Day 23: Write a blog post “I used to have a blog but I went back to pointless, incessant barking.” – Dogs talking in a New Yorker cartoon Key point: writing a blog is a good way to develop your writing skills. Here are some tips to help you become a better blogger: 1. Get started. It’s easy to set up a blog using WordPress.com. It’s free. The great thing about a blog is that you can use it to explore different writing styles and techniques. It’s public writing but, because it is personal, you can write without restrictions. 2. Write often. I try to write every week day. It doesn’t always happen because of work pressure but it is easier to maintain the discipline if it is regular. Traffic seems to drop off dramatically at weekends so I don’t post then, although I sometimes run a ‘links list’ style post on Saturdays – mainly things I’ve collected during the week. 3. Keep a scratchpad. I use the notes field in an Outlook task item for each of the blogs I write to capture links, ideas, to do items and so on. When I actually sit down to write, I’ve usually got two or three ideas to hand and a bunch of links to explore. It’s useful to have a few stub posts ready to expand or edit in case you don’t have time to write a long piece. 4. Have a time to write. I tend to blog first thing in the morning, usually around 6am. That’s just me. I know other people who write after work or in their lunch break. The important thing is to work to a regular schedule. 5. Variety is the spice of life. I prefer to do posts of different lengths and styles. The ‘how to’ list is popular but I like to run longer, more formal articles and interviews as well as more personal observations. One of the pleasures of the blog is that I don’t have an editor who tells me what to write or how to write it. To this extent, it is a playground for me. 6. Contribute to the conversation. There are an awful lot of sheep on the internet. With nearly 60 million blogs in existence, you really want to try to be a sheepdog rather than a sheep. In my opinion, it’s important to say something new and something interesting to contribute to the conversation. 7. Be yourself. Ideally, you want to say something interesting. Just be yourself. Some of the best blogs are the ones that are unique, idiosyncratic, and highly personal. The extraordinary thing about the blogosphere is that whatever you write about, there is an audience for it. 8. Show your face. I think it’s good to put a picture of yourself, your email address, and a little bit of autobiographical information on your blog. Sometimes a nom de plume is necessary, but turn your blogging alter ego into a ‘real’ person too.
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