Monday, September 22, 2008

Writing Nonfiction

All of us are authors, and all of us have a book already written within us that needs to come out.

I believe that fiction is the easiest to write because none of what you write can, or needs to be verified and you are only limited by your imagination. On the other hand nonfiction requires verification of facts and the book usually has references to the material that you have used. These facts can come from the documentation of others or your own. But the material is usually taken as truth or fact and supported by the documents you have used.

Then there is the Grey area that I write about… Philosophy! Philosophy always appears as truth and it is always controversial because in truth, truth is an illusion. My truth is not yours, and yours is not someone else's.

Philosophy can always be argued from one's point of view and it is nonfiction from that observation. From the position of the other it may be fantasy or imagination.

In truth, philosophically speaking, fiction and nonfiction are the same, as both come from the imagination and are subject to one's interpretation and the ability to manifest one's thoughts into physical symbols that are observable by others.

The wonderful thing about fiction is that the events become probabilities in physical form at some level of consciousness and are nonfiction. If I think of a lying under a palm tree on a white sandy beach on a tropical ocean one early sunny morning, that thought becomes your thought and the probability exists that either one of us can experience it. It becomes a probability and only then needs to be experienced. All thoughts are the beginnings of any probability whether it is a sandy beach or Aliens attacking the earth.

The distinction between fiction and nonfiction is determined by our ability to allow our imaginations to accept them.

The Bible and other Holy texts are considered to be nonfiction, and yet they are the texts that are the least likely to be verified. The pages in these texts where written by many different authors, sometimes hundreds of years after the facts, if they did in fact occur, and the stories were selected for inclusion by people and organizations with an agenda. Many of the stories in the Bible were created to demonstrate aspects of morality and social behavior. Many stories have been left out deliberately.

We generally accept these books as historical facts because we were told to, even though critical thinking and reason suggests otherwise. Facts, truth and imagination have been blended into foggy images that transcend humanities ability to distinguish the difference, fueled by fear and ignorance. What is fiction, what is not?

We look to an imaginary future and go back into the past to create it. Or we go back into the past to create a future book. The book the waits within you, is the future waiting to be created, it is already present in the moment and although it is nonfiction, it will be judged by others in the future as either.

Humanity has agreed at some level of consciousness to accept things as truth, or "nonfiction," if it is within the realm of possibility or if there is a strong human desire, want or need to believe it.

We as a people had a strong desire to fly to the moon and have done it, (maybe). We as a people have strong desires to create new technology and we do it, and we believe in technology because we can see it working. These areas are not that Grey, because we want to believe. Predictions that we have made hundreds or thousands of years ago are now observable in our experience and easy to accept. Most believe that technology can achieve anything, from creating a sailing ship that moves past the abyss waiting at the edge of the earth, to the space ship that flies through it.

It is the same imagination that creates physical objects or technology, which creates philosophy about who and what we are.

There is a strong desire within humanity, or need to believe and accept that there is more to us than what we can see, taste, smell, feel or hear. We have moved away from our ability to experience the soul and the mind as other parts of ourselves. We consider these aspects of self as fictional or beyond reach and best left to the imagination of philosophers, priests and other self appointed experts. Most of us experience these aspects only when we read about them or attend presentations or Sunday services, as they are brought to our attention.

As one moves away from the philosophy of others and accepts their own truth as real and valid, then we are better able to accept all experiences, philosophies, and truths as truth. All probabilities and possibilities are valid and experienced at some level of consciousness. All fiction is nonfiction in the greater truth, and they are simply human or physical conventions.

I write my Nonfiction, Fictional articles early Sunday morning before I go for breakfast. In the course of the two hours that it takes me to write a 1600 word article like this, I have my shower, get dressed, wash the dishes, take out the garbage and several other chores.

I do not give any thought to what I write about, and it just flows out of me naturally. When I sit down to the keyboard and monitor, my mind is blank and the harder I try to write something, the less the results. Most often I do not know what I am going to write about before I start. I close my eyes for a few moments and try not to think about anything.

I accepted long ago that what I have to say or write about is valid, it has purpose and meaning. No matter how farfetched the words or thought, I try not to interfere and just let it come out. The fear of being crazy, stupid or uninformed left me long ago once I allowed the words to come out. This article is philosophical (nonfiction) but it comes from a fictional thought process that I used to think was mine, it is not!

I encourage all those that come to me for guidance to just sit down and let it all out, no matter how outrageous, how unintelligent or gifted it may seem. No one has to read it, it doesn't have to be published, and you can tear it up when you are finished. By sitting down and starting to write, you will develop a process that works for you, you will be totally amazed at what you have locked inside. When I do read some of my stuff, I wonder, "Wow," was that me, that's not bad! Did I write that?

If you have visited my web site at klienwachter.com and read my articles you will remember that I have said many times I write for myself first and that is my truth. I do not have a need for others to read my words. I have however come to terms with my ego that wishes to be recognized as an author. I speak from the spiritual part of myself that is not physical and I agreed with my ego to allow it the freedom to publish and print these articles. We have made peace and the ego understands that recognition my not come and that it is a probability that may or may not be experienced. On this we agree.

Spirit makes itself known or physically experienced through the words that are recorded for the benefit of the ego.

You have something to say, and your thoughts need to be expressed in the physical world and it is done in an infinite number of ways. Writing is just one way. But do not back down because you believe your writing is not valid or important. Also realize that it may not be accepted by others and know that it doesn't really matter.

Write for yourself first and set your imagination free. Nonfiction is fiction finding expression and recognition in the physical world. It has no meaning except for the meaning given it by those who read the words.

Books For Publish

The procedure of production and distribution of books or other forms of literature for the public is called publishing. In some instances, the author is his own publisher. He makes his literature then finds means of media for it to be disseminated to viewers.

A book is known as a collection or a set of blank, written, illustrated, or printed sheets which are made and produced with paper and/or different materials. These materials are fastened and compiled as one in order to form a hinge in one side. In a book, a leaf is the single sheet, while its both sides are known as its page. When a book is produced through an electronic format, this type of book is called the e-book.

Books also pertain to literary works. In information science and libraries, a book is known as a monograph, where in, this is vital in order for it to be differentiated from periodicals like journals, magazines, and newspapers. Written works as well as books are called literature. In a novel, a book can be compartmentalized into different sections like Book One, Book Two, Book Three, and so on and so forth.

A book lover is called with many terms such as a philobiblist, a bibliophile, or a bibliophilist, or in layman’s term, a bookworm. You can also buy books in a bookshop or bookstore. To borrow a book, you can just head on to libraries near you.

The usual book structure or parts include the following:

Front cover: soft cover (paperback) or hardbound; the one that connects the front and the rear cover is called a spine which is similar to a hinge
Front endpaper
Flyleaf
Front matter
Frontispiece
Title page
Copyright page
Table of contents
List of figures
List of tables
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Body: the main contents or texts where the pages are found. These pages have page number and are often separated into sequential chapters. Appendix
Glossary
Index
Notes
Bibliography
Colophon
Flyleaf
Rear endpaper
Rear cover

The procedure of production and distribution of literature or other information for the public is called publishing. In some instances, the author is his own publisher. He makes his literature then finds means of media so that it can be disseminated to its viewers.

There are stages in publishing a book. These stages would include the following:

• Development
• Acquisition
• Copyediting
• Graphic design
• Production (Printing or Electronic)
• Marketing
• Distribution

The following are the steps on how to get your book to be published. These are:

Step One

Look for a professional editor for the work or literature that you have done. With this procedure, you are ensured that the book that you have made is polished and refined prior to giving to the publisher or agent.

Step Two

Look for an agent who would represent you and your work. A good agent will present your literature to publishers and guide you on the process of publishing. Know the agent’s experience, expected commission, interests, and recent sales before making a commitment.

Step Three

Give your query letter to various publishers whom you think would like your book best. The letter that you will send will give the description of the book that you have made and provide your reasons why it is worth publishing. Given that the publisher would look the idea of your book, they will forward a proposal to you.

Step Four

Provide the interested editors or publishers with your book proposal. Included in your book proposal is a 10 to 12 page sample, your reason for making the book as well as the author’s information. For nonfictional authors, they may send a proposal before completing their book. For fictional writers, a completed manuscript is expected during query.

Step Five

Wait for the response of the editor or publishers. If the book that you have made is accepted, you’d get a monetary offer. But if not, a rejection letter will be sent out to you, together with the reason why it cannot be published.

Step Six

Keep sending query letters to publishers until you receive an offer from your publisher. The key here is to study the responses of the editors and intertwine it in your work until you find a publisher who would take interest in your work.

Here is a list of known Book Publishers:

eBookMall Publishing Center
Abingdon Press
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
Accent on Living
Ace Science Fiction
Adams Media Corporation
Addison-Wesley Longman, Inc.
African American Images
The Alban Institute
Almar Press
American Counseling Association
American Press
Amherst Media
The Amwell Press
Anchorage Press, Inc.
Andrews and McMeel
Arden Press, Inc.
Asian Humanities Press
Astro Communican Scvices, Inc.
Autonomedia
Aztex Corp.
Bantman Doubleday Dell
Barron's Educational Series, Inc.
Barbour and Company, Inc.
Barron's Educational Series, Inc.
Beacon Press
Bear and Co., Inc.
Behrman House Inc.
Black Heron Press
Blackbirch Press, Inc.
Bloomberg Press
Blue Poppy Press
Blue Star Productions
Borgo Press
Boyds Mills Press
Brassey's, Inc.
Brevet Press., Inc.
The Bureau For At-Risk Youth
Business McGraw-Hill
Butterworth-Heinman
C Q Press
Caddo Gap Press
Cambridge Educational
Cambridge University Press
The Caxton Printers, Ltd.
Catbird Press
Center Press
Chatham Press
Chicago Review Press
Church Growth Institute
Circlet Press, Inc.
Citadel Press
Clarkson Potter
Coffee House Press
Country Sport Press
Champion Press
Computer Science Press
Confluence Press, Inc.
Consumer Press
Copper Canyon Press
CottonWood Press, Inc.
Counterpoint
The Crossing Press
Dance Horizons
Dancing Jester Press
Darlington Productions, Inc.
Delacorte Press
The Denali Press
Devyn Press
Discipleship Resources
Dimi Press
Doubleday
Down Home Press
Duke Press
Dutton
E.M. Press, Inc.
Eakin Press/Sunbelt Media, Inc.
Eastland Press
The Ecco Press
The Education Center, Inc.
Epicenter Press
Faber & Faber, Inc.
Facts on File, Inc.
Fairview Press
Fawcett Juniper
Fjord Press
Focal Press
Foghorn Press
Four Walls Eight Windows
The Free Press
Friends United Press
The Globe Pequot Press, Inc.
The Graduate Group
Green Bark Press
GreenHaven Press, Inc.
Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
Gryphon House, Inc
Half Halt Press, Inc.
The Harvard Common Press
Herald Press
Holiday House
Home Education Press
Jist Works, Inc.
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Knowledge, Ideas & Trends, Inc.
Lake View Press
The Learning Works, Inc.
Libraries Unlimited
Living the Good News
The McGraw-Hill Companies
Media Bridge
Mercury House, Inc.
New Hope
New Leaf Press, Inc.
Nodin Press
W.W. North Co., Inc.
Nova Press
Oak Knoll Press
Octameron Associates
Orchises Press
Ortho Information Services
Osborne/McGraw-Hill
Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.
The Overlook Press
Owl Creek Press
Oxford University Press
Paper Chase Press
Pippin Press
Planners Press
Planning/Communications
Popular Culture Ink
Receipt Press
Price Stern Sloan, Inc.
The Putnam Berkley Group
QED Press
Random House, Inc.
Routledge, Inc.
SAS Institute, Inc.
Scholastic, Inc.
Serendipity Systems
Sergeant Kirkland's
Slack, Inc.
The Smith
Social Science Education Consortium
SoundPrints
The Speech Bin, Inc.
Spinsters Ink
Swan-Raven & Co.
Swedenborg Foundatin
Sybex, Inc.
Systems Co. Inc.
Texas State Historical Association
Transportation Trails
TSR, Inc.
Charles Tuttle Co.
Univelt, Inc.
VGM Career Horizons
Verso
Walker and Co.
Warner Aspect
Franklin Watts, Inc.
Samuel Weiser, Inc.
White Cliffs Media, Inc.
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Wild Flower Press
Little Aspect

Sine there are many book publishers, the harder task is usually getting one to approve to your book. Thus, if you will heed criticisms and put it to good use, then add patience, you will soon be able to get your book published and hopefully released to the public.

Accredited Online College And University Programs

It is not unusual to grow indifferent toward your job. Lack of stimulating work, low pay, and limited growth potential within an organization are all excellent reasons to seek out a way to make a change. The best way to realize your full potential is to receive a college education. One of the best, and most convenient, ways to achieve this is by receiving a college education online. This innovative and exciting method of professional development is an ideal option if you are looking for a promotion, or if you are looking for a new career entirely. An education through an accredited online college or University program is your ticket to professional success.

There are many advantages of choosing to receive your education through an accredited online college or university. Studying for a college education online allows you to achieve your educational and professional goals at your own pace, whether you want to get a 2-year Associate’s degree, a 4-year Bachelor’s degree, or take an accelerated course program to receive a professional certificate. There is no need to live near or commute to a college when all classes can be attended and all work submitted online. Attending school online is a great option for those who might have uncertainties about going to college as an older student or returning after many years. Studying for a college education online can be an easy way to ease into the routine of class work and projects, and can reduce the stress of feeling the need to fit in with younger students. Further, course availability is often convenient for those who work full time or care for a family. Often, colleges offer evening and weekend classes.

There is an online college education available for just about every professional and academic discipline out there. Fields of study include Business, Social Sciences, Humanities, Education, Nursing, Liberal Arts, Fine Arts, and various Healthcare programs. These are but a few of the subjects in which you can earn a college education by choosing an online program. Many online programs are delivered through colleges and Universities accredited by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation is an important credential to look for when choosing an online program if you have prior college credits you wish to transfer. Accredited institutions are also more readily recognized and accepted by employers and professional organizations.

You might be concerned about affording an education through an accredited online college or University. You have options. Often, financial aid is available to students in the form of grants, loans, even scholarships. Also, many employers are willing to pay for part or all of an employee’s tuition and fees. Investing in an employee’s future reaps benefits for everyone involved.

The misconception of receiving your education from an accredited online college or University is that the experience might not be as enriching or legitimate as attending campus-based courses at a traditional college or University. This just isn’t the case. Programs offered online present the same opportunities for group work, independent study, and interpersonal communications as their traditional counterparts. While it is true that being an online student requires a certain amount of self-discipline and organization, receiving your college education online will probably help to facilitate the learning process as well as develop your time management and self-motivation skills. With the prevalence of the Internet and advancements such as teleconferencing in both education and the business world today, it is possible to come away from the experience not only with a college education and your dream career, but also with greater knowledge and comfort with technology. Receiving your education through an accredited online college or University is a valuable, convenient, and flexible way to broaden your career opportunities, and have the career you have always dreamt about.

Research Paper

A research paper is a means of presenting your findings on a selected topic. It is a synchronization of the investigations you have made and your thoughts and ideas on the topic you are researching. If you love writing, then nothing can be more satisfying than producing a research paper. The whole process of collecting information, documenting and organizing the facts and conclusions and finally presenting them with one’s own interpretations enhances the academic skills of the person who is writing the research paper.

For writing the research paper, investigating the facts is the most time taking part. The research should be detailed and encompass a variety of sources like books, journals, websites etc. Getting information on how to write a research paper is easy. There are many books and websites that have been dedicated to this genre of writing. Once you have decided on the topic, try to find all possible information from different sources. Different kinds of sources provide authenticity to your research paper.

Research paper’s introduction should be a statement of the most important fact or idea around which you plan to write the whole paper. Present other facts and findings in the paragraphs that follow. Always remember to write different ideas or facts in separate paragraphs. Since a research paper is full of facts and figures, arranging information systematically makes the paper more sensible.

In the research paper the concluding paragraph is of utmost importance because this is the portion where you can interpret your findings and make an inference of all the information gathered. Since a research paper encompasses what others have stated or found, the conclusion gives you an opportunity to put forward your own assumptions.

In research paper, other’s findings are cited quite often. Therefore there are different citation styles that are compulsory to follow. If the person who has written the research paper fails to cite the sources properly he might even be blamed of plagiarism. You can choose from any of the following styles to write the paper:
• APA
• AMA
• Chicago
• MLA
• Turabian

In writing research papers APA style is generally used for writing for subjects like social sciences, education, psychology, etc. The AMA style is more for subjects like biological sciences, health and medicine. Chicago style is more popular in magazines, books, newspapers etc. The MLA style is appropriate for subjects like humanities, arts and literature. The Turabian style is mostly used by the college students to write their research papers in almost all the subjects.

For writing a research paper you can go through numerous web pages to gather information about the style of writing you choose to write or have been instructed to write. However the best option would be to go through the complete hardcopy style manuals, which are available in all the good libraries. These manuals provide a much wider variety of citation styles of research papers.

Research writing is an excellent way of discovering unknown facts. When compared to the readers it is the research writer who benefits the most.

Digital Humanities

The Digital Humanities, also known as Humanities Computing, is a field of study, research, teaching, and invention concerned with the intersection of computing and the disciplines of the humanities. It is methodological by nature and interdisciplinary in scope. It involves investigation, analysis, synthesis and presentation of knowledge using computational media. It studies how these media affect the disciplines in which they are used, and what these disciplines have to contribute to our knowledge of computing. Academic departments of the digital humanities typically include technical practitioners as well as traditionally trained scholars with experience or expertise in digital media. Such departments tend to be heavily involved in collaborative research projects with colleagues in other departments.

The interdisciplinary position of the digital humanities is comparable to that of comparative literature in relation to literary studies. It involves experts in both research and teaching; in all of the traditional arts and humanities disciplines (history, philosophy, linguistics, literature, art, archaeology, and music of many cultures, for example); specialists in electronic publication and computational analysis, in project design and visualisation, in data archiving and retrieval.

Romanticization and rejection of the humanities

Implicit in many of these arguments supporting the humanities are the makings of arguments against public support of the humanities. Joseph Carroll asserts that we live in a changing world, a world in which "cultural capital" is being replaced with "scientific literacy" and in which the romantic notion of a Renaissance humanities scholar is obsolete. Such arguments appeal to judgments and anxieties about the essential uselessness of the humanities, especially in an age when it is seemingly vitally important for scholars of literature, history and the arts to engage in "collaborative work with experimental scientists" or even to simply make "intelligent use of the findings from empirical science." The notion that 'in today's day and age,' with its focus on the ideals of efficiency and practical utility, scholars of the humanities are becoming obsolete was perhaps summed up most powerfully in a remark that has been attributed to the artificial intelligence specialist Marvin Minsky: “With all the money that we are throwing away on humanities and art - give me that money and I will build you a better student."

Minsky's faith in the superiority of technical knowledge and his reduction of the humanities scholar of today to an obsolete relic of the past supported by the tax dollars of romantics fondly recalling the days of the G.I. Bill echoes arguments put forth by scholars and cultural commentators that call themselves "post-humanists" or "transhumanists." The idea is that current trends in the scientific understanding of human beings are calling the basic category of "the human" into question. Examples of these trends are assertions by cognitive scientists that the mind is simply a computing device, by geneticists that that human beings are no more than ephemeral husks used by self-propagating genes (or even memes, according to some postmodern linguists), or by bioengineers who claim that one day it may be both possible and desirable to create human-animal hybrids. Rather than engage with old-style humanist scholarship, transhumanists in particular tend to be more concerned with testing and altering the limits of our mental and phsyical capacities in fields such as cognitive science and bioengineering in order to transcend the essentially bodily limitations that have bounded humanity.

Stanford Humanities Center

The Stanford Humanities Center is an institution of advanced humanities research located at Stanford University, Stanford, CA, U.S.A. Founded in 1980, it is an integral part of Stanford’s internationally renowned research community, bringing together scholars from across disciplinary boundaries to work on projects that advance understanding of human experience.

History

The Stanford Humanities Center was founded in 1980 to spearhead new initiatives in humanities research at Stanford, as the result of one of former Stanford President Donald Kennedy's first acts in office. The Humanities Center's early goals remain central to its mission. These include: providing state-of-the-art research and writing facilities for humanities scholars; initiating studies that examine the nature and function of the humanities; focusing on interdisciplinary issues; and contributing to the intellectual life of the Stanford community as a whole through lectures, seminars, conferences, and research workshops.

In 1980, Ian Watt was named first director, and by 1982-83 the Humanities Center had welcomed its first thirteen fellows. Since then, it has undergone several notable changes, including the introduction of the research workshops by Director Keith Baker in 1995. To accommodate the continuing expansion of the Stanford Humanities Center, it moved in September 2001 from the Mariposa and Rogers Houses and the Annex — originally private residences — to the newly vacated Bowman House (which had been home to the Alumni Association), where it remains today. To supplement the fellowships already offered to high-level scholars, the Center introduced undergraduate research assistant fellowships in the same year to provide resources for advanced humanities students. The Center’s Humanities Archive Lab, a computer lab that offers easy access to the tools necessary to produce digital content, opened in 2004, in accordance with the increasing emphasis on the digital humanities.