Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Aligning Subjects and Verbs

Overview of the problem

Perhaps you've seen this mistake: "Walking down the street, the saunterer lost a wheel." This sentence connotes that the saunterer is walking down the street, which would be a very interesting sight, indeed. The job is that the silent topic of the introductory phrase makes not fit the grammatical topic of the chief sentence, the stroller. The author cognizes what he/she means, but the reader may be confused. (Isn't grammar fun?). Editing this sentence will assist the reader understand what you are trying to say, which is the intent of editing.

The job in this sample sentence is rather easy to descry and easy to edit. Sample alterations include:

"[Mary] was pushing the saunterer down the street when it lost a wheel."

"The saunterer lost a wheel when [Mary] was walking down the street."

"The saunterer lost a wheel when being pushed down the street."

"The saunterer lost a wheel." (This presumes that the author have already established that Virgin Virgin Virgin Mary was pushing it down the street. On 2nd thought, why would Virgin Mary be pushing a saunterer in a street and not on the sidewalk? This looks a descry unsafe to us.)

Sample problem

This type of mistake can be difficult to spot and edit, but doing so cut downs possible readers' confusion and do your sentences more than direct, more cohesive, and, ultimately, stronger. See this sentence:

Mary spoke about nil but her childhood experiences for more than than an hour, but when finally winding down, British Shilling realized that he was bored to tears.

The silent topic of finally winding down is Mary, but this sentence neckties it to Bob, the grammatical topic of the independent clause that follows. These are not aligned properly and give the reader an wrong interpretation. In this case, revising isn't too hard.

The solution

We have got two chief schemes for redaction this type of grammar error:

1) Break the sentence and attach the phrase to the right subject. ("...for more than than an hr before winding down. British Shilling finally realized that he...")

2) Modify the introductory phrase so that the silent topic mentions to the grammatical topic of the sentence. ("...and seeing that she was finally winding down, British Shilling realized...")

In a nutshell, what you are doing is making certain that the verbs of the sentences suit their grammatical topics and that phrases introducing clauses mention to the topics of those clauses. When you are writing your ain sentences, see how your verbs and topics are aligned.

One last sample

By the way, the most humorous mistake of this type that we have got seen is (paraphrased): "Swimming happily along the shore, the cadaver floated by his head." We go forth it up to you to find why this is so amusing to us.

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Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Build Your Resume from the Ground Up!

In authorship a winning resume, the cardinal attack is to "build" the written document from the land up. The foundation of successful sketch authorship is to make your prep and readying before you begin the first sentence. Building the proper foundation will salvage clip later on in the authorship stage.

Many sketch authorship experts postulate that the clip spent in the readying phase many modern times is equal or greater than the existent clip spent writing the sketch itself. Dates of employment, name calling and computer addresses of former employers, statute statute titles of places held, days of the month of promotions, days of the month and modern times of seminars and workshops attended, titles and days of the month of published articles are all of import information to acquire right.

If you've kept an "atta male child or atta girl" data file you'll have got a record of accomplishments and commendations. The listing of accomplishments can run from a formal letter, emails, letters from customers, maybe a positive remark from a company executive director on the border of a memorandum or completed project. Of course, you've kept transcripts of all your public presentation reappraisals so they will be added to your sketch authorship readying file.

Finally, in your readying to authorship your resume, you will procure transcripts of sample resumes. There are many illustrations available on the internet. Secure transcripts of both functional, chronological and combination resumes. Get sketches with different layouts. In your research make a listing of things not to do in authorship a resume. Rich Person a similar listing of things to do that are of import to authorship a winning resume.

Now that you've gathered the needed information this should make edifice of the sketch travel rather smoothly. In authorship always maintain in head the aim of the resume. It is not to acquire a occupation but rather to acquire an interview.

As you bill of exchange the sketch also see the head set of the reader. The prospective employer have a problem. He necessitates person to work out the problem. The best manner to show that you are the individual he's looking for is to measure up your achievements.

In authorship out our accomplishments hopefully you'll have got many more than than volition tantrum in a 1 or two page resume. This is a considerable advantage in authorship the sketch as you can seamster the sketch to reply the needed makings listed in the occupation announcement. The more than than focused you are the more likely you are to do it to the interview phase of the occupation search. If the occupation proclamation utilizes industry particular cant or other footing be certain to include them in your sketch as appropriate.

Although there is no perfect length to the resume, the length depends on the needed listing of your qualifications, accomplishments and education. Redraft, redraft and redraft again to attain the needful length. Keep it brief, quantify your accomplishments and accomplishments and focusing on what the employer is looking for. If possible have got one or more than friends reappraisal the document. Brand certain there are no grammatical or spelling mistakes. (In reviewing a big stack of sketches 1 applier had crossed out the word "eight" and wrote in pencil "nine." How far make you believe that applier went in the reappraisal process?)

Writing and drafting a winning sketch starts with elaborate preparation. Get the readying and research done properly and your sketch will travel you to the interview phase of the occupation hunt. And with the same attending to item in the interview phase can a occupation offering be far behind?

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Monday, November 26, 2007

Need Help Writing Your Resume? Making a Resume a Winner With These 7 Tips

In todays crowded occupation marketplace and the easiness of submitting to many occupations via the cyberspace your sketch must stand up out from the crowd to even acquire you considered for a position. Even those who see themselves experienced at looking for occupations and at making a sketch may happen they are lacking many key elements and if you are new to the hunt you definitely necessitate aid authorship your resume!

First allows just quickly look at some statistics:


  • One study showed that 82% of occupation huntsmen can't turn out their top 10 accomplishments for the occupations for which they are interviewing.

  • Recruitment houses kind the 1,000's of sketches day-to-day by computing machine and only 1% of those acquire a thorough read through.

  • On the average, employers grant 1 interview per 245 resumes.

  • Research revealed that for every 1,400 sketches sent out, there is only ONE occupation offer!

  • According to hour people survey, nearly 94% of sketches in circulation (either on paper or in cyberspace) are bad.

Now conceive of your sketch as just one of those figure in that statistic ... you necessitate some help.

1. Use headers to fit the occupation you want!

When you are applying for a occupation and they begin looking at your accomplishment set and you set down just a everyday statute title like "computer skills" this is so wide and deadening that it makes not catch the eye. If you have got these accomplishments necktie them into a more than interesting statute title like "Electronic Administration" or "Electronic Record keeping". Brand certain you do these major headers for your accomplishments stand up out and more than importantly be targeted towards the type of occupation you want. If you are applying for a managerial place from an helper place do your accomplishments sound managerial.

2. Attention grabbing

You restart must catch the attending of the individual who is reviewing it. This makes not intend it have to be colorful, great designing or anything like that. To catch the attending of the individual reading the sketch you must understand what they are looking for, they are looking at a very speedy glimpse if you are going to be suited to the occupation at all! If they cannot see that at a speedy glimpse at your sketch it will be canned. To make this all the relevant information that refers to the occupation at manus must be clearly seeable to the eye. When this haps a catch determination can be made to look at that sketch further.

3. Sell yourself

Once your sketch is read in depth you must not just be catchy, you must sell your certificate to that peculiar job. This makes not intend exaggerating or lying about your abilities, accomplishments and history but it makes average changing how you word what you say. So instead of saying "Word, Excel and PowerPoint skills" you could compose "Electronic record keeping, missive writing, spreadsheet analysis and presentation experience with Word, Excel and PowerPoint" While this may amount to the same thing is is more than than descriptive and makes a much more full sounding set of skills. The more than than skilled and well promoted you look the more opportunity you will not only acquire a occupation but maybe even higher salaries.

4. Use powerfulness words

What is a powerfulness word? These are words or phrases that have got a high degree of involvement within the industry you work in and in the workplace in general. Saying "Gave" state "Directed" or instead of saying "Completed" state "Achieved". It is a premix of industry cant and positive words that do impact on readers minds.

5. Quantify

If you tin utilize Numbers in your sketch this can be good too. To tout of how many business relationships you serves or to show window increased workload or net income shows you understand just how much you helped your former employers and can be comfy in showing success. Without using these Numbers any boasting of success can look a small level or made up.

6. Sell to all the employers needs

With a spot of research into the occupation you are applying for and the employers company you can sometimes add content that shows your accomplishments can use to other countries of their business. Or if you can happen information of past weaknesses of former employees seek to advance how you can manage the occupation better than they did. Isolated outside the exact occupations verbal description to demo how much more than you can convey to their business.

7. Show how you will net income them

In the end you necessitate to convey profit to the company you are applying for and as such as you necessitate to explicate how you can profit the company with your skills. Bash not demo that you can just make the occupation though you necessitate to cover that fully. Make an mental image of yourself that shows how you can be a great benefit to their company and convey success and wealthiness because of your accomplishments and abilities far into the future. You must sell beyond the lower limit demands of the job!

Using these 7 tips making a sketch that volition acquire noticed will be much easier and may increase your opportunities of landing that occupation by tremendous amounts!

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Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Hero's Journey, Monomyth (188 stages)- Screenwriting Tools, Writing for Profit

FORWARD

The 188 stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188+ stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE HERO'S JOURNEY:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

(simply go to http://www.heros-journey.info/ for full details)

*****Mentor's Backstory*****

The Mentor's Backstory is often made explicit. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Clyde tells Bonnie he cut part of his foot off.

*****Shape Shifter Revealed and The Red Herring*****

The shape shifter's true nature becomes apparent [post the Rebirth through Death]. In The Incredibles (2004), Bomb Voyage assists the Incredibles to escape.

Red Herrings and misdirections are toyed with and implemented. In Star Wars (1977), Han considers "leaving this party." In Syriana (2005), we are led to believe that it is Whiting who will be sacrificed. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), we are led to believe that Severus Snape is a threat.

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Sunday, May 20, 2007

I Won!

I won a Mother's Day writing contest on thebabyboomerdiva.com. No not 1st place, I received 4th. The winning is special, but not as special as the judges reading my words and liking the way I put them together. It makes me feel good. No, I take that back-I feel great.

The prize doesn't matter (okay it does). What does is being told that what you do and how you do it touches someone else in such a way that they want to recognize you for it. Especially when they are NOT related to you in anyway!

My mom and dad get teary-eyed and give me a hug. My significant other (you've heard of him, my own personal knight in shining armor) can say "wow". The children I gave birth too can say something akin to "I didn't know you could write like this" and mean it in a sincerely complimentary way.

But when wonderful people, such as those of you who are reading this column now, take the time to let me know that this is a job well done-Well! That's when my heart and hear just soar!

When someone ask-so what did you win? I honestly have to go back to the website and re-read my prize! I just become so overwhelmed by the recognition I forget that there's actual "loot" involved. This time the essay and maybe a picture will be included in Bev Mahone's next ebook! What could possibly be more exciting, except someone offering to publish a real book of my own?????

My son-the handsome, tattooed, soon to be a UCI graduate was more practical, he wanted to use my talents to edit what is to be his last undergraduate term paper. My pleasure, I also happen to be terrific with a red marker.

My co-workers think I'm hilarious. "Carine-you get 4th place out of about 170 entrants and you don't care beyond that? Why not?"

I suppose it's a legitimate query. My daughter just shook her head-"Mom, you're so good at writing-quit the day job and go for it" Obviously she is my adventurous one.

The answer to the above: When I write, I put my all into the words and they are what matter. Whether it's an article about "The Importance of Early Intervention in Rheumatoid Arthritis", a restaurant review, an article on baking or a column here on "What's Cooking"-it's part of who I am.

To be recognized for the worth of your passion is the prize, the rest is some mighty nice extras.

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Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Tips That Will Help You Have The Best Resume

A resume is something that advertises you in front of your future boss; think it as a tool that will enhance your qualities and professional appearance. It is very important to know how to create and use that good tool, what mistakes to avoid when creating one and how to make a good impression.

Think about it as a business card, if it's nice and catchy it will attract the client but if it's not the client will throw it away; the same thing goes with your resume. You need to add some originality if you want to get noticed.

Here are a few tips that will help you have a clean and easy to read resume.
When writing about your work experience don't bore the people who will read the resume with a lot of work history; try to insert only the important jobs if they are a lot and limit yourself to a maximum of 15 years work history.

Try to be organized when you are writing your technical knowledge and qualifications; if you write them in an organized way, they will be easy to read and people will spend more time understanding what they mean than figuring out where the sentence ends. You must have noticed that you usually find a text with no paragraphs very hard to read and you even skip on reading it. Think what would happen if people would skip reading your technical knowledge. Also, place it at the beginning of the resume because people get bored easily and when they reach the end their attention is not very high.

Another important thing, probably the most important is proofreading. Never give a resume which has grammar and spelling errors; that resume will not be taken into account.

Don't bother using colored paper or colored writing; one of the reasons is because it looks pretty bad if you want to have a serious resume and another reason is the fact that it will probably be scanned and the pretty resume will never end on the right desk. Use white paper, black writing and keep it as simple as you can; it will be easy to read and will not end up in the garbage.

Try to be short and don't write the story of your life in there; make sure the important professional facts are present and eliminate all the irrelevant words because they will bore the reader. Keep the resume short at most 3 pages for a person who has 20 years of experience and don't try to make a big resume if you only worked for 2 years because people are not stupid, they will probably notice that you tried to fill a lot of space with nonsense.

When creating your resume try to make it as professional as you can, you will look serious and ambitious. Spend a lot of time to proofread it and make sure you checked all the details, including the way it looks. If it's a clean, professional and simple resume it will tell a lot about you and how organized you are.

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Saturday, May 12, 2007

188 Step Hero's Journey (Monomyth)- Screenwriting, Story Structure Secrets 120507

FORWARD

The 188 stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188+ stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE HERO'S JOURNEY:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

(simply go to http://www.heros-journey.info/ for full details)

*****New Self*****

Every Hero transforms from an Ordinary Self to a New Self. It is the New Self that has the capacity to conquer challenges that the Old Self could not. Progression of the New Self is demonstrated at the stage of the Seizing of the Sword. In Straw Dogs (1971), David walks home and decides to fire the boys. Also, Amy is smoking now.

*****Rescue from Without*****

The Rescue from Without is a stage of the journey where "the world comes calling," that is, the hero is in retreat and needs to be pulled back [by the world]. However, as the Hero is ultimately battling his own demons (using a Freudian analysis, all stories can be reduced to a battle between the id and superego), it is not unusual for the hero to trigger the pull back himself. In Straw Dogs (1971), David calls the pub where Tom et al wait.

*****Freedom to Live*****

Part of the Freedom to Live is the Hero's New Behaviour. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), junior is getting married and Ennis will go to the wedding.

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