Do you agree with this?
Blog posts aren’t college essays. They aren’t news features or billboard signs or technical manuals.
Blogging has its own style. Unlike academic essays, blog posts are entertainment.
Okay, they aren’t purely entertainment. They’re also chock full of information. You can find a character creation guide for your story, for example. Or how to travel the world almost for free.
But blogging isn’t, and shouldn’t, aim to be academic. Or even formal.
Some bloggers disagree. Some bloggers are slaves to the outdated rules of grammar and spelling that make writing drag. Their readers have to chew the prose too long. Why write the chuck steak, all gristle and fat, when you can write filet mignon?
Posts should be juicy. Tasty. Easy to chew.
Readers shouldn’t have to read a sentence three times just to catch its meaning. Especially when plenty of bloggers out there won’t waste their time.
Rules like these kill that easy style:
- “Sentences must be complete with subject-verb agreement.”
- “Never start a sentence with ‘and.’”
- “Don’t split infinitives.”
Ignore them.
I say, if a rule makes it hard to catch your meaning, throw it out. Because a blog post that telegraphs meaning into your reader is better than one that follows the rules. Writing is communication. All “rules” should be in service to that.
If you want more readers. And if you want to show appreciation for your reader’s time. You’ll write to communicate instead.
So drop that rule about prepositions at the end of a sentence. That rule was shipped out to the island of antiquated prose years ago anyway. Now it roommates with “thou” on a dirty mattress where they watch Howdy Doody reruns and eat stale pizza.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s good to know the rules of English. I’m in a long-term love affair with the English language. It’s why I’m a writer.
But that doesn’t mean I’m faithful to one style. It’s my mission to understand them all, in fact. Journalism. Technical writing. Novels. Flash fiction.
The best writers are style sluts. Hemingway was a style slut. He married journalism. And then he married novel writing. And he kept short stories on the side.
My official writing background is academic. Did you know that? In college, I won awards for my essays. Professors passed out copies of my work to teach my classmates how to write. And now I coach college students in academic writing.
So, yes, I know the rules. And I’m still telling you to break them.
As Strunk and White say in their iconic Elements of Style, you’ve got to know the rules if you want to break them. So learn the rules of writing, yes. But then for heaven’s sake, break them! Break those writing rules!
Your blog posts suffer when you don’t. Your readership suffers. Their eyes glaze over and roll back. Their brains go numb.
Don’t believe me? Read Why Is Academic Writing So Academic? Then decide if blog writing should be formal. I bet you’ll agree with me then. Hell, after reading that article, you may turn on academic writing altogether.
Style is important. Because you’ve got to know who you’re writing for if you want to reach them. And most online readers aren’t academics.
So, baby, stop worrying about the rules. Just get out there and write.
Thank you for this! I used to shy away from blogging because I couldn’t be myself. Then I started writing like I think. Like I talk. My husband said when he reads things I write he knows it’s me. That is what writers should care about. Being themselves.
It’s good you have a distinct style. So many people are looking for their unique voice. If you’ve found yours, you’re ahead of most bloggers.
I so agree with you.
I believe in being yourself and adding depth to it.
Same happens to me. My Boyfriend gets a amazed by how easy I write and he also know its me, but I don’t have a technique I just let it go! hehe.
Great advice. I know I’m likely to go elsewhere if a blog is hard to read and I’m on a break. I like to see a writer’s voice shine through so I know she is talking to me — not an editor.
Hi.
Glad I came across this post on how not to write. I had doubts if my writing was too informal not anymore. love the advice of breaking all the grammar rules. Blogging for two months and still trying to find my voice but think I’m getting there.
Humor seems to work for me so I’m going to stick with it.
Thanks for the great advice.
Nice, Jehan. Glad you’re feeling like you’re better able to follow your gut without worrying too much about the formality and grammar rules of it all. Sometimes all we need is a little validation of what we know already. Best wishes!
So glad I found this post. I’ve been struggling to find my blogger voice. My natural style of writing is formal and academic, so trying to loosen up and write in a casual tone is challenging for me. Thanks for sharing your insight.
Well your site design is gorgeous, so you’ve got that covered. The content is interesting. The tone isn’t as formal as you’re probably worried about. Maybe just pretend you’re writing a letter to a friend when you write your next post. That usually gets bloggers into the right mindset. Good luck!
Love it! I feel this way, too. I’m also a writing nerd, essay winner, and grammar-error-catcher. But I ain’t afraid to start a sentence with a conjunction when it makes my point!
C
Oh, this is why I could not blog. I cannot stand to see “its” where “it’s” should be. The glaring mistake makes my brain jump a beat for my heart. It really is difficult to not notice and focus on the message. I’ve tried. Between blogging and texting our masses are learning a fast way of communication but sacrificing higher learning.
Reading this just made me so happy! I recently just ventured out on my first blog, I have a Masters degree in Psychology and I do a lot of report writing. I was always good at writing essays in school, and continue to write papers for the field of psychology I am in. Blog writing is a whole other animal, getting words about something now academic on the page is sometimes difficult. This made me feel so much better about the style I have adopted.
Heminway is my favorite author and I loved your comment “The best writers are style sluts. Hemingway was a style slut. He married journalism. And then he married novel writing. And he kept short stories on the side” Phenomenal!
Thanks for the kudos 🙂 And good for you for developing your own style. It’s tough to train our writing style from the academic after so many years drilling it into ourselves, but if we can learn one style we can learn another.
Best wishes on your new blog venture!
I’m envious of your confidence in your writing. I write for my graduate school assignments but I always feel so inadequate compared to my peers. English is my 3rd language and I didn’t get much formal grammar education, just learned from reading and everyday conversations. I started my blog in hopes of gaining confident in my writing.
I’m not sure if my voice is apparent in my blog posts but I hope to grow and find a distinct style.
I agree with the idea that a bloggers writing should not be stilted. The writing should be in the blogger’s own unique voice. Writing should not be something a person dreads.
However, no matter how casual your style, spelling and serious grammatical mistakes make you appear unprofessional or just too lazy to proofread your post before you hit publish.
Most blogs’ readers are educated enough to be put off by a poorly written piece.
Your post has an easy going, casual feel to it but you obviously proofread it well to correct any spelling errors there might have been.
A casual style is fine as long as your writing is the best quality you can make it.
I agree with you with one addendum, Marcia.
You’re right that it’s important to proofread regardless of style. For example you may decorate your house in country chic or rustic industrial, but either way you’d dust and keep the dishes clean.
Same goes with writing. Choose your style, but clean up the errors.
However, don’t let fears about typos keep you from writing or putting yourself out there. If a typo gets passed you, who really cares? It’s more important to get something into the world.
Thanks for sharing your insight!
Is blogging the only way to communicate these days? Who reads newspapers and periodicals of substance? I’ve always written in my voice with a bit of humor thrown in. My newspaper columns were popular. However, I am getting the idea that blogs must read like fast advertising copy in order to appeal to readers who have short attention spans. Is using proper grammar discouraging and offensive to people whose idea of communicating is by texts and twitter? I am deeply concerned about our focus on speed versus substance. ..IMHO. 😉
Blogging is definitely a different platform than periodicals, Marcia. You’re right. The bright screen we read them off of alone creates eye fatigue. That means shorter paragraphs and lots of negative space gives the eye a break. And the medium is more conversational, less formal, and more like speaking than writing.
Change is tough, but flexibility is a must (especially in communication). Thanks for weighing in!
I am so glad someone wrote this– we already have students who actually don’t know HOW to spell! When I see really poor writing with lots of misspells and typos, I am feeling offended, disinterested and seeking more intelligent (not stuffy) writing
I don’t blog but do read; I also remember telling my daughter to pay attention to her grammar as well S punctuation in her emails especially for business electronic mail should reflect the respect and intelligence of the writer So there, that’s my two cents
This is great! And too true–but I thought so anyway, so perhaps my praise is self-serving. You just cannot structure your blog posts like a draft submission for a peer-reviewed journal and expect readers to be engaged. Unless they are related to you, and even then it’s a hollow victory. Thanks for the post! #styleslut
Thank you! Thank you so much! You inspired me to keep writing the way that I love to write.
I couldn’t agree more! I love to write as I speak as much as I hate academic writing.
So true! The blogs I enjoy the most are ones that speak to me like a best friend!
This is the best blog post I have read and is different from what I usually read within my niche. I majored in Enlgish and Every. Single. Writing. Assignment. Is. Formal! This is what I often write academically because I often find it is quite challenging to me. I don’t like writing research papers, and most times I do a lot of researches for my blog posts. I just don’t want to write like one. Having a unique style on a blog post draws more attention, and this is the reason I like this post. I learn the best way having my own writing style when I write my blog post is much comfortable than academic writing.
There’s a lot to learn from academic writing. But it does encourage outdated styles that distract from communication in everyday writing. So good for you for breaking out, Sam. Keep what works. Throw out what doesn’t. And good luck!
Great! Well said! Once I started writing, instead of just pictures, I wrote the way I speak. Then I go back and check for spelling and usage errors. I think it works for me.
Judi and the Blue Cat
thanks for the remarks….got to be me and quit worrying about all the grammer rules I’ve learned.
AHH! YESS! I love putting my own quirky side into my posts and not stressing about writing “rules!”
Yes I agree. Although spellcheck is a must. Badly spelt blogs can lose credibility. I also dislike blogs that go on and on and on and on….
I just started a blog (like 5 minutes ago no joke!) and struggled with this myself. My favorite blogs are the ones that are written as if they are in a conversation with me. If I turned in my conversations they’d be chalk full of red ink. Thanks for the validation on this!
Just checked out your site and it’s gorgeous. Love the concept too. Congrats, Cheri! Here’s to blogging like we speak 🙂
It is good advice, but it’s taken me a long time to even begin to follow it. I don’t want to write bite sized digestible lists that people are willing to read. I got into blogging because I love the art of writing. I love words and the intricate telling of stories and then I’m told cut it short. Like it or not I get it. Save the “real” writing for the novel. It doesn’t have to be bad writing. Just short, simple and to the point.
You don’t have to write list posts, although those are a lot of fun to write sometimes. As long as you have a target audience in mind who will enjoy or appreciate what you’re sharing, you’re good to go, CeCe. I would encourage you to experiment and see what works. Lots of bloggers write in-depth posts that their readers love. Good luck!
I definitely made this mistake early on. I began blogging when I began my doctoral program; what a nightmare.
In turn, I wrote like or attempted to write like a scholar on my blog; not only was it a bore but a chore as well. I’ve sense deleted those “manuscripts” and started over.
Honing my communicative voice has been far more beneficial than scholarly blog writing. LOL
Love this! Such great advice! I am still relatively new to the blog world. I have a food blog. When I began, my passion was in the photography and food. I cringed at the writing part. I originally started out with a more formal style. I was bored reading my own articles so I quickly realized that just wasn’t going to work. Formal isn’t my personality nor my style. I began writing as if I was talking to my readers around coffee or a glass of wine. That has really helped my posts. I still have a lot of growing room, but I am finding my style and voice in this journey. Thanks for the tips Mandy@
Mama, you totally speak my language. I’m a freelance editor, and know the rules, but part of the allure of blogging is that I can write the way I talk. It’s a fun expression of self, and I totally dig it. I’m so, so happy to see I’m not alone.
I should really proof my comments before posting them. Oh, the irony. My head hangs in shame.
It’s liberating, isn’t it? How much easier it is to communicate when we just write without the self-conscious, stilted prose of academia.
I am new to the blogging world, and this article has just given me confidence to just be me. To just put myself on paper. I was confused as to what style to try to perfect, but this post let me know I already have perfected a style, the one I have always had all along.
Thanks Mandy
Some of the most popular blogs in the world though are directed at bloggers, they are highly technical, tend to be very long and are far from entertainment.
In most cases with bloggers though, I would agree that they should be entertainment and individual style like your writing to a friend.
I violate just about every blogging principle there is on my style, because my style is the crotchety old fart that isn’t limited to 120 words to the newspaper editor anymore.
But I am not so much about people reading me. That is not my niche. My niche is people reading other bloggers that are either entertainment, news, information or whatever the case may be.
If my 5,000 word post runs off most people, mind numbs a bunch, upsets a few because its controversial and I stepped on a fan favorite thing they do or are into, it is somewhat mission accomplished. Because here is the real point I am trying to get across on what I write. I am not there to be popular to begin with. I am there to say it as I see it and I will try to be a bit friendly in the process.
I am there to say what I think is, so people know, this is a critique site and possibly a critical jerk in some ways along with it, although I try a bit to not step on to many toes unnecessarily, but I will step on the ones that seriously need to be stepped on. I won’t pick on other bloggers. Its not my thing, put I will pick the daylights out of the stuff they run into trying to have a bit of viability.
And, oh, I broke the and rule. And there is a clear point to this. People may not like me. They may find me long, windy, boring, mind numbing. All good as long as they take me seriously on this one thing, which is that I am serious about this, and that is other bloggers.
When I point to another blogger and say, that is a good blog, I am serious about that also. If your interested in what they are writing about, give that person a shot at reading them.
I don’t care if I get seen by 10,000 people a day and only 1000 read me fully, as long as a whole lot of them read the ones that are really good bloggers, deserve to be read and a primarily gamed system is stopping it.
I could read your writing style. It’s cool.
Great insight
great post! I felt relief reading it, I write my blog in a conversational style- I was a little worried clicking over you were going to say I had it all wrong. -and “Hemingway was a style slut….” ….best quote!!! 🙂
teaching my kids to write in our homeschool, I have over and over reminded them that you have to learn the rules (the grammar) before you can break them in an effective and/or artistic way that works. -agree with you here, wholeheartedly.
Sounds like you’ve got all the major points, Jenn. And extra points for homeschooling! That’s awesome.
Thank you for your great advise. I am just in the planning stages of my blog and came across this piece shared on pinterest. You’ve given me the confidence to be myself! x
That’s great news, Emily. Good luck with your blog. Let me know when it’s finished so I can check it out.
This is a great guide to writing blog posts. Thank you so much for posting this because this is great to make my blog posts better!
For me it depends on the type of blog. If it’s a blog about family life or, maybe faith, then I enjoy the blogger using their own unique voice and expressing themselves through an article type writing. But, if I’m on Pinterest, and I’m pinning a recipe, then I really don’t want to have to read through flowery 1000’s of words before it finally gets to the recipe itself. I usually scroll right on through everything and go straight to the details.
Thanks for this refreshing blog post, Mandy! As a new blogger I find that there is so much to learn and I’m always wondering if I’m “doing it right”! But now I feel ok knowing there aren’t really rules in blogging 😉
Love your site!
Yes! Your blog is YOUR space. Use it to help others, of course. But it’s also a testing ground for you to try new things. It should reflect you and your unique voice (the voice that, to you, doesn’t seem that unique or remarkable at all but to everyone else is SO YOU).
Such a great post!
I love bloggers that have their own style. Its nice to read coming from someone who is a writer to break the rules. Im so not a writer and start I sentences with and… LOL.
Really helpful post for a newbie blogger like me! ,much love
Hmm, I heard that before. Let me see where I did…. Oh yeah, I saw something like this on copyblogger.
As far as I recall, it was a post of sir Jon Morrow who described the freedom of writing.
Yaah, that post really set me free.
Reading lots of blogs may make you thing you need to adhere to ‘Chained Rules’. I still remember those days when rules rode me, but I’ve been able to kick those chains out hopefully.
One sentence I can still remember from that article,
“People would rather chew of their eyelids than reading more than 3 pages of your dull boring essay”.
It was something close to that.
Thanks ma’am for your post, I guess we do need authority people to remind us what’s good for us.
Thank u so much.
~ M.H.Shoab
Thanks for sharing this! Your blog is an inspiration for me.. ❤️
Glad to hear it, Janeth <3
This is so true. I always loved writing and was nervous that my issues with the traditional style of writing would create a problem, but once I started blogging for myself and checking out more blogs I realized that I had found my home and didn’t have to be restricted by academic writing rules. Loved this post I will be sharing.
Thanks, Dia! I’m so glad to hear that you know you’re free to write for your readers instead of high school teachers. That’s an important writerly breakthrough in my book <3
Does anyone have any favorite online resources on the rules of writing? The subject isn’t entertaining enough for me to read a book on it (god only knows how that book would be…). I’m also looking for something that’s basic, to the point, and able to be informative in a helpful and relatable manner. Does such a site exist? Or even an article that quickly covers the basics or lays everything everything out by topic? Because I would LOVE to see it. 🙂
When you say ‘rules of writing,’ what do you mean, Ash?
If it’s punctuation and grammar you need to brush up on (because you have to know the rules to break them), then you might like Grammar Girl. You said you don’t want a book, so I’m assuming you’ve already heard of and dismissed Strunk and White’s Elements of Style.
If it’s fiction “rules” you’re looking for, search Pinterest for writing tips. You’ll find more wonderful bloggers and writers sharing their writing journeys there than you’ll know what to do with 🙂
Good luck!
Thanks Mandy! Yes, I’m into personal writing so I’m concerned with grammatical “rules” rather than the laws of fiction. I’m all for books but, yes, it’s reads like Strunk and White’s Elements Of Style that make better sleep aids than they do good reads. 😉
I’ll be sure to check out Grammar Girl! Thanks so much!
I agree that blog posts don’t have to be formal, but I believe following simple rules of grammar is essential. Following the “no prepositions at the end of the sentence” rule doesn’t detract from the sentence’s meaning; neither does using subject-verb agreement. The only blog posts that really bother me are a) the ones with such verbiage as to make you think you’re reading Dickens who got paid more the more words he wrote and b) the ones who have no idea what grammar, spelling, and punctuation are. And the blog posts I usually like the best? (The one grammar rule I’ve never followed is “Don’t start a sentence with ‘and.'”) They’re the ones where the prose is intentional, where sensual adjectives are used, where the writer is clearly an artist. I don’t ship great writing away just because of great entertainment.
Dance A Real
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Hannah. All the best
I totally agree! To me, blogging is personal. You should write like you’re having a one on one conversation, almost.
Hello Mandy,
Thank you for such a nice article. I want to mention It’s really important for a blogger to express his/her feelings but not to showcase their knowledge about language.
Highly Recommended for the newbies.
Regards,
Vikas Singh
I couldn’t possibly agree more! In addition to being a blogger, I teach English language arts and am a professional proofreader. Knowing when to use which style of writing is critical. You’ve got to consider your audience and go with what appeals to them. This is spot on!
Nice, Carole! Thanks for weighing in.
Thank you, Nice advice.
I’m newbie at this writing blog, I guess I already know my writing style but it’s made me doubt, and wonder why my writing wasn’t like other blogger.
I really love this, it’s not a standard copy/paste thing you see everywhere!
Thanks for this! I found this article on Pinterest. I know there are literary bloggers that do write very formal. I like to write how things sound in my head. I will edit them later, but I will never write very formal.
It’s good you’re doing what makes sense to you, Katina. It’ll show in your writing.
Thank you for the article. I have grammarly, and while I think it is great most of the time, some times I think it is a little over the top. One of its problems is the confused words. I say to myself, “yes, I meant that word.” It is good to know I can be a little loose with my blog posts, and have my own sense of style.
Yes, definitely be yourself in your writing. Go, Patricia!
“The best writers are style sluts.” Might the best line that I have ever read in my entire life. I just started writing a blog and I do find myself having a few different stylistic intentions when it comes to writing. But your advice is something that I’m going to take to heart. I tend to write in chunks, like bigger paragraphs and I think that might turn people off. But now after reading this, I have more confidence that my ramblings will do better than I originally had hoped for.
All the best
DF
Thanks, DF! I’m loving your hyperbole and I’m gonna pretend all day that you meant it literally haha! Yes, go with your gut. And then just keep what turns out well. Best to you!
Thanks for the advice! I just started a blog and while I am a big proponent of throwing out some of the formal rules, I have to watch my paragraphs! Taking your reader into account is probably one of the most important factors to look at when blogging – I mean, why else are you writing one???? Keep up the good work, I love reading pointers!
I like this article, as I am in the early stages of launching my blog site. Curious on your thoughts on how to proceed if I want to provide print editors with a link to my blog. I’m hoping to eventually get a leg up and become published in prin . So I don’t know if I should be conversational in my blog or somehow marry the 2 distinct forms of writing. I know I’ll get more general traffic with conversational works, but for my goal, what would you recommend?
Good question, Amber. And you’re thinking in the right way about leveraging your blog to break into other forms of writing. I mentor new bloggers who want use their blogs to break into writing careers. And usually I suggest you write a blog post in the tone of a blog post and an article in the tone of an article, etc. Editors understand that there are different forms of writing. This worked for me. I just linked a few of my best performing posts when I pitched article ideas to my first publication, and the editor said yes that same week. And you can always write something in a more serious or formal tone once or twice for the writing sample or just to see if it connects or feels right.
Thanks for this question!
Thank you so much for this! I’ve been making this mistake but now I know I have to change it. It’s all about being yourself. Love the advice!
Funny how often we have to be reminded, huh? I feel ya!
Phewww I feel better now where have you been …I need this… thank you! Mandy
Glad it was helpful, Frida 😀
I just started my blog and this is something I was worried about. You know, sounding too formal. I have posts that have a lot of medical info in them and less “me.” But then I also have posts that are really “me.”
Hi Destiny! I’d say aim for a consistent voice on your blog regardless of topic. It’s okay to show your personality and still link to medical references. Keeping that consistent voice or tone is easier if you imagine one person you’re always writing those blog posts for. Have fun and good luck!
I really love this post, but, I believe there is a major flaw for a beginning blogger or one who doesn’t know the “rules,” which is you can’t challenge what you don’t know. Now, saying this I didn’t read all the comments either.
I agree with you absolutely that no one wants to read an novel on a blog. I was a journalist for over 10 years and we have to write on an 8th grade reading level, sometimes lower depending on the audience. Sad really. And with even I want to the point and enjoyment such as a feature story without it’s ADD meds.
Despite what I said about people needing to know the rules to break them, which I still think is true, it’s a great idea and helps make a blog flow.
Sound advice that I will use once my own blog is up and running.
Thanks!
The reading level issue isn’t so sad because it’s less a reflection of the reader’s reading ability than it is a reflection of the mindset a reader is in when they’re consuming news stories.
You settle in to read Nabokov, but news stories need to be easily digestible while you’re also cooking breakfast, thinking about your to do list, and trying to get the kids to stop bickering.
Thanks for weighing in, Holly.
Thanks for your article!
My husband is a college professor so he has the academic writing down but he started out writing fiction and still loves that writing style.
I try to get him to review my blog posts to make sure my my writing follows the “rules” but he says if it doesn’t sound like me then it’s not worth posting. If he can’t hear my voice/personality come through then he tells me to keep working on it. I’ll be honest, sometimes I get annoyed, like REALLY annoyed at him, but I get it now.
Your article gives me confidence to keep going and not worry about following all the rules. Like you said, learn the rules so you know how to break them!
P.S. I entered my website but I haven’t officially launched it yet . I’m still working on the layout so hopefully it will be up and running soon .
I’ll definitely share this post!
Awesome, Shauna! Glad to hear your confidence is boosted, but it sounds like you were already on the right track. Good luck with your website!
I totally agree that your blog should show your personal writing style. Not what a professor wants!
THANK YOU!!!!!
I think that means it helped. Woot!
Hey Mandy, nice to meet you!
Great tips! I tend to lean toward a very prosy writing style. They say writers should be readers, but Austen is probably not helping my style 🙂 I’m subscribing, pinning, and looking forward to more tips!
Glad to have you, Meredith!
I’m so fond of new tastes in writings, also written many of thins also. But after reading your views are so healthy that I ate it all nicely. Thanks a lot Mandy.
The tendency to write like you’re in college is so real. It’s like, as a blogger, you have to learn to unlearn haha. Very key point to make, thanks for the post 🙂
So true, Vivian! It’s a different style for sure. But that academic writing comes in handy in business sometimes!
Great post Mandy! Writing papers for school, followed by emails in the corporate world, has made finding my blog writing style a challenge. I tend to want to do things the “proper” way. I love that you’re giving me permission to break the rules LOL. Thanks!
Happy to help! (I know how you feel)
Just found this on Pinterest and it’s so helpful! Thank you!!
“Blog posts aren’t college essays.” What I had to (and still have to) immediately internalize after starting my blog right out of college. A good point to bring to light. Sweet post Mandy! 🙂
Great advice! Sometimes when I write I think oh I need to go back and look for errors so much that I’m reading over and over again… and then sometimes I remember I’m writing in my own voice and not to sweat it.
I’m thinkn a startn a blog and checkd out yer site with great joy. Thank you, thank you for confirming my question as to be myself and break the rules. I was often marked down at school for starting a sentence with ‘and’, so am pleased that won’t happen now. But I see you and some of your replies break a rule so obvious it hasn’t been assigned a rule: Never end a sentence with ‘and’ !
Such a great article! I found myself writing blog posts in a “professional” manner and realized two things. One: that narrator is boring. Two: the narrator is bored writing like that. Voice is huge in writing. And if I can’t use the one that belongs to me, why bother? Thanks for the encouragement!
I love this! It is so freeing to know that I can just be myself while blogging. To me that’s so huge! I want to be myself and not worry about what others think about me. Doesn’t everyone want that? Thanks a bunch for posting this!;)
This is such great advice. I struggle with this sometimes, but I’m trying to get better. Blog posts that are broken up are so much easier to read, than if using a typical academic style – with paragraphs. I find that if I’m reading a blog post like that, I start skimming around.
Thank you for your affirmation! I tried writing as if I’m doing an essay, formal and all but you’re right. It’s a drag. So Recently I switched to a new style. I write as if I’m talking to a bff and I include humor. I’m starting to doubt whether I mase the right decision but thanks to you I gained confidence on that style again. I realized, I skip blog posts that are too formal so why should I write something like that right? Plus I’ve got a personal/lifestyle blog so I should just use my own voice 🙂
This was incredibly fun to read! I see so many bloggers talking about not worrying about grammar and proper spelling, but their arguments weren’t compelling. It sometimes comes across as incredibly lazy, but you made it engaging! Thanks for the awesome post.
xx Kaelin | livinginsaturn.com
Thank you for writing about this! I’ve only recently admitted to myself that I love to write and want to cultivate that ambition. I started a blog to help motivate myself to write often and to get it out there, although I am sure no one reads it except my close friends and family. Still, it’s doing the trick and getting me to commit in a way I haven’t before to an idea about myself that I was scared to embrace. I would appreciate an outsiders perspective on the blog and my voice there.
Style sluts! Ha…that cracked me up! Thank you for sharing your writing tips.
Such relevant info, thanks for sharing. This popped up on my Pinterest recently and I find I am having trouble with my blog for where I work. I’m trying to make it a personal blog instead of a blog with just company info, industry, and stuff, something people can read and relate to. I think writing with a less formal style and making it more personal will help our customers feel more comfortable about the process. Thanks again for the article!
Glad it helped! Good luck with your blog, Angela!
A breath of fresh air! I wish the company I write for could wrap their little minds around this concept. As a reader, if it sounds too much like an academic research paper, I get a headache. And I have an M.A. so have written my share of academic papers. I don’t read them for entertainment.
I completely agree with this! Thanks for helping boost my confidence in my writing style. A sense of humor and a laid back attitude is what gets me through the day, if that’s not conveyed in my writing, well…it’s not me!
This is suuuuch a good post. Thank you.
While I wholeheartedly agree, it’s worth making it clear that not following the rules of spelling and grammar it’s not an excuse for bad writing. You have to know the rules to break them effectively and with purpose. To have fun and be playful with the language.
So true that you have to know the rules to break them effectively. Thanks, Dominika 😉
I just wanted to let you know you had a great pin for this post. I searched “writing blog posts” on Pinterest and got flooded with pins. Yours really stood out with the “How NOT to” heading. Well done!
I’m glad to hear that and that it led to us connecting, Sheri!
Thank you for this post! I am a virtual assistant, and I have had some constructive criticism from one or two people for being too “familiar” in my blog posts. I tried to explain that when you are an online presence that you can be informative, but that you also have to have a level of familiarity to show your audience that you are also a real human being. Reading this article reinforced what I thought to be true about blog posts, so I thank you for the reassurance.
Good for you, Amanda! I’m glad you’re following your instincts. Before the internet came along, we separated written and oral communication into formal and informal. But with more of our informal interactions happening in written form online, it makes sense to be casual and simply connect with others.
Excellent post! As many have stated, including you, a blogger should not read this post an interpret it as permission to be lazy. We have all encountered so many blogs where the informal language is poorly executed, and ultimately can be just as confusing as overly academic writing.
I would definitely say that my blog posts suffer from being hard to digest. The ideas are sometimes complicated and nuanced, and I don’t always navigate the topic effectively to communicate my ideas clearly. However, I enjoy the struggle to do so.
While I’m aware that many readers won’t spend the time to wrestle with some of my posts, I would perhaps disagree with you that doing so would be a waste of time. All I can do is try not to let my flawed writing be an additional obstacle to their experience.
This was a great post, though. It also stands as a perfect example of the very type of post your describing; juicy, clear, easy to process, and well written. Nice job!
Roger
Thank you for sharing this info, I truly liked your storytelling style.
Uh-oh! You’ve created a monster. Your post has me on the loose and now I can’t be held back. I’ll keep my rules at hand for a rainy day, but, greenlighted by you as I am from now on, I’ll have my cake and eat it too, while sharing with my potencial readers. Thanks!
Good luck, Jose!
Yes, yes!! this is so true when ever i try to write proper I lose my muse. i am new to blogging and this has taken a huge pressure from by shoulders. Also, yes to writing like thissss!!!!