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You’re a writer.
If you weren’t one already, you became a writer the first day you decided to launch a blog. Maybe you didn’t know it. Maybe you were terrified of it. It happened, though. Everyone who participates in blogs, in web forums, in social media, or…well, really, anyone who uses the internet is a writer.
If you really want to get the most out of your site, you’ve got to put the best into it. Content is king, after all, and the quality of your content rests entirely on your ability as a writer.
The good news is that you can be a good writer. All it takes is a little training, and a lot of trying.
The Beginner’s Course
Maybe you didn’t believe me way back in May in when I first told you that you could be a good writer without a ton of extra work or effort. Maybe you didn’t even believe me when I told you good writing mattered.
You’ve seen it, though. For eight months now, you’ve seen exactly what it is you should be doing, and why. Here’s the whole curriculum, all in one place:
- In May, I stated my case. I promised you could build better content and improve your blog by writing better.
- In June, I said that the key to becoming a better writer is wanting to write better (and committing yourself to learning).
- In July, I talked about the importance of scheduling time in your blog writing for drafts and rewrites.
- In August, I considered the things you do on your blog to create a strong visual brand, and compared them with some ways you can streamline your writing by pursuing consistent style.
- In October, I told a story, and discussed why telling stories helps you connect with readers.
- In November, I stressed the power of audience analysis and taught you how to use an Ideal Reader to engage with your readers.
- In December, I promised you that time spent reading would improve your blog.
That’s the beginner’s course. It’s an introduction to Blogging Like a Professional Writer. Call it 101, and I can promise you the courses go all the way up to the graduate level.
On-the-Job Training
You don’t need to follow them that far. You certainly can if you want to, but in just these eight short lessons I’ve told you the things you need to know to improve your content.
It’s not enough just to know them, though. You’ve got to put these things into practice. Every week, every time you sit down to write a blog post, keep trying to write a little bit better. Always expect more from yourself.
As you do that, as you constantly stretch to be a better writer, you’ll have slip-ups. You’ll make mistakes. I call that on-the-job training. Learn from what works, and from what doesn’t, and do a little bit better job next time.
Make that your mission, and in no time you’ll find yourself generating top-notch content. And trust me, your readers will notice. They’ll keep coming back for more.
Higher Education
If you’re the academic type, there’s plenty more curriculum out there for you. You can always come visit me at Unstressed Syllables, where my contributing editor Courtney and I teach on these topics seven days a week.
We’re not the last word on writing advice, though. There’s always more to learn. I study the advice at Copyblogger and Men With Pens for better web writing. I study Julie Roads for tighter storyblogging. I study Dave Doolin for clean, technical advice.
Wherever you are, find somebody who knows a little bit more about something you need to improve, and study at their feet. And if you know a site I haven’t mentioned that really helps you write better — whether through their advice or just their example — let us know about it. Share the wealth in the comments below.
Aaron Pogue is the creator of
Unstressed Syllables, a general writing advice
site featuring interesting, useful articles
on topics ranging from business to storytelling.
His decades of experience in creative and
technical writing
makes good writing easy for you.
