Entries tagged with “writing” from Dennis G. Jerz

Don't just tell me your brother is funny... show me what he says and does, and let me decide whether I want to laugh. To convince your readers, show, don't just tell them what you want them to know.

There.  I've just told you something.  Pretty lame, huh? Now, let me show you.

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Most writers know the value of an informative title, but many beginning web authors don't know that each web page needs two kinds of titles. The in-context (IC) title always sits at the top of a page, with the rest of the document immediately beneath it. The out-of-context (OOC) title is frequently displayed by search engines or archive pages, as part of a long sorted list.

When a web author has neglected to provide an out-of-context title, many HTML authoring tools will supply a generic, uninformative title, such as "New Page 1" (see the example below).

• Why Bother with Two Different Titles?
• Creating the In-Context Title
• Creating the Out-of-Context Title

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Active verbs form more efficient and more powerful sentences than passive verbs. This document will teach you why and how to prefer active verbs. The subject of an active sentence performs the action of the verb:  "I throw the ball." The subject of a passive sentence is still the main character of the sentence, but something else performs the action: "The ball is thrown by me."

Troy Sterling and the Active & Passive Verbs

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Blurbs are compressed summaries of what a reader will find on the other end of a hyperlink. Good blurbs don't harangue ("Click here!") or tease ("Learn ten great tips!"). Instead, they encapsulate the contents of the target page, helping the reader decide whether to click. [More]

24 May 2008 -- Dennis G. Jerz

A short story is tight -- there is no room for long exposition, there are no subplots to explore, and by the end of the story there should be no loose ends to tie up.  End right at the climax, so that the reader has to imagine how a life-changing event will affect the protagonist.

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What is a Short Story?

A short story begins as close to the conclusion as possible, and grabs the reader from the very first line. It conserves character and scenes, typically focuses on just one problem, and drives towards a sudden, unexpected revelation. (Kathy Kennedy and Dennis G. Jerz)

1. Get Started: Emergency Tips
2. Write a Catchy First Paragraph
3. Develop Your Characters
4. Choose a Point of View
5. Write Meaningful Dialogue
6. Use Setting and Context
7. Set up the Plot
8. Create Conflict and Tension
9. Build to a Crisis or a Climax
10. Deliver a Resolution

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This document is a set of instructions for formatting a paper in MLA style using Word.  (Dennis G. Jerz and David Neis)

1. Setting the Document Attributes
2. Adding a Header
3. Adding the Title Block
4. Saving Your File
5. Indenting Long Quotations
6. Formatting the Works Cited Page

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Some professionals get scores of e-mails a day. Follow these tips in order to give your recipients the information they need in order to act on your message sooner rather than later. (Dennis G. Jerz and Jessica Bauer)
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