I suck at writting.. Any good tips?

Discussion in 'Blogging' started by ahmadfarhan, Jun 16, 2008.

  1. #1
    I suck at writting..
    I try to write consistently and I usually have ideas about what to write.. But somehow the blog post always stuck halfway through... The whole post seems long winded.. unstructure and bad overall..

    Do you guys have any tips for a fellow blogger... Any good site to sharpen my writting skills? books? classes?
     
    ahmadfarhan, Jun 16, 2008 IP
  2. Will.Spencer

    Will.Spencer NetBuilder

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    #2
    For that specific issue, you might try creating bullet points or a full outline before you start writing.

    Well, that or Adderall. :D
     
    Will.Spencer, Jun 16, 2008 IP
  3. pipes

    pipes Prominent Member

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    #3
    Setup google alerts based on your niche and visit forums on your niche, doing this you will see what questions people are asking in your niche.

    Then write posts answering those questions if you can.
     
    pipes, Jun 16, 2008 IP
  4. altyfc

    altyfc Peon

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    #4
    Did you mean "writing"...? ;)
     
    altyfc, Jun 16, 2008 IP
  5. allout

    allout Prominent Member

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    #5
    Write about something you know or have a passion for. Writing flows easier when you are writing about something you know.

    Use a good word processor to catch the grammar and spelling errors. Even if your ideas are good, readers hate too many mistakes. Also visit your local library and get some books on writing and try to fine tune your skills.
     
    allout, Jun 16, 2008 IP
  6. shermancox

    shermancox Peon

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    #6
    well...I always have a goal of never having a post more than 500 words...usually like to hit between 250 and 500 words...sometimes I miss it, but forcing yourself to use a small number of words will force you to say what you are to say very quickly....

    So have one main point for the post...say it in a small number of words...go on to the next point to post on your blog tomorrow....
     
    shermancox, Jun 16, 2008 IP
  7. judee

    judee Greenhorn

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    #7
    Read Always! In this way, you could get some writing style. You don't need to imitate others' style. You could just get an idea by reading.
     
    judee, Jun 16, 2008 IP
  8. yogesh sarkar

    yogesh sarkar Well-Known Member

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    #8
    Completely agree with what allout has said, having said that the best way to improve your writing is to continuously write and read articles. While writing for some comes naturally, others have to build it through practice and patience.
     
    yogesh sarkar, Jun 16, 2008 IP
  9. Ikki

    Ikki Peon

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    #9
    Reading what you write is a good, recommended practice.

    Save your post as a draft and give it a check. If you like what you read, then publish it. If you don't, maybe you need to start from scratch and organize your ideas better.

    Also, as yogesh_sarkar said, your writing skills will improve as you write.
     
    Ikki, Jun 16, 2008 IP
  10. uttoransen

    uttoransen Prominent Member

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    #10
    sometimes typing on the keyboard dosenot work well to put up a good post, so many a times i sit back, offline and make a post on the paper! then finalize it on the computer and post it.
     
    uttoransen, Jun 16, 2008 IP
  11. ahmadfarhan

    ahmadfarhan Peon

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    #11
    thanks for the tip..
    I think that I just need more pratice...
    I am well pretty good in what I write about (i have a tech blog and i usually write about stuff i face at work.). I love my work so I have passion for the subject, which is why I started the blog in the first place..
    So that that's not the problem most of the time.. I have the material.. I think that I just don't have a writting style.. That's why my writting style is so bland.. (that's what I think.. or maybe writting is just not my forte..)

    I will definitely try to do outlines first.. as suggested... It'll guide my train of thought..
    I do read, but mostly novels, fiction and scifi... I don't think those apply to blog writting style though..
    any recommendation on specific books on writting?

    Another thing.. english is my second language.. I tried writting in my mother tongue.. But I ended up using a lot of english technical terms in the article.. and i feel that writting the whole thing in english is better than having the mashup of the different language in there. I feel more comfortable describing technical details in english, because that is the language I learnt and apply them with... (first language is malay, if anyone is interested)
     
    ahmadfarhan, Jun 16, 2008 IP
  12. zeldaze

    zeldaze Active Member

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    #12
    Whats paper? :p Lol. Just wondering, what would you guys recommend a good length for a post? I see lots of people saying around 300-500 words but I like to write 500 - 1000 words. Is this too much?
     
    zeldaze, Jun 16, 2008 IP
    uttoransen likes this.
  13. banji

    banji Well-Known Member

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    #13
    If what concern you is your bland writing style. There's no other way around it except to read more.

    Hunt for writing type /copywrite based blog. They are usually full of tips on how to enrich your writing.

    A more interesting way is to just read those English blog which writing style you love. Read religiously and you will start to see the difference immediately. I know I learn it that way. And My first language is Malay too. :)
     
    banji, Jun 16, 2008 IP
  14. Lurker

    Lurker Peon

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    #14
    I think you're just trying too hard. Trust me, I've written web content for plenty of paying website owners for the past five years. Follow this formula and you'll be fine.

    An article/blog post consists of 4 parts:

    1. Title
    - You should title the article the same way you would search for information, ex. looking for hotels in Atlanta Georgia? (Narrow it down) "5 Star Hotels in Atlanta, Georgia" or "Affordable Hotels in Atlanta, Georgia"

    2. Intro
    -Make it something catchy. (continue ex. above) Ever wonder why affordable hotels in Atlanta, Georgia are so hard to find? (Intro should be no more than 30 words in length using keywords once)

    3. Body
    -This is the point you wish to convey to the reader. Typically it should be no longer than 300 words but sometimes it's impossible so get creative. If the body has to be longer then it's easier to break the article into parts using headers, bulleted lists, etc. (use keywords once every 100 words, some ppl like to flood w/keywords and it's ridiculous)

    4. End
    -Sum up the article with a fact or your opinion. Should be no longer than 30 words and using the keywords once.

    Once your finished you should have an informative and precise article that is pleasant for readers to read. The article will be optimized for engines, which in turn will draw more traffic to your site and increase the chances that someone will actually read what you've written.

    Article directories are a good showcase to explore the formats of articles you like or dislike. Pay attention to the layout of the articles and find articles that interest your eye. And last but not least, read. It's the only way to gain a command of any language. The written word is not the same as the spoken word, plus the more you read you'll find that the words will flow from your head to the keyboard with greater ease.

    Good luck!
     
    Lurker, Jun 17, 2008 IP
  15. bragn

    bragn Peon

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    #15
    I have two pieces of advice on where to look for some quality tips:
    1. www.dailywritingtips.com
    2. The writing subforum here on DP ;)
     
    bragn, Jun 27, 2008 IP
  16. anglefourfivemedia

    anglefourfivemedia Banned

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    #16
    cntrl+c
    cntrl+v

    jk ... I know writing is hard or everybody would be william faulkner.
     
    anglefourfivemedia, Jun 27, 2008 IP
  17. PSHeads

    PSHeads Peon

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    #17
    i assume you've chosen a niche...

    subscribe to some rss feeds in your own niche (good for newsy kinda updates)

    start using google alerst (same reason as rss)

    carry a notepad/post-it notes when you are utside... I find a lot of my diggworthy posts come to me when on the move.

    read problogger, dailyblogtips and other blogging blogs!
     
    PSHeads, Jun 28, 2008 IP