Last week after I did a live Q&A session, I realized it’d probably be helpful to pull together a FAQ of sorts that puts answers to common writing-related questions all in one place.
Honestly, I don’t know why I hadn’t done this already. *facepalm*
So, without further ado: Here are my quick, short-form answers to common writing questions and links to longer-form reads that answer these questions more fully.
Hope you bookmark this page, share it with others, and come back to it over and over.
How do you find out what your audience wants you to write about?
Well...ask them. Do a focus group with your consistent readers, have one-on-one chats with audience members, or send out a survey that asks your audience what they want to read about from you on a regular basis. I try to do this once every six months or so to keep things relevant.
I talked about this topic in depth on the DYEB podcast.
How do I get ideas for posts out of my head and *actually* written down?
Ask yourself: Why do I want to write this thing? Define your motivation and let that WHY guide you as you write.
Be okay with sharing pieces that aren’t quite perfect. Perfection is the enemy of done.
Get past the “Why even bother?” mentality and just hit publish already.
Commit to writing consistently--you’ll only get better with practice.
Read more on this topic here.
How do you start writing an article or blog post?
First, you need a solid writing brief that outlines all of the important information you need to build your outline. I use a writing brief template to gather the details in one place so I’m sure I don’t forget anything.
From there, start building out your outline. If what you’re writing is for a client, be sure to have them review your outline before diving into the first draft. It’ll save you both time in the editing phase.
When it’s time to write your first draft, let it be ugly. You can polish it up later. Just get something on the page to work with.
What are your best tips for adding humor into your writing?
Being funny in your writing isn’t easy, but here are a few tricks I deploy to make readers snicker:
Use gifs! These can tie in a pop culture reference or illustrate an unfunny topic in a funny way.
Tie in funny dialogue. A scenario with dialogue that’s embellished with unspoken cues and feelings is like having an aside with your readers.
Use typography to your advantage. Bold, italics, and all caps can help you illustrate emphasis and give the reader cues on how to read what you’ve written a certain way.
Reverse engineer copy that makes you laugh and find out how you can do that, too.
Read more on this topic here.
How do I write great headlines/article titles?
I’ve written a lot on this topic! Here are three posts that get into this with actionable tactics:
How can I be a better self-editor?
Once you have a draft that’s ready to be edited, go back through and make these self-edits:
Punch up your title and headings
Ask, “But, why?”
Break down lengthy sentences
Look for non-sequiturs
Read more on this topic here.
How can I get better at the technical elements of writing and become more confident as a writer?
Freshen up with some easy lessons on writing style and grammar.
Try a 30-day writing challenge to practice consistently and build a body of work.
Read more.
Keep a swipe file of writing you love.
Get regular (honest) feedback.
Read more on confidence-building here.
What products/courses free or paid would you recommend to someone who wants to get into freelance writing?
Start by soaking up all the free resources out there you can! There’s a lot of great ungated material at sites like Copyhackers and Copyblogger. Be sure to follow experts in your field on social media as well: they’re likely sharing free lessons/content you can sponge up.
If you need more intensive training, consider reaching out to a writer that’s doing what you want to do (with the clients you want to work with) and see if you can be an apprentice of sorts or have them coach/mentor you one on one. This is great hands-on training and will provide you insights into how they work and what makes them get hired at top rates.
I’ve also put together an extensive list of everything that’s helped me write and freelance over the years.
This article originally appeared in my newsletter, A Cup of Copy. Sign up and get these free tips sent right to your inbox every other Wednesday.