Tsimshian Nation

Writing – Showing Vs Telling Defined

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Showing vs. Telling

What separates many writers is the ability to recognize when to utilize which technique. A suggestion is to always write the scene in a Show format, knowing that you can always change to the Tell medium if you wish to provide readers with a chance to catch their breath.

The last statement should also explain the main flaw with Telling, as it can very often retard the pace of the scene.

Telling the Action

Jack was having a tough time with life. Everything he was doing lately had seemed to turn out wrong. Even the simplest aspects of his daily activities had begun to take their toll. Look at what happened when he got out of bed in the morning. He had stumbled around, as if in a blue funk. He’d been hurt when he’d fallen against his dresser and pulled it over while he was trying to right himself. He didn’t care who might have heard him throwing the unit against the wall or the damage it might have caused. And after he made his way into the bathroom and began to prepare himself for another day, he wasn’t sure if it was worth it.

Showing the Action

Like life itself, Jack could not find his balance. He fell against the chest of drawers and caught himself before

Product Launching Tips – Organization

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

A product launch is quite an involved process. Because of this, probably the most important part of your launch is organization. If you’re not used to being organized, this can be quite a challenge. So where do you begin? This article is going to go over some of the basic items that you’re going to need to get organized if you’re product launch is going to go over well.

You can break up your product launch into three basic areas; the pre launch, launch and post launch. The pre launch is the most complex part of the whole process simply because there is so much planning. There is the creating of the buzz, which I touched on in an earlier article, the product creation process itself, notification of your JV partners, creation of your promotional material, and a bucketful of other items, not the least of which is making sure your product creation company, assuming it’s a physical product, and you are on the same page so that everything goes right in the creation process itself.

The launch itself is critical. You need to make sure that your hosting company is ready for the avalanche of prospects that are about to hit your sales page. If the pre buzz went as hoped, you’re going to get traffic the likes of which you’ve never seen before. If the hosting company isn’t prepared to handle this, you could end up with a real mess on your hands. And of course you have to make sure that all the launch emails go out on time from you and your JV partners. Timing is critical in this part of the launch.

And then of course there is the post launch. You’re going to have prospects and customers emailing you with questions. You’re going to have to make sure that there were no problems with the payment and delivery processes. If anything goes wrong, this has to be handled during the post launch phase. You hope for the best but expect the worst as the last thing you want is to be taken by surprise. A serious problem during the post launch phase can cause massive refunds or worse…loss of credibility and reputation.

A product launch is an involved process, but if it’s carried out in a methodical manner, there is no reason why it can’t be smooth and profitable.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Organization, Not Clutter

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Has your house turned into a crowded mess of junk stuffed everywhere? Do you remember when you first moved in how the empty building made you envision all sorts of wonderful things you would create in your space? Wouldn’t it be nice to reclaim that feeling of solace and expectation that you had then?

The first step in organizing is to clear up the clutter that has taken over your house. Do you have piles everywhere? Is every horizontal surface covered? Start by sorting out the clutter. You may have to put the things you want to keep into temporary boxes and save them until you can organize the rooms and have a place to put them. But you won’t even know how much space you need until you have cleared up the mess.

Cleaning Up the Clutter Is the First Step.

Don’t let the massiveness of the task overwhelm you. You can start small. The Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” The important thing is to take that first step. What pile is most in your way? Maybe it’s the pile of old magazines in the corner of the living room. Or maybe the pile of bills, receipts, owner’s manuals, and such that are on the kitchen counter. Or maybe the pile of clothes in the bedroom that all need to be repaired before they’re wearable.

Whatever pile bothers you most is where you should start. And don’t feel like you need to sort it all out in a day (or a weekend). It most likely took years to accumulate all the clutter, so be kind to yourself and give yourself plenty of time to clean it up. Promise yourself a reward for at least starting. Set yourself a small, achievable goal so you’ll earn that reward as well as a great feeling of accomplishment. Since decluttering often takes longer than you’d expect, set a timer for a predetermined amount of time and you’ll be able to say you met your goal–you spent a certain amount of time working on the mess, even if you didn’t completely clear any particular area.

You’ll probably have to throw some of the clutter away. How about that dress you haven’t worn in ten years that’s long gone out of fashion? Or what about the fondue set an old boyfriend gifted to you–but you can’t stand fondue? Remember the common advice: “If you haven’t used it in the past year, get rid of it.” Maybe you’re like me and can’t stand to throw things away. I found that I was a lot more willing to get rid of things if someone else would use them. I located a local Freecycle group, where people could offer unwanted items and others would respond and pick them up. I was absolutely amazed at the wide variety of things recycled there. As people say, “one’s man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” If there isn’t a Freecycle group in your hometown, check for local thrift stores or charities, who always want items.

Creating a Place for Everything Is the Second Step.

Once you’ve created some room–not just for your belongings, but so you can just breathe–it’s time to think about organizing what’s left. You can’t have everything in its place if things just don’t have a place.

Look at what you have left in the various rooms, and think what would be the best place for all the items. You might even want to sketch the furniture you have available and what belongs where. Think of spots where you could fit some extra storage–there’s often room under the bed that goes to waste. Or how about on the floor behind a recliner that sits out from the wall? There are all sorts of colorful crates and baskets that could be décor accents while holding some of that formerly unorganized stuff. After all, clutter is basically just “stuff” that isn’t where it belongs.

Once you have everything organized, be sure to sit down and enjoy it. That enjoyment of space and organization will give you incentive to keep it that way.