For An Alternative Rush

Author: Gerald M. Weinberg
ISBN: 093263365X

With the advent of self-publishing there is a current vogue for writing manuals
and writers’ aids. Most usually take the same approach with little variations.
However, Gerald M. Weinberg has come up with a creative approach with his
Weinberg on Writing: The Fieldstone Method. He offers alternatives to your
writing habits that he has experimented with and that have proven to be quite
beneficial to him in his career. Weinberg has been writing books and teaching
students how to write for forty years, and he is a leading author and
“consultant’s consultant” in the computer industry.

In Weinberg on Writing: The Fieldstone Method he draws an analogy to the
stone-by-stone method of building fieldstone structures. If you are not familiar
with fieldstones, these are generally used as for property lines and fences,
although they can also be used in constructing various other structures.

Building a fieldstone structure requires gathering the right stones in a
step-by-step process, as fieldstones vary in size, color, texture, shape and
density.
Similarly, writing a book requires the gathering of ideas or as Weinberg
succinctly reminds us, “snatches of writing, photos, diagrams, quotations,
pictures, and references that you find interesting.” Weinberg’s fieldstone
method also uses the “stones of time,” wherein chunks of writing time are set
aside, varying in quality and duration, in order to effectively write. In this
way you can avoid writer’s block and you can realize your writing projects with
greater ease.

Weinberg displays his deep writing knowledge throughout the book’s twenty
chapters that commences with the most important of Weinberg’s writing lesson
where he states that you can write anything you wish in any style, however, it
is imperative that you never attempt to write what you don’t care about. This
is different then the usual rule where we are told to write about what you know.

From here Weinberg explores how to banish writer’s block, gathering and
recycling ideas, words, phrases that you can call up for future use in any
fiction or non-fiction you may write. We are also provided with several
exercises in order to reinforce the many new principles that Weinberg exposes to
us.

There is a chapter dealing with the many tools available to assist us in our
gathering as the Internet, computers, notecards, pads, highlighters and sticky
notes, and other technological aids that will make our writing life simpler and
more rewarding.

Other sections illustrate how to discard unwanted material in the same manner
that we discard stones that don’t fit or suit our structure, how to trigger our
memory, organizing our work, shaping ideas and words that fit, knowing when to
stop, and what happens after we are finished.

Weinberg has written a clever writing manual. On one level it is highly readable
and on another it is packed with excellent insights into how to effectively
perfect the writing process with less pain and much more enjoyment.

Norm Goldman is the Editor of the Book Reviewing & Author Interviewing site http://www.bookpleasures.com Bookpleasures.com comprises over 30 international reviewers that come from all walks of life and that review all genre. Norm also offers an Express Review Service. You can find out more about this service by clicking on http://www.bookpleasures.com Norm is ranked among the top 1000 Amazon.com reviewers.

In addition, Norm is the editor of the travel site http://www.sketchandtravel.com Together with his artist wife Lily, the couple blend words with art focusing on romantic destinations.

Margaret Rouse Shontz starts her first chapter with a caption
“whatever touches the body is absorbed by it through the skin,
nose, mouth, ears, or eyes.” One may not realize this until some
thought is put into it. The medical and drug industries provide
medications with patches or cream for absorption through the skin.
Yet, most of us don’t even think that touching a table top, that has
recently been “waxed” with toxic chemicals, could affect our body
system.

Shontz references her own experiences in her quest to reduce
illness in her body. Being very aware of the changes within her
body during certain situations, Shontz realized that the major causes
of her health challenges were due to improper electrical currents.
In the beginning of her book Shontz explains various electrical
currents and frequencies to make the reader aware that any slight
aversion coupled with chemicals, foods, or some things will affect
the human body.

Shontz suggests that the reader give their house a “house symptom
check-up.” Some of the illnesses that the house may have are:
green on the brass front door handle, dull knife blades, fruit rots
rapidly, green moss on shingles, or paint is peeling. In turn, Shontz
gives suggestions on remedies or elimination of the cause. In one of
her chapters she calls “Bathroomitis” she explains that “in many
cities, the grounding of the electrical service to the water pipe is
City Code…however, [some cities] let the ground be to a grounding
rod instead of to the incoming water pipe.” Shontz believes that
water pipe grounding is interrupted by magnetism and becomes a
possible household problem. She further states that once the
“improper electrical problems are solved, the house water becomes
softer.”

Although Shontz has a disclaimer on every page, she has done
much research to back her findings. She cites various books as well
as information that she found on the web. In the back of the book
Shontz includes a bibliography for the reader.

It is obvious that Shontz has done much research and believes that a
“sick” household, as well as improper electricity, may cause body
illnesses, including weight gain. Personally, I found the information
overwhelming on the first read. My recommendation would be to
use Shontz’s book as a reference and check your household one
item at a time. It is a process that could be trial and error until all
areas have been checked. Shontz makes it easier by including an
index. I commend Shontz for stepping out of the realm of
traditional beliefs surrounding illness and presenting alternative
information.

Irene Watson is Managing Editor for Reader Views
http://www.readerviews.com

Do you have credit card debt? Are you struggling with debt from several credit cards like Mastercard, Visa and others? Have you ever crossed your mind to consolidate credit card debt? It is very easy to jump on the debt carousel and when you first get on it is difficult to jump off. Where does it end? Did you know that more than a million Americans are filing for bankruptcy every year because of credit card debt? These people should have jumped off the debt carousel when they were able to do it - they should have started to eliminate credit card debt.

Why do so many people end up in debt?

The answer is really simple: because they are spending more money than they earn. It starts with running to the department store and buying things desired as well as really needed. With no problems so far, they do well until their next paycheck comes. It’s a little more crunchy however, because some of your fashion clothes you bought last month were purchased with your credit card, so you have to make a payment, in addition to all the other bills. The next month the paycheck comes but this time you need to use the grace period. And so it continues from month to month which means it just goes downhill from there.

The next step should be a credit card debt consolidation

Soon you are in big debt and as things you want to buy come up in or you want to plan for the future, you can not because of your overspending in the past. Suddenly you start to realize that you have several credit card bills or other bills you can never pay off like power, phone bills etc. Now is the time to consider debt consolidation. This is a really good way to take all those bills and turn them into one payment. Normally this payment is lower than if you paid all of them separately like you’re trying to do now. When you get out of debt and start saving money, you are more liberated to plan for things now and for your future.

To consolidate debt entails

• finding an debt consolidation company
• the debt company pays off your debt to your creditors
• you make monthly payments to the consolidation company each month
• of course you still have to pay interest and for this reason it is smart to
• pay as much as you can and more than the monthly minimum per month

How will a consolidation program benefit me?

It’s no big deal to start up. When you get your debt consolidation you’ll feel relieved.

• you know what you have to pay each month
• you only make one payment per month
• you have one lump monthly payment and it’s lower than all your previous payments combined

.

Isn’t this much easier than before?

To be able to follow a debt consolidation program like this, you need to have full support from your family or the people you live together with. You must make them realize that there have to be some temporary cutbacks such as purchasing furniture and other home improvement items, eating out often or going out to bars and clubs but after a while this will be the best choice.

If you keep to your debt consolidation plan, you will see that this is really helpful. You can not go out and apply for a credit card the next day as soon as you have consolidated. This is just a slight reprieve giving you more stability and breathing room for planning your financial future.

Terje Brooks Ellingsen is a writer and internet publisher. He runs the website 1st-In-Loan.net. Terje gives advice and helps people with personal financial issues like how to eliminate credit card debt and applying for Visa and other credit cards online.