapitulate general information in concise phrases and sentences that can later become a part of the body of the paper. Facts should be translated from the source into the writer's own words. When more than three words in a row are copied, the words should be quoted and the author given credit http://ndnd.essortment.com/howtowriteres_rtvy.htm (1 of 4) [2/5/2004 12:46:14 PM]

How to write a research paper

within the text. 4) Grouping ideas When enough information has been gathered to adequately address the topic, note cards should then be grouped by major points. Organization by grouping leads easily into the making of an outline. 5) Making an outline The first outline is preliminary. It can change as the paper develops, but it is crucial in that it offers a place to begin, an organization of the writer's research and thoughts, and a place for all of this to culminate in an ending. Outlines can utilize the traditional I, II, and III of Roman numerals or they can be simple lists, depending on the person preparing the paper and on whether the recipient of the paper requires the outline in a certain form to be turned in as a part of the assignment. 6) Writing the paper A research paper should be written in third person. That means it is not presented from the standpoint of "I' telling the story or as a means of direction, using the word "you." Third person writing tells a story or presents information from the standpoint of a narrator. The writing of the paper is facilitated by using the outline for organization and the note cards for the recollection of facts. 7) Proofing for errors The best way to proofread any paper is to read it aloud. Introducing another of the five senses activates other parts of the brain to make the writer more focused. Spelling must be checked, as well as grammar and punctuation usage. Revisions should be made to the first draft before final typing. 8) Typing the paper Research papers should be double-spaced and typed using a font that is easily read such as Times New Roman or Arial. Writing should only be on one side of each sheet of paper. 9) Preparing the Bibliography The purpose of the bibliography is to list each source from which information was obtained in the preparation of the research paper. Entries should be alphabetized by authors, and where there is no author, by title. Names of books and magazines may be underlined or typed in italics. Specific article titles should be placed within quotation marks. Each source in a bibliography is written in the following order: author (where there is one), title, place published, company that published, and year. Magazines are notated with the article title first followed by the name of the magazine, volume, month/date/year. Online and email sources are similar, still giving credit to the author http://ndnd.essortment.com/howtowriteres_rtvy.htm (2 of 4) [2/5/2004 12:46:14 PM]

How to write a research paper

and title of the article first. Online should be indicated in brackets and the web site given. When computer software is used as a source, this should also be designated by use of brackets. Bibliography samples: Book with no designated author The Stone Age Dictionary of Elementary Language. Boston: Heritage Publishing Company, 1969. Book with author Baker, Samm. The Permissible Lie. Anchorage: Alaskan Publishing Company, 1998. Magazine article "Moment Musical," Lyre Gazette, 70:106, November 27, 1989. Online source Meyer, Anne. "The Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenum." [On-line.] Memory & Cognition, 20:715. http://www.memory.com/cognition/ Email source Fundermont, Dan. "Commentary on Brahms." Available email: [email protected] Computer software Miller, Thomas. The Monitor Tester (Version 4.0) [Computer software]. Houston: Psytek Services, 2000. (Note: all articles, books, web sites, and email addresses are fictitious and are only for the purpose of demonstrating bibliography format.) Research papers may be delivered in a variety of folder styles and choices. The one most appropriate for the recipient of the paper should be chosen. The presentation of the research paper is, after all, the first impression that the reader will have.

Title: How to write a research paper Description: How to write a research paper. It isn't so overwhelming when there are http://ndnd.essortment.com/howtowriteres_rtvy.htm (3 of 4) [2/5/2004 12:46:14 PM]

How to write a research paper

guidelines to follow. From the note card to the bibliography, step-by-step directions organize thoughts into a written product. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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Writing childrens books: choosing the right audience

Writing childrens books: choosing the right audience Some think that writing children’s books is easier than writing books for adults. But, as they soon find out, that’s not true. Children’s book writing can actually be more complicated, since there are so many different types of books for different ages. Books for the youngest children are called picture books. They are read to the child, since they can’t yet read for themselves, and can have bigger words. But, you have to remember to keep the plot simple. Adults read these to the children, but they have to be simple enough for the younger children to understand. These books have pictures on every page. Concept books, like those that cover the alphabet and counting, shapes and colors, as well as those with a story, all come under the “picture book” category. The next step up from the picture book is the picture storybook. They are for the child who is a little older and can understand a plot that is a little more advanced. Still, they are heavily illustrated. Children under ten usually choose these books. When a child begins to read on their own, they graduate up to the “easy-to-reads.” This is where you will notice both a change in the size of the words and the number of words in the book. Children this age may be able to understand the meaning of many words, but can’t always read them on their own. These books are also available in several levels, for the beginning reader all the way up to readers who are almost ready for chapter books. When they are too old for easy-to-reads, children look to the more grown-up feel of the chapter book. Chapter books are simple, usually short books, that are divided into chapters. They usually have an illustration on every few pages, but not as elaborate as the ones found in picture books. Kids read these books until they get to be about twelve. The last step up the ladder is the young adult novel. These books are almost identical to adult novels, but are not as long and usually not as complex. They are for teens, and can start to have some “heavier” plots and subjects. So, as you can see, when you say “children’s books” you are talking about a very wide range of possibilities. But, once you know what the age levels are and the different choices, it clears away some of the confusion. And, you will find that there is a place for almost every idea you can come up with when you decide you want to write your own book.

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Writing childrens books: choosing the right audience

Title: Writing childrens books: choosing the right audience Description: Writing childrens books can seem complicated to the beginning writer. This article explains the different books and the requirements of each. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ - By printing, downloading, or using you agree to our full terms. Review the full terms by clicking here.

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How to write an autobiography

How to write an autobiography WHY WRITE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY? There are bad reasons: - to make a million dollars (unless you're a celebrity or hero) - to exact revenge - getting back at someone by spilling the beans - to revise history - creating a false past Then there are some good reasons: - to leave a message to future generations - to pass on your heritage - to put closure to a period or episode - to process experiences - to preserve family history - to share what and who you are However, if you're not a writer the task can seem overwhelming. Here are some suggestions. Start by making lists. Make lists of relatives, boyfriends/girlfriends, places you've lived over the years, pets you've owned, schools attended and other things like that. But the most important are the Life-Lists. Choose categories as you go along: elementary school days; military life; college; family vacation; illnesses. More will occur to you as you write. Under each category, write down a word or two to identify some event that you want to remember. Next, narrow each life-list to 10 core life events which will be the most significant or memorable events to demonstrate that category. Write about each of your core events. Start with a rough draft in which you simply concentrate on getting all the information down on paper. Then go back and polish for details, grammar, and tone. If you're not confident in your writing ability, you may enlist someone else's help to edit. But remember, in an autobiography, it's important to retain YOUR VOICE in the final http://va.essortment.com/howtowritea_rves.htm (1 of 3) [2/5/2004 12:46:34 PM]

How to write an autobiography

narrative. Your personality should come through. Using flawless grammar or fancy words may very well take away from the charm and value of your autobiography. Use a variety of writing styles throughout the book. Use the one which best suits the event you're working on. One style is Narrative, in which you give a pretty much linear account of events without much reference to underlying emotions or moods. Then there's Descriptive writing, which is appropriate when you want to paint a picture of something for your reader, either because of its beauty, its ugliness or simply because it's very different from what that reader may know. There's Emotional writing, when you have strong feelings about your topic and want to evoke some emotional response in your reader. Action writing is characterized by short sentences with strong verbs. This type of writing is for exciting events, when you want to carry your reader along in a headlong rush to find out what happens next. When you've done all you can with your autobiography, you're ready for finishing. Organize all the pieces you¡¦ve written into some kind of order. If you don't type, have it typed and saved on a floppy disk. This is also the time to engage an outside editor if you so desire. There are a number of ways to publish your autobiography. If you feel it has interest to a large general audience, by all means send it to a publisher. A writing book will give you details on submitting your manuscript professionally and there are other books that list publishers interested in this type of work. But most of us will probably self-publish our autobiographies. If you just need a few copies (say for family members), take your final manuscript to a copy store with a service desk. For a reasonable fee, they will not only make as many copies as you like but they also can offer several choices for binding it. You can even create your own cover which they will reproduce and attach to the finished book. Or you can check those writing books for self-publishing companies which will produce a professional looking book at your expense. Be warned that these businesses usually require a relatively high print run and can be quite costly. What will you do with your finished book? Family members will be delighted to be presented with a copy, no doubt. You can donate a copy to your local library. The lives of local people add a personal touch to the history shelves. By the same token, school libraries and teachers might be interested in having a copy. If you've been active in a particular club or organization, that group would probably also be grateful for a copy. The most important thing is to begin. By putting your life story down on paper, you can leave a lasting legacy for those who come after you.

Title: How to write an autobiography Description: How to write an an autobiography that will share your life with relatives http://va.essortment.com/howtowritea_rves.htm (2 of 3) [2/5/2004 12:46:34 PM]

How to write an autobiography

and other interested people. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

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Article writing tip; the best title for your piece

Article writing tip; the best title for your piece Have you ever noticed that certain articles get more attention from readers? Often, it is the title that lends to the success of the article. Sure, the content of the article is also important, but the title has to stand alone when it comes to representing what the article is about. A mediocre title suggests a mediocre review, whether this is the case or not. I have written my share of mediocre titles, especially when my creative juices aren't flowing, and have noticed that articles don't shout "read me" as loud as they could. Not every article will be easy to dream up a creative title for, but an interesting one can make a world of difference. Think of your title as the main selling point of your article. Place great importance upon the task of choosing a title, for it will pay off. Look at your article from various points of view and try to see it in a unique light, and then use this newfound angle to construct a title that will make people want to read more. There are various approaches to this. As with this article, you can opt for the shocking title, using visceral words that hit the reader in the gut and make them wonder what the article is about. There are suggestive titles which lead the reader to view the article. For example, "You Must Read This." While I am not as fond of using these, I've often found myself reading more of other people's articles because of a suggestive title. Titles can allude to the content, giving the reader a taste of what's in store. Just make sure that taste is an appetizing one. This involves taking some element of your article and alluding to it by using a related idea, concept, etc. "Tell All" titles pretty much sum up the entire article and leave no surprises, but can serve useful in a few instances if you are sure your content will be able to carry itself strongly. Let's face it, even though you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, or an article by its title for that matter, we all do to some extent. It is human nature to categorize and label, as it is often an effective timesaving mechanism. So, the next time you strike fingers to keyboard, pen to paper, or whatever the case

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Article writing tip; the best title for your piece

may be, blaze that article with a title that will scream "read me." You might just notice that your articles are getting more attention. Above all, be creative. Individuality is like a drink of fresh, cool water to a weary desert traveler. Titillate the reader with those titles!

Written by Vanessa Zanella Title: Article writing tip; the best title for your piece Description: When writing an article one tip that I cannot stress enough, is the need for an effective title. One must catch the reader's attention. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

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How to write a good film review

How to write a good film review Writing film reviews can be rewarding and enjoyable. Depending on the audience and the market it is written for, there are several different things that you should keep in mind during the writing process. Firstly, what age groups are you writing for? A review for a school magazine would warrant a different writing process than, say, a magazine enjoyed by adults. For a children’s magazine, the review will need to be quite punchy. It should not be too long or contain material that the age group would not understand. Writing for a young audience often proves to be harder than writing for adults. With adult writing there is less need to omit images that are controversial. After watching the film that is to be reviewed, it is important to take notes immediately. This will be of great importance when you actually sit down to write the piece. The notes should be detailed enough to bring back to memory the images that you found most appealing. This is, I believe, the most important part of the writing process. Once you have established the audience you are writing for, it is time to retrieve your notes and look at your basic ideas. Firstly, you need to think of an imaginative title. For instance, if I was writing a review of the film Apocalypse Now, perhaps a good title could be, ‘faith and hope disappear in the midst of the Vietnam War’. This title gives a very brief idea of the nature of the film and provides a starting point for the reader to focus on. The second stage is to give a brief synopsis of the film. You could also state your early opinions here, but don’t give too much away too soon. Your aim is to make the audience want to finish the article. After the synopsis, go into detail about what you thought of the film. Was it thought provoking? Did it have lasting images and ideas that particularly enthralled you? Did you think that it was a complete turkey? Whatever you view is, it is important to stress it in a comprehensible manner. Examine the film more closely, try to go into detail about the many ideas contained within the film. Don’t forget, what you enjoyed and remembered from the images and ideas in the film are what could be the deciding factor in whether or not the reader actually goes to see the film themselves. If you really enjoyed it or really hated it, make it clear. It is necessary to break the film down into its separate parts. By this, I mean that you should spend time stating which parts of the film worked for you. Was the setting and atmosphere successful? Did the plot flow all the way through the film or did it become http://ks.essortment.com/writingfilmrev_ralk.htm (1 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:46:59 PM]

How to write a good film review

disjointed and messy part of the way through? You must also look carefully into the characterisation. A close examination of the key roles in the feature will provide your audience with a better idea of how the film is going to be. Never simply say that you loved or hated a certain movie without giving your reasons. Always explain why you feel the way you do and back it up with descriptive examples. Even though your article should show from the start what your opinions are, at the end of the piece you should give a conclusion that states strongly what you thought. Following these guidelines should provide you with enough information to start writing your own reviews. When you write a good review you should find it rewarding, especially if it is published.

Written by David Hill Title: How to write a good film review Description: A how to guide to writing a good film review that is interesting and hopefully publishable in the writing community Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

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Five fast and easy steps to writing nonfiction

Five fast and easy steps to writing nonfiction Writers trying to make a living with free lance writing, or at least trying to pad the pin money, need to know how to turn their pieces around from a vague idea to a finished product quickly, do research and not waste it, and organize their materials into a readable article with time to spare. For the purposes of this article, let’s assume you’ve chosen the topic you want to write about and have done any necessary research. Perhaps your research notes are a few scribbled lines, or an index card or two of details. You have an idea of what you want to say, but organizing your material, and knowing where to start have you stymied. Here are some simple steps that experienced and published writers say work for them. A—BRAINSTORM: On a large sheet of notebook paper, or on your computer screen, make a list of pertinent ideas, facts, theories and research findings you’ve gathered. Don’t second guess yourself or try to place them in any order, just let the intuitive juices flow and jot down everything that comes to mind. It may be a clearly dominant fact, a question, a phrase or bit of color that jumped out at you. My brainstorming list for an article I’m writing about how people use their gardens as spiritual refreshment includes the following: 1-how I find it easy to pray in a garden 2-is it the process or the product that most touches? 3-Three different women, 3 different gardens 4-The clean, sweet smell of cilantro spilling out of the herb bed 5-The sunshine on my back 6-Yoga in the garden 7-Shaw quote—“finding God in a garden, dig in the dirt to find him” 8-How to get started on your own 9-Fills the spiritual vessel

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Five fast and easy steps to writing nonfiction

10-Happiness, ecstasy I feel in an English cottage garden B—Begin to GROUP your list of findings or ideas into three or four groups. As I began to group my items, I saw that #s 1, 4 and 5 reflected my personal experience, so they were grouped together under I. The Shaw quote, with its bit of dry humor and truth, stood alone to me, as #II. #’s 2 and 5 hit on the common result all my subjects mentioned, so became #III. Forming IV were specific details about my three subjects, #’s 6, 2 and 9. Although #2 seemed to overlap two groups, I left it at first, to see where it best worked out. Finally, I had a hunch as I worked that #10 might make a good ending, and lumped #8 with it, as part of the closing information to provide in group V. C—Check to consider if you need MORE INFORMATION from your research, or additional research, or even some connecting ideas in each group of material. Here I realized I needed more specific facts from my research to describe each woman’s particular gardening benefits, so I went back to my research and added: #11, ONE woman’s meditation space built into her garden, and #12, one woman’s use of her garden as a subject of her painting. Both these items I added to Group IV. At this time I sensed a bit of weakness in my coverage of one subject’s garden, so I scheduled another phone interview with her to clarify some points and garner more details. I plugged that information in as #13 under Group IV. I also readily saw, with my charted outline, that my closing, after making suggestions for readers to follow in starting their own spiritual garden, needed more transition material, probably echoes of #2 and #9, which seemed, after I grouped them, like overriding themes. I so marked Group V and left it with plenty of material for a neat, 2-paragraph summary and closing. D—ORDER the groups of material, considering which group constitutes a good introduction, which a good middle, and which a decent ending. Already I had a sense of which material would make for a moving and helpful closing, Group V. As for an introductory section, at first, I thought I should start the article with my own awareness of my garden and my tendency to pray there. Then I looked at the Shaw quote, Group II, and realized it made a perfect opening—humorous, yet touching and non-threatening. I moved it to the Introduction spot. Now I had a beginning and an ending. The other three groups clearly made a middle, but in which order should I place them? Perhaps only in the writing could I tell for sure. For the middle section, then, I had three groups of materials:

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Five fast and easy steps to writing nonfiction

I, the portion about my own garden, III, the portion explaining the common results all my subjects experienced, and IV, the specifics of their experiences. Eventually, this order worked well, but I could have easily changed the order later. In addition, Group II was the introductory section and Group V the closing. My garden-spirituality article now had a map, a way to proceed, and even if there was some flexibility allowed as I went, it felt much more “do-able” than it had in the beginning. I no longer felt swamped with an overwhelming amount of data and no clear route to go. Putting meat on the bones of an article’s skeleton seems more like fun, when the writer has taken time to outline or organize in this way or some other way. With enthusiasm, I was now ready to start writing. E—WRITE each section, being sure to make smooth transitions from one section to the next. From this point on, the article wrote itself. Occasionally, the outline of an article, or at least which points you want to make and in which order, come to the writer before s/he starts. But when the direction is less clear, and you have what seems like a jumble of only semi-related facts to start with, this 5-step process is a big help. With your first draft in hand, it is not much work to verify that your sections have been placed in the right or wrong order. Make necessary changes in order, add extra detail if needed, sharpen the writing, check for smooth transitions, find a catchy title, unless the publication you’re aiming for, such as a newspaper, likes to come up with its own title, and type “The End.” You’ve BRAINSOTRMED, GROUPED your material, checked for MORE NEEDED INFORMATION, ORDERED your groups of material, and WRITTEN the best article you could write. Congratulations on a piece done using your best skills. It’s bound to sell!

Written by Eleanor Sullo Title: Five fast and easy steps to writing nonfiction Description: Tips for writers on writing nonfiction: how to brainstorm their ideas, organize their material, and create a clear, focused piece on any topic. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

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Five fast and easy steps to writing nonfiction

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How to write a working screenplay

How to write a working screenplay Writing a screenplay is by no means an easy task. It can be challanging and overwhelming to say the least. To simplify the process, a screenwriter will take several steps and follow certain formulas to achieve his/her goal. The script has eight main elements, all of which are key to an effective screenplay. PLOT - The events and action CONFLICT - The struggles and obstacles CHARACTERS - The inhabitants of your story SETTING - The world of the story; time/place STRUCTURE - The combination of all the elements THEME - The controlling idea MOOD/ATMOSPHERE - The tone or feel POINT OF VIEW - The character we mainly view the "movie world" from. Two questions you should always be asking yourself when writing a script are 1) What am I seeing? 2) What am I hearing? And always keep in mind that actions illuminates character and character determines action. Start with your IDEA Write your CONCEPT or LOG LINE - This is your idea in two or three short lines. (25 words or less) Write you OUTLINE - This should give us a general concept of your story. Don't be too http://sdsd.essortment.com/howtowriteas_rejv.htm (1 of 3) [2/5/2004 12:47:23 PM]

How to write a working screenplay

specific though. (2-3 pages) Next, your TREATMENT - This is where you want to give all the ideas and concepts of your story. All elements and details are disclosed in your treatment. (10-30 pages) STEPSHEET - This is a scene by scene work through of your script - who's making what happen, connections, tie-ins. Who, what, where, when, why and how. Another very helpful tool is the CHARACTER PROFILE Detailing each characters traits, relevant past, present and future. Today in Hollywood and abroad, the industry standard format for scripts is the three act structure. This was created by Aristotle for Greek theatre. ACT 1 - In act 1 you want to establish all your characters, place, time, situations, involvements. Everything that the audience will need to follow the rest of the film. The main character takes on a problem or faces a problem of some sort about half way through this act. This is called the inciting incident. (25%) ACT 2 - In act 2 you should be building all that has been established. Relationships, happenings and the problems your character faces. The complication should progress and by the end of act 2 your main character should seem defeated by the problem. Or if the end result is not positive then the character should seem to have defeated the problems(s). (50%) ACT 3 - This is where you want to resolve all that has been established and built. All loose ends are tied in this act up to and including the final push to the climax. Especially the character defeating or being defeated. (25%) An interesting way of looking at it is Put your character in a tree Throw rocks at him Then let him down You will inevitably face obstacles can at times seem overwhelming - perfection, paralysis and procrastination. Counteract with these three p's: Patience - Progress - Passion Keep at it. The only way to get better is to write. It doesn't matter what it is about, just write. And remember, TELL A GOOD STORY!

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How to write a working screenplay

Title: How to write a working screenplay Description: Learn how to write a working screenplay! Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

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How can I write a book

How can I write a book Before beginning to write a book you can prepare by following these tips: 1. Write in a genre that you like. If it is enjoyable, you will be more likely to put more time and effort into working steadily and finishing it. 2. Determine the reason you are writing and work toward that goal. If you want to become a best selling novelist then you need to produce material that is well accepted and will sell easily. If you are writing for your own pleasure and money is no concern, then this will not be most prevalent. 3. Gather your ideas, research, and clippings in a notebook or binder so they are all readily accessible when you begin writing. 4. Research your material. Even if you are writing fiction, you want to understand how to make your characters believable. If non-fiction is your chosen path, you must present documented resources for your facts and opinions of others. 5. Read articles from other writers about publishing books. Information from the experienced is often very helpful. 6. If you plan to have your book published, it is a good idea to research the different types of publication, whether you need an agent, and the cost you will have to pay up front to make this a reality. 7. Make time to write. 15 minutes per day should produce one page. If you wrote daily for 6 months, you would have approximately 180 pages. One hour per day could increase that to over 720 pages, which may be longer than necessary. 8. Work during your “free time.” You have more of it than you think. Carry a tape recorder or small notepad and take notes while in line at the grocery store or in a doctor’s waiting room. If you use the tape recorder method, you could talk while you are driving, sitting in traffic or stopped at a red light as long as you also concentrate on the road. 9. Join a local writer’s group or one on the Internet for support. You will have someone to turn to for encouragement, sympathy, or help. 10. Reread what you have written and make changes often. Don’t be afraid to go in a whole different direction than you originally intended. Often change is good. http://idid.essortment.com/bookwritehowc_rmtk.htm (1 of 2) [2/5/2004 12:47:32 PM]

How can I write a book

11. Do not use any previously published material without written permission. Plagiarism is against the law. 12. Do not use anyone’s likeness or quotes without their written permission. 13. Do not pressure yourself with a strict deadline if you cannot adhere to it. The goal is to produce good material, not bad material written quickly. 14. Check the finished manuscript for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation before submitting it. Consider hiring an editor to proofread and suggest any changes that need to be made. 15. Brace yourself for rejection from agents and publishers. Only a small number of books written each year actually get published by vested publishing houses. But with today’s advances in the Internet, you can produce your own copies for a small amount of money. It would be your responsibility to advertise and arrange payment methods and shipping.

Written by Susan Padezanin Title: How can I write a book Description: How can I write a book? There are easy ways to spark your writing and continue it until you have a book completed to your satisfaction. Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.

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