The first film I ever saw, when I was seven years old, was 'Red River' with John Wayne and Montgomery Clift. I was taken by my dear foster parents and I have never forgotten it. The following week I was taken to see 'Winchester 73', starring already mentioned James Stewart. Cinemas in those days were wondrous places with, it seemed to me, impossibly high ceilings and extravagant baroque decorations everywhere. This one had an amazing colour and light-filled organ, which came up out of floor. The whole thing, electric organ like a rainbow in dark, and ten-foot high cowboys clanking across screen (we always sat near front), made an indelible impression on me.

It was only later, when I started to read likes of Dee Wells' 'Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee' that I began to realize that Western myth, powerful as it was, had another side. When you grow up, you realize that everything has another side.

As for books, I suppose I read mainly English writers, from Kipling to John Galsworthy and G.K.Chesterton. Chesterton could be poignant, as in; 'With monstrous head and sickening cry, And ears like errant wings, The devil's walking parody On all four-footed things.

Fools! For I also had my hour; One far fierce hour and sweet: There was a shout about my ears, And palms before my feet.' The Donkey

and he could be funny in an odd sort of way;

'The souls most fed with Shakespeare's flame Still sat unconquered in a ring, Remembering him like anything'.

Chesterton once dedicated a story to his readers - 'So many of which belong to human race'.

One of my favourite writers at time was Henry Williamson, a contemporary and friend of T.E.Lawrence, 'Lawrence of Arabia'. His best-known book was 'Tarka Otter', a gritty, realistic story about life of an otter in North Devon. Much later I was disillusioned to find out that he was a Nazi sympathiser, and I think he once actually met Hitler. I can only think he was attracted by idea of 'purity'. Well, we all know where that leads.

I read a lot of science fiction in those days, starting with H.G.Wells, Arthur C.Clarke, C.S.Lewis, and going on to American writers, Ray Bradbury etc. Thats probably how I discovered American writers in general; Hemingway, John Steinbeck, who wrote East of Eden, from which film starring James Dean was made, and wonderful James Thurber, whose elegant and witty prose deserves to be better remembered than it is. Perhaps he really belongs to that black and white era in which Spenser Tracy always wore a suit and Katherine Hepburn would glide through a marble hall bigger than most people's houses today.

I must also mention William Faulkner who wrote about Deep South and mythical Yuknapatawpha County. In all his novels he explored sometimes convoluted relationship between races. He also wrote one humorous story, 'The Reivers', which was made into a film starring Steve McQueen. For me, he was one of best mid-century writers, although apparently he was not much liked by local farmers, who referred to him as 'that writing fella'. Perhaps he got too close for comfort in his stories. Or maybe it was his habit of retiring to bed for a couple of weeks every once in a while with a bottle of whisky and a copy of Shakespeare. You can never tell what these writing fellas are going to do next!

Finally in this tale of influences, it was as far as I remember, a book I'd been given for Christmas that first kindled my interest in art. It had pictures of boats and water - mostly oil paintings - and I was fascinated by way reflections in water had been portrayed. They looked so real, and at same time you could tell they had been painted. I still try to keep that feeling in my work today. Later on, at art college, I think one of tutors described painting as a dialog between reality and illusion, but I think what he meant was - it's magic.

James Collins http://www.pet-portraits-scotland.com email: collinsdallasart@tiscali.co.uk

Think of it this way. If you're fortunate, hundreds, even thousands of people may read your piece. You're probably hoping to get lots of new clients from this exposure. Posting or submitting your article is, in a sense, like going for a job interview.

Dot your i's, cross your t's. Make sure there are periods at end of sentences. Make sure you know how to use commas correctly, that you haven't made any common errors (for example, it's instead of its; there instead of their; your instead of you're). Check for missing words; check spelling of any unusual words.

If you have even slightest doubt about your English skills, have a professional proofreader or editor review your article. At very least, give it to a friend to read. Mistakes are very hard to catch in your own work.

6. Be brilliantly unoriginal. Your promotional article is almost guaranteed to fall into one of these five categories:

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What I want you to understand is that you don't have to have greatest, most never-thought-of-before idea in history of universe before you write your article. In fact, you can't. It's all been done.

That's unoriginal part.

Yet people are always itching to read, again and again, how they can improve in one of these areas (or about what a terrible time someone else is having in these areas, and thank heaven it's not them this time).

So please, just get over your fear and give us your unique take on eternal topics. Your unique take - that's brilliant part.

Brilliant doesn't have to be big. It can be:

- a new system for filing papers - absolute best way to make espresso - surefire way to find your G-spot or your Z-spot - a strategy for saving money that only an accountant like you would know

We're talking soft innovations that flaunt your particular expertise.

Your brilliance could be in how you package your experiences. Have you been through a messy relationship, learned how to talk better to your teenaged kids, survived a life-threatening illness, started up a successful small business? Chances are, there are people out there just waiting to hear how you did it. This information is gold.

There is brilliance in your own communication style. Are you kind and patient, buzzy and edgy, witty and ironic? Are you more like a kindly grandfather or more like a visionary CEO? Whatever your qualities, be utterly yourself.

Your brilliance can be simplicity and clarity with which you give your advice—the way you get your idea across so well, it's like we're hearing it for first time. The way you inspire. The passion with which you speak.

So don't worry that they've heard it all before. Of course they have. But they've never heard it all from you.