Entries from December 2007 ↓

Whether you’re writing a blog or a best-seller, you need to know where to make a start. Should it be at the beginning? Not necessarily. There are good arguments for starting in the middle, or even at the end.

The beginning

Lewis Carroll outlines this method quite neatly in Alice in Wonderland. The Red Queen advises Alice to:

“Start at the beginning, go through to the end and then stop.”

The beginning is indeed the obvious place to start for any form of writing. This method has the advantage there will probably be less editing and reworking needed later on (though this is by no means certain). For copywriting adverts, sales letters and blogs posts, there is definitely something to be said for getting the headline and the first paragraph absolutely right first and then letting the rest flow from there.

But I rarely start writing anything at the beginning. Continue reading →

Photo by Laszlo (CC on Flickr)

I’m taking a few days off for Christmas and I’ll be back posting regularly in the New Year, when I have lots planned for the site.

One reader has asked for information on how I became a freelance writer. This has sparked several ideas for posts on the whole subject of how to kick-start a career as a freelance. One of these is already 2,000 words long and counting - and I have quite a way to go on it. So that’s what will be keeping me busy over the holiday season.

I’m also going to be returning to the subject of hypnotic writing (I know I keep promising to get back to this).

There will be more on copywriting generally, especially in connection with advertising and direct response. And I intend to start some regular features on how to write effective blog posts.

There’ll be more, lots more, on how to write headlines.

And I’ll also be posting about some of the best writing sites around on the web. I don’t have a blogroll on this site at the moment because I’m planning to have a page of links. These will include short (one sentence) reviews, to give an idea of what to expect at a particular site.

If you know of any writing sites that should be included, please let me know in the comments.

And if you have any requests for subjects to cover here on Write Mindset, please let me know, once again in the comments.

Have a great holiday and see you in the New Year.

There’s a superb article on writing in the New York Times, which I spotted today because it made the front page of del.icio.us (via popurls.com). I’ve no idea why it’s surfaced now as it was published in July 2001. Elmore Leonard reveals some rules about good writing he has picked up along the way, mainly geared towards fiction. Well worth a read.

Editing is a core skill for a writer. It isn’t hard to learn but it does require a little time and patience (qualities that are so frequently in short supply….)

Even when deadlines are pressing, you should get into the practice of giving your copy a good edit before releasing it into the wild. Here are some basic editing tips:

Does it read well?
Regardless of what it has to say, does it make a good read? Does it flow?

Step back
Try to read it as though someone else wrote it. Forget that it’s your copy. Try to be objective Continue reading →

Photo by Jan the manson

Here at some quick tips about writing in general that will help you keep your copy on track.

1. Know your big idea
Is there a single idea you’re trying to get across? If there is, make a note of it, and use it as a reminder to keep your writing focused. Continue reading →

One of the most best little summaries of advertising technique that I’ve come across, especially from the copywriter’s perspective, comes in The craft of copywriting: How to write great copy that sells by Alastair Crompton. In the book, the author points out that there are two types of advertising - ads where there is something to say, and ads where there is nothing to say.

If there’s something to say, say it

If there’s something to say, say it. Say it at length. Say it again. Repeat it, because repetition is reputation.

But if there is a lot to say, you will also need to simplify it down to a single, memorable thought. The Big Idea.

If there’s nothing to say, use style

Lots of products (and services) have no real story to tell. There’s nothing exceptional about them, certainly nothing that will seem relevant to the potential customer. This, says Crompton, is where showmanship comes in.

Use style, humour, creative ideas. You’re persuading people to buy because they like the ad, and that makes them feel good about the brand.

Go through your writing and replace commas with full stops (periods) wherever you can. This will make your sentences shorter. It will make your copy punchier and clearer. It will add movement to your writing.

As with all such style tips, of course, you shouldn’t overdo this. You need to vary the length and pace of sentences to give your writing variety. Too much staccato can be a bit wearing.

For just about every kind of writing, it pays to absorb as many facts as possible before you start to write. This means doing your research.

When writing advertising copy, for example, you need to know everything you can about the product before you try to write or even start to have ideas.

Doing the reading and research is time consuming, and can seem like an arduous task. On the other hand, it’s something you can do even when you’re not feeling creative or in the writing ‘zone.’

You’ll probably find the copy writing itself.

And doing your research, getting all the facts uploaded into your mind, is one of the best ways to get into the writing zone in the first place. Continue reading →

Writing can be great fun. So is reading. But sometimes we all need a break.

How about a video? An instructional video? One that also helps you master the English language and improve your writing?

And how about if it was delivered with verve and style, as well as humour? And would it help if I said there was a gorgeous blonde involved? Continue reading →

Would you write a 500 word article for $2? Or even as low as $1? I wouldn’t.

Maybe I’m lucky because I don’t need to (touch wood). But it seems some people who want to be writers, copywriters, online content contributors may be taking jobs that pay these ridiculous rates.

There certainly seem to be people who think they can hire writers at these rates.

Who would take on these jobs? Someone who needs to get started, get some experience, build up a portfolio? But is this the way to do it? I don’t think so. Continue reading →

Whether your reader is in bed with you, engrossed in your novel, or hunched across the office desk looking over your website, you need to be considerate of their needs and desires. Here’s a few tips.

(This post is a response to the Cosmo headline challenge issue by Brian Clark at Copyblogger. That’s why it’s a bit over the top in places…. It’s all meant in good fun.)

1. Seduction at the start
Whatever you’re writing, be it a blog, novel or love letter, you need to tempt your reader in. Grab their attention and let them know there’s a good thing here, something hot, something they’re really going to get their teeth into.

2. Passion all the way
Write about things you care about. If you’re bored by the subject, it’ll come across.

3. Sensuality
Your writing needs to appeal to all the senses. Paint a picture they can see in their minds. Touch their feelings. Let them hear your words in their head, describe the scents and smells of the world you create.

4. Staying power
Great headlines and intro paragraphs are all well and good but you need to keep your reader hooked all the way to the end. No flagging.

5. Laughter
Use as much humour in your writing as you can, depending of course on the subject and the audience.

6. Excitement
You need to build excitement, and in longer forms of writing you need to pace it as well.

7. Sweet surrender
If you’re writing sales copy, you need to close the deal.

8. A well-toned middle
Cut the flab from the middle of your writing. So many novels, for example, start to stray after a powerful beginning.

9. A climax at the end
Whether you’re writing a novel or a sales letter, you need to build the excitement until it becomes unbearable and the reader is screaming for more. You need a fantastic ending. Now, if I could just think of one….

10. And a quick cuddle
Don’t forget, in all the excitement, to wrap up the loose ends. In a novel, the reader wants to know what happens to all the characters they have come to care about. And every sales letter needs a strong PS (or three). But don’t take too long about it. That just becomes an anti-climax.

For those of you who have read my post on writing in a conversational style, and the follow-ups, and the comments, many of which seem to disagree with me, I’d now like to refer you a higher authority. There’s a post on Copyblogger along the same sort of lines which you may find interesting.

There’s a formula for writing advertising copy with which any copywriter should be familiar. It’s useful for anyone who writes to persuade or sell. It’s also handy to know if you’re simply a consumer - so that you understand how advertisers and others are trying to influence you.

The formula comes down to an acronym, AIDA: Attention, interest, desire, action.

Attention - stop them in their tracks

First, get their attention. Photo by law_kevin

The first job of any headline, advert or piece of copy is to get the reader’s attention. And one of the best ways to do this is to focus on their problem. Continue reading →

Photo by Hamad Masoumi

One of the keys to writing well is to understand your reader. You need to know what they want.

If you’re writing for an online audience, remember that generally people go to websites to get things done. Usually they are looking for something - such as a piece of information, perhaps an idea. They may have a task they are performing or something they are researching. They may have come to your site looking for one part of the puzzle.

This is not always the case, of course. StumbleUpon readers, for example, are typically browsing their way through sites looking for something that interest them or grabs their attention. A lot will depend on the nature of your content.

But by-and-large people go online for a specific reason. They may want to book a holiday, buy a book, find the answer to a problem, or discover how to do something.

This influences the way people write and explains why so many of the most successful blogs have a strong ‘how to’ element to them. It’s clearly seen in the kind of headlines you find on blogs.
I’ve already looked at the subject of headlines, very briefly. It’s something I’ll be returning to again and again, because it is so important in just about every type of writing.

Being concise is an art in itself.

Keep sentences short so they can be easily understood. Write only what is needed. If there are excess words, hack, prune and tear them out. Leave room for some colourful language to add interest and style. But kill the fluff.

Then, when have it just right, when it’s perfect, go back and edit out ten per cent of the word count.