Hope Writes

7 Commandments of Writing Articles

Posted by Hope

I’ve been writing my entire life. Professionally, I’ve written for over a decade now. I recently thought about what all this writing has taught me. As such, I’ve come up with these seven commandments of writing articles to share with you.

Article Writing Commandment #1: Write well. If you are going to spend the time and put forth the effort, then make sure you write well. Always use your computer’s spell check. Furthermore, proofread your articles for proper grammar, which is a common pitfall for many writers.

Article Writing Commandment #2: Write often. Beginning writers often struggle with the idea of having writer’s block. The truth is writer’s block is just a form of stalling and procrastination to keep you from writing.

Article Writing Commandment #3: Keep an idea bank. This is quite possibly your best tool. Yet, many writers don’t make it a habit of keeping a running list of ideas. Compile them in a notebook and carry it with you everywhere, so you’ll never miss another idea again.

Article Writing Commandment #4: Write passionately about your topic. If you’re going to write, then write whole-heartedly. Trust me; your readers will know in an instant if you have no interest in what you’re writing about.

Article Writing Commandment #5: Use quick outlines. When you start with a quick outline before you begin writing, you are able to stay focused in your article. This helps tremendously if you tend to ramble or go off on tangents.

Article Writing Commandment #6: Have something important to say. If you’re going to write articles, be sure you have something of great value to say. Rambling on for 400-600 words about nothing in particular will drive your readership crazy and may even turn them off and cause them to avoid your future articles.

Article Writing Commandment #7: Be confident in your writing abilities. All too often, we writers tend to be our own harshest critics. Rather than nit-picking your articles to the point of desecration, focus on your positive writing traits.

Keep these seven commandments of article writing in mind the next time you write and you’ll be just fine.

*As published at Ezine Articles.

Popularity: 74% [?]

ASK HOPE: Do You Do What You Love?

Posted by Hope

I’ve heard quite a few marketers say that in order to make money online you can’t do what you love, but rather what brings in the money. So today I’m wondering what your thoughts are on that. (Thanks to Becka for the great question!) Let me just give you my thoughts on the subject…

Doing What You Love
Perhaps the biggest argument for doing what you love is that you are happy with what you do. Does doing what you love mean that you won’t make as much money? Maybe. But if that’s a chance worth taking for you, you’ll probably find that you’ll be a lot happier than if you were making triple that, doing something you loathe.

I can tell you from personal experience that my husband, being the main bread-winner in our family for the better part of 10 years now, has had quite a diversity in well-paying jobs. The best-paying job he had lasted for several years with a large, well-known company in the United States. We both thought he would retire there. They paid very well and had excellent benefits. Yet, my husband didn’t “love” his job. That never stopped him from giving 110%, but deep down he just was unsatisfied.

When that job downsized, and eventually shut down the entire plant, my husband was left without a job. He started all over again with a local factory job. He took a big cut in pay, but they treated him well. Overall, he was okay working there, too, but still just not happy.

Every since I’ve known him, he has always wanted to be involved in law enforcement. He tried to get on every police and sheriff’s department, but even those who knew him couldn’t seem to pull the right strings to help him get a job. He eventually went back to school through the Army and earned his E.M.T. license. He never used them though, because taking an E.M.T. job meant he would have been cutting his pay nearly in half, and we just couldn’t afford that.

Fast forward to a year ago…

We moved two states away, to my home town. He didn’t know anyone, except for my family. He decided to apply for a job at the Sheriff’s office. Wonder of all wonders, he got hired! He just graduated from the Academy Friday morning, and is finally doing the work he’s always wanted to do.

I can definitely tell you that doing what he loves to do has made all the difference in the world. He’s so happy and content. He never says things like, “I wish I could…” anymore.

So the debate stands. Should you do what you love, even if it means you might not make as much money? Or should you do something that you don’t really enjoy in order to get a few steps up the ladder quicker? I suppose in the end, it’s all up to you. You have to decide what, if anything, you’re willing to give up. And if you’re not willing to concede, then do what you love and do it with all your heart.

What do you think?

Technorati Tags: doing what you love, do what you love, Ask Hope, writer

Popularity: 27% [?]

Help The Vamosi Family

Posted by Hope

My best friend’s brother was involved in a serious accident on October 18th. Over 85% of his body was burned. He has a family (a wife and three children) that need lots of prayers and support right now. Angela (my BF) is accepting donations on behalf of her brother’s family. If you can spare even just $5 or $10 I know that every bit will add up to help a whole lot.

To read more information and updates as Angela receives them, go to: http://www.janeofmanytrades.com/blog/vamosi/.

Thanks!

Popularity: 5% [?]

Linky Love

Posted by Hope

I have a busy day today, so I thought I’d send out some linky love. Enjoy!

• How To Gain Experience Without Writing For Peanuts I love Courtney’s creative titles
• Are You Blogging with Confident Feet? Very interesting concept about blogging with confidence
• Why Twitter Isn’t A Waste Of Time Good read if you’ve been wondering how to use Twitter to market yourself
• Twitter Pays My Rent More tips on how to use Twitter to your advantage
• How To Create A Scanned Signature Just what it says
• 5 Ways to Kill a Great Idea Fast! And How to Avoid Them! Simple, but oh so true!
• The Reluctant Expert Quick and simple research tips

Technorati Tags: linky love, writing tips, blogging tips, Twitter

Popularity: 22% [?]

Time Is…Money?

Posted by Hope

“There’s a myth that time is money. In fact, time is more precious than money. It’s a nonrenewable resource. Once you’ve spent it, and if you’ve spent it badly, it’s gone forever.”
- Neil Fiore

I’ll bet you’ve heard it said as much as I have, “Time is money. Stop wasting time!” When I read this quote, I sat at my desk mulling it over for a few minutes. Nobody’s ever told me that time is more precious than money. Okay, so it’s one of those things I should know, but just never took the time to think about. So this quote was a nice little wake-up call for me.

How do you spend your time every day? Do you plan ahead and stick to the plan for the most part? Do you plan, then play? Do you not plan at all?

Time really is our most valuable resource. And once it’s gone, that’s it. There’s no getting it back. Ever. Are you a good steward of your time?

Technorati Tags: time management, time, money, time is money

Popularity: 17% [?]

ASK HOPE: Blogging For Cash

Posted by Hope

Earlier this month, I blogged about how extreme advertising on a blog can erode and detract from you actual blog content.

Pattie posted in response and asked the question as quoted above. I thought her question brought about a valid point, so I wanted to clarify my earlier position, just in case you misunderstood what I meant.

In this earlier post, I was not bashing anyone who blogs for an income. Far from it. The main point I was trying to make was that there’s a difference between blogging for money and blogging for fun, then suddenly splashing advertising all over the place.

For example, let’s say I have three blogs bookmarked, all related to puppy training issues (I don’t even have a dog, this is just an example). The first blog (Blog A) is a personal blog of someone who got a new puppy for her family and loves animals so much that she decided to start a blog to write about her experience as she trains her puppy. Blog A contains no advertising, mostly likely because the owner hasn’t discovered Google Adsense, or the like. The second blog (Blog B) is also a personal blog that is very much like Blog A, except that it contains minimal advertising, and the blogger posts more in-depth information as well as product reviews. The third blog (Blog C) is what could be referred to as a “professional” blogger. He also writes terrific posts about training puppies, product reviews, and is a puppy training expert (has some type of formal training, maybe is a Veterinarian).

I visit all three blogs for very different reasons. Blog A gives me a personal, been-there-done-that viewpoint of the topic I’m interested in: puppy training. Blog B also gives me this same type of personal experience, but takes it a step further by giving me even more researched information about puppy training. Blog C provides educated, scholarly information about puppy training–all the “why” and “what” info I need–from an “expert” viewpoint.

If I’ve visited all three blogs for several months, I automatically expect that I’ll never see advertising on Blog A; see some ads on Blog B; and expect ads on Blog C. One day I visit Blog A and find that not only does she have some Adsense in the sidebar, but she has three or four huge block ads stacked one on top of the other at the top of every post in her blog. Can you see how this is an automatic turn-off?

Like I said, I have absolutely nothing against monetizing your blog. (Look around here…! ) It’s just a shocking thing when you’ve visited a blog for a long time and enjoyed it, then suddenly there’s more ads than there is content. And that was the point I was trying to make earlier.

It’s not about having or not having advertising on your blog. It’s about working it into the big picture and figuring out how to make it fit in so that it’s not so obtrusive that you start losing your visitors.

Take PPP, for example. While this is another way to make money blogging, I’ve seen bloggers use it in a way that is so tactful I would have never known the blog entry was for PPP, if I hadn’t seen the disclaimer. Now that’s a way of making your advertising fit into your blog!

If you are a blogger, and are earning an income from your blogging, what do you think? Do you try to make everything fit? Or do you blog and not worry so much about how the advertising is seen and accepted (or not) by your visitors? I’m interested in hearing more perspectives on this topic.

Technorati Tags: blogging, blogging for cash, blogging for money, make money blogging, PPP, make money with your blog, professional blog

Popularity: 36% [?]

Priming The Pump

Posted by Hope

As a freelancer, there are some days when, honestly, I just want to pull the covers back over my ears and stay in bed three more hours. Now that we’re homeschooling, too, it’s really hard to maintain discipline to wake up and get up and get going because I don’t have to get Emily up early either.

So I thought that would be a good topic to talk about today: How to prime the pump on the days when you just can’t seem to get going.

“Priming the pump” is simply a way of getting yourself started. It’s a kick-start to your work day. It’s what you do to get your juices flowing when you’re feeling uninspired and unmotivated. Here are a few tips to help you prime your pump:

Plan the day before. A really good way to prime your pump is to plan ahead. I keep a steno pad on my desk at all times. I use it to jot notes on and to make my daily TO DO list. I also use it to plan ahead. When you know already that there are certain things that have to be done tomorrow, why not go ahead and start your TO DO list today? The first thing you’ll think of when you wake up tomorrow morning will be what’s on your TO DO list already, which will make you want to get up and get busy working on it.

Read something inspirational. I’m a big fan of inspirational messages. I subscribe to several newsletters and services right now. Each of them delivers an inspirational quote, thought of the day, or message. I love them because it’s like receiving little nibbles of inspiration every day. And since they all arrive in my Inbox every morning, I get an extra shot of motivation and inspiration every morning to start my day off right.

Get excited about your life and your business. Have you grown bored with your life or business? If so, then chances are that’s one of the main reasons why you can’t seem to get going every day. Sometimes you have to stop and dream for a bit. Dream about where you want to be in life “X” years from now. Think about all the different things you want to experience. Get excited about your life and your business again!

Start with exercise. Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t get nearly as much exercise as I need to. One thing I have learned, though, is that starting the day with exercise will really get you going. It gets your blood moving, which gives you energy and makes you feel alive again. Something as simple as Yoga, or a short walk, can get you motivated once again.

Technorati Tags: priming the pump, get excited, business, life, exercise, freelance

Popularity: 8% [?]

Writing Made Fun

Posted by Hope

If writing has turned into a drab task that you dread, make it fun! Here are a few tips to help you out:

Set a timer. This especially works great if you are having trouble just getting started writing. Grab your kitchen timer (you can get a really cheap one at Wal-Mart) and set it for 10 minutes. You’ll be surprised at how much writing you can do in 10 minutes. There’s something about hearing time ticking away that really kick-starts your writing!

Write something different. Sometimes I get burned out writing about the same topics over and over. When I start feeling like that, I’ll switch gears really fast. Try it and see if it works for you, too. Write something in a different niche/genre. If you’ve been writing non-fiction articles, write a short fictional story or a Haiku.

Color. Don’t laugh–try it. Borrow a coloring book from one of your kids and go at it. Or, better yet, have a coloring content with your kids. They’ll get a kick out of it, and you’ll give your brain a break in the process.

Give yourself an incentive. Sometimes we get so busy with the writing that it becomes “work” instead of being enjoyable. Dangle a carrot in front of your nose. If you love chocolate, buy your favorite chocolate bar and set it in front of you on your desk where you can see it. As soon as you finish that tough assignment, treat yourself with that luscious chocolate.

Make a sandwich call. I can’t remember where I read this, but here’s the basic idea: Call a colleague or friend and tell them that you’re about to start an important assignment and that you’ll call them again as soon as it’s complete. Hang up and get busy writing. As soon as you’re finished with the job, call back and tell your colleague that you’ve successfully finished. Just knowning that you’ve got someone waiting for you to call back will not only push you to get the writing done, but will give you a certain feeling of excitement.

If you try one of these, come back and leave me a note to let me know how it works for you!

Technorati Tags: writing, writing tips, make writing fun, drab writing, fun writing

Popularity: 7% [?]

Unique Ways To Use Your Business Cards

Posted by Hope

Do you make the most with your business cards? Lots of business owners may carry around their business cards and just hand them out to people without really thinking about it. I stumbled across this terrific article yesterday that tells you how to use the “other” side of your business card. I think you’ll like it!

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Business Cards: The Other Side
By Cathy Stucker

All of us have business cards. Most of us have standard-size cards, printed on one side. How much more mileage could you get from your cards by using both sides?

There are lots of uses for the back of a business card. Why not try one (or more) of these? If you print your own business cards on the computer, you can make short runs of different types and see what works best for you.

• Put a map of your location on the back, with directions on how to get there.
• Print one or more client testimonials, with their names. To repay them for taking the time to give a testimonial, you could also list a web address or other info for them.
• List your specialties, topics, or other information about your products and services. For example, a massage therapist might list the modalities they employ.
• Show a picture of your book cover or product. The visual will help them to remember it.
• Make your card a coupon for a free consultation, a dollar or percentage discount, gift with purchase, or other value. Consider using an expiration date, or print “Offer good through,” and leave a space where you can write in an expiration date.
• List your seminar schedule.
• Give instructions for subscribing to your ezine or newsletter.
• Print quotes or sayings. In the Franklin Covey store they give out cards with beautifully printed quotes on one side and their contact information on the other.
• Print a product or service description from your catalog. You might want to leave off the price, or state a date the price is good through. You don’t want someone showing up 10 years from now trying to claim an outdated price.
• Put a survey or response card on the back, and promise a free gift (such as a booklet) when they respond. Of course, also send them another card.
• Print a form to encourage people to pass your card along as a referral.
• Hand write a note, or print a note in one of the handwriting fonts. It could be something like, “I enjoyed meeting you! Please call me the next time you need an attorney.”
• Put short (clean) jokes on the back of your card. Use a variety of jokes, not just one or two. These make a great icebreaker at a networking event.

Whatever you do, make sure you always have a supply of your business cards with you. And give them out to as many people as you can!

Copyright Cathy Stucker. As the IdeaLady, Cathy Stucker helps authors, entrepreneurs and professionals attract customers and make themselves famous. Get creative marketing ideas and more in Cathy’s free newsletter, Bright Ideas. Subscribe at http://www.IdeaLady.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cathy_Stucker http://EzineArticles.com/?Business-Cards:-The-Other-Side&id=126234

Technorati Tags: business cards, how to use business cards, business builders, Cathy Stucker

Popularity: 4% [?]

Why You Should Hire A Ghostwriter (ME!) To Write Your Articles

Posted by Hope

I’ve done quite a bit of writing for Internet Marketers over the last few years. It’s interesting to see how many different and varying niches there are online. What’s even more interesting is how something as simple as articles can be so very useful to your marketing.

If you are already using articles for marketing leverage, and if you are outsourcing your article writing, then you already know how important it is that you put out quality content. Finding a good ghost writer to produce excellent content can be challenging. There are so many people out there who call themselves “writers” but can’t string together a cohesive paragraph, let alone an entire article.

If you aren’t using articles to market your business yet, you could be missing out on a big piece of the pie. Most people know about article marketing, but there are so many more ways you can use articles to promote your business:

• Newsletters
• Blogs
• Paper Ads
• Website Content
• Video Promos

The list is truly of what you can do with articles is truly endless.

Many of my clients hire me to write articles for them for one of several reasons:

• They’re too busy to write articles.
• They hate writing anything, but especially articles.
• They like my writing style/voice.
• They need someone with a fresh perspective.
• They need frequent content within their niche to draw in more customers.

In many cases, clients will email me and request a project simply because they know I’ll deliver the goods without a hassle.

Should you hire a ghostwriter to write articles for you? That could depend on any number of things:

• Is your business growing, but you’d like to experience greater growth?
• Are you too busy tending to your business to write articles?
• Are your website visitors hungry for more content than you can possibly write?
• Do you need an easy, personable way to keep in touch with your clients?

If you answered “YES” to any of those questions, then it might be time for you to consider outsourcing to a competent ghostwriter.

Technorati Tags: hire a ghostwriter, ghost writer, hire a ghostwriter to write articles, write articles, article writer, Hope Wilbanks, Hope Writes

P.S. Would you like to hire me? Contact me for more information. Be sure to include details about your project.

Popularity: 17% [?]

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