Today freelance writer Jenny Cromie shares 5 areas in which blogging can help you to improve your writing.
Several years back, a friend of mine started a blog and e-mailed the link to me and a bunch of her other friends. I didn’t *get* her blog or anyone else’s. In fact at the time, I thought most blogs were self-indulgent, boring, and poorly written. And as someone who puts a high premium on privacy, I couldn’t get past the idea that my friend was willingly broadcasting intimate details about her life into cyberspace. It was as mystifying to me as the people who go on the Jerry Springer Show and spill all.
Another turnoff was the fact that every blog I encountered seemed like the electronic version of a hard copy diary that should have remained tucked away in a box in the back of an out-of-the-way closet—embarrassing content, poor writing, and all. Why were people spending all kinds of time writing online drivel that no one really cared about? And furthermore, why were people spending all that time writing blog posts that they’d never even get paid for?
I could only come up with one explanation. In my mind, blogging was just a socially acceptable way for bad, wannabe writers to go mainstream with their poorly written rants and diatribes about things that made no difference to anyone else but the writer, a handful of family members, and other poor captive souls who loved the bloggers enough to read all their bad prose. In fact, if someone mentioned that they had a blog, my mind would click into sleep mode like my MacBook does after 10 minutes of inactivity. I’d think: Oh, one of those self-indulgent wannabe writer types. Where’s the nearest exit?
In short, blogging just seemed like a waste of time and effort. And I guess I had a snobbish writer attitude too—the idea that real writers didn’t need to blog because their writing was good enough to get published through more legitimate, mainstream ways. In my mind, push-button publishing was for the wannabes, not the real McCoys.
Fast-forward a few years. Now, everyone who is someone seems to have a blog these days. And if you’re a freelancer and you don’t have a blog, people sometimes wonder how you can bill yourself as a professional writer. Blogs aren’t just popular among individuals anymore either. Big companies have blogs. Mothers with babies have blogs. Teenagers with pimples and braces have blogs. And I wouldn’t be surprised to find out if some dogs have blogs too.
So this past year, I finally succumbed to this thing called blogging. I decided that since I was billing myself as a serious writer and freelancer, I needed to join the blogosphere. I started writing my own blog about freelance writing. And then one thing led to another and I eventually became the editor of The Golden Pencil, a b5media blog about freelance writing and how to build a successful freelance business.
The transformation from non-blogger to full-fledged blogging enthusiast was short—less than a year, in fact.
Now, I wonder what took me so long. I write a lot of things on a daily basis, but it’s the blogging that I enjoy most. That said, I’m not getting rich or pulling in six figures (yet anyway). But I’ve learned a few great things along the way.
My most surprising discovery? Blogging has made me a better writer. It has helped me:
1. Discover my voice
I know this sounds odd coming from someone who has written for most of her life, but you have to understand that up until this blogging thing, most of my writing was been functional. What I mean is that I write business and HR stories for various online and print publications. Throughout my career, I’ve also written newspaper articles, technical training manuals, employee handbooks, policies and procedures, press releases, and marketing materials. But what I stopped writing a long time ago was anything in my own “voice.” Blogging has helped me find that voice again, the one that got lost in between all the same assignments, projects, and stories that have thankfully paid the bills and kept the lights on month after month. See, when you blog, you’re writing about a particular topic, armed with all the facts that you’d be including in a typical news story. But I’ve learned that good blogging also means that you toss in your own observations, experiences, feelings, and unique perspectives. You create dialogues with your readers and make the consumption of information more personal—something that often makes what you have to say more relevant to the reader than just a straight here’s-the-facts-and-nothing-more news story. And I’m happy to report that since discovering my writing voice, I’ve also started to write other things. Things like that novel that I’ve continued to transfer from one New Year’s resolution list to the next for the past several years. More importantly, I’m starting to write for the pure joy of writing again—something I attribute largely to blogging.
2. Connect with readers
If you’re like me, sometimes you write stories and you think,“Gee, I wonder if this is going to help anyone?” And one of the main reasons I started writing for a living was because I wanted to help other people. I love writing service-oriented articles that help readers. But the problem is, if you write straight news stories, magazine articles, or service-oriented pieces for online outlets, you sometimes never find out whether you’ve really helped anyone or not. But for me, one of the most satisfying and gratifying parts about blogging is having the opportunity to find out when I’ve really helped someone. I love it when I write a post and then later find comments from readers who tell me that they’ve learned something or that I’ve helped them in some way. I really enjoy it when a dialogue starts between my readers and I. And it’s that potential for dialogue with readers that distinguishes blogging from any other type of writing.
3. Get feedback
I just wrote a big piece for a business trade publication, and while the magazine has a large circulation, I won’t ever know what readers thought of the article or whether it helped them or not. Like most freelancers, I like to get feedback every once in awhile. And I have to say there’s nothing more gratifying to me than getting a “Good job” “Funny article!” or “Great read!” from the people who matter most—my readers. I remember after my second or third post over on The Golden Pencil, I received a nice compliment from one of my readers. It was completely unexpected, it came at the right time, and it literally made my day.
4. Get disciplined
Blogging is a commitment, and the daily discipline of posting every day during the week over on The Golden Pencil has really helped my writing. Granted, I was writing every day before that. But blogging is much different than simply reporting on a story—it’s a more creative process. And what I’ve learned or relearned through the daily discipline of writing blog posts is that inspiration doesn’t always precede good writing. To be honest, some days I don’t feel very inspired at all when I first start writing a post. But I know that I am accountable to my readers who depend on me for fresh content every day during the week. And regardless of how sluggish I feel some mornings, inspiration always seems to meet me somewhere in the middle as my writing picks up momentum. So here’s the lesson: if you’re a professional writer or full-time freelancer you can’t afford to wait for inspiration to show up before you start writing. Otherwise, you’ll go broke. And speaking for this writer, blogging helps me make creative writing a part of my daily schedule.
5. Write faster
Many times, I write my blog posts a day or two in advance. But there are some mornings when I don’t have anything in the hopper and I have to start from scratch after fueling up with a triple expresso skim milk latté. And while no one on b5media tells me when or how often to post, I impose a daily deadline on myself. I’ve missed the mark a couple times, but I try to have a new post up by noon Eastern Standard Time every day during the workweek—no matter what else is on my schedule. My blog posts vary in length, but generally I write between 750 and 1,500 words per post. So that usually means there’s no time for slow thinking or writing. It’s amazing how much your writing process speeds up when it has to! And as someone who can sometimes get stuck in that perfectionism trap, the need for speed helps silence my inner editor so that my cursor continues to move forward instead of the write-four-words-delete-three problem that sometimes crops up.
So how have you improved your writing through blogging? Comment below or drop by The Golden Pencil and tell me all about it!
Written by Jenny Cromie, a full-time HR/business freelance writer, editor, Twitter convert, and recent author of “8 Sure-Fire Ways To Tick Off the Twitterverse” on TwiTip. Jenny also is editor of The Golden Pencil, a b5media blog about freelance writing and how to build a successful freelance writing business. Please feel free to say hello on Twitter too: @JennyCromie.
I’ve been blogging and writing for about 7 years online. I write probably 5000 words a day, sometimes well over 10K.
I can tell you from experience this post is accurate.
Your speed increases, you learn to structure your thoughts almost automatically; ideas spawn more ideas.
I have nine different blogs I write for each day, as well as several book projects, my own magazine and a family blog.
Writing is like lifting weights. The more you do it, the stronger you get, and the more proficient you become. I teach this constantly to my own readers.
http://www.brentriggs.com
http://www.seriousfaith.com
http://www.seriouslifemagazine.com
Just to name a few so you know I’m not lying (or spamming)….
Brent Riggs
Don’t take this as criticism, it’s not. Just observation. While reading this post, I kept waiting for the apology to the bloggers you looked down upon for so many years, but it never came. Just struck me as odd, but then again, it’s early and I’ve not had enough caffeine yet. :) Glad you eventually saw the light.
Another big advantage is that depending on your subject matter, you end up looking for post material in everyday life. Thus, for the creative folks, they end up seeing events in the day as art, literary moments, or just worthy of reflection.
Blogging can help one find magic in the day.
Enjoyed this post.
You are correct, some dogs have blogs.
Actually written by my sister, but in dog voice. I think she does it like people talk baby talk when they have young children.
However you look at it, a nice way to hear news from her that I would not normally get.
I know many writers say you need to write to become a better writer and they’re right. However, you can’t just right anything. You have to pay attention to what your writing and seek ways to improve it (go buy yourself a Elements of Style by Strunk and White).
Now here are two ways you can improve your writing for blogs:
– Copyblogger.com
– DailyWritingTips.com
All you need to do is read them daily and apply what you’ve learned.
Very informative post. I share a lot of your thoughts. Looking forward to your updates on twitter and dialoging about writing. I just started freelancing a year ago, have much to learn and am thrilled to have finally found my calling. I learned through NaNoWriMo this year, that you can’t wait until your inspired to write. The actual act of writing brings the most inspiration for me.
Exactly! Exactly what you wrote. Also have the same experience as ChasingSanity.
I started in earnest end of April 2008. Blogging for me as a writer has had the kind of effect that going to ToastMasters must have on people who want to speak publically. Stepping from the audience to a participant.
Photoblogging has really brought the magic and excitement into my daily moments – just as Chasing Sanity writes – seeing the ordinary as extraordinary. My eyes scan everywhere and revel in angles of light and fresh sights.
I’ll check you both out on Twitter! Cheers!
Great List & Oh So True…These things were all originally pain in the assets & they are now all tremendous assets. :-)
As a journalist and an author I agree with all of this. Blogging is a blessed relief from having to produce copy to someone else’s brief. I like to think of it (and this is no disrespect to my fellow bloggers) as a warm-up routine like pre-exercise stretches. I blog before I write anything else to loosen myself up.
I work on 3 different blogs, two of them bill-paying ventures, and it always surprised me how much my ability to schedule my personal life melds directly into my work. For me, the problem of working on my own schedule for a place online is making personal, non-writing time that doesn’t leave me feeling guilty about not working.
Either way, Jenny and her Twitter are awesome.
-@Da7e
With the way so many devolved into leet with the introduction of instant messaging and mobile text, blogging has gone a long way to restoring our ability to use complete words instead of abbreviations. I, for one, breath many sighs of relief for that fact alone. ;-)
But, there are so many ways writing has improved thanks to blogging. This list shows a vital five. The most significant I’ve found with my own writing is a building of confidence. These days, I find it much easier to share my writing with others and to accept their feedback.
I wonder in what other ways we, as bloggers, will grow in the coming years.
Honestly I am amazed, your writing is not a blog posts it’s more like a report or scientific article.
for me only linking to your posts from my blog will be a huge profit.
you know that not every one can write like you do, but every one want to be noticed by their blogs
On the money post here. Thanks :)
Having been there at the beginning, and even participating as early as ten years ago, it wasn’t called blogging back then. It was referred to as online journalling or diaries. Given that perspective, then yes – it *was* more introspective and personally based. People used it as a means of personal expression.
But there were some damn good writers back then with large audiences. They were “real” writers who paved the way for blogging as we know it now. Without them, we would not have the audience or even the platforms to make blogging easy, welcome and profitable.
Back then, early attempts to monetize, or even get paid (lots of book deals were in the works) were seen as weakening the craft of writing.
The earliest sites were hand-coded static HTML pages, a far cry from the 5-minute software installs or the quick signups to free blogging sites and push-button publishing.
Since then, some really excellent voices have been lost or even drowned in the sea of new terminology. We shouldn’t be looking down on their early work.
A lot of these same ideas are in this video from Merlin Mann about “How to Blog,” including his one slide, 30-second summary of how to be a great blogger:
Find your obsession.
Every day, explain it to one person you respect.
Edit everything, skip shortcuts, and try not to be a dick.
Get better.
Watch it here: http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/50022261/how-to-blog
I can really agree with this. When I firsst started blogging I definitely had a problem with being consistent and regular. And I also had a problem with producing captivating writing. But I do now really feel like blogging has made me a better writer (in the genre).
@Andrea – I too was around when it was in the infant state – and yes, hand-coding journal entries was not fun compaired to today – I don’t think the message of this particular post is looking down upon the writers of the past.
I think it was a personal journey that the author made, realizing the errors of his ways.
If anyone writes every day of course they are going to become a better writer. It’s like being an athlete in training. The more you practice the fitter you become!
Very enjoyable post!
Good tips for all bloggers and those who want’s to be :)
Writing also impoves with frequency. Blogging lead to a lot of individuals writing on a daily basis. Many of those bloggers wouldn’t be writing the same volume with a blog.
The Elements of Style is a great resource to have for writers. It’s short and clear.
I have a blog (not the one I’m linking, which is strictly self-indulgent) that has yet to take flight (just 4 posts in the past year). The worst part is- it’s already getting a lot of hits because it’s a largely untapped niche (particularly by anyone with basic SEO knowledge). But I hold myself back due to lack of perfection or extreme inspiration. So it’s a great relief to hear a pro say that “inspiration doesn’t always precede good writing”. I guess it’s important to remember that helpful info is helpful all on its own, even without profoundness or perfection.
Thanks for the reminder. I’m committing to start this week :)
Great thoughts Jenny. Being one of those millions of people who just kind of started a blog when I don’t even like writing I can understand how a legit writer might frown on it. But I have to say that it has improved my writing so much. I’ve been blogging for about 8months and I won’t even look at my posts from over 4months ago.
Thank you. Hope I can become a better writer, although I only do this in spare time.
I started a blog recently and I continue to think that with over 108 million blogs, who wants to read another person’s account of their everyday life or even mundane/random thoughts.
Not being a professional writer does make it very hard to write a post everyday and that too to make it interesting enough to bring readers back. I guess its one of the reasons that my posts are so sporadic.
Reading commentaries on blogging and blogging tips does reiterate the fact that writing is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration. I guess that at some point you have to stop reading about how to write and start writing.
This is a great pro-blogging piece. I have gotten good at defending myself as a blogger, but it’s not pleasurable when journalists, or loyalists to print media downplay blogging. Being “with it” means you get it and realize that blogging is in many forms, the future of expression and transferring of knowledge.
“Discover My Voice” That’s the perfect word – Discover. I do not know where it came from, but after writing for a while I discovered that I had a writing voice.
I wonder if it is something that you are born with, or if it developes and changes during younger years in school.
It must be something ingrained because it is so hard to change the writers voice.
I totally agree with everything you’re saying, but sometimes it’s like I’ve gotten on a treadmill that won’t ever turn off. You have to always be running and even when I want to step off for a while to write for other things (like fiction), I feel drawn back….
Oh well. It’s my curse, my blessing…
Just kidding!
I can definitely relate to number one. I have only been blogging since the summer and I can see how my posts have evolved in that time.
Since I am not a professional writer, I was resistant to start blogging and thought WHO would want to read what a non-professional writes, but I learned there is an audience for everyone.
Blogging has definitely improved my writing.
I enjoyed your article… but I do not feel a blogger needs to post every day. I wrote a whole article, recently, on Write to Done (the 2nd to most recent one), covering why I think posting less frequently can actually increase your blog’s popularity.
The whole notion of it being important to post every day — simply has never resonated with me.
And well, it’s just my opinion of course. And every blogger needs to do what works for them.
Enjoyed the article.
This is great as far as it goes, but you missed one of the most crucial: sheer volume. Like most skills, writing improves with practice. If you’re writing prose or fiction, that means tens of thousands of words worth of practice. (Poetry, being tighter, goes faster; you can count it by the individual poem or page. A hundred or so will give you a noticable boost.) Blogging is one of the more comfortable and achievable ways to rack up a high word count, because it comes in little chunks, unlike a novel or nonfiction book which you have to break down into managable chunks.
I started out like you. While I wasn’t a snob, I was private, and never thought I’d write a blog. Then five years ago, I began my blog. I’ve kept it up ever since, adding six more! Like you, I have found much benefit in doing so, the most important being finding my voice. I’ve also benefited in improving my writing, most specifically in learning how to clarify what I want to say.
Thanks for a great post, and I’m hoping that those who don’t believe in blogging will read this post. I know of a professor who is a freelance writer. I met him at a writing workshop recently. He was quite a snob and said he didn’t like blogging for all the reasons you stated above. Furthermore, he stated, he was against all blogging, because he stated it was nothing more than a writer’s “stream of consciousness.” How ridiculous, to think we all write stream of consciousness! Thanks again for the post, Jenny!
krissy knox :)
http://www.twitter.com/iamkrissy
I think visitor feedback is the most important part. It shows if you help them with your information or they the think that you waste their time.
Great post. This is completely true. I’ve only been blogging for a few weeks and I’ve noticed thoughts come to my head faster.
I’ve noticed in a few blogs, John Chow and Shoemoney for instance, when they first started their writing abilities weren’t so great but over time they’ve improved.
Thanks for the post! Good information :)
Great Post. I love it
thank you very much, i will keep your advices… nice post
I resisted writing a blog for years – concerned about the time I would need to invest each week. Six months ago I decided to dive in and start writing and am so glad I did. As you mention, it’s helping me to find my voice and become more disciplined in my writing.
There’s a lot of competition in the blogosphere now, but if there are more people writing blogs, there are also more people reading blogs.
I enjoyed reading this post and the many comments.
The process of blogging sure can lead you toward a more structured lifestyle. Blogs tend to be structured, and so we absorb some of the characteristics we try to place on our own blogs, and then end up expressing them in other aspects of our character as well. Discovering your voice is a nifty extra benefit, as you end up visibly seeing how your communications are sent and perceived.
I started blogging to be able to share some of my creative endeavors and pictures with family, but it has evolved into something else entirely. I still do what I set out to do, but what has surprised me is that I really enjoy the writing aspect and my voice just naturally comes out in my writing. It has made me consider that I might be able to do something more with my writing.
I can relate with your preconceived ideas about blogging. It’s funny when I mention my blog to other people, and I can tell by their reaction that that is how they perceive blogs as well.
You hit the nail right on the head with this one!
One of the things I struggle with though is the advice given by many about choosing a niche. I’ve read countless times that to successfully blog you should pick a niche that you’re most passionate about. I understand how this makes sense in terms of marketability and attracting users with common interest to generate traffic. But, I just think that the voice is more important than the niche.
Gary Vaynerchuk, Seth Godin, Dooce, and many others started off with a niche and now cover a whole number of topics. It just makes me wonder if it’s the niche or the voice that is the key behind a successful blog.
Great article! I recently started a blog due to your suggestions on The Golden Pencil, and I love it! I am one of those wanna be writers, but having somewhere to post has already helped me improve. It’s crazy. Friends actually read it (because I promote new posts on Twitter and Facebook) and say they liked certain posts when I see them out.
I quite agree with chasingsanity above, i think blogging has helped me look at things that happen and such in my daily life, for posting ideas. I also find myself reading more books looking for inspiration on idea’s for blogging posts as well.
Besides the above two i started keeping an idea journal sort of book where i may note even just one point on a topic, but it means i have something to flip through when i need an idea for a post rather then trying to push my brain to remember everything that i have thought of over the last couple of weeks.
Six months in with blogging, and I’m already beginning to realize some of the benefits you mention here.
Thanks for an encouraging post
I am desperate to become a blogger and i have absolutely no experience. I read most of the posts and need to contribute. Please help me.
Thanks everyone for all your thoughts and nice feedback! As I mentioned in my post, one of the most rewarding parts about blogging for me is the dialogue with readers. Case in point: all these thoughtful comments.
And Elizabeth Barrette—I completely agree with you about the volume. I left that one off, but you’re absolutely right. It was an epiphany for me recently when I realized that if I simply wrote the same number of words that I write on my blog five days a week (about 1,500 words/day), I’d have 67,500 words written by the end of three months. About the length of a novella.
Also as a few of you mention above, practice really does take you further along the path to perfection—or at least something better. Like anything else, writing tends to get better with regular, disciplined practice.
After quite a long time I’ve read a post from top to bottom. I’ve enjoyed the most of this.
Thanks for this very inspiration post.
worthy tips for beginner blogger. I think “get disciplined” is the hardest point to do
I’ve found this to be a truth, especially for current students. Being in high school, I’ve found it easier to write papers and busy work. In our school’s National History Day competition, 3 bloggers from my blog made the finals.
It really is amazing that when blogging, you often realize that it’s easier to think of topics than would would think. The number one complaint I hear from clients is that they just have no idea what to write about… all the while there are breaking industry news stories going on within their niche everyday.
Writing isn’t my first creative outlet, however blogging my creations inspires me to create more, so that I can blog more. Last year I went through a major time crunch due to university– my blogging was the first to go and my creativity spiraled into a mushy pile of noncreativity (of course, writing research reports and thesis papers to the point of exhaustion also tends to squash original thoughts.)
I really felt like a blog-less zombie.
I’ve picked up blogging again, not as consistently as before and now I feel as if my creative juices are ripe for the squeezing.