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What is writer’s block?

Well, I just can’t think of a single darn thing to say. Oh well, I’m outta here!

Sound familiar? No! Oh, get real! We’ve all experienced this phenomenon when we absolutely have to
write something, particularly on deadline. I’m talking about. . . . .uh, I can’t think of what the word is .
. . oh, yes, it’s on the tip of my tongue . . . it’s:

WRITER’S BLOCK!!!!

Whew! I feel better just getting that out of my head and onto the page!

Writer’s block is the patron demon of the blank page. You may think you know EXACTLY what you’re going to write, but as soon as that evil white screen appears before you, your mind suddenly goes completely blank. I’m not talking about Zen meditation stare-at-the-wall-until-enlightenment-hits kind of blank.

I’m talking about sweat trickling down the back of your neck, anguish and panic and suffering kind of
blank. The tighter the deadline, the worse the anguish of writer’s block gets.

Having said that, let me say it again. “The tighter the deadline, the worse the anguish of writer’s block
gets.” Now, can you figure out what might possibly be causing this horrible plunge into speechlessness?

The answer is obvious: FEAR! You are terrified of that blank page. You are terrified you have absolutely nothing of value to say. You are afraid of the fear of writer’s block itself!

It doesn’t necessarily matter if you’ve done a decade of research and all you have to do is string sentences you can repeat in your sleep together into coherent paragraphs. Writer’s block can strike anyone at any time. Based in fear, it raises our doubts about our own self-worth, but it’s sneaky. It’s writer’s block, after all, so it doesn’t just come and let you know that. No, it makes you feel like an idiot who just had your frontal lobes removed through your sinuses. If you dared to put forth words into the greater world, they would surely come out as gibberish!

Let’s try and be rational with this irrational demon. Let’s make a list of what might possibly be beneath
this terrible and terrifying condition.

1. Perfectionism. You must absolutely produce a masterpiece of literature straight off in the first
draft. Otherwise, you qualify as a complete failure.

2. Editing instead of composing. There’s your monkey-mind sitting on your shoulder, yelling as soon
as you type “I was born?,” no, not that, that’s wrong! That’s stupid! Correct correct correct correct?

3. Self-consciousness. How can you think, let alone write, when all you can manage to do is pry the
fingers of writer’s block away from your throat enough so you can gasp in a few shallow breaths? You’re not focusing on what you’re trying to write, your focusing on those gnarly fingers around your windpipe.

4. Can’t get started. It’s always the first sentence that’s the hardest. As writers, we all know how
EXTREMELY important the first sentence is. It must be brilliant! It must be unique! It must hook your
reader’s from the start! There’s no way we can get into writing the piece until we get past this
impossible first sentence.

5. Shattered concentration. You’re cat is sick. You suspect your mate is cheating on you. Your electricity might be turned off any second. You have a crush on the local UPS deliveryman. You have a dinner party planned for your in-laws. You . . . Need I say more. How can you possibly concentrate with all this mental clutter?

6. Procrastination. It’s your favorite hobby. It’s your soul mate. It?s the reason you’ve knitted 60
argyle sweaters or made 300 bookcases in your garage workshop. It’s the reason you never run out of Brie.

FACE IT ? IT’S ONE OF THE REASONS YOU HAVE WRITER’S
BLOCK!

How to Overcome Writer’s Block

Okay. I can hear that herd of you running away from this article as fast as you can. Absurd! you huff.
Never in a million years, you fume. Writer’s block is absolutely, undeniably, scientifically proven to be
impossible to overcome.

Oh, just get over it! Well, I guess it’s not that easy. So try to sit down for just a few minutes and
listen. All you have to do is listen ? you don’t have to actually write a single word.

Ah, there you all are again. I am beginning to make you out now that the cloud of dust is settling.

I am here to tell you that WRITER’S BLOCK CAN BE OVERCOME.

Please, remain seated.

There are ways to trick this nasty demon. Pick one, pick several, and give them a try. Soon, before you even have a chance for your heartbeat to accelerate, guess what? You’re writing.

Here are some tried and true methods of overcoming writer’s block:

1. Be prepared. The only thing to fear is fear itself. (I know, that’s a clich?but as soon as you start
writing, feel free to improve on it.) If you spend some time mulling over your project before you
actually sit down to write, you may be able to circumvent the worst of the crippling panic.

2. Forget perfectionism. No one ever writes a masterpiece in the first draft. Don’t put any
expectations on your writing at all! In fact, tell yourself you’re going to write absolute garbage, and
then give yourself permission to happily stink up your writing room.

3. Compose instead of editing. Never, never write your first draft with your monkey-mind sitting on your shoulder making snide editorial comments. Composing is a magical process. It surpasses the conscious mind by galaxies. It’s even incomprehensible to the conscious, editorial, monkey-mind. So prepare an ambush. Sit down at your computer or your desk. Take a deep breath and blow out all your thoughts. Let your finger hover over your keyboard or pick up your pen. And then pull a fake: appear to be about to begin to write, but instead, using your thumb and index finger of your dominant hand, flick that little annoying ugly monkey back into the barrel of laughs it came from. Then jump in ? quickly! Write, scribble, scream, howl, let everything loose, as long as you do it with a pen or
your computer keyboard.

4. Forget the first sentence. You can sweat over that all-important one-liner when you’ve finished your piece. Skip it! Go for the middle or even the end. Start wherever you can. Chances are, when you read it over, the first line will be blinking its little neon lights right at you from the depths of your
composition.

5. Concentration. This is a hard one. Life throws us so many curve balls. How about thinking about your writing time as a little vacation from all those annoying worries. Banish them! Create a space, perhaps even a physical one, where nothing exists except the single present moment. If one of those irritating worries gets by you, stomp on it like you would an ugly bug!

6. Stop procrastinating. Write an outline. Keep your research notes within sight. Use someone else’s
writing to get going. Babble incoherently on paper or on the computer if you have to.

Just do it! (I know, I stole that line from somewhere?). Tack up anything that could possibly help
you to get going: notes, outlines, pictures of your grandmother. Put the cookie you will be allowed to eat when you finish your first draft within sight ? but out of reach. Then pick up the same type of writing that you need to write, and read it. Then read it again. Soon, trust me, the fear will slowly fade away. As soon as it does, grab your keyboard ? and get writing!

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The press release was first introduced in 1906 by Ivy Lee, who is often referred to as the first real public relations practitioner. At that time, Lee’s agency was working with the Pennsylvania Railroad, which had just fallen victim to a tragic accident. Ivy Lee convinced the company to issue the first press release to journalists, before other versions of the story got out. He used a press release to invite journalists and photographers to the scene and provided their transportation.

Since that time, the press release has become the most common way of informing the press of an event or action that will happen or has happened or is in progress. Press releases used to be primarily faxed to news rooms, but more and more they accept e-mail press releases, so you may be able to send it either way. After you send the press release, it is very important to call and follow-up.

Follow these 10 tips and you’ll be sure to have your press release published.

1. Make sure the information is newsworthy. Anything you write must capture your reader’s attention right off the bat — this is especially important when writing a press release. Reporters receive hundreds of press releases each day. The only way to make sure they actually read yours is to grab their attention right away.

2. Tell the audience that the information is intended for them and why they should continue to read it. If you can address a problem they encounter on a regular basis, they’ll keep reading.

3. Start with a brief description of the news, and then distinguish who announced it, and not the other way around. The news is the most important piece, followed by who is announcing it.

4. Ask yourself, “How are people going to relate to this and will they be able to connect?” Make sure you’re addressing a problem or issue that most people face. If you do this successfully, people will be able to easily relate to what you are saying.

5. Make sure the first 10 words of your release are effective, as they are the most important. You must grab the attention of the reporter first and then your reader.

6. Avoid excessive use of adjectives and fancy language. Keep your language clear and concise.

7. Deal with the facts. Don’t include opinions or things that can’t be substantiated.

8. Provide as much contact information as possible: individual to contact, address, phone, fax, email, Web site address. Don’t make the reporter search for your information — they don’t have the time!

9. Make sure you wait until you have something with enough substance to issue a release. Again, make sure your announcement is newsworthy.

10. Make it as easy as possible for media representatives to do their jobs. Give them all the information they need to just publish it. Don’t leave questions or make them call you — they’ll move on.

One of the best ways to inform your customers and potential customers about your business is by submitting press releases. The key to getting them published is grabbing the attention of the reporter. Follow the tips listed above and you’ll ensure your press release stays out of the trash can.

Laurie Dart, author of the Everyday Guide to Writing Wisely, provides writing and editing services, including press releases, to entrepreneurs and small business owners. To get your FREE list of tips for writing winning sales copy, visit http://www.writingwisely.com.

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by Karon Thackston © 2007, All Rights Reserved

It’s one of the worst things to ever happen in the search engine copywriting field: the discovery of keyword density. I won’t venture off into a discussion about whether keyword density is still a valid measure of search engine optimized (SEO) copywriting success. I will say, however, that the mere introduction of this concept led to the mutilation and destruction of innocent copy all across the globe. Without any regard to flow or customer experience, website owners around the world began shoving keyphrases into their copy like wild men. The results have been disastrous! Otherwise wonderful content has been utterly destroyed. This slaughter of innocent copy must stop!

All joking aside, the realization several years ago that keyword density was a factor in search engine rankings instantly transformed the landscape of copywriting for the engines. That lone concept lit a fire under people who absolutely butchered their copy for the sake of the engines. A pity really because it doesn’t have to be that way.

Keep It Sounding Natural

One primary goal is to write copy so that the keyphrases are virtually undetectable when read by someone with no knowledge of SEO. One vital step in making this happen is to carefully research and select your keyphrases.

If you’re writing a page about wedding gowns, it would be complicated to include keyphrases such as “wedding reception music” or “wedding caterers.” The amount of traffic these terms might bring would be offset by the awkward fit with the focus of your page. Instead, opt for phrases that lend themselves directly to the topic of wedding gowns.

One common mistake many site owners and newbie copywriters make is to replace every single instance of a generic key term with one of their chosen keyphrases. Doing this in moderation is certainly acceptable, but frequently copywriters get carried away with tragic results.

For example, you would not want to have the following copy on your site:

Spanish Villas For Rent

If you are looking for Spanish villas vacations, search our site for the best deals in Spanish villas. No other Spanish villas site has the selection of premium Spanish villas with the most sought after locations that we have. View some of our Spanish villas pictures or take virtual tours of our Spanish villas today.

Whew! I get tired just reading that! Not only is it extremely annoying to read, but also many of the phrases are used incorrectly, making it look as though there are typos on the page. Not a pretty sight!

To keep your copy sounding as natural as possible, you need to think outside the keyword box. Most often, people believe that writing in a similar manner as the example above is the only way to use keywords in copy. Not true! In fact, far from it.

Let me share three of my favorite tips with you for creative writing with keyphrases.

Don’t Use Keyphrases To Describe Your Products/Services

That’s right, I said DON’T use keyphrases to describe your own products or services. Instead, use them to describe what your product or service is not, or what it is similar to or what it is better than.

An example of this is any keyphrase that begins with the word “cheap.” “Cheap insurance,” “cheap sunglasses,” “cheap software” — the list is endless. It’s simply not a good idea to call your own product cheap. Yes, I understand that people are looking for cheap things, but that is because they don’t want to pay a lot. When THEY call your product cheap, it is in relation to price. When YOU call your own product or service cheap, it degrades the product or service’s perceived value.

Instead, let others know that your product is NOT cheap. For example:

Unlike cheap travel insurance offered by other underwriters, our policies have provided long-standing, publicly held companies with a history of exceptional customer service. You get affordable coverage and peace of mind.

The phrase is highly relevant to the page, you get to attract lots of visitors, and the copy is set to convince them that “cheap insurance” isn’t what they really wanted after all.

How about this one? I got an email from a student asking me how to use the phrase “doggie litter box” in his copy even though that was not what he was selling. His product was a replacement for the doggie litter box, so I suggested he use the phrase in exactly that way. Here’s what I would have done:

Here’s a great solution for that messy doggie litter box. Attractive, compact and easy to use even in the smallest apartments, [Name of Product] is destined to replace the doggie litter box forever!

See? You aren’t calling your product a litter box; rather you are positioning yourself against it to show how you are better.

Add A Word

Another frequent stumbling block for SEO copywriters is the use of phrases that seem to end abruptly. In these cases, simply add a word to the end. Here are two examples.

The phrase “web design for small business” seems out of place because, most often, we would use the plural term (small businesses) when we were writing. To correct the problem, just add a plural word to the end of the phrase. Perhaps you might talk about web design for small business startups or web design for small business owners. You get the idea.

Break It Up

When the phrases get too long, it is often best to break them up. Search engines don’t pay attention to standard punctuation marks or line breaks. They read right through periods, commas, semi-colons and the like without hesitation. That means you have a lot more flexibility than you might think.

One keyphrase I had to work with was “Texas Hill Country real estate.” That would get pretty cumbersome if it were left as it is seen there. But by breaking it up with some punctuation, it sounds perfectly natural. Here’s how it can be done.

There is no more beautiful place than the Texas Hill Country. Real estate listings in this area are filled with stunning homes that :

Do you see what happened? I broke the phrase up using a period. In the eyes of the search engines the phrase is still intact. They don’t even notice the period. That period, however, causes the reader to take a mental pause and helps alleviate any repetitive feel to the copy.

If you take the time to look at SEO copywriting as an art rather than an assembly line task, your content will sound more natural, will convert better and will help prevent further additions to the already overcrowded collection of tortured copy everywhere!

Having trouble with natural keyword use in your copy? Karon's guide <a href="http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword">How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy)</a> can help with 11 easy ways to incorporate keywords. Get it today at <a href="http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword"> http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword</a>.

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