3 Steps to Improving Your Writing
November 21, 2008
Okay, because I’m twit-tarded (as Michael Martine calls it), and set two posts to publish for yesterday and none for today, this is your bonus post. 
Ah, so what to talk about today? Good question.
I got an interesting email from a new writer this week. He asked what he could do to make his writing better. I think this is a question that haunts all even seasoned veterans (unless you are super-confident, cocky, and think your wordsmithing is brilliant, of unparalleled quality, and unappreciated by the masses.) I block out hours every week to dedicated to improving my writing, For me, it could always be better.
The answer I sent was a combination of preveious advice, my personal reading, and experience.
3 Steps to Improving Your Writing
Rewrite Great Authors
One of my favorite ways to improve my writing comes from James and Harry (I know, big surprise.) I think it was James who recommended choosing a writer you emulate, and rewriting their work. This makes you examine things like timing, word groups, adjective placement, and rythm. You take something great and change the tone, or transform it into a differnt creature of equal value. By picking apart an article or paragraph, you learn how the thing was constructed. Then you have a blueprint for constructing a similar peice in your own words.
This concept applies to nearly any trade; painting, Web design, car repair, teaching, music.
Read Like a Writer
Another way to improve your writing is to read like a writer. Don’t just read the words on the page, ask “Why is that sentence there? Is it a transition? Is it foreshadowing? What purpose does it serve in the journey the writer is creating?” Examine every line, every word, until you understand why it was written. Read for enjoyment, but also notice how your favorite author inserts a period of calm right before the big dramatic scene where the heroine is left dangling over a pit of snapping alligators.
Push Your Limits
Be well-rounded, even when it hurts. I hate sappy romance novels. I snorted at women who stood in the romance section and selected armfuls of books with bare chested men and dewy eyed women on the covers. “Get a life. Romance is self delusional, ” I thought. But then I was asked to write a romantic short story. So I ordered and read a box full of LoveSwept Novels by Iris Johansen.
And you know what? I didn’t puke and I only rolled my eyes on occasion. I actually enjoyed most of them because Iris writes good suspense and her stories were well structured. The characters were likable and the plot wasn’t too far-fetched (most of the time).
My venture into writing and reading outside my comfort zone lead to a book idea. I think it’s brilliant. I have the outline completed, and plan to start the hard-core writing in 4 weeks. It will be my first submission to print media, which is also outside my comfort zone. 
The Bottom Line
The secret to improving your writing is to put words on paper (or the screen, if you prefer). There are no short cuts, no compter program can do it for you. You simply must write. Write everyday and write in ways that are outside your comfort zone. Push a little every week and you will see growth over time. If you stay in your comfortable rut your writing will only grow stagnant and dull.
Clearer Writing: Dare to be Blue
November 11, 2008
Any idiot can write, and many do. The Internet is a literary soapbox open 24/7, after all and admission is free. (With all those words floating around in cyberspace, finding a good blog or an audience of non-Kool Aid drinkers can be tricky. ) Good writers are never satisfied with status quo; they push the envelope and their skills everyday.
How can this be better? How can I draw the reader in? What can I cut? Is my writing clear enough, catchy enough, good enough?
Weeks ago I started a series on the 9 Steps to Clearer Writing, and got sidetracked. I pulled this stub of a post out last Friday and breathed a little life into it for today’s schedule. This is step 5 in the clear writing process.
Dare to be Blue
One of the saddest things in life is watching a person flounder in their own lack of self confidence. For one reason or another, they believe they are insignificant, unloved, unworthy. For many, the solution is to adapt the behaviors of another- one he or she views as having it all. In essence, they trade the unique body, mind, and spirit God created, for the shiny bauble dangling from another’s hand.
Some find the truth later on. Sadly, many never realize the smoke and mirrors of image are only illusions of happiness and success for the majority. We were not created to be cookie-cutter pictures of perfection.
“If you want your writing to be crystal clear, you need to shine like the Son.”
God equipped each of us with unique talents, quirks, and flaws; each one adding beauty to the whole. You will only find success once you embrace your uniqueness.
Dare to be blue when everyone else is yellow. The paint will always chip off and show your true color underneath when you try to imitate others.
Finding Your Voice
We all have people who influence us greatly. It’s human nature. We assimilate the behaviors of others into our own lives and grow from those experiences. (Even that abrasive guy at the desk next to you can serve as sandpaper to smooth out a few rough spots in your personality.) Being influenced by others is a good thing, as long as you find your own voice in the cacophony.
Marching to the beat of your own drummer creates a good rhythm for the song you were meant to sing. The greatest achievers in history were avant-garde by society’s standards. Jesus was considered a rabble-rouser and unconventional to the extreme.
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.”~ Romans 12:2
You matter.
You are loved just the way you are.
You are worthy of all the great things life has to offer.
Stop hiding behind the masks of others and let your strengths and flaws shine through in your writing. Imitating someone else’s style only muddles your own voice.
How Not to Plagiarize on the Net
November 4, 2008
I grinned as the words appeared in my inbox. “Here’s the first batch. More on the way.” Easy Peazy! I thought. I should write like this more often.
Why I Did It
My schedule has been insane for three weeks now. Knowing that I am not the kind of person who can skimp on sleep and think intelligently, I was faced with tackling everything myself and screwing up my grades, business, and marriage, or outsourcing. I took the obvious choice.
Elation
I curled up on the couch to read over my goodies like a child with a pile of Christmas packages. Some were terrific. In fact, at least four of them read as if I wrote them myself. “Put that writer on the repeat business list for sure.” I made a mental note and moved onto the next batch. Alas, my happiness was but short lived.
[Citation Needed]
I had high hopes for this large job, it was coming from a pool of the best writers on the Net. I read the first 100 words and waited for the bada-bing. It never came. I read on and began to get an uneasy feeling. Something’s off. The cadence and word choice just did a 360.
With a sinking feeling in my stomach, I ran a search for the ill-fitting sentences. To my utter amazement and horror, the words came back in a millisecond in the form of a SERPS on Google. I’d been deceived. Ripped-off. Duped. Snookered.
I wasn’t sure how to feel. Shocked, sad, sick, furious. I did what any red-blooded girl does on such an occasion. I cried- but just for a minute. (I actually found the words [citation needed] in one of the sentences. Anyone recognize where that came from?) Then I took a deep breath, prayed, and wrote an email.
Hell Hath No Fury Like a Manager Scorned
“Houston, we have a problem.” The manager on the other end was as gracious and shocked as I expected, and as angry. (For future reference, never cross a red-headed Canadian who believes in you and gives you a chance to earn a paycheck.)
So, in an effort to make this productive, I’m going to share a few tips with the new Net writers out there.
Blue Duck Tips for New Net Writers
- Use the Internet for research, not for copy/pasting. Add something of value to every piece you sell or take up another form of writing.
- Eliminate the word “that” from your writing. It’s filler and it drags your writing down.
- In fact, make a sweep and eliminate all the words you can. “The, that, in other words, sort of, in case” are all good examples of fluff words that have to go.
- Never use “etc.” It’s lazy and irresponsible writing.
- Use headings, bullet points, and white space to make reading easier.
- If you are sending your work to an editor, always ask about formatting. Otherwise, use something easy on the eyes like 12 point Helvetica. It makes editing easier.
And the ultimate tip for all writers:
Never send anything out the door without reading it. Every word you sell represents you and your business. I shudder to think what would have happened if I had sent those posts out without reading them. My reputation would be ruined, the client would have passed the files on to their clients, and 10 separate businesses would have taken a bad rap for one writer’s lack of integrity.
I came to the conclusion that plagiarizers make my job easier. I will eventually get their disenchanted clients and they will think I am a writing genius and appreciate original work all that much more. So go ahead, it’s a moot point.
(And Oktober, this post ran long, but since it’s part rant, it’s exempt!)
Blogging for Dollars: Cutting the Crap
October 28, 2008
If you missed yesterday’s post, no worries. Our Blogging for Dollars mini-series contains three stand alone yet related posts for the professional blogger looking to build a solid online business. Now, on to Part Two: Cutting the Crap
What Reputable SEO Execs Know
A good SEO company knows that quality counts. Building relationships with customers is important. And your business must be trustworthy to survive. (With the current economy concerns, many disreputable online companies will be closing their websites. Consumers want to hire a company they can trust. They are being more careful how they spend each dime.)
Busting Myths
“Outsmart the Search Engines with Keyword Saturation”
Many get rich quick bloggers claim to be able to outsmart search engines. While this may have been possible 6-12 months ago, search engines are getting smarter by the day. Google employs a whole team of geniuses who work night and day to improve algorithms and improve the validity of SERPS. If your website contains quality, relevant content search engines will value your website over keyword stuffed websites.
“Long Posts Increase Relevance”
When I first started writing SEO content creation projects, it was commonplace to write single articles of 1200-1600 words. Those articles were great for improving search engine ranking, but were awful for attracting regular traffic. No one reads a five page article online, no one. Web surfers are fickle with their time. They expect immediate gratification. They begin to skim the second a post loses their attention. Online content is more effective in bite-sized chunks of 200-400 words.
“Article Banks Draw Traffic”
Providing a smorgasbord of information for readers may seem like a good idea, and many bloggers claim to have made money using article banks and content carnivals. Consider this, the last time you needed quick information from the Net (good quality content and trusted facts) where did you point your Web browser? The number one answer is Wikipedia.
The chances are slim that you browsed through 800 pages of content topics on some website that ranked 150 on a SERPS. On-topic content is best. If your company sells pink flip flops, blog about flip flops, sandals, pedicures, and foot fetishes if you like, but don’t blog about snow shoes, hiking boots, or fan socks just because those keywords are ranking high this month.
Tomorrow’s post concludes this Blogging for Dollars mini-series. (Sorry, there’s no free iPod or tales of a sordid love triangle.) Read one, read two, or read them all~ Blogging for Dollars provides solid information for the serious professional blogger.
Blogging for Dollars: How to Optimize Your Blog for Monetary Profit
October 27, 2008
Everyone wants the inside track to making money from blogging. “Give me 10 steps to a quick million dollars, and I’ll be happy.” There’s so much wrong with that outlook, I wouldn’t know where to begin if I had to counsel someone who truly believes such a statement. I’m a firm believer in making money the old fashioned way.
The Way of the Web
Websites that proclaim they make millions of dollars from a blog that is painful to read, is either lying or has very loose business ethics. But the sad fact is that websites who claim to make tons of money do get tons of traffic from poor souls looking for a better way to earn a paycheck. (Or not earn a paycheck, but collect one anyway.)
Blogging for Dollars
I’ve been blogging nearly exclusively for SEO companies for a couple of years now. (I could tell you which ones, but then they’d send out a team to waterboard you and your family in retaliation. ) What I know about SEO and marketing is from on-the-job experience. I’ve taken a few classes, read dozens of books, and had hands on training by SEO executives. I work for reputable companies that have been in business for many years and take pride in a job well done.
Can you use Black Hat SEO to increase traffic? Sure. Can you choke your blog full of flashy ads and affiliate programs to bring in a few extra bucks every week? Of course. The real question is, should you deceive the average Joe to line your own pockets.
Tune in tomorrow for Part Two of Blogging for Dollars.
Picking the Brain of THE Pen Man: James Chartrand
October 3, 2008
We end this week with an interview with one of my favorite people on planet Earth; James Chartrand. James is the spunk and panache behind Men with Pens. He has heart and passion and occasionally breaks the rules, but that’s okay. He makes his own rules (he’s cool like that). James cares about the business of writing, but more importantly, he cares about people. He works hard to make the Internet a better place for us all. If you don’t believe me, just read one of his posts. In fact, read all of his posts, James writes terrific content.
Now that I’m done singing his praises, let’s get on with the interview already, jeesh.
Now Live: James Chartrand
Like everyone else, James received the same three thoughtfully constructed questions as the other bloggers. Here’s what he had to say.
What writing habits do you practice daily?
I don’t have any particular writing habits beyond my routine schedule – daily emails, daily content writing, blog posts for clients, ebook writing…
I mean, my keyboard is always rattling away, so the writing habit I have is writing!
What is your process for improving your writing?
I love to analyze and pick things apart. I look towards certain writers that I admire and I read over their work to see what they do, what their strategies are and how I can apply the same to my work.
If I decide to try something myself, I focus on that one thing for a little while and I analyze the results. Did I achieve what I wanted? Was it a hit and miss? Did I enjoy this type of writing?
If I have a bad habit (and I’m always picking up one or the other), once I recognize it, I work daily to eliminate it with conscious effort.Then of course, another bad habit crops up
What books or blog posts have influenced the mechanics and heart of your writing the most?
Brian Clark has a way of rocking my boat every now and then with very powerful posts. They’re not just ones I admire, they’re ones that get me thinking, that make me go, “Hmmm…” I toss around his ideas for days and find myself thinking in new directions. His Crossroads post sticks with me still today after months of its being posted.
And Stephen King’s On Writing. I picked that up recently and found myself hating adverbs after reading it.
One heavy influence has been RPG gaming. Creative writing in this style was a true joy for me. Why was that scene good? What made it dramatic or beautiful? What could have been done better? How about this dialogue? I wrote many pieces of indulgence that had no more focus than a post-it note in a scene. When I managed to stop time for a reader by drawing the person into that world for a moment, the feeling was awesome.
And from that, I wanted to keep getting better and replicate the experience.
“When I managed to stop time for a reader by drawing the person into that world for a moment, the feeling was awesome.” The power of words continues to amaze me daily. Your words matter to many, brother. Never forget that. You inspire many to achieve their dreams.
James, your wisdom is timeless, your friendship is priceless. Thanks for agreeing to this interview.
