Word Wise Blog: Content Writing Made Easy

Mar 25, 2026

Write an article or write a book? Take the quiz to find out

Should you write an article or write a book?

It’s a question you face at different junctures in your writing journey: when you’re first starting out and working towards publication … when you’re building your stable of writing clips … when you’re thinking of breaking into a new niche …

It’s a surprisingly important decision. Choose the wrong format and you may end up struggling with a book that feels thin… or compressing a powerful idea into an article that barely scratches the surface.

My answer to the question? It depends ...

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Mar 24, 2026

How to find the main idea of our content BEFORE you write

The writing process is easier when you find the main idea – the single most important thing (SMIT) to tell your readers – before you write.

If you do, you’ll save yourself time and aggravation. And your writing will have clarity.

When I first started writing seriously, I struggled with this piece of advice.

My problem was that in many instances, I didn’t know the main point I wanted to communicate in an article or blog post or letter. I had captured plenty of ideas but didn’t know how to process them to choose one...

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Mar 23, 2026

Simple story writing structure for quick content stories

A content writer needs to write persuasive stories.

If the idea of figuring out a story structure makes your fingers quake at your keyboard, then take a breath.

Let me go on the record here to say that when I started writing content, I was intimidated by storytelling...

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Mar 22, 2026

What's in your writing portfolio?

A writing portfolio showcases your work to potential clients, employers, and fans.

You fill it with samples of your writing that demonstrate your skills, whether you write articles, direct mail, blog posts, email campaigns, websites, books, novels, or any other content form.

Asaph, one of King David’s worship leaders, left us a writing portfolio in the book of ...

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Mar 21, 2026

Why repetition is a powerful persuasive tool (used the right way)

Bible authors used repetition different ways.

Sometimes, the repetition is obvious with exact words used sequentially, as in “Truly, truly” (Gospel of John) and “Holy, holy, holy” (Revelation 4)

More often, the repetition is subtly delivered with a synonym: words or phrases that mean (nearly) the same thing.

Here’s an example in ...

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Mar 20, 2026

Test your book idea with these 4 questions

You’ve got a book idea. You’re gung-ho to get writing. But should you proceed?

Given the potential mine fields of writing a book and getting it into the hands of readers, you want to make sure your idea is book-worthy.

You’ll invest a significant amount of your time in writing the book. And once you start, you want to finish it rather than let your first pages languish in your uncompleted projects file.

But how can you know that the sweat and tears invested in this book will yield readers? You want to know that there’s ...

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Mar 19, 2026

How to write a business email (step-by-step)

When you know how to write an email well, you can save time and get more business done with your employees, clients, vendors, and partners.

I’m not talking about writing an email to your spouse about a rental for next summer’s vacation (an informal, personal email.)

Nor am I referring to writing an email newsletter (an e-zine to your organization’s partners and supporters with stories and announcements) – although these tips can apply to these kinds of emails, too.

Rather, I’m referring to ...

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Mar 18, 2026

7 conversational writing techniques pros use without thinking

“Write the way you talk.” It’s the conversational writing mantra drilled into you from the moment you decided to write content.

But why do so many of us struggle to acquire a laidback chitchat style? And no, you can’t blame AI. Something visceral is missing.

I’d love to be sitting across the table with you, fellow writer, with a cup of tea at my elbow. You’d have ...

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Mar 17, 2026

Nonprofits need you to write these 5 types of content

I’ve been providing content writing for nonprofits for more than two decades. In fact, once I started writing for the nonprofit sector, I’ve never been without work.

Every business, whether it’s a for-profit biz or a tiny nonprofit agency, needs written content in place in order to stay solvent.

I’ve been paid to write all kinds of projects including ...

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Mar 16, 2026

Create a chapter outline for your book using this template

I use this simple template to create an outline for writing a book (non-fiction, that is.)

A template removes the overwhelm that comes with a project, especially a big one. And a book is a big project – one that can be so intimidating that once you get started, you can easily hit a wall.

Here’s how this outline template works.

Let’s say you ...

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Mar 15, 2026

How your current writing assignment leads to more gigs

Writers are always looking for more freelance writing gigs. But your next assignment is literally under your fingertips right now.

I worked hard on my first book manuscript, although I knew it was for a tiny audience and would likely never sell many copies.

I wrote, rewrote, proofed, and then submitted the manuscript to my editor on time.

A short time after it was published, I received ...

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Mar 14, 2026

One of the most powerful writing tools (fr*ee, too)

Investigative reporter Jason Grotto relies on a powerful writing tool: the fact check.

“We have to be sure the question we pursue can be answered with verifiable facts,” says Jason, who has written for the Chicago Tribune and The Miami Herald.

His exposes have uncovered ...

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Mar 13, 2026

Less than 10% of blogs succeed ... but yours CAN

Less than 10% of blogs succeed. But yours can!

I took a dozen of my favorite tools that have helped my blog succeed and bundled them together for you in this ...

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Mar 12, 2026

Parallel construction explained (and does it REALLY matter?)

Parallel construction is one of those subtle undercurrents that make for quality content writing.

When it’s there, it’s not noticeable.

But when your lists or sequences are not parallel, your writing feels awkward or disorganized. Even if the cringe-iness isn't obvious to the reader ...

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Mar 11, 2026

8 copywriting principles every writer should steal

If you write, you’re in the sales business. (Bold statement, I know.)

Bloggers, authors, freelancers, nonprofit communicators, content marketers: I’m talking to you.

“But I’m not selling a product,” you say. You are, however, selling something else...

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Mar 10, 2026

How to write a quote: a quick tutorial

Content creators need to know how to write a quote – a statement from another person or source.

Quotations can be used to support an argument, make a case, or as a testimonial. You’re not putting words in that person’s mouth. Rather, you’re citing what that person has already said.

But what to quote? How much should you ...

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Mar 09, 2026

Does your headline do its job?

Just about every piece you write has a headline.

Call it what you want – a title (article), a subject line (e-mail), a banner (newsletter), teaser (outer envelope), a Johnson box (direct mail letter), or even a caption (photo).

No matter how you identify it, this short bit of text has an enormous responsibility. Its job is to get the reader to keep reading...

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Mar 08, 2026

Your resume's goal

A resume’s purpose is to capture an employer’s attention and lead to the next step, which in most cases is an interview.

That’s why your resume is not just your calling card. It’s a sales document.

If ever a Jewish leader had a solid resume, it was the Apostle Paul ...

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Mar 07, 2026

Use this word to connect the dots for your reader

My high school math teacher explained how to write a geometry proof. Write a conclusion on one side of the page. In the opposite column, list reasons the statement is true. Repeat the process until you connect the dots to your point.

The theorem always ended with the “therefore” sign – three dots placed in an upright triangle –as a signal of its logical conclusion.

Paul, trained as an attorney, used the same approach in ...

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Mar 06, 2026

A step-by-step guide for writing devotionals

If you’re reading a page about writing devotionals, there’s a good chance you want to share with people how you have seen God move. You want to inspire them and give them hope.

That’s great! And there’s a book designed to help you do exactly that.

Writing Devotionals That Stick is a writing guide that shows you step-by-step how to identify a truth about God from your daily life and write it in a format that will stick with today’s busy readers...

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Mar 05, 2026

How to build an email list for no (or little) cost

You’ve repeatedly heard the mantra, “The money is in the list.”

Yet if you’re like me, you may cringe every time you hear about list-building. Can’t you just spend time writing? All that talk about money and addresses is awkward. You’d rather leave it to the ad folks, copywriters and marketing wizards.

Even after you’ve had an email list for a while, you find ...

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Mar 03, 2026

News article vs. feature article: what's the difference?

Writer? Then you must know the the difference between a news story and a feature story.

But if the difference feels blurry, you're not alone. They both tell stories. They both inform readers. They both might appear in the same publication.

But they are not the same animal. And plenty of writers confuse them.

That’s a no-no.

Both news articles and feature articles are standard fare in ...

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Mar 03, 2026

10 ways to start a letter

The cursor blinks incessantly, begging you to start a letter. But you can’t get any words on paper.

Yet getting the words flowing can be a stumbling block for new writers as well as those who have written hundreds of letters and afraid of sounding like a broken record.

It can happen when you’re writing a cover letter, a sales letter, a prospecting letter, a fundraising letter, a letter of inquiry, a letter of complaint or even a thank you letter...

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Mar 02, 2026

Why you SHOULD raise objections in your content - and how to refute them

These 5 basic objections are the most common ways a reader puts up resistance as she reads your content.

Objections pop up in a reader’s mind when she reads anything with a call to action, from a landing page to a sales letter, appeal letter, prospecting letter, need statement in a grant application, or even in an article or blog post that makes a clear point with an action step.

A call to action presents the reader with a choice. Will she ...

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Mar 01, 2026

Don't obliterate your point by doing THIS

“Word count: 1,000 – 1,200 words or less.”

For the longest time, I mistakenly believed that editors posted submission word count limits solely to ration space.

And that’s part of it. With a nod to their advertisers and page count, editors must be ever-cognizant of column inches.

But the internet and free domains and no-cost blog platforms mean that ...

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