Problem: Article: Your alien sci-fi story could focus primarily on aliens and their perspective on the world. You may not have any humans in the story and instead, focus primarily on the alien point of view. Or, you may want to write an alien invasion story, where aliens invade the human world. Some alien sci-fi stories focus on the interaction between humans and aliens. Often, the aliens and the humans in the story are in conflict. Some sci-fi writers use the conflict between aliens and humans to then push the story forward and propel the plot of the story. Some of the best alien sci-fi will put the aliens front and center, creating aliens who have their own world, rules, and backstory. Often, the aliens will be just as prominent as the humans in the story, giving the reader two different perspectives on a conflict or issue. To get a better sense of this genre, you should read examples of alien sci-fi stories. Several examples include: The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. Dawn by Octavia Butler. The Word for the World Is Forest by Ursula Le Guin. Dreamcatcher by Stephen King. Pandora's Planet by Christopher Anvil. Once you have read a few examples of alien sci-fi, you should analyze them. Consider how the author creates the alien world and the human world, if there is a human world in the story. Note how the author builds conflict and tension in the story. You may also compare and contrast a few examples to determine which approaches to the alien world you like better or find more engaging and entertaining. Ask yourself several questions, including: How does the author characterize the aliens in the story? How do the humans interact with the aliens? How does the story build tension and conflict? Does the ending of the story satisfy your curiosity as reader? Is the ending optimistic about aliens and humans interacting or is it more pessimistic and dark?
Summary: Learn about the role of aliens in a sci-fi story. Read examples of alien sci-fi stories. Analyze the examples.

Problem: Article: From Tiger Woods to Arnold Palmer, just about every golf master has a 3:1 swing tempo, meaning their backswing takes 3 times longer to complete than their downswing. While practicing, ask a friend to time both portions of your swing to see how you stack up. If your downswing is too fast, try slowing down your takeaway to change the pace of the shot. If your downswing is too slow, make sure your posture is correct and not causing unnecessary drag. When working on your tempo, practicing with real balls can quickly psyche you out, especially if they never go as far as you want. So you can focus exclusively on the speed of your swing, practice with nothing but an empty tee. With no ball to worry about, you can think more about how long a shot takes and whether or not it feels right. It can be difficult to change your current golf tempo, especially if you're an experienced player with a lot of built in muscle memory. However, you don't need to do it overnight. Instead, try to slow down or speed up your swing by about 25% at a time. Practice at your new pace until you get used to it, then change it by another 25%. Keep doing this until you reach the 3:1 swing ratio. In many cases, tempo problems stem from inconsistent swings, meaning the golfer changes their speed between holes, clubs, or even individual shots. Having a variable tempo means that the rhythm of each swing is random, making it difficult to control the power of your shots or predict what each swing will accomplish. Do your best to be consistent from 1 shot to the next, that way you can enjoy the benefits of proper golfing tempo. With the exception of the putter, you can use the same tempo for every type of club. Until your tempo becomes second nature, keeping a mental timer can help you make your shots more consistent while ensuring they're done at a proper speed. Though you can choose any pattern you want, the 1-2-3 count used for waltzing meshes well with golf tempo, the first 2 beats lining up with the backswing and the third beat lining up with the downswing. In addition, you can try and time out your swings using songs like: Edelweiss from Fiddler on the Roof, where the backswing lines up with "E-del" and the downswing lands on "weiss." Fly Me To The Moon by Frank Sinatra, where the backswing lines up with "Fly me to" and the downswing lands on "the moon." Fallin' by Alicia Keys, where the backswing lines up with "I keep on" and the downswing lands on "fallin'."
Summary: Aim for a downswing that is 3 times faster than your backswing. Practice your shots with an empty tee. Alter your swing speed in 25% increments. Keep your speed consistent between shots. Count in your head to better time your swing.

Problem: Article: 4 times the number of stitches you will need for your project. When you start a project with a ruffled border, you will need to cast on 4 times the amount of stitches that your pattern calls for. For example, if your pattern tells you to cast on 30 stitches, cast on 120 stitches to start. This provides the fabric volume for the ruffles. To cast on, make a slipknot and tighten it on the right hand needle. Loop the working yarn around the left hand needle 1 time, and then insert the right hand needle into the loop. Loop the yarn over the right hand needle tip, and pull it through the loop. After you have cast on the required number of stitches, begin knitting. Knit all of the stitches in the first row, unless your pattern instructs you to do otherwise. For example, if your pattern instructs you to work the ruffle in another special stitch, then work that stitch instead. To knit a stitch, insert the right hand needle through the loop from the front. Loop the yarn over the right hand needle and pull the yarn through the stitch on the left hand needle. Let the stitch on the left hand needle slide off. You may continue working the rest of your rows in the knit stitch for a garter stitch ruffle. To continue working your ruffle in the stockinette stitch, the second row and all even rows thereafter will need to be purled. Check your knitting pattern instructions to see if this is the recommended stitch. To purl, insert the right hand needle through the first stitch on the left hand needle from the back. Then, loop the yarn over the tip of the right hand needle and pull it through. Hold the yarn taut and then lift the old stitch slide off of the left hand needle. Your ruffle can be as long or as short as you'd like it to be, but a good length might be anywhere from 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15.2cm). Keep working the rows until your project is the desired length. Measure the ruffle with a ruler when it seems like you are getting close to the desired length, especially if you are trying to achieve a specific measurement. across the row. Knitting a decrease row will gather the strip of knit stitches you have created and make them start to look like a ruffle. To knit 2 together, insert your knitting needle in through 2 stitches at one time, and then knit the 2 stitches together just the same as you would knit 1 stitch. Continue to knit 2 together all the way to the end of the row. If you are working in the garter stitch, then work another row of knit 2 together stitches after this row to complete your ruffle border. If you are working in the stockinette stitch, then you will need to purl 2 together all the way across the next row. Purling 2 together is the same as knitting 2 together, but you will be purling 2 stitches at 1 time instead of knitting them. Continue to purl 2 together all the way to the end of the row. After you complete the decrease rows, resume working normal rows in the stitch of your choice or as indicated by your project. For example, if your project calls for knitting all of the rows after adding the ruffle, then knit all of the rows until your project is the desired length.
Summary:
Cast on Knit all of the stitches in the first row. Purl all stitches in the second row for a stockinette stitch ruffle. Continue to repeat the row sequence until you have the desired length. Knit 2 together Purl 2 together all the way across. Continue working rows until your project is complete.