I put out a call for editorials awhile back and got a few that I have scheduled for my sabbatical time this summer. I'm still looking for 10 more to cover some time, so you have the chance to submit one if you'd like to feature your own thoughts in the newsletter. Submit them here (include "Editorial" in the title).

A few people have asked for tips and tricks for writing pieces, and I thought I'd take a few minutes and publish some of mine. I get ideas from all sorts of areas: headlines, other blogs, conversations, and more. These come about both at work and in the rest of my life. Here are a few pieces I've written and the inspirations.

Due Diligence - This came out of a question asked in one of my talks. I thought it was worth sharing some thoughts on what has gotten people to interview me, or gotten me interested in candidates.

Advice for Newcomers  - I was talking at a SQL Saturday with someone that was new to SQL Server as a profession and they asked me if I had advice that would help them learn quickly and focus on areas that would help them become better at their job. That spawned this.

How Long Before You Upgrade? - I wrote a long time ago about people looking ofr 10 years out of their database servers. Every time a new version of SQL Server comes out, I'm curious about this topic.

Charge backs - This was common early in my career. I saw this post and it made me start writing about whether this was a good idea.

The More Things Change ...  - A chance encounter with an old friend inspired me to think about how our industry has changed. Or not. Much of what I've learned over the years has me thinking about data, SQL Server, careers, and more, and taking a few minutes when I read/hear/notice something and considering what that means to me. I'll often jot a few sentences down or save a link and then come back to it later.

The best advice I could give you is to try something. Write down a sentence, and then try to write a few paragraphs that support some viewpoint you have. Let a friend look at it and give you an opinion. If they like it, send it in.