Many believe that they can become a writer if they were given the chance. However, it is not as easy as some people would like to believe to be a writer. For the most part the life of a writer is difficult and stressful. Getting noticed by the publishing community is nearly impossible and your book must be prolific and unique to even shake a possible publishing deal from an agent. The main problem that people have when they begin writing is the fact that they do not know w...

Writing an editorial article may be one of the most satisfying forms of writing, especially for journalists trained to be objective at all costs. As long as you have an opinion and can support it with facts, you have the makings of an interesting piece.

So you think you know how to write a screenplay? When was the last time you heard someone state that they could write a better screenplay than the one they just saw?

Have you ever been haunted by a character, one who inhabits your imagination for days, months or years? Acquiring a life of his own, he leaps from the page and burrows inside us. Think of Dickens? Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge or Shakespeare?s King Lear or Macbeth? And then, of course, more recently, Hannibal Lector bursts from the mind of the novelist Thomas Harris and frightens us from the screen in the movie The Silence of the Lambs Where did these characters come from? And w...

Frequently, I?m asked whether I know the whole story of a novel at the outset of writing it. The answer is a simple ?no?. I might have an idea of where I want a story to go, but often I?m surprised by the direction it may take, seemingly all on its own. How on earth does that happen? First, let me say that I often make plot outlines and charts as I work, more to keep track of where I?ve been rather than where I?m going. It sounds a bit like ?backing into? a story. When ...

You want to get your e-mail newsletter started, but you don't want to be burdened with writing articles every time you turn around. Fact is, writing how-to articles isn't that much of a hassle once you have a system for it. Creating short, how-to articles allows you to: - connect with your audience - position yourself as an expert, and - increase sales Bottom line: Give clients information they need and you'll be the first person they'll think of when they run ...

A few years back, I found that the process of writing articles really isn't a process at all ? it's an art, and it's a very elegant one. There are so many ways to make an article easy to read for your audience it's mind-boggling. While a debate rages on about whether articles should be dense and conversational or sparse and easy-to-read, I find myself in the middle, happy to write conversational articles with loads of impact. The fact remains: People aren't going to ...

Keep in mind there may be a good A recent chat with a friend reminded me of a copywriting lesson I learned long ago in a place far-far way (Philly): Never insult your audience. Easier said than done? Maybe. But we know there's a fine line between insulting your audience and completely alienating them. Thank God there's a solution: Give your copy the "moron" test. I learned this during my days at a large business-to-business newsletter publishing company. We'd give our head...

Ezine Articles have been around since the early 80's, and the group Cult of the Dead Cow claims to have published the first one in 1984. No matter who was the first to create it, Ezine articles have become a part of everyday web hosting, designing, and promotion. Ezine articles are a way to focus on specific content and keywords. The Pros The benefits of Ezine Articles are numerous to say the least; however, the top Pros make your work and research all worth the whi...

In article anatomy I like to teach that there are several key components. Of course these can be stretched varied and thrown out altogether, but not until you're an expert at writing content-rich articles. One key component of a clear article is, of course, the lead paragraph. Second in importance only to the headline itself, the lead graf (paragraph for short) has to be engaging, informative and lead the reader to believe you're the one with all of the great advice they've b...