The More I Read, the More I Write

I wear several hats...

Therefore, I have built and maintain three different websites. One is my own domain; a site where people can learn about Hal Aaron, the entertainer (that’s me!), see photos, check out audio/video clips, peruse my song list and read testimonials. The content practically writes itself, because “I yam who I yam” and of course, my knowledge of the subject is infinite. However, there’s only so much a potential client needs to know.

Another site is my Sketch Videos & More website. I use this to help prospect for clients who are looking for help advertising their businesses online. It describes what I do, how video and social media can benefit their business and serves to demonstrate my creativity, again through video and audio samples.

The third is a niche site aimed at Stuff for Baby Boomers. This is my greatest challenge, because, as a niche site, it breaks all the rules of affiliate marketing. The Baby Boomer niche is a very, very, very, very (you can add a few more 'verys' if you like) broad niche

You would think that finding stuff to write about for baby boomers would be a walk in the park. But it get’s quite difficult at times, especially because it’s a one man show, and I probably need a small staff to run it properly.

It’s like this… Have you ever gone into a diner? You sit down,you were quite hungry when you walked in, you thought you knew what you wanted. But then, your server hands you the menu. It’s got 6 laminated pages of - breakfast served all day, sandwiches, entrees of beef, chicken or seafood, salads, sides, appetizers and deserts. All of the sudden, you're just not that hungry, so you just order a bowl of soup and a piece of cheesecake.

Well, for me, it’s like that. When I sit down to write, I have a lot of ideas swimming around my brain, but nothing completely formulated. When I get into that mode, all of my thoughts get bottlenecked on their way to my fingers and I end up not writing anything. I find the best remedy for me when this happens is reading. The more I read, the more I write, and the better i write, too!

When I go into reading mode, it’s with the mindset to not even attempt to write for a few days. I just read. I read other baby boomer websites and resources for seniors, recent copies of AARP Magazine, my Google+ Daily Newsletter, etc. Also, unrelated books, magazines and articles. Somehow, after a few days of reading other peoples content, the words and ideas begin to marinate, spin and formulate and gel into new articles that are my own. A few days later, I sit down to write, and I seem to have much more focus and clarity.

Through the training here, i have come up with a game plan that has helped me a lot using a combination of the Daily Alert - Google Digest and the Press It plugin. It helps me narrow my focus when I add new articles to my blog. If you’re interested, comment below and I’ll create a lesson on how I come up with content without plagiarizing other blogs out in cyberspace.

Write on!