Award-winning writer Kathy Widenhouse has helped hundreds of nonprofits and writers produce successful content and has gained 600K+ views for her writing tutorials. She is the author of 9 books. See more of Kathy’s content here.
Word Wise is for busy people who want to write more (or need to), but don't have a lot of time.
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Today’s typical newspaper article opens with a summary lead. It’s a tight condensation of the article’s most important information, presented in a sentence or two and totaling 30 words or less.
The summary lead format grew from the ...
Continue reading "What to write in your content's first 30 words"
A grant proposal is a lengthy project with lots of elements. Before you invest your time in writing a grant application, you want to know that you’ve maximized your chances.
One of the easiest ways ito ncrease your odds is to apply for grants that are a good fit for you and your cause. In fact, misalignment is one of the biggest reasons that grant applications are rejected outright...
Continue reading "Is a particular grant opportunity right for you?"
These three tips in getting freelance writing gigs have little to do with creative genius or brilliant word smithing and a whole lot to do with cultivating a particular character trait.
That trait is ...
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You've got a website or blog. And you want readers to notice it. But the whole "understanding how to get to the top of the results page" is confusing for you.
Here's a simple way to understand it ...
A sidebar is a short article, set apart, that accompanies a longer article.
Editors love side bars because they add value to an article. Readers love side bars because they're skimmable and offer quick information. Side bars supplement the main piece with extra content that may not fit in the flow of the main article but may be helpful to the reader...
You’ve heard it: writing powerful headlines is an essential skill for any writer.
It’s a skill you need now more than ever. Readers have too much content to process, be it online or in print. They skim and then choose what pieces to read more thoroughly.
How do they choose what to read?
It’s the headline that pulls them in. Which means your headline needs to ...
It was time to load the website copy I’d written for a client. I was on my first conference call with a website developer who was training me to navigate the back end of the new website.
And I was nervous. Posts versus pages … categories and tags and keywords … featured images, menus, widgets …. I’d written plenty of website content for clients but loading it in the back end was new to me...
Continue reading "When it's time to load your website content ..."
Write a sentence and you can write a book. (Or an article, blog post or any other writing project).
That’s a different way to look at overwhelm, isn’t it?
Consider this: the average non-fiction book is 12 chapters long.
The average chapter in ...
Continue reading "Write a sentence ... and you can write a book"
You have learned some important life lessons. And you want to share them with readers in a devotional.
But if you've never written and published a devotional, you may be uncertain where to begin ... and how to write your life lesson in a way that is helpful and inspiring to others...
Continue reading "Start writing your devotional in less than an hour"
A successful grant proposal starts with the grant application. As in reading the application carefully before you write one word.
I know, I know. A grant proposal can be a lengthy project with lots of elements and you want to get at them right away. Surely the funder is simply waiting to hear about your project and its worthiness. And you’ve got ...
Continue reading "Writing a winning grant application starts with ..."
“Free delivery.”“Subscribe for free.”“Buy one, get one free.”
Yes, I’ll click or buy or subscribe! That’s the power of free – that magic four-letter word that ...
Continue reading "The 4-letter word that's priceless in your content"
Who will read your book? Answer this question to identify your book’s target audience.
And why do you need to do this?
Because you ...
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 it focuses on ...
Continue reading "Star-Chain-Hook: an easy-to-use content writing formula"
Want to write more but have trouble staying focused?
A recent study explains that you’re not alone. Microsoft found the average person’s attention span has dropped by a third since 2000...
When I first started down the copywriting road, I thought the PS in a letter was a throwaway.
Then I found out that nearly 4 out of 5 readers – a full 79% – look at the PS first. As in before the first paragraph, according to legendary direct marketer Ray Jutkins.
That stat adds ...
Continue reading "What part of your letter readers read first"
Why invest in building page after page of your blog? Because your blog is an incredible way to build your online audience, extend your reach, and build your business.
By the end of this free micro-course, you'll understand ...
There are lots of different kinds of inspirational writing: sermons, Bible studies, articles, books, blog posts ...
So when it comes to writing a devotional, it’s helpful to have clarity. The word has become a catch-all term among people of faith.
It's used to ...
Continue reading "What is a devotional ... and how to start writing one"
Persuasive copywriting techniques are specific methods you use to convince your reader, to act. Your words motivate readers to buy your product, give to your cause, click your link, download your freebie, sign up on your site.
By way of disclaimer, there is no magic bullet to writing persuasively. Even so ...
Continue reading "Are you using these 10 persuasive writing techniques?"
Writing a book outline is easier than you think.
There is a distinctively different process for nonfiction books when compared with fiction, which requires character development and conflict.
Getting your nonfiction outline on paper is an important step.
It gets you beyond the inertia of ...
Continue reading "Writing a book outline: it's easier than you think"
I wish I could have known this one article writing tip when I began writing.
Sure, there can be secondary issues along the way. But for your article to be successful, you must ...
Continue reading "The top article writing tip I follow relentlessly"
Email lists – collections of email addresses –allow you to share specific electronic content with a particular group of readers.
The principle is much like group messages sent in Bible times.
Paul, for instance, wrote letters to churches. His letters varied in length and content, but he expected many people to read them...
Continue reading "What you can learn from Paul about your email list"
The beginning. The middle. The end.
Which is most important in your writing project?
As an experiment, think back to last week’s sermon … or the one before that. What do you remember that sticks with you ...
If you’re building a resume for the first time or you’re updating yours after years in the marketplace, wouldn't it be handy to gather and organize your information in one place?
When you use a resume builder, you eliminate the frustration and stress out of putting together your resume ...
Continue reading "Need a new resume ... or need to update your current one?"
You’ve probably done it. I mean … You HAVE done it.
You’ve used weasel words in your writing.
I have, too. (I did it just now, in the first sentence of this piece.)
Weasels are words that equivocate. They are vague qualifiers like generally, most, and probably that weaken your writing...
Writing a business plan is a key step when starting your business or nonprofit. Thereafter, it is also a very helpful annual exercise.
Creating a business plan is different than creating a strategic plan, which outlines your programming – what activities you undertake day-to-day to accomplish your wonderful work. In contrast, a business plan focuses on your organization’s operational elements, specifically its organizational structure and financial structure.
Many entrepreneurs and ...
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