A Beginner's Guide to write a Blog Post

Writing is a practice, nearly as old as the time itself. The man adopted writing to preserve the history, knowledge, and experiences of all the time. 

The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself. Albert Camus

Over the time writing has evolved. Printing and publishing emerged as a giant market. Blogging brought something more to the table, a chance to self-publish. Writers are sharing their ideas openly and blogs are the best place to start your journey. Today we are going to discuss the steps to write a blog post for beginners, what to do and what not to do.

1.       Pick your subject line

When you intend to write a blog post or anything, the first thing to consider is “What do you want to write?”. Now the topic of a post is something you need to work on. It needs to be simple, yet powerful enough to grab the attention of your reader at a glance. The Internet is packed with information of all sorts, so your post will only get noticed because of the time you spent deciding your subject line. Also, search keywords on the subject line because it will increase your chances of getting noticed.

2.       Brainstorm the angles of working and pick important points to discuss

Now the next most important thing for you is to gather all of the possible angles that you can think of and write them down. You really do not want a mental note because for most people the information is just a heap of random thoughts. At this very point, you do not need to worry about how it looks. The goal is to create a writing canvas that you can later work with.

3.       Arrange the data

Now that brainstorming session is out of the way, arrange your data. Pick up the most important points that you can use to build your narrative. Don’t be hasty with this session and if you are a new writer, you really need to be careful and consider all the turns that you can take.

4.       Use meaningful information

You have to be on guard that whatever points you decide to use, in order to build your narrative, should be meaningful. You really do not want to piss off your reader. If the information is useless, your content will be nothing but a heap of junk. Keep in mind that the readers are looking for something that they can relate to. Keep it real and you will be fine.

Push your boundaries, that's what they're there for. Colleen Hoover

5.       Stick to the point

If the narrative you build is on point, clear-cut and concise, the reader will be engaged. You really do not want to add too much information. A reader loses interest if the information provided is over the board, irrelevant or non-realistic.

On a different note, you need to stay on point and avoid adding information that contradicts your own statements. Nobody likes a person who talks too much and negates something that he does all the time. As rightly said:

Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip. Elmore Leonard

6.       Add Examples where needed

Now adding examples, stories and quotes are good. It shows that you have a comprehensive reading and you have done your homework. But sometimes you just keep the narrative and let examples go. Depending on the situation, you should decide carefully, what needs to be added to your piece.

7.       Be biased but don’t be biased

If you are writing the opinion, you have every right to keep putting down whatever you feel is right. But if it is not, you have to write as it is. A writer has to be imaginative sometimes. So nobody can make you write otherwise, but you should know better. Your writing reflects who you are, as a person. Too much of inkling to one side will earn you a reputation for being predictive, which is exactly what a writer does not need.

8.       Do your research

As I mentioned earlier brainstorm, arrange, pick narrative. All that is important but most importantly, you need to do your research thoroughly. You really do not want to get caught with your pants down. Your readers are awfully clever, well-informed and mercurial, thanks to the internet. Also do not limit your research to the internet, as it is full of false trails. Use an authentic book, ask people around you and you can have a better idea. Keep dirtying your hands and every time you will understand some more.

Writing is like washing windows in the sun. With every attempt to perfect clarity you make a new smear.  James Richardson

9.       Make proofreading a habit

Well after you are done writing, read it carefully. Then read it again and again. Proofreading is necessary because you really do not want to be embarrassed when somebody says, “Hey! Looks like you missed a punctuation” or “Hey! That spelling is definitely wrong.”

It will also give you a clear picture of what you have written. You can edit easily and make changes wherever necessary.

Read your paper backward, sentence by sentence, as a final proofreading step. This technique isolates each sentence and makes it easier to spot errors you may have overlooked in previous readings.  Claire B. May Gordon S. May

10.   Read as much as you can

All the great writers are great readers as well. A person needs motivation, inspiration and most importantly a sanctuary where he can recover and regain his strength. For a good writer, mostly it lies in reading. An extensive reader can use his knowledge to accurately analyze the situation and come up with best narratives. So read, read and read. It will greatly help you in writing. 

The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read. Mark Twain

11.   Sign up for Grammarly

Last but not the least, use an online tool like Grammarly, which can help you with necessary punctuation and eliminates common error that you ignored while writing. It is free and user-friendly. It can be used in MS Word as an add-in and there is an option for windows download as well. Working hard is good but working smart is better. 

Conclusion

You should know that writing is not easy. It is very difficult because no matter how much you struggle, you still come up short. Do remember that you should write for your readers but more importantly, you should write for your self. If you like it, stick with it. Consider criticism positively because people may be harsh to you and reject your pieces but there is always a lesson to be learned. Always be prepared for rejection, for it may heart but step-by-step you will improve. 

Nothing can save you except writing. it keeps the walls from failing. Charles Bukowski

Don't be a stranger and keep writing. Your time will come.