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Writer's Notes - By Jeanne Dininni

WritersNotes.Net: Helping Writers Follow Their Dreams Through Information, Inspiration, and Encouragement!


Research Is Serious Business

I don't know about you, but I do a lot of online research—and I mean a lot. And I consider my research serious business. When hunting down relevant information for a blog post, article, or other piece of writing, I want to know the date the content was published. Frankly, I don't have the time to institute a diligent search of the site in an attempt to uncover this critical piece of information only to find that it's been intentionally hidden from me. I don't believe it's unreasonable for a reader to expect a website or blog to provide this information if its owner expects to be quoted as an authoritative source and have his or her content linked to and relied upon as being accurate and up-to-date.


Mere Datelessness an Evergreen Post Does Not Make

The problem is that too many bloggers seem to believe that by leaving their posts undated, they somehow make their work more immediate…more timeless…more evergreen. I believe they're wrong about that. A piece of writing requires more than mere datelessness to qualify for the "evergreen" descriptor. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that a piece of writing that depends solely on this method for creating its sense of timelessness isn't really evergreen at all. Far from viewing an undated blog post as timeless or evergreen, I often feel somewhat irritated that I have no idea when it was written. That unknown creates a sense of uncertainty about the content that can encourage me to move on to a more citable source.

Granted, it's often possible to get a reasonable idea of when a post was published by looking at the date its first comments were left. But, should a reader really have to creatively search out a post's publication date or depend on comment dates as reliable time indicators? I'd say, "No."


Content—Not Date—Determines a Post's Longevity

In my view, a blogger whose content is truly timeless has nothing whatsoever to fear from dating his or her posts. If they are well-written and contain information or concepts that stand the test of time, people will continue to read them many years after they were published, since they'll continue to yield valuable information through the years. Even if their information should age a little less gracefully, finely crafted posts will maintain their historical value, which will ensure their continued usefulness despite their prominently displayed publication dates.


How Important Is this Issue?

I will admit that in many cases, undated blog posts are nothing more than a minor irritation. However, there are times (for example, when writing about technical topics) that responsible research practices require a writer to know whether the information he or she is relying on is up-to-date. Even certain historical events need to be placed on a timeline.

My view is, why make it harder for a writer to use your work (and in the process send a backlink your way) when all you have to do is place a date on your post to make it more "user friendly"? What could be simpler? What could make more sense?


Are You Willing to Take the Risk?

I can't help but wonder why a blogger would be willing to chance having a writer go elsewhere to complete her research and thus lose the opportunity to become an authoritative source. Even if your readers are simply reading your blog for their own enjoyment, why subject them to the uncertainty and irritation of wondering when the post was written? Why risk losing readers over a practice that offers minimal advantage at best? That's certainly not a risk I would want to take. How about you?


Here's to successful blogging practices,
Jeanne


What's your take on this issue? Are there any aspects you believe I'm missing? How has your own policy on dating blog posts developed or evolved over time?



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Note: This post presents Part 5 of my Guide to Polished Writing series. For more thorough coverage of the topic, please consider reading Parts 1 through 4, as well. You’ll find them in my Writer’s Notes’ Pillar Posts list under “Writing: The Craft.” (My apologies for the long gap between the last post in the series and this one! So many factors conspired against its completion!)



Pursue the Goal

Once the preliminaries of developing your plan, organizing, and creating your structure are out of the way, you can get down to the actual business of fleshing out your framework through research and beginning to create your written work.


Phase 1: Complete Your Research

Research Requirements Vary By Project

Depending on the type of writing you’re working on, you may require a great deal of research, very little, or possibly none. Every writing project is different. Often, non-fiction will call for the most comprehensive research—though this is by no means always true. It really depends on the depth and complexity of your topic, as well as the degree of your own expertise in your subject matter.

Quite often, fiction will also require a significant amount of research, as the writer seeks to present believable characters, settings, situations, and action. As one might expect, historical fiction demands particular diligence in research, as the author recreates both the realistic surroundings and accurate events of another time, skillfully weaving them together with the story’s plot to create a historically integrated tale.

Poetry, on the other hand, might require no research at all—unless it, too, is historical or you decide to study its various forms and elements before crafting your poem. You may also choose to research the works of other skillful poets, either famous or more obscure, before you write to see what’s been done before, thereby enriching your creative perspective and acquiring a more comprehensive literary or cultural context for your poem.


Research Is an Ongoing Process

In this guide, I’ve placed research after planning, with the assumption that you’ll actually be researching more or less continuously (as necessary) while you develop and organize your writing plan. Many would place research much earlier in the writing process, since a certain amount of preliminary research is needed in order to even begin to plan a written work. Yet, knowing that research is largely an intuitive process best engaged in when specific information is needed, and trusting the writer to consult appropriate sources whenever the need arises, I’ve chosen to emphasize research during this late stage of the process, at which time you’ll begin pulling together your ongoing research before beginning to write and completing it only during the writing stage.

You’ll likely find it helpful to fill in as many of your informational blanks as possible before you begin your actual writing, putting the final touches on your research only as needed during the writing process, by investigating the finer points of your topic as you write.

The Study Guides and Strategies website places research much earlier in the writing process than I have in this series. However, I trust you, as the creator of your written work, to recognize when and what specific research you require to give your piece form, substance, accuracy, and credibility. The foregoing website presents a number of helpful resources for completing your research, planning and organizing your piece—resources which you can use no matter when you choose to complete that research.


To your writing success,
Jeanne


Stay tuned for the next installment of this series: "Pursue the Goal, Phase 2: Write Your Piece."


Did you enjoy this post? Have any thoughts to share about research? Do you follow a specific plan when completing your research, or do you "go with the flow," completing research as needed and as the spirit moves? Or does it vary with the project? Have you found many--or any--differences in your research habits based on the type of writing you're doing? Or, are you fortunate enough to know so much about a topic (or niche) that you can write about it with little or no research? We'd love to hear your thoughts!



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Note: This post presents Part 4 of my Guide to Polished Writing series. For more thorough coverage of the topic, please consider reading Parts 1 to 3 first.


Plot the Course


Phase 2: Create Your Framework

Begin mapping out the precise route you will follow when you begin your writing journey.


Make an Outline

Preparing an outline will allow you to map out the specific route you will take to reach your destination. (For guidance on how to format an essay outline, go to this page at BookRags [simple outline] or this page at Albany.edu [complex outline]. This traditional outline format may also be used for non-fiction books. For outlining your non-fiction book using the modern mindmapping method, visit this BookCoaching.com article. To create a plot outline for your fiction book, get the link to Holly Lisle’s free PDF mini-course at HollyLisle.com.)


Step 1: Main Points

First, determine your main points. Generally, about three main points are recommended when outlining shorter works, though this could vary considerably based on length of writing project, as well as depth and complexity of topic or storyline.

In book length works, these are the equivalent of topical or chronological sections (non-fiction), major plot elements (fiction), or other similar divisions of your content into major categories.

In articles, essays, or other short non-fiction pieces, these will include the main section topics and/or major points into which your work will be divided.

In plays or screenplays, these will be your Acts.

In short stories, these might be your sections or Parts (if your story is long enough and you stylistically choose to include these plot divisions.)

For poetry, you’ll want to outline—or at least list—the progression of ideas and images you hope to achieve as your poem unfolds. The structure or lack of (formal) structure of your planned poem will, in large part, determine the degree to which you’ll be able to do this in advance of the actual writing of your poem. (Again, don’t worry too much about this, if your chosen poetic form is non-conducive to this particular planning technique; you’ll be able to make up for it during the creative stage.)


Step 2: Sub-Topics

Next, break these main ideas into sub-topics. (Again, the number will vary based on project format and size, as well as subject or plot complexity.)

With books, whether fiction or non-fiction, this step will involve dividing your content into chapters. (This could vary, however, based on the book’s complexity, with more involved works possibly requiring further subdivisions prior to the chapter-division step.)

For articles, essays, and other short non-fiction, these will be your secondary points or sub-headings.

In plays/screenplays, and even short stories, these will be your Scenes.

In poetry, this stage is akin to determining what you hope to convey in specific parts of your poem, such as in each verse—or even in, say, the first or last line of every verse (i.e., the progression of ideas and images that will carry the thread of your main idea or message through to the end of your poem.)


Step 3: Major Support

Then, add the major points of evidence, explanation, or clarification which support your premise, theme, or message to each of your sub-topics.

For non-fiction books, these will be the major divisions of each individual chapter, or the main sections of which each chapter is built.

For fiction books, this will consist of the skeletal structure, or basic framework, of each chapter—the main plot elements that will occur in the individual chapter.

For articles, essays, and other short non-fiction, these will comprise your main supporting information for each sub-heading or sub-topic.

With plays/screenplays, and short stories, these will be the plot portions that begin to unfold in each scene.

For poetry, this section will likely be unnecessary—except, perhaps, in the case of lengthy epic poetry, which is broken down into sections, with various parts of the tale unfolding in each segment of the poem.


Step 4: Minor Support (Details)

Finally, add supporting details to each of your major supports.

Book-length non-fiction, to be sure, will include still further divisions beyond these, as each individual chapter will also need its own outline (in which case, what we are here calling “supporting details” will, in reality, actually become the secondary points, or sub-sections, of each chapter-long subdivision of the book). We are, however, still following the same basic outlining format by applying outlining principles to both the main divisions and the more specific subdivisions of the larger work.

For book-length fiction, this portion need not be nearly as involved as it is for non-fiction. In fiction, this would consist of notes on what the meat of the chapter, the actual narrative, will contain, including the specific scenes and descriptive and explanatory elements of the story. In fiction, it's rarely necessary to make a detailed outline of each individual chapter, as it is in non-fiction. It will generally suffice in this step to simply list any important plot or other elements you want to be sure you remember to include in the chapter.

In shorter works, these will be the nuts-and-bolts details which illustrate, describe, or prove our points (non-fiction), fleshing out our piece, or a list of the specific actions, images, occurrences, conflicts, descriptive elements, or character-development revelations (fiction/plays/screenplays) that move our story forward. Again, for fiction, this may be limited to the more important elements, plot twists, etc., that the writer wants to remember to include.

For poetry, these consist of the particular phraseology, and the specific imagery we choose to convey our message, as well as the manner in which we choose to express the more concrete aspects of our poem.


Asking yourself the questions listed in Phase 1 of this section and assembling your data into a coherent outline (or other format appropriate to the specific type of work) will help you maneuver through the planning stage, which is considerably more specific than the preparatory stage and puts each of the more-detailed systems into place that will enable you to move into the action stage—the stage of actually completing the project.


Happy framing!
Jeanne


Stay tuned for the next installment of this series: "Pursue the Goal, Phase 1: Complete Your Research."



Did you enjoy this post? Have any tips about creating a framework for your writing? Any outlining tricks, secrets, or preferences? I'd love to hear your ideas!



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Note: This post presents Part 3 of my Guide to Polished Writing series. For more thorough coverage of the topic, please consider reading Parts 1 and 2 first.


Plot the Course

Once you’ve decided on your destination and thus prepared the way for the writing journey ahead, you can then begin to focus on the specific course you’ll need to follow to get there.


Phase 1: Design Your Project

Ask yourself these questions to help you choose the best writing route:

Which format would be best suited to the type of content I intend to deliver to my audience, as well as the message I hope to convey? Should the piece be long, short, or medium-length? Should it be presented in narrative form, Q & A, dramatic monologue/dialogue, stanza form, free form, or…?

What voice will I use to express my message most effectively? What style will work best for the material I’ll be presenting? Should I be authoritative, warm and engaging, sympathetic, casual, ethereal, descriptive, scholarly, incisive?

What will be the scope of this piece? How much information will I include? How detailed will my coverage of the topic be? Against what standard will I evaluate my information to determine what to put into the piece and what to leave out?

Where will my material come from? Internet research? Print publications? Interviews? Personal experience? My own imagination?

When will I begin the project, and when do I hope to complete it? How much work will I need to do to meet my writing or publishing deadline? Do I have a deadline at all? Is my deadline realistic? Can I change it, if need be? If not, what alternatives will I have for making sure that the project gets done in time?


The above questions should help you clarify the direction you’ll be taking, as you move forward toward the actual completion of your writing project.


Happy designing!
Jeanne


Stay tuned for the next installment of this series: "Plot the Course, Phase 2: Create Your Framework."



Did you enjoy this post? Have any thoughts, experiences, or tips on designing your writing project? I'd love to hear them!



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Note: This post presents Part 2 of my Guide to Polished Writing Series. For more thorough coverage of the topic, please consider reading Part 1 first.


Prepare the Way


Phase 2: Articulate Your Intentions

Articulating your intentions is a way of compiling your newly-clarified purposes into a cohesive preliminary plan that will help you get started with your particular writing project.


Nonfiction:

Write out your thesis statement, or topic sentence, expressing exactly what your book or article will offer the reader. This will, of course, be based on your responses to the Phase 1 questions, which have laid out the purpose or purposes you have for writing this piece. At this point, your process will be similar whether you plan to write a book-length work or an article. In later sections, the process for each will vary.


Fiction:

Choose a genre appropriate to your planned story, and write out a plot synopsis, as well as any underlying message, or theme, you hope to convey through your story. Decide on a basic setting and overall mood and create a list of characters with a short description of each, indicating each one’s significance to the tale, as well as any character development that will prove integral to the story’s unfolding plot and theme.

List any specific settings/symbols/fictional techniques/literary devices you plan to use (e.g., suspense, irony, etc.), which would be instrumental in the effective presentation of your story. Here again the process for novels, short stories, and plays (including screenplays) will be quite similar at this early stage.


Poetry:

Choose your poem’s specific theme, focus, and tone. Decide on your poetic style and format, determining whether you’d like your poem to include end-rhyme, internal rhyme, and/or regular meter—or not. (Often, these aspects will take on a life of their own as the poem unfolds—so be prepared to change your plans here.) If your poem will be metered, either decide on a meter now or wait until you begin writing.

Decide on any specific literary techniques you’d particularly like to utilize to convey your message. (Here, again, you may be delighted to discover that some of these techniques will often strike you unawares during the writing of your poem, as inspiration carries you along; so don’t worry too much about these at this point.) Some examples: alliteration, assonance, consonance, simile, metaphor.


Your approach, as you begin plotting your actual course, will depend not only on your answers to the Phase 1 questions, but also on the time and care you take during Phase 2 to assemble them into a coherent expression of your intentions and to decide on the specific writing techniques and literary elements you plan to call upon to bring your work to life. Taking the time to ask and answer the Phase 1 questions and formulate your intentions in Phase 2 before starting to write will help you determine the best path to follow as you forge ahead in the direction of your goal.


Here's to your well-formed intentions!
Jeanne


Stay tuned for the next installment of this series: "Plot the Course, Phase 1: Design Your Project."



Did you enjoy this post? Have any thoughts on articulating your writing intentions? Or, have any other insights on writing that you'd like to share? Can't wait to hear them!



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Writing Is Serious Business

No matter what kind of writing you do, writing is serious business—even if you happen to write humor. You might have them rolling in the aisles, laughing so hard they’re sure their sides will burst; yet, you, the writer, must be in total control of the entire process the whole way through. You can seem as if you aren’t, but that will simply be your well-thought out ploy to set the mood you’ve been planning to convey right from the start. You are the architect, designer, and creator of your written works, and it is you who make them what they are. They never happen by accident, but are always the result of choices—choices made by you.

Other than talent, creativity, inspiration, and imagination, the key ingredient in the writing process that will enable you to end up with the finished piece that you hope to produce is planning.

When you write, you must have a clear goal—a destination or purpose—in mind. If you have no idea what you hope to accomplish when you begin writing, how will you ever know whether or not you’ve succeeded? If you don’t know where you’d like to end up in your writing journey, how will you ever know what path to follow to get there, and how will you ever know whether—or when—you’ve arrived?


Prepare the Way

Before you can begin to create a coherent and well-organized piece of writing, you’ll need to do a little prep work.


Phase 1: Clarify Your Purpose

To clarify your purpose, goal, or destination, ask yourself the following questions before you begin to write:

For whom am I writing this piece? Is it meant for a specialized audience, or am I seeking more widespread appeal? If it is intended for a specific audience, who is that target audience? What do I know about that audience that will help me connect with it?

Why am I writing this piece? Is it intended to entertain, inspire, inform, encourage, persuade, teach—or perhaps a combination of these?

What do I hope the reader will take away from this piece? Do I want her to act on my recommendations? Do I desire to change his way of thinking about an issue? Would I like to help her solve a problem?

Which vehicle will best lend itself to the journey ahead? What kind of “package” would be most appropriate for conveying the type of content I hope to deliver to the reader? Article? Book? Short Story? Essay? Poem? Play? Web Copy?

To what niche, genre, literary or stylistic category does this piece belong?

What materials, supplies, and resources will I need to effectively complete the project? Will I have access to these with reasonable ease and without great expense?


By asking yourself the above questions, you'll pave the way for the next phase, during which you'll make some concrete decisions about precisely what you hope to accomplish through your piece.


Happy questioning!
Jeanne


Stay tuned for the next installment of this series: "Prepare the Way, Phase 2: Articulate Your Intentions."



Did you enjoy this post? Have any thoughts of your own to share about clarifying your purpose or about writing in general? I'd love to hear them!



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Word Sell Carwash Cartoon
Cartoon used with permission of Brad Shorr, Word Sell, Inc.



Words: A Writer’s Perspective

Words: the writer’s stock-in-trade…the intellectual currency with which we transact our business of touching the hearts and minds of those for whom we write

Words: the attire with which we dress our thoughts before sending them forth to greet our reader, make his or her acquaintance, and hopefully create a wonderful first—and lasting—impression

Words: the vehicles which transport ideas across streets or across continents, spreading them far and wide for all to encounter on near or foreign mental soil

Words: the soul-fed fires which ignite emotions…passions…hopes…and dreams…inspiring action while themselves sitting dormant on the page…or, no sooner spoken, dissipating, like a cooling summer’s breeze

Words: the silken threads of color woven artfully into tapestries of beauty, strength, and grace by artisans who patiently hone their skills and ply their craft with care

Words.


Using Words Effectively

As writers, we are intimately involved with words. We use them every day to convey meaning. Yet, the degree of meaning we succeed in imparting to our readers through our words is directly proportional to the degree of skill with which we use them.

The Book of Proverbs contains a wonderful saying about using words effectively:

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” –Proverbs 25:11 (NKJV*)

What a lovely picture of the carefully chosen word!


The Writer’s Job

Our job as writers is to continually seek the best possible words to convey the precise thoughts we intend our reader to take away from our work. At times these words won’t come immediately, or easily, and we’ll have little choice but to think a while longer—maybe even to go back to that section later, or even tomorrow, looking at it with fresh eyes, a fresh perspective, and a fresh infusion of thought and inspiration.


Don't Let Deadlines Create Carelessness

Yet, when we face a deadline and have no time to wait for inspiration to strike—no time to let our writing “age” and return to it tomorrow—we simply have to tough it out. We must refuse to give in to the temptation to use a careless word or phrase—one that we know deep inside just isn’t “right.” (And the temptation to do so can be strong.) We need, instead, to mentally wrestle with the thought, to visualize the image we hope to convey, and pull from somewhere within ourselves—or if need be our thesauruses—the word that paints the most vivid picture of the thought we’re envisioning so the world can see it, too.


Poorly Chosen Words Create Misunderstanding

When we refuse to take the time to choose our words with care—and no doubt about it, that’s hard work—we’re often misunderstood. Our job as writers, then, is to anticipate the information the reader will require for accurately processing our ideas and then distill that information into a form (word, phrase, sentence, line) that the reader can grab hold of mentally and make sense of. This gives our readers satisfaction as they read our work—a sense of connection with our own thought process which helps them relate to our words and appropriate their meaning for themselves.


The Final Read-Through and Revision

When we’ve come to the end of a piece of writing (a blog post, article, chapter, or poem), we still aren’t finished yet. No matter how wonderful we feel about the job we’ve done, how clever we think our work is, or how pleased we are with ourselves, there’s one more step that we ignore to our peril: We absolutely must reread our work for structure, rhythm, sense, and flow. The very best way to do this is aloud, because sound is an important indicator of trouble in one or more of these areas.


Finishing Touches

As you read, look—or better yet, listen—for awkward phrasing, confusing sentence structure, unclear meaning, or unpleasing, abrupt, or non-melodious language. Be sure you’ve used transitions that draw your reader smoothly and effortlessly through your text, creating literary bridges from one paragraph or sentence to the next. Take special note of the word order you’ve chosen and the rhythmic effect it creates, and when needed, reorder your words to give your writing a smoother, more fluid quality.


Ruthless Revision

You’ll nearly always find sections you thought were absolutely brilliant while writing them that on final read-through sound confusing and unclear. Please do your readers a favor and revise them—regardless of how clever or inspired they may have seemed at the time. We often become enamored with our phrasing, and convincing ourselves to let it go can be a struggle. But always remember that there’s lots more inspiration where that came from, so you can afford to cut a clever phrase for the sake of clarity.


The Finished Product

When we’ve finished revising our work, our goal is to have a piece of writing that’s clear, engaging, and easy for our audience to read, understand, and enjoy. And at all costs, we want to avoid repeating the mistake made by our friend in the above cartoon. He either didn’t give enough advance thought to the wording of his sign, or he didn’t reread it before posting it. (If he did reread it, he did so without considering the possible ways the public might construe it.) And that’s a mistake we never want to make with our writing.


Happy revising!
Jeanne


* New King James Version


This post is my entry to Brad Shorr's Word Sell Writing Contest.



Did you enjoy this post? Have anything to add? Has Brad's cartoon inspired any thoughts? If so, we'd love to hear them!



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A Great Article on How You Can Develop Confidence as a Business Writer

The following article was written by my friend and fellow blogger, Joanna Young, of Confident Writing. This article is offered for free distribution by EzineArticles.Com; so I thought I'd share it with my readers to help you become a more confident business writer, as well as to highlight the wonderful content you'll find on Joanna's blog. (Many of Joanna's tips and techniques also apply to other types of writing, as well; so bear that in mind as you read, and look for places in your own writing where you can practice these helpful principles.)


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Business Writing with Confidence - An ABC Guide
By Joanna Young


Confident writing is an essential part of effective business communication. Most people would agree with this statement but how many of us have the skills or the confidence to put it into practice? Anxiety about grammar rules can leave people tongue tied. All too often business writing is seen as a barrier, a stumbling block rather than something that can add value to your contribution at work.

But here’s the thing: you don’t need to learn the rules of a grammar book to write with confidence at work. You just need to work on three basic elements of good business writing: authenticity, brevity and clarity. It’s what I call the ABC guide to confident writing at work.

Writing with authenticity

Writing with authenticity means being real, sounding human, sounding like yourself. It’s great for creating rapport with other people, whether that’s your colleagues, customers or potential clients. Most people want to do business with another human being and it’s even better if that’s someone they feel they can get to ‘know’ and trust.

To make your writing more authentic:

* Make use of plain, everyday words: go for short, simple words; avoid jargon and clichés; use everyday words rather than corporate or business speak

* Use a conversational style: this doesn’t mean slang – it does mean feeling free to use short sentences and contractions like “I’m” or “we’ll” or “let’s” (all great for the flow)

* Find your own words: spend a little bit of time jotting down your own words for the things that are most important to you (ideas, your business purpose, your values) and start to work them into your writing. This is a great way to sound like you really mean business!

Writing with brevity

Most people are drowning in information overload. So much for the paperless office – most of us are suffering from too much paper, a deluge of e-mails and more reports than we’ll ever have time to read. You’ll really start to win friends and influence people if you keep your writing short and to the point. Your readers will thank you for the time and effort saved, and you’ll also make your message more punchy, powerful and memorable.

To write with brevity:

* Keep each sentence short: aim for an average of 18 – 25 words a sentence. This is good writing practice and will get you into the habit of writing less

* Cut out excess words: go back and edit your work once you’ve written a draft. Cut out as many excess words as you can. Then do it again (and again till it’s done.) Enjoy seeing your message emerge more clearly!

* Write within limits : set yourself a word limit and practice working to it. It’ll improve your skills of writing with brevity and help you stick to the point

Writing with clarity

You’ve got something important to say so you want your writing to stand out. Clear writing makes it easier for people to read, follow and understand what you’re saying. Now this is the place where grammar does come into play because there are some rules – whether you like it or not – that are there to help us understand your meaning. You need to master these basic rules if you want your message to be clear and easily understood.

To write more clearly:

* Know your point : be clear what you’re trying to say, and why, before you start to write. Boil your message down to no more than 10 words. That’s your message: focus on that and it will shine through your writing

* Manage your writing: work out which grammar points are stopping you from writing with clarity (like use of apostrophes). Ask a colleague or friend to help identify them. Then take responsibility for learning and applying the rules. There are plenty of books, websites and writing coaches who can help with this

* Keep it simple: use short sentences, cut out excess words, use plain, everyday language

I don’t know if you noticed some common themes running through these writing tips. Keep it short, keep it simple, use plain language, know your point and stick to it. These are the fundamental rules of good business writing and if you apply them you will find it easy to write with authenticity, brevity and clarity. Effective business writing needn’t be hard – it can be as easy as ABC.

Joanna Young is a writing coach who helps people to write with confidence - to realise the power of their own words. You can find out how to work with Joanna or read more of her writing tips at Confident Writing.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com expert=Joanna Young

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Hope you've enjoyed these great tips on confident writing by a very confident writer! Don't forget to visit Joanna's blog for more great content on writing confidently!

Happy writing!
Jeanne



Did you enjoy this post? Was it helpful? Have anything to add? If so, please feel free to comment!

And, while you're at it, why not visit Joanna' s blog and do the same?



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Sugar & Spice Anthology Needs More Conventional Online Poetry Written By Women

Gerald Bosacker of Bosacker Books, is putting together a poetry anthology, to be entitled Sugar & Spice. This compilation of the works of various female poets which have already appeared online in one internet venue or other will be comprised of conventional, mostly rhymed and metered poetry.

A number of my own poems will be included in the anthology, and I wanted to share this opportunity with my female readers who have written poetry of this type and had it published--or may yet have it published--online. Remuneration will likely be small; however, your inclusion in the anthology would give you one more--or perhaps your first?--published clip. And since it will be in a print publication, it will likely carry a bit more weight among future potential publishers than an online publishing credit, as it's generally so much easier to be published online.


The Opportunity, In Mr. Bosacker's Own Words

Here's what Mr. Bosacker had to say to me in an e-mail written in response to my submissions back in July:

If your intent is monetary compensation, refuse permission as the financial yield will not be great. I sell poetry, and receive but a small fee, even from large magazines. I do take pleasure in the paid recognition, no matter how small. SUGAR & SPICE does not auger huge sales, but all of the royalties will be divided amongst the authors, in proportion to their share of print. I will not contribute, nor share royalties. I have no idea how well the anthology will sell, but it is not a scam, nor profit making venture.

Let me know if you wish to be included...


Anthology Release Delayed Due to "Scarcity of Good, Conventional Poetry, Written By Women and Posted on the Internet"

Mr. Bosacker had hoped to release Sugar & Spice by October 1st, but has had trouble amassing enough good conventional poetry written by women which has been published on the internet. His latest correspondence of a few weeks ago informs me that, at this point, he only has about one-third of the poetry he needs to fill the 200-page book. At that rate, it could be a while before the book goes to print--unless the internet poetesses among us will begin submitting our best work ASAP.


Visit BosackerBooks.Com for Submission Information

Feel free to visit the Bosacker Books website for more information about the planned anthology and/or to find out how to submit your work. The book's cover may be viewed at the following link: Sugar & Spice Poetry Anthology.

While Sugar & Spice will likely not be a high-profit venture for those of us whose work is included, there is always the possibility that it will sell better than Mr. Bosacker expects. Whether or not it does will no doubt--in part, at least--be dependent upon how much buzz we ourselves are able to create for the book via our websites, blogs, word-of-mouth, and possibly even through asking our fellow writers and bloggers for their help in spreading the word.


Are You a Conventional Female Poet Who Has or Will Soon Put Your Work Online?

If you are a female poet and you have some well-crafted conventional poetry sitting in the bottom drawer of your desk, the back of your closet, or even the darkest corners of your garage or attic, you might just want to consider digging it out, reassessing its quality and appropriateness for this market, touching it up if needed, posting it on one of the online poetry websites* first, and then submitting it to Mr. Bosacker for the Sugar & Spice Poetry Anthology.

If your work is already posted online, so much the better! You will be able to submit it to the anthology with a minimum of hassle. So, scour the sites you've posted your work to, find your best poetic masterpieces, and consider submitting them if you'd like to be a part of this book project.

If you don't already have some conventional poetry hidden away somewhere--either online or off--but have the heart of a poet(ess), why not write a few poems, submit them to the poetry site(s), and then forward them to Mr. Bosacker. Send your best work, though, because Mr. B is looking for very well-executed conventional verse. Let's show him that good conventional poetry written by women and published on the internet isn't really as scarce as he thinks it is!

Best of luck to you!
Jeanne

*A few of the better websites that accept poetry are Creative-Poems.Com and MoonTownCafe.Com. To learn more about submitting your work to these sites, please see my earlier posts, Calling All Poets! More Info About Creative-Poems.Com and Calling All Poets 2: More Info About MoonTownCafe.Com. Other possible websites for posting your poetry--though they are not exclusively poetry sites--are Helium.Com and Associated Content.







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Short Stories Sought for Two Unusual Anthologies

Hadley Rille Books is seeking short stories for two of its upcoming anthologies: Desolate Places and Ruins Metropolis. If you happen to be an author of tightly written Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, or Mainstream Fiction, with a knack for expressing the "eeriness and wonder of a desolate place"--which can be either on earth or anywhere else in the universe--or a talent for creating captivating tales about ruins (in particular, a tale based on the third issue's cover art), Hadley Rille would like to hear from you.


Desolate Places: An Anthology Exploring "Magnificent Desolation"

For this volume, Hadley Rille seeks Science Fiction stories set in--you guessed it--desolate places. The folks at HR believe that "desolation stirs the imagination." For these tales, they prefer physically desolate settings, as opposed to more abstract desolation. A few of the questions they'd like your story to answer are the following: "Why are your character(s) there and how do they react to such a place? What do they expect to find?"


Ruins Metropolis: A Volume of Mysterious Dimensions

For this particular volume, as its title indicates, the company seeks stories dealing with ruins--specifically, the ruins depicted on the anthology's cover--with the story revolving around a particularly mysterious woman--also on the cover--who should be the story's protagonist. For this anthology, the third in the company's Ruins series, stories may represent a number of different genres--including Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, or Mainstream--as long as they feature the "ruins" theme.


Deadline, Story Length, and Payment Info

Deadline for submissions for both anthologies is October 31st, 2007. Ideal story length for both would be 2,000-6,000 words, though stories ranging from 1,000 to 7,000 words will be considered. While up-front payment for stories is relatively low ($25-$30 each), authors also receive royalties and one copy of the book. In addition, the opportunity for getting your fictional creations into print, demonstrating your prowess in crafting Fiction, and gaining exposure for your work within the above genres should provide another great motivation for you to consider this market.


Submission Guidelines for Both Anthologies

You may follow this link to read the info and guidelines for submitting stories to the Desolate Places Anthology. And here's the link for info and guidelines--as well as the cover art for which a story is sought--for the Ruins Metropolis Anthology.


Try Your Hand at Creating Desolation and Ruin

If you enjoy writing Fiction of the type described above--in any of the genres mentioned--take a look at Hadley Rille's guidelines for these two anthologies. You just might be able to make a few bucks writing the kind of stories you love. And, if you've already got a story or two lying around that you believe would fit one or both of these categories, by all means, consider sending it along. But, be sure to follow the guidelines; and, if you have any doubt that your story or story idea in fact fits what the company is looking for, be sure to query. Hadley Rille would be more than happy to answer your questions about exactly what they're looking for for these two anthologies.

Best of luck writing about desolation and ruins! And may your writing career be just the opposite!

Happy writing!
Jeanne







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Mining the Archival Abyss

With the speed at which new content is posted to many blogs today--including this one--older (though equally valuable) posts quickly become buried in the deep, dark recesses of the archival abyss, where they can do absolutely no good. So, in the interest of fairness to those who may not have read some of these earlier pieces, I've decided to resurrect those that I believe to be the most helpful, by linking to the original posts, here. (In fact, you'll find quite a few more links than might at first appear, since the first post on the list which follows is itself a list of links to other great articles on writing.)


Tips, Techniques, and Tools to Help Writers Succeed

Add Color, Clarity, and Style to Your Writing: A Linkfest

Failure-Tolerant Leadership for Writers and Others

Magnetize Your Blog: Always Reply to Comments!

Write Engaging Headlines: Use the Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyzer

Need Ideas? Let the New York Times Help!

Google Alerts Can Help You Detect Misuse Or Abuse of Your Writing

More About Google Alerts and Your Blog

Keyword Density: Your Key to Better Search Engine Ranking

One Look Dictionary Search: Your One-Stop Word Shop

Hopefully, you've found some information here that's helped bring you closer to meeting your writing/publishing goals!

Much luck to you in all your endeavors!
Jeanne







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Answers to Your Writing Questions

Daily Writing Tips is the place to go for the answers to all those nagging little questions that so often come up about the myriad nuances of the writing craft. You'll find thorough, well-written pieces here, containing valuable principles which will enable you to greatly improve your writing.


Advice from a Knowledgeable Team

The helpful advice you'll find here comes from three writers and an editor with an interesting variety of experience under their collective belt. This writing team brings its fellow writers, who seek sound advice for polishing their work and perfecting their skills, a wide range of time-honored principles and helpful hints about such topics as the following:

-The Shortcomings of Proofreading
-Proper Word Usage
-Correct Grammar
-Effective Spelling
-Writing Numbers and Numerals
-Using the Inverted Pyramid Style of Writing
-Proper Use of Articles
-Eliminating Unnecessary Phrases
-Using Imagery
-Increasing Vocabulary

...and much more.

Categories are listed below:

-Book Reviews
-Business Writing
-Fiction Writing
-Freelance Writing
-General
-Grammar
-Misused Words
-Punctuation
-Spelling
-Word of the Day
-Writing Basics


Here's to Your Literary Health!

So, if you'd like to have all those nagging little questions about writing answered to your satisfaction--and the overwhelmingly large ones, as well--and pick up a few new vocabulary words while you're at it, check out Daily Writing Tips, where a tip a day can mean better literary health!

Happy writing!
Jeanne






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Blog Day 2007 Badge - red


Blog Day 2007: Celebrating New Blogs Worldwide

Today is Blog Day 2007: A day to celebrate new blogs all over the world! In honor of Blog Day, bloggers have been asked to list, describe, and link to five new blogs--preferably representing a different country, culture, or focus than our own.

Here's what the Blog Day website has to say:

BlogDay was created with the belief that bloggers should have one day dedicated to getting to know other bloggers from other countries and areas of interest. On that day Bloggers will recommend other blogs to their blog visitors.

After writing our Blog Day posts, we are also asked to notify the bloggers we've chosen, which I plan to do via a comment on each one's blog.


Five Great New Blogs You Should Definitely Visit

Here are my choices (in no particular order) for five of the best new blogs from different parts of the U.S. and around the world. (Well...only one is currently outside the U.S: Confident Writing, which comes to us from Scotland; though one will soon be moving to Germany: Content Done Better. Yet, for some of you, the U.S. is on the other side of the world!) All these blogs are either only several months old or under new ownership.

I will let the bloggers who create the magic of the written word on their blogs speak for themselves, via quotes from their About pages and blog posts.


Pro Blog Design

Pro Blog Design. Michael Martin has this to say about his very helpful blog and also about blog post formatting:

I have been designing websites for a few years now, and enjoying every minute of it.

Over time, I’ve learnt a lot about working with blogs, and through Pro Blog Design I hope to share that knowledge with others. Content on a blog is of course, King, but does the King get the attention he deserves when draped in ragged garments? Of course not! In the same way that the grandeur of the King is crucial to his success, your blog’s design is crucial to yours. (from Michael's About page)

As bloggers, we write pages upon pages of content each week. We spend hours promoting the articles, choosing the right words and trying to get our point across as clearly as possible. How can formatting be used to further improve our posts?

There are a few basic tools that you will have heard mention of time and time again, such as bolding words. The first section re-explains their purpose, and the second will explain how to perfect your usage of them to achieve optimal formatting. (from Format Blog Posts for Readability and Legibility)


Confident Writing

Confident Writing. Joanna Young says the following about her quality site and about why she writes:

Hello I'm Joanna Young, The Confident Writing Coach...My aim is to get people writing with confidence. To realise the power of their words. How we work is partly up to you - but my approach is based on a blend of coaching, teaching, editing and writing - tailor made to your needs. (from Joanna's Welcome and Work With Me sections)

(Post Title: Why Do You Write?.) For me, it's something to do with the power of connection: the connections we can make with other people, the connections we develop between our own ideas, making sense of our experience, pulling together spaghetti strands of random thoughts and creating something new, connecting back to our roots and our selves and coming out with a stronger sense of who we are.

But then again maybe it's that thing I call realising: the sweet, slow dawning of realisation. Recognising the things that you always knew to be true. Recognising - with a jolt - your self in your words. Realising the power of your words, and taking responsibility for their power and impact: on yourself, on other people, on the world. Grounding yourself with the specificity of words. Validating your experience with words which are not real - but can make us feel that our experiences are. Allowing ourselves to be changed by the words that we write. (from Why Do You Write?)


ChrisBlogging

ChrisBlogging. Chris Bibey describes himself and his insightful blog and shares a few words of wisdom on freelancing:

For more than three years I have been earning a full-time income online. My main sources of income include a wide range of freelance writing projects, and of course, blogging.

But although I do not know the first thing about web design or coding, I still earn three times as much as I did as a corporate slave.

The goal of Chrisblogging.com is to show you how I make money, how you can join me, and much more! (from Chris's About page)

There is no denying that a few big jobs make up a large part of my monthly freelance writing income. But guess what? I also believe that smaller jobs are every bit as important. Sure, I would love to work on high paying jobs only, who wouldn’t? But the reality of the freelance writing industry (at least for me) is that this is not always possible. For this reason, I always think twice before I turn down any small jobs that I am offered. (from Don't Always Turn Down the Small Jobs)


ProBloggers Matrix

ProBloggers Matrix. Mark gives us this inviting welcome to his blog, and some great info about blogging (taken from one of his excellent posts):

Hello, I’m Mark.

Welcome to ProBloggers Matrix. I’ll be sharing blogging tips. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to post them in the comments. (from Mark's About page)

If you’re like me, you love to write, you love to publish great articles on your authoritative blog and you also enjoy reading excellent articles in many fantastic blogs. That can be very time-intensive, but you need to get out and exercise! Get the blood flowing! Get into The Zone! (from How to Stay in the Zone and Keep Wowing Your Readers with Spectacular Articles)


Content Done Better

Content Done Better. Michi Beck's blog has an intimate, inviting atmosphere, due to her personal, engaging writing style. Her Under New Ownership section tells us this about her background, followed by an apt quote from one of her posts:

During her career she has written many informative articles on various subjects including economics, technology, local happenings, and human interest stories.

In addition to the newspaper and Internet work, Michi has had poems published and is currently working on her first novel, of which the first draft is nearing completion. She enjoys both fiction and non-fiction writing, and often takes the time to write about the smaller things in life, as she believes those things have lessons behind them that most people do not realize. It is not only the big things that are important in our daily lives, and since she is often reminded of that it appears frequently in her particular style of writing. (from Michi's Under New Ownership page.)

(Post Title: When It Rains, It Pours.) Have you ever noticed that? You could be in a ‘dry spell’ in your work life and then all of a sudden things go crazy, and you’re left shaking your head and wondering how you’re going to get it all done.

I mention this because it happened to me, rather recently. I’m not sure whether to be overwhelmed and annoyed that everything showed up at once or happy because of the work and income. Hmmm…..I think I’ll go with “happy because of the work and income.” (from When It Rains, It Pours)


Five Great Blogs to Bookmark and Visit Again and Again!

Be sure to visit the above blogs soon--and often! And don't forget to give these hard-working and insightful bloggers a little link love! It will be more than worth your while, as you continually enjoy their latest words of writing wisdom.

Congratulations go out to these five new bloggers for making their blogs places where we can go to pick up the best info, tips, techniques, and advice, to make us all better, more responsive, and more productive bloggers!

Happy Blog Day!
Jeanne


Technorati Tag: Blog Day 2007


P.S. I realize I posted this a little late in the day--particularly for those of you on the opposite side of the world to the U.S., where I live! My apologies. But, I believe I did manage to post it in time--though barely! If I missed the deadline in anyone's time zone, Happy Belated Blog Day!







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A Virtual Trip Around the Blogosphere

In my latest travels around the blogosphere, I've uncovered some excellent content that can truly be a boon to any writer interested in a fresh approach, a new inspiration--in short, any writer seeking the motivation to write with renewed vigor and vitality.


Confident Writing: Posts to Both Inspire and Get You Thinking

Please check out Joanna Young's excellent post, When Writing Means Spirit Spilling, at Confident Writing. This piece explores the process of writing from the deepest parts of ourselves and, through quoting the wisdom of several knowledgeable bloggers, links out to other blogs you'll find most helpful in your quest to grow your own writing.

Two of Joanna's other pieces, The Ingredients of Confident Writing, and How to Learn from Your Writing, are also insightful looks into the components that help make our writing fresh and engaging. They also link to other related posts on her own blog and/or elsewhere in the blogosphere.


The Golden Pencil: Pieces on Perfectionism, Freelancing Dos and Don'ts, and Marketing Your Work Objectively

Anne Wayman, at The Golden Pencil, has written a succinct, yet very helpful post called, Don't Worry About Perfection--Go for Effective, reminding us that perfectionism is a trap and wisely counseling us to let it go.

Anne has also posted two guest pieces that offer practical guidance to help writers more effectively run their writing business. Top Dos and Don'ts for Freelancers, by Lori Widmer, offers 14 basic tips to help writers "make a go of freelancing," and Sending Out Ships, by Charlotte Rains Dixon, counsels us to write personally but submit our work objectively.


Passionate Blogger: Giving and Receiving Series to Help You Reap the Same Recognition You Sow, and How to Avoid Information Overload in Research

Wild Bill, at Passionate Blogger, has posted the first two parts of his excellent and informative multi-part series on giving and receiving: Give and Receive Series - Part 1 - Technorati Favorites and Give and Receive Series - Part 2 - StumbleUpon. These two posts explore the importance of giving lavish recognition to other writers/bloggers and letting the "getting" take care of itself, specifically covering how to do so through Technorati Favorites and StumbleUpon. The upcoming third post in the series will explore how to do this using Alexa.

Another excellent post on Wild Bill's site, about avoiding information overload when researching and writing blog posts (and which could also apply to other types of writing), is Stop Cramming for a Post! This insightful piece is an apt reminder that focusing on what we do know (known, in blogging, as our niche), can help us steer clear of excessive and unnecessary research, saving us valuable time and making us more productive.


A Writer's Words, An Editor's Eye: Customer Service and Productivity for Freelance Writers

Lillie Ammann, at A Writer's Words, An Editor's Eye, has written a brief but inspiring post, called The Simple Truths of Service: Will You Be a Johnny Today? that points us to a helpful video and serves to remind all freelance writers how important good "customer service" is to writer-client relations--despite the fact that, as freelancers, we have no "Customer Service Department." This piece--along with the video it introduces--tells us, in effect, that we must be our own "Customer Service Department."

A second great post, entitled How Do You Stack Up Against the Average Worker in America? asks us, as homeworkers/freelancers, to weigh our own productivity level against that of the average American working outside the home, providing an interesting comparison of the two, and hopefully providing writers with a little incentive to work on becoming more productive.


Four Great Blogs to Bookmark and Return to Again and Again!

It is my hope that the above posts will help you become more effective at both the craft, and the business, of writing. Why not bookmark these four great blogs, so you can return to them later to check out the other valuable content they are certain to post in the future! (You may also want to search their archives for buried treasure!)

Until next time,
Jeanne



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The following article on effective writing is reprinted here with permission, in the hope that its timely tips will help you more precisely convey the points you desire to get across to your readers--whether in a magazine or journal article, on your blog, in an ad for your product or service, in a sales letter, or in your essay, report, poem, short story, novel, or non-fiction book.

This article is Copyright 2003 by Cathy Stucker, IdeaLady.com.


Words That Work

Do you sometimes agonize over choosing just the right word for your letter, brochure, ad or other written materials? Words have meaning, and choosing the right words is important.

Headlines and titles are especially important. You want to use words that will grab the attention of readers and encourage them to read more.

As they read more, you want to persuade them. This is true whether you are writing a sales letter or brochure, a how-to book, or a novel. Writing (good writing, anyway) is designed to convince the readers of something. You may be trying to sell them something, teach them something, or get them to believe in your story. In any case, the words you choose will directly affect your success.

First of all, be precise. Is it bi-monthly or semi-monthly? You may think they are the same thing, but they're not. Bi-monthly means every two months. Semi-monthly means twice a month. There is a big difference. Make sure your words have meanings that express what you mean.

To find just the right word, use a thesaurus. I like to use the thesaurus in my word processor, because I can quickly jump from one word to another.

When using a thesaurus, however, remember that the words you see listed will be similar in meaning to your original but not identical in meaning. Make sure you fully understand the meaning of any word you might use. Back when I was working in personnel, I received a resume that referred to the applicant's "promiscuous" experience. I don't think that's exactly what
they hoped to convey (at least, I hope that's not what they meant).

There is a wonderful book called, "Words That Sell" by Richard Bayan. It is like a thesaurus for marketing copywriters. For example, if you look up "Results" you get suggestions including fast-acting, never lets you down, performs, does the job, and many others. There are categories for many types of marketing messages.

Choose words which produce the emotional response you want. Words that get attention include new, secret, free, unknown, cash, insider, etc. These words give the impression that you are letting the reader in on something special.

Use alliteration. That means words that begin with the same sound. For example, Peter's Perfect Plan or Secrets of Super Success. Hard sounds (such as p, k or t) and the s sound are especially good. Say your line out loud to see how it sounds.

Watch for hidden meanings. Words may have acquired new meanings, and those new meanings may alter the effect of your sentence. Be aware of new slang usage. Your dictionary may not be current enough to help you. (Borrow a teenager for the most up-to-date information!)

Avoid jargon (most of the time). Don't assume your readers will understand what you mean when you use a technical term or bit of jargon. Use clearly understood language. If you must use jargon, explain it. One time you can use jargon is when you know your audience will understand it, and your use of jargon will mark you as one of "them". Jargon can identify you as someone who knows an industry.

Ask for input. Ask friends and potential customers to read what you've written. What do readers think of when they read or hear your words? Do they come across as friendly or abrupt? Do they seem believable? Do they properly convey your message? If so, congratulations! If not, keep working at it.

No matter how good your writing is, it can always be improved. So, keep reading, keep writing, keep testing and revising to make your writing as good as it can be.

You'll find lots of great information on growing your business and more at http://www.freearticles.biz/. Most articles may be freely reproduced at your web site or in your print or online newsletter.

**************

Hope this article will prove valuable to you in your quest to make your writing all that you'd like it to be!

Happy writing!
Jeanne


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Just in case you fiction writers out there need a bit of inspiration to sit down and pen a tale--particularly a suspenseful crime tale, I will share with you my flash fiction piece, Confession. This short story won a recent writing contest at Iron Pyramid Publications (out of 64 entries) and is currently ranked #1 out of 52 stories about "The Other Woman" on Helium.Com. (Though the rankings at Helium can change daily, Confession has so far held the #1 slot since its posting in January 2007.) It's quite suspenseful--or so I'm told.

Read on--and then sharpen your pencils, fire up your computers, get creative, and start writing!


Confession
A Wife Lets Her Unfaithful Husband in On a Murderous Little Secret

Hello, Darling.

You'd better sit down. I have something to tell you.

I went for a walk tonight...to your mistress's house. Yes, Darling, I've known about her for weeks. And, you know, it wasn't as difficult as I'd imagined it would be.

She didn't utter a sound when it hit. I hadn't really expected her to. Her eyes merely took on a fleeting expression of...shock--as if she couldn't comprehend what was happening and was absolutely petrified by it all--and then...it was over.

All it took was one shot. It was what a pro might call "a real clean job," though now I know that pros don't mean the same thing when they say "clean" as we amateurs are likely to think.

Actually, it was quite messy. You know, Darling, people like me--average, everyday folks, who've never had occasion to handle firearms (previously, that is)--tend to think of them as instruments that drill neat little holes into people and that's that. For some reason we visualize no blood; we imagine no gore. How naive we are, Darling!

That's not at all the way it is! In fact, it's terribly shocking the first time you look down at that...corpse...covered in real, red, blood--the kind you could never stand the sight of--and staring, like something out of a horror movie, at...nothing. And it's eerie the way it lies so still, exactly the way it fell. You keep expecting it to move, to look up at you and say something...but it doesn't. It just lies there...staring.

Well, Darling, I stood there looking down at her...at it...for a while--a few minutes, perhaps--to be sure that she was dead. But, no, that wasn't the reason. I knew she was dead. I suppose I simply couldn't draw myself away. After all, I'd never seen a...corpse...before.

You must understand, Darling. I hadn't wanted to kill her. As they say: In other circumstances, we might have been the best of friends. But try to imagine what it must be like to lose the one you love most in life, the one who supplies the little sunshine there is in your drab existence, the only one you've ever trusted! Have you any idea how it feels to have that trust betrayed? But how could you, Darling? You've never had the misfortune to experience it. If you had, you'd understand that the act was committed in desperation. You'd see why I had to do it.

I freely admit that I went to her house for the express purpose of killing her. But I wasn't responsible for my actions. You've no idea how the hatred and jealousy seethed in me as I left the house earlier this evening. The emotions were beyond my control; they'd grown and multiplied since the first day I learned of your affair, until I simply had no choice but to satisfy them. They drove me to an act I would never even have contemplated before they dominated my life.

I did it because I loved you, Darling. But, you know what's funny? Tonight I discovered something infinitely more satisfying than love. Can you guess what it is, Darling?

Yes, that's right--revenge!

Good-bye, Darling...
**************

Now, you try it! Then, check out the second Relate This Post listing at the end of this blog entry for some info on a possible market for your crime-related masterpiece. (To learn more about Helium.Com, check out the first Relate This Post link.)

Happy writing!
Jeanne


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Words: The Tools of Our Trade

We writers have an almost endless array of words from which to choose in crafting our written works. And, for the most part, we have an amazing degree of latitude in our choice of which of the terms from our (hopefully) wide vocabulary we will use in any given piece.

The problem lies in the inability of many to distinguish between those words in our immense communal bag of literary tricks which bear removing and using often and those which should be seldom used and would, in fact, very likely best be left sitting in the bottom of the bag, conveniently forgotten and undisturbed.


Write With Precision!

There are so many wonderful words which brilliantly advance our themes, expressing our thoughts with precision, painting pleasing (or at least appropriate) literary pictures in our readers' minds, beautifully clarifying our topics, and effectively allowing those who approach our works to grasp the thread of our argument, the gist of our explanation, or the heart of our story--and which do so without unduly and unnecessarily distracting the reader from our topic and forcing him or her to focus, instead, on our annoying word choice.


Don't Sacrifice Your Credibility

One term which I, personally, find extremely distracting and the use of which, in any kind of serious writing, in my view, immensely detracts from a writer's credibility--one of my literary pet peeves, in fact--is the word "sucks" when it is used in its slang form, to mean "is terrible or inferior." I would even venture to say that this use of the word in any type of serious writing and/or in any professional context is itself terrible and inferior--at least to me. (And, no, I won't use the term itself to describe its use.)


Writing Requires Craftsmanship!

I must be honest in saying that, as a writer who takes my craft very seriously--and as a reader who takes my avocation every bit as seriously--whenever I encounter this use of the word in a written work which is non-casual and is intended to be taken seriously from either a literary or a professional standpoint, my critical assessment of the writer (or at least of the writer's craftsmanship/good judgment) instantly drops a few notches.


Don't Drive Your Readers Away!

In fact, to be totally honest, it would take nothing short of a literary miracle to keep me reading beyond that point in a formal, official, literary, or professional piece. (Aside from excessive or extremely vulgar profanity, the use of this irritating term in a professionally written piece is one of the quickest ways for an author to lose this reader in mid-sentence, sending me on my merry way to look for greener literary pastures.)


Write With Purpose, Write On Purpose

I realize that today's younger adults have grown up hearing--and using--this term and it has become almost second nature to many of them. I realize, too, that, as the saying goes, "Old habits die hard." But, if you take away anything at all from this post, let it be this: To write effectively, you must not only write with purpose, you must also write on purpose. If you would truly communicate with your reader and capture his or her attention and interest--and hold it--you must choose your words carefully, targeting them to your audience, your topic, and your venue, and cutting out any terminology which has the potential to alienate your audience and thereby defeat your literary objective.


Is Alienation Your Intention?

(Of course, for some of you, your objective might actually be to alienate your audience--or a portion of it--in which case I would only say that this word should suit your purpose nicely. But this type of writing would not generally tend to fall under the purview of serious literary or professional writing, which is the kind we are discussing.)

So, please think twice about the terms you use in your writing--for your reader's sake--as well as your own! Don't give your reader a reason to stop reading and seek more suitable or appropriate content elsewhere.


Slang: When In Doubt, Leave it Out!

Slang can often be used very effectively; but only if it is used with discretion, if it is not overused, and if the slang terms chosen do not irritate, or lower your credibility with your reader, causing him or her to lose respect for you either as a communicator or as an authority on your subject--or worse yet, both.

Where slang is concerned, the recommended rule of thumb is, When in doubt, leave it out! It simply isn't worth the risk. Alienating your audience over such an unnecessary and easily correctible problem, would be very unwise. After all, it can be hard enough to hold our readers' attention even without throwing such literary stumbling blocks into their path. So, why would we ever want to do that?


May you always write effectively!
Jeanne


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If you're relatively new to short story writing--or simply curious enough to check out another viewpoint on the subject and interested in possibly picking up a few pointers you may not have seen elsewhere--you might want to take a look at Short Stories: 10 Tips for Novice Creative Writers. This is a pretty comprehensive article covering quite a few different aspects of the art: well, actually, ten to be exact. Though aimed at college students (and also written by one), it presents a group of timeless principles and helps for writing short fiction that could prove useful to any writer.

From emergency tips to get you started, to developing your characters, and from creating conflict and tension, to finding a resolution for your story--this article takes you through the complete fiction-writing process, giving you all the tools you'll need to create your fiction piece.

If you'll take these fiction-writing ingredients and mix them thoroughly with a dash of inspiration, a sprinkle of imagination, and a handful of hard work, you may just manage to serve up the next famous fiction masterpiece!

Your public awaits!


Fictionally yours,
Jeanne


P.S. This site includes some other interesting info and resources, in addition to the article on writing short fiction.



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If you're looking for a site that will help you master the writing craft and/or prepare you for your own personal journey on the path to publication, Writing-World.Com has a great deal to offer!

This site is chock full of great information for the aspiring--or practicing--writer! Some examples:

~An interesting variety of books on the writing craft itself and on marketing your writing, including volumes containing specific markets for your work. (Their book inventory also contains a few books on subjects other than writing.)

~An impressive list of more than 600 writing-related articles that can be read right on the site. These articles are all well catalogued and categorized for easy reference.

~A contest database featuring a wealth of info on entering--and not being scammed by--writing contests.

~A list of certain selected markets for your work.

~A long list of links to other online resources for writers.

~A call for articles on writing that they will purchase from you to add to their database, complete with Writer's Guidelines.

~A "Guide for Launching Your Writing Career," containing a wealth of great advice that can get you started on the road to a successful freelance writing business. (This section also includes a lot of great advice on the real nitty gritty, down-to-earth, seat-of-your-pants aspects of writing.)

~A great section on how to avoid writing scams, presented along with info on copyright issues, rights, and contracts.

~A free monthly newsletter, containing many great feature articles, as well as recurring topical columns that you might find helpful.

As far as payment for articles is concerned, here's what they themselves have to say: "We pay 5¢/word for original articles, to a maximum of $100 (regardless of word count; thus, a 2500-word article is still paid only $100). We pay a flat $25 for reprints, and we definitely welcome work that has appeared in other publications (especially print). Payment is on acceptance. For humor, we pay a flat $15 per item. We will also exchange advertising space for editorial."

That doesn't sound half bad for an online market! So, if you enjoy writing about your craft, check out their Writer's Guidelines and try submitting your work. But be sure to check their article database to be sure your topic hasn't already been covered. You can do this via their Topical Indexes or their Master Article Index.

Take a peek at what Writing-World.Com has to offer. I think you'll be impressed!


And good luck!
Jeanne



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The following is an update added to my recent blog post about Iron Pyramid Publications' Writing Contest, which had previously been slated to run from April 1st to April 30th, 2007:

UPDATE 3/19/07: I've just learned that the new contest is open NOW, as R.D. has apparently decided not to wait until April 1st to begin accepting submissions, after all. So, if short stories are your literary 'cup of tea,' sharpen those pencils, fire up those computers, and get a head start on your entry! As far as I know, the deadline is still the same: April 30th.

For more info about the contest, see my March 17th blog post, Iron Pyramid's Latest Writing Contest Winner: 'Yours Truly'! New Contest Coming Soon!


Good luck!
Jeanne

P.S. New to short story writing? Or just a little rusty at it? Have a fantastic idea for a story and the writing skills to pull it off, but just need a little guidance in putting it all together? Check out this link: Short Stories: 10 Tips for Novice Creative Writers. It's a fairly in-depth resource that dissects and explains each element of the literary form--a resource that just might help make you a contender in the highly competitive short story market--not to mention the highly competitive short story contest! Even seasoned short fiction writers can find something of interest here.

Here are two other links that might prove helpful in your quest to win short story contests:
1. Short-Story Competitions: Increasing Your Chances of Winning.

2. Writers-Editors.com Contest Tip Sheet.

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