How to Write a Blog Post If You Hate Writing

Do you hate writing? Are you struggling with learning how to write a blog, or to come up with blog post ideas? If so, you’re not alone. A lot of people find writing difficult, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

In this article, you will learn how to write a blog post by following 10 tips for writing blog posts that you enjoy.

Set Realistic Expectations When Writing a Blog Post

Before you start, if you’re struggling to come up with blog post ideas, it might be because you are setting the bar too high. When you write, don’t expect to produce a masterpiece right away. 

In fact, don’t even expect to produce something publish-worthy. Instead, set realistic expectations and begin by writing something that you know about and that’s enjoyable to write about.

But if you’ve done any writing and just got stuck, overcoming writer’s block is a common problem. But there are a few things that might help you push through it.

This may sound wishy-washy, but it works.  Set yourself up for success and avoid distractions during your blogging session.

This means:

• Before you start your session, visit the washroom so you don’t end up breaking your concentration.
• Turn ALL notifications off, except if you use a timer for intentionally setting a time limit for your session.
• If people know you work from home and like to drop in unannounced, put a note on the door “On a Call – do not disturb”.  
• If you have a dog, take her out so you’re not disturbed during your session.  My Mia gets a bone before my blogging session and other then the griding (which is just white noise for me), she’s quiet.
• Get yourself a glass of water or tea.

The purpose of setting yourself up for success is to come into the blogging session with a positive and relaxed frame of mind.  If you go into the session all stressed out or angry, things may not turn out the way you hope.

Brainstorm Blog Post Ideas About What You Know

Writing becomes much easier when you write about what you know.

If you are a

• finance coach, what’s a common question that you’re asked?  (how to save money for your first home)
• dog trainer, what’s a common behaviour that you’re seeing that needs to be corrected?  (jumping on strangers)
• graphic designer, what’s a common issue that new clients come to you with?  (thinking colours is what branding is about)
• floral designer, is there an arrangement that people come to you with, but are misinformed as to the meaning of the flowers?  (according to SymbolSage.com, Yellow is a colour that symbolizes happiness and positive thinking, but yellow carnations represent rejection and disregard)

Brainstorm these ideas.  They don’t need to be perfect.  You’re setting the stage for ideas and creativity.  As you’re writing all these down, you’ll know which one connects with you, because you’ll feel it.  You may want to create categories for your blog post ideas to help organize them.

The first step is to come up with an idea for your blog post. What are you going to say? What are the main points that you want to make? Once you have a good idea of what your post will be about, the next step is to start writing.

Take Breaks While Brainstorming Blog Post Ideas

If you’re finding the brainstorming process difficult, it’s probably because you’re focusing too much on the task at hand. When you start feeling overwhelmed or frustrated, take a break. Get up from your chair and take a walk around your office or house.

This will give your mind time to relax and allow new ideas to surface. 

Tip:  When I’m not feeling the creative flow,  I’ll watch laughing baby videos on YouTube (setting a 15 minute timer) and this clears my mind.  I’m focused on the babies, laughing along with them, that my mind becomes free and usually (not all the time) and idea will pop into my head about minutes into the video.

How to Write a Blog Post Outline to Help Keep you Focused

When you’re brainstorming blog post ideas, it’s important collect your thoughts and write them down as quickly as possible. However, don’t stop there. Are there topics within your blog post idea?  

For example, if we take the dog trainer, the blog post idea may be how to stop your puppy from reacting to other dogs.  Within that topic, there are additional topics such as:

• why this is a problem and what can happen if it’s not corrected
• the best leash to use when walking your puppy
• the proper way to approach people with dogs
• how to correct your dog with positive reinforcement
• benefits of using treats as a reward

When you sit down to write a blog post, your mind might go blank. It’s easy to get lost in the thoughts and ideas that are swirling around in your head, and it can be difficult to remember what you’re supposed to be writing about.

By creating an outline, this helps break up the blog post

• so it’s easier for the reader to consume
• it helps people to scan content get the gist of the post
• it also helps you stay focused on the topic.

This is especially important when you don’t enjoy writing. By outlining your post before you start actually writing, you’ll be able to produce a high-quality piece without much effort.

Write Your Crappy First Draft

There’s no polite way to explain this…I learned this term (using more creative language) from Joanna Weibe, who’s the Queen of conversion copywriting. 

Basically, you’re going to go into each section in your outline and write without doing editing anything. 

tip:  you may find it easier to voice dictate if you dislike the physical act of writing.  All smartphone have a voice dictation feature, start by recording the blog topics, the outline and then talk about the content in each outline section.    At the end you can transcribe this into written text or use it as a podcast instead.

Capture Attention by Starting With a Hook

At this point, you have a blog post idea, an outline and your first draft written.  Now it’s time to do some editing and you’re going to start by grabbing the readers attention.

It can be hard to get people to keep reading your blog post if it doesn’t have a strong hook. A good way to capture attention is to start your post with a catchy headline and introduction that will pique the reader’s interest. Then, use the rest of your post to make your argument in an interesting and compelling way.

For the post you’re reading right now, I started my introduction as follows:

Do you hate writing? Are you struggling to come up with blog post ideas? If so, you’re not alone. A lot of people find writing difficult, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

In this article, I will share with you 10 tips for writing blog posts that you enjoy.

I used a Problem, Agitation, Solution copywriting framework for my intro.  Talked about the problem, poked at it a bit and then offered some hope with my solution. 

For the dog trainer example used, your hook can be something like this: 

Do you dread taking your dog for a walk?  When you see someone coming towards you,  walking their dog, you can tell that your talk is going to react because his hackles are coming up.  You pull your dog back, turn around and head in another direction, out of fear that your dog will might attack.  In this post you’re doing to learn how to correct your dogs behaviour and make your walks more enjoyable.

Of course the primary solution is to take the dog to obedience training, but right now, you want to connect with the reader by addressing the problem and offering them hope.   

Enhance Your Blog Post by Using Images and Videos

Images and videos can help enhance your blog posts by providing visual information that can be easier to understand and more engaging for readers. When used correctly, images and videos can help to convey the message of your blog post in an effective way.

When selecting images or videos for your blog post, it is important to consider the content of the post and the target audience. Images that are relevant to the topic of the post should be selected. Additionally, images or videos that are visually appealing will be more likely to attract readers. It is also important to consider whether or not a video or image will fit into the flow of your text. If a video is included, it should be placed near the beginning of the post so that it does not interrupt readers’ reading experience.

Editing Your Blog Post

If you’re anything like me, you dread writing. It’s one of those dreaded tasks that always seems to take much longer than it should. So, how do you make writing a blog post less daunting? You start by writing the way you talk and make it more personal.

When you write about something that’s truly important to you, your readers will empathize with your thoughts and feelings. They’ll be more likely to read and share your post because they’ll understand where you’re coming from. And that’s the key to making any task less daunting: taking the time to connect with your audience on a personal level.

A tip is to dictate your draft into your phone and play it back or have someone else read it.

Place yourself in the shoes of your reader.

• Does this sound like you?  or do you sound too corporate or too casual?
• Would this connect with them? 
• Are you using language they understand?
• For each sub-topic, is your content focused? For example, if one of the sub-topics is about what leash to use on a walk, but you talk about dog treats, this doesn’t make sense.  Keep the content focused so it’s easier for the reader to consume your content in a natural flow.

Write with the Reader in Mind

In life, it’s often helpful to think about others. We’re better off when we can put ourselves in somebody else’s shoes, or at the very least imagine what they’re feeling.

This is especially important when it comes to writing. When you write for other people, you need to take into account their feelings and concerns. This is especially true if you’re writing about something controversial or sensitive.  In this examples used, nobody wants to be the owner of a bad dog.

One way to make sure that your writing is effective and respectful is to use the words “you and you’re” more often than “me, myself and I”. This will show that you’re taking your readers into account, and that you care about their feelings.

For example: 

Writing About Your Reader

In this post, you will learn how to use 5 tips to make walking your dog more enjoyable.

Writing About You

In this post, I will share with you how I’ve used these tips to help me walk my dog.

When you’re writing about your reader, they’ll connect with your words.  See themselves in the situation your describing.  

Now there’s nothing wrong in calling on your personal experience to validate what you’re writing about.  But just write about your user more than you write about yourself.

Edit and Polish Your Blog Post

It’s all too common to get sucked into editing your blog post until it’s perfect.

STOP – PERFECTION DOESN’T EXIST

Unless you’re getting paid to write, stop at your second revision.  Otherwise in the beginning, it’s going to take you hours and hours to finish your post.  The goal is to enjoy writing about what you know.

Get your blog post on your website, add your images and hit publish.  Repeat weekly.

Tip:  Once you get into a weekly routine for blogging, you may find yourself wanting to write more.  There’s nothing wrong with writing many blog posts, but just schedule them for publishing once a week, just in case you run into a situation that you’re not able to blog.

Conclusion

Follow these tips and you will be able to write blogs that are enjoyable for both you and your readers.  If you’re looking for more help on a blog post structure, this post will help you, otherwise, go and write your next blog post, enjoy and feel proud.