I just got the shock of my life.

Thinking about Christmas coming up, I thought I’d post up an article I wrote for Myshopping.com.au a little while ago called Guide To Buying Children’s Toys. I have written twenty articles under contract for them. As an author, I naturally have the right to assert authorship of my work, but out of courtesy I contacted the owner and sought permission to publish the work on my own blog site. Permission was granted on the proviso that I referenced the work to Myshopping.com.au — I certainly have no problem with that.

I wrote this article for Myshopping.com.au where you can find an outstanding choice of product prices, reviews and vendors in a simple and attractive format.With Christmas fast approaching I thought it timely to share it. Remember to visit Myshopping.com.au for your shopping choices.

The guts of this arrived in my email today. I read it and was astounded. I can’t verify its veracity, but I have to say I don’t find it unbelievable. It’s commonly said that truth is the biggest loser in today’s political world, but the following facts would suggest that there is more than truth at stake. We expect the integrity of those who are elected to govern our country to be at the highest standard.

This is the first in a series of articles to help writers of stories for novels and film to develop their knowledge of plot and story structure.

When an author sets out to write a work, he or she is faced first with a task that must determine the shape of that work. How the work begins, at what points it changes course, what directions that course change takes and how it is ultimately resolved. This is a plot: the framework from which the narrative hangs.

How do you go about differentiating your product or service from all other offerings in your category? It pays to look at some ancient history to get a true understanding of what is required in order to successfully differentiate a value offering.

An oracle I drew from the I Ching recently said: “…the superior man is careful in the differentiation of things so that each finds its place.”

The image of the oracle showed fire above water. Fire flames upward, clinging to its fuel below and radiating brightness; whereas water flows downward from its source above, always seeking the lowest level and filling up the greatest and smallest of depressions equally before flowing on. There’s hardly a combination of forces that could be more different.