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Damn Fine Words Writing Contest: The Winners!

James — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:53:12 +0000

Today we’re announcing the winners of the Damn Fine Words writing contest… but boy, was it EVER tough to choose just two submissions.

25 people fought hard to win a chance to get into the Damn Fine Words writing course and learn effective techniques that would change their life. Some posts were straightforward. Some were thoughtful. Some touched our hearts.

It wasn’t an easy choice. But after great deliberation and many discussions, the judges and I narrowed the many submissions down to two lucky winners.

Lynn Hess and Rena Tucker, you’ve each won a free membership to the Damn Fine Words writing course. Starting tomorrow and for the next ten weeks, you’ll enjoy an intensive learning experience that will change your life – and your business game – forever.

Here’s what Peter Shallard, the Shrink for Entrepreneurs, had to say about our winners:

Lynn Hess demonstrates a profound psychological shift in her recent writing. Her commitment to developing her skill as a writer has moved from “should” and “could” (possibility) to “must”. It’s now a necessity.

In my experience, those are the psychological conditions people adopt before rapid and enormous transformation begins. I know if Lynn is a part of Damn Fine Words, she’ll absolutely rock it. I’ll look forward to seeing what she produces as a result of the course.

***

Rena Tucker is a woman on a mission. An incredible thing happens when an entrepreneur (or writer, for that matter!) connects with their purpose: The Motivation versus procrastination struggle vanishes and they pursue their objective with a resolve and tenacity that’s a whole new level.

When I read between the lines of Rena’s entry I knew I had found someone who had connected with the ethos and drive to make huge things happen. Writing is going to be a part of that journey and I want to see Rena equipped with that skill.

Congratulations, Lynn and Rena – I’ll be in touch soon via email.

To everyone who participated in this contest, thank you. You made us laugh, smile and want to take you under our wing. We read posts from heaps of talented, creative people and tons of determined, focused people, and we applaud each and every one of you for writing down those words.

Keep writing, keep bettering your skills and keep believing in yourself. You all have the courage and talent to get where you want to be.

If you’re ready to reach for greater goals and learn effective writing skills to help you get there, join the Damn Fine Words writing course today – and when I say today, I mean it. Class begins tomorrow and doors close to new students in less than 24 hours. Don’t miss your chance!

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Post by James Chartrand

James Chartrand is an entrepreneur, a pro copywriter and the founder and CEO of Men with Pens and Damn Fine Words, the game-changing writing course for business owners. She loves the color blue, her kids, and ice skating.

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Damn Fine Words Writing Contest: The Winners! first appeared on Men with Pens
Copyright 2006 - 2011, All Rights Reserved.

How Achieving Your Goals Kills Your Motivation

Agent X — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:00:07 +0000

Heard you need constant improvement to become a master? Heard you need those 10,000 hours of practice?

It’s hogwash. A goal of ‘constant improvement’ won’t lead to success. I learned this when I signed up for Damn Fine Words, James Chartrand’s writing course.

Signing up excited me. I was excited because I was taking action towards my goal of ‘constant skill improvement’ so I could further build my business.

The first half of the course taught me a lot. This was the most valuable part – a complete writing system, an approach that could be used to take any project from start to finish.

I also liked learning with other students. Seeing how they approached lessons taught me different angles.

But then I stopped.

Halfway through the course, I stopped doing the lessons. Stopped posting to the forum. At first, it was innocent – just one lesson I’d ‘get around to on the weekend’.

But one turned into two, and two into three. Three turned into five.

Of course I felt guilty. It didn’t help that James had just asked, “Do you stick to your commitments?” (No.) But I still didn’t do the work.

Why not? Why did this happen?

I achieved more immediate goals.

I’m a practical person. So I had other goals to work on beyond ‘constant improvement’.

I’d wanted to publish a report I was working on so I could bring in more business. And I used the first lessons of Damn Fine Words to help me write my report. I got focus and structured it properly.

The report got a lot of compliments.

Then I landed a new project that paid $1,000 – a decent sum. Again I used the Damn Fine Words approach, and completing this project was easy.
But suddenly I had nothing concrete to work towards. I had gotten more than I hoped for from the course, and we were only halfway in.
Other goals seemed more important.

Constant improvement is a weak goal.

Can you picture what ‘constant improvement’ looks like? What are the benefits? What about mastery—where do you see yourself after those 10,000 hours of practice?

That’s what I thought. All I picture coming from 10,000 hours of writing is a sore hand.

But I could picture the benefits of other goals. So I achieved them and celebrated. And then stopped working to improve, because the goals I’d accomplished were damn good.

“No more instruction needed for now, thanks. I’ve got other priorities.”

Yet that’s a lie. I thought I was a decent writer a year ago. I wasn’t. And one year from now, I’ll look at this post and cringe.

So instead of ‘constant improvement’, I chose a better goal: A new project that challenged me and that kept me sticking to the course.

It let me work towards something tangible – something more than a meaningless image of 10,000 hours. And it kept me constantly improving, just as I’d originally wanted.

How about you? When you sign up for a course, do you have projects to work on? What do you do when you run out of motivation?

From the Pencil Cup

If you’d like to improve your writing skills – and in much less time than 10,000 hours of practice, then sign up now for the Damn Fine Words writing course You’ll see fast results – and reach tangible goals that keep you motivated too.

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Post by Patrick Vuleta

Patrick Vuleta’s a dashing duelist who makes lawyers memorable. If you’d like to learn how to craft memorable writing so clients think of you - and not your competitors - download his ebook, Duellist Copywriting: The science of memorable legal marketing, for free and with no opt-in, from his website.

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How Achieving Your Goals Kills Your Motivation first appeared on Men with Pens
Copyright 2006 - 2011, All Rights Reserved.

How to Find Time to Write: A Casual Conversation with Laura Vanderkam

James — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 06:00:21 +0000

You’re invited to a very exclusive event.

How to find the time to write. That’s one of the biggest complaints I hear from busy businesspeople, freelancers and entrepreneurs. (Even writers complain they can’t find the time to write!)

There aren’t enough hours in a day. There’s so much going on. You’re barely keeping up. You’re just trying to stay afloat and get through the day. It’s overwhelming. You have too much work. Too many obligations. Too much to do.

Time to write? Forget it!

But you need to find the time to write. Writing is integral to business success. It’s crucial to content marketing. And it’s the key to entrepreneurial success.

Laura Vanderkam is the bestselling author of 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think, and she knows exactly how to “find” time.

(Here’s a hint: It doesn’t need to be found. It isn’t lost.)

Laura’s agreed to join me on an exclusive call to talk about how to find the time to write – and you get to listen in.

Your Invitation to Find Time to Write

Join me and Laura Vanderkam on January 18 at 12:30pm EST, as we have a candid conversation and discuss:

Do people really have all the time they need to do the things they love?
The tricks Laura uses to find time to balance life and write her own books
The best (and worst!) times of the day to write and be creative
How to find time to write when your schedule is so packed, it’s spilling over
Laura’s top technique to get work you hate out of the way fast
Tricks to shave hours off your week so you can free up time to write
Whether Laura ever hates her own schedule – and what she does about it
Valuable insider secrets you can use to create the time you need… like magic!
Time challenges you’ll face while writing, and what to do about them.

This is going to be one cool conversation. I know this because Laura’s expertise significantly changed my life. She helped me find all the time I need – and boy did I ever need it.

I used to work 16+ hours a day – sometimes straight. No meals. No breaks. It was a disaster… but I had all sorts of obligations and responsibilities clamoring for my attention. I had a family to raise and a business that needed me. (I needed that business too!)

One day I nearly cracked my skull open when I fell asleep at my desk while working.

Boy, has life ever changed. Now I have all the time I need.

You do too, but don’t take it from me. Dial in on January 18 and listen in as Laura tells you straight. It’s a life-changing event you won’t want to miss.

The Next Step

To get call-in details for this exclusive event, all you need to do is sign up to the Damn Fine Words newsletter below.

You’ll receive call-in details in just a few days so you can listen in on this special call.

You’ll also be signed up to receive weekly writing and content-creation tips from Damn Fine Words – the innovative writing site designed to help you succeed in business… through words alone.

Sign up for the Damn Fine Words newsletter now.

We’ll send you call-in details shortly. Book your calendar for January 18, 12:30pm EST. Don’t miss it!

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Post by James Chartrand

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How to Find Time to Write: A Casual Conversation with Laura Vanderkam first appeared on Men with Pens
Copyright 2006 - 2011, All Rights Reserved.

Do You Have Useless Website Content?

James — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:00:13 +0000

Your website content may be utterly useless.

Sure, it’s interesting. It’s often funny. It’s accurate and informative.

But it’s probably repetitive. Your website content most likely repeats several sentences throughout your site. Worse, it might even repeat sentences on the same page.

Your customer only needs to be told once that you’re a green company, or a hot copywriter, or that you specialize in lawyer-oriented websites.

Every word should contribute to convincing your client and telling him something new. Otherwise, you risk frustrating your reader. You don’t want to bore him by sounding like a broken record.

Want an example? That first sentence used to read “every single word.” Since ‘word’ is singular, saying ‘single’ was redundant. That’s what you’re looking for.

You could even remove that last sentence completely. “You don’t want to sound like a broken record,” basically means the same as, “Every word should tell your client something new.” I’ve used different words to communicate the same idea – but it’s still redundant.

When you remove the unnecessary and repetitive words, your website communicates its message more swiftly. More effectively. With stronger results.

A concise message lets your reader’s brain process your message quickly. There’s no clutter, and he’s more likely to take action because the need feels more immediate.

In every way, concise web copy is better web copy.

If you want to learn how to write better web copy, register for the Damn Fine Words writing course. It’s open right now to new students, and you’ll learn all the ins and outs of concise, effective writing that brings your business results.

You’ll thank yourself for it.

But in the meantime, here’s a tip you can use right away. You’ll have vastly better copy on your website in 20 minutes by following these two simple steps:

Go look at your web copy right now.
Take out every word that doesn’t contribute something new.

Come back here and tell us about the before-and-after. I bet you’ll have something to say!

From the Pencil Cup

The Damn Fine Words writing course teaches you effective writing skills to help you increase your business potential. From blogging to newsletter content to email pitches, learn the writing techniques that work. Click here to learn more.

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Post by James Chartrand

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Do You Have Useless Website Content? first appeared on Men with Pens
Copyright 2006 - 2011, All Rights Reserved.

The Damn Fine Words Writing Contest

James — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:00:02 +0000

A lot of people have been telling me they wished they could register for the Damn Fine Words writing course. They say that if they could just take this course…

They could finally start that online business, because they wouldn’t feel like they had to put off writing for their audience.
They could improve their writing skills and get higher-paying clients, instead of the meagre income they’re slaving to earn right now.
They could feel confident in their written communication for the first time in their lives, instead of agonizing over every piece they write.

These people know that Damn Fine Words could change their game. And for many of them, the course could even be a life-changer.

I’d like to help make that change happen.

Welcome to the Damn Fine Words Contest.

This contest is a friendly competition where your sincerity, desire to learn, and motivation counts. It’s a writing contest that isn’t about the quality of your writing but rather the quality of your thoughts on writing.

Here’s what you can win:

Two people will win a place as a student in the Damn Fine Words writing course, valued at $1,399.

Winners will join the course as full-access students and benefit from the lessons, the hands-on exercises, the interactive forum and my personal feedback and support throughout the entire course.

Pretty awesome, right?

Here’s what you need to do:

Write a blog post about why writing is important to you. Why becoming a better writer could literally change your life. How not feeling confident in your writing has affected you, and what it would mean to you to have that obstacle swept away.

I want to know why it’s important for you to be in the Damn Fine Words writing course.

The Rules

Write one blog post article of at least 450 words on why writing is important to you and how better writing skills would change your business or your life.
Link to www.damnfinewords.com once in your post
Post your article to your blog.
Come leave a comment here in the comment section that links to your post.
Pat yourself on the back.

That’s all.

There are no points given for correct grammar or spelling. There are no points given for the fanciness of the words you choose or the quality of your sales writing. In fact, there are no points given for the quality of the writing at all.

What I’m looking for is someone who really wants to be in the Damn Fine Words writing course.

I’m looking for someone who will show up every day and do their very best because improving their writing skills matters to them. I’m looking for someone who understands the value of writing and its worth.

You don’t need fancy language or correct grammar or finely-honed writing to convey the sincerity of your passion. Trust me – I’ll see it.

Two judges will help me select the winners:

Taylor Lindstrom is a professional writer who has worked closely with me for several years.
Peter Shallard is the Shrink for Entrepreneurs and a success consultant I work with on all my ventures.

Submissions end January 16 at 5pm EST. We’ll select a winning post and contact the author directly – be sure to have a Contact page on your site, or leave us an email address here in the comments!

Ready? Get writing!

From the Pencil Cup

Ready to join the Damn Fine Words writing course right now? Registration is open now to January 23 - don't miss it! Your business will thank you - and you'll be amazed at how much your life can change. Click here for details.

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Post by James Chartrand

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The Damn Fine Words Writing Contest first appeared on Men with Pens
Copyright 2006 - 2011, All Rights Reserved.

Should You Write with Your Head or Your Heart?

Agent X — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 06:00:19 +0000

Have you ever looked over a piece of your writing, only to realize that something’s missing? It’s so easy to get caught up in all the tips, tricks and techniques:

Write a great headline – a number, adjectives, a clear promise
Have a gripping introduction to draw the reader in
Make sure you spell out a benefit for every feature

All of this is good advice. But in itself, it’s not enough.

Head-First Writing Falls Flat

In the first month of my creative writing Masters, both my tutors told me that I wrote too much from the head. I’d gotten all the technical stuff right – I could construct a plot, write good dialogue, and so on – but there was no heart behind my short stories.

They were right. I was trying to follow all the rules, but I didn’t really care about what I wrote.

The same thing happens to a lot of online business owners. We tend to get caught up trying to get things perfect … but this results in copy that’s either bland or trying too hard.

There’s no real energy or excitement behind our words. So we fake it by throwing in lots of extra adjectives and exclamation marks.

Yes, the technicalities of writing are important. If your sales page is poorly constructed and riddled with grammatical errors, you’re going to put people off.

But when you sit down to write your first draft, you want to use your heart, not your head.

How to Write From the Heart:

Focus on the why. Think about how much your product can help people. Think about the reasons you set up in business – the things that truly matter to you.
Just write. Don’t get hung up on how to express yourself. Imagine you’re sending an email to an old friend, telling them all about what’s going on in your business.
Choose to write on topics you care about. If you’re a freelance writer, you might not have total control over what you write about – but you can choose to specialise in something that’s important to you.
Get interested. Any topic can excite you, if you let it. Look for a way in or an angle that allows you to say something heartfelt.

Your heart-felt piece is going to be powerful and raw … and it’ll need some shaping to make it as good as possible.

Heart-Centred Writing Needs Editing

There’s nothing false or fake about editing carefully, even if you’re writing something that’s deeply heartfelt.

When you wrote your first draft, you may have fumbled around for words. You might not even have known exactly what you wanted to say until after you’d said it – many people think things through while writing.

Editing lets you clarify your message.

You want to convey your emotions to your reader, but that means polishing up your writing so that the reader gets it. Clunky sentences and distracting typos aren’t going to help.

How to Edit With Your Head:

Let your work sit for at least a day. If you’re working on a big project like an ebook, try taking a whole week away from it. You’ll be able to see it more objectively.
Print your piece out (or turn it into a .pdf). Read it through and get hold of the big picture. Watch for any major problems, like whole sections that need to be cut, or subtopics that you’ve missed out.
Pay close attention to vocabulary. A particular word might resonate with you, but will it work for your reader? If you overuse certain words, look for synonyms.
Ask a friend for feedback. When it comes to editing, two heads are always better than one. A writing or business friend can give you a fresh perspective and honest advice.

I know it’s tough to reach deep and put your heart on the page. Every single time I write something that seems a bit too close to home, I’m reluctant to hit “publish”.

But when I do, I’m always overwhelmed by the positive response from readers.

Don’t be afraid to follow your heart. That blog post about something dear to you will touch others. That section of your ebook where you confess your own hang-ups will help people. That sales page which is honest and forthright will reach your ideal customer.
I’m no braver than you. But I ditched those short stories three years ago, and spent the rest of my Master’s degree working on a novel – something I really wanted to read. I ditched my first blog that was all about trying to make money, and started a real business around what I love – writing.

I found my voice by finding the courage to put my heart onto the page.

If I can do it … you can too.

From the Pencil Cup

Want to learn more writing techniques that help you reach your ideal customers where it counts - right in the heart? Check out Damn Fine Words, the innovative writing course for business owners. You'll fall in love - AND you'll get great results for your business!

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Post by Ali Luke

Ali Luke has just launched her debut novel Lycopolis, available as an ebook from Amazon. A supernatural thriller with a hefty dose of geekery, Lycopolis has been described as “fast and furious” and “absolutely gripping” by readers. Find out more – and get the first five chapters for free – at Lycopolis.

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Should You Write with Your Head or Your Heart? first appeared on Men with Pens
Copyright 2006 - 2011, All Rights Reserved.

Damn Fine Words Writing Course: Now Open to New Members

James — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:20:36 +0000

You know that writing content – no, writing great content – is crucial to your business success (no matter what business you have).

All the pros tell you to write – and write lots, too.

Write compelling website copy to land clients and sales. Write informative articles that show your expertise. Write engaging blog posts that compel comments. Write newsletters that your list can’t wait to read.

Write ebooks. Write follow-ups. Write email pitches. Write sales pages. Autoresponders. Social media updates.

Write, write, write…

No one tells you how.

Until now.

For years, people have asked me to teach them what I know. How to write engaging posts. How to write snappy headlines. How to create compelling web copy. How to draw readers in. How to create succinct, powerful articles.

How, how, how…

These weren’t writers setting up shop, by the way. These were entrepreneurs and business owners who wanted – no, who needed – to write more effective, compelling content so they could get results.

They knew the grammar. The punctuation. The sentence structure. They wrote well… but not well enough.

It showed in their web copy, because it didn’t bring in sales. It showed in their blog posts that didn’t get comments. It showed each time they tried to write for their audience. Because it just didn’t work.

And these people wanted to learn how. How to improve their writing skills so they could create the type of engaging, compelling, effective content everyone tells them to write.

So I decided to do something about it.

Damn Fine Words is the answer.

Damn Fine Words is the most exceptional writing course ever created. It first launched in September of 2011 to resounding success. The course was so good, in fact, several students clamored to take it again, just so they could squeeze every drop of knowledge out of it.

If you’re a start-up business owner, an entrepreneur, a self-employed freelancer, an in-house writer, a blogger, an editor… If you need to write effective content for your business (or someone else’s), then Damn Fine Words is the course for you.

An innovative cross between a writing course and business course, Damn Fine Words teaches you valuable writing techniques, content-creation strategies, and insider tricks top writers like me use every day to get results from their readers.

That’s what Damn Fine Words is about: Results.

The Damn Fine Words course comes packed with 20 hands-on lessons specifically designed to teach you how improve your writing skills in just 10 weeks so that you become a better, more effective writer. You’ll see tangible results in your business.

Not by the end of the course – by the end of each lesson.

You’ll enjoy fun activities and practical, hands-on exercises that teach you new skills. You’ll benefit from specialized tasks designed to help you improve your business immediately. You’ll be learning how to be a more effective writer from day one – and all through the course.

What would you do for your business if you had better writing skills? Where would you apply your new talents and knowledge? What could you achieve with more effective writing techniques on your side?

Just imagine…

Here’s the awesome part:

Many course owners slap material up, automate everything and walk away. Not me. I worked hard for a full year to produce the best educational resource possible. And while I automated some tasks to make your life easy, I’m not walking away.

I’m right there by your side, all the way.

You’ll have special access to a members-only area where you’ll get my advice, critiques, extra support and personal feedback on your writing. I’ll be there every day. Ask me questions, learn new tricks and pick up great techniques that help you get the results you’ve been searching for.

And that’s just the beginning.

Want more details? Click here to learn more about this game-changing writing course. Oh, and by the way…

Registration for Damn Fine Words is OPEN NOw.

This course could change your life. You’re going to love it.

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Post by James Chartrand

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Damn Fine Words Writing Course: Now Open to New Members first appeared on Men with Pens
Copyright 2006 - 2011, All Rights Reserved.

Why You Should Never Write Like You Talk

Agent X — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 06:00:20 +0000

The worst piece of writing advice I ever heard was to write the way I talk.

The next time you have a conversation, listen to yourself. If you wrote the way you talked, your writing would be riddled with space-filler words and phrases such as “like” and “um” and “you know what I mean?”

You’d rely on your inflection to make your meaning clear. Your vocabulary would go right down the toilet. And if you’re anything like me, you’d curse a lot more than palatable for your average business website.

Write like you talk always struck me as incredibly foolish advice.

In fact, I think writing like you talk is half the impetus behind some of the poorly written articles I review for guest posts on this blog. So many people out there think it’s a great idea to start a post the way they’d start a verbal conversation:

“Hey, I’m Tom, and I bet you’re wondering who I am.”

No. I’m wondering why you’re writing the start of an article the way you’d introduce yourself at someone else’s family reunion.

I have a lot of prejudices against this advice of write like you talk, but I recently read something that made me reconsider.

Maybe the problem isn’t writing the way we talk.

Maybe the problem is that we don’t talk well enough.

Advice From Someone Who Writes More Than I Ever Will

There’s an essayist, a very contrarian sort of writer, named Christopher Hitchens. He showed up in a Flavorwire collection of “Helpful Advice from History’s Fastest and Most Prolific Writers,” and his little blurb actually gave the hated advice: “Write more the way you talk.”

Well, obviously, I was not pleased.

I didn’t even know who this guy was, but clearly he didn’t know what he was talking about. I read the rest of the blurb just to prove it – and then Hitchens changed my mind completely:

To my writing classes, I used to open by saying that anybody who could talk could also write.

Having cheered them up with this easy-to-grasp ladder, I replaced it with a huge and loathsome snake: ‘How many people in this class, would you say, can talk? I mean really talk?’

That had its duly woeful effect.

What Hitchens was saying was essentially this: yes, everyone who can verbally communicate can also communicate in words. But few people can verbally communicate effectively.

So here’s my amendment to the hated advice:

Write the way you talk – if you can speak persuasively, eloquently, and clearly.

Which brings us to the next question: what do you do if you can’t do either?

Be Aware of Your Words

Most of the time, we’re not terribly aware of how we sound when we communicate, either in writing or in spoken conversation. I can’t tell you how many miscommunications occurred because I thought an email was written tersely or someone I was speaking with misinterpreted what I was saying.

We have spats all the time over miscommunication. And yet very few of us are actually aware that we are miscommunicating until someone draws our attention to it by being offended.

The next time you write an email or have a conversation – even if it’s just with your best friend, who knows you well and would know you were kidding if you told her you sometimes have an urge to kick puppies – be aware of the words you choose.

Be aware of how you sound to a stranger overhearing you.

Be aware of how you would react if you heard someone else say the same sentence.

We get so used to being able to speak easily that we treat it like walking – it just happens, naturally, and we don’t need to think about it anymore. Except we do. When we stop paying attention, we’re more likely to stumble.

Stumbling happens in your writing, too.

Choose the Right Words

If you want your writing to improve, then you need to think in a way that communicates better. It’s not easy to pick the right word, both in speech and in writing, but make an effort.

Eliminate space-fillers such as “um” and “like”- they’re usually conveying something in the inflection that is supposed to carry extra information.

Don’t use emoticons to get your meaning across – this is basically the equivalent of smiling to show you’re joking. If you feel you need an emoticon to show that the sentences was meant lightheartedly, rewrite the sentence.

Rely wholly on words, and choose them carefully.

From the Pencil Cup

If you want to learn more about writing - in a way that sounds natural, personable and that reaches your readers - sign up today for the Damn Fine Words newsletter. You'll pick up tons of writing tips, and be on your way to walking the talk of writing.

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Post by Taylor Lindstrom

Taylor hails from Boulder, CO, and she blogs for people who are too good to fail over at... well, Too Good to Fail. Go check out her inspiring posts and beautiful encouragement now.

What Hunter S. Thompson Can Teach You About Powerful Writing

Agent X — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 06:00:40 +0000

Hunter S. Thompson was the creator of Gonzo Journalism – or as he called himself, “the doctor of journalism” – and the writer of the infamous books Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hell’s Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga, and The Rum Diary.

Thompson was known for his drug frenzy-filled stories, his use of powerful verbs and wild descriptions, and the ability to tell a story like a journalist.

He was a brilliant, ingenious, erratic writer – fearless, twisted, passionate, and slightly wicked.

Even without sharing the same love for firearms or the deep animosity towards Nixon or the constant drug and alcohol use, any writer can learn a thing or two from this bizarre and vivacious writer.

Steal From Your Heroes

Hunter S. Thompson started by helping out with editing in the high school yearbook. He then went off to the Air Force and landed his first writing job as a sports editor in The Command Courier by lying about his experience. And while attending Columbia University School of General Studies and taking creative writing, he worked for Time as a copy boy for $51 a week.

It was said that during this time he would sneak off into a room with a typewriter and rewrite his favorite author’s books such as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gastby and Ernest Hemmingway’s A Farewell to Arms.

He did this because he wanted to understand and learn the magic and flow of a great writer.

Go find your favorite book or author, sit down and use this peculiar practice to improve your writing. Read out loud as you’re typing, and learn the fluidity of remarkable storytelling.

When you use this method, you can:

Refine your writing
Exercise your knowledge of grammar and punctuation
Expand your vocabulary
Develop an appreciation for language and word choice
Help you adopt a style that fits you best
Assist you in finding your writing voice

It’s impossible to write exactly like Fitzgerald or Hemingway, but taking a little bit of their style here and there won’t hurt. It can spice up your writing and assist you in painting a picture with words.

Draw Your Readers in With Powerful Verbs

Hunter S. Thompson was a wizard at showing the reader what he was seeing, not telling them. Readers swore they had visions themselves just by reading his descriptions of hallucinatory drug binges.

People literally hopped in their cars and went to Vegas hoping to catch a whiff of what he’d described.

Verbs are the most important words writers will ever use. They engage and attract the reader like no other part of speech does. They are literally where the action is. They are the words that tell us what’s happening.

As writers, we’re always striving to engage our readers and to compel with our words. Remarkable writing makes the reader feel like they’re a part of the story, as if the scene is happening under their feet.

Use powerful verbs to paint a vision of what’s happening, and your readers won’t just understand it – they’ll feel it.

Engage your readers with powerful verbs and descriptions. Go beyond “to be” variants – we’re trained to skip over them. Use unusual verbs, verbs that evoke emotion and reaction. Find a verb that matters.

When you do, you’re not only painting a picture – you’re letting readers step into the scene and walk in the world you’ve crafted.

Persist

Writing requires a lot of discipline — it’s a long tedious, slow, and agitating process. It is physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding to do what we do. It takes more than 10,000 hours and a few gray hairs to master this craft.

Hunter S. Thompson faced adversity and failure on the road to becoming a writer.

He was fired from Time for insubordination.

He was fired from The Middletown Daily Record in New York for damaging the office candy machine and arguing with one of the paper’s advertisers.

He wrote about riding with the Hell’s Angels; several took offense at his descriptions and issued Thompson a savage beating.

In 1960, he went down to Puerto Rico to take a job with the sporting magazine El Sportivo, which folded soon after his arrival.

You may not be beaten by a gang of motorcycle outlaws, or travel to Puerto Rico for a job only to find out the place collapsed, but if you’re a writer, you probably face innumerable roadblocks and hardships.

It’s your mission to turn every failure into a memorable, lifelong lesson – or better, into art. Hunter S. Thompson used his Puerto Rico experiences to write The Rum Diary.

What can you create with your own failures?

Know Yourself

If you write, don’t make excuses. Don’t moan about how hard it is. Know that this is something you have to do, and do it to the best of your ability. Create. Strive to be better. Take posts like this one and apply it immediately, now, today, to molding your abilities as a writer.

If you’re a writer, that’s what you’ll be. There’s no use fighting it. Just ask Hunter:

“As things stand now, I am going to be a writer. I’m not sure that I’m going to be a good one or even a self-supporting one, but until the dark thumb of fate presses me to the dust and says ‘you are nothing’, I will be a writer.” ? Hunter S. Thompson

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Post by Paul Jun

Paul Jun became a writer out of nowhere. Unable to find his passion in life, he decided to teach himself how to become a writer and blogger. He continues to go to school full-time while writing on his website, where he shares insightful tips for blogging, writing, and personal development. He believes with the right attitude you can turn dreams into a reality. You can also follow him on Twitter.

5 Reasons Not to Criticize First Drafts

Agent X — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 06:00:46 +0000

We are our own worst critics.

One of the most daunting tasks facing writers is the task of finishing the rough draft. For many writers, the rough draft is the hardest part because they don’t know how to shut off the critical part of their brain and just finish it.

Instead, they nitpick. They rewrite the intro a hundred times. They thumb through a thesaurus looking for that one perfect word.

And six hours later they haven’t even dented their quota.

I propose we cut it out. For many reasons: it’s a waste of time, it’s counter-productive, it’s frustrating beyond belief.

If you still don’t believe me, here are five specific reasons not to criticize your first draft until it’s finished.

1. It’s called drafting for a reason. Nothing you write is set in stone. It’s not uncommon for authors to go back and revise their books for second and third editions, tweaking and changing phrasing and wording they weren’t satisfied with. And those books were already printed!

Your second draft will be better than your first and your third draft will be better than your second.

2. The delete button exists. Yes, it does. And it is a great—delete delete— And it is a magical thing.

3. You can’t see the whole picture until the first draft is done, even if your first draft sounds like it was written by a precocious middle school student with an obsession with the word ‘awesome’.

But once the outline is there and you can read your intentions between the lines of scribble, you can go back and redo the piece until it’s comprehensible and you’ve found synonyms for ‘awesome’ that make you sound all grown up (even if you aren’t, really).

4. Heat is hot. The moment only lasts so long, and you’re on a schedule. It’s vital to get the words out before the heat of the moment cools or turns stale. Write when you are inspired, and don’t stop until it’s all out, every last drop.

You can go back later and tweak, edit, revise, and perfect the work. See #1.

5. Sometimes the beauty is in the mistake. Your first draft will be entirely flawed. Terrible, messy, contradictory, inconsistent. But sometimes, when you’re really lucky, you’ll find a gem hidden in all that garbage.

And who knows? You could have been writing about the mating habits of grasshoppers and in the jumble of your first draft a beautiful gem shines out above all the rest. Maybe it’s the beginning of another story or article or poem. Maybe it’s just the place you should have started the piece to begin with. Maybe it’s a unique insight into human psychology that not even the likes of Freud or Nietszche could have dreamed up.

You just never know what’s gonna happen.

This advice is true with every kind of writing. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing a poem, a short story, a novel, an article, website copy, marketing slogans, pamphlets, brochures, press releases, daily newspapers, or the best goddamned literary porn of all time.

Write the first draft and be considerate enough not to give yourself any grief.

At least not until the first draft is done. Then you can tear it to pieces.

From the Pencil Cup

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Post by Matt Herron

Matt Herron is the lead content strategist at The Phuse (http://thephuse.com). He also writes freelance journalism, short fiction, keeps a blog, and is always looking for exciting new projects. Use Twitter to get in touch with him.