So, you'd like to be a writer? Congrats! Writing not only is a great way to express yourself, but can provide an income. Keep in mind not all writers make a fortune, some still cant quit their day job. Below are some tips to start your writing journey.
1. Start Writing
Okay, so this tip is obvious. For some, it's a question of what to write about, for others how to write. Write how and what you want. What kind of books do you like to read? Fiction, Mystery, science fiction, how to books? How about articles, reports, maybe you're interested in journalism. Whatever the case may be, to get your creative juices flowing, start writing! Don't worry about how it sounds, grammar or other mistakes, you can go back to fix these.
2. Join online and offline groups/message boards and chats
If you already know what you want to write about, consider joining writer groups at your local library, or online groups, along with message boards and chats. It's a great way to network with other writers and published authors. It's also a good place to share your work and receive feedback. Many places online are free to join, some require a membership which usually consist of a user name, e-mail address and password for your user name. Some request more information such as a name, address and sometimes phone number.
3. The Library
You've probably heard about some books that writers refer to, this could be writer markets, e-book publishing, self publishing and generally how to improve your writing. Bu what do you do when you can't afford to buy these books from your local bookstore or online? A trip to your library is the key. Many libraries carry writer resource books, which if you have a library card, are free. If you're living out of the area, the library may require a fee for membership. The book you're looking for may not always be at your local library, however libraries borrow from other libraries in and out of state. The method of receiving outside books is called Inter-Library Loan. Later on, if you find the book to be a great resource, you may be able to purchase a used copy online.
4. Researching
The Internet is also another good resource for information. Keep in mind that not every resource you find online is going to be an honest good resource. It will take time to sort out which websites are useful. Most information is free, so you can sit back and research in the comfort of your home. If you don't have a computer with Internet access, check your local library and see if you can use one of theirs.
5. Workshops
Workshops taught by experts is a great way to learn from the professionals, but only if you can afford it! Make sure the topic of the workshop is based around your interest. For instance, if you love fiction..it wouldn't be a good idea to go to a workshop based only on non-fiction. It's a good idea to register early to ensure a spot at the event. Bring a new legal pad, plus a few writing tools to take notes.
6. Contents
After writing a while, you may want to enter contents. Some require an entry fee. I suggest staying away from the entry fee contents until you've entered some other free ones. That way you can get a feel for how contests work. Spend some time writing and re-writing your entries. If you've written your entry in 5 or so minutes, th judges will notice it immediately. You wouldn't want a reputation for sloppy work.
There you are, 6 tips to get you started on your journey to writing. Good Luck!
Thanks Dale
http://dalesblogs.blogspot.com/
http://unityblog1.blogspot.com/
http://unityberrytree.blogspot.com/
http://www.MyBerryTree.com/bt53423
Showing posts with label how to. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how to. Show all posts
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
How To Write A Short Story (Part 4)
Writing short stories can be very valuable to building your writing career. Short stories are also a very quick way to put your feelings on paper. Starting to write short stories can be a tough endeavor but the more you write the better you will get. I’m almost half way into my 10 part series on how to write a short story. This will be the fourth edition on how to write stories.
Time To Pick A Point of View
You have to determine who is going to tell the story and how much information is available for the narrator to reveal in the story. There are three points of view that we will review. They are written from the perspective of first, second, or third person. The narrator may be involved subjectively or he can report the action objectively.
1. First Person
This style is usually the best choice for beginning writers because it is the easiest to write. The story is told in the “I” point of view. The narrator is either the main character or the secondary character telling the story around the protagonist.
2. Second Person
This puts the readers in the actual scene. This way they are able to confront possibilities directly. It’s important to put your characters in an understandable environment so that details that your readers need are not left out. The second person point of view is usually told directly by you.
3. Third Person
This is where the narrator knows everything about all the characters. The narrator may take sides in the conflict. Or it can be set in a position that you want your reader to challenge. The third person story is told in the “he,” “she,” or “it”.
For beginning reader’s first person is the best way to start your writing. However if you chose to write in one of the other point of views make sure you stick to it. Don’t mix your views. It takes a seasoned writer to be able to mix points of views and even then lots of writers have trouble with it.
This is the end of my fourth article on how to write a short story. I make these tips available because I think there is an author in everyone. Just because you write doesn’t mean you have to get paid for it. You should first and foremost write because you love it and everything will eventually fall into place.
Dale Mazurek
Dale is a professional on line writer whose writing is getting picked up and read more and more everyday. You can look at his writing blog here. http://stcajo-readshortstories.blogspot.com/ Two more of his very popular blogs can be found at http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/ or http://fishingtutor.blogspot.com/
Time To Pick A Point of View
You have to determine who is going to tell the story and how much information is available for the narrator to reveal in the story. There are three points of view that we will review. They are written from the perspective of first, second, or third person. The narrator may be involved subjectively or he can report the action objectively.
1. First Person
This style is usually the best choice for beginning writers because it is the easiest to write. The story is told in the “I” point of view. The narrator is either the main character or the secondary character telling the story around the protagonist.
2. Second Person
This puts the readers in the actual scene. This way they are able to confront possibilities directly. It’s important to put your characters in an understandable environment so that details that your readers need are not left out. The second person point of view is usually told directly by you.
3. Third Person
This is where the narrator knows everything about all the characters. The narrator may take sides in the conflict. Or it can be set in a position that you want your reader to challenge. The third person story is told in the “he,” “she,” or “it”.
For beginning reader’s first person is the best way to start your writing. However if you chose to write in one of the other point of views make sure you stick to it. Don’t mix your views. It takes a seasoned writer to be able to mix points of views and even then lots of writers have trouble with it.
This is the end of my fourth article on how to write a short story. I make these tips available because I think there is an author in everyone. Just because you write doesn’t mean you have to get paid for it. You should first and foremost write because you love it and everything will eventually fall into place.
Dale Mazurek
Dale is a professional on line writer whose writing is getting picked up and read more and more everyday. You can look at his writing blog here. http://stcajo-readshortstories.blogspot.com/ Two more of his very popular blogs can be found at http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/ or http://fishingtutor.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
How To Write In The Children’s Market (Part 3)
This is going to be my third article of many to come. The article series is the how to when it comes to writing in the children’s market. It is going to be a considerably long series so keep checking back for new updates.
Children hate it when they can’t check out the book they want because it’s going to be too hard for them to read. That as why as writers we write what’s called easy readers. There for kids that are in the in between stage of reading. There still developing their skills but they want to read. So we have to get them reading a good story through easy readers and then we will have them reading for life.
Easy readers are books that are a step up from picture books. Even though adults are still the primary buyers of easy readers the books themselves are intended for children in kindergarten to grade 3. An easy reader usually runs about 64 pages long and is formatted very differently. The story is usually divided into sections that are meant to resemble chapters.
There are some pictures in easy readers but they don’t mean as much as they did in picture books. Plots are kept simple by focusing on one main character and only one event. It is important to know that the characters must be children and children will always solve all conflicts. Kids at this age don’t mind reading cross gender stories.
You have to use humor, suspense or action to keep the children interested and keep the stories moving. You have to remember that these kids are just starting school so there is a whole new world opening up to them. There are so many topics to write about at this point. All you have to do is open your eyes and you can write about what you see.
Dialogue is used very freely when it comes to easy readers. Dialogue is a very important way to keep the story moving. It also helps to keep a lot of whit space on the page thus making it easier for the children to get through a page. You have to still use proper sentence structure but you have to keep them simple. There are no specified vocabulary lists because children are learning how to sound out words at this age. However you don’t want to make things too difficult.
To sum it up while developing an idea for your story make sure you keep the plot simple and limit your main characters to no more than 2. Once you are done your manuscript should be 20 to 25 double spaced pages.
Dale Mazurek
Dale works hard to help new people to the world of making money on line. You can go to his blog at http://dalesblogs.blogspot.com/ or check out the best program on line to get started with http://InsiderBlueprint.com/?id=1347 and http://mymoneydragon.com/member.php?id=8180
Children hate it when they can’t check out the book they want because it’s going to be too hard for them to read. That as why as writers we write what’s called easy readers. There for kids that are in the in between stage of reading. There still developing their skills but they want to read. So we have to get them reading a good story through easy readers and then we will have them reading for life.
Easy readers are books that are a step up from picture books. Even though adults are still the primary buyers of easy readers the books themselves are intended for children in kindergarten to grade 3. An easy reader usually runs about 64 pages long and is formatted very differently. The story is usually divided into sections that are meant to resemble chapters.
There are some pictures in easy readers but they don’t mean as much as they did in picture books. Plots are kept simple by focusing on one main character and only one event. It is important to know that the characters must be children and children will always solve all conflicts. Kids at this age don’t mind reading cross gender stories.
You have to use humor, suspense or action to keep the children interested and keep the stories moving. You have to remember that these kids are just starting school so there is a whole new world opening up to them. There are so many topics to write about at this point. All you have to do is open your eyes and you can write about what you see.
Dialogue is used very freely when it comes to easy readers. Dialogue is a very important way to keep the story moving. It also helps to keep a lot of whit space on the page thus making it easier for the children to get through a page. You have to still use proper sentence structure but you have to keep them simple. There are no specified vocabulary lists because children are learning how to sound out words at this age. However you don’t want to make things too difficult.
To sum it up while developing an idea for your story make sure you keep the plot simple and limit your main characters to no more than 2. Once you are done your manuscript should be 20 to 25 double spaced pages.
Dale Mazurek
Dale works hard to help new people to the world of making money on line. You can go to his blog at http://dalesblogs.blogspot.com/ or check out the best program on line to get started with http://InsiderBlueprint.com/?id=1347 and http://mymoneydragon.com/member.php?id=8180
Saturday, May 26, 2007
How To Write A Short Story (Part 3)
Writing short stories can be very valuable to building your writing career. Short stories are also a very quick way to put your feelings on paper. Starting to write short stories can be a tough endeavor but the more you write the better you will get. In the next couple of weeks I will be submitting a 10 part series on how to write your short story. This will be the third edition on how to write short stories.
You Have To Build Your Character
It is important to make your character bigger then real life. The key to this is knowing more about the character then you will ever need or use in your story. Below I will make a list of character traits that you should think about for your character.
Name, age, job, ethnicity, appearance, residence, something hated, secrets, strong memories, any illnesses, nervous gestures, sleep patterns, favorite colors, friends, favorite foods, drinking patterns, phobias, faults, pets, religion, hobbies, marital status, kids, temperament.
It’s really only important that you build all these traits for your character. The reader doesn’t have to know all of them but they will help you when you are making your character believable for your reader. There is however four important areas that your reader needs to know.
Appearance- Your reader does have to be able to visualize what your character looks like.
Actions- You have to describe actions so that your reader can understand what kind of person your character is.
Speech- Your character has to be always talking. This will develop him quicker as a character instead of just announcing important facts.
Thoughts- You have to show your characters memories, fears, hopes or whatever feelings you would like. This will bring your character into the readers mind.
This is just a brief outline into building an identity for your character that the reader can identify with and also believe in. This is the end of my third article on how to write a short story. I make these tips available because I think there is an author in everyone. Just because you write doesn’t mean you have to get paid for it. You should first and foremost write because you love it and everything will eventually fall into place.
Dale Mazurek
Dale is a professional on line writer. You can find his writing tips at http://stcajo-readshortstories.blogspot.com/ two of his other very popular blogs can be found at http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/ and http://fishingtutor.blogspot.com/
You Have To Build Your Character
It is important to make your character bigger then real life. The key to this is knowing more about the character then you will ever need or use in your story. Below I will make a list of character traits that you should think about for your character.
Name, age, job, ethnicity, appearance, residence, something hated, secrets, strong memories, any illnesses, nervous gestures, sleep patterns, favorite colors, friends, favorite foods, drinking patterns, phobias, faults, pets, religion, hobbies, marital status, kids, temperament.
It’s really only important that you build all these traits for your character. The reader doesn’t have to know all of them but they will help you when you are making your character believable for your reader. There is however four important areas that your reader needs to know.
Appearance- Your reader does have to be able to visualize what your character looks like.
Actions- You have to describe actions so that your reader can understand what kind of person your character is.
Speech- Your character has to be always talking. This will develop him quicker as a character instead of just announcing important facts.
Thoughts- You have to show your characters memories, fears, hopes or whatever feelings you would like. This will bring your character into the readers mind.
This is just a brief outline into building an identity for your character that the reader can identify with and also believe in. This is the end of my third article on how to write a short story. I make these tips available because I think there is an author in everyone. Just because you write doesn’t mean you have to get paid for it. You should first and foremost write because you love it and everything will eventually fall into place.
Dale Mazurek
Dale is a professional on line writer. You can find his writing tips at http://stcajo-readshortstories.blogspot.com/ two of his other very popular blogs can be found at http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/ and http://fishingtutor.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Writing Tid Bits
As novice writers we are always looking for little things to help our writing. In this article I am going to stray away from the serious side of the business and provide a number of tidbits that have to do with writing. Some are humorous, some are not. Some are useful and some are not. I hope you find them interesting.
1. Dewey Decimal
When using the Dewey Decimal System make sure you copy down the call number exactly as it appears in the card catalogue. Failing to do this will make it tough to find your book. It might even make it impossible.
2. Longest Sentence
What is the longest sentence in the world? In 1957 George Andrezeyevski wrote a book called Gates Of Paradise with no punctuation so technically this could be one long sentence. But Sylvester Hassel had a 3153 word sentence in the book History of the Church of God.
3. What is Writing
Writing is as much process as product. As a result, people often write to discover what they want to say. The process of writing can be an act of discovery, start out knowing where you’re going and get there just fine.
4. Study, Study, Study
It’s so important to study everything you read. Study opening paragraphs in newspaper and magazine articles. You might be surprised to discover that topic sentences such as statements of purpose often appear in the middle and end of paragraphs as well as in the beginning.
5. Speeches
Okay now you have to write a speech so this will help a little. When you write a speech, use punctuation not only to indicate the usual sentence breaks, but also to allow you to pause for emphasis when necessary.
There are hundreds of little points out there to help would be writers or even veteran writers. From time to time I will put out an article like this one and hopefully someone can take some of these tid bits and use them in their writing.
Dale Mazurek
Dale is a professional on line writer. He is also in the process of getting his first novel published. You can check out some of his very popular blogs at http://stcajo-readshortstories.blogspot.com/ or http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/ and his newest http://funtidbits.blogspot.com/
1. Dewey Decimal
When using the Dewey Decimal System make sure you copy down the call number exactly as it appears in the card catalogue. Failing to do this will make it tough to find your book. It might even make it impossible.
2. Longest Sentence
What is the longest sentence in the world? In 1957 George Andrezeyevski wrote a book called Gates Of Paradise with no punctuation so technically this could be one long sentence. But Sylvester Hassel had a 3153 word sentence in the book History of the Church of God.
3. What is Writing
Writing is as much process as product. As a result, people often write to discover what they want to say. The process of writing can be an act of discovery, start out knowing where you’re going and get there just fine.
4. Study, Study, Study
It’s so important to study everything you read. Study opening paragraphs in newspaper and magazine articles. You might be surprised to discover that topic sentences such as statements of purpose often appear in the middle and end of paragraphs as well as in the beginning.
5. Speeches
Okay now you have to write a speech so this will help a little. When you write a speech, use punctuation not only to indicate the usual sentence breaks, but also to allow you to pause for emphasis when necessary.
There are hundreds of little points out there to help would be writers or even veteran writers. From time to time I will put out an article like this one and hopefully someone can take some of these tid bits and use them in their writing.
Dale Mazurek
Dale is a professional on line writer. He is also in the process of getting his first novel published. You can check out some of his very popular blogs at http://stcajo-readshortstories.blogspot.com/ or http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/ and his newest http://funtidbits.blogspot.com/
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Writing Watches
Below is an article of rambling writing tips and interesting little tid bits. I could probably write an article a week directed at these. Some will help would be writers and some wont but one thing for sure is that most of them are interesting.
1. Footnote
A footnote is a complete bibliographical citation indicated by a number in the text. Endnotes follow the same format but are listed on a page at the end of the paper. Today’s great computer programs make them easy to prepare.
2. Paragraphs
Paragraphs in newspapers are most often one or two sentences long. Paragraphs in essays are far longer. Newspapers writers assume your not going to read the article all the way through. They keep their paragraphs punchy to keep you interested. Essay writers assume you’re in for the long haul. They have the luxury of writing more discursive passages.
3. English Is Different
All English isn’t the same. British English, used not only in Great Britain but also in India, the West Indies, and parts of Africa, uses some words and phrases differently from American English. For example, here are some common British words and the American equivalents: Lorry(truck), lift(elevator), bonnet(car hood), chips(French fries), crisps(snack chips), flat(apartment), barrister or solicitor(attorney or lawyer), nappy(diaper), mate(buddy), sweets(candy).
4. Expert Fields
Warning: The writer’s education and academic degrees must match the field in which he or she is claiming expertise. Having a medical degree in brain surgery, for example, doesn’t give someone the credentials to write about rocket science-or any other subject outside his or her field.
5. Friends Don’t Read Drafts
Thinking of asking a friend or a lover to read your drafts to help you edit them? It’s a great idea from your stand point, but your reader may not be as enthusiastic. British Prime Minister and writer Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881) had a standard reply unmatched for diplomatic ambiguity for people who sent him unsolicited manuscripts to read: “Many thanks; I shall lose no time in reading it.”
I hope you find some of these facts interesting and some of the tips useful. Keep watching for more articles with more and more tips and facts.
Dale Mazurek
Dale is a professional online writer and he is also in the process of getting his first novel published. You can have a look at three more of his very popular blogs at http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/ or http://fishingtutor.blogspot.com/ and http://affiliatemarketingfornewbies.blogspot.com/
1. Footnote
A footnote is a complete bibliographical citation indicated by a number in the text. Endnotes follow the same format but are listed on a page at the end of the paper. Today’s great computer programs make them easy to prepare.
2. Paragraphs
Paragraphs in newspapers are most often one or two sentences long. Paragraphs in essays are far longer. Newspapers writers assume your not going to read the article all the way through. They keep their paragraphs punchy to keep you interested. Essay writers assume you’re in for the long haul. They have the luxury of writing more discursive passages.
3. English Is Different
All English isn’t the same. British English, used not only in Great Britain but also in India, the West Indies, and parts of Africa, uses some words and phrases differently from American English. For example, here are some common British words and the American equivalents: Lorry(truck), lift(elevator), bonnet(car hood), chips(French fries), crisps(snack chips), flat(apartment), barrister or solicitor(attorney or lawyer), nappy(diaper), mate(buddy), sweets(candy).
4. Expert Fields
Warning: The writer’s education and academic degrees must match the field in which he or she is claiming expertise. Having a medical degree in brain surgery, for example, doesn’t give someone the credentials to write about rocket science-or any other subject outside his or her field.
5. Friends Don’t Read Drafts
Thinking of asking a friend or a lover to read your drafts to help you edit them? It’s a great idea from your stand point, but your reader may not be as enthusiastic. British Prime Minister and writer Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881) had a standard reply unmatched for diplomatic ambiguity for people who sent him unsolicited manuscripts to read: “Many thanks; I shall lose no time in reading it.”
I hope you find some of these facts interesting and some of the tips useful. Keep watching for more articles with more and more tips and facts.
Dale Mazurek
Dale is a professional online writer and he is also in the process of getting his first novel published. You can have a look at three more of his very popular blogs at http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/ or http://fishingtutor.blogspot.com/ and http://affiliatemarketingfornewbies.blogspot.com/
Writing What Nots
As novice writers we are always looking for that one big break that would help to jump start our careers. Sometimes we take things way to seriously and forget that writing at first is not about paying the bills. I love writing but let me tell you if I had to rely on it to pay the bills I would be living on the street. In this article I am going to point out some small tid bits about writing so sit back and enjoy.
1. The Paragraph
The paragraph first made its debut in the 1866 book Composition and Rhetoric, by Alexander Bain, a professor of rhetoric at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. Bain defined a paragraph as a “collection of sentences with unity of purpose.” Later, the paragraph came to be seen as a small-scale composition, a view we still hold today, due to the clear beginning, middle, and end that both share.
2. Plot
Plot is the arrangement of events in a story. Plots include the exposition, rising action, climax, and denouement (resolution).
3. Bake A Cake
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that writing is a neat process. It’s rather messy, like baking a cake. As you add each “ingredient,” You stir the whole thing around a lot to blend it altogether. If your paper looks sloppy, then you’re probably on the right track.
4. Some Formats
Paragraphs in essays, novels, short stories, and so on are normally indented 5 spaces. This is set automatically on your tab key. Business letters, in contrast, are often typed in “block format,” without indented paragraphs. Instead, you separate the paragraphs with a double space. When deciding whether or not to indent paragraphs in business documents, follow the style conventions used in your business or company.
5. Too Much
There’s such a thing as too much elaboration. You’re under no obligation to include everything you found. Don’t beat the topic to death.
If you look around you will find hundreds and hundreds of little tid bits like the ones here. In the future I will be writing more articles with more of these little helpers. If you choose to use any of them, that is entirely up to you but they are fun to read and discover where a lot of them come from.
Dale Mazurek
Dale is a professional on line writer. He is also in the process of getting his first novel published. You can check out some of his very popular blogs at http://stcajo-readshortstories.blogspot.com/ or http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/ and his newest http://funtidbits.blogspot.com/
1. The Paragraph
The paragraph first made its debut in the 1866 book Composition and Rhetoric, by Alexander Bain, a professor of rhetoric at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. Bain defined a paragraph as a “collection of sentences with unity of purpose.” Later, the paragraph came to be seen as a small-scale composition, a view we still hold today, due to the clear beginning, middle, and end that both share.
2. Plot
Plot is the arrangement of events in a story. Plots include the exposition, rising action, climax, and denouement (resolution).
3. Bake A Cake
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that writing is a neat process. It’s rather messy, like baking a cake. As you add each “ingredient,” You stir the whole thing around a lot to blend it altogether. If your paper looks sloppy, then you’re probably on the right track.
4. Some Formats
Paragraphs in essays, novels, short stories, and so on are normally indented 5 spaces. This is set automatically on your tab key. Business letters, in contrast, are often typed in “block format,” without indented paragraphs. Instead, you separate the paragraphs with a double space. When deciding whether or not to indent paragraphs in business documents, follow the style conventions used in your business or company.
5. Too Much
There’s such a thing as too much elaboration. You’re under no obligation to include everything you found. Don’t beat the topic to death.
If you look around you will find hundreds and hundreds of little tid bits like the ones here. In the future I will be writing more articles with more of these little helpers. If you choose to use any of them, that is entirely up to you but they are fun to read and discover where a lot of them come from.
Dale Mazurek
Dale is a professional on line writer. He is also in the process of getting his first novel published. You can check out some of his very popular blogs at http://stcajo-readshortstories.blogspot.com/ or http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/ and his newest http://funtidbits.blogspot.com/
Thursday, April 12, 2007
How To Write A Short Story (Part 2)
Writing short stories can be very valuable to your writing career. Short stories are also a very quick way to put your feelings on paper. Starting to write short stories can be a tough project but the more you write the better you will get. In the next couple of weeks I will be submitting a 10 part series on how to write short stories. This will be the second edition on how to write short stories.
First Paragraph Has To Be The Catchy One
Everyone today is reading but there reading fast. We live in such a high paced environment that people who do read need to be caught in the first paragraph or else there gone to the next story. The first paragraph has to be unusual. What happens has to be unexpected and full of conflict and action right from the beginning. It is a short story and the beginning is always close to the end so there is no room for being lazy when it comes to short stories.
The Rest Of The Paragraph
You have to figure out where your character fits in with the conflict and you have to introduce the protagonist and give a hint into how he is going to make things difficult.
Put It Together
Now the two parts have to be put together. It is important that you at least understand a bit about fiction before making the two come together. It’s not so different from preparing your favorite meal. It makes a big difference in the meal if you put the wrong ingredients as compared to the right ones. Your story is no different than this. As long as you put the right amount of rules in the right place then your first paragraph will be a great paragraph.
This is the end of my second article on how to write a short story. I make these tips available because I think there is an author in everyone. Just because you write doesn’t mean you have to get paid for it. You should first and foremost write because you love it and everything will eventually fall into place.
Dale Mazurek
Dale is in the process of getting his first novel published. You can read some of his short stories at http://stcajo-readshortstories.blogspot.com/ You can also check in on a couple of his interactive blogs at http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/ and http://fishingtutor.blogspot.com/
First Paragraph Has To Be The Catchy One
Everyone today is reading but there reading fast. We live in such a high paced environment that people who do read need to be caught in the first paragraph or else there gone to the next story. The first paragraph has to be unusual. What happens has to be unexpected and full of conflict and action right from the beginning. It is a short story and the beginning is always close to the end so there is no room for being lazy when it comes to short stories.
The Rest Of The Paragraph
You have to figure out where your character fits in with the conflict and you have to introduce the protagonist and give a hint into how he is going to make things difficult.
Put It Together
Now the two parts have to be put together. It is important that you at least understand a bit about fiction before making the two come together. It’s not so different from preparing your favorite meal. It makes a big difference in the meal if you put the wrong ingredients as compared to the right ones. Your story is no different than this. As long as you put the right amount of rules in the right place then your first paragraph will be a great paragraph.
This is the end of my second article on how to write a short story. I make these tips available because I think there is an author in everyone. Just because you write doesn’t mean you have to get paid for it. You should first and foremost write because you love it and everything will eventually fall into place.
Dale Mazurek
Dale is in the process of getting his first novel published. You can read some of his short stories at http://stcajo-readshortstories.blogspot.com/ You can also check in on a couple of his interactive blogs at http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/ and http://fishingtutor.blogspot.com/
Friday, April 6, 2007
How To Write A Short Story (Part 1)
Writing short stories can be very valuable to your writing career. Short stories are also very quick ways to put on paper what you’re feeling about something. Starting to write short stories can be a tough project but the more you write the better you will get at it. In the next couple of weeks I will be submitting a 10 part series on how to write your short stories. This will be the first edition on writing short stories.
Getting Started
1. Write your list without stopping. Figure out your plots, tones and characters. Develop these things from things you know. Use things that make you smile and things that make you angry or sad. Now a story is starting to develop around your ideas.
2. Think about times in your life that were stressful or happy. Pick a few of them and write a paragraph on each one.
3. Choose a word that is going to be the main word of your story. Write it in the middle of the page and then start writing around it. Write any other words that come to mind and just keep writing. When you are sure your done you can circle all the words that you think link together and that you are going to use in your story.
4. Keep everything that you write. It doesn’t matter how messy or organized it is just make sure you keep it so you can look back and possibly use some of the material in future writings.
5. It doesn’t matter how you feel. You have to sit down and write every day. It can be for ten minutes or 4 hours. That doesn’t matter as long as you are writing something every day.
6. Don’t be scared to use other people’s stories. I don’t mean plagiarizing but I mean listening. Just listen to what people are saying. The stories people have can be very interesting and can be great topics for your short stories.
7. Read every day. I don’t care how much or what but you should be reading every day. This will give you insight into what other people are writing about plus it will show you different styles of writing. You cannot be successful at writing if you don’t read.
This is the end of my first article on how to write a short story. I make these tips available because I think there is an author in everyone. Just because you write doesn’t mean you have to get paid for it. You should first and foremost write because you love it and everything will eventually fall into place.
Dale Mazurek
Dale is in the process of getting his first novel published. You can read some of his short stories and more writing tips at his writing blog at http://stcajo-readshortstories.blogspot.com/ You can also check in on a couple of his interactive blogs at http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/ and http://fishingtutor.blogspot.com/
Getting Started
1. Write your list without stopping. Figure out your plots, tones and characters. Develop these things from things you know. Use things that make you smile and things that make you angry or sad. Now a story is starting to develop around your ideas.
2. Think about times in your life that were stressful or happy. Pick a few of them and write a paragraph on each one.
3. Choose a word that is going to be the main word of your story. Write it in the middle of the page and then start writing around it. Write any other words that come to mind and just keep writing. When you are sure your done you can circle all the words that you think link together and that you are going to use in your story.
4. Keep everything that you write. It doesn’t matter how messy or organized it is just make sure you keep it so you can look back and possibly use some of the material in future writings.
5. It doesn’t matter how you feel. You have to sit down and write every day. It can be for ten minutes or 4 hours. That doesn’t matter as long as you are writing something every day.
6. Don’t be scared to use other people’s stories. I don’t mean plagiarizing but I mean listening. Just listen to what people are saying. The stories people have can be very interesting and can be great topics for your short stories.
7. Read every day. I don’t care how much or what but you should be reading every day. This will give you insight into what other people are writing about plus it will show you different styles of writing. You cannot be successful at writing if you don’t read.
This is the end of my first article on how to write a short story. I make these tips available because I think there is an author in everyone. Just because you write doesn’t mean you have to get paid for it. You should first and foremost write because you love it and everything will eventually fall into place.
Dale Mazurek
Dale is in the process of getting his first novel published. You can read some of his short stories and more writing tips at his writing blog at http://stcajo-readshortstories.blogspot.com/ You can also check in on a couple of his interactive blogs at http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/ and http://fishingtutor.blogspot.com/
Saturday, March 24, 2007
How To Write An Internet Press Release (Part 1)
Press release are a great way to let the entire internet world about something big that just happened or something big that is about to happen. Maybe your organization has just won a major award for something. Or maybe you are about to launch a new product. Press releases get indexed by the search engines and help you to achieve your number one goal and that is to drive traffic to your site or sites. Personally I use press releases just before I am about to start another large article series. Many of my series are 10 to twenty articles long.
Why Should You Write Them
Writing press releases can be very beneficial to your business in so many ways. Many editors will look at your press release. If they feel it is going to get people interested then they will publish it into their ezines. By doing that you are ensuring yourself free traffic. It is also another link to your website and most of us know what that means. The more positive links you have to your site the more times the search engines are going to pick it up thus moving it higher in the rankings. Finally I would like to think you are running an honest no scam business. By issuing press releases you can keep your business fresh. Your loyal customers will see the growth and remain loyal while knew customers will realize that this is possibly something they should be looking at.
How Should I Write Them.
Well practise does make perfect. The more you write the better you will get at it. The most important thing you have to remember is that a press release is not meant to be an advertisement. If you want to put it out that way chances are it will get rejected and even if it does get released publishers won’t be interested because they are looking for content that will provide value for their readers. You’re not writing a book. You want to keep your releases to one page and two at a maximum. Don’t wreck your credibility with the publishers and readers. Just be honest. You can use some hype but don’t lie or embellish. You also want to be straight forward and to the point. A press release isn’t the place to pretty up your story. Write it in a way that everyone can understand. You have to remember your going to have everyone from teenage dropouts to doctors reading your press release. I don’t care what you are selling you need to make your press release go out to everyone. If it is directed towards a certain audience it’s going to look too much like an advertisement.
For me press releases have become a great source of traffic. Especially when I am about to start a new article series. Anyone who has read my prior series usually watch for the next one to come out and with the right keywords anyone looking for something in particular might come along my release thus possibly adding another customer.
Dale Mazurek
Dale is quickly becoming known for his articles and straightforward business sense. He is an expert article submitter http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dale_Mazurek
He has also started two interactive blogs that are getting lots of new traffic. http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/ and http://fishingtutor.blogspot.com/
This is the first article of two on how and why you should issue press releases. It is just another very helpful tool that can be used to promote your business greatly if used properly.
Why Should You Write Them
Writing press releases can be very beneficial to your business in so many ways. Many editors will look at your press release. If they feel it is going to get people interested then they will publish it into their ezines. By doing that you are ensuring yourself free traffic. It is also another link to your website and most of us know what that means. The more positive links you have to your site the more times the search engines are going to pick it up thus moving it higher in the rankings. Finally I would like to think you are running an honest no scam business. By issuing press releases you can keep your business fresh. Your loyal customers will see the growth and remain loyal while knew customers will realize that this is possibly something they should be looking at.
How Should I Write Them.
Well practise does make perfect. The more you write the better you will get at it. The most important thing you have to remember is that a press release is not meant to be an advertisement. If you want to put it out that way chances are it will get rejected and even if it does get released publishers won’t be interested because they are looking for content that will provide value for their readers. You’re not writing a book. You want to keep your releases to one page and two at a maximum. Don’t wreck your credibility with the publishers and readers. Just be honest. You can use some hype but don’t lie or embellish. You also want to be straight forward and to the point. A press release isn’t the place to pretty up your story. Write it in a way that everyone can understand. You have to remember your going to have everyone from teenage dropouts to doctors reading your press release. I don’t care what you are selling you need to make your press release go out to everyone. If it is directed towards a certain audience it’s going to look too much like an advertisement.
For me press releases have become a great source of traffic. Especially when I am about to start a new article series. Anyone who has read my prior series usually watch for the next one to come out and with the right keywords anyone looking for something in particular might come along my release thus possibly adding another customer.
Dale Mazurek
Dale is quickly becoming known for his articles and straightforward business sense. He is an expert article submitter http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dale_Mazurek
He has also started two interactive blogs that are getting lots of new traffic. http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/ and http://fishingtutor.blogspot.com/
This is the first article of two on how and why you should issue press releases. It is just another very helpful tool that can be used to promote your business greatly if used properly.
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