Show, Don't Tell--What Does That Really Mean?

Imagine trying to describe the image to the left. Lights swirling all over a black background? Winter wheat in a field, caught by the last sun?

What could possibly convey the movement and delicacy of this photograph to someone who hasn't seen it? That's basically what we writers are up against. We're trying to convey the emotional truth of a moment to readers who've never been there.

Some writers do this by telling about the moment. "She was depressed after he died." "He never felt so excited." But this telling doesn't really put us, the reader, in that moment. We're still observing from a distance. When you translate telling into showing, the reader comes into the same room with the story.

"She was depressed after he died" becomes "One day Mollie drew the curtains on the daylight and did not ever draw them back again" (William Trevor, "At Olivehill" from Cheating at Canasta). "He never felt so excited" becomes "His skin was now flushed, his eyes sparking. He leaned into the provocation" (Vivian Gornick, "At the University" from Approaching Eye Level).

See the difference? It's great writing, but why? Because it places us there, with the people in the story, not telling but showing.

This week find a passage, a sentence, a phrase where you backed off, out of the room of your story. Bring yourself and your reader back. Translate the telling into showing.

PS Go out and find the two books mentioned above. Fabulous writing, great winter reading.

How to Start a Law Firm | Getting Clients to Your Website

Up to this point you should have a law firm website or legal blog started, you should have a couple of posts on there (probably no less than five), and they should be relevant to your legal area of practice, with links in them to both your main site and your other posts (by creating post pages in blogger, each post becomes its own separate "website").

For example, if you put your mouse over the links above you can see that they all go to this website, but to a specific post. This interlinking only helps you build up for Google juice and get your site more recognized. Also, you should always link back to your main page. This assures that as you get links to your specific pages, they will then link back to your main page.

Okay, enough of that tangent. Now back to starting a law firm and marketing that law firm so you can get clients. And there is no easier way to do it than on the web. My last post talked about backlinks - those links that come from out there on the web to your site, which Google sees as evidence that you know what you are talking about and other people think you know what you are talking about.

But how do you get these backlinks? The answer is not simple, and there are both easy and hard ways, each of which should probably be used. I'll start with the hard ways (the ways that require more work).

Hard ways to get links to your legal blog or website

"Hard" here is a relative term. Creating backlinks is actually easy in almost every avenue. But these links are going to require a little more elbow grease than some other methods might because you are actually going to be creating your own backlinks. But nobody said opening a successful law firm was easy.

Every time you write a post, you have created some content for the web. One of the easiest ways to get links is to rearrange that content and go write an article out on the web pointing back to your site. There are a lot of good sites out there, but the ones I have primarily used are ezine articles, goarticles, hubpages, and squidoo. Each of these sites allows you to create articles, lists, and other things, and build links in them to wherever you want.

These are hard because they can take a little time to put together. When you write the article, it doesn't necessarily have to make perfect sense, but you want to make it different enough that Google doesn't recognize it as being the same post that is on your blog (Google, as would be expected, doesn't give you any credit for a link like that). Once you get a couple of links coming in, Google will index your site, and the world will be able to find you (and hire you).

Another important point. When you create links to your site, DO NOT MAKE IT THE NAME OF YOUR LAW FIRM! If you do that, you will quickly rank number one in Google, and everyone will be able to find you, if they search for the name of your firm. Instead, make the keywords relevant to your practice area.

For example, if you are a Seattle DUI attorney, make sure you have DUI, DUI lawyer, DUI attorney and words like that both in your posts and in your links. I am a criminal defense attorney, so I make sure my links have criminal law terms like DUI, theft, malicious mischief, possession of marijuan, possession of cocaine, how to beat a DUI, and other relevant terms. That way Google will see that your site is about that and push you up in the Google ranks. And, one more thing, vary your keywords. If you have a very specific word you want to rank well for, and all of your links are that word, Google is going to get suspicious. So mix it up every once in a while.

Easy ways to get Backlinks to Your Legal Website or Blog

The thing about the easy ways is that some are a little bit "gray hat." What I mean by that is they are toeing the line as far as what Google thinks people should be doing. But, as attorneys, don't we kind of try to push the boundaries from time to time? In any event, these won't get you thrown in jail or anything like that. Google will just take some Google love away from you.

The first easy way to get links is to go leave comments on do-follow blogs. Most blogs, this one included, allow comments. I love hearing how everyone is doing trying to start their own law firms. Business plans, law firm marketing, legal malpractice insurance, and all the other fun things that go with starting a business. But I don't give link love that easily, so when you leave a comment, Google doesn't count the link to your site as a good link. If you click on it you will go there, but Google doesn't see that link as this site giving you credibility. Well, some sites allow do-follow links. Just go to them and post some comments with some links - they don't get a lot of weight, but every link helps.

The second easy way to get links to your law firm website is to ask for them. There are all kinds of blogs out there that would love to give you a link. It helps if you are interested in what they are saying and leave nice comments, but people will give you links if you ask.

The third easy way to get links to your law firm blog is through shared link exchanges. For example, there is a link exchange I know of called ConnectContent. You will notice there is a button off to the side to go to that site. If you sign up (it's only $12/month - chump change for getting a ton of great links) you get access to a lot of people that are looking to get links, and are willing to give some out in exchange. All you have to do is link to other people's sites and they will link to yours (not necessarily the same people - dual links aren't the greatest). And, you get to list your preferred keywords, ensuring you get great link love from Google! I use this site, and it is really great. There are safeguards in place that force you to link as much as you get links, so you actually get great links. Check it out and give it a shot if you are interested. It will help you get to the top of Google very quickly.

The final easy way to get links is a bit of a spin off the third. There are programs out there that you can buy that will create a bunch of articles for you, submit them to article sites, and theoretically get a bunch of links. The problem is, most of the time the articles are illegible and Google sees this and doesn't give much credit for them. I'd stick with the other methods if I were you, but wanted to let you know this option was out there in case you were interested.

In the end, getting clients to your law firm website is not going to be too difficult. All it takes is keyword rich backlinks (and probably not that many - you'd be surprised how few attorneys know this information and take the time to use it) and you will have heavy traffic to your website in no time. Give it a shot. This is just another one of the exciting aspects of starting your own law firm (and it is really exciting to see your site jump up in Google!).

Got ideas or suggestions? Please comment. It might even actually turn into a discussion!

Winter Writing--A Chance to Slow Way Down

Outside my office window, the snow is coming down fast. I cancelled a dentist appointment today, shoveled the steps, walked to the mailbox, but mostly I'm reveling in being snowbound. It gives me no excuse not to slow down.

Slowing down is great for my writing. A naturally speedy person, I tend to get bored with passages where I should linger longer. So I use snow to lull my fast-paced mind into that drifty dreamy place my characters often need.

What slows you down? We're not talking coma level, just slowed to the place where you appreciate--and can write--the finer details. This week's exercise will help you notice how your book comes alive in the small things that you might notice more as you slow your pace.

1. Put on some music that lets you drift.

2. Don't look at emails, Facebook, or My Space for 20 minutes--force yourself!

3. Look around the room you're in. Begin noting what you see.

4. Then pay attention to sounds. Note what you hear.

5. If you can, add temperature and texture--the touch sense. Or smell.

6. Do this while breathing. Deeply if you can.

What's the difference in your writing?

How to Start a Law Firm | Internet Marketing

Lately it may seem like this site is moving away from how to start a law firm and turning into a full fledged internet legal marketing site, but really it isn't. It is just kind of one of the things I've been working on, so I thought I would talk about it. And, in any event, what is more important than getting clients to your new law firm?

For me, it is priority number one. Your law firm business plan, office space, and good looks aren't going to get you clients, but if they can find your law firm on the internet, you can bet they'll be calling.

Do You Need a Formal Law Firm Marketing Plan?

If you are new to this site, and are wondering how to write a marketing plan, I've already discussed building a legal internet presence in past posts, primarily through blogging.

I've outlined how to set up your legal blog, how to draft your posts so the Google love you and puts you high on the search engines, and touched on creating backlinks to build your legal internet presence. Today I'm going to dive a little further into that - the backlinks, that is.

What Backlinks Mean for Your Legal Website

In a perfect world, it seems as though Google would want to put the site in it's number one slot that is the most relevant and has the best information on a particular subject. And it does. Google's goal is to get you the information you need quickly and accurately. But, unbeknownst to you, there is a seedy underworld of Google with a lot of people trying to become number one on Google so they can make money on advertising. To do this, these people do things like keyword stuff posts, buy backlinks, and do a lot of other stuff. So Google has a tough job.

To get the best content toward the top of Google (including legal content), they have decided to look to your site and what is about, looking for keywords, and the backlinks you have coming to your site. The way they differentiate a good site from a bad site is not the number of links coming in or the number of keywords on a site, but the quality of the links coming in. If you think about it in terms of an election, each backlink equals one vote for your site, and some votes are more reliable than others.

What that means is, let's say you have a website for Seattle DUI attorneys of for Phoenix Lawyers. So you start writing about drunk driving law and field sobriety tests, talking about breathalyzers and things like that. Everything anyone could want to know about DUI law. Or you mention all the things you can do in Phoenix Arizona as a Phoenix lawyer.

As Google crawls your site, it also sees that you have a bunch of links from sites that are discussing criminal law, AND the sites linking back to your site are all keyword rich, like "DUI lawyer Seattle" or "drunk driving attorney," "should you take a breathalyzer," and things like that. If Google sees this, they will think not only that your site is about driving under the influence and Phoenix lawyers, but that you actually know what you are talking about because other people have relied on you as an expert on criminal law. The more authoritative the site that links to you, the more authority you are given.

Keywords as Backlinks Improve Your Law Firm Website Authority

And, while I'm on it, the words your backlink use are very important, because it tells Google what your site is about. Think about it, for Google, a link to this site for Jim McLovin (my fake name) would tell everyone that this site is about Jim McLovin. But a link to this site for how to start a law firm really gives the Google bot an idea of what it is about. But be careful, you don't want the exact same keyword coming in from everywhere because Google will start to think you are making all of those links (even though you may be responsible for a lot of them!).

Okay, that is enough for now. Next up I'll talk about how to get (and create) backlinks for your legal website!

Reverse Goal-Setting: Magic Action for Writers

Goal-setting doesn't work for many book writers. Maybe we're too random. Maybe we need more flexibility than traditional goal-setting allows. Even those of us who love lists rebel three months into a prescribed plan. Our books are evolving in a new way, and the plan doesn't fit.

Enter Reverse Goal-Setting. With Reverse Goal-Setting, you start from the end and work backwards. You get flexibility. You get chances to adjust and modify as you go. You also get a reality check--and you create writing goals that are actually possible to achieve and still stay sane and happy in your larger life arena (with family, friends, work responsibilities).

Want to try it? Using the presume you did last week (see post below this one) you can launch your Reverse Goal-Setting pretty easily. If you didn't do last week's exercise, take time to do it now (10 minutes max) then come back.

Get a large sheet of paper. Create 12 columns or boxes, one for each month of 2009. Label them by the months, from January to December.

Starting with December's column, review your year-end goal from your presume. Ask yourself: What would have to happen in December for this January 2010 goal to be realized? Write three tasks for December 2009.

Move back one month to November 2009. What would have to happen in November for December's goal to be realized? Write three tasks for November.

And so forth. You get the picture. Continue backwards through the months until you get to now, January 2009.

Here comes the reality check. Look at where you are now, with your writing in its present state, with your other responsibilities. Is your year-end goal reasonable, even possible? Is it too big or too small? Does it feel good, well aligned with your other creative goals and your life responsibilities?

Modify, add, reduce, adjust as needed, until the year-end goal in your presume feels accurate and just enough of a stretch.

I learned this the hard way: Success in goal-setting is all about being accurate. It's also about adjusting the goal so you can succeed. Each time you succeed, your self-esteem as a creative person goes way up. Using Reverse Goal-Setting makes it easier to see where you're going to succeed with your writing goals--and where you're not.

New Year's Treat--A Presume Exercise for Writers

What's your dream for your book this year? Try a simple new-year's exercise to find out. It's called a presume--a word coined by Tony Fanning and Robbie Fanning, authors of a fabulous book called Get It All Done and Still Be Human, which changed my life when I read it twenty years ago. As clearly as a resume shows your past, a presume shows your future. You are using a principle called "acting as if." Believe me, it works!

Want to try it? Imagine yourself a year from today. Write the date at the top of your page: January 6, 2010.

Now, writing in the present tense, compose a few sentences about where you are with your writing on that date. "I am..." "I have completed..." "I finally discovered..." Use these excerpts from students in my creative-writing workshops if you need clues:

Scott: "It's New Year's Day and I just printed out the complete first draft of my novel! All because I finally got a handle on the important characters. They're coming alive, it's totally exciting. I even know--I think!--where to take them next."

Martha: "This year has been good for my writing in that I finally understand what this book is about. By February, I worked out a regular writing schedule, which I kept to more or less, and B. and the kids have been very supportive."

Celeste: "After some deep thinking, I realized I needed a break from the book and took a couple of really outstanding poetry classes. They re-energized me creatively. I'm back at work on the manuscript but it's not a burden."

What would have to happen, both professionally and personally, for you to feel completely happy with your writing progress this coming year? Write your presume any way you wish--as a business card, a poem, a journal entry, a list of items. Put it away and let it work its magic.

Next week, we'll look at action steps to make the presume real, a technique called Reverse Goal-Setting.