Becoming a Better Writer: Survey and a Giveaway!

We've come to the end of the Challenge!

Jeff Goins has been extremely helpful in challenging me to be the writer I am meant to be. His advice has been clear, concise and easy to follow...something I can continue to pursue and ponder in the weeks and months to come. I thank God for Jeff!!  Here, in a nutshell, are his last two challenges:

BRAND

It's an impression you leave on someone's mind...what image do people (readers) have when they think of you?

Jeff tells us we must spend time "tightening up each of these":


1. Name. It may be your given name or a pseudonym or something else, but you need to be consistent. Make sure your website, business cards, and social media properties all say the same thing.

2. Image. This can be a logo or a headshot. It's whatever you want to use to make people recognize you and your work. Make sure it's on your blog, Twitter profile, etc. Don't use different images; make them all the same.

3. Voice. This is how you sound. It's your style and personal flair as a communicator. If you aren't confident in your unique writing voice, go through these 10 steps to find it.  Check out Jeff's post on
voice here.


SERVE

Jeff reminds us to "write for ourselves" before we write for others. It sounds selfish, doesn't it? But, it's not. If you don't like what you write, if you are not passionate about your writing, no one else will want to read it.


Now it's time to GIVE instead of TAKE: we need to know what our audience needs before they do.

How?  Jeff suggests two simple ways:

Answer questions. If you don't know where to begin, look at the questions you want answered. Be observant. Put yourself in the seat of the reader...

Help people. Do favors without being asked. Be generous (think over-the-top here). Do something remarkable, something truly outstanding that will get noticed...

Here is Jeff's final challenge:

"Ready to be generous and serve your audience? Here are a few ideas (pick one):

Do a giveaway of a product or service. Find authors or organizations wanting to partner with people like you, and ask them for donations. Make sure whatever you give away clearly adds value to their lives.

Conduct a survey. Find out what readers (or perfect strangers) want, what they struggle with, and create something for them. This can be a blog series or an eBook or a whatever.

Write something important and give it away. Publish an eBook to Amazon and distribute it through the KDP Select Program. Or offer it in exchange for people subscribing to your blog.

Answer all correspondence. Respond to every single email, phone call, tweet, etc. until you can't possibly keep up. This is how tribes are formed — through accessibility.

So, which one did I pick?

Well, although I have a small following on my blog and in social media, I have already attempted to answer each comment that comes my way. Therefore, since I have been mulling over a survey for a number of months, I've decided to go that route, and do a mini version on this post...perfect timing!

I had mentioned two months ago, that I would use "Fresh as a Daisy" Soaps as a give-away, to honor my friend who was faithful to leave comments during the A-Z blogging challenge.

I struggle with these four things in my writing life:

-Finding an appropriate descriptive word as I compose my stories
-Overusing common or lazy words instead of using fresh, creative alternatives
-Using correct punctuation
-Finding time to read books on the craft of writing

Do you struggle with the same issues? If so, let me know...I want to help!

Choose a post title that would be helpful to YOU from the list below, and mention it in the comment box. Make sure your contact information is embedded, or leave your email address along with your comments if you would like to be placed in our "Fresh as a Daisy Soaps" drawing. If your name is chosen, you will be sent the soap of your choice...no matter where you live! Check out Daisy's store here.

So, here goes...which series of posts fill a need in your writing life?

A. Mulling it over Mondays: excerpts from books on the craft of writing, for those of you who have little time to spare.

B. Tricks of the Trade Tuesdays: tips from "The Elements of Style" or "Writer's Inc....this could be punctuation, grammar, etc.

C. Thesaurus Thursdays: a list of descriptive words and/or verbs to replace those overused "lazy" words Jeff mentioned.

If you have another idea for me, I'd love to hear it...leave it in the comment box below.

Hopefully, this challenge has inspired something in your life...whether you are a writer, a mom, or a person who desires to be more motivated and organized.

WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU? Which post above would be the most useful? A, B or C? Vote in the comment box below....you will automatically be entered into a drawing for a natural homemade bar of "Fresh as a Daisy Soap"!