I’ve never heard of a writer not wanting his or her work to impact their readers. It’s true that the best pieces come when authors write for themselves, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have the desire for their readers to connect with the characters, emotions, or message. Here are a few suggestions that will help add element and flavor to your writing:

Remember Your Audience:

Your topics will not always be liked or suitable for everyone. It’s impossible to please the entire world; you should keep that in your mind at all times. For that reason, don’t be discouraged or admit failure when someone doesn’t get a feeling for something you’ve written. When you’re writing consider what audience you wish to target, and never be scared to hear someone’s opinion on your work. Even if the opinions you receive aren’t uplifting, it could still aid you in growing toward being a better writer.

Say it Loud:

Read it aloud. Listen for meter, pitch, pace, rhyme, and tone. See if you stumble in any areas. If you stumble over your own words, then there’s a chance someone else will do the same. Explore the emotional connotations of the words and phrases to see if you think your message will come across clearly to the reader.

Research is Your Friend:

If you are writing a biographical poem, a poem about a state, or a poem based on actual facts, and you aren’t familiar with your topic, then by all means do some research. You don’t want to label something as the truth when it’s merely fiction.

Never Be Afraid to Edit:

Editing can be a fabulous thing! Even a minor change in wording or punctuation could alter the way something is perceived by the reader. Don’t frustrate yourself by thinking that you’ll never be finished. Each time you edit a piece of work, you may find that it improves your writing, or that it sparks new ideas in your mind. A little fine tuning could get the motor running in your story.

Save Your Work:

If you have been writing something and choose to not use your current ideas within the piece you are working on, then keep it on the back-burner. Don’t throw it away because it’s not fitting into your story. Those ideas could be reworked into a later piece. It’s always good to revisit ideas you haven’t used when you’re in search of inspiration.

There are different shades to every story. Explore, experiment, and discover what shade works best for you.

Lexi is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Creative Writing.

OVERVIEW

Lost or garbled information is a terrible waste. Especially if it’s the information you gathered from an interview and must now write into your User Document. Here’s how to prevent that waste.

THE SITUATION

You had an interview with a Subject Matter Expert (SME, someone who has the information that you need) for your product. He/she told you all that you needed to know. However, by the time you got to write the material into the User Document, you have forgotten much of what was discussed. Your notes only help a bit. This loss or garbling the information from the SME that you need for your writing is the “Interview-Writing Disconnect.”

SOLUTION

The solution is divided into three components: Preparation Before the Interview, Actions During, and Following the Interview.

TIP: If possible, schedule the interview as close to the time that you are going to write that part of the User Document. The longer you wait between the interview and the writing, the more difficult it will be to recall the content.
Before the Interview

* Your guiding principle is to Be Prepared. You should have read what you can about the product, its environment, who will use it, and what they (usually) want to do with the product.

Know as much as you can before the interview. The more you know about the product, the better off you will be in the interview.

* Specify the goals of the interview. Share this information with the SME. Do this in an e-mail before the interview.

* Ask the SME if you can (audio; video is too obtrusive) record the interview. Get a recorder (preferably a digital recorder) and make sure it is set up to function properly during the interview.

* Gather any other materials you will need for the interview.

* Set up your recorder, etc quickly when the meeting begins.

* (You might want to practice taking legible notes…I sure need to)

THE HARDEST PART

Leave your ego at the door. (This is really hard.) Don’t make signs that indicate that you understand something that you do not. Ask questions, get the explanation that you need. Here is something to tell the SME:

“If I ask what sounds like a stupid question, bear in mind that I am acting based on the knowledge that our User has.”

DURING THE INTERVIEW

Record the interview (if permitted).

Start with some overview questions, such as:

* What is this portion of the product (topic) called?

* How does this topic fit in to the product?

* What is this (portion of the product) used for?

* When would someone use this (unless it is “obvious”)?

* What has to be set up before the User can use this part of the product?

* Any other conditions about when this would be used, or when it would be avoided?

After you have the background information, then move on to the actual operation of the part of the product. Ask any questions that you have prepared and any others that come up in the interview.

Remember, if you do not understand something, ask.

Ask some summary questions. Review the steps that you took, saying them out loud in your own words (especially if you are recording the session). Have the SME correct any mistakes that you make.

Ask if there is any related information to this topic. Are there any tips or traps using this part of the product?

MORE ABOUT RECORDING INFORMATION

If the SME points to a part of the product (such as a window in a piece of software, or the control panel of a barbecue) then say out loud what the SME is pointing to. Say something like “we are looking at the main address book window” or “we are looking at the main burner control.” This will enable you to link what is happening in the interview with the audio tape.

If the SME performs an operation, say what it is. “You just entered the new person’s name, and the ‘New Card’ window appeared.” Or “You just turned the burner control to the ‘Light’ position, and now the igniter is clicking, and there’s the flame.”

Take notes as well as you can. But do not let any of your activity get in the way of the interview. It’s not a good idea to keep stopping the SME while you catch up with your note taking. You will have the audio recording to fall back on.

The SME might provide handouts for the interview. If you are allowed to, take notes on the handouts. The goal is to link your audio recording and notes and handouts together. For example, if the SME provides a screen print for a software product, you should link your notes, audio recording and the handout together by reading the title of the handout aloud. Do it as unobtrusively as possible.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW

As soon as possible after the interview, you must go over your notes and handouts. If possible, this should be done within minutes of the end of the interview. Find a quiet place (perhaps you have access to the interview room after the interview) and go over your notes.

Review your notes and add clarification to them. When you add the material to the notes do it with enough detail so that someone who was not at the meeting will be able to understand it. That person is you in even a day or two!

As soon as you can get to it, take the expanded notes and write them into a draft of that part of the User Document. That should be within a day or two of the interview, if possible. Every minute’s delay adds to the disconnect between what you learned in the meeting and what you write.

Let your draft sit for a day or so, then review and revise it for clarity and completeness. Consider sending the reviewed and revised version of the draft to the SME for comments. (You only want comments on the material, not on grammar.)

Schedule time for this writing, even if you are juggling several writing projects. The time you save in not having to recall the information at a later date will be a good investment.

THE BOTTOM LINE

You can avoid or reduce the effects of the Interview-Writing Disconnect by being prepared before the interview, asking questions and taking effective notes during the interview, and reviewing and writing the material as soon after the interview as possible.

Barry Millman, Ph.D., has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (1966, Carnegie Institute of Technology) and an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Psychology (Human Information Processing, University of Calgary). He has been a consultant for over 25 years, an instructor, course developer, and award-winning speaker. For the past seven years he has been researching and creating resources to help organizations create great User Documents.

Visit: http://www.greatuserdocs.com/ for resources to help you create the User Documents that your Product needs and your Users deserve.

Visit http://www.greatuserdocs.com/ReadingRoom.htm for more articles like this one.

Who your victim is can be just as important as who your hero and villain are. Each has the same importance in your story, and should have the same amount of care taken when you create them.

Your victim isn’t just a body to be discovered or someone whose death can give your detective a crime to solve? Your victim is a plot twist that can help move your story along. He is a crucial character in your story. Here are five tips to help you create them.

1. Your victim should make sense. Think about your plot. The kind of mystery you are writing will show you the type of victim you need. If you are plotting a kidnapping and murder, you don’t want to show a 98-pound weakling kidnapping a 230-pound fighter, unless you can do it in a believable way. You want your victim to match the villain and crime, so the reader can believe what you are showing them.

2. Give the hero a connection. Detectives will work hard to solve the case, whether they know the victim or not. But giving the detective a connection to the victim can make the story more suspenseful. If that can’t be done, then give your detective the ability to empathize with the victim, to feel their loss, so he is more driven to find the killer.

3. Make the victim human. Give your victim annoying character flaws, something that others would find aggravating. Maybe even aggravating enough to do him in over? Just about anything can be used for this, from annoying personal habits to being too nice.

4. Mr. Popularity, or is he? There are two kinds of victims that make great characters: the victim that everyone hated and the one everyone loved. Both are good characters. The victim everyone hated would have a ton of suspects, probably almost everyone they dealt with. The victim everyone loved would have no suspects, since everyone adored them.

5. The cardboard victim. Too often the victim is the least fleshed out character of a mystery novel. They are nothing more than a body the detective has to deal with. Treat your victim like that and you are doing a great disservice to your readers. The reader has to care about the victim as much as the detective or they won’t bother to finish reading to find out who killed them. So give the victim a back story and a life. Show they were someone and deserve to be avenged.

When creating your mystery’s characters, give enough attention to an important character; your victim. It will make your story more suspenseful and give your detective a motive to get the job done. And your readers a reason to keep reading.

Dawn Arkin is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/
which is a site for href="http://www.Writing.Com/">Creative Writing. Her portfolio can be found at http://darkin.Writing.Com/ so stop by and read for a while.

FORWARD

The 188 stage Hero’s Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188+ stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE HERO’S JOURNEY:

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

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

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

(simply go to http://www.screenplay-structure.com/ or http://www.story-structure.org/ for full details)

*****Elixir*****

The Elixir is now developed or further made explicit (post Trial 3 and the conquest of the Outer Challenge). The Hero (as well as the audience) are reminded of the rewards of completing the Journey: In Transamerica (2005), Bree and Toby arrive at the Gender Pride party in Dallas.

Threshold Guardian. As normal, the Threshold Guardian must be passed. In Transamerica (2005), Marianne welcomes them to the Gender Pride party.

World of Elixir. In Transamerica (2005), we meet the characters at the Gender Pride party. In Matrix (1999), we meet the other gifted children.

*****Antiheroes and Romantic Challenges*****

Where the Hero evolves, the Antihero devolves. So it is not unusual to find that the Antihero starts off with a close personal relationship that devolves (whereas the Hero most often starts off with a polarized Romantic Challenge that gradually evolves). In The Godfather (1972), Michael and Kay are initially close but their relationship devolves toward the end. In Scarface (1983) Tony and Elvira ultimately separate.

*****Mirror*****

Symbolism is an underrated aspect of storytelling. A mirror is an often used symbol, that demonstrates the Hero’s self analysis at the stage of the Ordinary World. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Bonnie look at herself in the mirror. In An Officer and a Gentleman (1983), Zach looks at himself in the mirror.

*****Demonstrating the Magical Gift*****

It is not unusual for the Mentor or Hero to have to demonstrate the Magical Gift. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), Jack uses the gun to shoot the wolf. This often also substitutes as a foreshadow of the coming real use of the Magical Weapon, which is where some obstacle is overcome.

*****Lack of Commitment*****

The Hero, even though he (or she) may be willing, does not often commit to the Journey easily. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Bonnie wants to know what armed robbery is like.

*****Conscious Decision*****

The Conscious Decision is a staple of the Hero’s Journey and Transformation. The Hero explicitly states that he (or she) will embark on the Journey and Transformation. This is expressed in a number of ways. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Clyde asks Bonnie whether she wants to stay in West Dallas, carry on waitressing and dating truck drivers or go with her.

Learn more…

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.monomyth.info/

188 stages of the Hero’s Journey can also be reached from http://www.heros-journey.info/

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

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made, the author’s name is retained and the link to our site URL remains active.

FORWARD

The 188 stage Hero’s Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188+ stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE HERO’S JOURNEY:

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

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

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

(simply go to http://www.screenplay-structure.com/ or http://www.story-structure.org/ for full details)

*****Master of the Two Worlds and Two Selves*****

The Hero, having conquered all challenges and vanquished all antagonisms is now Master of both Old and New Worlds and the Old and New Self, which is universally recognised. In The Matrix (1999), Neo plays with the Matrix. He can slip between both worlds.

*****Final Conflict - Reward or Celebration*****

Post the birth of the New Self, a reward is received. Remaining Challenges are conquered. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Bonnie and Clyde finally have sex. Bonnie has an orgasm.

*****Final Catharses*****

Many stories end with multiple catharses. Brokeback Mountain (2005) is no different.

a) Catharsis 1: Ennis’ postcard is returned marked deceased.

b) Catharsis 2: Ennis calls Lureen, who tells him about Jake’s death.

c) Catharsis 3: Ennis visits Jake’s folks. Finds his shirt and takes it back.

*****A Period of Obscurity*****

When the Hero is in his (or her) Ordinary World, he (or she) undergoes a Period of Obscurity. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Bonnie bored and naked in bed. In The King of Comedy (1983), Pupkin can’t get into the show.

Learn more…

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.monomyth.info/

188 stages of the Hero’s Journey can also be reached from http://www.heros-journey.info/

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

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made, the author’s name is retained and the link to our site URL remains active.

FORWARD

The 188 stage Hero’s Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188+ stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE HERO’S JOURNEY:

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

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

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

(simply go to http://www.screenplay-structure.com/ or http://www.story-structure.org/ for full details)

*****Ultimate Boon*****

The Ultimate Boon is not necessarily for the Hero only. In Straw Dogs (1971), Janice kisses Henry.

*****No Going Back*****

The beginning of the Road of Trials often sees the Hero’s path backwards closed off. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), Jack Twist wants to get a job on Brokeback again, but Joe doesn’t let him.

*****Inner Challenge / Inner Cave*****

It is in the Inner Cave of the First Threshold that the Inner Challenges is most often made explicit. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Clyde pretends to snore in bed; Bonnie wants sex.

*****Unbearable Antagonism*****

Beyond the Engagement with the Antagonism, the Hero requires an Unbearable Antagonism to push out the Inner Resolve. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), Ennis won’t be able to come out until November.

*****The One*****

As noted before, the Seizing of the Sword (a tangible) is a metaphor for the intangible (Expansion of Consciousness). It is now, once the Hero has gained his (or her) Expansion of Consciousness, that others believe that he (or she) may truly be The One, The Saviour, The Messiah, the one capable of defeating the previously unbeatable Antagonism. In Dances with Wolves (1990), Two Socks takes the meat from John’s hand. In The Matrix (1999), Trinity et al begin to believe Neo is the one.

*****Rebirth*****

The Hero’s Rebirth is often demonstarted post the Near Death Experience. In Straw Dogs (1971), Amy walks to David and, calmly for the first time, tells him they’re “….due at the church hall at 8…”

Learn more…

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.monomyth.info/

188 stages of the Hero’s Journey can also be reached from http://www.heros-journey.info/

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

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made, the author’s name is retained and the link to our site URL remains active.

In part one of how to make your creative writing more stylish, I looked at a number of ways to a children’s author could make their writing fresher. In Part two I look at more ways to make your writing, especially for children’s books, more enjoyable to read.

Stuffy words create a resistance in the reader. Avoid the use of grandiose words in your creative writing - ‘use’ is preferable to ‘utilize’. If you are writing a children’s book, you can be sure that if a child has to consult a dictionary too often, they will soon lose interest in your book.

Avoid using excessive words. After you’ve written a scene, go back over it and ruthlessly chop out words that do not add anything to the action. Think carefully if what you’ve written really enhances your story or detracts from it.

Know who your readers are and the words in everyday life. Be careful of using jargon not appropriate for your readers. When writing for children, know the language of your readers. Expressions can quickly lose fashion, and expressions that were in vogue when you were young are quite likely ‘out’ now. Words can date your writing e.g. authoress, air hostess are now author and flight attendant. If you use cool words to be right up to date, you risk dating your work so that in ten years time it sounds old-fashioned. If we were to read the word groovy in a book today, we would know that it comes from the 1960s era.

On the other hand, children quickly spot a fraud. If you do not feel comfortable using the jargon of the day, then do not! It is no use throwing in the expression ‘fully sick’ if the rest of your writing does not have the same tone.

Beware of dangling clauses.

For example: After eating all over America, that restaurant is my favorite.

In this example it reads as if the restaurant has been eating all over America. In every scene there should only be one witness. Beware of head hopping. It makes for very untidy writing to have more than one person per scene giving their observations.

For example: James wondered if Martha would really eat the strange fruit. He watched as she picked it off the branch and as she studied it intently. She took a big bite. Purple juices ran down her chin. James was astonished to see that her face was changing shape.

In the above example we see the scene through the eyes of James.

The use of active voice makes your work more dramatic. Active voice has more authority than passive voice because the verb becomes stronger.

Example of Passive - I was hit on the head by a giant pod.

Example of Active - A giant pod hit me on the head.

The use of onomatopoeia in children’s books is always well received. Children love words like sizzle, boom, bang and splatter - hence the success of the cartoon series Batman and Robin.

The above ideas are just some of the ways you can spice up your creative writing. However remember, in children’s books less is always more.

Roslyn J. Motter is a Sydney, Australia based author. She is also a registered acupuncturist and CPA (Certified Public Accountant). She commenced writing her Doofuzz Dudes series late in life at the age of fifty. Now, three years later, she has already written eighteen books. She has recently published the first three books, The Doofuzz Dudes Rescue Moondar; The Doofuzz Dudes and the Princess Detector; and the Doofuzz Dudes and the Babbling Bottles. The series are fantasy adventure stories and are most suitable for children aged 7 - 12 years. Woven into the adventures is a subtle theme of caring for the environment. The books can be purchased at http://www.doodlesbookshop.com.au and excerpts and illustrations from the books are available for viewing on http://www.childrens-books.com.au and children can play games and win prizes on http://www.doofuzzdudesclub.com

As novice writers we are always looking for little things to help our writing. In this article I am going to stray away from the serious side of the business and provide a number of tidbits that have to do with writing. Some are humorous, some are not. Some are useful and some are not. I hope you find them interesting.

1. Dewey Decimal

When using the Dewey Decimal System make sure you copy down the call number exactly as it appears in the card catalogue. Failing to do this will make it tough to find your book. It might even make it impossible.

2. Longest Sentence

What is the longest sentence in the world? In 1957 George Andrezeyevski wrote a book called Gates Of Paradise with no punctuation so technically this could be one long sentence. But Sylvester Hassel had a 3153 word sentence in the book History of the Church of God.

3. What is Writing

Writing is as much process as product. As a result, people often write to discover what they want to say. The process of writing can be an act of discovery, start out knowing where you’re going and get there just fine.

4. Study, Study, Study

It’s so important to study everything you read. Study opening paragraphs in newspaper and magazine articles. You might be surprised to discover that topic sentences such as statements of purpose often appear in the middle and end of paragraphs as well as in the beginning.

5. Speeches

Okay now you have to write a speech so this will help a little. When you write a speech, use punctuation not only to indicate the usual sentence breaks, but also to allow you to pause for emphasis when necessary.

There are hundreds of little points out there to help would be writers or even veteran writers. From time to time I will put out an article like this one and hopefully someone can take some of these tid bits and use them in their writing.

Dale is a professional on line writer. He is also in the process of getting his first novel published. You can check out some of his very popular blogs at http://stcajo-readshortstories.blogspot.com/ or http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/ and his newest http://funtidbits.blogspot.com/

. . . “Because we were willing to experiment and change our treatments. We rarely amputated, and we listened to advice from all sides, even from Asians. Nor did we ever drink before we went to work. You know what?” Laurel glanced at the musketeer and he told her he didn’t know what. “I’ve come to the conclusion that bloodletting often kills a man, and that more often than not, amputations that are done to try to save a man’s life actually kill him.” Of course Laurel well understood what could drive a doctor to drink. Those things she had seen in her not too distant youth had caused her none too few a nightmare.

“What other strange notions have you come across in your travels, lad?” Porthos said as he joined them.

“Oui, I admit my father and I are very eccentric, but what we did saved men’s lives,” she defended, taking offense at the suggestion in Porthos’ tone that she was most definitely not what she should be. “We learned to use strong alcohol to wash out wounds and to pour that same alcohol on every instrument that we used during surgery. We took to frequently washing our hands and faces with soap and water between patients. Oh don’t look so scandalized.” She frowned at the two men. “It worked, and it was this knowledge I used to save Athos. If you’ll notice, he has recovered very quickly and with very few complications. None that I can think of, to be precise.”

“I suppose you also advocate full-body bathing as often as possible,” Porthos commented, his tone clearly derogatory. Madame was very easy to provoke.

“As a matter of fact, I do. I believe in full-body bathing with soap and water at least once or twice a week when possible.” Sometimes more frequently.

“Wherever did you pick up such a strange notion? Don’t you know that bathing causes sickness and chills, drains life away?” Porthos informed her, deliberately baiting her further.

“Well, I’ll have you know that I’ve been bathing in this manner all my life, and I am rarely ever sick. And the Asians have been doing so for centuries, and they live significantly longer than most Europeans.” Barring war, that is.

“Where did you become such an expert on Asians?” Athos changed the subject before Laurel took it into her head to go after Porthos and do him some mischief.

“Before I was born my father used to frequently travel to the Indies and was an active participant in the spice trade. He made a fortune in it because he adapted to the Asians’ way of life. He followed many of their practices and won their respect. Eventually, he hired a half dozen Asians to come back to France with him and serve in his household. So I grew up with an Asian nursemaid and other Asian servants. I cannot think that the Asian traditions I have followed would hurt anyone,” she concluded. She was beginning to suspect Porthos might have been baiting her. Would fit perfectly well with the big man’s personality.

“No wonder you’re such a queer little thing,” Porthos interjected, and Laurel looked as if she’d like to shove his words back down his throat no matter how much bigger he was. All thoughts he might have been baiting her fled from Laurel’s mind.

“I’m not little, you hulking elephant. And call me queer if you must, monsieur,” she threw back at him, deliberately slighting his rank as much as possible. “Of course, I think that men are afraid of change, afraid of a woman or anyone for that matter who is proud to be independent and not ashamed of who and what she is.” She spat out the last words with all the hurt anger that was pent up inside her being.

“Christophe,” Athos tried to break through her tirade, but she was determined not to stop. He grabbed her shoulder and turned her around to face him. “Christophe! Christophe!” he cried, shaking her until she shut up. “You are creating a scene and could well blow what is left of our cover with this tirade. I suggest you finish it in private.” Each word became softer so that only she could hear it.

The young woman took several deep breaths and stood up straight, trying to regain her composure. Very quietly, with fiery intensity, she told Porthos, “I am who I am. I will make no apologies for that. I’m an eccentric, just like my father, and I’m very proud of that. I’ve got every reason for my pride, just like you, or Athos, or Aramis, or D’Artagnan take great pride in the unique people you are.” She choked on a word before going on. “But I suppose that makes me a freak who cannot fit into society anywhere, beyond the pale and not a true lady or woman. At least you have somewhere where you belong, monsieur. I don’t even have that. So at least allow me my pride in myself, my accomplishments, and my heritage,” she finished and rushed from the room to the streets and lost herself in the crowd. At least she had gotten the last word.

D’Artagnan joined his two companions after almost being bowled over by Laurel as she stormed out of the room. “What happened with Christophe?”

“Christophe lost his temper again,” Athos finally answered, his eyes looking for Laurel’s form. Her temper might well end up getting her killed just as his own temper had nearly killed him about eleven years earlier, before he had learned to better control it. That and her penchant for trying to help through direct challenge when other methods other than frontal assault might well have worked better.

“Let me know when Christophe gets back. I want to talk to him immediately,” Athos told his companions and then made his way to his room, flinching as he jarred his still tender shoulder.

Kat Jaske is an English and French teacher in Las Vegas, where her high school selected her award-winning, swashbuckling novel, “For Honor,” as the featured book for the 2006 Reading Incentive Program. This is an excellent example of creative fiction writing. You can get free downloads or order the book from web site http://www.forhonor.com

Have you ever entered a writing contest? Have you ever placed in the top 3? Or won the whole contest outright? Maybe you’ve thought about entering a contests but been too afraid to try. Or maybe you didn’t know where to start looking.

Well, writing contests can be a valuable tool for aspiring writers. They can be a great way to get feedback on your writing from external readers/judges/editors/agents. And they can be an equally great way to start building a writing resume, to begin promoting one’s name as a published author.

But where to start? How to choose the right contest for you? How to prepare the perfect entry?

Here are a few things to keep in mind, both before you enter a contest and after you receive the judges’ final decision.

1. Choose contests based upon their end results. Consider what you’re hoping to get out of entering a contest. Is it prize money? Is it publication? Is it the chance to get your work in front of an editor or agent? Or is it simply the chance to have an external reader review your work? Think about your end goal, and choose your contests appropriately. The Writing Show First Chapter Contest awards 750 words of feedback from industry professionals. The FirstGlance Films Screenplay Competition sends its top 3 winners to be read by Hollywood producers. The 2007 Marjorie Wilson Best Poem contest awards $2500.00 to its top winner. You get the idea.

2. Choose contests for which your work qualifies. This seems like a no-brainer, but you might be surprised. Don’t enter a 10K word short story into a flash fiction contest. Don’t enter a novel into a screenplay writing contest. Don’t enter your paranormal erotica opening into a contest run by Avalon (a “sweet” publisher) just because you see the word “romance” in their guidelines.

3. Choose contests for which the odds are in your favor. This one’s a little harder to figure out, but if you do a little digging, you can uncover contests for which either the number of entries is limited, improving your odds, or the number of prizes given includes more than the top 3. The Short Story Award for New Writers, for example, is a contest open only to writers whose fiction has never appeared in a publication with a circulation over 5,000. The WOW-Women on Writing Quarterly Contest names 3 top winners, 7 runners-up, and 25 honorable mentions…and every one of those writers receives a prize and a mention on the WOW website.

Once you’ve chosen a contest to enter, how do you increase your chances of winning or placing?

1. Follow all the rules. Carefully. If they want 3 copies of your opening chapters, make sure to include 3. If they ask you to secure the pages using a binder clip, don’t use a rubber band. Make sure you’ve put the information they want into the header or footer of each page. If they ask for a SASE, make sure to include enough postage to cover the costs of returning your entries. Also, check their rules for deadlines: most will say the entry must be postmarked by a certain date, but others will say the entry must be received by a certain date. There’s a difference!

2. Revise, revise, revise. Before submitting your entry, make sure it’s your best work. Read over as many times as it takes. Share with your writers’ groups or critique partners to get objective feedback. Don’t let careless errors undermine your chances of winning.

3. Read prior winning entries. Many organizations will include the top winners on their websites. A winning entry in one short story contest might look very different from a winning entry in another.

A few last thoughts on writing contests:

Consider the judges’ feedback carefully. If you can expect comments from the contest judges, be careful how you read those comments. Don’t just take the positive ones that praise your brilliance as a writer and disregard the rest. Sometimes the negative/constructive criticism can be just as helpful in revealing areas of our writing that need work. However, if 3 or 4 judges from a couple different contests tell you that your dialogue is fresh and realistic, and 1 judge tells you that your dialogue is stilted and untrue, you may want to take that single comment with a grain of salt. Most of all, don’t let contest feedback get you down. Remember that these judges are people, with their own values and biases and opinions, just like you. And speaking of that…

Sign up to judge a contest. Really! Many local writers’ groups run contests, with their members doing first-reads on entries. You do not necessarily need to be a published author, or past winner, to judge. All you have to do is read with a careful eye and open mind. By judging, you get a glimpse of the other side. You learn about how other writers put entries together. You discover how difficult it is to put a number on certain elements of a creative endeavor. And ultimately, you become a better writer yourself for the experience.

Don’t let contests keep you from finishing your work. Many novel-writing contests, especially in the romance genre, ask for the first 3 chapters. As a result, it becomes easy to polish those first 3 chapters over and over again, until you have a near-perfect entry. But what happens to the rest of the novel? What if you win a contest, and the final judge, your dream agent, requests the full manuscript for review? What if all you have are the first 3 chapters? Unfortunately, I know a few authors who have turned into “contest junkies.” They become obsessed with the idea of entering as many contests as they can, and they often final or win because they’ve put so much time into their entry. However, they have no complete works to speak of. Ideally, writing contests are a means to an end, a way to motivate you to keep writing while giving you some feedback along the way.

Good luck!

Allie Boniface
Author of ONE NIGHT IN BOSTON
http://www.allieboniface.com
http://www.allieboniface.blogspot.com