One of the most divisive topics in the content writing world…

Hey Visitors

I've never heard of "truck drivers block," have you?

Or Pub landlord's block for that matter.

Does that mean writer's block a myth?

That depends on who you talk to.

My take on it is – if you believe in it – then it's true.

So how do you fix it?

With these five words...

But first a warning.

Almost all sufferers of that horrible affliction have it because they don't do any or enough research.

Or they don't read much.

Learn to read until you love to read.

If could be sci-fi, action novels, superhero stories.

Anything that stimulates your mind.

All great writers are also avid readers.

They love to consume and devour books.

You know you've cracked the art of reading when you can walk into a library and not fear any book.

Then you'll have plenty to write about.

I digress.

Those five words to kick writer's block to the curb are…

"It seems to me that…"

Whenever you get stuck begin writing these five words.

They "only work."

Enough about that.

Let's switch gears for a moment or three.

And talk about spicing up your writing with similes.

You know, those short pithy sentences that speak volumes.

You may have noticed one or two sprinkled into these messages.

If you want to describe something that moves rapidly you could use…

"Faster than a cheetah on Red Bull."

Or you might want a quirky way of getting agreement about a hard to grasp concept.

And it helps if you use humour.

Like this…

"If you're not confused, then you must be thoroughly misinformed."

Or if you want a way of insulting someone (please choose a generic someone) you could say…

"He's as ignorant as an egg."

Or

"She's all retch and no vomit."

Phrases like these I give a 'double thumbs up' because they make you different.

It's better to be different than it is to be the best.

Another gear change…

Ever heard of Rudolph Flesch?

He wrote a book in the '50's about simple writing.

In other words, keeping your writing so simple a child of ten could understand you.

All newspapers pander to the intelligence of a 10 year old.

And if it works for them it will work for you.

Back to Rudolph Flesch.

In Microsoft Word there's a feature that shows you how easy it is to understand your writing.

It's called "the Flesch-Kincaid score.

Yes, you guessed it.

Microsoft knew about our Mr. Flesch.

And added in Mr. Kincaid.

If you want to get good (and you should) at writing so a child of ten can understand you, do this…

Get rid of all three syllable words.

Or as many as you can.

Yes, you can get away with words like, "Microsoft" and "intelligence," because they don't ask you to strain your brain.
 
But these two words to.

"Eschew obfuscation."

Okay, I could have said, "avoid confusion" but that's not as much fun. 😊

About my next email...

Before we go there, I want to give you a helping hand in word choices.

Run this next section by Microsoft's "readability statistics."

Or as it's now called, Editor.

You'll discover something you never expected.

Here are the words…

There is strength and force in short words.

- Words that blast and boom.

- Throb and thump.

- Clank and chime.

- Hiss and buzz and zoom.

There is grace and charm in short word.

Words like lull and hush and purr.

There are short, lush words like…

Dank, muck and dench.

And short dry ones like…

Crisp, parch and husk.

There are words that work hard at their job that pry and push, slash and hack, cut and clip, chip and saw.

Words that tease the taste.

Make glad the eye.

Whet the nose.

And please the ear.

There's nip, twang, bite, and tang.

There's sweet, sour, tart, or dry as they need be.

There are words you can hear like the swish of silk.

Soft words with a feel of swan's down.

Words with a smell like musk.

Smoke, cheese, mint and rose.

You can't tell me that reading those words was boring.

Because I wouldn't believe you.

Back to my next email...

Do you like surprises?

Good ones I mean.

Great.

Then let's meet back here around 24 hours from now.

Barry (writers block "myth buster") Dunlop.
IncomeDiary.com




 

 

IncomeDiary - MidasCode Ltd
2nd Floor 325A Goring Road Goring-By-Sea
Worthing West Sussex BN12 4NX
UNITED KINGDOM

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It doesn’t look good I’m afraid.

Hey Visitors

I still remember the doctor walking into the room and giving me the alarming news

"It doesn't look good I'm afraid.

I think you'd better come over here and see this for yourself."

This got you hooked, didn't it?

Of course, it's all made up.

I mean, you knew that, right?

Okay, it was meant to grab your "curiosity eyes" and drag them into the page.

Before I go into emotional words there's one thing you should know.

The first sentence you write is the most important.

It's that simple.

The ONLY purpose of the first sentence is to get the reader to read the second sentence.

And the ONLY purpose of the second sentence is to get the reader to read the third sentence.

The ONLY purpose of the third sentence is to …

You get the idea.

The more time you take to craft your first sentence, the better the chances of your reader reading your whole article or whatever.

Moving on…

Here's something I want you to etch into your mind, remember forever, and keep this top of mind when you write.

You're not in the business you think you're in.

You're in the "emotional delivery" business.

The stronger the emotions you elicit in your reader, the more they will consume your content.

And they will read anything you write.

Most writers I know have a weird way of "talking."

They use words like…

Analyse, balance, be conscious of, one does, one should, call to mind, organise, logical, comprehend, understand, relate to, come to mind, and so on.

Only one problem here.

None of these words "fit in a wheelbarrow."

What do I mean?

If you can't see it in your mind, it doesn't fit in a wheelbarrow.

Try to make an image of "analyse."

How about "comprehend, logical, understand or organise."

Can't do it. Can you?

If you want to be great at content writing you need an emotional thesaurus.

Words like…

- White hot.

- Wounded duck.

- Forced.

- Vicious.

- Front-line trenches.

- Street-tough.

- Tickle.

- Slaughter.

- Abandon.

- Slash.

- Virus.

- Shelter.

- Bloody.

And so on.

Every one of those words conjures up a picture in your mind.

You can feel the DRAMA in each word.

It's almost as if each word tells its own unique story.

They are immediate.

Visceral.

Impactful.

Full of drama.

And drama is what keeps readers hooked.

You've got to move people with your words.

If not, then your reader will "switch channels."

Let's take this a step further.

If you want a world-class mini lesson in emotional writing look at lyrics of songs that have stood the test of time.

And they still move you after the 100th listen.

Annie's song by John Denver is a great example…

You fill up my senses, like a night in a forest.

Like the mountains in springtime,

Like a walk in the rain.

Like a storm in the desert,

Like a sleepy blue ocean.

You fill up my senses, come fill me again.

He knows he's in the emotional delivery business.

Every sentence is soaked in feeling words.

There are visual words.

"Like a night in a forest."

Auditory words.

"Like a storm in the desert,"

Kinaesthetic words.

"Like a walk in the rain."

He "carved" those words with the same precision as Michelangelo carved David from marble.

About my next email in this series…

Have you ever stared at a "blank page" not knowing what to write?

Ever run out of ideas?

Or can't think of what to write next?

Well, I've got good news for you.

I've got your back.

Because in my next email I'll give you the magic pill to cure "writers ill."

Until then,

Barry (drama queen) Dunlop.
IncomeDiary.com











 

 

IncomeDiary - MidasCode Ltd
2nd Floor 325A Goring Road Goring-By-Sea
Worthing West Sussex BN12 4NX
UNITED KINGDOM

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Hey Visitors - What is the greatest secret in all of content creation?

This is an anecdote I often use to make a point...

One evening an old farmer was walking down a country lane.

He looked into a field and saw a group of young women bathing naked in a pond.

The women noticed him about the same time as he noticed them.

"One woman shouted, "We're not coming out until you leave."

The farmer replied, "Oh I'm not here to watch you ladies swimming naked or running around the meadow with nothing on.

I'm just here to feed the alligator."

Pay close attention to what's coming next.

Before I tell you about the biggest secret in all of content creation, did you get what happened in that story?

The first thing you probably noticed was the twist at the end.

You're taken in one direction and then, WHAM, you're off somewhere else.

I'm willing to bet you didn't notice the sentence construction throughout the story.

What am I talking about?

Every sentence "paints" a vivid picture.

Every "scene" is in the present tense.

One evening an old farmer was walking down a country lane.

You can see that in your mind, can't you?

What if it read…

"At some point during the evening a person decided to take a walk."

Hard to get any images in your mind, isn't it?

He looked into a field and saw a group of young women bathing naked in a pond.

Did you see the three vivid images in that scene?

The scene also has a beginning, a middle and an end.

Then there's a transition to the next scene.

The women noticed him about the same time as he noticed them.

Now a new set of images.

"One woman shouted, "We're not coming out until you leave."

Now here's the set up for the twist.

The farmer replied, "Oh I'm not here to watch you ladies swimming naked or running around the meadow with nothing on.

And of course, you remember the twist.

The twist is the biggest secret in all of content writing.

Any time you can surprise your reader you win in two ways.

The second way is far more important than the first.

However, you need to know the first way you win so you can grasp the second way.

If you're story has an interesting twist your reader can share it with their online friends.

And that's great for you.

Think of your content as social currency.

If you're an acronym junkie like me, you'll love this one.

BOY PT MOM.

Because of you people think more of me.

When you make your readers look good in the eyes of their friends, they will share your content.

Believe me, it works better than paying for ads.

Now for that second way you win.

With a great twist like the one you read here… you create a "pattern interrupt" in the mind of your reader.

In other words, you take control of their attention.

You become a "director of consciousness."

There's a story about the late, great hypnotherapist Milton Erickson.

One sunny morning he walked to his car parked in a remote parking spot.

Suddenly a short man wearing a trilby hat, shoved a gun in Mr. Erickson's chest.

"Hand me your wallet or I'll kill you."

Milton casually looked at his watch, gave the man the exact time down to the second.

And calmy walked away.

Why did that work?

The confused mind goes into limbo.

How to use this in your writing.

Right after your plot twist, give your reader a command.

- Tell them to do something.

- Give them a link to your offer.

- Ask them to subscribe.

- Invite them to join your email list.

About my next email...

How about I show you the difference between emotional and unemotional words?

If you're going to write anything worth reading, you MUST stir up emotions in your reader.

Otherwise, your content is 'all gong and no dinner.'

People consume content for the emotional highs and lows.

For the tears and the laughter.

The despair and the hope.

And the whack on the side of the head.

That means you will want to read the next email

Until then.

Barry (the pattern interrupter) Dunlop.
IncomeDiary.com








 

 

IncomeDiary - MidasCode Ltd
2nd Floor 325A Goring Road Goring-By-Sea
Worthing West Sussex BN12 4NX
UNITED KINGDOM

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Visitors - Real men don't write content…

Or ladies for that matter.

Most people  - when they sit down to write -  are like a gorilla trying to make sense of a Japanese train schedule.

They haven't got a clue.

They don't plan.

They don't visualise what they are going to write about.

And they have no idea about using "frameworks."

They just start writing and hope they come up with something interesting to say.

John Gray from Men are from Mars, women are from Venus fame said it like this.

"Women speak to find out what they want to say.

Men speak when they already know what they want to say."

You may or may not agree with that.

But that's not the point here.

In the last email I promised to tell you about frameworks.

So here goes.

When a building goes up you see some kind of framework.

It could be wood, steel, or concrete.

The interesting thing is, once the building is finished you can't see the framework.

But it's there.

In fact, without it, the building would collapse.

That's like great content.

It must have a solid framework, or it will collapse.

For example, take fiction writing.

Almost every best-selling novel has the "Hero's Journey" framework based on Joseph Campbell's book, "The hero with a thousand faces."

You don't care about the framework that's used when you're reading a book.

All you care about is – is it entertaining?

Without the framework, it would be BORING.

The problem with the hero's journey framework is that it's hard to learn.

And even harder to teach.

But I promised you a framework for your writing, didn't I?

The easiest one to learn, and the easiest framework to use in your next piece if content is…

Wait for it…

The 4 Mat Formula.

David Kolb came up with the idea that there are four types of learners.

Mr Kolb created 4 Mat.

The four ways people like to learn.

He put them into four types based on the questions they ask themselves before they begin learning anything new.

The four learning types ask these questions.

- Why (What's in it for me?)

- What (Where's your proof?)

- How. (Give me instructions!)

- What if. (What's my future going to be like now?)

Before we go any further, see which of these four resonate with you.

I'll delve deeper into each one...

The Why learner.

The actual question is, "Why should I learn this?"

These people need to be motivated to read on.

Watch the first 4 minutes of "Molly's Game" and you'll see how the screenwriter answered the 'why' question.

If you really want a test, try not to watch the rest of the movie.

Bet you can't.

The trick here is to use anticipation.

Set up questions in the beginning and say you'll answer them later.

Creating cliff hangers like this draws the 'Why' learner into your content.

The 'What' learner.

They want to know the science behind what you're saying.

"Just the facts Ma'am."

Tell them how you came to your conclusions.

Offer proof.

The 'How' learner.

Be careful with this one.

If you're business offers coaching, mentoring, consulting, or any type of information do this.

Use what we call "The illusion of knowledge."

Give them a quick win.

Something that solves a smaller problem within the larger problem.

Then allude to how working with you completely solves their main problem.

And only when they become a client will you give them the step-by-step or the recipe for permanently solving their problem.

The "What if' learner.

Show these people what their life will be like once they take your advice, buy your product, or engage your services.

Use the magic phrase, "Picture this…"

If you only "talk" to one of these learning types, (usually the type you are) you'll turn off the other three types.

Writing your next piece of content.

Whether It's a blog, a video, audio, etc., always begin with the 'why' learners.

Then go with the 'what' learners.

Next, it's the 'how' learners.

And lastly the 'what if' learners.

This framework is the one used in practically all the best-selling self-help books.

And in the best of the best, each chapter is structured around the 'why – what – how – what if' framework.

Now here's a dilemma for you.

Some people don't value what they get for free.

But what I've just given you is valuable.

Your mission – should you choose to accept it – is to try this framework out the next time you create a piece of content.

You'll discover something unusual.

Real men (or women) don't write content.

By using this framework, the content practically writes itself.

Especially if you visualise and plan it in your mind BEFORE you write.

In the next email, I'm going to show you how to write and speak so people will NEVER forget you.

Talk to you then.

Barry (Framework junkie) Dunlop.
IncomeDiary.com















 

 

IncomeDiary - MidasCode Ltd
2nd Floor 325A Goring Road Goring-By-Sea
Worthing West Sussex BN12 4NX
UNITED KINGDOM

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SEO is for suckers

Hi  Visitors

Playing at SEO is like going into a casino and expecting a windfall.

It isn't going' to happen.

Google "hates" us SEO guys and wants everyone to pay for advertising.

Fortunately, I've found a much better way to win that's wickedly effective.

Forget about SEO. (at least to start with)

If your content connects in a powerful way with your readers and they stay on your site...

Google begins it's 'love affair' with you.

If we write well, we get rewarded well.

It all starts with the mind of your reader.

Now, I doubt if you have the time to read all 558 pages of "The Laws of Human Nature" by Robert Green.

It's a tremendous book but it'll take you forever to read.

So, I'll save you the time.

When it comes to human nature, I've found everybody's pretty much the same.

And that's good news.

Now pay close attention.

- Everybody's most 'personal' thoughts are basically Everybody's 'personal' thoughts.

- Everybody feels stuck and uncertain about how to get unstuck.

- Everybody is sceptical and untrusting.

- Everybody blames a group or an ideology for their circumstances.

- Everybody thinks gatekeepers hold them down.

Here's what I want you to do…

Copy and paste all sentences that start with "Everybody."

Then print them out and put them in front of you before you start writing.

Get a picture in your mind of ONE person you're writing to.

All writing must be intimate as if you have someone right there with you.

Is this making sense?

If it is, then you're well on your way to writing with emotional impact and gaining more avid followers.

Want to maximise your chances of being wealthy?

According to Naval Ravikant the way to get wealthy in today's economy is through leverage.

And soon you'll discover two types of people.

The leveraged and the unleveraged.

To become leveraged you'll need to be good at coding or good at writing.

That's it.

Please don't get me wrong.

Money isn't going to solve all your problems.

But it will solve all your money problems.

And you'll never get rich renting out your time.

You need an asset that produces money while you're busy enjoying yourself.

And you can do that through writing.

Over the next six or so emails I'm going to show you exactly how to make your content jump off the page and grab your readers eyeballs and won't let them go until they've read every word you write.

Also, during the next few emails I'm going to introduce you to a friend and colleague who will show you how to "crack the code" of content almost overnight.

He's one of the most respected names in influence and persuasion.

And you need both to write exciting content that both readers and Google love.

Okay, let's wrap up here.

In my next email I'll show you supercharged frameworks you can use to grab and keep attention.

These are the tools of the titans.

Let's face it, all the best-selling fiction books and block-buster movies use frameworks, so why shouldn't you.

The obvious one is the 'three act play.'

Then there's the not so obvious that have jaw dropping power.

(I'll tell you about those in the next email in this series.)

Until then,

Barry (SEO junkie) Dunlop
IncomeDiary.com


 

 

IncomeDiary - MidasCode Ltd
2nd Floor 325A Goring Road Goring-By-Sea
Worthing West Sussex BN12 4NX
UNITED KINGDOM

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23 Entrepreneurial Life Lessons Everyone Should Master! [NEW]

Hey Visitors

It has been a while, but today we have a brand new blog post!

23 Entrepreneurial Life Lessons Everyone Should Master!

Life lessons for everyone, not just entrepreneurs.

Frankly, there is no shortage of blog posts offering entrepreneurial life lessons.

Most will educate and inspire you.

But here at IncomeDiary, we want to offer you, our dear reader, something different.

A series of "not the usual" entrepreneurial life lessons…

#1 is my favorite, #2 is something I wish I had known as a young man...

And #17 is the one we most need to remember when we achieve success.

To your success,

Barry Dunlop
IncomeDiary.com

PS: Thought For Today!

If you buy things you do not need, soon you will have to sell things you need.

~ Warren Buffett.

 

 

IncomeDiary - MidasCode Ltd
2nd Floor 325A Goring Road Goring-By-Sea
Worthing West Sussex BN12 4NX
UNITED KINGDOM

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How To Become An Entrepreneur – What You Need To Know

Hey,

Becoming an entrepreneur it is about much more than starting a business.

It's a mindset, a lifestyle, and the right kind of person will make it all happen, even if they aren't wildly successful at first.

Perhaps that is you?

Here's how to become an entrepreneur — and start your own business — like a pro.

Even already established entrepreneurs will find this useful.

Warmly,

Barry Dunlop
IncomeDiary.com

Quote Of The Day

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.
Don't be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people's thinking.
Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice.
And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
They somehow already know what you truly want to become.
Everything else is secondary."

- Steve Jobs
 

 

 

IncomeDiary - MidasCode Ltd
2nd Floor 325A Goring Road Goring-By-Sea
Worthing West Sussex BN12 4NX
UNITED KINGDOM

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