After 100 days of blogging, I have learned just a thing or two about writing, like how to keep going when it gets tough and how to keep the creativity alive. It has not been easy, but it feels amazing to be where I am today and to get to say I have done this for 100 days! If you are thinking about starting a blog, or just wanting to blog every day, here are a few tips I have for you to be as successful as possible during your journey:
1. If you are hesitant about starting a blog/ blogging every day, just. do. it.
This concept kind of goes along with a blog I made the other day called “What are you waiting for?”. But really, what the heck are you waiting for? The “right time”? The means to buy a domain? You do not need to wait to start a blog! Get a free website set up and start writing!
If you don’t know how to start a website or don’t want to spend the time setting one up, get ahold of me. I can set you one up in minutes and you can begin blogging. Don’t let little things like that hold you back and stop being lazy!
2. Start your blog with others.
The whole reason I started blogging every day is because I had others who were doing it at the same time. (Every Praxis participant completes a 30-day writing challenge during the boot camp!) They were there to support me, challenge me and give me feedback. They always pushed me to be better in writing and articulating things I needed to say.
So if you have a friend who is a fanatic for writing, or is just wanting to take on a challenge, ask them to do this with you. You don’t have to feel like you are alone in doing this. Have someone you can share your struggles with and help them with theirs. It makes this challenge that much easier to get through when you have someone right by your side doing it with you!
3. Post Publicly
This doesn’t mean to just make your blog public. Post the articles and posts on social media. Make them as public as possible so the as many people can see it as possible. It may be scary at first, but you will soon find out that you aren’t so bad at this after all. I used to think I was the worst writer on this planet until I got some positive feedback from people. I noticed that they liked what I was writing about and did not laugh in my face because I made a fool of myself. (which I thought was going to happen)
Making your post public will first give you more chance for feedback from others, which is always helpful. It will also start conversations with others about topics you care about. You might just make connections with people you never thought you would get the chance to. You never know who is out there reading your stuff and will help you later in life!
4. Grammarly… Just Grammarly
This is a website that helps with small spelling and grammar errors. If you go to the website and make an account you can get it for free! You can also make it to where it checks literally anything you write. I downloaded it onto my website where I write all of my blogs, so it is always checking anything and everything I write.
I know you have probably seen the commercials and are like “ugh… dumb ad. I will never use that.” I was too, no worries. But once you have it, you can’t live without it. So, get it. Now.
I’m being serious.
5. Outline when you can
I know it is not practical to sit down every single day for 2-3 hours, outline your post, write, edit and edit it again. But when you can, outline your posts. It is much easier to write when you have an outline and it keeps your writing from turning into purely “brain dump” pieces. “Braindumps” can sometimes be hard for your audience to follow because they might not think like you do.
6. Create a schedule for your posts
At the beginning of each week (typically Sunday night) create a weekly schedule of posts you want to create that week. It does not have to be a full outline, just an idea of what you can write.
I was not the best at this, but the weeks I did do it I found it much easier to write and bring out my creative side. The schedule was not set in stone, because a lot of times I would think of something better to write about, but it was always nice to have.
7. When you have an idea for a post, stop right where you are and write it down.
You will forget it later if you don’t, promise. 🙂
8. For the days when you are drawing a blank:
- Write a poem/ try a different style of writing (storytelling, research etc.)
- Find a quote that has inspired you and tell why you love it.
- Refer back to your list of blog ideas.
- Write about what music you are currently listening to. Everyone loves new music suggestions 🙂
9. Make a series.
Making a series of blog posts about things you love can be a creative relief in the middle of the week as well as take the stress off of having to think up something to write.
For me, this was my “Outfit of the Week” and “What I am Currently Listening to”, but you can write about whatever makes you come alive! Just make sure to enjoy it.
10. Try the “Cut it in Half” exercise.
This is where you write a post like normal in a Google Doc, come back to it and take out the “fluff” words. These are words that are not needed to try and say what you need to say. Almost every time you can make the post half the words it was to begin with and still come out with the same message you wanted to portray.
It’s all about wording and leaving the work to you instead of your audience.
All 10 points aside, the most important thing to remember when blogging is to make it fun. Make it something you love to do every day. If it is not, you’re writing about the wrong things. So remember, this is your blog and no one else’s; you have control over your posts so enjoy it!
Hailey Pratt is Hailey is from Springfield, Missouri and is currently working at Old Missouri Bank. She decided to join Praxis because she felt like she was not growing like she should have been in college. When she joined the Praxis program, she finally felt like she belonged and found a group of people who push her every day to become the best version of herself. You can follow her work at haileymckayepratt.com
