How To Inject New Life Into YOUR Writing

Steven,

Very useful tips. Complacency is dangerous to a writer. If we get bored, we get boring.

Here are some other things that can help to get out of the rut.

--> Choose a different purpose than usual. Try to get the reader to do something new. If you've been focusing on getting them to affiliate pages, start building a list instead. If you've been working on your list, write something controversial and drive them to a survey. Put the opt-in form after that.

--> Write to a different segment of your market. If you've been focused on people who are new to your topic, do something for the more advanced part of the audience.

--> Change your voice. If you do articles, rather than an ongoing newsletter, this is both easy and a lot of fun. Put down the quill pen and pick up a flamethrower. Or vice versa. Or switch from serious to funny.

--> Write something just for yourself. Something you want to write, but don't know that your audience will want or need to hear. Make it a wake up call about something you need to do differently. (We all have those areas, don't we?)

--> Re-examine your picture of the person you're writing for. Remind yourself of who is reading your stuff, and what they need to get from you. When you're really clear on who you're writing for, it's easier to stay focused.

--> Brainstorm. Make a list of 50 article or report titles. Don't stop until you have that many. Then pick the one that sounds like the most fun, and do it up in an outrageous style. Even if you only do a page or so a day, that can re-energize you for all the rest of the writing you do.

--> Read a different kind of book than you usually do. Something so out of your usual style that it seems strange to even pick it up. This one can be hard for some people, but it's really effective in jolting you out of the "usuals."

--> Stand up. Put your arms straight out to your sides, and rotate them in circles, about 1 foot in diameter. Do that 20 times, and then reverse directions and do it another 20 times. Then twist until your left arm is as far around behind you as possible. Turn and do the same to your right. Then loosen up your neck.

When you get the blood flowing, you'll find that your mind flows more freely, too. This also helps to reduce the stress of sitting in the same position and repeating the same motion over and over.

--> Go out some place where there are a lot of people, and just watch. Or get into a conversation with someone in a restaurant. Let them do the talking. Be interested in what they're saying.

See whatever they're talking about from their perspective. Doesn't sound like it's related to the point, but it makes a big difference.

There are tons of ways to get refocused. These are only a few. But they work.


Paul

I agree with the mood thing, Wendy. One of the things I do is put on the earphones and listen to music that gets me charged up. It helps the writing flow and keeps me smiling and singing. (Yes, you *can* learn to write and sing at the same time!)

I do this too. In fact, I avoid writing when I'm not enthusiastic about a topic.

If you're bored with a piece of writing, you'll lose readers, simply because your boredom comes across in the words. There's no way to avoid this.

Tips to get enthusiastic:

* Ask yourself what writing this article/ blog/ ebook/ news release/ whatever will do for you, and then WRITE IT DOWN.

For example, when writing an article: "Over the next 12 months, this article will make me at minimum of $250 on my blog. If I develop it into a series, it will make me a minimum of $2,500."

(I tend to get motivated by money. :-))

* Visualize the piece of writing as complete, done, and published. Images stimulate your right brain, which makes you more creative -- you can do this in seconds. Just take a deep breath, and close your eyes. See yourself typing, with your fingers hitting the keyboard. Then imagine your feelings of satisfaction... let yourself really FEEL.

* Get writing heroes, alive or dead who'll inspire you. My writing heroes include Barbara Cartland for her immense productivity, and Captain James Cook for his courage. One of my life goals is to see Cook's Endeavour Journal -- The Endeavour Journal of James Cook

* Make writing fun for yourself. I do this by setting personal challenges, and also by changing the way I write: if I'm bored with the computer, I switch to pen and paper, or use Mac Dictate for an hour or two. Or I take myself to our local library and write there.

Sometimes, I promise myself a treat/ reward after writing. I'm highly motivated by chocolate.

Happy writing. :-)

Cheers

Angela

Hi,

Great lesson here - if you're looking beyond the obvious.

Anyone else see it?

Louis,

Look at the majority of your posts here. They're clear and to the point. I suspect that's because you're speaking to someone in a casual way, rather than worrying about looking professional. If that's the case (and it's always possible there's something else going on that's not obvious), you can correct the tendency easily.

Make a short list of the points you want to make. Then type the thing as though you were telling it to a friend who needed to know it. Don't worry about being grammatically correct or professionally polished. Just tell it.

(Dragon Naturally Speaking is good for this, too.)

Once you've got the thing typed out, THEN you can go back and edit it. Or give it to someone else to polish for you. The key is to get it down in text, so you don't lose it or run away from it.

If that helps at all, you'll find that it gets easier every time. This is also a good way to get better with your flow, as the conscious editing makes you aware, and that trains the unconscious editor, which will start kicking in during the first phase before too long.


Paul

All very good tips. The only thing I could add is that I attend (and speak at) trade shows and seminars. This gives fresh, contemporary ideas to just about any business-related or IM topic.

Hi Doug,

I can't play - Allen already mentioned the answer to 1) in a different thread.

As for 2), I have no idea, but am investigating.

Edit -

2) 85%

Go to -

http://thesneakpeekblog.com/schwartz.pdf

and use 'find' to search for "winners" ;-)