Our world is full of useful guidelines on how to write for the web. Sensible, everyday guidelines. But, over time, we morph those guidelines into laws. Unbreakable rules that spoil the fun. Sour the adventure. Take writing short sentences, for … [Read more]
The Fight Club Method to Feedback
The eleventh post in The Education of a Writer (TEW) series. This is how the fantasy goes down. You sack my sister’s room, demolish dad's garage, take the entire house by storm before kicking me out of my writing chair. I hit the floor (near … [Read more]
Starting a New Blog? Assume Nothing
Darren Rowse, founder of Digital Photography School, wondered if a post on how to hold a camera was too basic. Was his audience more sophisticated than that? He took the risk, wrote the post, and it became one of his most popular. When it comes … [Read more]
Blog Post Word Count: Is There a Magical Number?
In short, the answer is no, there is not an ideal blog post word count. But there is an ideal number of questions you need to ask yourself before you write. That magic number is 15. [Give or take a question or two, of course.] … [Read more]
This One Copy Trick Beefs Up Your Authority Instantly
The Stanley Milgram shock study is an age-old experiment that demonstrates our habitual response to authority. We, by instinct, obey authority even if the orders from that authority appear unethical. In 2009, nearly 50 years later, Jerry M. Burger … [Read more]
Want a Unique Writing Style? Misuse the Software
My new favorite podcast is Song Exploder. According to the tag line, it is "a podcast where musicians take apart their songs, and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made." The best episode in my opinion (and I think in many) is … [Read more]
Will People Trust Your Copy If You Ignore Their Objections?
Even in a beautiful language like French, "no" still hurts. But objections are a simple fact of the business life. They’re like octopus tentacles — everyone has at least eight of them. Of course this is perfectly natural. Most potential … [Read more]
The 10 Best Rough Draft Shows (So Far)
Online readers are a surly bunch. Mean, lazy, and stupid. I mean that in the best possible way, mind you. And, naturally, I lump myself into that group. See, when it comes to reading online, everyone is mean, lazy, and stupid. Makes you … [Read more]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- …
- 29
- Next Page »