What's Your TI Story?

It's hugely encouraging for all of us – the "experts" included – to read the personal insights of TI enthusiasts from many backgrounds and perspectives. No matter whether you're a beginner or a master, swim to race or swim to relax – if you've got a story about your experiences with TI, we want to hear it!

Your article doesn't have to be long, 700 to 800 words is ideal. Simply write as if telling a friend about your experiences. It might be helpful to think about the following to get you started:

• What attracted you to TI initially?
• How has your practice changed as a result?
• How has that change affected your swimming, not just your performance, but the entire experience?
• Where do you think you'll go from here? Our readers' favorite articles share a lesson or insight, rather than just "singing the praises" of TI. If you can find a universal lesson in your individual experience, you'll produce something of real value to the TI community. A bonus for readers might be a "sidebar" describing a favorite practice and some notes on why it's enjoyable for you.
  

Don't worry about your writing skills; most of those who write for Total Swim have not previously written for publication. We've edited hundreds of articles by now – experience that will help us ensure that your words will flow as nicely as your strokes. Before we publish, you'll have a chance to review the article and give final approval.

It's easy to submit an article, just email it to EZine@totalimmersion.net. Please write "Total Swim Submission" and your full name in the subject line. You can paste your article in the body of your email, or you can send it as an attachment with your last name as the file name in MS-Word document (preferred) or almost any standard word processing format. Include your name, phone number and email address in the upper left corner of your e-mail or article.

We'll also encourage you to include a digital photo of yourself and a brief biographical blurb – readers always enjoy knowing more about the author (that's you!) of their favorite articles. If you mention an important event, place or person in your TI experience, you might want to include a picture of these as well. The bio is useful to add a touch of personality and humor to your article, as in this example:

Rod is a mechanical engineer in El Dorado, CA. In college, he was a "marginal contributor" to some very fast teams at Cal-State. He currently swims five days a week for the sheer pleasure of it -- and to stay in shape for surfing. Rod has been married for 21 years to Laurie, who lovingly humors his hobbies, among which is making custom acoustic guitars. He also plays in a garage band if they tell him where they're playing.