Weekly Writer’s Roundup for January 25, 2008
While surfing the blogosphere this week I discovered several posts that captured my attention …
Jennifer Mattern over at All Freelance Writing asks, What’s in Your Swipe File? And shares why it’s important for writers to have a ’swipe file.’
Angela Booth gives some good advice on Writing and Thriving in the Looming Recession.
Interviewing is one of the main ways freelance writers gather information for an article. Over at emomsathome.com, Tamara Berry shares 6 Tips for the Journalist Inside You: Performing an Interview.
If you want to be a high-profile freelancer, you have to check out 12 Incredibly Crafty Ways to Become a High-Profile Freelancer. Freelancing isn’t just for writers ya know.
Do you know How to Book End? Discover this simple techinique that Anne Wayman over at The Golden Pencil uses to git-r-done!
Leo Babauta, better known for his Zen Habits blog, has created the Write To Done blog as a way to share some of what he’s learned as a writer. This week he offers some good advice on How to Write First Thing in the Morning. Check it out.
Dean Rieck over at Copyblogger.com reveals his 5-Step POWER Copywriting Method that can be used for more than copywriting.
Have a great writing weekend.
Blast your Incoming Links to A-List Proportion
- I was checking out some archived posts over at Jack Humphrey’s Friday Traffic Report when I came across this technique to get more backlinks to my blog. This web 2.0 link building technique, which was started by Alex over at HowtoSpoter.com, will absolutely blow your incoming links up to A-List proportions if you use it. Check out how this started then come back here and see what has changed on the review list below and you will see how this works immediately.
Thanks to Alex for starting this genius link building campaign!
— copy and paste the Reciprocal Review Carousel and instructions below this line —
Reciprocal Review Carousel idea is based on a few simple yet effective link-building and blogging techniques I have learned:
- Build value of the blog by creating a helpful link from within content.
- Provide value to community by doing a review on a blog you personally like.
- Link to YOUR blog has exact anchor text you want and helps you boost Google Rankings.
- No more than 30 outbound links from any page to prevent penalties for link farming.
- Viral effect of the link – as more bloggers participate, link to your blog with YOUR anchor text, coming from quality content post will spread.
Here is How to participate:
- Copy the entire text between the specified lines.
- Create a post on your site and put at least one paragraph explaining how you joined the Reciprocal Review Carousel.
- Paste the text you copied into your post.
- Remove the Bottom Review and At the Top add your own review with a link to a site reviewed, at least 2 sentences about the site and a note – Reviewed by: Your Anchor Text. Link your anchor text to your site.
Sites Reviewed:
- Caroline-Middlebrook.com writes about making a living online. Her Twitter Guide is an indespansible tool for anyone interested in marketing and building an online community. Caroline shares a wealth of information on using Web 2.0 tools and techniques to earn money blogging. Reviewed by: Writing Tips blogger, Bill Frederick
- Peter Lenkefi writes about Web 2.0 marketing strategies at Web2Center.com. He has some killer videos over there you should check out along with a ton of good information on blog marketing and various “new media” promotion tactics. Reviewed by: Link Building Maniac, Jack Humphrey, for the Friday Traffic Report
- FitForFreedom is well-established blog where you can find multitude of information on achieving financial freedom. Blog is run by Marco Righter and his writing style greatly adds to the value of information he provides. Reviewed by: WordPress Web 2.0 Spot-er
- Secure Your PC For Internet blog run by Colin and provides essential information everyone accessing internet should know. Identity theft is becoming more and more of an issue and by visiting his blog you can minimize the risk of being compromised. Reviewed by: Alex
- VI-SU blog is all about WordPress, AdSense, SEO and Internet Marketing. Although mostly written in German I have found that using Google translate is worth the effort for his posts. Reviewed by: Alex
- Home With Heather is a great informative blog targeting WAHM (Work At Home Moms) and run by … you guessed it – Heather Masson. Information on what works for her in Internet Business written is very easy to read and comes from her personal experience. Reviewed by: Alex
- A Copywriter’s Blues blog published by Alex Badalic, a veteran of advertising turned musician gives you great food for soul. I have found some nice old videos of Johnny Cash performance and he has a lot more of vintage videos to satisfy fans. Reviewed by: Alex
- Did You Smell That blog authored by one of the veterans on network marketing filled with business ideas you can use. David Ledoux is well known and respected in online community and now he makes his experience available via blog posts. Reviewed by: Alex
- Best Damn Blog run by Richard Wing is all about Internet Marketing. Your visit will be rewarded by honest reviews, freebies and information you need to succeed in this cut-throat business without sacrificing your integrity. Reviewed by: Alex
- PlugIM Blog is a support portal for a new post voting system and a contender that has gained popularity among bloggers. Active community that lets you promote your blog and spread your message. Reviewed by: Alex
— copy and paste the Reciprocal Review Carousel and instructions above this line —
To recap - copy the content above, including the two red lines. Write an opening paragraph like the one I started this post with. Remove the review at the bottom and add a review at the top like I did for Caroline Middlebrook’s site with a “Reviewed by:” linking back to your site. Be sure to use your anchor text as your link. Publish it and watch your fellow bloggers go absolutely nuts over it!
Weekly Writer’s Roundup for January 18, 2008
I found some really great posts this week while I was surfing other writing blogs. Here are some of my favorites for the week:
Check out these ideas for Beating Writer’s Block over at a minor technicality where Neil Dixon writes about Breaking the Block - 10 ways I get myself writing every day.
Michael Stelzner over at Copyblobber asks “How do you force yourself to regularly produce high quality written work?” He goes on to explain how setting a deadline, or more accurately, having a deadline set for him, has increased his productivity in Want to Boost Your Writing Productivity? Have a Baby!
Pat Doyle shares 8 tips for getting your ebook published in Publish an Ebook in Amazon’s Kindle Book Store!
Sharon Hurley Hall over at Get Paid to Write Online shares her insights on using your own experiences to write realistic travel pieces about places that you have never been to in How to Write a Travel Piece and Stay at Home.
Melissa Donovan over at Writing Forward has a good article about The Ethics of Writing and Citing.
Thinking of self-publishing your next book? Read Neil Dixon’s advice on Selecting a Self Publisher before you make your decision.
Thanks everyone for the great ideas. Have a good weekend.
Improved Blog Focus … Helping You to Earn a Living from Your Writing
This morning I was over at skelliewag.org and I came across the post How to Get 1,050 Subscribers in 3 Months. “Wow,” I thought to myself, “1050 subscribers.” “I’d love to have 1050 subscribers!” was my next thought. Anyway, after reading through her post I was convinced to make a few tweeks to this blog.
First, identify your target audience.
Once you work out who you’re writing for you can cut out the topics that aren’t relevant to them. When a visitor feels your articles are consistently tailored to their needs they’ll be much more likely to subscribe.
Another key strategy is to make your target audience obvious. She does it in her header. Innovation. Ideas. Simplicity. For Bloggers, Webmasters and WebWorkers. I’m changing mine. It use to be Personal Development for Writers. After much thought, I’ve changed it to read, Creativity. Productivity. Profitability. Helping You to Earn a Living from Your Writing. I think that better states what I’m trying to accomplish with this blog. The next time you’re reading a blog post see if you can find out who their target audience is.
Third, provide valuable content. Quality is better than quantity. With that said, and keeping my readers in mind, I will ask myself “Is this the most valuable information that I can give to my target audience right now?” If the answer is “No.” I will not post it. To “steal” another idea from Skelliewag, “Don’t write about topics, Write for people.”
I hope this change in attitude and focus on my part will make you a more creative, productive and profitable writer. And, if you’re so inclined, subscribe to my blog.
Until next time…
Keep Writing!
3 Tools for Increasing Your Productivity
With my goals for 2008 set and put into writing, my thoughts have turned to “how do I keep moving forward on all of these outrageous goals for 2008?”
I must confess up front that I’m a good starter of things but not a good finisher. I have great ideas, but poor follow through. Overcoming this character flaw is also a goal of mine. I hereby solemnly swear to follow through to completion on all of the projects that I start. I’ll post frequent updates on how this is working out, so stay tuned.
Anyway, looking around my home office I re-discovered a few tools that, if I would use them to their fullest extent, would help me accomplish the goals that I set for myself. Here are the tools…
Tool Number - 1: 43 Folders
These are actually 43 hanging folders in the top drawer of my filing cabinet, not the website 43folders.com. They are numbered 1-31 and January-December. The numbered folders are for the days of the month and they are filed behind the folder of the current month, in this case January.
When some task comes across my desk or onto my monitor, I quickly review it. And, using one of “Getting Things Done,” author David Allen’s rules, “If it takes less than 2 minutes do it now,” I handle it. If it is something that requires more than 2 minutes, I decide when it has to be completed, open the corresponding folder, insert either a memo or the actual papers and forget about it. When that day arrives, I pull that folder out and do whatever is in it.
Today’s folder, the 15th, has only 4 items in it — a book marketing resource that I want to review, an affiliate program that I’m thinking about promoting, software that needs to be updated and a letter that needs answered. I also received a notice in the mail that one of my domains is due to expire in April, so I’ll file it in March, I don’t want to take any chances of it expiring.
Then I prioritize the items according to my written goals and do them. Nothing gets lost or forgotten. As a folder is emptied it is moved to the next month.
Tool Number - 2: My Journal
I’ve kept notes of some sort for as long as I can remember. Most often on scraps of paper, and even an occasional napkin, all thrown into boxes. Where, as you can imagine, I can never find what I’m looking for.
Several years ago I learned how to keep a journal from one of my mentors, Jim Rohn. My current journal is a red, 8 ¼” x 5 ¼”, hardcovered book with lined pages. In it I record any useful information that I come across during the day. It may be the lyrics from a song, quotes from a book or a blog that I am reading or even my own observations and flashes of “genius.”
To get the most out of your journal you have to do more than just write in it. You need to read and review it. That way, what you’ve recorded becomes part of you and you can put it to use in your day-to-day decisions.
When should you review your journal? That’s a good question. Mr. Rohn advises, and I agree, that you should review each day’s entries at the end of the day. Review each week’s entries at the end of the week. Review each month’s entries at the end of the month. And, you guessed it, each year’s entries at the end of the year. All of this reviewing does take some time, but I think you will find the time invested will return dividends beyond your expectations.
One more thing, I record the date, time and place I’m at with each entry. This helps give the entry meaning when I do my reviews.
Tool Number - 3: Kitchen Timer
My final tool, believe it or not, is a simple digital kitchen timer. I use it to set deadlines on tasks I am performing.
For example, I might give myself 30 minutes to check email, research an idea, read some blog posts or whatever. At the beginning of the task I set the timer and dig in. When the timer goes off, I stop. Without the looming deadline I often get sidetracked and forget about the other things I need to accomplish that day. The next thing I know, it’s time to call it a day. And there are still 4 more things I wanted to accomplish. These self-imposed deadlines are a powerful tool that helps to keep me focused on the task at hand. In a comment on Problogger.net, Millionaire Mommy Next Door agrees that her “favorite productivity tool is a digital kitchen timer … The timer keeps me focused, motivated and targeted on the individual task at hand.” Even self-made millionaires use kitchen timers;-).
Why do I use a digital timer? You can’t believe how loud and distracting the tick-tock, tick-tock of a mechanical timer can be when you are trying to concentrate. Believe me when I say that it can stop you in your tracks.
Well, these are three of the tools I plan on using more throughout the remainder of this year to keep me focused and on track as I work to complete the challenging goals that I have set for myself. If you have a favorite tool, please share it in a comment.
Technorati Tags: Goals | Productivity | Time Management | Writing Tips |
5 Tips for Writing a Novel
Many people dream of writing a novel but don’t know how to begin. Here are 5 tips for writing a novel that will help get you going.
Novel Writing Tip #1:
In one sentence, state what your story is about. This sentence will help you stay focused on your novel as you write and it will help you stay on track when you get frustrated halfway through your novel. Here’s an example. “A man travels 35 years back in time to prevent his wife’s murder.”
Novel Writing Tip #2:
Draft an outline. It doesn’t have to include every detail of your story, but it should give you some idea as to where your story is heading. Think of an outline as the skeleton of your novel. You’ll flesh it out as you write.
Novel Writing Tip #3:
Save your research until the very end. Over researching can kill your novel before you even begin writing it. Don’t get caught up in researching every detail of your novel either. When you come to a part that requires more research, mark it and keep writing. You can come back later to fill in the blanks. This will save you time because you will be looking for answers to specific questions instead researching everything about a subject only to leave most of it out of your novel.
Novel Writing Tip #4:
Set a schedule. Get out a calendar and set a realistic deadline for yourself. Decide in advance how many words you’re going write in a day. Pick any number for starters, say 500 and go from there. After a couple of days you can adjust this up or down as you see fit. For example, if you average 500 words per day you will have completed a 75,000-word novel in less than 3 months. Allow for the unexpected when you set your schedule and remember to be flexible.
Novel Writing Tip #5:
Write fast. The faster you write, the better you write. Don’t think while you’re writing. By writing fast you quiet your inner critic. The part of your mind that tells you, “That’s not good enough,” “That’s the wrong word,” or “That stinks. You can do better than that.” When you write fast your writing will be more conversational and easier to read. The easier your writing is to read, the more your readers will enjoy reading it.
This isn’t all you need to know to write a novel. You need to understand dialogue, setting, point-of-view, conflict, editing, etc. But by following these 5 tips for writing a novel you get writing, you get started and that’s half the battle. You’ll pick up the other details as you work through your novel.
I’d be glad to buy a copy of your novel when you’re finished with it, as long as you autograph it for me. 
Happy Writing!
Goals for 2008
I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
Over the past several days, like many of you, I’ve been evaluating 2007 and thinking about the upcoming new year and how I can make it better than last year.
I’ve always been a fan of S.M.A.R.T. Goals. S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for:
Specific - Not “I want to lose weight.” But, “I want to weigh 190 pounds.”
Measurable – “I will write 1000 words per day, 5 days a week.” This is easily measured.
Attainable – This one is tricky. If I know for sure that a goal is “attainable,” I’m not really motivated to attempt it. I think goals should make you stretch. They should challenge you. The possibility of failure is a great motivator. Don’t be afraid to take a risk.
Realistic – This is another tricky one. I like to think that if someone else has accomplished my goal, that I can too. All I have to do is follow in his or her footsteps. Setting a goal that you know you can reach sets you up for procrastination. On the other hand, if you set the bar too high, you might get discouraged and not even begin. For example, if you earned $30,000 last year, it probably wouldn’t be very realistic to set a goal to earn $500,000 this year.
Timely – Your goal should have a deadline. Deadlines are powerful motivators. Don’t believe me? Invite your in-laws over for dinner tonight and see how fast your house gets cleaned! Keep in mind that as you pursue your goals “life happens” and you will have setbacks. Be flexible in setting your deadlines.
In fact, I believe S.M.A.R.T. Goals are such a powerful tool for success, that I’m teaching my children to set them for themselves. I believe it’s a skill that will serve them for the rest of their lives.
One of the most motivating articles I’ve recently read on goal setting is from Christine OKelly over at Self Made Chick entitled How to Achieve Ridiculous Goals. In it she recommends “Don’t Be Wimpy When Setting Goals.” She goes on to explain:
I am convinced, based on some of my experiences, that the size of the goal is almost irrelevant. Whether you set a goal to do $100,000 a year in business or $1 million in business, you are capable of achieving that goal you set if you adamantly [my emphasis] follow some certain action processes.
Is it humanly possible to make $1 million in a year? Of course. So why wouldn’t you be able to do it? If someone can, you certainly can too. It’s just a matter of figuring out a way to do it.
So set challenging goals.
Motivational speaker and author, Tony Robbins points out that two things motivate people: pleasure and pain. Often, we’ll do more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure. In a September 1990, “Success Magazine” article titled, “The Science of Success,” Harvey Cook says that he rewards himself for success and penalizes himself for failure. So, as Self Made Chick adds, “Create Negative Consequences for Failure.”
Without negative consequences it is easier to fail. To put myself on the record,
My 9 Ridiculous Writing Goals for 2008
- 1.) Write and Publish a Cookbook.
2.) Finish the 2 novels that I started in 2007.
“Timeless Promise”
“The 5-Minute Writer”
3.) Successfully complete NaNoWriMo 2008. (That will be 3 novels.)
4.) Write and have a play produced.
5.) Write a Blog post 5 days per week.
6.) Read 1 book per week.
7.) Attend at least 2 writer’s conferences.
8.) Start a local writer’s group.
9.) And, the grand-daddy of them all… Earn $100,000 from my writing.
I will be posting regular updates on my progress.
Before I close, I need your help. I know these are lofty goals and I risk losing your respect if I should fail. But I am having problems coming up with additional negative consequences. What should my negative consequences be if I fail? Let me know in a comment.
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