Writing a book is something many people think about doing in their lifetime, but they never quite have the ambition or drive. If you’re a book lover why not write one of your own? Whether you’re a fan of fiction or you want to write a scientific report on some research you have done, there will always be an audience that has an interest in what you have to say. Consider the following five fundamentals of writing your first book and you will be able to get started right away.
1. Seek Advice and Do Your Research
First of all, you need to start carrying out some research on your chosen topic or story theme. If you have experience in writing before, why not seek out the advice from LCMPA. Their feedback could be incredibly valuable to you if you’re embarking on a new project. They will be able to provide you with guidance on your next piece of work so that you can be sure you’re heading in the right direction.
2. Decide Where Your Workspace Is
Being a writer can be frustrating if you don’t have a comfortable place to be creative. Whether you’re working from a cosy corner in your home or you prefer to people watch in a public coffee shop, there will always be a place that makes you feel productive. Everybody is completely different when it comes to their writing workspaces, so discover yours before you get started with your project.
Honing in on your final idea can be quite a challenge, especially when you have so many ideas all at once. Ask others for opinions on your various subject matters and narrow it down to one fantastic concept. It might take several crumpled up pieces of paper for you to get there, but you will discover the hidden gem within there somewhere.
4. Get Words onto a Page
As soon as you know where your book idea is going, you need to start getting some words onto the page. You can always go back and edit later, but you need to get the main framework down onto the paper. Consider the arc of your story, if you’re writing a fiction book. Do you want to leave the reader on a cliffhanger? Do you want to release facts slowly throughout the book so they have to piece them together like a puzzle? Understand your main goal as the writer and use your words to shape this idea.
5. Proofread and Proofread Some More
When you think you have the final product, it is very important to proofread your work. Once you have mastered the art, you will be able to carry this out a couple of times to make sure there are no glaring errors in your hard work!
Writing a book is a marathon, not a sprint so take your time and enjoy the process. You will be much more pleased by the end product if you have spent time researching, proofreading and discovering the true meaning behind your first book.
From a business report or feasibility study, to more casual love letters and social media exposés, the uses of excellent essay writing skills are endless. Because of this, students are trained to develop their writing skills from primary school up to college, and beyond.
Unfortunately, not everyone can develop a passion for writing the best essays even with years of extensive practice in the academe. If you’re among those who need a little nudge in writing essays, then read on to learn about the top five writing tips to help you become a better essay writer.
Read Other People’s Essays
Like learning any other skill, you would need to see samples of other people’s works when writing essays. Reading other people’s write-ups will help you develop your own writing style, especially if you choose to go through a variety of different essays.
Try to choose those that are expertly written and those that are penned by some of your peers. This will help you compare the quality and style of those close to your “level” of writing with those who have already developed an expertise in the discipline. Excellent sample essays are also abundant online in case you cannot get your hands on essays written by academics.
You can also sample the works of famous essayists such as Michel de Montaigne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Joan Didion, Langston Hughes, Virginia Woolf, and so many other great writers.
Expand Your Vocabulary
Since you will be using words to make stellar essays, you would need to have a vast bank of words to accurately express what you want to say.
This means you should expand your vocabulary and learn how to use certain variations of the different terms well. This will prevent you from beating around the bush when trying to make a point, and deliver the message to your readers as clearly as possible.
Some of the best ways to achieve this is by:
using a thesaurus to learn about synonyms and antonyms;
researching about words you’re not familiar with, with the help of a dictionary;
learning about root words, suffixes, and prefixes as well as their appropriate uses; and
starting a vocabulary journal.
Use the Elevator Pitch Technique to Summarize Your Essay
The “elevator pitch” technique is a strategy used by people working in sales to summarize the reasons why customers should buy their product in a short span of time. In writing essays, using this summary style means you would have to pique the interest of your readers, so much so that they would want to read more of the essay.
While this can be a challenging exercise, it can help you become extremely concise when coming up with ideas for your essay and when choosing words to use. It can also aid you in improving the clarityand flow of your sentences and in penning your introduction faster.
Consider Your Essay as Just Another Story
If you’re one of those people who would rather scroll over Facebook or write a lengthy post about how awesome your day was at the mall, then you probably feel that essay writing is a daunting task. Fortunately, this can be remedied by a simple mindset readjustment by thinking of essays as just another Facebook post or story.
Like any other story, essays describe a conflict and change—with the conflict referring to the ideas presented in the essay, and the change pertaining to your perception of those ideas as the writer of the essay.
Tell the Reader What Your Sources Told You
Another neat tip you can try when writing essays is to put other people’s words into your output. This means you have to research reputable sources well and quote them in the body of your essay. You can also paraphrase the information using your own words, but make sure to offer proper attribution to the original creator of the idea.
You should also include contrasting views to showcase all sides of the argument and to cater to other readers’ preferences that may be different from yours. This will make your essay “source heavy,” which is a good thing when you’re looking to impress your teachers.
Of course, you should use this technique sparingly as not all academics like this style. Some prefer to read about students’ original thoughts and ideas in the essay assignments.
Practice Makes Perfect
Nobody is born an expert essay writer, so don’t worry if you don’t immediately improve on your first try.
Remember that even great writers had to hone their skills in writing before they reached the peak of their careers. That said, try to apply some—if not all—of these tips to help you get started.
AUTHOR BIO
Taimoor Liaquat is the CEO at MyPerfectWords.com, renowned as the global source for professional writing services at all academic levels. The company’s team of world-class native English-speaking essay writers with advanced degrees at elite US universities ensures high-quality custom content for all clients.
The arts are a big part of life, and they always have been. In the modern day and age, they’ve gone from being canvas based and oil paints squeezed out on your tray to being digital based with many mediums instantly at your disposal. And knowing how to use a program like that offers these pursuits is a skill in itself.
If you’re someone who loves graphic design, then it’s time to make sure your love for the art takes you a little further this year. After all, you’ve been working at this discipline for a long time now, and you want to start building something for your career out of it, so let’s make sure you’ve got some tips and tricks on your side. You’ve got some good ideas stored in the drawing pad, and you’ve got a backlog of designs and friendly commissions to prove your worth – let’s put them to good use.
If you’re someone with an eye for business, and you’re willing to understand how the taxes work, make sure you set up shop this year. Even if you don’t have a bona fide business yet, you can still run a market for your work out of previously established platforms – Ebay, Etsy etc.
Once you open a shop with one of these sites, you’ll find it much easier to open up a site of your own. And to make sure the products you have to sell bring in good reviews, make sure they’re produced via quality methods. Get some of your projects pasted on the back of phone cases. Put printing services to good use by offering posters and vinyl prints. Try something more experimental, by opening up a fabrics range: cushion covers and tote bags are always popular options for people to purchase.
Maybe You Just Want a Portfolio
If you’re out to make your name as a graphic designer, a portfolio is a necessity. It’s going to make sure you have an online platform crafted perfectly and personally to you and your art, and it’s going to be the one stop shop to witness the skill on offer for anyone who’s looking for a talented individual to commission. What could be more useful than that?
So make sure you’re putting a portfolio together, as it’s a professional move that can work to make you passive network contacts and income. Even if you don’t own the domain name of your choice right now, you can still come up with a relevant URL that tops Google’s search algorithm. Get to grips with the code of the website, which should be well contained in the CMS you’re using, and then pick and choose what projects you want to show off. And make sure you advertise your contact details as well: name, email address, phone number etc. Let your work speak for itself, and then offer up your availability on a platter.
This is the year to make money off of your passion.
In the world of photography, the aesthetics of your medium are as important to consider as the composition of your photos. This is why so many professional photographers still shoot on film, or, at the very least, print their photos on high-quality mediums that take advantage of professional-grade DSLRs and their full-frame sensors. If you’re looking to spice up the way you print your photos, you have plenty of options to consider. While glass, metal, and wood are all becoming more and more popular among the photography community, one option well-worth considering is printing your photos on canvas. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re selecting photos to print on canvas to ensure they really stand out.
The benefits of printing on canvas
Printing your photos on canvas offers a variety of benefits. First, canvas is a less expensive alternative to printing photos, especially if you aren’t planning on framing the piece. One other benefit of printing your photos on canvas is that highly textured, busy, or noisy photos can benefit from the natural texture of the canvas itself. These aspects of your photo can be downplayed with canvas printing, particularly when you select a matte canvas option. Finally, printing on canvas may be more eco-friendly, since UV ink is much better for the environment and eliminates dangerous chemical runoff.
What types of images are suitable for canvas?
The next thing you might be wondering about printing on canvas is what images are most suitable for being printed this way. The DPI (dots per inch) of your image should be at least 150 dpi, although 3000 dpi is a more appropriate standard to go by. Aspect ratio is also important to consider, and, depending on the dimensions your camera takes photos in, your photo may need to be cropped to properly print. Because images with some grain transfer well to the medium of canvas, you may want to consider such images as candidates for printing on canvas. Additionally, it’s important to consider how much dark color is in the photo you’re printing on canvas. Because of canvas’ texture, light can be refracted, which might wash out the darker portions of your image. As a result, you may want to print brighter, more well-lit photographs on canvas.
To frame or not to frame?
One component to consider when getting your photos printed on canvas is whether or not you’re interested in framing the piece. Since many people are interested in printing on canvas as a method of saving money, you may be tempted to forgo a frame altogether. Even so, the fact that you don’t need glass and mattes when working with canvas makes framing a canvas print a more frugal option than printing on photo paper. When you’re looking for a suitable frame for your print, consider how a frame can complement your photo. More simple photos may benefit from a more complex frame, whereas the texture or color of your photograph can be augmented by a matching frame. Ultimately, determining what type of frame to pick is an artistic decision, just like deciding to print on canvas or how to compose your photo.
If you’re searching for a great way to make your photographs stand out, printing on a medium like canvas can be worth exploring. By understanding what types of photos are best-suited for canvas, and the technical specifications to consider when you choose to print this way, you can beautifully render your images. Canvas printing is definitely a creative choice if you’re after an inexpensive and artistic way to share your pictures with the world.
Likewise, you can plan your writing routine however you would like, whether you’re writing a chapter for your novel or working on a project for primary healthcare in Hillsboro, OR.
However, a routine can help you add structure to your writing and eliminate distractions. It can help you eliminate writer’s block by getting in a groove. It can help you rock your writing in the morning (or whenever you write).
Here are just some of the ways to rock your writing in the morning.
Do the same thing every morning
While science and gurus will list out an overwhelming amount of things you should incorporate in the morning, having some form of routine is a good thing. After all, a routine will allow you to ease into the day and not feel rushed.
Structure and building a routine can help you build a habit of writing at the same time every day, if you fancy that return. Many writers talk about writing and struggle to write once they sit down to write. Some of that is because they don’t have structure or a routine in place, similar to people who want to go to the gym on a routine basis but haven’t built that habit yet.
Doing the same thing every morning leading up to your writing can help. If you like to write at coffee shops in the morning, even if you venture to different ones, that’s considered part of your process.
Try to focus on one task
This is easier said than done, especially if you have multiple deadlines looming.
If you’re writing a novel about a character going on an adventure to explore Lansing, MI, try to focus on only that. The point being, take one task or project at a time and give it all of your attention. Learning how to zone out things that aren’t taking place in the present moment, such as a meeting scheduled for later in the day, can help you do your best work because you’re not multitasking. You’re focusing on one thing.
It’s hard to do work, and especially write, if your mind is focused on a bunch of different things or on things not related to the task at hand.
Eliminate distractions
It tends to be easier to eliminate distractions early in the morning because people are still sleeping. That, ideally, means your phone isn’t going off, people aren’t emailing you, and the people you live with are still asleep.
There are plenty of distractions that can pull you away from writing. The key is identifying these distractions and doing your best to eliminate them, even if it means downloading an app that turns off all browsing capabilities while you write.
Write in a comfortable space
This might sound obvious, but if you don’t write in a comfortable space, then you might fidget around during your writing session. A comfortable space can also be a place you feel emotionally comfortable in, such as your home or room.
Not all coffee shops have ergonomic chairs and there are plenty of distractions that can make you feel uncomfortable at these shops (or at least pull you away from writing), which is why one specific place might be your best option when it comes to a writing routine. At the same time, it’s your routine, so do what works best for you.
Set goals but take the pressure off
It’s important to set writing goals to ensure you’re sticking to your deadlines and actually writing, but you don’t want to put too much pressure on yourself.
For example, it’s OK to not hit your goal of 500 words a day and you shouldn’t get down on yourself if you don’t. Likewise, if the words are flowing, it’s perfectly acceptable to continue writing when you reach your daily goal.
As long as you’re sitting down and attempting to write during your scheduled time, that’s all that matters. You can’t build a writing habit until you start.
Experiment, eliminate, and create your perfect routine
Creating the perfect writing routine can take time and can be different for everyone. Some people like to shower, eat breakfast, exercise, and read before they start writing. Others like to start the moment they get up.
Experiment with different routines, eliminate rituals that don’t work, incorporate ones that do, and create your perfect writing routine. That’s how you can rock your writing in the morning (or whenever you decide to write).
Have you heard that graduation dresses should be white? In this day and age, that’s just not so. You should check to see whether there’s a dress code, then check the weather. After that, on your graduation day, the world is yours, and you have plenty of style options.
Modern graduation dress is comfortable but stylish, a relaxed semiformal unless otherwise stated. White is the most traditional, but if it’s not your best color, the fashion police won’t arrest you. You earned that diploma, or a ransom note until you pay for it, so express yourself and be you.
Whatever color you choose, comfort is key. Along with pockets, of course, because you’ll have no room or time for bags and purses.
With those aspects of your ensemble considered, the fun part can begin. What is your style, who are “you”? What’s under the robe matters, and you should also take into account the robe. Is your style boho chic, a little bit rebellious, punk, preppy, demure, girlie, color-free, colorful? Whoever “you” are, you can find a few graduation dresses that are right for you.
Boho chic
For the inner flower child or maxi-skirt lover of any denomination, it’s hard to go wrong. Long, flowy palazzo pants are even an option with your favorite spiritual blouse and a layer of necklaces. Just make sure your comfy shoes are still a little fancy.
Rebel
There’s never a bad excuse for spikes and leather, flannel, or whatever definition of anti-girlie is. It is best to leave some drama and frills, not to mention tears and holes at home, though. “What would Wednesday wear?” along with some bold but not cumbersome accessories, is a good way to go.
Flannel dresses are also an option, and who says you can’t wear comfortable yet stylish boots or limited edition Converses?
Preppy
Preppy is the new Mod, and Mods always had a great sense of style. Think the Royal Family but fun. And because it’s a special occasion, a standout piece or two of jewelry will complement the ensemble. If Kate Middleton would wear it to a barbecue, it will do.
Demure
If Grace Kelly wears it to a barbecue, it’s demure. Minimal but elegant, subtle but finely crafted and plotted is the definition of demure. Being demure is also a safe option, or a go-to option if you just can’t decide.
Hemlines and colors are key, though if you go a little wild with either of those, then thing start getting girlie.
Girlie
Girlie doesn’t automatically mean pink, flowers, and pearls. There are many other feminine colors and elements of style. However, too much frill and poof can be cumbersome. If Elle Woods would wear it, but to work, it works.
Color?
Some people hate the color or don’t have a lot of it in their wardrobe. That’s fine, but to make the ensemble special, try color blocking or a bold pop of color. Minimalist doesn’t mean boring. Sleek, sophisticated, on-point statement accessories also pair well with more versatile, basic dresses.
Colorful
If your outfits light up a room, it’s a good thing the robe is usually black. Too much color can be a literal headache, so balance the urge to paint the world rainbow with things that are more neutral. Have a standout dress and simpler shoes or accessories, or vice versa.
Your graduation day is a special day — your day. So be you — but comfortable, practical, and stylish.
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