People have asked me, "how do you make a blog post?" so I thought I'd write a short blog post about how I make a short blog post.
First of all, get your pet off your keyboard. Second, and most importantly, remember that a blog is a creative act. You control every step - your blog is a reflection of what you want it to be. It is your creation. It is electronic art.
Step-by-step...........
Concept
- you must either open a blog account (Blogger and Wordpress are two of the most popular and common platforms) or you can use your own website if you have one
- decide the basic style - will it be words only, pictures only, a mix of both; what is the desired length, tone, theme; what audience do you want to reach
- think up places to go or things to do or ideas to express
- carry a pencil and pad or scraps of paper to write and retain ideas (retaining becomes an issue sometimes for "people of a certain age")
- imagine a theme for the post and tease it out into coherence
- keep it short or lose the audience
- my goals are: each post should be beautiful, interesting, informative, witty, smart and it must not exceed about one minute in duration - I often miss one, some, or all of these goals - it is always a challenge
- people are busy - if you want them to come back, say little but say it well
- generally, people do not want to read long ramblings
Images
- decide what pictures to take and where to take them
- go on location to take the pictures
- upload pictures to your computer for post-processing
- review the rough images for broad thematic overview and whether you can tell the story you have in mind
- select the best images that tell the story (or change the story)
Post-processing
- edit the selected images in computer software
- that edit includes adjust light levels, tweak the shadows, midtones, highlights
- adjust the brightness and contrast, color temperature and saturation
- choose size/shape and crop accordingly
- save final image for export to blog platform
- proceed to your blog platform template
Writing and Editing
- create a title for the post, mindful of easing the search possibilities for readers and Googlers
- create labels and identify the location
- upload the final edited images from your computer to the blog platform
- place the images in proper order to tell the story
- write the text/caption under/over/beside some or all of the images
- review and edit completed draft for flow and readability
- proofread for spelling, layout, spacing, grammar, and syntax
- proofread again for spelling, layout, spacing, grammar, and syntax
- proofread once more for spelling, layout, spacing, grammar, and syntax
Publishing
- preview final version to be published
- hold your breath and press the "publish" button
- relax and be awed by the idea that you have just sent your creation out for anyone in the entire world with access to the internet to enjoy - what a world we live in!
- repeat all above for the next post
Other Stuff
I generally post five to seven times every week. Time-wise I spend twenty to forty hours a week to accomplish that. Sometimes I have images but no words yet, or words but no images yet. I often will have five to ten posts in various stages of completion. I am not a news reporter - I don't feel compelled to publish immediately after an event or after I have the images. I am the creator, writer, photographer, proofreader, editor, critic, and publisher - it's ready when it's ready. Sometimes, a nap takes precedence.
I didn't start out with high expectations. As a retiree, blogging gave me something constructive and creative to do, allowed me to write a little, take pictures a little, have a place to keep photos that wouldn't get lost and moldy in a basement box, and might be informative or entertaining to others.
I do not choose to include advertising. Maybe someday but not this day.
Little did I know that readers would find and read my blog in all 50 of the United States (and Washington DC), and more than 160 countries and/or territories around the world. To date, more than 150,000 page views. I am astounded at that.
Did I mention to proofread carefully before publishing?........
I generally post five to seven times every week. Time-wise I spend twenty to forty hours a week to accomplish that. Sometimes I have images but no words yet, or words but no images yet. I often will have five to ten posts in various stages of completion. I am not a news reporter - I don't feel compelled to publish immediately after an event or after I have the images. I am the creator, writer, photographer, proofreader, editor, critic, and publisher - it's ready when it's ready. Sometimes, a nap takes precedence.
I didn't start out with high expectations. As a retiree, blogging gave me something constructive and creative to do, allowed me to write a little, take pictures a little, have a place to keep photos that wouldn't get lost and moldy in a basement box, and might be informative or entertaining to others.
I do not choose to include advertising. Maybe someday but not this day.
Little did I know that readers would find and read my blog in all 50 of the United States (and Washington DC), and more than 160 countries and/or territories around the world. To date, more than 150,000 page views. I am astounded at that.
Did I mention to proofread carefully before publishing?........
I love 7, 8, and 9. proofread... it certain shows in your blog.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great example of irony - to use "certain" instead of "certainly" - you are too clever!
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