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Content or Copy: Ignore the Difference at Your Own Risk

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The Pigeons and the Preacher?

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When we were first married, my husband I were walking through a city park. The lawn was filled with pigeons. He voiced the most unusual thought. “Why are pigeons always the same size?” he said. “What if they are all baby pigeons and a great mother pigeon lives up on the roof of one of those buildings?”

Shortly thereafter we passed a young man in scruffy clothes who told us that the world was ending. He asked us to change the way we were living. He offered us the reasons and joys of how living his way would make our lives wonderful and give us peace forever. I wondered whether he’d heard the conversation about the pigeons.

If the two messages had been written as text–one would be content; the other would be copy.

Do know see the difference? I don’t mean to hold you hostage. But ignore the difference at your own risk. [Read more…]

10 Reasons Readers Don’t Leave Comments

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My Secret

My name is Liz and I have a secret. I read your blog almost every day, but you you wouldn’t know that. That’s because I hardly ever leave a comment.

I know the value of a well-placed comment. I’m pretty good at writing down what I think. Yet, when it comes time to writing a response to what you wrote, some days I can’t quite get my fingers to the keyboard. I start to write something . . . then I leave without posting it.

There are more readers like me than ones who are not. I know. I’ve talked to them. I’ve been talking to them about why they don’t comment. It seems that we have the same secret reasons for not leaving our calling card. We want to leave our thoughts, but things get between us and that comment box.

It’s time we came clean and let you know what they are.

10 Reasons Readers Don’t Leave Comments

I don’t suppose this is all of the reasons folks choose not to comment. This is only a list of 10 +1 of them that I’ve heard over and over again.

  1. What you write is so complete, that I don’t know what to say except good job. I feel silly writing that, so I read and move on.
  2. You’ve taught me something I didn’t know, and I need to think about it before I even have a question. Much like number 1, I don’t want to embarrass myself. I’m better off moving on.
  3. I get ready to type a comment, but I notice you only respond to a few friends who mostly share inside jokes. I won’t take the risk of being overlooked in public.
  4. The folks who comment on your posts like to argue and I don’t. I’m not sure I’m brave enough to fight my way into the crowd.
  5. You rarely respond to comments. So, there’s no point in writing one.
  6. Your blog has geeky attitude and I’m not geeky enough to keep up.
  7. I really like your blog and your post, but I’m too tired, busy, or any one of a number things that you can’t control. I’ll comment the next I come back to read.
  8. You end your posts with a giant general question like “What do you think of the Big Bang Theory?” That question is such a big one. I don’t have time to answer it. I feel strange answering with a lesser comment.
  9. You put up a fence by making me login to comment. I have too many passwords already and I don’t know you well enough to add one to my list.
  10. Your content wasn’t fresh and exciting, and I couldn’t find anything YOU inside it. It seemed the same post that I’ve read on 10 other blogs. If I commented, I would have to tell you that.
  11. PLUS ONE: Your post was negative. Negative is scary. Most folks don’t like negative stuff, because they know they could be next to be the recipient. I don’t comment, because I don’t want to be part of it.

Sometimes I don’t comment because I’m self-conscious about new groups and fitting in. I suppose most people feel that way now and then. I’m working on that.

Yet when the content is rich and compelling, I lose all self-consciousness. My fingers can’t wait to share what you’ve started me thinking. My hands literally jump to the keyboard and start typing out the words. Other readers have said that is true for them too.

Compelling content causes comments.

Did I miss the reasons that keep you from commenting?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Bloggy Question 17 — The Official Writing Book Discussion

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What Are Your Favorites?

For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week, I offer this Blogging Question.

A friend comes to you and says he wants to be a better writer. What books do you suggest?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Bloggy Question 16 — Customer Feedback
Bloggy Question 15 — Roadblocks
Bloggy Question 14 — Make a Wish
Bloggy Question 13 — The Incredible Culture

PWH 1: I Versus Me

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In this Corner

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The two contenders — I and me — are ready to come out fighting. I’d better referee.

It’s a problem.

When do I put me into a sentence?

There is a solution.

It works like this.

    1. I and me are pronouns.

    2. They’re called first person pronouns because they name the person who is speaking or writing — I am speaking about me.

    3. When the pronoun is the subject or the doer of the action, use I.
    I like you.
    Ann and I need links.
    I want you to send money.
    Test the sentence that uses “Ann and I” by taking out the other person.
    I need links.

    4. When the pronoun is the object or receiver of the action, use me.
    You like me.
    The project team applauded Cat and me.
    You gave me the money I needed.

    5. When the pronoun comes after a preposition, use the object form.
    to me
    for Cat and me
    with Ann and me
    Test the sentence that uses “Cat and me” by taking out the other person.
    for me
    with me

    6. When the verb is a form of “to be,” such is, are, or was use the subject form on both sides.
    It is I.
    I am woe.
    The winners are Cat and I.
    The leads are Ann and I.
    Where was I?
    This is the one that makes everyone get all of the other ones wrong. If you know this is the exception, you’re fine.

    7. The rules work the same for he and him; she and her; they and them.

I will now be leaving the ring. Match settled without a punch between I and me.

Any questions?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
If you think Liz can help you with your writing, check out the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

Bad Boys: Every Kid Knows When to Use a Comma

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What I Remember

badboys of writing

I’ve been hearing a lot about a bad boy who’s been hanging around lately. Bad boys of writing are tapes in our head that tell us things that undercut our productivity. This particular bad boy is more of a nuisance than most because he thinks we should remember every detail about writing we learned in school.

The Every Kid Bad Boy says “What’s wrong with you? Every kid knows when to use a comma. Why don’t you?”

[Read more…]

Editorial Makeover 2: Music and Variety

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Listen in

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Okay, Liz. Here are a couple of paragraphs for you to edit. I’m excited about this opportunity, and have a really tough skin.

Blessings,

Shirley

Hi Shirley,
I don’t think you’ll be needing that thick skin. You’ve something that’s a great start. I feel like my job is to take A level work and move it to A++ work. In other words, you’ve left all of the fun part for me. 🙂

I went back to read the post that these paragraphs came from, because I had to know whether both paragraphs were talking about the same person. That wasn’t clear to me as a reader, even when I read the whole post, until I went back to your reference so I added the name of the young man in the first paragraph.

What I’ve done beyond that is change the sequence of things of the first paragraph to grab the reader more quickly. Then I added variety in sentence length and sentence type, put your thoughts into first person, changing a few words to add power to the description or music to the language. These changes were minimal edits really. I did the music part by reading it aloud several times to hear the rhythm of the words as they fell off my lips. So if you question a word change or a phrase added that’s probably what prompted it.

I also added a sentence for closure. This sentence is probably unnecessry in the actual post since you go on to other things. But as these two paragraphs standing alone. I felt the need to have an ending.

Remember, as always, this is only one way to edit it! Every editor edits differently.

Smiles,
Liz

Turn the page to look over my should as I do the editorial makeover. It’s called, “Music and Variety” [Read more…]