How To Chop Days And Hours Off Your Article Writing.

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Copyright © 2007-2008 Mark Silver


Ready to write an article? You even made the big step of scheduling time to do it. So here it is, and you're sitting at your desk, staring blankly at the screen. Just like you've been doing for the last two weeks.

And still no article. Despite the fact it was supposed to go out 10 days ago. Ugh.

Those weirdos who can send out an article every week. Or even more strange, those newspaper columnists that write every single day. They must be from another planet.

Ready for interplanetary travel?

We're going to "Planet Client." Okay, so that's a cornball analogy, but that's really all it takes. Too simple? Too obvious? Riddle me this, Batman:

Can you answer your clients' questions in less than 21 days?

How about less than 21 minutes? If you're standing there, in front of your client (or on the phone... heaven knows that's where I usually am), and your client asks you a question like: "My partner and I, when we make love... sometimes it's boring... and that's just weird to me. What do I do?"

Oops. I forgot to tell you that, in this example, you're a relationship and intimacy counselor. ;)

Moving right along, if that was your expertise, you could answer the question. Right then. Right there. You could get them going on the right track.

Starting to get the drift?

A thinly disguised "Q&A" lurks within your articles.

It can't really be that simple, can it? Well, there is an art to writing, but yes, a lot of it is pretty simple. Let's hit the highpoints.

Keys to Quick Article Writing

* Which questions have you answered more than once?

If two clients have asked the same question, chances are, that's a good one. If you hear people discussing a particular problem, chances are, that's a great question.

Have fun answering the question for your clients, or for your friends. Just answer it.

* Now, do the same thing in front of your computer.

Answer the question. Have fun answering the question. Bring in the same examples you used when answering your friend.

Except, instead of speaking, you're typing. Same words. Same (lack of) grammar. Same (informal, sweet, humorous, serious, profound, quick-witted, fill-in-the-blank) style that you use when speaking.

* Keep it bite-sized.

You may notice a tendency to stray into more topics. For instance, with this topic, I could stray into how to make an article amusing. Or how to bring in drama. But, I'm not. That's not the question.

The question is: "how do you write an article quickly?" I answer that question.

* Other questions are other articles.

Notice when someone asks another question. Don't try to fit it into the article. The whole question about boring sex may lead to a question of "How do I start to talk about intimacy with my partner when I feel so shy about it?"

My guess is that you may be trying to squeeze three or four articles into a single article- which is why you're writing one article a month, or less, rather than writing one every week. :)

Writing regular articles that are meaningful to your clients is a great way to build connections, deepen relationships, and help get some momentum in your business. Just answer a single question, and you can chop days and hours off of your writing time.

And then you can be just like those other weirdos who send out an article every single week, seemingly effortlessly. ;)

The best to you and your business,

Mark Silver


About the Author:
Mark Silver is the author of Unveiling the Heart of Your Business: How Money, Marketing and Sales can Deepen Your Heart, Heal the World, and Still Add to Your Bottom Line. He has helped hundreds of small business owners around the globe succeed in business without losing their hearts. Get three free chapters of the book online: http://www.heartofbusiness.com