Nicole Bianchi

Writing, Copywriting, & Marketing Strategies

12 Books That Will Make You a Better Writer

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Colorful books on bookshelf

Stephen King observed in his memoir On Writing,

“If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that. Reading is the creative center of a writer’s life.”

Of course, all different kinds of books can help you develop your skills as a writer. Well-written novels can show you how to tell gripping stories and paint vivid pictures with your words. Motivational books about writing can help you develop your confidence and find your voice.

But in today’s article, I’m sharing twelve books that focus specifically on teaching you how to strengthen your skills as a writer and storyteller. They get into the nuts and bolts of how to structure and edit your writing so it will captivate your readers. [Read more…]

How to Create a Captivating Mood and Atmosphere in Your Writing

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Woman writing in notebook at desk next to globe, muffins on plate, books
Photo by Lonely Planet on Unsplash

Imagine you’re watching a thriller film.

The protagonist, a detective pursuing a serial killer, has decided to investigate a basement in an abandoned house.

As she slowly descends the rickety stairs, the soundtrack softly dies. The creak of each step is magnified. The lights flicker. There’s a close-up of her face, and you can see the fear in her eyes.

You want to scream at the television “Don’t go down those stairs!” because you’re sure the murderer is lurking below.

With a combination of cinematic techniques, the director has succeeded in making your heart race. They’ve created a suspenseful atmosphere by increasing the volume of certain sounds, pulling the camera in close, and dimming the lights. [Read more…]

How to Make Your Writing and Marketing Captivating with the Cliffhanger Technique

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Man rock climbing and hanging off mountain
Photo by Hu Chen on Unsplash

Cliffhanger endings have been delighting and frustrating readers ever since the 1800s.

The term “cliffhanger” was coined when Victorian author Thomas Hardy serialized the chapters of one of his novels in a newspaper.

One chapter ended in suspense with the hero hanging desperately from a cliff. Would he plunge to his death or not?

The Victorian ladies and gentlemen were probably quite flustered during their games of whist as they traded fan theories and waited impatiently to find out what was going to happen in the next chapter.

I’m sure you can probably relate to their plight. Cliffhanger endings have become a staple of TV show episodes and sometimes even appear in movies.

This year, you might have been one of the Marvel fans who flocked to see Avengers: Endgame. The previous film Avengers: Infinity War ended with a cliffhanger — the seeming victory of the film’s villain, Thanos.

Fans were left in suspense, wondering how the superheroes would manage to defeat the villain and undo all of the destruction he had caused. People were so eager to find out what was going to happen in Endgame that it became the second highest grossing movie of all time. (Shhh–no spoilers in the comments. I haven’t seen it yet.)

Something similar happened back in 2003 when Return of the King was released in theaters. The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers had both ended on (you guessed it) cliffhangers, and fans rushed to see the final installment in the fantasy trilogy.

Funnily enough, back then Return of the King became the second highest grossing film of all time too.

That’s the power of a cliffhanger ending. It makes people become so invested in your work that they wait with bated breath for your next creation.

In today’s post, let’s look at how you can use the power of cliffhangers to make your writing and marketing captivate your audience too. [Read more…]

How to Use Medium to Grow Your Email List and Make Money From Your Writing

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Keyboard of mac book pro next to pens, notepad, and iPhone

Want to connect with other writers? Make sure to get your invitation to my private writing community on Facebook!

As a writer, you’re probably seeking ways to get more exposure for your work.

What if I told you there was a website where you could publish your writing and tap into a potential audience of 30,000 people per month?

And you can even make some impressive money at the same time?

Enter Medium.

Medium is a blogging and publishing platform developed by Twitter co-founder Evan Williams. It’s a fantastic place to share new articles or republish old blog posts and reach more readers.

Since I first began publishing there three years ago, Medium has helped me grow my email list by thousands of subscribers. One post I published brought in 500 new subscribers in a single month.

Additionally, Medium has helped me attract new clients for my copywriting and web design services. But you can also make money through the platform without having to sell your own products or services.

In 2018, Medium rolled out the partner program. It allows you to make money based on how much engagement your Medium posts receive.

Yes, you read that right.

You can make money just by publishing your posts on Medium. And they don’t only have to be non-fiction articles! You can publish poetry and fiction too.

In April, I republished ten of my old blog posts and made $843.73 through Medium’s partner program.

Image of payment summary from Medium

55% of writers who wrote at least one story for members earned money in April. And some of those writers are making a full-time income through the platform.

If your posts are languishing unread on your blog and you’re struggling to grow an audience…

Or if you’re marketing your work like crazy but your email list is growing at a snail’s pace…

Or if you would love to start a side hustle with your writing but don’t know how to get started…

Then Medium is the perfect platform for you.

Today, I’m going to share with you how to set up an account and all of the strategies I’ve used to turn Medium readers into subscribers and build my audience while also making money on the platform.

[Read more…]

How to Make Your Writing More Persuasive with the Visualization Technique

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Man typing on computer in coffeeshop | How to Make Your Writing More Persuasive with the Visualization Technique
Photo by Kaleidico on Unsplash

No matter whether you’re writing a sales page, a blog post, a chapter in a book, or even a speech, you want your arguments to be forceful and compelling.

In today’s blog post, you’re going to discover a persuasive writing technique that’s super powerful but also easy to implement.

I bet you’ve already seen it used countless times in television commercials. [Read more…]