Writing headlines, article titles, and email subject lines...it’s friggin’ HARD.
I always save this task for last because I often struggle to figure out the best way to summarize what I’ve just written about in a way that’s interesting, but not crossing the line into the territory of spammy.
(Because, is there anything worse than clickbait? Nerp.)
So are there any formats or formulas for crafting headlines that get clicked (and read?)
Glad you asked. There most certainly are...and these are some of my go-tos.
Read moreNo writing lesson today guys. This one’s a bit more general.
Recently on the Creative Class Podcast (the one for freelancers I co-host with Paul Jarvis), we tackled a topic that’s been bouncing around in my brain: Are people who work for themselves and sell things *really* the enemy?
Paul and I both sell digital products online, and even though it’s new to me, I find myself feeling caught in the crosshairs of this conversation.
Read moreLet's talk about writing descriptively today.
I've got three examples we're going to dive into from really varied sources: Ernest Hemingway, Brandon Boyd of Incubus, and Sylvia Plath.
Read moreUp until about six months ago, I didn’t have a business credit card.
However, I recently got one, so I wanted to share the why, how it’s working, and a few of the problems it’s solving for my freelance business.
Read moreThe how, what, and why behind my first-ever digital resources for writers and content managers.
Read moreI have a thing for writers with a very signature writing voice.
You know what I’m talking about. There are certain writers that you can hear in your head as you read. It’s as if they were right in front of you, telling a story or entertaining a small crowd.
There’s definitely an element of showmanship to stylized writing: It performs for the reader/listener. It pauses. It has asides with the audience. It builds anticipation and delivers solid punchlines.
Read moreI wanted to share a few of the activities I’m doing this week to wrap things up. Maybe these will be good reminders, or maybe they’ll be inspiration for a few new things to try out. It doesn’t matter if you’re a freelancer, a business owner, or work at a company--all of these things are versatile enough to be relevant.
So, let’s dive in...
Read moreThis year I celebrated six-years of full-time freelance writing, and it was my most productive and interesting year of self-employment to date.
Client work picked up, Paul Jarvis and I partnered on the Creative Class course and podcast again (cracking 100K downloads!), and I still find myself excited when I sit down to work each day. I’m so grateful to have found a job I enjoy doing and am truly interested in…the novelty of that never wears off.
Read moreShould you be a generalist or a specialist?
I personally started out as a generalist. I was a freelance writer who’d basically do any job that came my way that first year...because MONEY.
But you know what? That was a tough year.
Read moreI feel like it’s been a bit since I’ve given you a really valuable, tactical, science-backed writing lesson.
So today, I want you to pick your own adventure.
Below, you'll find my three best, most in-depth posts on writing.
Choose the one that best lines up with whatever you need help with this week (or could use a little refresher on.) Here are your options:
Read moreEarlier this week, I spoke to a class of high school seniors in an entrepreneurship program. I was there to talk about my career path, freelancing, and lessons learned along the way.
I got into how connections, networking, and relationship-building got me from an e-commerce store launched on a whim in college to a full-time freelance career.
Read moreBack with another personal update this week.
No writing lesson, but if you missed last week’s post on how to vary your writing voice, that’d be a great one to check out.
So what’s new around here?
Read moreDo you ever feel like your writing voice is a little...droning?
As you read back something you've written, maybe you hear something reminiscent of Ben Stein’s nasally voice saying, “Bueller?...Bueller?”
Sometimes when we forget to vary our sentence structure, the end result feels a little stiff and boring. The flow just isn’t there.
Read moreIn the past couple weeks, I’ve written a bit about the why and how when it comes to transforming your ideas into words.
I’ve also encouraged you to take the plunge and dive in and just start writing.
But...what if your idea isn’t quite ready yet?
Read moreYou have unique, interesting thoughts and ideas that pop into that head of yours...probably on a regular basis.
Maybe it was from a conversation you overheard, or a show you watched, or an experience you had.
From this, you muse upon an idea...but maybe you stop there.
Read moreI almost phoned in this post.
I thought about doing a roundup of old lessons I'd taught on writing.
I considered just skipping it all together.
But then I decided to just be honest and say, "I don't feel like writing about writing this week." I just didn't. You have those weeks, you know?
Instead, I'm gunna share a little life update and peel back the curtain a bit on what I've been doing lately. So we can catch up like the old friends we are.
Read moreIn most cases, here’s the general rub: You have a few general ideas you’d love to dive into in writing...but translating them into actual sentences (that flow well, use proper grammar, tell a story, etc.)...that’s hard.
The bad news is there’s no quick fix. I can’t snap my fingers or wiggle my nose and solve this for you. However, you can start chipping away at the roadblocks that go along with this issue. You do that by working through some of the things that can trip you up along the way to getting your butt in a chair and writing the thing you wanna write.
Read moreDo I *really* have to put together an outline before I start writing? Is it entirely necessary?
I say the answer is yes.
At least for me, outlining has been a tactic that’s helped me manage writing articles and blog posts both large and small in a way that’s both logical and piecemealed so it's more manageable. Bonus: It helps me get past the blank page with ease.
Read moreEarlier this month, I co-hosted my first ever women’s business retreat with fellow writer Emma Siemasko.
We called it the Domina Retreat, and for two and a half days we spent time learning, sharing, and relaxing at a beautiful Airbnb home on Lake Travis just outside Austin, Texas.
Here’s a recap of the event, some lessons learned, and lots of photos.
Read moreThe other day I took a long walk on one of my favorite paths. The sun was shining, the air was fresh, and I actually felt warm. On a day like that, I found myself going back to a thought I’ve had many times before:mSometimes I just wanna mow lawns.
But...then I played this scenario out a bit in my head a bit more. I've come to some conclusions.
Read more