Lesson 2: Your Writing Mood

Lesson 2:
Get In the Mood

In Lesson 2, you learned:

 How to create a natural conversation between you and your reader.

 Ways to spruce up the sub-vocalization effect so that readers hear your
message
 Tricks to seize your writing voice and nail it every single time.

This worksheet will help you put your new knowledge into practice. Print it out and use it
immediately for tangible results.

You'll also want to print a copy of this worksheet and keep it handy in a folder, as you may
need it later in the course.

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 Lesson 2: Your Writing Mood

Get In the Mood

W
riting voice is a struggle that many people have, and it usually stems from lack of
confidence and practice. People who've written a great deal of content and feel
confident in their skills don't often have issues with writing voice.

The issue of writing voice is actually debatable. Many say that looking for it sends people on a
wild goose chase for something that doesn't exist – writing voice is just the tone of your writing
and how it sounds to other people.

In other words, you don't need to "find" your writing voice. It's already within you.

These 4 exercises will help you learn more about writing voice and discover the tone and style
you prefer most for your work. They'll also reduce stress about finding your writing voice –
you'll see you have many to choose from, and they're all at your disposal!

As you work through these exercises, remember that there's no right or wrong; there's only
what feels right to you. So enjoy yourself, write freely and have fun.

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 Lesson 2: Your Writing Mood

Find your adjectives

B
usinesspeople often feel that their content needs to have a "professional" tone – and
end up choosing no tone at all by default. They create content that lacks emotion,
sounds bland, and is boring or monotonous to read.

Don't be afraid of loosening the corporate tie a little. "Professional" doesn't mean robotic or
stiff, and "professional" can indeed include plenty of personality.

Think of your personality now – specifically, 5 adjectives that define yours. For example, my
personality might be bold, cocky, friendly, straightforward and witty. Write your 5 adjectives
here:

1. ________________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________________

4. ________________________________________________________________

5. ________________________________________________________________

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 Lesson 2: Your Writing Mood

Write with Flavour

W
ith the 5 adjectives you chose in mind, write 350 words about your favourite activity,
pastime or hobby in the space below.

Play up your adjectives. Emphasize them, making them loud and clear. For
example, if you wrote "bold" as one of your adjectives, make sure that when you write about
your favourite activity, the words and phrases you choose sound BOLD!

As you write, think about how writing with these adjectives feels to you. If you start writing
BOLD! and feel you're forcing it or dislike the tone of your writing, replace the adjective with
something that feels better.

Write 350 words about your favourite activity, pastime or hobby now:

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 Lesson 2: Your Writing Mood

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 Lesson 2: Your Writing Mood

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 Lesson 2: Your Writing Mood

Try Different Flavours

P
eople have all sorts of different personalities they put forward, depending on the context
of the situation, who they're with, or their state of mind. You have just as many facets to
your writing, so explore each of them.

Choose a mood – angry, romantic, sad, joyous, sarcastic, excited, afraid, etc. Close your eyes
for a minute, and think about that state of mind. Feel it. Remember what it's like to feel angry or
joyous or loving.

Then write 200 words on "How it feels to be [insert your mood here]".

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 Lesson 2: Your Writing Mood

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 Lesson 2: Your Writing Mood

Once you're finished, switch moods and try another 200 words in that state of mind. The more
you practice writing using different moods, the more you'll see you can pick any tone and style
you please, just like that.

Writing voice? You have plenty of them at your disposal!

Choosing the right mood and tone for your content can be very powerful and engage readers
easily. People love writing that conveys emotion, and it keeps them reading. For example,
readers often tell me, “James, I love it when you rant!” Sometimes I'm more introspective, or
straightforward, or having fun.

There's a writing voice for every mood, and a mood for every piece. So go ahead and get a
little controversial, a little excited or a little teary-eyed if the moment calls for it. Your readers
will thank you!

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 Lesson 2: Your Writing Mood

Write to a Friend

T
his exercise lets you be yourself, pure and simple. Write a brief letter to a friend.

A good friend, one that knows you through and through. Not a lover, not a mother, not
an acquaintance, but someone you’d consider a solid, best friend that makes you feel
100% comfortable and 100% yourself when you're around him or her.

Write 350 words to that person about what you did last week, as if you were having a natural
conversation and just bringing him or her up to speed.

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 Lesson 2: Your Writing Mood

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 Lesson 2: Your Writing Mood

Write to Yourself

Y
ou've explored several different writing voices already, and here's one more to play with:
Write a letter to yourself.

Tell yourself something important, something you want this inner you to know. This is a
very personal and individual exercise, and it's worth exploring. You might find yourself writing
some pretty powerful words.

What do you want to say to yourself? Write it now:

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 Lesson 2: Your Writing Mood

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 Lesson 2: Your Writing Mood

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Now that you've explored several writing voices, you should be feeling far more comfortable.
The pressure's off, and you don't have to "choose a writing voice" at all. You can just be
yourself, and choose the voice that's right for you and the moment.

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