Writing HI-LO Material (High Interest, Low Ability) for Slow Readers

To write books for readers at an elementary reading level (for either adults or children) you start off exactly the same way as you do any other book: you work out a strong plot and people it with interesting characters.Your primary concerns: To write a story that will seize... Read More

Novel to Screenplay: The Challenges of Adaptation

ADAPTATION 101Brimming with confidence, you've just signed the check purchasing the rights to adapt John Doe's fabulous, but little known novel, Lawrence of Monrovia, to screenplay form. Suddenly, panic sets in. "What was I thinking? How the devil am I going to convert this 400-page novel to a 110-page screenplay?"The... Read More

Got an Idea? Turn it into a Novel in Thirty Days or Less!

People can't believe I did it, but I did. I wrote my first novel, The League, in about 30 days. I never spent more than two hours on any given day, unless I wrote then went back to edit. I also found and signed with a publisher in one month... Read More

Get An Attitude About Your Writing

(This excerpt is taken from my new writing workshop Writing To Sell In the Internet Age.)Writer John Clausen, in his excellent book about freelance writing: Too Lazy To Work, Too Nervous To Steal, recommends that you get an attitude about your work. And he's right.Many writers are submissive. This attitude... Read More

Top Ten Tips (Part 2)

Golden Rules For New Writers - Things you need to know before you begin.Rules govern everything we do in life; even if those rules are of the unwritten kind we abide by them and expect other people to do the same. Why should writing be any different? It shouldn't be... Read More

How I Became a Syndicated Columnist -- And You Can Too!

Real Estate has "Location, location, location," and writing has "Clips, clips, clips."When people ask me how I became a syndicated columnist, I usually say, "it just snowballed." And basically that's what happened: one publication led to another, which led to another, and so forth.I began my career writing for a... Read More

Effective Editing: It Spells the Difference!

If you think proofreading equals editing, then you're wrong! Editing is a lot more than just scrutinizing your manuscript for misspelled words or missing punctuation marks.As a whole:Edit only *after* you've written the *whole* piece. If you stop to edit after every paragraph or sentence, you will disrupt the flow... Read More

10 Secrets For Writing Killer Complaint Letters

Complaint letters aren't always fun, but sometimes they need to be written. In many cases, if people don't complain, the problem agency at fault (i.e. company or government) won't even know that the problem that you and others may have experienced even exists.Ultimately, legitimate complaints, by even a few people,... Read More

How To Stay Fit While Writing

Day after day, writers tend to sit for hours writing that novel or story, and over time, this can become a potential problem. Their metabolism may slow down and the pounds can inch up. Statistics show all kinds of health problems associated with obesity.If you're an author, you are aware... Read More

Write With Passion: 4 Steps To Emotionally Charge A Nonfiction Article

You have just completed a draft of an article. It seems flat, even to you. It needs some spunk. Needs to be more alive. Possibly you're at a loss on how to spruce it up so that it creates an emotional connection with the readers.A flat fiction character is easier... Read More

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How You Can Become a Certified and Profitable Proofreader

A certified proofreader is one that has taken a few... Read More

How To Co-Publish For Profits!

The Benefits of Co-Publishing There are a number of publishers,... Read More

Writing Query Letters

A QUERY LETTER is written to an editor or agent... Read More

Is Someone Plagiarizing Your Work?

About two weeks ago I received an article submissionthat immediately... Read More

Cheap Therapy

I call it cheap therapy. That gushing, near-religious, poured-from-the-body stress... Read More

Writing is a Discipline

If a writer considers writing to be a task, he/she... Read More

Proofreading for Profits

How to avoid mistakes that undermine your credibilityYou're probably already... Read More

Writing Made Them Rich #4: Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho was born on August 24th 1947 in Rio... Read More

How to Write Headlines for How-to Articles

Want to write a how-to article but can't come up... Read More

Writing Without Style

Style manuals are all well and good, and in fact,... Read More

How To Identify Your Own Style Of Writing

This article is to help identify which style, technique or... Read More

Writing IS a Business

Why is it that so many people don't take writing-as-a-job... Read More

Three 30 Day Journaling Ideas

Here are 3 journaling or diary ideas that can contribute... Read More

Increase Your Chances Of Winning Writing Contests

Winning writing contests can provide several advantages to writers. For... Read More

Does Each Element of Your Story Further The Theme?

Creative Writing Tips ?Whichever theme you choose, all the elements,... Read More

How to Break In and Succeed as a Screenwriter

Screenwriting is a competitive trade. To distinguish yourself as a... Read More

Ten Ways to Get Cheap (and Free) Magazine Samples

1 - Join a reading or writing group. Ask members... Read More

Writing Dialogue That Make Your Characters Come Alive

Characters in a good novel really carry the story along... Read More

Becoming the Total Package

Being a great writer is no longer enough if you... Read More

English Grammar ? Seven Outdated Rules You Can Ignore

No matter what your fifth-grade English teacher says, some grammar... Read More

Its All About YOU!

The Hottest Word on the WebDid you know marketing people... Read More

Four Act Stories and Beyond

There are various forms of structure, including frameworks, work processes... Read More

The Arrogant Writer: Five Ways To Nurture and Defend Your Muse

Arrogance has a bad rap. We think of arrogant people... Read More

Ten Quick Tips for Inexperienced Writers

One of the biggest problems that inexperienced writers have is... Read More

The Run-on Sentence: From Here To Eternity

If you find your sentences filled with commas, and they... Read More

Help! I Cant Write!

Writer's Block can strike like a King Cobra, paralyzing every... Read More

Looking For Good Copywriter Books?

If you are looking for copywriter books, you'll want to... Read More

Top Ten Great Headline Ideas

What Makes a Great Headline?Headlines are far more important than... Read More

Aesop, Abraham Lincoln, and You

May I tell you about a writing technique shared by... Read More

Bird by Bird

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by marketing. First, there's so... Read More

Dont Forget That Manual!

No user manual? Surely you jest!It may seem comical, but... Read More

A Perfect Day for Writers

In one of the exercises in my "Getting Started as... Read More

Pages: Your Book of Life

Many of us dream of writing a book. Why not.... Read More