Word Wise Blog: Content Writing Made Easy

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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Feb 28, 2026

How to end a story so it sticks

Wondering how to end a story?

The question applies whether that story is part of an opening anecdote, a serial for an online publication, a full-length novel, or the conclusion for your blog post.

To find out how to end a story, take a peek at Jesus’s parables. His stories wrap up with a surprise twist or unexpected ending to emphasize a truth...

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Feb 27, 2026

4 email templates I use to get more Writing gigs

Tired of staring at a blank screen wondering how to pitch yourself?

These 4 plug-and-play email templates are designed specifically for freelance content writers who want more clients — without sounding spammy, desperate, or generic. I created them and use them myself...

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Feb 26, 2026

Should you create an online course? Yay and nay

“You should create an online course to go with this book,” wrote one of my Amazon reviewers.

That comment surprised me. I was familiar with online courses since I’d taken plenty myself.

But create my own? The prospect seemed overwhelming.

Since then, I have created ...

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Feb 25, 2026

4 smarter ways to get freelance content writing jobs

You’ve sent the mass pitches. You’ve scrolled the job boards. You’ve tweaked your portfolio — again. And yet, the only thing landing in your inbox is radio silence.

That approach doesn’t just waste time.

It quietly trains clients to see you as replaceable. It drains your energy. And it ain’t helpful for your bank account, either.

There’s a better way. In fact, four of them...

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Feb 24, 2026

How one blogger writes 5 quality posts a week

Author and speaker Michael Hyatt uses a simple blog writing template to churn out quality posts five days a week.

He fell into blogging by accident - literally. He broke his leg and during his recovery, he started a blog which eventually shifted his then-editorial career in a whole new direction.

Michael will be the first to tell you that regular, frequent posting is one key to building a blog. Yet how do bloggers consistently produce quality posts with so much else on their plates?

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Feb 23, 2026

6 kinds of articles new freelancers get paid to write

If you’re a new freelancer and want to break into print, there are plenty of types of articles that you can get paid to write.

Writing articles offers a natural entry point into the freelancing business.

Magazines, trade publications, and websites routinely need content from freelancers. But you may be confused by all of the article writing options, particularly if you’re just starting out, so let me clarify...

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Feb 22, 2026

How your book readers can best find you

In the Bible, God used all kinds of vehicles to speak to people where they lived, worked, and operated.

For instance, God spoke to Moses in a ...

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Feb 21, 2026

Don't miss this opportunity to personalize your content

A salutation is the greeting at the beginning of a letter, note, or email. It begins a conversation.

Copywriter Siegfried Vogele’s famed eye tracking studies showed that readers conduct a quick skim of a business letter before reading it. First, the reader finds the sender’s name (in the return address block or signature). Then, the reader scans the letter’s salutation (“does the sender know my name?”)

That’s why at the start of a letter it’s best to avoid a generic ...

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Feb 20, 2026

How to turn random ideas into searchable content

Boy, did I get tired trying to find the right keywords for new blog posts.

You too?

That's why I created myself a tool.

Stop guessing what to write about. This fill-in-the-blanks SEO Seed Keyword Worksheet helps you uncover the exact words and phrases your audience is already typing into Google.

Designed specifically for writers, bloggers, and content creators, this simple but powerful worksheet walks you step-by-step through:

* Identifying your core topics

* Clarifying your audience’s problems and questions

* Brainstorming root (seed) keywords you can expand later

* Spotting content angles you may be overlooking

No complicated tools. No tech overwhelm. Just guided prompts that help you think like a searcher.

In less than 30 minutes, you’ll have a focused list of seed keywords you can plug into your favorite SEO tool — or use immediately to shape blog posts, website pages, email content, and more.

If you’re tired of writing content that doesn’t get found, this worksheet gives you a practical starting point...

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Feb 19, 2026

How to write a call to action (CTA) in 3 words or less

When it’s time to write a call to action, you may hit a writing roadblock.

Because it's awkward.

Your call to action (CTA) tells your reader what to do as a result of reading your post, letter, or email. You ask her for money or time or permission to invade her personal space and you may be stumped about what to say.

Because for many of us, it’s hard to ask for something.

Here’s a helpful writing tip to ...

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Feb 18, 2026

Online writing: it plays by different rules

You may be familiar with the traditional approach to writing.

It's predictable. You work through a publisher ... follow clear grammar constraints ... wait months for a reader's reaction ...

Online writing plays by different rules. And those rules can give you a tremendous advantage, especially if you're a new writer ...

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Feb 17, 2026

Ready to post? Use this blog checklist to see if you forgot anything

I created this checklist for myself ...

Particularly for those moments when I'm ready to hit "Publish" but my nerves hit and I wonder ...

"Did I forget anything?"

Run through the checklist and make tweaks before you post so your blog is as enticing and readable as possible ... and your stomach butterflies stay away.

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Feb 16, 2026

Do your headlines grab attention? Use this checklist to make sure

The checklist works well for blog post titles, article headings, email subject lines, web page meta titles, subheads, image captions … pretty much any kind of headline.

This self-check is an important step in the writing process. Those who read your headline will decide within an estimated 5 – 10 seconds whether or not to continue reading the rest of the piece.

Yowzers. That’s not a lot of time...

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Feb 15, 2026

Do you use too many exclamation marks?!

When you check blogs, email, social media sites, and texts today, take note when you see an exclamation mark.

Prediction: you’ll count more than a handful.

It’s part of current “Punctuation Inflation” trend in which ...

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Feb 14, 2026

Does your navigation bar do this?

A navigation bar guides readers through your website or blog.

It is a structural element that appears on every page of the site, placed vertically across the top or bottom … or horizontally, as a sidebar … or both.

A successful navigation bar describes a broad content topic in ...

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Feb 13, 2026

Need a tagline for your biz or nonprofit?

Stuck staring at a blinking cursor, trying to come up with the perfect tagline?

Meet your new secret weapon. This downloadable, printable Tagline Generator helps you turn “uhhh…” into clear, catchy, confidence-boosting taglines in minutes.

Just mix, match, and fill in the prompts to uncover lines that sound like you—not a marketing robot. No overthinking, no jargon, no pressure...

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Feb 12, 2026

News story vs feature story: what's the difference?

A good set of article writing tips must explain the difference between a news story and a feature story.

Because a news article and a feature article are two different kinds of content.

But plenty of writers confuse them.

And that’s a no-no. Both news articles and feature articles are ...

Continue reading "News story vs feature story: what's the difference?"

Feb 11, 2026

3 things I wish I'd learned before writing my first book

f I could hop into a time machine and sit down with my pre–first-book self, I wouldn’t give myself advice about agents, royalties, or Amazon algorithms.

Nope. Before writing my first book, I’d tell myself three much simpler things.

Not flashy things. Not “guru” things. Just the kind of stuff you only learn after you’ve already done it the hard way.

These three lessons fall into three phases of the book-writing journey ...

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Feb 10, 2026

7 tips for writing winning newsletters

Newsletters: do you think Snooze or Can’t wait to read it?

These 7 tips for writing winning newsletters are helpful whether you’re considering starting a newsletter or if you already have one.

Consider this to be a checklist of newsletter best practices...

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Feb 09, 2026

5 top tips for avoiding jargon in your content

Want your content to get read by more people? Avoid jargon.

Jargon is insider language. It’s that collection of words or expressions that are used by a particular group of enthusiasts or in a profession. You might think of it as a set of verbal shortcuts or niche lingo that’s familiar only to specialists.

Plenty of us are guilty of using jargon-ese ...

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Feb 08, 2026

Why gimmicks don't work in copywriting

"You write well," said the instructor, "but you haven’t persuaded me."

He went on to say that the content of my main point was not the issue, but rather simple fundamental mechanics, such as …

“Your main point was buried on page 2. Move it to the opening paragraph.”

“I should be able to ...

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