These groups or unions will give you more support, knowledge, and credibility and they are a great thing to add to your CV. If you know local clowns, ask them about alleys in your area, which can help you gain skills and network. On the national and international level, check out some of these prestigious organizations: Clowns of America International World Clown Association Clowns Canada Clowns International Hopefully by now you have put together an act, started on the ladder to stardom, and (if you're really committed) have made some cash as well. With show business, the sky really is the limit! Keep working on juggling, acting, telling stories, doing magic tricks, or whatever it is that makes your show special. Don't get complacent. There is always room for improvement. If you want to be the best clown ever, then you have to be able to know what your audience wants and how to give it to them. Here are some things you will have to work on to succeed in your career: Understanding of audience expectation of your performance's quality and authenticity Ability to speak in public without fear Ability to make children feel comfortable Performing in a way that ensures the safety of your audience If you want to be a circus clown, then you have to build up years of experience first. But if this is the route you want to take, then you have to apply to be a clown in the circus just as you would in any other job application; you'll need to include your resume, videos of your tricks, and to audition for the role if you are asked to do so. Auditioning for a circus, such as Cirque du Soleil or Barnum and Bailey's, is considered the big leagues of clowndom. Don't get discouraged if it doesn't work out right away. If you're curious about what you need to apply to be a circus clown, check out some applications online. If you're in the UK, then Chipperfields Circus will be the most elite place to try; in Germany, you can try Continental Circus Berlin.

Summary: Consider joining a clown group or a union. Continue to improve your skills. Continue to improve your engagement with the audience. Consider auditioning for a circus.

One of the joys of writing dark fantasy is that you are able to give your characters unique gifts or abilities. Having a main character who is unique or strange in some way will help to deepen her character and distinguish her from other characters in the story. Your main character may be the only one with these gifts or she may be surrounded by characters who also have gifts or abilities, but use them in different ways. Often, dark fantasy has characters with dark gifts that lead to trouble, conflict, and pain. For example, maybe your main character can communicate with the dead. This ability then leads her to communicate with the spirit of a dead Queen who pulls her into a fantastical world. Or, maybe your character is born half mutant, half human and must struggle to find her place in a world that views humans as lesser than or second class. You can also use your character's special abilities to create conflict and tension in the story, as she may be able to do things others cannot do or she may be ostracized for her abilities by others. It may help you get a better sense of your characters by writing down their physical and psychological traits. This is known as a character profile, where you outline the basic details and traits of your characters in a list or chart form. You can then use the profile to help you better imagine how a character might act in a scene or respond to a conflict. Your character profiles may include basic information on physical traits, such as height, weight, race, eye color, hair color, and any distinguishing features. You may also include psychological traits on your characters, such as their intelligence level, their educational background, their strengths and weaknesses, and their level of self confidence. You can also use the physical and psychological traits of your characters to create conflict and tension in your story. Having distinguishing features may lead to the character being outcast or highly regarded in the world of your story. Using these features as a character trait and as an element in the plot of the story will allow you to cover two story essentials in one swoop. Most dark fantasy novels are driven by a quest or mission, where your characters must face challenges and tests to achieve their goal. Though not every quest needs to be epic in scale or have global consequences, it does need to feel epic to your characters. Setting up a mission for your characters to fulfill will help your story to move forward with intensity and purpose, giving your readers motivation to read on. You may set up an epic mission for your main character or characters, where they must return a sacred object to its rightful place in order to save the human race from extinction. Or, you may set up a more intimate mission for your characters, where they must help a ghost correct a mistake in the past so the ghost can move on. No matter the level of the mission, having a mission in your story will give your story stakes and a deeper sense of meaning. Though most dark fantasy focuses on an external conflict, such as a mission, quest, or goal, good dark fantasy also focuses on internal conflict. They might be scarred by something in their past or fear to touch someone, maybe even have strong depression.Your characters should be motivated by internal issues they are dealing with as well as events happening in the world around them. Having this balance will help you create well-rounded, believable characters that your reader can empathize with. For example, maybe your main character is a young girl who can commune with ghosts and is trying to help a dead queen fix a mistake in a past world. Her internal conflict may be that she does not know how to control her abilities and is afraid of not being able to make it back to her present world and her family in the present world. This internal conflict should then interact with her external conflict or ability to complete her mission.

Summary: Give your characters unique gifts or abilities. Determine the physical and psychological traits of your characters. Create a quest or mission for your characters. Make sure your characters have internal conflict and external conflict.

The shelf boards should all be the same length; if not, cut them to the same length. You can also use cinder blocks, in which case you'll only need one on each side rather than the two bricks. Since the shelf has little support, it needs to be flush against a wall, or have some sort of similar flat backing. Place another two bricks together on the opposite side to form the base of the shelving. The distance between the bricks should be determined by the plank length, with a small amount of plank overhanging at each side (about a 2 inches). There should be two bricks on each side of the shelf to support it. You'll place the first shelf board onto the base bricks. Then place two bricks side by side on the shelf in the same position as the base bricks. This time, add two sets more bricks on top to make a pillar. Do the same for the other side. The shelf has been made. It's simple but it's adequate for keeping things like books, DVDs and CDs in order. If you want to strengthen this structure, add a cross-brace to the back of the shelf unit, screwing it into the shelf boards.

Summary: Find some bricks and shelf boards. Choose a suitable place for the shelf. Place two bricks together on the floor space selected. Create the shelving. Add the next shelf board.

Cherry tomatoes and grape tomatoes are often used for roasting. These tomatoes cook quickly and are much easier to handle than larger tomatoes. Grape tomatoes are meatier and not as sweet as cherry tomatoes. Smaller tomatoes are often cut into halves, but they can also be roasted whole. Plum tomatoes are commonly used in roasting, although any type of tomato works. Look for Roma tomatoes, which are a tangy type of plum tomato with few seeds. They hold up well in heat, making them a great snack or ingredient in another recipe. Some large tomatoes are roasted after being cut in half. To maximize your yield, divide each tomato up into slices.
Summary: Choose smaller tomatoes for quicker, faster roasting. Use larger tomatoes if you need ones that hold their shape better.