Six tips for generating terrific blog posts

February 10, 2008

What is the one thing that prompts us to subscribe to a weblog? It’s not a beautiful design, thoughtful layout or frequent updates; it’s the quality of the content. I return to blogs that offer something valuable in exchange for my time.

Quality posts attract readers. Unfortunately, great ideas don’t appear out of thin air. The good news is that they’re easier to generate than one might think. Here are six things I do to help me consistently produce super posts.

1. Notice Everything
A basic concept, but not as easy in practice. Recently, I became frustrated while unsuccessfully brainstorming ideas, until I realized that the very experience I was having would make a great post - the post you’re reading now. It was only after I had considered an experience that I would typically ignore that I became productive. Half an hour later, I had six great ideas for feature-length posts. To use a photography analogy, I was using the macro lens when I needed the wide angle.

2. Be Prepared

The American Boy Scout motto applies to bloggers, too. As noted above, almost everything we encounter - a chocolate milkshake, a walk in the woods, a conversation with a friend - can trigger a great idea. Compensate for this unpredictability with preparedness. I have a stack of index cards and a pen with me at all times, so I can immediately jot down any idea.

But even that’s not bullet-proof. Recently, I was listening to NPR in my car when I got an idea for my daddy blog. While I could have managed to write it down at 40 m.p.h., I used my cell phone to leave a voice mail message at my office. I captured my idea, and no one got killed.

As they say at Coudal Partners, “I’m not writing it down to remember it later. I’m writing it down to remember it now.”

3. Talk With a Variety of People

I consistently discuss certain topics with certain friends. One guy is my “geek buddy” - we talk about computers and technology. I discuss books and writing with my “literature buddy.” While I enjoy their company, things get really interesting when I’m discussing a novel topic with someone outside of my daily experience.

When I moved to Boston at 18, I was alone in a new city. Eventually, I befriended many people whose experiences were much different than my own, and my interactions with them changed me tremendously.

Now, I’m not suggesting you up and move to improve your blogging, but the internet represents as diverse a community as you’ll ever find. Look beyond your bookmarked blogs. Visit new message boards and see what people are saying. Flickr’s “Explore” feature is a great way to do this. In fact, that’s how I met a friend who works on a chimpanzee reserve in Africa. Poke around the global neighborhood and see what you’ll find.

4. Create a “Blogging Only” Workspace

Psychologist B. F. Skinner is the father of behaviorism, or the study of why and how people do what they do. Critical to his work was the exploration of how a person’s environment can influence their behaviors. With this in mind, I’ve set up a “Blogging Only” workspace in my basement.

It’s simply a small room with a computer, a long table and a printer. Whenever I write, I do it in this room, and only this room. I’ve conditioned myself to associate this area with writing, so my brain goes into “writing mode” as soon as I sit down. Call it a “kick start.”

Of course, you don’t need a dedicated room. A cozy corner of your kitchen, the back porch, your favorite coffee house…the location itself doesn’t really matter. The important thing is that you use it consistently. Soon you’ll be able to achieve the proper state of mind just by sitting down.

5. Step Away From the Blogosphere

The blogosphere is a tremendous source of inspiration. However, “information overload” is very real! Time spent away from the computer is just as beneficial as reading inspirational posts. Do whatever you like - run, take a walk, have coffee with friends, listen to the birds in the back yard - to clear your head. Once we de-clog our brains of emails, chats and so on, creativity can flow freely.

6. Create a Crappy First Draft

As a student, I learned that anything I commit to paper had better be worth reading. I wrote and re-wrote one paragraph before starting the next. The flow of my writing suffered, and I lost useful ideas to a flurry of obsessive editing.

Today, I permit myself to write “The Crappy First Draft.” The goal is to get my ideas and intentions written…damn the torpedoes! There will be plenty of time to go back and make it pretty. Allow yourself to write a dreadfully awful first draft. During your re-writes, you’ll be glad you did.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Posted by Dave | Filed Under Blog 

Comments

Got something to say?