Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts

Thursday, 3 April 2014

6 Tips For Your Writing Journey

by: Laura Hickey


writing journey 300x202 6 Tips For Your Writing Journey So, you’d like to be a writer? Congrats! Writing not only is a great way to express yourself, but can provide an income. Keep in mind not all writers make a fortune, some still cant quit their day job. Below are some tips to start your writing journey.


1. Start Writing


Okay, so this tip is obvious. For some, it’s a question of what to write about, for others how to write. Write how and what you want. What kind of books do you like to read? Fiction, Mystery, science fiction, how to books? How about articles, reports, maybe you’re interested in journalism. Whatever the case may be, to get your creative juices flowing, start writing! Don’t worry about how it sounds, grammar or other mistakes, you can go back to fix these.


2. Join online and offline groups/message boards and chats


If you already know what you want to write about, consider joining writer groups at your local library, or online groups, along with message boards and chats. It’s a great way to network with other writers and published authors. It’s also a good place to share your work and receive feedback. Many places online are free to join, some require a membership which usually consist of a user name, e-mail address and password for your user name. Some request more information such as a name, address and sometimes phone number.


3. The Library


You’ve probably heard about some books that writers refer to, this could be writer markets, e-book publishing, self publishing and generally how to improve your writing. Bu what do you do when you can’t afford to buy these books from your local bookstore or online? A trip to your library is the key. Many libraries carry writer resource books, which if you have a library card, are free. If you’re living out of the area, the library may require a fee for membership. The book you’re looking for may not always be at your local library, however libraries borrow from other libraries in and out of state. The method of receiving outside books is called Inter-Library Loan. Later on, if you find the book to be a great resource, you may be able to purchase a used copy online.


4. Researching


The Internet is also another good resource for information. Keep in mind that not every resource you find online is going to be an honest good resource. It will take time to sort out which websites are useful. Most information is free, so you can sit back and research in the comfort of your home. If you don’t have a computer with Internet access, check your local library and see if you can use one of theirs.


5. Workshops


Workshops taught by experts is a great way to learn from the professionals, but only if you can afford it! Make sure the topic of the workshop is based around your interest. For instance, if you love fiction..it wouldn’t be a good idea to go to a workshop based only on non-fiction. It’s a good idea to register early to ensure a spot at the event. Bring a new legal pad, plus a few writing tools to take notes.


6. Contents


After writing a while, you may want to enter contents. Some require an entry fee. I suggest staying away from the entry fee contents until you’ve entered some other free ones. That way you can get a feel for how contests work. Spend some time writing and re-writing your entries. If you’ve written your entry in 5 or so minutes, th judges will notice it immediately. You wouldn’t want a reputation for sloppy work.


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The Art of Persuasive Business Writing

by: Courtland Bovee


writing The Art of Persuasive Business Writing All good writing involves persuasion-getting the reader over to your side. You may be writing to persuade a colleague to take on a new project, writing a blog post trying to persuade people to accept a new idea, or writing persuasive advertising copy for a new product. In each situation, your goal is to persuade your readers that you have something to say and that it is in their best interest to take the action you have requested.


Here are five elements to keep in mind when writing persuasive messages.


1. “You” attitude. Too much business writing has an “I” or “we” viewpoint, which causes the writer to sound selfish and not interested in the reader. If you want to get your point of view across, convey information, or persuade the reader, you have to talk in terms of the reader’s interests, hopes, wishes, and preferences. Good writing psychology requires that you present your message in light of the reader’s viewpoint rather than your own.


“I” or “We”

To help us process this order, we must ask for another copy of the requisition.


We trust you will extend your service contract.


“You”

So that your order can be filled promptly, please send another copy of the requisition.


By extending your service contract, you can continue to enjoy topnotch performance from your equipment.


2. Warmth. You can make all sorts of mistakes in your messages yet still leave your readers with a good feeling if you can convey the magic intangible of personal warmth. Warmth is more difficult in writing than it is in oral communications. Essentially, warmth is an aspect-possibly even the measure-of the “you” viewpoint. You should not only demonstrate concern for the audience’s problems but interest in their attitudes and an appreciation of the ways in which handling the situation is going to be helpful to them.


3. Parallel experience. One way of touching the right spots with your reader is to draw on a parallel situation in your own experience. Build your writing around this experience, or use what you learned as a basis for your writing. By creating a sympathetic bond between you and your reader, you enhance the person-to-person connection and help your reader to become more open to what you are saying.


4. Good manners. If you want to persuade your reader, you must show impeccable manners. In other words, be nice. If you are rude or overly aggressive, your reader will shut down to your argument and turn elsewhere. When in doubt, put yourself on the other end of the writing and ask, “How would I feel if this was directed at me? Would I be offended, or would I be open to listening to more?”

5. Tone. The tone of your writing goes beyond the content of your words and offers the reader an overall feeling or indication of your meaning. The overall tone of your message will depend on the subject, but a general guideline is to stay positive. Suggest to your reader that you are interested in his or her problems and in solving them. A good tone is ruined by using harsh words or phrases. Some examples:


Poor

the alleged loss

you claim that

you neglected to send

in which you assert

if we were at fault

we request that you send us


Improved

the loss you refer to

we understand that

you did not send

you tell us

please accept our apologies

please send us


Persuasion is an art, not a science-but that does not mean there is no winning formula. By incorporating these five elements into your business communication, you will have a greater chance of getting your reader to stop, listen, and take the action you want.

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Writing Naturally

by: Laurie J. Brenner


image1 300x225 Writing Naturally Have you ever found yourself stuck in your writing like a child on a rocking horse? Rocking back and forth, writing and editing, and wondering why your story doesn’t take you anywhere?


As a writer for a local weekly newspaper, I couldn’t afford the luxury of writing and editing. I just had to write and worry about editing later; there’s something about a deadline that moves you along.


So how do you learn to move beyond the wooden horse, to the real horse, that story or article that will take you across vistas where the sun sets in marmalade skies and where the grass ripples like a green sea?


As a painter, I’ve learned the value of painting from the right side of your brain. The right brain paints what it sees, whereas the left paints what it thinks it should be. I wondered to myself if there were something for writers along these same lines. I discovered there was.


Our brains are divided into two hemispheres right and left and are joined by a strange piece of gray matter called the corpus collusum. The corpus collusum acts like a switching station. In right-brain driven individuals it tends to be larger. The right brain could be referred to as the feminine or creative side (the writer) whereas the left-brain (the editor) could be referred to as the male or logical side.


The left brain provides us with language, syntax, denotation, analytical thought, logic, math, etc. In the right brain, we discover creativity, patterns of sound, metaphor, ambiguities, and paradox.


In right-brain painting classes the teacher gets you to let go of the image of what you think you see, to seeing only what is there and consequently drawing it. This is done by taking a picture, placing it upside down, and covering up all but a little portion of the picture. You begin to draw only what you see on the page. As you move along, you uncover a little more of the picture as you draw. Practice this sometime to learn to free up your right brain.


You may be wondering – do you write upside down? No – you don’t. According to Gabrielle Lusser Rico, author of the book Writing The Natural Way, “if you can speak, form letters on the page, know the rudiments of sentence structure, take a telephone message, or write a thank-you note, you have sufficient language skills to learn to write the natural way.”


In her first chapter, “Releasing Your Inner Writer,” Rico describes the two different hemispheres of the brain as “Sign and Design” Mind. She describes the interplay between the two hemispheres and lets us know that any good solid writing is collaboration between these two talents of the two hemispheres.


In her second chapter lay the real gems. Here’s where we learn to “cluster” or “map” our creative thinking process. She calls clustering the “doorway to your design mind.” The method she utilizes begins with a “nucleus word” or short phrase that “acts as the stimulus for recording all the associations that spring to mind in a very brief period of time.”


You take your nucleus word or phrase and write it in the middle of a page, drawing a circle around it. Then you let yourself free associate. Every thought, feeling, or idea that comes from that word you write down in little bubbles away from that “nucleus word” but attached by a line. You keep going until you feel the shift in your mind to quit. You may have to do this several times before you recognize the feeling. It’s ok – tell yourself it’s just play.


She tells us that this methodology is not “merely the spilling of words and phrases at random, but something much more complex: for the Design mind, each association leads inexorably to the next with a logic of its own even though the Sign mind does not perceive the connection.” This is learning to write from the creative side of your brain.


This methodology of clustering is like throwing a rock into a pond, it unfolds from the center, each ripple, or thought moving outward. After the completion of the clustering, (and you will learn to know when this occurs), you write a vignette, a poem, whatever strikes you, using the words from your clustering spider web and whatever else comes out of you.


What you’ll find is an interesting piece, almost like poetry, with an undiscovered beauty emanating from within you. It’s a very rewarding experience.


With enough practice, you won’t even need to do the “clustering” approach, as you’ll be able to feel the shift internally into that hemisphere of the brain, not unlike shifting into high gear.


Peter Elbow, the author of “Writing with Power” says, “When we were little we had no difficulty sounding the way we felt; thus most little children speak and write with real voice.”


Read your writing aloud. Words are meant to be spoken aloud. When you hear it, you’ll hear those places where it doesn’t flow and you’ll feel it. They’ll stick out of your sentences and paragraphs like stickers in your socks.


As a writer – it’s also important that you allow yourself time. Time to practice, time to play, time to perfect. With time, you’ll discover yourself as a writer. You’ll find your voice. You’ll lift it to sing.


Try different things. Write poetry. Write a movie critique. Write a story. Try writing a newspaper article, a how-to. Try describing the indescribable. Challenge yourself. There’s nothing that says you have to show it to anybody. Most professional writers (and best-selling authors) have scads of journals they wouldn’t even show their best friends.


Writing doesn’t necessarily mean sculpting every word from your mind with a chisel. Your head is not a rock. Be gentle with yourself. Enjoy, kick back, let loose, try this clustering method, learn to relax that muscle between your ears, and who knows, one day, all of sudden, you just might find yourself writing.


Naturally.


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Tuesday, 1 April 2014

8 Elements to Consider When Writing A Children’s Story

Writing a Child Story: 8 Elements to Consider

by: Paul Arinaga


wolf lrrh 264x300 8 Elements to Consider When Writing A Childrens Story While writing an entertaining child story is obviously more art than science, most successful child stories pay attention to the following 8 elements.


#1: Theme


A good child story has an underlying theme. The underlying theme of “Peter and the Wolf,” for example, is “don’t tell lies” or “be honest.” The underlying theme of “The Sneetches” by Dr. Seuss is “don’t be racist” or “all (Sneetches) are created equal.” A theme can be the moral of the story, or an insight or viewpoint that the story conveys. Common themes are courage, love, perseverance, friendship, etc.


As an underlying theme, the theme usually emerges subtly as the story unfolds. A direct statement of the theme usually comes across as preachy and uninteresting. Remember what your high school English teacher used to say: “show, don’t tell!”


Also, keep your theme positive and constructive. Your story may be sad, but make sure it’s not negative, cynical or depressing!


#2: Plot and Pace


Plot is what happens in a story. Pace is the speed at which the story develops.


Generally, a simple chronological unfolding of events works best for storybooks (no flashbacks or complicated jumping around in time).


The plot usually revolves around a dominant problem or conflict which the main character must resolve. The problem or conflict may be with another character, with circumstances or even internal to the main character (e.g. overcoming their own fears).


The plot usually proceeds through phases: beginning of the conflict, initial success or difficulties, further difficulties or reversals, final resolution or victory, and outcome. As the story progresses through these phases the conflict becomes more intense and increases the dramatic tension, until it the story climaxes and the conflict is resolved.


For the most part, the main character succeeds or fails through his or her own efforts. In fact, it is through this process that the character learns or grows, and this lesson or growth typically conveys the theme.


TIP: Create a thumbnail layout/mockup of your text. This way you’ll be able to better judge how your story unfolds and its optimal pacing. For more information please visit: http://ift.tt/1e8V40x.


Proper pacing of your story is essential. Too slow and the reader/listener will lose interest, too fast and they won’t have time to get excited or they will miss important details. The pace in storybooks should be fairly brisk without “rushing.” Avoid lengthy introductions or descriptions of the setting. Start the action immediately from the beginning and bring the story promptly to a close at the end.


Even more so than adults, children appreciate action. So, keep the pace of your story fairly quick by using action and unfolding events. Don’t get bogged down in lengthy descriptions or reflections. Again, “show, don’t tell!”


#3: Narrative Voice and Point of View


Narrative voice is the viewpoint from which the story is told. Most stories are told either in the “first person” (from the perspective of “I”, “I did this”) or “third person” (from the perspective of “They”, “They did that”). If you choose to write from the first person perspective, you’ll need to decide which character is the narrator. Whichever point of view you choose, make sure that you stick with it. Jumping from one point of view to another can be very confusing.


TIP: Study storybooks similar to yours or the books of a publisher you’re targeting to see what narrative voice they use.


#4: Characters


Creating interesting characters is as important as developing a solid plot. The more readers can relate to your characters, the more they will like your storybook.


So, how do you make your characters come alive? As with real people, characters come alive when they have real characteristics: personality traits, quirks, physical traits, mannerisms, a certain way of talking, fears, joys, motivations, etc. If you had to describe yourself or your best friend in a few words, what would the salient characteristics be? Try to identify one major character trait and a few minor ones for each character. Write out brief profiles if that helps.


TIP: Apart from describing them, you can also reveal the characteristics of your characters by showing how they respond to situations, or through the way they talk.


An important point is to be consistent. A character should be “true to character” in order to be believable and gain the reader’s acceptance.


#5: Setting


Set your story in a place and time that will be interesting and/or familiar.


#6: Style and Tone


Remember your primary audience: children. Write accordingly, using (mostly) short words, short sentences and short paragraphs. Write simply and directly so you don’t lose your reader (also, don’t forget that a lot of children will only listen to your story as it’s read to them; it needs to be easy to listen to and understand like stories have been throughout time).


TIP: Before the written word, stories were transmitted orally. A good story still should “sound” good. So, try reading your story aloud. Does it flow naturally and capture the listener’s attention? Are there opportunities to use your voice (tone, loudness, etc.) to make the listener feel like they’re there with the characters?


Use direct quotes (e.g. “‘Jump!’ she said.”) instead of indirect quotes (e.g. “She told him to jump.”


What is the tone of your story? Is it an epic story? A funny, wacky story? An adventure story? A scary story?


Make your writing suit the atmosphere or tone that you wish to create.


#7: Dialogue


Read your dialogue out loud to make sure that it doesn’t sound stilted or unnatural. Does your character talk the way people would expect him to?


#8: Openings and Closings


You need to hook your reader from the beginning, so start your story with a “bang!”. You want people to finish reading your child story feeling satisfied so make sure that the main conflict or problem is resolved, even if the story doesn’t have a “happy” ending.


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