5 Questions to Consider When Writing for Children

5 Questions to Consider When Writing for Children 5 Questions to Consider When Writing for Children 5 Questions to Consider When Writing for Children By Mark Nichol â€Å"I want to write a book for children† gets you about as far as saying, â€Å"I want to write fiction† or â€Å"I want to write nonfiction.† It’s a start, but only that. There are many forms and genres and age groups to consider, and though you can certainly move fluidly among them, what you’re going to write right now needs more focus. As you develop your ideas for a children’s book, be sure to answer these questions: 1. What do you want to write about? Is your book going to be autobiographical or semiautobiographical? Is it about a natural phenomenon, or a historical event, or a social issue? It is about a cultural or artistic topic? Write a sentence no longer than any of the ones in this paragraph that summarizes what the book is about. Or step back even further and try a tagline like the snappy phrase on a movie poster or a book’s back cover that encapsulates the theme. (The tagline for one story I’ve been working on is simply â€Å"Believe.† Another theme is â€Å"Friends don’t hesitate.†) 2. What form will the story take? Is the book nonfiction, explaining a scientific concept or exploring an issue from the past or present? Or is it going to be a fictional account of a scientific discovery or a story that takes place during a significant historical event or cultural movement? Either form may serve the subject matter well, but you must decide which one this project will take before you develop the narrative. 3. What’s the target demographic? â€Å"Children’s books† is a huge category. Are you writing for beginning readers, elementary school students, preteens, or adolescents? Will children of one gender or another be more likely to read your book? Is it directed toward a certain ethnic group (but written in such a way that others don’t feel excluded)? Research reading levels and match your book’s vocabulary to the intended age range. Decide who the ideal reader is, and check your work frequently to make sure you’re focusing on that child. If you repeatedly veer off, don’t try to force yourself to get back on target when it’s obviously not the right fit. Change the target. 4. What’s my word count? For very young children, picture books (generally 28 pages in a 32-page book with up to a few sentences on each page) are the norm. You should be able to tell your story or account in as little as a few dozen words for preschoolers to up to several hundred for seven- or eight-year-olds. Chapter books novels for readers this age or slightly older, might have up to a thousand words or so. Preteens can handle up to 40,000 words or so, and young teenagers about twice that; books for older adolescents, like those for adults, are often 100,000 words or more. 5. How do I want readers to feel? Basically, comfort young readers, and challenge older ones. For preadolescents of any age, nonfiction should not frighten children with stark facts about environmental crisis, for example, and fiction should not expose them to unhappy or uncomfortable circumstances. The violence and turmoil of the kind found in fairy tales and myths is acceptable, but real-life mayhem is off limits. Teenagers, on the other hand, are coming to grips with reality and can more or less handle more adult-themed materials as long as it’s not explicit or bleak. Psychological issues, familial and societal friction, and other mature themes are appropriate when handled evenhandedly. Even books for adolescents, however, should have upbeat conclusions. (Comeuppance for villains or reprobates is fine, but sympathetic characters, while they should be given obstacles and ordeals to overcome and can experience physical and psychological pain, should emerge from the story intact.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Homograph ExamplesAwoken or Awakened?Adverbs and Hyphens

Manage Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Manage Finance - Essay Example Woolworths has been one of the important consistent and successful retailer in Australia with the adoption of various strategies like the ‘fresh food people’ and the ‘everyday low prices.’ Net operating cash flows show an increasing trend and also the firm has been paying higher interim dividends to its shareholders each year. The firm has witnessed a 10.1% increase in net profits after tax and an 8.8% increase in earnings per share according to its financial reports. There has been an efficient management of balance sheet and profit and loss statements and approximately $8.2 billion has been paid to shareholders. Wesfarmers: Wesfarmers is one of the largest retailers and listed firm in Australia and has retail operations in supermarkets, general merchandise, fuel and liquor operations etc. Wesfarmers has reported an increase of 15.8% earnings growth in 2010, as compared to 2009, with Cole’s supermarket alone delivering a 21% growth. a) Budgetary processes that exist in two of the Australian Public Companies: Budgetary process is used for formulating budgets by referring to certain principles, procedures and practices. This process should involve people at different levels in the preparation of a budget. It requires careful planning and appropriate fixation of authority and responsibility. The budget targets should be realistic, and a good accounting system should be incorporated within the organization. An efficient reporting system should be incorporated so that performance appraisal can be undertaken. Budgeting process should be established in all segments of business, therefore, there arises a need for the active participation of all employees. The budgets should be flexible because there should always be room for each employee of the firm to participate. The budgetary process involves the set up of an organization for budgetary committee, a budget officer, a budget centre and a budget manual. The budget officer presides on the budget committee. The budget committee can be further div ided into various segments which consist of production manager, sales manager, finance manager, accounts manager, personnel manager and research and development manager. The production manager prepares the production and plant utilization budget. The sales manager prepares the sales and advertisement cost budget. The finance manager prepares the receipts and payments budget. The accounts manager prepares the cost budget while the personnel manager prepares the labor budget. The research and development manager prepares a research budget. A budget manual is a document in which the responsibility of several executives should be documented and the budgetary control systems are clearly defined. On the basis of time, budgets can be classified as long, short or current budgets. On the basis of functions, budget can be classified as operating, financial and master budgets. Similarly, budgets can also be classified as fixed or flexible. Both these firms follow an appropriate operating budge t and there is a very important role of the CEO as well as the top financial management. b) Who is responsible to prepare the budget? Budget is thought to be one of the most powerful financial tools used by the companies. Budget is the plan or proposal, which determines the activities of an organization. As mentioned earlier, budget may be long term and short term budget, where short term budgets cover a period of one year whereas long term plans cover a period of

Analyze Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyze - Essay Example The retro fad is brought too far, if it only represents a replication of the past, but this paper believes that modern retro is not about reusing old styles, but a revival of retro thinking that severely distrusts changing social, economic, and political conditions, and clamors for a need to redefine the relationship with the past, by modernizing its aspiration for authentic identities and depicting nostalgia for vibrant cultural norms and socioeconomic stability. The ongoing retro fad reflects the deep distrust of its users in changing social, economic, and political conditions, so the past helps them feel secure and hopeful. Retro, in this case, is not merely being â€Å"in† by being old. Retro stands for the values and goals of its original consumers. Guffey describes that retro signifies a skeptical perspective in life: â€Å"†¦retro attitude†¦carries a darker suspicion that recent social, cultural, and political developments are profoundly corrosive† (10) . In the post-2008-global-recession and post-9/11 times, some people are beginning to doubt basic social institutions. Marriage rates are inversely related to divorce rates. More people are divorcing and delaying marriage and having children. Many people complain of their depressed socioeconomic statuses, despite the efforts of Obama to revitalize the U.S. economy. Some people harbor fear for other minorities because of racial prejudice and their opinions regarding illegal immigration. All around and inside them, instability expands. The only way that people can feel secure again is to go back to the recent past, where values and conditions are more stable and reliable. On the contrary, Reynolds denigrates the pretensions of the retro fad and calls it an â€Å"emblem of the poverty of abundance† (115). This paper believes otherwise because the retro signifies not only material possessions, but the desire for social stability. Several people want to live in the past where they can expect what they expect, and not be troubled by uncertainties. In addition, the retro helps people feel positive. This is not the same as being idealistic, but looking forward to better times. Thus, retro style emphasizes retro attitudes that distrust the present and looks back at the past for hope and growth. By going retro, people do not only feel more confident about their present conditions, they also aspire to redefine their relationship with the past by appropriating retro values with modern demands for authentic identities. In the article â€Å"Dressed in History: Retro Styles and the Construction of Authenticity in Youth Culture,† Jen? argues that the youth uses retro styles to give authenticity to their sense of self. The youth, in particular, employs retro as part of the formation of their identities: â€Å"Authenticity is especially important to young people and is used as a tool in constructing identities through consumer behavior† (Jen? 388). Some of the youth think that the world is more artificial now than in the past because of its obsession with wealth and social prominence. By going retro, they seek to be more authentic and truer to their identities that are far from the superficial material norms of their society: â€Å"Appropriated as a tool of self-performance, the supposed authenticity of the object merges with the subject† (Jen? 396). They aspire to explore and to develop their identities by finding something that represents

Management and Organisational Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management and Organisational Behaviour - Essay Example Change strategy: For any form of organisational change to be successful, it requires motivation for change, a clear vision, political support, a phased transition, and sustenance of momentum (Cummings & Worley, 1995). Peter Meyers did not involve existing management team either in the decision or in the process. He did not even take their suggestion on any of the decisions related to the new product development. Secondly, his decision to select ingredients from cheaper providers resulted in low-quality production as well as issues in operations such as increased wastage, re-work, and spoilage in equipment; this was completely against its high-quality products with attractive packaging sold at affordable prices made from reasonably good quality raw materials. The transition of introducing new products was not phased and not tuned with existing product-quality; moreover, the new products were made from low-quality material, which further affected brand image of J.J.Meyers Co. The metho dology adopted for cutting costs actually increased costs as well as caused huge losses in the form of wastage, rework and unusable machinery, equipment and materials. In addition, low-quality products lowered sales of other products of J.J. ... Political support, as coined by Cummings and Worley (2008) is about power, trust, and ownership. When people are empowered to make critical decisions, they develop ownership towards their responsibilities. In the case of J.J. Meyers, power was exercised by some at the top in the form of abuse, ranting, cursing, and showing authority. For change to be effective power must be shifted across management levels, which did not happen at J.J. Meyers; instead, all power and authority was concentrated at one or two points. When power was shifted, it was done to replace people with inappropriate experience. In total, power was not aligned in the right manner and credible managers were not empowered at all. Leadership: Peter Meyers taking over as the CEO itself was a huge change at J.J.Meyers Co because of his leadership style. Leadership plays more crucial role in the success of an organisation than any other aspect. During any change, the actual struggle of management comes in the form of rec overy, revitalization and recommitment (Bunker & Wakefield, 2005). This means leadership is equally important for the business as much as the change is. Only with effective leadership, change can be introduced in a manner that will sustain the business and improve employees’ enthusiasm and commitment. Peter’s actions and decisions were mostly against effective leadership because his actions did not encourage employee involvement; his actions lacked compassion but depicted greed; his actions failed to recognize employees’ commitment and credibility in multiple ways. Peter did not consult the key members of the business that possessed good experience and had high commitment towards the company. Both head

Definition of Efficient Market Hypothesis Literature review

Definition of Efficient Market Hypothesis - Literature review Example In the realm of financial markets, the value of information is indispensable. It is through the data that most analysts gain more information regarding the market. Market behavior is generally characterized by the flow of information. Therefore, comprehending the data that comes in and out of the market is vital. Through this information, analysts are able to predict prices and movements in the market. In addition, the data that is observed in the market generate perspectives that allow practitioners to forecast long-term movements in the components of financial markets. Although financial markets are hard to grasp, there are suggestions that such markets function with efficiency. Efficiency, when referred to the market, pertains to the changes in price and exchange between buyers and sellers. Apparently, financial markets are highly valued because investors are more inclined with fast-paced forms of revenue generation. Most important, the efficiency of the market makes decision making less risky and more rewarding. Eugene Fama (1970) was the main innovator of the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH). EMH implies that financial markets are efficient such that the price of assets, stocks, and other securities reflect all information available; thus, provide an unbiased view of investors regarding future prospects. One important aspect that EMH asserts is that it is seemingly impossible to outperform the market through the use of information known to the market. The information as defined by EMH refers to the data that are unpredictable in the present and appears sparingly in the future. EMH is considered as a fundamental component of modern financial economics (Feinstein, 2000). A compelling view of EHM was provided by Bodie et al. (1996) describing it as a result of rigorous underpinning and supported extensive empirical work. Bowman and Buchanan (1995) identified EMH as meticulously formulated. It is clear that the process in supportive concepts for a developed and competitive securities market. Several executives, however, pointed out some inconsistencies with EMH. These arguments are indeed supported by studies involving various subjects. The essence of EMH has embedded on the information associated stocks and the prevailing price associated with these securities. Malkiel (1987) stated that the varying point of views being presented by the buyers and sellers represent all the information and from the pool, relevant data are gathered. Indeed, the price of stocks will be affected by unexpected news, which of course is still unknown to the investors. There is a natural relationship between markets that efficiently provide available information to their role in efficient market distribution (Stiglitz, 1981). Further studies, on the other hand, pointed out that markets that provide efficient information are not required to provide productive efficiency in the economy. Such description supports tendencies when the market is incomplete and information that is considered as differentiated is costly but valuable. It is understandable that some data appear to be useless. But investors have been creative in creating a sense in this information.

Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing - Assignment Example This would be followed by a few recommendations for the company, which would mark the end of the discussion Industry Environment Porter Five Forces Model presents a good framework to explore the environmental and industry forces, which are affecting the marketing of the company. First, the rivalry against the existing competitors within the industry is high (Armstrong, Harker, Kotler & Brennan, pp. 19-22, 2009). Despite the fact that more than 500 independent bookshops have closed as of 2009 due to their inability to compete with the big bookstores, the barriers of borders are coming down and thus exposing companies like Waterstones, with the help of internet and others, to competition on an international level. Furthermore, currently, there are three big players in the market namely Waterstone’s, Amazon, and WH Smith; however, the problem here is that none of them has a considerable lead and in the absence of huge differences in size, these competitors would fuel the rivalry to greatest limits. Rivalry decreases when competitors are aiming for different market segments or different niches in the industry; however, it appears that all of the major competitors are trying to appeal to all of digital and traditional segments of the market, thus, intensifying the rivalry (Armstrong, Harker, Kotler & Brennan, pp. 19-22, 2009). ... tailers here is that they cannot achieve a high degree of differentiation for the books they sell since the product remains the same (Kotler & Armstrong, pp. 41-48, 2008). Due to low degree of differentiation, the competition rests on the price alone thus forcing the customer to look for better bargains. As mentioned in the case that UK booksellers are having the lowest profit margins because of excessive discounting to appeal to the customer as compared to the book retailers in Ireland, USA, Finland, Holland, and Ireland. The supplier power in the industry remains moderate. Four major companies namely Hachette Livre, Bertelsmann, Pearson, and HarperCollins hold more than 50 percent of the market share in the publishing industry. Many authors cannot get their books published, sold, or promoted if they do not have any association with big publishers. Furthermore, they also pose a strong threat for forward integration in the market. However, there power is moderate because they depend highly on these high street retailers for promotions and shelf space for both new and old authors and books. Furthermore, with well-established players in the industry, they have lesser options to get good bargains (Peter & Donnelly, pp. 122-123, 2010). The threat of substitutes is high due to the illegal and pirated books that are easily accessible on the internet through various websites. Furthermore, these substitutes cost way less than the original books; in many cases, these are free, thus increasing their attractiveness to great limits. Lastly, the threat of new entrants also remains moderately high. This is true because not only setting up a bookshop is relatively easy but also because lately many supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury and others have jumped into the industry with

Definition of Efficient Market Hypothesis Literature review

Definition of Efficient Market Hypothesis - Literature review Example In the realm of financial markets, the value of information is indispensable. It is through the data that most analysts gain more information regarding the market. Market behavior is generally characterized by the flow of information. Therefore, comprehending the data that comes in and out of the market is vital. Through this information, analysts are able to predict prices and movements in the market. In addition, the data that is observed in the market generate perspectives that allow practitioners to forecast long-term movements in the components of financial markets. Although financial markets are hard to grasp, there are suggestions that such markets function with efficiency. Efficiency, when referred to the market, pertains to the changes in price and exchange between buyers and sellers. Apparently, financial markets are highly valued because investors are more inclined with fast-paced forms of revenue generation. Most important, the efficiency of the market makes decision making less risky and more rewarding. Eugene Fama (1970) was the main innovator of the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH). EMH implies that financial markets are efficient such that the price of assets, stocks, and other securities reflect all information available; thus, provide an unbiased view of investors regarding future prospects. One important aspect that EMH asserts is that it is seemingly impossible to outperform the market through the use of information known to the market. The information as defined by EMH refers to the data that are unpredictable in the present and appears sparingly in the future. EMH is considered as a fundamental component of modern financial economics (Feinstein, 2000). A compelling view of EHM was provided by Bodie et al. (1996) describing it as a result of rigorous underpinning and supported extensive empirical work. Bowman and Buchanan (1995) identified EMH as meticulously formulated. It is clear that the process in supportive concepts for a developed and competitive securities market. Several executives, however, pointed out some inconsistencies with EMH. These arguments are indeed supported by studies involving various subjects. The essence of EMH has embedded on the information associated stocks and the prevailing price associated with these securities. Malkiel (1987) stated that the varying point of views being presented by the buyers and sellers represent all the information and from the pool, relevant data are gathered. Indeed, the price of stocks will be affected by unexpected news, which of course is still unknown to the investors. There is a natural relationship between markets that efficiently provide available information to their role in efficient market distribution (Stiglitz, 1981). Further studies, on the other hand, pointed out that markets that provide efficient information are not required to provide productive efficiency in the economy. Such description supports tendencies when the market is incomplete and information that is considered as differentiated is costly but valuable. It is understandable that some data appear to be useless. But investors have been creative in creating a sense in this information.