Creative Writing How to Get Started with Creative Writing [+ 9 Exercises]

Creative Writing How to Get Started with Creative Writing [+ 9 Exercises] Creative Writing: How to Get Started with Creative Writing [+ 9 Exercises] Creative writing is one of those skills you can eternally get better at.Now, were not saying your creative writing is bad necessarily, but just that if you want to continue to push yourself in this industry, youll need some work.You might not like to face that truth, but it is indeed a truth. I’ll go into more detail about that in a little bit but every writer out there needs some writing tips to help them get better.And one of the best ways to get better at creative writing is to first learn and understand the craft of it, and then challenge yourself by completing writing exercises.Heres what youll learn about creative writing:What is creative writing?Creative writing topicsElements of creative writingExamples of creative writing9 powerful creative writing exercisesNOTE: We cover everything in this blog post and much more about the writing, marketing, and publishing process in our VIP Fiction Self-Publishing Program. Learn more about it hereWhat is Creative Writing?Creative w riting is a form of writing where creativity is at the forefront of its purpose through using imagination, creativity, and innovation in order to tell a story through strong written visuals with an emotional impact. It’s often seen as the opposite of journalistic or academic writing.When it comes to writing, there are many different types. As you already know, all writing does not read in the same way.Creative writing uses senses and emotions in order to create a strong visual in the reader’s mind whereas other forms of writing typically only leave the reader with facts and information instead of emotional intrigue.Creative Writing TopicsIf you’re looking for a few creative writing topics to dive into (which you’ll need if you’re going to use some of our top writing exercises), we have exactly what you need.These are our top creative writing prompts all compiled for you.Just fill out the form below and your writing prompts will be delivered promptl y! What are the Elements of Creative Writing?In order to get better at creative writing, you have to understand the elements of what makes writing a book great.You can’t build a car engine without understanding how each part plays a role, right? That’s the same case with writing.Here are the elements that make up creative writing and why each is just as important as the other.Unique Plot What differentiates creative writing and other forms of writing the most is the fact that the former always has a plot of some sort and a unique one. Yes, remakes are also considered creative writing, however, most creative writers create their own plot formed by their own unique ideas. Without having a plot, there’s no story.And without a story, you’re really just writing facts on paper, much like a journalist.Character development Characters are necessary for creative writing. While you can certainly write a book creatively using the second person point of view (which Iâ⠂¬â„¢ll cover below), you still have to develop the character in order to tell the story.Character development can be defined as the uncovering of who a character is and how they change throughout the duration of your story. From start to end, readers should be able to understand your main characters deeply.Underlying themeAlmost every story out there has an underlying theme or message even if the author didn’t necessarily intend for it to. But creative writing needs that theme or message in order to be complete. That’s part of the beauty of this form of art. By telling a story, you can also teach lessons.Visual descriptions When you’re reading a newspaper, you don’t often read paragraphs of descriptions depicting the surrounding areas of where the events took place. Visual descriptions are largely saved for creative writing.You need them in order to help the reader understand what the surroundings of the characters look like. This pulls readers in and a llows them to imagine themselves in the characters’ shoes which is the reason people read.Point of view There are a few points of views you can write in. That being said, the two that are most common in creative writing are first person and third person.First Person In this point of view, the narrator is actually the main character. This means that you will read passages including, â€Å"I† and understand that it is the main character narrating the story.Second Person Most often, this point of view isn’t used in creative writing, but rather instructional writing like this blog post. When you see the word â€Å"you† and the narrator is speaking directly to you, it’s second person point of view.Third Person Within this point of view are a few different variations. You have third person limited, third person multiple, and third person omniscient. The first is what you typically find.Third person limiteds narrator uses â€Å"he/she/they† wh en speaking about the character you’re following. They know that character’s inner thoughts and feelings but nobody else’s. It’s much like first person, but instead of the character telling the story, a narrator takes their place.Third person multiple is the same as limited except that the narrator now knows the inner thoughts and feelings of several characters.The last, third person omniscient, is when the narrator still uses â€Å"he/she/they† but has all of the knowledge. They know everything about everyone.Dialogue While non-creative writing can have dialogue (like in interviews), that dialogue is not used in the same way as it is in creative writing. Creative writing (aside from silent films) requires dialogue to support the story.Your characters should interact with one another in order to further the plot and development each other more.Imaginative language Part of what makes creative writing creative is the way you choose to craft the visio n in your mind. And that means creative writing uses more anecdotes, metaphors, similes, figures of speech, and other comparisons in order to paint a vivid image in the reader’s mind.Emotional appeal All writing can have emotional appeal. However, it’s the entire goal of creative writing. Your job as a writer is to make people feel how you want them to by telling them a story.Examples of Creative WritingSince creative writing covers such a wide variety of writing, we wanted to break down the different types of creative writing out there to help you make sense of it. You may know that novels are considered creative writing, but what about memoirs?Here are examples of creative writing:NovelsShort storiesPoetryPlaysMemoirs TV show scriptsMovei scriptssongsspeeches9 Creative Writing Exercises to Improve Your WritingWriting is just like any other skill. You have to work at it in order to get better.It’s also much like other skills because the more you do it, the stro nger you become in it. That’s why exercising your creative writing skills is so important.The best authors out there, including Stephen King, recommend writing something every single day. These writing exercises will help you accomplish that and improve your talent immensely.Have you checked out our fiction writing and self-publishing program? Learn more about it here#1 Describe your day with creative writingThis is one of my favorite little exercises to keep my writing sharp and in shape.Just like with missing gym sessions, the less you write, the more of that skill you lose. Hannah Lee Kidder, a very talented author and Youtuber, gave me this writing exercise and I have used it many times.Creative Writing Exercise:All you have to do is sit down and describe your day starting with waking up as if you were writing it about another person. Use your creative writing skills to bring life to even the dullest moments, like showering or brushing your teeth.#2 Description Depict ion If you’re someone who struggles with writing descriptions or you just want to get better in general, this exercise will help you do just that and quickly.In order to improve your descriptions, you have to write them with a specific intention.With this exercise, the goal is to write your description with the goal of showing the reader as much as you can about your character without ever mentioning them at all.Creative Writing Exercise:For this one, craft a character in your mind. It can be one you already created or a completely new one.Pick 5 key qualities about them you want to highlight within your description. Then, without ever mentioning the character at all, describe either their living room or their bedroom to meet that goal.#3 Edit your old writingBelieve it or not, editing does count as writing and can actually sharpen those creative writing skill more than you think.It can be a little scary to pull up a story you wrote last week or even two years ago and tear it apart. But that’s exactly what I want you to do.Check out this video of me editing my old writing in order to replace weak verbs with stronger, better ones to get a taste of what this can look like and how it can help you get better. #4 Voice VariationsOne of my favorite parts of writing is giving unique voices to each character. I believe that’s what truly brings them to live. Their dialogue as the power to pull readers in, or push them out of the book completely.Obviously, you want the former.During this creative writing exercise, your focus will be to pick 4 different emotional states and write dialogue and narrative of how your character feels and interprets those feelings.Creative Writing Exercise:For this one, craft a character in your mind. It can be one you already created or a completely new one.Choose your 4 emotional states and get creative. You can choose sadness, anger, happiness, and excitement BUT you can also go a bit further and choose to use drun k, flirty, terrified, and eager.After you have 4 emotional states, write one page of each using dialogue and narrative your character would use.#5 Single SensesCreating strong visuals is one of the most powerful ways to become a great creative writer. In fact, practicing this will help you craft books that really hook readers.This exercise’s goal is to help you develop writing the senses in ways that not only make sense, but are also imaginative and unique.#6 Dialogue DestructionDuring this exercise, you will learn a lot about how to shape a scene using entirely dialogue.Now, this isn’t something you’ll always do in your writing, but it’s very important to know how to move a scene forward using dialogue if you need to.This will also help you understand how to show and not tell in creative writing.Creative Writing Exercise:To start, choose a scene you wrote previously that has little to no dialogue, but is still very important.Next, rewrite the entire th ing using dialogue (including dialogue tags and body language descriptions). You will quickly become better at using dialogue to show and not tell.#7 Tell the origin story of the Tooth FairyThis writing exercise will really help you think creatively about something a large part of the world knows about.However, you have to think of a very unique, interesting way of presenting this common idea. The purpose of this is to help you dig deeper within your own story and plot in order to come up with the very best, most unique ideas because that is what will stand out in your book.Creative Writing Exercise:Begin this story like you would any other. Develop who the very first Tooth Fairy is and understand their character. Then, start creating a backstory that coincides with how they ended up becoming the tooth fairy.Write this in full, ending with the Tooth Fairy taking their first tooth.#8 Thematic AtticThis is a fun one! The idea behind this creative writing exercise is to focus on int erpreting themes through story.Since all creative writing has an underlying theme behind it, it’s really important for you to be able to accurately depict that theme throughout the story you’re telling.Otherwise, it can get lost. Not knowing the theme can often leave readers feeling unsatisfied and rightfully so.Creative Writing Exercise:For this exercise, pick an overarching theme you want to focus on. This can be anything from equality to the difference between right and wrong.Next, craft a short story with the setting being and do your best to make sure that theme shines throughGet creative! Your attic can even contain a portal to another dimension if you really want it to.#9 Break Language BarriersThis isn’t quite what you think it is. So no, we will not be creating new languages with this exercise.Instead, we’ll be working on using unique language to describe very common, everyday occurrences and experiences.One of the beauties of creative writing is that you have the power to change the way someone sees the world. You can make it more appealing and special to them if you know how.This exercise will help you develop the skill of using a unique narrative within your story.Creative Writing Exercise:In this creative writing exercise, you’ll start by reading. You can read a new book or even some of your old writing.Highlight or copy sentences or paragraphs you think are very common experiences that most everyone in the world knows of. For example: the sunset, brushing your teeth, looking up at the sky.Your job is to rewrite these experiences in the most unique way you can using visuals that you don’t normally see in writing.Here’s an example:BEFORE The sun set beyond the trees.AFTER The trees tucked the sun in for the night.[su_box title=Creative Writing Exercise box_color=#112947 title_color=#ffffff radius=0][/su_box]Turn Your Creative Writing Idea into a Novel PUBLISH!Now that youre more ready than ever to produce a high quality book, its time to take action.

Daisyworld Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

Daisyworld - Coursework Example The surface temperature of a lifeless planet would have changed dramatically with the increase in luminosity of the sun over geological timescales; on Earth, it has remained remarkably constant around temperatures suitable for life (s Harvey, 2003). Daisyworld is a simplified model of an imaginary planet with just two species of daisies, black and white in order to demonstrate the way it happens. The growth rate of the daisies depends on their local temperature but the daisies modify this due to the differences in the way of absorbing radiation; black daisies have low albedo i.e. reflectivity and thus they heat up easily. On the other hand, white daisies with higher albedo tend to reflect the sun's radiation. The Gaia hypothesis (Lovelock, 1972, 1979, 1988) came into the scene with the problem of determining the possibilities of life on Mars1. To carry out the experiments, it was neither easy not necessary according to Hitchcock and Lovelock (1966), to go to Mars. They claimed that all that was required is determination of the composition of the atmosphere of Mars. The atmosphere of Mars should be at chemical equilibrium (which is true) in the absence of any form of life on the planet. Similarly, if the atmosphere were not at equilibrium just like Earth, then this would strongly support the possibility of life on mars. Lovelock believed that the Planet Earth should be studied as an organism due to the analysis that the general activity of the planet can effectively indicate the existence of life on it. The characteristic properties exhibited by the living things like respiration, metabolism, self-regulation, irritability and reproduction can be studied for the determination of life. To consider earth as an organism is just a matter of choice of great researchers but it certainly posses many properties similar to organisms. The key objections that have been raised to the Gaia hypothesis are based on the evolution theory. Arguments are there on the consideration of Earth as an organism believing that organism properties arise only through natural selection. There is no particular mechanism so that the Earth can maintain the favourable conditions for the biota and hence there is no need to consider the matter (Dawkins, 1982). Continuous arguments were present about the

Comparison of Alphaville with Today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparison of Alphaville with Today - Essay Example The plot unleashes gradually when a secret agent is sent to catch Alphaville who is controlled by a computer Alpha 60 and the creator of this invention, Professor Von Braun (Constantine and Karina, 1965). This movie is basically symbolic of the fact that human beings have been dominated by the scientific inventions. They have lost their ability to feel and think. They have become robots like Alphaville and their behavior is termed as â€Å"outlandish†. In this scenario the relationship between Natacha Von Braun and Lemmy Caution, the secret agent, is quite significant because Natacha is unable to voice her feelings. It is not that she does not want to. She just doesn’t have the words to describe what she feels. On the other hand the poignancy of the scene touches the audience immensely where Natacha tells Lemmy that he is looking at her in a strange way to which he agrees. Then she asks if he is waiting for her to say something to him and to this also he agrees. Here, N atacha admits that she is clueless because she has never been taught the words to say what is expected of her here and that Lemmy should help. Lemmy replies that he will not be able to help her because she needs to help herself; that is the only way she will be saved. However, if she doesn’t, she would be â€Å"as lost as the dead ofAlphavile† (Constantine and Karina, 1965). ... The fact that a person, Alphaville, is being controlled by a computer also reflects the concept of totalitarianism. This is a concept or phenomenon according to which a state or government has the right to interfere with the private life of the citizens and the opinion of the citizens do not matter. The same idea has been portrayed in the 1965 film. The computers decide what is good and bad for the human beings and the human beings are not allowed to have any say in their own lives. According to Professor Bon Braun who is the creator of Alpha 60, everything is in control of science and machines(Conquest, 2001). It can be said that this movie was way ahead of its time but it still managed to capture the very essence and causes of the human decline, which is evident today. This movie made it clear that there is a very thin line between the human world and machine world and that time is not very far away when this line will be crossed by the human beings. A famous essayist,Professor Sus an Greenfield opines that people will have to wake up from their gadget-drugged and â€Å"pharmaceutically enhanced† slumber that has made their brains immune. According to him, soon there will be little if any difference between humans and machines. This quote can be related to â€Å"Alphaville† as well. The characters portrayed in the movies are expressionless and emotionless. They even talk like robots, without pausing and without much feeling with a poker face. Like Natacha Van Braun speaks rarely and whenever she does, it is on the professor’s command. For instance, when she is asked about how she is, she says, â€Å"I’m very well thank you you’re welcome.†(Greenfield, n.d.). If on one hand, this film is

Performance Management and Executive Compensation Essay Example for Free

Performance Management and Executive Compensation Essay Introduction In the history of modern economies, from the late 1800s to today businesses have faced ethical challenges regarding compensation for executives and its relation to job performance. In response to major economic crises during the 20th century, the United States enacted broad-based legislation measures as attempts to prevent what were seen as ethical challenges and agency conflicts surrounding both performance management and executive compensation. To understand the current issues facing businesses and regulators, it is important to look at three of most significant legislative acts Congress has passed. The Securities Exchange Acts of 1933 and 1934, as well as the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 represent legislative interventions regarding corporate financial accounting toward the goal of curtailing the ethical challenges and the conflict of agency problems that can arise from performance management and executive compensation. Yet even after these laws were enacted, ethical conflicts can and still do arise when it comes to the compensation for employers and executives. Securities Act of 1933 The Securities Act of 1933 was born in response to the stock market crash of 1929. Just as it was then, companies who issue securities to raise money for funding new investments or to expand operations have an inherent incentive to present their company and its plans in the rosiest light possible to investors (Sarkar, 2013). The Securities Act of 1933 serves the dual purpose of ensuring that issuers of securities to the public disclose material information to investors as well as ensuring that any securities transactions are not based on fraudulent information or practices (Sarkar, 2013). The Securities Act of 1933 affects public disclosures through a mandatory registration process for sellers and brokers and applies to the sale or trade of any regulated security type (Sarkar, 2013). Securities Act of 1934 (a.k.a. the Exchange Act) The Exchange Act primarily regulates transactions of securities that take place after its initial offering by a company (Sarkar, 2013). These transactions often take place between parties other than the issuer, such as through trades that retail investors execute via brokerage firms (Sarkar, 2013). The biggest effect of The Exchange Act was the creation of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a federal agency responsible for regulating the securities markets (Sarkar, 2013). Since 1934, the SEC has taken on the role of mitigating fraud, abuse, and other ethical issues in the financial reporting of publicly traded entities. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 The Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act of 2002 was the most significant legislation passed since the 1930s and came in the aftermath of the corporate scandals at companies such as Enron, WorldCom, and Arthur Andersen (Amadeo, 2013). Sarbanes-Oxley created the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), a new organization whose purpose is to help oversee the accounting industry (Amadeo, 2013). To prevent the sort of conflicts of interest that had led to the Enron fraud, SOX established new prohibitions for auditors when engaging in consultation work for their auditing clients. It also banned company loans to executives and gave increased job protections to whistleblowers (Amadeo, 2013). Performance Management and Executive Compensation Even after the passing of the Securities and Exchanges Acts of 1933 and 1934 and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, there are reasons to be concerned about ethical violations in financial accounting. Two areas where there still exist possibilities for unethical activity which could harm the supply of reliable information to investors are the performance management within a company and the compensation packages of executives. Current Ethical Challenges When evaluating situations to support ethical decision-making, one must first identify the ethical problems as they arise (Eldenburg, 2005). Performance measurements are most often measured in terms of time or financial figures – â€Å"how long† or â€Å"how much.† When selecting a new CEO, the board of directors is required to offer a financial package that is both lucrative enough to attract the most qualified individual and yet also appears fair to other ranking executives of the company. Such financial packages need to be approved by the major shareholders when the salary will impact the company’s financial reports. During an economic recession, firms may significantly downsize their workforce as well as benefits and labor rates employees receive, yet often find themselves contractually obligated to hand-out large bonuses and increasing salaries for their executives. This is potentially a major ethical issue for a company and its executives, with the fibers of the company being reduced while executives are earning more and more – even though the firm is struggling. â€Å"CEOs at the countrys 200 largest companies earned an average of 20 percent more last year than in 2009, according to recent corporate filings. By comparison, average pay for workers in the private sector rose just 2.1 percent last year—nearly the smallest increase in decades† (Harkinson, 2011). It is also not unheard of for CEOs to be forced to step down while still receiving their lucrative compensation packages only to also be given a generous â€Å"golden parachute† as they leave. Excesses like this can have detrimental effects on employee morale as the majority of the company often consists of those earning the least. Boards of directors should take into consideration the financial standing of the firm before they offer an over-the-top compensation package to a CEO. As an illustration of the contrary, Steve Jobs volunteered to work at Apple for a salary of only $1 per year: â€Å"A regulatory filing shows Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ compensation package remained the usual $1 in fiscal 2010†¦ as is customary, Jobs got no bonus or perk† (Steve Jobs, n.d.). In terms of ethical challenges and executive compensation, Jobs proved by his example that it is possible to put the company first – even if that meant earning a salary of $1. CEOs do not often have to settle for such low salaries to show leadership and camaraderie; however, accepting less exorbitant amounts can help avoid accusations of greed and impropriety altogether. Current Agency Issues â€Å"Principals hire agents to make decisions for them and to act in their behalf† (Eldenburg, Wolcott, 2005, pp. 591). Often, agents may go on to hire agents of their own, delegating authority and establishing sub-units known as responsibility centers which can decentralize decision-making and accountability. A particularly special case of the principal-agent relationship involves the executives of companies who are effectively agents of the shareholders selected to run the company. â€Å"Four common types of responsibility centers are cost centers, revenue centers, profit centers, and investment centers.† (Eldenburg Wolcott, 2005, pp. 595) Those agents who possess decision-making authority over a responsibility center use demographic financial data provided by the accountants for budgets and reviews of sales, profits/losses, value appraisals, and costs. Accountant and audit provided information is used to evaluate and measure performance, monitor the effectiveness of managers, reward performance, and influence decisions. (Eldenburg Wolcot, 2005) The audit information accountants prepare and present is vital to the principal/agent relationship and performance measurement, but also has its costs. The primary challenge presented by the principal/agent relationship concerns the high level of pressure to perform that an agent can experience in the form of the agent’s compensation. Money, as well as other forms of compensation such as bonuses and stock options, increased authority, and ownership expectations are direct motivators of challenges to the ethical foundation of agent performance. When principals evaluate the performance of agents, their decisions are likely to be based on the same accounting information their agents also used. This common use provides a potential incentive for an agent to alter, falsify, or otherwise misrepresent certain data that principals receive. As decision-making authority is granted from a principle to an agent, the agent’s performance is evaluated to some degree from each authority level. Evaluating the effectiveness of the decisions made in each agency level or responsibility center is the core of measuring, monitoring, and motivating performance. Poor performance leads to a loss of decision-making authority, responsibilities, compensation, and other benefits within the entire principal-agent structure. Conversely, outstanding performance has the opposite effect and benefits everyone up the principal-agent ladder. Conclusion The Securities Exchange Acts of 1933 and 1934 are essential because of their transparency as spelled out in their objectives, and for providing prospective investors detailed information about investment decisions. Their main purpose was to protect shareholders from misrepresentation and scam in the selling of security. The Acts mandated that securities sold to the public within the United States of America must be listed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Later, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) was established to make sure that CFOs and CEOs authenticate and approve the financial reporting of their companies. Despite these monumental pieces of regulation, which resulted in the creation of two separate oversight agencies, there are still situations susceptible to ethical challenges and agency issues; particularly concerning performance management and executive compensation. References Amadeo, K; 2013. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Retrieved from http://useconomy.about.com/od/themarkets/p/sarbanes-oxley.htm Eldenburg, L. Wolcott, S. (2005). Cost management: Measuring, monitoring, and motivating performance, (1st ed). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons. Harkinson, J. (2011). Americas 10 Most Overpaid CEOs. Retrieved from http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/04/10-most-ridiculously-overpaid-ceos McConnell, C., Brue, S. (2005). Economics: principles, problems and policies (16th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Sarkar, D; 2013. Securities Act. Retrieved from http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/securities_act_of_1933 Steve Jobs again earned $1 for work. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.timesleader.com/stories/Steve-Jobs-again-earned-1-for-work-at-A,115771

Treatment of Minorities in Turkey Essay -- Equality Justice Essays

Treatment of Minorities in Turkey Problems with format Turkey, a relatively new nation, is not new to internal conflict and the oppression of minorities. Wedged between Europe and the Middle East, the area occupied by Turkey has long served as a crossroads between these areas, and, as a result, Turkey's majority Islamic Arab populace is smattered with significant pockets of minorities. These religious and ethnic minorities have been the source of much controversy in Turkey, but now change appears to be on the horizon. As Turkey seeks the approval of the European Union, it has begun to implement impressive humanitarian reforms that should drastically improve the plight of the minorities that call the nation home. Undoing a Bitter History of Hate Turkey has been under the control of a self-pronounced secular administration for decades, and, ironically, progressive reform has only now become a reality as the Islamic Justice and Development Party (AKP) has assumed control of the government.[i] Thus far, the military establishment and existing political bureaucracy have been resistant to the AKP?s efforts to fully incorporate minority groups into mainstream society. Pointing to previous minority insurrections, military leaders are fearful that the new provisions will only serve to weaken the government's authority over the minority groups and to promote another wave of minority uprisings.[ii]? But, the possibility of membership to the European Union (EU) in 2004? has provided the AKP with adequate incentive to move forward with the reforms. EU membership does not currently include any majority Muslim nations. If Turkey were to be admitted next year, it would be first of its kind to do so. Therefore, Turkish officials hav... ...to Istanbul after synagogue blast,? The Independent (London), sec. News, November 17, 2003, LexisNexis Academic, December 12, 2003, p.4. [xviii] ibid, p.4. [xix] ibid, p.4. [xx] ibid, p.4. [xxi] Fiachra Gibbons, ?Comment & Analysis: The attack on Istanbul Jews is an attack on hope itself: The synagogue bombing threatens 1,300 years of tolerance,? The Guardian, November 17, 2003, LexisNexis Academic, December 19, 2003, p.20. [xxii] Geir Moulson, ?Erdogan challenges EU to admit Turkey, drop ?Christian club? image,? Associated Press Worldstream, sec. International News, September 3, 2003, LexisNexis Academic, December 19, 2003. [xxiii] ?At Last, Turkish Kurds,? p.14. [xxiv] ?Turkey still represses Kurds, despite EU-oriented reforms: rights group,? Agence France Presse, sec. International News, July 30, 2003, LexisNexis Academic, December 12, 2003.

The Merger of Ranbaxy and Daiichi

A REPORT ON Ranbaxy-Daiichi Deal 1/26/2012 Ranbaxy-Daiichi Deal Introduction: Daiichi Sankyo bought Ranbaxy for $4. 6 billion in June 2008. This report studies the implications of the merger between Ranbaxy and Daiichi Sankyo, from an intellectual property as well as a market point of view. There are many critical events happening in international pharma market including the growing preference for generics, increasing dominance of emerging markets such as India, fast approaching patent expiry etc. Also, this deal involves 2 major players who are the largest among their respective markets. Background: Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. acquired 34. 8% of Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. from its promoters and increased its stake through preferential allotment, public offer and preferential issue of warrants to acquire a majority in Ranbaxy, i. e. at least 50. 1%. After the acquisition, Ranbaxy operates as Daiichi Sankyo’s subsidiary but supposed to manage independently under the leadership of its current CEO & Managing Director Malvinder Singh. Mr. Singh left the company in 2009 with a 4. 5 billion rupees severance package. Why: Daiichi Sankyo wanted to acquire a drug maker that specialized in generics after Japan eased its laws allowing sales of these cheaper versions of expensive drugs. The deal was a trendsetter in Indian market for future M&A deals. India's family-owned companies realized that it was not shameful to sell and profit from their businesses. Benefits Expected: Operational: The main benefit for Daiichi Sankyo from the merger was Ranbaxy’s low-cost manufacturing infrastructure and supply chain strengths. Ranbaxy gained access to Daiichi Sankyo’s research and development expertise to advance its branded drugs business. Expansion: Daiichi Sankyo’s strength in proprietary medicine complements Ranbaxy’s leadership in the generics segment and both companies acquire a broader product base, therapeutic focus areas and well distributed risks. Ranbaxy gains smoother access to and a strong foothold in the Japanese drug market. Financial: The immediate benefit for Ranbaxy was that the deal freed up its debt. Also, Ranbaxy’s addition elevated Daiichi Sankyo’s position from #22 to #15 by market capitalization in the global pharmaceutical market. Synergies: . A complementary business combination that provides sustainable growth by diversification that spans the full spectrum of the pharmaceutica l business. 2. An expanded global reach that enables leading market positions in both mature and emerging markets with proprietary and non-proprietary products. 3. Strong growth potential by effectively managing opportunities across the full pharmaceutical life-cycle. 4. Cost competitiveness by optimizing usage of R and manufacturing facilities of both companies, especially in India. † 5. Respective presence of Daiichi Sankyo and Ranbaxy in the developed and emerging markets 6. Ranbaxy’s strengths in the 21 emerging generic drug markets allow Daiichi Sankyo to tap the potential of the generics business. 7. Ranbaxy’s branded drug development initiatives for the developed markets significantly boosted through this relationship. 8. Daiichi Sankyo able to reduce its reliance on only branded drugs and margin risks in mature markets and benefit from Ranbaxy’s strengths in generics to introduce generic versions of patent expired drugs, particularly in the Japanese market. Post-acquisition objectives: Daiichi Sankyo’s focus was to develop new drugs to fill the gaps and take advantage of Ranbaxy’s strong areas ? To overcome its current challenges in cost structure and supply chain ? To establish a management framework that would expedite synergies ? To reduce its exposure to branded drugs in a way that it can cover the impact of margin pressu res on the business, especially in Japan ? In a global pharmaceutical industry making a shift towards generics and emerging market opportunities, Daiichi Sankyo’s acquisition of Ranbaxy signalled a move on the lines of its global counterparts Novartis and local competitors Astellas Pharma. Post acquisition challenges: Post acquisition challenges included managing the different working and business cultures of the two organizations, undertaking minimal and essential integration and retaining the management independence of Ranbaxy without hampering synergies. Ranbaxy and Daiichi Sankyo also needed to consolidate their intellectual capital and acquire an edge over their foreign counterparts. What went wrong? A lack of proper due diligence In its eagerness to tap the expertise of a generic drug maker, Daiichi took the risk of buying Ranbaxy for top dollar. Three weeks later, the US Food and Drug Administration banned imports of 30 of Ranbaxy's generic drugs, and later determined that the company was selling adulterated or misbranded medicine. It blacklisted two of the company's manufacturing units, limiting the company's ability to sell drugs made in those facilities. Ranbaxy then reported currency-exchange losses of nine billion rupees in 2008. This made Ranbaxy post losses in the same year. Ranbaxy Laboratories Cash Flow ——————- in Rs. Cr. ——————Dec '10 Dec '09 Dec '08 Dec '07 Dec '06 12 mths 12 mths 12 mths 12 mths 12 mths Net Profit Before Tax Net Cash From Operating Activities Net Cash (used in)/from Investing Activities Net Cash (used in)/from Financing Activities Net (decrease)/increase In Cash and Cash Equivalents Opening Cash & Cash Equivalents Closing Cash & Cash Equivalents 1565. 25 1168. 89 -2067. 8 991. 48 92. 57 69. 26 161. 83 1061. 92 -1619. 08 -665. 43 -599. 22 86. 12 -462. 91 -214. 14 2817. 2 -793. 46 1755. 07 862. 39 172. 14 68. 93 1927. 21 774. 41 442. 98 685. 77 315. 49 -708. 18 -2103. 74 132. 19 1739. 65 109. 78 -48. 6 62. 36 110. 96 172. 14 62. 36 What worked? Mr. Singh timed the sale of his family silver perfectly – he got a huge premium for the stake before U. S. regulatory concerns came to light. Daiichi, after the initial stumbles, seems to now be heading in the right direction and in the past year has integrated Ranbaxy's R&D unit in an effort to gain synergies. Daiichi also launched a generic version of Pfizer Inc. ‘s cholesterol drug, Lipitor in US recently. The verdict: Fail This is a classic example of an acquirer paying top price without looking too closely at the quality of the goods. Daiichi continues to pay for the huge risk it took in the deal. U. S. regulatory problems have slowed down the integration of Daiichi and Ranbaxy a lot more than expected. We can see that Daiichi is having similar level of operating expenses and yet to achieve anything special from Ranbaxy. US FDA said that, Ranbaxy had ‘numerous problems' at its facilities in US and India. The US DOJ has also filed the consent decree against Ranbaxy in the US district court of Maryland on 26th January 2012, which would further put pressure on the margins. â€Å"Daiichi is yet to realize anything concrete from this deal. â€Å"

World War 1 Battles

The battles of the World War I were fought across the globe from the fields of Flanders and France to the Russian plains and deserts of the Middle East. Beginning in 1914, these battles devastated the landscape and elevated to prominence places that had previously been unknown. As a result, names such as Gallipoli, the Somme, Verdun, and Meuse-Argonne became eternally entwined with images of sacrifice, bloodshed, and heroism. Due to the static nature of World War I trench warfare, fighting took place on a routine basis and soldiers were rarely safe from the threat of death. The battles of the World War I War are largely divided into the Western, Eastern, Middle Eastern, and colonial fronts with the bulk of the fighting taking place in the first two. During World War I, over 9 million men were killed and 21 million wounded in battle as each side fought for their chosen cause. Battles of World War I by Year 1914 August 7-September 13: Battle of the Frontiers - Western FrontAugust 14-25: Battle of Lorraine - Western FrontAugust 21-23: Battle of Charleroi - Western FrontAugust 23: Battle of Mons - Western FrontAugust 23-31: Battle of Tannenberg - Eastern FrontAugust 28: Battle of Heligoland Bight - At SeaSeptember 6-12: First Battle of the Marne - Western FrontOctober 19-November 22:Â  First Battle of Ypres - Western FrontNovember 1: Battle of Coronel - At SeaNovember 9: Battle of Cocos - At SeaDecember 8: Battle of the Falklands - At SeaDecember 16: Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool, Whitby - At SeaDecember 24-25: The Christmas Truce - Western Front 1915 January 24: Battle of Dogger Bank - At SeaFebruary 19-January 9, 1916: Gallipoli Campaign - Middle EastApril 22-May 25: Second Battle of Ypres - Western FrontMay 7: Sinking of the Lusitania - At SeaSeptember 25-October 14: Battle of Loos - Western Front 1916 February 21-December 18: Battle of Verdun - Western FrontMay 31-June 1: Battle of Jutland - At SeaJuly 1-November 18: Battle of the Somme - Western FrontAugust 3-5: Battle of Romani - Middle EastDecember 23: Battle of Magdhaba - Middle East 1917 January 9: Battle of Rafa - Middle EastJanuary 16: Zimmermann Telegram - Western FrontMarch 26: First Battle of Gaza - Middle EastApril 9-May 16: Battle of Arras - Western FrontJune 7-14: Battle of Messines - Western FrontJuly 31-November 6: Battle of Passchendaele (Third Ypres) - Western FrontOctober 24-November 19: Battle of Caporetto - Italian FrontOctober 31-November 7: Third Battle of Gaza - Middle EastNovember 20-December 6: Battle of Cambrai - Western Front 1918 March 21-April 5: Spring Offensives - Operation Michael - Western FrontJune 1-June 26: Battle of Belleau Wood - Western FrontJuly 15-August 6: Second Battle of the Marne - Western FrontAugust 8-11: Battle of Amiens - Western FrontSeptember 19-October 1: Battle of Megiddo - Middle EastSeptember 26-November 11: Meuse-Argonne Offensive - Western Front