A discipline means development, and that means preparation. So a writer must prepare to be a writer and that means study, study of the English language—its words, its structure, its syntax, and its style. That is the groundwork that a writer must follow all his/her life. This implies training.

Where does a writer obtain this training? From many sources—workshops, seminars, courses, reading, and connection with other writers. Every day becomes part of a writer’s training. Every moment adds to the writer’s store of information, ideas, topics, and themes.

Discipline means the cultivation of input, of broadening the writer’s outlook, of developing something to say, and of creating a way to say it. Without effort there can be no output—at least no yield that readers are willing to add to their store of thoughts and ideas.

Discipline means practice. A writer is not a writer until he or

she puts words to paper or screen and this is the application of the training that preceded it. All of this implies a love of the art, and if that is not present, then it becomes a task, and writing can never succeed as a chore.

Discipline means exercise, which means action, which means the act of writing, of sitting before the blank page or screen and filling it. This is the time of labor, but it must be a labor of love, a desire, a need, an addiction, in fact, to expressing oneself. Of course, this action can take many forms—poetry, essays, short stories, articles, novels, and non-fiction books—but it must be treasured and desired for its own sake before it is presented to readers.

Without discipline, writing becomes nothing more that a job to be completed leaving the author unfulfilled and wanting.

Charles O. Goulet has a BA in English literature. He has published several novels that are available from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, and many other online book stores.

His website is: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/go1c

Whichever theme you choose, all the elements, which make up your story, dialogue, conflict, scenes, etc should be written with the theme in mind.

Your theme should progress the story.

If you find that anything in your story doesn’t progress it, it should be cut when you are in the editing stage.

Before we see an example of elements written with a theme in mind, let’s think of a theme and a story….

The theme is…

‘Arrogance Leads To Humiliation’

Very briefly, this story is about a character that believes he is better than his colleagues.

His goal is to get promoted to a managerial position. What will prevent him from reaching his goal, is the fact that management are aware of his arrogance and they don’t believe, with his attitude, he is the right person to manage the staff.

To meet his goal, the character will take on more work than he can handle. He will do this to prove to management, that he is the right man for the job. But in the end, he will make a grave error and his arrogance will lead him to humiliation.

Now let’s take a look at the elements of this story…

Dialogue

The character’s dialogue will show his arrogance, by the tone of his voice and the words he chooses to express himself.

Characterization

I will show my

character is arrogant by the way I describe him and from how other characters see him.

Motivations

I will explain what makes him think he is better than everyone else.

Goal

I will state his goal and show how it arises from the fact that he believes himself better than everyone else.

Setting

The setting is going to be in an office environment. I can show his arrogance through the setting by perhaps describing the contents of his desk (trophies) and his desk area in general (diplomas on the walls.) etc.

Conflict

The conflict will come from himself. He is the one that creates it by doing and saying things, which create dislike.

Climax

The climax is the highest point in my story where the conflict and his arrogance will come to their peak. Here we will see how he tries to overcome the conflict and reach his goal by taking on more work.

Ending

I will end my story with my character’s humiliation. He takes on more work and makes an error in judgement. Which not only prevents his promotion but also gets him fired.

My theme here would have run its course.

Does each element of your story further your theme?

About The Author

Besides his passion for writing, Nick Vernon runs an online gift site where you will find gift information, articles and readers’ funny stories. Visit http://www.we-recommend.com

I have recently surveyed over 300 freelance web sites and these are the best boards for freelance writers. The benchmark that I used for judging the board was the number of legitimate projects (as opposed to “business opportunities” ) and requests for submission being posted every month. I have only included ones posting 30 projects or more a month

The very best

I picked Guru This huge all-inclusive board connects independent professionals (a.k.a. “gurus”) with contract projects. If you are new to independent consulting, check out the Run Your Biz section, which includes a “Getting Started” column, where you can leave a question to be answered by experts. Lots of other useful information (e.g. tax and finance, legal, etc.) for contractors. Find a contracting job (“gig”) searching by field (creative/media, finance and legal, etc.), keyword, and geography.. Recently, it acquired IT Moonlighter , another with lots of freelance jobs. Whatever, Guru is probably the largest freelance marketplace on the Web. Over 3,300 projects posted last month.

What makes Guru.com stand out from is the number and variety of projects listed and the easiness of accessing the job. Unlike the others, Guru sends daily email alerts of writing gigs that match your profile.

Number of writing projects posted every month: 207

Type of projects: Everything and anything, many articles, ghostwriting, editing, copyright, some onsite, some technical. Has the best all around listing of freelance writing gigs.

Other good freelance writing sites

AllFreelanceWork. Its sister site AllFreelance is my number one site for articles about freelancing and freelance resources.

Number of writing projects posted every month: 10

Type of projects: Technical and business writing

Contracted Work A freelance site that has grown in great leaps and bounds. You can do a search and find a great number of projects. There is a monthly fee in order to search for projects, but it might be worth checking out. I personally found that I was not finding enough leads for the type of writing I do to be worth the fee.

Number of writing projects posted every month: 50-74

Type of projects: Openings tends more to web content, copywriting, and sales and marketing

Elance. I was actively involved in bidding on this site for a year. However, I did not get my money’s worth. It is geared towards business and technical writing.

Number of writing projects posted every month: 130+

Type of projects: little bit of everything: articles, ghostwriting, e-books, web content, technical. Lots of editing and proofreading jobs too

Freelance Work Exchange Non-Auction freelance site. The Freelance Work Exchange has listings for writers, designers, consultants, programmers. Yes … it does cost to join; however, there is $3.00 7-day trial memberships so you can test it to see if it will get you work! Highly recommended. Freelance Work Exchange is a solid, reliable freelance site, but in order to search jobs it will cost you a monthly fee.

Number of writing projects posted every month: 30-40

Type of projects: little bit of everything: calls for articles, ghostwriting, e-books, web content, technical. Geared more towards general writing markets, as

opposed to corporate-style stuff.

Freelance Writing This is the ultimate job board for freelance writers. Contest, blogs, forums, resources. Everything.

Number of writing projects posted every month: 40

Type of projects: Calls for articles, copywriting, E-books, research papers, ghostwriting,

Independent Homeworkers Alliance — touts itself as the “largest provider of legitimate home-based jobs on the Internet.” Offers a search engine for at-home jobs, as well as numerous resources. $29.95 a month Subscription

Number of writing projects posted every month: 70

Type of projects: calls for submissions of articles, scripts, e-books, some sales and marketing, not much technical writing.

Sologigs With over 20,000 projects for freelancers, Sologig has a lot to offer. You need to register to get access to all the projects, with the higher levels of membership securing you a higher profile in the exchange. Most of the freelance writing jobs were onsite technical/business writing.

Number of writing projects posted every month: Estimate 100+ projects posted every month. To see the exact number, you have to register. A Bronze membership with $78.75 prepaid for three months

Type of projects: geared heavily towards onsite technical writing gigs

Telecommuting Jobs — where job seekers can view several hundred telecommuting/offsite jobs posted directly by employers, as well as thousands of jobs posted to other major job sites. Searching is free, but there is a small fee to post your resume. Telecommuting Jobs Telecommute jobs for Writers, Programmers, Artists, etc. Links to additional sites to continue the search for that which is so hard to find – a good paying, mid-term telecommute contract. Good deal for the $10/yr registration fee required.

Number of writing projects posted every month: 80

Type of projects: Wide variety of projects: article wanted, research papers, journalism, copywriting, not much technical

Workhome.com Welcome to Workhome.com a resource for work at home jobs for your small office or home business. We provide job posting for work at home jobs and advertising to work at home businesses. Posting on work home jobs is free and you may contact our work at home providers by visiting the profile page and clicking email professional

Number of writing projects posted every month: 20-30

Type of projects: Wide variety of projects: articles, web content, sales and marketing, technical

A word to the wise

Be selective about what types of projects that you bid for. There is a lot of competition out there, so do not waste your time with projects that you are not qualified for or do not interest you. If you are spending more than an hour a day responding to leads from the job boards, then you may need to redefine your niche. Don’t try to be all things to all people. In addition, remember that, in order to be a successful freelance writer, you should not be using the boards as your only way of finding projects. You should also be out there networking with other writer, setting up your own website, and researching writing opportunities in your own community. In the end, these strategies will net your more work than limiting yourself to working the job boards.

About The Author

Janet K. Ilacqua is a freelance writer based in Tracy, California. She specializes in academic writing and ghostwriting of books and manuals for individuals and small businesses. For more information about her services, check her website at http://www.writeupondemand.com.

jilacqua@aol.com

A flat fiction character is easier to fix with emotionallanguage than a nonfiction article. Especially if thenonfiction article doesn’t include a character or anemotional story. Keep in mind that if you have written thearticle from a personal experience perspective, then thereis a chance you have already included some emotionallycharge language. Then all you need to do is ask, “Does thearticle have enough emotionally charged language to touch myreaders, to pull them in, to keep them reading, to move themto action or possibly a conclusion?”

Why would you even want to add emotion to a nonfictionarticle? It’s sure easier not too. Adding emotion to yourwriting, any type of writing, fuels the reader’s attention,helps them connect with the action. It gives the reader anexperience. Experience is why people go to the movies orwatch TV. More importantly, it keeps them reading.

“What does emotionally charge mean exactly?” Emotionallycharged means using language that stirs the reader in someform. Not to sound flippy, but when and how frequentlyemotions need to occur depends on what the subject, tone,and angle. Yes, even tone matters in a nonfiction article.Is it to be terse, confident, or are you talking as anexpert? Maybe it’s a learning tone? From a previousstudent now teacher. An informing tone, usually overused innonfiction, turns off readers if used consistently, like ina column, or multiple articles, on your web site, or in anewsletter.

Step 1: Find the Emotion

Begin by defining what main emotion you want the reader tofeel or to understand. Were you peeved about something andit set off the writing of this article? Maybe you see awrong and want to set the record straight, or to convey adifferent truth, a truth from your perspective. Is itcompassion oriented or spiritually based? Maybe you want toconvey an inspirational or motivating tone. Is it love thatyou want to convey? Love for a topic. Love for a hobby orsomething you’re passionate about. Your love, someoneelse’s, the world’s, who’s, and how much love do you want tosend out?

You can limit the number of emotions according to the wordcount. Here’s a common calculation: <600 one emotion.<1200 two. >1800 three or four.

You can choose the emotion you want before the first draft.Yet, many writers, including this writer, prefer to addemotion during the second draft or first edit.

Close your eyes and feel your own inner self on your topic.Find the emotion, the tone, give it one or two words, andthen write it in the article’s margin for easy access. Ifit’s a personal experience, think back to that time,reconnect with that emotion. Did you feel numb, affection,anguish, excitement, shame, guilt, remorse, violent? Howabout confused?

One of the many reasons I love writing marketing articles isbecause I see so much misinformation on the topic and itriles my feathers. When this occurs, I write from thisemotion and that language naturally flows into the article.Since this isn’t the emotion I want to convey to my readers,I rewrite a second draft in the emotion that I truly want toconvey. Usually, from a more loving and patientperspective.

What did you hear, smell, touch, see or even taste duringthe experience? If you personally didn’t experience whatyou are writing about, do you know someone who did? Askthem to share their emotions with you. Put words to thosefeelings. The taste language doesn’t necessarily have to befood

related either. Your lips could be dry. You’re tonguecan taste like you just liked a stamp. Relate the taste tosomething that the readers can understand because they haveexperienced it as well. We’ve all licked a stamp sometimein our life and remember the icky dull bad breath feeling itleft on our tongue. My face is curling up just thinkingabout that taste.

Another way to find the emotion is to relate the article,topic, to music. Does it remind you of a fox trot, waltz,rock and roll, jazz, R&B, what? It could even remind you ofa particular song. Can you access the song, or remember thelyrics? Musically lyrics are great places to find emotionalwords and language.

Step 2: Connecting

Close your eyes, sit quietly with the article. Senseyourself reading the article in your mind. No, not theidentical words but the idea, the vision, the thoughts. Ifthat’s a challenge, read the article out loud, very softly,as if reading it to an angel. Even notice where you takebreaths. These are places where new paragraphs begin,commas or periods needs to occur. If you run out of breath,maybe the sentence needs dividing, eliminated, or evencombined.

You can even tape record your reading. Listen with your eyesclosed. This is also a great way to hear the flat places inthe article. Identify the emotion from what you hear.Record all the emotional words you hear or feel in themargins. Every word is right, so don’t miss any. Place alljudgment in a shoe box for now.

Step 3: Adding In The Emotion

Review your words. Brainstorm with a thesaurus, synonymfinder, or dictionary. Online you can use:http://thesaurus.reference.com/, orhttp://www.acronymfinder.com/, http://m-w.com/netdict.htm.Continue your list in the margins. Now its time, beforethe editing process to add in the emotion. If the firstdraft is very dry, this is a good time to realize that it’snot uncommon for writers to rewrite the article completelybecause the emotion conveyed was too far off at thebeginning. If this is the case, consider the first draft abrain dump, a warm up session. And now you’re ready toroll. Your hot, the feelings are sizzling.

Step 4: Editing

Usually, editing is to help clarity and tighten. Cautionthough, it is easy to remove the emotionally chargedelements that you painstakingly added. Sometimes, whenusing an outside editor, someone that doesn’t hold the sameemotions as yourself, they remove the emotions. Andsometimes too, there are too many emotions. There is adelicate balance. However, many editors walk this tightropecarefully and with honor.

Most writing needs energy, needs emotion, that convey thestory, the information, so as not to put the reader tosleep. Or even worse, stop them from reading. And yourpassion is what needs transitioning from you to them. Watchthe magic when you read someone else’s material that conveysemotions. See how they use the words. When I’m in theflow, I feel the emotion pushing the pen as fast it canacross the paper. I know, through experience, when this isoccurring and I’m writing so fast, I have a tendency toleave words out. I use to stop at the end of everyparagraph and reread and add them. Don’t, let the flowoccur. Trust that whatever is needed will again be therefor you to filling in any missing blanks. Let the magiccome through. Your readers desire it.

Special Note: An accompanying list of emotionally-chargedwords is available in the Abundance Center’s Forms Section.

(c) Copyright 2004, Catherine Franz

Catherine Franz, a Certified Professional Marketing &Writing Coach, specializes in product development, Internetwriting and marketing, nonfiction, training. Newslettersand articles available at: http://www.abundancecenter.comblog: http://abundance.blogs.com

So what is the common link between writing and internet marketing?

It’s simply this: the mantra that John Reese lives by — “Every result is an asset”.

You may be thinking that it’s very easy for someone who made a million bucks in less than a day to say something like that. Undoubtedly, such results are an asset to him! But when you learn more about John Reese, you discover that he spent years finding out what worked and what didn’t work. Before he made that million dollars, he started ‘in the hole’ – one hundred thousand dollars in debt. Nothing he did seemed to work.

John didn’t give up. Bit by bit, he added to his store of knowledge and built his business. He treated every result as an asset: another fragment to add to his growing data bank – whether the news was good or bad. If something didn’t work, he knew not to try that again. If something worked well, he adopted that strategy as part of his arsenal. He tracked results, tweaked and tried again, made mistakes and had successes. Then, a HUGE success – a million dollars in a day.

“Every result is an asset.”

Think about that for a moment. Imagine what it means to your daily life. It has implications far outside Internet Marketing – and far outside writing. It’s first cousin to the saying “Everything happens for a reason”. It’s all about learning what works for you in life. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone experiences rejection. Everyone encounters roadblocks.

You can choose whether to give up when the results fall short of your expectations… or you can treat every result as a valuable piece of information.

Your story or article is rejected

After you swear and slam a few doors and maybe burst into tears, calm down and think about how this result can be an asset. What have you learned?

• Did you target the wrong market?

• Did you submit a story that is the wrong length?

• Does your story need further polishing?

• Do the characters need work?

• Do you need to contact (or start) a writing group to help you work out what you might be doing wrong?

• Do you need feedback from a critique service?

If you’re lucky, the editor will give you some

feedback to indicate where you might be going wrong. If not, you’ll have to try to work it out yourself – and you might need help to do that.

There are other things that rejection can teach you, too – like how much you want to keep writing. Is your desire to write strong enough to withstand rejection? Are you willing to put in the time necessary to polish your craft and market your work? Do you have the resilience to bounce back after rejection – or would you be happier with another hobby or job?

Belinda Alexander’s Story

Belinda Alexander was devastated when she sent her ‘chick lit’ story to agent Selwa Anthony and got a firm ‘no’. After all, chick lit was selling well. Belinda thought she could write it OK.

Her agent didn’t agree. She told Belinda to go away and figure out what it was that she really should be writing. So Belinda did.

The result was “White Gardenia” – a sweeping saga of a mother and daughter torn apart by war and finally reunited more than two decades later, after spending years searching for (and just missing) each other. Belinda’s inspiration was her family – tales of wartime hardship and the plight of refugees.

This time, Selwa Anthony gave a resounding ‘yes’. The novel met with critical acclaim and was a best-seller – and Belinda has found her true voice. For her, the apparently negative result of an initial rejection was a huge asset – it set her on the right path.

As a writer, you are going to meet with rejection – from editors, agents and sometimes from critics who pen negative reviews. You are going to say things you wish you hadn’t said. You are going to hear things you don’t like from those offering critiques. You are going to get a ‘no’ when you send in samples of your writing in order to secure a grant or a writer’s residency.

At those times, remember: EVERY RESULT IS AN ASSET. What have you learned about yourself, your writing, your approach? Use what you learn to do a better job of crafting your work, finding new markets or deciding on a better direction. Use every bit of knowledge to move yourself further along the path to the results that you really want!

(c) Marg McAlister

Marg McAlister has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers’ tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/

That little notebook is a powerhouse of ideas for every writer: The more you write down bits and pieces of your thoughts and observations, the more you are adding into the well of ideas for future works.

Here are a few things you can record in your notebook or journal, so that in case you run out of ideas to write about, you can refer to it:

Your Shoeboxed Life: Write what you know, feel and experience. Jot down snippets of events in your life. Write a sentence or a paragraph about a funny, embarrassing, happy or infuriating experience.

The Interesting People. Scribble descriptions of people you meet every day. How do they react in certain situations? How do their names fit their image?

A Word a Day. Whenever an interesting word catches your attention, write it down. It may have a different meaning for you a month or a year from now. If you keep a list of words in your notebook, these words can serve as story starters for you.

Those Quotable Quotes. A meaningful quote can start you off to writing. Collect quotes you come across that interest you.

Ordinary People with

their One-Liners. Overheard lines in a conversation can sometimes spark your creative mind. Write down these one-liners in your notebook. They can be great story starters.

Something You Read. Read good books. Keep a file of memorable lines or quotes. Write down quirky billboard ads. Scan the papers for one-liners. These are good idea stimulators.

Emotions. Describe what you feel at any given moment. If you feel angry right now, write what your anger feels like. Descriibe it. Use vivid words.

Writers are similar to store owners. Store owners stock their supplies in their shelves, while you stock ideas between the pages of your little writer’s notebook.

You can make your stock endless, bottomless. You can reach down again and again for inspiration without exhausting your notebook of reserve.

So start stocking your writer’s notebook today. A week from now, take a peek in it and you just might find something there that could connect your pen to paper.

About The Author

Copyright (c) 2003-2004 Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ

Shery is the author of the book, WEEKLY WRITES: 52 Weeks of Writing Bliss! Grab a copy from Amazon.com and get free unlimited access to the WeeklyWrites.com Exclusive Members Area that features over $250 worth of goodies! http://weeklywrites.com

A Mind Map is a powerful graphic technique that harnesseswords, images, numbers, logic, rhythm, color and spatialskills. Unlike linear notes, it allows your mind to workwith expansion.

Mind Maps are an incredibly powerful memory tool. As I wasstudying for my CPA exam, I created a very large detailedMind Map that covered several walls in my home office. WhenI was taking the exam I could close my eyes and see the MindMap and go right to the answer.

We both know a picture says a thousand words. In MindMapping, you can use one word to trigger a set of memoriesor you can draw a picture (artistry doesn’t matter) thatrepresents a story or memory for you.

You can use the Mind Mapping or Clustering techniques torecord a single event or a whole day of events. If you areworking on time management, you can also use a Mind Map totrack time and tasks. For this, you will want to turn thepaper landscape, add a center picture, like a clock, and usethe branches pointing the same way as the clock’s hour –noon or midnight would be straight up, one o’clock slightlyto the right of midnight, etc. The subbranches would be oneword representing your focus or task during that time.

After attending a personal development event or that eveningI like to reflect on my experience by drawing a Map fromwhat I recall. This is a great way to transfer my thoughtsfrom short term to long term memory. If I took notes Ichoose one word or image that represents each though persingle branch for each area. When I remember a thought thatdoesn’t connects clearly, I record a trigger word of what Ido remember along with a question mark right before I turnin for the night. By morning I have the answer or acomplete picture that build on that Map. Sometimes themorning also brings additional ideas or fuel for thought.

By keeping your Maps or Clusters in your journal — usuallyall in one place — you can quickly review previous Maps tobuild upon. Since Maps provide a master aerial view it’seasier to see how the dots connect

— the aha moments orunmasking patterns. They stand out easier than in linearnotes.

Maps also shorten the journaling time. What might normallytake pages or an hour in linear writing now take 15 minutes.

Being creative and having fun with this technique isimportant to the experience. Mapping encourages the use ofcolored pencils, pens and the use of images in place ofwords. My drawing skills haven’t improved since third gradeyet after a few hundred lopsided airplanes I can now drawthem from several angles. But I’m still sticking with stickpeople.

Ideas also count. Ideas always occur during our writing.We’re writing away, an idea pings up and we either need totry and hold it on the edge of our mind or record itsomewhere quickly before it slips away. Start a Map on a newpage, place the idea in the center of the page, then returnto finish the writing. You will find your mind popping inand out from one to the next as you continue writing.

You can also keep a separate Map journal. Ever few years Iremember to buy a journal for that purpose. One of myfavorite Map journals is, Note Sketch Book by Bienfang. Youcan order them in many places on the Net. Our local Staplesstore usually carries them in stock. They are differentbecause the top portion of each page, about three-quarters,is blank and ready for your Map. While the bottom portionhas lines for writing.

Of course, Maps and Clusters have many other uses — likebrainstorming (alone or in a group), research, reading,studying, or memorizing. Thus, learning the technique isworthy to learn. I use them for just about everything,including the three books I’m working now.

Basic Rules for Mind Mapping:

1. Sheet sideways.

2. Pen or computer

3. Select topic, problem or subject and purpose.

4. Start in the center of the page.

5. Use color to trigger memory. Each separate main branchhas a different color and each subbranches for that mainbranch stay that branches color.

6. Branches closest to the center are thicker.

7. Each idea starts a new branch.

8. Use images to express ideas whenever possible.

9. The image or word needs to sit on the line and in print.

10.The line needs to be the same length as the image or word.

(c) Copyright, Catherine Franz. All rights reserved.

Catherine Franz, a MindMapping trainer, has been Mapping since the mid-1980s. She offers two books (pdf or in print) on journaling techniques and tips at: http://www.abundancecenter.com/Store/main.htm.

There are three major benefits to journaling with letters.First, the experience helps organize the event more clearlyin our mind. Second, letter writing makes it easier to seecause and affect sequences of our actions. And third,because of its intimacy, it loosens up our writing style.

Whether you have or haven’t experienced letter writingpreviously, here are a few ways you can expand theexperience.

Step 1: Compile a list of people who you want to write aletter to. You can do this as a journal entry and mark thepage with a post-it note.

Step 2: Select a letter style, purpose, before you beginwriting. Since there are various types of letter writingstyles, let me present four types that I have found mosthelpful and have received the most positive feedback in myworkshops.

Style 1: Milestone letters. Writing about milestones isabout picking an event that changed your life. Whether themilestone was minor one or one that turned you around 360degrees does not matter. Even the smallest ones have truthto be released. The milestone will have either altered yourway of thinking, change your relationship with yourself orothers, or even shaken your physical or spiritual beingness.

By writing about a milestone, you weed through and determinewhat is important in your life. Additionally, the exercisehelps you understand what formed the person you are todayand explains what shifted that path.

Style 2: Release letters. Release letters allow you to ventand express your deepest emotions. This style frees buriedenergy, in turn, allowing you to think and feel throughthings, rather than keeping it corked. Please note thatyour experience may not always lead to a resolution,however, it does lead to change. You can’t help but cleanhouse of those leftovers.

Here are a few examples on how you can use release letters.

Example: Have you ever finished a conversation with someonethat ruffled your feathers or left you still hearing theirwords like sounds of chalk going backwards across ablackboard? The conversation tumbles repeatedly in yourmind for hours, even days. This is a perfect time to writea release letter. Set a timer for 10 minutes and let it ripacross the page.

What you do with the release letter afterwards isn’timportant. If you feel comfortable leaving it in yourjournal, do so. If you prefer to use separate paper andburn it, do so. If you prefer to tear it out of yourjournal later, do so.

Example: You can use this same exercise to curb overspending. This process came to me years ago when I was anaccountant giving advice on how to curb over spending.

Have you ever been

in the position of feeling you just”gotta buy” something. Let’s say you are watchingtelevision and you see something you “gotta have.” Or maybea friend recommends a book and you still have 10 others toread but the recommendation is haunting you. How aboutseeing something, someone else has that you just “gottahave.” The urge, just doesn’t want to relinquish its gripeven with conscious “fighting it” thoughts. By writing arelease letter, you can release this urge at least themajority of the time.

You can also use release letters to move you past the urgeto eat something that isn’t on your food plan.

After several release letters you can even see what need isexpressing itself and triggering these reactions. Once youidentify the trigger, the process need usually subsides.There is no guarantee that this will work all the time,however, you will probably find it provides the release themajority of the time.

Style 3: Wisdom letters. A wisdom letter is writing to yourwisdom self. A wisdom letter works well after a releaseletter because it enables the process of moving on. Theexperience allows the wisdom transition into learning andusually into a more positive light.

Adding dialogue, either in part or as the whole letter, isan excellent way to enhance the experience. Initials willhelp you transition between wisdom self to other self.

Style 4: Thank you letters. Since my parents passed, I’malways coming across things I want to thank them for. Eventhe small things seemed important to share. Now, inhindsight and wisdom, I can see how even the small thingsrippled through my life. These letters are also a specialway for keeping their memory alive.

We both know that an attitude of gratitude is a peacefulplace to be and thank you letters is one avenue you can useto be on that path. Our gratitude feelings fuel ourspiritual connections with the universe and with all livingthings. Peacefulness is also very attractive to others andwhat we want to manifest in life.

You can also use one of these letter styles to let go of the”wish I had said that instead” thoughts and feelings or toshare unfulfilled wishes and dreams that no longer fit butcan’t seem to move on.

Letter writing is an excellent way to find closure orcomplete unfinished business in order to heal or learn.Whether you have or haven’t already been using letterwriting in your journal, dedicate a whole week or two to theexercise. You might think that when you finish one letter,there isn’t another reason to write another. Be patient,another will probably appear because you have uncovered whatwas on top. When you get tired of the exercise, stop, andswitch to another technique.

(C) Copyright 2005, Catherine Franz.

Catherine Franz is a life and business coach living inNorthern Virginia. She has presented journaling workshopsover 20 years. Catherine has authored two great books ontips and techniques of journaling. Copies available at:http://www.abundancecenter.com/Store/main.htm

I’ve rolled my eyes many a time over this joke.

But here’s a new version for writers: “What’s the most important thing about writing funny? …… WORDING!”

Whether you’re talking about stand-up comedy or humorous writing, surprise is one of the biggest elements of laughter. (Yes, Dad, I know, “Surprise” is what your little timing-joke is really all about.)

Readers become accustomed to seeing things written a certain way. As a writer, you have a choice: give it to them they way they expect, or surprise them with something different.

Here’s an example:

In my article “Does Target Shun Veterans?” I say that Internet Urban Legends are “stories that scare readers into believing such things as rat urine contaminating the tops of their canned peaches, and so forth.” I could have just as easily written, “Internet Urban Legends are stories that scare readers into believing the tops of their canned food is dirty.” But that wouldn’t surprise anyone, and it would have made my piece just another bland “news story.”

I also shook up the sentence about Internet Urban Legends by including some humorous exaggerations. Simply writing “canned food” isn’t nearly as funny as being super specific and writing, “canned peaches,” and being “dirty” is far more typical than having “rat urine” on your lid.

The idea of being very specific is what comedian (and my hero) Jerry Seinfeld has built his entire career on. He doesn’t just talk about flying on an airplane, he mentions everything from the

really small bag of peanuts to the pilot announcing the flight play-by-play. As an audience, we laugh at these things because it’s something we’ve experienced but never given much thought to. Who else but Seinfeld could have an entire 30-minute television show about toxic glue on envelopes?

Drawing attention to things that are common to all but seldom discussed makes people chuckle. This is mostly due to their slight embarrassment when they realize “wow, I do that,” but it’s also because for the first time they are paying attention to something they might not have otherwise.

But aside from timing, exaggerations and calling attention to life’s quirks, sentence structure may be the ultimate weapon for writing humor. Just as a lyricist times his verses to a beat, writers need an internal rhythm to make their work conversational and surprising. There is quite a difference between writing a factual news piece and composing a humorous essay, but the biggest difference is sentence structure. Cut-and-dry news pieces need to follow a formula so that the content doesn’t get lost. When writing a narrative or essay, however, you can play with pauses (dashes, colons, etc.), italics and words to create a feeling and rhythm.

Follow these hints and your writing will be surprising and funny….AND have great timing.

About The Author

++You may reprint the above column on your website so long as the following is included the URL address is actively hyperlinked back++

THIS MUST BE INCLUDED: Copyright 2004 Sarah Smiley http://www.SarahSmiley.com – Sarah Smiley’s syndicated column Shore Duty appears weekly in newspapers across the country.

sarah@sarahsmiley.com

Reginald spent even more hours designing the most perfect website for his new business. Working with a highly recommended web designer, he chose colors, graphics, and layout. He agonized over products to offer his clients. After the site was launched, nobody came — and visitors flew away, like bumblebees from a flower, taking free honey and moving on.

Griselda and Reginald are intelligent, motivated people. They turned their intelligence and motivation to designing a perfect product — not conducting research on what the market wants.

Why? Testing the market is difficult — sometimes impossible. Ideally, you will find at least six people who resemble those in your target market. I encourage clients to choose people who can offer you candid opinions. When you keep hearing, “This is wonderful,” you haven’t found the right resources.

Some newbie entrepreneurs hold focus groups or idea parties, complete with refreshments. That’s a great idea if you can pull it off. Communication is contagious. When one person begins to

be critical, the rest will follow.

Career-changers need to network (there’s the n-word again!) to identify experienced managers who can help them evaluate their job campaign. You need to convey the message, “I’m one of you! I belong in your industry.”

o Here are some questions to get started:

o Who are your ideal clients — or employers, if you’re changing jobs?

o How do they make decisions? Impulsively? Over time? After consultation with others?

o What information will influence the buying decision?

o Imagine that your ideal client (or employer) has just hired you and is absolutely delighted with your services. How will she or he describe you to a colleague?

o What are the hot buttons to use — and to avoid?

How to Get Started:

NewAsk a quick question

Free weekly Your Next Move Ezine

Hire Cathy Goodwin as your writing coach

Promote Your Website Free: A do-it-yourself workbook

Mastering Five Writing Challenges: a free ecourse

Cathy’s Self-Help Book: Making the Big Move

About The Author

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com.

“Ten secrets of mastering a major life change” mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com

Contact: cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294