tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76183505239105762732011-09-15T07:19:53.504-07:00Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.comBlogger211100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-39019987839296066732011-09-13T07:26:00.000-07:002011-09-13T07:26:00.449-07:00 <p>The other day, I was talking to a gal who is an absolute expert in audio programming online. She has worked with some of the top motivational speakers in the country, and helped them convert their former audio and video tapes into digital media. That got me to think about how I might take some of my speeches, seminars, and talks and convert all of it into ebooks, articles, and manuals. Over the past five years, I have converted many of my manuals into articles and ebooks.</p><p>And I have taken much of my knowledge which I have previously used to give speeches to various groups and at colleges and turned that wisdom and expertise into online articles. Indeed, I'm not the only one who has done this, it seems that many people are doing it and it works. But of course, there is a right way and a wrong way to do it, and it's often hard to take speeches on old VHS videotapes, which were done 10 years ago or longer and convert them into DVDs, and digital ebooks.</p><p>What most people don't understand is when you speak it's different than when you present something in a writing format. Also when you are giving a speech and using lots of hand and body gestures, you tend to choose different words than you would if you're trying to be descriptive while you are writing. Also, not everyone has PowerPoint presentations which go back and correspond to all their speeches for the last 10-years. If you do and you wish to convert those speeches into ebooks it's a lot easier because you have all those items in the PowerPoint presentation for titles and subtitles of your ebook.</p><p>Is it possible to convert ebooks, articles, and manuals into speeches the other way around? Yes, I do believe it is, but it is not as easy as you might think. Not everyone can read a teleprompter or script as good as President Barack Obama, and that is a talent, and it takes a lot of practice. If you are converting your ebooks and articles into videos for let's say YouTube or DVDs you have to be careful to look into the camera, and do it while you're reading, and that isn't easy, not to mention the fact that your pupils are moving back and forth the entire time.</p><p>Yes, these are all things you need to consider when converting your expert knowledge from one format to another to reach the most amount of people possible. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it. You have any comments, concerns, and/or questions on how to get this done, please shoot me an e-mail.</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6259635" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-3901998783929606673?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-55117329405540385532011-09-13T07:23:00.000-07:002011-09-13T07:23:00.097-07:00 <p>Individuals working within the writing and publishing industry, or those who take an interest in this industry, will come into contact with the term 'manuscript' all the time. But for those of us who aren't aware of the terminology of the writing and publishing world, it can be off putting to hear the term 'manuscript' batted about when we are not entirely sure of the meaning of the word.</p><p>In its rawest sense, the term 'manuscript' refers to anything that has been hand written by a person or a group of people. This therefore means that the term could refer to a letter, an inscription, graffiti, a diary entry, a handwritten report, essay, book, poem, etc - the list is endless. The term was first recorded in 1594 and at that time it literally translated to mean 'written by hand'.</p><p>Nowadays however, with the introduction of computers, mobile phones, the BlackBerry, iPads and iPhones, we rarely write anything by hand - preferring instead to type, text or email. It is certainly a quicker and more convenient way of communicating through the power of words. Thus the meaning of the word 'manuscript' has also changed somewhat in modern day, and now relates to a piece of unpublished writing which has been submitted for academic review and publication or for general publication and printing. It is important to remember that a manuscript is not defined by its content. You could after all have a manuscript that is formed entirely of drawings, illustrations, poems, technical drawings. It doesn't need to be a fiction or non-fiction piece of writing that hasn't yet been published. Those 'in the know' shorten the term 'manuscript' to the initials 'MS'. So, in the modern day publishing and literary land, for a piece of work to be deemed as a MS, it needs to have the following characteristics:</p><p>- Be the original version of a work created or written by the author or composer<br>- Be in its unpublished state</p><p>The term 'manuscript' is not however limited to the world of writing and publishing. Insurers use the term too, with a manuscript policy referring to a policy which has been negotiated by the insurer and the policyholder. In library science, the term refers to a hand-written item that resides in the library, and in the dramatic world of theatre, TV and film production, the term refers to the text that has been produced by the author - now more commonly shortened to the word 'script'.</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6210501" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-5511732940554038553?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-24607937885130255872011-09-13T07:22:00.000-07:002011-09-13T07:22:01.362-07:00 <p>Trying to come up with new app ideas for the iPhone, or iPad is not easy, as there are now nearly three-quarters of a million of them (750,000). But the other day I spent a number of hours with a very wise App entrepreneur, and his company alone has produced nearly 1200 apps, and that's a lot of apps my friend - as we began talking he brought in several kids, I say kids because they are in their early 20s and we began brain storming. Since I was leading this mission, I asked everyone to write down all the things they had done or been involved with, each area of expertise or hobby with a number by it.</p><p>Each person wrote down about a dozen items and then we went through them to see if there were any duplications, and it turns out each of us had some writing experience. I said; Okay let's talk about apps to help writers do their job better. I indicated the need to increase vocabulary to come up with better or more appropriate words as needed. Another said they needed all the quotes available at their finger tips, but while they were writing they didn't want to stop, they just wished to keep typing.</p><p>Okay so, how about a speech recognition app where a writer would say: "Quotes about _ _ _." And the app would speak back the most famous quotes in that venue. Indeed, I then asked if they could make a "Thesaurus App" where by the write could say a word and the Thesaurus App would just speak back all the similar words, as the writer heard on they liked they could type it into their article, creative story, or email. They all agreed this would be easy to create, and then said they'd go and check to see if anyone had already made one yet.</p><p>It turned out there is one and just as you might suspect it is called the Thesaurus App 1.0 and it costs $.99 to load. The software app creator is Piet Jonas and in the description it states; "Retrieve the synonym for every word. If available you will get antonyms, related terms, similar word, and user suggestions too. Tap one of the results to start a quick new search for that term. It keeps a history list of your search terms as well."</p><p>This app has received high ratings, but needs to be voice enabled, so perhaps my friends company may do that, or maybe you should, as this was just a brain storming session to warm up, and they've already got some 500 apps to create before they ever get down the list to this one. Please consider all this.</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6327615" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-2460793788513025587?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-89884428549501602182011-09-13T07:20:00.000-07:002011-09-13T07:20:00.797-07:00 <p>Not long ago, I talked to a serial inventor and innovator, not a man of talk and hype but a real engineer in his late 60s. He suggested that I write more articles on America's innovation, and that we need more writers promoting real innovation and spurring on more invention.</p><p>You see, we have a challenge right now with the number of individuals in our society going into the fields of math and science. By finding more science writers, and those who will propel interest in engineering and research it will help keep our nation on the leading edge, keeping us strong as a nation well into the future.</p><p>My acquaintance said; "Write about great future prospects in America because they are going to happen." He is a true believer the future of the United States, and indeed I guess I am too. The question is are you? That is to say, you are a writer, and it's important that you enlist yourself in this cause. Why not write a few extra articles each month promoting technology, math, science, invention, innovation, and the future of this great country?</p><p>Over the years, I've written a number of articles on this topic, and I believe you should too. My acquaintance reminds me that "Each region of the US is going after something," and you know what, he is correct. So why not do your part, why not promote technology in your region as a writer. It's the least you can do. Okay so, how can you help you ask?</p><p>Well, why not get involved in your area and find out what's going on, scan the local news, attend an inventor's club once a month, and get on a first name basis with the local college and university science departments, and their PR folks. Also contact the school newspaper, and see what they are writing about, because you can make a difference as a writer in assisting in this noble cause.</p><p>Am I suggesting that you use propaganda tools or hype the new and latest local technology? Oh heavens no, you don't need to do that. Rather, you should just write an article or two each month to help your area, or technology in general. My acquaintance says that things are happening all over the country, and yet when we read the news, or view it online, it often doesn't appear that this is the case. Maybe you can join with me and others and educate the masses and set the US on a new beginning for our technological future.</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6448098" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-8988442854950160218?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-30805657379437323662011-09-13T07:19:00.000-07:002011-09-13T07:19:01.927-07:00 <p>Writing an ebook can be easy but you have to be totally organised if you want to come out of the process with your sanity intact. Follow these tips for writing a quality ebook that people will want to read and you'll be well on your way to becoming a published author.</p><p><strong>1. Pick a subject</strong></p><p>Which sounds like it's stating the obvious but you'd be amazed at how many people either don't do this step or set their subject matter too wide that War and Peace wouldn't have enough space to tell you all about it.</p><p>You're looking for a subject that people are interested in reading about. So if your chosen subject matter is more visual then you should consider whether an ebook is the best medium for your masterpiece - maybe a video instead?</p><p><strong>2. Do your research</strong></p><p>This applies whether you know your subject inside out or if you're just starting out in your chosen area.</p><p>Go to forums and sites like Yahoo Answers to see what people are asking about. If a topic crops up on a regular basis, there's a good chance that you should include it when you're writing your ebook.</p><p>Then go to Amazon and use their "look inside" feature to see what the chapter headings are.</p><p><strong>3. Make an outline</strong></p><p>Notice that you haven't launched straight into writing your book?</p><p>The outline is the next important thing you need to do with your work.</p><p>Start with the chapter headings. Most books have around a dozen chapters, so that's a good target for your ebook. Sure, it can be shorter or longer but see what happens when you've done your outline.</p><p>If you run out of steam at a handful of chapter headings, maybe you've chosen the wrong subject.</p><p>If your outline looks like a J K Rowling novel then it's too detailed!</p><p><strong>4. Flesh out your outline</strong></p><p>Each chapter will cover a number of subjects. Treat each chapter like you did with the outline - aim for a dozen or so short topics that you'll cover in each of your ebook's chapters.</p><p>Notice how your ebook is starting to come to life, even though you haven't really written a word of it yet?</p><p>Also notice how your writer's block (if any) is melting away because you already know the topic of near enough every chapter of your brand new ebook.</p><p><strong>5. Now start writing</strong></p><p>Your aim is a paragraph or two (or maybe three) for each of the items you did to flesh our your outline.</p><p>The good news is that a couple of paragraphs don't take long to write. It's not a daunting prospect to write out a hundred or two hundred words. You probably write as much when you answer a forum post. OK, it's more than you're confined to in a Tweet and it's longer than a Facebook status update. But not much longer.</p><p>Whenever you've got a few spare moments - ones where you'd read emails or watch videos - tap out a couple of paragraphs.</p><p>But don't edit while you type - that's a different part of your brain and it stifles your creativity.</p><p><strong>6. Edit as necessary</strong></p><p>Editing your new ebook should be kept separate from the writing sequence.</p><p>It's your choice whether to edit the whole book or each chapter at a time. There's a lot to be said for editing each chapter in turn and then giving your new ebook a "once over" when you've completed that part of the process.</p><p><strong>7. Publish your new ebook</strong></p><p>Amazon lets you self-publish with its Kindle option. Apple does something similar with one of its iStores. Or you can use one of the print on demand services to let your book leave the computer and enter the real world.</p><p>It's your choice where to publish but if you follow the simple steps listed above, you'll have quickly written a top quality ebook. Go for it!</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6422191" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-3080565737943732366?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-56158745130264826122011-09-13T07:18:00.000-07:002011-09-13T07:18:00.464-07:00 <p>Having an internet business online can be a very rewarding experience. One of the requirements of this business is the production of content on a regular basis. Now this content in the form of the written word can become very tedious and demanding at times. The content for your site comes in many different forms like articles, videos, and audio. Today we focus on the writing of articles to get more people to your online business.</p><p>These articles will provide knowledge and information about a number of topics plus services relating to your business. When you provide these high quality articles for your site on a regular basis your readers will keep coming back for your content a more frequent basis to consume what you have written about. This provides your visitors with a greater user experience and the search engines will love this and then your site will have the potential to rise up in the rankings.</p><p>With the writing of articles that use targeted keyword phrases in the content which is relevant and on topic with your business products and services this gives you the added benefit of ranking well with your site. This will bring visitors from other sites thus also providing you with linking from other sites or newsletters as well. Articles can give the impression that your site is a trustworthy place for your type of product/service.</p><p>Your company's online traffic will benefit greatly from the many articles that you produce. By providing top class content for your readers the added benefit of this is your readers will pass on and recommend this content to others. This improves the chances of increased web traffic substantially. The likely hood of increased sales to your business also is elevated to new levels. More people will know of you and you will become a recognized, trusted and well liked go to source in your industry. The object here is to get as many people as possible to start talking about what you have to offer with your business.</p><p>A small problem here is that a majority of business do not have the resources or time available to write their own content that is required to keep their site running smoothly themselves. You can do it yourself or alternately outsource this task to someone else. If you do, do it yourself, then it is best that you allocate a specific time of the day or week for this task. If the writing of your own content is not managed in an orderly fashion it will end up not get done at the appropriate required time that you will expect it to be done by.</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6406674" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-5615874513026482612?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-21935246932243646292011-09-13T07:15:00.000-07:002011-09-13T07:15:01.305-07:00 <p>Many students are confused by plagiarism and don't really understand what it means. It is recommended that when writing any piece you are fully aware of the pitfalls of plagiarism and how to avoid it. If you do not understand and therefore, do not avoid plagiarism, you may lose marks or face serious disciplinary action.</p><p>So what is plagiarism? The University of Dundee (2005) defines it as 'the unacknowledged use of another's work as if it were one's own'. In this day and age with many technological advances such as photocopiers, scanners and electronic file exchange, it is much easier to commit plagiarism without really knowing it. It is so easy to copy others material and to 'cut and paste' which in one sense is helpful, but unless you acknowledge intellectual property appropriately, you will end up in trouble.</p><p>It should always be assumed that a student would not deliberately set out to plagiarise material but it is possible that unintentional plagiarism can occur. There are a couple of things to bear in mind to avoid plagiarism and these are listed below.</p><p>• It is acceptable to use another person's work as long as you acknowledge the source</p><p>• 'Use' of another person's work does not simply mean copying it 'word for word', it also means 'in substance', so a paraphrase of the notions involved is not acceptable unless the source is acknowledged</p><p>• The true definition of plagiarism means using ideas, writing or inventions that another person's 'work' not just words so using these should be avoided</p><p>It is easy to see from these points how unintentional plagiarism could occur. However, it is also easy to see how you can avoid plagiarism - quote the source.</p><p>There are some other things you can do to avoid plagiarism and these are listed below.</p><p>• Keep notes as you are writing your work and make a note of your sources. This way you can avoid accidental plagiarism by not acknowledging the source correctly</p><p>• Try not to copy material electronically unless you quote the source</p><p>• Try to avoid overuse of direct quotations as plagiarism can occur if your assignment is made up mainly of quotations</p><p>• Avoid paraphrasing the work of another person if it is too similar to the original work. It is not acceptable to merely substitute a few words here and there or just rearrange sentences. Paraphrasing when used correctly can demonstrate your ability to think critically and show that you understand the ideas in the original text</p><p>• Always quote your source. If you do use direct quotations, then use speech marks or put them italics and always acknowledge the source</p><p>There are many pitfalls associated with plagiarism and it is important to find the balance between using someone else's work to support your writing and avoiding overusing that work or using it inappropriately. However, if you follow the points outlined above, you should find that your writing conforms to the rules of plagiarism and gets you those all important grades!</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6462708" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-2193524693224364629?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-88830122136351929872011-09-13T07:12:00.000-07:002011-09-13T07:12:00.142-07:00 <p>This is generally referred to as Writer's Block. Others call this as simple procrastination. Still, some writers might consider it as the drying up of the so important creative juice as it refuses to flow.</p><p>Simply put- a writer sits down to write and nothing happens. The fingers do not start flying off the keyboard, or the pen dries up. Some writers would just sit and sip endless cups of coffee. And no bright light comes up. Most writers keep an ideas file. A look at the titles or ideas draw blanks and ask, what is this all about?</p><p>This is not uncommon among writers. There are the lucky ones who are able to develop discipline in their craft. Yes, discipline. It is like a dedication to meditation and exercise, you devote time to these endeavors. However, as with every pursuit, a sense of guilt dawns when you slacken off and not exercise or meditate for whatever reason, legitimate or not.</p><p>Writing is a craft that gets better with experience. It is the ultimate expression of a writer's thoughts, ideas, beliefs and imagination. Yes, writers draw upon that precious gift of imagination and the ability paint these with words.</p><p>The advent of technology makes it so much easier for a writer to write. Think of what it was like before computers, when writers labor over a typewriter, editing is painstaking and rewriting is time-consuming. Go back to centuries before the typewriter- documents, history, and other written words were handwritten, the supply of paper was scarce. Yet- these manuscripts were written. Reference materials were unheard of. These writers labored by candlelight, oil lamps or any available lighting at that time. And they wrote.</p><p>I know what it is like not to have that inspiration to write. I do feel a touch of guilt when I can not allot fifteen minutes a day to write something. Or have the time but all I could do is stare at the blank monitor. I know that giving in to this is a bad idea. As days pass into weeks and weeks into months, I wake up one day and realize I have not written at all, not even update my journal.</p><p>Time flies. When a writer does not write, the imagination stagnates, the style gets rusty. When you try to get back to writing, you are groping for words to come together. You feel like you've lost your talent, the gift of writing. Writers who promote developing a discipline to write everyday are so right. Write something everyday, even the most boring or mundane thought- write it down.</p><p>Is the writer getting lazy, inertia setting in or perhaps just tired and really needs a break from the writing routine but never be a boring routine. Take a walk, meet a friend for coffee, throw a party and listen to the interesting ideas of your friends. Listen to your favorite music. Get into a non-cerebral activity. Give your brain a rest and refreshed.</p><p>There is always someone out there in the cyber world eagerly awaiting your next article.</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6242361" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-8883012213635192987?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-29512523117430770352011-09-13T07:09:00.000-07:002011-09-13T07:09:01.096-07:00 <p>Writing effectively is essential for communication in the business, online and personal realms, but few can truly do it well. Sure, everyone thinks that writing is easy because they can put pen to paper and make words out of pen strokes. But when it comes to effectively communicating what one is feeling or what must be done to accomplish a task, it is another story entirely. There is a vast difference between being able to write and being able to write effectively. If you want to know where it goes wrong for most people, here are the most common missteps that prevent effective written communications:</p><p>Not Considering the Audience</p><p>Some people hear the word "audience", and they confine it to books or movies, but every form of writing has an audience, and it is the first and most important thing that the writer must understand as he prepares to communicate. Take, as an example, an instruction manual for how to hook up a DVD player. One with a vast knowledge of the inner and outer workings of the DVD player must realize that the entire world is a target audience. And that world is filled with people that have either an advanced or an incredibly limited understanding. In order to communicate effectively with the target audience, a manual writer must make things very clear and succinct, careful not to leave out any steps or assume that one segment of the audience will have the knowledge that another segment does. Yet lots of very smart people are not effective writers because they overlook this all important component.</p><p>Not Proofreading What They Have Written</p><p>Behind not considering your audience, this is probably the second biggest obstacle to effective writing. Many times, the writer assumes that he got everything right because he knew what he was going to say in his head, and he failed to realize that there was a disconnect somewhere between what he thought and what was written. Proofreading is essential to effective writing, even for the best writers out there, because it forces the writer to slow down and reconsider whether or not he is presenting his information in the best manner possible.</p><p>If you want to learn how to write effectively, you need to realize that it is about more than knowing how to write or having the intelligence. It is about holding your audience and your words up to closer scrutiny and making them connect with one another.</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6499675" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-2951252311743077035?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-66532637259443534072011-09-13T07:06:00.001-07:002011-09-13T07:06:47.015-07:00 <p>Poetry sounds great and romantic, yet it appears to be a somehow archaic way of expressing thoughts and emotions. Many people believe that poetry can no longer be used in real life. It was something great during Shakespeare's age but today's busy and hectic world has left no room for poetry.</p><p>The truth about poetry is that it adds something extra special to everyday occurrences, parties and special moments. Verses can be easily incorporated in real life activities. These lines will be even more special, if you have attempted writing on your own.</p><p>Does it sound impossible to weave poetry into real life? Read on to find out when it can be used and how it will add a bit of sparkle to a simple, routine day.</p><p><strong>When You Fall in Love</strong></p><p>Love and poetry go hand in hand. Classic love poems can turn into the most romantic and beautiful ways to express sentiments and to reveal emotions. You can have a poem written on a card or recited to a favorite person.</p><p>Love poems can also be used when proposing to someone. Lovers are poets by heart and they become very sensitive to such gentle messages.</p><p>Many people start writing poems when they fall in love. Though these verses are very often far from literature masterpieces, they have the power to move deeply a lover. If you want to make a romantic evening extra special, you should have a poem card written for the person that you love.</p><p><strong>When You Want to Make Someone Feel Extra Special</strong></p><p>Taking the time to write a poem or to discover a beautiful verse for someone will make that person feel extra special.</p><p>You can use poems to improve the mood of someone or to show that person your love and appreciation. It does not have to be presented in any special way. A poem sent via e-mail will be just as effective as the poem written on a card.</p><p>Use poems to make loved ones feel better. These can be sent or written for no occasion whatsoever.</p><p><strong>Setting the Mood and Decorating a Home</strong></p><p>Poem posters or framed words of wisdom can be used to decorate your home and to set the mood in each room.</p><p>Some words of wisdom or beautiful verses can be written in a beautiful manner and framed to turn into decorations. These poems show what you believe in and how you feel. They will affect the energy and ambiance in your own home.</p><p>The manner in which the poem is written and framed can turn the poster into a wonderful accessory that makes your home look even better.</p><p><strong>Making People Laugh</strong></p><p>Funny poems can make people laugh. Use those as jokes and in order to become the heart and soul of the company.</p><p>Poems can be easily turned into something hilarious and enjoyable. Naïve rhymes or little clever verses will get people rolling on the floor with laughter. If you want to make others feel happy and amused, you should begin looking for and memorizing funny poems. </p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6425588" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-6653263725944353407?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-45405762219752155342011-09-10T13:49:00.000-07:002011-09-10T13:49:00.091-07:00 <p>I am not a good writer but I love to write. I go by the saying, "Love conquers all." It has helped me conquer one writing deficiency after the other. A newbie wanting to write for a living can make good use of it, as well.</p><p>The road from scratch to riches, for a writer, is littered with potholes, obstacles, dead ends, detours and what have you. Hercules' trials are child's play compared to what your trials will be. And you need no less a bigger heart to conquer them all if you are to make a living out of it.</p><p>Many have trod this road before, that's the good part. The bad part is that only a very few made it. You can take valuable lessons from these guys. No need to reinvent the wheel.</p><p>Before taking the plunge, play the little game of "mirror, mirror on the wall..." on yourself, asking if writing is really what you want in life.</p><p>There are mountains and mountains of writing tips in the Internet. They all boil down to aptitude and attitude.</p><p>Sean Platt thought he can't write, never having had any formal writing education. But when he put his heart into it, he found out that he can and is now earning a fortune from it.</p><p>On the hand, a lot of people put up blogs believing they can write (I've read of lot of these). But their writing suck, their contents the dime-a-dozen type.</p><p>Aptitude answers the question, "Do you know how to write?"</p><p>Writing is both a skill and an art. As a skill, it can be learned. As an art, it can be developed and is very personal. We are all born with a gift. But this gift is useless unless we make use of it, polish it to make us stand over the others. That requires practice, practice and more practice.</p><p>Attitude answers the question, "Why do you want to write?"</p><p>More often than not, wanting to write and actually writing are poles apart. I write because I love to write. Nevertheless I sometimes have to fight against myself to sit down and start crafting an article.</p><p>Without a very strong and compelling reason to write, it is so easy to put things off till the "right time." There is no "right time" for a writer but "now."</p><p>"Writer's block" is another convenient alibi many writers seek refuge in. Hard core writers don't have writer's blocks.</p><p>Some writers struggle through an article a day for lack of interesting subjects to write about Prolific writers won't settle for anything less than two.</p><p>The Internet is a written world. And it is large enough to be perpetually in need of people with the aptitude and attitude to write. You, a newbie, can very well make a name and fortune for yourself if you put your heart into it.</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6545923" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-4540576221975215534?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-70094755414715877252011-09-10T13:46:00.000-07:002011-09-10T13:46:00.325-07:00 <p>Need help with writing? Knowing how to write well is certainly a useful skill to possess. Many people tend to think that mastering English writing is a difficult task. Hence, they give up after trying hard for a little while. Don't lose hope! Here are some great writing tips that will help you improve your writing tremendously in a relatively short time.</p><p>Tip 1: Don't ramble. This is a very common mistake made by people who have poor writing skills. When they ramble, they are not paying attention to any of the grammar. As a result, their sentences become very long. Such sentences are commonly known as "run-on" sentences. Avoid writing such sentences. The longer the sentences, the more prone they are to mistakes. Long sentences tend to contain more grammar and punctuation errors. If you know you have poor grammar, use short and concise sentences.</p><p>Tip 2: Give yourself more time. Writing can become second nature - that is, until you become good at it! Before you do, you have to put in extra effort to ensure that you don't commit grammatical and sentence structural errors. Therefore, always give yourself more time for your writing. Ponder over each sentence to make sure that they are clean and free or errors before moving on. It's better to write a short passage that is easy to read and error free than to write a long article that is filled with grammar errors.</p><p>Tip 3: Expand your vocabulary. Writing is a communication tool that you use to express your ideas. If you have a limited vocabulary, you find that you get stuck easily as you can't find the right word to express yourself clearly. Other people will find it hard to read your writing because some words tend to repeat. The solution to this problem is to expand your vocabulary. You can do this by reading the local newspapers daily, borrowing books from the library or watching English programs. Vocabulary need not be acquired in a structured manner. In other words, the classroom is not the only place where you can pick up new words. You can pick up new words almost anywhere. Some people even sign up for English newsletters that email them new words every single day. That is how they improve their vocabulary - by learning one new word at a time.</p><p>Tip 4: Don't write when you are tired. Finally, try to avoid writing if you are feeling tired. Stress, frustration, tiredness - all these can lead to the dreaded writer's block. When you encounter a writer's block, you can sit for hours without a single idea popping into your head. So if you find yourself staring at a blank piece of paper with nothing to write, don't just sit there! Take a walk, a warm shower, or simply lay down to get some rest. When your mind is relaxed, then go back to your writing. You will find that you will enjoy your writing a lot more and make a lot less mistakes!</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6352560" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-7009475541471587725?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-87282940534091170952011-09-10T13:43:00.000-07:002011-09-10T13:43:00.224-07:00 <p>Whenever one is writing or speaking it becomes readily apparent extremely quickly, regardless of the area of science, industry, or topic that the readers or listeners come from various levels of knowledge in the field. Obviously, it serves no purpose to talk or write over people's heads. Likewise it only detracts from the author or speaker to talk down to the student, reader, or audience.</p><p>Okay so, how do you talk to a broader audience, but ensure you are not boring the experts, or flying over the heads of the others?</p><p>Now then, having written a number of industry articles and also spoken to far more groups than I care to remember - I suppose the technique I like best is to put it like this (example):</p><p>"The US Navy along with the top university research teams have come a long way in the development of UUV's (underwater unmanned vehicles) over the last decade."</p><p>By clarifying the term or acronym early, it allows for those in the industry, or the experts to read through it, and those who are not in the industry to at least follow along even though they are a novice. Plus, it allows the new comers to learn a new term and assists them, bringing them up to speed on the industry jargon. The same technique tends to work very well with large audiences and you are less apt to see, blank stares peering back at you.</p><p>This is what I typically do, and although readers rarely give me feedback on this particular technique, I can safely say that I personally appreciate it when other authors of research papers, technical pieces, and industry articles do the same, especially when I am studying a new topic.</p><p>Okay, realize also that you don't want to use the long version in every sentence or repeat it too often, but it also makes sense if you have an extremely large audience reading your article, essay, or listening to your talk, YouTube video, or lecture to make mention of the term's meaning along the way again, somewhere in the middle, especially if you are introducing a whole host of industry type jargon in your speech or writing.</p><p>It is only fair to your audience that you do this, and frankly, you'd want them to do the same if they were teaching you a new topic as well. Meanwhile, as long as you keep it brief you will not alienate the other experts or your peers in using this strategy. Indeed, I hope you will please consider all this.</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6385316" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-8728294053409117095?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-79300138903490224422011-09-10T13:40:00.000-07:002011-09-10T13:40:00.047-07:00 <p>"Knowledge Journaling" is a phrase coined by Kip Gregory, and this is a concept he explains in his various seminars. One take off concept was the ability to record conversations and turn those into micro-blogging sound bites, audio presentations, YouTube Videos, etc.. Consider if you will all the times when you have explained something to someone while on the phone. Before retirement, I was a franchisor, and our franchisees used to call me nearly 24-seven. They would ask me questions, the same types of questions I'd answered hundreds of times before.</p><p>It would've saved a lot more time to have that information available in multimedia where a franchisee could go and review it. That makes sense right? Sure it does, but you wouldn't have to be a franchisor founder to make use of such a knowledge journaling technique. If the system were available, and could record your cell phone conversations for you, you might find it would be very easy to edit it, and collect that information, and then repurpose it, recycle it, and reuse it over and over again. Of course, if you didn't want to save it, you simply erase it.</p><p>It would be much like a digital recorder on all the time, and it would be good for parents, students, professors, mentors, consultants, and business owners. When you pass your knowledge onto someone else, it means they value it and need it. If they need it, chances are someone else needs it too, perhaps someone who might pay you for it, or you might use the information and post it on the Internet to get future clients, additional followers, or maybe you're into getting more friends on your Facebook page, Google plus page, or Twitter account.</p><p>In many regards this could take the best of all worlds and you could use it for a better purpose. You are taking the spoken word, and your actual knowledge as it flows out of your brain and to another party, along with speech recognition software, and using it to do good things, help others, and share information. Indeed I believe that was the entire purpose of the Internet when it first got started; to share information amongst the human race.</p><p>Actually when it first got started it was for researchers to share their knowledge, and that's what Knowledge journaling is all about, and why we need to take it to a higher level. If you are a writer or speaker, all this information could be invaluable to you and your future. Imagine all of the articles you could produce or the great speeches you could deliver with this material? Indeed, I hope you will please consider all this and think on it. If you have additional ideas and strategies along this line of thought, please send me an e-mail.</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6420366" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-7930013890349022442?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-42263854289880876822011-09-10T13:39:00.000-07:002011-09-10T13:39:00.026-07:00 <p>Writing grant proposals can be an intimidating process. Some people never undertake the challenge because they assume they need specialized technical skills in order to win grant funding. That assumption is false. Though grant writing can be a labor-intensive task, the most critical aspects of writing a winning proposal are not technical secrets available only to professionals. They are tools and techniques available to anyone willing and able to prepare the necessary groundwork, take advantage of available resources, and follow some basic but often neglected strategies for success.</p><p>Because technical writers work primarily in information technology-related industries, they need specialized capabilities and knowledge which may be beyond the skill set of the typical grant writer. However, good technical writers are also experts in less technical areas critical to those pursuing grants. Developing those common areas is something you can learn -- that's the "science." By also honing your skills in areas specific to the "art" of grant writing, you can greatly increase your odds of winning a grant.</p><p>Common Areas (The Science):<br>Technical writers and grant writers must thoroughly understand the purpose of their document.Both must understand that they are communicating to a specific audience for a specific purpose.They must communicate information in a clear, concise way that can be easily understood. Good grammar, correct spelling and organization are critical in both cases.Their writing must be "presentational" - i.e., they should use appropriate headings, bullets and layouts that make their documents easy to read.</p><p>Grant-Specific Areas (The Art)<br>In addition to understanding the purpose of your document, as a grant writer you must also understand and convey a compelling sense of purpose for your organization. The most successful grant seekers are "purpose driven" and clearly communicate that in their writing. Be sure you are clear about the problem you are trying to solve.<br>The grant writer must know far more about the audience, or grant maker. Beyond knowing who the audience is, you must be very aware of what is important to that audience, what drives them. Grants are offered for very specific purposes; the needs you are addressing must be important to the grant maker.<br>While the technical writer follows basic rules for organizing data, the grant writer must absolutely conform to the grant maker's specifications. There are no exceptions to this rule. Even if you think the grant maker's guidelines are nonsensical and irrelevant, those are the guidelines you must follow if you wish to be considered.<br>Be clear about what you are trying to achieve and specific about how you will measure success. Most importantly, communicate how your proposed plans and programs will transform lives. You are asking a grant maker to give you money; be sure your reader can see the impact that decision will have.</p><p>In summary, some technical writing skills can help you write a stronger grant proposal. Learning the skills specific to grant-writing, however, will have a major impact on your success. We have touched on major areas here; many free resources are available to give you more insight and help you obtain grant funding.</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6520364" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-4226385428988087682?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-35033042102418620332011-09-10T13:36:00.000-07:002011-09-10T13:36:01.003-07:00 <p>Writing articles to promote your website is more important than most realize. Sure, ordinary poorly written articles with under 400 words are now being punished by Google under their Panda algorithm (forget Farmer - that's not Google's name for it), which makes writing articles properly as part of a well conceived article marketing strategy so important.</p><p>But that is not the only reason why your articles should be well written. While Google weeds out and drops the poorer and shorter articles from its index, then you can you step up and take the slack. To do that you need good and well written articles, not the article writing standard that resulted in failure on most of these dropped web pages. If your articles are no longer of a good standard, and offering unique information to readers, they aren't worth a fig in Google's eyes!</p><p>Writing Articles for Google</p><p>Keep in mind that there is intrinsically no significant difference between a normal page in a website and writing articles for submission to article directories. You can advertise more on your own web pages, but otherwise the standard of each should meet the criteria Google is now employing in the algorithm that assesses your content and its relevance to a users search term.</p><p>Some of the things that Google is searching for in your content, whether on a web page, a content farm or an article directory, are:</p><p>* Unique content, not published anywhere else online.</p><p>* Interesting content, that offers a good service to Google's users seeking information.</p><p>* A standard of writing you would not be ashamed to show your teacher at school.</p><p>* A standard of writing you would not feel ashamed to see published under your name in the local press.</p><p>* Accurate content, with no guessing and the need to explain further what you need.</p><p>* More than 400 words, and preferably from 600-800 words.</p><p>* Accurate and informative details on your niche</p><p>Plus much more: you know what you are writing about, and you know what is good information and regurgitation of what you have read. Can you offer some new idea in your article that you haven't seen published elsewhere?</p><p>It's not always easy to answer that question with regard to writing articles: it's sometimes difficult to remember what you said in previous article writing and article marketing campaigns, but whatever you do, try to be original, unique and offer your readers content that you would be glad read elsewhere yourself.</p><p>Don't skimp when writing articles, and make sure that your article writing and article marketing are of the highest quality if you are to receive the greatest benefits. Sometimes it's not the best that wins, but that which most meets what the software has been programmed to detect. Understand the algorithm and beat the competition.</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6361660" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-3503304210241862033?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-50211064647423292252011-09-10T13:35:00.000-07:002011-09-10T13:35:00.901-07:00 <p>If you are both a writer and a public speaker then I have some tips for you which I have learned to help increase my productivity. There are now devices which work with speech recognition software which are digital recorders. In other words, you talk into the digital recorder and it has a USB cable, and you can stick it into the side of your computer and it will download everything that you said. It will convert all of your words into ones and zeros, and you can transfer it all directly into your Microsoft programs.</p><p>Now then, this article was written by speech recognition software while I am on my walk this afternoon. In other words while I am walking and getting my exercise I am also talking and explaining the incredible benefits of speech recognition software to improve both your writing and speaking. A couple of months ago I was giving a talk to a local group here in my city, and I sat the digital recorder on the podium in front of me. After I was done with my talk, I brought the digital recorder home and plugged it into my computer, I turned it on to see how well it worked.</p><p>Although it wasn't perfect because I didn't have a close to my mouth, it did record most everything that I spoke about fairly accurately and clearly. I then took that information and put it into online articles. Okay so, what I'm recommending is that you go ahead and find one of these digital recorders which works with a specific speech recognition software program, and there are a number of manufacturers that offer these systems, and then use this technique to increase the number of articles that you write online, or perhaps write that novel you've always wanted to do.</p><p>In the future, and I haven't done this yet, but I plan on taking a large rubber band and strapping it to the digital recorder and then to the microphone at the podium from where I am speaking. And then when I am done, I will simply unhook the tape recorder, and save all of that information to download later into a word processing program like Microsoft Word.</p><p>Why shouldn't you harness all the technological advances of the digital age to help improve your productivity? Indeed, I hope you will please consider all this and think on it. If you have any comments, questions, or case studies, or perhaps anything that you've tried along these lines which has worked for you, then let's compare notes.</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6209926" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-5021106464742329225?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-24386994403872082722011-09-10T13:34:00.000-07:002011-09-10T13:34:00.666-07:00 <p>Crafting unique content for online publication requires a skill set very different than writing for "offline" publications. You must carefully consider all the elements that set online writing apart from every other venue. The most obvious of those is of course SEO (search engine optimization), but I want to instead focus on some of the stylistic and structural elements that distinguish the online medium. Choosing a topic and considering the target audience walk hand in hand, and it's a poor writer who doesn't spend a good deal of time considering who will see the finished product. Beyond that, the essential keys to writing effective and quality online content are clarity, brevity and impact. Master those three aspects, and you're already ahead of the curve.</p><p><b>Topic Selection</b></p><p>It's an understatement to say that online content cuts across disciplines and interest groups. Everything from health to pet care to diet plans have become dominant topics for online content creators. When thinking about potential topics, you need to have at least some experience with the subject matter. Readers can generally tell if you're making things up as you go along. Write about what interests you, but still be prepared to do some research. Backing up facts with proof is an excellent way to build credibility.</p><p><b>Audience</b></p><p>The most easily neglected aspect of content writing is the audience. Consider carefully who you want to see your writing, and what they should learn from reading it. Your audience defines the angle that your writing will take. In general, academic style writing is not appropriate for online content. Unless your audience is specifically the academic community, you want a voice that reaches out to as many readers as possible.</p><p>Building an audience is more complicated in the virtual world than the physical. For one, readers are never going to deliberately search for you and your writing. They will stumble upon your content almost by accident, in pursuit of specific answers to a specific need. Online audiences have virtually no attention span. The lure of the next link, the next bit of stimulation can be overwhelming. Your content must combine quality and freshness, or your potential readership will go elsewhere.</p><p><b>Structure</b></p><p>Write paragraphs, not papers. This bit of advice runs more or less contrary to everything you learned in school about organization and flow. Internet audiences have learned to expect blocks of information rather than long-format documents. With that in mind, a 500 to 1,000 word article is about the perfect length. It's likewise important to finish and start strong. I can spare you the finer points of crafting a good "lede" or hook, but suffice it to say that your readers will only spend a few seconds deciding whether your content is worth their time. Beyond that, each paragraph must be densely constructed and focused on a single idea. Transition smoothly and quickly to the next paragraph rather than simply terminating the line of thought.</p><p><b>Revision</b></p><p>Drafting and revision are at the heart of producing superior content, no matter the venue. Hemingway once said that the first draft of anything is always poor. With most online content, the trick will be to reduce, reduce and reduce some more. Avoid unnecessary verbiage and long, rambling passages that add nothing to your message. Ask a friend or colleague to read an early draft and solicit their honest reaction. When you feel you've reached the zenith of composition, sleep on it. Look over your production one last time before publishing it for all to see.</p><p><b>Tie Everything Together</b></p><p>There can be no weak links in the writing process. Leave out one essential element, and the entire foundation is compromised. A satisfied reader will come back for more. An unsatisfied reader won't bother finishing the piece you just spent hours of time crafting. Get every element right before publication, and success will follow.</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6381482" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-2438699440387208272?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-13137554809590466172011-09-10T13:32:00.000-07:002011-09-10T13:32:00.481-07:00 <p>It is very interesting to me that if you go to Writer's Digest, or even look around in your local area for a writer's club you will see all sorts of classes where published novelists and creative writing experts are teaching new writers how to write creative works. There are classes on how to write detective novels, science-fiction, or classic style novels. In fact, there are so many of these types of classes, it's hard to choose which one to take, or determine who knows what they're talking about, and which ones are going to give you the information you need to become a successful writer in that venue.</p><p>There are also classes on how to do technical writing, and write nonfiction. And there are classes on how to put together an e-book, find a publisher, or write a magazine article. Why all this fascinates me is because there are very many writing classes which talk about how to write provocative essays filled with wisdom. It seems to me if we look back in human history we see great philosophers who have written extremely interesting works, and extremely intellectual pieces. But we don't have any classes which teach people in the present periods how do that; have you ever asked yourself why.</p><p>Perhaps you haven't, and as an online article writer myself, and having written a number of books, I haven't even asked myself this until just now. Indeed, I did go online and search this topic, and I was rather dismayed that I couldn't find hardly any information on the subject. Therefore, perhaps I can give you some of my own suggestions because I'd been thinking on this question for a few weeks now. You see, if you want to write provocative wisdom pieces you need to catch the reader's attention, and challenge what they think they know.</p><p>For instance, each one of us has a set of principles that we live by, and doctrines which we believe in. If you want to write provocative wisdom you have to challenge the status quo, challenge past philosophers, and challenge conventional wisdom, and common sense. The more ironic the situation, or the greater the conundrum, the more provocative your argument or piece might be. You might stumble onto a subject which you thought might be just a small article, which turns into a 10 page essay. And then on later you realize you could make it into a full-length e-book, or perhaps a great philosophical piece.</p><p>Who knows, maybe in future periods people will be celebrating your name as one of the great philosophers of our current time. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it, and if you have any questions, comments, or would like to hash out this topic with me, please shoot me an e-mail.</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6490304" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-1313755480959046617?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-66854515540927765032011-09-10T13:30:00.000-07:002011-09-10T13:30:01.621-07:00 <p>Having to write a bereavement or sympathy message for a card can be a daunting task and finding the perfect words to write nigh on impossible, as words will never convey the depth of comfort you wish to send to your grieving family or friends during their very difficult time of sorrow.</p><p>Unfortunately the loss of a loved one is something that we will all have to endure, and so writing a sympathy card is a task that we will all need to do at some point, so it is a matter of trying to choose the best words to convey a genuine and thoughtful message to the person grieving the loss of their loved one. Try to send the sympathy card as soon as possible after the death.</p><p>When writing sympathy messages for cards, the words you pick are very important. It is best not to try to say too much, so keep the message simple and short, particularly if you did not know the person particularly well. A card is not the appropriate medium to inform the recipient of your own news, or to offer an explanation as to why you haven't been in touch for a while.</p><p>If the deceased person was well known to you, then you should try to be more personal by conveying what the person meant to you, and how greatly they will be missed.</p><p>Here are some common phrases used in sympathy cards: "I am sorry for your loss"; "With deepest sympathy"; "Our thoughts and prayers are with you"; "[Name] will remain in our hearts forever". However it is important to write something in the card that sounds genuine, and not overly clichéd. Avoid using a message that suggests that you know how the family is feeling or that suggest that the deceased may be better off as his or her suffering has ended.</p><p>If the person has died after a long term illness it is appropriate to mention this in your message, but avoid mentioning details of the death, as the pain and memories will still be very raw to the recipient.</p><p>One must also be careful to observe the correct etiquette in these difficult circumstances. Always neatly handwrite, rather than type, both the sympathy card and the envelope. When signing the message it is also usual to use your surname, even if you know the person well, and use proper titles when addressing the envelope, ie Mr, Mrs, Miss etc. The card should be addressed to the closest person to the deceased, unless you did not know them personally, but you knew another family member - in this case you would address your sympathy card to the person that you know.</p><p>If you feel a card is not enough consider sending flowers - any good florist should be able to help you select flowers that are appropriate for the occasion. Often, a charitable donation will be the preferred gift by the family.</p><p>The recipient will often follow up the sympathy card with a 'Thank you' card. Remember that the time following the passing of a loved one can be challenging, so remember to keep in touch, or follow up with a 'Thinking of you' card.</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6539663" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-6685451554092776503?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618350523910576273.post-24172324257399413142011-09-10T13:27:00.001-07:002011-09-10T13:27:45.421-07:00 <p>Hey, you know what? Good speakers and writers are hard to come by. Oh sure, there are 10s of millions of writers in the world it seems and with the Internet there are more and more every day. With YouTube there are more and more speakers throwing their hat into a video as well, but it seems that there are very few "really good" writers and speakers.</p><p>If you are sitting in an audience and a speaker is making you laugh, and their timing is perfect, and you can tell they are throwing a little improvisational in from time to time, it makes you listen, and wonder what they're going to say next, and you don't want to miss anything.</p><p>You might think this is hard to do, but it really isn't, and, you may even speak this way when talking with your own friends, and not even realize it. Now you might occasionally strike a sarcastic tone, and do a little Impersonation of someone that you're making fun of behind their back, and if you do this, and you don't even realize it, you have all the skills to be a great speaker and to throw in a little improvisation, and a little Impersonation.</p><p>It's really not that difficult, and perhaps the reason that few people are able to do this, is they are too worried about what the crowd might think, or they don't feel the self-confidence they need to pull it off. Now then, I'm not suggesting that you strike a sarcastic tone, that sort of comedy isn't always good when speaking to professional groups, and yes folks who read articles, essays, other writing probably get enough of that style reading blogs and stuff on the Internet.</p><p>However, a little Impersonation can go a long way, and you shouldn't be afraid to try new things, or a little innovation here and there. Sometimes it just feels right, and you should go with it. The best way you can try new things is to try it out on an audience, and then work on and practice the timing. Over the years I've developed about 15 minutes of comedy, all original jokes, which make almost anyone laugh wherever I go, and they go over really good with large audiences.</p><p>Is it hard to impersonate people? Generally not, especially celebrities, because they have idiosyncrasies, certain phrases, and a certain voice inflection. It's not hard to impersonate them at all, but it does take practice. I would suggest to you that you should practice these things, and borrow various phrases that people use, and use them in your own writing, of course always attributing them to the person who you are impersonating; try it, it works, and the audiences love it, the readers too. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.</p><br /><p><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6393744" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7618350523910576273-2417232425739941314?l=writingnspeaking.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Amit Vikram Singhnoreply@blogger.com0