Legal Writing

Five Reasons Why Blogging Improves Your Writing

By Ali

Do you have your own blog? If so, do you sometimes feel guilty about spending time writing for your blog rather than working on something which you consider more ?worthwhile?? If you don?t have a blog, have you ever thought of starting one? Perhaps you?re not sure whether it would be worth the investment of your time and energy.

Here are five great ways that starting your own blog, or continuing writing the one you already have, can improve your writing.

1. You?ll get into the habit of writing regularly

We?ve covered ways to write every day before, and this really is a good habit to establish if you have serious writing ambitions. Blog posts tend to be short and can be online as soon as you?ve written them: it?s much easier to write daily on your blog than to keep plugging away on stories and articles that might not be published for months, if at all.

2. Instant feedback lets you know how you?re doing

If you are writing purely for yourself, you don?t need feedback. Most of us, though, feel that a piece of writing is not complete until it has a reader. (Indeed, there is a school of critical theory that insists a piece of writing only truly exists whilst it is being read.)

One of the best things about blogging is that not only is publishing instant, feedback is too. As soon as your piece is posted, readers will start adding their comments, emailing you, or even linking to it from their own blogs. You?ll know when your writing is good because you?ll get positive responses. Negative feedback, or none at all, will tip you off that your style might need work, or that the content of your piece may be boring, trite or over-done.

3. Having readers for your work is a big motivation

Do you have days when you sit down to write ? and stare at the screen for ages before giving up in frustration? Sometimes you just aren?t ?in the mood? to write. When you?re feeling motivated, though, the words come easily. Knowing that real people are reading what you write is a huge boost ? something you can only appreciate once you?ve experienced it. Even on days when you?re feeling less than inspired, the thought of your readers can be enough to get you writing.

4. Your writing will improve

The best way to get better at anything is to practice. Writing frequently for your blog means your writing will improve ? both as you react to feedback, and as you learn how to craft effective sentences and choose perfect words. If you already write a blog, look back at your earliest posts. Do they make you cringe, when compared to your writing now?

5. Blogs are an ideal medium for experimentation

Sometimes, you might want to try out a new style or form of writing. Short sentences. (With no verbs.)

• Bullet pointed lists

A more verbose, elegant and poised style, using the rhythms and cadances of the English language to transform a piece of writing into a work of art.

Writing a whole story, article or even a book in a new style could be a big risk ? what if it doesn?t work? A blog post, on the other hand, is quick to write and free to publish: if it fails, you?ve not lost much. Blogging gives you the freedom to experiment, to try out something new.

If blogging?s made you a better writer, let us know how in the comments below.

Five Reasons Why Blogging Improves Your Writing

Full post as published by Daily Writing Tips on July 17, 2008 (boomark / email).