By Terry Dean

The Internet is a written medium.

You can use audio to help spruce up a site and possibly even deliver content. Video is available to high speed access users, but the web is primarily a written medium.

If you want to really make money on the Internet, then sooner or later you're going to have to write something.

The Internet is based on writing...and those who choose to write are the ones earning the best incomes online.

Even if you never choose to write an ebook or sell any of your own products, you'll still be more profitable promoting affiliate programs if you write content for your own ezine.

You could hire someone else to write for you, but you better have a large budget. Hiring a good quality writer to do a sales letter will cost $4,500 or more...and then you have all the email follow-ups, articles, ads, etc. to write.

For most people starting out, that's way out of their budget. So there is only one option left.

You have to write.

No matter how much you may dislike the idea of writing, you're still going to end up doing it sooner or later.

So you might as well start today.

The good news is you can do it. If someone like me who hated English could learn how to write for the web, then you can do it too.

Most people like to talk, but they're terrified of writing. You may tense up the moment the word writing is used.

So I want to change your mindset.

Don't think of it as writing. Think of it as talking on paper. Write whatever just as if you were saying it to your best friend.

And don't worry if you make a mistake!

You will make mistakes. That's why the first copy of anything written is called a rough draft. It's rough. It has bad grammar. It has spelling mistakes. It doesn't make perfect sense.

You'll go back and edit it later. The key is to sit down and write it in the first place. That's the hard part.

You can do it...if you just think of writing as talking. Just let it come up as the words come in your head.

You can write ads.

You can write web page sales letters.

You can write articles.

You can write an editorial for your ezine.

You can write press releases.

It takes practice, and you'll also find yourself editing a lot at first. But you have to get started somewhere.

So here's my simple 5 step writing system...

Step One - Silence the Ghosts.

When you first sit down to write you'll hear your 5th grade teacher Mrs. Sourpuss in your head screaming at you. Nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, participles, OH MY!

You'll remember the misery of high school book reports...along with the poor grades you had on them.

You'll hear someone in your past telling you why you'll never be able to write. You'll recall the day someone made fun of something you wrote.

Tell everyone in your head to shut up and leave you alone. It's time to write.

Step Two - Outline it.

It doesn't have to be a perfect outline. Just research the subject and make a few notes on a spare sheet of paper. Or put them on index cards.

The point is to find and record the main information you want to use. Write down 3 steps, or 7 steps, or what whatever basic outline you want to use.

When you do your writing, just look back on your notes and make sure to include all the important information.

Step Three - Write like you talk.

Sit down and write as quickly as you can. Don't think over your words. Don't go back and edit your mistakes.

Just write.

The reason most people never write is because they're so concerned about mistakes they never do anything. Forget about it!

Like Nike says, "Just do it."

Write just like you're talking to a friend. Spill it out. Don't wait. Don't go back and read what you've written. Just go...and finish writing on the subject as quick as possible.

Step Four - Take a break.

You've earned it. Take a break from your work and do something else. Go to a movie. Spend time with your family.

This period could last 1 hour to 3 weeks...whatever you have time for. Work on a different project in between.

You're letting your mind rest on the subject so you can come back to your work with renewed enthusiasm. Plus, you'll come up with ideas during this period about what you forgot to say.

Step Five - Edit it.

Read through it line by line. Edit it for grammar and use your spell check. Add in extra notes where needed. Delete lines where you simply repeat yourself needlessly.

Hand it to a friend and have them read it to you out loud. Look for every place they stumble. Fix it until it is a nice flowing river.

If it sounds like "writing," then edit it. Keep working on it until it sounds like conversation. Make it simple, easy to understand, and useful. This is the one time you get to talk...and go back to make sure you say the right words.

This is where you take many of your rambling thoughts on the rough draft and polish them into diamonds.