Do you find it a little challenging, writing regular content for your blog or newsletter? If you do, here are a few ideas to help you increase the quality and volume of your creative written output.
Is the 15 minute blog post a lie?
Most of the prolific bloggers I read, state that it takes them around 15 or 20 minutes to write a blog post. When I was writing half a dozen posts a month, I found those claims a little hard to believe. Today, I write posts every day and tend to get posts written in around 20 minutes myself, sometimes half that. This glass half full post from Monday took less than 10 minutes to write up.
So, what’s the secret behind prolific bloggers?
It’s simply this: The more you write, the easier it becomes!
Getting ideas for blog posts
As blogging became a regular part of my life, I started getting ideas for blog posts more and more frequently. It’s a little like when you buy a new red car and suddenly start seeing new red cars everywhere. The cars were always there, it’s just that you never noticed them before. When you start blogging regularly, you begin to notice ideas for blog posts that would have passed you by, before you had an outlet for them. Currently, I have over 200 ideas waiting to be turned into posts. I capture these ideas using a digital voice recorder. It’s faster and a lot more practical than using a pen and pad, as I tend to get my best ideas when I am out walking or cycling etc.
Turning your ideas into blog posts
Here’s how I do it. I tend to write early in the mornings, before my wife and son wake up. I start by listening to the audio notes I have and find a topic that feels right. Then, I begin writing. My posts tend to start by asking you a question, occasionally they begin with a statement. I then write the core points that I want to share with you. Next, I flesh them out a little and then place them into order. I usually end a post with either a question or a suggestion.
Like many people, I have found that the actual writing process speeds up, the more often I write. I didn’t try to write faster. It just happened naturally, as I wrote more and more often. I’m not talking about my typing speed, that’s always been pretty fast. I’m talking about the time it takes to get an idea out of my head and into readable text.
The mechanics of blogging
I tend to keep things really simple. I use the WordPress blogging platform and find that it is extremely easy to work with. This means that once I have a post written, it usually takes just a minute or two, to get it formatted and ready to publish. I write posts in advance and then use WordPress to schedule when they are published. This post was written on 11th November.
It’s a fact: Some people are better writers than others. In my opinion, your task should always be to become the best writer or blogger or content provider that YOU can be. By studying the craft, practising it regularly and seeking to improve all the time, you can make amazing progress.