Menturion

Before my discovery of the internet, in attempting to deal with Christian publishers, I came to realize what preachers have known for a long time. Many publishers use the ‘Christian’ name for a fast buck. Like others, they want to know who you know and everything else possible that might prove your book will sell on the merit of your name, only; without regard to what is actually inside the cover.

They, also, expect you to work so hard at your presentation that the book is ready for publication before submitting. Though, most of the time, it goes into a pile of manuscripts; to barely be skimmed, unless you have already developed a name.

In addition, publishers either want your writing to fit within their specific doctrinal guidelines or they want the writing to be so non-controversial that all religions will accept it. All this is without consideration as to if the Spirit is actually speaking through the writing.

Poetry critiquers don’t like me very well, either. Oh, wait! Maybe it’s the other way around.

First, you write, in hope of meeting someone else’s acceptance and approval. Talk about messing with your self-esteem, that will do it. You may have to spend money for them to even look at your writing. But when you do, you are almost assured they will tell you what you had hoped to hear ~ that your writing is absolutely wonderful!

You can pretty much guarantee that those who offer self-publishing will really love your writing, too. However, the price for encouragement, on that level, is considerably higher.

Then, there are contests wherein expense is required, either to enter or to claim your prize. In other circles, we call it gambling.

Though, if you are otherwise accepted, you may be required to pay for the honor of having your writing listed among them. However, unless you tell all your friends, no one that knows you will ever see it. And, all the rest won’t even remember your name.

Such as these take unfair advantage; manipulating the heart strings of those whose dream in life is to, one day, be a writer. In fact, most such cons stay within legalized limits; but steal from your wallet, none-the-less.

I am not a writer wanna be. In fact, I’m not even a writer. I do not seek to become a writer. But, I could keep going with this skeptism as, when I do write it is with motivation and purpose. Maybe I just have a lot of issues.

What got me going, this time, was a shared link to a web site implying they were interested in original Christian writing submissions. However, in addition to all else, they suggested that if you wait for the Spirit’s moving, you may never write. So, at that point, I was no longer annoyed but a bit ticked. If the Spirit isn’t in it, it shouldn’t be written. Shame on them!

When God inspires one to write, it does not need criticized. There are times when a different arrangement of words would read more smoothly. And, definitely, proofing helps the reader to be able to better absorb content. However, the intent in which God gave it should never be changed. God doesn’t do anything inferior. Only, some take it upon themselves to think they know more than God.

But, also, as is really obvious when the only accepted poetry submission is ‘non-rhyming poetry’, regardless of content, those have pre-determined what is good poetry while they look down upon the rest. That might be a good deal, to at least know what is expected. Only, no two critics agree on what good poetry is.

So, there are no guidelines that the ‘would be hopeful’ can obtain ~ unless the writer throws out their own style, to match someone else’s, in hopes of being accepted into that group. And, that could even be a good thing, if only that group were a ‘for real’ publisher. But, what really happens is authors sell their soul to be accepted by a group of writer wanna be’s.

As it is with many, one’s dream of writing is not all that different from the self-defeating teen-age dream of, one day, winning the Miss America pageant; only with more substance. If you are fixed on becoming famous by the world’s methods, go right ahead and let the world keep kicking you in pants. As Christians, when we follow the majority, we lose sight of why we are writing and end up inviting our own defeat.

However, if you are inspired by Holy unction, you will write whether you ever become famous or not. And, when God inspires you to write, there are souls waiting for that message. If you ever get a glimpse into the importance, significance, and magnitude of that, you will share your writings whether you ever get paid or not … and you will stop welcoming criticism. Our accuser’s name is Satan.

Also, when God inspires a writing, it doesn’t really belong to you. So, when ‘represented to be’ Christian (Christ like) people holler about copyrights, I start to lose respect for them. It is one thing for another to claim and or make a profit off your works. It is another to threaten and sue when someone has paid such a compliment as to share your writing with others it might, also, minister to. The same goes for all forms of Christian ministry. For however many ways God opens doors, the seed He gives can and should be multiplied again, and again.

It is God’s job to determine how many times one’s seed gets multiplied. Our part is to be available, faithful, and obedient to share that which He blesses us with. And, the more you share, the more God gives you to share. Also, the better you will get at it! Then, as it works in with God’s timing and you are spiritually prepared for what comes next, God will open more doors ~ then more.

If your calling leads in the direction of publishing, publishers will find you. For others, writing may have helped develop confidence in being a better speaker. Whatever your path in life is to be, He who calls you will also do it. His yoke is easy and that takes the pressure off us.

Let us forget the wanna be’s and put our focus on being a servant. God makes all things beautiful, when it is time.

© 2004 by Joyce C. Lock
http://our.homewithgod.com/heavenlyinspirations/

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly;
and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give;
not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you;
that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things,
may abound to every good work.

2 Co. 9:6-8

This writing, as well as all of Joyce C. Lock’s
writings, may be individually used, in their entirety,
with credits in tact; for non-profit ministering purposes

Joyce C. Lock is a published author, poet, and columnist. In addition, she founded and maintains the e-mail ministries “Heavenly Inspirations”
http://our.homewithgod.com/heavenlyinspirations/ and “Share a Smile” http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smilesharing/ . Joyce’s writings encourage us in our relationship with God and each other.

Poetry is made up of so many specific patters and language. There are as many forms of poetry as there are writers who pen it. Here I have gather some resources to specific patterns of poetry and I have attempted to describe for you the figurative language found in poetry.

Specific Patterns of Poetry

• What is Traditional Poetry?

“Traditional” poetry is the kind of poetry we hear most often. Traditional poetry has a certain form

ex: Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall;

• What is Free Verse Poetry?

Free verse is poetry that is written without proper rules about form, rhyme, rhythm, meter, etc.

The greatest American writer of free verse is probably Walt Whitman

With free verse the poem can tell a story, describe a person, animal, feeling or object. They can serious, sad, funny or educational. There are no limits

• What is a tongue twister?

An expression that is difficult to articulate clearly; “`Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.’ is a tongue twister”

•What is ode poetry?

An Ode is a poem praising and glorifying a person, place or thing.

• What is Monorhyme Poetry?

A poem in which all the lines have the same end rhyme.

Ex:

Late for school

I’m looking like a big fool

My brother thinks he rules

While I’m loosing my cool

• What is monody Poetry?

A monody is a poem in which one person laments another’s death, as in Tennyson’s Break, Break, Break, or Wordsworth’s She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways.

• What is Concrete Poetry?

Poetry in which the poet’s intent is conveyed by the shape formed by the letters, words, or symbols that make up the poem rather than by the conventional arrangement of words

Here is a good example of a concrete poem:

http://webbschool.com/rhood/creativewriting/concrete_poem.htm

• What is Quatrain Poetry?

A Quatrain is a poem consisting of four lines of verse with a specific rhyming scheme.

A few examples of a quatrain rhyming scheme’s are as follows:

#1) abab

#2) abba — envelope rhyme

#3) aabb

#4) aaba, bbcb, ccdc, dddd — chain rhyme

http://volweb.utk.edu/Schools/bedford/harrisms/quatrain.htm

• How to write Pantoum poetry

http://anitraweb.org/kalliope/pantoum.html

•What is Palindrome Poetry?

http://www.fun-with-words.com/palin_explain.html

• Forms of Poetry for Children

http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/poeform.htm

• Diamonte Poetry

http://www.chasesc.com/CHASEDiamontePoetry.htm

• What is an acrostic poem?

http://www.teachnet-lab.org/miami/2003/sampedro/what_is_an_acrostic_poem.htm

• Acrostic Poetry

http://www.teachnet-lab.org/miami/2003/sampedro/what_is_an_acrostic_poem.htm

• How to Write a Clerihew Poem

http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poetryclass/clerihew.htm

• The Art of Haiku Poetry

http://www.lsi.usp.br/usp/rod/poet/haiku.html

• How to Write Limerick Poetry

http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poetryclass/limerickcontesthelp.html

• How to write Cinquain Poetry

http://www.edu.pe.ca/stjean/playing%20with%20poetry/Hickey/coleres.htm

What is a metaphor?

A figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity

Understanding metaphors

http://www.lcc.gatech.edu/gallery/rhetoric/terms/metaphor.html

What is a simile?

A figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds (usually formed with `like’ or `as’)

• The Simile Satellite Activities

This site explores the function, form and effect of simile in poetry.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/listenandwrite/teachers/simact.htm

What is alliteration?

the repetition of consonant sounds - usually at the beginning of words

What is onomatopoeia?

a word that sounds like the thing it describes

Example:

splash, wow, gush, kerplunk

What is a trope?

The intentional use of a word or expression figuratively, i.e., used in a different sense from its original significance in order to give vividness or emphasis to an idea. Some important types of trope are: antonomasia, irony, metaphor, metonymy and synecdoche. Sidelight: Strictly speaking, a trope is the figurative use of a word or expression, while figure of speech refers to a phrase or sentence used in a figurative sense. The two terms, however, are often confused and used interchangeably

Examples: Metaphor, simile, oxymoron, and hyperbole are all kinds of figurative language.

What is personification?

A person who represents an abstract quality; “she is the personification of optimism”

http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/lit_terms/personification.html

What is Synonyms?

Words or phrases which have similar meaning.

http://www.manatee.k12.fl.us/sites/elementary/palmasola/synonyms.htm

What is a stanza?

A fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem

What is imagery?

Image is language that evokes one or all of the five senses: seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching.

What is a muse?

Muse: the source of an artist’s inspiration; “Euterpe was his muse”

To get a list of other Poetic Glossary terms Please see Todays-Woman list

http://www.todays-woman.net/dll.php?name=Dictionary or Robert Shubinski has assembled an excellent on-line resource

http://www.poeticbyway.com/glossary.html

This link also gives the term, definition and example of literary terms.

http://www.kidskonnect.com/FigurativeLanguage/FigurativeLanguageHome.html

About the Author

Rose is a published author from Canada Ontario and is also the founder of http://www.todays-woman.net a community for men and women over 18, where writers/poets/columnists meet and exchange ideas, contest, rate and review and help each other succeed in the writing industry.

Writing engaging articles and energizing ad copy takes more than just typing out what you want to say. By correcting these major mistakes, your copy will soar to newfound heights. While there are many common mistakes made by copywriters, seven in particular are deadly.

Mistake One: Don’t take that tone with me!

Many writers fail to write to their intended audience by writing in a general or wrong tone. Either way is costly. It is important to identify and write to the intended audience. Review the following two statements to see how the same information differs based on the intended audience.

Audience One is comprised of computer neophytes.

Move your mouse pointer over to the START icon, which is located in the lower left area of your computer screen. Next, click your left mouse button one time. Your start menu should now be displayed.

Audience Two is comprised of knowledgeable computer users.

Open up your START menu.

Notice the stark contrast between the two examples. If we continued with the examples, “Audience Two” would be spoken to in more technical terms whereas “Audience One” would be spoken to in very simple terms with every action described in full detail.

Mistake Two: Welcome to the claims department.

Most non-fiction writing, especially ad copy, makes a claim of some sort. Hard to believe claims destroy credibility. The golden rule of claims: Always support your claims fully.

I can’t believe it!

When a claim sounds too good to be true, credibility is lost. Perhaps the ad copy is claiming that a person can lose up to 300 pounds in 30 days on a certain type of program. The more substantial the claim, the more support required. Still, if the claim is hard to believe, all the support in the world won’t help much.

4 out of 5 dentists agree.

A claim made must be supported. An article reporting that 4 out of 5 dentists agree about using a certain product must include the supporting evidence. Never expect people to take your word for it, because they won’t.

Mistake Three: So enough about you, what about me?

Have you ever visited a website or heard an ad that chimed in with “we here at [insert company name] believe…?” The majority of people will react by simply ignoring the copy all together. It is important to build up a rapport with the reader before talking about yourselfif possible. The reader must first be given a reason as to why he or she should care. This mistake is most common in ad copy. Focus on the reader first and foremost.

Mistake Four: Could you repeat that?

Repetitious wording occurs when a word is used that was previously written in close proximity. Try to keep sentences fresh and flowing with new words. This is a great reason to pick up a thesaurus and learn some word alternatives. In ad copy it is sometimes necessary to use a word more than once for effect. An example of this would be: Excellent service. Excellent selection. Excellent prices.

Don’t do this

I really like the quality of the shoes and the overall quality of the store. Store X is an all around high-quality establishment.

Notice the word “quality” was used three times quickly. These two sentences should be rewritten with the world quality being used only once.

Mistake Five: At this present time, the fact of the matter is, you are reading this article.

This mistake plagues us all because our normal speech is full of redundancies. Some redundancies are simply two words that say the same thing, while others are phrases that repeat something previously mentioned in the sentence. Fluffing up text does not make for good writing or reading. Let’s look at some examples.

“It is a true fact.”

Is there a false fact? Revised: “It is a fact.”

“I found a total of 927 websites with my name on them.”

Eliminate “total of”. Revised: “I found 927 websites with my name on them.”

“The future to come is full of surprises.”

The future is something to come, which is why it is called the future and not the present or past. Stating “future to come” is wordy and does nothing to enhance the reading experience. Revised: “The future is full of surprises.”

To find out more, visit your favorite search engine, and look for results under these terms:

• Pleonasm
• Redundant writing

Mistake Six: You’re its owner therefore it’s yours.

It is amazing how four simple words can become a virtual wrecking ball to the prose of so many. The four words are: its, it’s, your, and you’re

Its

This is possessive and has no apostrophe. Example: Put your hand on its mouth.

It’s

This version has the apostrophe and means “it is.” Example: It’s mine.

Your

Again, this is the possessive and has no apostrophe. Example: Your car is stalled.

You’re

With the apostrophe, it means “you are.” Example: You’re smiling at me.

Many writers make this mistake because it’s simple to do. Writing fast will increase the possibility of making this mistake, which is why rereading your copy many times is crucial.

Mistake Seven: I think I can. Well, maybe I can try.

It is important that the reader feels secure about the author, which is why writing in a passive voice will render the prose helpless. It is very easy to use passive writing without knowing it because everyday speech is filled with passivity. Recognizing passive writing and replacing it will make a tremendous difference in your copy.

Passive: The final exam was failed by over half of the students.

Active: Half of the students failed the exam.

Notice the difference between the two sentences. Overcoming this mistake takes practiceas does learning to write well.

Ad copy should be dripping in confidence. Word selection and order are extremely important. Using words like “try” should be omitted when possible.

Common Example: “We work to make our clients happy.”

Rewrite: “We have satisfied clients.” or “We will make you happy.”

In the “Common Example”, it implies that you might not be happy. The company will “work” to make you happy, but there is no guarantee they can. In the rewrite, the implication is removed by altering the text.

Crafting solid prose takes practice. By running this checklist against your copy and correcting mistakes, it will become more effective. Every printed word is priceless. A single word or sentence can cause decent copy to fail. Should you require a copywriter, visit my website.

©2005 Jason Andrew Martin LLC
All links must be included to use this article on your website.

About the Author

Jason A. Martin, a copywriter and entrepreneur, has been conducting business on the Internet for 11 years. His Internet business website: Internet Business Entrepreneur.

Official web site, which contains articles you can use for your web site: Jason A Martin

We often get very confused while shopping gifts for others. Several things in the shops attract us but purchasing them becomes difficult because we remain unaware of the preferences of the person celebrating his birthday.

Certain tips will help you to select the most apt present for the particular person. Firstly, almost everyone has a different choice, some like to receive simple items for the sake of remembrance, some to use electronic devices and others love to equip themselves with various sports gadgets and objects. Knowing the choice of the person becomes very essential for you to create new present ideas.

A very simple illustration is: suppose one of your relatives, say Uncle John likes to play golf, then you can present him gifts like Swing Analyzer. This would make him feel great while you feel a sense of satisfaction.

With the advent of new forms of technology, you can present fashionable items like digital and electronic devices to a loved one. You can shop unlimited hours by using the facility of a shopping online blog. This new mode of shopping enables you to shop from home from sites such as Amazon UK. Therefore now you can use all the benefits of online shopping and the latest forms of technology.

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