Mining Your Experiences for that Article or Book

Chances are good that the next article or book you read is based on the author's experience. In each publication, the author doesn't just relate his or her experience, but explains the benefits that he or she derived from it, such as lessons, suggestions and concepts.

So, if you are looking for something to write about, consider what has been happening to you lately, and how you have responded. For example, have you successfully resolved a situation with an effectively written complaint letter, been offered a job as the result of a great resume, began a successful home business, built something practically from scratch, become more resilient and successful after being fired? All of these experiences have potential for saleable articles and books.

But how do you start? Begin by taking inventory of all of your recent experiences. Next to each experience, write down an audience who might benefit, such as students, salespeople, jobseekers, entrepreneurs, or parents. Most likely, if your chosen audience is likely to have a similar experience, it would be an ideal audience. But don't stop there! List other possible audiences, such as investors, and perhaps a reason or two for their interest in your article or book.

Once you've chosen your audience and experience, it's time to milk that experience. For example, what mistakes can you help your audience avoid? What have you done successfully that can be duplicated by your audience(s)? What lessons did you learn and can share with your audience(s)? Remember that helping others to satisfy basic needs, such as the need for love and security, can suggest other directions and help you to put a new spin on common topics.

If your experience includes writing successful business letters, for example, you may have just enough material for an article. On the other hand, if you wish to explain in steps how to recover and prosper from a recent job loss, you may have plenty of material for a book!

The next step involves writing out your experience in more detail, from beginning to end. Doing this will give you material to refer to as well as select certain details from. How did you feel at the time? What were your initial reactions? How were others affected? What was the outcome? Would you do the same thing in a similar situation or not, and why?

If you have enough material for an article, create a working title, write a short introduction that may or may not include an anecdote, relate your experience and conclude with the lessons learned. Remember to check the magazine that you wish to write for and look at its articles, paying attention to their topics, introductions and content.

On the other hand, if you have enough material for a book, create a working title and a list of ten or more chapter descriptions. Remember that each double-spaced, typewritten chapter should consist of 15-20 or more pages. When you have done this, you will have an outline of your book. It might also be a good idea to decide how your book stands out from other published books on the same topic.

As in other writing, describing your experiences and explaining the lessons learned from them may take a little practice and time. But you are more likely to find a plethora of material to write about and see quicker results once you've submitted your work. Good luck in all of your efforts!

Dorothy Zjawin's published works have all been based on her experience as a teacher and college professor. She has included more ideas in her website at http://www.profitable-pen.com

---

Article Queries That Sell

Queries are not written like business letters or emails; they... Read More

Writing Articles, But Still Not Getting Traffic? Your Articles Suck ? But I Can Help! (Part 2)

Last time on "Because your articles suck" ? we discussed... Read More

8 Sources To Research Awesome Article Topics

Writing articles is by far the most effective online promotion... Read More

Writing For Dollars -- A Freelancers Guide

If you have writing skills and want to use your... Read More

Article Marketing Benefits Online Retailers

Strategically developing online content helps to ensure a small-business owner's... Read More

There is an Article Deep Down Inside of You Just Looking to Bust Out

The Most Economical Way to Advertise online is to Submit... Read More

Do You Know the 7 Essential Parts that Make Up a Resource Box

The Whole reason you write those articles is so you... Read More

Internet Marketing: Secrets of Writing Keyword Rich Articles in Six Easy Steps

Determining keywords is a critical step in writing articles online... Read More

Smart Writing and Layout Styles for the Web

If you write web content, it may be a mystery... Read More

Articles and Internet Branding: 5 Steps to Success

Are you ready to become an internet marketing expert? Are... Read More

Writers Block Begone

Back when I was in college, I belonged to one... Read More

How To Increase Your Chances of Getting Your Article Published

Publishers and webmasters can spend massive amounts of time just... Read More

5 Simple Ways To Get Ideas For Awesome Articles!

1. Participate in chat rooms related to your targeted audience.... Read More

Letters to the Editor: Having Your Say

Writing a letter to your newspaper's editor is a privilege... Read More

Writing Articles - Six Mistakes To Avoid

Not writing articles yet? You really should try it, if... Read More

15 Questions To Instantly Help You Write A Tips Booklet

1. What is the single most compelling subject from your... Read More

Dont Just Sit There, Write A Newsletter Article

Need traffic? Write an article.Need sales? Write an article.Need Your... Read More

Five Tips to Write Winning Web Articles

Looking for another no cost promotional tool? Your fee will... Read More

Increasing Web Traffic With Original Articles

The name of the game as far as Internet marketing... Read More

Content and Articles to Improve Revenue

It is important for all webmasters to realize that if... Read More

Reward Those Who Publish Your Articles!

It is pretty obvious that content is king online. It... Read More

Seecrets on Website Promotion: The Hard Truths on Writing Free-reprint Articles

This author started with a clean website and wrote 5... Read More

Marketing Articles: Promoting Your Site Twice!

I recently became aware that promoting your web site in... Read More

How To Master Article Writing To Get More Traffic

If you are starving for traffic, can't seem to consistently... Read More

How To Write and Publish A Successful Ezine Article

The ezine article is of major importance to the world... Read More

Reprint Articles Hijacked by Text Link Ads - Great for Authors!

We all know that online publishers earn revenue from our... Read More

Why Article Writing is Increasingly Important in This SPAM Era

There is no doubt that Spam has affected online business... Read More

Stop Struggling and Write Your Article - Part II

Don't let overwhelm hold you back- follow this expert advice... Read More

How To Write Effective And Unique Articles That Are Optimized for the Search Engines

It is a well known fact that writing, distributing and... Read More

Want to Put Your Names on My Article?

There's a new sort of ghost stalking the digital landscape.They... Read More

The Best Place To Submit Your Articles

If you've spent any time online trying to promote your... Read More

Why a Good-Quality Photo Should Accompany Your Articles

I'm betting that that 3 out of 4 of you... Read More

Where to Get Great Ideas For Your Next Article

There are times when I want to write an article... Read More