CONNECT to your readers

You’re a writer. Your job is to communicate. Plain and simple. Your medium is the written word, but ultimately your goal is no different than that of a public speaker, actor, director or motivator – to deliver a message. Some writers communicate well: their readers hang on every word, enticed by building suspense and rewarded with a satisfying conclusion. Others not only lack style and substance, they struggle to be understood. If you want to improve your writing, improve your communication skills.

"My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way."

~ Ernest Hemingway

One of the most difficult situations in which to communicate is during disagreements. While communication conflicts can’t be avoided (trust me, I’ve tried) they can be defused with effective communication. Frank LaFasto and Carl Larson developed The CONNECT Model in their book, When Teams Work Best, as a tool for dealing with this conflict.

Commit to the Relationship

Optimize Safety

Narrow Down to One Issue

Neutralize Defensiveness

Explain and Echo

Change One Behavior Each

Track It

Each small step is a giant leap for empathetic communication and can be applied to all types of communications. Let’s apply a similar CONNECT Model to communicating with your readers.

Consider your reader as you write. It is a solitary process, yet you should never be alone while writing. Imagine your reader in the room with you, providing gentle guidance and feedback. Ultimately this is the person who will purchase your book, so you should work to please them from the beginning. I can hear the complaints now…”but I write for me. If people can’t accept me for me and appreciate what I have to say, then blah, blah, blah.” If you don’t want any one to read your book, then by all means only write for yourself. Otherwise, know who you are writing for.

Outline for clarity. The clearer you can be when communicating the more likely you are to be understood.

Never use two words if one will suffice. The Oxford English Dictionary, 2^nd edition, contains entries for 171,476 words in current use, and 47,156 obsolete words. It would be safe to assume one of those words will be the perfect word for your needs. The true skill of being a writer is finding that word. Scale back for lean writing.

Narrow down your thoughts. Too many supporting characters and subplots can overshadow your main story. Often very simple stories are the most touching. Concise storytelling may appear simplistic however it is quite difficult to achieve.

Edit, edit, edit. Each edit should bring your message into sharper focus. Once you think the work is polished to near perfection, set it aside for a few days. You might be surprised when you return to it in a few days and find yourself wondering “What was I trying to get at?”

Consistency is crucial. Style consistency is a characteristic of a serious and excellent writer. Use appropriate verb tense, subject-verb agreement and consistent point of views.

Take a cue from your peers and mentors. Model the style of writers you admire, take the best practices and make them your own, while maintaining your individual style.

How to Write in a Recession

A recession can actually create new opportunities for freelance writers; especially as traditional publishing companies cut back on staff and look for less expensive labor and distribution channels. More and more content providers are turning their attention to online audiences. The medium is cheap, fast, global and growing.

To be a successful freelance writer, even in a recession, you must possess the following traits:

Effective - An effective on line writer understands online marketing concepts such as: SEO (Search Engine Optimization), keyword density and page rank. They also write for people, not just search engines. The most effective online writers use plain language, with concise words and simple sentences. Online articles, just like their more traditional counterparts, require a hook. List articles are popular, as are: How-To articles, Reviews and Editorials.

Professional – Present yourself in a professional manner, whether in print, on the phone or in person. If you are working from home and need to make a business call, you should do so only when background noise is minimal. Babies crying, dogs barking or a television blaring in the background will detract from your words and your reputation. It is imperative that you proof read every correspondence sent to clients, whether a query, an introduction, an assignment or a thank you note. You want to make sure your last impression is as good as your first. Don’t get too casual or familiar.

Reliable – Deliver the right goods on time, every time. If you’ve been contracted to write a piece on gardening, don’t deliver an article on the history of farming. If the word count requested was 1000, don’t deliver 750 or 2500. If you have questions about the assignment, ask before the deadline. If you deliver the assignment on time but leave no time to make changes, your client will still be dissatisfied. It’s been shown that an unsatisfied customer will tell at least ten people of their experience. A satisfied customer may only tell one or two people, but those one or two are more likely to use your services based on a positive referral.

Ethical – Writing requires a significant amount of research. Depending on the type of writing assignment you have, you may be asked to use statistics, anecdotes or expert testimony. Give credit where credit is due. Cite your sources, double check facts and never borrow another writer’s work. If you are caught plagiarizing the consequences to your reputation, your career and your finances may be dire.

How to Write in a Recession

Set Effective Goals

I'm "one of those" people who think positive thought can create positive outcomes. I also believe in positive action, just in case thought alone isn't enough. I imagine it's like growing a garden. I can wake up and think about flowers growing, their colorful faces turning to the sun, but unless I plant the seeds - I'll harvest only weeds.

"A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow."-George Patton

Over the years I've read several books which emphasize the importance of setting effective goals. According to these tomes of excellence, the "RIGHT" goals are those that are positively stated, measurable and time constrained. I agree, but I also have to say the "RIGHT" goals are those that are right for me.

I have long term goals
To be debt free at age 50
To be healthy and fit
To publish one novel each year
Which are supported by my short term goals
To pay off debt
To exercise regularly
To write every day

It is the action I take today that determines whether or not I'll arrive at either destination.
Take a look at your daily habits and decide if they support your long term goals. If you want to retire at age 50, you need to spend less than you earn TODAY. If you want to be healthy and fit, you need to quit smoking TODAY. Dreaming of a positive future is not sufficient. To guarantee a positive future you must take positive action.

This brings me to the right goals for me. I set a goal each month to do one thing, to change one habit, which will get me closer to my ultimate goals. I've found that taking on too much at once is a recipe for failure, so rather than having a list of resolutions for the new year, I have one resolution for the month.

January - Write 60 minutes every day
February - Walk for 30 minutes 5 times a week
March - Practice kindness each day

It's easy to focus on doing one thing differently. After 30 days I no longer have to think about my new habits, because they're part of my routine.

You are only limited by your beliefs. If you believe you can write a novel, you certainly can, but that doesn't mean you can eliminate setbacks or disappoints along the way. Rather than avoiding setbacks, consider each experience an experiment in success. Only through the process of elimination can you find strategies that work.

If you're struggling to achieve your goals, consider this approach.

"The Universe is responding to you in your NOW. So whatever you're feeling right NOW means that is what you are sending out vibrationally right NOW, which means that is what you are attracting to yourself right NOW, which means your future is FULL of a bunch of stuff that is gonna feel pretty much like right NOW feels." Abraham-Hicks

More Tips for Writers
Tips to be More Productive and WRITE MORE!
Writers - Plan for Your Success

Freelance Writers

Everywhere you look these days, the news is dire –
President Bush signed a bill to bailout failing banks to the tune of $700 billion.
Wall Street had a staggering blow on Monday (Sept 29) when the market dropped 778 points, the greatest one day fall in history.
Families are losing their homes and many predict jobs will follow.

But I do have some good news. Freelancing is a wonderful opportunity to generate income, independently. You don’t need to be a victim to the whims of corporate America or Wall Street.

There are freelance workers in various fields. As a freelancer you are self employed, paid per job rather than hourly or salary. Companies that downsize during difficult times still need work done. Hiring an independent contractor (freelancer) to complete a job will generally cost less than employing a worker due to overhead expenses such as: healthcare, paid time off, Social Security taxes, equipment, utilities and work space. As a freelance worker, you can earn more per job because of the considerable cost savings the company enjoys. Of course it is then up to you to pay for your own healthcare, equipment, utilities and work space.

Hiring freelance workers is also appealing to start up businesses that don’t have the capital to hire and house many employees.

Take a moment to assess your strengths and experience. How could you capitalize on these qualities? For me, the answer was clear.

I have always loved to read, which grew into a love of writing. Ideally I’d sell my novel, become an overnight sensation and earn piles of cash. Unfortunately that hasn’t happened (Yet!) so while I’m waiting, I’ve found other markets for my writing.

There are literally millions of outlets for freelance writers; news publications, magazines, ezines, web sites, newsletters, ebooks, grant proposals, and more. Depending on your interests, experiences and skills you could earn a very lucrative income, even when the rest of the world is in financial chaos.

The best time to start is now.

1) Create a blog or website where you can feature your work. Fortunately you don’t need to be a technical whiz kid to accomplish this. There are several blogging communities where you can set up a blog for free, such as: Wordpress or Blogster. You don’t have to know any programming language to set these up, just point and click. Squidoo, Hub Pages and Peoplefuel are also free sites where you can post articles, plus they have revenue sharing for ads displayed. This can add up to dollars a day, so it’s definitely worth considering.

2) Focus on a topic of interest, one in which you have prior experience or a desire to learn about it. Here are just a few examples: Remodeling your home, training a pet, overcoming shyness, collecting baseball cards. No matter what topic you choose to write about make sure you’re passionate about it. It is much more difficult to write about a topic you have no interest in.

3) Commit to writing an article each day. These articles will showcase your style to prospective clients. I mentioned several free resources for posting articles, and you’ll want to take advantage of a few of them. If you post in multiple locations you benefit in two ways:
1) Creating back links to your primary site
2) Reaching new audiences.

4) Join forums for writers and participate in the dialogue. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Writers, in my experience, are open and willing to mentor those who ask for help.

5) Search job boards and bid on work when you’re just starting out. The rates are usually low, but you can fill out your portfolio and gain confidence.

6) Once you’ve established yourself as a freelance writer, market directly to businesses. You have to think of your writing as a business. Every successful business must know their customers’ needs and fulfill those needs. You’ll probably spend 80% of your day marketing. This includes networking with business owners and/or employees, building relationships and asking for business and referrals. Create a habit of marketing by sending out at least 3 marketing queries a day, whether via email, a cold call, a postcard, etc.


Freelance writing is rewarding work, but it is work. It requires dedication, time and energy to be successful.


How to Write Articles