Sep 7, 2004 - Before and After Makeover
Volume 3, Issue 21
The weekly ezine with a road map for
sidetracked writers.
"Be better writers today
than we were yesterday."
Thought for the Week - Before and After Makeover
Welcome new subscribers and old friends, too!
One of my least favorite parts of writing is rewriting -- but it's one of the most important ways to improve your writing. Included below is a simple exercise to help you easily find areas to be fixed.
P.S. Did you miss last
week's issue with the Back to School checklist? You
can read it here.
Write More in 2004™ Audio CD now available!
How are you doing with our goal to Write More in 2004?
If you need a little inspiration, check out my brand-new audio CD, Write More. It's 45 minutes where we run through the Organized Writer 30-Day Get Organized plan with some of my favorite new tips and resources. If you need a little jump-start to get your summer writing in gear, this CD is perfect. You can listen on the way to work (or even on the treadmill).
Until September 25th, this CD is available for with free shipping for only $19.95 (US shipping only).
"The CD came yesterday afternoon, and I listened to it as I was
zipping around the kitchen making dinner. It's terrific, and I learned
several things." --Joyce Heiser, Inspirational Writer, http://www.mychristiansite.com/ministries/lhchristianwriters/
Payments can be made through Paypal (with just a credit card if you don't
have an account).
If you have questions, require international shipping or would like to use another payment method, just
email me with
"Audio CD" in the subject line
For authors.... Anatomy of a First Book
What does it take to get your first book published? Read all about it from Tim Bete, Director of the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop. He explain how long it took and what he did to go from concept to contract.
For freelancers....Before and After Rewriting Exercise
Step 1 - Create a two-column page by folding a sheet in half or Format > Columns if you are working in Word.
(If your article will be longer than one page, use a
one-row table instead. Create a table with two columns and only one row (Table > Insert Table). Then as the text goes beyond one page, it will stay in its original column. You can get rid of the lines by selecting the table (Table > Select > Table) and then use Format > Borders and Shading.)
Step 2 - Put your first draft on the left hand side.
Step 3 - Put your "after" version on the right hand side. Here is a list of things to consider when rewriting -
1. Could you add headings to make the article more easily scanned?
2. Does the article flow by starting with the first thing a reader needs to know and then leads them through to the next?
3. Review the introductory paragraph. Does it have a hook to lead the reader into the rest of the article? Does it accurately describe the content?
4. Review the main body of the article. Are the main points covered without too many words? Do you answer the main premise of the article described in the introduction?
5. Review the closing paragraph. Does it summarize the article content?
6. Read through for spelling and grammar errors.
7. Check the word count of both documents to see if your makeover shortened or lengthened your article (Tools > Word Count in Microsoft(R) Word).
Happy writing (and organizing) this week! Julie
Like Organized
Writer.com? You'll love the ebook.....
"Julie, I love your book. I have read (or at least opened) more than a trunk load of books about writing over the years. Yours is the first I have seen that gives readers so much in one place. For me, the Master List and putting that together was more than worth the cost."
-- David Stoddard
Motivational writer, trainer and publisher of the
Terrific Life Concepts ezine.
http://djstoddard.net
M T W T F S S
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1. Declutter (only 5 minutes)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 2. Read (only 5 minutes)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3. Assess (30 seconds to 5 minutes)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4. Write (at least 5 minutes)
Weekly Checklist
For freelance writers: Use this weekly checklist to find, write and send a query every week of
2004!
Monday
__ Make notes on a new idea.
Tuesday: Accounting Day
__ Post your accounting records.
__ Pay bills.
__ Follow up on outstanding invoices and queries.
Wednesday
__ Find a new market using links below.
Thursday: Errand Day
__ Make copies.
__ Return books to library.
__ Make deposit at bank.
Friday
__ Finish query and submit.
__ Match your query to the market.
Saturday Weekly Review
__ How was this week?
__ What's up next week?
__ Review your Projects list in your planner and check the
status.
__ Jot the next action steps for your projects on next week's
calendar.
__ Backup your computer files.
__ Virus scan your computer.
__ Update windows software at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
__ Update Microsoft(R) office software at http://office.microsoft.com/officeupdate/default.aspx
Sunday
__ Relax and enjoy!
__ Do something fun today!
Thanks for visiting Writer-Reminders! If you have comments,
success stories, or suggestions, reply to this message or e-mail
me at :julie@writer-reminders.com
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