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Review: Weinberg on Writing: The Fieldstone Method
By Norm Goldman

Author: Gerald M. Weinberg
ISBN: 093263365X

With the advent of self-publishing there is a current vogue for writing manuals and writers’ aids. Most usually take the same approach with little variations. However, Gerald M. Weinberg has come up with a creative approach with his Weinberg on Writing: The Fieldstone Method. He offers alternatives to your writing habits that he has experimented with and that have proven to be quite beneficial to him in his career. Weinberg has been writing books and teaching students how to write for forty years, and he is a leading author and “consultant’s consultant' in the computer industry.

In Weinberg on Writing: The Fieldstone Method he draws an analogy to the stone-by-stone method of building fieldstone structures. If you are not familiar with fieldstones, these are generally used as for property lines and fences, although they can also be used in constructing various other structures.

Building a fieldstone structure requires gathering the right stones in a step-by-step process, as fieldstones vary in size, color, texture, shape and density. Similarly, writing a book requires the gathering of ideas or as Weinberg succinctly reminds us, “snatches of writing, photos, diagrams, quotations, pictures, and references that you find interesting.' Weinberg’s fieldstone method also uses the “stones of time,' wherein chunks of writing time are set aside, varying in quality and duration, in order to effectively write. In this way you can avoid writer’s block and you can realize your writing projects with greater ease.

Weinberg displays his deep writing knowledge throughout the book’s twenty chapters that commences with the most important of Weinberg’s writing lesson where he states that you can write anything you wish in any style, however, it is imperative that you never attempt to write what you don’t care about. This is different then the usual rule where we are told to write about what you know.

From here Weinberg explores how to banish writer’s block, gathering and recycling ideas, words, phrases that you can call up for future use in any fiction or non-fiction you may write. We are also provided with several exercises in order to reinforce the many new principles that Weinberg exposes to us.

There is a chapter dealing with the many tools available to assist us in our gathering as the Internet, computers, notecards, pads, highlighters and sticky notes, and other technological aids that will make our writing life simpler and more rewarding.

Other sections illustrate how to discard unwanted material in the same manner that we discard stones that don’t fit or suit our structure, how to trigger our memory, organizing our work, shaping ideas and words that fit, knowing when to stop, and what happens after we are finished.

Weinberg has written a clever writing manual. On one level it is highly readable and on another it is packed with excellent insights into how to effectively perfect the writing process with less pain and much more enjoyment.

Norm Goldman is the Editor of the Book Reviewing & Author Interviewing site http://www.bookpleasures.com Bookpleasures.com comprises over 30 international reviewers that come from all walks of life and that review all genre. Norm also offers an Express Review Service. You can find out more about this service by clicking on http://www.bookpleasures.com Norm is ranked among the top 1000 Amazon.com reviewers.

In addition, Norm is the editor of the travel site http://www.sketchandtravel.com Together with his artist wife Lily, the couple blend words with art focusing on romantic destinations.

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Gymnastics: Safe Falls for Gymnasts
By J Howard

On any and every event, gymnasts and coaches need to understand where the danger points of each skill are and plan for the possibility of falls. Indeed, it is a good idea to practice the falls so that the experience of falling is not alien, unexpected and totally new.

Practice Falls before You Need To

In the case of tumbling, there are a number of fall positions that should be practiced. Falls need to be practiced for both front and back rotating skills and for under and over rotated skills.

Use Crash Mats for Safe Fall Practice

All the falls and rolls should be practiced on crash mats. It makes no sense to risk injury training to prevent injury.

Shoulder Roll out of Fronts

For over-rotated front salto skills, front shoulder rolls are a method of using up the excess rotation safely. Shoulder rolls are used instead of forward rolls to keep the body from rolling over the head and neck. Shoulder rolls should be practiced on both sides for complete safety preparation.

Practice Front Drops Just Like on Tramp

Another landing possible out of an over-rotated front is a front drop on the mat. You will want to practice so you are able to do a front drop on the mat just like you would on a trampoline. You will need to be able to land flat and not in an arch to avoid possible back injury.

Half Turns out of Front Drops are Safer

Another landing to practice is a jump to a front drop with a half turn to a back drop. It can be advantageous at times to avoid landing on your front so you want to learn how to pull your across in front of your chest to turn so you can land on your back.

Practice Judo Falls

In the case of a landing flat on the back, you want to practice a judo fall where you slap the floor beside your body exactly at the same time your body hits the floor to stop or slow the momentum of the fall.

Protect your Head and Neck with Arms

If you are tilted more toward your head and neck in a fall backwards you want to slap the floor with your arms above your head. Again the timing needs to be at the exact moment before the fall to stop or slow the momentum. You need to strike the floor with same amount or more of power with which you are going to strike the floor with your body.

Roll Out of Backward Skills

You also need to learn to back shoulder roll and back extension roll out of falls backwards.

Prepare In Advance for Falls

There is no guarantee that in a real fall situation you will be able to use one of these, or that your reflexes won’t take over. But there will be situations will having practiced falls can make a difference and it makes sense to spend some time preparing so you are ready.

John Howard is the author of 20 books and e-Books about gymnastics, gym design, gymnastics humor and cheerleading. He has 25 years experience and has coached State, Regional and National champion gymnasts and international competitors and cheerleaders at the National level in NCAA Division I.

He maintains a web site for gymnasts, cheerleaders, coaches and parents with FREE articles and information, fun pages and activities at his web site: http://GymnasticsZone.com

Further and in-depth information products are available at: http://gymnasticszone.com/eBooks.htm

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