15 different types of journals to keep - darktea As the start of the new year approaches, people often think about starting a journal. There is no reason why you need to start a journal on the 1st January, but it is a popular time to start, perhaps because of preprinted diaries. If you are thinking of keeping a journal here are some ideas for the types of journals you could keep. Please consider subscribing to my blog to receive all my posts including journal writing. Time capsule This is a record of events that are important to you, for instance news or sports stories. Specific topic You many want to follow your progress on a specific topic, such as your exercise habits, children or career. Dreams A dream journal should be written every morning as soon as you wake up to capture as many details of the dream as possible, the longer you leave it after waking the fewer details you can remember. Travel journal Keeping a journal of holidays you take means after the event you have more than just photographs as a record. Reading journal Meditation
Make every word count: Tips for polishing and tightening copy Reporters and editors everywhere battle and complain over length of stories. Even online, where newspaper space or tight broadcast schedules aren’t an issue, you need to write tightly to hold the reader’s attention and keep the story moving. You need to hone your ability to organize information and write tight stories that make every word count. Plan to write tight Coordinate with your editor. Consider the reader. Make your story useful. Consider follow-ups, sidebars, graphics, layers. Write as you report. Set the pace Your lead sets the pace for your story. The writing process Write without your notes. Keep the end in sight. Identify and avoid detours. Be demanding. Allow time to rewrite Much of the best work in tightening and strengthening stories comes in rewriting. Read aloud. Check each sentence. Stamp out there is usages. Minimize it is usage. Challenge uses of to be verbs. Challenge all weak verbs. Write with active verbs. Replace phrases with words. Eliminate imprecise words.
A Simple Novel Outline – 9 questions for 25 chapters « H.E. Roulo Just as every tree is different but still recognizably a tree, every story is different but contains elements that make it a story. By defining those before you begin you clarify the scope of your work, identify your themes, and create the story you meant to write. At Norwescon 2011 I sat in on a session called Outline Your Novel in 90-minutes led by Mark Teppo. I’ll give you the brief, readable, synthesized version. Answer 9 questions and create 25 chapter titles and you’re there. Here are the 9 questions to create a novel: 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.) 6.) 7.) 8.) 9.) Now, with those 9 questions answered to your satisfaction, try to fill in a 25 chapter, 75,000 word outline. Chapters 7-18 are the middle of your book. Chapters 19-25 depict the heroic act to victory. Wasn’t that easy? Okay, sure, the work isn’t done yet. Using the idea that there are 25 chapters, I outlined my current work in progress. I hope that was helpful. Tell me what works for you. Related 6 Steps to Masterful Writing Critiques
Tips about references - Kathryn Woodcock A professor may not be in a particularly good position to give a meaningful evaluation for jobs, unless you have done work with the professor outside of a course, such as volunteering or work-study projects. An employer will primarily be verifying that you have completed the degree you have claimed (which they can do by contacting the university). The hiring manager may have additional questions about specific skills, such as analytical skills or computer tools, or general qualities such as leadership abilities in course related teamwork. When naming a professor as a reference for a job, therefore, ensure that you are choosing someone who has seen you applying skills relevant to the job. However much she liked you, a professor in a basic course especially first or second year courses, is not a good choice. When should I avoid asking a certain professor? When you have cheated or plagiarized on their course.
Story Starters for Creative Writing Exercises One-line story starters are great for group writing exercises. They have enough conflict to start the writing flow, but are open-ended to allow each writer to follow his or her own direction. Individual writers can use them on a regular basis for “practice writing,” following Natalie Goldberg’s suggestions in Writing Down the Bones. Creative Writing Exercises Set a timer for 10, 15 or 20 minutes. As writing exercises for individuals, try doing one each day, or several a week if daily is too much. Develop a Short Story or Novel? If the results of these writing exercises remain intriguing, spend more time with them, either that session or on different days. Story Starters Here are 25 simple story starters to get the creative juices flowing.
6 Habits of True Strategic Thinkers In the beginning, there was just you and your partners. You did every job. You coded, you met with investors, you emptied the trash and phoned in the midnight pizza. Now you have others to do all that and it's time for you to "be strategic." Whatever that means. If you find yourself resisting "being strategic," because it sounds like a fast track to irrelevance, or vaguely like an excuse to slack off, you're not alone. This is a tough job, make no mistake. After two decades of advising organizations large and small, my colleagues and I have formed a clear idea of what's required of you in this role. Anticipate Most of the focus at most companies is on what’s directly ahead. Look for game-changing information at the periphery of your industrySearch beyond the current boundaries of your businessBuild wide external networks to help you scan the horizon better Think Critically “Conventional wisdom” opens you to fewer raised eyebrows and second guessing. Interpret Ambiguity is unsettling. Decide
Free Creative Writing Prompts #66: Horror I love horror books and novels. These freecreative writing promptsbased on the horror genre draw from my many experiences of staying up late and watching bad or worse horror films till the wee hours of the morning. Horror films are often the dumping ground of screenwriting as the cheaper and easier they are to make, the better. But as we've seen this season with Paranormal Activity (at the time of this article), a good concept can go a really long way. Free Creative Writing Prompts: Horror 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. These free creative writing prompts about horror are perfect for writing late at night with the lights out during a thunderstorm :). Bonus Prompt - What is your favorite horror movie? Related Articles to Free Creative Writing Prompts about HorrorFree Creative Writing Prompts from the Heart, Part 1Free Creative Writing Prompts #2: LoveCreative Writing Exercises #2: Relaxation Done with this page? Written by Bryan Cohen Write a Story Based on These Prompts or This Article!
5 Steps to Good Decision Making 5 Steps to Good Decision Making Corporate Wellness on January 29, 2014 - 12:09 pm in Features Each day we are faced with situations in life that require us to make choices. Making good decisions is a method that must be learned. When making decisions, there are many steps that can be taken; but when making good decisions there are really only five steps that need to be considered. Step 1: Identify Your Goal One of the most effective decision making strategies is to keep an eye on your goal. Figuring out what’s most important to you will help you make good decisions. Step 2: Gather Information for Weighing Your Options When making good decisions it is best to gather necessary information that is directly related to the problem. When gathering information, it is best to make a list of every possible alternative; even ones that may initially sound silly or seem unrealistic. Step 3: Consider the Consequences Step 4: Make Your Decision Step 5: Evaluate Your Decision ► Misidentifying The Problem
Thirteen Writing Prompts. [Originally published May 4, 2006.] Write a scene showing a man and a woman arguing over the man’s friendship with a former girlfriend. Do not mention the girlfriend, the man, the woman, or the argument. Write a short scene set at a lake, with trees and shit. Throw some birds in there, too. Choose your favorite historical figure and imagine if he/she had been led to greatness by the promptings of an invisible imp living behind his or her right ear. Write a story that ends with the following sentence: Debra brushed the sand from her blouse, took a last, wistful look at the now putrefying horse, and stepped into the hot-air balloon. A wasp called the tarantula hawk reproduces by paralyzing tarantulas and laying its eggs into their bodies. Imagine if your favorite character from 19th-century fiction had been born without thumbs. Write a story that begins with a man throwing handfuls of $100 bills from a speeding car, and ends with a young girl urinating into a tin bucket.
Five Easy Steps to Better Communication Being able to express yourself clearly and being able to listen well can help you avoid a great deal of stress in your closest relationship. Unfortunately, we are more likely to communicate ineffectively with our partner just at the time when we most need to get our point across. In fact, communication itself often is a major source of difficulty. When we feel pressured, we may not keep our partner up to date. Often we fail to listen properly because we are preoccupied. But effectively communicating our feelings and ideas can prevent unnecessary misunderstandings and tensions. Effective communication becomes even more crucial during high-stress times such as holidays. Make a conscious effort to practice the following basic communication skills: Listening. APA Reference Collingwood, J. (2007).
"Steps in Ethical Decision-Making" by Pope & Vasquez Kenneth S. Pope, Ph.D., ABPP Melba J. The following excerpt is from chapter 11 in Ethics in Psychotherapy and Counseling: A Practical Guide (4th edition) by Ken Pope & Melba Vasquez (John Wiley, 2011). PLEASE NOTE: I created this site to be fully accessible for people with disabilities; please follow this link to change text size, color, or contrast; please follow this link for other accessibility functions for those with visual, mobility, and other disabilities This chapter provides steps helpful in thinking through how to respond to ethical dilemmas. The steps help identify key aspects of a situation, consider benefits and drawbacks of our options, and discover better approaches. The Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) emphasized the importance of such steps by including seven in its original ethics code (1986) and increasing the number to ten in subsequent editions (1991, 2000). 1 State the question, dilemma, or concern as clearly as possible No one lives in a vacuum. [Back to Top]
Listen More, Speak Less - 5 Steps to Better Listening - Perspectives - Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick From this experience, I have found that hearing is easy and listening is hard. A quick review of some statistics about listening, compiled by the International Listening Association (www.listen.org), yields some insight into why listening is so hard: • Most of us are distracted, preoccupied or forgetful about 75% of the time we should be listening. • We listen at 125-250 words per minute, but think at 1000-3000 words per minute. As hard as it is to listen effectively, it is still vitally important. • Immediately after we listen to someone, we only recall about 50% of what they said. • Long-term, we only remember 20% of what we hear. • More than 35 business studies indicate that listening is a top skill needed for success in business. My first thought as I began this article was: “I’m about to communicate an idea that everyone has heard before.” 1. Effective listening goes beyond hearing someone’s words. This tip applies to attitude more than it does to behavior. 2. 3. 4. 5. About the Author:
6 Steps for Listening Your Way to Success!!! By: Jeffrey Scott Klubeck, M.A. When I teach Listening in my seminars and workshops, I always like to help introduce the topic by asking the room: Is it possible to hear without listening? Participants always say yes immediately…and, in doing so, their faces seem to instantly recall times they have performed or witnessed very poor listening…despite perfect hearing! Agreed on that, I then ask: Is it possible to listen without hearing? Poor listening can lead to many problems in the workplace, including: Dissatisfied customers Missed deadlines Poor morale among coworkers Assignments completed incorrectly Uniformed decision-making and problem solving Even workplace violence, harassment, accidents/injuries or even death can result from failure to listen effectively. Meanwhile, just about every workplace victory you can think of will include examples of excellent listening. So, this article wants to actually improve YOUR listening. STEP THREE: THE QUESTIONS of ATTENTION’s INTENTIONS!!!