As a writer, you may be frustrated by the endless requests for blurbs or articles on mundane topics. They come because someone is looking for unique content or a unique perspective that they don’t have. If you consider each ghostwriting contract you take on as an opportunity to change the world a little bit, you will infuse your writing with new life, while giving your client what they are looking for—your unique perspective.
I was once asked to write an 800 word comparison between chlorine and saltwater pools. For me, a health nut, this was an opportunity to share my wisdom. I emphasized the difference between chemical chlorine and the natural chlorine that occurs in saltwater, and included the negative effects of chlorine on hair and skin. That article (not ghostwritten) became one of the two most popular of the 69 I’ve written so far on the site (see link below).
Bits of Writing Need Bits of Wisdom
Long articles are easy to infuse with your own wisdom, but what about the bitty ones? And what about the ones you write for others, rather than yourself? In meditation one day I found the key to expert writing: Draw on your own wisdom and longing for a better world when you write the rough draft, no matter the topic or length. It will give your writing the freshness that attracts, and you an outlet for your Inner Guru. Here are some examples:
- In a content marketing blurb for oil filters, you can include a caveat to recycle used oil.
- In a blurb for printer paper, include (or focus upon) recycled content or minimal use, with a reminder that paper is made from trees needed for a healthy environment.
- In a bottled water blurb, include the news that some bottles leak phthalates. You can also leak that Coca Cola (for one) is experimenting with bottles made from hemp.
- A blurb on health insurance or a particular pharmaceutical can remind the reader that bodies heal themselves, while drugs are palliatives that help with the toughest stage.
- You can include in a travel blurb a reminder to treat foreigners with respect, or a tip to learn a bit of their language to ease your way.
- And in an article about house renovation, you can remind the reader to take the time to do a good job, so their family’s lives are improved in the long run.
What is your strength? What do you consider the growing area of wisdom in your life? Choose ghostwriting assignments that let you share it. No matter how big or small the assignment, your wisdom can be infused, providing food for thought for another, and improving the world in the process.
Susette H is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
