Anyone who is doing any kind of writing has to do his/her fair share of research to keep the content both current and relevant for the targeted audience.
Here below are some search engines and applications that can help you do this.
Kartoo -visual meta search engine- presents info. in flowchart form. The results can be personalized to show past searches, if you are willing to let Kartoo track such things.
Vivisimo Inc ( now Clusty)- Enterprise Search, Federated Search and Clustering .Each listing of this engine includes info. on how that site is ranked by mainstream search engines, such as Google, Lycos, MSN, and Looksmart. I like its layout , especially for news, health , blogs, and Wikipedia searches. I find the left-side clusters really helpful in targeting info. specifically to your topic search.
The Librarian's Index to the Internet contains info. you can trust. Its searchable directory only contains websites that have been personally approved by at least two librarians. Each listing is also annotated by one of these persons who felt it was worth including.
Freepint, maintained by librarian Gary Price, offers a portal into the invisible Web- hidden pages that are otherwise not visible on other search engines.
Open Directory Project (ODP) provides a free listing service, unlike some search engines that charge a fee for listings.
Topic- specific engines:
A good way to do a highly effective search that is customized to your topic is to try out topic- specific engines , such as the following:
1-Scirus is excellent if you are searching for scientific info.
2-Topix , created by the founders of the Open Directory Project, may be the Internet’s largest news site because it draws upon articles from more than 7,000 media outlets. However, it is mainly American based. For Canadian content, try www.topix.net/world/canada.
My personal favorites
Some of my personal favorites, but they are not heavy weight search engines like the ones previously mentioned, are the following:
www.webferret.com
www.alltheweb.com
www.teoma.com- now www.ask.com
www.inktomi.com- yahoo for small business
www.dogpile.com
www.search.com
www.altavista.com
www.mamma.com
www.theinvisibleweb.com features info. that is usually hidden from general search engines. This site, however, is quite complex in the choices it offers you so it will take some time on your part to see which feature best suits you.
Another personal favorite is www.copernic.com . There are various levels for this one… a free version and others you have to pay for. It is great for serious research.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
How to deal with writer's block
**Writer’s block is when you have problems getting started writing a specific report or document, or getting part way and stopping because you can’t go any further. Essentially, it is when the ideas are not coming to you as quickly as when you first started writing.***
But first always start out with an organized and sequential outline of what you want to write as your game plan.
Tips for dealing with writer’s block
1. Write a paragraph about why you can’t write.
2. Get some air and clear your head… Take a walk . Get out of your chair and get a drink of water, herbal tea, green tea, or white tea, a drink without caffeine that is.
3. Stop thinking, just write from the heart (of course depending on what you are working on… for some situations, this would not apply.)
4. Go to a different part of your work (look at your outline) and write from there. You don’t always have to write in a linear fashion.
5. When starting to write (first draft), forget about writing well. Write your thoughts as they come to you- don’t worry about the grammar and the sequence of it at this stage.). But do come back to it later and improve it…
6. Go back and revise what you have already written- this will get you back into the flow.
7. Set a time limit - a goal- in which you write just one page and force yourself to achieve that goal.
8. Make a list of ways (check your editing list I sent you earlier in the year re: your writing challenges) in which your work can be improved, then deal with one subject (aspect of that list) one at a time.
9. Talking it out with someone- sometimes speaking with a trusted friend or colleague- can break the writer’s block or at least soften it.
*****Adapted from the book- “How to be a Writer : Secrets from the Inside” by Stewart Ferris. 2005.
Another book of note for generating ideas and creativity is : “How to Get Ideas” by Jack Foster. 2007.
But first always start out with an organized and sequential outline of what you want to write as your game plan.
Tips for dealing with writer’s block
1. Write a paragraph about why you can’t write.
2. Get some air and clear your head… Take a walk . Get out of your chair and get a drink of water, herbal tea, green tea, or white tea, a drink without caffeine that is.
3. Stop thinking, just write from the heart (of course depending on what you are working on… for some situations, this would not apply.)
4. Go to a different part of your work (look at your outline) and write from there. You don’t always have to write in a linear fashion.
5. When starting to write (first draft), forget about writing well. Write your thoughts as they come to you- don’t worry about the grammar and the sequence of it at this stage.). But do come back to it later and improve it…
6. Go back and revise what you have already written- this will get you back into the flow.
7. Set a time limit - a goal- in which you write just one page and force yourself to achieve that goal.
8. Make a list of ways (check your editing list I sent you earlier in the year re: your writing challenges) in which your work can be improved, then deal with one subject (aspect of that list) one at a time.
9. Talking it out with someone- sometimes speaking with a trusted friend or colleague- can break the writer’s block or at least soften it.
*****Adapted from the book- “How to be a Writer : Secrets from the Inside” by Stewart Ferris. 2005.
Another book of note for generating ideas and creativity is : “How to Get Ideas” by Jack Foster. 2007.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Tips for making your writing more dynamic for the reader
Remember you write for to engage the reader, not to disengage.
So, to give more impact to your message, use strong verbs. So many writers take strong verbs and transform them into meaningless nouns. Such a technique steals the poignancy of your message as well as its vitality.
To remedy this malady, re-read your text and highlight all words ending in –ance, -ment, and- ion . When it is plausible, substitute these words with a verb.
Example: This receipt is a confirmation of the purchase I made last Tuesday.
Better: This receipt confirms the purchase I made last Tuesday.
Example: Preparation of the room should be done before the meeting.
Better: Prepare the room before the meeting.
Another way that weakens the voice of your writing is using helping verbs.
When possible, substitute them with strong action verbs.
Helping verbs are:
Be ( am, is ,are, was ,were, been)
Have ( has, had)
Do ( does, did)
Shall
Should
Would
Example: I will have completed the business case by Friday.
Better: I will complete the project by Friday.
Example: I have been invited to present at the conference.
Better: I am invited to present at the conference.
So, to give more impact to your message, use strong verbs. So many writers take strong verbs and transform them into meaningless nouns. Such a technique steals the poignancy of your message as well as its vitality.
To remedy this malady, re-read your text and highlight all words ending in –ance, -ment, and- ion . When it is plausible, substitute these words with a verb.
Example: This receipt is a confirmation of the purchase I made last Tuesday.
Better: This receipt confirms the purchase I made last Tuesday.
Example: Preparation of the room should be done before the meeting.
Better: Prepare the room before the meeting.
Another way that weakens the voice of your writing is using helping verbs.
When possible, substitute them with strong action verbs.
Helping verbs are:
Be ( am, is ,are, was ,were, been)
Have ( has, had)
Do ( does, did)
Shall
Should
Would
Example: I will have completed the business case by Friday.
Better: I will complete the project by Friday.
Example: I have been invited to present at the conference.
Better: I am invited to present at the conference.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Practical tips for proofreading and editing your work
Here below are some tried and true tips for editing your writing from Charlie Wilson of Perfectly Write -Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charlie_Wilson. In other words, here are some excellent pointers for finding those gremlins that slip by us when we are re-writing and editing.
As a professional proofreader and copy-editor, I spend many hours proofreading each week. The tips below form the basis of my own formula for effective proofreading.
If possible, allow some time between completing your work and proofreading it – ideally overnight. That way you'll be fresher when you proofread and more likely to spot mistakes.
If it is feasible, print your work to proofread it. It is often easier to see mistakes on paper, away from the glare of the computer screen.
Use an easy-to-read font for your work, such as Times New Roman or Arial, and a large font size (14 point minimum) to make it easier for your eye to spot mistakes.
Make a list of things to check as you proofread and tick them off as you go. For example: headings, page numbers, paragraph indents, sentence spacing and the style of certain words.
Break the proofreading down. I usually run through a text quickly several times before a close read. The first time I may look purely at heading styles, the next time at layout, and so on.
Read slowly. Laborious as you may find proofreading, fast skim reading is fairly useless for spotting errors.
Use a ruler or a piece of paper under the line you are reading to isolate it. This stops the eye becoming daunted by the text and skim reading.
If in doubt, use a dictionary to check your spelling. If you don’t have a good dictionary, try www.dictionary.com (but please beware Americanised spellings).
Above all, be consistent – inconsistency bothers readers and is distracting. So, if you’ve decided to go with ‘proofreading’ on page one, don’t write ‘proof-reading’ or 'proof reading’ on page two.
Once you’ve proofread your work, ask a friend or colleague (or professional) to look it over as well. You may be surprised to find what you've missed – the human eye is prone to blind spots.
Charlie Wilson runs Perfectly Write (http://www.perfectlywrite.co.uk) – a UK-based company offering editorial and writing services to businesses, organizations, publishers and authors. A qualified and experienced copywriter, copy editor and proofreader, she is passionate about words and making them ‘perfectly write’.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charlie_Wilson
As a professional proofreader and copy-editor, I spend many hours proofreading each week. The tips below form the basis of my own formula for effective proofreading.
If possible, allow some time between completing your work and proofreading it – ideally overnight. That way you'll be fresher when you proofread and more likely to spot mistakes.
If it is feasible, print your work to proofread it. It is often easier to see mistakes on paper, away from the glare of the computer screen.
Use an easy-to-read font for your work, such as Times New Roman or Arial, and a large font size (14 point minimum) to make it easier for your eye to spot mistakes.
Make a list of things to check as you proofread and tick them off as you go. For example: headings, page numbers, paragraph indents, sentence spacing and the style of certain words.
Break the proofreading down. I usually run through a text quickly several times before a close read. The first time I may look purely at heading styles, the next time at layout, and so on.
Read slowly. Laborious as you may find proofreading, fast skim reading is fairly useless for spotting errors.
Use a ruler or a piece of paper under the line you are reading to isolate it. This stops the eye becoming daunted by the text and skim reading.
If in doubt, use a dictionary to check your spelling. If you don’t have a good dictionary, try www.dictionary.com (but please beware Americanised spellings).
Above all, be consistent – inconsistency bothers readers and is distracting. So, if you’ve decided to go with ‘proofreading’ on page one, don’t write ‘proof-reading’ or 'proof reading’ on page two.
Once you’ve proofread your work, ask a friend or colleague (or professional) to look it over as well. You may be surprised to find what you've missed – the human eye is prone to blind spots.
Charlie Wilson runs Perfectly Write (http://www.perfectlywrite.co.uk) – a UK-based company offering editorial and writing services to businesses, organizations, publishers and authors. A qualified and experienced copywriter, copy editor and proofreader, she is passionate about words and making them ‘perfectly write’.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charlie_Wilson
Friday, May 16, 2008
Writing That Works
You must feel and experience Life in all of its splendiferious facets in order to breathe, to write and just to be!
Come take this journey with me as we explore the agony and the ecstasy of writing .
Come take this journey with me as we explore the agony and the ecstasy of writing .
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