Articles by marciano guerrero on ArticleSnatch.com

Being Easily Understood: Writing Essays

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:34:49 -0500

Martin Scorsese, Hollywood's great director, in accepting the Golden Globe Award said that he made his films in a way that they would be "easily understood." This extemporaneous remark caught my attention because in my own writing, that is what I strive for-to be easily understood. What I think Scorsese implied is that given the many techniques now available to directors, the theme or story may be lost. I agree. Some films I've seen are so convoluted that one needs a map to decode the story. And if the story-line may be lost in films -being a medium of images- one can just imagine how easy it is for writers to lose the thread in text narratives. So, here are three proven tools that really work for me. Using humble unpretentious words First, to be easily understood, I labor to use simple, humble, unpretentious words. Simple words make for clear, crisp phrases, clauses, and sentences. Of course some elevated topics need to be conveyed with lofty language, but lofty language doesn't mean difficult language. In general, though, even the most challenging topics may be written with plain words. **End Summary** Topics: exciting sentence openers]]> martin scorsese]]> Writing]]> writing essays. writing fiction]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

Murakami's The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - Commentary

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 23:21:33 -0500

If you like quirky, vulgar, enigmatic, and yet lyrical and philosophical flashes-you'll like this novel. Listen to the sounds, for the sounds and mundane imagery of the very beginning of the novel will be give the reader a sample of the strange and surreal: "When the phone rang I was in the kitchen, boiling a potful of spaghetti and whistling along with an FM broadcast of the overture to Rossini's The Thieving Magpie, which has to be the perfect music for cooking pasta"? The voice is that of the narrator Toru Okada, an unemployed law graduate, who by resisting the call of the corporate structure becomes an outsider-a misfit to his wife, relatives, and society. Toru Okada has quit his job as a paralegal and spends his days reading and fixing dinner for his magazine editor wife. A constellation of odd characters In no time we are introduced to odd-ball characters and odd events: an obscene phone call; Malta Kano, a weird psychic who's searching (or so we are led to believe) for his lost cat; her sister, Creta, who dresses like Jackie Kennedy and tells a painful story; next, attempted suicide, and prostitution (both of the mind and body). **End Summary** Topics: haruki murakami]]> japanese novel]]> postmodern novel]]> toru okada]]> wind-up bird chronicle]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

Dante And Writing A Daily Quota

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:07:32 -0500

When Dante set off to write The Divine Comedy, he had only one requirement on mind: to write every day. That is what writing is all about: to write daily. Just write and you will have production. Studying the style of authors, reading 10 hours a days, imitating your favorite writers, or memorizing grammar rules and syntax patterns will not help you a great deal. A little yes-but not a lot. We all benefit from studying, but the crux of the matter is to write every day no matter what. If you are a writer you must not lose your way. A visit to Dante's Inferno Writers often give up; they lose their intensity, and soon their way-witness Dante: "Midway upon the road of our life I found myself within a dark wood, for the right way had been missed." And in he goes through the gates of hell, after reading the ominous sign: "Leave every hope, ye who enter!" Procrastination is Satan's helper. Dante portrayed Satan frozen in hell. Don't let the sin of procrastination freeze you in your creative impulse. **End Summary** Topics: Writing]]> writing fiction]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

Engaging The Reader

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:52:48 -0500

Whether you write fiction, essays, articles, e-mail, or straight narratives for blogs, you (the writer) have a tiny window -less than 10 seconds- to grab the reader's attention and hold him to the end of your text. This is easier said than done. But it's done all the time by experienced writers. One of the sites that carries my stories shows almost half-a-million readers in 5 weeks. Not to boast but to help, I bring this up to give you a few hints. Because many articles on the Web tell you about the importance of titles, hooks, surprises, and other tricks that may possible keep the reader reading-I will simply comment on 3 points that work for me. 1. Write a "tell-all" paragraph Not only do I spill the beans about my story in the first paragraph, but I also give some vivid details. If my character is going to die I will be honest and say that right away: "She came to die." No need to save or withhold information to give a punch-line at the end. Even better is to have the paragraph read like a conclusion, summary or closing remarks. **End Summary** Topics: 'ly' sentence openers]]> essay writing]]> extirpate adverbs]]> Writing]]> writing fiction]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

Is Jane Austen's Emma In In The Constitution?

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:08:11 -0500

Endowed with wealth, brains, and good looks, Emma Woodhouse (twenty-years old) busies herself with other peoples' lives as she -thinking herself worldly and clever- goes about scheming and conjuring up romantic liaisons. But it will turn out that she's neither worldly nor clever, but naïve! And that in the end the only love match that really matters is her own. Is Emma a beauty? Dialogue supplies an immediate image of Emma. In reply to Mrs. Weston's question: "She is loveliness itself.� Mr. Knightley, is not she?" Mr. Knightley responds: "I have not a fault to find with her person," he replied.� "I think her all you describe.� I love to look at her; and I will add this praise, that I do not think her personally vain.� Considering how handsome she is, she appears to be little occupied with it; her vanity lies another way." The plot thickens From the very beginning we can see that neither beauty nor vanity seem to be the theme of the story but-meddling. When Emma's governess-companion marries and leaves the Woodhouse household, Emma finds herself on her own; that is without a female voice of wisdom. **End Summary** Topics: austen novel]]> jane austen emma]]> jane austen society]]> jane austen works]]> social critic]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

McBain: The Gutter And The Grave - An Appreciation

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 10:18:14 -0500

Year after year I waited for Ed McBain's new books like a kid waits for Christmas, books that he produced with certain regularity. Not even once was I disappointed. This writer delivered the goods not because it was expected of him, but because he was a man born to write. Evan Hunter or Ed McBain (October 15, 1926 - July 6, 2005) was a prolific writer-thank God! I will let others tell you about his life, his accolades, and other merits; for now I only want to comment on one of his early novels: The Gutter and the Grave. Just because the novel is an early production (1958), do not for a second think that it is a novice's work. Not at all. A few days ago I re-read it and I want to share my impressions as to what makes this novel a delightful reading. Echoes Because the text -narrative, description, dialogue, and action- is so riveting we tend to race ahead to keep up with the narrator's voice; **End Summary** Topics: ed books]]> ed mcbain]]> ed mcbain books]]> mc bain]]> mcbain ed]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

Usage Of Words Or Figures To Express Numbers

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:35:28 -0500

Many times right in the heat of writing I come to an abrupt stop and find myself on the horns of a dilemma as to whether to use words or figures in expressing numbers. In general, grammar. style and usage books can be confusing with their advice, so I just follow these simple directions: I.� Use figures or digits when the numbers fall between one and ten: The basketball team consisted of 5 starters and 9 bench warmers. The nurse said, "Take 1 in the morning and 2 at bedtime." Of all the varieties 3 were generic and 4 designer brands. Melissa ran the Boston marathon in 3 hours and 10 minutes. Except: For clock time we can go beyond 10: Sunday service is always at 10 a.m. We'll meet at 12 o'clock noon. NOTE: I omit the colon and zeros if I am using round whole numbers as shown above. Also, when I use a.m. or p.m., I know I am safe using figures; but when I use the words 'morning, noon, afternoon, or evening' I feel more comfortable writing words: "I watch Morning Joe, at six in the morning every day. **End Summary** Topics: english usage]]> using figures]]> using words]]> writing essays]]> writing fiction]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

Is Stream Of Consciousness Dead?

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:47:11 -0500

One can enjoy To The Lighthouse by its own merits (or demerits), so I won't much to say about the author Virginia Woolf, whose life was filled with drama. Stream of consciousness Stylistically, the novel belongs to the genre that today we know as "stream of consciousness." In this genre, the reader is expected to follow the voices, echoes, remembrances, and associations in the characters heads. Of course, if the reader has no clue as to what this new way of writing is about, the result will be negative. Filled with mystifying sentences, the reader must piece together the events and so create the portrait of a family and close friends. The novel is difficult, but the rewards are great, for we can learn about the changes wrought by war, death, marriage, age, and aging itself. To The Lighthouse is novel split into three sections, which is not to be confused with beginning, middle, and end. Each section is dedicated to different periods in the lives of the Ramsay family as they vacation at their summer home in Scotland during these periods (from 1910 to 1920). **End Summary** Topics: lily briscoe]]> mrs. ramsay]]> stream of consciousness]]> to the lighthouse]]> virginia woolf]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

How To Predict The Market - Price To Earnings Ratio (P/E)

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:54:52 -0500

How wonderful the world would be for investors if they had a crystal ball which would help them predict the future. Lacking this magic ball, investors have to be satisfied with a different type of predictor: the Price to Earnings Ratio (P/E). What is the P/E Ratio? The P/E is a mathematical ratio. The result will not be a dollar amount, but a mathematical ratio: the relationship between the stock price and the company's earnings. The company earnings is given by the EPS or the "Earnings per share" of the common stock. Computing the P/E ratio You compute the P/E by taking the share price and dividing it by the company's EPS. P/E = Stock Price / EPS To illustrate, a company with a share price of $40 and an EPS of 8 would have a P/E of 5 ($40 / 8 = 5). As you can see the result is the ratio '5.' In the Wall Street jargon, the ratio is referred to as 'multiples.' Ways to interpret the P/E ratio What does the ratio '5' tell you? The P/E ratio of 5 tells us what the market is willing to pay for the company's earnings. **End Summary** Topics: earnings per share]]> market p/e ratio]]> multiples]]> p/e ratio]]> Price to Earnings ratio]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

How To Use Twitter #Hashtags

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:45:09 -0500

In our age of instant gratification and instant communication, nothing can be more gratifying than a wonderful service such what Twitter provides. Here are a few basic tips: Just what is a hashtag? The pound symbol: #, is usually referred to as the pound symbol. Another name for it is the "Hash" symbol. A hashtag is any word, phrase, or series of letters and numbers which is preceded by a #. For example: #writing, is a hashstag that I can use to search for references to 'writing.' When I enter �'#writing' in the Twitter search box, I will get a new screen with "Real time results for #writing," followed by what people are tweeting on the topic 'writing.' So, a hashtag is a keyword and it is denoted on Twitter like this: #hashtaghere. For the novice, keywords are they words people type in search boxes when they look a particular piece of information. Why are these hashtags important? To begin with, you can find people with the same interests you have; and even if you don't have the same interest you can still send messages to particular groups. **End Summary** Topics: #hashtags]]> how to use hashtags]]> soccer moms]]> twitter hashtags]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

Mount Holyoke College - Sentence Openers In Friendship

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:41:35 -0500

Don't ask me how I ended up in New York City; all I know is that by the grace of God I am here, scratching a living and trying to be a man of right. I keep to myself, I am respectful, and I love my neighbor. Though I only went to school through the third grade, I have a thirst and hunger for knowledge. But this story is about Mrs. Poumier -not I- and I want to put it in paper right quick while I still have this sadness that is gnawing at my guts and heart. If I write it out I feel I will get it out of my guts, heart, and mind. And get some peace. It is not that I want to cure myself from this melancholy, nor that I want to lessen my guilt, or much less lay blame on someone-no sir, or madam; not at all. It is that I want to pay my respects to Mrs. Poumier, the only Anglo friend I had in this great country that I love as much as I love my own. In one bit you'll see why I am so sad: Mrs. **End Summary** Topics: hot to begin sentences]]> mount holyoke college]]> sentence openers]]> sutton place]]> which hunting]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

Salman Rushdie - Parody In Midnight Children

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:20:27 -0500

In 1981, Salman Rushdie published Midnight Children, a novel that one can say belongs to the genre of magic realism. Though the genre has been totally dominated by Latin American writers -Garcia Marquez, Juan Rulfo, Isabel Allende, and Laura Esquivel- the Indian author Rushdie holds his own. Though far from being a work immersed in social realism alone, Midnight Children, contains a great deal of parody and satire of India-but all done with artistry. All in all we can say that humor prevails. And when we are in doubt we accept that the author means well and we read his humorous antics with goodwill-much as we do with Lawrence Sterne's Tristram Shandy. For those who are language-oriented, the novel owns a treasure of hyperbole, similes, and metaphors: as when he refers to "pickles of history." Pickles, for those who like them and eat them, leave a sour taste in your mouth, just like some episodes of Indian history. To present his own interpretation of reality, Rushdie tells us that "Sometimes legends make reality, and become more useful than the facts." And he goes on the insert a series of tales and legends within the novel. **End Summary** Topics: magic realism]]> midnight children]]> salman rushdie]]> salmon rushdie]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

Lawrence Sterne - Tristram Shandy

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:09:36 -0500

The Irishman Laurence Sterne published his bizarre novel in nine volumes, the first two appearing in 1759, and seven others following over the next 10 years. It is a humorous work, though some critics -Samuel Johnson among them- found it odd and predicted that it would not survive. When it comes to predictions it's wiser to keep mum and let people think we are slow and simple-minded, than to shoot our mouths and confirm that we are indeed so. Order isn't the order of the day in this novel. The beginning you'll find in the middle, after a million digressions which are really the narrator's recollections and interactions with friends and relatives. I like the irreverent Parson Yorick, Uncle Toby, and the widow Wadam. If you are thinking about writing an auto-biography, read on: "I am this month one whole year older than I was this time twelve-month; and having got ... almost into the middle of my fourth volume-and no farther than to my first day's life-'tis demonstrative that I have three hundred and sixty-four days more life to write just now, than when I first set out ... write as I will ... I shall never overtake myself.... **End Summary** Topics: lawrence sterne]]> shandy]]> tristam shandy]]> tristram shandy]]> uncle toby]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

Write Essays By Using Rhetorical Tools: Climax

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 02:07:10 -0500

In Book IV of Cicero's Ad Herennium we find a discussion of a rhetorical figure -climax- that highlights a series of words that increment a particular situation, as in the following example: "I did not conceive this without counseling it; I did not counsel it without at once undertaking it; I did not undertake it without completing it; nor did I complete it without winning approval of it." The Dutch Renaissance humanist Erasmus in his book on rhetoric On Copia, called the figure 'an incrementum' and saw it as an ordered series which could be used to praise -or in reverse- to insult a subject. In addition, the editor of the Ad Herennium includes in a footnote, an example from Shakespeare's As You Like it. Rosalind says: "For your brother and my sister no sooner met but they looked; no sooner looked but they loved; no sooner loved but they sighed; no sooner sighed but they asked one another the reason; no sooner knew the reason but they sought the remedy; and in these degrees have they made a pair of stairs to marriage. **End Summary** Topics: cicero]]> climax]]> erasmus]]> gradatio]]> rhetorical tools]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

Success And Self-Confidence

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:33:38 -0500

What is self-esteem? If there's any validity to the theory of determinism -that we are 'fated' from birth to be something or other- is how we handle our understanding of self-esteem. Self-esteem is the core knowledge you have of your own worth. When fraught with low self-esteem the tasks that you could easily handle become difficult not because they are really unmanageable and beyond your abilities, but because you -yourself- and no one else thinks they are hard to do. But no one is born with low self-esteem. More often than not the causes of low self-esteem come from being humiliated, as a child, by peers, parents, or teachers. Just knowing this point can take us a long way towards a more fulfilling life. People often say, "Don't dwell in the past." How true this is, dwelling in the past really means going over good and bad memories, except that bad memories linger. No one is born with high self-esteem either. In my long years as an executive in business, I've observed that the most accomplished individuals are those who exhibit high degrees of self-esteem. **End Summary** Topics: boosting self confidence]]> breaking the chain of low self esteem]]> gain self confidence]]> health self esteem]]> more self confidence]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

William Of Ockham: Ockham's Razor

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:04:20 -0500

William of Ockham (ca. 1285 - 1349) was a Franciscan friar and philosopher from a village called Ockham (near Ripley, Surrey), England. William devoted to a life to extreme poverty and minimalism and nominalism. As a follower of Saint Francis we can easily understand his minimalism, since Franciscans were submitted to a vow of poverty. Who can be more of a minimalist than a poor Franciscan friar who only owned one pair of sandals and one mendicant tunic! As for nominalism, this needs to be explained. The best way to understand nominalism is to contrast it to its opposite view: Realism. While 'realism' invents a world of reality that corresponds exactly to the world of thought, 'nominalism,' on the contrary, replicates the external objects with individual and particular names and thoughts. Therefore, nominalism denies the existence of abstract and universal concepts, and refuses to admit that the mind has the power of engendering them. Because of William's emphasis on ways of knowing, many scholars refer to him as the father of modern epistemology and modern philosophy-Descartes and Kant notwithstanding. To him only individuals exist, rather than supra-individual universals, essences, or forms. **End Summary** Topics: minimalism]]> nominalism]]> occam's razor]]> ockham's razor]]> william of ockham]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

Alfred Adler - Adlerian Psychology

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:05:26 -0500

Alfred Adler (1870 - 1937) was an Austrian medical doctor, psychologist and founder of the school of individual psychology. Adler was a member of Freud's inner circle, and also the first major figure to break away from Freudian psychoanalysis. Not only did Adler advance some deep and interpretive psychological concepts, but he also developed a language that is still in use today. I for one have often used these terms -even without knowing of Alfred Adler- to describe inner states such as complex (Napoleon complex), inferiority feelings, inferiority complex, compensation, overcompensation, and style of life. In his book The Neurotic Character (1912), he held that the individual converts feelings of inferiority to superiority. Before we can grasp what he meant by compensation, let's explore first his concept of 'inferiority.' Adler -as opposed to Sigmund Fred- believed that striving for superiority is the most basic human drive (not sexuality). Everyone is always striving to be better than others. It is not that we are jealous of others, nor that we are envious or much less covetous-it is that we are wired to feel superior. A latter day follower, Abraham Maslow, perfected this concept under the label "Self Actualization. **End Summary** Topics: adlerian psychology]]> adlerian theory]]> alfred adler]]> alfred adler individual]]> alfred freud]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

A Writer Is Born - How To Write Fiction And Essays Every Day

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:16:19 -0500

Some people know from an early age what they want to become in life. In my case, I never knew till now, that I always wanted to become a writer. So, I went to college and got degrees in liberals arts, languages, and business--but something was missing in my life. Having had a career as a concert pianist, Mary Patricia gave me the best piece of advice: "Just like a concert pianist, a writer must practice. You remember how I used to practice five or six hours a day? Well-practice from now on. You must write every day." Who would read my stuff, I asked. "Start a blog," was the answer I gave myself. I did. But unsatisfied with just writing a blog, I also decided to start writing a novel. And soon enough I finished my long mystery entitled The Poison Pill. So what is next? Okay, I followed with a deluge of essays and short stories. In one site alone, my stories called "Mary Patricia and I" more than one hundred thousand readers have been entertained with my writing. This is something that really massages my ego. I love the fact that I have an audience. **End Summary** Topics: how to write a short story]]> how to write every day]]> writing essays]]> writing fiction]]> writing with great sentence openers]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

"Ly" Sentence Openers - Campaign Against Adverbs

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:25:39 -0500

Lots of writers --even professional ones-- are fond of using an abundance of adverbs. The reason for this is that instead of searching for a precise verb they reach for a quick weak verb; it follows then that verb then will need to be buttressed by an adverb. If the adverb is of the kind that ends in 'ly,' then that is a signal of lazy writing. Leona closed the door violently. Because adverbs' main function is to qualify, support, or buttress the meaning of verbs, it is easier and more convenient to use them (adverbs) rather than to spend time finding the appropriate verb. We can then say that the use and abuse of adverbs may be attributed to gaining expediency at the cost of quality. Notice how a more adequate verb would eliminate the need for the use of the adverb 'violently': Leona slammed the door. Editors have an eagle eye when it comes to spotting the 'ly' nuisances. So don't risk the embarrassment of having your work returned marked unacceptable because of the use of adverbs. The offenses are even more glaring when the adverbs are doubled up: Leona breathed noisily and wearily. **End Summary** Topics: 'ly' sentence openers]]> adverb sentence openers]]> best sentence openers]]> exciting sentence openers]]> great sentence openers]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

About Free E-Books And Scams - Tired, Exhausted, And Ultimately Useless Tricks

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:04:45 -0500

With the abundance of marketers asking readers to opt in and get a Free e-book, the once useful technique has reached a level of exhaustion and no longer serves a marketing purpose. In particular I'd like to comment on the offer of free books, which is now a turn off because this technique has become a sham-an entrapment. Here are my reasons: Lack of quality control Most of the free e-books you get are so inferior in quality that are rather more laughable than pitiful. For the most they are badly written, grammatically atrocious, disjointed, and tedious. But what is worse is that often they give you deliberate misleading information. No new knowledge Not only is the content they offer 'old news' but also useless. For example, if you get an offer to receive an e-book that will explain how to get 4,860 visits to your sight within 48 hours, the tired nugget of information that you get is that you improve your site for SEO, that you should write articles for e-zines, that you should look for links, etc. You get nothing really new or creative-only platitudes. **End Summary** Topics: ebooks]]> make money online]]> product reviews]]> traffic generation]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

Superfreakonomics By Steven D. Levitt And Stephen J. Dubner - Book Review

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:00:24 -0500

Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner have come out with a new bestseller:� Superfreakonomics. The title reminds me of the series of entertaining crime mysteries by Sue Grafton: A is for Alibi, B is for Burglar, C is for Corpse-with titles all the way to Z. Which makes me wonder where will the two authors of Superfreakonomics end milking the title? While the first book Freakonomics was fresh, irreverent, informative, and filled with serious research, the sequel is short of exploitative. Telling and exposing human foibles is fine except when some of the exposition is presented as scientific research; much of it unrigorous.� Despite the fact that economics is still labeled the "dismal science," there's really no advantage in reducing it to irrelevancy. I wonder what Paul Krugman and other Nobel economic prize winners think of this infamous sequel. Sequels often disappoint and this one is more than a disappointment-it's an unadulterated effort to cash in on the success of the first work, which I understand sold over 4 million copies. The authors pick up a counterintuitive statement and proceed to show the world how foolish people are in believing much nonsense. **End Summary** Topics: freakonomics]]> Stephen J. Dubner]]> Steven D. Levitt]]> superfreakonomics]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

Paul Coelho's The Alchemist - PseudoNeoplatonist's Soup

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:16:38 -0500

For some reason every time I read an inspirational book I go to it with a skeptical mind. What platitudes will I read, I ask myself. What commonplaces, pseudo-sage advice will I have to put up with? Although Paul Coelho's novelette is passable, it verified and concretized what I had feared: that it was a book filled with warmed up advice for the philosophically immature. The story flows like a tame brook with highs and lows along which we encounter strange but charismatic characters. It is the quest story of a shepherd boy who follows his dream to find a treasure. It is a dream that causes the boy to give up his current existence in order to go in search of his destiny. The protagonist is Santiago, the shepherd boy whose adventure we follow: his crusade to reach the pyramids of Egypt after going across the desert. A gypsy woman and a mysterious king advise him to pursue his destiny. The old man says to Santiago: "To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation. All things are one. And, when you want something, the entire universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. **End Summary** Topics: alchemist coelho]]> coelho paulo the alchemist]]> the alchemist by coelho]]> the alchemist coelho]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

Great Villains: Shylock, Iago, Claggart

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:46:08 -0500

The greatest villains in literature are tough, wily, intelligent, and so strong that they can challenge the hero or heroine. Often readers root for these scoundrels, and they gladly do it because they are well constructed. Weak villains call for weak heroes. It's not the good heart of the hero, nor the beauty of the heroine, nor the noble actions of the good characters that make great fiction-not at all. It's the caliber of the scoundrels that call for the good deeds and ennobling noble actions of heroes, super-heroes, and even secondary characters. Of all the villains in literature I will mention my three favorite ones. Shylock (Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice). Note that though Shakespeare didn't describe Shylock him in great detail, but we can easily picture him as black-bearded, stooped, curly sideburns, and in a long black coat. We can conjure the image of a despised money lender. What we read about in his hatred: If I can catch him once upon the hip [meaning off guard] I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him He hates our sacred nation. **End Summary** Topics: great villains]]> shylock]]> super villains]]> villan]]> villian]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

Truman Capote's Breakfast At Tiffany's - Literary Techniques

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:53:17 -0500

Right at the outset I want to make clear that my object of commentary is Truman Capote's novelette Breakfast at Tiffany's, and not the movie by the same name. From the novelistic point of view, a few of Capote's writing techniques drew my attention during this rereading. Throughout the book the narrator shows his frustration in attaching a label to the protagonist, a label that would capture and define her personality, something catchy and easy that readers could quickly digest. After grappling with "a crude exhibitionist," "a time waster," "an utter fake," he finally hits on a simple literary device -that when used in the right place and time sticks- that is often neglected: the oxymoron. How apropos of Holly Golightly! "A phony. But a real phony." Who can disagree with that? In the exchange about writing between the narrator and Holly, one common sense jewel shines: Beware of description. This piece of advice coming from an illiterate character such as Holly Golightly wounds the vain writer-narrator. "I read the story twice," says Holly. "Trembling leaves. Description. It doesn't mean anything. **End Summary** Topics: breakfast at tiffanies]]> breakfast tiffany]]> breakfast tiffany's]]> golightly]]> tiffany at breakfast]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live

Stephenie Meyer: How To Write {Boring|Clumsy) Sentence Openers

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:34:20 -0500

Here's an excerpt from young writing phenomenon and bestseller Stephenie Meyer's Twilight: Jess drove faster than the chief, so we made it to Port Angeles by four. It had been a while since I've had a girls' night out, and the estrogen rush was invigorating. We listened to whiny songs while Jessica jabbered on about the boys we hung out with. Jessica's dinner with Mike had gone very well, and she was hoping that by Saturday night they would have progressed to the first-kiss stage. I smiled to myself, pleased. Angela was passively happy to be going to the dance, but not really interested in Eric. Jess tried to get her to confess who her type was, but I interrupted with a question about dresses after a bit, to spare her. Angela threw a grateful glance my way.[chapter 8, Twilight] What is wrong with the above? It is quite inartistic. And as clumsy as running a marathon with new shoes. Truman Capote would call the above paragraph, "Typing," not writing. The paragraph contains not one single balanced sentence, let alone a well balanced sentence. And, yes. **End Summary** Topics: interview stephen king meyer]]> jk rowling]]> Stephen King]]> stephenie meyer]]> twilight]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68). For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers. To read my book reviews of the Classics visit my blog: Writing To Live