How to Write on a Schedule

Something amazing happens when you commit to writing on a schedule; Not only do you work a muscle that was previously weak, but you begin to develop your own unique process to writing.

When you know you have to have SOMETHING written on such and such date, you soon find out that you are going to have to develop a system for creating content on a regular basis.

If you don't, you'll be sitting in front of the computer and staring at it for hours every week trying to think of something to write.

On a schedule, you get a feel for what works best for your writing style and how the
process works for you.

You may even decide to start writing content ahead of time. If you do this, I still suggest that you write on your schedule. Don't get lazy and say, “I'm not going to write this week because I already have 2 articles that I can use.”

That's fine once in awhile, but you're not really helping your muscle if you make it a habit. Write some content ahead of time for those “just in case” moments, but write them on top of your regular writing schedule.

Challenge: Set a weekly deadline for your blog writing or article writing and meet that deadline every week.

Why You Should Write on a Schedule

Writing on a schedule is like developing a strong muscle. You need to work it, even when you don't feel like it. Eventually, it will get easier to do and will become a habit.

If you want to reach your goals in writing, you need to go to the “gym” on a regular basis and work out those writing muscles!

Why you should write on a schedule.
Lots of people can write. If you can write, good for you, but not a lot of people can write on a consistent basis. Why do you think so many people start a personal blog and write a few posts and get tired of it?

Don't get me wrong, I'm guilty of that. I still do that! I have a personal blog that never gets written on, but I write consistently for a few sites each week.

It sucked at first. I started out very excited about my new writing gigs and then I went through a period where I wanted to give up. My writing muscles were tired!

I kept at it, and I realized that sitting down to write every week was starting to get easier. I developed a process that I could execute each time I needed to write an article. I am at the point where I can use this process for anything I write: articles, blog posts, and products.

If you plan on writing for a blog, you need to work this muscle. If you want to be able to write for publications or need to meet deadlines, you need this!

Tip: The more often you write on your blog, the more often google will crawl your site, which is a great thing for SEO and traffic generation!

If you can discipline yourself to write on a schedule, you'll put yourself ahead of so many other content creators and writers.

You're readers will also appreciate consistency. How much more do you want to visit a person's blog or open their emails if you know they will have fresh and interesting content on a weekly basis?

Make it a habit for your audience to check in with you for new content!

Developing a Writing Process

If you write or blog, it can be beneficial to develop a process that works for you.

Each of our brains works a little bit differently. The writing process that works for me may not work for you. Also, the writing process that you are currently using may not be the best, either.

The one way that I know works to fine-tune your writing process and skills is to write consistently and write often.

It may not feel like you are getting anywhere at first, but eventually something will click and you might change the way you do things so that writing is more effective and more enjoyable for you.

Another way to fine-tune your process is to study the art of writing. Read as much as you possibly can in the topic that you are writing for, and read from other writers about how their process works.

Here are some things to think about when developing your own writing process:

Research
How do you currently research for your topics? What can you do to research more effectively or research more in-depth. Are there angles that you can add to your research that the majority of writers in your genre are not utilizing? Always keep a running list of topic ideas.

Creativity
What is your creative process? Make up a list of questions that you can ask yourself about each topic. Ask yourself what specific spin you can put on your writing that others may have missed.

Structure
How do you structure your writing? Are there a few different writing structures that you can always fall back on if you get stuck? Are they good structures or do you need to find some better ones?

Style
What is your style of writing? Do you even have a style? Developing a style is important if you want your writing to stand out.

Take Advantage of Copy Paste Bloggers and Boost Traffic with Tynt

Cool Tool of the Day:

Do you worry about bloggers and other readers who copy/paste your content without linking back to your website? Or, maybe you have never even thought of it before. If you haven't, you should.

Luckily, there is a simple and effective method for taking advantage of people who copy and paste your content.

What if you could automatically insert a link to your content every time someone tried to use it? Well you can, and Tynt makes it fast and simple.

What is Tynt and What Does it Do?

Tynt is a simple script that you insert within the header tags of your website.

It's main task is simple: Insert a link into any content (text, images, etc) that is copied and pasted from any page on your website.

This makes it easy for people to attribute the source of any content that they copy and paste, and it also guards against plagiarism, making it one step harder for someone to steal your content without citing their source.

But, that's not all Tynt can do. An account with Tynt allows you to track a myriad of stats, including:

• which social channels are most beneficial to your blog
• why visitors leave your site
• what part of your website your visitors find most engaging.

What Are the Benefits to Attaching a Link to Copy Pasted Content?

Attaching a link to your copied content is not only practical in terms of attribution, it's also great for boosting your blog stats in general.

When your work is attributed on other websites, you gain rank in search engines. You can also gain a larger following, as those interested in the content that was copied can follow the link and potentially find even more content on your website that they are interested in.

You are also preventing others from stealing your work, leaving you with less work in terms of tracking down your copied content and asking that the content either be attributed for removed from other websites.

Try Tynt At:  http://tynt.com

5 Simple Ways to Activate Your Creative Writing Mind

Writer's block happens to the best of us. So, what do you do when you really can't think of anything? Try one or two (or all) of these tips to kick-start your creative brain.

1.) Free Writing
All those years of grammar and spelling lesson can get in the way of creative writing. Give yourself permission to spew the contents of your creative mind onto paper (or the computer screen) without worrying about sentences or form of any kind. Here's a good explanation of the concept of free writing.

2.) Boost Your Focus 
Keep yourself on task with an application like http://focusboosterapp.com/

3.) Brainstorming is great for gathering all of your ideas about a particular subject into something you can use, as well as helping you come up with new ideas. This can be done on paper or with free mind-mapping software such as Freeplane or Freemind.

4.) Record your thoughts.
Sometimes, the best way to empty your brain is not by writing or typing. Try recording your thoughts onto an audio file, almost as if you were talking to someone over the phone. I use a phone app for my android phone called Rehearsal Assistant. I can record my ideas and email the audio file to myself, so that I can transcribe the information to text later. Audacity is good for recording audio on your computer.

5.) Change The Scenery
Sitting in front of the computer with a clogged-up mind only contributes to writer's block. Take a break from the computer. Go to one of your favorite spots, like your favorite place to read or daydream. Have a conversation with a friend. Keep a recording device or a pen and paper with you. Studies show that there are different centers in the brain that are worked when writing on paper or having a conversation, so take advantage of these creative gold mines.

Building Your Career As a Writer

Do you want to be a professional writer or author? Many people think that if you want to be a professional writer that you can just sit down and start writing. While that's true in a literal sense, the fact is that in order to really build a career you will need to put in lots of time and effort into getting there.

It takes discipline to be a career writer, as well as time in developing your writing skills to a professional level. Then, it's about building your reputation as a writer and being recognized as a professional. So how do you go about getting started?

Career writing takes discipline

One of the most important things that I have ever done in the development of my writing is to discipline myself to write on a schedule. This tip came to me from a friend of mine who is a published author, and I am very greatful that I have learned to stick to a schedule. Why? Because if you want to be a professional writer then you'll have to be disciplined. If you can't develop this personal discipline to sit down and write, then writing for a career may not be for you.

You can never go wrong in honing your spelling, grammar, and other writing skills regularly. There is always room for improvement, and taking time to develop these skills will show in the quality of your writing. Take a little time each week to brush up on some of these skills. There are many websites and blogs that you can read that are geared toward writers and how they can develop their basic writing skills.Developing your writing skills

Finding YOUR technique and style

 Part of the development process of becoming a professional writer is in finding your own personal technique and writing style. It often comes through lots of trial, error, and practice. Another thing that you can do to work on your style is to read often. Give it some time. Developing a strong personal writing style doesn't happen overnight, and it gets stronger over time.

Places to Start Writing!

Here is a list of places that you can start writing and building your image as a writer. If you have trouble setting goals and deadlines for yourself, look for a place that will set deadlines for you.

BellaOnline - The second largest women's site on the web. BellaOnline is known for it's program that teaches beginners how to become professional writers for the web and publication.

Squidoo - Start building your reputation as a writer on Squidoo, which has a strong sense of community. You can also earn a little extra cash.

Hubpages - Kind of like Squidoo where you write a "hub"

Examiner - Become an Examiner of a specific topic on this popular website. Examiner pays it's writers for the traffic that they generate. They pay very generously with no deadlines to meet.

About.com - Are you a professional in another field of passionate about a topic? See if About.com has a writing position open in your topic.

Free Online Writing Courses from Poynter University

Writing is a profession that can never be fully mastered. There will always be room to grow. So, as a writer, you should always be looking for opportunities to refine your craft. But, that doesn't mean you have to pay money for good instruction, though it's certainly a good option if you are looking for something highly in-depth. There are plenty of free writing classes online to help you write better. 

One of my favorite resources for free online writing courses is Poynter's News University. Poynter offers all kinds of writing courses and seminars, some of them payed, but many of them are free. Most of them focus on journalism, but several of their free courses are geared toward improving your writing in general.

Here are a few notable courses:

Introduction to Reporting: Beat Basics - The basics of how to cover any topic or new section.

Cleaning Your Copy: Grammar, Style, and More - How to edit your copy and make it the best it can be.

The Writer's Workbench: 50 Tools You Can Use - Expand and refine your writing style. Put less emphasis on grammar, and more emphasis on style.

The above courses are just the tip of the iceburg. There are many more great courses to be found. If you are looking for some free quality writing courses, I highly recommend that you check out News University. 

How to Write an Article for the Web in 6 Easy Steps

Some days, writing an article can seem daunting. You don't know where to start, and when you figure that out, you're not sure what to do next. If your brain is really stuck, it may be best to step away from your desk, freshen your mind, and try again later. But having a step by step for your article writing can kick-start you out of that initial writer's block.

1.) Pick a topic

Pick a topic that's not too broad, but something you can easily write 250-400 words about. Anything larger is best broken down into several smaller articles. Need ideas? Keep a running list of topic ideas that come to mind throughout the day.

2.) Write what you know

Before you research, you should write everything you know about the subject. This is important because it let's you get some direction and let's your own words be the voice of the article. It helps to first write everything down in note form, then organize and expand on your notes from there.

3.) Research
By now you should have a good article skeleton to work with. Now is the time to fill in the blanks and check your facts. Most of the time, we need a few more things to add to our article to make it accurate and credible. If you use any major references or information that was not already of your general knowledge, don't forget to cite your source.

4.) Take a break

If your article does not need to be published immediately, take a break. You'll have a fresh perspective when you read it later.

5.) Proofread and spell check

Never publish an article without first using spell check and carefully proofreading your article. Articles on the web with major spelling and grammar mistakes will instantly discredit you and the information you are presenting.

6.) Publish it!

Congratulations, you've written a well-rounded article for the web. Now it's time to publish it to your blog or another website.

Want to publish your articles for thousands of people to see? Want to make money writing about what you love? Try writing for examiner.