Angela Booth's Writing Blog

AbiWord: Cute and free cross-platform word processor

I've been looking for a small word processor to use for fast document creation on my Mac Mini. I tend to have anywhere from four to ten programs open at a time, and the little Mini's too underpowered to keep MS Word open all day while running a slew of other programs. (Not to mention that Mac Word's got buggier since the latest update.)

I've found the perfect solution in AbiWord. I was using Mac's TextEdit, but it's too minimalist: it doesn't zoom or count words.

AbiWord is open-source and free. It's several years since I wrote a magazine review on AbiWord and I'm pleasantly surprised at all the program's enhancements. No, it's not MS Word, but it is small and fast. It does styles, columns, tables, and best of all counts words, which is must-have for any writer's word processor.

AbiWord has its own format, but it also saves in text, DOC, RTF, HTML and other formats too, and it runs on the Mac, Windows, and UNIX.

Technorati Tags: software

Get started copywriting 8: Self-development for copywriters

You need to keep growing and learning. Oddly enough, you'll find that over time it doesn’t matter what you learn. Your interest and enthusiasm in any area will bear dividends.

I've taken public relations, photography and marketing courses. At the moment, I'm experimenting with Mac software, and learning about XML and RSS.

What will you learn today? Schedule your learning and studying periods right into your day. If you're working fulltime at another job while you build your copywriting business, see if your employer offers any training options. Many employers are willing to bear the cost of educating their staff.

Technorati Tags: copywriting, get started copywriting

Forgotten treasure: How to Speak and Write Correctly

Visit Project Gutenberg to download your (free) copy of How to Speak and Write Correctly -- it's helpful to know what the rules are before you break them. :-)

The book is full of great info (who knew?) like:

(3) The use of the verbs _shall_ and _will_ is a rock upon which even
the best speakers come to wreck. They are interchanged recklessly.
Their significance changes according as they are used with the first,
second or third person. With the first person _shall_ is used in direct
statement to express a simple future action; as, "I shall go to the
city to-morrow." With the second and third persons _shall_ is used to
express a determination; as, "You _shall_ go to the city to-morrow,"
"He _shall_ go to the city to-morrow."

With the first person _will_ is used in direct statement to express
determination, as, "I will go to the city to-morrow." With the second and
third persons _will_ is used to express simple future action; as, "You
_will_ go to the city to-morrow," "He _will_ go to the city to-morrow."

A very old rule regarding the uses of _shall_ and _will_ is thus
expressed in rhyme:

In the first person simply _shall_ foretells,
In _will_ a threat or else a promise dwells.
_Shall_ in the second and third does threat,
_Will_ simply then foretells the future feat.

Technorati Tags: grammar, writing

Writing tools: well-researched mind mapping article on Wikipedia

Mind mapping is invaluable for writing research, structuring your writing, and for studying.

If you're new to mind mapping, Wikipedia has a comprehensive overview of the process, including several sample mind maps.

The easiest way to learn mind mapping is just to do it -- your mind maps don't need to be spectacular. Most of mine are done on sticky notes. :-)

Technorati Tags: productivity, writing

Excellent writing advice: meet your deadlines

Terry Whalin writes:

Each time I take an assignment—whether a short magazine article or a book length project—I know the clock is ticking with a deadline to turn in the material. Writers are notoriously late with these deadlines but one of the hallmarks of my work has been to turn in excellent material on time. If you commit to this issue, you will distinguish yourself from many other writers. It may come as a surprise, but it’s true.

It sounds simple, but it's vital. When you agree to a deadline, keep it, no matter what. This means that you keep your deadline even if you're in the throes of a week-long migraine, your pet dog died, and your spouse asked for a divorce.

Your editors will LOVE you (and give you more work) if you meet your deadlines. Because most writers don't.

Need help meeting deadlines? Tell yourself:

* It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to get done;

* You can fix it when it's on the page;

* You're a better writer than you think you are;

* That you WILL get it done.

Important: set your own deadline three days before the 'real' deadline in the case of an article or any short project, three weeks before the deadline if you're writing a book. This allows for computer crashes and other disasters.

Editors will forgive you much if you're reliable.

Technorati Tags: Motivation, writing

Mac: MyMind free (donation) mind mapping software

This program is a real little treasure. I tried it, not having great expectations of it, but was pleasantly surprised.

Not only does it do great outlines, it lets you view those outlines as mind maps.

MyMind is donation-ware, so if you continue to use it, send a donation to the developer.

Technorati Tags: Mac

The Opera browser: it's now a freebie

Opera's free -- the company has done deals with Google and eBay, and now wants to build its user base to make those deals more lucrative.

If you haven't used Opera, give it a try. The browser is small (which makes it useful for older machines), fast, and has lots of unique features.

It works great on the Mac, but it's not as useful as it might be, because the Services function isn't as comprehensive as that in Safari.

Technorati Tags: Mac, PC

Interview with Jerry Bruckheimer: make it real

Great article, "Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, The Top Gun Of Prime Time", with information that you can use in your own fiction and nonfiction:

He thinks his shows plug into a zeitgeist for "process, and I love process. I love being put in a place I know nothing about and showing how it actually works." Before the "CSIs," Bruckheimer says, he would watch a crime drama and often think "this is BS," so he wanted to show how a crime would be actually solved -- albeit in 47 minutes.

We all want to know how things work. Satisfy your readers' curiosity.

Technorati Tags: writing

Blogging for writers -- should you blog?

YES! Here are some of the benefits:

* If you're a new writer, a blog gives you the confidence and ability to write for an audience. Please notice that I put confidence ahead of ability. As a new writer, you need the confidence to START. Some writers are born with the confidence to send their work off to editors, but they’re in the minority. I've even heard of professional writers admitting to collapsing into tears when they send off work that means a lot to them, so it's not surprising that aspiring writers feel that the process of writing for public consumption is overwhelming.

* Your blog helps you to get comfortable with words. Inexperienced writers "write". Experienced writers just say what they're got to say --- you can hear the writer's "voice" behind the words. Developing this voice takes a lot of writing. A blog lets you do that writing in a low-risk, comfortable arena.

* Your blog enhances your creativity. Writing begets writing. The more you write, the more you'll have to write about. If you commit to blogging, the knowledge that you need to collect material for your blog stimulates your creativity. You'll come up with ideas for your blog, and for other writing too.

* You can use your blog as a writing sample. When you're a new writer, you don’t have any credits. This means that editors are hesitant to assign commissions to you. Your blog proves that you can write, and gives a commissioning editor an idea of what your style is like. Add your blog URL to query letters and proposals that you send to editors, and invite editors to visit your blog. The fact that you have a blog lets editors know that you're serious about writing.

Our Pro Write workshop "Blog Your Writing' gets you started blogging.

Technorati Tags: blogs, blog your writing

Get started copywriting 7: Does cold calling work?

When you're starting out, should you cold call businesses which are likely to hire you? (Cold calling is also known as telemarketing.) This depends on your temperament. Some people love it, others hate it.

When you cold call, you open the Yellow Pages, run your fingers down the listings of say, advertising agencies, and stab out a number. If you get voice mail, you leave a message: "Good morning, my name is X. I'm a business writer, calling to see whether you need my services." If you get a gate-keeper, you ask whether they hire freelance copywriters.

I no longer cold call, but you certainly should try it if you want to get some work in a hurry. It does work, but you need to be aware that you'll get a lot of "Come and see me" and "Send me" replies.

Unfortunately, many of the "Come and see me" group and the "Send me" group are time-wasters. With the "Come and see me" group, you need to ask yourself whether you have the time to devote to meetings.

If you haven't got work lined up, this won’t be a problem, but don't get behind in your commissioned work to go to meetings which may or may not result in new work for you.

Technorati Tags: copywriting, get started copywriting

Get started copywriting 6: Create samples

Get into the habit of creating writing samples, and do this right throughout your career. Although you won’t get paid for your samples, they will build your skills and your portfolio, and *they will help you to get work without trying*.

Some experienced copywriters feel that creating samples is beneath them. This attitude is short-sighted. Creating samples gives you confidence that you can handle the work. This confidence translates into money.

Here's an example of how creating samples helps you to get work. A few years a go I wanted to get into writing radio ads.

I taped lots of ads off the radio, and wrote ten sample radio spots. Then I called a couple of radio stations, asked for some scripts, and wrote more ads. I made this fun for myself: I tried to see patterns in the ads, and which types of businesses used various spots, and when and where they placed them.

It took me around three weeks to become a professional radio copywriter. I didn’t even have to promote myself in this new role. When I rang the stations for the scripts, guess what? Yes, I got work, even as a new radio copywriter. At smaller stations, the DJs write the radio spots, and most hate it. I got the work because I showed up, and because writing the samples gave me confidence to say: "Yes, I'd love to write that for you".

Technorati Tags: copywriting, get started copywriting

Get started copywriting 5: Your clients will help you -- ASK

Your clients will be pleased to help you. All you need to do is ASK. Most people enjoy helping others.

If someone sends me an email message or calls me and tells me they're starting as a copywriter, and asks me questions, I'm only too pleased to respond. I love what I do, and I like to share my enthusiasm with others. Interacting with a new copywriter helps me: it revives my zeal and reminds me why I love this business.

Call agencies (advertising, multimedia, graphics design) and ask whether someone has time to give you an informational interview. These interviews are invaluable, because you get to speak to people who are doing business right where you are, and you also get to make contacts. When you make the appointment, follow through on it and attend. Be there on time, and listen more than you speak. Take lots of notes --- record the interview if you can --- and take any samples you're offered.

BIG TIP: when you work with clients, don’t hesitate to tell them that you're new at copywriting. They'll be make allowances for that, and they will be prepared to help you all they can.

Technorati Tags: copywriting, get started copywriting

Great new writing acronym: LSD

I love writing ancronyms. My favorite is DDT -- Do, Don't Think.

My newest writing acronym is LSD -- List, Sprint, Draft. It helps me to get the writing processes straight so that my internal editor goes to sleep, or to the spa, or wherever.

LSD works for every project: fiction, nonfiction, business writing.

Here it is:

List: make word lists. Aim for at least 50 words;

Sprint: free-write for at least five minutes;

Draft: write the first no-one-sees-this-crap-but-me junk draft.

Technorati Tags: practice your writing, productivity

Writing resistance: don't fight it, eliminate it

If you're not writing, resistance is stopping you. Telling yourself "I don't have time" is procrastination. You don’t need endless swathes of time to write. Five minutes here, fifteen minutes there, twenty minutes before you go to bed.

I've been resisting a piece of writing, and finally remembered to let myself explore the resistance.

Good resistance-beating advice here -- if you've never encountered EFT, try it. It sounds silly but it works.

Technorati Tags: creativity, practice your writing, procrastination

Get started copywriting 4: Specialize--- and become super-busy

How do you become so busy that you're turning away work? You specialize.

This excerpt from our copywriting course, "Writing Words that Sell: Freelance Copywriting" tells you how to decide on a specialty.

As a copywriter, you can specialise in any field that you know
something about --- or in any field that you want to learn about,
just because the field interests you. Or in any field that's
"hot". When technology was hot, if you knew anything about
computers and software you could rest on your laurels, because
there was no end of work available.

If you'd like to specialize, but aren't sure where to start, make
a list of everything you know something about. Once you start
making a list of everything you've done and learned about in your
life, you'll be amazed. It's good to do this kind of list-making
periodically, especially if you're feeling as if you're in a rut.

Take it chronologically. Start with your teenage years. What were
your hobbies in high school? What part-time work did you do in
high school and college? What was your first job? Your next job?
If you've had children, add "parenting" to your list. If you've
had a health challenge, add "health" to your list.

Long before you get to the end of the page, something will jump
out at you. How would you feel about that as a specialty?

Let's say that you've chosen "Food" as a specialty. You're a keen
restaurant-goer, have been on a foodie's tour of France, and are
a mean cook in your own right. You like food, and think it would
be fun to write about it.

Or maybe you've just bought a new house, and you did a lot of
research and found that you like reading housing industry
material. The real estate market always needs copywriters, and if
you find the field congenial, you might have found a new niche.