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
I'm betting that that 3 out of 4 of you... Read More
Writing a great deal of articles myself, I see a... Read More
There are many different ways to improve link popularity for... Read More
Don't let overwhelm hold you back- follow this expert advice... Read More
Last time on "Because your articles suck" ? we discussed... Read More
Writing and distributing articles on the internet is one of... Read More
Article authors who use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) keywords to... Read More
One question I get asked all the time is how... Read More
What should be in your article summary? It's otherwise known... Read More
I am often approached and asked, how do I write... Read More
When you create your articles in TextPad format, something like... Read More
Writing dozens, hundreds or even thousands of articles and making... Read More
You've written this wonderful (no question about it) piece of... Read More
Rule number one - You must write ezine articles and... Read More
Ok, today we are going to talk about one of... Read More
Original quotes, when used at the beginning or at the... Read More
Writing articles is one of the best ways to get... Read More
Everyone focuses their web marketing efforts on search engines, and... Read More
Writing for web content is one of the easiest ways... Read More
This article is dedicated to those who are afraid to... Read More
Knowing exactly what an editor wants.Unfortunately, many new writers struggle... Read More
A recent debate started me thinking about how some marketing... Read More
Frequently when I am communicating with other webmasters and I... Read More
Sometimes when I am communicating with other webmasters and I... Read More
If you're sick of being #987 for your best Google... Read More
Are you a reluctant marketer for your book? Do you... Read More
Marketing on a budget is tough. This is a universal... Read More
You've got to start somewhere, but once you've created your... Read More
I've been blogging occasionally over the last two months about... Read More
When I started Ezine-In-A-Box I wanted to help people publish... Read More
In today's busy world, whether your business is large or... Read More
1. Write to one person.When you're writing your article picture... Read More
Anyone who's been in the business for 2 or 3... Read More
"But I've only been on the Internet 3 months! How... Read More
Your publicity dreams may include being featured in Forbes, Fortune,... Read More
Been reading up on SEO? If so, you know that... Read More
It's stunning sometimes how far article marketing has come over... Read More
Find definitions from H to P... ~~~~~~~~~~~ H ~~~~~~~~~~~ Haiku... Read More
A Consultant could be an expert about absolutely anything.Calling yourself... Read More
There are two primary factors in creating a successful reference... Read More
Do you wonder what easy, cheap, and fast way you... Read More
A large portion of your business relies on your ability... Read More
There is no doubt that Spam has affected online business... Read More
Are you looking for a better way to promote your... Read More
If you haven't considered the power of articles as part... Read More
Many successful authors close their mind to learning HTML because... Read More
As of July 1st, the year was half over! July... Read More
Online PR in the form of website and ezine article... Read More
A ghostwriter, as one may think is not a writer... Read More
In order to answer the question I've just asked in... Read More
Who remembers the 1979 movie, The Jerk with Steve Martin?... Read More
Never before in the history of the business of writing... Read More
It's all the rage. It's what everyone is talking about.... Read More
Recently I interviewed Kevin Bidwell of All-In-One-Business.com on some of... Read More
Do you know one of the most powerful marketing techniques... Read More
1. Choose A Topic.You need to choose either a hot... Read More
This is a perennial question among writers and wannabe's. Many... Read More
Writing and distributing articles on the internet is one of... Read More
Being an Internet Article Author is far and away the... Read More
This free way to promote or publicize your book or... Read More
The Whole reason you write those articles is so you... Read More
This has to be the number one thing that most... Read More
A great way for self employed professionals to enhance their... Read More
Ever read one of those web articles written by an... Read More
The Shortest Distance to Your Home Town Enterprise is Over... Read More
Chances are good that the next article or book you... Read More
Article Writing |