There has been some talk on the Internet lately about how to properly write a blog post in an hour or less. It is possible, but let’s face it: unfortunately, not everyone is a writer.
Our superheroes have been blogging up a storm in the past month. They’re doing a great job, but I wanted to help them out with some tips on how to get it done as quick and efficiently as possible. And to demonstrate, I’m going to write this blog post in under an hour.
Everyone, myself included, has that moment of panic when they sit down to write a blog post. “What am I going to write about???” But it’s like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy says, “DON’T PANIC.”
Getting started.
First and foremost, you have to close all unnecessary (and distracting!) browser windows. Facebook. Twitter. Reddit. That one article from The Onion that you stopped reading an hour ago. You might even close Gmail, if you’re feeling worrisome about emails from clients disturbing you in the next hour.
Next, put on some crazy, epic music. For me, I listen to movie scores and classical tracks. Something about Hans Zimmer just puts me in the right mindset for writing one badass blog post. Truthfully, Hans was a big help whenever I wrote weekly papers in college.
Finally, it’s time to come up with a topic. I hate the word “brainstorm,” but it’s the only word that correctly explains what you’re doing here.
Ask yourself some questions:
1. What is everyone else writing about?
This is what RSS feeds are for. I use Feedly to keep myself in the Internet marketing and social media loops. Sometimes a simple headline from HootSuite gives me an idea.
2. Did you do something cool lately?
Here at Commerce Kitchen, we encourage our superheroes to show their strengths in other areas of the community. Whether it be through a hackathon, a tech conference, or a simple meetup, telling the story of a new and exciting event is a great way for novice writers to start blogging.
3. Did something uncool happen while you were working on something recently?
Once in a while, you have a not-so-cool experience on the job. You might be hesitant to write about it, but one of the awesome things about blogging is that it provides you and/or your company with a platform for transparency. I speak from experience.
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Right about here in the process, you should have a pretty good idea of what you want to write about. And right about here, it’s time to get down to business. So – and I really can’t emphasize this enough - DO YOUR RESEARCH. Whether you love it or hate it, research is the backbone for a good blog post. Check your facts and check ‘em twice. And, for the love of Gandalf, do not cite Wikipedia or I will hunt you down and make you watch Justin Bieber music videos.
[I just hit the 30 minute mark. 491 words written. But will I finish on time??]
Writing time.
You’ve picked a topic! And now, for the super scary part: facing that horrifyingly intimidating blank page. That blinking cursor is like a ticking time bomb. You ask yourself, “How in the world do I begin writing this infernal thing?”
Honestly, I’m not a fan of the outline. Sure, it helps you collect and organize your thoughts, but, in the past, it’s done me more harm than good. To each their own, of course. If it works for you, then outline to your heart’s content.
“So what should my blog post look like?”
Follow these tips:
- Take advantage of headings.
- Make lists.
- Use emphasis when necessary.
- Keep paragraphs short.
- Images are great to break up longer blog posts.
- Total word count should land somewhere between 300 and 1,000 words.
During the writing process, it’s important to stay focused. If you’re like me, then you’re 40 minutes in to a James Newton Howard binge-listening session. The difficult thing now is keeping those outside distractions to a minimum. Noise-cancelling headphones ought to do the trick.
[45 minutes in. Almost there!]
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Edit as you go. Pause to collect your thoughts after every paragraph or so. Go back and reread what you’ve already written. You may be reminded of a point you wanted to make or a detail that you left out. And, as always, proofread, proofread, PROOFREAD.
Hitting the wall. Hell hath no fury like a blogger with writer’s block. It’s unavoidable. It’s going to happen eventually, whether it be 5 minutes in or 50 minutes in. For me, I just chant “Go, go, go, go!” in my head. You’re in a sprint to the finish, all you have to do is hop over the wall.
Stay consistent throughout your writing. This is where editing as you go comes into play. Make sure that you maintain the same voice from beginning to end. Suddenly changing your writing style halfway through will make your readers wonder if you were knocked in the head with a baseball bat mid-blog.
[5 minutes left. Will I make it?]
Final steps.
If you’ve been editing as you went along, then you should have minimal writing adjustments to make while you’re wrapping up. Add those images. Use those headers. Emphasize important points. Optimize the post for SEO. Proofread one more time. Then hit “Publish!”
You just created one rad blog post, now it’s time to share it with the world.
Post it on Facebook. Tweet it out to your followers. Make everyone read it. You wrote it! Be proud of it! I’m proud of you!
And guess what? I finished in under an hour. 926 words. Here’s my Freckle timer to prove it.
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