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Creative Writing Tips - Does The Name You Chose Suit Your Character?
How do you choose a name? Do you put down the first name that pops into your mind? Initially that’s what I used to do, until someone pointed out to me that there are a few things to take into consideration when choosing a name…
1. You Have To...
How to Improve Your Writing Without Writing a Word
Many an ad, business letter and TV commercial comes into being slowly, even painfully. Maybe because some of us write as if we were still using an IBM Selectric, wite-out and a badly worn Webster's. For that matter, maybe some still are. And that's...
Online Writing and Beyond: Writers Will Lead the Content Revolution
Introduction It is often thrown around loosely on the web that "Content is king." If content is king, then what is a content writer? Unfortunately, we are not yet royalty. We're never paid as well or considered as skilled as a web designer or...
Platform Development Tip #1: Switch Writing Hats!
Platform-Building Tip #1: Switch Writing Hats! Around eighty percent of nonfiction books today are written by “experts,” that is people who have a) earned credentials in the field they’re writing about, b) germinated information via articles, live...
The online writing business requires constant and regular writing
Many writers do not understand that the online writing business is very different from the offline writing world. The economics are totally different and no amount of lobbying and noise will change that. Sadly, because of this reason, many good...
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Writing it Right!
The most important sentence in any article is the first. If it doesn't induce the reader to proceed to the second then your article just died.
Still with me? Good, let's look at powerful writing concepts:
Simplicity Lack of clutter Brevity Style.
These will ensure your articles live long enough for you to retire, collecting the pension they've earned.
Maximum Simplicity: ------------------ The secret of good writing is stripping every sentence to its cleanest components. Each word serving no function, drop it. Every long word that could be shorter, make it so. Frequently the higher the writer's education or rank the worse their addiction to unnecessary words. This affliction is not recent.
In 1942 a Presidential senior staffer wrote concerning the blackout required by war-time conditions:
Such preparations shall be made as will completely obscure all Federal buildings and non-Federal buildings occupied by the Federal government during an air raid for any period of time from visibility by reason of internal or external illumination.
Roosevelt suggested:
Tell them that in buildings where they keep working to put something across the windows.
Minimum Clutter: --------------- Fighting clutter is like fighting weeds - the writer is always slightly behind. New varieties sprout overnight and by noon they're part of everyday speech. Nixon's aide John Dean said on television during Watergate, "at this point in time". By next morning this had replaced the word "now" in the American language. By sunset it had spread across the English speaking globe faster than a Love-Bug virus!
Word meanings get twisted creating more clutter. It seems that today people always "address" things instead of actually dealing with them. "Experiencing" is another splendid example. Your dentist may ask if you're experiencing pain. What he'd say to a five year old is: Does it hurt? Any doubts which is most effective?
Brevity: ------- Mark Twain: Had I more time, I should have written less. Enough said!
Specific Style: -------------- Few of us realise how badly we write. First it's essential to strip sentences to bare bones, ensuring removal of all surplus baggage. Only then can we consider style - that with which we to seek to charm our readers.
Style is where we focus our words on distinct audiences. Here the sonnet and the recipe part company. Though going their separate ways, they must still share the same powerful common ingredients.
Get excited: ----------- If there's no enthusiasm in the writer there'll be none in the reader! Allow your writing to get emotional - let your readers know you're keen. They may disagree strongly with your views but at least they'll read them. Boredom -
and your writing has just committed suicide!
Adverbs: ------- Most adverbs are clutter - effortlessly easy - myself personally - don't say that the radio blared loudly - blared means loud, how else can anything blare? Virtually unique is like saying somebody is virtually pregnant. Either they are or they're not! Virtually shouldn't get a look in!
Noun Breeding: ------------- Why is it nobody goes broke these days, they have money problem areas. It no longer rains, we have precipitation activity or thunderstorm probability. Get real - say what you mean - simply.
Credibility: ----------- Credibility is as fragile for a writer as for a politician. Don't inflate anything. Get caught in a single bogus statement and everything else you write will be suspect. Don't do it.
Contractions: ------------ Your style will be warmer and truer to your personality using contractions such as "I'll" and "can't". Check if your style is stilted by reading it out loud - to your spouse or to your dog. Which doesn't matter. You'll soon pick up the style in your voice - does it work for you? Does it flow, does it sound right? If not, do it again.
Paragraphs: ---------- Keep them short. Writing is visual. It catches the eye before it has a chance to catch the brain. Short paragraphs put white space around your writing and make it look inviting. Long chunks of type can discourage readers from even starting.
Rewriting: --------- You're going to hate this one! Rewriting is the essence of writing well. It's where the game is won or lost. We all have emotional equity in our first draft; we can't believe it wasn't born perfect. The odds are it wasn't. Read it again tomorrow. Consider Mark Twain's comment about brevity. Use what time you have to distil your words to the potency of good whisky.
Go with YOUR flow: ------------------ There's no subject you don't have permission to write about. I've read articles on fishing, flying, football, pistons and perfumes. Plus dozens of subjects in which I thought I had no interest. People often avoid subjects that are close to their hearts, assuming readers will think them "stupid".
No area of life is stupid to someone who takes it seriously.
Follow your fancies and you'll write well. Apply these powerful principles - and you'll do it even better! You'll engage, enlighten and entertain your readers. This is all they will ever ask of you.
About the Author
PETER DE PRADINES is OEO (Only Exec Officer :) of the HiperNet Group: http://GoCritique.com On-line peer-to-peer free site critiques. http://Protiques.com Professional critique assessment services. http://Teekers.com Discussion forum for the critique community. http://4SiteJournal.com Weekly newsletter on web design & tips.
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Guide to Academic Writing Article - Management - University of ... |
University of Canterbury-- Te Whare Wananga o Waitaha. UC Home | Courses | Departments | Library | Teaching | Research | Students | Contacts | Search ... |
www.mang.canterbury.ac.nz |
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Writing the Empirical Journal Article |
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML |
Your browser may not have a PDF reader available. Google recommends visiting our text version of this document. |
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Writing article about audio systems and need enthusiasts to ... |
Yahoo! Autos Custom Forums - Writing article about audio systems and need enthusiasts to interview - I'm looking for enthusiasts willing to be interv. |
forums.custom.autos.yahoo.com |
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Writing article about audio systems and need enthusiasts to ... |
Yahoo! Autos Custom Forums - Writing article about audio systems and need enthusiasts to interview - hey buddy i got a premmie system in my car i have a. |
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Writing Article About G2 - Seeking Input | Gallery |
Writing Article About G2 - Seeking Input. steveohm. Joined: 2005-10-28 Posts: 2. Posted: Mon, 2006-01-16 08:16. Hey there,. I'm writing a how-to article for ... |
gallery.menalto.com |
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(5.30) Not a directory writing article file -- throttling |
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www.faqs.org |
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(7.25) Server throttled No space left on device writing article file |
(7.25) Server throttled No space left on device writing article file. If df still shows you plenty of space then look if you have enough inodes free. ... |
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10 Ideas for Writing Article/Blog Online - lifehack.org |
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Writing article reviews |
Writing article reviews. What is an article review? Reading and noting; Writing the first draft; Revising and redrafting; Using feedback ... |
www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au |
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"The 'Mane' Event" (Shotgun Writing - Article #3) by Barbra L ... |
try your own tag:. "The 'Mane' Event" (Shotgun Writing - Article #3) ... Shotgun Writing (Article #3) (11.22-28.06). Palominos. . . golden-colored horses ... |
www.gather.com |
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Muslim Man Kicked Out Of Mosque For Writing Article Criticizing Al ... |
Muslim Man Kicked Out Of Mosque For Writing Article Criticizing Al Qaeda ... Muslim Man Kicked Out Of Mosque For Writing Article Criticizing Al Qaeda ... |
tailrank.com |
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Muslim Man Kicked Out Of Mosque For Writing Article Criticizing Al ... |
Hat tip to Atlas Shrugs . Yes, you read that correctly. He criticized Al Qaeda, so he got kicked out of his Mosque. And, this is no small Mosque. |
tailrank.com |
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Articles About Freelance Writing Index |
Freelance Writing Article Index. Getting Started · How To, Tips & Samples · Getting the Writing Done · Rewriting & Editing · Your Writing as a Business ... |
www.aboutfreelancewriting.com |
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Todays-Woman - Short Story Writing: Article 1 - Introduction |
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www.todays-woman.net |
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SEL: Presentation + Writing Article for SMS |
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www.searchenginelowdown.com |
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Writing article introductions HOWTO (English) - ArchWiki |
Writing article overviews HOWTO (English). Writing article introductions HOWTO (English). Effective use of headers HOWTO (English). Related articles ... |
wiki.archlinux.org |
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Writing article overviews HOWTO (English) - ArchWiki |
Writing article overviews HOWTO (English). From ArchWiki. This article discusses article overview writing techniques. Article overviews are short textual ... |
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Seeking a guide to the quality of web writing : Article : Nature |
Nature is the international weekly journal of science: a magazine style journal that publishes full-length research papers in all disciplines of science, ... |
www.nature.com |
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Resume Writing Article - Resume Falsification |
Resume Writing Article - Resume falsification: Would you lie on your resume? |
www.resume-resource.com |
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Resume Writing Article - Now What? How to Ensure Your Resume ... |
Resume writing article: How to ensure you resume produces top results. |
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