April 28, 2007

How to Write an Outstanding Blog Post

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 4:17 pm

It Takes ALL of You

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What does it take to write an outstanding blog post, one that I look back on and still think it’s the best I could months after I’ve gone on to write about other things?

Choose to write about your passion whenever you can, but when you cannot, be passionate about what you write.

I write the most outstanding blog posts when I bring all of me to the keyboard to write. All of me is the one who’s been writing for years and the one who still remembers what it’s like to be a kid. All of me means head and heart together in every word. It means taking time to make sure that I’m there. Here’s a way you might do that.

Before you even begin, STOP.

  • Reflect on what you want to say. Know in your mind what your message is. Try it on for size. Imagine what you want readers to know, want them to see, want them to feel in their bones.
  • Give those feelings spectacular words such as breathtaking, exhilarating, compelling, stunning, amazed, intrigued, or entranced. Imagine being a kid discovering this information for the first time. Try to capture the way it would feel.

Those two steps will connect your heart to your head. When you stop to breathe before you write, all of you will be there when you click that first key.

Capture the whole message before you edit what you say. Trust your mind and your heart to give you the right ideas first. Worry about the sentences and the words later. The ideas are what you want to share. Make the ideas big. Make them real. Tell your story by showing your readers what you want them to see.

Use your own voice. Make the words sound like you think. When you read the words through, read aloud and listen to how the words sound. Do they sound like you do? Do they have rhythm and music?

When the ideas are right and the voice is yours, then look at the sentences. Are they long and short? Do they sparkle and shine? Do they say what you mean? Do they feel right? You probably won’t need to do much.

If your heart is with you, don’t be surprised if you find yourself feeling passionate, even emotional, about what you write. To this day, I still cry when I read some of the best blog posts I’ve ever written.

Click to the “Bloggy Tag Button” to see who tagged me.

How do you write an outstanding blog post?

Terry? Ann?
Michael? Dave?
Drew?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
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15 Comments to “How to Write an Outstanding Blog Post”

  1. April 28th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
    Andrew Flusche said

    Hi Liz,

    I love the article, and I love Bloggy Tag even more. That was a spectacular idea!

  2. April 28th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Andrew!
    Thanks for the kudos! Steal the tag. Pass it on! Let’s start a campaign to kill the word meme! :)

  3. April 28th, 2007 at 7:19 pm
    Andrew Flusche said

    That sounds violent. :)

    Actually, I’m trying not to post to my blog this weekend. I’m supposed to be studying right now. I’ve still got to pass final exams. Booo for tests!

    But next time I’m in on a tag, I’ll definitely use the button. It makes much more sense than “meme.”

  4. April 28th, 2007 at 7:24 pm
    ME Strauss said

    My apologies. You’re right. I merely meant to take out our erasers and to properly use the term meme in the context for which it was coined. :)

    On another note, (a middle C, I should think) I hope the test is one in which you will find the subject matter to be a “breeze.”

    I also hope you have downloaded the jpg of the button for the bloggy tag so that you have it when the need might arise. :)

  5. April 28th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
    GP said

    when you put your heart in it… it’ll take you anywhere :)

    GP in Montana

  6. April 28th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi GP!
    Yep. You said that so very well. :)

  7. April 29th, 2007 at 7:07 am
    writer4web said

    Very good article. Puts things into perspective, and gets your head turned towards the right direction. Nice job

  8. April 29th, 2007 at 7:59 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Writer4web,
    Welcome! It’s a pleasure to write when I have the time to do it well. It’s only a chore when I allow other things to intrude upon it. I have to remind myself that how it works. My mind and heart need to take the lead and start it off with reflection before I start the very first word.

  9. April 30th, 2007 at 6:13 am
    Michael Schaffner said

    Liz,

    That’s a tough question,but a very interesting one. Here’s my take on it. How Do You Write an Outstanding Blog Post?
    Thanks for the tag.

    Mike

  10. April 30th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Michael,
    And that’s just what you did — write an outstanding blog post. I know. I read it. :)

  11. April 30th, 2007 at 11:39 pm
    Wendy Piersall said

    I KNEW you would come up with something amazing! :D Thanks for indulging us with the tag!! -W

  12. April 30th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Aw Wendy, You know when Wendy calls Liz always says “Hello.” :)

  13. May 2nd, 2007 at 11:15 am
    How I Write Great Blog Posts - Dawud Miracle @ dmiracle.com - (formerly Healthy WebDesign) said

    [...] course I had to take a look at what Liz Strauss had to say on the subject. Sure, I consider her a friend. Yet she write some of the most [...]

  14. May 2nd, 2007 at 11:36 am
    Dawud Miracle said

    I finally got around to writing a post about how I write my posts. The bottom line for me is to bring my whole self into each post. Show up fully and write about what’s on my mind.

    Take a read, and I love feedback.

  15. May 9th, 2007 at 12:07 am
    Writing An Outstanding Blog Post In 5 (ok, make that 6) Easy Steps | SmartWealthyRich .com said

    [...] a really interesting list of ways you can write an outstanding post, the idea started from Liz at Successful-Blog, and she usually gets an incredible response from her readers, so she must be doing something right [...]

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