I brain dump.... Adambourg.com
Ask HN: How to learn writing blog posts?
21–30 of 63 posts
Re: Ask HN: How to learn writing blog posts?
#22Slate Star Codex is, in my opinion, one of the best blogs on the internet, and this post seems like exactly the kind of advice that you're asking for: https://slatestarcodex.com/2016/02/20/writing-advice/
Re: Ask HN: How to learn writing blog posts?
#23[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: How to learn writing blog posts?
#24Start with an outline first. The post is essentially an expanded outline. Search for "Essay Outline".
Don't worry about the words or having complete sentences. Work on editing the outline and add/remove stuff. Once you're happy, then you can start writing down the essay.
Re: Ask HN: How to learn writing blog posts?
#25Content creation is going tobe a very important skill in the coming years and writing is going tobe a very critical skill.
More people are quitting their jobs and building their own brands online through social media.
I myself have been growing my audience on Twitter(twitter.com/sunilc_). And these course have really helped me write content:
1. Everyone can build a twitter audience https://gumroad.com/a/238777459/PBkrO
2. Standing Out in 2020: Doing Content Right https://gumroad.com/a/274986099
Re: Ask HN: How to learn writing blog posts?
#26I don't think learning to write blog posts is particularly different from learning to write anything else. To the extent that that is true, I'd refer you to Stephen King's book On Writing [1]. Specifically, one bit of advice from that book (loosely paraphrased) "the best way to learn to write well is to read a lot and write a lot". The other book I'd recommend is The Pyramid Principle [2] by Barbara Minto. [1]: https…
The sci-fi author Jerry Pournelle used to say that the first 1,000,000 words you write will not be very good. He was not alone:
> David Eddings, an American novelist who was most famous for his epic fantasy books, once gave the following advice to new writers:
> “My advice to the young writer is likely to be unpalatable in an age of instant successes and meteoric falls. I tell the neophyte: Write a million words–the absolute best you can write, then throw it all away and bravely turn your back on what you have written. At that point, you’re ready to begin.”
> That same advice has come from a number of other sources—it’s tough to determine just who said it first. Some point to legends such as Ray Bradbury or Jerry Pournelle, both of whom famously advice that new writers should write a million words before considering themselves ready to take up the cause.
* https://www.draft2digital.com/blog/the-first-million-words-a...
* https://blog.karenwoodward.org/2014/03/one-million-words-to-...
Of course the first 1e6 can't be written carelessly either, simply going through the motions.
Re: Ask HN: How to learn writing blog posts?
#27Intro — what are you going to talk about.
Why is this important.
Define key terms.
Walk through an example of how your topic can be applied in an interesting way to beginners and advanced users. (Include screenshots)
Conclusion.
It’s almost like a five paragraph essay from middle school. This is the basic format.
Create an outline that lists all your top level ideas. Create sub topics with as many details as you can. —- then try to convert this to the above format. Edit. Then wait two days and edit it again. Wait two days and edit it again.
Edit until you are happy. But I would suggest spending at least a week from first sentence to final product.
Re: Ask HN: How to learn writing blog posts?
#28Don't over-think it. Jot down several bullet points that you want to talk to, and just write as best you can to those points (without re-writing any of it). Go over it once for any grammatical errors. Next step: post it.
Unless it's something like a thesis, I wouldn't worry about perfecting it. You'll learn more (and get feedback sooner) if you just get it out there and focus on the fact that your next article will be that much better, and the next, and the next etc. Otherwise you'll find yourself accumulating diminishing returns with repeated revisions.
If it truly is something quite important, then consider splitting it up over a series of posts over time.
As for the mindset to be in when writing it, think about what you would say to a friend if you were explaining the concept to them. Over an email, for example.
Re: Ask HN: How to learn writing blog posts?
#29I think that, like any other skill, you need to practice, you could try to imitate the structure of articles/blog posts that you think are good
Re: Ask HN: How to learn writing blog posts?
#30Find a writer you really enjoy and see what they have to say.
I really like Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club). He recently released a book on writing. I got it from a local library and it is full of actionable advice. Excellent stuff.
Another idea worth considering is that writing is a craft like anything else. How long does it take someone to learn how to play a musical instrument? At least a few years of consistent practice, right? Writing is the same, it'll take a few years.
Just because you can talk to people, does not mean you are a good communicator. I'm not :) Writing makes people aware of how unstructured their thinking is. Totally normal. Keep going.