Use your blog as a resume

Many people, like myself, want to start writing but have no idea on how to start.

If you are a bit internet wise you you will get to the point when you hear about paid blogging or online freelance writing.

What do I mean with internet wise? Well basically you can surf around on the internet for years without hearing about this. Unless you start looking for it.

I have always loved to write. I have an unpublished poem book that I would love to get published. It's even in the right format, what is missing is sending it to a publisher. This little poem book was my lifesaver once, I wrote down all my feelings when I had a difficult time in my life. And I am absolutely sure that it's still good. Even after all those years.

When I started blogging in English I realized that you can be an online freelance writer. You don't need to have an office or contacts in the ¨real world¨ you can do everything over the internet. Isn't that great?

I have landed two writing gigs. My Daily Power Walk over at Creative Weblogging and just recently another one as a paid columnist at HubPages. And how did I do that?

I gave them the address to my blogs.

I had only been blogging in English for about 1,5 month when I managed to get the gig for Daily Power Walk. So as you can see I didn't send a big resume or anything like that.

So what are you waiting for? Start blogging if you haven't already started!

Technorati Tags: freelance writing, writing gig

Writing is like cooking

You know when you go to someone's house and they make you dinner. You adore the food and ask for the recipe.
When you come home you try to make it yourself, ¨It's so easy to make, you can't go wrong¨- Annie, the dinner hostess says.

You look at the recipe and the ingredients, yes you have everything at home. So you start preparing the food. It smells nice and you're thinking ¨hey it's not that difficult¨.

Then you set the table and ask the family to sit down so you can all enjoy this lovely dinner.
You put the fork to your mouth - ¨What's this? This doesn't taste the same as what Annie made¨.
And you realize it doesn't taste the same.
But it doesn't taste bad either, so you continue to eat and enjoy your meal.

See that's the thing, writing is like cooking.
Even if you use the same ingredients it will taste different. The flavor will never be the same. Only similar. Unless you make it so many times that you finally get it right.

But what is right and what is wrong? And what would cooking or writing be if we all cooked and wrote the same?

I'll tell you what: Boring.

Don't try to copy someone else in what they do, be yourself. You cooking and writing is just as good as someone else's.

And remember, it takes time to learn how to cook, but we can all learn it.

Who do you write for?

When you write, whether it's your blog or something else, you should have your goals set. What do I mean with goals?

Simply:
Who do you want to read what you write?

Are you satisfied with having just one or two people reading or just your family or do you want to aim a bit higher and get a wide range of readers?

If you write for your family or no one in specific you might not care to much about what you write. But if you are writing for a purpose you have to make sure your writing is attractive.

Attractive?
Yes I would say we are attracted to good writing. When you write you have to make sure that whoever reads it wants to get more. Wants to read more.

To get attractive you have to make sure there are no or very few spelling mistakes, grammar is correct and language appropriate to what you are writing about.

Remember: Goal. Attractive.

Of course there is much more to writing than that but it is a start when you want to get started.

Technorati Tags: writing, freelancer, readers