What attracts you to an article? What pulls you in and makes you want to read more? Whatever drew your attention and pulled you in is called a hook and it is a necessary tool for a writer because there is so much out there vying for reader’s attention. We also are all so busy that we need to be selective about where we spend our time.
There are a variety of hooks depending on your article. Here are a few.
A question that makes the reader think. Here are a few examples.
What do you find most attractive in a person?
Why do some people live longer than others?
What is the one thing you would never change in your life?
A surprising fact. Facts like Bees can recognize human faces and your heart beats around 100,000 times a day.
A dialogue hook. “Maurice, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
A descriptive hook. This is when the author describes the scene so well that you feel like you can see it in front of you.
A strong statement like failure is not trying.
A thought-provoking thought. An example would be our families are not always those who know us the best.
Once you know what topic you want to write about, the next step is to construct your hook. How can you pull your readers in? What can you offer them and how will you do it?
Read articles from successful writers and look for the hooks. Can you create something similar? I can’t wait to read it!
Many of us are missing an essential element when we evaluate our success. We want to be at the top of the goals mountain in our field with the numbers to prove it. The piece we are missing is how important the experiences on the journey have been. How many people have we touched? Do we have the right milestone markers to evaluate our progress? What goals have we met even if we didn’t meet the ultimate one yet?
As a writer, when I was able to write more often because I retired, my goal was to make $2,000 a month from online writing. I was sure if I wrote two articles every day I could reach that goal in no time. I made five dollars in the first month and thought I only needed to keep working hard. I wasn’t interacting with my readers, and I wasn’t reading other writer’s work. I thought I was a failure, but in the first year of retirement I wrote my second book called 101 Tips to Lighten Your Burden. I wrote the book because I saw so many people who were hurting and I wanted to give them a book of encouragement that would help them feel less alone. As I continue to vend my books, I have helped many people with that book, and I have to remind myself that is a victory that is more important than money.
If you have a blog or you write for a platform, celebrate each time someone becomes a subscriber or gives you a like. Think of those as a recognition that your writing is valuable.
When someone takes the time to comment on your writing, see the opportunity to engage and make a connection. Each time you do that you are creating your community.
If you have written books and you are vending them in your community, be grateful for the chance to make your writing visible.
When your readers say your writing made a difference, take a minute to soak that in, then start writing more because your words are powerful.
As a runner, I never feel as if I am training hard enough or pushing myself to reach my goals. I recently had a knee injury, and I have been doing what I can to heal enough to do an ultramarathon this weekend. Instead of worrying about completing the twelve hours, I am going to be happy with whatever I am able to do.
Use the small victories in every area of your life to keep improving and recognize that you are doing your best as you learn a long the way.
Time and how you use it can be a major factor with your writing for different reasons.
How much time you devote to your writing can equal how successful you will be. Ask yourself if you have been writing consistently, interacting enough with your readers and other writers, learning from other writers, reading your reader’s comments to learn what is important to them, and making your writing visible. If the answer is no, you should not complain about low numbers because successful writing means you show up consistently and devote time to creating the best material you can.
Time is also a part of the writing experience when it comes to not giving up. Patience is important for a writer because success doesn’t usually happen right away. It takes time to build trust and an audience. Once you develop an audience who trusts you, they will continue to follow you and your writing. Don’t give up when you haven’t met your expectations within the first month. Keep mpving forward and gradually you will find that your work is being noticed.
Being good with time management will help you be more productive and allow you more time to practice your craft.
I have written twelve books that I often vend at a local craft market, but I find it isn’t always the words between those pages that matter the most.
The books are a way to start a conversation with people who are struggling. Here are a few examples.
One day, A woman was looking at my two mental health books, 101 Tips to Lighten Your Burden, and Help for the Hard Days. I could sense that she was sad, so I engaged her in conversation, and she revealed that she had spent the past two years caring for her brother-in-law who had dementia. He recently died and her husband was recently diagnosed with dementia as well. I asked her if she was taking care of herself in the midst of caring for everyone else and she started to sob. We talked more and I gifted her Help for The Hard Days and told her to come back anytime she wanted to talk.
Another day, a young lady was at the corner of the booth looking anxious and uncomfortable. I walked over and said, “Hi, I’m Jen. Let me know if you have any questions.” She started asking me questions about writing and teaching. We spoke for a few minutes and then I had to help other customers. I regretted not speaking with her more because I couldn’t shake the feeling that she wanted to ask for help in some way.
I offer treats for dogs and butterfly stickers for children as a chance to pull people in and give them a chance to chat. Everyone has a story they want to share, or a burden they need to unleash, and I’m not a psychologist, but I can listen.
Last Saturday, a man was looking at 101 Tips to Lighten Your Burdens, but he put it back and walked to his family. I grabbed a copy and walked over to him. I told him I would like to gift him a copy. He was so surprised and he gave me a bear hug. We all need a little sprinkle of kindness sometimes.
I have a writing kit with writing advice and writing tools. A young man looked at it and checked the price and saw he didn’t have enough to buy it. He looked so disappointed that I followed him with the kit and handed it to him but said he could only have it if he promised to write. His mom told me how much he loves to write, so I felt good gifting it to him.
I know you must be thinking, “Does she give everything away?” I do not, but once in awhile it makes me happy to give something away.
At a recent market, the vender next to me was in a funk. We talked about it and I told her I thought her art was amazing and she told me my books are like warm hugs. I think we both enjoyed the compliments.
The next time you are wondering if you should keep writing, imagine how much more you can do with your words.
I have been doing ultramarathons for over ten years, and I have made so many mistakes along the way, but I have learned and improved from each mistake.
The lessons learned helped me to develop the what if approach to how to prepare because anything can happen during an ultra and I want to be prepared when the crazy thing that I never expected happens.
Here are the top 10 that I bring with me to prepare for the what if scenarios.
#1 Cortisone cream and Benadryl in case I step on a ground hornet’s nest and get stung six times on one leg. Six times. I kept going and watched the bites swell, but the cortisone cream helped.
#2 Tiny bike shorts for when a small shower turns into a monsoon and less clothes are better.
#3 Ginger candies to help when I did 40 miles without electrolytes and my stomach turned. My advice is to take your electrolytes!
#4 The correct electrolyte after finding out the hard way that Gatorade and Powerade are too hard on my stomach. I use Hoist.
#5 A headlamp for the night races when the race director tells you there might be wild pigs, but the noise from the bullfrogs are what is terrifying you.
#6 Pickle juice because it is magic for keeping your muscles working.
#7 Vaseline to use to prevent blisters and avoid a line of blood under my sports bra.
#8 Food you love because if you stop eating you will hit the wall hard. I am also food motivated.
#9 Cough drops in case the course becomes a dust bowl and the dust irritates your throat.
#10 A good chair because sometimes you need to take a break and come back stronger.
I have written twelve books on a variety of topics and genres. Eight were traditionally published and four were self-published. I am currently working on a novel for middle schoolers, a running book, a parenting book, another children’s book in a series I have, and I have two books in the publishing queue, so I have had experience writing books.
I vend my books at a local craft market, and I am asked questions about writing all the time. The questions vary but they usually either come from people who don’t know where to start or are afraid to start. I love helping writers, so I would tell you that an easy way to approach writing a book is to look at the decisions you will have to make along the way.
The most obvious first decision is to choose what you want to write about. Ask yourself why you want to write a book and ask yourself what goals you have for the book. Is there a topic on your heart you would like to discuss, an experience you want to share? Do you want to write fiction or non-fiction, and what age group are you going to reach?
Once you have chosen your topic and your target audience, research the requirements for that type of book. A typical novel is between 50,000–70,000 words. A picture book is around 16. Learn the basic requirements so you have a structure to help you.
The next decision is how you are going to write it. Many people never start writing because this part seems overwhelming. How you write your book is personal, but I will give you two possible ways to start. Take a large whiteboard so you can erase and change and let your thoughts flow and write down everything that comes into your head. Don’t worry about organization yet, just write down whatever jumps into your head. When you have unleashed all your thoughts, read through again and decide what your chapters should be. Having chapters will help guide you through the book.
Another idea is to make an outline after brainstorming and continue to brainstorm under each heading. Whatever way you decide to use, once you have a general structure turn on a grammar checker and write down the bones. At this point, nothing has to be perfect, so don’t start wondering if it is good enough or if you are wasting your time. Keep writing.
Once you have a few chapters and a good idea of where you want the book to go, your next decision is what type of publisher you want. Writer’s Digest has a series of books that provide publishing information. You can send queries to publishers while you continue to write. Before you send those letters make sure to research that a publisher is appropriate for your material. You should avoid vanity publishers. You don’t ever have to pay for your book to be published although you will probably pay for copies to be printed, but a vanity publisher wants to charge you to publish.
If you don’t want to publish traditionally, you can self-publish. Self-publishing is usually quicker than traditional publishing, but traditional publishing is more respected.
When your book is finished you have to make some decisions on editing. If you have a publisher, the publisher might have an editor. You might have a friend who is an English teacher. Make sure to have someone other than yourself read through to look for errors.
Once you have a publisher, you will have to make decisions about your author photo, the cover design, and your biography. You also should have a marketing plan in place.
So, those are a few of the steps on the way to writing your book, but the biggest decision is following through on the decision to write it.
Even when I have read all the articles and books on writing, and paid attention to the veteran writers who are making it work, I still need reminders about the basics now and then. Here is a list that I am going to post in front of me in my office.
Stay organized and don’t have a zillion projects going at once. Focus on mission critical, finish that and keep moving forward.
Don’t waste time wondering if you are good enough. If you are passionate about writing you should be writing.
Observe and listen. Your next projects are all around you.
Connect with your readers.
Create a writer’s footprint. Put your writing everywhere to make it visible.
Remember the gold is in the comments of articles, so read them and see what is important to readers.
Somedays you should do something else besides writing and then you will be fresher when you come back.
Don’t forget why you write.
Ignore the haters.
Be persistent and don’t compare yourself to other writers.
Read.
Someone needs your words.
Break the rules sometimes.
Take some risks.
Prioritize my writing instead of it being the last thing I do when I’m tired and my brain is moosh.
Thank the people who support me.
Create your best work every time.
Stay open to new ideas and learning opportunities.
Do not allow anyone to limit you.
Be patient
Learn from other creators, not just writers. See what makes a creator successful and use that knowledge to help your business grow.
Join writing groups.
Be professional
Put in the work.
Be authentic.
You have to market your writing if you want a writing business.
Keep a sense of humor
These are only a few reminders of what you need to keep you on track as a writer. Add a few of your own.
When we were ready to welcome in a new dog after the death of our beautiful dog Lilly, I asked myself where I should go to look. A thought jumped into my head that said, “It will come.”
Several weeks later, I was running in our neighborhood when my neighbor Lynn stopped me. Lynn is a dog trainer, and she was on her way to pick up a border collie who had been purchased as an emotional support dog, but the owner had been injured and could no longer care for the dog. I told Lynn I would ask my husband if we could consider taking the dog. He said he would consider it, but when Lynn returned and the beautiful four-month-old collie jumped out and into my arms, I forgot we were only considering the dog. I could not imagine the learning experience ahead of me.
Here are a few things that I learned about a border collie.
· The boundless energy
I had no idea how much energy this dog would have. In the morning, he needs to run off his crazy. He shoots out the door and runs behind the neighbor’s house and within a minute, he shoots back. The first time my husband saw him do it he started to panic and I told him, “Don’t worry, he only needs to run the crazy out. He’ll be back. Denis, (our neighbor) have talked about it and he doesn’t mind.” Our neighbor Denis told me that Bandit has worn a path through the back. (they have a wooded area) I asked him if he minded and he told me he loved seeing him flash by.
We were walking him at a local park when we met a woman with an older version of Bandit. My husband asked her when this breed calmed down. She laughed and said, “Never!”
We also discovered that we need to judge when he needs to stop because he doesn’t want to miss playtime. He is also ready to go again after about ten minutes of rest.
· Anxiety
I can only talk about my dog, but I have heard from other owners that anxiety is a common trait for this breed. I am blessed to have a dog owner for a friend who has given me advice on how to calm him. If he becomes to excited when someone enters the house, I tell him calmly to go to his crate and stay, when he is finally calm I tell him to come back out. I also have a command of settle that I use at night if he needs to calm down.
· The need for a job
Border collies are bred to herd. They need to have a job to be happy. They might try to herd your family or animals, but they need a purpose, so come up with tricks and commands they can complete.
· They can be easily spooked
When Bandit first came to us, we had to teach him about his surroundings. He was terrified of the garbage cans, so I had to take him near them and let him see they were harmless. He was very jumpy at first, but as he became used to what was around him, he calmed down.
· The intelligence
I have never had a dog this smart. He is smarter than a lot of people I know. He can learn new tricks and commands very quickly. When he first came we had two cats. One was huge and was not afraid of Bandit at all. He would lick the black marking down Bandit’s nose and Bandit loved it. If Lowkey stopped, Bandit would lift his paw to nudge Lowkey’s head to do it again. I had to grab his paw around four times and tell him, “No, you will hurt him if you do that.” After that, he would nudge Lowkey with his nose.
My friend Lynn told me to talk to him because he will learn what I’m saying. I talk to him all the time and he knows 90% of what I’m telling him.
· The crate matters
I have never crated a dog before Bandit, but Lynn told me he needed a safe place where he can go if something scares him. We also need it because around bedtime we need a break too and he is not a dog who lies down very often.
· They will guard what is theirs and the neighbors
Bandit loves people unless he feels someone is threatening his territory or his people and he considers all our neighbors to be his people. He does not like delivery people, so I have to take him in whenever I see a truck coming. One day, he ran to a delivery man at the neighbor’s house!
· They love fully
There will be no doubt that you are fully loved by this dog. The minute I sit on the floor the face licking begins and then the tennis ball is retrieved so I can throw it until it feels like water torture.
· Yelling is not a good discipline technique with them
Again, I can only speak for my dog, but calm commands and discipline work the best. There have been one or two times when I yelled and then felt horrible when my dog crumpled.
· You can put the ball away
Bandit will bring you the tennis ball non-stop until you don’t ever want to see it again. One night I said to my husband, “You know, we can put the balls away. We can do what we want to do too.” The first night we put them away was magical.
· They can live with cats
We had two cats when Bandit joined our family. He tolerated one cat and adored the rotund one.
· They love sticks more than anything
Bandit lives for sticks that he enjoys whipping them into submission. We all have something that ignites our passion. Bandit’s passion is definitely sticks.
· They are fast
That flash you saw was a border collie. The neighborhood children love to see Bandit chasing his frisbie.
· They want and need to be trained
This is probably true for any dog, but teaching your dog important commands could save his life. If I have Bandit outside while I work in the yard, I have to keep an eye on him because if he sees someone or something interesting, he may bolt, but when I say, “Bandit come!” I know he is coming back to me.
I have some funny stories that happened on my way to learning more about my border collie, but I’ll tell those in another article.
A verbal barb is a nasty comment or question that is meant to hurt or demean. The people who launch these barbs usually only do it to people they think are too kind or nice to retaliate. So, what is the best way to react to these comments? As always, you have a choice but let me tell you what has worked for me.
I am often so shocked by what someone said to me that it takes me a minute to respond. It turns out that is actually a tactic that is recommended to use. Stay silent for a minute and put on the best look of disdain and disgust you can muster. Then you can choose your response which I will explain in a minute.
First, you need to realize that you do not need to tolerate a lack of respect or justify yourself at any time. I’ll give you two examples of questions I have been asked. One woman asked me both these questions within ten minutes. I had just retired several weeks before our meeting, so she said, “What do you do all day?” Because I know that when people throw verbal daggers, they don’t really want an answer, I kept my answer short and said, “I’m busier now than when I worked, but I’m free to do what I want.” Then several minutes later she asked me if my youngest daughter was an accident because there is an age gap between her and my other children. I took a deep breath and said, “She has been nothing short of a blessing, and no, she was not an accident.” Keep those answers short and move on. Mean people are looking for emotional reactions and drama, don’t let them have that pleasure.
Another way to respond is by laying out some boundaries. You can set firm boundaries by saying, “That question, comment is disrespectful and I am not going to answer it.” Comments that draw the line and let someone know how you expect to be treated are appropriate. My husband had been throwing little jabs at me because I consider my writing a business and he wants me to consider it a hobby. He said something about how I wasn’t making much money and I mentioned I had written 12 books but hadn’t figured out how to market them yet. I told him he needed to stop talking to me like that. The look of surprise on his face let me know he had heard me.
Once the initial interaction is over, let it go. Mean people love perpetuating drama and hate to be ignored, so don’t give them a second thought.
The last suggestion I would give you is to always remain calm. Your emotions will be in the way. Don’t be afraid to call someone out or question their intentions. “Why are you having this conversation with me?” Mean people like to divide and conquer so suggest you continue this conversation around someone who can be a mediator. It’s satisfying to watch a discussion that was meant to be hurtful fall apart.
Again, you have to choose how to react, but I would not drop to that person’s level to meet rudeness with rudeness. Keep telling yourself that behavior is not worth your time or energy.
