Content Mastery Guide

Editor and Ghostwriter

Twitter-inspired brevity saves wasted water

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Stop wasting water and be where your hands are

Joan Bell made an excellent point in a comment on my post about the shower thinkers. Living in Australia where there is a much more urgent focus on conservation and environmental responsibility, her first concern was for the wasted water while you stood there jotting down your ideas on the AquaNotes.

And actually, I realized there’s another group who wouldn’t be too impressed with the whole notion of AquaNotes, and those are proponents of mindfulness. If you’re in the shower, be in the shower. Or like one of my mentors reminds me, “Be where your hands are.”

And after all, on some busy days, the shower is probably as close as most of us will get to a spa treatment – so why not “soak it in” and enjoy the moment?

Be brief with your idea catchers

Using an idea catcher is not about drafting your whole article as soon as you think of the idea. It’s about capturing enough of it so that you will remember the inspiration later when it IS time to flesh it out.

That’s where Twitter has become such a great training tool for brevity. I even find myself composing and revising what I’m going to write down on my idea catcher before I do it, challenging myself to use as few words as possible.

So practice brevity with your idea catchers – you’ll save water, write more articles and be a better Tweeter!

Structure: The last (or first) piece of the article marketing puzzle

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Have you ever noticed how boundaries and structures that seem limiting at first actually give us more freedom?

We think we don’t want to be fenced in, we think we don’t want to be controlled, but then we realize that boundaries give us freedom FROM and freedom TO.

For example:

  • Limiting the number of cups of coffee you drink frees you FROM the harmful effects of too much caffeine
  • Letting calls to your business line go straight to voicemail on evenings and weekends frees you TO cultivate your personal relationships and practice self-care

When it comes to article writing and article marketing, I know you probably have no shortage of ideas for how to help the members of your target market solve their most pressing problems.

Are you blocked by your thoughts? Start with structure.

But sometimes your ideas get blocked behind your thoughts (like “I’m not a writer,” or “No one will want to read what I have to say,” or “Who do I think I am, some kind of expert?”). You feel disheartened, discouraged and defeated, and you end up with no words and no article.

Writing structures like editorial schedules, generators and templates free you FROM hurtful self-talk, and FROM clutter and overwhelm. Writing structures free you TO write consistently and strategically, and TO let your creativity flow.

When you’re blocked, I suggest you START WITH STRUCTURE:

  • Begin with a simple affirmation that will shut down your inner critic and unleash your creativity, e.g., I have a message that someone needs to hear and that person is only tuned in to hear it from my unique voice.
  • Create an editorial schedule with potential ideas for future articles or blog posts. It’s much easier to start with an outline (or even a title) than a blank page.
  • Use a generator like the Top 10 Article Generator. People use formulas for a reason – they work! Or create a template based on an article that got a lot of attention from your audience.

Are you bogged down by your ideas? Finish with structure.

Other times, your ideas flow out so quickly that you feel overwhelmed, scattered and confused. You end up with words everywhere but still no article.

In this earlier blog post, Writing structures – friend or foe? I told you to walk away from structure when you’re bubbling over with ideas, suggesting instead that you capture your ideas as they flow instead of trying to box them into any kind of format.

I’m not contradicting that advice here, but I’m broadening my definition of structures to include idea catchers like journals, mind maps, voice recorders or a session with a ghostwriter.

When you’re buzzing with ideas, I suggest you FINISH WITH STRUCTURE:

  • Begin by giving yourself the time and space to let all of your ideas out with the help of an idea catcher.
  • Use a readability checklist to hone in on the one main point you are trying to make.
  • Refer to your editorial schedule or content strategy to make sure you’re being consistent with the message and brand you are delivering.

So I invite you to free yourself with the boundary of a writing structure. You will be giving a gift to everyone who is waiting to hear your unique message.

If you feel like you’re lacking the discipline, skill or structure that you need to apply the power of article marketing to grow your business, contact me today to find out how I can help!

My intuition was wrong on this one – and Sheila caught it!

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I don’t know if I’d go as far as calling it “intuitive editing,” but I will say that a lot of what I do as an editor is to follow my instincts about what looks and feels right.

It was when I was researching and writing The Customizable Style Guide for Coaches Who Write that I got more serious about learning or re-learning the actual rules behind my instincts.

And so it really doesn’t surprise me that I sometimes come upon a grammar lesson that I need a refresher on, or maybe one that I never learned properly to begin with!

Sheila Finkelstein caught an error in my blog post about Laurie Foley and Intuition Tuesdays, involving my use of the phrase Laurie and I.

She suggests that if you’re not sure whether to use Laurie and I or Laurie and me, try removing the other person from the sentence to see if it still makes sense.

For example, join Laurie and I on the call would become join I on the call. Well, that doesn’t make any sense! So the correct phrase must be join Laurie and me on the call.

On the other hand, Laurie and me will be discussing would become me will be discussing. So the correct phrase here would be Laurie and I will be discussing.

Thanks for the lesson, Sheila! I have also added this to the Troublesome Words page of the For Readers Only website. Style Guide readers, you’ll find the password to this page in Chapter 26.

De-Clutter Your Message

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At Thursday's SOHO meeting, I heard Mark Bowden of Truth Plane speak about how to "Stand Out and Be Heard." And while he was talking specifically about how we could improve our "elevator pitch" and other presentations, I think that one of his points was also very relevant to our writing activities.

Someone in the audience asked Mark about how to create great content for a presentation. She said she always runs out of time with lots more she had planned to share. I could certainly relate, and I leaned in close to hear what Mark would say.

Turned out that Mark's message was very similar to what I shared in "Trying Write the Article of Lifetime?"

He suggests that we choose the ONE thing we want our audience to know about (and how to do it) and focus on just that one thing.

He used the example of the importance of building trust in order to make a sale. So if "trust" is the one thing you want to get across as your most important point, spend the entire time in your elevator pitch, speech, article or other communication talking about how trust is important, and how to get it.

So, make your point, support your point, and then repeat your point. Over and over. At the PWAC Toronto seminar earlier this month, John Watkis stated that your goal when you're speaking is to deliver a message that will be heard, remembered and shared. Isn't that our goal when writing, as well?

Quick Writing Prompt: In the piece of writing you're working on right now, what is the one key idea you want people to take away from it? How can you "de-clutter" your message so it hones in on that one thing?

Make your Website Work for You: Top 5 Ways to Turn a Curious Visitor into a Loyal Repeat Customer

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  1. Specialize. You can’t be everything to everyone. Choose a “niche” group, envision your ideal client, and write your website copy directly to them.
  2. Attract. Bring traffic to your site with high-quality, professional articles featuring valuable information that addresses the needs of your niche group and ideal client. Then keep them at your site longer with more great content that’s fresh and updated (e.g. a blog).
  3. Capture. On each page of your website, offer a free gift in exchange for the visitor’s name and email address and permission to contact them again.
  4. Keep in Touch. Stay on their minds with consistent and professional messages that provide valuable information and subtly promote your services. 
  5. Diversify. Create multiple streams of income, including products for sale 24/7 from your website and group classes that make more efficient use of your time and get you out into the public eye.