Metro Review

Narrative and Dramatic Poetry
Narrative and dramatic poems are intended to be spoken. This is the similarities between these poetic forms. The poem, Phenomenal Woman, by Maya Angelou is an example of narrative poetry. These were intended to be spoken. Another example of narrative poetry is John Greenleaf Whittier’s Snowbound. In both poems, point of view, theme and narrative are seamlessly interwoven. Dramatic poetry usually includes some form of tragedy or a mechanism for a monologue format. Some Read the rest of this entry »

When writing a nonfiction book proposal you need to have certain elements included. Above all, you should be brief and succinct in what you write. Agents or their assistants who review these proposals have sometimes hundreds of these proposals to wade through. They are looking for reasons to reject a proposal and move on to the next one. Sometimes the thickness of the package alone is enough. Don’t let a wordy proposal damage the presentation of what is otherwise a great idea.

Some things you must include in this proposal are a summary of the Read the rest of this entry »

Writers often wonder when it is time to find a literary agent or manager. As a writer the first thing you should know before finding either is the differences between them. Both work for you, however, an agent will actively seek out work and assignments for you while a manager is more about marketing your already completed work. This does not mean a manager will not obtain work for you. It simply means that they will be seeking people to pay for your ideas instead of telling you what to write. Another difference is that an agent is mandated by Read the rest of this entry »

How much is enough and how much is too much when it comes to writing? So, just how long are different manuscripts suppose to be? Here’s the low down.
Generally speaking a hard-cover novel can range anywhere from 100 to 600 pages long. Paper-backs, on the other hand, are more restrictive in their length: 140 to 320 pages.
One act plays assuming they run 20 to 30 minutes will have between 20 and 30 pages while a three act play lasting 1 to 2 hours will need Read the rest of this entry »

Looking for a place online where you can submit your material for publication is not that hard a process. Just go to any search engine like Google and search for freelance writing sites. You will be really pleased at how many online sites are available for your written articles, poems, short stories or blogs. A really great site that will have you published as soon as you join and submit a written fiction, non fiction or even photographic art submission is writing submission site, www.triond.com. That site is one of the best place online for new writers or for old experienced writers. The community at the site is very friendly and the editors do a great job at getting you published. Another great online site for your writing is article writing site, www.factoidz.com. The site is full of free lance writing opportunities as well as a great site for publishing your work online. One of the great things about writing for either site is that you will earn royalties on your writing based on viewers that you can attract to your published online work. Besides these two great sites, there are free communities everywhere online that will give you room for a blog. Some blogging sites make you pay to publish a blog. There is no reason to pay for an online blog unless you really are selling online and use your blog as a storefront. For simply writing online in a blog, you can find a plethora of sites that will allow you to blog for free.

Writing is no longer an occupation for those who exclusively appreciate things like good penmanship, as even many prolific authors no longer use the traditional paper-based approach. It’s probably not long before books are written in their entirety with little more than wireless internet service and a mobile device, as software can now easily allow you to type, edit and take notes on a manuscript all while an unspecified number of trees continue to grow undisturbed. Not to mention, as eReaders continue to move off shelves, perhaps a book’s entire life cycle can exist purely in virtual space. Alas, while many writers long for a simpler time and romanticize the hand-written page, the comparative ease with which a writer can practice his or her craft is indisputably improved. There are advantages, mind you to writing to the fight in this ever-changing new age of technology. eBooks offer high profit margins and can be produced with relative ease, with or without the backing of a publishing company, due to comparatively low production costs and the resulting increase in profit margins. Yes, it is tough to sell your own eBook or create any sort of buzz for an author without an established name or the inherent credibility from a past string of sellers, but if you have the time and desire, writing specifically for the eBook market can be financially rewarding. A few things to keep in mind:Know who you’re writing for eBooks are often extremely targeted, focusing more on niche markets than at-large readerships. As a result, it is necessary to do the research and get to know your audience as intimately as possible. Read the rest of this entry »

It was Robert Browning who first coined the phrase “Less is more” in his 1855 poem, “Andrea del Sarto.” In retrospect, were Browning more in touch with the Japanese arts, he probably would’ve included his most famous line as part of a Haiku to further illustrate its meaning. A haiku is a form of poetry defined by its basic syllable structure. In order for a poem to qualify as a haiku (of course who really knows what qualifies as a poem), the passage must be exactly three lines long. The top line should contain 5 syllables, the second line expands to 7 syllables, while the final line reverts to 5 syllables, giving the collective work a sense of symmetry. Aside from those basic rules, almost anything goes in the haiku world. Take for example,”Breakfast, lunch, dinner,Jackpot hippopotamus,Once upon a time.”-Anonymous, 2010 Read the rest of this entry »

For American wordsmiths across the country and abroad, the Pulitzer Prize is the highest honor attainable, aside from perhaps the Nobel Peace Prize, which everyone should strive for regardless of chosen profession. Still, for such a distinguished award, it seems as if an excessive amount of recipients across varying disciplines claim to have won a Pulitzer. This is in part due to the diverse categorizations eligible to receive the prize, spanning the arts from journalism to creative writing. In the field of journalism these categories include Public Service, Breaking News Reporting, Explanatory Reporting, Local Reporting, National Reporting, International Reporting, Feature Writing, Commentary, Criticism, Editorial Writing, Editorial Cartooning Breaking News Photography and Feature Photography. The remaining writing-based categories consist of Fiction, Drama, History, Biography or Autobiography, Poetry and General Non-Fiction. Read the rest of this entry »

The fundamental point of maintaining good grammar is to establish clear guidelines so that written words can be understood properly, staying true to its desired interpretation. Of course, on the other hand, if one were to write the phrase, “I’m gonna go home,” nearly everyone would clearly walk away knowing exactly what was meant. The debate between proper grammar, as defined by say the AP Stylebook, and linguistic styling continues to rage across all disciplines of the written word. Some writers contend that in creative writing grammar is simply a restrictive measure that stifles creativity. Particularly in an age when everyone with a computer and an internet connection can become a published author within the day, is there even really a point in policing or condemning the writing of others simply for lack of punctuation? Read the rest of this entry »

Even great writers aren’t great all the time; we all have our on and off days. Have you ever sat back and read something you’ve written, literally struggling to turn the page out of sheer boredom? Granted sometimes people have interests or assignments that cater more towards an encyclopedia than the best seller list; still, just because something is accurate and informative doesn’t mean it has to read like an obituary. For those who struggle to naturally think outside the box, rarely incorporating a whimsical allusion or descriptively quirky adjective, here are a few tips to help uncork your creative juices and spice up your everyday writing.Mind-mapping Mind mapping is common practice among creatives in the field of advertising, the root of some of the most memorable, off-the-wall commercials that have ever graced the television set. The process starts with the central product and maybe an attribute or two you are trying to emphasize. Read the rest of this entry »