Interviewing an Author: Don’t Be Left Speechless – by: Stephen Earley Jordan

Edited by Jenny Wilson

Joyce Carol Oates. Langston Hughes. Anne Sexton. F. Scott Fitzgerald. Nikki Giovanni. The names of authors (dead and alive) can go on and on. But I’ll let you have first pick!

You are in a room with some of your favorite authors. About ten of them. However, you are only allowed to invite one of them to Starbucks for a couple of chocolate mochas. Just you and your favorite author. It doesn’t matter if the writer is deceased—use your imagination! After all, you’re a writer, right?

Oh dear, who shall it be? Should it be William Shakespeare with his purple pantaloons; Sylvia Plath who now vows to use an electric oven instead of gas; or should it be Maya Angelou and old playmates from her broken-hearted brothel?

Finally, you have selected an author.

You take him (or her) to Starbucks. You order the mochas. You sit down. As you open your mouth to ask the author questions nothing useful comes out.

What’s the problem?

Often times we’ll chance upon moments when we can interview an author. And, with technology nowadays, methods of research and brainstorming have changed slightly.

1. Research the Author

Ask yourself, “Is the author self-published or published in a traditional publishing house?”

Actually, does it really matter?! No. Why? Because you’re going to need to treat all authors the same—with much respect. Be laid back, and in turn, the interviewee will become comfortable and open-up to you.

After all, whether published or not, we’re all human. Before the interview, however, use your investigative reporting skills and attempt to discover as much as you can about the author. Surf the Internet for any hidden agendas internet-published writings the writer may have. Not only do you want to know about the author’s book, but the personal life as well. Find out what makes the author tick.

2. Research their genre and subject matter

Does the author write poetry? Historical nonfiction? Dramatic nonfiction? Children’s literature? Discover how easy or difficult it is to publish in that particular area of writing. Before you meet up with the author, you must know their genre, as well as the basic themes. If the author writes only historical nonfiction—what’s their subject matter? Pre-civil war? Early African Slave Trade? Cuban artwork? Compare and contrast authors in similar subject matters.

Learn as much as you can while you can. And, at the same time, be sure to formulate an opinion about the subject matter, whether it be pro or con. This will allow you to ask more in depth questions.

3. Don’t Interrupt

Remember to ask your question then shut up. This isn’t a time for you to reminisce of your (waning) writing skills. This is moment for the author to be in the spotlight. Listen to their responses, and make sure that you have a rebuttal question prepared in the back of your head.

After you are away from that particular topic, be sure to go to your next question. Though you may have your list of questions—it’s okay to ask the questions out-of-order. Actually, I highly recommend to adlib the questions. This will make the questions seem a bit more unforced. In short, treat your interview as if it’s just a regular discussion amongst friends.

Above all, I highly recommend to record the interview. Before you display your trusty hand-held recorder, ask the interviewee for permission to record them. Keep and label all used tapes with the author’s name, date and location of the interview. You never know when that once self-published novelist will become the next Best Seller.

About The Author Stephen Jordan has five years experience within the educational publishing industry. Stephen was a freelance editor with such educational foundations as Princeton Review, The College Board, New York University, and Columbia University. Away from the office, Stephen promotes his creative writing with his home-freelance business OutStretch Publications and his artwork. Stephen holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees in writing and literature from Alderson-Broaddus College of Philippi, West Virginia Available for reprint. Please keep bio and all contact information when reprinting article. Contact author so he can keep track of where his articles are being used. Editor@OutStretch.net

Four Easy Ways to Get a Book Written (Especially If You Don’t Like to Write) – by: Michelle McGee-Jones

Becoming an author is probably a lot easier than you think. It’s time to get that book out of your head and onto the printed page. Ready? Boot out your excuses. Here’s how to do it.

Method One: Think Quality, Not Quantity. To be classified as a book – as opposed to a booklet or pamphlet – your work needs a mere 49 pages (excluding the cover). Not only that but, depending on your topic, you can be liberal with photographs, charts, illustrations, bullet points, fill-in-the-blank worksheets, etc. Use them strategically in place of text. If it fits your theme, intersperse powerful quotations throughout your book, and give them a page of their own, even if it’s only a line or two. Ditch the perception that you have to have a minimum number of lines on each page.

Method Two: Start Talking. Invest in a tape recorder and shoot the breeze. I must admit that this isn’t quite as easy as it sounds, but if you’re articulate and you have skill at organizing your thoughts and ideas, it’s doable. Don’t try to wing it. Break down your book into chapters. Then prepare a detailed outline of each chapter. If it’s fiction you’re writing, outline the plot. For nonfiction, along with your outline, have any additional material handy that you want to refer to.

After you’re done, have a typist transcribe the tape. Save it onto a floppy disk and give it to an editor. She’ll polish the content. A variation of this method is to use voice recognition software that turns your spoken words into text.

Method Three: Do an Anthology. If you don’t want to go it alone – and you don’t mind sharing the spotlight – have other writers contribute a chapter to your book. Then you’ll have only a chapter to write yourself. Whether it’s a collection of short stories or a manual of topics on your subject, this method really lightens your load. Be sure to place each writer’s name on their chapter’s byline.

Find other writers by asking for referrals. Who to ask? Try the librarian at your local library, an editor at your city’s newspaper, an English teacher at a nearby college, or professionals in the subject area of your book. Or place a classified ad in a writers’ magazine. And of course, be prepared to remunerate your contributors.

Method Four: Hire a Ghost. As I stated in my book, The Art of Hiring Someone to Write Your Book: A Step by Step Guide to Successfully Collaborating (Instant Publisher, 2004), “A ghostwriter will gather content for your book by handling research, poring over books and articles, conducting interviews, and launching Internet searches. They extract the information that best meets the needs of your project, organizing it, reshaping it, and giving it a creative twist. After they put it all together, they go over their own work, polishing it to flawlessness. As the project develops, they invite your input and seek your approval. Because you have the final say over the project, they comply with whatever changes you suggest.”

Whichever method you opt for, happy authoring. I’ll see you in print.

About The Author Michelle McGee-Jones is a freelance business writer, marketing consultant and author of The Art of Hiring Someone to Write Your Book: A Step by Step Guide to Successfully Collaborating (Instant Publisher, 2004). The book is available online at Amazon.com or by sending a check or money order for $9.95 plus $3.00 shipping and handling made payable to Michelle McGee-Jones at P.O. Box 3058, Elmira, NY 14905. NYS residents please add $.80 sales tax. All rights reserved. This article may be freely reprinted provided this entire byline is included. mcgeejones@peoplepc.com

Blogs Like All Forms Of Writing Are An Art Form That Takes Knowledge And Practice To Do Well – by: M6.net

Writing…Blogs…Blogs are on-line journals where people express themselves through writing. Writing…Writing is the process where one puts down words of a language on a format that others can read. This process has not been around very long, to use one of my writing teacher’s favorite sayings, “Writing has only existed for one day in the one year that humanity has existed.” Speaking and thinking come much easier than writing. These processes just flow out naturally like a river of consciousness; sometimes we hardly have to think about doing them. Anyone and everyone can write words down on paper but that doesn’t mean it’s ‘good writing’, myself included. Like most things in life, our society already takes writing for granted which is proving to expose more of our ignorance. Writing is a new form of expression, and if we want to do it in a way that the masses can connect with our ideas, we have to think much more simply and clearly about this art.

Now that was quite a big paragraph, you’ve got to wonder if I really needed to say as much as I just did to introduce this article on the best way to write your blogs on the Web. I didn’t even mention this main idea, and that’s what an introduction paragraph is meant to be for. This is a common mistake in many blogs out there. We try to get too many ideas across in one paragraph, sometimes even in one sentence! The key, as in all things in life-is to keep it simple. Simplicity means that readers won’t get confused about what your journal entry is actually about. Introduce your main general topic at the start, and use the subsequent paragraphs to discuss separate ideas that relate to this topic. Try to tie everything up in the concluding paragraph, your main argument and the reason why you’ve written in the first place.

Grammar and sentence construction are not easy systems to master, especially if you come from a school system that spent more time telling you about historical battles and quadratic equations than on how to read and write. This is a real problem. When we speak we can get messages across to others easily, but if we put these words down on paper, the writing just isn’t interesting and doesn’t connect with people’s curiosities and fascination. When you write you are not talking to a close friend. You can’t use slang and colloquialisms that only your local community can understand. The aim is to connect with all the people in the world, so let’s make it crystal clear and enjoyable to read.

Your computer has spelling and grammar checks, as well as access to a thesaurus. Use them, but remember that the machine can’t decipher all the intricacies of language. Language is a world in itself, and much of its territories are undiscovered by the masses. So, again keep it simple. Short, precise sentences with single ideas are great. Many words in the English language have the same meanings (synonyms). Use the thesaurus so you don’t repeat the same word over and over throughout the text. It keeps the story fresh and doesn’t turn the reader off. There’s nothing more boring than repetition. Using different words can be a lot of fun and a learning experience, just make sure you use a dictionary (also on the computer/Internet) to make absolute sure of the word’s definition.

Readability…Simplicity…Make your blog accessible by all people. You can even take into consideration that many readers will have learned English as a second language. As I’ve said in previous articles, keep to the point-don’t go on tangents. Stick with the article’s topic, and definitely stay within the realms of your blog’s main area. If your blog is entitled “Jazz music”, people who go there don’t want to hear about how your football team won on the weekend! Please be consistent. How irritating is it to visit a blog that hasn’t been written on in months or years?

I hope these little tips will help you on your quest to producing ‘good’ writing that brings new friends and acquaintances of similar outlooks into your world. If you want people to read, the aim is to produce an emotional reaction in your reader. Pretend you are writing to another form of yourself, if it were not readable, interesting and fun…would you stick around?

About The Author By Jesse S. Somer M6.Net http://www.m6.net Jesse S. Somer is a ‘grasshopper’ writer attempting to inform other beginner writers on how they might one day become masters or ‘sensei’s’. priyankaa@m6.net

Unusual Points of View – by: Rita Marie Keller

Most writers are familiar with first and third points of view and their variations. But have you ever experimented with alternative points of view? Below are some less used points of view, what I call “unusual points of view.” Try using these when you’re blocked or you want to try something new.

Second Person Point of View

Second person can be written as “you” singular or plural. Josip Novakovich in FICTION WRITER’S WORKSHOP says: “The author makes believe he’s talking to someone, describing what the person addressed is doing. But the ‘you’ is not the reader, though sometimes it’s hard to get rid of the impression the author is addressing you directly.”

Here’s an excerpt from Italo Calvino’s first chapter of If on a winter night a traveler. I think it’s one of the most engaging examples of second person point of view. But if the author is not speaking to the reader…then to whom? You be the judge.

You are about to begin reading Italo Calvino’s new novel, If on a winter’s night a traveler. Relax. Concentrate. Dispel ever other thought. Let the world around you fade. Best to close the door; the TV is always on in the next room. Tell others right away, “No, I don’t want to watch TV!” Raise your voice—they won’t hear you otherwise—“I’m reading! I don’t want to be disturbed!” . . . So here you are now, ready to attack the first lines of the first page. You prepare to recognize the unmistakable tone of the author . . .

Most stories told in second person are written in the present tense, so the reader identifies directly with the character. You’re along for the journey, being an active part of the story. I read this excerpt feeling as if the author sees me and is talking directly to me.

Like other points of view, second person has its pitfalls. One of them is keeping the reader’s attention through the whole story (in this example, an entire novel). Some readers don’t like to be told what they’re thinking and doing and saying. Sometimes this point of view has a tendency to sound too journalistic or like a recipe.

First Person Collective Observer Point of View (or third person plural)

In this point of view the reader follows the motions and acts of one person through a group’s viewpoint. Usually, someone in the group acts as narrator but doesn’t have his/her own identity. Usually this is reserved for small town narratives, where an individual lives under communal scrutiny. Schools, towns, churches, or families focus on a secret person in conflict with the community. In William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” Emily is the character scrutinized by the residents of Yoknapatawpha County.

Here is an excerpt from the story which occurs after she is put in the ground and what “we” discover.

For a long while we just stood there, looking at the profound and fleshless grin. The body had apparently once lain in the attitude of an embrace, but now the long deep sleep that outlasts love, that conquers even the grimace of love, had cuckolded him . . . Then we noticed that in the second pillow was an indentation of a head. One of us lifted something from it, leaning forward, that fast and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair.

Third Person Plural Observer (“They”)

Here the perceptions of a critical situation comes from a group of characters who watch the protagonist. It could be a group of boys watching a teenage girl undressing in her window as in: “They saw her in the window.” The excerpt from “A Rose for Emily” might as easily be written in the point of view.

First and Second Combined

This point of view is usually used in love poetry, and rarely in fiction. In this example from “The Roaring Bull and Electra,” a short story, it’s an adult daughter speaking to her father too ill to speak for himself.

Today the new Roaring Bull was christened, and I wanted you to be next to me as you had been, twenty years ago . . . Now you can’t speak. You can barely swallow. I used to feed you melted ice cream and stroke your throat to get it down because I thought the taste would remind you of our ferry rides . . .

First and Third Combined

This point of view is used for characters with a personality dichotomy, to look at the same character from different angles. In “Sarah Cole: A Type of Love Story” Russell Banks does this to portray a narcissistic man’s affair with a homely woman.

I felt warmed by her presence and was flirtatious and bold, a little pushy even.

Picture this. The man, tanned, limber . . . enters the apartment behind the woman.

The switch to third person is the character taking a look at himself, the way one might want to see himself projected onscreen. The shift in point of view might be annoying to the reader, so it’s important to establish this shift pattern early in your story.

Try this exercise:

Choose one of your favorite stories and rewrite a scene from it in one of the “unusual points of view.” You might want to try rewriting one of the excerpts above. In your exercise show the original passage, then your changed point of view (or points of view). You get extra brownie points if you write a scene from scratch. This is a challenging exercise, but it also shows you don’t have to be limited by variations of first and third person.

Let go, breathe deep, and have fun with it!

? 2004 Rita Marie Keller

About The Author Rita Marie Keller has written and published numerous stories, articles, and essays. Her first novel, Living in the City, was released September 2002 by Booklocker.com, Inc. She founded the Cacoethes Scribendi Creative Writing Workshop (www.cacoethes-scribendi.com) in 1999.

Signs of Infidelity – 21 Categories of Cheating Signs – by: Ruth Houston

With infidelity reaching epidemic proportions, every woman should learn how to recognize the telltale signs of infidelity. The future of her relationship could depend on her ability to spot the telltale signs in time. In view of the rapidly rising divorce rates, and current statistics showing that 50% to 70% of men cheat on their mates, a wife can no longer afford to be the “last one to know.”

Every woman’s personal library should contain a reference book on how to recognize the warning signs of infidelity. “Is He Cheating On You? – 829 Telltale Signs” is a comprehensive guide which lists practically every known cheating sign. The 800+ signs of infidelity in this book are divided into 21 categories so a woman can easily locate the signs that apply to her mate. What’s unique about the warning signs listed here is that once a woman knows what to look for, any of these signs can be easily found using only her eyes and ears, her personal knowledge of her husband, and the information provided in the book. No special skills or equipment are required.

Each of the 21 categories is explained below along with the number of telltale signs listed under that category. While some women make it a point to check each of the 21 categories, others will only check the particular categories that seem to apply to their marriage or their mate. To insure that no one overlooks an important telltale sign, some of the signs (about a dozen) are listed under more than one category.

For example:

“He always calls a certain female to share the special events in his life.”
This sign is listed under Telephone Tip-Offs and again under His Behavior Around Other Women.

“He starts showering you with gifts or buying you flowers for no special reason”
This sign is listed under How He Relates to You and also under Gifts.

“You find deposit slips in his possession for someone else’s bank account.”
This sign is listed under Financial Affairs as well as under Physical Evidence.

Continue reading for details on the 21 major categories of telltale signs.

1. PHYSICAL APPEARANCE – 76 telltale signs
A man having an affair (or even thinking about having one) will want to make himself more attractive. He will begin to enhance his appearance in some way. Be alert for changes in his wardrobe, his grooming, his body, and his personal hygiene. These are usually the most visible signs of infidelity. If he embarks on a drastic self-induced makeover, it’s probably not for you. More than likely he’s trying to attract or impress someone else.

2. HOW HE RELATES TO YOU – 70 telltale signs
The way your husband relates to you can provide many telltale signs. His involvement with another woman will cause him to treat you differently — even on a subconscious level. This is one of those areas where a wife can pick up signs of infidelity that a private investigator might otherwise overlook.

3. CONVERSATIONAL CLUES – 70 telltale signs
What your husband chooses or refuses to talk about can alert you to his involvement in an extramarital affair. He may mention new people, places and things, while the people, places and things he normally talks about are no longer a part of his conversation. Even his tone of voice can be an important telltale sign.

4. WORK HABITS – 39 telltale signs
Work is commonly used as an excuse to account for large blocks of time away from home. Men often use their jobs as a cover for their extramarital affairs. Your husband’s work habits will undoubtedly change as his affair unfolds. Be on the lookout work-related telltale signs.

5. DAY-TO-DAY BEHAVIOR – 92 telltale signs
We are all creatures of habit. We all have a routine that we usually follow each day. A man who is cheating will display changes of some kind in his normal patterns of behavior. Pay close attention to any deviations in your husband’s daily routine. These deviations are telltale signs.

6. FINANCIAL AFFAIRS – 52 telltale signs
Affairs cost money. If your husband has a lover, he’ll want to wine her, dine her, entertain her and buy her occasional gifts. No matter how carefully he tries to cover his tracks, sooner or later this will be reflected in the family finances. Stay alert for financial signs of infidelity.

7. TRAVEL – 27 telltale signs
Your husband may not always be traveling for legitimate reasons. Even if he is, he may decide to combine business with a little pleasure. Travel affords a cheating unfaithful husband a unique opportunity to cheat away from prying eyes.

8. PERSONALITY OR BEHAVIORAL CHANGES – 36 telltale signs
Be alert for changes in your husband’s attitude, personality or behavior. Whether they are drastic or subtle, changes of this type are often an indication of infidelity.

9. ABSENCES – 39 telltale signs
Affairs generally require a considerable amount of time. Since there are only 24 hours in a day, your husband’s absences will become increasingly more frequent as he tries to steal time from other activities so he can be with his lover.

10. TELEPHONE TIP-OFFS – 76 telltale signs
Illicit affairs depend on repeated contact; many of which take place by phone. These telltale signs of infidelity are relatively easy to find. Many men take the risk of calling their lovers from home or having their lovers call them at home. Many wives (like me) discover their husband’s infidelity either directly or indirectly by the telephone.

11. CAR CLUES – 40 telltale signs
Your husband’s (or the family) car can be a rich source of telltale signs. The glove compartment, car seats (underneath and between), the tire well, the underside of the visor, the ashtray, the side pockets or compartments, under the floor mats and other nooks and crannies can reveal a wealth of information.

12. SEX – 37 telltale signs
Be alert for any type of changes in the frequency or the quality of your sex life together. Most important of all: If you suspect your husband of having an affair, take steps to protect yourself. Do not put yourself at risk for HIV/AIDS, herpes or e other sexually transmitted diseases.

13. EATING HABITS – 31 telltale signs
This is an area that wives usually overlook when checking for telltale signs. But your husband’s eating habits can be influenced or affected by his lover. Without even realizing it, he may develop a preference for the type of food she eats, the way she likes her food prepared or the kind of restaurants in which she likes to eat. These are the types of telltale signs it would never occur to him to conceal.

14. SMELLS AND TASTES – 21 telltale signs
Each person has his or her own unique smell or taste. You may be oblivious to it until it becomes replaced with something else. Pay close attention if your husband smells or tastes “different,” or if something in your home or car just doesn’t smell “right.” It may warrant closer investigation.

15. INVASION OF YOUR HOME – 22 telltale signs
It’s not uncommon for a man who’s cheating to invite his lover to his home. When this happens, it’s not unheard of for lovers to leave personal items behind–sometimes deliberately, for an unsuspecting wife to find. You will usually find evidence in your bedroom or bathroom if another woman has been in your home while you were away. But telltale signs of infidelity may turn up in other areas of your home, as well.

16. GIFTS – 19 telltale signs
Be especially vigilant around the times of the year when gifts are usually exchanged. During the holidays and various other times throughout the year, you may find gifts or cards hidden around your home or in the car. Receipts or credit card bills for gifts may turn up shortly before or after Christmas and Valentine’s Day.

17. COMPUTER USE – 30 telltale signs
It’s common these days for a cheating husband to use e-mail to communicate with his lover. Some of the telltale signs in this category may also be an indication of his involvement in an online or cyber affair. Don’t take this lightly. These affairs can be as harmful to your marriage as the real thing. Though they may not involve sexual contact, the emotional attachment can be extremely strong, and can quickly progress from cyberspace to physical reality.

18. CELL PHONES AND PAGERS/BEEPERS – 28 telltale signs
Today’s technological advances make it easier for a husband to cheat on his wife. But it’s also easier for a husband to get caught while trying to make contact or stay in touch with his lover.

19. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE – 32 telltale signs
Many times there’s physical evidence just waiting to be found. Check your husband’s wallet, his pants or jacket pockets, his desk or dresser drawers, the wastepaper basket, his closet shelves, the floor in the back of his closet, the garage, his study, filing cabinets, his workshop, his toolbox or any place else you can think of. Keep your eyes open. You’ll be surprised at the kinds of physical evidence of infidelity you can find.

20. HIS BEHAVIOR AROUND OTHER WOMEN – 71 telltale signs
Studies show that a man is most likely to have an affair with someone he already knows—a woman he comes in contact with on a regular basis – a neighbor, a coworker, a family friend or business associate. If you’re observant, you may be able to determine the identity of your husband’s lover by the way he behaves in her presence, or by how she behaves around him.

21. ACCIDENTAL SLIPS-UPS OR DISCLOSURES – 57 telltale signs
Sometimes you get lucky and find out what your husband has been up to by accident, or through some strange quirk of fate. An accidental slip-up on his part or on the part of someone else can clue you in to what’s been happening behind your back.

As you can see, despite its title, “Is He Cheating On You? – 829 Telltale Signs” actually contains 950 telltale signs in all. Additional signs were added before the final version of this infidelity book was printed. Is He Cheating on You? is probably the most comprehensive collection of cheating signs ever compiled. It contains a multitude of little-known signs of infidelity not documented anywhere else.

In this age of rampant infidelity, no woman, married or single, can risk missing or misinterpreting the telltale signs of an affair. The survival of her relationship may one day depend on her ability to recognize the warning signs in time. Be sure to visit http://www.IsHeCheatingOnYou.com for more information on cheating husbands and signs of infidelity. Don’t be the last one to know.

Excerpts taken from “Is He Cheating on You? – 829 Telltale Signs”
For more information visit www.IsHeCheatingOnYou.com

© 2004 Ruth Houston All rights reserved.

About The Author Ruth Houston is the author of “Is He Cheating on You?-829 Telltale Signs.” For more information about the book, cheating husbands or signs of infidelity visit http://www.IsHeCheatingOnYou.com To receive a FREE Infidelity Report which includes 29 Telltale Signs, send an e-mail to CheatingSigns@aol.com CheatingSigns@aol.com

Becoming a Writer – by: robparnell

The urge to write fiction seems God given for some, a learned skill for others.

One thing is certain – it requires practice and a particular mindset. But, if you’re a beginner, where do you start?

The following 10 tips will help kick-start your writing habit, whether you’re a complete novice, or perhaps a pro who has lost their way!

1. Step Away From the Car, Sir.

Slightly detach yourself from your surroundings. Stop participating and begin observing. In social situations, watch people, see how they act and – more importantly – interact.

Don’t pass judgment. Take it all in – and draw on it later when you write.

2. Look Harder, Homer

Stop and look around you. Consciously notice the buildings, what’s underfoot, overhead, and what’s right in front of you.

At home, look at something you take for granted. An iron, for instance. Find yours and study it.

3. Write Thinking Will Be Rewarded.

A simple technique. Your mother is making tea and you are chatting to her. Take a mental step back and describe the scene.

Similarly, when you’re outside, describe your environment as though you were writing it down.

4. What Reasons Do You Need?

Don’t wait for inspiration – just write!

Force yourself to write anything at all. A shopping list. An overheard conversation. Describe your bedroom.

It doesn’t matter how personal it is, or how trivial, just get it down!

5. Wakey Wakey!

Set your alarm clock for an hour earlier than normal.

When the alarm goes off, get up. Don’t dress, bathe or eat. Don’t even make coffee. Just stagger to your writing space and write the first thing that comes into your head for five minutes.

6. Oh God – Not That!

Think of the most awful and embarrassing thing you’ve ever done – the more cringe-worthy the better. Now write about it. All of it, in all its gory, horrible detail.

Then hide it away for a year or so before you read it again!

7. Like Your Style, Baby.

Don’t limit yourself. Write poems, songs, dialogue, fact, fiction, even practice writing advertising copy or horoscopes.

Your expertise improves in all areas – an improvement in one area can reap benefits in another.

8. The Sincerest Flattery

Take out a classic book from your bookcase. Copy out a paragraph. Think about the words as you write them. Don’t get intimidated!

9. Wanna See My Invention?

When you’re not writing, string together stories in your mind. Think of plots, characters, settings, dénouements.

Ask yourself what you should do next to improve your writing.

Develop this technique into a habit.

10. It’s A Goal!

When you start writing regularly, set yourself small goals. Anything from 200 words a day, or just a commitment to writing in your diary.

Later extend to finishing a short story, or an article or a poem. Perhaps one in a week.

The trick is to set goals you can achieve easily.

That way you’ll get the writing habit – and you won’t forget to enjoy it!

About The Author robparnell is founder of the Easy Way to Write, a young Internet company committed to giving excellent writing resources to novice and seasoned writers. For free writing lessons and much more visit: http://easywaytowrite.com rob@easywaytowrite.com

The Three Cs of Writing an Excellent all Purpose Headline – by: Steven Boaze

Since the headline is the first contact your readers have with your message, it must reach out to them. Promise them a benefit. Tell them how they will be better off if they read the rest of the ad. Use action verbs. Save ten dollars is a stronger heading than Savings of ten dollars because of the verb.

Headlines can be classified into the following five basic types; effective headlines frequently combine two or more of these kinds.

News Headlines

This form tells the reader something he or she did not know before. Using the word news does not make it a news headline. “Now – a copy machine that copies in color” is an example of this type headline.

Advice and Promise Headline

Here you are promising something if the reader follows the advice in your ad. “Switch to Amoco premium, no-lead gasoline, and your car will stop pinging.”

Selective Headline

This headline limits the audience to a specific group. For example: “To all gray-haired men over forty.” Caution! Be absolutely sure you do not eliminate potential customers with this type of headline.

Curiosity Headline

The intent here is to arouse the reader’s interest enough to make him or her read the ad. The danger is that this headline often appears “cute” or “clever” and fails in its mission. An example: “Do you have trouble going to sleep at night?”

Command or Demand Headline

Watch out for this one as most people resist pushiness, especially in advertising. “Do it now!” or “Buy this today!” This headline generally can be improved by changing to less obtrusive wording such as: “Call for your key to success!”

One common misconception about headlines is that they must be short and easy to understand. This is not always true. Here is a headline that was used extensively in print ads by Ogilvy and Mather for one of their clients: At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.

Illustrations

There are three primary reasons for using illustrations in an advertisement.

• To attract attention to the ad.
• To illustrate the item being featured.
• To create a mood in the mind of the reader.

Everyone has heard, A picture is worth a thousand words; in advertising, the illustration frequently helps the reader visualize the benefits promised. You can almost feel the warmth of the tropical sun when you see the photos in January travel ads. Cost and practicality may dictate whether your ad uses photographs, artists’ drawings or merely canned artwork. Any of these can make the ad more appealing to the reader’s eye.

Copy

If you follow the three principles of good copy, your ads will be effective:

• Good copy should be clear.
• Good copy should be crisp.
• Good copy should be concise.

Clear, crisp and concise . . . the three Cs of copy writing suggest that the words in your advertising message merely do a good job of communicating. Do not use big words when small words can make your meaning clear. Use colorful, descriptive terms. Use the number of words necessary to make your meaning clear and no more-but also no less! Selecting the right words is critical to the success of the ads. Recent research conducted at Yale University found that the following 12 words are the most personal and persuasive words in our language.

You Discovery Safety

Money Proven Results

Love Guarantee Save

New Easy Health

Notice the overused word free is not on the list.

REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOUR MESSAGE IS PRINTED IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS INSTEAD OF UPPER- AND LOWERCASE LETTERS, IT IS FAR MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE READER TO FOLLOW AND REMAIN INTERESTED. EVEN IN HEADLINES ALL CAPITAL LETTERS SHOULD BE AVOIDED.

About The Author Steven Boaze (Chairman) is The Owner of The Corporate Headquarters Boaze.com Which houses and controls 5 websites including Web Development services. Steven is also the author of “Hidden Secrets To Business Marketing” and “12 Step Remedy To A Successful Ezine” along with numerous articles on Marketing and Advertising published by Boaze Publishing. http://www.boazepublishing.biz http://www.speedresponderpro.com Copyright 1998-2003 Boaze.com owner@boazepublishing.biz

I Am Biodegradable. My Writing Is Not. – by: David Leonhardt

My dad was wrong. I just discovered that I am good for nuthin’ after all. In fact I’ve been good for nuthin’ all along. I am 100% biodegradable and that means I can be recycled into nuthin’. It also means that no matter how much I waste, no matter how much I consume, no matter how much I pollute, in the end I am environment-friendly. Best of all, I now have an end use.

Now that’s something to put on my resume!

This comes as particularly good news to somebody who is not sure what his purpose is. Sometimes I write these humor columns, pretending to be funny. Sometimes people even laugh, and I worry that it might be the start of an ominous trend.

Sometimes I am selling my happiness book, pretending to be a successful author. With 2,000 copies of my book keeping the floor from floating upwards, perhaps I AM successful. Levitating floors are generally not considered signs of success in this part of the country.

Sometimes I am optimizing websites for search engine rankings. “What exactly does that mean?” I am often asked.

“Well…it means that I get my clients’ site high up in the searches.” Blank stare.

I try again. “It means that I help Google show you my clients’ web sites. Blank stare.

“Well…I’m not sure how to explain it. But I get paid to do it.” People understand that.

“I turn on a machine that defluctuates the turbo-rotating modulator down at the spare parts plant,” someone adds.

“What exactly does that mean?” I ask.

“Beats me. But I get paid to do it.” We are soulmates.

Sometimes I write for pay, because people seem to want something written. They hope that if they can’t say it themselves, I might be able to find just the right words.

“C’mon, David. You have lots of words. Why don’t you lend me some? Why, just last week you promised to ‘defenestrate’ me, whatever that means.” They want me to put their thoughts into words, and occasionally they want me to create their thoughts. I worked for a politician years ago. I vaguely remember how to write somebody else’s thoughts before he knew he had them.

“So what do you write?”

“Web site copy, mostly.”

“Really? Not another book?”

“No, I still have 2,000 copies of the last book piled up in my office.”

“I’m sure they’ll sell quickly, David.”

“Really? Want one?”

“Uh…gotta go. It’s time for my pet goldfish’s nap.”

I also write this humor column faithfully every week. But people actually PAY me to write website copy. Now, dear reader, answer me this question. Would you rather be reading this hilarious column, loaded with frosting and topped with chocolate syrup, or would you rather read plain vanilla website copy.

OK, go ahead and read the website copy, then. See if I care.

One thing my website copy and this column have in common is that they are not biodegradable. Remember how computers would save the environment as they replace the three gazillion tones of paper we trash every few hours in offices around the world and elsewhere?

Now we discover that all that paper at least was biodegradable, recyclable, reusable. It wasn’t all that bad for the environment, after all. But the monitor you are reading this on will last forever. (SFX: evil laughter) Adventure seekers from the planet Zorgoppppt will land here in the year 2304 and discover all these abandoned monitors scattered around.

One Zorgopppptian will say to the other, “prrg, ddyte h hthp oooo djudu” (Translation: “Groovy paper weights!”)

But they won’t find me, thanks to my lifetime achievement. I’ll be long gone, because I am (chest swells with pride) biodegradable.

About The Author David Leonhardt is biodegradable and happy at: http://www.thehappyguy.com To write your website copy, newsletter or award winning biodegradable cereal box copy, email him at: info@thehappyguy.com He is author of Inspiration & Motivation To Go: http://www.thehappyguy.com/l/daily-motivation-inspiration.php The Get Happy Workbook: http://www.thehappyguy.com/happiness-work-book.html and Climb Your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness: http://www.thehappyguy.com/happiness-self-help-book.html Info@thehappyguy.com