Have you ever reread something that you wrote and thought, “Wow, I must have been in a sour mood when I wrote that!”
Something like that happened to me this past week. I was reviewing and editing some content that was written for a client and it was clear that the writers were feeling very doomsday-ish when creating this copy.
Of course, it was well-written content… But, the beginning of the document was simply a flood of negativity – a list of all the terrible things that can happen to a person and their business. It was honest copy, yes, but way too blunt.
It’s not really surprising to me though, that over the past few months, writers everywhere are creating content that’s a little darker than their usual style. There’s been a lot going on in our world. I don’t have to tell you what I mean – you know because you’re going through it with me and with everyone else. Some days, it might all be too much, and you just can’t put a positive spin on life’s challenges, or the content you’re creating.
Even when life is “normal,” there are of course days where it’s hard to shake a bad, sad, or mad mood. From emails to social posts to blogs, web pages, marketing materials and more, how do you honor your own personal feelings, but make sure your mood doesn’t affect your writing? Here are a couple of thoughts:
1. Try To Improve Your Mood: Easier said then done, I know, but there are a number of things that you can do to try to turn that frown upside down. Put on some upbeat music, watch something funny[KI1] , get some fresh air, give someone a hug. Even the act of writing can be a mood-lifter. Find something you enjoy doing and do it.
2. Read Your Writing Out Loud: If you read what you’ve written out loud – especially to someone else – it’s much more likely that you’ll “hear” your mood seeping into your writing. And, even if you don’t, it will probably be readily apparent to the person being read to that you’ve written your feelings into your content.
Finally, I can’t say enough for having a well-thought-out content editing process. At LBA[KI2] , every writer’s content is sent down an assembly line of “workers” who take turns at editing. From self-edits, to copy edits, to proofreading edits, a piece has generally been rewritten or revised numerous times before ever getting to a client, never mind getting published. Yes, perhaps this makes our content creation process a little slower than our competition. However, it’s an invaluable way for us to make sure that we’re sending something out into the world that doesn’t compound negativity but contributes to positivity.
Author's Note: This article was originally written in my role as Chief Content Officer at Lisa Baker Associates.
