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Web sites for citizen journalism techniques, tutorials - Danny Sanchez on Online Journalism. In response to a question on the Placeblogger listserv , I put together a list of Web sites that are great for citizen journalism tutorials (particularly free ones). Here’s the list: Knight Citizen News Network - This site was created by J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism (another great resource), which is funded in part by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. KCNN features training modules, tutorial, featured multimedia and more. J-Learning – Online journalism tutorials galore for reporting and Web technology. News U – Run by the non-profit Poynter Institute and has many great (and FREE!) OurMedia Personal Media Learning Center – A great resource containing interviews with citizen media pioneers, summaries of media law and more.

EditTeach.org – A site funded by the John S. and James L. 23 Websites that Make Your Writing Stronger - StumbleUpon. We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master. ~Ernest Hemingway How strong is your writing? No matter how good you think it is, there’s always room for improvement. In most cases, plenty of room. Luckily, there are some amazing websites that’ll help you improve your writing, and take it to the next level.

(***By the way, have you seen this amazing online creative writing course, “Story Is a State of Mind,” created by Giller finalist Sarah Selecky? Want to strengthen your story, empower your performance, and beef up on the publishing business? Here are 23 sites (in no particular order) I look to for daily inspiration and advice: PS If you find this list useful, please share it on Twitter, Facebook or StumbleUpon – I’d really appreciate it! 4) Query Shark A query critique site you don’t want to miss. 5) Men with Pens Fantastic articles on copywriting and freelancing. 6) Ask Allison Writing and publishing Q&A by novelist Allison Winn Scotch.

Chuck Wendig, Freelance Penmonkey | Chuck Wendig: Freelance Penmonkey. 25 Insights on Becoming a Better Writer :: Tips :: The 99 Percent - StumbleUpon. When George Plimpton asked Ernest Hemingway what the best training for an aspiring writer would be in a 1954 interview, Hem replied, “Let’s say that he should go out and hang himself because he finds that writing well is impossibly difficult.

Then he should be cut down without mercy and forced by his own self to write as well as he can for the rest of his life. At least he will have the story of the hanging to commence with.” Today, writing well is more important than ever. Far from being the province of a select few as it was in Hemingway’s day, writing is a daily occupation for all of us — in email, on blogs, and through social media.

It is also a primary means for documenting, communicating, and refining our ideas. As essayist, programmer, and investor Paul Graham has written, “Writing doesn’t just communicate ideas; it generates them. So what can we do to improve our writing short of hanging ourselves? 1. Don’t just plan to write—write. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Tension - StumbleUpon.

Hook Your Readers With Tension By Laura Backes, Write4Kids.com Tension. Without it, life would be—let's face it—boring. So would fiction. Tension works with conflict to raise the emotional level of the text to a boiling point. It forces the reader to become invested in the story. "Tension" is a loaded word, and can be misleading. Tension is what hooks readers of any age and keeps them turning the pages. . * The ticking clock. . * Dialogue. . * Pacing. . * Sentence structure. Each story requires a different kind of tension. Laura Backes is the author of Best Books for Kids Who (Think They) Hate to Read from Prima/Random House. Copyright © 2002, Children's Book Insider, LLC.