When I first meet with potential clients, I don’t focus on their writing. I focus on their story. I ask questions. I found out what they do. I discover what they would like to do. I ask why they do what they do or why they want to move in a different direction. I ask them how they will communicate what they do and why they do it to their audience. I ask them for, in a word, a vision.
Business Writing
How to Weed Your Yard (and Your Writing)
Day 27. The yard is gone. The yard is gone. I can’t see the grass for the weeds…Where did the grass go?
I sometimes think about writing in terms of grass and weeds. The grass is the good, essential content. The weeds are filler words: just, so, though, like, that, anyway. My own weeds usually are “just,” “though,” and “that.” I’m self-conscious about the words. I look for them, and, if I see them, I consider what actions I should take.
Why You Should Read Your Work Aloud
One of the principles outlined in my e-book is that of reading one’s work aloud. It’s a principle by which I live and breathe. I don’t remember when it became a part of my writing process (College? Grad school? My mom?), but it’s a part of it. It’s critical to the pieces I write at Write Right, and it’s equally critical, if not more so, to the poems I write. My work is a part of an oral tradition, even if it isn’t read aloud by my readers.
Who’s in My Audience?
A lot of time is spent identifying the right audience for one’s message, and rightfully so. It’s important to target a receptive audience. Sometimes, though, a person doesn’t have any control over who is in the audience. The person then has to deal with different types of audience members, something I discuss in my latest video.¹
How Clear is Your Call to Action?
I hate making a hard sale. Hate it, hate it, hate it. I avoid it at all costs. I prefer to do a soft sale – let people get to know me, to develop a level of trust, and to know that I’m not going to swindle them out of their money. I then make suggestions and let what I can do for them take care of itself. It’s been my strategy since the days of selling shoes. It worked, too. I sold many a pair of shoes in my days as a Nine West salesperson.
How to Write and Publish More Often
I didn’t awaken one morning and decide to publish posts five days per week. I had to work up to that number. I had to train for it.