Word Wise Blog: Content Writing Made Easy

Nov 20, 2024

Wannabe writer? Say goodby to your biggest enemy

“Where have you submitted your content?” That’s the question I posted to the writers in my Facebook writers’ group.

I expected members to list all kinds of markets. But the responses shocked me, like …

“I don’t know where to find someone who’d want to read my stuff. I’m just a wannabe writer.”

These precious, up-and-coming writers feel like they’re in a battle with a horrible enemy.

Maybe you feel that way too. If so, here’s what to do …

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Nov 19, 2024

Got your year-end online content ready to go?

A year-end online appeal is cheap and simple to send.

With December 31 as biggest electronic giving day of the year (according to some gurus), a year-end online appeal at the eleventh hour makes sense.

Leverage the year-end online rush when you create an email campaign (or short series) to send between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

All you need is ...

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Nov 18, 2024

How to use repetition to persuade

One of the best ways to write persuasively is by repetition – saying an idea more than once.

It’s a simple technique, but not simplistic. There are different ways to repeat an idea in order to persuade your reader and bring her over to your way of thinking. But you cannot write repetitively on auto pilot and expect to be persuasive.One of the best ways to write persuasively is by repetition – saying an idea more than once.

It’s a simple technique, but not simplistic. There are different ways to repeat an idea in order to persuade your reader and bring her over to your way of thinking. But you cannot write repetitively on auto pilot and expect to be persuasive.

Rather, handle with care...

Rather, handle with care.

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Nov 17, 2024

Write your book summary before you start your book

A book summary is the cornerstone of your book-writing process. It offers clarity before, during, and after you write your book.

You can use your summary before you even write one word of your manuscript when you ...

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Nov 16, 2024

When should you write a donor note?

Fundraising experts tell us to write a thank you letter within 72 hours of receiving a gift to your nonprofit or ministry.

Why the urgency? You've got plenty of other pressing matters, such as ...

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Nov 15, 2024

Simple steps to help you write an organized blog post

You want to build your blog.

The problem, you’ve found, is two-fold: (1) organizing your ideas … and then (2) writing a post in segments when you have just spurts of time.

What makes a difference is a blog writing worksheet to follow as you write each post...

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Nov 14, 2024

How to write a Christmas letter that people actually WANT to read

When my husband and I had children, I began to write a Christmas letter each year.

Until that point, I had sent handwritten Christmas cards with a short note. Yes, more than 100 of them every year.

I admit it: Christmas letters had just come into vogue and I didn’t like them because I thought they were too impersonal. But life had become busy and I wanted to keep in touch with far-flung family and acquaintances. Social media had not yet entered the picture. Writing a Christmas letter was a convenient solution...

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Nov 13, 2024

5 ways your email newsletter extends your reach

"Should I start an email newsletter?"

It's a question I hear often from solopreneurs, nonprofits, and small biz owners.

An ezine, also called and electronic magazine or an online newsletter, is published at a regular interval, such as monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly, and is delivered by email to your nonprofit’s readers and subscribers. Ezines help you communicate with your audience, build good will, and add to your donor base.

Here's why email newsletters have such an impact ...

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Nov 12, 2024

6 elements of a successful appeal letter

This appeal letter writing format may appear too simple to be effective. It’s got just six elements.

Don’t be fooled. The formula may be uncomplicated, but it’s overwhelmingly successful in pulling gifts for all kinds of organizations.

There are at least 3 reasons why it works...

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Nov 11, 2024

21 ways to beat writer's block

It’s happened again: I need to beat writer’s block. The cursor blinks. Fear and self-doubt strangle those first words while the page remains blank. My creative juices get jammed and I’m stuck.

You, too, I’ll bet. Writer’s block is a lapse in creativity or motivation. But what’s worse than the blank page is the lie that accompanies it.

The silence of words can cause you to wrongly believe you don’t have any ideas. When you face this lapse at the keyboard, don’t mistake it for ...

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Nov 10, 2024

How to write your opening paragraph

Your writing project has its best chance for success when you write an opening paragraph that zeros in on your topic slant.

Notice I didn’t say opening paragraphs (plural). I said opening paragraph (singular). As in one paragraph – the first.

Your article, blog post, or book chapter is engaging or memorable when it...

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Nov 09, 2024

Can a sci-fi writer teach you about the Christian market?

I wanted to learn to write for the Christian market.

But before I drilled down into a niche, I needed writing experience. So I enrolled in an introductory course to learn the basics about how to write articles.

Lou was my first writing instructor...

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Nov 08, 2024

Gift idea for the girls you know!

When my editor asked me to write a book of fun children devotionals for girls ages 6-9, I saw a perfect opportunity to help young ladies understand that God is their friend.

I knew that God & Me! 3 (ages 6-9) would be part of a series of children's devotionals, but didn’t know then that the book and series would become an iParenting media award winner … and a best-seller ...

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Nov 07, 2024

Got a gig? Here's what to ask your new freelance writing client

Over the years, I’ve made plenty of embarrassing mistakes with freelance copywriting clients.

To be honest, most of my boo-boos stemmed from the fact that I was thinking about selling myself … rather than focusing on how I could help the client. My blunders marked me as an amateur and cost me time and frustration.

On the other side of the coin, if I’m sitting in the client’s chair, I want to be ...

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Nov 06, 2024

Why you MUST master persuasive storytelling

Persuasive storytelling is a writing technique. It uses a story to rouse a reader’s emotions and move him to act.

Once upon a time, facts and reason were headliners in persuasive writing. But no more.

Facts, by themselves, are no longer enough to persuade readers ...

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Nov 05, 2024

How to write the perfect donor thank you letter

A donor thank you letter is the perfect opportunity to cultivate a relationship with a supporter and show she’s personally important to you. Send it immediately (within 72 hours of receiving a gift).

And plan it with care and thought ...

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Nov 04, 2024

Try these 5 opening lines in your fundraising messages

Getting started can be awkward. Especially when writing fundraising messages. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing a formal letter asking for donations or typing out a simple fundraising text. How do you politely ask for donations?

If you feel uncomfortable putting together fundraising messages, then try ...

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Nov 03, 2024

3 reasons you should use visuals in your content

Visual content is an image, graphic, or video.

There are plenty of reasons to use a graphic in an article, on a web page, or in a blog post.

Such as ...

A graphic breaks up your content on the page and ...

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Nov 02, 2024

How your book subtitle pulls in more readers

A good title offers a benefit. A subtitle offers an additional one.

A subtitle is a subordinate heading, added after a title, that gives additional information about the content of the book or article.

Take for example, Gary Chapman’s bestseller ...

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Nov 01, 2024

Free mini-course; Getting Started Writing Devotionals

Use this mini-course, Getting Started Writing Devotionals, and in less than an hour you’ll be writing your own devotional.

And you can enroll in this mini-course for FREE.

I created this course for several reasons. First of all, I ...

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Oct 31, 2024

Use a resume worksheet to build your own resume

“I need a resume.” A resume worksheet solves the problem of what information you need to create one.

You will likely need a resume at various junctures in your life. And if you have a way with words, then friends and family will call upon you to write theirs. Clients, too. (And you can charge them!)

A typical resume - no matter what format you use - includes six kinds of information ...

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Oct 30, 2024

The best lead magnet

If you’re a small biz or freelancer, you’re expected to offer a freebie on your website or blog.

It’s standard operating procedure. But a lead magnet is not the unique temptation for readers that it once was.

But since everyone creates a lead magnet and offers one on their website or blog, can yours stand out so readers actually want to opt in?

Yes! The best lead magnet does one thing. I know this — and you do, too — because ...

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Oct 29, 2024

A simple and powerful fundraising letter template: free download

Oh, how I wish I had this fundraising letter template when I first started writing for nonprofits and ministries!

If you’re a copywriter, ministry writer, or content writer (or want to be one), then writing appeal letters can be part of your bread and butter. Even if you’re a general freelancer, then there’s a good chance you’ve been asked (or will be asked) to write a fundraising letter, whether for a client or for an organization that you support.

Naturally, you'd like to write a good one ...

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Oct 28, 2024

How to start a blog and make money: a beginner's guide

If you’re like a lot of writers, you want to know how to start a blog and make money at it.

For a writer or a creative or an entrepreneur, could there be anything more appealing than The Blogger’s Life? You camp out at your laptop, write a page here and there, post it … and then listen to the Ding Ding as your post generates large deposits into your bank account.

Plenty of people start blogs. Few stick with blogging. And even fewer make money at it. But YOU can.

Here’s a surprise for many who want to solve the "Big Money-Making Blog Mystery": bloggers don’t make money from ...

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Oct 27, 2024

3 short story writing tips from the Master Storyteller

I love these three short story writing tips from the Master Storyteller, Jesus. They’re tucked into Matthew 13 amid six parables, almost as an aside.

1. Jesus always used stories.

He used other methods, too ...

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