Why I Write Horror

Why I Write Horror
by: David Silva


These are some of the snapshots I carry with me:

My father coming up to visit me after first being diagnosed with leukemia. The visit was a surprise, and he brought a new computer with him. As he carried it into the house, he said, "This isn't yours, but I'm going to let you use it." Later that afternoon, he told me he was dying. We spent the entire weekend playing with the computer, trying to write crude DOS programs and get it to do what we wanted. It was as close to him as I ever felt.

Carrying my dog Seth into the veterinarian's office and placing her on the cold stainless steel table. Her so well behaved, as always. Me fighting back the tears in front of the doctor. She had been diagnosed with bone cancer and her limp was so dramatic that every step had to be excruciating. I couldn't stay to watch him put to her to sleep. It just hurt too much.

Answering the knock on the door at three-thirty in the morning and stepping outside, where ashes were floating down out of the sky like giant snow flakes. The Fountain Fire, which had started nearby and had burned some 65,000 acres while moving away from the house, had turned back during the night. I remember the acrid smell of smoke in the air. The sense of urgency and danger, mixed with utter silence and an odd, surreal beauty I don't think I'll ever be able to describe. The house, fortunately, was spared.

Standing in my father's hospital room, watching him as each breath gradually grew a little shallower. Some so faint I wasn't sure if he had taken a breath at all. Finding myself counting the seconds after his last breath, time stretching out further and further, and then the realization … the moment's passed. It's over. He's dead. He's never going to take another breath. He's never going to smile again, to laugh. A piece of the foundation of my life has just disappeared.

My mother giving me a copy of Ray Bradbury's The Toynbee Convector for Christmas. It was her last Christmas, and we both knew it would be her last. The smile on her face, because she knew I was a Bradbury fan. I asked her to sign it for me. After she died, I bought another copy for reading. I keep the copy she gave me safely tucked away, where I can pull it out whenever I need and remind myself how lucky I am.

Believing in Santa Claus until I was ten years old. Every Christmas we would go for a long drive through the surrounding neighborhoods on Christmas Eve to see the decorations. When we returned home, there would be a fire in the fireplace and presents under the tree. I like believing in Santa Claus. And the Grinch, too. Oh, and it was my grandparents who put the presents out each year.

My father dropping my sister and I and a friend off at the State movie theater to see a cartoon festival one Saturday morning when I was eight. It ended up being the wrong theater. Instead of cartoons, we watched a movie called Terror From The Year 2000. It was the first movie that ever scared me. For years, I was haunted by visions of a purple woman mysteriously materializing behind me.

Reading Edgar Allen Poe stories at my grandmother's house at night in bed when I was a young boy, and how wonderful they were.

The Book Mobile that came by the house once a week when I was a boy. Looking back on it now, it was a tiny little thing. But it seemed cavernous at the time. I remember the excitement of climbing up the steps, the smell that was somehow ancient and new all at once, the plastic covers, the tall shelves.

My sister sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night as a teenager to go hang out with her biker boyfriend. She got caught. Her bedroom window got nailed shut. She was the bad seed. I was the good son. Of course, as adults, she's far more responsible and level-headed than myself.

My best friend when I was eleven, sneaking into our house while we were away and stealing all my marbles. He left a perfect path of footprints leading directly back to his house. I asked him to return the marbles and he did. We remained friends, but it was never quite the same after that. I had something over him and neither of us like that.

Spending the night alone in the Community Center in preparation for a huge arts and crafts sale the next day. I was there to make sure nothing was stolen during the night. It was cold and dark and eerie. There were Christmas ornaments everywhere. Little gingerbread houses with gum drop roofs. Miniature rocking chairs with Mrs. Santa in place. Ceramic statues of little elves. Reindeer made of wood and felt and pine needles. Nightmarish. Absolutely nightmarish.

Walking down a path in the mountains late at night, following what little moonlight there was, and having someone jump out behind a tree, completely unexpected, and scream. On the outside, I barely flinched. Inside, I thought my legs were going to give out and I couldn't stop my heart from pounding.

Me and three friends being pulled over by cops because they were looking for someone and we apparently fit the bill. The ordered us out of the car, had us put our arms on the vehicle and spread 'em, then frisked us and asked for I.D. It was as guilty as I ever felt for having done nothing.

Becky, who was an excellent diver, trying a dive off the diving board at summer camp and coming down on her face. For weeks after, she walked around looking something like the Elephant Man, her nose swollen and twisted to one side, huge black-and-blue stripes beneath each eye. I wish I had a camera.

A boy in sixth grade running out into the street to get a baseball and getting clobbered by a car. We all gathered around to watch as he walked in circles, his eyes glassy, repeating over and over, "I just wanted to get the ball. I just wanted to get the ball."

Old Airport Road, where one night two young teenage lovers went barreling down the dead end until they slammed into the embankment and totaled their car. I was ten. My sister was nine. My father heard the sirens. He scooped us up, put us in the car and followed the ambulance to the accident. I remember there were shards of broken glass everywhere. The air was sharp with the smell of oil and gasoline. We watched as the two teenagers were strapped into gurneys and each stuffed into an ambulance. Their faces were a bloody mess. The girl was groaning nonstop. I don't know if they made it or not.

The night I left the front yard when I wasn't supposed to, so I could show a visiting neighbor where my school was. Most particularly, I remember the whipping I got when my father finally tracked us down several hours later.

The first time I ever shoplifted something. I was eight or nine, and I had gone to the store to pick up some bread for my mother. While I was there, I slipped a candy bar into my pocket. Not being terribly proficient at it, I think a bit of the candy bar was sticking out. When I went to the check out counter, the cashier suggested we get some "fresher" bread. I followed him back to the bread shelves, where he casually asked what was in my pocket, and before I knew it, I was in his office and he was calling the police. I don't think he actually called them. I think he was just trying to scare me, which believe me, he did. He ended up giving me a lecture and telling me to have my mother come see him next time we came to the store. I never told my mother. And I hated it every time I had to go anywhere near that store again.

The dogs barking one night, and me blindly following them out into the woods to see what the fuss was all about. We stopped in front of a stand of manzanita, maybe two or three feet away, and suddenly a coyote let out a howl from the other side. The dogs started barking again, and there was some rustling around in the dark. I didn't stay to see what it was all about.

The babysitter, an older woman who cared for us during the day while our parents worked, washing my mouth out with soap. I don't remember what I said, but I do remember that it was the only time I had ever had my mouth washed out with soap.

Taking a walk down the long driveway out to my mail box one afternoon, and finding a cow's heart and intestines dumped in a pool of blood in the middle of the road. Apparently, someone had stolen a local cow during the night and slaughtered it in my driveway, which was hidden just off the main road. Or aliens had visited the area. I guess I'll never know for sure.

Working on the roof of a house with my father and grandfather. This was a new house, the family's "dream house," that would eventually take two full years to build. We were cutting and laying wood shakes. Off to the side, I caught a glimpse of my father climbing down the ladder. I peered over the edge and asked him what was up. "I'm going to the hospital," he said. "I cut my finger off." He hadn't said anything when it had happened. He hadn't yelled or screamed or cried. He had picked up his finger, and climbed down the ladder, fully prepared to drive himself to the hospital. My grandfather ended up doing the driving. I stayed behind and continued working on the roof, absolutely amazed at my father's calm reaction to such a horrifying event. I was fifteen. I still got excited about slivers.

Cutting wood for winter one August afternoon. Pacific Gas & Electric had come through last summer and leveled a number of pines while installing an electrical line into the back of the property. I had taken the chain saw to one of the piles, unaware that nearby a nest of yellow jackets had built a hive in the ground. Apparently, they didn't care much for all the racket. Before I realized what was happening, I found myself under attack. It was a long, long run before the last of the persistent fellows finally gave up the chase. I was fortunate to come away with only five or six stings.

Going up for a rebound while playing basketball when I was in my early twenties and coming down wrong on my foot. I ended up on my back, and when I raised my head to see what had happened, I discovered my right foot pointing the wrong direction. I had dislocated it. On the way to the hospital, I couldn't remember where I lived. Once I got to the emergency room, they had to put me under because they couldn't get my foot back into place and every time they tried, I screamed. Even in my twenties, I couldn't find the composure under adversity of my father.

I carry these snapshots with me wherever I go. Some were taken at the most significant moments of my life. Others were taken for reason I cannot fathom. All I know is they are always with me. Yet each, in its own way, has contributed to my fascination with horror.

I write horror not because I've lived it, but because it charms me, because I see its place in my live and the lives of others around me, and I want to understand it.

About The Author

David Silva
The Successful Writer
http://thesuccessfulwriter.com
dbsilva@earthlink.net >>Read more...

Book Marketing 101

Book Marketing 101
by: Jeremy M. Hoover


Francine Silverman. Book Marketing from A-Z (InfinityPublishing.com, 2005). Trade paperback. 400 pages. $18.95 US.

For beginning authors, book promotion is the key to success. Whether an author self-publishes or is published by a major house, most often that author needs to market her book herself if she wants there to be any chance at all of it being successful. Large publishing houses are too concerned with promoting the next blockbuster to focus even on mid-list titles, and smaller publishing houses usually don’t have the resources to commit to marketing their titles. Even worse off are those who self-publish, because when they receive their books, they are on their own. Any marketing that happens, happens because of their efforts, and their efforts alone.

What is a new author to do? He can sit back and hope that his book sells somehow, or he can put money into a marketing plan and hope that plan is successful. But without a marketing background, that money can be wasted quickly. As a result, many authors don’t market out of fear of loss and uncertainty, and sell far fewer books than they should.

Into this void comes a wonderful book – Book Marketing from A-Z by Francine Silverman. The sub-title explains it all: “More than 300 authors share the peaks and pitfalls in promoting their books.”

Silverman hasn’t so much written this book as she has edited it. She is the successful author of two books, as well as the owner of a very influential book promotion newsletter (http://bookpromotionnewsletter.com). Over a couple years of publishing her newsletter, she has collected marketing success stories from many authors, and, combined with her own expertise, has put it all together into an excellent resource.

This book contains everything a new (or even experienced) author needs to begin marketing. Authors might be surprised to learn that there are many free things they can do to market their books! For example, I was surprised at how many authors related that something as simple as handing out bookmarks or pens stamped with their website and book name resulted in much publicity and many sales.

The book is comprehensive—arranged alphabetically, Silverman covers such topics as the importance of good reviews, what to do (or not do) at book signings, how to brand yourself, how to tie-in with holidays or movies, how speaking engagements can help a career blossom, and how to send out press kits. There are two huge sections on using Internet technology (web sites, ezines, e-groups, etc.) and newsletters to build a following. In my view, these two sections are the most informative sections of the book.

Silverman has produced a timely, comprehensive, and very helpful book that new and expert authors will return to time and again as they build their writing careers.

About The Author

Jeremy Hoover is a proofreader and book reviewer. He proofreads and reviews religion books, poetry, and most fiction. Contact him at jeremyhoover@gmail.com or Hoover Reviews (http://hooverreviews.blogspot.com) for proofreading rates or to request a review. >>Read more...

Post Colonial Studies

Post Colonial Studies
by: Samir K. Dash


Postcolonialism has been defined as:

* A description of institutional conditions in formerly colonial societies.

* An abstract condition of the global condition after the colonial period.

* A description of discourses informed by psychological and epistemological orientations.

* the social, political, economic, and cultural practices which arise in response and resistance to colonialism.

* This corresponds ' definition of postcolonial literature as, "an always present tendency in any literature of subjugation marked by a systematic process of cultural domination through the imposition of imperial structures of power," which as they point out implies that postcolonialism is "already implicit in the discourses of colonialism".

Postcolonialism, like other post-isms, does not signal a closing off of that which it contains (colonialism), or even a rejection (which would not be possible in any case), but rather an opening of a field of inquiry and understanding following a period of relative closure. Colonialism is an event which can be identified, given an historical definition, through its effects and characteristics as they reveal themselves in a given nation, among different cultural and social groupings.

Such writings as Edward Said's Culture and Imperialism (1993) discuss discourse analysis and postcolonial theory as tools for rethinking forms of knowledge and the social identities of colonial systems. As a result these tools can be applied to the recognition of modernism and modernity as part of may be called the colonial project of domination.

Debates on Postcolonialism are unresolved, yet issues raised in Said's book Orientalism (1978) critique Western descriptions which produce essential representations of Non-Euro-American others, because colonialism as a discourse is based on the ability of Western to enter, examine another culture, produce knowledge, and use that power against those countries.

Post colonial studies , over the last decade has been emerged both as

* A meeting point

* A background for verity of disciplines.

Post colonialism has been seen as a 'decisive, temporal marker of the decolonizing process'. But the fundamental to it is the concept that Gayatri Chakrabarty Spivak had rised in 1985. in that year she threw a challenge to the race and blindness of the Western academy, asking "Can the subaltern speak?" her question was followed by the work by a collective intellectuals of 1980, now known as subaltern Studies group. Spivak raised the question to highlight that there exists a complicated relationship between the historian and the unknowing subjects of subaltern histories – which is very much fundamental to post-colonial studies as well as all subaltern and feministic studies.

After 1970's and 1980's , the new literature that emerged from the Commonwealth, has shattered the notions of 'centre' and 'periphery' on which post-colonial studies is (mistakenly) founded. If all nations at some point come under the sway of British E\imperialism are seen as post-colonial, then this term no longer does much useful distinguishing work.

After 1980's , the literary and cultural relativitism has shattered the "logo centric concept" of British or Western literature. Thus, there is no "centre" that can sustain post colonial studies, hence3 post colonialism has lost its meaning.

However the major points of the post colonial studies can be summarized roughly as under:

* Post colonial aftermath: the post colonial aftermath is marked by the range of ambivalent cultural moods. This is what described by Albert Memi, Tunisian anti-colonial revolutionary and intellectual as a vision of a new world that will "magically emerge from the ruins of the colonialism". To this he adds that the aftermath is inevitably underestimates the psychological hold of the colonial past. For Edward said, this aftermath is the "dreadful secondariness".

* Homi K. Bhabha and the role of memory: Bhabha believes that memory is necessary bridge between colonialism and question of one's cultural identity. Hence remembering is more than retrospection and is a painful 're-membering' of the 'dismembered past' of colonial history and this is a part of the identity that one bears in a post colonial era.

* Culture and post colonial literature: The understanding of post-colonialism as a means largely for the descendents of the settler groups in the colonial-imperial process to claim authenticity and autonomy and purge the guilt of empire as a process which altered pre-modern civilization. This is attempted by firstly, separating themselves from the 'original' culture; and secondly, by increasing understanding their empire as a muted and ambiguous legacy among nations, ethnic groups and selves engaged in the culture of imperialism. Given this reading, post-colonial literature can be seen as a transitory phase of the wider cultural condition of the legacy of imperialism.

© Samir K. Dash, 2004

About The Author

Samir K. Dash is a UGC-NET qualified, MA (English) from Ravenshaw (auto) College, Cuttack, Orissa (India).

You can contact the author at : samirk_dash@yahoo.com

Home page: www.samirshomepage.zzn.com >>Read more...

Orientalism

Orientalism
by: Samir K. Dash


Edward Said's Orientalism can be summed up in three following points: first he talks of the distinction between pure and political knowledge, shows the power relation of any text to political, cultural, intellectual and moral domain; secondly he shows how the methodology used by the West to define and interpreting the Orient is just a part of the process that Orientalises the Orient and how his methodology of "historical generalization" is different from all these previous methodologies; and thirdly he clarifies his position by explaining his ethnic background, scholarly interests, and social circumstances he has experienced as an oriental.

Following Derrida it can be assumed the concept of "Orientalism" or "orient' a part of a binary oppositions pair, where the occidental forms the other side of this binary oppositional coin. Levis Strauss' Methodology , if applied to this binary opposition, we reach at the same conclusion as Edward Said, that these two (i.e. the concepts of Orient and Occident; or East and West ) are the two 'entities' that 'support and to an extent reflect each other'(p.5). To make it more clear, 'Orient' has come to be a part of our consciousness due to the process of categorization by the 'West' – i.e. Westerners' view or presupposition about their identity, made the idea of 'Orient' possible. As in a binary pair, one's presence is defined in terms of the absence of 'the other' (i.e. the opposition to it).In case of the Orientalism , (i.e. the discipline that came to front after the completion of this process or the 'event', the sense in which Derrida had used the term in his essay Structure, Sign and play in the Discourse of Human sciences) the 'East' is defined in terms of the qualifications of the 'West'. In Said's words:"European culture gained in strength and identity by setting itself off against the Orient as a sort of surrogate and even under grounded self".

And this process of establishing the identity of 'the other' by creating the identity of the self , is part of the process which said terms in this particular case as being "Orientalized" which means the moment one tries to understand which means the moment one tries to understand culture, history and ideas, one from that moment comes under their direct force. That means when one expresses his interpretation, (which is essentially an work of art) can no longer be external as croce has remarked: 'A work of art is always internal; and what is called external is no longer a work of art' (quoted in Rene Wellek's essay The Fall of Literary history).

That's why Said has avoided presenting any notion or definition of his subject in his book (i.e. Orientalism) rather he chooses a the path of indirectness, by placing in to the pages the various ideas related to the Orientalism that exist 'spatially and complexly interlinked' in his mind and are a part of his consciousness which ultimately he refers to as his subject i.e. the "Orientalism" – the "transdental signified". He is aware that this "transcendental signified" has been a part of the "collective unconscious' of the west and has been growing since the very time the west is conscious about the 'other sidedness' of his existence, on various levels – physical, as well as psychological. This has been since that time of its evolution, has been expressed in various manners making reference to different geographical cultural and ideological difference that exist between the west and the east. To avoid complexity of our interpretation we can simply put this as the fact that due to the ethno-centric attitude of the west there came the relative measurement of various dimensions in the different cultural values, belief systems and this ultimately formed the concept of the "Orient".

Said also makes this point clear in his introduction : "The orient was Orientalised not only because it was discovered to be oriental in all those ways considered common place by an average nineteenth century European, but also because it could be – that is submitted to being – made oriental".

This indicates that the very process of distinguishing orient from the occident is itself a process of Orientalising the orient. Said's use of "historical generalizations" (p.4) – which he announces in his introduction as a different 'methodological alternative' also could not able to escape from being taking part in the process of Orientalization.

This haunts Said as in the last lines of the third chapter he confesses that the study of orient involves a continuous process of degredation in knowledge,"If the knowledge of the Orientalism has any meaning, it is in being a reminder of this seductive degradation of knowledge".And perhaps writing of Orientalism by Said can be seen as the very next added part of this process which he himself indicates in the following line:"Orientalism failed to identify with human experience, failed also to see it as human experience […] if this book has any future use it will be as a modest contribution to that challenge, […] that system of thought like Orientalism , discourse of power , ideological fictions – mind-forg'd manacles – are too easily made, applied , and guarded". And to which he concludes that the accompanied degradation to this is 'Now perhaps more than before' .

That means he himself studies the process of which he is a part of . We need to understand how Said has attempted to describe the process of 'Orientalising the orient' by men in the past before him ( of which he becomes a part of , by writing his book , by doing explanations on Orientalism – which is now the aim of our experiment, to understand how the process of his explanation (on Orientalism) has the similarities to the this above mentioned process.

Said uses a new kind of methodology to bring the whole matter related to Orientalism to light. He does so as explains that :

* 'Orientalism is not an inert fact of nature'– i.e. it is not only related to geographical reality .

* it would be [also] wrong to conclude that the orient was essentially an idea or a creation with no corresponding reality,

He says so because he knows that the geographical sectors as orient and occident are man made, but along with that there is 'a brute reality' which is exerted by the idea of orient if they are at all any orient exists in ideas .

The fact that Said's belief system when comes to front has a centre which alters its meaning and deconstructs it as no particular opposition of the binary pair 'idea / thing' or 'mental dimension/ physical dimension is valid for more than an instance, so the moment he makes a reference to idea associated with the orient he discards the physicality of the orient and vise versa. From such reason we can assume that when an expression on the orient is made it either lies about orient or discard it it is because by 'lying' or creating myth about it, one can contribute to its existence, and the moment some expression is made to explain it, it is no more 'that' and hence it blows out its existence. Said points to this complexity in his introduction: "One ought never to assume that the structure of Orientalism is nothing more than a structure of lies or myths which, were the truth about them to be told, or simply blow away"!

* What Said has done to solve this problem is that he coined a new methodology which he termed as "representation".

That means he stresses through his book Orientalism on the aspect of how than whatof Orientalism. He tries to explain how orient is created than what it really is .

He through his historical generalization, moves from Flaubert to Sacy then to Renan and other Orientalists who build their own structures of Orientalism which forms a stack of structures, where no particular structure has while trying to understand the the 'what' aspects of Orientalism unconsciously created it .

Thus what the West did in the past to learn on orient created orient. and thus orient became an western invention.

That means that we are , by following Said , in fact starting a process of unlearning about the Orientalism , in order to let orient exist as it is . but the moment we attempt to learn about orient we are in fact from that moment starts off another chain reaction of changes in its existence—which ultimately leads us to no truth as the moment he we understand it , our understanding itself becomes a part of the invention of the orient.

He explains the epistemological aspect and historical aspect of the Orientalism which can be summarized in the following points:

* the first phase of Orientalists were those who saw the rise of the Muslims in the Asian region as a threat to Christianity – during this period the Orient was defined as the geographical regions that was under the control of the so called pagan , barbarous non-Christian races , especially Muslims. They were considered as threats to the West , i.e. the Christian occupied European geography. This can be traced in Chaucer's writings, Mendellive's stories.

* the next phase of the Orientalists were those who depending upon the first phase description began to explore these areas. During renaissance the spirit started and this continued for centuries. During this phase many militaristic adventures were made especially by that of Napoleon who planned to conquer the Egypt on both military and cultural ground. This phase continued till the creation of Suez canal and Orientalists like Renan, Sacy and Flaubert gave shape to the idea of Orientalism on the basis of their either experiences in the Orient or the views that they had possessed from their predecessors, which was shaped by the western attempt to define its supremacy over the concept that was termed as the Orient by the first phase definitions.

* the third or the latest phase was brought forward by the process of de-colonization where the modern west men began to emphasize the differences of the Orient from the Occident; east from the West.

After this categorization Said put forward the theory of the 'power relationship of knowladge'—how all these Orientalists of the three phase while defining the Orient have contributed to the process of the Orientalisation.

This is the power relationship of knowledge in the context of the orient.

* The west tried to find his identity through an opposition to it and named it orient.

* The ethenocentricism of the west made the distinguistions of other cultures from it and labeled all oppositional charactered cultures as oriental cultures.

Different parts of the west thus had diffeent views on orient due to their different geographical locations , which has created their own taste , own customs etc. thus "culectiveconciousness" of one part of the west saw its opposition in a manner , which was perhaps had subordinate place in the list of oppositions made by another part of the west. Thus their own definition of the orient differs .

This is exemplified by Said in the 4th section of the 2nd chapter tiltled as "Pilgrims and pilgrimages, British and French"

Well one may arise the question that if the ethenic values shaped by geographical locations in the west vary from each other , how can it be possible that they did not see each other as oppositions .

To this explanation can be found in the fact which Levis Strauss as well as Derrida terms as scandals . to put it plainly scandals are the characters that belong to the both oppositional sides.

And there in every culture there exists scandals. Due to the most common properties in between them (for instance Christanity) each part of west never saw each other as oppositional representation of it.

Now this makes it clear that there are as many number orients created as the western groups.

And thus orient is a set of imagination, values, ideas, customs, geographical locations which can be seen as the result of many attempts to explain self identity in terms of the other . thus orient was created out of the process of making an orient.

The next phase of Orientalists are those who, following the preconceived orient in their western mind tried to learn about it . Thus they became the part of the creators of the orient. Such phase includes Baudelaine and Sacy etc.

Thus the supposed to be 'discoverers' are themselves the inventers of the orient.

And the modern Orientalists who tried to categorise the diffent aspect of the orient became themselves another addition to such inventers.

Thus what we see in above that the process of learning is it self the mode of creation of Orientalism.

This is what Said explains as power relation ship of knowledge i.e. here knowledge exerts its power to build what it is about.

And this is the part of various degree of complex hegemony, which also includes the military and political hegemony f the orient ( in their general accepted meanings).

Another part to understand here is that the power relationship is essentially political here. It is so, because if the creation of orient as a subordinated field or structure can be considered as one of the political dimension of hegemony, then the learning about orient also owns this political dimension.

To make it more clear the moment the concept of Orientalism came to mind of the first westerner, it came as an opposition to his own existence. That makes it clear that we see orient in terms of its oppositional values of the west, i.e. Orient has been explained in terms of west and never the opposite. This ethenocentrism in knowledge about orient can be seen as a political hegemony. And we have no solution to it as we can explain the other of us in terms of what we are not. After that moment any reference made to us will be made only when we believe that the other exists . so , after that even if we are defined in the other's terms still the underlying causes of the existence of the other is in our terms. So, if one will say that if orient starts to define west as its opposition then also , the existence of the orient is made from in the terms of the west. And hence the knowledge of the orient has its political hegemony intact.

© Samir K. Dash, 2004

About The Author

Samir K. Dash is a UGC-NET qualified, MA (English) from Ravenshaw (auto) College, Cuttack, Orissa (India).

You can contact the author at : samirk_dash@yahoo.com

Home page: www.samirshomepage.zzn.com >>Read more...

Modern Science Fiction

Modern Science Fiction
by: Samir K. Dash


Science fiction is a narrative (usually in prose) or a short story, 'novella' or novel length. As to what it is about, is not easily classificable. Such stories are about an amazing variety of things, topics and ideas. But in general these ideas are related to the field of science.

The premodern science fiction were about journey to new lands, and some are also related to industrial revolution --- to the new developed machines --- which were to be more specific were not related to the electronics and quantum physics phase. This branch of science can be also called 'empirical science fiction', as imagination were based on the empirical science that was just able to develop some mechanical machines and complex bio-chemical drugs.

This phase of science fiction includes, Mary Shelly's Frankenstein (1818), Joules Verne's Journey to the centre of the Earth (1864) and 2000 Leagues Under the Sea (1869).

But after towards the end part Victorian phase the scientific imagination developed to a new height. More complex theories of scientific causes were beginning to be used in writing science fiction. This phase is the Modern Period of science fiction. This phase include more technical details of science and used concepts of time and outer space. This phase lasted till the end of Second world war(i.e. 1945).

This phase of science fictions include mostly H.G.Well's Time Machine(1895), Island of Dr. Moreu(1896), The War of the Worlds(1898) and First Men in Moon(1901).

Upto this phase , science was thought to be some kind of saviour of mankind --- more like a passage to a better future. But in 1945, with the explosion of Atomic Bomb in Hiroshima of Japan, this view was shattered. The creator of the bomb commented that the "world would never be the same". This gave way to the 'Dysotopian view' of modern man's life that was shaped by science, otherwise which in some case may result in destruction of human race and civilization. From this the Post Modern phase of science fiction began.

In 1949, George Orwell published Nineteen Hundred Eighty Four . Then it was followed by Issac Assimov's Foundation (1951), Foundation and empire (1952), The Second foundation (1953) and Ray Bradbury's Farenhit 451

But the dystopian vision was more painted dark with the use of hi-tech technological information of science by the "New Wave Science Fiction".

In this New Wave Science Fiction, the naturalism was used to present the scientific growth in the fiction as a very probable process to real development of science. Among such works are Arthur C. Clarke's I, Robot(1951), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1967), 2010: A Space Odyssey Two (1982). There came a flood of new generation science fiction writers like J.G.Ballard (Grey Beard), Michel Crichton (Jurassic Park, Congo) , Kurt Vonnegut (Slaughter house 5).

During the 1980s, due to revolution in Computer Science and Internet, the "cyber world" revolution paved the way for "Cyber-punk" --- a new genre of science fiction, that dealt with Hypertyext, multiple identity and identity murder in the virtual world. The first of this kind was written in 1982 by William Gibson under the title Necromancer.

Thus the science fiction has turned into a major genre.

© Samir K. Dash, 2004

About The Author

Samir K. Dash is a UGC-NET qualified, MA (English) from Ravenshaw (auto) College, Cuttack, Orissa (India).

You can contact the author at : samirk_dash@yahoo.com

Home page: www.samirshomepage.zzn.com >>Read more...

Subtle Writing Techniques of the Mystery Writer

Subtle Writing Techniques of the Mystery Writer
by: Gerard F Bianco


Here is the first of five articles taken from my lecture series, "Subtle Writing Techniques Used in Creating a Successful Mystery Novel." This series is designed to explain the working methods of the mystery/suspense writer, offering insight and understanding into the technical process of writing.

Reading a good mystery novel is a lot like horseback riding. At times you’re cautiously slow walking; sometimes you’re head-bobbling-wobbling trotting; while other times you’re whooshing along on a take-your-breath-away gallop. This variety of pace is a key element that contributes to the thrill and excitement of the ride. Another is fear. (What if I fall off the damn horse?)

In keeping with this same image, mystery writing becomes somewhat like laying out a course for the rider. The author must include an array of terrains to make the ride interesting and somewhat challenging. There has to be grassy hills to climb and soft, sloping landscapes to descend. There must be twists and turns and tree laden paths as well as long, smooth straight-aways for blazing gallops.

To accomplish all this, writers use an assortment of subtle and not-so-subtle techniques that will enhance their story-telling and add the necessary oomph required for a successful mystery/suspense yarn. From the many subtle techniques available, I consider these five to be amongst the highest on the importance scale.

1) Characters Speak to the Reader: This is easy when the story is written in the first person, but what about novels written in the third person? Can a protagonist speak directly to the reader if the tale is narrated? You bet they can. How? By using what I call, peripheral speech.

In the same way as it’s possible for us to see objects within a 90 degree radius when staring straight ahead, so too can a character in a novel speak to the reader while speaking to other characters. Let me illustrate. In Dying For Deception, my protagonist, Detective William Gillette, heads up a task force assigned to thwart a serial killer who’s been murdering women with red hair. On page 23, he addresses a group of officers on his team who he’s meeting for the first time. Pay special attention to the technique I’ve just described.

“You don’t know me—not yet anyway— but I expect we’ll get to know each other pretty well while this investigation is going on. For starters, I’d like to let you in on a little secret and tell you a little something about myself. You see, I’m a persistent bastard when it comes to murderers. I won’t let this guy continue for very long. In fact, I’m prepared to do just about anything to bring him in. Anything! I will not rest, I will not compromise and I will not concede until our end has been accomplished.”

I hope, with this small illustration, you can get a sense of what I mean. Gillette is talking to his team, but he’s also revealing himself to you, the reader, so that you’ll want to follow him and help solve the crime. There are other examples of this technique employed in Dying For Deception. Why not try looking for them.

About The Author

Gerard Bianco is the author of the mystery novel, Dying For Deception. He was born and raised in Broolyn, New York. Smoky pool halls, Irish bars, and Italian social clubs are some of the local hangouts that have influenced his writing. In addition to being an author, he is also an accomplished artist, jewelry designer and manufacturer. Visit his website, http://www.dyingfordeception.com.

Sign up for his free Mystery Newsletter.

mainemystery@aol.com >>Read more...

'Your Instinct is Your Life-blood,' says author.

'Your Instinct is Your Life-blood,' says author.
by: Neil Millar


Fourteen thousand civilised people died when the tsunami hit Andaman Islands – five percent of the population – meanwhile a cannibal tribe, inhabiting the same island, hardly lost a life. And do you know what saved them – the earliest early-warning system known to man.

When the Jarawa tribe saw jungle creatures performing a speedy mass exodus they decided they should peg it too. Meanwhile civilised men may have noticed the lack of birds singing in the trees or their dog straining the leash and did nothing. Clearly something separates tribal man from civilised man.

While they run for the hills we stand around believing it will be nothing but a storm in a tea cup and that everything will be fine. The fact that they act while we suppress clearly shows that life and death comes down not just to instinct, but the way we use it, if we use it at all.

You and I could be as instinctive as any tribesman if we practiced it, but everyday, in our daily actions, we choose to ignore our instincts. We go to a work-place that depresses us; do work we hate and take pills to dull the pain and make it more bearable. We eat food that is addictive until our legs rub together and our underwear causes chaffing, fail to exercise and then take more pills, have our stomach sewn up or inject ourselves with insulin. All this…just to survive.

And that is exactly what it is for most of us – survival – hanging in there, doing the job that kills our soul, taking on contracts that turn our gut because we believe there is no other option, doing food that causes our major organs to breakdown, living at a financial level just above subsistence level, with just about enough money left at the end of the week to buy a tin of food for that dog.

Will you wake up, please? Will you see how your instincts are telling you about your work? Will you find work that gives you life instead of sapping every living cell out of you? Will you notice that ill health is a hint that you need to eat better and exercise more? Will you take the hint that there is something you can do to save your marriage or relationship?

Instinct is only about feeling something and acting. It could save your career, your finances, your relationship and you life.

Mike Edwards is a soldier who ignored all instinct. His life is in a mess and he has been sent to find and free an environmentalist, held on a group of islands in the Bay of Bengal on a group of islands where the cannibal tribe, the Jarawa, exist. Now Edwards must face the demons of his own mind and the demons on his mission. Follows his story and find out how he reclaims his life. Find out more visit www.neilmillar.net.

About The Author

Neil Millar is the novelist behind the potent SAS adventure Black Water, personal development writer and author of Simple Steps to Greater Happiness and Be the Hero in your Own Life. Neil’s words inspire people to find greater reward in their work and more fun in their personal relationships and life. Read the New York Times Best-selling author review www.neilmillar.net. >>Read more...

Five Secrets of Winning Book Proposals

Five Secrets of Winning Book Proposals
by: Melissa A Rosati


Working in the publishing industry comes with a high expectation, especially from complete strangers. After the causal ‘hello’ progresses to ‘what do you do,’ and my answer is ‘I am a publisher,’ the words, like fairy dust, work magic; and in the eyes of my conversation partner, I’m transformed into a glamorous Advice Goddess—would I mind reading this stranger’s book proposal?

Cornered in frozen foods at the grocery, black-tie events or at the bus stop, I’ve been ‘pitched’ as we say in the business, with such book proposals as: A Cat’s Tale of Christmas; Old Testament Aphrodisiacs; Break Out (after being committed to a mental institution by jealous relatives, the story of one man’s quest for revenge); and Suck it and See: A Guide to Tropical Fruits.

Admittedly, I chose to share with you the more colorful examples. My point being that the purpose of a proposal pitch is not to motivate the publisher to love the idea as much as you do. That’s the misconception. The publisher is listening for signals that you understand the process of transforming a book concept into a business plan. It’s not just about your passion for the topic: it’s how well you filter your passion through the publisher’s prism of marketing and distribution. That’s the difference between a contract and a polite rejection letter.

Let’s take a look at five typical questions that an agent or a publisher will ask in their submission guidelines.

Question #1: Please provide the title that best captures and conveys the essence of your book and briefly explain why you chose it.

What the publisher is really thinking:

* Will the book buyer for Barnes & Noble recognize the section to shelve the book by its title alone?
* Is the title’s message succinct and snappy so the publisher’s sales representative will remember it easily?
* How does the rest of proposal support what the title says?

Question #2: Briefly describe the primary audience for your book and how they will benefit from reading it.

What the publisher is really thinking:

* The book cannot be all things to all people. Do you demonstrate focus?
* Are you confident about who the customer is and the primary (most appropriate) category where the book should be placed in the bookstore?
* Do you provide three distinct benefits that relate to the book’s core premise?

Question #3: List competing books that you are aware of on this topic and explain how your book differs.

What the publisher is really thinking:

* How do you demonstrate that your premise is solid in relation to existing books?
* Will the publisher’s sales representatives understand where your book fits among five other books in the same category?
* Do you contradict what the book is or is not elsewhere in the proposal?

Question #4: What are your expectations for the project?

What the publisher is really thinking:

* Do you sound like you expect to make a million dollars and plan to retire on your royalty earnings?
* Is your goal to raise the level of topic discussion and to advance your profile as a thought leader?
* How realistic are you about the work involved to write the book from start to finish?

Question #5: Describe your qualifications for writing this book and include your latest curriculum vitae or other relevant factors.

What the publisher is really thinking:

* Several proposals are discussed during a publisher’s editorial board meeting. Why say ‘yes’ to yours?
* What is your media platform? How are you going to be an asset in marketing and promoting the book?
* What’s your track record?

If you are now thinking about you book concept as a business plan, bravo! This is the foundation for a solid beginning; and, I encourage you to continue forward. High-quality books written by people who are committed to excellence (in any sphere of living) are in short supply. Adopt the publisher’s perspective—how will it sell and to whom—and you will not only become a published author. You will make a difference in the world.

About The Author

Melissa A. Rosati is a co-active coach, whose clients are writers, authors and creative artists. Prior to her coaching career, she was the Director, Editorial & Production for McGraw-Hill International (UK). She now resides in New York City. Her forthcoming book, The Essential Publisher’s Handbook shows readers how to publish profitably. Register for a complimentary subscription to her newsletter, The Essential Publisher at http://www.melissarosati.com.

© 2005 Melissa A. Rosati. All rights reserved.

melissa@melissarosati.com >>Read more...

Someday Dead Writers Need To Worry!

Someday Dead Writers Need To Worry!
by: Ed Williams


Do ya’ll ever notice that the older you get, the more attention you pay to the obituaries section in the newspaper?

I hate to admit it, but it’s true. When I was a young man, I never even bothered looking at the obituaries. The concept of death seemed so far removed that it really didn’t have much impact on me as to who might be dying out there. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t wish death on them or anything, but the truth is I didn’t know them, had no ties to them, and for me death, dying, and obits were concepts eons away from my day-to-day realities. Consequently, I totally ignored reading them.

You can get by with that for awhile, but a funny thing eventually happens to all of us - we get older. And, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found that I’ve begun looking at the obits much more closely now because I know more people who have passed away. First it’s one person, then another, and yet another. Pretty soon, you find that you’re reading the obits each day, hoping that you don’t find someone you know or like in there, and most of all being glad that you’re not among those listed.

From that, you begin realizing that these obits are what a lot of people are going to remember you by. Think about it - most of the time when someone dies that we know or care about, we cut out their obits and store them someplace. Typically they go into a family scrapbook. Then, over the years, the obit is occasionally dusted off and looked at by relatives, and a conversation typically ensues about the departed family member. And that’s what really scares me, because one day I’ll die and my own potential obit will be out there for any and all to see.

I imagine some of ya’ll might be thinking, “Geez, Ed, why would that bother you?” Well, I’ll go right ahead and tell you. You see, a few weeks ago I was scanning the obits, and I noticed this gentleman down in south Georgia who had just died. The obit discussed his funeral arrangements, and then pointed out that he’d written a book about the history of his county. In fact, they noted it right out there in italics, like this,

”...and Mr. Berryhill was the author of “The History of Blah-Blah County,” first published in 1986.”

Right then it hit me - one day my own obit is gonna go in the paper. And somewhere in it, right after they tell all the necessary stuff, they’re gonna say,

“...and Mr. Williams was the author of the books, “Sex, Dead Dogs, and Me,” “Rough As A Cob,” and others.”

Frankly, that makes me wince more than a picture of Amy Carter in a bikini. I can visualize a great grandchild of mine pulling out the family scrapbook and noticing a yellowed old newspaper article. Out of curiosity, he/she begins reading it. And, as they read it, they’re gonna find it’s about their great granddad, so they’ll keep reading it as they might want to know a little about me. Finally, they’ll come to the part about my books, read their titles, and say, “Ewwwwwwwwwww! Why did great granddad choose these titles for his books? Was he weird?”

Brrrrrrrrr - now ya’ll can understand why all this bothers me. I really think these book titles are gonna follow me on out into the great beyond, so I’ve got to start thinking up a strategy now. A strategy that’ll make me look as good as possible to my future great grandkids. I think my best hope is the chance that some of my current relatives might be horse thieves, gamblers, or even worse yet, vegetarians. If they are, and they die before I do, I can cut out their obit and make sure that it makes its way into our family scrapbook. Then, I’ll make my son Will swear to me that when I die he’ll make sure that my obit gets put right next to the vegetarian’s. That way, at least a little of the heat will be taken off whenever my future great grandchild sits down and reads my obit. In comparison to the vegetarian I might not come off too bad - at least I can hope for that.

Well, I’d write more, but I’ve got to run, as I have a whole lot of work to do. I need to start doing some research on my relatives, and then determine what kind of health a few of them are in....

About The Author

Ed’s latest book, “Rough As A Cob,“ can be ordered by calling River City Publishing toll-free at: 877-408-7078. He’s also a popular after dinner speaker, and his column runs in a number of Southeastern publications. You can contact him via email at: ed3@ed-williams.com, or through his web site address at: www.ed-williams.com. >>Read more...

Being the "Butt" of an Article

Being the "Butt" of an Article
by: Ed Williams


A writer friend of mine just forwarded me an email that someone has just sent her. She’s a brand new writer, has a column going in her local paper, and really enjoys writing. The email she was sent is as follows, only the name of the person sending it has been changed:

“Dear Columnist,

Recently the word ‘butt’ was used in one of your columns. That word is inappropriate, in poor taste, crude, and offensive. The fact that it is used on tv does not change a thing. I appreciate your being able and interested in writing and would like for it to be above reproach.

Best to you.

Ward Cleaver”

She wants to know what I think of it, and what would be the most appropriate way to respond.

As I sit here pondering her request, the full range of potential responses seems to be these:

1. The immature response. This is the one you’d go with if you fired back an immediate, gut check-like response. You’d tell the guy that he should find some “Barney” reruns to spend his time watching and then imply that he must be a real firecracker in most other aspects of his personal life. You’d then close it out with a reminder that this is a free country and that he was free (and encouraged) to read something other than your column in the future.

2. The sarcastic approach. Tell the reader that you’ll try to do better in the future, and that the slip up in the column is easily explainable. Then, go into how you and your friends went out drinking the night before, entered a “Who Can Cuss The Best” contest at a local bar, and that the carry over from that slipped into your column when you wrote it the next day. Promise your reader that it’ll never happen again, as you definitely want to live your life “above reproach,” and then swear to watch twenty episodes of “The Brady Bunch” as penance.

3. The politician’s approach. Take no responsibility for your wording by telling the reader that you actually wanted to use the term “heiny,” “tookus”, or “twin pink apples,” but were prevented from doing so by your editor. Then, go into great detail about your “poor as Job’s turkey” upbringing, adding that it was hard for you to learn proper language usage skills because you grew up in a shack with seventeen brothers and sisters. Close by offering to let the offended reader write a guest column in place of yours the next week, recommend to them some web sites offering free government programs and money, and each Arbor Day from here on out faithfully send them a pine tree seedling.

4. The avoidance approach. Email back a terse two-liner, telling them that you appreciate the feedback but that your schedule is so hectic that you can’t possibly respond to it. Wish them eternal peace and happiness in the closing line.

5. The mature approach. Email your reader back, let them know you appreciated them giving you feedback, and never comment on what you personally thought of their message. Then thank them and close it out. Sweet, simple, and very mature.

It looks like my friend is going to choose the last option, which is certainly the best one to take. But a thought now occurs to me - maybe, instead of these approaches, her good writer friend should just tell her that she’s doing fine, and not to let stuff like this bother her too much. He should also take the time to remind her that not everyone is going to like everything that you write or say, and all you can do is your best and gracefully accept whatever comes along as a result. Finally, maybe her writer friend will simply remind her that her stuff is good, much better than some of the writing being done today by columnists that’s so lame that a South Georgia tree buzzard could do better...

On second thought, I might better leave that last one out...she might start looking at me sort of quizzically after she reads it...

About The Author

Ed’s latest book, “Rough As A Cob,“ can be ordered by calling River City Publishing toll-free at: 877-408-7078. He’s also a popular after dinner speaker, and his column runs in a number of Southeastern publications. You can contact him via email at: ed3@ed-williams.com, or through his web site address at: www.ed-williams.com. >>Read more...

The Secret to Good Writing

The Secret to Good Writing
by: Marie-Claire Ross


Skilful business writing involves getting your message across simply and quickly. This often means writing in a style that is easily read and understood by a broad audience.

Yet, writing simply is often difficult for most of us.

Why? The answer lies in our school education. We learnt that if we used big words and complex sentences, we were more likely to get an ‘A’ by our English teacher or University lecturer. The education system taught us that people who use a broad range of vocabulary are more intelligent that the rest of us.

There is nothing wrong with writing beautifully pieces of prose that feature a stunning range of vocabulary knowledge. However, such writing is unsuitable for a business market.

No business manager has the time to wade through material that meanders and weaves before a point is made. They are even less likely to have time to grab a dictionary to work out what the writer is trying to say.

When I used to work as a market research consultant, I had the impossible task of trying to write market research reports that seemed interesting. My immediate response was to write a report that would make my University lecturer’s proud. Sadly, my colleagues all felt the same way.

It wasn’t until we had a business writing consultant come in to train us about how to write at the level of a Year 8 student that we realised the folly of our ways.

Using my newly found skills of writing a report using simple English, I proudly produced my ‘easy on the brain’ report to my manager (who missed the writing class). He told me ‘You write like you talk’. To this day, I still don’t know if he was criticising my talking or writing ability, but I gathered either way he wasn’t happy.

However, from a communication point of view, this style of writing is perfect for getting your message across quickly.

Later on in my career, I worked at a company that prided itself on its easy to read reports. While this was true (to some degree), one of the directors loved to throw in a difficult word in every report he wrote to make the marketing manager reach for his dictionary. He thought this was really clever and that his clients would be in awe of his knowledge. I’m guessing his clients thought he was a tosser (interestingly, I met an ex-client years later who told me that when their company received one of his reports they would quickly scan it to find the unusual word and then erupt into hysterical laughter).

Articles that are written to impress your audience about how clever you are, do nothing more than distance them. No matter how learned your market is, they still prefer to read information that is easy to digest.

A great way to test whether your writing is easy to comprehend is to read it out loud. If someone spoke to you, using those words, could you instantly understand what they were getting at or would you have to really concentrate?

Scripts for marketing videos are no different. In fact, they need to be extremely simple in order to quickly grab the attention of people walking past at a trade show, for example.

Writing that is heavy on technical terms and jargon can be a real turn off. The beauty of a marketing video is that it uses both pictures and words. The saying “A picture tells a thousand words” is a powerful concept with corporate movies. It means you can actually get away with saying less, but easily get your message across, because the pictures do all of the talking.

Surprisingly, clear writing can be quite a difficult writing style to master, but the effort is well rewarded. And look at the bright side, at least people won’t burst into fits of laughter when they read your masterpiece.

(c) Marie-Claire Ross 2005. All rights reserved.

About The Author

Marie-Claire Ross is one of the partners of Digicast. Digicast works with organisations who are not satisfied that their marketing and training materials are helping their business grow. She can be contacted on 0500 800 234 (Australia wide) or at mc@digicast.com.au. The website is at www.digicast.com.au. >>Read more...

How To Use Punctuation

How To Use Punctuation
by: Rumki Sen


The most common mistake people tend to make while writing is in the use of Punctuation. Wrong punctuation can damage the flow of ideas and change meaning, but properly used punctuation not only helps readers understand your meaning but also makes them engrossed in your writing. The following discussion is about some of the frequently misused punctuation marks and what actually their correct application should be.

Use of Apostrophe - Use an apostrophe to show possession, but never put apostrophe in case of possessive pronouns. Always remember that when the word "it's" is used, it is actually for the contraction for the two words: "it has" or "it is". On the other hand, "its" is a possessive pronoun, and the word being already possessive should not contain an apostrophe in it.

Example

It's the same thing happening over and over again.
(Contraction of It and is: It is the same thing happening over and over again).

Wrong: That car is your's.

Right: That car is yours.

Note: Rewriting is sometimes the solution for an awkward possessive.

Awkward: A friend of mine's cap.

Better: A friend's cap (or the cap of a friend of mine).

To show possession in the case of singular nouns, add 's, and for plural words that end in s, add only an apostrophe. Don't forget to put 's with plural words not ending in s.

Example

Singular: nurse's uniform

Plural: nurses' uniforms (plural word ending in s)

Plural: children's uniforms (plural word not ending in s)

Use of Comma - Use commas to separate three or more items in a list. Though journalists most of the times omit the final comma before the word "and", but retaining the final comma avoids confusion.

Example

Poor: In this website, you can read articles about how to do business online, the woman who daily eats 45 eggs and Tom Cruise.

Better: In this website, you can read articles about how to do business online, the woman who daily eats 45 eggs, and Tom Cruise.

Use a comma to separate two independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions.

Example

Wrong: I am not good in writing but I love writing.

Wrong: I am not good in writing, but, I love writing.

Right: I am not good in writing, but I love writing.

Note: If the clauses are long and already contain commas, separate them with a semicolon rather than a comma.

Wrong: If a man begins with certainties, he shall end in doubts, but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties. - Francis Bacon

Right: If a man begins with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties. - Francis Bacon

Run-on sentences - Where Run-on sentences are concerned (in case you don't know what it is, a run-on occurs when two independent clauses are not separated by punctuation or conjunction), add a period, or a semi colon, or a comma in places of separation.

Example

Wrong: A good student can score full marks in Mathematics it's his analytical ability that will help him achieve that.

Right: A good student can score full marks in Mathematics. It's his analytical ability that will help him achieve that.

Use of Quotation Marks - Use quotation marks to indicate direct quotation.

Example

"That guy knows me," Mr. Wong said, "very well."

Note: Never use it for indirect quotation (a restatement of someone’s words).

According to Mr. Wong, that guy knows him very well.

Use single quotation marks to indicate a quote within a quote.

Example

Wrong: Richard wrote, "When Berkeley said, "esse est percipii", he meant that the existence of a thing consists in its being perceived."

Right: Richard wrote, "When Berkeley said, 'esse est percipii,' he meant that the existence of a thing consists in its being perceived."

Note: Always put the comma and final period inside the quotation marks, and put other punctuation marks outside unless they are part of the thing being quoted.

There are many other frequently used punctuation errors, but the above-discussed ones are those I have mostly encountered in several writings. Before putting punctuation marks in your sentences, always ask yourself what meaning you want to convey to the readers. Accordingly, put the marks. In case the sentence becomes difficult to punctuate, consider rewriting it, because when a sentence is well written, it almost punctuates itself.

About The Author

Rumki Sen is the founder of Perfect Editing Solutions (www.perfectediting.com), a professional firm providing a Proofreading and Copyediting service to websites and online documents. She corrects and edits English grammar, punctuation, spelling, links and a lot more for mainly websites, letters, applications, CVs / resumes, advertisements, manuals, brochures, e-newsletters, articles and e-mail messages. Her company also offers resume-writing services. Whether you're a student, webmaster, or business owner, your written work will be improved immediately after you get her company's service. Contact Rumki Sen at rumki@perfectediting.com. >>Read more...

Making Better Word Choices - 4 Examples

Making Better Word Choices - 4 Examples
by: David J. Clapham


Writers face many decisions when working on a project. Choosing the correct word for a certain situation is one choice that writers often either struggle with or make an incorrect choice. This article will give some basic guidance to writers on four of the more common word choices that authors face.

Choosing the wrong words can have a poor effect on your writing and on you. Whether you are writing a cover letter for a job, a business proposal, or an application essay for graduate school using words poorly can result in negative feedback. One could find entire books regarding word choices for writers, this article will touch on some fundamental, but important ways to choose the correct word for your situation.

Our starting point will be the use of "There are" or "There is" to begin sentences. Consider this; the word "there" indicates "not here" (in other words, some other place). Now look at the sentence below and think about what the meaning is and what might be intended.

There are four dogs playing with a ball.

If the writer meant that four dogs are over there and they are playing with a ball, then this would be technically correct. If the intention was merely that four dogs are playing with a ball, here, there, or anywhere, then the sentence could be worded better. The following sentence would show better wording on the writer's part.

Four dogs are playing with a ball.

The next two words that writers often confuse are "which" and "that." If the goal of your writing is to describe something and you have used commas to separate the phrase from the rest of the sentence you want to use "which." When a writer wants a word to define and the reference is restricted then you want to use "that." The first sentence below shows the correct use of "that" and the second sentence shows correct use of "which."

The Yodo is the river that runs through Osaka.

The Yodo, which is a major waterway, runs though Osaka.

Our next word choice is between "while" and "although." Another way of thinking about the word "although" is to look at its meaning, as found on Merriam-Webster Online dictionary the meaning is, "in spite of the fact that : even though."(1) The definition of "while" indicates a relation to time, such as during a period when something else is happening. Two correctly worded sentences are below.

Although he is not tall, he is a good basketball player.

While he listened to the radio, he finished his homework.

A writer's choice between "since" and "because" also involves the possibility of a reference to time. Many people use "since" when they really mean "because," this is rarely a correct use of the word "since." When choosing a word to suggest "from a definite past time until now"(1) use "since." If you are not referring to time, "because" should be the word you choose. Try using "because," if your sentence does not make sense then you probably want to use "since." In the examples below the two incorrect sentences do not sound correct, while the correct sentences actually sound better.

Incorrect: He had few friends since he was too annoying.

Correct: He had few friends because he was too annoying.

Incorrect: He has not ridden a bicycle because 1990.

Correct: He has not ridden a bicycle since 1990.

Whether you are writing an essay for school or you are writing a speech for your CEO, choose your words carefully because what people hear or read from you can make a big difference in their opinion about you and your intelligence. For anyone writing, regardless of topic, length, or purpose, ask for assistance if you need it, not doing so can have serious repercussions on your reputation.

About The Author

David Clapham is the owner of Blue Arch Consulting, a proofreading and editing business helping clients worldwide to generate English documents of all types. Their website is at http://www.blue-arch.net. >>Read more...

Who Says You Are Not A Writer?

Who Says You Are Not A Writer?
by: Lynn Colwell


The other day, a client told me, “I’ve been talking to a lot of other aspiring writers and I can’t believe how unsupportive they are. I had an editor interested in something I’d written and two other writers were unbelievably negative. One said my writing wasn’t good enough for publication. Another told me that this particular magazine never publishes new writers. I was so depressed after I heard these remarks that I haven’t had the heart to send the editor anything.”

The need for support and affirmation can squeeze the joy and life from writing. It can paralyze us. We agonize over the opinions of others. Caught between the insatiable desire to write and the terror of failure, we require validation the way a hungry child cries for milk. I find this ironic since the act of writing is almost always a solitary passion.

Even if we write for our own pleasure, we cannot escape the feeling that we are doing something slightly illicit or at the very least, unworthy of praise. The paradox for those who want to sell is that we have little choice. We cannot both keep our work to ourselves and publish it. Yet in deciding to make the attempt, we must face the tiger. Sometimes the tiger is an editor with venom in her veins. Other times, it’s a friend who, in the most loving this-is-for-your-own-good tone, assures us that we are bound to fail. (It is the pleasure we sense in her voice that is most disquieting.) It can be a fellow writer who feels better about his own work when he claims power over ours. The tiger can be anyone who has an agenda that even unintentionally or subconsciously, collides with our own.

Exposing our words to an editor (or to anyone else for that matter), brings us back to childhood when all-powerful teachers brazenly defaced papers with blood red marks, leaving our carefully crafted sentences in ruins (and us in tears). Even now that we are older, our stories remain our children. And if our children are taunted or attacked, we are naturally overwhelmed with rage and defensiveness. But the reality is that our stories are not our children. They are only words. They do not give us value. Neither should our self worth or belief in our abilities be colored so absolutely or our hearts be broken, by others’ response to them.

Admittedly not everyone who aspires to be a published writer can shape words into clear, inviting prose. Personally, I believe that writing is not brain surgery and that most people with the desire can be taught to write passably well. Take a look at the vast majority of articles and books published today and you will see that being a writer on the level of Hemmingway or Dostoyevsky isn’t required. What is required is to learn your craft, to put in hours, perhaps years, soaking up the essentials so that the best in you emerges. Then you might want to armor your heart against the cold reality that faces every aspiring writer: The world is not awaiting your words.

One of the truths that many of us find it difficult to accept is that we create our own reality. Words are only words. We attach meaning to them depending on who we are and how we are in our lives. The words “You can write,” might fire us to great heights as they did Erma Bombeck. The very same words could feel like ridicule to those who can only see the worst in themselves.

If we depend on others’ opinions to fuel our desires, to keep us going through the storms, to believe in dreams, we may find ourselves mired in despair. But if we believe our inner voice, if we are lit by a purpose that springs from somewhere deeper than words, then it does not matter what others say. We simply know that we were meant to write as surely as we were meant to breathe. “You are,” we can safely and confidently say to the pessimistic friend, “entitled to your own opinion.”

So ask yourself, in the deepest part of your soul, are you a writer? If the answer you hear is, “yes,” then you are. And no one, not an acquaintance, not a teacher, not an editor, can take that away from you.

What happens then when someone stomps on your dream? You simply smile and start writing.

That is all.

About The Author

Lynn Colwell is a life/personal coach and writer. After a career including public relations and corporate communications with hospitals and high tech companies, she decided to devote herself to making a difference in people’s lives. Her complimentary online newsletter has been called, “An inspiring, exciting, fun, pick-me-up.” Sign up for the newsletter or contact Lynn at www.bloomngrow.net.

You may freely distribute the articles in this newsletter as long as they are carry the following notice: Copyright 2004 Lynn Colwell www.bloomngrow.net.

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Why You Don't Write Your Book

Why You Don't Write Your Book
by: Suzanne Falter-Barns


In the ten years that I've taught people how to get on with their books and creative projects, I've noticed a phenomenon that I'll call "Author's Block." Would-be writers can, indeed, sit down and work when pressed to it. The problem is that they're not so sure they want the pressure of being an author. But they do want it. But they don't. And so on.

Ah, the agony of getting on with your book.

Well, I'm here to diffuse that situation with a list of the key reasons we have trouble sticking to our writing or other creative projects. Perhaps this will help the next time you find yourself polishing doorknobs instead of sitting down to work.

Check all that apply to you:

You Lie To Yourself About Why You Can't Write The Book

You think your stalling is about lack of time, or too much pressure at work, or not enough solitude in the evening. But guess what? Chances are a deeper, darker reason may be at play, like 'I'm not supposed to be bigger than Mom' or 'What if this thing really takes off?'

You Fear The Impact Your Book Could Have

Sometimes when I coach writers in my Self-Help Author's Crash Course I'll ask them what's impeding their progress. And after some probing, it will come out that they're afraid of the big exposure a book can have if it takes off. I'm here to assure you that should that happen, (and chances are your book will not unleash wild mobs of millions) you will be able to handle it. How do I know? On that deep level where psyche meets karma, you won't create a single reader more than you're ready to receive.

You Think Your Book Doesn't Matter, So Why Bother?

One writer I know put this succinctly: "I've tried getting up at 5AM to write, or staying up late, or even leaving my home, but none of it works. I have this tired feeling that none of my effort is going to amount to a hill of beans." In fact, writing and publication can be an entirely self-determined activity these days. If the publishing pundits don't go for your book, there's always the option of self-publishing paperback editions or e-books and selling them on online booksellers or your website. In other words, your book DOES matter, and you really have no excuse. (Acid test: if the book keeps on patiently urging you to sit down and write it for months and even years, chances are you'd better do it.)

You Think You Don't Know How To Write A Book

Guess what? Neither does any other first time writer. And that may be a wonderful thing. As a beginner, you don't approach your book project with a carload of professional expectations and demands from your process. You can just be open, like… well, a nice blank book. All you really need is your intuition to guide you, and the will to write your book as honestly as you can.

You Have No Support

You need someone in your corner, cheering you on, to get through the long and somewhat tiring process of birthing a book. Because writers need a way to show up and be accountable for their progress. They need someone to keep saying, 'Yes, you really can do this," or even "How's it going?" Minds can be tricky and difficult when fully challenged by something like a book. And steady external support is the best way around that.

You're Afraid You'll Run Out Of Material

There isn't a writer out there who hasn't had this fear. And I'm here to say that if you just stay loose and open, and willing to receive the ideas, they will show up. All you have to do is commit - really sit down, and begin to bring that book into being - and the work will magically appear. Sometimes it won't flow that easily, and sometimes it will scare you with its speed and power. But it will, indeed, show up.

You Think 'Who Am I to Write a Book?'

And yet, you are the perfect person to write your book, because you're the one chosen to receive this material. (You don't have to be spiritually inclined to believe this.) I personally believe that books are given to us when we're ready to receive them… and when we do, our lives are changed by that process.

You Fear Uncomfortable Moments

Ah, but that's the most exciting thing about writing your book. You will be given challenges and lessons that just seem untenable along the way. And if you're committed enough, you'll rise above them and so become stronger in the process. This is especially true for self-help books: we naturally write what we need to learn.

Got a few categories checked off from the list above? Good! Awareness is the first step to diffusing your fears. Meanwhile, PLEASE do get on with your book … despite your misgivings. Not only do you deserve this work - so do we.

About The Author

Suzanne Falter-Barns co-leads The Writer's Spa, a week-long, nurturing retreat for anyone with a book on their mind. Taos, NM, August, 2005. Learn more at http://www.howmuchjoy.com/writerspa.html.

© 2005 Suzanne Falter-Barns LLC.

You may reprint this, but it must be complete and include all contact information above.

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5 Keys to Unlock the Waitlist Lock

5 Keys to Unlock the Waitlist Lock
by: Linda Abraham


Being wait-listed is tough, and you need the right set of keys to open the door to your dream program. The truth is that even with these keys, it's still not guaranteed that the lock will work. But this keychain has the critical pieces of metal you'll need to turn that lock.

First, a word of introduction: Realize that receiving a wait-list letter means you qualify for admission. You pass. You are probably on the wait-list (and not admitted) because they have already admitted applicants with your profile and want diversity in the class. Or they find your qualifications impressive, but find someone else's even more so.

Now let's examine that keychain.

Key 1: Read the letter for any hints of deficiency in your profile and attempt to improve that element in your profile.

Key 2: Give them more reasons to admit you. If the school encouraged contact, inform it of new achievements, initiatives, promotions, and developments in your life. This suggestion implies developing a proactive campaign for contact roughly every 2-3 weeks. The exact particulars will vary depending on your school, specialty, and exactly when you are put on the wait list, but it can include letters, additional visit(s) to the school, an offer to interview, letters of support from others, and occasional phone calls.

Letters should be 1-2 pages. For tips on the letters' content, please see "Wait-list Purgatory."

Key 3: Reinforce the idea of a fit between you and the school. Demonstrate how a visit confirmed and deepened your interest in the program. Show how recent activities reveal that your values and the school's are a match made in heaven.

Key 4: Enlist your fan club. Seek additional letters of recommendation from supervisors on and off the job and professors (if applying to an academic program). Current students and recent alumni who know you can also write letters of support and emphasize your fit with the program.

Key 5: Ask if there is anything you can do to improve your candidacy. There usually isn't, but if there is you want to know about it and do it. If you have already demonstrated improvement in that aspect of your profile, let them know how you have improved since you applied.

It is much harder to wave the flag when the school doesn't want contact. But even in these cases, you can be proactive, just more indirect. If feasible, visit the school and take a tour. If you know alumni or faculty members, ask them to put in a good word for you at the school. You can't be responsible if your fan club thinks you belong at School X and wants to inform the admissions committee. You will have to be a little more indirect, but you still want someone to show fit and that "new and improved" you. For must-have information on the wait-list process, read "Nine Mistakes You Don't Want to Make on an MBA Waitlist." Accepted.com's editors are available to help you evaluate your application, advise you on your wait-list strategy, and edit wait-list letters. For more information, please visit our catalog.

About The Author

Linda Abraham, Accepted.com's founder and president, has helped thousands of applicants develop successful admissions strategies and craft distinctive essays. In addition to advising clients and managing Accepted.com, she has written and lectured extensively on admissions. The Wall St. Journal, The New York Times, and BusinessWeek are among the publications that have sought Linda's expertise.

Reprint of this article is only permitted when reprinted in its entirety with the above bio.

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The Devil is in the Details: The Heavenly Benefits of Specificity in Writing

The Devil is in the Details: The Heavenly Benefits of Specificity in Writing
by: Linda Abraham


You can argue about the devil, but certainly the substance, distinctiveness, and success of your essays depends on the details.

Many applicants tend to bury their uniqueness and success under vague assertions. You don't want to hide your achievements; you want to trumpet them loudly and clearly. For instance, if you led a team working on a software development project, was it a three-member team or a thirty-member, cross-functional team with representatives from five different divisions and two continents? Was the potential market for the product $5 million or $200 million? Did you launch the product on time and in budget? Did it zoom to the top of the market-share charts? The details reveal the level of your responsibility, the confidence others have in your abilities based on their prior experience with you, and the significance of your accomplishment.

What about your volunteer work? Do you simply "volunteer"? If you do, you aren't saying anything distinctive or substantive. Are you an EMT working five hours per week? Do you volunteer at a legal aid clinic? What have you seen or experienced? What have you learned? Have you launched a bereavement group in a country where such services were previously unheard of? What were the challenges you overcame to establish that group? What did you learn from the experience? How has it influenced you?

You may ask, "How can I fit all these details into a short essay?" Good question. Include many of the specifics in the work history sections — the boxes — of the application or in an attached resume if allowed. Then in the essay, provide enough detail to provide context and create interest. Balance your profound insight and reflection with devilishly dazzling detail. Liked this tip? The above tip and many, many more can be found in Submit a Stellar Application: 42 Terrific Tips to Help You Get Accepted.

About The Author

Linda Abraham, Accepted.com's founder and president, has helped thousands of applicants develop successful admissions strategies and craft distinctive essays. In addition to advising clients and managing Accepted.com, she has written and lectured extensively on admissions. The Wall St. Journal, The New York Times, and BusinessWeek are among the publications that have sought Linda's expertise.

Reprint of this article is only permitted when reprinted in its entirety with the above bio.

onlinesupport@accepted.com >>Read more...

Why the Editor is NOT the Enemy

Why the Editor is NOT the Enemy
by: Mridu Khullar


They can be mean, unethical and downright unprofessional. But not all editors fit that bill. In fact, most editors would rather give you money that take it, make no changes than rewrite whole pieces two hours before deadline, and accept every piece of crap than start their mornings sending out rejection slips. But step into an editor’s shoes, and you’ll know why that’s not only hard, it’s just plain impossible!

Here are the most common complaints writers have, and why editors aren’t always guilty of them.

Completely Changing your Work

An editor I frequently work with was in distress. One of her regulars had just written to complain about his perfectly brilliant beginning being chopped off. “They sometimes don’t get our style,” she told me over lunch. “We need more quotes, we put them in. We need a stronger beginning; we change it. There’s nothing much I can do about it. It’s the way we work.” But while this editor was very forthcoming about her reasons, and gave the writer an explanation, you’ll usually get no further correspondence. That doesn’t mean that they don’t understand the anguish you go through. But they’ve got word limits, voice and style limitations and a dozen other factors to keep in mind. And they simply don’t have the time to offer explanations to each writer.

Paying Less or not Paying at all

Most writers believe (or are led to believe) that editors just don’t want to dish out the cash. Sure, if they’re running a small business from home and can hardly pay their bills, they probably won’t. But editors in big offices don’t really care whether you earn $100 or $1,000. After all, they’re not the ones paying from their pockets!

I was in a publisher-editor meeting the other day, and one common concern was raised—why weren’t suppliers (including freelancers) paid on time? A complaint unanimously raised by… editors!

An important thing to remember is that while it may appear so to us, editors aren’t really the ones calling the shots all the time. That’s the publisher’s job. So hating the editor’s guts won’t get you anywhere. While some editors may be creeps, most of them are on your side! So, if you want more money, just ask for it. Chances are the editor is the only one who can help you get it.

Not Responding

They’d love to, you know. But there’s only so much they can do. And while each e-mail you send will determine where your next paycheck comes from, an editor will get paid regardless of the number of queries rejected. Their job is putting together quality content. No one’s going to promote them for being nice to freelancers. It’s a simple matter of priorities. And when the choice is between finishing up the issue and answering yet another freelancer’s query, get real—the editor will finish up and go home.

Killing Articles

We tossed a coin. The losing editor would have to tell the freelance writer that his article had been killed. That too after we asked him to send us a dozen writing samples, come up with a dozen off-beat ideas, get a feel of our style and send us a 600-word piece. We’d even negotiated the price. It would have taken him at least a day’s work, if not more. We felt cruel, but decided that the guy had potential for future assignments.

I lost the toss and sat down to draft the e-mail. I explained at length how our policies had changed, told him that we’d be willing to give more assignments and even added a touch of humor. But the writer was obviously blinded. He thought of me as the devil. And by doing so, he’d just lost a perfectly good opportunity for more assignments.

Editors aren’t out to take advantage of freelancers or make their lives miserable. In fact, if you get to know them a little, you’ll find that they’re often a very friendly bunch. Stop looking at your editor as the enemy, and you might just find a friend.

About The Author

Mridu Khullar is the editor-in-chief of www.WritersCrossing.com, a free online magazine for writers. Sign up for the free weekly newsletter to get a complimentary e-book with 400+ paying markets. Also check out her e-book, "Knock Their Socks Off! A Freelance Writer's Guide to Query Letters That Sell," available at http://www.writerscrossing.com/queries.html >>Read more...

The Recipe for Getting Published

Really interesting :D

The Recipe for Getting Published
by: Mridu Khullar


Got talent but no clips? Here's the recipe for getting published...

* Procrastinating

When you've finally decided you have to put into writing the fabulous idea that just struck, you enter the first phase of the writing process. "I'll start tomorrow," "I'm not inspired yet" and "I just don't have the time" are some of the phrases that will form a part of your vocabulary. When you've incorporated them into your daily lifestyle, you're ready to enter the second phase.


* The Blank Screen

You sit in front of your computer, usually without a clue to what you're supposed to be doing. You stare at the blank screen constantly without blinking. You may take short coffee breaks or a walk, but you still make it back to where you started. Type a few lines of crap, then erase. Repeat this process a number of times, and proceed.

* Feeling Guilty

Now you begin to wonder what kind of a writer you actually are. Your love for writing suddenly disappears and you make futile efforts to convince yourself that this was what you were meant to do. You know you're in this phase when you start considering other job options. When you've finally decided to quit writing, the next phase begins.

* Getting Over it

You inform your family and friends that won’t be writing any more and they do everything in their power to convince you otherwise. Sooner or later, you give in to the pressure and decide to write again. The time taken in this step can vary according to the intensity of your denial and the inability to land another job.

* Writing

In this stage, you finally manage to prepare your first draft. This may take several days, and in some cases, several years. But after this stage, you'll be back on track and the fears and anxieties of the earlier steps will slowly die out. Pat yourself on the back (if you can) or get somebody else to do it for you.

* Editing and rewriting

Read and reread your work so many times that you're totally sick of it, as you correct mistakes, improve the style and add important things. Now your writing is almost in its completion stages. But before you start flying again, you might want to come back on earth to complete the remaining steps.

* Showing off

You show your manuscript or article to your friends, family and neighbors asking for opinions on it. Try not to think about the check you'll be getting while they voice their thoughts. Some of you may want to hire professional help. In that case, opinions from friends and family don't count.

* Submission

Convinced that you have a winner, you approach the editors or publishers you're planning to submit to. Arm yourself with a good query and convince them to ask you to send in your work.

Caution: Editors have an uncanny habit of throwing things out the window. So, read the submission guidelines before making any moves!

* Desperately Waiting

A long process, but can vary depending on the cruelty of the editor. This phase could last from as little as a week, to more than a few months. Try to stay patient, and don't lose your cool. DO NOT send inquiries about your submitted work (at least for the first few weeks).

* Rejection

If you're new to writing, this stage will almost always have to be dealt with. If you're lucky enough to get accepted right away, you may skip the next step. This stage could lead to excessive drinking and spells of depression.

* Repeat

Repeat the submission and waiting steps as per requirement.

* Acceptance

You should be flinging your arms in the air and screaming at the top of your voice. Try not to scare the neighbors though. This stage is marked by a temporary spell of insanity.

* Getting published

When your work is published and you're carrying your work all over the place to tell people about it, you can be sure you've reached the final stage. This marks the final line. Now just sit back and enjoy!

About The Author

Mridu Khullar is the editor-in-chief of www.WritersCrossing.com, a free online magazine for writers. Sign up for the free weekly newsletter to get a complimentary e-book with 400+ paying markets. Also check out her e-book, "Knock Their Socks Off! A Freelance Writer's Guide to Query Letters That Sell," available at http://www.writerscrossing.com/queries.html >>Read more...

The Facts of a Writer's Life

The Facts of a Writer's Life
by: Mridu Khullar


So, you dream of becoming a famous writer? You want to get that article on paper as soon as possible and see it published. You've got great ideas for a book that you'll be starting any day now. But do you know what it's really like to lead a writer's life? Read on to find out.

1. Rejection is a part of life.

Face it. You will be rejected. No matter how good you are, how well versed with the techniques, how intricately detailed. One fine day, you'll wake up and find a rejection in the mail. Don't get disheartened. It happens to all of us.

2. Rewriting will have to be done

No matter how good your vocabulary, or how well-written your material, there will come a time, when one editor will ask you to rewrite your work. Take this as an encouraging sign. It just means that the editor likes your work, but needs you to work out a few details to suit his needs.

3. Deadlines have to be met

Meeting deadlines is an important part of your career. Miss one deadline, and you can be sure you'll never be writing for that publication again. Be careful not to take on so much that you cannot complete in time. It will ruin your reputation and make you seem unprofessional.

4. Writer's block is not a myth

Regardless of what you may have heard, writer's block is a reality. You will wake up one day to find that somehow you can't seem to write any more. Relax. It's just a phase. Keep your motivation high, and you'll be back in no time.

5. Distractions, Distractions, Distractions

If you work at home, you're even more prone to these distractions. Your child needs food, clothes need washing, you need a cup of coffee. And when all that is taken care of, the phone will ring. It'll be your hubby calling just in time, to remind you of an errand that you almost forgot to do.

6. Can't do without a thesaurus

No matter how good your vocabulary or how witty your writing style, the fact of life is that you will need a thesaurus. There will be times when you can do without an overused word, or a better expression. It's times like these when you absolutely must make use of a thesaurus.

7. You can't please everyone

Everyone is different. Where there'll be dozens of people to appreciate your work, there will be many others who will tear it apart with their criticism. You have to learn to take the good with the bad.

8. Have extraordinary patience

Editors are a strange lot. They need their time, and we need our patience. Don't go checking your mail the day after you've sent your query. Chances are you'll be waiting a long time, before word comes in on that one.

9. Money doesn't come easy

In the writing world, money doesn't come as easily as it appears to from the outside. You may write dozens of articles each week, and expect lots of cash to come in from their sale. Or you may expect your book to outdo the target that you'd set for it. You never know - it just might, but every one cannot be Stephen King. And you’ll probably have to learn to live with the fact that no movie will be made from your first novel.

10. The road is long and hard

The road is bumpy, and there'll be times when you'll want to give up. But the destination is just as rewarding. Don't let the long road ahead, deter you from your dreams. And don’t ever give up.

About The Author

Mridu Khullar is the editor-in-chief of www.WritersCrossing.com, a free online magazine for writers. Sign up for the free weekly newsletter to get a complimentary e-book with 400+ paying markets. Also check out her e-book, "Knock Their Socks Off! A Freelance Writer's Guide to Query Letters That Sell," available at http://www.writerscrossing.com/queries.html >>Read more...