6 Ways to Toot Your Own Writing Horn

You know you've got writing talent. Others enjoy your work and you've even sold a few things. You'd like to turn that writing talent into full-time freelancing but you don't enough clients yet. You need to toot your own horn!

The problem is that we writers often aren't very good at telling others how wonderful we are and how well we write. We'd much rather be writing than marketing ourselves, but market we must.

These six actions are relatively painless, and they work:

1. Get a business card that says you're a writer. You can get 250 premium quality, color business cards FREE from VistaPrint. Try some titles like this:

Anne Wayman

Freelance Writer or

John Smith

Technical Writer

or even:

Anne Wayman

Writer/Coach/Ghostwriter

Make sure your phone number, email address and website are also on the card.

2. Use your business card! They do no good sitting in a box on the shelf or tucked away in your wallet.

Make sure you have some every time you leave the house, and don't hesitate to hand them out.

Leave them with your tip at restaurants. Hand out one or two when someone asks you what you do. Give them to the bank teller and when you pay for purchases at a store.

You can also stick them in invoices, when you're paying your bills and even to post on likely bulletin boards around town. If your day job requires the use of a card, hand out both. You simply never know who needs a writer or knows someone who needs a writer.

3. Make sure your email signature either links to your website and/or says you're a writer. It doesn't have to be fancy. In fact it's better if you keep it to three or four lines, but make sure it's on every single email. I've gotten good paying jobs because of my email signature.

4. Get your own website with your own domain name! See Do You Need a Web Site? for more details.

5. Your business account checks should say that you're a writer - usually under your name. Every time you pay a bill, you're also sending out a mini-ad.

6. Speak up! When someone asks you what you do, tell them you're a writer, even if writing isn't yet your main source of income. The more comfortable you are saying "I'm a writer," the more likely you are to stumble into some business, so practice.

Although there is a great deal more you can do to market yourself, these basics will accomplish at least two important things:

* You'll get used to thinking of yourself as a writer, and,

* The world will begin to think of you as a writer

So get out there, and toot your own horn, again and again. It's magic.

Write well and often!

7 Secrets For Beating Writers Block

Most people can easily identify with the dreaded "writer's block". It is a well-known phenomenon that just about everyone has faced at one point in their lives.

I used to suffer from writer's block, big time! Thus, I know through personal anguish and suffering, that it is definitely not a pleasant experience.

Especially when the due date for one's project or paper is getting closer by the day, and the boss asks you "how's that project going" every time you don't manage to avoid him/her when you're sneaking down the corridor.

WRITER'S BLOCK IS FEAR-BASED

Writer's block is a fear-based feeling. For whatever reason, many of us have this incredible fear of committing ourselves in writing whenever we are faced with a blank page or computer screen.

Fear no longer! I'm here to tell you that writer's block can be beaten!

Just realizing that writer's block is really an irrational fear that keeps us from putting pen to paper is half the battle. It's actually a fear of the unknown, often coupled with a fear of failure.

We secretly wonder just what exactly is going to come out of this pen/keyboard, and when it does, will we be revealing some kind of incompetent idiot who doesn't know what they're talking about?

On the other hand, if we have done the proper preparation, our rational mind knows that we can do it just like we did it all of those other times before.

Unfortunately, fear often wins the day when it comes to writing.

As I stated above, I suffered from writer's block for many years and it was not the most enjoyable of experiences.

THE 7 SECRETS

Fortunately, somewhere along the way I did manage to develop a few tricks to overcome writers block. Some are obvious, others are not.

Here are my personal hard-earned secrets for overcoming writer's block:

1. Don't Write Too Soon

Before trying to write, it is important to prepare mentally for a few hours or days (depending on the size of the task) by mulling the writing project over in the back of your mind. (Just as athletes don't like to peak too soon, writers shouldn't write too soon either!).

2. Do The Preparation

Read over whatever background material you have so that it is fresh in your mind. I read through all background material carefully marking important points with a yellow hi-liter and then review it all before I start to write.

3. Develop A Simple Outline

Before sitting down to write, put together a simple point form list of all of the key points you want to cover, and then organize them in the order in which you are going to cover them. (I know, I know... your Grade 6 teacher told you the same thing... but it actually does work).

4. Keep research Documents Close By

When you sit down to write, make sure that all of your key background materials are spread out close at hand. This will allow you to quickly refer to them without interrupting the writing flow once you get going. I keep as many of the source documents as possible wide open, and within eyesight for quick and easy reference.

5. Just Start Writing

Yes, that's exactly what you do. Once you have prepared mentally and done your homework you are ready to write, even if your writer's block is saying "no". Just start writing any old thing that comes to mind. Go with the natural flow. In no time at all you will get into a rhythm, and the words will just keep on flowing.

6. Don't Worry About The First Draft

Once the words start to flow, don't worry about making it perfect the first time. Remember, it's your first draft. You will be able to revise it later. The critical thing at the outset is to write those thoughts down as your mind dictates them to you.

7. Work From An Example

Get an actual sample of the type of document that you need to write. It could be something that you wrote previously, or it could be something from an old working file, or a clipping from a magazine article, or a sales brochure you picked up. As long as it is the same type of document that you are writing. Whatever it is, just post it up in your line-of-sight while you are working. You'll be amazed at how it helps the words and ideas flow. The main thing is to have an example to act as a sort of visual template.

In my experience this last one is the ultimate secret for overcoming writer's block.

To help with this, be on the lookout for good examples of writing that you may see in newspapers and magazines, and clip out the useful ones for future reference.

7 Essential Letter Writing Strategies

Based on the feedback that I have been getting from visitors to my writinghelp-central.com Web site, letter writing is definitely the area where most people are looking for help or guidance when it comes to day-to-day writing.

Over 55% of the visitors to my site are seeking some sort of letter writing information or assistance. The following lists the Top Ten letters that people request information on, in order of popularity:

* recommendation letter

* resignation letter

* thank you letter

* reference letter

* business letter

* complaint letter

* cover letter

* sales letter

* introduction letter

* apology letter

The 7 Strategies

Here are a few practical letter-writing tips and strategies to help you when writing that next letter:

1. Keep It Short And To The Point

Letters involving business (personal or corporate) should be concise, factual, and focused. Try to never exceed one page or you will be at risk of losing your reader. A typical letter page will hold 350 to 450 words. If you can't get your point across with that many words you probably haven't done enough preparatory work. If necessary, call the recipient on the phone to clarify any fuzzy points and then use the letter just to summarize the overall situation.

2. Make It Clear, Concise, And Logical

Before sitting down to write, make a brief point-form outline of the matters you need to cover in the letter. Organize those points into a logical progression that you can use as your guide as you write the letter. The logical blocks of the letter should be: 1. introduction/purpose, background/explanation, summary/conclusion, action required statement. Use this outline process to organize your approach and your thoughts, and to eliminate any unnecessary repetition or redundancy.

3. Focus On The Recipient's Needs

While writing the letter, focus on the information requirements of your audience, the intended addressee. If you can, in your "mind's eye", imagine the intended recipient seated across a desk or boardroom table from you while you are explaining the subject of the letter. What essential information does that person need to know through this communication? What will be their expectations when they open the letter? Have you addressed all these issues?

4. Use Simple And Appropriate Language

Your letter should use simple straightforward language, for clarity and precision. Use short sentences and don't let paragraphs exceed three or four sentences. As much as possible, use language and terminology familiar to the intended recipient. Do not use technical terms and acronyms without explaining them, unless you are certain that the addressee is familiar with them.

5. Use Short Sentences And Paragraphs

Keep your sentences as short as possible, and break the text up into brief paragraphs. Ideally, a paragraph should not exceed two to three sentences. This will make the letter more easily readable, which will entice the recipient to read it sooner, rather than later.

6. Review And Revise It

Do a first draft, and then carefully review and revise it. Put yourself in the place of the addressee. Imagine yourself receiving the letter. How would you react to it? Would it answer all of your questions? Does it deal with all of the key issues? Are the language and tone appropriate? Sometimes reading it out loud to one's self can help. When you actually "hear" the words it is easy to tell if it "sounds" right or not.

7. Double Check Spelling And Grammar

A letter is a direct reflection of the person sending it, and by extension, the organization that person works for. When the final content of the letter is settled, make sure that you run it through a spelling and grammar checker. To send a letter with obvious spelling and grammatical errors is sloppy and unprofessional. In such cases, the recipient can't really be blamed for seeing this as an indication as to how you (and/or your organization) probably do most other things.

The foregoing basic letter writing strategies and tips are mostly common sense. Nevertheless, you would be amazed how often these very basic "rules of thumb" are not employed when people write letters.

7 Devastating Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Writing engaging articles and energizing ad copy takes more than just typing out what you want to say. By correcting these major mistakes, your copy will soar to newfound heights. While there are many common mistakes made by copywriters, seven in particular are deadly.

Mistake One: Don't take that tone with me!

Many writers fail to write to their intended audience by writing in a general or wrong tone. Either way is costly. It is important to identify and write to the intended audience. Review the following two statements to see how the same information differs based on the intended audience.

Audience One is comprised of computer neophytes.

Move your mouse pointer over to the START icon, which is located in the lower left area of your computer screen. Next, click your left mouse button one time. Your start menu should now be displayed.

Audience Two is comprised of knowledgeable computer users.

Open up your START menu.

Notice the stark contrast between the two examples. If we continued with the examples, "Audience Two" would be spoken to in more technical terms whereas "Audience One" would be spoken to in very simple terms with every action described in full detail.

Mistake Two: Welcome to the claims department.

Most non-fiction writing, especially ad copy, makes a claim of some sort. Hard to believe claims destroy credibility. The golden rule of claims: Always support your claims fully.

I can't believe it!

When a claim sounds too good to be true, credibility is lost. Perhaps the ad copy is claiming that a person can lose up to 300 pounds in 30 days on a certain type of program. The more substantial the claim, the more support required. Still, if the claim is hard to believe, all the support in the world won't help much.

4 out of 5 dentists agree.

A claim made must be supported. An article reporting that 4 out of 5 dentists agree about using a certain product must include the supporting evidence. Never expect people to take your word for it, because they won't.

Mistake Three: So enough about you, what about me?

Have you ever visited a website or heard an ad that chimed in with "we here at [insert company name] believe??" The majority of people will react by simply ignoring the copy all together. It is important to build up a rapport with the reader before talking about yourself-if possible. The reader must first be given a reason as to why he or she should care. This mistake is most common in ad copy. Focus on the reader first and foremost.

Mistake Four: Could you repeat that?

Repetitious wording occurs when a word is used that was previously written in close proximity. Try to keep sentences fresh and flowing with new words. This is a great reason to pick up a thesaurus and learn some word alternatives. In ad copy it is sometimes necessary to use a word more than once for effect. An example of this would be: Excellent service. Excellent selection. Excellent prices.

Don't do this

I really like the quality of the shoes and the overall quality of the store. Store X is an all around high-quality establishment.

Notice the word "quality" was used three times quickly. These two sentences should be rewritten with the world quality being used only once.

Mistake Five: At this present time, the fact of the matter is, you are reading this article.

This mistake plagues us all because our normal speech is full of redundancies. Some redundancies are simply two words that say the same thing, while others are phrases that repeat something previously mentioned in the sentence. Fluffing up text does not make for good writing or reading. Let's look at some examples.

"It is a true fact."

Is there a false fact? Revised: "It is a fact."

"I found a total of 927 websites with my name on them."

Eliminate "total of". Revised: "I found 927 websites with my name on them."

"The future to come is full of surprises."

The future is something to come, which is why it is called the future and not the present or past. Stating "future to come" is wordy and does nothing to enhance the reading experience. Revised: "The future is full of surprises."

To find out more, visit your favorite search engine, and look for results under these terms:

• Pleonasm
• Redundant writing

Mistake Six: You're its owner therefore it's yours.

It is amazing how four simple words can become a virtual wrecking ball to the prose of so many. The four words are: its, it's, your, and you're

Its

This is possessive and has no apostrophe. Example: Put your hand on its mouth.

It's

This version has the apostrophe and means "it is." Example: It's mine.

Your

Again, this is the possessive and has no apostrophe. Example: Your car is stalled.

You're

With the apostrophe, it means "you are." Example: You're smiling at me.

Many writers make this mistake because it's simple to do. Writing fast will increase the possibility of making this mistake, which is why rereading your copy many times is crucial.

Mistake Seven: I think I can. Well, maybe I can try.

It is important that the reader feels secure about the author, which is why writing in a passive voice will render the prose helpless. It is very easy to use passive writing without knowing it because everyday speech is filled with passivity. Recognizing passive writing and replacing it will make a tremendous difference in your copy.

Passive: The final exam was failed by over half of the students.

Active: Half of the students failed the exam.

Notice the difference between the two sentences. Overcoming this mistake takes practice-as does learning to write well.

Ad copy should be dripping in confidence. Word selection and order are extremely important. Using words like "try" should be omitted when possible.

Common Example: "We work to make our clients happy."

Rewrite: "We have satisfied clients." or "We will make you happy."

In the "Common Example", it implies that you might not be happy. The company will "work" to make you happy, but there is no guarantee they can. In the rewrite, the implication is removed by altering the text.

Crafting solid prose takes practice. By running this checklist against your copy and correcting mistakes, it will become more effective. Every printed word is priceless. A single word or sentence can cause decent copy to fail. Should you require a copywriter, visit my website.

7 Book Publicity Tips for Authors and Small Publishers

The biggest mistake authors make when trying to get free publicity is pitching either themselves or their books.

Don't pitch authors! Pitch issues. Don't pitch books! Pitch entire shows.

Example: If you wrote a book about how children of divorced parents suffer long-term effects well into adulthood, don't try to entice TV producers with the book. Entice them with an entire show around the topic of "Children of divorced parents: Do they ever recover?" Then suggest two or three other guests who tie into your topic and could be interviewed, preferably someone who is on the other side of the issue. If you can do that, you've just given producers an idea for an entire show, and they're more likely to bite because you've done their work for them.

Here are 6 more book publicity tips:

--Be sure you have a good quality professional photo of yourself. I'm amazed at the number of authors I write stories about who don't have photos I can use.

--Use a "tip sheet" in your media kit that ties into your topic. Example: You write a book about how to discipline children. Your tip sheet might be something like "9 Tips for Calming Your Child's Temper Tantrum." Each tip should be no longer than one or two short sentences. The media love these tips because they can reprint them as a sidebar to a longer story. See Special Report #16: How to Write Tip Sheets That Catch the Media's Attention

--If you have a website, place the author's photo and updated contact information at the site. Sometimes when trying to contact an author, I go to their website and then search in desperation for contact info.

--Don't be afraid of controversy when it comes to book promotion. The more controversial you are willing to be, the greater your chances of coverage by the media, particularly broadcast. Radio shows in particular don't want only light. They want heat.

--The author should write an opinion column taking a strong stand on one side of a controversial issue that ties into the topic of the book. Then target the column to the publication that is read by people who you want to buy your book.

--If you want to get into a particular publication, call the advertising department and ask for a copy of their free Editorial Calendar. This is a listing of all special sections and topics planned for the year. Review the calendar and find a specific issue where your topic would be a good fit. Then call the publication, ask for the name of the person who edits that section, and write or e-mail them with your story idea. Do this several months before the publication is printed.

Most importantly, unless you are contacting the book reviewer, most media people don't care what's inbetween the covers of your book. They DO care about what's inside your head, your expertise, and how you can help them. Remember that, and you're well on your way to lots of free publicity.

5 Ways to Break the Story Spell

You sink back into your favourite chair with a new book in your hand. With a barely perceptible sigh of anticipation, you turn to the first page. Ah, there's nothing like starting a brand new novel...

You start to read. Within minutes, you're engrossed in the action. A thunderstorm could break, and you wouldn't hear it. You turn the pages, immersed in the world of the story.

And then it happens. Something jars. Something is out of place.

Abruptly, you're reminded that you're reading. The sounds of the day become real again, and you're back in your everyday world.

The story spell has been broken.

Sometimes, you know what it is that has jerked you away from the characters that you're beginning to care about... perhaps an ambiguity in the text has made you re-read the paragraph, and you become aware that you're reading for meaning. Sometimes you have no idea... there's just something wrong.

As the author, the last thing you want is for your reader to be reminded that your world is not real. Sure, they know it when they first open the book - but once they start to read, they want to lose themselves in your story. Here are 5 ways you risk breaking that story spell.

1. Failing to check your work for "echoes"

It's all too easy to unintentionally repeat a word. Basic words like 'said' or 'and' don't really matter, because they are so common they are invisible to the reader. But for most words, you should try to avoid repetition even on the same page, let alone in the same paragraph or sentence.

For example:

"I don't think you should go back there," he warned. "If I were you I'd be getting out of there. They're just waiting for you to step out of line."

Did you spot the 'echo'? There were two: 'there' and 'out of'. If I were editing this piece, I'd change it to something like:

"I don't think you should go back," he warned. "They're just waiting for you to step out of line. I'd be thinking of leaving. Fast."

2. Beginning too many sentences with the same word

This happens most frequently with sentences starting with "He" or "She" or "I" - although sometimes it can be the character's name that is repeated too often.

Often, a sequence of sentences that start with the same word have a very similar structure throughout. What is the result of this? The writing seems monotonous, and readers start to get bored. They become aware that they're reading. It's not hard to think of a way to restructure sentences to avoid this sort of repetition.

An example of repeated sentence beginnings:

She crept into the house, alert for every sound. She was sure there was someone there. She could feel it...

An alternative:

She crept into the house, alert for every sound. There was someone there. In the darkness, in some corner... she could feel it.

3. Indulging in long or unfamiliar words

While you don't have to write sentences that consist entirely of words of one or two syllables, you should avoid using words that half your readers probably won't know. Good writing is transparent. That means you don't jerk the readers back to the real world because they don't know what the characters are talking about. One unfamiliar word every few chapters is okay (especially if the context makes it clear) - an unknown word every second page is not.

Your reader will start to feel annoyed, then angry because he's not in the 'club' of people who know words like this. (A few examples: expurgate, kinematic, consanguinity, promulgate. You may know the meaning, but a large percentage of your readership will not.)

4. Introducing images that are too "different"

Never forget that your aim is to make the reader:

• feel what your character is feeling,

• see what your character is seeing, and

• hear what your character is hearing.

Some writers, in an effort to be original, come up with images that are so vivid and 'different' that they distract the reader.

For example:

"Her hair was coiled in plait around her head, like a snake sleeping in the sun." (Are you seeing hair, or a snake?)

"Fear crept up her back like a funnel web spider." (Are you feeling her fear, or visualising spiders? This one not only makes you 'see' spiders, but a particular kind of spider!)

So... be different, but not so different that your reader is reminded that he is 'just reading'.

5. "Info-dumping"

The key to reader involvment is getting deep inside your character's skin. When you're in there, you mention only what is relevant to the character at that moment.

The minute you start explaining something in detail (a forensic procedure, the history of a place, a character's backstory) you are in danger of going into "lecture mode" - that is, dumping information into the story and stopping the story flow.

Don't do it! Weave in information gradually as the story progresses - and only as much as is needed.

There are other ways to break the story spell, but these five are amongst the most common. Try to avoid them in your own work, and you'll have your reader hooked until the end of the novel!

Be Concise

Concision. (Sounds like I made up another word.) It's the idea of being concise in our ongoing communication with others, both written and oral.

Many take forever to say so little. These are the same people who spend a lot of time in meetings. Some who may have little to say use lots of words to say what could be said in a few words. It is boring. It wastes time. It reduces productivity. Theirs and yours.

I do not suggest that all of our communications ought to be reduced to one or two words. There ought to be time in the workplace for idle chat. It leads to relationship building and a better quality of life. However, it is sometimes more productive to simply say "blah" rather than "blah, blah, blah".

As a practical matter, it is becoming more and more important to be concise as we drown in this era of information overload. We get more information impressions in one day than our great-grandparents 100 years ago got in a lifetime. Think about it. 100 years ago, you may have looked a seed catalog, a shared newspaper, and an occasional book, if you owned one. Today, we have information coming at us from all directions.

The average working businessperson receives, on average, 150 new communications each day via telephone, voicemail, mail, fax, and email. When email became available a few years ago, it was supposed to take the place of a lot of other communications, including first class mail. The truth is, all other forms of communication have held their volume (or even increased) and we now have email to deal with on top of it all.

Want to be more concise in your communications and save time? Here are two suggestions.

Think before you communicate. Before you make that call or meet with someone, think out what you how hope to accomplish. A lot of extended, unnecessary communication is in search of a purpose of the communication in the first place. When you know what you are trying to accomplish, when you achieve, it is over and you can move on.

Practice. When you write an email to someone, look it over before you send it. See if you can say what you need to say in fewer words. I use this technique in a communications class I teach for MBA students. I ask them to write a five-page paper. They submit it, I return it, and ask they re-write the paper in four pages, but cover all the essential points from the five page paper. They later re-write the same paper as a three, two, and one page paper. Each must contain all that was covered in the original five-page work. It's a tough assignment but with practice, they get better at saying more with fewer words. You can too. If you write something, re-write it several times, each time making it shorter than the previous attempt. The more you practice, the better you'll get.

Pairs/Groups Of Words Often Confused - Part 4 of 6

LATER, LATTER

Later means afterwards; latter is the second of two things.

"Later that day we went for a walk."

"We have two choices. The latter is the more reliable, but the former would be cheaper."

LAY, LAID

This pair confuses writers almost more than any other.

"He lay on his bed." Although this sentence is past tense, "laid" would be incorrect and suggests he was laying eggs.

"She sighed as she laid the visitors' book beside the pen and lay back wondering if she would ever make an entry in it again."

In present tense the sentence would read, "She sighs as she lays the visitors' book beside the pen and lies back, wondering if she will ever make an entry in it again." BUT "I sigh as I lay the visitors' book beside the pen and lie back, wondering if I will ever make an entry in it again."

(In practice, I would probably write I place/placed and she places/placed. It's so much less confusing, not to mention less repetitive!)

"It lay on the desk beside an open book." Present tense would read, "It lies on the desk beside an open book."

"Our hens lay every day."

"The hens laid ten eggs yesterday."

LEAD, LED

Lead (pronounced led) is a heavy metal or (pronounced leed) the present tense of led. So:

"He opens the door for me and I lead the guests upstairs to their rooms."

"He opened the door for me and I led the guests upstairs to their rooms."

LEND, LOAN

Lend is a verb meaning to give something temporarily to someone; loan is a noun, meaning the temporary transfer of something to someone else. So, "Dad, can you loan me a few dollars until pay day?" is incorrect.

LESSEN, LESSON

Lessen means to make less; lesson is something you learn.

LOATHE, LOATH

Loathe always means hate or detest, and loath means reluctant or hesitant. It's that simple!

"I loathe the idea of complaining about such a small thing."

"I'm loath to complain about something so small."

These sentences may seem to say the same thing, but the speakers' feelings are different. It's nearly always "loathe" that is used when the writer means "loath", seldom the other way round.

LOSE, LOOSE

Lose always means mislaying or dropping something and not being able to find it, while loose means slack or free:

"If the fastening on your wrist-watch is loose (slack) you may lose your watch."

MAYBE, MAY BE

Another tricky one, best explained by demonstration:

"Maybe you could explain this to us a little clearer."

"It may be a good idea to give us a clearer explanation of this."

MEET, METE, MEAT

The two more often confused are meet and mete. Meet means to encounter (and can also mean fit or suitable); mete means to

allot, apportion or distribute; meat refers to flesh as food.

NO, KNOW

Strange that these two should get confused, but they do. No is always the opposite of yes; know is to be certain (that you know the difference!)

OVERDO, OVERDUE

It baffles me that people get these mixed up, but they do. Overdo means to exaggerate or carry something too far; overdue is what your bills are when you forget to pay them!

Editing Secrets

Once you've plotted out your book, developed the characters and written the last word of text, the real work begins. As busy editors are bombarded with hundreds or even thousands of submissions a year, it's more important than ever that authors apply their own editing skills to their manuscripts before putting them in the mail. Checking your basic grammar and spelling are of course important, but authors need to go beyond surface editing if their work has a chance of catching an editor's eye.

* Trim, tighten, hack away. First, second and even third drafts of manuscripts are almost always laden with extra words and scenes. Take a break from your book and then read it through with a fresh eye. Write down your theme in one sentence (what the book is about, such as working through shyness on the first day of school or showing how Thomas Edison's childhood experiences influenced his adult life). The plot (or progression of facts and events in nonfiction) is your vehicle for conveying the theme to the reader. Ask yourself if each character and scene advance the plot toward communicating this theme. And decide at the beginning that you will give up your precious words and finely-crafted scenes for the betterment of the book. Pithy dialogue may be fun to read, but if it pushes your story off track, it's just a literary dead end. Take the publishers' suggested word limits seriously: no, you don't really need 3000 words to tell your picture book story about Freddy the Frog's adventures in the Big Pond.

* The elements of speech. Well-crafted dialogue can be a writer's most important tool. Dialogue is not just there to break up the paragraphs or show that your characters know how to talk; ideally, it adds to character development, moves the plot along and replaces sections of narrative. Each character should sound like himself, with speech patterns and phrasing that are unique. This is especially true with talking animal books. I see many of these manuscripts where, if I took away the words that identify the speakers, each character would sound exactly the same. Don't have dialogue repeat the narrative and vice versa; "Did you hear that? Someone's at the door!" does not have to be preceded by "They heard a sound at the door".

* Show don't tell. How many times have you heard this? It's still true. Comb through your manuscript for sentences that tell the reader how a character felt (Sara was sad) and replace with sensory descriptions (Hot tears sprang to Sara's eyes and rolled down her cheeks.) Avoid telling the reader what to think about the story (Jason foolishly decided to trust Mike one more time.) Instead, present your character's actions and decisions to the reader, and let the reader draw his or her own conclusions (incidentally, this is how you "teach" without preaching).

* Wipe out passive writing. Search for verbs preceded by "would" (would go, would sleep, would eat) replace with the past tense (went, slept, ate). Also look for actions that seem to happen out of thin air. "The door was opened" is passive, because the sentence lacks a "doer". Remember, the reader needs to visualize what's happening in the story. "The wind blew the door open" is better, because the action can be attributed to something, and it puts the most important element (strong wind) at the beginning of the sentence. Simply rearranging the words ("The door blew open from the wind") puts emphasis on a door that won't stay closed, making that the subject of the sentence.

* Be precise. One of the best ways to make your writing come alive for the reader is to use exact nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. One well-chosen word is always better than three vague ones. Adjectives like big, little, cold, hot, beautiful, scary and silly; adverbs such as quickly, slowly, loudly, and softly; and general verbs like walk, went, stayed and ate don't draw a vivid picture for your reader. Of course, sometimes these words are appropriate, but try as a rule choosing words that describe specifically what you want to communicate. Words that sound and look interesting are also a plus. Tremendous, tiny, frigid, scorching, plodded, sauntered and gulped are more fun to read, and they each lend an emotional overtone to the sentence (if your character gulps his food, you don't have to tell the reader he's in a hurry).

And finally, make sure there's a logical cause and effect relationship between the scenes of your book. Each event should build upon the ones that came before. The plot should spring intrinsically from your characters; nonfiction should unfold because of the nature of your subject and your slant on the material. It's when everything comes seamlessly together that you have a winning book. Make it look easy, but don't skimp on all the hard work it takes to get there.

Tips For Better Writing

It is certainly true that we don't get a second chance to make a first impression. As the impression we make on the Internet is almost always with the written word, is it unfortunate that there is so much poor writing bouncing around in cyberspace. The following tips are intended to help you make a better first impression.

Speaking of first impressions, I don't want to present myself as "the Final Authority". Dave Barry readers know that would be "Mr. Language Person". I'm just a guy who's been writing marketing and training materials for a couple of decades and I've picked up a few things. If they are of value to you, I'm glad I could help.

Know your audience. Who are you trying to reach and what is the best approach to accomplish your goal? Should you be informal, strictly business or something else?

Plan what you want to say before you type the first word. Make a few notes. You will stay on message better and present a more readable piece.

No matter how extensive your vocabulary, resist the impulse to dazzle your readers. You may impress some but you'll lose many more. Common, everyday words work just fine - that's how they became common.

Avoid jargon whenever possible. Yes, almost every undertaking has its own language, just write at the level most appropriate for the vast majority of your readers. If in doubt, see 3. above.

Syntax (sentence structure) matters. When I hear something like, "Me 'n' John went to..." it's like fingernails down the chalkboard! People who speak that way probably write the same way, I figure. If your word processor has a grammar checker, use it - the spell checker won't help in this kind of situation.

The other person always comes first, so it is "John and I went to...". The trick for determining whether to use I or me is to drop the other person and say it. I doubt you'd say "Me went to...". Right?

Short sentences are more powerful than long ones. They are easier to read and hold the reader better. It might just be two words: Janet smiled. Depending on what preceded it, those two little words could be very powerful indeed. Think how important this sentence can be: I do.

If you're writing ads and you'd like them to stand out, avoid using the same approach "everyone else" is using. Look at how many ads use some variation of "Make $16 Million Before Lunch!!!!!!!!!" and then do something else for yours. Nobody really buys that stuff anyway, do they? Use your imagination.

Some words simply cannot be modified, so don't. Among these,for example, are unique and pregnant. Nothing can be "very unique" because unique means something of which there is only one. And a woman is either pregnant or she isn't. She cannot be "somewhat pregnant".

Punctuation is critically important. If you don't think so, study the following sentence. It can be punctuated to create opposite meanings: Woman without her man is nothing.

I think the most grossly overused punctuation mark is the exclamation point! There is a school of semi-thought that seems to have concluded that a thing is more important, or exciting, or urgent if multiple exclamation points are used, as in: Buy NOW!!!!!! Actually, it just means the writer doesn't know much about punctuation.

Use comparative suffixes (-er, -ier, -est) rather than "more". The weather is getting cooler, not "more cool". She is happier, not "more happy".

Enjoy your writing, it can be a real adventure!

Writing For The Web: Where To Get Article Ideas

A friend and I were talking the other day about writing. He liked to write, but even so his biggest problem was finding things to write about. My friend was astounded at the volume of writing that I do - at least one article and something as many as six, per day. Where do I get all of the ideas from?

I, in turn, was astonished myself. Why on earth would anyone have any trouble finding things to write about? In fact, my main problem has been I have so much to write about that I often find myself locked in a silent battle over which subject should be put on paper first.

People find it even more amazing when I tell them I try very hard to only write about positive events and provide helpful articles. Only rarely will you find any of my writings containing criticism, complaints or, worst of all, whining. Occasionally I will write an article which recommends against purchasing a product, seeing a movie, reading a book or visiting a web site, but these are the exception.

The world is a huge, amazing, wondrous place. Things are going on around us all of the time. There is so much good to see and do all over the planet, so very many wonderful things going on all over the place, that it's easy to find something to communicate about if only you open your eyes and look.

One of my passions is the internet. I've written over 1,000 articles about all aspects of this massive communication medium. Much of this is taken from my 23 years of experience in the computer field, and the rest is from research, reading and, most of all, questions from other people.

Although much of my writing is about the internet, I also find time to communicate about many other subjects as well. These include relationships (marriage and romance), raising children, building a career, handling office politics, current events, hobbies and history. I have yet to find a subject which I don't have something useful to contribute to other people.

How do I find so much to write about? Let me tell you some of the ways: Many of my article ideas some from real life - For example, I have a long and happy marriage, so I like to write articles which help people with their relationships. I've also worked hard most of my life, as have most people, building a career, which is another area where I enjoy passing along tips to help others.

Question and answer sites - Sites like askme.com and askjeeves.com are perfect places to visit once in a while looking for ideas for articles. I visit and just scan the questions (and there are thousands of them), looking for anything which looks interesting. When I find something, I write an article.

Newsgroups - There are over 70,000 newsgroups. Most of these are worthless, but several thousand of them contain useful information and varied conversations. Lurk in any active newsgroup for a while and you should find something worthwhile to write about.

Yahoo and DMOZ - Visit any big directory site and you will find thousands of subjects to explore.

Egroups and Topica - There are thousands of email discussion lists available at these two sites. Sign up for a few and get articles ideas from them.

There are many other places to look for article ideas all over the internet. I tend to avoid looking at things like ezines, ebooks and web sites for article ideas. Why? Because when I look for article ideas I am not looking for answers.

What I tend to look for is questions. What kind of questions are people asking? Is there a question which begs some further analysis and a little more explanation than a simple sentence? It does not matter if someone else has already answered, as my primary purpose is not to provide raw information.

My primary purpose is to help people understand. You can find out raw information from any number of books or encyclopedias, but finding out how to clean up the clutter in your bedroom, well, that takes something different. That requires the experience and knowledge passed from someone who has had to go through the experience of cleaning many times, so many times that it has become easy.

Interestingly, I've found that television is not as worthwhile as one would expect for article ideas. Excluding a few reviews, I've found television to be a vast wasteland, void of anything but the most trivial or violent concepts in our society. The exceptions are, of course, channels such as Nova, History channel and Discovery.

So the next time you are trying to figure out something to write about for your own ezine, web site or ebook, just check out a newsgroup, elist or directory on a subject which you find interesting. Sooner or later, you will get an idea and you can start writing.

Pairs/Groups Of Words Often Confused - Part 6 of 6

SALE, SAIL Sale is either offering something for purchase ("for sale") or offering it at a special price ("on sale"); sail is part of a ship or boat.

SELL, CELL Sell is to exchange for money; cell is a small room.

SCENE, SEEN Scene is the place where something happens; seen is the past participle of see.

"Yet he had seen nothing suspicious at the scene of the accident." (Of course you wouldn't write a sentence like that; the two words make for a clumsy combination. I would probably replace "scene" with "site".)

SITE, SIGHT, CITE

Site always refers to location or place: building site; archaeology site.

"We will site the house to take advantage of the panoramic views."

Sight always refers to vision, as in the cliche "a sight for

sore eyes".

"We sighted two horsemen coming over the hill."

"It was a sight I would never forget."

"She feared she might lose her sight."

Cite means to summon, or to refer to a source, as in the

following sentences:

"I was cited as a witness to the accident."

"He cited in his defence an incident in which these same people were involved."

SOME TIME, SOMETIME

This is a common confusion. Some time is a period of time and sometime means at some time not specified.

"Some time ago you promised to introduce me to your

brother."

"Sometime when you're not busy we must do this again."

STATIONARY, STATIONERY

Stationary means standing still. Stationery refers to writing paper.

STATUE, STATUTE, STATURE

Statue is a carved or moulded likeness; statute is law; stature means height or status.

STRAIGHT, STRAIT

Straight means without bends; strait is a passage of water.

TENANT, TENET

Tenant is one who rents a property; tenet is a principle or belief.

THERE, THEIR, THEY'RE

There is a location: "Put it over there."

Their is the possessive of they: "their coats"

They're is short for they are: "They're unlikely to miss seeing them."

So: "They hung their coats over there by the door where

they're unlikely to miss seeing them on their way out."

Dreadful sentence I know, but at least it demonstrates the correct usage for all three words.

TO, TOO, TWO

To is a preposition meaning towards; too means also; two is the number after one.

VICIOUS, VISCOUS

Vicious means savage, cruel; viscous means thick, gummy.

WAIST, WASTE

Waist is the part of your body around which you fasten your belt; waste is stuff that's thrown away.

WAVE, WAIVE

Wave means to flap your hand in farewell and as a noun is also a breaker on the beach; waive means to give up one's rights or claim.

WAVER, WAIVER

Waver means to be undecided; waiver means the giving up of one's rights or claim.

WEAK, WEEK

Weak is the opposite of strong; week is seven days, Sunday to Saturday.

WET, WHET

Wet as a verb means strictly to pour liquid on something, or soak something in liquid. You do not "wet" somebody's appetite for anything; you'll only land up doing the opposite of what you want! Instead, you whet it, which means

to sharpen or stimulate.

WHICH, WITCH

As a fantasy writer, I have trouble believing people get these two confused! Which is one of a group; witch is a sorcerer.

WHOSE, WHO'S

This confusion is similar to its and it's. Whose is possessive, and who's is short for "who is".

YOUR, YOU'RE

As in the previous entry, this confusion is similar to its and it's. Your is possessive and you're is short for "you are".

Pairs/Groups Of Words Often Confused - Part 2 of 6

BAITED, BATED

Baited usually refers to traps or snares. When the reference is to someone who is hardly daring to breathe, the correct word is always bated:

"She watched with bated breath."

I've yet to read that someone "bated a trap" instead of baiting it, but there's always a first time.

BARE, BEAR

Bare means naked; bear (apart from being a large animal) means to carry.

BESIDE, BESIDES

Beside means by the side of; besides means in addition to.

BIANNUAL, BIENNIAL

These two are really tricky! Biannual means happening twice a year; biennial means every two years.

BLONDE, BLOND

Because these are borrowed from French there is a feminine and masculine form. Blonde is feminine and blond is masculine.

BOARD, BORED

Board is a long sheet of wood, also a group of people as in "Board of Directors", and as a verb means to go onto a ship, plane or other form of public transport; bored means not interested.

BORN, BORNE

Born is always the beginning of life, borne means carried.

"I was born in the middle of a particularly severe winter."

"The logs were borne down the river to the mill."

BRAISE, BRAZE

Braise means to cook slowly in liquid (usually meat); braze most commonly means to solder with an alloy of copper and zinc.

BRAKE, BREAK

Brake means to stop; break means to smash.

BY, BUY, BYE

By is a preposition meaning next to; buy means purchase; bye means farewell or good-bye.

CAPITAL, CAPITOL

Capital means the seat of government; capitol is the building where government meets.

CONTINUAL, CONTINUOUS

Continual means something that happens frequently, with breaks between the occurrences. Continuous means something that happens without stopping!

"Continual interruptions distract me from writing."

"The continuous noise of the motor mower distracts me from writing."

CO-OPERATION, CORPORATION

Co-operation (usually spelt without the hyphen in US English) means working together; corporation is a business organisation.

CORRESPONDENCE, CORRESPONDENTS

Correspondence is written communication; correspondents are those who write it.

CREDIBLE, CREDITABLE

Credible means believable; creditable means praiseworthy or deserving credit.

CURB, KERB

Curb means to control, as in "curb your temper"; kerb is the edge of a footpath or sidewalk.

DESERT, DESSERT

Desert means to abandon (and can also be a noun, meaning a wasteland); dessert is the sweet course of a meal.

DEVICE, DEVISE

Device is a noun, meaning a gadget or (particularly in writing terms) an invention; devise is a verb, meaning to invent or plot.

DISCREET, DISCRETE

Discreet means respectful, prudent; discrete means separate or detached from others.

DRAFT, DRAUGHT

Draft refers to the the first writing of your novel or story (or any other document). You can also be drafted (enlisted or recruited) into the army, navy, etc.

Draught is an air movement, a drink (as in "draught of ale") or refers to a horse (or other animal) used for pulling ploughs, etc (e.g., "draught horse").

5 Easy Steps To Writing Your Appealing Letter

You must write a hypnotic persuasion letter to help you achieve all your goals! Get the boss to give your a raise, induce that beautiful blue-eyed girl to be your lover and persuade your mother to buy a BMW Z3 for you this summer.

Give me twenty minutes and I'll teach you step-by-step my secret writing your own success system. If you follow this 5 steps formula of writing, you'll never fail in this age of persuasion. Keep reading!

My 5-step formula consists of

Find Your Goal and Purpose for Writing

Write Down Your Goal

Visualization

Write Like You Talk (KISS rule)

Make It Perfect

Let me explain it to you step by step!

1. Find Your Goal and Purpose for Writing

Every success begins with a simple goal which includes hypnotic writing. You should come up with your main goal for writing. SUCCESS=GOAL+DEADLINE. Once you set your writing goal in your mind, you'll know the path to success. You must hold that point when you want to really achieve something valuable. Please see the example below.

Bad: I just write.

Good: I want to write this letter to persuade Joe to give me a book for free!

Better: I certainly CAN write a hypnotic letter to persuade Joe to give me a book for free before 01 July 2001.

2. Write Your Goal Down

Have you ever read the story of John in Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen's original Chicken Soup for the Soul? On one rainy day, when it was too wet outside to play, he decided to write a list of goals. John continued writing until he had 127 goals. These goals included exploring the Nile River, climbing high mountain peaks around the world and learning 3 foreign languages. Do you know the result?

Of the 127 goals that he listed over 60 years ago, John has achieved 108.

Why?

Because he Wrote It Down!

You must write it down on your desk, your wallet, your bath room and even on the wall in your men's room. Every time you see that bold goal, you'll notice you must take action now. With many repetitions, the words themselves will send a mighty command to your subconscious mind to make your dream into reality. Try it today!

3. Visualization

In the Bible it is written "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (Psalm 37:4) Also it says to us "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee." (Proverbs 23:7)

You mind think uses images instead of words. Therefore, Imagination X Vividness = Reality.

Learn to meditate. Then do it. No miracle will ever happen if you neglect this step. You can practice writing and persuasion skills in your mind. Practice makes perfect!

4. Write Like You Talk (KISS rule)

You can't write one sentence, right?

But you CAN talk non-stop about anything for a whole day, right?

Put your talk in writing. That's your masterpiece.

Simple, right?

It works! Keep It Simple Stupid. Write like you talk. Wite to your best friend. Write to your dream lover! You aren't afraid where to start, go and stop. What you say to your listeners is hypnotic and magic in print.

5. Make It Perfect

You can't achieve your goal with just one word or an attractive headline, right?

You can persuade anybody with your whole message. The sentence, structure and word combination make you a winner. You must think about the organization of your material. Every word. Every sentence. Every punctuation mark. Remember everything has a common function for your result. You are not training a MVP of the year. You must own a Dream Team.

Dont Rely on Your Spellchecker - or - The Importance of Good Proof Reading

Weather posting a page to your Website, writing a letter to a customer, or submitting an article for publication, it is extremely important to demonstrate how professional you are. Not only does a series of spelling and grammatical errors show a discourtesy to your readers, it makes you look amateurish. Potential customers will lose any trust they may have had in your business. Only a week or so ago, I read a classified ad asking me to visit their "sight" - needless to say I did not bother. If someone does not take care over their advertising, how reliable is the rest of their business?

Perhaps you are not very good at spelling - or typing - and your articles and letters are riddled with mistakes (probably when you were working for an employer you had a secretary to type your male) so, what are you going to do?

The first thing, but NOT the only thing, is to use your spellchecker. This is fine to get rid of the typos and obvious spelling mistakes, but does not correct any instances of you typing in the wrong word e.g. there (denoting a place) or their (belonging to them).

So, read your work back after you have written it. Many people find that actually reading out loud is a great way of spotting errors. If it is an important item, print it off and read it a little while after you have typed it. Ideally, get someone else to reed it and mark off any errors. When I was involved in publishing, it was always a strict rule, even with the most experienced writers, to get someone else to check their work. It is surprising how often one is unable to spot one's own mistakes.

So to summarise, use your spellchecker, re-read the item yourself, print out and proof read and ideally get someone else to do the proof reading.

One last point, make allowances for the fact that some articles are written in "British" English, as opposed to "American" English. So if you see colour spelled color, or centre spelled center, the author has not misspelled the word, he is just likely to be American (or at least has the American version of English on his spellchecker.)

Tips On Writing A Killer Sales Letter

Writing a sales letter doesn't have to be that difficult all you need is the right writing style and some tips to knock out a killer sales letter

Benefits The first thing you need to do is focus on the benefits the reader will find useful. Tell the reader what's in it for him. Promise them increased sales, better skin, better results in writing a resume or whatever it is that you're selling. Tell them how your product can help them. Don't beat around the bush and get right to the point. Stick to benefits, facts and features. Whatever you do don't be vague it will turn them off.

Give additional benefits. Show additional value other than main benefit. Give product/service features. Support benefit promises with product/service facts. Show how your company will help him. Don't start sounding arrogant and brag.

Writing Style: An emphasis should be placed on "you" and not "I". Use words like you and your, so that the reader feels you are writing for him. Write clearly. Make sure your reader doesn't have to think about what you're saying. Your main points must be understood immediately. Make yourself believable. Make sure your claims or representations appear to be realistic and believable. Don't promise a 200% increase in sales because most people won't believe it even if it's true! You must be able to back up your claims. Use repetition; repeat benefits throughout letter. Present the same ideas and benefits in different ways.

Ask for action. Ask the reader to place an order, return the sales envelope or the sales card or phone for more information. Give reasons to act now. For example: Make your offer time sensitive a limited supply, two-week sale, and special purchase. Most sales letters fail to do this.

Understand that people are emotionally motivated. They want to:

Make more money

Save money

Do a good job

Experience love

Have a satisfying home life

Get something for free

Look good

Use simple graphics to get the reader's attention:

Bullets

Dashes

Check boxes

Numbers

Asterisks

Some Things To Remember When Writing Your Sales Letter:

Put yourself in the reader's place. Note your reactions while reading the letter. Have your friends and associates give you their honest opinions. Don't tell them you wrote it! For some reason they think it's bad manners to criticize their friends. Look at their reactions if they roll their eyes then you need to rewrite your sales letter. If they ask you, "Where can I find this?" You got yourself a winner! Listen to any and all comments. Re-write any parts that turn others off.

Be logical when you state your argument. Don't try to fool them with outrageous claims that border on the fantastic. Your readers are too smart to fall for such trash.

When you begin writing your sales letter try to accentuate important statements using:

Underlines

Exclamation points

All capital letters (Careful here don't over do it)

Highlight with a second color (Yellow)

The very last thing that should appear on your sales letter is the P.S. Remind your customers of the time deadline and the limited supply of bonuses. Urge them to pick up the phone and call or order immediately. Your P.S. is often read first by customers. So entice them to read the letter by mentioning the free bonuses and the limited time offer. Remember to put a P.S. (post script) on all sales letters.

Sample P.S.

P.S. At $29.95 the Super Car Wax is an incredible bargain reserved for past customers only. Act now, and get a bonus super car glass cleaner yours free! While new customers are forced to pay $39.95 for this one of a kind car wax you get it at significant savings! Act Now by calling 800-123-4567

Pairs/Groups Of Words Often Confused - Part 3 of 6

ELICIT, ILLICIT

Elicit means to extract or draw out; illicit means not legal.

EVERYONE, EVERY ONE

Everyone means every person in a group; every one means each person and is always followed by "of".

"Everyone needs to know how to swim."

"Every one of you should be able to swim."

FAIR, FARE

Fair means average, good-looking, pale, unbiased (what a lot of meanings for one little word!); fare is the money you pay to go somewhere by bus, train, plane, taxi, etc. It can also refer to a passenger. As a verb it means do, as in:

"I didn't fare as well in my exams this year as I'd hoped."

FAZE, PHASE

The most common error is the use of phase when the writer means faze. To faze someone is to fluster or confuse them, whereas phase is mostly used in reference to a stage in someone's life--though it can be a stage in almost anything else:

"Like most children, Danny's going through a phase of refusing to eat his vegetables."

"Nothing fazes my mother, who can produce a meal for unexpected guests at a moment's notice."

FOREWORD, FORWARD

Foreword is the preface in a book, usually written by someone who is not the author; forward means ahead, near the front.

FORTH, FOURTH

Forth means forward; fourth is after "third".

FOUL, FOWL

Foul can mean dishonourable (by foul means), disgusting (a foul smell), entangle (rubbish dumped in the river can foul fishing lines); fowl is a bird.

GORILLA, GUERRILLA

Gorilla is a large ape; guerrilla is a particular kind of soldier.

HANGED, HUNG

A criminal is always hanged; a picture is hung:

"We hung the portrait where everybody could see it."

"John Smith was hanged yesterday at dawn."

Just remember, "I'll be hanged if they're going to hang me," and you won't forget the difference again!

HERD, HEARD

Herd is a group of animals; heard is the past tense of hear.

HERE, HEAR

Here refers to a location (as in "over here"). Hear is always what your ears do. I can't see why writers should get confused here, but they must do because I have seen this more than once. (And, no, that's not a sample sentence!)

IRREGARDLESS, REGARDLESS

There is no such word as irregardless; the correct word is regardless.

HOLE, WHOLE

Hole is an opening; whole means complete.

ITS, IT'S

This is confusing because possessives normally have an apostrophe, but in this case it's is short for it is and its is possessive--always.

"Its colour is green and it's quite beautiful."

Other possessives that don't have an apostrophe are theirs, hers, yours and his--though I doubt anyone is likely to try putting one in his!

Building Character

Names are important. Names give clues about us, where we live, who we are. In some cases they can even tell what we do! There is a certain ring about George W. Bush, you just know he's American! You can almost feel the Texan, and taste the oil

When selecting names try and make them suit the person and place, you might not think it but the name tells a lot about a character - think of Scrooge, of Judas - call someone by those names and people will just know what you mean. Location. Location. Location.

If you are writing a story set in the 1950's then check what names were been used then. A useful tip rent an old film and watch carefully the names in the credits at the end. Listen to what people are called in the film.

I like American gangster movies and get some of my names from popular movies of the day. I'll rent a Humphrey Bogart film and watch the credits. It's surprising the names you can come up with!

Pick names that ring true to the place you're writing about e.g. you would hardly have a Padrig in Spain - it's an Irish name. Tarquin Fortesque-Smythe could be from an American working class background, but you wouldn't think so from the name you'd probably say he belongs to the London G&T set.

Is your character 6, 16, 26, 36, or 76? Remember that people of different ages have different outlooks on life and different values. At 6 you're more interested in a new toy, at sixteen you're thinking of a living toy! At 36 you're worrying about the bills and at 76 - well I haven't got there yet! How would a 6 year old react on a day trip to Disneyworld, would a 76 year old go on it?

It is sometimes true that an author can write better about the opposite sex than they can about their own sex. You might want to give it a try.

Physical attributes and characteristics - a good exercise is to sit down and describe in detail what your character looks like: the colour of their hair, their eyes, what sort of build they are, what type of clothes they wear, what kind of footwear. Have they any obvious marks, scars etc. We have a habit of judging people by how they look.

Get to know your character as well as you know yourself. You may never use it but why not interview him/her. Ask them questions: questions about their life, what they like to eat, favorite films, favourite drinks, where they were on holidays last year, where are they going next year. Does he vote? Who does he vote for?

Blank Mind, Blank Screen: Need Ideas!

Q. I'm staring at a blank screen with an equally blank mind. I need an idea for tomorrow's newsletter. Help!

A. Most of us have too many ideas or too few. I've never met anyone with just the right number. Here's the secret: Once you start writing prolifically, you'll get ideas. Each idea will seem better than the one before. In fact, some ideas will be so good that you may be tempted to stop your current project and start over with the new idea!

Instead, keep a folder on your virtual or actual desktop or write ideas in a notebook. Some ideas age gracefully while others earn a decent burial.

But now let's say you're staring at a blank screen, desperate for an article for tomorrow's newsletter. What can you do? Here are five tips to get started.

1. Begin with your website's keywords. Let's say your site features "time management for stay-at-home-moms." You want to attract visitors who are searching on "parenting," "home" and "mothers." Write your keywords on top of a sheet of paper and free-associate. Busy. Homes. Housework. Hmmmaybe you can write about housework and time management?

2. Look around the room where you are working and choose an interesting object. For example, I see two sleeping cats and, through the window, a plant holder with the remains of my last gardening efforts.

My sad little plant could be a metaphor for some aspect of writing, such as ideas that die unless they're watered, fertilized and loved. Or it could be a reminder to focus on your strengths. Laziness often signals a lack of interest or skill. Let's face it, I'll never grow a nice pot of geraniums like the one my neighbors have.

Sleeping cats? Well, some images work better than others, and I've written a lot about my cats and my dog. Overuse of an image...hmm, there's an idea!

3. Call up a friend and describe what you're offering. Ask your friend, "What seems most unusual, puzzling or surprising about what I just said?"

Let's say you're an office organizer. Your friend says, "I didn't realize that people who cleared clutter often found their sales increasing. Can you convince me?" Given the state of my own office, I'd like to be convinced, too! You've got a winner here.

Heidi Challenger of Boise, Idaho, promises a year's guarantee for each home she sells. See http://www.movinglady.com/relolinks.html to find her site. Now there's a great idea for an article -- or several! What is a home guarantee? And why should we ask for one? Does Heidi have unique assets that allow her to offer a guarantee when other realtors can't? All these questions arise from her online advertisement -- and all could be developed into articles.

4. This one's my favorite. Ask your subscribers to contribute questions. You'll be sure your articles fit their interests. Last week's article on permission marketing came directly from a reader request and this week's article combines two queries. WL Ezine subscribers, take note!

5. Look at your calendar. What's the season? If you're writing for your own ezine, choose the current season or, if you're right on the border, next season. If you're writing for print media, ask the editors for a calendar. You may need to submit in June for a Christmas issue. You can go deeper, choosing month and even holiday within the month. You can get whimsical, writing about the astrological sign that governs this month.

Uncommon Advice for Beginning Novelists

1) Convince yourself you want to do something else. If you don't succeed, proceed to number 2.

2) Write what you don't know. Write what interests you. Fiction is about emotion not personal experience--that is a memoir. Truth comes from emotion. Write with passion.

3) Embrace rejections. Not literally unless it makes you feel good. Understand that they are as inevitable as bad hair days, gum on your shoe, and taxes. You're in the marketing business. Everyone will not buy your product, but eventually somebody will.

4) Procrastinate. You don't need to write every day. On some days just be idle. Use these days to fill up your creativity well. Take a long leisurely walk, organize your cupboards, read, buy the stationary you'll send to your fans, imagine a brilliant review and write it down, sketch your book cover with a blurb from an author you admire.

5) Write to make money. Poverty need not be a mandatory requirement of the writing life. Artistic expression is all well and good, but you need to eat. So write the books of your heart, but also understand the market and see if you can tailor some of your work to fit it. You can write your Great Novel on the side, but trust me it's very difficult to be creative when you're starving.

6) Skip the book and watch the movie. Especially, the movie versions of classic novels. The writing style has changed drastically in the past centuries. So writing like Charles Dickens or Henry James will not get you far in today's market. However, don't let it skip your notice that their books (or the rather movie versions of them) still capture contemporary movie audiences. Why? Because of the stories they tell.

Watching the movie of these books will help you learn how to develop your storytelling abilities. See what stands out, pay attention to what scenes linger in your mind, what dialogue makes you gasp or laugh out loud, what does the camera focus on? How does that enhance the tale? We live in an age where people are very visual; writing to that preference will help make your work successful.

7) Get into character. Use stick figures to lay out a scene, listen to the music a main character would listen to, wear a piece of clothing a character might like, write a diary enter for them. Photograph the area where your character lives; if your character comes from a different place, eat the regional foods they might eat. These activities will help you make your story and your characters come alive.

8) Laugh at yourself and the industry. Many authors like to offer dire warnings about the death of the mid-list, how publishers are consolidating, they bemoan the few options there are for new writers and how publishers promote only the lucky few. Yes, that's true, but you can be a happy author despite the industry.

Unfortunately, too many writers take themselves too seriously. We're a maudlin group despite available Prozac, alcohol and pills. It's a crazy life. It's supposed to be. We make up stories for a living! It's a Peter Pan profession like dancing and acting. You want to emotionally strip yourself naked and have people applaud. Isn't that bizarre?

So you can get discouraged, but you don't need to be depressed. Stories are needed. They keep our cultures alive.

9) Don't worry about promotion. If you haven't written a word, don't concern yourself with bookmarks, getting on national television, networking bookstores or the like. Anyone can sell an idea, find out if you can deliver.

10) Celebrate milestones that don't seem to count. Contest losses (can't win if you don't enter) bad drafts (at least you finished) rejections (at least you're in the game), $25 checks (at least you got paid to write), personal notes (someone read your work) and anything else that gets you closer to your publication goal.

Celebrate being a writer in every little way that you can. You deserve it.

Time to Write

SO YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER?

Many people have entertained the idea of being a writer. They feel the passion to write. They have a best-seller idea. They want to share their specialist knowledge with the rest of the world. Yet years go by and nothing happens. Why? The reason is almost always the same: they can't find the time to write.

Whether you want to write fictions, magazine articles, plays, screen plays, non-fiction books, children's stories, film scripts, radio scripts or commercial writings, one thing is for certain: if you want to be successful writer, you must write.

There are only 24 hours in a day and most of us lead hectic lifestyles which leave little time for luxury like sitting down to write. Family and job usually come first, and by the time the dishes have been washed and the children put to bed, chances are you're exhausted yourself and the writing will just have to be postponed until another time.

But if writing is important to you, then you must be disciplined and decide how you want to divide your time. You'll have to analyse your lifestyle and cross a few things off your list to free up time for your personal goals.

And it's not as difficult as you may think.

HOW TO MAKE TIME

If in doubt, cut it out

Record your daily activities in details for a week. Look at the list and eliminate those activities which do not contribute positively to your life. One such obvious activity is watching television. If you must watch it, at least try cutting the time spent on it. Watch it for one hour instead of two, and you'll have seven more hours to write every week. Don't watch it at all and you'll have fourteen extra hours!

If you spend long periods gossiping with friends on the phone, try cutting it down and using emails to keep in touch instead. I'm not suggesting you should cut off all contact with your friends, but if you want to be a successful writer, you'll have to sacrifice some of that gossip time.

Break out from the rut

Are you one of those people who go through their days by rote? Up at 7.30am, breakfast at 8.00am, set off for work at 8.30am, at work until 6.30pm, dinner and TV until 9.30pm, watch the news at 10.00pm and go to bed at 10.30pm? Do you follow the same schedule pretty much every day? Do you spend a lot of time doing something because you've always done it, not because you enjoy it or it makes a positive contribution to the quality of your life?

If that sounds like you, then try having a break from your set routine and be surprised at how much extra time you have. For example, you don't 'have to' watch the 10 o'clock news every evening. If you skip it for two nights a week you will have created some writing time for yourself. Perhaps you are one of those who can write with the radio on in the background. In that case, listen to the news on the radio while you're writing and kill two birds with one stone.

Sleep a little less

If you are a morning person, get up an hour earlier. If you're a night owl, go to bed an hour later. Pick a time at which you feel most creative.

Use your lunch hour

Don't write at your desk though because you're likely to be distracted by office activities or hassled by your boss about that urgent report. Escape to the back of your car, a cafй or the park to do your writing, anywhere where you won't be disturbed for a while.

If you work near a library then you are lucky. You can use your lunch hour to do research for your writing. Nowadays most libraries have internet facilities so you can also conduct online research.

Use your travel time

If you take the train or the bus to work, use that time productively rather than looking out of the window. Carry a notebook with you at all times to jot down ideas or even write your next chapter. Or print out a few pages of your writing for editing during this time. Look at your fellow passengers for ideas: one of them may be the perfect character for your novel.

If you drive to work, invest in a hand-held recorder. You can use it to record ideas, or to dictate your writing. Then when you get home all you have to do is play it back and type it in the computer.

De-clutter your life

Spend a few days clearing out the clutter in your life. By this I mean both the physical clutter around the house, and the emotional clutter which has prevented you from writing in the past. For example: how often have you said this to yourself?

"I will write when I feel happier about myself."
"I want to lose some weight first."
"I can't start writing until I've sorted out my relationship problems."
"I don't feel confident that I can write."

See what I'm getting at? Spring-cleaning your life is a good way to start a more disciplined and structured writing life.

Get support

Enlist the help of your family. Ask your partner or parents to look after the children once or twice a week. If you have older children, ask them to help with house chores for a small reward. That way they'll feel they're helping you with your writing, they get paid, the housework gets done, and you get to write for an hour or two. Everyone's happy.

Talk to your family and friends about your passion for writing. They may not understand what writers do, but at least they will be able to feel your passion for writing and provide the support you need. If they don't know you need support, you're not going to get it.

HOW TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE

Okay, now that you have freed up some time for writing, how do you make sure you use this time productively?

Establish a writing schedule

Writing is essentially a solitary activity. As a writer you need to be self-disciplined; nobody is going to make you sit down and write. In fact, your family and friends will be glad that you're not writing and are spending time with them. But to succeed as a writer, you must write. Having a writing schedule is an important step. If you don't schedule something, chances are it will get pushed to the bottom of your list and never get done.

Write every day if you can. Otherwise, aim to write on a regular basis: every two days, three times a week or whatever suits you. The important thing is to write regularly. The more you write regularly, the more your writing will flow.

Buy a wall calendar, highlight your writing time a week ahead and put it up where you can see it. If you're disciplined enough you can use a pocket or electronic diary, but make sure you do look at it and not just let it sit in the drawer. Stick to the plan the same way as you would other regular activities in your life. Don't make excuses for yourself.

If you can, write at the same time every day. Writing regularly at a specified time establishes a pattern, and is essential to building a schedule.

Pick a time to suit your lifestyle

If you want to write from midnight to two in the morning and get up at 10am, and it fits in with your lifestyle, then do it. Similarly you may want to go to bed at 9pm, get up at 4 in the morning and write until the children get out of bed.

Don't get distracted

Aim to do nothing but write during your scheduled writing time. Try not to get distracted by writing-related activities such as research, note-gathering, writing the outline, etc. Do these things at some other time, ie, read the book for your research at bed time. If you find yourself spending all your scheduled writing time in preparatory work and never get down to the actual writing, then you need to take a look at why you're actually avoiding writing.

Prepare for writing (if you need to)

If you have a demanding full-time job, you may still be in work mode and find it hard to relax when you get home. In that case you may need to do something to help ease you into a more productive mood for writing. Call it a transition phase if you like. Try the following:

o Do some gentle exercise
o Have a shower or a warm bath
o Spend 10 minutes with your children
o Read a few pages of a book
o Listen to some relaxing music for 10 minute
o Go for a short walk
o Enjoy a cup of tea in the garden

Don't over-do this bit though or you'll end up not writing.

Stick to the schedule no matter what

When it comes to your scheduled time to write, do it, even if your mind is completely blank and the last thing you want to do is sit down and write.

Don't worry about writing rubbish at first - even the greatest writers wrote rubbish sometime in their lives. Don't expect to create something worthy of publication each time. Even if you have only managed to produce garbage in a ten-minute slot, you have achieved something: you have written. As most writers know, beginning is the hardest part. Once you've started, it gets easier.

The bottom line is: don't spend too much time thinking about writing, write!

Be selfish

Put up a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on your door (if you write in a separate room), on your computer or on the back of your chair. Be selfish. Let your family know you are doing something for yourself for an hour or two, but you will emerge as the loving wife/mother or husband/father again in due course. Don't let guilt stop you from following your dreams.

Initially your family may ignore your sign, but don't give in the moment someone shouts: "Mum/dad, where's my ? (fill in the blank)", or "Honey could you get me my (fill in the blank)". Be strict. Don't make exception unless the house is on fire. They will get used to your schedule after a few days.

Look ahead

At the end of each writing session, set yourself a goal for the next one. This can be:

"I'll produce 500 words."
"I'll write 3 pages."
"I'll finish the first chapter."

Having a goal not only helps to motivate you, it will also minimise wasted time when you begin your next session.

No excuses

Don't use "I don't have time" as an excuse anymore. Remember, we tend to make time for something we really want to do. It all depends on how badly you want to become a writer; if your desire to write is strong enough, you will find the time.

Happy writing!

Zany Ideas That Increase Writing Productivity And Quality

Welcome to the zany ideas of a productive writer. My students keep reminding me of my unusual tools and how helpful they have been for them. I also thank my students for their concept testing and refinement. Now, I feel much more confidant about sending them out into the world.

For the next few minutes let your imagination run amuck. Okay, amuck is a little too far out there, so what about allowing an open mind for the time being. Afterwards, you can let your mind ruminate.

My office has a beautiful "u" shape ash wood desk that I'm proud of. Partially due to its price and uniqueness. It is here, I handle my emails, pay bills, read, coach, and edit there. Yet, I had difficulty setting the ground work for my writing. Tasks like creating first drafts, deciding on the major points, or creating a table of contents. Because of this I usually seek another environment that sparks these efforts.

Probably like yourself, I found my best ideas arrive when I'm in the shower, when I first wake, while driving, or while walking. Just to name a few. Let's take a short side trip, I want to share with you how I capture my thoughts during these light-bulb moments.

While walking I use a tape recorder on an adjustable camera strap around my neck. Voice activation and the mike pointed up towards your chin are musts. To start recording all you need to do is tuck in your chin and begin speaking. I say my name first usually because the first one or two words get lost while the recorder's activation mode kicks on. Heavy breathing or puffing, since it goes forward and not down, usually does not activate the recorder.

In the shower, I use a pen I purchased while visiting NASA in Florida. It can write in extreme temperatures and underwater. A grease pen works well if you don't mind writing large. It is also cheaper. Add a diver's under water board and you're ready.

For driving, I use the same method as I do for my walks. Normally the engine noise will activate the recorder if left on the seat. That is, unless you have a car that is perfectly quiet inside.

Okay, side track over, back to zany ideas.

During the day I found myself playing musical chairs when writing. At home and in the office. My lounge chair in my bedroom was right for personal journaling. Early outside sunrises was for new inspirations.

My living room recliner was good for brainstorming from reading. For writing personal development topics, the left seat of the couch next to a very large scenic picture window is the place. For long how tos, it was the dining room table or a specific McDonalds. I don't know if it was the smell of grease or the acoustics that lit a fire under my pen.

The library and its smell of old books make me tired and snoozy. Sometimes my mind felt too vibrant and jumpy with all the possibilities and paths open to me.

Do you like to stare out the window? Me too! I have an awesome view from my wall-to-wall office window. I use to think day dreaming on a topic wasn't productive but have found the openness feeling brings in expansiveness to my writings. As long as I'm not sitting at my desk while staring.

What can you do when you need to spark the imagination and you have already taken a shower? Do you take another? What about driving? With gas prices jumping skyward who wants to drive just to spark the creative bug.

Here are a few ideas on how to solve:

Buy a miniature waterfall to recreate the shower feel. Or use a sound devices that imitates a rambling brook or rain. Place it carefully where you want to fuel a particular type of muse. Turn it on, close your eyes, and place yourself in the shower. Toss some water on your face before hand if that helps. One of my clients, turns on the shower, sits in the bathroom for a few minutes to kick the process in, and then she moves to a chair.

Instead of driving, sit in the car with your left hand on the steering wheel, close your eyes, and imagine the movement, holding a pen in the right hand with paper balanced on your knee or on a board. If you are returning home do this after you have parked. The movement of the car will remain.

Some of these may be zany for you, some not. Spark your imagination, try new and different things. Try them at least three or four times and adapt to what feels right for that moment. Your writing productivity and creativity is sure to double.

An Inside Look at Proofreading

This is the ideal topic for us all to think about. We do it everyday, especially those of us that use the Internet the majority of the time. Web pages, business letters, articles, news releases, documentation and most certainly, advertisements.

I have at times found myself proofreading our local newspaper..and suspect their proofreader isn't necessarily paying attention to his or her work. I have found scores of web sites with the same problem. Terrible spelling and common grammatical errors are high on the list. Of course, some of us do not pay attention to these little details, but entrepreneurs look for imperfections in a web page.

Do we all know how to proofread? Not necessarily. Looking for misspelled words is scarcely enough to polish your workmanship and neither is applying capital letters where needed.

I am touching the surface with the most common proofreading DO's. You might think a little differently the next time you do the job.

1] Always proofread when you are at your daily peak. In other words, do not try it, if you are sleepy or distracted.You will definitely miss a number of errors. Proofreading requires concentration.

2] Read the selection through and then read it aloud. Read it to a friend and have them read it to you. Read it backwards..that's what I said. You'll be amazed at the errors in spelling you will encounter.

3] Use your computer's spell checker,but do not rely on it.Often, there are times the checker will find errors but the word meaning is different, such as "there" and "their". Use a dictionary to be sure of the correct meaning of a word. 4] The thesaurus is helpful,but again the range of words are limited,a book offers a broader list. Your choice of words does make a difference when others read what you have to offer, so go ahead and be choosy.

5] Be sure all beginning letters of a sentence are capitalized.Names of importance, within the sentence are a must to remember.

6] Look for sentence fragments, run ons and match subjects with verbs.

7] Check those simple small words, such as: of, it, in, is,for, be, and I.[I, should be a capital, regardless of where it is.]

Other important points in addition to the ones above are included below. These are not to be excluded and you may think this is a lot of unnecessary work, but isn't your piece important. You wouldn't be writing it, if it wasn't.

1] Do you have enough ideas incorporated into your selection?

2] Be sure you are not wandering away from the thesis.

3] Are you proving your point and is it interesting?

4] Is the content in order and does it flow smoothly?

5] Answer the following questions when you are proofreading.

A. Who?
B. What?
C. Where?
D. When?
E. Why?
If one of these are missing, then you need to go back and revise.

All of the above tips for proofreading are of the upmost importance even on a web page of your web site. The following tips are also helpful in the finishing touches of your site.

1] Start your inspection by checking to make sure all links work.

2] Look at the text and see if it is readable. If you can't see it,others cannot read it. The background may not be suitable.

3] Verify that all your information is up to date.

4] Is all the information in a sensible order, and delete or add information.

5] Use the scroll bar on the side to view one line at a time, either from the bottom or top. I find this very useful when reading, etc.

Proofreading has a nature of time consumption and if you do not have the time, find someone that does. It will boost your sales and your site will have a look of a professional.

I am not a professional and never claim to be, but I will proofread the following types of content, sent by email if you want a little help. I am not charging a enormous fee for the service. I have an Associate Degree in Accounting, and extensive courses in English, Business Communications, Ethics, and Public Speaking.

2nd Installment on Autobiography

ESSAY 2

Andre Malraux once said that what interested him in any person was "the human condition." Malraux was interested not so much in people's personality but, rather, in their "particular relationship with the world." He went on to say that he was interested in the "form and essence" of anyone with claims to greatness. If a person was saintly, what was the character of that saintliness. It was not only things, events in a person's life, that mattered to the exposition and analysis of the character, of the person--in determining the overall result of the autobiographical exercise. Perhaps the reason Malraux found the wider world, society, crucial in any delineation of autobiography was that he actually found himself uninteresting. Perhaps, writes the editor of this book Ralph Cohen, this was because Malraux had not learned the art of self-recreation.

To H.G. Wells an autobiography was a description of a man's effort to achieve his persona. This was no easy task because the persona changed frequently in life even in a day for some people. It was rarely a whole, a singular entity, he thought. So the autobiographical journey was an imperfect one or at least there existed various tensions between the inner and outer, the subjective and objective, the cross-cultural perspectives, that made the achievement of this persona, even in the long term into the evening of a person's life, difficult, complex and sometimes impossible to do through the written word. The explorer Scott, for example, gave up his journal because he felt it was making him into a solitary egoist. Anais Nin was advised to give up her diary because it caused her to withdraw and to be preoccupied with her own completeness. T.E. Lawrence wrote that living in two cultures, English and Arab, resulted in his loneliness and a certain madness, certainly no sense of wholeness.

"The suspended and wandering tonalities of the past," wrote Nabokov, are gathered by memory into its fold and memory makes innate and densely particularized harmonies from them. These harmonies are memory's supreme achievement. Writing an autobiography could be described as a rapid invention of the universe; all space and time, or at least selective portions of space and time, participate in the emotion of the autobiographer. An utter degradation, ridicule and horror is experienced, according to Nabokov, as a part of the infinity of sensation and thought that is the writer's experience--within the finite existence that is hisw or her life.

This infinity of sensation and thought is dealt with by autobiographers in different ways. A sense of place informs the memory of writers like Gide, Ruskin and Yeats. This sense of place usually has a human aspect or connection but, to writers like Sartre, the facts of place, of his life, make an imperceptible and shifting frontier. A sense of mission, a sense of that most familiar trio family-work-friends, a sense of obsession: there are various driving forces and activities that take that infinity of sensation and thought and skew it down some track. Memory, a frequently emphasized aspect of experience, provides the writer's only reality no matter what fills the spaces. A panoramic visual impression, an intense and mysterious continuity of sensation comes to replace past reality by means of the mechanism of memory. Perhaps part of this mysterious continuity provided by memory is conveyed by Dahlberg when he writes that "precisely as my life ceases to be solitary, it ceases to be distinct." For others, though, I think this distinctness is achieved as a result of the social not the solitary. Human interaction gives distinctness and specificity to life. For still others it is a mix of the two. Perhaps part of this mysterious continuity is the intermingled discontinuities which form autobiographical truth and these discontinuities can be born in many birth canals.

Some autobiographers are preoccupied, obsessed, with form. Memory imposes for each autobiographer spacial form. Gibbon found form so problematic that he left six "finely formed, differently focused, and overlapping fragments" or drafts or editions of his autobiography. Nothing was finalized. Henry Adams, who idolized Gibbon, wrote that "from cradle to grave this problem of running order through chaos, direction through space, discipline through freedom, unity through multiplicity, has been?the task of education." It is also the task of autobiography to achieve rich coherences, elegant if whimsical patterning and focusing and a working out of the laws of history, if any in fact exist.

Selectivity, of course, changes as memory's focus moves from childhood to adolescence. "The self," wrote Goethe, "is an irregularly moving expansion" an "ever-widening arc." Goethe had a lifelong tendency to use his imagination to put his mind at rest. He used poetry to fix that which was confused or unstable in himself, to repossess the past world, to achieve stasis through form. Writing autobiography involves a continuous refocusing of expectation and intention as each autobiographer "discovers his own fluctuating mixture of confession, apology and memoir."

In some ways an autobiography is a retrospective personal account of events that are unique and cataclysmic, significant and not-so-significant, experiences in a single life in the flow of history. Sometimes this autobiography is translated into the form of a memoir: Orwell's Homage to Catalonia and Mailer's Armies in the Night are examples of "personal accounts of events that are unique and significant parts of their lives." Each of these books centres its chief attention on the life of the author as it was lived. Not all of the life of the author is involved but, then, not all of a life is necessarily involved in any autobiography.

An obvious part of the life that is lived is the perceptions, the changes and varying intensities that make up that life. In some ways the task is like searching for a missing person, a buried treasure, a corpus delecti. The life of the subject lies in waiting to be discovered. Inevitably there are questions that can not be answered, aspects of life that are conjectural, portions of life that can not be recalled, no matter how much we discover and recollect. There are also facts that are beyond doubt, although their meaning is often multiple. Autobiographers are caught between two poles: the interest of the reader and the facts of their life, a certain inevitable thrust that the autobiography takes and the vast array of unobtrusive and contingent facts which send a life in a thousand directions. As the autobiographer writes, the reasons for things sometimes protrude, like previously unobserved finger posts. Causes, where they were never seen before, swim like a swarm of possibilities, like shades which might eventually cease to count or which might become significant, often nebulous, part of an endless exercise, give rise to the old tennis game: 'What would have happened if?' It is unavoidable.

Although I have pointed this out before, the social nature of our being, the sociological nature of our reality, needs to be given more stress than it normally is by autobiographers. Much of what we are, as the sociologist Emile Durkheim put it, comes to us from the outside and is beyond our control. We are determined by what is within as well as what is without, by grand passions as well as large impersonal forces. "We are all prompted," wrote Dr. Johnson, "by the same motives, all deceived by the same fallacies, all animated by hope, obstructed by danger, entangled by desire, seduced by pleasure." Of course, within this overall sameness and pattern, the degree, the extent, the variability is enormous. Autobiographers often underestimate the explanatory power of various factors in their lives: money, sex, ambition, history, etc. It would be difficult to overestimate these factors. Even when alone, for example, individuals are enclosed in a social group and "determined in their behaviour by the nature of their social being." The nature of the individual is intimately connected with group affiliations. For people like Cezanne the social world is seen as a mirror reflecting the glory he saw in himself.

Coleridge noted that people often strain after an unlivable identity, strive for what cannot be attained. Many aspects of life can only be achieved or known vicariously through some form or medium of the arts. However much the person strives for progress, coherence, a unified self and closure, disorder, discontinuity and patterns of distortion face the individual along the road. Mindless detail, sudden vivid glimpses even epiphanies exist along the same road. And we have to watch we don't overplay the epiphanies, as Bertrand Russell did in his autobiography. In some ways it is not what happens to us but what we make of what happens that is crucial. However important childhood is, autobiographers must watch they don't marginalize their adult experience. It is difficult to balance the various aspects of one's life; in many cases balance is not important.

It is not easy to alter habits and patterns of behaviour, what some might call one's nature. It is also not easy to set up some pattern of behaviour that allows one to persist in the study and development of a chosen line of work or interest and thus achieve that fulfillment that comes from love and work, two of the crucial aspects of life. Much attention can be devoted to this theme in an autobiography since this feature of life often occupies so much of the individual's attention. I trust in my third edition I can elaborate on this theme as well. Some are able to do it and not be distracted, Cezanne for one. He was able to withdraw from the group but yet remained dependent on it.

It is difficult to know what people really think of us; it is also difficult to know what we think of ourselves because this changes with the time of the day, the month and the years. William James says there is "a certain average tone of self-feeling" which we carry with us. As we chart our inner life often we pay little attention to the wider society. Jane Austen is a good example. In all her novels she hardly ever refers to what was going on in European history at the time. In her case it does not seem to matter.

The autobiographer can immerse himself in diaries and letters to give the account a strong sense of individual control. "Private documents are redolent with the feeling we almost all have of making choices and exercising our free will in ways that shape our lives," writes David Ellis. And so, he continues, "the impression these create must be balanced by a consideration of all the determing factors of background?.which suggest that the subject is not, and never has been, free at all."

Finally, autobiography serves as a stimulant, not an inhibitor, to biography. And so, I trust, all that I have put together here about my life may be useful to a future biographer as he attempts to discover the relationship between an emerging world religion and an individual caught by circumstance and by some element of personal choice in its world-embracing fold.