Article Writing - For Art, Profit, Or Both

We write for many reasons. Some write for love, some write for money ... and some write for the love of money. Regardless of our position, we unarguably all write because we feel a need to do so.

The person writing to earn an extra $50 a week is no different than the person writing poems and sharing them online. It's the need that drives the want to do so, and it's that same need that will determine our course as we continue to write. For if we don't identify why it is we write we will never achieve our need.

Sounds a bit convoluted and wishy-washy right? After all, I could have just said that we write to get what we want out of it ... but how poetic is that?

No ... To examine our needs we must think beyond the conscious mind and look back into the subconscious, and the subconscious mind likes things that flow poetically and free. If I am to reach your inner cavity of thoughts and ideas, then it is this mind you hold hidden within that I must address. As such, it is the inner you within to which I chose to speak.

The artful side of the mind writes for recognition. Whether it be someone exclaiming how beautiful your work is, or someone debating its merits - the artful side wants the words to stand up and become noticed.

An artful writer isn't so much motivated by profit, though getting paid for one's works is always nice. He or she is out to spin the world around and to ignite a small fire that will hopefully enlighten the hearts and minds of many. After all, a vision never exists externally unless it is shared by others.

The profit side of the mind writes for the money, understanding there is a worth to words, and seizing the opportunity to be remunerated for them. After all, we pay performers on a stage - and isn't an article a stage filled with one's thoughts?

Of course, the profit motivated side must be willing to succumb to one concept that the artful side never will - all performers must work to please the crowd. As such, the profit side of the mind was get to know the crowd, understand what it is they want, then deliver the performance in such a way to captivate the audience - and this is no easy feat.

Writer's can balance both sides of their mind, allowing them to provide works of breadth that achieve both goals. It is reasonable to assume that an artist can make a living painting the pictures one wants to see, just as a writer paints the words one wants to read.The profit mind polls the audience to see what they want to view next then the artful side caresses the words to canvas, painting an appealing picture for all to enjoy. This is the art of working within both minds.

Of course, it's a balancing act at best, as neither mindset ever cares to sit beside the other. Consider them as two jealous siblings and you will understand the troubles involved, with the artful side seeing the profit side as nothing more than a hack, and the profit side seeing the artful side as carefree and non-motivated. It's a difficult weight to balance - but learning to do so can bring about success.

All the greats have one thing in common - they balance the profit and artful minds together, never allowing either to capture all of their attention. When writing his next great horror novel, Stephen King needs to understand the current fears in the world so he can pull upon them with his words. He examines his reading audience to see what they are looking to experience, and then switches on his artful mind to produce a work within that realm.

So, if the world is balanced upon the arms of nuclear war, Stephen King might devise a story that deals with a nuclear holocaust. Why? Because the next great story must play to the world as it exists today and not to how it once was. Even when a writer creates a story from the past he must relate it to the present, to give us all a point of reference to understand and accept what has been written.

This is what makes the greats so great ... they live in the here and now and tap on their artful side to present the current state of the world with a new and unique spin.

Whether you are writing to share news on a new cancer cure or to give a review on a new cell phone, you need both minds in sync to produce an article that will be remembered and shared with others.

If you are writing about a new cure for cancer then you are already aware that many people fear this disease and are seeking a cure. Whereas, if you are writing a review on a new cell phone, you know you will need an emotional argument to convince your reader that the cell phone you are reviewing is a worthy product to purchase. This is how both minds work together.

First, you use the profit mind to discover what it is people need to know and then you use the artful side to share that knowledge.  And take note ... the profit side isn't all about keyword research and keyword stuffing - it's all about recognizing what things to write about that will generate an interest in others, which in tun will generate a profit.

We all realize there are hot topics out there .. and topics that aren't so hot.

Vampire romances - Hot!

Turtles that like to eat butterflies - not so hot

Write this down, as this is what the profit mind is all about. You will NEVER reach an audience if you don't write for one. Meaning ... if you write about turtles that eat butterflies you can't hope to reach but a few souls to read your work. However, if you write about vampire romances, you will get quite a few reads - at least at this current time. And that's the important thing to note ... The profit mind works in the hear and now to tell you what topics are hot today. And yes, sometimes it does take some research, but this is what the profit mind does - research what sells and what doesn't.

But is *sells* the right word? After all, does sell infer a profit? It can. but it can also infer a large readership and fame. Either way, you sell yourself or your work - or both. Without the profit mind you can sell nothing, as you know not what to sell.

And yes, keyword research can help the profit mind at work, as it can tell you where your audience is and how big it is ... but being in the right place at the right time is just as good. So to speak, if you write a great short vampire romance story on a vampire romance site, you will achieve a readership, regardless of what the keyword research shows going against you. Promoting your work is as much understanding what to write about as it is where to write it. Keyword research lets you cut the cord a bit by allowing you to put your work anywhere and allowing others to find it through the search enginnes, but you could just as easily put your article or story in the place where it will most easily be found ... and the profit mind helps you find this place.

The artful mind helps you develop the words that will capture your audience. Is it a dumb old clock, or is it the revolutionary wake-me-up device of the century! Words are filled with power, and picking the right words can deliver your message on-target. 

After all, it's not enough to have an audience, you must entertain them as well. And by entertain them I don't mean to be a clown or a joke-teller. You must honestly make the person believe that what you are sharing with them is a piece of writing you have creatively considered and given much thought.

In the world of writing a yawn is the device of rejection ... and yawns are contagious - as we all know. Write to impress, write to inform, write with your artful mind so all can be entertained!

By using the artful mind and the profit mind together you can become successful at writing articles and marketing them to your audience. Yes, you must become writer and marketeer in one, but this is the way we spread our words around the infinitesimal universe. You can't engage just one mind and hope to succeed - you need to engage both.

As such, always consider where you are going to market your work and how important it will be to others - before all else. If you can't see an audience in your sights, then stifle the work in a drawer, for it only has meaning to yourself.

Next, carefully craft your words to deliver your message with the ambiance it deserves. Sculpt each sentence with the intent of drawing the crowd in and deliver the performance they should expect to receive for such a topic. If uncertain - study the other successful and greats that passed before you, as they once stumbled across the same foyer.

Above all else, understand that it takes two minds to successfully share your writings to the crowd, and my knowing how both minds work you can make them both intertwine to produce worthy tomes for ages to come.

Write from the heart ... entertain the audience that stands before you ... become an author!