When Your Writing Mind Wanders – Creative Writing Prompts

If you are a writer like me or you are attempting a writing project, what happens when your mind wanders or you have writer’s block? What do you do? Well, you can give yourself creative writing prompts, even if it is just to get started. Of course, you could start with your lexicon by flipping the pages or writing down words that you see. You could write a letter to your child abuse offender or you could write a letter to the 40 year old child abuse survivor that you want to be.

The Letter From The 8 Year Old Child Within

It could probably begin like this:

I was only eight years old when you molested me and yet at age 32, I am still reliving the experience almost every day. I remember the barn outside and the chair that you put me to sit on as you vehemently tore off my clothes. The chair legs were a little shaky and I had to hold on so I wouldn’t fall off. I heard the owls outside so I knew it was late when you took me from my bed and carried me over the meadows. No one heard you because they were all asleep. I panicked that night because I was really so afraid and called out your name to stop, but I saw that wild look in your eyes and knew that my screams were futile. Your heavy breathing still haunts me and I cringe once more at the thought of it. I never could figure out what your thoughts were to want to seduce a little girl who you called your niece. I still haven’t told mom. Your doting sister would probably not believe me anyway as you so confidently told me that night and I believed you. For all these years, I hung on to the words that were shouted menacingly in the dark at me, “If you tell anyone, I will kill you.”

The Creativity

Do you see how creative this can become? I could do a lot with this story now. Of course, you probably wouldn’t write about such tough and difficult topic. At least, most people don’t want to, but did you know that child sexual abuse is still rampant in our society? And did you know that even if you turn a blind eye, you will be a part of the problem and not the solution? Yes, while you might not think so, it is true.

My Responsibility

As a writer, I have a responsibility or at least have taken on the responsibility to tell the stories, even if I have to create the characters, but my personal story was not make belief because it happened to me in real life, but for that 8 year old little girl who may still be going through this terrible experience, will you help me to spread the word against child sexual abuse? I am depending on you. You don’t have to be a writer. I will take care of that part for you. All I ask is that you spread the word. I have written a story that you might love to read, “The Man in The Shadows: He Touched Me Where It Hurt.”

If you loved the short paragraphs above, then you will appreciate this book. I want you to tell others about it and my hope is that it will get in the hands of the right people. I am also running a book special. Buy this book and I will give you a free coupon for downloading my 353 page audio book titled “For The Wounded Soul,” which is quite similar. It can be found on Audible.com. Proof of purchase will be required.

Act Right Now

So recapping, if you purchase “The Man in The Shadows: He Touched Me Where It Hurt,” I will give you a download code to get my other book, “For The Wounded Soul,” for FREE! What are you waiting for        ! Get “The Man in The Shadows: He Touched Me Where It Hurt.”  Email me at octane360@gmail.com your proof of purchase and I will provide the download code for the audio book. And tell your friends about it too! Thank you.

No Writing Credits for Ghostwriting

I started to take writing seriously when I received a book I had written for a pastor via USPS mail. I didn't see my name on the book, but instead his name was visibly apparent on the cover. I received no credits. In fact, no one knew I had written the entire book, but the pastor and myself. That is what ‘Ghostwriting’ is all about. 

Once the person solicits your writing service and you sign the contract, you have indicated that after you are paid for your services, the work no longer belongs to you. You give up sole rights to the content. Is that a good place to be? Well, if the price is right and you agree to the terms, you should have no qualms about it. 

However, in order to produce your own writing credits, it is ideal to write your own books as well. If someone were to ask you, ‘what books have you written and published for yourself,” would your answer be, ‘well, I wrote a book for such and such, but the copyrights didn't belong to me?” How would that sound? A person soliciting your writing services and wanted to know if you had written any material of your own couldn't be able to tell if you indeed wrote a book for someone else or not. You must have your own book(s) in order to be taken seriously.

That is what I did. 

You can find my books on Amazon.com, if you click the link.

As I said before, it took holding the book I had written without my name on it – to realize that I was doing myself an injustice by not writing a book for myself. So I delved into it; after convincing myself that this was the best thing to do. It took me several months to finish because writing for others was how I earned my income and time spent doing that – only afforded me little time to spend on writing my book. I finally finished my first book, “The Wounded Soul,” of which I am the proudest; not only because it was the first one, but for the first time, I held something in my hands that was mine and it HAD MY NAME ON IT! It was an exhilarating feeling; to say the least.

I felt proud to know that I created something that could actually help others. I write and publish my own books for this reason only. It is not all for the money. A lot of times, I give away my book to someone I meet as long as I know that they will appreciate my hard work and will actually read the book and not put it down to collect dust.

I still love to write for others and I know sometimes I short-change myself when it comes to payment, but if someone wants to write about a particularly good cause and I can help, I try to work out a reasonable rate and will go below my rate, if I feel that the finished content will be very important to the readers. This is how passionate I am when it comes to being involved in a good cause and getting the word out through the written word.

Writing allows me to learn so much more than I know now or knew before. It opens up a whole new world of possibilities. It sharpens my research skills and sometimes pushes me into certain industries and niches that I had never been before. I am always growing and learning and I love that!

If you own a website and need web content or an electronic book written, I would be happy to assist you. Email marketing, article writing, manuals, forum postings and web auditing are also some of my specialties. Check out my books on Amazon by clicking the link here.

Targeting the Prospect’s Emotions

When you are writing an article, book, electronic book or web content, the prospect’s emotions should be your main target. Believe it or not, people purchase from emotions. Your content has to be focused on what they are feeling at the moment and how you can solve it. People are looking for you to solve their problems. If you can write content that speaks directly to their immediate situation and give them a reason why they should consider the solution you will be providing, you will get the sale.

The Benefits

A prospect looks for benefits of a product or service. What’s in it for me? This is the question in mind when someone comes to your website or reads your blog and articles. If you list the features of the product or service instead of the benefits it will provide to the prospect, you will lose out on a long term customer. Listing the benefits means that you are going to mention the problem first and then give the prospect the solutions that could fix the problem.

Example:

Let’s say you are selling pills for migraine headaches, your copy headline could read something like this:

Have you ever had an excruciating migraine that you just cannot get rid of?

OR

Your migraine is becoming quite unbearable in your life, isn't it?

Notice, I asked a question. By now, your visitor knows that you understand how ‘unbearable’ and ‘excruciating’ a migraine can be. Those are strong words, but they evoke emotions. Your next words, then would be, “I understand what you are going through because I know someone or I have experienced the very same thing.”

Getting Attention

Now you have their attention. What? You or someone you know has gone through the same thing? That is what the visitor is thinking. So that means you more than understand what they are feeling. You have empathy for the prospect and they can sense it through your words.

Next, you would say something like, “Yes, for years I had been searching for something that would stop this pain forever, but couldn't find it until I discovered…”

This is when you put a name to your product and now you are going to list the benefits that the product provides such as:

•         Name of product helped me and my customers to get rid of the migraines once and for all.
•          It provided the relief that I was seeking and it will do the same for you
•          No longer do I suffer from migraines. In fact, I don’t even remember having them and by this time next week, you will feel the same way I do

Humanize the Content

Now, the prospect views you as an ally and not a salesperson. You have gotten their attention because you put a human component to your product in this case. You identified with the person’s feeling because you or someone you knew was feeling pain, seeking a solution and found it. Do you think you would get the sale or a subscriber sign up after this? Of course, you would.

This is how you target someone’s emotions. You let them know that you understand and that you know exactly what they need to fix it. You are now the expert and they will trust you. In addition, you should provide honest testimonials because this does help.

Conclusion

I hope you take note of what is required to reach the targeted prospects that you are seeking. They don’t care about the product features as much. They care that you care!! Go on over to Amazon to view and purchase books that I have written. 

Why Your Business Needs Fresh Content?

So you have a business online, but you are only featuring your products and/or service and wondering why you are not receiving as many sales as other online marketers. Does that sound like you? Well, instead of sitting around waiting for the next sale, why not reach out to your target market to show them that you really care about them? How? I am glad you asked!

Content – that is what people want first. When someone thinks about buying a product or receiving a service, their first thought process is to search for information about it. Most people will go directly to the search engines to find out more about your product/service. Of course, when they come to your website, you may only have a listing and description of the product/service, but what about a list of the benefits that it can provide to the user? And I am not just talking about telling someone that your product will do this or that. It is more than that.

Let’s say you are selling weight loss tablets on your website, your goal should be about letting the prospect know that you understand what they are going through. So you have to speak to their emotions. If you have a personal story, then tell it! The prospect will be able to see that you are a real person. This will get their attention faster.

A Blog is In Order

You should never have a website without hosting and maintaining a blog. A blog platform where you post regularly will take your prospects away from your main website, but it will get them in a better frame of mind to see that you are not just selling a product, but a brand and providing information that is valuable. Your blog is the area where you build relationships through valuable content.

Your blog is where you talk about issues that people are going through as it relates to your product or service. This is where you post information that your prospect may not easily find. You talk about what benefits your prospect will receive from your product. In some cases, you don’t even mention your product in the body of the content until you get to the last paragraph; where you will include a link to your product and invite the prospect to take a look.

You don’t want your posts to be promotional. People get turned off by this and the search engine’s new algorithm, Google Hummingbird prefers that your posts be conversational and beneficial to what the person searched for.

The Importance of Content

Content is so important to your business. It gives you expert status. When someone reads your content and is able to tell that you have in-depth knowledge and expertise, who do you think they will come to for more information? You, of course! So why are you not writing fresh content? Is it because you don’t’ have time, you don’t know how or you just don’t care? You are leaving money on the table, if you aren't. 

It is better to hire a writer to do the job for you rather than be so laid back that you don’t take the initiative. Outsourcing is not new and you may need to get on board if you want your online business to catapult. With this advancing information age, you cannot afford not to. And, in addition, you will be able to reach a wider audience. While you sleep, people from all over the world will be looking at what you have to say. Lead them with your content. Don’t lead them with your product page.

If you would like to hire my writing expertise or purchase one of my self-published books to support a full-time writer, then please go to my Amazon Book Page by clicking the link. 

Writing electronic books

If you have never ventured into the electronic book market, you are leaving money on the table. For one, Kindle Publishing provides an excellent platform for selling your expertise and receiving monthly royalties for the rest of your life. You can also write and offer your ebook (electronic book) for sale on a wide range of other platforms such as Barnes and Nobles, Lulu, BookBaby, your blog, and Amazon. So why aren't you documenting what you already know and what others are searching for?

You should conduct research to see what others are looking for, but if you have knowledge of a particular subject, then you should make this your first ebook since you already have in-depth knowledge about it. People value the information that experts like you can provide. For example, if you have worked in a specific field such as building contractor, you may be able to help people seeking information on:

• How to build their first home
• What to look for when hiring a building contractor
• What licensing is required from your local municipality to build a home
• How to find a building contractor
• How much do you expect to spend in improving a basement

These are only some of the things that you can write about. If you have written various articles on topics related to your expertise, you can use each of them in different chapters of your electronic book. Once you have created your ebook, it is now time to do the marketing. If you have a Facebook or Twitter following, be sure to announce your ebook before you even finish it. When it has been completed, it is time now to write articles and post them to article directories with a link to your ebook at the end of the article. Be sure to give the reader a call to action in the resource box.

Other things to consider
Submit your ebook to all the channels that will accept your ebook, but start with Kindle Publishing. Be sure that you have a captivating cover. If you don't know how to create an ebook cover, solicit the services of a professional. It doesn't have to cost you an 'arm and a leg.' You can go to Fiverr.com and find ebook cover creators that charge a small cost of $5 to $10. It is that simple. You may have to buy an image at iStock Photo. Don't ever attempt to copy and save an image from Google Images because many of those images are copyrighted.

Conclusion
Don't let fear stop you from trying new things. Let your writing do the talking. You can use a pen name and not your real name when publishing your book to stay anonymous. You can do this and you don't even need the required expertise. Once you are good at researching and understanding certain concepts and information, you can write an electronic book that provides value to the readers. Good luck! By the way, visit my book page to see how I did it - Click MY BOOK PAGE here.

Writing as a hobby or paid for your service

If you are a hobby writer, you can turn your writing expertise in a full time business. As a hobby writer, you can write whenever you want and at various different price points. You can even become a regular contributor as a guest blogger or just to get your name out there, but why do that when you have the skills to do otherwise.

A full time writing business is more lucrative and fulfilling. You get to write on a wide range of topics or a specific niche. You also provide information to your audience that can change lives, motivate others, offer important details and show you as an expert in a particular field.

Nothing is wrong with starting out with writing as a hobby, but use this platform to build a readership. Get your name out there so that when you decide to make the full transition, at least, you won't be a stranger.

You can begin by creating a blog and making regular posts such as twice per week. Allow your readers to make comments on your blog posts. Write articles and submit to article directories such as ezinearticles.com. You can use this platform to gain expert and platinum status. Moreover, ezinearticles.com has a high search engine ranking and you can 'ride on their coat tail,' so to speak. You get heightened recognition by being an expert writer on 'heavy hitters,' like ezinearticles.com.

If you do not want to pursue a full time writing career, at least make some money while you use writing as a hobby. How? Sign up as an Amazon affiliate, for example, and sell books on your blog. This may give you the impetus to transition into a full time writing career.

The sky is the limit to what you can do with a writing career. You can write electronic books and sell them on Kindle Publishing. You can write articles for other people. A great place to start bidding for article writing is Elance.com. It may be a bidding war, but you can write a winning proposal to get your bid noticed and picked. Elance.com has free and paid membership so you really have nothing to lose.

You could also think about starting that book you have always wanted to write. The hardest part is getting started because of fear or you don't know how to get it published. There are websites like CreateSpace.com and Amazon.com, which allow you to self publish your work. So again, there is no excuse. Even if you are an hobbyist, you can still get that book out. That will push you to write more and get into the writing arena full time.

As an avid writer myself, I can tell you that I began writing several years ago, but didn't take it that seriously since I had a full time 9-5 job. When my mom died 7 years ago, I had no choice because of the situation she left, to get into writing full time. I had to be able to travel to see my ailing dad often and no company would put up with my frequent departure. So I went back to my writing and the rest is history. I am a self-published author of several books on CreateSpace.com and Amazon.com. I also write articles, web content and electronic books for online marketers, which is also a rewarding and lucrative way of acquiring a full time income.

So I encourage you to look at writing more seriously once you have the talent and skill to do it well. In the beginning, you may have to settle for low pay, but as you build your portfolio, you will land higher paying gigs. So go for it. Please visit my Amazon page to look at some of my books. A writer loves to get feedback from readers. Click to go to MY BOOK PAGE HERE.