Articles
On the whole, the articles listed on this page relate to writing and storytelling.
In the first part, I created a list of articles I wrote that focus on writing a novel. Thereafter, I’ve created an alphabetical list of articles written by others. They have been collected over many years.
You are welcome to consider any of the articles listed below for publication in your website/blog/newsletter. Permission is granted to reprint for free with the resource box and byline intact (this information is placed at the bottom of each article).
To view the articles, just click on the article you would like to view and you will be taken to the appropriate page.
I am aware the list is long. So, please don’t get overwhelmed and close this page. Do take some time to view it. Scroll down the list (all entries have been placed in alphabetical order) and I’m sure you’ll find something of interest.
Sunday, 19 May 2013 04:57
Use the Power of the Pause to Strengthen Your Storytelling
Written by Aneeta Sundararaj
Use the Power of the Pause to Strengthen Your Storytelling When we are telling stories to a group, and especially as a newer storyteller, one of the most difficult techniques to master is the use of the pause. Even in everyday conversation, most people have a problem with silence. Somehow we feel we must always fill a space with words. And yet silence and a pause during the telling of a story not only enhances the audience’s understanding of the story, it also builds anticipation. In this article I will discuss the whys and how of using pauses to strengthen…
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Sunday, 19 May 2013 04:52
Understanding Ebook Rights: The Basics You Need to Know
Written by Aneeta Sundararaj
Understanding Ebook Rights: The Basics You Need to Know Information products are big online. Generally, they’re PDF products packaged in what is known as an “ebook format”. Years ago another popular option was .exe but due to viruses and their incompatibility with the Mac they have lost a lot of their popularity. An easy way to start your own web business with low start up costs is to purchase ebooks with what is known as “resale rights”. But what are resale rights? Are they the same as “Master Resale Rights”? Ebooks often come with different types of rights. Translation: The…
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Understanding Children’s Book Genres I just received a letter from a writer who said, “Alas, I find myself adrift in a sea of unexplained and/or contradictory publishing terms.” It’s true — you can read three different books on writing and find three different definitions of “picture book.” So, to make your life easier, here’s what I hope is a definitive glossary of children’s publishing genres: * Picture books — In its broadest definition, a picture book is a book in which the illustrations play a significant role in telling the story. Under this umbrella are several types of books: 1.…
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Run Your Own Race-At Your Own Pace On Thanksgiving Day, dawn spills over Dana Point Harbor where thousands of runners gather for the annual Turkey Trot. The largest holiday race in California beckons folks of all ages, sizes, shapes, and abilities. Waiting at the starting line for the 10-K, I talk to a Dad and his 7 year- old daughter. Around me, I hear bravado talk about marathons, triathlons, hard bodies and zippo fat content. Thankfully, I spy silver haired folks with knee braces, a young couple with babies in jogging strollers and runners decked in costumes ranging from Santa…
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Sunday, 19 May 2013 04:38
How to Write a Romance That Publishers Will Buy
Written by Aneeta Sundararaj
How to Write a Romance That Publishers Will Buy Romance fiction is designed to entertain. At its best, it can transport a reader to a fantasy place where happy endings are guaranteed, where there are always resolutions to problems and the girl inevitably gets her perfect man. Is that your understanding? Perhaps. From an objective (some might say cynical) point of view, romance fiction is an exercise in marketing. Publishers like Harlequin and Silhouette have identified a need, which they set out to fulfill. From a romance publishers’ point of view, the writers actually get in the way of this…
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Researching The Market Editors always plead with authors to research the market before submitting manuscripts. This makes sense–it cuts down on the number of inappropriate submissions an editor may receive, and presumably will lower the chance of a manuscript getting rejected. But how, exactly, does one research a market that produces thousands of new products each year? I suggest a systematic, three-part approach which works for book and magazine publishers. This involves studying a publisher’s overall list, individual books or issues, and their writers’ guidelines. It doesn’t matter which part you do first as long as you cover all three.…
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Sunday, 19 May 2013 04:30
Questions Storytellers Need To Ask Themselves
Written by Aneeta Sundararaj
Questions Storytellers Need To Ask Themselves Who am I and why would someone hire me? Can I work a crowd? Can I work in any weather environment? What do I have to offer a festival or event? Can I be flexible enough to fit the needs of the audience? Can I be a team player? Will I be our partner to the producer? Will I promote the festival or event? Do I have any "non negotiable" points? Am I fun and enjoyable to be around? Am I comfortable around kids, animals, the elderly, etc.? Am you available for picture taking…
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Thursday, 16 May 2013 23:55
Questions Storytellers Are Often Asked and How They Answer
Written by Aneeta Sundararaj
Questions Storytellers Are Often Asked and How They Answer When I tell people that I am a “storyteller” right away they fire back a slew of questions. In this article I am going to share some questions and answers from two of my favorite storytelling friends. These mini-articles appeared originally as posts on the StoryTell List. Whether or not you are a storyteller and/or a listener, you will find them insightful, entertaining and illuminating. From Karen Chace: For me, first and foremost I seem to always have to explain “what” a storyteller is as most people assume I read. I…
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Query Writing Mistakes to Avoid You know that you’re not supposed to start your letters with “Dear Editor,” need to follow proper formatting protocol, and should always send your queries to the correct person, right? You’ve no doubt also mastered the art of kicking out embarrassing grammar goof-ups, know more about your word processing software than you do about your fiancé, and have learnt the dangers of the begging routine (also known as the my-mom-thinks-it’s-fantabulous syndrome). Why then, do most of your neatly-crafted, SASE-containing queries come boomeranging back? Maybe you’re making the mistakes no one’s telling you about. Here’s a…
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Thursday, 16 May 2013 23:38
Publishing Child Book? Top Ten Tips for Writing Book Pitches That Get Your Manuscript Read
Written by Aneeta Sundararaj
Publishing Child Book? Top Ten Tips for Writing Book Pitches That Get Your Manuscript Read Publishing child book? No matter how well-written your child story is, if you want to get published, you need to grab and hold the attention of publishers. #1 Grab their attention in 10 seconds or less 10 seconds. That’s how much time many editors say they spend per submission when they’re screening. The first sentence of your pitch is the first thing that an editor will read, and if it doesn’t grab their attention, it will be the last thing the editor reads. Make sure…
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Proofreading Your Own Document You’ve just written an important paper, business communique, or other document that will be read by others and perhaps will be the basis for a classroom grade, a prospective business arrangement, or provide necessary information for a specific situation. Regardless of the end use of this document, it is important to you that it not contain any errors or embarrassing grammar and punctuation mistakes. You’ve run spellcheck, but you understand that spellcheck isn’t foolproof. Your document needs to be proofread. Ideally, you need a professional proofreader (or some other objective person) to read your document and…
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Thursday, 16 May 2013 23:30
Presentation Skills - The 7 Rules of Visual Design
Written by Aneeta Sundararaj
Presentation Skills – The 7 Rules of Visual Design The following comprise the rules of presentation visual design that, if heeded, will almost always assure that your audiences will be able to follow your ideas every step of the way. Of course, you must keep in mind that visual design is only one-third of the package required for a successful presentation, the other two being content and delivery. Like a fine dining experience that requires equal parts food, service and atmosphere to really work, the visual design part of the presentation process is every bit as necessary as the others…
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Thursday, 16 May 2013 23:28
Presentation Skills - Proper Slide Delivery
Written by Aneeta Sundararaj
Presentation Skills – Proper Slide Delivery The only way to assure your presentation audience will stay with you every step of the way is to maintain proper eye contact throughout your presentation. Proper eye contact involves delivering your presentation as a series of one-on-one conversations with each member of the audience, and holding eye-contact with members through to the end of a thought or complete sentence. Most presenters hold eye contact with any one person no more than one second – to effectively bond with your audience, you need to pump that up to a range more like three to…
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Thursday, 16 May 2013 23:25
Presentation Design – The Good, The Bad, & The Mediocre
Written by Aneeta Sundararaj
Presentation Design – The Good, The Bad, & The Mediocre Your job as a presentation designer is to make ideas into visual images. For your presentations to work, the visual images must convey exactly what you want to say and require the least possible effort on the part of your audience to “get it”. The difference between a visual that works and one that fails is good design. To appreciate of how good design adds to the quality of our lives, it helps to look at some examples of truly bad design that we all deal with on an everyday…
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Latest Posts
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The Creative Industry Needs to Look at Things Differently Post Budget 2022
Written by Aneeta SundararajOn 29 October 2021, the Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz tabled Budget 2022 in the Malaysian parliament. RM50 million has been allocated for the arts and culture industry. This comes after a year and a half after the entire industry came to an absolute standstill. With…
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‘The Covid Positives’ – life lessons learnt from the pandemic by Phanindra Ivatury
Written by Aneeta SundararajAfter a long drawn battle with the biggest catastrophe in our living memory, global humanity is finally getting to see some quintessential ray of light at the end of the treacherous tunnel in the form of COVID-19 vaccines, currently being rolled out to all parts of the globe. A ‘COVID-19…
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Chaos of Whole Books
Written by Aneeta SundararajIs it possible to read several books at once? Aneeta Sundararaj finds out.When I was a child, my cousin used to boast that he could read four storybooks at a time. As an adult, when he invested in an e-Reader, he continued to boast that he could…
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Writing for You? Or for Me?
Written by Aneeta SundararajWriting for You? Or for Me? ‘You must always write with your reader in mind.’ This was one of the first pieces of advice that I received when I began my writing career. Honestly, I found this extremely hard to do because more often than not, I couldn’t picture my…
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One Book That Changed My Writing Life
Written by Aneeta SundararajMy latest novel, The Age of Smiling Secrets was shortlisted for two categories in the Book Award 2020 organised by the National Library of Malaysia. When I reflected on the journey that this book has taken, I acknowledged the enormous influence of one of my all-time favourite books, Joseph Anton:…