Category: Writing

May 05 2010

How To Make Money Writing Fiction

Working from home is something that a lot of people strive for. You will also find that it is not really all that hard. You can find plenty of ways to work from home. You can use the internet for most of them. They include doing online marketing, website design, and you can even make money writing fiction. Here is how:

When you start writing there are a few things that you should keep in mind. You can easily do an online writing course or read a lot about how to write fiction so that you get good at it. Writing fiction is not really hard, but it requires imagination, and the basic knowledge of grammar, spelling and technique. Many top writers do have a degree.

When you write fiction you must remember that it is something that cannot be learned. You have to have a natural talent for fiction stories. Many writers do not study writing for fiction purposes. They might just do a course to get the basic layout techniques and sentence structure.

This is where many writers do not get accepted by publishers. The layout and formatting of the document must be correct. You should do a lot of research as far as this is concerned to make sure that you do it properly and that your work is accepted the first time.

Once you got that down, or once you have completed a short course in creative writing you will need to decide on which area you want to go into for your novel. Do you want to write for kids, teenagers or adults? This will be your first choice.

You will then have to decide if you want to be in TV, film, books or theatre. Do you want to do short stories or full novels? Remember that you do not need to just choose one; there are many successful writers who have a good all round knowledge of all type of writing.

Get more help to write your novel and discover the secrets to write your next novel in a month or less.

Jun 17 2009

How to Maximize Your Copywriting Skills

by Louis R Burns

I was recently reading a book titled, “Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else.” In it, I learned a few lessons for copywriters.

The point of it was that it’s not innate talent or experience that determine greatness. Most people would say it’s hard work that makes people good at things but that’s not it either.

What is it that makes the difference? The author calls “deliberate practice.” It’s not just practice. A good example of it is how most adult city league soccer teams that I’ve observed practice.

Most soccer teams don’t have a coach. If they actually practice as a team they simply divide up into 2 groups, set up two small goals and then play until people get tired. Do we get better doing that? Not really. Is it fun? Usually so. That’s why we keep doing it.

A friend and I were able to convince the team we played with at the time that we needed to do some skill specific drills. We practiced playing “keep away” where the goal is for your team to maintain possession of the ball. Sometimes we put goals in the middle of the area to dribble through for points. Other times, we put a limit on the number of times we could touch the ball before passing. And we occasionally played offense against defense playing in our game formations.

All these drills challenged us in game specific ways. And while I played with that team, we moved up 4 divisions. I’ve seen other teams do that as well. It’s really not hard to be better than everyone else. It simply takes deliberate practice.

What about copywriters? You’ve probably been told you ought to copy other good letters so you get the language into your mind. Three models for practicing were suggested: the music model, the chess model and the sports model.

Music Model

When you perform music, you know exactly what it’s supposed to sound like and you rehearse it. If you get hung up at a part, you step back and rehearse that part until it’s perfect. In copywriting, that’s what we’re doing when we copy other good letters. But we have two other ways to improve as well.

Chess Model

This is the “what would you do in this situation” model. This is also how Harvard Business School teaches… through case studies. You look at specific scenarios and try to figure out what you would do. Then you compare that to what happened in real life.

For a copywriter, we can re-write letters. How would you have handled a particular selling approach differently? You can pick a product, write a letter for it and then see how it compares to the real one. You can critique letters if you don’t want to actually write an entirely new one.

If you’d like a quicker exercise, break it down to smaller elements. How would you rewrite just a headline or some bullets? There are plenty of smaller opportunities if you want to test yourself against PPC ads or catalog copy. Pick out something you own, write about it then compare that to how they describe it online somewhere.

Sports Model

Sports teams practice specific skills. In copywriting, you can build a swipe file and analyze each letter. You can take courses to improve. You can read books on marketing or writing style. You can cross train in other fields like sales, story telling, NLP and hypnosis, logic and debate. Get a mentor or a coach to help.

If you’ve only been reading books and copying good letters get excited. If you apply what you’ve learned in this article, you’ll guarantee yourself a place among the best.

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May 03 2009

A Proper Diagnosis of Dyslexia

by Bart Icles

Before we get down to the business of determining the dyslexia diagnosis, it is important to know the nature of the condition first. Dyslexia is actually a learning disability wherein the afflicted patient would have difficulty when it comes to spelling, writing, and reading. A popular misconception here is that dyslexia is a mental illness, but this is not the case at all. There are actually a lot of dyslexics that are quite intelligent and have forged extremely successful careers. Albert Einstein is one of the smartest dyslexics the world has ever known. In tinsel town, another famous dyslexic is actually Tom Cruise.

Years ago, coming up with an appropriate dyslexia diagnosis was not really possible. This is because people back then were not really aware about this disability. In fact, it was only just recently that more information about the condition has been obtained. This is quite an unfortunate fact because a lot of dyslexics back then had to suffer unnecessarily. A lot of dyslexics back then had to suffer years and years of embarrassment and humiliation, and this took quite a toll on their confidence and esteem. Fortunately, it is never too late for the condition to be diagnosed by the means of screening and diagnostic testing.

The first ever dyslexia diagnosis was given out within just the last ten years. This was the time when the condition was even given a name. Screenings and tests are now used to diagnose the condition. What actually happens here is that the patients are assisted in identifying the symptoms that they are suffering, the severity of the symptoms, and ultimately, the treatment that they need. Dyslexics no longer have to suffer the symptoms on their own because the proper diagnosis is at hand, and readily available treatment is here as well.

If you suspect that you have a family member who just might be suffering from the condition, then do not wait too long to obtain the appropriate dyslexia diagnosis. As soon as you notice symptoms of the condition, such as difficulties in spelling, writing, reading, counting numbers, sequencing items, transferring information, getting and following instructions, as well as confusion in terms of direction when it comes to letters that can be reversed. Examples of these letters would be b and d. The manifestation of any of these symptoms should warrant an evaluation be done right away.

Proper treatment of the condition is indeed possible ” good news to all dyslexics all over the world.

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Apr 16 2009

3 Gucci handbags New Fall Arrivals for 2009

by guccifl

Update your classic Gucci handbag collection with this Gucci Sukey Large Tote in new navy metallic trim. If any of you loves branding, then this bag will definitely make of a great addition. But to think how the US and other parts of the world are being affected by the downfall of the economy, would you still buy such that is obviously expensive?

Well actually it is not that expensive, but rather reasonable enough at $850, since you know that this could not only make of a good purse these days because it is an enduring style that could get you going stylishly for years. Practically thinking, this Gucci bag will perhaps not affect much because probably, one reason why youll buy this is to have something that will indeed endure, saving money from buying purses each season.

Gucci Sukey Medium Tote Beige/ebony GG fabric with metallic blue leather trim. Light gold hardware. Double top handles. Tab snap closure. Pleat detail. Detachable interlocking G charms. Stud detail. Inside zip pocket. 2 1/6″H x 4 1/2″W x 15″D.

Gucci D Gold Large Hobo Dark gold/ebony crystal GG lame fabric. Dark gold leather trim. Light gold hardware. Single nonadjustable strap. Zip top closure. D ring detail. Gucci script logo detail. Inside zip and cell phone pockets. 10 1/6″H x 6 1/4″W x 15″D.

Gucci D Gold Medium Tote Dark gold/ebony crystal GG lame fabric. Dark gold leather trim. Light gold hardware. Double handles. Tab snap closure. D ring detail. Gucci script logo detail. Inside zip and cell phone pockets. 11″H x 7″W x 17″D.

Youll surely have no problems in matching this Gucci Sukey Large Tote with any ensemble since it looks very versatile to look great on just about any outfit.

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Mar 23 2009

How to Choose Content Writers For Writing Your Website Content?

by Debra Brian Hunt

A website acts as the front man for your firm as this is what most of your prospective clients will see initially, before they even talk to a worker. Hence, it is very vital that your website substance be informative, as well as be interesting for the prospective customer so that they contact your employees.

To do this, you must hire a great content writer who can make sure your website is well written and is attractive to customers. However, it is very difficult to find good content writers, as there are hundreds of people out there offering the service, but only a handful who are very good at it.

When choosing your content writer, make certain you pick a writer who is previously a good one. If he or she already knows this skill, they will be capable of taking our project immediately and work on the way the message is communicated, rather than waste time on fixing language rules and terms.

Select an experienced writer. Your writer does not essentially have to have a college degree, but they should be able to offer good samples of work they have done previously. By choosing someone who has practice in the industry, you are going to be able to stay away from pitfalls like having to give details how the substance should be written or how to draw customers, and instead be able to merely send over the task and get worthwhile content in return. Hiring somebody experienced will not only save you time, but irritation as well as you won’t have to instruct them how to do the work.

Make sure you sign up someone who is not overloaded with other projects. If you find a writer who has his hands full, they will either not do your work as it should be done, or will not have time to take your view into account during work.

However, by choosing someone who has time, you will get someone who will take the time to listen to what you want, and then give you a website that you are completely satisfied with. Make sure that you do not end up choosing a writer who has time for you only, because nobody else will employ them.

Your writer must get back to you promptly whenever you get in touch with them. A professional writer will contact you quickly after your having sent an email about a query or suggestion you have rather than take days. A writer who gets back to you promptly is obviously a connoisseur, and desires to extend a good rapport with you.

Finally, the cost you are being charged should be right for you. While more experienced writers will charge more, you should not employ somebody who is totally out of your budget. You will have to look around, but you can discover both costly and low-cost writers delivering excellent work. It ultimately comes down to who you are more contented employing.

Do remember to take these advices into account while employing your next content writer as your website substance is what will attract clients to your company.

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Mar 21 2009

The Qualities Of A Good Website Content

by Debra Brian Hunt

Writing is a mode of expression which has a long and interesting history. It was the medium of documentation in the past and continues in the present day as well. Though computers, type writers have taken the place of the pen as the newer and faster modes of documentation, the importance of writing itself has not diminished a bit.

Writing articles not only requires good language skills, but you should also have good background knowledge of the topic. While writing content for websites, research your topic thoroughly so that it’s easier to write and the information in your article is correct. Plus, strong factual sentences make up a stronger write-up. It is better not to make use of over-used words. They make write-ups look old and might bore the readers.

With the aim of arresting the readers’ concentration from the first line, come up with an excellent opening paragraph to your write-up which explains the topic. Always bear in mind that ‘well begun is half done!’

One more thing that should always be kept in mind is to use easy words. Not only does it craft writing easier, it also makes it simple to be read. Websites get hundreds and thousands of surfers everyday. The write-up should be simple and logical for all. Also, keep away from using acronyms, or words from particular area or lingo.

Always remember to stay distinct. While writing content for website, try to hold on to the given issue. Don’t put in preventable details or reasons. Try to confine the reader’s mind from the first line and keep it that way till the end.

Longer write-ups need more attention to read. Also, longer articles aren’t read as much as shorter and particular articles. So try to stay to the point while writing and do not add in superfluous details. It’s important to write in smaller subsection, as bigger paragraphs can cause puzzlement.

Learning to type is a great help in writing. It lessens the chances of making mistakes. The quicker you are at typing the more you can write. Also, faster typing means finishing work more quickly. To avoid repetition, do not use the copy and paste technique.

Books and websites are a good source of information but write in your own words as that will make your content more creative. You should try to put in different words, proper punctuation and interesting facts to make it more appealing. If you put in information from other sources, it’s always better to cite the source.

Before writing, make up a sketch of your thoughts. This assists in keeping sentences in their place. It also works as brainstorming, and helps to think of more points. Fiction writing is diverse from non-fiction. Facts and dates in non-fiction need to be checked and accurate. While writing fiction, think of a plot first and then start with your story. A story with an argument is more attention-grabbing. Always remember to revise your writing at the end to reduce the chances of oversight.

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Mar 04 2009

Write Articles That Pay

by Annalise Kaylor

Writing articles for money is an easy way to make extra money at home. Many websites will pay you to write articles, but it isn’t enough to just write the article and sit back and collect the cash. The key to being successful with writing articles for money is to pay attention to search engine optimization.

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is important because people will not find your article unless it contains the words people are looking for. When someone enters a phrase into a search engine, the search engine comes back with a list of items that match what they have searched for. Using SEO effectively increases the chances that your article is at the top of the list.

Online keyword research tools are easy to use and are available for free. These keyword research sites can help people who write articles for money determine what keywords will be the best in each article. These tools also show other helpful pieces of information, including how many searches typically happen each month for a specific keyword or phrase.

Good use of SEO is not just about using keywords and keyword phrases often. it is important that the content of the article flows naturally so that readers find value in the article. Because search engines also determine rank by the value of the content, they look for articles that also use keywords and phrases that relate to the topic as a whole.

Another important factor with writing articles with SEO in mind is to make sure that you use the keyword phrase often enough, without it being used too often. Using a keyword too often is called “keyword stuffing” and it will actually make an article rank lower.

Search engine optimization can take some time to master, but if it is used from the time someone starts to write articles for money, it will only increase the value of each article over time. The better the keyword optimization and SEO used in each article, the more money each article will make.

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Feb 13 2009

How We Write Hit Songs in Nashville

by Cathy Lemmon

Did you know that one of the top industries in Nashville is publishing? Song publishing! A hit song is the vehicle that launches an artist’s career. A hit song is what will be promoted to the public and promoted on the radio. Without a great song a singer is just another pretty voice among millions of excellent voices. It’s the song that usually gets the attention of the listener.

So just what makes a song great?

A great song is one that you recognize just by hearing the first couple bars, or the title, or hook-line. You have a hard time getting the tune out of your head after hearing it a couple of times. A hit song is one that stirs up your emotions… Makes you laugh, cry, or fall in love all over again; a song that makes you want to dance, to stomp your feet, clap your hands, or calms and comforts you. It has to be something that pretty much everyone can relate to. It may be a story that inspires people to change their life for the better. It may be a song about unconditional love, faith or devotion to your spouse, or about how someone broke your heart. A great song tugs at your heart strings! A great song tells an interesting story. It paints a visual picture with words.

Most people who come to Nashville calling themselves singer songwriters don’t know how to write a hit song. Very talented writers can write by themselves, but many successful songwriters prefer to co-write with another songwriter. They see the benefit of drawing strengths from other writers where they may lack. For example, some people are more talented at writing lyrics while others are more talented at creating melodies. Bring the two together and you have a much better chance of having a hit song.

Just recently someone calling themselves a songwriter sent me a few of his songs to review. Although he claimed to want my honest opinion he didn’t take my constructive criticism too well. What I told him was that if he wanted to hone his craft he should spend some time collaborating with a more skilled Nashville song writer. He was reluctant at first, but changed his tune after spending a few days with some of Nashville’s best and brightest songwriters. Besides crafting some great songs he learned some songwriting skills that he was able to take home and use when writing by himself.

Some singers have no experience songwriting, or are just not interested in writing songs. Although record labels often prefer great singers who also write their own material, there is a way to get great material from songwriters who aren’t interested in singing their own songs. In a publisher pitch session, publishers and songwriters present songs that (they think) best fit the persona of the singer. By the end of the meeting the singer usually leaves with more than enough songs for their next recording project.

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Feb 11 2009

Nicks Waterfall House

by LJ James

In the Heart of the New York Catskill Mountains, there is a place called Nicks Waterfall House. I have been there many times and it has become one of my favorite places of all time to ride to.

There are times when the stress of our lives and jobs can get even the best of us a little down. If you are a straight lace citizen you go to a Doctor and get some pills or maybe see a shrink. If you are a Biker you hop on your Motorcycle get the motor running and you head out to a place like Nicks Waterfall House.

It does not matter where you are or what direction you come from. The ride threw the NY Catskill Mountains is going to relax the stress away from the depths of your very soul. As you ride to Nick’s threw long winding roads up over and into the heart of some of the worlds most majestic Mountains, with the Sun shining down on you and the fresh Mountain air filling your lungs you will start to get a feeling of what one can only describe as pure joy.

As you get near Nicks Waterfall House located on Route 990v, Gilboa New York 12076, either alone or with a group of friends. You will feel as if time and space are no longer a factor in the Universe, and it only gets better from there! As you ride in the first thing many think is they have reached some old time lost resort, but have no fear Nicks is a Biker bar.

When you walk threw the front door you will no longer have any doubts you have arrived at the right place. If Nick is not there to great you himself, there is a good chance he is in his large kitchen cooking up some classic Biker grub. I recommend the first thing you do is order an Ice Cold Beer and go sit by the large windows over looking a Waterfall that looks as if it was stolen from the year 1492. If there is any stress or negative emotions left in your body after the ride to the Waterfall House after only a few minutes watching the water fall down and roll over the rocks it will soon have all washed down stream.

Then it is time to meet the locals, grab another Beer and maybe some of that great food (My favorite is the Waterfall House Cheeseburgers) or maybe shoot a game of pool. The crowd at Nicks is a mix of friendly Bikers, locals and good ole boys. This is a place to exchange stories and Adventures from the road. Often the sharing of stories can go on for hours.

It is easy to have what some may call too much fun at Nicks Waterfall House but with rooms up stairs starting at only $25 a night, there is no reason to worry! Now I want to make sure that you know when I tell you there are rooms at Nicks you understand these rooms where created for road weary bikers. If you bring your old lady with you make sure she is a real biker Chick because Nicks is no Yuppie bed and breakfast! It is a real bikers, biker bar and what you get when you rent a room from Nicks is a communal living room a bed to sleep in and a shower to wash off the road dust! One other thing you get from a night at Nicks is a renewed Spirit of Adventure and a willingness to face what ever maybe up around the next bend in your life!

I have many local Bars that I think of as home and I love to go to and cut loose, but when I hear that call of the road it is often telling me it is time to go to Nick’s Waterfall House!!!

For more info or directs call 607-588-9891 and ask for Nick.

Your Bro LJ James AmericanBikerX.com Listen to my Radio Show at BikerLowdown.com

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Feb 08 2009

Help for Beginning Article Writers

by Jan Shimano

Does the thought of writing articles that millions of people could read over the Internet intimidate you? If your answer was ‘yes’, then I can assure you, you have lots of company.

There are many things that hold people back from even attempting to write their first article. To begin with, they are not sure about their subject matter. There are those people who write strictly for pleasure and for them they can just go ahead and write about whatever they are passionate about. However, many people are interested in generating leads through their article writing and they have to think carefully about what they are going to write about. They are going to want to have a smooth transition from their article to their website.

Many people feel that they don’t have enough material to draw upon to write an article. This is probably the easiest problem to overcome. I suggest that you Google search the subject you are planning on writing on, and print out 8 – 10 of the postings. Examine them carefully and get some new ideas as to what to include in your own article. Just a word of warning though…this process is to just get your own creative juices flowing. It goes without saying, that you would not copy another persons material for your own article.

There is absolutely nothing new under the sun! Everything has been written about before. Nobody holds a patent on their thoughts and ideas, so you can get as many ideas from other people as you think you need. We all have our own way of expressing ourselves so even though the ideas might be the same, each piece of writing will be unique. The very things I am writing here in this article have been written numerous times before, but no one has said them in exactly the same way as I have. You will be well on your way to producing articles when you get over this stumbling block.

You will find that the article directories recommend that your article be between 400 – 600 words. I can assure you that this is nothing like writing a book…..well, perhaps one page of a book!! You are not going to get writers block while writing a short 400 – 600 word article. In fact, what I have found is that sometimes my articles has ended up being too long, and I have had to cut them back.

You want to really grab your reader’s attention in the very first paragraph. Of course you will want to have good content throughout the article but your first and last paragraphs are crucial. Sometimes the reader will scan through the middle portion of the article, but that is not always the case. That last paragraph has to wrap everything up neatly for them. You want your personality to show in your writing so I suggest you write as you speak. Some people who do not want to write their own articles outsource them. However, it is very difficult for a cohesive personality to shine through when your articles are written by numerous people.

The rewards of writing your own articles and having them published are fantastic. I would highly recommend that you give it an honest effort. Even though I had no prior writing experience, my first article got on the first page of Google within a matter of hours of it being published over the Internet. Just remember, you are not writing an article for your English teacher to critique. You are writing it for people who are hungry for information on the subject that you have chosen to to write about. Give them what they are searching for and they will be happy….and so will you!!

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