Bringing Clarity to What We Do and Why We Do It- A Writer’s Journey

Posted on August 18, 2012, 10:57 am, by Walker and received 2 Comments ».

What does it mean to say, I am a blogger? For some of us it’s a means to an end.  Maybe we’ve decided to get rich quick (ha ha) and use our blog as a way to bring people to our product. For some, a blog is the personal online journal… we blog about our lives, our children, progress on our book, our travels or any specific topic that is important in our life.

Writers use blogs as part of their marketing package or platform. I’ve used Beyond Words as a place to host my resume and writing clips. I refer potential clients here and occasionally use my blog posts as examples for clients. My other blog, A Woman’s Page, reflects my personal interests in educating and informing women over 50. That is the blog where I devote more of my energy and consequently have a more engaged readership.

Last week I was reviewing and tweaking my resume and writing clips, an ongoing marketing task, when I had an Ah Ha moment. Writing about sexuality, midlife issues, caregiving, women’s health and relationships is what excites me.  It’s why I started A Woman’s Page blog.  The realization helped me clarify a couple of things. These are topics I need to be focusing on when I search for new clients.  What I have been doing on this blog is writing about the writing/social media world as a way of exercising my craft and promoting myself.  I want to intensify my efforts by building my authority in women-related topics, not dilute things by trying to sustain two very different blogs.

Beyond Words will remain here during this transition. But, I won’t be writing here. My marketing and social media profiles will direct people to A Woman’s Page. Many of you follow me there as well, so I hope you’ll continue to read and interact with me and my readers.

Thank you for your support and comments along the way. And, do come over to visit me at my other home,

Walker

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Editing and The Freelance Writer

Posted on July 18, 2012, 6:11 pm, by Walker and received 2 Comments ».

If you’re in the writing biz, it goes without saying that you have a relationship with words.

I love words, and I love talking; it’s often more fun than writing.  As a natural born storyteller I can tell an engaging story, but, inevitably, I end up taking you to a couple of different places in the course of getting from A to B. If you know me you understand that given patience and a little time, I will get to my point. Hopefully, it’s worth it.

I also think there’s a little midlife ADD thrown in the mix nowadays…not uncommon for older(ish) adults. If I was ADD at an earlier age it was either not diagnosed, very mild or I learned quickly to cope. But, I digress.

It seems intuitive for a writer to use lots of words. Right? That’s what we do. Sometimes we’re even paid by the word. How confusing is that?

A good writer uses fewer words. She parses (d. to examine in a minute way : analyze critically) them, editing and revising in order to capture the essential words needed to communicate the thought. Strunk and White advocate this in The Elements of Style:

Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary line and a machine no unnecessary parts.

As freelance writers, we have less freedom to play loose with words.  Our job is to convey a client’s point, to build brand, to communicate, engage and sell. It’s not a word count game. It’s about being succinct–capturing and distilling the essence of meaning for our audience.

I’ll start the sharing by acknowledging that I often fail miserably at this task.  Paying more recent attention to my style I’ve discovered a few of my frequent transgressions. The ghost of my English Grammar teacher is laughing at me and shaking her finger scornfully, as I write this.

But! Awareness is the first step.

  • I’m too wordy!
  • I start sentences with ‘but’, ‘so’ and ‘and’ frequently. And, (see!) since I hate figuring out commas I get awkward before the sentence even has a chance to get rolling.
  • I tend to use a passive voice too frequently. The active voice is direct, it gets to the point and feels and reads as a stronger message. If one were to think about using the active voice more often…….
  • There is the that vs. which dilemma. Got that page marked in Strunk and White.
  • The other That. The word that we tend to use unnecessarily in sentences.

Of course there are more. We all have a few bad writing habits. That’s why we have grammar books. I own three. How about you?

Anyone who trades on their writing skills for a living has to become a strong editor as well. You can’t send work to a client with mistakes, small or large. You have to get in the habit of identifying your writing flaws and correcting or changing them.

The standard tricks for proofreading/editing include saving your article to return at a later time, with fresh eyes, to do your editing. Another tip is to print your piece and read it from paper. That’s a particularly useful editing method for me.

A useful editing style for me is to read my work aloud. There’s something about hearing your words that helps identify problem areas. You can also read work to another person or ask a friend to read and make suggestions as well.

The method you choose for proofing and editing your work depends on your style. Find the style that works for you and use it to strengthen and improve your writing.

What’s your preferred method for finding mistakes and strengthening your writing?

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Should You Give Your Work Away? The Free Sample Debate

Posted on June 18, 2012, 8:33 pm, by Walker and received 2 Comments ».

There’s an ongoing conversation in a one of my freelance writing forums on LinkedIn about whether it’s a good idea to give a prospective client a free writing sample. Don’t do It. I speak from experience. I’ve done it.

I had a shot at a writing job for a start-up men’s skincare website. I went through 3 rounds of interviewing; the initial inquiry which included writing clips, the second round was a questionnaire and then the request for a short article based on a topic they gave me. I did all of that; I really wanted this gig. I got the gig, and yet I didn’t. That’s another story, but here’s why I wrote the article. I was trying to get this 20-something year old guy to see that I could write for men, ages 18-35. They needed to see material specifically geared to that audience, in the voice they wanted for their website/blog. It worked….sorta (I promise to share that story another time).

Should a freelance writer give away her work?

When you apply for a position, you typically send a resume and writing clips. Those clips show your skill as a writer, specifically on topics related to the job you’re pitching. Your cover letter should state why you think you’re the best candidate and talk about your ability to write on their subject matter. That should be enough.

One of the comments from the forum pointed out that many potential clients worry you’re a fake. I guess that’s a possibility, a slim one. It’s just as likely that the prospective client is a fake.  If your writing work is online then you can reference and link to that work. You can   provide references to verify your experiences.  The person in charge of hiring can ‘google’ your name to find evidence of who you are. If the client isn’t willing to do a little work to see who they’re about to hire, then you don’t really want to work with them, do you?

If that’s not enough and you’re still being pressured to provide a free sample I’d consider walking away. This client has ‘trust’ issues or is a scammer trying to get free material. You’re likely to spend your valuable time writing for him only to have him disappear–with your work.

There will be times when you have to use your judgement in replying to a client request. When I see a job listing that asks for samples, I walk away. That person probably doesn’t understand the value of my work. If the request comes halfway through our process of negotiating I am going to talk them down, if possible.  A reasonable alternative is to suggest one paid article before settling on a longer term contract. That saves face and gives both parties a way to see if the arrangement will work.

You are a writer.

Writing is what you get paid to do. I can guarantee you that no one asks a hair stylist for a free haircut before making an appointment, or asks the car mechanic to do half of the job first. Why assume that a writing project is any less important? It’s about the value of your work and holding clients and yourself to higher standards.

If you’re new to freelance writing you may feel more pressure to give away your work. I would urge you not to do that even if you don’t have any published work to share. Start a blog or write an article and publish it on one of the free article marketing sites. Share those articles as examples of your work.

As a freelance writer you make a living from your writing. Your hard work and dedication needs to be recognized. When someone asks for a freebie, feel free to walk away.

What do you think? Is it OK to give away samples of your work?

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The Hard Cold Truth About Becoming A Great Freelance Writer

Posted on June 6, 2012, 4:49 pm, by Walker and received 2 Comments ».

Another webinar, another promise to teach you how to get 5000 hits in a day, 3000 subscribers, the best guest posts, millions of dollars and a shot at the big times. Yawn. I confess. I’ve watched a couple of these lately. Today it was a webinar on how to publish your own e-book on Amazon Kindle.

OK, so that last one is a bad example. It was full of very practical advice and I now know how to publish content in an e-book. I could do it tonight.  And, I could also give the speaker my $150 and learn to do it even better.

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve seen in a long time comes from a mere kid (sorry, but at my age, you are a kid). I signed up for his magic words, once again looking around for sound advice on how to promote the new blog, pump up SEO, find the pot of gold. His name is Bamidele Onibalusi and his website is YoungPrePro.

It is refreshing to see such honesty… honesty that does not end with a pitch. I subscribed to his newsletter last week and just got the first missive from him. If I weren’t becoming so jaded I’d say that he blew me away.

All this hype and over-sell, it’s kinda like the miracle diet drugs. We want to believe in a magic pill. We want it easy. Fast. Now. And, it just ain’t happening.

Maybe I’m guilty of that too. My freelance writing is steady, but it’s not making me rich by a long shot. Why? Well, in all honesty, I’m not working hard enough. I’m not writing 30 queries a week, not promoting myself constantly, not networking enough. I take the evenings off to work on a needlepoint stocking for my daughter-in-law. I’m watching the Mad Men series from the beginning. I’m reading David Copperfield.

I’m not working hard enough.

And, here’s this young man from Nigeria, barely 20 years old and he’s Rocking It! This is an excerpt from the email I got today:

Unfortunately, writing online isn’t that easy. It takes time, and you have to put in the effort.
I might be the only one to tell you this, but succeeding online as a writer will sometimes result in countless sleepless nights; you’ll have to work your ass off and keep doing the same even if you don’t feel like it, and that is still no guarantee that you’ll get results the following month.

Success won’t be handed to you on a golden platter; you’ll have to work hard for it, and there’s no short cut.

I’m sorry, but that coach you just paid $250 per hour is not capable of helping you succeed.

This newsletter isn’t, and not a single blog is capable.

The only thing we can do best is what we’re doing now; giving you tips and encouragement.

The real success has to come from you; you have to put in the effort, you have to work hard for success, and you have to realize that it all lies in your effort.

No one will do it for you.

It’s time to stop lazing around looking for the best blog, newsletter or teacher. It’s time to start taking action on every little tip you receive right now.

The more effort you put in, the more results you will get and the faster you will get it.

Stop waiting for the miracle to come, and start working hard to make yourself a success.

No one will do it for you.

That about says it all. How hard are you working at your dream?

Interview on Digital Journal about Onibalusi. Photo by kevinthoule @flickr.com

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Establishing Your Brand-Using Social Media Effectively

Posted on May 24, 2012, 11:58 am, by Walker and received No Comments ».

Promotion, promotion, promotion. It’s very much like location, location, location. In our work–whether that’s writing blogs, promoting a book, selling a product or running a business, you have to establish your brand and then get your message out to the widest audience. The tools you choose are important but what and how you share is of equal importance.

It’s almost impossible to do business on the internet without using social media. And, to a beginner it’s often confusing. Becoming comfortable with social media requires you to learn the vocabulary, find extra time in an already busy schedule, design your pages and plan your content. For starters.

I’ve been blogging since February 2009 but I still have lots to learn. I started a new blogging venture this spring-The Diva of Dating. My goal is to offer advice, support and resources for women and men over 50 who are single and dating. It’s a natural next step, drawing on my dating experience and my writing. So, I’m going about promotion with a different angle, as I look at building subscriptions and start to develop an e-book. The audience is new, requiring me to search actively for my readers. In some ways I feel like a newbie…all over again. New Twitter account, a Facebook page, a Google+ profile and a Google+ page ( the page requires you to have an individual profile first), Pinterest and more to come.

It’s taking a lot of my time, but it’s adding to my skill set as a freelance writer and social media consultant/manager. Yesterday I spent some time with a friend/client who is in a similar spot. She’s beginning the process of branding herself and her work. She has a blog but isn’t comfortable with Twitter or Facebook Pages. Her eyes glazed over when I mentioned StumbleUpon. She’s going to focus on a few basic social media tools to begin with–a blog, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. I’m just beginning with Pinterest and I encouraged her to go there as well. The Diva of Dating is using it because the readership will be predominantly women and that site is more women-focused right now. It will work for my friend as well, she is a cook and food is a great visual–ideal for Pinterest.

The conversation wasn’t as simple as telling her she needed to be on those sites. We talked about ways to share content and how it could be customized to each individual SM site.  You can just write a blog post and then paste the link on Twitter and FB. But if you want to interact, to build trust in your brand it will require more effort. All the linking in the world won’t help if the content is bad or your approach isn’t sincere and consistent.

For a beginner, the path to understanding all the available social media sites is complicated. It requires finding your clientele–meaning you have to identify those people first. I’ve been doing a lot of tweeting, but have come to the conclusion that my target audience–women over the age of 50–aren’t spending a lot of time on Twitter. What I’m finding there are other writers and biz people targeting the over 50 crowd as well.  This will be different for my friend as her audience has a broader age range and will seek her product in different ways.

Social Media Examiner has just published a great article, How To Promote Your Blog With Social Media. I used their suggestions on Google+ for my new page. And, the suggestions for Twitter and HootSuite will help my friend effectively share her content.  The author uses screenshots and very basic explanations–it’s perfect for newbies as well as the more experienced blogger or business owner.

The early days of a branding campaign are fun. They’re also challenging. It can be exciting to learn new things and it can be scary. I spent hours getting the fonts, layout and some simple code set up on my new blog. But, oh what a feeling of satisfaction it was to find and code my own social media sharing icons! To hit the save button and then refresh the page and see that I had gotten it right! Wow!

The key is to start off slowly, taking time to find the right resources and learn how to do social media. Or find the right expert, like me,  to help you. My friend is starting off the right way. Before she evens gets her domain name, she’s being strategic about tying everything together. I can’t wait to see how she does!

And, as for The Diva of Dating? I’m having fun and learning some new technical skills. At this point, writing content is the easy part.

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The Art of Writing a Book Review-Know Your Audience

Posted on May 15, 2012, 7:35 am, by Walker and received No Comments ».

I’m in book review mode. One here and one over at A Woman’s Page. And, I have one more on tap.

I love reading so when asked to do the reviews it seemed a no-brainer. Well….it wasn’t all that easy. Particularly when you’re reviewing a book that isn’t one you would have chosen for your reading pile!  If I can’t relate to the story or the information being shared, then I have to work that much harder to find the gems I think will appeal to the reader. And that’s the challenge, as the PR firms or authors want you to help them connect with the target audience.

On the positive side, when you review a book, you receive a free copy of the book! With that comes a responsibility to do the author justice–fairly and honestly. Yet as a blogger you want to stay true to your voice or brand and maintain your integrity. There’s a delicate balance to maintain. We’ve all seen examples of blatant promotion that make us shudder. That’s pandering and it’s unfair to you readers.

One of the books I reviewed was You Are a Writer. It was fairly easy to write for a couple of reasons. I like Jeff Goins; I follow his blog and find him to be sincere, honest and a good writer. The book is about writing. I’m a writer. But it was more than that. I identified with his message–I needed to hear what he had to say. I’ll benefit from his content; the admonition to get on with our writing and his suggestions on how to build a platform for one’s work.  I know other people will connect with his message in a similar way. I wrote the review for Beyond Words where my readers are interested in the craft of writing.

The other book? It’s a topic I write about, but it was written for women who aren’t likely to read my other blog. Women who want to “be his wife.”  Younger women. Women who like self-help books. That’s not the audience I write my content for–not to say that some of them aren’t reading the blog.  And in all fairness to the book, there will be women who absolutely love it and who will buy it.

I worked hard to write a review that showed the book’s usefulness for potential readers. That’s what we’re all about as bloggers and as book reviewers. The goal is to write something that adds value to the conversation. Maybe I was thinking about that more clearly with the book review as I struggled to find the angle that would redeem my blog post.

Frankly, I’m not sure I do that with as fine and consistent a focus as I should  on this blog. Beyond Words is a mix of professional writer website, journal of a frustrated writer and a jack-of-all-trades in the writing/marketing/social media world. Fine for some but not a blog that will ever join the ranks of a Jeff Goins or Jonathan Fields or Danielle LaPorte (my new girl crush).

The Blog Gurus will tell you to know who you’re writing for and offer your readers what they need. Answer their questions, share valuable information, etc.. I’m a storyteller by nature and that comes out in all of my blogs-4 at this moment. It’s what I do best. I believe in the power of a good story to help and support a reader. Stories can show us how to deal with a tricky issue, they give us hope and inspiration. And, sometimes a good story is simply a good read.

Today? I’m content with my content (ha, couldn’t resist). Tomorrow? Who knows.

What’s your ambition as a blogger? Are you on target or having fun? Do you ever do book reviews and if so, what kind of obligation do you feel in writing one?

Yeah, lots of questions. Pick one.

Walker’s other public blogs: A Woman’s Page, and newest venture, The Diva of Dating a site for over 50 women and men seeking advice, information and stories about dating.

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You Are a Writer-Jeff Goins’ New E-Book Rocks the Writer World

Posted on May 1, 2012, 7:20 pm, by Walker and received 3 Comments ».

Jeff Goins is a writer.

That’s how he’d say it. And, it’s how he wants us to say it. Straight up, proud, unapologetic. Own it. No more maybe, sometimes, I think, I might be…

I am a writer.

It’s the theme of his new e-book, You Are a Writer.

The book is aimed at getting us to acknowledge our deep desire to be a writer, to set aside all the fears and excuses and just do it.  And, he tells us his story—letting the reader see exactly what it takes to move from the thinking and the wanting to the actual doing–Writing.

Writing is mostly a mind game. It’s about tricking yourself into becoming who you are. If you do this long enough, you begin to believe it. And pretty soon, you start acting like it.

I’ve struggled with saying, I am a Writer. I felt like an imposter, after all, what proof did I have? Where was my book? There are no articles in The New Yorker with my by-line. My definition of what constitutes a writer was so narrow and full of judgment that I couldn’t let myself say the words without hesitation.

Today I can say with some ease that I am a Writer. But, there is much work to do still. I’m still at the mostly thinking stage. So, given the opportunity to review Jeff Goins’ new e-book I jumped at it. I received the book as a gift in exchange for my review (full disclosure) . He didn’t threaten to send a virus to attack me if the review turned out poorly. He won’t ban me from reading his blog. It’s just an open invitation for one writer to share the message of You Are a Writer.

I read the book with ease and great interest. I wanted to not only do justice to my promise to review the book—I want to unlock the secret to what keeps me just a little stuck. You see, my book is languishing because I still have Fear;

Fear of finishing. Fear of picking one thing and sticking with it. We think, what if it’s the wrong thing? What if I mess it up?

Here’s the truth: There is no wrong thing. Just begin. Once you learn how to finish, you’ll be able to start again.

His answer is like free samples at the candy counter, or the wine bar. Help yourself. Don’t sweat it. Pick up the pen and write. Make it a habit. Write your passion. De-clutter your world. Develop community.

The book offers concrete tips for getting to the essence of writing. You want to be a writer and you want to be inspired. More importantly you want to get rid of those things that get in the way.

You Are a Writer is more than an inspiring story, it’s a how-to-do-it-love-it e-book. He talks about brands and how to build our platform.  We learn how to build community. And, all of this comes in a well-written concise book. Jeff Goins has one of the most popular blogs in the writing world—his followers already know this and eagerly anticipate posts. Now his readers can get more with this book.

What is my take-away? I took this offer for purely selfish reasons. I want to be a better writer. I thought by writing this review I might get a few new subscribers? A link from a big name blogger. Maybe. What I have gotten is a renewed sense of my own talent and the structure to continue to shape and improve my craft. And, let’s not forget motivation.

If you want to read more of Jeff- his blog is GoinsWriter. And, here’s the link to his e-book, You Are a Writer.

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Where Ze Frank Goes About Helping Unleash Your Creativity

Posted on April 15, 2012, 7:04 pm, by Walker and received No Comments ».

Let me not think of my work only as a stepping stone to something else. And if it is, let me become fascinated with the shape of the stone.
– Ze Frank

I had never heard of Ze Frank until today. Wow is really I’ve got to say. Well, not all I’ve got to say. I suffer from Procrastination in a big way, mixed with self-doubt and laziness and a sprinkling of ADD or ADHD? Can’t remember. So, I’m always searching for that magic pill that will make it all better.

The eternal question: How do we pull ourselves together, jump over the hurdles and just sit down and do the damned writing? If I knew, this blog would bed…something else. The blog promoting my book!  Ha ha.

Check him out.

His post, 5 Lessons in Creativity from the Return of Ze Frank is over at Copyblogger, with a link to Ze Frank’s A Show. Even if you’re not having writing challenges–he’s worth the watch for the poetic way he thinks and strings together those thoughts. He’s kinda cute too.

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(the video is not for kids, nor the office)

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Blogging for Small Businesses-A Competitive Edge

Posted on March 12, 2012, 8:18 am, by Walker and received 3 Comments ».

Business blogging–Are you a player? 

You should be. Your competition is writing a blog.

The small business blog can be considered a “best  practice”.

You have a million reasons for not blogging, right? Demands on your time, fear of technology, concerns about your writing skills and uncertainly about how to best use a blog. You really can’t afford not to have an internet presence today. Increasingly, people, your potential customers, are searching for answers on the internet. A blog gives your business increased visibility on internet searches. Your name. Your product.

Four Reasons Your Business Will Benefit From A Blog

Free Advertising

You can supplement, reduce or eliminate print advertising if you have a blog. Got new products? Write a blog post and link it back to item on your website. Add as many photos as you want (within reason) Expanding your business, won an award, received a great recommendation? Tell readers about new services, share the press release about your award, post customer recommendations. Use your business blog as a platform for bragging about the business.

Establish Your Business Expertise

Whether you sell designer shoes, closet organizers or car tune-ups, you want to establish yourself as The go-to business in your community. In addition to writing about your product you want to offer (a little) free advice or information to readers. Talk about how to organize a closet to maximize space or tell your customers how to get the most mileage from an older car. When you give customers something of value they will be appreciative. We all love to get something for ‘free’ and we often feel an obligation to give back in return, i.e, we want to do business with you.

Visibility, Visibility, Visibility

A blog increases the chances that a potential customer will find your business. If I’m searching for closet shelving and your name pops up on my internet search, I’m more likely to click and read.  Your blog post on how to install closet shelves will provide a link to your website where I can either order online or find operating hours and the directions to your store.

Grow Your Customer Base

A blog not only brings readers to your site, but it can be used to grow your customer base. Every good blog should have a ‘follow me’ button or–better–an option for readers to subscribe by email.  Invite readers to sign up for your newsletter. You can use this database of interested readers to grow your business.  There are several email newsletter platforms that allow you to send customized content to customers. Faster. Cheaper. Effectively. Once you’ve got a base of subscribers the opportunities to promote your business expand exponentially. Send a newsletter talking about new spring merchandise and add a few interesting or useful tips your customers will enjoy. Do a promotion exclusively for newsletter subscribers (and talk about it on your blog, encouraging new sign-ups) and reward your top spenders. The possibilities are endless.

It’s all about expanding your reach.

The goal for you, the small business owner, is to find multiple ways of reaching customers. A static website isn’t going to keep your customers engaged. By adding a blog you increase the amount of time the reader stays on your website. And, if done well, you can get that reader to click through to other sections of your website.

Most blog programs are fairly simple to use. You can do the writing yourself, delegate it to a trusted staff member (more on that in the next post) or you can hire a freelance blogger/writer to help with your small business blog.

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Do You Have Bad Writing Habits?

Posted on March 5, 2012, 11:57 am, by Walker and received 2 Comments ».

Every writer has his or her own voice, a unique style of writing. The good writers have perfected their style and worked hard to avoid bad habits. We all have them, it’s a matter of recognizing ours.

I had an Ah Ha moment this morning.  I’ve caught myself in a very bad habit (and “I’ve” is one of those bad habits).  It’s a word usage issue. Here’s the trap I find myself in–my writing is sprinkled with indirect comments, or semi-hypothetical phrases, usually when I’m writing from a personal point of view.

I’ve been known to say instead of I say.  I’ve.  one could.  Using ambivalent, tentative words is not conducive to a strong message. They make me sound wishy-washy.

It would seem to me, as opposed to I believe. The energy is different. There is more confidence. It delivers a stronger punch.

Self-awareness is an awesome thing for a writer!

Editing becomes a much easier chore. And, with time and practice I will be able to can write from a stronger, concise position. When I want to ramble for effect, those words will stand out.

How does this make me a better freelance writer?

Obviously, knowing one’s strengths and weaknesses helps any writer. I’ll spend less time editing and rewriting if I practice using direct words.

Clients often pay by the word. Every word needs to count, they must convey the message and lead the reader to action.

I’ve gained insight on how I write. How cool is that? I’m already a better writer.

What’s your bad writing habit? You know you have one!

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