So you’ve just bought one of those ebooks that come with private label rights, an ebook cover, graphic files, and a pre-made sales page. All you have to do is update a few fields with your own information and upload everything to your server.

Then you can just sit back and watch the cash come pouring in.

Right?

Not so fast.

You see there are dozens (if not hundreds) of other people who bought the same PLR ebook and are already doing the exact same thing as you read this.

They’re using the same sales page, the same ebook cover, and the same keywords as you.

And they’re sitting back waiting for the cash to roll in just like you.

You see a problem yet?

The market is already saturated with the ebook you’re hoping to cash in on. If you want to make any money with it, you’ll need to be different.

Fortunately, it’s not that hard to do. Here’s some suggestions:

Make some changes to the sales page. You don’t need to completely re-write it, just make some superficial changes so i doesn’t look and feel like the same exact sales page visitors have already seen a dozen times before.

Simply changing the background color can have a pretty big impact. Write a new headline so the first words a visitor reads are new to them. If the sales page has a header graphic, create a new one or cut it out altogether. If it doesn’t have a header, add one.

You can easily change the ebooks cover or create an all new one with Photoshop or other graphics packages.

Consider changing the title too. Most PLR ebooks come with rather boring titles, so you shouldn’t have much trouble coming up with something a bit more catchy.

Follow each of these simple steps and you’ll have a PLR product that’s all your own.

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How To Make Your PLR Ebook Stand Out From The Crowd

Op-ed articles, also known as opinion/editorial articles, are a great way for aspiring writers to publicize their work and, in exchange, receive an amazing amount of publicity for free. You can write an op-ed piece and get it publicized provided you follow these simple rules.

Before you begin to write, you need to target which newspaper you would like your article to appear in. You stand a greater chance of getting into your local paper than in a national publication like <i>The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, or USA Today</i>. Still, if one of the national publications appeals to you, then give it a try.

<b>1. Follow the rules.</b> Every newspaper has guidelines on what their specific requirements are. Familiarize yourself with these guidelines and stringently hold yourself to their requirements. Failure to do so will mean you will be rejected.

<b>2. Write with precision.</b> Newspapers do not like verbose writers, unless it is for a feature piece and it is for a high end publication, such as <i>The Washington Post</i>. Short, crisp, and to-the-point sentences are the order of the day.

<b>3. Write with persuasion.</b> Whatever your point of view, write persuasively. Do not muddy the waters by giving vague answers. If you are discussing a problem, count on offering the solution. Expect that your article may occupy one half of the op-ed page; the other half may feature a rebuttal or an opposite point of view.

<b>4. Double space.</b> As with any submitted writing, you must double space your text. Expect the editors to <i>work their magic</i> on your piece, including removing entire paragraphs to make everything fit.

<b>5. Submit a cover letter.</b> Yes, you more than likely will have to snail mail your letter, so send it off with a cover letter to the appropriate contact person.

<b>6. Your contact information.</b> Your name, address, city, state, country, zip, contact numbers, and email address are all needed. More than likely none of this will be included in the piece, but they do need a way to get back to you.

<b>7. Resource box.</b> Unlike ezine sites where you can write a lengthy discourse on who you are and have links to your site, it is likely that only a one or two word sentence about “who you are” will be included. So, consider writing your own resource box and hope that they like it. [You can count on it being changed if they do not.] It could be written something like this:<blockquote><i>John Doe is a Detroit based freelance writer affiliated with </i><b>Writer’s Write.</b></blockquote>Yes, that may be about all the information they want to share about you with their readers.

More than likely you will know within two weeks time if your piece will get published. Some papers will contact you to let you know if you have been approved/rejected, while others will simply publish your article. Do not hound them as you may want to become a regular contributor.

<i>What is the next step</i>?

<b>1.</b> If you are approved, you can expect letters to the editor — from readers — in response to your piece to begin appearing in subsequent editions of the newspaper. Do not be surprised if letters begin arriving in your home or place of business too. Expect phone calls from people who may want to discuss your point of view further, or invite you to speak in front of their group, etc.

<b>2.</b> If you are rejected, consider modifying and resubmitting your piece or forwarding it to another publication. Accept criticism about your writing style, if offered.

<b>3.</b> Op ed pieces are sometimes picked up by syndicators such as <i>Reuters</i> or <i>Google News</i>; your piece can have a life well beyond the local newspaper. If you hit the national press, you can count on your article having widespread coverage. Do a search on <i>Google</i> a few days after publication and you may discover how wide a net your piece has cast. If that is the case, good for you!

Above all, op-ed article can help shape local or national opinion, so think of the <u>greater good</u> you can do as well as the publicity you just may receive when crafting your article. Although newspaper circulation continues to drop, online versions of these same newspapers continue to grow, thereby giving you exposure far beyond the intended market.

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How to Write Your Op-Ed Piece

Writing and publishing a newsletter is one of the most satisfying ways to promote your business, get involved in your community, or exercise those creative muscles. Imagine it: you at the helm of your very own publication, organizing the content, calling all the shots. Sounds great, right?

It is great, but be forewarned: writing and publishing a newsletter takes a lot of work. You need to coordinate many things. Producing a newsletter can overwhelm even the most seasoned writers and business professionals. The following tips will help you organize and get your first issue out without problems.

PLAN THE FORMAT

You need to decide the format of your newsletter. How many pages will it be? How often will you publish it? Will you use spiral binding, perfect binding or simple staples? Will you accept ads; if so, how many? Will you publish your newsletter in full-color or black ink on white paper?

Typically, smaller newsletters run less than 20 pages with the text divided into four columns per page (except for headlines, pictures and ads, of course); they’re usually one or four color, printed on both sides, and stapled. This is the most cost-effective way to produce a newsletter, but don’t be afraid to get creative! There are no set rules for newsletter formatting; as long as it’s readable, you’ve got little limitation.

PLAN THE CONTENT

Ah, the good part. Written content is the meat of your newsletter, so take time to plan it carefully. Will you report mainly news or include feature articles as well? Will the content be thematic or will you divide content into departments? What about advice columns or other regular material? There are no steadfast rules here, so get as creative as you want. Always make sure to include timely, interesting pieces. This will keep your readers engaged; the term “newsletter,” after all, does indicate some devotion to news.

UNDERSTAND YOUR AUDIENCE

Your core readership and their interests will dictate your content and writing style. Take some time to think about your target demographic. How old are they? What is their income level? Where do they live? Do they have kids? What are their main interests? Then, glance at some publications with the same general demographic. Take a cue from their content and writing style. Really consider what your readers want to read, what you’d want to read if you were them. If you’re not catering to your audience, you’ll have no audience at all.

SEEK HELP

Sure, you may harbor grand dreams of producing every part of your newsletter all by yourself, but let’s face it: that’s a whole lot of work for just one person. Strongly consider getting others involved. Many writers, editors and designers are willing to help in exchange for, say, ad space or a byline. You can even ask for submissions in your first issue; just be sure that every piece you approve fits your newsletter’s style.

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How To Write And Publish A Better Newsletter

If you want to sell something on the internet you might need to write a salesletter. A salesletter is a one page website which tells people about your product, and why they should buy it.

You could study a few books to learn how to write great salesletters, but if you are a beginner you might get confused in this way. It’s a better idea to buy one good book and try first learning from it. Then you might get another book. But it takes time, so in the meantime you can read this article and it should be enough to write a good salesletter. To be successful at internet marketing you need to first learn a little bit, and then take action. You will learn by doing it. It’s the best way to learn. So let’s learn the basic steps of writing salesletters.

First, read some other salesletters about similar products as yours. Of course, don’t copy or plagiarize, but you get some good ideas and get inspired.
Second, write an interesting headline. The headline is very important. If the headline doesn’t catch people’s interest, they won’t read your salesletter, however interesting it is.
Write the headline in red, black or blue and use bigger font than for the rest of the page.

Third, tell a story. Tell about some problems people have in your niche. Then tell them how the thing you are selling can solve their problems.
Fourth, using bullet points or lists, tell people about all the benefits of your product. Write about as many benefits as you can.

Fifth, finish your newsletter calling for action. It means that you need to tell people to “buy now”. You need to tell them also why they should “buy now” Try to find some good reasons why they should act now. Otherwise people will procrastinate.

You can also make your salesletter better if you use the word “you” often. Use it more often than “I”, “we” or “us” combined.

Make your salesletter simple. The background should be white. Most of the text should be black. Use other colors to emphasize certain phrases.

Use a lot of “buzz phrases”, in proper context, that are important to your niche. Make these words more visible by highlighting or underlining them, or make them bold, italic, etc. But don’t overemphasize. Be selective. Emphasize the most important phrases only.
Don’t use caps too much. Don’t use too many images either. Better none, than too many.
Offer money back guarantee. It will increase your sales conversion.
To make people “act now” offer some bonuses.
Be honest; don’t over-exaggerate the benefits of your product.

Don’t try to make your salesletter perfect at first. Just write it, and then you can work on improving your salesletter.

To learn more about INTERNET MARKETING go to: http://www.internetgoldmethod.com  You will get a FREE e-book “Perpetual Profits” and an access to a lot of internet marketing educational resources.

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How to Write a Salesletter Easily

The main function of many WebPages is to deliver information of value. People use search engines to find web pages that deliver information of value to them. This is where articles come in. Articles are used to give information of value to the online surfer. This demand for such articles converts them to an important marketing tool.

A Simple Process

Article marketing is a simple process. First you have to write an article that is of great value to the readers. Then you add a bio at the end of it and a couple of links within the body. Viola! You are ready to go. This dramatically affects the amount of traffic going to your website and even increases your search engine ranking. More people pour into your site from search engines as well.

The article should be anywhere between 250 – 1000 words, though larger articles are permissible as well. Do not be blatantly promotional. Up to three links are generally allowed. Make the information useful. A bio of 75 – 150 words is generally one that works well.

Proofread all your articles carefully. The smallest errors need to be avoided as they damage your reputation online. To create traffic online with article marketing, submit your articles to sites like ghostwriters.com, articlewheel.com and isnare.com. These sites charge a nominal fee. The quantity of articles you write matters here. The more articles are written, the better.

Work Towards a Great Headline

Invest your time towards writing a great headline. A headline is what noticed first when you create traffic online with article is marketing. It is what draws a reader to read your article or overlook it. Naturally you must work on the headline as the most important part of the article. Use credible words. Be specific, believable and beneficial.

Invest Time in a Signature/Bio

The Bio is the second most important part of the article after the headline. The anchor text in the bio should include the phrase that you want to rank highly on in search results. If you want to rank highly on “New York Lawyers”, make sure that it is a part of the bio and features as the anchor text that links back to your website.

Register a Google Alert For Your Article

Within 3-4 days Google will start showing you where your article appears. You will be surprised and even amazed at the results. Google alerts also let you track down article thieves that copy your work.

The Time Consuming Part of Article Submission

The most time consuming part when you create traffic online with article marketing is the initial registration. Once this is done you can easily submit articles to the same directories using the same username and password.

Submitting an article to 50 article directories should generate over 200 backlinks within 3-6 months.

Bookmark the Web Pages with Your Articles

To create traffic online through article marketing, bookmark the web pages with your articles with popular bookmark sites, for example digg.com and del.icio.us, these sites are growing in popularity by the day. Adding social bookmark links to your articles makes it easy for readers to find your content. It’s also enjoyable, simple and efficient. You can use this Social Bookmarking Tool http://www.expertarticles.com/bookmark/ to bookmark your articles with more than 50+ social bookmarking sites. You can also add the “Bookmark It” button on your web site so your visitors will be able to bookmark it with most Popular Bookmarking Services.

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How To Create Traffic Online With Article Marketing

If you know how to do something — and can do it well, almost without thinking — it makes sense that you’d want to share this information. What better way to do it than with an instruction manual. Writing an instruction manual may seem complicated and overwhelming, but it is easier than you think. The following tips will instruct you what to do and how to do it.

OUTLINE YOUR TOPIC

Before you can teach someone how to do something successfully, you need to conceptualize which aspects of the project they need to know. If your topic is  complicated, such as how to play the piano, list each chapter and outline the points you need to make. If it’s simpler, such as the task of changing a tire, briefly jot down all the steps that come to mind. Don’t worry about the details or if you list the steps out of order; we will fix these things later.

START WITH THE SUPPLIES

The most logical way to start an instruction manual is to list the supplies the reader will need for the project. Be as exhaustive with this as possible; your students will thank you. If any of the supplies are expensive or difficult to find, list alternatives or stores that  carry the item.

MOVE STEP BY STEP

Instead of explaining the task in long paragraphs, break your instruction manual into specific, detailed steps. Give as much direction as possible; if one step requires slightly different tasks, create sub-steps. Think of these as an outline; number or letter the steps accordingly (and logically).

DO THE PROJECT

If your instruction manual details a tangible project, then complete it using only your written guide. Don’t improvise and don’t go on your prior knowledge. If it’s difficult for you to do this (subjectivity is sometimes next to impossible to ignore), ask a friend to use your manual to complete the project. Look carefully at the finished product; did it turn out as you’d envisioned? Did you miss something important? Continue to revise and describe until your written words encompass every step in the most detailed and effective way possible.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Writing an instruction manual is different from writing literary fiction; creative wordiness isn’t important here — it’s clarity you’re after. Use short sentences and simple words. Make sure your manual is clear and readable; if the reader can’t understand what you’re saying, they won’t be able to complete your project.

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How To Write Better Instruction Manuals

Product reviews are an exceptional tool to drive traffic to your own, or any other website. They are inherently valuable and provide benefit, which is exactly what readers and webmasters are looking for. When content provides a benefit, people will read it, forward it, and link to it. As an online marketer or website owner, product reviews in particular are a great way to drive traffic to your website via linking, reprints, and click-throughs.

Saying that, in order for a product review to be an effective traffic generation tool, it must also be believable. This means that if at all possible, consider actually purchasing or trying out the product. It’s pretty much the only way to be completely knowledgeable about a product or service.

You also need to think creatively when reviewing. For example, a great product review for a hair removal system might actually have a series of reviews based on the ability of the product to remove or reduce hair over time. This type of review will most likely be linked to by many people because it is a real and demonstrative review of the product.

Here are a few things you should consider when you’re writing a review for a product or service.

1. Take the time to be thorough in your review. Every review must answer these questions:

* What does the product promise?
* How well does it achieve those goals?
* Is it a good value?
* What are the drawbacks of the product?
* Is the product easy to use?
* How does the product compare to others on the market?
* Would you buy or recommend the product? If yes, why? If no, why not?

2. Compare multiple products for more effect. Sometimes it’s easier to compare products than to simply evaluate one single product. When comparing products, it is important to remember a few things:

* Compare the same types of products.
* Compare similar attributes and features.
* Be honest about any preferences you have for one or the other.

3. Demonstrate information in a variety of ways. Can you incorporate graphics, pictures, or statistical data in your review? The more comparative information you can provide your reader, the better. Often, statistics are more easily understood when they’re conveyed in a graph, a chart or a simple photo.

Put yourself in your reader’s shoes. What would you want to know about the product or service? While it is important to be diplomatic in your reviews, it is also important to be tactfully honest. If your reviews are all positive all of the time, you’re going to loses a bit of credibility. People want the drawbacks pointed out to them too. They want both sides of the coin.

Write your reviews conversationally. This means using language most people understand. Skip the jargon and tech talk. Use language that is friendly. Break the review up into easily digested sections.

Keep to one point per paragraph and keep the paragraphs short and easy to read. Taking the time to write your review for online reading makes it easier to read, and thus easier to print, publish, and link to.

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How To Write Reviews That Webmasters Will Link To

Writing business letters is a forgotten art. The Internet has made us lazy writers. With a few keystrokes, we can kick off a short e-mail without thinking much about content, much less formatting. Have you ever reviewed your own e-mails and discovered misspellings, incomplete sentences, formatting mistakes, and grammatical errors? Usually we think nothing about how our lazy writing negatively affects our e-mails; other people e-mail us the same type of junk all the time. But, still, writing lousy e-mails should not give us the excuse to be lazy writers all the time, online or offline.

Writing business letters may be one of the best skills a business person can possess, especially during these times when few people possess it. The following tips will help you to construct better business letters. You can also adapt these principles to write better business e-mails, in terms of both format, style and tone.

COMPONENTS AND FORMATTING

All business letters are comprised of the following elements, in this order:

Date
Recipient’s name and address
Salutation
Opening paragraph
Body
Closing paragraph
Closing
Your name and address

The style of formatting will dictate how these elements are situated on the page. The three most common formatting styles are:

BLOCK: Each part of the letter is left-justified, and the text is single-spaced, except double-spaced paragraph breaks.

MODIFIED BLOCK: The opening, body and closing paragraphs are left-justified and single-spaced, but the date, closing and salutation are center-aligned.

SEMI-BLOCK: Exactly like modified block, except each paragraph is indented, not left-justified.

Regardless of which style you choose, you’ll also need to consider the font; your choice is important, as fancy fonts are sometimes  unreadable. The most commonly used and widely accepted font is Times New Roman, size 12. It’s readable, professional, and universally used for business letters. It’s not outside the realm of possibility, however, to take liberties here; you can really use any readable font (Arial, Verdana, Helvetica), but always consider what your recipient would like to see.

OPENING PARAGRAPH

Since the principle point of your business letter is to grab and keep the reader’s attention, you’ll need to focus on the opening, the first (and sometimes only) opportunity you have to grab the recipient’s attention. The opening also sets the tone for the entire letter, so it must be as strong and characteristic as possible.

DO get straight to the point. Your recipient doesn’t need a bunch of unnecessary info., especially not right up front. If it doesn’t pertain to or bores them, they’ll just stop reading.

DON’T start with cliché phrases like “I am writing because…” or “With regards to…”. This simply appears that you don’t know where to start. The real message won’t start until after those phrases, so why not eliminate the unnecessary and uncreative words?

DO use strong, active verbs. This keeps the focus on the reader and makes the letter far more interesting. For instance, instead of writing “this offer is being extended to you for a brief period of time,” try “we’re briefly extending this offer to you.” See how much easier that is?

DON’T get longwinded. Keep the opening short and to-the-point, use the best words possible, and never make the reader work for the point of the letter.

BODY

This is the meat of the letter, where you’ll fully explain the ideas introduced in the opening. It’s easy to lose momentum here, but this part must be every bit as strong as the opening.

DO write like talk. This doesn’t mean using informal slang or profanity, but why lapse into business speak when it’s trite and boring? Chances are, you aren’t a 19th century British gentleman, so don’t write like one! Use a conversation, yet respectful, tone and try to phrase things similarly to how you’d actually say them.

DON’T lose the point. Save the digressions for a face-to-face chat. You’ve got a short time to hold the reader’s interest here and off-point sentences will simply give your reader time to yawn and put the letter down. List the points you need to make prior to writing, and stick to them.

DO keep related information together. Don’t move on to another point until you’ve finished the last, and resist the urge to scatter topics haphazardly. Anything less and you’ll appear to be rambling with no sense of focus.

DON’T get pedantic. Sure, it’s nice to show off our vocabularies, but that big word has little point if a smaller word would be more effective and readable. Put the thesaurus away and use familiar language.

CLOSING PARAGRAPH

This paragraph is the last string of sentences your reader will see, so it needs to be as strong as the rest of the letter.

DO keep it short. The closing paragraph can be the briefest part of the letter as you’re simply restating, in simple language, what you’ve already written. Restate your point and sign off.

DON’T fizzle out. It’s tempting to let the closing paragraph sort of die quickly or be an exact replica of other sentences simply because you’ve already worked so hard on the rest. Resist that urge — keep the ending strong, and hold your conversational tone.

DO be clear about your intentions. If you’re looking for an email response or a business meeting, make that clear. The point of your letter will be lost if the reader has little idea what you want from them or how to proceed from here.

DON’T get trite. Avoid typical cliché endings like “Thank you in advance…” or “Please do not hesitate to call…”; this ends the business letter on a weak note. Be as direct and creative as possible without falling prey to typical business language.

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How to Write Better Business Letters

In a sequence essay, you are writing to describe a series of events or a process in some sort of order. Usually, this order is based on time. You organize the essay by writing about each step of the process in the order it occurred.

Example question: Write an essay outlining the stages of the salmon life cycle.
Introduction: Describe what a salmon is like.
Supporting paragraphs:
1. Describe young salmon.
2. Describe adult salmon.
3. Describe what salmon do before they die.

Summary paragraph: Summarize the main steps of the salmon life cycle.

The introduction paragraph is the first paragraph of your essay. It introduces the main idea of your essay. A good opening paragraph captures the interest of your reader and tells why your topic is important:

1. Write the thesis statement. The main idea of the essay is stated in a single sentence called the thesis statement. You must limit your entire essay to the topic you have introduced in your thesis statement.

2. Provide some background information about your topic. You can use interesting facts, quotations, or definitions of important terms you will use later in the essay.
Example (if you were writing about hockey)
Hockey has been a part of life in Canada for over 120 years. It has evolved into an extremely popular sport watched and played by millions of Canadians. The game has gone through several changes since hockey was first played in Canada

Supporting paragraphs make up the main body of your essay.They develop the main idea of your essay. This is a critical part of learning how to write an essay. Like all good paragraphs, each supporting paragraph should have a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a summary sentence.  These are most important when learning how to write an essay.

How to write them:

1. List the points that develop the main idea of your essay.

2. Place each supporting point in its own paragraph.

3. Develop each supporting point with facts, details, and examples.

To connect your supporting paragraphs, you should use special transition words. Transition words link your paragraphs together and make your essay easier to read. Use them at the beginning and end of your paragraphs.

Examples of transition words that can help you to link your paragraphs together:  For listing different points :

First
Second
Third

For counter examples:
 However
Even though
On the other hand
Nevertheless
 
For additional ideas :
Another
In addition to
Related to
Furthermore
Also

To show cause and effect:
Therefore
Thus
As a result of
Consequently
 
The summary paragraph comes at the end of your essay after you have finished developing your ideas. The summary paragraph is often called a “conclusion.” It summarizes or restates the main idea of the essay. You want to leave the reader with a sense that your essay is complete.

How to write one:

1. Restate the strongest points of your essay that support your main idea.
2. Conclude your essay by restating the main idea in different words.
3. Give your personal opinion or suggest a plan for action.

Finally, the editing stage. The editing stage is when you check your essay for mistakes and correct them.

An important reminder when learning how to write an essay:  The internet is an invaluable resource for information—regardless of subject matter.

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How to Write an Essay

The murder mystery genre’ is alive and well and living at an on-line bookstore just a mouse click away. How is it that this over-utilized method of story-telling has remained so fresh and compelling after well over a hundred years? The answer lies in the basics of writing.

Grab Them Where it Hurts and Their Minds Will Follow

An author must first and foremost always tell a compelling story, involving, to one extent or another, recognizable three-dimensional characters. The fact that the story takes place against an otherwise formulaic backdrop, involving the effort to solve a murder mystery is just icing on the cake.

A reader needs to care about at least one of three people: the person who was murdered; the murderer; or the person searching for the murderer. Unless the reader can identify with at least one of them, the story will generally not coalesce. Reading a book utilizes our time, and in the modern world, that is frequently our most precious resource. The author must have a compelling answer to the question: why should I waste my time reading your novel?

The answer to that question is that the story is about someone the reader will find quite interesting: himself. The reader needs to recognize parts of himself in one or more of the characters. Though he will see them in situations that are different from his every day life, he needs the opportunity to ponder whether he would react the same way under those circumstances?

The Murder Mystery Must be Solvable Only When the Story is Concluding

Readers love to guess at the ‘who done it’ aspect of a murder mystery. Yet they are generally disappointed if they can figure out the answer too easily, or at least too early in the story.

Life is about obscurity. We never really know the secrets held by the people around us, even our most trusted loved ones. That is what makes murder mysteries so compelling: in truth, our own lives are informed by mysteries that are never solved.

Yet, unlike real life, in the novel everything is explained by its conclusion. Hence, we find comfort in the difference between our real lives and the novel; the satisfaction of finding out the answer. Psychoanalysts have a term for this: repetition compulsion. It is the need to duplicate the essence of an earlier trauma and this time, control the outcome. The reader knows there are secrets being withheld by the author, but unlike in the messy and traumatic chaos of real life, if she reads on to the end, all will be explained.

Those Who Can Teach, Write

Some of the best murder mysteries involve discourses on unrelated esoteric topics. This usually leads the reader to learn some obscure subject matter having nothing to do with the murder itself.

The act of reading involves a commitment to inhabit the mind and feelings of another person. Sometimes, that person’s expertise and erudition is an integral part of understanding them. Hence, in the course of reading a murder mystery, one might learn the evolutionary symbiosis between butterflies and orchids; the esoterica of military strategy and tactics of the Civil War; or the protocols for DNA identification of human remains.

Another example is that in my recent novel, Point and Shoot, I discussed the subtle intersection of the internal and external martial arts, using the Okinawan art of Shaolin Kempo Karate and the Chinese art of Tai Chi Chuan as an illustration:

I went to the dressing room and put on a Kung Fu uniform that I always used for Tai Chi Chuan practice: simple, loose black pants and jacket with a white collar. When I taught Kempo, I would wear the black Karate uniform with the rainbow of fighting animal patches and under that, the black belt with six stripes, but for Tai Chi, this understated garb was the uniform of the day. It was a tacit reminder that, although admittedly they were both derived from the same original Chinese Shaolin Temple forms, the two arts had developed in wholly distinct ways. Diverging branches from the same tree.

My practice of Kempo Karate had been merely adequate through my mid-adolescence. I had dutifully memorized the movements and their names, making my way up through the belt rankings. In five years, I had reached brown belt level. However, like so many martial arts students at that rank, I felt discouraged by the fact that I performed the movements so inadequately when compared to the black belts. I had reached technical proficiency, but that was all. There was obviously something more, and I had no idea what that might be.

I shared my misgivings with Grandfather, and he suggested that I learn the basic 24 posture Tai Chi short form and after that, the 108 posture long form. At first, I simply learned the Tai Chi as I would any other Kempo form. In fact, the postures and strikes were very similar to the crane form I knew so well from Kempo Karate. I executed them the same way: with focused force, albeit at a slower pace.

But over time, he painstakingly helped me unlearn everything he had taught me about the Kempo. It was a very Eastern undertaking: a Master taking his disciple back to the beginning to start fresh. This was the man who had taught me to move with blinding speed, now urging me to slow down; who had taught me to strike with devastating, focused power, now urging me to be soft and gentle with those same movements; who had taught me to prevail decisively over my attackers, now urging me to yield to the attack. In short, it was the man who taught me the external aspect of the Kempo, now helping me switch to the internal.

It was the hardest thing I ever learned, mostly because it involved unlearning. But I stuck with it, and eventually, it started to come to me. I began to immerse myself in the river of the Tai Chi form. I began to move with the flow and relaxation I had often read about in the writings of the ancient Chinese masters, but had never understood. And my martial arts practice finally started to blossom.

The Tai Chi enhanced my Kempo Karate into something beyond simple punching and kicking. I began to understand the difference between learning the martial arts and being a martial artist. I had spent so many years memorizing the Kempo combinations and forms with my head, so much time training my hands and feet to execute them, that I had completely neglected to apply the most important part of my body: the heart. I had never connected with the martial arts as a passion, a life enhancing undertaking. Like Grandfather had.

After that, he suggested I re-learn the entire Kempo Karate system from white belt on up. They were the same Kempo combinations and animal forms, but now they felt and looked different. It was like first learning a beautiful poem through translation, and then because you loved it so much, re-learning it in the original tongue. I was finally learning Shaolin Kempo Karate in its original tongue.

I still cannot adequately define what exactly changed. But somehow, I had tied into something deep and eternal. I had developed a balance and centering that extended well beyond my practice of the martial arts. I found myself becoming a different person: less angry, less anxious, more forgiving and embracing of other’s failings, their weaknesses. In a word, the internal arts enhanced me.

Conclusion

In essence, a murder mystery should be a story that could stand alone without the murder and without the mystery. The characters should not be tangential to the story, but instead, drive it forward. They should at least have some characteristics with which the reader can identify. In other words, the reader must care enough about these characters to want to stick around and solve the mystery.

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How To Write A Murder Mystery