Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge Day 15 #HAWMC
Day fifteen of the WEGO Health Activist Writer’s Month which I have signed up for – a month dedicated to the art of writing about health.
We are half way through this writing challenge and today’s prompt appropriately enough is all about our writing styles.
Writing with Style. What’s your writing style? Do words just flow from your mind to your fingertips? Do you like handwriting first? Do you plan your posts? Title first or last? Where do you write best?
I am, as some of you know, a serial blogger. Not only do I blog here on Journeying Beyond Breast Cancer, but I also write here, here, here, here, here and here, and manage some blogs for clients too. If you think this sounds like a lot of work, you’re right! But it doesn’t feel like work, because I love it so much.
My writing style varies from blog to blog. I am most “me” here on Journeying Beyond Breast Cancer. Words just flow from my mind and heart through my fingertips and onto the screen. I plan the posts only insofar as I save my ideas for things I want to write about in my draft folder. I will read something on someone’s blog, or see an inspiring image, quotation or video and my imagination will be sparked. I add a link and a title to a draft post and return to it later to write about it more fully (this is a great tip for bloggers starting out and unsure of what to write about – pop ideas for blog posts into your draft folder, let them percolate in your mind, add to them when inspiration strikes, and then develop them into a blog post when you are ready).
My client and business blogs require more planning and research, but I stick to the same formula of adding links, sentences, ideas, etc. to draft posts until I am ready to write the piece more fully. When giving presentations or advising clients on writing for business blogs, I factor in writing tips about search engine optimization, keywords, headlines and calls to action.
And where do I write best?
In my bed, early in the morning, propped against a mountain of pillows, with a cup of tea, and the sound of bird song outside….which is exactly how I have written this post 🙂
Over to You
I am really looking forward to hearing about your particular writing style and what works best for you.
Interesting question, Marie! Thanks for sharing your sources of inspiration.
Feedback from ‘real people’ is my main inspiration. I write the nutrition and recipe content for Pink Kitchen, but I also do freelance writing in the areas of education, child development, family relationships, and of course, nutrition. The ideas for content for my freelance material come from my education in psychology and special education to some extent, but mostly from listening to people and reading blogs in these areas, to learn what is weighing people down the most. From there is just comes to me.
As for Pink Kitchen, much of my inspiration comes from the emails we receive from readers who want to eat healthy, but don’t know where to start. Other times, my recipes are inspired by the needs of those with cancer – for example, fatigue, or radiation. I create recipes to combat those issues.
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What great advice Lisa – thanks for sharing what inspires your writing.
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I knew you were busy, Marie, but had no idea you were fielding that many blogs as well as handling clients’ blogs. You obviously enjoy what you do!
Thanks for these wonderful tips on writing style. Many dovetail with mine, especially creating draft posts and inserting various snippets from other pieces into them. I like Pink Kitchen’s ideas, too.
What a fun topic. You’ve addressed it as you do so many issues: with practical ideas that work.
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Love love love the image of you propped up in bed with your cup of tea writing to all of us around the world. It just brings us all closer . . .
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Marie, I am blown away by the sheer output … so many blogs with such distinctive styles!!! I’m keeping up, just barely, with the monthly challenge. I like to think the time difference between us gives me a little extra room for maneuver 🙂 It’s evening with you now, but my day’s just beginning the way yours did … propped up in bed, cup of coffee at hand, birds are singing in the backyard, and I’m ready to write. Well, not quite. As you’ll eventually read, it takes me a while to get started. So I LOVE the idea of draft folders. I’m going to create one right now … x
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They are a handy way to organize yourself – have you tried Evernote? it is also a very useful organisational tool
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Thank you … going to check it out!
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Evernote is another great tool for organising writing – has anyone tried it?
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Yes Aine, I find it great too.
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Where on earth do you find the time Marie! I am exhausted just reading your list of blogs here.
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I too love the image of you propped up against a mountain of pillows, tea at the ready and bird song in the background. I like to write that way, too, but with coffee and steamed milk instead of tea, and a small dog and a curious piggie snuggled up with me.
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That sounds good too Nancy 😉
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