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I’m compelled to split my attention among many things these days; most of them have to do with the needs of others. When you consider planning, executing and improving, the time lots expand consuming much of my days. And, admittedly, I let many spill into my evenings.

How I get through involves writing. You may think it takes up too much time to write a note here, draw a picture there. But, for me, it helps to insure that I stay on point and don’t forget anything needed.

Here’s what my process looks like, these days.

Drafting

I need to write through a project. I may write detailed descriptions of what is needed, how it should work, and what goes beyond what I was asked for. However, that’s not always required.

I usually draw pictures. Simple line drawings are my favorite, because they offer room for details and changes.

My recent brochure project, I drew up based on samples provided. After looking at it and the blank screen, I added my ideas for them.

Finally, once I was satisfied with the drawing, it was time to put it on the screen.

Reviewing

Before the client gets it, I review it to make sure I covered all I had intended. Everything the client wants needs to be included — unless it’s not going to be.

Sometimes I will add or detract from a project, once it’s on the screen. To be sure I can say why when presenting the work, I may make notes on the sketch, or write detailed explanations for what I’ve changed.

Presenting

A big reason for writing notes is so I don’t have to trust my memory — or lack of memory. With my notes in hand, during presentation of my draft, I can explain why I did whatever I did, if any question should arise.

Revisions

Once the draft was presented, I was on to my next project as I waited for any revisions to come in. No matter how much time I take to get everything included, there may come a need to incorporate new information. In part, it’s because things can change for a client between the time I’m engaged and the time I complete a draft for them to proof.

Still, I try not to have many revisions. There are several things I do to keep revisions to a minimum.

• Ensure all the client’s specifics are covered
• Ensure client understands my design choices
• Charge a fee

Charging Fees

The reason I may charge for changes is because this work can quickly become a time-sink if I’m not careful. At times, there are big company changes that must be incorporated, (business happens). When the changes are so many that they take up much more time than is allotted, sometimes taking us far afield from where we started, then I will charge for the extra time.

Finishing

I revised the brochure as requested and sent the final version — one of the best parts. While I do enjoy the process, there is a lot to be said for putting a project to bed.

That’s my simple process for working through a design project. I find that drawing helps to connect me viscerally to my project. Do you draw first, or go straight to the computer? How do you work through your design projects?

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Here’s a challenge you may be interested in! It’s the Get it Done! 2011 Summer Challenge from the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors [NAIWE].

The rules are simple and the benefit is high — sounds great, right! So read on to find out what I’m bargaining with myself to get done this summer. Below, I’ll share with you the link to Karen Barnes, where I read the challenge.

From NAIWE:

There are three parts to the challenge:

1. Read three books that will stretch your mind and inspire your creative spirit.
2. Finish one project that’s been nagging at you for longer than you care to admit.
3. Brainstorm a new project that will bring you an additional stream of income, then take the first step to make it happen.

Lately, I haven’t been sticking with much, due to intense time constraints. So, it’s a good time for me to re-group and re-orient my attentions on what is important to me. I will use this as one of my summer incentives to work differently.

Other steps – post the challenge to your website along with a link back to the challenge post; add the challenge badge (like the one above) to your site; post a comment in the challenge post with your site’s URL and your all set. Click on the badge above to go right to the challenge details on the NAIWE site.

Here’s my Plan

For reading: I want to read What we Ache For by Oriah Mountain Dreamer. I read it some years ago, and I think it may be time for a refresher. Since it’s a re-read, I decided to red three others. Mine are books from the genres I want to write in, fiction and poetry.

1. Open House by Elizabeth Berg
2. The House by Danielle Steel
3. Thirst, poems by Mary Oliver

Finish one project: There is a poetry collection I’ve been working on‐more like iffing at. It would be good to get it out of my head and onto paper—or my computer. It’s one of several that have been festering without going away fully.

Brainstorm a new project: I have these novel ideas—not new but constantly being added to. And I think that’s what I need to finish a novel draft (something I’ve wanted to do but never went through). It seems like I have enough in my head to brainstorm a full plot and I want to try this summer.

If You’re Sold…

Get involved: Read the NAIWE challenge post, follow the instructions to post their badge and leave a comment with your URL, and you’re in.

Another Participant: Even though I get the NAIWE newsletter, I don’t always read it in a timely manner. I read about the challenge first, from Karen Barnes, on Change the World with Words, here.

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This week, I have a couple of new articles posted at eHow. Below are the links so you can check them out.

• Internet Traffic Tracking Tool
• Some Important Points on the Use of the Internet in Education

More are linked on my samples page on the static site. Stay tuned for more to come.

Lately, I’ve gravitated toward computer and business writing, which is reflected in the topics I pick from the Demand Studios articles pool. That may change in time, or depending on what writing requests I get.

Since I read that eHow has taken to deleting some of the duplicated content, I have to check on mine to be sure they’re still there. I don’t know where mine fall in their selection process.

For that reason I’m checking somewhat regularly, right now. I don’t want to have a link to an error page or something. If you come across a bad link, I’d appreciate it if you let me know.

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If you have a website, you’re in need of attention. Getting that attention requires more than just being out there. This is where PR strategies come into play. Today more than ever, it is important to invite attention in an arena where it can be reciprocated, like in a social media setting.

Promoting your wares is the how you get the business you want. It’s an arduous process for me, as I’m not a huge fan of “blowing my own horn.” I am however a fan of work, generating work (leads)—you know, the business stuff.

I’ve got a strategy in place for increasing my posting frequency. A new tweet plan is in the works. And, to help me with growing a community, this past weekend, I added two tools to my arsenal, an auto tweet plugin, WP Tweeter, and a Facebook Page for The Word ‘Mage.

Why I added Auto Tweets?

I don’t mind tweeting other people’s posts that I enjoy or find useful. In fact, I enjoy sharing others’ posts a lot. It’s painful to tweet out my own work, and that’s costing me. To help me out with this, I installed my first auto-tweet plugin for the blog. I was hesitant about this tool for my PR strategy at first. But, I caved and added WP Tweeter plugin for two reasons.

1. First, it kind of takes the sting out of self-promotion, if I close one eye so to speak. It distances me just enough to smooth out the gut-wrench that comes with saying “Look what I did!” (I’m getting a little better at that too since I do it for my poetry.)
2. Second, I find auto tweets from people much more palatable when they tweet manually too—not sure why that is. So I allowed myself the use of this plugin, so long as I off-set that with live tweets of non-TWM stuff, which I already do.

Why add a Facebook Page?

While working on administrative stuff to improve my presence online, the idea of an FB page came up again. I looked around at my friends and family on FB that have work relations in their profiles. Many of their links connect with barren pages, with the generic briefcase icon and no updates on the pages. Mine couldn’t be one of those.

I read a great post from Karen Swim [Words for Hire] about PR and it was just the catalyst I needed, right reading at the right time. (You could think of it too as the straw that broke the camel’s back.) The idea to create  an FB page has presented (more like insinuated) itself continually over the last few months. This past weekend, it came to a head and I put the page out there.

It’s Live—Now What?

Linking to it: My promotion for the work Facebook page will be another hurdle to cross over. I’ve added a badge to the website and the FB page has links to both the website and this blog. For now I’m leaving only the Social Media button here on the blog to connect with the FB page. On my personal FB page, I added a link to the FB page for employment.

Talking about it: First is this post about it. Further,  I will invite people through conversation. That’s important to me because I find sites that I enjoy reading the most are very conversational, interactive, where readers write in and writers respond. Even if I have nothing to say, it’s good to know that someone is there exchanging with their readers.

Inviting you to it: The way to grow a community is to offer useful information and connections. Check out The Word ‘Mage’s FB page. It’s out there ready to interact with you. If you have a Facebook page and have suggestions for mine, such as a landing page idea, please let me hear from you.

In Closing

These are two tools I’ve implemented this month as part of my PR strategy. Because of the way I view auto tweets and Facebook pages, using these means tasking myself to do more writing and social media posting. If I’m correct in my assessment, this should prove to be an interesting phase. I hope you’ll join me.

Do you have PR ideas that have served you well? My strategies are based on how I work and what I see others doing. What are your thoughts?

Resources:

There are many people discussing the pro’s and cons of PR on the web, including how your interact, where you choose to interact, and what information you choose to share. Below are only the two most recent articles I’ve read and a site that can give you a lot of Facebook tips and tricks.

• Is Your PR Strategy Crazy?, Words for Hire
• Facebook for Public Relations, Journalistics
• Social Medai and Blogging Tips

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Quick Tip

Just like there’s an inside voice and outdoors voice, there is also an optimal voice for copywriting. It’s active voice. Active voice means you write about doing things, as opposed having things acted upon. Active voice lets you breathe life into your message.

• Read on to learn more.
• Ideas and information will be gained by reading further.

See the difference? It’s subtle sometimes, other times more pronounced. You may have noticed too, active voice is a more precise use of words.

It makes a difference, so it’s important to know and use it where it counts. You need to use active voice to write effective copy for web and print. Sometimes things just come out of my head in a passive voice. So, in the revising and editing stages, I rev up my copy to make sure it grabs the reader’s attention.

You can do this too by using your action verbs and moving adverbs. There are two parts to writing effective, engaging, action-grabbing copy.

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