Since starting writing this blog last year I have naturally developed a very specific writing method. Here are the various stages that I go through.
The idea
It all starts with an idea. Usually my posts are based around the experiences I have had over the previous week or month. I like to write posts which are reflective of my current work and thinking which will still be relevant in years to come e.g. Improving your web apps personality with a language file.
I keep a list of potential future blog post ideas but often these become stale. I feel at my best when I have a spark and run with it.
The post setup
I create a new Google Document and assign it a working title. This post was assigned ‘My blog writing process’. I like Google documents as it ensures my writing is backed up and safe whilst providing enough features for the task at hand.
I write the following headings in bold with spaces in between them:
- What am I trying to say?
- Actual post
- Potential titles
- Unused
- References
I then proceed to fill in the gaps.
What am I trying to say? (Aka the plan)
An example plan
I tend to either find it too hard or too easy to start. Both lead to problems. A quick bullet point list of the main points I am trying to make helps create a focused piece of prose and gets me over the initial ‘pen to paper’ hurdle. I also find my short ‘plan’ is useful when editing, ensuring I haven’t strayed from my initial point; on a couple of occasions it has helped me split one long rambling post into two short focused ones.
References
My posts usually involve some research. I often include quotes to add visual interest (more on this later) and I link out to detailed information. I copy the URLs and potential quotas under this heading, to use later on.
Actual post
“Write your first draft with your heart. Re-write with your head.”
- From the movie Finding Forrester
Has the word processor made writing easier?
This is where I start writing. I find I don’t write the post from start to finish, but instead write the various paragraphs as they come into my head. Sometimes I write a sentence or paragraph that reads and conveys a strong message, but doesn’t seem to fit anywhere. Instead of deleting it I cut and paste it under the ‘Unused copy’ heading. Sometimes I find a place for it later. Usually it won’t make it in. Importantly moving instead of deleting gives me this option.
This process feels like a programmers way to write. Move text around, shortening, commenting out, and trying different paragraphs together. A process of re-factoring.
I try to stick to my original ‘plan’ but find that writing unearths new insights and ideas. For me writing has become a learning process. A tool to order my thoughts. I often find several potential titles pop into my head during the process, which I will place under the ‘Potential titles’ heading.
The editing process
“There is no great writing, only great rewriting.”
-Louis Brandeis
“The letter I have written today is longer than usual because I lacked the time to make it shorter.”
– Blaise Pascal
There is some great information about editing.
For me the key is reducing the fluff. We are almost always too wordy. Every sentence should say no more than is necessary. Every word should fight to stay. Every sentence should be necessary. Don’t be afraid to knock out a sentence or paragraph if it isn’t adding anything.
Editing is a real skill, which up until recently I didn’t fully appreciate. As within anything, practice leads towards perfection.
This is also the time to check for spelling and grammatical mistakes.
Into WordPress we go..
When I have a post I am happy with, I copy and paste the ‘Actual post’ into my blogging engine of choice, WordPress. I like to think of this step as prepping the text for the web. I add the block quotes to make my referenced text stand out, add in the links, and make the headings bold. I also link back to previous posts I have made to prevent re-iterating myself and to provide my user with a more fluid browsing experience.
Optimising for the web
“Writing for the web is not the same as writing for print.”
- LSE article on Writing for web
The web is not print. People use and interact with it differently. Web readers rarely read word by word; they scan for headings and keywords. So we need to account for this by adding some visual interest to break up long unwieldy text. A few simple techniques:
- Shorten paragraphs – split one paragraph into two if necessary
- Add headings
- Highlight keywords – This is a new additional to my styling method which I saw used extensively by Derek Sivers. I like the way that it drags the eye into paragraphs and breaks up chunks of dense text.
- Use lists
- Add images – The images don’t actually need to be completely relevant. An image of someone in a hammock when talking about motivation instantly makes your posts more inviting. Including a short informative or questioning caption adds another level of interest.
Read it out loud
“Reading a piece out loud helps you to identify clunky, awkward passages that seem to make sense to the eye, especially to the author’s eye.”
- Lifehack.org
This is my final editing step that I have to force myself to do. It feels silly but really helps you see your writing from a different perspective.
Choose a final title
After approving the final version I pick a title that best reflects the overall feel of the post. I prefer using interesting fun titlesinstead of purely descriptive ones. However perhaps this isn’t the best route for SEO. A good compromise is mixing the two to create a title like Show your web app some affection – the KISS principle
Leave it to settle
Thinking of your post like a printed document encourages proof reading.
The web has given us the ability to edit a text after it is published but does this mean we should?
Is an edited document still valid? Clearly it is no longer the same document. If someone wants to reference or quote it they are pointing to a moving target.
From a technical standpoint a title change will send a duplicate post to RSS readers and your twitter post will contain the wrong title. You could delete the Tweet and Tweet the new title, but your followers will then receive a duplicate link in their timelines.
Learning from my errors I have come to the conclusion that a blog post should be like a newspaper story. If there are errors or changes, a note should be appended to explain any changes that were made.
Publish it
Finally I am ready to go live to the world.
