Monday, August 31, 2009

6 Highly Useful Things to Guide Students When Writing Their Essays

The students from the various scholastic levels would usually be required to write different kinds of essays for their classes. Professors would either give their student's a topic, something that is about their course, or give the students the option to pick their own topics. What these means is that writing an essay is always a big part of a student's life. However, Not all students are good with using language or writing essays. Some lack the proper grasp of grammar and vocabulary to make the article.

For the students who are not as skilled or are having difficulty in finding time for writing their papers, these 6 tips would help in creating a good quality essay.

  1. Choose a topic that involves a personal interest. Crafting an essay becomes less tedious if one is innately enjoying what he is writing about. This makes writing about the subject something of a second nature to the writer. For car enthusiasts for example, an essay on the newest cars or parts is just like talking with their friends and sharing interests. In situations wherein the professor hands out the topics, the students can just write on the topic in a way that uses an angle related to the interest.
  2. Do some research first. Before doing the writing, the student should first do some research. Being able to research the topic of the essay,gives the writer the opportunity to take various points and angles and use them in the essay. This research task is even much easier now with the advent of the internet and various online resources.
  3. Create an Outlines for the essay. Creating an outline for the essay allows one to see how the essay will be structured and what kind of sentences each paragraph should have. A good outline would use either topic sentences or idea phrases, to make it a worthwhile guide for the essay writer.
  4. Look at example essays. An essay example gives students the chance to learn more ways of writing their papers. Having access to other essays helps one learn how to use smooth transitions in presenting their topic. The essay example allows the student to look at how the author talks about the topic. One can then emulate the use of language, style, and flow of the author in their own papers. To be able to find examples, the students can ask their professors or can even browse some sample online articles.
  5. Make sure the paper follows the instructions and guidelines set by the institution. Academic papers have to follow a specific set of rules with regards to its format. Format rules would usually include specifications for font sizes and styles, and margin width. Check that the paper is able to follow all these rules.
  6. Check for grammar and typing errors. Avoid point deductions from your essay due to errors in spelling and grammar use. Low grades are given to well-crafted due to such markdowns. Grammar and Typing errors can be seen by the professor as sloppiness on the part of the student. Use the spellchecker in the software, as well as check the paper once it is printed out.

Angela Foster is an English Literature professor in her local college. She had been a teacher for 20 years and is known due to her essay assignments on everything. When not giving out or grading submitted papers and other articles, she spends her time by taking care of and playing with her granddaughters. She can be usually found visiting the park or zoo with her grandchildren, playing the role of their tour guide.

Creating Conflict - Writing Skills

All drama relies on conflict. Conflict creates challenge and the process of the protagonist facing the challenge to resolve the conflict is the very basis of storytelling.

To the novice writer the concept of conflict means something physical, typically war, but war is only the ultimate conflict. Below it lie the many levels of difference and misunderstanding between peoples which drive drama. Even a romance, which one would imagine is the antithesis of conflict needs it or it fails to stand up. Boy meets girl, gets married, lives happily ever after, is not only wishful thinking, it also fails as drama.

So, at what level should you pitch your conflict? The answer is at as many levels as is possible and believable. Readers love complication and a protagonist, a soldier in a war, with a girlfriend who disapproves of his profession, a criminal past which is catching up with him, and a terminal disease, just about hits the limit of what readers will swallow.

Better perhaps to stick with a dual conflict scenario, always remembering that your conflict must be at such a scale that it cannot be easily solved. Remember too that your conflict need not necessarily be between humans. It can also be between man and a force of nature. Chief Brodie in Jaws battles not only against a great white shark, but also against the Mayor who does not want to close the beaches during a holiday period. Only by resolving one conflict can Brodie face the next.

Conflict can be created by any of the human failings. Greed, jealousy, intolerance, avarice, hate, lust, we are a seething mass of potential conflicts. But remember too that the more noble emotions can lead to conflict. A man who loves a woman may find that his love is unrequited and this in itself creates a conflict.

The other strength of conflict is that it creates tension, and this can be true between characters who are ostensibly friends. Resolving such conflict will lead to dialogue and dialogue again drives forward your narrative.

Remember too to base one of your conflicts at a human level. Rebels fighting against an evil Galactic Empire may be the headline, but it is the simmering tension between Luke, Solo and Princess Leia that audiences log on to. This conflict is resolved not by action on the part of any of the protagonists, but by received information in the form of the truth about the relationship between Leia and Luke. This relationship and its resolution had no particular part in the great tale Lucas was telling, but had a part to play in the development of his characters. It was essentially, a conflict within his subplot.

Conflict too can be used as a device when the narrative is running on empty to re-energise the story. A new conflict can bring fresh life to your story. This must be used sparingly however as it may become too obvious to the reader that the writer has been struggling.

Creating conflict is easy. Put two characters on the page and have them disagree about something.

Gurmeet Mattu is an award-winning writer with a track record in print, stage, radio and television, as well as being a qualified Trainer. He is currently operating http://scriptschool.co.uk from which he offers various writers' services ,including a critique service, his Creative Writing Guide, a range of Free Factsheets and ebooks, together with many other resources.
ScriptSchool also offers clients a page-turning 3D Ebook packaging and marketing service for their self-published material. Books, catalogues, brochures, photo albums or whatever.

20 Top Tips To Writing Effective Surveys

Writing surveys is easy; or is it? The truth is that writing surveys is easy but writing effective surveys is more difficult. The following are twenty tips that if followed will help you write more effective surveys.

1. What is the purpose of the survey?

Surveys are conducted for many reasons. By phrasing the questions and structuring the answers surveys can be used in a multitude of ways and for a variety of reasons. When compiling a survey dont loose sight of its purpose.

2. Title the survey

The survey title is a golden opportunity to instantly summarise a survey's objective and grab the attention of invited respondents. Respondents are going to invest time in completing the survey so make them feel that their investment is worthwhile.

3. Do not make the survey any longer than it needs to be

Every question that is asked should be asked for a reason. Focus on need to know questions and minimise nice to know information.

4. Use plain English, avoid jargon and acronyms, maintain consistency and dont ask questions that may result in ambiguous answers

Care must be taken in wording a question. If a question is not clear then there is every chance that respondents may interpret the question differently to that intended by the publisher making any analysis of the data meaningless or at the very least misleading.

5. Avoid long questions

Try to use short sentences wherever possible. Long questions tend to cause respondents discomfort and can lead to a higher level of incidents where respondents abandon a survey.

6. Ask one question at a time

Avoid confusing the respondent with a question like Do you like football and tennis?

7. Avoid influencing the answer

It is important not to load the question. Should irresponsible shop keepers who sell tobacco to children be prosecuted? is unlikely to have any value.

8. Ensure that the answer format used allows the respondent to answer the question being asked

Allow the respondent to answer how they really feel or they may be less inclined to complete the survey. As a last resort consider the benefit of including a Dont know, Cant say or similar response option.

9. At the same time that you compile the survey consider, when the survey is complete, how the compiled data is going be analysed

If a question is asked that allows a free text open ended response appreciate that such information is likely to be difficult to score and/or summarised. Consider grouping answers. For example How long have you worked here? - less than 1 year, between 1 and 3 years and more than 3.

10. Ensure that the questionnaire flows

When asking questions group the questions into clear categories as this makes the task of completing the survey easier for the participants.

11. Target your respondents

In some cases you will want to target a specific group, in others a cross section. If you cant easily control the respondents consider including questions/answers that will allow you to filter out respondents who dont fit your target profile.

12. Allow the respondent to expand or make comments

Allowing the respondent to make additional comments will increase their satisfaction level and will also give valuable feedback on the specific questions and/or the survey as a whole. Remember though for a large sample collection it may be difficult to analyse free text open ended responses.

13. If the survey you are conducting is to be confidential ensure that your pledge is upheld

If you have assured the respondents that the survey is confidential ensure that the individual data is not to be shared with anyone and the information is not going to be used for any other purpose. Confidentiality must be maintained at all times and any identifying information destroyed after the survey is complete.

14. Weigh up the benefits of allowing respondents to be anonymous or identifiable

If your respondents are to be anonymous then appreciate that you will be unable to follow up or match pre or post surveys. However in some cases allowing people to remain anonymous will allow people to respond without possible peer pressure.

15. Give careful consideration to the best response format

It is good practice to maintain a consistency in the format used for responses. Keep in mind that when analysing the data radio buttons are easier to analyse than check boxes that offer the respondent multiple responses. Do not use a check box if a radio response would do.

16. Give the respondent an idea of how much time the survey will take.

Respondent drop out can occur if the survey appears to be a stream of never ending questions. It is good practice to give an indication as to how long the survey is likely to take so the respondents can choose the best time to complete the survey.

17. Inform the respondents of the survey end date

Encourage respondents to complete the survey as soon as possible but advice respondents as to the surveys end date so that they have the opportunity to schedule the necessary time.

18. Pilot the survey

Before publishing a live survey publish a small pilot survey to check for questions that are ambiguous or confusing and to ensure that the survey is aesthetically pleasing.

19. Before publishing the survey proof read the survey several times

Check and check again that the survey is grammatically correct and makes sense. If possible get someone else to proof read the survey before you publish, if no one else is available then take a break before checking again.

20. Remember to say thank you

To complete surveys respondents need to invest their time and should be thanked either in a covering letter, at the end of completing the survey or in a follow up letter. You may even want to consider incentives such as a prize draw or reward.

For more information please visit http://www.SurveyGalaxy.com

Martin Day is a Director of Survey Galaxy. For more information please visit http://www.SurveyGalaxy.com

Writing Press Releases - Step by Step

When it comes to writing your press release, it can be a lot easier to write than you would think. Just remember these simple tips:

Keep it simple. Potential customers aren't interested in every detail of your site; they just want to know how it applies to them. If you go into every detail, your message will be lost and you won't get any new viewers. On the other hand, if you show why the site should interest them, then you should be gain a number of new customers.

Summarize. If there is something that you need to go into detail with, summarize. People do a lot of reading for their jobs and so dislike reading when they don't need to, especially when it comes to advertising. If you have a lot of unnecessary verbage, it is unlikely that your entire message will be read before it gets deleted.

5W1H. You need the basic information, so don't forget the basics: Who is this going to benefit? What will do for them? When will it be effective? Where is this information found (i.e., what is the website's URL?)? Why does it work? How will it help me? Answer those questions, and your press release will be effective.

Let it rest. When you have finished it, put it away for at least two hours, and then come back and re-read it. Don't be afraid to re-write it, even completely. The professionals do it; why shouldn't you?

Writing a press release can be difficult the first time, but it gets easier. Just remember to have some fun with the writing, and it should go fine!

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article marketing success, Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide

Download it free here: Internet Article Marketing

Do you want to learn how to build a massive list fast? Click here: Email List Building

Planning Your Perfect Paragraphs

Reading is magical for so many of us. Reading novels can be hard to fit in because we have family and work responsibilities, but when we do the rewards are priceless. So whether you are writing your novel or just thinking about novel writing, here are some quick and easy ideas to make the reading magic move your writing words. Then let these simple habits make your words dance so they are delightful to read.

Comfort: Curl up in your favourite armchair, the comfortable one you love to read in. You'll find that you'll love novel writing wherever you love novel reading. Lounge in those luxurious feelings and let your relaxed mind and body release your ideas. Let the reader in you guide the writer in you. Write the magical words that you'd love to read. Write for your own pleasure so that you fall in love with your own novel writing process.

Music: Queue up a few hours of your favourite music so that you can stay put and enjoy your novel writing. Let the music wash over you and whisper ideas into your writing. Be adventurous and create an entire soundtrack for your novel, then write as you listen and imagine. Then you can conjure up that magical state of mind at any time, just by relaxing with your novel writing soundtrack.

Fire: With your chair by the fire, stock up with logs the day before and write with a fire as a warm companion. If there is no fire to hand, use a recording of a fire on your television, and wrap a cheerful blanket around you while you write. Toast marshmallows or almonds over the fire to treat yourself from time to time while you are novel writing. Enjoy your fire even more if the weather outside is threatening and grim.

Games: Indulge in some little games so that your novel writing is fun for you. Base a scene around a word, but don't mention that word. Write a passage where nobody talks, and everything is conveyed through actions, objects and the environment. Include a symbolic object in your writing, and have it reappear in scenes throughout your novel.

Candles: Spread a few night lights around and dim the lights. Light some taller candles inside glass lanterns for that sparkle in the dark. Feel the ancient traditions of all the writers from the past come to life in your dreamy candlelight. Then open yourself up and write. The wonderful scents of perfumed candles can also fill your senses and spill over into your novel writing.

Bottom Line: Give your writing these chances to transport you to that magical place! After all, you deserve it. Your novel writing deserves it! And now I'd like to invite you to visit my blog to find more tips for the novel writing of your dreams, the read of your delight and the write of your life: http://novelwriting.getbestreviews.net

How to Find Ideas Through Daydreams

Daydreams as a source of ideas

We're discussing four different sources of ideas that you, as a writer of romantic fiction, can milk at will. Ideas that, elaborated and complicated, will give you original stories that'll form the backbones of your novel.

In the first article in this series, we talked about character as trigger for story ideas.

In this piece, I'd like to tease out how much of a creative engine room your own day-dreaming can be.

The source of inspiration for great ideas has become the subject of scientific study in recent years, and research has uncovered a fact that we've all been aware of all our lives: that those dream-like periods that happen just after you wake up, and just before you go to sleep, can be hugely creative. In an article called "The Eureka Hunt" in the New Yorker (July 28, 2008), Jonah Lehrer talks about research into how to create an environment in which creative insights are more likely to happen, and his conclusions include the following, well, insights:

"We must concentrate, but we must concentrate on letting the mind wander." In the early morning, "(t)he drowsy brain is unwound and disorganised, open to al sorts of unconventional ideas." He recommends setting your alarm clock for a few minutes earlier than you would otherwise get up and get sucked into the humdrum emergencies of breakfast, kids, school and a demanding husband. Use those few minutes for creative, non-focused mental meandering.

Day-dreaming falls into the same category. It's a state of mind, deliberately cultivated, in which we allow our minds to follow any elusive thought, without worrying about our destination, and without trying specifically to solve any given problem.

Day-dreaming is traditionally regarded as an escape from some undesirable condition - when at school, it's an escape from math and history and geography. Later in life, day dreams form the escape hatch to a world in which the most urgent, and stressful considerations have no weight.

But day-dreaming is also an escape to a realm in which original ideas pop out of the ether and take out what is usually a transitory life of their own. All you need is a note book, a pen, and a general understanding of how to yoke the power of day-dreaming. Here's what the experts say you should do:

Immerse yourself in the problem. You might, for instance, have identified a setting. Maybe even the main characters. What you want now is a story to drive your characters through the novel. It could have something to do with the setting - your setting might be a private game reserve; or it could have something to do with your characters... Whatever it is, though, focus intently on the components of your novel that you've already dreamed up.

Then set the problem aside.

Set that alarm clock for twenty minutes earlier than usual. Let images of your game reserve and your characters drift idly through your mind. Don't think too hard about developing a story. You have to de-focus your attention. This is analogous to looking at a faint star in the heavens at night: you're more likely to spot it by looking deliberately to one side, than by focusing intently on the object itself. Allow the ideas to drift into your consciousness. So if you're looking for a central love story theme, allow your thoughts to play gently with notions of love... Or of lovers at play...

Then - and this is crucial advice - write your thoughts down!

In the next article in this series, I'll be considering real life as a source of ideas for your fictional accounts of romantic love.

Richard Beynon runs online romance writing courses on allaboutlove.net and face-to-face writing courses in Johannesburg.

Tips For Writing Ezine Articles

It doesn't matter how much experience you have writing, everyone draws a blank from time to time when trying to write ezine articles. Fortunately, there are a few tips that can help you get past the mental block and writing those articles in no time. As a writer, you probably already know that a catchy headline and a lead paragraph is an excellent way to grab the attention of the reader right from the beginning. This is true, but you can't stop there.

The way to keep the attention of the reader is through the action steps used throughout the article. This is where you identify your subject and build your article around it. For example, if your subject is about running a small business, then your article should focus on that. The action steps should include tips that will help the business owner be more productive, utilize their time wisely and provide new techniques that can help the business run more smoothly.

Are you having trouble creating the headline or the opening paragraph? Sometimes it can be easier to come up with a catchy title and opening after you have written the action steps because you are more excited about the information you're sharing. Therefore, if you are having problems coming up with these, go ahead and skip them for now and go straight into writing the action steps. You can come back to them later.

Now you have the makings of a great ezine article. You have an exciting beginning that captures the attention of the reader and holds it throughout the body of the article. Now you must leave them on a positive note by ending your article with something they will remember. The ending is your last chance to make an impression and give the reader something to carry with them. Save your most important point for the end. Give them something they can put into action right away, as soon as they are finished reading. This way they will be more likely to remember your name and come back to your articles the next time they need information.

EzineArticles gives you the opportunity to include a short but informative signature file at the end of all of your articles. This is referred to as the "About the Author" section and it's something that you should take advantage of. Here you can tell a little about yourself, promote your work or provide a link to your website encouraging the reader to visit and see what else you have to offer them. You can use the same information for all of your ezine articles or create new ones depending on the topic you are writing about.

It doesn't mater what type of ezine article you're writing. You could be offering advice for a small business, writing a newsletter or creating marketing articles, but the tips mentioned above can help you get the attention you've been working so hard to obtain.

Lisa is a freelance writer with a specialty in Internet content and SEO articles. She has written thousands of articles, hundreds of ebooks and thousands of website pages and related content. She has also authored her own books and works as a consultant to other writers, Internet marketers and Internet businesses. Professional wordsmith for hire: gamer, wife, mother, entrepreneur, published poet, co-owner of game guides company, public speaker and Internet business consultant. You can learn more or follow Lisa's blog from her website: http://www.freelancewriter4hire.com

Overcoming Writer's Block 6 Simple Strategies

Writers block is that mental obstacle that prevents you from turning ideas into words. Sometimes the ideas are there, but getting them into a coherent form is problematic. Other times, you know what you want to say but are having trouble getting it to make as much sense on paper as it does in your head.

This phenomenon affects every writer, whether youre a writer by trade, a student writing a paper, or a casual writer jotting down ideas. Writers block can be supremely frustrating, especially if you are working on deadline and need to finish. After about 10 years of writing, Ive come up with six strategies for overcoming this obstacle and getting you back to your writing.

1. Do something mindless. When I come up against writers block, I do something mindless like washing the dishes. Doing monotonous activity can give your mind a break and allow your mind to wander. Because writer's block can often be the result of trying to hard or worrying about getting it perfect the first time, giving yourself a mental break can be just the break you need.

2. Do something physical. I like to take a walk outside if the weather is nice, and if its not, I try climbing the stairs at a leisurely pace. Physical activity is not only good for the body but can help increase oxygen flow to the brain, which aids in clear thinking.

3. Engage in conversation. Talking to a friend about whatever Im working on helps me to verbalize what I want to write about and often leads to some great breakthroughs. Sharing your ideas with someone not only allows you to think out loud but also can provide you with new ideas. If Im really stumped, I try talking to a fellow writer; this strategy usually provides me with a different take on an idea, which helps get my creative juices flowing.

4. Brainstorm. When I'm stuck on an idea, I use mind mapping or diagramming to help me get my thoughts in order. To draw a mind map, simply get a pencil and a sheet of paper and draw a large circle in the middle of the page. Write your topic in that circle and then draw lines connecting smaller circles to the central circle. In those smaller circles, write related topics or ideas. Seeing how all the seemingly random ideas are related can help you find a theme and focus your ideas.

5. Take a nap. When you're truly stuck and words just aren't there, take a break and sleep. Sometimes a refreshing cat nap can help you focus, and often ideas will come on their own after a bit of shut-eye.

6. Just start writing. The best strategy Ive found to overcome writers block is to just start writing. It sounds difficult, especially when youre finding writing in itself to be difficult, but it really works. When Im stuck, I get out my laptop and just start tapping away at the keys. I type out the topic. Then I type a question that may or may not relate to the topic. Then I find myself breaking through the obstacle by the sheer act of writing.

The next time youre stumped, try some of these strategies. Writing isnt always easy, but overcoming writers block need not block your way to success.

Noelle is a professional editor, writer, and proofreader with six years of experience in the publishing industry. She has a BA in English and will receive her Master's degree in management in 2007. Noelle's specialties are medical editing, ESL editing, and business writing. She has a passion for language and is dedicated to providing top-notch editorial services with a professional, friendly attitude.

Noelle resides in suburban Maryland with her husband and daughter and can be reached at noelleboughanmi@yahoo.com.

How to Express Percentage Changes and Use Numbers Correctly in Technical Writing

A number is tricky thing. As a technical writer you have to pay attention to the way you are using numbers and expressing changes in ratios and percentages.

For example, when you say "the file size shrunk by 100%" you are basically saying this: "The file has just disappeared!" Is that what you really wanted to say?

If a 4 Meg file shrunk to 2 Meg in size, it shrunk by 2 Megs.

What was the original file size? 4 Meg.

When you divide 2 by 4 you get 0.5, correct?

Multiply that by 100 to get a percentage - and you get 50% (not 100%)

Here is a good rule to find out the percentage changes in file sizes:

1) Start with the original size (O).

2) Subtract the final size (F) from O to find the difference (D).

3) Divide D with O and multiply by 100. That's your correct percent difference.

You can apply this not only to "file size" but ANY quantifiable and measurable change as well.

For example, imagine you moved from a house that cost $120,000 to one that cost $176,000. How much more expensive the new house is?

1) O (original cost of [the old] house): $120,000

2) F (final cost of [the new] house): $176,000

3) D (difference in the costs of two houses): $56,000

4) Percent difference: (56/120) x 100 = 46.6%

The new house is 46.6% more expensive than the old one.

When you are describing a process that takes "twice as long," or "two-times slower," do not write "the process is now 200% slower" because that would be incorrect.

The correct expression would be: "the process is now "100% slower". Here is why:

1) O (original process duration): 24 minutes

2) F (final process duration): 48 minutes

3) D (difference in duration): 24 minutes

4) Percent difference: (24/24) x 100 = 100%

If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"

Dr. Ugur Akinci is a Fortune 500 Sr. Technical Communicator http://www.technicalcommunicationcenter.com/

Creating the Perfect Online Writer's Work Station

Online writers do not have it as easy as their newspaper, magazine and book author counterparts. Indeed, most online writers are not paid much for their creative work or non-fiction articles. It's not because online writers have been pushed down and there is no conspiracy there, it's just that there is a supply and demand dynamic at play. Too many writers and not enough folks willing to pay for what they write.

The other day I was discussing this with a friend and we both agreed that the answer is efficiency. True enough and this led me to re-consider the importance of the perfect writing work station to remain at a peak of efficiency and productivity in writing. So, what if we could design the perfect work station for the online writer? What would it be like?

When everything is within reach, you do not waste motion or time; total efficiency. Now as I write this I am considering that a "C" shaped table might be an idea for me. Where I am sitting inside the "C" with the top of the "C" being the full table and all my reference stuff around me, as that would be an even better set-up than I have now. I believe that every writer that wishes to make it online needs to pay special attention to their workstation and its' efficiency.

And let's not forget sustenance. So much time is wasted when employees in corporation get up from their cubical to go get coffee or snacks. With this in mind, on the larger table alongside my laptop, I place any food, lunch, or snacks, along with something to drink. The key is efficiency and thus, writers should not neglect the need for a viable and productive workspace. Think on this.

Lance Winslow - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

The Time to Become a Successful Writer is Now

90% of people are wasteful, and the 3 things they waste the most are time, money and self-esteem. And the 2 thieves that steal these 3 things from us are indecision and procrastination.

It's a fact that more time is lost through indecision than making wrong decisions. And procrastination completely strips us of self-esteem by making us feel that we're not good enough or smart enough.
So don't let indecision and procrastination hold you back nay longer from becoming the great writer that you really are.

You just need to feel more confident about yourself if you want to move up to greatness.

And it's not going to happen if you just waste your time and money reading self help books and books about writing. You need to act.

And don't aim low. Aim for the top. Use all the knowledge you've gained from reading books and taking courses and become the professional writer you have always dreamed of being.

Believe in yourself and the rest will be easy.

And don't settle for less than you want. All writers dream of success but perhaps don't strive hard enough to attain it because they think (somewhere subconsciously) that the success they crave is realistically out of their reach.

Well that's a losing attitude and if you think that way then you've already lost. So don't quite the day job.

Just remember that being a successful writer isn't easy. It's a challenge. Doing nothing is easy. But nothing will happen until you make it happen.

And the time to act is now.

Learn more about how to become a successful writer at Writeaholics.net. You can also read more about becoming a great writer at Writeaholics.net/greatwriter.html

Submission Tips For the Writer

A problem will arise if you write your article like a sales or marketing brochure, as it will most likely to be rejected by the directory or directories you have selected for article submission because of that very reason.

As mentioned, when writing an article the writer is subject to certain rules and regulations, which will inevitably affect the article submission process. When your article is viewed by editors or potential readers do not want to be bombarded with useless sales information that they are not interested in, they would rather prefer professional and helpful information that may help them. Therefore one should keep your sales information on your website in your web content. By attempting to submit this type of sales copy will result in the article being rejected.

Stick to the subject that you are providing for your reader, leave your links for the resource area of your article, where it belongs, this is one of the main reasons that articles are rejected, there are to many people that lay links in the body of the article which results in the article being rejected. Stay with your desired subject and what you intend to convey to your readers, you will have a better chance of enticing the reader to come through to your website if you provide valuable useful information that can serve as a reference to your expertise in that field. Within the article submission process, by retaining focus and professionalism allows for fewer potential problems to creep in and the chance of publication is increased.

Once you have your written work and are preparing for article submission, there are certain processes and formats that you should keep in mind. Some directories require that a specific format be utilised or article submission is done through a specific software program. The following general tips should help when submitting your article to the directories.

Before submitting please familiarize yourself with all criteria pertaining to the specific directory, this will avoid any misunderstandings or frustration later on in the article submission process.

Pay attention to the editorial guidelines as published by the directory, once again to avoid disappointment of going through the article submission process and then not having the article published. Editorial content of your article should not be plagiarized; there are online tools to assist with this, one that springs to mind is copyscape. The article should not contain direct sales or marketing messaging, it should not promote racial or religious hate or persecution, and definitely no pornographic or adult material content. Correct structure and simple punctuation rules should be followed. These are just a few basic tips for you in article submission; rather establish the exact requirements so that you are fully aware of the processes.

Although the article submission process sounds fairly comprehensive, once you get used to the rules and required format, it becomes second nature, as they say practice makes perfect. Take the time and make the effort to correctly formulate and structure your article prior to submitting to ensure both smooth submission and publication of your article.

I hope your enjoyed this article.

Talkinmince Article submission and resources can be a valuable marketing tool, the site is devised to assist you. Submit your articles to TalkinMince or find out more at Talkinmince Article Blog

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Freelance Writing Fortune - Start Making YOURS Today

If you're struggling to make a go of it as a freelance writer, you might wonder if it's even POSSIBLE to make a comfortable, but modest, living from writing - much less a fortune. But that's because you're probably still following the OLD freelance writing model.

The one where you try to break in with newspapers and magazines while you struggle to complete a novel, or even a nonfiction book, in the hopes of it one day becoming a best-seller, making you rich and famous in the process.

Sound familiar?

True, there are a few writers today who have made a fortune following this old model. But most writers these days are following a much different model to acquire their freelance writing fortune.

The new freelance writing model involves some or all of the following:

Online content writing - On the Internet, everyone is looking for quality content, and plenty of it. If you can provide this content, you can start making money right away.

Corporate writing - Writing for businesses is big business. From the small mom-and-pop operations in your own neighborhood, to the Fortune 500 companies across the globe, they all need the services of a writer from time to time.

Article marketing - This involves writing short information articles on a regular basis and submitting these articles to online article directories. Articles for these directories serve the writer in a variety of ways and are a major part of today's new freelance writing model.

Information products - Today's freelance writer doesn't wait for contracts and assignments. Instead, he tends to create his own information products, which include articles, special reports, e-books, CDs and downloadable audio files, and even teleseminars.

JV partnerships - The new freelance writing model calls for both short-term and long-term joint venture partnerships with other writers and entrepreneurs.

If you're ready to start making your freelance writing fortune, break away from the old model and learn more about the components of the new model right away!

Find out more about writing for Fortune 500 companies at http://www.freelancewritingfortune.com and learn how to get started writing online content at http://www.sixfigurefreelancewriter.com

Suzanne Lieurance is a fulltime freelance writer and the Working Writer's Coach. She coaches writers to the freelance writing career of their dreams through her 12-week Working Writer's Coaching Program.

More About Giving Just the Facts

When deciding on a topic to write or speak about gather the information you want to present to the reader or audience. Place the information in categories relating to various aspects of your topic. From there, sort the information into level of importance from most important to least important in being able to communicate about your topic.

You then can determine what would actually contribute to presenting your topic clearly and what would be extra information that could add some value. Then determine what information would subtract value from your subject or fall into rambling about the subject.

Next, begin to gather the main points of your topic by putting them in order of what the reader needs to know first and then continue to what they would need or want to know last. You will be introducing your topic, giving information about your topic and then explaining to your reader or listener why this information would be of value for them to know.

Sort the main points into an outline. When you have the major part of the outline in place begin to add to those main points just enough extra information to increase the descriptions and give value to the topic so your reader or listener would feel like it was helpful additional information to understand the topic.

Write down your information and add just enough to keep it interesting and maybe, at that point, just a few extra tidbits that would add but were not really necessary. This way you will be staying on topic and the reader or listener will be able to determine if they want to find out more about the topic you have presented to them.

If you just stay with the main facts with limited extra information the reader or listener will value your presentation more and can then easily determine if getting more information would work for them. They will appreciate your ability to present information and stay on topic. It shows respect for their time and that places you as a writer or speaker higher on their list to come back to you for information in the future.

And now I invite you to join me for a series of writing exercises to help you discover your areas of interest in writing as well as increasing your creativity. You may access these exercises by visiting http://www.freecreativewritingstrategies.com

You also may enjoy visiting my blog at

http://www.creativewritingmadeeasy.com

How to Write More Articles in Less Time

Does it take a lot of time for you to write an article, a single blog or to post them online? Do you take a lot of time to think about how to write an effective article? If your answer is 'yes' for the above-mentioned questions, then you should this article to get a solution for your problems. Whether you are a freelance writer, an article writer or a blog writer, you should be able to write effective articles in less time. If you are into a full time job as a web-writer then you need to manage your time in a manner in such a way that you write more articles in less time.

Here are few tips, which will help you to write an effective article or a blog quickly.

Stay focused

When you sit to write an online article, close down all other applications, as, they tend to distract your attention. For instance, the application that most commonly disrupts the working pace is chat application. Therefore, it is always better to close down all the chat windows, when you are writing an article. Other application that you should close down is the email window, as chatting email also tends to divert your attention. Close the browser application, which you open for reference work, immediately after you are through with your work. It is better that you stop checking blog traffic stats and Adsense earnings.

Exhaustive research

You should always do a little bit of research work before you begin to write the articles. This will help you to write an effectual article in less time. The research work will help you to enhance the quality of the articles and the articles will undoubtedly show the effort you have put in behind researching. Most of the articles that make it to the first page of the social bookmarking sites are well structured and researched. The research work will make you article factual, informative and will give a depth to your article.

Schedule yourself

Prepare a schedule before you begin your article, as it will help you to save on a lot of time. On the schedule, fix a time limit for every work that you will have to do because of the article. Assign maximum time for writing as writing the article will take most of your time. Also, allocate some time for research work, thinking a title and for deciding subtitles. By following this kind of a schedule, you can easily write an article in an hour.

Go for proof reading

It is important to do a proof reading after you have finished your article. Generally, most of the people leave out proof reading paucity of time or patience. Once you are through with your writing part, give it a reading and check whether there is any mistake or not. If you come across any mistake, rectify it.

Edit your work

The formatting works should be done once you are through with you writing. See to it that the images are at their place, give a caption to the pictures and acknowledge the person you want to. While editing see to it that the article is precise, concise and does not have fillers.

Writing high quality articles in few minutes is a difficult task, but you can easily master the art if you follow the above-mentioned points.

The author is dynamic web content writer and budding SEO. He has got the experience in writing quality content for various websites and getting them optimized too. You can view his website for more information

Writing a Friendly Letter

A friendly letter may be informal or casual, but it is still a letter. And as a general rule, letters should be clear, readable and organized. Otherwise, the recipient will have a hard time deciphering your message.

A readable letter can be scanned quickly to get the gist of the message. It has simple and direct sentences organized into several concise paragraphs. Like business letters, a friendly letter is also divided into seven parts: heading, salutation, introduction, body, conclusion, closing and signature. Some people deviate from this format, and that is okay with informal letters.

The heading usually consists of three lines. The first two lines bear the complete address of the recipient. The third line indicates the date the letter was written. Salutations are opening greetings. The most often used salutation is "Dear." But with informal and personal notes, salutations can take many forms. Sometimes people write "Dearest" or "Ever dearest."

The introduction gives an overview of the topic at hand. This section of the friendly letter is normally written in paragraph form.

The body is the bulk of the letter, consisting of several paragraphs. All paragraphs should be coherent to one another, all leading to the main message of the letter.

The conclusion sums up the topics offered on the body of the letter.

Closing is often made of one or two words like, "lovingly yours" or "sincerely yours." The first letter of the first word of the phrase must be written in capital letter.

Signature bears the name of the letter sender.

However, since this is an informal letter, a writer is allowed free verse. And the format is just suggestive but not strict. It can be altered at any point in time to make the personal letter more intimate and unique. Perhaps the only restriction imaginable is to keep the letter friendly. After all, there are still basic writing etiquette. Even in informal letters, we frown on expletives and derogatory remarks. Bad jokes are also not tolerated.

Below is a sample friendly letter. The name of each part is written in parenthesis before the significant sections of the friendly letter.

(Heading)
2527 CC Figueroa Street
Pasay City
December 3, 1969

(Salutation / greeting)
Dear Jade,

(Introduction)
How are you Jade? It's been a long time since we got away from each other due to our studies. Indeed, I miss you so much, my friend. However, the Christmas vacation is coming so we will have some time to see each other.

(Body)
In fact, I am planning to spend my Christmas vacation there. I am looking forward for that vacation because I am so excited to be with you again even for just a short period of time. I am just excited to share with you my beautiful experiences here.

Above all, I am really yearning for your companionship. I am missing all the things that we shared together before I got here for my study.

(Conclusion)
So see you soon Jade! I hope you will be looking forward for that, too. Until then. God bless Jade and take care always!

(Closing)
Lovingly yours

(Signature and printed name)
***
Sapphire

For more information on Sample of Intent Letter and Termination Letter Sample please visit our website.

7 Mistakes in Article Writing

The most important thing to remember about article marketing is building trust between you and your potential customers. Your primary concern is to establish yourself as an expert in your niche so every word, sentence and paragraph of your articles should subtly communicate this to your readers through quality writing.

Unfortunately, too many authors think it's all right to bang out article after article hoping that quantity will override quality. The opposite is true. If you cannot avoid the following 7 mistakes in your article writing, you will sabotage your own efforts at article marketing.

Article Writing Mistake #1: Poor title

This is your headline and it needs to catch your reader's attention as well as potential publishers. Try to work in keywords but don't overdo it. Of all places, don't misspell or have a grammatical error here as it only makes you look as if you don't care. If that's true, why should readers care to read any more of the article. Make sure the title accurately reflects what the article is about.

Article Writing Mistake #2: Badly written summary

Most article directories allow for a summary of your article but this is not the place to stuff your keywords or repeat a keyword phrase ten times. You would be surprised how many authors think this will help when all it does is get their article immediately rejected. Create a summary that expands upon the title and draws in the reader with a little more information and a possible tease that makes them think, "Yes, I need to read more about this." One to three sentences is all it takes. I tend to write my entire article first before coming back to the summary to make sure it's the best it can be.

Article Writing Mistake #3: Failure to edit

The following was the opening of an article submitted to my site:

"Instantly, let's start at the very starting out, what's the first thing you have to do before starting a..."

The author obviously wants to stress the importance of what is to come but failing to correct this rhetorical abuse through editing defeats the purpose entirely. Remember: First drafts never make good reading. Editing is what makes good writing.

Article Writing Mistake #4: If you hire a ghost writer, check their work

I see way too many articles where a ghost writer is hired and English is not their native language. There's nothing wrong with hiring someone to write articles for you but if you don't review and approve the results, then I have no sympathy for you. Turning over the entire process of writing and submitting articles on your behalf is a sure way to make your company look stupid.

Article Writing Mistake #5: Use the preview button

Article directories don't have any time to format your articles for you. If you can't take the time to properly format your article into paragraphs with spacing, don't count on getting your articles published very much. After pasting your article into the submission form, use the preview button to see if its properly formatted. If not, go back and make the corrections.

Article Writing Mistake #6: Writing in the passive voice

What separates great writing from the rest is writing in the active voice.

Passive: The boy was bitten by the dog.

Active: The dog bit the boy.


Eliminate words such as was, were, been, have, has, and had. Replace them with an active verb or direct voice. Your articles will stand out head and shoulders above the rest if you edit with this in mind.

Article Writing Mistake #7: Failure to deliver

Perhaps the most common, this mistake is surely the deadliest of all. Each part of a submitted article is designed to pull the reader further along a path of information that eventually leads to your website. The title grabs, the summary teases and the article body delivers. But if it doesn't, what makes you think the reader will click for more information? They won't if you fail to deliver on what was promised.

If you ignore the advice given in this article, I can guarantee mediocre results from your article marketing efforts. Will you take this article to heart and eliminate these mistakes from your article submissions? If so, you can be sure that your article marketing will achieve maximum results.

Charles Gregory is a freelance writer and owner of Ezine Article Exchange where submitting quality articles means free website advertising for you.

Making It As A Freelance: The Art of the Interview

If you want your writing to be published in a magazine or newspaper, sooner or later you'll have to talk to someone. Journalism is not about sitting in a dark room and making up stories in your head. If that's what you want to do, write novels or short stories and use blogging as a publishing outlet.

People want to read about other people, so if you want to write a really interesting article, you'll have to learn how to do a good interview.

Preparation is key. You should go into an interview having researched your topic or interviewee and should already have a good idea of the answers you are likely to get. You should also have prepared a list of questionsyou'll need to ask.

At the very least, these should include the who, where, what, why, when and how of the story. Your question list should also include any facts that you need to check.

Having said all that, be prepared to go with the flow. If your interviewee goes off at a tangent, let her (or him). But make sure you've asked all the relevant questions before you leave the table. You'll be able to check facts later over the phone, but you shouldn't be conducting a whole new interview at that stage.

How you handle the interview will depend on the time allocated and the interviewee's personality. If the person is warm, friendly and used to being interviewed, you can go straight in with the difficult questions. If you've got more time or your interviewee is nervous, start with the easy, fact-checking questions before moving on to more difficult issues. Remember to listen to the answers so you can decide when or if to change direction.

Make sure you have a recording device (with spare batteries and power cable), a notebook and a couple of pens. Use both the notebook and the recording device, so you don't come away with nothing in the event of a technical failure.

Three final points: ask open-ended questions, rather than yes/no questions. You'll get more information that way. Establish whether anything that's talked about is off the record (I usually say that if they don't want it printed, they shouldn't tell me). Most importantly, don't be afraid to look stupid. It's better to show your ignorance in front of the interviewee than in print.

Sharon Hurley Hall gives writers advice on how to get paid to write. Sharon is a freelance writer, ghostwriter and editor who writes on freelance writing skills and writer promotion for InspiredAuthor.com. For more information or to contact Sharon, visit doublehdesign.com.

Production Techniques For the Online Article Writer

Let's face it there is a lot of competition in nearly every niche online when it comes to article marketing and online article authoring. There are also many theories on how best to write articles and which production techniques to use.

Over the years I have read many books from many writers about production techniques and some were good, some great, and some simply not for me. But, I have tried them all and on occasion I will employ each if it serves my purpose. I would recommend that article authors study what the top online writers are doing and do what works best for them.

Personally, I like to use all the production techniques and strategies out there, anything that I can use to increase efficiency. By doing this it allows me to enjoy the creative fun in writing articles and it's important to enjoy what you are doing, especially if you plan on doing a lot of it.

You do not have to sacrifice your creative genius to increase your article writing production. I refuse to do that, and you should refuse too and immediately commit yourself to doing both; enjoy creating quality articles and increase your production rates.

Eventually, every online article author has to come to terms with the realization that no matter which strategy you use, how much SEO thought you put into your work or how carefully you choose titles, topics and techniques, much of the online article author's success is about luck. Meaning you must put out large quantities of articles if you wish to get lucky consistently. Think on this.

Lance Winslow - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

Professional Writing Techniques

A professional writer writes about anything he considers worth addressable. Through his writing he inspires his readers, with his skillful approach he convince his readers about the point he wants them to understand and act. A good writing style is a pre-requisite for many jobs also. There are some great and simple techniques, which can help you to leverage your potential as a professional writer. Some of these techniques are described below.

Start Writing about a Subject you clearly knows

If you a beginner, you must start writing a subject you are very familiar. Since you already know about your subject, you will get an easy flow of writing. Try to present your subject in a very simple yet professional way. Do some research on the subject to confirm whether your points are correct or not.

Use Microsoft Word as your Editor

Microsoft Word is a very good companion of any professional writer. With its neat interface and ample help menu, writing is a great experience. Its built in feature such as spell check, grammatical error pointing etc. are very helpful in delivering an excellent article. While spelling errors are shown with a red underline, the grammatical errors are pointed out by underlining the wrong sentence with a green line.

Cultivate Your Own Writing Style

Every professional writer has his own writing style, which is a result of many years of experience. From the beginning of your writing career itself you must make a conscious effort in developing your own writing style. This writing style makes your writing unique and identifiable.

Be Your Own Critique

Read your articles with an eye of a critic. Try to find out if there is any scope for improvement. Rewriting your own articles help you to grow professionally.

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Before You Write

A writer writes, by definition. We often imagine that professional writers sit down and simply write, with beautiful strings of elegantly crafted words simply streaming onto the page or screen with an inhuman grace. Such a mental image couldnt be further from the truth. The reality of it is that writing is real work, a labor of care and love and obsession, with anything remotely graceful coming only after hour (if not days) of painstaking, plodding work. Even for most professionals, the art of writing is one filled with multiple drafts, numerous revisions and countless edits. Despite all of this, a few simple steps can reduce the time lost to labor and increase the speed with which completed articles go out the door.

The keys to efficient writing arent necessarily used when youre actually writing the article or polishing it for publication; instead, efficient writing begins before the writing even starts. The two keys to more efficient writing are planning and preparation. While such words may cause the artistic free spirit to balk, these two elements will often mean the difference between an extra week of writing the same article, or a fat paycheck for an article thats in under the deadline. The steps are simple, and just need to be followed.

Selecting a Topic Before you can write effective non-fiction, you must select a topic. Without a topic, you dont even have a direction in which to go. Very often, when a non-fiction writer speaks of writers block, that writer is really speaking about a lack of topic. Once a topic is chosen, fleshing it out is more a matter of cold logic than anything else.

Clarifying the Topic Once you have a topic, you have a broad, general direction to go in. While this may be enough to get you going, its rarely enough to base an article on. Often, our topics may be either too broad, encompassing too much information, losing any potential impact, or it may be too narrow, not leaving enough room for development. Ask yourself the following questions, with example answers given describing the article you're reading now:

- What is the general topic? (writing)

- What differentiates it from the rest of that topic (the pre-writing process)

- Who is my audience? (writers, mostly experienced amateurs, non-professionals)

- What is the purpose? (instruct writers on pre-writing)

- What does my audience need to know? (Details regarding the steps of the pre-writing process)

- What questions are there about the topic and the needed information?

Doing the Research Once you have clarified what your topic is, youll now have the beginnings of your information gathering. Continue asking yourself questions, looking at your topic from as many ways as possible. Looking at this list of questions, identify potential sources of information that you can turn to for answers. These may be individual experts, reference books, websites, and many more. As you answer the questions, look for additional questions that the audience wouldnt even know to ask, but still should know. As your information accumulates, you may find that some questions become unimportant, or unnecessary; other questions, like the original topic, may be either too broad or too narrow. Continue to research and revise until you are satisfied that every base has been covered.

Thinking and Planning Looking now at your clarified topic, your refined list of questions and the information youve accumulated through expert research, its time to think about your article. Bearing in mind both the intended audience for this article and the purpose, how might this information meet those needs? How should it be presented for maximum effect? How can this raw information be shaped into a marketable work of art? Now is the time to ponder these questions, and to find answers.

Making a List Finally, with all your prior work completed, make a list of the points that must be covered in your article. Sequence this list in the most effective manner you can so that it wont confuse readers or misrepresent your topic. List the points again, this time in sequence. Ta-da! You now have a step by step blue print for your article, with all of the necessary information laid out for you. Without a single visit from your muse or even one case of artistic distemper, youve built the majority of a great article, and youve done it quickly, and effectively.

Brian Westover is a freelance writer. In addition to writing articles for publication in standard print venues (such as magazines and newspapers), he is also a skilled copywriter, offering a variety of services to anyone who needs great online content, polished business writing in a professional format and editing and coaching to improve your own writing. In addition to his professional site, Brian also runs WriterSpot, a website dedicated to finding and organizing online resources for either the beginning writer or experienced writing professional.

Article Writing Service to Help Lighten Your Workload

As an Internet business owner, you are sometimes too caught up with all kinds of business related tasks to pay much attention to article writing. Daily tasks such as Internet marketing, product development, meetings, etc. may take up so much of your time that you simply don't have time to look at content creation.

However, your Internet business will need content. Sooner or later, you will find yourself having to come up with some content. You will need articles for your own websites, your sales letters, your blogs, or to execute some article marketing campaigns. For whatever the reason, there is no denying that content is king on the Internet.

As the owner of an Internet business, it is your responsibility to come up with a way to overcome this challenge - the challenge of content creation. A heavy workload is an obstacle, never an excuse. To make things worse, there are other obstacles.

Some business owners find writing to be time consuming. That may be because some people are not native English speakers, or they do not grow up in an English speaking/writing environment. Hence they face great difficulties when they find that they have to write. In this case, article writing becomes a painful task.

Fortunately, there is a ready solution to such obstacles. Simply outsource all your article writing to processional writing service providers. Usually, such providers have a team of writers to write for you. They are usually native English speakers, who are able to write naturally. Writing is almost second nature to these writers, and they are able to complete articles in a much shorter time span than most people.

Besides, since they are professional writers, they are expected to be more knowledgeable than the average layman about the subjects that they write about. On some occasions, they may be stumped by certain rare topics. But that can be easily overcome with some research.

Overall, professional writers can deliver high quality articles very quickly. The best writers even possess Internet marketing knowledge and experience. That means when they write, they will keep the theme of the articles tightly focuses so that the search engines can determine the context of the articles easily.

Most business owners decide to outsource all article writing activities simply because writing just takes up too much time. Even for a prolific writer, writing an article of decent quality can take as much as 15 minutes. Imagine setting up a website with 10 pages of content. That's 150 minutes dedicated to content alone. For any business owner, a lot can be done within 150 minutes. Hence, most just decide to outsource. After all, quality writing services come at highly affordable prices these days.

Just by spending a few extra dollars, business owners find themselves left with a lot more time for more important tasks.

Professional article writing service and article submission services available. Fully featured - Fast turnaround, back up articles to local hard drive and more!

Are You Letting Travel Writing Opportunities Skip Town?

Here's a news flash for everyone: many people thrive in the midst of economic turmoil. Did you know that more millionaires were made during the Great Depression? Do not let opportunity pass you by because you are buying into the limited thinking of your fellow countrymen. What do they know? These people signed their name on the dotted line knowing they could not afford their purchases.

You may believe travel writing opportunities are non-existent. This is far from the truth. My writing has taken off because I write on other topics besides travel. That's the key. In order to support your dreams, you may have to take on other work. I'm a die-hard writer who is passionate about many topics and genres of writing. I've written articles on how to install shelving to dog sympathy cards. Believe me, my writing muscles have been stretched in more ways than one.

Ideas to support your travel writing

1. Take a road trip and write about your experiences.

2. Edit guidebooks.

3. Search Craigslist.

4. Enter writing contests - submit your "travel fiction."

5. Sign up with Elance.com and Guru.com.

6. Post an ad on Craigslist advertising your writing services.

7. Go to the new restaurants and write about the food and wine.

You may have to take a full-time or part-time job to support your travel writing. Will you be all right with this? Are you an all-or-nothing person? If you have a dream, you'll do whatever it takes to see it come to fruition. This may require a full-time or part-time job outside of travel writing. Of course, you could always get a job within the travel industry. Become part of the crew of a cruise ship and sail around the world. You'll have no shortage of travel writing articles.

Get a vision for your life. You may have to write on other topics other than travel writing - so be it. This will make you very valuable as a writer. If you know and understand SEO marketing, you're writing services will be in demand. This is a "hot commodity" right now. Organizations always look for people who can help them. "Ask not what an organization can do for you, but what you can do for the organization." Does this sound familiar?

Travel writing can be a fun job and you can earn extra cash. Look around and you'll discover travel writing opportunities that you are just waiting for you. Remember, your area is a destination spot for people. If you're passionate about golf, visit a few golf courses and write about them. If you enjoy horseback riding, find a couple of dude ranches and ride off into the sunset. Sometimes you must create your own opportunities in life. Brainstorm for travel writing ideas and you'll find a few gold nuggets!

Our website is dedicated to aspiring and experienced travel writers. You'll find inspiration, encouragement, and education on everything travel writing.

Sign up for our weekly blog recap. If you're about to travel this is a great way to keep up-to-date with the latest in travel writing. Also, check out our forum. If you have a question, login, and with a click of a button you'll have the answer to your question.

URL: http://www.Travel-Writers-Exchange.com

Creating the Perfect Online Writer's Work Station

Online writers do not have it as easy as their newspaper, magazine and book author counterparts. Indeed, most online writers are not paid much for their creative work or non-fiction articles. It's not because online writers have been pushed down and there is no conspiracy there, it's just that there is a supply and demand dynamic at play. Too many writers and not enough folks willing to pay for what they write.

The other day I was discussing this with a friend and we both agreed that the answer is efficiency. True enough and this led me to re-consider the importance of the perfect writing work station to remain at a peak of efficiency and productivity in writing. So, what if we could design the perfect work station for the online writer? What would it be like?

When everything is within reach, you do not waste motion or time; total efficiency. Now as I write this I am considering that a "C" shaped table might be an idea for me. Where I am sitting inside the "C" with the top of the "C" being the full table and all my reference stuff around me, as that would be an even better set-up than I have now. I believe that every writer that wishes to make it online needs to pay special attention to their workstation and its' efficiency.

And let's not forget sustenance. So much time is wasted when employees in corporation get up from their cubical to go get coffee or snacks. With this in mind, on the larger table alongside my laptop, I place any food, lunch, or snacks, along with something to drink. The key is efficiency and thus, writers should not neglect the need for a viable and productive workspace. Think on this.

Lance Winslow - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Technical Writing - What's a Copyright and How Long Does it Last in Technical Documentation?

There'll be many times when as a technical writer you'll be using text and images created by others. In order not to violate anybody's intellectual property rights, you need to know the different types of copyrights that exist (at least in the United States).

The standard copyright is expressed either with the word "Copyright" or the universal copyright symbol "" (letter "c" inside a circle). Best information on U.S. copyrights is available at U.S. Copyright Office (at copyright-dot-gov).

The interesting thing about a copyright is that an original intellectual property, like this very article for example, has copyright protection the minute it is created. However, if there were a law suit, those technical documents officially registered with the U.S. Copyright Office has a better chance of winning the case. Copyright registry is voluntary but is the only sure-fire way of claiming ownership of an intellectual product.

In general, copyright of a technical document created after January 1, 1978, lasts as long as its author is alive, plus 70 years after his or her death. For example, if someone registers a user manual with the U.S. Copyright Office on January 1, 2009 and then dies in 2010, the work would still be copyrighted until 2080.

Once you copyright-register your technical document, you do not need to renew the registration again.

One thing you should know as a technical writer: all text and images created and owned by the U.S. government have no copyrights for the U.S. citizens. They are in "public domain." Why? Because if you're a U.S. citizen, you have already paid for it through your taxes. But still you have to be careful not to use public domain work in a libelous manner.

NOTE 1: If you're a technical writer working for a company, the copyright of the work you are creating almost always belongs to the company and not to you as an individual writer.

NOTE 2: All the information quoted in this article was correct when the article was written in December 2008 but it may have changed by the time you're reading this. Please consult copyright-dot-gov and your attorney before making a decision on all copyright matters.

If you are interested to read more about what technical writing is all about and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"

How to Polish Up Your English

If you want to improve your spoken and written English the best way to do this is to add a few decorative, flowery touches to you sentences. There are lots of ways of doing this. Don't try to use them all in one sentence or you will make your English sound 'silly'. For example, if I said:

The cuddly, curious, cute, little, fluffy kitten tore through our house like a wild, fierce, stormy, unannounced tornado and damaged our new, Italian leather, expensive sofa.

It would be much more effective to use fewer adjectives:

The cuddly bundle of fluff that was our new kitten, tore through the house like a tornado, damaging the sofa as it went.

Too many adjective over describes the scene and make the English sound clumsy and unpolished.

Another example of this is an email that I received from a student:

'You are patient, kind, good, excellent teacher who gives good mark. My homework is late, not finished, forgot, undone. I am bad, useless, sad, unhappy student.'

This actually sounds funny but I don't think the writer intended it to be.

Don't overdo the adjectives, or use strings of adverbs that mean the same thing. Using two different adjectives that mean the same thing can sometimes be very effective and gives impact to the sentence.For example:

It was black dark outside and I couldn't see a thing.

Acronym.

It is generally acceptable to use acronyms when speaking and writing English. You will sound better if you use these instead of using full titles.

Take the initial, or first letter, of a group of words and put them together, they form an acronym. An acronym is a word in its own right. There are many examples of this:

NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

CAT Computer assisted testing.

WHO World health organisation.

However, you should only use established and accepted acronyms, don't make up your own.

Using Alliteration.

Using alliteration makes English language makes what you say more expressive but here again, don't over do it. It is the grouping together of words which start with the same letter.

Slowly sizzling sausages

Cool, calm and collected

Long, lanky legs

Using Analogy.

Using an analogy makes speech and writing much more effective. It is a way to show off the finer points of the language and to express yourself clearly. An analogy takes another situation that is similar to the one you are describing and uses it to illustrate. This is good to use in writing creative pieces and is especially useful when presenting at a seminar. Using analogy makes your English sound richer and more polished.

The arrival of the new kitten in my house had a similar effect to an unexpected tornado.

Copyright: Louie Jerome 2008

Louie Jerome is a UK writer, editor and publisher

Writer Soup is a monthly magazine which is available on the internet

http://www.writersoup.co.uk

'Word To The Wise' is a humorous blog about the English Language

http://noway2blog.blogspot.com

When a Writer's Vacation is Over

So, you took a few days' annual leave for the sake of your sanity. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

You might've slipped into a delicious pattern of sleeping late, and having mid-morning coffee at the kitchen table with your manuscript. Or maybe you explored a different part of the world for a couple of weeks, and came home bursting with new ideas and experiences. It doesn't matter what you do during annual leave; spending time away from the Day Job Monster is an unbelievable luxury, isn't it?

But when the glorious days of freedom draw to an end, you're facing a nasty little reality check. Because now you have to go back to work. The drums of impending doom are deafening.

Don't panic! There are ways to deal with the hateful experience of stepping from your real life back into the fluorescent office world. Here are six of the best.

1. Devote yourself to relaxation.

The night before you have to get back into the Monster race, go see the funniest movie in town. Spend the evening laughing and relaxing, rather than brooding and pacing. Have a glass of wine, or two. (But preferably not seven.) Deliberately create a state of mind that makes you feel good, and strong enough to face the inevitable despair of the next morning.

2. Sleep properly.

If you sleep badly the night before your first day back with the Day Job Monster, you pretty much guarantee the day will be worse than it has to be. If you're prone to worry-related insomnia, take some steps to make sure you don't lie awake all night.

Head off for a long walk in the early evening so that you're physically tired, take a long relaxing bath, or enter the escapist world of a gripping novel. There are a range of natural sleeping aids on the market as well; ask at your local pharmacy about effective herbal supplements.

3. Be unusually kind to yourself.

The first morning back at work will be tough. It's not the time to withdraw cold-turkey from coffee, or start a radical new starvation diet. Accept you might need some treats to even make it out your front door.

Freshly ground coffee, your favorite shirt, a warmed chocolate croissant, breakfast TV, what will it take? A morning like this qualifies as an emergency! It's not the moment to worry about pastry-related calories, or junk TV. You're creating a miracle by getting to work. Use whatever resources you need to make it happen.

4. Play some breakfast music.

What kind of music do you find most therapeutic? What lifts you up and makes you smile? Listen to your favorite CD - loudly - before you leave the house. Use the power of music to consciously alter your frame of mind for the better.

Why not listen to this uplifting CD on the way to work? Or at your desk with some headphones?

5. Celebrate not quitting before lunch.

When you've staggered through the morning and arrived at the halfway point of your first day back, it's time to celebrate. It's a monumental achievement, and by now you probably feel like you've climbed a mountain.

Reward yourself over lunch. Get out of the office, and find a truly superb gourmet sandwich, indulge in a little retail therapy, or catch up with a friend. Do not run errands. Not under any circumstances. Not today. Stand in line in the grocery store or post office tomorrow.

6. Affirm your priorities.

After lunch, you have the afternoon to get through. Remind yourself why you're working this job by doing something for your writing career. Schedule writing time into your work calendar immediately - plan what you'll do in your breaks and some of your lunch hours for the next month.

And keep a notebook within reach so you can scribble down a rough character sketch when a colleague displays a new type of dysfunctional behavior. What else from your daily work environment could you use as manuscript fodder?

Going back to work after a vacation is a true test of courage. It's a challenge adjusting to the strident lighting and the tedious nature of the Day Job Monster's world, there's no doubt about it. But the first day back is always the worst. Once you slot onto autopilot mode, it gets easier to go through the motions of the day, and then make it back to your real life.

Dr. Liz Hardy is a published author and professional Day Job Monster tamer. She can show you how to hold down a day job, and still find the time and energy for your real work, writing. She offers creative support for writers at http://www.dayjobmonster.com

Overcoming Writer's Block 6 Simple Strategies

Writers block is that mental obstacle that prevents you from turning ideas into words. Sometimes the ideas are there, but getting them into a coherent form is problematic. Other times, you know what you want to say but are having trouble getting it to make as much sense on paper as it does in your head.

This phenomenon affects every writer, whether youre a writer by trade, a student writing a paper, or a casual writer jotting down ideas. Writers block can be supremely frustrating, especially if you are working on deadline and need to finish. After about 10 years of writing, Ive come up with six strategies for overcoming this obstacle and getting you back to your writing.

1. Do something mindless. When I come up against writers block, I do something mindless like washing the dishes. Doing monotonous activity can give your mind a break and allow your mind to wander. Because writer's block can often be the result of trying to hard or worrying about getting it perfect the first time, giving yourself a mental break can be just the break you need.

2. Do something physical. I like to take a walk outside if the weather is nice, and if its not, I try climbing the stairs at a leisurely pace. Physical activity is not only good for the body but can help increase oxygen flow to the brain, which aids in clear thinking.

3. Engage in conversation. Talking to a friend about whatever Im working on helps me to verbalize what I want to write about and often leads to some great breakthroughs. Sharing your ideas with someone not only allows you to think out loud but also can provide you with new ideas. If Im really stumped, I try talking to a fellow writer; this strategy usually provides me with a different take on an idea, which helps get my creative juices flowing.

4. Brainstorm. When I'm stuck on an idea, I use mind mapping or diagramming to help me get my thoughts in order. To draw a mind map, simply get a pencil and a sheet of paper and draw a large circle in the middle of the page. Write your topic in that circle and then draw lines connecting smaller circles to the central circle. In those smaller circles, write related topics or ideas. Seeing how all the seemingly random ideas are related can help you find a theme and focus your ideas.

5. Take a nap. When you're truly stuck and words just aren't there, take a break and sleep. Sometimes a refreshing cat nap can help you focus, and often ideas will come on their own after a bit of shut-eye.

6. Just start writing. The best strategy Ive found to overcome writers block is to just start writing. It sounds difficult, especially when youre finding writing in itself to be difficult, but it really works. When Im stuck, I get out my laptop and just start tapping away at the keys. I type out the topic. Then I type a question that may or may not relate to the topic. Then I find myself breaking through the obstacle by the sheer act of writing.

The next time youre stumped, try some of these strategies. Writing isnt always easy, but overcoming writers block need not block your way to success.

Noelle is a professional editor, writer, and proofreader with six years of experience in the publishing industry. She has a BA in English and will receive her Master's degree in management in 2007. Noelle's specialties are medical editing, ESL editing, and business writing. She has a passion for language and is dedicated to providing top-notch editorial services with a professional, friendly attitude.

Noelle resides in suburban Maryland with her husband and daughter and can be reached at noelleboughanmi@yahoo.com.

The Death Diary - (A Short Story)

The Death Diary of
Troy Burroughs

Extract #2
Day Three and Four of Troy Burroughs

Day Three

Being dead is going to take some getting used to. According to earth time this would be day three of my so called, death. I keep looking down on North America, I guess it's still home to me for the moment anyway. A few hours ago, I caught a comet, the tail end of it and I noticed it was quite slow compared to my form of travel, that is, I think I was going as fast as 200,000-thousand miles an hour, and it somehow zigzagged, and jumped off or out of its orbit and fell back into it somehow-kind of speaking-by an asteroid belt is where I was, I'd estimate somewhere around twenty to fifty million miles from earth, who can say, surely not me for certain.

I thus far, have learned something in this new development of mine, that being, traveling in space in what I call shape-traveling, for that is all I am, simple a shape with some kind of energy source to me, one could even call it residue, soul or whatever they wish, a part of another dimension with substance: I used the thrust of the comet, the velocity-I used it somehow, not quite knowing how, allowing it to push me, that is, more likened to throwing me-hurdling me I would guess, out into the empty part of space, the black airless cold space...I actually felt something to my shape: I sensed something also, something like. the several world surrounding me produced other forms of life, ghosts maybe, demonic being trying to escape earth's hell, other aliens looking down through their portholes, through layers of time and space and echoes, and so forth. I felt like a new born baby learning everything all over, I do think I have some source of natural feeling to my movements, should I want to use them, up to now its been more on the order of the elements in space moving me you might say. I, at this point cannot name it but I'd like to kick it, to see if how much control I have here in this new environment.

Nevertheless, what I was going to say, had on my mind to say, before I got into what I just mentioned, was-here I am, back where I started from, the day I died, overlooking earth, but again, here I am, in this asteroid belt-if you get what I mean, think-travel and there you are, among really simple, big fat rocks everywhere in space, and earth is no exception, other than it is more colorful.

Well, to make a diary note shorter, once seen is enough, and so it was a good visit, but I must learn how to control it. It is like going to the Rocky Mountains or possibly I could qualify it to equal the Bad Lands in South Dakota, going back there back and forth like a yoyo. But again, once seen, that is enough, unless this kind of thing is your thing, and it is not my thing by far: I mean, I'm only on day three, and this is what you get. I think that area is best for campers, not me. I'd prefer hotels, but I suppose you don't need them out here. The more I think of it, something is missing. Oh well, I'll investigate. Now it's becoming evening time over Minnesota (St. Paul, is my home town (where my wife lives, Rosa), the sun is going down.

Day Four

Morning time in Minnesota, the sun is coming up, I got an inkling, I got to go back to see how my little wife is doing, Rosa. I know for a few hours after I died, she was upset, crying, hysterical. I didn't know what to do for her, she couldn't see me, and I did not know how to communicate with her other than trying to set a mood, by way of producing calmness about her immediate space: prayer helped.

She got me to the hospital, and I know I was getting better, a heart attach I heard them say. Then she stayed overnight, and I died in the middle of the night, she had fallen to sleep. I was happy about that, happy because she was so tired: everyone thought I was in a coma, but I was really between life and death, a new kind of order they didn't anticipate, one that is dreamy like, a stage before death, one you can see about you, hear sounds and sense people, but cannot talk, it is not a coma, although folks think it is, or could be, it is in-between where you touch the hand of Christ, but cannot feel it, only see it, and where your pours are filled with the light of God. Then I died, and got sent here, not sure for how long thought.

For the longest moment, I hovered over the bed, looking at her, but I had no power to say or do anything-that was of course after the in-between period, where I was in a dream like world. Now that I think of it, I was in shock-kind of shock, after the in-between took on pure death, then she woke up, and as I was saying I was hovering over her, looking down, I didn't feel the grief as she was feeling, but a separation from my body, in the sense of emptiness from a shell: So many experiences at once.

That little Inca wife of mine just cried and cried, and hugged me, I wanted to comfort her, but she'll have to go through it like me someday, if the Lord willing I'll be there to comfort her.

Anyways I am now in my old house, hovering about. She's got my urn next to my mother's, she had me cremated today. I missed the funeral; I guess they had a small one at the cremation area. No one showed up from my side of the family, as expected, no problem; it was all grieved out long ago, and better for it, I prefer quite times. I think Rosa is going to take my urn, and my mother's and put it into the Huancayo, Peru, and Cemetery, in one of those vaults, she was a good wife.

She's crying again. I wonder if I can somehow let her know I'm here, and all right. I should pray, matter of fact, I thought I would get to see the Lord by know, Jesus Christ, but first things first, I heard a voice say that, It think it was Serr'el, my guardian angel, he had a hell of a job with taking care of me, guarding me while on earth, I hope I don't get a job like his, too much grief and wondering. I get the chills just thinking of his name. I also get the feeling I have to polish myself up to meet the Lord, you know, kind of take care of business, Elvis used to say that. I know he is not far away, -and I thank Him for his patience.

Now back to my little Rosa, she is sitting in my big sofa chair in the living room, tears are still coming down. Let's see if I can do something to let her know I'm present (I told her once, we cry-during our grieving period, or time, for the great times we had, that is called sadness, not depression, sadness says, those times were all worth while, I hope she remembers that).

As I said, and I shall repeat, there she is, sitting in the sofa chair, I know what I'll do, I'll make noise like walking on the floor, footsteps, not too creepy, just light enough for her to know I am with her. But how do I do that, I don't weigh anything? Too many questions for simple things; but you know I felt the thrust of the comet; yaw, yaw, that's it, creates energy from energy. As I step one foot in front of the other, you can hear my footsteps, and see the rug impressions of my feet, it is taking all my energy to produce these footsteps, she's looking up, now she looking around: look down, down little wife, look down. She doesn't look down. She's getting a little scared, I better stop. Now she rests back into the chair, she's thinking though.

She got up to check the hallway, now the window. I can't do that again, I got to practice; I guess a spirit can even loose energy. She went back to the chair; it's dark outside, the TV is on, it is drowning out my footsteps. For her the day is young, for me, now sure, I guess down here it's as it would be, forever long, just a day but with light and darkness, I don't feel the heat or cold. I'm going to try something else. I'm going to stand in the archway to the living room and try to make my configuration, my spirit form light up, just a bit, just a slight emotion, if I darken it, it might scare her. I noticed I had one in outer-space.

[A long pause]

It's morning now, dark morning, so it must be pretty early, she is cleaning the house, getting ready to face the day, she notices my chair, the dinning room light is off so is the kitchen light, she turns it on and a little electric heater emitting heat she turns off in the bedroom, she is facing the mirror in the bathroom. This will be my best try think, if only she focuses hard on the mirror; I'll try to reflect my shape.

Here I go, MMMMMMMM-Materializing [light starts to fill the mirror a faded light, dull but pronounced nonetheless in a spiritual form. She's looking at me, rubbing her eyes, I'm loosing my energy source, and it is like holding your breath trying to get this light out. She's leaning forward, squinting her eyes.

[Middle of the Night]

Got a new idea, I'll enter her dreams, slowly, if this is possible, and I heard the nightmare demon can do it all the time, unless you pray for them not to. Therefore, why cannot a good spirit like me do it? That of course a question for me, one I'll answer by trying to do, what I'm not sure I can do.

I'm not sure how you do it, but I got a sense of how will come-I'll sit by her and just whisper in her ears, and try to create a sense of me, and she will picture me, and I will let her know all is well: "Rosa, Rosa, Rosa, Rosa, Rosa..., all is well, I love you, always have, it is me, I'm all dressed in fogy white, I'll be waiting for you and we'll travel around the world, no, better yet, around the worlds, and into new galaxies."

She sees me, visualizing me says, in her dream world (I hope she remembers and writes it down): "...yes, yes, I DO see you," she says.

"I'm fine Rosa, I'm doing ok, I miss you and I'll be around should you need me, just call on me. Like my mother used to do, remember how she kept us from the fire?"

She's crying in her sleep, says: "...no, no don't go.'"

"But I can't stay too long; it takes too much whatever it is, energy and like the bee, remember the bee in the bottle, he lost his energy to fly, then he could hardly walk trying to climb that glass bottle, then I set him free and he nourished himself in the grass, and he regained his power, and flight, and few away; perhaps for another day."

She went back to sleep, she's stop crying. She's breathing better now. I think she'll remember this dream as more realistic than non-fiction, or symbolic, I hope.

Originally written, 7-3-2006
10-22-2008 (Revised and reedited)

See Dennis' web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com