Get Some New SEO Transition Words!

I'm no SEO expert, but I've done my fair share of SEO writing over the past few years. As a writer, I'm more concerned with the readability of a site than some of the other technical aspects.

For some of my clients, I work directly in Wordpress. Specifically with the Yoast plugin. One of Yoast's main gauges of readability is transitions words.

On their website, Yoast offers a sample list to help writers. However, their list is very limited.

Recently, I've been working with a client to fill out and optimize their new site. I've spent many hours sifting through other people's writing, adding transition words as I go to meet Yoast's criteria for readability.

After many pages of this site, I quickly got tired of using the same transition words over and over. A simple search brought me to this post on Bloggerspedia. This is an excellent and extensive list of transition words and phrases. If you do any SEO writing, I highly recommend this list for keeping variety in your writing while also hitting Yoast goals for transition words.

Are You a Serious Writer? How Can You Know for Sure?

Ever wondered what sets serious writers apart from all the others? Kelton Reid offers five fundamental things.

Are These Really Grammar Rules?

Ever been told not to end a sentence with a preposition? Who told you that? Why did they tell you that?

In her article, GRAMMAR PURITY IS ONE BIG PONZI SCHEME, June Casagrande (author of Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies and Mortal Syntax) explains that despite what the grammar 'experts' say, some things are merely stylistic choices.

Getting Stuff Sold Through Real Estate Writing

I've done a fair amount of real estate writing over the past few years for both residential and commercial clients. For almost 2 1/2 years, I was the content manager for a local real estate agency. I wrote loads of real estate stuff for them. I've also written a good bit for freelance clients like BCZ Homes, Green Efficient, and Nest Home Solutions. 

Here's an article I wrote last fall for Mindflash, a training company which lists tips for training real estate agents. 

Learning From My Writing

As a professional writer, I don't know everything about every subject my clients want me to cover. So when I write an article for a client, I spend time researching so that I can write intelligently about the topic. For example, I'm not a finance guy, but if I'm writing about money and finance, I do research.

This brings me to one of my favorite things about writing for a living. I am always learning new things. And I'm not just learning, I'm learning things that I probably never would have even dreamed of learning if I wasn't being asked to write on the subject. 

My newest client, Brad at Progressive Health, has tasked me write articles on health issues, specifically regarding health, medications and dietary supplements. And already, I've learned a lot. Below is the first article I wrote on ADHD and Acupuncture. 

As I learned from my research, acupuncture is as effective as powerful meds like Ritalin for treating ADHD. And without side effects to boot! Give it a read!

My path to becoming a better writer

Reading this article by Duncan Riach entitled How to Become World-Class at Anything made me think about my journey to becoming a paid, professional writer.

My path to writing for a living took twists and turns. In the article he talks about regular practice without focusing on the result (in my case I don't focus on the result until it's time to share the work with my clients).

Years of this type of practice freed me up to write better.

I've been writing professionally for 5 years. At the beginning, I was a solid writer who could do research, assimilate ideas and construct sentences without errors. I created coherent articles. Yay for me!

Yet if I compare my writing from 5 years ago to my writing now, there's a significant difference. I've refined my process, found a style and discovered a voice all while improving my mechanics.

One of the best resources, which I've featured here a few times, is Elements if Style. The book contains immensely helpful advice like Omit Unneccesary Words and Focus on the Unit.

More than any advice, method or how-to, my improvement as a writer largely came the old-fashioned way - through practice, repetition and hard work. I've spent many many hours stringing together words. I've spent many more hours reading books with a critical eye towards things like sentence structure, phrasing, word choice, punctuation and many more things.

I love writing, but love isn't enough. Like any relationship, I want my partner, in this case my writing, to be as great as it can possibly be. That's why I continue to practice and consider my writing skills a work in progress.

Elite City, Dubai

I've done a fair bit of real estate writing over the past couple of years. One of my most recent clients is one of the more interesting ones that I've ever had. Elite City in Dubai develops luxury towers and sells apartments. I've ghostwritten a few posts for them in the past month. Here they are!

Traveling With Monkeys featured article

One of my newest clients, Traveling With Monkeys recently featured one of my articles on their site. Check it out!

Jonas C's new bio

Jonas C., a Malaysian born, Australian-based photographer recently hired me to rewrite his bio. Check it out!

What are My Favorite Books?

I write for a living, but I read for pleasure. For me, books are more than a way to pass the time. They let me make the most of my time. Books are more than an escape from the real world. They help me make sense of the real world.

I always have at least one book to read. If not, I feel lost, like I don't know what to do with myself.

Right now I'm reading several books: The Runner by Patrick Lee, Earth by David Brin and Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (re-reading). I also just finished The False House, the second book in James Stoddard's trilogy and plan to start the third book, Evenmere, soon. Plus I read the Bible almost everyday.

As a lifelong reader, I have no idea how many books I've read in my entire life. While most of them are forgotten, there are some that stick with me. They revisit me from time to time. They haunt me, in good ways. They are the standards by which I judge all other books and stories. These are the ones I call favorites.

Some are books from my childhood. Over the years I've realized that not all of them are great. For example, I read A Wrinkle In Time when I was 9 or 10. After re-reading it a couple of years ago, I really didn't enjoy it as much. It was good, but not as good as I remember. However, as a child, it captivated me entirely, which is the whole point of a good story.

At any rate, below are some of my favorite books of all time (in no particular order). Know that I will add to this list as other books comes to mind, so whatever list you're reading is the latest.

• The Dark Tower (entire series) - Stephen King
• The Stand - Stephen King
• It - Stephen King
• Interview With a Vampire - Anne Rice
• The Vampire Lestat - Anne Rice
• Tale of the Boy Thief - Anne Rice
• Perdido Street Station - China Mieville
• The Scar - China Mieville
• The Sparrow - Marie Doria Russell
• Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
• 2001 - Arthur C. Clarke
• Rendezvous with Rama - Arthur C. Clarke (quite possibly the most perfect sci-fi book ever written)
• Justice and Her Brothers (series) - Virginia Hamilton
• Lord of the Rings trilogy - J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
• A Wrinkle in Time - Madeline L'Engle
• The Rook - Daniel O'Malley
• Stiletto - Daniel O'Malley
• Night Watch (entire series) - Sergei Lukyanenko
• The Green Future of Tycho - William Sleator
• Interstellar Pig - William Sleator
• House of Stairs - William Sleator
• Foundation (series) - Isaac Asimov
• Dune - Frank Herbert
• The Moon is a Harsh Mistress - Robert Heinlein
• Blackout/ All Clear - Connie Willis
• Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
• The Firm - John Grisham
• Harry Potter (series) - J.K. Rowling
• The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenger
• The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
• Flood - Stephen Baxter
• Ark - Stephen Baxter
• Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind

Those are some of my faves. What are some of yours?

One Step to Becoming a Better Writer

Want to become a better writer? Joe Bunting offers one piece of really fantastic advice. Read his post here - http://thewritepractice.com/become-a-better-writer/

Stay Active! (echewing the passive voice)

We’ve previously looked at advice from William Strunk Jr.’s Elements of Style. In this post, we review Section 10 in which he advises writers to Use the active voice.

More Direct, More Vigorous
Strunk’s first reason to write actively is that, “The active voice is usually more direct and vigorous than the passive.” Compare the following:

    I shall always remember my first visit to Boston.

   My first visit to Boston will always be remembered by me.

The first sentence is much better and more direct while the second which is less direct, less bold, and less concise. Removing "by me" makes the second sentence more concise -

    My first visit to Boston will always be remembered,

- but the action is less defined. Is the writer, some person undisclosed or the world remembering this visit? It isn’t clear.

Lively and Emphatic Writing
According to Strunk, “The habitual use of the active voice makes for forcible writing. This is true not only in narrative principally concerned with action, but in writing of any kind. Many a tame sentence of description or exposition can be made lively and emphatic by substituting a verb in the active voice for some such perfunctory expression as ‘there is’, or ‘could be heard’.”

    There were a great number of dead leaves lying on the ground.

    Dead leaves covered the ground.

    The sound of a guitar somewhere in the house could be heard.

    Somewhere in the house a guitar hummed sleepily.

Taking Away a Verb’s Function
In the following examples, the noun expresses the entire action. The verb then has no other job except to complete the sentence.

    A survey of this region was made in 1900.

    This region was surveyed in 1900.

A Passive Dependent on Another Passive
Strunk warns against making one passive verb dependent on another passive verb:

    Gold was not allowed to be exported.

    It was forbidden to export gold (The export of gold was prohibited).
 
Before the correction, the word that is related to the second passive verb is the subject of the first.

Don’t Abandon it Completely
However, Strunk does not advise writers to eliminate the passive voice completely. Using it is convenient and sometimes necessary, as these examples show:

    The dramatists of the Restoration are little esteemed to-day.

    Modern readers have little esteem for the dramatists of the Restoration.

The first sentence focuses on the dramatists of the Restoration while the second focuses on the tastes of modern readers. In these examples the subject of the sentence determines which voice is used.

Keep it Active
Taking Strunk’s advice, we should always try to use the active voice over the passive voice whenever possible.

Focus on the Unit (one paragraph per topic)

We’ve already reviewed a couple of pieces of advice from William Strunk Jr.’s Elements of Style, Section 13: Omit needless words and Section 12: Use definite, specific, concrete language.

This month we explore Section 8 of Elements, where Strunk Jr. advises writers to Make the paragraph the unit of composition: one paragraph to each topic.

When exploring a subject, it is helpful to subdivide it into topics. Each of these topics should be a unique paragraph. Sometimes, these subdivisions can be divided further. The root of the idea is that each paragraph should contain one topic or idea. When that topic or subtopic has been explored, a new paragraph begins.

As Strunk says, “Ordinarily...a subject requires subdivision into topics, each of which should be made the subject of a paragraph...to aid the reader. The beginning of each paragraph is a signal to him [or her] that a new step in the development of the subject has been reached.”

Strunk gives two additional rules:

• Single Sentences - As a rule, single sentences should not be paragraphs. Exceptions can be made for transition sentences or in writing such as, “textbooks, guidebooks, and other works in which many topics are treated briefly.”
• Dialogue - When writing dialogue, each ‘spoken’ part should form its own paragraph and new paragraphs begin with each new speaker, even if there is only one word.

As you write, keep this idea in mind and try to limit each paragraph to a topic or some subdivision of topic. Happy writing!

Thoughts on Becoming a Freelancer

'Power of Words' photo by Antonio Litterio; Wikimedia

I've been writing and getting paid for it for over 5 years. At first it was part time. But after doing it for a few years, I landed a full time gig with a local real estate agency where I manage content and social media.

Recently, I cut back from my day job because I've got lots of freelance work to do again, bringing me full circle. My hope is to eventually work myself out of my day job.

When I was still ramping up a couple of years ago, I wrote the following post on HubPages entitled My journey to freelancing. In it, I offer advice for someone who's thinking about trying their hand at freelancing or who may have started, but is feeling discouraged.

"I started writing for money about two and a half years ago. At the time I was a stay-at-home dad with one child in kindergarten and another in preschool. But I also had time on my hands. I have known since I was young that I am a decent writer, so I wondered if I could get paid to do it." READ MORE.

Perfection or Progress?

Throes of Creation by By Leonid Pasternak

“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” — Ernest Hemingway

I don’t believe the phrase, ‘Practice makes perfect.’ My wife has a more accurate phrase that rings truer of my 41 years of observation and experience: “Practice makes progress.”

I don’t know if she made it up or heard it somewhere else, but I like it. The idea is to do something to the best of your ability, consistently, over and over and over. By doing this, you get better.

Write Every Day
Ray Bradbury encourages writers to, “write every day of your life.” He also adds that a writer should be a habitual reader as well. As a writer, you must write and write and write and write. And then write some more. By repetition, as long as we don’t repeat the same mistakes, we improve. I might write something that’s awful or something that I hate, but at least I am engaged in the writing process.

“One thing that helps is to give myself permission to write badly. I tell myself that I’m going to do my five or 10 pages no matter what, and that I can always tear them up the following morning if I want. I’ll have lost nothing—writing and tearing up five pages would leave me no further behind than if I took the day off.” —Lawrence Block

Never Perfection BUT Always Progress
No article, story or book will ever be 100% perfect. After my writing gets published, I always re-read it. Every time, I see things I could have done differently. That’s not to say that what I write is riddled with mistakes. But there are always tweaks to be made - better word choices, fewer adverbs or saying things more concisely.

As is the case with anything you do, improvement is incremental. There are no shortcuts. Sometimes it comes easily. Sometimes I fight and claw for it. But every time I write, I improve. Even as I make mistakes (and recognize them as such), I get better. Even if I write badly, at least I’m writing and hopefully improving.

Reading and Writing

Girl Reading (1889), by Fritz von Uhde; Wikimedia Commons

Successful writers are frequently voracious readers. Here are some words from great writers encouraging all writers to be readers.

“Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write.” ― Annie Proulx

“The greatest part of a writer’s time is spent in reading, in order to write; a man will turn over half a library to make one book.” — Samuel Johnson

“Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, read. I know of no shortcuts.” — Larry L. King

“Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very pleasant careers.” — Ray Bradbury

“Read, read, read. Read everything -- trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it. Then write. If it's good, you'll find out. If it's not, throw it out of the window.” ― William Faulkner

The Death of an Idea

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” ― Jack London

I constantly chase the inspiration that London speaks of. It gives birth to ideas or varying quality. Some of my ideas don’t make it past my steadily decreasing short term memory. The ones that stick around long enough go onto one of my lists of ideas.

I’ve got book ideas, ideas for first lines, ideas for opening scenes, character ideas and ideas for titles. I also have a fair number of nonfiction article ideas and memoir-type story ideas that have good beginnings, but may never see the light of day. In reality, the number of my ideas that grow into a formed pieces of writing is small.

The ones that I do fully apprehend are nurtured and cared for until they eventually grow up and have a life of their own. They might not necessarily be the cream of the crop, but for better or worse, they are survivors that deserve whatever life they have.

Immature Ideas
However, there are a host of perfectly good ideas that never reach maturity. Typically with these, one of three things happens:

1. I murder the idea promptly and expediently
2. The idea dies a slow death, wasting away until it vanishes
3. It hibernates for years until I decide to wake it and feed it

When I murder an idea, it is usually inferior and never would amount to much anyway. Alternatively, the idea could be too grand for my talent and ability. In this case, I kill it before it can embarrass me.

When an idea dies a slow death, it probably wasn’t very good to start with and probably should have been murdered.

Survivors
However, on occasion, an idea hangs on for dear life, waiting to be revived months or even years later. When I rediscover it and put some meat on its bones, it may turn out to be worth my time. Or I may go back to step one and murder it.

I leave you with this parting shot from Linus Pauling who said, “The way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas, and throw the bad ones away.”

Be Specific (Concrete, definite language)

Last month, we looked at Section 13 of William Strunk Jr.’s Elements of Style, where he outlines the benefits of omitting words to make writing more concise. This month we look at Section 12 of Elements, in which Strunk advises writers to Use definite, specific, concrete language.

To quote Strunk, writers should prefer, “the specific to the general, the definite to the vague, the concrete to the abstract.” To illustrate his point, he gives the following sample phrases then his suggested changes. Notice how using more specific language also simplifies each sentence:

A period of unfavorable weather set in. → It rained every day for a week.

He showed satisfaction as he took possession of his well-earned reward. → He grinned as he pocketed the coin.

There is a general agreement among those who have enjoyed the experience that surf-riding is productive of great exhilaration. → All who have tried surf-riding agree that it is most exhilarating.

Keeping the Reader's Attention
According to Strunk, the best way of getting and keeping a reader’s attention is by being specific, and definite. He states that a good writer applies concrete language to transport the reader into the story. Strunk gives the example of Robert Carlyle, author of The French Revolution: A History.

“...if in reading Carlyle we have almost the sense of being physically present at the taking of the Bastille, it is because of the definiteness of the details and the concreteness of the terms used. It is not that every detail is given; that would be impossible, as well as to no purpose; but that all the significant details are given, and not vaguely, but with such definiteness that the reader, in imagination, can project himself into the scene.”

Translating Ideas into Images
Herbert Spencer, a Victorian era English philosopher, social theorist was also a strong supporter of concrete language and simplified writing. He argued in his work The Philosophy of Style that a writer should make meanings as easily accessible for the most efficient communication. Strunk quotes Spencer in The Elements of Style as he speaks about words and their relationship to mental images:

"This superiority of specific expressions is clearly due to the effort required to translate words into thoughts. As we do not think in generals, but in particulars--as whenever any class of things is referred to, we represent it to ourselves by calling to mind individual members of it, it follows that when an abstract word is used, the hearer or reader has to choose, from his stock of images, one or more by which he may figure to himself the genus mentioned. In doing this, some delay must arise, some force be expended; and if by employing a specific term an appropriate image can be at once suggested, an economy is achieved, and a more vivid impression produced."

Spencer illustrates how specific expression helps readers choose images with these two sentences, the first more general and the second more specific:

In proportion as the manners, customs, and amusements of a nation are cruel and barbarous, the regulations of their penal code will be severe.

In proportion as men delight in battles, bullfights, and combats of gladiators, will they punish by hanging, burning, and the rack.

Taking the Experts' Advice
The next time you sit down to write, take Strunk and Spencer’s advice and choose:

• Specific over general
• Definite over vague
• Concrete over abstract

Then read what you’ve written and see how it sounds. Happy writing!

BONUS: For another good resource, check out this paper from San Jose State University on Concrete Language for even more info and examples.

Being Good and Shortcuts

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There's no way around these two things that I'm aware of, no shortcut.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

I recently read a fantastic blog post from Scott Lynch entitled: Being good can be a shortcut. There is no shortcut to being good.

Give this post a read because he lays out the straight dirt on becoming a better writer. I won't steal his thunder, but, as I said in my previous post, Writing is Hard. But it is so worth it!

Writing is Hard, But Makes Good Reading

Screenshot courtesy of YouTube

“It’s easy to make things look hard, but hard to make things look easy.” Helene Lagerberg

I am a huge soccer fan. I especially love to watch the US Men’s National team play. At this past summer’s Copa America tournament, Lionel Messi, one of the greatest players of all time, placed a perfect free kick in the upper 90, just beyond USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan’s fingertips.

As a master on the ball, Messi is so enjoyable to watch because he makes hard skills look effortless. Watching the replay, you can imagine yourself stepping and doing the same thing. However when watching this spectacular shot, you don’t see the years of hard work and practice, the lifetime of training that preceded his shot.

I Could’ve Written That
Writing is also a skill that when done well, readers say, ‘I could’ve written that.’ But while stringing words together might be easy, doing it really well is hard. And writing something spectacular is rare and requires years of practice and the equivalent of the writer’s blood, sweat and tears.

No one sees the lonely hours where the writer toils away, writing things they don’t care about for clients who pay peanuts. Their years of repetition and hidden travail goes unnoticed. And like Lionel Messi who makes his on-field skills look so easy, the most skillful writers pour their heart and soul into their works to make them read effortlessly.

As Nathaniel Hawthorne said, “Easy reading is damn hard writing.”