Talent or Toil

As in all endeavors, toil is necessary to succeed and more so in writing. Work or its habit is the mother of talent. A writer must labor over his craft until it becomes strength, and the only way the writer can develop this efficacy is by working at it, sitting at one’s desk or computer and writing.

Like any work, this requires the expenditure of timetime spent writing, time spent thinking, time spent practicing the craft of writing, and time spent deliberating about what to write and how to write it. All of this requires the habit of work, the usage of time, the routine of sitting at a desk or before a computer, and the effort of writing.

Procrastination, dawdling, delaying, and hesitating hide any talent that the writer possesses. Only by forcing oneself to write, and to write consistently, daily, will this talent develop and produce results. Of course, the amount of time spent at writing will depend on each person’s situation, desire, and goal. Learning how to use any talent that one possesses is where effort is controlled, where struggle has a purpose, and where determination to succeed is required.

Learning how to use the whole of one’s talent will result in great success and satisfaction. “Learning how to use the whole of one’s talent” is the difficult part, the part that requires a great deal of dedication, much thought and reflection, and the physical exertion of actually penning or typing the words on paper or screen. Sometimes even that can be a struggle.

Thought and reflection are two important essentials required of any writerthought that comes from the very soul of the writer whether it is poetry or prose, reflection that develops that thinking. All writing comes from the deep within and embodies the essence of the person. Without that kind of attention, the writing is shallow and weak.

Once the thoughts are torn out and become tangible as words on the page, then it is the time to review, re-assess, and revise the ideas and polish them until they shine brightly and express truly and succinctly what the writer intended.

Thus, the labor of the writer’s craft requires three things: thought, labor, and revision.

Charles O. Goulet has a BA in English literature. He has published several books that are available at http://www.Amazon.com, http://www.Amazon.ca and many other book stores.

December 29th, 2008

How To Become a Freelance Grant Writer

What is a freelance grant writer? These individuals have a lot of power in their hands. When they work for companies, they are essentially trying to help gain free money for that company to help the company expand, do research, or to stay in business. These individuals will use a detailed knowledge of the environment to create the best piece of work they can. Freelance grant writers hold a lot of people’s jobs within their hands.

For those looking to become a grant writer, there are a wide range of choices out there. For example, you can get jobs within the medical fields where you help to write to raise money for medical research. Here, you could be showing the importance of why the research is vital to creating a vaccine or to developing a cure. Or, you may be working with a company developing new technology to expand. In any case, most people who hold these jobs will need experience and a lot of training and schooling to prepare quality work that delivers these companies the results they need.

The chances of employment in these fields is good. As more and more companies expand, more and more writers also are needed. But, while there are vacancies in the field, it is difficult to find a great job right off the bat. Instead, individuals will start with writing of lower importance and work up to writing for the ‘big guys’. It is through experience that you can learn the methods needed to succeed. Still, it is essential to keep striving for the next level up as you fill your portfolio with impressive work.

The field is expected to grow as more and more companies strive for the grant money that they each believe should be theirs. You will help determine if it will be or if it will go to another company.

Visit http://www.FreelanceWritingResource.com for more Articles, Resources, News and Advice about Freelance Writing Jobs.

Copyright © 2005 FreelanceWritingResource.com. All rights reserved. This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact.

December 29th, 2008

The Power of the Newsletter - Solidifying Customer Relationships with Captivating, Relevant, Durable

You’ve worked hard to gain your customers’ business and want to explore ways to strengthen your relationship with them while informing them of important news and information. One proven method of maintaining regular contact with existing and potential customers is by distributing a company newsletter. But wait! Before you begin developing your first issue, don’t make the common mistake of thinking your newsletter is another opportunity to “sell” more products and services. Newsletters are NOT ads; what’s more, if you make the mistake of treating your newsletter like an advertisement you will not only turn off many of your valued customers, you will risk destroying that coveted trust that you’ve worked so hard to develop.

Think of your newsletter as an intangible agreement you make with your customers. They’re living up their end of the agreement by opening your newsletter and scanning it for information that is relevant to them; your end of the agreement is to deliver content that your customers will find engaging, relevant and pertinent to their needs. If they enjoy the read, if they learn something new, if they’re left with a positive feeling, then your newsletter has succeeded in boosting their perception of your company and they will likely purchase more products and services from your organization in the future.

The trick to writing effective newsletter content is to stick to what you know best and share your knowledge and experience with your customers. Don’t assume that your customers will know what you consider basic information - it’s amazing how much knowledge and experience business owners simply take for granted. Think of your newsletter as an opportunity to share your expertise and teach what you have learned about your products and your industry. When assembling the content, ask yourself if the information you are assembling will be helpful, interesting and useful to your customers in some way.

INCOMPAS can assist you in writing and producing your own effective newsletter content, or we can edit your existing newsletter and offer constructive advice on how to strengthen your editorial product. To get you started, we’ve developed a step-by-step guide to assist you in producing a winning newsletter.

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Step-by-Step Plan for Developing Durable Newsletter Content

1) Be in tune with your audience - Always put yourself in your readers’ shoes by thinking about what matters to them. What are their most frequently asked questions when it comes to your products and services? Ask your customers about what issues matter most to them. Hold a brainstorm session with your colleagues and talk to your sales, administrative and technical staff - the front line for your customers; ask them what they think is on your customers’ minds.

2) Build a solid foundation - Decide how many pages your newsletter will be and think carefully about how often you can realistically produce an issue. Develop a budget, and be realistic about the time and expense required to assemble, write, design, edit and distribute each issue of a newsletter. Assemble the team you will require to help you develop and maintain a quality newsletter. Ideally, you will have an editor in place to manage and deliver polished content and a designer to establish and maintain a distinct, refined look.

3) Establish an editorial calendar - Plan your issues in advance, develop an editorial calendar and decide on a production schedule. Give your contributors plenty of lead time and clearly written writers guidelines, including word count expectations and photo requirements. Because you will likely depend on volunteers to contribute to your newsletter, realize that the only person who will respect imposed deadlines will be you. Allow plenty of time in your production schedule to allow for unexpected delays.

4) Develop centralized themes - Start by grouping your newsletter content around a central theme that will tie all articles together. Working to a theme will help you focus your content and will help your readers better relate to your company, products and services. When structuring your newsletter, start with one or two short feature articles (such as a customer testimonial or case study, or an article examining a current, newsworthy issue) and follow with regular departments reporting product, company and industry news, and providing seasonal advice, tips & tricks, frequently asked questions (faqs), training, trends, etc. Ask a leader in your organization to write a column each issue, and place this column in a prominent position in your newsletter, preferably immediately following your “lead” feature. Once you establish a newsletter structure, follow it every issue to give your readers a greater feeling of continuity and brand recognition. Don’t forget to leave space for a linking Table of Contents or a box explaining what’s inside.

5) Focus on content first - Don’t let fancy graphics and colourful images distract you from delivering engaging, relevant content. Develop the content first and ensure the newsletter’s design supports and highlights your message. When writing, remember that newsletter articles should be short and direct; place all of your most important information in the first sentence or paragraph if you can. If an article requires a more in-depth approach, write a short newsletter introduction and summary highlighting the main points of the story, and provide a link to a more detailed article in your website. This option will enable you to populate your newsletter with a variety of quick-read articles, drive traffic to your site while allowing anyone interested to read on for more information, and build on the trusted relationship that you have established by delivering a relevant, interesting and entertaining newsletter.

6) Use active voice - Don’t get lost in passive land! Keep your sentence structure short, snappy and active. Passive voice can be tricky to spot; watch your word order, since a passive construction presents the object first and the subject last. For example, “ABC Corporation designed the new widgets to improve efficiency” is a more effective than “The new widgets were designed by ABC Corporation in an effort to improve efficiency.” Also when writing, always ask yourself, ‘who cares?’ and ‘why is this information important to my audience/customers?’ Place contact and other support information in sidebars, giving your readers quick visual reference points.

7) Write an attention-grabbing subject line - When distributing your newsletter by e-mail, your subject line should tie directly to a specific headline article in your newsletter, and - most importantly - it must stand out distinctively amidst the multitude of subject lines in your recipients’ Inboxes. Your subject line should also give your readers a clear idea of the main theme and subject matter of your newsletter.

Provide opt-in options - Manage subscriber expectations right from the start by explaining to your readers the editorial focus and purpose of your newsletter, as well as the value your readers can expect to receive by receiving and reading it. Provide a link to back issues to give people an idea of the general nature of your newsletter, and give them options to unsubscribe from receiving your newsletter electronically or in print form. Follow the standard rules that dictate distribution of responsible permissions-based e-mail practices.

9) Read up on your competition - Reading newsletters produced by your competitors and other industry participants will help you generate new ideas, and stay abreast of what people in your industry are talking about. If your competitor covers a topic of great importance to your industry, it is perfectly acceptable for you to cover that topic as well; for best results, wait a few issues and approach the issue from a completely different perspective.

10) Seek reader feedback - First, talk to your customers about the articles you’re developing and ask their permission to publish their comments in your article. Watch to see how people scan your newsletter. Talk with a new sampling of readers after each issue, and conduct regular formal readership surveys. Monitor click-through rates and use web analytics to help you track reader response to the articles you present, and use this information to guide you as you develop future issues. Don’t be afraid to get a little controversial. Establish a strong editorial voice and an open forum, and get people talking by inviting your readers into the dialogue.

December 25th, 2008

Online Dictionaries: A Universe of Words

Everybody needs a dictionary. You may have a tattered family volume, a hardcover dictionary from student days, or a paperback bought at a bargain price. But you don’t have to buy a dictionary, you may go online and discover a universe of words and fun.

Looking for a Spanish translation? Go online. Need a defintion for a Cockney word? Go online. Wondering about a Chinese symbol? Go online. Before you visit an online dictionary you need to prepare for the “trip.” Grab a cup of coffee or tea, or a glass of water, and a healthy snack, because once you start reading dictionaries you’ll be absorbed for hours.

Start with “OneLook Dictionary Search,” a fascinating Website with 6,257,269 indexed words from 993 dictionaries. Your options include a basic word search or a “wildcard pattern” search that matches any sequence of letters. The word “bluebird” is used as an example. To find the definition you may enter “blue” or “bird” or “bl (blanks here)rd.” There’s also a reverse dictionary on the Website. If you enter the phrase “when cancer spreads through the body,” for example, dozens of medical words pop up.

“The AlphaDictionary” Website is just plain fun. A word of the day is posted on the site and when I accessed it the word was “glade.” You may submit your own word of the day if you’re so inclined. If you get bored while you’re looking for definitions click on “AlphaDictionary Word Games” and do crossword puzzles and “word jungles.”

Cambridge University Press has a Website called “Cambridge Dictionaries Online.” You’ll find a variety of dictionaries on this site, plus dozens of “Online Activities and Worksheets.” I clicked on CLD, activities to do with the “Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary,” and found an alphabet trivia quiz, collation games that show how words are used together, multiple meanings, verb patterns, information on nouns, verbs, and adjectives, “The Rich and Famous” crossword puzzle, and more.

There’s also a list of “The Top 40 Words 2004″ on this site. I learned the word “advice” has held its place as number one. According to Cambridge University, “The only change in the top 6 is the fall of ‘idiom’ from 4th place in 2003 to 17.” Like a soccer mom rooting for a small kid on the team, I found myself rooting for “idiom” and hoped it would rise to stardom again.

“The TravLang Translating Dictionaries” Website has dictionaries in more than 35 languages, including Hungarian, Polish, Esperanto, and Turkish. You’ll also find an AOL Translator link and an online dictionary on this site. Many foreign language dictionaries, including this one, have ads on them so be prepared.

“Webopedia” (I love the name) is both a dictionary and a search engine for Internet and Technical definitions. I’ve used it several times and found it user-friendly and concise. You’ll find other unusual dictionaries on this site, too: South Asia dictionaries, Biblical dictionaries, Gaelic dictionaries, and more.

You’ll want to check out an encompassing Website called “The Internet Public Library.” A stop here gets you “Strange and Unsual Dictionaries,” “VoyCabulary” (links to Web pages or phrasesto online references like dicitonaries) and even a Chinese Characters Dictionary.

The next time you’re stumped by a word, or need a break, or the kids have cabin fever, go on the Internet and visit online dictionaries. You’ll have fun, the kids will have fun, and everyone will learn new words and new things. What a deal.

Copyright 2005 by Harriet Hodgson. To learn more about her work go to www.harriethodgson.com.

Harriet Hodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 27 years and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists. Her 24th book, “Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief,” written with Mayo Clinic psychiatrist Dr. Lois Krahn, is available from http://www.amazon.com.

December 25th, 2008

Ezine Article Writing: A Template Saves Time and Aids Structure

Writing articles and submitting them to article directories is a great way to generate publicity and expert reputation but can be a time consuming and frustrating process unless you approach it systematically. Having written hundreds features for printed media for 20 years, I soon found I needed a very different approach for online articles and developed this template to help me produce articles that work.

The first thing I learned is that you are writing for four audiences with different sets of needs.

1. The Publisher - Web sites, ezines, blogs and printed media all require different lengths and styles of content so you need to be flexible with lots of choice from short punchy to in depth analysis to personal commentary. Articles need to be topical, from an expert and contain no overt promotion and self serving links. The more articles you write the more of an “expert” you become.

2. The Reader - People search the internet for content so the article needs to provide topical, fresh ideas with plenty of easy to digest, practical advice.

3. The Search Engines - You need to do extensive keyword research for your web site then select a specific primary keyword or phrase for each article and use it liberally for maximum search engine ranking

4. The Directory - They each have specific requirements regarding format, structure and topic. Each article will be checked to see that it does not beach their content guidelines and formatting rules.

Before you start the article - type out the headings below to form the template - then use the notes to guide you.

Article Title

Maximum 100 characters (including spaces) - that’s about 12 words.

Make it grabby to catch the attention of readers and publishers but start with your primary search engine keyword phrase. In printed media titles starting “How to…” or “10 top tips for…” are very popular - they are not good for search engines. This will go in the title of a web page.

Abstract

Maximum 500 characters - about 90 words but 50 or 60 is better.

Make it enticing to hook the publisher and make them want to read the full article. The abstract is primarily targeted at the publisher and will be displayed just below the title on the search pages in the directory, but is secondary to the title in getting attention. Some publishers may also use it.

Description - Meta Tag

Maximum 200 characters but preferably 150 - two lines of text.

Shorter punchier version of the abstract which must contain your primary keywords - you will need this if you publish on your own web site.

Keywords - Meta Tag

Maximum 100 characters - about 12 words comma separated

Start with your primary keyword of phrase then add other relevant keywords used in the article.

Article Text

Length really depends on your market and style. Much advice suggests about 250 to 750 words, but some publishers want in-depth analysis and I have had a 1700 word article reproduced at least once. Research your market and be flexible, with a mix of lengths and perhaps long and short versions of the same article.

Write the basic article with NO FORMATTING WHATSOEVER - if you are using word, disable all the auto-formatting like smart quotes, automatic hypertext links and paragraph spacing because they will all cause you problems. You can always reset them later.

Get your Primary Keyword Phrase into the first sentence if you can and provide a liberal sprinkling of keywords throughout. Don’t overdo it. The article still has to be a good read and remember though you are writing for four audiences, Content is King.

Absolutely no advertorial copy - Do not promote your products and services you will kill the article.

Absolutely no self serving links - No links to your web site or affiliate sites in the body of the article, if you do you will not be published. If you have links to resources show them as text - many sites do not allow live html links in the article.

Copyright

Copyright, date, name, country

Few directories ask for this but it makes sense to put it at the bottom of the article or in the field requested.

Resource Box

Maximum 500 characters, “including spaces and html code.” This is the limit for many sites so best to stick to it for all.

This is your opportunity to promote yourself but limit to 1 or 2 self serving links and write in the “Third Person.” The publisher has to live with this on their site or ezine so make it palatable for them. I offer an incentive for people to visit my web site, but make sure that live links show the web address not keywords. If the publisher doesn’t use live links, you still want people to see the web address.

HTML Formatted Article

Once you have completed the unformatted text article - you can then make an HTML formatted copy if you wish. Most sites do not need HTML, a lot of publishers don’t accept it and some directories forbid all html. Remember “Content is King.” If you do format - keep it simple - too much formatting and it will never be published.

Copyright 2005 Richelle (Rikki) Arundel, UK

About the Author:

Founder and First President of the Professional Speakers Association, RikkiArundel is an International Keynote Speaker, Trainer and Writer and an expert in sales and marketing communications with an impressive track record.

Get your free copy of How to Get Customers Queuing up to Buy at http://www.SpeakingandMarketingTips.com

December 25th, 2008

How to Relax Your Writing

Q. My writing sounds stiff and stilted. Help!

A. Memories of high school and college papers are probably getting in the way. We’re often brought up to believe writing is a Big Deal. We can’t, of course, write the way we speak. That would be too easy!

Some corporate departments perpetuate this myth. Many years ago, one group that hired a couple of writing consultants — over zealous English majors with little business experience who enjoyed showing off their expertise. Experienced managers were thoroughly intimidated. They had bought into the myth, “Writing is for experts.”

To relax, try these tips:

(a) Read your work aloud, preferably into a tape recorder. Do you find yourself stumbling over certain phrases? Do you have one collection of words and phrases for speaking and another for writing? As you listen to yourself, you’ll become sensitized to your own voice.

(b) Show what you’ve written to a thirteen-year-old. If they can’t understand what you’re saying, start over! I often use this exercise when people try to describe their jobs, especially in a resume, to people who don’t know their industry.

(c) Get in shape. If you haven’t played basketball for a few years — or ever — you won’t expect to compete on the court. Write every day, even if you begin with your own private journal. Don’t edit. Go back after a few weeks to review what you write.

(d) Practice writing fast. Slow writing isn’t necessarily better — and may actually be worse.

(e) Add metaphors and stories to every article you write for your ezine or website. Here’s a fun exercise: What did you do yesterday? Did you have an interesting encounter or conversation? Find a way to bring one episode from yesterday into today’s article.

Just one caution. I once encouraged a client to “loosen up.” She added some words that would make Tony Soprano blush, let alone her corporate clients!

I recommend being conservative, in speech and well as words, during any business relationship. I enjoy the Sopranos but I must admit I grit my teeth when I hear even the most moderate cuss words during a teleclass, talk or meeting. I know I’m not alone.

About The Author

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com.

“Ten secrets of mastering a major life change” mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com

Contact: cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294

December 21st, 2008

Why search engine optimisation is doomed … and quality content is the best strategy for your websi

If you have a website, sooner or later you’ll get interested in search engine optimisation. It’s the art (or is it a science?) of tweaking your website copy and links, so your site ranks higher in the search engines.

There are many professional search engine optimisation firms (commonly known as SEOs) who will charge you substantial amounts of money to improve your website’s rankings for certain search terms.

It’s tempting to go down the SEO track, particularly when you find your precious site languishing far, far down the rankings on Google.

But one of the world’s top Web marketing experts, Ken Evoy, has written a new report predicting the imminent demise of the SEO industry - and recommending an alternative, more reliable method of achieving a top search engine ranking.

Evoy argues search engines are getting smarter and smarter at recognising sites that have been “SEO’d”.

The engines are constantly getting more sophisticated, to avoid some of the unethical SEO practices being used to trick them into giving a site a good ranking.

So SEO experts are on a continual treadmill to keep up.

Initially, SEO revolved mainly around keywords. Now, it seems to centre around building inbound links to the site, to get a higher ‘page rank’ on Google.

But Evoy believes website owners are wasting their time and money by becoming too focused on either of these SEO techniques.

They would be better off, he argues, simply adding more and more quality content to their websites, to provide visitors with what they really want on the Web - information.

To quote Evoy: “Make your content so good that others will want to link to you.”

He adds, a little honest push-start by a solid, simple inbound link programme is a good idea but this doesn’t have to become an all-consuming pre-occupation.

All you need are a few popular sites, in your market sector, linking to you. There are several ways to achieve this, including contacting the owners of sites you would like linking to you, and asking if they want to exchange links.

Evoy’s company, Sitesell.com, has an excellent, free link exchange service, which I have found very satisfactory for gaining links to my own sites.

Once you have a few quality links to your site, that’s enough, according to Evoy. From then on, concentrate on adding more and more content to your site.

There is an important place for keywords on these new content pages. It helps to focus each page on one or two keywords (actually, it’s better to use key phrases, because these are what Web searchers typically use) sprinkle these keywords and phrases throughout your page.

You can find the best keywords by using a service called Wordtracker. This is particularly useful because it saves you from simply guessing which words and phrases people are searching on, and gives you the actual search terms being used - and how much competition there is for these terms.

I won’t go too much into keyword analysis here. Suffice it to say, if you follow Evoy’s advice, you’ll focus mainly on writing content-filled pages that are of genuine value to your prospective customers or clients.

As the search engines see the content on your site continually changing, they’ll return more often. They’ll spider new content on your pages faster and faster. This is good news and helps your search engine rankings.

The only downside of Evoy’s approach is that it does take time and commitment to keep adding content to your website. It may seem easier to pay an SEO expert.

But consider this. Even if you do achieve a good ranking in the search engines through SEO, if a visitor arrives and finds mediocre content, what’s the use. They’ll simply click away. For most small businesses, with limited financial resources, the key to getting your website noticed in the search engines is a slow, steady approach of adding more and more pages with great, relevant content for your marketplace.

Then you can forget about SEO and every other trick.

Focus on building content and everything else will take care of itself.

December 21st, 2008

How to Be an Editor’s First Choice

.How to Be an Editor’s First Choice By Mridu Khullar

There are writers who editors like, and those they’d bet their careers on. How can you be that writer who the editor will call on every time she needs an important assignment to be done? Are you a hot favorite or a pass-on-for-another-freelancer who keeps querying but receives no response? Here are the qualities that will endear you to an editor.

1. Giving more than you promise When an editor asks for two samples, give her three. If she trusts you with an assignment, don’t wait for the final deadline, but send it in a day in advance. If she’s asked you to provide notes, make sure you give her everything she needs so that she doesn’t have to ask for anything more. If you make an editor’s job easier, she’ll love you for it. And she’ll be willing to trust you again with more assignments.

2. Constantly coming up with fresh slants There may not be too many new topics (unless you’re writing about technology; then you just can’t complain), but there can always be new slants. An editor likes writers who can reduce her brainwork, and make her look good in front of her superiors by coming up consistently with great ideas.

3. Having all the answers It’s important to know about your subject. That’s why so many well-paid writers advise you to specialize. So, if an editor calls you to discuss your query, and poses follow-up questions, you better have the answers. Because an editor’s never going to trust you with an assignment unless she’s sure you know what you’re doing. And not having answers to her questions is a sure-shot sign that you don’t.

4. Coming up with clever titles, and great sidebars The most important thing I’ve learnt so far is to visualize your article. See how it appears on the page. Granted, it’s usually not going to come out like you’d imagined it, but for a minute forget that you’re a writer, and think like a designer. See the beautiful fonts and the shaded box on the side? That’s how the editor sees your article. Now it’s your job to bring that visual to life with your words.

5. Understanding the core audience of the magazine If you’re writing for a magazine for home PC users, your editor’s not going to appreciate ideas on network security, however wonderful they may be. Similarly, when writing for a small business owner, you’d want to treat that person as a little smarter, even if he might have the same knowledge base as that of a home user. His computing decisions are more important. That’s why you should always be familiar with the reader’s knowledge level. That’ll help you make the distinction between good ideas, and great ones.

6. Making boring subjects come alive Editors love writers with a dash of style, attitude and chutzpah. If you can give even a serious subject a touch of humor, you’ll soon be a hot favorite. This is especially true with technical, business and trade magazines. Their subject matter tends to be boring. It’s your job to not only inform the reader, but also to entertain him.

7. Having the whole package If you can write great prose, but not meet deadlines, you’re replaceable. If you can get great interviews and dig up little-known statistics, but make the fact-checker’s life hell, you might not be seen as a great catch. If you come up with the best ideas, but can’t provide equally interesting sidebars, there’s probably someone who can. But if you give the editor all those things and more, she has no reason to look beyond you.

8. Knowing the magazine I wouldn’t go as far as to say that will never sell something to a magazine you haven’t read (I have), but I will say that you’re not going to get rich doing it. If you don’t want to go broke buying all the prospective magazines, get yourself a reliable Internet connection and visit the magazine’s Website. No editor will stand a query that looks like it’s been sent to a million others.

Editors often like to work with a select group of freelance writers, who’ve earned the editor’s trust over time. By following the tips above, you’ll soon ensure an impressed editor and many lucrative assignments as well.

December 16th, 2008

Why You Don’t Write Your Book

In the ten years that I’ve taught people how to get on with their books and creative projects, I’ve noticed a phenomenon that I’ll call “Author’s Block.” Would-be writers can, indeed, sit down and work when pressed to it. The problem is that they’re not so sure they want the pressure of being an author. But they do want it. But they don’t. And so on.

Ah, the agony of getting on with your book.

Well, I’m here to diffuse that situation with a list of the key reasons we have trouble sticking to our writing or other creative projects. Perhaps this will help the next time you find yourself polishing doorknobs instead of sitting down to work.

Check all that apply to you:

You Lie To Yourself About Why You Can’t Write The Book

You think your stalling is about lack of time, or too much pressure at work, or not enough solitude in the evening. But guess what? Chances are a deeper, darker reason may be at play, like ‘I’m not supposed to be bigger than Mom’ or ‘What if this thing really takes off?’

You Fear The Impact Your Book Could Have

Sometimes when I coach writers in my Self-Help Author’s Crash Course I’ll ask them what’s impeding their progress. And after some probing, it will come out that they’re afraid of the big exposure a book can have if it takes off. I’m here to assure you that should that happen, (and chances are your book will not unleash wild mobs of millions) you will be able to handle it. How do I know? On that deep level where psyche meets karma, you won’t create a single reader more than you’re ready to receive.

You Think Your Book Doesn’t Matter, So Why Bother?

One writer I know put this succinctly: “I’ve tried getting up at 5AM to write, or staying up late, or even leaving my home, but none of it works. I have this tired feeling that none of my effort is going to amount to a hill of beans.” In fact, writing and publication can be an entirely self-determined activity these days. If the publishing pundits don’t go for your book, there’s always the option of self-publishing paperback editions or e-books and selling them on online booksellers or your website. In other words, your book DOES matter, and you really have no excuse. (Acid test: if the book keeps on patiently urging you to sit down and write it for months and even years, chances are you’d better do it.)

You Think You Don’t Know How To Write A Book

Guess what? Neither does any other first time writer. And that may be a wonderful thing. As a beginner, you don’t approach your book project with a carload of professional expectations and demands from your process. You can just be open, like… well, a nice blank book. All you really need is your intuition to guide you, and the will to write your book as honestly as you can.

You Have No Support

You need someone in your corner, cheering you on, to get through the long and somewhat tiring process of birthing a book. Because writers need a way to show up and be accountable for their progress. They need someone to keep saying, ‘Yes, you really can do this,” or even “How’s it going?” Minds can be tricky and difficult when fully challenged by something like a book. And steady external support is the best way around that.

You’re Afraid You’ll Run Out Of Material

There isn’t a writer out there who hasn’t had this fear. And I’m here to say that if you just stay loose and open, and willing to receive the ideas, they will show up. All you have to do is commit - really sit down, and begin to bring that book into being - and the work will magically appear. Sometimes it won’t flow that easily, and sometimes it will scare you with its speed and power. But it will, indeed, show up.

You Think ‘Who Am I to Write a Book?’

And yet, you are the perfect person to write your book, because you’re the one chosen to receive this material. (You don’t have to be spiritually inclined to believe this.) I personally believe that books are given to us when we’re ready to receive them… and when we do, our lives are changed by that process.

You Fear Uncomfortable Moments Ah, but that’s the most exciting thing about writing your book. You will be given challenges and lessons that just seem untenable along the way. And if you’re committed enough, you’ll rise above them and so become stronger in the process. This is especially true for self-help books: we naturally write what we need to learn.

Got a few categories checked off from the list above? Good! Awareness is the first step to diffusing your fears. Meanwhile, PLEASE do get on with your book … despite your misgivings. Not only do you deserve this work - so do we.

December 15th, 2008

The benefits of writing articles on the internet

If you want to increase the amount of visitors to your website, start writing articles. There are many reasons why writing articles is a must for any serious webmaster or for people who want to maximise the full benefits of the internet.

How did I learn about the power of writing articles?

One evening I was searching for a few things using the search engine Google. The second search had as number one in the list of results, an article that had been written about the item I was searching for. I read the article which at the bottom had a live link to the author’s website. I duly clicked on the link to have a look at what he offered. Then it dawned on me, what a great way to get seen and attract more visitors.

I wrote an article on here about a week ago. It was called “Stuttering and its effects”. If you type those words into Google, I come up as number one, or I did as of 10/07/2005.

There are further benefits. One of which is the added backward links you obtain when other people add your article onto their website or newsletter, plus extra visitors this way.

These are the article websites I submit my articles to: http://www.enzinearticles.com http://searchwarp.com http://goarticles.com

Stephen Hill

December 13th, 2008