Twenty years ago, I wrapped up my BA in English flat broke and not sure where I was headed, but I knew I’d find a job as a writer.

I didn’t know exactly what kind of writer or where, but that’s what I went to school for, after all. I was self-confident, optimistic, and high on post-graduation positive thinking. I was sure I’d find an entry-level position of some sort, somewhere.

I figured I’d get my start at a newspaper or a magazine—I had my eye on Rodale (think Men’s Health, Prevention, and Organic Gardening) since their headquarters were in the next town over.

My favorite journalism professor’s wife was one of their high-ranking editors, and I was sure his recommendation would get me in like Flynn. After an hour with him on the phone, my mood was somber.

I had no published clips. No related experience. I had worked full-time through most of my college years, but it was in retail or restaurants. I just hadn’t had the time to write for publication, and none of my advisors had suggested I ought to find the time—or how.

It didn’t matter that I had aced all my writing classes and graduated with honors, he told me. The competition was stiff, and two years of editing graduate-level theses on the side didn’t even get me in the door.

Five years later—now with an MA in English under my belt—my plan was crystal clear. I would teach at the community college and freelance on the side.

I had always dreamed of freelancing; working at a newspaper or a magazine was just an avoidance tactic, I reasoned, a way to hide from my insecurities. Optimism soared. I knew I could do it.

Reality soon set in: teaching part time netted me $2 an hour—if that—after all the time I spent planning classes and grading stacks of papers at home. I stuck with it for a few years, but I was exhausted, and freelancing was scary. I had no idea what I was doing, despite reading countless books, and though I had some success, I wasn’t getting anywhere soon.

I wrote well enough, but I had no idea how to run a business—and freelancing is a business, after all. I couldn’t teach and write at the same time, so I hung up the professor cap and took a break from everything to travel and work on my poetry.

Fast forward to 2010. Marriage, divorce. Two dogs and three cats to take care of. A brief, optimistic stint in real estate which got me a house of my own, a mortgage, and not much else. A freelance career limping along with a couple of blogs in the background. Another confident, cheerful attempt at a “regular” sort of job, this time in sales management.

I tried to write, but I had bills to pay. So I did some thinking instead.

Optimism, positive thinking, and believing in myself just wasn’t enough.

I needed help. Sure, I needed to constantly work on improving my craft, but I needed help with the business side of things. That’s where the problem was.

The sales job was a bomb, and I quit just a few weeks before the store closed. It was now or never. The only thing I truly knew how to do, the only thing I ever wanted to do, and the only thing I’ve ever loved doing was writing and editing. Throw some tech stuff in there for good measure.

It was freelance or else. So I jumped ship from the world of “regular” work forever.

Since then, I’ve figured out all sorts of stuff. Blogging and writing for other blogs. Setting up and designing blogs. Ebook writing, layout, and design. Self-publishing. Social media. Running a business as a copyeditor and occasional freelance writer. But I’m only breaking even, and I know where my stumbling block is once again.

It’s the business and planning side of things.

Early in 2010, I discovered Chris Guillebeau. I was intrigued by his blog that focused on writing, traveling, and making a living doing it. As an avid traveler myself, I signed up for updates just as he launched his Empire Building Kit.

I bought it, and I studied the advice he sent every day in email for a year, among other things. Six months later, I got his first book, The Art of Non-Conformity, and I met him on his book tour.

“To Leah,” he wrote on the inside cover. “Grab the bananas!”

I was trying. Darn things were up pretty high, though.

The book was good, and I enjoyed it. It confirmed much of what I was doing and where I was headed, and I got some great tips. But I needed more. Something more specific.

Two weeks ago, an advance copy of The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future arrived at my door.

After all the reading and searching I’ve been doing in the last two years, I finally have the blueprint I need for the journey I’m on, all wrapped up in an easy-to-read, 285-page hardcover book.

The $100 Startup isn’t just a book—it’s a whole course complete with checklists, specific steps and instructions, countless charts that can be easily reproduced, toolkits, strategies, and key points at the end of each chapter.

Fifty case studies add real life drama. Real people I can relate to: young people just starting out and men and women just like me: mid-life and older, doing what they love and getting paid for it.

Some of them dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur from an early age. Others followed the usual success prescription until they were out of a job and had a family to support.

Who would think that a desperate move to sell mattresses from a car lot could turn into a respected business that’s different from the usual mattress warehouse?

Custom wedding dresses. Microsoft Excel spreadsheet templates. Bookkeeping and tax preparation. A retail yarn shop, maps, a diet and recipe planning guide, interior design services, a weekend retreat for artists.

No matter what your skill or product is—even if you don’t know what it is yet—you can turn it into a business.

From the introduction:

This blueprint does not involve secrets, shortcuts, or gimmicks. There are no visualization exercises here. If you think you can manifest your way to money simply by thinking about it, put this book down and spend your time doing that. Instead, this book is all about practical things you can do to take responsibility for your own future. Read it if you want to build something beautiful on the road to freedom.

Chris has been successful at what he’s been doing—making a living through writing and blogging—and I know he’s got plenty of optimism. But that’s not what got him where he is today.

He didn’t get to success because he’s had lucky breaks or friends in high places. He didn’t start out with a lot of money; if he had, he wouldn’t have been selling coffee on eBay or volunteering in West Africa as he once did.

His success is the result of hard work and specific steps, and plenty of failures along the way, just like anyone else. There’s no secret to success, no magical formula, no way to make it happen with positive thinking, prayer, beseeching the universe, or concentrating on our intentions to manifest abundance.

Hard work, smart work, and ongoing work is what it takes.

Hard work is what got Chris Guillebeau to where he is today, and it’s what gets anyone anywhere, including the 50 entrepreneurs he features in his book.

But when you love what you’re doing, you might not even think of it as work.

The $100 Startup encapsulates everything I’ve been studying—and then some (OK a lot)—for over two years from many different sources. In a way, much of it isn’t completely new to me because it’s either plain old good business sense or I’ve seen bits and pieces of it in blog posts, articles, and online courses over the years.

But it caters to the online entrepreneur or solopreneur who has something to sell. And that’s where it’s different. It’s a completely unique business model. It’s not the theory, it’s the practice, meticulously laid out so it’s easy to follow and easy to get to work right away.

As a writer and a blogger, The $100 Startup is exactly what I need. But it’s for anyone who wants to find some freedom, some meaning, some fulfillment, and a way to help people and make money doing it.

If you’ve been floundering like I was or wondering how to take it to the next level—which is exactly where I’m at right now—this book is invaluable, and if you have any desire to start your own business, it’s the best investment you’ll ever make.

Optimism isn’t enough. Thinking about something isn’t enough. Confidence and believing in yourself isn’t enough. Envisioning something doesn’t cut it.

Practical steps? A plan? Now we’re talking.

If you’re unhappy in your current job but you’re scared to leave—or you don’t even have a job or you’re struggling with your business—get this book.

Even if you don’t know where you’re headed, you’ll be in business soon.

Prediction: online entrepreneurs will be seen as a key element in turning the economy around. But you need to start with a plan, and here’s one you won’t ever regret following. I know I won’t.

This is one of those things I just have to let you know about because it’s so exciting.

Starting Monday, April 30th at exactly noon EST, the doors open at Only72.com for exactly 72 hours.

There’s just one very special product for sale: a package with over $1,000 worth of digital products plus a physical book, all at 90% off.

The sale ends Thursday, May 3 at noon EST.

Every package will include Chris Guillebeau’s new The $100 Startup in hardcover shipped anywhere in the world for free.

I’m very happy to have received an advance copy of the book, and I’ll be doing a review next week. I’m about half-way through, and it’s brilliant with lots of new stuff from Chris, including a focus on 50 intriguing case studies.

I have a few pages bookmarked already because the ideas, information, or inspiration are just great, and I want to return to them (hint: very helpful for my own business!).

Here’s what you get at the Only72.com sale—but let me say this first.

I’m familiar with the work of almost all of these people geniuses. Plus I have most of Chris Guillebeau’s books or have taken his courses over the last few years.

This. Is. Good. Stuff.

If you have any interest in rocking your entrepreneurial, business, or blogging world, or you just want to get a taste of what the best of the best are offering, this is a deal you don’t want to miss.

$1000 worth of products at 90% off? Do the math. Plus you get The $100 Startup in hardcover—delivered free of charge anywhere in the world.

OK here’s what you get:

The $100 Startup (hardcover with shipping included) and all of these fine products, listed by category:

Better Blogging

Corbett Barr—Creating, Marketing, and Designing A Blog That Matters
Susannah Conway—Blogging From The Heart (ebook version)

Passion-based Business

Jonathan Mead—Identifying Your Passion Module + Workbook
Scott Dinsmore—Live Off Your Passion (lite)

Freelancing

Ashley Ambirge—You Don’t Need A Job, You Need Guts
Men With Pens—Freelancer Package: Unbelievable Characters, Guest Posting Guide, Beyond Brick & Mortar ebooks

Confidence & Courage

Johnny B. Truant—Tao of Awesome
Marianne Elliot—30 Days of Courage (with Yoga Module)

Selling & Advertising

Pam Slim—Ethical Selling That Works
David Risley—Double Your Ad Income

Technology & Systems

Joshua Kaufman—The Personal MBA Guide to Small Business Infrastructure
Free The Apps—How to Make iPhone Apps
Brett Kelly—Evernote Essentials

Artists & Writers

Alyson Stanfield—Turning Your Hobby into a Career (download & audio program)
Chris Guillebeau—Unconventional Guide to Publishing

*****

Just Chris’s Unconventional Guide to Publishing and The $100 Startup alone are well worth the price of the entire package—and look at all you get. Amazing.

Remember, the Only72.com sale starts Monday, April 30 at 12 noon EST (New York time). It ends Thursday, May 3 at noon EST, and once the doors are closed, that’s it.

Go get it.

By the way, I’m proud to be an affiliate, which means I only recommend products to my readers that I can personally stand by. In this case, I’m not only standing by it, I’m jumping up and down on the rooftops waving Chris’s new book around and shouting out the link for this sale. So to speak, anyway

Comments or questions are always welcome.

A New York Times blogger notes that, on some occasions, an unusual word is just the thing writers need to capture and communicate our message, and we should eschew the ordinary word when an unusual phrasing better serves the purpose.

“Still, when a fancier word keeps popping up in spots where a down-to-earth alternative is readily available, it can draw undue attention to itself. We may seem to be trying too hard.”

If we cultivate a garden of roses, would we plant a giant redwood tree in the middle? Or, since such a tree takes many years to grow so tall, let’s ask ourselves instead whether we would plant a rose garden around that stunning redwood.

Setting aside the shade, for a moment, that the roses might not thrive in, perhaps the redwood tree is the perfect complement to the roses. Its enormous height and girth might create a lovely focal point much like a beautiful statue invites the eye to the garden from a distance.

But if we want garden visitors to pay close attention to our roses and not only learn the difference between a floribunda and a grandiflora but also fully appreciate the meticulous arrangement, vibrant colors, and heady scent our roses emit, then we should consider whether this is, in fact, the best location for a rose garden. Or a redwood tree.

Who are we writing for? Ourselves? Or our readers?

If we write only to please ourselves, we can choose any words we wish. We can grow roses with a giant redwood—if that makes us happy—whether the arrangement is a winner for our visitors (and our roses) or not.

But when we write for ourselves, we’re just practicing mental masturbation. If we don’t care whether our message is understood by our readers—or whether we have any message at all—we can do as we like. Anything goes, of course, if we only wish to please ourselves.

If we write to satisfy only a reader, our audience, on the other hand, we’re robbing ourselves of our own satisfaction. At the extreme end—pumping out mindless drivel for content mills, say—we prostitute ourselves.

The best match between writer and reader is that of two lovers who know each other well.

The writer offers a consistent repertoire and rhythm for reliable results, but she spices her work skillfully for that sudden ah-ha moment or sweet surge of delight.

In turn, the reader quickly falls in step with the writer’s tempo but welcomes pleasant surprises that bring him to new levels of understanding or awareness.

But like an ill-placed redwood tree in a rose garden, a lover’s sudden, unusual move made with little consideration for her partner might not only ruin the mood but also could damage the relationship.

We might do well to ensconce Sequoiadendron giganteum with Rosa californica in a multifarious rosarium en plein air. But a tall evergreen tree surrounded by colorful roses in an outdoor garden would also be quite nice.

In an article about managerial techniques and effective leadership, a writer compares “toughness” on one end of a spectrum with “being more touchy-feely” on the opposite end.

Given workplace restrictions on both touching and feeling, I stopped to consider what this writer might mean.

“Touchy-feely,” in my experience, is an expression used sarcastically by people who scorn emotional expression. It’s slightly derogatory, and it suggests behavior that goes beyond someone’s comfort level.

Touchy-feely defined at The Free Dictionary:

1. Marked by or emphasizing physical closeness and emotional openness: became uncomfortable when the group therapy session got too touchy-feely.

2. Based on sentiment or intuition, especially to the exclusion of critical judgment.

Oxford Dictionaries:

informal, often derogatory

openly expressing affection or other emotions, especially through physical contact: touchy-feely guys calling home to talk baby talk to their kids

characteristic of or relating to touchy-feely behavior: such touchy-feely topics as employees’ personal values

Urban Dictionary:

When someone is all over you, touching and feeling.

To be touched and felt with/without your consent or knowledge. Usually committed in jail, prison, all boy schools, concerts, dates, award ceremonies, church, and my house.

Perhaps compassionate, fair-minded, or empathetic would communicate the writer’s intention more accurately than touchy-feely. But “tough and compassionate” is thought by many to be an ideal leadership trait:

“At the White House…Bush sought to strike a tough but compassionate tone….” (The Washington Post)

“Tough” has many definitions at Oxford Dictionaries such as confident and determined, strict and uncompromising, strong enough to withstand adverse conditions or rough or careless handling, and notorious for violence and crime.

Overly aggressive, cold and uncaring, or hostile might have been this writer’s intended meaning, but what he or she meant by either “toughness” or “touchy-feely” isn’t clear.  Since there are many other, more authoritative and specific articles readily available, I’ll approach this site with caution should it come up in a search again.

Careful word choice is essential to effective communication, especially when writing for blogs or websites. An international readership indicates that what is easily understood in one part of the world—or in a particular group or neighborhood—may have little meaning, at best, in another part of the world.

At worst, our words may convey completely unintended meanings or no meaning at all.

How would a non-native, non-fluent English reader understand “touchy-feely?” In German, several online translators such as Google and bab.la offer gefühlsduselig or überempfindlich which translate back to mushy, oversentimental, slobbery, overemotional, smarmy, hypersensitive, effusive, exuberant, and maudlin, among others. Is that what the writer intended?

Touchy-feely sounds like groping, if you ask me, and better a tough boss than a smarmy one.

Comments are welcome.

Is important to right good. That means spilling, grimmer, and stuff like comas an prods. Donut truss spill chick. It don’t have no problem wit nun of this wards or wren I spiel the name of my counter like this: Untied Stats.

A spell check program is useful as a tool, but it’s not a solution or a substitute for careful proofreading.

When I’m writing, I use spell check as an immediate alert to fingers accidentally hitting the wrong key. I also use spell check when I’m editing a document with many simple typos and spelling errors; it’s a quick clean up that saves time, but it’s only a preliminary step.

Spell check cannot be used to differentiate between accidental misuse of words or misspellings of a word that result in a correctly spelled word used erroneously.

Some common errors that slip through spell check include it’s and its. Their, there, and they’re. Two, too, and to. Form and from.

Use  a spell check tool in word processing programs, email, and other applications, but remember: it’s just a tool.

It’s important to write well, and that includes spelling, grammar, and punctuationsuch as commas and periods. Don’t trust spell check. It doesn’t have a problem with any of these words or when I spell the name of my country like this: United States.

The headline is catchy, and it promises a reward when I click on the link in the email. Just last night, in fact, I was thinking about this topic, and it’s definitely something I need to work on. I’ve read plenty of articles written by this guy, and he knows his stuff.

Eagerly, I click. Eagerly, I start to read. My eyes move quickly from left to right, left to right, left to right, left to right and down, down, down. My hand reaches for the mouse to scroll further down the page. Dark gray type sprinkled over white blurs together without meaning, like so much chicken scratch: back and forth, back and forth.

Click. Done. Good-bye. I can’t read it.

Believing that Internet readers are busy people, often with attention deficit issues who read at a 7th or 8th grade level and generally scan blog posts rather than read every word, a trend has developed. The goal is to cater to these readers by making blog posts short, simple, and “scannable.”

It’s a good thing gone way too far.

Avoiding a wall of text with few paragraphs is a good thing. Keeping paragraphs relatively short and highlighting important information with lists, bold fonts, or subheadings works. Presenting ideas and advice in a series of single sentences does not work.

The post that I just tried to read is spread out all over the page.

My mind wants to grasp organized chunks of information and ideas—not single sentences—in an orderly fashion. I want something easy to read and understand, but this writer is asking me to digest 61 single sentences with full spaces in between.

Each of five sections—intended as containers for ideas and a nod at the concept of paragraphs, I assume—has a bold subheading, which is good. But underneath each heading are three to six separate sentences that almost suggest a formatting problem that the writer isn’t aware of (or even a browser problem on my end). This after an introduction with 22 single sentences in three sections that could have been presented as four or five easy-to-read paragraphs.

Dude, close it up. Organize related information and ideas in short paragraphs.

This is not freestyle poetry time. We need order, and 863 words spread out in 61 single sentences just doesn’t work. Use your subheadings as a guide for 9-10 paragraphs or so with a few sentences standing alone for emphasis—not 61 sentences that make my eyes do much more work than I’m willing to have them do.

Please. I really do want to read what you write.

This technique might work for some—and I’ve seen it lately on a couple of popular blogs—but if it’s not working for me, it’s not working for others. And I suggest that we think carefully before adopting this as the latest and greatest way to improve our writing style.

Comments are always welcome.

Subtitle: Avoid everyone, everybody, nobody, and no one unless you’re 100% sure of your facts or you’re in marketing. Why? Because there’s almost always an exception.

Case in point: Seth Godin’s blog post Talker’s Block. In the first paragraph, he establishes his argument by asserting that “no one ever gets talker’s block.”

“No one” immediately raised a suspicious eyebrow.

Someone had shared it on Google+, and just that first line made me wonder whether it was worth reading. My crap detector goes off when I see statements like that because what follows may or may not be a valid conclusion or something worth reading.

I’ve never followed Seth Godin much, but I’ve read a few of his pieces here or there, and I’m well aware of his shroud of blogospheric deification.

Curious, I checked the post out later, and although he offers some solid advice about writing, I mulled over how many quiet, mindful souls looked askance at this statement as I did:

The reason we don’t get talker’s block is that we’re in the habit of talking without a lot of concern for whether or not our inane blather will come back to haunt us.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had talker’s block many times.

Have you ever attended one of those big, local networking luncheons all by yourself? I have, but it’s not often you’ll find me at events like those because I usually get talker’s block. Striking up a conversation with total strangers I know nothing about isn’t easy for me.

I usually get to the point of introducing myself, shaking hands, and hoping the person will be the chatty type, but I rarely have any inane blather of my own to offer. I usually hang out with the talker’s blocked folks standing self-consciously along the walls, smiles frozen on their faces, because it’s much more comfortable for me to socialize with other similarly stricken people at events like these.

At least the quiet folks won’t offer up inane blather, and sometimes really interesting conversations develop albeit at a slower pace than those in the rest of the crowd.

If you’re in marketing—and Seth Godin is—then by all means make liberal use of such words as everyone and everybody, nobody and no one.

Everyone wants a new BMW! Everybody is talking about Main Street BMW! Nobody wants to drive that old car! No one but you will know it’s pre-owned!

Um, I don’t, I’m not, I don’t mind, and of course they will if they know anything about BMWs.

Surely Mr. Godin won’t suffer from his post being used to illustrate a practice most of us would do well to avoid (to cause offense, directly or indirectly, is not my intention). It’s even possible he used a false premise knowingly rather than belabor the reader with less definitive word choices such as “few” or “not many” rather than “no one.” And surely no one who lacks experience with talker’s block will notice.

Comments are welcome.

Last year at this time, I was going crazy. Not the you’d-better-see-a-doctor kind of going crazy.

I was just going crazy trying to figure out how to create an ebook on my own—without hiring a designer or making any major software purchase.

Some of you might remember that time.

I’m handy with just about anything related to layout and design, since I spent a lot of time doing newsletter and brochure layouts on PageMaker years ago. I have an old version of Photoshop, and I know all the basics. I also have Gimp, and I’ve used Illustrator, FrontPage, Dreamweaver, and you-name-it.

There was no reason why I couldn’t design and create my own ebook. The writing part certainly wasn’t any issue.

The problem was that I didn’t know where to start or end or how to design and create an ebook—at all.

I spent about two months of my spare time searching the Internet, studying the layout of all the ebooks I owned or could find, and playing around. I finally figured it all out after many, many hours of intense focus and sometimes frustration.

I bought Adobe Acrobat for the PDF file creation, I did the design and layout in MS Word, and I created a simple cover using both Gimp and Photoshop. It turned out OK. Many of you have Everybody’s Guide to Proofreading and, although feedback has been awesome, the design just isn’t as nice as I’d like it to be.

If Kelly Kingman and Pamela Wilson had created the eBook Evolution last summer I would have been in heaven.

But the universe is looking out for me because I’m not only creating a new ebook over at my other blog, Peaceful Planet—The Peaceful Planet Manifesto—but I’m also expanding and redesigning Everybody’s Guide to Proofreading.

And instead of going nuts trying to put together a half-decently designed ebook on Word—which works but it’s very limited— and then importing it to Acrobat to create the PDF file, I’ll be using FREE open source software: OpenOffice. I’ll also use one of the templates from eBook Evolution and select a cover design from one of 20 expert, customizable designs in the eBook Evolution’s Cover Recipe Book.

Life just keeps getting easier. Somehow, when we’re on the right track with our lives and our work, things just snap into place.

The eBook Evolution gives you everything you need to create a beautiful ebook from start to finish with OpenOffice. You can do all your design work, even the cover, right in one of the OpenOffice programs which is a lot like Word but much more robust—and much more stable.

With eBook Evolution you get:

• 41 pages of guidance on choosing a topic and writing your ebook

• 2 OpenOffice templates

• 2 instructional screencasts

• 11-page instructional guide

• 20 cover design recipes

• 68 pages of launch strategies for marketing your ebook

• 2 inspiring interviews

• 2 bonus ebooks on brainstorming and staying productive

You’ll learn everything about creating an ebook like figuring out your goal, generating ideas, organizing your ebook, and all the elements of design including titles and graphics.

The “Quick Start Guide” takes you right to what you need whether you’re completely new to writing, design, and ebooks or already familiar with design and OpenOffice but need help writing and selling your ebook.

You can learn more about it right here and get your own copy.

The “Launch Guide” features 68 pages packed with information and tips for launching and marketing. As a graduate of the A-list Blogging Bootcamps and Chris Guillebeau’s year-long Empire Building Kit (read more here), I’ve been along for the ride on more ebook launches than I can count, and I can say with confidence that this guide wraps it all up and then some.

Plus, Kelly and Pamela know that everyone is different and we all have different approaches:

Perhaps you want to create a huge wave of buzz and momentum to swell your list of prospective buyers. You might have no qualms reminding them every day for a week that your eBook is on sale and the price is going up in a day or two. But it’s OK to be on the mild side, too. Just know that since your techniques are more subtle, it may take a little more time for people to develop an appreciation for your offer. You may reach your sales goal over a longer period, rather than within a short, crazy sprint of a few days.

This comprehensive guide comes with loads of links and resources, too, and no matter what your goals and style are, you get step-by-step instructions from start to finish.

I’m really excited about getting started on The Peaceful Planet Manifesto—I already designed a possible cover with the eBook Evolution’s “Cover Recipe Book,” and I’ve chosen my template and loaded it on OpenOffice—now I just have to pop in the text. The templates are much more than just templates, too. They’re filled with instructions and tips for everything that needs to be done.

And with Kelly and Pamela’s many years of design and writing experience backing me up, I know my upcoming ebooks are going to be fabulous.

You can buy the eBook Evolution for $147, and it comes with a 30-day money back guarantee.

If you’re thinking about writing an ebook—or maybe you’ve already written one but paid a designer to do the layout—you may want to seriously consider getting this guide and doing it yourself.

I wish I had the eBook Evolution last summer. But life happens in strange ways. I truly believe that when you need something and it’s the right time for you, it will be there.

I’m proud to be an affiliate for this product and I’m also a fan of both Pamela and Kelly. I’m thrilled about this fabulous resource they’ve created, and I can’t wait to show you my results.

Comments are always welcome.

I’ve never had writer’s block. I almost always have more topics to write about than I can keep track of. I’m a compulsive writer, and I’m constantly seeking an outlet even if it’s not for one of my blogs or paid work.

There have been times, though, that I hardly wrote at all. It wasn’t writer’s block (though I’m not sure what that is, exactly); it was too much going on in my life. While in college—all eight years—it seemed like I was always studying, writing for a class, working, sleeping, or eating. I hardly had time for anything else. At other times, I was just preoccupied and stressed, and writing fell to the wayside.

When I don’t have time to think freely, I don’t come up with much to write about.

When we’re busy with all the busy-ness of life, our minds get filled with clutter. Writers need relaxed time and space to not only process what already took place, but also to mentally play around and let concepts, images, and ideas float freely until they gel.

Even if I have a specific topic to write about, words don’t come when I’m super busy with other things.

If you’re struggling to get something out on the paper or screen only once in awhile, taking a break can help. Take a walk, a brief nap, or meditate. Change scenery, play some favorite music, or catch up on some mindless tasks that don’t require much mental energy.

If you’re stuck more often than you’d like, what’s going on in your life? What can you cut out?

When you have free time to think, dream, and imagine, make sure you have something handy to take notes, because it’s sure to come pouring out.

Have you dealt with writer’s block? Share your tips!

Most writers want to improve their craft, especially beginners. But many of us don’t know where to start or what, exactly, we should improve.

A writer’s group or classes in which you get feedback and support from other writers is ideal. Online friends, forums, and networks are also good. But there’s plenty you can do on your own, and you can start right now.

1. Read, read, and read some more.

It doesn’t matter what you read, as long as it’s high-quality professional writing. Pay special attention to writing in your niche or genre (if you’re a blogger, read other blogs;  if you want to write a novel, read novels). Observe, absorb, and learn about your subject.

2. Subscribe to blogs about writing, like this one.

One of my favorites is Daily Writing Tips, but I also like Write to Done and Men with Pens. Choose a few that you like (here’s a good list) and read them regularly.

3. Revise, edit, and proofread your work carefully.

Ask friends and fellow writers for honest feedback, and make changes that make sense. Read your writing critically a few days, weeks, or even months later, and polish it up.

4. Read other writing critically even while enjoying the content.

Why is it so good? Imitate the style or cool tricks in your own way. What doesn’t work, and why? Look for errors, and if you’re not sure, look it up. It’s a great way to learn.

5. Bookmark dependable online resources and use them.

Here are a few I like:

Grammar Girl

Purdue Online Writing Lab

Oxford Dictionaries: Better Writing

GrammarBook.com

Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus

Writing improves best by writing (and reading). Keep at it! If you have something to say, and if you want to write it better, you’re already in a great place.

Comments and questions are always welcome. Oh, and don’t forget to subscribe to Eagle Eye and get your free copy of Everybody’s Guide to Proofreading!