Save Time: Get 5 Simple Writing Tips
you can put to use in 10 minutes
Word Wise Blog: Content Writing Made Easy
Award-winning writer Kathy Widenhouse has helped hundreds of nonprofits and writers produce successful content , with 750K+ views for her writing tutorials. She is the author of 9 books. See more of Kathy’s content here.
Write more. Save time.
Word Wise is for busy people who want to write more (or need to), but don't have a lot of time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jul 22, 2025
The power of "new"
New things make you (and your reader) feel good – a new gadget, a new outfit, or a new job.
New ideas stimulate her and give hope. There are solutions and answers to problems!
But going a bit further, there’s a scientific reason why using the word ‘new’ is a powerful copywriting technique...
Jul 21, 2025
Who will read your book? Answer this question before you start writing
The first step is identifying the problem your book will solve. After that, you need to identify the target audience for your book.
Who will read your book? Answer this question to pinpoint your book’s potential readers.
Here’s why this is a crucial step to take before you write one word of your book...
Continue reading "Who will read your book? Answer this question before you start writing"
Jul 20, 2025
Editing: when to cut, when to keep
Stephen King had this to say in On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft: “Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.”
Becoming too fond of a turn of phrase or a particular illustration, King said, puts a writer’s self-centeredness on display.
King wasn’t the first to urge writers to ruthlessly edit their work. That bit of advice has been attributed to writers of all eras, including Oscar Wilde, G.K. Chesterton, Anton Chekov, William Faulkner -- and King Solomon...
Jul 19, 2025
Should you specialize?
Specialize: it's one of the most effective content writing tips ever.
Attorney-turned-freelance-writer Kelly James-Enger has perfected the practice. Part of her success as a freelancer, Kelly admits, is the discipline to not "write from scratch." Instead, she specializes writing for two specific niches: health/nutrition and freelance writing.
Specializing saves time because ...
Jul 18, 2025
Fun, interactive book for girls ages 10-12
My editor asked me to write a book of fun devotionals for girls at just the right time in my life.
My daughter had only recently emerged from her preteen years. I had seen her struggles in learning to ...
Continue reading "Fun, interactive book for girls ages 10-12"
Jul 17, 2025
Writing an eBook? Write a short one.
Writing an eBook can seem like a monumental task.
For one thing, those of us lacking a tech gene shudder at the little “e” in front of “eBook.” That “e” stands for “electronic.” An eBook writer must move a typed manuscript to a digital format, load it into an electronic platform, and market it — or hire someone to do. All of that digital malarky can make writing an eBook appear to be impossible.
That said, I’m not a techie, yet I’m squarely in the eBook writing camp. And I have ...
Jul 16, 2025
It's easy to write clearly with the 4 Cs
“Why is it so hard to write clearly, and how can I make sure my readers understand what I’m trying to say?” Every week, I get those two questions from folks in my writing groups.
The answer? I use the 4 Cs of writing to write clearly ...
Jul 15, 2025
Quick writing tip (for any project)
Writing – or at least writing copy – is not glamorous.
Good writers are packagers. They work really hard to produce an effective, clean piece.
The good news is that clean writing is a skill that can be learned.
Bottom line: the best way to write clean copy and content is to ...
Jul 14, 2025
How to write a thesis statement (and why you need one)
Don’t think you need to know how to write a thesis statement? Or maybe you wonder if you really need to write one for your project.
It’s tempting to think of a “thesis statement” as squarely plunked into the domain of those in academia.
Wrongo. I write a thesis statement for nearly every piece of content that I peck out on my keyboard.
No, I’m not going all nerdy...
Continue reading "How to write a thesis statement (and why you need one)"
Jul 13, 2025
What's the difference between an article topic and a slant?
Your story, article, or post becomes memorable when takes a large topic and zeroes in on one unique angle of that topic.
The ancient Indian parable, “The Blind Men and the Elephant,” describes this process...
Continue reading "What's the difference between an article topic and a slant?"
Jul 12, 2025
What content should you uinclude in your email newsletter?
I could hear the team member’s frustration on the conference call as we discussed content for the upcoming newsletter. “But there’s a new staff member and some changes to the board of directors,” she said. “That’s the most important news we’ve got going on! We’ve got to lead with it in the newsletter.”
Her words rang in the beat of silence that followed.
Then the communications director’s voice ...
Continue reading "What content should you uinclude in your email newsletter?"
Jul 11, 2025
Free mini-bourse: Why build your blog?
Use this free online course, Why Build Your Blog, and in less than 15 minutes understand six great reasons to build your blog ...
Plus, you'll have identified YOUR unique "why" for building your blog...
Jul 10, 2025
Most successful blogs avoid these mistakes
Successful blogs can be measured by data. That includes numbers of page views, returning visitors, new visitors, email subscribers, SERP results, bounce rate, time spent on site, comments, and social shares … to name a few metrics. You can also measure your blog’s success by another concrete number: how much money it makes.
But a blog’s success can be tracked with less objective methods, too.
Maybe your blog doesn’t get many hits or make much money, but it ...
Continue reading "Most successful blogs avoid these mistakes"
Jul 09, 2025
Writing a book outline is easier than you think
Writing a book outline is easier than you think.
Outlining a nonfiction book is a distinctively different process when compared with fiction. A novel or short story centers around character development, conflict, and resolution. A nonfiction book, on the other hand, solves a problem for your reader.
Which makes writing your nonfiction book outline simple...
Continue reading "Writing a book outline is easier than you think"
Jul 08, 2025
Star-Chain-Hook: A simple persuasive writing formula
Star-Chain-Hook is a simple but easy-to-use content writing formula.
Its brevity makes this delightful little formula ideal for email and other short-form content.
Like other writing formulas, this one provides a handy outline or template for you to follow. But Star-Chain-Hook is unique among persuasive formulas because ...
Continue reading "Star-Chain-Hook: A simple persuasive writing formula"
Jul 07, 2025
Keywords in SEO: a simple tutorial
What are keywords in SEO? Why are keywords important for online writing and why should you care about search engine optimization, anyway? Search terms … broad keywords … primary keywords and secondary keywords … long tail keywords …
To be honest, you may be confused with all the jargon. If you’re a bit like me, you want to say, “I just care about the writing. Please give me a pass on all that technical mumbo jumbo...”
Jul 06, 2025
Why this underused format is so powerful
It’s easy to dismiss a direct mail postcard as impersonal. Particularly these days, when social media marketing pushes us to engage readers.
But if you want to get a message out fast – or reinforce one you’ve already sent – then use postcards.
They are short. And they ...
Jul 05, 2025
Should you create email list segments?
An email segment is a specific group of subscribers on your email list.
They have particular trait or characteristic in common. Maybe they participated in one of your events and you want to invite them to the next one. Or perhaps these readers have requested a particular download on your website – one that shows they are ...
Jul 04, 2025
How to find the main idea for ANY piece of content
The writing process is easier when you whittle down your main idea – the single most important thing to tell your readers – before you begin to create your content.
But that one idea can be elusive, don't you think?
Not anymore. You simply need to process through your ideas by ...
Continue reading "How to find the main idea for ANY piece of content"
Jul 03, 2025
The very first step to take when you're writing a book
“I need book writing help!”
I hear that all the time. Writing a book can seem overwhelming. Where should you begin? What should you do first?
When you break the process into smaller steps, writing a book can be a reality. One step is manageable. Do a few steps and soon, you’ll be on your way.
And the very first step is short and sweet ...
Continue reading "The very first step to take when you're writing a book"
Jul 02, 2025
Find more freelance writing jobs with this offbeat strategy
“How do I find freelance writing jobs?”“I can’t find writing clients. Help!”“Where can I look for freelance content writing jobs for beginners?”I hear these questions every week from new writers and members of my online writing groups.
Yet very few writers use an approach that has poured dozens of clients into my funnel. And I write in a niche that isn’t known for its big budgets and abundant paychecks: nonprofits. Even so, I’ve had plenty of ...
Continue reading "Find more freelance writing jobs with this offbeat strategy"
Jul 01, 2025
How to write a reminder email that works
I write email reminders for lots of reasons:
As a follow up to a pitch.
To jog a reader's memory about an upcoming meeting.
When a few days have passed and I need a response from a vendor.
When I'm approaching a deadline and need a piece of information to finish a project.
But I feel all cringy when I have to write a reminder email for this simple reason: I don't want to be a pest ...
Jun 30, 2025
6 things to know if you want to make a living with your words
Is the writing life simply limited to the evenings-and-weekends wannabe novelist or the byline-hungry journalist?
For many years, that’s what I thought.
I was wrong. I didn't know these 6 truths about writing for a living ...
Continue reading "6 things to know if you want to make a living with your words"
Jun 29, 2025
The simple, underused (but timeless) promo tool
It’s easy to dismiss a direct mail postcard as impersonal. Particularly these days, when social media marketing pushes us to engage readers.
But if you want to get a message out fast – or reinforce one you’ve already sent – then use ...
Continue reading "The simple, underused (but timeless) promo tool"
Jun 28, 2025
THe little secret no one tells you about your first draft
The first draft process goes a bit like this: you’ve got a white-hot idea. You’ve accumulated awesome content to support it. You’re excited about the project!
But then you can’t seem to get your idea onto paper...
Continue reading "THe little secret no one tells you about your first draft"
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Share This Page
Named to 2022 Writer's Digest list
BEST GENRE/NICHE WRITING WEBSITE
Stop Wasting Time!
Grab your exclusive FREE guide, "5 Simple Writing Tips You Can Put to Use in 10 Minutes or Less"
Subscribe To This Site
