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Screenwriting - The Value of Structure

May 31st, 2008

Structure in the form of frameworks, work processes and goals enhances creative output:

a) Short term goals (incremental productivity) produce more output than a “do your best” approach. Writing four pages a day completes a words-on-paper first draft screenplay in one month. A “do your best” or “waiting for inspiration” approach can take months or years. Witness the untold number of people with unfinished manuscripts under their beds.

b) Work processes such as separating creative from critical thinking and other techniques help to a) unblock the mind, b) tap into tacit knowledge, c) trigger the mind into working at various cognitive levels and d) apply a) and b) and c) to the areas of problem identification and idea generation and evaluation.

c) Frameworks reduce complex problems into their component intellectual parts. For example, story structure can be reduced to three or four acts or The Hero With A Thousand Faces (Campbell, 1973). Frameworks increase output by reducing complex problems into smaller, more manageable problem solving exercises. Frameworks tell the screenwriter where to start, where to finish, what to write and what should be happening at a particular stage of the story.

Additionally, a structured approach improves performance in a number of ways, including:

a) Structure triggers prolific production and simply being prolific improves performance and quality. The single best creative product tends to appear at that point in the career when creator is being most prolific. Experience refines knowledge and methodology towards optimal levels.

b) Structure triggers engagement and simply engaging in the tasks results in problem identification and stimulates the mind into working on those problems at various cognitive levels, resulting in inspiration. Screenwriters often find that their best ideas come to them when they are in the middle of writing a screenplay.

c) Structure triggers problem identification which in turn triggers incubation. Problems incubate until answers become apparent. Increasing the incidence and frequency of problem identification increases the incidence and frequency of insight.

d) Increased problem identification (coupled with motivation) increases the incidence of solution seeking, through active search for stimuli and intellectual cross pollination through networks and collaboration.

e) Radical shifts (originality) occur through sustained incremental change. By incrementally modifying output, the distance between the original and final versions increases. Radical shifts sometimes result from dramatic events or conditions but the vast number of gains accrue from continuous incremental improvement.

f) Quality gains, measured on many levels, are result of sustained incremental changes.

The Hero’s Journey and various story structure templates can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com.

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

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You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com.

Payday loan: A Complete overview

May 31st, 2008

From different surveys, it is seen that the number of customers taking payday loan as well as payday lending companies are increasing frequently. If you are a person taking the payday loan for the first time or want to gather information regarding payday loan, then this article will be of great help to you.

Definition of payday loan:-

Payday loan is a very short term loan. Usually the term is 1-2 weeks. There are other names of payday loan like - “Cash Advance”, “Paycheck loan”, “Check loans”, and “Payroll advance loans”. After you get your paycheck, the loan is to be repaid. If you can not repay the loan amount plus lender’s charges for payday loan on your payday, you can rollover the loan amount by paying extra fees to the lender plus you have to pay the interest along with for the rollover period. So, payday loan can be termed a “Loan Sharking”.

Necessity of payday loan:-

By the end of the month, you may face some problems in maintaining some urgent family expenses like paying off your Medical Bills, Phone Bills, and Electric Bills, House Rent or some other utility bills. These things usually happen when you fail to maintain a proper budget at the time of getting your paychecks or not keeping your expenses up to your income limit. Hence in order to meet such urgent expenses you need a payday loan.

Payday loan companies:-

There are so many companies who are promoting check cashing facilities online. Besides some banks and other financial institutions also provides you with a payday loan. You can apply online for a payday loan or you can visit physically to an institution to avail a payday loan.

Conditions to be satisfied to get an instant payday loan:-

The criterions of different payday loan companies are-

1. You must have a job or there should be a regular source of income.

2. You should have a Checking A/c in a bank.

3. You should be an US citizen.

4. You should be at least 18 years of age.

5. Your monthly income should be at least $1000 Per Month.

Best application time of payday loan:-
If you apply for the loan from Monday to Thursday, you will get the loan on the next working day, i.e. Tuesday to Friday. If you apply for the loan on Friday, then you will get the loan on the next Monday, and if you apply on Saturday or Sunday, you will get the loan on Tuesday.
So the best time to apply for the loan is Monday to Thursday.

When will you get the money?
As the process is very simple to get the loan amount, in general you will get your loan amount within 24 hours of application. Company will check your documents and verify your data with an automated system named as VPN Based software, and then approve your loan. The entire process of verification of your identity and depositing the money to your Checking A/c takes 24 hours of time. There are some companies who will deposit the loan amount in less than 24 hours.

Costs of payday loan:-
Usually a payday loan company charges 15 to 30 USD per $100 borrowed. So, if you borrow $100, you will have to pay 115 to 130 USD on the very next payday. The APR of payday loan cash advance interest boosts up to 391%.

Maximum limit of payday loan:-
If you are taking a payday loan for the first time, you may get up to $500 for the first time. After you repay back your first loan amount in time, you can avail more than $500 when you revisit the company for another payday loan.

Think before taking a payday loan:-
1. You should keep in mind the APR factor of the loan before taking it. You should find the company which is charging a lower APR than its competitors.
2. You should take care about the privacy of your document and information. So, if the tendency of the company is to process applicant’s information in an encrypted page, you should think that your information will not be licked out, and then you can proceed on.
3. You should read the company policy and legal matters complied with before submitting an application form to them.

Repayment of payday loan:-
The lender company will take the money off from your checking A/c on the date of your payday. You should be ready and aware about your payday and the amount to be repaid. If you fail to repay the loan on the scheduled date then you may have to ask the lender to rollover your loan amount.

Alternatives to payday loan:-
1. In order to avoid taking such high interest loan like payday loan cash advance, you should make an appropriate budget which is according to your income.
2. You may also save certain amount of money from your paycheck every time you get it.
3. Before taking a payday loan cash advance, you should be looking for a loan from a friend or relative as they will not take any interest for lending the money to you. Another thing is also involved here that if you not be able to repay the money in future, you may not have to run away from your creditors.

Angelina Rosario is an Author of http://www.ampmcash.com/ and she is currently working with FAQ portion of the site.

Give A Little Bit

May 30th, 2008

Do you know the quickest way to build your financial empire? It’s not by saving, investing, or getting a second job. Nor is it by anything dishonest or unethical. It’s by giving, sharing, or tithing. That’s right, giving money to organizations, and causes that you value personally, especially those in your own community, is the fastest way for prosperity to grow.

“How can this be?” I hear you wondering. “If I gave my money away I’ll have less of it!” Well, the answer is … yes and no. Yes you will initially be using the funds that you have, but no because you will gain more than you gave away. How? Prosperity occurs because the universe takes care of you for your selfless generosity. Some of the wealthiest people in the world, both past and present, created more wealth for themselves by tithing to others. Look at Oprah. How much money has her Angel Network given away to date? For years Oprah has tithed a portion of her income, often anonymously, yet her wealth continues to grow and her life seems abundant.

How can you adopt the tithing lifestyle? It’s easy to do, just make a commitment to give 10% of your earnings away. The first 10%, before you pay your monthly expenses, and before you even pay yourself. Tithing is a wonderful thing. It allows you to help make a difference in and to the things that matter most to you. You get to witness first hand the good that your contribution can do and you typically get paid back exponentially. What a bonus!

Can you imagine the long term effects of the prosperity that could explode in this country if everyone embraced tithing? Just 10% of each person’s income could make the U.S. economy positively thrive. With benefits to children’s groups, organizations, medical research, neighbors in need, and elderly care to name a few for the masses. Then consider the personal benefits that you could reap: available funds to pay off debt, to start a new business, to retire with ease, and the ability to enjoy life without monetary stress.

There is a church that began embracing tithing several years ago and has raised its community up from poverty, one family and one debt at a time. The movement began when the head of the church found out that there was a family home facing repossession within days. He wanted to help them but there was no extra money in the church coffers. So during his next sermon he asked his parishioners to help them out, and sent around the collection plate. They collected enough money for the family to become current on their payments, with a little extra to help them get on their feet. He then decided to do this routinely as a means to help his parishioners dig from under the heavy load of debt that they were carrying. As a community they are working together to help each other through selflessness. They can rest assured that the universe will give back to them the generosity that they so willingly bestowed upon their neighbors.

So take a lesson from a community, let tithing pave the way for you to create all that you desire. Selflessness can indeed make you rich … of heartfelt joy and of deep pockets. Make a commitment and you can reap what you sow.

Eva Gregory, master coach, speaker and author of The Feel Good Guide To Prosperity, http://www.feelgoodguide.com, has instructed thousands on the Laws of Attraction in person, on the radio and in dozens of teleconference training seminars and programs. She is the author of several books and e-books and has co-developed several telephone-based and internet-based training courses on the Laws of Attraction. Her most popular program to date is her Leading Edge Living One Year Success Program. (http://www.leadingedgecoaching.com/Living/index.shtml) Eva is regularly featured on radio and in the media and is a recognized authority on the Laws of Attraction. To learn more about her products and services, visit Leading Edge Coaching, http://www.leadingedgecoching.com

NOTE: You’re welcome to “reprint” this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the “about the author” info at the end), and you send a copy of your reprint to eva@coacheva.com

Eva Gregory - EzineArticles Expert Author

What Is The Best Career For You?

May 29th, 2008

Because nothing is ever really what it seems to be, it is important to make sure one’s career ideas are realistic and practical when choosing an education. It is not uncommon for an individual to go into a certain field and realize halfway through their studies that they may not be on the right track. Not only is this inconvenient, it can make pursuing an education frustrating and discouraging. All too often, students will make the mistake of choosing a career that they only have a basic knowledge of. This most commonly happens when a profession is selected merely with prestige or pay in mind rather than interest or skill.

There are a number of mediums that will help an individual learn about jobs and match their skills and personality to corresponding professions. A test is commonly used to give an in depth look at vocational options. Many times, individuals will have a number of choices in two or more fields. It is a good idea to not only research these career ideas but find out how much education will be behind them. With this knowledge underneath one’s belt, it will be much easier to make a well informed decision about the options available to them.

Maximizing The Effectiveness Of Your Network Marketing Advertising Dollars

May 29th, 2008

It is common to assume that you advertise to get leads or
prospects to look into your network marketing program and
potentially have these prospects join your organization.

What is not commonly known to most networkers is that they can
maximize the effectiveness of their advertising dollars by
getting their money back either when their prospects join or do
not join their program.

While this method can easily be done online, you can find a way
to do it offline as well.

In our discussion here, let’s assume that you have an online MLM
to start with.

1. Your network marketing program as a back-end profit

Your intention is to quickly recoup your advertising cost before
your prospects even take a look at your network marketing
program.

You can do this by selling quality infoproduct, such as an ebook
- educating your prospects about network marketing in particular
or the products or services your network marketing company has
to offer.

For example, if your prospects are internet marketers, it makes
sense to tell them how internet marketing and network marketing
can work together hand-in-hand nicely to further increase their
income. Tell them that network marketing industry is not the
same as it was before ten years ago.

So, creating an ebook about the topic above will probably be a
good choice to introduce network marketing concept to internet
marketers in general. Then, make sure you suggest a company
(your network marketing company) for them to check out.

In this case, you already made upfront profit from selling your
ebook, and if your customers join your network marketing
program, it will be a bonus residual income for you.

Here’s a real life example of how it is perfectly done:

http://www.NetMLMProfit.com/special.html

What if you couldn’t create an ebook?

Try creating an e-course or starting a newsletter. Then, charge
a small fee for your e-course or newsletter subscription. That
will work too.

2. Your network marketing program as a front-end profit

This is a direct approach with a little twist.

You advertise your online network marketing program but before
you let your prospects know more about your products or
services, make sure you get their contact information first.

Their contact information could be their names, emails and phone
numbers.

Then, get this information into your autoresponder or your
mailing list software.

While introducing your MLM program to your prospects, your
autoresponder can do an automatic follow up with your prospects.

After mailing your prospects 7 or 8 times, your prospects would
either drop off from your mailing list, join your network
marketing program or are not interested to join but want to keep
in touch with you.

This is when you’ll introduce complementary products to your MLM
business.

For example, you can inform your prospects that they can build a
website to do prospecting or simply to sell something on the
internet.

If your prospects are network marketers in different companies,
they will be interested to know how to effectively find
prospects online. If your prospects are those who look for a way
to make money online, your resource will be helpful to them too.
Either way, you have both groups covered and you’ll get
commissions from every sale you recommend the complementary
product.

At the same time, you still want to mention your MLM program in
case they change their minds and join you in the future.

For your information, these are the two strategies that have
been used by many top network marketers to make sure that they
will always be in a win-win-win situation.

Now that you have this knowledge, go out and apply either one or
both strategies. Of course, there are pros and cons to doing
everything. So, check with your leaders if these ideas might
bring more success to your team.

What IS the Difference Between Marketing and Sales?

May 29th, 2008

There seems to be a never ending argument among marketing and
sales professionals as to what really is the difference between
marketing and sales functions. More often than not, both
business activity terms are used to describe any business
activity that is involved in increasing revenues. For small
businesses, with limited resources, there often is no practical
difference in marketing and sales functions, all revenue
generating activities are typically implemented by the same
personnel.

As a company grows in revenues and number of personnel, it
typically follows a logical business function progression of
“specialization”, a process where the lines between more
generic, departmental descriptions and functions became much
more definitive and associated functional responsibilities
become much more focused. Marketing and sales functions are no
exception.

Marketing and sales functions are diverse yet very
interdependent. Typically “sales” cannot exceed revenue
objectives without an effective marketing planning and support,
and “marketing” directives ultimately becomes useless without
sales to implement the plan.

Like many complex business issues, it is sometimes easier to
define something by what it’s NOT as it is to define it by what
it is. Let’s take a closer look at marketing to better define
what sales is not.

Simply defining “marketing” as the “Four P’s”, product, price,
place and promotion, based on your Marketing 101 class in
college is not practical in today’s global markets. In a
general sense, marketing is more theoretic than sales, focused
on purchase causality and is more prescriptive in purpose than
descriptive. Marketing involves micro and macro market analysis
focused on strategic intentions where sales is driven more by
tactical challenges and customer relations. Let’s take a closer
look at how marketing is truly different from sales:

Marketing responsibilities are distinct from sales in that
marketing:

* Establishes and justifies the company’s best competitive
position within a market

* Initially creates, helps sustain, and rigorously interprets
customer relationships

* Locates and profiles potential markets and key participants
within

* Generates quality sales leads

* Develops effective selling tools

* Formally analyzes and tracks competitor’s business strategies
and tactics

* Defines, prioritizes and justifies new product or service
improvements and developments

* Promotes an explicit company product or service image

* Facilitates information transfer from customers to the rest of
the company

* Simplifies the customer’s product or service procurement
process

A full time Marketing Manager would be responsible for the
following tasks:

New Product Rollouts:
Strategy development, program incentives, timing and media
coverage

Agency Evaluation:
Selection and evaluation of outside marketing contractors

Customer Database Management:
Software selection, training, maintenance of customer contact
Information

Market Research:
Market definition, prioritization, project management, data
gathering

Pricing Analysis:
Pricing as a marketing tool…initiate and analyze competitor’s
pricing practices

Product Audits:
Establishment of a formal means to evaluate competitive
offerings

Public Relations:
Establishment, guidance and coordination of all areas of public
Relations

Trade Shows:
Definition, participation, prioritization and audit for
effectiveness of all trade shows

Product Promotions:
Strategy formulation, program composition, premium definition,
all media coverage

Marketing Communications:
All printed / electronic communication: brochures, catalogs,
price lists, case histories

Media Selection:
Assist in selection and prioritization of all media options:
print, broadcast, multimedia

Internal Communications:
Establish and maintain all inter-company corporate communication
means

International Marketing:
Establish company presence in targeted international markets,
audit for effectiveness

Strategic Planning:
Offer strategic information and alternative insights to
corporate management strategies

Board Meeting Participation:
Communicate and reinforce the company marketing priorities,
strategies and tactics

Corporate Vision Statement:
Proliferate and reinforce the corporate vision throughout the
Organization

Corporate Identity and Image:
Create, maintain, improve and “manage” all corporate images and
symbols

To a “pure” marketer, the marketing role in a company is not
just a business function, but a business philosophy. An
effective marketer truly believes “dominating” their target
market is “owning” their market. The more a marketer can do to
maintain market leadership the more effective they are
perceived within the organization and within the industry.

As customer retention has become more of a business priority in
our intensifying competitive markets, the marketing function
has evolved from influencing potential customers to involving
them the company’s business planning and advancement. Effective
marketing also has blurred the distinction between product and
service and continues to apply more influence on the company’s
sales representation priorities.

In conclusion, marketing and sales functions are deeply rooted
in each other’s purpose and revenue growth intentions. There
are few functional areas in business that relate more to each
other. So the next time you hear someone say the word “sales”,
when the appropriate description would have been “marketing”,
or vise versa, think of this article and choose from any one of
these documented business functions to make your point of
distinction!

About the Author:

Mark Smock is President of http://www.business-buyer-directory.com, the
FIRST international business buyer directory of its kind.
Business Buyer Directory provides a non-traditional means for
proactive business buyers to locate businesses for sale
worldwide that meet their exact registered purchase criteria.

Buying and selling homes? Use the Internet.

May 29th, 2008

A recent article on eMarketer reports on a study by the National
Association of Realtors (NAR) which reveals that the Internet is
fast becoming the most popular aid for home buyers searching for
a new home. From a mere 2% of home buyers using the Internet to
search for homes in 1995 to over 77% in 2005, the Internet has
really permeated and changed the real estate industry and how
Americans go about buying and selling homes.

Interestingly, the use of the Internet does not really
circumvent the middle-man, the real-estate agent. In fact, a
high proportion of the people who use the Internet to do their
initial search for homes online end up buying a home through a
real estate agent. Realtors seem to have taken cognizance of
this fact and are investing accordingly in information
technology so that they are found and selected by prospective
homebuyers. This is a race in which each realtor is looking to
out-do or at least, be on par with his/her local and national
competitors.

A couple of implications of the NAR study:

a) There is considerable value in Internet sites that offer
homebuyers detailed information on properties to buy. In fact,
multiple listing service sites (MLS) are among the most popular
sources for homebuyers to find out about property to buy. They
rank much higher than real estate company websites, real estate
agent websites, or even the local newspaper websites. What seems
to be obvious is that homebuyers want detailed information and
variety. Not to mention unbiased choice.

As homebuyers become more sophisticated and comfortable with
using the Internet, they expect more content, features and
functionality in helping them through the home buying process.
It is precisely this need and expectation of home buyers that we
strive to fulfill and exceed with www.OnlyOpenHouses.com,
a niche site that helps home buyers to search for and find open
houses through out North America. Home sellers and realtors
benefit by being able to list their open houses, and
cost-effectively reaching target buyers.

b)Homebuyers value knowledge and expertise. When they search for
homes (and open houses) on the Internet, they are also looking
for real estate agents, mortgage companies and ancillary service
providers. It is in a realtors’ business interest to get listed
on relevant real estate sites, and make themselves visible-
effectively.

Strategically, this is a necessity as realtors are competing
against an increasingly more focused and smaller base of
realtors targeting the same buyers and sellers canvassing
specific neighborhoods and cities. Realtors are forced to keep
up with the times and actively target buyers and sellers where
they shop for homes. This means getting to the right nexus and
targeting the right audience at the right time. Niche websites
like OnlyOpenHouses.com play a vital role here by allowing an
almost one-on-one targeting of realtors, homebuyers and sellers.

To summarize, the benefits of the Internet in buying and selling
of homes are quite clear, and the latest results by the NAR
validate those. Homebuyers, sellers and realtors will do well to
maximize these benefits to their advantage, and save time and
money (and many hassles too) in the process.

Increasing Your Traffic - 3 Hot Methods

May 28th, 2008

Do you need more targeted traffic to your website? Are you
constrained by a limited budget? Here are three innovative ways
to dramatically increase the number of visitors you receive.

1. Write Articles

We all know that the major search engines rank websites more
highly if there are a lot of links pointing back to that
particular web site. The search engines assume that the more
links which point to you, the more important and relevent your
site is.

Getting other sites to link to you can be a major chore, and you
want to avoid free for all link farms, so what to do?

A lot of webmasters have begun to write articles which they
allow other webmasters to freely display on their sites, so long
as they provide a link back to the authors website. If you list
your article in the major free content article directories, you
can easily build up 500 to 5000 links back to your website. This
boosts your PR rank, making you easier to find in the search
engines, and you’ll also get traffic from people who read your
article and click on the link.

2. Banner exchanges

Banner exchanges can provide a steady stream of visitors if used
correctly.

Most banner exchanges work like this - you display their banners
on your website, and upload a banner of your own. For every 2
times you show an exchange banner, they’ll show your banner once
on another exchange member’s site. Banner exchanges have been
around a long time, but they still work.

3. Traffic Exchanges

Unlike banner exchanges, traffic exchanges are a fairly new
idea. The basic premise is that a large group of website owners
agree to visit each other’s websites. for each member site you
visit, another member will visit your site.

Some exchanges, like Traffic Swarm
will give you multiple credits for each site you visit, and
credits for each person you refer. It’s possible to get
thousands of new visitors each day.

Summary: There are many ways to get new traffic to your website.
The three methods I outlined here are absolutely free.

Seven Tips for Coping with Pre-Stage Jitters

May 28th, 2008

Whether you need to address large groups or small, familiar faces or new, you may feel that the stress of speaking is always with you. If so, these seven tips will help you work through tension and communicate with confidence.

1. Recognize that stress is natural: It helps you sort out which situations are “dangerous” and which are not. The problem occurs when presenters allow their minds to dwell on the stress rather than on the situation. They become short of breath, the brain doesn’t get enough oxygen, and tension sets in. Most presenters manage to remain below the panic level — avoiding the fight/flight syndrome — and most survive each experience. However, there’s more to life than mere survival.

2. Focus on the message. Think to yourself: “I’m here to share information” — whether to inform, persuade, clarify, or serve some other purpose. “The participants are attending to hear what I can share with them.” “They want me to do well because that’s to their benefit, too.”

3. Check your room before anyone arrives. Look at the seating arrangement and visualize people in the chairs. Move around the room: Become comfortable in your surroundings. Walk to the lectern, stand there. Move away to break the barrier — as you should do periodically when presenting. All living creatures need to adjust to a new environment.

4. Practice operating your visual equipment. Dexterity improves with experience and reduces the mind’s concerns. That, too, contributes to calmness.

5. Practice — aloud — delivering the opening and closing parts of your presentation. Then practice the middle of your presentation with your visuals. Mental rehearsal is beneficial but it can never substitute for speaking out loud. More muscles and mental processes are involved and, once again, experience contributes to a calmer mind.

6. Do some stress-burning exercises before you speak. Find your own, personal, stress points and work on those. Yours may be in the neck, shoulders, lower back, temples, or elsewhere. Clap your hands and rub them together briskly then place them on the tension spots. As you do, massage gently, stretch lightly, and think about relaxation. These actions and the mind’s positive responses to your take-charge steps will also reduce stress.

7. As you walk to the front of the room, think about your message and move with confident body language. Between the two, your brain will assume that everything is okay. Breathe fully. And think only positive thoughts: “I am pleased to have this opportunity.” “I am sharing important information that others will value.” “This will be a good experience because I am prepared.”

Stephen C. Rafe, president of Rapport Communications, Reston, VA, has been a counselor and coach in the field of behavior-based communication for more than two decades. He is the author of three books on this subject with HarperBusiness, a monograph with Communication Briefings, numerous manuals and pamphlets, and more than 100 published feature articles. His methods also appear in oothers’ books. His clients have included Johnson & Johnson for the Tylenol crisis, AT&T for its divestiture, President Reagan’s committee on strategic forces, and numerous heads of corporations, countries, and organizations. He teaches communications subjects at the university level and is a doctoral candidate. He can be contacted at: rapport@comcast.net

Holidays: A Great Tradition You Might Try for Your Kids

May 27th, 2008

For several years now, we have had a Christmas Eve/Christmas Morning tradition that we all get a kick out of.

The Christmas Eve part

Once the kids are in bed, and forbidden from leaving their rooms, we haul out all the stuff we have been hiding all year. We are one of those strange families that shop for Christmas all year long and avoid the last minute craziness. After all, Christmas is the same day every year.

We do not wrap stuff. Once we haul out all the stuff, we take out what needs to be taken out of boxes, and I put together what needs to be put together.

We then set up a display of all the gifts for each kid. We really get into how to set everything up for the best Christmas morning presentation.

This usually takes about half an hour to 45 minutes on a good night. On a bad night, it can take much longer. One year it took us about an hour and a half to correctly put together a miniature replica of the Genosian Arena from the second Star Wars movie. Give me a bike to put together any day!

The Christmas morning part

Another strict rule is you cannot leave your room to wake us up until 7 AM. Then we make sure it is all set, cameras ready and video rolling, and we invite the kids into the great room.

The cheers and smiles and hugs are worth all the late night set up, ad then some!

Jeff Herring - EzineArticles Expert Author

Visit http://www.TheArticleGuy.com for more leading edge tips and tools for writing articles that bring you prospects, publicity and profits. You can also subscribe to our monthly Article Writing & Marketing Tips Newsletter. You are also invited to visit my Express-Start Article Writing Program for more information on the next article writing tele-seminar.