WritingThoughts

©iStock.com/peepo

By Juliet James

Journalists, novelists and professional bloggers have it easy. They know that writing is the bulk of their job. For others, the need for good writing is not so obvious.

To most, honing writing skills may not seem like the fastest way to climb the corporate ladder. In the digital age, though, nothing could be further from the truth.

[Read more →]

©iStock.com/hjalmeida

Your English teacher didn’t do you any favors when she taught you to write with a formal writing style. Neither did mine.

Conversational English has become the language of business and it is definitely the language of the Internet.

In this post, I’ll explain what a conversational writing style is and list some of the benefits of using it. I’ll also give you a simple test that you can use to determine whether your own writing style is conversational.
[Read more →]

©iStock.com/emily2k

I can’t believe that I’m going to share this tip with you. To the best of my recollection, I’ve never told anyone else this about my writing.

So, if you’re reading this today, you’re one of the lucky few…

In recent posts, we’ve been talking about inspiration, where ideas come from and even how to use mind mapping to get the most from your ideas.

[Read more →]

©iStock.com/JLGutierrez

By Leslie A. Joy

What are mind maps?

Mind maps essentially take note taking combine it with brainstorming and put it into diagram form. You can use mind maps to organize tasks, ideas, or concepts, solve problems, or as a writing framework.

[Read more →]

©iStock.com/elder

One of the most common questions that I get is about how I always seem to have something to write about. They ask, “where do your ideas come from?”

Of course, that can be a hard question to answer, because my ideas often come from more than one source. However, after a lot of thought I was able to come up with an answer. In this post, I’ve identified five sources for my blog post ideas that you can probably use too.

[Read more →]

©iStock.com/kovalvs

By Jennifer Mattern

As a freelance writer your portfolio is a valuable marketing tool. But if you’re new to freelancing you may not have professional portfolio pieces you can show off.

That’s okay! There are other ways to build samples of your work early in your career. Here are some ways to create portfolio pieces that do double duty by promoting your own business.

[Read more →]

©iStock.com/webphotographeer

“Oh no they didn’t!” But sadly, yes they did.

Once again I’ve run across someone who thinks that simply because they own a word processor and can type they can write their own web copy–even though they have no writing experience whatsoever.

They just don’t see the need to hire a professional writer. They don’t think it will make a difference.

[Read more →]

©iStock.com/saw

So, you’ve decided to create a blog post. Or perhaps, you want to publish an article on an Internet magazine.

Whatever it is, you will probably want to promote your piece through social media.

If what you are writing is going end up online, pay attention. There are certain steps you need to follow if you want to attract readers through social media.
[Read more →]

©iStock.com/marekuliasz

Freelance writing is a great way to make a living if you love to write. You get to spend all day putting words together, and if you’re good, you get paid for it. For word lovers, what’s not to love?

There’s more to freelance writing than words, though. A lot has already been written about the business of being a freelance writer. However, equally important to a writer’s success is the ethics of freelance writing.

[Read more →]

©iStock.com/TommL

Once in a while, I like to go back through the archives here at WritingThoughts. I find that doing so helps inspire me and is a great source of new ideas because I can decide to develop certain ideas further or differently.  Examining the archives also a great way for me to see how I’ve grown as a writer.

Reviewing the archives also gives me a chance to share some of the better archived posts with you, the reader.

[Read more →]