The sensible old Chinese tale has an enormous denotation; the slogan illustrated the fact that each and every person trusts an occasion a great deal more when it is seen. By means of video production or videography it is possible to film a succession of occasions.

Nowadays in numerous corporate presentations, video is normally utilised. By using video production services it’s achievable to make available the crucial information to a lot of different customers to help interest them. Video production these days is utilised for numerous different tasks; however, quite a lot of short format videos & brand related presentations are usually manufactured in order to accomplish certain company goals.

Audio video productions are presently in style & as a result are used in more or less any variety of industry activity. Creative companies usually interact with a specific client or a corporation that are looking to create an online promotional video a presentation or a series of video clips. The complete occupation of video production is often carried out by one or two freelancers; yet there are a couple of good video production agencies around at the moment. If your are looking for a creative agency dedicated to empowering your business with high quality online video marketing, visit www.vidify.co.uk today.

The contribution of music composers, cameraman & script writers can also be very common when creating audio video presentations. What’s more, marketing companies and public relations agencies have very recently become involved with many aspects of video production.

Gasp! I can hear it from the purists now: Matt is advocating that writers really dumb down their writing styles to crank out more articles in less time. No, not really. Truthfully, writing for the internet, where the vast number of ezine articles can be found, shouldn’t be a laborious process. By following these simple rules you should be able to produce an interesting, persuasive, and concise article in fifteen minutes or less.

Have a familiar topic in mind. Writing on something you are not familiar with will require plenty of research. Plan on spending 1-3 hours of good, solid research on a “new” topic for every 500-600 word article you write. Thus, if getting published is your desire, emphasize those areas you are well acquainted with first. Save the “new” topics for another time.

Simplify your language style. No, you will not be contributing to the decline of the western civilization, however you must not publish college level material for ezine use on a regular basis. Why? Because the vast majority of the people who are on the internet do not have a college education and/or English is not their primary language. You want people to read what you wrote, correct? Aim for a less educated crowd and you will capture and educate your readers. Isn’t that the goal of your writing something in the first place — to tell someone something that they did not know?

Use a clear, concise layout. With this article I have highlighted in bold my main points. With some of my other articles I number every point or paragraph. Why? I want readers to be able to quickly capture the essence of the article and to continue reading. As much as possible I leave out all the fluff and state what I have to say without being long winded. Verbose, who me? Not!

Engage the reader. With every topic you want your readership to have some sort of response. You can have the best topic but you will lose the reader if you do not give them a reason to read on. Be compelling, but please be brief. Converse with your readers and do not lecture them.

There, now you have it. In less than fifteen minutes I have made my point. So can you.

(c)2005; Matthew C. Keegan, LLC

Matt Keegan is The Article Writer who writes for ezines, newsletters, publications, websites, and more. In addition, Matt designs websites and manages two thriving message board communities: http://aviationemploymentboard.net/forum and http://corporateflyer.net/forum

I recently answered a call for submissions to write articles for a newsletter. This was to be an ongoing position, but the advertisement didn’t mention remuneration, article length, or turnaround time. I contacted the person who posted the article and asked questions about these issues. What I got back was an open email telling me - and every other writer who contacted him - what the aim of the publication was (to have articles written for a dating magazine), but apart from saying they would require articles twice a week, my questions were not answered. So I wrote back, again asking specific questions. I received another email, and again my questions were not answered. The person concerned did however say he was taking ‘quotes’ and would take the cheapest one. But I still didn’t know what he wanted. So I wrote again, this time withdrawing my interest. What I received back was a very nasty email from the person saying I was ‘too quick to judge’. In this final email from him, he finally mentioned that he was looking for someone skilled, but wanted the cheapest price he could get. Call me stubborn, even call me stupid, but I wrote back and told him what I thought - in the nicest possible way. I let him know that taking the cheapest quote was not necessarily the best option. That if he needed or wanted an experienced newsletter writer, then lowest price shouldn’t come into the equation. My twelve plus years of experience in this area could have proven more valuable to him than securing someone at the cheapest rate he could lay his hands on.

He wrote back and agreed. By this time it was too late. I’d had several emails back and forth with this ‘editor’ over a period of less than thirty minutes. During that time he had been elusive, arrogant, and downright rude. After the second email with him I’d decided not to pursue this position, even though it was ongoing work. It came through loud and clear that he was not only inexperienced (which is not necessarily a bad thing), but he had no respect whatsoever for the writers he was dealing with. At no time did he disclose the name of the magazine, whether it was a print magazine or for the internet, and how young or old the publication was. These are all important issues for writers, and of course, if the publication was internet based, it makes a huge difference to the length of articles to be produced.

I’ve only once before come across something like this, and it left a bad taste in my mouth. If our first, second, or even third encounter with an editor is not particularly good, then what will your subsequent dealings be like? I’ve worked with loads of editors over the years, but only two have been unprofessional like this. The majority of editors are easy to work with, very trustworthy, and treat writers with respect. If they don’t, then my friend, you have a problem. Writers are the bread and butter of publications. Without us, there would be no magazine, or website, or whatever it is they’re producing. Go with your gut; if things don’t feel right, forget it. Run a mile. And don’t look back.

Cheryl Wright is an award-winning Australian author and freelance journalist. In addition to an array of other projects, she is the owner of the www.Writer2Writer.com website and the Writer to Writer monthly ezine for writers. She is also the author of a series of ebooks for writers. Her romantic suspense novel “Saving Emma” was released January 2005 by Whiskey Creek Press. Check out Cheryl’s website: http://www.cheryl-wright.com

Mystery, action/adventure, crime, and detective stories require
components which build, add, and/or continue the suspense needed
to keep the reader’s attention.

The first place to build suspense needed in any writing is the
first few sentences. According to Bill Reynolds, The
Writer, August 2005, page 7, “A proper opening picks the
reader up by his collar and throws him into the story.”

The art of suspense means giving the reader something to worry
about. In Latin suspendere means to hang, thus suspense, which
avoids boredom and losing readers. The reader is compelled to
turn pages, the cure for boredom.

Suspense (uncertainly, doubt, anxiety) is a must for all
fiction. It should start from the very beginning of a story or
novel, should be built into the premise and structure of any
fiction writings.

According to The Writer, composition text books, and my
own notes and lesson plans, the essential elements for suspense
are as follows:

1. State the story’s plot as a question (not in the story
itself), one that can be answered yes or no in the pre-writing
stage. Make a list of all the possible reasons why the answer
could be “no.” Those “no” answers become the focus of problems
and obstacles - suspense.

2. Create a likable and competent - but flawed - protagonist.
(Protagonist = hero, good guy/gal) If the reader doesn’t care
about the protagonist, then suspense is meaningless. The flaw or
flaws will help create needed suspense because the outcome of
the struggle/conflict will be in doubt.

3. Give the protagonist a powerful motivation. He/she must have
strong desires, needs, wants. The basic and powerful human needs
and drives are essential: Love, ambition, greed, survival are
examples. Something vitally important must be at stake, or
readers can’t believe the protagonist would never abandon the
quest.

4. Give your protagonist highly motivated antagonists
(opponents, villains). “All stories need strong villains.
Suspense rests on the possibility - even the likelihood - that
the villain will defeat the hero,” William G. Tapply writes in
The Writer, August 2005.

5. Keep raising the stakes and creating disasters. The formula
for building suspense is a bad start that gets worse. Suspense
is about problems and obstacles, disasters and failures, small
triumphs and big reversals. As Tapply says, “Never make things
easy for your protagonist.”

6. Choose your story’s point of view to maximize suspense. The
objective POV allows the attention of the reader to shift from
character to character. We, as readers, are allowed to interpret
and imagine, to wonder and worry. We are drawn into the story by
the changing of point of views from one character to another.
The single POV limits only to one character’s experiences and
thoughts. Anything else is speculation, imagination, and worry.

7. Finally, wind up the ticking clock. Tapply’s words express
this point best. Suspense depends on urgency. Build a zero
hour into your story’s arc: Antagonists of all kinds -
kidnappers, terrorists and assassins, of course but also
teachers and parents and editors, not to mention tides and
storms and seasons - create time pressures and constraints. Your
story’s momentum might build gradually at first, but soon it
becomes a race against the clock, and it accelerates as it
rushes towards its fateful climax.

The result of the use of suspense in any story becomes a
riveting story that the reader cannot put down until finished.

APOSTROPHE USAGE MADE SIMPLE
Copyright 2005, Michael LaRocca

According to one of my previous articles, whenever a Southerner
says “Y’all watch this,” get out of the way because those are
probably the last words he will ever say.

Well, I’m a Southerner. I used to live in the southeastern
United States, but I moved to the southeast of China. And, I’m
about to say the magic words:

Y’all watch this.

The word is “week.” If I want to talk about more than one week,
like what I wrote a few weeks ago, I’ll use weeks. No apostrophe.
If I want to talk about something belonging to a week, such as
“last week’s newsletter,” I’ll use an apostrophe.

That’s the rule. If it’s a noun, s makes it plural and
apostrophe-s makes it possessive. It’s just that simple.

If I were still in the US, and I wanted one of those fancy
carved signs that are so common on southern lawns, it would not
read “The LaRocca’s.” The LaRocca’s what? His lawn? His sign?
That apostrophe makes it singular possessive, so The LaRocca
(one person) is surely claiming ownership of something. If that
wasn’t his intent, and he whacked in an apostrophe anyway, he’s
an idiot.

What about plural possessive? Is it “the LaRoccas’ house” or
“the LaRoccas’s house?” Well, it’s neither, since my wife isn’t
a LaRocca and we don’t own a house. But for the sake of this
article, pretend she is and we do.

In ON WRITING, Stephen King swears it’s LaRoccas’s. When I was a
student, my teachers swore it was LaRoccas’. As an editor, I’ve
heard the first was US standard and the second was UK standard.
And the answer is, I don’t care. Just be consistent.

I once met an editor who said that the spelling determines
pronunciation. She’s an idiot. Spelling isn’t all pronunciation.
It’s also history. I’ll say LaRoccas-zz whether it’s LaRoccas’ or
LaRoccas’s. So will you.

Jump up five paragraphs and read the seventh word. Noun. Note
that I didn’t write pronoun. Just for fun, the rule for pronouns
and apostrophes is completely different.

It’s is a contraction for “it is” and its is possessive. Who’s
is a contraction for “who is” and whose is possessive. There’s
is a contraction for “there is” and theirs is possessive. Etc.
Possessive pronouns never use apostrophes. Its, whose, your,
yours, their, theirs…

And there you have it. Apostrophe usage made simple.

About the Author

Michael LaRocca’s website at http://www.chinarice.org was
chosen by WRITER’S DIGEST as one of The 101 Best Websites
For Writers in 2001 and 2002. His response was to throw it
out and start over again because he’s insane. He teaches
English at a university in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province,
China, and publishes the free weekly newsletter WHO MOVED
MY RICE?

There is a psychological nuisance so powerful that can deflate the drive, self-esteem, and human spirit of many aspiring Writers of any age. These Writers are faced with an obstacle that make them stop, think twice and question their right to be a part of a respected community. This even leads them to doubt their ambition of pursuing their literary or journalistic calling.

It is that inner voice echoing: “Huh! Who do you think you are, a J. K. Rowling in the making?” or “Oh my God, stop pretending you have a literary mind!” and more similar lines of thinking. Some may call it a fiend while others may describe it as the self-defeating aspect of a person.

If you have been afflicted as I have been, do not worry, the voice speaks only in behalf of detractors, real or imagined. It is not the embodiment of the authentic gift of creativity you and I were born with.

When you know you have a great idea brewing in your head that you could almost see it completed in your mind, strike the keys; When the voice blows its cacophony horn, resist the urge to stop.

Mind and Behavior

How your thinking becomes your staunch enemy at times has reasons of its own.

While confidence takes a respite, this occupational hazard of qualm attacks during your journey as a blossoming writer haunts even the best of Writers.

“I have written practically nothing yet, and now again the time is getting short. There is nothing done. I am no nearer my achievement than I was two months ago, and I keep half doubting my will to perform anything. Each time I make a move my demon says at almost the same moment:” Oh, yes, we’ve heard that before!” Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923), British short story Writer.

Just as how old manipulative thinking habits have repeatedly, slowly, and unconsciously crept into your subconscious, so shall you replace them with new ones consciously.

“Whatever action we take is first of all determined by our thoughts, so if we change our thoughts, we can change the way we behave.” Cherith Powell and Greg Forde

Decision is your first step. Redeem your faith in your ability to write by making up your mind of wanting to do so. Ignore unwanted mental murmurs right away. Refuse to dwell on them.

“Anytime you can be aware of and witness your own thoughts, instead of becoming lost or absorbed in them, you’re in a position to grow from your experience rather than being immobilized by it,” Richard Carlson, Ph.D., famous author and Expert on happiness and stress.

Act on this decision by writing always until the habit has been embedded in your system. Stick to it. The discipline will condition your mind to an ‘I can’ attitude and will provide you with proofs of your writing skill, slowly but surely.

Search for the inner voice responsible for getting you on board this vessel of courage to have ever wanted to write or written a few pieces in the first place. Relive it. Delight in it.

However, more than positive self-talk, you will need something tangible to corroborate your long buried positive belief. Produce the written piece. It will bear out the reality of your skill as a writer and will sustain the writer’s spirit running in your vein.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle.

In addition, submitting your work often and getting published even in small publications (print or online) immerse you more in the world of writing and defines further what you really want, what you can achieve and what you will ultimately become. It validates you further as a writer in your eyes and in the eyes of others.

A published work further nullifies that damaging inner voice and even the real detractors (in contrast to professional, constructive and objective Literary Critics) existing beyond your writing comfort zone.

“Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask Act. Action will delineate and define you. You will find out from your actions.” Witold Gombrowicz (1904-1969), Polish Novelist, Playwright, Essayist.

Beating the Beast Within

Make it a habit to study the lives of people who started out with wobbling knees in careers totally different from the degree they have earned in college, dreaming dreams that no one thought they could reach. Count the number of times they were told they were misfits but went on to succeed in fields seemingly incompatible to their personality and intellect.

Read Writers’ biographies and unearth their struggles, look around you and be inspired. Shift your focus from the mockery of your thoughts to real quiet people who never bragged but wrote nonetheless with profundity.

As a late blooming writer myself I employ these pointers. In my own pace, I have learned to fight back. The automatic reaction casts out the ugly feeling of inefficiency and helps me to proceed.

It may not guarantee a life free of backslidings to negative self-talks but these mental approaches serve as buffers that strengthen the mental defenses overtime until the bad voices are subdued.

The advice of other writers that says write, write, and write is a gold mine. It sharpens and stimulates your writing mind. Best of all it brings you closer to your vision and away from your psychological beasts.

So unless you do exactly the opposite of what your demon says you cannot do, your inner battle will not be silenced.

Pursue your dream. Write!

©2003

Sources: The Writer’s Life as edited by Carol Edgarian and Tom Jenks

Shortcut Through Therapy by Richard Carlson Ph.D.

Self Hypnosis by Cherith Powell and Greg Forde

Grace V. Planas, Filipino-Chinese residing in the Philippines, is a Homemaker and part-time Writer. She holds a degree in Accounting and has completed correspondence courses on Freelance Journalism and Adult Psychology. Formerly a Contributing Writer for Working Woman Magazine - Philippines, she writes self-help/Psychology, inspirational, and personal essay pieces. She also writes poems, short stories/flash fictions. Most of her works have been published in various Websites like, The Writers’ Life, AbsoluteWrite-The Debate Desk, ArticleCity.com and other online Writing sites. Her published magazine articles are posted at: www.geocities.com/my_hearts_haven.

Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero’s Journey.

The Hero’s Journey is the most usable story structure consisting of at least 106 stages and the template for successful contemporary stories, from Star Wars to Al Pacino Scarface to The Incredibles to War of the Worlds to The Dirty Dozen to Midnight Cowboy.
The Hero’s Journey is a valuable template because:

a) It attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) It gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Interpreted metaphorically and symbolically, it allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

One critical stage of the journey is the Final Conflict.

In the last act, the hero must finally battle with the antagonist.

Whether fiction or non-fiction, subtle or direct, psychological of physical, the confrontation follows a familiar pattern that encompasses time pressure, impossible dilemma, polarization, final antagonism, three catharses and possibly the Afterlife Act.

The Final Conflict contains 81 common steps that bring the story to a satisfactory close. This is very valuable, as the ending can be the hardest part of a story to write.

Often the hero is under time pressure to battle the antagonist. In classic good versus evil the antagonist will force the issue, by holding an ally hostage (Spiderman), attack with superior forces or similar. But time pressure is nearly always an element of every story, no matter what. In Midnight Cowboy for example, it is created by Ratzo Rizzo’s illness and the need to get to Florida.

The antagonist will often put the hero in an impossible dilemma. He will have to save himself, his love or the world - he cannot do both. This seemingly impossible task is overcome and prompts the antagonist to take the threat more seriously.

There is also usually a polarization between the good and bad. The difference between them is highlighted visually, verbally and symbolically. This helps the ultimate catharses (there are three) have more impact.

The three catharses allow the audience to attain maximum emotional fulfilment. Catharsis 1 usually involves the antagonist realising he has lost and pleading for mercy on some level. Catharsis 2 usually involves the death of the antagonist, following a deception to regain control. Catharsis 3 involves the death of the lieutenant or some symbol representative of the evil. This process is very obvious and common in Bond films, for example.

The Afterlife Act is less common in modern stories but it still has a valuable place (Out of Africa, Conan the Barbarian). It is an ending that briefly informs us what happens to the hero after we leave him. This will be discussed in another article.

The 81 common steps of the Final Conflict and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

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You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller.

Fragments of yesterday
Lingers around us
Like the breaking petals
In dry season…

Sweet memories of yesteryears
Embrace us on a seat,
Leaving a wrinkled nose smile.

Angers of blue days like sharp teeth
Pierce through our fragile hearts.
Tears drop down our delicate cheeks
Turn dust in cruel sunshine.

The past is part of today
That swings open the gate,
Unfolding the future before our eyes
The promise of love lives kept…

About the Author: A.Z. Alfred is a writer and a motivational speaker whose greatest pleasure is observing the world through a window while listening to inspirational songs.

Source: www.isnare.com