We like to think of ourselves as rational beings. Intellectual curiosity took us to the moon and back, beat terrible diseases, and invented the Internet.
But if you think about it, emotion always wins. The man who conquered and lost empires might have only cried when the love of his live broke up with him. We use our brains, yes, but it is our hearts that dictate most of our actions. Continue reading “Why Emotion is The Key to Great Blogging”
I know what you’re thinking.
But I am just a blogger.
First of all, I suggest you give up on the “just.” You’re not just a blogger. You’re the blogger. A blogger. But never just.
Secondly, there’s a bit of writer in you, even though – out of fear – you try to deny it. I know this because you’re reading this post, so you must be a writer. I also know that you are afraid of thinking of yourself as one.
Well… what if I were to tell you that there’s this one thing you need to change, and then you’ll be proud to call yourself a writer?
Would you believe me?
One small thing, that’s all it takes. And then you’ll be a writer for the rest of your life.
Imagine you have a valuable piece of information that you believe is life-changing in nature. You want to share that information with your readers, but more than that, you want them to ACT on that information. To internalize it, to feel not just remember it.
Say you want your readers to be aware of how important it is to let things go, how important is to always aspire to rise to higher consciousness, to be fully present in the moment, to withhold judgement, to never let the past interfere with us being in the here and now.
You could write: YO, guys! It is important to let stuff go! Do that! Now!
You can use bolds or italics. Or even both.
Or you could share with them an anecdote:
A senior monk and a junior monk were traveling together. At one point, they came to a river with a strong current. As the monks were preparing to cross the river, they saw a very young and beautiful woman also attempting to cross. The young woman asked if they could help her cross to the other side.
The two monks glanced at one another because they had taken vows not to touch a woman.
Then, without a word, the older monk picked up the woman, carried her across the river, placed her gently on the other side, and carried on his journey.
The younger monk couldn’t believe what had just happened. After rejoining his companion, he was speechless, and an hour passed without a word between them.
Two more hours passed, then three, finally the younger monk could not contain himself any longer, and blurted out “As monks, we are not permitted a woman, how could you then carry that woman on your shoulders?”
The older monk looked at him and replied, “Brother, I set her down on the other side of the river, why are you still carrying her?”
Yes, what you say is essential. But how you say it will determine whether or not your readers think so too. Continue reading “How to Create Engaging Content”
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. That may be true. But a thousand words, crafted to perfection, written in the most clear manner possible, edited over and over again, those words can often leave readers speechless.
In a world of so many tech gadgets, of YouTube and Netflix binging, it feels as if the written word has lost its power.
But is it so? Continue reading “A Thousand Words”
When you sit down to write a blog post, what’s your purpose?
Are you just trying to fill space so your blog doesn’t go more than 24 hours without being updated?
Are you interested in promoting a product, or convincing your reader to buy something?
Are you trying to express yourself through your blog, and make a meaningful statement?
Are you trying to educate your readers on a topic?
Are you trying to provoke discussion?
When you write a blog post, you need to know why you’re writing. Every one of the reasons for writing above (with the possible exception of the first one) is legitimate.
Why is it important to have a purpose for your blog writing? There are at least three reasons: Continue reading “What’s Your Purpose?”
“If moderation is a fault, then indifference is a crime.” – Jack Kerouac
Different keyboards provide a different typing experience. It’s all about the keys themselves: their size, the materials they’re made from, the key travel…
I’d say that you should, at least once in your life, use a loud keyboard. The one that you’d be ashamed to use in a public space, for fear of annoying folks.
Yes, use one of those keyboards. Mechanical. Feel the weight of each key as you press it. Write a few sentences, trying to reduce the clutter in your mind to neat rows of characters.
Now, punch the damn keys. Continue reading “Punch The Damn Keys!”
It’s human nature to look for an easy way out. For a shortcut. We waste an awful lot of time dreaming of the “big break” that will forever change our lives.
Yeah, keep dreaming about becoming an overnight success someday. But do the work. Show up. Every single day.
Because you’ll have to work for a few years at least before becoming an ” overnight success.”
Every single day matters. Continue reading “Blogging Mindset: Every Single Day”
Time. We can spend it, but we can’t get more of it. Once spent, it’s gone forever.
Time. The most valuable commodity, and we never seem to have enough of it.
So… what if I were to tell you there’s a simple four step system that helps you write blog posts faster?
And no, I don’t mean 300 word posts, I mean longer articles that engage, inform, and entertain your readers.
Four simple steps. Continue reading “Four Simple Steps to Writing Blog Posts Faster”
Personally, I like the term creative bankruptcy more, but no matter how we’d name it, not being able to do something you love, that normally works like a dream, is incredibly frustrating.
This is your passion we’re talking about, not some boring, mindless chore that must be done.
And then, if you’re a professional blogger or author, you’ve got deadlines, you’ve got to earn a living.
And if words have abandoned you, who are you going to be? You’re a writer, right? Writers write, right?
So who are you if you can’t write?
A nobody?
Deep inside, you know that’s nonsense.
Once a writer, always a writer. There’s no going back. Like being pulled from the Matrix.
But try telling yourself that late at night when all you managed to write for the day would fit comfortably inside a Tweet.
Now, there are many different types of creative block, and plenty of ways to tackle them and get back to writing. (I’ve written an entire ebook full of suggestions — you can download it here.)
But your time is limited, so we need to address this issue in a little less than a thousand words, so here are three critically important things for you to remember about being creatively blocked.
Continue reading “Struggling with Writer’s Block? Here are 3 Simple Steps to Beat it”
There’s no doubt about it. Mad Men is a must-watch TV show if you are a creative individual.
Don Draper is the most creative alpha male on TV. Well, some might say Harvey Specter is pretty ingenious too, but… Don is something else. Dark and moody and mysterious, but also a genius when it comes to sipping whisky and crafting the perfect slogan.
He makes it all look freaking cool…
All of them do. Peggy, Don, even Roger, who does nothing these days but loaf around and spit out hilarious one-liners.
It’s not just them. It’s their work.
They sit around thinking up the perfect ad.
Then they convince their clients to spend a ton of bucks on it. Millions of people fall all over themselves to buy the product, shifting consumer culture, spawning billion-dollar industries, becoming household names.
And they do it all with nothing but words. How cool is that? Don’t tell me you never fantasized about your words changing the world?
I know, I know. It’s just a TV show. It’s not real life. But, contrary to what you might think, there are some great principles being presented in this show, principles that apply to great writing and great blogging too.
