You get an idea for a post – it might start out as just a few words, a title, a point or two – but how do you take the idea and mould it into a full post?
In he above video (see a full sized version of it here) I take you through a series of screenshots of a post that I wrote a few days ago on how to be a ruthless blogger and tell you about my posting workflow.
The workflow that I describe isn’t the same for every post that I write (some are obviously a lot less involved – but it does describe the way that I work on most of my feature length posts that you see here on ProBlogger.
I’d love to hear about your own blog posting workflow in comments below.
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Darren:
The video and website are very well done. Thanks.
Hey great video with some great ideas. I use basically the same workflow except I write directly in WordPress’ web interface. What is the best free blog publishing tool? all the poplular ones are for pay…
I really like how you store your posts as text files. This is a much better process than leaving all the posts as draft posts in WordPress. It is very easy to accumulate draft posts that never get published.
Thank You for sharing your process with the rest of us.
Lee Rodrigues
Great video. So clearly explained.
I guess as a member of an ‘older set’ (I am on the wrong side of 40) I get ideas in all places. It could be making dinner, riding my bike to work, in bed etc. places where a PC is not that handy.
That is why I carry a simple notebook and a pen and jot down the ideas that I think can be a good blog post.
Often I then use mind mapping to develop my ideas further.
Great video.
Thanks for sharing the process. I will try to follow those steps.
Great video, I have doing almost them same thing but never put it and the scheme in my head.
This probably make more sense describing it in details
Another great video post, thanks for sharing your tips Darren!
Hi Darren,
You make a good point here. It is a very easy way to create articles and content in general.
I do something very similar and it works like a charm.
Thanks,
^PV Reymond
So that’s how you do it, I’ve always wondered!
And I like your style I think I should spend a bit of time just letting the post rest before publishing, I used to I’ve just let it slip. Sounds like a good time to start again…
Yes, I have learn this the hard way before dude. Thanks for bringing it up again and making other realized that waiting for the egg to be boiled to a certain degree ala your post is a good way for publishing
I think what this post and the responses show is counter to the idea of blogging being somehow less serious, less consequential, less crafted, than other forms of writing and publishing.
Blogging is so influential, and that’s not because it is populist or quick or responsive (although it is all of these things) but ultimately because the writing or videos or images make their points well.
Ourpatch.com.au
Thank you for sharing this video, it is extremely helpful. You made it seem a lot less overwhelming than it seems. I’m just starting out and it is really helpful to have a good workflow to go by.
Lynne
http://workathomecooperative.com
Hello Darren, it proves a point that you can’t be great blogger just by writing. Thinking it through and working on it is the only way to achieve greatness. Thank you for sharing it with us…
I see I’m not the first to recommend OneNote to you. I could not live without it as I use it for homeschooling, making notes on buying a Prius, planning a Disney vacation, etc. It’s perfect for the way my thought processes work…having grown up using actual paper notebooks.
Thanks for the post!
I actually use a very specific process to write my posts that is based on a method known as
Appreciative Inquiry.
I use this process in many areas, including for personal coaching and project or business development. When it came time to start my blog, I adapted the process for developing written pieces. It’s a great way of making my writing process very structured, jogging my imagination, and making sure the post is as comprehensive as I want it to be.
I’d be happy to share more information on the specifics of the process and how I use it to write posts. Might make a nice guest post.
Great ideas … I’ve just been saving post ideas as drafts in WordPress and expanding on them until they are ready to publish, but I like your folder idea better.
Darren,
I started a personal blog just this past September, and posted maybe a couple of times a week as I had a good idea. Unlinke many personal bloggers, I don’t just blog on what’s going on…good or bad. I take events and intentionally put a positive, or humorous spin on them…even if they didn’t start out that way!
Recently, inspired by a growing readership, I committed myself to posting each weekday. This has caused me to work on some type of workflow. I don’t yet have a backlog of posting ideas, as I generally try to write about something that is current. I define current as having happened in my life in the past week. However, since going to an every weekday publishing schedule, I’ve settled on the following mini-process:
1. I write a draft of the post directly in typepad the evening before publishing. I’ll go through and tweak this once or twice prior to going to bed. I’ll also select and edit, if necessary, any photos I might want to include. At this point, I have the post saved as a “draft” which means that it won’t be visible on the site.
2. In the morning, prior to going to my actual job, I review the potential post. Sometimes, I publish as is, but frequently I will modify, find better wording or organization, etc.
3. I’ll actually then publish the post.
4. Now that it is on the site, and coming from my engineering background, I will have my wife “peer review” the posting while I look over her shoulder. It is useful to see the post as published (before readers start arriving) Typepad is hosted, so I don’t have an accurate preview available prior to publishing. Sometimes I’ll notice wording that is poor, or she will get a different meaning from what I was trying to get across and I will adjust slightly.
Since this is a personal blog, that I try to make current, I don’t always get through this process. However, I almost always regret it when I don’t! There are clear quality differences between posts that are carefully (by my blog standards) planned and executed, versus those that I must rush out.
I do plan on keeping an “idea folder.” So far, I have several drafts stored in typepad that may or may not make it all the way to publishing, but I’m no where near 100’s! I also have a number of ideas that I haven’t written down, but should before I lose them.
Forcing myself to a particular publishing schedule has also done wonders for my quality, and I’d recommend this even for casual bloggers like myself.
I’ve been following the tips listed in How to Do Everything With Your Web 2.0 Blog, the ebooks version… they have some helpful ideas, like keeping a “blog jot book” to jot down your clever thoughts (because I’m almost never near a computer when I think of something brilliant).
This is a great post. It is a very nice blog too. I add it to my favorites. Thank you
time for a new video.
A great video that is. About my blog posting there are times when I end up not having any ideas at all, I would browse some mags or books and something might turn up.
As usual a very interesting post. I too have fallen into the trap of blogging in the now, and the concept of having posts queued up ready to publish had not occurred to me.
Thanks for sharing!
A very useful and important post. I am a regular visitor of your site. I will just say you are great!
The ‘polish’ piece is what is slowing me down. I fiddle and twitch and add a word and delete another one. I like your idea of putting an ideas folder on the desk top. Will try that. I use both Zemanta for tags, links & pics and Q-10 for text editing. You can find links to both in my post on rewriting, http://facetothesun.com/2008/10/writing-and-reviews/25-ways-blog-post-rewrite/
Thanks for some great information. Loved the video! G.
This was great. I’m relatively new to blogging and was searching around for places to connect with about my blog on business process management and workflow and saw this video (thank you google).
This is a great process, some pieces of which I’ve started to use before this, but will definitely use the rest of what you have to suggest. You are right that it does take a few days to get a really good post out, I will be re-doubling my efforts to slow down.