From the daily archives: Monday, January 4, 2010
The Hero’s Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188+ stage template.
Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.
[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].
THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:
a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.
b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.
c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).
d) Gives you a universal structural template upon which you can superimpose your situational story. This is why stories such as Alien (1979), Gladiator (2000), Midnight Cowboy (1969), American Beauty (1999), The Graduate (1967) and many others (all deconstructed at the URL below) appear to be different but are all constructed, almost sequence by sequence, in the same way.
and more…
ABRIDGED TIP(S):
*****Guided to the Oracle*****
The Hero is guided to an Oracle, who possesses some knowledge that the Hero must acquire.
Often the guide is a Mentor. In The Matrix (1999), Morpheus accompanies Neo to the Oracle. In Gladiator (2000), Maximus is simple brought to his Master, Proximo.
Often a weak animal or injured party guides the Hero toward the Oracle. In Star Wars (1977), the lost fighter guides Luke et al to the Death Star.
Author: Kal Bishop
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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A ghostwriter is a writer who creates an article or other publication for another company or person, essentially not getting credit for the creation. The person or company gets the credit and the ghostwriter is paid, making a win-win situation for both the writer and the company.
There are several reasons you may need a ghostwriter. The first being you just may not have the time to write the article(s) yourself. Second, you may feel you do not have the skills needed to write an article.
When searching for a good ghostwriter there is a few things to keep in mind. First, find a writer that would write the article in the way you would. A good ghostwriter should allow your personality to shine through within the article. You should also seek a writer who is knowledgeable on the topic at hand and possesses the ability to organize and write it specifically for your target audience.
Always ask to see samples of their writing, ensuring their experience in ghostwriting. You will want to look at various samples and get an idea of their personality and that it clicks with your own. Make certain you clearly specify what you expect and find out what the writer expects as well. Never go into a contract or agreement without first understanding what expected of each party.
Your chosen ghostwriter should meet all your deadlines exactly. Preferably, they should beat the deadline and make allowances for changes and corrections. Additionally, he or she should be flexible and available to you for the entire period of your project.
You should define to the ghostwriter the content the article(s), should contain. As well as, the format in which you require the article. The ghostwriter should deliver the article(s) to you in whatever manner you choose. If this is not possible, perhaps you should acquire another writer.
Finally, go with your instincts, communicate well with the ghostwriter, and then decide if they are the proper writer for your project. A good ghostwriter will maintain excellent communication, provide the utmost professionalism, and create a well-written article in a timely manner.
While I do write most of my own articles, there are times that I just need to find somebody else, usually due to time constraints. For this I recommend hiring a freelancer using sites like http://www.scriptlance.com or http://www.elance.com. On sites such as these you can post a project that you want to be done and then have multiple writers bid. Follow the guidelines in the article for choosing a ghostwriter and you will find that you can easily create a lot of quality content for very little money.
Author: Matthew Glanfield
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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If youve read any of my work before, you probably know that I’ve been in publishing since 1987, have been a freelancer since 1993 and ran an editorial staffing agency in New York City from 1996 through 2004.
Some lessons Ive learned from this crazy journey are as follows:
1. Staying abreast of technology is crucial: Back in 1998, I was pushed to get a website for my company because clients and candidates were asking questions like, Can I apply online? Can I download the contract from your site? Can I post a job to your website?
Well, as we didnt even have a website, I would embarrassingly say no. The loud silence, especially from clients, on the other end of the phone line got to be too much.
Going through the process of getting a website taught me the value of staying on top of technology. I learned that while I dont need to be a hard-nosed techie, to stay competitive, I had to know enough to be able to stay competitive. This meant not only getting a site, but learning how to update it myself.
One of the wonderful things about technology is that new tools are constantly being developed for those of us who are NOT tech-savvy, eg, FrontPage software for building websites, autoresponder software, listserv software for building mailing lists, etc.
2. Writing is a skill: Obviously, you mutter. However, many writers dont treat their craft like it. I single out writers because, in my experience, proofreaders, copy editors, indexers, editors, graphic designers, illustrators, etc. all seem to see intrinsic value and take pride in their work.
Many writers take their craft for granted. Maybe its because society views writing as just words on paper. After all, once you know your ABCs, you can write, right? Well, editorial professionals know better than anyone that this is not so.
One thing I advise all professional writers to do to combat this lackadaisical attitude is to treat their writing like a business skill. Just like being a professional coder, artist or web designer when you put yourself out there, market and treat your skill like the highly valued commodity it is.
Let it be reflected in your perfectly prepared marketing materials eg, your website, brochure, postcard, etc. Also, when you speak with potential clients, be sure to use a professional tone. No one is going to believe that you write professionally if you dont talk like it as well.
3. Freelancing full-time is not hard: Its not easy, to be sure. But, building a successful, full-time freelance career is not terribly difficult, if:
a. You have experience within your discipline. Most successful freelancers Ive encountered have worked full-time within their discipline at some point.
b. You are willing to work fulltime and freelance on the side for a period of time. Many freelancers leave their jobs once they got too burned out doing both, or secure a big project that allows them to make the leap.
c. You plan for it. Some freelancers (the most successful ones I might add) are more calculating about their careers.
What I mean by this is that they plan a year or two out knowing that they are going to leave their jobs. So, they save 6 months or a years expenses, pay off credit card bills, buy equipment while working full-time, etc.; then, they make the leap.
The ones I know who followed this path are, not surprisingly, the most successful meaning, they have gone on to hire employees. A few even opened offices and became official businesses because their client load demanded it.
Can you build a freelance business if you dont have these three things? Absolutely! However, it is even more critical that you devise a plan of how youre going to go about it. Having experience and industry contacts makes it easier, but the web makes it easier than ever today to start a freelance business.
4. Marketing is a skill that must be developed: When most freelancers start out, they may have two or three clients who keep them pretty busy. BUT, the day comes when the projects dry up (it always happens) and you have to scrounge for business.
Its at this point that many panic and start looking for a full-time job again. When I was recruiting, I received more than a few panicked calls, eg, I have to find something — quick!
Invariably, I was unable to help them (see Point #5 below). It usually was a moot point though because within a month or so, some project would come along and they would no longer be interested or available for a full-time job.
It was during this time that I got interested in the whole topic of freelancing as a business. Most freelancers focus on their craft and not the business of freelancing. However, as I preach ad nauseam on InkwellEditorial.com, to be successful as a freelancer, you must, must, must learn how to market if you want a full-time, sustainable career as a freelancer.
5. Employers dont like to hire freelancers for full-time jobs: It was my experience when I was recruiting that if you freelanced full-time for a year or more, employers were very hesitant to hire you as a full-time employee. Why?
Because most think that you are only seeking full-time work because you have hit a rough patch financially. Logically, it just makes sense. I mean, who gives up a successful freelance career to go back to the 9-5 grindstone? Most employers figured that as soon as the next big project came along, their new hire would be out the door.
I have seen it happen on many occasions so much so that when I was recruiting, I would screen out those with a significant freelance history because the chances that they would leave was just too great.
I once lost a $6,000 placement fee because the employee quit 10 days before the 90-day guarantee. [Most recruiting firms give employers a 60 or 90-day guarantee that the employee will stay put for at least this amount of time, or they dont have to pay.]
6. You cant change your rates every year: Charge enough that you dont have to change your rate for three years. I know some make take umbrage with this, but Ive found editorial (eg, writing, copy editing, proofreading, indexing, editing, etc.) to be a very static industry. It is not one where you can raise rates yearly.
Some of the companies I freelanced for back in 1993 still pay the same rates today Im not kidding! So, I advise all freelancers who are just starting out to start out charging enough so that they dont have to change their rates for three years.
Its been my experience that after this period, you can increase rates without worrying about losing even one of your clients. Putting forth the argument of, we havent raised rates in three years somehow seems to make it fair for them.
Working on this time schedule, I dont ever remember losing a client. I think its a combination of clients being comfortable with your work and them thinking, after three years, an increase is only fair.
7. You must develop a niche: Ive known a few freelancers who did several things successfully (eg, designed websites and wrote the copy for them), but this was the exception, not the norm.
Most successful freelancers niche it. What I mean is, they develop a niche and stick to it. In my opinion, it is far easier to become successful like this than being a generalist.
Trust me, those sites where you see freelancers touting that they do everything from writing to web design to illustration are not making that much money, or they are farming the work out to other freelancers.
Most clients like to know that they are getting a knowledgeable professional who has a history and body of work within the discipline they are being hired for. If it is a pharmaceutical company, they want a writer who has done this type of writing before.
So, develop a niche and market the hell out of it!
8. Patience is a virtue: Even after all of my years in the industry, Im amazed by how difficult it can be to be patient while I grow my business. I have lists and lists of ideas that I want to implement and there just never seems to be enough time.
This is easily a career where you can work nonstop all the time. An idea for an article pops in your head and instead of jotting down the idea, you find yourself writing the whole article; you go online to do some research, and before you know it you have spent two hours surfing the net on an unrelated matter; you log on to check email, and in an instant, you find yourself redesigning a section of your website; the list is endless.
This is an issue I still struggle with; although, I have gotten better about stopping. So, instead of browsing for 2 hours, it might be 30 minutes before I literally make myself stop and go back to my original task.
The best advice I can give to stop this kind of behavior is to think of your long-range goals and ask yourself if what youre doing this very minute is getting you closer to them. If not, stop and get back on track.
9. Retirement is not planned for: I can count the number of times on one hand that Ive had conversations with freelancers about retirement. Most small business owners (and thats what freelancing is, small business ownership) have an exit strategy, or a day where they envision doing something else.
For some reason, editorial and creative freelancers dont think this way. Well, while you may be able to write or design websites from anywhere at any age, whos to say youre going to want to when youre 70?
In my quest to get freelancers to think of themselves as businesses, one of the things I wish more would do is plan for retirement. This includes looking into 401K plans, buying investment real estate, building a sellable business, etc.
Again, just because you might be capable of churning out material long past retirement age does not mean that you are going to want to. So, plan for the day when you wont have to.
10. Longevity pays: The longer you freelance, the easier it gets. My business mentor said to me once, when you first start out, you are just greasing the pipes. After two or three years, clients will not be quite so hard to come by.
Its just like search engine positioning — the longer your site is on the web, the more frequently it is spidered by search engine bots, the more results it shows up in, the more popular it is, more people find it and voila! you have a popular site.
If you are constantly marketing and networking, eventually, it will seem effortless and referrals will flow in. Thats because you build traction just by being around. Many freelancers dont hang in there long enough to get this type of seamless recognition.
In conclusion, freelancing is a wonderful career — if, like anything other venture you enter, you take it seriously enough to work it like a business.
Author: Yuwanda Black
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Working as a professional writer takes skill and determination. As a continuation of last week’s tips, here are additional ideas to help you build your freelance business:
Tip #6: Prepare a business commercial.
When I first built my business, I began passing out business cards to everyone I knew. People are truly thrilled to meet a writer – they think we lie around in pajamas all day smoking French cigarettes and drinking whiskey while we type out inscrutable words of brilliance. Then they would ask…”what do you do?”
At first, I stumbled over this question. I knew what I was good at writing and I vaguely knew my target audience, but it didn’t flow off my tongue. To be sure I gave the best possible answer, one that would make my questioner itch to work with me, I wrote down a commercial about my business. Conversations can be long or short, so I made sure I could enticingly explain my work in 30 seconds and two minutes. This is also called the “elevator presentation”. You should be able to interest a potential client in your work in the amount of time that it takes you to reach your floor in an elevator. Believe me, the questions will come – be ready for them!
Tip #7: Build a portfolio of work.
When starting a freelance business, many people do not already have a body of work to show potential clients. Whether a customer is looking for published clips or just samples of your work, a new writer is often stuck in a catch-22: you need samples in order to be taken seriously, and you can’t provide samples until someone hires you.
Thankfully, there are many organizations and alternative methods to building your clips list or portfolio. Non-profit organizations, small newspapers, and park districts often do not have the staff or the talent to communicate well. Within your target niche, there may be additional opportunities. Approach these organizations with an idea for work you can offer them, and do the work for free or a reduced cost. You’ll build up contacts as well as fattening your portfolio.
Tip #8: Determine how much work you’ll do primarily for recognition.
This tip is related to Tip #7. Once you have built up clips and start receiving job offers, you may be offered jobs that pay very little but give you the opportunity to brag far and wide. If you need the recognition, take it! But if you have built your business and your name is recognizable, you may turn down non-lucrative jobs even if you will gain publicity. To determine whether you should take the job, ask yourself these questions:
Can I afford the time it will take to do this job?
Will I be recognized in the right places (such as within my targeted audience)?
Will I gain new knowledge or a new skill that will make this job worth it?
Will the recognition lead to additional, more lucrative work?
Tip #9: Determine how much you will charge.
This is difficult to answer and varies with each writer. You must consider factors such as your experience and skill level, and the market in your area. Most people have an idea of how their local economy rates with the national average – for example, a writer working for a local Chicago publication will likely make more money than a comparable situation in a small town in Montana. The type of work you do will also be a factor: copyediting generally pays less than writing a new, original piece; website designers writing content will often make more than a website content writer, since they also design and build the website in question.
A good place to start is with the Writer’s Digest Writer’s Market book. There is a table listing each type of writing and the high, low, and average charge for each. Find your work and your skill level, and you have a ballpark idea on what to charge. Next, adjust the figure for your particular circumstances. Is your job for a friend who needs communication help? You may want to adjust the price downward. Is the job likely to require more work, patience, or hand-holding than the usual job? Add to the figure. You will soon be able to do the estimating without a degree in Calculus.
Tip #10: Keep records of your estimates and final costs.
On your first few jobs, estimating the amount of work and pay may take some guesswork. But once you’ve completed a few jobs, you have real-life data that will help you determine what to charge and how profitable your business is. Keep track of all your original time estimates. As the work is completed, log the actual hours and final cost alongside your final pay for the job. Over time, as you become more experienced and work more quickly, you will see which jobs are most lucrative and which clients take more time than they are worth. Your business will prosper as you analyze and use this information!
Author: Angela Williams Duea
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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A beginning writer can use novel writing software as a guide to his first novel. An experienced writer can use novel writing software to keep track of his characters, places, and objects. Research can be done on the Internet as the novel comes forth and the results can be stored using the software.
The most powerful feature of such software is the chapter guides. A genre is chosen (action, western, detective, romance, history, etc.). Once that is accomplished the chapter guides will show you what needs to be written in each chapter.
There are a number of software programs for novel writers. They come in a variety of styles and price but their main functions are as described above.
I came upon a low-cost British version of novel-writing software for new authors. The novel software uses the Harry Potter books as an example.
I used the British software to write a novelette of 17,000 words to demonstrate how the software works. You can read the novelette at my website. My demonstration novelette is a detective western set in the late 1890s.
By definition, a novel has over 50,000 words and most genre novels have over 150,000 words. A historical romance may have 400,000 words or more.
Some writers like to use a set number of chapters, perhaps 20, and that is how they start out. The software I tested has 12 chapters but the number of chapters can easily be expanded by repeating a set of two chapters over and over again as I show later in this article.
At the start of a novel, many writers alternate chapters, one for the hero (protagonist) then one for the villain (antagonist). This process can be repeated until the two come together mid- or late-novel.
Writing a novelette like I did, lets a writer know what the story is all about, who the characters are, and the plot. My novelette which took less than a week part-time to write could be expanded into a full-length novel in six weeks or less. In other words, using the software, you should be able to crank out four genre novels or one historical romance each year.
The way I would expand a novelette would be what I call “fleshing out”. That would be to add the nitty gritty details that novel readers love. I would not necessarily have to add chapters.
CHARACTERIZATION
Some writers like to start with a picture from a magazine that they can use for a particular character. If that helps you, start cutting up your magazines or newspapers.
If your are an artist, or can at least sketch a character, the visualization may help you. I can draw after a sort but I never use pictures or sketches. I always see my characters in my mind so I dont need to do that.
Speaking of characters, in my mind, one character or another is always trying to dominate the script.
When I wrote Bull: A Western Saga, a character named Peter Ott tried to take over the novel. I had to relegate him to a character who wouldnt do Bulls dirty work so that Bull would have to perform all main actions, not Peter Ott.
But Peter Ott was still a dominant character and he forced me to write Revenge on the Mogollon Rim: A Peter Ott Western where Peter Ott is the main character and Bull Davis becomes a secondary character.
When I say forced, I mean that characters do get into your head. If you have to trim a number of characters from your novel you may hear them scream at you.
OK! So Im crazy.
In the British software, the first thing you do is click on new character in the resource box. The software will ask you for a name and the sex of the character. Then it will suggest a new name for you if you dont like the one you chose.
Next you click on a box that defines the character as the protagonist, the antagonist, a helper of the protagonist, a helper of the antagonist, or other.
Once you know the role the character will be playing, you enter your answers as the program asks you questions:
How tall is your character?
Hair type and color? Body shape?
How do they move?
How do they smell?
What sort of clothing?
How do they talk?
Special features or identifying marks?
I suggest that when you answer the questions you dont just put one word answers. For example:
Peter Ott stood up, but as tall as he was, Bull Davis still towered over him.
Her hair was not quite red or brown. I think they call that “auburn” now days. Wavy auburn I would say.
When she walked her shoulders didnt move but her hips swayed like a feather in a breeze.
She said, Peter Ott, you need a bath. You smell like a horse. He said, Now youve offended Trigger. Youll have to apologize by giving him a carrot.
His hat was mashed down and his britches were torn.
He spoke slowly but with a Canadian accent, EH?
When he joined the circus he saw that both the men and women had tattoos. In fact you could get tattooed at the circus for a dollar. He had a male lion tattooed on his chest. The tattoo had faded over the years but he was still proud to show it to anyone who asked to see it.
Next you are asked about the personality of the character as to mood, strength of personality, sense of humor, and other personality traits. I suggest again that you write more single word answers. For example:
It was not like Mary Bedford to be sad. The fact is that she was always cheerful, giving a jolly good morning to all she met on the street whether she knew them or not.
Drag said, Im a not cowin down to you bastards. You may have me tied down to this ant bed but as soon as my friendsthese big red critterschew these ropes away, Ill a be a comin after ya.
All you had to say was chickens and Henriette would break out laughing. Well, she never forgot a joke and her favorite was the one about the fast-running, three-legged chickens.
Billy loved girls more than boys even when he was just a kid, the opposite of most boys. That was because of the gangs in Brooklyn, the boys always beating up on him. Well, that is still true today but now they call him a womanizer.
Next you will be asked about the likes and dislikes of the character and then any other personality traits that are important. You can describe his or her birth date and place. The environment he grew up in. Anything that has formed his or her character. Example:
The wind blew down off the plateau and sent Marias hat blowing in the wind. Though she was born in the town of Big Blow Bluff, she never got used to the wind gust that could come so quickly that the wind always won. She raced after the hat, but the hat rolled along on its edge faster than the ten-year-old could run. Finally it rolled amongst the sheep and a big ram stepped on it. She retrieved her hat and said, Thank you, Natty. I never would have caught it without you.
After you have described your character, you will be asked if you want to add a picture. You can do this by using the browse function and you can retrieve it from your computer. If you made a sketch, you could scan it and enter it.
Like I said, I dont use pictures. Well, I guess I have used pictures. I used them when writing my detective novels. Its hell to be old and senile.
The key to characterization is to know each character to the degree needed for the story. Your protagonist (hero) must be very well know and his or her traits will be revealed by dialog throughout the story. The same is true of the antagonist (villain). The traits of these two characters should be updated in the character profiles as you write along.
The more powerful the role of the character, the more you need to know about his or her character.
Other than to know that the newsboy on the corner had a shoe that was untied, you dont need anything else on him unless he is featured every morning. Even then, you just dribble out that his nose was running and he wiped it on his sleeve. (This is called UGH in writing and is frowned upon. You can describe the results of a murder rape but not a kid wiping his nose on his shirt sleeve.)
I suggest that you dont even think about a big list of characters before you start writing the chapters. Writers write right, right?
So start your first chapter and add the character descriptions as the characters appear. If Mildred show up, click on new character and add her traits as the program dictates.
Finally, after you have entered a character and a new trait shows up in your writing, just click on the character and add the new trait. That way you will always be able to check if it was Nancy that didnt like liver or was it Fran?
PLACE
Next you describe the place or location of your action. There may be only one place in your novel, the Nickolay Mansion.
Often there are two diverse places, Dorothy in Kansas and Dorothy in Oz.
Just answer the software questions to describe a place or places. Use your Internet search function to add details as needed. Use your memory of people and activities if you live or once lived in the place you are describing.
If you have an imaginary place in your novel. you will have to use your creativity to describe it. Those of you who read my UFO articles know what I’m talking about.
OBJECT
You can describe objects with the British software. That could be a ship on which the action takes place, a jewel that the hero is trying to recover, a gun used by the antagonist, any object with special significance in your story.
You dont have to describe Ruths hat. Do that on the run as you write the novel.
RESEARCH
One feature I liked in the British software (but did not use in the novelette) is the Research feature. It allows you to put the results of your research right in front of you. You can keep track of historical facts including dates, etc. If I were to write a new novel, I certainly would use that feature.
WRITING THE CHAPTERS
This is the meat of the program. It creates the plot in an organized manner. For example, genre novels follow a pattern. If you follow the pattern, you will easily write the novel. For example:
Chapter: Hero at home.
Chapter: Hero presented a puzzle to solve.
Chapter: Hero meets helpful mentor.
Chapter: Hero prepares for investigation.
Chapter: Hero in place where puzzle began.
Chapter: Hero makes progress but is tested.
Chapter: Leaning process and tests continue.
Chapter: Set-back for the hero.
Chapter: Hero discovers truth but can not reveal it.
Chapter: Hero prepares to face antagonist (villain).
Chapter: Hero confronts antagonist.
Chapter: Hero explains all.
Like I said, some authors like to alternate chapters between the hero and the villain. There is something to be said for that, especially for new authors. It keeps everything clean and neat.
I found that the descriptions of the chapter contents were very good using the British software. After describing what to write, the software uses Harry Potter books as examples.
Having only 12 chapters in a novelette was about right but a minimum of 20 chapters would be better for a genre novel, but that is just my opinion. Long chapters are OK. I just dont like them. Im always asking, Will this chapter ever end?
Alternating hero chapters with villain chapters brings the villain in at Chapter Two. That means that you have already inserted extra chapters.
Chapter: Hero at home.
Chapter: Villain at home (or somewhere else) doing his dirty work.
Chapter: Hero presented a puzzle to solve.
Chapter: Villain is creating more havoc or running.
Chapter: Hero meets helpful mentor.
Chapter: Villain finds associates.
Chapter: Hero prepares for investigation.
Chapter: Villain plans another hideous crime.
Chapter: Hero in place where puzzle began.
Chapter: Villain strikes again.
Chapter: Hero makes progress but is tested.
Chapter: Villain on the lamb.
Chapter: Leaning process and tests continue.
Chapter: Villain finds hiding place.
Chapter: Set-back for the hero.
Chapter: Villain holds person or loot.
Chapter: Hero discovers truth but can not reveal it.
Chapter: Villain discovers hero is on his trail.
Chapter: Hero prepares to face antagonist (villain).
Chapter: Villain gears up to fight or run again.
Chapter: Hero confronts antagonist (villain).
Chapter: Hero explains all.
Well, now there are 22 chapters.
To read my novelette go to http://www.tjbooks.com/novel.pdf
Happy Writing!
The End
Copyright2007John Taylor Jones, Ph.D. (Taylor Jones)
Author: John T Jones, Ph.D.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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While most of us think of magazines as publications that we buy in order to be entertained, educated, or informed, there are many magazine buyers who buy them mostly because they represent status symbols. And although these fancy magazines do have lots of valuable and interesting content, many who subscribe to them do so with no intention of actually sitting down to read them. They instead want to use the magazines as decorations or props, in order to impress other people.
One example is the person who is not wealthy but who subscribes to a magazine like the Robb Report, which is full of articles, ads, and pictures related to the lifestyles of the rich and famous. The magazine is expensive, and shelling out money for each issue can be as costly as the purchase of a hardback book. But those who find it impressive are quick to point out that it carries with it a certain status factor. And those who keep it around on the coffee table or in the office waiting room are banking on the fact that their visitors will translate that affluent impression to the person who placed the magazine there.
Other publications like the womens fashion magazine W or the mens magazines like Esquire and GQ carry a status attached to fashion, clothing, jewelry, and social power. Many people get a kind of vicarious feeling of influence and power by owning the magazine as if by reading about others who have real wealth or fashion sense, the attributes somehow come through the pages and can be experienced by the reader. Car magazines are big on this kind of status. Many of the people who read magazines about cars that cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars brands like Saleen, Porsche, and Rolls are actually teens who are barely old enough to have a drivers license. But because they are thrilled by automotive beauty and power, the magazines are fun to read. And when their friends see the magazines, it can often transfer a kind of status to the person usually a guy who owns the magazines.
But the status factor is not easily outgrown, and sometimes it is part of a marketing strategy. Many people who subscribe to magazines about resort homes, custom architecture, international travel, and high finance do so not to read the magazines but just to use them as accessories. For instance, stock brokers or real estate agents might have them around for clients to see. And many wine magazines the ones that rate wines are kept in restaurant waiting areas in order to convey to the guests who are waiting patiently for a table or a place at the bar that the establishment is classy.
Author: Jeff Lakie
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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A good essay must have this permanent quality about it; it must draw its curtain round us, but it must be a curtain that shuts us in not out” -Virginia Woolf
The word essay has been derived from the French word ‘essayer’ meaning “to try” or “to attempt”. An essay is thus, a literary initiative to describe and comprehend a situation, to the best ability of the author. Writing a meaningful and strong essay has been one of the most intriguing mysteries of the academic world. As the scope of an essay is immense, close to infinity, there can be in no proven or scientific parameter to gauge the intensity of an essay. An essay can be anything and everything which can perfectly explain and comment on a given subject. The reader of the essay can be termed as the final judge to determine, how good an essay is. The essay should be such that it can reflect the actual situation through a spectrum of thoughts, in a manner which can keep the interest and facts on the same boat. All the words and sentences written for the subject should be synchronized in a perfectly uniform structure, providing a platform to the reader to closely analyze the thoughts, and in some cases, should be able to drive home a point
Although there is no proven or tested formula to write a good essay, we can surely churn out few tips and tricks to write a successful essay. Some of these are
1. Comprehending the subject
This is the one of the most important thing to remember while penning an essay. What is the subject matter? What should be the essay all about? These questions should have a ready answer with the author, who is about to write an essay. Without properly understanding and comprehending the subject, nobody can even write a sentence within an essay. Before starting with the essay, the subject matter should be carefully studied upon, and self-conclusions regarding the topic should be present in the mind. Once this is over, you can safely assume that half job has been completed.
2. Targeting the audience: Hitting bull’s eye
Before commencing the journey of writing a successful essay, one should always keep in mind the audience of the essay. Which type of audience will read the essay? What is the purpose of this essay? Any author should be well prepared to answer these questions. In case the essay is being written for the admission panel for some business school, the pointers and logic within the essay should be portrayed in a manner, which can best describe the candidate’s profile within the scope of the essay
3. Good essay means clear and concise thoughts
This is by far the most relevant definition of an essay. A good essay is a structure of sentences which is easy to understand, a delight to comprehend, and compact in a way which is a joy to the reader. The thoughts and the views should be always showcased on a presentable manner. These qualities should be embedded in the essayist in order to create the perfect essay
4. Creating the first draft: Initiate it!
Initializing the first draft of the essay is as important as completing the whole task. It has observed numerous times that the first step towards essay becomes a huge task for the beginners. Once the task of creating an essay has been determined, the potential author should just initiate the process of writing, without any fear or comprehension. Once the first draft has been created, the base and the platform for the essay is ready, ready to be launched for the final version.
Author: Neil Patrick
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Smart cooker
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