Dont Begin at the Beginning

Dont Begin at the Beginning Dont Begin at the Beginning Dont Begin at the Beginning By Simon Kewin If youre a fiction writer, youll be aware of the need to grab a readers attention as early as possible; to hook them, preferably, on your very first page. One key technique for doing this is to start your story in medias res.   The Latin expression in medias res means into the midst of things. Used as a literary term, it refers to starting a story by jumping straight into the middle of the conflict or action. Its often a temptation for writers to start by providing all the background information for their story, all the character and location detail theyve laboriously worked out. But this exposition or infodump can be very boring.   A better approach is to skip the exposition, at least temporarily, and dramatize your works central conflict from the beginning. As well as immediately involving the reader, this helps set up narrative tension : the reader wants to know why the described conflict is happening. Explaining too much up front can deflate this intrigue. Over time you can slowly reveal the explanation in what will, hopefully, be a satisfying and engrossing process for the reader.   Filling in the back-story can be achieved in several ways : via flashback, for example, or by having your characters recall prior events. The skill is in providing the reader with just the information they need, without either overwhelming them or leaving them bemused. The best approach is to reveal your back-story in dribs and drabs so that a lot of the time, your readers aren’t even aware they are being informed.    Of course, theres nothing wrong with writing long sections of factual information for your own use, as you work out the details of your setting. In many ways, this is a good thing. Just dont expect your readers to wade through all that before they reach your actual story. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 English Grammar Rules You Should KnowStory Writing 101Starting a Business Letter with Dear Mr.

Better Place Automobile Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Better Place Automobile Industry - Essay Example Transformation of the automobile industry was massive projects and has remain a massive project that also requires an effective business model that transforms the automobile business itself and the personal transformation including transformation of the mindset of the consumers (Etzion and Struben, 2011; Pg. 06). Moreover, it has remained the responsibility of the stakeholders especially the company marketing team to ensure that the technology is accepted and adopted globally by increasing the market place of the product. Notably, in the year 2005, there was a stakeholder meeting that met over the question on how to make the world a better place by the year 2020. At this point, different stakeholders had already armed themselves with multinational software that aimed at enhancing the development of the new technology engines. At this primary point, Agassi was the president to the Production and Technology group that was based in Germany. It should also be noted that the success of th is technological development in the engine has been a success due to the involvement of many countries and individuals with different aspiration but with the same goals and objectives of environmentally friendly engines and the use of renewable resources (Westbrook, 2001; Pg. 81). ... According to Agassi, adoption of EVs among the consumers would facilitate the EVs paradigm with limited mobility. However, other quarters believed that a recognized shift was only possible with the creation of capacity batteries. Nonetheless, the Agassi’s idea led to the creation of EV based solution that elevated driving profiles that are highly implementable in an off the shelf technology. It should be noted that different technological ideas of different contributors of the electric engine powered automobiles led to a creation of effective car that are environmentally friendly and that use renewable resources. It should be noted that the stakeholders come in with different ideas. For instance, Agassi wanted re-engineering of the entire fuel enabled cars while other stakeholders only required only re-engineering of the engine (Etzion and Struben, 2011; Pg. 18). These different ideas were harmonized, and new, efficient, and effective automobile was introduced in the transport ation sector. Therefore, different roles and contributions of different and distinct stakeholders have defined the success of the better space automobile industry alongside its vision and mission. Moreover, the continued involvement of other players including different market places in different continents and their different innovative and marketing strategies will ensure that the market place will continue meeting its vision as it fulfills its mission. Industry and Scenario Analyses The better place industry has numerous opportunities to explore towards developing and meeting its goals and objectives. Currently, there are numerous global concerns of the intensive use of bio fuels since they have diverse effects to the environment. Additionally, there are

Current wall street Journal Opinion Article Essay

Current wall street Journal Opinion Article - Essay Example In fact, you have been fooled after all. Well, I would not be surprised if you have dropped your jaw that wide, but it is absolutely true: the discounts that you got from retailers are not really discounts; they are just the moving elements of the discount game. The most ordinary of assumptions that we have is that discounted products are actually stock up goods that were not sold; so the retailers are lowering down their price by offering discounts just to avoid heavy inventory at the end of the day. This is your first pitfall. The truth is that retailers are working rearwards with their suppliers in order to come up with prices that protect their gross margins: the difference between the cost of the product and the starting price. For instance, consider a Lee pants that is on sale for say 45% off its â€Å"supposed† starting price of $200 so that you can take it home at $110 does not actually offer you discount at all: the pants is actually worth less than $200; the starting price was actually calculated with the discount included. They take the products from their suppliers at a very low price but they put a flat margin on top of the additional amount intended to take on the discount. The problem is that buyers are not so mindful about how much they have spent and if what they have spent really commensurate to the quality of the product that they bought. This should have not been a pitfall in the first place because many of the products these days that were sold at full price but were put on sale for a 40% to 50% discount have illegitimate prices. Think about a pair of shoes that costs $200 – it would not appear like a legitimate price especially if the brand is not known and if it has been stocked up in the store for a long period of time. Now here is the most amazing truth about this discount illusion: in an article written by Suzanne Kapner (2013) for the Wall Street Journal, she found that from 2009 to 2012, the deals offered by â€Å"31 m ajor department stores and apparel retailers increased 63%. That includes an average discount of 36% from what the previous 25%. But what is more astonishing is that the gross margins were flat at 27.9%. This means that notwithstanding the whopping discount offers retailers have for their customers, their gross margins are not affected at all. This is because the margins are set at a flat rate of about 28%; the discount is only then added to the price once the margin is established. In other words, the discounts are computed based on the original starting price. And just try to think about it this way: if retailers are selling products like they are almost giving them, why have not they got into closure yet? They should have long gone bankrupted if this is the case. But majority of the discounts are actually rated into the product. Knowing all about this discount game may appall many buyers, but in fact, the stupidity of this entire thing is that the original price from which the di scounts are being determined if, most of time, erroneous or false considering that original prices normally does not aim for salability: no one would ever attempt to buy an ordinary shirt for $50; but starting prices are rooted from the excessive markups of the products. Hence, if you got a shirt for 40% off the starting price of $50, and got it at $30, retailers

Ethical Decision Making Model analysis Essay Example for Free

Ethical Decision Making Model analysis Essay What is the ethical decision making model? What is critical thinking? In this paper I will discuss the ethical decision making model and how critical thinking impacts ethical decisions. Personal experiences will be used as examples. When we are faced with making an ethical decision we are usually faced with an ethical dilemma. To make a good decision we need to use Logical thinking that draws conclusions from facts and evidence which according to www.ncrel.com is the definition of critical thinking. Recently I was personally faced with an ethical dilemma that has to do with work and school. Im currently on a tuition reimbursement program though my company and there are certain criteria that will make my paid education taxable or nontaxable. Of course if my tuition is nontaxable I dont have to pay taxes and Ill be saving lots of money. One of the criteria for making my tuition taxable is if my educational program qualifies me for a new position at work. If I answer no, the tuition is not taxable and Ill save some money but, in my situation the answer would be yes so my tuition should be taxed but, If I answer no, no one will find out and Ill be cheating my company or the government out of some money. Im now stuck with an ethical dilemma. In the end I choose to answer yes and pay the taxes, following an ethical decision making model helped me do the right thing. The ethical decision making model I followed and will break down is from the Josephson institute of ethics. The model follows 7 simple steps to finally come to a conclusion and make a decision. 1. STOP AND THINK One of the most important steps to better decisions is the oldest advice in the world: think ahead. To do so its necessary to first stop the momentum of events long enough to permit calm analysis. Stop and think wont always be used if you are faced with a decision that needs to be made very quickly but, if youre permitted the time to think about the situation you should. In my case I though about what could happen if I were to avoid paying taxes. I could get in trouble with the law and even my  company. Would it be worth getting fired? No I dont think so. Stopping to think provides several benefits. It prevents rash decisions. It prepares us for more thoughtful discernment. And it can allow us to mobilize our discipline (1). 2. CLARIFY GOALS Before you choose, clarify your short- and long-term aims. Determine which of your many wants and dont-wants affected by the decision are the most important. The big danger is that decisions that fulfill immediate wants and needs can prevent the achievement of our more important life goals. If I were to break the law it would definitely affect my goal of getting my BS in business management. I could also loose my job if I didnt pay taxes and I wouldnt have the resources to pay for school. 3. DETERMINE FACTS Be sure you have adequate information to support an intelligent choice. You cant make good decisions if you dont know the facts. To determine the facts, first resolve what you know and, then, what you need to know. If you dont have enough facts then go find out more about it. Once we know more facts we then see that more decision factors come into play and its easier to make a decision. Here are some guidelines provide by Josephson institute: Consider the reliability and credibility of the people providing the facts. Consider the basis of the supposed facts. If the person giving you the information says he or she personally heard or saw something, evaluate that person in terms of honesty, accuracy and memory. Remember that assumptions, gossip and hearsay are not the same as facts. Consider all perspectives, but be careful to consider whether the source of the information has values different than yours or has a personal interest that could affect perception of the facts. Where possible seek out the opinions of people whose judgment and character  you respect, but be careful to distinguish the well-grounded opinions of well-informed people from casual speculation, conjecture and guesswork. Finally, evaluate the information you have in terms of completeness and reliability so you have a sense of the certainty and fallibility of your decisions. To find out the facts about my tax evasion I ask my friend Megan Kau whos a tax attorney what she thought I should do. Lets just say that the punishment is worse than the crime and thats all the facts that I needed. 4. DEVELOP OPTIONS Now that you know what you want to achieve and have made your best judgment as to the relevant facts, make a list of options, a set of actions you can take to accomplish your goals (2). If its an especially important decision, talk to someone you trust so you can broaden your perspective and think of new choices. If you can think of only one or two choices, youre probably not thinking hard enough but, in my case I would be breaking the law so actually there were no other choices. I was either breaking the law or not breaking the law. 5. CONSIDER CONSEQUENCES Two techniques help reveal the potential consequences also provided by Josephson Institute: Pillar-ize your options. Filter your choices through each of the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Will the action violate any of the core ethical principles? For instance, does it involve lying or breaking a promise, is it disrespectful to anyone, is it irresponsible, unfair or uncaring, does it involve breaking laws or rules? Eliminate unethical options. Identify the stakeholders and how the decision is likely to affect them. Consider your choices from the point of view of the major stakeholders. Identify whom the decision will help and hurt. In this case, Ive said before, I would have been breaking the law and if I  anyone were to find out about it I would be very ashamed of what I did. In prior readings I remember a quote that said to make a ethical decision ask yourself, would you be ok with it if it was posted on the front page of your local news paper, If the answer is no, then dont do it. 6. CHOOSE Its time to make a decision. If the choice is not immediately clear, use on of the following strategies to make the decision: Talk to people whose judgment you respect. Seek out friends and mentors, but, once youve gathered opinions and advice, the ultimate responsibility is still yours. What would the most ethical person you know do? Think of the person you know or know of who has the strongest character and best ethical judgment. Then ask yourself: what would that person do in your situation? Think of that person as your decision-making role model and try to behave the way he or she would. I choose to do the right thing which is to pay taxes. 7. MONITOR AND MODIFY Since most hard decisions use imperfect information and best effort predictions, some of them will inevitably be wrong. Ethical decision-makers monitor the effects of their choices. If they are not producing the intended results or are causing additional unintended and undesirable results, they re-assess the situation and make new decisions (3). In my case I think Ill live with the decision Ive made. No one will be hurt by my decision and the law wont be broken on my part. As you can see making an ethical decision can be broken down with the 7 steps provided and if the steps are followed, an ethical decision should be made. Critical thinking plays a big part in making my decision even when following the 7 steps listed. Again critical thinking is Logical thinking that draws conclusions from facts and evidence. Critical thinking plays a huge role in step 3 of the model that I used. I think step 3 is one of the most important steps in the process. Sometimes I still have the urge to save some money and skip out on paying taxes but, because Ive used critical thinking as part of my decision, Ive learned to know that facts are important and in the end making the right decision will better me in the future and also help me reach my goals with less obstacles. Works Cited The seven step path to better decisions http://www.josephsoninstitute.org/MED/MED-4sevensteppath.htm Web definitions www.ncrel.com

Comparing Brave New World and George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four (198

Aldous Huxley's Brave New World is more relevant today than George Orwell's 1984. Although both of the two totalitarian societies are based on plausible premises, the Utopia depicted in Brave New World still has a chance of appearing today, while the Big Brother-dominated society created by Orwell, being based to some extent on the totalitarian societies that existed at the time of the book's inception, is simply obsolete.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Brave New World remains more believable in modern times because the events that led up to the creation of Huxley's Utopia have the greater chance of occurring tomorrow. In both novels, the birth of the totalitarian society is brought on by a catastrophic war that probably involves the entire world. However, in 1984, the war is in the process of being fought, giving the reader the impression that somewhere in this world, there is still a non-totalitarian government which could defeat Orwell's nightmarish police state. In Brave New World, the war that preceded the creation of Utopia has long since passed; it often appears as though Utopia has always existed. This makes it much more believable than Big Brother, especially since it seems more likely to occur when the world is at peace. Also, the war depicted by Brave New World contains technology that seems particularly significant in modern times. In Utopia, Western Europe Controller Mustapha Mond mentions that the war preceding the inception of their society was fought using Anthrax Bombs. Because biological weapons have become more common part of military arsenals in recent years, readers of Brave New World have more reason to believe that its version of the war that starts the rise of totalitarianism could happen today. Finally, 1984 ... ... in Huxley's Brave New World, is more universal and more relevant to modern society than 1984's Big Brother. While both Utopia and Big Brother are equally plausible versions of a future society, the two were brought into existence by different preceding events. Also, Big Brother has a faint historical basis: Orwell meant for it to reflect the totalitarianism of the communist governments that existed in his era. Huxley gives no indication in Brave New World whether Utopia echoes a particular totalitarian society in real history, allowing it to remain plausible in an era when the brutal Communist regimes that existed in Orwell's time are virtually gone. Finally, Big Brother ensures its dominance by inflicting pain on dissidents while Utopia uses pleasure. Utopia, therefore, would stay in power more easily because pleasure is a more effective method of control than pain.

Olympics Document Based Question Essay

DBQ Essay (Modern Day Olympics 1896 – 2002) War, Nationalism, and money paid by various corporations/countries all shaped the modern day Olympics. War played a major role in shaping the modern day Olympic Games. In document one, Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic movement, states that the Olympics would serve as a reduction of war because of the worldwide competition between various countries. Coubertin wrote this document to attempt to convince the Athletic Society of France to revive the Olympic Games. In document 3, the autobiography of Arnold Lunn talks about how the Nazis used certain competition to prove to the world that a dictatorship (or Nazism) is better than democracy. The only thing that mattered to the Nazi’s was to win. The Nazi’s had pictured the Olympics as a war where it was the Nazi’s against the world. Document 5 reveals that if Japan wouldn’t have hosted the Olympic Games after the Second World War, they would’ve never gotten what they needed to rise as a world trade power. Ryotaro Azuma wrote this document to recognize the fact that the Olympics had evo lved into an event that would ultimately save a country. Nationalism also played a major role in shaping the modern day Olympic Games. Document 2 recognizes the fact that men were too proud to let women represent their country in the Olympics. Document 4 represents nationalism because it shows how proud America would be if they beat the Soviets in any sort of competition during the Olympics. Bob Matthias wrote this document to show us the determination and pride the U.S had to defeat the soviets, and how the Olympics evolved into a competition between just the U.S and the Soviets.

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