Before You Write

A writer writes, by definition. We often imagine that professional writers sit down and simply write, with beautiful strings of elegantly crafted words simply streaming onto the page or screen with an inhuman grace. Such a mental image couldnt be further from the truth. The reality of it is that writing is real work, a labor of care and love and obsession, with anything remotely graceful coming only after hour (if not days) of painstaking, plodding work. Even for most professionals, the art of writing is one filled with multiple drafts, numerous revisions and countless edits. Despite all of this, a few simple steps can reduce the time lost to labor and increase the speed with which completed articles go out the door.

The keys to efficient writing arent necessarily used when youre actually writing the article or polishing it for publication; instead, efficient writing begins before the writing even starts. The two keys to more efficient writing are planning and preparation. While such words may cause the artistic free spirit to balk, these two elements will often mean the difference between an extra week of writing the same article, or a fat paycheck for an article thats in under the deadline. The steps are simple, and just need to be followed.

Selecting a Topic Before you can write effective non-fiction, you must select a topic. Without a topic, you dont even have a direction in which to go. Very often, when a non-fiction writer speaks of writers block, that writer is really speaking about a lack of topic. Once a topic is chosen, fleshing it out is more a matter of cold logic than anything else.

Clarifying the Topic Once you have a topic, you have a broad, general direction to go in. While this may be enough to get you going, its rarely enough to base an article on. Often, our topics may be either too broad, encompassing too much information, losing any potential impact, or it may be too narrow, not leaving enough room for development. Ask yourself the following questions, with example answers given describing the article you're reading now:

- What is the general topic? (writing)

- What differentiates it from the rest of that topic (the pre-writing process)

- Who is my audience? (writers, mostly experienced amateurs, non-professionals)

- What is the purpose? (instruct writers on pre-writing)

- What does my audience need to know? (Details regarding the steps of the pre-writing process)

- What questions are there about the topic and the needed information?

Doing the Research Once you have clarified what your topic is, youll now have the beginnings of your information gathering. Continue asking yourself questions, looking at your topic from as many ways as possible. Looking at this list of questions, identify potential sources of information that you can turn to for answers. These may be individual experts, reference books, websites, and many more. As you answer the questions, look for additional questions that the audience wouldnt even know to ask, but still should know. As your information accumulates, you may find that some questions become unimportant, or unnecessary; other questions, like the original topic, may be either too broad or too narrow. Continue to research and revise until you are satisfied that every base has been covered.

Thinking and Planning Looking now at your clarified topic, your refined list of questions and the information youve accumulated through expert research, its time to think about your article. Bearing in mind both the intended audience for this article and the purpose, how might this information meet those needs? How should it be presented for maximum effect? How can this raw information be shaped into a marketable work of art? Now is the time to ponder these questions, and to find answers.

Making a List Finally, with all your prior work completed, make a list of the points that must be covered in your article. Sequence this list in the most effective manner you can so that it wont confuse readers or misrepresent your topic. List the points again, this time in sequence. Ta-da! You now have a step by step blue print for your article, with all of the necessary information laid out for you. Without a single visit from your muse or even one case of artistic distemper, youve built the majority of a great article, and youve done it quickly, and effectively.

Brian Westover is a freelance writer. In addition to writing articles for publication in standard print venues (such as magazines and newspapers), he is also a skilled copywriter, offering a variety of services to anyone who needs great online content, polished business writing in a professional format and editing and coaching to improve your own writing. In addition to his professional site, Brian also runs WriterSpot, a website dedicated to finding and organizing online resources for either the beginning writer or experienced writing professional.

How to Write More Articles

Does it take a lot of time for you to write an article, a single blog or to post them online? Do you take a lot of time to think about how to write an effective article? If your answer is 'yes' for the above-mentioned questions, then you should this article to get a solution for your problems. Whether you are a freelance writer, an article writer or a blog writer, you should be able to write effective articles in less time. If you are into a full time job as a web-writer then you need to manage your time in a manner in such a way that you write more articles in less time.

Here are few tips, which will help you to write an effective article or a blog quickly.

Stay focused

When you sit to write an online article, close down all other applications, as, they tend to distract your attention. For instance, the application that most commonly disrupts the working pace is chat application. Therefore, it is always better to close down all the chat windows, when you are writing an article. Other application that you should close down is the email window, as chatting email also tends to divert your attention. Close the browser application, which you open for reference work, immediately after you are through with your work. It is better that you stop checking blog traffic stats and Adsense earnings.

Exhaustive research

You should always do a little bit of research work before you begin to write the articles. This will help you to write an effectual article in less time. The research work will help you to enhance the quality of the articles and the articles will undoubtedly show the effort you have put in behind researching. Most of the articles that make it to the first page of the social bookmarking sites are well structured and researched. The research work will make you article factual, informative and will give a depth to your article.

Schedule yourself

Prepare a schedule before you begin your article, as it will help you to save on a lot of time. On the schedule, fix a time limit for every work that you will have to do because of the article. Assign maximum time for writing as writing the article will take most of your time. Also, allocate some time for research work, thinking a title and for deciding subtitles. By following this kind of a schedule, you can easily write an article in an hour.

Go for proof reading

It is important to do a proof reading after you have finished your article. Generally, most of the people leave out proof reading paucity of time or patience. Once you are through with your writing part, give it a reading and check whether there is any mistake or not. If you come across any mistake, rectify it.

Edit your work

The formatting works should be done once you are through with you writing. See to it that the images are at their place, give a caption to the pictures and acknowledge the person you want to. While editing see to it that the article is precise, concise and does not have fillers.

Writing high quality articles in few minutes is a difficult task, but you can easily master the art if you follow the above-mentioned points.

The author is dynamic web content writer and budding SEO. He has got the experience in writing quality content for various websites and getting them optimized too. You can view his website for more information

Writing a Powerful Summary Statement

Looking for new work? If you are, then I do not have to tell you how important it is to have an awesome resume. Tailoring our resumes to each new job posting is now a requirement. Recruiters spend less than 60 seconds scanning our resumes. The summary statement is an extremely powerful section. This collection of sentences plays a key role. It determines if the rest of our resume will be read. It determines whether or not we will be interviewed. It determines whether or not we will get the job. OK, it does not determine all that however it does determine if a recruiter will take the time to look at your accomplishments. Recruiters will not get to your great accomplishments with a weak summary statement. So how do you write one that will get noticed? Read on fellow job seekers.

1. Know what they want. Really understand the requirements of the position. Really understand them. Doing this well is the foundation for a great summary statement. Read the posting at least 10 times. Sometimes you can get to the point where you can almost read between the lines of the posting. This is a good spot to be in.
2. Make a list of the requirements and personal qualities. Get a piece of paper and a pen. Sit down and make a list of the requirements. List everything. Then list the personal qualities. Do not leave anything out.
3. Know your competitive advantage. Think about what you will bring to this position. Have you held similar positions in the past? Do you have transferable skills? You need to be very clear about this. Imagine yourself in a waiting room with 10 other job seekers all competing for your desired job. What will you say to the hiring manager? How will you do the job better than your competition? What have you accomplished in previous positions that directly relate to this one?
4. Tie your skills and experience to the position.Having a grasp on exactly what the employer wants and your competitive advantage will help you out here. Make sure that you are a match with the skills and experience. Can you make it so obvious that the recruiter does not have to think? Excellent!
5. Do not be modest. Forget about modesty. Feel good about your accomplishments and do not be shy about including them in your summary statement. This is important because we have a tendency to feel like we may be bragging. Repeat after me It is not bragging. It is not bragging. It is not bragging.
6. Avoid boring words. We all know about those overly used words that we should not include on the resume. These words show up in job postings however do not use them. These tired words will not impress a recruiter.
7. Get some input. Share your resume and job posting with a trusted friend or career counselor. This is a great way to get some valuable feedback. Do this before you send it out.

There you have it, fellow job seekers. Do you have an interesting resume story to share? Let me know.

Kathleen Johnson is a business development professional in Silicon Valley, California. Her profile and contact information is available on LinkedIn.

When a Writer's Vacation is Over

So, you took a few days' annual leave for the sake of your sanity. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

You might've slipped into a delicious pattern of sleeping late, and having mid-morning coffee at the kitchen table with your manuscript. Or maybe you explored a different part of the world for a couple of weeks, and came home bursting with new ideas and experiences. It doesn't matter what you do during annual leave; spending time away from the Day Job Monster is an unbelievable luxury, isn't it?

But when the glorious days of freedom draw to an end, you're facing a nasty little reality check. Because now you have to go back to work. The drums of impending doom are deafening.

Don't panic! There are ways to deal with the hateful experience of stepping from your real life back into the fluorescent office world. Here are six of the best.

1. Devote yourself to relaxation.

The night before you have to get back into the Monster race, go see the funniest movie in town. Spend the evening laughing and relaxing, rather than brooding and pacing. Have a glass of wine, or two. (But preferably not seven.) Deliberately create a state of mind that makes you feel good, and strong enough to face the inevitable despair of the next morning.

2. Sleep properly.

If you sleep badly the night before your first day back with the Day Job Monster, you pretty much guarantee the day will be worse than it has to be. If you're prone to worry-related insomnia, take some steps to make sure you don't lie awake all night.

Head off for a long walk in the early evening so that you're physically tired, take a long relaxing bath, or enter the escapist world of a gripping novel. There are a range of natural sleeping aids on the market as well; ask at your local pharmacy about effective herbal supplements.

3. Be unusually kind to yourself.

The first morning back at work will be tough. It's not the time to withdraw cold-turkey from coffee, or start a radical new starvation diet. Accept you might need some treats to even make it out your front door.

Freshly ground coffee, your favorite shirt, a warmed chocolate croissant, breakfast TV, what will it take? A morning like this qualifies as an emergency! It's not the moment to worry about pastry-related calories, or junk TV. You're creating a miracle by getting to work. Use whatever resources you need to make it happen.

4. Play some breakfast music.

What kind of music do you find most therapeutic? What lifts you up and makes you smile? Listen to your favorite CD - loudly - before you leave the house. Use the power of music to consciously alter your frame of mind for the better.

Why not listen to this uplifting CD on the way to work? Or at your desk with some headphones?

5. Celebrate not quitting before lunch.

When you've staggered through the morning and arrived at the halfway point of your first day back, it's time to celebrate. It's a monumental achievement, and by now you probably feel like you've climbed a mountain.

Reward yourself over lunch. Get out of the office, and find a truly superb gourmet sandwich, indulge in a little retail therapy, or catch up with a friend. Do not run errands. Not under any circumstances. Not today. Stand in line in the grocery store or post office tomorrow.

6. Affirm your priorities.

After lunch, you have the afternoon to get through. Remind yourself why you're working this job by doing something for your writing career. Schedule writing time into your work calendar immediately - plan what you'll do in your breaks and some of your lunch hours for the next month.

And keep a notebook within reach so you can scribble down a rough character sketch when a colleague displays a new type of dysfunctional behavior. What else from your daily work environment could you use as manuscript fodder?

Going back to work after a vacation is a true test of courage. It's a challenge adjusting to the strident lighting and the tedious nature of the Day Job Monster's world, there's no doubt about it. But the first day back is always the worst. Once you slot onto autopilot mode, it gets easier to go through the motions of the day, and then make it back to your real life.

Dr. Liz Hardy is a published author and professional Day Job Monster tamer. She can show you how to hold down a day job, and still find the time and energy for your real work, writing. She offers creative support for writers at http://www.dayjobmonster.com

Online Writing Therapy

Writing was invented for expressing, conveying and communicating. Whoever invented writing would have never thought what writing is going to do in future. We write down to learn as student, we type or write in office for office work, writers pour their feelings on paper and convert them into books. As hobby some people write their daily activities in paper diary or online diary on internet. Every one expresses themselves through writing in different ways. Writing is expression which brings out feelings and messages from your mind on paper or on your computer screen.

Doctors from certain parts of the world have been busy in researching about writing since 1970s, according to them; writing has certain advantage which is yet to be known to the world. The use of writing down feelings is "Therapy". It has certain medical advantages associated with it. Doctors have researched for many years and finally concluded that writing down feelings twenty minutes every day can cure many diseases. This technique is know as "Writing Therapy" it is just as if physiotherapy is done for physical exercises, writing therapy is very useful for keeping mind healthy and can help do wonders.

Writing therapy can cure diseases like depression, stress, cancer, asthma, different abuses etc. WT is helpful in developing a sense of recreation and identification. Writing helps in in identifying potential of one self. According to research conducted by Doctors, writing therapy sessions can help in overcoming fears by just writing out feelings on piece of paper, it also helps in identify the inner strengths and inborn sense of one self.

The purpose for writing therapy lies within the writer. Writer can pick different topics, then choose how to express feelings and in what time frame. Twenty minutes a day is a proven remedy. Writing therapy is useful method in re-creativity, self administration and also helps in improving wisdom by exploratory writing methods. Writing can help in get you started and can be launch pad for you. Writing will make you feel more in control of your self, utilizing twenty minutes a day will help you notice positive track records of your vital signs like heart rate, blood pressure, stress etc. Writing therapy has been proven very useful for prisoners as well. Now you can have writing therapy sessions on internet by using online journal. Write your feelings and live healthy life.

Conduct Online Writing therapy session through Online journal

My Book of Truth

Many years ago, when I was still in college, my mother sent me a newspaper article in which a woman described a nun who had influenced her during her years growing up in a Catholic school. She described her relationship with this wonderful lady who was also the school's librarian. Both being avid readers, they had found each other and connected through their mutual love of books.

The years past and time came for the writer to graduate and leave the school. The librarian nun gave her, as a graduation gift, a little journal. In this little book, the nun had recorded her thoughts over the course of many years. She based her entries on a simple concept. When she found something to be true, she would record it in her journal.

The writer admitted that at the time she received this precious gift, she was very young and did not truly appreciate its value.

Some years later, the writer heard that her dear friend had past away. Upon hearing this, she remembered the little journal. After some digging through things packed away, she found the little book. She opened it and for the first time read it for the jewel it was.

The insights she found recorded there by the quiet nun were so moving and astute that she, in turn, felt compelled to write an article and share the story with others.

Fortunately that was the article my mother sent me. I was captivated by the idea of recording what one found to be true, so I went out and purchased a new, crisp paged journal of my own.

Through the years, starting November 9, 1994 (first page inscription), I have plied the simple concept - when I find something to be true, I jot it down in my Book of Truth.

Now, more than fifteen years later, I have quite a collection, and from time to time, I will read through my book's pages. The entries serve me over and over as reminders of not only the events of my life which spawned the entries, but to act a reminder of the truths I have come to conclusion on.

I am reminded that although we are clever beings, capable of tremendous feats of grace, creativity, generosity, insight, gentleness, kindness and amazing intellectual leaps beyond, we can so easily forget the invaluable lessons cast our way over the course of a lifetime. We must, from time to time, be reminded of beauty, of peace and of truth.

My hope with this article is that perhaps upon reading this story, others will be inspired to start their own books of truth.

http://www.truthbeing.com

Distractions While Writing Articles; The Good, Bad and the Ugly

Many people who write articles and post them at online article submission web sites will listen to music while they work. This can be distracting and sometimes cause mistakes, although for some it can be very enjoyable. For others it can be a knowing and detracting.

On the other hand visuals like watching Discovery Channel, Wings, Weather Channel, Sci Fi, Movie Channel, Sports or News can also be enjoyable while writing and yet watching TV while writing will most definitely add to the number of errors in your articles. I have also noticed that my articles also come out differently. That is to say that the subject matter of whenever I am watching may end up setting the tone for my article. Then if I switch while in the middle of an article it seems to change the outcome a bit?

I know if you are watching a Docu-Drama, Action film or listening to music with lots of verbal irony, Country or some of the newer stuff then you must re-check your articles and be careful editing, otherwise too many mistakes. If you are writing lots of articles and also listening to music or watching TV while doing so then perhaps you need to look over your articles a little bit better to make sure you are saying what you really want to say. Please consider this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.