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I have an irreverent streak.

Just ask my Dad. He’ll tell you I’ve always done my own thing.

But even I have to admit … I’ve learned a lot from the original copywriters—the famous direct response writers, most of whom passed away a long time ago.

Want to know the most useful lessons of 5 legendary copywriters?
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Do you ever get tired of reading all the pretty, shiny advice? And watching the pictures of perfect people online?

Sometimes, I’d like to run away and become an old-fashioned hermit.

But that seems too easy. Let’s instead make the online world a little more human and more compassionate. Are you in?

Discover how to write like a human and let readers fall in love with your work …Read more »

Henrietta wonders …

Is there’s a secret trick to writing better?

She’s revising her blog post, and she’s pulling out her hair. She seems to have written a bunch of crappy paragraphs with only a couple of good sentences in between. Henrietta wonders whether great writers produce such crappy drafts, too. And what if she could ask Ernest Hemingway for advice?Read more »

May I tell you?

It upsets me a little. When people talk about creative writing, they refer to writing fiction, poetry, or a memoir. Somehow, writing for your business is thought to be devoid of creativity.

Why? Oh why? Read more »

In the last few years, it’s become my habit to write a personal review at the end of the year. And rather than ask myself what I’ve achieved, I like to consider what I’ve learned.

I’m less interested in achievements. Perhaps because I never quite achieve in a year what I planned. Or perhaps because achievements are so fleeting. Achievements are often the outward signs of success, and, for me, they’re rarely a real measure of personal success and happiness.

So, what have I learned this year?Read more »

Have you ever read a question that made you stop and think?

I’m not talking about the kind of questions where you quickly nod yes, and read on.

Nope, I’m talking about questions that make you curious but not in a clickbaity or gossipy way. I’m talking about questions that make you want to learn more, read more, think more. Perhaps a question that’s so fascinating you wonder whether a good answer even exists …Read more »

Howard sighs.

He’s reading his draft blog post, and wonders, why does his writing seem so dull? Is it because he’s writing about boring topics? Or is it his writing style?

Today’s writing technique is one of the easiest to make your sentences hop, skip, and dance, so nobody thinks you’re boring. And you might even put a smile on your reader’s face. Read more »

I wondered why.

Why does editing take so much longer when I’m writing a personal story?

Some people seem to write about themselves effortlessly. But my draft life stories are often disjointed and rambling on endlessly. Editing can feel like a daunting, even an impossible task.

How we can make writing our own stories easier? And how can we make such stories more engaging? Read more »

Being busy used to make me feel good.

The more tasks I ticked off from my to-do list, the more productive I felt. And I loved the adrenaline rush of working late at night. I kept pushing myself to work a little harder, to achieve a little more. When running your own biz, there’s always more to do, right?

I thought I thrived on stress. But late 2014, something changed …Read more »

When I started blogging, I was taught to view a blog as an online publication …

You write a new blog regularly—weekly, fortnightly, or monthly.

And each time you publish a new post, you invite email subscribers and social media followers to read your shiny new blog post.

Sounds good, right?

Yet, it’s a blinkered view on blogging. Read more »