Tag Archive for: writing tips

5 More Self-Editing Tips

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In the previous article, I’ve provided you 4 helpful self-editing tips. Because I know editing is a difficult task, I’ve decided to share more self-editing tips. Are you ready? Below, I’ve listed additional 5 self-editing tips just for you.

  • Tip 1: Don’t be too hard on yourself.

    • You don’t need to achieve perfection. If you have applied the previous 4 self-editing tips, remind yourself that there is NO such thing as a perfect post. You don’t need to beat yourself up. I’m not saying that you should settle for so-so.
    • All I’m saying is writing is a journey. Sometimes, the road is bumpy.  There’s an impending deadline and you need to publish numerous posts in a span of a few days. Scrutinizing every post won’t bring you closer to your goal. Just do the best that you can, and if you made some mistakes along the way, learn from it. Move on and do better next time.

  • Tip 2: Take a break.

    • When you are totally out of ideas, sometimes, it is best to give it a rest. Maybe you are stuck in a rut. Go out and get some fresh air. Order your favorite, and then, go back to where you left off. This time around, did you notice something different? Check out for anything that stand outs as coarse and bothersome. Try to rephrase it, and if it doesn’t work, delete it altogether.

  • Tip 3: Stop repeating the pronouns.

    • Refrain from starting every sentence with a pronoun. I wrote this. He fixed that. She made this.  It is perfect! No, it’s not. Frankly, these sentences follow a boring routine. Spice things up!
    • Try your best not to start with a pronoun. Change your sentence structure from time to time to keep your readers glued to their screens. Compel them to read by adding diversity to your work.

  • Tip 4: Avoid cliches!

    • Cliches are overused. When you are drafting your blog, find something unique. Search for uncommon terms and acquaint yourself with more ways to describe objects or circumstances.
    • If you ask me, writers are only effective if they are readers too. Reading helps widen your vocabulary, and most importantly, it broadens your perspective. You see things in a different light.  So, in order to write more, you need to read more.

  • Tip 5: Organize and prioritize.

    • When things get messy, simply declutter. Remove the words that create clutter. Your blog post should be organized neatly, and there shouldn’t be confusion. Every word should have a purpose. If a word is not necessary, remove it.
    • If you think that the given topic is too long, divide it. Arrange and plan carefully what goes first. Then, make a follow up post if you think there are other things you need to discuss thoroughly. You don’t need to dump everything in one blog post.
erasures on paper.

Don’t be afraid to make the necessary erasures.

Blogging is not an easy job, but with enough practice, you will get better. Don’t be afraid to start all over again. There are no standard rules here. It doesn’t follow the traditional norm. Feel free to experiment and break from the usual structure. Above all, dare to be different. Make waves and show the real you!

 

4 Helpful Self-Editing Tips

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If you follow the blog religiously, you know that I’ve given various writing tips already. So, let’s now proceed to self-editing tips. Blog writing can be tough, but editing is tougher. Contrary to popular belief, editing isn’t just correcting errors and deleting unnecessary sentences. The truth is that editing is more of seeing the blog post as a whole. Is it cohesive? Is it purposeful? Is it understandable?

girl writing on her notebook

Below are 4 important tips you need to know when you are self-editing your blog post:

  • Tip 1: Avoid redundancy.

    • Once you have you completed your blog post draft, read it again and check for words that are clearly recurring. Try to replace these words with their synonyms to avoid obvious repetition.
    • Almost every writer has that word he frequently uses when he needs immediate support. We tend to repeat certain words or phrases when we are out of ideas.
    • No matter how hard you try avoid it, you just can’t not use your “go-to” word. The best solution would be to identify what are your “go-to” words are so that you will be aware every time it repeats. Try to lessen its recurrence and consult a thesaurus if you need to look for similar terms.

  • Tip 2: Read it aloud!

    • It is important to read your work out loud because if your blog post sounds awkward to you, there’s something wrong with the flow. The whole article should sound natural and straightforward. If there are any hiccups, it would clearly stand out. So, don’t feel weird about it because your blog post will be  a lot better if you get rid of the obstacles that seems off and overdone. Repeat the process until the post sounds apt and uniformly neat.

  • Tip  3: Ask your friends to read it aloud.

    • If you are still a newbie blogger, asking a friend or co-worker might help you a lot! If your work sounds good to you, but does it have the same effect on others? Do other people find the flow polished and smooth too?
    • Your friends need not to be expert linguists because the purpose of this is NOT to search for grammatical or typographical errors. In reality, you just need their honest opinion regarding the flow of your work, and ask them if it does make perfect sense. Do they get your point? Is it too lengthy? Is the message clear? Is the solution you’re giving actually helpful? You need a fresh pair of eyes to answer these questions and  your teammates can help you with that.

  • Tip 4: Keep it simple.

    • It’s just a blog. You do not need to overanalyze it. Your readers will easily get your point if you keep the sentences shorter. Remember that you are blogging in order to offer some help and your purpose is NOT to confuse people.
    • You will be driving them away if you will present your thoughts and ideas in a very lengthy manner. The length does not define the usefulness of the article. It boils down to its ability to offer concrete solutions.
    • It is your job as a blogger to let people know about certain things. They won’t learn from your if you keep overwhelming them with enormous chunks of highfalutin words. Keep the sentences and paragraphs short. So, whether your audience is a 5th grader or a college student, they will still get your point.

More Blog Writing Tips

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In order help your business grow, you need to start blogging. Through blogging, you will be able build trust with your audience, educate existing customers, and create brand awareness. In this post, I’ll give you 5 useful tips on how to write a blog post. Are you ready? Let’s begin.

  • Tip #1: Choose a topic that you like.

    • Before anything else, make sure you will sure a topic that interests you. No matter where you are or what field you are working in, it is important to put your heart in what you do. The lack of enthusiasm will definitely manifest. Readers can tell if the writer is bored by the chosen topic, and it’s embarrassing to produce a mediocre content.

  • Tip #2: Quality over quantity.

    • It’s okay to take your sweet time on things. Rather than writing a dull and uninspiring article, plan your posts carefully. Your readers won’t check if you have a hundred published blog posts. They will scan through your posts and check if you have been consistently posting high quality content.
    • It is best if you wait for at least 24 hours before deciding to publish your blog post. When you give yourself a day to decide, you will be able to see your content with a fresh pair of  eyes and make the necessary revisions.
Person Writing

Planning what to write.

  • Tip #3: Use images to break huge chunks of texts.

    • Your readers won’t be able to focus on a wordy blog post without visual stimulation.
    • Take time to organize and divide your post into different sections. You can insert an image to give your readers a breather and break the monotone of just having a huge block of text.
    • People may not even brother reading if they see a long-winded paragraph. However, if you add images, your article will appear less intimidating and more engaging.
    • Let’s face it: some topics are easily understandable with the help of pictures. From charts to diagrams, they are all useful visual tools that will help your readers grasp a complex topic.

  • Tip #4: Don’t just tell them what to do. Show them!

    • There’s no need to brag about your credentials and all the stuffs you know. Let your website visitors know your value by the content you publish.
    • You are not here to tell the world that you are better than the rest. Let your audience decide on that. All you have to do is to continue producing high quality blog posts that are useful. This way, you will be able to build a strong connection with your audience and they will trust your expert opinion.

  • Tip #5: Always offer a helping hand.

    • This tip is related to number 4. Of course, the main purpose of a post should be able to help and inform your readers. If your blog posts are consistently useful and understandable, readers will keep coming back. Repeat traffic will continue to pour in.
    • As you think of topics to write,  continually ask yourself, “Is this useful? Will the readers learn something from this?”  These questions will guide you back to the right track.

Providing excellent content can be quite a  challenge even to the finest bloggers. As you write your next post, remember the five tips I mentioned above. If you need more writing tips, just follow this link. By applying all the tips, you will surely find writing an easier task to do. Keep in mind that blogging is a very important marketing tool.

Blogging 101: 3 Important Writing Tips

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writing an outline

writing tips for newbie bloggers.

Most people think blogging is a very easy task to do. Personally, I disagree because there times that words don’t come smoothly and my thoughts are all over the place. It does get easier though. You just need a lot of time to practice and to develop your writing skills. If you want to be successful in blogging, you have to know how to write an enticing blog post.

Including visually appealing infographics may help, but your readers will only stay if they will learn something from you.  In order to get your readers’ attention, follow the blogging tips I’ve listed below.

IT SHOULD FOLLOW A CERTAIN STRUCTURE

  • Your blog post should have 3 main parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should give an overview on what your readers can expect from your blog post. Moreover, you elaborate on the scope of the problem you will address.
  • The next part is the body. This is where you will explain further the points you gave in your introduction. You will provide concrete examples, give helpful tips, and/or present an effective solution to a problem.
  • If there a lot of options or solutions, divide your body into different parts. Utilize bullets and numbers to highlight the important information you want to emphasize. To ensure that it is easy to follow,  it is better to use plain language. Highfalutin words may overwhelm your readers.
  • The last part is the conclusion. In this part, you will provide a short summary of your key points. Remind them of the solutions you have given and make sure that you have answered the questions you asked in the introduction.

KEEP IT SHORT AND CONCISE

  •  Your readers do not have the time to read through your lengthy paragraphs. The top bloggers write in short paragraphs. Limit your paragraphs to have around 3 to 5 sentences only.
  • Even a SENTENCE LONG explanation is fine because the truth is: no one wants to read a lengthy and boring paragraph.
  • Long paragraphs will surely intimidate your readers. It’s common for amateur bloggers to include huge chunks of texts, but this strategy will not help in inviting people to read your articles.
  • It is your job to let them understand your article. Trust me, things are easier to read if you keep the sentences short. The shorter the paragraph is, the more helpful it is for your readers. The online world does not need to follow the “rules” of an academe. Online content has a casual tone and the so-called rules are bent slightly.

IT SHOULD BE SKIM-FRIENDLY

  • Usually, people are too trying their best to keep up with the fast paced lifestyle we have now. There’s no time to read an entire post. Instead, people just skim. With so many things to do for the day, it’s important to get straight to the point.
  • It’s easier to skim through an article if the key points are highlighted. (Use bullets like what I did in this article!)
  • Divide your content and add subheadings. These subheadings should help your readers understand your key points.
  • Avoid dullness and dryness by applying bold, italic, or underline setting to your blog post.

The “perfect” blog post does not just happen in a snap. The best bloggers still encounter slumps so don’t be too hard on yourself if you are having a tough time writing your thoughts. It is best to make an outline of your  suggested article and list the things on what to expect in the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Ultimately, your blog post should have a clear purpose and goal.