How I write a post

Pic by theCreativePritz.wordpress.com

OK, I brought up a very important point in my last post on this blog.  It is something that some may be doing if they write a post or article and some may not.   I want to start out by saying there are many different ways to write a post, so I cannot say if mine’s is the correct way, I am just saying that this my technique for writing a post or article.  You have my permission to prepare to write this way or even modify it, just do not lay claim to is, just like I am not laying claim to all of it.  I am not sure if this is a proven method of writing or not. Again, this just works for me.

I have heard that the best ways to write is to just do it.  That may be true, but to me, there has to be some sort of prep work involved.  As I have said many times in my other blog, Simply Organized Crafts, everything has to start out with a plan, so to just start writing may work for some people, and at times when you are stuck for a topic, it does not work all the time.  This goes for any type of writing, rather you are writing for yourself, a blog, or a company.  Planning is the best method for me. 

Thought Process….

Before I put pen to paper (or in my case, fingertips to keyboard), I think about who I am writing too.  I have 5 blogs, each of them are unique (even the ones that sort of overlap each other), but to give you an idea, I have

            My Ambiance Life- That is this one, so I have to keep the writer in mind, give them ideas on what to write about, my thoughts on a subject pressing on my mind, or in the case of this post, how to write.

            Simply Organized Crafts-Ideas for the home, so I have to think about the organizer, the decorator, the person who runs their household.  I have been lacking in that department lately, so I need to reel it back in to that focus.  I also talk about technology for the beginner, the scared of technology, and the technology holdbacks. 

            P.Lynne Designs- papercrafting ideas, reviews of different machines, crafting techniques are what I write about in this blog.  Anyone who wants to know about them are welcome to take a look.  Again, I am lacking, but it is coming back around.

            Tricia’s Baskets- I am a direct selling consultant, so I am showing the consumer how to decorate with the products I am selling, talking about cooking with the products, recruiting and selling, and showing specials (which is all I have been showing lately.)

            Traveling to the Mouse’s House- is all about Disney, anything related to Disney, and traveling to other places (like my recent trip to San Antonio, TX).  I also show bargain tips to make the most out of your trip.  So, my audience are going to be travelers and travelers who are interested in Disney.

Once I think about where and to whom I am going to write to that day (or that moment), I think about the topic.  This is when I open up MS Word and plop down a title.  

I have been learning a lot about titles lately, and they say that a title has to be an attention grabber, like “Being a Consultant is not all it is Crack Up to be.”,   or “Babies are Very Critical.”, “How not to be a Mortimer Mouse.” (Hummm, those sound good).   Next, I just start writing.  If the writing requires research, I will do that too.  The one thing I will not do is edit.  At this point, I have not formulated a clear, cut post.  It is still raw.  If it is late, and I rarely do that anymore, because a girl needs her sleep, I will stop my post in Word, not Blogger or WordPress. 

Finalization

The last process is the editing.  I will read it out loud for clarity, editing along the way, adding highlights and links (in Word).  The only I will not do is add an image, because images cannot cut and paste from Word.  Once that is done, then I will cut and paste the post into the blog platform (Blogger or WordPress). I have a Tumblr account, but have not created a blog there, just follow people.  Once it is cut and pasted, I preview it (without graphic images), to make sure everything in Word transfer over, because sometimes technology will not cooperate with you.  I also make sure it is pleasing to the eyes.  

The last thing is the image.  Depending on the type of post I have, I will place one to six pictures max in the post.  If it is an image and a video, it is just one still photo.   For tutorials, for every instruction, there is an illustrated photo to go with it.

Once it is done, I preview it again.   This time, I am checking to see if the images are placed right.

Sharing is caring…

Once I publish the post, I am not done.  I share the post to the following sites:  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Sverve, Google +, and a couple of blog posting sites who have my permission to share my posts.   This is how you get traffic to you site.   So far it is working, but not fast enough.  If you are ever wondering why you are seeing only one or two hits on your site, not sharing could being the reason. 

Some tips:

•             Have a memorable Title.   To have a titles like, How to shake your groove thing, does not cut it anymore.  It has to grab a person and make them want to read it.  
• Once you have them, you have to keep them there.  Talk about your experiences with the subject, keep the subject in your niche (like scrapbooking), and make a call to action.  What is it do you want them to do, take away, or alert others about?
• It has to flow from one point to another.
• Edit.  You want spelling to be on point. (U does not spell you.) Do not depend on spell check too much, because it is not up to date, ask Google.   There are not enough people in the world to play catchup with the spelling.  Use common sense with sentences in ALL languages, not just the common ones. 
•  
•  Do share your posts.  This helps you when you want to monetize your blog, or if you want to guest blog.  People do not know who you are or what you are about if you do not share.
•             Comment on other blogs.  There is a plugin called Comment Luv, and it is great.  I have not figured out how to put it on my blogger blogs, but when you comment on someone’s blog who has that feature, you enter your name, email address, and if you have a blog, your blog URL.  Once you do that, it will pull up the last post you wrote, and display it.  This is another way to get you post out there.
• Finally, have fun.  This is not a thesis paper, it’s your blog, and your blog has a right to be here.  Take my method to heart, and you will have fun.  One final tip, and I mean it (this is IMPORTANT):  Do not, I repeat, DO NOT PAY SOMEONE TO GET LIKES, FOLLOWERS, AND FAVORS for your blog.  Most of them are fake and it will only hurt you in the end. It may take a while, but you will know a true like and follower when you see one.  They are sincere, take in every word you say, and bring in others without pay. Besides that, you are going to need that money for something else, like your Internet bill.

Be blessed.