Have something to say, and say it as clearly as you can. That is the only secret. Matthew Arnold

I keep six honest serving men. They taught me all I knew; Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who. Rudyard Kipling

Write what you want to read. The person you know best in this world is you. Listen to yourself. If you are excited by what you are writing, you have a much better chance of putting that excitement over to a reader. Robin McKinley

You must learn to overcome your very natural and appropriate revulsion for your own work. William Gibson

If you think you’re boring your audience, go slower not faster. Gustav Mahler

To grow in craft is to increase the bredth of what I can do, but art is the depth, the passion, the desire, the courage to be myself and myself alone. Pat Schneider

If you don’t know it, don’t write it. Darrell Schweitzer

Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative. Oscar Wilde

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. Scott Adams

It is perfectly okay to write garbage – as long as you edit brilliantly. C. J. Cherryh

Try any goddam thing you like, no matter how boringly normal or outrageous. If it works, fine. If it doesn’t, toss it. Toss it even if you love it. Stephen King

You sit down and you do it, and you do it, and you do it, until you have learned to do it. Ursula K. LeGuin

Only self-educated is educated. Others are merely taught. Erno Paasilinna

If you can’t annoy somebody, there’s little point in writing. Kingsley Amis

Your favorite quotes from top writers?

Linkbait is such a suspicious word. At first, it appears to be some sort of fraudulent technique to get links from other webmasters, but on closer scrutiny, it turns out that linkbait is just another name of quality content that is so cool that people feel obliged to link to it.

Any blog, on today’s web, should create quality linkbait in order to be seen by more than a handful of visitors. The web is unlike all other media. Here, the success awaits those who understand the web regardless of how influential or rich they are in real life.

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Recently, I’ve been getting emails from would-be bloggers who are fascinated by blogging, but don’t know where to start. Well, I don’t blame them. Even though there are many blogs that teach blogging, and they have guides to get the new bloggers started, they usually forget that a person who is not yet committed to blogging doesn’t fancy reading outrageously long guides.

Blogging isn’t as scary as some of the lengthy blogging guides make it appear to be. If you are new to blogging but can’t decide what to do, go through this teensy weensy blogging guide and take the plunge!

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Why do blogs have similar layouts, similar content, and similar approach to writing?

Bloggers claim to be an innovative and creative lot, but honestly, I currently don’t see many bloggers challenging the blogging traditions. When I visit blogs in a particular niche, I get the impression that I am reading the same blog over and over. Other than some of the experienced bloggers, who manage to write an insightful post or two now and then, everyone else acts like a member of a huge mob.

Combine this with the blogging advice from the so-called expert meta-bloggers that puts emphasis on following the same ol’ rules of content creation and promotion, and you’ve got a situation that stifles innovation in blogging.

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Know your whys and hows?

If your blog posts take any amount of thinking to complete, you must do the thinking before you write. This brief ensures that you don’t miss any important points, and that you actually know your subject matter before you can explain it to your readers.

By putting some time aside to answer some basic questions about your articles (very briefly), you’ll create a winner every time you write.

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I’ve made a guest post over at Copyblogger where I explain why Why Cutting Clichés From Your Copy is as Easy as Pie

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Important: Do you have a spare dollar? You can help Holy out - a 21-year-old wife and mother who has a genetic condition called Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) - get an Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI). Please do donate a dollar (or more if you want) and help make someone’s life better.

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You think you are real good at SEO? Mani of Daily SEO Blog wants you to prove your SEO link building and offsite optimization skills on his new blog, and have a chance to win $250 in prize.

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Aaron tells us that there are times when it doesn’t pay to be frugal. and gives six examples where the costs outweigh the savings.

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Michael shares his best Tips to Rock Out Your Band or Musician Blog.

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Daily Blog Tips tutorial writing project has ended and it’s time to announce my favorite three tutorial from the 72 submitted tutorials.

1. A 5-Minute Method to Redirect Your Affiliate Links by Muhammad.
2. Make Money With a Poor Mans BANS (Build a Niche Store) by Guy Patterson.
3. 5+1 Ways of promoting your Blog/Site/Brand name in your college by Ashfame.

And, of course, I liked my entry about Best WordPress SEO Tips and Tricks too!

Edit: Oh wait, I think it’s too late to cast votes because the winners have already been announced. My bad guys. I may have deprived you of the chance to win the contest.

Minimalism and simplicity may appear to be synonyms, but they are not.

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