Beth’s Blog

Time and money. One is finite, the other infinite. One I squander as though there’s an unlimited supply, the other I carefully monitor.

Time… I work with many writers who say they don’t have time to write. Yet they spend (interesting term) time in forums, they read Internet gossip, they “unwind” watching their favorite television shows, they spend hours chatting on the phone with friends.

Yeah. Everyone should get time to unwind. But if you have a burning desire to write, how will sitting numbly in front of a television build your dream? How will hanging out on forums or chatting on the phone propel you towards your ultimate desired destination?

Words do not write themselves, inspiration waits only for the person who has the courage to jump into its cold waters without thought of safety, reputation, or compensation.

Time is a finite resource, once a moment has passed, you’ll never experience it again. Combine that with the fact that our time in this plane of existence is limited and… well… get writing.

Money… it comes and goes.

Luckily, writing is a fairly inexpensive profession. All you need is a pencil, paper, and (eek) a thought.

Some writers seem to think they need extensive libraries. If you don’t have the money to build that writing library, visit the local library, take copious notes and build your knowledge base that way.

If you don’t have the money to write full time (if that’s your dream), then write in your spare time. And make sure you have spare time.

Most people find the resources they need for the activities they truly want to perform. Even in the teeth of a “great recession” you’ll find big screen TVs flowing out of your local Walmart at a record pace. These people found money for a multi-thousand dollar entertainment machine, I’m sure you can find any funds you need to perfect your craft.

In other words, if you truly want to write, you’ll find the money (and time) to do so.

But now we come to other’s opinions.

Writers aren’t necessarily the most popular people at parties. We tend to be an over-observant bunch and that can cause a bit of angst for others.

Sometimes we write things that others disagree with. Sometimes the most innocuous phrase will offend someone and you’ll receive angry correspondence. Worse yet, you’ll most certainly anger, offend, and hurt family members, despite your concerted efforts not to do so.

It’s not a matter of “if” you’ll offend someone, it’s a matter of “when.”

How do you handle this?

The only thing you can do is to hold your ultimate writing dream up front and center in all you do, whether you’re writing, promoting, or dealing with reader response.

Understand some people will love you, others won’t. It’s a fact of life. You can’t please everyone all the time. If you try to do this, you’ll not only turn yourself into a supremely ineffective writer, but your message will become an impotent pile of socially correct drivel that won’t touch anybody’s heart.

True, effective writing cuts deep and resonates long after the page has left the reader’s hand. This is honest writing, often embarrassing, that has nothing to do with subjects, predicates, well structured sentences, and dangling participles.

It has everything to do with raw communication, sensation eclipsing your words, making them invisible. It’s about word painting images in your reader’s mind until they’re carried away, breathless, on a stream of emotion to a place they want to linger.

It’s pricking your reader’s soft spot until they awaken long enough to really hear your message.

How do you do this?

For starters, you can dump the mindless activities. Get engaged in life, watching, living… awake.

The great John Carlton (he’s a famous copywriter, look him up) says something to the effect that most humans walk around in a self inflicted haze, blindly gimping from one activity to the next. We live a life of patterns, one after another, rarely deviating from our routine.

Don’t believe me? Try dressing differently tomorrow. Put the other shoe on first. Wear something totally different from the norm. Apply your makeup before you brush your teeth. You’ll quickly discover what a creature of habit you are.

Well, these patterns combine to create a life-long trance where we’re told in a million subtle and not so subtle ways how to dress, what to eat, what to think, and how to act. Deviate from this mass-controlled trance and you’ll experience freedom unlike anything you’ve ever experienced . By the way, you’ll also likely experience the phenomenon of social stigma.

Another wise person said it best when he said, “People laugh at sheep, at how compliant they are. But humans have out sheeped the sheep. When a sheep gets out of line, the shepherd gets them back in place. When a human falls “out of line,” his fellow humans will ostracize him, mock him, shun him, make his life miserable until he steps back into the social norm.”

Most writers write because it’s a compulsion, not a choice. There’s a message to be released and if you don’t do it, you’ll live a miserable existence.

Finally releasing that message often entails this “waking up” process I just mentioned. Pursuing a dream is most definitely something that can shake up a few social norms and the dreamer often experiences tremendous social stigma when they’re foolish enough to do something so crazy.

But like it or not, we’re the scribes of the day. It’s our job to document what we see, experience, and feel in an honest fashion.

We’re the supposed thinkers of our age. May our writings prompt others to break out of their patterns just long enough engage in a few cerebral gymnastics as well.

Words contain power. May each of us use that power in a responsible fashion.

Writing isn’t for the faint of heart, but the rewards for a message accurately transmitted are phenomenal. I urge you to truly wake up and give it a whirl. The results will surprise you.

As a writer, you need to acquire a readership, whether you write articles, advertising, fiction, and/or nonfiction. You’ve probably heard that you need a website to help promote your writing and start building that readership.

It’s true. The Web is a fabulous means to build a writing biz. You can connect with like minded individuals, you can present opinions, you can experiment with your writing (beyond what our predecessors could ever imagine), you can interact with your readers… you can have fun.

The thing nobody tells you about this process is that once you’ve got the website up, you have to generate traffic to start this incredible web adventure.

That can be an interesting task.

In fact, lately this “web traffic” situation seems to be on more minds than mine. I get e-mails (nearly) daily promising me that (for a hefty price) some company or another will get one of my sites “to the top of the major search engines.”

Yeah. Right.

There are effective ways to get your website listed in the major search engines. There are also some not effective ways as well.

This article outlines one ineffective way to get web traffic.

I’ve coached a few writers, so-called professional communicators, this past month who were discouraged because although their websites were rising through the Google ranks and were receiving a good amount of organic traffic, they weren’t making any book sales.

I had a hunch I knew what was going on.

When a well-written book doesn’t sell, it’s usually for a number of reasons, the most probable being that there isn’t a large enough market for the topic, the price point is too high (or too low), or the web page doesn’t properly sell the title.

One look at the site confirmed my suspicions. In all the instances brought to my attention, the problem was with the website. Every single writer was more concerned about web site optimization rather than properly describing and selling their book.

It’s one thing to make your website favorable to search engines, in fact Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an important part of building a website, but it’s quite another to engage in clumsy tactics to make your site climb up the ranks.

Disclaimer: I’m not, nor do I pretend to be an SEO expert. The following is pure opinion based on my web adventures.

What each of these people did was, as they built their website text, they inserted copious numbers of “keywords” to the point that they were literally “keyword packing.”

Keyword Packing occurs when you take a particular keyword and pack that keyword into a keyword sentence as many times as possible so that when the search engines spider your site they’ll see your keyword and assume that keyword accurately represents your “keyword” website and will appear when someone inserts that keyword into the engine. (Note: this sentence is packed with a keyword. Betcha you’ll never guess which one it is.)

As you can see, keyword packing makes for some very awkward writing. Combine keyword packing with keyword placement on menus, subheads, and titles and you’ve got one, big keyword, mess.

Here’s the problem. When you receive good search engine rankings, you will receive traffic. Problem is when you do receive that traffic, you’ll quickly discover it evaporates once your visitors experience your awkward writing style.

It takes a writer with the skill of a master to elegantly weave keywords into a website while maintaining flow and sales effectiveness.

Very difficult.

So, suppose you’re not an SEO expert (like me). What can you do to get website traffic without sacrificing content?

There are multiple ways to generate some website traffic including writing articles, article distribution sites, creating videos, visiting forums, blogs, zines, Google Adwords, and much more. I’ll discuss these more in upcoming issues of Writing Etc.

You’ve got options, many of them not costing one red cent, to generate web traffic. Approach SEO carefully, never sacrificing content for keywords.

Remember, a site receiving a few relevant, smart, interesting, and engaged visitors is far more powerful than a bunch of people who visit and leave thinking you’ve got an awkward, repetitive, unnatural writing style.

My two (very opinionated and probably antiquated) cents.

It began on a lazy Thursday afternoon. Spring was in full force. Dogs were restless. I was on deadline but exhausted. I kept turning in my writing chair to gaze outside.

The breeze looked cool. The sun appeared warm. Not a cloud in the sky.

Go for a walk.

“Nah. Too much work.”

Now, I often have these inner conversations. Dunno if it’s a writing thing or just plain odd. But that tiny inner voice has gotten me through more successful deadlines, more uncomfortable situations, and more writing blocks than I can count. So, I usually listen to it. But not today. Too much work to get done. Big deadline.

Go outside. You’re just spinning your wheels anyway.

“No. Gotta write.”

Just a fast walk. Day’s burning away. Tomorrow may be cold. Just head out.

‘Yeah… you’re probably right.”

I left the office, snapped a leash on each pup, and headed outside. At the end of the driveway…

I was just about to turn right when I had an uncontrollable urge to go left.

I never go left. That’s the boring route. But I paused, then decided left would yield an acceptable walk.

I proceeded straight to the end of the street and was just about to turn right when my intuition urged me forward, through the park, and veer towards the railroad tracks.

Now, I never walk the tracks alone. We’ve got wild animals out here. I dislike walking the path parallel to the tracks because when a train zooms past, it’s loud, scary, and exceedingly uncomfortable standing a car-width away from that massive mass of steel, strength, and sound.

But the sensation urged me on.

“Perhaps I’ll veer right and walk the tracks to the end of town and then head onto 7^th street.”

Nope. I hit the tracks an an uncontrollable urge to turn left overtook me.

I turned left and abandoned Kandiyohi. The dogs pranced on each side of me, seemingly unable to believe their good fortune. Good walks (according to them) always start by the tracks.

The general route for this excursion is to follow the trail until we get to the semaphore. Then we turn around and head back.

It’s only a couple mile trek, but the view’s awesome with lot of wetlands, groves, and multiple critters if you look carefully.

I’m enjoying the day, trudging along when reality hits. I need to get back to work. Deadlines don’t get away from the computer. I’m just about to turn around when my thoughts ring Just a little farther. Go the whole walk.

“Nah. I really have to get back to it.”

Just a little farther.

I pause moment then figure, “I’m soon there.” So I keep walking.

Further down the trail, amazed at how that semaphore didn’t seem to be getting any closer. I’m also noticing my breath quicken. I slow down. “I should turn back,” I ponder, “this is a waste of time.”

You’re almost there. Keep going.

I groan and kept my feet pointed towards my destination. My mind tightened at the thought that I willingly chose two high-energy dogs who need regular walks. My mood isn’t anywhere near happy as I kept moving forward, my intellectual self silently cursing the long route.

Yet that tiny, still voice urged me forward.

I finally got to the semaphore and paused. It felt good. My heart pounded in my ears. The wind brushed my cheeks. Dogs collapsed, panting contentedly, laying in the cool gravel.

I sat on the semaphore ledge and pondered my bad attitude.

It’s funny how this business can drive me batty. When I get in the thick of marketing, it’s easy to forget why I began writing in the first place. When I’ve got a million (or so it feels) e-mails to answer, blogs to update, writing deadlines, I tend to hole myself up in the office and plow through rather than drop the unessential tasks and live life.

If writing is a dream, why do we treat it like a cut-throat business? Dreams are supposed to be nurtured, treasured, prized, not exploited, twisted, and over-monetized.

I pondered how easy it is to take something as beautiful as a dream… a skill you take years to develop… and manipulate it to fit industry expectations until it’s barely recognizable from what you started with.

I reflected on those thoughts, realizing I was approaching my latest project totally wrong. It dawned on me that I sometimes select my projects following entirely wrong criteria.

Rather than follow a path of joy, I often take the road of security. Rather than trust my intuition, I trust logic, thenfind myself in an uncomfortable circumstance of my own making.

Instead of being who I am, I twist myself to conform to other’s expectations.

“Hmmm,” I thought, “this walk may not be a waste of time all…”

With much to ponder, I turned to leave when I saw it, nestled in the grass like a tiny baby. I gasped as my mouth dropped.

It was something completely unexpected, totally delightful, unimaginable.

Laying, glistening white in the sun laid a most perfectly preserved deer skull.

Oh. My. Gosh.

With twelve even teeth, nasal cartilage intact, sinuses unbroken, I stepped towards the incredible display of beauty.

Brittle bones surrounded the doe skull, but nothing else. No soft tissue. No fur. No flies.

Just dry, sun-bleached bones.

I stood and stared at the skull for a while before I touched it lightly with my finger.

Now, I come from a family of non-hunters so this skull-situation felt completely foreign, yet strangely exciting. As a keeper of natural objects, my office is strewn with rocks, semi-precious stones, feathers… each with a unique story to tell. I knew I needed to provide a home for this treasure.

I poked it a few more times (by now the dogs were quite interested with this turn of events so I didn’t have time to dilly dally), to make sure there wasn’t anything “gross” or “moist” attached to it.

There wasn’t.

So, before Jake and Rudie could nab this perfectly preserved mass of bone, I gingerly raised it from the grass with two fingers and started walking.

As we made our way home, I wondered how long the bones laid there. I also wondered why nobody had damaged the skull as they (apparently) ate the rest of her body.

I wondered how long the skull had laid in that spot and wondered what would have happened to it if I hadn’t found it.

I pondered intuition and its role not only in my life as a writer, but in everyday tasks.

If I hadn’t listened to intuition, I would have stayed in my office, chopping away at that chunk of marble I called a “project.”

Listening to that quiet nudge transformed my day from drudgery to pure magic.

I carried that skull the full mile home with two fingers, swearing to “disinfect my hand” the minute I got home.

I crossed the railroad tracks back into Kandiyohi, and jogged home, still pinching it tight with my thumb and pointer.

As the four of us (by then the doe had acquired a name) scampered up the driveway I dropped the leashes and studied the beautiful skull one last time in the full sun.

I couldn’t believe my good fortune.

Whenever you see this, remember to trust your intuition.

I felt humbled. It was true. If I only trusted my intuition more, I’d keep myself out of so much trouble.

Every time we’ve signed a difficult author to a contract, I’ve known this person wouldn’t mesh with me when I read the initial manuscript.

Every ornery client has revealed himself long before they’ve signed on the dotted line.

Every irritating experience has been foreshadowed by a niggling feeling and/or a still small voice saying, Bad idea.

Logic often trumps intuition… just like it almost did on my little walk… but intuition will always yield far more satisfying results, although the road may seem longer.

Your assignment? Let intuition rule one day this month. If you don’t have a day, give it an evening.

Ask yourself, “What should I do now?”

Let your gut answer. Then see what happens. Notice your mood. Take note of your creativity level.

It’s a fun experiment. And let me know how it goes.

Whew! I didn’t expect to tell this story. In fact, I planned on keeping it private. But something tells me that you have a “skull” of your own to find.

Something worrisome is going on in the freelance world and up until now I’ve held my tongue, not wanting to pour gasoline on an already blazing fire. But these past few weeks I’ve been acutely aware of some extremely negative comments coming from some very respected writers in our community.

No. This group of folks aren’t dissing Filbert Publishing. They’re not even bad mouthing anyone I know.

However, in their zeal to “protect” newbie freelancers from falling for a swindle, a number of companies have begun to paint the broader publishing community with a pretty wide, negative brush.

I’ve watched with increasing wonderment as this “everyone’s trying to rip me off” attitude has spiraled to interesting levels.

So, I’m speaking up.

Truth is, I’ve found more hard working honest publishers than fly-by-nights intent on preying on newbie writers. Generally speaking, the fly-by-nighters are pretty easy to spot. They’re the companies that make you pay to get published. It’s that simple. If a publisher asks for money to publish your work, turn away. Problem solved.

Thing is this entire brouhaha has created an air of negativity that bothers me.

Bottom line? It’s tough to produce beauty in a negative environment. And if you’re the kind of writer who aims to make their corner of the world a little better, you’d do well to be aware of what that negativity may have on your muse. Because, if you allow negativity to take root, before you can say “holy cow!” you can find yourself slipped in a creativity-draining rut that’s pretty tough to get out of.

I know what I’m talking about.

I learned my lesson the hard way when once in a fit of (justified) rage :), I whipped out an article and sent it to my favorite ezine owner, Dan Case at Writing for Dollars.

He immediately shot an e-mail my way saying, “Sorry. I don’t publish negative articles. I know this biz is tough, but I refuse to focus on anything that isn’t uplifting.”

Wow.

After I paused long enough to ponder his words, I realized he’d just changed the course of my career. And I’ve worked to live up to that high example ever since.

And I challenge you to do the same. Because when you do this, magic sparks and your muse thrives.

I’ve also found the attitude in which a freelancer approaches this biz (that would be your mindset) has everything to do with your success.

If you look for negativity, you’ll find it. If you keep your eye out for the magic, you’ll find that as well. Choice is yours.

So, in the fine tradition of “looking on the bright side of life,” I’d like to present an alternative freelance reality:

1. Not everyone in this business wants to take advantage of freelancers. Yeah, we’ve got a few worms amongst the apples, but they’re easy to spot..

2. If you live by the mantra that when you submit something to a publisher, “money always flows towards the writer” you’ll spare yourself a lot of grief.

3. If you feel anger stirring inside, if you start feeling frustration while reading writing advice, chances are you’re reading something that can squelch your muse and leave you fuming for far too long. Get over it, move on, and get writing.

4. Writing forums are great, but if they interfere with your writing, it’s time to join in the discussion after your writing’s done.

5. Writing is an adventure. Enjoy it. This is your life. Every day that ticks by is one less day to write. So get to it.

6. Banish fear. Writers don’t need it. Despite your soft, creative interiors, you must push through the fear and make it to the other side. There, you’ll find incredible beauty.

7. Finally, if you’ve lost your first love, if writing has become a chore, move heaven and earth to regain your joy. Your message is worth it.

So, these are my thoughts on a lazy Tuesday afternoon. Listen to your emotions. Protect your muse. Then write.

For the story within you will not get released if you don’t write.

Writing is an odd business. Imagine a career solely depending upon pouring your mental output out on paper.

Never mind.

If you’re reading this, you’re intimately familiar with how we writers thoroughly examine life and are compelled to whip out our pens to comment.

However, the time comes in every writer’s life when words don’t flow as easily as other times. It’s during these times that the following tips will become indispensable to triggering a free-flowing stream of ideas.

So without any further intro, here are the techniques I routinely use to get words flowing into my computer….

Focus On Your Project

When I’m writing, my project is tumbling through my mind 24/7. Never leaves, constantly bubbling in the back of my mind.

When I’m shopping for groceries, I allow my characters to “whisper” in my ear. When I’m waiting at the doctor’s office, article ideas tumble through my mind. When I’m waiting in line, a client’s wrinkly lead for their sales letter will magically iron out.

Although writers often appear present and ready to participate in life, in reality I know I’m rarely completely “there” at any one occasion.

Like Walter Mitty, my imagination continually takes me places where I never expected.

And that’s fantastic… as it should be.

Invest In Technology

I know. The Internet can eat up WAY too much time.

However, used properly, this vast web of information can become your best tool in cultivating a thriving writing career.

Where else can you find an answer to a thorny question in the blink of an eye?

It’s a wondrous technology that will allow you to instantly find the full contact information of an expert in any particular field within minutes.

It also has the potential to become the hugest time-sucker of your entire day.

Every writer needs a website. Every writer needs to gather information that will help them earn the kind of income they desire.

However, you don’t need to frequent every discussion group. Forget about reading every zine that flits into your in-box.

Learn to skim.

Glean the information you need, snag the resources that catch your eye, pass on the rest.

But remain connected to your community, even if your connection may seem slim at times. After all, part of becoming a successful writer is to… write. This is non-negotable.

Create A Schedule

Many writers practice their craft first thing in the morning. They’re up at the crack of dawn, chomping at the bit, ready to pour their hearts onto the page.

I’m not like that. In fact, I find myself fortunate if I can get much of anything whatsoever finished first thing in the morning.

My prime writing time begins late morning and extends until around supper time.

Get anything on the page before 9:00AM, and I’m quite positive it would look like gibberish.

I rarely watch television, instead opting for my favorite activity… reading.

Ah, slip a good book my way and it’ll get devoured faster than a bag of Twizzlers. In fact, I just ordered four more books for my collection today. Found a new author I like and got ‘em all. (Don’t mention this latest purchase to my husband…. My bookshelves are already bursting at the seams.)

But here’s my point: Create a schedule that works for you. Don’t try to emulate my life. Don’t take advice that you’re not comfortable with. Make your schedule work for your lifestyle.

But do create a schedule. You’ll get far more work done.

Jealously Guard Productive Time

Forget the kids. Chuck The Drudge Report. Steer away from Huffington Post if you’re on a roll.

If you’re “in the zone” keep typing. Don’t stop.

Close the door. Bark at anyone who speaks at you. Tell them to eat peanut butter sandwiches for supper.

Right now, your top priority is WRITING.

Those “zone” moments can sometimes flit in and out of the creative process so when one graces you with its presence, do everything you can to nurture its arrival. Keep writing. Let the words flow. Don’t edit. Make that little burst of muse comfortable so it will visit on a regular basis.

And when you hit your stride and experience that “zone” on a regular basis, then you are truly a blessed writer.

Now, I realize this list is hardly exhaustive. However, I’ve found these four tips to top my list of activities I do on a daily basis to make writing nearly effortless. And (I’m speaking from experience here), you really don’t want to write your way into a situation where every word you nail to paper feels like an unbearable chore.

With just these few (and incredibly easy) modifications to your schedule, your words will flow like water and your productivity will skyrocket. Guaranteed.

Straight from Space.com: (Click the pic for the full view.)

Tiny and dying but still-powerful stars called pulsars spin like crazy and light up their surroundings, often with ghostly glows. So it is with PSR B1509-58, which long ago collapsed into a sphere just 12 miles in diameter after running out of fuel.

And what a strange scene this one has created.

In a new image from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, high-energy X-rays emanating from the nebula around PSR B1509-58 have been colored blue to reveal a structure resembling a hand reaching for some eternal red cosmic light.

The star now spins around at the dizzying pace of seven times every second — as pulsars do — spewing energy into space that creates the scene.

Strong magnetic fields, 15 trillion times stronger than the Earth’s magnetic field, are thought to be involved, too. The combination drives an energetic wind of electrons and ions away from the dying star. As the electrons move through the magnetized nebula, they radiate away their energy as X-rays.

The red light actually a neighboring gas cloud, RCW 89, energized into glowing by the fingers of the PSR B1509-58 nebula, astronomers believe.

The scene, which spans 150 light-years, is about 17,000 light years away, so what we see now is how it actually looked 17,000 years ago, and that light is just arriving here.

A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, about 6 trillion miles (10 trillion kilometers).

Source

(Beth’s comment: MUCHO COOL!)

First, I must say I rarely do this, share some of the more interesting e-mail correspondence I receive at Filbert Publishing. But this particular e-mail piqued my interest more than most.

Here’s the background: I received a multi-forwarded e-mail last week asking me to protest the upcoming stimulus package the US government is currently working on.

Now, before I want to get too far, I want to make it perfectly clear that Writing Etc. is neutral when it comes to politics. This article is NOT about the veracity of this protest. It’s about a particular response to it.

I share this information in the hopes that everyone who reads this will be able to comment intelligently and effectively when recruited to do something similar.

Again, I feel the need to mention I am politically neutral when it comes to this forum. I ask that if you have any comments on the upcoming conversation, please feel free to do so here.

So, back on track.

I get this e-mail asking me to send a tea bag to Washington on April 1. I’m also asked to send a note if I’d like to.

I ignored the e-mail because I usually disregard multi-forwarded correspondence. However, I did take note when someone had the courage to hit “reply all” to share his response. And boy did he write something interesting.

A letter of complaint, or in this case a letter of protest, carries with it some defined rules to follow if you want your message to be read, let alone taken seriously. Writers who do not abide by these are basically wasting their time and are often times damaging their position on the issue.

I’ve included this person’s message, in its original form, and have commented a few key areas every letter writer needs to remember when setting pen to paper. You can find my comments within the parentheses and are colored in red.

Here we go, starting with the e-mail text:

Here’s my tea bag.  If I disappear mysteriously, you can safely conclude we have already lost our right to freedom of speech.

(A leap of logic. I realize that this isn’t technically part of your message to the government, but as I read the following message, I was more concerned about members of the grammar police silencing you than the government. )

To Whom It May Concern: (Always address your letter to a real person.)

200 years ago Americans proclaimed their independence from an exploitive, apathetic government by throwing some tea in the water. (Actually, it was over 200 years ago. Get your facts correct. Also, don’t begin your sentences with a number. You want to appear intelligent, so be sure to follow basic rules of writing. Also, your font is too large. Don’t use “bold” either. A simple Times New Roman, 12 point, no bold is the standard.)

Today, Americans again need to revolt against another exploitive, apathetic government (Says who? I doubt your reader will agree with this. You need to create rapport, even with those you disagree with.) ……. (An ellipsis = 3 “dots”) RUN BY AMERICANS (Yelling at your reader is not good form when you’re trying to persuade them) !! (Use these sparingly.)

If I exercised my Right to Free Speech publicly…to the point where I might convince a large enough populus (Always spell check.) to actually threaten the security of our “Leaders”, I would be assassinated covertly by the Secret (Gestapo) Service. (Got any proof for this? Bold claim.) “My idea of Change is simply not allowed!” (Who are you quoting? Cite your sources.)  Only Obama’s “change” is acceptable (Lots of claims in this paragraph, but you don’t provide any compelling proof.) …and it will bury us as a Nation. (Again, lots of claims. No proof. Arguments without supporting proof are too weak to be taken seriously.)   (And I don’t blame Obama.  He is only a teleprompted, professionally groomed and clothed puppet.  Albeit, just as corrupt as his cronies.) (Insulting the recipient of your message isn’t a good way to instigate change.)

I (we) (Who is “we?”) can’t go down to the port and dump a shipload of tea in the harbor.  I can only hope someone in receipt of “my teabag” will do me the courtesy of jamming it up one of the puppeteers’ ass!  (Know your audience. Sentences like this make the writer look unstable. It’s not a good persuasive technique to appear at odds with the person you’re disagreeing with.)

GOD BLESS AMERICA !!

Our present government certainly WON’T !!!!! (Multiple exclamation points will not make up for weak writing. Instead, select powerful, targeted words that’ll effectively carry your message without offending your reader.)

(Beth again)

So, where does that leave us?

1. Remember the point of your letter. If you’re protesting a government action, keep your words focused on that and do not stray from your objective. The letter above does little to effectively address the writer’s concerns and instead veers off track venturing into the world of hyperbole, exaggeration, and unsubstantiated claims. Remember why you’re writing the letter. Then focus on that point.

2. Letters of protest are good. When you disagree with something, it’s important to voice your opinion and join in the conversation.

3. “Joining in the conversation” doesn’t mean you should insult your reader. If you truly want your voice heard, respect your reader.

4. Follow punctuation rules, grammar rules, and rules of logic. Doing this will make you look intelligent.

5. Use large fonts and upper case letters sparingly.

6. A few carefully selected words can cut like a sword. Use these instead of hyperbole and ad hominem arguments.

7. Understand your topic as well as your stand. Write about specific issues. Writing broad generalities is far less effective than writing about one specific issue.

8. If you want to influence your reader towards your opinion, do not insult them, their intelligence, or the decisions they’ve made. You can disagree without insulting.

9. Always write in a respectful, yet targeted tone.

10. Ditch the dramatics. When you write to a government agency or corporation, use a professional tone that matches their style.

11. Remember, exaggerated punctuation such as multiple exclamation points, doesn’t create urgency. Only well-chosen words can do that. Avoid dramatic punctuation.

12. Finally, be very slow to respond to “forwarded e-mails.” Check Snopes.com to make sure the cause is legit. If you’re going to spend time crafting a letter, make sure the cause truly exists and you have a ghost of a chance of making an impact.

Remember these ten points, and any letter of complaint/protest you write will be far more effective.

Now go forward and engage in lively discussion; agree and disagree. State your point of view firmly, effectively, and in the most powerful style possible. Effective writers possess incredible (potential) power to influence. Use that power wisely.

Onward and upward,

Beth

Now I wish I’d have studied Beethoven more. However, I’m glad I never got into Beyonce.

Music that Makes You Dumb

I’m addicted to “The Guild.” Way too much fun.

Check ‘er out.

http://WatchTheGuild.com

Enjoy!

Beth

Fab writer (and Filbert Publishing author) Billie Williams has hit the media! Check it out here:

http://tinyurl.com/8uptkx

Enjoy the read!

Beth