Problem: Article: The two common types of softball – slowpitch and fastpitch – require different types of bats. In general, slowpitch softball requires heavier bats, while fastpitch requires lighter bats. Before you select a bat, make sure you know which type of softball game it will be used for. Some softball teams or leagues require bats that conform to certain size restrictions or are composed of specific materials (e.g. wood vs. metal or composite). For example, the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) requires that a slowpitch softball bat must be no more than 34 inches (86.36 cm) long, 2 and ¼ inches (5.72 cm) in diameter, and 31 oz. (0.88 kg) in weight. They also have requirements regarding the construction of the bat, e.g. that the knob on the end of the bat must be welded on or mechanically attached. Before purchasing a bat, consult the league or team handbook for equipment regulations, or ask the team’s coach. Some leagues or teams require that bats bear particular markings – for example, graphics indicating that the bat is approved by a particular sports association, or an indication of the BPF (bat performance factor). They may also require that the bat be decorated or colored in a particular way. Your team or league may also have regulations regarding the modification of bats (e.g. adding tape or a grip sleeve to the handle).
Summary: Determine whether you need a fastpitch or slowpitch bat. Find out if your team has special size or material requirements. Find out about any other requirements or regulations.

Problem: Article: Place the top rack so it's about 3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm) below the heating element. You'll also need to get out a baking sheet. Get out 1 pound (0.45 kg) of blood sausage links and set them on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice each link in half lengthwise and then place them on the sheet so the cut-side faces up. Use a rimmed baking sheet to prevent the sausages from sliding off as you move the sheet. Put the sheet on the rack under the broiler and heat the sausages until they're browned on top. Watch the sausages as they broil to prevent them from burning. Since blood sausages are already cooked, you're simply heating them up. Pull the baking sheet from under the broiler and use tongs to flip each sausage over. Get out 2 tablespoons (30 g) of coarse-grain mustard and spread a little of it over each sausage link. Although you can substitute other types of mustard, the coarse-grain mustard will give the best texture to the sausages. Return the sheet to the top rack under the broiler and heat the sausages until they begin to brown and the mustard heats up. Then turn off the broiler and remove the sheet. Put several handfuls of fresh, stemmed watercress into a large bowl. Pour 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of sesame oil into the bowl and use your hands or salad tongs to toss the watercress. Add salt and pepper according to taste. You can add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of oil if the watercress isn't coated. Divide the watercress salad between 4 serving plates. Place 2 of the blood sausage links on the greens and consider serving the meal with cooked apples or apple compote. Store leftover blood sausage in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Avoid storing the watercress salad because it will soften too much as it's stored.
Summary: Preheat the broiler to HIGH and move a rack to the top. Cut the sausages in half lengthwise and place them on the sheet. Broil the sausages for 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the sausages and cover them with coarse-grain mustard. Broil the sausages for another 1 to 2 minutes. Mix a quick watercress salad with sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Serve the broiled blood sausage with the greens.

Problem: Article: . Now that you know what content you want to include in your autobiography, think about how you want to structure your book. Like any great book, your autobiography needs a great plot. Work with the material you have to craft an interesting story that builds toward a climax and ultimately resolves. Create a narrative arc by organizing and filling out your written memories and anecdotes so that they flow together logically.  What's your central conflict? What's the biggest obstacle life presented that took years to overcome or come to terms with? Maybe it's an illness you were diagnosed with at an early age, a relationship wrought with turmoil, a series of career setbacks, a goal you worked for decades to achieve, or any other number of things. Look to your favorite books and movies for more examples of conflicts. Build tension and suspense. Structure the narrative so that you have a series of stories leading up to the climax of the conflict. If your central conflict is trying to reach the goal of competing in the Olympics for skiing, lead up to it with stories of small successes and plenty of failures. You want your readers to ask, will she make it? Can he do it? What's going to happen next? Have a climax. You'll get to the point in your story when it's time for the conflict to come to a head. The day of the big competition has arrived, a showdown happens with your worst enemy, your gambling habit gets the better of you and you lose all your money - you get the picture. End with a resolution. Most autobiographies have happy endings because the person writing the story lived to tell the tale - and hopefully get it published. Even if your ending isn't cheerful, it should be deeply satisfying. You somehow accomplished your goal or won the day. Even if you lost, you came to terms with it and gained wisdom. You could do a straightforward chronology of your life, beginning with your birth and ending in the present, but mixing up the chronology can make the story more interesting.  You could frame the entire autobiography with reflections from the present, telling your story through a series of flashbacks. You could begin the story with a poignant moment from your childhood, go backward to tell the story of your heritage, move forward to your college years, and launch into the story of your career, with anecdotes from your childhood sprinkled in for comic relief. Use the major themes of your life as a way to tie stories together, connecting your past and your present. Aside from the central conflict, what themes have followed you throughout your life? A fondness for certain holidays, your fascination with a certain place that you visited over and over, a certain type of guy you've always fallen for, a rich spiritual life you fall back on again and again. Bring up the themes every so often to help form a cohesive picture of your life. You're chronicling your life lessons, but what have you learned from them? Relay your intentions, desires, feelings of loss, feelings of joy, the wisdom you've gained, and other inner thoughts from time to time throughout the book. Taking a step back from the action of the story to reflect on what it all means is a good way to add depth to your autobiography. Chapters are useful because they allow you to move on from discussing certain life periods or events. There's a reason we have the expression that we've "closed a chapter" or "opened a new chapter" in life, and it's even more applicable when discussing an autobiography. Chapter breaks allow you to skip forward 10 years, go back in time, or start describing a new theme without jarring the reader too much.  Consider ending chapters on a poignant or suspenseful note, so people can't wait to start the next one. The beginnings of chapters are a good place to take a bird's eye view of your past, describe the setting of a place, and set the tone for what's to come.
Summary:
Create an overarching plot Decide where the story is going to start. Weave in themes. Take a step back to reflect. Use chapter divisions to give the book structure.