the challenge going from legal content blogging to non-legal blogging involves the requirement to not only be informative but to be entertaining. with blogs, unlike video, readers must do the work. their hard work of reading should reward them with a smile or perhaps a eureka moment. hopefully, their time thumbing through your article on their smart phone will give them a trivia question to stump people or a starting of point for a conversation with a friend. as a blogger, at times i feel like a blind and deaf comic who can neither hear the audience’ laughter or see their smiles. sometimes, it is simply a matter of faith as to whether some work is appreciated.
besides dynamic writing, concept and organization improves blogging. ayn rand’s book the art of nonfiction a guide for both writers and readers is a worthy read. author and philosopher ayn rand book consists of a series of lectures on the topic which were reduced to writing.
while blogging did not exist at the time of ms. rand’s lectures, her concepts of subjects and themes apply.
with respect to themes, she recommends that “you should not select a theme which is too big, either. if you choose a miniscule event and try to build a broad theme around it, you will end up with floating abstractions [i.e. abstractions not connected to reality], since your subject gives you insufficient material for that broad an approach.”
she also talks of employing themes are within someone’s knowledge and interests as opposed to something requiring much research. she also discussed an important concept of topic novelty. [is there something new or unique that your are bringing to the topic?]
finally, she asks the questions, what do you want to write about? what do you want to say about the subject? and what is the element of novelty in your theme?
ms. rand’s approach can improve many blogs. while i have seen numerous bloggers who have done an excellent job tackling ms. rand’s concerns and creating wonderful posts, there are others who could benefit from addressing ms. rand’s three questions.
be well!!
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The Ten Commandments Project 