Posted by on Jul 20, 2010 in
Writing Skills Okay, it is true you cannot become a renowned article writer overnight. It is true, but with practice and a little help you can become an excellent writer sooner than you think. You might have just started writing articles or are new to Article Marketing…no matter. With these 5 tips, you can be well on your way to becoming an article writing genius.
1. Research, research. One of the fastest ways to get your article read is to find out what other authors are writing about. If others are writing about a subject, then it is a good chance people are reading about that subject. If you only focus on your own ideas for subjects, you may miss the mark.
Another great place to discover subjects to write about is TV. Watch the news, talk and entertainment shows to see what is hot. If these shows are talking about certain subjects, then people are interested and listening. You may be able to use good or bad news to your advantage in your articles.
2. Be consistent. Writing is like sports. As with most sports, it takes practice to really get good. The more you play golf the better you usually get. It is the same with writing articles. Yes, you will make mistakes in the beginning and the articles may not be all that entertaining to read, but over time, you will get better.
As for writing and making mistakes, learn from those mistakes. The mistakes you make early in your writing career will only make you a better writer later on. The best writers are the ones that come through the school of hard knocks with the most bruises but with a wealth of knowledge and writing skills. So, when in doubt, just write more.
3. Start at the start. This is usually where new article writers get confused. They worry too much about the content, the research and everything else that goes into the article before they even start. It is best to start at the start and worry about the rest as you go. The first place to start is with the title. Try to think of a good working title to kick-start your article. Once you have a hot working title, then the content is easier to create.
4. Make it readable. This one may seem overly simple, but a majority of the articles online today are filled with grammatical errors. It seems that many have never been proofread at all. It is true that article writing is not like writing a textbook or a technical manual.
You can have fun writing an article and can get away with looser language and punctuation. Even though this is true, you should still strive to make your article as error-free as possible. It is better to get someone else to read over your articles to make sure there are no mistakes you overlooked.
5. The flow. Make sure your article is fun to read and has a smooth flow to it. If you are including keywords for search engine optimization, make sure that the article is still readable. One problem that presents itself is when you are overly concerned with keyword density, then the article becomes hard to read and boring. It is okay to include keywords and be concerned with keyword density, but make sure you keep the article interesting and readable. Making a smooth, flowing article will make your readers want more and willing to come back to read other articles you write in the future.
Want to know more about article writing?
Tags: Article, Articles, Fire, More, Skills, Them, Tips, Want, Writing
Creative writing is considered to be one of the most perplexing forms of articulating thoughts and ideas on paper. It turns out to be a hard nut to crack because it requires the ability to think freely, giving thoughts a modicum of leeway, and express ideas and experienced feelings sincerely and openly.
That’s why putting wind in the sails with creative writing is not within every writer’s grasp. It means that a person, who succeeded in process writing approach that is all about planning, revising, re-arranging, and deleting text, re-reading, and producing multiple drafts before producing finished documents, will have the same good results in creative writing.
Surely, it doesn’t imply that creative writing process doesn’t need proper planning and preparation, it means that creative writing permits the author to deviate from the specific writing styles and not to be consistent with all the standards of this style. In a word, creative writing gives the author leeway in terms of presentation and development of a piece of writing.
Since creative writing is not simply a matter of sitting down, putting pen to paper, following smart instructions of emeritus pundits, commence at the beginning and write through to the end. Creative approach treats all writing as a creative act that requires time, positive feedback, and inspiration to be done well. People who engage in creative writing do not merely think freely; they view the world from free-thinking perspective.
Without a doubt, creative writing is not only about inspiration and gift of the writer, and it is far from coming easy to the writer, it also needs a lot of elbow grease in order to produce a piece of writing worth the attention of the readers.
The key to success in creative writing lies in the author’s ability to be frank with his readers and honest with himself. Don’t be afraid to step aside from the established standards of the particular writing style, and open the door of your brain to the new ideas that cross the threshold of your imagination and knock around your mind.
Remember that process and explorations are the keystones in creative writing, rather than the finished product. Let yourself release your inner genius and vent on paper the most bizarre ideas that amassed in your mind. The source of ideas for your creative writing can be various kinds of resources of creativity such as oral tradition, dreams, childhood memories, sense perceptions and intuition.
Katrina Crosbie, a tutor of creative writing in Edinburgh University’s Open Studies programme, asserts that getting in touch with subconscious mind is the key to original and creative writing. She also claims that every writer can harness three simple techniques to enhance his creative writing abilities, they are mental focusing techniques, harnessing the power of your dreams and journal writing. Harnessing these techniques takes hard work; so, if you are ready, roll up your sleeves and follow these simple strategies.
I. Mental focusing techniques
Mental focusing techniques involve focusing on the positive outcome. It implies that you should concentrate and regulate your mental activity in order to enter a quiet state of your mind. The key point in mental focusing is to get rid of all the stray thoughts and replace it with one thought; this process should gradually induce a calm sensation. The procedure is very simple, you make yourself comfortable in a cozy armchair, and in all possible ways try to awake creativity inside of you.
You should say something like “I’m getting in touch with my creativity source”, and imagine physically how the stream of creativity comes into your mind. Remember the sensation of clear, cool water on your face, or a stream of fresh breeze, which is blowing in your face. Then imagine yourself sitting at your word processor, typing fluently, and writing avidly. After several minutes open your eyes and commence writing.
II. Harness the power of your dreams
Dreams have tremendous power. The subconscious memory can be the direct cause of the certain dreams. “When the mind is centered on certain things, the sleeper goes over his life again and again in phantom fashion. He lives over the experiences of his daily life.”
Overall, your daydreams can be important, just write them down after waking up in the morning. Perhaps, later on, re-reading the notes of your dreams will prompt you some interesting ideas for your creative works.”These can be triggers for an especially imaginative piece of work. American writer Joyce Carol Oates has said that her novel Bellefleur was inspired by a dream of a walled garden which haunted her for years ’till she felt she had to write about it.”
III. Keep the writing journal
This technique of enhancing your creativity is very simple and at the same time highly productive. Buy yourself a notebook, so that you can always have it at hand and write some brief narratives in it on a daily basis.
Don’t focus on the style, mistakes, and, in general, in the way you write. Just write down the first things that occur in your mind, even if you think that this is junk. The main idea is to keep your hand moving and to feel a growing sense of inspiration and confidence. In the course of time, you will become a practiced hand in writing. Surely, you’ll find your journal notes a rich source of inspiration and ideas.
If you really want to enhance you creative writing abilities, give a try to these simple techniques, and bring your craft as a writer into play!
Tags: Abilities, Creative, enhance, Writing
Posted by on Jul 20, 2010 in
Writing Books What if you discovered there was one little word that stood between your book dream being realized in the next 100 days or not? Would you want to know that one word? Yes, great!
Before I tell you, think about this. There are thousands of people that die each year with their book dream never realized. You may wonder, what’s the difference between the ones that die with a book inside them and the ones that put pen to paper to write a book?
Some say book authors have more smarts and more time. Perhaps they have a bigger brain or were born with a silver spoon in their mouth. None of the above is true. In fact, there’s very little difference between the two groups. That little difference can be boiled down to one word, ACTION.
Both groups receive great ideas and inspired messages. One group receives the idea but never ACTS on it. They never develop it and it eventually fades away. The group that fulfills their dream of becoming an author receives the idea, ACTS on it, develops it and completes it.
Won’t you join the group that acts on their ideas? Here are 7 tips that will help you write a book in the next 100 days or less:
1. Move your book dream up to the top 3 priorities. No, you don’t have to sell your soul anymore to write a saleable book. Use the cumulative effect of doing a little bit at a time. Even so, unless you want it to take years to write, you must schedule writing time each week. For example, you could write 2 pages a day and have a short book in weeks.
Develop a regular writing schedule. Think about your priorities right now. Can you fit 7-10 hours a week in? If you have to let something go that is not high on your priority list, do it. Now is your time. Next year is not better. Set yourself up for a successfully written book in the next 100 days by making your book goal a top priority.
2. Stump out the fear of failure. Many writers tremble in their tracks with fear that their book won’t sell. Don’t be afraid. Your book will sell if its presents useful information, answers important readers questions, and impacts people for the good. If it presents entertaining or humorous information it could go farther than you imagined.
If it creates a deeper understanding of humanity, animals of this world its worth reading. With one to three of these elements your book is worth writing. More than three, it has potential of making great sales even to best seller status. Go ahead, write your book and make the world a better place.
3. Avoid re-inventing the wheel. Use the information you already have. Your audience is looking for solutions to their problems. They are looking to you for encouragement to overcome their challenges. Mine your background, your files, and your speeches for the gold called your knowledge. Use speedy book writing techniques and finish your book faster to sell sooner. Stay with what you know.
You’re the expert. To have the best chance to get your book done in the next 100 days, use what you have already written. Use your speeches, your seminars, your notes and experiences. Fill your book with your stories, case studies and examples.
4. Choose your target audience. Then write your book for them. When you give your book a target, it will resonate with your audience. To be honest, your book will not interest everyone. When you target one audience at a time, each tip, each story or how-to will be more effective. Aim your message and you will have a competitive edge on most book writers.
For many just shoot their message out into the dark and hope it connects with someone. When targeting your potential readers, create an audience profile. Are your potential readers male or female? How old are they? Are they interested in self-help, mystery, romance, how-to books? What problems do they face? Are they business people or professionals? Are they techies or non-techies? Are they willing to spend $15-30 on your book?
5. Make an educated choice about your publishing options before you write your book. Will you self-publish or shop for a traditional publish? There are serious pros and cons for either method. Find out the differences so you can make an educated choice that suits you. If you are self-publishing, consider the POD technology for your book. There are lots of good choices that will publish your book for you at an affordable price.
If you are opting for a traditional publisher, get an agent and a contract before writing the book. Then shop agents and publishers with 2 chapters and a knock-out book proposal. Invest in one of the current market guides and research the best fit for your work. It raises your chances considerably if you know what kind of manuscripts a particular company is looking for.
Don’t let one word keep you from realizing your book dream in less than 100 days. Act now; you can do it. Remember to put your book writing in the top 3 priorities of your life, stump out fear of failure, avoid re-inventing the wheel, choose your target audience and make an educated choice about your publishing options. Using the above simple tips you can easily write and complete your book in a 100 days or less. Act now and use your ideas before they fade. Here’s to your best success as Author.
Tags: Book, Days, Less, write