Article Kingdom

When dealing with articles and the writers that create them, there is a system of rewards in place for sending in best quality original articles. Let we explain in plain terms what a best quality original article is. This is an article that is written by you using research, BUT with no plagiarizing. It is well written, originally done, formatted correctly and both spell checked and grammar checked for mistakes. It has the correct word count and is written exactly how the client wants it to be written. That is what this term means.

Now let’s talk a little bit about what happens if you DON’T do this. If you are caught plagiarizing any type of work or copying it and making your own, then you can expect the following to happen pretty quickly. All articles are Copyscaped to make sure that there is not any plagiarizing involved. If plagiarizing is found, then you will either be asked to re write it, or depending upon how bad the plagiarizing is, you will be terminated and blacklisted. This will happen especially if you have re written the article, but plagiarized the second article.

This is not a good way to do business. Now let’s talk about what happens if you DO follow the rules and submit only your best articles. First of all you get satisfaction for a job well done. Your client is happy and will send you more work. You will build a very good reputation with your clients. Word will spread that you are a good writer and more and more people will want to use your services for article writing. You will then begin to build a business on your reputation as a good, plagiarism free writer.

Your credibility will rise and you will make more money. These are the benefits of creating and sending good quality articles to your clients. The rewards are great and you will be making a lot of people happy that you did this. What clients look for is originality when talking about articles. No one wants a rehashed version of the same old stuff. They want copy that is fresh, inviting and new. No one wants old, stale or copied copy for their sites. That is just bad business for them and for you. No one will keep a writer that cannot produce good copy and will keep instead those who can produce good original copy that makes readers stand up and take notice.

Now, by using your creativity, you are rewarded with a lot of rewards. The better reputation that you have, the more work you get as stated above. It is a win- win situation for everyone involved and makes both the client and you money and solidifies both yours and the client’s reputations as producers of good quality writing that can pass Copyscape every single time. Reputations are won and lost on the quality of work that you submit to a client. So always do your best and be rewarded for it!

For more specific information about how to become a writing, visit http://www.myaboutall.com

If you are looking for a career both as a writer and article writer, you may be asking yourself “How do I start out in article writing?” This article will give you all the information necessary to get started in both article writing and how to write your first article. Let’s talk about writing, specifically how to write your first article. One of the first things that you will need to do is have some familiarity with how an article is composed. By this I mean, type face, word count, subject matter and format.

Typeface is basically the font that you are using to compose the article. For example, if a client asks you to create a document with Arial 10 pt. Then you would create a document with that particular typeface in your word processing software. Word count is the amount of words the article should have. If you have an article count for 700, then that means 700 words. Sometimes this does not include the title of the article. Subject matter is our next topic. The subject matter will be varying and has a wide spectrum. For example, if you are asked to do an article on Forex, then this topic would cover all aspects or only some of the foreign exchange market.

Formatting is our last topic of this bunch. Formatting could mean a special way that the article is written. Most articles will require four to six paragraphs with the same amount of subheadings. You may be required to write keywords in red or bold. These are examples only. This is how you format a paragraph. They may also have other special formatting such as hyperlinks. Hyperlinks are created by clicking the hyperlink section in your word processing software and following the directions. The formatting could also be to fit something like a directory or a web page. Each client will be different and the instructions will be different with each article that you write.

Now let’s move on to writing the article itself. You have the formatting, typeface, subject matter and word count. Now where do you begin to do research? Why research an article? Simply put, while you can write one off the top of your head, if you have no knowledge of the subject then you must research to get the correct information. You research by using search engines and using keywords or phrases. For example if you are looking for blackjack, you type in Blackjack and hit search. Then results will pop up. You go to a web page and read the information.

A word of warning here that is needed.. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE! If you are caught, you will be dismissed and will not be able to work again. There is a site to go to called Copyscape that you will need to go to and run the article through. After you have the information, then write your article. Once it is finished then submit to your client. Congratulations! You have just written and submitted your first article.

For more specific information about how to become a proofreader, visit http://www.myaboutall.com

Everyone makes mistakes. Even seasoned professional writers make them when writing for the web. There are four that are very common even among professional writers who do this for a living. These four are both simple and complex at the same time. Sometimes it is the simplest things that can trip a writer up and cause them to have a bad day. Why don’t we take a look at the top four biggest mistakes that professionals make when writing web copy, shall we?

The first mistake and one of the biggest is fact checking. Sometimes when you have a deadline, you will push to get the article out and forget about fact checking. This is a big no-no. Be aware that things have a way of being checked and it will come back to bite you. So even if you are in a rush, take the time to fact check and save yourself a heck of a lot of embarrassment in the process by fact checking. Fact checking also includes plagiarism checks that need to be done to the article in question. This is for your own safety and that of the web site in question.

The second one is oddly enough links checking. Dead links or misspelled links are a sure way to raise the temperature of the site and make them angry at you at the same time. Take the time to really check the spelling and web addresses of all links that are in any type of article or on web copy for a site. This really makes people’s blood boil when they click a link and either it doesn’t work or is misspelled. Working links provides working dollars… remember that.

Number three on the list is incorrect formatting for web copy for either article directories, or placement on web pages. This is one hell of a problem even with newbies and yes even pros can get it wrong a time or two. With web copy, especially with article directories, there is only one or at the maximum two different ways of formatting copy for web usage. These depend upon where the article is to go when it is made live. When in doubt about format, then ask and refresh yourself with proper formatting procedure for web copy.

And now drum roll please NUMBER FOUR. This is the worst offender of all of them. Spelling, grammatical errors and language errors are the worst of the offenders. This is a separate detail from the number one problem. Sometimes when you are using words in another language in an English speaking context, such as Spanish, the misspelling of the word can really throw off the copy and change the entire meaning of the word in question. When transferring words from another language, check and make certain that the word is spelled correctly. This angers a lot of people who speak the language to think that the writer didn’t take the time to get the proper pronunciation of the word in question.

For more specific information about how to write for the web, visit http://www.myaboutall.com

Creative writing is so much more than stringing your words together in the proper order. It is the wondrous transport by which you place your own thoughts and fears into the hearts and minds of others. How much do you know about writing? Test your knowledge, and check your answers in the bottom half of the article.

1. The main climax scene is called the ________

2. The main idea of the entire story is called the ________

3. How you phrase your thoughts is called your writing _______

4. The four kinds of conflict are _________

5. Name the four points of view.

6. Name the two kinds of voice.

7. Another word for people “speaking” is _______

8. The first paragraph should set the ________

9. Developing a character is called _________

10. Making the readers see the setting in their minds is ________

11. Use _______, don’t tell.

12. When you have finished writing, the final step is _______

13. The end of the story is called the __________

14. Fantasy, horror and romance are three different ____________

15. Don’t split an ___________

16. Wordiness is called _________

17. A person who writes an article for someone else and receives no byline is called a ________

18. A writer’s pseudonym is his _________ name

19. A writer sends a ________ letter to see if the editor wants to buy his work

20. When a writer submits the same story to more than one place at the same time, it is called a _________ ______________

Answers:

1a. The main climax scene is called the plot.

2a. The main idea of the entire story is called the theme.

3a. How you phrase your thoughts is called your writing style.

4a. The four kinds of conflict are man against man, man against nature, man against self, man against society

5a.. Name the four points of view – first person, 2nd person, third person limited, third person omniscient

6a. Name the two kinds of voice – active and passive

7a. Another word for people “speaking” is dialog.

8a. The first paragraph should set the hook

9a. Developing a character is called characterization.

10a. Making the readers see the setting in their minds is imagery.

11a. Use show, don’t tell.

12a. When you have finished writing, the next step is editing.

13a. The end of the story is called the resolution.

14a. Fantasy, horror and romance are three different genres.

15a. Don’t split an infinitive.

16a. Wordiness is called verbiage.

17a. A person who writes an article for someone else and receives no byline is called a ghost writer.

18a. A writer’s pseudonym is his pen name.

19a. A writer sends a query letter to see if the editor wants to buy his work.

20a. When a writer submits the same story to more than one place at the same time, it is called a multiple submission.

If you got all 20 questions right, yer a genius!

If you got 18-19 questions correct, yer a brainy dude!

If your score was 15-17, you dun good!

If’n you got 13-14 correct, there is hope for you!

Hmm… if you got less than 12 right, you better take the test again.

See below for more free writer’s tips!

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Creative writers usually get into the spirit to write holiday articles when the holiday is upon them. Unfortunately, that is about four months too late to get it published. Your timing is right, but your organizational system is wrong.

Go ahead and write for the holidays as the spirit moves you, but keep those articles filed away under the name of the holiday and submit them to simultaneous magazines about five months before next year’s holiday approaches.

And speaking of holidays, don’t just write for some of the main holidays. Write for all of them. Here is a list for the 2009 calendar:

2009 Calendar

1. New Year’s Day, January 1

2. Martin Luther King Day – January 19

3. Inauguration Day – January 20, every fourth year

4. Groundhog Day – February 2

5. Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday – February 12

6. Valentine’s Day – February 14

7. President’s Day – February 16

8. George Washington’s Birthday – February 22

9. Mardi Gras – February 24

10. Ask Wednesday – February 25

11. Daylight Savings Time starts – March 8

12. St. Patrick’s Day – March 17

13. First Day of Spring – March 20

14. April Fool’s Day – April 1

15. Good Friday – April 10

16. Easter Sunday – April 12

17. Earth Day – April 22

18. Arbor Day – April 24

19. Cinco De Mayo – May 5

20. Mother’s Day – May 10

21. Armed Forces Day – May 16

22. Memorial Day – May 25

23. Flag Day – June 14

24. Father’s Day – June 21

25. Summer begins – June 21

26. Independence Day – July 4

27. Parents’ Day – July 26

28. Labor Day – September 7

29. Grandparents’ Day – September 13

30. First day of Autumn – September 22

31. Columbus Day – October 12

32. United Nations Day – October 24

33. Halloween – October 31

34. Daylight Savings Time Ends – November 1

35. Veteran’s Day – November 11

36. Thanksgiving – November 26

37. Black Friday – November 27

38. Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

39. First day of winter – December 21

40. Christmas Eve – December 24

41. Christmas Day – December 25

42. New Year’s Eve – December 31

There are many other secondary holidays, too. Do a little research, perhaps cut out a few clippings for some added flavor, and sit down to put it all together. Writing for the holidays is a little like planting tulips. You do the work now and you see the results later.

And don’t forget that there are over 300,000 newspapers in the United States alone. You can find a complete list of them by searching “list of newspapers in the United States”. You will find them sorted by state and also by circulation. As soon as a magazine buys your articles, sell the same ones again to newspapers. Yes, they will only pay $15 to $20 each, but if you sell one article to 20 newspapers, that is $400. If you submit four holiday articles to various newspapers at the same time, you could make nearly two thousand dollars for the price of a few stamps.

Other holidays include Martin Luther King, Jr., Patient Recognition Day, National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Boy Scout Day, Random Acts of Kindness Day, National Pig Day, Texas Independence Day (Texas), Peace Corps Day, and many others. To find all the dates, consult the Earth Calendar.

Submit your material four months before the holiday, and address your letter to the editor. On the front, left hand, bottom corner of the envelope, write “holiday news articles”.

It isn’t hard to turn your holiday spirits into some ready-made cash, if you put a little thought into it. Start now by purchasing a portable file and labeling the tabs with holidays instead of alphabetical letters.

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Creative writing for the little people is not the same as writing for adults. In fact, it may even be more difficult, as the first qualification of writing for children is being able to think like a child. While that may not be a problem for the life of the party who likes to play with flatulence pillows, it is a challenge for most people.

The best research you can do is to play with children and listen to them talk. You will be amazed at their patterns of logic. Once upon a time my daughter asked me whether a zebra had black stripes on white, or white stripes on black. Another time she asked whether there might be a dark blue piece of material across the night sky and it was blocking the sunlight. She asked if the material might have little holes in it, and if we might be seeing the sunlight through those little holes, but that we called the little holes “stars”. What an exciting way to see nightfall – but to adults, it is just a midnight sky with stars.

If you want the proper perspective of a child, pretend that you can think clearly but that you have limited expressive skills; then stoop down and twist your neck to look up at a six-foot tall person standing over you.

When you write for children, be ready to paint the unbelievable… such as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny delivering goodies to the world in one night. Fantasy fits into their make believe world perfectly. Think of personification with tables, chairs, marching knives and forks, etc. Look at everything with wonder, and see it as an opportunity for investigation, because this is how children see life.

When you set the scene, set it as though you are looking through a child’s eyes. For example, if a little boy walks into a newly decorated living room with a tray of cookies in it, what would he notice first? The new sofa, chair, carpet and drapes? Or the cookies? It would be the cookies, of course. He would be able to tell you every kind of cookie on the try, but it would be unlikely that he would notice the change in furniture until the cookies were gone.

One of the best ways to get into the proper mood is to revisit your own childhood and think in the terms you used then. Remember the things that seemed so important to you at the time? Did you do magic tricks? Did you try ventriloquism? Did you make mud pies and feed them to your dolls? Did you have tea parties? Catch lightening bugs and put them in a jar? Lie in bed and listen to the cricket outside your window?

When you are able to harness your childhood memories and add that mood to listening and watching children of the 21st century, you will do just fine in writing a story for children. For more writer’s tips, see below.

Private tutoring, $185 for 8 wks. at: http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com - the only fully mentored writing school on the net. Take your classes any time in the next year. Sale ends Jan. 1, 2009! Only 15 to a class. Reserve your space now!

Creative writers – don’t wait to edit your work until you know every word by heart – learn to edit the easy way. Do you know what to look for in editing? Have you wondered what should stay and what should go? By the time you read this article, you will know the answers to these questions.

·One of the first things to look for is prepositional phrases. You can identify prepositions easily. They are: in, on, at, to, for, under, before. Prepositional phrases usually tell when or where, such as: “I will meet you in the after life,” or “He told his daughter to go into the house.” You should never have more than three prepositional phrases to a sentence, and preferably only two.

· Watch for wordiness, also known as verbiage. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines verbiage as “profusion of words, usually of little or obscure content”. In other words, excess words that say nothing. Cut your sentences until they bleed. Chop your descriptions down to that which relates directly to the scene, and leave nothing but the most necessary meat.

·You would think it would be unnecessary to mention using the spellchecker, but you would be surprised how many writers fail to use this most valuable tool. However, don’t totally rely on it. If you use the word “right” instead of “write”, or “blew” instead of “blue”, it will not catch the error. To be safe, scan for errors after you use the spellchecker.

· Look for inappropriate punctuation. Be sure your quotations are closed. Use hyphens and colons properly. Don’t use a semi-colon when a comma will do. Be sure to use commas properly, ie., to separate two clauses in a compound sentence, between city and state, etc.

· Check that your order of events is stated properly. Unless you are doing a flashback, you will only confuse the reader if you switch back and forth within a given time frame.

· Watch for tense changes. If you begin in past tense, the entire story must be written in past tense, with one possible exception. The only time you can properly change tenses is in dialog, and that is because people normally speak in present, past and future tenses.

· One of the most important parts of editing is dousing all forms of the verb “to be”, which would be “is”, “am”, “are”, “was”, “were”, “be”, “being” and “been”. These are “dead” verbs that say nothing. According to Wikipedia, allowed forms are: become, has, have, had, I’ve, you’ve, do, does, doing, did, can, could, will, would, shall, should, ought, may, might and must. The fact that they are allowed, however, does not make them desirable. Get rid of as many of these as possible. They weaken your work.

· Check every verb in every sentence and see if you can replace is with a jazzy verb. This is the finishing touch that will make your work glow.

So when you edit, watch for these eight things. The end result will be crisp, easy-to-understand writing that is stuffed with meat. What reader can resist that?

See below for more writer’s tips!

Private tutoring, $185 for 8 wks. at: http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com - the only fully mentored writing school on the net. Take your classes any time in the next year. Sale ends Jan. 1, 2009! Only 15 to a class. Reserve your space now!

In your APA Style thesis or dissertation, the reference list provides an alphabetical listing of all the sources you used to create your paper. When creating an APA Style reference list, which some people call a bibliography, you have to follow specific APA formatting rules, depending on the type of source involved.

First, let’s discuss some basic rules about the reference list.

AUTHORS. List the author’s last name, followed by the initials. If you have more than one author for a source, list each one individually, until you’ve listed the sixth author, then use “et al.” for any subsequent authors. When listing more than one author, use an ampersand (&) instead of the word “and” ahead of the final author in the list.

INDENTION. After the first line of each source, indent each subsequent line about one-half inch, creating a hanging indention for each source.

ORDERING. Alphabetize the entire list by the authors’ last names. If you have more than one source from an author, list the earliest source first.

PUNCTUATION. Capitalize all major words in the titles of the works that you’re citing for journals, but not books. With longer pieces of works, such as books and journals, italicize the titles. Do not italicize shorter pieces of work, such as essays.

I. Reference List Examples

Next, here are some examples for listing various sources in APA Style.

BOOKS. Include the year of publication, the book title, the publisher’s location and name, along with the author’s name(s).

*Johnson, T. J., & Smith, X. Q. (2003). Economic growth in Africa. New York: Jones Brothers Publishers.

ELECTRONIC SOURCES. List the author’s name, if known; date of publication, if known; title of the online article or Web page; volume or issue number, if known; date of retrieval; and Internet address. The first example is from an online periodical.

* Johnson, T. J., & Smith, X. Q. (2004). Determining technology’s role in economic growth. Retrieved August 20, 2007, from (website address)

If you’re simply referencing a standard Web page, use this format.

* Tracking the Economy Web site. (2006). Report on technology’s growth. Retrieved May 16, 2007, from (website address)

For sourcing an online lecture or presentation, follow this example.

* Johnson, T. J. (2006). Technology’s role in the economy [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from (website address)

GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT. Because such a document usually doesn’t include an author, list the governmental division in the alphabetical list.

* Department of the Treasury. (2005). Economic growth forecast, 2006-2010 (Publication number 2005-10-0032). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.

PERIODICALS. When using a magazine or newspaper as a source, list the author, date of publication, article title, name of the periodical, and page numbers used.

* Johnson, J. T. (2006, November 29). Governments invest in technology. New York Times, p. B1.

A journal requires slightly different formatting. Be sure to include the issue number in italics ahead of the page number(s).

* Johnson, J. T. (2005). Technology controls local economies. Journal of Economic Growth, 7, 423-427.

VIDEO. If citing a movie as a source, list the producer, director, date of publication, title, country of origin, and studio.

* David, L., Bender, L., & Burns, S. Z. (Producers), Guggenheim, D. (Director). (2005). An inconvenient truth [Motion picture]. United States: Paramount Classics.

II. Citing a television show follows a similar format.

* Jones, G. (Producer). (2000, Sept. 6). The nightly news [Television broadcast]. New York: Public Broadcasting System.

III. Odd Situations

SAME AUTHOR, SAME YEAR. If you end up with several sources from the same author, some of which were published in the same year, use an “a” and “b” designation to differentiate between the two sources in your alphabetical listing.

* Johnson, J. T. (2006a). Technology in economy. Economist Magazine, 113, 17-18.

* Johnson, J. T. (2006b). Economic conditions worldwide. Economist Magazine, 115, 23.

SECONDARY SOURCE. If you’ve used a secondary source in your paper that references another work, you should refer to the original work and use a citation for the secondary source in the main text. In the reference list, however, only list the secondary source.

IV. Finally, for additional information on formatting sources in a reference list, look at the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association or visit the APA Web site, where you’ll find some online resources designed specifically for formatting online sources.

Brian Scott is a professional freelance writer with over a decade of experience. He recommends using an APA formatting software to correctly write and format papers in APA Style, available at http://www.masterfreelancer.com/apa-writing-style-software.php

When writing an APA Style paper, it’s required that you properly cite any sources you’ve used. Citing sources is important for a few reasons. First, it allows instructors to check the accuracy of your research. Second, it gives your readers the opportunity to find additional related information. Most importantly, citing sources gives credit for the research and theories that you’re citing to the people who’ve created them.

Citing sources in APA Style requires two processes. One citation is required at the position in the main text where the cited material appears, called an in-text citation. The other citation occurs at the end of the paper, in a list of all cited works, called a reference list.

In this article, we’ll focus on materials you’ll need to cite within the main text of the APA style paper.

I. CITING A PRINTED WORK IN APA STYLE

Often times, the type of APA formatting used for an in-text citation of printed material will depend on the structure of the sentence, as shown in these examples.

Citation example A:

Include the names of the author within the sentence, followed by the year of publication inside parentheses.

The study created by Johnson, Smith, & Jones (2003) indicates that technological advancements spur economic growth.

Citation example B:

You can place the names of the authors inside the parentheses with the year of publication, depending on your sentence structure.

Some economists have indicated that technological advancements spur economic growth (Johnson, Smith, & Jones, 2003).

II. SUBSEQUENT LISTINGS

Once you have listed a printed source and its author(s) in your paper, you sometimes can abbreviate with subsequent in-text citations of the same work. As shown in these examples, the number of authors determines whether an abbreviation is appropriate.

One or two authors:

On subsequent references, list it as you did the first time, with one or both authors’ names and the year of publication.

Additionally, the Johnson & Jones (2003) study indicates …

Three or more authors:

On subsequent references, you only need to list the first author, followed by “et al.” before the year of publication.

Additionally, the Johnson et al. (2003) study indicates …

III. SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

With published works, figuring out the authors’ names and the year of publication is a fairly easy process. With some sources, creating the proper in-text APA citation can be a little more difficult.

For example, a Web page might not readily include an author’s name. If one isn’t available, you can use an editor’s name, simply listing it as you listed the author’s name in the examples shown earlier.

If no author’s name or editor’s name is available, just list the name of the organization or institution that’s associated with the Web site, as shown in the following example.

An economic organization’s study has indicated that technological advancements spur economic growth (Worldwide Economists Group, 2006).

You also can use the title of a Web page or publication with the in-text citation, if no author is listed. Remember, with an in-text citation, you’re simply trying to ensure that those who read your paper can easily find the full listing of the source in the reference list at the end of the paper.

IV. Quotations

When quoting source material directly within your text, use the same in-text citation formatting we’ve already described, along with a little additional information.

Short quotations:

For any quotation less than 40 words in length, use quotation marks around the quotation, followed by the page number of the reference.

According to Johnson (2003), “Spending tax dollars on technological advancements spurs growth in the local economy” (p. 43).

Long quotations:

Follow the same APA format for in-text citations, including the page number(s), for a long quotation of more than 40 words. However, you’ll want to create a special block of text for the long quotation by indenting about one-half inch from the left margin for all lines of the quotation. Return to the normal left margin after reaching the end of the quotation block. Do not use quotation marks with this long quotation block, and double space throughout the block.

V. MORE INFORMATION

Keep in mind that APA Style says that you should always use past tense or present perfect tense when describing research that requires an in-text citation.

Finally, if you have a particularly tricky source to cite within your text that isn’t covered here, you can find the answer in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, which is the ultimate resource for APA Style.

Brian Scott is a professional freelance writer with over a decade of experience. He recommends using an APA formatting software to correctly write and format papers in APA Style, available at http://www.masterfreelancer.com/apa-writing-style-software.php.

Startling Facts:

* Unnecessary interruptions consume about 30 percent of an average knowledge worker’s working day.

* It takes about 25 minutes to get back your attention to something you have been writing about or working on, if distracted.

* Whenever an interruption ends, we wander off in another direction approximately 40% of the time.

* The Attention Span of humans has fallen to an average of 5 minutes and 7 seconds, from a record of 12 minutes about 10 years ago.

* Every time you get interrupted or distracted, your mind is getting trained to reduce your attention span.

What does all this mean? If you still haven’t figured out what these points mean, let me spell it out – “If you want to write at turbo speed, a focused, undivided, concentrated attention is the most important factor responsible than everything else, combined.”

Multitasking in the kitchen is a useful skill, but in writing, it is a huge detriment. While we cannot eliminate all the interruptions and distractions we come across our working time, it does make sense in reducing them as much as we can. So if you’re writing articles, a book, a report, or anything else, ensure that you’re fully prepared and get the maximum return for the time you have invested. Below are few tips you can implement to speed up your writing capacity:

1. Begin with a very moderately full stomach and an empty bladder. You don’t want to feel hungry or visit the loo. Heavy food intake will not only make you drowsy, your stomach will use more energy in digestion, leaving you with insufficient energy for work. Keep a water bottle at hand to maintain optimum hydration.

2. If writing means “typing on a computer screen” as in most cases today, ensure that lighting is even and sufficient in your room, without direct reflection to your eyes.

3. Your sitting arrangement should be as comfortable as possible, with the table at the right height. Ensure sufficient space to stretch without requiring to get up. Use chairs with proper arm support.

4. Switch off your mobile or give it to someone else for answering. Try not to take any phone calls and arrange to inform them you will call back later.

5. Close your outlook express (or whatever email client you use) as well as your instant messenger clients.

6. If your room is not insulated by sound and you face disturbance, use ear plugs.

7. Write only when you’re in the right frame of mind. Don’t force yourself to write just because you have deadlines – be them created by yourself or by a boss. Instead, cultivate a habit of making small notes whenever you can. These can be on paper, digital storage (text file) or even simply recording as audio. Then when you’re ready to write, just keep them at hand for ready reference. “Writer’s block” is a common problem faced by writers who write for the sake of writing, write on subjects that they’re not interested in, write in a frenzy only to reach targets, and write in the wrong frame of mind. Once you suffer from writer’s block, it could take you a few days and sometimes even a few months to recover from it.

8. Depending on your capacity, writing takes time. Sometimes you can write very fast and sometimes very slow, depending on the need to take thinking breaks and the topic of interest. Don’t let this affect you. Quality will also be important and not just quantity, so bear that in mind.

9. Let your family, friends and well wishers read what you write, regularly. Ask them for honest opinions and suggestions for improvements. Appreciation and praise is very encouraging to writers. Don’t be intimidated by negative views, instead, get a professional to verify the quality of the content in question if you have any doubts.

10. Find out what is your best time for writing in terms of quality and quantity through experience and testing, and then stick to that time. Some like to write very early in the morning when they are rested while some prefer to burn the midnight oil when it is quietest. Devote at least 2 to 4 hours at a stretch, depending on how much you’re comfortable with. It’s important to maintain the flow of thoughts with the writing.

11. If you need to refer other information resources like CDs, books and the internet, ensure that all your research material is kept handy.

If you find these tips useful and would like to learn more about writing, hop over to http://www.bharatbhasha.com/writing.php where we have hundreds of free articles dedicated to writing.

Nirjara Rustom moderates the Writing Tips Section of http://www.bharatbhasha.com at http://www.bharatbhasha.com/writing.php - a free resource for information on writing.