At some point, every serious writer is forced to sit down and conclude that there is something seriously wrong with their work. It wanders; it is pretty in some spots and horribly ugly in others. It doesn't always make sense, and is uneven in places. Even though every sentence is grammatically correct, there is something fundamentally broken about the piece.It lacks structure.Structure is what holds a good piece of writing together, the material reflection of the reader's psychological need for order. It is the quality that makes the best writing appear seamless, conjured whole from heaven itself. Structure is the logical mind's contribution to a creative process, and a primary difference between professional writing and amateur scribbling: a conscious decision and a learned skill.Being in many ways the very essence of writing, structure isn't mastered overnight. But here are a few rules of thumb that can help you improve the organizational readability of your work:Establish a logical order to your presentation.Ignore all the popular advice to "write like you talk"; that's a misguided appeal to conversational tone usage and a shortsighted encouragement for people who are terrified to put pen to page. In order to master structure, you must learn to write deliberately and with forethought. Plan what you're going to write and how you're going to write it: don't make it up as you go along, particularly when you are writing nonfiction of any kind.In nonfiction writing (which means anything that isn't fiction), the room for art is small. Don't set out to create art - build a sturdy framework, as a skilled attorney would build a legal argument. Make your supporting points early and establish the logical flow to consequences and conclusions. Don't loop back and make points at word 800 that you should have made at word five.Make your points quickly - write in 300-word chunks.That's the magic number: 300. Books are typically printed with about 300 words to a page; magazine articles will usually be structured into roughly 300-word segments. An effective press release, page of website copy or newsletter article won't run much above 300 words. Any longer and your reader will notice that something is off about your piece. Too much longer and your reader will get bored. For some reason, the human mind seems to be most comfortable reading at the 300-word length.That does not mean that everything you write must be short, only that long pieces should be built out of short pieces put in order. If you can't make your point in 300 words or less, then you are trying to make more than one point. Simplify the whole piece: break the manuscript down into single-point segments no longer than 300 words in length, and then put your points into a logical order that builds towards your final conclusions. The final product will seem to flow with a gentle rhythm that your readers might notice, probably won't be able to identify, and so will most likely attribute it to your talents.Try it: you'll be amazed.Take the entire piece down to a single thought, expressed in a single sentence, and then rebuild it from the ground up.When in doubt, strip the piece down and rebuild it from its primary components. The greatest threat to structure is diffusion; rather than trying to communicate one thing well, you end up saying lots of things badly. Good structure requires that you have a very clear idea of what you are writing, how you are doing it and why. Do one thing, and do it very well.Set the piece aside and attempt to make your final point in a single sentence, losing as little important detail as possible. Do not use compound sentences; keep it simple and limit it to a single direct thought. If you can't do it, then you do not have a clear enough idea of what it is that you're trying to accomplish - reorganize the piece or split it into several separate ones.An English sentence has a natural internal structure all its own. Look at your one-sentence summary and use its structure to inform yourself on how the overall piece should be structured. Once you've reduced your writing to its bare essence, you can reconstruct it on a much more solid foundation.In the end, professional writing is all about understanding the psychological needs of the reader. If you are writing purely for your own pleasure, with no intention of ever letting anyone else read it (and what a boring life that would be), then it doesn't matter because you're not really writing: you're keeping a diary.But if instead you want your writing to be appreciated by readers, structure is one concept that you can't live without.About The AuthorRobert Warren (www.rswarren.com) is a Florida-based freelance copywriter specializing in the unique marketing needs of independent professionals.writer@rswarren.com

"If you want to change your life," Harry Beckwith wrote in The Invisible Touch, "write a book." But writing a book can also be tremendously frustrating and unrewarding.Following are the 11 biggest reasons most first-time authors fail to receive the rewards they are due.1. Unrealistic expectations. Don't expect to get rich off your book, even if it's a success by publishing standards. The vast majority of books fail to earn out their advance.Instead, develop a personal marketing plan to leverage your career off your book. Instead of trying to make money on the book itself, use your book to open doors, promote your credibility and build relationships with readers.2. Writing without a contract. Never write a book without a signed contract. Instead, prepare a polished proposal and two sample chapters.Publishers are increasingly selective about the titles they accept. Often, less than 1 in 20 titles proposed are published. Writing a book that isn't accepted is not a good use of your time.3. No agent. You must be represented by a literary agent. Publishers rarely accept unsolicited book proposals. Unsolicited proposals are frequently returned unread or are simply discarded.The right agent will know exactly which publishers might be interested in your book. Agents can also negotiate terms more effectively than you.4. Weak titles. Titles sell books. The title of your book is like the headline of an advertisement. The title represents your one and only chance to attract the attention of acquisition editors or bookstore readers.Successful titles stress the benefits readers will gain from your book. Successful titles arouse curiosity and offer solutions. They often include consonants and alliteration (repeated 'hard' sounds like G, K, P or T).5. Title versus series. Focus on a series of books rather than an individual title. Publishers want concepts that can be expanded into a series rather than individual titles.6. Going it alone. Successful careers involve a nurturing support group of readers and peers. Your quest should include the support of your friends, other authors, book coaches, readers and others who will help you maintain your enthusiasm while providing ideas, assistance and feedback.7. 'Event' writing. Write a little each day rather than 'going away' to write your book. Stress is an author's biggest enemy. When you attempt marathon writing, you're putting an unrealistic burden on yourself. "What happens if I come back and my book isn't written?"8. Self-editing. Avoid unnecessary self-editing. It's far more important to complete the first draft of your book than to agonize over the perfection of every word.Editors will ensure that grammar is correct and ideas appear in the proper order. But they can't do anything until you submit the final manuscript.9. Failure to promote. Publishers are not promoters. Publishers are skilled at editing, manufacturing and distributing books. But they are not set up to give your book the marketing attention it deserves. A single publicist may represent over 100 books!If you want your book to succeed, you have to promote it as well as write it.10. Failure to back up and save. Save frequently when writing. Always save before printing. Never turn off your computer without making a copy of your files for off-premises storage. Never end a writing session without printing out a hard copy of the latest version of the chapter you're writing.11. Failure to plan future profits. Before writing your book, create a book marketing plan. Book sales should be just the first step in an ongoing relationship with your readers. Your plan should identify opportunities from consulting, newsletters, audio/video recordings, seminars, speeches and yearly updates.A book can, indeed, change your life. But you must take charge; take a proactive role in promoting and leveraging its success.Roger C. Parker knows the secrets to promoting your business one page at a time. Find out the simple way to keep in constant touch with your customers, while saving you time and money. Visit http://www.OnePageNewsletters.com for your three free reports.

What do you mean, you don't have a website yet? Websites these days aren't just for businesses and people who want to share their obsession with Buffy the Vampire Slayer with the world. These days, websites are one of the most important tools for writers...Why get a writer's website?First of all, ask yourself why you write in the first place. If you can honestly put your hand on your heart and say that you write only for yourself, and you don't care if no one ever reads your work, then I'll concede the point: you probably don't really need a website.If you're like the vast majority of aspiring writers, though, and you'd secretly (or even not-so-secretly) love to see your name in print, or to actually make a living from your writing, then I'll say it again: you need a website.But why?Well, if you're serious about carving out a career for yourself in writing, the first thing you need to know is that a successful writing career isn't just about writing. If you're really serious about selling your writing, you need to get serious about marketing it.Here's an interesting fact for you: the most successful freelance writers aren't necessarily the best writers. In fact, some of them aren't even all that great at writing in the first place. They're good at marketing. Selling themselves ? and their writing. And what's one of the easiest ways to start marketing your writing? By getting a website.Promoting your writing with your own writer's websiteLet's face it ? selling ourselves isn't always something that comes naturally. As writer's (and often just as people) we're used to self-effacement. Some of the best writer's I know are the most modest. They know how to write: they just don't know how to sell themselves.If you fall into this category, a website can be a fabulous work-around for the problem of how to sell yourself effectively. In simple terms, once you have your own writer's website, you don't have to worry about selling yourself ? your website will do it for you.A writer's website allows you to:* Post samples of your writing so that prospective clients can see for themselves how well equipped you are to write for them.* Give potential publishers, employers and fellow writers a means of contacting you to offer you work and ask for quotes.
* Position yourself as an expert in the field of writing, thus making it more likely that people will actually want to make use of your service.* Display testimonials from your satisfied clients.* Take advantage of the fact that the web is where employers are looking for their writers.It's the last of these points which is possibly the most significant. Let's look at why: The number one reason why writers need websitesWhen an employer is searching for a freelance writer, editor or proofreader, where do you think they look? Well, they may look in their local yellow pages or business directory, or they may go by word of mouth, but for most people, the very first place they'll look is online. Trust me, when you run an online agency for freelance writers, you find out very quickly just how many employers there are who use the internet to find a writer!If you don't have a presence on the internet (i.e. a website), how will these employers ever find you? Yes, you can rely on using an agency like my own, but with a little bit of hard work, and a well-designed website, you could be bringing in clients yourself.Still think you don't need a writer's website?Hot Igloo Productions Ltd., offers bespoke websites for writers starting at only

'Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." -Stephen KingEver wonder what the hands of fate will deal you in the way of success as a writer? Or why some individuals reap the rewards of literary recognition, while others fail and fade into anonymity?Just as highway signs alert travelers of their impending destination, there are give-away indicators that point to "the road to success" for writers.Here are checkpoints that reveal you're in the literary fast lane!You're Playing the Field- The more genres of writing you apply your talents to, the greater the odds of continued publication and pay. I began my journalistic journey over a decade ago, writing poetry and greeting card verse.What I discovered was that poetry (although my first love), was not very marketable. As a result, these efforts alone met with very little success until I decided to try feature writing for magazines. This change in strategy not only allowed me to establish publishing credits and an impressive portfolio, but also financed the self-publication of 3 volumes of poetry chapbooks and opened avenues for paid performances and open mike competitions as well.Jennifer Brown Banks- Page 2 8 Tell-Tale Signs?You're an Avid Reader- It is virtually impossible to become a marketable writer without reading and studying prominent writers and various styles of expression. Whether you're a member of a local book club, subscribe to a few on-line publications, or regularly escape through a good Harlequin Romance, you're moving in the right direction! Being an avid reader helps you expand your vocabulary, become familiar with different writing styles, and understand the needs of your audience.You're Self-Disciplined- Unlike other professions and industries, writing is by and large a do it yourself success story; there is no delegating or getting by on other team members' strength. It's either sink or swim! You establish your own goals, develop your own game plan, and assume sole responsibility for your career. Successful writers go the distance by making writing a priority, honing their craft and persevering through rejection.You Understand that Writing is a Business- Far too many writers fail to recognize that writing is a business. One that requires much more than creativity and a command of the King's English. To achieve professional status, one must have marketing savvy, time management skills, analytical ability, research knowledge and familiarity with the industry. It also requires putting money back into the "business" by investing in trade related materials such as the Writers' Market, computer equipment and business cards (to name a few things).Jennifer Brown Banks- Page 3 8 Tell-Tale Signs?You Recognize the Importance of Critiquing- Whether it's through a writers' group, a mentor, a college professor, or people whom you admire and trust. Getting an outside, objective analysis of your work can mean the difference between rejection and perfection. Just as "love is blind," many of us are far too close to what we've created to see flaws or gaps in what we're trying to convey.You Know the Meaning of Working Smart- At least 50% of my writing income is generated from resales. The well fed writer realizes the potential to resell and represent the same pieces many times over just by changing the slant and minor details, and by negotiating rights.You're Navigating "the Information Super Highway." Do you Google? Are you able to successfully research, review writers' web sites, and submit work via the Internet? Doing so decreases down time, increases productivity, and puts you in the fast lane to creativity. Check out the following writers' E-zines to enhance your bottom line:Absolute Write Newsletter- http://www.absolutewrite.com- This weekly contains articles, interviews and calls for writers.Inscriptions-http://www.inscriptions.com- Features weekly calls for writers, interviews, book reviews and announcements.Jennifer Brown Banks- Page 4- 8 Tell-Tale Signs3. National Association of Women Writers- http://www.naww.org- Produces a newsletter that provides useful insiders' tips, motivational quotes, contests, conferences and more. It also serves to support and promote the works of female authors.A great book to also help you improve your surfing savvy is 300 Incredible Things to Do on the Internet by Ken Leebow.You Write for the Love of It!- Do you practically eat, sleep and drink writing? Love to communicate and connect? In this field, perhaps more so than any other, passion precedes success. Having the desire to educate, entertain and empathize through the written word is indeed a noble ambition. And it is this philosophy that will allow you to persevere and avoid "road rage" in your daily travels!COPYRIGHT 2004 JENNIFER BROWN BANKSAbout The AuthorJennifer Brown Banks is a writer, poet, speaker and literary consultant. Her work is featured monthly as a contributing writer to Being Single magazine. Additionally, she is a high school substitute teacher.Publishing credits include: Chicago Sun-Times, Being Single Magazine, Funds 4 Writers, Writing for Dollars, Honey Magazine, Today's Chicago Woman, National Association of Women Writers' Weekly, Empowermag.com, Gospel Synergy and a host of on-line and print publications.Her upcoming book of poetry "A Paradox in Pink" is due to be released in fall 2004. Banks is listed in Marquis' Who's Who in America.She may be contacted at
Jennifer Brown Banks
P.O. Box 208821
Chicago, IL 60620-8821
E-mail Jenniferwriter@yahoo.com

~TYPES~You Want Us to Write What? Understanding the Task AssignedWhich academic essay writing types we use depends upon which
disciplines (or classes) we write for. Each instructor or
professor will assign papers that invite us to reveal in
writing what we have learned/what we think about the
material for that particular class:* ANALYTIC-A classic style used in art, science, history,
psychology, education, and most other disciplines across the
curriculum to explore and investigate an idea, process,
person, action, or attitude.* ARGUMENTATIVE-Used in more advanced English classes, in
philosophy, and in courses which include theory.*COMPARATIVE/CONTRASTIVE-Used in most courses where specific
analysis of like and unlike elements, characters, and ideas
lend themselves to comparison.*DEFINITIONAL-Written when we apply a more thorough study to
a topic, especially an abstract one.*DESCRIPTIVE-Used to more intensively, more concretely cover
an idea, item, or subject.*EVALUATIVE-Often confused with analytical, the evaluative
essay moves beyond the what and how to the how much...we put
a value on the topic here.*EXPLANATORY-Also called the expository essay (though I tend
to see all essays as expository, as exposing a truth about
something). With this type we further our own and our
readers' understanding of the subject.*PERSONAL-Also called the response essay, the personal style
essay is still well written (readable for an audience other
than the writer), but is more informal--containing narrative
details that entertain.*RESEARCH-While most essay types will include references or
will quote authorities, the research essay is mostly
informational, using the findings--the stats and facts--we
made investigating the findings of others.~MODES~Modes and Types and Modes...Oh Crimeny! Avoiding ConfusionWe need not panic when called upon to do a specific type of
college paper writing. Why? Because we already use the
types...on a smaller scale.That is, we use miniature versions of the essay types when
we write paragraphs for the complete essay. A type and a
mode are the same thing, then. One is just smaller, while
the other is an extension of the smaller.For example, we write about the forms and functions of
gossip for a sociology paper. We open with a definition
paragraph that shows how the word "gossip" originated from
the word "gospel." Then we continue to discuss how gossip
brings people closer--emotionally, spiritually, and even
physically.Go Easy on Yourself: Your Confusion is UnderstandableJust as we might call all writing expository, we call one
type and one mode an expository type of essay and an
expository mode of writing. So is the piece I'm writing
explanatory, definitional, comparative? I include
explanatory elements. I use definition and example. I slip
a comparison in, too.Here's one way to look at types/modes:--We write a paragraph or passage in a certain mode. --We
can then turn that smaller piece into a whole essay, into
one long, extended mode.Here's another way to look at types/modes:We buy a box of gourmet chocolates. We lift one from the
box: we understand that the thing we hold in our hands is a
chocolate. It also has chocolate in it.Here's one more way to look at types/modes:You own a Camaro with a Corvette engine. They're both
Chevys.You're Going to What, Now? Confuse Us All Over Again?No. Now that we have the types/modes separated enough to
understand the difference, I'll just remind you of one more
thing: we can and usually do overlap the modes. No one
piece of academic essay writing exists in one isolated mode
alone. It includes many varied sub-styles to make it more
engaging, entertaining, and expository.And it requires a number of major parts--an opener, a main
body of text, and a closer. And you know what? These parts
are written in the modes.I'll add more pages on academic essay writing. Much more.
So if you haven't had enough, come back again for monthly
freebies. But for now, if you want to check out samples you
can use as models for modes/types, click here for mode
samples written by college students.One more thing about college paper writing:Enjoy the process. Find one thing in it you like and are
good at.N.H.-born prize-winning poet, creative nonfiction writer, memoirist, and award-winning Assoc. Prof. of English, Roxanne is also web content and freelance writer/founder of http://www.roxannewrites.com, a support site for academic, memoir, mental disability, and creative writers who need a nudge, a nod, or just ideas?of which Roxanne has 1,000s, so do stop in for a visit, as this sentence can't possibly get any longer?.

As one of those fabulous Baby Boomers, you now own a lifetime of valuable experiences, experiences that are useful to other people. You've given so much to your family all these years. It's dawning on you there may be a larger audience who would benefit from your knowledge. You're just beginning to hit your stride. Writing a book is too daunting. The speaking circuit isn't quite right, either. What else can you do?One easy answer is a tips booklet. Create a tips booklet from those discoveries you've made -- with your family, your work, your personal interests, your trials, and your victories. You can make a huge contribution to someone else's life by passing along your first-hand wisdom, in bite-sized pieces. It will definitely take you less time, money, and stress to write a booklet than an entire book. Plus you'll become an instant author.Your everyday solutions may have seemed like common sense at the time. And for you, it was. With some distance and further evaluation, you now see what was common sense to you isn't necessarily common sense to someone else.? Look at the answers you found for creating balance between home and work.? Re-examine the paths your business took from start to today.? Think about the journey you had with health care providers for your parents.? Remember the experiences and ideas you generated traveling with your children.? Ponder the processes you implemented for volunteer community groups.These are a few ideas to get you thinking. This will jog your memory into a wealth of material to write about, a gold mine to share with others. Your challenge may then become selecting only one topic for a booklet. The process of sharing ideas can be lucrative for you, both in personal reward and in dollars. There are thousands of companies and organizations that will find your booklet useful as a vehicle for promoting their own product, service, or cause. When your booklet relates to a business of your own, that booklet will also be a marketing tool for you every time you sell your booklet to someone else who distributes it for their own purposes. It is a win in every direction.Once you've completed your booklet manuscript and identified potential buyers to contact, consider what other formats the manuscript content can become. Before you know it, you'll have an entire line of information products related to your original idea, products that will serve you and the people receiving your information in ways limited only by your imagination and willingness.Paulette Ensign (herself a thriving Baby Boomer) has personally sold over a million copies of her own tips booklet "110 Ideas for Organizing Your Business Life," in 4 languages and various formats all without spending a penny on advertising. She has clients, worldwide, who have met and surpassed her results. Contact her at http://www.tipsbooklets.com or phone +1-858-481-0890 (Pacific Time Zone).

ADAPTATION 101Brimming with confidence, you've just signed the check purchasing the rights to adapt John Doe's fabulous, but little known novel, Lawrence of Monrovia, to screenplay form. Suddenly, panic sets in. "What was I thinking? How the devil am I going to convert this 400-page novel to a 110-page screenplay?"The answer is: "The same way you transport six elephants in a Hyundai... three in the front seat and three in the back!"Old and very bad jokes aside, how does one pour ten gallons of story into a one-gallon jug?In this article, we'll take a look at this challenge and a few others that a writer may encounter when adapting a novel to screenplay form.CHALLENGE NUMBER ONE - LENGTHScreenplays rarely run longer than 120 pages. Figuring one page of a screenplay equals one minute of film, a 120-page screenplay translates into a two-hour motion picture. Much longer than that and exhibitors lose a showing, which translates to fewer six-cent boxes of popcorn sold for $5.99 at the refreshment stand. It took the author of your source material 400 pages to tell the story. How can you possibly tell the same story in 110 pages, the ideal length for a screenplay by today's industry standards?And the answer to this question is no joke. "You can't! Don't even try!"Instead, look to capture the essence and spirit of the story. Determine the through-line and major sub-plot of the story and viciously cut everything else.By "through-line" I mean, WHO (protagonist) wants WHAT (goal), and WHO (antagonist) or WHAT (some other force) opposes him or her? It helps to pose the through-line as a question."Will Dorothy find her way back to Kansas despite the evil Wicked Witch of the West's efforts to stop her?"The same needs to be done for the major sub-plot."Will Dorothy's allies achieve their goals despite the danger they face as a result of their alliance?"One workable technique is to read the book, set it aside for a few weeks, and then see what you still remember of the story's through-line. After all, your goal is to excerpt the most memorable parts of the novel, and what you remember best certainly meets that criterion.In most cases, everything off the through-line or not essential to the major sub-plot has to go. Develop your outline, treatment or "beat sheet" accordingly.CHALLENGE NUMBER TWO - VOICEMany novels are written in the first person. The temptation to adapt such, using tons of voiceovers, should be resisted. While limited voiceovers can be effective when properly done, remember that audiences pay the price of admission to watch a MOTION (things moving about) PICTURE (stuff you can SEE). If they wanted to HEAR a story they'd visit their Uncle Elmer who drones on for hour upon hour about the adventures of slogging through the snow, uphill, both ways, to get to and from school when he was a kid, or perhaps they'd buy a book on tape.The old screenwriting adage, "Show, don't tell!" applies more than ever when writing an adaptation.CHALLENGE NUMBER THREE - "LONG-THINKING"Some tribes of American Indians had a word to describe those of their brethren who sat around thinking deep thoughts. Literally the word translated to, "THE DISEASE OF LONG-THINKING". Quite often, lead characters in novels suffer from this disease."Mike knew in his heart that Judith was no good. Yet she caused such a stirring in his loins, he could think of nothing else. He feared someday he would give in to this temptation named Judith, and his surrender would surely bring about the end of his marriage!"If adapted directly, how on Earth would a director film the above? All we would SEE is Mike sitting there, "long-thinking". That is not very exciting to say the least. And as mentioned previously, voiceovers are rarely the best solution.When essential plot information is presented only in a character's thought or in the character's internal world, one solution is to give this character a sounding board, another character, to which his thoughts can be voiced aloud. Either adapt an existing character from the novel or create a new one. Of course as always, you should avoid overly obvious exposition by cloaking such dialogue in conflict, or through some other technique. Even better, figure out a way to express the character's dilemma or internal world through action in the external world.CHALLENGE NUMBER FOUR - WHAT STORY?Mark Twain is quoted as saying about Oakland, California, "There's no there, there". Similarly, some novels, even successful ones, are very shy on story and rely for the most part on style and character to create an effect. Some prose writers are so good at what they do, that their artful command of the language alone is enough to maintain reader interest. Such is never the case in screenwriting.Successfully adapting a "no-story-there" novel to screenplay form is a daunting task. One approach is to move away from direct adaptation toward, "story based upon". Use the brilliant background and characters created by the original author as a platform from which to launch a screen story. In fact, if for any reason a screenplay doesn't lend itself to screenplay form, consider moving toward a "based upon" approach, rather than attempting a direct adaptation.Congratulations! You're now an expert on adapting novels to screenplay form! Well maybe not an expert, but hopefully you have a better understanding of how to approach the subject than you did ten minutes ago. And if the subject still seems too daunting, you can always get professional help as outlined on our web page http://www.coverscript.com/adaptation.htmlLynne Pembroke and Jim Kalergis
Coverscript.com
URL: http://www.coverscript.comAbout the Authors:Lynne Pembroke is a writer, poet, screenwriter and owner of Coverscript.com, with over 18 years of experience in screenwriting and screenplay analysis helping individual writers, screenwriting competitions, agents, studios, producers and script consulting companies. Services include screenplay, TV script and treatment analysis, ghostwriting, rewriting and adaptation of novel to screenplay. Jim Kalergis is a working screenwriter experienced in the art of adaptation. Visit http://www.coverscript.com for details.

1. Use Logic: Check for External PressuresAre you under physical or emotional stress? Is your diet lacking? Do you need more sleep, or more restful sleep? Would a visit to the doctor be in order before you start beating yourself up about your inability to concentrate?2. Start brainstormingJot down all the possible plot permutations you can think of. At first, these will be fairly logical. Then, as you run out of options, you'll find that you start to come up with more off-the- wall ideas. These might be just what you need to get you going again.3. Ease into your writingStart your writing session with something that's 'easy' - a letter, a shopping list, a recipe, a 'to do' list. Then move on to a brief session of free writing. THEN go back to your story. You may find, as others have in the past, that a half-hour session of writing in a journal or diary is a good warm-up for a writing session.4. Take some time outOnly you know how much time this should be. Sometimes the subconscious simply needs time to work its magic. That might be a day, a week or a month. Obey your instincts. You might think that the danger is you'll never get back to it. Okay: perhaps that means you don't LIKE it enough to get back to it. Writing shouldn't be a penance. Find a job or a hobby that you DO like.5. Revisit the last few pagesGo back ten or twenty pages and revise. You could even retype the last page completely, and see if that releases new ideas.6. Use the tried and true 'carrot' trick. Reward yourself!Think of something you'd really, really like. (Of course, the family might object if you want to reward yourself for your diligence with a trip to Bali.) A chocolate? A trip to see a movie? Dinner out? New clothes? Set yourself a task that is commensurate with the size of the reward - and DO IT.7. Pressure Cooker TacticsSome of us work well only under pressure. You'll probably know if this applies to you by thinking back to how you handled homework, assignments and exams at school. If you can produce when the pressure's on, then set yourself a deadline. Don't make that deadline too unrealistic, though, or you may find that you're setting yourself up for failure - again.8. Change the time and venueJ.K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book in extended stints in a cafe (or so the story goes). Roald Dahl worked in a battered garden shed. Try changing the venue or the time of your writing - from home to a library; from late evenings to early morning; from the kitchen table to a table in the corner of your bedroom.9. Meditate or go walkingSometimes it helps to get out in the fresh air, or to sit quietly and move into a meditative state and just let the ideas flow. Or not flow. Perhaps what you need is to dissociate yourself from the world for a while.10. KEEP walking... remember Forrest Gump...Don't want to write any more at all? OK. Then walk away and keep walking. Nobody said you have to write. Why write if it makes you miserable? It may ALWAYS make you miserable. If that's the case, don't do it. It really is that simple.Or...it may be making you miserable NOW, but you loved it in the past and you expect you will again. If so, walk away just for a while. Give yourself an extended break - and only go back to the keyboard when you just can't stay away any longer. That's the best cure there is for writer's block. (c) copyright Marg McAlister Marg McAlister has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers' tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/

ESSAY 3Writing an autobiography involves a matching up of a specific plot-structure with a set of historical events. The autobiographer wishes to endow these events with a particular meaning. Some writers see this process as "essentially a literary, that is to say, fiction-making operation." The document, the autobiography, is still a historical narrative. It is one of the ways a culture has of making sense of both personal and public events. For it is not the events of a life that are reproduced through the writer's description; rather, it is a direction to think about these events, a charging of the events with "different emotional valences," that the writer produces. Of course, a writer does not like to see his work as a translation of "facts" into "fiction." But the crisis in both historical thought and in the writing of autobiography may be illumined by the insights gained from this perspective.The ordering of events in a temporal sequence does not provide any necessary explanation of why the events occurred; for a history, an autobiography, is not only about events, it is also about possible sets of relationships, only some of which are immanent in those events. For the most part they exist in the mind of the writer and the language he or she uses. Hayden White argues that "if there is an element of the historical in all poetry, there is an element of poetry in every historical account." History is made sense of in the same way that the poet or novelist tries to make sense of it. The unfamiliar and mysterious is made familiar. Both the real and the imagined are subjected to a process aimed at making sense of reality. For this reason history often appears fictionalized and poetry often appears like reality, like history. Writers of poetry and fiction, says Hayden, impose formal coherence on the world in the same way writers of history do.Such a view, if taken seriously, would go a long way to freeing historians from being captive of ideological preconceptions. Drawing historiography closer to its origins in literary sensibility, in the literary imagination, may help to increase understanding. For an increase in facts does not necessarily bring understanding. Chronicles of events, the sense of 'what really happened,' types of configurations of events, the emplottment of sequences of events, are determined as much by what facts are put in as what are left out and by the extent to which the writer can engage in constant currection and revision, in tireless seeking out of new information.Aristotle saw poetry as unified, intelligible and based on the subordination of the part to the ends of the whole. History on the other hand was organized around continuity and succession, a congeries of events and is not intelligible in the same way as poetry is. He associated history with the unexpected, the uncontrollable, the unsystematic. Poetry he saw as part of an ordered and coherent schema. Poetry was, to Aristotle, a more serious, a more philosophical, business than history. It speaks of universals; history of particulars.About the Author:Ron Price
2.1 Articles and Reviews: Journals
1. * "A History of the Baha'i Faith in the Northern Territory: 1947-1997," Northern Lights, 25 Installments, 2000-2002.
2. * Periodic Articles, poems and letters in "Newsletters," Regional Teaching Committees of the NSA of the Baha'is of Australia Inc., 1971-2001.
3. * Periodic Articles, poems and letters, Baha'i Canada and The Australian Baha'i Bulletin, 1971-2001.
4. * "Memorials of the Faithful," Baha'i Studies Review, September 2001.
5. * "Review of Two Chapbooks: The Poetry of Tony Lee," Arts Dialogue, June 2001.
6. * "Asia and the Lost Poems: The Poetry of Anthony Lee," Art 'n Soul, a Website for Poets and Poetry, January 2000.
7. * "The Passionate Artist," Australian Baha'i Studies, Vol.2, 2000.
8. * "Memorials of the Faithful," Australian Baha'i Studies, Vol.1, No.2, 1999, p.102.
9. * "Poetry of Ron Price: An Overview," ABS Newsletter, No.38, September 1997.
10. * "Thomas a Kempis, Taherzadeh and the Day of Judgement," Forum, Vol.3, No 1, 1994, pp.1-3.

In reviewing and browsing web sites over the years, I have compiled a list of the most common misuses of English by web authors. Here they are in Letterman (reverse) order.10. Who, which or that?"Who" (or "whom") refers to persons. "Which" refers to animals or things, never to persons. "That" can refer to either persons or things.Examples:The girl who was hungry.
The dog that wagged its tail.
The software which I wrote.9. Anyone vs any one"Anyone" means "any person," not necessarily any specific person. It could refer to multiple people simultaneously.As two words, "any one" refers to a single person.Examples:Anyone can download my software. But the software can only be used by any one user at a time.8. Commonly misspelled wordsAll right
Dependable
Independent
Recommend
Responsible
Separate7. Don't put punctuation at the end of a URLWhile not technically an English grammatical error, don't put a period or anything immediately after a URL reference. Doing so will usually invalidate the URL. You might call this an internet grammatical rule.Example:Notice the lack of a period in the following sentence. My URL is http://article-promotion.blogspot.com6. Software not softwares"Software" can be singular or plural. Never use "softwares."5. Do the quotes go after or before the period?Put quotes after a period or comma. Put quotes before a colon. Put quotes after a question mark unless the entire sentence is a question. This is a US English standard. British English usage can differ.Examples:He asked, "Are you hungry?"
She replied, "Yes, I am hungry."
Did she say, "Yes"?4. There, their, or they're"There" is used in two ways. It can specify a place. It can also be used as an expletive or empty word to start a sentence."Their" is used as a possessive form of "they"."They're" is short for "they are."Examples:I live there, not here.
There are nine planets in the solar system.
The two boys raced their bikes.
They're both tired after walking up the stairs.3. PowerfulToo many developers describe their software as, "XXX Software is a powerful, easy-to-use, ... ." I searched download.com and found 2149 descriptions or titles of software containing the word "powerful." Powerful has many meanings, most referring to how effectively something is performed, as in muscular. A car with 450 horsepower is clearly more powerful than one with only 200 horsepower. But what is powerful software? If you mean feature-rich (like Adobe Photoshop), then say so. If your software does only one thing, but it does it completely or thoroughly (like CounterSpy), then say so. But please, no more powerful software.2. Site or sightA "site" is a place."Sight" refers to your sense of vision.Examples:A web site is a place on the internet that you visit with your browser.
A beautiful sunset is a marvellous sight.And, finally, the most common English blunder by web authors is:1. Its or It'sUse "it's" only when it means "it is." Unless you can replace "it's" with "it is," use "its." Never use "its'."Examples:It's raining today.The dog wagged its tail.Conclusion:English is very difficult for persons whose native language is not English. It is also difficult for many English-speaking authors.Unfortunately, most of the common grammatical errors will not be caught by a spell checker, so you have to manually check your writing for them.An excellent reference is the short and timeless book, The Elements of Style, by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White. A free online version of this book is available at http://www.bartleby.com/141/index.htmlI hope that web authors can use this article to recognize and correct some of the most common grammatical blunders that abound on the internet.Kempton Smith helps internet businesses promote their products or services online by ghostwriting affordable, unique, keyword-rich articles for them. Email him now at articleghostwriter at yahoo.com for a free article for your online business, no obligation. Or for a free report on how to use articles to promote your product or service, visit http://article-promotion.blogspot.comCopyright