WritingThoughts

©Laura Spencer

For the next few weeks, I’ll be focusing on spending time with friends and family. I’m looking forward to the rest.

But I don’t want to take the break without first leaving you with some good reading material.

So, I’ve sifted through the posts to find some of the best and most relevant posts for you to read.

Here are ten classic WritingThoughts posts that you might have missed. Feel free to comment on or share any of these posts. (Or use the comments here to list your own favorite WritingThoughts posts.)

Enjoy! I’ll see you in 2015.

Classic WritingThoughts Posts

Here are some of the most popular and useful posts I’ve published over the past few years:

1. What Is the Difference Between an Article and a Blog Post?. Although this post is several years old, the topic is still relevant. It’s important to know how articles and blog posts are different–especially when accepting work from a client.
2. How to Break Into Technical Writing. I spent 12 years in corporate writing departments as a technical writer. Here, I share some of my insights on getting started in that field. There’s been a lot of interest in this topic, especially recently.
3. Why a Conversational Writing Style Is Important. Not everyone loves (or understands) the conversational writing style. But for blogging and most marketing materials, it is the best way to reach your audience. Here are some reasons why.
4. 14 Top Sites to Help You Learn More About Grammar and Writing Style. Bookmark this post (if you haven’t already) for your go-to list of writing tools and resources. I’ve shared 14 of the most helpful grammar sites.
5. 5 Really Bad Writing Gigs that Keep Perfectly Good Writers from Making Ends Meet. Do you know which gigs to accept and which to turn down? Even a bad gig can sometimes look good at first. Here’s a list of freelance project types that often go bad.
6. Ten Reasons Why You Should Hire a Professional Writer. This is one of the most popular posts on the blog. It was written specifically to answer those potential clients who think that they don’t need to hire a writing professional.
7. Can Anyone Be a Writer? 6 Basic Skills that Writers Need. If you’re thinking about becoming a writer, this post will help you review your skill set and identify those areas you need to work on. You might surprised by some of the skills writers actually need.
8. 4 Lessons Learned After 7 Years of Professional Blogging. I’ve learned a lot as a paid blogger. I’ve written hundreds of blog posts over the years. Here I share some of the things I’ve learned that will help you to stand out from other bloggers.
9. Why Bylines Are Important. Business writers and ghost writers are often paid more. And they should be, because bylines are important. Be sure to discuss your byline in your project negotiations.
10. Why I Love Editing. A lot of writers hate editing (and editors). I’m not one of them. In this post, I take a look at the pros and cons of editing and offer five tips for editors.

Also, don’t hesitate to share your favorites in the comments below.