Learning from other Writers

There is a sea of information in the internet on how to write well. For people who have the drive to write or for those who are writing already, reviewing tips on writing is never a waste of time. In fact, reading ideas on writing from writers stoke a writer's adrenalin gland. A writer has to grab any opportunity at improving one's writing or even simply reviewing materials that are badly written. Writers are great readers too. The read well and badly written texts.

Below is a blog that I found helpful. Steve Siberman,a writer, compiled the following tips on writing from good writers. Here's the link to Steve Siberman's Tips for Writers:

http://blogs.plos.org/neurotribes/2011/06/02/practical-tips-on-writing-a-book-from-22-brilliant-authors/

You can awaken the genius in you!

In psychoanalysis we are told that we are using only 1/4 of our brain. This is the reason why for most of us in this planet, our genius stay dormant. Not anymore if you decide to explore that genius within. If you are interested, there's no harm in exploring. Here's the link:

http://www.geniusmindset.com/genius/

Citizenship, My Birthright

It's annoying to read news items on amending the Philippine Constitution at a very unlikely time like now. The Nograles Bill pushes for a 100% ownership of land in the country by foreign firms or corporation. This idea of 100% ownership of land by foreigners makes me squirm. How did this idea get into the Speaker's head?

Should the Nograles Bill get passed into law, can't you imagine right now a queue of foreign firms buying land, then more land, until nothing is left to the Filipino?

The other annoying move is that of Cong. Luis Villafuerte who thinks Congress can just
amend the constitution through a constituent assembly.. What happened to these people's oath taking before they assumed office? Is this move by Cong. Villafuerte in a supposed to be democratic country something we taxpayers deserve? In his heart of hearts, is there no more nerve that feels for what truly is the spirit of a people's crafted amendment?

Senator Pimentel's Right to Reply Bill is another piece of a proposed legislation that is brazenly a travesty of the inherent freedom of the press and the other medium of communication. Why are our so-called voices in our institutions of democracy not listening to us? They are supposed to be doing things in our name.

5 Tips from Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ

5 Tips for Achieving Your Writing Goals
by Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ (mailto:shery@writesparks.com)

1. Make your goals achievable.

By achievable, we mean realistic and attainable. You might unconsciously have set a goal even others will have a hard time achieving, even if they had the means and the time to do so.

Here's what you can do: break down your goals into small, realistic goals set against reasonable time frames. Oftentimes, you'll achieve your bigger goals if you work on achieving the smaller goals leading to those. The important thing is that your make your goals as realistic and as achievable as you can.

2. Believe in your abilities.

Success hugely depends on one and only one person -- you. So, do you believe enough in yourself and in what you can do to achieve your goals? Self-doubt is your biggest adversity and the biggest obstacle on your way to success. Is it possible you lost focus of your goals because you have unconsciously set aside having to deal with your self-doubts?


3. Devise a feasible plan.

You know what you want, but do you know how to get what you want? Do you need technical or artistic training to achieve your goals? Or perhaps further studies? Do you have a set plan of action that will lead to the achievement of your goals? What things, both tangible and intangible, do you need to aid you in reaching your goals?

Take a moment to sit down and list the things you need and make your plan of action. This is a good time to break them down into small, realistic goals and then tackle them one day at a time!


4. Resist spreading yourself too thinly.

Sometimes, it's better to work on one goal at a time, rather than doing and shooting for so many all at the same time. Work on so many goals at one given time and you'll find out you're nowhere near achieving even one goal. You won't be able to focus your full energy on one goal.

Prioritize your goals and start with either your top priority or your most realistic goal. You'll discover you're able to do more and achieve more using this approach.


5. Don't be easily disheartened.

Along with believing in your ability to achieve your goals, this is the second most important thing you need to do. Yes, you do the steps necessary to achieve your goals, but after one or two failures, do you give up and stop trying?

Persistence and patience are the keys to achieving your goals and eventually success. Always remember that it's very rare for people to achieve total success or attain their goals on the first try. If they did, there'll be no need to build self-confidence, patience and persistence.

Now that you've read these five tips, start your way to attaining your writing goals today!


Copyright (c) 2004 Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ

[ And just in case you have a web site or publish an e-zine, feel free to reprint this article. Just don't forget to include my resource box below. And please publish my article as is, without any alteration. ]

=> Resource Box <=

Shery created WriteSparks! - a software that generates over 10 *million* Story Sparkers for Writers. Download WriteSparks! Lite for fr*e - http://writesparks.com
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Here are 5 prompts to try out this week, Francia. They're from my book, WEEKLY WRITES: 52 Weeks of Writing Bliss!, which contains over 365 writing activities, prompts and ideas to fill up your journal.

1. List at least 5 situations you hope you never have to find yourself in. Then write the courses of action you would take if you do find yourself in those situations. (Week 14 - Indecision)

2. What are some of the things you expect from yourself? List ten to fifteen of these expectations, pick one and then write about it for ten minutes. (Week 40 - Expectations)

3. Build a story from this weird or absurd news: "In an attempt to get a date, a man in Turin, Italy arranges at least 500 bump-and-stop car accidents with young female drivers." (Week 22 - Absurdities)

4. Create a superstitious society. Invent omens and superstitions and make these the driving forces behind the actions of the people in your society. (Week 38 - Warnings)

5. Someone you have never gotten along with for years suddenly steps up and says hello to you while you are walking in the park, shopping or having coffee. She strikes up a conversation as if the two of you are the best of friends. How would you react? (Week 15 - Reactions)


Lately, I've been receiving inquiries from WriteSparks!(tm) Lite users if I intend to compile the WriteSparks!(tm) articles in an e-book so they'll have one file to open up whenever they feel the need to go back to the articles and inspirations. I always do my best not to disappoint, so compile the articles I did :o)

The previous 27 articles, including the writing sparks, are now in an e-book. It's a PDF and readable using Adobe Acrobat Reader.

=> http://writesparks.com/wsarticles.zip
(Download this file if you have Winzip. Unzip the program to your Desktop.)

=> http://writesparks.com/wsarticles.pdf
(Download this file if you do not have Winzip. Choose to save it to your Desktop.)

And if you want a print copy of the article collection and you're in the US, send $5 to my Paypal address, sheryruss@gmail.com. I'll mail you a print copy and throw in a booklet containing 365 prompts taken from the WriteSparks!(tm) software. If you're outside the US, send $10.

So knock yourself out, Francia... be inspired and motivated, and most of all -- keep on writing!


Best,
Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ
WriteSparks! creator
http://writesparks.com


PS: Start journaling in 2008! My book, The Authentic Self: Journaling Your Joys, Griefs and Everything in Between, will get you started right away. You'll be journaling all the way through 2008. Order an autographed copy today and receive a bo.nus gift. Shipping is fr.ee anywhere in the US :o).

=> http://writesparks.com/lm/link.php?id=419ba85authenticself

The Forces of Nature in Your Stories by Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ (mailto:shery@writesparks.com)

Nature plays a big role in stories. Nature can make a character more authentic because it can influence his/her action or behavior.

If you ever find yourself stuck on to how to describe one of your characters, add a force of nature in your character description. Describe how your character behaves or reacts during a bad (or good) weather.

Take for example a few movies where forces of nature were vital. Imagine how the characters and the plots would change if the following forces of nature were taken away:

~ the tornado in the Wizard of Oz
~ the lightning in Phenomenon (John Travolta)
~ the volcanic eruption in Dante's Peak (Pierce Brosnan)
~ the icebergs in the Atlantic in Titanic (Leonardo diCaprio)
~ the avalanche in Vertical Limit (Chris O'Donnell)

Try to substitute another force of nature in the examples above and see how it affects the story and the characters.

Try it yourself on the following:

1. Deanna Ball possesses a strong sense of duty. She's stuck in a traffic jam. Force of nature: Earthquake

2. Randall Graves is people-oriented and works well with others. He's in a bar watching afternoon football with friends. Force of nature: Snowstorm

3. Dessa Woods has an intimidating personality. She's on vacation with a couple of friends. Force of nature: Avalanche

4. Geoff Earhart is organized and methodical in his approach to everything. He's been ordered to recover a vital piece of equipment from a capsized ship. Force of nature: Lightning storm

5. Mac Taylor is the persistent type. He's been trailing a woman who looked like his best friend's dead wife. Force of nature: Torrential rain


Copyright 2004 Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ

Here's a very useful article for writers.I am putting it here with permission.

What Writing Is Not
by Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ (mailto:shery@writesparks.com)

Writing isn't a "one size fits all" shirt.

What works for me won't necessarily work for you. Your writing schedule may not be another writer's ideal schedule.

You're productive early mornings; I, late nights. You can write in spurts, can do the chores in between, and still turn in a clean copy and beat your editor's deadline by several hours. I, on the other hand, work best when I write for long hours and don't take breaks. Your way isn't better than mine, and vice versa. At the end of the day, we both come out with something we are proud of.

Some writers write more and finish more quickly if they follow an outline. Others feel stifled and write without one, happy to let their characters reveal the story in the process. Neither approach is wrong.

Maintaining a daily writing habit has worked wonders for me, but writing every day might not be for you.

Some writers are the pen-and-paper type while others can write straight from the computer.

And as one writer writes her masterpiece in solitude, lulled by four walls of silence, another shapes hers in a cafe, among crowds, or right in the center of the city's gut. Both equally feel a sense of belonging.

We each have a unique style; a personal writing rhythm; a customized formula.

Writing isn't a "one size fits all" shirt. Find your own size, the one you're most comfortable in. Whatever your size is...that's the right size. It's the right way of writing -- because it's your way.

You wear it well when you simply write with all your heart.


Copyright 2004 Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ

[ And just in case you have a web site or publish an e-zine, feel free to reprint this article. Just don't forget to include my resource box below. And please publish my article as is, without any alteration. ]

=> Resource Box <=

Shery is the creator of WriteSparks! - a software that generates over 10 *million* Story Sparkers for Writers. Download WriteSparks! Lite for fr*e - http://writesparks.com

Want to explore a Free Master Course to give you a launching pad for your writing?

Click this link to lead you to the Free Master's Course from SBI!



The Free Masters Course is also in this link. Please just click the link:

https://secure.sitesell.com/prot-bin/affiliatescripts/affiliateClubMoreInfo.pl?bookbuilditnew