Monday, June 30, 2008

Creative Writing Tips - Does The Name You Chose Suit Your Character?

Creative Writing Tips - Does The Name You Chose Suit Your Character?
by: Nick Vernon


How do you choose a name? Do you put down the first name that pops into your mind? Initially that’s what I used to do, until someone pointed out to me that there are a few things to take into consideration when choosing a name…


1. You Have To Be Comfortable With It

We associate names with people we know. If you like a certain name but know and dislike a person who bears it, will you feel comfortable using that name in your story?

Will you mentally shut that person out or will you be reminded of them each time you type that name?

Our characters have to be likable to us before they can become likeable to our readers. Will your dislike for that person transfer to your character?

2. It Must Be Easy To Pronounce

The English language can be, at times, misleading. How many words, and even names we spell one way and pronounce another? If the name you have chosen falls into this category, will your readers know how to pronounce it?

For years I use to pronounce the beautiful name ‘Sean’ exactly how it’s written ‘Seen,’ when it’s pronounced by the much nicer sounding ‘Shorn.’ Will the name you choose bear the same problem?

If you choose a difficult pronouncing name for your character and worse, one that’s not widely known, you stand to lose the effect of that name. A beautiful sounding name can be utterly destroyed if your reader doesn’t know how to pronounce it.

Your story has to flow. If the name you’ve chosen is not easy to pronounce, the readers will constantly stop each time they come across it. This will disrupt the flow of your story.

3. Foreign Sounding Names

The same as the above applies to foreign sounding names. They must be easy to pronounce. Consider the following:

* Yahiya
* Indihar
* Gschu
* Lyudmila

These names sound exotic but they don’t exactly roll off the tongue. Should you compromise the flow of the story for the sake of a name?

4. Does The Name Suit Your Character?

Not all names suit all people and not all names will suit all characters. Like clothing and hairstyles, names go out of fashion too.

For example...

Let’s say your heroine is a lively, upbeat, modern lady. Will it suit her type of personality if we choose the name ‘Mabel’? ‘Mabel’ we usually associate with an elderly aunt or grandmother.

What about your hero? Let’s say he’s a young man who possesses a powerful personality. Will the name ‘Hubert?’ suit him? ‘Hubert’ would suit an elderly character or perhaps a ‘quiet’ character.

5. They Shouldn’t Start With The Same Letter

If you’re going to have two main characters in your story and their names start with the same letter, it will read a little awkwardly.

Example…

* David and Debra
* Sam and Sue
* George and Gina

6. Surnames

Like we carefully choose the first name for our characters, we have to be careful when selecting their surnames. Just like first names, there are certain surnames, which sound better than others.

When selecting a surname, make sure it has a pleasant ring, when used with the first name. Using names, which rhyme like, Jeff Jefferson, sound amusing. If this is the effect you wish to create then using it is fine.

7. Stereotype Names

Are you thinking of naming your character Adolph or Judas? There’s nothing wrong with these names, except for the fact that we tend to associate them with that single person in history who bore them. Will your reader trust your hero if you name him Judas?

8. Famous Names

I recall a quote I once read which went something like this…

“Nothing grows under the shade of a tree.”

If you name your character Elvis, Madonna etc.. Will your character be able to outshine the ultra famous person of whom the world knows? I doubt it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When naming characters there are also a few other points to consider…

Naming them will not only depend on what kind of people they are, but who their parents or guardians were (if the parents or guardians play some sort of role in your story). After all, we don’t name ourselves, do we? So take into consideration the following…

1) What kind of people are the parents?

a) Free spirited?

Unusual names will rank highly amongst people like this.

For example,

* The seasons of the year
* Or perhaps a month in the year
* Or an object
* Etc

b) Conservative?

These types of people tend to use the full name rather than an abbreviated version of it.

For example,

* Kathleen instead of Kat
* Michael instead of Mike
* Etc

2) What Is The Parents/Guardians Nationality?

If they’re traditional, they will choose a name, which is popular in their country. Also traditional parents/guardians tend to give their children the names of their own parents or other relatives.

Look at the name you chose for your main characters. Does the name suit them?

About The Author

Besides his passion for writing, Nick Vernon runs an online gift site where you will find gift information, articles and readers’ funny stories. Visit http://www.we-recommend.com
>>Read more...

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Have You Plotted Your Story Before Writing It?

Have You Plotted Your Story Before Writing It?
by: Nick Vernon


Creative Writing Tips –

The writer, who doesn’t have the time to plot, always finds the time to rewrite.

Sound familiar?

I’ve been guilty of this too, back in the early days of my writing apprenticeship. I was so eager to get stuck into writing my story that I wouldn’t bother with plotting.

Plotting gives you a sense of direction. It’s your map, which will lead you to write your story. Leaping into the unknown rarely works. Without a plot several things can happen….

* Our stories aren’t focused
* We lose our way
* Our characters don’t come to life because we don’t take the time to develop them
* We get stuck
* The story strays from us

And all this happens when we haven’t figured everything out first.

Your plot is the foundation of your story. It’s the skeleton, which will hold your story together. Your plot is there to work everything out first – to see if it can be worked out, and then flesh out that skeleton with other elements that make a story.

Plotting is the difference between writing a story for yourself and writing one for an audience. Writing for ourselves doesn’t require too much strain because we only have ourselves to please. It’s when we have to please our readers that the hard work begins.

If you are aiming to sell your stories, plotting is a must.

Have you plotted your story before writing it?

About The Author

Besides his passion for writing, Nick Vernon runs an online gift site where you will find gift information, articles and readers’ funny stories. Visit http://www.we-recommend.com >>Read more...

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Do You Know What A Plot Is?

Do You Know What A Plot Is?
by: Nick Vernon


Creative Writing Tips –

What a plot is and what a story is can be sometimes confusing. If you think they are the same… They are not. A plot is the outline of your story. The story is everything included.

I will illustrate the difference by asking you to visualize two pictures…

1. Visualize a skeleton.

Then

2. Visualize a body.

The skeleton is your plot. It’s the outline of your story. It won’t be visible when we flesh it out but it will still be there, holding your story together.

The body is your story. It’s everything, which our story will contain, including the plot. The story is the plot fleshed out.

What does it mean to ‘flesh it out?’

Let me show you.

I’ll take a brief plot…

A man meets a woman and they fall in love. They encounter great difficulties because their family are against the relationship.

This is the outline of the story.

Now we are going to flesh it out and make it into a story. Fleshing it out means adding things to make this basic plot into a story. To do this we will add the rest of the ingredients such as…

* Setting – Where will our story take place
* Dialogue – What will be said and by whom
* Characters – How many characters will our story contain? Who are they? What is their role?
* Problems – What and how many problems will the couple encounter
* Goal – What is the couple’s goal?
* Conflict – What is the conflict?
* Climax – How is the conflict going to come to its peak?
* Ending – Will their love win in the end?
* And anything else I’ll need in my story

Once we have written up all these ingredients, this will be our plot fleshed out into a story.

About The Author

Besides his passion for writing, Nick Vernon runs an online gift site where you will find gift information, articles and readers’ funny stories. Visit http://www.we-recommend.com >>Read more...

Friday, June 27, 2008

Is The Theme Reinforced In The Ending?

Is The Theme Reinforced In The Ending?
by: Nick Vernon


Creative Writing Tips –

By now you should have an idea that your theme has to reach its conclusion just as your story does. But our theme has to do more than reach its conclusion – it has to be reinforced in the end and by doing this, it will strengthen all that we have said in our story.

So if we took a theme…

‘Persist and in the end you will succeed’

And I showed my character working hard to achieve his goals, persisting, even if at times those goals seemed unreachable, then I would’ve showed that all his hard work did pay off in the end. By having him succeed, it would reinforce the theme that had been running throughout the story.

Let me further illustrate this point by giving you a more detailed example.

The theme is…

‘Persistence pays off’

The story is about a writer, who has been writing short stories for years, but has not succeeded in getting published yet.

In your story you will show his persistence with…

* How he makes time to write, even when his day is already full by his full time job and other responsibilities
* How his every thought is consumed by his writing
* Showing him sending story after story to publishers
* How he doesn’t let the fact that his family believe he’s wasting his time, distract him from his purpose

Simultaneously I will place him in win and lose situations - Losing when his stories are rejected - Winning when he receives encouraging notes from publishers.

And in those instances where he is winning, I will show gradually that resistance is starting to pay off, till I reach the end of my story where I will have one of his stories accepted for publication and thus bring my theme of ‘Persistence pays off’ to its conclusion.

By showing the reader how persistence is paying off, I would have reinforced the theme in my ending.

Is your theme reinforced in the end of your story?

About The Author

Besides his passion for writing, Nick Vernon runs an online gift site where you will find gift information, articles and readers’ funny stories. Visit http://www.we-recommend.com >>Read more...

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Is Your Title Compelling?

Is Your Title Compelling?
by: Nick Vernon


Short Story Writing Tips:

Your title is your selling tool. It’s the first thing readers will scan and contemplate whether to read your story.

What your title’s job is, it has to lure the readers into your story – it has to be so compelling that they won’t even have a chance to ask themselves, ‘Will this story interest me?’

Their eyes will glide over the title and into the story before they realize it. The action will be instant.

What’s a compelling title? It’s one that instantly grabs our attention because it’s…

* Intriguing
* Interesting
* Catchy
* Provocative
* Amusing

Your title may not be all these things but it will have to be at least one. There should be something about it that grabs your readers.

So how do you write compelling titles?

Start by learning from the masters.

Learn from those whose articles and stories are published in newspapers, magazines and, in particular, pay close attention how the writers of Readers Digest go about it. They have been luring readers into their written material for years. They know their stuff.

Here are a few examples of titles taken from Readers Digest….

* Did I really need to know that?
* Who is Jack Kevorkian, Really?
* Against the flames
* Who Killed Margaret Wilson?

Do you have any newspapers or magazines handy, or even better, a Readers Digest magazine? If you do, note down a few titles, then analyze why those particular titles grabbed you.

If you don’t have any magazines handy, take a look at: www.amazon.com (in the books section.) See what titles are listed there. Or look at your bookshelf.

Compare them to your title.

Is your title compelling?

If you find that it could be better, here’s an effective way that will ensure you find the best title for your story…

Read through your story and on a piece of paper jot down sentences and/or words that appealed to you as you read. Jot down as many as you come across – Don’t worry about editing them for now. Just note down all that grabbed you.

Then look at your characters. Is there something special about them, a word you could use in a title that will grab readers’ attention?

Now with the list you have gathered, think about what you are saying in your story. Start crossing out the words and sentences that aren’t directly relevant to it.

Select a few words and look through a thesaurus for a nicer sounding synonym.

Choose the most appropriate group of words for the title.

Remember… your title has to be one or a combination of the below…

* Intriguing
* Interesting
* Catchy
* Provocative
* Amusing

About The Author

Besides his passion for writing, Nick Vernon runs an online gift site where you will find gift information, articles and readers’ funny stories. Visit http://www.we-recommend.com >>Read more...

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Want To Start a Publishing Revolution?

Want To Start a Publishing Revolution?
by: Martin Day


Calling all publishers, editors, journalists and freelance writers. It's time to breathe more life into your copy. Turn your articles into living pieces that spark measurable debate, get closer to your readers and engage their mind and soul - we're talking revolution.

As it was in the beginning

Publishers have for many years relied on letters to get feedback from their readers and although email has opened up this method of communication it is still time consuming and difficult to process with only a fraction of the received correspondence ever being used.

Let's face it, as well as being an overhead for the publisher, to most people it is an unrewarding medium in terms of effort required and response received, just think of the number of letters that go unpublished and unread.

As it is now

The Internet has brought new channels of communication and has opened up opportunities that allow us to challenge traditional methods. The Internet is now a mature technology, no longer the preserve of the new fad brigade but a technology that has been embraced by a global population, young and old alike and it allows us now to re-evaluate the way things are done. Newspapers, trade journals, magazines and ezines now have the opportunity to change the mental process.

When people read an article they often would like to comment, and historically this has required them to feel strongly enough to put pen to paper; or with the creation of the Internet send an email. Sure emails are easier but it still takes time to craft an email and time for the majority, is what they haven't got. The letters page although interesting are at best a snapshot of comments; a well crafted and well written letter on any given subject may hold the view of the majority, or the minority, as it is a free text medium and difficult to measure.

As it should be

Now consider the advantages of linking articles to online surveys where as a publisher you will have the ability to obtain valuable feedback from your readers and in a form that can be easily measured. Just as important as you communicating with your readers is giving your readers a way to communicate with you where they know it will count.

Want a snapshot of opinion? Did they like that article? Did your readers agree with what was said or do they take the opposite view?

Now it's easy

In the past surveys would have taken considerable effort to design and publish and altogether was a process too long winded and therefore reserved for the niche and bigger topics.

However, using sites like http://www.SurveyGalaxy.com surveys and questionnaires can be created and published via the internet by anyone who has a pulse. Professional looking surveys and questionnaires created in minutes that make the perfect compliment to articles that prompt opinion and debate.

The advantage over letters and e-mails are that all the feedback is managed and measured and sites like Survey Galaxy will provide you with a real time poll that you can either keep to yourself or share with your readers.

It's not even one or the other now

Link each article to an online survey and not only extend the life of the article as people have a channel to express their views, but involve your readers in the discussion where they now know their opinion will be counted.

You think they would rather send an email? - no problem - include the facility within the survey and get the best of both worlds.

It's fast, low cost, and easy to do; it will engage and empower the reader, provide excellent feedback and having established a dialogue you then have the opportunity to link to other related articles.

Try it now and register your opinion of this article here:-
http://www.surveygalaxy.com/surPublishes.asp?survey_id=1065

About The Author

Martin Day is a Director of Survey Galaxy Ltd. For more information please visit http://www.SurveyGalaxy.com
martin.day@surveygalaxy.com
>>Read more...

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

8 Advantages to Writing a Book as an Entrepreneur

8 Advantages to Writing a Book as an Entrepreneur
by: Denise Hamilton


As an aspiring or an established entrepreneur, you are an expert in something, but does the rest of the world know? You have a wealth of information, experience and knowledge that you can package into a book that will benefit others. This truly is the information age and people want to know what you know.

1. A book will give you unbelievable credibility which increases the respect you will receive from customers and business associates. Wouldn’t you be more likely to purchase widgets from the business person who wrote the book on widgets? New customers are more likely to take advice from, or purchase the services/products from, an established author. Many consultants increase the levels of their business simply by writing a book on their area of expertise.

2. The typical business person might run into roadblocks when seeking media recognition and publicity for their product or service because the media tend to see this kind of exposure as advertising. However, books receive exposure in the form of reviews or features all the time. Books make great print stories and authors make great featured guests on radio and television shows. Sure beats pulling together an advertising budget.

3. Writing a book gives you instant expert status. If you wrote the book, you are now seen as the authority on that subject by others. And you are! You will have now proven that you know what you’re talking about. You will show, in writing, that you know your business area inside and out.

4. Most entrepreneurs love to hear that publishing a book can easily lead to increased fees. People will pay more to work with an established expert then someone who seems less established in a business. Your book has just given you instant added credentials. It would be nice to add “author of…” behind your name, wouldn’t it?

5. If you are not already a consultant, a book along with your proven expert status could bring you new consulting opportunities where you can bill for your time to educate, speak to and work with other companies and individuals helping them succeed through what you know.

6. If you have a service business or you are selling products already, a book will allow you to add a product to your existing business. Expanding your line is never a bad thing and will open up all kinds of doors in your marketing plan.

7. If you aren’t already on the internet (and you should be, but that’s another article), you can add online marketing to your marketing plan with your book. There are loads of places to sell your book online and having an information product to offer will give you a second stream of revenue with huge potential.

8. Expanding your marketing opportunities and focusing on opportunities for residual income is what you should be focusing on as an entrepreneur. Quit trading your hours for dollars and start working smarter.

Your own book will be a complement and a supplement to your current business. It will also mean an additional source of revenue added to your bottom line. I’d be willing to bet that you’ve thought of writing a book at some point in your career. Almost every single person has. Use your passion. Take your knowledge, package it and sell it. People are willing to pay for what you already know.

About The Author

Copyright Denise Hamilton (2004)

Denise Hamilton is VP Sales for Ink Tree Ltd. Ink Tree Ltd. provides authors and publishers with innovative opportunities to maximize success. If there is a book inside you – profit from it. Learn everything you need to guide you from Idea to Book… to Success – the fast, easy, simple way. Publish your own book with one-on-one expert help from publishing professionals who have created numerous bestsellers and sold hundreds of thousands of books.
http://www.inktreemarketing.com
Http://www.moneyinpublishing.com
To subscribe to ournewsletter,please visit our home page.
info@inktreemarketing.com
>>Read more...

Monday, June 23, 2008

How to Catch the Writing Bug

How to Catch the Writing Bug
by: Stephen Bucaro


If you earn income as a writer, or use writing as a marketing tool, you know how difficult it can be at times to write. I started writing for my website and newsletter a few years ago. Sometimes it would be two or three weeks between articles. Sometimes writing would be torture. Then one day I caught the writing bug.

Now I write two or three articles each day. I don't have to struggle for topic ideas. I have thousands of good ideas to choose from. Instead, now I struggle to limit the scope of areas that I will write about. What happened to cause this change? I caught the writing bug.

The writing bug is contagious, and by reading this article, you too will catch the writing bug!

How to Choose a Topic

The most difficult part of the writing process is choosing a good topic. A good topic is one that other people want to read about and one that is interesting enough for you to write about. Here's how to create a notebook full of great topic ideas.

- Use a three-ring notebook as an idea file.

Your idea notebook should have two parts. The first part is sheets where you jot down ideas whenever they pop into your head. The second part is tabbed dividers where you keep reference material and partially written articles.

Where do ideas come from? Everywhere! Ideas can come from TV news or any TV show. They can come from a book, newspaper, or magazine. They can come from the web. Ideas can come from a conversation with a friend. All of these sources are sending information and ideas to you.

After you learn how to catch ideas, your idea notebook will be bulging with great ideas and research information for article and book topics. You don't need to plagerize or copy other peoples' work. Your article should be nothing like the material that you get an idea from because you have the "writer's attitude". Below are some thoughts from a person with the writer's attitude.

* I can explain the topic better.
* I know more about the topic.
* I disagree with this source.
* I can approach that topic from another angle.
* I can elaborate more on that topic.
* I can write a more concise article.
* I can break the information up into more readable short articles.
* I can write a more comprehensive article.
* I can write a more up-to-date article.
* I can rewrite that topic and include examples.

When an idea hits you, write it down in the first part of your idea notebook. If the idea comes from an article, tear the article out, punch holes in it, and save it behind a tab in the second part of your idea notebook.

Now when you need an idea, just flip through your idea notebook. Eventually your idea notebook will contain thousands of great ideas to choose from.

- One surprising source of topic ideas is material that you wrote previously. You can apply the writer's attitude to your own articles.

How to Write the Article

The second most difficult part of the writing process is actually writing the article.

First, make an outline. If you're going to write the entire article in one sitting, the outline doesn't have to be in writing, you can keep it in your head. If you're writing a large article or a book, create a written outline.

- Sometimes when an idea pops into my head, I can visualize the final article. I want to get it on paper before the vision goes away, so I drop what I'm doing and write the article immediately. This is when writing comes extremely easy. I call this "flow".

Divide large projects into parts and write one part at a time. Don't publish the first part of the article until you have completed all the parts, or at least several of the parts. When working on later parts of a multi-part article, you may find it necessary to make some changes to earlier parts.

Your first draft doesn't have to be comprehensive. Just get the main ideas down. You can go back and flesh it out later.

Your first draft doesn't have to have have correct spelling and grammar. Just get words on paper (or on disk). You can go back and correct the spelling and grammar later. The first draft may not be perfect, but having an imperfect first draft is a whole lot better than having a perfect nothing.

Go back later and revise your first draft. Make sure it contains all the information and ideas you wanted to put in the article. But keep in mind that almost any topic is infinite. You have to limit the scope of your article based upon the purpose of the article and the practicality of doing the research required for a more comprehensive article.

I feel it's very important to let someone else read your article. You may have written something in a confusing way or a way that requires the reader to have some knowledge or experience they can't be expected to have.

- If your article is for an audience that is expected to already have some understanding of the subject, limit explanations of the basics. You have to limit explanations at some point or the article will be too long and too boring to your target audience.

Go back and correct the spelling and grammar but don't try for perfection. I see spelling and grammar errors in magazines, newspapers, and on TV all the time. If all writers waited until the spelling and grammar was perfect before releasing their work, we wouldn't have anything to read.

I feel it's important to set your article aside until the next day and then read it again. But don't take editing to an extreme. No matter how many times you re-read your article, you can always find something to change. Don't try for perfection. Your goal is to create an article that communicates the information and ideas that you intended. Recognize when the article is good enough and meets the requirements.

If you are not an expert writer, keep learning by studying a page or two each day of a grammar book such as Painless Grammar by Rebecca Elliot

With your idea notebook, the writer's attitude and the ability to recognize when an article is good enough, you have the tools to be a productive writer. Have You caught the writing bug?

--

Permission is granted for the below article to forward, reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website, offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as long as no changes are made and the byline, copyright, and the resource box below is included.

About The Author

Copyright(C)2004 Bucaro TecHelp.

To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web site and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.com To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter Send a blank email to subscribe@bucarotechelp.com.
>>Read more...

Sunday, June 22, 2008

8 Tell-Tale Signs That Forecast Writing Success!

8 Tell-Tale Signs That Forecast Writing Success!
by: Jennifer Brown Banks


‘Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” Stephen King

Ever wonder what the hands of fate will deal you in the way of success as a writer? Or why some individuals reap the rewards of literary recognition, while others fail and fade into anonymity?

Just as highway signs alert travelers of their impending destination, there are give-away indicators that point to “the road to success” for writers.

Here are checkpoints that reveal you’re in the literary fast lane!

* You’re Playing the Field- The more genres of writing you apply your talents to, the greater the odds of continued publication and pay. I began my journalistic journey over a decade ago, writing poetry and greeting card verse.

What I discovered was that poetry (although my first love), was not very marketable. As a result, these efforts alone met with very little success until I decided to try feature writing for magazines. This change in strategy not only allowed me to establish publishing credits and an impressive portfolio, but also financed the self-publication of 3 volumes of poetry chapbooks and opened avenues for paid performances and open mike competitions as well.

Jennifer Brown Banks- Page 2 8 Tell-Tale Signs…

* You’re an Avid Reader- It is virtually impossible to become a marketable writer without reading and studying prominent writers and various styles of expression. Whether you’re a member of a local book club, subscribe to a few on-line publications, or regularly escape through a good Harlequin Romance, you’re moving in the right direction! Being an avid reader helps you expand your vocabulary, become familiar with different writing styles, and understand the needs of your audience.
* You’re Self-Disciplined- Unlike other professions and industries, writing is by and large a do it yourself success story; there is no delegating or getting by on other team members’ strength. It’s either sink or swim! You establish your own goals, develop your own game plan, and assume sole responsibility for your career. Successful writers go the distance by making writing a priority, honing their craft and persevering through rejection.
* You Understand that Writing is a Business- Far too many writers fail to recognize that writing is a business. One that requires much more than creativity and a command of the King’s English. To achieve professional status, one must have marketing savvy, time management skills, analytical ability, research knowledge and familiarity with the industry. It also requires putting money back into the “business” by investing in trade related materials such as the Writers’ Market, computer equipment and business cards (to name a few things).

Jennifer Brown Banks- Page 3 8 Tell-Tale Signs…

* You Recognize the Importance of Critiquing- Whether it’s through a writers’ group, a mentor, a college professor, or people whom you admire and trust. Getting an outside, objective analysis of your work can mean the difference between rejection and perfection. Just as “love is blind,” many of us are far too close to what we’ve created to see flaws or gaps in what we’re trying to convey.
* You Know the Meaning of Working Smart- At least 50% of my writing income is generated from resales. The well fed writer realizes the potential to resell and represent the same pieces many times over just by changing the slant and minor details, and by negotiating rights.
* You’re Navigating “the Information Super Highway.” Do you Google? Are you able to successfully research, review writers’ web sites, and submit work via the Internet? Doing so decreases down time, increases productivity, and puts you in the fast lane to creativity. Check out the following writers’ E-zines to enhance your bottom line:
1. Absolute Write Newsletter- http://www.absolutewrite.com- This weekly contains articles, interviews and calls for writers.
2. Inscriptions-http://www.inscriptions.com- Features weekly calls for writers, interviews, book reviews and announcements.

Jennifer Brown Banks- Page 4- 8 Tell-Tale Signs

3. National Association of Women Writers- http://www.naww.org- Produces a newsletter that provides useful insiders’ tips, motivational quotes, contests, conferences and more. It also serves to support and promote the works of female authors.

A great book to also help you improve your surfing savvy is 300 Incredible Things to Do on the Internet by Ken Leebow.

* You Write for the Love of It!- Do you practically eat, sleep and drink writing? Love to communicate and connect? In this field, perhaps more so than any other, passion precedes success. Having the desire to educate, entertain and empathize through the written word is indeed a noble ambition. And it is this philosophy that will allow you to persevere and avoid “road rage” in your daily travels!

COPYRIGHT 2004 JENNIFER BROWN BANKS

About The Author

Jennifer Brown Banks is a writer, poet, speaker and literary consultant. Her work is featured monthly as a contributing writer to Being Single magazine. Additionally, she is a high school substitute teacher.

Publishing credits include: Chicago Sun-Times, Being Single Magazine, Funds 4 Writers, Writing for Dollars, Honey Magazine, Today’s Chicago Woman, National Association of Women Writers’ Weekly, Empowermag.com, Gospel Synergy and a host of on-line and print publications.

Her upcoming book of poetry “A Paradox in Pink” is due to be released in fall 2004. Banks is listed in Marquis’ Who’s Who in America.

She may be contacted at

Jennifer Brown Banks
P.O. Box 208821
Chicago, IL 60620-8821
E-mail Jenniferwriter@yahoo.com >>Read more...

Saturday, June 21, 2008

5 Ways to Enhance Your Creativity

5 Ways to Enhance Your Creativity
by: Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ


We're born creative. However, this innate characteristic becomes buried as we get older. Our logical left brain usually takes the driver's seat. Here are 5 ways to help you unearth your creative self.

1. Surprise Your Mind. List laughable, ridiculous, outrageous and bizarre ideas. Don't limit yourself to ideas that other people consider "sane," "reasonable" or "logical." The best and most creative ideas stem from silly ones. When you're in a creative mode, you're suspending judgment on ideas you generate. You simply list them all down and never worry whether they make sense or not. Allow yourself the freedom to think outside the box.


2. Aim for Quantity. Generate loads of ideas for you to go through later. It's normal that your first few ideas won’t really be fresh. The gems will come out later so it’s important to keep going. With a large list of ideas, you'll have more to choose from, adapt or combine. Creativity is not coming up with something new from nothing; creativity is the ability to create something novel from ideas/things that already exist by combining, improving or refining them.

3. Be Playful. A relaxed and playful attitude fosters creativity. Those creative juices flow best when you're not restrained by your logical, left brain. Toy with ideas and forget about being too careful. Be a child again and play.

4. Believe that Everything has a Solution. An optimistic outlook always leads to solutions, no matter how impossible a problem or task may be. Often when a solution can't be found, all that's needed is for the problem to be redefined. Or when you think you're stumped, surprise your mind with silly solutions then work backwards, leading to the original problem. Cultivate an attitude of continuing search for solutions.

5. Let Go of Your Fear of Failure. Don't expect to do something perfectly for the first time. Thomas Edison tried about 1800 things for the perfect filament for the incandescent lamp. Fear of failure is one of the major factors that can hinder your creativity. Instead of looking at failed attempts negatively, look at your failures as learning opportunities. Failing isn't fun, but neither is doing nothing.

Copyright © 2003-2004 Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ

About The Author

Shery is the creator of WriteSparks! - a software that generates over 10 *million* Story Sparkers for Writers. Download WriteSparks! Lite for free - http://writesparks.com
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Friday, June 20, 2008

Write Strategy: Think, Believe, Attack

Write Strategy: Think, Believe, Attack
by: Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ


Think of writing like karate...it's about DISCIPLINE.

Writing, like other forms of art, work or talent, requires discipline. It won't ever be enough that you say to yourself that you are a writer. Only when you write and write with discipline can you call yourself one. Before you can earn a black belt in karate, you have to dedicate yourself, practice and instill discipline in yourself to learn the moves and techniques.

The same goes for writing. Don't just read books. Devour them. Ray Bradbury, author of Zen in the Art of Writing, suggests books of essays, poetry, short stories, novels and even comic strips. Not only does he suggest that you read authors who write the way you hope to write, but "also read those who do not think as you think or write as you want to write, and so be stimulated in directions you might not take for many years." He continues, "don't let the snobbery of others prevent you from reading Kipling, say, while no one else is reading him."

Learn to differentiate between good writing and bad writing. Make time to write. Write even though you're in a bad mood. Put yourself in a routine. Integrate writing into your life. The goal is not to make writing dominate your life, but to make it fit in your life. Julia Cameron, in her book The Right to Write, sums it best: "Rather than being a private affair cordoned off from life as the rest of the world lives it, writing might profitably be seen as an activity best embedded in life, not divorced from it."

Believe that EVERYONE HAS A STORY -- including you.

Extraordinary things happen to ordinary people. As a writer, your job is to capture as many of these things and write them down, weave stories, and create characters that jump out of the pages of your notebook. Don't let anything escape your writer's eye, not even the way the old man tries to subtly pick his nose or the way an old lady fluffs her hair in a diner. What you can't use today, you can use tomorrow. Store these in your memory or jot them down in your notebook.

Jump in the middle of the fray. Be in the circle, not outside it. Don't be content being a mere spectator. Take a bite of everything life dishes out. Ray Bradbury wrote, "Tom Wolfe ate the world and vomited lava. Dickens dined at a different table every hour of his life. Moliere, tasting society, turned to pick up his scalpel, as did Pope and Shaw. Everywhere you look in the literary cosmos, the great ones are busy loving and hating. Have you given up this primary business as obsolete in your own writing? What fun you are missing, then. The fun of anger and disillusion, the fun of loving and being loved, of moving and being moved by this masked ball which dances us from cradle to churchyard. Life is short, misery sure, mortality certain. But on the way, in your work, why not carry those two inflated pig-bladders labeled Zest and Gusto."

Attack writing with PASSION.

The kind of writing you produce will oftentimes reflect the current state of your emotions. Be indifferent and your writing will be indifferent. Be cheerful and watch the words dance across your page.

Whenever you sit down to write, put your heart and soul in it. Write with passion. Write as if you won't live tomorrow. In her book, Writing the Wave, Elizabeth Ayres wrote: "There's one thing your writing must have to be any good at all. It must have you. Your soul, your self, your heart, your guts, your voice -- you must be on that page. In the end, you can't make the magic happen for your reader. You can only allow the miracle of 'being one with' to take place. So dare to be you. Dare to reveal yourself. Be honest, be open, be true...If you are, everything else will fall into place."

Copyright (c) 2004 Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ

About The Author

Shery is the creator of WriteSparks! - a software that generates over 10 *million* Story Sparkers for Writers. Download WriteSparks! Lite for free - http://writesparks.com
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Thursday, June 19, 2008

How to Pitch a Story

How to Pitch a Story
by: Elizabeth Kirwin

How to Pitch a Story

Ever wonder why we refer to convincing an editor a story is worthy by “pitching a story?” I have. I’m a baseball enthusiast, and it makes a lot of sense to me. When the editor is at bat with you, he or she has a few swings to make before making a connection – through the story idea (ball) that could end up being a base hit or a home run. Naturally, everyone wants to hit a home run when they go to bat with an editor. Sometimes publicists and writers do have to walk to first base for the story assignment. Here are some helpful tips on how to pitch a story to an editor – and how to at least hit a single, double, or triple – if not a home run on occasion.


Use an Editor’s Time Productively

Time spent on the telephone with an editor is more like a gift from God. If you want to be successful at purveying a story idea, it’s best to have the information you want to convey rehearsed, or in note written form prior to your call. Try not to spend more than 10 or 15 minutes speaking about your story idea. Always ask the editor, “Is this a good time for you?” before beginning your pitch. Another great way to reach an editor is by a well-written e-mail pitch. In either case focus the presentation or conversation on your story idea(s). If the editor is interested, he or she may ask more questions. If not, the editor should tell you.

Facts, Sources, Images

The editor needs to be interested in the theme of your story. A quick 2-3 sentence synopsis should offer an original focus or angle on a topic related to the publication. For example, if I wanted to pitch to Ms. magazine, I’d want to have a feminist event, profile, or feature idea that would be appropriate. Identify potential research sources for your story, or elaborate upon contacts with experts in the area, to let the editor know you are capable of tackling the subject. This expansion on your topic is key to keeping the editor’s interest. Many magazine and newspaper editors will also ask you up front about the availability of photographs to go with the story. Be prepared answer this question with some viable suggestions for photos and a creative approach. By now you’ve sold the story idea. So, don’t forget to ask about the availability of a staff photographer from the publication to assist with photos.

Where do I Find Stories to Pitch?

Whether you are working for yourself or an organization or company, you have your comfort zones. These are vendors you are doing business with, your immediate environment, and social functions that seem aligned with your work. Go outside of your usual boundaries, experiment in other social venues, and talk to people as often as possible. I look for story ideas when I’m on assignment with a story. Because I write daily, I know that one story will inevitably lead to another. I also pick up story ideas in the bar, at the university where I work as a teacher, from other clients, from students, local activists, or during outdoor group activities such as hiking and camping. I listen closely to what people say, and I carry around my favorite pocketbook sized bungee notebook to record my thoughts and story ideas. When I have an editor on the telephone, or am lucky enough to meet one in person, I act like I did when I played ball: I just start pitching.

Tools of the Trade

Once, I had a bead collection I acquired from a friend who was sick of beading. She said to me, “if you just look at the collection long enough, you’ll have ideas.” This is what I did, and this is how I made my necklaces.

For writers, I recommend they look at as many hard copy and on-line publications as possible. Don’t forget to obtain a copy of the current Writers Market. It’s a useful publication for profiling buying publications. I suggest the budding writer look into publications in sync with their personal interests. For example, I enjoy backcountry hiking and camping. I would probably want to contact outdoors magazines to pitch them some stories. I also have an interest in local newspapers, travel, educational, and holistic healing magazines. I’ve pitched to all of these types of publications. When you find a publication you really like, write down the editor’s name, e-mail, phone number and start to pitch. There’s also a great writers’ site called www.writingformoney.com. For $8 per month you can review an interactive on-line listing of publications which are currently buying new work. With these links, you can visit the publications directly, read about them, and e-mail the editor your pitch. The longer you look at these tools of the trade, the more ideas will percolate.

Hit a Home Run

You want to hit a home run with an editor and land a story? Well, try going to bat with two to three story ideas instead of just one. Or the story you’ve developed can be pitched at different angles, which may make it more suitable for your publication of choice. Make sure to view at least several articles from the publication itself before pitching an editor, so you can have an idea of that editor’s taste in material and style. All of these tips should help you land a great story, and even more in the future. As with baseball: practice. With practice, you’ll learn how to pitch like an expert.

About The Author

Elizabeth Kirwin has published work in national magazines and newspapers. She is co-owner of Sidhe Communications http://www.sidhecommunications.com in Asheville NC. She develops web sites, newsletters, brochures, and other marketing materials for companies and health care ogranizations nationally.For more information, e-mail ekirwin@bellsouth.net.
ekirwin@bellsouth.net
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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Most Dangerous Software :)

Dear Support
Subject: Find Bugs in Program

I was upgraded from Girlfriend 7.0 into Wife 1.0 last year. I found that this program has a weird symptom. It's devour a lot of spaces & valuable resources and never been noticed by the product brochure.

Wife 1.0 was self-installed and run automatically. Moreover, it'll check the other programs status so often. The other programs like Gambling10.3, Pub2.5 and HangAround5.0 cannot run and cause system failure. I have considered rollback to use Girlfriend 7.0 BUT the uninstaller cannot run. Please HELP me and Thanks for the reply.
From Problematic User

-----------------------------------------------------

Dear Problematic User
Subject: Explain Bugs of the program
This is a major problem that many clients were contacted the support team lately. But I have to explain about this problem. This problem might be comes from the misunderstood of many users who upgrade to Wife 1.0 may think of this software as Utilities & Entertainment application. But Wife 1.0 is actually an Operating System that the creator designed to take control over the system. And it seem to be that you cannot remove Wife 1.0 or rollback to Girlfriend7.0 because the system will simulate the Girlfriend7.0 to run as Wife 1.0.

So it is useless to do that. There were some users try to install Girlfriend 8.0 or Paramour 2.0 but it'll eventually cause more problems.

We recommend you to read software manual in subject "fine". We recommend you to use Wife1.0 carefully and I want you to install c:\Yes.Darling program for prevent the conflict that may happen using Wife 1.0

The best way to fix the problem that c:\Yes.Darling can not handle is to call a command "c;\I'm_Sorry.Honey". This command will fix system status to normal (or maybe cooldown the system a bit in case of overheated).

Wife 1.0 is a good application but need a lot of care. You should buy some additional software to increase system performance such as Flower 2.0.1, and Jewelry 5.1.2. You should avoid of install some softwares such as SexySecretary36.24.36 because it's not support by Wife 1.0 and have a high chances of system crashes.

We wish you luck after use this program as you will used it for you life.... >>Read more...

Friday, June 6, 2008

Learning to Question your Elephant Child: Who, What, Where, When and Why

Learning to Question your Elephant Child: Who, What, Where, When and Why
by: Stephen Earley Jordan, II


Having problems writing? I don't know why. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll writes up to five columns a week. After all, if he can write five columns, you should be able to write a five-lined poem-but that does not seem to be the case.

How does he do it? Carroll claimed to recite lines from Rudyard Kipling's "The Elephant Child":

"I have six humble serving men

They taught me all I knew

Their names are what

And where and when

And why and how and who."

I'm more than sure that two incentives for Jon Carroll are 1.) Creating deadlines and 2.) His salary! Yes, we writers DO get paid every now and then!

Basing my philosophies on those few lines of Kipling's "The Elephant Child", my advice is to "Simply Ask Questions". Rummage through some old work (whether it be poetry, nonfiction, or fiction) that you've written and use the following techniques to enhance your skills. And, then, ask yourself the follow questions.



WHAT is the underlying theme?

Try to come up with a single-word or phrase to describe your story. Perhaps one reason your story has not been effective in the past is that you have too many intertwining stories. This, in turn, can cause confusion for the reader. So, ask yourself, "What is my story about?" And, give yourself answers such as: Desolation, Lost Hope, Self-Confidence, Racism, Attained Dreams, etc. If you can KISS (keep it simple stupid), then your readers won't MISS your point.

As practice, read some of the great contemporary writers and ask yourself the same question-"What is the underlying theme?" Describe the book in one word or one phrase, instead of using a high school book-report technique.

WHERE does your story or poem take place?Knowing the setting can allow you to be a bit more descriptive with your work. Does your poem or prose take place in Alaska? Florida? China? Yugoslavia? Hawaii? Kentucky? Each of these places is, perhaps, equal opposites of the next. To know your setting you have two choices-- 1.) Be a good researcher; collect pictures and read as much as you can about the location, or 2.) Take a road trip! Nothing can be grander than to spend your weekend visiting unknown territories.

WHEN did the events take place in which you are writing?If you're doing factual reporting-this is especially a MUST-DO. For instance, if you read a news article a reader wants to know when Ms. Johnson's house was burglarized. Did it happen June 20, 2001? June 20, 1984? Did the events take place when it was winter with ten inches of snow? Or, better still, did the events take place at Virginia Beach mid-August?

WHY did the events take place?Is there a conflict within your character? A lot of times character's (and real people too) have problems only because their conscious is "eating them away". Is this the case? If so, why does your character feel so guilty that he made such decisions? Perhaps the events that take place are only cause-effect. Most always people cause their own mental downfall and breakdown. Always know why your characters complete every task and why the events take place.

How did the events happen?Too often people will say, "I had a car wreck today…" But, do they leave it at that? No, no, no. You must always tell how the events happened. Were you driving in the incorrect lane, but still feel it's not your fault? Did you skid uncontrollably on a patch of ice? Maybe, you wanted to avoid the slow-moving tortoise that crossed your lane? If other characters are involved, it's important to get their perspective in dialogue. Maybe they feel the events happened differently.

Who did the events happen to?Who your events happen to is one of the main focuses. You have to choose your characters carefully. Why? Well, it would change a story completely if you wrote of a 68-year old cheerleader. Your work would be a different story if the character were an autistic adult. How would the events change if, let's say, the main character was indeed the Elephant Child, child of the deceased Elephant Man? Be creative with your characters and allow their personalities to work well for you when creating your piece.

Sometimes writers can use techniques that allow them to disregard some of these steps. Oh, Really? -You question. Yes. For instance, a writer may know the intentions of a character, a location-but you may not want to put it in print. My suggestion is that you KNOW all the answers to the above questions to make the work have more substance. By knowing all the answers you can create images, people, and scenarios by using symbols and customs of a particular area.

About The Author

Stephen Jordan has five years experience within the educational publishing industry. Stephen was a freelance editor with such educational foundations as Princeton Review, The College Board, New York University, and Columbia University. Away from the office, Stephen promotes his creative writing with his home-freelance business OutStretch Publications and his artwork. Stephen holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees in writing and literature from Alderson-Broaddus College of Philippi, West Virginia.
Editor@OutStretch.net
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Thursday, June 5, 2008

How to Write Bad Poetry

How to Write Bad Poetry
by: Stephen Earley Jordan, II


So you’ve decided to crown yourself with a title that a million other people (just like you (yes, just like you!)) give themselves every day. Some people believe giving yourself such a title is equivalent to, and just as beneficial monetarily, as naming yourself Queen of England. But, there is no grace, rarely enough publicity, and only the title of Court Jester seems to be becoming for you because you are a fool among others.

What is this sacred title? Poet.



Why does titling yourself a “poet” make you a Fool? Well, it doesn’t, not in and of itself. But if you’ve only been published online, never in print—that could be a sign of your well-earned Fool status. To be blunt—that is a sign that you write bad poetry.

Why would these sites accept your work if it sucked, you ask? Maybe to raise their quota, maybe to get more submissions of the site’s particular interest, but mainly to actually HAVE something to post—most (but not all) sites are desperate for submissions. Or maybe they’re out for a profit. Come on, who among us HASN’T had something accepted by the National Library of Poetry, and then gotten all the brochures for expensive products featuring our work?

The Webmaster vs. Editor Problem: Go to any website, check it out. Can you find someone with the title of Webmaster? How about editor? Or, still yet, Webmaster AND Editor? A Webmaster does not, by any means, mean Editor. Simply because someone is a webmaster (someone who controls the site, updates the postings, etc. . . ) does not mean that the person is an EDITOR (someone who corrects the work, proofreads, re-writes, re-words, etc…) of the work posted on the site. In many cases, webmasters who are disguising themselves as editors are giving real editors a bad name. A webmaster, will too often post submissions “as is” and not give a damn about the content or presentation. However, if a site has someone who can both edit and be a webmaster then the site is moving in the right direction.

This is the main problem source. Building a website, and getting work “published” on a website is so easily done by anyone whether they have talent or not that it de-values the word “published” and lessens the role of an Editor.

Granted, the internet IS a great marketing tool for promoting your work, getting your name in the public’s eye, and getting writing experience, but have you ever asked yourself why your work is ONLY published online? Perhaps it is because no discerning EDITOR has ever seen your dribbly poems, except in browsing the web for bad poems to laugh at.

Here are a few tips that will help you to get your work published online. Hey, I figured if you’re going to be a fool about getting your unpolished work published on the internet for the world to see, I’d give a few tips to help your bad poetry stay that way, since you seem to like that way best:

1. Place the word “Love” in your title. That’s a major plus!

2. Be straight-forward, don’t use symbols, metaphors or anything that will make the reader think. Readers don’t have time to think.

3. Focus on form—(sonnets, villanelles, haiku). Since you think in form, write in form.

4. Keep your poem in a rhyme-scheme. Why? Well, EVERYONE knows that all GOOD poems rhyme, the rest can be disregarded as a post-modern mess!

5. Only write in YOUR point of view. Write exactly what you believe, never try to portray the image of someone else. Better yet, start the poem with “I”.

6. Keep your poems untitled. Readers love to be creative and imagine what the title should and could be.

7. Write in the same place. If you write in your bedroom—always write there; if you write outside under a tree—always write there---why try variety and ruin a good thing?

8. Don’t ever base a character in a poem on someone you actually KNOW. Heaven forbid you get the piece published, and have to explain to the person—“this is you”.

9. Read, but if you don’t like a poem or a poet—just toss it. Don’t even question why you don’t appreciate the work.

10. Have no structure. Poetry is about limitless expressions, right? So in that sense, make your lines and stanzas as long as you wish. Just write exactly how you feel!

11. Don’t keep a journal. Journal causes too much self-reflection and you want to write for the moment, not yesterday.

12. Use clichés as much as possible. People like to read familiar phrases.

13. Not every line of a poem is important. Just make sure you have a good first and last line.

14.Poems don’t progress, that’s the difference between a story and a poem. Poems aren’t suppose to take you on a journey to learn.

14. Submit your poems to only websites. That way, you will never have to face the fact that your poetry SUCKS, because it will only be read by the friends and relatives to whom you give the site’s URL, and your friends will never tell you that reading your poetry is greater torture than letting a small, sharp-clawed guinea pig walk on their sunburned skin.

If you follow these guidelines, and start writing, you will be a “poet” in no time. Remember that poetry HAS to rhyme, and remember that the less you practice the better you are.

Joking aside—you might want to try doing exactly opposite of the “tips” in the list. And, since many webmasters (who are titling themselves Editor) aren’t doing their job, it’s up to you to learn to edit your work before you embarrass yourself.

(This article is not commenting that ALL online poetry is not well-crafted. But the poorly crafted poetry far outweighs the well-written by a landslide.)

About The Author

Stephen Jordan, a Medical Editor in Greenwich, Connecticut, currently lives in New York City, has five years experience within the educational publishing industry. Stephen was a freelance editor with such educational foundations as Princeton Review, The College Board, New York University, and Columbia University. Away from the office, Stephen promotes his creative writing, painting, and his home-based freelance business OutStretch Publications. Stephen holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees in writing and literature from Alderson-Broaddus College of Philippi, West Virginia.
Editor@OutStretch.net
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Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Seven Compelling Reasons to Get Your Name on a Book Cover

Seven Compelling Reasons to Get Your Name on a Book Cover
by: Michelle McGee-Jones


Have you ever considered writing a book? If so, maybe you’ve already established firmly in mind your exact purpose for becoming an author. Your reasons may match one or more of those below. Or perhaps you could add yours to the list. Nevertheless, with some 65,000 books being published in the United States yearly, there is overwhelming attraction to joining the ranks of authors.



Reason 1: Renown- Did you know that Martha Stewart (“Entertaining”), Harvey McKay (“Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive”), and Tom Peters (“In Search of Excellence”), were virtually unknown until they became authors? It’s no wonder. Authoring a book heightens your credibility, elevates your prestige and dubs you an expert. It could open the door to television, radio, and newspaper interviews. (You will, however, have to get out there and stimulate media attention). Having a book with your name on it may also attract public speaking engagements and other business opportunities. It affords you a chance to bask in the spotlight!

Reason 2: Wealth- Certainly not every book brings its author riches, but some do. In his book, "Damn! Why Didn’t I Write That?" Marc McCutcheon lists 71 titles that sold 1 million or more copies, some many more, not to mention the multitude of books that sold tens and hundreds of thousands of copies. Yours could be added to the list. Of course it’s going to take a hot topic, an attention-grabbing title, a well-written book and some strategic marketing, but the effort is going to be worth it.

Reason 3: Legacy- Depending on how good your book is, it may be read by generations to come. Your descendants, whom you may never see, may come to know you by your work. Family photographs are fine. They show the person. A book, however, shows what’s inside the person: their knowledge, findings, experiences, and beliefs. Let your book be their heritage – and a legacy for readers everywhere.

Reason 4: Heroism- As a result of having read a book, people have saved their marriages, improved their health, fixed their finances, boosted their self-esteem, beautified their homes, gotten their souls redeemed, lost weight, roared with laughter, become better lovers, developed their computer skills. Books have improved businesses, inspired dreams, polished parenting abilities, brought history to life, and incited million dollar ideas. The list goes on and on. Your book is undoubtedly going to make a contribution too and it’s no telling the impact it is going to have.

Reason 5: Personal Fulfillment- God put each of us here on earth for a purpose. That is, we each have unique gifts and abilities for which we cannot truly feel complete until we have used them. In setting out to have a book written, you have almost certainly developed a passion about whatever it is that you want to communicate. Good. Your passions reveal something about what your talents are. But until you actually get those words out, you may continually have that nudging. You are a unique being with something that only you can say. Have a book written and you will be well on the way to fulfilling your life purpose.

Reason 6: Adventure- Even if you, as a collaborator, are only casually involved in producing your book, the experience is an exploration into uncharted territory. It’s quite likely that you and your ghost may come across amazing facts about your chosen topic that you were previously unaware of. You may unexpectedly meet people who could be valuable to your research or to the sales of your book. Even in the process of marketing a book, your tour may lead to exotic places. Being an author could very well be -- in a nutshell -- fun.

Reason 7: Economic Boost- Because a horde of people will be involved in the writing, publishing, sales and distribution of your book, you can take pride in the fact that your book is contributing to the wealth of the nation. That’s especially significant in times of mass layoffs, rising taxes, and poverty. I applaud you!

There you have it – seven surefire reasons to become an author, a worthy investment in your business, your career, your life and the lives of your readers.

About The Author

Michelle McGee-Jones is a freelance business writer, marketing consultant and workshop conductor. She is the author of “The Art of Hiring Someone to Write Your Book: A Step by Step Guide to Successfully Collaborating.” The book is available for $9.95 plus shipping by calling toll free 1-800-673-5771 or by ordering online at Amazon.com. Copyright © 2004 Michelle McGee-Jones. All rights reserved. This article may be freely reprinted provided this entire byline is included.
mmcgee@cseop.org
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Tuesday, June 3, 2008

I'm Just The Writer

Let's read a story about a writer. Let's see what's his dilemma.

I'm Just The Writer
by: Stephen Schochet


Writers are often are greatly surprised or disappointed by how their work is changed when it is adapted for the big screen. When Irwin Shaw's World War II novel The Young Lions was shot in Paris in 1958, the Nazi character was played by Marlon Brando. Ever the method actor, Brando provoked an uproar by strutting around town in his SS uniform, even going into restaurants to dine. The thirty three year old star was unsure if the Parisians ripping his clothes were doing it out of adulation or disdain. Like most actors Brando wanted to be loved and he took his concern to Shaw that the Nazi be made sympathetic. "You just don't understand the character", Brando told the amazed writer. "It's my character," replied Shaw. "Not anymore", replied the actor.

Some writers grow resigned to their voices being lost. George S. Kaufman wrote the screenplay for the Marx Brother's comedy Animal Crackers in 1930. He attended rehearsals and realized that nothing Groucho, Chico and Harpo were doing resembled his original draft. He watched as the director Victor Heerman was driven to distraction by the brothers showing up late, placing bets on horses, playing the stock market and never sticking to the script. Heeman literally threatened to imprison them in cages till they behaved. Kaufman took it in stride falling asleep through much of the tomfoolery. At one point the writer woke up with a start and shouted," Oh my God! I thought I heard one of my lines."

A few years ago comedy playwright Neil Simon announced he was moving from Los Angeles to New York. In Los Angeles he was isolated in his car all the time and he felt it is was hurting his writing. Better to be in New York where you walked everywhere and met people. His departure may have been hastened by writing and showing up to the set of The Marrying Man (1991). He got to witness Kim Basinger holding up the production with tardiness, temper tantrums and her much publicized love affair with co-star Alec Baldwin. Simon was humiliated when she held up her copy of the script and stated for all to hear," Whoever wrote this knows nothing about comedy!" The Odd Couple writer was too insulted to help fix the plot problems and the picture bombed.

Some writers are amazed to see their words turn into movie reality. When Margaret Mitchell (1900 -1949) was a young girl in Atlanta, various relatives took her on tours of Confederate battle sites, describing the Civil War so vividly that she imagined she was part of it. It took her ten years to write the text for Gone With The Wind which she scribbled on yellow legal pads, shoving them under her couch when friends would come over to visit her. The best-seller was turned into a movie in 1939 and Mitchell showed up in Hollywood for the fiming of Scarlett O'Hara (Vivian Leigh) nursing wounded soldiers at the Atlanta railway station. The author was overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of the scene. "My God", she told producer David O. Selznick. "If we would have had this many soldiers we would have won the war."

Some writers have strong ideas about who should play their characters. Novelist Tom Clancy was initially unhappy with the fifty year old Harrison Ford cast as the thirty something CIA agent Jack Ryan in Patriot Games (1992) and Clear And Present Danger (1994). He also berated the actor for suggesting plot changes to his stories. Ford angrily retorted that writers who sell their work to the big screen have to expect it to be changed, otherwise don't sell it. After the two films did great at the box office, Clancy hinted that he would be willing to bury the hatchet to get Ford to star in the next Jack Ryan installment, The Sum Of All Fears (eventually made with Ben Affleck in 2002). Ford demurred by saying," Maybe when I'm sixty."

Sometimes stars are better off just following the writer's instincts. Lou Holtz Jr. was disappointed that Jim Carrey brought in a team of writers to change his lighthearted script The Cable Guy (1996) into a dark tale about stalking. Despite Carrey winning the MTV award for best villain, the movie was panned by critics, led to several executives being fired at Sony pictures and became known in Hollywood as "The Straight To Cable Guy".

About The Author

Stephen Schochet is the author and narrator of the audiobooks Fascinating Walt Disney and Tales Of Hollywood. The Saint Louis Post Dispatch says," these two elaborate productions are exceptionally entertaining." Hear realaudio samples of these great, unique gifts at www.hollywoodstories.com.
orgofhlly@aol.com >>Read more...

Monday, June 2, 2008

4 Tips To Create a Sexy Character Easily

You can easily make a sexy character if you know of a few simple techniques:

1. Before you write, decide on his or her background and outline it thoroughly. If she is supposed to be from a high profile Georgia family, know what her parents do for a living. Is she trying to live up to their standards or does she move to California in rebellion? Why?

2. Each character should have his own voice. If your character is from France, give him French accent and mannerisms.

3. Know your character's motivations. If he is a serial killer, what about his upbringing or his mind created him into the pathological criminal that he is.

4. Lastly, you should have imagine what he/she look like. Imagine his/her image in mind then you can easily write about them.

The lesson is know your characters. Know what makes them tick. Know what drives them wild and what drives them crazy. Know them as well as you know yourself otherwise your audience never will.

By creating a thorough outline on each characters before you begin writing, the decisions are made for you. You will know your characters well enough to know what they would and wouldn't say and how they would say it. More importantly, your readers will believe in them and in you. >>Read more...

Sunday, June 1, 2008

How to Create Stories that Sizzle

How to Create Stories that Sizzle
by: Caterina Christakos


How to Start Your Story with a Bang

The purpose of creating a story is to create a world that will draw the reader away from their own. In order to do this one must create suspense, drama and mystery. Your reader must absolutely need to get from page to page, to find out what happens.

There are several simple techniques to get your story going and draw the reader in. Here are just a few:

1) Start in the middle of a problem.

Ex. A lover’s quarrel, a murder, a personal dilemma

2) Start with an unusual environment

Ex. Alice in Wonderland, the beginning of the final frontier, a journey to a new world

3) Start with action

Ex. A gun has just been fired, A woman is deciding whether to jump or not, A hospital ER being mobilized

4) Start with a feeling

Ex. The soft silk slid across her skin, as she finally slid into his bed.

Hot coals burned his stomach as the bullet tore through him.

The rich velvety feel of chocolate on her tongue was the perfect end to a dreadful day.

Don’t spend the first day bogged down on details, unless they are absolutely crucial to understanding your story. Even then, save descriptions for later in your story, if you can. Get the reader hooked first, then you can describe the rich incandescence of his eyes or the exact color of her house. Remember your story should be like life, fast paced, even at a standstill, and utterly surprising.

About The Author

Caterina Christakos is the author of several how to books, children’s stories and countless articles. To view more writing tips and get some homespun advice visit: http://www.howtowriteachildrensbook.com >>Read more...