By Mary Jaksch, Chief Editor of Write to Done

If you want to improve your writing, where do you look for inspiration?

I mean, would you use Shakespeare as your guide?
Or Hemingway?
Or other famous authors?

I hope not. Because writing for the Net is different.

The new style of blog writing is based upon …

The answer may surprise you.

It’s not writing for a newspaper or a magazine, or journal writing, or creating novels, or academic writing.

It’s copywriting. Weird, eh?

What Joe Sugerman can teach bloggers

Joe Sugerman is one of the copywriting greats. He’s what Mohammed Ali is for boxing . Here is what he taught, and how it can be applied to blogging. 

The best copywriters in the world are those who are curious about life, read a great deal, have many hobbies, like to travel, have a variety of interests, often master many skills, get bored and then look for other skills to master. They hunger for experience and knowledge and find other people interesting. They are very good listeners.

You could say the same about bloggers, agreed?

Here are important tips for copywriters that also work for bloggers.

The single function of the headline is …

The single function of the headline is to get people to read the first sentence. Yep. That’s it.

Let’s leave headlines aside for a moment and look at the first sentence.

The first sentence is where most bloggers drop the ball

Yes, the first sentence is where most bloggers lose their readers. That’s sad, because if you can get them to read the first sentence, and then the next sentence – they’re likely to read right to the end.

Here’s what Sugarman says about the first headline:

Now if the first sentence is so important, what can you do to make it so compelling to read, so simple, and so interesting that your readers—every one of them—will read it in its entirety?
The answer: Make it short.

What is the function of the first sentence?

Guess.

Is it to make readers curious? Or to express a benefit? Or to give background information?

No.

Let’s to go school with Sugerman:

The purpose of the first sentence is to get you to read the second sentence. Nothing more, nothing less.

Here is Joe’s view of a first sentence that works:

Each sentence is so short and easy to read that your reader starts to read your copy almost as if being sucked into it. Think about the analogy of a locomotive. When the locomotive starts to chug from a standing start, it really works hard. The amount of commitment and energy that the train must exert is monumental. But once the train starts to move, the next few feet become easier and the next few even easier.

Warning: if you bury your first sentence in a long paragraph, readers will wander off.

How to structure your first paragraph

There’s a simple way to make your first sentence work: let it stand alone as your first paragraph. Take a look at the example below to see how this works.    It’s from Derek Halpern’s blog Social Triggers

I’m sure you noticed how smoothly Derek’s post leads the reader along. The reason is simple: the whole first part of the post is made up of one-sentence paragraphs.

Here’s another example, this time by Brian Clark

You can see that both blogger have a similar style – which isn’t surprising. They both have a background as copywriters.

Here’s another example of this contemporary style of blog writing. This is by Jon Morrow from his new, awesome blog, Blog Boost Traffic from a post, called, Why Posting Every Day is a Silly Strategy (And What to Do Instead)

In contrast, here is a first blogger with less experience. It’s from Kristoph Matthew’s blog, Unswamped Life

As you can see, Kristoph is a talented writer.  But his writing style is still based upon article-writing. It would be easy to deconstruct the first paragraph and use the material create a great intro to his post. (You might like to try this as an exercise).

OK, you’ve got the reader’s attention. Now what?

Your next task is to harmonize with your readers.

Harmonize? Well, I don’t mean you have to sing along with your reader. But you need to be in harmony.

You need to get them to nod along with you. Once you are in harmony with your reader, they will trust you to take them on a journey.

Because every post is a journey (or should be).

How to create harmony

Sugerman offers the example of how a car salesman works (I know, I know – who wants to be like a car salesman …)

A car salesman says, “Nice day, Mr. Jones.” Mr. Jones then answers, “Yes.” (It is a nice day, the statement is truthful and the customer answers in the affirmative.)

“I see, Mr. Jones, that you keep your car very clean.” “Yes, I do.” (At this point, the salesman has Mr. Jones saying yes and nodding his head.) “I see, Mr. Jones, that since you now own a Buick and we sell Buicks, you probably could use a new one?” “Yes.” (The salesman asks a rather obvious question and Mr. Jones, nodding, replies in the affirmative.)

“May I show you one of our latest models with improvements over the model you currently own?” “Yes.” (The salesman once again says the obvious to get a yes answer, and the harmony continues.)

Leaving aside the unfortunate car salesman thing, you can see how the technique enables the seller and the prospective customer to be in harmony. As bloggers, we can learn from this.

• A simple way to create harmony is to ask questions that you know you’re reader will answer with ‘yes’. Right?
• Another way is to assume that your readers are savvy. As you well know, people like to be seen as savvy. (I’m sure you spotted the little device I used just now…)

Remember the thing I said about going on a journey? That’s the next thing you need to do.

Every post needs to lead your readers on a journey.

As you know, every journey has a start and a destination. If you just stand on your doormat – and keep on standing on it – that’s not a journey. You need to step out and arrive somewhere.

In terms of writing a blog post, the destination can be a number of things:

• Your reader has learned something new.
• Your reader has found a new way to think.
• Your reader has found new inspiration.
• Your reader has found a new way to do something.
• The reader subscribes.
• The reader buys your product.

What happens at the destination?

You’ve led your readers from the stunning headline to the short (but stunning) first sentence. Then you’ve taken them on a (stunning) journey.

What now?

Most blog writers just drop their readers in the trash at the destination. They’ve worked hard to write something useful or entertaining. They drop them, thinking:

“I’ve finished the post … phew! Now it’s time to leave the readers to their own device and to crack open a beer.”

But if you stop now, you’ve missed the crucial part of a blog post.

How to create the finale

Here’s where we return to copywriting.

You need to think about the overall purpose of copywriting: it’s to make a customer buy something. That’s crass. But true.

It sounds better if to say: the aim of copy is to make the customer take action.

And that’s exactly what you need to do as a blogger:

You need to make the reader take action.

What kind of action?

You have choices: you can ask readers to leave a comment, or subscribe, or to buy a product, or to read other posts, or to try an experiment, or to donate $100,000 to you, or …

You get it: the choices are endless.

The important point is to tell them what action you want them to take. Do you want them to leave a comment? In that case complete your post by saying something like this, “What do you think? Please share your thoughts in the comments.”

If the action you want readers to take is to click a link, buy a product, or to subscribe, or whatever – let them know.

What to do next

Just reading this post won’t do anything for you. You have to take action. (Does that ring a bell?)

When you write your next blog post, use this article as a guideline. Try out each of the suggestions and see how it works for your personal style.

Thoughts? Questions? Please share in the comments.
(If you’re on the homepage, click on the headline and scroll down to find the comments)

Mary Jaksch is  the Chief Editor of Write to Done. Together with Leo Babauta, she founded the A-List Blogger Club, the insanely useful training for all stages of blogging. Click on the image below to find out how it can help you become a better blogger.

A guest post by PJ Reece of PjReece.ca

“Wow!  This looks awesome, PJ.”

That’s Mary Jaksch getting all excited in a March 11 email.  I had sent her my newly hatched eBook called STORY STRUCTURE TO DIE FOR.  Mary continues:

“Do you want to write a guest post for Write to Done about ‘story structure’?”

Does a blogger like backlinks?  Does an author want to see his book appear on Page 1 of Google?  Does “i” come before “e” except after “c”?  Do I want to…?

LATER THAT SAME MINUTE:
“Dear Mary…  It would be my pleasure to write a guest blog about “story structure” for Write to Done.  I’ll start immediately.” ~ PJ

I’ve lived by writing for over twenty years.  Three books published with the traditional press, hundreds of hours of broadcast television scripts, a feature film on the big screen, newspaper and magazine articles a-plenty, almost three years a blogger, and most recently this new eBook on story structure…I should have Mary’s piece written by lunch.

THREE DAYS LATER:
“Dear Mary…  Here’s a draft of my guest post: ‘Going Out on a Limb for Story Structure’ – enjoy!”  ~ PJ

LATER THAT DAY:
“Hi, PJ.  Your proposed guest post has an interesting topic.  However, I think the writing could be a lot sharper.  Please read Juicy Writing: How to Glue Readers to the Page and put your post under the knife.  See if you can write what you want to say much simpler.  Please get back to me once you’ve completed the changes.  Thanks.  ~ Mary.

Oh.  Mary Jaksch doesn’t like it.  Well, excuuuse me.  It reads well enough to me.  What’s more, my wife read it and she’s no push-over.  I’ll assume that Mary got up on the wrong side of the bed.  With a name like Jaksch, maybe she don’t speak so good English.  I must be nice.  Be nice, PJ.

IMMEDIATE REPLY:

“Dear Mary…  Will do!” ~ PJ

Upon reviewing my piece, I have to admit that Mary might be right.  My 900 words are a confusion of different threads, some psychological, some esoteric.  I was trying to be oh-so clever.  Sharpening isn’t going to fix it—I’ll have to start over.  Show me the manuscript that can’t benefit from a rewrite.  Good on ya, Mary!  (See—I’m not so hard to get along with.)

THREE DAYS LATER:

“Dear Mary…  You were quite right about the first draft.  I was aware of being off-centre with my approach.  I’ve been writing about Story Structure for so long that I was happy to be coming at it with more abandon.  Anyway, I started fresh and decided to let Hemingway help me out.  Here it is: Story Structure to Die for (in a nutshell). Let me know what you think.  ~ PJ.”

AN HOUR LATER:
“That’s better, PJ.  Now hunt down and kill all ‘meta comments’, such as: ‘I want to present…’ (There’s no need to tell people what you’re going to do.  Just do it!)”

Come on, Mary!  I’m just being conversational.  ‘Write like you speak’—that’s what the writing gurus tell us.  My favourite poet begins one of his most famous poems with a ‘meta comment’:  “I want to write about faith…” (David White).  But it’s Mary’s web site, her blog, she can #*!!&*! do what she wants.  Yet, in a way, I see that she’s right.  I like to think of myself as a minimalist—jump right in—cut to the chase—slash and burn.

NEXT DAY:

“Dear Mary…  Search & Destroy mission accomplished.  Meta comments gone.  Please check it out.  Any idea when this post will appear?” ~ PJ

REPLY EMAIL:

“Hi, PJ.  I like the topic but your writing needs to be a lot tighter and simpler.  Have you looked at how to strip each sentence and make it simple and to the point? I know you’ve got the talent to lift your writing game.  Please study Juicy Writing: How to Glue Readers to the Page and apply it to every sentence.”

I’m don’t have time for this, Mary!  ‘Please study this article…’  Who is this Mary Jaksch?  I bet I’ve been writing longer than she has.  And while she sends me to Writing 101, my own blog is suffering from lack of attention.  Not to mention my wife.  She won’t even help me anymore; she’s sick of me nattering on about “story structure”.  But I know what the problem is—this is a sophisticated subject.  This isn’t just another nuts & bolts article.  I’m talking about the mystical heart of a story!  Mary!

Maybe she doesn’t get it.  Maybe no one gets it!  There’s a frightening thought.  I mean, if Mary (who’s obviously intelligent) doesn’t get it, what chance is there that…  Maybe it’s hopeless.  Maybe I should just tell Mary to take this post and…

“Dear Mary…  It’s good that you’re pushing me like this.  This theory of mine is confounded by the presence of a blind spot in the human organism.  So clarity is everything.  If it’s not clear, then let’s get it clear.  I accept the challenge!  Back atcha soon. ~ PJ

I read the damn thing again.  On one level it sounds fine, but if I read it with the remove of a reader, it’s a steaming heap of apocryphal nonsense.  It’s still a jumble; there’s no design.  It doesn’t add up.  Thank god, Mary is badgering me.  She’s saving me from embarrassment.  This is my Holy Grail, to be a guest-poster on Write to Done.  I don’t want to blow it.

To give Mary credit, it can’t be easy rejecting a guest post.  I wish more writing would get rejected.  The Internet is lousy with mediocre writing, in my humble opinion.  Mary’s doing me a huge favour, and I know it.

I’ve forgotten how much a writer needs a “Mary” breathing down their neck.  It’s rare that a writer creates Art without the help of an editor.  We writers are so often under the influence of our precious “muse” that we get lost in our subjectivity.  I once wrote an entire novel without realizing what it was about—until my editor pointed it out.

I must narrow my sights and not try to say so much.  And most importantly, what exactly am I trying to say?  I’m starting from scratch.  Write to Done—I get it now.  Because I ain’t done yet.

FOUR DAYS LATER:
Dear Mary…  Thank you again for prodding me with your Zen stick.  I think this version is tight and good.  And I hope you think so, too.  ~ PJ

LATER…(after Mary gets out of bed on the right side):
“WOW – PJ, I can’t recognize the writer!  I’ll take this one.” ~ Mary Jaksch

POST-MORTEM:

• Accepting rejection
• rolling with the punches
• being nice
• writing til it’s done

…these are attitudes a writer will develop on the way to becoming successful.  And sometimes a writer forgets!  My experience at Write to Done was a powerful reminder.

It’s rare to encounter an editor who is strong enough in her own wisdom to keep sending the writer back to the drawing board.  She knows the writer’s ego is fragile.  It can’t be easy on her.  She also knows that when a deadline is looming, “tough love” is the only way to get results.

Thanks, Mary!

PJ Reece’s book ‘Story Structure to Die For‘ is a great resource for writers. It has been downloaded over 2,000 times. Please go here to download it for free.

PJ is a member of the A-List Blogger Club. Click below to check out the insanely useful training for all stages of blogging.

A guest post by James Chartrand of Men with Pens

You know the deal: If you want to get better at writing, you need to write.

Preferably daily. Preferably at the same time every day.

But uuuuuugh. What if you’re just not motivated to write every day? What if you can’t discipline yourself? What if you tried for a few days then completely ran out of juice and sat around eating cookies instead?

Every writer struggles with this. “I just don’t have any motivation today,” we say, all sad and desolate, as if we’d completely run out and had no idea where to get more.

This may be because we don’t stock up properly.

Motivation doesn’t come from within. It comes from your secret stash.

What Do You Get Out Of It?

I was reading a book on how to develop habits, and one critical point caught my eye. This book argues that one of the reasons we fail to develop “good” habits and keep up our “bad” ones is because our bad habits offer us a better reward.

Here’s an example: Let’s say you decide you need more physical exercise every day (a good habit) and want to quit eating junk food (a bad habit).

It’s easier to start exercising every day if you pick the same time to do it. You decide you’re going to go for a run at 7:00 am every morning. No excuses.

Meanwhile, you decide that you’re going to get rid of all your chips and stock up on healthy carrot sticks instead. Now you won’t be tempted.

Fantastic, right?

But after a few days, you have a rotten day at work and you sleep poorly. You wake up with a bit of a headache, and your shins hurt from those three days of diligent running.  You’re tired. Cranky. Meh.

Anyone who’s ever tried to rejigger their health habits knows what happens next: You skip your run and somewhere around noon, you find yourself at the snack machine pounding at the glass to make that Snickers bar drop down.

What went wrong?

Eating junk food (your bad habit) is rewarding. You get a tasty rush of sugar. You feel satisfied. You feel content. You were stressed out, you got some good stuff, and now you feel better.

Running (your good habit) didn’t come with a reward. You got up early, you ran, you worked hard that day, and then you . . . come home, take a shower, sleep, and do it all the next day.

Where’s the fun in that?

We tell ourselves that there IS a reward for running – in a few months, we’ll be in better shape. But honestly, that’s not much good. We need motivation so we act NOW.

Which brings us back to writing.

What’s Missing From Your Daily Writing?

You have a long-term goal for your writing. For many of you reading this blog, you want to have your novel published one day. For some of you, you just might want to finish that book. Whatever your motivation, it’s long-term motivation.

It’s not something you can accomplish in a day of writing.

Since that’s the case, your mind starts wondering why it’s doing this daily writing thing. It’s hard. It’s tiring. Some days, it’s grueling – a real chore you’re starting to hate. And it doesn’t seem to have any immediate reward.

You’re just going to keep doing this painful daily writing forever and never going to get anything out of it.

That’s lousy motivation.

Long-term goals are great, and you should keep moving toward them. The ultimate reward of achieving your dream is going to be amazing.

But right now, you’re not sitting down to write a whole book. You’re sitting down to write for an hour. One hour. That’s it. And you need a reward for doing that.

You need motivation. Here’s the problem:

Your Motivation Isn’t Internal.

Motivation isn’t some magic force that you either have one day or you don’t. You provide yourself with motivation.

People often make the mistake of thinking motivation is inherent in the act – if we write, we’ll feel good. That’s true to a degree, but while it feels satisfying to write, it’s also difficult do do every day.

And many days, the satisfaction of having written that day is just too intangible a motivation to convince you to sit down and write the next and the next and the next.

So give yourself a motivation you can touch.

Your motivation can be small, and it should be intensely personal. Let’s say that you enjoy fine wine. After you write (not during; after), pour yourself a glass of the good stuff. Not that boxed stuff on top of the fridge; that’s just disgusting.

This is special, just-for-you, reward-for-writing wine.

Not a drinker? (I suppose some writers aren’t…) Alright. Maybe you fancy a truffle from that chocolate place you don’t often indulge in because come on, what do you need with fancy chocolate?

Maybe your motivation is a walk in the cool night air, all by yourself. Maybe it’s freshly-squeezed orange juice. Maybe it’s an episode of your favorite TV show.

It’s anything you want it to be.

Well, okay. Within reason. There are a few rules:

The Motivation Reward Rules

There are only three rules for your motivation:

1. It has to be personal. If this isn’t something you really want, you won’t want to work for it. Don’t decide to do the glass of wine if you could care less about the glass of wine. Choose a reward that works for you, something you really desire, guilt-free.
2. It has to be something you can enjoy immediately after writing. This is crucial, because you want to attach your reward firmly to your effort and build association. Your mind will subconsciously connect those two together. It’ll start thinking, “Well, I don’t want to write, but I really do want to go watch the next episode of House, so let’s get this over with.”
3. It has to be something you won’t do otherwise. If you make your reward something you indulge in all the time, it won’t be special. It won’t be a motivator. Sure, you could have that fine glass of Shiraz after you write – or you could have a glass without writing, just like you did yesterday. Useless. Your reward can be something you used to do intermittently, but once you decide on it as a reward, don’t do it at any other time than post-writing.

That’s it.

Here’s the interesting part: After you’ve used this reward motivator technique for a couple of months, your mind will automatically associate writing in the “good” part of your brain rather than the “painful, dreary, daily slogging to be avoided” part.

That means you’ll start getting the impulse to write even when you know perfectly well it’s not possible to have the reward. Even when you’re out of wine or it’s raining too hard to go for a walk, you’ll still feel motivated, because your mind won’t be thinking of writing as difficult.

It’ll think of writing as rewarding.

Which is all the motivation you need.

So tell me: What do you think your motivation will be? What small thing can you give yourself as a reward for writing? And if you already use this technique, what reward works for you?

Preferring a lovely glass of fine Shiraz for her after-writing reward, James Chartrand of Men with Pens devotes her time to teaching students at Damn Fine Words, the best online writing course for business owners yet. Get on the newsletter today!

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