Archive for April, 2009

How to Be Successful at Exams

April 20, 2009 - 3:32 pm

College is a stage of life that will be remembered forever and retold to children and grand-children. Studying at college, you go through a good school of life and get a wonderful opportunity to build your future career using that intellectual treasure you’ve received. Before the start of a college year you make a promise to study hard and to make good grades. After the start of the school year the promise is forgotten due to various activities on campus that are so attractive to a young individual. University social life carries you away from all the problems. They start when exams begin.

There are several ways to avoid this “torture chamber”. Firstly, by making all “A’s” you automatically get your average and become free. But let’s agree that it is quite impossible for a sociable person to compete in every field. The other solution is writing an excellent term paper that becomes an example for the whole course onwards. Term papers are given as a written assignment to check the knowledge of a student and this is where you can show yourself. If your writing skills leave a little more to be desired, you can always use services of a company providing term paper help and order the top quality paper. If you are very self-motivated, feel free to use any unique idea that comes to your head for your term paper.

Even after applying all advice given above you still may face an exam. There is nothing to be nervous about, no lethal cases were observed in the history of studies. There are some unique methods that may save the situation. It is important to keep your face even if the situation seems hopeless. Your self-confidence may save you from additional questions and you’ll walk out of the door with a great feeling. The presence or the absence of certain knowledge is not the deciding factor of your grade and you have to believe in this. Appearances are important, no matter what you were told. The first impression much depends on the appearance and therefore it is a good idea to stick to the dress code and make an impression of a diligent student. Even if your motivation is high, never use cheating as a way out. Such cunning ideas may result into expulsion from college. Use your imagination and logical thinking instead of cheating. There may be a point in your conversation when you get to the point that you know perfectly well. Try to use this opportunity showing that you are an educated individual. You can make up some details, but the main part should not be changed. If you are asked to prove a never-existing fact, it will be the end of the conversation. If a chance to state your opinion occurs, do it immediately with no doubt. The most important thing you have to keep in mind is that you may fail the exam and you have to think what you are going to do next if this happens.

Save The Planet, Hug A Clam

April 20, 2009 - 9:47 am

It has become obvious to all but the most unrelentingly stubborn apologists for the oil industry that we now stand at a pivotal moment in the history of our planet. As much fun as it would be to make fun of Al Gore’s pretentious drawl and expanding bald spot, none of us can afford to ignore his clarion call for global change. With humankind’s carbon footprint leaving a catastrophic impact upon Mother Earth, it is the sacred responsibility of every citizen to make a change for the better. We can all agree on that much, but the next question is a lot thornier: How exactly do you start?

As in so many vital areas of life, when confronted by a monumental task it is beneficial to start with something small. In other words, begin by taking a “micro” view of your “macro” problem. Numerous studies have indicated that the more we are taught to respect and even love the tiniest creatures, the deeper connection we will feel to the planet at large. So if you’re looking to address climate change in your own way, you might want to start by picking up a copy of Fables From the Mud by Erik Quisling. This book, simple in structure yet profound in implication, illuminates the plight of Earth’s smallest inhabitants in a style that will make you laugh even as your empathy expands.

The first thing you are apt to notice about Fables is the fluid interchange between illustrations and text. This book has been designed with such a graceful simplicity that you could easily read it cover to cover in a single sitting. Indeed, once you’ve gotten a sense of its sharp humor and cerebral charms, you may be tempted to consume the whole thing while in the middle of a crowded book store.

Try to avoid this temptation, as you will find Fables to be a veritable banquet of philosophical speculation and belly laughs. How in God’s name, you may be wondering, can one book offer such seemingly incongruous rewards? The answer to that question is the secret of Quisling’s triumph. He has crafted three distinct but thematically connected tales,focusing on some of the Earth’s least respected inhabitants: a clam, an ant, and an earthworm. Against all expectation, Quisling turns these lowly invertebrates into heroes of truly epic scale.

By infusing so much ambiguous life and recognizably human foibles into its three-pack of protagonists, Fables allows readers to understand these creatures as reflections of ourselves. Laughable as the clam’s frustration with the emptiness of his existence might seem, is our own periodic despair any less ridiculous? It all comes down to a matter of perspective, which seems to be one of Quisling’s primary lessons.

After reading this timeless book, you may find yourself thinking twice before stepping on the next ant you see crossing the sidewalk. He’s a guest on this ailing planet, just like you. And for all you know, he might be in the middle of an heroic struggle worthy of mention in a book Fables From the Mud.

Querying: One Author

April 18, 2009 - 7:13 am

When I was functioning as that lowest of all life forms, the unpublished author, I benefited from established novelists willing to share their experiences. This article is intended to give something back, especially since my experience had some unexpected turns.

I quickly learned to prefer sending queries by snail mail. Yes, it is slower, expensive, and more work, but my perception is that paper queries are taken more seriously and less likely to be ignored. They are also harder to destroy than merely pushing a delete key.

Where I struck out on my own relative to what I was reading on the Internet was the volume and velocity of my campaign. I sent out more than 500 queries, each a customized package, in three months. I scrupulously abided by all guidelines listed for each agency or publisher except one. I did not abide by the industry’s requirement of honoring exclusive reading policies of agencies who request it.

This is an unethical system that appears to have been deliberately rigged to unfairly favor publishers at the expense of writers. Although many publishers no longer ask for it, it is a disgraceful legacy that needs to be put out of its misery as soon as possible. Ignoring it in a massive way will do that. I do, however, think that, for now, writers should state clearly that they are making simultaneous queries.

Why such a massive, saturation bombing approach to querying? Well, life is short, and the more leads you put out, the greater the chance of a productive hit. I also needed it because I discovered that I was disadvantaged relative to many other authors. My novel, Coinage of Commitment, is a new kind of love story, one written of characters who love at a higher level than we see all around us. Plus it is fittingly written in a more emotionally vivid style than is currently fashionable.

Sales figures tell me this works well for readers, but it did not appeal to agencies who, I quickly discovered, are very conservative, extremely risk averse, and looking only for something they are used to or which has sold well in the past. Many have political or ideological agendas that bias their decision making. I never did come that close to landing an agent. Publishers were more sympathetic, more interested in literature for its own sake, but it was still a tough row to hoe.

The high volume approach to querying was decisive in my case because without it I would not have found the three royalty publishers who offered me contracts. Only after I had exhausted the list of addresses in print sources like Writer’s Market, and those on subscription sites like Firstwriter.com, did I go to open sites like Predators & Editors. There I discovered a new class of royalty publisher not listed in the other sources. These are small outfits with low overheads, who use POD print technology (which is becoming widespread), and who do not accept returns.

Otherwise their books are carried by the leading distributors. This is a group of publishers who have sprung up in the last five years. Many of these folks seem to be in it more for the love of books and literature than the profit motive. I found them much more willing to consider something new, like what I was offering, and this is where I hit gold with my own project.

There are other related issues: how to progress as a writer and improve your manuscript while also trying to sell it; how to deal with independent editors when you feel your manuscript is not good enough; and how to deal with the shadier side of our industry during a query campaign. But that is for a future article.

Hot Research Paper Ideas for Summer Time

April 17, 2009 - 9:59 pm

It’s a common belief that summer is the right time just for swimming in a warm blue see, tanning under the hot blazing sun, backpacking, camping, flying a kite, building a sandcastle… in other words, anything that does not require particular mind work.

But you are greatly deluded if you are following the crowd. Summer is not for lazybones and coach potatoes. It might be a hot time for racking your brain a bit … over research papers!

It is not a joke. You are missing a lot if your summer vacation doesn’t imply papers and textbooks. Writing a research paper in summer can turn out to be more fun and rewarding than ever.

So what can be done in summer for the sake of future research papers?

You can accomplish the first and the most important stage in your preparations to writing a research paper, namely think of its topic and do the preliminary search of information. This work does not require strenuous work and still helps greatly in the future.

Getting down to choosing a research paper topic you should be selective and mindful of several principles.

The first criteria for choosing a successful and attention grabbing topic is to pick the one that is to your liking. If you do not feel like writing a research paper on “Recent Legal History of the Death Penalty”, leave it in peace and move forward to look for a research paper topic you will find thrilling and exciting.

Secondly, choose a topic that will be manageable for your level. You are likely to fail if your research paper topic is too technical, learned, or specialized, since research papers of this kind have only a very narrow range of source materials available in libraries. Therefore, do not even try to pull down monuments and pick the research paper topic with plenty of information on its account.

It is also important that your research paper topic is not too broad and vague. Narrow it down to specifics. For example, “American Folk Songs” could be narrowed down to “The English Origin of American Folk Songs”. It is vital, since broad research paper topics are boring for the reader and difficult to research for the author.

To avoid any further pitfalls, select more than one research paper topic from the start. Find three or four topics that interest you, and then conduct a preliminary search of each topic. Determine which of the research paper ideas can be supported with plenty of published material. This way, you will be able to select a final topic that is both interesting and feasible.

Your next step to writing a research paper in summer is to do a preliminary search on the research paper topic. And Internet &ndash your favorite pastime of all seasons &ndash is all that is needed, since it is full of exciting research paper ideas and tips for better writing.

You do not have to sit in front of the monitor for hours. Simply note the sites that might interest you, find the ones you will need to use later, like those for formatting or with research paper examples. But be careful as anyone can post information on the Internet and anyone can change what is up there, bringing up questions of authority and validity.

And, of course, you can pay a random visit to the cradle of knowledge &ndash a library. It is up to you, but you should bear in mind that such a visit will pay off. Not only the library is not overcrowded and you can feel yourself at home, but also the librarians are not that tired of the visitors and will readily help you with your research paper.

It is better to go to the library by the end of summer, when you have a clear research paper topic and the libraries are starting to open after the refurbishment period.

Check out the following print materials there:

• almanacs, atlases, catalogues;

• encyclopaedias and dictionaries;

• government publications, guides, reports;

• magazines, newspapers;

• vertical files;

• yellow pages.

The information you will find in a library must be enough for your research paper topic. If not, turn to your friends’ and parents’ help. They will not be indifferent to your research and will readily help with whatever you need.

That would do for your summer vacation. You are not asked to strain yourself and think solely of your research paper. But it would be great to take the most out of your summer holidays, when your mind is rested. You will be amazed to find how many research paper ideas are wandering in your head. Simply seize the moment, when some brilliant idea comes to your mind, put it down and use it when the right time comes.

Article Writing 101

April 17, 2009 - 7:38 pm

One of the best ways to launch your home business to the next level is through article writing. This concept has proven to be one of the most effective viral marketing techniques for developing your work from home business. You submit your composition to the internet through E-zines, article directories, article sites, E-mail groups, distribution lists and article announcement lists. These sites are visited by thousands of people on a daily basis. The potential for your internet business success is enhanced with every article that you write and submit.

Unfortunately, many people do not think that they can write an effective article. This could not be further from the truth. Your ideas, your experiences and your insights can be shared with your potential readers. Your features can not only be interesting, but you might communicate an idea that could change your audience. There is something in your life that is worth writing about. You need to coax your insights out of your head and unto a piece of paper.

There are four concepts that can help you get started:

— Choose A Topic

— Create An Outline

— Use Good Tools

— Write

1) Choose A Topic

Before you begin, you need to find a quiet place where you can eliminate your distractions and focus your concentration. Get a pen and a piece of paper and make five columns. Put these headings at the top of each section:

Experiences &ndash Knowledge &ndash Interests &ndash Expert &ndash Passionate

You need to put your grey matter to work and let your thinking processes flow. Under each heading list four to five ideas that apply to that section. What are your experiences? What are you knowledgeable about? What are your interests? What are you an expert on? What are you passions?

Writing these ideas on a piece of paper will get your creative “juices flowing”. After you are done brainstorming, choose the topic that you will write about. Do not throw this list away! You have some potential articles for the future.

2) Create An Outline

Do you remember the 4th grade when you were taught how to write your first composition? Do you remember the guidelines? Those principles are the same today as they were back then:

Create an introduction, develop a main body and a write a conclusion.

a) Introduction

Now that you have your topic, tell your readers what to expect. This is your introduction. But, you do not want to write it yet. You will be preparing your audience to read your composition and you want to arouse their interest. The main body of your article will help you focus on the ideas you want to present in your introduction. The goal of your introduction is to grab the attention of your listeners so they will want to continue reading.

b) Main Body

Your topic is the compass for the major points that you want to communicate with your article. Write down the main ideas that you want to convey to your audience on a piece of paper. Consider at least 3-5 major points that you want to deliver with your feature. Write a brief sentence that describes what you want to say next to each major point. Writing your article is simply a matter of elaborating on each point with about 3-5 sentences.

After you have created your main body, go back and write your introduction. Take the short sentences that you created and tie them together in an opening paragraph. Give your readers a taste of what to expect in your article. Make your introduction interesting. Remember, you want to elevate the attention of your audience.

c) Conclusion

Your conclusion is a recap of your article. This is your last opportunity to reinforce your main points and create a meaningful impact on your audience. Reread your introduction and your main body. This will help you to focus on encouraging the readers with your final thoughts.

3) Use Good Tools

The essential tools for creating your articles are a good dictionary, a good thesaurus and a good word processor. These are the basics that will get you started towards developing your features. If you have not written for awhile, you will need to review grammar, syntax and punctuation rules. The internet can provide you with a wealth of information for rebuilding your writing skills

4) Write

After you create your outline, put pen to paper (or finger tip to keyboard) and start. This is a very important concept. Do not listen to that inner voice that is working against you. You can write but you must begin and your outline is your guide. Use it and refer to it regularly. This will prevent you from bogging down and giving up. Here are other ideas to consider:

a) Start writing immediately after you finish your outline.

b) Don’t get frustrated. Your creativity will come.

c) Express your ideas freely without concern for appearance.

d) Reread and rewrite.

e) Use your tools.

f) Check spelling, grammar and punctuation (yourself and with your word processor).

g) Proofread your article several times.

h) Take a break, come back and reread your article.

i) Fine tune if necessary.

Writing and submitting articles could propel your home business to the next level. Don’t be intimidated if you have not written for awhile. The key is to communicate in your own voice with a willingness to share helpful ideas with your readers. If this is your motivation, you will become an effective writer. Consider these ideas as you journey towards your home business success.

“Do the thing you fear, and the death of fear is certain.”

Choose Life: A Eulogy For My Mother

April 17, 2009 - 3:40 pm

After a long illness, my mother passed away in June 2006. Even though we all knew she had little time left, her death still came as a shock.

My brothers helped me write the eulogy, and I delivered it. I almost made it through, maintaining my composure and humor right to the end. But, final goodbyes are never easy. With the last sentence, a poignant and personal message to our mother from my brothers and myself, I lost it. To cry at your mother’s funeral is natural and expected. But being an author, and being comfortable with public speaking, I thought I could manage it. I humbly acknowledge grief trumped self-control.

And then there are the relatives and friends, many of which I hadn’t seen in decades. Of course, one must always be polite and gracious when someone offers condolences and a sympathetic hug. But, what do you do when you haven’t a clue who the devil the person is? Years pass, people change. More than once, I had to discreetly ask a trusted relative, “Who is that?” Then, I had to hide my shocked expression when I realized time has been kinder to me than to others of my bloodline, or to my old friends.

We got through it. At the luncheon after the funeral, I said goodbye not just to my mother, but to many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends &ndash some of which I would see again and some I know I will not. It is an odd experience, looking in the face of your own mortality. My father died ten years ago. And now my mother is gone. It becomes a reality check, to do what there is to do while there is still time.

That being the case, I am writing again. I am happily anticipating the release of my second book, Sins and Secrets. And I am thrilled to be an Aphrodisia author. It is a wonderful rush to jump back into the deep end of my life!

My Mother’s Eulogy

Welcome everyone and thank you for coming. We are here to remember and say goodbye to our Mother. She fought the good fight, being as tenacious as a pit bull and never giving up. But finally, after more than thirty years of dealing with various conditions and illnesses, she has found peace.

Mother was the sort of mother who never stopped worrying about her children, no matter what age we were. Were we eating well? Were we getting enough sleep? Were we staying well and not catching colds or the flu?

She kept after our father in the same way, but they were also a couple who enjoyed each other’s company very much. Mom and Dad were best friends as well as husband and wife. They had fun together. They loved to dance together, particularly the polka. They also often took us on joy rides to the local woods, sharing their enjoyment of the forest with us and showing us how to spot deer at sunset.

One of those rides wasn’t as much fun. Mom and Dad took us on an unmarked dirt road, trying to see some deer. Dad found himself down in a gully. He tried to turn around, and couldn’t. We were stranded overnight until lumbermen came to work the next morning and found us. Evidently the road was a logger road, not meant for passenger traffic. As I will explain in a moment, thanks to Mother’s planning, we were OK. It was scary, but it was kind of fun.

Both my brothers and I were all toilet-trained the same way. Mother’s technique was to be with us in the bathroom, run the faucet, and softly say, “Rain, rain, rain.” It worked. In fact, the suggestion has lasted the three of us into adulthood. With all the rain we’ve had the last few days, my brothers and I have needed to stay within easy range of a bathroom.

Mother loved music and sang in the choir. She particularly loved country music, which the three of us hated at the time. The Saturday night ritual was always Country Music Jubilee, then Hee Haw, then the Grand Ole Opry on the radio.

She loved gardening, both for glorious beautiful flowers and for food. Speaking of food, Mother made the best fried chicken. She put the Kentucky Fried Chicken secret recipe to shame. For holidays and family gatherings, she cooked tremendous amounts of food, and still worried whether there was enough for everyone to eat. And while she was cooking, she would sample the food, and at mealtime, while everyone else stuffed themselves, she couldn’t eat much more.

Mother had real artistic ability. One of the times she best displayed it was at Christmas. We always had huge trees and many decorations around the house, but Mother’s crowning achievement was found under the tree. She sculpted an elaborate village there, with mirrors for frozen lakes, pine seedlings, or “crow’s feet” for miniature trees, and boxes and props to create multilevel hills and mountains. She would cover the hills with white sheets and cotton to simulate snow. Her village was like Christmas Wonderland to us. My brother continues this tradition in his home.

Mother was the only girl in her family, and she got into hunting just as much as her brothers did. I’m sure a lot of you recall a character Johnny Carson played occasionally on The Tonight Show. His name was Floyd R. Turbo, American, and he would make silly editorial comments on the issues of the day, but dressed differently from other TV commentators. When Mother was going to go hunting, she would put on a red Woolrich jacket and a hat with ear flaps, the resemblance was pretty amazing. I couldn’t resist calling her Floyd R. Turbo, American. I think she was somewhat amused. Or else I would call her the Great White Huntress. And she was a successful hunter.

Remember what I told you about Mother being prepared when we were stuck on the logging road? Our Mother made emergency preparedness an art form. No matter where she went, she packed for any potential disaster. On picnics, we packed boxes full of food, enough for a small army, the grill, all the lawn furniture and extra clothes in case one of us fell into the water. When she went to my brother’s college graduation, she took the toaster and the coffee pot to the motel. And when she traveled anywhere away from home, we had to lock down the kitchen sink so she wouldn’t take it.

Through it all, Mother was motivated by her desire to do the best she could for us. Every night she would send us to sleep by saying, “Good night, sweet dreams, I love you.” For the rest of her life, she would continue to send us off with those words. So it is only fitting that now we are able to say the same to send her off.

So, Mother, good night, sweet dreams, we love you.

New Technical Writer: Avoiding The Interview-writing Disconnect

April 17, 2009 - 9:21 am

OVERVIEW

Lost or garbled information is a terrible waste. Especially if it’s the information you gathered from an interview and must now write into your User Document. Here’s how to prevent that waste.

THE SITUATION

You had an interview with a Subject Matter Expert (SME, someone who has the information that you need) for your product. He/she told you all that you needed to know. However, by the time you got to write the material into the User Document, you have forgotten much of what was discussed. Your notes only help a bit. This loss or garbling the information from the SME that you need for your writing is the “Interview-Writing Disconnect.”

SOLUTION

The solution is divided into three components: Preparation Before the Interview, Actions During, and Following the Interview.

TIP: If possible, schedule the interview as close to the time that you are going to write that part of the User Document. The longer you wait between the interview and the writing, the more difficult it will be to recall the content.

Before the Interview

* Your guiding principle is to Be Prepared. You should have read what you can about the product, its environment, who will use it, and what they (usually) want to do with the product.

Know as much as you can before the interview. The more you know about the product, the better off you will be in the interview.

* Specify the goals of the interview. Share this information with the SME. Do this in an e-mail before the interview.

* Ask the SME if you can (audio; video is too obtrusive) record the interview. Get a recorder (preferably a digital recorder) and make sure it is set up to function properly during the interview.

* Gather any other materials you will need for the interview.

* Set up your recorder, etc quickly when the meeting begins.

* (You might want to practice taking legible notes…I sure need to)

THE HARDEST PART

Leave your ego at the door. (This is really hard.) Don’t make signs that indicate that you understand something that you do not. Ask questions, get the explanation that you need. Here is something to tell the SME:

“If I ask what sounds like a stupid question, bear in mind that I am acting based on the knowledge that our User has.”

DURING THE INTERVIEW

Record the interview (if permitted).

Start with some overview questions, such as:

* What is this portion of the product (topic) called?

* How does this topic fit in to the product?

* What is this (portion of the product) used for?

* When would someone use this (unless it is “obvious”)?

* What has to be set up before the User can use this part of the product?

* Any other conditions about when this would be used, or when it would be avoided?

After you have the background information, then move on to the actual operation of the part of the product. Ask any questions that you have prepared and any others that come up in the interview.

Remember, if you do not understand something, ask.

Ask some summary questions. Review the steps that you took, saying them out loud in your own words (especially if you are recording the session). Have the SME correct any mistakes that you make.

Ask if there is any related information to this topic. Are there any tips or traps using this part of the product?

MORE ABOUT RECORDING INFORMATION

If the SME points to a part of the product (such as a window in a piece of software, or the control panel of a barbecue) then say out loud what the SME is pointing to. Say something like “we are looking at the main address book window” or “we are looking at the main burner control.” This will enable you to link what is happening in the interview with the audio tape.

If the SME performs an operation, say what it is. “You just entered the new person’s name, and the ‘New Card’ window appeared.” Or “You just turned the burner control to the ‘Light’ position, and now the igniter is clicking, and there’s the flame.”

Take notes as well as you can. But do not let any of your activity get in the way of the interview. It’s not a good idea to keep stopping the SME while you catch up with your note taking. You will have the audio recording to fall back on.

The SME might provide handouts for the interview. If you are allowed to, take notes on the handouts. The goal is to link your audio recording and notes and handouts together. For example, if the SME provides a screen print for a software product, you should link your notes, audio recording and the handout together by reading the title of the handout aloud. Do it as unobtrusively as possible.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW

As soon as possible after the interview, you must go over your notes and handouts. If possible, this should be done within minutes of the end of the interview. Find a quiet place (perhaps you have access to the interview room after the interview) and go over your notes.

Review your notes and add clarification to them. When you add the material to the notes do it with enough detail so that someone who was not at the meeting will be able to understand it. That person is you in even a day or two!

As soon as you can get to it, take the expanded notes and write them into a draft of that part of the User Document. That should be within a day or two of the interview, if possible. Every minute’s delay adds to the disconnect between what you learned in the meeting and what you write.

Let your draft sit for a day or so, then review and revise it for clarity and completeness. Consider sending the reviewed and revised version of the draft to the SME for comments. (You only want comments on the material, not on grammar.)

Schedule time for this writing, even if you are juggling several writing projects. The time you save in not having to recall the information at a later date will be a good investment.

THE BOTTOM LINE

You can avoid or reduce the effects of the Interview-Writing Disconnect by being prepared before the interview, asking questions and taking effective notes during the interview, and reviewing and writing the material as soon after the interview as possible.

Several Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills

April 16, 2009 - 5:50 pm

Studying process involves a lot of written assignments that are usually the deciding points of any course grade. They may be difficult and time-taking but the results you get afterwards are essential both in your academic life and in your future profession regardless the field. Looking over your essay, tutors evaluate your writing skills, your ability to analyze, to assess, to compare and contrast, to express an opinion and to sound persuasive and affirmative. As you can see, there are a lot of important factors that influence the grade the tutor gives to you for your written assignment. There are a lot of types of written assignments and as a good student you are supposed to know how to write them all.

One of the hardest essays to complete is a compare and contrast essay. From the first sight it may seem that it is very easy to compare and contrast things but this really depends on what things are you comparing and contrasting. It takes time to compare material objects like buildings or monuments; imagine how time-taking the process of comparison of philosophical currents is. It is very important to choose objects or events that can be put under the same category at least in one feature out of the others. It is impossible to compare orange juice and rocky mountain, isn’t it? But these are simple material matters that can be easily defined. What to do if you are given a number of matters that seem irrelevant in all the characteristics known to you? That means that you have to do a little research and evaluation. It will be a good thing to make a chart putting the things you want to compare and contrast on the top and the characteristic features aside. This way you have a possibility to see in which way they are similar and how they are different. After the evaluation process you may start actual essay writing. At the beginning you may also do a little research on possible essay formats, styles and structures, unless the requirements are set by the tutor. This really matters, for you have to show that you are intelligent, educated, well acknowledged in the subject, literate, creative, have ability to evaluate and to analyze and what is the most important, you are a unique individual with own point of view.

What sin also very important about essay writing is proofreading and editing. You may of course be exhausted by writing process and miss some mistakes, so it is better to postpone the proofreading process to times when you feel good and can attentively and step by step go over your creation and make some necessary corrections. After you are satisfied with what you have written you may submit your project and you may be sure that the result is quite possible.

Writing Short Articles Is Easy

April 16, 2009 - 1:16 pm

Short article writing is as not as difficult as you think. No, it is not a daunting task if you know what to do. Just remember that when you write, the important thing is that you catch your reader’s attention. You must make them want to read what you wrote. Here are the tips that you can follow when writing your article?

You and Your Readers

Grab you reader’s attention. Remember that at first glance your title must reflect the benefit they would receive from reading your article. Writing compelling titles is an art itself. It must have pizzazz and it must sizzle by itself. You must create a title that will grab your reader’s attention and hold it. Do not be afraid to be outrageous even. Your introductory words or paragraph must tell your readers how reading your article will help them out or improve them. It must be formatted in such a way that when your readers scan your article, it would be viewed as a light, easy and interesting reading. How do you ensure that your article is easy to scan? Use bullets, headings, sub-headings, numbered lists, and steps.

Talk to your reader. Learn to be specific in your purpose and narrow down your article to its exact target audience. Make sure that your articles will be understood by varied audience regardless of their age, educational background or race. Connect to your reader as a friend, giving him an advice. Make your article friendly.

You and Your Topics

Prepare an outline. Writing would be easier also if you have an outline on hand. Determine the number of paragraphs you would like your article to have, your outline headings and sub points for each heading. Your outline headings must not vary from the main topic of the article but must be supportive of the main heading. Your subtopics for each outline headings must be related to the main heading and to each outline heading.

Take note that your article should be concise, informative and interesting. Do not write lengthy paragraphs that would bore your reader. Keep it short and readable. You can give examples, but make sure that they are short. It is also important to write simple sentences and use words that are understandable to almost any reader. Use the simplest words. Avoid using words which are very technical except when it is really necessary. Use words of direct and powerful actions and expressions. Use active voice in writing sentences. This would be more positive in impression. Do not include unnecessary or excessive words.

Be informative and substantive. Your article must be practical and valuable. You must do your research to make sure that your article will come out like you really know what you are talking about. Avoid lengthy idioms, analogies, quotes, anecdotes, and stories, but if you must give an example, make it short. This will ensure that your reader will get the information while appealing to their emotions. Your readers want information and definite summary of the whole article. It is this way that they will connect with you.

Creative Writing Ideas - How To Have Them

April 15, 2009 - 4:51 pm

Are you waiting and hoping for creative writing ideas? Why not use some simple techniques to produce as many ideas as you will need? Here are a few to get you started.

Combine Stories For Creative Writing Ideas

There is a technique called “concept combination” which is to create new products to sell. Use it to create new stories, and it is usually good for a few laughs and a few ideas as well. All you have to do is imaginatively combine old stories into new ones. For the most creative ideas, use stories which are unrelated in their theme.

Suppose you start with the biblical story of Adam and Eve, and combine it with the movie, “Star Wars.” Perhaps in the new story a man and a woman are placed alone on a new planet, as an experiment to see what will happen over the centuries. Would they or their future offspring develop our same ideas about God and morality?

Get crazy if you want. “King Kong,” and “Romeo and Juliette” could become a story about when apes learn to speak, and the first human-ape romantic relationship develops. The couple is of course rejected by ape and human society. How about “Frankenstein” and “Gone With The Wind?” Start dreaming up those new creative writing ideas.

More Ways To Have Creative Writing Ideas

Make a list of what is most important to you. Take anything from that list, and find a story in it. For example, if honesty is important to you, create a story populated with characters that are defined by how honest or dishonest they are, and show the consequences of this trait. If there is some political principle that is important to you, imagine new stories which show what happens when this principle is followed - or when it isn’t.

Make a list of the stories most like. Start with any story you really like, and think about how you would have told it, or how it could be told. The start writing to see if the idea “grabs” you. Romeo and Juliet has been successfully retold a hundred ways in books and movies, under many titles. Why not find a formula you like, which has been proven to work, and write your own updated version?

Watch the evening news and make a list of the stories. This source is mined by television shows all the time. Try to add a twist that will get the story read. For example, take a real life issue that is in the news and approach it from a different perspective. Perhaps it could be a story of a businessman who profiteers after a hurricane, but you find a way find a way to make him the good guy.

One of the best ways to get ideas is to write anything right now. The English writer Graham Green attributes his success to a simple habit: He forced himself to write at least 500 words daily, whether he felt like it or not. Creative inspiration can strike at any time, but it strikes more often when there is work instead of waiting. Just start writing and you’ll have more creative writing ideas.