Writing tips Archives - Page 2 of 7

December 27, 2016

Plagiarism (VS Fair Use): What Bloggers and Writers Need to Know

Plagiarism (VS Fair Use): What Bloggers Need to Know When Creating Content

Why is plagiarism so bad?

Many people copy others, in both real life, and online.

They wear the same clothes. They buy the same things. It is natural to want to have the same item as another person. That is why companies make items in bulk. That is why clothing manufacturers make the same shirt, dress, or pair of pants in the same color and in different sizes.

Copying others in this manner is not a crime. (It might be deemed as a fashion crime in some pretentious circles, but it’s not against the law!)

However, when it comes to online content, copying others is a serious crime.

This type of copying is called PLAGIARISM, and it is a violation of copyright law.

There are solutions to avoiding plagiarism and its consequences and penalties, and today we are going to look at these solutions.

We are also going to answer the following questions:

What is plagiarism?

What is fair use?

What should you do if your content has been plagiarized?

How can bloggers and freelancers avoid plagiarism and its penalties?

How can bloggers create content for their blogs that rivals the content of their competitors?

How can bloggers create content that is similar to their competitors and ranks well?

By the end of this article, you will have all the answers and be able to create unique content that will not be considered to be plagiarized.

Plagiarism VS. Fair Use

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism has several definitions.

It occurs when you copy someone else’s words and pass them off as your own.

It occurs when you cite someone’s words and don’t give the owner proper credit or attribution.

Plagiarism is against the law and is a serious offense. There are also several types of plagiarism, which will discuss momentarily.

Plagiarism is only stealing if you don’t give credit to the original source OR if what you are sharing does not fall under the rules for fair use.

What is Fair Use?

Fair use, on the other hand, according to copyright law, allows you to use someone’s words and ideas freely, without permission from the copyright owner.

Fair use, according to this article, is “a copyright principle based on the belief that the public is entitled to freely use portions of copyrighted materials for purposes of commentary and criticism.”

At this point, I want to point out to you that EVEN THOUGH I COPIED THIS SENTENCE, I didn’t try to pass it off as my own. Instead, I provided a link to the article (the source) where I found it.

If I didn’t, I would have been guilty of plagiarism.

Learn about PLAGIARISM and FAIR USE here. #writers #bloggers

Click to tweet

October 10, 2016

20 Ways to Be a Master Writer and Improve Your Writing Skills

Becoming a master writer and improving your writing skills is something most bloggers, freelancers, and authors strive to do.

That’s why I (Lorraine) have helped my guest today improve her writing by co-writing this blog post with her. (She sent the basic draft, and I added to it.)

It’s difficult to write a stellar blog post on the first, second, or even the third try. Great writing requires revisions!

Not only that, but writing a blog post or an article that will captivate the reader is not something many people can do. In fact, many people will run to the hills when asked to write a blog post. The simple reason for this is that it is tough coming up with paragraphs of words that will make the reader sit still and want to read to the end. Authors sometimes feel the same way when beginning a new book, too.

While it’s easy to write an email or correct someone else’s work, it suddenly becomes a tumultuous task for a majority of people when they are asked to write an interesting, comprehensible piece. Here are 20 helpful tips on how you can transform your bland writing into an art of work that is a page-turner:

20 Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills

There’s no doubt about it — writing is a skill. To improve your writing skills, there are a plethora of things you can do. You can hire a writer to help you, of course (either hire me or hire someone from Custom Writings) but the best way to improve your own writing skills is to use the following 20 tips!

Here are the 20 best ways for improving your writing skills. Please use them! If you do, you’ll become a master writer in no time!

20 Ways to Be a Master Writer and Improve Your Writing Skills#writers #bloggers

Click to tweet

October 3, 2016

Writer’s Block (+ the 10 Best Ways to Overcome It)

Many people suffer from writer’s block. Bloggers, freelancers, and even authors have hit this breaker, which prevents them from moving ahead!

The threat of the blinking cursor or the starkness of the blank page succeeds in scaring off even the most seasoned of writers. You’re no different. Often, the stress is enough to demotivate many, and they end up skipping altogether, waiting until “inspiration” will hit them.

That’s why it’s important to act immediately when inspiration hits you!

In this article, my guest today will discuss writer’s block and provide the 10 best ways for overcoming it.

I hope you try at least some of these tips the next time you are stuck when writing!

Writer’s Block (+ the 10 Best Ways to Overcome It) #writers #bloggers #freelancers

Click to tweet

What is Writer’s Block?

Writer’s block is an actual condition that has plagued even the greatest and most famed writers (including F. Scott Fitzgerald and Peanuts’ cartoonist Charles Schulz). It happens when you lose your creativity and have the inability to produce new works.

It is usually caused by fear, timing, and perfectionism.

But it can be overcome!

However, the frustration faced by writers is enough to freeze anyone in their tracks and giving up seems an easier option. When you’ve run out of ideas, you’ll no doubt find it difficult to put pen on paper, unsure of how you wish to proceed.

What I usually felt was the need for perfectionism. Everything had to be just perfect on my first attempt, and it was foolish of me to think this way. I wasted so much time running things constantly in my head that I never got around to writing them on paper.

The 10 Best Solutions for Overcoming Writer’s Block

There are many things you can to get your creativity back.

There are also a ton of different things you can do to overcome writer’s block. But here are the best 10 (and proven) ways to overcome it. Read More

August 29, 2016

5 Self-Editing Hacks to Boost Your Writing (+17 More in your FREE Checklist!)

5 Self-Editing Hacks to Boost Your Blog Writing

Self-editing is a great option if you’re a blogger but can’t afford to hire an editor.

Editors aren’t cheap! Sure, they can improve your writing, and even teach you a few things about sentence structure and grammar. They can even boost your writing so that your post ranks higher.

However, you might not have the money to spend on an editor, especially if you are a new blogger, freelance writer or author.

But that’s no excuse for not editing your writing!

So what you should you do?

Self-edit! That’s what!

My guest today will show you 5 self-editing hacks you can use to boost your writing.

You can also download my bonus checklist of 17 Editing Tips for Writers!

DOWNLOAD

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR 17 BONUS TIPS!

April 5, 2016

5 Sites to Use to Improve your Writing Skills

As people, it is second nature for us to want to improve ourselves.

It is why many of us read books for ways to improve communication skills and others look for ways to improve their relationships. On a less serious note, it also why people now know that sites like newcasinosonline.co can improve your card gaming skills, and spend hours on them.

The desire to become better at everything we do is noble and ingrained; and on that note, today we are going to look at 5 sites that can help you improve your writing skills to improve the readability of your blog content or take your freelance career to a new level.

Use these 5 Sites to Improve your #Writing Skills #writers #freelancers

Click to tweet