Writing is not a chore!

If you find that writing is a chore, STOP WRITING THIS INSTANT AND FIND A NEW HOBBY!

The world is filled with people who complain about what is out there, then complain that they could do better, then complain when they find writing hard.

Stop complaining and get out of the writer's circles, sharing sessions and collaborative groups. And we all know that certain someone who claims to be "Creative" and all they ever do is come up with creative excuses why they haven't done any writing.

You will only be judged by the content you create.

If you are NOT creative no one will ever judge you as they will have nothing by which to judge you.

If you find Golf a chore, you are not a Golfer. If you find writing a chore, you are not a writer.

Inspiration

Get out and get inspired.

Spend some time out of your own routine and find some inspiration.

Putting some spontaneity in to your everyday life and mixing things up will provide you with the additional inspiration you may be looking for.

So break the mold and do something out of your ordinary.

Till next time!

Settle down in the couch and write!

People get so hung up on how they write that they use that as a an excuse not to write.

I can type faster than I can write so I start all my posts by getting comfortable on my couch and typing on my netbook. This works for me, this may not work for you.

There are several bloggers I have spoken with on technique and they are still writing outlines on paper or main thoughts in longhand and typing up the final copies for publishing.

Follow what you did naturally before you took on the blog.

I have always written directly on my keyboard and have few paper notes, so my blog is an extension of the workflow I already had established.

Do what works, just as long as you are doing something.

Don't Edit While you Write!

Our culture has an obsession with "multi-tasking" - but there is no good reason to break the creative flow!

If you are getting an idea write it down, type it in - just go as fast as you can. The end result of this first "Whirlwind" version is usually not pretty or legible to anyone but you. Once the creative spark fades - then start the editing process.

This will keep you engaged when an idea strikes and will help you run while the mood hits you and later when you are uninspired you will have inspiration knowing you captured the whole idea.

One of my writing pals from years ago would edit as he went - and his writing never really got to the level where he felt it was "Flowing" he always described it as "working it out" or "an uphill battle". He is not writing now.

Run with the creativity when the lightning strikes, pick up the edits later on.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Jay

Set Writing Goals

Setting writing goals is an effective way of putting on paper what it is that you want to accomplish with your writing.

If you are just starting out an effective goal may be just to write everyday and get into the routine of putting your ideas "down on paper".

Personally I do writing on my laptop and don't use paper anymore but when I started writing the biggest issue was getting consistent.

Spending some time everyday writing should be the base minimum goal if you want to be a great writer. Eventually once you find out your own rhythms and routines you will discover what time of day works best for you to channel your creativity onto the page and let the ideas flow.

Stephen King writes a minimum of one page a day and also edits one page a day and with these daily writing goals he has become one of the most prolific writers of our time.

So create a goal that works for you and review it regularly.

Keep on writing!

Now all you need to do is the Write Thing!

Once the initial post is out there start carrying a notepad around with you to capture your ideas and work on your drafts.

Some Bloggers plan their posts way in advance and then go through several stages of revisions until the final product emerges weeks later.

Other Bloggers just sit down and type it in and hit publish.

I am somewhere in between these two extremes in that I generally know what topics I want to cover and have a brief outline floating around in my head before I write.

Editing is not the enemy - Editing is EVERYTHING!

Any writer worth reading has some editing process that they go through - it can be as simple as hitting the spell check button, or re-reading the post 3 times before publishing.

I know of one blogger buddy of mine who sends all the blog posts to a few close friends on paper, gets feedback then sends the edited version to her mother for final approval. Each to there own!

So get organized and get out there and do the "Write Thing"!

Your First Post

Lay down the law!

Tell them how it is going to be and don't hold back.

Take the helm of your blog and just go for it!

Define what you are writing about and dive right in!

Do it, do it NOW!

Getting Started With a Blog....

So you want to start a blog?

There is only one thing you need to start a blog and that is:
Patience

This may seem like an odd prerequisite for blogging but it truly will make all the difference!

There are several blog sites out there that you can sign up for free and start posting away - Patience will help you get over the (relatively short) learning curve.

Patience will also help you overcome those times when you just want to stop because you don't see the results you wanted (with readership).

Patience will allow you to try different writing styles till you find your voice.

Taking the time to become a great writer and build a readership can take longer for some than others, but it still takes considerable effort and Patience.

Ready Set Go!

Write what you know

The things you are passionate about are the things that you will be able to spend time writing about.

You are an expert in the things you know, so act like it.

I had one friend who kayaked for several years and even though he had great stories every weekend all summer long he never felt like he was enough of an expert to blog about it.

After some coaxing, and encouragement he is now enjoying several thousand views from people following his weekly posts about his kayaking exploits.

Is Ben the best at Kayaking? no.
Is he formally educated in all things kayak? no.

Ben is just a man who enjoys kayaking and shares his love for his green plastic boat with the world through his blog. The followers found him, not all at once but he kept posting and soon there were a few followers, then a couple of guest posts on other boating blogs and he had 50 followers!

Ben called me on a Thursday afternoon out of breath.
"Jay, I have 50 followers!" he was blown away with what some consistency and passion had turned into. This was almost a year ago.

At the time of my writing this he has a fully sponsored blog and only works part time and is a test pilot for a major kayak manufacturer and has had several of his blog posts published as magazine articles.

So brainstorm today and make a list of the things you are passionate about and pick the one you are most excited about, and write a post about it! - you never know where it will take you.

Spell check is there for a reason!

Spell check is built in the browsers these days.

use it.