It's amazing how long it took me to actually start writing and submitting articles for publication.

I knew all reasons for writing articles, but still bulked at idea of writing my own articles. Who would want to hear my feeble ramblings?

I kept placing my ads and sending out my newsletter and generally stayed in my comfortable rut. I was on slow boat to China.

Then one day I got sick and had to spend a week in hospital. The doctors told me I couldn't work for at least a year.

I guess I was like stubborn mule on farm. The only way to get his attention is to hit him on side of head with a two by four.

Well I'd just been hit and it was time for this mule to either pack it in or break down my mental barriers.

I started by writing articles for my newsletter. I still wasn't ready to start submitting them. I guess lick to head wasn't hard enough.

Low and behold some of my readers started sending in positive feedback. Wow! That was a rush I hadn't counted on.

SELL, CELL Sell is to exchange for money; cell is a small room.

SCENE, SEEN Scene is place where something happens; seen is past participle of see. "Yet he had seen nothing suspicious at scene of accident." (Of course you wouldn't write a sentence like that; two words make for a clumsy combination. I would probably replace "scene" with "site".)

SITE, SIGHT, CITE Site always refers to location or place: building site; archaeology site. "We will site house to take advantage of panoramic views." Sight always refers to vision, as in cliche "a sight for sore eyes". "We sighted two horsemen coming over hill." "It was a sight I would never forget." "She feared she might lose her sight." Cite means to summon, or to refer to a source, as in following sentences: "I was cited as a witness to accident." "He cited in his defence an incident in which these same people were involved."

SOME TIME, SOMETIME This is a common confusion. Some time is a period of time and sometime means at some time not specified. "Some time ago you promised to introduce me to your brother." "Sometime when you're not busy we must do this again."

STATIONARY, STATIONERY Stationary means standing still. Stationery refers to writing paper.

STATUE, STATUTE, STATURE Statue is a carved or moulded likeness; statute is law; stature means height or status.

STRAIGHT, STRAIT Straight means without bends; strait is a passage of water.

TENANT, TENET Tenant is one who rents a property; tenet is a principle or belief.