More Writing Tips

Today's crop of tips is a mixture for all kinds of writers. The last one below has some great ideas for making your blog visible. Enjoy! Laura

“… my tip for writing fiction is to get dressed in character to get inspired. When writing my book I would get dressed up, put on jewelry to actually make me feel like I was going to a party so I could write about them.” From Beth Dunn http://www.socialclimbers.net/

“Stay positive, and maintain your sense of humor. As in any highly competitive field, even the most able-bodied workers are subject to the vagaries of the marketplace.” From Scott Steinberg, http://www.gadgetexpert.net/.

“…in every scene, the characters need to want something from each other--a loan, the clue to a mystery, a kind word, the keys to the car--something that motivates the characters and creates tension in the scene.” From Kristin Mellon, Sylvan Learning, agency website: http://www.environicspr.com/

Good tip for bloggers: “Build an inventory of posts and images. I'm not the best at this, but having a few posts "in the can" means that when things get hectic in the "real world" I still have fresh, well-written content to post. (See tip #1). Also, get to know the timed publication option on your blog software - this allows you to write and format a post but not publish it until a later date (you choose the date and time that it will go live). This is great if you're traveling, or, as I said, if "life" gets in the way! The same goes for images. If photography is an important component of your blog (which it is for many), then it's also a great idea to build your own library of "stock" images. If I'm shooting a particular recipe or food item for ModernGirlsKitchen.com, for instance, I will always get additional angles and shots that I can use as 'generic' images for future posts.” From Emma Williams http://www.moderngirlskitchen.com/

“Remember that writing is a business and that paying money for courses, training and activities is an investment, not a cost. Zena Polin http://www.winningticketpr.com/ http://zenap.onsugar.com/

“… under the "viral marketing" aspect: Blog authors need to understand the basics of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and organic search. There are a number of free tools that can help you quickly craft the best version of a post title - based on how people actually search. For example, you can do a quick check in http://www.google.com/trends to see what version of a phrase is more commonly used to search. A really simple version of this can be seen here:http://www.google.com/trends?q=email%2C+e-mail&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all&sort=0 Pick your categories or tags with just as much care as the articles you write. Since each of these becomes a page on your blog - they also can become major destinations for those searching for the topics you cover on your site. Another must read is Google's free Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide available here: http://www.google.com/webmasters/docs/search-engine-optimization-starter-guide.pdf Jeanne Kramer-Smyth http://www.spellboundblog.com/