Are You Too Tough With Your Website Copy?
by James @ Men with Pens writing for webThere’s a strategy used in copywriting, and it involves being authoritative, even aggressive. Putting confidence into your copy almost to the point of arrogance is pretty powerful stuff, and it works out great for a lot of people.
Improve Your Writing by Reading Rubbish
by Suzannah @ Write it SidewaysRecently I decided I was going to stop being a literary snob. While there are hundreds of classic books I still want to read, I made a commitment to myself to read more widely and include commercial fiction. The reason I did this was not because I thought I would enjoy it any better, but because we can all stand to learn by studying different types of writing and what they have to offer.
How to Write a First Chapter that Rocks
by Suzannah @ Write it SidewaysWhen I go to the library to find new reading material, the first thing I do is read the opening paragraph and skim through the first few pages of each selection. If I don’t like what I see, the book goes back on the shelf. Imagine literary agents and editors doing the same thing when they read your manuscript. If the first pages are no good, they’ll likely believe the rest of the book is more of the same (even if you think it gets better as it goes on).
Blogging with Discipline
by Laura @ Word Grrls ProductivityBlogging with discipline doesn’t mean you have to blog every day or that you can’t ever take a break. It means blogging regularly–whatever that means for you. It means sitting down and trying to develop a blog post idea instead of waiting until a perfectly-written post is already floating around in your brain.
Blogging with discipline isn’t the only “right” way to blog. Some bloggers find that a less-structured schedule works well for them. But if the concept appeals to you, I invite you to join me. Blog with discipline…and be available for the inspiration, when it comes.
How to Kill a Character-And Avoid Hate Mail
by K.M. Weiland @ Wordplay charactersSome of the most powerful stories in literature and cinema have a surprising common element: The death of a main character. At first glance, this would seem to be an instant turnoff. Why hang with a character for 300+ pages only to watch him get knocked off in the end? But the truth is, when handled properly, the death of a character can add untold power and pathos to a tale. It can lift your story from ordinary to extraordinary. The death of a popular character has caused more than one book to be hurled across the living room. So when you find your story demands you kill a prominent character, how do you tap into the power and pathos without infuriating your readers? After analyzing a number of books and movies in which the main characters bit the dust, I discovered three keys to playing the assassin and living to tell another tale.
How to Write Effective Titles for Magazine Articles and Blog Posts
by Sara @ Quips and TipsBefore you can capture readers with your words and voice, you must write an effective title! Whether you’re writing magazine articles, blog posts, school essays, or a book – your best title makes readers drool with anticipation.
Repetition is Redundant
by John Robert Marlow @ The Urban Muse WriterIf there were a heavyweight championship for writing mistakes, repetition would be a leading contender. As an editor of both fiction and nonfiction, I see this again and again and again. And again. The basic issue comes down to this: writers are expected—by agents, managers, editors, readers; everyone who matters, really—to have large vocabularies. Repetition indicates that the writer in question either: a) doesn’t know any better, or; b) can’t be bothered getting it right. The first screams “amateur;” the second, “lazy.” Neither is a word you want applied to you. Repetition can be deadly in any one of several, all-too-common forms.
Twilight Writing
by George @ TumblemooseOK folks, not a vampire in sight on this site. This post is going to describe Twilight Writing – a method of bring into the light perhaps some of your most profound thoughts. This method is described in the book With Pen in Hand: The Healing Power of Writing by Henriette Klauser.
Double your reading speed with this odd little trick
by Dean @ ProCopyTipsCopywriting isn’t just about writing, it’s also about reading. A lot of reading.
If you’re like me, you’ll spend anywhere from 25% to 50% of every project reading background materials, ads, reports, surveys, and notes. And then there are the books, blog posts, articles, and other things you’ll read to stay current.
Obviously, the faster you can read, the more productive you can be. If you can double your reading speed, you can double your productivity.
How to make the reader care – Mamma Mia, here I go again
by Roz Morris @ Nail Your Novel reader relationshipsMaking the reader care is one of the most important things you can do. Without it, a story is just a puzzle of what-happens-next. No matter how intriguing, startling or mysterious, it will feel flat and trivial.
But a good story makes the reader feel the events matter. How? Two steps.
Tips for Reaching Writing Goals
by Dana Prince @ Get Paid to Write Online goalsWriting goals are good. Staying on track and reaching your goals is very fulfilling. They’re good if you’re a freelance writer and if you’re a fiction writer, and they’re also good if you write as a hobby as well. Whether you need to meet monetary goals, want to hit word count goals for a personal challenge (such as NaNoWriMo), here’s some help.
4 Signs You Need to Reevaluate Your Writing or Publication Goals
by Laurie @ Quips and Tips goalsTo be successful, writers need to step away from their career goals (whether that’s getting a book published, maintaining a personal blog, or freelancing for national magazines) regularly. We need to jump off the merry-go-round of pitching ideas, researching books or articles, and blogging our hearts out to figure out where our career is going!
Tips for Proofreading Web Content
by Sara Lancaster @ No. 2 Pen proofreadingIt goes without saying that proofreading for books is different from proofreading for the web – formatting-wise and style-wise especially. Here are six tips to help you proofread your web content.
31 sales letter openers to kick start your sales pitch
by Dean @ ProCopyTips sales copyThere’s nothing more challenging to a copywriter than taking on a sales letter assignment. And there’s nothing more discouraging than staring at a blank screen because you have no idea how to get your sales letter started. Here are some popular sales letter openers that can help get your creative engine running.
The 5-Question Interview: Christine Schwab
by Meredith Resnick @ The Writers Inner Journey interviewThe writer talks about tempering fear with passion, the warning signs of repetition, and being a trendsetter, not a copycat.
Proofreading Versus Copy Editing
by Sara Lancaster @ No2Pen editingproofreadingIn publishing there is a significant difference in proofreading versus copy editing. However, in the world of business writing and copy writing, the lines between proofreading and copy editing gets a little blurred. To help clear up the matter, here is an explanation of proofreading versus copy editing.
What’s in a (Blog) Name?
by Susan Johnston @ The Urban Muse Writer getting startedThere’s a lot to think about during the beginning stages of a new blog. What platform will you use? What will you blog about? Who will want to read it? And what will you name your new masterpiece?
Getting Started in Screenwriting with Xandy Sussan
by Jennifer Mattern @ All Freelance Writing getting startedWhether you’re looking for a way to freelance in fiction or you simply want to pursue a screenplay or teleplay as a creative side project, there are some things you should know before jumping in.
Top 7 Reasons Readers Stop Reading
by K.M. Weiland @ Wordplay reader relationshipsEver wonder what a novel’s nightmares would look like, if it could dream? Naturally, I can only guess. But I’d say that the spine-tingling fear of being put down is probably at the top of the list.
Turning DVD Movies Into Novels
by Laura Fabiani @ NouveauWriterA special movie has you entranced in its visual world, captures your attention throughout, and moves you emotionally. You become a part of the movie as “Character X”. Without a doubt, you want this movie to become a part of your DVD collection. Something appealed to your inner self as you watched and immersed yourself in that movie. With some introspection, that piece of entertainment can now serve as an inspiration for a future work of literature.
The 5-Question Interview: Rachel Shukert
by Meredith Resnick @ The Writers Inner Journey interviewThe writer muses about creative versus productive, when an idea is rememberable and the drama of obsession.
What an Exercise Ball Can Teach You About Novel Writing
by Suzannah @ Write it Sideways motivationI’m not an athletic person. I’m not someone who gets up early to go for a jog or tortures myself with pilates in my spare time.
Still, as I bounce away on this seemingly omnipresent orb, I can’t help but draw an analogy between it and novel writing.
Getting pumped up isn’t that difficult. Staying pumped up is.