Copy Chemist

I realized something recently that I wish I’d understood a long time ago–that worry is not the same thing as vigilance. Sure, we may feel like we’re on guard, preparing for danger, even effectively wrestling with problems by sweating it out. But the fact is that worry doesn’t protect us, deliver solutions or spur us to useful action. It’s a drain and a time-waster. Worry is an empty talisman to hang around your neck.

So what’s the alternative? What tool should we use to keep trouble from overtaking us?  I think it may be the opposite of worry—belief. And I don’t just mean the power of positive thinking. And I don’t mean blind adherence to the law of attraction, with the expectation that, like a cosmic buffet, you can dish up  the exact order you placed with the universe. I’m referring to the great unburdening that comes from knowing you don’t have to go it alone out there, whatever your religious or agnostic position is.  And to the quiet power that comes from knowing the answers are there, as we’re told endlessly from  childhood, if we can just hold still to ask and listen.

So what does this have to do with writing, you might ask? This: writing is one of the best ways I know of to get quiet, to ask and to listen. And so it is one of the best unworrying tools at our disposal. It’s a kind of working meditation. While you go about your work in the coming week, no matter what you’re writing, why not take a few moments to spit out some things you’ve been worrying about. They’ll be less formidable there in stark black and white. And you’ll also get those other good side effects of holding still, while you’re at it.

Thankfully, the amount of resources available to the online writer and researcher increase every day. There are free keyword suggestions via Google Adwords Keyword Tool , Wordtracker’s tool and the All in One SEO Pack for WordPress, for example. But perhaps the greatest weapon in the blogger’s arsenal is Zemanta, a tool available for browsers and, most significantly, WordPress users.

When you plug in Zemanta, it works in the WordPress dashboard, hanging on your every word and responding with images and related articles that constantly update as you go. Drag and drop the suggested links and pictures into your post and  you’ve just created more linkable, licensed content that has been chosen for you as you write. As I’ve been tapping away, these articles have been recommended. A simple click and they are a part of the post:

• New Professional Writing Website Helps Aspiring Writers to Launch Their Career(prweb.com)
• “How Writers Create Their Fiction”: Gail Tsukiyama(gointothestory.com)
• Zemanta – a powerful tool for blog writers..!(dtechwiz.blogspot.com)

The time and brain power saved is considerable, plus you learn as you go and can revise the approach to your subject as the resources displaying in the Zemanta window spur new ideas. It’s an evolving, exciting process, and if you’re like so many bloggers who wonder what of interest they can find to write about on any given day, Zemanta is the steadfast and creative assistant you’ve been waiting for, who also makes it fun. There’s even a handy “reblog” button included at the buttom of the post, as you see on the right, to make it easy for others to send your wisdom onto someone else.

What’s your favorite tool? Let us know!

Writing can be frightening, especially if you’re putting your thoughts down for others to see.  Whether you’re a solopreneur who is representing his or her company in print as well as fact, or a writer of any stripe, the truthfulness of your voice–how real your character is–will pull readers in.

You are your own best character, so introduce yourself to your reader by being honest–not in a literal sense (though preferred),  but by being natural.  The easiest path to authentic writing is to write the way you think, the way you speak. And that takes some practice:

• Journal daily to get a bead on your own feelings and opinions.
• Buy The Autobiography Box. Getting in touch with your past can be a great tool for figuring out what makes you, the main character in your story, tick.
• Try Julia Cameron’s “Morning Pages” exercises to get you unstuck and uninhibited.
• Start blogging! If it’s for your business, great. If it’s about your love of vintage salt and pepper shakers, wow!
• Look for any chance to write for an audience: a newsletter, local paper, commenting on others’ posts–you name it. Being accountable and exposed in print sometimes takes working up to, so start any way you can.
• Show your friends/family. Sometimes it’s best to get feedback from those we feel safest with first (depending on their social skills), so share your work within your circle to gain confidence and advice.
• Have a dictionary/thesaurus and either The AP Stylebook, The McGraw-Hill Desk Reference for Editors, Writers and Proofreaders, or The Chicago Manual of Style (I use all three) nearby at all times.

Just like anything, the only way you get to know your own writing voice is by spending time with it. So whether you prefer to try poetry at your computer or like to write long-hand letters to Aunt Clara, clear some time, get a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, and let yourself go.

Do you have a preferred method of connecting with your voice? Please leave a comment!

Making the transition from an expert in your field who speaks with other experts, to one who writes or speaks about your industry to the uninitiated can feel daunting. But if you are a businessperson with a specialized background who wants to reach out to potential clients and make a connection, it’s important to speak their language. To make sure that you don’t lose your non-specialized audience, follow the “abstain or explain” rule when it comes to using jargon. If you need to use words from your industry—and it’s always important to teach your audience some of your terminology—be sure to define what they mean.

Teaching in any capacity is exciting, so enjoy the opportunity to explain what you do, and allow yourself to be creative. Without the potential criticism of peers and other experts, you don’t have to be as academic or exacting in your language when writing for potential clients and customers—in fact you shouldn’t be. The burden of academic writing in any sphere is the requirement to source and support. Factual assertion should always be accurate and supportable, but the relief of writing for a non-technical audience about your business is that you can talk about your own experience and passion for the subject. Exploring what makes it fascinating to yourself and others—without endless footnotes—should be a pleasure. So relax and enjoy!

What do you think? Leave a comment.

We know that branding is about defining the story of a product, creating a narrative of which people want to be a part. In many cases, like the natural brands that occur out of an individual’s passion (Clif Bars, Burt’s Bees) and become successful businesses, the personal stories are easy to integrate, part of the products themselves. But for those of us who do work that grows out of a place less easy to define to our clients and customers, the task is to find a compelling way to explain how we got where we are. And perhaps, we don’t even know…yet.

Some of us had a pivotal moment occur in our past that made us decide to pursue our line of work. For others, the path to our current employment came subtly, seeming accidental. The inspirational stories that led us where we are (…I knew then I wanted to save lives/make movies/sell houses) are wonderful to have. But the “accidental” arrival at a vocation is never really as happenstance as you might think. Be your own detective now and unravel the path that brought you where you are today. You may be amazed at the connections that are revealed, and the seemingly well-laid plan that brought you to your life’s work, with the skills and the passion you need to be the best at it.

So what IS your story? I’d love to hear it.