Throwing A Book Off A Snowy Cliff

Throwing A Book Off A Snowy Cliff I am writing my next book and I think it sucks. I get to this point with every single book I’ve ever written. And you know what? It currently does suck. If a giant ostrich swooped down and carried me off to an unknown island in the middle of the ocean where I could never edit this book again, I would call my husband and tell him to light my laptop on fire and fling it over a snowy cliff so no one could ever read it. Some writing tips . . . Friends, you need to be able to look at your work, your story, your beloved novel, and eviscerate it. You need to be able to analyze your book and see where the glaring holes are and the smallest mistakes. You need to be able to see when a character or your plot or your setting is totally lacking.  In fact, all three might be lacking. How do you know if something or someone isn’t working in your novel? If your story doesn’t make you laugh or cry, it won’t make your audience, either. If your story doesn’t grip you, keep you on the edge of your couch or wherever you’re writing, it won’t do that for your reader, either. If you are not rooting for your character, your reader won’t either. If you are not graphically seeing/hearing/tasting your book, your reader will find it bland. If your book doesn’t read rather quickly, your reader will put it down like a hot cat. If you think there might be a flow or an organizational problem, there is. If you have an inkling that the dialogue is stilted or dull, it is. If you are wondering if the back story might be slowing the story, it is. Trust your instincts. Trust what you know about writing. Put it down. Take a few days off. Read it again. Mistakes have a habit of jumping out at us when we get time away from them. Here’s what I can tell you is currently wrong with my book. Check my list. You might have some of the same problems and if you do, it’s full steam ahead for you. Start cutting and deleting and editing. You can hold a glass of wine in your hands while you’re wrestling with the problems. Go ahead. Start pouring. My Problems In My Current Story: There is a pacing problem. This book is not moving along quick enough. There is not enough tension. There are not enough descriptions of the weather, food, setting. There are not enough scenes that will make women laugh and/or cry. There is not enough emotion. The flowery, colorful, eternal love that I know my protagonist shares with her husband isn’t there. There are too many characters. One, or more, needs to be taken completely out of the book. There is not a tight enough focus on the one topic that is central to the book. The language isn’t elegant enough. It also isn’t tough enough. There are repetitions. One plot line is flat out boring and must be eliminated. There is nothing special about the book. Where is the feature that will make it unique? The structure needs something else, something clever, but what? The theme isn’t coming through. The ending is too fast. The book is a departure from what I’ve done before. Can I carry it off? And, very bad: The main character is not endearing/funny/interesting/desperate enough and she needs to be. There are many more things that are wrong with this book. I want to run it over with this cool car. Will I fix all of these problems before I send it to my agent and editor? Yes. And more.   When it’s done it will be the best book that I can write at this point in my life. It will have been edited at least 12 times. I’ve got to stop writing this article so I can get back to work and fix this sucker, but I will offer you this piece of advice: Often, the most important key on your keyboard is the delete button. Remember I said that. Delete, delete, delete. And: Write, edit, write, edit. Repeat. Now go write. (And maybe delete!)

This simple rule will help you make all of your tough decisions - Debut

This simple rule will help you make all of your tough decisions - Debut When I was in sixth form, I had the choice of doing one of two things. I could either read Law at university, or I could pursue my dream of being an actress at drama school. It legitimately took me weeks to decide. I tried everything from writing down (an embarrassingly long) pros and cons list to flipping a coin. Ultimately I went with the more conventional route (law degree). However, it remained one of the toughest decisions Id ever had to make. Tough decisions are a part and parcel of life. However, apparently theres a tried and tested trick that makes them a whole lot easier. The 10/10/10 rule for making tough decisions The one thing that makes tough decisions all the tougher is the fact that theyre often weighted in emotion. Thats why the general advice about decision-making is to sleep on it, because it gives your feelings a chance to, yknow, chill a lil. Thats where the 10/10/10 rule comes in. Conceptualised by business writer Suzy Welch, the rule makes you think about your decisions based on three different time frames. How will you feel about the decision 10 minutes from now? How will you feel in 10 months? What about how youll feel in 10 years time? Notice how the strategy doesnt try to ignore your emotions. Instead, it considers your feelings in the long-term, forcing you to think (and care about) your future self. Lets take a look at an example 10/10/10  scenario So, lets rewind to sixth-form me. I had a life-changing decision in front of me: follow my La La Land-esque dream of becoming an actress, or pursuing justice in a law degree. Instead of wallowing in pity, I could have applied the 10/10/10 rule. In retrospect, this is what I would have done: In 10 minutes time, I would probably have been happy about choosing theatre school instead of a boring and tough law degree. However The acting industry is tough and competitive. Besides that, drama school is notoriously tough, with long hours and plenty of setbacks. I could be sitting in a drama studio feeling absolutely exhausted in ten months time, regretting not choosing a more stable path. Most importantly Would success be a guarantee? I cant predict that I would be in a good place financially in ten years time. Of course, money isnt everything. However, since I know that my future self would be concerned about financial stability, the 10/10/10 rule considers how I would feel in the future, which would have helped me make my tough decision. Having said all of this, we cant ignore that life doesnt tend to work out the way we want it to. Our suggestion? Tools like this are helpful, but if your gut is telling you to strongly pursue something, dont ignore it! Just balance your emotions with considerations for your future self. #noregrets Feature image via Startup Stock Photos Download the Debut app and get Talent-Spotted by amazing graduate employers! Connect with Debut on Facebook and Twitter

Working Mothers and Letting Go of the Guilt

Working Mothers and Letting Go of the Guilt Every year before Mothers Day, a few annual surveys come out about working mothers. Salary.com has the Whats Mom Worth? salary wizard which calculates how much someone would be paid for all of the jobs moms do (teacher, cook, chauffeur, etc) and reminds moms that all the work they do is worth a six-figure salary even though they never actually see a dime. And CareerBuilders Working Mothers Survey reports that close to a quarter of working moms take work home and reminds moms that they are not alone in feeling guilty about not spending more time with their kids. So I never head into Mothers Day weekend with a warm and fuzzy feeling; instead I grumble as I wash dishes that should be at least a $10 an hour job and wallow in  my feelings of being underpaid and overworked.The surveys seem to suggest that working moms dont spend nearly the amount of quality time with their kids as their moms did. But is this really the case? My friends and I often joke around about our moms and how they o pened the door and said Go out and play and dont come back until lunch. And when we returned for lunch we had about 15 minutes before mom opened that door again and said Dont come back until dinner.  Yet we all managed to make it to adulthood without being emotionally scarred and we have fond memories of our childhood and our moms.Ive decided that working mother guilt is so 2005 and Im moving past it. And as for the working for nothing side of the equation, Ive come to the conclusion that sometimes the times you spend doing those seemingly thankless chores, making the extra batch of brownies for the school bake sale, or playing that third mind-numbing Game of Life are memories you end up cherishing for life that cant be replaced by any monetary compensation.While I was writing this post my daughter came into my office to chat. I told her I was working. She gave me her classic teenage eye roll. But ten minutes later I put the post on hold to chat. It was just ten minutes to reconnect and hear about her day. Maybe she would have liked 20 minutes. But she got 10 and 20 minutes wouldnt have necessarily made it a better conversation nor would it have made me a better mother. Working moms give a lot. And kids know that and they like their moms just the way they are.    Happy Mothers Day!

Tips On Articles On Resume Writing

Tips On Articles On Resume WritingWhen it comes to articles on resume writing, there are very few mistakes that you should avoid. Even though there is a high amount of competition for jobs, it does not mean that you should put all of your eggs in one basket. Rather, you can write multiple articles on resume writing that will get your name known to potential employers. Here are some tips on how to write them the right way.First and foremost, make sure that your articles are placed on the first page of a resume or cover letter. This is the most important page because it is the first impression that an employer will have of you. Of course, you will want to make sure that the information that you are providing in these articles matches the rest of the content, but when you write topically relevant information and placement yourself, this makes it even easier.Secondly, articles on resume writing are often the first pieces of information that potential employers will see. In other words, i t is the first thing that will catch their eye. Therefore, you want to make sure that the information in your articles is organized and coherent. While this may be a challenge for many writers, you can organize your information in several different ways. One way to organize your information is to use bullet points.Make sure that you provide a summary of the most important points. In addition, provide a 'catch-all' section at the end. This 'catch-all' section can contain a short summary of the key points that you provided. You can also give more detailed descriptions and details about each section as needed.Remember that you should provide unique information. In other words, you will want to write as well-rounded as possible, and this means that you will need to include both social and technical expertise.In addition, remember that the most important part of any article is the title. Make sure that you choose a title that clearly states your qualifications. Also, you should avoid usi ng common titles like 'employment background,' 'career history,' and 'career objective.'Lastly, remember that the first paragraph of an article is where the most important things are. This is where you are going to provide the most basic information. Additionally, you will want to give readers enough information to understand the main points of your articles. The last thing that you want to do is overwhelm readers with too much information, and you should not try to do this in any way.Hopefully, these tips on articles on resume writing will help you get started. When you are done, you will see that it is not as difficult as it seems. In fact, the best way to write articles on resume writing is to start today!

Types of Jobs For Which Resume Writing Is Required

Types of Jobs For Which Resume Writing Is RequiredThere are several different types of jobs where resume writing is required. These include such positions as staff writers, technical writers, legal writers, book writers, medical writers, administrative writers, advertising writers, and job boards writers. The various types of jobs for which resume writing is required are listed below. If you are to search the internet, you will come across thousands of online companies that hire resume writers.Resumes for writers are very important. You will not be able to get a job without a great resume. And if you have one written, you can expect higher pay and an increase in your career opportunities. This is because the written document is often considered by employers to be more effective than other forms of marketing and promotional materials.Another form of writing resumes is copywriting. The job of a copywriter is to write material that will convince the reader of the importance of the item. In a nutshell, the writer will make a good first impression with the reader. The job of a copywriter is very important.The third type of writing resumes is advertising. This involves ad agencies, magazines, newspapers, television, radio, and the internet. In this, the job of the writer is to create ads that will catch the interest of potential clients. In addition, there are also some types of jobs for which resume writing is required.Resumes that are sent to job agencies, such as Human Resources (HR), are usually considered. You will have to create a professional cover letter that is easy to read. These are letters that need to be accompanied by a resume.Job boards are another type of writing resumes. This involves writing advertisements that will be posted on job boards for which you have to pay. This is the work of copywriters.The job writing for resumes is often considered to be less glamorous than other types of jobs, but it pays well. If you love writing, you will not regret your decision to learn more about this important aspect of your career.

What Is So Fascinating About Writing Resume to Pass Ats?

What Is So Fascinating About Writing Resume to Pass Ats? For instance, if the employer is searching for a team-player, describe yourself as one. To raise your chances of landing a telecommute job, you want to know how recruitment computer software works and the way to customize your resume accordingly. Jobs continue to attract a lot more applicants than busy hiring departments have the opportunity to interview. Life After Writing Resume to Pass Ats What's more, if you believe you're not a match for the job, don't attempt to trick the ATS software with the addition of skills that you don't have. Actually, our latest study confirmed the ATS was not able to identify a part of the work seeker's contact information 25 percent of the moment. So if you prefer your resumes to become into the human hands you must optimize your resume for the ATS. Researching the business and the work description, and including appropriate keyword phrases and phrases, are vital to your success. It's also important to not forget that there's more than 1 approach to approach the work search. Instead, take some time to assess the particular job description keywords you're applying for. Utilizing the right resume keywords is critical. The End of Writing Resume to Pass Ats You will also find valuable easy-to-implement strategies and insights on what you can do in order to produce the applicant tracking system zero in on your application. Optimizing your resume to win against the Application Tracking System (ATS) software is very important. Actually it's the specificness of the keyword to the specific job. For that reason, it's advised to tailor your resume for the particular job application. New Questions About Writing Resume to Pass Ats It is crucial to incorporate the keywords exactly as they're written in the job posting. The overall idea is to include certain keywords in the work description. The logical place to get started choosing your keywords is the work descrip tion. An ATS-friendly resume template might also supply you with a hint of what phrases to pick. The Little-Known Secrets to Writing Resume to Pass Ats In case the position demands a level, that could also be a keyword, along with a number of the tasks the candidate is going to be expected to perform in their role. Usually, a human will never find the resumes that didn't score well. You might strange, but it's absolutely realistic, there isn't any universal resume (one resume) that fits appropriate for all of the job descriptions. Folks often blame the sheer volume of resumes which are submittedHR simply can't review all of them with enough detail to determine what an ideal candidate you're! The keywords incorporate the necessary skills, qualifications, and work experience unique to the job. Moreover, it isn't about how you would like to apply your skills, it's about how the business needs you to apply them. You locate the ideal job on the internet, and then you've got to a pply online.

3 Unusual Ways To Double Your Success This Year - Work It Daily

3 Unusual Ways To Double Your Success This Year - Work It Daily When you feel like you’re a highly valuable asset to your organization, yet you’re bored, under-appreciated, or under-paid… what do you do? Related: 3 Powerful Universal Laws For Getting What You Want You know you have options… but finding a new job takes effort. Plus, what if it winds up being worse than your current position? You feel like your mind has been numbed by the boredom of doing the same thing, day in and day out… …And even though you crave more… Know you’re worth more… And truly, legitimately deserve more… It’s easy to get caught in the trap of comfortable boredom. Well, I have good news for you. These three unusual tricks for doubling your success are about to make you uncomfortable. And you’re going to like it. The 3 Unusual Ways To Conquer Career Complaints Double Your Success This Year Trick #1: Write Your Own Eulogy Here’s a fun - albeit kind of dark - way to manipulate your mind into helping you conquer challenges and double your success this year. Imagine that you live out the rest of your life the way you’re on track to do so right now. Years down the road, you start to feel that it’s time to get your affairs in order. So you decide to have some fun with things, and write your own eulogy, to be delivered by you to your closest friends and family before you pass on. What would it say? Would you be happy with the course you’ve led? Would you have any regrets? Then think about the eulogy you’d want to write. If you could do anything from now until the end of your life, and today was the last day of the “old you,” what would that eulogy say? If your desired eulogy is different than how things are looking now, then you know what you have to do - and having seen how things will be if you don’t, you’ll be pretty motivated to make it so. Trick #2: Use The Idea Of “Pain” To Your Advantage Here’s a fun trick I learned from a mentor. It’s based off the idea that most people will do more to avoid pain than they will to seek pleasure. So here’s what you do: Think about what you want more than anything in the world. Get specific about it, and set a goal to achieve it with a hard deadline. Then, get some help from a trusted friend. Tell them about your goal and why it’s important for you to achieve it. Ask them for ideas of what kind of punishment they could inflict upon you if you fail to achieve it, and then ask them to promise to hold you accountable - NO MATTER WHAT - if you fail. I’ve heard of people giving a friend a $1000 check, and telling them to cash it if they don’t succeed. Years back, my wife’s idea was for me to get a bikini wax if I failed to start a business by a certain date (which, believe me, was VERY motivating. Needless to say, I didn’t fail). Depending on your sense of humor and how bad you want it, you can have a lot of fun with this. Trick #3: Get Excited About Something New Inspiration is found by exploring the world and seeing what excites and drives you. If you’re a high achiever, but find that you’re bored or under-appreciated, then a good place to start looking for something better is the GameChangers 500 website. It’s a list of the world top For-Benefit companies, and includes inspiring organizations renowned for both empowering their employees and making a huge difference in the world. Examples include Zappos, Kiva, and Patagonia, and there are thousands more companies like this if you know where to look. However, if you’re going to apply - be sure to use modern job seeking strategies like you’ll find here. Old school resumes don’t work in this arena, my friend. In fact, my mentor - who is the founder of the GameChangers 500 - helped me put together a free video for you showing three practical tips on how to get their attention and get a job with one of them. Good luck! Related Posts 5 Exciting Career Moves That Will Change Your Life 10 Inspiring Quotes About Career Success Beware: The #1 Myth About Getting Your Dream Job About the author Ryan Niessen is a keynote speaker and co-creator of The Gateway Method: a simple, proven way to gain inside access to the world’s best employers and get your dream job. Connect with him on LinkedIn or Facebook.         Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here.   Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!