<![CDATA[CanisTrigger Publishing

<![CDATA[CanisTrigger Publishing - Blog-It-Out]]>Thu, 04 Apr 2024 15:20:29 +0200Weebly<![CDATA[Unleashing New Voices: CanisTrigger Publishing Empowering Authors Worldwide]]>Sun, 04 Feb 2024 15:44:01 GMThttp://canistriggerpublishing.com/blog-it-out/unleashing-new-voices-canistrigger-publishing-empowering-authors-worldwide

A Good Reason to Join Us
In the vast landscape of the literary world, emerging authors often find it challenging to break through the barriers and make their voices heard. However, there is a beacon of hope for writers seeking a platform to showcase their talents and reach a global audience - CanisTrigger Publishing. This innovative publishing house not only welcomes new voices but also offers a range of services that extend beyond traditional publishing, including exclusive literary translation services.

A Haven for New Authors
CanisTrigger Publishing stands out as a haven for new and aspiring authors eager to share their stories with the world. Unlike many established publishing houses that may be hesitant to take risks on unknown talents, CanisTrigger is dedicated to discovering fresh voices and bringing their works to the forefront. With a commitment to diversity and a passion for storytelling, CanisTrigger ensures that every author's unique perspective finds its place on the literary stage.

Global Reach Through Worldwide Distribution
One of the key advantages of choosing CanisTrigger as a publishing partner is the global reach it provides. The publishing house goes beyond merely printing and distributing books; it actively works to make sure that these literary creations reach readers across the globe. Leveraging a robust distribution network, CanisTrigger ensures that books are available in major bookstores, online retailers, and libraries worldwide. This commitment to global distribution gives new authors the opportunity to connect with readers from various corners of the world.

Breaking Language Barriers with Exclusive Literary Translation Services
Recognising the importance of language diversity in literature, CanisTrigger takes a step further by offering exclusive literary translation services. This includes translation from Italian to English and vice versa. In an era where borders are increasingly blurred and cultural exchange is more critical than ever, these translation services open up new avenues for authors and readers alike.

Competitive Rates and Personalized Service
CanisTrigger is not just about providing services; it's about building relationships. The publishing house takes pride in offering competitive rates for its services, making quality publishing and translation accessible to a wide range of authors. Beyond affordability, CanisTrigger distinguishes itself through its commitment to personalised service. Authors working with CanisTrigger can expect a friendly and collaborative experience, ensuring that their vision is respected throughout the publishing journey.

Solid and Reliable
CanisTrigger Publishing emerges as a beacon of hope for new authors, providing not only a platform for their stories but also a bridge to global readership through effective distribution and translation services. As the literary world evolves, CanisTrigger stands firm in its commitment to fostering diversity, breaking down barriers, and empowering voices that deserve to be heard. For authors seeking a supportive and innovative publishing partner, CanisTrigger is more than a publisher: it is a gateway to literary success on a global scale.

]]><![CDATA[Embark on a Linguistic Adventure: Unleashing the Joy of Learning Italian with CanisTrigger Tutoring!]]>Sat, 03 Feb 2024 11:35:58 GMThttp://canistriggerpublishing.com/blog-it-out/embark-on-a-linguistic-adventure-unleashing-the-joy-of-learning-italian-with-canistrigger-tutoring

Introduction:

Learning a new language is often described as a journey, and with CanisTrigger Tutoring, the adventure of mastering Italian becomes not just educational but incredibly fun. In this blog post, we'll explore the advantages of learning the Italian language, the unique approach of CanisTrigger Tutoring, and the exciting opportunities it opens up, including the potential to launch a new career.

The Allure of Italian:

Italian, often referred to as the language of art, romance, and culture, holds a special place in the hearts of language enthusiasts. Beyond its musicality and expressive gestures, learning Italian introduces you to the rich tapestry of Italy's history, literature, and gastronomy. From the rolling hills of Tuscany to the bustling streets of Rome, each lesson becomes a cultural immersion that goes beyond just words.

Advantages of Learning Italian:

Cultural Enrichment: Italy boasts a cultural heritage that spans millennia. Learning Italian provides a direct gateway to the works of great artists, philosophers, and writers, enhancing your appreciation for art, literature, and philosophy.
Professional Opportunities: Italy is not just a tourist destination; it's a thriving economy with global ties. Proficiency in Italian can open doors to job opportunities in various industries such as fashion, design, culinary arts, and tourism. Many multinational companies value employees who can navigate the Italian market and communicate with Italian clients.
Global Networking: Italian is spoken not only in Italy but also in communities around the world. By learning Italian, you become part of a global network of speakers, creating opportunities for cultural exchange, travel, and collaboration.

CanisTrigger Tutoring's Unique Approach:

CanisTrigger Tutoring stands out in the world of language education, offering an innovative and enjoyable way to learn Italian. The tutoring platform combines cutting-edge technology with a team of experienced and passionate educators, creating an immersive learning experience.

Interactive Lessons: CanisTrigger Tutoring employs interactive lessons that go beyond traditional methods. From virtual tours of Italian landmarks to role-playing scenarios set in charming Italian cafes, every session is designed to make learning engaging and entertaining.
Personalised Learning Paths: The platform understands that every learner is unique. CanisTrigger Tutoring tailors lessons to individual preferences, pace, and goals, ensuring that each student gets the most out of their language-learning journey.
Real-world Applications: CanisTrigger Tutoring emphasises practical language skills, incorporating real-world applications into lessons. Conversations about ordering gelato, navigating public transportation, or negotiating business deals in Italian become an integral part of the learning process.

Launching a New Career with Italian Proficiency:

The advantages of learning Italian extend beyond personal enrichment to professional growth. The ability to speak Italian fluently can open doors to exciting career opportunities:

Tourism and Hospitality: Italy is a top tourist destination, and fluency in Italian is a valuable asset in the tourism and hospitality industry. From tour guides to hotel management, speaking Italian enhances your competitiveness in these fields.
Fashion and Design: Italy is synonymous with high-end fashion and innovative design. Proficiency in Italian can lead to opportunities in the fashion and design industries, where communication with Italian clients and understanding Italian trends is crucial.
Culinary Arts: Italian cuisine is celebrated globally, and chefs who can converse in Italian have a distinct advantage in the culinary world. From working in Italian restaurants to collaborating with Italian chefs, language proficiency can elevate your culinary career.

Conclusion:

Embarking on the journey of learning Italian with CanisTrigger Tutoring is not just an investment in language skills but an exploration of a vibrant culture and a gateway to exciting opportunities. Whether you're driven by a love for Italian art, a desire for professional growth, or simply the joy of learning, CanisTrigger Tutoring ensures that your linguistic adventure is as enjoyable as it is educational. Unleash the power of Italian with CanisTrigger Tutoring and watch as your language skills open doors to a world of possibilities. Buon viaggio! (Safe travels!)

]]><![CDATA[“Loud, heap miseries upon us yet entwine our arts with laughters low!”]]>Thu, 25 Jan 2024 18:58:04 GMThttp://canistriggerpublishing.com/blog-it-out/loud-heap-miseries-upon-us-yet-entwine-our-arts-with-laughters-lowThis book club finally finished 'Finnegans Wake.' It only took them 28 years

In October, after 28 years, a book club in Venice, California, finally finished one of the most famously-difficult-to-read books in literature, Finnegans Wake by James Joyce — but the club's founder Gerry Fialka would argue you're never really done reading it.
Finnegans Wake is no breeze, as it is considered one of the most challenging works of Western fiction. The novel shifts between dream and reality, and explores several storylines that are hard to pin down. There is a constant debate on where the story is set, and who the characters are.
Fialka compares reading the book to doing psychedelics, though he claims his group never partook in such activities as they met at the library to explore the book.
"Some reading clubs drink wine or drink beer … but when we are in a library, no, we didn't encourage people to drink," said Fialka. "It's like a party. You're sitting around singing songs together, like a hootenanny."

The book took Joyce 17 years to write, and he was eventually able to publish the book in 1939.
For the book, the Irish novelist invented nine 100-letter words and one 101-letter word. The book starts halfway through a sentence, and ends in the middle of the sentence, connecting the beginning and the end.
"It's like the secret language you have with your brother or sister when you're a kid or [with] your friends. So your parents can't understand what you're talking about," said Fialka.

Many say it's best to read Finnegans Wake out loud, and that's exactly what Fialka set out to do. He started the book club in 1995, when he was in his 40s. He says the group has had a wide range of people, from 12-year-olds to 95-year-olds. About 10 to 30 people would show up, depending on the night.
"When you consciously read a book with a group of people out loud, you're more aware of what the words are doing to you, not so much the content," said Fialka, now 70.
Fialka says his book club operates like any other, despite the challenging text.
"You read a page or two out loud with a group of people. You listen to what everybody's reading and then you discuss it," said Fialka.
"The middle part [is] sort of not so important. You're like trying to figure out what gibberish means, but there's a lot of meaning in that, what people would call gibberish."

Laughtears
Fialka, who could certainly be considered an expert on the book, says you don't have to spend 28 years reading it to understand what it's about.
He says it can be summed up in one word, coined by James Joyce; laughtears.
"That is a way that Joyce conveyed what the human experience is. The human condition is that you fall and then you get back up. Laugh, and then you cry," said Fialka.
But even though Fialka's group has read through every chapter, he says he isn't done with it. He says it's kind of like comfort food; you always come back to it. And this is true for the book club as well. The reading of Finnegans Wake continues, as the group has moved back to the beginning.
"You don't ever finish it," said Fialka.
It took 28 years, but this book club finally finished reading Finnegans Wake | CBC Radio

Young and old gathered together for 28 years to read James Joyce's Finnegans Wake, and discuss the twists and turns of the challenging novel. (Submitted by Gerry Fialka)

]]><![CDATA["Fatti non foste a viver come bruti"]]>Wed, 24 Jan 2024 13:30:47 GMThttp://canistriggerpublishing.com/blog-it-out/fatti-non-foste-a-viver-come-bruti

“Fatti non foste a viver come bruti, ma per seguir virtute e canoscenza”: in queste parole è contenuto l’accorato appello contro l’imbarbarimento dell’essere umano. Una frase che ci ammonisce, in quanto uomini, a fare tesoro della nostra intelligenza e a seguire la strada della virtù.

Questa citazione della Divina Commedia ha avuto nei secoli grande fortuna, ed è tuttora spesso ripresa in numerose opere, romanzi e orazioni di uomini celebri.
In un solo verso Dante Alighieri ribadisce la sconfinata sete dell’uomo per la conoscenza inserendo, tra le righe, un’invocazione a non smarrire mai il bisogno sconfinato di sapere che ci rende uomini. È proprio questa conoscenza, questa possibilità di elevarsi, sembra sottintendere il poeta, ciò che ci distingue dalle bestie che invece vivono in modo primitivo, alla giornata, senza interrogarsi sui fatti del mondo e sul futuro.
Per comprendere meglio il significato di questo verso di Dante Alighieri cerchiamo di contestualizzarlo nel canto di appartenenza, di capire chi l’ha pronunciato e perché.

Si tratta del verso 119 del canto XXVI dell’Inferno, la prima delle tre cantiche che compongono l’intera struttura della Commedia.
Il ventiseiesimo canto è noto anche come "Canto di Ulisse", proprio perché proprio in questo passo del poema il Sommo Poeta incontra l’eroe greco Ulisse che è stato punito a causa delle sue astute e ingannevoli azioni.
Ci troviamo infatti nell’ottava bolgia dell’ottavo cerchio, nel girone dei consiglieri fraudolenti.
L’eroe dell’Odissea è condannato ad ardere in una fiamma perpetua, che ricorda il rogo funebre di Eteocle e Polinice (il rimando alla letteratura greca è ricorrente in questo canto, Ndr). La colpa di Ulisse non è solo quella di aver architettato il furto del Palladio e l’inganno del Cavallo di Troia, ma soprattutto la sua ambizione e sconfinata sete di conoscenza che l’hanno condotto a sfidare i limiti imposti dalla volontà divina.
Nel racconto di Dante Ulisse non fa ritorno a Itaca come stabilito dal mito omerico, ma si spinge in un viaggio temerario verso l’ignoto, oltre le Colonne d’Ercole che secondo gli antichi sancivano la fine del mondo conosciuto agli umani.

La terzina in cui troviamo questo verso è la seguente:
Considerate la vostra semenza:
fatti non foste a viver come bruti,
ma per seguir virtute e canoscenza
Questa è l’“orazion picciola” pronunciata da Ulisse che esorta i suoi compagni a non temere l’ignoto e li spinge a mantenere sempre viva la curiosità e la sete di sapere. Parlando con Dante l’eroe greco, tramutato in fiamma dalla punizione infernale, rievoca il folle viaggio e ricorda le parole con cui ha convinto i compagni a superare il limite delle Colonne d’Ercole.
Ulisse racconta che dopo essersi separato dalla maga Circe, che l’aveva trattenuto più di un anno a Gaeta, né la nostalgia per il figlio o il vecchio padre, né l’amore per la moglie poterono vincere in lui il desiderio di esplorare il mondo. Si era quindi messo in viaggio in alto mare, insieme ai compagni, spingendosi con la nave oltre l’emisfero australe.
L’eroe greco esorta i compagni timorosi a non lasciarsi vincere dalle proprie paure per scoprire i misteri di un luogo della terra ancora disabitato, del quale il genere umano non ha ancora fatto esperienza. Secondo Ulisse gli uomini dovevano tener conto di essere stati creati p“er seguire virtù e conoscenza” e non per vivere come bestie.

La scelta di Ulisse tuttavia si rivela sconsiderata e trascina l’intero equipaggio alla morte. Dopo aver attraversato le famigerate Colonne d’Ercole la nave è infatti colpita da una tempesta che la fa colare a picco: dopo aver ruotato tre volte su se stessa sprofonda negli abissi marini.

Secondo Ulisse la missione terrena dell’uomo è quella di arricchire costantemente il proprio patrimonio di conoscenze e di esperienze.
Nelle parole dell’eroe greco Dante proietta se stesso: anche il suo personaggio, proprio come Ulisse, è infatti caratterizzato da una inestinguibile sete di conoscenza per il mondo ignoto capace di prevalere su tutto il resto. Del resto anche il Sommo Poeta sta compiendo un viaggio ultraterreno che sfida i limiti della conoscenza umana.
L’orazione di Ulisse contiene un’importante lezione per migliorarsi ed evolversi è necessario rischiare, perché chi non è curioso di scoprire cose nuove e vive in maniera semplice e limitata, non potrà mai elevarsi oltre le sue possibilità. L’Ulisse di Dante dunque, a differenza di quello di Omero (che decide di ritornare in patria e riabbracciare la propria famiglia), viene punito per sempre a causa della sua scaltrezza, ma al tempo stesso dimostra una grande intelligenza.
L’Ulisse di Dante non farà mai ritorno a Itaca. Il suo insegnamento è contenuto nel senso stesso del viaggio, nella sete di sapere che guida il perpetuo vagare. Un altro poeta in tempi più recenti del resto intitolò saggiamente una sua poesia Quando ti metterai in viaggio per Itaca.
L'insegnamento di Ulisse è contenuto nel viaggio e non nel ritorno a casa: è attraversando i pericoli dell’ignoto grazie alla sua sete inesausta di sapere che l’eroe greco ci dà una profonda lezione di vita.
Se da un lato l’astuzia lo rende peccatore, dall’altra il coraggio lo nobilita. La colpa di Ulisse è quella di aver peccato di ambizione e di aver voluto sfidare l’immensità della conoscenza divina, il suo merito tuttavia è quello di aver insegnato all’umanità che l’intelligenza e il coraggio sono l’essenza fondante dell’essere umano.
Le parole che Dante ha fatto pronunciare all’eroe omerico sono oggi un talismano prezioso, che ci ricorda di cosa siamo capaci in quanto uomini, e ci difende dai pericoli della disumanità e dall’imbarbarimento.

Alice Figini - Serena Di Battista - Pubblicato il 25-03-2022
Estratto da: “Fatti non foste a viver come bruti”: significato del verso di Dante (sololibri.net)

]]><![CDATA[English pronunciation? Rather... chaotic!]]>Wed, 17 Jan 2024 16:13:16 GMThttp://canistriggerpublishing.com/blog-it-out/english-pronunciation-rather-chaoticEnglish is (in)famously a tricky language. As far back as 1922, a Dutch language learner wrote a very long poem about the problems of English pronunciation called 'The Chaos.'
This is a classic English poem containing about 800 of the worst irregularities in English spelling and pronunciation.
Will Snellen wrote a PDF version using the phonetic alphabet.
You can hear some of it pronounced mostly correctly in video here:

English Pronunciation - "The Chaos" by Dr. Gerard Nolst Trenité on YouTube.

Gerard Nolst Trenité - The Chaos (1922)

Dearest creature in creation
Studying English pronunciation,
   I will teach you in my verse
   Sounds like corpse, corps, horse and worse.
I will keep you, Susy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy;
   Tear in eye, your dress you'll tear;
   Queer, fair seer, hear my prayer.
Pray, console your loving poet,
Make my coat look new, dear, sew it!
   Just compare heart, hear and heard,
   Dies and diet, lord and word.
Sword and sward, retain and Britain
(Mind the latter how it's written).
   Made has not the sound of bade,
   Say-said, pay-paid, laid but plaid.
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as vague and ague,
   But be careful how you speak,
   Say: gush, bush, steak, streak, break, bleak ,
Previous, precious, fuchsia, via
Recipe, pipe, studding-sail, choir;
   Woven, oven, how and low,
   Script, receipt, shoe, poem, toe.
Say, expecting fraud and trickery:
Daughter, laughter and Terpsichore,
   Branch, ranch, measles, topsails, aisles,
   Missiles, similes, reviles.
Wholly, holly, signal, signing,
Same, examining, but mining,
   Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
   Solar, mica, war and far.
From "desire": desirable-admirable from "admire",
Lumber, plumber, bier, but brier,
   Topsham, brougham, renown, but known,
   Knowledge, done, lone, gone, none, tone,
One, anemone, Balmoral,
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel.
   Gertrude, German, wind and wind,
   Beau, kind, kindred, queue, mankind,
Tortoise, turquoise, chamois-leather,
Reading, Reading, heathen, heather.
   This phonetic labyrinth
   Gives moss, gross, brook, brooch, ninth, plinth.
Have you ever yet endeavoured
To pronounce revered and severed,
   Demon, lemon, ghoul, foul, soul,
   Peter, petrol and patrol?
Billet does not end like ballet;
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
   Blood and flood are not like food,
   Nor is mould like should and would.
Banquet is not nearly parquet,
Which exactly rhymes with khaki.
   Discount, viscount, load and broad,
   Toward, to forward, to reward,
Ricocheted and crocheting, croquet?
Right! Your pronunciation's OK.
   Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
   Friend and fiend, alive and live.
Is your r correct in higher?
Keats asserts it rhymes Thalia.
   Hugh, but hug, and hood, but hoot,
   Buoyant, minute, but minute.
Say abscission with precision,
Now: position and transition;
   Would it tally with my rhyme
   If I mentioned paradigm?
Twopence, threepence, tease are easy,
But cease, crease, grease and greasy?
   Cornice, nice, valise, revise,
   Rabies, but lullabies.
Of such puzzling words as nauseous,
Rhyming well with cautious, tortious,
   You'll envelop lists, I hope,
   In a linen envelope.
Would you like some more? You'll have it!
Affidavit, David, davit.
   To abjure, to perjure. Sheik
   Does not sound like Czech but ache.
Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, loch, moustache, eleven.
   We say hallowed, but allowed,
   People, leopard, towed but vowed.
Mark the difference, moreover,
Between mover, plover, Dover.
   Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
   Chalice, but police and lice,
Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label.
   Petal, penal, and canal,
   Wait, surmise, plait, promise, pal,
Suit, suite, ruin. Circuit, conduit
Rhyme with "shirk it" and "beyond it",
   But it is not hard to tell
   Why it's pall, mall, but Pall Mall.
Muscle, muscular, gaol, iron,
Timber, climber, bullion, lion,
   Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,
   Senator, spectator, mayor,
Ivy, privy, famous; clamour
Has the a of drachm and hammer.
   Pussy, hussy and possess,
   Desert, but desert, address.
Golf, wolf, countenance, lieutenants
Hoist in lieu of flags left pennants.
   Courier, courtier, tomb, bomb, comb,
   Cow, but Cowper, some and home.
"Solder, soldier! Blood is thicker",
Quoth he, "than liqueur or liquor",
   Making, it is sad but true,
   In bravado, much ado.
Stranger does not rhyme with anger,
Neither does devour with clangour.
   Pilot, pivot, gaunt, but aunt,
   Font, front, wont, want, grand and grant.
Arsenic, specific, scenic,
Relic, rhetoric, hygienic.
   Gooseberry, goose, and close, but close,
   Paradise, rise, rose, and dose.
Say inveigh, neigh, but inveigle,
Make the latter rhyme with eagle.
   Mind! Meandering but mean,
   Valentine and magazine.
And I bet you, dear, a penny,
You say mani-(fold) like many,
   Which is wrong. Say rapier, pier,
   Tier (one who ties), but tier.
Arch, archangel; pray, does erring
Rhyme with herring or with stirring?
   Prison, bison, treasure trove,
   Treason, hover, cover, cove,
Perseverance, severance. Ribald
Rhymes (but piebald doesn't) with nibbled.
   Phaeton, paean, gnat, ghat, gnaw,
   Lien, psychic, shone, bone, pshaw.
Don't be down, my own, but rough it,
And distinguish buffet, buffet;
   Brood, stood, roof, rook, school, wool, boon,
   Worcester, Boleyn, to impugn.
Say in sounds correct and sterling
Hearse, hear, hearken, year and yearling.
   Evil, devil, mezzotint,
   Mind the z! (A gentle hint.)
Now you need not pay attention
To such sounds as I don't mention,
   Sounds like pores, pause, pours and paws,
   Rhyming with the pronoun yours;
Nor are proper names included,
Though I often heard, as you did,
   Funny rhymes to unicorn,
   Yes, you know them, Vaughan and Strachan.
No, my maiden, coy and comely,
I don't want to speak of Cholmondeley.
   No. Yet Froude compared with proud
   Is no better than McLeod.
But mind trivial and vial,
Tripod, menial, denial,
   Troll and trolley, realm and ream,
   Schedule, mischief, schism, and scheme.
Argil, gill, Argyll, gill. Surely
May be made to rhyme with Raleigh,
   But you're not supposed to say
   Piquet rhymes with sobriquet.
Had this invalid invalid
Worthless documents? How pallid,
   How uncouth he, couchant, looked,
   When for Portsmouth I had booked!
Zeus, Thebes, Thales, Aphrodite,
Paramour, enamoured, flighty,
   Episodes, antipodes,
   Acquiesce, and obsequies.
Please don't monkey with the geyser,
Don't peel 'taters with my razor,
   Rather say in accents pure:
   Nature, stature and mature.
Pious, impious, limb, climb, glumly,
Worsted, worsted, crumbly, dumbly,
   Conquer, conquest, vase, phase, fan,
   Wan, sedan and artisan.
The th will surely trouble you
More than r, ch or w.
   Say then these phonetic gems:
   Thomas, thyme, Theresa, Thames.
Thompson, Chatham, Waltham, Streatham,
There are more but I forget 'em-
   Wait! I've got it: Anthony,
   Lighten your anxiety.
The archaic word albeit
Does not rhyme with eight-you see it;
   With and forthwith, one has voice,
   One has not, you make your choice.
Shoes, goes, does *. Now first say: finger;
Then say: singer, ginger, linger.
   Real, zeal, mauve, gauze and gauge,
   Marriage, foliage, mirage, age,
Hero, heron, query, very,
Parry, tarry fury, bury,
   Dost, lost, post, and doth, cloth, loth,
   Job, Job, blossom, bosom, oath.
Faugh, oppugnant, keen oppugners,
Bowing, bowing, banjo-tuners
   Holm you know, but noes, canoes,
   Puisne, truism, use, to use?
Though the difference seems little,
We say actual, but victual,
   Seat, sweat, chaste, caste, Leigh, eight, height,
   Put, nut, granite, and unite.
Reefer does not rhyme with deafer,
Feoffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
   Dull, bull, Geoffrey, George, ate, late,
   Hint, pint, senate, but sedate.
Gaelic, Arabic, pacific,
Science, conscience, scientific;
   Tour, but our, dour, succour, four,
   Gas, alas, and Arkansas.
Say manoeuvre, yacht and vomit,
Next omit, which differs from it
   Bona fide, alibi
   Gyrate, dowry and awry.
Sea, idea, guinea, area,
Psalm, Maria, but malaria.
   Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean,
   Doctrine, turpentine, marine.
Compare alien with Italian,
Dandelion with battalion,
   Rally with ally; yea, ye,
   Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, key, quay!
Say aver, but ever, fever,
Neither, leisure, skein, receiver.
   Never guess-it is not safe,
   We say calves, valves, half, but Ralf.
Starry, granary, canary,
Crevice, but device, and eyrie,
   Face, but preface, then grimace,
   Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.
Bass, large, target, gin, give, verging,
Ought, oust, joust, and scour, but scourging;
   Ear, but earn; and ere and tear
   Do not rhyme with here but heir.
Mind the o of off and often
Which may be pronounced as orphan,
   With the sound of saw and sauce;
   Also soft, lost, cloth and cross.
Pudding, puddle, putting. Putting?
Yes: at golf it rhymes with shutting.
   Respite, spite, consent, resent.
   Liable, but Parliament.
Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew, Stephen,
   Monkey, donkey, clerk and jerk,
   Asp, grasp, wasp, demesne, cork, work.
A of valour, vapid vapour,
S of news (compare newspaper),
   G of gibbet, gibbon, gist,
   I of antichrist and grist,
Differ like diverse and divers,
Rivers, strivers, shivers, fivers.
   Once, but nonce, toll, doll, but roll,
   Polish, Polish, poll and poll.
Pronunciation-think of Psyche!-
Is a paling, stout and spiky.
   Won't it make you lose your wits
   Writing groats and saying "grits"?
It's a dark abyss or tunnel
Strewn with stones like rowlock, gunwale,
   Islington, and Isle of Wight,
   Housewife, verdict and indict.
Don't you think so, reader, rather,
Saying lather, bather, father?
   Finally, which rhymes with enough,
   Though, through, bough, cough, hough, sough, tough??
Hiccough has the sound of sup...
My advice is: GIVE IT UP!

Notes on The Chaos
"The Chaos" is a poem which demonstrates the irregularity of English spelling and pronunciation, written by Gerard Nolst Trenité (1870-1946), also known under the pseudonym Charivarius.
It first appeared in an appendix to the author’s 1920 textbook Drop Your Foreign Accent: engelsche uitspraakoefeningen. (From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chaos)

Chris Upward introduces
The Classic Concordance of Cacographic Chaoshttp://www.spellingsociety.org/journals/j17/caos.php[Journal of the Simplified Spelling Society, 1994/2 pp27-30 later designated J17]
This version is essentially the author's own final text, as also published by New River Project in 1993. A few minor corrections have however been made, and occasional words from earlier editions have been preferred. Following earlier practice, words with clashing spellings or pronunciations are here printed in italics.

A number of readers have been urging republication of The Chaos, the well-known versified catalogue of English spelling irregularities. The SSS Newsletter carried an incomplete, rather rough version in the summer of 1986 (pp.17-21) under the heading "Author Unknown", with a parallel transcription into an early form of Cut Spelling. Since then a stream of further information and textual variants has come our way, culminating in 1993-94 with the most complete and authoritative version ever likely to emerge. The time is therefore now truly ripe for republication in the JSSS.

Our stuttering progress towards the present version is of interest, as it testifies to the poem's continuing international impact. Parts of it turned up from the mid-1980s onwards, with trails leading from France, Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Turkey. The chequered career of the first version we received was typical: it consisted of a tattered typescript found in a girls' High School in Germany in 1945 by a British soldier, from whom it passed through various hands eventually to reach Terry De'Ath, who passed it to the SSS; but it did not mention who its author was. A rather sad instance of the mystery that has long surrounded the poem is seen in Hubert A Greven's Elements of English Phonology, published in Paris in 1972: its introduction quoted 48 lines of the poem to demonstrate to French students how impossible English is to pronounce (ie, to read aloud), and by way of acknowledgment said that the author "would like to pay a suitable tribute to Mr G Nolst Trenité for permission to copy his poem The Chaos. As he could not find out his whereabouts, the author presents his warmest thanks, should the latter happen to read this book". Alas, the poet in question had died over a quarter of a century earlier.

For the varied materials and information sent us over the years we are particularly indebted to: Terry De'Ath of Newcastle-upon-Tyne; Tom McArthur (Editor of English Today) of Cambridge; Benno Jost-Westendorf of Recklinghausen, Germany; Professor Che Kan Leong of the University of Saskatchewan, Canada; the Editor of Perfect Your English, Barcelona; and SSS committee member Nick Atkinson for the French reference. From them we learnt who the author was and that numerous versions of the poem were in circulation; but many tantalizing questions remained unanswered.

Three contributions in 1993-94 then largely filled in the gaps in the picture. The first of these contributions was due to the diligent research of Belgian SSS member Harry Cohen of Tervuren which outlined the author's life and told us a good deal about the successive editions of the poem. The second came from Bob Cobbing of New River Project (89a Petherton Road, London N5 2QT), who sent the SSS a handsome new edition (ISBN 1 870750 07 1) he had just published in conjunction with the author's nephew, Jan Nolst Trenité, who owns the copyright. This edition had been based on the final version published by the author in his lifetime (1944), and must therefore be considered particularly authoritative. Finally, Jan Nolst Trenité himself went to considerable trouble to correct and fill out the details of his uncle's biography and the poem's publishing history which the SSS had previously been able to compile.

The author of The Chaos was a Dutchman, the writer and traveller Dr Gerard Nolst Trenité. Born in 1870, he studied classics, then law, then political science at the University of Utrecht, but without graduating (his Doctorate came later, in 1901). From 1894 he was for a while a private teacher in California, where he taught the sons of the Netherlands Consul-General. From 1901 to 1918 he worked as a schoolteacher in Haarlem, and published several schoolbooks in English and French, as well as a study of the Dutch constitution. From 1909 until his death in 1946 he wrote frequently for an Amsterdam weekly paper, with a linguistic column under the pseudonym Charivarius.

The first known version of The Chaos appeared as an appendix (Aanhangsel) to the 4th edition of Nolst Trenité's schoolbook Drop Your Foreign Accent: engelsche uitspraakoefeningen (Haarlem: H D Tjeenk Willink & Zoon, 1920). The book itself naturally used the Dutch spelling current before the 1947 reform (see JSSS 1987/2, pp14-16). That first version of the poem is entitled De Chaos, and gives words with problematic spellings in italics, but it has only 146 lines, compared with the 274 lines we now give (four more than in our 1986 version). The general importance of Drop your foreign accent is clear from the number of editions it went through, from the first (without the poem) in 1909, to a posthumous 11th revised edition in 1961. The last edition to appear during the author's life was the 7th (1944), by which time the poem had nearly doubled its original length. It is not surprising, in view of the numerous editions and the poem's steady expansion, that so many different versions have been in circulation in so many different countries.

The Chaos represents a virtuoso feat of composition, a mammoth catalogue of about 800 of the most notorious irregularities of traditional English orthography, skilfully versified (if with a few awkward lines) into couplets with alternating feminine and masculine rhymes. The selection of examples now appears somewhat dated, as do a few of their pronunciations, indeed a few words may even be unknown to today's readers (how many will know what a "studding-sail" is, or that its nautical pronunciation is "stunsail"?), and not every rhyme will immediately "click" ("grits" for "groats"?); but the overwhelming bulk of the poem represents as valid an indictment of the chaos of English spelling as it ever did. Who the "dearest creature in creation" addressed in the first line, also addressed as "Susy" in line 5, might have been is unknown, though a mimeographed version of the poem in Harry Cohen's possession is dedicated to "Miss Susanne Delacruix, Paris". Presumably she was one of Nolst Trenité's students.

Readers will notice that The Chaos is written from the viewpoint of the foreign learner of English: it is not so much the spelling as such that is lamented, as the fact that the poor learner can never tell how to pronounce words encountered in writing (the poem was, after all, appended to a book of pronunciation exercises). With English today the prime language of international communication, this unpredictability of symbol-sound correspond-ence constitutes no less of a problem than the unpredictability of sound-symbol correspondence which is so bewailed by native speakers of English. Nevertheless, many native English-speaking readers will find the poem a revelation: the juxtaposition of so many differently pronounced parallel spellings brings home the sheer illogicality of the writing system in countless instances that such readers may have never previously noticed.

It would be interesting to know if Gerard Nolst Trenité, or anyone else, has ever actually used The Chaos to teach English pronunciation, since the tight rhythmic and rhyming structure of the poem might prove a valuable mnemonic aid. There could be material for experiments here: non-English- speaking learners who had practised reading parts of the poem aloud could be tested in reading the same problematic words in a plain prose context, and their success measured against a control group who had not practised them through The Chaos.

This version is essentially the author's own final text, as also published by New River Project in 1993. A few minor corrections have however been made, and occasional words from earlier editions have been preferred. Following earlier practice, words with clashing spellings or pronunciations are here printed in italics.

(Extracts courtesy of The Chaos - Gerard Nolst Trenité (idallen.com)

]]><![CDATA[Definition of Translation, Localisation and Transcreation]]>Fri, 21 Apr 2023 11:04:45 GMThttp://canistriggerpublishing.com/blog-it-out/definition-of-translation-localisation-and-transcreationHow to identify them when translating a product or service

First, let’s start with some quick definitions:
“Translation” is the process of rendering text from one language into another so that the meaning is equivalent.
“Localisation” is a more comprehensive process and addresses cultural and non-textual components as well as linguistic issues when adapting a product or service for another country or locale.
“Transcreation” is a re-engineering of your brand promise to make it engage with a foreign market on an emotional level.

Translation: Apples to Las Manzanas (“Apples” in Spanish)

English: What is your name?
Spanish: ¿Como se llama? (Literally: how are you called)
The final meaning is the same, but how it is expressed in each language, is different.
When content is translated, it is kept consistent and accurate when transferred from the source text into the target language. While sentence structures and grammar are, of course, adjusted, it is important for the translator to stay true to the original content. Mostly technical documents, like technical publications, manuals, compliance documents, and such are translated. In some cases — think of information and directions of use for medication, for example — the right word choice can be of utmost importance. Translators are often also experts for certain subjects.

A Translation Checklist: Does Your Project Look Like This?

Basic service of converting one language to another
The goal of the project is to communicate technical details, instructions or compliance information
Limited use of graphics, photos or colors
Limited use of idioms and “marketing content”

If so, a basic machine or human translation job is probably in order.

Localisation: American “Apple Pie” to British “Apple Crumble”

What is localisation? It involves more than just translation. In fact, you can think of localization as starting with translation and then moving deeper to address communication factors such as local idioms and cultural references plus technical communication issues like text length, measurement units, date formats, and page sizes. Effective localization of your web presence even incorporates back-end issues such as SEO and social media considerations tailor to your new market.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves – consider the above example of communicating tonight’s dessert to our British and American friends: both speak English so do we need to translate? No. But do we need to localize – or should we say localise – to communicate to both markets effectively:

Spelling can be different: z’s become s’s (as in “localize” becomes “localise”), o’s become ou’s (as in “color” becomes “colour”).
Certain words are used differently: elevator/lift, vacation/holiday, pie/crumble.
Of course, expressions and idioms are very different as well.
And lastly, visuals need to be considered because, after all, these are two different cultures.

The “Technical” Aspects of Localisation
Every market has its own formalities of communication – and ignoring them can lead to some serious confusion on the part of your new customers:
Imperial vs. metric measurements: If you have an American document that mentions imperial measurements such as feet, you’ll have to give metric equivalents in some cases (note that the UK has adopted metric but also clings to imperial).
Currency units: These also require localization, such as changing from $100 to £100 pounds sterling. And, to show equivalent amounts, you would need to do a currency conversion, such as “$100 (£75)”.
Paper size: A printed document might be designed for European A4 paper (210 by 297 mm, or 8.27 in × 11.7 inches) instead of American letter-size (8.5 x 11 inches). Those slight differences in size can impact formatting and page breaks.
Date formats: You’ll need to know about the differences in date formats: does 4/5/22 mean April 5 (as in the U.S.) or May 4 (as in the UK)? Those differences can be crucial.
Text length: In localisation of documents and software, you’ll need to prepare for differences in text length resulting from translation, as in the Spanish example at the beginning of this blog post. Translation from English into other languages can result in the text expanding from 30% up to 100%. So, you’ll need to allow for flexible text length in your product or document.
Wait… “Country”, “Language” and Now “Locale”? We don’t blame you if you’re starting to get confused as the localisation and translation industry has a language all it’s own. But we’re here to make it understandable.

“Locale” is another term you’ll hear frequently when taking your company global. A locale is a combination of a language and the place where it is spoken. Adapting for the locale includes both the translation and the differences in culture, format, and usage.
Locale is important because some languages are spoken in several different regions. For example, Spanish is spoken in many places around the globe, so in order to reach your target audience effectively in each region, you must specify which locale (language and country) you’re targeting. Localised content for Mexico would be different than localising content for Argentina or Spain. The same applies to French – after all, French in France is different from French in Canada. Brazilian Portuguese, for example, uses different wording and grammar from Portuguese spoken in Portugal, such as você or tu to mean “you.”
As with British and American English, native speakers of these languages can spot immediately which version of the language you are using. These language differences can make a big impact on the acceptance of your product or service.
When you localise your product, you are relocating it to a new country or region. You want your audience to feel like your document or product is made for them. When the product is localised to meet their needs, they’ll have a positive experience with your product.
Localisation and translation agencies use standard locale codes to indicate the language and country or region. A few examples:
en-US = American English
en-GB = British English
es-ES = Spanish (Spain)
es-419 = Spanish (Latin America)
es-MX = Spanish (Mexico)

Globalisation: Website Localisation on a Multi-market Scale
One more term to throw in for good measure. “Globalisation” or “website localisation” is the process of making your website world ready or internationalised. While marketers know that it is difficult or impossible to be all things to all people, the goal here is to make the website functional and accessible to a global audience that is not limited to just a few countries or locations.
Global companies that make the effort to reach their target personas in their native languages in their countries will win market share. Making the investment to create localised websites demonstrates that you care about your global audience and that you want to provide them with the best user experience. It also helps you attract and retain more loyal customers across the globe.

A Localisation Checklist: Does Your Project Need Any of the Following?

Turning idioms into content that is clearly understood
Ensure that the colors and images do not send unintended messages
Modified graphics for cultural appropriateness
Translated text in images
Adapting the layout of the page to fit the translated text
Search Engine Optimisation and social media in the target languages
Technical preparation of the files containing content
Ensure that website links, URLs and structure are altered appropriately for the target language
Converting dates, times, and currencies to match local conventions
Performing market research to understand the target audience

Further Website Globalisation Considerations:

Make it easy for users to toggle between languages
Code is flexible for both languages and locations
Fonts supported for all target languages on all devices
Incorporating responsive web layouts to accommodate changes in text size, direction and shape
Ensuring that you can support your global expansion with international staff either internally or with a partner

If you’ve checked most of the boxes, your project is on the localisation track. [...]
An important component of website localisation is in-context review by a native speaker who has knowledge in the subject matter. During the localisation and translation process these in-country linguists evaluate the translated text within the website user interface and can also evaluate how the translated site looks on multiple devices.

Transcreation: The Spirit of the Brand, Adapted for a Whole New Customer

Sometimes, it is not enough to simply adapt the tone and style of the source content to a new locale. Instead, the intention of the campaign and overarching ethos of the brand has to be creatively transformed to port over the emotional connection to customers who have a completely different set of cultural norms and understandings.
This is when transcreation comes into play. While the goal still is to drive customers, the message with which that goal can be achieved might differ significantly from the original.
One of the historical examples of this was the introduction of the Chevy Nova to Mexico. In English the word implies an other-worldly experience of energy and speed. But “No Va” translates to “Does not work” in Spanish.

[...] Transcreation projects usually start with a creative brief, not with translating content from the source text into another language. And it is copywriters crafting the new message, not translators adapting tone or style. In the end, the creative concept gets recreated for a new target market. The words, the tone, and the visuals might be very different from the source content depending on the target audience and what message resonates with it.
And there are successes in the realm of transcreation. The iconic “Got Milk?” campaign that got across the message that milk was an essential ingredient in the diet of Americans of any age had to have a serious re-engineering to appeal to the Latino community.
The direct translation to Spanish would have asked people “Are you lactating?” Obviously, that’s not the right question – especially in view of the near disastrous connotation that it tells Latino moms (the traditional sustenance provider in the family) that they are not providing. In the end, positioning milk as an essential part of the latino diet also meant tying it to a key component of latino culture: Family. The transcreation solution produced a more fitting tagline for the target market: “Familia Amor y Leche” (“Family, Love and Milk.”).

A Transcreation Checklist: Does Your Project Need Any of the Following?

Simple translation will create confusion or offense in the new market
Locally-appropriate cultural references and language to convey brand message
Delivers a brand promise and must engage on an emotional level

Original article by Stephanie Harris can be found here: www.argosmultilingual.com/blog/translation-localization-difference#:~:text=%E2%80%9CTranslation%E2%80%9D%20is%20the%20process%20of,for%20another%20country%20or%20locale.

]]><![CDATA[Translation of Poetry]]>Sat, 22 May 2021 17:47:07 GMThttp://canistriggerpublishing.com/blog-it-out/translation-of-poetryPoetry, according to Alexander Pope, has been said to consist of “what oft was thought, but ne’er so well expressed” (1711). Thus, poetry seems to lie on a continuum with one end attached to human feelings and emotions, which can only be sensed, not given expression to; for how can we say how much we enjoyed a poem? The other side attached to his means of communication, i.e. language; hence the controversial relationship between language and mind.

The issue of the translatability of poetry has long been a heated debate among scholars. Some scholars believe that what is lost in translation is the poetry, while others state that all meanings are translatable and only the form of poetic discourse is lost in translation. There are still other scholars who believe that poetry translation is possible only if both the meaning and style of the source text are kept intact in the target language. Below is a sketch of the arguments of both groups:

According to Frost (1969), the main characteristic of poetic discourse that distinguishes it from common discourse is that in poetry form and content cannot be separated. Content is highly language-bound and this is what makes poetic translation of poetry more difficult than other types of translations. He believes poetry is what is lost in translation. Nabakof cited in Giblett (1987) compares poetry translation to beheading, insulting the dead and a parrot's scream, and Roman Jacobson (1960) states that poetry is by definition untranslatable.

As to those who take an almost positive stance concerning the translation of poetry, Boase-Beir and De Beauground cited in Connally (1991) believe that translation of poetry can be successful only if both style and content are transferred. Holmes (1970) who has a descriptive view towards translation believes that there may be as many different translations of the same poem as the number of translators. He adds that while the translation of a poem is never equal to the original, any text including a poetic one has many interpretations and therefore many possible translations. Nair (1991) believes that poetry is an imaginative expression of a poet's feelings and experiences and its translation must be a faithful transference of the poet's ideas. A poetry translator should, therefore, strive for accuracy and this makes the translator's fluency of expression indispensably difficult. Lefever (1992) who takes side with the issue introduces a number of methods for translation of poetry; namely, phonological translation, literal translation, rhythmic translation, translation into prose, translation into rhymed poetry, translation into poetry without rhyme (blank verse), and interpretive translation. He states that in the past most translators translated poetry into rhymed poetry but today they translate poetry into prose. He adds that some translators translate only the meaning at the price of the form but sometimes translators get help from the poet to create a new work.

A final word here is that the possibility of poetry translation does not mean that all aspects of a poem are translatable in practice, since each language has its own lexical and structural patterns which in some cases resist imitation in other languages. However, getting close to the original text as much as possible is not a far-fetched aspiration, as the past has witnessed great achievements in cross-cultural renderings of poetic masterpieces of a language to other languages. Nicholson’s (1962) translation of Rumi’s Mathnawi, Arberry’s (1947) Fifty Poems of Hafiz, and Rehatsek’s (1964) The Gulistan of Sádi are just a few to mention.

(Excerpt from: Translation of Poetry: Towards a Practical Model for Translation Analysis and Assessment of Poetic Discourse Article, in Journal of Universal Language · March 2008)]]><![CDATA[Basic differences between 'commercial' and literary translation]]>Mon, 19 Mar 2018 17:57:24 GMThttp://canistriggerpublishing.com/blog-it-out/basic-differences-between-commercial-and-literary-translationThere are several major differences between literary work and commercial translation activity.

Time Frame: While commercial work comes with days-away or even hours-away deadlines, book translation can have an open deadline, so that you can take as long as you like, within reason. Obviously, you want to finish your work as soon as possible, and the author is also eager to make the book available to the publishing world. Having all the time you need allows you to proceed at a comfortable pace. You should be able to work about five hours a day, with breaks. It is necessary to give yourself plenty of breathing time, especially between writing and revision, in order to gain a fresh perspective.

Monetary Considerations: Different arrangements for literary translations are usually followed, including 'pay for services' involving a set amount for the translation, which then could require complete ceding of rights upon completion. Another would be a royalty arrangement, with an advance or a guaranteed minimum.* In the latter scenario, if the book is a success, the translator could have long-term income, which could well exceed a per-word rate or set price for the work. This is a matter of negotiation, and depends on what the translator sees as his long-term prospects. Although most people have little taste for gambling on the long-term and would much rather walk away with a check.

Relations with the Client: Work coming through an agency usually involves virtually no contact with the original client. Some agencies are not very good about getting helpful information from their clients. This often means that the translator has to go to industry or actual client websites seeking terminology, descriptions of industrial processes, and perhaps other translations on the same topic.
In translating a literary work by a living author, there is the very real possibility of close contact with that author. Purposely avoid consulting existing translations of the work; although they may help untangle questionable syntax and time references, it is preferable to avoid “contamination” from another translator’s interpretation.
Obviously, doing a job by a dead author would not afford the same opportunity, but in such cases there may be prior translations, or translations into other languages that can be very helpful, as well as other critical literature.

Psychological Approach to the Work: With literary translation, unlike most commercial work, one develops an important psychological relationship with the project, the subject of the book, and the author. One grows either to love the work or to despise it.

Extract from: 'On Becoming a Literary Translator' by John B. Jensen

Notes:
*Landers, Clifford E. Literary Translation: A Practical Guide (Cleve don, Buffalo, Toronto, Sydney: Multilingual Matters Ltd., 2001), 191-195.]]><![CDATA[The Art of Literary Translation]]>Sun, 11 Feb 2018 15:33:13 GMThttp://canistriggerpublishing.com/blog-it-out/the-art-of-literary-translationLiterary translation is the translation of creative and dramatic prose and poetry into other languages. If the translation of non-literary works is regarded as a skill, the translation of fiction and poetry is much more of an art. A literary translator needs to have a good insight into the cultural background and development of the source language, as different types of fictional text often contain cultural allusions, puns, slang and references to other works.

The goal of translation is to establish a relation of equivalence of intent between the source and target texts (that is to say, to ensure that both texts communicate the same message), while taking into account a number of constraints. These constraints include context, the rules of grammar of both languages, their writing conventions, their idioms.

In her well-known study on stylistic approaches to translation, Jean Boase-Beier* writes as follows:
“Above all, a cognitive stylistic approach has suggested not only that literary translation is first and foremost the translation of style but also that the translated text is a type of writing different from the non-translated text.“
“The essential difference that has emerged is that a translated text will multiply the voices in the text, will give more scope for the reader’s engagement than did the original, and will make the reader’s search for cognitive contexts in which to understand the text harder, more prolonged, and more rewarding. While a non-literary translation will be primarily a set of instructions, or a critical work, or a report, or an example of whatever text type it belongs to, a literary translation, especially if it is informed by stylistic awareness, will be a more literary text than an untranslated text.”

Ultimately, literary translation is an artistic endeavor, and as such, can be enormously rewarding intellectually.

*Boase-Beier, Jean (2006). Stylistic approaches to translation. Translation Theories Explored. Manchester: St Jerome Publishing, pp. viii, 176, £19.50. ISBN 1-900650-98-3

'Writers make national literature, while translators make universal literature.' José Saramago, Portuguese writer and recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature.

]]><![CDATA[Six blogging tips to kick-start you writing career]]>Fri, 06 Nov 2015 17:17:54 GMThttp://canistriggerpublishing.com/blog-it-out/six-blogging-tips-to-kick-start-you-writing-careerYou have set your sights on becoming a writer, and a successful one at that. Great. You have also thought of the perfect story and cannot wait to start the writing process. Splendid. But there is a niggling doubt. Wouldn’t it be really nice to test the waters for a year to see how readers respond to your writing? Wouldn’t it be worthwhile to have a platform to showcase your writing ability and even understand a bit about the marketing and business aspects of your soon-to-be career? Yes and yes.

The really cool thing is there is such a platform. It’s called a blog. And it has become many upcoming writers’ best friend since the age of the internet dawned.

The figures are very encouraging: WordPress.com alone has 5,900,000 users in Australia, while Blogspot has 2,800,000 users in the country.

You too can make the best use of your blog to get a head start as a writer – and have fun while you’re at it. Here is how.

1) Think ahead, then think backwards

Confused? Well, this simply means you need to plan your blog around your writing career. By now you have already thought of the book you will soon be neck deep in. So plan your blog in such a way that its content keeps touching on your book’s big idea or theme in subtle ways.

You could, for instance, review books by authors in the same genre. Or write about your favourite classics that broadly fall in a similar category. Or even interview a writer you admire, someone who writes on the same themes and issues.

The possibilities are endless, really. You can think of a dozen ways to approach the subject. Keep at it, so that when your book is out, thousands of people already identify you as an expert of sorts on the subject or at least someone who is very enthusiastic about her or her genre.

2) Engage with your readers

This is your great opportunity to interact with your readers. Don’t just seek their comments after every post, but be attentive to what they are saying – and respond to them. You will quickly build up an enviable reader base, which will come in handy when you announce that upcoming book.

Be unfailingly polite. Always. Show genuine interest. There is nothing like building a fan club even before your book is out. It will boost your confidence – and your book’s sales.

3) Write a short story. Or two

Get your creative juices flowing. And experimenting with the short story form on your blog will get you noticed – and not just among general readers. The publishers and book firms of the world are always waiting to find the next big thing.

Who knows among your readers is the boss of a publishing company. Or her spouse. If your story-telling skills impress the right persons, it could mean your book launch just got easier.

Your readers’ responses will also give you crucial feedback. Writers and readers look at stories differently. You might be able to get a surprisingly new perspective about your own writing.

4) Connect to other blogs

Interactivity is the buzzword. Make sure you visit other writers’ blog you genuinely admire and leave thoughtful compliments. So even before you are formally a writer, you are already part of a community of writers. Getting that blurb on your book cover or someone to write a review will be a less stressful affair, particularly if you plan to self-publish.

It also helps to post more often. Studies show that once you publish 51 posts, blog traffic increases by more than 50%. It goes up three times after you have accumulated 100 posts.

5) Keep it informal, but not sloppy

Your words are your USP. Readers may overlook grammatical errors in, say, a blog by an astronomer or a musician (assuming they are not professional writers and have interesting things to say about astronomy and music). But since writing is your bread and butter, you will be naturally expected to maintain higher standards.

You don’t have to hire an editor. Writing with care and reading your latest post thoroughly before publishing it should suffice.

6) How personal should you be?

Your blog is your personal space, but do you really want to talk about your family and friends and lovers? It is possible to argue on both sides of the equation, but you may want to consider a separate blog or social media platform to share all aspects of your life with your readers. It is good if your writer’s blog has a more cultivated identity.

Your blog is your chance to live your writer’s dream even before becoming a writer. Follow these six mantras to make blogging a stepping stone to success.

“Inside us there is something that has no name, that something is what we are.” - José Saramago

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​Translation: Apples to Las Manzanas (“Apples” in Spanish)

Localisation: American “Apple Pie” to British “Apple Crumble”

Transcreation: The Spirit of the Brand, Adapted for a Whole New Customer

Translation: Apples to Las Manzanas (“Apples” in Spanish)