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How to Come up With Fresh Writing Ideas
How to Come Up with Fresh Story Ideas When Your Idea Well has Run Dry When I face the desolate impossibility of writing 500 pages, a sick sense of failure falls on me, and I know I can never do it. Then gradually, I write one page and then...
Seven Secrets to Writing a Book that Sells
It's one thing to write a book, it's an entirely different thing to write one that's a saleable, viable, marketable product. Ensuring the success of a book is something even the biggest publishers have never been able to guarantee. Mitigating...
The Art of Writing a Good Song
Did you know that good songwriting is often the key to establishing a successful music career? But more than that, it can be fun! When you write a song you are able to express yourself in new and creative ways. Whether you're sad, happy, angry, or...
Writing Copy For Online Catalogs
What's one of the things that most of your ad copy has in common? You write your copy for one primary product or service. Since most of the ad copy is done in this manner, you may find that writing "Great" Catalog Copy is a little different....
Writing Made Them Rich #1: JK Rowling
Joanne Kathleen Rowling was born in Chipping Sodbury, England in 1965. She began writing at the age of 6 with a story called 'Rabbit', which she never finished. In high school her favorite subject was English. From High School, Rowling went to...
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Business Writing: When Not To Be Professional
Its time to write your next ad or brochure. Maybe some web content. Youve done all your research, and youre staring at a blank computer screen. You want to look good in print. You want to put your best foot forward. And, of course, you want to make a barrel full of money.
Well, youre going to have to pick one, because you cant do all three.
Not, that is, if looking good in print means sounding like an educated professional. Or using perfect grammar. Because unless all of your prospects are English teachers, theyre going to respond better to more natural writing writing that reads like people actually speak.
Real people dont speak like professionals write. (Neither, for that matter, do most professionals.) Real people use sentence fragments. They start sentences with and, or and but.
Every now and then they kind of trail off like
One thing real people do not do is use big, fancy words when shorter ones will do. And neither should you.
Real people do not say things like, I am committed to finding the lowest cost alternative. Why, then, would you want to be focused on providing it?
Copywriting that uses stuffy, complex language just doesnt sell. You know what I mean: The verbose, impersonal, corporate-speak that sounds more like a mission statement (which nobody cares about) than a personal communication. The
kind that strokes the CEOs ego when it should be stroking the prospects.
With that in mind, here are some tips to help bring your writing back down to earth:
1.Picture your prospect. Get a mental picture of the one typical person youre writing to. If you have to, get a real picture from a magazine or even your family album and tape it to your computer screen as you write. Then write like youre talking to that one individual.
2.Read your copy out loud. If you stumble over anything, so will your reader. Rewrite until your words flow smoothly and sound natural.
3.Read your copy to someone else. Preferably a group of people. If, when you are finished, they tell you what a great job youve done, you have failed. Youve succeeded when they ask you how to get what youre writing about.
Never be afraid to be personal in your ads, web pages, sales letters any time you are communicating with a prospect. Make it sound like you are actually speaking to them.
If you still want to look professional, use the money you make and go buy some nice business clothes!
About the Author
Lisa Packer, author of "How To Dramatically Increase Your Business... Without A Blockbuster Budget" is an independant copywriter and marketing consultant. For more helpful articles like this one, visit www.dramatic-copy.com.
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| Writing.Com: Writers, Writing, Poetry, Creative Writing, Fiction ... |
| An online community dedicated to fostering writing skills. With a free membership anyone may read, write, rate, and review works. |
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| grammar.ccc.commnet.edu |
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| Writing lab and resources. Email newsletter available. |
| owl.english.purdue.edu |
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| owl.english.purdue.edu |
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| en.wikipedia.org |
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| www.nanowrimo.org |
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| Menu of articles on writing written by professional SF/F writers. |
| www.sfwa.org |
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| www.junketstudies.com |
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| nces.ed.gov |
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| www.ipl.org |
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| dictionary.reference.com |
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| Daily and interactive writing prompts. |
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