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10 Keys to Writing Copy That Sells!
Whether you're selling a product or service, the 10 tips below are your keys to writing great copy that communicates and persuades ... to get results! These guidelines can apply to most any form of consumer marketing communications: sales...
Earn A Fortune Writing "How To" Reports
HOW TO WRITE MONEY-MAKING "HOW-TO" REPORTS This is the "real" Money Maker in the Mail Order business - the basic "How To" Report. It's something anyone can produce, and with all the proper ingredients at the right time, you can become independently...
Keeping your readers interested when writing non-fiction
Writing non-fiction might be the easiest of all writings, but it’s not always the easiest to keep your readers interested. When writing non-fiction the best thing to do is research, even when the story is about you, research. Readers are generally...
Online Writing and Beyond: Writers Will Lead the Content Revolution
Introduction It is often thrown around loosely on the web that "Content is king." If content is king, then what is a content writer? Unfortunately, we are not yet royalty. We're never paid as well or considered as skilled as a web designer or...
Quick Strategies For Writing Your Essay Under Pressure
Most writing is done under time pressure. Yet, while the majority of students have to write in haste - with limited time, limited space and an instructor to please - few approach to this task systematically. Though, writing under increasing time...
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LETTING YOUR WRITING SIMMER
One of the most important lessons I've learned about writing--and one
of its most difficult aspects for many of us--is what I've come to
call the "simmering process."
You've just finished an article, story or query letter, and you get
that adrenaline rush that comes with the completion of a job well
done. Your prose sings. That opening paragraph, the one you'd
struggled with for days, is perhaps one of the finest things you've
ever written. Not one word wasted, and nary a dangling participle.
You simply can't wait to ship it off to the editor, or your agent, or
your customer.
But that's exactly what you have to do--wait. In other words, let it
simmer a day or two.
But why wait? The sooner you send it out, the sooner you'll get the
acceptance, the byline, the paycheck, right?
Well, maybe. On the other hand, you might be sending your work out
before it's truly finished. The piece might still be undercooked, a
little raw on the inside. And at this point, having just put what
you thought was the final touch on your creation, you might be
standing too close to it to spot its imperfections.
I have learned to let my essays and articles simmer, like a pot of
stew on the stove, before submitting them. And it constantly amazes
me, what I see in an
article or essay I've written, after I've
stepped away from it for a while. Typos and poor word selections seem
to jump off the page at me, which I can now correct and improve.
That wonderful paragraph that I once believed I could not live
without appears unnecessary now, so I remove it. I replace that
original lame title with a perfect one, one that will more likely
beckon an editor to read it.
It happens every time. No matter how terrific the concept, how
skillful the writing, I find that putting some distance between me
and what I've written allows the seasonings in my words to work their
magic.
If you're still itching to show your masterpiece prematurely, try
throwing yourself into an entirely new writing project, or take a
walk, or clean out your garage. I guarantee that once you return to
it, and view it with a fresh eye, you'll find flaws you can fix and
untapped potential you can unleash. Your end result will be a
something that you'll be proud to put your name on.
Here's to your writing success!
About the Author
Mary Anne Hahn is editor and publisher of WriteSuccess, the free
biweekly ezine for writers who want to pursue successful full-time
writing careers. To subscribe, send a blank email to:
writesuccess-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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| Writing.Com: Writers, Writing, Poetry, Creative Writing, Fiction ... |
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| grammar.ccc.commnet.edu |
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| Purdue University's Online Writing Lab - The OWL Family of Sites |
| Writing lab and resources. Email newsletter available. |
| owl.english.purdue.edu |
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| OWL at Purdue University: General Writing Concerns Handouts |
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| owl.english.purdue.edu |
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| en.wikipedia.org |
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| National Novel Writing Month - National Novel Writing Month |
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| www.nanowrimo.org |
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| Poynter Online |
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| del.icio.us |
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| BBC Get Writing |
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| 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 ... |
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| www.junketstudies.com |
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| nces.ed.gov |
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| www.technorati.com |
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| IPL Teenspace: A+ Research & Writing |
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| 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 |
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| www.utoronto.ca |
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