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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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 ...
Continue reading "Don't underestimate the power of a fact check"
A resume is a formal document that outlines your professional qualifications for a job. It includes your relevant work experience, skills, education, and notable accomplishments. As you prepare your resume, you also write a resume objective to indicate your career goals.
A resume’s purpose is to capture an employer’s attention and lead to ...
If you’re a writer or freelancer or solopreneur or small biz owner, you need a content strategy. No, it needn’t be complicated. But you must have one if you want to make the best use of your time and build a following.
Don’t get put off by the marketing experts that ...
Continue reading "How to create a content strategy you can stick with"
One of the best ways to generate content writing leads is to offer a lead magnet.
A lead magnet is an incentive that you give to readers and potential clients in exchange for their email address (or other contact info) and permission to send information ...
Everyone wants a piece of the online sales pie.
And over the last few decades of writing for profit, I’ve discovered the best product to sell online. Especially for beginner writers or writers who want to grow their following (and their income).
It’s an ...
Continue reading "The best product to sell online (especially for writers)"
What is copywriting?
It is a subset of content writing - text that informs. Copywriting ("copy") informs the reader by selling, promoting, marketing, or advertising.
Bottom line: copywriting is text that persuades.
And copy is everywhere. It’s part of a $2.3 trillion worldwide industry -- one that needs more writers ...
One of the best ways to write persuasively is by repetition – saying an idea more than once.
It’s a simple technique, but not simplistic.
There are different ways to repeat an idea in order to persuade your reader and bring her over to your way of thinking. But you cannot write repetitively on autopilot and expect to be persuasive...
Continue reading "How to use repetition to write persuasively"
The conductor glared at me. “Make sure the minim is held its full length – not the length of a crotchet,” he yelled.
Huh? My blank stare communicated confusion. I spoke English, but I had no idea what the maestro was telling me.
I felt humiliated.
More than a dozen years in the classical music world gave me ...
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 explaining truths about God...
Continue reading "The Apostle Paul's tip for writing a conclusion"
Devotionals are a unique genre. And you can write them!
Writing Devotionals That Stick is a full-length, online course that walks with you step-by-step as you learn to write devotionals in a way that stays with today’s busy, distracted readers.
Leaders, entrepreneurs, students, moms, professionals, writers – or those who want to be – have learned to write devotionals by using the principles found in this course ...
“I need a good tip on writing a newsletter.”
I’ve heard this more than once from clients. Is there a magic bullet – the ONE tip – that will make or break your efforts to write a newsletter?
The answer is yes. The best tip for ...
If you want to be a more productive writer, do what legends have done.
Stop writing in the middle of a project or a section or paragraph – or even in the middle of a sentence.
Then, ...
If you’re a writer, you need to know how to write an outline for articles and posts.
Yes, you have an article idea. You’ve gathered plenty of information: facts, anecdotes, concepts, sources. You’ve studied and chosen some keywords.
But even if you know where to begin, how can you know that your article idea is a good one ...
Continue reading "How to write an outline for an article or blog post"
Business plan writing can seem like an overwhelming undertaking. Yet the good news is this: you probably have a good part of your plan written already, and not even know it.
If your organization is new, you have likely thought through many of the elements needed for your business plan...
Continue reading "Do you need a business plan? How to write one simply and easily"
“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 ...
Are you 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.
For instance ...
The fundamentals of good writing are woven into scripture. Biblical truths provide the cornerstone for our lives. That includes our writing lives.
These 101 devotionals combine the best “by the book” practices in the writing profession with God’s writing guidelines in scripture to encourage and equip writers to write by The Book – God’s book.
Each devotional includes a scripture, and illustration from the writing world, a summary truth to equip you in your writing journey, and a prayer you can use to apply the principle to your writing life.
Whether you write as part of your job, as a freelancer or blogger, as part of your day-to-day life, or simply for fun – you can apply the truths of these devotionals to become a stronger, more empowered writer who inspires others with your words ...
Continue reading "Writing By The Book: 101 devotionals that give you principles for writing well"
Writing formulas have been around for a while – and with good reason.
A writing formula provides a handy outline for you to follow or serves as a self-check as you work on a writing project.
And why wouldn’t you use them? Good formulas are proven and have stood the test of time. They’re effective when used by all kinds of writers in all kinds of niches.
Plus, formulas save time. If you know what works, use it and prevent guesswork. Like a blueprint, a formula offers structure, guiding you through a writing project in a systematic, organized way. Most are identified with ...
New author, wannabe author, repeat author?
Selling your book is top of mind. No one is as motivated as you in getting your book in front of more readers. Even if you’re using the traditional publishing route, you must take definitive steps for marketing your book.
And there are plenty of those steps to take to sell copies of your new baby. You’ll be told to …
Writing a good cover letter isn’t as hard as it seems.
A cover letter is a sales document. Its sole purpose is to introduce a person (like you, if you’re applying for a job), a product, or an event, or a packet of information ... and entice the reader to want to find out more.
Although writing a cover letter is simple, you have to resist the temptation to be careless or even sloppy with it. Your cover letter is your introduction. It is a task in which first impressions count … big time.
Continue reading "Writing a good cover letter: a step-by-step guide"
Writing a good cover letter isn’t as hard as it seems.
A cover letter is a sales document. Its sole purpose is to introduce a person (like you, if you’re applying for a job), a product, or an event, or a packet of information ... and entice the reader to want to find out more.
Although writing a cover letter is simple, you have to resist the temptation to be careless or even sloppy with it. Your cover letter is your introduction. It is a task in which first impressions count … big time.
Continue reading "Writing a good cover letter: a step-by-step guide"
Business plan writing can seem like an overwhelming undertaking. Yet the good news is this: you probably have a good part of your plan written already, and not even know it.
If your organization is new, you have likely thought through many of the elements needed for your business plan...
Continue reading "How to write a good business plan as easily as possible"
Business plan writing can seem like an overwhelming undertaking. Yet the good news is this: you probably have a good part of your plan written already, and not even know it.
If your organization is new, you have likely thought through many of the elements needed for your business plan...
Continue reading "How to write a good business plan as easily as possible"
A salutation is a 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 ...
Continue reading "Does it matter what salutation you use in a letter?"
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And as a launch special now through 8/31, my subscribers can get 50% the regular bundle cost when you use the HALFOFF coupon code at checkout. You’ll pay just $14.50. Be one of the bloggers who succeeds with the Blog Builder’s Success Bundle. Check it out here ...
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