How to Prevent Ezine Writer's Block

Clients ask me every week, "Fabienne, HOW do you come up with new content for your ezines every single week!? I can barely make the time to write one newsletter a month and I just don't know what I'd talk about if I wrote it weekly or every other week! I'm busy enough networking, following up on prospects, setting up speaking gigs, and seeing clients that I just don't have the time to create a brand new article each week!"

I don't blame them. I used to think the exact same thing. When I first started with my ezine ("enewsletter" was the common term when I started doing one 7 or 8 years ago). I wrote it monthly, at best! Sometimes, MONTHS would go by without me working on one. And when I had my first child, I took an entire year of hiatus from my ezine.

To tell you the real honest truth, it wasn't because I had a new baby that I didn't want to write an ezine more often. The real story was that I knew writing one worked so well in attracting clients to me that I was afraid I would attract MORE clients than I could handle. I already had the clients I could handle, and I just didn't want to be overwhelmed and feel I didn't know if I couldn't handle what new ones came my way. (Ever feel that?)

But since I rarely admitted that to others, I used the excuse that coming up with content each week was too hard; I just didn't have the time that I needed to work on it. I imagined it taking hours and hours to work on one issue and I thought once a month would satisfy my subscribers. But I noticed one thing.

I was utterly FORGETTABLE when I wrote to my subscribers only once a month or every two months. My list wasn't growing fast and I certainly wasn't turning more prospects into paying clients with it. I realized that if I wanted to make this ezine thing WORK, then I had to commit to providing high-value, high-content credible ezines on a regular basis and more often.

Today, my ezine is responsible for bringing me the largest majority of my private clients, group clients and purchasers of my home study manuals. I believe it's a combination of a lot of little things. 1) Creating the Know-Like-Trust factor; 2) being authentic about the struggles I have or have experienced and 3) hands-down, it's deciding to send it bi-weekly at first, and then after a few months, taking the plunge and going weekly.

So, writing so often meant I had to figure out SYSTEMS for coming up with content and doing it every single week, because NOTHING is worse than sitting there, in front of your computer screen, being on deadline and not knowing what to write about.

With my many clients who are first-timers to writing articles more often, I ask them to make a list of topics for the ENTIRE year. So, if they're writing bi-weekly, that means coming up with 26 topics by our next session, all in one fell swoop. Then, each time they sit down to write the article, all they have to do is pull out the list and write it, not have to futz around wondering what to write about. Much easier.

This gets them in the habit of writing regularly and we all know that once a habit is formed, it's hard to break. (I actually look forward to writing my ezine each week. It feels like I'm talking directly to you and that feels like I'm creating that relationship even further each week.)

To be honest, I actually don't write out a formal list for the year any more. That worked in the beginning for me. Instead, I keep a running list of possible ezine topics on my desk. Some months it's an actual list on a piece of paper. Right now, I'm into these colorful sticky notes and I have a series of them posted to the right of my computer, each with a topic idea. When I use one idea, like today's; I simply take the sticky note and throw it in the trash. One down!

The ideas come from a few different places, mostly from my work with private clients. For example, today's topic came to me because I talked to several clients last week about finding content for their own ezines. If it's something that they ask me about in private sessions, and it's coming up often, then it's probably something my readers who aren't clients yet are interested in too.

Another source for content is more personal. I find that if I'm learning something new, working on a particular project, or encountering a specific obstacle in marketing, then you probably are too. So I write about that. I talk about the struggle or challenge, and then I share what my process was for solving it. Readers really seem to enjoy that and can relate more to me, even if we haven't met in person yet.

The idea is to get over the fact that coming up with content is a struggle. Whether you write the list ahead of time for the entire year or you keep a running list of ideas that you add to each time you get inspired in the moment, it doesn't matter. The key is to write it down and then create the article later.

Your Assignment:

Commit to reaching out to your subscribers more often. And once you do, start writing down some topics ahead of time, so that you don't ever have to stare at a blank page, wondering what to write about, as the deadline looms. Create systems for this each week, using my ideas above or your own. Whatever's going to work for you, as long as you systematize it. When you do, you'll attract just the clients you need, without much effort at all. That's what happened to me. :)

© 2007 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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

Here Is Why You Should Not Reveal That Your Innermost Secret

You know that many lies have been told and keep being told in the name of God.
Why? Because there is nothing wrong with it. God gave everyone the right to either lie or tell reality by keeping your thoughts hidden.

Truth is a misnomer for reality or fact left unguided by fools or loved ones who have vested interest in whom they make known the fact of a matter. God in his infinite wisdom keeps your thoughts secret from others, so what you do with them is your choice.

From the foregoing you can garner the fact that "Secrets and lies" are sacred rights of all. Anyone who tells you "The Secret" favors you. You have no right to know, so can be disfavored with a lie. The choice is the teller's.

A child at a very tender age realizes that you have no way of knowing what it thinks and decides to let you know or not. Desiring to be in control, you cajole and threaten it into believing that you have the right to know the secrets of its mind, where actually you have no right.

Therefore, be grateful to anyone who lets you into "The Secret." You have no right to know. The greatest injustice is to force one through cajoling, intimidation or torture to divulge a Secret.

Lies are very interesting. Do you also know that in respect of books, fabulous lies make "best sellers?" In parting, do not forget that if you tell all your truths you become predictable and inconsequential. However, don't get labeled a liar, that is not a good name. I should like to hear your views on this matter of the sacredness of " Secrets and lies of your mind."

7 Easy Tips to Better Article Marketing

These tips may be obvious to you but have you been constantly putting them into practice when you are developing your article marketing plan? The 7 tips mentioned here when put into practice will enable you to write better quality articles and achieve your objectives, whether be it, increased revenue or traffic to your website.

1. When posting your article, make sure you include a link to your site in your resource box. If people have no place to go to, your article is basically meaningless, no matter how educated it makes someone. Your goal is to get a visitor to your site. So DON'T forget the link in your resource box, or author bio.

2. Try to write at least 2 or 3 articles a week. If you can write 1 a day, that would be great. It's only going to take you about 30 minutes to do this so there is no reason not to be able to. Can't find the time? Make the time. After doing this for a year and seeing how many visitors you're getting, provided you haven't chosen Internet Marketing as a niche, you'll be glad you put the time in.

3. Concentrate on your writing when you're most alert. I am speaking from experience. Trying to write when you're tired is a bad idea. Your articles won't be good and you won't get them accepted by the various directories.

4. Do NOT use article writing software. The search engines understand how these algorithms work and they will recognize an article generated by one in a heart beat and not only will your articles not be accepted, they will end up killing your reputation. It's just not worth the risk.

5. Do NOT use sites that ghost write articles for you. For one thing, they're going to charge you more money than what the article is worth. Also, don't use PLR articles as they are. If you're going to use them at all, which I don't recommend, you better plan on rewriting them extensively. Original work is your best bet.

6. Space out your article submissions. That's the one good thing about Article Marketer is that it will automatically do this for you. Just set the delay and your articles will be submitted over the course of so many weeks. They really do provide a great service. Of course, if you're organized, you can control this on your own using Article Announcer or with manual submissions.

7. When rewriting an article that you found on the Internet, the easiest way to do this without copying is read it, write down the main points and then write YOUR article from these main point. Doing this will make writing any article a breeze.

Reviewers vs. Bloggers- The Controversy

Reviewing has been a hot subject among kidlit bloggers lately, ever since the magazine n+1 came up with an article about a week ago which criticized—though not in such direct terms—bloggers of not being objective, honest enough with their reviews, of not posting enough negative reviews and of lacing their positive reviews with facile praise. The main question seems to be: is it possible to be unbiased in a cozy environment where the people who post friendly comments under the bloggers' posts are often the same people who request reviews from these bloggers? In other words, is it possible to be objective in the blogosphere, where authors, publishers, publicists, reviewers and librarians are in friendly terms with each other in such blog communities as Live Journal?

In a perfect world a reviewer should never review a book by a person he/she knows. But, as usual, more often than not, what is ideal in theory is not realistic in the real world, and this 'sin' is not only committed by bloggers, but also by legitimate reviewers who write for online and print review publications.

Another issue seems to be the lack of format which many (maybe most?) bloggers have when writing reviews. Unlike the 'legitimate' reviewers who seem to have a preference for a 'standard' structure—an interesting lead/opening sentence, a short summary of the plot without ever giving away spoilers or the ending, and an intelligent, fair, tactful evaluation—the bloggers write about books anyway they want. They have the freedom to write in any length or style without a thought to format—even to the point of giving away spoilers or relating the ending of a book. This freedom comes with the territory of being a blogger. But then, the questions arise… Are bloggers 'real' reviewers? What defines a review? After all, there are many types of reviews—academic and long, light and short, and snippets like those in such publications as Library Journal. Different review sites and publications have different guidelines. Are blogger reviews a new, different type of review? Should we draw a distinction between bloggers who are simply readers and post 'reader reviews' and 'legitimate' reviewers who post 'real' ones on their blogs? After all, just like on Amazon, there are reader reviews and reviewer reviews. Are bloggers the lowly counterparts of legitimate reviewers? Is this an elitist attitude?

I find these questions fascinating because I think there are no easy answers. As usual, opening a discussion about what is right and wrong is like opening a can of worms.

A couple of years ago, this dilemma started with the emerging online review sites... I remember how librarians and bookstores often dismissed them as 'not legitimate'. Online review sites have come a long way. Now it's the bloggers who are being attacked.

Ultimately, I think we're not giving enough credit to the discerning reader of reviews. It's so easy to tell a good review from a cheesy one guilty of facile praise! There are good and bad reviewers everywhere. Serious blogger reviewers aren't going to be stupid enough to post overly positive reviews because if the reader buys a book based on that review and then finds that book to be poorly written, that blogger will lose all credibility and that reader won't come back to this blogger for more reviews. Honesty and fairness go with our job as reviewers, without it, we're nothing but weak, cheap publicity. That is not to say we should be nasty or mean... which brings me to the writing of negative reviews...

I personally think there are too many good books out there to be spending time writing about the bad ones (even negative reviews are a type of publicity!). Unless it's a book that has been written by a famous author and/or heavily hyped, I won't bother posting negative reviews on my blog and newsletters (this wouldn't be the case, however, if the book was assigned by a review site/publication, in which case I wouldn't have a choice but to write the negative review).
One thing the blogging technology has done is bring books and literature closer to the public and, let's face it, the average person is so busy and/or has such a short attention span that long, insightful reviews are not the most practical thing in the world. Blogger reviews are like quick tasty treats of information for people on the run who enjoy reading about books. In the end, and in spite of the 'slippery' questions mentioned above, I'm all for anything that brings literature closer to the public.

Advanced Ways to Create More Money In Article Writing

Freelance and contract lucrative article writing can be a great way to create a larger supplemental income for yourself. However, you may have found that trying to create additional money in article writing is more difficult than it may seem. This having been said, there are some advanced ways that you can improve your lucrative article writing.

First, it is important to manage your productivity. Although you may have been contracted for several jobs at once, it is important to keep up with deadlines and minimize distractions. If focusing on your article writing at home is an issue, try a nearby coffee shop or a local library. Working in these environments ensures that you will not be distracted when a television show comes on. Also it ensures that your family and friends are not able to encroach on the time you spend writing.

Another important step to lucrative article writing is to look out for freelance topics that suit your personal knowledge base. It may seem obvious, but if you have a significant background understanding of a particular topic, it will be much easier to write a good article in a short amount of time. This can make lucrative article writing a breeze by helping you maximize your time and by making it much easier for you to be motivated to write. It is, of course, easier to write an article on a topic you enjoy and know a lot about, rather than one that seems boring or uninteresting.

How to Write a Job Description

If you're an employer that is trying to find a perfect employee then you need to create a stellar job description. You see, a job description not only explains what the employee's roles and responsibilities will entail but will also clarify those unique qualifications that you are seeking from an employee. By failing to create a stellar description and hap hazardously drafting a poor description, you'll likely end up with unqualified candidates that will waste your precious time and hiring resources.

In this article, we will discuss how to write a stellar job description that gets prospects motivated and interested in working for your company while carefully weaning out unqualified people.

1. Brainstorm about the position.

Take some time and think about the skills and qualifications that your perfect employee would possess. For instance, would they be able to handle various tasks, be able to use certain software or office equipment, have specific training, skills or personality? Once you have the vision of the type of person you're seeking, write down those qualifications on paper.

2. Next, evaluate your list in terms of those skills which are in fact realistic. For instance, if you're expecting someone to handle multiple tasks then are you willing to compensate them commensurate with their efforts? Good people will generally cost more money. Its just a fact of life.

3. Consider your current and future hiring needs. For instance, if you plan on opening up a new position in the future and may need your new employee to travel or relocate, then make a note to include this in the description. Its no good hiring an employee today, that can't fit in with your plans for the company.

4. Do a little market research to evaluate how other employers have written job descriptions. What type of terminology did they use? Were there descriptions clear and to the point? If you were an employee searching for a position, would you be interested in their position? Why or why not?

5. Next, start writing. Craft your job description while being extremely detailed. For instance, include the expected performance, required skills, job duties (include all tasks), etc. Also, make sure that you include a descriptive narrative on any additional shared job responsibilities and how you'll evaluate, measure and reward performance.

6. Be crystal clear about what you expect on a daily basis. For instance, what specific tasks and responsibilities will the person need to be successful? Are you open to paying for training courses? If so, how much? Do you require any specific licenses or degrees or work experience? Will you trade professional experience for these attributes? For instance, if the educational background is preferred then say so,

In conclusion, writing a stellar job description isn't difficult but it requires a bit of thought and effort on your part. By visualizing your dream employee, being clear about your needs, conducting market research, writing a detailed description, you'll find the perfect employee.

Socialising

Although it might appear so, being sociable doesn't come easy to everyone, but if you are one of these people, there are many things that you can do in order to help have a better social life. It's important to remember that self confidence goes a long way. Being able to let go of your fears and thoughts of what others think of you can help build your confidence.

Take opportunities when they arise, if friends or housemates ask if you want to go for a drink etc, say yes, don't shy away. The more you socialise the more relaxed your feel and this in turn will show to others around you. Perhaps you can also initiate a social gathering yourself. When you first meet others, remember that they may be just as shy as you around new people, and chances are if you liked being asked to do something, then they will too!

Observing others behaviour can also help you, try to watch other peoples body language, and mannerism. Although you don't want to make it obvious and imitate others exactly, add subtle changes to your social behaviour, and monitor how others act to this. If they seem to become friendlier and smile a lot more etc, chances are it's a good change.

Talk to as many people as possible, even if the situation appears to be good or bad. Something can be learnt and taken from each situation, and the more you do it, the easier it will become, and ultimately more enjoyable for you!

Article Writing- Using the "Time to..." Article Writing Template So You Can Write More Articles

Article writing and marketing is the absolute best free method for driving traffic to your web sites. The trouble is how in the world do you find the time and come up with enough ideas to write articles as often as you would like.

I've found that using article writing templates helps you to come up with ideas and write more articles in less time.

One very useful article writing template is the "Time to...." template. Let's take a closer look at this article writing template.

The "Time to..." Article Writing Template

In this template you give an amount of time to accomplish something the reader wants to do. This kind of title pulls people in because it is benefit rich and tells you how quickly you can get the benefit. You then lay out the steps to the process.

Title Examples

5 Days to Your First Web Site

15 Minutes to Save $15 on Your Car Insurance

5 Minutes to Create Your Email Signature

The Template

Write about how great it would be to accomplish something. Put a time limit on it. Then list the steps and/or tell the story about how to get there.

Tell the story

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Bonus Tip - It is especially powerful if you can take something that typically takes a long time and show the reader how they can accomplish it in less time. This quickly increases your perceived expert status.

I invite you to use this article writing template to write more and more articles.

Your Unlimited Freelance Writing Opportunities - Which Will You Choose?

The writing world is changing fast. If you're limiting your opportunities to a single writing market, like magazines, you're missing out. In this article I'll give you an overview of opportunities for writers, both new and experienced. Remember, this is only an overview. It would take a book to cover all the opportunities.

Let's Start With Your Hourly Rate - Place A Monetary Value On Your Time

I know many writers who never consider their hourly rate. They have no idea how much they're earning for the hours they spend writing. Yes, some of them love writing, and would do it for nothing anyway, but this is scarcely the way to develop as a writer, or to become successful.

Everyone's time is limited, we all get the same 24 hours. Therefore, you need to set a monetary value on your writing time. When you're starting out, you can set a minimal rate, like $30 per hour. With some writing experience, and writing credits, you will be charging more, anywhere from $100 to $300 an hour.

Once you take your hourly rate into account, you soon realize that there's lots of time for which you can't charge. If you're writing queries and proposals for example, this is unpaid writing time, and that time is gone forever. Writing queries and proposals to markets like magazines therefore cuts severely into any writer's income.

I like to be paid for the work I do, with a retainer before I start. I hate writing fruitless queries and proposals, and doing work "on spec", so I don't do it, ever. If you're like me and hate no-profit busy-work, there are two opportunities which pay you a retainer before you start writing - copywriting and Web writing.

Copywriting Opportunities: Writing For Business - An Ever-Growing Demand

Every business needs to market itself, or it won't be in business for long. Copywriters write for businesses, chiefly marketing collateral, which can be anything from product descriptions to brochures and newsletters. The best way to start out as a copywriter is to write for local businesses, because you'll usually be the first copywriter who's ever approached a business. When you've built your writing credits, you can write for businesses across the globe.

As stated, I enjoy copywriting because this is paid writing - a business establishes its bone fides by paying a retainer, and most businesses have work for you several times a year. With some clients, you become a de facto member of staff, writing for them weekly.

Web Writing: Explosive Growth, High Demand - Great Opportunities

Web sites are vital to a business because they lower a business's costs. Since Web sites need writers - the Web is built on words - you can see that the writing opportunities are massive, and they continue to grow. If you can write for the Web, you can name your price as a writer.

Web writers are divided into Web copywriters, who write Web sales material, and Web content writers, who write everything else. You don't need to choose between these two opportunities, you can write both copy and content for the Web.

Take Advantage Of The Massive Opportunities In Copywriting And Writing For The Web, And Prosper

Copywriting and Web writing are packed with opportunities for you, even as a new writer. Once you become known for what you do, you'll have clients who eagerly approach you to work for them. This is the best of all possible worlds for a writer - great money, fun writing opportunities, and no rejection, ever.

Article Writing - How to Use "The Most Common Mistakes" Article Template When Writing Articles

Article writing is a great way to market your business. And it is free!

At the same time, truth be told, it is labor intensive.

I've found that using article writing templates can make article writing both easier and faster.

One of my favorite article writing templates is the "Most Common Mistakes" template. Let's take a closer look at how to use this template.

The Most Common Mistakes Article Writing Template

Every niche or field of endeavor has it's most common mistakes. When you name those mistakes you become an expert in the eyes of your reader. When you then show how to avoid these mistakes and what to do instead you become a hero in the eyes of your reader.

Title Examples

The 5 Most Common Mistakes Made on the First Date

The Top Mistakes Made When Building Your Own Home

The 3 Favorite Mistakes of Online Marketers

The 10 Most Common Pitfalls for New Parents

The Template

"The (pick a number) Most Common Mistakes in……"

Write an opening about the typical struggles involved in your topic. Play up the dangers and suggest you have some answers. List the most common mistakes:

Mistake 1

Mistake 2

Mistake 3

Mistake 4

Mistake 5

What to do next So now you have listed the most common mistakes and what to do about them. Now write a brief introduction and conclusion and there is your article.

Bonus Tip - Make sure you include tips on what to do instead. That is the most important part of your article.

Use these tips to make the job easier and quicker when writing articles.

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.

Freelance Writing - Make Your Own Freelance Writing Jobs

Although there are unlimited opportunities for freelance writers, most freelance writers are looking in the wrong places. They focus on the few "jobs" which are posted online for freelancers.

Although some of these jobs are legitimate, many are not. There are thousands of other writers all applying for the same freelance jobs, which pay measly rates. That's the reason they're posted online - because (often) the advertisers are looking for freelancers who are naive enough, or desperate enough, to accept minimal rates.

It's easy to lose your self-respect if you play this game.

If this describes your experience when you're looking for freelance writing jobs, take the path less traveled. Realize that the best freelance jobs, as with all other jobs, are never advertised.

Realize that you can make your own freelance writing jobs.

When you do, a new world will open for you. A world where you decide what your writing is worth - and shock, horror - people pay it. Yes, that's right. People pay you decent (and in some cases large) sums to write for them... and best of all, they come to you.

Your Writer's Web Site: The Key To Making Your Own Freelance Writing Jobs

Successful freelance writers rarely look for work, because they have more work than they can handle. Their clients contact them through the freelancers' Web site.

Think about it. If you wanted to hire a writer, what would you do? Would you advertise and open the floodgates to hundreds of applicants? Would you have the time and staff to wade through all the resumes and letters? Genuine buyers looking for freelancers don't have the time to do that. They find freelancers on the Web, by typing "freelance writer" into a search query box. They're looking for freelancers' Web sites.

When someone finds you on the Web, they look at your site, and get a fair idea of your writing style, your expertise, and your experience. If your qualifications match what they're looking for, they will contact you. And because you advertise your rates, you get the writing fees that you want, every time.

As a veteran writer and writing teacher, I'm in touch with writers every day. It amazes me that many writers say they have "no time" to create their own Web sites. And yet, these are the same writers who say that they can't find writing projects which pay well.

Create a Web site. When you do, you're making your own freelance writing jobs.

Three Key Points To Consider Before You Write That Book!

According to recent surveys, over 70% of people questioned said they would like to write a book. This article touches on three key points that just might help them - and you - do just that!

First key point: willpower. Although 70% of people questioned may well have said they would like to write a book, figures aren't available for the number who actually did anything about it. It's an unfortunate truth that wanting to do something and actually doing it are very often a long way apart from each other. Part of this problem lies in the fact that, for the vast majority of people, writing a book is something they have no idea how to start.

It's all very well having a great idea for that blockbuster novel but turning that idea into a finished book is normally quite an undertaking. A writer must have the willpower to carry it through to a conclusion and even the strongest will can fail if the writer does not have a clear plan of what lies ahead.

Writing a book is a big task. Having your end in mind at all times enables you to focus on the task before you and, perhaps surprisingly, can bolster your willpower significantly.

Second key point: planning. There's an old saying - 'fail to plan, plan to fail'. Originally found in books on positive mental attitude back in the 1980's, this sort of mantra-style catchphrase still has plenty of validity in all sorts of situations, not the least in writing a book.

A book - be it a novel or factual book - must be planned from the outset. It's very tempting to start off willy-nilly, trusting to luck that all will be well and that, at the end of a writing frenzy, your magnum opus will be finished, polished and ready for the reading public. Maybe it will - if you have a truly massive slice of luck.

In reality, you will in all probability manage to get to about 10,000 words before running out of steam altogether. How do I know this? Easy - it comes from painful experience. The realisation that your story has fallen apart can come as a crushing blow - in fact, it can lead to your giving up on the idea of writing a book entirely. Don't be caught out by lack of planning!

Third key point: Marketability. An awkward word for a possibly awkward concept - especially if you have never considered the fact that your book (when finished) must be a saleable product. I'm not for one minute trying to stifle the creative outpourings of any writer but, come to crunch-time, it has to be accepted that what you write has got to sell; if it is not saleable then, as a commercial proposition, you have failed in your endeavour.

Consider this: is the book you propose to write targeted at a specific audience? If not - why not? It has been said that writing for a target market stifles 'the creative mind'. Well, I'm sorry but I do not agree. Emphatically. In my opinion, it is much easier to write a book on any subject you fancy than to write one that fits snugly into a market niche. The real task is writing for your reading public - after all, they are the ones who part with their hard-earned cash to read something they like to read!

To write a book that is marketable and will sell is very much part of a writer's skill portfolio. The vast majority of published writers are those who, whilst creating entirely original and valid work, conform to very tight and targeted publishing guidelines within their chosen genre or book type. If you can master this skill you are, believe me, well on the way to being published.

So what can be learned from this brief article? In a nutshell, it can be realised that commercial creative writing is written for a target audience; that planning is all-important if you wish to finish what you have started and - not least by any means - iron willpower is a prime requisite for the committed novelist. Put these three together and this 'writers triangle' can be the foundation for a professional approach to your writing career.

Writing Articles For Profit

I find it hard to believe that I have been writing articles for profit for 30 years now, long before the Internet was a thought in most people's minds. The offline world was a real gold mine for earning an income with your article writing if you have the skills and can catch a break. Well, the Internet is a great place for a new writer to break into article writing. In this particular article, I'm going to share some of the top places online to write for pay and finally, the ONLY thing you need to know in order to do this successfully.

Probably one of the top places to write articles for profit is Associated Content. The site pays its authors between $3 and $50 per article written and there is no limit to the number of articles you can write. Plus, Associated Content just recently started a program where you get additional payment once your articles reach a certain number of page views. This is a great opportunity for the new writer, provided you know how to write articles in a quick and efficient manner. More on that later.

Another great place to submit your articles for profit is Constant Content. This site works a little differently than most other sites. You can get paid via a number of different ways. One way is when a person is interested in your article for what is called non-exclusive use. This means that if he buys it, others can buy it as well. These contracts usually don't pay that much but are the most common and in this way, your article can be sold over and over. Another way is when a person asks for an exclusive contract. This means that only he will get your article and the pay for this is a lot greater. Finally, you also can get residuals on your articles depending on how many times they are requested or viewed. Constant Content is a relatively new and exciting site for submitting articles for payment.

There are many other sites online as well and they're easy to find by just going to any search engine. The key to doing this, however, is that you have to know how to write an article that will fit the criteria of these sites. In my signature is a resource you might want to check out that will help you greatly with your article writing. It will explain to you the basic steps for profit making articles that I have been following for over 30 years now.

There is no question that there is good money to be made from writing articles. You simply have to search out all the best places and understand what they expect from you in your writing.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

188 Stage Hero's Journey - Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

FORWARD

The 188 stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188+ stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE HERO'S JOURNEY:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

(simply go to http://www.screenplay-structure.com/ or http://www.story-structure.org/ for full details)

*****Antiheroes and Romantic Challenges*****

Where the Hero evolves, the Antihero devolves. So it is not unusual to find that the Antihero starts off with a close personal relationship that devolves (whereas the Hero most often starts off with a polarized Romantic Challenge that gradually evolves). In The Godfather (1972), Michael and Kay are initially close but their relationship devolves toward the end. In Scarface (1983) Tony and Elvira ultimately separate.

*****New Creatures of the New Domain*****

Arrival in any New World involves being unfamiliar with the creatures of that world. In Straw Dogs (1971), David and Amy arrive in town, only to be watched and smirked at.

Article Writing - Easily Read Articles - Benefit #6 of a 7 Tips Article

Articles on the internet simply must be easy to read. If an article is not easily read, it does not get read.

Get it?

The Three Most Common Mistakes

There are three mistakes writers typically make that causes their article to be difficult to read on the internet.

Mistake 1 - Trying to convey too much information in one article - You do not have to say it all in one article. 300 - 550 words should do the trick. Much more than that and you give the impression to your reader that this will take too long to read.

Mistake 2 - Too many large paragraphs - If you have a paragraph with more than five sentences in it, break it in half. Large chunks of text are difficult to read on the screen.

Mistake 3 - No sub-headings - When the reader looks at an article and sees just one hunk of text, it gives the impression that it will take too long to read.

Why a 7 Tips Article is So Easily Read

1) A 7 tips article is naturally broken into 7 chunks - 7 small chunks of text are much easier on the eye than two or three large chunks of text.

2) The title of each tip becomes a sub-heading - With a 7 tips article you do not have to create sub-headings because they are already there.

3) Visually pleasing to the eye - In this article you are reading right now, I could have easily delivered it in a way that bunches these mistake and tips into just 2 - 3 sections. Instead there are several sections that are visually pleasing to the eye which results in your article being read more easily and thus more often.

You can avoid all these mistake and get all these benefits with a 7 tips article.

188 Stage Hero's Journey - Brokeback Mountain (2005)

FORWARD

The 188 stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188+ stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE HERO'S JOURNEY:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

(simply go to http://www.screenplay-structure.com/ or http://www.story-structure.org/ for full details)

*****Push to the Inner Cave*****

Pushes and Pulls are underestimated, even symbolically. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), Jack doesn't mind switching, "...We both ought to be in this camp...."

*****Final Conflict: Unbearable Antagonism*****

Post the Crossing of the Return Threshold and before the Master of Two Worlds and Selves, a hell of a lot happens that is rarely given mention. The Final Conflict (a metaphor for this stage) follows a distinct process. An Unbearable Antagonism pushes the hero to the stage of the Inner Resolve. In Straw Dogs (1971), David is surprised that Amy really doesn't care....but he does...and keeps Henr

*****Belly of the Whale*****

This is a place where the Hero confronts who he is, what he must do or become. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), Ennis says, "...You know I ain't queer...." And then goes to bed with Jack in the tent.

*****Antagonist's True Nature*****

The Antagonist, who ultimately is not unlike the Hero, reveals himself. In the Bond Franchise, this is often where the villain reflects on his motivations.

Mirror Image. It often turns out that the Antagonist is known to the Hero; is a shadow or mirror of him or similar. In Spiderman (2002), the Green Goblin reveals himself to Peter Parker - he is Harry's father. In Return of the Jedi (1983), Vader takes off his mask to reveal his true self to Luke. In Scooby Doo, we always knew the Antagonist was amongst us.

Deceit. But the Antagonist (normally) is naturally evil and intends on certainly vanquishing the Hero. He (or she) commits a deceit that will result in the Hero's death (or wrestle control from him). In Spiderman (2002), the Green Goblin deceives Peter and plans the final kill.

Writing - Can I Write?

I think everyone has a book in them and you've probably heard that cliché before. But in fact it is true. I'm now the Author of six books and counting and I flunked high school English. A couple of years ago at my first high school reunion, our thirty fifth, we were standing around talking and the conversation was about my book when a lady classmate walked up excitedly and said, "oh my, did someone in our class write a book?' And one of the others said, "Yea, Ed did!" She immediately responded, looking at me and said, "Oh no, you couldn't have written a book!"

Now I'd have to admit it was a long shot. My junior year I skipped fifty-five days of school and my senior year I got it down to thirty-five so her response was funny and warranted. But what no one counted on was that I became an avid reader. I have been reading a book a week for over thirty years. And of all places it started while I was serving two straight years as a Marine sniper in the Vietnam War. To the question, "can I write?' The answer is a resounding yes!

It was about twenty, maybe twenty five years after Nam when I began stirring to write about my experiences. I was working in the executive ranks of a major corporation and doing a lot of traveling so that meant nights alone in hotels. I began trying to write my story. After four or five chapters I'd proudly share me work with my wife and she would say, "That's awful". And I would dutifully go back to work and lick my wounds after healing I'd begin all over again. This went on for ten, countem', ten years of rejection.

Everyone talks about rejection in the business and that's a fact, but my rejection was coming from the person closest to me, but oh how important it was. One day in the mid-nineties I proudly produced my latest five chapters for her consideration and got that standard, "Honey, it's awful". But this time, amid her household chores she said, "You're a great storyteller, quit trying to be a writer and just tell people your story". A light bulb went off and I was on my way.

I finally got it. Great writers are storytellers. As I took a better look at the books I read every week I realized she was dead on. I didn't have the skills to write the way the learned taught, I was never in school thank goodness. But I lived my life story in the midst of war and I could tell it. My writing life officially began.

My book proposal was purchased by Ballentine Books and I wrote Dead Center – A Marine Snipers Two-Year Odyssey in the Vietnam War. That was about seven years ago and it is still selling in the top ten percent on Amazon, its in Barnes and Noble and all the big stores and has sold over one hundred ten thousand copies to date. I don't have a college degree, I did graduate from high school, they must have just moved me along. Can you write? You bet you can and here are a few things I learned about the process.

1. Be an avid reader. That will make you comfortable with words and styles and the whole process. You'll be more comfortable.

2. Be a storyteller not a writer. When you write sit down and pretend someone is there and just tell your story.

3. Be committed. Write everyday, even if it is a paragraph, be committed to the process.

4. Be real. By that I mean, tell it like it is, bare your soul and go for it. The best feedback I get is that my books are so honest. That is what people want whether it is fiction or non-fiction.

When I wrote Dead Center I completed it in four months end-to-end and I was working full time. Now it is a work of non-fiction so here is the process I used. I went in my office with a pad of those sticky notes, the ones about three inches by three inches and started writing down every event of significance I could remember from my two years in Nam. I started at the beginning and it took a couple of long evenings.

Then I took the events on the sticky notes and filled in some details. Next, I arranged the notes in chronological order as best I could remember. Then I called my former teammates and verified the times and events. I arranged the events on my office wall in chronological order and organized them into what became chapters. Then I wrote. It all started with writing from end-to-end just like I was telling my computer a story. It worked for me like magic.

One last point … each of us has a 'voice', a particular way of storytelling that makes us who we are. You must have an Editor that does not ruin your voice in the process. You are 'you' so don't let anyone edit that out. You can do it; for goodness sake I did and am having the time of my life along the way. You can too … if you will!

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) - Story, Screenwriting Structure - Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

FORWARD

The 188 stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188+ stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE HERO'S JOURNEY:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

(simply go to http://www.screenplay-structure.com/ or http://www.story-structure.org/ for full details)

*****Final Battle of the Final Conflict*****

Post the Crossing of the Return Threshold and before the Master of Two Worlds and Selves, a hell of a lot happens that is rarely given mention. The Final Conflict (a metaphor for this stage) follows a distinct process. It is during the final battle during the final conflcit that the hero experiences a disadvantage. In Straw Dogs (1971), Charlie points a gun at David but it is empty.

*****First Threshold Marker*****

This is a physical barrier between the Hero's Ordinary World and the New World. It is the first of many New Domains the Hero will cross but it is significant as it represents that place where the Hero physically and psychologically fears to tread (initially). Characteristics include:

Journey. The Hero Journeys to the First Threshold, perhaps with Allies.

Overview. The Hero stop here and overview the world into which they are about to enter. In Red River (1948), they stop before crossing the river.

Distance. The Physical Marker is some distance from the First Threshold. In Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Lawrence et al stop before and overlook the desert.

Emotional Reaction. The vista of the New World causes an emotional reaction. In Dances with Wolves (1990), we see the majesty of the prairies.

Danger. The Hero is warned of the dangers of the First Threshold. In Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Omar Sheriff warns Peter O'Toole of the dangers of the "suns anvil."

The Future Of War

Historians and military experts, when they discuss the evolution of warfare, usually refer to the introductions of new technologies, from the airplane to the smart bomb, and point with hope to the growing influence of the confraternity of nations, usually expressed by the toothless United Nations. I believe that, for several reasons, the use of military force to express and resolve disputes between nations will diminish over the next century or two.

Democracy and capitalism are natural political and economic states for humans, and the world has been evolving toward those states over the last few centuries. Witness the irreversible changes happening since China has accepted capitalism, even in the face of stubbornly Communistic leadership. Most wars throughout history were caused by tyrants justifying their existence and inspiring their people by conquering their neighbors. Democracies, on the other hand, are naturally introspective and care little for conquest. In spite of the current experience in Iraq, it has been rare for any democracy to initiate a war, invade its neighbors or take preemptive action against another nation. As more nations evolve toward some form of true democracy, they will be all the less likely to contemplate attacking others.

There will always, however, be disputes between and among nations. What will change will be that it will be less and less effective and rewarding to attempt to resolve those disputes with military action. As we have learned, to varying degrees, from imposing economic sanctions, there are other ways to impact your foes that are increasingly more effective. For one, the powerful and ubiquitous news media can be influenced to demonize the opposition, an increasingly persuasive tool. Likewise, aggressive public relations drives can significantly undermine another regime. OPEC learned years ago to use their oil to influence world opinion and dealings, and more and more nations will use their economic power against foes. If you have something someone else desires, withholding it can make a difference. And, perhaps the most powerful weapon of all, the Internet, will increasingly be used to influence others, even those who live under dictators. Today, only North Korea has managed to keep their people unaware of the Internet, but even that cannot last forever. If people can see how others think and live, and especially if they can freely talk with each other, it's difficult to maintain hatred for very long.

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) - Straw Dogs (1971) Deconstruction

FORWARD

The 188 stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188+ stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE HERO'S JOURNEY:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

(simply go to http://www.screenplay-structure.com/ or http://www.story-structure.org/ for full details)

*****Danger of the Sword*****

The Journey to the Sword and the Journey itself is dangerous. This is expressed in a number of ways. In Straw Dogs (1971), David nervously looks out the window.

*****Four Core Challenges*****

Hero's often have to resolve Four Core Challenges: the Inner, Outer, Romantic and Greater Antagonism.

For Example, In Titanic (Academy Award Winner Best Film 1997; No. 1 All-Time USA Boxoffice with receipts of over $600,000,000), Rose's Inner Challenge is to overcome her committment to her mother as well as Jack's lower status, her Romantic Challenge is Jack, her Outer Challenge is Cal and the Greater Antagonism is escaping the sinking ship.

Each Challenge is made explicit and resolved in a very specific order - Transformation is only successful if the Hero passes through the correct processes; Dramatic Structure requires that catharses are made explicit and resolved in a particular manner.

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) - Annie Hall (1977) Basic Deconstruction

FORWARD

The 188 stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188+ stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE HERO'S JOURNEY:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

(simply go to http://www.screenplay-structure.com/ or http://www.story-structure.org/ for full details)

ANNIE HALL (1977)

FADE IN: Hero's Inner Challenge and Character: Woodie Allen Monologue.

Hero's Backstory [Personality]: Alvy worrying about the universe; [Ordinary World]: Coney Island, father ran the bumper car concession; [School]: " I used to be a heroine addict, now I'm a methadone addict…"

Hero's Inner Challenge and Meeting the Mentor: Alvy swore he heard the word Jew; talking to Rob.

Mentor encourages the Hero out of his Ordinary World: "we should go to California…."

Hero's Status: "are you in Television…"

Meeting the Romantic Challenge and their relationship: meeting Annie outside the movies; Alvy can't go in after the start of the movie.

Developing the Hero and Romantic Challenge: Alvy and Annie in the queue.

Developing the Hero's Inner Challenge: watching "The Sorrow and the Pity."

Developing the Romantic Challenge: Annie doesn't want to have sex.

Article Writing - Learning The A - B - C Of Article Writing

Would you be writing an article for schoolwork, for a newspaper, for a newsletter or a site in the Internet? Whichever medium you would use for your article, it is better to learn the basics of article writing. Article writing has become an important part of Internet commerce. You can drive traffic as well as profit with writing good articles.

Here are important tips for a writing a content rich article.

1. Provide Reasons. Give reasons why you are writing this article. Of course, this is the main thing why people will pay attention to your article. Give them good reasons why they need to read this. Make it a point to share useful and specific information so that they will read along until the end of the whole article.

2. Give Good Story. You need not be the best storyteller but if you can convince your friends with a thing or two when you talk to them, then you can give a good story. Proceed with your article as if you are just talking with your friends. Be simple and natural while maintaining a rather very informative article.

3. Consider your Readers. Right now, everybody seems so busy that they want things quick and easy. Give your readers an easy read with your work by providing them bulleted text and subheads so that they can easily browse through your article.

Remember that you need to write an article that would catch great number of people that would read the article from start to end. And after reading, they would say, "Oh, now I know".

News Writing - How To Write A Sports Report In 4 Steps

News writing style is just as important for sports reporting as it is for general news, business stories or any other journalistic work.

The advantage of sports writing is that you are allowed a little it more leeway in your choice of words. In crime or business writing, you are restricted in your use of adjectives and adverbs and are encouraged to focus more on nouns and verbs.

Sports writing, however, allows you to go to town in describing plays, the atmosphere, fans and other colorful aspects of a sporting event.

For this article, we will go through, step by step, how to write a straightforward sports report using quotes.

Ideally, any sports story would have quotes from the winners and losers. Indeed, many sports articles are written around what athletes say rather than what they have achieved on the field of play.

However, you also have sports articles written without quotes. When rookies learn how to write like a journalist, especially in sport, they are likely to come across the structure that we will show you here.

We will adapt the NBA game between Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers on April 1 as our example article.

1. Intro – the most important news aspect of a sports game is the score. Who won? How did they win and what effect did the victory have? Also important is whether we are writing from a Boston perspective or Cleveland. In this case, we will go with Cleveland.

"Cleveland Cavaliers lost 98-96 to the Boston Celtics after Delonte West's sank two free throws in the final seconds, dropping three and a half games behind the Pistons for the best record in the Eastern Conference."

2. More info – The above is enough for those who have a passing interest in the sport. However, NBA fans would want more information and you could give it to them in one or two paragraphs.

"The Cavaliers were without star player LeBron James, suffering from a knee injury, while the Celtics were minus Paul Pierce. Gerald Green led the way for Celtics with 25 points while Kendrick Perkins had 12 points and nine rebounds.

The Cavaliers, for whom Larry Hughes scored 24 with Sasha Pavlovic scoring 17, have already qualified for the play-offs while Boston are out of the running."

3. Quote – This is where you can provide a quote from the coach or a key player from both teams. You can precede each saying with a lead-in paragraph or go straight into the quote.

"Celtic forward Al Jefferson, said: 'They were missing their best player and we were missing our best play. We just stuck in there.'

Cavs coach Mike Brown said James' absence was a key factor in their loss.

'We miss LeBron. We miss LeBron every time he doesn't play. He's our guy,' said Brown."

4. The rest – Once you got the main information and key quotes out of the way, you can go on to describe the game. Even better would be to describe just one or two plays and include more quotes.

The thinking behind sports articles is that people would have watched the game on TV anyway and would not want boring game description. Therefore, quotes from the people who matter, such as athletes and coaches, would offer better reading value.

There are many types of sports news writing that is offered around the world everyday. We have merely showed you its simplest form. Certainly, it is a rewarding form of news writing for journalists who love their sport. And the structure they use allow them to adapt their skills to any type of journalism writing.

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) Screenwriting Structure 2

FORWARD

The 188 stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188+ stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE HERO'S JOURNEY:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

(simply go to www.clickok.co.uk for full details)

*****Time Pressure*****

The Hero (and the story) has no time for the Hero's procrastination (stage of the Lack of Commitment post the Sacred Meeting with the Supernatural Aid ).

Some form of Time Pressure is initiated, which manifests itself in various forms, including.

Antagonism Strikes. Often, an Antagonism will increase the urgency of the Journey and resolution. In The Matrix (1999), Neo is pursued by the agents, interrogated and implanted. In Lord of the Rings (2001), the demon army are born.

Challenge Imperative. Or one of the other challenges will come to the fore. In Spiderman 2 (2004), MJ is moving on.

*****Near Death Experience*****

Post the Seizing of the Sword, a Near Death Experience that results in a birth is common. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), whilest driving at night, the kidnapped man reveals he is an an undertaker.