Humorous Writing: How Is It Done?

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with me? Leave me your opinion.

Humor requires creativity,
originality. Repeating old
material is boring, and not
humorous.

A suggestion is to turn old
material upside down, sideways,
to expose new material.

Develop new material by
over-stating it.

Select activities, events,
from life to exaggerate
about.

Aries, a pet rabbit, for
example.

Have you noticed how
rabbits like to bang.

The other day, a guest
visited my humble abode.
I offered celery and dip.

Aries banged on the wall.

We talked. Aries banged.

We moved to the dining room.
She followed, leaned against
the wall, and banged.

Finally, it dawned. Aries
wanted some celery.

Often, people make fun of
the negative aspects of life
too.

The key is to create a funny
image in the minds of readers.
Laughter happens when they
relate to it, or see how
funny it is.

As with other types of
writing, become the sponge.

Take notes of situations,
incidents, you see, hear.

You're at a friend's house,
for instance.

The friend heads toward the
kitchen, but stumbles, slides
forward.

You know he/she is going to
be hurt. You close one
eye.

Instead, the friend spins,
side slaps the wall, but
he/she is all right.

You opened the closed eye,
blinked twice, and wondered
how he/she escaped being
mangled.

How would you tell the
story? Put a new twist
on it. Make it your own.

Allow a trusted friend,
family member, to hear,
see, the finished product.

A critique can be helpful.

Haiku: What Is It?

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with me? Leave me your opinion.

Haiku, hi-coo, is poetry from
the Japanese culture.

Let's look at the classic form.
The poem is three lines. Five
syllables sit in line one, seven
syllables in line two, and five
syllables situate themselves in
the last line.

Traditionally, the theme is
centered on nature.

Originally, haiku poems did not
rhyme.

However, today's poet rhyme them,
use any theme, less syllables per
line, and reverse the form.

The focus of this post is on
the classic, traditional, form.

Write a haiku by narrowing
down one thought, mood,
or feeling. Pour-in words that
show clear mental pictures.

What are your thoughts on snow,
for example? Write down anything,
everything, you want to say in
your poems. Select the words
with vivid imagery.

Keep in mind the poem should
be three lines, and seventeen
syllables.

Count the syllables as you
arrange your thoughts for
poems.

I suggest that you make a word
list by syllables.

Let's look closer at haiku poems.

Poem One

Line 1--5 syllables:
snow blankets the ground

Line 2--7 syllables:
layers it in white softness

Line 3--5 syllables:
black, silver, and gray

===================================
Poem Two
Line 1--5 syllables:
a storm manifests

Line 2--7 syllables:
trees bow to the howling wind

Line 3--5 syllables:
it calls to the rain

Stir-up your imagination with
haiku poems. Select descriptive
words.

Writing Ideas Stab At The Imagination: What To Do?

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with me? Leave me your opinion.

There is one action to take when
writing ideas stab at the imagination,
and that is to write about them.

Decide on the best angle to write
the article, poem, essay, or chapter
from. Use the point-of-view that
excites your imagination, and will
appeal to the biggest audience.

It's very important to work with
a writing idea that you like.

If a writing idea for an article
puts you asleep after paragraph
two, how can you write with passion
about it? It must ignite your
imagination, sense of wonder.

An interesting writing idea
starts you to look for the
right angle to present it
from. You probe, look, for
other information relating to
your writing idea.

What to consider as you
work on the next writing
idea.

Settle on a view-point by asking
questions.

What angle will give my article
the most appeal? Perhaps, it
should be begin with a question.
An amusing anecdote is better?

Try different questions before
picking one.

I wrote a poem centering around
a rainy day.

Still, I had to ask questions.

What is there to say about
the rain? It drowns out the sun?
Washes away germs? A time to
play in puddles? You prefer to
write about where rain comes
from?

I plucked information from the
above questions to write a haiku
poem.

Rain taps at window
cleaning the earth of its germs
balancing nature

Your choice is to write an essay.
Still, ask yourself questions.

How will the introduction be
presented? Your research
will give questions, and
solutions.

What is your position, and
what evidence do you have?

What words will best
show-case a chapter?

An excellent place to begin
a chapter is in the middle of
a problem, situation. Will the
idea stabbing at your imagination
help?

Stir-up the idea stabbing at
your imagination with research,
notes, experts, and begin
writing.

There's no limit to the paths
the writing idea stabbing at
your imagination can take,
but the boundaries you set.

Setting

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with me? Leave me your opinion.

The setting is established in
paragraph one. A setting shows
the mood of your story, tells
where it takes place, and locks
in a time period.

Don't just state where your
story takes place, but bring the
setting to life with characters,
dialogue. Use it as a factor of
the story.

If the setting, for example, is a
haunted house, story people will
talk, gossip, about weird happenings
surrounding it. They venture into
the house, noises ring-out during
the nights. The house is not
just the setting, but a component.

Allow characters to expose the setting.
The setting helps move your plot along.

A character makes a date to meet
another person at the house. The
deciding if the meeting should take
place there, changing a mind surfaces,
getting to the haunted house, and
what happens in the house moves
the plot forward.

It's important to develop a setting
that makes your story memorable, and
inspire people to read more of your
work.

Don't be afraid to change your setting
if it isn't working well with your story
people.

In my novel, Grave Street House, scenes,
incidents, happen in and around the
House. Characters talk about the
House at home, on the streets.

Take a look at how I began Grave
Street House.

My goal was to expose my setting,
give enough information of what's
happening, and hook the reader.

When I walked onto my street heads bobbed
and turned, some people cried. They knew
the horror awaiting him. A few drifted to
their places of security. The homeless
intruder wobbled then stumbled on his
way into the House. They reacted with
clear warnings to stay out. Only, he ignored
them. He slowed down, whirled his head toward
me with fear in his eyes.

I motioned with my hand for him to come
back. I rushed closer to the House, forced my
way through the mob of people.

Perspiration beads formed on my forehead. I
strained to take in enough oxygen. I stopped
moving; fear had me in its grip. He continued
to sway up the worn-out steps, made a mockery
of the condemned, haunted, Grave Street House.

What do you think of my opening?

The setting is a very important part of your
story. Re-think, re-write, the setting until
it is an exact fit.

Point-Of-View: Closer Look

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with me? Leave me your opinion.

What's Point Of View?

I'm going to take a closer look
at point of view in fiction.
Point of view is the perspective,
angle, from which a story is told.

The points of view are: the objective
point of view, first person point of
view, third person point of view,
limited omniscient point of view, and
omniscient point of view.

Objective Point Of View

Using the objective point of view, an
author, writer, describes the story
from what he/she can see.

Actions and dialogue from characters are
the indicators of what's happening in a
story.

The author, writer, isn't allowed to
explain what a character is thinking,
feeling.

First Person Point Of View

The author, writer, tells the story
from the viewpoint of a character.
The character shares his/her thoughts,
feelings, and behavior patterns.

This is the "I" viewpoint or voice.

I like to work with this viewpoint.

Personally, I feel it's easier for
beginners to work with.

This viewpoint character can't tell
what other characters are thinking,
doing. He/she can make guesses from
what other characters said or done.

Third Person Point Of View

The author, writer, is uninvolved in
the story. Characters are referred
to as she, he, and they.

The author, writer, conveys what's
going on, and interprets behaviors.

This point of view is used most by
writers.

Some say, this point of view is easier
to work with.

It's used in most genres, except young
adult fiction.

Limited Omniscient Point Of View

The writer, author, is limited to
knowing everything about one
character.

The author, writer, explains how the
character feels, thinks, hears, and
sees.

The author, writer, can't see or
hear what other characters are
thinking and feeling.

Omniscient Point Of View

Everything is seen, known, from the
omniscient point of view.

The author, writer, can disclose the
thoughts or actions of any character.

The author, writer, can explain the
situation from any character's angle,
viewpoint.

Experiment with different viewpoints.
Which viewpoint works better for you?
Is one easier to use?

Writing Ideas: Where To Get Them?

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with me? Leave me your opinion.

Writing ideas are sprinkled around
the doctor's office, seated at the
family's get-together table, paraded
in-out of malls, and splashed
everywhere on the streets of your
state.

Be prepared to capture writing ideas.
Carry a pad, pen, recorder, or text
yourself enough of the idea to later
write about it.

Make a note of the idea as soon as
it appears. Don't wait. Memories fade.
It'll be impossible to retrieve the
original writing idea.

"I've been waiting too long to see
the doctor!" Someone blurted at a
crowded doctor's office.

Writing ideas exist in those words.
Take a look.

The first idea surrounds a lady who
forgot to take her medicine. She hops
up, demands to see a doctor.

The office staff tries to calm her.
The doctor bursts through the door
with a syringe in hand.

Only, the lady...

What twist would you put on the idea.
Or, what notes would you scribble down
to explore later?

At a family dinner, the secret family
cake recipe discussion came to the
surface.

The person who handled it last turned
her/his residence upside down looking
for it, to no avail.

Members of the family argue with each
other, accuse one another.

The writing idea can swirl down several
paths.

Shake-up the writing idea. Look at it
from more than one view-point.

A conversation at the mall is over-heard.

"Grandmother, they're my family too." A
teen argued at the elderly lady.

"This isn't the time to talk about it"
The lady sighed.

"But..."

"Not here." The elderly insisted.

Your writing idea on it?

Perhaps, you'd write an essay on
children raised by maternal
grandmothers. Other ideas?

The only limit to writing ideas is
your imagination. It's best to
twist ideas upside down, and
find as many writing ideas as
possible from the original.

Here is an incident from the
street of my state.

Two young men stood on a
corner whispering between
themselves as people passed.

A female with three-inch gold
earrings paced near the
young men.

The guys looked at each other.
One of them grinned, and
without warning...

What's your thoughts on
the writing idea?

Writing ideas are everywhere.
Capture them for future
writing ideas.

Query: How To Write It?

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with me? Leave me your opinion.

A query letter is one page long,
but detailed enough to provide an
agent, publisher, with all that's
needed to contact you. They are
always looking for new voices, or
the next big project, best seller.

An effective query letter is
important. It's the deciding
factor as to whether an agent,
publisher, will represent,
sell, your work.

The query letter is written in
a business format.

The following explains how to
write an effective query letter.

1. Start with an interesting
writing idea, hook. What was
the deciding factor for you?
Why did you turn the idea into
a novel, article?

Narrow down your answer into
a sentence, and then spin the
answer into a question.

The final question opens your
query letter.

2. The question asked by you is
left open. Send the publisher,
editor, a certain view-point,
angle, to consider.

3. Explain what your story is
about. In no more than two
paragraphs, expose your plot,
problem in the story.

4. Give specific details. Draw
the publisher, agent, in by
tapping on structure, and how
you plan to develop it.

5. Do not disclose the ending.

6. Elaborate on why you're the
best person to write it. Establish
the fact that you've written related
articles, or you're a published
author.

7. Close with asking if he/she would
like to see the completed manuscript.

8. A self-addressed stamp envelope
is included.

Repeat the process to each publisher,
agent, on your list. However, be
certain your work is what a publisher,
agent, want, represent.

Request guidelines and research a
publisher, agent, before you query.

Fiction: How To Start?

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with me? Leave me your opinion.

Fiction is exciting, fun, to write
about. Find an idea that awakens your
imagination, and has wide appeal.

Fiction is invented, imagined,
or created stories. Characters
are placed in a setting to solve a
problem(s). Look at the idea upside
down, right side-up.

The writing idea is looked at from
different view-points to decide
how best to show-case it. In
other words, make sure the writing
idea appeals to a large segment of the
population, and stirs-up your writing
ability.

Answer the following questions.

What problem will be addressed?
Perhaps, an issue from your life.
A story out of the head-lines. A
friend's plight.

A lost recipe in a certain family
member's house disappears? He/she
claims it was there before anyone
arrived.

The possible plot, problem, is which
relative took it, and why?

The plot's options are too many to
discuss. Actually, the only limit to a
plot is your imagination.

Every story has a beginning, middle, and
an ending.

Allow characters to show what is happening.
Take a look.

"I saw whole thin,'" Beverly explained.
"Pyra ran out da house with da knife in her
hand..."

"Wait," Carrie interrupted. "I don't get
it. She ain't have no knife when..."

Populate the story. Who will be the main
character? Antagonist?

The main character is Pyra in my example.

The antagonist is the person stopping your
main character from reaching his/her goals.
Or, the person pursuing the main
character.

In my example, the antagonist is the
guy in braids.

"She tried to kill my sista." The young
guy in braids spat . "Cops betta catch
her befo street justice does."

Make profiles for each character. How they
look, talk, act, relevant experiences, and
anything you feel should be included.

A main character must try, at least, three
times before reaching his/her goal.

My example will swirl Pyra and the guy
in braids together three times. The
encounters will end in fights, possibly
death.

One problem is handled in short fiction.
Longer fiction stirs-in a major problem,
and a minor one. Add as many problems
in long fiction as you can handle.

Mix-in suspense. Give the impression
something is going to happen. Build it
up, and then allow some event to
explode.

The scene, explosion, can last two
paragraphs, or run for pages.

It, too, has a beginning, middle, and
an ending.

If, for some reason, you have a problem
writing, or have writer's block, write
anything that comes to mind. Or,
write about an object on your desk,
outside, pet, or why a color is your
favorite.

Keep writing until you're ready to start
on your writing project.

Usually, a new writing idea is discovered,
or material for your current writing project
dawns.

All problems must be solved at the end,
or given a satisfactory conclusion.

How To Create Writing Ideas

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with me? Leave me your opinion.

Writing ideas surround us. Everywhere
we go writing ideas await.

Pick a writing idea with mass appeal.
I'm referring to ideas that a large
segment of the population would
read, and it must excite your
imagination.

Jot down ideas as you find them.

Every story has a beginning,
middle, and an ending.

Let's look at how writing ideas are
picked.

1. Have you met a person during the
day? This person was over-dressed
for the place you saw him/her at.

He/she jumps to his/her feet, from
time to time, and starts dancing.
There isn't any music playing when
he/she does it.

There are many avenues to take
with the idea.

2. A prank that turned out funny
makes interesting reading.

3. Certain slang words can be the
start of a plot.

A character's use of certain
words ends him/her up in
murder.

4. A news head-line turned upside
down provides excellent writing
ideas.

5. A saying a relative repeats.
"Mark my words, if you go
there only misery will follow."

Pick a setting, place, and
start your plot.

6. An animal does something
funny, odd, or silly.

Spin the writing idea into
an interesting tale.

7. Write a story around an
out-dated piece of clothing.

8. You heard a funny story.
Write about it.

Select the characters for the
story.

Start the problem, issue, of the
story on page one.

Stir-in suspense. Suspense is
indecision, doubt, anxiety. Sprinkle
around suspense if you're working
with a western, romance, mystery,
or any genre. Suspense pulls
the reader into the story. It keeps
the reader wanting to know what
will happen next.

Each page should contain something
exciting. A threat of an approaching
doom, and few descriptive paragraphs.

Hint at the abduction of the main
character, for example. Perhaps,
the main character's belongings are
misplaced, rearranged.

What will happen next?

Let the characters show the story
through actions and dialogue.

Tie-up loose ends.

Set your story aside. The longer
your project, the more time you
need away from it.

After three-fourteen days away
from your project, critique it.

Have you found an interesting
writing idea today?

Easy Steps To Writing An Adventure Story

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with me? Leave me your opinion.

The adventure story takes the
main character, protagonist, to
a new place, different from his/her
own. The place should be dangerous
for the main character to be in.

Read adventure stories. Take them
apart, and re-write them from your
imagination.

Take notes. Did you see a better
writing idea? Jot it down. Make
sure the writing idea is from your
imagination.

Let's look at steps to make writing
an adventure story, novel, easier.
The following steps will fill-in the
story, and bring it to life.

A. What adventure will the main
character have?

1. A person finds an ancient coin,
but it's a door-way to the past.
The right spoken words will
unlock the door.
2. How will the main character
find the words?
3. Will he/she want to?

B. A time period is decided on.

1. The coin, from the above example,
takes the main character from
our current century to the eighteenth
century.

C. Pick the characters for the story.

1. Will a male or female be the main
character?
2. Will friends make the journey?
3. A main character and his/her pet?

D. The reason for the adventure?

1. The main character is always
complaining how boring his/her
life is?
2. A small town kid looking for
an adventure?
3. An adult looking to explore,
has something to prove?

E. Show-case the events.

1. The main character goes to
a library, and accidentally
happens upon the correct
words?
2. A person discovers the secrets
of the coin?

The story is started in the middle
of a problem, issue.

The main character is transported
back in time, for example, opens
the story. He/she grabs his/her pet
before disappearing. Or, a friend
jumps into the hole before it closes.

Gather-up, share, the other ingredients.

The antagonist is a person opposing your
main character. Make his/her presence
known in the opening scene.

He/she wants to steal the object, thing,
that made the main character's trip
possible.

The main character struggles, at least,
three times with the antagonist before
succeeding.

The main character's goals are to get
back home, and stop the antagonist from
returning with him/her.

The antagonist is willing to kill for
the coin.

Self-preservation is the main
character's motivation.

The antagonist wants to slide in and
out of time periods. He/she wants
to change pass mistakes, lives.

The antagonist is motivated by curiosity,
possibly greed. He/she will stop at
nothing to get the coin.

As with any other writing idea, turn
it upside down. Select an idea that
most excites your imagination.

Writing Time: How To Maximize It

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with me? Leave me your opinion.

Writing should last, at least,
two hours everyday. Perhaps, you'd
prefer six days a week. The more
you write, the better you'll become.

You treat writing as a profession, and
your writing time is five days a week?

Writing has to be balanced with your
life-style.

Find a place in the attic, spare room,
basement, or any area designed for
writing.

Every book, sheet of paper, should
pertain to writing.

Make a habit of jotting down
ideas as they bump into you.
Write down sentences about
the idea.

When you return to the idea,
you'll have a reminder of
your original thoughts.

It saves time, and allows
maximum writing time.
You skip the step of
pondering why you made
a note on the writing idea.

Keep your ideas in a file,
folder, box, to easily refer
to them.

A filing system maximizes time.
It stops you from searching in
every corner of your writing place.
Simply, look in your writing idea
file.

A suggestion is to file writing
ideas alphabetically, or categorically.
Or, devise your own filing system.

Work on more than one project
at a time.

Boredom slows you down. Working
on one article can get dull. You'll
tap a tune out on the desk, stare
at your computer screen, or train
a pet to sing.

Instead of wasting time, pick
more than one writing idea to
maximize writing time.

Return to the original writing
idea tomorrow, or the next day.
Time away allows thinking about
it, and refreshes you for the
project.

If an idea for an article, for
example, tires you, avail yourself
to writing pages for a novel. Start
a new article, write a poem, do
research on a topic of interest, or
start scribbling down ideas for
greeting cards.

You have a certain amount of
time for writing. Make the most of
writing time by having various
writing projects.

Maximize writing time by turning-off
the cell phone, telephone, television,
and radio.

However, some people work well with
the radio on. It's a matter of what
inspires your creative flow.

Make the most of your writing time
by getting projects completed. It
means actually writing, and ignoring
distractions.

Character's Name: How To Pick It?

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with me? Leave me your opinion.

There are other factors to consider
when picking a name for a character.
It's not wise to select a name because
it's pretty.

A character's name should be memorable,
impressive.

Origin, race, is stirred-in when choosing
a character's name. Usually, names
correspond to a character's family.
Or, a character's personality,
appearance, could be the focus when
naming him or her.

A tale revolving around an Irish-
American neighborhood, family, means
the characters will have the Irish
names.

Characters who are African-American
will have African-American names.

An aggressive character, for example,
is called, Fister.

He/she tends to use fists to settle
disagreements.

A character with black hair is named,
Raven.

The name given to a character reveals
much about him/her, supposedly.

Also, a character from a certain time
period will reflect it. A character
placed in a 18th century setting
would have a name from that time
period.

Still, names shouldn't be so difficult
to pronounce until readers put your
story aside.

Take time in picking names for your
main characters. They are in more
scenes, and you want people to
remember them, your work.

The main characters have a relationship
with readers. Readers see them as
people. They want to hear their tale,
and see how it's solved. Readers look
at how characters react to their names,
sometimes.

How a character feels about his/her
name gives insight into the character.
He/she likes his/her name? He/she is
at odds with his/her heritage, family?

The same name isn't given to more
than one character in a story. It
causes disorder, confusion.

Similar sounding names are avoided
unless it's written in your plot.

It's a good idea to pick a character's
name and stick with it. Now, other
characters in a story can nickname each
other. One nickname per character.
Us the name, nickname, constantly.

Will your character have a nickname,
just a first name, whole name, or referred
to by his/her last name.

A character's name is picked after
you profile him/her.

If a character's name isn't a good fit,
for one reason or another, change it.

Now, names can be plucked from
television, head-lines, magazines,
books, history, and anywhere your
imagination reaches.

It's interesting to add to a name.
The name Raven becomes Ravina,
for instance. Ryan spins into Ry.

However, in my novel, Grave Street
House, the main character's name
is Amanda. It's an ordinary name,
nothing striking about it. Amanda
is undistinguished.

Yet, she manages the courage
to unravel a murderer. This
wasn't easy for her.

The above steps are guide-lines
to naming your fiction characters.

Madonna Building School In Malawi

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

Madonna builds a school for the
underprivileged.

Madonna is building a multi-million
dollar girls' school.

In the village of Chinkhota, Malawi,
outside of the capital of Lilongwe,
the school will hold 500 students.

It's scheduled to be ready in 2 years,
at a cost of $15 million.

The AIDS epidemic left a million children
orphaned there. There are 13 million
impoverished people in Malawi.

The singer has adopted 2 children from Malawi.
Now, she's giving opportunities back to other
underprivileged girls in the region.

"Growing up in a privileged life, I took
education for granted, but coming to Malawi
taught me lots of things. I have learned to
appreciate what life gives," Madonna said.

She plans to build other schools in the
surrounding African districts. Also, she
wants to construct schools in other
countries as well.

Source: http://thecelebritycafe.com/features/35078.html

Scene: How To Write It?

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with me? Leave me your opinion.


A scene has a beginning, middle,

and an ending. It moves the

story along. The scene has

a purpose. A scene flows

smoothly.



A scene is a few paragraphs,

five pages, or twenty pages.

It depends on you.



Any word not doing its job

is deleted. Bloated, meaningless,

words take-up space, and slow

the story-line down.



The scene informs the

reader, shows the conflict

a character is having.



A character's conflict is

between nature, or against

man.



A character fighting a wild-fire

is an example of man against

nature.



Neighbors on different issues

involving politics represents

man against man.



The initial scene introduces

characters, sets a mood,

back-ground information

can be given, suspense

is stirred in, and the

reader meets the view-point

character.



The scene acquaints the

reader with the character.

Don't give too much information

at one time, or discuss many

characters in a scene.



The first scene's focus is to

present the main character.



Perhaps, you'd like readers

to know how the main character

handles problems, the issue

at hand.



Is the character aggressive?

He/she likes his/her fists to

meet mouths, teeth? Or,

he/she starts confusion, and

disappears. Will he/she

repeat him/herself?



Give an idea of his/her faults

in the scene.



Set the mood. Is the day

dark and gloomy? The

character is seeing shadows,

argues easily?



The back-ground information

given should be what's

necessary. Select carefully

the information shared.



Conflict dissolves confusion

into the scene. In other

words, suspense is sprinkled

into the mix through a problem.



Suspense keeps the reader

wanting to know what happens

next.



I suggest that you work

with the first person

view-point, I.



This particular view-point

character isn't in every

scene, and readers find out

information through

that character.

Still, the first person

view-point is easy to

work with.



Now, it's good practice

to read the work of

your favorite authors.

Read works of authors

in general.



Take note of how they

write scenes. How are

the scenes started?

The middle? Ending?



Re-write the scenes

from your imagination.

Are you happy with

the scenes? The

more you practice,

the better you'll

become at writing

scenes.



Did your scenes resemble

the original?



If no, well done.



The scenes should be from

your imagination, thinking.



If yes, try writing from a

different angle. Always

look at ideas upside down

and inside out.



A suggestion is to write

a scene with everything

you want to put in it. Go

back to slice-away

useless words, and words

weighing down the story-

line.



The result is your scene.

Titles: An Alternative

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

"I'm still not sure how to
title my work." You said.

Let's look at an alternative
method of picking a title.

Slowly read through your
work. Write down the
words that are mentioned
frequently.

Make lists. Select the words
that are attention grabbing,
and creative.

Search engines like Google,
Yahoo, and MSN sift through
their databases looking for
pages that satisfy the words
submitted to them.

Key-words make excellent
titles.

Key-words are typed in a
search engine when someone
is looking for something.

"How to figure out what key-
words to use?" You pondered.

Determine what words best
describe your work. Or, what
words will people type in a
search engine. Think of anything,
everything, people would type in
the search engine about your topic.

Prepare a list of key-words that
pertain to your article.

The best words describing your
work is selected as a title. Also,
the words in the title are sprinkled
throughout the piece.

Take a look at the excerpt.

Critique and Write: How?


Read through your story, essay,
article, poem, or draft. Do it once.
Put your work aside.

You need a mental break from
your work. Talk to friends. Start
a new project, treat yourself, or
join a writer's forum.

On day two, read it out-loud. You're
checking for mis-statements, typos,
omissions, syntax errors, grammatical
slip-ups, and weak writing. Is the
correct phrases situated in your
writing? Take notice of run-on
sentences.

Reading out-loud allows you to hear
errors.

Subjects and verbs match?

Have you done this?

It just happen, and I didn't get
a chance to respond.

Correction

It just happened, and I didn't
get a chance to respond.

Use plenty of strong verbs.
Adjectives are used, but not
often.

Was the wrong word typed?

You meant to type here, but
hear was written. Or, pair was
intended, and pear graced your
page.

Glide through the editing process
slowly. Go through your work as
many times as needed.

The bigger the writing project, the
more times it needs critiquing.

Remember, easy to read text
appeals to a wider audience.

Write as if you're talking to an
acquaintance, friend, in non-fiction.
Provide easy to understand wording,
and be direct.

When non-fiction is read, questions
comes to mind. So, look for
possible questions as you critique.
Anticipate questions, and answer
them.

During the critiquing process, answer
questions from the reader's point-of-
view.

Or, answer commonly asked questions
about your work.

What would you ask? Is a point
confusing? Clear-up jumbled
information.

In fiction, grab, hold, the reader's
attention. Often, readers escape
into the story world, because it's
written well. Many times, people
identify with a character, dislike,
a character's best friend, know a
person similar to the villain, and/or
something in the story makes him/her
angry, happy.

The critiquing process is more
challenging than the writing. Still,
it's part of the writer's job.

It's, certainly, my least favorite
task.

Follow these easy, but effective,
steps to critiquing your work.

Source: http://www.printcasting.com/content/critique-and-write-how

What key-words would
you pick?

Possible key-words are:
how to critique, edit, write
better, step by step critique,
critique fast.

What did you come-up with?

Note: There's a tool to help with
checking for key-words. It's called
Google Adwords Keyword Tool:
https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal.

Writing: It Picked You

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

Sometimes, in life, a
path picks you. You
want to pursue a different
goal, but find yourself
engulfed in writing.

You read a book. It was
last week.

"How did it get published?"
You pondered. "I could have
written it better."

You have the urge
to re-write it. It
plays over in your
mind.

Writing picked you.

You've read many
greeting cards, and
each one you complained
about.

Your creative ability
is ignited. You, actually,
wrote down greeting
card sentiments. People
compared your writing to
greeting cards purchased.

Everyone raved that your
writing of greetings outweighed
purchased cards.

Writing picked you.

A newspaper article
was poorly written, in
your opinion. It wasn't
one article you read,
but many.

You've read several
daily papers, and they
lacked something.

Writing picked you to
do a better job. Or,
it's your green-flag
to write articles.

You commented on
a second book.

"Why didn't the author
write it from another
view-point?" You
asked.

You find yourself
asking the same
questions.

This is how writing
picked you.

Was English a
favorite subject of
yours? Have you
always had a way
with words? People
have remarked on it,
but you decided
against writing.

Still, for one reason or
another, you're asked
to write the review, business
proposal, and/or greetings for
occasions.

Writing picked you.

However, you don't want
to write full-time. Continue
at your present job. Try
writing when it's convenient,
do-able.

It's a waste of time, energy,
to complain. Simply, start
writing.

"I'm not sure." You looked
at the door.

Some of you have a
head-start. You're
writing already. Take it
to the next level.

Work on a project.
Don't let anyone see
it. Some prefer it that
way. Or, let people
know what you're
doing.

The word-of-mouth
advertising brings
more business than
a paid ad.

Get the opinion of a trusted
friend. Show him or
her.

The point is to find
time to write. It
picked you.

"Still not sure writing
picked me." You
shared.

There is one way to
find out, and that is to
begin writing.

If it's not for you,
move on.

You will know if writing
is a fit. The passion for
writing burns from within,
and constantly calls your
name.

Start writing something
that excites your creativity,
and go from there. Or,
write the first word that
pops into your mind.

Connect the words into
fiction, or non-fiction. Shuffle
the words around, and add
more words. Write a new article
using the new version of words.

When writing picks you,
there's no choice but to
write.

AT&T Called Google A Violater

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

AT&T wrote a letter, to the Federal
Communications Commission, explaining
that Google violated the fair
competition principle.

AT&T and other phone companies aren't
allowed to block any numbers. It's
known as the common carrier laws.

AT&T alleged Google's call blocking
is in direct violation.

According to Google, the principle
don't apply. They offer a software
application that's helped by other
companies, and it's free.

The Federal Communications Commission
doesn't have any say, jurisdiction,
over software applications.

AT&T and others have been in opposition
to Google. It's rumored that's why
Google Voice application for Apple
iPhone was turned-down.

Google wants an open Internet, and
more free bandwidth to broadcast TV
channels.

AT&T and other phone companies feel
differently.

Google and AT&T, both, have supporters,
lobbyists.

The Federal Communications Commission
hasn't given its opinion on the latest
issue, and there's no indication when
it will.

Write For Toddlers: How?

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

This post will address writing
for toddlers. Specifically, pre-
school age children.

Picture books are geared toward
this age group.

There are three categories of
picture books. The age groups
are: two-six, six-ten, ten and up.

Picture books are thirty-two pages
long.

Direct or target the age group
you're addressing.

Toddlers are interested in
pictures, color. Big pictures
should surround a simple story.

"What do you mean by simple
story?" You asked.

A story about sharing a toy, fear
of a loud noise, or why nap time
is important.

Toddlers like stories that are
fun, surprising, and humorous.

A toddler refuses to share a toy,
for example. Turn it into a story.

Take a look at my story idea.

It revolves around how a child
shared his toy. He/she allowed
others to play with his/her toy.
The toy disappeared, and the
children hunted for it.

In the end, the story
character found out
that it was more fun
sharing.

A possible start follows.

"Wanna play with my bear?"
Randy asked Sam.

Sam grabs the bear, bounces it.

"I want it back."

Sam runs. He's chased by
other children.

Sam laughs. He spins around,
hides in one room and then
another. He slips in a closet,
tips out. He finds himself
scrunched down in a bath-tub,
but the toy had disappeared.

How would you write it?

The second story start is a
toddler afraid of the noise
vacuum cleaners make.

Dan stares at his mother as
she opens the closet. He backs
away. She pulls out the monster.

"Too loud." Dan ran to another
room.

His mother goes behind him.

"It can't hurt you." She smiled
at him.

She brings the vacuum cleaner
to him. It accidentally...

Continue the story.

Finally, a nap time story
possibility.

"Not sleepy." Zack yawned.

"It's bed-time." Zack's mother
said.

"No, no."

I have an idea to help you
fall asleep...

Your Idea?

Also, toddlers like to interact
with the book.

A sing-along book to teach
counting is a way to hold
the toddlers attention.

Now, it's a good idea to
visit book-stores. See what's
on shelves, and the types
of books publishers are
buying.

Put your ideas into
stories, books.

The Poet: Awaken It

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

Awaken the poet in you by reading
the works of other poets. Take note
of their style. How is imagery used?

Imagery is the descriptions selected.
The mental pictures you want to
float through minds when your
poems are read. They stimulate
the reader's imagination.

Tickle the imagination, and it
filters in other senses.

Metaphors and similes allow the
reader to feel, see, and experience
your poems.

Metaphors finds a similarity between
two unrelated things.

Let's look at examples of metaphors.

Susie is an eagle.

Susie is called an eagle, because
she's smart. It's a comparison
between Susie and the eagle. It's
creative, and more interesting for
the reader.

Gary is a bull on the run when it
comes to painting. I tried to
compromise on the color, but he
wouldn't listen.

The bull describes Gary. A
similarity is found between Gary
and the bull.

Critique my poems.

I Stand

I'm rooted a tree
Years of storms
Have stabilized my resolve
I bloom from harsh world winds

=====================

Choice

My choice is success
Not to sit and wish
But a turtle to a goal
Reaching it in time

==================

Similes compares two dissimilar things.
Also, similes describes by using like or
as. Specifically, one thing is like or as
another.

Examples of similes follow.

1. Tim is as thin as a stick person.
2. The rain tapped at my window pane
like a pecking bird.
3. His skin was like leather.
4. Belle's hair is black as coal.

Look at similes used in poems.

Flint
An emerald is as green as grass,
A ruby red as blood;
A sapphire shines as blue as heaven;
A flint lies in the mud.

A diamond is a brilliant stone,
To catch the world's desire;
An opal holds a fiery spark;
But a flint holds a fire.

Christina Rossetti
1830-1894



Source: http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112392/simileclassics.html

========================================

Good People Rise

The corrupted hearts of a few
use confusion like a joke-
boost about their deeds,
but good people rise above them.

=======================================

Start writing poems by describing
a friend, family member, pet, or
an interest.

Write about an experience in
your life. Perhaps, a news head-
line, story.

Think about how you feel about
a friend, the experience, pet,
or story.

Write down everything about it.
Add metaphors, and similes.
Keep the words that best depicts
it.

In other words, poems must
be critiqued too.

Now, it's time to awaken the
poet in you.

Writing Goals: How To Reach Them?

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

Every goal needs a plan.
It's not enough to say,
"I'll write when possible."

"Why?" You asked.

Time will never be found to
write. There will be
more important activities
in your life, and you'll push
writing aside.

"One day, I'll write that book."
You declared.

You have to take an action,
not just talk about writing a
book.

The day will never
come.

Sit down. Plan out
the time for writing.

Will you write in the
morning? Before others
awake in your house,
apartment, or living-space?
Perhaps, just before bed
is best for you. Pre-dawn
is more appealing to write?

The point is to find time
for writing. It's important
to write, at least, two hours
per day.

It must become a habit.
When possible, write more
than two hours everyday.

Is there something you
need to start?

Do you need to
get a refresher course?
Colleges offer them
online, offline.

My blog is stuffed
full of writer related
information.

The link is
http://critiqueandwrite.blogspot.com.

What will you write?
Fiction? Non-fiction?

"I'm not sure." You
shared.

Try writing about the
topics that interest
you.

Pet care have a special
meaning to you? Share
your thoughts, experiences,
on the subject.

A certain illness? Do
research. Find out more
about it.

Take small steps.
There's no need to
write a novel, at first.

Start-off with
writing a short story.

Do you prefer to
write an essay?
Greeting cards?

Business related information
is more your style? Begin
writing about it.

Here's an idea. Take an area
that isn't covered, and write
an essay. Or, jot down
information on a topic you
feel isn't written about enough.

There's no hurry.
Sample. See where
your niche is.

Niche is your place.
The writing works
well with your creative
flow. You and this
field is one, your
thing. It's a reachable
goal.

A reachable goal is
one that's right for you.
It's comfortable, and
attainable.

Let's look at a goal
that's not reachable,
unrealistic.

A plan to write a
novel in three days
is unreachable.

It would put unnecessary
stress on you. I'm sure
other areas in your life
would suffer too.

In other words, a writing
goal must fit into your life-
style.

Sometimes, you have to
re-arrange, stop, something
to have time to write. Avoid
a trip to the club, for example.
Instead, scribble notes on a
subject.

In order to reach a writing
goal, you have to plan for
it.

Title For A Story: How?

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

Right Title

The right title grabs the reader's
attention. It's the title's job.

Titles ask questions, throw-
out statements, and enlighten
readers with information.

Story Title

I'm going to discuss how
to title your story, fiction.
It has to spark an interest
for the reader.

The goal is to keep the
title within the three-to-five
word range. One or two
word titles are effective too.

Creative Titles

Titles must be creative.

"How do I pick the right
title?" You asked.

The title does more than
hint at what the story is
about. The title sums-up
your story.

The title involves joy, sorrow,
hate, or sadness. Likewise,
the title should fit the genre.
A thriller, for example, requires
a different title than one for
a Western.

Adapt the title to your
story.

"I don't get it." You shared.

How To Pick The Right Title?

Sit down. Read through your
story slowly. Jot down words
that describe it.

Which words, combination of
words, best describe your story?
Select words to stir-up the reader,
and display your creativity to an
editor.

You want readers to say, Hmm.
What's that about? Or, it sounds
like I'll enjoy reading the story.

Title Example

Let's look at a title for a story
about a character who claims
someone is following him or
her. A few friends of the
character trailed him/her
to catch the alleged stalker.

Friends weren't able to
catch, see, him or her.

"Who wanted to do that,
and why?" One friend
asked.

Is the character making it up?
The character wants more
attention from someone?
Possibly, the character is
insane.

Possible Titles

What is the best title?

1. Followed

or

In The Shadows

2. Stalked

or

Is Someone Looking?

3. Dark

or

When Darkness Descends

Pick the best title from the
examples above. On a scale
of one to three, pick the best
titles. One is the best suited
title, and three the least suited
for the story.

Best Titles

I'll select what titles are
best as well.

1. In The Shadows

2. When Darkness Descends

3. Is Someone Looking?

Did your choices match
mine? What were your
selections?

Reasons For My Choices

My story is a mystery, possible
thriller. So, my title has to
reflect it.

My title choices are eye
catching enough to grab
the reader's attention, and
show my creativity to an
editor. I want the title to
ignite fear, concern.

My titles meet the three-
to-five word criteria.

Conclusion

Use these easy steps
to write eye catching
titles.

Note

I welcome differing
opinions.

Novel Vs. Short Story Writing: A Closer Look

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

The Novel

Writing a novel is an
exciting undertaking.
It takes passion,
determination.

First, with a novel,
narrow down ideas.
What will the novel
be about. Select
the idea with mass
appeal. Specifically,
what kind of plot?

Plot

Plot is the problem in
the novel. A book
length work can handle
more than one problem.

Usually, there's a major
problem, and one minor
issue. As you become
more experienced, you
can include as many
problems as comfortable.

Who will have the
problem? Male?
Female?

Show-Case The Plot
Immediately

The problem, plot, starts on
page one.

"Why start the problem
on page one?" You
questioned.

It gets the attention of
the reader. The reader
will want to know what
happens next, possibly
care about the character,
or is interested in seeing
how it's resolved.

So, on page one conflict,
plot, begins.

You can always go back,
and explain how the main
character's circumstances
happened.

Actually, let the character
or other characters in the
novel explain it.

Character Profiles

Make character profiles.
Describe your character.
Long hair? Bug eyes?
Always smirking. Tastes?
Dislikes? Educational
level? Put anything in it
that you feel the character
is. Or, include details
about him/her that's
pertinent to the story.

Character profiles are
information to keep close
at hand. When writing
about various characters,
you'll forget something
about one or the other
character.

I, often, referred to character
profiles. My novel, Grave
Street House, had characters
from different backgrounds.

I'd forget how a certain
character reacted
to specific circumstances.
I'd pull-out the profiles
to refresh my memory.

Protagonist/Antagonist

The main character is the
protagonist. The character
opposing the main character
is the antagonist.

The protagonist isn't a
perfect person. He/she
has flaws. Perhaps,
he/she talks too much,
isn't brave, and/or stares
at walls.

Likewise, the antagonist
isn't all bad.

Secondary Characters

Stir-in other characters
as needed. They are the
secondary characters.
The secondary characters
play small roles in your
novel.

Theme

The theme is the
message of your novel.
It's a statement made by
you through your work.

The theme of my novel,
Grave Street House, was
you get back what you
send out, bad or good.

Critiquing

Set your completed work
aside for, at least, seven
days before editing.

You are emotionally
involved with your work.
You have to take time
away before you're
able to critique it.

The break allows you
to come-back refreshed,
and full of new ideas.

Short Story Writing

This discussion is
about short stories,
five to six hundred
words.

Plot

As with a novel,
you pick an idea
to write about.

A problem, plot,
must exist for the
main character,
protagonist.

Space is limited
in a short story,
and one problem
is addressed.

Character Profiles

Each character is
profiled.

"Why?" You asked.

You are better able
to tell the story. If you
forget a character's
flaw, look it up.

In a crisis, how should
a character handle the
circumstances? His/her
character profile reminds
you.

Theme

Every short story, too,
has a theme. It's your
comment about the world,
life.

Critiquing

Place the short story
in your desk. Take a
break from it.

Conclusion

It's time to start
writing your short
story, or novel.

Health-Care: An Observation

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

"Don't kill grandma!"

"I voted for reform."

"What is he talking about?"

I'm sure you've seen, heard,
other comments about
President Obama's health-
care plan.

Stop. Listen to what the
President is saying, and
push fear to the curb.

"If you like your private
insurance, you get to
keep it." President
Obama said, several
times.

The confusion is
boomer-ranging from
people who aren't
paying attention to
President Obama's
messages.

As we all know, a change
is needed.

It's been a practice
for conservative talk
show hosts, lobbyists,
to flame doubts of the
afraid, confused.

The public's fears
are blown-up, pushed
at us online. The
media neon-lights it on
radio, television.
The bigger the protest,
the more people watch,
listen, and they get
higher ratings.

We, the people, tend
to add our fears without
getting to the truth.

A talk show host, media,
hints at a statement made
by President Obama.

It isn't necessarily true,
because a talk show host
said it, for example. The
next step is word-of-mouth
fear.

After you understand
President Obama's
health-care plan, give
your opinion. Make
informed comments,
decisions.

"All those protesters
can't be wrong." You
pointed out.

It takes one to
start chaos,
and others will
follow.

Yes, a group, protesters,
can be wrong. Often,
people, protesters, can be
misinformed.

Don't hide behind
the current health-
care system, or
blanket yourself
in the status quo.

The current health-
care system will
continue to spiral
downward.

Instead of repeating
what others say,
find out the truth
about President
Obama's health-care
plan.

Social Network Attack: Twitter

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

"Twitter's down!"

"No more Twitter. Anyone
there?"

"Why Twitter?"

They were only a few
of the statements made
about Twitter's offline time.

All over the Internet, people
were hurt, outraged, about
the attack on Twitter.

Have people allowed their
lives to be ruled by Twitter?
No, addicted to Twitter?

Is this a comment on how
technology influences present
day lives?

Shortly after I started
tweeting, the web site
pushed me to write better.

Writers tend to be chatty, and
Twitter forces one to be precise.
It has over-lapped into other
writing areas.

Still, Twitter is a social
network. I keep it in
perspective.

Naturally, life, what exists
within it must be taken in
small amounts. Twitter or
any web site shouldn't
dominate one's life.

Or, if one selects to immerse
into a social media web site,
maintain a balance.

There's no need to panic.
Twitter lives.

An idea is to jot down
what you'll say when
you return to Twitter.

It was more than one attack
according to Kazuhiro
Gomi, an officer at NTT
American Hosting Services,
which hosts Twitter's Services.

Twitter went offline due
to spam, e-mails, the
first time.

The denial of service
attack happened next.
Hackers pointed lots
of computers to the
Twitter web site. It
stopped legitimate
traffic from connecting
to the web site.

The Twitter web site
is used by many people,
businesses, celebrities,
and news services.

Twitter isn't just used for
expressing personal details
of one's life, but to get insights
about celebrities. World news
is shared on Twitter.

The attacker of Twitter hasn't
been caught, and held
accountable.

The Senses: How To Write With Them?

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

Touch

The senses are touch,
taste, hear, smell, and
sight.

The body's sense of touch
allows one to glide one's
hand, finger, over an object
or surface. One can feel
the coolness, warmth,
or how smooth, rough,
it is.

Likewise, two objects
can be compared
through touch.


Taste

The mouth is the gate-way
to taste. The texture, flavor,
of food, drink, is realized
through the mouth.

This experience is
called taste. You
determine whether or not
it's pleasing, like-able.

Hear

The act of hearing
comes through the ears.
Sounds and language
are filtered to one's
understanding.

Smell

The nose is the agent that
picks up fragrances, odors.
Some smells are more
pleasant than others.

Sight

The eyes are the vehicle
for sight. Sight allows us
to see the world around us.

Writing With The Senses
Individually

I'm going to use one sense
at a time to write with.

Let's start with the
sense of touch.

Find an object to
touch. Run your
hand across it, turn
it over. Is it heavy?
Light?

Write down everything
you can about it.

My Object--Phone

I have a mobile phone
in my hand. Now, I can
write fiction or non-fiction.

Possible Essay

Mobile phones changed
the way we communicate,
our social life, and started...

I can write a short story
revolving around the
mobile phone.

Fiction Start

"I looked for two days,
and couldn't find my
cell." Mary explained to
Katherine.

"When did you have it last?"

"The night we went out with
your cousin."

"No way..."

The next sense is taste.

Taste can be researched,
and taken in any direction.

Question: Why is taste one
of the senses? Hmm.

Your answer?

Fiction Idea

A tasting contest is given,
and someone dies. Accident?
Murder?

Third Sense Listed

Sit quietly. Listen. What
is your sense of hearing
picking up?

Write about it.

The Fourth Sense

The sense of smell telling
you anything? Sniff.

Write about your findings.

The Last Sense

Look out of your window.
What do you see? People
scattered about? Kids
playing? A dog crossing the
street?

Jot it down.

Write With The Five Senses

The Fire Truck (sight) raced
down the street, roared (hear)
as it went.

The stench (smell) of the burning
house attacked my nostrils, and
made me cough.

I stumbled, fell against the
truck (touch). I steadied myself,
headed home.

I entered my house, washed
my hands.

I grabbed a bottle of water out
of the refrigerator, sipped (taste)
it. My mouth filled with the odor
of burned material (taste).

Was it my imagination reacting
to my experience?

What are your thoughts?

In closing, the five senses
gives you many fun writing
ideas. Try it. Let me know
your results.

Successful Article Writing: The Secret

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

In the age of multi-tasking,
everything has to be done
yesterday.

The secret to writing
a successful article
is to have a compiled
list to pick from.

Scan through writing
ideas you haven't had
the nerve to tackle.

Don't forget the ideas
that came across your
path during the day.

The list is researched
before you sit down
to write. All ideas
are researched to see
which idea is best to
write about.

"What do you mean
which researched idea is
best to write about?"
You asked.

I'm referring to the idea
that excites you, your
imagination. Is there an
idea that has mass appeal?
Pick that idea.

If there is more than
one idea that's interesting,
select the one you like
best. Save the others
for a later date.

Make an outline for
the article.

"What should the outline
include?" You pondered.

An outline includes the
headline, introduction,
body, and it concludes.
A link-resource paragraph
is added too.

Headline

The headline should be
five to seven words
long. Its job is to
grab the reader's
attention.

Introduction

Second, the introduction
is displayed. The problem,
issue, you'll address is
explained.

It's an accepted
practice to share
an experience you've
had with the problem,
issue.

Body

Third, the body gives
solutions to the problem,
issue, you mentioned in
the introduction.

Walk the reader through
it.

Each point is made in
different paragraphs. If
there are seven points, for
example, your article has
seven paragraphs.

Sub-headings are
recommended.

"Why?" You questioned.

It's easier to read for a
society who multi-tasks.
Sometimes, specific
information is required,
and sub-headings will make
it clearer, faster to find.

Also, people prefer to
read what applies to them,
and not the entire piece.

Conclusion

Fourth, the conclusion
restates the main points
of your article.

Link-Resource Paragraph

Lastly, a link-resource
paragraph mentions your
URL, or other information
you want to share with the
reader.

Suggestion

It's best to write your
article as if talking
to a friend, informal. Leave
technical terms out where
possible. Or, technical
words should be scattered
throughout the article.

Leave The Article Alone

After the article is written,
leave it alone. Take a
break from it.

A three-to-five day vacation
away from your article
will allow you to come
back refreshed.

Edit

You return to your
article looking for
weak verbs, words
taking up space, and
grammatical errors.
Always spell-check more
than once.

The secret to a successful
article is to have a
thought-out idea, outline,
link it back to your web
site, and edit.

Who Else Wants To Reach A Writing Goal?

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

Everything worth having in life,
writing, requires that you plan
how to get it.

"I'm not sure how to reach
my writing goal." You said.

Sit down. Decide on a goal.
It couldn't hurt to set more than
one goal. However, your focus
must remain on the primary goal.

Let's say, for example, your
goal is to write a book. Still,
you'd like to explore other writing
areas.

Write two-three pages of your
book everyday, and then try
writing other projects.

There will come a time when
you're tired of editing the
book.

Put it aside for a week or
two. Pull-out the other
projects to work on.

It keeps you busy while
allowing much needed
time away from writing
on your manuscript.

You'll go back to writing
on your manuscript
refreshed. New
ideas will jump-out
at you.

The point is plan to reach
a writing goal, create steps
to it.

"How?" You questioned.

Simply, write each day.

In your writing place,
create word pictures.

Sometimes, a main project
gets boring. Or, you need
a break from it. This is when
other work-in-process becomes
your assignment.

The bigger a project, the longer
break you'll need from it. More
than thirty minutes, for instance,
is needed after completing a
manuscript. It takes time to
mentally break-away from it.

Take your mind to something
new, different, or a piece you're
working on.

Treat yourself after reaching
such a goal. It can be
something you wanted to do,
but couldn't because of writing
the manuscript.

Next, there will be moments when
you think it's not worth the time,
you're not moving along fast
enough, or your work is rejected.

Writing is your goal, dream, and
any goal takes perseverance. You
have a course of action. Stick to it.

Use time to work on reaching
your writing goal, and not
worry about how long it's
taking to achieve it. keep
creating.

Rejection is part of the
writing life. It helps us
write better.

"How?" You pondered.

The fact that a piece
was rejected makes us
look at it closer. A search
of why it was rejected is
started. Find the reason,
correct it, and send the piece
out.

Don't take rejection
personally. Although,
rejection isn't comfortable,
and can cause you to
doubt yourself. Don't
let it.

Always refer to
your writing goal.

Look at rejection
as a motivator.

A writing goal is reached
step by step. Figure out
your goal. Draw-up
a plan, create, and keep
writing through obstacles.

In time, you will reach
your writing goal.

You must, first, believe
in yourself.

25 Relaxing Ways To Get Writing Ideas

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

There are relaxing ways to get writing
ideas.

"Just twenty-five?" You asked.

There are limitless ways to get
writing ideas, but here are
twenty-five.

Take a look.

1. Think of a happy moment
from childhood, something
interesting happened earlier
in the day, or on the way
home?

Write about it.

2. Read a book that you
wanted to. How would
you re-write it? Could
you write an essay
from it?

3. What can you
write about your
favorite color?
Poem?

4. A favorite recipe.
What makes it a
favorite? Suppose
it was a family's
treasure? Only,
a family friend wants
it.

What tale could you
tell about it?

5. A dream.

6. A song that
you like.

7. The day a truth
revealed itself to
you. Or, the day
you figured it out.

Turn it into a mystery.

8. A word you heard
during the day, and it
stands out.

Decide on the
characters that best
fit the scenario.

9. What are the benefits
of eating ice cream?
Test it yourself, and have
friends, family, take the
survey.

Write-up your findings
in an essay.

10. Look around your
living space. What's
the ugliest structure
within it?

11. What does splash
mean to you, and how
would you write about it?

12. Finish the following
sentence.

The day it happened...

13. Where were you
on July 4, 2009?

Did something interesting
happen? What? Write
about it.

14. What can you write
about your street sign?
An essay? Romantic
story? Mystery?

15. Swimming is?

Explain the advantages
of swimming. Is it
therapeutic, and how?

16. What setting is
snow used for? What
story works well with
snow?

17. Numbers exist to?
What would you say
about numbers?

18. Place the market
you visit in a setting,
and write a short
story. Or, carve an
essay. Research the
idea, and see where
you want to go with it.

19. Why is exercise
good for you? Or, is
it?

20. When you see
someone laughing, do
you smile? How about
others?

Test it on friends. See if
it works with family, and
then experiment at a mall,
shoe store, etc.

Write your findings
in fiction, or non-
fiction.

21. Touch. How
can it be explained?

22. Digestion. What is it?

23. What is there to
say about your life? What
category would it be in?
Comedy? Mystery? Or,
another?

24. A DVD as a topic
to write about? There
are many directions
to go with it.

25. Write about the
noises where you
live. City? Suburbs?
Rural? Other?

Now, some of my
neighbors provide plenty
for me to write about.

A few of them are clouded
in ignorance, and disrespect
for human laws.

Of course, they show
disregard for God's laws.

What do they see in the
mirror? Or, can they, even,
approach a mirror?

Finally, take the
relaxing ways to
get writing ideas
a step further.

Look at the writing
ideas upside down,
and inside-out.

Who Else Wants To Write Attention Grabbing Short Stories?

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

Write an attention grabbing
short story by using every
word. Select words wisely.
Every word moves the story
along, and contributes to
the story.

Paragraph one must grab
the attention of readers.
Pull them into the drama,
issue of your fiction.

I'll show you how paragraph
one grabs the reader's
attention. This happened
to me.

The mail-person knocked
at my door, and I opened
it.

It was a package delivery,
I thought.

I cracked the door, and
a powder was blown into
my face.

I quickly shut the door.

I began sneezing,
and my nose felt
clogged.

Yes, it was the United
States Post Office.

Also, my mail feels
like there is powder on it.

When I see mail at someone's
house, I feel it. It feels different
from mine, no powder on it.

As a matter of fact, UPS
and Fed-Ex delivered packages
have the same powdery feel.

Now, here's a possible
paragraph one scenario.

"Who is it?"

"Delivery."

"Leave it."

"I need a signature."

I slowly pulled the door open,
and a hand reached out...

What are your thoughts?

The drama, issue,
curves-out your plot.
How the drama, issue,
is resolved unfolds your
plot.

In other words, plot is
the problem in your story.
How the problem is solved
reveals your plot.

"How?" You asked.

Your main character and
his/her issue, drama, is
introduced. Show the
character's mood, age,
and play it out on a
specific setting.

Hint at something is
going to happen. Stir-in
other characters.

Allow the characters to
chat, gossip, about what
they think will happen. Of
course, their accounts are
worse. Perhaps, a character
is right? It depends on how
you want the story disclosed.

I suggest that you work
with the first person
viewpoint, I.

This means the story
is told by a specific
character.

Some say that's a
disadvantage.

"Why?" You
questioned.

The viewpoint character
isn't in every scene,
and readers find out
information through
that character.

Still, the first person
viewpoint is easy to
work with.

Remember, a short
story's pace is fast.
There's no room to
give long descriptions.

The word count on a
short story is from
500-900 words.

Naturally, it addresses
one issue.

Every report is brief,
to the point.

The idea is to excite the
reader's imagination,
emotions.

Use dialogue to mix-in
joy, sorrow, love, or hate.
Dialogue mimics speech.
It stirs-up conflict, sets a
specific mood, and
contributes to advancing
the story.

Let's look at an
example.

"How are you, today?"


The greeting is boring.
Instead write, "How ya?"
or
"What up?"

A character learns,
grows, from his/her
encounter. The end of
the story brings a lesson
learned about life, him/herself,
the world, and he/she is
changed.

Michael Jackson: Lost Child-Hood

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

The young boy who danced, moved, in
ways unseen. He changed the pop
world, challenged causes, and
charmed the world.

There was something mysterious
about him. We saw the heights
and lows his life took.

Fame is two-sided. Few realize
that fact until it's too late.

There's a price to be paid
for fame. You must give-up
something, lot, for it.

Sometimes, it's too
costly.

Along the rode to his
dream, fame, he gave-up
his child-hood.

As result, we saw the
darker side of this giant
talent.

A talent that knew no
boundaries. One which
could have reached any
star.

Only, sexual abuse allegations
against children scarred his
reputation. Although, they
were unproven.

The years of longing for a
child-hood, loneliness,
and illness took its toll
on him.

It seems to be the norm
to fill the hands of
our talented, giants,
and icons with
drugs in any form.

He, too, fell into
the trap.

One that is under
the influence of
chemical substances
can't say, "No!"

Who speaks for one
that is under? Whose
fault is his death?

Or, blame can't be
placed?

The pop icon was worshipped
in different cultures. He paved
the way for others.

The man created a home
children would adore.

He wanted his child-hood
back, but life doesn't
work that way.

You can't change an
instance in life, mis-spoken
word, or re-live your
child-hood.

Still, it's no denying
his robust energy, the thrill
he gave audiences, and joy
he projected from the stage.

The eleven-year-old kid that
splashed on stage grew
into a prince, institution.

He left a global star.
One achievement was to
open main-stream music
for Blacks. They, now, show-
case their tunes to the main-
stream in music, and doing
well.

Michael Jackson showered
the world with his unique
flavor, style. Now, he rests.

What Everybody Ought To Know About Transitions

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

Transitions takes the reader,
by the hand, from one idea
to the next. They help people
understand how a point was
reached, and smoothly connect
it to the next point.

A transitional word, sentence,
or phrase smoothly moves
the reader along, and establishes
a logical approach to paragraphs.

A transitional word is written at
the beginning of a new paragraph,
but can be placed at the end of
a paragraph too.

Strange odors come from my
neighbor's house. The smells
resemble sulfur, and some
my nose have never encountered.

In the market, a broken down
refrigerator had an offensive
odor. The same kind of smell
comes through the wall from
my neighbor's house.

"Where did that come from?"
You asked.

I didn't use a transitional
word or sentence. Therefore,
you were thrown-off the
smooth path of logical
reading. It shook you,
and you wondered if you
missed the point.

Here's an example of
using transitions.

I arrived late at
the meeting, and
my back burned from
the eyes barreling
down on it.

In spite of it, I managed
to get a long applaud
after my presentation.

In spite of it leads you
smoothly to the next
sentence.

I'll list some transitional
words, phrases.

At least, however, in spite
of, on one hand, nevertheless,
in contrast, and rather.

I'll give another example.

The two boys bickered,
and fought all night. I
tried to get them to
compromise. They, even,
disagreed about that.

However, I gave them no
choice, and they decided
to talk about the problem
next week.

At least, the line of
communication is...

Now, transitional words
are used to distinguish
a sequence of events
as in the following.

First, they took the
house apart, and left it.

Second, I called their
boss, and he...

Next, I gathered the
courage...

Finally, the owner...

Look at another example.

I'll explain what happened
on that frightful day.

First, I arrived. There were
no tell-tale signs of what
awaited me inside.

Second, I found the
emergency key, and slid
it in the lock.

Third, a man snatched the
door open.

"Where is Tara?" I asked.
"We agreed to meet at
the mall."

Her brother joined
the man at the door.
Her brother, Joe, rolled
his eyes to the ceiling,
coughed.

Finally, he grabbed...

Are you beginning to
see how transitions
are used?

How would you have
written the above
paragraphs?

I suggest to write
transitions in non-fiction,
or fiction. Place the
transitions in, and
re-arrange them. Make
the piece better by shifting
the transitions.

Keep editing until
you've decided
it's ready.

In closing, what
everybody ought to
know about transitions
is clear. They make
your writing easier to
understand, and more
enjoyable.

You Want To Write A Book?

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with
me? Leave me your opinion.

"I want to write a book."
Several people have told
me.

It's a rewarding journey.
It involves writing, re-writing,
but well worth the effort.

I know the excuses that
you give yourself.

I gave myself reasons to
avoid writing book length
work too.

I don't have time, not sure
where to start, no one
will like my book, and/or
where will I write?

You're giving yourself
excuses for not writing.
Instead, find time during
the day or night to write.

It takes several weeks,
years, to complete a
novel. It depends on
you.

What will your book be?
Fiction or non-fiction?

My book is a work of
fiction.

Your writing time should
be in a place just for
writing. Tune-out
everything else.

This means turning-off
your cell phone, television,
ignore loud neighbors,
and write your book.

Today, I'm going to
discuss fiction.

Start by deciding on
what the book will be
about. Create characters.
A setting.

My setting was any urban
city USA.

Where will the
story take place?
Locked Library?
City? Rural?
In the middle of
a crowded
restaurant? Or,
a country different
from your own?

Make a profile for each
character. Will the main
character have a limp, blue
eyed? Or, a female with
a rude manner? Still,
she has many friends? Or
not? Educational back-ground?
Employed?

Profiles contain any information
you feel a character should
have.

What problem will the main
character be forced to resolve?

The main character in my novel
had to find a way out of a dare,
and handle her female boss'
sexual harassment.

Long fiction, book length,
has more than one problem
to address.

Chapter one introduces
the main character, and the
problems he/she is engulfed
in.

Other characters are stirred
in. The secondary characters
must move the story along,
and not just take-up space.

Write two or three pages daily.
Write for, at least, two hours.

The first write-up is a
draft. There will be time
to edit. For now, write.

Make sure, there's
plenty of conflict,
suspense.

A character must try
to succeed a minimum
of three times before
reaching his/her goal.

Throw obstacles at him/her.
Have a scene where the main
character almost makes it,
but some force ruins it. Or,
the opposing character
spoils it.

Show the character's reaction
to this disappointment.

At the end of the story,
a character is different.
Perhaps, he/she learned
to stand-up for him/herself.
Found a new meaning to
his/her life?

The change is for the
better, or worse.

Always explain any
issues introduced
during the story, or solve
them.

Don't dream about writing
a book. Do it. I know
you can.

Simply, believe in yourself.

Here Is A Method That Is Helping Me To Write More

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

There's a method that is helping me
write more. I had no idea inspiration
comes from this source. It's easy to
over-look this vast source of writing
ideas.

I'm sure this ready-supply of
ideas are all around you too.

"What is it?" You questioned.

The method that's helping me
write more is people's behavior.

Yes, people's behavior.

People around you, at work,
those you pass outside, people
in various places like the market,
some making news, and
celebrities.

There exists endless writing
ideas based on people's
behavior. Shape the writing
ideas into fiction, non-fiction,
essays, or poems.

Some of my neighbors, for
example, bird call in the early
morning hours.

Yes, they imitate the sounds
birds make.

This morning, it started
around 3:30 a.m.

"Why?" You pondered.

I have no idea, and don't
want to know.

Are they insane?

However, it stirs to mind
writing ideas.

The behavior can be
researched, and an essay
written.

Possible title: Joblessness
Plays With The Mind.

Joblessness hurts some so
badly until they find ways to
harass others. They see it
as funny, but their actions
reflect badly on them.

It's truly sad when they
have their children
acting in such a
disrespectful manner.

I don't want to think
about the cruel adults
those children will
spawn into.

The behavior depicts...

A second idea follows.

It's of teens roaming
out of control. He/she
steals, sell drugs, and
anything else he/she
wants to do.

Specific behavior
come to mind? What
will you write?

I, too, see this kind
of behavior in my
neighborhood.

People gun their
vehicle engines as
they pass my house.
Buses, cars, and trucks
do it.

On June 7, 2009, people
roared their engines from
the early morning hours
until night.

Now, the street is small.
Accidents have happened
on it.

One day, a corner house
leaned, and fell to the
ground.

Now, I can't be certain
the buses, cars,
and trucks toppled
it.

One idea is to pin-point
the male who had an
accident at the corner.

He couldn't stop, and hit
a wall.

Only, the next day, the
wall looked like usual.

The car was gone.

Hmm. Who removed
the car, and fixed the wall?
Human or other?

In conclusion, there are
many writing ideas that
can be based on people's
actions. Sift around your
neighborhood, and see
the writing ideas that
jump-out at you.

Notice people's behavior.
Jot-down the writing
ideas that you want to
explore.

Writing Ideas From Life

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

In high school, an English teacher
noticed my flair for word creations.


"You have a way with words."


"Uh huh." I nodded, didn't mean
much to me.
.
I continued my education, and
began to appreciate my writing
ability.


Still, I pushed away the idea of
taking it seriously.

The degree and I found a job,
planned to retire from it.


The unthinkable happened. I was,
unjustly, fired.

Devastated covered only one of
the emotions I felt.

"Why?" you asked


My former manager and
co-workers weren't happy
with taking away my
livelihood.

They took it to the street.

My neighbors began being
rude, to put it lightly. Now,
I spoke to them, but they
weren't friends.

Strangers bumped into me
as they passed on the
street.

I was forced to call the
Philadelphia Police.

They were the first on
the scene to take me
seriously. They came
to my aid. I was a person
with no money, and no
connections. Yet, they
found my complaint had
substance.

The tears dried up.

I turned to writing a detailed
account of what happened at
my former job, but fictionalized
it.

Besides, I was unable to
get a job. I sent out over
one-hundred resumes.

All kinds of doubts
invaded my thoughts
about my novel.

Can I do it? Would anyone
buy it? Publisher? Maybe,
an agent?

I shoved those writing-stoppers
away.


I wrote the novel, not sure where
to go with it.

I found someone to critique it, but
her rates were too expensive.

"I'm cheap compared to others."
She assured.

"It's just that my funds are limited.
My elderly mother shares her food
with me."

"Good luck."

I trashed paragraphs, and improved
the plot. From time to time, peppered
it with more suspense.

I crossed paths with an agent, sent
him the manuscript. He returned it
with a scribbled note that read,
"Work on it."

I did. A telephone call or two from
him showed me my book was
not on his submit to a publisher
list. I moved on.

Next, I enrolled in a writing, mail-
order, course. The instructor
had the option of recommending
a student's work for publication
with the school.

Of course, my manuscript failed
to get picked.

I tried a second attempt at taking
the course, and my manuscript
was tossed back into my hands.

It was time to read on my own.
The goal was to get a better
understanding of plot, suspense,
and breaking into the writing
world.

Surprisingly, no one explained
the reason(s) my manuscript
wasn't acceptable.

So, it was up to me.

When I critique someone's work,
I explain my comments. I tell
people why their work will be
rejected. It's the humane thing
to do.

After studying on my own, I
managed to pin-point, correct,
errors.


Meanwhile, my search for a
publisher went on.

My efforts paid-off.


Life gave me the writing idea,
and I had the courage to use
it.

My novel, Grave Street House, was
published.


At any given moment, life will
throw dirt at me, you. I'll write
about it. What will you do?

In closing, life gives us many writing
ideas. Some are funny, and easily
written about. Others take effort to
write about.
*******************************************
An excerpt from my novel, Grave Street
House.

"Amanda, few of us are goin' to the club.
Come with?"
"No, I have to get home, because my
mother wasn't..."
"Not gonna last long 'round here with
that attitude."
"I'll go another time."
"Has to be now."
"Why didn't you let me know before the
last minute?"
"That's why they say stuck-up using ya're
name." She rolled her eyes.
The trust I had for them added up to
zero. The thought of going out with them made
me uneasy. A trick? The way they talked
openly, loud in the work area. It showed they
were capable of doing anything. I preferred
not to be in their company.
On the other hand, if I joined them at the
club, how bad could it be with others around?
Plus, if I go now, never again.
"All right, I'll go out with you one time."

To Write, Or Not

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

"Id like to be a writer, but
I can't find the time." I've
heard several say.

It's a must to push pass
excuses for not writing.
There are two choices for
you. They are to write, or
not.

Don't give yourself any
excuses as to why you
aren't writing.

Instead, find time to
jot ideas down. Later,
edit, and explore the
idea.

Set your alarm one hour
or two earlier to get writing
time. Scribble notes down
on a break, at lunch. Try
idea gathering as you
commute home, before bed,
or while relaxing in front of
the television.

You witnessed an interesting
event? Heard idea provoking
chat as you passed several
people? Take a few moments
to write your thoughts down.
It counts as writing time.

Let's look at why passionate
writers are successful.

Passionate writers are
successful, because they find
time to write.

Passionate writers squeeze-
out some portion of their day
for writing, and so must you.

Perhaps, the time you spend
in the bathroom is your writing
get-a-way.

Have a writing session as you
enjoy coffee, tea, or orange
juice.

Think of reasons to write.
It frees you. Enlightens
you? You have something
to contribute to the world?
It stresses you down? You
have a story to tell.

Get into the habit of
writing at the same time.
This good habit is practiced
everyday. Stay there a
minimum of two hours.
This is your time.

Bring inspiration. Inspiration
is a quote, favorite book,
poem that needs your touch,
or a note to yourself.

A possible note: I will write
at four o'clock. Repeat it
to yourself throughout the
day.

It becomes a goal, something
to look forward to. A dream
in the making. Connect to it,
realize your potential.

Look at a possible
writing idea from my life.

The city I live in gave me a
fine.

"Why?" You asked.

The fine was for litter.
Yes, litter.

I place my trash bags out
every week, at the same
time. This is a habit, like
brushing my teeth.

On a particular day, a violation
notice was pushed in my door.

I paid the violation.

Now, three and four weeks
after payment, the city is still
sending me a bill.

I'm being billed for the original
fine, and penalty. The penalty
is as much as the original bill.

I referenced it to point-out
the fact that life gives us
writing ideas.

There are endless ideas
running to my mind about
the litter fine.

Find the passion in you,
and don't make excuses
for not writing.

In closing, push pass
writing excuses by
doing the simple act of
writing.

MY Bout With The Internet

I couldn't get an Internet connection.
The Internet's modem kept blinking,
but wouldn't connect.

I called Comcast. The representative
was present.

A week later, the technician
arrived.

He stole our box(modem) that
my son paid for.

I wasn't sure which box my
son acquired on the sell-n-buy
anything web site. At the time,
he was away at college.

"I can only get in Comcast
boxes." The technician
fibbed. "If it wasn't ours
I couldn't get in it."

The next day or so, the
Internet connection went
down again.

Now, my son arrived home
from college, and telephoned
Comcast. He explained
about the stolen box.

Comcast should have just
referred him to Never-Never
Land.

"Why?" You asked.

The information was
useless.

Comcast scheduled
a visit two days after
my son called.

Now, while my son was on
the telephone with Comcast,
he was able to get on the
Internet. After he hung-up,
the connection was gone.

I tried to get an Internet
connection every-day it
was down.

On a random day, I tried to
get on the Internet. It allowed
me, and then disconnected.

Sometimes, I was able to
get a connection, but it would
immediately disconnect.

One time, I was in chat when
the Internet stopped working.

Actually, I kept the connection
to chat, but everything else
failed.

"What do you mean?" You
questioned.

I was explaining my problems
with the Internet in chat. I'd
log-on, but the connection
disappeared within seconds.
I was telling those in chat how
Internet Explorer wasn't making
a connection.

"Reboot." Someone
suggested.

I did.

Still, I was able to get into
chat, but Internet Explorer
refused to connect. Or,
it didn't connect.

Without warning, I was
kicked out of chat.

I re-booted, and my
Internet connection was no
more.

My family grilled that
Saturday.

The next day, Sunday,
Comcast was scheduled
to come fix the Internet
connection.

"There's a Comcast truck
parking across the street."
My son stared.

"They must be fixing someone's
cable service," I replied. "I'll
be glad when our service is
repaired."

Soon after, we cleared everything
away.

"The Internet is on." Someone
informed me.

"Probably for minutes at a time
until it's fixed." I continued with
the dishes.

"My Internet is on." My son
said.

So, my son waited for the
appointment day to cancel.

He was told that the appointment
had been canceled. The technician
took care of the problem yesterday.

Now, I had no idea that
Comcast fixed our Internet
connection the day before.

My mind spun-out a possible
writing idea. Take a look.

Connection To Internet
666.

A character logs on to
the dark side of the
Internet. He/she is
unable to connect to
Yahoo, Twitter, Google,
etc.

In closing, my down
Internet connection
inspired a writing idea.
Sometimes, writing ideas
come from anywhere,
everywhere.

Who Else Wants A Cure For Writer's Block?

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

I'm told writer's block happens
when you're on a dead-line,
need a chapter start, right
words for a poem, or a certain
article.

I'm cured of writer's block.
I can't remember having it.

"You're joking, right?"
You scoffed.

I find a word, object,
person, or animal to
ignite an idea.

You can be given anything
to write about, and this
technique will cure
writer's block. Test
it.

Look around you. Pick the
first object, person, that
your eyes see.

It's a game to writing.

There are variations, but
I'll work with the following
version.

My eyes landed on
the radio. The first letter
of radio is spun into five
other R words.

My words are Ralph,
random, road, roll, and
rat. The words are off the
top of my head.

The game to writing will
cure your writer's block.

Take a look.

On Halloween night,
Ralph ran into an old
friend.

"Millie, that you?
Ralph, from high school."
He pointed at himself.

"Right." She stared
forward. "Let's get on
the road, leave this bar."

"I have to get home to my
wife."

"Too bad." She smirked.
"We coulda had a roll while
on the road. Get it?"

"Nah, gotta get home."

"You don't do random?"

"I'll take you home." He
offered.

"All 'ight."

"They left the bar.

Suddenly, she blasted
him with foul names as
they reached his car.

"Ralph, you were the rat who
killed...

How would you continue it?

The game to writing is fun,
and the possibilities are
endless.

Say the following sentence
six times, fast, and no pauses.

Ralph rolled randomly 'round
the road.

Try creating a poem with
your letter. My letter is R.
Add other words beginning
with R.

My attempt at a poem.

*Ralph ranted about roses
roll them away
runny nose
nasal cavities will pay*

Play the game to writing
if you need a chapter start,
when writer's block stopped
you in the middle of an article,
or to create a new idea.

Also, the object your eyes
land on can be researched.
The game to writing allows
you flexibility, and opens
options.

The more you use the game
to writing, the easier it is.
You'll change it to fit your
writing needs.

Experiment with it. Leave
me a comment about how
it helped you. Did you find
a new version? Or, it didn't
help you?

In conclusion, the game to
writing is the cure for writer's
block. It requires you to sit
down and write.

Twitter Inspires You To Write Better

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

Twitter is a web site for people to
make friends, keep in contact
with old ones, give a holla-out
to neighbors, and a shout-out
to co-workers.

"Who should sign-up for a
Twitter account?" You
asked.

It accommodates people from
every walk of life. There are
writers, marketers, publishers,
coaches, freelancers from
every field imaginable,
and the list goes on.

"How can Twitter make me
a better writer?" You
coughed.

First, get an account.
Type Twitter: "What are
you doing?" in your
search engine.

Click on: "Twitter--What are
you doing?"

The Twitter web site pops
up, and then create an
account.

Twitter inspires you to
write better by limiting
your writing space.

You are allowed one
hundred and forty characters
to convey a message.
The spaces between words,
any symbols used, letters,
and punctuation count.

Twitter inspires the best
from you by pushing
your think mode button.
You have no choice, but
to be concise.

You stumble-fumble to
find the perfect word,
combination of words,
to paint an exact written
picture.

There isn't space to be
chatty, or provide bloated
words. Get to the point.
It's essential you select
words wisely.

Look at words upside down,
inside out, to find descriptive
words. Or, use as few words
as possible to display your
idea.

"What do you mean?" A few
questioned.

Gather up verbs to sprinkle
throughout your post.

Obliterate the adverb-adjective
using tendency.

It's normal to type more than
Twitter has room for. Simply,
try again.

Here's an idea. Aim for
Twitter's capacity. Type your
post elsewhere. Did you meet
the limit?

If yes, good job.

If no, take out all the words
just taking up space. Any
word not vital to the meaning
of your post, delete it. Are
you using verbs? Mix in
short words.

I, personally, look forward to
Retweet(RT). Retweet is an
accepted practice on Twitter.

It's done by copying someone's
text into the box: "What are you
doing now?"

Here is how you'd "Retweet"
this post.

You start with "RT" or "Retweet,"
and my name.

RT @marcellaglenn Twitter Inspires
You To Write Better.

High-light the post with your cursor,
and copy it.

Click the "Update" button, and
you're done.

In closing, Twitter inspires you
to write better by confining your
writing space. It demands your
best writing.

How To Write Through Fear

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

First, find a place to call your
writing space, office, writing
area, writing corner, or
somewhere your writing ideas
can run free.

Visit everyday. Yes, write
everyday.

"How long should I spend
writing?" You asked.

Write, at least, two hours
per day.

Mix your fear of writing up
into fiction, or a great piece
of non-fiction.

"What do you mean?"
Someone asked.

What do you fear? Why?

Write down the reasons
for your fear. Look at
what you wrote.

Create a character to
work through a fear
in fiction. Place him/her
in a setting comfortable
for you.

Get over any fear by writing
about it through a character,
and then come to terms with
it.

Writing through a fear helps
you understand it better.

It's possible you'll want to
do some research, and
write an article about it.
An essay on it is interesting.
A poem?

Also, another idea is to
have various characters
work through different
fears.

Here are some questions to
ask yourself before working
a character through fear.

Should a male or female
be best in that role? How
will the character look?
He/she will show signs of
the fear?. Will the character's
behavior point to which
fear? His/her appearance?
His/her speech pattern? The
character's quirks a result of
the fear?

What age should the
character be? Where will
he/she live? City? Suburbs?
Rural area?

Should height of the character
be included? Educational
back-ground? Is there
anything else you need
to stir-in?

If you're not ready to attach
your name to a work, use a
pseudonym. It's a pen name.

There's an added benefit to
writing through your fear.
It's therapeutic. Writing
everyday about a fear helps
you deal with it, and move on.
You're less stressful about it,
and happier.

It's a big step toward healing.

This is how my novel, Grave
Street House, was born.

It started out as a poem.
I kept writing until I realized
a novel was in the making.

Always, turn ideas upside
down to get other ideas.

Write about someone
else's fear. A friend?
Neighbor? Co-worker?
Associate?

In closing, write through a
fear to gain knowledge,
and live better. Perhaps,
you'll write a master-piece
as a fear is worked through.

Hook The Reader

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

As in life, you get seconds to make
a good impression. The window to
hook the reader's attention is narrow.

So, on page one or paragraph
one, start the conflict. This is where
the main character tries to succeed,
win, reach a goal, or just feel normal.

Why the main character can't
succeed, win, reach a goal, or
just feel normal is played out on
page one.

This is how you hook the reader,
keep him/her reading until the
story's end.

You begin the story in the
middle of a crisis. The
beginning sets a mood,
tone.

Take a look.

A nagging feeling of dread
blanketed me all afternoon.
I had trouble focusing on my
work.

Still, I pushed through
projects, and managed to get
some work done.

I kept looking over my shoulder
on the train ride home.

The feeling remained as I spoke
to a friend. I couldn't focus on
our conversation.

"What's wrong?" Susie asked.
"You look sick."

"Just a hard day at work,
could be coming down with
something."

"Lata." Her stop rolled-up.

Finally, my stop.

I paced my way home, I
turned down my street.

The closer I came to my
house, the pain intensified.
I slowed down, leaned against
a wall. I took deep breaths.

I prefer not to be sensitive,
but it happens. I don't want
to know when something bad
is about to kick-off.

I collected myself, continued.

I approached my house. The
front door was open. I heard a
man's voice. I turned to leave
when...

==============================

This is how my novel, Grave Street
House, begins.

When I walked onto my street heads
bobbed and turned, some people cried.
They knew the horror awaiting him. A
few drifted into their places of
security. The homeless intruder,
wobbled, stumbled on his way into
the House. They reacted with clear
warnings to stay out. He ignored them.
He, slowed down, whirled his head
toward me with fear in his eyes.

I motioned with my hand for him to
come back. I rushed closer to the
House, forced my way through the
mob of people.

Perspiration beads formed on my
forehead. I strained to take in
enough oxygen. I stopped moving;
terror had me in its grip.

He continued to sway up the worn-out
steps, made a mockery of the
condemned, haunted, Grave Street House.

I tried to run to the old House, to
snatch him away. My feet stuck to the
ground. I trembled.

Surely, he was someone's son, husband,
brother, or father who had sealed his
fate.

Why take shelter there? The House
disliked anyone that entered its
structure. I struggled in place, to
no avail. I took deep breaths.

"Oh no!" I shouted.

The man disappeared into the House.
His footfalls echoed throughout. I
shivered.

In closing, the beginning hooks the
reader with suspense, ask an
interesting question, make a
thought provoking statement, or
create a shocking scene.

How To Bring Characters To Life

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with
me? Leave me your opinion.

Characters, after all the other
ingredients have been added,
bring the story to life. You bring
characters to life through dialogue.

"How do I learn to write dialogue?"
You asked.

There are books available on dialogue,
but I learned more from listening to
people talk.

Go to the mall, any place of business,
and listen to people. For that matter,
keep an ear open to family members,
co-workers, people on public
transportation, or children at play.
You'll be surprised at how people
pronounce common words.

Let's look at various words.

1. Your
--yer
--ya're

2. With
--wit

3. That
--dat

4. Around
--round

5. You
--ya

6. Not
--ain't

7. No
--nah
--naw
--nope

The speech pattern is decided
when you're making the character
profile.

The profiles include height,
weight, educational level, quirks,
origin, beliefs, dreams, and
anything else you want to put in
it.

The profile helps you to know
your character. The better
you know him/her, the easier
it is to write the dialogue,
story.

Let's look at my character,
Delores Young, from the hood.
She is from Any-City, USA.
She's street smart, managed to
graduate twelfth grade, and was
given a job at the local mall.
She has worked at the store for
a year.

"Hey, Dee-Lo." Joy spoke as
Delores passed her on the way
home.

"Hey."

"Ya're goin' to Molly's party?"

"Nah, wasn't invited." Delores
stopped walking.

"Go wit me, no thang." Joy's
eyes swept across the ground.
"There's somethin' I gotta tell
ya."

Now, there are many interesting
paths to take in finishing the
story. What are your ideas about
it?

Dialogue gives characters life-
like presence, and moves the
story along. Dialogue should
pull readers into the story.

Allow dialogue to show who characters
are, and what they are up to. Profile
information is given through dialogue.
A tid-bit of profile information is
shared at a time. In other words,
profile information is disclosed
sparingly.

Dialogue takes the place of
writing paragraphs of description.

Dialogue puts the reader in your
story. He/she hears what's
going on. It's more interesting
than reading tons of information
from the author.

Bring characters to life by using
dialogue that mimics human
speech. Use profiles to make
characters interesting.

Where To Get Writing Ideas

Sit down. Relax. Is there
something someone said that
jumps to mind? A joke you
heard early in the day,
prank, movie you saw, or a
place plays over in your mind?

The last words your co-worker
uttered to you before the day
ended swirls in your mind.

Write about it.

"My neighbor is from another
planet?" She complained.
"She doesn't understand anything
the first time it's explained."

One idea is a neighbor who
changes into an animal at night,
and looks for food to eat. It
could be the reason why the
neighbor needs a re-cap of
the language.

What an interesting plot.

You heard a joke. How many
cats does it take to meow
the first line of Silent
Night?

What could be done with that?

You were dared to prank
someone at work. The person
is your boss.

What twists and turns that
plot would take. The boss is
one of the guys, or stick to
the rules kind of person?

A movie keeps swirling
around your mind. What
view-point are you going
to use. What problem is
there? Make sure what you
write is from your imagination,
or research.

Once you're done, it should
be completely different from
the original.

"Why?" You asked.

It's good practice. Make it
original, avoid the
possibility of the L-word,
litigation. Or, have someone
say you copied it, and you're
not a real writer.

Is there a place that flows
to mind? A dream? It's a
place in the four corners
of your mind. Use it as a
back-ground for fiction, or
non-fiction.

In conclusion, there's no
shortage of where to get
writing ideas. They exist
in the words of co-workers,
jokes, a movie that plays
over in your mind, or a place.
The place may not be real,
but bring it to life.

How To Write A Page Turning Plot

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

What is meant by the four letter
word, plot? The plot, problem,
unfolds to tell a tale. It is the
action that keeps readers wanting
to know the story's end. It thins
down to the structure of your story.

Plot is the idea of a story. A
character almost succeeds, but
some unseen problem, force, creeps
in to frustrate him/her. Happiness
is peeled away.

A character must try and fail, at
least, three times before reaching
a goal.

An obstacle urges a character to
try something, anything, else.

Conflict

On page one, introduce the main
character(s), and show what issue(s)
is involved. The conflict serves
to hold the reader's attention.
People will connect, in some way,
to the story.

He/she could dislike a character,
and want to see how the tale plays
out. You never know who will be
liked or hated in fiction. The
writer's goal is to engage the
reader's attention.

If people aren't hooked by your
fiction, re-read this post. Next,
contact me.

Rising Conflict

Everything, in the story, leads
up to this point. Suspense is
heightened.

Climax

This is where the emotion is
highest, turning point.

Actions Falls

The problem(s) is solved.

Short stories, usually, have one
problem.

In long fiction, more than one
issue is required. A big problem,
and a minor one. Some writers throw
in several complications. Read over
my example.

Mrs. Dawthorne knocked on Thomas'
front door.

He opened it, yawned.

"Curb yer trash. Nobody understands
why ya not takin' it to the curb."
Mrs. Dawthorne argued.

"Yeah, right." Thomas slammed the
door in her face.

Mrs. Dawthorne and her cane
limped home.

He paced down the street to Mrs.
Dawthorne's house as she reached
her bottom step.

"Why ya all up in my business,
old lady?"

People gathered around them. Mrs.
Dawthorne was looked at as the person
everyone turned to with problems.

"Back-up, boy," Mr. Darthy stated.

"Let him go," Mrs. Dawthorne said.

The crowd parted to let Thomas
through.

"I'll get him to curb his trash."
Mrs. Dawthorne told Mr. Darthy as
they walked away.

Everyone dispersed.

The next day, Mrs. Dawthorne went
to Thomas' house, bumped into Gail.
She's Thomas' girl-friend.

"Hey, Gail," Mrs. Dawthorne spoke.

"Hey."

"Thomas won't take his trash to the
curb, and we tired of doin' it for him.
Can you get him to understand that?"

"Ain't my problem. Gail stared at her.
"Ya need to stop hatin'."

"Ya mean leave his garbage on the
porch, and let the summer heat cook-up
a stink."

"Whateva." Gail motioned to unlock
Thomas' front door.

Mrs. Dawthorne fell against Gail in
an attempt to move too fast.

Thomas snatched open the door.
Gail lost her footing as a result of
Thomas' action. She bumped
her head on the porch's rail. Mrs.
Dawthorne broke her fall by grabbing
onto the rail.

Several neighbors rushed to Mrs.
Dawthorne's side, steadied her.

"What the..." Thomas began.

"Accident," Mrs. Dawthorne
interrupted.

"Like I believe that." Thomas told
Gail to get inside of the house.

Gail remained motionless.

Thomas pulled-out his wireless
phone.

"Gail," Mrs. Dawthorne called.

"Get off my porch!" Thomas
ordered.

"Watch how ya talk to her," Mr.
Darthy warned.

"Let's go," Mrs. Dawthorne
commented, "his fault anyways."

Mrs. Dawthorne, Mr. Darthy, and
the others left.

Several hours later, Mrs. Dawthorne
knocked on Thomas' door.

"What?" He positioned the door
between them.

"Just wanted to know how Gail was."

"She all 'ight. No, she ain't go to
the hospital." He closed the front
door back.

"Just curb the garbage!" Mrs.
Dawthorne went home, retired
to bed.

Thomas knocked on Mrs.
Dawthorne's door, the next
morning.

"What do you want?" She hollered
through the door.

"I'm done hasslin'." He paused.
"Ain't no problem with me curbin'
my trash."

Mr. Darthy opened the door.

"That's all we wanted." Mrs.
Dawthorne's eyes rolled to the
floor. "How's Gail?"

"Stubborn, but all 'ight."

Thomas retreated.

In closing, a good plot
boils down to conflict and
suspense. Those two will
hook the reader.

How Ghost-Writing Works

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

Ghost-writing is an excellent area
to explore. Here is how it works.

Writers are paid to write essays,
fiction, non-fiction, reports, and
letters. There's no limit on what
can be written. In other words,
ghost-writers address writing
needs.

Your name isn't listed on the
project. Rarely, a ghost-writer
is given credit, or mentioned.
The ghost-writer writes for
someone else.

There's lots of back and forth
communication with a client. It
includes e-mails, telephone calls,
meetings, and snail-mail. A client
wants his/her voice heard
throughout the work. It's your job,
the ghost-writer, to make it happen.

The ghost-writer is given information,
documentation, relating to the project.
There's a possibility photos and/or
audio is a part of it. Take accurate
notes. A tape recorder would be
useful.

Draw-up an agreement. Be
specific. Leave nothing to
chance. Allow a reasonable
time to complete the project.

I suggest that you get part
payment up-front. I'm referring
to a fifty percent retainer.

"How do I get clients?" You
looked around the room.

Every e-mail, snail-mail, should
have your URL, or a link
mentioning your ghost-writing
service. The service is displayed,
proudly, on business cards.
Mention the ghost-writing service
in writing forums. There are ghost-
writing opportunities at:
http://elance.com, and
http://Guru.com. Don't forget
to scan Craigslist.

Have samples of your work available
to e-mail potential clients. Your
web site, URl, should show-case
samples of your work as well.

Use the same research and
hard work you'd put in your own
venture. Treat ghost-writing
projects like your babies until
given to the rightful guardians.

Consider using an alias. Face it,
in most cases, you have no idea
whose hands will re-do the project,
or tamper with it. Possibly,
someone wants new information
added after you've finished.

A few, satisfied, clients can bring
you more business than an ad
placed. Word-of-mouth advertising
spreads like wild fire. Once the word
gets around about your ghost-writing
business, you're on your way to
success. Reach for your goal.

Just The Facts

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

A neighbor managed to do
something really funny, but it's
embarrassing to him or her. Any
reader would topple laughing.
Only, the facts, just the facts,
could lead to litigation.

Or, a co-worker's act was
horrific. It beacons to be
written about. Only, writing
just the facts will lead to
the L word, litigation.

"Why can't I write just the
facts?"

It's required to get written
permission to use someone's
likeness, misfortunes, and
comical behavior. I'd go
so far as to say get the
advice of a lawyer.

If a person finds an act
hurtful, his/her family
was impacted as well.
The person, family, could
be recovering from the
pain, and don't want to
re-live it.

Your article, possibly,
forces them to remember,
re-live the incident.
Consequently, it has the
individual turning to t
he courts, litigation.

It's best not to write
the facts unless you
have signed documentation
from the individual,
individual's family, before
writing about it.

Your neighbor was caught
sleep-walking. He visited
a certain bar, was seen
talking to a female, for
example.

I'd change my neighbor's
eye color, build, gender,
My character would work
undercover, frequent a
neighborhood for
information.

There are so many different
ways to write it.

The facts, just the facts,
can be boring. Let your
imagination absorb an
idea, mold it into a
writing master-piece.

Don't let the facts,
just the facts stop you
from writing, but don't
let just the facts pull
you into litigation.

How To Generate Story Ideas

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

You can be in the middle,
beginning, of a writing
project, but, for some reason,
can't get your creative flow
to start today. Perhaps,
an essay is almost finished.
You can't write the last
stanza to a poem.

"Is there anything to help me?"
You cried out.

Use your senses of taste,
touch, smell, sound, or sight
to generate a finish, or ignite
your creative flow. It doesn't
matter the topic, subject.

Yes, you can generate story
ideas using your senses, even
work already in progress.

"How?"

Think about the writing
project, researched or
not. Bring vivid pictures
to mind as you think about
the subject.

Let's look ay my haunted
house writing idea.

I want to know what
sounds exist in the house.
What sights are in it?
What images touch brings?
The smells?

Taste isn't a sense I'd use
for this story idea.

In order for my characters
to be believable, I have
to understand those senses
as they relate to my story.

I've seen, read, haunted
stories, but what will my
senses say?

My sense points out cracking
floor boards, and unexplained
knocking, coming from the
house. Voices, in the house,
speak from another era.

I see a run-down house.
Its paint is peeling, over-
grown lawn, antique
mail-box sitting near
it, and window panes
shaped like almonds.

On a windy day, foul odors
fill the air around the house.
It's the scent of decaying
bodies.

If a person walks too close
to the house, it pulls him/
her in it.

The ground rumbles, sometimes.
It causes a person to topple.

My senses helped me generate
story ideas. It's not hard.

Simply, ask yourself some
questions about the subject
you're writing on.

The five-senses questions
are answered based on
research, and/or experience.
What does it taste like?
The touch of it? The smell?
It sounds like? Its sight?

How To Start Writing In Eight Seconds

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with
me? Leave me your opinion.

There's no need for you to get writer's
block, ever again. Ignite your
imagination with the technique I've
developed over the years.

Go from a blank computer screen
to writing in less than eight seconds.
There's no age limit to working my
simple technique. Actually, it's fun.

It works for me. I don't experience
writer's block, and that alone is a
major motivator.

"What's the technique?" You stared
at the last line.

Look around the room you're sitting
in. In that room sits many writing
ideas.

What did your eyes, first, land on?
It will be what you start writing about.

My eyes caught the bottle of hand
sanitizer.

Now, if you're not comfortable with
writing about one object, pick
another one.

Name the item. Use the name of
it to begin the writing process. Look
at the name inside out, upside down,
and side-ways.

My word, hand sanitizer, can spin
into fiction or non-fiction.

Let's look at it in fiction.

"Look, a hand is at the window!"
Patty shouted.

"Didn't see it, and it's not dark?"
Rhonda stopped walking too.

"No, I don't wanna go in that old
house."

"We just left school, and she'll
pass the house."

"Not goin' in there." Patty walked
pass the house.

The two, middle school age, girls
gathered a distance from the
abandoned house.

"Not gonna take long," Rhonda
insisted. "Only be in there a
few minutes."

Patty glanced up at the house,
trembled. "Somebody..."

I looked at hand upside down,
and my imagination came up
with the above.

An essay on how restaurants
sanitize their kitchens would
be interesting. Or, do restaurants
remind employees to wash their
hands after bathroom use?

How is your writing idea working
out? If one idea isn't working, try
the next one.

It's helpful to pick more than one
object to write about.

Hand sanitizer upside down?

It's a health-care tool, cleaning
agent.

I can write from the health care
angle. There is no limit on
the writing ideas from one object.

Write down what your object is,
does.

Go from blank screen to writing in
eight seconds, or less. Use
anything around you.

Use this technique for any topic,
area of interest.

In closing, my technique stops
writer's block, and keeps your
imagination popping out ideas
in less than eight seconds.

Why Passionate Writers Are Successful

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

Passionate writers are successful,
because they write everyday. They
slip time in for writing, sometime,
during the day or night.

Perhaps, some set their alarms
earlier to have time to write.
This is how you learn to write
better. You practice.

It's true that the more you
nurture your talent, the better
writer you'll become.

Substitutes don't exist for the
passionate writer. He/she has
to write through writer' block,
rejection slips, and the days
when you're not in the mood.

Passionate writers work with
one word, for example, to
curb writer's block. Pull any
word out of the air. Write
several sentences about it,
to foil writer's block.

If that doesn't work, grab
another word, or event to
write about.

Writer's block will scurry
away as you continue.

Nurture your talent through
rejection slips. Rejection
isn't comfortable coming
from any direction. It
isn't a personal attack on
you.

A rejection slip, for writers,
is a fact of the writing life.
Learn from it, and don't stop
believing in yourself, your
talent.

Could there have been something
you didn't do to make your work
more appealing to the editor?
You requested guidelines for
the publication? Were you
familiar with its style, tone?
Did you make sure your work was
punctuation perfect? Was it the
right publication for your work?

The above questions fall under
writing better. They must be
answered before sending your
work out.

"I don't feel like writing
today." You said.

In fairness, if you're ill,
don't write. Nurture your
talent when you're better.

However, the passion for
writing stirs you on, and
you feel better after
writing a page, or two.

Passionate writers rest
when he/she has no choice.

The passionate writer is
successful, because they
make writing a habit. He/
she nurtures his/her talent
through obstacles like
writer's block, and
rejection slips.

Word Power

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

Everything, anything, written with
word power grabs the reader's
attention. Word power means
the piece flows well. It causes
the reader to think, act, feel
better, or push a negative feeling
to the surface.

"How do I write like that?" You
looked out the window.

First, determine what the thesis,
premise, of what you're writing is.

In other words, what point are you
aiming for?

State that argument in fifteen
words or less. Why? It helps to
keep you on target with the subject.

Every word, paragraph, follows the
subject matter. Discuss one
subject at a time.

Sometimes, it's hard. Still, narrow
it down. It's confusing to read
several topics at once. You'll
ramble, and the reader tunes your
work out. He/she then moves on to
the next author.

The first line grabs, holds, the
reader's attention.

"How?" You asked.

Ask a question, or tell an
interesting story. Did something
new, exciting, happen in a
particular industry, world? It has
to pertain to the subject you're
writing about.

Try not to be long-winded. People
are short on time, patience. Most
people multi-task. It's best to cut-
out any unnecessary words. Each
word pulls its weight, and mixes into
the subject.

Of course, writing pieces will be
longer or shorter, depending on
your needs. However, this format
applies.

Each paragraph glides along from
the previous one. There shouldn't
be the 'did I miss it' feeling.

Action verbs pump-up writing.
They add spice.

Action verbs are: hopped, jumped,
dashed, motioned,
shattered, explode.

"How will I know an action verb?" A
few asked.

Action verbs show action. It expresses
what a person, animal, thing, or nature
does.

Avoid using passive verbs: is, was, am,
like.

Finally, the conclusion leaves the
reader wanting more.

Write successfully by knowing your
thesis before you begin writing.
Walk through one subject at a time.
Make sure the first line grabs, holds,
the reader's attention. Load-up on
action verbs, and depart with a hook.

Writing Is Therapeutic

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

Writing therapy is writing down
your feelings, painful memories,
situations you can't seem to
move on from, or why you're
stressed.

Writing is an out-let for negative
energy. It allows you to see
those feelings outside of yourself,
and then put them into perspective.

The therapeutic avenue is visited
with a therapist or a counselor.

In this post, I'm going to explain
how to use writing therapy privately.

In reality, some people, for whatever
reason, can't visit an office to do it.

Use writing therapy by writing out
each detail of a painful memory.
If it becomes too hard, stop. Never
force yourself. Put away the writing
exercise. Work on it tomorrow.

The process can be slow. It could
take weeks, months, but working
through an issue is worth it. Be
patient with yourself.

There will be times when you can't
look at what you wrote. Still, don't
stop using the technique. Return
in three days, six days.

Reason out why you're having a
difficult time before writing again.

Take a separate writing pad to
jot down why you're shying
away from therapy writing. Look
at it. Come to terms with it. You'll
feel better, and it's a major
accomplishment.

Writing therapy will relieve
stress, and help you understand
life better.

The key is to have the courage
to do it. It's not easy.

A person was involved in a shooting,
for example. It's, without a doubt,
traumatic.

Anger serves no useful purpose.
Take that anger, fear, to a pad,
computer, and write about it.
Don't leave a detail out. Pour all
your inner feelings into it.

How did you feel at that moment?
How did you get in that situation?
What steps can be taken to avoid
such circumstances in the future?
Forgive the person? Forgive
yourself? What did you learn from
the experience? What is your life
like? How have you changed?
Become a better person?

Writing therapy can be applied to
a successful job too.

"How?" You asked.

Download the cause(s) of your
stress, and use writing therapy.
Where is the stress coming from?
Is there a better way to handle it?
Adjust your work schedule? List
suggestions to yourself. Execute
actions.

In conclusion, writing therapy
addresses any problem. Simply,
write about it. Take your time.
If it's too difficult, put it aside.
Come back tomorrow. Keep
working on the issues, problems,
until you've gained control back,
freedom.

How To Write Poetry

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with
me? Leave me your opinion.

Each of us store tons of information
to write poetry from. Experience is
an excellent medium to draw from.
Relationships, what you thought the
relationship could be, and/or something
you dreamed starts the writing process.

You can travel through romantic
land-marks, converse with ladies
and gentlemen of another time by
reading a book.

"I'm still drawing a blank." You coughed.

Ideas for poetry arrive from something
that happened at work. The last article
you read from a newspaper. The thought
of it makes you laugh. Allow your
creativity to spin out a poem.

Read poetry by different authors. Keep
your mind alert to your surroundings.
Soak-up images, details, for writing
poetry.

Tempo

Tempo is the speed of the poem.
Poets use different speeds. In
one poem, the subject matter
calls for a jog.

A poem on driving home, at three
a.m., after witnessing a murder
stirs in a faster beat.

A walk down memory lane
with grandmother plays to a
slower tempo.

Some poets naturally have a
slower or faster tempo.

Pace a fast tempo poem with
a slower tempo between
paragraphs, or within a paragraph.
It depends on the strength of tempo
in your poem, or your needs.

In a slow tempo poem, speed-up
tempo in the stanzas, or every three
lines, for example.

The goal is to have a natural flow
of poetry.

Lines

Lines, first, grab the eyes at its
display, and then stop. Lines
continue in two words, three words,
five words, or more. Lines rise in
tempo, stand in rhythm while dancing
to your beat. Lines jump to the essay,
mark the stanza, take a paragraph, and
knead the song.

You, the poet, will determine how
lines support your poetry. Or, how
poetry glides along.

Subconscious Mind

The subconscious mind...

Full post at:

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Writing Ideas

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

Writing ideas are everywhere. There is
no such thing as I can't come-up with
an idea. Let's take a stroll down any
day in search of writing ideas.

The alarm goes off. It's a call to
get your day started. Will you
hit the snooze button?

You twist, turn, finally stand.
You yawn several times, try to
focus, and get moving.

Start breakfast. Drag back upstairs
to shower.

The coffee slowly drips into your
system. Suddenly, you remember
the tons of accounts waiting. You
rush.

The train is late. You hope the boss
is in a good mood. For some reason,
the beginning of the week finds her
in a foul mood, less understanding.

I found a writing idea centering
around the alarm clock.

"I can't get up." Pepia slurred
her words.

She reached, struggled to turn
the alarm clock off. She moved in
slow motion. She laid still.

"What's wrong with me?" She cried
out!

The writing idea is open to
various paths. I have the option of
writing a short story, or a book
length work.

A second idea follows.

The alarm sounded. Pepia didn't
waste any time rising.

She bounced out of bed, showered,
and was downstairs within thirty-
minutes.

'Today is the day.' She sang
out-loud. 'Gonna march into
work, and get that pay raise.'

She prepared coffee. A frown
wrinkled her brows.

"'My coffee container was moved.
Who?" She complained loud
enough for her neighbor to
hear. "'Maybe, Mother stopped
by, but she'd have told me."

The click of foot-steps echoed
through Pepia's house. Suddenly...

Read the full post at:
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How To Write A Resume

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

A resume must be reader friendly,
pertain to the job you are applying
for, and can be up to two pages
long. It's the key information
that convinces a manager, person
hiring, you are perfect.

Look no further is seen through
your objective, and supported
throughout the resume.

It's not necessary to use the
word objective. In place of
objective: looking to, seeking,
or goal.

Tailor-cut every resume to
the position.

Name
Address
City/State, Zip Code
Telephone Number
Email Address
Fax

Objective: Your first line
explains how you can help
a company, and the rest of
the resume enforces it.

Experience: Display jobs you
have held. Start with the most
recent, include dates.

For those that do not have job
experience, jot down
the qualifications you feel is
best suited to prove line one.

Education: College degrees,
courses, and credits fill this
space.

Mention internships if relevant.

Computer: State the fact you
are knowledgeable in Excel, etc.

The mission is to uncover everything
you have done to show worthiness
for the job.

Poetry

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

Poetry reaches deep down to
show, comfort, you, me. It's
freedom, it's fancy, it lives.
It explores the world, and
names it. No, claims it.

Words uplift, stress you
down, gives meaning.

One word inspires,
brightens a day.

It heals.

Writing Ideas Are Here-There

Have a question? Agree, disagree,

with me? Leave me your opinion.

"I'd like to write, but I'm not

sure where to get writing ideas."

You sighed.

Ideas arrive from living life.

There is always something going on.

You, as a writer, should jot down

moments from living. Practice. It

will, eventually, happen for you.

Meanwhile, you must observe.

Recall an earlier time. Did

something strange happen

in your house, school, or a

relative's home?

A family moved into a new

dwelling, had a house-warming,

and felt comfortable in it. As a

matter of fact, they threw a

party for any reason.

One night, a guest saw a man

standing in the hallway.

"Hello." Her eyes roamed up

and down his attire. "The...

the party's in there."

She pointed toward the

dining room.

She went downstairs to tell

the host, hostess, and others.

The hostess, with the lady on

her heels, searched all the

rooms. They found no one that

matched the lady's description.

Some of the guests waited at

the foot of the stairs. He

didn't leave that way.

The lady explained how his

clothes looked like something

from the 1920's.

Did the lady see a man? If so,

where did he go? Perhaps, the

host and hostess played a joke.

What was the man looking for?

Why be seen by that

lady, at that time?

I can turn it into a book length

work.

Another view, an essay on old

houses, the paranormal, or the

effects of alcoholic beverages.

There are many ways to write

about the idea. What

did you come up with?

In school, during the year,

1999, a chill filled the air. It

happened in only one class-

room, at the same time of

day. It was rumored that an

eight-year-old was murdered,

in that room. The killer was

never caught.

The teacher mentioned it to

other teachers, parents found

out. Of course, the curious

wanted to feel the chill moment.

So, people visited.

A janitor, who would have been the

age of the child, began to avoid the

room. His eyes became as big as

saucers as he passed it.

He was questioned as to why he

wouldn't clean it.

"It happened there." He told the

principal.

"What?" The principal questioned.

The janitor ran away.

What's going on with the janitor?

Does he know anything about the

unsolved murder? Is he guilty of

it? Someone in his family did it?

See how ideas for writing emerge?

Take the smallest idea and turn it

inside out, looking for writing

material. One idea should bring

several leads, or possible writing

pieces.

Store ideas away. Keep them for

later writing projects. There is no

such thing as useless ideas. What

you can't use, save for another

writing session.

Here is another possible article.

One evening, a family gathered for

dinner. During the meal, a dog

walked in. Shock, fear, crossed their

faces. He sat down. The family

glanced at each other, not sure

what to do. Fear filled the room.

Why? They didn't own a dog.

The dog disappeared. It made no

barking noises.

What an interesting idea for a book

length work. What do you think?

How would you use it in writing?

Ideas for writing fiction and non-

fiction are all around us. Be a

sponge, and absorb them. Rinse

them in your creations.

Take Time To Nurture Your Talent

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

"I don't have time, or a place to

write everyday." You said.

Slip, at least, a couple hours into

writing during the day or night.

Set the alarm, for example, two hours

earlier than usual. Especially, if your

surroundings tend to be busy, noisy.

I have the problem of inner-city living.

It's loud where I live. So, I learned

to concentrate on what I'm writing.

As with anything else, practice for

success, everyday.

Simply, slice away some time to

reach your goal of writing.

The best time for you could be on

a break at work. Use a tape recorder

to take notes on a possible story, or

article.

Scoop-up the there's no time to write

excuse, and turn it into fiction. It

should be no longer than one

thousand words.

It's what writers do, or a large

part of what they do.

"What do writers do?" You asked.

They find time to write, scribble

words down. At a later time, go

back to make corrections.

The more you write, the better

you'll become. You'll develop

an editor's eye to critique

your own work.

Now, that isn't to say, you will

not make mistakes. However,

you acquire the skill to see/correct

them, and that's a plus for writers.

Who knows? It could be something you

do for a fee.

I'm referring to critiquing or teaching

to make extra money.

I believe, it's harder to edit one's own

work. Once the editor's eye is developed,

it can take you down many interesting

paths. If you are able to spot mistakes in

your work then do it for others, for a fee.

Some teens, in my neighborhood, were

making noises on the street I live. I

took notes, on different days:

-teen boys trying to bully

-why?

-who?

-teen boys doing drugs

My observations can roll into fiction

or non-fiction.

"Can you turn it into an essay?" Someone

asked.

My essay start follows.

The teen boys, ages range from twelve to

seventeen, congregate on the same corner,

everyday. The fact that they sell drugs

exposes all of us to more danger. Child

on child crime is common. How sad, but

it's a fact of life, in the city.

Feelings of heightened anxiety...

Let's look at how the same notes are

turned into fiction.

"Tom, what's that white powder 'round

your nose?" Jeff stopped at his front

door.

"Mind ya're biz." Tom rubbed his nose.

"You shoulda cleaned your face before

coming home." Jeff opened the door to

their house. "Seeing that would upset

mom."

Tom pushed Jeff into the door. They

fell to the floor, struggled.

"What's going on here?" Mrs. Balls asked.

"Stop it!"

She ran to the kitchen, returned with a

pitcher of water. She poured it on the

teens. They pulled away from each other.

The few notes supplied many ideas. The

same can hold true for you.

Everywhere you go, material for writing

waits to be plucked, and smoothed into

fiction or non-fiction.

Yes, ideas for writing are everywhere.

Have you unintentionally over-heard a

conversation at the mall? Something funny

or unusual happened at a family get-together?

I sat next to an older lady who was talking

to a teen. I was deciding if I wanted to

visit the chocolate store.

"I don't think you should go." The older

lady protested.

"I never go anywhere." The teen whined.

"They're my family too."

"But they didn't want anything to do with

you. Now, you inherited..."

I quietly left. After all, a

personal conversation.

I jotted down notes at the chocolate

store, but not exact words.

My idea was to have a teen raised by her

grandmother. The parents died, years before,

and the daughter is at an age where she can

receive money left, or claim funds from a

trust.

There are numerous ways to move with it.

At the family get-together pin-down an

idea. What stood out at this gathering?

You will be amazed at the ideas floating

around, and success is yours. You must

believe in yourself.

Poems Heal

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with
me? Leave me your opinion.

Writing a poem is one's life, and
an out-let of expression to others.
Some situations, in life, are painful.
They require you to sit down, and write
about them. It's therapeutic while
energizing the healing process.

"How do I start writing a poem?" You tapped
a pen on the desk-top.

Simply, jot down what you're feeling. Don't
worry if the poem is free verse, or another
form. There are many forms of poetry. You
can research, the various forms, at a later
date.

The goal, for now, is to pour-out
problems, issues, on paper or a computer.
Mold, re-arrange, your poems when you've
written a few.

I'll write one, off the top of my head.
My poem is free verse. Free verse is
popular.

Element

Thunder lightens the sky
slams any in its path.

It stomps
looking over
your town and mine
for the next invasion.

Simply, write down what you feel.
This form of expression can be painful,
but it's therapeutic, and it heals. It
soothes the discomfort, and brings joy.

The act of writing relieves the mind of
tension, gives it a channel for negative
energy.

The loss of jobs, rising gas prices,
late stimulus checks, or any number of
issues can pull you into frustration.
Sometimes, worse.

Write it down, include everything that's
bothering you. Start with the most
nagging problem.

Look at the words. Harmless words.
Put them in context. Think. One
problem at a time. How do you feel
after writing them down? Give it a
few days, if necessary.

What steps can you take to make
your life better, happier? Remember,
there's no need to, constantly, concern
yourself over what can't be changed.

"If I can't change it, why try?" You rolled
your eyes.

It's about not giving up. Make adjustments
in your life.

You, actually, took the step to writing
poems. The one step is a major
accomplishment. Now, move
around an issue that can't be changed.

Fill your time with pleasant tasks.
Keep your mind occupied, stuffed with
matters within your control.

Full article at:
www.freewebs.com/cr1t1qu3r

Creative Writing Activities

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

"Is there an easy way to write a story?"
I've been asked.

I thought about it, and came up with
creative activities anyone can do.

This writing lesson is fun, teach it to
your children, and mold it to fit your
specifications.

Before starting to write, think.
What kind of people will populate
the story? Is the leading role for
a male or female? Whose the
bad person? Or, the person with
a different point of view than the
leading character?

What was the disagreement over?

Keep in mind that every work of
fiction has a beginning, middle,
and it ends. Once the problem is
solved, conclude the story.

Short fiction works, well, with
one problem, but long fiction
has room for more.

Begin the story as the problem
happens.

"Man, you stepped on my foot!"
Rodney shouted.

"Said sorry." The short man
walked away.

Rodney ran behind him.

See how the suspense, tension,
pulls the reader in? He/she will
want to know the story's end.
Perhaps, he/she has been in a
similar situation, or know
someone who has. Or, dislikes
one of the characters, and will
read to, the story's end, see
how the situation is resolved.

In conclusion, have in mind a
problem, and the characters
you want to solve it. Characters
shouldn't be flat. Give one slurred
speech, for example.

The main character almost
succeeds, at least, three times.
Each time something, someone,
stops him/her from reaching the
goal. Also, new information is
uncovered, each time, to help
move the story along.

Characters are changed, for the
better or worse, when the story
is over.

Note: This is a game to help
children's writing skills. An option
is to have children act out a story,
character's role. It adds to the fun.

In Your Opinion

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.


"What's this about?" You frowned.

I'm going to explain how to gather writing
ideas from your opinions. Here are twenty
writing ideas.

1."Going Green" talk is everywhere. The
conception points to being safer, easier on
humans, and better for the environment. In
your opinion, what's the best way to start
the process?

Would you write an article, essay? A
short story detailing how a couple murdered
over the price of a solar roof.

2. If someone walked up to you, gave you
twenty dollars you didn't drop, would you
accept it? Write down your reaction to
the situation.

3. A friend helped him/herself to your
idea. In your opinion, out the person?
Talk to him or her, and come to a
understanding?

A possible writing idea is a character,
in short or long fiction, caught with a
set of two company books.

4. You arrive home to find your front
door open. You go in? Call someone?
Write about it, how?

5. You gained knowledge of a friend
by accident. It makes you nervous,
uncomfortable around the person.
In you opinion, what writing ideas
could you curve.

6. A recipe has been passed down
in your family for generations. You
shared the recipe with a few at your
last family-get-together.

You went to the kitchen to pull it out,
weeks later. You looked in every
corner, between shelves, but the
recipe was gone. Your opinion?

7. In you opinion, life is what you
make it. Someone in your circle of
friends disagree.

Write your thoughts about it down.
What spin can you put on it?

8. A red ball, one day, appeared
in your house. The ball wasn't
there when you went to bed.
In your opinion, where did it
come from?

9. Someone knocked on your
front door. You answered, but
no one was there. Your
imagination? Jot down your
opinion in fiction, no longer than
2,000 words.

10. A stranger followed you around
the market. Dial 911? Call someone
else?

An essay on stalkers? A whodunit?

11. You heard a voice of a child outside
your window. You looked out of curiosity,
found no one. The thread for a thriller?

12. An animal kept walking in the living
room. Only, you didn't own one. Opinion?

13. Summer, this year, bought out nosy
neighbors, but one was missing. Idea?

14. Someone called your name. Woke
you out of a sound sleep. No one was there.
Now?

15. The clock worked backwards. Opinion?

16. Your favorite cup fell off the table. What
happened?

17. You heard crying. You paced to the
room, empty. Hmm.

18. You dreamed of a far away place.
Only, in your bedroom, evidence of that
place was found. How?

19. On the rode driving, a car passed you.
It looked like the first car you had, years
ago. Impossible?

20. You kept seeing the same numbers.
Why? How will you write about it?

The above writing ideas will help your
creative flow. Make the writing idea
yours. Turn it inside out, upside down,
to see what comes to mind.

Write Too

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

It's necessary to pick a time, during
the day or night, for writing. A moment
when your creative flow is bursting to
explore, form. Is it dawn? Perhaps,
midnight suits you better.

Allow, at least, two hours. Slip on
comfortable gear, slippers. Turn-
off the cell phone, telephone, television,
and close the window. This is your time.

The requirement for writing is passion.
It doesn't matter how many rejection
slips, or doubters. Continue to improve
your writing skills.

If I, for example, believed people who
thought I didn't have what it took, my
novel, Grave Street House, would
have never been published.

You must, first, believe in yourself,
and dreams will come true.

The amount of rejection slips you're
getting can make you second guess
yourself. Still, muster the courage to
work toward your goal, write.

Every writer, unless perfect, receives
rejection slips. Look at rejection
slips as a motivator, work harder.

Make sure your work is suited for
the publication you have in mind.
Perhaps, you need to edit, again.
Sometimes, a publication printed a
similar idea. So, your work wasn't
published because of your talent,
or lack of.

The secret to writing is doing it.
Yes, it has to be a ritual. Each
day write a chapter start, finish
a chapter, poem, essay, two pages
of non-fiction, or re-write an earlier
piece of yours.

There are no short cuts, for most
of us. Writing has to become part
of your life.

Make a game of it. Time yourself.
How many words, today? Last
month? Six months ago? Are you
a better writer compared to one
year ago?

What would you write about yourself,
this moment? How would you write
an essay about yourself? A friend?
An article on your favorite charity?

Start writing what you most like to
read. Have you read something, and
thought you could of done a better job?
Re-write it, for practice.

The secret to writing is you do it, often.
It doesn't matter where, what, you write.
You must, simply, write.

Writing Ideas From Letters

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

Letters hold, countless, sources of ideas
for writing. A written letter, for example,
explains inner thoughts, feelings, and
desires.

You sent an e-mail, text message, or
snail-mail to a friend, and your feelings
were reflected? Your have concerns
about the rising, no end in sight, gas
prices.

"If the gas prices go up, one penny,
higher, I'll have to dig-out my bike."
You wrote several paragraphs about
it.

Now, think in terns of writing ideas.
How to stir-up your dissatisfaction into
a writing idea.

Here's a suggestion. You haven't
been in the attic for years, since
the bike was crammed in there.

In order to get your bike, a trip
to the attic is necessary.

You approach the door. It refuses
to open. You kicked it, several times.

The moment you turned to walk away,
it creaked open.

"This is weird." You complained loud
enough for a neighbor to hear.

A shadow splashed on the wall. Fear
or something riveted you to the floor.
A hand from...

There isn't a specific method to
peeling ideas from letters. It's
taking situations, places visited,
and developing writing ideas.

Use your creative talent to form
a new situation. Whirl out a work of
fiction or non-fiction unique to you,
your writing ability.

The situation can come from real life,
television, a movie, or book. Change
names, places, what happened, and
appearances.

If, for instance, a jewelry store was
robbed, your idea would surround a
farm. Certain animals disappeared,
nothing was left behind. How would
you finish it?

"Why can't I write how it happened?"
Several people questioned.

Aside from causing hurt feelings
before people have healed, you
avoid the L-word, litigation.
Imagine reading about an emotional
incident that filled your space. You
had no idea it was in the world's domain.
It touched you emotionally, deeply.
Some of the turmoil spread to friends
and family.

It's not hard to see why you, anyone,
would file a law-suit, and that's the,
main, reason facts are changed.

The point is to see a word, phrase,
problem, that flames your creative
energy.

It's bad form, violates moral standards,
to re-write someone else's work, and
call it your own.

Do you have a friend living in a
different culture? The two of you
share letters about each other's
lives.

It's interesting to put characters in
a setting new to you. Try writing an
essay on a specific place, food, in
your friend's country. A poem about
it?

There are many ways to weave writing
ideas from a different culture.

Pull-out letters you've had for years.
Read through them. Jot down the
writing ideas as they pop-out at you.
Did you discover something you
missed before? A new understanding?
See the person in a different light? Would
it make a good writing idea?

Look at an idea upside down, inside out,
side-ways, and backwards. Get as much
use as possible out of it.

Writing ideas from letters is another way
to channel creativity. Change actual facts
to avoid a, possible, law-suit, and/or painful
memories for those involved.

Before writing from letters, ask yourself
questions. How would I feel in the same
situation? Have I changed any identifying
references? Will writing this bring a law-suit?

Fifty Relaxing Ways To Find Writing Ideas

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

You have tried the game to writing, remarks heard, sayings,
and your creative flow refuses to show itself.

Perhaps, it's time to move away from your computer,
typewriter. As a matter of fact, take your mind off
writing. Do something amusing, fun.

Here are fifty ways to relax while writing ideas
pop-out at you.

1. Play with your bird, cat, or other furry friend.
The act of rubbing your cat's head can spark
an idea. The following is a possible writing
idea.

You dozed. Before you fell asleep, you had
a cat in your lap. You were awakened by
your snoring. To your surprise, a lion sat
in your kitchen, and you were no longer in
your house.

"What am I?" You rubbed your eyes.

2. Take a walk. Who did you see?
What did you see? You find your
muse?

3. You turned on the television. A scene
from a movie, commercial, ignited your
imagination?

4. Go to the beach. Soak up material for
writing.

5. Someone at the salon called you another
person's name. Hmm. Imagine the avenues
of writing ideas.

6. A name from the past. Take each letter
to make new words. Sam turns into:

--Saturday, Arrives, Mocha

How would you churn out a writing idea
with those words?

Saturday night, Russ charged over to us in
a rage. His skin appeared mocha colored.
He attacked...

7. Pace to a friend's house.

8. Let the sunshine press against your skin.
Any ideas for writing come to mind?

9. Listen/look at people as they enter and leave
the mall.

10. A color that caught your attention.

11. Dress differently than usual. Ideas?

12. Act like a person you know. How would
you write about it?

13. Write about laughter.

14. The funniest moment of your day.

15. The strangest person near you.

16. The lowest point in your life.

17. A person who dislikes you.

18. Write down a problem existing in
the world.

19. The last dollar you spent.

20. Detail an incident.

21. Comment on a blog.

22. Describe your favorite food. Why
is it?

23. Explain emotions. How does sadness
feel?

24. What is happening outside the room
you're in?

25. What happened Saturday?

26. Write about a name you like.

27. Write, step by step, instructions on
how to swim.

28. How many pages should an e-book
be?

29. Recall a happy moment with a cousin.

30. Can you sing?

31. Stand on one leg. What comes to mind?

32. Why use a fork?

33. Is the sun up? Describe it.

34. Rain does what?

35. Snow brings about?

36. To study?

37. If you won a million dollars, what
would you do first?

38. Crying clears the...

39. Birds fill the air with...

40. My life is...

41. I'm aiming for the stars.

42. The stimulus rebate.

43. No one writes.

44. Is there a writer in you?

45. How many words do you write daily?

46. Peace is...

47. Coffee is good for...

48. A new car...

49. I want a_________.

50. When I reach the writing level of ______.

How To Write Attention Grabbing Fiction

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

There exists more than one factor to writing interesting
fiction. Fiction leans toward the imaginary, invented,
made-up, and inspired. Of course, writers want to
entertain, and invoke the reader's emotions. Hopefully,
the reader becomes involved, and puts the story
down after the last page has been read.

A key to writing fiction well, in my opinion, is plenty
of suspense.

Suspense is indecision, doubt, knowing something
is going to happen, awaiting, and anxiety.

It doesn't matter if you're writing a mystery,
romance, or science fiction. Suspense pulls the
reader in the story. Begin suspense with
paragraph one.

Start the story in the middle of a crisis, problem.
This is where the reader's attention is grabbed.
He/she has something to be concerned about,
wants to know how a character(s) will resolve the
issue. Perhaps, the reader identifies with a
character, knows someone in a similar situation,
is cheering for the protagonist, and/or is gripped
by the plot.

Plot is the problem in the story, and how it unfolds.

The pages of a story should have something new,
exciting, or, even, a threat of an approaching doom.

"Do you ever pause?" Someone asked.

Yes, there are brief pauses. The idea is to keep
the reader buried in suspense.

Take a look at my example.

I opened the front door, heard my cousin
arguing.

"Pete!" I shouted. "What's goin' on?"

"Call..." He fell on the cement steps before
finishing.

The strange man started toward me...

************************************************

How would you have started the first
sentence? Could it be laced with more
suspense? Would you continue to read
the story?

In short fiction, there's a concern for space,
word count. Publishers adhere to a
specific number of words, and so should
you.

One problem is enough for short fiction.
In longer fiction, more than one issue is
addressed.

Make every word earn its place. Every,
suspenseful, word should move the story
forward, not just take up space. Words
holding up valuable space must be
deleted.

It's been my practice to keep cut lines,
paragraphs. They can be re-worked,
placed somewhere else, spark a new
idea, and a tool against writer's block.

The more you write, the easier it will be
to include that major factor, suspense.

Take a look at the following.

"'Member our dare?" Barb asked.

"Don't think it's a good idea." Tish
dropped her hand.

"Ya shoulda thought 'bout that before
sayin' crap 'bout bein' as tough as me."

"Was a joke."

"Be there, or..."

"You'll harass me?" Tish interrupted Barb.

"Tell everyone ya're a punk.

"I'll be there."
****************************************************

Do you get the feeling the dare isn't something
positive, upbeat? Could be dangerous? Are
you curious about it? Are you pulled in the story?

Fiction is written well when its smeared with
suspense, on practically every page. A grammatically
correct story is boring without suspense. Suspense
is the, must include, factor a story can't do without.

How To Stop Writer's Block Twelve Ways

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

You get writer's block when you're tired, stressed,
in a hurry, must meet a dead-line, or want your
creative flow to, just, hic-cup. Don't panic. Sit back.
Take a few deep breaths to relax before starting.

"My mind is full of ideas." I heard a friend say.
"Can't sleep, might forget them.

I explained the twelve ways to stop sleepless
nights, and drag writer's block to the curb.
I, specifically, recommended number one to
her.

1. A mind full of writing ideas require jotting
down. Or, use a tape recorder to capture
them.

2. Start writing about anything, just to extract
your creative flow. Ideas will form as you
continue to write.

3. Pick any subject to write about. Use an
interesting angle. An angle that's new for
you to write about. It will test, inspire,
you.

4. Keep a journal. Refer to it on the days
when writer's block has your mind blank.

"Suppose, I'm stressed and can't write?" You
sipped coffee.

5. Write down what's bothering you. Pluck-out
writing ideas. Use stress as a spring-board
to writing.

6. Look around the room you're sitting in.
The first object that your eyes see, write
about it.

"What do you mean?" Someone asked.

I, first, saw a pencil. I'd use the word in
an essay, for example. A possible angle:
How many pencils are used by six-year-olds, in
a week. My target would be the neighborhood
grade school.

Or, the writing idea points to a disappearing
pencil. It was a gift passed down for four
generations. Why did it disappear? Is it
connected to murder? Everyone who comes
in contact with it gets sick or dies.

7. Pick a phrase to write about. A phrase
is more than two words. The phrase can
be a remark made by your co-worker, news
head-line, quotation, etc.

8. Choose two colors to write about. Your
favorite color, and a color that looks bad
on you.

9. Write about the, first, moving person,
animal, to cross your path. You're in a
room alone, and there's no one or
animal to disturb you? Look out the
window. Write about whomever, whatever,
you see. A bird? Cat? Human? Car?

10. Write about the funniest moment so far in
your life.

11. Scribble down thoughts on the, most
informative, article or non-fiction
book you've read. How did it help you?
Why was it one of the better books, article?

12. Are you a writer? Why are you a writer?
Show what a writer does.

Writer's block is stopped by writing through
it. The secret to stopping writer's block is
to gather-up ideas around you, from a journal,
and/or write about something that happened
to you. The next step is to turn those ideas
into master-pieces.

Sixty Writing Ideas

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

Here are 60, free, writing topics, ideas. They can
be used in fiction, non-fiction, poems, and essays.

Look at a writing topic. How would you write about
it? Turn the topic upside down. Any new ideas come
to mind? What popped in your mind when you looked
at a specific topic? Write from the viewpoint of another
person in regard to an idea.

Allow your creative side to mold the topic. Let all
your senses in.

1. The birds chirped at dawn, everyday
2. He toppled backward after witnessing the murder
3. Someone hollered, "Fire."
4. The actions of a few made them, all, look guilty
5. The rabbit and cat napped together
6. Memories of that day haunt me
7. When I look at the ocean it reminds me
8. That sound took my mind
9. The smell of flowers
10. The worse day in history

11. Depression is
12. Writers
13. When the cow
14 A friend stands
15. Blue reminds me of
16. Celebration happens
17. Winter
18. Hats are made
19. It's time to
20. Waste disposal is

21. Coffee drinkers
22. Tea is best brewed
23. Beer is taken
24. Cola tastes
25. Milks flows in a
26. Alcoholic beverages are better during
27. The lemon juice splatter
28. Grape juice is
29. Water swirls in
30. Chocolate milk tends to

31. My last encounter with him showed
32. The last breath he took sent
33. She delivered several
34. They swung
35. People, first, must stand for something, or
36. The activities planned by them
37. She trembled with
38. The child broke all the
39. It wasn't him
40. Someone or something took over

41. Darkness melted into
42. The quiet summer night
43. The Spring breeze tapped against my
44. The warmth of the sunshine didn't help
45. Fear caught us in the cold, damp, basement
46. The snow rumbled, rolled, toward us
47. Rain fell on the tree as it hit the
48. The wind blasted the door open as we slept
49. Ice dropped from the sky
50. Froth slid across the beach as we

51. The day my sister arrived
52. The brothers in that family is
53. Brothers and sisters
54. His younger sister slapped
55. Their sisters caught the
56. We laughed at her brother at first
57. Only, his sister enabled
58. The brothers are
59. My sister had a long walk before
60. Sisters in name only
Take the idea, make it yours.

I'm going to take an idea and develop it.
I'll work with idea 2.

I dragged in after a long day at work, dug in my
hand-bag for the keys. I glanced up to see the
front door open.

"What is going on?" I ran toward the steps.

A man, unknown to me, stepped out of my house.
My brother, Jack, backed out of the front door.
He stared at me, and toppled down the stairs.

"Jack! Jack!" I shook him.

I rushed in the house to dial 911, but...

See how one idea spins off into a chapter
start, opening, in fiction?

Stir in more than one idea in your plot. Make
it interesting.

How To Critique And Write

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

Non-fiction and fiction demands to be
critiqued. Of course, this eliminates
those who get it perfect on draft one.
Some never have the task of critiquing
their work, for the sixth time.

Most of us must strengthen our editing
abilities.

"How do you edit?" You coughed.

Read through your article, essay, poem,
chapter, or term paper once. Put it down.

Take a walk. Read the book you meant
to last year. Clean off your desk, start
an exercise program, or telephone someone
you've wanted to.

On day two, read it out-loud. You're
checking for mis-statements, typos,
omissions, syntax errors, grammatical
slip-ups, and weak writing. Is the
correct phrases situated in your
writing? Take notice of run-on
sentences. Form every sentence according
to standard English.

Reading out-loud allows you to hear words.
Say them slowly. Did the sentence(s)
sound right? If not, find out why.
Determine if the subject and verb match.

"I stand to get a better look at who
screamed, but it was a prank."

In order for the subject and verb to
agree, stand should be changed to stood.

Are there too many adjectives? Use strong
verbs where possible. Did you use the
wrong word?

"What do you mean?" You sighed.

I'm referring to typing a word you didn't
have in mind. You typed bear instead of
bare, for example. It isn't hard to tap
out hear when here is the intended word.

Walk through the editing process slowly.
It's better to do a good job when you
critique than get a rejection.

Write as if you're talking to an
acquaintance, friend, in non-fiction.
Provide easy to understand wording,
and be direct.

When non-fiction or fiction is read,
questions arise. So, look for
possible questions as you critique.
Anticipate questions, and answer them.

Fiction yearns for an exciting plot.
Plot is the steps taken to solve a
story's problem.

Characters grab, hold, the reader's
attention. Often, readers escape
into the story world, because it's
written well. Many times, people
identify with a character, dislike,
a character's best friend, know a
person similar to the villain, and/or
something in the story makes him/her
angry, happy.

The critiquing of any piece of writing
is complete when every word has been
checked.

The editing process is more challenging
than the writing.

Spend time on dialogue. It mirrors
speech. It's an imitation.

Let's look at examples.

How many people say?

"Who is going with us?"

They'd probably utter.

"Whose goin' with?"
or
"Whose goin' with us?"

What is most likely to be said?

"I have been around."
or
"I've been 'round."

I'd use the second sentence.

There are books on writing
dialogue, but I learned, more,
by listening to people talk.

Editing is a segment, part, of
writing. The act of editing
will make you better at the craft.

How To Use Writing Prompts

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

A writing prompt is a technique, word(s)
association, to ignite your creative process.
It's for the times you're at your desk, and
can't write a word. You looked out the
window, tapped a tune out with a pen, threw
balls of paper in the waste-basket, drank four
cups of coffee, and couldn't come up with a
single writing idea. You sat, dozed, and wasn't
able to write anything.

Some people keep prompts by their beds
to start the day off. Yes, I'm referring to before
they are seated in their writing places.

"How does that work?" You turned the
television off.

--Some use quotes
--Remarks they've heard
--Something a relative use to say, or says
--Make-up their own
They write them in a journal, for example.

People awake from a night's sleep, and
look through the journal. They go through their
routine. The quote swirls around the mind,
forming writing ideas.

By the time they reach their desks, they're
geared up, and ready to paint word pictures.

The condition has a name.

"What condition?" You asked.

The condition of sitting with a blank mind,
not being able to put five words together.

It's called writer's block. We have, all,
faced the problem at one time or another.

Let's look at quotes.

1. "I wish they would only take me as I am."
Vincent Van Gogh

2. "History repeats itself, and that's one of the
things that's wrong with history."
Clarence Darrow

3. "Ideas are the root of creation."
Ernest Dimnet

4. "You must, first, believe in yourself
to soar."
Marcella Glenn

Remarks open the doors to writing ideas.
Have you heard a remark that plays over in
your mind?

**Try, or you're always wonder what if.

**Money follows money.

**Success comes after an action has been
taken.

A family member, often, says,

5. "Read or your brain will starve."

6. "Chalk it up to life."

7. "Keep trying."

Let's discuss Ernest Dimnet's quote: "Ideas
are the root of creation."

Read it out-loud, several times. What does it
mean to you? Are ideas the root of creation?
What do you want to write about the quote?

Write anything, everything, that comes to mind.
Don't worry about grammatical, syntax errors,
etc.

Correct them at a later date. The idea is to
write. Try to write five hundred words about
the quote.

Stir in characters, plot, and dialogue. Use
more than one quote in your writing idea.

Allow yourself, at least, two hours for
writing, more if needed. It's up to you,
determine how long to spend on it.

The goal was met, and that was to start
your creative flow.

Use writing prompts to spark your creative
side. A word, sentence, or quote will stir-up,
break through writer's block.

How To Write A Business Letter

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

A business letter represents you,
your business. Everyone can't afford
the services of a secretary. The business
letter is simple to write.

It can be as many pages as you like.
Often times, a business letter is written
to offer a service/product, to get information
about products/services, and/or, just to
understand terms between two parties.

The business letter is single spaced,
except between paragraphs.

Your name, business name, address,
city, state, fax, and telephone number
starts the letter off. Those lines are single
spaced.

Next, double space to date it.

Again, double space. In single spaces,
write the name, title of the person its
intended for, address, city, state, and
zip code.

Double space, Dear Mz. M., is the
person its intended for.

Double space, the first line states why
you're contacting her. The paragraph
should be clear. People are short on time,
and if the first paragraph is confusing, the
rest of it will not be read.

The second paragraph is more specific.
Expand on major points, any contact that
you've had with the person.

If there is something you need to mention,
write it in the third paragraph.

Is a fourth paragraph necessary?

Close the letter. I'd like to thank you for
your time.

Double space. Sincerely is typed.

Double space, twice. Type your name.
Sign the letter above your typed name.
Your position with the company is typed
below your name.

Example

Marcellag.Blogspot.com
1234 Main Street
Anywhere, USA 1234-4567
Fax: 123-456-7890

April 8, 2008

Mz. M.
Business Editor
567 Race Drive
Anywhere, USA 8900-1234

Dear Mz. M.

This is where you explain why you're
contacting Mz. M.

The second paragraph gets specific.

Paragraph three includes what needs
to be mentioned.

A fourth paragraph necessary?

Close the letter. I'd like to thank you
for your time.

Sincerely,



Marcellag.Blogspot.com
New Products Manager

How To Out-Line

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

An outline will keep you on the
focal point of your paper, article,
essay, fiction, or non-fiction. It's
easy to jump from what you meant
to a distant point.

"Yeah, I've done that." You smiled.

Most likely, all writers have.

An outline introduces itself. It
acquaints the reader with the
subject, grabs their attention. The
beginning promises to be interesting,
not boring, and advances the reader on.

The body pin-points issues, problems,
a writer wants to make. This is where
anything relating to the main point
comes into being. Sometimes, it's
necessary to divide your outline into
parts, for better understanding.

Conclude by repeating, in different
words, your introduction.

The, above, outline will keep your
work flowing smoothly, you'll be less
stressed out, and able to write better.

The Outline Format
I.

II.

A.

B.

III.

A.

B.

1.

2.

V. Conclusion

How To Write Whodunit

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

"That's hard." You looked at the title.

The first step is to have a good idea.
One that has been thought through from
beginning to end. Or, research an idea.
You're looking for what would make an
interesting book. Is there a specific
topic that grabs your attention?

Pick a subject that's appealing.
You don't want to reach chapter
five, and nothing else to write.
It, even, bored you. The topic should
be exciting for you, and appealing to
others.

After you've settled on an idea, start
your chapter outline. Write out what
each chapter will be about. Jot down
as much as you need to. Edit later.

The plot, is how the problem gets
solved, exposes murder, for example.
There has to be a main character,
others, to find out why Mr. X was
murdered. Along the way, murders
happen.

The main character realizes she's being
stalked, more confusion.

The twists and curves have to be worked
out through the characters.

Each scene moves the story forward. A
scene can be a paragraph, or pages long.
It's up to you, the writer.

Writing the whodunit requires an idea,
topic that appeals to the masses, and
a good plot.

How To Write A Newsletter

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

A newsletter is something that's informative
to readers, and fun for the editor to write.

A newsletter should begin with a comment,
word, thought, or insightful share with
readers. It is your section. Share
something about yourself.

Pick topics out of life to chat about.
Did a stranger walk-up to you, thought
you were someone else? Your furry friend,
pet, helped you in some way. Were you
published somewhere? You received a
surprise?

Make sure the newsletter is, stuffed, full
of theme material. Give tips, new buzz on
that industry, certain technology help,
or explain a niche.

Feature a contest(s) from others, and have
your own.

Tackle a debate. How many people hit snooze,
four times, before getting up? Most likely,
89% percent of the population.

Dress up or down the newsletter as you see
fit, include anything you like.

Writing a newsletter opens up a new world
to you. Have fun with it.

How To Write

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

A few months ago, I thought-up a worst word
list. Here's an example of what I mean.
The words can come from anywhere, everywhere.
Take a look.

The worst three, tasting, drinks happen when
the brewing process goes, horribly, wrong.
They are:
1. acid tasting black coffee
2. tea brewed too many times in the
same pot
3. white lightening liquor

I can take one or all the answers to write
about. It's possible to take words, thought-
up at randow, write fiction or non-fiction.
The process keeps writer's block at your
neighbor's house, and away from you.

My writing idea is to have a, young,
couple move into a house. They find
a coffee pot, that the wife cleans to use.

"Park, you're so thoughtful." Brent turned
over in bed. "The coffee smells good."

"I smell it too, but..."

"So, you like our new house?" Brent jumps
out of bed.

Before Park can say another word, her
husband goes downstairs to get a cup of
coffee.

Park hurries behind him.

The coffee pot hiccups, and then it leaps
at...

It's easy to get writing ideas from
rejected articles, poems, essays, fiction,
or words you heard.

Try your hand at writing from any word.
Most likely, you'll come-up with more
than one writing idea from a, word,
phrase. At the same time, writer's
block is kept at a distance.

Turn Life Into Writing Ideas

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

I believe life is exciting,
challenging, wonderful, demanding,
and stuffed full of writing ideas.

I wrote a piece on best friend
shopping, which didn't make the
cut.

Now, I can sit around complaining,
or find another place for the
article.

Let me share some of it with you.

This story idea is from living
life, and ideas do come to you
this way. You must act like a
sponge, find a fit, for rejected
ideas.

**Best Friend Shopping**

Your eyes roll skyward, knowing
a gift is needed for him/her.

"What do I get?" You twisted
a piece of hair.

You don't want to get a gift like
last time. You saw the disappointed
expression as it was unwrapped.
Even though, he/she tried to disguise
it.

Of course, you pondered, fussed, over
getting the right item. Times like
these test a friendship. Sure, you
can grab some bobble. Possibly, your
friend will feel the uncaring that
went into that.

Or, shop for what your friend likes
best. Search for the object that
most appeals to your friend. No
one knows that better than you.
It's best to start shopping early.

The sponge process started for a
story idea. A character was at
a Used Clothing Store, looking
for something unique.

"I've been to five other stores,
nothing caught my eye." Chell's
eyes rolled along the floor.
What is that?"

It appeared to be a clown.

"That would be a fun gift, life
size clown."

She bent down to inspect it,
noticed it was a dead body...

The plot unfolds in any
direction of my choice. Also,
other ideas can be spun from it.

I can travel down a fiction road,
roll-out essays, or jot down poems.

I suggest to take any writing idea,
and look at it for other avenues
to writing.

When your work is rejected, look
for other ways to show-case it.
A sponge drips everywhere, soaks
in everything. Be the sponge when
it comes to writing ideas.

How To Write About An Encounter

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

I had the opportunity, chance, to
meet an odd person. Perhaps, I
should say different.

"Why is she odd?" You read the
paragraph, again.

People talked about a serious
subject, on numerous occasions.
Cathy would burst out laughing.
Cara appeared, one day, with the
same mannerisms, likenesses, as
Cathy. Yet, they claimed not to
know one another.

This is how I'd take that reality,
and turn it into a work of fiction.

My idea is to have Cathy working
in a school. Cara is unemployed.

At school, one day, Cathy began
talking, acting, like Cara. The
people around Cathy wondered what
was wrong.

"Mornin', Cathy. " Mr Berg Spoke.

Cathy looked at him, seemed not to
recognize him.

Cathy wondered around the school,
missed her scheduled classes.
Suddenly, for no reason, she
attacked...

See how easy it is to take something,
someone, from reality to write about.

How would you continue the story?

Make sure to change actual
circumstances, names, dates,
addresses, and physical
characteristics.

"Why bother?" You looked around.

Aside from the fact, it can cause
hurt feelings. Using such
information without written
permission can end you up in a
court room.

All stories have a beginning,
middle, and end.

Start off with a question, narrative,
or startle. You want to grab,
hold, the reader's attention to the
end.

Your title should stop the reader,
and pull his/her eyes to your
work. The middle builds up, comes
down to a satisfactory conclusion.

Take note of the odd encounters in
your day. Pick out, at least,
one to write about. Spin reality
into fiction to always have a
writing idea.

Why Write A Second Novel

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

It had been my plan before my first
novel, Grave Street House, was
published, to serialize the main
character, Amanda Dukington.

I had no idea how successful,
unsuccessful, I'd be with my
novels. The urge to write,
create a story world, was something
I couldn't ignore. I tried, for a
second, to leave writing alone. Try
something else.

Is that how you feel as a writer,
sometimes. You'd rather not write,
but it itches. You have to scratch,
write.

My novel, Grave Street House, floated
to mind when I worked elsewhere. I
had those, I'm not sure I can do it
moments. At times, it seemed, I wasn't
being taken seriously as a writer. So,
I went back to dallying with my
manuscript.

I pulled out paragraphs, made a scene
more suspenseful, looked for a publisher,
etc.

It was published, and I didn't make
any money. I wasn't deterred from
writing the second novel.

It felt right to place the main
character, Amanda Dukington, in a
murderous setting.

"Why a murderous setting?" You asked.

She solved the mystery, murders,
that had a community terrified.

My second Novel

Every second Saturday, Amanda plays
cards in a neighborhood, when loud
noises are heard, people dive for the
floor.

The four card players laugh, catch-up
on the gossip, bring food, and
enjoy each other's company.

On this particular Saturday, they
bickered with one another. The
atmosphere filled with tension, and
they, actually, clawed at each other.

A visit from Mr. Bailor, Joann's father,
another card player, heightened the strain.

Joann leaves, to go home, for a few minutes.

The three remaining players hear what could
be a car's engine. Two of the card players
drop to the floor.

Amanda ventures to the front door, can't
understand why they're on the floor. She
ignores pleads to come back.

To her shock, dismay, she finds Joann shot
on the street.

How To Write Non-Fiction

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

Ideas arrive from living life, an
echo in your mind from something
you heard, a funny remark by one
co-worker, or a dream. Did
you pass a group of kids, and a
diamond ring was mentioned? At
the mall, you saw the face of
someone on a "Wanted" poster.
What will you do?

There are no shortage of ideas to
slice non-fiction from.

Settle on a topic.

"I'm not sure which idea to pick
for my non-fiction project." You
stared at your journal of ideas.

It can benefit you, in the long
run, to keep ideas, thoughts, in
a journal or file.

Pick an idea that excites you.
It should be of interest to others.

"How will I know if other people
will like the idea?" You asked.

There isn't a one-hundred percent,
sure, way of knowing.

You can research the non-fiction
idea. A second way, to get a feel
of how well it will be received, is
to ask friends, family. Take note
of their reactions.

The next step is to decide on what
your non-fiction article, book, will
say.

Write down each point you want to
include. Develop, write, a
particular thought. Under the
thought, expand on it.

Your article will start off with a
general discussion. It could tell
a story, ask questions, or shock
the reader. The aim is to engage
his/her attention to the end.

With a book length work, more
information is included.

Your presentation gets more
involved, detailed, as the
middle is written.

As the non-fiction idea moves
along, anticipate questions
about it. Supply answers.

Make sure to cover the areas
you promised, mentioned, in the
beginning.

Pick a title, if you haven't
already. It should state the
benefit(s) a reader will get.

Titles are three to five words
long. Squeeze into the title
everything the article is about.
If three to five words fail to
capture the meaning of your work,
make it longer. Ultimately, the
title is what works best with your
non-fiction project.

Non-fiction starts off with one of
the, many, ideas in, around, us.
Research a non-fiction idea that
wants to be told, exposed, when in
doubt about it. The idea must
excite your imagination. There
must be passion for it.

As with anything else, the more
you write non-fiction, the better
you'll become at it.

How I Went From Unknown To Novelist

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

I looked at my novel, Grave Street House,
worked on it for years. The paragraphs
I've plucked out, added, are too numerous
to count. The updated, re-peppered,
scenes have been limit-ness.

I found an agent, that relaxed me. He
returned my manuscript with a, scribbled,
note.

"Work on it." The sticky memo said.

I did. I telephoned him, more than once.
It became clear my manuscript wasn't on his
submit to a publisher list. My manuscript
and I departed.

I enrolled in a writing, mail-order, course.
The instructor had the option of recommending
a student's work for publication, with the
school. My manuscript failed.

A second attempt at the course delivered
the same results. Again, I was the only
believer in the manuscript.

I read books, tried to get a better
understanding of suspense, plot, dialogue,
and sentence structure. I didn't know why
my work wasn't acceptable.

I felt the novel had potential, and the
necessary talent was in me. I, simply, had
to keep writing, practicing. It didn't matter
how many times my manuscript was rejected. I
dared to believe in myself.

I started scanning Craigslist. It offered
opportunities for writers, too.

According to Susan Mactavish Best,
Best Public Relations, Craigslist gets
more than five billion views a month.

I examined the list for writing
opportunities. Perhaps, a new writing
project would inspire me to push my novel,
even harder.

On second thought, advertising my
critique, manuscript, services would
be a better idea.

Craigslist is kept current. There's
up to a forty-five day limit on ads.
The cost is free or nominal. I tried
it, but decided to work on my own
manuscript. My aim was to make
it publication ready.

What was my mystery novel missing?
Why wasn't anyone picking it up? It
boiled down to me. My writing
wasn't good enough? I was the
only person who could find out
the answers.

I knew it had a beginning, middle,
and ended satisfactorily. My scenes
were suspenseful, tried to show
more than tell. My plot unfolded
to plenty of conflict. I stated my
theme, through the characters.

"Let me take a look at this novel
you've been talking about." A family
friend said.

I preferred to have the novel in a
publisher's hands before anyone
viewed it.

"Not sure, but all right," I said.
"Well, I'll let you look at one chapter."

"I felt in the middle of the problem."
He looked at me. "I'm not sure it
should begin like that."

I wanted that effect, but he didn't
like it. I made a toddler size
step.

My reply was on the order of,
wait for the finished product.

I sat the manuscript aside for
several weeks. I worked on other
pieces. It gave me a much needed
break. My manuscript stayed in the
back of my mind. Will anyone see
its potential? Had I done all I could
to make it the best? I was a writer?

No matter the rejection slips, I
continued to believe in myself as a
writer. Although, the learning
process was, is, never-ending.

I, through writing, created games
to halt writer's block. It didn't
matter what I wrote. I received joy
from, the act of, writing.

Hmm. I was, is, a writer played
over in my mind. Was this the stuff
of writers? I didn't know.

I became tired of editing my
novel. So, I looked through
Craigslist for a new writing
idea, product.

I ventured into the editors section.
My eyes rolled across an online
publisher. I had concerns about
exposing my manuscript to another
rejection.

I collected myself. I realized,
rejection is one of the factors in
writing. It makes you better, try
harder, and don't take it personally.

I asked the publisher questions. They
were answered. I didn't have to pay
them, that was refreshing, different.

I liked working directly with the
publisher. I was given space, control
over my work.

I'm a novelist, still, unknown. I
reached a goal, small one. I'm working
on my second novel. Yes, me. One who
was shunned. The same person who
dared to believe in herself.

Write From The Known

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

"What is this about?" You asked.

The known is what you know, understand,
and/or is true. It can be a person,
place, or thing.

It is easier, sometimes, to write from
the known.

"Why?" You read the sentence, twice.

It's easier to write from the known,
because you're familiar with it, you
have the four-one-one on it, or have
a fixed image in your mind of it.

I was sitting in my bedroom, glanced
at the perfumes. A question stirred
in my mind.

How many people have designer
fragrances? I thought about it.
I guessed, many. It stands to reason,
people with designer fragrances use
less. They don't pour it on
themselves.

I stopped. I couldn't think of an
interesting story surrounding the
question.

However, fragrances stayed on my mind.

The second idea was one involving
the design of a fragrance. The
business was ran by two sisters.

The popular sister insisted her
name should adorn a bottle.

Now, the intelligent sister wanted
to make the business a success.

"First, let's find a new fragrance,
start working on it, and then
decide on a name," Giltress suggested.

"No, it should have my name, father
would of wanted it that way, too."
Pukela turned her back to Giltress.

"I think we should concern ourselves
with the promotion of it." Giltress
wanted her sister to agree, at least,
once.

"I'm the pretty one, and people will
agree with me." Pukela stormed out
of Giltress' office.

My fiction starts to take form. It
can roam into long or short fiction.

I can, easily, see murder creeping
into the plot.

What are your thoughts on it?

Writing from the known invites
a new twist to a project, opens your
imagination up to look at the same
object differently, and is fun.

How To Find Your Writing Niche

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

Niche is a rank, comfortable place, or
position that explores your talent. It
feels right, and you excel at it. You
perform it, very well. Also, you enjoy
it.

"How do I find my writing niche?" You
asked.

Most writers like to read. I did, do.
Try to create, write, the fiction or
non-fiction that you prefer to read.

Ask some questions. How would you write
it? What should be written better?
More suspense? You didn't like the plot?
It needed an attention grabbing title? It
could of used a different setting? You
thought a female should of played the
secondary role? A rabbit in the cast of
characters?

Answering questions will help pin-point
your writing niche. In the process, you'll
come up with other questions.

Try dabbling with how-to articles, greeting
cards, and essays. In search of your writing
niche, sample everything.

Study the area of writing you chose. You
picked greeting cards to write, for example,
then discover how they are written. Go to
your local store, or browse online, for
knowledge. Which cards tickle your urge to
write? Humorous greeting cards?

Purchase the cards that grabbed your attention.
Use them as a guide for writing your own.
Don't copy.

Prepare some to give to friends and family.
What kinds of reactions did you get?

Having your work evaluated, criticized,
can be helpful. It exposes weak areas,
where more effort should be applied.

Put advice, analyzing, about your work
in perspective. It isn't wise to view it
as a personal attack. Besides, you're
looking for a writing niche, and opinions
are just that.

If I'd listened to some, I would not have
written a novel, articles, poems, or dared
to own a blog.

My point is, most times, the voice to listen
to is yours. It's not the well meaning
or doubters, that determines your writing niche,
but you.

It takes time to find the niche with the exact
fit. You fiddle, try, until you find it.

Take time to reach, develop, your writing
niche. Aim for the stars.

What Is Good Writing

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

"Yeah, I'd like to know how to do that."
You tapped your fingers on the desk.

First, the head-line must grab, hold, the
reader's attention. Its job is to
fill-in the person on what to expect, from
articles, the story.

It's not uncommon to have an idea, write
about it, and then pick the head-line from
the finished project.

The head-line is three to five words. It
can be informative, ask a question, bring
an emotion, or make the reader laugh.

Good writing is clear, makes a point. The
writer's idea or what he/she is describing
must be sharp, defined.

"I'm not sure what the author meant." One
person said.

The above, seven, words mean the author didn't
do good writing. Writers will provoke anger,
fear, happiness, but it's in their career
description. Good writing invokes some
emotion.

Paragraphs flow smoothly, grammatically
correct. Good writing has a starting point,
works a path to the middle, and concludes
gracefully.

"I don't agree with what you wrote." A
person will say.

It's all right for people to disagree with
you, a particular article. You engaged
their attention, and that was the point.

As with life, everyone will not see your
point of view. It's part of living,
individuality.

Good writing sparks interest, opinions,
and disagreements. The head-line stirs
curiosity. The body spells-out points,
entertains, angers, brings happiness, or
disgust.

How To Write Everyday

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with
me? Leave me your opinion.

Write everyday, install more, on your
fiction or non-fiction projects.

"How?" You asked. "I have a life."

Peel away, at least, two hours everyday
to write. It doesn't matter what time
of the day or night. Give yourself
that time. Some days, you'll write for
longer periods of time.

"I have writer's block, what then?"
You pointed out.

Stress, environment noises, the thoughts
of how many other things you need to do,
kids, relatives, and, even, pets can
distract you. Any one of the above can
cause writer's block.

The only cure for writer's block is to
keep going. Write through the block.

Jot down whatever comes to mind. Or,
pick any word to write about. Scribble
down, for example, what a word means to
you. After a few sentences, writer's
block will ease away. It's all right
if it takes you longer, than a few
sentences, to halt writer's block.
Once it has dissipated to your
neighbor's space, put away your writer's
block, busting, word.

Start on the project you wanted to
before writer's block. Or, you might
prefer to continue with what you're
writing.

Write everyday to get better, create
new master-pieces, and to stop writer's
block.

Last Word Fiction

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

"What is last word fiction?" You asked.

Take the last word of a paragraph,
newsletter, business article, argument,
or poem to write a story.

Let's look at the paragraphs from my
novel, Grave Street House.

I ran for the bus, only, to find it
crammed to its rear. Drone after drone
entered the vehicle, each headed for a
work-station, or school. I breathed a
sigh of relief when the air conditioner
breezed over me.

One graying at the temples, beer bellied,
short, rude, drone whispered to me, "Stand
close to me, baby. I'll block ya fall."

The man looked old enough to be my
grandfather.

The last word, of course, is grandfather.
My idea follows, and it's not related to
the novel.

Grandfather Beany, each morning, goes to
the field, few minutes later, returns.
He has a, new, burst of energy.

He dragged to the field, but, practically,
ran back.

One day, Jeff, fourteen-years-old, decided
to spy on his grandfather. Jeff wanted to
know why the old man visited the field.

As far as the eye could see, it had weeds,
and over-grown grass. Jeff sat his alarm
clock for three a.m., because he wasn't
sure what time his grandfather left. He
heard his mother, father, and other adults
talk about it.

The alarm rang out.

"I just fell asleep." Jeff yawned.

He dozed.

He heard the screen door snap shut.

Jeff jumped, quickly paced toward
the front door. He rubbed his eyes.

The summer air tapped him on the face.
The dampness, in the air, woke him up.

He ran back inside to get a flash-light.

He stumbled, fumbled, to where his
grandfather was.

"Oh no, grandfather!" Jeff shouted.

"No." The old man pushed the boy down.

Later that morning...

See how my idea unfolded? There were
many roads to travel down with it.

How would you write about grandfather?
Would your story be a mystery? Fantasy?


If the last word wasn't one that inspired
you then use another one. Take the last
word from a different sentence to write
about.

Last word fiction, writing, is a method
to start your creative juices flowing.

"What if I've written something, but
writer's block stopped me from completing
it?" You looked at the title. "Can last
word fiction help me?"

I've never used last word fiction to
combat writer's block, but let's apply
it.

Read the last paragraph of what you've
written. Take the last word, and write
what comes to mind. Or, use the same theme.

"Same theme?" You questioned.

I mean use the theme of the piece that gave
you writer's block.

Throwing out, around, the theme can,
possibly, curtail writer's block.

Stirring in a new twist to old writing will
keep you from getting bored.

Sometimes, the editing process takes us over
the same project more times than we like.
It can get tedious. There is no better way
to challenge our creative passion than to
mix in a new factor.

It doesn't matter where the last word comes
from. It can provide the needed encouragement
for writing ideas.

Last word fiction is a fun, creative, way
to get writing ideas, provide that extra
nudge to get a project completed, and fight-
off tasks that has dulled from being edited.

"How Did You Write A Book?"

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

The question isn't hard to answer.

First, find an idea that excites you.
One that will be hold its own until
the end of the story.

Ask a few questions. Will this idea
allow me to write a book length work?
Is it interesting to me, others?

What is the plot? Plot is how you
solve a problem in the novel. Long
fiction requires more than one
problem.

What kind of characters will
populate the story? Male or
female? A mixture of both?

How do your characters look?
Quirks?

Make profiles for your characters.

Where will the story take place?
What time of year?

Start the problem on page one.
Show who your characters are,
and what or whom they are
struggling against.

Write a page or two a day.
Don't put unnecessary pressure
on yourself.

Some days you'll write more than
two pages. There will be a day
when nothing is written. That's
all right.

Sometimes, you come back more
refreshed when a break is taken.
Simply, keep writing.

Writing a novel is fun, rewarding,
and you can do it. Start today.

The Must Have Business/Personal Tool

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

The in-fashion, always, tool offers
new customers, writers, buyers, renters,
and would-be investors opportunities.
I, only, named a few categories on the
list.

"What is this about?" You asked.

I'm talking about the Craigslist
web site.

Craig Newmark, in 1995, used a list
server to post notices about events.
At the time, the San Francisco area
was the focus.

The snow-ball effect happened.
People placed personal ads, job
openings, and just about anything
you can think of with him.

Word-of-mouth took the site to new
heights. Its traffic ranks on the
level with Google and Yahoo.

Craigslist has anywhere from a
twenty-five to forty-five day
ad limit. There is a major up-
side to it.

"What is that?" You asked.

It's free, except in Los
Angeles, New York, and San
Francisco. The fee to place an
ad from those cities are nominal.

New customers before you post,
have in mind who your product
or service is directed at.

"How?" You stared at the article.

To get a feel for what people need,
go to forums. Throw out your idea,
or a version of the plan. How was
it received? People feel it's
needed? Are you moving in the right
direction with your product/service?

There are people on the list looking
to purchase, join a venture, even
invest. Craigslist is the place to
show your wares, gain new customers.
Perhaps, you'll come up with new
business ideas. Sometimes, another
person's ad copy can inspire
improvement on your own.

An appealing ad, in the right
section, equals more responses,
which is the goal.

"How's Craigslist accessed?"
Someone wanted to know.

Type Craigslist in any search
engine like Google, Yahoo, or
MSN.

It is a good idea to browse,
get comfortable with the site.
What grabbed your attention?
Base your ad on the factors
that caught your eyes.

No one wants to read boring
ads. The first words must
stand-out, immediately stop
readers from looking elsewhere.

People are always looking for
writers to write ad copy, web
site content, editors, just to
name a few. Take some time to
see what could interest you.

One day, I was scanning through
the writer wanted section.

I wrote a novel, Grave Street
House, which needed editing.
I'd get around to it, sooner or
later.

I had no idea my eyes would find
an online publisher. The editing
for my novel happened sooner. Yes,
it was published in September 2007.

It proves my point that Craigslist
is worth taking the time to learn
about.

The renters or buyers sections
offers sublets, shared space, and
other opportunities.

Take your time. Don't rush into
anything. Make sure people you are
dealing with have good intentions.

People will invest. It is a matter of
connecting with them, and that takes
research. See what's relevant to your
purposes.

How well one works with another plays
a role in how productive the parties are.
Projects are completed faster if both are
on the same page.

Craigslist is a vehicle to help your
business move, grow. Use it wisely.

How To Edit

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

The usual practice, for writers, is to go
over their work. Yes, the editing process.
It takes time, and should be done several
days after completion.

"Why several days?" You asked.

The longer the project, the more time
you need away. It allows you to come-
back refreshed, and better able to spot
errors.

Start your next article, essay, novel,
or non-fiction book. Call the people
you wanted to, but couldn't squeeze out
the time for.

Read out-loud, each sentence, slowly.
Did you use action verbs? Action verbs
show someone stalking, arguing, doing.
It depicts a problem exploding, or about
to.

Read over the two examples.

Paul bashed the door in.
Paul did more than open the door.

Sally chased down the thief.
Sally didn't just run after the thief.

Action verbs leave no question as to
what happened.


Words that end with ing should
be a last choice. They present less
than a sharp picture of what happened.

Your job, as writer, is to bring vivid
images to mind using, your tools, words.
Some emotion should come over me after
reading your work.

Writers are required to tickle the senses.
The sensation may not be pleasing. The
idea is to invoke some response, which will
keep the reader page-turning to the end.

Make sure all boring sentences are removed.
Take a look.

The boy saw a dog, and he jumped on the car.
The pit-bull showed his teeth before running
after him.

The second version.

The boy's eyes became as large as half-dollar
pieces after seeing the pit-bull. The dog's
lips parted in anticipation of the hunt.

The example is simplified, but makes the
point.

Is your title funny, thought provoking,
mysterious? The title's job is to
catch the reader's eyes. It sparks the
desire to learn, read on, or to find out
what it's about.

Check for run-on sentences, like the
following.

"I called Bill for the remaining balance
but he wasn't there couldn't recognize
the voice of the person who answered
the telephone."

The re-write.

"I called Bill for the remaining
balance. He wasn't there, and I
couldn't recognize the voice who
answered the telephone."

Here is a common mistake, at least,
for me.

"I ccalled him too."

I've, often, double typed a letter,
and didn't see the error until editing.
Again, I distanced myself from it, came
back.

Write like you talk. Try to look at
your work with an editor's eye.

Are you using the same word over and
over? Before stuffing a word in too many
times, consult the thesaurus.

I looked up the word, provoke, for example.
The thesaurus list the following words
that can be used in place of provoke. The
words are: anger, annoy, gall, insult,
inflame, and bug.

He provoked Sam. Sam tried to punch him
because he was provoked. I had never seen
him so provoked. He provoked Sam with a
broom.

I'll re-write it.

"Thief!" John yelled at Sam. "Thief!"

"I ain't steal nothin'!"

"Everybody know it was ya."

Sam leaped across the floor to punch John.
Sam was so annoyed his face turned red.
I've never seen Sam so inflamed.

John grabbed a broom, which added more
insult.

John broke free, scurried away.

Editing your work is the final step
of writing. It is where every sentence
must earn its space. Strong writing
that brings vivid images to mind, life,
is the goal.

It is not uncommon for a project to
take more than one editing.

The title as well as the body should
grab the eyes, be inviting, invoke an
emotion, and hold the reader's
attention to the end.

How To Turn Phrases Into Fiction

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

"Phrases into fiction?" You laughed.

Yes, take any group of words you can
think of, sse, and write a story
about them.

My eyes ran to the bottle of hand
sanitizer sitting next to me.

The cat tipped in, came to mind,
and roaring engines.

Decide on what your tale will say.
Thriller? Comedy? Long fiction
or short? Decide on a problem to
be solved.

I'm going to work with my first
idea.

It will grow into a mystery,
short fiction.

"Why is my bottle of hand
sanitizer always turned down
on my desk?" Mary asked
out-loud.

She locks the door to her
office, every night. She
places the key under the
mat, outside the door.

There are, only, six other
people in the house.

Later that night, Mary tossed,
turned in bed, and couldn't
get relaxed.

She took a deep breath, grabbed
her robe, and paced to her office.

She was startled by the door
being open. She slowly pulled
on the door.

Mary screamed at...

It is just an idea start.
There are many paths to
explore.

"What can you do with the
phrase about the cat?"
You asked.

Take a look.

Mary snuggled up to her
computer, excited with
tales to tell. She glanced
out the window, saw snow-
flakes dancing here, there.

The house was, unusually,
quiet. No one stirred,
not even the cat. She
turned back to the computer.

The door moaned, opened.
Mary jumped, knew no one
else was in the house.

The cat ran in. He curled
up on Mary's slippers.

An idea dawned on her. The
cat who appeared and disappeared
at will.

"I looked for you all mornin',
Tom." She rubbed his head.
"I sat out food and water too."

Which direction would you continue
down with the above idea?

Now, my last idea.

"I'm glad you encouraged me to
take a drive." I said. "What
a stress reducer."

"Don't know where we are, just
drove." Brad continued to
drive.

A feeling of fear came over me.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"The sign we passed said Deadwood,
but I've never heard of it." He
pulled to the side.

I snatched the map from the
floor.

"It's not on here."

A glow surrounded us...

Pick any phrase to work with.
The technique works for poetry,
essays, and some non-fiction.

How To Write What You Know

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

You looked at the title, eyes rolled around
the room. "What?"

Settle on a topic that really cranks up
your creative side. It should have mass
appeal.

"Yeah, I've been there, not goin' back."
A few confirmed.

"This puts a new light on writing for
me." Someone mentioned.

How do you write what you know? Listen
to what friends, relatives, are saying.
Tap on information learned at forums.

The ideas can shape-up into fiction or
non-fiction. It depends on what you
decide to create.

First, you have to enjoy writing it.

Now, I'll discuss the fiction idea.

Start the action on page one. Two
characters, for example, share a
misconception. Each feel their way
is right. Conflict invites itself
with thinking like that. How the
situation is solved forms plot.

Story people hold the reader's
attention, to the end.

Throw in obstacles, confusion, on
practically every page. The main
character faces a hindrance, which
keeps him/her from agreeing, seeing,
the opposing point of view.

Give the impression that circumstances
are going to explode. Build it up.
Allow the tension to escalate, and
then the main character almost succeeds.
He/she falls prey to unforeseen event(s).
Happiness is snatched away.

As with any failure, a lesson is learned.
So, too, the character grows from not
reaching his/her goal. Also, the reader's
interest heightens.

The following example is off the top
of my head.

Weird Bill's neighbor found fault with
everything he did, and tried to start
trouble for him. She thought it horrible
how he yelled at his mother.

One day, the shouting stopped. His mother
disappeared. Weird Bill claimed his
mother was on, a much needed, vacation.

The neighbor gave her opinion.

"I didn't sleep well, up off and on,
during the night." She shifted her
weight on the porch chair. "I'm lookin'
out the winda all the time, neva saw
Gail leave." Mrs. Stout explained to
Mrs. Garry.

"Neva trusted him," Mrs Garry said.

"His girl-friend been there eva since
Gail been gone." Mrs. Stout pointed
next door.

Weird Bill headed up his porch steps.

"Old biddies need to mind their business."
He stabbed his eyes at them.

"Ain't nobody scared." Mrs. Stout made
clear.

"An accident can happen to nosy, old,
buddies."

The two ladies scurried inside of Mrs.
Stout's house.

Screaming was heard from Weird Bill's
house, late that night.

Neighbors concluded, it was his girl-
friend, and ignored the cries for help.

Still, they were concerned about his
mother. Or, if, in fact, she was among
the living.

Mrs. Stout lightly knocked on Weird Bill's
front door.

The door slowly opened. Weird Bill's
girl-friend stood behind it. Her eyes
were black.

"Oh, child," Mrs. Stout said. "Ya should
see a doctor."

"I'll be all 'ight. Whatcha want?"

"Just wanted to see if Martha was back."

"Nope. I gotta clean."

Mrs. Stout left.

A couple days passed.

Mrs. Stout saw Gail at the market.

"Where did Martha go?" Mrs. Stout asked.

"Don't know." She hurried away.

Mrs. Stout baked a cake, took it to
Weird Bill's house. She knew he would
be at work.

Gail opened the door.

"Feel like eating, my special recipe,
cake with me?" Mrs. Stout asked.
"You're eyes look better."

"I hate him."

"Why do you stay here?" Mrs. Stout
sat on the couch with the cake.

"He tricked me, Miss Martha, and everybody."
Gail stood at the door.

"What do you mean?"

"Bill told me he ran his own
business. His mother isn't on vacation,
but in the basement."

"Let's get her help."

"Too late.

"I'll call the police from my house."
Mrs. Stout opened the door.

Weird Bill rushed in.

"Whatcha doin' here?"

"Wanted to share my cake
with Gail." Mrs. Stout coughed.

"Yeah, right." Weird Bill grabbed
for Mrs. Stout's neck.

The cake rolled one way, and they
toppled to the floor.

"Stop it." Gail tried to pull him
away from Mrs. Stout. "Not again!"

"Shut up." Weird Bill jumped-off
Mrs. Stout to smack Gail.

Mrs. Stout eased over to the cake,
grabbed a chunk, and smashed it in
Weird Bill's face.

It further angered him. He reached
for her throat, again.

Gail pushed him. His head rammed
through the window, and he landed
on the porch.

Mrs. Stout crawled over to the
telephone, dialed nine-one-one.

It simply, takes imagination to
curve fiction out of what you
know.

How To Accept Rejection

Rejection is a part of life. When someone
can't, will not, accept something from you,
the best action is to move on, try another
person.

The same applies to writing. Make sure
the person, publication, is a match for
your work. Check for grammatical errors,
run-on sentences, and weak verbs.

Take the concept, article, and flip-it.

"What do you mean?" You asked.

Take a look at one of my rejected
articles.

L. Frank Baum played Tin Man, in
The Wizard Of Oz. It was a popular,
feature film, during 1939.

It was a funny, upbeat, fantasy.
The movie offered funny moments,
tearful ones too.

I, even, recall the re-runs of it,
as a teen.

Here's the twist.

According to a Los Angeles, reporter,
a mini-series is being made. It isn't
your mother/grandmother must see show.

The re-make stirs in acid tripping addicts,
crazed-acting people, possibly multi-
personalities, and sex. I'm not talking
about an appearance of a kiss, but a sexy
sorceress.

Could the series be a "thing" for a new
generation(s). Perhaps, just my opinion,
Gothic images danced in someone's head
when the idea was in its conception.

It takes place in, not exactly OZ,
but, O. Z., like Outer Zone.

Whatever happened to the good and bad
witches?

A mean spirited, sorceress, Azkadellia
is in the house. Kathleen Robertson
plays her.

Well, she, character, is nuts, looks for
revenge. She shows plenty of chest, if
you know what I mean. Oh, let me not
forget, the chest tattoos, which will
be exposed.

The mini-series sprinkles in other
neon characters to this version.

It is a matter of taste, or profit.
Specifically, is art imitating life?

Now, what can I do with that?
I can write an essay on L. Frank Baum,
write my own version of the Wizard Of
Oz, or come up with a new idea.
There is no limit to how it can be
written.

What do you think?

How To Re-Cycle Writing

"I didn't know you could do that."
Someone said.

We write fiction, non-fiction, and, even,
apply for writing related jobs. The
editing process will force us to pull-out
paragraphs, sentences, and, sometimes,
whole pages.

The words, for one reason or another,
fall short of blending in with a
current work. However, the same
verb(s), cluster of words, will
inspire, bring to life, another
project. There is no need to
throw away anything. Save them
for a different day, or stir them
into a new article, story.

Let's look at one of my rejections.
No, it didn't make the cut.

Parenting is one of the most rewarding,
loving, relationships. In my opinion,
it is wise to be consistent. Yes,
routines can be changed for a very
good reason.

Babies, mothers too, tend to be less
cranky, fussy, if they nap. Babies
should sleep each day, at the same time.
Most things, in life, are easier when you
do it on a regular basis, and napping is no
different.

"What if the baby refuses to nap?" You asked.

Playing with the baby will help settle him/her.
A game of peek-a-boo grabs the baby's attention.
Opening and closing the arms, gently, stops
the tears. Move the baby's legs in a bicycling
motion to calm.

Personally, I found just talking to babies
quiets them. I mean regular words, in a low
tone. A favorite toy can never hurt. Music
can ease restlessness.

"What do I do when the baby wakes up fussy?"
Someone asked.

Like us, baby has bad moments.

Pick the baby up. Ask what's wrong. Start a
conversation if he/she has been fed and changed.
Try rocking. You relax too.

It has been my experience some babies are
fussier than others, under the same conditions.
So, do not get upset.

Babies sense when you are stressed...

Several fiction ideas dawned with the
above article. The first was, Baby
Strikes Back.

The story centers around a two-year-old.
Odd occurrences happen in the house when
she cries.

"What's wrong, Susie?" Mrs. Blake
asked her two-year-old toddler.

A plate jumped-out of the sink onto
the floor.

The baby quieted. Mrs. Blake cleaned
up the plate.

Around nap-time, for no reason, the
baby became fussy. She cried. Her
mother rocked her, sang, but nothing
soothed her.

She carried her out of the kitchen.
Mrs. Blake reached the entrance when
a chair slid across the floor.

Mrs. Blake hurried upstairs to call
her husband.

The story idea can twist and turn
down any path. The only limitation
is my imagination.

Here is a second idea that popped
into my mind. A child's eye color
changes when he plays peek-a-boo.
They fade back to the original
color within seconds.

"Peek-aboo, I see you." Mrs.
Blake said to the twin, Todd.

She covered his eyes, said it
again, and took the child's
hands away.

She screamed, because his eyes
were a different shade.

Was it the lighting in the room?
Perhaps, only Mrs. Blake could
see the color change? Or, is
there another explanation? Is
there something strange about
the house they live in?

In closing, find a place to
store all unused words. Refer
to them for a catchy title,
story idea, or article start.
It is possible to create poems
from some of your discarded work.

How To Sell Your Writing

"How do I do that?" You stared at the title.

Writing is a form of communication. This media
is used to expose a product or service through
advertising. It could be a sales letter, an ad,
etc. The goal is to reach as many people as
possible about your wares. The means to that end
is writing about your products and services.

Post the information about products and services
on e-zines, forums, and blogs. It can be useful
to allow others to use your articles, providing
you are given credit. This is how you profit
from your articles, and get maximum coverage.

"I'm not a writer." You complained.

Let's look at that point.

There is no need to get technical when
explaining about your offers. State
the benefits, features, as if you were
talking to a thirteen-year-old. Be
clear. Use short and long sentences.
Don't rattle on. Make your point, and
stop.

The head-line should be three to five
words. It's function is to catch the
reader's eye, because of the benefit
in it. The information you're
presenting must be interesting, and
spark a desire, need, in people.
It is important your product or service
reach the right person. The key to
success is target marketing.

"How is that done?"

It is best to do some research.

If your budget allows, send direct
sales letters to those whose jobs
can't exist without the use of your
product or service.

Forums is an excellent medium for
feed-back on products and services.
You get an idea of how your offer(s)
will be received. Advice on rough
spots that escaped your attention is
there. If it is more comfortable for
you, discuss a version of your business
plan. Some may not feel like sharing
their venture until it's actually
ready for the world. There is a big
advantage in forum-sharing.

"What is it?" You questioned.

When you introduce your product
or service into forums, it is
free advertising. Advertising,
alone, can cost hundreds, even
thousands, of dollars.

Here are some questions to think
about.

Why should I purchase from you?
How would it benefit me? Is
your product or service less in
price than a similar product?
Can I get a deal on it?

Head-lines that grab the attention:
Get It Half-Price, Below Price, But
Hurry, See Results In Five Days,
Lose-It Or Money Back, and Free
Trial.

Think of some yourself.

I chose the following
head-line for my five-lesson
fiction writing course.
Learn Fiction Writing--Five
Lessons

The benefit to the reader is in
it. An individual can learn how
to write fiction, in just five
lessons. It's the job of the three
to five word head-line to stop the
reader's eyes from roaming, and
mention how he/she will benefit
from the product/service.


We are busy, some have stressful
lives. Sell your writing with
words that hold the reader's
attention.

"How?"

Simply, spice the article with easy-
to-understand words. No one wants
to hunt down the dictionary to
look-up a word.

The body makes the point. Be clear.
Expose all benefits and features.

Write like you talk. Never get
technical. The flow of language
should be on the level of an
eighth grader.

A dead-line is necessary.
It pushes the person to act,
especially if he/she is
already interested. A
guarantee adds a flavor
of credibility.

More importantly, be fair
with customers, and you
will get re-peat business.

Follow the above steps,
and selling your writing
will be profitabl