The more often you write AND read, the easier it becomes to
WRITE. Keeping a daily journal (less personal than a diary) is a good way to
start the habit. Write about the things you did during the day, about people
you spoke with, and anything significant that happened during the day that
might be memorable. You are writing this journal for yourself, write without
editing, just get those words down. Journal in whichever way is comfortable whether
it’s handwritten in a book or typed into a computer file.
Move on to blogging online frequently and regularly. Get
yourself a blogsite, it’s easy and many domains even provide FREE hosting
sites; here are a few (no endorsements
implied): Blogger.com, WordPress.com, WebsiteBuilder.com, and SiteBuilder.com.
Search online and find several more FREE sites — and many of these free sites
(which remain free) also offer premium services to provide more templates,
support, and other features. Start with a FREE site and make a blogging habit.
Keep your blog themed, uniform, and on a fairly regular
schedule. A blog post should be between 300 to 500 words, too long and single
spaced and you will lose many readers’ interest. Posting graphics help to keep
the post interesting, but make sure you have the right to use the graphic
(search for images that are royalty free). What is your interest and passion?
Do you want to write about current issues (be careful as this can be a very
volatile situation)? Maybe you want to write posts directed at young parents, homeowners,
the disabled, or any number of topics. Edit your posts BEFORE posting as these
will make a lasting impression on your readers.
Establish your brand and post regularly and you will attract
a following. Folks will come to your blog with an expectation and you won’t let
them down. And once you know that you CAN maintain a blog, if you decide you
want to write about another unrelated topic, start a new blog. Remember that it
is more important to maintain ONE good and consistent blog than to create
multiple blogs that you can’t keep up with.
Establish a strong writing habit, you’ll soon find that you
can develop the ability to “write on demand” which will do you well if you
enter into the world of professional writing. Many freelance writers for
newspapers, corporate websites, and magazines write by assignment and with
strict deadlines. Whether it’s a blog, a freelance assignment, or a manuscript
for a book (fiction or not), plan to write at least at a specific time and a
favorite nook; you may find that you are writing more often (that’s good!) but
if you can establish a habit it will take you a long way.
Writing
Exercise: Choose any location that you have personally been at
within the past 24-hours. Write a short two-to-three paragraphs about a
FICTIONAL event that happened in that setting.
Writing
Prompt: Make a list of ten-to-twenty topics that interest you
and stir your creativity. Using this list choose three topics you would want to
write about at least three times a week.
Challenge
Assignment: Choose ONE topic and write five-to-ten blog posts that
are worthy of being posted. Now start your blog and post what you’ve written.
Many blog sites will allow you to schedule your posts.
