Rod’s Advice Column

QUESTION:

Need title ideas for a story I’m in the middle of writing.?
I’m pretty low on ideas, and getting fairly desperate. So any ideas or help would be awesome….
I don’t want to say too much about the story but the whole plot is basically a sixteen year old boy and his ‘friend’ that get themselves into a fix, are being tracked down by the government, and have to go in to basically…hiding. The story has a ton of rough points in the plot to work out so if that doesn’t make sense, then that would be why. Like I said I am VERY low on ideas, and any help at all would be totally awesome. You guys are great.

PS. I kind of couldn’t find a ‘writing’ catogory, so here I am. =)

Additional Details

45 minutes ago
Heres a few more details (the ones Im sure about)
The kids end up overhearing two people from the GOV talking about something (which I have decided on) secret about the GOV but they dont realise that what they hear is very important, but the GOV people find out they hear. They (the GOV) starts to try to get them (the kids) and the kids still have no idea about whats going on. Then sooner or later, the kids (Laken and Melody) Do find out, and they basically run away. They have to get away from them and do so by fake identities and such.

Sorry if it is really all over the place.

44 minutes ago
I like all of the suggestions so far… I’d like to stick with something suspensful.

20 minutes ago
thanks everyone… Im still open to suggestions +)
57 minutes ago - 3 day(s) left to answer - 10 answers

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REPLY:

Have already written an ending? If you haven’t you may want to consider doing that.

When you know how the story ends it gives you Point A and Point B.

By writing out a detailed ending, you create a list of checkpoints or goals for your main characters when it comes to resolution.

When you know how you want the story to end, you can keep cross-referencing with the ending to help triangulate your position in the story.

One of the pitfalls of just writing a story that takes on a life of its own is that when you try to write an ending, readers may find that you didn’t resolve certain elements of your story.

If you resolve certain things in the story, you can indicate what chapter you resolved a particular matter.

Although “Lord of the Rings” is a really great story, critics have mentioned that there were a lot of characters that would get introduced into the story but they never went anywhere.

You can fall into the same rut where you’ll introduce characters into your story, but if you’re meandering around, those characters could have weak development or make the reader question why you inserted them in.

Interestingly enough, a good way to tighten up a story is treating it just like an Essay. The basic components of an essay are to state your Theories, have the main body, and then draw a conclusion that recaps all the points in the main body that reinforce your theory.

With a story, you should be able to write out in the beginning where the character or characters are. What is their current status so that by the time you get to the end of the story, the reader can see the evolution of your character where it’s learned something or changed for the better (or worse).

If they’re being chased by the government:

• Who is chasing them?
• Why are they chasing them?
• Do the main characters figure out inthe story how to get cleared of any charges?
• Did they get framed and are trying to pursue the real culprits?

Another direction you can go into is:

• What are the skills of your main characters?
• How do they use these special talents to get them out of trouble?
• Did those special skills get them into trouble?
• What new skills do they acquire in order to survive?

You can also do some focus on the items they have:

• What items do they have or acquire that are special?
• Is it a sort of quest?
• Is there a mystery tied into one of the items the have?
• Are they even aware they have one of those items?
• What makes the item valuable?
• Are people who want those items willing to kill the protagonist for it?

I was on YouTube.com the other day and watching some nostalgic Clips of “He-Man” and “She-Ra” where it was talking about the “Secret of the Sword.” It was talking about the back story on how the swords that He-Man and She-Ra gained their magical properties.

That was fascinating to me because I used to wonder as a child where they got the Swords, why Castle Greyskull endowed those swords with power, and how Prince Adam and Princess Adora were bequeathed those swords.

Think about your audience:

• What would your readership like to see?
• There’s a lot of interest revolving around “Da Vinci Code”
• People are fascinated with mysteries or secrets

Set a number of Geographical Locations. Think about if this was a movie and where you were doing Scene Shots. I work in the Film & Entertainment Industry and the scripts are written where they list out the Dailies of where scenes are going to be filmed.

When it comes to budgets, we need to know what locations have to be secured for a 28-day shoot. Actors have to know the shooting schedules and where they need to be.

• How many locations are in your story?
• Is it centralized in one city?
• Are they chasing after a killer and traveling to multiple cities?
• How do they get out of the city?
• What mode of transportation do they use?
• How do they avoid getting caught by the government when the highway state patrol is looking for their vehicle and license plate?
• Did they have to steal someone else’s car?
• Did they get help along the way where someone loaned them a car?
• Did they hitch a ride on a train or with a truck driver?

Writing that has structure tightens up the story line. Even if your story starts off small with a solid beginning and end, it’s easier to fill the body or flesh it out with more plot twists.

If you only have a beginning and no end, you could find yourself writing in circles because you’re trying to figure out how to resolve certain problems and you could get lost. By knowing how it ends, you know there’s finality.

You should watch the movie “Wonder Boys” because it talks about that. The main character is this author who has been just continuously writing and hasn’t resolved his story yet. One of the people who reads his work and critiques it mentions that some of the problems.

Maybe if you watch that movie, it will help you be able to run a literary Diagnostic on your story and allow you to patch up some of the loose ends and any other problems you’re currently having with the plot development and eventual resolution.

Some publishers will read your ending to see if it’s something they worth reading. If it’s got a bad ending or doesn’t seem to inspire you, you don’t really want to read it.

In Business, you have to have a strong proposal that gives a clear vision of what will happen when investors put money into a project. You never hear a sales exec pitching it to investors say:

• “Well… It will sort of be like this.
• “This could possibly happen.”
• “I haven’t really finished fleshing out the details on what the final outcome of this project will be”
• “It will turn out pretty good, I think…”

If you were an investor, would you put money into a project like that?

The same thing goes for readers when they invest their time in reading your story. Time is money.

No one wants to spend all those hours reading a story only to find that it has a crappy ending that leaves them dissatisfied or with a bad taste in their mouth afterward. When they finish reading your story, you want them to say, “Whoa, that was fulfiling and good ending.”

It’s just like Food Preparation:

1. Good Beginning: Obtaining all the Ingredients (i.e. characters, setting up the plot, introducing the problems)
2. Good Middle: Preparing all the Food and mixing the ingredients
3. Good End: Serving the finished product, which is the meal once you’ve prepared the food.

It sounds like you got the Ingredients. Right now, you’re working on the Food Prepartion Part, which is the middle.

However, my concern is what are you making? (The End)

Ideas are like Food for Thought. If I’m going to be your reader, that’s like me being the one to eat your food once you’ve finished preparing it.

If I’m going to sit down at the table, I’m going to ask what you’re going to prepare for me and what you’re making in the kitchen.

I don’t want to hear:

• “Well, I’m kind of throwing some things together”
• “It’s got a little pork. It’s got a little beef. It’s got some Green Peppers”
• “I really don’t know what I’m making or how it’s going to taste, but we’ll find out as soon as I’m done and serve it to you”

I don’t know about you, but that’s not what I want to hear if you’re going to be my Literary Chef.

Your ending should be saying:

• “I’m serving you a Rice Pilaf”
• “I’m serving you Babyback Ribs with a side order of mashed potatoes”
• “I’m serving you a Stir Fry”

What’s bad is when someone says they’re making you Spaghetti getting you prepped and ready for Spaghetti, but then they come out and lay down a plate of Rotisserie Chicken. Some people don’t like that. If you tell someone you’re going to make that dish, you better make it. Some people conceptually change things on others without realizing it. It’s funny.

Make sure that if you tell your readership what you’re going to be serving that you actually do make it and don’t end up creating a totally different food dish instead. That’s not to say they won’t eat it, but they were expecting something else based off of what you wrote or implied in your story.

When you say you’re getting desperate and running out of ideas, that’s like being in the kitchen trying to prepare a food dish and you’re just throwing in everything and, most likely, not paying attention to how the ingredients will interact with each other and what seasoning.

• “I guess I’ll throw in some paprika”
• “Well, I’m getting desperate. I’ll add some chili peppers to spice it up”
• “Maybe I’ll throw in chicken breasts”
• “I think I’ll add some squid”

The only time you can get away with that is if you’re making a Stew where you add lots of Water (Knowledge) because anything else just thrown together with piles of seasoning just thrown in won’t usually react well.

The Culinary Arts run parallel to Writing. The reason why Professional Chefs are renowned for their cooking is because they understand all the ingredients and know exactly what kind of effect they want to attain when they add a certain amount of seasoning.

Think of your story as food. You don’t want to give your readers Intellectual Indigestion. it should hit the spot. If it’s really good, they’ll come back for seconds by re-reading your story because they just get enough or will ask you to prepare another meal for them (write another book).

QUESTION:

I’m 44, now I have started to forget things I have done. Pls help me on how to maintain my memories.?
Should I take any food suppliments to make my memory fresh?
I hope someone out there could share this with me. Need some advise.

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REPLY:

You should try to keep your mind active. Try keeping a Journal or something and writing on topics that happen in the Associated Press each day.

If you don’t continue to use your brain and your reasoning skills, it will start to atrophy. The reason why keeping a Journal online is effective is because you can trace your thoughts from what you said earlier.

When your mind isn’t used, it starts to atrophy like any other muscle in the body. My grandmother used to do the Publishing Clearing House Sweepstakes. She was obsessed with it. She’d spend all her time calculating Math and how to win.

My mom said it was a waste of time and forced my Grandmother to quit. The irony is that when my mom finally put a stop to it, my grandmother had nothing else better to do so she’d just sit around staring out the window.

My grandmother, who is now 93, suffers from the final stages of Alzheimer’s Disease. I’m still convinced that if my mom had left my grandmother alone, she would’ve continued to do her sweepstakes.

Maybe she was chasing after nothing, but the whole mental exercise of adding, subtracting, and using her math skills kept her mind active. When she no longer had any outlet, her mind just started to deteriorate and go downhill after that.

Another thing you can do to strengthen your mind is actively participate in answering questions on Yahoo Answers. Tackle some of the thought-provoking questions and see what your mind will come up with.

Your Long-Term Memory is still functioning correctly and the roots of your mind are firmly planted when it comes to your Ideals, Beliefs, and Opinions. By continually expressing your opinion on here and getting our creative juices flowing, you’re keeping your mind active and strengthening it so that you build up Intellectual Stamina.

I’ve heard some people criticize how my answers are long, but it’s because I practice coming up with answers. Because I continually practice every day, it’s like Mental Sparring. It’s like Mentally Jogging every day and keeping your mind in shape.

That’s why when it comes to writing, it’s really easy for me to churn out a full length response that would usually take other people an hour or two to compose. While most people can only intellectually run for about 20 minutes, I can mentally run for about 2 - 4 hours straight in thought.

When you continue to answer questions, your responses get faster. That’s because you’re forging your mind to recall data faster by continually energizing your neural network.

Even if your answers aren’t every good, it improves with time just like with Speed-Reading. When you do Speed-Reading, your comprehension goes down. When you do thinking, your thoughts and quality go down. However, the more you think and the longer your mind functions at a steady pace, your quality of thought starts to improve.

People may scoff at the length of my responses, but I guarantee you that when those other people and I are 90 years old, they’re going to be sitting in some nursing home brain dead with saliva drooling from the corner of their outh while my mind is still going to be as sharp as a whip because I constantly calculate and thinking.

With your mind, you want to continually keep it active. The reason why I like Yahoo Answers is that you also develop a level of Expertise showcasing your Level of Intelligence based off of the percentage of Best Answers you have.

The other nice thing about continuously providing lengthy answers is that people over time can’t claim you’ve been getting ideas elsewhere. They’ll see that it’s based off of original thought and creativity reflecting your Intelligence and Wisdom.

It’s also like a Restaurant. When I give “Food for Thought,” I provide an “Intellectual Buffet” for people to feast on. Other people skimp. You’re getting more for your money when you dine at my Restaurant and having me prepare your Food for Thought. I serve it in so many different ways that it’s much tastier than the drab selection offered by others who answer Questions on here.

When I provide an answer, it’s a huge feast where people can pick and choose what they like to eat rather than short answers where they have to eat what is set in front of them. I think everyone should practice writing and posting answers on Yahoo.to exercise their minds.

Amusingly enough, I’ve had some people make comments about how I don’t give a straight answer. Usually those people just aren’t being creative enough. As an Intellectual Buffet, you can look at everything and select what you like. People who think my answers are long just want everything handed to them on a silver platter and don’t want to look. That hints at Intellectual Laziness.

A lot of people online talk about how they’re intelligent, but there’s really no way to prove that. Yahoo Answers does that because you lay out your answer and the Asker or a group of Voters decide.

It translates your Intelligence into something that is normally Intangible and converts it to something Tangible. You can then use the Yahoo Badges to prove that you give sound advice or are knowledge in certain areas proving that people should take your advice when you recommend solutions.

QUESTION:

please help me to write a letter.?
My boss going to buy a old totota car. I want to involve me in this case.
But I want that he buy a new car. Please help me to write a letter .
Hints –

1.don’t buy old toyoya (mark 2)
2.After few days it will make trouble
3.parts are not available
4.old car needs more fuel then normal cars
5.your personal driver can easily make money with it (lame excuse )
6.the resale value is very low.

So , buy a new one car with VVT-I engine. Its new and fashionable and the best use of money. Personally I don’t like that you purchase a old car without high price.
And aunt is right Provox is a nice car (platz, and x is also ok).

//in this regard add some new points.
……..
yours rimi.
31 minutes ago - 3 day(s) left to answer - 5 answers

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REPLY:

My mom was a Remedial High School English Teacher for 28 years. I’ve also worked in the Sales Field where you have to be persuasive and give a strong argument that justifies the purchase.

You also want to be very courteous since it’s someone else’s money and not yours that will go to purchasing the item in question.

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Dear Sir,

Please consider purchasing a new vehicle rather than a used one. A new vehicle will save you money in the long run.

Purchasing a used Toyota Mark 2 will create problems for you when it comes to maintenance and become more hassle than it is worth.

1. Repair Parts are difficult to obtain
   
2. An older model needs more fuel than newer models, which are more fuel efficient
   
3. Your personal driver will be more reliable because there is little risk of your driver getting stuck or stranded compared to a used vehicle that could break down more easily vs. a new model
   
4. The Resale value for a used vehicle will be lower
   

I respectfully request that you consider getting a new one vehicle with VVT-I Engine. It is new, will have a higher resale value, and it will make beter use of your money.

I feel that purchasing a used vehicle simply to avoid a high sticker price will cost you more in the long run with a used vehicle when it comes to repair

My aunt has suggested that Provox would be better investment. Other alternatives would be a Platz or an X. While it’s true that the initial cost of a new vehicle will be more than a used one, at least you know what you’re paying for.

It is usually difficult to verify the reliability of the used vehicle and what conditions it was under with its previous owner. All the parts are straight from the manufacturer and you are able to keep track of any wear and tear with your newly owned vehicle.

You will save more money and be much happier with a new car.

Respectfully yours,

Rimi

QUESTION:

I would like to know how can martial arts improves someones IQ? and intelligence?
I’m training martial arts,i would like to use it as a major practice which can make me improves my thinking capacity,intelligence,IQ and have a wide range of thinking faster like the late Bruce Lee.

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REPLY:

Martial Arts and Mental Martial Arts go hand in hand because it works on your focus allowing you to absorb information better and process your surroundings.

This example can be seen with people who eat healthy vs. people who eat junk food. When you have the proper diet and nutrition, you think better and learn better.

If you fill yourself with unhealthy foods, your mind is fuzzy and you have a lower attention span. You’ll miss important information if you’re unfocused.

The same can be said with being aware of your surroundings when it comes to self-defense. If you’re not paying attention or your sense are impaired, you won’t be able to defend yourself properly.

Your physical reflexes in Martial Arts mirrors that of your Mental Reflexes when it comes to processing information. People who are slow thinkers are usually out of shape mentally. People who exercise and practice using their minds are able to defend themselves in a verbal debate.

For example, some people have commented on my Answers thinking I’m trying too hard or put in a lot of effort when it comes to writing “lengthy” responses to people. That’s not really the case. It’ve been doing Meditation for 7 years doing heavy thought and introspection. I was also writing for 11 years so it comes easy to me.

My responses that I give are full responses equivalent to going through a whole bunch of moves. Other people who aren’t used to thinking on a higher level or exercising their minds every day just give short responses because their minds usually haven’t developed the Intellectual Stamina.

People who write a lot are just like Martial Arts Masters. When you first start out, your writing is terrible. However, the more you practice, the better you get. The same thing happens with you practicing Martial Arts and becoming proficient. Your reflexes are faster, you move faster, and you’re able to deal with multiple threats..

This is the same way people who practice martial arts have quick reflexes where they can do all kinds of moves effortlessly. When I come up with an answer, it’s because my mind’s mentally agile. It doesn’t take me long to formulate answers that are 5 or 6 paragraphs long.

That’s because I practice daily. When I answer questions, it keeps my mind in shape and allows me to think faster in the same way that practicing physical moves for self-defense start coming naturally and where you block, punch, and kick faster.

When it comes to IQ, continuous practice of fundamental moves to the point of having them down allows you to start doing more complex moves.

The same thing goes for thought and intelligence. The more you practice basic thought and common sense, the more you are able to build an start stringing together more complex answers and replies to things people say to you.

Knowledge is power. Power is energy. When you have a focused mind, you learn how to channel that energy. In Martial Arts, you focus your power with your body. When it comes to Mental Energy, you focus it in the same way when you formulate thought and respond to others in Communication.

People who don’t practice using their head for Mental Martial Arts are the equivalent of people who just throw a punch that doesn’t hit hard and it’s not even centered.

When it comes to giving a solid response, your entire mind should move with your argument in the same way that your entire body moves physically when you deliver a punch.

Most people who don’t exercise their minds to keep it limber usually just give a weak answer. That’s like only using their arm. You aren’t using your torso, being in the correct stance, and moving your entire body to reinforce that punch.

People who understand Mind, Body, and Spirit see that Life tends to mimic itself on all levels to where you can apply the same pattern to other aspects of your life.

When it comes to Mental Martial Arts, you string concepts together faster. It heightens your Analytical Problem-Solving Skills to where you come up with ideas and figure out solutions faster than other people who are “mentally lazy” or don’t practice using their heads to solve things.

That’s why your question is a valid one when it comes to trying to develop harmony with your Mind along with your Body.

QUESTION:

letter correction needed?

16/09/06

TO: FAM / GM,

As per the attached repair request, the existing Automatic Door (Location :A3) at garage is not working and due for repair. The cost of repairing charges will be @ Qr. 8,500/- (quotation attached). This door has installed during August, 2005 and warranty is over.

Since we are facing frequent complaint from Garage for this door and spending increasingly for each and every time of repairing is not worth and it is discussed with Mr. Peter Karol, Service Manager, he advised that instead of repairing the existing door it is better to go for a new one which will cost us Qr. 6,900/- (offer of M/s. Al Rawami is attached along with) for Roll-up shutter. Since the repairing cost is too high than the new one of Roll-up shutter.

Similar type door we have already installed at Garage at A4 door.

For your information and approval please.

Regards,

Kumaresan
Asst.Procurement Manager
29 minutes ago - 3 day(s) left to answer - 5 answers

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REPLY:

My mom was a Remedial English High School Teacher for 28 years and really strict about grammar and composition.

Bear in mind that you’re also attempting to solicit money from this individual and you should specify how much money will be saved by getting a new door rather than repairing the old one. That’s why you mention the 1600 that will be saved compared to repairing the old one and how there will still be mounting costs from continuous repair..

It’s not just about including the estimates, but writing a persuasive argument that shows the person who is going to be putting up the money how they save money and won’t have to spend more. That means being specific and spelling out how much more it costs with that 1600 to fix an old door and with no guarantee of how long it will last.

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TO: FAM / GM,

The Garage Door for Unit A3 is once again broken and in need of repair. The door was installed August 2005 and is past warranty. Attached is a repair estimate for the existing Automatic Door for Unit A3. Repair costs will be Qr. 8,500/- (See Price Quote attached).

We received complaints about this Garage Door in the past. Continually spending for repair is not worth it in the long run. Mr. Peter Karol, the Service Manager, advised that it is better to install a new one.

M/s. Al Rawami said it will only cost us Qr. 6,900/-, which will include a Roll-Up Shutter. This will save an initial 1600 Qr. and ensure that no other repair costs will follow compared to indefinitely repairing the old garage door with no guarantee as to when it will break once more as it already has in the past.

The new garage door is same model installed on the Garage Door of Unit A4.

We request a response and your approval as soon as possible. Thank you.

Regards,

Kumaresan
Asst.Procurement Manager

QUESTION:

Help please?
I am writing an essay on global warming. I got the introduction pretty much down but I need 2-3 more sentences for my first body paragraph. Please give constructive criticism. The 10 points will go to whoever is the most helpful.

Global Warming

Imagine a world just like “The Day After Tomorrow”. Tsunami’s engulfing entire cities, earth quakes splitting roads apart, and hail the size of baseballs. Global warming is causing numerous radical changes in earth’s climate. These natural disasters may have a man-made cause but becoming pro-active can prevent a Hollywood movie from becoming reality.

Did you know that America produces more carbon dioxide then China, Japan, and India combined? Coal plants are to blame for more then 40% of our carbon dioxide. Cars are causing huge amounts of carbon dioxide. For every single gallon of gasoline you use 20 pounds of carbon dioxide is emitted.

28 minutes ago - 3 day(s) left to answer - 2 answers

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REPLY:It helps to have people read your stuff out loud so that you can see how it rolls off the tongue. You can also read it out loud to yourself to see how it sounds.

I also notice you tend to use “are doing” or “are _____ing.” Sometimes it’s just better to use fewer words and stick with the verb so it’s more clear and concise.

Stay away from “may ______” in an essay. If it’s persuasive, just say that it will because it’s not as firm, which can detract from the position or stand you’re trying to make. When you say “may,” it sounds like you’re not thoroughly convinced of your argument.

If you’ve done your research and you’re passionate about the position you’re taking, you’re sure and have the research to back it up. You want a forceful argument and to go after the topic head on, not sound hesitant or wishy washy for the sake of politeness.

With such arguments, you want to avoid “it may happen” or “this could happen.” You want to convince the reader so you use phrases indicating that “it will happen.”

You want to stir people to action. If you say use passive words that appear to be more of a want vs. stating an actual “need,” people will be more “ho hum” about it.

You want to create urgency You want to show that this earth is deteriorating as we speak and people need to put a stop to it now. Not next week or next month, but now.

===
Imagine a world just like 2004 “The Day After Tomorrow” starring Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal. The movie gives an apocalyptic portrayal of the earth. It is a result of humankind’s negligence, ignoring the Signs, and failure to set up preventative measures to curb the effects of Global Warming.

In the movie, tsunamis engulf entire cities. Earthquakes split roads apart. Hail stones are the size of baseballs. Global warming creates radical changes in earth’s climate. These natural disasters are man-made. Becoming proactive with environmental groups can prevent this Hollywood movie from becoming reality.

America produces more carbon dioxide then China, Japan, and India combined. Coal plants are to blame for more then 40% of our carbon dioxide. Cars use huge emit large amounts of carbon dioxide. For every single gallon of gasoline, the car releases 20 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

QUESTION:

Any suggestions?
Hi, ive been learning english for quite a long time and i SHOULD be an advanced learner. However, the problem is that i dont use advanced language when writing essays or in a group discussion. I know some great expressions, idioms and stuff like that, but i simply cant recall them when i need them. So my essays are full of words like “nice”, “good”, “bad” . What should i do to be able to USE these sophisticated expressions i know so that they dont just “hide” somewhere deep in my brain? Im taking an important exam this year so i would like to improve as much as possible.

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REPLY:

There are some web sites that email you a new vocabulary word a day. There are also sites that you can visit that will focus on a word a day.

The other way to enhance your vocabulary if you have the time is to expose yourself ot as much literature as possible. If you take time to read something like the Wall Street Journal, Medical Journals, or topics on Law, you’ll continually expose yourself to new words and see them being used in context.

You could try doing a search on Blogs where Professors from various Universities discuss politics. Better yet, find a topic that really interests you and a Blog or Journal you can read on a daily basis by an individual whose level of writing and vocabulary you admire.

On Yahoo Answers, you can add certain people whose advice you like. Pay attention to who gives good advice and where their command of the language indicates that they know how to articulate themselves clearly and concisely.

By exposing yourself to examples of good writing, your own writing and the way you speak will also improve.

I can vouch for this because my stepdad didn’t graduate from high school. My mom has two Bachelors Degrees in Psychology and Social Work and a Masters in Education. After the 17th year of marriage, I was impressed to see that my dad’s vocabulary had improved because he was used to listening to the way my mom spoke.

In my case, I’ve been practicing with writing for 11 years now. Because I’ve been writing for so long, I can come up with long answers every easiliy because the flow of thought comes naturally now. That came with practice and 7 years of meditation very much like a Monk.

Most people no longer practice the art of writing nowadays or getting their creative juices flowing.

When you practice writing, it’s just like Speed-Reading. In Speed-Reading, your Comprehension and Intelligence actually goes down at the beginning. However, as you continue to maintain a high rate of speed, your mind is forced to adjust and keep up. So your Comprehension finally starts to catch up to that rate of reading that you do.

The same applies in writing long answers. When you first start out, most of what you write is going to be crap. It’s way too much information, unfocused, and where you go off on tangents. However, the longer you keep on writing and expressing your thoughts, the more your mind starts to get used to it.

Your mind will then begin to organize your thoughts better and where you’ll have more coherent thought and where your thoughts are more clear.

From a Business Perspective, they say the best formula is to go for Quantity and then focus on Quality. You go for volume. When it comes to writing and getting your creative juices flowing, you want to get as many thoughts out as possible. You get in the habit of that and then you can start focusing on the Quality of the Thought.

Most people go the other way around where they strive for Perfection. They want to come up with really good ideas. However, they’ll usually tend to run dry because they have few ideas to begin with.

This example applies to your situation because you’ve stated that you seem to have difficulty coming up with new words. The best way to come up with new adjectives is to write more because you’ll force your mind to stretch. You’ll notice all the times that you’re using the same words and want new words to use.

If you’re doing Word Processing and you’ve got an Internet Connection, keep a web browser page open to a Dictionary or Thesaurus web site that provides Synonyms. Then when you’re searching or a word to use, you can input the word you thought of, hit the send button, and then get a list. Then you’ll have a new word you can use and remember for the next time.

QUESTION:

Anybody need advice?
I’m trying to start a new advice column, because many people say I’m good at it. =]

So if you have a trouble, and cannot figure it out in any way, shape or form, come to me, just ask your question.
I’ll help you the best I can.

And by the way, please support my cause!! I think I can do some good things for people!!!
=]

Additional Details

15 minutes ago
I check my mail once a day. So please wait for me to get back to you!!!

I help with ALLLL sorts of friendship/fam problems…. so email soon!

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REPLY:

That’s neat. Your enthusiasm is definitely helpful and will cheer people up knowing there’s a sympathetic ear. You should definitely do the Advice Column. Depending on if you can get any Financial Aid, you could even start an Online Newspaper Publication.

It’s never too early to start. In fact, I think it’s actually healthy when people start practicing early because it gets their creative juices flowing and develops their analytical abilities and problem-solving skills.

It’s especially good for sharpening your writing skills and ability to communicate. I’ve been writing for 11 years and answering questions and giving advice helps you practice the way you formulate ideas and put them down on paper. You also learn how to explain things in ways that people can understand more easily.

I’ve been doing the same thing where I’ve been keeping an Advice Column where I keep record of all the people’s questions that I answer:

http://rodillon.com/advice

WordPress is a really great Software Program to use. If you have your own web site, you can start posting your advice column. It only costs about $50.00 to set up your own web site and then $10.00/month.

WordPress is nice because it allows you to organize things into Categories. So if you want to refer back to old advice you gave to others, you can recycle it by skimming through the entries in that particular category.

The other nice thing about having your own site is that if you have something like WordPress, you or others can do a Search Function of Key Words on a topic that is restricted only to your site. It will bring up all relevant entries that have such key words typed in.

The other advantage of documenting all the advice you give and having a site is so that people who want to check out the quality of your advice can sift through your previous answers to get a feel for how you answer questions and your level of experience on certain subject matter that pertains to their question they want to ask you.

If you have family or friends that are willing to help you do this project, it would be a constructive hobby that could even possibly turn into a career for you. The more advice you’ve given and readers you have that agree with your advice, the better.

I don’t know if people would go for E-mailing you directly unless there’s some form of Anonymity. At least on here, any messages you send keep E-mail Addresses private. However, there’s a limited amount of character space that will truncate your answers.

People tend to be skittish about revealing any personal details about themselves. However, it’s to your advantage being female since women are perceived as less threatening than males.

You may also find yourself a target market niche if you’re able to provide sound advice for people within your age demographic since some people would prefer to talk to someone their own age or whom they can relate to.

QUESTION:

For anyone in the writing business?
Why is it that some publishers do not welcome unsolicited manuscripts?

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REPLY:

It’s to avoid liability. If they read a manuscript, they could get sued. It’s the same in the Film and Entertainment Industry.

If you saw what happened to Dan Brown who wrote “Da Vinci Code,” authors from another book claimed that he got information from their book. They tried to sue him for a couple million in England, but they lost.

Who needs the anxiety or worry?

I was once about to do a joint business venture with another individual, but I was lucky that it fell through. If I had mingled my research with his, he could’ve come back on me later on and claimed that I stole his work or took ideas from him. He could’ve demanded payment or a percentage of whatever I make.

However, because I had zero contact with him and never once shared any information or asked him about his research, he can’t accuse me of stealing any of his intellectual property.

We now live in a world where people will sue you for just about anything. It’s better to travel through safer channels and where you know that you’ve got a safe script that you’re working with.

It’s not worth the risk and headache dealing with unknowns. Although this is not a very clean example, it’s like sex partners where you don’t know what their sexual history. They could have a venereal disease you don’t know about.

Getting tested is the equivalent of going through the appropriate channels to make sure that the person is clean.

You see the same thing just about anywhere. For example, you don’t know me. I’m a complete stranger to you. Imagine if I offer you something.

Won’t it cross your mind as to what the catch is or if there are some strings attached?

It’s the same reason why people get irritated with scams. If you don’t know the source or where it’s coming from, don’t open it.

Same goes for E-mail from strangers that could contain a malcious virus. If you don’t know the person, don’t open that E-mail. Trash it.

It’s unfortunate that we live in a world where people have to be suspicious or be careful.

Disney paid the price for that with “Monsters, Inc.” They made the characters after something someone drew. An animator at Disney thumbing through the records accidentally took that concept not realizing it belonged to someone else who submitted it to Disney and didn’t obtain the permission.

That’s why I work alone and avoid accepting ideas from other people so no one can accuse me of taking anyone else’s work.

In my case, I get criticized by people for writing so much. It’s visible in my Blogs and the content of my Answers here. However, it works in my favor because when people look at the consistency of the sheer volume of content that I write, they know that the ideas are coming from me and my wealth of knowledge.

I’m not taking it from anyone else because no one could come up with answers as quickly as I do and write as much content.

QUESTION:

does anyone know any sites where you can put up stuff you write?
except fanfic.net

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REPLY:

It depends on what you mean by “put up.” Do you mean for seeking an audience and publication or a Blog that is available for people to visit if you give them a link?

There are Economics Professors that have a huge following using Blogspot.com. The nice part about Blogspot is that you can create a special section where other people can be on your “News Staff” and also post articles if you want to put it in a Newspaper Format.

If you mean simple Blog posting where you will refer people to your Blog, Live Journal seems to have the most consistent and stable site. There are a lot of Blog Sites floating around, but LJ’s style is really designed for serious bloggers.

For people who don’t want to spend anything and don’t mind the ads that LJ posts, you can create a rudimentary Search System if you set the Titles of your Blog Entries to have Key Words for when you do a search on previous topics.

MySpace has its own Blog Section, but it’s not very good for reviewing back entries. It doesn’t have a Search Engine method. I have over 2,000 Blog Entries and even attempting to look through previous back entries is a pain.

Depending on how serious you are about a Publication, getting your own web site that is $9.00/month and installing WordPress is worth the investment. You can customize your searches that are strictly limited to your site alone.

For example, I have two publications. One is for my Psychic Blog that lists out Psychic Predictions. Then I keep a completely separate Blog that is for a strictly Non-Psychic Advice Column.

WordPress allows you to do the same thing as Blogspot, but it’s specifically tailored to your web site and you have the option of creating different themes. With Blogspot, you’re limited to the arrangement that one layout they give you.

With WordPress, you have direct control over the users, who can comment on your pages, assigning user accounts for people who are going to be on your page also publishing related events.