Problem: Article: Revision literally means to re-view something, to look at it again. Look at your fiction from the point of view of your readers, not you as a writer. If you had paid money to read this book, would you be satisfied? Do you feel a connection to your characters? Revision can be incredibly hard; there's a reason why in the writing business it's often talked about as "killing your darlings." Don't be afraid to cut out words, paragraphs, and even entire sections. Most people pad their stories with extraneous words or passages. Cut, cut, cut. That is the key to success. If something in your story isn't working, change it up! If it's written in first person, put it in third person. See which you like better. Try new things, add new plot points, add different characters or put a different personality on a current character, etc. Particularly when you're just starting out, you may try to use shortcuts to express something, such as overusing adverbs and adjectives to describe how an event or experience feels. Mark Twain offers some good advice on dealing with fluff words: "Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very.' Your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be." For example, consider this sentence from Stephenie Meyer's New Moon: "'Hurry, Bella,' Alice interrupted urgently." Interrupting is itself an urgent action: it puts a stop to another action. The adverb doesn't actually add anything to the action. In fact, this sentence doesn't even need a dialogue tag; you can show one character interrupting another by using an em-dash, like this:"Sure," I said, "I was just ab--""Come on already!" Writers often lean heavily on cliches, especially in early drafts, because they're very familiar ways of expressing an idea or image. However, that's also their weakness: everyone has read that a character "lives life to the fullest," so it lacks genuine impact. Consider this advice from playwright Anton Chekhov: "Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass." This advice also points out the usefulness of showing rather than telling. These are the little things that can get lost while you're drafting but that readers notice immediately. Your character might have been wearing a blue dress at the beginning of the chapter but is now wearing a red dress in the same scene. Or one character leaves the room during a conversation but is back in the room a few lines later without having been shown re-entering it. These little errors can quickly irritate readers, so read carefully and correct them. Sometimes, dialogue can look perfectly fine on the page but sound cringe-worthy when actually spoken by people. Or you may discover you've written a sentence that extends for an entire paragraph and even you get lost by the end. Reading your work aloud helps you catch awkward passages and places that have information gaps.
Summary: Revise, revise, revise. Experiment with different techniques. Eliminate fluff. Slice out cliches. Check for continuity errors. Read your fiction out loud.

Problem: Article: Take regular and advanced classes in these subjects. Work hard and earn high marks in these classes, as this will give you a good foundation for the study of astronomy. If you struggle to do well in these subjects, you may hire a tutor to help you get better grades. You can also join a study group to help you earn better marks in these subjects. Take a four year degree in science, majoring in astronomy or physics. This degree will teach you key skills and prepare you for a career as an astronomer. Some universities will offer a degree specialization in astrophysics, which is a mix of astronomy and physics. Speak to an academic advisor for advice on which universities to apply to. You may apply to your local university or college. Or you may earn your degree in a university that is out of state or in a different city. Pick a university that offers a good bachelor's program in science and good financial aid. Most astronomers have a master's degree in science as well as an undergraduate degree. This degree can take at least two years to complete. Getting a master's degree will allow you to take specialized classes on astronomy, physics, and math. You will also get a chance to do research in the field. As part of your master's degree, you will also write a master's thesis that explores a specific topic or idea in astronomy. Doing a Ph.D gives you the opportunity to study a particular area of astronomy, such as radio, solar, cosmos, or galactic astronomy. You will need to take classes that cover a particular area of astronomy. This degree can take four to five years to complete. There are many different areas of astronomy that you can study at the Ph.D level. Take the time to figure out what interests you, such as planets and moons, the cosmos, or the galaxies. As part of your Ph.D, you are usually given the opportunity to do internships and research fellowships in your particular area of study. This is a great way to gain work experience in the field. To get your Ph.D, you will need to create a dissertation proposal. Your dissertation should provide a deep study of a particular topic in the field of astronomy. You will then need to write the dissertation, which can range from 80 to 100 pages. You will also need to take qualifying exams to graduate with a Ph.D. The qualifying exams will vary depending on the program you are in. You usually have to write a paper and do an oral presentation to pass the exams. Examples of possible dissertation topics include exploring star formations, examining high mass planets, and analyzing radio pulsars.
Summary: Get good grades in high school physics, mathematics, and chemistry. Earn a bachelor's degree in science, with a focus on astronomy or physics. Get a master's degree in science. Pursue a Ph.D in a particular area of astronomy. Complete your Ph.D dissertation and take the qualifying exams.

Problem: Article: A clicker is a small plastic box with a metal tab in it. When you press it, it makes a clicking sound. These are available online or in pet stores, and they cost as little as $1. These are commonly used to train dogs and cats. It's best to use a clicker specifically designed for training. If you don't have one, though, make a distinct clicking noise with your mouth, or you can use a pen that makes a clicking sound. If your cat is deaf, you can use a pen light to achieve the same results. In order for the training to work, you need to give your cat a reward. A common reward is a special treat of some sort (e.g., tuna or deli turkey), and it should be something that can be given instantly to reward behavior. If the treat is food, it should be cut up into pea-sized chunks. Some cats might respond well to affection or a toy. Use a stick-like object, such as a pen or a spoon. This item should be easily recognizable and used only for training. Your cat will eventually follow this object as a target, so you don't want your cat jumping up to the dinner table to follow her training spoon. You can make a target stick by putting a Ping-Pong ball on the end of a pencil or chopstick. Don't use the treat as the target. This will teach your cat to do tricks only when there is a treat involved. Eventually you'll want to be able to get your cats to do tricks without treats (though you should still reward with treats sporadically). Set aside about 5 minutes for each training session, and hold these sessions a few times a day. Wait until your cat is active and hungry (it should be at least 20-30 minutes until mealtime). He will be more interested in the treat and will respond better to the training. Start your training in a location that will be quiet and without distractions. If you have other pets around, try putting them outside or in a separate room while you work on training your cat.
Summary:
Get a clicker. Have some treats on hand. Get a target item. Find a good time to train. Start in a quiet location.