Give priority to diction

Consciously or subconsciously, we search for suitable words to convey our thoughts. When we are quite sure about what we want to say, words come spontaneously; while, to express an idea that is not firmly fixed in our mind, makes us to cross out one choice after another until we settle for the exact word we want to use to communicate.

You can not mark this revision as a sign of indecision — even the world’s best writers worry about diction: the selection and use of words for effective communication. I believe they are great writers partly because they take pains in choosing the best word for the best place.

Words cannot be right or wrong — the effect created in context of a sentence measures value of the word. To add an edge in writing, we should learn to use words for their effect.

Annie Dillard, famous for her evocative descriptions of nature, confesses in an interview how she selects words — “I learn words by learning worlds…When I choose words, I think about their effect — of course I like to create a rich prose surface that pommels the reader with verbs and images. I think of them as jabs…That’s the vigor I want.”

Similarly, if we want to infuse freshness, strength and vigor in our writing, we must, like Dillard, learn the words that represent the “worlds”.

Eliminate jargons in websites

Jargon, popularly known as meaningless chatter, is a kind of specialized or technical language representing a particular group or profession, as in habeas corpus (law) and cursor (computer technology).

It is pointless saying no-no, when jargon specifically addresses learned and technical terms for audience and situation in which they are appropriate, but using them unnecessarily while addressing a general reader is certainly a violation of the basic rule — it would be pretentious and frustrating to your audience.

Jargon has three chief characteristics:

• Highly abstract often too technical in choosing diction, rhythm and passion — it shows a fondness for learned rather than popular words… maximize productivity for increase production or utilization of mechanical equipment for use of machinery.

• Overdose of passive verbs… If a plan does not work, its objectives were not realized.

• Conspicuous wordiness… With respect to employee reactions, management seems to have been inadequately advised.

Jargon comes together with inappropriateness, vagueness and wordiness into a segregated unintelligible style. And the style cannot create good impression but ambiguity for the reader.

So, keep your audience clearly in mind and use specific but common words instead.

Guidelines for analyzing your audience

While spending some time with Mr Joseph F. Trimmer’s great book Writing With a Purpose, I came across certain concepts on behavioral pattern of readers: I found it interesting and thus shamelessly sharing with you all…

Look! How he feels for readers while writing even a single sentence: do you have guts to follow his ideas?
The following is from his pen...

• Who are the readers who will be most interested in my writing?
What is the probable age, sex, education, economic status or social position?
What values, assumptions and prejudices characterize their general attitudes toward life?
What visual graphics will appeal to them?

• What do my readers know or think they know about my subject?
What is the probable source of their knowledge: direct experience, observation, reading or rumor?
Will my readers react positively or negatively toward my subject?
What sort of graphics are they used to seeing on this subject?

• Why will my readers read my writing?
If they know a great deal about my subject, what will they expect to learn from reading my essay?
If they know only a few things about my subject, what will they expect to be told about it?
Will they expect to be entertained, informed or persuaded?
Why will the overall design of my text appeal to my readers?

• How can I interest my readers in my subject?
If they are hostile toward it, how can I convince them to give my writing a fair reading?
If they are sympathetic, how can I fulfill and enhance their expectations?
If they are neutral, how can I catch and hold their attention?
What specific visual cues will interest my readers and enhance the subject?

• How can I help my readers read my writing?
What kind of organizational pattern will help them see its purpose?
What kind of guide-posts, transitional markets and graphics will they need to follow this pattern?
What (and how many) examples and visual illustrations will they need to understand my general statement?

Creative Writing Tips

Description:
The best way a creative writer can improve is by reading the works of other writers and writing often. Improve your creative writing through practice and reading.

Why Use Article Submission Sites?

Article submission is a part of online-website-marketing campaign which is utterly important to drive traffic to your website. Interestingly, if you have good quality informative article, you are sure to get one step ahead of your nearest competitor. On the other hand, poor quality articles can not ensure you success (read as quality back-links).

The more the merrier: more articles you have for people to read, the more traffic you can expect to receive. Basically, there are two ways of submitting articles to directories — write articles and submit them to hundreds of directories manually…though it is a time-tested job, is truly very effective. The other way to get your articles submitted to different sites is by using article submission sites. They can alter your article to send out hundreds of different sites. In this case, articles are developed by spinning keywords leaving you with semi unique choppy content — it is by no means a true unique content.

On the other hand, writing articles from different perspective and submitting them to search engines manually would be beneficial for your site. When you have good content in your armory, you can expect getting quality back links with a better position in the search engines.

Behind the curtain: Web Directory Submission

Web directory or link directory specializes in listing, categorizing and linking different types of web sites. There is a basic difference between search engine and web directories though they both categorize websites — search engines generally show lists of web pages based on a specific key word or key phrase while the web directories display clusters of web sites according to their category and sub category.

There are web directories where a wide range of categories are found; on the other hand a large number of niche directories are also available, which aim only to focus any particular area of interest, single region or any special sector, e.g. shopping directory, e-commerce sites.

The process of listing any website into a directory is very interesting and it is often dependent upon the price paid. However, there are a lot of web directories, where you can submit link of your website and ask for reciprocal link to your web page at free of cost. When you want to fix link of your website to any paid web directory, you will be asked for a one-time or recurring fee for reviewing and listing the submitted link.

If you intend to set link of your web site to a premium position of the web directory, you may be asked for more payment. Sometimes, bidding is called for setting your website-link to any special position. In case the directory owners refer any customer to link your website (either one way or both ways) you may be asked for paying commission.

Search Engine Optimizers often target to popularize their customizable web directory through linking reputable websites; this is how they improve ranking in the major search engines. At present, it is considered that by submitting websites to web directories will help to get valuable back-links for the submitted website.

Here, it is to be mentioned that directory submission can not be fully automated just like the search engine submission. This is why, submitting a web link to a web directory is done manually by specialized persons or web masters.

How to get Indexed in Google

by Justin Briggs

Getting your site indexed is the first step of successful SEO. Search engines, like Google, can provide hundreds or thousands of visitors from searchers across the world. Since Google is the most popular search engine in the world, getting listed there should be a high priority.

Getting listed in Google is actually really simple. Although many may suggest that you submit your site through their submit form, this is not the quickest method of getting indexed. Some even say it increases the amount of time it takes for your site to get crawled.

The most effective way of getting your site listed in Google is by obtaining backlinks to your site. As Google crawls other indexed sites, they will come across a link to your site and follow it over and proceed to crawl your site. One low quality link will not instantly get your site crawled though, so you should make effort to gain multiple links or a really solid link from a high PR website. Since links are a fundamental part of SEO, and help you get ranked, you should be building links any way.

There are several ways to get quick links to your site in a matter of a day or two. You can always comment on dofollow blogs, which works really well if it is a high PR site that gets crawled regularly. Next, you can submit to social sites or directories, which can provide quick and simple one way links. Lastly, you can submit articles, which will distribute your content across the web in exchange for a few links.

Writing articles is a really effective way of building links and driving traffic. Not only does it build links, but these articles can rank well in serps and provide click through traffic. At the end of the day though, doing well in Google is a popularity contest. To win, you must be connected to as many people (or sites) as possible. Once Google sees you everywhere, they will no longer hesitate to index your site.

So do not waste your time on submission forms or paid services. Getting listed is a simple as going out and getting a few links. If you run a blog, I would suggest using a pinging service, which will notify multiple sites each time you post. This is a quick way of notifying Google that you have new content on your site that needs to be crawled and indexed. As your site grows, you may see new pages get index in a matter of minutes. It really does pay to build links.

Writing is an art…don’t spoil it!

People write to express…and everyone has unique style of writing. One cannot write in the same tone that others have already done. It is the law of nature. Still, we try to imitate and ultimately make a mess — we copy words, expressions, sentences or even long paragraphs. It is nothing but to show idiotic color of our character. 

Think for a while: what is the purpose of writing? It is to communicate with others. Well! If it is so, I believe, there is no point of becoming a copy cat. When the receiver understands what is written, sender’s purpose is served. No need to follow how other people have expressed the same idea in their writing. So, whenever you write, try to be honest — it will surely give you credibility.