Overcoming Writer's Block 6 Simple Strategies

Writers block is that mental obstacle that prevents you from turning ideas into words. Sometimes the ideas are there, but getting them into a coherent form is problematic. Other times, you know what you want to say but are having trouble getting it to make as much sense on paper as it does in your head.

This phenomenon affects every writer, whether youre a writer by trade, a student writing a paper, or a casual writer jotting down ideas. Writers block can be supremely frustrating, especially if you are working on deadline and need to finish. After about 10 years of writing, Ive come up with six strategies for overcoming this obstacle and getting you back to your writing.

1. Do something mindless. When I come up against writers block, I do something mindless like washing the dishes. Doing monotonous activity can give your mind a break and allow your mind to wander. Because writer's block can often be the result of trying to hard or worrying about getting it perfect the first time, giving yourself a mental break can be just the break you need.

2. Do something physical. I like to take a walk outside if the weather is nice, and if its not, I try climbing the stairs at a leisurely pace. Physical activity is not only good for the body but can help increase oxygen flow to the brain, which aids in clear thinking.

3. Engage in conversation. Talking to a friend about whatever Im working on helps me to verbalize what I want to write about and often leads to some great breakthroughs. Sharing your ideas with someone not only allows you to think out loud but also can provide you with new ideas. If Im really stumped, I try talking to a fellow writer; this strategy usually provides me with a different take on an idea, which helps get my creative juices flowing.

4. Brainstorm. When I'm stuck on an idea, I use mind mapping or diagramming to help me get my thoughts in order. To draw a mind map, simply get a pencil and a sheet of paper and draw a large circle in the middle of the page. Write your topic in that circle and then draw lines connecting smaller circles to the central circle. In those smaller circles, write related topics or ideas. Seeing how all the seemingly random ideas are related can help you find a theme and focus your ideas.

5. Take a nap. When you're truly stuck and words just aren't there, take a break and sleep. Sometimes a refreshing cat nap can help you focus, and often ideas will come on their own after a bit of shut-eye.

6. Just start writing. The best strategy Ive found to overcome writers block is to just start writing. It sounds difficult, especially when youre finding writing in itself to be difficult, but it really works. When Im stuck, I get out my laptop and just start tapping away at the keys. I type out the topic. Then I type a question that may or may not relate to the topic. Then I find myself breaking through the obstacle by the sheer act of writing.

The next time youre stumped, try some of these strategies. Writing isnt always easy, but overcoming writers block need not block your way to success.

Noelle is a professional editor, writer, and proofreader with six years of experience in the publishing industry. She has a BA in English and will receive her Master's degree in management in 2007. Noelle's specialties are medical editing, ESL editing, and business writing. She has a passion for language and is dedicated to providing top-notch editorial services with a professional, friendly attitude.

Noelle resides in suburban Maryland with her husband and daughter and can be reached at noelleboughanmi@yahoo.com.

You Have To Start Somewhere

My Book of Truth

Many years ago, when I was still in college, my mother sent me a newspaper article in which a woman described a nun who had influenced her during her years growing up in a Catholic school. She described her relationship with this wonderful lady who was also the school's librarian. Both being avid readers, they had found each other and connected through their mutual love of books.

The years past and time came for the writer to graduate and leave the school. The librarian nun gave her, as a graduation gift, a little journal. In this little book, the nun had recorded her thoughts over the course of many years. She based her entries on a simple concept. When she found something to be true, she would record it in her journal.

The writer admitted that at the time she received this precious gift, she was very young and did not truly appreciate its value.

Some years later, the writer heard that her dear friend had past away. Upon hearing this, she remembered the little journal. After some digging through things packed away, she found the little book. She opened it and for the first time read it for the jewel it was.

The insights she found recorded there by the quiet nun were so moving and astute that she, in turn, felt compelled to write an article and share the story with others.

Fortunately that was the article my mother sent me. I was captivated by the idea of recording what one found to be true, so I went out and purchased a new, crisp paged journal of my own.

Through the years, starting November 9, 1994 (first page inscription), I have plied the simple concept - when I find something to be true, I jot it down in my Book of Truth.

Now, more than fifteen years later, I have quite a collection, and from time to time, I will read through my book's pages. The entries serve me over and over as reminders of not only the events of my life which spawned the entries, but to act a reminder of the truths I have come to conclusion on.

I am reminded that although we are clever beings, capable of tremendous feats of grace, creativity, generosity, insight, gentleness, kindness and amazing intellectual leaps beyond, we can so easily forget the invaluable lessons cast our way over the course of a lifetime. We must, from time to time, be reminded of beauty, of peace and of truth.

My hope with this article is that perhaps upon reading this story, others will be inspired to start their own books of truth.

http://www.truthbeing.com

Spending 15 Minutes Each Day

Ten Ways to Make Money As a Writer

You know you're a talented and prolific writer. You have the spelling, composition and grammar skills to prove it. Perhaps your dream is to write a screenplay, television series or novel, but right now, there are bills to pay. Here are ten ways to make the rent money while you work on your future masterpiece.

1. Journalism
The field of journalism offers variety, because you can choose any of your favorite hobbies or interests, and write about them while earning a reasonable salary. You also have a myriad of venues to submit your writing, including printed media, such as newspapers, magazines and trade journals; or broadcast media, such as television, radio and the Internet. The most important components of writing good news copy are accuracy and timeliness. You must get all of the pertinent details right and submit the story while the topic is fresh. You also need to find your niche. Do you love sports, fashion or travel? The best part about journalism is the ability to write about things you care about, which leads to great copy, because you'll reflect your passion for the subject in your work, making it stand out above the rest.

2. Technical Copy
If you are one of those people that are technical-minded, then technical copywriting is the choice for you. This type of writing requires the ability to read technical specifications and engineering documents, then understand them well enough to break them down into simpler language for the average reader. This field includes creating user manuals, technical specifications and company documents, such as equipment lists, for both traditional print and for the web. A strong background in engineering, drafting and mechanics will prove beneficial in this specialized field of writing.

3. Scientific, Legal and Medical Research
You need a specialized academic background for this type of writing, such as law, research science, biology, chemistry and legal and medical terminology. However, there's a high demand for people who can write about medical products, scientific breakthroughs, new medications, legal issues and the latest regulations. There is also need for people who can write scientific research reports, as well as grant proposals for scientific research studies.

4. Marketing and Advertising
There will always be a need for talented copywriters. You can earn a steady income if you can write effective marketing and advertising copy. Copywriting offers variety, from writing for catalogs to producing web content. Having a working knowledge of search engine marketing and optimization skills is a plus in this field.

5. Public Relations
The ability to write and submit press releases and other copy to promote businesses and groups in the media is a great way to earn a living by writing. You will need a basic understanding of Associated Press style guidelines and press release format, but once you prove your worth, people will seek your services on a regular basis.

7. Biographies and Ghostwriting
Writers can help people document the lives of loved ones, whether they are well known or not. A new market has opened up with the introduction of one of the newest types of publications, the memory book, which contains both text and photos, to honor those who have passed. In addition, there is a great need for ghostwriters to document the lives of famous people, who are either too busy to do it themselves, or simply lack the writing skills. Ghostwriters also assist people write about other subjects, like an exciting adventure, unbelievable tragedy or historical event.

8. Newsletters
Many companies, clubs and groups publish a newsletter, either with traditional printed media or electronically, and need writers to provide content or edit the finished product before it's released. Although most newsletters have a specific focus, they're a good way to get your feet wet before you advance to media with a larger audience, such as newspapers and magazines. Newsletters, published on a regular basis, are a good way to earn a steady income, too.

9. Blogging
People blog for many reasons, however, blogging has quickly become an effective search engine marketing and optimization tool. E-commerce websites use blogs to attract new visitors to their websites, as well as to keep current users returning to read new content, with the hope that they will become regular customers or clients. Most people consider blogging to be an informal way of writing. However, in order for your reader to consider your blog informative and authoritative, excellent grammar, composition and spelling skills are a necessity. Good writers can earn a regular income with blogging.

10. Poetry and Prose
Are you a master with words? Greeting card companies, magazines, newspapers, websites and gift manufacturers are always on the look out for people who can write short poetry, funny sayings or entertaining prose. With so many holidays and occasions, the greeting card industry is a booming business. People will always need cards with funny, sweet or serious poetry and prose.

Barb Wright is a professional blogger, published author and owner of http://www.writemystuff.com

Creating A Habit

Useful Plagiarism Checkers For Writers

Plagiarism is a big problem these days. People copy work from others and claim to be theirs without the right attributions. The fact is that you cannot simply copy other people's work for your own use personally or commercially. You need to attribute the work to the owner according to the copyright.

The most popular copyright to be used on the internet is Common Creative. Go through Common Creative to find the correct copyright for your work. When you want to quote someone else's work, make sure you check the copyright before doing so and remember to credit the owner when you quote the work. This is very important.

As a writer you should know the tools to use when you check your work. The most important tool for a writer would be plagiarism tools such as CopyScape. CopyScape is well known as a reputable plagiarism checker that you use online for web pages or articles. All you need to do is buy a minimum of 100 checks for only $5 so you can check your articles through 'copy and paste' into the CopyScape website. Otherwise, you can enjoy free checks up to 5 times for the same web url.

Apart from CopyScape you can try other free and reliable checkers such as Plagiarism Detect. This is a brand new checker by Jeffrey and you get to check through Books and PDF as well. Article Checker, Dupecop and Doccop are other examples of plagiarism checkers you can use when you are writing articles for clients or your blog. Copy Alerts on the other hand helps you detect plagiarism of your blog or websites and notify you through emails when someone copies your work.

You must be aware that not all tools are reliable in the market so when you are choosing a plagiarism tool that suits your needs, make sure that they work at least 99% accurate. Some of the plagiarism tools are free to try and you need to buy if you want to use for long term. Depending on the types of plagiarism tools you need, most of the free tools are sufficient enough to check for plagiarism in articles.

Sarah Lam is a freelance writer who blogs at Writing Consultation. If you are looking for reliable and affordable writing services, she is the one to look for

Stopped Losing Your Car Keys

How to Express Percentage Changes and Use Numbers Correctly in Technical Writing

A number is tricky thing. As a technical writer you have to pay attention to the way you are using numbers and expressing changes in ratios and percentages.

For example, when you say "the file size shrunk by 100%" you are basically saying this: "The file has just disappeared!" Is that what you really wanted to say?

If a 4 Meg file shrunk to 2 Meg in size, it shrunk by 2 Megs.

What was the original file size? 4 Meg.

When you divide 2 by 4 you get 0.5, correct?

Multiply that by 100 to get a percentage - and you get 50% (not 100%)

Here is a good rule to find out the percentage changes in file sizes:

1) Start with the original size (O).

2) Subtract the final size (F) from O to find the difference (D).

3) Divide D with O and multiply by 100. That's your correct percent difference.

You can apply this not only to "file size" but ANY quantifiable and measurable change as well.

For example, imagine you moved from a house that cost $120,000 to one that cost $176,000. How much more expensive the new house is?

1) O (original cost of [the old] house): $120,000

2) F (final cost of [the new] house): $176,000

3) D (difference in the costs of two houses): $56,000

4) Percent difference: (56/120) x 100 = 46.6%

The new house is 46.6% more expensive than the old one.

When you are describing a process that takes "twice as long," or "two-times slower," do not write "the process is now 200% slower" because that would be incorrect.

The correct expression would be: "the process is now "100% slower". Here is why:

1) O (original process duration): 24 minutes

2) F (final process duration): 48 minutes

3) D (difference in duration): 24 minutes

4) Percent difference: (24/24) x 100 = 100%

If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"

Dr. Ugur Akinci is a Fortune 500 Sr. Technical Communicator http://www.technicalcommunicationcenter.com/

Structuring Your 24 Hour Day

Be a Freelance Writer

Are you a housewife or a college student or a retired professional with a flair for writing? Why not use your creative skill and be a freelance writer? The World Wide Web is filled with opportunities for freelance writers to write articles and other content for websites. There is want of words and dearth of talent!

And being a freelance writer isn't only a vent of your ideas, it is also highly rewarding. You can earn while you spell your creativity out. Freelance writers can earn anywhere in the range of $1,000 to $10,000 depending on their skills and time devoted. Websites, companies and other businesses are always on the look out for writers who can put their creativity to words and write content for their websites.

The pen is mightier than the sword, they say. And how true it is when it comes to promoting your website on the internet. It is the word that you pen down that matter for internet promotion. Getting higher ranks on search engines can depend on the way important words are used in a site. These important words also known as keywords are the ones that determine how high a site features on search engines. The number of times these keywords are used is a highly important thing.

So it is the words that matter and being a good freelance writer can be a very sought after job. You can be very much in demand if you crack the way these keywords are used and can become a highly paid freelance writer.

Wasanis Global is a content provider that provides creative writing solutions to high end businesses. The team at Wasanis comprises of writers, copywriters, proofreaders and translators who work in association with SEO consultants to provide content to websites of all genres.

Habits To Prevent Losing Things

Using Active Imagination to Access Psychic Knowledge

Active Imagination is a process related to automatic writing that is used by Jungian psychologists. Although automatic writing is done while in a trance, active imagination writing is done while conscious and aware. It is a gestalt type of dialog, where the writer poses a question of some other being, part of the psyche, the past or future self, or even fictional characters. Then the other answers through the subconscious to the imagination.

As the mental dialog takes place, the writer records both sides, skipping a line for each change of speaker or marking the alternating paragraphs. Active imagination writing can be done with any writing tool. Computers are especially nice in that the writer can change the font to italic or bold for one of the speakers with a keystroke (CTRL+ i for italics, CTRL + b for bold.) and the results are legible, if the typing is accurate. Pen and paper, however, may allow for more flow of energy directly from unconscious to paper, particularly for people who do not touch type quickly.

First an appropriate time should be chosen when one has at least half an hour with no interruptions, and no TV or telephone. Take the phone off the hook. Soft music that does not have lyrics, jazz, classical or new age music (not instrumental versions of pop songs) can be played if there is distracting background noise or if the silence is uncomfortable. Songs with lyrics distract from the focus on listening to the inner dialog.

Then the writer grounds and centers, clearing the mind of mundane concerns other than the issue at hand. The issue is written at the top of the paper, and it is a good idea to write the date as well for future reference. The writer writes an invitation to the other to come and dialog about the topic, then sits in silence, waiting for the other to speak up.

As a fiction writer, I have used this process to dialog with my characters, to see what the story looks like from their perspective, especially if I was stuck writing a scene. The "voice" I "hear" as the character speaks in my imagination is much different from my own mental voice. What the characters have to say sometimes surprises me very much, and they are sometimes angry that I have written the plot in a certain way. This is what authors mean when they say that their imaginary characters go off in their own directions.

I have also worked with goddess energy, specifically with the Sumerian goddess of the Underworld, Ereshkigal. She was adamant in her advice to me, and I have taken it to heart. Goddesses of death do not suffer fools, but they are also the keepers of the wealth that comes from the earth: food, metals, gemstones. It is is well to listen.

Other people have used this technique to dialog with elements of dreams to understand the meanings and implications. Fritz Perls' Gestalt Therapy used the dialog with dreams technique by having the dreamer speak aloud to an empty chair first as the dreamer, and then as the dream element, be it a person, animal or object. Active Imagination is much less strenuous, but also effective.

Addressing one's past self at an earlier age can help clarify the issues from that time, as the now self can reassure the past self. The same is true of dialog with the future self. If one addresses the self one wishes to become, that self can advise what changes are needed now to make that future happen. Just getting the future self's description of life can make it much easier to visualize and manifest.

Spirit writing, or addressing a person now dead, or even one not yet born, is also possible. The key to successful active imagination is to clear the mind and listen, to record the thoughts that arise. A session should probably not last more than half an hour. If the invitation to dialog is not followed by an answer within five minutes, it is best to start again later on. For most people, if they are not open to the answers within five minutes, more work is probably needed for centering.

As in any conversation with a relative stranger, be respectful and polite. Treat this activity as a relationship, and it will work like a relationship. If you are rude or demanding, the other may treat you without respect or refuse to dialog with you.

Some would argue that you are just talking to yourself, that you are making it all up. My answer is that we are all connected, not just those of us alive at the moment, but all those who have ever lived, and who ever will live, both on this plane of existence and elsewhere. Being willing to listen to another's perspective, opening a channel to someone not present is a form of psychic knowing, of being aware of the energies beyond the physical.

Want to be your own fairy godmother? Read Wishes Can Come True by Charlotte Babb for stories and tips on how you can leave the old stories behind and manifest what you want in your life.

Developing Wealth Building Habit