Write a (Good) Blog Post in 1 Hour — Here’s How!
Are you short on time and need to write a quality blog post – fast?
Sounds like it’s time for a quickie (blog post, that is!)
A quickie blog post is still high quality, informative and fun to read. The difference is, you’re writing your blog post fast and furious (and in one hour or less.).
Is it the ideal way to write? No. In a perfect world, you have hours to write, revise, and tweak. However, there are those times when carving out 60 minutes is the best you can do – and you need to write something engaging, intelligent and useful.
Here are some blog writing tips to consider:
– Write about something you enjoy. If you love your topic, it’s easier to write better blog posts – faster. I write motivational posts when time gets tight. They are fun to write, they come straight from the heart – and my fingers tend to fly over the computer keys.
– Narrow down your topic. This is not the time to write a highly-detailed 1,500 word post. Figure that you have between 300-500 words to work with – so choose your topic accordingly. Mini how-to articles or blog posts listing helpful tips are typically good for a blog post quickie.
– Gather everything you need in one place. Searching your desk for paperwork, surfing for source material and checking email wastes time you don’t have. Gather everything you’ll need to write your blog post before you start writing. This step alone will save you tons of time.
– Turn off distractions. There is nothing that will will break your flow faster than an email notification, a text coming through, or the phone ringing. Turn everything off while you write. If you have to, close down email and any browser tabs you don’t need. (I forgot to close my browser tabs, and Facebook is now notifying me that I have two messages. It’s taking me every ounce of willpower I have not to check them!)
– Spend 25 minutes (or so) writing your first draft. Get everything you can out on paper (or on the screen.) Don’t worry about editing. Don’t worry about tweaking that one sentence that’s not quite right. Just write. You can edit later.
(As a side note, I’m a big fan of the Pomodoro Technique, and working in 25-minute chunks. It’s made me a more efficient writer, and it’s nice to know that I get a built-in break every half hour.)
– Get away from the computer. You wrote your blog post in less than 25 minutes? Awesome. Now put it down and take a break. You’ll be able to see your mistakes (and see writing opportunities) faster if you come back fresh.
– Edit your blog post multiple times. This is the time to quickly flesh out what didn’t quite “click” the first time and fix any typos. I will edit a document at least three times, with a break between each edit. When I think it’s almost there, I’ll print out the post one more time, make any final edits, and then schedule the post.
– Ask someone to proof the post before it goes live. Writing fast often means you’ll make some inadvertent boo-boos. A quick proof by another person can free your post from typos and save your bacon. That no-big-deal typo you didn’t see may be a big deal to your readers – and can possibly even lose you business.
What about you? What tips would you add to this list?
Ooo I’ll bite on this one.
– Write the subtitles first, put the major points under each, then go back and fill it in.
– Keep a collection of general images for the topics you write most often to eliminate search time.
– Keep a running list of topics, topic ideas, and good links in a document
– Plan ahead… Keep one or two larger post on hand. Then, when you’re busy, you can break it into pieces and spread the publishing over a number of days.
– Text to Speech… If I can hear someone read it, I can pick out the mistakes and rough patches instantly.
Ooh, AWESOME tips! I especially love the “keep one or two larger posts on hand.” I’ve done this myself, and it works really well!
Thanks, Angie!
:)
This is a great tip especially to those new to the blogosphere.
Brief but very precise info… Thank you
for sharing this one. A must read article!
What a Great article! Distractions I believe this is the biggest killer I have learned to shut off everything.. I never used to shut off my skype and never really thought about as this as a distraction Well one night I had 3 different people ring in as I was trying to write.. Guess what I didn’t get a thing done Lesson learned.. I am going to try your tips here thanks for sharing Chery :)
Thanks, @Chery! I’ve learned the hard way to make my writing time distraction-free. It makes life so much easier – and when I stick with it, I don’t feel as tired at the end of the day. Good luck! :)