New to tech-writing, or thinking about starting? The key to success is recognising that tech-writers are a necessary evil.

Tech-writers are necessary because someone has to write the user doco. The programmers and managers sure as hell don’t want to. This is actually part of the reason that you’re evil, too. In my experience, most programmers and managers think that they could write the manuals if they wanted to… they just don’t want to. They might not write all “flowery” like the tech-writers, but what they write is correct.

Unfortunately, that’s quite often all that’s important to programmers and managers. There is a feeling within the software environment that accuracy = quality. Audience analysis, doco readability, consistency, usability, active and passive voice, commas in a list of three or more items… All of these things are relatively unimportant to everyone but the tech-writer. Oh… and the user.

In a world where accuracy is all important, a lot goes over the head of the dummy. I don’t know if it’s intellectual snobbery, but programmers and managers seem to think that if they understand it, so should the user. It doesn’t matter whether or not they do… they SHOULD! Stupid users! Maybe it’s the geek’s ultimate revenge…

Your document can be 100% accurate, but if the audience can’t read it, you’ve wasted your time.

So why doesn’t anyone acknowledge this? They do! That’s the weird part. In theory, everyone agrees with you, it’s just in practice that you find yourself out in the cold. I don’t know why this happens. Maybe it’s because most of these guys have never done tech-writing.

So tech-writers spend too long worrying about unimportant things. And they bother programmers and managers with unimportant things. But they’re necessary things. Otherwise why would you be employed. Maybe the absence of simple logic short circuits their brains. Who knows?

What we can get out of this is that there’s a feeling that tech-writers waste time, and as a result, they’re pretty much at the bottom of the heap in the software world. I think a good analogy is the way some rich see the poor. Dirty little creatures… if only we could do without them…

But there is an up-side. I don’t want you thinking it’s all bad.

Being at the bottom of the heap has its advantages. You can go unnoticed for years if you want. If you haven’t seen the movie, Office Space, you should hire it. There’s a little ferrety bloke in that who was “let go” years ago. Problem is, no one ever told him, and because of a glitch in payroll he still got paid. No one ever noticed.

Being a tech-writer’s a bit like that.

When I was managing doco teams, my favourite saying was “All we have to do is manage their expectations and our commitments”. Because programmers and managers resign themselves to the fact that they don’t know what’s going on in the doco team, there’s sometimes a temptation to slacken off. Don’t give in to this temptation!!! If you ever get caught, doing it, it’ll be like the boy who cried wolf – they’ll never believe your estimates again!

The other risk is that you’ll lose your sense of urgency. And that’s a big part of what makes a good worker. You should be very strict about managing your commitments. This requires discipline, because sometimes it seems you’re the only one that cares, but you have to do it.

One thing you should be aware of though, is that your average tech-writer in software spends only about 50% of his or her time writing. The rest of your time is spent planning, problem solving, fixing your computer, researching, interviewing the programmers, writing work pracs…

I always found it was a good balance, though.

It was when I started managing teams that the bottom really fell out. Then the percentage dropped to about 10-20%. There were times when I’d go months without writing any help at all. That can be very frustrating, especially if you don’t particularly like managing.

Now managing tech-writers in software is an interesting thing. As with most technology management positions, you kinda fall into it, because you’re the most senior/experienced person in the company. Unfortunately, that doesn’t qualify you to be a manager. Software companies are renowned for dumping people into management roles without any real training or support.

I don’t really have any advice for you here. If it’s gonna happen, it’ll happen. Just be aware of it, and know that if you fall into a management role, it’s gonna be difficult. (That’s not to say that it can’t be rewarding though…)

The ironic thing is that the most difficult aspect of it is that your staff are screaming at you to change the system. “The programmers don’t answer our questions!” “None of my work has been reviewed for the last 2 months!” “The project manager just told me to forget about quality!”

Unfortunately, the inexperienced tech-writer is often nave enough to think they can change the system. Once you become a manager, you know you can’t. Hold on a minute… Maybe apathy is what qualifies you to be a manager… Hmmmm.

In any case, my advice is not to push too hard. You’ll make life hard for your manager, and give yourself a bad reputation. Recognise you’re a necessary evil, and work within those constraints.

Tech-writing can be a lot of fun. And don’t let anyone tell you it’s not creative. Trying to think of a way to describe what goes in the Name field without just saying “Enter the name” is a real mind-boggler!

* Glenn Murray is a website copywriter, SEO copywriter, and article submission and article PR specialist. He is a director of article PR company Article PR and also of copywriting studio Divine Write. He can be contacted on Sydney +612 4334 6222 or at glenn@divinewrite.com. Visit www.DivineWrite.com or www.ArticlePR.com for further details, more FREE articles, or to download his FREE SEO e-book.

Whether you’re trying to find an editor for your book, or a producer to pitch your story to, sometimes it’s all about networking. If you still have 999 of the 1,000 business cards you ordered, you’re not getting out there enough. It’s time to step out from behind that computer and strike networking gold.

One of the first laws of networking is that you want to get to know the people you’re networking with. If you’re at a writers conference or networking luncheon, don’t just pass out business cards, take the time to get to know people. When you meet industry partners, jot down a few notes on the back of their business cards so you don’t lost this potentially valuable information.

When you’re building your network, be generous with your help and information. The people you’re networking with will remember and appreciate your generosity. Next, you’ll want to stay on their radar screen. If I don’t regularly dialog with a particular contact, I try to send them a note or set up a lunch at least once every six months (more when I can). When you’re staying in touch with people, let them know if you’re offering a new service or product and always remember to send thank you notes whenever you get a referral from them.

If your objective is to join some networking groups, remember that these are not all created equal. Some groups and events are better than others and some are just straight out time wasters. When you first start pursuing networking events, you’ll find that many are just “luncheons” meaning that a few entrepreneurs get together and hash out their difficulties/ideas/challenges over lunch. If this is what you’re after, great! But more than likely you’ll want to attend events that can sell you books, get you new business or a combination of both. Keep in mind also that some networking events cost money to join, weigh the benefits of membership before you plunk down some cash, the better organizations don’t always need to cost a lot, often you can find networking organizations that only charge a small fee at the door to cover room expenses, etc.

The next thing you’ll want to look at when attending a networking meeting is supply and demand. If you’re promoting your business and looking for leads, you probably won’t want to go to a meeting where there are a number of people doing the same thing you are. Unless it’s an association (which are great too) you’ll want to look for meetings that have a good balance in attendees.

The other obvious choice for writers is writers conferences. But much like networking meetings they are not all created equal. Once you determine that you want to attend a conference, start “shopping” for the right one to attend. You’ll need to find a conference that fits your writing needs right now. For example if you’re still in the throes of getting into the craft of writing, perhaps a writing retreat is more suited to your needs. If you’ve already written a book and are deciding what to do with it, then a more advanced conference will work better for you. In either case, peruse their web sites carefully. Recommendations are great but remember, attending the wrong conference can be a waste of your time and money. Spend both of these commodities wisely!

Whether you’re meeting a producer for coffee, attending a networking event or going to your first writers conference there are a few tips that you’ll want to keep in mind. First, whenever you collect business cards, take a few minutes to jot down some notes on the back before proceeding onto your next prospect. You can note some of the discussion you had or what your follow up action might be. Next, you’ll want to follow up while the contact is still fresh. Especially if you’re at a writers conference or some other big event where there’s a lot of networking.

There’s nothing like networking to build your business or sell books, remember that much like marketing networking is all about relationships. Building them, supporting them, and, ultimately, benefiting from them. Like anything, becoming a good networker takes time and effort, but when done correctly, it’s worth all the work you put into it because you never know, networking gold today might mean a spot on Oprah tomorrow.

About the author:

Penny C. Sansevieri
The Cliffhanger was published in June of 2000. After a strategic marketing campaign it quickly climbed
the ranks at Amazon.com to the ##1 best selling book in San Diego. Her most recent book: From Book to Bestseller was released in 2005 to rave reviews and is being called the “roadmap to publishing success.” Penny is a book marketing and media relations specialist. She also coaches authors on projects, manuscripts and marketing plans and instructs a variety of coursing on publishing and promotion. To learn more about her books or her promotional services, you can visit her web site at www.amarketingexpert.comTo subscribe to her free ezine, send a blank email to: mailto:subscribe@booksbypen.com
Copyright 2005 Penny C. Sansevieri

ADAPTATION 101

Brimming with confidence, you’ve just signed the check purchasing the rights to adapt John Doe’s fabulous, but little known novel, Lawrence of Monrovia, to screenplay form. Suddenly, panic sets in. “What was I thinking? How the devil am I going to convert this 400-page novel to a 110-page screenplay?”

The answer is: “The same way you transport six elephants in a Hyundai… three in the front seat and three in the back!”

Old and very bad jokes aside, how does one pour ten gallons of story into a one-gallon jug?

In this article, we’ll take a look at this challenge and a few others that a writer may encounter when adapting a novel to screenplay form.

CHALLENGE NUMBER ONE – LENGTH

Screenplays rarely run longer than 120 pages. Figuring one page of a screenplay equals one minute of film, a 120-page screenplay translates into a two-hour motion picture. Much longer than that and exhibitors lose a showing, which translates to fewer six-cent boxes of popcorn sold for $5.99 at the refreshment stand. It took the author of your source material 400 pages to tell the story. How can you possibly tell the same story in 110 pages, the ideal length for a screenplay by today’s industry standards?

And the answer to this question is no joke. “You can’t! Don’t even try!”

Instead, look to capture the essence and spirit of the story. Determine the through-line and major sub-plot of the story and viciously cut everything else.

By “through-line” I mean, WHO (protagonist) wants WHAT (goal), and WHO (antagonist) or WHAT (some other force) opposes him or her? It helps to pose the through-line as a question.

“Will Dorothy find her way back to Kansas despite the evil Wicked Witch of the West’s efforts to stop her?”

The same needs to be done for the major sub-plot.

“Will Dorothy’s allies achieve their goals despite the danger they face as a result of their alliance?”

One workable technique is to read the book, set it aside for a few weeks, and then see what you still remember of the story’s through-line. After all, your goal is to excerpt the most memorable parts of the novel, and what you remember best certainly meets that criterion.

In most cases, everything off the through-line or not essential to the major sub-plot has to go. Develop your outline, treatment or “beat sheet” accordingly.

CHALLENGE NUMBER TWO – VOICE

Many novels are written in the first person. The temptation to adapt such, using tons of voiceovers, should be resisted. While limited voiceovers can be effective when properly done, remember that audiences pay the price of admission to watch a MOTION (things moving about) PICTURE (stuff you can SEE). If they wanted to HEAR a story they’d visit their Uncle Elmer who drones on for hour upon hour about the adventures of slogging through the snow, uphill, both ways, to get to and from school when he was a kid, or perhaps they’d buy a book on tape.

The old screenwriting adage, “Show, don’t tell!” applies more than ever when writing an adaptation.

CHALLENGE NUMBER THREE – “LONG-THINKING”

Some tribes of American Indians had a word to describe those of their brethren who sat around thinking deep thoughts. Literally the word translated to, “THE DISEASE OF LONG-THINKING”. Quite often, lead characters in novels suffer from this disease.

“Mike knew in his heart that Judith was no good. Yet she caused such a stirring in his loins, he could think of nothing else. He feared someday he would give in to this temptation named Judith, and his surrender would surely bring about the end of his marriage!”

If adapted directly, how on Earth would a director film the above? All we would SEE is Mike sitting there, “long-thinking”. That is not very exciting to say the least. And as mentioned previously, voiceovers are rarely the best solution.

When essential plot information is presented only in a character’s thought or in the character’s internal world, one solution is to give this character a sounding board, another character, to which his thoughts can be voiced aloud. Either adapt an existing character from the novel or create a new one. Of course as always, you should avoid overly obvious exposition by cloaking such dialogue in conflict, or through some other technique. Even better, figure out a way to express the character’s dilemma or internal world through action in the external world.

CHALLENGE NUMBER FOUR – WHAT STORY?

Mark Twain is quoted as saying about Oakland, California, “There’s no there, there”. Similarly, some novels, even successful ones, are very shy on story and rely for the most part on style and character to create an effect. Some prose writers are so good at what they do, that their artful command of the language alone is enough to maintain reader interest. Such is never the case in screenwriting.

Successfully adapting a “no-story-there” novel to screenplay form is a daunting task. One approach is to move away from direct adaptation toward, “story based upon”. Use the brilliant background and characters created by the original author as a platform from which to launch a screen story. In fact, if for any reason a screenplay doesn’t lend itself to screenplay form, consider moving toward a “based upon” approach, rather than attempting a direct adaptation.

Congratulations! You’re now an expert on adapting novels to screenplay form! Well maybe not an expert, but hopefully you have a better understanding of how to approach the subject than you did ten minutes ago. And if the subject still seems too daunting, you can always get professional help as outlined on our web page http://www.coverscript.com/adaptation.html

Copyright © 2004 Lynne Pembroke and Jim Kalergis, Coverscript.com

Lynne Pembroke and Jim Kalergis

Coverscript.com

URL: http://www.coverscript.com

Email: pemburger@aol.com

Lynne Pembroke is a writer, poet, screenwriter and owner of Coverscript.com, with over 18 years of experience in screenwriting and screenplay analysis helping individual writers, screenwriting competitions, agents, studios, producers and script consulting companies. Services include screenplay, TV script and treatment analysis, ghostwriting, rewriting and adaptation of novel to screenplay. Jim Kalergis is a working screenwriter experienced in the art of adaptation. Visit http://www.coverscript.com for details.

It’s the week before your anniversary and you either completely forgot about it or haven’t managed to find a hotel at a decent price. You just found out you’ve got a long week off and you really want to surprise your significant other by spending a romantic time in a lovely hotel. Or you really want to escape the town for couple of days but haven’t really planned it before. Sounds excellent, but will there be any rooms available on such a short notice? And will those rooms be affordable? Fear not, as booking last minute hotels will actually save you a lot of money than if you booked the room some time ago. Why? Instead of running on empty rooms and losing the rooms’ price, a good hotel manager would rather give those rooms at very low prices in an effort to cut loses. In many cases, such special offers are paired with other facilities to create incredible deals on travel. They will please anyone who is on the lookout for a getaway on a short notice or for those who have the “ability” to completely forget about a special event and need to do something about it really fast. If you like to check out such offers often, you’ll soon realize that luxury hotels can be booked at the fraction of the regular price but the offer is valid for a very short amount of time. Or it’s available only when the last couple of rooms are available for booking. In either case, acting fast on such opportunities is a must.

It was recently brought to my attention that people know nothing about stocks. They own a share of something and believe it means that they are basically betting on the success of that business, which is true, but they are ignorant of the dependencies their stock has to do with other variables. Market sways, supply/demand, wars, politicians, republican/democratic congress, wall street, etc. The people who play the market are usually not the ones creating and managing their portfolios, so they basically just look at an outcome. To me, this is kind of like getting a flush draw in poker and always going all in, no matter what the circumstances. You’re not paying attention to how you got there, who else is there, how they’ve been playing, or what they could possibly have. These are the factors that go into your decision making process, not just what your two cards are and what are the three cards on the flop. You’re missing a lot of information if you play this way. The savvy investor is probably a good tournament poker player though. They have to take account of the blinds, the players, and all of the variables to help them make the best decsion at the moment.

Conversely, I believe that sports betters are decent cash game poker players because they usually have to make their own decisions, independent of a lot of other nonsense. They have to look at the spreads, figure out who’s hurt, who’s got what advantage, pick a side, and then pick an amount of money they feel suitable to wager.

Firstly, sports betting is a direct bet. There is a line, and though there are variables in the outcome arrives, your bet stands alone. Betting on the Knicks vs the Celtics has virtually nothing to do with the Pistons game. Betting on Randy Couture in a UFC fight has nothing to do with the lightweight undercard, but it has everything to do with his opponent and how they match up.

In my opinion, many people feel investing in the stock market is a direct bet, when in fact, there are less variables to account for in sports betting. Depending on how you do in each of these arenas, you might be better suited to play either cash games or tournament poker.

When you’re searching for a treadmill for your home or club, you’ll find Star Trac treadmills at the top of your shopping list, and for good reason. StarTrac has garnered a reputation for quality and superior machines since their appearance on the treadmill scene in the 70’s, and has become sort of the Cadillac of treadmills. The TR4500HR treadmill is another in their line of great exercise machines.

Star Trac treadmills offer many features, and this one is no exception. Weighing in at a solid 284 lbs., the 4500 measures a healthy 20″x62″, thus affording the user room to move! I’m a big guy, and I appreciated the roominess. The unit has a maximum user capacity of 350 lbs. Powered by a 2.5hp continuous speed motor, the Star Trac TR4500HR is capable of speeds from 0-10 mph, and inclines from 0-15%, (for those of you with a death wish!) the 4500 is primed with all the power you need for a great workout! For ease on your knees, the 4500 features the Impact Absorption System, IAS, which cushions impact on your ankles, knees, hip and back.

Star Trac treadmills feature a useful and easy to use display, with a heart rate monitoring system that you can tie into your target training zone, as well as hundreds of pre-programmed training selections, all the while recording your time, distance, speed, calories, laps and pace. The unit also features a built-in rack for towels, water and even a stereo, and can handle up to 50 different user id’s.

The in-home warranty is one year parts on the motor and 6 months labor, as well as 90 days on the wearable parts (grips, belts, pads) and lifetime phone support. I found this warranty a mite skimpy for a treadmill with it’s reputation and price (around $6000 but you can do better) but all in all, for all the bells and whistles that the Star Trac TR4500HR treadmill brings to the table, you’d be hard pressed to find a better machine.

The good old Chinese sentiment has a great suggestion; the anecdote put into words the reality that each and every person accepts an event to a large extent more if it is seen. Through video production or videography it is viable to film a sequence of occasions.

At the moment in lots of commercial presentations, video footage is repeatedly employed. By employing video production it is possible to supply the crucial information to a number of different potential clientele to help entice them. Online Video production is currently used for several purposes; however, quite a lot of short format online video commercials and awareness related productions are usually created in order to achieve specific commercial targets. Visit the Vidify website for cost-effective video production and distribution solutions.

Audio video productions are at present in style and as a result are used in nearly any variety of industry activity. Digital Media agencies typically interact with a specific client or a company that are seeking to create a short format online video commercial, a presentation or a series of video clips. The full occupation of video production is often carried out by freelancers; though there are a select number of video production agencies around at the moment.

Contribution of music composers, cameraman and script writers can also be common when creating internet video presentations. Furthermore, marketing firms and public relations agencies have very recently become involved with online video production and publishing.

On the assumption that you haven’t grasped gaming hall games, please continue to read. In the name of clarity, a casino is an edifice that accomodates card playing. Paying Customers may bet by operating the one-armed-bandits or trying out a slew of other games. Gaming hall games frequently have well calculated odds built in which promise the establishment keeps hold of an upper hand above the gambling fans.

Far too many betting hall games can incite you into being habituated swiftly. Let’s examine the simple 1-armed-bandit, a mechanical contraption with three cogs that circle if a crank coupled to it is yanked. This contraption routinely recompenses in correlation to a distribution of designs presented on the information screen of the contraption. Deplorably, gambling house games tend to push a fantasy of being in full control, effectively hoodwinking the gambling fan – the addressee is passed choices, but in actual fact these can not realistically level the gamer’s longterm disadvantage. That is induced by the betting saloon never repaying the full stake as hoped for. This mode is again and again seen at work in well-known casino games like seven card stud poker, dice games, roulette or blackjack.

Five card stud poker is definitely an incredibly trendy casino game. The clients, playing with partially covered cards, will wager in the pot that is ultimately given to the last gamer owning the highest set of cards. (Of course, the bluff may well prevail too.) Much the same as seven card stud, blackjack is also a highly trendy casino pastime. Most of its repute is caused by its particular mix of luck and mastery & choice making, not to mention a method tagged Card Counting. The aforementioned is a particularly complex technique in which gambling fans may significantly switch the probabilities of the card game for their own ends both by wagering & strategic decisions according to the cards deployed.

“Craps” is a well known game making use of the throw of dice. Guests may bet on the outcome of of one cycle, or on a succession of cycles on two dice. Contrary to blackjack, there’s no possible sustainable winning system players can exercise to improve the odds. Roulette is an extremely popular casino game – a croupier turns a roulette wheel which incorporates a set of exactly thirty-seven (European roulette) or thirtyeight (as applicable to American or Vegas roulette) separately numbered compartments in which the white pellet will eventually come to settle, thereby deciding the final winning number Assuming that our player happens to bet money on a single number and wins meaning they’re indeed having a lucky day, the set profit will be 35:1, the original wager proper is given back. Therefore in totality it is increased by thirty-six.

So be very vigilant for all that for such betting establishment gambling pastimes are decidedly habituating. Myriad lives may well have been ruined in the course of gambling and whereas it seems enjoyable, undertake to practise self governance.

Three Card Poker

If you are debating whether wooden flooring is right for your home it’s important that you understand what the wooden flooring terms refer to. There are huge array of online flooring retailers, and its important to understand there are various factors with wooden flooring which effect how it looks, and makes each wooden floor look different from another. There is a very slim chance that the wooden floor you saw in the showroom or on the internet will look the same as when it’s fitted in your home.

The reason people like hardwood floors is that they are not uniform. One factor which effects the appearance of the wood is how close the wood is to the bark of the tree, this is named sapwood. The closer to the outside of the tree, the paler the wood will appear. The grain of the wood is another major factor, this can vary is direction and also varies in appearance depending on the colour of the wood fibers. The growth rings of the tree are also a significant factor when determining how the wood looks. Tightly packed layers of wood are likely to result in a darker colour, these are formed when only a marginal layer of wood is added per year during a growing season. Other factors which can have an effect on the wood are mineral Streaks. These occur when trace elements are in the water, resulting in grey and olive markings. Knots are also a big factor in the appearance of your flooring, and are produced where branches of a tree have been encased, as the tree has grown. Often lower grade flooring will have more knots in it than higher grade.

One of the main benefits of wooden flooring is its durability, and also the ease with which damage can be repaired. But because it is a natural product, as opposed to synthetic, it is also prone to expand and contract during changes in the weather or season. This needs to be taken into account when your floor is fitted.

What would you like to achieve in your lifetime?

Author Basil S. Walth once said, “If you don’t know where you are going, how can you expect to get there?” These are words well spoken, because whether you’re working toward freelancing full-time or selling your novels, you need a roadmap.

Goals are indispensable. They provide direction, long-term vision and short-term motivation. They separate the important from the irrelevant. Goals also build self-confidence by helping you grow as an individual.

Olympic athletes, successful business people, and (hint…) bestselling writers are goal setters. You aspire to greatness too, don’t you? If you do, and you’re not already setting goals, now is the perfect time to start.

Five Things to Remember When Setting Goals:

1. Write Goals Down

Always jot down your goals-this is powerful. The process of physically seeing your goals helps crystallize them in your mind. This process also better enables you to commit to them.

Interesting Fact: A popular Harvard Business School study once found that only 3% of the population records their goals in writing. Another 14% have goals but don’t write them down, whereas 83% do not even have clearly defined goals. More interesting is that this 3% earned an astounding ten times that of the 83% group!

2. Make Goals Short, Attainable, & Measurable

Set attainable short-term goals that can be measured. This means setting quantifiable goals.

Here are some examples:

• Commit to writing a certain number of words each week
• Submit at least two articles a week
• Find two new markets each week
• Take at least one writing course a year
• Attend at least one writer’s conference a year

Make your goals attainable so you won’t get discouraged. The short-term goals above are attainable for me, but they may not be for you. Or maybe for you, my short-term goals aren’t challenging enough.

Goals are very individual. You have to set your own goals…remember, you’re charting your own course to success!

On the other hand, don’t set wimpy goals simply because you’re afraid to fail. Talane Miedaner, author of Coach Yourself to Success (McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books, 2002) notes: “People sometimes give themselves ‘weeny’ goals-they play it safe so they don’t fail…But the bigger the goal, the more likely you are to achieve it.”

3. Create Deadlines

Without deadlines, your goals are merely dreams. Set deadlines for both short- and long-term goals, and I promise, you’ll get there sooner!

Remember that deadlines can be flexible. Life changes and so do goals. Never be afraid to adjust the timeframe for a goal. What’s important is to keep moving forward.

4. Look at your goals everyday!

Visual aids are an effective way to program your brain.

Reading and re-writing goals are two very effective visual aids. By physically rewriting your goals and pasting them in places you regularly frequent, you make them more real in your mind.

I read an article in this month’s Shape magazine that inspired me. The author mentioned that before Sarah Ban Breathnach, author of the bestselling book & Oprah Pick Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy (Warner Books, 1995) became a bestselling author, she pasted her name on the #1 spot of the New York Times bestseller list and posted it on her computer. Visual Aids like these give you that extra ammunition that will make a difference.

5. Make Goal Setting a Routine

Begin every morning with a “To Do” list. This will help you organize and better manage your time. Plus, your goals will be right smack under your nose every day. Do not get discouraged over any unfinished items. Simply transfer them to the next morning’s list.

The above said, keep your goals front and forward in your mind. Remember…you only get one chance to live your dreams!

In the words of Cecil B. De Mille: “The person who makes a success of living is the one who sees his goal steadily and aims for it unswervingly. That is dedication.”

Jennifer Minar is a freelance writer in the health & fitness and writing markets. She is also the founder & managing editor of Writer’s Break (http://www.writersbreak.com), a web site and ezine for fiction and creative non-fiction writers.

jminar@writersbreak.com