Crayon Writer

I write using my keyboard most of the time. My typing speed is pretty good (65-75wpm, depending on inspiration), so typing as I’m thinking usually works for me. In fact, with horrible handwriting and an extreme dislike for writing by hand, typing is the only option. Or so I thought.

Here are three reasons I’ve started writing the old-fashioned way (by hand).

1. You can write while you wait. The other day, I was waiting my turn in urgent care (I was fine, it turned out), and happened to have my “idea notebook” with me. I was waiting, so I started writing. And writing. My hand hurt (see why I hate writing by hand?) but I was getting work done.

2. Children are drawn to computers. I’ve found that my daughter doesn’t interrupt me quite so much when I’m writing by hand. If I even lean toward my laptop, she finds some reason to notice my existence and comes up with some urgent need that only Mommy can tend to. Or she decides it’s time to “play a game” on the computer.

3. Writing by hand is an excellent way to write reviews of online documents. If you do everything on the computer, you have to deal with several open windows. You have to read the site or online document, then switch to Word, write something, switch back, etc. You get the picture. Or you have to print out your document, wasting printer paper, printer ink/toner, and some electricity. I now write reviews by hand while I’m looking at the computer screen. Much more efficient.

Do you tend to write on the computer, or do you use pen-and-paper writing too?

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Lately I’ve been noticing a lot of the same types of writing mistakes across the blogosphere.

I’m sure most of the bloggers know the correct words to use and the proper grammatical techniques. Writing online kind of makes us lazy, so we bend the rules a little (some writers seem to just throw them out completely).

This past week I decided to take note of some of the common offenders. And as I explore the blogosphere, I’ll be writing a “writing tips of the week” post from time to time.

On to the writing tips for this week!

1. Complimenting someone is saying something nice about them. Complementing, though, is when two or more items go well together.

2. When you write pretty long sentences, try saying them out loud. Even though commas don’t always go at a “natural breath” point, chances are you do have to pause at some point during the sentence. So be sure to use a comma somewhere. But be careful. I don’t know which is worse; using commas all over the place or not using any at all. Watch those commas!

3. Try not to overuse certain words in a post, unless you’re trying to use a keyword on purpose to boost your SEO. Use your thesaurus, or just go back and check to see if a certain word is repeated 5, 10, or even 15 times in a 100-word post. Nothing’s more annoying that the annoying habit of using a word that becomes annoying after a while.

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I haven’t talked about my life as a WAHM lately. So here’s an update.

I’m worn out!

My lovely daughter is now almost two-and-a-half, and deep in the throes of the “terrible twos.” She’s not as bad as most, I must admit.

But my days are long. Almost everything has to be negotiated because she’s pretty headstrong about–well– everything. Simple things turn into long, drawn-out ordeals that leave us both exhausted and upset.

The past few days she’s been home with me all day (no babysitting), and I’ve started a new cold email campaign, I’m looking for another “day job” (in case the cold emails don’t work), I’m trying to win the MyBlogLog Problogger contest (join my community), and I’m working on a couple of little projects.

Whew!

I could really use a cappucino right about now.

One of the lucky things about my latest computer crash is that I’ve been using my old clunky desktop (with Windows 98!) So now that my laptop’s been repaired, my daughter can play on one of them while I’m working too. That helps, since now she’s tired of many TV shows. I bought her a Disney-themed toddler game, and she really enjoys it.

She loves to say she’s “working,” or that she’s “busy,” just like she hears Mommy say all of the time.

But, like another blogger said, I’m hoping to stay the course. If I can take it.

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Good copywriting requires knowing the right words. But what are the right words, and how do you find them?

There are three main factors. Know your audience, don’t use the same words repeatedly, and understand the feelings behind your words and phrases.

Knowing your audience is key in good copywriting. That includes knowing how to talk to them.

I found a cute test for your blog’s readability. My blog was rated as elementary school level, and I was very pleased.

My blog’s audience is pretty much anyone. All ages, all nationalities.

I don’t want my readers to have to think too hard. After all, you’re looking at a computer screen. You want to get in and get out fast, or else you’d be reading a novel.

So I write in a straightforward, natural manner. Why use a complicated word when a simpler one will get the same point across?

Try not to be repetitive with your words. Often I’ll go back over a post to see if I used any word more than once. Sometimes it’s inevitable, but for adjectives you can almost always find different variations of the same word. I use this online thesaurus for my writing jobs.

Finally, remember that some words convey a feeling or connotation. For instance, you might ask people for hints, or you might ask for suggestions. They both mean pretty much the same thing, but a hint is kind of like a secret, while a suggestion is more sophisticated (I feel).

Also, consider other’s potential feelings about certain words or phrases.

Do you have any suggestions for making the right word choice?

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I’m back to writing and blogging with a vengeance.

My day job as a call center representative didn’t last very long. Who knew that talking too much could be bad for your health? My throat is still recovering, even after having taken a two-month leave.

So that’s over, and I’m relieved. I’m back to being a work-at-home-mom. Kind of scary (I was enjoying a paycheck every couple of weeks), but great too (I missed being with my daughter).

I obviously think staying at home with my daughter is the best thing for her.

So I was pleased to accidentally find an inspiring, heartwarming post about WAHMs at Making Sales Making Money, a site about home based business opportunities. I found it on MyBlogLog (join my community)!

The author is also sponsoring a cool sweepstakes. So he recognizes the importance of WAHMs, and he’s trying to put money in folks’ pockets. What a find!

Part of marketing is letting people know you’re in business. So, listen up. I’m back in business! If you need a writer, I’m your gal. I have samples here on my blog, and also on my main website.

Spread the word!

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If you are a blogger, you’re a published writer. But that doesn’t mean you’re a good writer.

But what is good writing?

Courtney Tuttle wrote a funny post today about how not to write a blog post. A lot of his points focused on readability online.

Good writing, online at least, includes how the copy looks, not just the grammar or spelling. Perfect textbook writing that is unappealing to readers’ eyes may as well be written by a two-year-old.

Take a look at his post for some humorous, absolutely accurate points about writing for blogs.

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Freelance writers are the answer to the question, How am I going to find the time to do this, too?
Maybe you can write the copy, you can proofread, and you can do layout without any outside help.

But do you have the time? Can you do everything quickly and well?
A freelance writer can step in and take at least one thing off of your To Do list.

The advantages:
1. Don’t worry about benefits, vacation time, taxes, etc.

Freelance writers take care of their own taxes, vacations, and insurance needs. You only pay for the service you need.

2. Hire a writer as-needed, rather than pay for down time.

When you have employees, you have to pay them even when they talk to their co-workers, surf the internet, take bathroom breaks, or just dawdle. Freelancers are paid only for the time-on-task.

3. Freelance writers are customer oriented.

Employees are not necessarily loyal to the employer, but you can bet business owners are loyal to their own businesses. As business owners, freelancers have a strong desire to do their best work for their clients. Happy customers are essential to a prosperous business.

4. Freelancers are committed to your project.

Freelancers are able to accept assignments they want to do. There’s no boss telling them they must do a particular project. That means your job is important to the  freelance writer, hand-picked, rather than just another assignment from an employer.

A freelance writer’s job is caring about your business as much as her own.

The question is, why wouldn’t you hire a freelancer?

If you need a freelance writer to help with web content, articles, blog writing, proofeading, or more, hire me!

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Laura Spencer, over on Writing Thoughts, began an interesting discussion about the profitability of writing for online ventures vs. offline ventures. She noticed that many commenters assumed offline writing involved querying magazines.

I have a different take on the definitions of offline and online writing.

I consider online writing to be:

• A business transaction that takes place almost entirely online, whether it’s magazine or blogging. You email the prospect, discuss rates and deliver materials via email, and rarely talk on the phone (if ever). You don’t meet in person. And pay is conducted via PayPal.

On the other hand, I consider offline writing to be:

• A transaction that is mostly offline. You cold-call the prospective client, snail-mail a query or whatever, and then talk to them on the phone, meet in person, and deliver the materials in person or via snail-mail. Pay is via check.

Personally, I’m finding I do a combination of both.

My latest client needed help rewriting a website, and I initially contacted them via cold email. But then we met in person to brainstorm, and I was paid via a snail-mailed check. I emailed the finished work.

I actually consider this an offline client. I was paid my standard rate.

I’ve found that when I apply for blogging jobs or situations where the client lives in another state (so it will likely be mostly online), the pay seems to be substantially lower (more than half as much).

What about you? What are your definitions of online and offline writing, and have you seen a difference in pay rates?

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I’m so excited to announce that Crayon Writer was approached by an advertiser for the first time! Now, I’m not talking a big company (yet), but someone asked to place a short paragraph on a couple of my popular posts.

The best part? I’m getting paid for it!

Just when I thought Crayon Writer might never make a dime (though that wasn’t why I started it).

If you’d like to see the placements, and even patronize the buyer, please check out these two posts. That will be a great way for me to show my appreciation.

Top Five Links I Liked

Toddler Holding on Tight? 5 Ways to Work Through the Tantrums

Are you interested in purchasing space on certain posts, or even on my main page? Let me know, and we’ll see what kind of deal we can work out.

At this early stage, I’m very flexible. But I fully expect Crayon Writer to continue to grow in popularity, so now would be a great time.

For you other bloggers, have you been approached by advertisers? Did you take the deal, negotiate, or turn it down? And why?

Potential advertisers, what do you look for in a blog? What kinds of deals do you prefer?

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As a business owner, you have to allow yourself to be human also. When you make a mistake, as humans inevitably do, there’s nothing wrong with admitting it.

Here are some real-life examples.

Quoting too high on a project. This happened to me recently. I was offered a job I don’t often do, and quoted a rate way above what’s acceptable. After doing my homework, which I should have done in the first place, I realized my mistake. Even though I felt silly, I contacted the potential client and gave him a realistic, fair quote. Will I get the client? Maybe. Maybe not. But I definitely showed my human side.

Missing a deadline. While not a wise thing to do, it may happen despite your best efforts. Sometimes life gets in the way. Or perhaps you miscalculated the time necessary to complete the project. What’s important is that you communicate with your client. Let the client know what’s going on, and do your best work. Ultimately, the client may be lost. But you might have redeemed yourself to some extent by being honest.

Forgetting to return a call or email. I received an email from a potential client I wrote almost a year ago. Her kind note apologized for her late reply, which happened because she put the wrong email address in her reply. We never wound up working together, but her message reminded me that admitting a mistake isn’t the end of the world. What do you have to lose?

Basically, we’re all human first and business owners second (or third). Remember this, and don’t beat yourself up (and don’t let anyone else beat you up) when something goes wrong. Be yourself, handle the situation head on, and move on.

What are some other human moments you’ve encountered in your business? How did you handle the situation?

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