The art of writing blogs
When speaking about how to write a blog, its remind me to Paul Johnson charming essay on "the art of writing columns.
The first part is a delightful story of the newspaper column, which from Montaigne and Bacon, and then, unfortunately, focused in North America.
One of the things he says is that he believes the column as a regular publication of small trials of the author, predates the newspaper. I think that the weblogs or blogs are a step in that evolution that draws a regular dispersion of authors writing freely and many "small test" in "newspaper" that readers are made to measure. Yes, can the "column" is also a day after the newspaper.
The second part asks what defines a good columnist, found five key principles that will summarize and "adapted" to the blogosphere:
(1) The first is knowledge. Essential, but always within a balance that only broad who makes hundreds of links and information on your blog. No reader should read a post without taking a little treasure useful, interesting or unusual, something that did not know or had not been asked. Historical knowledge is extremely useful, it must merge smoothly with the personal memories of the recent past. Young people should be prudent and avoid pontificate.
Knowledge is not only encyclopedic data, the log writer to be a man or woman of the world. Known directly and not by reference, travel, participate, work, and if possible, know several languages. Meet other bloggers, of varied theme and trend, and participate in them. To treat many people in all conditions. Good journalism is about people always.
(2) After the readings are aware of books, blogs and other media. Readings and other blog entries should be present, but slider with grace, economy and sense of usefulness, which are always relevant and interesting. The second function of the readings is to produce ideas, or browsing the web. Occasionally painful screens are needed in the library or in the feeds by time and space constraints. This is a creative moment and reflect upon their own work.
(3) The third part is the instinct for the news. The reader's mind is always looking for novelty. The best entry is a blog that responds to novelty, ties with the past, towards the future and sets the theme with wit, wisdom and elegance. The news can be about anything, no matter their severity, as long as a new subject. A blog writer knows the topic of interest to detect progress in the face and shooting his post before the blogosphere is full of smoke and ties, capturing and valuable references on your progress. Sometimes it's a good tactic to take the theme of last week and see a reverse, but only if we have a valid and insightful perspective that is contrary to conventional views.
The method of Johnson is to write three or four columns on topics that have aroused interest, and the fourth indulge themselves about what they think is important, regardless of what appears in newspapers. The log writer probably have more freedom to choose their ratios, but I would suggest not to despise the present - readers will still want to know how can tune with it, or the way you view it - or simply reflect it, thus eventually be indistinguishable noise of the day.
(4) The fourth point is that Johnson suggests the need for variety, to jump between the fields of today and not just try, for example, politics. However, the reader has the blogosphere jump easier for himself in the newspaper, so this result is not replicated by either too stubborn in the same subject. Also important is the variety in the post itself: it is easier to move a finger to turn a page.
(5) Of the issues that should not repeat, the higher self. Nothing worse than being vain or egocentric. No player should appear on what is or promote personal causes that have no intrinsic merit or cross against the company that arranged us the evil machine. Here a blog allowed more flexibility in the end do not have the same responsibility to others in a newspaper. I personally am ready to return their money to anyone who thinks that at some point I'm using my personal website for personal issues. But the statement also applies to Johnson: egocentrism bored.
But on the other hand, we have to be yourself. People do not want to read something impersonal, we must show the face from time to time.
One final comment: Johnson believes that life is sad for most people. But ... "show must go on". Let's use the blog to criticize the remarkable, straightening wrongs, attacking government and humiliating the arrogant. "But occasionally mention that we live in a world infinitely beautiful rich people fascinating, and the encouraging laughter, and that God is in heaven"
Related posts: