Often as a society we decide something is too important to be left to professionals. Think punk rock. YouTube videos. And, yes, blogs — that wonderful web invention that allows everyone, including you and me, to become published writers.
Great. Now I’m a writer. How do I start?
First you need an idea. Preferably something more substantial than a Facebook status update. We’re going to assume you have one and focus on the next step: getting it onto paper (or into binary code, as it were). Here are a few techniques to give you a jump-start.
Tell a story. We recall events, organize thoughts, form opinions, and share them with friends all the time. It’s called conversation. When you write about something, picture yourself telling it to a friend. Then write it the way you’d tell it.
Spit it out. Instead of staring at a blank page and sweating over the perfect opener, just start writing. Set a timer for a minute or two, and force yourself to write without stopping until the timer dings. Type the same sentence over and over if you have to, but just write. Chances are you’ll wind up with a decent chunk of what you wanted to say. Now you can go back and organize it.
Keep it simple. Simple words. One-thought sentences. Active voice. Be conversational and direct. Don’t try to look like a brainiac or test our vocabulary skills. Just lay it out there.
Show it to a friend. Let someone who knows where you’re coming from give it a quick read. If it makes sense to them, chances are it’ll make sense to other readers too.
Trust yourself. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you have to be an expert to have something to say. Even if you haven’t spent a lifetime studying whatever it is you’re writing about, you still have a unique point of view. Yours. And we want to hear it.
Enough words. Now get out there and start blogging.
More Inspiration:
100 Ways To Find Ideas For Your Blog Posts
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True that Jay. I have a blog and recently have dreamed of quitting my job (shhh, don’t tell my boss!) and going back to school so that I could become a famous author. Never mind that the only writing experiences I have are internal emails, emails to friends and my journal (er, um I mean blog). So starting your own blog could be just the confidence booster you need, even IF no one comments on your posts (that’s another topic here for GS BS).
The other recommendation I have (because I’m an expert now, remember) is if you want to grab the Internet’s attention, try to be as outspoken as possible. Don’t hold back your opinions. Because after all, the blog is really just a “log” of your thoughts and ideas. There is no right or wrong when it comes to one’s opinion. So for goodness sake, just go for it! The most interesting blogs I’ve seen are ones that record some of the most mundane tasks and yet because of the writer’s observations, become extremely interesting. Depends on what you’re interested in, but I’m sure you can find an audience who is willing to listen and will be compelled to come back, time after time, subscribing even, to your site.