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News Home Archive Stepcase Lifehack</h3> <subtitle type="text">Daily digest and pointer on productivity, getting things done and lifehacks</subtitle> <updated>2008-06-12T13:30:22Z</updated> <generator uri="http://wordpress.org/" version="2.5.1">WordPress</generator> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.lifehack.org" /> <id>http://www.lifehack.org/feed/atom</id> <link rel="self" href="http://www.lifehack.org/feed/" type="application/atom+xml" /><feedburner:emailServiceId>71799</feedburner:emailServiceId><feedburner:feedburnerHostname>http://www.feedburner.com</feedburner:feedburnerHostname><feedburner:browserFriendly>This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site, subject to copyright and fair use.</feedburner:browserFriendly><entry> <author> <name>Thursday Bram</name> </author> <title type="html">5 Must Have Tools For DIY</h3> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeHack/~3/310505021/5-must-have-tools-for-diy.html" /> <id>http://www.lifehack.org/?p=5741</id> <updated>2008-06-12T01:01:07Z</updated> <published>2008-06-12T13:30:22Z</published> <category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="Featured" /><category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="Lifehack" /><category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="DIY" /><category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="tool" /> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/5-must-have-tools-for-diy.html#comments" thr:count="2" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/5-must-have-tools-for-diy.html/feed/atom" thr:count="2" /> <thr:total>2</thr:total> <content type="html"><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/wp-content/files/2008/06/multimeter.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-5742" title="Multimeter" src="http://www.lifehack.org/wp-content/files/2008/06/multimeter.jpg" alt="Multimeter" width="380" height="378" /></a>Not all lifehacks happen in front of the computer. There are plenty that require a little sweat, and a few tools. You probably already have the absolute basics of tools: a hammer, a screwdriver — maybe even a cordless drill. These are the basic necessities for keeping an apartment in reasonable shape, let alone a house. If you’re serious about voiding a few warranties or upgrading your gadgets on your own, though, there are a few tools you really need in your toolbox.</p> <p>You don’t have to have every tool in the world, of course. I used to know a plumber who swore that he only needed two tools for any job: duct tape, for anything that needs to stick together and isn’t, and WD-40, for anything that sticks together and shouldn’t. It’s probably worth going a little further afield than my friend the plumber, but if you aren’t planning to do an awful lot of any particular type of work, these five tools can get you through quite a few different projects.</p> <h2>1. Soldering Iron</h2> <p>Most people buy soldering irons for electronics work, although solder can be used to attach pretty much any two metal parts. Think of solder as a more selective version of duct tape. RadioShack has some pretty cheap irons, though there’s plenty of cursing around here whenever we have to solder something with our RadioShack special. I’m planning on upgrading to <a href="http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&pa=116572&productId=116572">Jameco’s</a> shortly —it’s a good investment. You’ll also want to keep some solder on hand: for small projects, a thin 60/40 (60% tin, 40% lead) with a rosin core, which will help your solder flow onto and attach to the metal you happen to be soldering, is ideal. Different solders are available for other types of projects.</p> <h2>2. Vise</h2> <p>There will come a time when you need an extra hand to just hold something still while you work on it. Until the doctors come up with a way to graft on extra arms, a vise is a good solution. Every hardware store carries vises and a brand name isn’t going to be a big deal. But there are a wide variety of vises available. I recommend going with a workshop vise — something heavy enough that you won’t knock it off the table while you work. A workshop vise can also hold a drying project without any help from you, freeing up your hands for the next step. For $20, you can get a <a href="http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=212037-28920-50504&lpage=none">4 ½ inch workshop vise</a>, which should handle most of your home needs.</p> <h2>3. Security Bit Set</h2> <p>The Man attempts to keep us from making changes to a whole variety of things by using funny shaped screws. Companies like Nintendo are notorious for this sort of thing. In order to get inside game consoles and such, you’ll need a security bit set. You can get a 33 bit set for under five bucks, but if you’re willing to shell out a full $10, you can get a full 100 bits. And remember, if you have a good security bit set, you can take apart pay phones, vending machines and other items that I am just going to assume you will come by legally.</p> <h2>4. Multimeter</h2> <p>You might think that you can skip the multimeter as long as you aren’t doing electronics work. After all, why else would you want to measure voltage, current and resistance? You’d be surprised, though, how many little household projects put you in contact with electronics, though. And who wants to check if an outlet is live by sticking their finger in it? You can get an absolutely basic multimeter at some dollar stores, though it’s worth springing for the <a href="http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103534&cp=&sr=1&origkw=multimeter&kw=multimeter&parentPage=search">RadioShack version</a> — under $10 for a basic model —if you plan to use your new multimeter more than once. There are plenty of fancier multimeters that measure all sorts of things but they tend to be a bit more expensive.</p> <h2>5. Dremel</h2> <p>Dremel Rotary Tools come in an absolute plethora of shapes, sizes and prices. I like it for more delicate tasks, personally, saving things like cutting through walls for my electric drill. The Dremel MiniMite in particular suits my needs for little things like cutting cool shapes in my desktop’s case. Oddly enough, a lot of people seem to favor the MiniMite for cutting their dog’s nails as well — although I also know jewelers, woodworkers and electricians who adore their Dremels. You can pick up a Dremel MiniMite with several accessories at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-750-02-Minimite-4-8-Volt-Cordless/dp/B0000302Y1/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1213230830&sr=8-2">Amazon</a> or other online vendors for $30, although there are a wide variety of sets available, with all sorts of bit accessories and higher price tags.</p> <p>There are hundreds of other tools that I would love to own some day. But I’m not going to wait to finish my household hacks. These five tools will get me by in the meanwhile. At the end of putting together this shopping list, I’ve spent a total of $90. If I chose to go with slightly higher end models of the multimeter and the Dremel, I could still keep my total price at about $100. Not too bad for the wide variety of DIY projects this toolbox could take on, especially if you already have the basics and a stock of those ancillary items (like duct tape) that help projects go faster. Just writing this post has me thinking, though, about what tools I need for my next project — any recommendations?</p> <hr/><em>Thursday Bram is a freelance journalist of over five years experience. She studied Communications at the University of Tulsa and is currently working on her MA in Communication Design. Her work has focused primarily on entrepreneurial topics. More information about Thursday is available at <a href="http://www.thursdaybram.com">thursdaybram.com</a>. </em></p><p class="akst_link"><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/?p=5741&akst_action=share-this" title="E-mail this, post to del.icio.us, etc." id="akst_link_5741" class="akst_share_link" rel="nofollow">Share This</a> </p><h3>Related Posts</h3><ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/index-card-hacks.html" title="Index Card Hacks">Index Card Hacks</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-essential-tools-for-practical-travelers-on-a-budget.html" title="10 Essential Tools for Practical Travelers">10 Essential Tools for Practical Travelers</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/the-simply-effective-guide-to-reaching-anyone-online.html" title="The Simply Effective Guide To Reaching Anyone Online">The Simply Effective Guide To Reaching Anyone Online</a></li><li><a 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border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?a=Wn4VTI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?i=Wn4VTI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?a=MhNYGi"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?i=MhNYGi" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?a=cSFIsI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?i=cSFIsI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?a=z0DTXI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?i=z0DTXI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?a=OSg4OI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?i=OSg4OI" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeHack/~4/310505021" height="1" width="1"/></content></entry> <entry> <author> <name>Paul Sloane</name> <uri>http://destination-innovation.com</uri> </author> <title type="html">Innovate in the Downturn – 7 Things You Must Do</h3> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeHack/~3/310505022/innovate-in-the-downturn-%e2%80%93-7-things-you-must-do.html" /> <id>http://www.lifehack.org/?p=5689</id> <updated>2008-06-11T01:47:45Z</updated> <published>2008-06-12T13:00:36Z</published> <category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="Management" /><category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="agent" /><category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="attitude" /><category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="change" /><category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="downturn" /><category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="idea" /><category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="innovation" /><category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="recession" /><category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="survive" /> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/management/innovate-in-the-downturn-%e2%80%93-7-things-you-must-do.html#comments" thr:count="1" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/management/innovate-in-the-downturn-%e2%80%93-7-things-you-must-do.html/feed/atom" thr:count="1" /> <thr:total>1</thr:total> <content type="html"><img src="http://www.lifehack.org/wp-content/files/2008/06/20080613-grasping-the-sun.jpg" alt="Grasping the Sun" title="20080613-grasping-the-sun" width="300" height="200" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5729" />Bill Gates recently said, “We are in an economic downturn but an innovation upturn.” Most people are focusing on the downturn and the dangers it poses rather than on the opportunity for innovation. Most businesses are restructuring and streamlining their operations. How can you maximize your chances in the change maelstrom? One way is to take a positive approach to change and to be seen as an innovative go-getter who will help make the re-organization a success. Here’s how:</p> <h2>1. Adopt a positive attitude.</h2> <p> Like Bill Gates — see the opportunity. Don’t be cynical about change. Don’t assume the worst. Don’t believe and repeat rumors about management’s conspiracies to do down the workforce. Change is inevitable for every organization so it is time to start liking it. Change means new opportunities, new responsibilities, and new things to learn and do. People who are positive about new challenges are more likely to be given them. People who are resistant to change and reluctant to adapt are the first to be culled.</p> <h2>2. Become a change agent. </h2> <p>Make suggestions. Introduce ideas and recommendations. Look for ways in which your department could bring in new products, business processes or partnerships. Ask yourself — is there a better way to meet the needs of our customers? Anticipate trends and suggest ways of changing the department to exploit new opportunities and new technologies.</p> <h2>3. Listen to customers. </h2> <p>Where can you find the ideas for change? One source is customers. In your dealings with clients you should make a point of asking how your product or service could be improved. What do they like and dislike about your offering? How are their business needs changing? What will they need in the future? Even better than asking them is to study how they use your product or service. What difficulties do they encounter? How could you alleviate the problems and make their life easier? Do they use your product or service in conjunction with others? Could you co-operate with another company or combine your product with others to bring an innovation to market?</p> <h2>4. Watch the competition. </h2> <p>Keep an eye on what they are doing and any innovations they introduce. Ask customers what other suppliers are doing that is smart and new. Study their initiatives and see what works. Suggest ways in which you cannot just match the competition but leapfrog them. </p> <h2>5. Be sensitive to office politics. </h2> <p>For most ideas it is best to talk them through with colleagues in your department and in other areas to test their workability before you speak to your manager. That way you have checked out the concept, cleared some obvious objections and gained feedback before you propose it. It will sound better thought out. However, there are some ideas that are so sensitive that it would be silly to bat them around the office before proposing them. You have to choose your moments carefully. Often you can prepare the ground by describing the size of the problem and agreeing how pressing it is before you introduce your idea. Catch the boss when he or she is most receptive. Sometimes it is best to introduce your big idea outside the hurly burly of the office. If you can buttonhole the director in the pub or the car park you may have a better chance of a good hearing.</p> <h2>6. Don’t insist on the glory. </h2> <p>If you spark an idea and then other people adapt and improve it then that is fine. By letting go you have a better chance of it being adopted than if you insist on driving every aspect of the initiative because it “was your idea in the first place.” Sometimes the cleverest tactic is to let your boss take it over as his or her idea. People will still know that you were the one who planted the seed.</p> <h2>7. Be prepared for rejection. </h2> <p>Most managers are analytical and critical. They are good at finding fault with other people’s ideas. The more radical your proposal the more likely it is that people will feel uncomfortable with it. Propose it carefully. Lay it out in a logical way and explain the benefits. But if your boss disagrees then don’t fall out over it and don’t bypass him. Let it lie fallow for a while. I once worked for a CEO who would tear new ideas to shreds and ridicule them. But the next day he would often say, “I was thinking about that idea of yours and I can see a way to make it work.” His initial reaction was to oppose an idea just to test it. But once the germ of the idea was in his head he could find ways to develop it. Above all don’t stop bringing forward ideas because the first few are rejected.</p> <p>Change means winners and losers. If you can be known as someone who is creative, innovative and a driver of change then the chances are that you will emerge a winner. Not only will you survive the change but you will be given the responsibility of making part of it a reality.</p> <hr/><em>Paul Sloane is an author and speaker on leadership, innovation and lateral thinking. His most recent book is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0749450010/mindsharer-20?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=1FPYVG86YD5D23VDQCHR&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=288448401&pf_rd_i=507846">The Innovative Leader</a>. He helps organizations improve innovation, creativity and leadership. He is the founder of <a href="http://destination-innovation.com/">Destination Innovation</a>. He has written 15 books of lateral thinking puzzles and hosts the <a href="http://lateralpuzzles.com/">lateral puzzles forum</a>.</em></p><p class="akst_link"><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/?p=5689&akst_action=share-this" title="E-mail this, post to del.icio.us, etc." id="akst_link_5689" class="akst_share_link" rel="nofollow">Share This</a> </p><h3>Related Posts</h3><ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/how-to-stifle-your-creativity-in-10-easy-steps.html" title="How to stifle your creativity in 10 easy steps">How to stifle your creativity in 10 easy steps</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/become-a-self-starter.html" title="Become a self-starter">Become a self-starter</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/why-we-should-put-an-end-to-hamburger-management.html" title="Why We Should Put an End to “Hamburger Management”">Why We Should Put an End to “Hamburger Management”</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/antidotes-to-hamburger-management.html" title="Antidotes to Hamburger Management">Antidotes to Hamburger Management</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/precious-moments.html" title="Precious Moments">Precious Moments</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/how-to-bring-your-life-into-line-with-your-values.html" title="How to Bring Your Life into Line with Your Values">How to Bring Your Life into Line with Your Values</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/management/six-great-ways-to-ruin-a-brainstorm.html" title="Six Great Ways to Ruin a Brainstorm">Six Great Ways to Ruin a Brainstorm</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/playing-well-with-others.html" title="Playing Well with Others">Playing Well with Others</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/podcast/lifehack-live-for-april-14-2008-game-inventor-nick-kellet.html" title="Lifehack Live for April 14, 2008: Game Inventor Nick Kellet">Lifehack Live for April 14, 2008: Game Inventor Nick Kellet</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/podcast/join-me-today-for-lifehack-live-at-10am-pst-gifttrap-creator-nick-kellet.html" title="Join Me Today for Lifehack Live at 10am PST: GiftTRAP Creator Nick Kellet">Join Me Today for Lifehack Live at 10am PST: GiftTRAP Creator Nick Kellet</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/change-your-day-change-your-life-change-the-world-a-review-of-new-day-revolution-by-sam-davidson-and-stephen-moseley.html" title="Change Your Day, Change Your Life, Change the World: A Review of “New Day Revolution” by Sam Davidson and Stephen Moseley">Change Your Day, Change Your Life, Change the World: A Review of “New Day Revolution” by Sam Davidson and Stephen Moseley</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/unleash-your-inner-genius.html" title="Unleash your Inner Genius">Unleash your Inner Genius</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/living-in-fat-city.html" title="Living in Fat City">Living in Fat City</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/podcast/lifehack-live-for-february-18-tatsuya-nakagawa-and-peter-paul-roosen-of-atomica-creative.html" title="Lifehack Live for February 18: Tatsuya Nakagawa and Peter Paul Roosen of Atomica Creative">Lifehack Live for February 18: Tatsuya Nakagawa and Peter Paul Roosen of Atomica Creative</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/which-questions-are-more-practical-for-deciding-how-best-to-live-your-life.html" title="Who? 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Questions to Ask BEFORE Asking “How” to Live Your Life</a></li></ul> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/LifeHack?a=M3FuKE"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/LifeHack?i=M3FuKE" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?a=iKCHji"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?i=iKCHji" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?a=7FgA4i"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?i=7FgA4i" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?a=U4WksI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?i=U4WksI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?a=LprvVi"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?i=LprvVi" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?a=h3sJbI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?i=h3sJbI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?a=MefaXI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?i=MefaXI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?a=yXRnAI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/LifeHack?i=yXRnAI" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeHack/~4/310505022" height="1" width="1"/></content></entry> <entry> <author> <name>Dustin Wax</name> <uri>http://www.dwax.org</uri> </author> <title type="html">How to Write (in a thousand words or less)</h3> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeHack/~3/309735337/how-to-write-in-a-thousand-words-or-less.html" /> <id>http://www.lifehack.org/?p=5736</id> <updated>2008-06-10T22:49:11Z</updated> <published>2008-06-11T14:00:00Z</published> <category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="Communication" /><category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="Featured" /><category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="business" /><category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="communicating" /><category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="editing" /><category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="student" /><category scheme="http://www.lifehack.org" term="writing" /> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/how-to-write-in-a-thousand-words-or-less.html#comments" thr:count="15" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/how-to-write-in-a-thousand-words-or-less.html/feed/atom" thr:count="15" /> <thr:total>15</thr:total> <content type="html"><img title="How to Write" height="245" alt="How to Write" src="http://www.lifehack.org/wp-content/files/2008/06/20080611writing.jpg" width="400" /> <p>I’ve written about <a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/improve-your-writing-with-these-editing-tips.html">editing</a>, <a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/tips-and-tricks-for-distraction-free-writing.html">eliminating distractions</a>, <a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/beat-blank-page-syndrome-10-tricks-to-get-your-writing-started.html">getting started</a> – it’s time to get down to basics. Too many people don’t know how to write. Period. Yeah, they can make marks on paper, but when it comes to making a clear, compelling, and meaningful statement, especially one more than 140 characters long, they fail. </p> <p>So here, in no particular order, are 17 ways to make your marks on paper as good as they can be.</p> <ol> <li><strong>Write naturally.</strong> Not necessarily how you talk – speaking and writing are separate crafts and are processed differently by the brain – but using a tone and language that is natural to who you are. Avoid “university words” (even if you’re in a university) and jargon (unless among peers). </li> <li><strong>Have a plan.</strong> Outline if you can, but at the least make sure you know where you’re going and how you intend to get there. Don’t ramble on hoping your reader will put it all together in the end. They won’t <em>get</em> to the end.</li> <li><strong>Use active, forceful verbs.</strong> Use verbs that convey action, movement, and purpose; avoid verbs that are passive and simply indicate existence or equivalence (e.g. “Our company is a leading manufacturer of…” vs. “Our company leads in the manufacture of…”). Never use a verb in a sentence that you wouldn’t <em>do</em>. For example, if you wouldn’t “interface” with a business partner, don’t write it. </li> <li><strong>Avoid adverbs.</strong> Adverbs are words that modify the verb. If you’ve used a strong, active verb, you don’t need to modify it. While you’ll have to use adverbs <em>occasionally</em>, most of the time you should strike the adverb and choose a better verb.</li> <li><strong>Be for something or against something.</strong> As in life, people avoid standing for something in their writing. They <em>often seem to </em>use language that, <em>in a way, would tend to imply </em>that they are perfectly <em>ok</em> with whatever opinion you<em> might be comfortable</em> with. <strong>Boooo-riiiing!</strong> Take a stand, build an argument, and convince your reader that you’re right.</li> <li><strong>Cut “think”, “seems”, “believe”, and other opinion words.</strong> This goes along with the last point, but there’s more to it than just hemming and hawing. Too often, people write their opinions, which you should be <em>convincing me of</em>, not using to support your argument. Don’t tell me what you think, believe, or disagree with, tell me what you <em>know</em>.</li> <li><strong>Write for people.</strong> Don’t write for some generic audience "out there", and for the sake of all that is holy don’t write for search engines. Picture the person, real or imagined, you want to read and be moved by your writing, and write for that person.</li> <li><strong>Be present.</strong> I don’t mean you have to write in the first-person (though that’s not as bad as your high school teachers led you to believe), but there should be a sense of you the writer in your work, of your humanity and passion for your subject. </li> <li><strong>Don’t be clever.</strong> Unless you’re writing something intended to be witty — a greeting card or joke to begin a speech with, for example — avoid clever turns of phrase that make you feel smart. Here’s what will happen: 1 or 2% of your readers will say "Oh, that’s clever. See what they did?", 50% won’t notice at all, and 48% won’t get it. I’m being generous here.</li> <li><strong>Hook ‘em early.</strong> Start with the headline, which should say why I should read this. Then write a strong introduction that draws your reader in and makes them want to read on. Tell a story, make a bold statement, offer up a surprising fact. Don’t open with "According to Wikipedia…" or "According to Webster’s…". <strong>YAWN!</strong></li> <li><strong>Use topic sentences.</strong> Every paragraph should clearly say what it’s about. The topic sentence might not be the first sentence — it might even be the last sentence, or the first part of the third sentence. But somewhere in the paragraph there should be a line that, taken on its own, says what the paragraph is about.</li> <li><strong>Have a conclusion.</strong> People fuss a lot over introductions, and slack on conclusions. Tell your reader why they bothered to read your piece. Remember, the conclusion is the part your reader is going away with — make it count. </li> <li><strong>Explain yourself.</strong> <em>Never</em> assume your reader agrees with you. If you say someone’s bad because he barbecues puppies, you’d better explain why barbecuing puppies is a bad thing. Maybe your reader thinks puppies are delicious <em>and</em> nutritious — can you afford for that reader to completely miss the intent of your writing?</li> <li><strong>Have a trusted reader. </strong>Whenever possible, get your work read by someone you trust to be honest with you. Listen intently to their responses, even when your reader tries to blunt their critique. For example, if they say they didn’t get a part, but that’s probably because they didn’t know anything about the topic, you need to rewrite that part so that, even knowing nothing about the subject, they <em>do</em> get it.</li> <li><strong>Let it rest.</strong> Never write up to a deadline. Allow your writing at least a few hours, a day or two if you can, before you come back to it. You’ll be surprised how much cruft you find when you approach your writing with fresh eyes.</li> <li><strong>Cut, cut, cut.</strong> You’ve been told that a piece of writing should be exactly as long as it needs to be to get its point across. That’s wrong – it should be <em>half</em> that long. There is no piece of writing, except the published work of the greatest authors, that couldn’t benefit from a savage reduction in length. Concision counts.</li> <li><strong>Rewrite. </strong>You’ll break all these rules in your first draft. That’s why it’s called a “first” and not “only” draft. Writers just don’t get it right the first time – cut, cut, cut and rework your text into a lean, tight, and <em>clear</em> piece of work.</li> </ol> </p> </p> </p> </p> </p> </p> </p> </p> </p> </p> </p> </p> </p> </p> </p> </p> </p> </p> </p> </p> <p> <a href="http://www.fonosip.com/" target="_top"> <img src="http://fonosip.com/gifs/logo_ad14.gif" width=189 height=77 border=0 align=right alt="Logo Fonosip.com"></A> <a href="./rss.xml" target="_top">Subscribe with an RSS reader <img src="http://voip.brujula.net/gifs/rss.png" width=16 height=16 border=0></a> <a href="./archive/" target="_top">Older News Archive</A> <a href="./syndicate.html" target="_top">Add news to your web site</A> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=66b2c05330304248a29f2f3cb0c4f3b6&u=%%UNIQUEID%%"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=66b2c05330304248a29f2f3cb0c4f3b6&u=%%UNIQUEID%%" border="0"/></a> </td></tr> <td><BR><BR> <p> <a href="/dmoz/"> Top</a> | <a href="http://www.ba.net/dmoz/Arts/"> Arts</a> | <a href="http://www.ba.net/dmoz/Business/"> Business</a> | <a href="http://www.ba.net/dmoz/Computers/"> Computers</a> | <a href="http://www.ba.net/dmoz/Games/"> Games</a> | <a href="http://www.ba.net/dmoz/Health/"> Health</a> | <a href="http://www.ba.net/dmoz/Kids_and_Teens/"> Kids</a> | <a href="http://www.ba.net/dmoz/News/"> News</a> | <a href="http://www.brujula.net/dmoz/Recreation/"> Recreation</a> | <a href="http://www.brujula.net/dmoz/Reference/"> Reference</a> | <a href="http://www.brujula.net/dmoz/Regional/"> Regional</a> | <a href="http://www.brujula.net/dmoz/Science/"> Science</a> | <a href="http://www.brujula.net/dmoz/Shopping/"> Shopping</a> | <a href="http://www.brujula.net/dmoz/Society/"> Society</a> | <a href="http://www.brujula.net/dmoz/Sports/"> Sports</a> | <a href="http://www.brujula.net/dmoz/World/"> World</a> | <a href="http://www.ba.net/dmoz/World/"> Languages</a> | <a href="http://www.ba.net/news/"> News</a> | <a href="http://www.ba.net/news/"> Blogs</a> <HR NOSHADE> <p><center> <!!--#exec cmd="/cgi-bin/banner"--> <table><td> <script type="text/javascript"> GA_googleFillSlot("news-banner-bottom"); </script> <td> <a href="http://www.ba.net/about/"> <img src="http://ba.net/gifs/adbrite-your-ad-here-banner.gif" style="background-color:#CCCCCC;border:none;padding:0;margin:0;" alt="Your Ad Here" width="11" height="60" border="0" align=right></a> </table> <p><br> <form method="POST" action="http://www.brujula.net/cgi-bin/buscar"> <input name="text" size="45"> <input type="submit" value="Search"> <input type="hidden" name="buscador" value="categorias-en"> </form> <br> <font size=1> <b>BA.net Brujula.Net</b> © 2008 <A HREF="http://www.ba.net/acerca/" STYLE="text-decoration:none;font-size:xx-small">advertising</a> <br><br> <A HREF="http://www.ba.net/" STYLE="text-decoration:none;font-size:xx-small">english</a> <A HREF="http://www.brujula.net/" STYLE="text-decoration:none;font-size:xx-small">español</a> <A HREF="http://www.ba.net/italia/" STYLE="text-decoration:none;font-size:xx-small">italiano</a> <A HREF="http://www.ba.net/germany/" STYLE="text-decoration:none;font-size:xx-small">germany</a> <A HREF="http://www.ba.net/japan/" STYLE="text-decoration:none;font-size:xx-small">japan</a> <A HREF="http://www.ba.net/france/" STYLE="text-decoration:none;font-size:xx-small">france</a> <A HREF="http://www.ba.net/world/" STYLE="text-decoration:none;font-size:xx-small">more</a> <A HREF="javascript:window.external.AddFavorite(window.location.href,document.title)" STYLE="text-decoration:none;font-size:xx-small">bookmark</A> </center> </td> </TABLE> </TD> <TD valign="top"><IMG src="http://www.brujula.net/gifs/sep3horiz.gif" width="23" height="1"></TD> <TD bgcolor="#333366" valign="top"><IMG src="http://www.brujula.net/gifs/sep3horiz.gif" width="3" height="1"></TD> </TR> <TR bgcolor="#ffffff"> <TD colspan="2" bgcolor="#FFCC66" valign="top"><IMG src="http://www.brujula.net/gifs/sep3horiz.gif" width="1" height="24" border="0"></TD> <TD colspan="3" valign="top"><IMG src="http://www.brujula.net/gifs/sep3horiz.gif" width="1" height="24" border="0"></TD> <TD rowspan="2" colspan="2" bgcolor="#333366" valign="middle"> <CENTER> <FONT color="#FFFFFF"><B>></B> </FONT> </CENTER> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD colspan="5" bgcolor="#333366" valign="top"><IMG src="http://www.brujula.net/gifs/sep3horiz.gif" width="1" height="3"></TD> </TR> <TR bgcolor="#666699"> <TD colspan="8"><IMG src="http://www.brujula.net/gifs/sep3horiz.gif" width="1" height="10"></TD> </TR> </TABLE> </BODY></HTML>