Ask HN: How to learn writing blog posts?
I have a topic I’d like to write about. However, I’m getting lost In the weeds and failing to structure my content in an easy to consume way. What are some great resources to learn writing blog posts / articles?
I’m actually open to pay for a professional coach but not sure how to find a good one. Suggestions are welcome!
62 comments
[ 3.4 ms ] story [ 131 ms ] threadI strongly recommend the active voice.
> The C-C-C scheme that we advocate serves a more patient reader, who is willing to spend the time to get oriented with the context. A consequent disadvantage of C-C-C is that it may not optimally engage the impatient reader.
https://ellenrhymes.com/paul-graham/
The author of the essay is a writing coach, too. But working with her might be a little bit expensive. Especially if you are just starting out.
I’m willing to help you for free if you want me to. I’ve been blogging for the last couple months at https://danielbusta.com/
The other book I'd recommend is The Pyramid Principle[2] by Barbara Minto.
[1]: https://www.amazon.com/Writing-10th-Anniversary-Memoir-Craft...
[2]: https://www.amazon.com/Pyramid-Principle-Logic-Writing-Think...
The first part of "On Writing" is fantastic, in the sense that it tells you through King's own life that there are no shortcuts: you must learn by writing. And sometimes, you'll have people to criticize what you wrote, and that'll be the best thing.
> David Eddings, an American novelist who was most famous for his epic fantasy books, once gave the following advice to new writers:
> “My advice to the young writer is likely to be unpalatable in an age of instant successes and meteoric falls. I tell the neophyte: Write a million words–the absolute best you can write, then throw it all away and bravely turn your back on what you have written. At that point, you’re ready to begin.”
> That same advice has come from a number of other sources—it’s tough to determine just who said it first. Some point to legends such as Ray Bradbury or Jerry Pournelle, both of whom famously advice that new writers should write a million words before considering themselves ready to take up the cause.
* https://www.draft2digital.com/blog/the-first-million-words-a...
* https://blog.karenwoodward.org/2014/03/one-million-words-to-...
Of course the first 1e6 can't be written carelessly either, simply going through the motions.
[0] There doesn't seem to be a single canonical document to read but there's thousands readily searchable.
For blog writing I recommend making a practice of bookmarking posts you like and asking yourself why you like them or why they work. I will point out that blogs permit a flexibility of style and content that few writing forms have ever had. This is a double-edged sword, truly.
I’m going through a similar process so I definitely recognize the challenge you’re having. Good luck!
Edit: I just remembered bookmarking Paul Graham’s excellent “How to Write Usefully” the other day. It might be helpful to you: http://paulgraham.com/useful.html
I am struggling with this too. My website(s) are empty of content. And not because I can't write it but I can't bring myself to publish. Seems similar to you.
Something I tell myself is that I literally can always go back, re-read it, and update it whenever I want. I also have promised myself if I have a better version of the article I can replace it with the new one with a new date. I keep the date out of the url for this reason.
You should also think about the audience for the post. Is it just general reading where you expect people to browse reddit and see it or is it something highly specialized where your readers will likely come from google search looking for reference information.
I’ve written thousands of blog posts and happy to point you in the right direction!
1. https://www.julian.com
There are other people probably similar enough to “future you” to also engage with what you write. But if they don’t appreciate it, then forget them, they’re not the primary audience anyway!
(And those that do engage will be the kind you want lasting relationships with. Which is a nice side benefit).
I’ve long learned deep engagement from a handful of people, or just future me, is far more meaningful than shallow engagement from many randos.
So, I said all this, in a rambling way, to say that you can do this without paying others. Just be disciplined about it. Maybe take the 100 day challenge to blogging. Post it anon, if you're worried about criticism.
Good luck. I also second nondeveloper's two book recommends (Elements of Style and On Writing Well), if you need a lot of helpful advice.
* http://www.hemingwayapp.com/
* More practice
* Aggressively tune your writing for an explicitly chosen target audience
* Practice again
* cut cut cut. Your post is finished when there is no more content that can be cut.
* practice
Don't worry about the words or having complete sentences. Work on editing the outline and add/remove stuff. Once you're happy, then you can start writing down the essay.
More people are quitting their jobs and building their own brands online through social media.
I myself have been growing my audience on Twitter(twitter.com/sunilc_). And these course have really helped me write content:
1. Everyone can build a twitter audience https://gumroad.com/a/238777459/PBkrO
2. Standing Out in 2020: Doing Content Right https://gumroad.com/a/274986099
Why is this important.
Define key terms.
Walk through an example of how your topic can be applied in an interesting way to beginners and advanced users. (Include screenshots)
Conclusion.
It’s almost like a five paragraph essay from middle school. This is the basic format.
Create an outline that lists all your top level ideas. Create sub topics with as many details as you can. —- then try to convert this to the above format. Edit. Then wait two days and edit it again. Wait two days and edit it again.
Edit until you are happy. But I would suggest spending at least a week from first sentence to final product.
Unless it's something like a thesis, I wouldn't worry about perfecting it. You'll learn more (and get feedback sooner) if you just get it out there and focus on the fact that your next article will be that much better, and the next, and the next etc. Otherwise you'll find yourself accumulating diminishing returns with repeated revisions.
If it truly is something quite important, then consider splitting it up over a series of posts over time.
As for the mindset to be in when writing it, think about what you would say to a friend if you were explaining the concept to them. Over an email, for example.