5 Classic Writing Tips

 
Good writing advice is timeless, and especially treasured when it comes from a wonderful friend. Nancy Plent, one such friend, came to mind the other day. I met this inspiring lady about 28 years ago. She fostered my writing journey even before I knew I was headed that way. We met when I was searching for homeschooling info. (She was the founder of Unschoolers Network, New Jersey's only state homeschool organization at that time.)

Since we lived 2 hours apart, we got acquainted through phone calls and emails, and before long, Nancy had me writing articles for the Network newsletter and helping with parent support services. Working with her was great fun; not only did she become a good friend, she offered more opportunities to write and build other skills. The experience was priceless. 

Nancy was the one who encouraged me to self publish a booklet for homeschool parents. She offered advice on content, formatting, and marketing. I would not have taken that step had it not been for her support. The booklet eventually became my first book published by a traditional publisher. 

Her advice, back in the days prior to the social media explosion, was spot on. I believe that its classic elements still apply to most any type of writing.

Nancy's Advice

1) Be real.  Authentic, down to earth, approachable - people relate to these qualities. Nancy's friendly, encouraging, and conversational writing style was worth emulating. 

2) Give readers something they need. Content must be appealing, target the right audience, and be user-friendly. Take away value is crucial - readers must be able to apply it to real life. 

3) Use examples. Well chosen illustrations nail your point. Help readers say, "Yes, I can do this!" 

4) Use words efficiently. Well written, concise content is appealing; clutter, rambling, and disorder distracts.  

5) Employ digestible blocks of text. Large sections of text can overwhelm and potentially lose readers. Not that they must be spoon fed a few sentences at a time, but a nice balance can help readers process content. 

Even though Nancy passed away in 2011, it makes me smile to think of the influence she still has on my journey. Timeless, treasured, and worthy of passing along.

Did you have anyone influencing your writing journey before you knew you wanted to write? Do any of Nancy's tips resonate with you?

Happy writing,

Karen 


Photo credit - Free Images

Nancy's Writing Tips

March is Blogoversary month here at Write Now. Year number 6! It's hard to believe that I've been blogging that long. It's been a wonderful adventure, and by far the best part has been the people that I've met. 

To celebrate, I'm hosting a giveaway today. (Details below.) In addition, two author friends stop by later this month and have offered to give away copies of their books. 

I hope you'll indulge me while I reminisce and share about someone (besides my Mom) who helped foster my writing journey. This writing "cheerleader" was found in an unexpected place. I met this inspiring woman about 26 years ago, and our initial contact had nothing to do with writing. I needed info on homeschooling, and my search led to a lovely woman by the name of Nancy Plent. She was the founder of the Unschoolers Network, New Jersey's only state homeschool organization at the time.

We became acquainted through phone calls and emails (we lived 2 hours apart), and before long, I was writing occasional articles for the Network newsletter and helping with parent support services. Working with Nancy was a pleasure; not only did she become a good friend, she offered opportunities to write and build other skills. The experience was priceless. 

Nancy was the one who encouraged me to write and self publish a booklet for homeschool parents. She offered advice on content, formatting, and marketing. I would not have taken that step had it not been for her support. The booklet eventually became Homeschool Co-ops 101, my first book published by a traditional publisher. 

Her advice, even back in the days prior to the social media explosion, is timeless and applies to other writing too, such as articles and blog posts. 

Nancy's Timeless Tips

1) Be real.  Down to earth, approachable, authentic - people relate best to these qualities. Nancy's friendly, conversational, and encouraging writing style taught me a lot. 

2) Give people something they need. Content must have audience appeal and be user-friendly. What info can my reader apply? 

3) Use examples. Well chosen nuggets illustrate a point and help readers say, "Yes, I can do this!" 

4) White space is important.  A balance of text and white space is key for a pleasant reading experience. Clean, clear text is appealing; clutter and disorder distracts. It ties in with #5: 

5) Employ digestible blocks of text. Large sections of text can overwhelm and potentially lose readers. Not that they must be spoon fed a few sentences at a time, but a good balance helps readers process content. 

I am grateful for friends like Nancy who take time to share and encourage. Although Nancy passed away in November of 2011, I still use and treasure her advice, writing and otherwise. 


Blogoversary Giveaway Details

I debated about what to give away as a small token of appreciation for your faithful support and friendship. Chocolate? A sports car? Books? I finally settled on a $15 Amazon Gift Card, since they offer most anything you might enjoy. Except maybe a sports car...

To enter, I need you to do two things:

1) Leave your email address.
2) Be a Google Friend Connect Follower (see Followers on sidebar).

That's it - no jumping through hoops or posting on social media. It's low key because I want one of my actual, faithful followers to win. I don't want someone who stops by just to enter a giveaway. Not that I dislike them; I appreciate their time too, but you've invested more time with me here and I want to express my thanks to you. Make sense?

Deadline to enter is Friday, March 13 at noon Eastern Daylight Time. Winner will be announced on Monday, March 16.


Who has helped encourage your writing journey? What have they taught you?

Happy writing,

Karen


Photo credit: Free Images

Timeless Writing Tips

One of my first writing cheerleaders was found in an unexpected place. I met this inspiring lady about 24 years ago, and our initial connection had nothing to do with writing. I was seeking homeschooling info, and Nancy Plent was the "go-to" person; she ran the Unschoolers Network, New Jersey's homeschool organization.

Over the years we got acquainted through phone calls and emails (we lived 2 hours apart). Before long, I was penning occasional articles for the Network newsletter and working with their parent support services. Working with Nancy was a pleasure; she provided opportunities to write and build other skills. I am very grateful for the experience.

Nancy was the one who encouraged me to write a booklet for homeschool parents. She offered tips on content, formatting, and marketing. I would not have taken that step into self publishing had it not been for her support. It hit me the other day that her advice for the booklet applied to other writing, like blog posts.

What was Nancy's advice?

1) Be real.  Approachable and down to earth - people relate best to these qualities. Be authentic and conversational. Nancy's friendly and encouraging writing style taught me a lot.

2) Give people something they can use. Content must be user-friendly and have audience appeal. What info can my reader apply?

3) Use examples. Well chosen nuggets illustrate a point, and help readers say, "Yes, I can do this!"

4) White space is important.  A balance of text and white space is key for a pleasant reading experience. Clean, clear text is appealing; clutter and disorder distracts. It ties in with #5:

5) Employ digestible blocks of text. Large sections of text can overwhelm and potentially lose readers. Not that readers must be spoon fed with one or two sentences at a time, but, especially with how-to writing, it helps to offer text that is easy to read and process.


I am grateful for cheerleaders like Nancy, who take time to share and encourage. Nancy passed away in November of 2011, and I've been reminiscing and savoring the advice she lent over the years. I learned valuable lessons from Nancy, writing and otherwise. She touched the lives of many, and will be greatly missed. Thank you, Nancy. :)



Who are your cheerleaders? What timeless writing tips have you used today?


Blessings,
Karen
 
P.S. Don't forget my Third Blogoversary Giveaway. There's chocolate! :D   
Check out the details here.

Photo credit: Stock Exchange