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2 Ways to Really Connect With Your Customer in Your Copywriting
Copyright © 2005 by Bruce Carlson One of the least talked-about areas in copywriting education is voice. This is probably because it’s tough to set general rules for something that’s so personal to each of us. After all, the same things go into...
25 Ways to Promote Your Writing Business
You may reprint the following article provided you: • Keep article intact • Include byline, © notice, and active link • Request permission for changes to my article or byline • Courtesy copy of newsletter or URL is greatly appreciated Contact info:...
An SEO Copywriting Makeover – Turning “Not” Into “Hot” Part 2 of 2
by Karon Thackston © 2003 http://www.copywritingcourse.com In part one of this article series, I outlined a recent project I undertook for a Web site that sells gas logs. The site had a lot of potential, but in its current state the sales...
Getting Results from Your Writing & Speaking
When we communicate, we usually want something to happen. We want results. And, when we’re conscious of results, we’re seeking effective communication. To put it another way, the effectiveness of communication can be measured by the responses it...
Writing Articles
You say, I can’t write an article, I have no knowledge of writing. Let me tell you yes you can!
Why write an article?
It can help you build your business! Yes, writing articles can help build your business. You say how can this help?...
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Jumpstart Your Writing Career
** Jumpstart Your Career by Asking "Why?" ** by Laura Backes,
Publisher of Children's Book Insider, the Newsletter for
Children's Writers
When developing a story or article, writers learn to incorporate
the "who," "when," "where," and "how." But what often gets
overlooked is the "why." Without examining why a story takes
place, or why an article would be of interest to the reader, the
entire writing experience can be a fruitless exercise.
Why this character?
At a writing conference I once critiqued a manuscript featuring a
character in a situation where you wouldn't normally expect to
find him. When I wondered why he was there, the author answered,
"He just is." "But how did he get there?" I asked. "One of the
other characters put him there," the author stated. "Why?" I
pushed. The author didn't have an answer.
If you arbitrarily think it would be cute to have a monkey, a
doll, or a policeman as your story's protagonist, the reader's
not going to care unless it makes sense to have that character
inhabit your particular plot. And if a monkey shows up where he
shouldn't be--at school, for instance--why he's there has to be
an integral part of the story. But more than that, the reader has
to know why this monkey is suddenly sitting in a first grade
classroom. What's unique about the character that makes him the
only monkey who could possibly appear in this book?
Why this story?
Just as important as knowing why your character inhabits your
book is understanding why this character experiences the conflict
or problem that fuels the plot. Your readers have to believe this
protagonist would encounter these obstacles, and not be able to
resolve the problem in a few lines of text. Not every child is
afraid of the dark, so if your character hides under the covers
when the lights are out, plant something in her
personality that
causes this behavior.
How the plot conflict is resolved also harks back to "why." Why
does your character take these particular steps, instead of an
easier or more obvious route, to reach his goal? What fears,
hang-ups or quirks does the character have to overcome to get
what he wants? Would a child understand and care about these
traits? Have you laid the groundwork in the beginning of the
story so the reader believes the character could not possibly act
any other way, thus never forcing the reader to question you in
the first place?
Why this article?
Virtually any nonfiction topic can hold a child's interest if
it's presented in the right way. But first ask yourself why
you're writing this article or book. Does it have a direct
application to the experiences of your readers? Can it tie in
with what they're learning in school? Will it enrich their lives
in some way? If your motivations are clear, then take a hard look
at your audience. Why would kids this age be interested in this
topic? How can you present the material in a way that's
entertaining as well as informative? If you find you're working
hard to shape the information to fit a specific audience or
format, perhaps you need to rethink your approach. Maybe you're
trying to write too young, and the subject really requires an
older reader. Or perhaps you assume middle graders will be
fascinated with an animal alphabet book, but after researching
other ABC books on the market, you learn they're really targeted
to much younger children.
About the Author
Laura Backes is the publisher of Children's Book Insider, the
Newsletter for Children's Writers. For more information about
writing children's books, including free articles, market tips,
insider secrets and much more, visit Children's Book Insider's
home on the web at http://write4kids.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. |
| www.writing.com |
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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 at Purdue University: General Writing Concerns Handouts |
| This page contains important links to the writing: planning/writing/revising aspects of the OWL website. |
| owl.english.purdue.edu |
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| en.wikipedia.org |
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| Articles to help you launch a freelance writing career, from a former literary agent and PLAYBOY editor. |
| www.writing.org |
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| www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu |
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| National Novel Writing Month - National Novel Writing Month |
| NaNoWriMo is an annual (November) novel writing project that brings together professional and amateur writers from all over the world. |
| www.nanowrimo.org |
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| Poynter Online |
| Apply by Dec. 11 Reporting and Writing the Untold Stories Apply by Dec. 11 ... Reporting & Writing for Multi-Platform Newsrooms. Apply by Jan. 10 ... |
| www.poynter.org |
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| Pages tagged with "writing" on del.icio.us |
| This short online course provides a practical introduction to writing fiction. During the course you will be expected to write two short pieces for ... |
| del.icio.us |
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| BBC Get Writing |
| The BBC's online resource for writing drama and comedy for television, radio and film. |
| www.bbc.co.uk |
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| TOC About Writing |
| Menu of articles on writing written by professional SF/F writers. |
| www.sfwa.org |
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| 11 Rules of Writing -- a concise guide to important grammar ... |
| A concise guide to some of the most frequently violated rules of writing, punctuation, and grammar. |
| www.junketstudies.com |
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| NAEP Writing Subject Area |
| NAEP assesses student performance in writing periodically in grades 4, 8, and 12 for the nation, and in grades 4 and 8 for the states. |
| nces.ed.gov |
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| See all blog posts tagged with writing on Technorati. |
| www.technorati.com |
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| IPL Teenspace: A+ Research & Writing |
| Includes step-by-step instructions on researching and writing, how to find information online and offline, as well as links to useful resources. |
| www.ipl.org |
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| Dictionary.com: Writing Resources |
| Free online English dictionary and reference guide. List of sites writers can use. |
| dictionary.reference.com |
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| WritingFix: Home of Interactive Writing Prompts and 6 Trait ... |
| Daily and interactive writing prompts. |
| www.writingfix.com |
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| Advice on Academic Writing |
| Includes articles on critical reading, planning, researching, style and editing, grammar and punctuation. |
| www.utoronto.ca |
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