Advice for New Writers and Members of SearchWarp
Posted: Friday, January 23, 2009
by Teresa Ortiz
Freelance writer/Speaker
Greetings fellow writers and new members of the Searchwarp family!
(Yes, Ken McCreless, I borrowed a portion of your signature line, I knew you wouldn't mind.)
If you are anything like me when I first joined SW--and some of you are--you are constantly watching your rating and anxiously waiting for that red star to turn blue, then bronze and so on. And then it does and you are thrilled…only to be let down the next day when the red returns. For the record, red isn't a bad color--in fact, it's an amazing color! It speaks pizazz! It shouts fire, passion, and zeal. Okay, so it also says halt. Be still--rest a moment before moving on. This also has its rewards. It's a time to think, listen, and learn.
My point is, try not to focus on those little stars. they are not the measure of your worth or talent and if you seek to write for popularity, you run the risk of losing yourself in the process.
Very few people are interested in articles that are a void of personal inflection and are only loaded with cold facts, no matter what the subject. Although these informative and instructive articles provide useful information, they often leave the reader disconnected from the author, and most likely the reader will not return.
It is far better to use your time in the "red" to explore your interests. Write about what you love and most importantly, write about what you know--even if it's not the most sought after information on the internet. Share a few stories about yourself and your family. In this, you will attract readers with your unique sense of style and genuine personality. (It's a well-known fact that people listen to what we have to say when they trust us.)
Bottom line, have fun! You are a unique individual. We don't need another Ken McCreless, or Avis Ward, or Kacy Carr, or Laura Trahan, or… we need you!
May God richly bless you!
© Teresa Ortiz
(Yes, Ken McCreless, I borrowed a portion of your signature line, I knew you wouldn't mind.)
If you are anything like me when I first joined SW--and some of you are--you are constantly watching your rating and anxiously waiting for that red star to turn blue, then bronze and so on. And then it does and you are thrilled…only to be let down the next day when the red returns. For the record, red isn't a bad color--in fact, it's an amazing color! It speaks pizazz! It shouts fire, passion, and zeal. Okay, so it also says halt. Be still--rest a moment before moving on. This also has its rewards. It's a time to think, listen, and learn.
Very few people are interested in articles that are a void of personal inflection and are only loaded with cold facts, no matter what the subject. Although these informative and instructive articles provide useful information, they often leave the reader disconnected from the author, and most likely the reader will not return.
It is far better to use your time in the "red" to explore your interests. Write about what you love and most importantly, write about what you know--even if it's not the most sought after information on the internet. Share a few stories about yourself and your family. In this, you will attract readers with your unique sense of style and genuine personality. (It's a well-known fact that people listen to what we have to say when they trust us.)
As this happens, your readership will grow and in this you will develop wonderful friendships in the writing world. As your craft develops, you will learn to step out of your comfort zone and take risks. Over time, you will learn to title your articles in such a way that will attract those google-ers out there and your rating will climb. The best part is you will have not lost, but rather, defined yourself in the process.
Bottom line, have fun! You are a unique individual. We don't need another Ken McCreless, or Avis Ward, or Kacy Carr, or Laura Trahan, or… we need you!
© Teresa Ortiz
This Article has been viewed 696 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
More commentsTeresa,I enjoyed this so much! I've never bothered to look at my color. Still haven't looked and actually don't care. I'm much more interested in reading other articles, especially in areas with which I'm not familiar because I learn something new all the time. (Oh, mistake. I see it is blue because it is sitting above my box!) Still not concerned.SearchWarp is a fantastic means of honing our skills and venting! I listen to a fair bit of talk radio and at times I get so mad at what I hear. I've even written a book (and am still waiting to finish the last chapter) which is about the loss of decency in this great country.Thanks for your words of encouragement to us novice SearchWarpers.Hi Nancy, I am glad you like the article and I am glad you joined SW. You have brought much wisdom with you and its great getting to know you!God bless!
It's obvious that you are a great writer. This article is no exception. I am new here, and I am overwhelmed by the quality of the articles by you and others here.Hi Thom,Thank you for the nice compliment. I am humbled. I don't know how great I really am, but I do know I have come a long way with the help and encouragement of some of the wonderful writers here. There is def. more to learn. The key is to always accept constructive criticism and don't let mean and negative comments discourage you.You are a great asset to SW with all your wonderful recipies for BBQ-ing. Keep writing!
AMEN Teresa, I loved this article, I was so bummed when I saw the red star for so long, but then again, in all honesty, I haven't been on SW for to long, so I am just starting to get my feet wet on here. I am a published poet, and that is somewhat of a accomplishment, and I have written articles for a local newspaper, so then I started thinking, hey, the red star isn't that bad. I love to write, and I usually write about true life experiences. I love what I do and what I read, articles like this one that keep the writers feet on the ground so to speak. As usual, your articles are always a treat for me to read, although I would like to reach that 5000 mark so that I can start making extra money with my articles!!! That is always nice in this day and age.....Wonderful article, and I am a fan, so I will keep reading...God Bless, your friend in pen, GaryHi Gary,I am so glad this article encouraged you and reminded you of what matters most. I admire you as a poet. That is hard to do. I have written 3 poems to stretch my skills, its a toughty--congrats on your success at it.Hang in there and just keep writing you are doing a great job! I don't we can ever learn enough! I am glad you joined us! Lord bless you and yours. Teresa
Hi - always good advice to "keep it real." I've so much enjoyed the variety and scope of the authors and the range of the topics is amazing - sometimes it's like reading a "Writer's Digest" of short stories.Thanks for the insights! Bye, CherylHi Cheryl, Thanks for reading and commenting. I feel the same way. There is a lot of variety and opportunities to learn new things.I have to remember to take my own advice :-)Blessings to you! Teresa
hi t,this article was worded well and i agree with everything you said.thanks for sharing your thoughts with us,my best to you,sueHi Sue,Thanks! You were one of my earliest supporters and I thank you for your invaluable input and encouragement! I am sure others feel the same.All the best to you as well. Hugs, tersa
hey, anytime i want to hug a tersa, i'll know where to go :)Ha, this was not a typo, tersa is my nickname. :-)Well, maybe I am lying. Please don't start calling me tersa, little miss smarty pants :-)
Hi Teresa, I find the rating system rather daunting. When I think an article is doing really well (like in the spotlight with 3000+readers) the rating goes down, so now I say- go figure and am not going to worry about it.I'm much more concerned about what my readers think than an automated system.Hey, thinking about Joel's comment- can't we go back and edit articles, including the title if it's not doing well?Enjoyed the article. How about writing one about leaving comments and rating. I'll get you started, please don't slam someone's well-written article with two stars just because the article didn't relate to you.Hi Val, the rating system is not based on how many readers we have, but it has to do with how many searches through google etc..I think sometimes the two stars happens when we don't complete the rating. If we put 5 stars on the format line and forget to fill in the content line, then if comes up two stars.On the other hand, rating on content is personal opinion. It gets crazy. Bottom line is are we happy with our finished product and if we can make just one person laugh or think, then its all worth it.Thanks for reading! Blessings to you!
You are certainly right about not concentrating on popularity rankings as they seem to have more to do with creative titles and SEO techniques to draw in readers from around the web.Thanks for letting everyone know about this topic as I'm positive a lot of new writers do begin to obsess over the matter of "style points and pretty little stars".Hi Myla, thanks for reading and commenting. Hadn't thought about SEO techniques, but its true.Although, you my dear, are the queen of creative titles!! I am jealous of your creativity and the way you can tell a great story! Coffee with you would not be boring :-)
Good counsel, Teresa. I think I'll take it, though popularity watch is pretty tempting. But your advice is also good for another reason: lower stress level can be a blessing even with a lower popularity rating. Thanks for taking the time to write and post this helpful piece. You are a treasure to the SearchWarp community. ~mogama~Hi Mogama, thanks for reading. I think you added a wonderful reason not to worry, we don't need the stress!Thanks for the kind words. You are a treasure to SW as well.Lord bless you and keep you in his care!
Well, I'm finally at the Bronze Level and it seems to be holding. I hated it when it would go from blue to bronze, then back again, but this time I think it will stick; oh, I hope, I hope, I hope.I know I'm one of the very few (or maybe the only one) who writes only poetry on this site, but that is really all I know how to do. I thank all the readers who have pushed my standing to Bronze, but can anyone say "Silver"? - Please!!!Hi David, you are doing fantastic and I applaud you for stepping up and sharing your poetry with us and those searching the net for poetry. We need to remember, our rating is based on what the web community across the world is searching for. Let's face it, some topics are more popular than others. If you were into celebrity gossip, you woul probably be up there in the first top ten writers. Not that celebrity gossip wouldn't be fun to write about, but if its not your thing, then its not your thing :-)Hang in there, it took me over a year to get to silver. :-)
More comments
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.