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Online News Writing Framework

bikram — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 20:14:52 +0000

Writing news is different from writing an article, or writing a story, as the goal and readers of the news is also different (at least have a different mindset). Unlike a story, you do not need to build up your news till it climaxes in the last paragraph, and you are not also supposed to supply logic to prove a point the way you need to do with an article.

To keep things simple for you, I am providing here a news writing framework that will help you craft a piece of interesting to read news. This framework will help you make the news interesting to read. Fill the details in the following boxes and then just interweave them to give it the shape of a piece of news.

The Process of Writing

bikram — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:46:08 +0000

Writing is an art. There is no denial about that. No one can contest this fact, but there is some pattern to it. There is a particular way in which we approach writing, and that gives writing a being-a-science feel. The idea part of the writing is creative, but the process of writing is scientific. In this article, we will see the scientific part of the writing, i.e., process of writing.

Stages of writing

The process of writing can be divided into three stages. These are:

Pre-writing
Writing
Editing and Proofreading

Let’s discuss each one of them in brief.

Pre-writing

Pre-writing is the phase in which we ideate about what we have to write. We prepare a structured layout of the piece we have to write. In this stage, we accomplish the following things:

We find the topic to write on.
We research the topic.
Read some articles on the topic.
We brainstorm and jot down in bullet points the things that should go in writing..
Prepare a layout of which point will go where. It is in the pre-writing stage that most of the writing happens.

Writing

This is the phase in which you give shape to the ideas generated in the pre-writing phase. In this phase, concentrate on the writing only, do not go for editing or anything like that. Write through the end without worrying about the errors in this phase.

Editing and proofreading

This is the phase in which we give final touch to our written piece. We make the changes if required, proofread it for grammatical, structure and punctuation errors. You can also shift sentences or paragraphs up and down to make the article more cohesive.

Any writing, no matter what you are writing, follows these steps. Some writer follow these steps intuitively, i.e., in their minds, while other have to use paper and pen to go through these.

How to Build a List of Writing Prompts

bikram — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:34:10 +0000

In the last blog post, I discussed about what is writing prompt and how to use it. I hope that discussion gave you some confidence to fight with the big monster we call writer’s block. In this post, I will tell you how to build a list of writing prompts to help you in time of need. Yes, I know I told you yesterday that anything can work as writing prompt as long as it helps you get out of “staring at blank page” syndrome. And I am also aware that you cannot include every kind of writing prompt in your list. Nevertheless, a list with writing prompt will help you a great deal when confronting the monster. That is why you need to build a list of writing prompts.

4 ways to build the writing prompt list

Know yourself. Ask questions about your religious beliefs, your political opinion, your view of your community, and your stance on the social and economic issues confronting your community. Ask questions about your views on your community, culture, government’s policy, medical policy, etc. The idea behind this exercise is to look inside yourself and find what you are and what you believe in.
See the world around you. A good writer is one who observes his surroundings. One who remains absorbed in oneself all the time can be anything but a writer. See how people around you interact, how they react in certain condition. What are their inhibitions, what they are afraid of doing, how strongly they cling to their belief, and what makes them stay together.
Notice the nature. Have you seen that little green-colored insect that stays on the flower? Have you seen what the shape of the cloud was today? The point is to get close to nature and observe its beauty. It has motivated many and will not fail to motivate you as well.
Take to people. Ask as many questions as you want. Get as close to people near you as you can. Know about them. Ask about their daily life, their fears, their hopes, their dreams, their ambitions, their aspirations, etc., and you will get enough material to write upon.

There are many more things that can help you build your own list, but the things that I have talked about here will help you regardless of the genre you write in.

5 More Ways to Improve Your Writing Part-VIII

bikram — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:12:51 +0000

The actual process of writing is indeed a lonely undertaking, but many things happen before you sit and start writing, and these many things shape your writing, therefore going out is as important as is sitting alone to write. In this part of the 5 Ways to Improve Your Writing series, I will talk about the benefits of socializing.

Writing group

Join a writing group in your neighborhood. Make sure it is not very far because distance works as a deterrent for many new writers. If you could not find a writing group in your neighborhood, form one.

Book reading club

Become a member of a book reading club. This will help you refine your existing ideas, and it will also help you get new ideas. Reading is the best advice that can be given to a writer. A writer who does not read cannot produce a good quality work for long. If there is not any book reading club in your neighborhood then form one.

Socialize with writers

Talking to fellow writers will help you unearth many hidden issues, and it will also help you find answers of many unasked questions as well. A practicing writer can become a better guide in telling you how to write, how to use different writing tools, and how to keep your writing simple yet powerful.

Meet someone who is not like you

Meeting a person who is not like you, and who has different point of view, desires, values, etc., will give you a good understanding in human nature. Meet a person of such standing and reflect on the experience you have by meeting him, and the experiences he or she shared with you.

Leave your couch

This is important. Your couch has become your comfort zone, or is it your chair that has become your comfort zone? Challenge yourself and break free. I am asking you to leave your comfort zone, and try meeting new people, and experiencing new things. The more experience you will bag, the better accomplished writer you will become.

Exercise At Work To Keep Focus

SamElli — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:01:02 +0000

The key to being a better worker is pretty much the same as the key to enjoying virtually every other aspect of life. Being physically fit makes for better workers, and even if you just have an office job, where your only physical requirement is staying awake during long days in front of your computer screen, the more fit you are, the better of a performance you are going to kick out. The better shape you are in the sharper your mind stays, this means eating right and exercising regularly. You’ll be surprised at the results it will have on your personal and professional life.

But there’s more to the exercise to be a better worker concept. Studies also show that those who find time to exercise at work also kick out better performances on the whole. There’s a reason Japan has made it a habit to provide for exercise time for every worker during the work day. Often times taking the entire work force to the roof of their office buildings for a period of cardiovascular activity, before returning to work.

Physical activity has a way of resetting your mind if you’ve been having trouble working through a particular issue at work, giving you a reprieve to reset yourself, and better focus on something else. Your mind will be better off for it, and when you return to work you’ll feel more relaxed and you’ll be able to concentrate much more effectively. Exercising works out stress, and emotional tension that you may have, freeing yourself so you can continue in the grind.

A few exercises you can do at the office with ease include:

You could sit on an exercise ball instead of a chair for a period of time. This will strengthen core and back muscles, improve posture, and burn a few extra calories.

Stand up once every hour or so, flap your arms around a bit and walk around, even if you only have a small space to walk around. Pace back and forth, and move your arms, this will get your blood pumping, and help you refocus, and calm yourself.

Get a wireless headset for your phone so you aren’t stuck being stationary at your desk while you’re talking. This way you are free to move about, and motion is always a good thing for keeping you focused and exercised.

Finally, anytime you need to navigate between floors at work, try using the stairs instead of an elevator. This will help you get in much more physical activity than you would normally be getting, keep your heart working, your blood pumping, and your stress as far away as possible.