Writing Prompt: Write Your Writer’s Mission Statement

Writing Prompt 105

Write your writer’s mission statement.

Nonfiction writers should make it a point to have a written mission statement at their disposal at any given time. Having a mission statement offers two immediate benefits – – it helps the writer define his type of writing to himself and offers readers a good view of the writer’s professional expertise.

Some people talk about a writer’s manifesto, which is a really cool way of writing a personal declaration of being a writer. The writer’s manifesto tells the world that you’re a writer in a fun, bold way. The writer’s mission statement, by contrast, is not emotional at all. Though still a declaration, the mission statement is factual and concise. Think of it as a one or two-sentence resume.

What kind of writer are you? What type of writing do you know how to do? Which writing style is your preference? These are all good things to think about when writing a manifesto.

Time is flying by quickly. Just 55 days left until NaNonFiWriMo 2013!

Your feedback through comments on this blog post is sincerely appreciated.

September Schedule – “Marketing” of Your Writing

Here are my plans for the full month. Please check back every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to read and follow the prompts.

Just Write!

• 1) September 2, 2013 – Writing Prompt #103
• a. Write your personal biography.
• 2) September 4, 2013 – Writing Prompt #104
  a. Write your professional (business) biography.
• 3) September 6, 2013 – Writing Prompt #105
• a. Write your writer mission statement.

Get people interested in you and your writing

• 4) September 9, 2013 – Writing Prompt #106
• a. Write or modify your professional resume.
• 5) September 11, 2013 – Writing Prompt #107
• a. Write or modify your list of personal interests.
• 6) September 13, 2013 – Writing Prompt #108
• a. Write or modify your comprehensive skills, talents

For aspiring book authors:

• 7) September 16, 2013 – Writing Prompt #109
• a. List and describe your strengths and expertise.
• 8) September 18, 2013 – Writing Prompt #110
• a. List and describe your weaknesses, learning needs.
• 9) September 20, 2013 – Writing Prompt #111
• a. Describe your enthusiasm and preferences in topics.

For published book authors:

• 10) September 23, 2013 – Writing Prompt #112
• a. Identify negatives, shortcomings, and address them.
• 11) September 25, 2013 – Writing Prompt #113
• a. Identify positives and motivating factors
• 12) September 27, 2013 – Writing Prompt #114
• a. Research, list, describe target markets for off-line writing
• 13) September 30, 2013 – Writing Prompt #115
• a. Research, list, describe target markets for online writing

Education – Quick Tips

In this new education section, I’d like to provide a quick tip to motivate nonfiction writers.

Honor your smarts. Tell others…but do it in writing.

Today’s quick tip is a fancy way of encouraging writers to write based on their expertise. Every single person is an expert in something, whether it be dating, accounting, blogging, pets, or whatever. There are a million topics out there and millions of subtopics. Every person has distinct traits and unique tastes in things. Why not bank on what you already know by writing about it?

Writing about what you already know and things you have learned is one of the easiest and quickest ways to jumpstart nonfiction writing. Reading is lots of fun, but writing things that are already in your memory bank will help reinforce your own learning and help you achieve that elusive “expert” status that everyone talks about all the time. What are you waiting for?

Marketing Success in Writing

Today’s feature is on blogger Mandi Ehman.

Mandi Ehman writes about intentional and creative living. It’s almost as if she is a real-life version of Martha Stewart with her many hints, tips, and solid advice on how to live life more colorfully and productively.

Mandi does a great job presenting her readers loads of information on every home-living topic available, from technological solutions, to free printables, to pantry essentials. Her site is information-packed, making sure she lives up to her mission statement of giving as many details and options as possible to help her readers make the best informed decisions to apply in their own lives.

Marketing Success, Non-Writing

Here is our third feature on Artistic Toy Manufacturing Co. and the wild success of its custom plush and toys.

Have you ever seen Mad Money with host Jim Cramer? It’s a pretty fast-paced show in which its effervescent host, Jim, talks about dos and don’ts in the stock market with an energy and enthusiasm that resembles Robin Williams’ feverishly funny acting in just about any movie he has ever done. The visual representative of the stock market is the bull and the bear. You’ll see cute little stuffed animal bears and bulls in all of Jim’s broadcasts.

Another Jim that does a bang-up job with bears and bulls is Jim Socci. Jim’s company, Artistic Toy, came up with a clever design for a toy plush. The plush is a bear on one side. Turn it inside out, and it becomes a bull.

Why on earth would anyone need or want a reversible plush toy as a marketing tool? Easy. If you work with financial matters, such as stocks and bonds, you’ll want a giveaway that quickly and easily associates the item with your line of work. In the case of the bear / bull reversible puppet, that is the best tool of the trade to help customers remember what you do!

Are you new to this site? Basic Information Here.

For those of you who are new to this website, you may want to read a refresher about the following:

Nina Amir – the owner of this site and inventor of National Nonfiction Writing Month (NaNonFiWriMo)

Amanda Socci – the creator of a 10-month training program consisting of creative writing prompts