< P > J u s t a s g r e a t f i c t i o n i s a n a r t , s o i s g r e a t c o p y w r i t i n g . B e n e a t h t h e a r t , h o w e v e r , t h e r e ' s a f o u n d a t i o n o f b a s i c k n o w l e d g e a n d s k i l l s . T h e c r a f t t h a t g o e s i n t o y o u r w r i t i n g . < / P > < P > C r a f t c o m e s f i r s t . A r t f o l l o w s . < / P > < P > Y o u l e a r n t h e c r a f t o f w r i t i n g b y e d u c a t i n g y o u r s e l f , b y t h e a c t u a l p r o c e s s o f w r i t i n g ( t h e d o i n g ) , a n d b y r e a d i n g i n c e s s a n t l y . E v e r y s u c c e s s f u l w r i t e r w i l l t e l l y o u t h a t r e a d i n g h a s b e e n a n d s t i l l i s t h e c o r n e r s t o n e o f d e v e l o p i n g h i s c r a f t . < / P > < P > R e a d i n g p r e s e n t s y o u w i t h a w r i t t e n i l l u s t r a t i o n o f w h a t w o r k s a n d w h a t d o e s n ' t , o f w h a t y o u l i k e a s a w r i t e r a n d w h a t y o u d o n ' t . I t h e l p s y o u u n d e r s t a n d t h e p o s s i b i l i t i e s , a n d o f f e r s p r a c t i c a l i n s t r u c t i o n o f h o w t h e r u l e s o f y o u r c r a f t a r e u s e d . < / P > < P > M o s t w r i t e r s , w h e n t h e y s t a r t o u t , m i m i c t h e i r f a v o r i t e a u t h o r s . I h a v e a f r i e n d w h o b e c a m e i n c r e d i b l y a d e p t a t w r i t i n g l i k e S t e p h e n K i n g . F o r s e v e r a l y e a r s , e v e r y t h i n g I w r o t e h a d a R a y B r a d b u r y f l a v o r . < / P > < P > E v e n t u a l l y , w e d e v e l o p e d o u r o w n s t y l e s , w h i c h w e r e r i c h e r f o r h a v i n g f i r s t g o n e t h r o u g h t h i s m i m i c s t a g e . < / P > < P > T h e p o i n t i s t h i s : p a r t o f a n y e f f e c t i v e l e a r n i n g p r o c e s s i s t o m i m i c w h a t h a s b e e n s u c c e s s f u l b e f o r e y o u . < / P > < P > T h i s i s t r u e o f c o p y w r i t i n g , t o o . A n d i t ' s t h e r e a s o n y o u n e e d t o s t a r t a " s w i p e " f i l e i f y o u w a n t t o b e c o m e a s u c c e s s f u l c o p y w r i t e r . < / P > < P > W h a t i s a " s w i p e " f i l e ? I t ' s e x a c t l y w h a t i t s o u n d s l i k e . . . a f i l e o f g r e a t c o p y w r i t i n g e x a m p l e s t h a t y o u ' v e c o l l e c t e d , s t u d i e d , a n d c a n a c c e s s w h e n e v e r y o u ' r e i n n e e d o f a l i t t l e i n s p i r a t i o n . T h e s e a r e n o t e x a m p l e s m e a n t t o b e p l a g i a r i z e d . Y o u a r e n ' t c o p y i n g w o r k h e r e ; y o u ' r e a d a p t i n g i t t o y o u r o w n c o p y w r i t i n g n e e d s . < / P > < P > F o r e x a m p l e . . . s u p p o s e y o u ' r e w r i t i n g a s a l e s l e t t e r f o r a n I n t e r n e t s i t e t h a t s e l l s a n e x p e n s i v e m e n ' s w r i s t w a t c h a n d y o u ' r e i n n e e d o f a g r e a t h e a d l i n e . Y o u s e a r c h t h r o u g h y o u r " s w i p e " f i l e a n d f i n d a s a l e s l e t t e r f o r T h e O x f o r d C l u b ( a c t u a l l y t a k e n f r o m m y o w n " s w i p e " f i l e ) w i t h t h e h e a d l i n e : A M a n ' s R i g h t T o W e a l t h . H o w T o M a s t e r E v e r y S i t u a t i o n A n d P r o s p e r O n A G r a n d S c a l e . < / P > < P > Y o u t o y a r o u n d w i t h i t a n d c o m e u p w i t h t h i s : A M a n ' s R i g h t T o E l e g a n c e . H o w T o I m p r e s s I n E v e r y S i t u a t i o n W i t h A W a t c h T h a t D o e s F a r M o r e T h a n K e e p A c c u r a t e T i m e . < / P > < P > S e e h o w a g o o d " s w i p e " f i l e c a n h e l p ? < / P > < P > Y o u c a n u s e i t t o a d a p t o p e n i n g s e n t e n c e s . O r t h e l a y o u t o f a s a l e s l e t t e r . O r t h e g u a r a n t e e y o u o r y o u r c l i e n t o f f e r s . E v e n t h e p a c e o r t h e e m o t i o n a l " t u g " o f a p i e c e . < / P > < P > B y u s i n g y o u r " s w i p e " f i l e , y o u r c r e a t i v e j u i c e s a r e i n s t a n t l y f l o w i n g . T h e r e ' s n o b l a n k p a g e . Y o u a l r e a d y h a v e s o m e t h i n g t o w o r k w i t h . A n d a s a n y g o o d w r i t e r w i l l t e l l y o u , i t ' s e a s i e r t o e d i t t h a n i t i s t o w r i t e . < / P > < P > S o w h e r e d o y o u g e t t h e m a t e r i a l f o r y o u r " s w i p e " f i l e ? < / P > < P > T h e q u i c k e s t a n d e a s i e s t s o u r c e i s t h e I n t e r n e t . S t a r t c h e c k i n g o u t w e b s i t e s a l e s l e t t e r s . P r i n t t h e m o u t . G o o d o r b a d ( e v e n t h e b a d o n e s c a n i n s p i r e y o u r w o r k ) . S t u d y t h e m . A n d k e e p t h e m c l o s e b y i n a h a n d y f i l e . < / P > < P > T h e o t h e r g r e a t s o u r c e i s f r o m m a i l i n g l i s t s . I f y o u ' r e a l r e a d y o n a f e w l i s t s , t h e n s t a r t f i l i n g t h o s e p i t c h e s a w a y w h e n t h e y a r r i v e i n s t e a d o f t o s s i n g t h e m o u t . I f y o u ' r e n o t o n a l i s t , t r y p u r c h a s i n g a p r o d u c t o r a s k i n g f o r a c a t a l o g . I t w o n ' t b e l o n g b e f o r e y o u ' r e o n a n u m b e r o f l i s t s a n d y o u r " s w i p e " f i l e i s g r o w i n g e x p o n e n t i a l l y . < / P > < P > T w o g o o d p l a c e s t o g e t s t a r t e d a r e : P u b l i s h e r ' s C l e a r i n g H o u s e , 1 0 1 C h a n n e l D r i v e , P o r t W a s h i n g t o n , N Y 1 1 0 5 0 ; a n d N i g h t i n g a l e - C o n a n t , 7 3 0 0 N . L e i g h A v e n u e , C h i c a g o , I L 6 0 6 4 8 . < / P > < P > T r y t h e m b o t h . T r y a n y o t h e r s t h a t c o m e t o m i n d , a s w e l l . J u s t s t a r t b u i l d i n g y o u r " s w i p e " t o d a y ! < / P >
Author: David B. Silva
Author Bio:
David B. Silva is a champion in this field. David has written several articles in the past on this topic.
Friends of Mystery, Portland Oregon
Know when to hold 'em and fold 'em Mysteries and poker. Come to the Friends Of Mystery "Bloody Thursday" meeting on Thursday, January 26th, 2006 for a fun night of mystery books and poker playing.
Deadly Pleasures
Deadly Pleasures is America's premier fan-oriented mystery magazine. In it and on this site we celebrate all that is good about the mystery genre.
Mark Billingham - crime fiction writer
Mark Billingham, best selling crime fiction writer, author, actor and stand up comedian. Crime writing links, novels and bookshops.
Simon Kernick
Simon Kernick. Author of crime novels The Business of Dying, The Murder Exchange and The Crime Trade - London-based crime thrillers.
Bestselling Author Stephen White
Stephen White is the author of the New York Times bestselling Alan Gregory novels. In his books, he draws upon over fifteen years of clinical practice as a psychologist to create intriguing plots and complex, believable characters.
