Contents:
Finding your topic
“Write what you know” is a cliche for a reason – but let’s expand it to “write what you know and/or are passionate about.” For a blog, one of the most valuable aspects is the personal touch: you are describing your personal experiences or your own take on a particular issue. By focusing on what you are truly into, you can enjoy the process of writing and research, while also inadvertently making your text engaging to the reader.
Tip: Sometimes you can write a blog not only to share an expertise you already have, but to solve your own problem (for example, trying to cook regularly). Through researching and testing life hacks, you can gain firsthand knowledge on the topic.
Brainstorming
If you are interested in too many things or want to narrow down your topic, try brainstorming: just put all your ideas on a piece of paper, whether digital or analog. You can also make a mind map, linking ideas between each other and thus figuring out the exact thing you want to cover in your text.
Image by Peter Olexa from Pixabay
Writing
Begin with a brain dump*: just write whatever comes into your mind on the topic with no censorship whatsoever. Starting a text is arguably the most difficult part of it all, so use this technique to get over that initial hump. The goal is to put everything you know, your own ideas, and facts you’ve researched all on one page. Most of the time, you will have pieced them together one way in your mind, but on paper it will look fragmented and incomprehensible. But once you see it all in one place, you will have the chance to play around with the building blocks of your future text.
*Note: with practice (or with topics closer to your own experiences), you might not need this step, but it’s always handy to keep in your arsenal, especially when you are overwhelmed with everything you want to include in your story.
AI tools can also come in handy when getting over that initial stumbling block. However, this is not the same as asking AI to write the entire text for you and then submitting it as your own work. Instead, you can ask an AI tool to outline the key points about your topic of choice or suggest a structure for your text – and then use it as the basis for your own creative work.
Next, proceed to the first draft. Start with the idea from your brain dump that speaks to you most. Then it’s best to leave the text be for some time – preferably a day or two. The German philosopher Max Weber said that ideas are born in times of rest, not at work, so here, too, you might come up with a better structure, new metaphors to make your point clearer, or just more elegant sentences. After this pause, come back to the text and make your edits. Depending on the amount of time you have, these steps can be repeated multiple times. Be cautious not to let yourself be driven by perfection alone, though. Done is better than perfect, after all.
Image by expresswriters from Pixabay
Tip #1: Creating the right ambiance can be beneficial. As your blog is not a class assignment, you can write it in a coffee shop or a cozy library and embrace your inner Carrie Bradshaw or Dr. Watson.
Tip #2: If you’re struggling with deadlines, announce to your friend that you're writing a blog. Knowing that someone is expecting to read your work can help you stay accountable.
General ideas on making a text coherent:
- One thought, one sentence.
- Start your text with an intro paragraph and end it with a conclusion; check that these correspond to each other. It might be a good idea to write the introduction last or to re-write it once you're done with the rest, as sometimes the text will go in a different direction from what you intended.
- Consider the length of your text: it should be around 800 words, so try to be concise. It is also always an option to split your story into several parts and turn it into an epic adventure tale.
Doing research
Sometimes, your curiosity leads you to topics that you aren’t that well-versed in – then, you need research. Depending on the topic itself, a Wikipedia dive might be enough to get you going. Other times, like when you are covering a scientific problem, you’d have to turn to Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, or PubMed to find information from reputable sources, such as peer-reviewed books or articles.
However, regardless of the sources you decide to use, it is always good practice to credit them. Simply add a link to your source in the relevant paragraph or after a direct quote. Your text will be fact-checked before publication, so make sure to only include information you can verify.
Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay
Images
Typically, a blog should have at least one image, which will go right after the title and introductory paragraph; however, adding more images will help break up the text and provide a bit of stimulation for the reader. Now, there are a couple of routes you can take to get them:
- Take them yourself. Importantly, if there are other people in this picture, make sure to ask them in advance if they are okay with their picture being posted online.
- Ask someone you know to take pictures and secure their permission for you to post them.
- Find royalty-free pictures online. A great place for those are sites like Unsplash or Pixabay. If you want to include a picture of a particular monument or site, you can find such images on Wikimedia.
With every picture, make sure to provide the necessary information about its source (such as the name of the author or the link to the original copy) so that it can be correctly credited.
Conclusion
Remember that writing can be an enjoyable and even therapeutic experience, so try not to worry too much about the process. The tips above are meant to be your help along the way – and we do hope to see your blog among others published on ITMO.NEWS. If you want to contribute, just fill out this form and we will reach out.
