Profiles are one of the most difficult types of articles to write—at least, that’s true for me. If you find profiles easy, then consider yourself lucky.

Difficult or not, with profiles as with any other writing, research can do a lot to pull you through.

Unless you’re a veteran writer, you may think that, in order to do a profile, you simply interview the person (if you’re profiling a person rather than a business), and maybe a few other people for added interest. That’s partly true, but here’s a tip: Research the basics beforehand so you can focus on the juicy stuff during the interview.

What do I mean by basics? I mean the not-so-juicy details that form the framework of the profile. These are details like where the person was born; where they went to high school, college or grad school; what jobs they’ve held; if they’ve ever served in the military; or if they’ve ever received any honors or awards. Consider them the skeleton of your story. They’re small and mundane, but necessary. With the skeleton out of the way, you can go in ready to tackle the real muscle without wasting time on the small stuff.

Here are a few ways to research a person before a profile:

1. Obtain their resume or vita. Think about it; a resume is a person’s professional life in a one-page nutshell. Much of the basic information you need—such as education and previous employment—you’ll find in this document. Some people will have their resumes posted on their websites. Others will send them to you if you call and ask.

2. Find previous articles written about the person. If other journalists have worked to dig into this person’s life, why not reap some of the rewards? You’ll often find answers to deeper questions, which can form the foundation for even more probing questions of your own. Again, check the person’s website; websites often contain articles favorable to the person. However, if you’re not after a strictly feel-good piece, you’ll also want to check other sources.

3. Read what they’ve written. If the person has written articles, books, theses, etc., you can often use them to find out a lot about the person’s personality and philosophy. If the person is a prolific writer, you probably won’t have time to read everything. However, even a snippet of their writing will be better than nothing.

Use the information you gain from these sources to form detailed, probing questions...or silly questions to lighten the mood of your article. Armed with a little knowledge, you can walk into any profile interview with confidence. You’ll appear prepared and professional—a sure hit with interviewees and editors!

Andrea's writing background includes features, editorials, reviews, profiles, poetry and fiction. She was the winner of the MOTA short story contest in 2002 and received honorable mentions for fiction from Writer’s Journal magazine in 2002 and 2004. Check out her blog at http://creativewithwriting.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrea_Di_Salvo

Now why would anyone want to do that: write 1000 words every day for a week?

Well you wouldn't if you are an established writer; you are already pumping out much more than that on an average day.

But you might want to give it a try if you are just starting out or if you have been writing for a while and are still struggling to break through.

Not just any old 1000 words though because that would be pointless; 1000 words tagged to the premise that presupposes you have identified a topic, you have researched the topic; you know your topic inside out - be it in the realms of fiction or non-fiction.

When you stick at it and knock out 1000 words every day for seven days you will discover in Week 2 that 2000 words a day is feasible, then 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000; whatever.

And as the weeks roll by not only will your output improve but so too will the quality of your writing.

But here is the real cruncher...

In tandem with your ever-increasing output will be a commensurate decrease in information overload, freeing your subconscious to work on new ideas, new concepts, new projects - and soon the fruits of its creativity will come flying at you in all directions.

So here in essence is what you get when you make up your mind to write 1000 words every day for a week:

1. Your output will automatically increase in the weeks to follow;

2. The quality of your writing will improve dramatically;

3. Information overload will decrease and make way for a fusion of new creativity.

This is the formula I used at the outset of my own writing career and currently I churn out around 10,000 words every day of which only 1000 might be directly related to a specific book project; the majority of my productivity being dispersed between articles, press releases, web copy and the like.

But it’s all grist to the mill; the mill, the catalyst, the engine room that creates the harvest; your overall creative output.

About the Author: JIM GREEN is a bestselling author with 24 titles to his credit. http://1st-creative-writing-course.com/

Source: www.isnare.com

The following were found on Craigslist.

Seeking Submissions For Best-Selling Book Series

Reply to: chickensoupforteens@yahoo.com

Date: 2006-07-31, 10:28PM EDT

I have a welcoming opportunity to let you in on. We are putting together the next Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. (You know these books, you have seen them on the bestsellers lists and either read them and gotten something good out of them, or possibly scoffed at them and refuse to read them.) Based on the thousands of letters we get, teenagers love these books and find inspiration, comfort, and strength from them. So, now you can help our youth and even get some money for it - $200 for each published story. Write something you’ve been meaning to write, or perhaps you already have a story lying around that you would like to submit. The general theme of the book focuses on the tough stuff and difficulties associated with relationships, friendships, family matters and self-image. We are looking for first-person, non-fiction narratives. Stories should be about 1-3 pages long, 400-1200 words, double-spaced, size 12, Times New Roman. They should be written about something that happened to you and made you learn a bit about something you think might help a teenager who reads the book. It shouldn’t be preachy, but still be something that teens can relate to. Also, please steer away from pieces that are strictly retrospectives; nostalgia is great, but our readers relate more to the stories from voices at a similar stage in life as themselves. If you are not a teenager, then try writing from the perspective you had when you were that age. It is okay for the wisdom you have gained with age to shine through. Send all of your submissions ASAP to chickensoupforteens@yahoo.com.

The submission deadline is August 31, 2006.

Sincerely,

Mitch Claspy Author

P.S. know of any writing groups or others you think might be interested in this opportunity? Feel free to cut and paste this for their benefit.

Calling Poets and Card Writers

Reply to: see below Date: 2006-08-02, 11:42AM EDT

Blue Mountain Arts is interested in reviewing writings suitable for publication on greeting cards. We are looking for highly original and creative submissions on friendship, family, special occasions, positive living, and other topics one person might want to share with another person. We do not accept rhyming verse. Submissions may also be considered for inclusion in book anthologies. We pay $300 for all rights and $50 if your poem is used only in an anthology. To request a copy of our writer's guidelines, please send a blank email to writings@sps.com with “Send Me Guidelines” in the subject line, or write to us at: Blue Mountain Arts, Inc. Editorial Department Post Office Box 1007 Boulder, CO 80306.

I saw this the other day and found it to be quite humorous and interesting. It's called The Lazy Housewife. They're looking for spoof writers. The link will take you to the submissions page. They don't pay much, but it may be fun anyway. Some of the submissions they're looking for are: Silly Cleaning Tool Inventions, Ridiculous Cleaning Articles, Fictitious News Stories and Ridiculous Cleaning Ideas.

If you don't subscribe to Publishers Lunch, check it out. I get it delivered to my inbox everyday. It tells you what's going on in the publishing industry. Very informative and interesting.

Bobbie Christmas is the "Book Doctor" and Author of Write In Style, a triple-award-winning textbook for writers of fiction and nonfiction, available wherever books are sold.

Bobbie loves to receive questions from writers and offer her expert advice. If you have any questions you need answered, please e-mail her at: Bobbie@zebraeditor.com

You can also sign up for her Free newsletter for writers to get tips, answers, marketing information and news of interest to writers. Go to http://www.zebraeditor.com and click on "Free Newsletter"

Please go to AskTheBookDoctor on the CS4W site.

If you have an announcement, please email it to: Sandy@CoolStuff4Writers.com

Please feel free to email me with any questions or suggestions you may have. I always enjoy hearing from you!

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