Not all of us have the ability to tell a compelling story. Don't get me wrong, anyone can slap a piece of writing in a blog and call it a day. This is not writing, and it doesn't offer any value to the reader. I'm not suggesting you have to be Hemingway to create your own blog, but you should be able to engage your reader.
The ability to get others involved in your "community" is what separates an average blogger, from a great blogger. Blogging is a unique medium. More so than any other writing style, it is built for interaction with the reader.
Bring Personality to Your Writing
Can you bring your own personality to your writing? To be a successful blogger that's what you have to do. Personally, I never had any inclination to become a writer as a kid. The thought never crossed my mind. I never really discovered my love of writing until my second year of university.
It's romantic to believe everyone that becomes a writer has felt the bug since childhood, but it's simply not the case. I have no problem with admitting that I was a late bloomer.
In fact growing up my sister was the writer in the family. She actually inspired me to give it a go. Without that little push who knows? The point is that it's never to late to start, but having a desire to do something is not necessarily a recipe for success either.
Be prepared to work
Are you willing to work at your craft? Look at David Beckham, his name is instantly recognizable to most of us. He had a great career in Football (Soccer), but he wasn't born with the ability to cross a ball with pinpoint accuracy. He spent thousands of hours practising crossing the ball into the penalty box.
Would Beckham have been a success if he hadn't dedicated the time to practise he did? We can't know for sure, but it seems improbable. So don't be discouraged if you're not satisfied with the level of your writing now. Study your craft, and practise, practise, practise! You can overcome your shortcomings if you're dedicated enough.
How do you bring your personality into your writing? Think about the normal everyday conversations you have with friends and family. Bring that style to your writing. That's what people want out of a blog. They want to be involved in your conversation. Don't disappoint them and they'll come back to visit.
Use anecdotes, incorporate tales of your childhood etc. Remember when your parents and teachers told you to listen and you might learn something? You wanted to rebel against them at the time, but later on I'm sure you saw the wisdom of their words.
What lessons did you learn from that favourite teacher? Can you share a bit of that wisdom with your readers?
My high-school football coach always wanted his players to give it everything we had. He was more disappointed with the naturally talented kid that didn't try, than he was with the kid that gave it his all but just wasn't good enough.
At first I was that kid, but when I bought into his message, I became something more. By the end of the year I was awarded the trophy for most improved player. So don't give up.
Right now your writing might not be where you want it to be, but it can be with practise. Keep practising, keep "crossing that ball" and you'll be surprised at what you can accomplish.
How determined are you? What do you thinks holding you back? Leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you.
No comments:
Post a Comment