Wednesday, 23 July 2014

How to Write a Great Online Article

If you want people to read the articles that you publish online, then you need to do 3 things.

You need to hook them in, keep them reading and spur them into action.

But how do you do this?

Well, although there is no exact science, there are certain things you can do.

And here are the 4 main ingredients of a great online article:

1. A Headline That Gets Attention.
Your headline is important. It's no good writing a great article with a mediocre heading. You'll get far more readers with a great heading and a mediocre article. Headings matter. Make sure yours has a great hook.

2. An Intriguing Introduction.
Your article's introduction must provide the answer to why someone should read your article. Take a look at the opening sentence of this article as an example. It gets straight to the 'why?'.

3. Keep Them Reading.
Once someone starts reading, give them a reason to keep going. Write as you speak (WAYS) to keep them interested. Tell a story. Use numbers, bullets and subheadings. All of these can help.

4. Tell Them What to Do.
Conclude your article with a 'call to action.' Tell the reader what they should do next. Preferably, tell them to buy your book and read it for more information.

And that's all you need.
  • A great hook
  • A reason why they should read
  • Stories and lists to keep them interested
  • A call to action
Put them altogether and you'll have a great article.



Tuesday, 22 July 2014

How to Make Money As An Online Writer

This is what many writers dream of doing; earning money by writing articles and publishing them online. But how can you make money if all you're doing is writing a few blog posts and articles?

Well for a start, you're well ahead of others if you can already write.

Many people dream of earning an online income but can't write.

So here are 3 simple steps to help you earn money online.

Monday, 21 July 2014

Latest Writing News - July 2014

South Africa's Nobel-winning novelist Nadine Gordimer dies
Amazon Tests ‘Kindle Unlimited,’ A Netflix For Ebooks And Audiobooks
Amazon might give readers something to get really excited about: A digital ebook and audiobook subscription service that provides Kindle users with all the content they can consume from a potential library of over 600,000 titles for just $9.99 per month.
http://techcrunch.com/2014/07/16/amazon-tests-kindle-unlimited-a-netflix-for-ebooks-and-audiobooks/


Patreon
Patreon enables fans to give ongoing support to their favorite creators. A place where writers can upload content in return for monthly donations/subscriptions.
http://www.patreon.com

Lady Gaga's Former Assistant Writing Tell-All Book
Jennifer O’Neill has signed with Atria Books to write a tell-all book about the musician. Jennifer O'Neill, who sued the singer for $393,000 in unpaid wages, is reported to have gotten as much as $1 million to spill about working for the singer from 2009-11.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lady-gagas-assistant-writing-tell-719402?

Sherlock Heirs Lose US Supreme Court Test
Justice Elena Kagan dismissed a plea by the Scottish author's heirs, who aimed to delay another writer's ability to use Holmes and his loyal assistant Dr Watson in a new book.

Kagan provided no comment as to why the request by the inheritors of Doyle's literary rights was turned down.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/entertainment/a/24493670/sherlock-heirs-lose-us-supreme-court-test/

South Africa's Nobel-Winning Novelist Nadine Gordimer Dies
Johannesburg (AFP) - South African Nobel Prize-winning writer and anti-apartheid activist Nadine Gordimer, who became an icon through her unique insights into the country's social agonies, has died at the age of 90.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/news/a/24458257/south-africas-nobel-winning-novelist-nadine-gordimer-dies/

22 Lessons From Stephen King On How To Be A Great Writer
In his memoir, “On Writing,” King shares valuable insights into how to be a better writer. And he doesn’t sugarcoat it. He writes, “I can’t lie and say there are no bad writers. Sorry, but there are lots of bad writers.”

Don’t want to be one of them? Here are 22 great pieces of advice from King’s book on how to be an amazing writer:
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/stephen-king-on-how-to-write-2014-7







From Presentation to Pilot to Series + Essential Tools of Writing a Comedy


comedy image courtesy of Stuart Miles FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Have you ever wanted to write comedy but just didn't know where to start or how to write it?

To help you, here are two of the latest comedy writing courses offered by The Writer's Store.

They both have discounted prices, but not for long.

Comedy series are well thought-out worlds constructed to play out over 100 or more episodes. In this webinar, Paul Chitlik will lead you through the process of creating a world, designing characters to populate it and coming up with stories to keep it vibrant and funny. ON SALE! $59.99 (ends 20th July 2014)
From Presentation to Pilot to Series: Get Your Comedy on the Air, Cable, or Net

Believe it or not, being funny is a skill that can be learned. This value pack will teach you how to structure a comedy film and how to create a unique story line that your audience will love. If you want to launch a career in writing comedy, whether it's in a writer's room or selling your script, you need to start with this invaluable collection of comedy writing resources. ON SALE! $59.99
Essential Tools of Writing a Comedy