I have a variety of “rules” I try to follow as a writer.  Many of them include things related to writing rituals and good habits that writers should stick with as often as possible. Sometimes, I do not adhere to these rules. I break them.

Do writers set themselves up for failure by creating a set of good habits that are not reasonable to follow? Do we set up rules that are too strict? Is is simply too hard to have any consistent writing habits or practices?

I don’t think so. These rules, or guidelines, or even commandments, are in place to keep us on track. To help us stay on the chosen path as a writer. They essentially keep us in check when we start to drift or become complacent.

Some writers have rituals in place that they follow each and every time they write. They may even be considered a bit pathological or compulsive.

Maya Angelou went to a hotel early in the morning with a bottle of sherry, cards, the Bible, a Thesaurus, and writing pads in hand.  The hotel staff removed all the art from the walls, and by the time she left, Maya had written 10-12 pages of work.

I recently cam across this article titled, Ten Brutally Brutal Writing Commandments, describing what the blogger considers important rules to live by.

I don’t know if these would be MY commandments, but there are some good points in there.  A couple that stand out to me relate to the importance of being a reader and a writer.

Writers MUST Read and Write

Just these two commandments sum it up nicely. Sure, there are more, and the others are also important, but these two are the greatest commandments. In my opinion. If you can only stick with two, I would go with these two: read and write.

Just as Jesus states the two most important commandments to follow are to love God and love thy neighbor, the two most important “writing rules” to follow are read often and write often.

The other commandments (whatever they are) will help you improve your writing skills, and become a better writer. But if you neglect these two, you can’t really be a writer.

Writers Must Write

Obviously, if you don’t write, you are not a writer. Nothing else to say about this. Except this: don’t get lazy or your creative mind will atrophy! Write as often as possible.

Writers Must Read

Many wonderful ideas and creative genius begins in the imagination of writers. Writers feed off of words. Ingesting words are part of thriving as a writer. Words build the creative strength that writing demands.

Take in words. Read. Get inspired by other people’s words.

As a matter of fact, this post was inspired by the “ten commandments” blog post I mentioned above. Just like that, I found an inspirational spark to get this post rolling. It works.

I don’t know what your rules of writing or rituals are and maybe you don’t have any. But I want to tell you that it would not hurt to find some that work for you, are reasonable to follow, and you can habitual stick to. No matter what though, regular reading and writing should be on all of your lists. Trust me. Everything else comes from those two habits, or commandments.

Now go. Be a writer.

Related articles

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• Henry Miller’s 11 commandments for writing (holykaw.alltop.com)
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• The Importance of a Writing Routine (lulu.com)

Blank mind

Stagnant. Stale. Dry. Empty. Dormant. Blank.

In other words: uninspired.

You may have noticed I have not shared much of my writing these last few months. I have published several guest posts, intermingled with some resourceful and curation posts. But I have published little of my own writing inspiration.

Maybe you have not noticed.

But I have.

For some reason, I have not been inspired to write lately. So I haven’t. Which leads to the neglect of my blog, The neglect of my readers. And I am sorry.

It seems my muse has left town on an extended vacation, without so much as a postcard. Just to assure me she will be coming back. I know she will, but until then, I am blank.

Does the busyness of life crush the creative spirit?

Life has been dynamic since the beginning of 2012. Maybe too dynamic. New job. New relationship. Lots of travel. The dissolving of friendships. The creation and kindling of new ones. New writing ventures. And more…

Maybe all the changes have shifted my focus, my energy. Thoughts absent in the right brain with full attention on the things present in the left side. Pushing out creativity with it. Can there be room for both?

Balance is lacking right now. And I need to bring that balance back. Doesn’t this seem like such a challenge in life – maintaining balance?

Most of the changes have been positive, but yet they have been distracting. On an emotional level, too. The lack of inspiration does not mean I have not been inspired. It just means I have not been able to translate that inspiration into relevant and meaningful words.

Why the lack of writing?

There could be many reasons I have been neglecting the time required to create any inspiring or even coherent writing piece. Too busy, lack of motivation, loss of routine, distractions, scattered thoughts.

The simple truth is I have been lazy. I got out of a routine to hyper-focus on the things in my personal and professional life. However, I have not taken the time to write.  Not only have I neglected my blog, I have not jotted down anything in a journal or for other publications.

Scattered brain thoughts pulled into dozens of directions without the quiet time to gather them together. To formulate the ideas and get them on paper or a word processor. These words have been like steam inside a pressure cooker, ready for escape.

The lack of expressing my thoughts in writing has also generated bottled up feelings, leading to random (and sometimes misconstrued) explosions. I believe feelings need to be leaked slowly and consistently. There are different ways to do this: meditation, exercise, counseling. Writing is a catharsis for people who write. Without the release of those jumbled words that smash around in your head, you lose the ability to scrutinize your thoughts.

The writing muscles are much like the body’s muscles. If you don’t use them, you develop atrophy. By neglecting my writing, those muscles have also degenerated and become weak.

The longer I put it off, the worse it becomes. Today, I decided to stimulate those muscles, get them back in shape. I don’t know if this will be the genesis of my writing groove, but it is a start. I need to do it.

I hope you have not lost interest in visiting my site. And if you are a brand new reader, I hope you can come back and share this writing journey with me.

Until then, here’s to bringing back inspiration. However, rocky and distracting the road may be.

Related articles

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George Clooney

George Clooney was on Inside the Actor’s Studio a few weeks ago, and a few things he said struck me as a writer.

He was talking about going in for auditions and the handling of rejection. I am paraphrasing here. Clooney stated as an actor, you are selling yourself. There is nothing else, so when you get rejected, they are rejecting you.  If they don’t like it, you can’t sell them another vacuum cleaner or car.

Clooney went on to say that when you walk in, you are not selling acting, you are selling confidence.

“Confidence is one of the big things you’re selling.” 

Is this the same with writing? Bearing your soul and hoping your confidence can sell it?

Confidence weaves in and out of the lives of many writers. Especially in the beginning. Some days, you wake up and words flow flawlessly. Clients are calling or emailing you for work and your confidence is high. Other days, writing can be a struggle. Inspiration eludes you and your inbox is empty.

In the end, when you feel confident, doubt hides and self-assurance reveals itself. The writing comes easier. You feel optimistic and begin to chase down profitable opportunities. More doors open. When you can sell your writing, you make more money.

How Do You Boost Your Confidence?

1. Focus on Your Strengths

Chances are there are writing topics or styles you feel more confident about than others. Offer the services you excel in. Some people feel more comfortable with blog posts or copywriting than technical papers. Write about topics you know well or enjoy writing about. Become an expert in your niche. This doesn’t mean that you can’t expand to other writing areas, but focus on the things you are good at. Once you become confident in those skills, you may want to be open to other areas.

2. Be Open to Constructive Critiques and Learn

I understand how difficult it can be to get negative feedback on your writing. Adopt a positive mindset. Take it and learn from it – let it motivate you to improve your writing.

Every writer has room for improvement. Some people have a tendency to be negative without providing any constructive feedback. Don’t put too much thought into it and move on. Take the helpful advice and put the feedback to use by improving your skills. View every new writing project as a  new opportunity to learn and improve your writing skills.

3. Read About Writing

Most writing experts will tell you that behind every good writer is a good reader. Take a proactive approach to reading. Dig into your niche and see what others are writing about. Read about writing. Just like any career, it is important to stay educated in your industry. Find blogs written by writing experts. Take writing classes and read books that offer advice on becoming a successful writer.

4. Share Your Knowledge, Network, and Connect

As a profession, writing can leave you feeling isolated. Connect with other writers. Networking is part of your professional development. Simply speaking and sharing your knowledge with other writers can help you build your confidence and get fresh perspectives. Connecting with other writers can help you realize that they are dealing with similar challenges you are and how they adapt to these challenges. You begin to feel better about your writing skills and career path.

When people outside your career ask you what your profession is, confidently tell them you are a writer. Soon you will gain confidence and grow as a professional writer.

Practice, practice, and then rehearse again. Exercise your writing brain. It really is the best way to improve your skills and the more you write, the better you will become. This is such an important recommendation that it is almost become cliché to even mention it. Enough said.

6. Start Raising Your Rates for New Customers

Raise your rates. Sounds like a risky step, right? However, when you raise your rates, and clients pay them, you begin to realize that you actually may have a talent at this writing thing. Additionally, your client’s expectations begin to rise when your rates increase. This forces you to put you best writing foot forward.

Celebrate the positive feedback your clients give you. Relish in the inspirational moments and don’t stress during the struggling ones. Learn from the constructive feedback, and realize that writing is a continual process of growth and improvement. Confidence comes with experience. Apply your strengths, read, write even more, and network with other writers to expand your experience and boost your confidence.

Related articles

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Discouragement with a side order of doubt is often on the menu of a writer who hasn’t found her way yet. There are days when everything seems to be working against you – no clients, too many clients, or a simple lack of inspiration. Maybe as a fledgling writer, you have felt like giving up. No one is reading your work or inspired by your thoughts. Are you even making a difference in the world?

I love football. I have for a long time. And in 1999, I jumped on the Denver Broncos bandwagon. Even though I am a Chicago Bears fan to the core, the Broncos had just won two Superbowls in a row. A lot of credit going to the quarterback – John Elway. I am sure I am not the only one who jumped on that bandwagon, seat belt tight, ready for the next season.

Now I live in Colorado, which makes it more logical to be a Denver fan.

Being a Bears fans first and a Broncos fan second this last Sunday meant a bittersweet ending for me.  The Bears lost to the Broncos. Once again, much of the credit is going to the quarterback. Where saving the game at the last minute is apparently in his playbook.

Unless you have not turned on ESPN for more than 4 minutes this last couple months, you are well aware the talk of the NFL is Tim Tebow. Tebowmania is in full swing. It makes some people a bit more positive and leaves others nauseated.

Tim Tebow Inspires

He changed the face of the Broncos literally, and figuratively. They were a losing team, and the rookie quarterback, Tim Tebow, brought them back by helping them win seven games in a row. The whole team has come together as a unit and beat my Bears in overtime, with an amazing 59 yard field goal. Bittersweet.

Yes, I have tightened my seatbelt even tighter. But now, the bandwagon is even more crowded. Even if you are not a fan of the NFL, you can still find inspiration in Tebow.

Tebow leads the team. He  pulled them out of a losing record and put them on the track to the playoffs. He inspires. Not only because of the winning streak, but Tebow gives hope to the team. He gives hope to Denver and the NFL. He gives hope to Americans, even those who don’t even watch football. He inspires me – to work harder, be a better Christian, eat healthier, work out more. To follow my dreams.

With all the not-so-admirable behavior in the media surrounding professional athletes and celebrities, it is refreshing to see a positive influence. Tebow is a mentor to many. Not only is he a positive influence as a football player, but he is an unwavering Christian, and that passion translates to his foundation, where he gives back to the community. The guy’s got heart. His charming smile and openness to the media make it easy to like the guy.

Yet some people still hate the man. They mock his open displays of prayer and gratefulness to God. Yet, he does not let that stop him. Not even close. He is focused and keeps on training for what he loves to do. Win football games.

Translating Hope and Inspiration in Your Life

Why am I sharing this with you? I have been a writer for a long time, but have only shared my thoughts publicly since 2007, while I was in Iraq. I realize my writing has improved since then, but that is not the point. Soon after, I started writing for money.

Back then, I was just like Tebow, leaving one life behind and starting another one. I was moving up to the pros – a rookie in the blogging and professional writing world. Filled with hope and aspirations. Understanding what is important.

I started this blog because I wanted to inspire and help others whatever their journey may be. When I changed the title to Inspired to Write, that was my intention and mission statement.

I know what it feels like to go against the grain and go with what you love, not what pays the most. I understand what is means to take the chance and do something outside of the norm. Even while people doubt you. I get what it means to put sweat, tears, and long hours into something you believe in, regardless of the skeptics and naysayers.

Whether you are a writer, a singer, an entrepreneur, or a football player, if you love what you do, it is important you give it all you got. I wanted this blog to help others find that hope in following their dreams – no matter what the odds.

I lost sight of that over the years, and the writing has become about work. Making money. Getting out blog posts to keep my readers. Writing about things I don’t have a passion for. Worrying about SEO rankings and my competition.

Isn’t that what happens to NFL players a few years after college?  They lose the love of the game. Instead, they demand more money, their ego’s blow up, they play dirty, and start fights on the field with other players. The love of football is no longer the motivating factor. Money gets the best, or the worst, of them. Self-righteousness overpowers their sportsmanship. Bad attitudes erupt. They forget what is important. They lose inspiration.

This is why Tebow inspires – he still loves the game. And people love him. He has a positive attitude, and is not out partying or getting into trouble with the law in between games. He gives glory to God, leads his team, and loves his family. And he is one heck of a player.

I hope as he progresses in his career, Tim will never lose sight of that. I hope he always remembers when he was bright-eyed and ready to conquer the world. For the love of the game.

While there are Tebow haters, the same happens to others who are successful. Or anyone who does things different than everyone else. Or gets too much positive attention. I think it stems from fear, jealousy, and anger. Or something even more petty.

As someone with your own dreams and hopes, don’t let those people discourage you on your journey – whatever dreams you may be following. Even if those dreams seem out of reach. When people question your success or envy it, you have to keep your eye on the ball. Push yourself to rise above the doubts and uncertainty because it is your passion. Keep that faith and remember why you had that dream to begin with.

For the love of it. Simply, for the love of it.

As the end of the year draws near, it is common to start rethinking about your goals – your personal life’s goals, your fitness and diet goals, and your career goals.

In the career sense, I am always thinking about my writing goals, but often times, they seem to fall to the wayside. Each year, I vow to start new, with a new strategy for my writing content.  It begins with a plan and formulates into a planner. I write down my daily plans — i.e. write blog post on Monday, article on Wednesday, and market for clients on Thursday.

When I look back at the goals in my planner, around the January time frame, they are always lofty and filled with great ideas. Somehow, throughout the year, they get altered or forgotten. Why does that happen?

Whether you are trying to finish that novel, write a fantastic query letter, look for more clients, or maintain your blog, ask yourself – do you have a content strategy? Or are you like thousands of other writers and blog owners who just wing it or put is off for yet another day? Sometimes keeping up with writing feels like “work.” I mean actual work. I hate when that happens.  I write because I love it, and when it feels like work, I don’t love it.

One way to help is to not only make a plan, but stick to it! Consider creating a content strategy.

What Is a Content Strategy?

Content strategy is pretty much what it sounds like. It is a plan, or strategy, you create to develop, organize, and market your content for maximum results. This plan can start with an overall yearly plan, broken down into months, weeks, and days. I tend to work best with small goals.  Daily goals that I write down (actually physical put it on paper!) seem to help the best.

But you may work better if you have a content strategy for the entire year.  Find out what works best for you, and stick to it. Let’s see if we can make it through 2012 sticking to the majority of our goals.  Sure, there will be times we just can’t make it stick.  But we have to at least try.

Habits Make it Easier

Once you have a content strategy in place and make it a habit to stick with the plans, the process of writing becomes much easier.  Think of your goals as a boss you have to meet a deadline for.  When you are self-employed, it can be much easier to procrastinate, especially if you have income coming in elsewhere.

Working Smarter, Not Harder

Once you get the hang of it and start earning more money from your writing, it may be time to delegate, or outsource some of your tasks. At that point, time may be much more valuable than money.

Think Strategically

Answer these seven questions when creating your content strategy.

1. What is the purpose for your content?

I think one of the first things you need to do is think about the purpose of this writing? To have extremely effective content you want to have a purpose in mind.

For example, are you looking for more traffic to your website? Are you interested in promoting an affiliate product? Maybe you want to share a great piece of advice with a reader. For offline writing, finishing a chapter in your novel or formulating a query letter to send to a magazine may be your goals. It helps to create purpose for all of your writing content.

2. Where will you publish your content?

This is another consideration. I have several blogs and websites, and I also write articles and guest posts. There is a variety of places you can put your content, including the your blog, article sites, newsletters, magazines, and more. Each of these venues have different styles and editorial requirements.

3. What types of content will you publish?

Some writers don’t want to have an overwhelming number of options on their agenda for this month or even year. Consider the type of writing you want to focus on.  Having a focus can really lighten your load and clear some of the projects off your plate.

Maybe you want to focus on copywriting or put all your energy into your blog. Other considerations include articles, reports, and email responders.  Consider your readers on your blogs. Include that in your plan.

4. When will you write your content?

This is a critical part of being a freelance writer. You need to figure out your sweet spot or the time your creative mind is most productive. This is when the scheduling comes into play.

Think about your week and what you have going on outside of writing projects.  Do you have to take your kids to school?  Are you signed up for a fitness class in the evening?  Work around those times.  Then, ADD IT TO YOUR PLANNER.  Think of  it like an appointment you can not miss. There is really no right or wrong way to do this, but you have to schedule it if you want the content strategy to work well.

5. When will you publish/upload?

Publishing is another consideration for your overall strategy. Some people say certain times are better than others.  Ultimately, it is what works best for you.  Publish when you are ready. The great thing about your own blog is you can post date your posts. If you have a bunch of blog posts that you have written, schedule them for future dates of publication. Always fit time in your schedule for posting articles or blog posts.

6. How will you market your content and your business?

Being a writer today means you have to be a marketer as well. Part of your strategy should include coming up with a marketing plan. You want your readers and prospective customers to see your content!  One simple way to do this is social media.

Some veteran writers refuse to get on Facebook or other social media site.  Times have changed and social media is a significant part of your writing promotions. Guest posts and article marketing are a couple other ways to market your website, articles, book, or blog. The more people who are aware of your writing, the more readers and traffic you will have.

7. How will you maximize your content?

Finally, think about you can repurpose your content and reuse it. One way to do this is tweaking the main focus and publishing in different types of magazines. Another way is to repurpose your blog posts and put them in a report you give away or sell to your readers. Plan ways to make the most of your writing. Your time and energy is important.

Writing can not always be scheduled as easy as a dentist appointment. I understand creativity does not follow the clock on the wall. But having something in place at least gives you goals to shoot for.  Once you are in the regular habit of writing, you will be surprised how much easier it gets to come up with ideas.

As a new copywriter, I am taking in everything I can get my hands on to learn more about the craft.  I don’t have a marketing degree, so anything I have learned about advertising and good copy is self-taught through informal education. My Psychology degree probably comes in handy, but zoning in on copywriting is my ultimate goal.

There are plenty of resources available to learn about copywriting, including some extensive courses that cost a pretty penny to join.  On this educational journey, I first looked at what was already out there for free or close to it.  Libraries and websites are good for this.

I already read Bob Bly’s copywriting book, which was very helpful and something I would put in your library.  Now I am reading about legendary Gary Halbert, through his website titled The Gary Halbert Letter.  Unfortunately, Gary passed a few years ago, but his methods, insights, and advice are timeless.

There are dozens of letters (and more) you can read on the site to learn some in-depth tips about copywriting. These are raw letters written by Gary. Personal and truthful insights about the philosophy on direct mail and advertising. And life. This is not the hype over-salesy, yet superficial rhetoric you will usually get from copywriting courses or sales letters. Here’s my tip – if copywriting is a direction you want to go, stop on this website for a couple of hours and enjoy.  Why? Well, I’ll give you eight reasons. Ten is too cliché.

1. Access to priceless information

While reading these letters, I am simply in awe of the mind behind this advertising genius. His stories make you want to keep reading. Seriously. I have only read about 25% of the letters and feel like I have obtained knowledge that no $500 course could ever give me.  Knowledge about good copy, about Gary’s hard knocks and profitable days, his passion, and his raw sincerity. The Boron letters alone are worth forking over some money for.

Maybe a $500 course would provide helpful copywriting tips, but with a price tag. Or the chance to listen to more sales pitches for the “bonus” one time offers.

2. No opt-in required

While you can opt-in to TheGaryHalbertLetter.com to get more information (I did), it is certainly not required.  Some of the links on the list can be accessed without an opt-in. For anyone who is involved with Internet marketing, this certainly is a breath of fresh air. All of the information is available without giving out your already overloaded email address.

Personally, I would still recommend you opt in to have access to everything.  Trust me – you will NOT get a ton of spam or pushy affiliate emails.

3. Available at ZERO cost

Oh yeah – and it’s free. All of his letters and advice is available without paying a single penny. I am not sure how this is even possible in today’s world where nuttin’ is free. But I know Gary has mentioned in a couple of his letters that there is value in “free” and wanted to share all this information with a wide audience.

I am surprised his sons are not trying to cash in on everything their dad created.  Good for them.  Gary taught them well.  Quality free stuff is not easy to find these days.

4. Insight of the mind of a copywriting genius

Gary had such a simple, yet effective way to think about direct sales. He understood Psychology and people. He knew that it really is all about the customer. And the sale. Period. You do this by getting their attention, interest, and desire to act (the AIDA model). He was ahead of his time. People still don’t get this today.

Much of his advice was written in a time before the Internet and autoresponders, when snail mail and print was the only option for direct mail and advertisements. Some of his advice is outdated, of course, but the principles still apply.

The most famous of these letters are the Boron letters, written while he was in prison for mail fraud.  The letters are written to his son, Bond. Advice on copywriting and life in general.  Start there.

5. No email to sell, sell, sell

Even if you opt-in, you are not going to get some three-line email about some new, additional product you MUST have. Really?  You will not be bombarded with two to three emails a day about the next product you should start looking at, before you even have a chance to absorb the product you just bought twelve hours ago!  It is quite refreshing to not have constant sales pitches to deal with every other day. You will only get an e-mail with more of Gary’s letters about every 4-5 days.

Stepping down from the soapbox, I will just say this is one of the e-mail lists you won’t dread being on. I imagine this autoresponder may not even be maintained much anymore. The goal is certainly not to “sell you.” Moving on…

6. Simple website without banners or ads or pop-ups to contend with

Along those same lines, the website is simple. I am sure it has not been updated or tended to very much, but I have a feeling if Gary were alive today he would reject the idea of banners in your face and opt-in pop-ups (man, I hate those!). The simple layout requires you to use your back button a lot, and scroll up and down to read the letters.  But it is not in your face at all.  There is not one single ad on that whole site.

Not the most aesthetic, but really that is the whole point.  Unless you are selling a vacation spot or a new car, pretty pictures and graphics are not required for great copy. It is all in the words.  And at The Gary Halbert Letter website, you will find just the meat and potatoes. No fluff.

7. Entertaining

Even if you have no plans on going into copywriting, you will enjoy reading these letters.  You feel like are propped up on a bar stool sharing a beer with Gary while he shares his thoughts on the world. I bet he laughs a lot and exudes passion in his voice.  Somehow you can hear that in his letters.  It is not often that you can pick out an author’s voice so quickly and easily.  Maybe you don’t hear it that way.

Regardless, the letters are entertaining.  It’s like you are reading a story, especially the Boron letters or the one that explains how Halbert ended up in prison.  If you write fiction or blog posts or any type of creative writing, you can learn a thing or two.

8. He was well-loved. By many.

Sure, there are those out there who may have been envious of Gary’s success.  And others who don’t like him because they felt he ripped them off.  Some may have found him too in-your-face (I get the feeling Gary was not a gentle, sugar-coating kind of guy).  But besides his family, I am sure he was loved by many. I obviously never met Gary or know anyone who knew him personally. It is just an assumption.

Gary seemed to have a “big personality.” Boldness and honesty combined with a good heart in a hard-working man. He grew up in the Midwest and that fits the description of many from the Midwest. One thing for sure is he loved his family, his sons. It’s hard to dismiss that.

This touching letter from John Carlton right after Gary died in 2007 sums it up nicely. If you still don’t want to read his letters after reading this, I have nothing left to convince you.

Related articles

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Editor’s Note:  This is a guest post from David Smith.  Please read more about David in the bio footer.

Market research is a vital part of starting up any business, and continued success for existing businesses. It may seem like a mystery or something that is hard to do, but it basically boils down to smart research and evaluation of the data you collect.

Every business needs to know what products or services are needed, the target audience you’re trying to reach, the best way to go about offering your goods and services to potential customer, and how to hold onto current customers. For a small business this can mean the life or death of your company.

Before you jump in and spend a lot of your hard earned money and valuable time on market research, here’s ten things you should take care of before and during your market research for your small business.

1. Make a business plan. You need a plan to succeed. Think of it as your road map to success. You probably wouldn’t plan a cross country trip without a plan of which roads you were going to travel and how you’re going to fund it. The same thing is true in business. You need to know where you’re going and how you’re going to get there to be successful.

2. Decide if there is a need for your product or service. Conduct market research on the product or service you want to offer. Make sure there is a viable need for it. Successful businesses answer a need a community has, even if the community is online and global.

3. Is what your small business offers just like a million others out there? If so how can you make your service or products stand out? Take the time to research what your competition is offering, and then you can make plans to make yours stand out from the crowd.

4. Identify the benefits your products or services offer to people. You have to be able to tell people why they need what you are offering and what it is going to do for them.

5. Identify your target audience. Do you want to target young people with disposable incomes, middle age couples who need to save money, or is your target audience retirees? Your target audience will make a difference on how you present your business.

6. How big do you want to go? Do you want to target your local area or do you want to build a global market? Either one is fairly easy now with the availability of the internet if you have a plan and a website that is properly written, designed and takes advantage of quality SEO.

7. Decide on how you will conduct your market research. Will you do it on your own or will you hire a company to do it for you. You can do market research yourself with a computer or at the library, but if you are busy or unsure on how to go about it, you may want to hire a company to do it for you.

8. If you decide to do market research on your own, there are some cheap and easy ways to do it. You can run a poll on your website or Facebook page, hold a question and answer seminar on Twitter, send out polls via email, and talk to people in person.

9. Once you collect the data, analyze it carefully. Be sure the data collected was from a large enough group of people or sources. If not, you won’t have a true representation of the market.

10. Take action. Don’t just do market research and then file the information away. Take it seriously because it is telling you how to improve or start your small business.

Complete market research on a regular schedule. Very few small businesses are successful after they become stagnant. You have to stay on top of the ever changing wants and needs of consumers. If your sales are beginning to wane, consider moving on to other services or products.

Your small business is like a living thing. It needs to keep growing to stay healthy. Don’t be afraid to do market research. It will only benefit your small business, and help you to know what people need, and how you can offer it to them.

A final word on market research is the importance of a website. Every business, no matter how small, needs a website. Websites are invaluable tools for a business. You can tell your visitors about you and your business, why you’re the one to get what you offer from, collect emails for future campaigns, poll your visitors, connect and build community, and help to set yourself up as an expert in your field.

With a well built and planned out website, a business plan in hand, and well researched and analyzed market research, your small business with not only be successful, but thrive.

It is not always easy to come up with original, substantial content for your blog on a regular basis.  Life gets busy, other things may be pulling you in a different direction.  Keeping regular content on your blog is important not only to satisfy the search engines, but to keep readers coming back for more.  Fresh content helps build your business and attracts regular visitors. How do you find content when you are busy?

1. Look for inspiration from the water cooler.  What is everyone else talking about?  If you are stumped, look to see what other bloggers are discussing. Expound on your own comments or other people’s comments and turn it into a blog post.  You can also look into social sites and see what the big topic of discussion is.

2. Let someone else do the talking. If you find an interesting blog post or article, why not give some link love?  Instead of writing a full blown post saying pretty much the same thing, link to that article, add a few lines with your own opinion, ask for others to comment, and there you go – a new blog post.

3. Everyone loves resources. Find a topic that your readers will love, and write a helpful list of resources from other websites, articles, or blogs.   This is also a great way to get link love back if others find it helpful.  For example, if you have a blog that focuses on finding deals, create a list of top 10 websites or services that offer coupons or deals.

4. Guest Posts!  Posting guest posts is a great way to keep the conversations going.  If I am going to be out of town or busy on another project for a week or two, I will plan a bunch of guest posts.  This will alleviate some of the pressure to try and get online and post when you are busy doing other things.

5. Bring up past highlights. Highlight all your favorite or popular blog posts from the last month or year.  This can be based on number of comments, visits, or centered around a topic. For example, “Top Ten Blog Posts About SEO.”

6. Share a photo. This is one I have not tried, but is a great idea when you are short on time or creative words.  Post a picture and ask readers to create a caption. Photos do speak a thousand words, why not ask readers to share some of their own words?

7.  Talk about the current news. This will depend on the topic of your blog.  If you have a political blog, discuss the latest headline on politics.  If you blog is more in the fashion niche, look for news on fashion. Grab a headline from the news and expound on it. Share your opinion and ask others to share theirs.

8. Quotes to the rescue. If you really are looking for inspiration, share a quote that inspires you, makes you laugh or is relevant to your niche. Often times, just reading a quote can lead to a quick blog post.

Having your own content and ideas is an important part of being a blogger, but when time and inspiration are lacking, mix it up with some of these ideas.

T-shirt Design

Not all creatives are created equal.  While I know of people who can play an instrument, paint, write, and take amazing photos, many creative people are not the jack of all trades.  I think this is especially true with writers. We claim to master the art of creative writing, but can’t do much more than draw really good stick figures.  At least this is true for me.

In addition, some creatives have an eye for graphic design, yet can’t take a paintbrush to canvas and create a masterpiece.

There are all types of creative people looking for an outlet to express themselves.  For writers, it can be a blog or articles or a book.  For graphic designers, the list is endless, especially for online work. Headers, banners, advertising, newsletters, logos, and more.

However, what about displaying your work offline?  There are brochures, flyers, and corporate design work.  But, sometimes creativity is limited when the product will be on the header of a large corporation.

The T-shirt canvas

For graphic designers who want a little more creative freedom,  and want to display their art on canvas,  what about creating design work on t-shirts? Graphic design is not one of my strengths, but I have seen some creative t-shirt designs for companies, non-profits, and charity events.  Even political statements. Really, the t-shirt becomes your canvas.

Having your design on a t-shirt offers a great way to advertise your work, or just have fun creating different type of designs.  Even if you are not a professional designer, Streetshirts, based out of the UK, allows you to express your creative side and design your own t-shirt.

Make the t-shirt as simple or elaborate as you want.  I spend a few minutes there playing around with designs and text.  Really, the options are endless.

It offers another creative outlet for visual artists. Not everyone gets a chance to show off their work.  Here’s a way to wear it so everyone can see.

Ahhh… life as a freelance writer.  It can often be equated to a roller coaster ride, especially the ones that you never quite know what is around the next corner.  But, you just hang on tight and enjoy the ride.  As a creative that has not been clinically diagnosed with ADD, my mind never seems to rest.  At least not for very long.

As a writer, I have learned to focus on a few things this last year.   While trying to find my way, I stumbled down dozens of roads that cost me money and time.  Worse – they led to dead ends.  I still meander a few steps down some luring paths, but usually not for very long.  Unless, I feel it actually is the path I SHOULD be following.

Not all roads lead to nowhere.

One of the unexpected pathways of my writing career has turned into the creation of a book.  A freelance writing book in the works.   Another one led to higher paying gigs.  My passion for travel has opened up more opportunities and I added a travel blog to ITW.  Lastly, the cumulation of fruitless detours has taught me a whole heck of a lot about online marketing – and I created a web consulting business.

Whew!  Sounds like a lot.  It is.  I’ve been busy!  But, ultimately, the hard work, the wasted time, the late nights, and all the frustrations all taught me one thing – it ain’t easy being a writer!  (I know “ain’t” is not the best word choice for a professional writer – but you get my point!)

So, what is the right path for a freelance writer? 

El. Oh. El.

There isn’t one!  This whole time I have been trying to carve myself in this little niche and I have learned, I am blazing my own path, a path that no one else has been on.  That is the beauty of being in a creative field.  No one tells you how to do things, no one gives you a blueprint, and no one guides you down a straight, direct path.  Nope.

Yet somehow, we often feel lost.

Where is everybody?  Did I miss a turn? Maybe I’m late!  Am I early?

Writing may have always been my destiny, but the journey to get there certainly was not laid out for me.  There have been times in the last few years I wanted to abandon the idea and live a simple life.  Give it all up an get a real full-time J.O.B.

Nah!

I knew from a young age I could never work in an mundane job like a factory or punch-a-clock-9-to-5 type job.  Probably why I joined the Air Force.  It is just not in my blood to be ordinary. My mom certainly doesn’t live a routine life either or have a boring job.  Runs in the genes.  Sometimes it can be chaotic and unpredictable.  I often follow rabbit trails to satisfy my curiosity.

As I move forward with all these writing projects, one thing I hope is always in focus, my love for writing.  My love for expressing myself and sharing with thoughts. And hoping someone on the other end is listening.  That’s what you are here for.