Thursday, January 31, 2013
Review of “Internet Search Tips for Writers and Academic Researchers”
“Internet Search Tips for Writers and Academic Researchers” is not only a great reference for writers, it’s great for high school and college students, and anyone else who needs to do research and needs credible internet resources. It is not a long book, but it packs in a lot of information inside its pages.
“Internet Search Tips” includes tips on doing internet research, a list of search engines to try searching from different databases, and a list of internet directories with their own sets of databases. The book also gives tips for devising your search plan and refining your search to find the information you need. A section on how to detect and avoid questionable resources - or use them to your advantage – is included.
“Internet Search Tips for Writers and Academic Researchers” is currently available in Kindle format from Amazon. As a compliment piece, check out “45 Websites for Writers and Researchers” at http://joanwz.hubpages.com/hub/45GreatWebsitesWritersResearchers
Review of “45 Frequently Confused Homonyms for Students and Writers”
“45 Frequently Confused Homonyms for Students and Writers” as its name suggests, discusses homonyms, also called homophones – words that sound the same but that have different spellings and different meanings. This book lists the words in alphabetical order and gives their meanings.
It’s a great little reference book for teaching students spelling and vocabulary skills. It is also great for writers who find themselves wondering which word to choose. It could even be of use to those who speak English as a second language and need clarification on word usage.
This is another book that does not need to be read cover-to-cover. It is set up to be a reference , much like a dictionary or thesaurus. It is available only in Kindle format from Amazon.
Review of “Writer's Ethics: Freedom of Information and the Right of Privacy”
“Writer’s Ethics: Freedom of Information and the Right of Privacy” covers the basics of what is covered under the Freedom of Information Act and how it can be used to gain information. However, that freedom of information must be balanced against a person’s right of privacy.
Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis was an early champion of the right of privacy around the turn of the 20th century. He favored strict penalties for anyone violating that right, especially those wishing to make a person’s private information public. This, of course, makes it a challenge for writers to balance the right of privacy with the first amendment rights of freedom of the press. Like libel, the right of privacy is taken seriously in the courts. So they don’t cross the line, writer’s must have a good understanding of what the Freedom of Information Act allows and the Right of Privacy prohibits.
“Writers Ethics: Freedom of Information and the Right of Privacy” is available from Amazon in print and Kindle formats.
Review of “Understanding Libel for Writers”
“Understanding Libel for Writers” is a small e-book that delves into the ins and outs of writing about people and their lives without getting into trouble with the law. Let’s face it, many readers want to hear about all the other peoples 'lives – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Where writers run into problems is the presentation of all that good, bad, and ugly. Any bit of writing that has the potential for ruining a person’s reputation will get writers an invitation to a court room on libel charges. Libel (written or published) and slander (spoken or oral) both defame a person, their reputation, their integrity. And they can be very expensive party.
“Understanding Libel for Writers” explains what is considered libel and whether specific statements, while offensive, may not be considered libel under the law. It also lists ways a writer can state the bad and the ugly without being libelous. There are also ways to defend against libel charges as well as a description of the difference between libel of a private citizen versus libel against a public figure.
This is not necessarily a cover-to-cover book, though it is certainly short enough to read cover-to-cover, so to speak. This little book is available in Kindle version only for a very small price.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Week of Jan 27, 2012 - 10 Things Writers Can Do to Improve Their Writing
By Joan Whetzel
Writers, especially they are first starting their careers, can use a bit of help improving their writing. Even when we’ve been writing a while, it helps to be reminded of some of these steps, as we tend to become complacent after we’ve been writing for some time. Here are 10 helpful hints for improving your writing.
- Read Fiction and Nonfiction.
When reading other the written works of other authors, whether fiction or nonfiction, notice the descriptive techniques they use. Also notice the similarities between your favorite fiction and nonfiction writers, the techniques they use and how they use words to let the story flow onto the page. Break out of your normal reading habits and go for authors you wouldn’t normally read. Let their writing style inform your style and inspire you to write something different, or more challenging, than might have considered writing. It may not work for you the first time, or ever, but you will learn something from the challenge.
- Take Writing Classes.
Writing classes are especially helpful in the beginning of one’s writing career, but there will always be classes for the advanced writer as well as classes for techniques, genres, and writing styles that one has never tried before. Attend a class at a community college or university, or check out the offerings at the local community center, or investigate writing courses online.
- Join Writing Groups.
Writing groups are great. They offer camaraderie with fellow writers, and commiseration for our bad days. The best ones offer critique sessions where writers share their current work and offer constructive criticism. They can also share ideas and techniques that they’ve picked up along the way.
- Indulge in Other Creative Outlets.
Other creative outlets feed the writer’s senses. They get the creative juices flowing, invite in the muses to play, and refocuses the writer’s mind in a different direction which may be all that is necessary to unblock the writing process or resolve whatever issues are creating problems in a story. Creative outlets could include:
· Photography
· Cooking
· Drawing or painting
· Knitting, crocheting, sewing
· Wood working
· Music
· Anything else you may enjoy doing.
- Write.
There’s an old anecdote that goes like this: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice. Practice. Practice.” It’s the same with writers. The best way to get into print or to have an online presence is to write, write, write. No, all of your writing will not get published, but even the writing that remains in your files, or desk drawer, unread by anyone, is still valuable. That character may end up in another story or book. That great descriptive paragraph may become the inspiration for something else entirely, something you never imagined when you wrote it. Practice writing stimulates the writing process, gets the juices flowing, invites the muse in to play with you at the keyboard.
- Do Spell and Grammar Checks.
This is one of those things we all need to be reminded of from time to time. I still let an occasional typo slip by. But remember that even the spell and grammar check on Word for Windows will catch most mistakes, but not all of them. It also may suggest word choices that aren’t the right words; you’ll have to make allowances and choose the word you want even if Word balks. Also, Word automatically defaults to American English. There is a way to change the language, even to British English. So make the adjustment and then use the grammar and spell check as necessary. But use your own common sense on this one too.
- Edit for Content and Flow.
For this writing aid, it’s best to the writing set for an hour, or even overnight. When you come back to it with a fresh mind and a fresh set of eyes, you can see the errors that need correction. After editing for content and flow, re-read the piece and tweak as necessary until you’ve got it right where you want it.
- Ask Other Writers for Critiques.
These other writers might be part of a writer’s group or they may simply be writers that you know. Either way, ask someone you trust to give you constructive criticism. This trusted soul will know how to show you some tweaks without offending your sensibilities because they are truly interested in making your writing better.
- Enter Writing Contests.
This is a great way to get writing practice in, because they offers the challenge of writing in genres and styles you might not otherwise consider. Contests also have a set of parameters that writers must fit their work into. Most contests offer judges’ critiques, which could be helpful in refining your writing skills. There’s also the promise of prizes for the top writers as an incentive for putting your best writing forward.
- Submit.
Finally, submit those articles to magazines, newspapers and online writing sites. Send in those book manuscripts to book publishers. Those that get returned will usually include a letter giving the reasons for the “rejection.” Rejection is not necessarily a dirty word here. Yeah, it smarts a bit to have a book or story rejected, but using the rejection critique to improve your writing is also helpful in the long run. Besides, you can always submit the book or story elsewhere, either tweaked or as-is. Someone else may the value in the story and run with it.
Have fun with your writing muses!
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Book Review - Adventures for Young Writers: Writing Projects for 4th to 8th Grade
By Joan Whetzel
Let’s face it, some kids love to write, while others hate it, and so many others fall somewhere in the middle. How are teachers and homeschooling parents to get their students interested in writing? How does a kid get interested in writing when they don’t even know where to begin?
“Adventure for Young Writers: Writing Projects for 4th to 8th Grade Students” offers a number of writing projects that include a complete story set up with ideas to spur any student’s imagination. It starts off with a chapter describing the book’s set up and how to use the writing projects. Then it jumps right into the story projects most of which are based on historical settings or historical events, though there is one project that definitely falls into the sci-fi genre.
The projects include:
· Azetec Adventures
· A Witness to Martin Luther King’s Dream
· Adventures of and American Immigrant
· Adventures at Sea
· Adventures on the Oregon Trail
· Adventures with Marco Polo, and
· Adventures in Space
Each project begins with a story set up, and provides additional material such as items the student’s characters could use during the story, potential problems (and solutions) for the character to encounter, and some additional facts and information about the time period that could be essential to the story line.
There is no right or wrong way to use this book. The stories could be taken in any order. Or the students could pick and choose whatever story intersts them the most. The main idea is to have fun with the writing process. “Adventures for Young Writers” is available from Amazon in print and Kindle formats at a low affordable price.
Book Review: How to Write Term Papers, For High School and College Students
By Joan Whetzel
Teachers start assinging term papaers in high school and, by the time college rolls around, students find they must right a term paper for nearly every subject. For those students who struggle with researching and writing term papers, this can prove to be an overwhelming challenge. “How to Write Term Papers, For High School and Colleg Students” provides helpful tips and techniques for getting though the process.
“How to Write Term Papers” begins with an introduction describing how the book is set up and how to use it. It then jumps into information about the basics on term papers and academic writing which some students may find useful. The tips and techniques in this book include: choosing a topic, research, finding scholarly sources, tips for doing research on the internet,, creating a working outline, term paoper organization, rough drafts, a chapter on summarization, paraphrasing and quotations, the citation process, how to format a term paper (in APA, MLA, Chicago Manual of Style formats), the final draft, and the List of Works Cited (bibliography). Included at the end is an appendix of trustworthy website resources which fall under the heading of scholarly sources for most term papers.
This is not a book that needs to be read from cover to cover. Students can pick and choose the parts that they need and leave the rest alone. Teachers and home school parents can keep a copy in their classroom for students to reference. “How to Write Term Papers, For High School and College Students” is available at Amazon in print and Kindle editions.
Book Review: Effective Study Skills and Techniques for High School and College Students
By: Joan Whetzel
There are many ways that students get themselves into trouble with studying ineffectively. Yet there are so many ways to learn better study skills which, when practiced regularly, will improve the quality of study time - and grades. This book, “Effective Study Skills and Techniques for High School and College Students”, may be just the book to help you.
The books chapters cover the following study tips: several chapters on note taking techniques, listening in class, paying attention to the reading assignments, setting up and sticking to a study schedule as well as how to study with only a limited amount of time, organizing the study materials, making use of text book questions, memorization, PQRST study method, the use of flashcards, summarization, mnemonics, making use of visual imagery, using outside resources, creating outlines, and how to get rid of distractions.
This is not a book that needs to be read from cover to cover, nor should it be. It works best if the student picks and chooses the techniques he or she needs the most help with, or that could help him or her the most. No should any student feel the need to use every technique or skill set in this book. Students may find that some skills or techniques work better for them than others. With this in mind, students should use the study skills that work best for them and set aside those that don’t work for them.
This book is available from Amazon in print format and in Kindle format both at a low price affordable to most students. Teachers may also want to keep a copy in their classroom for students to refer to whenever they need a bit of help with their studying.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Week of January 20, 2013 - Writing at the Crossroads
By Joan Whetzel
We all go through times when we reach a crossroads. Literally, a crossroads is a place where two roads cross or intersect. But in life, a crossroads is a time where decisions must be made. It could also be a place considered to be the center of activity. For fiction writers, having their characters reach a cross roads is a mainstay of their stories. Nonfiction writers can always find a way to incorporate crossroads as a concept such as convergence, a village, or a crisis.
Convergence
Try using the concept of a crosswords as a convergence, letting a set of circumstances, people, or events converge on, approach, or meet at the crossroads. Or can use convergence to describe a weather phenomenon where air converges into a given region. One could also look at people as converging off into a vanishing point, or converging or being funneled into a bottleneck.
Village
A writer could always see a village as a crossroads. In this case it’s a group of people the meet at the crossroads they call home. The village represents a crossroads of different personalities and sometimes a mix of cultural backgrounds all coming together. Or it may be a village as the crossroads for a group of unique dwellings, or homes, each representing its owner.
Crisis
A crisis is the most popular way to use the concept of a crossroads. It’s the turning point in a person’s life, a sequence of events that bring things to a head. The person at this crossroads must make a decision about his or her future, or the events choose his or her future, for better or worse. The crisis could be a personal tragedy, an emotional upheaval, a death, or a turning point in a relationship. This is the type of crossroads that nonfiction writers make so much use of, but it also works great for biographies.
If you are at a crossroads in a story, article or book, think of the many ways you might incorporate a crossroads scenario to keep the story interesting and readable. For better or worse, the concept of a crossroads can create just the crisis point that gives the entire story its truest meaning.
Essay Writing Tips – The Importance of Intros and Conclusions
http://socyberty.com/education/essay-writing-tips-the-importance-of-intros-and-conclusions/
Friday, January 18, 2013
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Week of January 13, 2012 - Redecorating My Writing Space on a Shoestring Budget
By Joan Whetzel
I've decided my writing office / creative space needs redecorating. It's long overdue. I've been feeling a little stifled there, looking for ways to escape it rather than feeling like it's someplace that stimulates my creative juices. Unfortunately, my redecorating budget is about as close to $0 as I can get with going negative. So what's a body to do? Recycle and Reuse as much as possible.
1. My office doors got a new paint job. No this is not a freebie unless you have leftover paint from a previous job and like the color. It cost me all of a quart of paint. We already had most of the paint supplies so the cost here is minimal. Didn't even have to replace the hardware, though at some point down the road, if I find door hardware at the hardware store that I like better than what I have, they may be replaced. As long as I have the money to do it. But that's an inexpensive fix.
2. Updating my window treatments. The sheer panels and valances, I noticed, were quite dusty and had taken on a gray hue instead of their usual sky blue (sheers) and white (valance). They got pulled down and washed. The sheer panels will go back up. I still like them and they now match the paint on the doors to my office. The valance is looking way to passé. They will be put up for another project down the road and replaced with some blue napkins (a shade darker than the sheers and door paint) hung on an angle over the valance rod. These were napkins that I purchased some time ago, but never used. Finally found a use for them.
3. Artwork is getting changed out. I dabble in photography and pastels. so I have a lot of artwork to choose from. I simply need to pick and choose which ones get changed out, and rearrange.
4. Repainting my cinderblock bookshelf. Yes I have one of those homemade bookshelves mad from cinderblocks and plywood. It was my first bookshelf that I put together for my writing space. What can I say but it was cheap. It has held up remarkably well since I first painted it in shades of blue (light blue for the plywood shelves and dark blue spray paint on the cinder blocks). The light blue shelves will stay the same color (they match close enough to everything else). They just need a little cleaning. The cinder blocks will get a new coat of spray paint - silver - which I already have a couple cans of; left over from another project. So, with a minimum of time and effort, I have updated my artwork.
5. Rearranging my objet d'art. I have a few artistic objects that I like to look at. Some were toys, most of which my oldest granddaughter has inherited. Some are items I have purchased over the years. I move them around to different locations or put some away and pull them out to exchange with others.
I'm still looking for a few other things I can do to update my space. It should be interesting to see how I can reuse and recycle things I already have to update my writing space and return it to a place I want to come into to write again.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
The Public Library: A Public and Private Resource
Effective Study Skills and Techniques for High School and College Students
Paperback Edition
http://www.amazon.com/Effective-Skills-Techniques-College-Students/dp/1478131918/ref=la_B008505W0K_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1357870812&sr=1-2
Kindle Edition
http://www.amazon.com/Effective-Techniques-College-Students-ebook/dp/B0084URGXW/ref=la_B008505W0K_1_2_title_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1357870812&sr=1-2
http://www.amazon.com/Effective-Skills-Techniques-College-Students/dp/1478131918/ref=la_B008505W0K_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1357870812&sr=1-2
Kindle Edition
http://www.amazon.com/Effective-Techniques-College-Students-ebook/dp/B0084URGXW/ref=la_B008505W0K_1_2_title_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1357870812&sr=1-2
How to Write Term Papers, for High School and College Students
Cloud-to-Cloud and Cloud-to-Ground Lightning
http://joanwz.hubpages.com/hub/Cloud-to-Cloud-and-Cloud-to-Ground-Lightning
Turn Around Don't Drown (TADD) Flood Water Driving Safety Warnings
http://joanwz.hubpages.com/hub/Turn-Around-Dont-Drown-TADD-Flood-Water-Driving-Safety-Warnings
The Science of Natural Luminescence
http://joanwz.hubpages.com/hub/The-Science-of-Natural-Luminescence
Monday, January 7, 2013
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Week of January 6, 2013 - The Color Black
By Joan Whetzel
Colors make great symbolism for writers. Colors can represent stages of life, things people love or hate, religious values, secular values, or just about anything else. Color can be used to represent one object or can be a recurring theme in a story or book. Of all the colors, black has some of the strongest associations which makes a great color for writers.
What Is Black?
Black is the darkest color produced by the absorption of all colors of the visible spectrum. Something black does not reflect light. Black has been compared to a moonless night and deep space. It has been used to represent evil, wickedness, death, a depressed state of mind, anger, morbid or grim humor, major disasters, censure or dishonor, coffee with no milk or cream, secretive or intelligence operations (black ops, black propaganda, black radio transmissions), anything not disclosed for security reasons, and utter darkness. Black can be used for clothing, everyday objects (kitchen appliances, checkers, iron tools), and cars (esp. hearses and limos); even wall paint as a symbol of an event occurring in the story or of the person being about.
Death
Death, and the mourning that comes with it, is probably the primary occasion for the use of black. Hearses are black. People wear black to funerals. Black wreaths used to be hung on doors following a death. People sometimes wore black armbands after a family member died. The grim reaper is frequently seen as a black figure. The 14th century bubonic epidemic that kill so many people became known as "the black death." Because it reflects no light, black is seen as a somber color, much as death is seen as a somber event. In the Catholic liturgy black is used for funerals and the mass for the dead known s the Requiem Mass.
Darkness, Midnight, the Dead of Night
Black is associated with the absence of light as in darkness, midnight, the middle of the night, the dead of night, the witching hour, the wee hours of the night, after dark, blackest before dawn, dusk to dawn, and nighttime.
Destruction
Black is associated with major, catastrophic disasters and destruction. The Hindu god of destruction, Kali, is depicted as black in color.
Evil
Black depicts evil, the underworld, the devil or anyone drawing power from the devil, and black magic. Anyone seen as being disgrace upon one's family is called the black sheep. Black is found in the deepest parts of the mind, from which evil acts are said to generate, causing a person to make mad moral choices. Evil characters usually wear black such as the black hat in the old western movies or Darth Vader.
Black Magic
Black magic includes any magic spells, incantations, charms and the like that are intended to cause someone harm or stir up fear. Black magic sometimes also includes any spells intended to manipulate a person's free will. They are considered to be extremely dangerous if they backfire especially if one considers that spells are supposed to return to the sender threefold.
Black Water Fever
Black fever covers any disease - either human or animal - that is characterized by dark urine caused by rapid breakdown of red blood cells.
Black Ice
Black ice is a thin layer of ice that is transparent. It's invisibility is due to the lack of air bubbles in the ice. It makes pavement quite slippery and drivers never see it before they hit it, making it one of the main causes of winter driving accidents.
Black Friday
September 24, 1869 was a day of financial panic in the US, when a small group of American financial speculators tried to get the support of federal officials to help the corner the gold market. When the government gold was released for sale, the attempt to corner the gold market failed on that Friday, Sept. 24, 1869. Thousands of people were financially ruined by this event, and so the event became known as Black Friday. Since then, any time a financial panic occurs, it is referred to as a Black Friday. In recent decades, though, the term Black Friday has come to be associated with the first serious Christmas shopping day that occurs on the Friday after Thanksgiving in the US. It is so called because it begins the season of heavy shopping which puts retailers "in the black" financially, or ensures that they will not end the year "in the red." So in this sense, the term "Black Friday" could be used by writers to indicate a financial calamity or the avoidance of a financial meltdown.
Resources
American Heritage Dictionary.
Wikipedia. Black Death.
Wikipedia. Symbols of Death.
Boddy-Evans, Marion. About.com. Art Symbols Dictionary - Death.
Catholic Online. Liturgical Colors.
Thesaurus.com..
Urban Dictionary
Spells of Magic. Black Magic.
Kyrnin, Jennifer. About.com. Visual Color Symbolism Chart by Culture.
Weather Online. Glaze and Black Ice.
Columbia Encyclopedia. Black Friday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)