Writing A List Post Without Writing A List Post

(What does the picture have to do with writing list posts?  Absolutely nothing…)

Many will agree that list posts are often times the most popular format as they enable the reader a quick skim without missing much of the core message.  As blog readers, we may intend on reading through an entire post, but we certainly don’t want to have to actually read the thing before we determine if it’s the one we want to give our precious time to.  With a list post we can glance at a few listed headings and make this determination without breaking a mental sweat.  Too many 12px sized letters between these headings and we’re libel to just move on to our next possible post.

The problem is, many bloggers either don’t like writing conventional list posts or many blog readers don’t really enjoy reading them.  So how can we maintain this skim-ability without confining our content to 1’s, 2’s, 3’s and so on?

Breaking Down Big Posts

I’ve been writing some pretty hefty posts over at Motivate Thyself.  Some have pushed past 3,500 words.  Yet if you were to pop over there and scroll through a few, you’d see that they are still quite easy to skim and decide if the content is worth the full read.  I rarely go more than a few paragraphs without some kind of heading that introduces the next hundred and fifty words.  I list my content without using bullets or numbers and while maintaining a more conventional writing style (most of the time).

As I write, I keep an eye out for chunks of content.  If I’m starting a new paragraph and it seems to jump into its own unique thought or idea or section, I create a heading to start it off.  This way, I not only give my readers clear guidelines to my longs posts, but I maintain a kind of listed structure that helps me maintain focus as I blaze through thousands of words.

Other Kinds of Content Markers

Headings, bullets and numbers are only a few ways of breaking down your content into easily indigestible bites.  We can also achieve this by using other forms of text formats.  Whether we bold our words, color or italicize them, we can cleanly organize our insight while maintaining the interest of our readers.

Integrating A Conventional List

Many of my posts also have numbered or bulleted lists built in.  Usually toward the end, acting as a kind of summary, I find this to be perfect for the application part of the post.  It’s easy to knock out some great writing and share awesome insight, but then leave out the real meat.  Most blog readers (depending on what they’re reading, of course) want to know what to do next.  If they’ve read an awesome, thought provoking post, they want that last bite to be filled with some form of direction.  A kind of, “Now do this, this and this…” kind of thing.  Otherwise, they’re left feeling like, “In theory, that all made sense, but how do I apply it to my own life?”

Sticking To Your Own Unique Style

The bottom line is this:  We all have our own unique voice to share with the world and no one can convey that style better that you can.  Yet there are certain ways to write our thoughts that are most effective for the common blog reader.  If we neglect either of these facts we risk weakening our reach.  So by all means, find what works and then mold it into an easily edible morsel for visitors to comfortably enjoy.

Listing your thoughts is a tried and true method in the blogging community, but not all lists have to look the same.  Find the structure that fits your style the best, while leaving bread crumbs for your readers along the way.  Go too long without a breather and risk losing many of your readers as they grow tired of the uninterrupted information overload.

Eric

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Like Chocolate for My Eyes

Like Hot Chocolate For The Eyes

I have a confession to make, a guilty secret that my burdened chest is just desperate to be rid of. There’s something I love more than writing.

I’ll just pause here to give Sean a chance to get back onto his chair.

Ready? Good.

It’s Chocolate.

There’s nothing as delightful as the feeling of that sweet, silk like food in your mouth or the delicious taste that lingers on your tongue and causes your taste buds to scream out in unison for more. The only thing that can come close to it are pictures of said delicacy.

You know what I’m talking about right? Yes you. The one with the sweet-tooth. You only have to see a picture of chocolate and your taste buds are already building up into that chocolate craving frenzy. Am I right or am I right.

So apart from a front-row seat at Chocoholics Anonymous, what am I getting at?

The Psychology of Your Blog’s Readers: Human Brains and Images

I’m not literally talking about images of the human brain, despite that cool photo – unless of course that’s the topic of your blog. No I’m talking about the psychology of the human mind, which is unusual for me as I’m normally talking about dog psychology.

Anyway, unlike dogs with their scent-oriented brains we humans are practically ruled by images. When we see a picture of something it can evoke memories and more importantly emotions. Images have a profound effect on us, even more – I daresay – than words. (I’m just going to carry on, Sean can catch up). There is a truth to the saying “A picture speaks a thousand words”.

Don’t get me wrong. Expert artisans such as Sean and Janice are able to weave words together in an effortless manner resulting in a picture being painted directly to the canvas of our brains, if only we were all as blessed. Still, they’re not shy of calling on the power of images as and when needed. The good news for us is this; that same immense power is available for us to tap into.

Why Using Images in Your Posts is Vital to Your Blog’s Health

Images can provide a cue to what your post is going to be about,  a visual backup for your message, especially your headline. They are also a direct line to your reader’s emotions and as all good writers know, a great story is all about the emotions.

Furthermore they act as a sub-conscious break for the reader. Don’t ask me why but we can sit down for hours reading a best-selling novel, losing time – and ourselves – to the pages with hardly a thought given to the lack of images. Yet when it comes to reading anything online there is nothing worse than a wall of text.

Freelance Folder points out the 5 Steps For Finding the Perfect Image. You should also check out Eric’s Motivate Thyself site for some stunning examples of images at work.

I’m off to find a bar of chocolate.

About the author: Marc is a freelance writer. Subscribe to his blog today to receive practical advice for your writing career.

hot chocolate photo courtesy of macinate
human brain in a jar courtesy of hatchibombotar

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• Canadian environmental groups have filed a misleading advertising complaint against Nestle disputing claims in an ad by the world's largest food company that its bottled water has numerous ecological benefits.
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• Greenpeace has new evidence which shows that Nestle - the makers of Kit Kat - are using palm oil produced in areas where the orangutans' rainforests once grew. Even worse, the company doesn't seem to care.

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Canadian environmental groups have filed a misleading advertising complaint against Nestle disputing claims in an ad by the world's largest food company that its bottled water has numerous ecological benefits.

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Greenpeace has new evidence which shows that Nestle - the makers of Kit Kat - are using palm oil produced in areas where the orangutans' rainforests once grew. Even worse, the company doesn't seem to care.

nnDo I really need to go on about how Nestle is by no means a Sustainable Brand?
nnnSC Johnson - Makers of Pledge, Ziploc, Off!, Glade, Raid, Windex, Scrubbing Bubbles, and Drano. What a collection of sustainable products they have! I have featured them as a Greenwash of the Week before, Treehugger has added them to their Greenwash Watch series, and Seventh Generation wonders when Drano became "non-toxic and environmentally friendly". A Sustainable Brand? I think not.nnWal-Mart - For my money, I have saved the best for last here. In fact, just yesterday it was announced that Wal-Mart is being fined $27.6 million dollars for environmental violations in California. What better timing than right before they head to a conference on being sus" border=0>Greenwash Of The Week: Sustainable Brands 2010. What do you get when a bunch of unsustainable companies pay a lot of money to become sponsors/attendees of an upcoming event called Sustainable Brands? You get a massive greenwashing event where "real" sustainable brands like the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Interface Americas, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Living Homes, and the......

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Blogging When You’re Just Not Feeling it

Sometimes we don’t want to write. Writing to a prompt is a lot easier than simply writing. Here’s what I do to make sure I always have something fresh to write.

Writing in Mass

We’ve all been there – we’re supposed to drop a post for the coming day, but the idea of sitting down and writing is about as appealing as chasing 200 sit-ups with a Brussel sprout smoothie. The feeling of looming drudgery is not something we ever want to face with our blogs. The moment our blogs begin to feel like a chore is the precise moment our human nature will render waning enthusiasm to resentment. Our jaundiced fervor will show in our voice, displayed for all our readers to see. One surefire way to guard yourself against this feeling is to have a bank of posts ready for publishing at any time. 

How do you brim a bank with posts when getting one out at a time is such a chore already? Easy. Stop writing one at a time.

The more you can streamline production, the more efficiently your blog will run overall. The more efficiently your blog is running, the more fun you will have, and the more opportunities you will be able to see. As my daily writing duties expanded from one piece of writing to twenty, I knew I would flounder without a system; every day a struggle spent hoping I could soon catch up.

The most effective method I’ve found to fill my bank is to write my posts in batches. Think about it: your brain is an efficient machine, but it will only work as orderly as you demand. Sitting down to write a post each day is not an effective strategy. Compare the act of muscling through one post per day to sitting in the same spot and spitting out a week’s worth of content and then scheduling it all to drop the following week. 

Once you’re writing your articles in batches, you can then start to streamline the process even further. Let’s say there are 3 components to penning a post: research; write; refine. Each time you switch from one task to the next, you are asking your brain to slow down, shift gears, and change direction. Decide on the number of posts you want to write and then complete each step in full. 

RESEARCH: If you gather a lot of your ideas from reading other blogs, then spend some time online reading and making notes. If you draw your inspiration from the well of the world passing before your eyes, that’s fine too. Just make sure that you have a few notes, lines, sketches, or anything that will help you to get started. It is infinitely easier to pull an inferno from a spark than it is fan a flame from nothing. Once your research is in place, you can move on to the writing.

WRITE: This is the hardest part for most, yet it doesn’t have to be. Don’t slow to think. Be confident in your pending edit and write your words with abandon. Know you will thicken the good and trim the bad. Allow your mind to wander and release. Finish one post and then bounce from one subject to the next. You’re in writing mode now; your synapses should be spinning, creativity crackling, and writing rolling along with a lot more ease. Let it spill, then bring your mop to the edit.

REFINE: Once you have a few drafts finished, it’s time to take it from the top. The dish will have cooled and flavors settled. Now you should be able to truly taste what you might not have in the immediate aftermath of your first draftg. Sharpen your voice, augment your arguments, and eliminate any unnecessary tangents. Add a bit color to your black and white by adding a picture if you so desire, then schedule your posts for publishing. 

Writing a week’s worth of content in one fell swoop isn’t necessarily easy, but it is effective, and if you want to pull all you can from blogging, it is absolutely worth the effort. 

Sean

Sean Platt is a dad and freelance writer. Subscribe to his feed or follow him on Twitter.

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Is Focusing On Good Grammar Detrimental To Your Blog’s Health?

NOTE: This is s a guest post from Marc, a freelance writer at Welsch Scribe.

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