From the daily archives: Monday, January 11, 2010
Can Quick Grammar Guide & Checker solve our grammar writing problems once and for all? English writing is one of the most important forms of communication today, it is necessary to maintain it correct and professional. Let’s take a look and see how recent technological improvements can help us on improving our writing skills.
Quick introduction
What is Quick Grammar Guide & Checker all about? Well, it is one of these innovative solutions that technology keeps bringing in order to make our life easier – in our case it is about fixing our English writing. By simulating the human mind, this technology analyzes your writing by comparing it to a dynamic large database that contains proper variations of your text. Sophisticated language processing solutions usually offer the following: editing and proofreading, checking on spelling and typos, and most importantly – analyzing our grammar writing.
Important benefits
We can easily find several important advantages while using this technology:
* Significantly enhancing the capabilities of our existing text editors.
* Improving our self confidence with our writing.
* Improving the image we want to project through our writing.
Extra research on this solution would probably bring up additional benefits that aren’t mentioned here, as this important webmarketing technique keeps changing, bringing us fresh solutions that help us on improving our English writing and editing skills.
Quick summary
If we summarize the main benefit provided by this powerful Quick Grammar Guide & Checker – it is helping us on identifying possible writing errors before we deliver or publish our writing assignments. Everyone agrees that it cannot completely eliminate our writing problems; however, it can significantly help us on improving our writing skills. Undoubtedly we can expect this exciting technology to further develop itself, for one simple reason: writing is one of the most important tools that help us achieving many of our goals.
Author: Gil Lavitov
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Cool mobile gadgets
Condolence Letters are typically written after someone has died and are some of the most difficult and awkward letters to write. The best advice in writing these letters is to empathize with your reader. Relate a story to them that shares some similar personal experience. Do not tell them that things could be worse. Recognize the pain with the understanding that grief is a stage in the healing process. Follow up with an unannounced call or letter 10 days to two weeks after your initial condolence. In this second contact, don’t mention the death…just state that you’re checking on that bereaved. Your intentions will be understood.
Format
1. Use the Friendly format arrangement for Condolence Letters:
a. to the right side of the letter header place the return address
b. make two carriage returns
c. directly below the return address, place the date
d. make three carriage returns
e. do not include a reference line
f. begin your letter
g. indent the body paragraphs five spaces each
h. center the closing and signature so that the left-most character of each are justified to the center of the page when the paper is folded.
Wording
1. Write to the survivors, not the deceased.
2. Without saying anything derogatory, share a personal story of you and the deceased, if possible.
3. Do not attempt to reduce the grief of the bereaved by using clichs such as it will get better in time…, youll feel better soon.., etc.
4. State your great sorrow in their loss, and, naturally offer to any help that you can provide.
Tone
1. Make your tone warm and personal.
1. Never send a condolence letter via email.
Printing
1. Before printing, decide on what paper to use. For Condolence Letters, it is best to use high-grade card stock.
2. Print your letter and envelope on the same printer using the same font and an envelope that matches the stationery.
Signature
1. Make three carriage returns between the closing and your typed signature. Inside this space, sign your name for professional correspondence. For personal correspondence, there is no need for a typed signature. Simply, sign your name.
Author: Robert Noyes
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty tariff
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
Provided by: Canada duty rate
I was in the bookstore the other day, which one you ask? I visit all the bookstores in my area, I love to wonder around and look at the new and old books on the market. I have learned a lot as a writer from my visits, looking at the writing section is a favorite place you might find me thumbing through another book on the subject which I love.
The bargain section is my next favorite, either books which never made the big time or ones they are just very overstocked on at the time. I have bought many cookbooks from the bargain section. Then of course there is the horror section, I know it well. H.P. Lovecraft will always be a love of mine. He has inspired me to write, just as Robert E. Howard did when I read the original Conan series. His descriptions and flair just made things come alive.
The winter time is always the best time to wonder the bookstores. A nice hot cocoa with extra chocolate and maybe some raspberry flavor makes the trip out in the cold, oh so worth it. Wrapped up so warm with a hot chocolate is hard enough to break away from then added the cold outside always makes me stay just a bit longer.
Before I started going to the bookstores, I use to make these trips to the library. It was not uncommon to see me there on the second floor for hours at a time. It didn’t take long looking through that card catalog before I just started wondering. I would go with so many things in mind I wanted to search for but when I got there my mind would go blank. It was then I started wondering through the library. It didn’t take long before I knew the shelves to the point I didn’t need the catalog. Need a book on physics? Five aisles down, on the left, bottom shelf and half of the next on at the top.
Even the people that worked at the library knew I was more knowledgeable then they were on the books on the shelves. They had no problem asking me a questions about a certain book. I had visited for years, I probably read eighty percent of the non-fiction section of that library. Even if I didn’t understand the subject I would read the book trying to figure it out, and usually can out with knowing something.
The title of this article is “The Most Important Tip in the World for a Writer”. Have you figured out what the tip is yet? No, it isn’t you should wonder around a bookstore or library drinking hot chocolate on a cold winter night. The tip is reading. A writer should read just as much as they write. Don’t just limit yourself to a certain genre or subject in the nonfiction section. Read everything.
Read bios, short stories, the classics, horror, sci-fi and fantasy. Read history, physics, and romantic novels. Read books on fishing, knot tying, and true crime. Read books on religion, culture, and death. Read books on science, computers, and music. The point is to read anything, everything, and most importantly keep an open mind when you read.
I have read just about every book on writing out on the market today. They speak of when to write, where to write, how to write. They speak of how much to write daily, grammar, spelling, plots, structure, and characters. They rarely tell you that to be a good writer you need to read work by other people. Yes, it helps a lot to read the genre of horror if you are going to write in that genre. You should always read all you can in the genre or area you want to write. Don’t limit yourself though.
At the start of this article, I mentioned a couple of writers who I love and have helped me get motivated and pushed my desire to write. I mentioned then because they fall in the genre of which I write myself. I do have other writers and genre which pushed me as well.
“The Fireside Book of Fishing Tales” is a book I have read probably ten times, I couldn’t tell you who wrote it, but it is a book that holds fond memories. I wish you could go buy it, but it has been out of print for a long time now. I would have paid the library that had it far more then the retail price new if they would have sold it to me. Actually I would have bought them every new fishing story book on the market for that book.
“The Pleasure Book” is another book which I remember reading well over twenty years ago now. I was in my teens visiting the library once again when I came across that book. No, it is not a book on sex. It is a book on finding the pleasure out of the simple things in life, like making bread, just sitting by a window, or going for a walk. I remember that book because it gave new meaning to cooking which is another favorite thing I love to do.
“Harpo Speaks” by Harpo Marx. It was the very first autobiography I ever read. I always loved the Marx Brothers. Harpo was my favorite, he could steal a scene without a word. His autobiography was probably the most honest book I had ever read. Until I read the one by Groucho Marx, I will just say we all have things we aren’t proud of…
Reading is how I became a writer. There was the desire to write, but I never was pushed until I started reading. You ask didn’t you go to school for creative writing? Weren’t you an honor student in English? No. I actually hated English, failed all the time at it. I never started reading until my teens. Once I found the world of reading though, my writing started to take on a life of its own. My Muse got an education and learned how to crack the whip, and I got my wish to be a writer.
Reading is a way to continue to learn. As a writer you will always be learning. You will never know it all. Reading will give you a broader view of the world and the people in it, it will also open your mind to things you would never consider. I have told people the best tip to being a writer is to read. They usually ask me what to read then, my answer is to read everything. Go get yourself a library card, start at one end of the building and read your way to the other end. That would be a very good start.
I have written a lot on writing tips. I have learned the hard way when it comes to writing and love to help new writers. My personal struggles with my own writing drove me to write a tip on an area I still have trouble with myself. Writing is not a career, it is a inner journey to find out who you are and let out the creative soul you have locked up inside. All the books on how to write in the world will never help you to become a better writer unless you can see beyond yourself, take a step back and look at the world in a new light. That is why I’m telling you the best writing tip in the world is to go read.
Author: Sara Ferguson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Mobile device news
Despite the advent of radio, TV, and the internet, there are still a lot of people who depend on newspapers when they want to know what’s happening around the globe. This is why a lot of people are enticed to start a career in journalism. If you’re one of them, it’s important that you know how to write a good newspaper article. Here are the methods that you need to follow to make that happen:
1. Know your audience. What type of newspaper are you writing for? Are you writing for tabloid or broadsheet? Who are the people who mostly read your newspaper? What kind of stories do they find interesting or fascinating? What are their preferences and level of comprehension? Knowing the people you’re writing for will make your job easier. This is because you’ll know right away what topics to write and you’ll know how you’ll write your stories in such a way that you’ll impress your readers.
2. Use eye-catching headline. Visualize your article being published. Do you think it will outshine the other articles published on the same page? It’s important that you use headlines that are intriguing and attention-grabbing. This is to make sure that your audience will consider reading your articles.
3. Research. As a journalist, you’re expected to deliver in-depth, complete information. This can only happen if you gather enough data about the story that you’re writing. Go where the event is happening and interview key people. Anticipate the questions that your audience might ask and look for the best answers even before you start writing.
Author: Sean R Mize
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Netbook, Tablets and Mobile Computing
Many people in business heaved a sigh of relief when email began to take over most of their day-to-day correspondence. Processing business letters – even today – is fiddly and fussy, compared with the blissful simplicity of email.
However as you know there are still times when ink on paper is essential. Many of the so-called “professions” (legal, accountancy, etc) in the UK at least still insist on correspondence being done via printed letters. They have a deep mistrust of email and for good reason, as its confidentiality can never be guaranteed. Business letters are at least fairly private – you have to assume it’s easier and faster to snoop on email than it is to steam envelopes open over boiling water.
In other instances, too, printed letters provide a more tamper-proof formal record of business arrangements, complaints, employee warnings/terminations and other issues that need to be carved into tablets of stone. (Well, paper, anyway.)
Old fashioned structure, modern style
Highlighted and ridiculed by the casual nature of email, the quaint formality of the old fashioned business letter seems positively Dickensian and totally inappropriate for the way we do business now.
There is an answer, though. Use the formality of structure that makes the business letter the bullet-proof form of communication it has come to be. Combine that with the short, straight-talking style of writing more common to emails, and you have a good compromise.
Let’s start with the structure – or rather, the etiquette which supplies the structure.
There are variations between accepted etiquette used in the different English language markets. Here are the main British forms of address. I have also included the US/Canadian equivalents where I know them, but I’m afraid I’m not aware of those used in Australia, NZ or SA.
Formal letters
The addressee will either be a title, e.g. “The Chief Executive Officer” or to an organization or company when you don’t know to whom your letter should be addressed. When you write to a title the salutation is “Dear Sir,” “Dear Madam,” or if you want to play it safe, “Dear Sir/Madam.” When you write to an organization it’s “Dear Sirs,” Dear “Mesdames,” or again if you want to play it safe (but labor the point) “Dear Sirs/Mesdames.”
Your sign off will be “Yours faithfully” (UK) or “Yours truly” (US and Canada.)
Less formal letters
This is where you have a name. And this is where you can get into hot water if you’re not sure of the gender of the person. Someone called J C Jennings could be a Jack or a Joanna. Someone called Leslie Matthews could also be either (traditionally the female version of the name is spelled “Lesley” and the male “Leslie,” but I know at least one lady Leslie.)
Equally beware of unisex names like Jody, Jo, Bobbie, Alex, Rob, Robin, Carol (yes, really,) Billie, Chris, Darryl, Eddie, Sam, Jackie, Nicky, Frances (f) vs Francis (m), Freddie, Gabrielle (f) vs Gabriel (m), Georgie, Gerry/Jerry, Charlie, Nat, Harry, Jessie (f) vs Jesse (m), Stevie, Mel, Pat, Ronnie, Sacha, Sandy, etc. And that’s before we get started on names from non English-language cultures.
People these days usually don’t advertise whether they’re “Mr” or “Ms” or whatever. When in doubt don’t risk embarrassment; phone the organization concerned and ask.
Some people borrow an awful technique from email and use a person’s whole name in the salutation, e.g. “Dear Suzan St Maur.” I don’t know about you, but this irritates the h*ll out of me and I would not recommend it.
So, when your letter is addressed to “Mr J C Jennings” your salutation is “Dear Mr Jennings.” If the information you have is simply “Joanna C Jennings” you can probably take a chance and write a salutation of “Dear Ms Jennings.” I don’t know many male Joannas, but don’t count on it…
Your sign off will be “Yours sincerely.”
Even less formal letters
This is where the internet’s influence can be allowed to come into it and give you some freedom from the formalities expected in, well, more formal letters.
If you’re writing to someone whom you know on first name terms then your salutation is going to be “Dear (name)” and you don’t need to sign off with a “yours” anything unless you particularly want to. Common forms of sign off include “warm regards” (US,) “kind regards,” “best wishes,” etc.
Layout
This isn’t as strictly followed as it used to be, and now it’s considered OK to design the layout of a letter around the design of the company letterhead. The elements you need, wherever you put them, should include:
Your company name and address (usually done in the letterhead’s design)
The date
The addressee’s name, title, company name and address
The salutation (“dear so-and-so”)
The topic of the letter (“re:” whatever)
The body of the letter
The sign off (“Yours whatever”)
Your own name and title
Traditionally, your own address should go at the top right of the letter, with the date underneath it on the right. On the next line at the left margin, you put the addressee’s name and address. After one or two spaces, the “Dear (whoever)” goes underneath that. Two spaces below that, you can put your “re: (topic)” or just the topic in bold and/or underlined.
Once you’ve done the body of the letter, create one or two spaces and put the sign-off either ranged left or indented a few tabs along towards the right. Create a sufficient number of spaces for your signature and then key in your name (and title if appropriate) so it starts directly under the “Y” of “Yours.”
If your letter goes on to a second page, where it breaks on page 1 create a space then to the right key in “cont’d.” You can start page 2 just by keying in “page 2″ and starting again two or three spaces below. Some people create a mini-heading for the second page with the addressee’s name on the left, the date in the middle, and the page number on the right, followed by an underline that crosses the whole page. This is useful if the two pages become detached from one another.
Okay. Now we’ve established the ground rules, what do we say?
Keep the style sharp and simple
Business letters are not literary works. They are verbal workhorses with a purpose only to convey information, and what you want the reader to do with it, as quickly and clearly as possible.
Start by making notes as if to yourself. These notes will come out in a direct style naturally, because you’re not intimidated or disquieted when writing to yourself. Don’t restrict yourself to a structure at this stage. Just write out everything you can think of that should go into the letter.
Now, match your notes to the sequence in one of the “skeletons” described below. Discard any notes that aren’t relevant.
If you build up your letter along these lines you’ll find that your style is clear and straightforward, with no unnecessary adjectives, adverbs, business phrases, “corporate speak” or other business BS that some people use in business letters.
All you need to do then is tidy up with a good edit and spelling and grammar check. (Although many people take a lenient view over spelling and grammatical mistakes in emails, they stick out like sore thumbs in printed letters and make you look very amateurish.)
Build your content on a “skeleton”
Normally you’ll identify the topic of the letter with “re: Your Outstanding Account” or less formally, “Your Outstanding Account” in bold and/or underlined. Then make notes or bullet points of the main issues you need to include, on a skeleton like this:
Typically, these would be:
1. Background
I see from our records that you were first invoiced for this amount four months ago and statements have been sent out to you each month since then
2. The sticky issue
This can’t go on, especially as you haven’t contacted us to discuss extending your credit
3. What I want to happen now
Pay up in the next seven days
4. Or else
We will be obliged to start legal proceedings against you
5. Sweetener
If you do pay up by return, we won’t take any further action and will restart your 30 days’ credit as before
6. Next move
Please contact me urgently and let me know what you intend to do
Same skeleton, different content
You could use this skeleton for a number of business letter purposes. Not all business letters have you sitting so comfortably in the driving seat, however. Let’s say you were the recipient of this letter and want to winkle out more time to pay. The elements remain the same, but we approach from a different angle…
1. Background
Thank you for bringing this to my attention – I had no idea we were so late paying
2. The sticky issue
We’re experiencing serious cashflow problems at the moment but we have taken steps to rectify this and anticipate the problem will be solved in the next 3 weeks
3. What I want to happen now
Would you consider extending our credit for a while longer, perhaps with interest being chargeable at a rate we can agree?
4. Or else
We really would like to continue buying our supplies from you but if we enter into a dispute the goodwill will be lost and our business relationship will be over
5. Sweetener
I can assure you our cashflow problem is temporary and we want to preserve our business relationship with you if possible
6. Next move
I will phone you in the next few days to discuss payment terms
Build your own skeleton
Obviously that 6-point skeleton isn’t going to work for every business letter, but a shortened version of it will be useful because you can build it back up so it’s tailored to any number of different needs. Here’s the basic one that I use:
1. Background
2. The key issue
3. What will or should happen
4. What to do next
Any further tips? Only that business letters should always be as short as possible. That’s not as simple as it sounds. Somebody famous (can’t remember who) once apologized for writing someone a long letter, as he didn’t have time to write a short one. It’s hard to write concisely, but if you use the style and skeleton tips above you’ll find it somewhat easier.
If you need to go into detail, separate that off into a different (but attached) document and use the letter only as a summary of the issue and a call to action.
I’m no social psychologist so I can’t quote you a scientific reason, but separating detail from key points usually means that both get read more thoroughly. It’s probably because by separating the two elements you provide readers with more digestible looking chunks. Anyway, it works!
Author: Suzan St Maur
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital TV, HDTV, Satellite TV
All doctors, whether they’re ophthalmologists, cardiologists, or endocrinologists, began by studying the same thing: medicine. After that, they moved onto their specialized fields.
All writers begin with the same, basic skill: using language well. After that, they decide how they’ll use that skill. The two possibilities we’re focusing on are copy writing and technical writing.
In the US, if you ask a writer which one he or she is, the answer can be either copy writer, tech writer, or yes. In some parts of the world, particularly the UK and India, and in some specialized markets in the US, writers make a choice between the two. Especially if they have full-time positions. In most markets in North America, among freelance writers, though, the answer is more often yes.
Let’s start by defining our terms. The differences are easiest to see by looking at the extreme ends of the spectrum from tech to copy writing. We agree with our esteemed colleague in Twickenham that the technical in technical writing refers to “a body of information that’s not known or understood by the general public.” That covers areas of information that are usually known only by what are termed experts or specialists. As he put it, “The point about being a technical writer rather than any other type of writer is that we should excel in being able to write in support of technique or proficiency in practical skills. Our job entails explaining how to do things.”
On the other end is copy writing, which is non-technical. Pure copy writers are concerned with consumer communications. Their jobs are to influence target audiences to buy or at least become interested in products or services. Without intending to impune anyone’s reputation, it’s possible to say that copy writers aren’t as concerned with facts as they are with feelings. Their purpose is to get the consumers’ attention and convince them that this or that product is the best there is.
A highly successful creative director used the “cupcake” analogy to separate the two types of writing. She said a copy writer will tell you how good the cupcake is and how pretty the sprinkles are while the technical writer will tell you how to bake the cupcake. It seems that the problem with these two polar-opposites arises when you consider types of writing that don’t fit on either end. What do you call the writer who writes the report on the latest research into cookies or writes an executive summary of that report?
As a senior technical writer from the UK (or technical author as they’re called there) had to admit, “Of course documents that ‘do-not-explain-how’ may also be required from us in the course of our work but they are less relevant to the practice of technical writing as opposed to other types of business communication.” On the other hand, a copy writer may be required to write a document that explains the workings of a new insurance program or the application of a new federal law covering employer/employee negotiations.
Being a technical writer may not always be limited to explaining how to assemble, operate, and service bilateral widgets. And the copy writer isn’t always limited to “selling the sizzle.”
The question becomes: Where does tech writing leave off and copy writing begin? An important distinction is whether you’re a specialist or a generalist. If you write only technical documents that tells how to, you’re certainly a tech writer. If you write only soft copy that tells why, you’re clearly a copy writer. But what if you write both and a lot of things in between? At the TWTK, we don’t think you can put your finger on the exact spot when tech writing becomes copy writing. We see it as a single, sliding scale.
For example, where does writing training fit in? It seems it should be over on the technical writing side because it’s a form of instruction on a process or procedure. That makes it closely related to writing manuals or guides. But, then, what about instructional designers who write about how to perform soft skills such as customer service or sales techniques? They’re not writing ‘technical’ content, but their not writing ‘copy’ either.
We believe that copy writers and tech writers have one important thing in common: they’re both writers first. There are fundamental skills a writer must have whether writing copy or tech material. After that, it’s a matter of what kind of content the focus is on. Our intention is to give some useful tools, help, and encouragement to writers from hard tech to soft copy.
So, why did we call this newsletter the Technical Writer’s Tool Kit? Semantics. Professional writer is too broad an audience. Just writer is also too general since the content isn’t aimed at creative writers who produce poetry, novels, and plays. We could have said “people who write for hire but whose names never appear on what they write,” but that’s kind of long for a masthead.
We settled on technical writer as a place to start with the intention of moving the needle along the scale. We define technical in a wider sense as writing involved with creating the kinds of documents produced regularly by people in all areas of science, medicine, engineering, marketing, government, and education. These include reports, letters, memoranda, executive summaries, manuals, brochures, product descriptions, proposals, tutorials, and articles.
A survey of freelance writers in the Midwest shows that most of them can and do write both technical content and copy. It’s purely a matter of economics. Writers in markets like this have to be prepared to write whatever their clients need. One day it can be a highly technical user manual and the next a customer-focused, medical newsletter or a brochure for a vacation resort.
As one writer put it, “I write whatever they pay me to write from a laundry list to a ransom note.” Whether you’re a copy writer or a technical writer – or both – seems to depend on your job description, what your business card says, where you live, and whom you write for.
Author: Bryan S. Adar
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Cellphone news
After a few years of writing some writers look much older than their age. They have deep frown lines, and startle sharply at any loud noise. Here’s why they’re nervous wrecks: they never grab the reins of writing jobs they’re offered, and they’ve never learned the power of “No.”
There’s a secret you need to know if you want to make money writing: many of your clients have no idea of what they want you to write, and why. They have an amorphous idea, or even a collection of ideas of what they want. They expect their writer (you) to put bones and flesh on their ideas.
Your first task as a writer if you want to avoid frown lines and lead a peaceful productive life, is to help your potential clients to define exactly what they want — BEFORE you accept a writing job.
Here are three steps to doing that.
1. If It’s Not in the Brief, It’s Not Going to Happen
Every writing job starts with a brief, or job description. I advise my writing students to study each brief, and then rewrite it in their own words. When you do this, holes in the brief will come to light, and you can start asking questions.
Please get into the habit of asking lots of questions. No, you won’t look stupid or inexperienced — remember that 99.9 per cent of your clients aren’t clear on exactly what they want. Your first task is to help them to decide and articulate the scope of the job they want you to do.
Make it your motto: “if it’s not in the brief, it’s not going to happen.”
2. Trust Your Intuition, and Google
You’ll be offered writing jobs, and your gut will clench. Sometimes it’s because a writing job seems too good to be true. Trust your gut. If you can sense that there’s something not quite right about a job, you’re rarely wrong.
Use Google. Google each and every prospective client, without exception. If something seems wrong, stay clear. A client’s problems need never become your problems, unless you willingly slip a noose around your own neck.
3. Learn to Say: “No”
Yes, you can refuse writing jobs. As your writing career develops, you’ll refuse more jobs, because you’re booked up. You’ll become selective, only taking jobs which a client can articulate clearly, and which you know you can complete in a timely manner. You’ll have more confidence.
However, you should be selective right from the beginning of your career. If a prospect won’t respond promptly to questions you have about a brief, pass on the job. There are always more writing jobs.
Finally, avoid being the kind of writer who becomes jubilant whenever you’re offered a writing job. Check the jobs out carefully before you accept, ensuring that the scope of the job is clearly defined in your brief.
Author: Angela Booth
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Latest trends in mobile phone
A magnificent white phantom stallion stands on the bluff in the pink mist of morning. He rears up proudly pawing the air. You want to reach for him, grab him and keep him. But as you approach, he vanishes like the mist. There you stand empty-handed on the hot, dry sand, wondering how he could have slipped away.
Your fiction idea seemed like such a good idea at first. But then as the days passed, the idea stallion disappeared into nothingness. After several such experiences, you have probably reasoned that you must not be cut out for fiction writing at all. But that is not necessarily true. Take heart! Do what it takes to bring that phantom stallion into the show ring! (To bring your fiction writing ideas into publication.)
Ideas can be elusive phantoms at times. Almost imperceptibly they flit in and out of the mind’s eye in a teasing “catch me if you can” dance. Some fiction ideas are so small they’re simply ignored. Others are of such magnitude they intimidate the mind into letting them go free.
When I first began to get serious about fiction writing, one of my best, and most oft-used excuses, was that I had no ideas. Gazing out upon the vast ranges, I barely caught glimpses of one or two hazy apparitions on the sun-speckled horizon. I shaded my eyes and squinted, lamenting, “Where are all the good ideas?”
Eventually, I learned that in order to “own” those phantom stallions I had to:
- catch ‘em
- corral ‘em
- cull ‘em
- bring ‘em to completion
Catch ‘Em
The more I studied about fiction writing the more I understood that idea country is an attitude. An attitude of observing life. An attitude of excited expectancy. I soon learned that I was actually brimming over with ideas. I opened my eyes and I saw things differently.
Now I saw that in the spring the cottonwood tree is first adorned in delicate green fringe and then tiny, fluttering leaves. When new, not a speck of dust clinks to them — they are shiny spangles.
I saw that an old barn looked like a skeleton with its insides exposed; stubble in a plowed field looked like grated cocoanut on chocolate frosting.
I listened to people talking; I observed actions; I watched facial expressions. I caught ideas.
Corral ‘Em
But idea stallions are swift as the wind. It’s the fiction writer’s discipline to grab whatever is handy to write down that which has caught the attention. Three words to remember always: “Write it down!” Cardinal rule of the successful fiction writer.
My first corral was a small 7X9 three-ring loose-leaf notebook. This allowed the adding and removing of pages. Eventually, I went on to fill two of these. In those notebooks are the seeds of articles, short stories, and yes, even novels.
You must corral your fiction ideas in the way that works best for you. The key is to respect the ideas and observations. Don’t treat them lightly. They are God’s special gifts to you.
Cull ‘Em
While all ideas are to be respected; none are to be worshipped. Now come the moment to discern which to develop and which to cull. As you mature in your fiction writing experience and in your level of plotting skills, you’ll soon be able to tell which ideas will need to be developed and which go by the wayside.
But even at that, some will be culled for the time being only. It’s simply a matter of timing. That’s why authors/writers have lots of file cabinets sitting around. They are loathe to throw anything away. Anything could become something — it may be just a matter of a few years!
Bring ‘Em to Completion
Now the corral is getting filled. Effective culling of the herd is taking place. Now comes the challenge of actually finishing that novel (or short story) that you started. That’s a biggie. Oh the writers I’ve met through the years who have admitted they have drawers and boxes full of unfinished literary works.
Usually it’s fear that keeps a person from finishing. After all, when the work is completed, now it’s time to get it out there and see if it really has merit. That’s a scary thing to have to face.
But again, the more fiction ideas you allow to die in the box at the top of the hall closet, the less you are respecting that idea. Eventually, the herd will die out altogether. And you certainly don’t want that to happen.
So get busy! Today! Catch those elusive fiction ideas. Corral ‘em just as quickly as possible. Cull ‘em and work with the best ones. Then bring each project (novel or short story) to total completion!
You can do it!
Author: Norma Jean Lutz
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera Information
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