Using Writing Bursts to Generate Ideas and Enthusiasm

Using Writing Bursts to Generate Ideas and Enthusiasm Using Writing Bursts to Generate Ideas and Enthusiasm Using Writing Bursts to Generate Ideas and Enthusiasm By Ali Hale Many of us want to write fiction but rarely manage to get round to it. We struggle to find a free hour to write in – or the energy to write. Doing writing bursts is a great way to get going when time is short and motivation flagging. What is a writing burst? I came across the concept in Robert Graham’s How to Write Fiction (And Think About It). Mini-exercises are scattered throughout the book, and Graham explains: Every class I teach begins with a 10 minute writing exercise which I call a writing burst. I give a stimulus and ask the class to start writing, keep writing for 10 minutes and not to worry for one second about the quality of the work appearing on the paper. When the thought of sitting down and writing a whole short story is daunting, it’s much easier to find 10 minutes. Open your notebook or word-processing program of choice, write the burst at the top, then set a timer – and write without stopping or looking back. How do writing bursts help? I use writing bursts when I have very little time in the day to write, but wanted to feel I’ve achieved something. They’re also great for establishing a creative mood at the beginning of a longer writing session. You can use the material you produce as a starting point for longer pieces. One of mine became a thousand-word â€Å"twist in the tale† short story that I’ve submitted to a woman’s fiction magazine. The bursts help you to generate new or unusual ideas – I come up with more creative and interesting concepts than usual, because I don’t stop to self-edit. Where do you find them? There are plenty of sources for writing burst prompts. The Writers’ Book of Matches, by Writers’ Digest Books, is a collection of â€Å"1,001 prompts to ignite your fiction†. The Pocket Muse: Ideas and Inspirations for Writing has some similar exercises, as well as photo prompts to help spark your writing. Competitions which give a first line can be used as writing bursts. Famous quotes can work well, so long as they’re short. Phrases or lines from a story you’ve read that inspire you are also good starting points. What variations are there? If you’ve tried a few writing bursts and you’re starting to get bored, the concept is open to any number of tweaks. When ten minutes starts to seem too rushed, you could lengthen the burst to fifteen or twenty minutes. If your ideas seem stale or trite, try writing with a friend: use the same prompt and swap the pieces that emerge. Alternatively, use multiple prompts – pick two prompts at random and figure out how to use them both. If you’re writing a novel or extended piece of fiction and have ground to a halt, use a prompt to get going again. You can always cut the scene out later – but it just may give your story the new life it needs. Some writing prompts After completing a solo camping trip, a woman gets her film developed and discovers that several photos are of her †¦ sleeping. (From 1,001 Prompts) â€Å"That was the moment I wished I could remember what we’d been taught.† (from How to Write Fiction) â€Å"She’s been told.† (from How to Write Fiction) â€Å"When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.† (Samuel Johnson) A man sneezes painfully. He looks into his handkerchief and finds something that looks like a microchip. (From 1,001 Prompts) â€Å"The place is very well and quiet and the children scream only in a low voice.† (Byron) Pick one of the prompts now – you can afford ten minutes – grab that blank page, and go! Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire YouComma Before ButList of 50 Compliments and Nice Things to Say!

China's economic discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

China's economic discussion - Assignment Example It has taken many decades for Chinese companies to compete on a national and global stage, but an increasingly educated workforce has helped to contribute to this. Before, the working Chinese population was not highly educated and thus could not perform technology intensive jobs. Another thing that MNCs will have to watch out for is labor shortages. Because of China’s one-child policy in the 1970’s and 80’s, there will be fewer young workers available for jobs in the future. In addition to this, labor costs will rise as the standard of living increases in China. As Chinese workers are becoming more skilled, they will demand pay that appropriately matches their skills. Finally, MNCs will need to change their focus to countryside Chinese cities, which are expected to experience huge growth in the not too distant future. Many MNCs are based in major cities in the eastern part of China, but this area has already experienced major

Summarize the Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Summarize the Article - Essay Example After which they analyzed each person’s clinical examination result and identified what risk factors have stimulated the syndrome. Through this method, they were able to come up with a conclusion that people who are highly stressed at work usually belong to an industry where the job demand is high. Also, the work environment also played a huge role in adding up to the job strain the participants encounter, with which through time caused heart diseases. Because of this stress they go through based on the nature of work and the environment of their workplace, these people tend to embrace an unhealthy lifestyle as a way of de-stressing such as by smoking and drinking. I would say that considering the motivations and the effects of stress towards a certain person’s lifestyle in this study is one of the strengths of this research. Indeed, this study is not only informational but is very significant today especially when almost everyone deems stress as a normal variable for success. Though this is true, it is more important to highlight the reality that â€Å"health is wealth† and continue on persevering at work with this kind of mindset, so neither success or health is

Take your own moral values on abortion (pro-life) and compare them to Assignment

Take your own moral values on abortion (pro-life) and compare them to the social work ethics and core values - Assignment Example It is interesting in this situation to look at a person’s own biases and prejudices while dealing with this issue. Since every person is situated in a society and can be looked at as a product of the history of that society, it is safe to assume that prejudices would be a part of every person. There needs to thus, be a conscious effort to rid oneself of the prejudices that are a part of one’s mind. It is here that one sees the importance of a code of ethics as laid down by the National Association of Social Workers. This paper shall look at the articles of this code and how it helps one to rid oneself of many a prejudice and work towards a more harmonious society. The code of ethics according to the NASW demands that people who are social workers accept the cultural changes that are a part of today’s society and learn to live in harmony without intentionally or otherwise, causing any damage to the sentiments of others. It is in this context that the issue of abortion becomes a huge issue that becomes difficult for people to grapple with. Any stand that is taken at present seems to be in violation of the beliefs of certain groups, as far as abortion is concerned. This is however, applicable only for those groups that advocate a complete ban on abortion or complete freedom. As in most issues of a multicultural society, the middle path would be the intelligent route to take in this matter. This is especially so since it tends to divide people into watertight compartments even at a political level where it becomes a major issue in pre-electoral times. This lack of discrimination is exhorted to be practiced as can be seen in this part of th e code of ethics- â€Å"Social workers should obtain education about and seek to understand the nature of social diversity and oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression,

Physical Security Essay Example for Free

Physical Security Essay INTRODUCTION. Physical security starts with a rather simple basic premise; those who do not belong on your institution’s property should be excluded from your institution. This may happen in three often interrelated ways: when those who do not belong are identified, stopped and denied admission, when those who do not belong are denied admission by a physical device, such as a locked door. When those who do not belong are denied admission because they decide that your institution is too difficult to enter and thus they do note entry. This section will consider the various methods of excluding those who do not belong: access control, key control and locks, protective devices and alarms, windows and doors, fencing and gates, protective lighting, general deterrence. PHYSICAL SECURITY AND CRIME PREVENTION AND CONTROL Access Control Access control means that, when your facility is open, no visitor, delivery service person or unknown individual is able to enter your facility without being both observed directly or indirectly. Several techniques to accomplish that goal may include any or all of the following. Security Desk A security desk should be setup in them in lobby of each building which has an open-access or open-door policy. A sign-in and outlet supervised by an employee who validates identification prior to allowing visitors to proceed into the building, is highly advisable. Most supermarkets, five star hotels, foreign embassies, parliament buildings and major organizations have this measure in place in order to monitor the staff and clients as they come in and out to ascertain no harmful contrabands are sneaked in or pilferage of equipments and other relevant materials from the organization. When entering a building like IM where Standard Group have offices or Nation Centre where NTV is housed you have to produce your National ID, register your name, office and purpose of your visit then insured with a visitors pass in order to gain access to the premises. Monitored Entrances Ideally, an institution should have a single entrance only, monitored by staff personnel and equipped with an intercom system for communicating with anyone who comes to the door. Simply, an open door policy does not mean that every door need be left open and unlocked. You realize that hospitals, police headquarters, military barracks among others have personnel who are assigned on daily basis to check and verify individuals and motor vehicles that come in or leave the premises. Its purpose is to deter criminals and take note of every visitor for purposes of accountability when things go amiss. When entering the Times Tower where the Kenya Revenue Authority is housed, the security guards at the gate verifies visitors by their National Identity cards and or travelers passport and then a separate group of guards checks for any harmful materials by use of metal detectors. Visitors At no time should visitors be allowed to roam freely through your property unescorted or without being observed. That is especially true for individuals who expect to work on your most sensitive systems such as burglar alarms, fire alarms, communication systems or computers. Special diligence should be applied to those individuals when they visit your institution even if they are legitimate. For larger institutions, certain areas should be considered off-limits to all but authorized personnel. Allowing visitors free access to your facility does not mean that they should be allowed to go anywhere e.g. into restricted areas such as office spaces or that they should be given a sense that their actions are entirely unnoticed by the institution’s personnel. Some premises require having out of bound locations i.e. military barracks, production factories railway stations, air and seaports for purposes of security. Thus visitor should only be directed to designated zones only. Military barracks have their armories protected while airports have garages and main control rooms protected for security purposes. Employee Photo Identification Cards and Badges All employees should have and wear identification. Such badges make identification of non-employees immediate. Moreover, such cards will not only enable visitors to immediately identify those who work in an institution but will psychologically help employees understand that they are part of their agency’s security team. Photo identification should only be provided with accompanying education regarding their care, the procedure to be followed if they are lost, as well as the manner in which employees should approach unknown individuals. Creating ID badges requires thought. Cards should have clear pictures along with the employee’s name. The institution’s name should not necessarily be placed on the card. In any event, employees should be instructed that their card should be prominently worn while in the building and, for their own safety, kept from view when away from the building. In major hospitals like Nairobi hospital, Matter hospital among others every employee has a job ID which enables them access to all areas and distinguish them from patients, this reduces the chances of an admitted patient running away from the premise without paying the medical bill. Perimeter wall The perimeter wall, culverts and drainage units, lighting and other essential physical security areas. The drainage system and culverts can conceal entry and exit points for potential criminals. Culverts should be grilled to make it difficult for Criminals activities to occur. Parking lot Here the security personnel should be in a position to see how vehicles entering the premise or exiting are inspected. In some organizations parking badges are issued while in many more identification from drivers is not produced. In some organizations it is indicated cars parked at owner’s risk which injects confidence to car vandals and absorbs security responsibility. Parking should be offered to personnel with previous security background. The adjacent buildings and windows. The buildings and windows near a facility should not serve as a spring board for criminals to gain entry. The windows should be well and adequately secured to deny criminals an opportunity to access the facility under surveillance. Key Control and Locks Knowing who has which keys to which locks at all times is a vitally important issue. Failure to maintain such control may defeat the entire purpose of creating a security system. Institutions often simply assume that no one leaving their service either an employee or volunteer will subsequently break into their building or office. A sound key-control policy is essential to an effective security program. There should be a central key control location where masters are kept and access to which is strictly controlled. Registry. A central key control registry should be established for all key sand combinations. Employees and leadership should be required to sign for keys when they are received and the return of keys should be an important part of an exit process. Issuance. Supervisory approval should be required for the issuance of all keys and locks. Spare keys and locks should be kept in a centrally located cabinet, locked under the supervision of a designated employee. Master keys should be issued to a very restricted number of employees and these should be inventoried at least twice each year. Re-keying. When key control is lost, it may be worthwhile to have an institution’s locks Re-keyed or key should be surrendered incase employee is terminated or retired. Combination Locks and Codes. Where combination locks and coded locks are used, those combinations and codes should be changed at least every six months or when employees or leadership leave your premise. Combinations should also be kept under strict control of management. Computer systems and access. The computer system has become a concern in computer industry today. The security of electronic gadgets is pivotal in the growth of organizations, sabotage and shrinkage. The system should be protected from intruders or unauthorized access. The surveyor should include know who uses which computer, which services would be jeopardized by failure of a certain computer. Fires Are unpredictable hazards to organizations, homes and industries. The degree of vulnerability varies from one organization to another. The surveyor should check on the existing fire hazards, verify a match between hazards existing and fire suppression devices. Safes The area containing valuables is of paramount importance to a security survey. The protection of valuables should be consistent with security physical measures and criticality of a potential loss occurs. Safes and valuable storage areas should be fitted with adequate alarm systems. Surveillance Surveillance devices, CCTV’s and motion picture cameras are key to criminal activities detection, apprehension and deterrence. The surveyor should know their existence, location, protection and who monitors them. The security survey should capture the various departments in the organization, their operations and internal controls. Protective Lighting The value of adequate lighting as a deterrent to crime cannot be overemphasized. Adequate lighting is a cost-effective line of defense in preventing crime. Some Considerations on Lighting Lighting, both inside and outside, is most helpful and can be installed without becoming overly intrusive to neighbors. All entrances should be well lit. Fences should also be illuminated. For outside lighting, the rule of thumb is to create light equal to that of full daylight. The light should be directed downward away from the building or area to be protected and away from any security personnel you might have patrolling the facility. Where fencing is used, the lighting should be inside and above the fencing to illuminate as much of the fence as possible. Lighting should be placed to reduce contrast between shadows and illuminated areas. It should be uniform on walkways, entrances, exits, and especially in parking areas. Perimeter lights should be installed so the cones of illumination overlap, eliminating areas of total darkness if any one light malfunctions. Fixtures should be vandal-resistant. It is vital that repair of defects and replacement of worn-out bulbs be immediate. In addition, prevent trees or bushes from blocking lighting fixtures. You may wish to use timers and/or automatic photoelectric cells. Such devices provide protection against human error and ensure operation during inclement weather or when the building is unoccupied. A security professional should be contacted to help you with decisions on location and the best type of lighting for your individual institution. REFERENCE James K. Broder (200), Risk Analysis And The Security Survey 2rd Ed. Butterworth-Heinemann. USA. Lawrence J. Fennely (2003), Physical Security 3rd Edition. Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. Burlington, UK. Marc Weber Tobias (200), Locks Safes and Security, An International Police Reference 2nd Ed. Illinois USA.

Eliza as a Strong, Assertive Woman in Pygmalion Essay -- George Bernar

Eliza as a Strong, Assertive Woman in Pygmalion Bernard Shaw’s comedy Pygmalion presents the journey of an impoverished flower girl into London’s society of the early 20th century. Professor Higgins proposes a wager to his friend Colonel Pickering that he can take a common peddler and transform her into royalty. Eliza Doolittle is the pawn in the wager. But little does Higgins know the change will go far beyond his expectations: Eliza transforms from a defensive insecure girl to a fully confident,strong, and independent woman. When the audience first meets Eliza Doolittle she is a flower girl peddling at 11 PM in front of St. Paul’s Church. The audience’s first impression is one of sympathy because she is dressed in rags and pedestrians are unkind to her. Higgins calls Eliza "you squashed cabbage leaf, you disgrace to the noble architecture of these columns, you incarnate insult to the English language." (p. 21) The audience’s sympathy is intensified when we see Eliza’s wretched lodgings. These lodgings are much contrasted to those of Higgins in Wimploe S...

Native American Mistreatment

They  traveled  across  what  scientists  and  historians  call  the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"land  bridge†Ã‚  that  spanned  the  distance between  modern  day  Russia  and  Alaska. The  natives  separated  into  many  different  factions  and fanned  all  over  North  America;  some  tribes  became  nomadic  roaming  wherever  their  food  supply went  while  other  Ã‚  natives  learned  to  grow  and  sew  crops.The  Native  Americans  lived  in  mostly peaceful  societies  until  1492,  when  Columbus  landed  on  what  is  now  the  Bahamas2  The  natives greeted  Columbus  and  his  crew  with  open  arms  only  to  be  met  with  harsh  treatment,  slavery,  rape, and  death. When  the  Europeans  arrived,  they  forever  changed  the  lives  of  Native  American’s  by trying  to  transform   religion  and  law  that  violated  Native  American  customs. When  Columbus,  a  Roman  Catholic,  landed  in  the  Bahamas  in  1492,  he  was  received amicably  by  the  friendly  Arawak  tribe.The  Arakwak  people  were  a  largely  peaceful  society;  they had  settled  in  the  Caribbean  hundreds  of  years  before  European  explorers  found  them. In Columbus’  private  journal  he  wrote  of  the  Arawak  Ã¢â‚¬Å"  they  willingly  traded  everything  they owned†¦ they  do  not  bear  arms,  and  do  not  know  them,  for  I  showed  them  a  sword,  they  took