flblogcon*tent - learn to write mo' better!

USE #FLBlogContent FOR ALL Tweeting, Instagramming, Vining, Facebooking, Pinning, Snapchatting, LinkedInning, OKCupiding, Digging, Redditting, Skyping,

GooglePlussing, Youtubing, Tumbling, Blogging, Stumbling, Foursquaring, Photoshopping, Sexting, and, once again, Tweeting.

USE #FLBlogContent FOR ALL Tweeting, Instagramming, Vining, Facebooking, Pinning, Snapchatting, LinkedInning, OKCupiding, Digging, Redditting, Skyping,

GooglePlussing, Youtubing, Tumbling, Blogging, Stumbling, Foursquaring, Photoshopping, Sexting, and, once again, Tweeting.

A very special thanks to:

TEST TIME!• Q1) Adam and _____ are excited that you’re here!

• me

• I

• myself

• mine

inspired by dailywritingtips.com

TEST TIME!• Q1) Adam and _____ are excited that you’re here!

• me

• I!

• myself

• mine

inspired by dailywritingtips.com

TEST TIME!• Q2) Later today, we will have ____ our lunch.

• ate

• eated

• eat

• eaten

inspired by dailywritingtips.com

TEST TIME!• Q2) Later today, we will have ____ our lunch.

• ate

• eated

• eat

• eaten

inspired by dailywritingtips.com

By Mark Remy

TEST TIME!• Q3) Florida Blog Con*TENT claims _____ the

premier event for Sunshine State bloggers.*

• it is

• they are

• itself is

• it be

inspired by dailywritingtips.com

TEST TIME!• Q3) Florida Blog Con*TENT claims _____ the

premier event for Sunshine State bloggers.

• it is!

• they are

• itself is

• it be

inspired by dailywritingtips.com

Bonus PointsPremier vs. Premiere

Premiere, with an e at the end, refers to the first public performance or showing of something, such as a movie or

play. It can be a noun or a verb—for example, a movie premieres at its premiere.

!Premier, without the e, is (1) an adjective meaning first in

status, and (2) a noun denoting a prime minister. !

—SOURCE: The Grammarist—

Conjunction Junction• Let’s Go Over Some Basics

• Contractions: When in doubt, spell it out.

• Speaking of spelling…

• AP style vs. everything else.

• Active Vs. Passive Voice

• Breaking the Rules

“I was excited to walk into the room and see so

many cool things.”

Good, Better, BETTER Better

“The guy that was on stage was funny and I wish I knew where his

jokes came from.”

Good, Better, BETTER Better

Pet Peeves• #Hashtagging #Every #Darn #Thing #You #Do

• Everything is totes amazeballs.

• Viola!

• Using “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks

• Improper Placement of Apostrophe’s

• Poor formatting and overly long posts

• Missing or incomplete sources

Helpful Tools• Your RTE (rich text editor) and basic HTML

• Spellcheck!

• copyblogger.com

• problogger.net

• Purdue’s Online Writing Lab

• dailywritingtips.com

• grammarly.com

WORKSHOP #1

WRITER’S BLOCK

SLURPEE BRAIN FREEZE

WORKSHOP #1

Bust up writer’s block and create timely, dynamic content that capitalizes on trending topics! 1. You’ll have 15 minutes. 2. Pick a headline from the next slide. 3. Think about what you want to say about it. 4. Create your own headline. 5. Write your first line or paragraph. 6. Be prepared to share your work!

WORKSHOP #1

Headlines: • 50 Of The Best Kids' Books Published In The Last 25 Years • 25 Things I’ve Learned in Business • Teens are Going Absolutely Bananas for the New Snapchat • 10 Habits to Avoid • Top 20 Signs You’re Getting Old • 5 Things I Love About Myself

Pick one, come up with a plan, write your own headline, and write your first line or paragraph!

WORKSHOP #1

Adam’s choice: • Teens are Going Absolutely Bananas for the New Snapchat Adam’s new headline: They should just call Snapchat “PENISPENISPENISBOOBSchat”.

Adam’s first lines: There’s only one reason that Snapchat is as popular as it is with teens (I mean, Zuckerberg offered them $3 BILLION. Not pesos. DOLLARS.) and it’s because parents can’t monitor it and hell, most of them don’t even understand it. I understand it, but that’s only because in my teen days, I used a simpler, two-cups-attached-by-a-string version of Snapchat – mainly, I just took naked Polaroids and mailed them to people.

WORKSHOP #1

Headlines: • 50 Of The Best Kids' Books Published In The Last 25 Years • 25 Things I’ve Learned in Business • Teens are Going Absolutely Bananas for the New Snapchat • 10 Habits to Avoid • Top 20 Signs You’re Getting Old • 5 Things I Love About Myself

Pick one, come up with a plan, write your own headline, and write your first line or paragraph!

WORKSHOP #1

Katy’s choice:

• 10 Habits to Avoid Katy’s new headline:

One Habit to MAKE, Not Break

Katy’s first lines: Recently, a major news outlet published an article called "10 Habits to Avoid" and frankly, I have a long history with bad habits. When I'm feeling maxed out -- which is, like, all the time (can you say full time job, two blogs, an 18-month-old and a busy teaching schedule?) -- I catch myself doing lots of bad things: • chewing my nails • holding my breath • tapping my toe • picking my split ends

That's just a :30 brainstorm. But I have learned to conquer most of those, thanks to one thing: YOGA. It's a very good habit to have.

WORKSHOP #1

Takeaways: • Use trending topics and popular headlines to break down

writer’s block. • Lick the roof of your mouth if you get a brain freeze. • Don’t ever add Adam on Snapchat.

• Distinctive

• Clear

• Evocative

• Honest

• Expansive

• Time

• Quantity

• Reflection

• Objectivity

• Willingness

• Persistence

• Reflected in comments from my readers

• Collectively, audiences have good instincts

• Doesn’t make me cringe anymore

• Still requires editing after creation

• The hardest part is starting to write

• Gives readers insight into you

• Even corporate writing should have personality

• More engaging

• Easier to write because it’s genuine

• Why wouldn’t you?

• They’re important. Don’t alienate them.

• They’re not everything. Don’t pander to them.

• Your audience will find you.

• One engaged reader > a thousand glances

• Don’t be trapped. It will come.

• Sometimes, just start writing.

• It’s a watched pot.

• Old content is a great teacher.

• The readers you might lose.

• STEPHEN KING

• DEAN KOONTZ

• J.K. ROWLING

• TOM CLANCY

• NICHOLAS SPARKS

• CHRIS BROGAN

• JENNY THE BLOGGESS

• YOU

WORKSHOP #2

EDITING

BOTCHED NOSE JOB

WORKSHOP #2

Editing can increase the potency of your message. Twitter forces you to condense your content into 140 characters. 1. You’ll have 15 minutes. 2. Read the paragraph on the next slide. 3. Figure out the underlying theme, thesis, or message. 4. Create a tweet that successfully conveys the same message as

the paragraph. 5. Use #FLBlogContent. 6. Be prepared to share your work!

WORKSHOP #2

Use #FLBlogContent and send a tweet that edits down the above paragraph without losing the message! Be creative!

If writing is like a multi-talented, best selling band like The Beatles or The Spice Girls, editing is John Lennon. Or Posh Spice. Editing is the mayonnaise in the BLT that nobody talks about but everyone knows has to be there or it won’t taste right. With good editing, a mountain becomes Mount Rushmore, a wet pile of clay becomes that vase they made in the movie Ghost, a lump of coal becomes a diamond, and an unwieldy bush becomes a cool plant sculpture that looks nothing really like a swan.

WORKSHOP #2

Adam’s examples: Editing is the reason Mount Rushmore is more than just a mountain. Writing is no different – edit until you can’t. #FLBlogContent Without editing, your writing is The Monkees. Strive to turn your writing into The Beatles. #FLBlogContent Always edit. #FLBlogContent

WORKSHOP #2

Katy’s examples: Good editing can be valuable, making lumps of coal into word diamonds. I’m punny. (BTW I first wrote "puny" so editing FTW) #FLBlogContent Good writing is fine, but it’s the editing that counts. It can turn a Spice Girls song into a Beatles hit. #FLBlogContent Good editing turns your work from OK to great. It’s amazing how powerful a little subtraction can be. #FLBlogContent

WORKSHOP #2

Takeaways: • Twitter is a valuable tool to learn how to edit. • Editing makes your message more powerful. • Adam thinks The Spice Girls are a good band.

Let’s Talk Tools• Editorial Calendars!

• regular franchises

• look ahead to big-traffic days/topics

• research receptacles

• Post Outlines!

• Embrace the draft status!

Let’s Talk Tips• Sometimes, Start With the Headline!

• Embrace the White Space!

• Create a Series!

• Work With Guest Authors!

• Trending Topics (Jump on the Big Buzz!)

–Lewis Carroll Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

“No, no! The adventures first,

explanations take such a dreadful time.”

Let’s Talk Technique• Edit, Edit, Edit!

• Pictures Are Worth 1,000 Words!

• PicMonkey

• 123rf, Creative Commons

• Getty Images (embeds)

• Pinterest, Instagram

• Your Smartphone!

• Bullets, Blockquotes, Headings/Subheadings

Let’s Talk Titles

image source: moz.com

How Ujjayi Breathing and Pranayama

Can Help You De-Stress

In Through Your Nose, Out Through Your Nose

Four Things to Include In Your Next "Help, My Blog

is Broken!" Email

I Want to Help You Help Me Help You

Let’s Talk Navigation• Landing Pages

• Categories/Tags

• Navigation Bars/Menus

• Think Like a Reader

• Embrace and Reward Your Referral Sources!

Let’s Talk… Questions?

WORKSHOP #3

EVOKING

EMOTION

Oh God, they’re making

another Meet The Fockers

Method Acting

WORKSHOP #3

A good writer will be able to exercise creativity and skill to evoke any emotion from an otherwise neutral situation. 1. You’ll have 15 minutes. 2. Read the situation described on the next slide. 3. Choose one of the emotions listed. 4. Write a sentence or two that properly describes the situation

and evokes that emotion. 5. You can’t use the emotion in your description either. 6. Be prepared to share your work!

WORKSHOP #3

Setting: A woman comes home from work, opens the door, and finds a man in her kitchen, cooking.

WORKSHOP #3

Adam’s emotion: Sympathy Adam’s example: He stood there as she opened the door, inhaling the scent of her favorite meal simmering on the stove. His eyes reached out to her, and she knew in that instant that despite the stress of looking for a new job, despite the pregnancy, and despite the fact that she just drove into the garage door, it was all going to be okay.

WORKSHOP #3

Katy’s emotion: Guilt Katy’s example: "Great," she thinks. "Once again, super dad is home from a full day at work and has managed to create a meal from scratch. I mean, are those fresh herbs I smell in the sauce?" She's lucky if she remembers to pre-heat the oven and get the frozen pizza cooked before all of them are ready for bed, and frankly, she's always glad when her handsome husband beats her home from work and takes up her most dreaded chore (well, perhaps second to getting their kid to take a bath). But those feelings are not a good side dish for spaghetti with arrabiata sauce, so she pushes it aside, kisses him on the cheek, and heads upstairs for the very best part of her day: seeing their toddler light up when Mommy walks in.

WORKSHOP #3

Choose one emotion and write a few sentences describing the setting that evoke that emotion without using the word or a variation thereof.

Setting: A woman comes home from work, opens the door, and finds a man in her kitchen, cooking. Emotions to choose from:

• Resignation • Goofiness • Pity • Pride • Befuddlement

• Relief • Intimidation • Jealousy • Possessiveness • Insecurity

• Shyness • Fascination • Enthusiasm • Embarrassment • Yearning

WORKSHOP #3

Takeaways: • It only takes a few words to properly evoke the emotional

response you want in your readers. • Happy, sad, and angry are easy emotions, but complex emotions

require a bit more subtlety. • The Meet The Fockers movies really are terrible.

USE #FLBlogContent FOR ALL Tweeting, Instagramming, Vining, Facebooking, Pinning, Snapchatting, LinkedInning, OKCupiding, Digging, Redditting, Skyping,

GooglePlussing, Youtubing, Tumbling, Blogging, Stumbling, Foursquaring, Photoshopping, Sexting, and, once again, Tweeting.

Mark your calendars!

FLBLOGCON: The Florida Blogger & Social

Media Conference Saturday, September 20th at Full Sail University

Tickets go on sale at 12:00 AM on May 17th

.

Find out more at www.FLBLOGCON.com!

USE #FLBlogContent FOR ALL Tweeting, Instagramming, Vining, Facebooking, Pinning, Snapchatting, LinkedInning, OKCupiding, Digging, Redditting, Skyping,

GooglePlussing, Youtubing, Tumbling, Blogging, Stumbling, Foursquaring, Photoshopping, Sexting, and, once again, Tweeting.

A very special thanks to: