| Writing Information & News
| |
|
|
I Am Biodegradable - My Writing Is Not
My dad was wrong. I just discovered that I am good for nuthin' after all. In fact I've been good for nuthin' all along. I am 100% biodegradable and that means I can be recycled into nuthin'. It also means that no matter how much I waste, no matter how much I consume, no matter how much I pollute, in the end I am environment-friendly. Best of all, I now have an end use. Now that's something to put on my resume! This comes as particularly good news to somebody who is not sure what his purpose is. Sometimes I write these humor columns, pretending to be funny. Sometimes people even laugh, and I worry that it might be the start of an ominous trend. Sometimes I am selling my happiness book, pretending to be a successful author. With 2,000 copies of my book keeping the floor from floating upwards, perhaps I AM successful. Levitating floors are generally not considered signs of success in this part of the country. Sometimes I am optimizing websites for search engine rankings. "What exactly does that mean?" I am often asked. "Well...it means that I get my clients' site high up in the searches." Blank stare. I try again. "It means that I help Google show you my clients' web sites. Blank stare. "Well...I'm not sure how to explain it. But I get paid to do it." People understand that. "I turn on a machine that defluctuates the turbo-rotating modulator down at the spare parts plant," someone adds. "What exactly does that mean?" I ask. "Beats me. But I get paid to do it." We are soulmates. Sometimes I write for pay, because people seem to want something written. They hope that if they can't say it themselves, I might be able to find just the right words. "C'mon, David. You have lots of words. Why don't you lend me some? Why, just last week you promised to 'defenestrate' me, whatever that means." They want me to put their thoughts into words, and occasionally they want me to create their thoughts. I worked for a politician years ago. I vaguely remember how to write somebody else's thoughts before he knew he had them. "So what do you write?" "Web site copy, mostly." "Really? Not another book?" "No, I still have 2,000 copies of the last book piled up in my office." "I'm sure they'll sell quickly, David." "Really? Want one?" "Uh...gotta go. It's time for my pet goldfish's nap." I also write this humor column faithfully every week. But people actually PAY me to write website copy. Now, dear reader, answer me this question. Would you rather be reading this hilarious column, loaded with frosting and topped with chocolate syrup, or would you rather read plain vanilla website copy. OK, go ahead and read the website copy, then. See if I care. One thing my website copy and this column have in common is that they are not biodegradable. Remember how computers would save the environment as they replace the three gazillion tones of paper we trash every few hours in offices around the world and elsewhere? Now we discover that all that paper at least was biodegradable, recyclable, reusable. It wasn't all that bad for the environment, after all. But the monitor you are reading this on will last forever. (SFX: evil laughter) Adventure seekers from the planet Zorgoppppt will land here in the year 2304 and discover all these abandoned monitors scattered around. One Zorgopppptian will say to the other, "prrg, ddyte h hthp oooo djudu" (Translation: "Groovy paper weights!") But they won't find me, thanks to my lifetime achievement. I'll be long gone, because I am (chest swells with pride) biodegradable. About The Author David Leonhardt is biodegradable and happy at: http://www.thehappyguy.com He is author of Inspiration & Motivation To Go: http://www.thehappyguy.com/l/daily-motivation-inspiration.php The Get Happy Workbook: http://www.thehappyguy.com/happiness-work-book.html and Climb Your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness: http://www.thehappyguy.com/happiness-self-help-book.html To write your website copy, newsletter or award winning biodegradable cereal box copy, email him at: Info@thehappyguy.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Heartless traffic agent Daniel Chu STILL writing off drivers after scuffle ... - New York Daily News
Google News |
RELATED ARTICLES
Use Real-Life Templates For Writing Success At some point along the way, most of us have used what arecommonly called "fill-in-the-blank" writing templates. Wemight have used them to write a letter, format an essay, orset-up a resume or CV. Making Better Word Choices - 4 Examples Choosing the wrong words can have a poor effect on your writing and on you. Whether you are writing a cover letter for a job, a business proposal, or an application essay for graduate school, using words poorly can result in negative feedback. The Work Flow Cycle of the Editorial Industry As an editorial professional, I'm sure you're aware of the market slump right now. What you may not be aware of is that this is due to more than just the economy. Basic Word Processing Tips for Writers Word processors are so widely used now that I tend to take it for granted that most writers know how to perform basic tasks (e.g. How to Have an Effective Reading Group Writing leads to reading. Therefore, it's only fair to supply my readers with sufficient information on creating an effective reading group, since the last article was based on writing groups. Unusual Points of View Most writers are familiar with first and third points of view and their variations. But have you ever experimented with alternative points of view? Below are some less used points of view, what I call "unusual points of view. 3 Tips to Achieve Your Writing Goals 1. Make your goals achievable. Timer Magic for Writers If your writing muscle isn't in shape, writing a novel may seem like a sheer, unscalable cliff. ("Gee, I don't think I can write today. Masquerading As Novel ~ Can Author's Work Convey Important Perceptions? While novels do not usually attempt to convey concepts about the need to protect ourselves, this one does. For Sale By Owners:FSBO. 10 Best Writers Who Ever Lived Compiling a list of the history's ten best writers is like skating on a heated swimming pool. Just when you get started, you find yourself in hot water. Vary Your Writing Style and Win Readers First drafts are for getting down the ideas. Anna Jacobs calls the first draft the 'dirty draft'. Advice for New Writers With the advent of email communications in the workplace, it's not uncommon to exchange dozens of messages daily. Sometimes, I sense a writer's "voice" in such messages. Writing HI-LO Material (High Interest, Low Ability) for Slow Readers To write books for readers at an elementary reading level (for either adults or children) you start off exactly the same way as you do any other book: you work out a strong plot and people it with interesting characters.Your primary concerns:To write a story that will seize the interest of the reader immediately (reluctant or emergent readers aren't going to waste time on a story that doesn't look interesting)To try to stick to one idea per sentence. Can Your Theme Be Proved In Your Story? Creative Writing Tips -Your theme has to be something you can prove in your story - It doesn't have to be a universal truth. This means that your theme doesn't have to be something that happens in real life all the time (providing our logic can accept it, in order for us to believe it). Common Writing Mistakes Most books aren't rejected because the stories are"bad." They're rejected because they're not "ready toread. Sick of the Traditional Publishing Path? A book coaching client recently emailed me that she was getting sick of traditional publishing because of so many costly requirements and so little payoff. Do you feel the same way?Fifteen years ago, I worked hard on a 60-page proposal for a top agent and after a year got "approval" to be his client. Five EASY Ways to Improve Your Business Writing Have you ever wondered why some people can make millions writing books, and others (maybe you) can't even complete a simple business letter worth reading? Sure, natural talent probably accounts for some of their writing success. But really the best-selling authors achieved that level of success by devoting serious time and effort to perfecting their craft. Im Just The Writer Writers are often are greatly surprised or disappointed by how their work is changed when it is adapted for the big screen. When Irwin Shaw's World War II novel The Young Lions was shot in Paris in 1958, the Nazi character was played by Marlon Brando. Writers Helping Writers - A Noble Legacy It is satisfying to be a part of such a noble tradition and to know that as a whole, writers are still inclined to lend a hand and encourage others in their craft. I think it is an inherent trait in the writer's soul, to be so generous. Whats in a Name? Giving Birth to your Characters So you've got your plot outlined, a title lined up and the research is done. You're ready to start writing your novel. |
| © Writing Information 2010 |