Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Introducing Proprioceptive writing – steps for writers with purpose

By Nick Sanders

The proprioceptive mode of writing was discovered by eminent psychologists to help people overcome emotional blocks, unravel deep-buried secrets and heal them. The general idea was that as a person got more in touch with his or her own experiences and emotional values, a complete cycle of stories would flood out of them. If a person wishes to heal their psychological hurts, and use their past experiences to enhance one's creative outputs, there is no better way.

Proprioceptive writing can be used by people of all ages, and some psychiatrists have helped teenagers and children with low self-esteem, or those in need of counseling, with this method. Children who could not express themselves properly through writing were given crayons instead of pens or pencils, and were told to draw instead of write. So, how does one get started with proprioceptive writing in the first place?

Well, there are a few things you need to know before setting yourself the proprioceptive ‘mode’. We first need to ready our brain for appropriate reception, and calm the mind. We all know that settling into a state of immense calmness is very difficult for our fast paced life, but the essence of the proprioception comes only when we are settled into meditative calm. Our object is therefore to primarily settle the turbulence of our minds.

To do this is not that difficult, once we are committed to looking after our well-being, and seek the wonders that lie within our minds. Since each of us have had experiences, desires, feelings, dreams and disappointments unique to us, we can tap into their experiential residue and extract positive and creative content out of them.

Proprioceptive writing can turn even the most bitter experiences and nightmares that we may have harbored within ourselves for ages into positive, creative material. At the unique and individualistic emancipation of something so-far held as negative, we get a sense of high-held liberty. "Seek the truth and the truth shall set you free..." – this remains at the core of every one seeking help through proprioceptive writing. Through a well-guided process of following the proprioceptive method, our long-term hurt becomes healed, and we receive a sense of well-being by realizing the lessons behind the most hurtful events in our lives.

We even get our very own creative fodder from our individual experiences! Eventually, we reach our dreams of being the best in ourselves by realizing the crazy uniqueness and individuality that creates our true self, and we learn to accept ourselves with our faults and mistakes along with our good points. In short, we learn to enjoy our lives to the fullest!

So how do we go about it? Any life-coach would charge you a hell of a lot of money to get you back to yourself. Try these techniques and see your life evolve. Let these points become your own free therapy, your own special time that you keep reserved each day just for your own use, and you will slowly see your "me-time" yielding great dividends later on!

Nick Sanders is the owner and founder of Supaproofread.com, an online proofreading and editing services company, specialising in book author proofreading and editing services. You should visit them if you are looking for a professional proofreading service

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Tuesday, September 2, 2008

How Can You Say What I’ve Written Needs Work

By Joyce Shafer

You must fall in love with editing and rewriting or with your editor if you want what you write to be a good read for others. There really is no way around this. You can choose to improve your skills or you can choose to find a freelance editor you trust and work well with.

Some new writers don’t realize that what they’ve written needs more than words spelled correctly. They write it, read through it once, and consider it done. They may even think, "Maybe someone needs to look at it just in case I missed a comma or two." Here’s another quote you might wish to take to heart:

When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing. -- Enrique Jardiel Poncela

. . . Or, it’s at least a fair number of hours spent on revisions. It’s rare that I don’t spend several hours revising a 600-word (or less) article I’ve written, after I’ve put it aside overnight. The more you do this, the better and somewhat faster you become; but a fact is a good job takes as long as it takes.

A few words about editing: we usually write to either entertain or inform. To even consider becoming a writer, we have to feel passionate about what we choose to share with others. This means in some way, we write from our heart. This is why our egos might feel bruised if an editor suggests we change something (or lots of somethings) about what we’ve written and poured ourselves into. With publishers, if you don’t follow their suggestions, they may drop your contract. If you self-publish, you have total control over everything; but you really do want to make sure you offer a quality product.

I helped one client with a non-fiction book that ended up being nearly 400 pages long. He felt it was ready to go to the formatter, though he understood I needed to read through it with my editor’s cap on. He said, "I read it in about four hours, so it shouldn’t take you longer than that to work on it."

Well, it took 43 hours to go through that draft and make all the (necessary) changes. The total number of hours it took to get it to publish-ready copy might astonish you, so I won’t tell you (he added new content until the day before it went to print). Consider this: When was the last time you read a comprehensive 400-page book in 4 hours, or 6? And, that didn’t involve looking at it for ways you could or needed to improve it.

I can’t fault him for this assumption. It’s tempting to read narcissistically (in love with what you’ve written and yourself for writing it) rather than as an editor would and must. This is why I recommend putting your piece aside for at least a day before you read it again. Sometimes what thrilled you when you wrote it causes you to cringe when you read it. It’s also called evolving; and you and what you write evolve together.

Once you write and publish your first creative or professional work, you’ll begin to appreciate this part of the writing process because your goal will be to do the most excellent job you can with your material.

An editor’s role, and this includes you as the writer, is to focus attention on content from the perspective of readers and the writer. When I work on behalf of a client (and their readers) I can’t afford to speed through it the way my client did. Since you’re serious about your writing career neither can you.

Joyce Shafer is a writer and life coach. Get Write, Get Published, and Promote: An Easy e-Guide for New and Aspiring Writers direct from her at discount and receive the free pdf of How to Have What You Really Want: An Easy Guide That Can Take You to the Next Level in Any Area of Your Life. Ctrl + click on link http://www.freewebs.com/writegetpublishedandpromote

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Monday, July 21, 2008

"What Should I Write About" How to Select Your Topic

By Katharine Hansen

At the beginning of this process, you may feel as if you have entered a strange territory without a map. You need guanidine for choosing your topic if you must select your own or for narrowing a general topic assigned to you. This section shows you how to get ideas for topics and what subjects are best to avoid.

Three Criteria for a Topic

Whether you write a literary, argumentative, position, or description paper, the subject you select must meet three important criteria.

• The topic should interest you.
• It should be written your abilities.
• There should be enough information available on it to complete a paper.

The first criterion is the most important. Something besides fear of failure has to sustain you through all the hours it takes to research, write and revise a report of term paper. Make the paper a process of discovery for yourself, something you want to know or say about a topic. That desire will help to see you through to the end of the project.

The second criterion is also essential. You may be interested in a topic, but not have the background of ability to handle it in a paper. Say, for example, you are interested in the flights or voyagers 1 and 2. You want to do a report on some of the computer programs that send commands to the small spacecrafts. The scientific journals are filled with complex diagrams and explanations, but you find none of it makes any sense to you. You have no background in computer programming and no ability to translate technical information into plain English.

You will either have to find a book or an article that translates the material for you or find another topic—perhaps what voyager 2 revealed about the rings of Uranus or the surprises the spacecraft uncovered as it passed by the outer planets. Although the topic about the computer programs fulfills two of the three criteria—it interests you and there is plenty of information—if it is beyond your abilities, you will not be able to complete a paper successfully.

Finally, make sure enough information is readily available for you to develop your paper. For instance, you may have heard about rock-and-roll bands springing up in Tibet. The subject intrigues you, and you feel you have enough musical background to write about it. But your preliminary research turns up only a half-page article in a weekly news magazine. Obviously, you are not going to be able to build a ten- or fifteen- page report on one short article. A better topic may be the rise of rock bands in China and Japan, a phenomenon covered in the U.S. and international press.

Finding a General Area of Interest

Suppose your must choose the topic of a paper yourself. Although this task might seem somewhat overwhelming at first, it can be broken down into manageable steps. The first step knows where to go for ideas about general of broad subject areas.

There are several major sources for topic ideas; textbooks; reference books that list term paper or report topics; teachers and librarians; your own or your friends' interests and experiences; and on-line databases, Internet, and Web sites. If you must do a term paper for a history course, for example, skim through your history textbook to find a broad subject area that interests you. Perhaps you find the European voyages of discovery appealing. Or your interest may be piqued by the medical practices of the Middle Age or the complex politics of the Balkans in the mid-1990s

If your textbooks do not provide a topic of interest, investigate the reference section of any bookstore or library. You are likely to find books that list hundred of term paper or report topic under all subject areas—history, literature, art social science, political science, and psychology. One of these topics may appeal to you.

Teachers and librarians are also good sources for ideas. They can help you to pinpoint an area of interest or can suggest topics that you haven't considered. It is a good idea to get to know your reference librarian, and this can be one way to introduce you. Good reference librarians are invaluable guides through the maze of research and reference sources. Their expertise can save you hours of effort.

If none of these sources yields any result, you can fall back on yourself or on your friend. Think about the movies, magazine, books, or activities that interest you: science fiction, sports, the war on drugs, international relations, music, the environment, psychic phenomena.

What would you like to know about these topics? What opinion do you have about them? Do you think drugs should be legalized? Do you feel that the government should do more or less to help protect the environment? In your opinion, have science fiction movies or TV series had any impact on shaping our current world? Should professional athletes be allowed to play in the Olympic Games? Are psychic phenomena real or imaginary?

One of these four sources—textbooks, reference books, teachers and librarians, your own or your friend' interest—will give you a general topic area for your paper.

Subject Areas to Avoid

Part of the process of choosing a topic knows which subjects not to use. In your search for a topic, keep in mind these guidelines for subjects to avoid.

• Subjects that is too recent. If a new law has just been passed, for example, there will not be enough information about its impact to serve as the subject of paper.

• Subjects that is too sensitive or controversial. Some issues, such as the firing of a popular principal or a recent racial incident in school, are highly emotional and likely to provoke strong reaction on all sides. It is often difficult to find objective information to present a fair treatment of the topic.

• Subjects that is hard to investigate. This can include subjects that are too narrow or specialized to have much information, too technical for your own and the readers' background, or for which information is too difficult to acquire. For example, the information may be in specialized libraries closed to the public, in international institutions, or written in a language you can not read.

• Subject that are distasteful or uninteresting to you. You may be tempted to accept any topic just to have something to write about. However, material that is unappealing to you at the beginning will tend to become more so as you would on it. If you dislike the subject of your paper, it's a good bet your readers won't like the way you write about it. Your own distaste or boredom will come across in your writing.

Remember the three criteria mentioned previously as you search for a usable topic: It must interest you, it must be within your abilities, and there must be enough information readily available on the topic to complete a paper.

Site Link:

http://www.academic-writing.net
http://www.academic-writing.net/termpapers.htm

The authors wish to thank the wonderful folks for their years of dedication and faith in all our work, and all the successful students who have used our site. For information about all aspects of paper writing especially essay, term paper, research paper, thesis and dissertation please visit the author’s Web site. Katharine Hansen www.academic-writing.net

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Sunday, July 20, 2008

Journal Writing Techniques – Secrets of Great Journal Writing

By Michael Lee

Whether you are writing a journal for an assignment or for personal purposes, having good journal writing techniques will really come in handy.

There are times that you will encounter what is known as a writer’s block. But with the right journal writing techniques, you can overcome this challenge in no time.

What is Journal Writing?

Journal writing is the process of recording your own personal experiences. You can write the detail of your experience as well as your comments, reactions, and reflections on that particular event.

You need not be a great writer to be able to write your own journal. You only have to organize your thoughts well so you can easily put them into words.

Basic Journal Writing Techniques

Journal writing can be as free formed as possible. There is no standard rule to follow. The important thing to remember is that the content should be coming from your own ideas, based on your experiences.

One of the most common problems that people usually encounter is choosing a topic to write about. You may have a plethora of ideas running through your head, but you just can’t seem to make a decision on what to choose.

A good journal writing technique that you can use is to get a piece of paper and a pen. Write down every topic that you can think about. Write every idea you have on your head until there is nothing left.

Now you have a list of topics that you can write about. Browse through your list and find that topic that strikes you emotionally more than others.

Now that you have your topic, write your thoughts about it. Some people can’t instantly organize their thoughts and put them in paragraph form.

Here is one of the journal writing techniques that could help you. Again, get a piece of paper and a pen, and create an outline based on your topic.

On top of the page, write your topic; below it, write every idea that pops to your mind. It would be best to just write it in a bullet or list form at first.

Once you have done that, you now have written your ideas; the only thing left to do is to arrange and organize what you have written and turn them into paragraph forms.

Developing Your Own Journal Writing Techniques

As you continue with your journal writing activities, you will be able to develop your own journal writing techniques. However, when you try to develop your own set of techniques, remember to base them on the basic principles of journal writing.

Journal writing is a very enjoyable as well as therapeutic activity that any person can do. Even people who have no inclination to writing can do this especially if they know and practice some journal writing techniques.

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Saturday, July 19, 2008

Creative Writing Ideas – How to Write Creative Masterpieces

By Michael Lee

Creative writing ideas can hit you anytime. It can hit you while you are nonchalantly doing your everyday household chores or while you’re doing your normal tasks.

But there are also times that creative writing ideas, no matter how hard you try, just won’t seem to form in your head. When this happens to you, you can count on the methods and techniques below to help your mind easily come up with great ideas to write about.

Pick Out A Scene

This is one of the simplest techniques to come up with creative writing ideas. You start out by thinking of a scene. If you still can’t think of a specific scene on your own, then stick your head out your window and observe the people around you. Pick any of the activities they are doing and stick with it.

Now that you have your first scene, you need to explain it. For example, a scene you have chosen is an average looking guy briskly walking down the street and suspiciously scanning the area around him. You then explain why this certain person was walking this way. It is possible that this person was part of a gang who just robbed a store and was acting as a decoy for the police to follow. Then you just explain further and add random scenes as you continue the story.

From the scenes you have created, you can then build a creative story from it.

A Combination Of Different Stories

Another effective way of coming up with creative writing ideas is through a combination of different stories - the more absurd the combination, the better.

A good example would be combining the story of Noah and the Arc and the story of Star Trek. You can come up with a story featuring one whole family who survived the demise of their planet by escaping through the spaceship that they built. When will they be able to go back to their home planet?

Another good example would be combining the story of Romeo and Juliet and the story of King Kong. A human has fallen in love with an ape who has the ability to speak. Unfortunately, the norms of society wouldn’t allow their love to flourish.

There are a lot of innovative writing ideas you can come up with by combining different stories.

It's All About You

You can use yourself as the source of creative writing ideas. Be aware of your interests and preferences. Get to know yourself better and know what truly are your opinions about different subjects and topics. You can use your emotions to stir up your writing juices.

Whatever you can think of, write about it. Pick a topic say, politics. Write what your opinions are and the emotions about the current issues in politics. List everything you can think about it and make a list. You can then pick a topic from this list to come up with your creative writing ideas.

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Monday, June 23, 2008

The Writing Format: The Heart of a Policies and Procedures System

By mediawyse

The writing format (approach) is a critical component of any successful policies and procedures system. And more importantly, it must be consistently applied across both policies and procedures and must lay out content in an easy-to-read and understood format. Using the adage, "Practice makes perfect" applies in this situation. Practice does not make perfect unless it is a correct practice. Given the same logic, the writing approach is not acceptable unless it meets all the criteria of being both successful and effective.

A "writing format" is a structure or outline format for presenting policies and procedures in a logical order that can be easily understood by readers. It lays out the content of any policy or procedure document and presents a logical reading sequence. The section-formatted structure can assure consistency among policy and procedure documents.

The ideal writing format is when there is no distinction made between a policy and procedure document. As the reader might guess, this would solve many problems and make publication, communication, and training easier. How is this done? Write a single document, e.g., travel expense report or purchase requisition, and don't name it as a policy or a procedure document. Rather, use a format that contains a policy statement as one of the pre-defined, core sections; now, the guidelines of the document are directed by the embedded policy statement. The readers are pleased with this solution because now they don't have to refer to separate policy and procedure manuals for similar content. In the examples below, the policy statement is the third section of the preferred "pre-defined sections" writing approach format.

There are three popular format styles, one of which stands apart from the others: (1) pre-defined sections; (2) free-flowing role structure or Playscript; and (3) free-flowing writing. The third format approach, free-flowing writing, is really no format at all. Unfortunately, many companies today use this "free-flowing writing" format (probably due to their lack of knowing that a writing format template does exist). In this format, the content is written in a random, inconsistent manner. The reader is never certain about the starting or ending point of the policy or procedure document. This method is often referred to as the "Paragraph-style" of writing and generally leaves the reader guessing the purpose and importance of the policy or procedure document. This is NOT the behavior the policy and procedures writer wants from the reader.
The second format, the "free flowing role structure," is often referred to as "Playscript." Literally, "Playscript" refers to dialogue, a dramatic composition, or a screenplay. Policy and procedure writers use the "role" method adapted from the Playscript format where the role is stated in the first column and the action is stated in the second column of a two-column layout. Proponents of this format argue that the reader doesn't need to know everything about the "who, why, what, where, and how" of every policy or procedure document. Opponents, in contrast, argue that the Playscript method is cumbersome and leaves the reader clueless as to the intent of the policy or procedure document. This is simply not a good format for documenting business processes.

The first discussed format, "Pre-Defined Sections" is the easiest format approach for the reader to understand because the format consists of pre-defined, pre-approved sections that are used in every policy or procedure written and published. Consistency is quickly achieved. The seven core sections of the "Pre-Defined Writing Format" are Purpose, Scope, Policy, Definitions, Responsibilities, Procedures, and Revision History. Content, properly added into these sections, provide the "who, what, why, where, and how" of business processes and help to make up the substance of policies and procedures alike. Depending on the industry, the policy and procedures writer might add sections, e.g., background, references, or disciplinary actions for non-compliance.

A policy and procedure system without a consistently designed, and applied, writing approach is mostly viewed as broken, obsolete, or ignored by its readers. The writing approach includes the mechanism for capturing ideas, workflows, solutions, forms, and any supplemental information about business processes, in one place. An effective writing format template contains the same core sections each and every time; there is never a deviation.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/

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Sunday, June 22, 2008

Writing Tips For Novice Authors

By Params Singh

If you are reading this article then you probably have asked yourself at some point in your life, "Do I have what it takes to become an author?"

I believe that successful authors, those who actually write and finish that novel, or book of poetry, or even that book of short stories, and see it all the way to publication, have certain characteristics.

Characteristics of Authors

1. They like to sit for hours in front of a computer screen (or with pen and paper), typing (writing) away.

2. They think about their book, even when they're not writing.

3. They are motivated to finish their book.

4. They are motivated to proofread, edit and revise their finished book until it is the best it can be.

5. They are motivated to publish their book.

6. Once they publish the first book, they are already working on the next one.

If you answered yes to anyone of the above, then you have a good chance of attaining your dreams of becoming an author. Don't listen to those people who say it's a competitive market out there. Don't listen to those people who say they've written five books and haven't had one published yet. And don't listen to those people who send you back your manuscripts! Listen to yourself. Listen to that inner voice, the one that is whispering now. But wait until you get started. Once your book is written and published, that inner voice will be roaring! And the whole world will hear about it.

I know, I know. I tend to be the optimist. But we have so many pessimists in the book business, we sure need some more optimists around!

For you, the novice writer who would like to start writing that first book, the best way to begin is to start writing. Yes, just sit down and do it. Stop the other activities, the television, the reading, the shopping, the chatting on the telephone, and find the time to devote at least one hour a day to writing.

What’s one hour a day in the scheme of things? It comes and goes like this, poof! What do you have to show after an hour of television? A lazy yawn? If that same hour were spent on writing, then there would be a product in your hands, something that will be shared, hopefully, one day with others.

So, go ahead, shut the door to the rest of the world for one hour (or more) and make yourself comfortable in front of the computer screen (or pen and paper). Let’s take the first step to becoming an author.

How To Begin

Foundation

Just like a construction company which builds a foundation to a home, you also need to prepare a foundation for your career in writing. Don't skip this step, it's important.

Your "foundation" will consist of basic writing skills. Remember those English courses you took in high school and college? If you don't remember anything from those courses, then it wouldn't be a bad idea if you found your old English textbooks, dusted them off a bit, and looked through their pages to refresh your memory.

If you haven't taken any courses in creative writing, you might consider signing up for one. Check with your local community college. They often offer weekend and evening classes, and sometimes even online classes. If you're on a budget, then visit the public library and sign out books relevant to writing.

In addition, it would be very useful to join a writing group (online or in your local area) that critiques your work and gives you the opportunity to critique also. The group provides wonderful support and an avenue to sharpen your skills as you gain experience in writing, as well as exposure to other people's writing. For example, Writing.com is a good example of an online resource that provides many opportunities to share your writing, and get your work rated and reviewed. If you want to join a critique or review group, it offers that also.

The second step to becoming an author, is to have the right tools.

Tools Needed

Besides a comfortable chair, plenty of lighting, and a quiet room, you will need a computer with a word processing program (e.g., Microsoft Word), a printer, and plenty of paper.

Why a computer? First of all, publishers typically will request a copy of your files sent to them on a floppy disk. More importantly, working with a word processing program will aid you in many ways towards becoming a published author. It will provide the opportunity to save your work as a Word file, without having to use up tons of paper (as with a typewriter). This greatly aids you in keeping your work organized. It also gives you the flexibility to edit and re-edit large sections of your work quickly by allowing you to utilize the copy and paste functions.

Other advantages of using a computer word processing program is that it provides spell check capabilities, and also helps you count the number of words per page. In addition, when you want to spice up your vocabulary (For example, if you like to use the word "walk" often, and are getting tired of that word), place your cursor on the word "walk", hit shift F7. It will give you a list of synonyms you can choose from - like stroll, amble, etc.).

The time saved by using a computer is very valuable. It gives you more time available to write! Of course, if you don’t have the above materials, don’t let that stop you from writing that book! Using a pen and paper is perfectly fine. Books were written with these two basic tools for centuries.

Let’s assume you are using a computer and a Word processing software. First of all, before you begin writing, form a subdirectory that you can add all your chapters to. Maybe you know the title of your book already. Fine, then form a subdirectory using the name of the title. After you finish writing that first chapter (oh joy!), just save it as Chapter 1 under the subdirectory. If you are writing a book of poetry, then you might want to save each poem as a separate file.

When I write my chapters for my novel, I format them in double space mode, with a Times New Roman 11 font. All the margins are at least one inch. This way it will be ready for manuscript submission.

Try not to add your page numbers until the very last revision. Page numbers constantly change when you’re revising, so wait until the end.

Finally, another reason for having a computer is for Internet access. As a writer, you will have opportunities to submit your fiction online, such as http://www.Writing.com, or even your articles online for e-zines, such as http://www.articlecity.com. Any chance you can get to write online, do it. As long as it doesn't take too much time away from your book. It's also a free way of promoting yourself before the book is even published.

So you need to balance your time in writing that book, honing your writing skills, submitting your work along the way for others to critique, and promoting yourself. Can you do it? Of course you can!

The third step to becoming an author is:

What to Write

If you are planning to write a novel, it would help to know what general category your book is going to be in. Will it be in the romance, mystery, or science fiction category? If you don’t know, take some time and think about it. Read some books in those genres. Which books seem to attract you the most? It’s highly likely that you’ll be writing in the category that you like to read. My preference is romance because I read those types of books the most. Once you decide the category, then you are closer to writing that novel!

For poetry, you might start by writing a poem and submitting it to a poetry journal, or a poetry contest. Gain exposure for your poetry. Join a critique group so you can sharpen your poetry skills. A chapbook usually consists of about 25-35 poems. For a poetry book, you'll need at least 60 pages of poetry, if not more.

Types of Novelists

I have found over time, that there are two types of novelists. The first type is the writer who prefers drawing up a proposal or plan of what they will write about. The second type prefers to write whatever comes into their mind at that moment.

You decide which writer you will be.

Type 1 Novelist

They begin by describing the characters, their names, personalities, and sometimes their motives. Then they decide when and where the setting will take place. When will it take place? If it takes place before the 1900’s, then it will be considered historical. Also, will the setting be in the country, in a city (which city?), in a house (whose house), on a cruise ship? That needs to be defined also.

Once those decisions are made, they write brief sketches of each chapter. It could be a page or two long. Once all this is done, then the real writing begins. If this method works for you, then feel free to use it. It may take some time, but you will become more confident about what you’ll write once you go through this initial process.

Type 2 Novelist

What if you’re the type of person who doesn’t want to spend all that time writing proposals and character sketches? What if you’re like me, who prefers to just write whatever comes into your head? Then do it! Sit down and start writing. Write anything.

As the story develops, something wonderful begins brewing in your mind. Something called creativity. I’ve caught myself hours after I finished writing a chapter, and I’ll be preparing dinner, or walking somewhere, and a scene from my novel will begin to unfold. It’s called creative problem solving. My mind is working to solve the problem that the writing presents it, even though I’m not actively writing. When I get those urges, I immediately stop what I’m doing and jot down my thoughts. It’s helped me many times, particularly when everything clicks together.

How Long Will It Take?

It took me almost two years to write and find a publisher for my first novel, Lipsi’s Daughter. For other people, it may take longer or shorter, depending on the amount of time they allow for writing and how many pages they are writing. I know of authors that took six, seven, up to twelve years to write their first book. I also know of a famous author who writes two novels a year!

So unless you begin writing that first page of your book, you'll never know how long it'll take you to write it. Go ahead, make that first step, and good luck!

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Saturday, June 21, 2008

Term Paper Writing Headaches

By Bree Benson

NO MATTER how a lot of students do their best to make a term paper that would really make the grade, some of them still end up unsuccessful—their "best" seems to be not good enough.

They shouldn’t put all the blame to writer’s block, as apart from partial loss of memory, there are other "injustices" that strike students whenever they have to produce term papers:

Getting sick. Colds, fever, flu and worst, chickenpox hit students when they least expect it. Teachers usually give their students kind consideration by allowing them to submit term papers behind the deadline, but other professors just do not have the heart, and say: "If there’s a will, there’s a way… submit your work by hook or by crook!" It’s difficult to extract your creative juices when you’re not at your best. Getting sick is just normal, but getting sick when there’s a term paper task approaching is definitely abnormal.

Scarce reference materials. So you finally found a topic that will catch your teacher’s eyes and may rouse the interest of your classmates. But after days of researching and gathering of data, you only got a maximum of two reference materials that will support your term paper. Why wait for the days to pass, when you can still change your topic if this is the case?

The best books have "gone astray." Why does it have to be this way: All of the books you are trying to look for and need to borrow in libraries… are the ones missing in the bookshelves!

Don’t ask yourself, "God why me?" or "God why now?," as you are not the only one making a term paper—never forget that you have classmates and students from your locality or country doing term papers, too.

In all likelihood, their topics are similar to yours’—and one of them went out of his way to visit the library earlier. But there are still other books, magazines, or newspaper clippings that you can use as references—they’re just waiting for you to browse them patiently.

The books you need are "out of your world," which simply means the "good finds" deemed helpful in your term paper writing can be found in a library that’s not just a stone’s throw away, but miles away from you! And if you try to borrow it via "inter-library" means, it would take you couple of days or even weeks. Well, find another resource material.

Lack of time, or is it lack of discipline? Once your teacher gave your class the green light, begin with your term papers right away! It’s like choosing between typing your final draft over playing basketball with friends. Finish ahead of deadline, so that you will not cram and will still have plenty of time to read, proofread or revise your term paper. Coming up with a term paper that will get a sky-scraping grade has never been, and will never be that easy.

But, to actually realize this goal, you just have to make an extra effort to impress your fussy professors, as to the quality of term papers you submit to them.

Bitten by the travel bug in her early twenties, New Yorker Bree Benson just relocated to United Kingdom for that experience of the European life.She currently works full-time as a copywriter for a small advertising firm in Birmingham, as well as a part-time term paper editor in an online writing firm in Homewood.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Friday, June 20, 2008

Want to Find Fresh Exciting Topics to Write About? Here's How

By Mervyn Love

Keeping an editor supplied with topical articles can be a bit of a struggle at times. With these simple strategies you can soon have fresh new ideas pouring onto the page.

If you're like me, then the major problem is finding the topic that will have editors chortling with glee because he knows his readers will love it. The actual writing of the article holds no fears; it's just finding the right topic and one that's going to be a winner. So here are a few tips on capturing those elusive ideas.

Perhaps the first and easiest thing you should do is pick up the nearest newspaper and read the headlines. If you think this sounds just a little too down-to-earth - think again. There are many best-selling articles that have been jump started into existence by a newspaper headline.

Here are a couple of headlines I came across whilst writing this:

'Laptop Thief Has Bank Details of 15,000 policemen.'

This could start you thinking about laptop security and how you can best protect your data from being compromised. You could write an article on the various methods of blocking viruses and keeping out SPAM. How about an article on the growing trend of hi-tech theft, or the use of the internet and computers by the criminal fraternity? What steps are the banks taking to prevent fraud and identity theft?

'A Monster Following For Nessie.'

Apparently, in this news item, the Loch Ness monster was voted the most famous Scot! This could lead to articles on famous mythical creatures. Is there any basis in fact for them? Were there really flying dragons in Wales, etc? What about an article on real life monsters, unusual creatures that live in far away places or under the sea? How about how the tourist trade capitalizes on myths and monsters, with examples of some wacky souvenirs?

Often a story will grab your interest about some subject you've never heard of before, or about one that has been lurking in the back of your mind for a while and now is the time to follow it through.

Other ways to find new topics is to visit the library or a good bookshop and browse the titles. Go to sections you are unfamiliar with and see what titles will jump start your imagination and produce some exciting and informative ideas. Pick up a magazine on a topic that you are vaguely interested in and read it just for fun. Several ideas may jump out at you whilst you're reading. Your mind makes associations and sees things in new ways when it's relaxed by reading.

Keep a look out when you're on a shopping spree. There are always plenty of items for sale you've never noticed before, and some of them are fads.

Fads are good to write about because they tie into the current collective consciousness and therefore people are interested in reading about them. Food items, clothes, gadgets, furniture, gardening, pets - almost any consumer section is prone to fads and fashions at some time.

Don't be afraid to let your mind wander. Just put your mind into free fall and you will most likely end up with several new topics you wouldn't have dreamt pf before. You find yourself enthusiastic about writing your new article and may even end up with a list of new topics that will keep you busy for several few weeks!

Don't be afraid to have a go at a new idea or topic. There is a huge amount of information available to you on any subject you care to mention, especially on the Internet.

Read as much as you can, take notes, talk to people who know the subject you're interested in, and you will soon be turning out articles that editors will grab with alacrity.

Visit WritersReign http://www.writersreign.co.uk for a sackful of resources, useful links, markets, writing competitions, software, articles for writers, and more. There's a free Article Writing Course at http://www.writersreign.co.uk/WRac.html up for grabs too. Sign up for it now before the opportunity slips quietly into obscurity... you know it makes sense!

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Tips for New and Aspiring Writers: One Way to Make What You Write Better

By Joyce Shafer

Anytime you decide to write anything, whether it’s an article or a manuscript, you should congratulate yourself. Some people find writing easy, while others feel less sure about the process or their skills. Either type of writer is courageous. You know that when you write, especially if you intend to share it in any way, you open yourself to comments from readers.

One of the best things you can do for your writing is to have someone read and critique it. You may feel hopeful the person will like the story, perhaps even anxious that she or he may not; but your primary goal is to get feedback that will help you create a quality result.

You want someone who will take this effort seriously, and need to expect that what you get back may have a lot of notations and questions. At first, you may not be thrilled about this. As you read through the notes, you should see tighter ways to write sentences, inconsistencies brought to your attention, and some things you didn’t give thought to as you were writing. No writer thinks of everything during the first draft, and every writer edits and rewrites.

When we write non-fiction, we sometimes forget that readers don’t know what we know and we leave things out or don’t put things in the best order. In fiction, we may get so caught up with the story we miss inconsistencies or leave questions unanswered. We hopefully concern ourselves with punctuation, grammar, and the technical aspects of writing, but miss something or several things that could make our writing go beyond good and become excellent or, at the very least, accurate. One definite benefit is that you learn and hone your skills as a result of getting such feedback.

The thing you want to do is rely on someone who not only has the skills to do this but is objective enough to do it so that you get what you need. Writers sometimes ask the wrong people to do this for them and it often results in frustration. Many projects get shelved because of this. Do everything you can to nurture your creativity and move your project forward until you get your desired outcome.

Get what you’ve written critiqued or learn more about services for writers offered by Joyce Shafer, author; weekly columnist; and freelance proofreader, editor, and rewriter at http://www.freewebs.com/write-onwriting.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Nothing is better than these tips to write articles so quickly

By Gagan Singh

Owning, running and maintaining an internet based business or a site needs articles. Plain and simple, every who has a site knows this. Even those who don’t have sites but are frequent internet users knows this as well. Articles quench the thirst for information and knowledge of the people. Plus, the articles provides many other benefits for the site.

The benefits that articles provide are putting a site high in the ranking in search results of keywords and keyword phrases that pertains or are relevant to his or her site. They also provide attraction to website visitors when they are appreciated and is linked to your site from another site or newsletter. Articles provide for the increase of the confidence and trust levels of customers to your site and company.

Many articles are also beneficial to both company and its traffic. When the readers like the articles, they would tell more of their friends, family and peers and recommend your site to them, providing for a larger volume of traffic. You get bigger sales if your traffic trusts and believes in you. Your product or services would be much easier to sell when they know you know what you are doing and talking about.

So ok, we have established that articles are very important to a site and to business. Articles are crucial and to keep ahead in the game, a site must have an article, it is imperative. There is one dilemma though, not many people like writing articles.

Many website owners would rather spend their time on something else, and unless you’re a big time company, you don’t have the necessary resources to use on a pool of article writers. Plagiarism or copying of other articles is frowned upon and could easily get you into trouble, worst case scenario; a hefty fine and jail time.

So what are the other options?

Well, for starters if you hate writing articles and you can’t afford to hire people to write for you then don’t. Get free articles. The first place to look at for free articles is the public domain. Here you won’t have problems with copyright infringement and the following penalties and fines if you get caught for plagiarism.

Public domain articles are articles freely given to the public for public use. You can do whatever you want with it. You can place it on your site, name it as yours, put it in a newsletter its you decision. Always remember though that you will have to choose articles that is very relevant to your site.

The downside to public domain articles is that since it is free for everybody, many of your competitors may have access to them as well. Since every site needs to be original and unique even though you have the same niche, this could be a predicament. You may also have to edit them a bit to place more keywords and keyword phrases to make them better.

Another way to get free articles is to allow other sites which has the same subject or topic as yours to submit articles to your site. This would be only to augment your existing content or else all your articles would be leading to other sites since these articles would have resource boxes with them that could link or direct the readers to their site. That’s why it is important to have your own articles; you cold use them to link your site to other sites as well.

But, to truly feel the impact of what a good article to you, go for original ones. There are many article writers who do part time and freelance article writing jobs that charges only minimal fees. You can get good articles that have all the keywords and keyword phrases you need and people are looking for.

The investment you made for these articles would be worthwhile because you could use them for all the benefits you could offer. You hold copyrights to them and you will be able to use them anyway you want. As your articles help you in building your business and your site, you will have more articles to write and maybe then you wont be having second thoughts about articles.

Click here to get your Automatic Article Submitter Software Automatic Article Submitter Software for Instant Traffic and Internet Marketing

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

The Basics of Content Writing

By Abir Roychowdhury

Content writing has an important role to play in the current scenario of web marketing and e-commerce. With search engine rankings playing a pivotal role in the business strategies, content writing and development has reached new heights. So it is quite distressing when a website fails to get short-listed in the topmost positions of search engine results. It is of the utmost importance to write content that sells. The content should contribute towards a high conversion rate.

Let’s check out how you can make your content writing more effective.

• The first thing to keep in mind is to keep your style of writing easy and concise. You must keep in mind the on line, impatient reader. They will have no time to read highly convoluted forms of writing. The easiest way to retain their attention is to write in simple sentences that convey your point effectively.

• Write in the active voice. Always make it a point to avoid the passive. You should involve the readers. They should not get the feeling that they are reading a sermon. Engage with them in a conversational tone. That’s the only way to turn potential buyers into dedicated customers.

• Using keywords and phrases is another trick of the trade. Effective use of keywords will ensure that your site gets listed in the topmost positions in search engine results.

• Alienating the reader will do no good. You should use words that are common or familiar to your readers. People visit a web site with a particular intent. To gather certain information or to buy something or to subscribe or enroll into a membership.

• Content writing is not about how well informed you are in the English language. It is about establishing a good rapport with your readers. You should have good communication skills. You should be able to communicate complex ideas to others in a simple language.

• Always write from a reader’s point of view. The customer (in this case the reader) plays an important part in on line advertising. So it would be good to step into his shoes. To address the issue from his viewpoint. Involve him. That’s the only way of increasing viewer retention.

• Using pompous words and phrases are a strict no-no. Use concise, objective language to communicate effectively. The reader should be able to understand your point. It should not go over his head.

• Write how your readers will be benefited by the services, which you are promoting. You should not only write about the features and services. The stress should lie on how your reader stands to be benefited by that particular service.

• You should write a well-researched content keeping in mind the current market trends.

• Before writing about the topic, you should have a clear idea about it. You should gather information about the particular topic from books, websites, CD-ROM’S.

• Your content should provide useful information. Keep out everything that is irrelevant or unnecessary. It won’t do to beat about the bush. Deviating from the subject in hand will confuse the reader. The only way to keep your reader’s interested is to provide him with the necessary information that he is looking for.

• The heading is the most imperative feature of content writing. Give a suitable heading that draws the attention of the reader. Heading should be within 8-10 words and should be the most significant piece of your writing. It must describe effectively what you are writing about.

• Divide your content into several paragraphs. It should consist of a well thought out introduction, a body and a conclusion.

• Keep your sentences short and descriptive. Lengthy sentences have a negative impact on viewer retention. Ideally your sentences should be within 15-20 words.

• The heading of the article or content should include keywords to ensure search engine optimization.

• Use subheadings to effectively highlight all the points. Subheadings also help readers to go directly to some point or information that they want to obtain. Readers will scroll through your article only when they are convinced that they will find something of interest in it.

• Another thing to keep in mind is not to make the paragraphs too long. Lengthy paragraphs will bore your readers. There should not be more than 40-70 words in a paragraph. Just make your point and keep it short.

• Use of bullets and numberings will make the content attractive and easier to read.

• Important words and quotes should be highlighted throughout.

• Use action oriented words for added emphasis.

• You must proofread in order to avoid redundant phrases and incorrect use of grammar and syntax.

• Edit again and again to see whether the content forms a well connected whole.

Following the points, you should invest your writing with a clarity and style that is irresistible to readers. Clearly state the point you are trying to make and influence your readers to take a decision.

Abir Roychowdhury is a professional Internet marketer. For Affordable Business website design 2.0 Custom Secure Ecommerce web development SEO Content writing Services Company or for Hire Real Estate Ecommerce Web 2.0 web Designers eCommerce Shopping Cart Web Developers dot .Net PHP Web Application Development Company SEO services India visit www.businessprodesigns.com.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Winning Tips on Effective Content Writing

By Abir Roychowdhury

Content is an indispensable part of your website. But how do you invest your web content with that extra competitive edge? Writing content that will attract lucrative business prospects require a lot of expertise. It is really a challenge to make effective online copy. Let’s discuss how you might tackle this problem head-on.

Beginning at the basics

You must remember that clear and concise language is the stepping-stone for good content writing. You should avoid decorative, pompous phrases. Sentences should be kept short (maximum 15-20 words). Paragraphs must not be too lengthy. Otherwise they will invariably bore readers. Remember that the most powerful word is "YOU". Involve the readers and approach them directly. You are writing for the impatient online reader who does not read word for word.

Hitting the top in search engine results

Use of the relevant keywords and phrases will ensure search engine optimization. If you are promoting software services then the relevant words should be entered into the title. This will ensure that you get listed among the top thirty in search engine results. Otherwise it would be better if you might as well not exist. And this is a problem, which baffle clients the most. The oft-asked question is: why does my website fail to feature more in search engine results?

Who are your visitors?

Content should be written from the reader’s point of view. Use words and phrases that are commonly used by the reader. Write in a conversational tone. You should not alienate the reader at any cost. What does he come to your website for? It is either to collect data and information, or to buy something, or to make a subscription. So you should use words that he is familiar with. Remember, visitor retention is the yardstick of success for good content writing.

Provide specific information

Generalized information works just as well. But sometimes visitors search websites for obtaining information about some particular aspect. Thus it would do well to be as specific as possible.

The inverted pyramid style

You must be able to grab the reader’s attention at the first go. Otherwise he will wander to other sites. So it is necessary to put the most important point at the top. You should be able to show why your product or service is great.

Write with action and verve

Use action-oriented words. The online reader won’t be interested to read a dull and boring article. Your article should be a complete burnout. You should be able to drive the fact that whatever you are saying matters the most.

Ensure complete scan ability

Bulleted lists and highlighted words aid in scan ability. Use of bold fonts and colors help to draw reader’s attention to certain words and phrases. This ensures high search engine ratings.

Mention sources

The online reader is skeptical and hard to convince. So mentioning the sources of information by adding hyperlinks increases the trustworthiness in the eyes of the reader. Don’t overstate to establish credibility. Stating the sources will help to convince the skeptical reader.

Evocative subheadings

Subheadings should be meaningful and not merely impressive. Besides, most online readers tend to scan and skim through articles. Subheadings thus make it easier for readers to locate information.

Word count

Online reading is tiring for the eyes. So the word count should be half or less than half of conventional writing. You should keep in mind that you are not writing a book. Describe your points briefly and in clear, concise language.

Nouns and verbs

Use nouns and verbs. Avoid adjectives and adverbs. Nouns and verbs generate an active sense and play an important role in involving readers. The readers will feel that you are addressing them directly. This will help to build an intimate rapport, which invariably leads to increased visitor retention.

Importance of punch line

Effective punch line aids in highlighting the key points of your article. If your website does not feature among the top 30 in search engine results, then all your effort is ultimately a waste of time. Average attention span of the online reader is very little. If they do not find anything of worth, while scanning your page, they will move on. Punch line helps to focus the attention of the readers to the relevant material they are searching for.

Not merely promotional

Demonstrate what your site will provide. You should clearly highlight how the products and services will benefit people. Simply using promotional words are not enough. Merely using promotional words like "incredible", "fabulous", "great", wont impress readers. State why your product, why it will be of more service than any other product available in the market.

Lateral thinking

You should read closely the titles and headings of various articles and news items. This will help to create an innovative writing style. Don’t let your content be a run-of-the-mill product. It should stand out from the millions of other websites available on the Internet.

Revise and edit

The article should form a coherent whole. Omit redundant phrases and incorrect grammar and syntax. Inclusion of these things will have a negative impact on visitor retention. As a result you will fail to generate sufficient traffic to your website. This will prove to be harmful towards targeted business objectives.

A good content should engage the attention of the readers. It must have a market-oriented approach. So a well-conducted market research (case studies and statistics) should be an integral part of your content. You must also be careful in selecting effective keywords and customized graphics to ensure maximum web visibility. Your content should be such that it will drive your readers to take a decision. Another important thing to be kept in mind is to focus on the visitors needs. Involve the readers; keep a conversational tone and go on to write great content that sells.

Abir Roychowdhury is a professional Internet marketer. For Affordable Business website design 2.0 Custom Michigan Secure Ecommerce web development UK SEO Content writing Services Company or for Affordable Custom Business website design development SEO Services KPO GIS BPO Services India visit the above links.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

The Revolution That Turned Writers into Publishers (and How You Might Not Realize It!)

By Jo Ann LeQuang

This is a short history of media. Bear with me, it's worth it. The thing is, a revolution just happened, and I wanted to be sure you were awake.

In the beginning, books were handwritten on scrolls made of leather. They were extremely rare, precious, and expensive. People were mostly illiterate, since books were priceless as diamonds. The only things that got into books were very important things, like sacred texts or royal decrees.

People mainly clustered in groups to hear what these texts said when an authority figure read them aloud.

In the 16th century, Johannes Gutenberg invented the movable type printing presses. To be sure, presses were in existence before that, but the Gutenberg equipment allowed for the relatively cheap and rapid production of books. People started to learn to read. Books were suddenly affordable, even if still expensive.

Books were an individual experience; people read and studied in isolation. Cultures emphasized individualism.

Printing got so cheap in later years (17th, 18th, 19th centuries) that political manifestos, advertising texts, and how-to manuals found their way to print. Then came magazines and novels. Publishing was now an industry.

People mainly still read in isolation.

In the 20th century, TV and radio changed how information got disseminated. Literacy was no longer required, nor was an authority figure. If you owned the right technology (radio or TV set), you got the message, and you could listen alone or in a group.

These "broad"-casters had to develop messages that fit the broadest possible populations. Advertising made this a business and "publishers" got involved in the form of station owners.

Then came the Internet.

Now everything is different. We could talk a lot about the isolation versus community aspects, the resurgence of literacy skills, and the splintering of the broad markets into niches. That's all very nice.

But we're writers. What we have to care about is something I hear almost no writers talking about. What happens to the writer in this revolution?

That's the good news (for writers, at least). In the Internet, podcasting, digital media world, publishers are left out of the equation.

With every other type of media, whether they were papyrus scrolls or satellite radio broadcasts, a commercial or governmental entity had to exist to distribute the message. The Internet basically eliminates that. Anyone can get on the web.

Not only that, I can set up a $20 website tomorrow that has the same exact "reach" as CNN online. That's an industry term that means that it is accessible to the same amount of people. (Granted, they're not all going to tune in to my website, but I have the technological "reach" to communicate with them.)

When I first started writing, writing was all about finding publishers and selling to them. A lot of writers still look at the writing industry that way. A lot of writers are also poor and browbeaten.

The problems with publishers are many. First, publishers determine the content and they are prone to buy the things they can best sell. This means that niche products, specialty markets, and unusual outside-the-norm writing is almost impossible to sell. Second, publishers keep most of the money. Granted, I know they take the risks but the deal is set up so that publishers get rich and writers don't. True, there are exceptions. But for every J. K. Rowling there are dozens of Randolph Hearsts and Rupert Murdochs. Third, publishers call the shots. Writers have very little leverage.

The beauty of the Internet is that it made the publisher obsolete.

Now if you want to publish a novel in hardcover form and have it on the shelves of every brick-and-mortar bookstore on earth simultaneously, you are going to have to try to break in to the traditional publishing model (good luck).

But what if I told you that you could now set up your own online magazine in the form of a website? You make money (or "monetize the site" as the cyber crowd says) by selling products or advertising space. If you'd rather sell a how-to book or a collection of recipes, you can market this directly online as a digital product.

The line between writer and publisher has more than just blurred, it's disappeared.

The first people to recognize the tremendous potential of the Internet as a new publishing venue were the technical geeks. In an ironic twist, they were the very ones who did not care about it.

The next wave of recognition is going on now as professional marketers and former denizens of the infomercial and direct sales world hit the Internet. These marketing gurus realize they can now sell information products and online advertising cheaper, faster, and easier than anything else.

This is the part that I don't want you to sleep through. Writers have a tremendous natural advantage here. Most Internet marketers complain loud and long about one thing: content. That's the new word for articles, podcasts, videos, and all of the other information that people online are seeking.

Content is tough for most Internet marketers. True, these marketing guys and gals have to learn some technical skills and it's no walk in the park to set up a successful website and get traffic, but the overarching worry they all face is this. Content.

As writers, we are natural born content-making machines. Most of us can write well and easily about a wide range of subjects; we know how to do an interview and how to do basic research; we are deft at crafting sentences and we don't flinch when we're asked our opinions--about anything. In short, we're communicators.

Nobody on earth is better poised to take advantage of the Internet than writers.

Yet most writers are not aware of the Internet, don't know a revolution just happened, and even if you could convince them to test the waters online, they would howl in protest at having to learn technology.

It's true. Technology is going to be a bit of a stumbling block, but it can be learned. (Hey, 12-year-old boys have their own websites, why are you in such a panic?)

Another big leap is the realization that the old business model no longer exists. Publishers do not have to be involved in your quest to get your words and ideas in front of your readers.Of course, this takes a knowledge of new business models and paradigms. Even today, these new business models are still being worked out. Ask ten successful Internet entrepreneurs how they make money online and you'll likely get ten different answers, maybe even more, since a lot of these guys dabble in more than one business model.

In short, it's a great day to be a writer. Do you realize what's just happened?

Don't snooze through the revolution! Zip on over to http://www.workingonlinewriter.com and look for more articles by Jo Ann LeQuang here.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jo_Ann_LeQuang

How To Write A Farewell Speech

By Jennie Amit Gandhi

Good byes are touching. The memory of good byes while taking leave from our relatives after a great get together, a yearly meet with friends, reunion good nights and relocation farewells are all emotional experiences. This is one time, when we regale through all the experiences gained from this outset. Farewell speeches are not a compulsion but a gesture of showing your feelings. Farewell tones go on from Thank you notes, recounting experiences shared, first time meetings and also clarifying misunderstandings.

Formal farewell goodbyes are necessary in office culture. Generally the dress code is formal and the ambiance gives it a ceremonial feel. It is highly necessary to Thank all your peers, colleagues, associates and blue collar profiles too. Keep the list minimum and a long list of thank you notes can render the speech as tedious.

Keep a general line, ' I thank all those people who have stood by me, my associates here and other peripheral support, for the recognition I have gained in these twenty years.' Complete by shaking hands with each person, recognize team effort. Go across to senior colleagues and if you notice that someone is an introvert, make the first move to bid goodbye. This is not the time to harbor old grudges and make up with someone you have not been cordial with.

The photographs, send off gift and citation is a life time award and will always be green in your memory. Office farewells, can also be marked with humorous lines enumerating instances. However, it is best to judge the nature of the gathering and if the atmosphere is congenial to such one liners then one can try this example, ' The first day, I entered office, it was pouring and no one was around. I came in dripping wet with a crumpled umbrella to find Mr., Albert squeezing his socks'. This sure will lighten the atmosphere if it has turned serious with your introduction, ' This is an overwhelming moment for me. As many times I have stood in this podium to deliver speeches and presentations to bag a project, this one is a sentimental expression from me.'

Long years of friendship end when students finish their high school studies. The memories reflect sharing, merits and little meaningless fights. This is the time to go forward to someone whom you have disliked or had a brawl with. If you are appointed to give a farewell speech, write a few lines yourself. Make sure to thank all your teachers and helpers in the school. Appreciate the overall support, the extra help at math and the cultural programs.

Be natural, spontaneous with 'I did not realize that I have grown up enough to leave school. Miss Bridget would be happy today, since she always kept telling me to 'Grow up' whenever I whined at homeworks.' 'I remember the support when I my baseball team lost the match and Coach Edward remarked that he could see the fighting spirit in me which is the mark of a sportsman. Looking in the direction of Mr. Edward you could take a bow and say, 'You have been real special.'

Thank your friends. 'I am wondering if I would get lonely at the graduation college, since am so used to leaning on your shoulders (pointing to your group). The base for honing my personality has been this institution and the continuous support of my all my teachers. (addressing the dean). On behalf of all the students, I thank you.'

For writing any kind of farewell speech, it is necessary to have strong command over English speaking, as English is an international language. You can also check our websites on writing farewell speech and quotes by famous people for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennie_Amit_Gandhi

Sunday, May 25, 2008

How To Write Effectively

By Francisco Segura

The use of e-books is increasing as they are a great way to promote a service or product but many people are not that confident about writing them. If you have been considering doing this already but are not sure how then read on as some useful information is discussed here. Some people use other writers to help with the content until they feel happy they can do this on their own.

The subject of your e-book is quite easy to work out if you have an interest in a specific area, why not write some articles and get the feed back on whether people are willing to pay for this information. Single articles are an easy place to start and they can also be sued to market your book before you have even completed it. This is a simple process whereby the promotional articles are sent to directories for insertion; the number of views they get will provide a good indication just how much interest there is in the subject.

Once this is complete you can start writing the content of the e-book and work out how you want it to look. Books generally follow a familiar structure of: introduction, main subject content and a conclusion but it is becoming very common to see an additional section on resources. To help increase the number of sales it is often worth adding extra material.

Once each article is written, place it into the e-book so you will have a better idea of how long it will be. E-Books are shorter than print books with the optimum length being around 50 pages so stick to the topic, and offer good, useful information. People do not like reading on compute screens so prefer to have shorter books that do not drift from the subject.

If you want to give further value to your e-book then why not research some additional information which you can add as a bonus. From your point of view this bonus information does not need to be anything more than some extra articles you did not use in the book or a short report you have written. Any extra material you supply will need to be worthwhile on its own and be related to your e-book subject.

Francisco Segura owns and operates http://www.mcsadirect.com Mcsa

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Friday, May 2, 2008

Freelance Writing Jobs - Tips

By Patrick Sia

For a freelancer who wishes to work on the internet and survive, these tips are his lifeline!

For writing ideas, browse the internet and you will find a lot of ideas to write excellent articles. If you are a frequent traveler, then write on the experiences you have had during your travel. Travel related articles are in high demand and can fetch premium payment. If you are passionate about dating, that niche too has a very high demand. To find out what is in demand at the present time, visit sites like the Yahoo! home page, or visit the Bestseller section on Amazon and you will find great themes that are highly sought after. News related articles and product launches are also very highly sought-after items, which can bring you money and instant fame. Celebrities and fashion related articles also have great following, and web magazines are constantly looking for those articles from freelancers.

Create your own website and write on various popular topics. A contact page is a must, and you can also put impressive testimonials on your site. Optimize your website and submit it to all the search engines. A good ranking in the search engines will bring you highly targeted traffic and business with it.

Become a member of niche forums and place your link in the signature space. Help the members on the forums and write short articles as posts, aiming to help those members. This will establish you as an expert in those topics. Places like the DigitalPoint and WarriorForum have a huge database of members, and most of the members require good articles either for their own websites or for their clients. These sites can quickly establish you as a good freelance writer and bring in steady jobs. Sometimes, you will get so many orders that you will need to hire more writers to fulfill the writing schedules. Personally edit each of those articles written by your writing team to maintain the highest quality.

Write passionately and do complete research for each assignment. Work towards creating a great style of writing. Take caution that no grammatical error escapes the quality control scrutiny. Constantly keep up with learning more and more niche topics that are in high demand.

A freelancer must be a master in his topics. Your clients will expect a great article every single time! Give it to them! Once you create a great writing style, it is far easy to embed a great story in any writing job. When there is less workload, utilize that free time to educate yourself more. The internet is a big free library, and you can find a lot of authentic reading material on any topic. You can also utilize your free time to write specimens and sample articles, which you can send to your regular clients. They might need those articles very shortly, and will be very thankful for your "help". Such considerate thinking and actions build great relations!

Create a portfolio page on your website and add your best articles there. Create many different sections and have sufficient samples. These come handy when you approach new clients or apply to the popular magazine websites. As the editors are extremely busy there, they have just enough time to gaze through a physical portfolio. When you leave them a link to your virtual or online portfolio, they can view the portfolio at their leisure. Even if busy, any editor has the knack of spotting great articles and ideas, and if your portfolio has the spark, then you can very shortly get a positive call from the editor. As a freelancer, you have hit the jackpot! That will be your day to rejoice!

Patrick is a passionate believer in the power of technology to better the lives of everyone and his passion and drive are hallmarks of his attitude to doing business.

Get work at home jobs @ http://www.WeWorkAtHomeOnline.com and http://www.MumPassiveIncome.com without the need to pay any upfront fees.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patrick_Sia

Sunday, April 27, 2008

What's New With You? How to Write a Press Release

By Kathryn Beach

The purpose of a press release is to briefly state your case to the media so someone will want to write about you, your business, or your product. The key ingredient is proving that your story is newsworthy.

Learning how to write a good press release is not much different than any other writing you do to promote yourself, your business and your products. As always, the focus has to be not on all of the above, but on your reader. The only differences are in the format, and you can find press release templates all over the web easily. Think about content only for now.

Your content is very basic "who, what, where, when and why" info. The "why" is, why is it newsworthy?

Here are the steps you need to go through to plan your angle, your "hook". You may be thinking, "I'm not newsworthy."You may be happy to learn that there is no need to be. You have to find something that IS newsworthy that connects with your product.

Where do you get your news from? You probably get it from a combination of places. My news comes from forums, blogs and television. Perhaps you find out your news from neighbors, chats, and newspapers. It doesn't matter where. There's a certain celebrity that likes to tell us what's "hot", so take notice of what's in the news that pertains to your business.

I'm a writer. I get ideas from the strangest places. It took watching a television show for me to remember that college students are on spring break currently. College kids are all about writing, now I'm thinking of what they write. I could write a report on how to write a research paper and have it ready for when they're back to school. How many of them will be panicking about getting that paper written before finals?

Is there anyone else living on this continent, besides me, that is mostly ignorant about hand-held communication devices? Even so, it appears to me that new uses are turning up daily. Maybe something in this area applies to your business.

Two houses down from me the city is turning a playground into a dog park. Dog parks seem to be springing up everywhere. I would think there would be socialization issues here; suddenly all these dogs that have been walked on leashes all their lives are running free. If you had a dog website, how to train your dog to play well with others would be a good topic for an ebook or report and featuring training aids (are there any new ones?)

Once you've found your "newsworthiness" angle, your press release will almost write itself. Remember, it's all about the readers that the media contact will be writing for. What's in it for them? At the very end of any press release template, there's a paragraph that is usually referred to as the "boilerplate". This is very simply your "elevator speech" about your website or business. It's that two sentence, 15-second description that you use everywhere you're asked what it is that you do.

Your boilerplate appears at the end of your press release and is the only place in your press release where you mention, in a matter-of-fact way, precisely what your business does.
Kathryn Beach writes original content for her own websites and for clients who pay for her ghostwriting services. She specializes in helping clients add optimized content to websites and promote their businesses with article marketing.Kathryn Beach, Copywriter http://www.kathrynbeachonline.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Friday, April 25, 2008

Start Writing Your Book Now

By Roy Klienwachter

I get it all the time when I tell people that I am a writer and published author. They tell me, "I wish I could write a book," or "I thought about writing a book," or "Some day I'm going to write a book" - so when are you going to start?

Then I hear the excuses, "I don't know how to write," or "I don't know where to start," or "Nobody would be interested in what I have to say," etc, etc, etc. If I pressure them a bit, then they may try to change the subject. I think many people have a romantic idea of what writing is all about. The truth is, the writing itself is very easy and is completely natural for most; it is our negative thoughts about it that gives the greatest difficulty. There is a book in each and every one of use that needs to come out and there is one person waiting to read it.

Writing is very much like going to the bathroom; it's in you and it needs to come out. Sometimes it just crap, and other times it's a very relieving experience. But the reason you do it is always the same - you have to!

I think people who want to write get confused between writing just for the sake of it, and wanting to write a book or article. They don't really know why they want - they just want to - because. Believe me "because" is good enough. However, if you think you are going to write a book and it's going to be a million seller, you are most likely setting yourself up for disappointment. Of the thousands of books written every year, very few are published and even fewer are best sellers, and even less are million sellers.

It is not my intention to discourage you from writing; quite the opposite; I want to encourage you to write something, anything; just get started!

There is a very simple writing process that I teach people that is full proof. Anyone can write a word, anyone can turn that word into a sentence, and that sentence can be made into a paragraph - anyone can do it, I promise. I will tell you how, and we'll see if your thoughts of being a writer are just a whimsical idea; like being a rock star or movie actor and if there is a true desire to write.

Good books don't just happen; they are created through hard work. The writing is the easiest part of creating or publishing a book and you can do it, if you have the desire. It's all the other things, like proofing, publishing and marketing that scare many writers off.

Most people have a fear of making mistakes or not having the perfect book on the first draft. Those people who do have these fears will most likely never start. But I will tell you - all writers whether it is their first effort or they are seasoned writers, all have the same fears.

When I sat down this morning, I had no idea about what I was going to write about. I tossed around a few ideas and agonized over the title. It's not very often that I have the thought before I sit down. The only thing I have before I start is the desire. An idea may come to my head, but then the ever present doubt comes, "what do I know about that," or "I won't have enough material to make a descent sized article?" Never is there the idea in my head that someone might not like it; that doesn't enter my head because the truth is; I don't care if anyone likes it - I write for myself first because it is in me to do so, and it needs to come out.

This thought allows me to move forward and start the title and first lines of the article or book; from there the material just begins to flow. The real bonus is that because I have done it for myself, the article or book is already a success, I am relieved and the paper work is done.
I will give you a very simple and short version of how to start you poem, article or book. This works every time and you cannot fail.

Find a place where you feel comfortable; many of us writers like the kitchen table and there are some good reasons for that. It is a place that is familiar and a place where we have experienced many things. The ghosts of family members and friends and others are sitting there with us. Their images are opportunities for a story, poem or article.

Many people start off thinking they will write their memoirs and are quickly turned around by what comes out. An experienced event may turn into a philosophical book about things you never thought you knew anything about and now you have become an expert.

I never thought that I was spiritual, certainly not religious; but I have been writing spiritual material for eight years and my books are selling in nine countries and my articles are being read all over the world - who would have thought?

You need to bring something to the table; how about a pencil, pen and paper. Leave it on the table and don't do anything; just get comfortable with the idea that it is there and so are you - don't think!

Let your mind wonder and take no notice of what you are doing or why, this is a form of meditation, but with one exception. In meditation we want to get into a state of nothingness and try to stay there as long as possible. Here we want to get to that state then notice a thought, when the thought comes to our awareness, write it down quickly. Then go back to your meditation. Note here that it doesn't matter what the thought is, just write it down.

This is stupid; I'm sitting here wasting my time! This table is dirty!The neighbour and his damn lawnmower; I can't concentrate!The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog!Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party!I've got better things to do!This is not working!
Congratulations, you're a writer; this is what we do.

Now, you just need to do this again sometime. Throw your paper into the garbage, and put away your pen. The only difference between what you have done and what I do is that I write a few more words than you.

The biggest mistake most beginners make is that they think their spelling, grammar, structure and style have to be perfect - wrong! Never think about these things. The whole idea of what you just did was the same as going to the bathroom - you got to get the crap out - it's a start. If you get to the point where you have written a book; there are people you can pay to make changes and corrections - don't worry about it. I will make the same mistake with this article as you will. I will proof read it myself at least three times and then submit it to my site for people to read. The worst person to proof read your material is you. There are very few successful authors that do all their own proofreading, except for those of us who can't afford to have someone do it for us. If you are the only one that is going to be reading your work, then that doesn't even matter; just write.

After you have practiced this little exercise a few times, you are going to be amazed at what begins to flow from you. It will more than likely be something completely different than what your initial thoughts were. You must keep going and see where it takes you - that is the excitement. Trust me; you will be going on a wonderful trip. What you do with your writing after you have done it doesn't matter if you have written for yourself first. If others will receive benefit from what you have done, great; that is a bonus for you and you may even earn some money for you effort. But your greatest reward comes from doing it.

If your desire comes from a true state of being a writer, your one, two or three words will work into sentences, paragraphs and books. It happens automatically despite the fact that you may think it doesn't. If you continue with this exercise, I guaranty something extraordinary will happen; what you do with it will be another thing; at this time it doesn't matter. The whole point of this article is to get you to begin somewhere. How much effort does it take to write one word? In my genre, two words describe perfectly what life is all about, they are "I Am" and it is all you need to know. "I Am and writer" is a declaration life being a writer. Even if you write down "I can't do this," you have succeeded. Now that's a great title for a new book!

It was not my intention this morning to write an article about writing that would help you get started along your new journey - it just flowed out of me.

PS, I didn't think I would get past the first paragraph with this article; I am one day late to post it to my web site; but it is done in spite of my doubts.

Roy E. Klienwachter is a resident of British Columbia, Canada. A International published author, a student of NLP, New Age Light Worker, Teacher and Phenomenologist. Roy's books and articles are thought provoking, and designed to empower your imagination, and take you to places you would never have thought of. Read about Roy's books at: http://www.yourlifewasnevermeanttobeastruggle.com, http://www.leddownthegardenpath.com or visit his main site at http://www.klienwachter.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roy_Klienwachter

Sunday, April 20, 2008

5 tips for clear and effective writing

By Mark Gwilliam

Writing is one of the most important skills that a business owner can possess. Whether you are looking to write business letters, emails, blog postings, forum posts, articles, newsletters, eBooks, eZine, autoresponders or sales copy; your ability to be both clear and effective will determine your levels of impact on you readers.

Here are 5 tips for clear and effective writing:

Catch the Reader’s Attention

When you are writing you should start with a short sentence that is designed to captivate your reader’s attention. The goal of the introduction is to make your reader interested in what you have to say.

You will want to identify the bigger picture of your writing by explaining why your topic is important and how it applies to your reader’s personal or business life.

You will also be able to catch your reader’s attention by knowing the audience; who they are, what their needs are and what would they be hoping to learn or gain by reading your text.

Use Strong Verbs

Verbs describe action and readers pay attention to action. Use active verbs instead of static verbs, avoid turning verbs into nouns and beware of using technical terms that you reader may not understand.

Clear descriptions are powerful when communicating a message in a way that is interesting and easy to follow for your reader.

Keep Your Writing Simple

If your writing is not simple, you may lose your reader’s attention. Be sure to construct simple messages, avoid parentheses, strive for simple paragraphs and have a clear and organised path for your reader to follow.

An organised writing structure with well organised thoughts is crucial to use when planning your business writing.

Keep Your Readers Involved

There are several ways to keep your readers involved while they are reading your writing such as providing specific examples, using stories to paint pictures in the minds of the reader and using effective quotations when appropriate.

Use an Effective Closing

When you are concluding your written content, it is important to summarise your thoughts and to include a clear call to action for the reader to follow.

Be brief in your conclusion and be sure to end by emphasising your thoughts and what the reader’s learnings or calls to action should be.

You will need to learn how to be effective in all forms of written communication in business.
To learn about how to use clear and effective writing when drafting an email, read my article called "3 Incredibly Simple But Outrageously Powerful Keys to Guaranteeing your Email Messages are read".

Emails can be used for business communication, general communication and sales messages as an autoresponder. Mark Gwilliam, FCCA, uses his international experience to coach small business owners on how to run successful businesses and how to attract and retain profitable customers. He combines his natural enthusiasm for sharing his knowledge with his proven ability to provide practical down-to-earth solutions for his clients.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Monday, April 14, 2008

Recheck As a Writer, Get to Know the Climate

By Vince L. Paxton

If you are a person that is looking at getting into travel writing, it is most important that you've had experience in traveling. In fact, it is most essential! That is where a writer gets his/her material for their stories for the papers. Often, when writers travel to different areas, they visit as many place there as they can. They also make it a habit to talk to as many of the locals as possible. Sometimes, they even ask people if they can interview them as that often makes them more willing to talk.

When getting acquainted with the road, it is important that the traveler immerses into not only the cultures of all the cities, but in the climate as well! In fact, when going abroad, it is best to absorb everything, especially the local scene. Also, it is good to get to know the people and their customs; while trying to capture the essence of everything. That way, you will have plenty to write about!

When you are not traveling, read up about the meaning of travel writing. You will want to read brochures, travelogues, travel magazines, and road books, etc. It's not everyone that can just pick up a pen and start writing.

When writing alone, very few writers actually make a living; so it is most important to have something to fall back on for an income. Also, writers have to be sensible when it comes to their expectations of the job; especially if it doesn't happen over night! Many times it may take years for a writer to get recognized. However, you don't want to use that as an excuse! Even if you get rejection letters don't take them personally; most editors are specific about what they want; such as a specific travel destination or a specific climate.

Just because a person is writing about traveling does not mean that they can write about anything; you must make sure that you are writing quality articles! The best way to achieve that is to keep writing, no matter what! In fact, it may help to experiment with different perspectives, tones, and also a different style of writing! Find out what kind of writing sells the most. Some topics are written about so often that the average reader is bored with it. The title of an article often plays a large part in if it is read, too. Make your title as exciting and inviting as possible. If you're writing about traveling experiences, try to go with locations that you think the public will be interested in.

No matter what you do, it does not matter as long as you get the work done correctly; even if it takes you a couple different times!

The columnist Vince Paxton is very interested in things related to temperatures around the costa blanca. Sharing his passion in detailed writings on costa blanca weather and costa blanca weather report the columnist improved his skill in the field.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vince_L._Paxton