Friday, December 7, 2012

Writing Articles For Publication - What You Should Know

Most articles are written for publication, either online or in print. Many people are writing articles for publication, especially on the Internet. Some of these articles are great to read; others are just total waste of time for those who write and those who read them. Some of these horrible articles come about because writers refuse to follow certain basic rules regarding writing articles for publication. Here are some of these basic principles.

Draft your articles first

The first thing to do when writing articles for publication is to draft them. The draft could be done in any format: as a text file, word file or handwritten (which is actually getting outmoded). This allows you to put down all the ideas in your mind quickly as they come to you. You then have them ready for editing and proofreading. You must always resist the temptation of publishing your articles prematurely. This temptation is great because publishing articles on the net could just take a few minutes.

Writing Articles For Publication - What You Should Know

Edit and proofread

The next step is to edit your article and proofread them. This should not be done immediately after drafting your article. It is ideal that you wait for at least a day or two before editing your article. This is because the ideas are still fresh in your mind, and you are somehow excited just after finishing drafting. You will not be critical in your reading. But after a day, you will be able to discover the omissions and spelling and grammar mistakes you made. You will even realize that some of your sentences should be redone. If you don't want to wait, then you can let someone do this for you. You cannot avoid this when writing articles for publication.

Make articles interesting to read

When writing articles for publication, you should bear in mind that the reader is not obliged to read. It is an essay for your High School or College teacher who must read whatever boring piece you produce in order to award you marks. You will have to entice your reader to read. This means that your article should be fun to read. You must know how to capture your reader and make him/her stay with you until they finish reading. Even if you are writing about very serious topics, you can still find ways of adding fun to it.

Your style should match your content

The style of writing you choose is a very important part of writing articles for websites. There are certain topics such as "How-to's" which will demand the use of the conversational/instructional style. You can't write pieces of this nature in a third person neutral style. Your style makes the article easy to understand.

Remember that writing articles for publication is a serious business. If you want to improve your readership, then you can't take the above points for granted.

Writing Articles For Publication - What You Should Know
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Stan Ashton is a marketeer and specialists in the marketing and supplying of high quality information products to entrepreneurs and small businesses globally. A management consultant since 2003 I also have a Diploma in training and development.

Article by Stan Ashton. Did you like this article? Then I'd like to offer you my free report on 7 ways to profit with articles. Grab your free copy here: http://www.profitswitharticles.com/

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Monday, December 3, 2012

Public Speaking - 5 Tips for Getting Past the Ums And Ahs So Your Message Gets Through Loud & Clear

Public speaking is a powerful way for a solo professional or small business owner to market your business. So is presenting teleseminars. But what happens when you get stuck saying too many ums and ahs? Should you quit speaking in favor of other marketing methods? Here is an actual panicked message I received from a client followed by my response:

"Help! I just listened to myself speak on a recording and I had to stop it within a minute. The Ummmss and Ahhhss were horrendous -- 4 or 5 within that time frame! I plan to conduct many teleseminars and do public speaking and this just has to stop now."

Here are the top 5 most effective ways to get past the ums so your message comes through loud and clear:

Public Speaking - 5 Tips for Getting Past the Ums And Ahs So Your Message Gets Through Loud & Clear

1.Practice Out Loud

If you have a tendency to um and uh, the reason is often because you have an idea of what you want to say next, but you're not totally certain. So you insert a verbal filler to fill the space while you figure out the next word. Practicing out loud will get you to the point where you are completely comfortable with what you're saying, and therefore not have the need to um or uh (or at least greatly reduce it). If you plan on delivering the same material multiple times, you'll have to practice much less often as you gain more experience. If you can, record yourself while practicing so you can hear where you tend to um and uh the most.

2. Work From Detailed Notes and Not a Script

You'd think a word-for-word script would make it easier to stop the ums... and it can. But only if you have experience making a script sound natural. Otherwise you'll sound like you're reading. That's the opposite extreme of um and uh and sounds just as bad.

3. Be Aware

This is important. Many people have no idea they rely on verbal pauses or disfluencies until they hear themselves on a recording. The first step in overcoming from any addiction is to recognize and acknowledge you have one. And truly, people who say um and uh too much are addicted to their crutch words. Simply knowing you make this mistake will get you that much closer to stopping it.

4. Pay Attention

Listen to yourself as you present your speech or teleseminar. Do not think about anything else other than what you are saying, how you are saying it and your audience: IN THAT MOMENT. People will um and uh when they are distracted from their planned comments. For example, while on a teleseminar, shut down your email and other instant message features so you won't be visually interrupted (sometimes just the sound of those things can distract you enough to trigger an um.) Don't try to multi-task while leading a call or doing any type of presentation.

5. Connect with Your Audience

Here's a fun test to do the next time you're practicing with a friend: try to say um while making direct eye contact. It's nearly impossible. Why? Because you're having a conversation and um isn't a word. Um doesn't fit and doesn't make sense. While you're having a 1:1 conversation, you would likely avoid um and uh. Make your presentations much more conversational and your um and uh will disappear.

Is it crucial to get rid of all the ums and uhs? Experts disagree, but in my decades of experience as a speaker, audience member, and instructor, I haven't thought less of a speaker who had outstanding content with an occasional um or uh. You don't have to eliminate every um and uh when the rest of your message is solid. The time to get concerned is when your audience is listening for your next um instead of paying attention to your message. So fix what you can, give yourself a break, and um, keep on public speaking.

Public Speaking - 5 Tips for Getting Past the Ums And Ahs So Your Message Gets Through Loud & Clear
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Public speaking is one important way to increase your credibility as a small or home-based business owner. I invite you to discover how to Increase Business by Communicating Your Credibility now. You'll get this FREE e-course designed to help you attract more business and get more cash flow. Pick it up here: http://www.communicationtransformation.com/creating-credibility-ecourse.html

If you'd like to learn more about using public speaking to market your business, visit [http://www.CashInOnSpeaking.com] . You'll learn everything you need to know from how to choose a topic, how to best organize your speech to get instant results, and where to go to get booked to speak.

Felicia J. Slattery, M.A., M.Ad.Ed. is a communication consultant, speaker & coach specializing in training small and home-based business owners effective communication skills so they can see more cash flow now.

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Saturday, December 1, 2012

Technical Writing - The Difference Between a Process and a Procedure

In Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1, Act III, Scene 1, in an argument about how to divide a piece of land, one character says that he'll "cavil on the ninth part of a hair." Cavil means to quibble over an unimportant point. Even better, it's a really annoying and trivial objection. The reason for mentioning this is because there's often a fine line between caviling and getting it technically right. Here at The Tech Writer's Tool Kit, the general view is that every word has a specific meaning and no two words ever have exactly the same meaning. Is it a cavil to insist that there's an important difference between a procedure and a process? They both mean a way to get something done. Is changing a tire a process or a procedure? Did you just go through the (process or procedure) of refinancing your home?

Procedure - The dictionary gives the etymology of procedure as a French word, procédure, from proceder which means to proceed. To proceed is defined, simply, as to go forward and procedure is defined as a manner of proceeding. We have to go beyond simple definition to usage. In American English, the word is used, most often, to designate a unique type of undertaking. So, we have medical procedure and nomination procedure. A procedure, then, is a single activity, consisting of multiple steps, performed to accomplish a specific outcome. - This is the procedure we use to elect our officers.- The doctor said the procedure is simple enough to be done in his office.- It's a long and complicated procedure that must be performed carefully.

Process - Starting with the dictionary for the etymology, we do kind of a loop around to find out process comes through Middle English and Old French from Latin prMcdere that means to advance or proceed. Sounds a lot like procedure. But, the definition of process shows a difference. It says a process is a series of actions that bring about a result. In most cases, that result is a completed procedure. The distinction holds up in general usage in a number of fields. For example, we talk about a hair coloring process, events now in process, and processing an order. In Law, process is defined as the whole judicial proceeding (procedure). In Engineering, the steps in changing iron into steel is a process. In Computer Science, it means performing operations on data, which is done by a processor.

Technical Writing - The Difference Between a Process and a Procedure

Based on general usage, then: - a procedure is a total operation - the complete set of actions - that results in some desired outcome- a process is the series of individual steps within the procedure that is followed to achieve the outcome The difference is that you must follow a process in order to complete a procedure. That would mean that saying, "The process of getting a haircut is boring" doesn't mean the same as saying, "The procedure of getting a haircut is boring." It depends on whether you're saying that the individual steps are boring or the whole operation boring. Two different words: two different meanings? We think so. What about you?

Technical Writing - The Difference Between a Process and a Procedure
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If you can write a simple sentence and organize your thoughts then technical writing may be a rewarding field. You can easily make it a second income stream in your spare time.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average salary for technical writers is ,380. Freelance technical writers can make from to per hour.

The field of technical writing is like a golden city. It's filled with wealth, rewards and opportunities. After learning technical writing you can branch out into business writing, marketing writing and communications writing. All of these can become additional income streams.

But to succeed you must learn how to market yourself to clients. You have to prove to them that you are an invaluable asset. That's where ProTech - Your Fast Track to Becoming a Successful Technical Writer can help. It's a technical writing course that does two equally important things:

1. It teaches you the skills to become a technical writer in the shortest time frame. You'll learn to create manuals, procedures, tutorials, processes, proposals, spec sheets and other documents that businesses need.

2. It shows you how to market yourself to clients so you can start your income stream as soon as possible.

In fact, you'll get a complete marketing toolkit which has templates and technical writing job sites to get started immediately!

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Technical Writing - How to Format Your Technical Documents Consistently With a Template?

Consistency of a technical documentation is what creates that subliminal sense of trust and confidence in the end-users.

Someone once quipped: "it ain't technical documentation if it ain't boring." This of course is not literally true since I always found technical documents very interesting indeed.

However, this quip reflects the truth that a technical document must be "boringly consistent" in order to be taken seriously. I could also say "religiously consistent" as the phrase goes, but I thought I might inadvertently offend someone and that certainly is not my intention here.

Technical Writing - How to Format Your Technical Documents Consistently With a Template?

Just ask yourself: would you trust an airplane maintenance manual that has missing page numbers, has chapter headings printed in different fonts and sizes, has differently formatted figure captions for consecutively printed figures (like "Figure 2-14" on one page, and "FIGURE 15" on next)?

Consistency all starts with a document TEMPLATE.

It is harder to shift between different page templates if you are using MS Word as your main text editing program, and much easier if you are using Framemaker or InDesign since the last two are built on the "Master Pages" concept. But a page template is what you definitely must have.

When you have a template, you have consistent margins, sidebars, headers and footers, for starters. You have consistent page numbering and column, and page gutter(s) if you have more than one column.

If your text editor allows you to create Master Pages, I'd recommend you to create a document template starting off with the following 5 types of pages (assuming you are writing a book):

1) Front Cover.
2) First Page.
3) Right Page.
4) Left Page.
5) Back Cover.

And it wouldn't hurt at all of you design templates (Master Pages) for the following types of special pages as well:

6) Front Matter.
7) TOC.
8) List of Tables and Figures.
9) Index.

Have a template first before structuring your information. It's a must. "Don't leave home without it," as one credit card commercial used to say.

Technical Writing - How to Format Your Technical Documents Consistently With a Template?
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Friday, November 23, 2012

Writing And Speaking Good English - How to Use Participles Correctly

Let us see how a misplaced participle spoils the spirit of the meaning of a sentence and how thereby it renders bad English.

1) Sitting on the gate, a serpent stung her. Here the participle 'sitting' appears to qualify a serpent whereas it should rightly qualify 'her' and the sentence should be written as ' while she was sitting on the gate, a serpent stung her'.

2) Driven to fury, the tyrant was charged by the mob. Here the correct relation is between 'driven to fury' and 'mob' and therefore 'driven to fury' should be near to 'mob'. The correct sentence therefore would be, ' driven to fury, the mob charged the tyrant'.

Writing And Speaking Good English - How to Use Participles Correctly

3) Entering the temple, an explosive sound was heard. The correct way here would be, when I entered the temple, an explosive sound was heard.

Proper use of 'shall' and 'will' also help in speaking and writing good English. These words mean either determination or simple future tense depending upon the person.

For instance, in the first person 'shall' denotes simple future and 'will' denotes determination. So it is correct to say ' I will go to Texas'. Another example; I will pay you fifty dollars, denotes promise.

In second and third person, however; 'shall denotes determination and will denotes simple future tense. For example, 'you shall obey my orders' means you must obey my orders. It is a command. So while using 'shall' or 'will' care must be taken about the person to which it refers, as otherwise the English become shabby. In Government resolutions, there is always a command. For instance, 'As from 1st April 2011, the following rule shall come into force for road safety.' This means, every pedestrian must obey that rule. It is a command. If, in such cases, 'will' is used instead of 'shall' then it will not have the force of a command and the persons on whom the order is served may not obey it and no legal action for disobedience can be taken against him.

Second example. You shall have a prize next month. Here 'shall' denotes promise, in short, proper care should be taken in the use of ' shall' and 'will' if good English is to be achieved.

Writing And Speaking Good English - How to Use Participles Correctly
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All the speakers and writers, thoroughly acquire mastery over the use of such words by constantly reading standard books on English literature and by using such words in their speeches or writings from time to time. Speaking Good English, is not as difficult as we feel. If you want to Learn how to speak and write perfect English then Click Here.

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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Writing the Flashback in Fiction

Flashbacks are tools for the fiction writer to add depth and interest to a story, as they can be a part of any piece of writing in any genre and type. Flashbacks are important for the drama in the story, because they bring the reader into the life of the characters on an emotional level and let him enter the characters' thoughts, feelings, and expectations.

The main obligation of the flashback is to take the readers back in time when that time or place in the past matters greatly to the storyline and to the present and the future of the characters. By the same token, the flashback has to aid the reader's grasp of the story. The reader's grasp usually matches the writer's understanding of his characters and their situations. If a writer has not fully fleshed out his characters in his mind, the flashbacks may run the risk of being irrelevant to the story.

Let's say, in a very short story, a character named Mike eats a quart of ice-cream in one sitting and remembers, in flashback, his mother serving him ice-cream. Then Mike goes to his job with the CIA and discovers his best friend is a mole. After a few incidents, he proves who the mole is to his bosses. Here, the ice-cream incident and the flashback that come with it have nothing to do with the discovery of the mole, so it shouldn't be included in Mike's discovery-of-the-mole story, even if the writer may imagine it helps to bring out the soft side of this character.

Writing the Flashback in Fiction

One way to bring flashbacks to a story is to give them in total in the beginning as a prologue, an introduction, or an introductory chapter. The advantages of the total flashbacks are:

o Total flashbacks allow the telling of the story without stopping the action.
o They give the story a chronological order.
o During the storytelling, the critical backstory data serves to give depth to the story.
o Writing the total flashback is easy on the writer. After he is done with the backstory in flashback, telling the real story becomes uncomplicated.

The disadvantage of the total flashback in the beginning of a story is that it can bore the reader with the long past, instead of pulling him into the story's action and the story's present time.

Another way to insert flashbacks in a story is to give them in several large chunks inside the story. The film industry can use cut-aways for this; however, in writing straight fiction, large chunks work better only in slow-moving stories. If the writer is telling a fast-paced story in any genre, he needs to avoid the large chunks of flashbacks.

In addition, this type of flashback is best used by signaling its beginning and end in some way or possibly putting the flashback in italics. As to the dialogue in a large chunk of flashback, it can be summarized, if possible.

A third way of inserting the flashbacks in the story is to insert small pieces of flashback, possibly in one or two sentences wherever they are needed. The advantages of this technique are:

o The writer has flexibility in telling the story, as to how to tell it and how much he will let the reader know.
o The writer can weave in critical information and background material at any time he wishes.
o He can use it to increase suspense or to attract the reader's curiosity
o He can create layered characters during the writing of the real story.

On the negative side, if not handled well by the writer, this technique may cause the reader to confuse the past with the present.

A few points to pay attention to while creating flashbacks are:

o The contents of the flashback should not be more exciting than the real story.
o A flashback works better if it follows a strong scene.
o The writer should orient the reader at the start of the flashback in time and space. If the transition of the flashback is not adequately written, past and present may become a jumble in the reader's mind.
o During the revision process, it may be necessary to leave out the least important incidents in the flashbacks and trim down the existing ones.
o As to usage, the writer may want to make use of the verb tenses to signal a flashback's beginning and ending. If the story is told in the present tense, the entire flashback can be in the past tense. If the story is told in past tense, the flashback may begin with past perfect to signal the change, then the flashback may continue with the past tense again, in order not to overuse the weighty past perfect. Then the ending of the flashback can be maneuvered into past perfect again before continuing the story with the past tense.

Some caveats concerning flashbacks are:

o The writer should not make the contents of the flashback more interesting or longer than the real story.
o The writer should not introduce the flashback as the first real scene in the story. This doesn't always work.
o Flashbacks within flashbacks run the risk of confusing the story and the reader who is reading it, unless the writer is as highly experienced as John Updike.
o Too many and too long flashbacks tend to turn a story into an epic. If that is not the intention and there is a limit to word count, the writer must be careful with long flashbacks.
o It works better to use flashbacks sparingly and with discretion since they do tend to slow the pacing. An experienced writer will not use flashbacks past the three-quarters of the real story.

Writing the Flashback in Fiction
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Joy Cagil is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/
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Friday, November 16, 2012

How To Increase Writing Productivity Through Dragon Naturally Speaking

Writing blogs, website content, articles and other written content can be tiring and stressful, especially if you are not a rapid typist. Thankfully, you can use voice recognition software like Dragon Naturally Speaking to speed up productivity simply by speaking instead of typing. With the use of this software, you can write articles, blog posts, website content, social network updates and more 2-5 times faster than typing. With proper training and use, you can make use of the software with up to 99% accuracy.

All About Dragon

Dragon was designed to provide an easier way for people to create textual content by using voice. The software recognizes speech patterns and transcribes them into written format. This is very useful for people who cannot type as fast as rapid writers do. It also proves useful to people who cannot type using the keyboard due to certain physical inhibitions.

How To Increase Writing Productivity Through Dragon Naturally Speaking

Keep in mind that even the fingers of the fastest of typists do get tired after hours of work. For slow typists, they may not get tired easily, but they cannot produce as much written content as rapid typists do. This is where the software becomes very useful. With the use of Dragon Naturally Speaking, you can increase the number of articles, blog posts, or web content you can create in a shorter period of time. Even if your fingers are sore or your arms are aching, you can still be productive with writing by using your voice to create text on your computer.

The Benefits of Using Speech Recognition Software

Speech recognition software allows you to create text content as fast as you can speak. Dragon is amazingly fast in transcribing speech into text and does not commit any spelling errors. It has the capacity to produce text with up to 99% accuracy as long as you train the software properly. It can also speed up your writing capacity by allowing you to create text 2-5 times the speed of typing. Of course, the rate depends on how many words you can type in a given period of time.

Important Things To Consider

It is important to train the software so that it can recognize certain speech patterns in your voice to allow it to improve performance over time. In some cases, this can take a while so be patient if it is your first time to use the product. Amazingly, the software learns quickly.

It is equally important to train yourself to speak clearly and moderately. With practice, you can speed up your productivity through the use of the software. Nuance Dragon Naturally Speaking can provide 99% accuracy as long as you train it properly, speak properly, and customize it according to your own preference.

How To Increase Writing Productivity Through Dragon Naturally Speaking
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Learn more about Nuance Dragon Naturally Speaking by clicking the link. The dictation software is designed for Windows-based applications, but you can use Dragon Dictate for Mac if you are using an Apple computer.

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