When was the last time you cleared up your clutter? I don’t mean office clutter (though you should probably take care of that; it’s been a while since the last time you tidied up). I mean mental clutter: ideas you’re never going to action. I bet that over the past months or even years, you’ve collected a ton of half-formed ideas. Heaps of them. Because they’re Good Ones. You’ve jotted those Good Ideas down on some sort of document somewhere so that you won’t forget them, and you keep them handy just in case. Just
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How to Write like No One is Watching
Written by Ali Luke
I sat there, my hands edging towards the keyboard… but I couldn’t bring myself to touch it. I felt that as soon as I tapped out a few faltering words, any hope of perfection would be gone forever. Your opening won’t be strong enough. Why would anyone read this anyway? How could you think that THIS was worth writing down? Being a writer isn’t just about knowing how to construct a great sentence or how to format a blog post so that readers can engage easily. Being a writer is about sharing your thoughts, ideas
> Read MoreAre You Letting Money Rule Your Life?
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“Money rules my life, and I’m okay with it.” – Kevin O’Leary, Dragon’s Den I have a bit of a problem with certain advice flying around these days, specifically the type of stuff that gives you backpats about hating marketing and sales. I think we’re all too supportive of people who dislike pitching and promoting – we should get a little more cold-hearted about things. We should slow down on reading the stuff that discourages you from becoming true money-hungry marketers. There’s nothing wrong with marketing to make money. In fact, we should read more
> Read MoreWhy hiring a writing coach can help you build your business
Written by Prime Sarmiento
When I set up my copywriting business, one of the first things I did was hire a writing coach. Now, for someone who had been working as a journalist for the past 15 years, this might seem like a waste of money. Hello, haven’t I proven time and again that I can write well? Shouldn’t I use the money to pay for a social media marketing consultant and web designer instead? After all, entrepreneurs need to invest in what will pull in the most clients and sustain their business. But since I’m in the writing
> Read MoreDo You Have a Business or a Hobby?
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Many people ask me if I think their business idea is a good idea to pursue. That idea is usually based on what they love to do in their free time. Their passion. Their hobby. And in most cases, the answer to, “Do you think I could make money from this?” is… No. Sorry. See, here’s the thing: You may have the most creative, amazing, fulfilling idea in the world, but if you have to dig deep to think of ways to turn that idea into cold, hard cash, you don’t have a business brewing.
> Read MoreHow to Write Without Colour
Written by Steff Metal
As writers, we rely on our unique ability to convey the visual world in words. We conjure images in the minds of readers about lush green fields, grey, decaying buildings, or velvety red berries ripe for picking. But how do you describe green when you’ve never actually seen green? How do you create words that move people when you don’t see the world the same way they do? How do you network and expand your business when you can’t make eye contact? You think you’re writing project is hard? You think you’re having trouble finding
> Read MoreDoes Your Website Look Like Any Other House on the Street?
Written by
This year, opportunity knocked-… or rather, John did. John’s a rather fantastic man who said he’d be honoured to have me and my family become part of his life. And while I liked the life I had just fine, I decided the upgrade he offered sounded pretty good. So I took advantage of the moment, packed up my belongings and my family, and we moved in. There’s really nothing better than a love story with a happy ending, after all.
> Read More10 Time-Savers That Aren’t Saving You Anything
Written by Laura Vanderkam
Busy people are suckers for things that promise to save us time. We assume that our days are so jam-packed that any shortcut will immediately boost our careers to the next level. But you know what? We’re lying to ourselves. Our problem isn’t a lack of time. It’s that most of us use the time we do have badly. That’s why these “time savers” won’t do much for us at all.
> Read MoreHow to Write a Kick-Ass Review
Written by Steff Metal
Too often, we writers fob reviews off as easy content. After all, someone else has done the creative work – it’s simply our job to judge it. And being loud, opinionated writers, we’re quite fond of judging. But writing a good review – a review that engages interest and causes action – is more than just giving a product rating and pointing your readers to the Amazon link. A review tests the writer’s skill at persuasion and description. On my blog I review heavy metal albums, movies, books and shows. Of all the columns in
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