Unmissable articles on writing
We all have the opportunity to be spiritual pioneers in some way. When you put relationships before results, live with integrity, and care about how your actions affect the greater community, you too add spiritual value to the world. ~ Cheryl Richardson
Whether you blog to express yourself, to share information, make money or entertain, it makes sense to do it with honour and integrity. How can you check in with your integrity-ometer to see if that’s what you’re doing? Read more »
Does your writing suffer from wordflab?
Wordflab is the number one enemy of good writing. At least, in the eyes of Sol Stein, the master editor who wrote Stein On Writing
Yes, folks – we’re back at school with Sol.
This time it’s off to the operating table: We’re going to liposuction wordflab.
Stein says:
Flab-cutting is one of the best means for improving the pace of both fiction and non-fiction. When eliminated, the loss of fat has the welcome side effect of strengthening the body of the remaining text.
Here’s how to operate on wordflab in two steps:
Once you’ve got rid of them, readmit a few after careful testing.
Mark Twain hated adjectives. He wasn’t into surgery. He liked to kill.
If you catch an adjective, kill it!”
The great thing about taking out adjectives is that the resulting text is sleek and the pace quickens. Read more »
Write less. Then write even less.
While I have a fondness for long, information-packed posts, I’m also a big fan of short posts.
Short posts might not pack as much information, and can be less useful … but they pack a stronger punch. Short posts are concise, easily digested, and most importantly in this digital age, they’re spread more easily.
Ask Seth Godin, the master of the short post. His ideas spread widely and rapidly, because he makes a point, and then gets out. He’s a blogging ninja.
Learn the Art of Writing Less, and have a bigger impact with your words. Writing economy is crucial when attention is at a premium. Here’s the Art in four simple steps:
1. Know your core message. State it in 4-5 words before writing. It’s probably your headline.
2. Write with the reader in mind. You can be extremely minimalist by writing something with just one or two words. But how useful is that to the reader? Be sure you’re meeting the reader’s needs, not just being brief.
3. Get to the point. Don’t waste time with a lengthy introduction — readers will skip it anyway. Get to the core message, right in the first sentence. Stay on that point, and finish it.
4. Edit ruthlessly. Go back over your writing, edit out needless ideas, sentences, words. Make sentences more compact. Then do it again, until you’re sure every word counts.
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If you’re going to put your words on public display, it’s your job to make that content compelling, intriguing, entertaining or informative. If it’s boring… well. Suffice it to say that very few readers are going to be interested.
That’s why your About page has to be just as good as every other piece of content on your site. A well written About page is an extra more tool in your arsenal. It can help you engage readers, encourage sales, enhance trust and increase respect.
Here are some tips on how to write a great About page that pleases everyone:
Know What You Want
Your About page needs to help you accomplish a goal. It’s not there to look pretty; it’s there to work for you. What you need your About page to do depends entirely on what you want to achieve with your site. Do you want more sales? More readers? More clients? Gear your content towards your goal and make your About page work hard for you.
For example, if you want more readers, then write in a way that engages people and develops a bond. Get personal. Tell a story. If you want more sales, then your About page becomes an extra place to pitch the benefits of buying or how your product helps customers get what they want. If you want more clients, then use your About page to convey what you’re like to work with and why you’re different from the competition.
Consistently Stylish
There are some rocking blogs out there, and there are great sites full of entertaining info. But sometimes, you click the About page of one of these sites, and you’re jarred from that greatness thanks to content as dry as breadcrumbs. Be consistent with the voice and style you use throughout your site, and reflect the same personality on your About page.
Don’t switch from sassy blog posts to overly stiff professional credentials. Don’t go from casual class to raving wild child. Don’t switch from swearing like a sailor to top manners and queenly etiquette. And if your crumbly-dry About page is consistent with the rest of your site’s style? Then you need a major content style overhaul, my friend.
Put Yourself Out There
Welcome to Generation X and Y, where millions of people crave personality, transparency and honesty. Gone are the days of About pages listing the year of company founding and boring credentials. Now people want to see who you are, how you came to be here and what your favorite color might be.
That doesn’t mean you should use your About page to tell your life story, reveal your deepest, darkest secrets or go on about unrelated traumatic events. Keep the content relevant and concise. Just add a personal touch and give people a taste of who you are. List a bit of ‘you’ trivia. Talk about how you got started. Show a little of the face behind the online mask.
Don’t Forget the Credentials
While About pages should tell an honest, interesting story, they should also still have those credentials in there. Mention your experience, your education or your skills – just do it with style. Note how long you’ve been in business (if it’s been a while), and indicate any accomplishments that make you stand out. You can also list associations you’re involved in, distinguishing factors, or organizations you support. Do you do volunteer work or donate funds? List that too, because it helps show people what you stand for.
Don’t have any credentials? Just getting started? That’s okay; we all start somewhere. In this case, mention how you learned your craft and why you became involved in this line of work. You don’t have to say when that was, but you do have some backup that makes you a credible provider, authority or business.
Tell a Good Story
Everyone likes to hear a story, and every single person in this world has a story to tell. A bland description isn’t going to interest people, but a story hooks them in every single time. That doesn’t mean listing your bio from birth to now. A long About page that isn’t relevant or that gives too much information isn’t a good read. Stay sharp and concise, with a hook intro, a nice build up, a climax and a wrap.
People like to know the story of what brought you here and how you became interested in what you do. One of the most frequently asked questions I hear is, “How’d you get started in writing?” You could start with something like, “Looking up at the sun one day, it struck me that there was something better than the damp dirt of the cow field I sat in.” That’s a story right there, and it gets people interested in knowing more.
So What Is Your Story?
By now, you’re thinking, “Well, then, what do I write? I don’t have a great story and I can’t write my full history… what’s left?” You. That’s what’s left. What kind of person are you? What makes you the star you are? Why do you do what you do? What makes you special? What makes you interesting? What makes you a good person to work with, or to buy from, or to listen to?
Your turn: What do you like to see on an About page? More importantly, what’s on yours?
About the author: James Chartrand’s mission is to help writers and freelancers get out of the cow fields and get into earning a decent living online. Get more great freelance writer tips at his site, Men with Pens
Photo by Daniel H. Agostini aka dhammza
Every writer is an expert on writing, write? I mean, right?
You don’t feel like an expert? Join the club! Neither do I. But imagine this scenario:
You’re at home. It’s a rainy Sunday afternoon and you’re sitting at your computer.
The phone rings.
“Hi,” the caller says. “My name is Jordana and I hear that you write.”
“I do, but…”
“Well, I want to become a writer. Could I please ask you something?”
“I don’t know whether I…”
“Look, just let me know your three most important tips for a new writer. What are they?”
What would you say to Jordana?
Please share your response in the comments! (You can find my three little secret tips there too)
Mary Jaksch is Chief Editor of Write to Done. You can read more articles on her blog Goodlife ZEN Grab her free Ebook “Overcome Anything” here or join her next Virtual Zen Retreat.
Photo by ninjaneil902
