How to Make Writing a Priority Over the Holidays

How to Make Writing a Priority Over the Holidays

Manage Holiday Stress, Get Writing Done, and Feel Great About It! For those of us in the U.S., the holiday season kicks off with Thanksgiving this Thursday. Whether you look at the approaching holidays with a twinkle of excitement in your eye or would prefer to skip the hustle and bustle of the season, we all can admit it's easy to become overwhelmed. Between events, parties, shopping, baking, cooking, and so much more, we can easily slip into overdrive (or overkill). So many people give way to a frenzied "seasonal" spirit that they lose focus on their priorities and shelve their writing goals. Use these tips to keep on the right track with your writing efforts and enjoy the holidays! Write Before You Do Anything Else Let writing be the first major task you tackle by setting aside as much time as you can allow and doing it: write first thing every single day. This may be a major shift in your routine, so remember this: "Where there's a will, there's a way." Ultimately, if you really, truly want to make writing a priority, you'll find a way. Consider it as a promise to yourself and your readers. Assign Writing Deadlines It's easy to say, "It can wait another day - I just need to get XYZ out of the way first." You'll always find a replacement "XYZ" to put off writing if you get into the habit. Even if you are your own editor-in-chief, assign yourself a deadline: "I need to get this to my editor by [insert time] on [insert date]." This will help you hold yourself accountable and push yourself to meet your own writing deadlines to ensure you write, publish, and engage your audience. Set Reminders As you try to squeeze even more out of your packed day, your calendar may become nearly unintelligible with notes, errands, and more. So much so, you may need to hire a cryptographer to decipher the code you call your calendar. To keep honest and ensure you can touch each task for a reasonable amount of time (and not a minute more), set a reminder or alarm to alert yourself when it's time to wrap up or bookmark your current task and then start your next task. Say No and Feel Good About It Whether you're uncomfortable saying no because you're a people pleaser or you get a thrill out of the challenge, learn to say "no." I covered this briefly in last Friday's post (#12), but I'd like to expand upon it here. Here are 5 "no" replies that you can start using now: No, this doesn't align with my current priorities. No, there isn't time for it. No, this will only happen if you make [insert impossible scenario here] happen. No, not now, but maybe next time. No, it won't happen, ever. Manage Holiday Stress The largest hurdle to overcome is holiday stress, which attributes a societal spike in anger issues, anxiety, depression, and yes, even writer's block. Use the following tips to manage your stress: Keep things in perspective by focusing on your priorities. Be honest with your limitations and set realistic goals. Let your family and friends know about your commitments. Keep it simple to avoid over-doing it with elaborate plans. Don't over-schedule yourself with engagements, visits, etc. Take care of yourself by getting enough exercise and quality sleep. Allow yourself "me time" and do the things that you enjoy. Make plans to visit friends and family after the holidays. Connect and reconnect with positive people who add value to your life. Take time to stop and enjoy the fruits of your labors. Use the above tips to work in more hassle-free writing time over the holidays. What tips do you have to enjoy the holidays while making writing a priority? Let us know - we'd love to hear from you! Looking for more tips? Squeeze more time out of your day: 30 Time-Saving Tips

To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Penny, Managing Editor http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/

PS: We're only one week away from Cyber Monday! This year we'll be offering incredible discounts on Article Template packages and Premium Membership. Stay tuned!

Speed Up Without Sacrificing Quality

Speed Up Article Writing Without Sacrificing Quality A Story of You, a Genie, 3 Wishes, and a Ton of Great Articles Today, we're going on a journey to find out a little secret that several of our top authors already know. So grab a beverage, sit back, relax, and read on. Our Story Begins ... Imagine you're walking down a tropical beach when you suddenly spot something glinting in the sand ahead. Upon closer inspection you discover a gold lamp covered in sand. Picking up the lamp, you dust it off and admire its gleaming surface. An instant later, the lamp begins to vibrate. As a wisp of smoke shockingly begins to rise from the spout, you quickly drop the lamp at the water's edge. The smoke roils and churns while slowly taking the form of a rotund figure floating lazily above the waves - an EzineArticles logo embroidered upon his cap. You realize immediately it's the legendary EzineArticles genie and you will now be the lucky recipient of 3 wishes! "Greetings!" booms the genie. "I am here to grant you 3 wishes that will make you a better Expert Author. What is your first wish?" You briefly think before responding, "I want to write faster so I can gain the competitive advantage of publishing a ton of articles." "Your wish has been granted," the genie replies. "You now have the ability to write more articles than ever before. With these articles you will flood the Internet with useless drivel." "What!? I don't want to do that! I want to write only high-quality articles!" you shout. "Is that your 2nd wish?" asks the genie. "Yes!" you reply emphatically. Your wish has been granted," says the genie. "You will now write the best articles the Internet has ever seen. Each will take you many hours to complete." "That's not what I want either!" you blurt out. "I want to to write a ton of high-quality articles faster than I ever have before!" The genie laughs, "Well, why didn't you say so in the first place? Is that your final wish?" In barely a whisper you say, "Yes. Final wish." The genie waves his hands in a grandiose gesture ... and nothing happens. "So ... what about my wish?" you ask. The genie chuckles, "It has been granted. Sign into your My.EzineArticles.com account and check your Digital Locker. In there you'll find a collection of 157 article templates designed to make you a faster, better writer while also providing you with the ideas you need to get started." As the genie vanishes, you smile. It appears that you got your 3 wishes after all. ... The End Obviously, this is just a story, but what 3 wishes would you make if it was real? If the first two wishes match those in the story, then you're not alone. A large percentage of our Expert Authors strive to write great articles fast, but they often end up going overboard one way or the other. The result is poor quality articles or articles that took hours to write. It appears that there's no solution to this quandary. That's where Article Templates come in. These PDF documents are just the ticket you need to generate great ideas, write quickly, and build your portfolio of high-quality, informative articles. Looking to have that 3rd wish granted for you? Look no further than the EzineArticles Shop! Have questions or comments? Click here to let us know - we'd love to hear from you! To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Marc, Product Marketing Manager http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: As you can see in today's newsletter, templates are an excellent tool for writing great articles. So is a Premium Membership. If you haven't looked into the benefits of Premium, perhaps you should. You can find out more here.

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Natural Keywords

How to Predict Natural Keywords Become a Thought Leader A huge part of your success as an Expert Author can be found in how well you've fostered your brand as a thought leader. A thought leader is an innovative authority who is largely recognized as a major influence in a particular niche (and even profits from it). However, you can't become a thought leader by writing from the same angles, using the same keywords, and taking the same point of views as every one else in your niche. You must break the line of conformity and one way to do so is to develop a solid content writing strategy built by predicting hot keywords in your niche. You don't have to be a magician to predict words, otherwise you'd be drawing keywords out of a hat and hoping for the best (which would be a colossal waste of your time). Lead by knowing your audience's likes, dislikes, fears, and passions as well as stay on top of trends in your niche. Then carefully and strategically predict new keywords (or long-tail extensions of existing keywords) based on your audience's interests and relevance to your niche. Use this graphic as your guide to discovering opportune keywords, providing fresh content for your audience, and building your brand as a thought leader! Simply click on the graphic below for a close up of this post online. How to Predict Natural Keywords Transcription Why? Predicting Natural Keywords Will Help You ... Get a leg up on your competition Become a thought leader in your niche Increase your audience by gaining traction with new readers Build your reputation as a credible source How? Put Your Toolbox Away! Avoid keyword selection tools. If these keywords are being provided to you, they're being provided to others as well. Immerse Yourself! You Can't Lead if You Can't Keep Up, So ... Subscribe to News Outlets Read Niche-Relevant Blogs Follow Social Media Sources Discover Audience Q&A Spot Buzzwords Scope out Google Trends Look for Indicators of Opportunity Identify keywords that are most relevant to your topic. Identify keywords that are most relevant to your audience. Find the opportunity in keywords that are most relevant to your topic and your audience. Tips for Putting These Keywords in Action Brainstorm articles that are relevant to your topic and your audience. Focus on writing content for your readers, not for search engines. Target both long and short-tail keywords. Be natural; don't force keywords into the content. Integrate the keyword in the title and article summary. Naturally position the keyword phrase as close to the beginning of the title, summary, and opening paragraph. Use no more than one keyword per 100 words. Want to share this image? Simply copy/paste the code from below into your blog or website. <a href="http://img.ezinearticles.com/blog/how-to-predict-natural-keywords.jpg"><img src="http://img.ezinearticles.com/blog/how-to-predict-natural-keywords.jpg" title="How to Predict Natural Keywords"></a> Have questions or comments? Click here to let us know - we'd love to hear from you! To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Vanessa, Editorial Manager http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: Predicting the right keywords is the first step to becoming a thought leader. The second is using the keywords before anyone else and fast! Implement your keyword predictions to get ahead of the competition using Article Templates. Check them out at http://Shop.EzineArticles.com/

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Thesaurus

The Thesaurus: Your Dark Horse to Writing Killer Titles? Richly Express Yourself Using the Dynamic Tapestry of the English Language! Articles not getting the traction you were hoping for? It may be your title. If only there was something that could save your titles and articles from dull and uninviting language ... Wait a second - there is! An incredible tool that is underused, but often unexpectedly succeeds at turning heads is the thesaurus. It can open your writing to more stunning language than you ever thought possible and it can help you: invoke curiosity with an original turn of phrase find a better word to convey your thought or idea improve your vocabulary when used with a dictionary avoid repetition in a sentence or paragraph How a Thesaurus Works In a thesaurus, words are grouped by similar meaning, but that does not indicate they are identical. For example, the synonyms grouped with the word road may include boulevard, street, or path. There are quite obvious differences to these words and it would behoove the writer to be mindful that not all words are interchangeable. With its synonyms skip, cavort, caper, gambol, romp, prance, and frolic, words like dance offer more leniency to be used interchangeably. These are the words that can help you spice up your article titles and engage readers. Combining the powers of ingenuity and creativity with a thesaurus can help you turn this: 5 Ideas for Increasing Your Personal Productivity Into this: 5 Smart Ways to Rally and Empower Your Waning Productivity Much more engaging, isn't it? Increase Your Titles' Potential Some words gain more traction than others. We refer to these as "power words." Here's a list of 10 power words and phrases you should blend into your titles (including several of their synonyms): Smart (bold, brilliant, canny, nimble, shrewd, slick, wise, genius, clever, fresh) Help (advice, aid, assist, cure, use, service, support, benefit, comfort, advantage, blessing) Surprising (amazing, astonishing, shocking, startling, stunning, electrifying, sudden, unforeseen, remarkable) Huge (colossal, extensive, giant, monumental, tremendous, massive, magnificent, enormous) Critical (demanding, penetrating, exacting, severe, crucial, dire) Killer (aggressive, antagonistic, combative, cut-throat, deadly, rival) Fear (panic, scare, terror, suspicious, phobic, sweat, horror, dread, abhor, worry, woe) Dark (cloudy, dim, gloomy, murky, bleak, somber, dreary, funereal, hard, harsh, lonely, sad) War (struggle, fight, hostility, strife, combat, action, assault, attack, brush, clash, havoc, ravage) Bleed (drain, labor, torment, pain, excruciate, writhe, afflict, brood, sulk, burn, gouge) Use the thesaurus sparingly! Exchanging every other word can make your title or content sound unnatural. Sprinkle it like seasoning on the article. Disclaimer: We do not advocate using a thesaurus or article spinning program to change every other word of your content to create derivative content or use it on another author's content in order to claim it as your own. Here are 5 additional tips to bear in mind when writing engaging titles: Focus on action words (e.g., achieve, create, adapt, build, and transform). Place a strong emphasis on verbs (e.g., run) and adverbs (e.g., quickly). Lead with a promise of a number (e.g., 5 Tips, 10 Strategies, 7 Top Methods, and 3 Critical Points). Gain an instructional edge by including words or phrases (e.g., In 5 minutes, DIY, Introduction, and The Beginners Guide). Pay attention to the first 3-5 words of your title - it's what you readers see first. Bonus Resources to Craft Powerful Titles Check out these posts to write better titles: Title Writing 101 The Long-Tail Method Passive or Active Voice? Title Capitalization Whether on your bookshelf, in your smartphone, or bookmarked on your Internet browser - do you use a thesaurus as a writing tool? What type and source? What advice can you add to the discussion that gives your writing a boost? Visit this post online to let us know - we'd love to hear from you! To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Vanessa, Editorial Manager http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: As an Expert Author, your focus is on the top. You are eager to position yourself among the best of the best, all while sharing your invaluable tips with your readers. The 15 article prompts contained in the Executing and Growing Article Template Package will help you easily dispense this information in a thought-provoking manner. This package will allow you to share the knowledge you have about the more in-depth business practices and functions you deal with. Get it today!

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Erase Embarrassing Typos

Erase Embarrassing Typos In 5 Minutes Have Mercy! No matter how great your command of the English language is, it will slip your notice at some point if it hasn't already ... the dreaded typo. A typo or typographical error is a mistake made in the typing process of text. This may include speling and grammar errors, typing the same same word, or misplacing pesky apostrophe's. Did you notice my intentional errors in the previous sentence? Good for you! It's my tongue-in-cheek stab at humor to propose this: Let's all take a break from grammar shaming and be compassionate toward those poor folks who accidentally leave a typo and even absolve those who are typo-prone. Ouch! 5 Famous Typos That Will Make You Cringe Pardon these errors ... 1. Courtesy Granted to Prisoners Due to Belly Button Flint While we're more inclined to forgive those who are not in a writing profession, authors like famous Sci-Fi/Fantasy writer, H.P. Lovecraft, have been shown little mercy by the Grammar Police. Take for instance his typo in a passage of "The Fiction" ... ... our vessel was made a legitimate prize, whilst we of her crew were treated with all the fairness and consideration due us as navel prisoners. What he wished he had typed ... ... our vessel was made a legitimate prize, whilst we of her crew were treated with all the fairness and consideration due us as naval prisoners. 2. Grammar-Shaming Attempt Gone Wrong You know that saying, "If you don't have something nice to say, then don't say anything at all!" Well, one celebrity should have heeded that advice when his attempt to shame an announcer's poor grammar choice during a news broadcast went horribly wrong ... Fox announcer: "He was covered pretty good." Boo. #DeathOfGrammer #LoweringTheBar What he really meant ... Fox announcer: "He was covered pretty good." Boo. #DeathOfGrammar #LoweringTheBar 3. Big Brother Is Watching When a U.S. presidential hopeful launched an iPhone App in 2012 in order to help stir up support, his team made a case for copy editors everywhere with this slogan ... A Better Amercia What he really meant ... A Better America 4. A Saucy and Wicked Bible In their attempt to reprint the King James Bible in 1631, Robert Barker and Martin Lucas made a rather suggestive typo by unintentionally omitting the word "not" ... Thou shalt commit adultery. What they meant ... Thou shalt not commit adultery. 5. Cue George Takei, "Oh Myyy!" The University of Texas at Austin had to issue a special apology for the grievous error that appeared at the bottom of its 2012 Commencement programs ... Lyndon B. Johnson School of Pubic Affairs What this prestigious institution really meant ... Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs Why Is it So Difficult to Catch Errors Like This? "Haste makes waste" they say and typos are often a result of hasty writing. It's unreasonable to expect someone to slow down to a snail's pace when the pressure to publish is so extreme in the fast-paced writing world of articles, blogs, tweets, and posts. To err is to be human; be compassionate toward those who make errors by perhaps sending them a polite message informing them of the mistake. As for your own writing, be as vigilant as you possibly can, but don't let it paralyze your ability to create or publish. How to Erase Embarrassing Typos in 5 Minutes First, the number one rule of proofreading: DO NOT WRITE AND PROOFREAD AT THE SAME TIME. It's just a waste of time. Proofread AFTER you're done writing and revising your content. Next, put on your copyediting hat and use these 5 tips to catch those embarrassing typos in 5 minutes per article. Use your spellcheck! For all of your article needs, we provide a spellcheck in the WYSIWYG of the Submit New Article form of your member account. Read your article out loud to catch awkward spelling and sentences - it really does work if you give it a concentrated effort. Look up definitions or grammar usage for areas you're not positive on - it's better to be safe than sorry! Improve your focus by closing the door to distractions and taking care of any stress that's nagging you. Change the font type or even the font size to help you spot wayward errors. Seek and Ye Shall Find One final tip before you scramble to quickly hunt for those errors you repeatedly make: Most computers will allow you to perform a quick search function by typing Ctrl F (for PC users) or CMD F (for MAC users) on your keyboard, which will bring up a navigation field. Here you can enter a word or phrase. For example, if "it's" is a common typo for you, I'd recommend typing in "its" and then select Enter or Return to examine every occurrence of it in your article (ensuring it's grammatically correct). Find "it's" as well to be doubly sure. If there's one thing I'd like you to remember in this post, it's this: when using the word "public," double - no - triple check to make sure you remembered to add the "L." What typos plague you? What's the worst (or funniest) typo you've come across? Visit this post online to let us know - we'd love to hear from you and feel free to share this gem that inspired this post: Ode to the Typographical Error "The typographical error is a slippery thing and sly; You can hunt till you are dizzy, but it somehow will get by. Till the forms are on the press, it is strange how still it keeps. It shrinks down in a corner, and it never stirs or peeps - That typographical error, too small for human eyes - Till the ink is on the paper, when it grows to mountain size. The boss, he stares with horror, then he grabs his hair and groans; The copyreader drops his head upon his hands and moans. The remainder of the issue may be clean as clean can be, But the typographical error is the only thing you see." - Author Unknown If you loved this article, then check out our Grammar Tips Category for more! To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Vanessa, Editorial Manager http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: Not having to worry about generating ideas or coming up with article structure can help eliminate typos, too. Article Templates can provide both. Get yours in the EzineArticles Shop!

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Planning Your Article Writing Campaign for 2014

Planning Your Article Writing Campaign for 2014 Wrap Up 2013 and Plan for Next Year! Have you ever played chess with someone who is really good? If you have, then you know you can't win by brute force (throwing your pawns on your front line and trying to take out every piece your opponent moves). You win by strategically planning how to effectively and efficiently place your opponent's king under an inescapable threat of capture: checkmate. Many authors feel as though they should approach their article writing efforts with brute force: toss hundreds of articles on the Internet front lines and try to capture every click. Success-track authors don't worry about reaching every reader, nor do they worry about matching each of their competitor's moves. By creating remarkable content with value that strategically targets relevant readers, success-track authors know they are one step closer to achieving their goal. Use this guide to strategically plan 2014 and get on the success track! Phase I: Take a Look Back Create a summary that measures how your articles did this year and whether you met your goals. Check out the Performance tab of your member account, which includes the following article stats: Views URL Clicks Click Rate EzinePublishers Shares Comments Emails Monthly Summary* Estimate what this data and other sources of information means by answering the following questions in detail: Did you meet your goals for the year? Why or why not? What was your biggest success and what elements led to it? What was your biggest disappointment and what led to the downfall? Was there anything that surprised you? What do you plan to continue doing in the next year? What do you plan on ending this year? Phase II: Set SMART Goals Using your 2013 summary as a guide, set SMART goals that are conducive to your efforts: S - Specific: Your goal should be precise and unambiguous. M - Measurable: Set benchmarks and incremental milestones to help measure your progress. A - Attainable: Be realistic with your goals by inventorying resources and identifying obstacles. R - Relevant: Your goal should contribute to your vision for your future. T - Time-bound: Commit to a timeframe and stick to it by setting: yearly deadlines quarterly deadlines monthly deadlines Phase III: Create a Strategy and Do It Start by chunking down your goals: Write your goal down and create a list detailing all of the elements needed to achieve it. Once you have your list, prioritize it in a sequence of events and due dates. Ready? Do it: Organize a weekly writing plan to stay on track. Get to know your audience and stick to them like glue. Explore new ideas to leverage your credibility and improve your authority. Take precautionary steps to manage your time to relieve unnecessary stress. Eliminate distractions to improve your focus and achieve your goals. Phase IV: Create a Content Plan Begin by creating an annual Editorial Calendar that includes the basics: Industry events or your organization's events Relevant holidays and monthly themes Pop culture and entertainment events relevant to your audience Other noteworthy dates Your goal deadlines Plan monthly themes to help guide your content. For example, people in the health and fitness industry might assign themes like "weight loss" for January, "heart health" for February, and "women's health" for March. Ensure your content plan is flexible and create a stockpile of content. A stockpile will help you have content ready: when what you originally planned falls through. if the content you originally planned may be considered insensitive based on current events. the content you planned is no longer relevant based on major industry trends. for all of those unknown obstacles that fall onto your path. Don't forget to keep an eye on the competition. Remember that earlier chess analogy? Don't allow each of your articles to be reactive to your competition's articles or you will consistently fall behind. Keep an eye on their movements so you can use their successes as benchmarks for your own improvement, but plan your next move based on what's going to get you closer to your end goal and stay one step ahead. Be flexible! Track, measure, and tweak your plan as needed. Create a monthly summary like the yearly summary in Phase I: Take a Look Back, which will help you a year from now when you look back on all that you accomplish in 2014 using this guide. Are you ready for 2014? Visit this post online to join the discussion! *This feature is available for Premium Members only. Click here to find out how you can take advantage of this benefit and more by becoming a Premium Member. To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Vanessa, Editorial Manager http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: Make sure you include the Build-Your-Own Article Template Packages in your 2014 writing campaign plan!

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Looking Back on 2013

Looking Back on 2013: Top 20 Article Writing and Content Marketing Posts

Wow! Look at All of These Great Article Writing and Content Marketing Tips! From Expert Author Interests and Content Marketing tips to Top Misused Words and other Grammar Tips, we publish dozens upon dozens of posts on the EzineArticles Blog every year. These posts may be overflowing with tips, strategies, insights, infographics, and more, but it's the growing number of commenters who offer their own insights and feedback that makes the Blog a thriving community of information and discussion. In case you missed them or forgot to bookmark them for reference and inspiration, here are the Top 20 EzineArticles Blog Posts of 2013 and don't forget to leave a comment to join the discussion: #20 - Stop Keyword Stuffing! What It Is and How to Avoid It Abusing the power of keywords can have ill effects: A poor user experience, rejected articles, and a spammy website. Discover exactly what it is and how to avoid keyword stuffing. Read more #19 - 10 Tips to Be Kind to Writers Writing can be a tough job! Take a moment to share your thoughts and compassion. Try one or all of these 10 tips to show your appreciation for writers. Read more #18 - Are You Connecting with Your Audience? 5 Tips to Write Compelling Articles Writing compelling articles and motivating readers to truly become vested makes a tremendous difference in activating your call-to-action with terrific click-through power. Grab hold of your audiences' attention with these 5 writing strategies. Read more #17 - 30 Time-Saving Tips to Free Up More Time to Write Not enough hours in the day? Over committed? Stop using "I'm too busy" as an excuse and start writing. Master one or all of these strategies to add more time to your day and write. Read more #16 - Descriptive Writing Examples and Methods to Engage Readers Begin writing engaging descriptions using valuable (but not superfluous!) language. Use these tips and examples to start writing in objective and subjective styles as well as explore how analogies, similes, and metaphors can be employed to your benefit. Read more #15 - 20 Writing Exercises and Tips for Expert Authors Feel the cold grip of writer's block or need a jumpstart? Keep your pen moving and the ink flowing with these writing exercises and tips! Read more #14 - Book Review Article Template Reading is a fantastic way to improve your knowledge base, enhance your problem solving skills, reduce stress, and even advance your writing style. Use it as an opportunity to build your article portfolio by writing book reviews with this article template. Read more #13 - Considering Editing Your Live Articles? Top 5 Editing Mistakes Should you edit an already live article? There are a few instances when editing a live article may be advantageous; however, there are at least 5 instances when it is not. Ensure your time isn't wasted using these tips. Read more #12 - EzineArticles Asks: What's Your Favorite Blog Post or Series? We chatted with the EzineArticles Blog Community over their favorite blog post or series in addition to recapping some of the greatest blog hits over time. Read more #11 - 25 Writing Ideas and Article Topics to Reach Your Audience Content is king, but it won't do you any good if you have writer's block. Bookmark this list of idea primers for your next writing session and many future writing sessions to come! Read more #10 - Guide to Entertaining: Writing Informative Content with a Creative Twist A water glass is just a glass. Add an umbrella and it's so much more! Discover how to channel your creativity and improve your writing with great creative details. Read more #9 - Article Marketing for the Online Entrepreneur Writing articles isn't always easy, nor is analyzing your results and implementing new strategies. In the end, you know that it's all worth it ... you just wish it were a little easier. That's where a Premium Membership subscription can help. Read more #8 - The Long-Tail Method: How to Write Great Titles So Easily, You'll Wonder Why You Didn't Do It Before By targeting your audience and creating content along the long tail, you will exponentially increase the likelihood of your articles being seen by readers. Check out these 5 easy steps to get started. Read more #7 - 20 Embarrassing Authority Killers That Will Make Readers Flee En Masse There are several scenarios that will deflate your efforts to build exposure and leverage your expertise. Save face by avoiding these 20 authority killers. Read more #6 - How to Promote Your Content Content marketing is not a "set it and forget it" strategy. It's about the 4 Ps (Plan, Place, Produce, Promote) - just don't forget that last P! Use these 7 methods to promote your content. Read more #5 - 10 Social Media Marketing Mistakes to Avoid Looking for new social media marketing strategies? Check out these 10 tips to get a better handle on your social media efforts, maintain that audience you've worked so hard to build, and avoid these common blunders. Read more #4 - Get an Upgrade: A Fresh Look at EzineArticles Membership Levels Not sure how the EzineArticles membership pyramid works? Get the scoop to discover the benefits of each level. Read more #3 - 100 Words Every Expert Author Should Know Part II You're the expert, so you decide what language works best. Make sure that language targets your readers without obstructing their ability to get your message. Read more #2 - 100 Words Every Expert Author Should Know Part I Want to expand your vocabulary to include some rare gems of the English language? Spice up your writing or see how many words you know and don't know. Read more #1 - 10 Distractions that Destroy Productivity: The WRONG Advice Reclaim your power over distractions! Discover what self-sabotaging distractions you are guilty of, whether you're hurting your own success, and whatever you do, don't follow the advice provided in this most popular post of 2013. Read more Did your favorite blog post make the top 20 list? What was your favorite article writing and content marketing advice from 2013? Visit this post online to let us know - we'd love to hear from you!

To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Penny, Managing Editor http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/

December 2013

Article Writing Tips to Retweet: December 2013 Every month @EzineArticles provides hundreds of useful tidbits of information, motivation, and training for over 103,000 followers. We've gathered some of the best ones from December right here. Retweet any of them for motivation or to share with your Twitter followers. Just CLICK on  to Retweet. Motivational Quotes for Expert Authors You failed yesterday. So what? Take it, learn from it, and focus on the here and now. Every day there are new opportunities. Writers: We live to tell the tale. "Writers live twice." - Natalie Goldberg The company you keep should make you stronger: pic.twitter.com/24ZUcPt7IO Lose your comfort zone: "One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time." - Andre Gide Risk a mistake in order to create value; there is no growth in perfection. pic.twitter.com/Ws426l0vKR Surprise their socks off: pic.twitter.com/PVeX4eE5pF Have purpose behind your dreams: pic.twitter.com/RIZl8nTYCG Keep dreaming! "When you cease to dream you cease to live." - Malcolm Forbes Stop multitasking. Research suggests multitasking can actually make you less effective. Focus on what's in front of you. Increase your luck: "I've always worked very, very hard, and the harder I worked, the luckier I got." - Alan Bond Writing Inspiration, Humor, and Tidbits to Share Find your motivation; it's all you need! pic.twitter.com/CxfDaGzsrw I avoid clichés like the plague. Do you? pic.twitter.com/HKVDysV12C In 3 words, what does a writer do best? pic.twitter.com/Tal076nCWW Ode to the Typographical Error: pic.twitter.com/8hUy8LwwjU 10 Steps to Become a Better Writer: pinterest.com/pin/9436455466... EzineArticles Inside Information Have you written your 2013 Year in Review article yet? This template will help you get started: blog.ezinearticles.com/2009/12/year-i... Put your ideas to work! Rev up your motivation and open those creative floodgates with these A-Z tips: blog.ezinearticles.com/2013/12/articl... Make sure you include the Build-Your-Own Article Template Packages in your 2014 writing campaign plan! Shop.EzineArticles.com/BuildYourOwnAr... Dig in your heels and show your true grit by improving your mindset with these tips: blog.ezinearticles.com/2013/12/7-tips... That’s so cliché! Behind the often attacked figures of speech, there’s a larger cliché problem. Are you a part of it? blog.ezinearticles.com/2013/12/avoid-... What's your favorite Tweet from December? Visit this post online to let us know - we'd love to hear from you! To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Penny, Managing Editor http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: For more posts like this, check out the Article Writing Tips to Retweet category and don't forget to follow us on Twitter to stay up-to-date on the latest EzineArticles information and training.

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