How To Become A Funnier Writer

February 14, 2012

Humor is never a “one size fits all” affair. As such, what may be funny to some readers may fall seriously flat with others. Finding out what ticks with your particular audience is often a “learn as you go” deal. If you stick with it, though, you’ll eventually chance upon exactly how to reach them [...]

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Writing Spec Ads

February 13, 2012

Want to get into copywriting for the ad industry? Your best bet is to apply for an entry-level job at a small ad agency, then work your way up. Granted, the process won’t be as easy as it sounds — a lot of things need to be considered, from your educational background to your previous [...]

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Headlines For Print Ads

February 13, 2012

In regular feature articles, headlines usually make the difference between which stories get read and which ones get ignored. The same holds true for print advertising. Use a good headline and your ad gets read; make a bad one and the whole pitch gets passed over. Readers scan headlines before diving into the actual piece. You [...]

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Subtle Emotion In Sales Copy

February 12, 2012

Integrating emotion into sales copy can be done in two ways: obvious or subtle.  The former involves telling the reader exactly what you want them to feel, while the latter uses imagery and language to evoke the same feelings. Obvious emotion can work.  However, you have to know your readers’ position very well so you [...]

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Stumped? 3 Ways To Deal With It

February 11, 2012

Sometimes, you’re writing a paragraph and you just freeze up midway through.  You try to plod on and keep writing, but the words just won’t show up even as you sit and keep typing. Want to deal with the situation quickly, so it doesn’t hold up your deadline?  Here are a few options: Skip it [...]

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4 Ways To Write Exciting Copy About Boring Products

February 11, 2012

Some products naturally lend themselves to exciting copy.  One look and you already have a clear picture of how you’ll write about it in a way that will be interesting for your prospects.   Others products, however, just come across as boring, so you’re going to have to get creative with the copy you’re writing. Create [...]

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Writing Problem: Too Much Explanation

February 9, 2012

Ever had one of those friends who explained too much?  Ask them a question, like, “Where have you been?”  and you’ll get a five-minute answer.  While you sit there just wanting to know where he went, he gabs on explaining why he went there, who was with him, why he went with those people and [...]

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Secret Of Good Conflict: Everyone Is Right

February 9, 2012

Conflict is at the heart of every good story.  Not just the main conflict the protagonist is going through, either, but the multiple layers of opposition, challenges and hostility that occur within the entirety of the story. Good conflict feels natural, instead of manufactured.  It appears like a natural consequence of existing circumstances, rather than [...]

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Writing Regularly And Getting Good

February 9, 2012

If you’re serious about getting good at writing, then you’re writing all the time.  Well, maybe not all the time, but you do it much more than the average person.  You write with regularity, investing more of your free time practicing the craft than engaging in other things. Writing, if you want to make a [...]

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The Art Of Description In Fiction Writing

February 6, 2012

In fiction writing, description isn’t just about telling the reader something.  Listing the distinguishing qualities of a house, for instance, is a valid description, but it isn’t quite the kind of thing that will encourage you to finish a chapter, much less an entire novel. Descriptive passages should do more than give the reader a [...]

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What Is Clean, Lean And Well-Trimmed Writing?

February 6, 2012

The fewest possible words conveying the most precise meaning — that, in a nutshell, is what a well-trimmed piece of writing should look like.   Short and concise is only one part of the equation; it has to communicate exactly what you want to impart to the reader, too. Some writers can pull that ideal balance [...]

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Five Ways To Avoid Verbose Language In Writing

February 6, 2012

At almost every workplace I’ve been in, verbosity is always one of the most prevalent problems among internally circulated documents.   For some reason, there’s a propensity for people to use too many words when writing at work, as if their work performance depended on how many words they can cram into each paragraph. The good [...]

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