When I began to write for a blog, I was very young. My posts were sheer childish nonsense. This situation has occurred throughout several years, before I finally realized how despicable my first texts were. In the beginning, however, I didn’t know that. As a child, I used to do what every single person has once done at a tender age: I praised everything I had done, just like each of my creations was the best of its kind. I resolutely disregarded all criticism, because I thought everything I did was perfect.
My first post here at WordPress was an article in Portuguese:
“Acordar cedo: Dicas para criar o hábito e permanecer funcional”
OK, I know you probably didn’t understand it. Allow me to translate:
“Waking up early: Tips to make it a habit and stay functional”
Nowadays, the idea of writing about this is inconceivable in my mind. When I was young, so much younger than today, writer’s block frequently happened. Because of this, I picked stories that would never be obsolete, like sharing tips. I don’t want to be a detractor of bloggers who write about self-help stuff, but writing about life is not something that attracts readers. Let’s take a look at some statistics:
- Post about waking up early: 39 views during 3 years.
- Post about the 2011 earthquake in Japan: 22,439 views during 2 years.
I’ve written about the tragedy in Japan immediately after the first quake occurred. At that time, people needed reliable information, and they needed it summarized. Nobody was going to sift through hundreds of news stories in order to fully understand what was happening. In this context, my post seemed to be an alternative for those who were looking for a wider analysis of the disaster. It is very nice to discover online tips for a more efficient life, but objective and up-to-date stories are the ones which have impact upon people.
My point is: the Internet is a mine of information. Some of what is available can easily be disparaged. Still, there are many good things that you can find by surfing the web. It all depends on the subject of whatever you’re discussing, and the importance it has at the time when your post is written. Of course, if everything comes cleverly composed, then I’m sure you can be ready to receive critical acclaim.
The main problem, however, is to acknowledge what makes a good post.
So as to trigger a discussion, I’ll explain below my current writing strategies. You must keep in mind that my “personal” articles don’t usually follow these steps.
- Think about a good idea that would be “big” enough to be discussed in an entire post.
- Define the key aspects that are going to be explained, by writing everything in paper.
- Scrutinize all information written, and think about references, pictures and videos that can be used to help presenting the topic.
- Prepare the first draft, detailing each paragraph, still in the paper sheet
- Start writing on WordPress
- Search the web for those resources I’ve thought about using, and see if they fit the post
- Finish the draft, read it again
- Correct any mistakes and make sure there are no ignominious failures
- Preview the post before putting it available online
- Publish the post
What about you? Is your writing style similar?
Keep the debate going, share your thoughts below, in the comments section.
Originally published on thimabi.wordpress.com.