Hope Writes

You Don’t Have to be an Expert to Write Good Articles

Posted by Hope

Have you been putting off writing articles because you don’t think you have anything to say? I have seen way too many people discount their knowledge and article writing ability, just because they think they have to be an "expert" to write articles. This simply isn’t true.

You really don’t have to be an expert to write articles. In reality, everyone is an expert…even if you don’t realize it. Even more so, just about anyone can turn out a good article with some amount of effort. Here are some quick tips to help you write a good article, even if you don’t think you can:

• Be yourself. Don’t try to write in a scholarly tone of voice. Write just like you talk. Pretend you’re writing a letter to a good friend. What would you say? What kind of advice would you give? Just be yourself.

• Write clearly. Be sure what you write makes sense. Re-read each sentence to ensure they each make a clear point. Does each paragraph contribute to your main idea? Will readers be able to easily follow your train of thought?

• Use an outline. A lot of people get hung up on the idea of outlining because they think of those rigid outlines from high school. An outline can be as simple as a few sentences, phrases, or even single words describing each part of your article.

• Write a rough draft first. When I write, my first draft is always an outline. If you don’t like to outline, quickly write a first draft from start to finish without stopping to edit. Once you have the basic idea on paper, then you can go back and flesh it out and edit it for clarity.

• Proofread. Before you send your article off, don’t forget to proofread it. A lot of writers tend to skip this step, but it’s very important.

• Edit. Even if you’ve already edited your article, go back after you proofread and edit it again. Be sure your thoughts are clear and your words are concise. Say what you can in as few words as possible.

• Publish. By now, you have a polished piece of work that is ready to be published. Send your article off and reap the rewards of comments from happy readers.

Popularity: 30% [?]

Simple 3-Step Process To Write An Article

Posted by Hope

If you aren’t a writer, but want to try your hand at it, I’m going to show you a very easy way to get started. This is the simplest way to write an article and anybody can do it. So let’s get started…

Step 1: Decide on your topic. The first thing you have to do is decide what your article will be about. To determine this, jot down a list of everything you’re interested in. What are you hobbies? What books do you enjoy reading? What are you passionate about?

Be sure to choose a topic that you are knowledgable about. This will make writing your article lots easier. Once you have some practice under your belt, start tackling topics that you are interested in, but don’t know much about. (These will require more time and research.)

Step 2: Create an outline and draft. Once you’ve settled on a topic, you are ready to begin the actual writing. First, write an outline. I’m not talking about an outline like we had to use in English class in high school. I’m talking about an informal outline of what you can include in your article. Too many people don’t outline in the pre-writing stage because they freeze up. But it’s a super simple step that can save you a ton of time in the long run.

Here’s an example: Let’s say you are going to write an article on bird feeders. Let’s just brainstorm some ideas out right now in a quick outline…

Birdfeeders
1) General overview of birdfeeders
   > What they are
   > Why they’re so popular
   > Who invented them

2) Types of birdfeeders
   >type #1
   >type #2
   >type #3

3) Birdseed
   > What kinds of birdseed to use in which feeders
   > When to put birdseed in your feeder

4) Attracting birds
   > How long it takes for a bird to come to your feeder
   > Birds that stay
   > Birds that eat and don’t return

This is how my outlining process works. I usually write the article title/topic at the top of a page, then just start jotting down ideas as they come to me. Depending on the length of the article, I’ll have more or less sections. I usually try to brainstorm as much information as possible because I almost always cut out part of my original outline and throw it away.

After you have a nice outline, add some “meat” to your bones. You already have a solid framework of ideas that you can build upon to write a nice article. Using your outline, shape your ideas into sentences. Think of each of your sections as a paragraph; each sub-section is a sentence.

Step 3: Edit, rewrite, and proofread. After you get the first draft out on paper, let it sit for a bit. If you have some time, wait a couple of days. If you’re pressed for time, walk away for about 30 minutes. Then go back to your paper and start cutting away the parts that aren’t necessary.

During the editing stage, be very critical. Read your paper with an editorial eye. Does something sound off? Are your thoughts scattered? Cut and paste or delete and add parts as needed to your article.

When you’re finally happy with your final rewrite, do a quick spell check then proofread. While it’s okay to use the grammar check on your computer, it can’t be counted as reliable. Give your article one more quick read-through. A good way to check for mistakes is to read the text backwards.

And there you have it! A very easy process to writing your very own articles.

Popularity: 70% [?]

The 8th Commandment of Writing Articles

Posted by Hope

Last week I posted an article reprint about the 7 Commandments of Article Writing. James pointed out that another commandment should be added to this list–writing outside your comfort zone.

As James pointed out in his comment, a lot of writers write only about what they know best. After all, haven’t we been told time and again that we should write what we know? The biggest problem with doing this is that we never broaden our horizons. We simply regenerate stale, worn-out pieces of writing, when we should be producing fresh, animated, enlightening works.

I did some quick research and discovered that lots of established writers are stepping outside those “write what you know” boundaries. Here are some examples of writers who admonish other writers to jump outside that cage:

• Jenna Glatzer - How to Outgrow “Write What You Know”
• Bob Freiday - Write What You Know?! Ha!
• Edward Willett - Write What You Know?

And those are just a few articles that I came up with. There are quite a bit more out there on this very topic. In fact, check out this discussion on the Barnes & Noble forums.

Furthermore, writing only about what you know could get you in a heap of trouble. If you don’t believe me, go read this article. This poor guy got beat up by his neighbors, and now they’ve been found guilty of assault against him.

Drawing from your personal experience is a fantastic way to pull together intricate details that you might not be able to write otherwise. But taking on a topic that you know nothing about forces you to study and learn something new. It broadens your horizons in ways that you would never get if you just kept writing about “what you know.”

Learning how to research and gather important information for your “blind” project are skills that just about any writer can use. As James points out, not only will you become more knowledgable, but you’ll learn how to write passionately on subjects that you know absolutely nothing about.

As a professional writer, I’ve written on topics that I knew nothing about and didn’t want to know anything about. But after I successfully completed those projects, I became more knowledgable about those subjects than I was before. If the opportunity arises in the future to write again on those topics, I have a foundation on which to build upon for the next project.

Technorati Tags: write what you know, commandments of article writing, writing, writing articles

Popularity: 11% [?]

Are You Up For The Challenge?

Posted by Hope

I’ve talked about the LK Article Writing Challenge before. Now it’s your turn to join in this crazy-fun article writing challenge. Here’s the deal…

The LK Fall Article Writing Challenge began on November 1st. From now until the end of the month (November 30th), the challenge is to write and submit 15 articles. This is totally for marketing purposes. If you’ve been saying you need to start marketing your business with articles, there’s no better time than NOW to do so.

Suzanne, Kristen, Jeff, and I all welcome you to join us in this writing frenzy. Those who take the challenge and succeed in writing and submitting 15 articles this month will win the coveted Golden PJs award at the award ceremony following the challenge.

Ready? Let’s write!

>> Click here to join the Yahoo group
>> Click here to check out the blog

Technorati Tags: LK article writing challenge, writing, writing challenge, article marketing

Popularity: 14% [?]

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% [?]

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% [?]

More Great Articles Online

Posted by Hope

I have a full plate today, so I thought I’d do some linky love to a few of my articles published elsewhere online. Here goes…

• Stress Busters: 10 Ways to Manage Stress
• Positive Attitude: Keeping A Positive Attitude Despite Problems
• 7 Ways to Love Yourself
• Why Writers Should Write and Submit to Article Directories
• Big Brother 8: The Devil and His Daughter Wins
• Finding Extra Time in a Busy Day: Check Out 5 Time-Saving Tips

Technorati Tags: articles, writing, Big Brother 8, Big Brother, save time, time-savers, stress, manage stress, positive attitude, article directories

Popularity: 10% [?]

Do You Use Article Marketing To Promote Your Business?

Posted by Hope

If you are a writer, I have a quick question for you today: Do you use articles to promote yourself/your business? If not, then why?

Did you know that article marketing is one of the easiest ways to get your name out there? It’s true! Article marketing is free advertisement. You already write on a daily basis, so why not use free articles to advertise.

With article marketing, you…

• Create a buzz
• Become an expert in your area of knowledge
• Share your experience with others

…and so much more.

The reality of it is that just about everybody you know that is doing business online, is probably using articles to promote themselves (and if they’re not, they’re losing out, too!).

Tomorrow…How to get started with article marketing

Technorati Tags: article marketing, articles, writing articles, writers, write

Popularity: 26% [?]

Cash From Articles

Posted by Hope

I just added a brand new product to the site, Cash From Articles. This 47-page ebook is crammed full of excellent information on how to use article marketing to your benefit.

If you already write articles and use them for marketing purposes, or if you have been thinking about trying your hand at article marketing, you’re going to devour this ebook!

If you’re interested, you can take a look at the sales page here, http://www.cashfromarticles.hopewrites.com/. It has a nice list of all the things included inside the book. Go take a look.

I have a full, busy week this week. How about you?

Talk to you tomorrow!

Technorati Tags: cash for content, money from articles, make money with articles, write for money, write for cash, profit pulling articles

Popularity: 14% [?]

Writing Inspiration

Posted by Hope

I have a full day of work ahead of me today, so I thought I’d share some of my writing articles, as posted on EzineArticles.com. I hope you find something in these that will motivate, inspire or encourage you to keep up the good writing!

(All articles open in a new window so you won’t lose your place here.)

• Article Writing - Writing To The Christian Community
• Article Writing - The Easy Way to Write Articles
• Awesome Tip For Getting Article Ideas Super Fast
• 8 Sure-Fire Ways to Get Your Articles Approved ASAP
• Writing Ruts - What NOT to do When You Get Stuck
• Writing Ruts - What TO do When You Get Stuck
• Top 7 Topics People Love to Read About
• The 3 Stages To Writing Articles
• You Don’t Have to be an Expert to Write Good Articles
• Do You Make These Common Article Writing Mistakes?
• The Top 4 Reasons For Article Marketing
• Do You Recognize These Early Warning Signs of Writer’s Block?
• The Lazy Writer’s Way to Write More in Less Time
• How I Wrote 5 Articles in 5 Minutes Flat
• Write Snazzy Articles Like A Pro
• What Every Article Marketer Ought to Know About Writing Articles
• 7 Commandments of Writing Articles
• Easy Article Marketing - What is Your Purpose?
• Easy Article Marketing - Brand Yourself With Articles

Okay, those should keep you busy for a while.

Have a great writing day!

Technorati Tags: writing, writing tips, articles on writing

Popularity: 8% [?]

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