Critically assess whether the UK Supreme Court's approach to the use Essay

Critically assess whether the UK Supreme Court's approach to the use of Practice Statement 1966 should be more racial than that - Essay Example Thus, the House of Lords can depart from the previous decisions as well as the precedents that have been set previously, if it wishes to in circumstances where the precedents are either out of date or erroneous. This set a turning point in the judicial history of the United Kingdom. As the process of law development is one which is evolving continuously, scholars have discussed how the practice statement of 1966 can be used more radically. This study critically assesses whether the UK Supreme Court's approach to the use of the Practice Statement 1966 should be more radical than that of the House of Lords, in order to achieve reform of the law. Prior to understanding the various scenarios where the Practice Statement has been used, it is necessary to also understand certain terms that are used commonly with regard to it. The first one is rules of precedent. Precedent is the concept that any rule that has been established in an earlier case should be adhered to in cases that are simila r, so that similar cases should be given similar outcomes (Garner, 2009). It also means that inferior courts should stand by the decisions that have been made in a superior court. The other important terms include ratio decidendi and obiter dictum. Ratio decident translates to reason for the decision and obiter dictum translates to statements made by the way or in passing. These are two parts of a ruling made by the judge (Garner, 2009). Ratio Decidendi explains laws based on which any particular judgment has been made. During the process of judgment delivery, the judge is bound to explain the law and reason based on which he or she arrived at the particular ruling. These are included in the 'law report' and hence, it forms the 'basis of precedent'. Obiter dicta, which are the statements that have been passed by the way and hence they are not binding (Garner, 2009). For example, the discussion or speculations that are made by a judge on how his or her decision would change if the si tuations had been different fall under obiter dictum. While Obiter dictum is not binding, it is often used as a reference or persuasive agent in future cases. Before the Practice Statement was introduced in 1966, there were several instances where the House could not bring about a change from the precedent set because of the rigid stare decisis 'let the previous decision stay'. One such example is that of London Tramway Co Vs. London County Council (1898) (Erp, 2011). Regarding this matter, Lord Halsbury stated that once a decision has been made, it binds the House of Lords and all the other inferior courts. Halsbury said that, "I am therefore of opinion that in this case it is not competent for us to rehear and for counsel to reargue a question which has been recently decided." (Erp, 2011, 12) An important aspect to remember with regard to the Practice Statement of 1966 is that the decisions that have been made by the highest body (earlier the House of Lords and now the Supreme cou rt) are binding to all the other courts that come below it. In addition, the decision that have been made by the Supreme court also are binding on itself - however, the Practice statement has enabled it to depart from the previous decisions depending on the particular situations (McLeod, 2011) Practice Statement of 1966 has been used many times, but there are two main cases through which the use of Practice Statement of 1966 can be illustrated. The first major case is that of Herrington Vs. British Railways Board in 1972. In this case, the house

“On Being Sane in Insane Places” Essay Example for Free

â€Å"On Being Sane in Insane Places† Essay It was very interesting to read about Rosenhans study and how psychiatrists, who go through big coursework and training, could wrongly classify a patient. It surprised me how some psychiatrists couldn’t say they don’t know what’s wrong with patients instead they could possibly diagnose someone as insane. Though reading this chapter I found the strange things from Rosenhan’s study that was hard to believe. Slater states, â€Å"The strange thing was, the other patients seemed to know Rosenhan was normal, even while the doctors did not. † (69). I believe patients can know that better than doctors because they are in that situation already and some doctors don’t analyze their patients carefully to know what’s actually happening with them. For example, if someone studies about one culture doesn’t mean that person knows way better that person who actually lives with that culture. Both chapters I found interesting because it relates to my life very well. I found out Elliot Aronson, Darley and Latane all kind of try to show that people needs to find reason for their actions. I believe each person as a human have to help everyone no matter what. Darley and Latane’s mention is about how to help someone in an emergency that relates with Catherine Genovse murder. Slater says, â€Å"You must interpret the event as one in which help is needed† (95). We read about Catherine’s murder and saw that after she had asked for help, someone yelled, leave that girl alone, instead of helping, and the only thing that happened was that the killer ran away (95). I agree with Darley and Latane’s that we need to know which help is needed and what help is not. The person may have helped with getting the killer away, but Catherine needed the help the most, so she wouldn’t die. I been in so many situations that someone needed my help and I helped as much as I could, but knowing what helped was needed help me a lot. Leon Festinger talked about how people really pay attention to what is going on in their life and around them. I think some people just pay attention to what they want. Its true most of the people like to listen to people who agree with them and ignore who doesn’t. The chapter also discussed how people can believe in something they can’t prove such as God working through  a person. I think even for believing a god it has many prove to make a person to believe it. I believe for believing on something need to have something as prove. This section is a really great one however I didnt prefer how the experiments were described. I additionally didnt prefer the experiments and there result. Harlow was a fascinating man and I preferred how the author discusses the experimenter and how they grew up on the grounds that it permits me to understand their conclusions about their examinations and why they are imperative to them. I thought it was interesting that the monkeys adored the cover yet when they were displayed a face they might be scared and yell or cry about it. What I establish fascinating was that when they were babies they existed like a typical life however when they got older they went insane. A percentage of the monkeys were introducing a mental imbalance, gnawing them, and one of the monkeys bit off his hands. This discovering was entertaining since Harlow was supporting the surrogate moms and this wound up going terrible for him. I wish the author might stick more to the investigations and less to her editorializing. I cant agree with what Zola-Morgan does say â€Å"our human lives are intrinsically more valuable; monkey studies yield information that helps those lives† (153). Of course humans are more valuable than the monkeys, but still monkeys are animals and I think it’s so cruel to hurts them only because to do the experiment. If that kind of research saved the life of loved then I will be okay with that. I still feel awful with doing that type of experiment on poor animals that didn’t do nothing wrong.   This is another important finding because it just shows that psychiatrists may not have any idea about what they are doing, but no one questions them because of their authority. Of course after whom goes through big coursework and training, don’t expect someone to tell them they are wrong but from Rosenhan’s study they may be wrong too.

Representations Of Arabs In Shakespearean Plays English Literature Essay

Representations Of Arabs In Shakespearean Plays English Literature Essay The early years of the 1550s witnessed the first sizeable appearance of black people in England; those whom English merchants took captive and brought to England to work as slaves (Barthelemy 1987). John Hawkins was among the earliest English adventurers to bring black people to England and to sell some other black Africans into slavery in the New Found World. In the 1550s, a black man who was brought to England was married to a native white woman. The child that the mixed couple brought to life was described as black as coal. Arabs include Moors and Moroccan as well as the people that originated from the Arabian Gulf, Middle East and North Africa. Others may include other Eastern people such as Turks. The wordmoors is a loose term that is often used in the Medieval and Renaissance England. It referred to the moor, black moor, and Negroes, Indians, Mahometans and Muslims. These terms are more than not used interchangeably. It has been seen that these people have played various roles in Shakespearean plays. One example of which is Othello. The main character of the tragedy, Othello, is a racial and cultural outsider in Venice. This paper examines the links between the Arabs and stereotypes and how well they were represented in the Shakespearean plays. Further, this paper seeks to explain how the Arabs were viewed in these plays; the sorts of stereotypes that were linked to the Arabs; how these stereotypes influenced that plays and its protagonists; and the change representations and evolutions of the Arabs in the play. Problem Statement and Research Questions It is evident that the Arabs played a great part in the plays of Shakespeare, especially in the tragedy Othello. These representations have emerged as a major topic in modern and contemporary scholarships. Various studies have representations of Arabs in the English and European literature. This papers main research problem is that, on the representation of Arabs in Shakespeares plays, what is the link between the representation and the stereotypes? Specifically, this study seeks to answer the following research questions: 1. How were the Arabs viewed in the plays of Shakespeare? 2. What sorts of stereotypes were linked to the Arabs? These stereotypes were from Shakespeares contemporary society and time frame which is 16th and 17th century Britain. 3. How these stereotypes affected the plays and its protagonists? 4. How do the Arab representations changed and evolved in the plays? Research Objectives The main objective of this paper is examining the link between the stereotypes and the Arab representation made by Shakespeare in his plays. These stereotypes were from Shakespeares contemporary society and time frame which is 16th and 17th century Britain. This aims to examine the effects these representation had on the written plays as well as to study the evolution of these representations. Scope and Limitation The scope of the study shall remain in the examination of the linkage between the Arab representation of Shakespeare in his plays and with the stereotypes of his time. It can be said that this shall include interdisciplinary studies of history and literature. However, this paper shall remain a paper for literature. Arab will be the term to be used in this study; however, this may also include other Eastern people such as Turks, as necessary. Since the main focus of the study is on Arab representation of Shakespearean classics, the researcher will only be limited to the examination of the same. Therefore, the researcher shall not include other literary works that have the same subject. Finally, the researcher will not be concerned on the analysis and the criticism of the literary pieces that include the representation because of the reasons that were mentioned in the aims of this study. Review of Related Literature In the tragedy, Othello, casting the male protagonist as black, Shakespeare activates all the fantasms that have haunted white society about miscegenation to our day: the idea of the black man and the white woman. The double standards of contemporary society, a fortiriori in Shakespeares time, do not hold the same anger against relations between a white man and a black woman, where the assumed dominant and submissive gender roles are matched in the racists minds with the desired racial roles (Serageldin 1998). Shakespeare draws out a powerful argument for the profound alienation of Othello, who-despite arriving at his position by Venetian merit, which also requires him to deny himself-is still destroyed because of his race and his erstwhile, if not continued, religion. When it comes to Morocco and the image of Moors, generally speaking, the relationship between Morocco and England was a friendly one. All along, the relations between the two monarchs were of special nature in spite of the fact that violations happened from time to time from both sides. As has been pointed out in the introduction and throughout this thesis, the Anglo-Moroccan alliance was at some point so strong that the two sides fought side by side in the Cadiz expedition to punish the Spanish (the common enemies of the Moors and the English) and planned to restore the contender of the Portuguese to his Royal seat and to challenge the Spanish interests in the Atlantic and the West Indies. Matar describes the relations between England and Morocco in the Elizabethan period as oscillating between cooperation and conflict, trade and piracy. However, it should be noted here that the Moors, historically speaking, were not so much abhorred by Elizabethan Englishmen as many of their Europe an foes; mainly the Spanish and the French. The then anti-foreign sentiment (whether anti- Spanish, French, Dutch or African) was common. The Moors, though different in religion, and in color, were treated by Britons no worse than, may be better than, any other European, Dutch, Flemish, Spanish or French, aliens, pirates, merchants or ambassadors. Shakespeare is not the only dramatist who utilized foreign and exotic settings in his plays, but Shakespeares distinction was that he did well what many others have failed to do. He was able to imagine life from the perspective of these others while many of his fellow playwrights could not (Elaskary 2008). Shakespeare was bold enough in introducing a revolution in the representation of the Moor, as he did with the Jew. Shakespeare introduced his audience and readers to different types of Moors and blackmoors. The most famous, rather notorious, among Shakespeares Moors (other than Othello) is Aaron in Titus Andronicus while Caliban in The Tempest deservedly takes the status of his deputy. Aaron is among Shakespeares articulated villains. He is described as inhuman dog, unhallowed slave [Act V, iii, 14] and he commits horrible crimes against other characters in the play. Caliban is a little picaresque dwarfish character. Shakespeares Moors are portrayed in a way that is independent and unique yet not very detached from the time or society in which the plays were written. Othello may have some elements of the stereotypal Moor of his time but he is far more human, influential, and independent. Though the play was acted before King James I and his men, Shakespeare, unlike the majority of his contemporary dramatists, seems not to have been involved in the then fashionable habit of worshipping his King and stigmatizing the Others and foreigners to amuse the King and his retinue (Elaskary 2008). When it came to the representation of Moors in Elizabethan drama, it was concluded by Elaskary (2008) that the image of Moors was not static, though stereotypal; it was varied, inconsistent, contradictory and illogical. As the relations between Morocco and England ranged from friendship to enmity so did the image of Moors. When sketching out the plays that were written in the Elizabethan era, the reader may find the raging Turk; the good Turk, the voluptuous, treacherous black Moor, and the noble Moor. The trend at that time, however, was that in general the others (be they blacks, Moors, Spaniards, French, or Irish) would be the villains, the plotters, and the killers while the white natives would be the courageous men and defenders of country and Queen. Sins and crimes have been committed by the black and the white peoples since the dawn of history but the key point is, that when the white man commits a crime this does not indicate or involve an inherent judgment of his race or the nationality to which he belongs as it does with the black man. The representation of Moors in the period under study (as has always been) was always politically motivated. That is why the prudent reader will notice that that Moors with darker skin were more often painted in the darkest colors; merciless conspirators, haters and murderers, than those light or brown skin Moors. Muly Mahamet, Aaron and Caliban may fit in this category. North African Moors, however, fared well on the London stage. Abdelmelec, Muly Hamet and Othello come in this category. If nothing could have washed the black Moors white the friendly ties between Morocco and England positively affected the way Moors from Morocco were represented on the London stage (Elaskary 2008). It turns out that it was the political element rather than the religious, racial or cultural ones that played the leading role when it came to representing the other in Elizabethan England. It might not have been safer (or wiser) for Elizabethan dramatists to flatly oppose, challenge, or criticize the pol itical line of the period. Those who did boldly challenge and question the political taboos at that time ended up penniless or in jail. Thus, John Marston (and Robert Greene) was imprisoned and his manuscripts burnt for his anti-James I writings at the turn of the seventeenth century (Farag). Othellos tragedy is bared before the audiences eyes, and continues to challenge the racism and gender double standards that plague society today. It acknowledges the profound human frailties that jealousy can prey upon in all of us, but it also invites us to question the social context that would prevent people to behave in a natural and humane way and invites us to ask why it should be so (Serageldin 1998). Methodology and Method of Analysis Data driven research is an easy choice for the researcher. This is a flexible and responsive approach and the researcher will not know where the data can lead into. Although the literature is quite difficult because at the start of the study the researcher will not know which literature will be relevant later. Reading is therefore postponed until the literatures relevance is judged later on. Consequently, this may affect the structure of the research later on. Secondly, it is not only the interpretation and the understanding that emerge during the research process. The same is also applied in choosing the methodology. The contents of the research and its process both develop during the proceedings of the research. It has been a debate amongst research students the misalignment between the philosophical pluralism and methodological pluralism. This misalignment can create confusion during the entire research process. When linking the quantitative and qualitative methods of research with the understanding interpretation of philosophy which is positivism and interpretive, the research process often becomes too difficult for many. Along with other constraints, researchers face lack of time, intensity of program, through to willingness in engaging with literature. This confusion drives researchers to remove themselves in the theory and just carry out the research based on their initial goal on what to achieve in it. This relationship between the methods and philosophy has caused this current research on the investigation of Shakespeares portrayal of Richard III with so much anxiety and thought provoking questions. In this research, quantitative tools are used together with the inductive and deductive approaches. Easterby-Smith, et al (2002) has highlighted the importance of the relationship between the research philosophy and the research methods. According to them, this relationship allows one in taking a more informed decision regarding the research approach; helps in deciding which method/s are appropriate for the research; lets the researcher think about constraints that may hinder the research. Checkland and Hollwell (1998) added the component of framework which is epistemology. This consists of assumptions and counted as knowledge. It is expected that researchers shall explain and justify their respective epistemologies, their methodology and methods as well as their conclusions. Evidently, this approach encourages the researchers in being more mindful during the research process. Qualitative research allows the subjects being studied to give much richer answers to questions put to them by the researcher, and may give valuable insights which might have been missed by any other method. Not only does it provide valuable information to certain research questions in its own right but there is a strong case for using it to complement quantitative research methods. Qualitative research has its roots in social science and is more concerned with understanding why people behave as they do: their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, fears, etc. Conclusion In the tragedy, Othello, casting the male protagonist as black, Shakespeare activates all the fantasms that have haunted white society about miscegenation to our day: the idea of the black man and the white woman. The double standards of contemporary society, a fortiriori in Shakespeares time, do not hold the same anger against relations between a white man and a black woman, where the assumed dominant and submissive gender roles are matched in the racists minds with the desired racial roles. Shakespeare draws out a powerful argument for the profound alienation of Othello, who-despite arriving at his position by Venetian merit, which also requires him to deny himself-is still destroyed because of his race and his erstwhile, if not continued, religion. The representation of Moors in the period under study (as has always been) was always politically motivated. That is why the prudent reader will notice that that moors with darker skin were more often painted in the darkest colors; merciless conspirators, haters and murderers, than those light or brown skin Moors. It turns out that it was the political element rather than the religious, racial or cultural ones that played the leading role when it came to representing the other in Elizabethan England. It might not have been safer (or wiser) for Elizabethan dramatists to flatly oppose, challenge, or criticize the political line of the period. Those who did boldly challenge and question the political taboos at that time ended up penniless or in jail. Othellos tragedy is bared before the audiences eyes, and continues to challenge the racism and gender double standards that plague society today. It acknowledges the profound human frailties that jealousy can prey upon in all of us, but it also invites us to question the social context that would prevent people to behave in a natural and humane way and invites us to ask why it should be so. Work Plan and Timetable Task Description Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Writing of Research Proposal; Intensive Review of Related Studies Execution of Research Methodology Analysis of Data Gathered Writing the Research Paper Presentation and Defense of the Research Paper

Cholesterol Essay examples -- essays research papers

Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like, waxy substance found in the bloodstream and in all your body's cells. It's normal to have cholesterol. It's an important part of a healthy body because it's used for producing cell membranes and some hormones, and serves other needed bodily functions. But too high a level of cholesterol in the blood is a major risk for coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack. It's also a risk factor for stroke. Hypercholesterolemia is the term for high levels of blood cholesterol. You get cholesterol in two ways. Your body makes some of it, and the rest comes from cholesterol in animal products that you eat, such as meats, poultry, fish, eggs, butter, cheese and whole milk. Food from plants — like fruits, vegetables and cereals — doesn't have cholesterol. Some foods that don't contain animal products may contain trans-fats, which cause your body to make more cholesterol. Foods with saturated fats also cause the body to make more cholesterol. Cholesterol and other fats can't dissolve in the blood. They have to be transported to and from the cells by special carriers called lipoproteins. There are two kinds that you need to know about. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is known as the "bad" cholesterol. Too much LDL cholesterol can clog your arteries, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is known as the "good" cholesterol. Your body makes HDL cholesterol for your protection. It carries cholesterol away from your arteries. Studies suggest that high levels of HDL cholesterol reduce your risk of heart attack. What's the Difference Between LDL and HDL Cholesterol? Why LDL cholesterol is considered "bad"? When too much LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. Together with other substances it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can clog those arteries. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. If a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, it can cause a heart attack or stroke. The levels of HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in the blood are measured to evaluate the risk of having a heart attack. LDL cholesterol of less than 100 mg/dL is the optimal level. Less than 130 mg/dL is near optimal for most people. A high LDL... ...ce the risk of coronary heart disease as people whose cholesterol level is below 200 mg/dL. Half of all Americans age 20 and older have cholesterol levels that are too high (200 mg/dL or higher). The good news is you can make many lifestyle changes to lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. To reduce cholesterol in your blood, eat foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol, lose weight if you need to and exercise for a total of at least 30 minutes on most or all days of the week. Some people may also need to take medicine, because changing their diet isn't enough. If you've been prescribed medication or advised to make lifestyle changes to help manage your cholesterol, carefully follow your doctor's recommendations. Learn the facts about cholesterol have regular screenings and, if you need to lower your cholesterol level, work with your healthcare professionals to set up a plan. Reduce your risk of heart attack — take responsibility for managing your cholesterol levels. By lowering your blood cholesterol level, you'll cut your risk for heart disease, heart attack and stroke! Understanding And Controlling Cholesterol By Shelton Davis

Ethics of Climate Change in Australia

The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to life and a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of an individual and their family (United Nations, 1948). Global average temperatures are projected to increase between 1. 4 and 5. 8 Â °C by the end of this century (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2001), and this, in conjunction with the increasing sea level, which, in itself, causes the number of individuals living in coastal areas to be exposed to increasing flooding and storm surges, affects human health.These affects are mostly brought on by climate change, which, ironically, is being heavily influenced by humans themselves. They can cause illness and fatalities from intense heat, a depleting food supply and also the alterations of infectious diseases. A well-established climate change effect on human health is the influence the climate has on shortages in regional areas. According to the World Health Organisation, it is estimated that about 800 million people are presently malnourished, with almost half of them residing in Africa (WHO, 2002). Malnutrition remains one of the major health crises worldwide.Food crops are heavily and directly influenced by extreme climate conditions such as droughts, and this then severely impacts the levels of food available for consumption, especially in the remote areas in Africa. This then links back to the issue of undernourishment in Africa, as food is a depleting source in the current climate experienced in this continent. Another human health impact that is supported by climate change is heatwaves. The summer of 2009 was possibly Australia’s hottest heatwave, in which many cities recorded their highest temperature since records began.On Saturday the 7th of January, Melbourne recorded its highest temperature of 46. 4Â °C (Cameron, et al, 2009). It was as a result of this heatwave that bushfires broke out all over the state of Victoria, the dry win ds and hot air no match for efforts to reduce the fires. These fires ranked in the top ten of bushfires in the world with respect to fatalities (Cameron, et al, 2009). Fatalities in heatwaves can be challenging to measure, as the fatalities generally arise from the worsening of chronic medical conditions as well as direct heat related illness.These conditions and illnesses are particularly seen in the elderly and frail people. However it is estimated that 374 people were killed in this heatwave (The Victorian Government Department of Human Services, 2009). This is the most prominent recent example of human health as a direct outcome of climate change in Australia. Fatalities and general illnesses caused by heat are directly affected by the variance between the average temperature and high above average temperatures, as opposed to regular and steady escalations in the usual temperature.This is particularly seen in the beginning of summer when people have not yet adjusted to the highe r temperatures. Furthermore, due to the Urban Heat Island Effect, the strongest effect of urbanisation on annual mean surface air temperature trends occurs over the metropolis and large city stations, with corresponding contributions of about 44% and 35% to total warming, respectively (Yang, et al, 2011). As a result of this, and as metropolis regions and population grow; exposure to fatalities and illnesses caused by heat look expected to rise in the future.Vector-borne diseases are influenced by environmental aspects such as temperature, rainfall, humidity and land-use or vegetation, thus affecting the population and spread of the diseases. Vector-borne disease spread and population alter as the ecosystem around them does, as a result of climate change. An example of this would be that around the equatorial regions of the world, diseases like malaria have been restricted to living in those regions. However, as the global mean temperature increases, those regions may expand in area and the malaria disease would be able to spread over a much larger span.This spread could also be caused by the constant migration of the human population and their affect on the land they use. The alterations caused by climate change on infectious diseases significantly affect human health. It is majorly severe climatic events that alter the biology of infectious diseases. Because they do not have thermostatic systems, infectious organisms such as protozoa and viruses, and their supplementary vectors, for example mosquitoes and aphids, are affected by variations in temperature, mostly in their survival and reproduction levels. As the temperature increases due to global warming, these organisms have the pportunity to flourish in their environments, and, in under-developed areas such as Africa, this could lead to serious impacts on human health. Also, a connection has been found between the rising occurrences of malaria with simultaneous increasing temperatures from 1968 to 1993 in central Ethiopia (Tulu, 1996). Though populace relocation, resistance to drugs, or efforts to control vectors couldn’t explain this link. As we cannot ignore the evidence, this therefore leads us to believe that the associated increasing temperatures, due to climate change, have caused the increase in malaria in central Ethiopia.However, despite this, irregularities of highest temperature in the highlands of Kenya have been related to the spread of malaria. However, numerous studies of tendencies in climate and malaria populations in Africa have not discovered a connection to increasing temperatures. This then highlights the significance of incorporating other key causes of the chance of malaria such as disease control efforts, human relocation, a resistance to drugs and also a change in how the land is used.From this we can see that there are many factors caused by climate change that affect human health. Though the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that each indi vidual has a right to health and life, it is humans who are ironically causing climate change in the first place. Whether it is the intense heat in heatwaves or the rising spread of vector-borne diseases, in a developed or developing country, humans are increasingly becoming exposed to possibly fatal incidents.

The Creative Penn Has Much to Offer Writers

The Creative Penn Has Much to Offer Writers If you are a writer looking for information about the process of planning, writing, publishing and marketing your book, The Creative Penn is an excellent resource. In fact, it was voted one of the top 100 sites for writers by Writers Digest and offers over 1,000 articles and 100+ hours of audio and podcast information, as well as multiple downloads and bonus material. As the mastermind behind the website, Joanna Penn is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers under the penname J.F. Penn and offers valuable advice through several free and paid resources available on the website.Navigating the siteWith easy-to-navigate links and enough white space to make the text-heavy site readable, The Creative Penn suggests that visitors start here with a page full of great resources for novice and expert writers alike. At the top of the page, Penn offers her free eBook and video series, Author 2.0 Blueprint, in which she shares everything you need to write, publish and market your book, as well as how to become an author-entrepreneur. Her websites visitors will need to provide and confirm their email address to download the free resource.WritingNext on the sites navigation is a link to Penns free resources on writing and editing. On this page, she offers articles and tips based on the following topics:How to Write Fiction: 7 Steps to Write Your NovelHow to Write a Non-Fiction BookHow to Find Time to WriteHow to Find and Capture Ideas for your NovelHow to Research your Book and When to StopSelf-doubt and Imposter SyndromeYou Have PermissionOn Writing and The Fear of JudgmentWhat is your Definition of Success as a Writer?How to Write More and Create A Daily Writing HabitHow to Use Dictation to Write Faster and Become a Healthier WriterProductivity for Writers: 5 Ways to Become More Productive5 Ways to Get Your First Draft Material Out of Your Head and Onto the Page8 Ways Scrivener Will Help You Become a Proficient WriterUsing Different Author Names or a Pseudonym as a WriterEditing, Revisions and Proofreading: What Happens After the First Draft?How to Find and Work with a Professional EditorTutorial: How to Improve your Writing with GrammarlyMy list of Recommended EditorsAfter following some of the links along this extensive list, I found a wealth of information on all aspects of writing and locating the right professional editor for your work. I particularly enjoyed the information she provides on setting goals and deadlines for yourself to stay productive as a writer and get more accomplished in less time. Many of the links also show videos of the author and guide the reader toward additional resources (both free and paid) that are available online and through Amazon.Self-PublishingThe next page full of links on The Creative Penn relates to self-publishing. In this section, the topics she goes into in depth include:Self-Publishing Overview and TipsPros and Cons of Traditional vs. Self-publishing5 Important Steps Before You Self-PublishWhat is Your Definition of Success? How Will you Measure it?How to Self-Publish an EbookHow to Format an Ebook and a Print Book with VellumThe Pros and Cons of Exclusivity with AmazonHow to Self-Publish a Print BookHow to Self-Publish an AudiobookHow to Record Your Own AudiobookWhat if you need help self-publishing? How to Find the Best Service and Avoid Getting Ripped OffSell More Books with Boxsets and BundlingTurn your Non-Fiction Book into a WorkbookHow Much Does It Cost to Self-Publish?Successful Self-Publishing Tips with Joanna Penn and Mark DawsonTop 5 Mistakes of Indie Authors and How to Avoid ThemThis section contains anything and everything you could ever want to know about how to self-publish your book, including information on recording your own audiobook and creating a workbook for your nonfiction book. I especially liked watching the videos she includes on many of these links, such as this one.Its obvious from Penns easygoing instruction and exp ertise that she knows what shes talking about when it comes to writing and publishing a book, and its nice to have a sort of insiders glance at the world of self-publishing from someone who has done it often and become successful at it.MarketingThe marketing section of the blog is where Penns expertise really shows. In the first part, she discusses the basics and prerequisites for author marketing success, followed by the polarities of book marketing and where you sit on the scale, the book marketing mindset for authors, when to start marketing your book and how to balance your time.She follows that section with topics such as how to attract readers with a great book sales description, how to choose the right categories and keywords for your book, pricing books and offering free copies, using author pseudonyms, using box-sets and bundling, and writing a series.Following this, she offers a great tutorial on how to build your author website in under 30 minutes. Having set up websites on my own and knowing the amount of work that goes into it (especially for a website design newbie), I decided to pay special attention to this section. As with other articles on her blog, Penn offers helpful resources such as a YouTube video and a free downloadable PDF to help authors set up their sites. She even offers a discounted affiliate link through BlueHost.com, which is the hosting platform she suggests for other authors.Its important to keep in mind that to build the website in 30 minutes, as Penn suggests is possible, you have to have a blog already set up on WordPress. Her instructions include a WordPress plugin through Blue Host that allows your WordPress site to basically transfer over. So yes, Im sure this can be done in 30 minutes but if an author is starting from scratch (without a blog already published on WordPress), they should not expect the site to be done within that timeframe.From an online marketing perspective, Penns advice on building and maintaining email lists for steady income includes a case study showing how she grew her own email list as and author. This particular resource is chock full of helpful advice on some of the finer points of automating email marketing campaigns. Penn explains that she went 603 people on her email list in November 2014 to 2,255 in January 2015 following this series of steps, which she clearly lays out for her reader. From a marketing perspective, I found the content to be extremely helpful to decode some of the confusion around email marketing campaigns and their usefulness.EntrepreneurIf you want to know how to make writing your day job and successful career, theres no better person to ask than someone who does just that. Based in Bath, England and a self-proclaimed travel junkie, Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author who has written over 27 books. She is also an international professional speaker and award-winning creative entrepreneur. She has also written and se lf-published several nonfiction titles related to writing, including How To Market A Book, Business for Authors: How to be an Author Entrepreneur, How to Make a Living with your Writing, The Successful Author Mindset, The Healthy Writer, Successful Self-Publishing, Public Speaking for Authors, Creatives and Other Introverts, and Career Change.The Creative Penn PodcastFor writers who prefer to listen to interviews with authors and tips about writing, the podcast available on The Creative Penn website is free and available on RSS, iTunes, Android, Stitcher, and YouTube. With a combination of interviews, inspiration and information, the podcasts are posted every Monday and there are currently over 350 podcast episodes available to listen to and/or download.Some of the most recent podcast episodes listed are:#386 – Foolproof Dictation and Zero Social Media with Christopher Downing#385 – How to Write Effective Injuries For Your Characters with Samantha Keel#384 – The Artists Journey with Steven Pressfield#383 – Tips for Editing your Book with Natasa Lekic from NY Book Editors#382 – Redesign your Life to Prioritize your Writing with David Kadavy#381 – Writing with Depression with Michaelbrent CollingsCoursesThe Creative Penn website also provides access to three courses taught by Joanna Penn: How to Write a Novel, How to Write Non-Fiction: Turn Your Knowledge Into Words and Creative Freedom: How to Make a Living With Your Writing.The How to Write a Novel course is described as a step-by-step guide to understanding story structure and the elements of a novel, and then writing and editing your manuscript. The price at the time of this review is $297 or $50 per month for six months. According to Penn, it contains downloadable audio and PDF slides to allow students to learn at their own pace, with five modules along with extra QA videos with Joanna Penn.The How to Write Non-Fiction: Turn Your Knowledge Into Words course, accordi ng to Penn, will save you time, effort and frustration on your author journey. Penn describes the course as one in which she shares the business models of writing non-fiction, mindset issues around writing, the details of how to research, write and edit your book, dictation and productivity tips, as well as publishing, product creation, marketing and more.The Creative Freedom: How to Make a Living With Your Writing course is designed to be used to build a long-term sustainable business as an author entrepreneur and is an advanced-level course, available for writers who have already published a book. According to Penns description, it is specifically designed for writers who have a book or books but arent making money from them or writers who currently make some money from their writing but not enough.