How I blog is different from how I write a poem is different from how I write an academic paper is different from how I write…almost anything. How I blog now is different from how I blogged only a few months ago and is completely different from how I first blogged. How I blog is different from how you blog. It should be.
I tend to write a blog post all at once. I begin with an idea; I write some words; I revise and edit them; I schedule them to be published. Rinse and repeat, sometimes several rinses and repeats in one evening or block of time. I sometimes alter that flow by only saving my work, then returning at a later point to edit it and to schedule it for publishing.
I typically write in a text editor. My editor of choice is Pages, probably because it reminds me of Word and of writing essays and research papers. Using that text editor can put me in the right frame of mind. I know it’s not a geeky choice, but it works, and that’s what’s important. Getting the words on the page is more important than the tool, even if Text Wrangler or TextEdit could be better choices. I have tried using WordPress’ text editor, but it just doesn’t work for me. I can make it work, but only if I fight with it. If I have to fight my tools in order to write, I might as well quit. It’s one thing to fight with myself; it’s quite another to fight with my tools.
I try not to worry too much about grammar or punctuation when I write my first draft. Those things always are present in my mind, but I try not to pay too much attention to them. They can interrupt my flow if I focus on them. The important thing is to get the words onto the page, then to revise and edit.
I usually write until I have nothing else to say, or I feel that I have arrived at the conclusion. I don’t necessarily want to close a topic, but I’m always waiting for the lid to snap shut. I think it’s something borne from writing poetry or even academic papers. I need to feel that the topic has come full circle or has arrived at its proper destination – even if it wasn’t the one I intended – before I can stop writing.
That’s how I blog. At least, that’s how I blog at the moment. How do you blog?
Erin Feldman
Erin Feldman is the founder of Write Right. She's a copywriter, editor, poet, and artist. She helps people tell their stories. You can find Erin on Google+.
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