Writing For Their Blog Bewilders Some

In March, I publish an article that has relevance. It was titled, “The Art of Writing for Blogs”. If you missed it and now wish to read it, you may Post-hop by clicking the button below to peruse it.

However, I was on copy in Windy’s email to another Blogger. Windy added some interesting details which I would like to share with you.

Here it is:

Good Sunday Afternoon!

I read your comment and Lainy’s reply to you at the Post titled, “What Makes a Blog More Sought After“.

Perhaps this may be of some assistance to you and I hope you will find something in it that you will be able to find useful.

Basically, you have the same common problem that challenges the majority who find it difficult to put down their thoughts in writing.

Now, before I begin, I must clarify that there are different conditions and that these warrant different styles of writing presentation. Such as,  if one is an Academic or a Researcher or a Journalist or an Author of novels. Each of these have what one may call a specialized manner in which they present their writings. It has to suit the profession.

So, for Bloggers, their manner of written presentation is somewhere in between that of a Journalist and an Author of novels. That kind of written presentation suits the format of blogs.

Now I shall begin. Fasten your seat belt. This is going to be a long ride. LOL

Anything that you intend to write MUST have an Introduction, the Body and a Conclusion. This keeps you on track with what you are about to write and prevent you from straying from the main subject matter.

1. The Introduction should at the most be no more than two paragraphs; best if you keep it to just one paragraph.
2. The Body can be as many paragraphs as you wish it to be. Importantly, each paragraph should contain not more than one specific thought that you are relating. This makes it easier for the reader to follow your thought progress.
3. If there are a series of paragraphs, it is also good to group them into a subtitle. When you subtitle the group of paragraphs, it is a neat way to organize your writing and it also improves the understanding of the reader who can see how you are moving logically from one part of the essay to the next part. (I will show you an example of this after I have completed explaining all this.)
4. The Conclusion should be short and sweet. Not more than two to three sentences. It gives a sharp and sweet sting right at the end. The Conclusion must emphasize either the Title of your essay or confirm what was said in your Introduction.

Here is an example how  it would look like,  let’s say if i were to write something About Cats.

Title: About Cats

1. Introduction

Cats have four legs, one tail and come in all shapes and sizes.

2. Body

Cats make good domestic pets (as sub title)

This is something commonly found in any part of the World. Cats are easily domesticated animals. They are timid unless provoked and can be very lovable and loyal pets. Children find cats so amusing that they often pull them by their fur or tail.

Blah blah – paragraph

Blah blah – paragraph

Selecting a cat for a pet (as sub title)

Blah blah blah – paragraph

Blah blah blah – paragraph

Blah blah blah – paragraph

Do cats talk? (as sub title)

Blah blah blah – paragraph

Blah blah blah – paragraph

Symptoms that your cat is sick (as sub title)

Blah blah blah – paragraph

Blah blah blah – paragraph

Blah blah blah – paragraph

3. Conclusion

I read that cats are love on four legs. How so true!

As you can see from the above example, that is how a Blog article should more or less be presented. It makes it easy on the reader’s eye to get an overview of what the entire passage is about.

Making it easy for the reader is of paramount importance because you write not for yourself but you write as the medium to reach out to the readership of others. Readers therefore become your “customers”. And it is to the best of your blog’s benefit so that your reading “customers” will find it simple and easy to read what your write.

What about personal expression?

This depends on your choice of words and how you construct your sentences.

If you were writing about how you were robbed on the street, you would not write as though you are taking a sight seeing tour of the Niagara Falls. The sentences would be short and choppy to reflect as though you are short of breath from the fright of it all. The words you would use would be hesitant, staccato, arousing shock, pain, etc.,

But what ever it is, it must be expressed in the way you would have related it as if you were speaking to someone about it. That would reflect your personality. If you wrote it like the person who writes scripts for the TV Program “the X Files”, that wouldn’t reflect you.

How about being Grammatically Correct?

First, you can’t always be grammatically correct. How people write it in America and how the British write it have strange differences and it is not that either the American or the British is incorrect.

People in places where Pidgin English is the lingua franca, they would say that both Americans and the British are stupid. Why the need for so many rules, the need to worry about grammar and miss delivering what is essential? There will always be those who pursue perfection to idiomatic ridicule as in remembering to dot the i’s and cross the t’s.

Give yourself time and you will progressively understand what rules apply and what rules do not apply. English is a very flexible language.

Listen to a Chinese speak or write English and you would know what I mean. As a Chinese is often heard to say or write in this manner,

“You have a big, big house with a long, long road leading to it from the front gate”

The Chinese is absolutely comfortable with repetition although it is rejected as redundancy by English grammar.

Do the Visayans give a damn if Windy understands what they are talking or writing in English? They don’t. They are comfortable with their English standard and they say, “to hell with the rest of you English expert b**t**ds”.

This is in addition to all that Lainy replied to you at your Comment.

Cheers for now,

Windy