Posts Tagged ‘Tips’

Ten Tips on Writing and Creativity

January 21st, 2010 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Tips Writing

Ten Tips on Writing and Creativity

by Emily Hanlon

1. Don’t think. Creating a story or book has little to do with
the intellect or language when we first begin. Our best ideas
will emerge as a spark or image. Like dreams, they will make
little sense. Followed, they will hold the key to the creative
unconscious.

2. Creativity is cyclical. You cannot and will not be creative
all the time. What is full must empty and what is empty will
fill. Creativity has its own internal rhythms. Learn to listen
to yours.

3. Nothing kills creativity faster than criticism. Don’t share
your work-in-progress with people who are critical or those
whose opinions leave you vulnerable, no matter how much you love
them. Good critiquing should leave you inspired, not deflated.

4. Spend time listening to your inner critic. He or she is not
comfortable with the risks demanded by a creative endeavor. By
becoming aware of the foul jabber of your inner critic, you can
see how your own mind puts up roadblocks to your creativity.

5. Being a creator is risky business. Don’t underestimate the
tremendous emotional and psychic risks the journey demands.
Learn to push ahead even when you are afraid. Learn to love the
risk.

6. Don’t be afraid to fail. Every successful creator has failed
hundreds of times. Failure is an integral part of creativity. It
doesn’t mean you’re wrong or stupid. It only means you’ve
uncovered a path or technique that does not work.

7. Don’t be afraid to write garbage. Every successful writer
writes mounds of garbage. Give your work time to percolate. Play
the What If game. For example, if you’re writing fiction and a
characters is sweet and loving and you’re stuck, have the
character mean and hateful. In the world of the imagination,
anything can happen.

8. Nurture your creativity. It is as fragile as a budding
flower. Open to the dance. Listen to music that makes you feel
like flying. Go for a walk. Laugh with a friend, child or lover.
Creativity is about feeling.

9. Be passionate. Creativity is passionate. Passion is always
creative.

10. Learn your craft. And write, write, write! The more you
write, the better you will get. Discipline yourself. Successful
writers are disciplined writers

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Cover Letter Tips: a Winning Formula

January 20th, 2010 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Tips Writing

It’s true that nobody really likes writing cover letters or resumes. What’s even more interesting is that cover letters are not even enjoyed by their recipients. The problem derives from the cover letter templates. If you want to get the message quickly to as many recipients as possible then you have to create a cover letter template. It’s impossible to structure a new sentence or paragraph for every cover letter.


This causes all cover letters from all job seekers to look the more or less the same and the phrases in the letters to sound repetitive. This repetition simply destroys the entire letter. Imagine 100 job seekers using the same cover letter template and send their letters to the same recipient. After reading some letters the recipient is frustrated and there’s no point at reading any more..


Here are some tips to make your cover letters stand out from the crowd and look inspiring and fresh:

Make A Good Start

It’s true that the beginning of a cover letter is the hardest part. Most writers get stuck and cannot come up with an inspiring first sentence or paragraph. So, write down a list of good “first phrases” and use them accordingly. Here are some examples:

- I am writing to you to introduce myself and to apply for the current opening in your company for a skillful …

- Does your department look for a talented …

- I’ve heard a lot of people talking about a potential opening in your company for a …

- Please accept this letter and my attached resume as an interest in the position of…

- I am a … with … years of experience in … and I hope to utilize my skills at your department…

- I have just completed my … studies at … university and I am looking for a position that will capitalize my experience as a …

- During the last … years I have held complex positions within the … industry. My areas of expertise are …

- There’s nothing that would please me more than to join your team of talented …


These are some examples of interesting and eye-catching first sentences that could help you.

Add Your Contact Details At The Top

On the top of every page write your name, address, phone number and email address. You can create a simple letterhead with this information on your computer. You can use smaller fonts. It will save you a lot of time from writing the same information for every recipient.

Decide What You Want

Before writing a cover letter be realistic and decide why you want to be part of a specific company. What is so different about that company that makes you want to work for them? What specific parts of your work do you like the most? Do not just write a cover letter just because you need a job. Everybody needs a job. So sit down and write the things you like the most about the specific company. Then carefully add this list of things to your cover letter template. It’s also a good practice to use bulleted lists of abilities and skill areas. You could make a grid that matches your skills with the company’s needs.

Professionalize Your Cover Letter

Do not use sentences like “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Human Resources Manager”, it really looks nonprofessional and boring for the reader. Instead try to find the actual name of the recipient.

Closing Is Important

Make a smart close. Do not use begging sentences like “I really hope to talk to you soon”. Be brief and straightforward. Show your intentions. Here are some examples:

- I would be interested in an opportunity to interview for this position and will look forward to scheduling a meeting with you.

- Thank you for your consideration. I will call you next week to talk further or schedule an appointment.


These examples are a bit direct and if this is not you then you can use the good old “..I look forward to hearing from you..”.

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Article Writing Tips When Publishing Online

January 18th, 2010 by admin | 1 Comment | Filed in Tips Writing

When composing an article for readers online there are some simple writing tips that could help you get the most out of your efforts.

Certain aspects of preparing an article to be read online differ from the more casual off-line approach to writing. Attention needs to be paid to the ‘technical’ and ’structural’ elements involved in constructing an article for online readers.

Let’s review 4 areas of preparation involved in online article writing and how it may differ from ‘traditional’ offline articles.

INTRIGUING HEADLINE

The headline should jump out at the reader and capture their interest to read further into the article. Whether you’re using humor, shock, or appealing to the reader on some emotional level it needs to make the reader pause.

Online this can be a bit of a challenge due to the reader’s ability in just a nano second to quickly click away. The challenge is compounded further by certain restrictions article directories have in place. Any wording deemed unfit or a misrepresentation of content will prevent your article from even being published online. 
Headlines that often work online would take the direction of ‘How to”, “The Greatest”, “The Easiest”, or even a numbered list such as “5 Ways to”.

DON’T USE MISLEADING HEADLINES

Using a headline that inaccurately reflects the article content just to capture attention generally won’t work online. Browsers who open up an article are expecting to view information as indicated in the headline. When this doesn’t happen they quickly, and sometimes irritably, click away. With access to so much information readers will leave without a second thought.

ONLINE ARTICLE FORMATTING

When submitting an article online it is recommended to include a resource box so readers can link back to your site if they choose. The number of words and links you use will face the scrutiny of both the directories and the readers. You’ll need to be concise and convincing in order to get the reader to do what you want them to do.

Most articles will be accompanied by a short summary or abstract that again is monitored by directories. Your abstract is limited to just a few sentences in which you’re convincing readers why they should read your article.

If you’re submitting article to ezines or perhaps publishing them in a newsletter you’ll need to pay attention to the number of characters you use per line. If not done correctly your composition will not appear in a uniformed orderly fashion on the internet.

KEYWORD USAGE

The use of keywords in every aspect of article writing from titles to the body of content down to the abstracts themselves is critical. If your work is not optimized correctly with keywords neither search engines nor readers will every be able to locate your article content.

Keyword placement, accuracy, frequency of and the manner in which they are used are closely monitored by search engines. Keywords are the beacons that attract and guide search engines to your article itself. If this task is not completed correctly your article exposure will suffer.

These writing tips we’ve discussed here should enable you to more effectively plan and prepare your articles for internet reading. The focus here is more on concise content delivery, formatting, and keyword use. This allows your article to be easily found and then viewed online. With the size of the audience the internet makes available to you these additional measures are more than worth it!

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Article Writing Tips

January 18th, 2010 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Tips Writing

Writing articles and submitting them to publishing sites or buyers looking to promote a product can be a great way to make some extra money while working from home. However, in order for an article to bring any real attention to the buyer, or any real money for the writer, the article needs to be well constructed. The article also has to reach numerous people and needs to avoid many of the problems that plague a poorly written article, which pepper the internet with their mediocrity. There are a few simple guides anyone can follow to ensure a high quality article almost every time they sent down to write.

The first thing to consider is article writing software. While Microsoft Word or even Notepad may be acceptable to many people who are just looking to write for personal use, targeting an audience and ensuring keyword densities mean that a writing tool specifically designed to perform these tasks is almost necessary. Article writing software, even some free versions, come with many tools that other writing software does not. Only good article writing software will ensure strong keywords and appropriate density every time.

In addition to writing software, many people use article spinners as well. These can transform old articles into content that will not be penalized as duplicate products by search engines. Since search engines are the primary method of gaining traffic for many articles, a good article spinner can turn one article into several, which all draw in traffic. A good article spinner will also ensure articles are grammatically correct and readable, not just unique. If an article appears written by a program, it is less likely to be effective than the original.

The primary disadvantage most people come across when they try to use article marketing to promote themselves or their product is that they just do not know how to write a successful article. Even a person with a large vocabulary and good spelling and grammar skills may not be able to write an article that is convincing or engaging. Finding a good article writer can be difficult as well. With many people looking to make money working from home, it is not uncommon to come across people who write generic articles or even copy someone else’s work.

Avoiding these mistakes is crucial for anyone looking to use articles to market their product. While it may be useful to have article writing software and to build more articles using an article spinner, it can still be a daunting task for someone who is not a writer to try to create their own articles. Knowing what to look for and what to avoid is critical for someone who wants to successfully market their work. Purchasing a training manual will not only help a person write better articles, but it will help them learn what to look for in a good article. A training manual will ensure the best possible chance of successfully using articles to market on the internet.

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Introduction Writing Tips

January 17th, 2010 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Tips Writing

Writing an introduction can become a nightmare even for an experienced writer. To tell the truth, I spent some time thinking before I started writing this article. It’s a normal situation. You get an assignment, and a topic is pretty easy. By saying easy I mean that you know what to write about in an essay paper. There are some thoughts in your head, and you are calm and ready…. But when it comes to writing an essay, a big “Oops!!!” pops ups. It seems like you know the problem, but what to start with? There is so much you want to tell, but this introduction writing just freaks you out.

Does this situation look familiar to you? Paulo Coelho, a world-famous Brazilian author, once confessed that sometimes it takes him days to start writing: “I wake up, drink coffee, open my notebook and wait…. Then a take walk, or do other ordinary things. In the evening I approach my notebook again. When I finally start writing, I can’t stop myself. I work late into the night, and before falling asleep I try to write down all the ideas to empty my head.” And these are the words of an experienced writer! So instead of whining and complaining, or, which is worse, feeling depressed, get to your essay writing! Here are some introduction writing tips for you.

First of all, it’s a common mistake that you should begin writing an essay from the introduction part. Skillful essay writers will tell you, that introduction writing can be the last thing you need to do. It’s better to explore the problem first. Get all the facts, thoughts and opinions together, evaluate them, put them in right places, and write a conclusion. If you do so, writing an introduction will be an easy job. You already know what you are talking about in your essay writing. It’s easy to make a little preview of the text in the introduction writing. Sometimes you state something in an Introduction (or don’t know what to state), and them start writing an essay and realize that you want to talk about different aspects of the issue, and you’ve got more facts on these, rather than those stated in an introduction writing. As a result, you have to start everything over again. Save your time and efforts by planning your essay writing.

If you are not used to this way of writing an essay, make tentative introduction writing. It will let you write what you think is right, and then go back and correlate content of an essay paper with its introduction. If you think that introduction writing doesn’t correspond with the concept of the entire essay paper, you can easily alter it.

Since you saved enough time, think about a catchy beginning. Introduction writing is the face of your essay paper. From the first two sentences your readers will understand, whether this essay writing is worth reading, or not. Even if the topic seems boring, there are always shocking statistics or interesting facts that will make any reader want to read an essay paper. But when picking unordinary information, make sure that it’s not detached from the main body of your essay writing.

Also, in introduction writing you provide background information for your essay paper and, which is even more important, your thesis. So don’t get swept away by some crazy facts that distract or confuse your readers. Try to be selective.

If you find a golden middle between being regular and being bizarre, a success of your essay paper is guaranteed.

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Article Tips: How to Write Article Content

January 17th, 2010 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Tips Writing

Article tips on how to write article content will be very useful in a year when article writing ability is going to be a definite advantage. Pay per click advertising is less of an attractive proposition in an economy where people are nervous of the potential cost of such paid advertising techniques when visitors are more liable to be window shopping than purchasing.

There are no doubts in the minds of most people that with spare cash becoming scarcer, then internet users will be more discerning when it comes to parting with it, and conversion rates will drop. Advertising will therefore become more expensive.

Article tips on how to write article content in such a manner as to make it more difficult for the reader to resist clicking through to their website will enable you to profit at the expense of those with limited article writing abilities. Article marketing is free advertising, and a 0.5% conversion from 1000 free clicks is better that 5% from 100 paid ones. So why is it so important to know how to write articles properly and what are the benefits of a good article marketing campaign?

1. Article marketing offers free advertising, whereas paying for every click is very risky in an economic climate where people are less likely to be buying, and if they do intend to buy they will be clicking on several ads before making up their minds to part with their cash.

2. By writing articles with authoritative content, and a compelling reason why the reader should click through to the website from the resource, you can get a good response from those that want more information before buying. Offer them that information and you could secure the sale.

3. Write articles focused on the keyword and title of the article, and you will keep the reader interested. It is essential that you do that if your article writing is to achieve its objective: make you money. Article tips that enable you to do that are priceless.

4. Learning how to write properly and grammatically is only part of what you have to know. You must also choose the right keywords, write a compelling title and a good resource – good enough to get that click. But that’s not all! You also need a good landing page or all your article writing ability will go to waste.

5. Your article will not only gain back-links to your website from directories, and clicks from those that read them, but will also be listed on Google and other search engines in the same way as any other web page and so provide you with free advertising of a good search engine listing. It is not unusual for a well written and optimized article to appear on Page #1 of Google on more than one directory page.

These five article tips just touch upon the benefits of knowing how to write articles properly, and also how to craft an entire article consisting of the perfect keyword, an irresistible title, authoritative content and a resource that compels the reader to make that click. It doesn’t matter how good your product or website is – it is worthless without advertising and promotion. You must promote what you have to offer before you can achieve success.

If you can learn how to achieve that, and how to write article content that turns your article marketing campaign into a free advertising bonanza, then you will have mastered a technique that will enable you to make money without spending a single penny on advertising – ever!

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Book Writing Tips to Speed Write Your Book for Maximum Sales Sooner

January 16th, 2010 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Tips Writing

Where are you in writing your book? Whether you are almost finished after 2 years or just beginning, these book writing tips may help you. You owe it to yourself and your important message to finish fast and sell sooner.


For years, my book manuscript would end up in the drawer with the rest of my unfinished projects. No more; now I finish my book writing projects strong and fast.


I learned from my mentors who showed me the way. I even learned from my competitors who finished their books fast to sell sooner.

Here’s some book writing tips to help you speed write your book for maximum sales sooner:


1. Place book writing goals in your top 3 priorities. Setup 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. Later is not better.


2. Put your reader first. When writing your book, you should be writing to your reader. Use the word “you” and avoid as much as possible using the words “I” and “We”. An author friend chooses a friend interested in her topic and writes all her books to them.


3. Write an intention goal for your book. Do you have a plan in place? Write on purpose. Don’t set yourself up for failure by not planning. Even if it’s a simple intention goal like “I complete my book (title of book) this year by (date and year.) I educate myself and do what it takes to complete it.” Set one and write it down so you can hit the target.


4. Break your writing into short sections. It’s easier on you to write. Furthermore, it’s easier on your reader to read. Try to break long paragraphs into shorter, more digestible chunks. Make it easy to read and you’ll reach more readers.


5. Use short sentences and simple words. Writing and reading a long sentence takes longer than a short one. Cut lengthy sentences in half to make your writing easier to read. Aim your copy so a 6-7th grader could understand it. Remember using complex words won’t impress your readers. Most times it will annoy them to the point of not finishing your book.


6. Be concise but specific. Compelling copy is concise. Unnecessary words waste your time and most of all your reader’s time. It dilutes your message and makes your book longer than necessary. Additionally, be specific. When writing your book, stick to the specific information about your topic. The more relevant facts you include, the better. If you don’t bother to dig for specifics about your topic, your book may end up vague filled with meaningless words.


7. Write your book the easy way to finish fast. Three of the top ways to speed write your book includes: Act Now. Action will paralyze fear each and every time. Avoid marathon writing. Know you don’t have to become a hermit to write and complete a successful book. Commit to the tracking approach. Doing a set amount,even if it’s only 30 minutes to an hour, each day builds a cumulative effect.


8. Use laser focus. Apply laser focus to complete your book writing project faster. For example, if you look at a 40 watt bulb, the light is soft. Yet you can take the same 40 watts; put it in a laser gun and the same 40 watts become a focused beam of light that can cut through different objects like a sharp knife through paper. To use laser focus in your book project, prioritize, do only one project at a time and complete one project before you start another.


If you don’t use these book writing tips to finish fast, you may be this time next year working on the same book project. Remember to put your book writing in the top 3 priorities of your life, write an intention goal, put your reader first, break your writing into short sections, use short sentences and simple words, be concise but specific, learn to write the easy way and use laser focus. Using the above simple book writing tips you can easily write and complete your book fast. See you at the finish line. Finish fast; finish strong and sell sooner.

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Web Writing Tips – A Writing Tip For Every Occasion

January 16th, 2010 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Tips Writing

Every webmaster–even those who have been writing for the web for awhile–can benefit from a good writing tip. The following 10 tips are guaranteed to improve your copy and make writing for the web easier. Although most of the tips are geared toward the average webmaster, they can be implemented by anyone who is writing for the web.

Webmaster Writing Tip #1: Write What You Know

Although every webmaster has already heard this writing tip, it is worth mentioning. Writing what you know is always the best policy when writing for the web. There’s a lot of bad info online already–no sense in adding more.

Webmaster Writing Tip #2: Research What You Write

Since writing what you know isn’t always practical when you’re writing for the web, you should at least research what you write. This will help you turn fuzzy knowledge into viable facts.

Webmaster Writing Tip #3: Use Correct Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation

Using correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation is really important when you’re writing for the web. When in doubt, look it up.

Webmaster Writing Tip #4: Try to Answer Questions

Writing for the web is a lot like writing for a newspaper. You need to answer all of the essential questions that a user might have. Think who, what, when, where, and why.

Webmaster Writing Tip #5: Pick a Keyword

When you’re writing for the web, you should pick at least one keyword or key phrase to stick with from the beginning of the article to the end. This tells search engines and human readers what your article is about.

Webmaster Writing Tip #6: Use Lots of White Space

Writing for the web is not like writing a book or a column. You should have lots of white space in between text. It makes your article appear cleaner and more appealing to readers who like to scan information.

Webmaster Writing Tip #7: Keep It Short

When it comes to writing for the web, shorter is better. Internet users have limited time and short attention spans–they don’t want to sift through lengthy text. The ideal word count for a web article is between 250 and 500 words.

Webmaster Writing Tip #8: Choose a Good Title

A good title is important when you’re writing for the web. Titles tell readers and search engines what articles are about. The best titles pique curiosity or give readers something they want.

Webmaster Writing Tip #9: Edit What You Write

It is easy to fall in love with what you have written, but you need to learn how to cut the fluff. This is especially true when you are writing for the web. As stated earlier, Internet users have limited time and short attention spans. In other words, they have no patience for a chatty webmaster.

Webmaster Writing Tip #10: Proofread What You Write

Writing for the web is no different than writing for any other media. You must proofread what you write. If you forget every writing tip you heard today, remember that one. It is probably the best writing tip you will ever get.

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