How to write more meaningful content part one

byTheCatherine

14.6K followers

10 years ago

A common complaint amongst new members here is the fact that they haven't written anything since they left school. Now whether that is five years ago or 50 years ago they are very much out of practice in terms of writing content. It is true that the more people write the easier they find the process.Quite often first writing attempts are quite wooden. It is difficult to write from the heart when you don't really know what you are going to say.

Judging by my inbox here at wealthy affiliate's there are a lot of you who want to write a book to publish on Kindle or to write electronic book to use as a giveaway in list building or to sell it. Reading between the lines it appears that many of you don't know how to start, or you are overwhelmed by the task in hand! Yet writing good quality e-books is very easy once you know how.

The process can be broken down into very simple steps. The first step is to define why you are writing and what you want your audience to do. Step two is researching the content and how you do this will be based on your answers to step one. Step three is organizing the content in terms of chapter headings. Step four is smoothing the edges and adding the bells and whistles which are the graphics and formatting.

The type of your e-book will define how important it is to draw in your reader as in a story. If your e-book is about learning conversational French and the tone will be quite different from that of a short story. If you are using it as a tool to build your brand you need to elicit feeling in your reader which will in turn lead to a desired action.

Stories are understood by every culture. They draw the reader into a tale that is spun like gossamer thread to pull the reader in. The classic example here would be Scheherazade's tales designed to keep her alive for 1000 nights. But what makes a good story? This training will examine the factors to help you create an e-book or an article.

Before you begin to write, imagine you are leaning against the door jamb in your kitchen and your talking to your son or your next-door neighbour or someone you know reasonably well. You would be chatting in an informal and relaxed style. You would be laughing occasionally or telling a joke. In other words your conversation would not be stilted.

Chip and Dan Heath, are co-authors of are co-authors of "Made To Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die" they unearthed a magnificent pattern within human communication that we can all leverage. They pondered why some ideas persist even though they are false

(The Great Wall of China is the only man-made object visible from space ) and what makes certain information unforgettable (This is your brain on drugs). They came up with the mnemonic: SUCCESS).The stickiest stories, the concepts and ideas that make the most lasting impression, all share these basic characteristics:

Simple (yet profound). Proverbs, maxims, sayings.

Example: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Unexpected. Surprise in the short-term, curiosity and interest in the long-term.

Example: Did you know that a bag of movie popcorn contains more saturated fat than a bacon-and-eggs breakfast, a Big Mac and fries, and a steak dinner with all the trimmings combined?

Concrete. Ditch jargon in favor of metaphorical images.

Example: We want to start a fire with matches, not with a flamethrower.

Keep it real, don't get lost because if you are lost your reader will be lost and confused readers tend not to carry out the required action i.e. click through to wealthy affiliate is to create an account or make a sale.

Credible. Proof or evidence with which the audience can identify, not statistics.

Example:“Before you vote, ask yourself if you are better off today than you

were four years ago?" Ronald Reagan

Emotional. We feel for people, not abstractions.

Example: Charitable donations increase when a donor feels they are giving to

a single needy individual rather than an organization.

Stories. a mental flight simulator. We learn more from rehashing

our own or others.

Example: In the book The Art of the Start, venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki tells the

story of how Microsoft started as a company that specialized in one programming

language for one specific operating system, neither of which are around today. It

drives home his point that entrepreneurs should take aim first at a small niche.

Sequence. Adding a call to action or leaving a gap to be filled in the future.

Example: TV shows have cliffhanger season finales to ensure that you anticipate

the return next season.

Examine examine your writing does it contain all these elements? If not remember the practice makes the process a whole lot easier. But if you forget success then try and remember the writing from the heart. The relaxed conversation with a neighbour style that is not stilted