The Blast Alliance

In many ways, “control” means the familiar, the status quo. And this is the writer’s enemy. Creating, after all, means ushering in the NEW. Spontaneity is where the fire lies; it’s our route to unexpected ideas, and the ring of our own true voices. We can tap into a strong flow of inspiration once we find a way to skirt around the habitual control habits of our censor mind. One of the best ways to sneak passed the guards, I’ve found, is to devote some time each day to unstructured writing. Keep your hand moving, and write out all your thoughts without stopping to consider how good they are or where they’re taking you.

I used a very simple technique to write this article: I started with the idea of “letting go” and then I wrote for about fifteen minutes, recording every thought that came up in relation to this concept.

Anyone recall doing contour drawings in art class? Free-flowing writing practice can be very similar. As you might remember, our teachers had us start with pure contour: drawing something that we’re seeing without looking at our hand. The writer’s analogy would be to write down every thought that passes through our heads, as fast as our pen hand can move, without judging, critiquing or inhibiting.

Then we have our equivalent of modified contour – checking back periodically to see where the hand is – which still entails writing without stopping to question, but holding to a central idea for reference. Any time our thoughts stray we just gently restate the core idea (perhaps “book promotion”, “Google Adsense” or whatever else) and keep writing.

When we let go like this we find an outlet for material that we had never considered or may even have been afraid of. We catch thoughts on the pages that normally would’ve passed right under our noses undetected. Our mental habits can structure so much of our inspiration. When we EXPECT ideas to come only from a certain quarter then we blind ourselves to anything coming to us from other directions. Writing without second-guessing our destination allows it all to spill out before our eyes – and then we can sift through later and separate the gold flecks from the mud.

Seth Mullins is the author of “Song of an Untamed Land”. Visit his complete blog at http://www.writingup.com/blog/seth_mullins

“Ignorance is no argument’ – Baruch Spinoza

The first round of the QDU took place last week, and I am involved in a team (fortuantly we won). Seeing that this is a world wide activity I felt that I should write some basic tips for debating, as I realize how hard it is when I first started. I have been debating for 5 years and hopefully I can pas my experience on to others.

I’m not sure if different countries have different types of debating, but Australia has a system where there are 3 people on each side who take it in turns to argue a point.

(1) – You are always right – no matter what you really believe, if you want to win then you have to know that what ever you say is correct and your opposition is always wrong.

(2) – Strong central argument – after you make each point link it back to your teams case. This makes the whole team look more prepared and gets big marks.

(3) – Rebut – if they have an incorrect fact, rebut it. If they do not link back to their teams case, rebut it. If they give an example that has no relevence, rebut it. Remember, the opposition is always wrong.

(4) – If you need more time, summerize – a good summery not only gets good points, it also increases your time. If you go under time you lost points and the same occurs if you go over. Try to find a balance.

(5) – Never insult the opposition – no matter how much you want to, don’t! If you want to insult something, do it to their argument. Don’t use personal attacks if you want to win.

(6) – Have passion – believe in what you are saying and you probably will win. Speak from the heart, but also use logic and academic research.

This is not so much a guide but just some helpful tips, so that you can earn maximum points. If you still have some query’s, then post a comment below.

Russ Egan
http://s-bend.blogspot.com

Public Speakers! Check Out These Most-Mispronounced Words.

Yes, it’s a living language–English is–but there still remain words whose correct pronunciation is less common than their mis-pronunciation! In addition to giving you the right pronunciation, I’ll throw in a simple rule or two so you can figure out others on your own and not be afraid of embarrassing yourself with Pronunciation Gaffes.

(As a therapist for thirty-some years, I hate to do this to you–use the “should” word, but I gotta do it here.)

A Rule: When you have two “c’s” together, the first C is pronounced like a K, the second like an S.
ACCEDE should be ak-SEED
ACCELERATE should be ak-SELL-uhr-ate
ACCESSIBLE should be ak-SESS-i-buhl
ACCESSORY should be ak-SESS-or-ee
ECCENTRIC should be ek-SEN-trik
FLACCID should be FLAK-sid

Only when there are double S’s are they pronounced with only the S sound. i.e. as-SESS.

Middle Eastern countries are very much in the news these days. It’s nice to pronounce a person’s country correctly. In the case of IRAQ and IRAN the I’s are not pronounced “eye”, but a short i, as in BIT. If you want to get fancy, it sounds both pretty and authentic if you can flip the R.

The A’s are broad: Iraq is not “eye rack” It is “i-ROCK”; Iran is not “eye ran”. It is “i-RON”.

Here are a few of the words I’m hearing commonly mispronounced:
CANDIDATE is CAN-di-date (Pronounce both D’s)
ECHELON is ESH-e-lon
ETC. (etcetera) is eht-SEH-ter-a (No K sound)
NUCLEAR is NOO-klee-uhr (Think of new and clear.)
PATHOS is PAY-thohs (Not thahs.)
PLETHORA is PLETH-or-a
VULNERABLE is VUL-ner-a-buhl (Sound the first L.)
SCHISM is SIZ-em

I hope this little foray to the dictionary will give you the confidence to use these very nice words with the certainty that you’re pronouncing them correctly.

Carole McMichaels, Speaker, Coach, Author: “Fearless Public Speaking: How to Get Rid of Your Stage Fright and Prepare and Deliver a Winning Presentation”, invites you to join her free newsletter on speaking in public. You may also get your free report, “7 Valuable Tips on Writing a Mind-Gripping Speech”. http://www.getridofpublicspeakingfears.com

There are a number of reasons that every writer should have their own newsletter.

1. Creative Outlet — Every writer I know writes because they must, because they simply have something to say. However the trick is for many writers finding the right outlet, the right expression, for that message. Starting your own newsletter or ezine can give you that creative outlet and satisfy your inner writer.

2. Shut Down The Editor — The three most satisfying moments for me as a writer were the first time I saw my name in print as a writer, the first time I cashed a check for my writing, and the last time I had to listen to an editor. I learned a lot from the various editors I worked with as a professional writer over the years — and some of it was even beneficial to me as a writer and person. However there were many times when editors did nothing but push me in a direction I didn’t want to go and force changes on me that I didn’t want to make to my writing. Sometimes they even made those changes without telling me. My byline or name would be on the printed word, but someone else had tampered with my writing. Now I don’t have to listen to an editor unless I choose or request insight from someone I respect.

3. Your Own Fan Club — In the past those who have appreciated my writing have been limited to a specific geographic area, genre, or field; however publishing my own ezine which is delivered around the world to people from a very diverse experience and background means a broader fan club than I could ever achieve in any other medium.

4. Becoming A Guru — As you publish and share your writing and your audience grows something amazing happens. You become someone of note within your niche and you become someone that others listen to and turn to. You become a guru.

5. 100% Profit and Pride — In the past I have written for several award-winning, successful publications, but very rarely did my paycheck reflect the honors and profit I brought into the company. A few years ago my writing earned one publication I wrote for a very prestigious award. During the slide presentation leading up to the award ceremony I watched column after column with my byline sliding by on the screen and then I watched someone else walk up to accept the award. Now when my publications are honored and recognized I knowexactly where the credit goes and similarly when they are profitable I know exactly where the profit goes.

Now that I have convinced you that you need to publish your own ezine or newsletter, I want to go over a few questions that budding editorsand publishers always ask.

What exactly is an electronic newsletter or ezine?

Just like their paper counterparts like newspapers, newsletters, and magazines, ezines deliver written messages usually relating to a common theme or topic. The main difference is that an ezine transcends paper and ink and most likely only ever exists on a computer screen.

Some ezines are delivered only via email while others are delivered only on the web. Most are delivered in some combination of the two. Most of my ezines are delivered via email but also available immediately via web page (or rather blog page) and RSS feed.

You can choose as your own editor and publisher what method is most suited to you and your audience.

How do you publish a newsletter or ezine?

It is much easier to start publication of your own ezine than it is to start up a print publication. You simply need to decide on a topic, name your publication and start writing. It is easy to find an audience through the various ezine and newsletter directories around the internet as well as going directly to the source, for example discussion boards for people interested in your topic.

You will need to determine a delivery method, which means most likely setting up your own web site; creating an archive for your issues once they are created, which could mean setting up a blog; and tracking your readers, which likely means setting up a mailing or autoresponder service. However you can use free tools to do any of these things.

Deanna Mascle shares more writing advice in her blogs Your Route To Internet Writing Success and Word Craft

A) Your first paragraph:

Getting started often gives writers the most trouble. Actually it’s easy! Just think of what you’d say to a friend when imparting news over the telephone:

For example, you’d be unlikely to say this:

The sun was shining brightly in a clear blue sky when the Queen visited Pangbourne today. The townsfolk were out in force to welcome their monarch as she toured local schools and businesses. Children sang a specially-composed madrigal, and she was presented with a silver plate by the local history society. Towards the end of her hour’s stay she was shot by a demented boy scout and is now fighting for her life in the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

You’d probably say something like this:

The Queen was shot by a boy scout in Pangbourne today. She may live.

Daft example of course, but it makes the point…which is: Get to the Point Straight Away.

B) And there’s more:

It is unlikely that one paragraph will be sufficient. Subsequent ones may well be needed to flesh out the detail. If so, remember the golden rule BASH.

Brevity

Short words and short sentences have greatest impact.

Take a logical sequence, never make readers turn back to understand.

Accuracy

Forget the old adage: If in doubt, leave out.

Better to remind yourself: If in doubt, find out.

Simplicity

Never write to impress. Most magazines and newspapers are for general not specialist consumption, so the least-informed reader should not be made to feel ‘inferior’ or ‘out of the know’. If anyone has to reach for a dictionary or just gives up you’ve failed. If the weather’s dull say dull not crepuscular.

Heredity

Remember to attribute comment or opinion.

And always put your own name and contact detail at the bottom of any press release or article – if you don’t want this detail published start it with:

‘For Editor’s Information Only, Not For Publication’

Kimble Earl is Marketing Director of http://www.WhereCanWeGo.com Britain’s What’s On Event Guide. In the past he has been Editor of a number of UK regional newspapers.

Research for news or feature stories is very different to academic study. Time limits or ‘deadlines’ are usually more critical and the depth of information required is much less. In journalism, research will be for background information and for the purposes of finding people you can interview for expert comment or analysis. These are called ’sources’. In news journalism, a single source is often used in an article but feature writers use several sources.

Most organisations have designated employees who deal with media enquiries. They are usually called a press officer and work in the press office. But they may be a marketing person or even staff at a public relations company. The press office will supply you with news releases, brochures and leaflets, known as ‘hand-out’ material. Press officers are usually helpful, all too aware that today’s journalism student or writing enthusiast may be tomorrow’s Fleet Street staffer. They will answer your questions and may assist you to arrange an interview with a source which, in television, is called unflatteringly a ‘talking head’. Adding your contact details to a press officer’s mailing list can result in invitations to potentially valuable sources of stories like product launches and news conferences. Potential interviewees can be found using publications including:

• The Directory of British Associations, available in most reference libraries.
• The Hollis Press and Public Relations Annual
• The Writers and Artists Yearbook
• The Guardian Media Guide which lists a range of media contacts and the names, telephone numbers and websites for local councils, government departments, hospitals, police services, courts, prisons, museums, theatres and embassies.

A good reference library will have a variety of specialist directories as well CD-ROMS containing back issues of newspapers and journals. It is worthwhile joining as more than one library. London has a number of these, for instance Westminster Reference Library, the British Library and the Royal Institute for International Affairs, which researchers can use by prior appointment.

The internet is now an easy and standard source for research. There are a number of major search engines on the net and a few like Ask Jeeves at askjeeves.co.uk and Answers.com are particularly user-friendly because you can enter a question. All the major newspapers have searchable archives, for example guardianunlimited.co.uk. Though the internet is a great resource, for accuracy, be careful to use authoritative sites and double check facts when not doing this. For example, though the online encyclopaedic resource wikipaedia.org is a boon, remember that it is written by volunteers who are not necessarily experts (anybody who wants to contribute can) and therefore information on it needs to be cross-referenced with other sources.

It is not uncommon for people who are new to journalism to spend an inordinate amount of effort on research and then leave little time for the writing of an article. The important consideration in the first stage of constructing your piece is the topicality of the story, its relevance to a target audience and interesting angle. This will provide the necessary focus for your research, saving precious time and labour. The UK’s citizen journalism website the-latest.com has a useful section on resources for would-be journalists.

About the Author
Deborah Hobson, freelance journalist and contributing editor of The-Latest.Com, the UK’s citizen journalism website. The-Latest uncovers news about almost forgotten subjects or information some people would rather you did not read. We keep tabs on the news that doesn’t get reported from the angle you would like. We have fun as well at the best Citizens Journalism site in the UK The-Latest.Com

You may have the flashiest website on the internet or have the best offers on the web, but without visitors your efforts and skills are wasted. You need to generate traffic if your web presence is going to make its mark, and make you lots of money ! But how should you do this ?

You have probably found many websites which offer you the chance to generate millions of visits by simply signing up to a ‘fool proof’ system. Or you could spend hours of your valuable time clicking the ‘NEXT’ button on an autosurf site in an effort to generate ‘reciprocal’ visitors. These are just two methods of wasting your time and money.

However, one of the newest ways of promoting your site is growing in popularity at an amazing rate. All you have to do is write articles about something you know about – seem a bit too easy ? Articles don’t have to be detailed, long and complex, and they definitely don’t need to make you the next candidate for the Booker Prize ! Your article needs to be original though, ie, in your own words and not simply copied from somewhere else.

You must remember that articles do not write themselves and you have to put in a certain degree of effort. So what do you write about ? Think about your everyday life – is there something you do every day which would serve as a manual for someone else ? Could you write a simple guide on a subject you are familiar with. Did you find an ‘easy way’ to solve a problem, such as How to get your baby to sleep at night. Or what about a step by step guide to Teach your Parents how to use the Internet (please send me a copy of this please ?).

The information in your article must be presented in simple words – don’t get too detailed or technical. Always ensure your words are spelt correctly, you will probably have a spell checker on your PC. If not, there are several free options available through Google. Always make sure your article has a really catchy title which encourages people to read it. Keep the content of your article to approx 500 – 750 words. Too long and the readers will not reach the end which is the important bit – that’s where you include the URL of your website.

Whatever your article may be about, the art of article writing will enable you to encourage your readers to visit your website. But how ? Well, the majority of websites you submit articles to will allow you to ’sign’ your work with not only your name but with a link to a website – YOUR website. Not only this, but you will be able to monitor how many people have read your article.

There are many fantastic ebooks which teach you how to write articles, where to submit them, and useful tools to get your articles seen. Go ahead and visit my site to see some of these. Once you publish your first article you will do it again and again continuing to spread the word about you and your business throughout the World Wide Web.

Jonathan Moss is an IT Professional and owner of http://www.jvm-sales.co.uk/index2.htm website in the US and http://www.jvmuk.com site in the UK.

The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon – understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The Hero’s Journey:

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

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

Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

The Hero’s Journey is also a study of repeating patterns in successful stories and screenplays. It is compelling that screenwriters have a higher probability of producing quality work when they mirror the recurring patterns found in successful screenplays.

Great Characters

The first step to building great characters is to outline your story according to the Hero’s Journey. During the macro outline you will see characters emerge and during the micro outline they will develop.

Beyond the above, there are a few processes that successful screenwriters use. Specifically, these techniques are (more often than not) used during the initial Call to Adventure stage:

The Hero’s Ordinary World: In War of the Worlds (2005), we meet Ray Ferrier at work and at home.

The Hero’s Backstory: In Midnight Cowboy (1969), Joe Buck sets off for New York almost immediately – his inner challenges and back-story are revealed through flashbacks.

The Hero’s True Nature: In Gladiator (2000), Maximus takes time to feel the tall grass.

The Hero’s Motivations: In Goodfellas (1990), the first sequences explain why Henry wanted to be part of the gangster family.

The Hero’s Status: In Spiderman (2002), nobody wants to sit next to Peter Parker.

The Hero’s Inner Challenge: In Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), we learn that Indiana is afraid of snakes.

The Hero’s Outer Challenge: In Spiderman (2002), Peter must overcome the Green Goblin.

The Hero’s Romantic Challenge: In Spiderman (2002), Peter must win over Mary Jane.

Simply filling the above boxes provides the screenwriter with enough material to easily fulfil the Call to Adventure stage [and then develop these elements further at later stages].

The detailed, complete deconstruction and the Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and FREE 17 stage sample and other story structure templates can be found at http://managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

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You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://managing-creativity.com/

At present, as various firms & entrepreneurs are looking at online video websites as a terrific place to upload content to draw their customers, it’s vital to be familiar with the basic principles of utilising internet video promotion sites.

Here are a few fundamental things you have to be familiar with previous to you starting to distribute videos on web video channels.

At all times make an effort to use promotional videos that give useful info to your viewers – Many business people erroneously presume you can basically add any advertisement on a video channel, but nothing could be closer from reality. Every video must offer some useful info to the desired market, or otherwise start topic of discussion.

Carry out some degree of market research on the video channels previous to you adding your very first video – it is an exceptional suggestion to allocate some extra time putting your market’s essential keywords into the search engine on the site, in an attempt to realise what other videos are currently on the market. Then make sure you have jotted down the profile names of the most successful firms in your market. Perhaps afterwards you can make a joint venture or even have some kind of relationship with these businesses.

It is important to keep in mind that every video website has a society built into it – Because of this you are suggested to respect the other members and it is advised that you add positive notes to your competitors’ videos. Essentially you must be a member of the society, contributing opinion, ideas etc. And only then should you deem yourself as being a video marketer & start to broadcast your own videos and services.

Commit yourself to creating quite a lot of promotional videos – You should have an obvious strategy for producing & posting quite a lot of professional videos. Or else, your profile page on the video portals will look bare if it simply has one solitary video to look at. Thus, make time preparing the creation of a number of short format videos, instead of one considerably lengthy video.

Web video marketing is one of the most efficient and fastest methods of advertising today. Enhance your businesses online Return of Investment with professional video production offered by Vidify.

If you ever find yourself stumped for a fiction idea, try one of these suggestions.

Listen to music. Listen to the story. It’s okay to picture what the singer and songwriter have put out there for you, but let your imagination go further. For a country song about a great horse that died, imagine what other kinds of pets people might get attached to. What kind of cowboy would keep a ground hog in his pocket as a pet? How many tattoos would a girl have, if she really loved her pet lizard? What about working animals? I’d love to read a story about an adventurous blind woman mistakenly paired with a very prim Seeing Eye dog.

Play with headlines. Don’t read the article, just see what kind of story your mind wants to create based on the title. “Shop Owner Slain by Bandit.” Would you care more about the bandit, the shop owner, or the owner’s new Mongolian mail order bride? What if the bandit and the shop owner were brothers? Who would care if the paper got almost everything wrong? What if you changed one word? “Shop Owner Slain by WHEELCHAIR Bandit.” Suddenly the tragedy becomes a black comedy or a comedy of errors. Newspapers, journals and magazines are great sources for inspiring titles you can warp to meet your needs.

So, listen to music, play with titles and let your imagination run wild. Just remember to keep a notepad handy as a safety valve, or your head might actually explode!

About the Author
Rodney Robbins is a quirky author and cartoonist who enjoys life’s paradoxes. You can visit his store and blog at http://www.lulu.com/rodneyrobbins for more information.