 .
.
Let
your writing SHINE!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
"Nothing helps scenery like ham and eggs." 
_- Mark Twain
Did u no?
33% of
U.S. employees fail at writing. 
Whether
it's an e-mail memo or a
complex report, fully 
1/3 of the U.S. workforce does NOT meet the 
minimum
writing requirements 4 their jobs ac-
cording 2 a College Board's National
Commis-
sion survey on writing. The survey was done 
with 64 companies across 6 industries repre-
senting 4,000,000 employees: mining, con-
struction,
manufacturing, transportation, util-
ities, services, finance, insurance, + real estate.
Did u no?
The major writing problems 4 them r accuracy, 
clarity, spelling,
punctuation, grammar, + con-
ciseness. Susan Traiman, director of the
edu-
cation initiative for the Business Roundtable, 
says: "There's no way to
say that writing has 
gotten worse: the demand has gotten greater." 
Tip: improving your writing skills (stringing  
____verbs, nouns, + adjectives together 2  
____make a sense) will payoff because more  
____than 1/2 the companies surveyed said  
____they
do assess writing skills when they 
____make hiring + promotion decisions. 
"Every writer approaches
the day's work in different ways:
_I have always needed space
and silence to "pull inside myself"
_before I pick up
the pen. (Yes, I still write with pen and real ink.) 
_This "pulling inside" may
take an hour or a morning, I know it's
_happening while I'm dripping
coffee through a hand-filter; I know 
_that in
some unforced way, I am readying myself
to face the empty
_page not as easy as one
might believe."
- Frances
Itani
 
 
~~~
"If they give you ruled paper,
_write the other way."
_-
E. E. Cummings
 
Tips on getting organized...
http://www.getorganizednow.com
~~~
"As a rule, men worry more about what
_they
caN'T see than about what they can."
_-
Julius Caesar
Tip: CENSORSHIP occurs when someone 
____is
NOT allowed
2 voice an opinion.
~~~
"Every man a king!"
_-
Huey Long, Governor of Louisiana, 1928
"Imagination is more important than knowledge.
_Knowledge
is limited. Imagination encircles 
_the
world."
_-
Albert Einstein
"There are no beginnings, NOT even to stories.
_There
are 
only
places where you make an en-
_trance
into someone 
else's life and
either stay
_or
turn and go away."
_-
Timothy Findley, Canadian writer
~~~
National Institute on Literacy
http://www.nifl.gov
"Reading is the means by which
the world does
_a
large part of
its work ... . 
The slightest
improve-
_ment
either in the page
or in the method of rea-
_ding
means
a great service to the
human race."
_-
E. B. Huey, 1908 - 1968
Did u no?
The pop culture comic book super heroes like 
flying Superman draw on the
legendary heroes 
of Greek + Roman mythology possessing great 
strength
like Hercules, having flying horses like 
Bellerophon's Pegasus,
even flying themselves 
like Hermes with his winged sandals.
Reading motivation program 4 grades K-8 (FREE)
http://www.bookadventure.org
An International Art + Poetry Program 4 Youth
http://www.riverofwords.org
~~~
Did u no?
According 2 a 2003 Harris Poll
the #1 leisure 
activity is reading
26% of the time, followed 
by watching
television 15% of the time -- 
a whopping
35% drop from just 2 years ago.
U.S. Public Libraries
http://www.publiclibraries.com
American Library Association
http://www.ala.org
The Public's Library + Digital Archive
http://www.ibiblio.org
The Universal Library 
http://www.ulib.org
A lending library - online
(FREE)
http://www.booklend.net
The Internet Public Library
http://www.ipl.org
Serving 43,500+ libraries in 86 countries - multilingual
http://www.oclc.org
 
~~~
"Books are good enough in their own way,
_but
they are a mighty bloodless substitute 
_for
life."
_-
Robert Louis Stevenson
~~~
Did u no?
The word "archetype"
('r-keh-type) is an impor-
tant
notion in litterature:
it refers 2 an original
model, form, or pattern that is easy recognized.
(4 example, the archetypical villain wears black
+ comes on2 the stage
from the left while the
archetypical hero wears white + enters the stage
from the right.)
~~~
The Classics
http://www.literature.org
Book club services (FREE)
http://www.generousbooks.com
Leaf through old books at the British Library
http://www.bl.uk
~~~
"A bookstore is one of the only pieces of
_evidence
we have that
people are still 
_thinking."
_-
Jerry Seinfeld
~~~
Did u no?
The term "blockbuster"
was first used
during 
World War II by Allied soldiers 2 describe a 
bomb capable of leveling
an entire city block. 
After the war
the term became used 4 any-
thing that
caused a "major
social impact" 
like
"highly
successful" movies + books.
Largest online marketplace 
where used/rare/out-of-print
books r bought + sold
http://www.abebooks.com
~~~
__Humor
_=====
_They
say the early bird may get the worm,
_but
remember it's the second mouse who 
_gets
the cheese.
_"From
the moment I picked your book up
_until
I laid it down I was convulsed with 
_laughter.
Someday I intend reading it."
_-
Groucho Marx
Downloadable "joke"
book
(FREE)
http://www.thatscomedy.com
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.
_Inside
of a dog, it's too dark to read."
_-
Groucho Marx
"Even if you're on the right track,
_you'll
get run over 
_if
you just sit there."
_-
Anonymous
~~~
Interested in songwriting?
http://www.songsalive.org
http://www.songwriting.net
http://www.songwritersdirectory.com
~~~
"I have received memos so swollen with
_managerial
babble that
they struck me 
_as
the literary equivalent of assault 
_with
a
deadly weapon." 
_-
Peter Baida
 ~~~
~~~ 
Time management newsletter
http://www.topica.com
"Managing
Your Time" -
article
http://webmasterbase.com
Time-saving tips
http://www.organizetips.com
Send timed e-mails + 
e-mail reminders 2 yourself (FREE)
http://www.timecave.com
~~~
Tip: 4 "cutting
PC text", highlight it 1st;
press
____together
the <Ctrl>
+
<X>
keys.
Tip: 4 "copying
PC text", highlight it 1st;
press
____together
the <Ctrl>
+ <C>
keys.
Tip: 4 "pasting
PC text", place the cursor pointer
____where
text is 2b inserted; press
together the 
____<Ctrl>
+ <V>
keys.
Tip: 4 "undoing"
the "previous"
PC operation,
____press
together the <Ctrl>
+ <Z>
keys.
~~~
Did u no?
Simplyly reading an e-mail in ".htm (Web page) 
format"
(NOT plain text format) can
unleash
a 
JavaSript-based virus.
Tip: use strong anti-virus software 2 scan
your 
____hard
drive, downloads, CDs,
and ALL e-mail 
____4
viral infection - preferably 2 anti-virus pro-
____grams.
Did u no?
The Active X errors found in Web (.htm) e-mails 
r actually viruses attacking your computer sys-
tem, but failing. The
solution is 2 ask those sen-
ding u e-mail 2 use "plain
text
format".
Tip: make frequent backups that r stored in a
____safe
away from your computer.
"Script
Sentry": e-mail protection 
against
"malicious"
scripts (131KB)
(FREE)
http://www.jasons-toolbox.com
http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/scriptsentry.asp
~~~
Store + share files - online
http://www.freedrive.com
File + data storage - online
 
http://www.mydocsonline.com
Yahoo! Briefcase: file + data storage - online (FREE)
http://briefcase.yahoo.com
~~~
"It's all about people, NOT the technology.
_We
made the Web to use the Web,
_to
get other people to use the Web and
_to
get things done ... and enable us to do all 
_that
we on this planet can accomplish."
_-
Tim Berners-Lee, Hypertext Transport Protocol 
_________________inventor
W3C director, + WWW
_________________10th
Anniversary Meeting Speaker
Secure
Password Generator - online
(FREE)
http://security.winguides.com
Your own office - online
http://www.junglemate.com
Postal codes - worldwide
http://dir.yahoo.com
Working together via eRoom (FREE for 21 days)
https://www.eroom.net
"Browser
Buddy": key-word, text-selection 
highlighter
with "text
magnifier"
(Internet Explorer 4+ plug-in) (475KB) (FREE)
http://www.doeasier.org
"602Pro PC
Suite": office suite 
(Win95/98/ME/NT/2K/XP/2003)
(27.8MB)
(FREE)
http://www.download.com
"Open
Office Suite" - multilingual (FREE)
(Note: there
is a lot of info available, faq, blogs,
_____support, newsletter, articles + interviews.)
(Win32: 78MB; Linux: 95MB; FreeBSD: 93MB;
SolarisSparc: 100MB; Solarisx: 100MB;
Mac OS
X: 118MB)
(Language packs: 13 -16MB)
http://download.openoffice.org
"PhoneDeck": an address book utility (FREE)
with address protection
+ hotkeys 
(W95/98/ME/NT4/2K/XP) (1.5M)
http://www.tranglos.com
http://www.tranglos.com/free/phonedeck.html
Voice conferencing, PC-phone calls, 
video calls! 
- online (FREE)
http://www.paltalk.com
Personalized desktop-delivered news
(FREE)
http://www.newsisfree.com

~~~
Interactive "bulletin
board" screen saver
(FREE)
http://www.mycorkboard.com
~~~
Did u no?
If Acrobat Reader (FREEware)
is installed, Web 
pages can b printed as
"ordinary"
pages by clic-
king on File/Print/AcrobatPDFWriter/SavePDFFileas
+ select .PDF
as file type. Give it a name. Click OK. 
Double click on the
NEW .pdf
file 2 open it up + 
print (or edit).
http://www.adobe.com
List of FREE/cheap
ISPs 
(Internet Service Providers) - worldwide
http://www.freedomlist.com
Information
about your browser -
online
 (FREE)
http://www.delorie.com
~~~
Computers: information + tips
http://www.bellaonline.com
The Language of the Internet
http://fun-with-words.com
Net guide + tutorial
(FREE)
http://www.learnthenet.com
Beginners' Central: a Net primer (FREE)
http://www.northernwebs.com
~~~
"Download
Accelerator Plus": e-z-2-use
"resumable" download utility - 400% faster (FREE)
- multilingual
(Win95+/NT4/2K/ME/XP) (6.2MB)
(Note:
it integrates with the major browsers.)
http://www.speedbit.com
~~~
"SentThere
PRO": an e- mail receipt notification utility
(Win95/98/NT/2K/XP) (344KB) (FREE)
http://www.sentthere.com/download.html
http://www.sentthere.com
~~~
Tip: e-mail, file it, or delete it.
Tip: copy only e-mail content 2b filed in2 a  
____Notepad
file
+ then, delete the e-mail
____message.
"Metapad":
like Notepad on steroids - multilingual (FREE)
(80KB) (W9x/NT/XP) (44.4KB)
http://welcome.to
"Notetab
Light": can strip HTML tags 
+ format text quickly (FREE)
(Win95/98/NT/2K/XP) (4MB) 
(Note:
it is NOT limited by Notepads 64KB limit.)
(Note: it has
dictionary add-ons in various  
______languages
+ a thesaurus.)
http://www.notetab.com
"Rough
Draft": multipurpose word processor (FREE)
(W9x/NT/2K) (1.2M) 
(Note: 
it
has features specifically designed 
______4
writers of novels, short stories,
______articles,
poetry, plays + screenplays.)
http://www.richardsalsbury.com
"NotePadXP":
a multifaceted replacement 
of Windows Notepad 4 Microsoft Office (FREE)
(Win9x/NT/2K/XP/2003) (1.82MB) 
http://www.acsoftware.org
~~~
Tip: block out "unwanted" messages.
Tip: 2 block an e-mail message in Outlook  
____Express
from "a
particular" sender, 
____click on the message
in the inbox; 
____click
on Message/BlockSender.
(2 
____"undo"
this, click on
Tools/Message
____Rules/BlockedSendersList;
click on 
____e-mail
address 2b reinstated; click 
____on
"Remove";
then, click on "O.K."
____at
the bottom.)
Tip: 2 block e-mail messages arising from 
____a
whole domain,
click on any 1 message 
____with
that domain name
in the Blocked 
____Senders
list; click on "Modify";
in the 
____edit
box remove the "@"
sign + every-
____thing
2 the left of it leaving only the 
____domain
name;
click on O.K.;
in Message 
____Rules
click on O.K.
again.
"How 2
Manage the Block Senders 
List in Outlook Express" - article
http://support.microsoft.com
~~~
"Break
Reminder" (FREE)
(Win95/98/NT/2K/XP/2003)
(2.5MB)
http://www.cheqsoft.com/downloads/break_install.exe
http://www.cheqsoft.com/break.html
~~~
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
http://www.aclu.org
Consumer online fraud complaints - 
multilingual
http://www.econsumer.gov
~~~
"Our life is frittered away by detail.... 
_Simplify,
Simplify."
_-
Henry David Thoreau
~~~
Did u no?
Researchers at Bar-Ilan
University in Ramat 
Gan, Israel, found that women
use more pro-
nouns (I, you, she, he, their, myself) because 
they write about
people + relationships where-
as men like to write about things focusing on
words that identify or determine nouns (a, the, 
that) liking 2 use words that
quantify those 
nouns (1, 2, more): in short, men categorize 
+ women personalize.
This give rise 2 an 
"informational
style"
by men and an "in-
volved style" by women.
Need help writing?
http://www.write101.com
Writing help
http://www.bellaonline.com
Successful writing - biweekly ezine
mailto:writesuccess-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Did u no?
On the 1 hand, the speaker or writer 
"implies",
while on the other hand, 
the listener or reader "infers".
"It is better to deserve honors
_and NOT have them 
_than
to have them
_and
NOT deserve them."
_-
Mark Twain
~~~
Did u no?
Writing is 1 of the best forms 
of "advertising"
as u can use 
the by-line 2 promote yourself 
+ your business.
"Write 4 Publicity" -
article
http://www.web-source.net
~~~
"I doN'T
wait for moods. 
_You
accomplish nothing 
_if
you do that. Your mind 
_must
know it has got 
_to
get down to work."
_-
Pearl Buck
~~~
Did u no?
According 2 the Bureau 4 Labor 
Statistics
there were about 126,000 
writers working in
the U.S. in 2000.
Self-publishing service - online
http://www.xlibris.com 
Print-on-demand + 
short-run publishing services
http://www.wheatmark.biz
Articles/ideas 4 a home-based business
http://www.fawkner.com
Freelance writing
(Note:
they have a FREE
newletter.)
http://www.writersmarket.com
"How to Run
Your Own Publishing Bakery or, 
Why Baking Print is Better than Baking Cake" - article
http://www.ideasiteforbusiness.com
"You will never find time
_for
anything. You must 
_make
it."
_-
Charles Buxton, author
Did u no?
4 an article 2b published it "usually" 
requires a synopsis
(a brief descriptive 
paragraph), a word count, + needs 2b
properly formatted (set up visually in 
order 2b read easily).
Tip: when sending a script 2 a publisher 
____send it as a .txt attachment as it's
____known
2b
"virus free".
Tip: write 4 businesses - articles, stories, 
____proofreading
business material ... .
~~~
ISBN Online Bar Code Symbol Generator - (FREE)
http://www.cgpp.com
ISBNs + database services 
4 publishers, libraries, + booksellers
http://www.bowker.com
ISBN (International Standard Book Number)
http://www.issn.org
~~~
"Keep your friends close,  
_but
keep your enemies closer."
_-
Don Corleone, "The
Godfather" by Mario Puzo
~~~~
Fiction writing contest
http://www.bulwer-lytton.com
National Novel Writing Month - tips + forums
http://www.nanowrimo.org
"Exploring
the Different Types of Fiction" - article
http://www.dummies.com
~~~
Did u no?
Mildred Wirt Benson who died on May 28th 2002 
at the age of 96,
+ who wrote 23 of the 30 original 
Nancy Drew mysteries was paid
a "flat fee"
of 
$125 per Nancy Drew book + never collected 
royalties from the books, movies, + board 
games. She authored
over 130 books.
Q+A JOKE
=========
Q:
How many mystery writers does it take
___2
screw in a light bulb?
A: Just
1, but it there is a "spectacular
twist" 
___at
the end!
Mystery links
http://www.mystery.com
The Short Mystery Fiction Society
http://www.onelist.com
~~~
"I say that a wastepaper basket 
_is
a writer's best friend."
_-
Isaac Singer.
~~~
Nature writing...
http://pages.cthome.net
~~~
"I am a passenger 
_on
the spaceship Earth."
_-
R. Buckminster Fuller
~~~
Did u no?
In his book "1984", written in 1948,
in which 
George Orwell created a
totalitarian environ-
ment mirroring
Hitler's Germany
+ Stalin's 
Soviet
Union, the following ominous phrase 
became popularized: 
"Big Brother
is
wat-
ching you."
"A good metaphor is something 
_even
the police should keep an eye on."
_-
G. C. Lichtenberg, German physicist
Crime-fiction
http://www.the3rdegree.com
Experimental fiction
(Note: u can submit here an
experimental 
______fiction
up to 1000 words in length.)
http://www.locusnovus.com
Did u no?
Kipling wrote a "scientific
romance" entitled
"With the Night Mail"
published in 1905. It is
set in the year 2000. It describes an adventure 
featuring zeppelins in the 21st Century.
A Role Playing Sourcebook 
4 Kipling's Scientific Romances 
http://forgottenfutures.com
The Revolution in Science Fiction - a science fiction portal
(Note:
it
features games, comics, 
______movies, humor, contests,
+
more. )
http://www.revolutionsf.com
~~~
"What separates the talented individual from 
_the
successful one is a lot of hard work."
_-
Stephen King, Author
Stephen King's website
http://www.stephenking.com
~~~
"When an actor comes to me and wants 
_to
discuss his character, I say, 'It's in the 
_script.' If he says, 'But
what's my
moti-
_vation?, ' I say, 'Your
salary.'"
_-
Alfred Hitchcock 
Writing screenplays - newsgroup
misc.writing.screenplays
Neil Gaiman, inventive graphic novelist, 
T.V. script + screenplay writer
http://www.holycow.com
~~~
"What is written without effort is 
_in
general read without pleasure."
_-
Samuel Johnson
~~~
Coffeehouse 4 writers 
http://coffeehouse4writers.tripod.com
"Examining
the World of the Technical Writer" - article
http://www.dummies.com
~~~
"I love being a writer. 
_What
I caN'T stand is the paperwork."
_-
Peter De Vries, novelist
"An
Editor's Guide To Writers" -
article
http://www.ddj.com
"Arts
& Letters Daily" focused on ideas, 
criticism, + debate
(with links 2 MAJOR 
newspapers, news services, news ma-
gazine,
journals, + magazines, book 
review services, e-zines,
search engines, 
reference sources, amusements: comics, 
crosswords ... )
http://aldaily.com
~~~
"Be kind and considerate with your criticism... 
_It's
just as hard to write a bad book as it 
_is
to write a good book."
_-
Malcom Cowley
"People ask you for criticism, 
_but
they only want praise."
_-
W. Somerset Maugham
~~~
Resource center 4 all writers
http://www.robinsnest.com
"Writing
Tools" (hyperlinks)
http://arapaho.nsuok.edu
Garbl's Writing Center
http://garbl.home.comcast.net
Adult literacy services (FREE)
(Note:
NOT
all services r FREE.)
http://literacytent.org
11 Rules of Writing 
(4 those violating the rules of writing, 
_grammar, + punctuation)
http://www.junketstudies.com
"Are
You Guilty Of Information Overload?" -
article
http://www.smartbiz.com
Exploring English
http://www.shared-visions.com
~~~
"Nothing is as real as a dream."
_- Tom Clancy, Author
"A mind that is stretched 
_by a new experience 
_can never go back 
_to its old dimensions."
_- Oliver Wendell Holmes
Did u no?
Nobel Prize winner 4 Literature in 1923 + 
famed
Irish poet, William Butler Yeats, 
joined secret
societies with his friends 
+ colleagues that were
devoted 2 under-
standing the world of magic + the occult.
"What we truly and earnestly aspire to be, 
_that in some sense we
are. The mere 
_aspiration, by
changing the frame of 
_the mind, for
the moment realizes itself."
_- Anna Jameson, Irish
Novelist
The Pulitzer Prizes
http://www.pulitzer.org

~~~
Mom Writers
http://www.momwriters.com
"Writing Tip Archive"
http://www.writersdigest.com
The National Education Writers Association
http://www.ewa.org
Carole Moore, humorist, freelance 
writer, + columnist
http://www.thehumorwriter.com
Competitions, writing tips, + other 
book writing resources
http://www.writersdigest.com
Trendy e-place 4 thinkers, writers, journalists + ...
(Note: their online forums are know as
"conferences".)
http://www.well.com
~~~
Publishing news
http://www.artsjournal.com
~~~
"I lived in solitude in the country 
_and noticed how the
monotony
_of quiet life
stimulates the cre-
_ative mind."
_- Albert Einstein,
physicist
~~~
Did u no?
The correct expression is NOT "hit and miss", 
but "hit-or-miss"
when speaking about some-
thing that is chancy.
Tip: the adjective "any"
+ the adverb "ever"
____r "speech intensifiers".
Did u no?
A double negative = a positive 
(both in logic + algebra)
Logic:
I doN'T
have no bicycle. => He has a bicycle.
Algebra:
- (-a) = a
~~~
"Yesterday, Mr. Hall wrote that the printer's 
_proofreader was
improving my punctuation 
_for me, and I
telegraphed orders to have
him 
_shot without giving
him time to pray." 
_- Mark Twain (in an
1889 letter to a friend)
Did u no? (Humor)
Santa's helpers "subordinate"
clauses. 
Fun English
Grammar Review
========================
_1. Verbs
has to agree with their subjects.
_2.
Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
_3. And doN'T start a
sentence with a conjunction.
_4. It is
wrong to ever split an infinitive.
_5. Avoid
cliches like the plague. (They're old hat).
_6. Always
avoid annoying alliteration.
_7. Be
more or less specific.
_8.
Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are 
___(usually)
unnecessary.
_9. Also,
too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
10. No
sentence fragments. No comma splices, 
___run-ons
are bad too.
11. Contractions
areN'T
helpful and shouldN'T
be used.
12.
Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
13.
Do not be redundant; do not use more words 
___than
necessary;
it's highly superfluous.
14. One
should never generalize.
15. Comparisons
are as bad as cliches.
16. DoN'T use no
double negatives.
17.
Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
18.
One-word sentences? Eliminate.
19.
Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
20.
The passive voice is to be ignored.
21.
Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. 
___Parenthetical
words however should be 
___enclosed
in commas.
22.
Never use a big word when a diminutive 
___one
would suffice.
23. Kill
all exclamation points!!!!
24.
Use words correctly, irregardless of how 
___others
use them.
25. Understatement
is probably not the best 
___way
to propose earth
shattering ideas.
26.
Use the apostrophe in it's proper place 
___and
omit it when its
not needed.
27. As
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate 
___quotations.
Tell me what
you know."
28.
If you've heard it once, you've heard it a 
___thousand
times:
resist hyperbole; not one 
___writer
in a million can use it
correctly.
29. Puns
are for children, not groan readers.
30. Go
around the barn at high noon to avoid 
___colloquialisms.
31.
Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should 
___be
derailed.
32. Who
needs rhetorical questions?
33. Exaggeration
is a million times worse 
___than
understatement.
34. Proofread
carefully to see if you any 
___words
out.
35. NEVER
WRITE IN ALL CAPS.
~~~
_Humor: "Bad"
_===========
_1 evening, I went with
my parents 2 a fancy 
_restaurant. Dad was
about halfway through 
_his meal
when he took a hard look at the
_potato, called the
waitress over
and said, 
_"This potato is bad!"
_To my utter amazement,
the waitress
at 
_this "5-Star" place,
picked thepotato up, 
_smacked it, put it
back
on the plate, then 
_told my Dad, "If
that potato causes any 
_more trouble,
just let me know."
~~~
_Bad (ambiguous)
headline:
_"Woman Improving After Fatal
Crash"
_Bad (ambiguous)
headline:
_"Juvenile Court to Try
Shooting Defendant"
_Bad (ambiguous)
headline:
_"Legislator Wants Tougher
Death Penalty"
_Bad (ambiguous)
headline:
_"Lawyer Says Client is Not
That Guilty"
~~~
"The great enemy of clear language is 
_insincerity."
_- George Orwell
~~~
_From where? (Humor)
_=================
_Texan: "Where are you from?"
_Harvard graduate: "I come from a place
where 
_we do NOT end our sentences
with
prepositions."
_Texan: "OK, where are you
from, Jerk?"
~~~
Dr. Grammar
http://www.drgrammar.org
"Grammar Slammer!"
http://englishplus.com
Guide 2 Grammar + Style
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu
A proofreading + editing service 
http://www.grammargeeks.com
"Proper
Manuscript Format" - sample
http://www.shunn.net
Writing + research tips
http://www.webgrammar.com
~~~
_Grammar Humor: Woman...
_=====================
_An English professor
wrote these words 
_on the blackboard,
directing his students 
_to punctuate it
correctly. "Woman
without 
_her man is nothing."
_
_The men wrote: 
_"Woman, without her man, is
nothing."
_The women wrote: 
_"Woman! Without her, man is
nothing."
~~~
_Humorous Question
_================
_How do you get off a
non-stop flight?
~~~
_Single word (with prefix 
"a-") = a
"word pair"
_===================================
_"aboard"
=
"on board";
_"abed" = "in
bed";
_"atop" = "on
top of";
_"amid" = "in
the midst of".
~~~
"When Christina Aguilera was being
inter-
_viewed just before the
Grammy’s,
she said: 
_"I am accustomed to
all the ‘hecticity’ of 
_these events."
In a
related story, it turns 
_out that
Aguilera is the main speech writer 
_for George W. Bush."
_- Conan O'Brien

~~~
_Humor: What 2 say
_===============
_Use "would you"
or "will
you"
 
_instead of "you'd better"
or 
_"do as I say and no one will
get hurt".
~~~
"This is NOT a novel to be tossed aside lightly. 
_It should be thrown
with great force."
_- Dorothy Parker
"The paperback is very interesting 
_but I find it will
never
replace the 
_hardcover book -- it
makes a very 
_poor doorstop." 
_- Alfred Hitchcock
~~~
Search engine tutorial
http://pandia.com
Books + book collecting
http://www.trussel.com
Choosing what 2 read?
http://www.whichbook.net
R. J. Julia Booksellers
http://www.rjjulia.com
Searching 4 a rare, used, or 
out-of-print book? 
http://www.bibliofind.com
4 GOOD
search engines
====================
1.
http://www.ask.com
2. http://www.google.com
 
3. http://www.altavista.com
 
4. http://www.northernlight.com
(30-day FREE
trial)
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
http://www.auschron.com
"Agent
Ransack": hard drive file locator (English/French) (FREE)
(Win9x/ME/NT/2000/XP/SP2/2003) (792KB) 
http://www.agentransack.com
"WebFerret
5.0": a Web "metasearch" utility program (FREE)
(576KB) (Win98/ME/NT/2K/XP) 
"WebFerret
4.0"
(591KB) (Win95) (FREE)
http://www.ferretsoft.com
http://www.ferretsoft.com/download.htm
"Critically
Analyzing Information Sources" -
 article
http://www.library.cornell.edu
Research + Documentation Online
(humanities, social sciences, history, + sciences)
http://www.dianahacker.com
~~~
Reference Desk
http://www.refdesk.com
Virtual Reference Shelf 
(Library of Congress)
http://www.loc.gov
Encyclopedias, maps, online libraries,
quotations, dictionaries ...
http://www.libraryspot.com
~~~
"When you read a biography 
_remember that the
truth 
_is never fit for
publication."
_- George Bernard Shaw
Biographical Dictionary
(Note:
they
have a FREE
interactive
quiz.)
http://www.s9.com
~~~
High Beam Encyclopedia.com (FREE)
(Note:
it has a reference desk.)
http://www.encyclopedia.com
Wikipedia Encyclopedia - multilingual (FREE) 
http://www.wikipedia.org
Encyclopedia Britannica  Online (3-day FREE
trial) 
http://www.eb.com

World Book Encyclopedia + Learning Resources (FREE)
http://www.worldbook.com
Online reference service 4
learners + librarians (30-day FREE trial)
(Note: they provide library +
publisher services.)
http://www.xrefer.com
Online encyclopedia, dictionary, thesaurus
atlas, quizzes, homework help,
top 10-lists ... (FREE)
http://encarta.msn.com
Encyclopaedia of the Orient (FREE)
(North Africa + Middle East)
http://www.i-cias.com
~~~
History of the English Language
http://ebbs.english.vt.edu
Library resources
http://www.bellmore-merrick.k12.ny.us
~~~
"He doesN'T
know the meaning of the word 'fear'. 
_Of course,
there are lots of other words he 
_doesN'T know either."
_- Sid Gilman, San
Diego Chargers coach 
_____________about
1 of his 1st year players
~~~
1-Look Dictionary Search
http://www.onelook.com
Oxford English Dictionary - online
(Note:
it has word of the day.)
http://www.oed.com
Did u no?
On April 15th 1755 noted British
lexico-
grapher, Samuel Johnson, published his 
seminal, "Dictionary
of the English Lan-
guage". It came in 2 volumes followed 
by a condensed
1-volume version the
following year.
(Note:
Noah Webster came out with his 
______in
the 1820's: some 70 years later.)
Merriam-Webster Online
http://www.m-w.com
The Merriam-Webster 
Collegiate Dictionary (14-day FREE
trial)
http://www.m-w.com
The American Heritage Dictionary 
of the English Language (4th Edition)
http://www.bartleby.com
Did u no?
The following text "The
quick brown fox 
jumps over the lazy dog."
uses EVERY 
LETTER in the English alphabet.
Dictionaries - multilingual
(Note:
it
has games, word of the day, 
______library, the Agora forum,
links 
______2
glossaries, grammars, + lan-
______guage course.)
http://www.yourdictionary.com
Thesaurus.com - online
http://www.thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com - online
(Note:
it has dictionaries, games, lan-
______guage resources, word of the 
______day, reference,
thesaurus, ar-
______ticles, + tools.)
http://www.dictionary.com
Reference.com - online
(Note:
it
has a medical, legal, litera-
______ture, business, atlas, + alma-
______nac reference
section inclu-
______ding a
Web directory.)
http://reference.com
Browser buttons (FREE)
http://www.dictionary.com
~~~
Hypertext Webster Gateway
(Note: it's a word-search engine.)
http://www.bennetyee.org
Hyperdictionary: English, 
Computer, Thesaurus, Dream, + Medical
http://www.hyperdictionary.com
Books (fiction/nonfiction),
encyclopedia, 
dictionary, thesaurus, quotations, 
"Strunk's Elements of
Style", ...
http://www.bartleby.com
Strange + Unusual Dictionaries
http://blueray.com
The Buzzword
Compliant Dictionary
(Note: it has an
e-mail newsletter.)
http://www.buzzwhack.com
~~~
Did u no?
"Everyday"
means "commonplace,
ordinary";
however, when a space is inserted in between
the two words, "every"
and "day"
than the
meaning becomes "each
day".
Logos Multilingual
Portal
(Note:
in addition 2 being a multilingual
______dictionary, it has a
crossword, 
______anagrams, a
forum, glossaries, 
______children's dictionary,
wordtheque,
______+ universal
verb conjugator.)
http://www.logos.it
~~~
"ieSpell":
spell-checks
text input boxes on 
a Web
page - Web mail, forums, blogs, diaries. (FREE)
(Note: it is designed 4
Internet Explorer + 
______any other Internet Explorer
based
______browser like AOL, MSN,
NetCaptor,
______NeoPlanet ... )
(Note: after filling in a
form,
u click the 
______Internet Explorer IESpell
button.)
(Internet Explorer 5+)
(Win9x/ME/NT/2K/XP) (2.45MB) 
http://www.iespell.com
~~~
Acronym Finder
(Note: u can add an Acronym
Finder 
______search toolbar 2
your browser.)
http://www.acronymfinder.com
Word of the day
http://www.m-w.com
Word-related links
http://wordsmith.org
New words
(Note: there
is a Most Popular Words 
______+ link
section.)
http://www.wordspy.com
Wordplay Web Site
(Note: it has word games + Our
Most 
______Popular Pages
sections.)
http://fun-with-words.com
Wordplay subscription - newsletter
http://fun-with-words.com/subscribe.html
Word of the Day subscription - newsletter (FREE)
http://dictionary.reference.com
A.Word.A.Day - newsletter
(FREE
edition - with ads)
[Note:
it has an archive + FAQ (Frequently 
______Asked
Questions) section.]
http://wordsmith.org
The Word Detective - magazine
(Note: it
deals with words + language in 
______a humorous vein.)
(Note: it has a My
Favorite Word section 
______+ Notable Word Links. Ask a
ques-
______tion, win a book.)
http://www.word-detective.com
~~~
"NEVER, NEVER give up!"
_- Sir Winston
Churchill 
_(This 1 sentence
was the "entire" text 
__of a commencement address
of his.)
RandomHouse.com
(Note: there is a New Releases
section.)
http://www.randomhouse.com
Condé Nast Magazines
(Note: there
is a digital media kit section.)
http://www.condenast.com
The New Yorker cartoon e-cards (FREE)
http://www.cartoonbank.com
~~~
Fun words + their origin
http://www.funwords.com
~~~
Did u no?
A "wordmonger"
(WURD MON gur) is 
someone
who writes
or uses words 
"4 show" with
little or no regard 4 
their meaning.
~~~
Anagrams - newsgroup
alt.anagrams
Word fun + games (FREE)
http://dictionary.reference.com
Multiplayer
word games (FREE)
(Note: it
also has a chat forum.)
http://www.funster.com
Crosswords resources
http://www.refdesk.com
American Crossword Puzzle Tournament
http://www.crosswordtournament.com
"CryptoAid":
a handy word puzzle solver (FREE)
(W9x/NT/2K)
(1.6MB)
http://rrufer.com
~~~ 
Cliché Finder
http://www.westegg.com
RhymeZone
http://www.rhymezone.com
Ye Olde English Sayings 
http://www.rootsweb.com
Glossary of
Literary + Rhetorical Terms
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu
~~~
"Shoot for the moon. 
_Even if you miss, 
_you'll land among the
stars." 
_- Les Brown
~~~
Quotes of the day - daily newsletter
http://www.qotd.org
Pick-up lines
http://www.pick-up-lines-pick-up-lines.com
Quotation database
http://www.maller.com
13,5000+ quotations
http://www.quotations.co.uk
Familiar Quotations
(Note: there is also an
encyclopedia, dictionary,
______thesaurus, + English usage
section.)
http://www.bartleby.com
Largest collection of clichés, euphemisms, 
+ figures of speech
(Note: there is a
cliché of the
day
______with an explanation.)
http://www.clichesite.com
The Book of Clichés
(Note: there
is a cliché-related
link
section.)
http://utopia.knoware.nl
Slip-ups in movies, TV, books, + quotes
(Note:
u can add slip-ups here.)
(Note:
u can vote + comment 
______on slip-ups here.)
(Note: u can subscribe 2 their 
______weekly
e-mail
list of 
______slip-ups.)
http://www.slipups.com
Conversational snippets
(Note:
u can comment on them.)
(Note:
they have
links
2 blogs, magazines, 
______columns, stories, + comics.)
http://www.inpassing.org
Quotations on every topic
(Note:
they have a
discussion
forum.)
(Note: u can
sign up 4 the "Quote of 
______the Day".)
(Note: they have an excellent
Internet
______reference section.)
http://www.quoteland.com
~~~
"Get your facts first, 
_and then you can
distort
them 
_as much as you please."
_- Mark Twain
~~~
Writing/editing
http://www.poynter.org
Links 4 journalists
http://parklibrary.jomc.unc.edu
A working journalist's - Net guide (English/French)
(Note: it is
ranked among the TOP 5 
______journalism websites in the 
______world by google.) 
(Note:
they have FREE
search + 
______search engine
tutorials.)
(Note: they have "Internet search 
______tip" articles
+
information.)
(Note:
u can sign up 4 the 
FREE 
______weekly "JNet's Tips"
______newsletter.)
http://www.journalismnet.com
A portal 4 journalists
http://www.poynter.org
Poynter's High School Journalism Guide
http://www.poynter.org
Investigative Reporters + Editors
(Note: it
has an important govern-
______ment database library.)
http://www.ire.org 
Photojournalism
http://www.poynter.org
Journal devoted 2 publishing 
scholarly journalism
http://www.elon.edu
~~~
"The newest computer can merely compound,
_at speed, the oldest
problem in the relations
_between human beings,
and in the end the
_communicator will be
confronted with the
old 
_problem, of what to
say
and how to say it."
_- Edward R. Murrow,
legendary newsman
~~~
National Institute 4 Computer-Assisted Reporting
(Note: there
is an online
math
test 4 journalists.)
http://www.nicar.org 
~~~
Did u no?
With only 3 "print"
articles published
in local, 
trade or regional newspapers
or magazines u 
can qualify 4 a "press
pass" 2 the next major 
trade
conference
in your field 4 FREE:
contact 
the conference management
service 6 weeks 
in
advance + request
press-kit info on how 2 
"pass 4 press".
Writers Guild of America
(Note: u can
register
your work online 4 
______$20;members pay $10.)
(Note: they have a FREE
e-mail newsletter.)
http://www.wga.org
~~~
Tip: when u blog u r "publishing
directly" 
____2 the Web.
A "filtered"
BLOG directory
http://www.blogverse.com
"Now
Bloggers Can Hit the Road" - article
http://www.wired.com
~~~
Aspiring authors
forum
(Note:
u can post your work here 4 review.)
http://www.fragx.com
BeeHive Hypertext/Hypermedia Literary Journal
(Note:
u can sign up 4 e-mail updates.)
http://www.temporalimage.com
~~~
"I was determined to know beans."
_- Henry David Thoreau
~~~
_A "New" English Language
_=====================
_The European
Commission has just
announced 
_an agreement whereby
English will be the official
_language of the EU
rather than
German which 
_was the other
possibility. As part of the negotiations, 
_Her Majesty's
Government conceded that English
_spelling had some room
for
improvement and has 
_accepted
a 5-year phase-in plan that
would be 
_known as "Euro-English".
_In the first year, "s"
will
replace the soft "c". 
_Sertainly,this will
make the sivil servants
_jump with joy. 
_The hard "c" will be
dropped in
favour of 
_the"k". This should
klear up konfusion 
_and keyboards
kan have 1 less letter.
_There will be growing
publik
enthusiasm 
_in the sekond year,
when the troublesome 
_"ph" will
be replaced with "f". This will
_make words like
"fotograf" 20%
shorter.
_In the 3rd year,
publik akseptanse
of the 
_new spelling kan be
ekspekted to reach 
_the stage
where more komplikated changes
_are possible.
Governments will
enkorage 
_the removal of double
letters, which have 
_always ben
a deterent to akurate speling.
_
_Also, al wil agre that
the
horible mes of 
_the silent "e"s
in the language is disgraseful,
_and they should go
away. 
_By the fourth year,
peopl wil
be reseptiv 
_to steps such as
replasing "th" with "z" 
_and
"w" with "v". 
_During ze fifz year,
ze
unesesary "o" 
_kan be dropd from
vords kontaining 
_"ou" and similar
changes vud of kors 
_be
aplid to
ozer kombinations of leters.
_After zis fifz yer, ve
vil hav
a reli sensibl 
_riten styl. Zer
vil
be no mor trubl or 
_difikultis
and evrivun vil find it ezi to 
_understand ech ozer. 
_Ze drem vil finali kum
tru!
~~~
"The best way to become boring 
_is to say everything."
_- Voltaire
Did u no?
What makes a person a "great
communicator"
is his/her ability
2 "listen
closely" +
"speak spe-
cifically".
Develop "effective"
communication skills
http://www.hodu.com
~~~
"Flaming enthusiasm, backed by 
_horse sense and
persistence,
is 
_the quality that most
frequently 
_makes for success."
_- Dale Carnegie,
Teacher and Writer
Dale Carnegie Public Speaking Training (FREE)
(Note: u can
sign up 4 their weekly 
______tips newsletter, "Carnegie 
______Success Connection".)
http://www.dale-carnegie.com
~~~
"The right to be heard 
_does NOT automatically 
_include the right
to be 
_taken seriously." 
_- Hubert Humphrey
Did u no?
AOL/Netscape Instant Messenger 
allows u
2 chat, transfer
photos,
music
+ other
files as well as 
setting up buddy lists. 
(Note: you doN'T have 2
sign up 
______4 AOL
2 use it + it's FREE.)
http://www.aim.com
"Redefine the word 'fail'.
There is
no failure 
_in life other than NOT trying.
If you want 
_something badly
enough, make
an attempt. 
_If you want to paint,
get a
brush and do it.
_If you want to sing,
sing. A lot of people 
_get scared.
They're afraid to fail. Take that
_word out of your
vocabulary. You doN'T   
_'fail'.
You've 'tried
your best.'"
_- Jane Seymour, Actress
Tip: u can make a difference in making
____the world a 
"better place" so try.
"The mind has exactly the same power 
_as the hands: NOT merely to
grasp the 
_world, but to change
it."
_- Colin Wilson, Author
"If you would NOT be forgotten, as soon 
_as you are dead and
rotten, either write 
_things worth reading,
or do
things worth 
_the writing."
_- Benjamin Franklin
"The doors we open and close each day 
_decide the lives we
live." 
_- Flora Whittemore 
"For of all sad words of tongue or pen, 
_the saddest are these:
'It might
have been."
_- John Greenleaf
Whittier, U.S. Quaker poet, 
_______________________writer and journalist 
~~~
Did u no?
Web writing is really "précis
writing":
4-word headers, 30-word article sum-
maries,
15-word brief sentences, short 
40 word
paragraphs, 500-word article. 
It means keeping sentences + para-
graphs "short":
1 point per sentence, 
1 main idea per
paragraph. Never say 
more than u have
2 say 2 make your 
point using plain "unambiguous"
lan-
guage (ordinary words). 
Tip: any material submitted 4 online 
____posting should b submitted 2 
____search engines as well.
"If I had more time, 
_I would have written
less."
_- Mark Twain
~~~
"A word said 
_is a shot fired."
_- Uzbek proverb
1-word writing
exercise
http://oneword.com
~~~
Tip: a good "writing
rule" 2 follow is 
____2
"b brief"
whenever u can.
"DoN'T write so that you can be understood, 
_write so that you
caN'T be misunderstood."
_- William Howard Taft,
U.S. President
Did u no?
2 b avoided: "logorrhea"
=
"excessive"
wordiness
("S/he used
three metaphors." instead of 
"S/he used three different metaphors.")
("Apathy is
why s/he quit." instead of 
"Apathy is the reason why s/he quit.")
Tip: do NOT 
over amplify needlessly 
____with additional words if the 
____thought is already complete.
~~~
Did u no?
Thanks 2 CafePress' book publishing service
u can upload text files
in Adobe Acrobat PDF
format + sell them as books; choose the size, 
type of binding along with price + CafePress 
builds an online store 2
sell it from. The a-
mount above the "base"
price is the amount
u pocket.
Plus, u keep the copyright.
Create + sell "your
own" books
(Note:
there r no setup fees nor minimum 
______quantities.)
(Note:
they have a
Publishing
Learning 
______Center that explains
everything.)
http://www.cafepress.com

~~~
Did u no?
The term "fair
use" refers under U.S. copyright 
law, 2 the rights of copyright holders in order 
2 make
copies of a copyrighted work 4 pur-
poses such as
criticism, comment, news re-
porting, + teaching.
However, such uses may 
still constitute copyright
infringement if they 
are clearly commercial and
profit-oriented 
rather than educational or
scholarly in na-
ture, if the copied work is designed for en-
tertainment rather than edification,
if the ex-
tent of copying is considered substantial
(greater than 5% of the original content), or 
if
duplication adversely affects the market 
4 the
copyrighted work.
Copyright infromation
(registration + information resource)
http://www.benedict.com
~~~
Get it Write Online
(Note:
this writing service has a
FREE 
______writing/grammar tips archive.)
(Note: u can subscribe
2 their FREE
______"Writing Tips"
newsletter.)
http://getitwriteonline.com
"10 Tips on
Writing the Living Web" - article
http://www.alistapart.com
Writing 4 the Web (papers + essays) (FREE)
http://www.useit.com
Content Development/Writing 4 the Web (FREE)
(Note: it has tips + articles.)
http://websitetips.com
~~~
Did u no?
Copy writer make good use of adjectives + adverbs.
For example, u do NOT offer an editing service, 
but a "quick,
same day, turnaround" editing service.
"How
Can I Become a Copy Editor?" - 
article
http://www.theslot.com
Copywriting, Web content, advertising, 
Internet marketing, ... -
tutorials
(FREE)
(Note: u can subscribe 4 the FREE 
______"Copywriter's Digest".)
http://www.adcopywriting.com
A Spot 4 Copy Editors
(Note: u can
read articles
by Bill Walsh 
______4 FREE.)
http://www.theslot.com
Dr. Kevin Nunley, online
marketing, 
advertising, + copywriting specialist
(Note:
he
offers FREE
e-mail courses.)
http://DrNunley.com
Tip: "research"
is the key 2 great copywriting.
Tip: while content "informs",
copy invites 
____"2 act" as in "click here",
"buy now",
____"join today",  "get this".
Michel Fortin, copywriter specializing in 
copywriting 4 the Web,
direct mail, + e-
mail sales letters.
(Note: u can sign up 4 his 
FREE monthly
______"Profit Pill"
newsletter.)
http://successdoctor.com
Copywriting online 4 websites, 
e-mail, + newsletters: Nick Usborne
(Note: u can also read his
articles
4
FREE)
http://www.nickusborne.com
~~~
Syndicate "yourself"
your own writing online
[Note:
there
is Master Syndicator ($79) +
______Master Syndicator Gateway l ($179).]
http://www.mastersyndicator.com
Syndication
services
================
Syndicate your 400 - 1200 word article
(Note:
the
article must b regarding
______Internet marketing,
promotion, 
______advertising, business,
sales.)
(Note:
u can subscribe 2
the FREE
______"Etips"
newsletter that deals 
______with Web design, Internet 
______marketing, + ecommerce.)
http://www.web-source.net
Submit a 400 - 1200 word article 4 publication
(Note:
the article must b regarding,
______general business,
 small 
______business,
women in bus-
______iness, website development,
______search engines,
recipes,
______health/wellness.)
http://www.womans-net.com
~~~
Seeking well-known, experienced 
writers + professionals
http://intellectua.com
"SbookBuilder10": 
creates a standalone HTML 
viewer executabe of a . htm file directory (FREE)
(799KB)
(Note:
u can use it 2 create
"your own"
______ebook.)
http://www.jansfreeware.com 
Did u no?
An e-book "starts"
with an "index
page" 
that displays:
__1.
welcome message;
__2.
copyright statement; 
__3. link to the 'Contents'
page. 
The 'Contents'
page
lists the hyperlinked 
chapter + chapter section titles.
(Note: the top of each page should
______have a 'Content' page
hyper-
______link, chapter title, + hyper-
______linked back/forward arrows.)
"Quality"
ebook portal:
1,800+ ebooks (FREE)
 (Note:
they
also have 
"foreign 
______language" ebooks.)
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu
Project Gutenberg ebooks (FREE)
http://www.gutenberg.org
Amazon.com ebooks
(FREE)
http://www.amazon.com
~~~
"Happiness... it lies in the joy 
_of achievement, in the
thrill 
_of creative effort."
_- Franklin D.
Roosevelt, U.S. President
~~~
Tip: practice writing by penning 
____800-word e-zine articles 
____with a 65 character wrap 
____per line format 4 e-zines
____that share your interests. 
Submit an ebook 
2 Project Gutenberg 
4 global distribution
http://www.gutenberg.org
Article announcement 
4 distribution - online
 (FREE)
http://groups.yahoo.com
~~~
E-zine subscriptions
(FREE)
http://www.arcamax.com
 "Quality"
e-zine portal
(Note: in addition 2 e-zines, it
has 
______games, funnies, knowledge, 
______+ various news sections.)
http://www.arcamax.com

Yahoo! discussion groups - online
(FREE)
(Note: u can
start 
"your own" group.)
http://groups.yahoo.com
Topica newsletters + 
e-mail discussion lists (FREE)
(Note:
u can
start 
"your own" 
______e-mail discussion group.)
http://lists.topica.com
~~~
"Rigid, 
_the skeleton of habit
alone 
_upholds the human
frame."
_- Virginia Wolf
Tip: make writing a "daily"
habit.
~~~
Tip: take 20 minutes each morning 2 
____write whatever comes in2 your 
____mind (stream-of-conscious
writing)
____4 a year (making sure that the
con-
____tent is non-sexual,
non-violent, and 
____NOT self-incriminating) 2 find
out 
____more about yourself while
develo-
____ping your ability 2 write.
Then re-
____view the material 2 see if u
can use 
____it 2 write a poem, a short
story, a 
____novel, etc.
_2
ways 2 practice exercising your writing skills
_====================================
_1. get a "Web journal"
- online
(FREE)
___(Note: it has many
features.)
___(Note: u can
customize
it.)
___http://www.livejournal.com
_2. get a fun, easy-2-update "Web diary"
- online
(FREE)
___http://www.diaryland.com
~~~
"Certain brief sentences are peerless 
_in their ability to
give
one the feeling
_that nothing remains
to be said." 
_- Jean Rostand, French
biologist, writer
A "major"
peer-2-peer poetry community 
(Note: it offers 
"constructive" criticism.)
(Note:
u r 2
offer 3 critiques 4 every 
______poem u post.)
http://www.everypoet.org
"Energy 
_is eternal delight."
_- William Blake
Trees + the poets 
(Note: it
has 
literary links.)
http://www.2020site.org
~~~
"A professional writer is 
_an amateur who didN'T quit."
_- Richard Bachman
~~~
Short works of fiction 
(4 Web-enabled cell phone screens)
(Note:
u can
submit
your own short 
______work of fiction here.)
(Note: there is an
archive
section of 
______short works of fiction.)
http://www.the-phone-book.com
~~~
"In three words 
_I can sum up
everything 
_I've learned about
life: 
_it goes on." 
_- Robert Frost
haiku (an ancient Japanese poetic form) daily
(Note: u can subsribe 2 their 
FREE 
______daily or weekly digest
newsletter.)
(Note:
it also offers a
cell-phone-
______base subscription.)
(Note: the
poems r stored in the
______online archive
section.)
http://tinywords.com

~~~
"Words have a life; 
_without response they
die."
_- Russell Hoban
~~~
Satire - online
(Note: it has an interesting
chart + links section.)
http://www.satirewire.com
~~~
"The happiest people are those who think 
_the most interesting
thoughts. Those who 
_decide to use leisure
as a means of mental
_development, who love
good music, good 
_books, good pictures,
good
company, good 
_conversation, are the
happiest people in the 
_world.
And they are NOT only happy in them-
_selves, they are the
cause of happiness in 
_others."
_- William Lyon Phelps,
Lecturer + Author
~~~
Writing-related 
newsgroups
======================
alt.etext
alt.zines
alt.ezines
comp.infosystems.www.announce
About writing...
misc.writing.moderated
misc.writing.screenplays
~~~
Up-to-the-minute world news
http://news.google.com
~~~
NewsDirectory
http://www.ecola.com
10,000 newspapers online
http://www.newspapers.com
Newspapers around the globe
http://www.esperanto.se
Did u no?
A press release has 8 key parts:
1.
headline title: the benefit 
__(36-40 characters);
2. "For Immediate
Release";
3.
contact info: brief;
4. sub-heading;
5.
leading paragraph (40-75 
__words with quotes): why, 
__what, when;
6.
main paragraph(s): the 
__facts, so what;
7.
final paragraph: summa-
__rise + call 2 action.
8.
full contact details.
~~~
"He has the deed half done 
_who has made a
beginning." 
_- Horace
~~~
Press release software: $199
http://www.mediamagnetpro.com
Press release format - online
http://7lessoncourses.com
Press release writing tips
http://www.eworldwire.com
"How 2 Format Your Press 
_Releases 4 E-Mail
Distribution" - 
tutorial
(Note: the
format is clearly shown
online.)
(Note: ther r
extensive 
"publicity" tips.)
http://www.publicityadvisor.com
"Press
Releases - How 2 Write a Great Press Release" - article
(Note: u
can sign up 4 his FREE
______"Publicity Insider Update
E-zine".)
http://www.publicityinsider.comm
Bill's Hand-Picked Publicity 
+ Internet Marketing Links
http://www.publicityinsider.com
Press release 
submission service - online
(FREE)
https://24-7pressreleasecom
Wire service comparison
http://www.marketwire.com
~~~
"DoN'T judge each day
_by the harvest you
reap, 
_but by the seeds you
plant." 
_- Robert Louis
Stevenson
~~~
Press release submission service (FREE)
http://www.prweb.com
~~~
Business news release service
http://www.businesswire.com
Hi-tech + business press release service
http://www.sourcewire.com
"Unlimited" press
release 
distribution service: $499/year
http://www.emailwire.com
Internet News Bureau
[Note: u can
sign up 4 the 
FREE 
______news release + PR (public 
______relations) tips newsletter.]
http://www.newsbureau.com
~~~
PR Press Release Newswire - multilingual
http://www.prweb.com
News distribution, targeting, + monitoring
(Note: it has "today's"
news, industry + 
______international news.)
http://www.profnet.com
PRN Wire
(Note: they
have a FREE
newsletter.)
http://www.pressreleasenetwork.com
~~~
"The time for action is now. It's never
_ too late to do
something."
_- Carl Sandburg, Author
~~~
Creative ideas newsletter
+ 
marketing ideas newsletter (FREE)
(Note: each
has its own archive 
______of previous
issues.)
http://www.ideasiteforbusiness.com
A GREAT young Canadian English writer
http://www.freewebs.com
A picture poem, "OH,
ô... Canada, ma chérie"
http://www3.sympatico.ca
Publishing community - online
(Note:
u can b a "contributing
editor".)
(Note: there r
newsletters, contests, 
______+ "community"
discussion forums.)
http://www.suite101.com
~~~
Did u no?
Halley's comet comes every 76 years + 
Mark Twain,
that famous "witty"
American 
writer, was born +
died
in the same years 
that it appeared.
~~~
"A person with a new idea is a crank 
_until the idea
succeeds."
_- Mark Twain
Mark Twain
http://marktwain.about.com
"The man who does NOT read good books 
_has no
advantage over the man who caN'T 
_read them."
_-
Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain 1835-1910)
"The difference between the right word 
_and the almost right
word is the
differ-
_ence between lightning
and the light-
_ning bug."
_- Mark Twain

~~~
Collecting
Little Golden Books
http://www.thesantis.com
Bethany Roberts, children's author
(Note: she has a "fun
zone" 4 kids + 
______tips - 4 writers + teachers.)
(Note: she has a directory of
children's 
______authors +
illustrators.)
http://www.bethanyroberts.com
~~~
_"If I could have any
power, I would love
_to have the power of
invisibility. ...
I 
_would probably sneak
off to a cafe
_and write all day." 
_- J.K. Rowling, author
of Harry Potter 
Harry Potter - newsgroup
alt.fan.harry-potter
The Official Harry Potter Website
http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com
~~~
Did u no?
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), 
creator
of Sherlock Holmes,
gradu-
ated from Edinburgh
University with 
a degree in medicine +
practiced in 
Edinburgh.
The Sherlock Holmes Museum of Baker Street - multilingual
(Note: u
can write a "new"
Sherlock 
______Holmes story here online.)
http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk
~~~
J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord
of the Rings" trilogy - newsgroup
rec.arts.books.tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien (author of "The Hobbit" + 
"The Lord of the Rings")
fans -
newsgroup
alt.fan.tolkien  
~~~
"Beware the fury of a patient man."
_- John Dryden
~~~
"The Time
Machine" by H. G. Wells, 1895
http://www.fourmilab.ch
"The War of
the Worlds" by H. G. Wells, 1898
http://www.fourmilab.ch
 
 
~~~
"To thine own self be true."
_- Hamlet, Act 1.3,
by Shakespeare
~~~
About Shakespeare - newsgroup
humanities.lit.authors.shakespeare
The Complete Works 
of William Shakespeare - online
http://the-tech.mit.edu
Shakespeare's "King
Lear"
http://www.pathguy.com
~~~
"Know from
the bounteous heaven 
_all riches flow."
_- Homer
~~~
Bible portal - multilingual
http://unbound.biola.edu
~~~
"Order is heaven's first
law."
_- Alexander Pope
~~~

"Yes, Virginia, 
_there is a Santa
Claus. 
_He exists
as certainly 
_as love and generosity
_and devotion
exist."
_- Francis P. Church