More Blog Reviews!!

More Blog Reviews

by Hilde Garcia

Well, I could blame it on the dog and how he ate my blog post. 

I could blame it on the computer not cooperating.

But I think I will blame it on my 6^th graders. 

I went to Catalina on a 3-day field trip with 50 6^th graders. I kayaked, snorkled, hiked, rock climbed, and a bunch of other things that my body doesn’t want to mention. And while I might think I am 12… my body disagrees.

It took a couple of days to recover and of course, I roll into school today tired, but happy, but without a post.  I went to be at 6pm last night and feel like Rip Van Winkle today.

So a bit late, but here is my second review from the first ten sites that talked about HOW TO WRITE A BLOG POST.  

These are sites 4, 5 and 6. And they are so great.  I really enjoyed reviewing them.

Happy Reading!

101 Fabulous Blog Topic Ideas | Molly Greene: Writer

http://www.molly-greene.com/101-blog-topic-ideas/

101 Fabulous Blog Topic Ideas

I started off the year all gung-ho and self-righteous that I had a solid editorial plan and a never-ending list of blog post ideas I could ride through winter and beyond. But like many bloggers, I hit a wall. Ooops. My topics were boring. The content I’d planned lacked sparkle. I was tired, stuck, burned-out. I needed an infusion of creative ideas that would get my blogatude back on track. So I wrote this list of possibilities for myself, and I’m sharing them with you.

Here are six basic types of posts you can write, plus 101 blog post ideas and prompts. I threw in a few links to other resources in case you want more.

“Best of the web” posts

Essays – personal

General interest posts

How-to posts

Ideas for how-to posts:
Interviews and profiles

Ideas for interviews:

Lists

Opinions, rebuttals, trends, debates, and predictions

Ideas for opinion and predictions pieces:

Recap posts

Reviews

Media-related posts

And on her site, each one of these topics has at least 10 examples each!

NEXT UP:

How to Write a Blog Post Outline: A Simple Formula to Follow by Ginny Soskey

http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-to-write-blog-post-outline

What makes a blog post bad?

There are lots of reasons a blog post could be less-than-perfect. Poor formatting. Poor grammar. Poor word choice. Poor shareability. 

The most pervasive problem? 

Poor flow. The post jumps from one idea to the next to the next and then circles around again for a split second to the first idea, then back to the fourth, and so on. Or the post reads like a stream of consciousness -- but it wasn't a stylistic choice. 

Luckily, you have a simple solution. Before diving headfirst into writing your post, you can create an outline.

I'm not talking about jotting down a few quick bullet points -- even experienced writers can go astray with just a few talking points. I'm talking a fully fleshed-out outline with enough details that make it virtually impossible for your writing to go off the deep end. And it's pretty easy to do.

1) Nail your working title.

2) Write down as many distinct takeaways from the article as you can.

3) Break up those takeaways into larger sections.

4) Add more takeaways to some sections. 

5) Revise, remove, and reorganize details in each section.

6) Include links to your examples and/or data.

7) If any details come to you that you don't want to forget, add them in. 

How to write blog posts faster with an outline – Simple Writing by Leah McClellan 

http://simplewriting.org/use-an-outline/

You’re beating your head against a wall. Staring at a blank screen. You need to write a blog post fast, and it’s got to be good.

You google “writers block” and hope to find a solution. If you had all day or all weekend to write, you know you’d come up with something. You always do.

But this time, you only have a few hours, and you can’t think of anything. Maybe you’ll just skip it. Who’s going to notice?

Stop. Right. There. If you’ve been posting regularly, your readers are going to notice. Even if they don’t, you will. And one of the most critical keys to a writer’s success is following good writing habits—and sticking with them.

Plus, the problem isn’t the vague, catch-all excuse called writer’s block. The problem is that you don’t have a system in place you can rely on.

Using a standard outline based on a 5-part essay can be a lifesaver.

With an outline, you can go from blank screen to polished post in a few hours or less, depending on the length and complexity.

No matter what kind of blog post you’re writing, though, or how much time you take, using an outline can reduce time, stress, and worry. Plus it keeps you organized and on track, especially if you’re writing something long and involved.

Ready, set, go!

1. Pick a topic

2. Create a working headline

3. Brainstorm, choose, and develop at least 2-3 main points

4. Write an introduction

5. Write a conclusion or call to action

6. Edit, revise, and proofread

7. Post it!

Great sites. Definitely visit all three!