Word Wise Blog: Content Writing Made Easy

Dec 03, 2022

The Pillar Page: It's a content hub on your site

A pillar page serves as the topical hub for a section of content on your website. It’s usually longer than other pages – in some cases, up to 10,00o words.

And the content offers depth. In fact, a pillar page is substantial enough to be broken down into several smaller pages...

Continue reading "The Pillar Page: It's a content hub on your site"

Dec 02, 2022

5 Fun Gifts for Writers

Ideas are a writer’s raw material. They’re the starting point for any piece of writing or any step in the process.

So when it comes to gifts for writers, forget the usual notebook or kvetchy coffee mug with Hemingway’s face.

If you help a writer jot down an amazing idea before it slips away, you’ll be a hero. Give the writer in your life a helpful ...

Continue reading "5 Fun Gifts for Writers"

Dec 01, 2022

Ask this question to generate powerful content

Powerful content. Every article, blog, website, and promotion needs it. You can get it by asking questions like …

“Will you help me understand your mission?”“Will you help me understand what’s going well in the ministry – and what isn’t?”“Will you help me understand what you want supporters to know?”

It’s one of the best questions I’ve learned to ask ...

Continue reading "Ask this question to generate powerful content"

Nov 30, 2022

How often should you blog?

“How often should I blog?” The answer to that question used to be “every day.” Blogs were initially web logs – online diaries which writers used share their personal ideas online. And a diary, as you know, records daily activities.

But with the advent of easy-to-use online blogging tools in the late 1990’s, blogging became anyone’s game. Whereas bloggers used to use their online homes to ...

Continue reading "How often should you blog?"

Nov 29, 2022

Black Friday discount on courses, printables good until midnight 11/30 ONLY

Thanks to enthusiastic support from subscribers like YOU, I’ve been able to start an online store with writing courses and printables. My store is called Word Wise.

Now, as a thank you, I’m offering a special Black Friday discount to my subscribers: 35% off any items in the store – courses like Writing Devotionals That Stick or The 20 Minute Blogger, printables like the 1-Year Book Writing Planner or Your Blog Post Worksheet.

Just use the code THANKS35 at checkout to get your discount.

But the 35% off coupon is valid ONLY until November 30 at midnight Eastern time.

Check out the Word Wise store now! And use the code THANKS35 at checkout.

Continue reading "Black Friday discount on courses, printables good until midnight 11/30 ONLY"

Nov 28, 2022

A quick, 3-step plan for getting freelance writing assignments

"I would like to supplement my income with writing for ministries,” wrote one reader. “My challenge is that I have no idea where to start. Where should I look for opportunities? Can you direct me to a list of possibilities for dipping my toe in?"

Faith-based organizations, print publications, websites, churches, parachurch organizations – these operate as ...

Continue reading "A quick, 3-step plan for getting freelance writing assignments"

Nov 27, 2022

What you can learn from Mark's gospel about long-tail keywords

70% of internet searches are for a long-tail keyword – a very specific term or phrase comprised of 2-6 words.

Specificity produces better results. I know this from my own googling habits.

For instance, when I was planning a vacation trip to the southwestern US and discovered photos of a swirling, red sandstone geologic slot formation in northern Arizona, you bet I wanted to know more...

Continue reading "What you can learn from Mark's gospel about long-tail keywords"

Nov 26, 2022

The Sentence Fragment: Use Judiciously. To Make A Point.

A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence. Maybe it’s missing a noun. Or a verb.

People speak in fragments. Take a few moments to listen to the conversation around you and you’ll understand what I mean.

A sentence fragment is spoken in ...

Continue reading "The Sentence Fragment: Use Judiciously. To Make A Point."

Nov 25, 2022

It's Black Friday! Get 35% all courses and printables at Word Wise

Thanks to enthusiastic support from subscribers like YOU, I’ve been able to start an online store with writing courses and printables. My store is called Word Wise.

Now, as a thank you, I’m offering a special Black Friday discount to my subscribers: 35% off any items in the store – courses like Writing Devotionals That Stick or The 20 Minute Blogger, printables like the 1-Year Book Writing Planner or Your Blog Post Worksheet.

Just use the code THANKS35 at checkout to get your discount.

But the 35% off coupon is valid ONLY until November 30 at midnight Eastern time.

Check out the Word Wise store now! And use the code THANKS35 at checkout.

Continue reading "It's Black Friday! Get 35% all courses and printables at Word Wise"

Nov 24, 2022

Share your recipes with these 4 recipe writing tips

Use these recipe writing tips as you write and share recipes on your blog, as a submission to a website, or with family and friends.

As always, it is best to write what you know. That’s why it’s helpful to have tried your recipe a few times (or more) to confirm ingredient amounts and the best ways to prepare it. Plus, you’ll have extra tips you can share from your experience.

A clearly-written recipe has 4 parts...

Continue reading "Share your recipes with these 4 recipe writing tips"

Nov 23, 2022

How to start a newsletter: it takes just 3 steps

Don’t let the Myth of “I-Must-Master-It-First” keep you from publishing success. Creating an email newsletter isn’t that complicated. If you want to know how to start a newsletter, you simply need to get going. And fortunately, you can do so with just three simple steps ...

Continue reading "How to start a newsletter: it takes just 3 steps"

Nov 22, 2022

Christmas is coming! Get ready with The Un-Santa Book

I wrote The Un-Santa Book when my children were in elementary school.

The book is divided into sections, each with complete instructions for individual activities. Each activity has a Bible reference, an overview, a list of materials needed, instructions for preparing for that activity, and instructions that explain how to carry out the activity. And just in case you’re not sure how to explain each activity’s biblical principle to children, instructions also include a way to connect those dots.

The Un-Santa Book also offers instructions for hosting a family Christmas celebration at your church or homeschool consortium...

Continue reading "Christmas is coming! Get ready with The Un-Santa Book"

Nov 21, 2022

Letter writing tip: try this great opening line

Letter writing tip: use the opening line you’re afraid of.

“I’m writing to you today because …”

We writers push back from using this opening line in letters. Isn’t the wording overused? Won’t the reader consider this approach too ordinary or trite? Isn’t persuasive writing purposely vague rather than direct, as suggested by this line?

Continue reading "Letter writing tip: try this great opening line"

Nov 20, 2022

Powerful Content: Ask this one question to give you meaningful stories

Powerful content. Every article, blog, website, and promotion needs it. You can get it by asking questions like …

“Will you help me understand your mission?”“Will you help me understand what’s going well in the ministry – and what isn’t?”“Will you help me understand what you want supporters to know?”

Continue reading "Powerful Content: Ask this one question to give you meaningful stories"

Nov 20, 2022

The Letter of Introduction: Use it to build a relationship

If you’re a freelancer who is looking for content writing gigs, a letter of introduction (LOI) can open the door to working with a business, nonprofit organization, or brand ...

Continue reading "The Letter of Introduction: Use it to build a relationship"

Nov 19, 2022

The Grant Proposal: A Deadline is an Opportunity ...

The grant proposal was due at 5 PM. The narrative alone was 69 pages. Add to that the 12 required attachments, project timeline, the work plan … it was a massive project.

When I clicked “Send” just minutes before the deadline, I breathed a sigh of relief and said to myself, “I never want to experience that kind of pressure again.” The looming deadline had ...

Continue reading "The Grant Proposal: A Deadline is an Opportunity ..."

Nov 18, 2022

Easy way to engage more readers with this persuasive writing tip

For years, I’ve used a simple Features vs Benefits exercise to avoid one of the most deadly copywriting pitfalls: writing about features, not benefits.

First, of course, I needed to understand the difference between features and benefits. Features are mere facts about a product, service, cause, or principle: its dimensions. Its color. Its cost. Its ingredients or contents. Focus on features and your content will snooze.

Benefits, on the other hand ...

Continue reading "Easy way to engage more readers with this persuasive writing tip"

Nov 17, 2022

What I learned about writing thank you letters from a 5-year-old

We can learn a lot about writing thank you letters from kids.

The other day, my 5-year-old neighbor peeked through the bushes, saw me in the driveway, and popped over. She handed me a beautiful handmade card.

Did I mention that she recently had a birthday?

On the front of the card ...

Continue reading "What I learned about writing thank you letters from a 5-year-old"

Nov 16, 2022

How to use The Rule of Seven to get more readers

The Rule of Seven is a standard marketing principle based on repetition. If you’re a writer, you want to know what the rule is and how to use it in your content in order to get more readers and get them to respond.

But first, you want to make sure you don’t confuse this maxim with other “Rules of Seven” in other industries ...

Continue reading "How to use The Rule of Seven to get more readers"

Nov 15, 2022

5 non-writing skills every writer needs

If you’re a freelance writer or blogger (or want to be one), keep working on your writing skills.

But learn a few non-writing skills, too.

I’m not talking about research, interviewing, or r self-editing. I consider those to be part of the writing process.

I’m not even talking about marketing your services, which is a whole separate ball of wax.

Instead, I’m talking about skills you need in order to function in the marketplace as a writer...

Continue reading "5 non-writing skills every writer needs"

Nov 14, 2022

12 places to look for story writing ideas to use in your content

Story writing ideas are everywhere … in anything that grabs your attention.

By “story ideas,” I mean any idea that you can develop as a full-length feature or that you can use as an illustration or example in articles, blog posts, web pages, appeal letters, sales letters, email campaigns, sermons – event grant applications...

Continue reading "12 places to look for story writing ideas to use in your content"

Nov 13, 2022

The Rule of Seven: Repeat your message

Writers rely on marketing’s Rule of Seven. That is, your reader must read or hear your message at least seven times before she takes action.

The rule is backed up by hard data. Marketing research tells us that 80% of sales are made during the 5th – 12th contact.

The repetition is needed because ...

Continue reading "The Rule of Seven: Repeat your message"

Nov 12, 2022

The Book Launch Team: Surround Yourself With Support ...

The most successful authors don’t launch their books in a bubble. They build a book launch team of people who spread the word about their book and share it with others.

A book launch team is a group of people who ...

Continue reading "The Book Launch Team: Surround Yourself With Support ..."

Nov 11, 2022

Quick business plan writing tip

If I had known this one business plan writing tip before I got started writing, it would have saved me a lot of time. And the business plans I’d written back then would have been stronger and would have had more clarity.

The tip is this: use facts.

A business plan is a blueprint. It is a written outline that ...

Continue reading "Quick business plan writing tip"

Nov 10, 2022

6 tips for writing a donor thank you letter

Donor acknowledgement letters are a fancy term development professionals use to describe “thank you letters.” But don’t be put off by the lingo. Mama was right. Always say “Thank you" ...

Continue reading "6 tips for writing a donor thank you letter"