Getting Started — Writing clearly
View CommentsNaturally the first thing a new blogger needs to do is write clearly. If the message is more like mud than water, readers are frustrated, not fulfilled and will want to get out of there. They stop, click, and are gone before they reach the end of it. The first purpose of writing is communication. No communication is happening if no one is reading.
With a little pre-planning, organizing, and serious thought for the audience, a blog post can be as satisfying and compelling as any writing work a reader might come across. These are the stages most bloggers follow.
- Planning (choosing a topic and how to approach it)
- Drafting (sketching out the form that the post will take)
- Revising (making sure that the words and sentences are well chosen and well structured)
- Editing (checking spelling, grammar, punctuation, and typing)
- Formatting (matching the look to the tone and style of the work.)
A good writing process is individual to the writer. If you develop one and you’ll find that it not only makes writing easier, it also gives readers a place to stand, a promise they soon recognize — that your work will always be of a certain standard and quality.
Quality, relevant informaton with a personal investment is what makes a reader sit back and take notice. It offers them more than the dry facts that they were looking for. People remember when they are surprised by getting more than they expected.
Write clearly and accurately, but don’t forget to have your heart in it.
Liz Strauss
Want an hour of Liz’s personal consulting time? See the About Liz page.
