Quality or Quantity?

If you're writing to  make a buck, it makes sense to write a lot to get your content out there.  Bloggers don't make money unless they post regularly.  Article writers need to keep pumping them out in order to keep the cash flowing in.  Whatever you publish online, it will produce better returns in search engine ranking if it is fresh.

Nothing new there, so you keep slogging away, but don't sacrifice quality for quantity.  It does more harm than good to spit words out at a record pace if the result is garbage.  Typos, grammatical errors, sentences that just don't make sense --all will show up much more frequently if all you're concerned about is increasing production.

Some writers can churn them out and produce a quality piece every time.  Others need to spend a little more time and effort to fashion each article or post into something worth reading.  Most probably fall somewhere in the middle.

Your name and reputation will be tied in some way to every piece published.  Even if no byline attached, your client will know who wrote it.  Give your readers fresh produce, but make sure it's quality stuff and not rotten tomatoes.

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Inclement Weather Plan

Are you scratching your head, wondering what the title of this post has to do with writing?  Good.  Keep reading; I promise it fits.

While serving in the military for more than 21 years, I was involved in my fair share of parades and ceremonies for various events, all of which took time and effort to plan well before execution.  That effort would be wasted if weather turned foul and we didn't have other arrangements already worked into the plan.  Being able to move the ceremony indoors without last minute hoop-jumping was referred to as implementing an inclement weather plan.

Do you have an inclement weather plan?

If you depend on your writing for income, it's a must.

Relying on one source to bring in the bucks with your writing isn't wise, so have a backup plan with another source or sources available if things dry up.  If you write for mainly one site or client, investigate others and toss a few pieces their way to get your foot in the door.  Even if not your first choice, it might carry you through the storm if your main source gets rained out.

If you normally write fiction, start a blog on a niche topic you're passionate about.  If you're a blogger, expand into article writing.  If you ghost write, put your name on your next project and promote it yourself.

If the roof is leaking, don't wait for it to get blown completely off before deciding it's time to take action.  If the rains continue, it will be a lot harder to find work while having to bail out your office.  Be proactive - have a few buckets in place and your roofing nails handy.

Is There an Echo in Here?

As writers, you probably do your fair share of reading daily - from Google Trends, to online news sources - even favorite blogs. That reading undoubtedly triggers ideas to write about, but be careful that the basic idea is as far as it goes.

When outlining your article, refer to reputable sources with appropriate link-backs, but beyond direct quotes, make sure that the text of the piece reflects your own writing style and personality.  Echoing what you've read elsewhere gives your reader nothing of value and hurts your credibility. Why should your reader bother with your article when they can get identical info at the source?  

Put you into each sentence you throw out there.  Every writer, from the new blogger to the national news media, has their own way of saying things, and often you can pick out who wrote something based on the way it's written, without even seeing a byline.  Shoot for style-recognition if you want to make a name for yourself.

And always make sure you fact-check, no matter how reputable the source.  There is no truth to the folklore that a duck's quack does not echo.

Divide and Conquer

If you're a blogger or article writer, you're at the mercy of search engines to crawl your material to be indexed so that it will be seen.  If you're in it for the money and page views, a niche blog is best, but even with that, writing about general topics within that category won't get you far.

The trick is to make each post or article be as tightly focused as you can make it, else you'll be competing with tens or hundreds of thousands of others writing to that same title.  A good plan is to think of your basic topic, write an outline or bullets, then take each main point of your article and divide it into topics to cover separately.

Example:  If you write about parenting and want to share how to travel with kids, come up with basic tips, then break them down and tackle each age group separately.  Someone traveling with teens isn't going to benefit much from an article that recommends keeping Dora DVDs and cheerios on board, and your two-year-old probably isn't up to working a Sudoku puzzle just yet.  Make each article or blog post cater to a specific demographic.

Beyond age groups, think of tips to make traveling easier with a two-door, SUV, pickup truck, etc.  The more specific your topic is, the less competition you'll be facing, and you'll also be giving the reader who is searching for that information exactly what they want, without having to wade through what they don't.

I've provided a very basic example, but it can be applied to any topic area.  Don't write about 30-minute meals.  Write about 30-minute meals for the diabetic, the vegan, gluten-free, low-carb, for picky eaters.

Divide.  And conquer.

Cantankerous Cranky Pants

Do you let your mood spill over into your writing, or when dealing with clients?  That wouldn't be a bad thing if you're in a pleasant mood, but it could be disastrous if your mood is more foul.

(Photo by imru2b12)

If you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, it might be better to get the kinks worked out before dealing with the public, or penning something that you might regret later.

Anyone who knows me knows that I can be cantankerous and moody, and what goes on around me often affects how I deal with other things throughout my day.  There has been more than one occasion where Ms Cranky-Pants has taken over and I've been less than neighborly to people who have done nothing to warrant my ire, and while it's a fault that I recognize and try to reign in, I'm not always successful.  If you've ever been on the receiving end of my wrath, I apologize publicly to you here and now.  I'm really not a mean old lady ... promise.

(Photo by coloniera2)

People who work telephone customer service are trained to smile while taking a call, even though the person they're speaking with can't see it.  It's supposed to be almost impossible to be cross with someone when you're smiling, so if your day isn't going well, take a minute to find reason to break into a grin before pushing onward.  Roughhouse with the dog, play peek-a-boo with the baby, take a walk through your flower garden and let the sunshine give you a mental boost.

If you can't tear yourself away from the computer, open another tab to view the cute puppies and kittens that your friends post on Facebook.  I don't know anyone whose mood wouldn't be brightened, and that quick break might be just what Ms Cranky-Pants needs.

Is Your Work More Babbling Than Writing?

My Catholic upbringing taught me that the word babble had biblical origins, referencing the Tower of Babel, where men found themselves suddenly speaking in different tongues and not able to communicate with each other.  Researching for this post, however, I was unable to find any reputable source to confirm that.  While the origin of babbling is somewhat of a mystery, it still means much the same as I thought - speaking incoherently, or nonsensical chatter.  Babies babble.

From A to Cra-Z

The gauntlet has been thrown.

I was on the fence about participating in the A-Z Blogging Challenge this year and even up until this morning as I was getting out of bed, I was still waffling.  Enter my friend Angie, who entered two of her blogs and challenged me to do the same.

So here I am, the morning of April 1, 2012, the first day of the challenge, and I haven't a clue what I'm going to write about for the next 26 letters.  But do it I shall, on this blog as well as my local blog, Ross County Roundup.

I hope you'll join me for the ride!