Archive for the ‘Writing Exercises’ Category

I was in the check-out line at the grocery store, reading the headlines on the tabloids, when one struck me so that I laughed out loud. The check-out clerk asked about my sudden outburst. I was a little embarrassed, but told him anyway. Then he shared that his friend had recently gone to work for The National Enquirer after leaving what one might consider a more reputable position. “She makes a LOT of money,” he shared.

Then he said something else – something disturbing. “Tabloids will be the only print items to make it.” Wow!

Why are tabloids like National Enquirer so riveting? They use such sensationalized headlines that often have nothing to do with the article inside. They do their best to show the worst in people. And really, can we be sure that they do not make up stuff?

Tabloids are adept at playing to our emotions. They reel us in before we even realize what has happened. And we all have some reaction to those crazy headlines. Whether it be the latest Angelina / Brad scandal, or something about the White House, we are drawn in by the headlines. How do they do it?

Headlines need to be intriguing and easily understood at the same time. Tabloid headlines are great examples. They create all sorts of emotions, even if you believe they are complete garbage.

The next time you are stuck on a headline, or want some practice writing a good one, take a tabloid headline and rewrite it to fit your subject. You’ll learn how they use emotional words and topics. While the resulting headlines may not be fit for use, you will have delved into writing a more emotional, controversial headline. Good practice for when we need to craft a compelling headline for your own use.

One of the best ways to ensure your writing gets stale is to stay within your box. Just because you choose a certain type of writing, whether its authoring books, blogging, or screenplays, does not mean you should only work on that one style. By branching out, you can keep your writing fresh and learn new tactics. Friday Freewrite provides small, easy writing exercises to help you break out of your box and learn more about your own writing style.

So let’s chat about voice. Your writing voice is what you say and how you say it. Pretty straight forward, right? Then why is it that many of us change our voice to fit what we think we are supposed to do, or say? Be true to your voice and you will find it easier to attract good clients, good employees, good friends…you will attract like-minded people.

Recently I learned the power of writing a run-on sentence to learn more about your voice. This is not something you would want to publish (except maybe as dialog for a crazy character), but a good exercise nonetheless. Let’s give it a try…

First, pick a topic that you have some emotion about.  The emotion does not matter, although pain emotions are more powerful. Then just start writing. Don’t stop for punctuation and try to keep the sentence going using “and” or “but”. Use the exercise to really get something off your chest!

I’ll share mine…and would love to read yours!

It never stops and just piles up and up and then on top of that he throw his stuff in the floor not in the perfectly wonderful color coded sort bins that save time because you don’t have to sort everything but can sort within the overall colors like darks and lights and then delicates and towels and sheets instead of a big pile on the floor that you have to bend over and sort into their own piles which is exhausting and makes me frustrated so I’ll just forget it and go eat a piece of chocolate cake!

One of the toughest things about writing  is getting enough thick skin to accept criticism. Not everyone is gracious about delivering their critiques, and some people can be down right nasty.

A big help to me in this area has been participating in peer reviews. This can be with writers you know or don’t know, or even people you trust who understand what you are writing. Just like your muscles, your must exercise your writing in order to improve.

I ask for a lot of help to improve writing from both peer reviews, friends in the industry, and my husband, who happens to be a great editor. When I know that I’m having to present something to a tough critic, I always let the person know who is helping me so that he can be overly critical of what I’ve done. It is important to get it right, whether you are submitting work to a client, or submitting to a publisher.

Writing exercises take many forms, whether for creative or business. One of the biggest mistakes we can make when writing is to do so in a bubble. Ask for help! After all, wouldn’t you rather have a tough critique from a friend or peer than from a client, or publisher? It’s always much nicer to hear only good things from those who receive our professional submissions!

I recently saw bits of a company address where the new president had to convince the employees that the pay cut they were all taking was (a) in the best interest of everyone overall and (b) only temporary. Since these are cuts on the heels of other recent cuts, his audience was skeptical at best. 

As I listened to him sometimes taking the more direct, honest approach and sometimes giving the “corp speak” answer, it made me wonder “What if he just told the bottom line, this is how I feel, version?”

People are often afraid to speak their mind, either because they fear rejection or they fear being wrong. But let’s face it – more often than not it’s your opinion, basically a perspective, that you are voicing. So can you be wrong, really?

I think the key lies in sincerity. If you are speaking, or writing, from a place of manipulation, it will show. People are smart – much smarter than we give them credit for.  Particularly people who spend much time on the Internet and use it as a purchasing tool. They are savvy at searching, research, and reviewing information.

By making sure that what you say is truly sincere, it will shine through. People want to be helped, not sold to. They want to be supported, not manipulated. They want truthful information, not sales spew.

When you are writing, or speaking, to a group, make sure you understand their position. What is it they want when they read your article or blog? And are you providing it with their best interest at heart.

Obviously you need to sell your products or services. But isn’t it easier to understand your customers, identify their needs, and then deliver than waste a bunch of time and energy trying to convince them they need something they do not? I certainly think so.

Are you comfortable with your writer’s voice? Learning your best writer’s voice can take time, and some practice. Honestly, I think most of us have more than one voice. Here’s why:

When you are in different social settings, you behave differently. This is not bad, or good, but reality. You will slightly alter behavior based on the circumstance (church requires a different type of behavior than a basketball game with your buds).

It makes sense that your writing style will change based on the “setting”. For example, tweeting with friends will be different than a tweet with a potential business contact.  Only slightly, but different. You will share things on Facebook with friends that you may not wish to share with a new business associate.  This is fine…and often preferred by many.

So here’s the rub: You will want to pay attention to how you write in these different settings. At the core of everything you write, or say, will be your prominent voice. It may be kind, enthusiastic, or authoritative. There is no right or wrong here, just reality.

My voice is direct – both in person and in my writing. That’s OK and often desired by people who are ready to make a purchasing decision. They want details and nitty gritty – not a bunch of fluff.  Right up my alley!

When you are writing in these different settings, pay attention to your body. Do you feel stressed or calm? Is it easy to write, or are you struggling? When finished do you feel a sense of accomplishment and pride, or are you just glad it’s over?

I understand that writing to friends and family is often easier, but still pay attention to how you use your voice. It’s what comes naturally to you, and will allow you to expand your writing overall.

For a decent definition of writer’s voice, check out Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writer’s_voice.

Just be true to yourself, and your natural voice. You’ll find it pays off!

Recently someone mentioned to me she was having trouble finishing a sales page because she was continually editing, thereby not getting all the information on the page. My suggestion – writing while blind (to the tune of ZZ Top’s Driving While Blind). Seriously, if you find you continually edit when trying to get your ideas on the page, then close your eyes.

Now, if you have been typing since before PCs (like I have) you may have a tendency to edit anyway, since the muscle memory in your fingers knows when you are making a mistake. Do your best to keep that to a minimum and just allow the ideas to flow. Don’t worry that they are out of order, or that your grammar is not perfect, just keep the momentum going. Write as much as your want, even if you think it might be more than one idea on the page. Keep going, and going, and going until you have everything out of your head and on the paper.

Once it’s done, walk away. Go for a walk, have some lunch, sleep on it – whatever the amount of time you need to let it percolate and make sure you have completed the idea process. Now, come back and edit. Read the entire piece, then start chunking down. Reorder it if necessary, divide into more than one piece if that makes sense, put in all your punctuation, correct your grammar, then read it out loud.

After several tweaks, again let it sit. If you are in a hurry or under a tight deadline, this process is tough.  You will only have short periods to allow the ideas to meld and the edits to sit. However, do push away from the piece for a period of time (even if it is to tackle another project). You will find you have a stronger, more fluid piece of you can get all your ideas down first, then edit later.

One of the most important aspects of copywriting is to reach your target audience and compel them to take action. Unfortunately, it’s not always as simple as we would like. Many people make the mistake of thinking that because they are part of the target audience, they can simply write in their own voice and everything will be fine. (I know – I’m guilty of it too.) But to truly reach the target audience and actually compel them to take action, you have to know a little something about them. In particular, you need to know what gives them pain.

It is proven that people will go to great lengths to alleviate their pain – much further than to support their happiness. A good target market profile will help you with understanding what compels these people to take action. The profile should include:

• What keeps them up at night?
• What magazines might they read?
• What types of hobbies do they engage in (golf, tennis, reading)?
• How do they research their buying decisions (all Internet, ask friends, combination)?
• What is their home life like (married, kids, pets, single)?
• What are their motivators (spouse, work, children)?

You need to have a detailed profile of who you are writing to, and a clear understanding of how your product or service can help them. Make sure you are providing them with benefits, not features.  Features are what you or your product does for your customer; benefits are how your customer is helped. Remember, they want to know how you can help them, not only what you can do.

I like questions as a way of breaking through – Do you feel, or Aren’t you tired of, or Would you like to have x,y, and z again.  It’s easy to scan a bulleted list of questions, and it lets the person know you already understand their pain points.  Then simple answer each one in your copy, again making sure to discuss how the target is being served. I’m sure you are great at what you do, and the product is the best ever, but people want to know how it helps them, not what it does.

If you can, use a group to review your copy. Maybe not all of it, but try to get someone who either really understands your business OR better yet, your target market, to review what you have written. Ask them to be brutal. I know it hurts (my review team is tough!) but it will make your copy better.

Once you have finalized the copy, sleep on it. Always give it another review with fresh eyes, and read it out loud. You will catch a lot of mistakes by taking the time to read your copy outloud. And it will have a more polished feel.

Hours of research and a lot of work go into writing to your target market. But it will pay off in the long run!

I have found one of the best ways for me to keep writing is to mix it up a bit.  What I mean by that is I write blog posts, articles web pages, journalistic articles, research papers, speeches…whatever I can to learn a variety of writing styles.  Plus, I also do some personal writing where I just allow my own ideas and feelings to flow.

Why?

Because, I have learned that by writing about multiple topics and using various styles helps your writing style, helps you find your best voice, and keeps you from getting bored.  For me boredom is the kiss of death!  I’m more like my border collies – if I’m bored I will get into trouble.

So, I’m going to share one of the exercises I did in a writing group recently. It was very interesting because everyone in the room handled the same topic very differently.  If you know other people who like to write, then I recommend doing this together, and reading your results out loud.  There is no right or wrong way to do this, so no pressure.  But you will enjoy the experience much more by sharing with others.

Here goes…write about the color blue.  It does not matter how you decide to use it (a color, emotion, etc) and just free write.  Don’t edit yourself or try to make it perfect.  Just use blue and write until you feel you have thoroughly covered your topic.  It can be a couple of sentences, but a paragraph is best.  I’ll share mine below.  Hope you’ll share as well!

I watch my niece’s focus intensify as she strains to pick up a Cheerio. She’s so little and her fingers don’t always work the way she wants, so that Cheerio is not only her snack, but right now her nemesis.  She furrows her little brow, her lips turn blue, or almost purple, from pursing them so tight, and she makes this crazy little grunting noise.  I hold my breath so I do not laugh while she works so hard at picking up the Cheerio until finally – success!  She pops the annoying little circle in her mouth, and beams at me, her bright blue eyes full of life and joy…until the next Cheerio.

Writing can be hard. You have to give good information, provide value to readers, and hopefully keep them coming back for me. But there are days you might find it hard to write. Here are some tips to help you quickly work out a topic:

• Give yourself a break. Sometimes writing about the same subjects can be hard to maintain. Find something else interesting to both you and your readers to write about.
• Do a review. Whether it’s a book, a piece of software, an article, or even a blog, write a review on it. Keep the review on topic, and make sure it’s in line with what your readers want.
• Put together lists. Readers often appreciate lists such as the top ten ways to lose weight, or how to organize a closet. They are easy to read and easy to put together.
• Find someone to co-author.  Collaboration is a good way to get the creative juices going. Find a good affiliate partner who can provide valuable information to your readers, but not directly compete with you. Write articles or blog posts together, ideally in a series, to give your readers a slightly different take on a popular subject.

It’s OK to not be all excited about writing. Just don’t let it stop you. One of the best ways to alleviate pressure is to create an editorial calendar for your upcoming article and /or blog topics. Write in advance and queue up as many in advance as possible. It will give you more time to create with less stress.

If all else fails, just start writing. Once you get into it, the words will just flow.