Drunk On Writing

“Easy reading is damn hard writing.”  ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Writing a blog can be difficult at times. Whether a business blog or a personal blog, when you are just starting out, it can be really overwhelming.  Here are some quotes by famous authors that apply to us even in the world of blogging, and will be especially helpful to newbies, and may even be beneficial to the more experienced crowd.

“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise.  The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”  ~Sylvia Plath

Aside from Sylvia’s antiquated grammar, she makes an excellent point. No matter what the subject, one can always write about it. You just have to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard rather, and let the words come spewing forth. And while it sounds hard, it is just like Sylvia said; have confidence in yourself, and the content will come.

Do a quick Google search, and see what people are saying on your topic to give you ideas. And don’t worry. The more you worry, the longer it’s going to take you.

“Begin at the beginning, and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” ~Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll is my all-time favorite author. His ability to weave nonsense into narrative fascinates me. And this quote from Alice is the perfect answer to a common question: How many words should I write?

All blog posts should be more than 300 words. Any less, and you will not rank well, if at all. Past that, the sky is the limit. I guarantee all of my clients 300+ words per post, and more often they are 400, if not more.  That being said, don’t over do it. Eventually your post will lose coherence, and readers will lose interest.

So start your post, give all of the pertinent info, sell it a little, then end it. Whether it’s 301 words or 700, once you’ve exhausted the story. it’s over.

“I try to leave out the parts that people skip.”  ~Elmore Leonard

That’s easier said than done. People online don’t read. They scan. So the trick is to get people to read more, and skip less. Bullet points, bolding, and short paragraphs all help to encourage people to read more of your content. you can also use big letters to draw the eye.

I’d rather be caught holding up a bank than stealing so much as a two-word phrase from another writer.  ~Jack Smith

Don’t plagiarize. Ever. It may seem like a quick and easy fix, but when you get caught, it completely discredits you. It’s not worth it. However, paraphrasing can be a writers best friend on a blog.

Just remember the 80/20 rule. Your new post should be 80% new content, and 20% recycled.

“A good style should show no signs of effort.  What is written should seem a happy accident.”  ~W. Somerset Maugham

What you should get from this, if you ponder it long enough, is don’t over complicate your writing. The average person reads at an eighth grade reading level. If you use complex words, or buzz words, or just write in a really complicated manner, no one is reading it.

Write for your audience. If you are writing something to appeal to everyone, write on everyone’s level. I write this blog for fellow writers, so I can write a little more complex, because a writer better have a higher reading level. Otherwise, they aren’t going to last long.

I hope some of these quotes were able to inspire you a little bit. Writing is difficult enough for those who have been doing it for years. New writers have it even worse. And if all else fails, remember the words of Joseph Heller:

“Every writer I know has trouble writing.”

Don’t forget to share this post with your friends, and sign up for the Drunk On Writing RSS feed so you can Keep Drinking straight from your inbox!