Essay Online

Sitting down in front of a blank screen, you type out a sequence of words followed by a period. You pause for a moment, you backspace it all away and you type another new string of words. You know what I mean?

Why is it that at times writing comes easily, but at other times it barely trickles out? Part of the reason may be that you are losing all of your best ideas in between those sit-downs at the computer.

When you have ideas or see things which get you thinking, write them down. Collect them in some way. Odds are within a few days of doing this you will see relations and trends you would not have noticed before. This will lead to more quality content. Think of the outstanding quality of articles that you’ll be writing over the course of weeks and even months?

Something I have found myself doing since I began blogging, is writing a huge amount of memos and small notes. They can be either halfway completed or standing as headlines only. While it can be daunting to stare at a big list of articles waiting to be written, it can also make the process of beginning to write a bit easier when you hit a creative roadblock.

It can also be very helpful to use a writing tool that tracks changes. I use Writeboard, but there are others out there. Even MS Word can track changes if you want. Keep your ideas flowing, and keep working on them over time.

Do not skip over silly ideas and stories. You never know what might come in handy later.

Actively investigate the world around you. Be a journalist all the time. Ask questions and look for details. You might be surprised at how many ideas jump out at you.

For more details and my inspiration for this article you can visit my site mentioned in the Author field.

A paradigm has been described as “A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them.”

Each writer comes at their work with a certain paradigm at work. Each writer will write with a set of assumptions about the world around them, they will subconsciously include concepts and values they find imperative. In the broadest perspective possible each writer will express their worldview in some form or fashion through what they write. This may not happen in every piece, however when the entire body of work is evaluated carefully it becomes clear what the author truly believes to be true, noble and right.

In the realm of writing this concept is known as Context. This means that the author of any work lodges certain absolutes in virtually all areas of story construction. The story may include the writer’s philosophy of politics or their view of religion.

A strong example of this was The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. While the story is fictional, Mr. Brown confirms that he believes much of what he wrote to be true. Many have appreciated the storytelling ability of Dan Brown, but have a hard time accepting the context and assumptions of his work.

As a writer of faith it is quite likely the core values you possess will show up in ways both intentional and unplanned. J.R.R. Tolkien made a point of saying that his faith was not the intended context of his storytelling. Yet, the pages of the Lord of the Rings trilogy were filled with Judeo Christian values and attributions to the power and sacrifice of God which are consistent with his personal faith. I would argue that this fiction writer could not write something that denied his internal paradigm.

Most fiction writers are not trying to proselytize, they simply present a story and in the process their belief system leaks onto the pages. It’s to be expected.

From an historical perspective a look at world event at the time a classic literary work was published can assist us in learning the context of the work and the paradigm of the author.

World events and our personal response are a unique combination that affects the context of our writing. If we are struggling with certain local, region, national or even global issues we will likely find the context of our circumstances coupled with out beliefs will alter our writing and the assumptions we include.

For a serious student of literature an understanding of context can help decode a sense of the angst or joy the author was experiencing when writing their classic.

Freelance journalism is one of the more hectic forms of freelance writing. If you want to become a successful freelance journalist, you’ll need to be comfortable with spending much time hunting down stories, traveling from place to place, and writing under short deadlines. If you enjoy all of that, and if you’re interested in some of the best opportunities for personal creativity, then freelance journalism may be for you.

When we talk about freelance journalism, we need to distinguish between two types: newspaper journalism and magazine journalism. As a rule, newspaper journalism involves a much narrower range of subject matter than magazine journalism, significantly shorter articles, and a greater focus on form. Typical newspaper articles follow a hierarchical format: the most pertinent information first, the least pertinent last. For example, an article about a local parade would start with “The X Parade will travel down Main Street at 10:00 Saturday in support of Y,” while it might end with “Onlookers are advised to bring umbrellas.”

Additionally, writing as a newspaper journalist means that you need the ability to find out about the news. Often, a journalist’s day looks like this: the editor assigns the journalist an article topic at 6 AM. By 8 AM, the journalist is making phone calls to various parties related to the topic. For a story on rising gas prices, this may include CEOs of oil companies, local gas station owners, car owners (interviewed on the street or at gas stations), car manufacturers, and local policymakers. Journalists usually interview anyone with a meaningful connection to the topic, and who can provide some good, succinct quotes and information.

Information-gathering goes on for most of the day, usually ending around evening. The journalist then works on the article, fact-checking where appropriate, before submitting it for publication sometime that night, with the deadline depending on the individual paper. Then the journalist is able to go to sleep–until 6 AM rolls around again, and the next article topic comes in.

More leeway is available with the larger “feature” articles. These appear in film sections, lifestyle sections, health sections or other less breaking-news-focused parts of the daily paper. Often newspapers publish these sections weekly, rather than daily, to save on printing costs.

For example, the film section may only appear on Fridays, the food section on Tuesdays, etc. The upshot of this is the freelance journalist has more time to research and to work on an excellent, well-rounded article. Using the same research methods (calling everyone connected to the topic, scheduling interviews, synthesizing succinct points from a large information pool), a feature writer constructs a more in-depth look at a given topic than a news writer can achieve in a short column of text.

Additionally, there’s occasionally more freedom in the choice of subject matter. Perhaps you know about an excellent local band in need of a profile? Maybe you volunteer in a community organization that does interesting work and deserves a write-up? How about writing an article on the health benefits of soybeans? A newspaper’s “features” section can be an excellent venue and a personal one, which can be rare in freelance writing. Additionally, feature articles don’t depend heavily on the hierarchical “news” format, making your job much easier (or harder, if you find it difficult to structure an article without set guidelines.)

Magazine journalism is similar to the “feature” style of newspaper journalism, albeit with much more generous word limits (and often more generous pay rates.) The downside is that a magazine may not have as many opportunities for publishing your work. The broader subject matter of a magazine may also result in topics that require more legwork and potential travel expenses (hopefully paid for by the magazine) than just a profile of a local policymaker. To be an effective magazine writer, you’ll need to look much harder for article ideas, but the payoff can be well worth it.

How do you scout out freelance journalism jobs? For newspapers, have some sample articles written, a good working knowledge of style guides (especially Associated Press style), and a willingness to work on whatever is available until the editor or publisher promotes you to working on more enjoyable assignments. For magazines, it’s best to research your articles and write them in advance; afterwards you can send query letters to the appropriate editors in hopes of becoming published. In either case, submission information is printed on the staff page of magazines and newspapers. You can also find submission information online at the publications’ web sites.

The career of a journalist isn’t for everyone. Whereas many freelance writing projects are about a predictable routine of research and writing, the variety and novelty of writing news and feature articles eschews all routine in favor of a constant flurry of ad hoc interviews, phone calls and general information-gathering. But to some people, this is far from a drawback. If you’re one of those people, start developing your portfolio now, get in touch with some editors (either by appointment or by query), and prepare yourself for a successful career in freelance journalism.

Have you ever dreamed of selling your book to a large corporation? A sale that would register several thousand copies of non-returnable product on the book sale meter? What’s that? You’ve never thought of it, you say? Well, never fear! It’s not too late to pursue this avenue, especially if you have a book ripe for a particular market.

Before you embark on this project, it’s important to understand the possibilities out there. Start being aware of incentive items you might see and understand how they are used. Many are offered as consumer gifts or incentives while others are used as training tools or morale boosters for employees.

Some examples of premium sales might be:

• Books offered at yearly company sales meetings

• Books offered to consumers at a discount (consumers are usually asked to send in product UPC’s to qualify for these specials)

• Books offered to new customers at financial institutions

• Books offered to new home buyers

• Books offered to new magazine subscribers

To determine the market segment you want to go after, study your book first for obvious clues. If you’ve mentioned or recommended companies or products in your book, those will be the first tier you’ll want to go after. Next, think about the message of your book and how it aligns with particular companies within that industry. Company web sites and ads will offer great clues when trying to match a company or organization up with your book.

If you’re going after the magazine subscriber bonus segment, you’ll have a bit more flexibility. Generally, if the book fits the reader demographic and aligns itself with the message of the magazine, it will be considered. For example, you might offer a home organization book to Good Housekeeping or a fitness book to Self or Redbook. Before you approach these magazines, read them for about three months so you get a good sense of what they’re about and who their audience is.

If you’re going after a particular market and are trying to locate companies within that industry, try doing a Boolean search in Google. Your search should look like this: “your industry and companies.” Another resource is .thomasregister.com. This site will link you to companies nationally and internationally within your industry.

Next, don’t overlook companies in your own backyard. Think about industries, companies and organizations in your area that might work well for your book and begin going after them. Many times, local companies will welcome the opportunity to support hometown authors.

Once you’ve put your list together, you’ll want to contact them and pitch them the idea. Or, in some cases, our company will send them the book and proposal before we even make phone contact. Sometimes the companies you’ve targeted will be on the lookout for incentive items, other times this will be a new (and exciting) area for them. If you’re going after employee incentives, it’s interesting to note (and mention in your sales letter) that employee incentives increase individual performance by 27 percent and team performance by 45 percent.

Be open and creative with your pursuit of premium sales! Many times, companies will want to put their logo on the cover or include an extra page in the book with a letter from the President or CEO. Check with your printer or publisher on whether this is possible for you and what the additional costs will be before you start pursuing the premium sales arena.

So, how long does this process take? We’ve seen premium sales turn around in a week, while others take a year or more to complete. Oh, and the most important part… how many books can you plan to sell? Anywhere from one thousand to several thousand depending on the deal and the company. We’ve even got a deal in the works for a half a million copies of one book.

Discounts and negotiations vary. Often, we’ll negotiate volume discounts of 50 percent to 70 percent on bulk orders. Again, make sure you’ve got these figures ready when you pick up the phone to make your pitch.

With the right book, premium sales are not only a great way to gain exposure of your book, but in the end, they make great “cents.”

College years are the best, the most remarkable and fun days of our lives, therefore we should spend them in the way that can make them remarkable and fun. Doing this, we must not forget that the key aim of us being here is studying; getting necessary skills to proceed with work in our field. Everything you dwell on turns out to be done and completed well.

Accept writing. Every time you turn your paper in, expecting on your deserved “A”, you get a good mark and your tutor explains that you lack that little trifle that makes your work look like “the A type”. It’s time to take some actions to correct the absence of that trifle. Sometimes even postgraduates are asked to reconsider some of the stylistic points of their thesis paper and add something that makes it more interesting to read. Here is some advice on how to insert interesting stylistic points into your work. It is quite easy to insert a rhetorical question in any thesis, even if it is a complicated paper, like computer science thesis. By a rhetorical question we mean a question that doesn’t need an answer, a poser that can possibly be answered only by a person wondering. Technically it is used to turn one’s attention to the statement. This question makes a reader think it over and find the answer. This stylistic matter makes a reader or a listener involved in the topic. This way your work is absorbed easier than if you present bare statements to reveal your researched topic.

Quotations can make even a dissertation look brighter and more informative. When you quote, it means that the principles of work of the scientist you use are very familiar and close to your way of thinking. It also shows how deeply you have researched your topic and how well you can operate the knowledge you got out of that. A quotation makes your work easy to understand and the interest of the reader increases. One more point is the lexical structure of your paper. There should be a number of various linking words and phrases that make your language look rich and convincing. The number of nouns is quite limited, but the number of adjectives and adverbs that you know and also can for can not be counted. Therefore it is wise to use some of them in your presentation speech and in your paper. You have to prove to your advisors and audience that you deserve to be called a scholar for your effective statement, presentation skills and literate and stylistically well-composed language. All things considered, you have to think over every detail of your paper and only then turn it in. If you add some little trifles in your paper, the success is guaranteed. Sometimes it is better to overdo than to underdo the work. You’ll work hard and the whole thing might even seem senseless in the end, but your satisfaction will have no border when you get your deserved “A” and recognition as the best writer in class.

I had an engaging conversation recently with a friend who writes for a living as I do. One question that came up from my friend to me was, “How do you write so often and so well?” Naturally, I appreciated his question and considered it to be a compliment. Goodness knows there have been times after I wrapped up a project that I wasn’t too confident about what I had written. But, that wasn’t his question. He also wanted to know how I write so prolifically. Read on and I will share some secrets with you.

When I write articles, I try to keep in mind that some person some where will likely snag my article and repost it elsewhere. I submit my articles to select submission sites knowing that I stand the best chance of seeing my articles peppered on web sites across the World Wide Web. With that in mind, I write with all of my heart by pouring passion into every single word that I write. I also know that what I write will be critiqued by future paying customers, so no junk is acceptable by me.

Clearly, writing prolifically means sticking with the topics I am most familiar with. Fortunately, as I glide through middle age [yeah, right] I have gained a much broader selection of topics to write about. I have worked in the nonprofit sector, retail, restaurant, and aviation environments. I have worked with men and women from what seems to be every tongue, tribe, and nation on earth. I have lived side by side and attended church with people from varying financial backgrounds. What I have really gained is a rich melting pot experience which has influenced my subject reach.

Once I find something I want to write about, I simply start writing. I don’t even write out an outline as much anymore as I usually have the topic sentence, body, and the conclusion already in my head. It is simply a matter of taking each part of the article and fleshing it out. Quickly and deliberately I usually come away with something that is concise, informative, and persuasive. Typically, I only need to partially rewrite any article once, making slight grammatical corrections and changing words or sentence structure as needed. No dilly dallying…I get right to the point.

Because I am regularly in the mood to write, this means I do my writing on a consistent basis. Because I write on a consistent basis, I gain consistently good results. Like a pianist, if I do not practice, practice, practice I will lose my edge and, thus, my delivery. Better to keep at something all the time then to rest too long and lose my spark. Consistent writing is profitable to me as it is to my clients who benefit the most from all of my hard work.

Py: How did you get your pen name as Maruerite Arotin?

Marguerite: My real name is Dana but when I decided to write romance, I always knew Dana would be too unisex for the romance market. So I thought about my nickname. My grandma used to call me Daisy and my hubby eventually picked it up too. Marguerite is french for Daisy and I’m part French so I loved that ;-). Arotin was my late mother-in-law’s maiden name so I took the name in honor of her and plus it flowed nicely with Marguerite. I will be marketing all books under my pen name of Marguerite Arotin.

Py: When did you start reading romance novels?

Marguerite: It was just after I met my hubby that I picked up my very first romance novel. I think meeting someone so perfect for me taught me that true love does exist and that maybe those romance novels I always thought were so sappy could come true. But then I met Phil and the attraction hit me like a ton of bricks. I can’t imagine any other guy who can fulfill my needs as much as he can and I wouldn’t want to satisfy any other man but him. Since I was a bit of a history nut, I picked up a historical by Linda Lael Miller and then got addicted to the genre.

Believe it or not, prior to meeting my husband, Phillip, I was a bit of a young cynic when it came to romance and relationships. I met Phil when I was nineteen years old and prior to that, well I seemed to end up with a lot of jerks. At least I had a sense of humor of my unfortunate social life: I kept telling everyone I might as well adopt a bunch of cats and become the world’s youngest spinster.

Py: What inspired you to write your romance story, The Locktender’s Daughter?

Marguerite: It wasn’t until the unthinkable happened, when my hubby lost his job and I just had a baby, that I even considered writing my own my romance novel. I’ve always loved local Ohio history. I would walk the old towpath trail wondering what life was like back when the mules pulled the boats through the murky canal water. I happened to find some notes for a story I wanted to write, a historical romance set along the Ohio & Erie canal, and decided I would write it. By the time my hubby found another job, I was too caught up in the story to stop writing. As I learned more about my craft, I realized how crappy the first MS I completed was and decided it wasn’t worth revising. But that first story led to a sequel, called The Locktender’s Daughter, and I loved that tale :-). I knew I didn’t have enough experience yet to try a large print publishing house or even go for an agent, but I submitted my tale to a few e-book/POD presses and TheLocktender’s Daughter found a home with Wings.

Py: Any tips for romance writers?

Marguerite: I’ve learned that everyone has their own writing techniques and they have to use what works best for them. Some people just allow the story to roam freely and other’s tend to go all out and do full outlines. I do a mixture of both.

I want to add here is how important it is never to give up on your dream. It took me a good two years of submitting The Locktender’s Daughter before I found a home for it. I knew I had a great story, I knew it my heart. I loved Bethany and Tyler too much to give up them. Writing is one of the toughest jobs out there and those rejection letters can hurt. But you have to put it aside and remember that people behind those rejection letters, agents, editors, etc, are not rejecting you and if you love your story and characters enough, you have to keep trying no matter what. I did and I found a great home for Bethany and Tyler :-).

Py: Your Contact Information and your giveaways to readers?:

Marguerite: My first historical romance novel will be published with Wings Press ( .wings-press.com/) in May of next year. My site at .ohioromance.net

As far as giveaways, I have the first three unedited chapters of The Locktender’s Daughter posted at my website .ohioromance.net/excerpts.htm

I’ve really got to update my page because it says that TLD is still in the hands of the editors at Wings and it’s already been contracted. Guess when you spend too much time writing, you forget about simple things like remembering to update your site. I’ll get it updated before Sunday. I do post free excerpts in my myspace blog from time to time and have been posting a lot lately from my teenage sorceress for my NANOWRIMO YA project. Also I will be running a contest around May in conjuction with the release of my story, I have no idea of what I’m going to do yet but it will probably have something to do with canal history :-).

After the pomp and circumstance is over and you have opened the last wedding gift it soon comes time to face the daunting task of writing your thank you notes. If you are anything like me the thought of sitting down to a stack of cards makes me find every excuse in the book not to do them. The key to writing your thank you notes is preparation and organization. In fact with the right preparation writing thank you notes can be simply painless. The following are some suggestions on how to make writing thank you notes a more pleasant task.

To stay on top of the situation order your thank you cards when ordering your invitations. Not only do you stay with the theme but you also ensure that the cards will be there when it comes time to writing them. If you plan on being a little creative by adding pictures to your thank you cards discuss this with your photographer at your first meeting. Talk with your photographer on photo suggestions and the card options that are available to you. Make sure to order plenty of cards.

The second most important detail is to be organized. Make sure to keep track and document every present that is sent or given to you. Have a bridesmaid write in detail what you receive at your bridal shower. Request a very descriptive and specific list. Keep all stationary supplies necessary for writing your note cards together and place it somewhere easily accessible for when you are ready to write.

To make things more personal handwrite each note. Handwritten notes are individualized and show your guest how important they are and how much you appreciate the gift they have given you because you have taken the time to tell them. You can add in the note something about the gift and how you plan on using it. If they gave you money mention how you plan on spending the money.

Addressing thank you notes can be a little delicate. Refer to your close friends and family by their first name. For those individuals that you don’t know well Mr. and Mrs. is more appropriate. The same holds true for the closing of your note. Sign both (first) names on the informal notes and include your first and last name on the more formal notes. Find a writing utensil that you are most comfortable with and that writes nicely. A fine point Sharpie or a ball point pen work well.

The key to successful completion of your thank you notes is planning. Since these notes must go out within three months after the wedding it is essential that careful planning occurs ahead of time. All your notes do not have to be written a once. Pace yourself and spread them out. Pick a favorite spot in your house, get comfortable, and start writing. You will be amazed at how fast your stack of cards and your list begin to decrease. Before you know it you are done.

Writing is something that everyone can enjoy! Writing is freeing and fun and exciting, if you really let your imagination go writing can take you to places that you have never been before. The world would be a sad and empty place without good writer to cheer it up!

If you are having trouble starting to write all you need to do is sit down and do it. Do not worry about writing well, just write anything that comes to mind. This kind of free flowing thinking is a great way to get the old writing muscles working. You can always go over things and edit later, or just throw out that bit of writing but it will get your imagination flowing like it needs to in order to be a successful writer.

It is also a good idea to forgo the idea of using a computer or typewriter. Try writing by hand at first. Things tend to flow out much better when you are writing by hand. This is the perfect way to deal with any blocks that you are running into when you are writing.

You may also want to take some time to pick up some great online writing tips. The internet is the perfect resource for just about anything including writing. You can learn from some of the best writers in history if you use the internet the right way. They have all kinds of great tips posted online so start looking them up today.

If you need to do some research for your writing then you will want to take a trip to the local library. The library has books on any and every subject in the world so get some ideas or info there when you are stuck.

The last paragraph of your cover letter can be very powerful. How you end it could leave a lasting impression with the employer &ndash good or bad. So before you sign off using your typical, “Please call me at your earliest convenience to set up an interview” kind of mumbo-jumbo, take care to let the employer off the hook and put the responsibility to follow-up squarely on your shoulders.

Mark this date

By stating that you’re going to follow up with the employer on a particular day makes you appear confident and willing to go the extra mile for an interview. It makes them feel important and that you honestly want to know about the job if you are willing to follow up with them.

It also eases the pressure off of them since they expect you to call. If they’re interested in speaking with you, they might set your resume aside and mark it down in their planner that you are going to call. That way they can be prepared to schedule and interview.

Do what you say

Whatever you do, if you write in your cover letter that you’re going to call them on a specific day, by all means &ndash do it! By not following through, you have jeopardized ever getting called by the employer.

This is actually worse than including a passive ending in your cover letter. By not following up like you claimed you would, you’re showing yourself to be irresponsible - not a highly sought out trait for a new employee.

Go the extra mile

If you follow up the date that you stated and never could get in touch with the contact, you can leave a voice mail stating that you were following up on the specific job posting. You can choose to follow-up with an email and/or try to call them back another day. The point is to let them know that you followed up when you said you would.

Now don’t get me wrong, you do want to try to actually speak to them. However, you don’t want to harass them either. Give it a couple of shots and if you can’t get them on the phone, leave a message and follow-up via email, if you so choose.

Follow-up is very important. That’s why stating you’re going to do so in your cover letter is impressive and important to the hiring manager. Keep it simple, keep your word and you might just come out with an interview.