Angela Booth's Writing Blog

Today's Writing Tip: Don't Think Before You Write

 

If you've ever suffered from writer's block you know that it can be very uncomfortable.

Usually the block is there because you're THINKING, and you're not putting the words in your head onto the page. The easiest way to get over a block is just to write whatever words are in your head.

This is how professional writers write. They write what's in their head, and they think on the page.

Whenever you get a new assignment, spend ten minutes (use a timer) to write what's in your head. Don't concern yourself about WHAT you're writing. Remember, you're just thinking on the page.

The "first thoughts" writing you do will usually not be in the final piece of writing. You're writing in order to write -- in order to think.

Please don't judge whatever you write. They're just words, and there are plenty more where they came from. You're training yourself not to think about writing before you write... You're learning to get the words out of your head, and onto the page.

Writing as a standard practice or habit, rather than thinking about writing, is the big difference between professional writers, and beginning writers.

You'll find that when you get into the habit of writing when you sit down at your desk, writing won't scare you. It will become fun. You'll realize that you can write whatever you want to write, because the words are always there, and you're simply writing them down.

The Easy-Write Process Makes Writing Fun, Profitable and Easy

Writing hasn't always been fun for me. Far from it. For the first ten years of my writing career, when I was writing novels and starting out as a copywriter, I was terrified of writing. Eventually, over several years, I developed my Easy-Write Process.

The Easy-Write Process is comprehensive, and fun. No matter what kind of writing you're doing, it will help you to get it done, and it will be fun.

I use the Easy-Write Process every day, and now you can too. Put new life into your writing. Become a prolific writer: discover how you can easily double and triple your output, and your income.

 

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Today's Writing Tip: Write for an Audience Without Losing Your Mind

 

 

Do you struggle with writing for an audience? I know that many of my writing students do.

Here's a tip: although you need to keep your audience in some corner of your mind, focus on writing for YOURSELF.

Let's say you're writing an article for a food magazine. You'll done all the right things... you've read several issues, you've caught their style, you've read the advertising, so you have some idea of the demographics the magazine is targeting.

You think about your ideal reader... and you're stuck. You stare at the computer screen, and your head pounds. Not a single worthwhile word comes to mind.

You're tempted to toss your computer out of the window -- or yourself off a cliff.

Don't do that.

Instead, clear your mind. Go for a walk. (Movement always helps.)

When you come back, write a couple of pages, strictly for yourself. Have fun. Amuse yourself. Swear on the page. Write as badly as you can.

Next day, when you get back to writing the article, tell yourself you're writing just for YOU. Forget the reader.

Yes, you're always writing for readers. While you're creating however, focus on writing just for yourself, otherwise you WILL lose your mind. :-)

 

Kindle Publishing Is Hot: Want to generate cash from your kitchen table and quit your day job?

Others are making money from Kindle publishing.

The lucky few are making millions. Some are making great money -- and that money increases each month.

What about you? Imagine generating cash from your kitchen table.

You can let Amazon do all the heavy lifting. Amazon's got a proven publishing system, after all -- discover Fast and Easy Kindle Publisher: Turn Free Stuff Into Kindle Cash, and discover four different ways to turn free stuff into Kindle cash.

Writing: How to Be Scared and Write Anyway

I work with writing students. They have questions.

Now, while questions are fine, and I love them, I hate hypothetical questions. Like this: "What if a flying saucer landed in my backyard, and they took me to a strange planet 120 light years away, and I didn't know anyone, and they didn't let me pack any clothes, not even my brand new Puma sneakers that I bought yesterday, and..."

That question may be a bit over the top, but it makes as much sense as 99 per cent of the "This is new, and I'm spooked!" questions I get.

Learning something new is scary.

Doing anything new is scary too.

Let's face it: being alive is scary, because we all know how that ends, don't we?

Writing is scary. All writers are scared. I am, you are, we all are.

I read a research study once about brain hemispheres and emotion. According to this study, people who spend a lot of time in the right hemisphere of their brain (the creative side) are more introverted and anxious.

So it's not your fault you're scared. You're scared because you're creative and imaginative. Being anxious is the price you pay for being who you are.

Since that's the case -- you're scared because you're a writer -- it's time to stop believing whatever you're telling yourself.

If you're telling yourself:

* I shouldn't feel this way;

* Being scared means that I can't write;

* What I wrote yesterday is crap and I'll write crap today, and tomorrow;

* I should give up writing. It's obvious I'm a failure...

Don't listen to what you're telling yourself.

Write instead. Write down everything you're telling yourself for a start. Then keep writing. Just write a word, a sentence, a paragraph. Then write some more.

It's OK to be scared. It means you're a writer, and you should be HAPPY about that. :-)

 

Kindle Publishing Is Hot: Want to generate cash from your kitchen table and quit your day job?

Others are making money from Kindle publishing. The lucky few are making millions. Some are making great money -- and that money increases each month.

What about you? Imagine generating cash from your kitchen table. You can let Amazon do all the heavy lifting.

Amazon's got a proven publishing system, after all -- discover Fast and Easy Kindle Publisher: Turn Free Stuff Into Kindle Cash, and discover four different ways to turn free stuff into Kindle cash.

Around the Blogs This Week: Ebooks, Info Products, Kindle Authors

Here’s what we discussed on the blogs this week…

Ebooks: The Biggest Secret In Info Product Creation

Want to write books and ebooks? And write them fast? Here’s the biggest secret in info product creation: write what you know, and what you learn.

Make Money Online: Create Your First Information Product

Want to create and sell an information product? It’s a great way to make money online. Others are doing it, and you can do it too.

Product Creation: How To Create Info Products If You’re a Beginner

You’re a beginner in an area. However, you want to create an information product. Can you do it? Of course you can.

Info Product Creation: Market Comes First, Then The Product

I’ve had several questions this week about marketing info products. These questions are always hard to answer. Ideally, you would consider your market FIRST, and then create the product. There’s no point in creating something which may not even have a market.

For Writers: Make Money From Kindle Authors

Ebooks are the hot new market for writers, specifically, ebooks for the Kindle and other ereaders. Discover how you can make money when you provide services to Kindle authors.

Today's Writing Tip: Live Up to Your Values

What are your values? Your values relate directly to your writing, if you try to live up to them.

In this blog post, Copywriting Productivity – Get More Done, Make Money | Writing Hacker by Angela Booth, I suggested that you:

"Make a list of three of your values. For example, my own values include industry, kindness, and patience. I may not always live up to those values, but I try to.

So how do your values help you to become a more productive copywriter? My values help me to be industrious so that I don’t waste time, and I aim to be gentle both with myself and with others. Having patience as a value is very useful too, because I don’t get upset if my first drafts are less than perfect."

So today, make a list of three of your own values. What attributes are important to you?

I wish I could say that I'm always industrious, kind and patient. I'm not. However, knowing that these are three values which are important to me gives me something to live up to.

I'd love it if you'd share a couple of your values in the comments to this post.

 

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Today's Writing Tip: Get More Done by Doing Less

If you want to become a super-productive writer, you can be. Just do less.

Does that sound paradoxical? It's not. You're giving yourself room to breathe -- to create. Once you make room in your life for creativity and thought, you'll get more done.

"Do more by doing less" is an especially valuable strategy if you're feeling overwhelmed -- whenever you have projects which are due, or even overdue.

Start by reassigning deadlines to projects which are overdue, or due. Make that your sole task for the day. Use your calendar. Space out project deadlines so that you have the time you need to complete each project.

Once you've set new deadlines, pick up the phone, or send email messages to your clients. Apologize, but don't explain why you've missed a deadline. Just work with each client to ensure that the new deadline is OK for their project.

You'll find that you feel much better once you've cleared the decks. You'll also be more productive, because you're focusing on each task, rather than scattering your concentration because you're worried about deadlines.

Next, commit to just ONE task per day. This doesn't mean that you only have one task to complete. You may have 30 tasks, but just ONE task you absolutely must work on before you stop working for the day. Working on that ONE task is absolutely non-negotiable.

How you choose your ONE task for the day is up to you.

For my own "one task" I tend to choose projects which are close to deadline, and which must get done. Occasionally, I'll choose a project which is just for me; I choose it because it's something I enjoy.

Try this process if you're procrastinating, and any time you're overwhelmed. You'll find that you get more done, when you do less.

 

The Easy-Write Process Makes Writing Fun, Profitable and Easy

Writing hasn't always been fun for me. Far from it. For the first ten years of my writing career, when I was writing novels and starting out as a copywriter, I was terrified of writing. Eventually, over several years, I developed my Easy-Write Process.

The Easy-Write Process is comprehensive, and fun. No matter what kind of writing you're doing, it will help you to get it done, and it will be fun.

I use the Easy-Write Process every day, and now you can too. Put new life into your writing. Become a prolific writer: discover how you can easily double and triple your output, and your income.

Around the Blogs This Week: Quit Your Day Job, Writing For Money

Here’s what we discussed on the blogs this week…

Quit Your Day Job And Write

Want to quit your day job and write? I sympathize. I know it’s hard. You’re constantly exhausted — you have no time to write.

Decades ago, before I wrote full-time, I’d snatch minutes here and there to write. I wrote in my lunch hour, on the train, and in my car…

Writing Resistance and Writing for Money

Many writers struggle with procrastination. This is always due to resistance. I see this when I’m working with my students, and even after 30 years, I’m well aware of resistance in myself.

Resistance is common, especially if you’re writing for money. Your first and most important step is to recognize it when it appears.

Article Writing: Panda Update Solution

If you’re writing articles, and were crushed by Google’s Panda update, you’re one among many. Discover the solution… YOU can make money writing articles.

Ereader Excitement: What Does Amazon’s New Tablet Mean For Writers?

It looks as if Amazon’s new Kindle tablet is more than smoke, it’s real. This has huge implications for writers.

Writing Resistance and Writing for Money

Many writers struggle with procrastination. This is always due to resistance. I see this when I'm working with my students, and even after 30 years, I'm well aware of resistance in myself.

Resistance is common, especially if you're writing for money. Your first and most important step is to recognize it when it appears.

If you're a new writer, and want to write for money, your resistance ensures that while you want to get paid to write, you never actually approach anyone who can pay you.

You've got lots of reasons of course. You're not sure whether you're "doing the right thing". You worry that you won't be paid "enough"...

If you're an established writer, your resistance shows up when you procrastinate on commissions. Instead of sitting at your desk, you go out to a movie, or veg out in front of the TV.

You tell yourself that you have "plenty of time", or that you're "too tired" to write.

How to conquer resistance

Realizing that you're resisting is a great first step.:-) Give yourself a hug for being perceptive, you deserve it.

Next, complete this sentence (write it down): "Although I'm not aware of it, I'm resisting because________" and then free write for five minutes.

Free writing is stream of consciousness writing. Please realize that you know exactly why you're resisting the project. All you need to do is uncover what's troubling you. 

Often, resistance has nothing to do with the project itself. You're annoyed and resentful at something that's happening in your life currently, or you're unconsciously stewing because of something that happened in the past.

Your free writing session will uncover this, and then you can let it go.

Sometimes you're resisting because of you're stumped on the project you should be writing. You feel inadequate. 

Your free writing will uncover this too, and you can deal with it. You may need to do more research, or ask the client some questions, or do some pre-writing.

Writing for money has a way of triggering resistance. Many writers feel unworthy and overwhelmed.

Over the years, I've spoken with many magazine and book editors. They know that when they send out contracts, a high proportion of writers never complete their article or book, because of resistance.

While everyone in the industry is aware of resistance, most writers never recognize it in themselves. This leads to much heartache and wasted opportunity.

Your first step in conquering resistance is to see it for what it is.

Take heart from this: writing resistance is common. Every writer suffers from it. Some writers face it every day -- I know I do.

Be kind to yourself. You can conquer resistance, because you now have a strategy.

What are YOU resisting today?

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Become a Prolific Writer, and Have Fun

Want to become a prolific writer? Angela Booth's Top 70 Writing Tips: Write More, Improve Your Writing, AND Make More Money has been helping you to do that for several years.

It's now available on the Kindle, so you can take the tips with you.

Try one of the writing tips now

Try this writing tip from the ebook today -- it will help you to become more prolific. 

18. Conquer Writer's Page Fright With Rehearsals – You Don't Have to Be Good

If you're procrastinating with your writing, you've got page fright. Like all performers, writers get stage fright, but in our case it's "page fright". :-)

I'm convinced that page fright is the commonest cause of writer's block.

You can conquer this fear of the blank page or computer screen by pretending that you're not really writing, you're rehearsing. Just keep rehearsing, and if you find that a rehearsal is good enough for prime time, submit it to the appropriate market.

Exercise 18: Try This Imaginative Process to Eliminate Page Fright 

Before each writing session, I relax in my office chair. I close my eyes, and day dream. I imagine myself writing easily and well, and being totally relaxed as I write… I imagine that I'm enjoying what I'm writing about… and that the writing task is completed.

This imaginative "rehearsal" only takes a few moments. When it's complete, I start writing. Try this process – you will write more, and more easily.

Enjoy the tips on the Kindle. :-)

Today's Writing Tip: Warm Up

If you often feel intimidated by the blank computer screen warm ups will save you.

Athletes warm up, dancers and musicians warm up... writers need to warm up too.

When you warm up, you're making the switch from everyday consciousness to your "writing" consciousness.

You're aiming for a sense of flow, so that the words float into your mind, and you write them down, easily and effortlessly.

Here are two of my favorite warm up exercises.

Pick a word, any word

A dictionary is useful for picking words, but you don't need one. 

Just flip open a magazine or a book on any page and point to a word. Write it down, and then pick two more. I like to close my eyes when I do this, so I don't "cheat". :-)

Using the words you've chosen, write 100 or 200 words.

Kick off with someone else's words

This exercise is fun too.

Pick a sentence from an author you enjoy. Using that sentence as your starting point, write 200 words.

For example, I'm on a Louis L'Amour reading binge at the moment, and chose this sentence from Jubal Sackett: "He started to speak and almost choked on his fury."

It's an evocative sentence, and I had no trouble writing 200 words with that sentence as a kicking off point.

Today's Writing Tip: Writers Love Trouble

Everyone hates trouble... except writers.

We must have trouble, otherwise we have nothing.

If you're writing fiction, and everything in your fictional garden is rosy, you'd better introduce a serpent, quick smart. Conflict drives stories, happiness ends them.

Nonfiction writers look for trouble too. Whether they're writing news stories, or self-help books, trouble gives you something to write about.

Whenever your writing feels flat, create some trouble. Your readers will thank you.

Did you know that businesses need bloggers? You can turn your blogging skills into income fast, even if you've never made a cent from your writing.

 

Today's Writing Tip: Relax and FOCUS

Your writing demands focus. However, it mustn't be a  grit-your-teeth-with-sheer-determination kind of focus. Try to be as relaxed and casual as you can, while mentally shutting out everything around you.

I often suggest to my writing students that they write first, as soon as they get out of bed in the morning, before they do anything else.

This works, especially for long projects. You're physically relaxed first thing in the morning. This is wonderful if you're writing a book, because you can collect all the unconscious insights you've developed overnight immediately, before they're lost.

If you write well first thing in the morning, remember how this feels. Over time, you can learn how to drop into your "writing" mind state, anywhere -- in a cafe, at a party, or at the beach.

Music relaxes some writers, so put your headphones on if it helps. Other writers are relaxed late at night, when the rest of the family is asleep.

Warning: avoid alcohol and other substances as a method of relaxation. Your aim is to be alert, while focused and relaxed.

Learning meditation is a fantastic idea. Meditation teaches you to develop a relaxed, yet focused mind state.

Remember: ALWAYS be prepared to write junk. Once you have something on the page, you can work with it.

Want to write anywhere, anytime, and whatever you please? You can, when you discover the Easy-Write Process.

Today's Writing Tip: Face the Terror of the Blank Page

At least twice a week, and sometimes even more often, I receive messages from writers which ask "how do I get inspired?"

The answer's always the same: start writing. Inspiration happens when you're writing, always.

So, get something -- anything -- onto the page or computer screen.

EVERY writer (you, me, every writer) is struck with momentary terror when they look at a blank page.

It's normal, and completely natural.

I could blather on about right brain/ left brain, and the interaction of your conscious mind with your subconscious. That's theory, and knowing the theory won't help.

Here's what helps. As soon as you sit down at your computer, write a nonsense sentence. Any sentence you like.

Alternatively, write yourself an email message about your current project.

Once you've broken the ice, words will follow.

You goal is to fill the page, so please don't be fussy about which words they are.

If you want to make money writing, the big benefit of a program like Sell Your Writing Online NOW (SYWON) is the tasks: complete the tasks, get the results. You don't need to face the terror of the blank page when someone's showing you the way.

 

Today's Writing Tip: Your Daily Word Count Counts

Write junk. Always. 

Because, out of quantity comes quality -- eventually. :-)

Some writers get all huffy when I suggest this. JUNK?! They want to write well -- brilliantly, actually.

Nothing less than sheer brilliance will do.

Guess how much they write?

Yes, they write... nothing, because their words don't match the vision in their head.

Listen up. 

You write what you write.

That's all.

On any given day, your words may sound as if they were typed by a monkey with attention deficit disorder.

On other days, your words may not make sense at all. 

Again: you write what you write, on any given day.

It's ALWAYS fine, and here's why: you wrote. Now you have a beginning. You have words which you can massage.

The "I want to write brilliantly" crowd never write anything. These writers think they have "no talent" when the truth is that they simply have high expectations for their early drafts.

No one's ever told them that professional writers' words are like the tip of an iceberg. There's a lot of junk underneath the good stuff on top.

So, write. Count your words. My daily must-write word count has been 1000 words for at least 20 years.

I relax, because I know that all I need to do is produce the words. I know there's more where those words came from, and I'm not particularly attached to any of them.

Drop your expectations, and count your words. Your daily word count counts.

Want an easy writing process? Here you go: the Easy-Write Process.

 

Today's Writing Tip: Collect Word Treasures and Use Them

Writers love words. Words are our tools: they're also our treasure.

Do you get excited when you discover a new word? I do. 

I write words which are new to me on my hand until I copy them into a notebook; this habit has earned me some puzzled looks over the years, but it ensures that I remember the word. :-) 

A writer's primary pastime should be reading, and collecting word treasures.

I have several dictionaries in my library, but the dictionary I use most is WordBook. If you don't want to splash out for an electronic dictionary, the Mac's own dictionary is very useable.

On the PC, I've used WordWeb -- there's a free version.

My favorite new word is "sibylline"; it sounds wonderful, doesn't it? :-)

Want to become a full-time writer, writing from home? You can -- discover how you can transition from a hobbyist writer to a pro.