JAPANESE SWORD ERAS The development of the Japanese sword closely parallels events in Japanese history. The broad divisions of each are noted above. The specific historical eras are referred to as "nengo" and are named after the emperor of the period. The sword eras have separate notations: Koto refers to the "old sword period"; Shinto refers to the "new sword era"; Shinshinto is the "new, new sword era"; Gendai or Kindai is the "modern sword era" while Shinsaku refers to newly made swords. NOTE: Exact dates may vary in different texts since Japanese eras (nengo) do not exactly match Western calendar years. Learn how to read the Kanji for the various Nengo on the reading date inscriptions page. Learn how to read the Kanji for the Japanese Provinces. See the sword links page for sites on Japanese history and Japanese sword history.
SCAMPER Creative tools > SCAMPER When to use it | How to use it | Example | How it works | See also When to use it Use it to discover more ideas when you are running out. Use it to stimulate new ways of thinking about the problem, perhaps to kick you out of your current rut. How to use it SCAMPER is an acronym for useful list of words that can be applied as stimuli to make you think differently about the problem area. Substitute What can you substitute? Instead of ... Combine What can you combine or bring together somehow? I can bring together ... and ... to ... Adapt What can you adapt for use as a solution? I can adapt ... in this way ... to ... Modify Can you change the item in some way? Also: Magnify: What can you add? And: 'Minify': What can you remove? I can change ... in this way ... to ... Put to other uses How can you put the thing to different or other uses? I can re-use ... in this way ... by ... Eliminate What can you eliminate? I can eliminate ... by ... Rearrange Example How it works See also
Literary agents directory - find an agent So, how do you find an agent to promote your work? Right here is a good place to start. Browse (by location or by topic) or search through our directory of agents to find the right agent for you. Remember, it is important to approach agents that deal with the type of book you intend to publish. Finding a Literary Agent can be the making of a writing career. What Does A Literary Agent Do? There is more to being a writer than stringing words together. Unless you can persuade someone to publish the words you slave over, your writing will remain unknown and unread and writing will drain rather than fill your bank account. That's where a Literary Agent comes in. An agent will give your work a much better chance of escaping the slush piles that threaten to overwhelm the office space of all successful publishers. Can I Trust An Agent Listed in This Directory? The WritersNet Directory of Literary Agents may include agents who charge a reading fee for reviewing a manuscript. Articles & Posts
A Guide to the SCAMPER Technique for Creative Thinking Creative thinking and problem-solving are essential parts of the design process to turn ideas into innovation and break the barriers against creativity. One of the successful methods used in creative thinking is the SCAMPER technique. While there are different creative thinking and problem-solving techniques such as reversed brainstorming, Hurson’s thinking model, the six hats of critical thinking and Lego Serious Play, SCAMPER is considered one of the easiest and most direct methods. The SCAMPER technique is based very simply on the idea that what is new is actually a modification of existing old things around us. “There is nothing new under the sun but there are lots of old things we don’t know.” – Ambrose Bierce SCAMPER was first introduced by Bob Eberle to address targeted questions that help solve problems or ignite creativity during brainstorming meetings. How do SCAMPER technique work? Substitute What part of the process can be substituted without affecting the whole project? Combine
Writer's Block, Geek-Block, and Procrastination 'ecomkid' on Wed, 14 Jul 2004 06:12:09 GMT, sez: yes, this stuff works 'secretGeek' on Wed, 14 Jul 2004 20:27:57 GMT, sez: thanks Ecomkid! glad it helps! the tricky bit is recognising that you're procrastinating in the first place... but if you do realise - then this list trick should help. best of luck leon 'procrastinating tim' on Wed, 29 Jun 2005 15:43:35 GMT, sez: very nice. thanks! 'Rob Smith' on Wed, 29 Jun 2005 19:35:25 GMT, sez: Those interested in this might be interested in a roundtuit I blogged awhile ago: 'Nelson Rodríguez-Peña' on Thu, 30 Jun 2005 00:08:37 GMT, sez: Great! 'snow scorpion' on Fri, 01 Jul 2005 21:07:10 GMT, sez: I've been using that form for years. It's a standard technique in cognitive therapy. For more info, look for books by a Dr.
Brainstorming software: Innovation Toolbox - for creativity software, lateral thinking and innovation This web page is a tutorial on just one part of "Brainstorming Toolbox" (the program for enhanced creative thinking and problem solving). Click here for a free 30 day trial of Brainstorming Toolbox Welcome to the Random Word technique, the most basic and obviously creative technique where you use a random word (hence the name!) to generate new ideas. The first thing you need is the Random Word itself which is classed as the initial stimulus. Quick example 1: Using a random word of "Balloon" in the context of new ideas about cars. A Bridging Idea could be that you inflate the balloon under the car. The resulting final idea could be to have a car jack which spreads the load over the car and the ground. Quick example 2: Using a random word of "Spacecraft" in the context of new ideas about kitchens. A Bridging Idea would be to consider what would happen if the kitchen was in space and what would happen because of gravity. This web version only uses 100 to show you how useful it can be.
Magical World Builder's Guide By, Stephanie Cottrell Bryant The Magical World Builder's Guide is a tool for creating a fantasy universe. Although there are several good guidebooks to creating a science fiction world, few deal with the quintessential elements of a fantasy realm. In addition, I've written a much-beloved 30 Days of World Building tutorial designed to help you hit the ground running with your world building in just a few minutes a day. By popular demand, you can now download the Magical WorldBuilder Guide in three easy-to-carry (non-DRM) formats:PDF for printing out at home or reading on a computerePub for use with many fine ereader devicesMOBI for use with Kindles and MobiPocket software. Fantasy, like all fiction, is a function of the imagination. In another classic fantasy example, Ursula K. Basic World-Building For basic world-building, start with a map. Once you have your map, decide on a technology level. If you go for a low-tech world, expect swords, spears, and polearms to be normal weapons.
The Most Successful Way to Brainstorm There are many situations where we get together in groups to generate ideas. We usually call these events “brainstorming sessions.” The term brainstorming actually comes from a technique developed by Alex Osborn in the 1950s following some basic intuitively reasonable rules like listing every idea that comes to mind and withholding criticism of ideas at first. The problem with group brainstorming sessions is that the technique is often ineffective. Because of the observation that brainstorming often backfires, researchers have explored ways to improve brainstorming techniques. An interesting study by Jonali Baruah and Paul Paulus published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology in 2011 examined the influence of the aspect of the problem people think about on the performance of the group. Many difficult problems that require brainstorming to solve are multifaceted. Baruah and Paulus had groups of three college students generate ideas to improve their campus.