Tips from an Author to Write High-Quality Content for Your Blog

I have been writing novels for several years now and have been fortunate enough to have been accepted for publication.  Over the course of this time I have learned a lot and picked up many useful tips – some of these I am sharing with you today. While I write novels, these tips apply to writing for blogs and other mediums as well.

Here are 5 tips to help you focus your writing and create content you’re passionate about that connects with your readers.

Pick the right genre

Choose your genre carefully.  Don’t go for what seems the easy option.  It frequently turns out not to be easy at all.  Romantic fiction is a case in question. Or, perhaps you’re in the marketing field, don’t try to write about insurance. With the example of romance novels, I found that once I’d written one such story, I ran the risk of repetition and boredom.  So, choose an angle that interests you and challenges your imagination.  Do your research and identify your audience. The enjoyment you get from writing the story will transfer itself to your readers.

Focus on word count

There’s a wide selection of criteria to choose from. In my world, it might be Flash Fiction, Short stories, Novellas, or Novels (large or small). In your world, it might be writing for blogs, copy for infographics, academic articles, etc. Identify the word count required for your chosen type of content. Full blown novels can be anything from 50,000 words to however long the story chooses to be. Long-form blog articles could be 2000+ words.

The shorter pieces of writing are more restrictive and demand precision in your word count. It’s challenging to get a complicated concept across in a 250-word article, but talented writers can make it happen. So, always be aware of the word count requirement and work to it.  I know it’s not easy, but it teaches you to be economical with your words, to cut out the unnecessary and to choose wisely the most concise means of expression.

Planning

Should I plan or should I not?  I It’s a question frequently asked, but everyone is different. There is no definitive answer. I, for one, am not a planner.  I enjoy the act of discovery as the story unfolds and what I find surprising, my readers will also be surprised by.  No-one is going to condemn you for not planning. So, follow your instincts.  Believe in yourself. Write in whatever way suits you best.

Tell a story and build characters

I love building characters. Each one of them has a back story – things and events that made them what they are. You can build characters into blog content as well. Maybe is a fictitious example of how a tactic is used, or perhaps even the concept becomes the characters.

Whatever angle you take on the character piece, make friends with your characters, find out what makes them tick. By doing so you bring them to life and make them believable to the reader. The most useful piece of advice I was given was from an editor who told me to always try and weave the character’s point of view into the story.  It adds point and counterpoint to any given situation. It can add intrigue and antipathy or add to the suspense. For a marketing blog (just as an example) a character can add a deeper connection to the readers by helping them envision themselves taking and enacting your advice. Again, it adds credibility and believability to the character and the story and thereby draws in the reader.

And finally – edit, edit, edit

You can never spend too much time on editing.  But having said that, know when it’s time to stop. Make sure the content is right, any errors are caught, and then move on. A lot of editing is a good thing but learn when to stop so you don’t drag the story on too long or overthink things.

I hope this has been useful.  If you have tips of your own or any questions, please leave them in the comments below. And mostly important, no matter what – Always Keep Writing.

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Wendy Goult

Author at WendyGoult.com

Wendy Goult has a background in historical research and construction. A strange combination you may think.  Yet life takes us on journeys and she now writes crime, murder mysteries, and suspense thrillers with a paranormal twist.  Coming late to writing following the death of her husband (which is a story in itself) she has published three novels (Chain Reaction and Chasing Shadows) through Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie/Vanguard Press which have been well received.  A Tangled Web of Time is the latest to be released and appeared in print last November.  She has lived always in East Anglia, has 2 daughters and 5 grandchildren and is on Facebook, Twitter and her website www.wendygoult.com.

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• Tips from an Author to Write High-Quality Content for Your Blog - April 9, 2020