Posts Tagged ‘articles’

Do Writing Groups Really Help?

April 17, 2008 - 3:50 pm

You want to write about that heroine driving you insane or the hero of her dreams, but how to start? I suggest writing groups; you will find them both on the Internet and off. In your town or out of another country, but nowhere you go or where you look you will find the group that is right for you. How do I know, how can I be sure? Well i personally Co-Own my own group and am the member of another. I can tell you that my second novel would have not made it to paper without my writing group helping me through the rewrites and rough drafts, the writers block, and getting the heroine and the hero finally get together. No without them, my second book would still be driving me insane to finish it.

I can also attest that without the help of the first writing group i joined i would not have ever gotten my first novel published. They kept me from going to the wrong people how to format the manuscript and what it really took to submit the book to the Publisher.

Yes, writing groups have helped my career immensely, however finding the right group for you is the key to getting the right help. Therefore, what to look for when picking out that perfect group. First off, I suggest making sure; they offer both honest critiques and helpful feedback.

Secondly what type of critique submission ratio they have, many offer a 2 to 1 ratio, which means for every two critiques you do you can submit one chapter for help with. You also need to see how many critiques and submissions are required to remain active.

Another thing to consider is whether the moderator and owner are actively participants in the group, or just run by other people. How many members are in the group and whether or not chats are encouraged between members? In addition, do they accept multiple genres or just one?

Knowing each of these can help you find the perfect group for you.

How To Write An Interesting Article?

April 14, 2008 - 2:13 pm

Articles are defined as small pieces of information that appear in periodicals like magazines, newspapers and more recently in websites. They provide insiders information or very in-depth information about a particular topic. The question that needs to be answered is how to write an interesting article? An interesting article is not an easy task to undertake because it is quite tricky to define the word interesting in the broadest sense. Some things may be interesting and appealing to a section of people but vehemently opposed by another group. As an end result, the article being written will be appealing to only one section of the readers, whom the articles are targeted.

When I was shown by my teacher on how to write an interesting article, it did not pretty much make sense to me at that time. The article was meant to be targeted only to a particular type of audience decided by the author. Because, once that bit is done and dusted, the proposition of actually playing the game becomes less intrusive. Writing is considered important and the most potent tool against the ills in the society. The most effective ways on how to write an interesting article is discussed here.

The topic is first researched upon to provide the fodder for the writing of an actual article. Then an outline for the article is created in this effect with a headline, introduction, body, conclusion and resource box. The headline is the first bold sentence of phrase that draws attention to the article. This is therefore one of the important aspects of writing an article. There should be an effort made to make the headline as catchy as possible so that, it will bring in more curious people to the attention of the headline and then subsequently to the impending article. Then comes the introduction part where a few lines will focus on the problems that are to be discussed in the article.

The Body of the article is used to discuss all the possible solutions to the problem that is outlined in the introduction. They are broken down to points and then individually discussed in the body. The separate paragraphs will make it easily accessible by the users when they search for the article by way of using one of the popular search engines. The final conclusion will contain a very brief summary of the article, just like the introduction and then calls for the reader to take action or gives a solution to the impending problem

How To Learn The Art Of Creative Writing

April 12, 2008 - 10:30 pm

The term creative writing is used to discern certain types of inventive or artistic writing from other general types of writing. The field of creative writing is broad and includes many different formats and genres of writing. The broad and general description of it is purposeful in its effort not to limit the imagination of the potential writer, or that of the reader. Creative writing is totally different from other types of writing, such as technical writing, scientific writing, or copy-driven journalism. The discipline of creative writing includes, but should not be limited to, works of fiction, poetry, personal memoir or autobiography, song lyrics, plays and screenplays, and any mixture of the above.

By and large, writing is a skill that is innate to a person. Just like with other proficiencies, most types of writing often comes easier to some people than to others. Therefore, it is often thought that a person cannot be taught how to write, especially creatively. Despite whatever natural talents for writing a person might have, those talents often need to be developed in order for the writer to realize his or her fullest potential in the craft. Learning how to write creatively must begin on the inside. A certain amount of individual experience, opinion, and innate sensitivity must be tapped when taking on the task of creative writing.

Creative writing is an artistic expression, like painting or composing music. It is therefore subject to criticism, both constructive and disrespectful. This should in no way deter a person from writing creatively, or in any other way. Sometimes, artistic expression is done just for the sake of doing it. There does not have to be a reason to create something, and there does not have to be an explanation behind the creation. The personal expression is free. This sentiment holds especially true with creative writing.

Creative writing courses are extremely popular and widely available in various formats. Short-term workshops ranging from merely a few hours to a day or several weekly sessions are available through public libraries, community education centers, and even community colleges. They are for everyone from the beginner to the seasoned writer looking to polish his or her skills.

In a creative writing course, there are many potential topics to discuss and methods to teach at length. These topics include, but are not limited to, techniques on brainstorming and exploring creative ideas, overcoming writer’s block, learning how to structure work, overcoming the fear of people reading/judging the created work, editing completed work, and getting works published. Though some will argue that true creative writing cannot be taught, it is widely acknowledged that certain skills can be mined and honed, as well as certain techniques taught, to make almost anyone at least a fair writer, and not be afraid to unleash his or her creativity.

Many budding writers opt to study creative writing in college. Often it can be an emphasis within a major in English, and a 4-year bachelor’s degree can be earned. This can open doors to many professional opportunities, as well as equip a writer with the skills to either take a stab at freelance writing, or translate his or her creative writing skills into other professional arenas, such as public relations, advertising, or editing.

For those whose writing ambition is to do creative writing as more of a hobby, looking to the Internet for creative writing websites is a good way to get work seen and gain insight into the craft. Many creative writing websites offer bulletin boards where writers can post works to be read and enjoyed, and where feedback can be given reciprocally. Also, writers can find a real community of individuals looking for other writers with whom to trade and share ideas.

Some creative writing websites also offer some of the same lessons and pointers on brainstorming and formulating ideas, editing, publishing, and other techniques that many workshops or writing courses offer, except it often does not cost anything online, and it is more convenient. There is also the appeal of the relative anonymity online, for the shy writer who is not quite ready for the face-to-face public arena. True creative writing might not be a learned talent, but the ability to tap inner creativity is possible for just about anyone.