The works you’ve written are numerous, ranging from short stories to even the novel, hidden in a storage bin (under the bed) collecting dust. But there comes a time when you must wipe away that dust, regain your pride, and prepare your babies for publication! But, how do you get such a critical, unbiased eye to analyze your works, offering both praise and criticism?
It’s simple—start a writing group!
Creating a writing group is the easy part, but creating a functioning and beneficial writing group can be quite a task.
Writing groups are age-old sessions where writers obtain helpful evaluations for their works. Nowadays, though, writing groups seem to be a fad, and for many a status symbol reassuring them of their writerdom. Don’t create a writing group simply for the sake of saying, “I belong to a writing group”. Create or join a group because of the numerous benefits that come along with them.
Keep Number of Members Limited. You don’t want just one other person in this group. So shoot for 3 or more members. On the other hand, you don’t want to have 30 people in the group either. Try approximately 8-10 members. If one person leaves the group, replace that person with a new recruit. Keep the same standards for all members. Make it standard that members can only join by an invite. Allowing your group to be very exclusive brings the group more pride.
Select Randomly. It’s okay to have a friend in this group, but you chose to create this writing group for unbiased opinions. So don’t allow ALL the members to be your best friends in which you see on a daily basis. Perhaps one member is 18 yrs old, while the other is 35. Keeping age, sex, ethnicity, and educational levels of your group will allow a diverse critique—which is ultimately what you’re seeking. A diverse group will only make you and the group much stronger.
Meetings. We’re all struggling writers, so most often the other members of the group will have jobs to attend. So finding an appropriate time for a meeting is crucial. I’ve found that one Sunday per month, after 2 p.m. is great. Make it an odd time. Creating times such as 2:07 p.m. will stand out and allow members to remember. Where are these meetings held? Keep switching locations. Allow the members to rotate the location to each of their homes. If homes are not available, then a select person should discuss where they choose the next meeting should be held. This is the reason membership should be limited to a few members. It’s much easier to meet with just a few people.
Text. Focus your group on either poetry or prose—try not to mingle the two. If the text is prose, and the writer wants his novel critiqued, suggest that the novel be submitted on a “per chapter” (or two) basis. Don’t overwhelm the members with too much to read at one time—or you’ll end up with no members. The month before your work is critiqued, each writer should submit photocopies of their manuscript to each member.
Know your intentions. Make sure that, for the most part, members have similar goals: to be published or for sheer enjoyment of writing. This will eliminate time wasted if you know this upfront.
Critiquing. When critiquing the text, encourage the members to speak as if the writer isn’t present. In the meanwhile, the author can sit back, take notes, and write down questions the critics may have posed. Encourage the critics to write on their versions of the text before meeting. Allow approximately 20 minutes to discuss each member’s work. Upon completion of the critique, critics should give the author their “corrected” versions. Complete the critique by allowing the author to explain any unanswered questions and to thank the critics.
If members can’t keep up with reading that much work per month, then divide it up. Four writers submit one month, while the remaining four submit the following month. Above all, writing groups should be a relaxed environment—away from your significant other, your children, and your job. Let this be a time where you hone your writing skills with the assistance of others who simply seek the same thing.
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 Available for reprint. Please contact author so he can keep track of where his articles are being used.
Editor@OutStretch.net
This article was posted on March 27, 2004
Friday, February 15, 2008
How to Have an Effective Reading Group
Writing leads to reading. Therefore, it’s only fair to supply my readers with sufficient information on creating an effective reading group, since the last article was based on writing groups.
You’ll notice that some of the information is quite repetitive from the “How to Have an Effective Writing Group” article simply for the fact that when you work with peer groups, there are similarities in the guidelines to which we must adhere to make the group truly successful.
Moreover, if Oprah could have a book club, so can you, right? It may not be as glamorous as hers, but let’s pretend it is. And, with that mindset, we’ll only have success, success, success! But the catch is to not only have a reading group, but to have an EFFECTIVE reading group.
Allow this to be a guide to reinforce your already-found knowledge and love for literature. And, more importantly, let this assist you in finding some fellow readers.
Number of Members Limited. I’ve found that if you purchase a hallmark card, (or if you’re computer savvy create a card on your computer) and cordially invite members. Give potential members a deadline to RSVP their spot in this “exclusive” reading group. If potential members feel that this will be professional, beneficial, and exclusive they will probably join.
A common trend is to maintain limited membership, and have a back-up list of potential recruits. Make a verbal agreement amongst yourselves that members must attend x-amount of group meetings or the member will be asked to resign their position with the group. Sounds harsh? Nah, don’t think of it like that—view it as a professional group and each member must carry his own weight.
Meetings. Meetings must revolve around the members’ schedules. As such, give members about a month to read the text and develop an analysis of it. The last weekend (perhaps a Sunday? Saturday?) could be ideal. Don’t let these meetings drag into the late hours of the night. Set aside an hour or two, during a brunch, and allow someone to be the time-keeper, making sure your group doesn’t go overboard with the discussion. Why should there be limits? If members see that these sessions are lasting longer than they anticipated, there is sure to be obvious conflict and many members will decide to leave the group. Allow members to know up-front (when they accept the invitation to join) that the sessions will last no more than x-amount of hours.
Genre. Perhaps your group would like to simply explore fiction written by and/or about Black or Japanese authors. If this is the case—make that known from the beginning when the group is organized and members are invited to join it. Some topics of interest members could appreciate include: Religion, Regional, Multicultural, Juvenile, Feminism, Gay/Lesbian, Adventure, Fantasy just to name a few. Of course, these categories can get more specific. It is a definite must, though, to ensure fresh material within these categories.
Length. You don’t want to read “Gone with the Wind.” Just the thought, alone, makes it a formidable task! Keep work schedules and personal lives in consideration when thinking of the text’s length. As a reference, works by Virginia Woolf, Joyce Carol Oates, Jean Rhys, and Toni Morrison are generally excellent material for book clubs.
The Critique. Ah, we mustn’t forget about the important part—the critique. When critiquing text, encourage members to discuss all aspects of the book such as: the time it was written, the author’s biographical information, any sociopolitical undertones, and the list goes on. Allow each member about 7-10 minutes to discuss the text, with no interruptions. Upon completion of the individual critiques, allow members to discuss (as a group) how their interpretations differ and why they agree and/or disagree with other members.
The Discussion. During the discussion, encourage members to be active participants. Or else, what’s the point of being in this reading group, right? What were some of the good things in the text? Was it the plot? Was it the development of characters? Or, perhaps it was the symbolism? What were some of the negative aspects of the text? Perhaps the climax didn’t reach the peak you expected. Has anyone in the group read any of the author’s earlier work? If so, allow them to discuss how this compares to the previous text. Questions posed during the discussion can be unlimited. But, so this doesn’t drag on for hours and hours, set a time limit for the discussion. Once again, most of the members probably have hectic lives beyond this social group. If you play your cards right and with some advance planning, it’s possible to find a local author to attend your meeting and read portions of their text the same month you discuss their works.
If members can’t keep up with reading that much work each month, then find shorter text. Above all, reading groups should be a relaxed environment—away from your significant other, your children, and your job. Let this be a time where you hone your reading and analytical skills with the assistance of others who simply seek the same thing.
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
Available for reprint.
Please keep bio and all contact information when reprinting article. Contact author so he can keep track of where his articles are being used.
Editor@OutStretch.net
This article was posted on July 07, 2004
You’ll notice that some of the information is quite repetitive from the “How to Have an Effective Writing Group” article simply for the fact that when you work with peer groups, there are similarities in the guidelines to which we must adhere to make the group truly successful.
Moreover, if Oprah could have a book club, so can you, right? It may not be as glamorous as hers, but let’s pretend it is. And, with that mindset, we’ll only have success, success, success! But the catch is to not only have a reading group, but to have an EFFECTIVE reading group.
Allow this to be a guide to reinforce your already-found knowledge and love for literature. And, more importantly, let this assist you in finding some fellow readers.
Number of Members Limited. I’ve found that if you purchase a hallmark card, (or if you’re computer savvy create a card on your computer) and cordially invite members. Give potential members a deadline to RSVP their spot in this “exclusive” reading group. If potential members feel that this will be professional, beneficial, and exclusive they will probably join.
A common trend is to maintain limited membership, and have a back-up list of potential recruits. Make a verbal agreement amongst yourselves that members must attend x-amount of group meetings or the member will be asked to resign their position with the group. Sounds harsh? Nah, don’t think of it like that—view it as a professional group and each member must carry his own weight.
Meetings. Meetings must revolve around the members’ schedules. As such, give members about a month to read the text and develop an analysis of it. The last weekend (perhaps a Sunday? Saturday?) could be ideal. Don’t let these meetings drag into the late hours of the night. Set aside an hour or two, during a brunch, and allow someone to be the time-keeper, making sure your group doesn’t go overboard with the discussion. Why should there be limits? If members see that these sessions are lasting longer than they anticipated, there is sure to be obvious conflict and many members will decide to leave the group. Allow members to know up-front (when they accept the invitation to join) that the sessions will last no more than x-amount of hours.
Genre. Perhaps your group would like to simply explore fiction written by and/or about Black or Japanese authors. If this is the case—make that known from the beginning when the group is organized and members are invited to join it. Some topics of interest members could appreciate include: Religion, Regional, Multicultural, Juvenile, Feminism, Gay/Lesbian, Adventure, Fantasy just to name a few. Of course, these categories can get more specific. It is a definite must, though, to ensure fresh material within these categories.
Length. You don’t want to read “Gone with the Wind.” Just the thought, alone, makes it a formidable task! Keep work schedules and personal lives in consideration when thinking of the text’s length. As a reference, works by Virginia Woolf, Joyce Carol Oates, Jean Rhys, and Toni Morrison are generally excellent material for book clubs.
The Critique. Ah, we mustn’t forget about the important part—the critique. When critiquing text, encourage members to discuss all aspects of the book such as: the time it was written, the author’s biographical information, any sociopolitical undertones, and the list goes on. Allow each member about 7-10 minutes to discuss the text, with no interruptions. Upon completion of the individual critiques, allow members to discuss (as a group) how their interpretations differ and why they agree and/or disagree with other members.
The Discussion. During the discussion, encourage members to be active participants. Or else, what’s the point of being in this reading group, right? What were some of the good things in the text? Was it the plot? Was it the development of characters? Or, perhaps it was the symbolism? What were some of the negative aspects of the text? Perhaps the climax didn’t reach the peak you expected. Has anyone in the group read any of the author’s earlier work? If so, allow them to discuss how this compares to the previous text. Questions posed during the discussion can be unlimited. But, so this doesn’t drag on for hours and hours, set a time limit for the discussion. Once again, most of the members probably have hectic lives beyond this social group. If you play your cards right and with some advance planning, it’s possible to find a local author to attend your meeting and read portions of their text the same month you discuss their works.
If members can’t keep up with reading that much work each month, then find shorter text. Above all, reading groups should be a relaxed environment—away from your significant other, your children, and your job. Let this be a time where you hone your reading and analytical skills with the assistance of others who simply seek the same thing.
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
Available for reprint.
Please keep bio and all contact information when reprinting article. Contact author so he can keep track of where his articles are being used.
Editor@OutStretch.net
This article was posted on July 07, 2004
How the Writer Survives
So it’s your dream to write novels? Be a freelance writer and make a living off of your articles? Or maybe you nurture an ambition to write and sell enough short fiction to put bread on the table, like those writers of the golden age of the pulps?
Well, those are all noble dreams to have. I’m smitten by the writer’s glamour myself. Also I’m grateful for the others who were, those authors whom I love to read and return to time and again. I’m grateful that they possessed not only their artistic vision, but also the sheer stubbornness and will to persevere and see their dreams become reality.
So we’ve settled on the fact that we want to be writers, and that no other dream will do. Now let’s take a look at what this is likely to mean in terms of the sacrifices we’ll have to make along the way.
1. Misunderstanding.
Make no doubts about it – even those closest to us may not understand or even sympathize with our dream. Young authors still in school or living at home should prepare themselves for the advice of well-meaning but frightened parents; which typically will be encouragement in ANOTHER direction. With all that time spent on the computer, you could build a career as a typist. How about data entry? Web design? They have a lot of great courses at the college for that.
Adult writers can oftentimes expect a similar reaction from their significant others; though in this case, the motivation might be someone different. Why don’t you pursue something that there’s a FUTURE in?
People who give this sort of advice are doubtlessly well-steeped in all the lore of the suffering artist. Parents don’t want to see their children go through it; husbands and wives aren’t all that eager to see their spouses get caught up in that trap either.
But the real question here is this: are YOU ready to believe in yourself enough to persevere even in the face of this negative (though well-meant, perhaps) feedback?
2. A social life? What’s that?
To finish a novel could easily take up a thousand hours or more of your time. That means almost three hours a day if you want to get it done in a year. And this is a modest estimate. Now maybe you’re willing to give up T.V. time, leisure reading, evenings out with your sweetheart, etc. You want to be a novelist that badly. But wait! The trials don’t stop there.
Your friends and family will want explanations. WHY can’t you go over to Lucky’s and hang out tonight? Why do you never pick up the phone at night (or in the morning or whenever you write)?
Now it’s one thing to have college papers to write, or mid-terms to study for, or overtime hours at work. Those are all socially acceptable obligations. But tell your friends that you’re staying in every evening to write and probably the best reaction you can hope for is a blank stare.
Are you ready to say: “Too bad if they can’t understand”?
3. Rejection upon rejection.
Let’s say we pass the first two hurdles. We don’t listen to people’s attempts (however well-intentioned) to dissuade us, and we plug away at our stories even though it means we can’t enjoy the leisure and down time of “normal” people. We put those thousand-odd hours into our work, and when it’s all done we’re proud of it. We write query letters, mail submissions, and sit back and dream of that fat advance, the book signing tour and the movie offers.
Then the unthinkable happens. We get one return letter after another, and all of them are variations of this: “Thank you for sending us [our work]. It was indeed interesting, but not quite what we’re looking for at this time.”
This happens to everyone. It has happened to me numerous times, and if it never happens to you then you will be entered into the history books of publishing. You may reach the point where a PERSONAL rejection letter instead of a pre-printed rejection feels like an accomplishment.
Remember the dream. Remember the passion that drove you to devote all those hours to writing in the first place, at the expense of your social life and leisure. Then send your work out again, because you didn’t pass the first two tests for nothing. When and if you get feedback, see if there’s anything constructive within it and learn for next time. You’ll be another rung up the ladder to success.
We writers survive and find our way because we weren’t meant to BE anything else.
Seth Mullins is the author of “Song of an Untamed Land”, a novel of speculative fantasy in lawless frontier territory. Visit Seth at http://authorsden.com/sethtmullins
This article is free for republishing
Well, those are all noble dreams to have. I’m smitten by the writer’s glamour myself. Also I’m grateful for the others who were, those authors whom I love to read and return to time and again. I’m grateful that they possessed not only their artistic vision, but also the sheer stubbornness and will to persevere and see their dreams become reality.
So we’ve settled on the fact that we want to be writers, and that no other dream will do. Now let’s take a look at what this is likely to mean in terms of the sacrifices we’ll have to make along the way.
1. Misunderstanding.
Make no doubts about it – even those closest to us may not understand or even sympathize with our dream. Young authors still in school or living at home should prepare themselves for the advice of well-meaning but frightened parents; which typically will be encouragement in ANOTHER direction. With all that time spent on the computer, you could build a career as a typist. How about data entry? Web design? They have a lot of great courses at the college for that.
Adult writers can oftentimes expect a similar reaction from their significant others; though in this case, the motivation might be someone different. Why don’t you pursue something that there’s a FUTURE in?
People who give this sort of advice are doubtlessly well-steeped in all the lore of the suffering artist. Parents don’t want to see their children go through it; husbands and wives aren’t all that eager to see their spouses get caught up in that trap either.
But the real question here is this: are YOU ready to believe in yourself enough to persevere even in the face of this negative (though well-meant, perhaps) feedback?
2. A social life? What’s that?
To finish a novel could easily take up a thousand hours or more of your time. That means almost three hours a day if you want to get it done in a year. And this is a modest estimate. Now maybe you’re willing to give up T.V. time, leisure reading, evenings out with your sweetheart, etc. You want to be a novelist that badly. But wait! The trials don’t stop there.
Your friends and family will want explanations. WHY can’t you go over to Lucky’s and hang out tonight? Why do you never pick up the phone at night (or in the morning or whenever you write)?
Now it’s one thing to have college papers to write, or mid-terms to study for, or overtime hours at work. Those are all socially acceptable obligations. But tell your friends that you’re staying in every evening to write and probably the best reaction you can hope for is a blank stare.
Are you ready to say: “Too bad if they can’t understand”?
3. Rejection upon rejection.
Let’s say we pass the first two hurdles. We don’t listen to people’s attempts (however well-intentioned) to dissuade us, and we plug away at our stories even though it means we can’t enjoy the leisure and down time of “normal” people. We put those thousand-odd hours into our work, and when it’s all done we’re proud of it. We write query letters, mail submissions, and sit back and dream of that fat advance, the book signing tour and the movie offers.
Then the unthinkable happens. We get one return letter after another, and all of them are variations of this: “Thank you for sending us [our work]. It was indeed interesting, but not quite what we’re looking for at this time.”
This happens to everyone. It has happened to me numerous times, and if it never happens to you then you will be entered into the history books of publishing. You may reach the point where a PERSONAL rejection letter instead of a pre-printed rejection feels like an accomplishment.
Remember the dream. Remember the passion that drove you to devote all those hours to writing in the first place, at the expense of your social life and leisure. Then send your work out again, because you didn’t pass the first two tests for nothing. When and if you get feedback, see if there’s anything constructive within it and learn for next time. You’ll be another rung up the ladder to success.
We writers survive and find our way because we weren’t meant to BE anything else.
Seth Mullins is the author of “Song of an Untamed Land”, a novel of speculative fantasy in lawless frontier territory. Visit Seth at http://authorsden.com/sethtmullins
This article is free for republishing
How Are You Plotting?
Creative Writing Tips –
Writing is a creative process and how every writer chooses to create, is individual to them. Likewise, with plotting, every writer plots at a level they are comfortable with.
Some just plot the bare essentials. They have a firm idea of the story they want to write and have a good memory to be able to memorize everything.
Others go into more detail. These writers prefer to figure everything out before they write the story.
How you plot will also depend on your level of experience. For the beginner, it’s recommended to plot thoroughly.
Before writing, think of every possible situation. Plot events thoroughly, plot scenes to the last detail and generally leave no questions unasked or unanswered. This way you will always know where you’re going.
_____________
Are You Using The ‘What If’ Technique When Plotting?
Your short story of 500, 2.000, 10.000 words or whatever word length you choose to write, will spring from a single idea - Perhaps a one-sentence idea.
So when you are still in that one sentence stage, using the ‘What If,’ technique is a good way of generating ideas to build on that initial story idea.
While you are in the plotting stage, experiment. Your aim should be to write the best story you can. Experiment to see what bits and pieces you can put together to write the best story ever.
So using ‘What If,’ ask yourself questions then answer them…
What if the character was like this?
What if this happened to him?
What if I placed him in this situation? How would he react?
What if I took this away from him?
What if his worst fear came true?
What if he doesn’t get what he wants? What will he do?
What if I placed this obstacle in his path? What will he do?
You’ll be surprised what you come up with, if you take the time to experiment.
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
Writing is a creative process and how every writer chooses to create, is individual to them. Likewise, with plotting, every writer plots at a level they are comfortable with.
Some just plot the bare essentials. They have a firm idea of the story they want to write and have a good memory to be able to memorize everything.
Others go into more detail. These writers prefer to figure everything out before they write the story.
How you plot will also depend on your level of experience. For the beginner, it’s recommended to plot thoroughly.
Before writing, think of every possible situation. Plot events thoroughly, plot scenes to the last detail and generally leave no questions unasked or unanswered. This way you will always know where you’re going.
_____________
Are You Using The ‘What If’ Technique When Plotting?
Your short story of 500, 2.000, 10.000 words or whatever word length you choose to write, will spring from a single idea - Perhaps a one-sentence idea.
So when you are still in that one sentence stage, using the ‘What If,’ technique is a good way of generating ideas to build on that initial story idea.
While you are in the plotting stage, experiment. Your aim should be to write the best story you can. Experiment to see what bits and pieces you can put together to write the best story ever.
So using ‘What If,’ ask yourself questions then answer them…
What if the character was like this?
What if this happened to him?
What if I placed him in this situation? How would he react?
What if I took this away from him?
What if his worst fear came true?
What if he doesn’t get what he wants? What will he do?
What if I placed this obstacle in his path? What will he do?
You’ll be surprised what you come up with, if you take the time to experiment.
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
Hooks, Lines & Sinkers
Hands up if the title to this article made you think that you'd strayed into a fishing feature?
Perhaps you didn't quite go that far, but hopefully you were puzzled or curious enough to wonder what on earth those three angling associated words have to do with writing. The answer of course is nothing at all if you are thinking of metal barbs, yards of tangled nylon and blobs of lead weights.
Think, however, of the good opening lines used to begin most successful short stories, novels and articles then the "hook" in our title takes on a whole new range of meanings and equates very well with the world of creative writing.
What most beginners fail to understand when they first begin writing, and this applies as much to articles as it does to short stories and novels, is that when they submit their work to an editor, competition judge or publisher there is only a brief moment to impress which is why a lot of attention needs to be paid to that first opening sentence.
Hooking your reader with a good beginning isn't a guarantee to success, but it will serve to focus attention and make the judge, publisher or editor take more notice of the rest of the article, story etc. If nothing else, it presses an subconscious alert button in the reader's mind that marks up the writer as a professional who knows his or her craft.
This in turn builds expectation and again focuses attention. As long as the rest of the piece lives up to its early promise, you can be sure that your effort will at the very least receive close inspection and hopefully much more!
So, just how do you come up with a good hook? It would be nice if I could say that there was some magic formula available but unfortunately I haven't found it even if it does exist! Still there are several things that you can do to get things moving.
First of all don't sit staring at your screen trying to think of a good opening line when you have a mind boiling with ideas struggling to spread themselves over the page! All this will do is make you tense up with frustration and dam your creativity.
Instead, start hitting the keys and slap those ideas across the screen! Once you have the basic outline down then you can start the editing process, including the opening sentence. If at this stage you are still stuck, try leaving the work for a few days, there's a good chance you'll come up with something when you're mind is focused on something else and the first flush of enthusiasm has cleared from your brain.
Analogy, such as I've used to the fishing world, often provides a good hook. In the case of this article I used it in the title but hooks are used just as often or more so in the opening sentence. My actual opening "hook" made use of a question, which again is a very good way to start, as questions by their very nature demand a response from the reader, even if it is only to read to the end of the sentence!
I took this a step further by demanding physical action, "hands up", which of course is a ridiculous thing to expect a reader to do when there is no way of knowing whether they have complied or not! It is this stupidity that hopefully grabs attention and carries on from where the title left off. PR writers are well aware of this process and often mis-spell words to create a similar effect .
Quotations and deliberate mis-quotations also make good hooks either from songs, proverbs or other literary works, but also try putting together unusual combinations of words.
For instance, you wouldn't think that brussel sprouts could possibly have any effect on good or evil and I'm sure they haven't! One of my son's however has different ideas and his annual grumble during our recent Christmas meal gave me a marvellous opening line, or hook, for what will be a festive article taking a close look at this, in my opinion, much maligned vegetable!
What was it? Oh yes, when faced with a heap of those shiny green gems he muttered murderously, "If it wasn't for brussel sprouts there'd be no evil in the world ..." now is that a hook or what?
Which brings me on to another point. Hooks, I've found seem to have a power in their own right and often serve as a catalyst to the story or article itself which is why you should be on the alert for when they occur.
The brussel sprout incident is a prime example. Writing in any shape or form was the furthest thing from my mind, but the startled looks and laughter from the rest of the family were enough to confirm what I'd immediately thought, here was a hook begging for exploitation and with a enough power of its own to begin generating several lines of thought.
Being aware of hooks and the power they have on the reader is something every writer has to get to grips with if they want to achieve success so it is a good idea to train yourself to both generate hooks and be on the alert for them by listening to what other people say.
Having a small notebook handy makes a lot of sense, but reading what other people have done before you will also pay dividends. Try this quiz of opening lines to famous novels. It's not easy, but don't worry about your score, the real benefit of the quiz is seeing what worked for the author.
The scent of slaughter, some believe, can linger in a place for years.
When Mr Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday ...
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth ...
Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.
The stranger came early in February one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow ...
"The marvellous thing is that it's painless," he said. "That's how you know when it starts."
Last night I dreamed of Mandalay ...
A wide plain, where the broadening Floss hurries on between its green banks to the sea, and the loving tide rushing to meet it ...
Mr Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-house for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the pop-holes.
"Tom!"
Well, what did you think? Some were definitely intriguing but others in my opinion left a lot to be desired which just goes to show that the proof of the pudding is in the eat... er reading so don't fall into the trap of thinking that the beginning is the be all and end all!
Oh and before you ask, I haven't forgotten the lines and sinkers either, call those plots and twist endings and to find out more sign up for the WriteLink Short Story Writing Workshop, it's free! www.writebytes.co.uk
ANSWERS:
The Loop by Nicholas Evans
The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkein
The Bible
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The Invisible Man by H G Wells
The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway
Rebecca by Daphne De Maurier
The Mill on the Floss by George Elliot
Animal Farm by George Orwell
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
About The Author
Sue Kendrick is a freelance writer and graphic designer living in the English Midlands. She writes regularl news items for her regional newspaper, has had many articles published in special interest magazines and won prizes in several short story contests. She is now the editor and publisher of www.writelink.co.uk one of the UK's premier writing websites and monthly newsletter. She has written several ebooks including READ ALL ABOUT IT! The WriteLink to Newspaper Writing www.writelink.dabsolco.uk/Newspaper_Book/newspaper_book.html and Poetry For Profit, four reports on how to make money from writing poetry. www.writelink.dabsol.co.uk/Poetry_for_profit/poetry_for_profit.html
Sue's personal website can be seen here: - Sue@writelink.co.uk
This article was posted on May 11, 2002
Perhaps you didn't quite go that far, but hopefully you were puzzled or curious enough to wonder what on earth those three angling associated words have to do with writing. The answer of course is nothing at all if you are thinking of metal barbs, yards of tangled nylon and blobs of lead weights.
Think, however, of the good opening lines used to begin most successful short stories, novels and articles then the "hook" in our title takes on a whole new range of meanings and equates very well with the world of creative writing.
What most beginners fail to understand when they first begin writing, and this applies as much to articles as it does to short stories and novels, is that when they submit their work to an editor, competition judge or publisher there is only a brief moment to impress which is why a lot of attention needs to be paid to that first opening sentence.
Hooking your reader with a good beginning isn't a guarantee to success, but it will serve to focus attention and make the judge, publisher or editor take more notice of the rest of the article, story etc. If nothing else, it presses an subconscious alert button in the reader's mind that marks up the writer as a professional who knows his or her craft.
This in turn builds expectation and again focuses attention. As long as the rest of the piece lives up to its early promise, you can be sure that your effort will at the very least receive close inspection and hopefully much more!
So, just how do you come up with a good hook? It would be nice if I could say that there was some magic formula available but unfortunately I haven't found it even if it does exist! Still there are several things that you can do to get things moving.
First of all don't sit staring at your screen trying to think of a good opening line when you have a mind boiling with ideas struggling to spread themselves over the page! All this will do is make you tense up with frustration and dam your creativity.
Instead, start hitting the keys and slap those ideas across the screen! Once you have the basic outline down then you can start the editing process, including the opening sentence. If at this stage you are still stuck, try leaving the work for a few days, there's a good chance you'll come up with something when you're mind is focused on something else and the first flush of enthusiasm has cleared from your brain.
Analogy, such as I've used to the fishing world, often provides a good hook. In the case of this article I used it in the title but hooks are used just as often or more so in the opening sentence. My actual opening "hook" made use of a question, which again is a very good way to start, as questions by their very nature demand a response from the reader, even if it is only to read to the end of the sentence!
I took this a step further by demanding physical action, "hands up", which of course is a ridiculous thing to expect a reader to do when there is no way of knowing whether they have complied or not! It is this stupidity that hopefully grabs attention and carries on from where the title left off. PR writers are well aware of this process and often mis-spell words to create a similar effect .
Quotations and deliberate mis-quotations also make good hooks either from songs, proverbs or other literary works, but also try putting together unusual combinations of words.
For instance, you wouldn't think that brussel sprouts could possibly have any effect on good or evil and I'm sure they haven't! One of my son's however has different ideas and his annual grumble during our recent Christmas meal gave me a marvellous opening line, or hook, for what will be a festive article taking a close look at this, in my opinion, much maligned vegetable!
What was it? Oh yes, when faced with a heap of those shiny green gems he muttered murderously, "If it wasn't for brussel sprouts there'd be no evil in the world ..." now is that a hook or what?
Which brings me on to another point. Hooks, I've found seem to have a power in their own right and often serve as a catalyst to the story or article itself which is why you should be on the alert for when they occur.
The brussel sprout incident is a prime example. Writing in any shape or form was the furthest thing from my mind, but the startled looks and laughter from the rest of the family were enough to confirm what I'd immediately thought, here was a hook begging for exploitation and with a enough power of its own to begin generating several lines of thought.
Being aware of hooks and the power they have on the reader is something every writer has to get to grips with if they want to achieve success so it is a good idea to train yourself to both generate hooks and be on the alert for them by listening to what other people say.
Having a small notebook handy makes a lot of sense, but reading what other people have done before you will also pay dividends. Try this quiz of opening lines to famous novels. It's not easy, but don't worry about your score, the real benefit of the quiz is seeing what worked for the author.
The scent of slaughter, some believe, can linger in a place for years.
When Mr Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday ...
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth ...
Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.
The stranger came early in February one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow ...
"The marvellous thing is that it's painless," he said. "That's how you know when it starts."
Last night I dreamed of Mandalay ...
A wide plain, where the broadening Floss hurries on between its green banks to the sea, and the loving tide rushing to meet it ...
Mr Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-house for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the pop-holes.
"Tom!"
Well, what did you think? Some were definitely intriguing but others in my opinion left a lot to be desired which just goes to show that the proof of the pudding is in the eat... er reading so don't fall into the trap of thinking that the beginning is the be all and end all!
Oh and before you ask, I haven't forgotten the lines and sinkers either, call those plots and twist endings and to find out more sign up for the WriteLink Short Story Writing Workshop, it's free! www.writebytes.co.uk
ANSWERS:
The Loop by Nicholas Evans
The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkein
The Bible
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The Invisible Man by H G Wells
The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway
Rebecca by Daphne De Maurier
The Mill on the Floss by George Elliot
Animal Farm by George Orwell
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
About The Author
Sue Kendrick is a freelance writer and graphic designer living in the English Midlands. She writes regularl news items for her regional newspaper, has had many articles published in special interest magazines and won prizes in several short story contests. She is now the editor and publisher of www.writelink.co.uk one of the UK's premier writing websites and monthly newsletter. She has written several ebooks including READ ALL ABOUT IT! The WriteLink to Newspaper Writing www.writelink.dabsolco.uk/Newspaper_Book/newspaper_book.html and Poetry For Profit, four reports on how to make money from writing poetry. www.writelink.dabsol.co.uk/Poetry_for_profit/poetry_for_profit.html
Sue's personal website can be seen here: - Sue@writelink.co.uk
This article was posted on May 11, 2002
Have You Tested Your Theme Against Your Plot?
Creative Writing Tips –
How we usually begin the preparation stage in the writing process is…
We think of an idea for a story
We think of a suitable theme
We plot
Once we come up with a theme and we begin plotting, we have to see how the theme and the plot match up. Sometimes as we plot we find that the theme we had initially chosen won’t do.
For example…
‘Winning The Lottery Makes Your Life Easier’
Plotting with this theme in mind, we have our characters pay off all their debts, go on endless shopping sprees, go on holidays, etc. We find though that this won’t make a very interesting story. So we spice it up, adding to the theme or coming up with a different one.
“Winning The Lottery Makes Your Life Easier But Everything Has Its Price.”
We can show the characters living the life of the rich for a while before they realize that being wealthy has its problems too...
They now fear for their safety
Their friends and relatives are constantly harping at their door asking for assistance
Etc
This second scenario creates more problems for the characters, so it’s more interesting for us readers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The preparation stage is there to prepare before you write. It’s our workbench where we figure everything out. We test our theme, we test our plot and once everything passes the test, then we begin writing.
You can change the theme as many times as you feel it needs changing, while you are in the preparation stage.
The main thing is to make your story interesting.
It’s not a good idea to keep changing the theme when writing the story because then you will have to keep changing the story. This means rewriting.
Figure everything out then write.
Have you tested your theme against your plot?
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
mail@we-recommend.com
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
How we usually begin the preparation stage in the writing process is…
We think of an idea for a story
We think of a suitable theme
We plot
Once we come up with a theme and we begin plotting, we have to see how the theme and the plot match up. Sometimes as we plot we find that the theme we had initially chosen won’t do.
For example…
‘Winning The Lottery Makes Your Life Easier’
Plotting with this theme in mind, we have our characters pay off all their debts, go on endless shopping sprees, go on holidays, etc. We find though that this won’t make a very interesting story. So we spice it up, adding to the theme or coming up with a different one.
“Winning The Lottery Makes Your Life Easier But Everything Has Its Price.”
We can show the characters living the life of the rich for a while before they realize that being wealthy has its problems too...
They now fear for their safety
Their friends and relatives are constantly harping at their door asking for assistance
Etc
This second scenario creates more problems for the characters, so it’s more interesting for us readers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The preparation stage is there to prepare before you write. It’s our workbench where we figure everything out. We test our theme, we test our plot and once everything passes the test, then we begin writing.
You can change the theme as many times as you feel it needs changing, while you are in the preparation stage.
The main thing is to make your story interesting.
It’s not a good idea to keep changing the theme when writing the story because then you will have to keep changing the story. This means rewriting.
Figure everything out then write.
Have you tested your theme against your plot?
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
mail@we-recommend.com
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
Have You Tested Your Plot?
Creative Writing Tips –
Our plotting stage is our testing area.
Everything in the plot should be tested for its effectiveness before we put in into our stories. If you believe something in your plot could be better, make it better.
Figuring everything out in your plot will save you time rewriting later.
So how do you test your plot?
Start with everything that has gone into it.
For example...
Are the events interesting?
Does your plot contain problems for the character to solve?
Have you given your character a goal?
Is the conflict strong?
Is the resolution of the conflict interesting?
Is the character interesting?
Is the setting of the story interesting?
Will the incident or situation be interesting to your readers?
Etc
Make a list of what your plot contains. Comb through it carefully and tick off each item. If you find that some things need to be worked on some more, work on them.
I know to some this might be tedious work, but…
“Every one-minute you spend in planning
will save you at least three minutes in execution.”
Crawford Greenwald
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
Our plotting stage is our testing area.
Everything in the plot should be tested for its effectiveness before we put in into our stories. If you believe something in your plot could be better, make it better.
Figuring everything out in your plot will save you time rewriting later.
So how do you test your plot?
Start with everything that has gone into it.
For example...
Are the events interesting?
Does your plot contain problems for the character to solve?
Have you given your character a goal?
Is the conflict strong?
Is the resolution of the conflict interesting?
Is the character interesting?
Is the setting of the story interesting?
Will the incident or situation be interesting to your readers?
Etc
Make a list of what your plot contains. Comb through it carefully and tick off each item. If you find that some things need to be worked on some more, work on them.
I know to some this might be tedious work, but…
“Every one-minute you spend in planning
will save you at least three minutes in execution.”
Crawford Greenwald
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
Have You Plotted Your Story Before Writing It?
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
Have You Completed A Character Questionnaire?
Creative Writing Tips –
Complete a character questionnaire for each of your main characters or even secondary characters that play a vital role in your story. This way you will know your character(s) well before you start writing about them.
Fill in as much information about them as possible. Don’t only answer what you will need in your story. The objective here is to get to know your character till he becomes a ‘live’ person in your mind.
So let’s begin…
In a few sentences write down a summary of the plot
Character’s personal details
First name
Surname
Age
In a few sentences write down the character’s back story (a bit about his background)
The role of the character in your story
What are character’s goals?
What are character’s motivations?
What is the character’s conflict?
How will the conflict stop the character from reaching his goal?
What is he going to do to overcome the conflict?
What problems will crop up during the story?
How will those problems get worse?
What will the character do to overcome those problems?
How will he resolve the conflict?
How will your character’s background influence how he behaves in your story?
What is the relationship with other characters, if any, in your story?
Physical Descriptions
Height
Eye colour
Hair colour
Hairstyle
Hair length
Complexion
Shape of face
Body type
Weight
How does his expression change when…
He’s with a loved one
He’s with someone he dislikes
He’s with his boss
He’s with a colleague
Personality
Type? (shy, outgoing, insecure, dominant etc)
Distinguishable traits?
Mental scars? (Complexes etc)
Ambitions?
Sense of humour?
Fears?
Anxieties?
Phobias?
Overall personality?
How does his personality change when he’s experiencing different emotions?
How does he act when he feels confident?
How does he act when he feels inadequate?
What gestures does he use when he talks and thinks?
How does he walk? With confidence? Does he slouch or stride?
What mannerisms does he have? (Does he fold his arms? Does he flick his hair?)
How does he speak? (Clearly, mumble, confidently, drawl etc.)
His voice? (Rich, loud, soft, etc)
His vocabulary? (Casual, formal, illiterate etc)
What does he think when he’s alone?
Does he have any secrets he hasn’t disclosed to anyone?
His prejudices?
Dominant motives?
Values most?
Desires most?
How does he treat those around him? (children, superiors, etc)
Any vices or virtues?
Likes and dislikes
Favourite colour, food, etc
Favourite music?
Taste in clothing?
Does character like something in particular?
Does character dislike something in particular?
Lifestyle
Where does the character live (country, city)?
Does character live in a house, apartment etc
Does character like where he lives?
Does where he lives reflect what kind of person he is?
Does he have a favourite room? (Or a piece of furniture or other object etc)
Does he have a car? What type? Does the car reflect the person he is?
Any hobbies? Personal habits (neat, sloppy etc)
Background
Parents names
Parents occupations
Describe relationship with parents
Any siblings?
Describe relationship with siblings
What kind of childhood did the character have?
What kind of adolescence did the character have?
What kind of schooling did character undergo? (Private or public? Has this shaped who he is?)
What was the highest-level achieved in school?
Citizenship/Ethnic Origin?
In which country does he currently live?
If the country he lives in is not where he was born, why does he live there?
Character’s current position
Any friends?
Any enemies?
Acquaintances?
Has character been married before?
Has the character been engaged before?
Any children?
Most meaningful experience?
Any disappointments?
What is the character’s goal in life?
Attitude towards the opposite sex?
Attitude towards life?
Employment
What kind of job does character currently have?
What kind of jobs has the character had previously?
Is character content in current employment?
If not, what would be their dream job?
What do you feel for this character?
Admire
Love
Hate
Dislike
Like
Pity
Envy
Whatever you feel for this character, your emotions must be strong. If they are not, either build on this further or begin building another character altogether.
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
Complete a character questionnaire for each of your main characters or even secondary characters that play a vital role in your story. This way you will know your character(s) well before you start writing about them.
Fill in as much information about them as possible. Don’t only answer what you will need in your story. The objective here is to get to know your character till he becomes a ‘live’ person in your mind.
So let’s begin…
In a few sentences write down a summary of the plot
Character’s personal details
First name
Surname
Age
In a few sentences write down the character’s back story (a bit about his background)
The role of the character in your story
What are character’s goals?
What are character’s motivations?
What is the character’s conflict?
How will the conflict stop the character from reaching his goal?
What is he going to do to overcome the conflict?
What problems will crop up during the story?
How will those problems get worse?
What will the character do to overcome those problems?
How will he resolve the conflict?
How will your character’s background influence how he behaves in your story?
What is the relationship with other characters, if any, in your story?
Physical Descriptions
Height
Eye colour
Hair colour
Hairstyle
Hair length
Complexion
Shape of face
Body type
Weight
How does his expression change when…
He’s with a loved one
He’s with someone he dislikes
He’s with his boss
He’s with a colleague
Personality
Type? (shy, outgoing, insecure, dominant etc)
Distinguishable traits?
Mental scars? (Complexes etc)
Ambitions?
Sense of humour?
Fears?
Anxieties?
Phobias?
Overall personality?
How does his personality change when he’s experiencing different emotions?
How does he act when he feels confident?
How does he act when he feels inadequate?
What gestures does he use when he talks and thinks?
How does he walk? With confidence? Does he slouch or stride?
What mannerisms does he have? (Does he fold his arms? Does he flick his hair?)
How does he speak? (Clearly, mumble, confidently, drawl etc.)
His voice? (Rich, loud, soft, etc)
His vocabulary? (Casual, formal, illiterate etc)
What does he think when he’s alone?
Does he have any secrets he hasn’t disclosed to anyone?
His prejudices?
Dominant motives?
Values most?
Desires most?
How does he treat those around him? (children, superiors, etc)
Any vices or virtues?
Likes and dislikes
Favourite colour, food, etc
Favourite music?
Taste in clothing?
Does character like something in particular?
Does character dislike something in particular?
Lifestyle
Where does the character live (country, city)?
Does character live in a house, apartment etc
Does character like where he lives?
Does where he lives reflect what kind of person he is?
Does he have a favourite room? (Or a piece of furniture or other object etc)
Does he have a car? What type? Does the car reflect the person he is?
Any hobbies? Personal habits (neat, sloppy etc)
Background
Parents names
Parents occupations
Describe relationship with parents
Any siblings?
Describe relationship with siblings
What kind of childhood did the character have?
What kind of adolescence did the character have?
What kind of schooling did character undergo? (Private or public? Has this shaped who he is?)
What was the highest-level achieved in school?
Citizenship/Ethnic Origin?
In which country does he currently live?
If the country he lives in is not where he was born, why does he live there?
Character’s current position
Any friends?
Any enemies?
Acquaintances?
Has character been married before?
Has the character been engaged before?
Any children?
Most meaningful experience?
Any disappointments?
What is the character’s goal in life?
Attitude towards the opposite sex?
Attitude towards life?
Employment
What kind of job does character currently have?
What kind of jobs has the character had previously?
Is character content in current employment?
If not, what would be their dream job?
What do you feel for this character?
Admire
Love
Hate
Dislike
Like
Pity
Envy
Whatever you feel for this character, your emotions must be strong. If they are not, either build on this further or begin building another character altogether.
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
Guidelines For Reviewing Writing
Writing detailed reviews is time well spent.
Reviewing itself is a writing exercise. At Writing.Com, creating detailed feedback for a fellow writer is one of the best tools available for improving your own writing. That said, if you're going to spend the time to do it, helping the author is important. There is a better chance for the ideas in a review to get through to an author if they are well presented.
Key Characteristics For Reviews
* Reviews should be honest. Helping writers improve their craft should be the mission of any reviewer. Honest opinions are what help writers improve. Giving false feedback doesn't help anyone and can lead an author down a long road to bitter disappointment.
* Reviews should be encouraging. Everyone at every level should be encouraged to continue writing! Encouraging reviews are more likely to be used by an author which means the time creating the review was well spent. Whether the author decides to use the reviewer's honest suggestions or not, the review should be motivating and encourage the author to keep writing.
* Reviews should be respectful. Regardless of an author's level of skill or talent, a reviewer should always respect that the author is an individual person. A reviewer flaunting that they are better than the author they're reviewing is not respectful and is counter productive.
* Reviews should be well rounded. While honesty is very important, a review that points out only flaws without any mention of an item's positive points is not nearly as helpful to an author as a well rounded review with both positive and negative remarks. Don't forget, the same goes for reviews that only point out positives! Even the greatest pieces of writing have room for suggestions and opinions.
* The rating should reflect the review. If you're sending a review full of corrections, it's important to consider that with your star rating selection. 5.0's shouldn't need any corrections. On the other extreme, a 1.0 should have endless errors and you couldn't possibly list them all. Offering to return and rerate the item after a round of updates makes it more likely your suggestions will be considered.
* Reviews should make good use of color, bold and italics. When reviewing, presentation is very important! Color can be used to make corrections stand out or quote small portions of the work. Emoticons can highlight important points in the review and can be creatively used to make the review feel more friendly.
The Content Of A Review
Keeping in mind the six (6) points highlighted above, a review should contain your opinion. While grammatical, typographical and other errors can be included within a review, don't forget to tell the author how the piece made you feel. Give them your thoughts about the inside of their writing, not just the outside.
Some example questions you may ask yourself about the piece to help you get your opinion across are as follows: Did the plot interest you? Were the characters believable? Did the story fit the time, place and other setting characteristics? Is there anything you would change within the story?
Incorporating these thoughts within your reviews will expand your own analytical skills allowing you to better analyze your own writing. Whether the author agrees with any of your suggestions or ideas is not relevant. You have given them another perspective on their work they would not have otherwise had. They may hear the same thoughts from a number of different people which may give them a better understanding of their readers as a whole.
Use "copied and pasted" portions of the item you are reviewing as little as possible. Posting sections of an item within your review leads to "review bloating" and takes away from the impact your comments and suggestions will have on the author.
Your Own Review Format
Developing your own format for reviewing can be a great asset. Determine what aspects of writings you like to focus on most, create a short outline to follow and start reviewing. Following this process will help keep your reviews honest and consistent. As your experience grows, you'll find ways to improve your format and your skills.
Get into the good habit of using a custom tag-line of encouragement within your reviews. Including a "Keep Writing!" or something unique and individual within your reviews goes a long way to motivating an author. We know you mean it, so don't forget to say it!
Make Reviewing a Daily Creative Writing Exercise
Remember, reviewing grows your own writing skills unlike any other writing tool. Critically analyzing and reviewing others' writings makes a writer stop and think about what works and what doesn't. Putting that into words and communicating that to another writer, ultimately helps the reviewer to improve his or her own writing skills, as well. So it's about helping others, but it's a valuable way to help ourselves!
Have Fun & Happy Reviewing!
About The Author
The StoryMaster is WebMaster @ Writing.Com ( http://www.Writing.Com/ ). Established in 2000, Writing.Com is the online community for readers and writers of all ages and interests. Whether you're a casual reader searching for a good story or a creative writer looking for the perfect place to improve your skills, Writing.Com is the site for you!
This article was posted on November 12, 2005
Reviewing itself is a writing exercise. At Writing.Com, creating detailed feedback for a fellow writer is one of the best tools available for improving your own writing. That said, if you're going to spend the time to do it, helping the author is important. There is a better chance for the ideas in a review to get through to an author if they are well presented.
Key Characteristics For Reviews
* Reviews should be honest. Helping writers improve their craft should be the mission of any reviewer. Honest opinions are what help writers improve. Giving false feedback doesn't help anyone and can lead an author down a long road to bitter disappointment.
* Reviews should be encouraging. Everyone at every level should be encouraged to continue writing! Encouraging reviews are more likely to be used by an author which means the time creating the review was well spent. Whether the author decides to use the reviewer's honest suggestions or not, the review should be motivating and encourage the author to keep writing.
* Reviews should be respectful. Regardless of an author's level of skill or talent, a reviewer should always respect that the author is an individual person. A reviewer flaunting that they are better than the author they're reviewing is not respectful and is counter productive.
* Reviews should be well rounded. While honesty is very important, a review that points out only flaws without any mention of an item's positive points is not nearly as helpful to an author as a well rounded review with both positive and negative remarks. Don't forget, the same goes for reviews that only point out positives! Even the greatest pieces of writing have room for suggestions and opinions.
* The rating should reflect the review. If you're sending a review full of corrections, it's important to consider that with your star rating selection. 5.0's shouldn't need any corrections. On the other extreme, a 1.0 should have endless errors and you couldn't possibly list them all. Offering to return and rerate the item after a round of updates makes it more likely your suggestions will be considered.
* Reviews should make good use of color, bold and italics. When reviewing, presentation is very important! Color can be used to make corrections stand out or quote small portions of the work. Emoticons can highlight important points in the review and can be creatively used to make the review feel more friendly.
The Content Of A Review
Keeping in mind the six (6) points highlighted above, a review should contain your opinion. While grammatical, typographical and other errors can be included within a review, don't forget to tell the author how the piece made you feel. Give them your thoughts about the inside of their writing, not just the outside.
Some example questions you may ask yourself about the piece to help you get your opinion across are as follows: Did the plot interest you? Were the characters believable? Did the story fit the time, place and other setting characteristics? Is there anything you would change within the story?
Incorporating these thoughts within your reviews will expand your own analytical skills allowing you to better analyze your own writing. Whether the author agrees with any of your suggestions or ideas is not relevant. You have given them another perspective on their work they would not have otherwise had. They may hear the same thoughts from a number of different people which may give them a better understanding of their readers as a whole.
Use "copied and pasted" portions of the item you are reviewing as little as possible. Posting sections of an item within your review leads to "review bloating" and takes away from the impact your comments and suggestions will have on the author.
Your Own Review Format
Developing your own format for reviewing can be a great asset. Determine what aspects of writings you like to focus on most, create a short outline to follow and start reviewing. Following this process will help keep your reviews honest and consistent. As your experience grows, you'll find ways to improve your format and your skills.
Get into the good habit of using a custom tag-line of encouragement within your reviews. Including a "Keep Writing!" or something unique and individual within your reviews goes a long way to motivating an author. We know you mean it, so don't forget to say it!
Make Reviewing a Daily Creative Writing Exercise
Remember, reviewing grows your own writing skills unlike any other writing tool. Critically analyzing and reviewing others' writings makes a writer stop and think about what works and what doesn't. Putting that into words and communicating that to another writer, ultimately helps the reviewer to improve his or her own writing skills, as well. So it's about helping others, but it's a valuable way to help ourselves!
Have Fun & Happy Reviewing!
About The Author
The StoryMaster is WebMaster @ Writing.Com ( http://www.Writing.Com/ ). Established in 2000, Writing.Com is the online community for readers and writers of all ages and interests. Whether you're a casual reader searching for a good story or a creative writer looking for the perfect place to improve your skills, Writing.Com is the site for you!
This article was posted on November 12, 2005
Four Useful Lies About Writing
Most writing “experts” favor a particular way of looking at plot, and will adhere to it for years or an entire career. That’s all well and good, but its important to realize that any way of modeling story is just that—a model, not the depths and living essence of story itself.
Problems arise when young (or experienced!) writers mistake a simplified structure for some deep and eternal truth. It’s much better to examine several structures, see what their strengths and weaknesses are, and try to glimpse the truth they are trying to convey.
The actual “truth” of story is beyond any structure, but they all point in the same direction, toward that misty, hidden metaphorical mountain all storytellers have been climbing since the beginning of time. As long as we don’t mistake the finger for the mountain, the structures can be quite useful indeed.
The worst story model that is at all useful might be” “It has a beginning, middle, and an end.” Well, yes, but so does a piece of string.
More helpfully, try: Objective, Obstacle, Outcome. In other words, a character wants something, and something stands in her way. She tries various things to resolve the difficulty, leading to an eventual climax.
This one is even more useful:
Situation, Character, Objective, Opponent, Disaster. Using the classic James Bond film “Goldfinger” as an model (action films are good for this, because their structure is usually crystal clear):
Situation: When gold is being smuggled from England in large quantities,
Character: Secret Agent 007 James Bond
Objective: Is assigned to find out how it is being done. But little does he know that
Opponent: Industrialist billionaire Auric Goldfinger
Disaster: Is smuggling gold to finance his real operation, the destruction of Fort Knox with an atom bomb!
Can you see how this model helps to clarify the different basic aspects of your story? The hero must have a goal, and there must be forces in opposition. Moreover, the hero’s initial goal and his ultimate goal may well change over the course of the story, as they grow to understand the situation more fully. A story structure like this one implies both internal and external motivations, and sets up a dynamic structure that almost writes itself!
The very best writing structure would be what is known as the “Hero’s Journey” created by Joseph Campbell, and explored by anthropologists and writing mavens around the world. There are numerous interpretations of it, but in essence, it can be represented as:
1)Hero Confronted With A Challenge.
2)The Hero rejects the challenge
3)The Hero accepts the challenge
4)Road of Trials
5)Meeting allies and gaining powers
6) Confront evil and defeat.
7) Dark Night of the Soul
8) Leap of Faith
9) Confront Evil and victory
10) Student Becomes The Teacher
This pattern automatically implies the yearnings, fears, obstacles, efforts, deep depression and exultation of actual human lives. This is the reason that this pattern, more than any other, is useful to writers both new and experienced. Because it mirrors our lives, a writer can most easily adapt her own understandings of life and the universe into her work. If you organize your work into this pattern, readers or viewers all over the world will instantly recognize your efforts as “story.” Whether it is a “good” story will depend entirely on the skill and creativity that you bring to the task—the unquantifiable quality of “art” that is beyond direct description.
There are, of course, many other patterns, and an ambitious writer or student would do well to list several of them side by side, and analyze what they are saying. None of them are “truth,” but all are useful fingers pointing toward that mountain.
About The Author
NY Times bestselling novelist Steven Barnes has lectured on story and creativity from UCLA to the Smithsonian. He created the Lifewriting high-performance system for writers. Get a FREE daily writing tip at: http://www.lifewriting.biz and http://www.lifewrite.com.
This article was posted on December 02, 2005
Problems arise when young (or experienced!) writers mistake a simplified structure for some deep and eternal truth. It’s much better to examine several structures, see what their strengths and weaknesses are, and try to glimpse the truth they are trying to convey.
The actual “truth” of story is beyond any structure, but they all point in the same direction, toward that misty, hidden metaphorical mountain all storytellers have been climbing since the beginning of time. As long as we don’t mistake the finger for the mountain, the structures can be quite useful indeed.
The worst story model that is at all useful might be” “It has a beginning, middle, and an end.” Well, yes, but so does a piece of string.
More helpfully, try: Objective, Obstacle, Outcome. In other words, a character wants something, and something stands in her way. She tries various things to resolve the difficulty, leading to an eventual climax.
This one is even more useful:
Situation, Character, Objective, Opponent, Disaster. Using the classic James Bond film “Goldfinger” as an model (action films are good for this, because their structure is usually crystal clear):
Situation: When gold is being smuggled from England in large quantities,
Character: Secret Agent 007 James Bond
Objective: Is assigned to find out how it is being done. But little does he know that
Opponent: Industrialist billionaire Auric Goldfinger
Disaster: Is smuggling gold to finance his real operation, the destruction of Fort Knox with an atom bomb!
Can you see how this model helps to clarify the different basic aspects of your story? The hero must have a goal, and there must be forces in opposition. Moreover, the hero’s initial goal and his ultimate goal may well change over the course of the story, as they grow to understand the situation more fully. A story structure like this one implies both internal and external motivations, and sets up a dynamic structure that almost writes itself!
The very best writing structure would be what is known as the “Hero’s Journey” created by Joseph Campbell, and explored by anthropologists and writing mavens around the world. There are numerous interpretations of it, but in essence, it can be represented as:
1)Hero Confronted With A Challenge.
2)The Hero rejects the challenge
3)The Hero accepts the challenge
4)Road of Trials
5)Meeting allies and gaining powers
6) Confront evil and defeat.
7) Dark Night of the Soul
8) Leap of Faith
9) Confront Evil and victory
10) Student Becomes The Teacher
This pattern automatically implies the yearnings, fears, obstacles, efforts, deep depression and exultation of actual human lives. This is the reason that this pattern, more than any other, is useful to writers both new and experienced. Because it mirrors our lives, a writer can most easily adapt her own understandings of life and the universe into her work. If you organize your work into this pattern, readers or viewers all over the world will instantly recognize your efforts as “story.” Whether it is a “good” story will depend entirely on the skill and creativity that you bring to the task—the unquantifiable quality of “art” that is beyond direct description.
There are, of course, many other patterns, and an ambitious writer or student would do well to list several of them side by side, and analyze what they are saying. None of them are “truth,” but all are useful fingers pointing toward that mountain.
About The Author
NY Times bestselling novelist Steven Barnes has lectured on story and creativity from UCLA to the Smithsonian. He created the Lifewriting high-performance system for writers. Get a FREE daily writing tip at: http://www.lifewriting.biz and http://www.lifewrite.com.
This article was posted on December 02, 2005
Five Ways A Writer Can Make More Money With A Personal Website
These are really exciting times for writers. This is mainly because the World Wide Web has opened up opportunities that did not exist previously. There are amazing new opportunities that are capable of helping any writer market and sell their work very efficiently and successfully.
1. Sell More By Giving Out Information On Your Book
One of the greatest obstacles potential buyers of books have always had in making a decision on whether or not to purchase a title, is getting enough information about It. Detailed summaries and synopsis as well as comments by others who have read the book can be very useful. This is the reason behind the phenomenal success of the legendary Amazon.com site.
Any writer can create their own miniature Amazon.com-like site that can do miracles for their book sales. The idea is to solicit comments and views from those who have already read the book and then publishing them on your website.
By joining a useful affiliate program or two, you can ensure that you have the potential to earn maximum from visitors to your site who do not end up purchasing anything. Pay-per-click affiliate programs like Adsense are especially worth considering.
2. Sell Information Through A Newsletter
As you gather the information for your book, you can sell it in bits and pieces through a newsletter. A newsletter is extremely easy to do and manage online. More so if you have all the right tools. Incidentally it is very possible to gather them all from one site.
3. Special Reports Are Still Hot Sellers Online
Special reports are in high demand online because many people do not have the time or inclination to read a whole book to pick up the skills and knowledge they are looking for. A special report offers all this information where it can be picked up quickly and implemented immediately by the reader.
Writers can make a very useful income from information that grows from a short article in their newsletter into a special report.
4. Build Up A Mailing List For Book Sales
All the three activities mentioned so far, can be used to build up a valuable mailing list that can be used later to market the book once it has been published.
Some writers have managed to sell thousands of copies of their books in this way by simply getting the word out to their mailing lists of several hundred thousand targeted and very potential buyers of their books.
5. Publish Your Book Online
Again with the right tools, you can publish your book and make it available online at your site, only when somebody has paid a small subscription fee. There is a certain free site with the amazing feature where you can do this. It is Sitekreator.com.
Every writer should make an effort to make full use of all the high number of unprecedented weapons and tools that are capable of helping a writer earn much more from their writing.
About The Author
Maggie Wallace is an online marketer and happy user of SiteKreator – take your instant site, just add content. Visit this professional website builder now and sign up for a free account. She can be reached at wal.maggie@gmail.com.
This article was posted on December 01, 2005
1. Sell More By Giving Out Information On Your Book
One of the greatest obstacles potential buyers of books have always had in making a decision on whether or not to purchase a title, is getting enough information about It. Detailed summaries and synopsis as well as comments by others who have read the book can be very useful. This is the reason behind the phenomenal success of the legendary Amazon.com site.
Any writer can create their own miniature Amazon.com-like site that can do miracles for their book sales. The idea is to solicit comments and views from those who have already read the book and then publishing them on your website.
By joining a useful affiliate program or two, you can ensure that you have the potential to earn maximum from visitors to your site who do not end up purchasing anything. Pay-per-click affiliate programs like Adsense are especially worth considering.
2. Sell Information Through A Newsletter
As you gather the information for your book, you can sell it in bits and pieces through a newsletter. A newsletter is extremely easy to do and manage online. More so if you have all the right tools. Incidentally it is very possible to gather them all from one site.
3. Special Reports Are Still Hot Sellers Online
Special reports are in high demand online because many people do not have the time or inclination to read a whole book to pick up the skills and knowledge they are looking for. A special report offers all this information where it can be picked up quickly and implemented immediately by the reader.
Writers can make a very useful income from information that grows from a short article in their newsletter into a special report.
4. Build Up A Mailing List For Book Sales
All the three activities mentioned so far, can be used to build up a valuable mailing list that can be used later to market the book once it has been published.
Some writers have managed to sell thousands of copies of their books in this way by simply getting the word out to their mailing lists of several hundred thousand targeted and very potential buyers of their books.
5. Publish Your Book Online
Again with the right tools, you can publish your book and make it available online at your site, only when somebody has paid a small subscription fee. There is a certain free site with the amazing feature where you can do this. It is Sitekreator.com.
Every writer should make an effort to make full use of all the high number of unprecedented weapons and tools that are capable of helping a writer earn much more from their writing.
About The Author
Maggie Wallace is an online marketer and happy user of SiteKreator – take your instant site, just add content. Visit this professional website builder now and sign up for a free account. She can be reached at wal.maggie@gmail.com.
This article was posted on December 01, 2005
Field Notes on Country Linguistics
As Suzy stammered, my ears perked up. For distraction I called out, “Hey Kathy, put on another pot of coffee.” Suzy spoke again. The fact is, gouging my own eyes out with a ketchup bottle would not have distracted me. A linguistic calamity was eminent.
The hair on the back of my neck stood up, then it ran from the room. I knew where Suzy was headed. Her speech was like watching a car accident. It all moved in slow motion. Every instinct in me said tear the phone from her hand before it's too late. But she had to learn to properly communicate with customers. Please Lord, I begged, don't let her say it. Then it happened. Suzy uttered the words, “We'll mam, I ain't fer sures on that.”
Across America, English professors collectively wept. My mind locked. How could she have said it again? She had been with our company four months. Still, there was hope. Okay, Lord, you're pretty funny, I sneered. Seriously, could her next words please be, “If you would not mind holding for one moment, I will find out the answer for you.” Ha! No such luck.
The gods hate me. After an awkward silence (while the caller and I shared an embolism), Suzy proceeded to take the customer’s order. Neither of them was any wiser for the experience. I stepped outside to meditate. Would I have to fire her? I was not fer sures on that?
You hear many endearing phrases in the county. I find, ‘a doins’ quite charming. Such as there's a doins at Bubba's tonight. Translated this means, festivities will take place at Bubba’s residence this evening.
‘Pert near’ is fun. Linguists translate this colorful twist on grammar as meaning, ‘almost’ not nearby. As in, pert near everybody ceptin that cidiot been told bout the rodeo. Meaning, almost everyone, except the new city idiot, was informed of the upcoming rodeo event.
Unfortunately, telling a high maintenance Dressage Equestrian (they are all high-maintenance), “Ya aint's fer sures on that,” translates as, “Hello, we are illiterate, so buy our product.” Following this with no offer to expand your knowledge and assist the customers says, “We may be illiterate, but that's ok. We also suck. Thank you and have a nice day.”
Tourists passing through this area have improperly translated another phrase. “What chya doin?” is often misinterpreted as the rhetorical “What's up?” or “What's happening?” Sadly, that is not its meaning. “What chya doin?” literally translates as, “What are you doing?" Confusion on this matter is based on timing.
“What chya doing?” is often asked when your activity could not be more blatantly obvious. For example: You're spreading cheese over flat dough topped with tomato sauce. Mountains of pepperoni are poised nearby. A stranger asks, “What chya doin?" Heads up: They literally have not connected the dots. Do not wisecrack, “Installing solar panels." Before you know it, you'll be explaining how green peppers affect your hot water supply.
Here in South Dakota low wages have brought in large numbers of Customer Service call centers. Airlines, finance companies, catalog sales, these types of companies coagulate around Rapid City. Lately there has been a lot of concern over competition from India. Apparently the population of India is highly educated and enunciates in a manner more understandable than that of South Dakotans. Americans, not having Hindi as the mother tongue, stand little chance. Still, there is a certain irony in residents of the Black Hills losing something to Indians. How many groups will that statement offend? I ain't fer sures on that.
This article is free for republishing
The hair on the back of my neck stood up, then it ran from the room. I knew where Suzy was headed. Her speech was like watching a car accident. It all moved in slow motion. Every instinct in me said tear the phone from her hand before it's too late. But she had to learn to properly communicate with customers. Please Lord, I begged, don't let her say it. Then it happened. Suzy uttered the words, “We'll mam, I ain't fer sures on that.”
Across America, English professors collectively wept. My mind locked. How could she have said it again? She had been with our company four months. Still, there was hope. Okay, Lord, you're pretty funny, I sneered. Seriously, could her next words please be, “If you would not mind holding for one moment, I will find out the answer for you.” Ha! No such luck.
The gods hate me. After an awkward silence (while the caller and I shared an embolism), Suzy proceeded to take the customer’s order. Neither of them was any wiser for the experience. I stepped outside to meditate. Would I have to fire her? I was not fer sures on that?
You hear many endearing phrases in the county. I find, ‘a doins’ quite charming. Such as there's a doins at Bubba's tonight. Translated this means, festivities will take place at Bubba’s residence this evening.
‘Pert near’ is fun. Linguists translate this colorful twist on grammar as meaning, ‘almost’ not nearby. As in, pert near everybody ceptin that cidiot been told bout the rodeo. Meaning, almost everyone, except the new city idiot, was informed of the upcoming rodeo event.
Unfortunately, telling a high maintenance Dressage Equestrian (they are all high-maintenance), “Ya aint's fer sures on that,” translates as, “Hello, we are illiterate, so buy our product.” Following this with no offer to expand your knowledge and assist the customers says, “We may be illiterate, but that's ok. We also suck. Thank you and have a nice day.”
Tourists passing through this area have improperly translated another phrase. “What chya doin?” is often misinterpreted as the rhetorical “What's up?” or “What's happening?” Sadly, that is not its meaning. “What chya doin?” literally translates as, “What are you doing?" Confusion on this matter is based on timing.
“What chya doing?” is often asked when your activity could not be more blatantly obvious. For example: You're spreading cheese over flat dough topped with tomato sauce. Mountains of pepperoni are poised nearby. A stranger asks, “What chya doin?" Heads up: They literally have not connected the dots. Do not wisecrack, “Installing solar panels." Before you know it, you'll be explaining how green peppers affect your hot water supply.
Here in South Dakota low wages have brought in large numbers of Customer Service call centers. Airlines, finance companies, catalog sales, these types of companies coagulate around Rapid City. Lately there has been a lot of concern over competition from India. Apparently the population of India is highly educated and enunciates in a manner more understandable than that of South Dakotans. Americans, not having Hindi as the mother tongue, stand little chance. Still, there is a certain irony in residents of the Black Hills losing something to Indians. How many groups will that statement offend? I ain't fer sures on that.
This article is free for republishing
Essay Reveals a Writer in You
During your study at college, many eyes will evaluate your essay, many heads will be thinking about its content. And your aim is not to disappoint them, not to hand in just another ordinary essay. There are some fundamentals common for all the essays we want to share with you. Though it may appear too obvious to you, but please DO read the essay topic very attentively and thoughtfully. One of the most common mistakes I come across when checking the essays is misinterpretation of the topic. Some students stick off the point, others don’t answer the target problem of the essay. Avoid this mistake.
Some tutors assign their own topics and very often they might be too abstract. Others offer the choice of the topic to the students, mentioning the necessary type of the essay (e.g. comparison/contrast essay comparison/contrast essay). In either case don’t despair! Your tutor wants you to demonstrate your abilities in thinking and your skills in committing them to paper. Impress him, because you can. Though essay excludes plagiarism, you can’t do with referring to useful literature. Read a lot, read diverse literature… Then you will put down all the sources into your reference list.
It is a good thing to discuss your topic with someone. An ideal variant is your tutor, because he will give you useful advice and will clarify his own opinion on the subject. If he is not available, discuss your issue with a person you respect. The essay answers the question WHY? (E.g. a persuasive essay answers the question WHY do I have such an opinion on the point?). In other words, essay can be defined as some kind of a letter to your imaginary friend (your perspective reader) who asked you the question “WHY?”. So, the first section of your “letter” is - introduction. Here you inform the reader about the essence of the problem and prepare him for the course of the discussion.
Then you continue your discourse in supporting paragraphs. Your aim is to gain the reader over and to capture his imagination. How can you do it? Examples: A lot of sound, pertinent examples make a convincing and effective essay. Especially rich in the examples must be expository essays which aim at explaining something to the audience. Last sentences of the essay make up a conclusion. It is your final word with the reader. So, use it efficiently and make a strong notable conclusion. Though essay is not the easiest task, but if you give a conscious approach to it, if you treat it with spirit, then your essay will help you to win the tutor’s respect. And what is more important you will believe that you are creative and inventive!
www.bestessaytips.com
This article is free for republishing
Some tutors assign their own topics and very often they might be too abstract. Others offer the choice of the topic to the students, mentioning the necessary type of the essay (e.g. comparison/contrast essay comparison/contrast essay). In either case don’t despair! Your tutor wants you to demonstrate your abilities in thinking and your skills in committing them to paper. Impress him, because you can. Though essay excludes plagiarism, you can’t do with referring to useful literature. Read a lot, read diverse literature… Then you will put down all the sources into your reference list.
It is a good thing to discuss your topic with someone. An ideal variant is your tutor, because he will give you useful advice and will clarify his own opinion on the subject. If he is not available, discuss your issue with a person you respect. The essay answers the question WHY? (E.g. a persuasive essay answers the question WHY do I have such an opinion on the point?). In other words, essay can be defined as some kind of a letter to your imaginary friend (your perspective reader) who asked you the question “WHY?”. So, the first section of your “letter” is - introduction. Here you inform the reader about the essence of the problem and prepare him for the course of the discussion.
Then you continue your discourse in supporting paragraphs. Your aim is to gain the reader over and to capture his imagination. How can you do it? Examples: A lot of sound, pertinent examples make a convincing and effective essay. Especially rich in the examples must be expository essays which aim at explaining something to the audience. Last sentences of the essay make up a conclusion. It is your final word with the reader. So, use it efficiently and make a strong notable conclusion. Though essay is not the easiest task, but if you give a conscious approach to it, if you treat it with spirit, then your essay will help you to win the tutor’s respect. And what is more important you will believe that you are creative and inventive!
www.bestessaytips.com
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English as a Medium For Indian-Writer
In a paper at Regional Conference of the Association of Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies Held at India International Centre ,New Delhi on February23-6,1975,R.Parthasarathy , while exposing the position of Indian writers in English reffered to the comments of American poets Allen Ginsberg ,Gary Snycler and Peter Onlovsky: "If we were gangster poets we would shoot you"(1), his threat was direct against the Indian writers’ failure to take risk with the English language.
To explain the reason behind this R.Parthasarathy says that there at least two problems which prevent Indian writers to take the risk.First is related to the kind of experience he would like to express in English .
Indian who use the Emglish language gets in some extent alienated . This development is superficial and this is why many blame ‘Indian Writers in English’(IWE) as writers who present India in a foreign view-point .There work doesn’t contain a deep analysis of the Indian realities and Indian characters .
Many regional writers (many of who are even Jnapitha Awardees) say writing in English in India is a severe handicap as it tends to make their writing export oriented .Hindi writer Rajendra Yadav puts it as : "The IWE take a tourist look at India , like Pankaj Mishra’s The Romantics , where he is simply a tourist who does not know the inner psyche of people or a more clever device Vikram Seth uses in A S uitable Boy ,the pretext of looking for a bride-groom ,which takes him to different locales and professions . It is a creatively written travelers’ guide .They travel into our culture , describe a bit of our geography ; their total approach is a westerner’s :a third rate ‘serpant-rope trick’"
Many believe that IWE is circumscribed by what only westerner can appreciate :either exotica or erotica .Both these elements are visible in Ruth Prawar Jhabavala’s Heat and Dust .There is description of shrines , Sadhus ,Nawabs ,Princes and their castles along with sex and gay-parties and Hijraas .Jhabvala’s picture of princely India is extremely un realistic ,quixotic and pseudo-romantic .Similar is the case of Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things . B.Jaya Mohan in a recent interview to Out Look magazine (February 25 , 2002) said :"Writers like Roy are superficial and exotic .When Roy uses English to express a Malayalam idiom , it might be exotic for westerner , but for Indians it is not very exciting ."
Still there are writers in English for whom a little praise is made ,but that even by another English writer.In an obituary to R.K.Narayan in Time magazine ,V.S.Naipul writes :"His people can eat off leaves on a floor in a slum tenement ,hang their upper clothes on a coat stand ,do all that in correct English ,and there is no strangeness ,no false comedy ,no distance" But still regional writers believe ; " …but any Tamil writer would have put more life into his novels than R.K. did".
The battle of the first kind of problem guides us into the second and this is ‘ the quality of idiom the writer uses’ .R .Parthasarathy says that " there is obviously a time lag between the living , creative idiom and the English used in India .And this time lag is not likely to diminish".
It is because the historical situation is to blame .Besides there is no special English idiom ,either .English in India rarely approaches the liveliness and idiosyncrasy of usage one finds in African or West Indian writing , perhaps because of the long tradition of literature in Indian languages .
This is explained by Kannada d Oyen " writers in Indian language have a rich back-ground -- centuries old literary traditions,flok tales and life all round them -- the IWE only have frontyard".That’s why Rushdie draws fom the ethos and Hindi of Mumbai,while writers like Narayan draws from Tamil and Raja Rao from Kannada .But still the idiom they use lacks in liveliness, because "it’s impossible to transfer into English the cultural traditions and the associations of language".This is why it is not surprising that writers in English tend to over emphasize their Indianness . This also explains why Michael Madhusudan Dutt after publishing thesis first book The Captive Lady(1849) in English turned to Bengali to become the first modern Indian poet .
While a regional writer can directly concentrate mode of writing the IWE has to face a complex problem---‘he has to go through the tedious explanations of the idioms he uses in his book ,leaving little space for creative writing’.
Perhaps Narayan was the only writer who never cared for such explanations .Naipul writes (Time,June 4 ,2001) :
"There is or used to be a kind of Indian writer who used many italics and for the excitement ,had a glossary of perfectly simple local words at the back of his book .Narayan never did that .He explains little or nothing;he talks everything about his people and his little town for granted".
But this is not possible for every IWE writer who wants to perform an experiment in creative English writing .R.Parthasarathy explains in the context of his own position as an English poet with Tamil as his mother tongue . "English is a part of my intellectual, rational make-up Tamil my emotional ,psychic make-up"Hence it is he believes that every IWE feels that he has an unnecessary burden to do the explanation of the idioms he uses ,and My Tongue in English Chain is a theoretical statement of this problem.
Russian scholar E.J.Kalinikova in Problems of Modern Indian Literature (1975) also refers to this problem in G.Byol’s words :
"National colouring is like naivete’ ,if you realize you have it ,then you have already lost it […] Conception of the Indian through Indian eyes is natural,and this only determine the scope of literary subject", where as an English writer ofIndia tries to give .The elements in a foreign language for which the whole experience of that element is strange and in the end what is produced is in Kamala Das’s words:
"It is halfEnglish,half Indian
Funny perhaps, but it is honest" [An Introduction]
To provide a compromise M.R.Anand writes in his essay Pigeon—Indian:Some Notes on Indian English Writing : "The real tests are different The first test is in the sincerity of the writer in any language .The second test may be in the degree of sensitiveness or individual talent".
And in what this talent lie ?Anita Desai has the answer :
"I think I have learnt how to live with English language,how to deal with the problems it creats –mainly by ignoring them"
This view is supported by Henery James –"One’s own language is one’s mother ,but the language one adopts as a career, as a study ,is one’s wife[…] she will expect you to commit infidelities .On those terms she will keep your house well"
Perhaps that’s why IWE like Raja Rao have justified their own stand as :
"We can write only as Indians[…] Time will alone justify it"
[Introduction to Kantapura]
Every writer (especially poet) ,as many believe ,sooner or later suffers from ‘Aphasia’ or ‘loss of poetic speech’ .His poetry ought to ,from the beginning aspire to the condition of silence.This is similar to Rene’ Wellek’s notion on Endgame of Samuel Beckett :
"Samuel Beckett in Endgame has been looking for the voice of his silence"
But Wellek’s view is applicable to the living force that still move the Indian English writers’ pen on paper .
"The artist,s dissatisfaction with language can only be expressed by language .Pause may be a device to express the un expressible ,but the pause can not be prolonged indefinitely".
So, in spite of the problems related to language and diction in use , the writers must keep on trying their best in carving out on them ,their creativeness on experimental basis ,because that may one day lead us to where we are now caving to reach.
About The Author
Samir K. Dash
Presently Samir is Director of an animation firm www.anigraphs.com
For more articles by him visit www.samirshomepage.zzn.com
samirk_dash@yahoo.com
This article was posted on January 04, 2005
To explain the reason behind this R.Parthasarathy says that there at least two problems which prevent Indian writers to take the risk.First is related to the kind of experience he would like to express in English .
Indian who use the Emglish language gets in some extent alienated . This development is superficial and this is why many blame ‘Indian Writers in English’(IWE) as writers who present India in a foreign view-point .There work doesn’t contain a deep analysis of the Indian realities and Indian characters .
Many regional writers (many of who are even Jnapitha Awardees) say writing in English in India is a severe handicap as it tends to make their writing export oriented .Hindi writer Rajendra Yadav puts it as : "The IWE take a tourist look at India , like Pankaj Mishra’s The Romantics , where he is simply a tourist who does not know the inner psyche of people or a more clever device Vikram Seth uses in A S uitable Boy ,the pretext of looking for a bride-groom ,which takes him to different locales and professions . It is a creatively written travelers’ guide .They travel into our culture , describe a bit of our geography ; their total approach is a westerner’s :a third rate ‘serpant-rope trick’"
Many believe that IWE is circumscribed by what only westerner can appreciate :either exotica or erotica .Both these elements are visible in Ruth Prawar Jhabavala’s Heat and Dust .There is description of shrines , Sadhus ,Nawabs ,Princes and their castles along with sex and gay-parties and Hijraas .Jhabvala’s picture of princely India is extremely un realistic ,quixotic and pseudo-romantic .Similar is the case of Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things . B.Jaya Mohan in a recent interview to Out Look magazine (February 25 , 2002) said :"Writers like Roy are superficial and exotic .When Roy uses English to express a Malayalam idiom , it might be exotic for westerner , but for Indians it is not very exciting ."
Still there are writers in English for whom a little praise is made ,but that even by another English writer.In an obituary to R.K.Narayan in Time magazine ,V.S.Naipul writes :"His people can eat off leaves on a floor in a slum tenement ,hang their upper clothes on a coat stand ,do all that in correct English ,and there is no strangeness ,no false comedy ,no distance" But still regional writers believe ; " …but any Tamil writer would have put more life into his novels than R.K. did".
The battle of the first kind of problem guides us into the second and this is ‘ the quality of idiom the writer uses’ .R .Parthasarathy says that " there is obviously a time lag between the living , creative idiom and the English used in India .And this time lag is not likely to diminish".
It is because the historical situation is to blame .Besides there is no special English idiom ,either .English in India rarely approaches the liveliness and idiosyncrasy of usage one finds in African or West Indian writing , perhaps because of the long tradition of literature in Indian languages .
This is explained by Kannada d Oyen " writers in Indian language have a rich back-ground -- centuries old literary traditions,flok tales and life all round them -- the IWE only have frontyard".That’s why Rushdie draws fom the ethos and Hindi of Mumbai,while writers like Narayan draws from Tamil and Raja Rao from Kannada .But still the idiom they use lacks in liveliness, because "it’s impossible to transfer into English the cultural traditions and the associations of language".This is why it is not surprising that writers in English tend to over emphasize their Indianness . This also explains why Michael Madhusudan Dutt after publishing thesis first book The Captive Lady(1849) in English turned to Bengali to become the first modern Indian poet .
While a regional writer can directly concentrate mode of writing the IWE has to face a complex problem---‘he has to go through the tedious explanations of the idioms he uses in his book ,leaving little space for creative writing’.
Perhaps Narayan was the only writer who never cared for such explanations .Naipul writes (Time,June 4 ,2001) :
"There is or used to be a kind of Indian writer who used many italics and for the excitement ,had a glossary of perfectly simple local words at the back of his book .Narayan never did that .He explains little or nothing;he talks everything about his people and his little town for granted".
But this is not possible for every IWE writer who wants to perform an experiment in creative English writing .R.Parthasarathy explains in the context of his own position as an English poet with Tamil as his mother tongue . "English is a part of my intellectual, rational make-up Tamil my emotional ,psychic make-up"Hence it is he believes that every IWE feels that he has an unnecessary burden to do the explanation of the idioms he uses ,and My Tongue in English Chain is a theoretical statement of this problem.
Russian scholar E.J.Kalinikova in Problems of Modern Indian Literature (1975) also refers to this problem in G.Byol’s words :
"National colouring is like naivete’ ,if you realize you have it ,then you have already lost it […] Conception of the Indian through Indian eyes is natural,and this only determine the scope of literary subject", where as an English writer ofIndia tries to give .The elements in a foreign language for which the whole experience of that element is strange and in the end what is produced is in Kamala Das’s words:
"It is halfEnglish,half Indian
Funny perhaps, but it is honest" [An Introduction]
To provide a compromise M.R.Anand writes in his essay Pigeon—Indian:Some Notes on Indian English Writing : "The real tests are different The first test is in the sincerity of the writer in any language .The second test may be in the degree of sensitiveness or individual talent".
And in what this talent lie ?Anita Desai has the answer :
"I think I have learnt how to live with English language,how to deal with the problems it creats –mainly by ignoring them"
This view is supported by Henery James –"One’s own language is one’s mother ,but the language one adopts as a career, as a study ,is one’s wife[…] she will expect you to commit infidelities .On those terms she will keep your house well"
Perhaps that’s why IWE like Raja Rao have justified their own stand as :
"We can write only as Indians[…] Time will alone justify it"
[Introduction to Kantapura]
Every writer (especially poet) ,as many believe ,sooner or later suffers from ‘Aphasia’ or ‘loss of poetic speech’ .His poetry ought to ,from the beginning aspire to the condition of silence.This is similar to Rene’ Wellek’s notion on Endgame of Samuel Beckett :
"Samuel Beckett in Endgame has been looking for the voice of his silence"
But Wellek’s view is applicable to the living force that still move the Indian English writers’ pen on paper .
"The artist,s dissatisfaction with language can only be expressed by language .Pause may be a device to express the un expressible ,but the pause can not be prolonged indefinitely".
So, in spite of the problems related to language and diction in use , the writers must keep on trying their best in carving out on them ,their creativeness on experimental basis ,because that may one day lead us to where we are now caving to reach.
About The Author
Samir K. Dash
Presently Samir is Director of an animation firm www.anigraphs.com
For more articles by him visit www.samirshomepage.zzn.com
samirk_dash@yahoo.com
This article was posted on January 04, 2005
Do You Plot With Your Character In Mind?
Creative Writing Tips –
You are plotting the story. You write down what will happen, what problems will arise, what obstacles you will place so the character won’t reach his goals immediately, what he’s going to do to overcome these problems etc…
So all these things will be happening to your character since it’s his story we are telling.
Does it make sense then to have your character in mind as you plot these things?
It does. Because it will depend, based on the type of person he is, how he will face these problems, what he will feel, what he will think, what he will do.
Different types of personalities make up our world. Some people worry too much, so whatever problems come along, they will worry with the same intensity. Other people view the lighter side of life. Minor problems do not affect them as largely as major problems. To some challengers are welcome - they thrive on them. To others, challengers are viewed with fear and uncertainty.
As you’re plotting the events of your story they have to correspond with the type of personality your character possesses.
What happens when you plot without thinking of your character?
He will act ‘out of character.’ He will do, say, think, feel things that don’t suit his personality.
For instance…
If your character is a worrier and you place him in a situation where he doesn’t worry, then that’s making him act according to how you want him to act in your plot.
You’re manipulating him to suit your plot - You’re not writing with his personality in mind.
As you plot the events in the story, simultaneously build your character.
Cross-reference what you have written about your character and the situation he is in. Do they correspond?
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
You are plotting the story. You write down what will happen, what problems will arise, what obstacles you will place so the character won’t reach his goals immediately, what he’s going to do to overcome these problems etc…
So all these things will be happening to your character since it’s his story we are telling.
Does it make sense then to have your character in mind as you plot these things?
It does. Because it will depend, based on the type of person he is, how he will face these problems, what he will feel, what he will think, what he will do.
Different types of personalities make up our world. Some people worry too much, so whatever problems come along, they will worry with the same intensity. Other people view the lighter side of life. Minor problems do not affect them as largely as major problems. To some challengers are welcome - they thrive on them. To others, challengers are viewed with fear and uncertainty.
As you’re plotting the events of your story they have to correspond with the type of personality your character possesses.
What happens when you plot without thinking of your character?
He will act ‘out of character.’ He will do, say, think, feel things that don’t suit his personality.
For instance…
If your character is a worrier and you place him in a situation where he doesn’t worry, then that’s making him act according to how you want him to act in your plot.
You’re manipulating him to suit your plot - You’re not writing with his personality in mind.
As you plot the events in the story, simultaneously build your character.
Cross-reference what you have written about your character and the situation he is in. Do they correspond?
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
Do You Know What A Plot Is?
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
Does Your Theme Contain Character, Conflict, Resolution?
Creative Writing Tips –
For a theme to work and the story, which will revolve around the theme, it has to contain three things…
Character
Conflict
Resolution
What’s the reason for this?
If your theme doesn’t contain these three essential elements, then you won’t be writing a proper short story. It might turn out to be an essay instead.
Because without…
1) Characters
You can’t achieve emotional depth. Readers become engrossed in stories because of the characters in them. They either become the character (sympathize), or read about an interesting person (empathize).
Emotional depth is achieved when readers use their imagination and senses and/or experiences to live the story through the characters.
2) Conflict
Your story will be boring. Why? Without conflict, something to stir things up, nothing happens. And a story, in which nothing happens, is one not worth writing about.
Your characters don’t lead carefree lives. Well, not in the instance you are writing about them. In that part of their lives they are faced with a problem. They want something and can’t get it because of the conflict, which is preventing them to do so.
And it’s that conflict and the struggle the characters has to undergo that keeps us readers interested and in suspense. Will the character succeed or won’t he? And when is this all going to happen? And how is it all going to happen?
3) Resolution
Something that starts has to finish, one way or another.
Once you have created great characters, which the reader will come to care about, and you have placed them in conflict, that conflict at the end of your story has to be resolved. The characters will achieve their goals or they won’t.
That doesn’t matter.
You can end your story as you please and as it suits your story – but you have to end it. Ending the story means resolving the conflict.
Does your theme contain character, conflict, resolution?
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
For a theme to work and the story, which will revolve around the theme, it has to contain three things…
Character
Conflict
Resolution
What’s the reason for this?
If your theme doesn’t contain these three essential elements, then you won’t be writing a proper short story. It might turn out to be an essay instead.
Because without…
1) Characters
You can’t achieve emotional depth. Readers become engrossed in stories because of the characters in them. They either become the character (sympathize), or read about an interesting person (empathize).
Emotional depth is achieved when readers use their imagination and senses and/or experiences to live the story through the characters.
2) Conflict
Your story will be boring. Why? Without conflict, something to stir things up, nothing happens. And a story, in which nothing happens, is one not worth writing about.
Your characters don’t lead carefree lives. Well, not in the instance you are writing about them. In that part of their lives they are faced with a problem. They want something and can’t get it because of the conflict, which is preventing them to do so.
And it’s that conflict and the struggle the characters has to undergo that keeps us readers interested and in suspense. Will the character succeed or won’t he? And when is this all going to happen? And how is it all going to happen?
3) Resolution
Something that starts has to finish, one way or another.
Once you have created great characters, which the reader will come to care about, and you have placed them in conflict, that conflict at the end of your story has to be resolved. The characters will achieve their goals or they won’t.
That doesn’t matter.
You can end your story as you please and as it suits your story – but you have to end it. Ending the story means resolving the conflict.
Does your theme contain character, conflict, resolution?
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
Does Your Story Have A Theme?
Creative Writing Tips –
It should.
A theme is a one-line explanation of your story.. Every story should have one because our stories are about something.
When I say should, I mean that this isn’t always the case. Especially so for beginner writers, who may not know, that the theme carries the story. Or even those who’ve been writing for years may not be aware of the importance of a theme.
And a theme is important.
A theme is what will keep you on track as you write the story.
What happens if you write without a theme in mind? Two things…
1. You stray from the subject
or
2. You write more than one story.
Let me give you an example of a story written with a theme in mind…
The theme to a story I once wrote was, ‘Vanity Leads To Destruction.’
Very briefly, this story is about a female character that believed herself to be so beautiful, in the end she lost everything.
Writing this theme on a post-it note and sticking it on my computer, I was always reminded that my story had to revolve around this theme. Having a theme helped me stick to the story I had intended on writing and not stray from it – not even a little. It also helped me to focus only on what was essential to my story.
So according to my theme, ‘Vanity Leads To Destruction’…
Every action my character performed was to show her vanity
Her goals sprung from her vanity
What motivated her was her vanity
Her words (dialogue) showed her vanity
How she handled situations showed her vanity
The interaction with other characters showed her vanity
The conflict was a result of her vanity
The highest peak in my story, the climax, showed an intense moment of whether her goal would be met (whether her vanity would work for, or against her)
And the ending? The ending showed how she was led to destruction because of her vanity
By following my theme, everything in my story was precise.
If I showed my character not being vain in any instance, then I would’ve strayed from my theme.
Does your story have a theme?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you didn’t consciously write with a theme in mind, then your story won’t have one. Chances are, your story isn’t focused. But then again there is the other possibility… At times we fluke things.
Perhaps without consciously knowing, a theme is running through your story.
Check your story to see if this is the case. If it is, are you sticking to the theme?
If you find that some parts of your story are straying from the theme, those parts will need to be changed to accommodate the theme.
Now the other possibility…
You don’t have a theme and none is running through your story. That’s okay. We can still save it. Read through your story and see what it’s about. Then come up with the most appropriate theme to it - A theme that makes sense yet won’t mean too much work to change the story.
Rewrite those parts that don’t accommodate the theme.
It is easier if we come up with a theme while we are at the plotting stage. It saves all that rewriting but not to worry… You won’t make the same error again in your next 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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
It should.
A theme is a one-line explanation of your story.. Every story should have one because our stories are about something.
When I say should, I mean that this isn’t always the case. Especially so for beginner writers, who may not know, that the theme carries the story. Or even those who’ve been writing for years may not be aware of the importance of a theme.
And a theme is important.
A theme is what will keep you on track as you write the story.
What happens if you write without a theme in mind? Two things…
1. You stray from the subject
or
2. You write more than one story.
Let me give you an example of a story written with a theme in mind…
The theme to a story I once wrote was, ‘Vanity Leads To Destruction.’
Very briefly, this story is about a female character that believed herself to be so beautiful, in the end she lost everything.
Writing this theme on a post-it note and sticking it on my computer, I was always reminded that my story had to revolve around this theme. Having a theme helped me stick to the story I had intended on writing and not stray from it – not even a little. It also helped me to focus only on what was essential to my story.
So according to my theme, ‘Vanity Leads To Destruction’…
Every action my character performed was to show her vanity
Her goals sprung from her vanity
What motivated her was her vanity
Her words (dialogue) showed her vanity
How she handled situations showed her vanity
The interaction with other characters showed her vanity
The conflict was a result of her vanity
The highest peak in my story, the climax, showed an intense moment of whether her goal would be met (whether her vanity would work for, or against her)
And the ending? The ending showed how she was led to destruction because of her vanity
By following my theme, everything in my story was precise.
If I showed my character not being vain in any instance, then I would’ve strayed from my theme.
Does your story have a theme?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you didn’t consciously write with a theme in mind, then your story won’t have one. Chances are, your story isn’t focused. But then again there is the other possibility… At times we fluke things.
Perhaps without consciously knowing, a theme is running through your story.
Check your story to see if this is the case. If it is, are you sticking to the theme?
If you find that some parts of your story are straying from the theme, those parts will need to be changed to accommodate the theme.
Now the other possibility…
You don’t have a theme and none is running through your story. That’s okay. We can still save it. Read through your story and see what it’s about. Then come up with the most appropriate theme to it - A theme that makes sense yet won’t mean too much work to change the story.
Rewrite those parts that don’t accommodate the theme.
It is easier if we come up with a theme while we are at the plotting stage. It saves all that rewriting but not to worry… You won’t make the same error again in your next 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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
Does Your Plot Suit Your Characters And Vice-Versa?
Creative Writing Tips –
When an idea comes to us for a short story, we either think of a story line first or a character first. Whichever we think of first, and later on build, we have to make sure the plot and the character suit each other.
Example one – We think of a story line first.
Your story is set in a rural area. A company opens a factory and employs workers from that small town. The residents welcome this, as there aren’t many jobs going around. The management takes advantage of that fact and exploit the workers.
Using a technicality in the system, perhaps listing them under different job titles in their books, they pay them less than they are entitled. Your main character sees this injustice and leads the workers to rebel against the management.
Now in a plot like this you will need your main character to posses certain qualities. Like…
Leadership
To be able to lead the people to rebel.
Convincing
The workers are from a rural area. Some might be uneducated and not aware of their rights. The main character has to convince them that what the management is doing, is wrong.
Persuader
Living in a rural area, jobs are hard to find. Most of the workers will view the company as their saviour. Their thinking will be that receiving little money is better than none at all. The main character has to persuade them that being in a rural area the company needs them as much as the workers need the company.
Strong Personality & Confident
We need a strong character that will see things through to the end. We don’t want someone giving up when things get tough. He will also need to be confident that he is doing the right thing (not to make things worse for the workers) and believes in himself (knowing what he’s doing is right).
Strong people skills
To be able to speak and relate to people on all levels.
Negotiator
To negotiate a solution with management and workers.
Public speaker skills
To be able to address this mass group of workers, in a voice that is confident, persuading, authoritative etc.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So these are the qualities we will need our character to have.
Now let’s see if we can make him believable. Remember he lives in the same rural area, so what makes him different from the rest of the workers who are willing to settle for less?
I could say he recently move to that rural area from the city. He used to work as a union leader and wanted to get out of the rat race. But having fought for workers rights his entire career, he can’t stand now to see injustices and comes to the decision to fight for them and himself.
So this character would suit our plot because we need someone like him for our story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Example two – Thinking of a character first
We notice a man on the street. Something about him triggers our interest so we decide to write about him in a short story. So at this point we will build the character first and then work a story around him.
Let’s go back to where we saw him…
He’s walking briskly along a busy street. He’s in a hurry. He’s dressed in a three-piece suit, which indicates he might be a businessman. He’s got a stack of documents under his arm; a briefcase in his left hand and his right hand is occupied by holding the phone to his ear, which he’s shouting into.
Let’s observe him closer…
He’s in his mid thirties. He looks authoritative. Perhaps he has his own business. Why is he shouting into the phone? Perhaps one of his employees made a mistake, which has cost the character a lot of money.
What if this employee made the mistake on purpose? What if he’s secretly working for the opposition, planted to destroy the main character’s company? What if the owner of that opposing company is the main character’s own brother? Etc…
So as we analyze this character and ask questions about him, our plot begins to unfold.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plots and characters have to suit each other.
When we have finished plotting and are ready to write the story, they shouldn’t be ill-fitting pieces of a puzzle – They should be a perfect match.
Does your plot suit your characters and vice-versa?
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
When an idea comes to us for a short story, we either think of a story line first or a character first. Whichever we think of first, and later on build, we have to make sure the plot and the character suit each other.
Example one – We think of a story line first.
Your story is set in a rural area. A company opens a factory and employs workers from that small town. The residents welcome this, as there aren’t many jobs going around. The management takes advantage of that fact and exploit the workers.
Using a technicality in the system, perhaps listing them under different job titles in their books, they pay them less than they are entitled. Your main character sees this injustice and leads the workers to rebel against the management.
Now in a plot like this you will need your main character to posses certain qualities. Like…
Leadership
To be able to lead the people to rebel.
Convincing
The workers are from a rural area. Some might be uneducated and not aware of their rights. The main character has to convince them that what the management is doing, is wrong.
Persuader
Living in a rural area, jobs are hard to find. Most of the workers will view the company as their saviour. Their thinking will be that receiving little money is better than none at all. The main character has to persuade them that being in a rural area the company needs them as much as the workers need the company.
Strong Personality & Confident
We need a strong character that will see things through to the end. We don’t want someone giving up when things get tough. He will also need to be confident that he is doing the right thing (not to make things worse for the workers) and believes in himself (knowing what he’s doing is right).
Strong people skills
To be able to speak and relate to people on all levels.
Negotiator
To negotiate a solution with management and workers.
Public speaker skills
To be able to address this mass group of workers, in a voice that is confident, persuading, authoritative etc.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So these are the qualities we will need our character to have.
Now let’s see if we can make him believable. Remember he lives in the same rural area, so what makes him different from the rest of the workers who are willing to settle for less?
I could say he recently move to that rural area from the city. He used to work as a union leader and wanted to get out of the rat race. But having fought for workers rights his entire career, he can’t stand now to see injustices and comes to the decision to fight for them and himself.
So this character would suit our plot because we need someone like him for our story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Example two – Thinking of a character first
We notice a man on the street. Something about him triggers our interest so we decide to write about him in a short story. So at this point we will build the character first and then work a story around him.
Let’s go back to where we saw him…
He’s walking briskly along a busy street. He’s in a hurry. He’s dressed in a three-piece suit, which indicates he might be a businessman. He’s got a stack of documents under his arm; a briefcase in his left hand and his right hand is occupied by holding the phone to his ear, which he’s shouting into.
Let’s observe him closer…
He’s in his mid thirties. He looks authoritative. Perhaps he has his own business. Why is he shouting into the phone? Perhaps one of his employees made a mistake, which has cost the character a lot of money.
What if this employee made the mistake on purpose? What if he’s secretly working for the opposition, planted to destroy the main character’s company? What if the owner of that opposing company is the main character’s own brother? Etc…
So as we analyze this character and ask questions about him, our plot begins to unfold.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plots and characters have to suit each other.
When we have finished plotting and are ready to write the story, they shouldn’t be ill-fitting pieces of a puzzle – They should be a perfect match.
Does your plot suit your characters and vice-versa?
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
Does Each Element of Your Story Further The Theme?
Creative Writing Tips –
Whichever theme you choose, all the elements, which make up your story, dialogue, conflict, scenes, etc should be written with the theme in mind.
Your theme should progress the story.
If you find that anything in your story doesn’t progress it, it should be cut when you are in the editing stage.
Before we see an example of elements written with a theme in mind, let’s think of a theme and a story….
The theme is…
‘Arrogance Leads To Humiliation’
Very briefly, this story is about a character that believes he is better than his colleagues.
His goal is to get promoted to a managerial position. What will prevent him from reaching his goal, is the fact that management are aware of his arrogance and they don’t believe, with his attitude, he is the right person to manage the staff.
To meet his goal, the character will take on more work than he can handle. He will do this to prove to management, that he is the right man for the job. But in the end, he will make a grave error and his arrogance will lead him to humiliation.
Now let’s take a look at the elements of this story…
Dialogue
The character’s dialogue will show his arrogance, by the tone of his voice and the words he chooses to express himself.
Characterization
I will show my character is arrogant by the way I describe him and from how other characters see him.
Motivations
I will explain what makes him think he is better than everyone else.
Goal
I will state his goal and show how it arises from the fact that he believes himself better than everyone else.
Setting
The setting is going to be in an office environment. I can show his arrogance through the setting by perhaps describing the contents of his desk (trophies) and his desk area in general (diplomas on the walls.) etc.
Conflict
The conflict will come from himself. He is the one that creates it by doing and saying things, which create dislike.
Climax
The climax is the highest point in my story where the conflict and his arrogance will come to their peak. Here we will see how he tries to overcome the conflict and reach his goal by taking on more work.
Ending
I will end my story with my character’s humiliation. He takes on more work and makes an error in judgement. Which not only prevents his promotion but also gets him fired.
My theme here would have run its course.
Does each element of your story further your theme?
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
Whichever theme you choose, all the elements, which make up your story, dialogue, conflict, scenes, etc should be written with the theme in mind.
Your theme should progress the story.
If you find that anything in your story doesn’t progress it, it should be cut when you are in the editing stage.
Before we see an example of elements written with a theme in mind, let’s think of a theme and a story….
The theme is…
‘Arrogance Leads To Humiliation’
Very briefly, this story is about a character that believes he is better than his colleagues.
His goal is to get promoted to a managerial position. What will prevent him from reaching his goal, is the fact that management are aware of his arrogance and they don’t believe, with his attitude, he is the right person to manage the staff.
To meet his goal, the character will take on more work than he can handle. He will do this to prove to management, that he is the right man for the job. But in the end, he will make a grave error and his arrogance will lead him to humiliation.
Now let’s take a look at the elements of this story…
Dialogue
The character’s dialogue will show his arrogance, by the tone of his voice and the words he chooses to express himself.
Characterization
I will show my character is arrogant by the way I describe him and from how other characters see him.
Motivations
I will explain what makes him think he is better than everyone else.
Goal
I will state his goal and show how it arises from the fact that he believes himself better than everyone else.
Setting
The setting is going to be in an office environment. I can show his arrogance through the setting by perhaps describing the contents of his desk (trophies) and his desk area in general (diplomas on the walls.) etc.
Conflict
The conflict will come from himself. He is the one that creates it by doing and saying things, which create dislike.
Climax
The climax is the highest point in my story where the conflict and his arrogance will come to their peak. Here we will see how he tries to overcome the conflict and reach his goal by taking on more work.
Ending
I will end my story with my character’s humiliation. He takes on more work and makes an error in judgement. Which not only prevents his promotion but also gets him fired.
My theme here would have run its course.
Does each element of your story further your theme?
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
Documenting Everything: Your Journal is Your Logbook
Sailors had it for years. Great explorers had it as well. If you go on an expedition to an ancient Aztec mound, more than likely the archaeologist will have one too - so, why shouldn't you own one?
No, I'm not speaking of the scurvy that plagued the sailors! No, I'm not speaking of the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot, whom explorers claimed to have seen in snowy Manitoba winters. Nor am I speaking of a lost city, which was never truly lost, but simply buried under mounds of earth and recently dug up by an archaeologist.
I'm speaking of journals. Journals? Yes! Keeping a journal can be just as much of an adventure as sailing the high seas, exploring unknown Canadian wilderness or digging in the dirt to find buried treasure.
Journals have been a source of reflection for centuries. My suggestion is to look at your writing career as if you're an explorer analyzing new-found land; an archaeologist digging up new artifacts and renaming them and so on...
How can you do this? Well, view your journal as a logbook and document your daily happenings. Here is a suggested format for keeping your captain's log.
Divide your journal entries into sections: Date, Weather, Mood, Events and Freewrite
1. Date: This is the obvious one (for some people). Write the month, day and the year. Also write which day of the week it is (i.e., December 17, 2001; Monday).
2. Weather: Make note of the temperature outside. Is it 100 degrees? Or perhaps it's only 20 degrees? Is it raining and 35 degrees? Snowing and 110 degrees? Raining cats and dogs? (Don't step in a poodle....)
3. Mood: What's going on in your head? Did you just get off the phone with your ex-lover who ruined your day and sank you into the depths of depression? Write about it. Did you manage to pull off some wondrous passive-aggressive revenge against said ex-lover? Write about that too and how it made you feel.
4. Events: Here's where things get a bit complicated - for some. You have to do your homework. Watch television, read the newspaper and write a few lines about what's going on in your city, state, country or the world in general.
5. Freewrite: Here's your chance to shine. Since we're all writers, we should leave a section for freewriting. Allow yourself some space to simply write aimlessly without direction. But, here's the challenge - try to limit yourself to a certain number of lines.
When you keep these entries for a week, two weeks or a longer period of time, it can be extremely beneficial. Comparing and contrasting the Mondays or Tuesdays could be a surprising learning experience.
Many times I've written stories and wanted to "know" what 78 degrees felt like, so I went to my journal and found an entry, read my mood descriptions and weather descriptions and was easily informed from my own documentation.
Keep in mind, a good writer documents everything - whether it be on paper or just in the mind's filing cabinet. But, to keep things in order, try to keep your documentation on paper - or at least saved to disk.
About The Author
Stephen Jordan, a medical editor, 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
This article was posted on January 07, 2004
No, I'm not speaking of the scurvy that plagued the sailors! No, I'm not speaking of the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot, whom explorers claimed to have seen in snowy Manitoba winters. Nor am I speaking of a lost city, which was never truly lost, but simply buried under mounds of earth and recently dug up by an archaeologist.
I'm speaking of journals. Journals? Yes! Keeping a journal can be just as much of an adventure as sailing the high seas, exploring unknown Canadian wilderness or digging in the dirt to find buried treasure.
Journals have been a source of reflection for centuries. My suggestion is to look at your writing career as if you're an explorer analyzing new-found land; an archaeologist digging up new artifacts and renaming them and so on...
How can you do this? Well, view your journal as a logbook and document your daily happenings. Here is a suggested format for keeping your captain's log.
Divide your journal entries into sections: Date, Weather, Mood, Events and Freewrite
1. Date: This is the obvious one (for some people). Write the month, day and the year. Also write which day of the week it is (i.e., December 17, 2001; Monday).
2. Weather: Make note of the temperature outside. Is it 100 degrees? Or perhaps it's only 20 degrees? Is it raining and 35 degrees? Snowing and 110 degrees? Raining cats and dogs? (Don't step in a poodle....)
3. Mood: What's going on in your head? Did you just get off the phone with your ex-lover who ruined your day and sank you into the depths of depression? Write about it. Did you manage to pull off some wondrous passive-aggressive revenge against said ex-lover? Write about that too and how it made you feel.
4. Events: Here's where things get a bit complicated - for some. You have to do your homework. Watch television, read the newspaper and write a few lines about what's going on in your city, state, country or the world in general.
5. Freewrite: Here's your chance to shine. Since we're all writers, we should leave a section for freewriting. Allow yourself some space to simply write aimlessly without direction. But, here's the challenge - try to limit yourself to a certain number of lines.
When you keep these entries for a week, two weeks or a longer period of time, it can be extremely beneficial. Comparing and contrasting the Mondays or Tuesdays could be a surprising learning experience.
Many times I've written stories and wanted to "know" what 78 degrees felt like, so I went to my journal and found an entry, read my mood descriptions and weather descriptions and was easily informed from my own documentation.
Keep in mind, a good writer documents everything - whether it be on paper or just in the mind's filing cabinet. But, to keep things in order, try to keep your documentation on paper - or at least saved to disk.
About The Author
Stephen Jordan, a medical editor, 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
This article was posted on January 07, 2004
Discover What Good Writing Is All About
Writing is a form of preserved talk, talk that has been pinned down on paper so the words can be heard again. The basic principles of good writing, apart, from grammatical correctness, might be presented as follows:
1) written sentences should sound like natural speech;
2) the words we use must be exact, fresh, full of strength and vitality. Picture making words are better than vague, general words;
3) fresh point of view will give flavor to the style;
4) humor will lighten it.
Though, it is true that written sentences should sound like natural speech, they fully present an image of the natural speech. The reasons for this are fairly obvious: natural speech is a great deal more than words; it is also tone of voice, facial expression, gestures, and even the speaker’s appearance.
The whole point of writing is to create something better than we really talk – something more interesting, more thoughtful, and more effective in every way, for “effectiveness is what matters, and if an expression is confusing, ambiguous or unintentionally vague, it can hardly be an effective use of the language.” (C.R.E.Parker).
The only thing we must borrow from the natural speech to achieve an air of naturalness is the rhythm of speech. Now before we speak of sentence rhythm at more length, we shall consider one of the major qualities of writing – sentence length.
To begin with, fashions in sentence length constantly change. Past generation were more hospitable to the long sentences than we are, and prose writers sometimes created sentences 200-300 words long. They are often well-arranged sentences too; after all, the thought they convey is complex and can be hardly skimmed through. Indeed, some of them present the works of art.
In the twentieth century, the tendency in writing has been toward shorter, easier-to-grasp-at-one glance sentences.
- This tendency can be easily explained by the spread of the literacy among masses of people.
- Consequently, the style of writing should be clear and comprehensive for everybody, and aimed at satisfying the demand in easy and interesting reading.
- The increase in the tempo of living and absence of leisure-reading matter must be fitted to the needs of those who read only in the odd moments of their lives, between household chores and television programs, business meetings and social duties.
Hence, what can be inferred from the length of the sentences the writer uses?
Indeed, sentence length and grammatical complexity vary from writer to writer, from idea to idea, from sentence to sentence. There can’t be any general rules, which every person, who starts writing should strictly stick to. However, there are a handful of good ideas that can be applied by the writers.
Sentence length depends greatly on the complexity of the idea to be expressed. In our time, the average length of sentences is somewhere between 20-30 words. Now the simplicity and naturalness of the written and spoken language is deemphasized. So, the usage of short sentences became the custom of the day.
Short sentences can infuse a fresh spirit into the way you write and speak. Get to know why?
* The writer, who wants to persuade the audience, should remember that he will succeed best when the argument is couched in brief, even staccato sentences.
* In most readers’ mind, the short sentence carries an unmistakable sense of wisdom, because down through the ages it has acted as the setting for all the familiar gems of “truth”.
* Since there is no room in a very short sentence for anything but one elaborated thought, it follows that an idea to set forth in such a sentence will receive a large degree of emphasis.
* The short sentences can be used to express the feeling of suspense, excitement, or even horror. What would be a crime thriller be like without the terse, clipped sentences that portend a tense episode? The concentration upon a few bare facts adds a peculiar sense of horror or vice verse excitement to the narrative.
* The very absence of elaboration gives a writer a great opportunity to deliver the message to the reader in a simple and comprehensive way.
* The short sentences give unity to the expressed ideas, relieve monotony of too many clauses, and in general, make the expression more exact and accurate.
Undoubtedly, every writer should pay special attention to the length of the sentences he uses. Thus, the primary concern in writing and speaking must always be that our sentences fit the thoughts they are communicating.
About The Author
Linda Correli is a staff writer of http://www.CustomResearchPapers.us/ and an author of the popular online tutorial for students "What Teachers Want: Master the Art of Essay Writing in 10 Days", available at http://www.Go2Essay.com/.
This article was posted on December 10, 2005
1) written sentences should sound like natural speech;
2) the words we use must be exact, fresh, full of strength and vitality. Picture making words are better than vague, general words;
3) fresh point of view will give flavor to the style;
4) humor will lighten it.
Though, it is true that written sentences should sound like natural speech, they fully present an image of the natural speech. The reasons for this are fairly obvious: natural speech is a great deal more than words; it is also tone of voice, facial expression, gestures, and even the speaker’s appearance.
The whole point of writing is to create something better than we really talk – something more interesting, more thoughtful, and more effective in every way, for “effectiveness is what matters, and if an expression is confusing, ambiguous or unintentionally vague, it can hardly be an effective use of the language.” (C.R.E.Parker).
The only thing we must borrow from the natural speech to achieve an air of naturalness is the rhythm of speech. Now before we speak of sentence rhythm at more length, we shall consider one of the major qualities of writing – sentence length.
To begin with, fashions in sentence length constantly change. Past generation were more hospitable to the long sentences than we are, and prose writers sometimes created sentences 200-300 words long. They are often well-arranged sentences too; after all, the thought they convey is complex and can be hardly skimmed through. Indeed, some of them present the works of art.
In the twentieth century, the tendency in writing has been toward shorter, easier-to-grasp-at-one glance sentences.
- This tendency can be easily explained by the spread of the literacy among masses of people.
- Consequently, the style of writing should be clear and comprehensive for everybody, and aimed at satisfying the demand in easy and interesting reading.
- The increase in the tempo of living and absence of leisure-reading matter must be fitted to the needs of those who read only in the odd moments of their lives, between household chores and television programs, business meetings and social duties.
Hence, what can be inferred from the length of the sentences the writer uses?
Indeed, sentence length and grammatical complexity vary from writer to writer, from idea to idea, from sentence to sentence. There can’t be any general rules, which every person, who starts writing should strictly stick to. However, there are a handful of good ideas that can be applied by the writers.
Sentence length depends greatly on the complexity of the idea to be expressed. In our time, the average length of sentences is somewhere between 20-30 words. Now the simplicity and naturalness of the written and spoken language is deemphasized. So, the usage of short sentences became the custom of the day.
Short sentences can infuse a fresh spirit into the way you write and speak. Get to know why?
* The writer, who wants to persuade the audience, should remember that he will succeed best when the argument is couched in brief, even staccato sentences.
* In most readers’ mind, the short sentence carries an unmistakable sense of wisdom, because down through the ages it has acted as the setting for all the familiar gems of “truth”.
* Since there is no room in a very short sentence for anything but one elaborated thought, it follows that an idea to set forth in such a sentence will receive a large degree of emphasis.
* The short sentences can be used to express the feeling of suspense, excitement, or even horror. What would be a crime thriller be like without the terse, clipped sentences that portend a tense episode? The concentration upon a few bare facts adds a peculiar sense of horror or vice verse excitement to the narrative.
* The very absence of elaboration gives a writer a great opportunity to deliver the message to the reader in a simple and comprehensive way.
* The short sentences give unity to the expressed ideas, relieve monotony of too many clauses, and in general, make the expression more exact and accurate.
Undoubtedly, every writer should pay special attention to the length of the sentences he uses. Thus, the primary concern in writing and speaking must always be that our sentences fit the thoughts they are communicating.
About The Author
Linda Correli is a staff writer of http://www.CustomResearchPapers.us/ and an author of the popular online tutorial for students "What Teachers Want: Master the Art of Essay Writing in 10 Days", available at http://www.Go2Essay.com/.
This article was posted on December 10, 2005
Can Your Theme Be Proved In Your Story?
Creative Writing Tips –
Your theme has to be something you can prove in your story - It doesn’t have to be a universal truth. This means that your theme doesn’t have to be something that happens in real life all the time (providing our logic can accept it, in order for us to believe it).
Whatever story you choose to write, be it a contemporary or a story which requires elements of fantasy such as in horror, science fiction etc… the events of that story have to appear logical.
What is not logical and consequently not believable is…
A character that has no knowledge of computers and overnight becomes a computer whiz
A car that goes over a cliff, bursts into flames and the character manages to escape unscratched
Etc
These are not believable because they can’t and don’t happen in real life and our logic doesn’t accept them.
Your theme will be believed when you prove it (providing of course you can.) Let’s see how you can do that.
We’ll start with a theme…
“Hard work leads to success.’
Our story is about a character whose goal is to reach a managerial position within the company that he works. For the reader to see how the character will reach his goal I will show him…
Working hard
Working long hours
Using his initiative
Being responsible
And all those qualities, in the end, will secure him the promotion he has been aiming for.
So my theme here will be proved that ‘Hard work leads to success’ because my character succeeds in the end.
>From the examples I have given so far, you may have noticed that my stories end on a happy note. Yours don’t have to. The ending will depend on the story you are writing and how you, the writer, prefers to end it.
I could have done the reverse with this theme. I could have said,
“Hard work doesn’t lead to success.”
My story will be the same but in the end I will have the character missing out on the promotion. Both themes will be proved because I have proved them in my story.
Any theme can work in a story providing you can prove it.
Have you proved your theme?
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
Your theme has to be something you can prove in your story - It doesn’t have to be a universal truth. This means that your theme doesn’t have to be something that happens in real life all the time (providing our logic can accept it, in order for us to believe it).
Whatever story you choose to write, be it a contemporary or a story which requires elements of fantasy such as in horror, science fiction etc… the events of that story have to appear logical.
What is not logical and consequently not believable is…
A character that has no knowledge of computers and overnight becomes a computer whiz
A car that goes over a cliff, bursts into flames and the character manages to escape unscratched
Etc
These are not believable because they can’t and don’t happen in real life and our logic doesn’t accept them.
Your theme will be believed when you prove it (providing of course you can.) Let’s see how you can do that.
We’ll start with a theme…
“Hard work leads to success.’
Our story is about a character whose goal is to reach a managerial position within the company that he works. For the reader to see how the character will reach his goal I will show him…
Working hard
Working long hours
Using his initiative
Being responsible
And all those qualities, in the end, will secure him the promotion he has been aiming for.
So my theme here will be proved that ‘Hard work leads to success’ because my character succeeds in the end.
>From the examples I have given so far, you may have noticed that my stories end on a happy note. Yours don’t have to. The ending will depend on the story you are writing and how you, the writer, prefers to end it.
I could have done the reverse with this theme. I could have said,
“Hard work doesn’t lead to success.”
My story will be the same but in the end I will have the character missing out on the promotion. Both themes will be proved because I have proved them in my story.
Any theme can work in a story providing you can prove it.
Have you proved your theme?
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
This article was posted on August 24, 2004
Benefits of Journal Writing
The benefits of journal writing are fairly well established due to the long history of journal writing. From Anne Frank to Di Vinci, journal writing has proven itself.
Benefits of Journal Writing
When considering the benefits of journal writing, it is important to set a few parameters. First, there is no age limit to using journals. There are distinct benefits for children of all ages, but journal writing is equally valuable to adults. The reason for this is journal writing is an act of personal reflection. Whether it is a teenager reflecting on the social nightmare of high school or an overworked parent taking twenty minutes a night to write is irrelevant. The point is, all age groups benefit from stepping back from their life for a few moments and reflecting on things.
Whether you recognize it or not, journal writing provides you with an anchor in your daily life. In the journal, you are free to write what you want without restrictions, to truly address the issues in your life without fear of criticism. Put another way, one of the benefits of journal writing is it acts as a self-help psychiatrist, but for MUCH cheaper!
As you write in your journal over time, you’ll also start to ascertain a second benefit to doing so. This benefit is one of self-criticism. Inevitably, you’ll read through past entries and review your life. Doing so will lead you to self-reflection as well as thoughts on how you might act differently should certain situations rise again.
Of equal importance, journal writing has health benefits. Before you click away from this article, consider a time in your life when you were extremely frustrated. Hopefully, you spoke to a friend to “get things off your chest.” Didn’t you feel a lot better afterwards? Getting things off your chest helps relieve stress, one of the biggest killers in our modern society. Journal writing acts in much the same way since you are able to write your thoughts without fear of criticism.
There are other benefits to journal writing, but all boil down to one simple fact. Writing in a journal allows you to express yourself without being judged. With the lack of privacy in our modern, digital world, that is hardly a small benefit.
Rick Chapo is with Nomad Journals - makers of writing journals.
This article is free for republishing
Benefits of Journal Writing
When considering the benefits of journal writing, it is important to set a few parameters. First, there is no age limit to using journals. There are distinct benefits for children of all ages, but journal writing is equally valuable to adults. The reason for this is journal writing is an act of personal reflection. Whether it is a teenager reflecting on the social nightmare of high school or an overworked parent taking twenty minutes a night to write is irrelevant. The point is, all age groups benefit from stepping back from their life for a few moments and reflecting on things.
Whether you recognize it or not, journal writing provides you with an anchor in your daily life. In the journal, you are free to write what you want without restrictions, to truly address the issues in your life without fear of criticism. Put another way, one of the benefits of journal writing is it acts as a self-help psychiatrist, but for MUCH cheaper!
As you write in your journal over time, you’ll also start to ascertain a second benefit to doing so. This benefit is one of self-criticism. Inevitably, you’ll read through past entries and review your life. Doing so will lead you to self-reflection as well as thoughts on how you might act differently should certain situations rise again.
Of equal importance, journal writing has health benefits. Before you click away from this article, consider a time in your life when you were extremely frustrated. Hopefully, you spoke to a friend to “get things off your chest.” Didn’t you feel a lot better afterwards? Getting things off your chest helps relieve stress, one of the biggest killers in our modern society. Journal writing acts in much the same way since you are able to write your thoughts without fear of criticism.
There are other benefits to journal writing, but all boil down to one simple fact. Writing in a journal allows you to express yourself without being judged. With the lack of privacy in our modern, digital world, that is hardly a small benefit.
Rick Chapo is with Nomad Journals - makers of writing journals.
This article is free for republishing
Beginnings
Just about everyone is familiar with this beginning: “In the beginning God created the heavens and earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep . . .” (Genesis 1: 1-2 RSV) In a sense we’re playing God when we write a story. We create the characters, plot, and setting, turning a blank page—nothingness—into a compelling story.
Not only is your first scene the first impression of a story, it is the doorway that invites your reader on a journey. First scenes are what determine whether or not your reader is going to follow your characters to the end.
Your beginning must accomplish several things:
Introduce your characters
Establish the place and time the story occurs
Introduce the conflict or point at which change begins.
Your opening sets the tone, mood, situation or problem. It actually begins in the middle of things.
Looking at the first lines of Genesis from a purely literary standpoint, the first lines introduce God as the protagonist. The time and setting (simply) is the moment of Creation, same as the point of change. Before God created the world there was nothing. For the purpose of this illustration from a literary standpoint, Nothing was what happened before the story begins. It starts in medius res—in the middle of things.
Let’s look at a few opening lines of other stories.
I could tell the minute I got in the door and dropped my bag, I wasn’t staying. “Medley” by Toni Cade Bambara
This blind man, an old friend of my wife’s, he was on his way to spend the night. “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver
She told him with a little gesture he had never seen her use before. “Gesturing” by John Updike
Something has already happened before the opening line. The first line is actually the middle of the story. Each story has its own history. The plot is affected by something that happened before the first sentence on the first page. In Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter’s book, What If? They describe story beginnings: “ . . . think of the story as a straight line with sentence one appearing somewhere beyond the start of the line—ideally near the middle. At some point, most stories or novels dip back into the past, to the beginning of the straight line and catch the reader up on the situation—how and why X has gotten himself into such a pickle with character Y.”
Take out an old story, or one you’ve been working on. Look at the opening scene. As yourself: Does the story have a past? Is the current conflict grounded in the history of the story? If you answer no, then you don’t know your story’s past well enough.
John Irving said: “Know the story—as much of the story as you can possibly know, if not the whole story—before you commit yourself to the first paragraph. Know the story—the whole story, if possible—before you fall in love with your first sentence, not to mention your first chapter.”
About The Author
Rita Marie Keller has written and published numerous short stories, articles, and essays. Her novel, Living in the City was released September 2002 by Booklocker.com, Inc. She founded the Cacoethes Scribendi Creative Writing Workshop in 1999.
This article was posted on February 19, 2004
Not only is your first scene the first impression of a story, it is the doorway that invites your reader on a journey. First scenes are what determine whether or not your reader is going to follow your characters to the end.
Your beginning must accomplish several things:
Introduce your characters
Establish the place and time the story occurs
Introduce the conflict or point at which change begins.
Your opening sets the tone, mood, situation or problem. It actually begins in the middle of things.
Looking at the first lines of Genesis from a purely literary standpoint, the first lines introduce God as the protagonist. The time and setting (simply) is the moment of Creation, same as the point of change. Before God created the world there was nothing. For the purpose of this illustration from a literary standpoint, Nothing was what happened before the story begins. It starts in medius res—in the middle of things.
Let’s look at a few opening lines of other stories.
I could tell the minute I got in the door and dropped my bag, I wasn’t staying. “Medley” by Toni Cade Bambara
This blind man, an old friend of my wife’s, he was on his way to spend the night. “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver
She told him with a little gesture he had never seen her use before. “Gesturing” by John Updike
Something has already happened before the opening line. The first line is actually the middle of the story. Each story has its own history. The plot is affected by something that happened before the first sentence on the first page. In Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter’s book, What If? They describe story beginnings: “ . . . think of the story as a straight line with sentence one appearing somewhere beyond the start of the line—ideally near the middle. At some point, most stories or novels dip back into the past, to the beginning of the straight line and catch the reader up on the situation—how and why X has gotten himself into such a pickle with character Y.”
Take out an old story, or one you’ve been working on. Look at the opening scene. As yourself: Does the story have a past? Is the current conflict grounded in the history of the story? If you answer no, then you don’t know your story’s past well enough.
John Irving said: “Know the story—as much of the story as you can possibly know, if not the whole story—before you commit yourself to the first paragraph. Know the story—the whole story, if possible—before you fall in love with your first sentence, not to mention your first chapter.”
About The Author
Rita Marie Keller has written and published numerous short stories, articles, and essays. Her novel, Living in the City was released September 2002 by Booklocker.com, Inc. She founded the Cacoethes Scribendi Creative Writing Workshop in 1999.
This article was posted on February 19, 2004
Article Writing: How To Use Your Chakra Energy To Write
The seven Chakras are the hidden energy centres in your body through which you receive, process and transmit life energies. They act as "energy transformers" and influencers of change.
Your thoughts, emotions or actions can either block or activate these hidden energy centres. In this article, I address ways to activate each of the Chakras to improve your article writing.
1. Base Chakra – the energy of existence
This energy source is associated with survival, self-preservation and security. The major blockages to activating the Base Chakra are "self-sabotage" or self-talk that is full of self-doubt. The real tragedy is that, unless you can manage these self-doubts, you cut yourself off from the other six sources of energy.
You can activate the Base Chakra by: * Confronting your doubts as self-sabotage and challenging them * Visualising your completed article and the sense of achievement you will experience with publication * Sharing your concerns with others who have been successful in article writing * Listening to your body and learning to release any tensions associated with article writing
2. Naval Chakra – the energy of activity
This source of energy is experienced as "excitement" and is associated with doing, movement, creativity and achievement. The major blockage to this energy source is inactivity brought on by procrastination and self-doubt.
You can activate the Naval Chakra by: * Checking out online forums and article directories for potential topics of interest to readers * Making notes on an article topic * Aiming for a rough first draft (do not let your perfectionist streak intervene!) * Trying "speed writing" - write what comes to mind without concern for grammar, sentence structure or spelling (helps to thwart perfectionism) * Taping your ideas - try using an audio tape to get ideas down
3. Solar Plexus Chakra – the energy of control
This energy is experienced as “clarity” and is associated with your sense of personal power and self control. The major blockage to this energy source is a lack of order through the absence of planning. You can tap into the energy of control by creating order, structure, form or guidance.
You can activate the Solar Plexus Chakra by: * Capturing potential article topics in a document or Excel file * Matching your task to your energy level – if you are a “morning person” do your creative writing in the morning and your related routine tasks at night * Capturing ideas on how to write articles and creating your own set of guidelines * Setting up documents on your computer with article headings and doing occasional “brain dumps” * Building your own list of preferred article directories for submission of articles (include submission URL and key requirements, eg. word length, format) * Establishing output targets and a routine for article writing
4. The Heart Chakra – the energy of community
This energy is experienced as “connection” - brought about by your relationships with others and by engaging them in collaborative activity. The major blockage to this energy source is “isolation” – cutting yourself off from supportive relationships.
You can engage the Heart Chakra by: * Participating in discussion forums focused on article writing * Developing a “learning partnership” with one other person for your mutual benefit * Connecting to other people through workshops and teleconferences * Sharing your article ideas with a “significant other” – your life partner, for example * Taking time out to be with your friends * Joining an action learning group devoted to article writing
5. The Throat Chakra – the energy of meaning
This energy is experienced as expression and is associated with metaphors, communication and beliefs. The blocks to this form of energy are unclear thinking and a lack of focus.
You can engage your Throat Chakra by: * Journaling to capture your thoughts and reflections * Drawing diagrams and flowcharts to clarify what you are trying to say in your writing * Developing concept maps to clarify the relationships amongst activities, ideas & principles * Using metaphors to create new perspectives and meanings
6. The Third Eye Chakra – the energy of integration
This energy is experienced as intuition and is associated with left and right brain, integration of male and female, wisdom and holistic approaches. One of the major blocks to this form of energy is “busyness” – incessant activity with no time for reflection.
You can engage your Third Eye Chakra by: * Undertaking creative activity – e.g. painting, drawing or writing poetry * Being still – getting in touch with nature and your own body * Taking a walk – physical activity provides a good balance for sitting and writing * Clearing the clutter from your desk and your life – a cluttered workspace can clutter your mind
7. The Crown Chakra – the energy of Spirit
This energy is experienced as transcendence and is associated with higher purpose, vision and higher consciousness. The major block to this energy is an obsession with Materialism.
You can embrace the Crown Chakra by: * Meditating – this helps you get in touch with your higher consciousness * Singing – helps you to find your deeper self * Revisiting your spiritual origins – this may be through prayer or participation in religious activities
The Chakras are interconnected and interdependent. They embrace the whole person – the irrational and rational, the intuitive and emotional, the pragmatic and the aesthetic and the material and spiritual.
You can activate your Chakras to improve your article writing and your daily living.
Copyright 2005 Ron Passfield
About The Author
This article is written by Ron Passfield, PhD, affiliate marketing coach, who is developing his affiliate business through the step-by-step coaching offered by the Affiliate Classroom: http://www.affiliate-marketing-coach.blogspot.com/.
Subscribe to Ron’s weekly “Emarkting Strategies” ezine and receive a bonus gift: http://www.emarktingstrategies.blogspot.com/.
This article was posted on December 05, 2005
Your thoughts, emotions or actions can either block or activate these hidden energy centres. In this article, I address ways to activate each of the Chakras to improve your article writing.
1. Base Chakra – the energy of existence
This energy source is associated with survival, self-preservation and security. The major blockages to activating the Base Chakra are "self-sabotage" or self-talk that is full of self-doubt. The real tragedy is that, unless you can manage these self-doubts, you cut yourself off from the other six sources of energy.
You can activate the Base Chakra by: * Confronting your doubts as self-sabotage and challenging them * Visualising your completed article and the sense of achievement you will experience with publication * Sharing your concerns with others who have been successful in article writing * Listening to your body and learning to release any tensions associated with article writing
2. Naval Chakra – the energy of activity
This source of energy is experienced as "excitement" and is associated with doing, movement, creativity and achievement. The major blockage to this energy source is inactivity brought on by procrastination and self-doubt.
You can activate the Naval Chakra by: * Checking out online forums and article directories for potential topics of interest to readers * Making notes on an article topic * Aiming for a rough first draft (do not let your perfectionist streak intervene!) * Trying "speed writing" - write what comes to mind without concern for grammar, sentence structure or spelling (helps to thwart perfectionism) * Taping your ideas - try using an audio tape to get ideas down
3. Solar Plexus Chakra – the energy of control
This energy is experienced as “clarity” and is associated with your sense of personal power and self control. The major blockage to this energy source is a lack of order through the absence of planning. You can tap into the energy of control by creating order, structure, form or guidance.
You can activate the Solar Plexus Chakra by: * Capturing potential article topics in a document or Excel file * Matching your task to your energy level – if you are a “morning person” do your creative writing in the morning and your related routine tasks at night * Capturing ideas on how to write articles and creating your own set of guidelines * Setting up documents on your computer with article headings and doing occasional “brain dumps” * Building your own list of preferred article directories for submission of articles (include submission URL and key requirements, eg. word length, format) * Establishing output targets and a routine for article writing
4. The Heart Chakra – the energy of community
This energy is experienced as “connection” - brought about by your relationships with others and by engaging them in collaborative activity. The major blockage to this energy source is “isolation” – cutting yourself off from supportive relationships.
You can engage the Heart Chakra by: * Participating in discussion forums focused on article writing * Developing a “learning partnership” with one other person for your mutual benefit * Connecting to other people through workshops and teleconferences * Sharing your article ideas with a “significant other” – your life partner, for example * Taking time out to be with your friends * Joining an action learning group devoted to article writing
5. The Throat Chakra – the energy of meaning
This energy is experienced as expression and is associated with metaphors, communication and beliefs. The blocks to this form of energy are unclear thinking and a lack of focus.
You can engage your Throat Chakra by: * Journaling to capture your thoughts and reflections * Drawing diagrams and flowcharts to clarify what you are trying to say in your writing * Developing concept maps to clarify the relationships amongst activities, ideas & principles * Using metaphors to create new perspectives and meanings
6. The Third Eye Chakra – the energy of integration
This energy is experienced as intuition and is associated with left and right brain, integration of male and female, wisdom and holistic approaches. One of the major blocks to this form of energy is “busyness” – incessant activity with no time for reflection.
You can engage your Third Eye Chakra by: * Undertaking creative activity – e.g. painting, drawing or writing poetry * Being still – getting in touch with nature and your own body * Taking a walk – physical activity provides a good balance for sitting and writing * Clearing the clutter from your desk and your life – a cluttered workspace can clutter your mind
7. The Crown Chakra – the energy of Spirit
This energy is experienced as transcendence and is associated with higher purpose, vision and higher consciousness. The major block to this energy is an obsession with Materialism.
You can embrace the Crown Chakra by: * Meditating – this helps you get in touch with your higher consciousness * Singing – helps you to find your deeper self * Revisiting your spiritual origins – this may be through prayer or participation in religious activities
The Chakras are interconnected and interdependent. They embrace the whole person – the irrational and rational, the intuitive and emotional, the pragmatic and the aesthetic and the material and spiritual.
You can activate your Chakras to improve your article writing and your daily living.
Copyright 2005 Ron Passfield
About The Author
This article is written by Ron Passfield, PhD, affiliate marketing coach, who is developing his affiliate business through the step-by-step coaching offered by the Affiliate Classroom: http://www.affiliate-marketing-coach.blogspot.com/.
Subscribe to Ron’s weekly “Emarkting Strategies” ezine and receive a bonus gift: http://www.emarktingstrategies.blogspot.com/.
This article was posted on December 05, 2005
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