Timeless Writing Tips

One of my first writing cheerleaders was found in an unexpected place. I met this inspiring lady about 24 years ago, and our initial connection had nothing to do with writing. I was seeking homeschooling info, and Nancy Plent was the "go-to" person; she ran the Unschoolers Network, New Jersey's homeschool organization.

Over the years we got acquainted through phone calls and emails (we lived 2 hours apart). Before long, I was penning occasional articles for the Network newsletter and working with their parent support services. Working with Nancy was a pleasure; she provided opportunities to write and build other skills. I am very grateful for the experience.

Nancy was the one who encouraged me to write a booklet for homeschool parents. She offered tips on content, formatting, and marketing. I would not have taken that step into self publishing had it not been for her support. It hit me the other day that her advice for the booklet applied to other writing, like blog posts.

What was Nancy's advice?

1) Be real.  Approachable and down to earth - people relate best to these qualities. Be authentic and conversational. Nancy's friendly and encouraging writing style taught me a lot.

2) Give people something they can use. Content must be user-friendly and have audience appeal. What info can my reader apply?

3) Use examples. Well chosen nuggets illustrate a point, and help readers say, "Yes, I can do this!"

4) White space is important.  A balance of text and white space is key for a pleasant reading experience. Clean, clear text is appealing; clutter and disorder distracts. It ties in with #5:

5) Employ digestible blocks of text. Large sections of text can overwhelm and potentially lose readers. Not that readers must be spoon fed with one or two sentences at a time, but, especially with how-to writing, it helps to offer text that is easy to read and process.


I am grateful for cheerleaders like Nancy, who take time to share and encourage. Nancy passed away in November of 2011, and I've been reminiscing and savoring the advice she lent over the years. I learned valuable lessons from Nancy, writing and otherwise. She touched the lives of many, and will be greatly missed. Thank you, Nancy. :)



Who are your cheerleaders? What timeless writing tips have you used today?


Blessings,
Karen
 
P.S. Don't forget my Third Blogoversary Giveaway. There's chocolate! :D   
Check out the details here.

Photo credit: Stock Exchange

Reflections

March, as you know, is blogoversary month here at Write Now, so I've been in a reflective mood. It's been three great years, and I can't thank you all enough for sharing in the journey. You've added rich, abundant blessings to my life; you are by far, the best blog followers on the planet! 

As a small token of my thanks, I'm having a giveaway (details below). I'd love to send you all some chocolate, but that is not feasible until my ship comes in. In the meantime, we'll have a random drawing to choose the winner, but know that I treasure each and every one of you.

I've also been reflecting on my writing. The catalyst? Reviewing a few old articles, and a booklet that I self published some years ago.  Yes, there's been a fair amount of cringing - I'm fairly sure I uttered things like, "I can't believe I was that wordy," or "Did I really say THAT? Eeesh!" 

Once I quelled my shudders, I realized that it simply means my writing has grown, and this is a good thing. It reminds me of something Lewis Carroll said:

If you limit your actions in life to things that nobody can 

possibly find fault with, you will not do much.

I often aim only for the destination, when really, the journey, with its ups and downs (and lousy writing episodes), is what makes the destination what it is. Writing and life are that much sweeter through growth and lessons learned, don't you think? 

Blogoversary Giveaway Details

 
The prize package includes a handy bound notebook and pen and a delectable chocolate bar. No blogoversary celebration would be complete without chocolate! 

 

To enter, please note the following details:

• You must be a follower and leave a comment, with email address, on this or any post through Friday March 30.
• Gain bonus entries (+1 each) by posting this on Facebook, your blog, and/or Twitter. Please include link with your comment where applicable.
• Open to residents of the United States.
• Deadline to enter is midnight EST, Friday, March 30, 2012. Winner will be notified via email and have 36 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Winner will be announced Monday, April 2.

Thanks again for being a great support to me!

What are you reflecting on? Read any of your old writing lately? Is it any different from your current writing?

Happy writing,
Karen



Photo Credit: azjack2008 at Stock Exchange

100 Follower Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to Lydia Kang and Terri Tiffany, the winners of the 100 Follower Giveaway!

Thanks so much to those of you who participated. I appreciate your support. :)

Comment Policy & 100 Follower Giveaway

 To Comment or Not to Comment...

What's your commenting policy? Do you make a comment each time you visit a blog? Or do you read the post and move on? Do you comment only if you feel like you have something interesting to say or if the post was especially thought provoking?


My thinking is this (you knew it was coming, right?) -  I comment on every post I visit, even if I don't have anything unique or eloquent to say. One exception to this is when I disagree with the topic on the post and cannot think of anything nice to say - you know, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." The other exception is if I am super busy and want to take a peek at the topic and plan to visit later. I don't always make it back, but I try.

I've always viewed comments as a means to tell the blog author that I was there. I know, there are hit counters and all that good stuff, but they aren't as personal as a comment. There are plenty of times that I've not known what to say, been tired, etc., but I figure that even a brief comment saying hello or that the post made me think helps the author to know I visited and valued their thoughts. I also make it a point to be diplomatic, kind, and tactful with my comments. I'd never make a comment that I wouldn't want to see on my blog.

How About Prioritizing?

How do you manage to get around to all the blogs that you follow? This is a daunting task if you follow a lot of blogs. It can also be a deterrent from making a comment. So many blogs, so little time! I've learned to order my visits, particularly when pressed for time, starting with blogs of specific interest and of those who've commented on my recent posts.

The next stops include the blogs of those who may not come around for all my posts, but visit frequently. Finally, as time allows, I visit new blogs, and of course, the blogs of followers who don't comment. Why? Because I value all my followers and understand that not everyone can get to every blog that they follow. I sometimes feel bad that I've had to set this blog hopping policy. I'd love to stop and visit as many blogs as possible, but in order to stay on task with my writing schedule, I have to set guidelines. Otherwise, I might not be able to call myself a writer. And we can't have that, for then I'd be downright grouchy.

So...

Tell us, what is your commenting policy? Have I missed something important? It's entirely possible. Please share your thoughts. If you have any pointers on how to balance blog visiting, writing, and staying sane, please share them as well!

One Hundred Followers Giveaway!

Here it is, a bit of a giveaway to celebrate my recent milestone of 100 Followers. Thank you all for coming along on this blog adventure with me. I appreciate your support, comments, and faithfulness.

This giveaway includes two books, which will be given to two winners.





Book #1 is Somewhere to Belong by Judith Miller.

To read my recent review of this book, click here.

Book #2 is The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen. 


Click on the title for my review.

The first name drawn will receive first choice of titles.



To Enter:

• Leave a comment to this post, include your email address like so: karenelange(at)gmail(dot)com. Entries without email address are not eligible.
• Receive an extra entry by becoming a follower, or by reminding me that you already follow.
• Receive a bonus entry by posting about this giveaway on your Facebook page. Please leave a comment telling me so.
• Receive a bonus entry by posting about this giveaway on your blog. Please leave a comment with the link.
• This is only open to US residents. For those of you who follow outside the US, I apologize!
• Deadline to enter is noon eastern standard time, Tuesday June 8, 2010. Winner will be announced here, and notified via email, and have 24 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Don't forget to leave your thoughts about commenting. I am open to your thoughts and appreciate your input.

Thanks and blessings to each of you! Have a wonderful weekend:)
 

Karen