Internet Slang and Writing

The phenomenon you are about to read of is an atrocity that is being faced in classrooms across the US, from middle school through college, and it a blight upon the fair face of good writing conventions.  What could be so terrible as to warrant such a response?  Why, only the use of internet slang and text-speak in formal writing.  It has become so problematic that some students are actually using emoticons on test papers for essay question responses.  Emoticons.  Yes, really. (more…)

Freelance Writing

Freelance writing is not normally a very lucrative career for a writer, but it can be a great source of additonal income for anyone who has a day job, or who maybe writes full time as a staff writer for a newspaper or magazine and just wants to earn a little extra cash.  Payments for freelance work tend to be somewhat irregular in terms of both timing and the rates of pay you can expect to earn.  Much depends on who you are writing for. (more…)

Writing a Novel Outline

A new beginning, for me, is always embarked upon with an impatient eye for the new ending that necessarily glows in the distance with all the allure of a warm, crackling fire on a lightless, chilling winter’s eve.  What lies between page one and the end is at once a hindrance and a challenge to traverse — but the journey must be made if a story is to be the result.  I don’t really adore the idea of writing a novel outline.  It seems to limit the direction the story or characters may want to take.  Jumping in with both eyes closed is like writing “by the seat of your pants.”  It’s spontaneous, fun, and ridiculously more complicated than it has to be.  But that’s the many writers prefer to write. (more…)

Professional Writing in the 21st Century

Professional writing is an evolving profession. The rapid progress of communication and information technologies has forced this evolution upon everyone, even the unwilling grumps among us. The days of hammering away at a word processor, notes and papers spread across a table, may soon be over. Professional writing today requires a broader skill set, more flexibility and, if possible, more creativity than ever before. There are new venues, new markets and new possibilities to explore. Sticking to traditional ways of doing business is simply not an option.

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